A Walk Into the Unknown: A Diaper Dimension Story (Chapter 25 - Complete)

[AnActualAirbender]

8 hours ago, keith60 said:

I hope there is more

I second this.

21 hours ago, Eagle0769 said:

I think Ian is in trouble and he may come out of that one on one meeting with Dr. Halden 

with a red bottom which would be hard to explain to the group. Maybe she will 

use something on him to make him submit and change his ways. Ian is very strong

in asking questions Patrick was like that at first. Being treated like a toddler by Addy

has something to do with how he feels now. 

Wonderful news that Patrick has feelings in his toes. I don't really understand

why the baby treatment is going on if they signed a contract to be asked?

It’s the nature of the species/dimension. They naturally feel this deeply maternal/paternal urge when around littles. Sometimes they don’t even realize they are doing it. Think about the internal dialogue Addy had about not even seeing Patrick as a little but as a friend but still needing to keep herself in check because it’s not like Addy is immune to the same urges. It’s natural but some Bogs control it better than others.

I don’t think much will come from the chat between Ian and Halgen. If his Big is just as much into conspiracies, I think it would be more likely Halgen brings in Ian’s person for a discussion where they can help him feel more at ease. 

Halgen isn’t going to punish anyone for asking questions or having theories. While stern, she has proven to be moreso invested in the care and success of her patients.

They are considered “patients” while at this facility, right? I figured due to their initial and most important reason for being there to get life changing medical help in order to sustain a longer healthier life, right?

[dirtydingus84]

A thought I had today could have Patrick's drug dependency stall his rehabilitation? Thats why it took longer I guess maybe? 

[SGTbaby]

Love this story so far!

[LostBBoyBear]

So, sorry for posting this so late. I wanted to show it earlier but I still had about a page or two of editing still to go and I needed to get a certan ticket for something specific (if you know, you know) and then actually do some fall activities while I still could. In fact, I was even inspired today and can better flesh out one of the upcomming chapters in this story. Fall festivals anyone?

Just to clarify, there is something hinky going on at Psyche (this is the DD after all), but you all will just need some patience to figure it out. Further, Patrick's rehab is going slower than a snap of the fingers as his nerves were more severed than were originally anticipated. Reparable, but they will just take time with the help of the meds he's on and the machine with Bruce's help. 

Anway, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter!

Chapter 15: Focus on the Water

For the record, Patrick never liked getting up early. Even if that meant missing out on the freshest of bagels or being the last to get to the breakfast table, it just wasn’t who he was as a person. Now at Psyche, Patrick had begun to feel more tired lately. He could usually muscle through most situations but found himself occasionally nodding off at random times during the day.

When Lloyd had come to collect him for a trip out today, Patrick’s enthusiasm was near record breaking. Dr. Halgen had finally given her approval, and after a tiny trip with both Samantha, Lloyd, and even Addy to a local park, Patrick felt confident enough to go on a solo trip once more with a caretaker outside the grounds of Psyche. His last solo trip was with Redge, and that had gone almost as bad as it could while still under Psyche’s protection. Redge was in the wind, but the scars from his visit still lingered.  

Regardless though, Patrick had nearly bounced all the way through breakfast and didn’t feel at all tired due to this excited energy now flowing through him. He didn’t even feel tired when Lloyd secured him firmly in his booster seat in the back of his SUV before they left. That being said though, not ten minutes into the drive wherever where they were going, which was to remain a surprise for now, Patrick began to nod off. In fact, just as they were reaching the town’s limits, he had completely passed out.

Lloyd immediately noticed and smiled at his tiny companion for the day. The poor kid needed more sleep and while he had no problem with him catching a nap in the back of his car, he worried about his health in the long term. He made a quick mental note to talk to Dr. Halgen about it, and then kept driving to their destination for the day.

*              *              *

“Patrick… hey, Patrick,” Patrick heard a voice call out to him from his inky sleep.

He then realized he was being gently shaken awake and that the car had stopped somewhere since he had dozed off in the backseat. “Wha…? Lloyd? We there yet?”

Lloyd chuckled. “Yes. We’re here. Now, come on. We’ve got an adventure ahead of us and daylight’s burnin’.”

Patrick nodded sleepily, still trying to fully wake up, and just let himself be hoisted out of the car and into a smaller travel wheelchair that Lloyd had brought and parked onto the pristinely paved parking lot next to his passenger side door. Looking around, he quickly saw an enormous lake, dock, and relatively small building at the start of it. “So… what are we doing here? We’re not swimming, right?”

Lloyd laughed. “No, no, of course not. Water’s probably too damn cold at this point. I’m no polar bear. You?” Patrick quickly shook his head. Even when he could swim with all his limbs, that challenge had never appealed to him. “Fair enough, but no, we’re not swimming. Come on. I’ll show you.”

Quickly collecting a bag and hanging it off one of the wheelchair’s rear handles, Lloyd began to push Patrick toward the docks. Before getting to the teller window near to there though, Lloyd stopped outside a restroom and then got in front of Patrick. “So, look. Addy told me that you’re wearing diapers now.” Patrick quickly blushed and Lloyd crouched down and placed his hand on his thigh, which, even though his mortification, Patrick was still thrilled that he could now mostly feel his touch. “It’s okay, buddy. No need to be embarrassed. That being said though, I don’t mind helping you out with them, but I figured, and only if you want, you can try to go before we head out. Is that something you would want to do?”

Patrick’s mind swam with joy. Lloyd, a Big in every sense of the word, was offering for him to use the toilet. Even if he couldn’t on a regular basis, it gave him a sliver of hope that if he chose him as a caretaker at the end of all this, potty training him to some degree at least wasn’t out of the question. Patrick then wanted to smack himself for implying that he needed that in the first place, but he let it slide, especially after he realized he wasn’t sure of the current state of his diaper. “Yes, please.”

Lloyd patted him on the leg and then stood up. “Alright. Let’s go.”

The next roughly ten minutes were a little embarrassing for the two of them, but each got quickly through it, and after a minute or so on the toilet, Patrick went about his business much to his delight. A few gentle but awkward wipes later, and Patrick was snugly wrapped back up in a new diaper, the old one being slightly and embarrassingly damp. Patrick had appreciated the lack of talking during the event and the way Lloyd had only helped him out and not pushed him into anything. It was a nice moment between the two of them, and after a quick wash of both of their hands in the sink, with a little assistance to reach it for Patrick, both were back outside.

“One boat for two. I got the tickets beforehand today for once,” Lloyd told the teller while passing him a piece of paper with all his information on it.

The older teller sniffed and then stroked his pure white mustached. “I see there. ‘Bout time too.” The old man, bearing a striking resemblance to a more laid-back Santa Claus then peered out of the window and spotted Patrick. “Takin’ the little feller out today, huh?”

“Yep. We talked the other day and he said he had never been before. Figured he could use the peace out on the water before all this just turns into ice fishing over the winter.” Lloyd briefly smiled at Patrick in an effort to get him to ignore that the two were talking about him and not with or to him.  

Patrick didn’t like the attitude with most of the Bigs he had met, but he knew it was just something to get used to outside of the bounds of Psyche. To make things easier, he just sat back in his wheelchair while the two yammered on. At some point, he had just tuned them out until Lloyd’s tone became suddenly concerned. “Everything okay? That’s the second time you’ve asked for my ID. You know who I am.”

“Sorry, Lloyd, but can’t be too careful these days. Technology and well…” He then slid a stack of papers over to Lloyd before pointing one of his stubby fingers to one spot. “See here? Says some big machine and some pieces of equipment were stolen from some tech facility up just a little north of here.”

“You don’t say,” Lloyd said with an ounce of concern in his eyes. “They have any leads or was anyone hurt?”

“No leads, but I think they said that one guard was listed as critical, and one had already passed. It’s a darn shame, but anyways, sorry about the ID and all. I doubt you’re really them in disguise and all, but as my missus says, better safe than sorry.”

“Always a wise woman, your wife,” Patrick said as he stuffed his ID back in his wallet.

“Indeed, she is. Very much so as I’m sure you can remember well.” The old man then fumbled with something behind the teller window and popped back up with a set of keys. “Anyways, here we go. Let’s go get you two to your boat for your day at sea,” he said jovially.

“Thanks. I’m sure Patrick will just love it out there today. Not even a cloud in the sky.” Lloyd patted Patrick covertly on his shoulder as a sign to just ‘hang in there’ and then started pushing Patrick toward the docks as they followed the burly old man.

Not long after, and passing several other boats, the trio of them then came to a singular boat at the end. By Patrick’s estimation, it was at least 30 feet long and was mostly white, with some blue and gray accents around the top and down near the waterline. What was most interesting about it though, was that at the front, was a folded-up ramp.

“Just one-minute, little feller,” the old man commanded as he hopped onto the boat before pressing a switch. The ramp immediately began to lower and came to rest on the docks. “There. One of a kind of boat. She’s got some decent speed and some wide access for good fishing in these parts, but the ramp and then the tie downs for the chair inside can’t be beat.”

Lloyd walked around and shook the older man’s hand as he got out. “Thank you so much as always. We’ll have it back in one piece and before the time I scheduled. You know I’m a man of my word.”

“Oh, I know, but it’s no problem if not. We only really see this boat get used on weekend field trips when portal travelers come here as part of a group deal or something. For today, you’re the only one’s who’ve go this beauty, so come back whenever you want.” He then looked at Patrick. “Don’t want to deprive the little one of his first voyage now, do we?” he cooed as he ruffled his hair a bit.

Lloyd seemed to panic at the interaction for a moment but then chuckled once Patrick flashed him a tiny thumbs up. “No, I suppose not.”

Satisfied with the two, the old man walked back off and Patrick wheeled himself onto the boat via the lowered ramp while Lloyd hopped in the side and began to mess with the controls. “Alright, I’m on!” Patrick called out as his wheelchair clunked onto the boat deck.

“Perfect.” Lloyd then scanned the controls. “Ah! Here we are.” He then pushed a button, and the ramp immediately began to collapse. He then jumped back out of the boat and untied all the mooring lines from their attached cleats on the docks after confirming that all the supplies were now on board.

Lloyd repositioned himself back at the helm on board and hummed the motor to life. “She’s alive!” he yelled jokingly, laughing afterward.

Patrick only smiled and gave a thumbs up. “All ready over here, captain!”

“Acknowledged, seaman Patrick. Let’s get this beauty on her way!” Lloyd reached over and untied the last of the ropes holding them into place. Once set adrift after a tiny shove, the vessel began to putter out to the wider and soothingly calm lake.

While Lloyd guided the boat out to the middle of the lake after he passed the ‘no wake’ zone, Patrick rubbed his foot for a moment. It ached something awful, which was both wonderful and utterly annoying. He had just started to get feeling back there, and now, all he could do was worry that he now had possessed some internal injury for a long time and only his renewed sensations had just alerted him to it. Frm his spot at the wheel, Lloyd noticed.

“Everything okay there, buddy?” he asked while still scanning the lake for a good spot to settle down.

“Yeah… just hurts a bit. Can’t figure out why though.” Patrick then stopped rubbing after a moment as the pain began to subside, at least for now.

“I hate it when that happens. Dinged by thumb the other day… bloody thing still throbs occasionally.” The two then began to chat for some time until Lloyd finally found a good spot. Some birds and ripples had alerted him to the possibility of fish being here and both would have plenty of room to cast their lines.

The boat then stopped, and Lloyd threw an anchor over the side to keep them in relatively the same place. Nearby the still remaining insects played their tune from the tree line and, on the water, little ripples appeared from beneath.

“Alrighty then. Here’s your pole,” Lloyd said, handing Patrick a nearly ten-foot-tall pole. “It might be a bit long and unwieldy, but you can still catch some fish that you won’t have to just throw back if you used the traditional one that most other Littles typically use.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Patrick then eased back as Lloyd attached his wheelchair to the deck to ensure the fish wouldn’t drag him out and then assisted him with placing his bait hooks on the end. Of the few that Lloyd had brought with him, Patrick had chosen what almost appeared to be a party decoration. On one side was an oval metallic shape for some weight and at the other end of the main rod was a grouping of neon green tendrils. Not long later, Patrick cast his first line.

Meanwhile, Lloyd had done his own and Patrick noticed that his mighty pole stood at least 13 feet tall, coming at just over a foot taller than the Big himself. Briefly, Patrick worried about the size differences here and what that would mean for the fish, but he knew that he also had Lloyd to help him out if needed. Lloyd was just that type of guy and for whatever reason, Patrick felt safe to be around him in almost any situation. Between his presence and the gentle rocking of the waves, a tiny smile began to grow on his face.

Now, there are many types of fishermen out there, but many hold the belief that silence can help, if at least not hurt, their chances to catch fish. Lloyd was a true practitioner of this, and it was actually one of the reasons he had suggested this entire day trip in the first place. He knew that Patrick was still somewhat distrustful of Bigs, so an adventure like this allowed him to talk as much or as little as he desired. So, while Lloyd appreciated the quiet to catch a fish, he also wasn’t horribly upset when Patrick began to speak up… at least for today.

“You know, I really just want to thank you for taking me out here,” Patrick said, somewhat easing back into his wheelchair, which had an appropriate nautical theme for the cover on the seat today.

“You’re very welcome, Patrick,” Lloyd said, setting his rod in one of the posts and then turning around to face the diagonal facing Little to the side of him. “I do this every once in a while, and I’m always glad for the company.”

‘Hmmm, Lloyd was a fisherman… interesting…’ “So, you come here often?”

“Not as often as I might like, but it’s just one of my hobbies. Sam, the guy who helped us here at the docks, is a pretty decent guy and he’ll help you with most of your needs. In fact, regardless of what happens in the next few months, if you ever want to come back here with me, we can take one of the fancier boats out for a spin and he’ll hook us up with the best baits and rods.”

Patrick’s mind was sent hurdling into the future. He had been here for only about five and a half weeks now, so thinking beyond even just the winter almost felt too much. Still, the offer was tangible, and it would have been rude to tell him a flat out ‘no’ at this point just because he didn’t know his own future. “That sounds nice. I’ll have to remember that.”

The two passed the time on the water and even popped open the cooler that Lloyd had brought on board and plucked out two sandwiches, Lloyd’s being almost twice the size of Patrick’s. Soon, both of their mouths were covered in the mustard spread that had coated both and the two had a good laugh after they saw the smeared upper lip of the other.

Time kept passing after and Patrick was secretly glad that he was wearing a diaper. He was still displeased with their overall existence in the first place, but with few alternatives at this point, Patrick had begun to adopt a new attitude towards them on the suggestion of Dr. Halgen. So, instead of thinking of them as a burden, he began to try to find all the ways they might be good. For example, Patrick would have needed to pee at least once since they had been out here. With the absorbent diaper, that was no longer the case, and he could just sit and comfortably wait for tangible bite to be caught.

Both had caught a few earlier, but each had been too small to keep. Patrick was nearly in disbelief over the notion, but as he had slightly feared, the fish were also bigger here. As a result, despite the bass-looking creature that he had caught almost an hour ago being over a foot long, he had to throw it back. As his line began to click and pull though, hope sprang within his chest once more.

The tip of his rod bent lower and lower, clearly not just from the mere passing current. “Lloyd! Loyd! I think I got one!”

Lloyd secured his line once more and rushed over to help Patrick. “Alright, this one feels a bit bigger,” he said as he helped Patrick keep control of the whirring and straining rod. “Crank it up a bit and let’s see if you can catch a keeper today!”

Patrick struggled to wind the reel back up, but slowly, after a few body pivots back and forth and some fast-spinning actions with the main rod wheel, the line began to inch back in. “It’s coming! It’s coming!”

“Yep! Just keep going, I think I see something coming up.” The line continued back up and Patrick’s ears caught ahold of something beginning to splash. “Definitely a fish, buddy! Keep going,” Lloyd continued to encourage as he both steadied the line and the rod near the top to balance out the strength needed to catch a fish.

Soon, the fish sprang out of the water and began to flap about. “Oh, Lloyd! He’s a biggie!” Patrick cried out. “I don’t think I can hold him for long.”

“That’s fine. Just bring him over the side!” Lloyd shouted, briefly letting go of the rod and going over to get the net. “Oof! What a biggie!”

The fish at the top of the curved rod came over, but the wet creature flapped about and sent a good deal of water all over Patrick’s lap. “Oh, yuck! Fish water.”

Lloyd chuckled, but just came in with the net and caught the fish. After a moment of getting his footing and removing the hook, he took the fish and laid it out on the deck. “Hand me the tape measure. Just right behind you,” he said to Patrick, pointing to the bag right behind him.

The metallic casing for the tape measure shone out and caught his eye. “Here you go,” Patrick said, handing the tape measure over to Lloyd.

Lloyd took it and began to measure the fish. “Thank you. Now, let’s see…” The tape measure stretched out and Lloyd double checked the measurement. “Yep! 26 inches tip to tip. Must weigh at least nine pounds easy.” He then looked up and smiled at Lloyd. You’ve definitely got a keeper there. Here.” Lloyd then picked up the only now slowly moving fish. Let me get a pose with you.”

Patrick grabbed the enormous fish, at least to him, and held it aloft and wide while grinning as much as he could. It was by no means a record holder, but he felt an immense feeling of accomplishment.

Lloyd then reached into his bag and with his camera, took a perfect picture of Patrick with his prize. As he squatted from a few angles though, Patrick saw something nearby.

It was hard to tell from this distance, but after squinting for a moment, Patrick clearly saw another boat on the otherwise empty lake. What’s more, it was coming closer to them and at least one of the two visible individuals on board had binoculars pointed in their direction. “Lloyd?”

“Yeah? What’s up, buddy?” he asked casually as he took the fish from Patrick and stored it in the nearby cooler that had once held their sandwiches.

Patrick took a deep breath. “Is Sam’s dock the only one on this lake?”

“Wha…? Uh… well now, let me think…” Lloyd rubbed his chin for a few moments and then snapped his fingers. “You know what… there is another one to the east of here. It’s not as nice and there’s no rentals, but it does the trick for the folks that live over there.” He then looked back at Patrick. “Why do you ask?”

Patrick then pointed at the boat. “Them… they’re watching us.”

“What?” Lloyd scrambled to take a better look, but as he did so, the boat quickly took off.

Now noticing a pair of binoculars of their own wedged in in a nearby side compartment in the boat, Patrick lunged for the pair and quickly looked through them. “No…” It was still hard to tell at this distance, and he couldn’t really see the woman next to him, but the wavy blonde locks and buff stance, was almost unmistakable. It was a form that had forever been burned in his mind at its forefront and the deep, dark corners he never wanted to visit again. “It’s Redge…”

“Redge… oh, Redge!” Lloyd exclaimed in both a unique combination of both fear and rage. He quickly took the binoculars from the now limp hands of Patrick and looked through them, but the boat had taken a quick turn to their port side, and he could only make out the rear of the boat passing through the trees. “Damn!” He put the binoculars down. “I’m sorry, Patrick. I didn’t see them, but… do you want to go back in? I’ll leave it up to you…”

Patrick felt the dampness in his pants from mere moments ago and had been so overcome with emotion and the whole scene with the fish getting him wet and the photo that he had forgotten to celebrate the moment aloud. Now, even with the success of the fish, Redge’s likely presence so close couldn’t be ignored. “I’m sorry, Lloyd… I… I just don’t feel comfortable out here anymore…”

Lloyd smiled sympathetically. “You don’t need to apologize to me, buddy. I may not have been there, but I can tell a bully and a bad man when I hear of one. There’s nothing to explain or be sorry for.”

Patrick tearfully nodded and after a moment of consolation between the two, Lloyd got back at the helm and steered them back to Sam’s docks. Once there, Sam helped them out and grabbed the fish from them. “I’ll just take this back and get it all processed for you. You want a photo before I do that though?”

“Thanks, Sam,” Lloyd responded, “but we already got one on the lake…”

Sam nodded and toddled away briefly before coming back out. “Hey… are you two alright? Was it the boat or…?”

“No. It’s not your boat, Sam. It was wonderful in fact, but… well, we saw a guy out there. He’s not one of the good ones… give us all a bad name, if you know what I mean…”

Sam blinked confusedly for a moment, but then saw Patrick. “Oh… oh! Wait… are you not regressed?”

Patrick stared up at the harbormaster before him. “No…”

Sam then smacked himself on the forehead. “Oh geez! Stupid, stupid me! I… damn. I just assumed… gotta stop doing that. Crudolla!”

“It’s okay…” Patrick consoled the clearly distressing Big. “I don’t talk much around you all, because… that guy… out there… well, I’ve got some trust issues I’m working out.”

“Ah. Hear you there, and damn sorry about it. You got a picture of the man? I don’t do business with those barbarians.” He then pointed to a wall back in his booth that had several photos of Bigs that had been all labeled as ‘banned.’

“No,” Lloyd answered, “but I can just send you his photo later. He needs to be caught, Sam. Top priority and watch out. He’s dangerous… for everyone.”

Sam nodded just as a beep went off from inside. Sam reemerged a minute later with a small plastic package that he handed to Patrick. “Here you go. All nice and neat. The packaging is special and should keep it cool for at least five hours if you don’t open it, and about that man, I’m really sorry you saw him today, but I’ll let you know if he ever comes here. Can’t let people like that get away with that old cra… stuff.”

“Thank you, Sam,” Patrick said, extending his hand to shake, clearly surprising Sam.

Lloyd and Patrick then departed Sam and got back to their vehicle. Minutes later, they were all situated and back on the road. Sam had been a nice touch to bolster his faith in Bigs, but Redge’s presence still presented something far worse ahead.

Entering back onto the grounds, Lloyd then helped Patrick out and back into his wheelchair. “Look… I’m genuinely sorry about seeing Redge out there, but I hope you still had fun…”

Patrick quickly nodded. “Even with Redge, honestly, it was the best time I’ve had here in a while. Plus,” he shook the box in his lap, “I’ve got some chow to remember the whole thing by, but seriously… I can’t thank you enough for today.”

Lloyd’s smile could have lit up half the state. “I’m very glad to hear that, Patrick. Now, unless you really want me to, I’ll just leave you with a fist bump. Halgen’s coming and you never know what that woman could think…”

Patrick chuckled. “Yeah. Fist bumps it is.” The two then bumped fists and Patrick scrambled out of there before Dr. Halgen could interrogate him about the day. As he wheeled up to the top of the porch, Patrick briefly worried though as he saw Dr. Halgen and Lloyd begin to raise their voices at each other. He wanted to intervene in case Lloyd had accidentally done something wrong and could be thrown out of the program, but something to his right distracted him far more.

There, playing in the local garden the facility tended year-round, weather permitting, was Darren and Terra mucking about in the soil. Now, Patrick’s mother had been known to grow a few tomatoes and tulips in their backyard, but even through the sweat and dirty clothing, she maintained a deliberate and organized tempo to her movements and at least tried to maintain her looks while out there. Darren and Terra, however, were not doing any of that.

The two seemed to be working well as a pair for sure, but Patrick wasn’t really sure what he was seeing. Crouched into the dirt, Darren eagerly pulled out the weed’s fistfuls at a time and then pointed to the various floral or vegetables which were ready to be harvested. Terra followed behind and was practically skipping as she plucked out the ready plants, all while humming some melodic tune. Both were matted heavily with dirt and even barefooted as well.

Not wanting to make a scene and getting a whiff of his pants that still smelled like fish, Patrick wheeled himself back toward the front door, but paused and went to the back door instead. While it would take longer, he wanted to see what Ian was questioningly up to. To his disbelief, his skeptical and rebellious friends was now eagerly slurping up some juice with a colorful bendy straw and coloring in a book. The book was still one of the more mature ones, but Ian’s lines left much to be desired. “Hey buddy. You okay?”

Ian eagerly nodded after letting go of the straw. “Oh yeah, man. It’s been such a great day! Went to an art store with James. He’s weird and a bit too quiet, but he got me this book!” Ian then proudly held up his new gift.

“Oh?” Patrick asked, a little surprised. “That’s… really nice, but did something happen? Why are you so…?” Patrick gestured to all of Ian as nonchalantly as he could. Compared to the virulent and trouble making conspiracy theorist, this version of Ian almost seemed childish.

“Uh… well, Dr. Halgen helped me out,” Ian replied with some hesitancy.

“And how did she do that?” Patrick asked, now also noticing a few of Ian’s letters looked odd and more crooked than they should have.

“She just help… I dunno how or why, but I just know it feels nice now.” Ian smiled. “I’m just happier now, but Halgen says it will mostly go away in an hour or two by now.”

Patrick wanted to say more to his friend and dig deeper, but now didn’t seem like the best of times with many of the nurses passing around and talking amongst themselves. So, recognizing his friend’s current apparent issue in communication not willing to expose himself or involve any others into his curiosity for now, Patrick just smiled, waved, and went back upstairs after depositing his box of fish into the refrigerator. Ian, despite hopefully being only temporarily in that state, had been more concerning to him than Darren or Terra, but it all still seemed so strange. ‘Had he missed something hinky while at the lake with Lloyd today?’

Regardless, back inside his room, Patrick immediately went to the bathroom to change his pants and wash off quickly before dinner. Unfortunately, while he lowered his pants, he quickly noticed his sodden diaper. He wanted a change, so he went for one of the buttons on his wrist device. At the same time, however, a knock came from his front door.

“Yes?” Patrick asked a little nervously.

“It’s just me… Addy,” she replied.

He immediately sighed with relief that it wasn’t anyone dangerous or coming to regress him as well. “Oh, awesome. Come in,” Patrick shouted so she could here. Addy then entered the room and looked into the bathroom. “I was just about to buzz you, but now that you’re here, I figured you could help me out a bit and help me get changed and ready for dinner.

“Absolutely, but…” Addy then began to sniff around and made a face ripe with disgust. “Oh, Patrick. You need a bath. You stink, honey. Did you bathe in a bucket of fish heads or something?”

Patrick sniffed the air but didn’t smell anything too horrendous until his nose got closer to his pants. “Oof. I knew they need to be changed but…”

“But nothing. You need a bath right now, mister,” Addy commanded. Without another word, she quickly plucked Patrick out of his wheelchair, his pants hanging loosely and threatening to fall in a second to the ground and carried him out of the bathroom. She then took him into the main room and laid him on the changing table, a piece of furniture that Patrick had actually come to appreciate for its comfort and efficiency.

All seemed usual by now, but as Addy began to strip his pants off, Patrick looked over to his left and saw something new. “What. The. Heck. Is. That?”

Addy stopped after wrestling his pants off and looked where Patrick was now accusatorily pointing to. Standing in the place where his bed with railings once stood, was now a full-fledged and correctly sized crib, equivalent to roughly the size of a large full-size bed. The dark wooden slats all around provided an impressive wall around each side, and even when standing in it, Patrick could tell that likely, only his head and shoulders would stick out of the top. If he was ever left in it with all sides raised, even when he could walk again, he would effectively be trapped inside of the latest piece of furniture in here.

Addy looked back at Patrick sheepishly. “Oh, that… well, I thought you had already seen that and didn’t mind it, but to answer your question, it’s a crib.”

“I know it’s a crib, but maybe my better question should have been, why the heck is it in my room? Where’s my usual bed?” Patrick angrily questioned.

Addy took a step back and Patrick bolted up on the changing table. Addy made a note that he was now getting more agile, and his movements could also subsequently be more unpredictable. She knew this was a dangerous time for most Littles as they started to feel better more than ever before, but they still weren’t fully healed. If she wasn’t careful, a poorly timed tantrum could send her beloved charge hurdling toward the ground headfirst, something she knew neither wanted.

“I’m waiting…” Patrick said annoyedly.

“Sorry… just,” Addy decided to not tell him to be careful right in this moment, “I just needed to take a breath. Had a meeting today with Dr. Halgen… it was intense.” She then shook her head. “Sorry… you wanted to know about the crib.”

“Yes,” Patrick practically hissed. “Stop saying sorry and just tell me why it’s in my room. Were the railings not enough and you needed to cage me up as well?”

Addy looked a little hurt and only sighed, partially from his comment, but also due to the state of Patrick’s deeply soaked diaper that she could now see fully. After all, she didn’t want him getting a rash on top of everything else going on in his life. So, once again she pulled out her monitoring device to speed this conversation up. “Remember this?” Patrick nodded. “Well, ah yes, here we are.” She then handed the device over to Patrick.

“So?” he said quizzically after a moment of watching. “This looks the same as before. I toss and turn at night. No change.”

“Keep watching…” Addy said without a hint of any emotion.

Patrick did and poured into the peculiar video of him sleeping throughout the night on fast-forward. Then, moments later, he saw his legs swing over and nearly launch him from the open side of his bed from last night. It resolved though before anything serious happened, but then almost an hour later of the same video, Patrick’s leg swung wide once more. In a second, it connected with a crunch on one of the rails.

Patrick’s mind then clicked as his foot began to throb once more. ‘So that’s why it was sore this morning…’ Patrick then meekly looked up at a waiting Addy. “So… safety then?”

Addy nodded. “That and stability. I looked at your railings, once I checked the footage, after you left this morning and found that you had actually cracked the railing at the base. Not too much and easily reparable, but your nightly escapades don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. It’s good progress and shows that your legs may soon be ready for the next phases of treatment, which I have informed Bruce of, but I don’t want you getting any more hurt that you were when you came here. You understand, right?”

Patrick wanted to scream into a pillow at the very least over the transformations taking place with all the emotions that he was feeling now. The others of his group had voiced their own complaints the other day, but this… he almost wanted to prepare for a full-scale riot in the coming weeks if they had to submit to this type of thing as well. He made a mental note to punch a pillow later, but then only nodded outwardly. “Yes… once again, you are right. I hate it all, but I want to walk again. If sacrifices need to be made to get to that point, then so be it.”

Addy smiled and walked back over to Patrick before stroking his hair gently. “I’m so proud of you, Patrick. I know all this is a lot to take in, but I just want what’s best for you and for you to heal as best you can under our care. You mean a great deal to many people, and we all are just looking out for you.”

Patrick gulped at the pressure to comply with so many looking out for his well-being, but the same shackles that he felt so keenly now also came along with a warm and impenetrable blanket to keep him safe from all the evils beyond these grounds. Dr. Halgen and Addy may have been up to something craftier than he may have preferred, but it was still better than lobotomies, virtual slavery, or long days going between naps, feeding, and diaper changes. In this dimension, good seemed to be a relative term. “Thank you, Addy.”

Addy smiled and gently laid Patrick back down on the changing table. As she began her work before his much-needed bath, Patrick stared over at his new bedding. The cartoonish ships and other nautical décor were not appreciated, but Matilda’s ever-present words continued to ring in his head. She may have been neck deep now in tea parties or doll fashion shows with her caretaker, Emily, but she was right about the acceptance of things here. ‘Doing so just made everything easier, and besides, the crib was only meant to protect him, right?’ Patrick didn’t give it much more thought and just lifted his legs as well as he could to help Addy change another one of his now endless series of diapers. It was an odd life now, but the tingle buzzing throughout his toes and the fact that he had moved his legs at all just then made it somehow feel all well worth it.

[BabyMorgan]

47 minutes ago, LostBBoyBear said:

Lloyd briefly smiled at Patrick in an effort to get him to ignore that the two were talking about him and not with or to him.  

Patrick didn’t like the attitude with most of the Bigs he had met, but he knew it was just something to get used to outside of the bounds of Psyche. To make things easier, he just sat back in his wheelchair while the two yammered on.

Really enjoying all of your stories. They have a different voice compared to a lot out there and it’s been really enjoyable. 
 

Some feedback for you from someone in a power wheelchair. You’ve done a pretty good job of conveying some of the trials and tribulations that people on wheels face. You nailed it about not wanting people to take control of our chair. I have friends who have handles on the back of the chair that they have covered with embroidered fabric reading ‘Pushing me without permission is kidnapping.’ My powerchair doesn’t have handles, but you would not believe how often people, including strangers, will lean on the chair.  
 

To the quote above, being ignored or talked about - but not to - is a very common occurrence when you are in a chair. This would not be a new thing for Patrick. It would absolutely be his lived experience from the previous five years. In the Bigs world it would come more from his size rather than the chair but the behavioral pattern is nothing new. 
 

It doesn’t matter the situation- people will always talk to my spouse or my kids before they will address me. My wife teases me that I turn invisible once I go out in public but she isn’t entirely wrong. 
 

On multiple occasions, I’ve waited in line to make a purchase at a store, gotten to my turn and the cashier looked right over my head and called up the person waiting behind me. And the person behind me - walks around me to be helped. It’s all I can do to not throw a world class overly-tired-toddler grade temper tantrum - succumbing to my inner Little. Occasionally, my wife whispers in my ear that if I do blow, she will get out my binky and make me use it. 

I’ve had doctors and nurses who are supposed to know better ignore me or play condescending until I point out that my ears work just fine as does my brain. That I actually graduated multiple times from college, hold a full time job and sit on the boards of a couple of nonprofit organizations. I am a (mostly) functional ‘adult’ who is actually capable of making my own decisions. But they frequently ignore or talk down to me. (Now the Little side of me turns all gooey, but the Big in me hates it.) 

The real fun comes when we have to take a van into the repair shop. We get to play the ‘do they ignore the woman or the person in the wheelchair’ game. I could write an entire masters thesis on that question alone. It’s great fun to watch their mental gears grind and brain cells start exploding. 
 

Most wheelchair users develop an incredibly stubborn streak. A lot of independence has been lost so preserving the remaining abilities can become an obsession. Patrick’s willingness to take the leap- hoping to improve before he hits the bottom is spot on. I’ve been willing to try almost anything in order to recapture some of what I have lost. For Patrick, the thought of losing more control over his body and life is very much at war with the hope for improvement.  So much comes down to tradeoffs. And you a doing a great job in conveying his inner struggles. 

[dmavn]

Won’t be long and the littles will be running around in snowsuits.

[Guilend]

I guess it's a good thing Redge was spotted, now Patrick is certain he's coming for him and can be better prepared without that nagging voice putting doubt in his head. I don't know why, but I don't really like the Big that took him fishing. Not that he isn't a good guy, just I don't feel like he'd be a good caretaker. He gives off that thoughtful big brother vibe though. 

[LostBBoyBear]

8 hours ago, Guilend said:

I guess it's a good thing Redge was spotted, now Patrick is certain he's coming for him and can be better prepared without that nagging voice putting doubt in his head. I don't know why, but I don't really like the Big that took him fishing. Not that he isn't a good guy, just I don't feel like he'd be a good caretaker. He gives off that thoughtful big brother vibe though. 

Just for my own context, is there a reason you think that fishing wasn't a good idea? Was it because they saw Redge out there or is it something else?

10 hours ago, BabyMorgan said:

Really enjoying all of your stories. They have a different voice compared to a lot out there and it’s been really enjoyable. 
 

Some feedback for you from someone in a power wheelchair. You’ve done a pretty good job of conveying some of the trials and tribulations that people on wheels face. You nailed it about not wanting people to take control of our chair. I have friends who have handles on the back of the chair that they have covered with embroidered fabric reading ‘Pushing me without permission is kidnapping.’ My powerchair doesn’t have handles, but you would not believe how often people, including strangers, will lean on the chair.  
 

To the quote above, being ignored or talked about - but not to - is a very common occurrence when you are in a chair. This would not be a new thing for Patrick. It would absolutely be his lived experience from the previous five years. In the Bigs world it would come more from his size rather than the chair but the behavioral pattern is nothing new. 
 

It doesn’t matter the situation- people will always talk to my spouse or my kids before they will address me. My wife teases me that I turn invisible once I go out in public but she isn’t entirely wrong. 
 

On multiple occasions, I’ve waited in line to make a purchase at a store, gotten to my turn and the cashier looked right over my head and called up the person waiting behind me. And the person behind me - walks around me to be helped. It’s all I can do to not throw a world class overly-tired-toddler grade temper tantrum - succumbing to my inner Little. Occasionally, my wife whispers in my ear that if I do blow, she will get out my binky and make me use it. 

I’ve had doctors and nurses who are supposed to know better ignore me or play condescending until I point out that my ears work just fine as does my brain. That I actually graduated multiple times from college, hold a full time job and sit on the boards of a couple of nonprofit organizations. I am a (mostly) functional ‘adult’ who is actually capable of making my own decisions. But they frequently ignore or talk down to me. (Now the Little side of me turns all gooey, but the Big in me hates it.) 

The real fun comes when we have to take a van into the repair shop. We get to play the ‘do they ignore the woman or the person in the wheelchair’ game. I could write an entire masters thesis on that question alone. It’s great fun to watch their mental gears grind and brain cells start exploding. 
 

Most wheelchair users develop an incredibly stubborn streak. A lot of independence has been lost so preserving the remaining abilities can become an obsession. Patrick’s willingness to take the leap- hoping to improve before he hits the bottom is spot on. I’ve been willing to try almost anything in order to recapture some of what I have lost. For Patrick, the thought of losing more control over his body and life is very much at war with the hope for improvement.  So much comes down to tradeoffs. And you a doing a great job in conveying his inner struggles. 

That's a really unique perspective and definitely thank you for sharing. I'm really sorry to hear about some of that but thank you for the complements. I really try to make these stories as realistic as possible, but there's only so much I can do. It's nice to know that I'm at least somewhat on the right track sometimes 

[Guilend]

4 minutes ago, LostBBoyBear said:

Just for my own context, is there a reason you think that fishing wasn't a good idea? Was it because they saw Redge out there or is it something else?

Oh, fishing was a great idea. I didn't mean to imply that it wasn't. I think my problem is I would have trouble connecting with him if I were in Patrick's shoes and I'm probably just projecting my own problems lol

[CDfm]

It was overall a great outing with Lloyd. I wonder how Redge knew they would be out on the lake.  He is either accessing the cameras again or he has an informant working for him.  He also needs to be close enough to be able to pick up surveillance on Lloyd.  I could teach Lloyd a few counter surveillance techniques that would keep Redge off his tail. 
I am still really enjoying the story and looking forward to seeing more. 

[LostBBoyBear]

Ugh. Sorry everyone for the late posting of this chapter. It was a little longer than I was anticipating originally, but I didn't want to split it up or short change any of the events here. I know it could have been even longer, but I'm at least satisfied with how it turned out in the end. The next chapter shouldnt be as long from what I can tell, but it might still take me a minute to edit it, so it may or may not be posted later today.

Regardless, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter!

Chapter 16: Breathe in the Fresh Air

Memory can be a fickle thing, especially for the Littles who found themselves in all the varieties of situations one may encounter in this other dimension. While Patrick had gotten caught up in everything that happened when he had returned and had despairingly forgotten to tell Dr. Halgen or anyone else about seeing Redge, it turned out that Lloyd didn’t want to take the risk of any information being lost or misheard and it had been what had and Dr. Halgen had been arguing about once they got back. Redge was a problem, but apparently, the next steps were still up for debate.

Now, Dr. Halgen was trying to hold Patrick back from leaving on the next caretaker day to keep him safe. It was logical, if not a bit restrictive. “He’s out there, Redge, I mean. I think it’s just too much of a risk for you to take, Patrick.”

“But Samantha was supposed to take me out today! We were going to go hiking and all! Do you know the last time I went hiking?” Patrick asked, pounding his fist onto the wall nearby him to emphasize his point.

“I’m guessing... five years ago?” she said after a moment.

“Yeah, and do you know why? It’s because I got paralyzed two weeks later. Hard to get up those trails on wheels and all, but now, Samantha wants to take me. How can you just say ‘no’ to something like that?”

Dr. Halgen sighed. “Patrick. It’s not that I don’t want you to go, but I think you’re just going to be unsafe out there. What if…?” Dr. Halgen then stopped and both she and Patrick whirled around to see the knocking coming from her open door.

“Samantha!” Patrick cried, wheeling over to where she was standing. “I’m so glad you’re here! Dr. Halgen isn’t letting me go. She doesn’t think it’s safe. Tell her she’s wrong!”

Smantha smiled sympathetically at the Little below her before rubbing his shoulder reassuringly. “Patrick… I’m glad to be with you today, and I just want you to be happy, but she is right. Redge is a threat.”

“You see, Patrick?” Dr. Halgen said with a tone of satisfaction. “Even Samantha agrees with me that it’s not safe out there. Maybe you could just stay here today and walk around the grounds.”

“Actually… I didn’t say that,” Samantha retorted. “What I said was that Redge was a threat. If Patrick’s with me however, he won’t be in any real danger.” She then rolled up her left sleeve and revealed a skull wearing a beret and a large knife underneath. “Army, sixth legion, five years abroad. If Redge comes anywhere near, he won’t like what happens next. I guarantee it.”

Dr. Halgen seemed at a loss for words and just stared at the tattoo in shock before Samantha rolled her sleeve back down. Finally, she managed to mumble out, “fine… you may go…”

Samantha smiled and quickly wheeled Patrick away and outside to her waiting car. “I didn’t know you were in the army,” he said finally, still in disbelief.

“Well, you never asked, and I usually don’t share stuff like that. It’s actually one of the reasons I was originally with the Psyche facility in New Eboracum. Helped a lot of fellow vets there. Helped with the cooking I did afterward to settle back in. Good way to keep my knife skills just as sharp,” she winked jokingly with a sly smile. “I’m sure you enjoyed the cookies I made you the other week?”

Patrick wasn’t sure what to say, so he just nodded. At the same time, in a similar way to what he had felt with Lloyd, despite Redge being at large and possibly nearby, he felt a relaxed sense of security with Samantha by his side. In some strange way, instead of being annoyed, he also felt this way when she lifted him out of his wheelchair and set him in his rear booster seat without asking him first. Then, once both were settled, Samantha took off west and headed for the mountains Patrick had often seen at night from the top of the hill at Psyche.

It took a while and the two chatted aimlessly for the next hour, but as they began to get closer, Samantha eyed the clothing that Patrick was now wearing. “I see you’re wearing what I sent.”

“Yeah…” Patrick mumbled. He had received it yesterday in the mail from her and while the gift was still a nice surprise, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about the selection she had chosen. The red checkered shirt was nice, and the boots were a bit clunky, but at least they would provide some protection if he ever set his feet down. The pants, however, were tan and contained several pockets, but also had a series of snaps and Velcro closures running up the inseams. Patrick had been in diapers long enough to know that they would allow for easier changes and were almost a hallmark of fashion for the more regressed Littles. To show his appreciation over the gift, he still wore them, but he still wasn’t happy about it.

Samantha looked in her rearview mirror and saw his slight frown and she half expected it. There was a small part of her that wished he would just be happy for the new clothing, but she knew these things took time. She hoped that if everything went well today, it would act as a good leap forward with their relationship. Perhaps, it could just be the start of a beautiful relationship.

Not long after, Samantha drove her car through the park’s open front gate and parked along with about a half dozen or so other cars in the nearby parking lot. Getting out, she then came over to Patrick’s door and opened it. “Now, you have a decision to make today. Because I respect you, but you also previously talked about the desire to hike, you have two options today.”

Patrick didn’t see any type of options before him, but he had been curious how this hike was exactly going to work. “Which are…? I don’t see any…”

Samantha nodded. “Yes, well, I wanted to first lay your options out and then I can retrieve whichever option you choose. Sound good?” Patrick hesitated but nodded. “Perfect. So, the first option is that we use your wheelchair. The one I brought along is basically what you use now but the tires are a bit sturdier and can handle some of the tougher terrain around here.”

Patrick thought for a moment of the option as it was presented to him. “So, normal? I don’t see a downside. There’s always a downside with these things.”

Samantha wavered her hand about. “Eh. The downside would be that we could still go hiking in a way, but we could only do the lower trail. Still very beautiful, but just not the top of that.” Her finger then pointed to a peak just behind the two of them.

“Oh…” Patrick really wanted to get to the summit once more. Hiking was great, but the views made everything you did on the mountainside worth it. Without the view, you might as well have just stayed back home and gone to the gym and used a stair climber. “And the second option?”

Samantha grinned but also seemed hesitant. “Well, the second option is less… free for you, but you could still enjoy the views and we might just be able to do something later that I’ll keep as a surprise…”

Patrick’s ears perked up at the mention of a potential ‘surprise.’ “Which is?”

Samantha grinned. “Ah, well, I can’t tell you that, surprise and all, but I’m almost completely positive that you’ll love it.”

Patrick sighed in frustration of not knowing but weighed the two options heavily. One would be nice, routine, and safe, but perhaps not really what he wanted. The second choice had the potential for less freedom and a heavily unknown surprise that he could like, but it would also give him the view that he had yearned for and dreamed about for years now. He looked beyond the parking lot and saw the brightly colored mountains around them extend upward into the sky. He could see other taller mountains in the distance, but the one that Samantha had pointed to still felt like a mighty challenge to get to the top, and therefore would likely be an amazing view. With a sigh, he nodded. “The second choice…”

Samantha’s hesitation vanished in a second and her eyes sparkled with joy. “Oh! I’m so glad you chose that. I promise that you’ll love it.” Patrick felt a knot of fear for whatever this option could entail as Smantha went to the back and opened the trunk of her car. A minute later, she returned with something in her hands.

Patrick stared at the device with dread. “Is that…?”

Samantha held it up with pride. “A Little’s carrier? Yep! This puppy has all the latest and greatest and is designed for your comfort and mine.” She then paused and a look of hesitation washed over her face as she set the carrier down on the ground, utilizing the back bar to keep it upright. “Actually… are you still okay with this choice? I can still get your wheelchair… it would be okay if…”

Patrick held up his hand to stop her and Samantha resigned herself and awaited what the Little in front of her would say. “Look, I’m not naïve. I’m still partially paralyzed at this point. If I want a view, I need to give up certain things. Like pretty much everything else these days, I need to sacrifice a little embarrassment for a little fun in my life.”

Samantha’s smile grew wide once more. “Oh, that makes me so happy, Patrick. Let me just get this thing packed up and we can be on our way.” Patrick nodded and Samantha spent the next few minutes loading up several items into the base of the pack that were easily recognizable as pieces of rain gear, extra water, and food. Samantha then proceeded to remove a blue bag that Patrick had noticed and yet hadn’t commented on while they were driving up here. It matched the synthetic blue fabric of the carrier backpack, and the main compartment was sealed with two leather straps. With a groan, from the smell that it emitted as Samantha had removed it from the car in front of him, it was unmistakable as a diaper bag.

“Alright,” Samantha continued, as she finished zipping up the final compartment that contained her water pouch and fitting another spill-proof bottle in a compartment that Patrick realized would be right by him. “Let’s get this show on the road, huh?”

Patrick nodded and let Samantha lift him out of his back booster seat and place him in the carrier. Due to the construction of the device, the seat was extremely comfortable but also spread his legs wide to either side and pushed his diaper firmly into him. Already, he could tell that he was a little damp, but to his dismay, he couldn’t remember when that had happened. As a final measure before lifting the bag onto her shoulders, Samantha then laced both of his feet into the stirrups on either side.

Now settled on her back, Patrick was in awe of the view that Smantha normally saw. It was only about four feet taller than his own, but it put on a whole new spin on what he was seeing. For a moment, if he could just ignore the fact that he was situated in a carrier on someone’s back made for an infant, toddler, or in his case, a Little, he almost felt like an adult again. Everything was proportioned to a Big’s size in this world, so from this height, everything now almost seemed ‘normal’ from up here.

With one last adjustment of her straps and a quick buckle around her hips and chest, the carrier backpack was tightly situated against Samantha. “Okay, partner!” she said with a slight southern accent. “You’re the cowboy, so steer me in the right direction!”

Patrick rolled his eyes at her attempts to play with him in that manner, but just went along with the ploy. Seeing a sign up ahead, it showed several destinations, but he quickly spotted the one labeled, ‘Summit.’ “Alright, horsie. We go left up that trail.”

Samantha tapped his leg in appreciation for humoring her and then set off on the left trail as Patrick had suggested.

The two then began their hike up the mountain. Despite being firmly situated on Samantha’s back and not doing the hiking himself, Patrick could almost imagine speeding up the trail on his own two legs. A soft breeze floated in, and he could feel the sun begin to bake his face. The fall weather had arrived, and Patrick was already immensely grateful for the long-sleeved checkered shirt that he now wore as they climbed higher, and the temperature slowly fell beyond the coolness of the season already. Samantha was wearing a similar shirt herself, but hers was colored in blues and purples. It was an interesting contrast between her beauty and fashion sense compared to the knife he now just noticed strapped to the bottom right of the pack. It was out of his reach, but it was still something else to see up close and in person.

After several rocks, craggy and overgrown trails, a few stream crossings, and one misdirection from a fallen sign on the trail where they then had to back track, they finally cleared the main tree line near the top. “You okay back there? You’ve been awfully quiet…”

“Oh?” Patrick said, snapping out of the near trance he had been in. “Sorry… just, well… you know… been a while since I’ve done something even remotely close to this.”

“Gotcha,” she said after taking a long sip of her water. “Well, we’re almost near the top, but I haven’t heard you drinking much water. How about you give it a few sips before then, huh?”

“Will do…” Patrick unholstered his own water as Samantha continued her climb. As he drank, he was starting to notice a trend where Samantha had been reminding him to do things in the same manner as one might do with a child. At first, he gritted his teeth and complied with each request, but lately, he was starting to understand that it wasn’t just an order for her to feel a sense of power, like Redge might have done. Instead, her directions were more to ensure he remained safe or healthy. It was an annoyance, but the kind of one where you would miss it if it ever went away. As they neared the top, it was a feeling that gnawed away at Patrick as he wasn’t entirely sure what to ultimately make of it.

Finally, though, after about two hours of solid and almost non-stop hiking, they had reached the peak and Patrick snapped to attention at all that surrounded him now. “It’s quite a view, isn’t it?” Samantha asked.

Patrick looked around from his position in the carrier and could see for miles around. The sun hung overhead perfectly and cast silhouettes from the clouds all over the surrounding mountainsides, each inflamed with the oranges, reds, and yellows of fall. “Yes… thank you for bringing me up here,” Patrick said after a moment of taking it all in.

Samantha took a breath. “Absolutely.” She then paused for a moment. “So, do you want out of there? I can carry you around if you want, or we could just sit if that would work better.”

Patrick mused over the situation for a minute and weighed his options. Sitting on a rock didn’t sound too appealing, but he would be on his own and not subject to the whims of a Big. On the other hand, though, being carried around could confine him solely to where Samantha would want to go and he would be giving in a bit to some of his more ‘Little side’ tendencies, but the view might be nicer, and they could walk around a bit together. “Maybe start with carrying me?” he finally said hesitantly.

Samantha nodded and removed the carrier backpack from her shoulders after unbuckling the straps on her front. Then, with as much grace and ease as she could muster, she set the carrier down on the ground after kicking out the back stand to keep the pack standing up right. Submissively, Patrick then held up his arms after Samantha stretched out her sore shoulders.

Patrick easily fit on her side with his legs straddled around her torso. It was surprisingly comforting, and her body heat only felt nice against the lower temperatures and stiff breeze at the higher elevation. “Here, let’s take a picture up here. You can use it back home to brag over what you did today.”

“Oh yeah,” Patrick agreed. “Good idea! Cara is going to be so jealous.”

“Oh?” Samantha mused, reaching over and into the backpack for her camera. “She your girlfriend?”

“No!” Patrick defended a bit too quickly with a blush.

Samantha just smiled. “Alright, alright. Not your girlfriend, but I’m sure you’re right.” She then held up her camera and Patrick, still with a little blush on his cheeks, smiled at the camera. One flash later, Samantha put the camera back in her bag. “Excellent shot if I do say so myself.”

The two then continued to gaze out over the mountains and trail they had just clambered up. “Can we go over to the cliff?” he asked after gazing to the east and some of the more intricate clouds in that direction.

“Absolutely.” The two then made their way over to the ledge of a nearby cliff on the southside of the mountain. The cliff had a near sheer drop of at least 100 feet, but as a result, showed off the most magnificent views of the other mountains of this range.

“It’s amazing how much is the same and yet also so different,” Patrick mused after a minute of just staring out at the vista before them.

“What do you mean by that?” Samantha asked, bouncing Patrick a little to readjust him into a more comfortable position.

“Just from back home. I went on a camping trip with my friends two years before my accident and we did a bunch of hiking on our version of these mountains.” He then gazed back out a few of the nearby peaks. “I think they were shorter, but still, pretty close otherwise.”

Samantha then looked off into the distance herself and almost seemed a bit sad. “I would love to see them one day…”

“Oh?” Patrick had never heard of a Big wanting to visit his world before, except maybe to snag a Little or two.

“Yeah… this world offers a lot, but I’ve always been curious of yours,” she mused. “The stories we hear and all… sounds like it would be quite an adventure. With the portals and all, I wouldn’t even tower over anyone there. Might be nice for a change.”

“You don’t like being tall?” The idea seemed ridiculous for a Little like himself who wasn’t even on the taller side of fellow Littles, let alone the entire other society of Middles and Bigs who usually flaunted their height with such ease any chance they could.

“It can be a lot sometimes…” She flexed once more and then began walking back over to the carrier backpack and the peak. “Everyone expects us Bigs to be insane, mushy, violent, or Little-crazed. It would be nice to just be viewed as another person…”

Patrick thought of the height differences in this society. From what he had just heard, it seemed that instead of racial barriers in this society now, it had now become a matter of differences in height. It felt so obvious now, but it was still something to hear out loud from someone who had lived here their whole life. “You know… I didn’t think you were just an insane, mushy, violent, or Little-crazed Big when I first met you…” Patrick smiled to give a little levity to what he had just said.

Samantha smiled back. “That means a lot, Patrick. Thank you.”

Patrick nodded and the two talked for a little while longer and watched as the clouds slowly passed by overhead. At one point, Patrick actually found himself drifting off into Samantha’s body heat. He snapped back a few times in embarrassment, but she didn’t seem to notice, or at least didn’t care. Finally, though, she pulled out a picnic blanket from the bottom of the carrier and then laid Patrick down with his back against a rock.

“There,” she said, getting the food out of the bottom compartment of the carrier as well, “should act as a temporary seat while we eat.”

Patrick nodded and eagerly accepted his meal that Samantha had packed beforehand. They had discussed several options, but eventually, Patrick had opted for a simple sandwich, a bag of what essentially amounted to trail mix, and a few slices of something called a ‘milo,’ upon her suggestion and insistence on the need to ‘eat something healthy.’ Biting into them, Patrick was pleasantly surprised to find that they tasted similarly to his own Fuji apples from back home.

After a moment, both were finished and after a quick repacking, Samantha placed Patrick back in the carrier and then mounted the backpack back on her shoulders before clicking the buckles back up in the front. “Ready?” Patrick nodded and the two set off once more down the trail.

Going down was much easier and due to the exposure of the sun and the differences in temperatures, the leaves were now all lit up in their traditional fall colors. It was simply breathtaking, and Patrick wished that he could have his own camera here but was just as satisfied when Samantha would stop occasionally and take a few shots herself. With any luck, between her and Lloyd, his room would be full of photos of all their adventures by the end of his time with Psyche.  

After about another hour of hiking, they came to a fork in the road. “Which way now?” she asked before taking another sip of water.

Patrick looked at the signs, but neither seemed the obvious way to go. “I’m not sure anymore… do you know?”

Samantha nodded her head. “I’ve been here before and both ways can lead back to the car. We go right and it’s only about thirty to forty more minutes if we don’t stop. Left, and I can show you a surprise or two.”

“You mean, the one you mentioned earlier? The one you said I would like?” Patrick questioned, remembering back to when she had given him the option of the wheelchair or the carrier.

“I do,” she confirmed. “I’m only giving you this option because I know these days can be a bit tough on all you Littles in this program. We go right and I can just drop you off with your friends back at Psyche. We go left and well… as I said… surprise.”

Patrick pondered the two directions for a moment but knowing about a surprise was just too tempting not to explore. ‘Besides… I’m already in the carrier. Might as well get the full fun out of the surprise that came with it… hopefully…’ “Left way, please.”

Samantha nodded and set back off after another quick sip from her hose. Patrick did the same from his hiking bottle as they passed by the signpost, and he just prayed that he had made the right decision.

About twenty minutes later, Patrick began to hear a gentle rush of something he couldn’t quite place. It almost sounded like running water, but the north side of the mountain had seemed almost barren compared to the east side that they had originally climbed up with all its streams running down. That being said, the noise only grew louder.

After a few minutes though, the sound reached its peak and Samantha stopped. “Taller mountains can be killer on the calves and thighs, but at the right times of the year, you can find some beautiful plus sides as well.” She then passed through a denser part of the forested trail and Patrick quickly saw what had been making the increasingly louder noise. It was a waterfall.

It wasn’t just any waterfall though. This one was at least 300 feet tall and 20 feet across. “Holy… is this the surprise you were talking about?”

Samantha chuckled. “No… but you could count this as part of it if you wanted. If you had chosen to use the wheelchair, this would have been our destination today. A pretty even path leads right to here from the parking lot. It’s great for field trips and all.”

“Oh… I would imagine so.” Patrick gazed up at the majestic piece of nature before them, but then realized he still didn’t know what the surprise was. “Wait… what’s the surprise then?”

“You’ll see…” Patrick didn’t like waiting for surprises but just complied as best he could as Samantha then hiked down a little further to a larger clearing in front of some rocks and the rippling pool of water at the bottom of the waterfall. “Right… guess I better show you the surprise then.”

Patrick’s heart rapidly beat as Samantha then unclipped the carrier and set it on the ground once more. She then fidgeted with one of the backpack’s side pockets and retrieved a singular silvery device. “Now then. Let’s get you out of there.”  

Patrick nervously raised his arms and Samantha once again plucked him from his place and then set him on the ground nearby. “So, did you notice anything unusual with your pants?”

Patrick groaned and was reminded of the snaps and Velcro closures running along his inseam. Unfortunately, after being set down, he could feel the subtle squish of his diaper and knew that those same snaps would likely be utilized soon. “You mean the snaps?”

Samantha nodded. “Yes, those are one of the features. Kinda part of the package deal with the other bit but look closer.” Patrick did. “Notice any lines, perhaps? Maybe red and blue ones?”

Patrick looked closer and upon further inspection, noticed a few red and blue lines arcing up the seams of his pants along with a few others that formed barely noticeable grid patterns up and down his legs. “Uh, yeah… I see them now. What are they?”

Samantha then pushed a button and each of the lines quickly lit up.

“Woah! Talk about a Tron moment.” Patrick joked but then rapidly panicked a little bit as he soon thought that he had fallen into some Big trap. After a minute though, nothing further happened. He then looked back at an awaiting Samantha.

“Satisfied this isn’t a trap?” Patrick slowly nodded. “Well, good. This… is an opportunity… if you want that is. You still need to agree, but I talked with Bruce, and we both feel you are ready for a treat.”

Patrick’s pulse quickened. “A treat? I don’t understand…”

Samantha smiled sympathetically at the Little before her. “Sweetie… you’ve been through a lot while you were under Psyche’s protection. Some of the very things they guarantee to not happen, have happened to you. Redge…” Patrick could see her fists clench for a moment. “That man did something unforgivable, but what’s more, you’ve done the hard work with your legs. I know you were a bit sad that everyone was making more progress than you, but now, Bruce and I believe you are ready for this. With these pants… we can help you walk again.”

Patrick felt the world drop. If the sky began to literally crumble and fall on his head, he probably wouldn’t have noticed anything beyond the tiny and yet huge notion of getting to walk again. He blinked in shock. “Excuse me?”

Samantha laughed. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but yes, you heard me correctly. Walk again.”

Patrick’s mind reeled from the possibilities. Over five years of not feeling anything, and now, in less than two months, he had the potential to walk again. His face then darkened, however, as something else popped into his mind. “Wait… before I get my hopes up further… you mentioned a choice… why the heck wouldn’t I choose that? To walk, I mean. I would’ve killed for even the tiniest possibility of that a year ago, so why the choice? Does it kill brain cells or something?”

Samantha shook her head. “Nothing too drastic like that, but…” she then sighed heavily, “there is a downside.”

Patrick’s heart sank and he sighed. “What is it?” he asked hesitantly. Secretly, there was a part of him that almost didn’t even care about what she said were the consequences. The chance to walk… once something only in his dreams, was now possibly only minutes away. The temptation was overpowering.

“Well…” she started off with a heavy amount of reservation, “you would be able to walk, but it wouldn’t last more than fifteen minutes today at most. After… you would quickly lose all control over everything from your waist down again…”

As he suspected, the downside was there, and it wasn’t tiny. “Oh…”

“Yeah… it would be temporary,” she tried to justify, “but again, that’s why I’m leaving this up to you. No harm either way in the long run with whatever you choose, but it’s also why this is just being presented to you as an option now. Dr. Halgen doesn’t like it, but I figured you would at least want to know about it.”

The option lay thick in the air and only the sound of the beautiful waterfall nearby could be heard. Patrick could tell that Samantha only had his best intentions in mind, but it was still something he had to think about carefully. In the end though, despite the downside, Patrick went with his innermost desire. “Let’s do it.”

Samantha smiled widely and pushed a single button on the device she was holding. The pants quickly came to life and then scrunched right up against Patrick’s legs. “Oh! Ouch. That’s a bit tight, you know?” He looked down and to his dismay, the pants now only accented his diaper bulge, but he was still impressed with the rigidity of the snaps on his inseam for holding together. He guessed that the Big-level snaps and Velcro combined to form a powerful bond, and wondered for a second if he could even remove the pants himself if they were this strong to still stay together.

“Alright… all looks good,” she said after seeing a green light flash on the device she was still holding. “Now, these basically enhance your nerves for a small window. It pushes them a little far, but that’s why you’ll lose control afterward.” She then got in front of Patrick. “If they are working right, you should just be able to walk like you normally would have before your accident.”

Patrick nodded and went to move his leg. After so long being dormant though, it took a minute or so to find the right amount of willpower and movement to flex his leg. It felt strange but so amazing at the same time. “Oh… wow…”

Samantha kept smiling. “That’s good. Keeping going and I’ll be here if you need me.”

It took another minute or so, but Patrick finally managed to coordinate his limbs into the right positions. So, using one hand to press off the ground from behind him and the other holding onto Samantha to pull him up, Patrick stood for the first time in over five years. “Holy… shit…” Patrick then blushed at his use of language.

Samantha only patted his shoulder with her free hand before quickly grabbing his other as he began to wobble a bit. “That’s okay. Try to use other words in the future, but it’s perfectly understandable for something like this. Now, how about you take a few steps? Or at least just one to start off with.”

Patrick willed his legs to move, and like a half-buried and forgotten about dream, his leg moved forward. “I did it, Samantha! I did it!”

Samantha gripped his hands tighter. “Yes, you did. That’s so good. Now, let’s see if you can take a few more.”

Patrick nodded happily and began to increase the number of steps he was taking. The whole time he just wanted to blush at the scene between the two; her, a Big, and him, a Little in obvious diapers and taking his first steps. It was probably pretty ridiculous looking, but he also marveled at how lucky he was in this society. If anything that he had seen before was any indication, walking was a privilege for Littles here and not a right.

“You’re doing it, honey! You’re doing it!” Samantha cheered, as Patrick began to take his first steps alone. Each time he made it into her arms, she would let go of him and run away while increasing the distance between them. After a few tries, Patrick could scarcely believe that he was now walking unassisted, beyond the pants, for over 60 feet. It was beyond imaginable, but like all things, it had to end.

Samantha let go and raced to about 70 feet away from Patrick now. As had happened the previous few times, Patrick whirled around and began to walk back over to her. His confidence and ability to walk was only increasing, so he walked forward without any hesitation, but then, his right leg began to tingle.

A few steps later, it happened to his left. Six and a half steps later, both his legs began to tremble. “Uh… Samantha?”

Her smiling face quickly faded, and she rushed over to him. Not a second after she caught up to him, his legs completely gave out. “Damn…”

Samantha held him up and once again, rested him on her side with his legs straddled around her. Shen then began to rub his back. “It’s okay, honey. That was really good and I’m so proud of you. It’s getting late so I think we should be getting back now, but you should be very proud of yourself too.”

Patrick nodded and just strangely enjoyed the feeling of the closeness between the two of them and the feeling of her rubbing his back. It didn’t fully remove the sting of now not being able to control his legs at all anymore, but it was a nice cover measure. Then, once he was safely back in the carrier and Samantha had reshouldered the backpack, the two took off for the car.

Now, the hike wasn’t too long, and Patrick soon saw the first sign to say ‘Parking Lot and Entrance’ along the mostly flat pathway that he knew his wheelchair could have easily traversed. That being said though, his mind quickly shuddered in fear as a deep growling occurred from his stomach. “Oh no…”

“Something the matter, sweetie?” Samantha asked, just continuing to hike onward.

“Uh…” he stalled, trying to think of anything else to say out loud than what he suspected the truth was. “I’m hoping… uh… just something a bit concerning for the future… probably not though.”

“Okay… but just let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” she offered sweetly.

“Will do,” Patrick replied, another ripple going through his stomach. From what he could remember, there was a porta potty near the parking lot, so, with any luck, he knew he just had to hold on a little longer.

A little longer was proving to be too long though. Despite finally making it out of the trees and even seeing the car, his grumbling stomach was reaching critical levels. “Samantha… I…” Another wave rocketed through his gut, and he horrifyingly remembered that he no longer had any control below his waist. Strangely, he could still feel everything, but the rest was essentially lifeless, meaning that so was his control. In desperation, he yelled out, “I have to go poop!”

“Oh… oh!” Samantha quickly put together the rumbling noises she had been hearing for the past few minutes now. She had believed it was just the digestion of his food, but now, it seemed to be a little beyond the digestive phase. “Okay… just hold on!” Her pace immediately quickened as she began to race toward the porta potties in the distance.

One hill and winding path later, they had come to her car near the porta potties. Samantha quickly unbuckled herself and practically hurdled Patrick to the ground and then plucked him out from the carrier.

Unfortunately, the jostling had just made things worse, and, only about twenty feet away from the porta potty, the wait had proved too much. “Samantha! I…” A wet fart then trumpeted out and Patrick grew cold with sweat, and his face turned to mortification.

From her years of being with Littles, she knew what was happening, so she stopped and just turned back toward the car. “Oh, sweetie. It’s okay… I would console you more, but… I don’t think you want me to push you up against me.”

Patrick quickly shook his head, and with few other options, only grunted and let out another load into his already soaked and soiled diaper. “God… why?” Tears quickly formed in his eyes and Patrick felt like he was on the cusp of a nervous breakdown. The day had gone so well… but this? It was as if this place had to balance the good with the awful.

Samantha continued to console her distressed Little and quickly brought him back to her car. Opening the back seat, she shoved the wheelchair to one side and pulled out a spare changing mat that she had stored in her trunk. “Okay, sweetie. Absolutely no one is around, but I need to change you. I can wait if you don’t feel comfortable with me, but we still have a bit of a car ride to go, so I don’t think you’re going to want to wait that long.”

Unable to speak, Patrick only shook his head.

“Okay then. I’m just going to lay you back here and do this as fast and gently as I can, okay?” Patrick nodded and let himself be lowered onto the dark blue mat, instantly feeling his odious mess press up against his backside. He couldn’t help but feel a rising bubble of dread and despair rise in his chest.

True to her word though, Samantha quickly unclicked and brought over the bag from the nearby carrier and set it down next to Patrick. In minutes, she had all she needed and had quickly stripped back, of course using the snaps and Velcro closures, his miracle pants, now revealing his practically destroyed diaper. “Okay… just take a few breaths and this will all be over.” Samantha then hesitated for a moment. “Uh… you know what? No problem if you don’t… but do you want to hold anything? I’ve done this before with others and they always seem to think that something extra helps distract them… as I said, no big deal if not though…”

Patrick considered the option she had just presented and quickly remembered back to when Addy had given him a pillow to hug when he had first wet his pants. It was easy and yet oddly comforting, but that was also Addy. Samantha… she was a potential caretaker. Despite her soothing and safe nature, she still felt different as someone who could potentially be with him for the next five years. Every action he took around her felt as if it was being written in stone and would be used against him later. Still, the waste that she was about to reveal and clean up was already practically sending him over the edge with his diaper still sealed shut. Anything to help would probably just be a good idea at this point. “Okay… just please don’t judge me for it…”

Samantha shook her head. “Never, honey. If something helps you, I want to get it for you and make you feel better. That’s my job.” She gave him a reassuring smile and looked over to the nearby diaper bag. “Now, let’s see what I’ve got.” She then rummaged through the bag and quickly found what she was looking for. “I’ve got two options for you; rabbit or fish.”

Patrick looked with horror at the two stuffed animals before him and felt so stupid for not seeing this coming from her. She was a caring individual, but she could veer into that typical Big behavior. Still, he had already agreed, and he still needed to be changed. So, with only a heavy sigh, he pointed to the rabbit.

Samantha smiled. “Good choice.” She then handed the tan rabbit over to Patrick, who immediately proceeded to bury his face in it. Her heart practically bursting from the vulnerability and cuteness now on display in front of her, she just put it out of her mind and began her work.

Patrick plunged himself further into the rabbit in his hands as he heard the tapes being torn away. A blast of cool air later though and Patrick couldn’t stand it anymore. He then began to hum a tune from one of the cartoons he watched the other day, specifically chosen by the group above his that was ‘more progressed.’ It was an annoying but still surprisingly catchy tune. He hated that he knew it, but its melody seemed to work as Samantha began to lift his legs and wipe his mess off.

Samantha couldn’t believe the tune that her Little was now humming, but she just focused back on her work. Patrick had messed himself nearly completely, but not wanting to make him feel worse, she decided not to include her usual cooing or humming herself. Instead, she just went as quickly as she could without comment, and before long, Patrick was clean, powdered, and diapered.

Once again, it took all her willpower not to take a photo of Patrick right then with his new thick diaper, complete with cartoon images of Jasper and Jinx from his choice of the song he was still humming, and then of his deep hugging of a stuffed rabbit. Still, she wanted to remain as a potential to be his caretaker, so she just helped him up after sealing his pants back shut.

“Thank you,” Patrick said, wiping a tear away.

“It’s no problem. I’m sorry that happened, but I hope you’ll be okay?” Samantha asked with a ray of hope at the end.

Patrick nodded and then realized he was still holding the stuffed rabbit. “Here. Uh, thank you,” he said with a sniffle and an ounce of embarrassment.

“You know…” Samantha began, “if you want, you can hold onto him until we get to Psyche. You could just drop him on the floor, and no one would have to know.”

Patrick hesitated but then slowly brought the rabbit back to his previous hug of it. “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”

Mimicking the first time they had met; Samantha once again crossed her heart with her finger. “I promise. Now, let’s say we get you home.”

Patrick nodded and allowed himself to be picked up and placed back in his booster seat. Setting his spill-proof bottle back in a holder near to him, Samantha settled into her front seat and then drove off. Not ten minutes later, looking into her rearview mirror, she saw that Patrick had completely passed out, still cutely holding the stuffed rabbit. “Hmmm… I bet they’re almost ready for the next phase… I can’t tell Halgen, but I would bet my life on it...”

*              *              *

An hour and a half later, the car pulled up to the building and Samantha shook Patrick awake. “Honey? We’re here. Wake up, Patrick. Come on. That’s it…”

Patrick stirred and just sleepily held out his arms for Samantha to unbuckle him and place him in his wheelchair. Embarrassingly though, he realized he was still holding the stuffed rabbit. “Ah!” he yelled, now fully awake. “Hide it quick! No one can see!” Patrick’s eyes then darted all about to see if anyone was around. To his relief, they were the only two out here, but strangely, there was a car the Patrick seemed to recognize…”

“Relax, sweetie. No one is out here except for you and me… and Lloyd?” she exclaimed suddenly.

Patrick whirled around and saw Lloyd give a tiny wave to them from the now open front door and then as he casually walked over from the house. “Hey you two.”

“I… I thought you had work today,” Samantha managed to stammer out, still clearly shocked from seeing him here.

Lloyd chuckled. “I did, but I got off and I just wanted to see how Patrick was doing today with his legs and all.” He then turned down to Patrick. “Hey there, bud. I got you this.”

Patrick took the tiny package and opened it up to reveal that it was a comic book of the Equity Alliance. “Oh wow! Thank you, Lloyd!”

“You’re very welcome.” Lloyd then turned to Samantha and held up a single purple rose that almost seemed to match some of the colors in her checkered shirt. “I got this for you. Thought I might run into you when I came over to check on Patrick…”

Samantha took the flower with shaky hands. “T… thank you, Lloyd.” She then gave the flower a big whiff and smiled sweetly. “My favorite… Aphrodite’s Winter Kiss… you remembered…”

“I wouldn’t forget a thing like that…” Lloyd mused.

Patrick looked up from his comic book and saw his two potential caretakers just stare at each other for a moment. He had sensed something between the two of them when they had first met but seeing them now… Patrick knew that there was more than pure friendship. That being said, the two then wished him a quick farewell and left without any further incident.

Patrick rolled his eyes at the two. His day had been a wonderful mix of beautiful views, walking, and even a gift at the end of it after a surprise visit from someone he wasn’t expecting for another two days to go to a track and field event between two rival teams. On the other hand, his day had also brought him the ultimate shame of messing helplessly into his diaper. Samantha had handled it as best she could and Patrick knew this day might be coming, but it was all still a lot to take in.

Now though, seeing the two together and having experienced both, he wondered if there was something more to it as far as he was concerned. Both were great, but both did well in ways the other seemed to lack. Lloyd treated him as an equal but lacked the more caring touch. Samantha, however, excelled at the personal touches, but he always felt like a Little around her. A balance between the two would be ideal.

So now, Patrick only had two questions; did they have the potential to be a true couple and was it even allowed to have two caretakers in the program as a Little? Regardless, Patrick knew that he had to view his contract one more time in depth. Time was quickly slipping away and the last thing he wanted to do was to determine this all at the last minute and choose poorly. Beyond Redge coming back, he could think of few scenarios that were worse.

[Jayme]

I just found this jem of a story and it is truly amazing! The pulls that Patrick are going through are almost worse than a taffy puller. I'm amazed that Patrick seems to be getting better with his injuries, and falling into the "Little" mindset so easy (at times), yet fighting his own feelings and desires.

Please let us know how to keep your muse happy...

[dmavn]

“Please let us know how to keep your muse happy...”

I bet it’s cheese… lots an lots of cheese…

[CDfm]

This was such a sweet chapter.  Had a nice warm feeling reading it.  I am still hoping that both Samantha and Lloyd can get together and be his caretakers. During the entire hike I was a bit on edge waiting for Redge to show up.  I am glad he didn’t.  Then in a way it might have been fun to see how Samantha could kick his ass. 
always ready to read the next chapter here. 

[dmavn]

Actually, in the previous chapter at the boat shed it was talked about a hit at a tech facility that had happened and that one guard was dead and another in critical. I’m more worried that Redge is involved and has hired mercenaries. Not sure how well samantha’s knife would work against a couple of mercs with guns..

[Guilend]

Okay, I forgot to mention the break-in at the tech place. My bet is Redge broke in and since the guy was talking about fake IDs I'm betting Redge is trying to get a fake ID so he can make it into the facility during the next function. 

I was also was waiting the entire hike for Redge to jump out and Samantha to beat his as and Redge runs off crying like a big baby, possibly even wetting himself during his beating lol.

I also hope Samantha and Lloyd gets together and becomes his caretaker. 

[LostBBoyBear]

Thank you all for your comments! They definitely mean a lot and let me know that I'm doing a good job with the direction that I'm taking this story. It's always a gamble, but I'm glad that many of you seem to be enjoying this story. 

I need to rework some of the next chapters to ensure that all the elements combine nicely as we are now getting into the end game for this story, so the next chapter will be posted on Friday instead of tomorrow. As part of that, this is the last chapter of part IV. There are two more parts to go before the end and there are at least eight more chapters within them. Depending on how my future planning goes tomorrow, more may be added, but I just wanted to let you all know.

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this next and final chapter of part IV of this story!

Chapter 17: An Easement for the Minds

Having the propensity to read the thickest of novels before coming here, Patrick was a little surprised in himself as he groaned while reading over his contract with Psyche. Granted, it was the fifth time he had read it in its entirety and his eyes were seeing spots, but he had to press on to find his answers, or at least something clearer. Being that the caretaker’s side of the deal he had made was half the bargain, the contract had well over 60 pages dedicated to it alone. Even then though, there had been no specific reference to how many caretakers one could choose. Giving up at this point didn’t seem like an option either as he practically had to wrestle it out of Dr. Halgen’s hands when he had asked for it the other day.

Still though, all his diligent hard work seemed to make little difference in the past week after his initial request and the past three days looking over it, and even beyond all that, he couldn’t make any further plans to see if it was even worth it with either Samantha or Lloyd. Since the sporting event with Lloyd and a farmers’ market and local play with Samantha, Patrick hadn’t seen either since, and what’s more, he also knew that he wasn’t likely to see either until next week at the earliest. Samantha had gotten sick from one of her students and Lloyd had been pulled into an emergency meeting up north in Lygonia due to a bill that had recently been passed by the politicians at the capitol in New Columbia.

Regardless, no extra sparks were flying between the two from what he could see since that day, even when he casually brought up either one of them to each other. Lastly, on top of all these delays, Patrick had just closed the contract and his eyes for a mere second, feeling exhausted during the day once more. Unfortunately for his inner rest, a small timer in his room went off and alerted him to the fact that it was now time for group and that he would have to take a break some other time. Ten minutes later, Patrick joined the group in their usual spot. Based on the more resigned faces that he now spotted around the circle, Patrick wasn’t sure how the next hour was going to go.  

As the session continued, the mood was still variable, but Patrick had started to notice a few changes had started to take hold amongst his friends. Cara was still imaginative, Darren was still spacey, Ian was still skeptical, and so forth, but a new aura had started overtaking the group as well. In the beginning of the month, there was hardly a person in here who hadn’t protested what was happening to them to some degree. Now, all that had changed in a most unexpected way.

“I think we should be able to choose what we watch,” Quentin protested.

“Everyone gets their own turn, Quentin. You know that,” Dr. Halgen noted. “You may enjoy Adventure Sam, but the rest of the group may want to watch something else instead.”

Quentin sighed in resigned frustration. “I guess… I just wish more people would like what I like…” he said as he began to slouch back in his chair.

“I can watch it with you, Quenty,” Terra beamed. She had progressively gotten better with her memory, but Patrick felt that she had traded one prison for another. Now, she was playing with the hem of her dress, something which Erin, her nurse, had to continually remind her to stop doing as if she was speaking to a child.

Further, instead of correcting his name as he did last week, Quentin only smiled in joy at the proposal from Terra. “It’s a date then! I can’t wait for tonight’s episode! I heard they’re going to the Pillars of Hercules! I can’t wait for Adventure Sam to talk about them It’s so cool!”

“Ooh! I love seeing images of Gaule,” Terra agreed. “It’s so sad part of it sunk into the sea compared to what it is back home for us, but it’s so pretty now as well!” she then gushed.

Ahem!

Patrick looked over and saw that Ian was trying his best to get the group’s attention. The temporary regression he had experienced the other day was indeed as labeled, though occasionally Patrick had noticed a few changes to his friend, namely his similarly now-dressed status with snaps running up his inseam and a cutesy labeled shirt.

Terra and Quentin quickly stopped talking, and like the rest of the group, turned to face the fuming and impatient Ian. “Finally! Now, can we talk about dinning today and not some stupid, boring cartoon?” he asked in a huff.

Dr. Halgen turned towards him with a slight scowl on her face. Patrick wondered how long she could be pushed before Ian was subjected to another chat. “That was rude, Ian. I expect an apology at some point soon to Terra and Quentin both, but now that you’ve already interrupted them, what do you want to talk about with dinning?”

Ian readjusted himself into a more aggressive hunched over position. “Well, for starters, we don’t have metallic silverware anymore. For that matter, nothing is breakable anymore. What gives? Why is it all plastic or some other fancy new thing instead of what we used to use?” he questioned, clearly frustrated over a growing problem. “I mean, can’t it at least be silver or black instead of every color of the rainbow?”

Dr. Halgen nodded but instead of answering herself, turned to the rest of the group. “Everyone? Ian wants to know why we use different utensils and dishes now.”

Once again, as had become more routine as of late, the group responded in unison as if reciting rules that they had been forced to remember. This time, Patrick just let himself join in instead of fighting it as he had during previous group sessions. “We are preparing for our future caretakers who, for better or worse, will give us these items to use. It is better to use them now than to have a tantrum once we have chosen. We want to be good Littles.”

Ian’s face contorted to an even angrier version, but he just folded his arms and sat back in his seat, clearly not wanting to push his luck. “Doesn’t make it any better…” Patrick found it both troubling and amusing how similar a self-proclaimed conspiracy theorists frustration looked compared to a toddler’s tantrum.

Ian looked like he wanted to continue the argument, but before he could say another word, Cara’s hand quickly shot up as she started squirming around in her seat. Dr. Halgen quickly turned her attention to her. “Yes? What is it, Cara?”

Squirming about and pressing her hand to her crotch, anyone who had been here for more than a few days around Littles knew a potty dance when they saw one. Still, Cara complied, and her voice almost seemed too high pitch for a moment. “Dr. Halgen! I have to go potty!”

Dr. Halgen just smiled and nodded to both her and to Addy. “Addy, can you please take her? We don’t want another accident, now do we?” From her side, Quentin just groaned at the thought of his own accident and subsequent leak from the other day.

Addy simply nodded back and stood up. “Yes, Dr. Halgen.” She then helped Cara out of her seat and took her away to the nearest bathroom on this floor, taking her hand to guide her there. Now getting stronger every day, Cara was no longer confined to her wheelchair. She still had to rest about every 30 minutes, but Dr. Halgen, on the direction of Bruce, had promised her that it was only a temporary problem and with time, her strength would return to her.

The group session continued for some time after that, and many problems were brought up that also had Patrick scratching his head and wondering what was going on. At times, the group seemed like their old but more healthier selves. At other times, they almost started to seem like the more progressed Littles they had once seen when they had first arrived here. It didn’t help that topics during group now included a lack of coloring books to choose from, the unfairness of no desert as a punishment, and the fact that late night sessions with the inner group couldn’t pass 11 o’clock, instead of the previous unlimited times. Ian and Quentin were most vocal about the change, but being so tired lately, Patrick just shrugged and thought the time was still reasonable. Not wanting to start a fight though, he just sat back and watched it all play out in front of him without comment.

The session stretched on, but Dr. Halgen then looked at her watch after Ian stopped complaining about the new clothes that he was dressed in. “I think that will just about wrap things up for today.” Everyone then started to get up, but Dr. Halgen stopped them. “Before you all leave though… as a reminder, you all will need to think about what you are going to wear for Halloween. It’s coming up faster than you all may think, and participation is required!” A few in the group groaned, but a few, namely Terra, just jumped with pure delight.

“Secondly, we have noticed that some of you have been growing tired during the day. While being tired can happen to anyone, we have seen a trend for a few of you over the past few weeks. Just know that we have taken notes for who you are and will likely be taking measures to help with this.” She paused and then stood up herself. “You’ll know if you are one of them,” she almost said with a sinister and foreboding tone. “Now, the day is beautiful out and I would suggest you all go outside and enjoy the weather while you still can. Winter is coming! Besides, the next group is coming here right after so the jungle gym should be empty in a moment. Now, scoot!”

The entire group quickly dispersed out of the room and to the outdoor spaces. As Patrick passed the next group in front of them, who were now beginning to prepare for their selection day in just about two weeks, he wondered if they had found themselves in his position as well. Despite the diapers, crib, baths, changing table, and even the desire for an item of comfort now in times of distress, Patrick still felt fully aware of everything, if not a little vulnerable at times. Outwardly, he felt very different, but as Matilda had noted to him, around here, it was often a matter of what was happening inside your head that was the bigger deal.

As the group quickly scrambled outside, Patrick saw that while he may have been more unscathed than someone like Eddy, he couldn’t exactly say the same about the rest of the group. Ian, the pillar of defiance, was now attempting to climb one of the trees, much to the chagrin of his nurse, Penny. Nearby, Darren and Terra were once again digging in the dirt, but Terra was now also splitting her time with making a flower crown for herself. Lastly, Quentin was alone but only seemed to laugh with glee as he continually climbed up the slide of the jungle gym and then rode it all the way back down.

“Some sight, huh?” Cara asked, now appearing to his right on the back porch.

“Yeah…” Patrick could smell the lavender scented aroma from the wipes down here on the main floor bathroom. Ever since his demotion to diapers, he had become intimately familiar with their smell. “Everything okay, or…?” He didn’t want to come right out and ask but given the state of the rest of his friends, he wasn’t sure who could register the subtle art of implication anymore.

Cara nodded her head. “Yep! All good. Addy helped me just in time. Guess I’ve got to slow down on the milo juice and all around here, huh?”

Patrick just blinked at his friend and hoped that whatever was happening with the others, wasn’t happening to her as well. “Cara… be serious. Are you okay?”

Now, it was Cara’s turn to blink mindlessly for a moment. “I, uh… geez. What was I saying? You know… I… Addy told me about the new policy with people being tired. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I might just volunteer to get swaddled into whatever they’re going to do. I mean, who wouldn’t kill for a nap? That, or a nice big cup of coffee, right?”

Patrick thought about her words and wondered if that was the case for the rest of them. “I guess... I’ve been a bit tired myself, but… naptime? Potty? It’s a bit much, right? You seem like you almost enjoy all this stuff… like Eddy did in the end.”

Cara blushed. “Oh, definitely not! I just… you can only fight some of this stuff for so long. I’m aware it’s a fine line between acting and reality around here, but if you’re worried… try not to be. I know it’s called a toilet, but haven’t you also noticed that most around here treat us better when we act a little… younger? If not, I have, and I plan on milking it as much as I can. I just need some sleep to help fill in some of my more spacey moments.”

Patrick thought back for a moment to all the times he was ever in distress or if he was treated differently than someone else and realized that he was always treated better when he slightly leaned into the more Little-like persona as Cara had now clearly been doing lately. “Huh… that actually makes a lot of sense now… I didn’t even make the connection until you said something about how they act around us when we do something perceived as Little-like. Hard to argue with the results even when I know about it now though. Can’t believe you thought of it before anyone else.”

“Well, I have my moments,” she said with a wide smile. “It is a nice protection around here though, but I really can’t say I mind the extra desert when I put on my little act.”

Patrick smiled back and nodded at the notion and then looked back over to their friends in their various states of play. If he had done half of what they were doing that afternoon, he knew that Addy wouldn’t hesitate to give him a bath in a single second right before dinnertime when they all came inside. More importantly, though, he seriously doubted that any ‘normal’ adult would ever behave like that in public. “You think they’re putting on an act as well?”

Cara sighed. “I don’t know. While you’ve been away, I’ve noticed most of them have moments of going in and out like an ocean tide. Sometimes, they’re just healthier versions of the people we once knew. Other times…” she then gestured towards their friends, “I doubt that it’s all an act. At least not with a few of them…”

Patrick sadly had to agree with what he was seeing. He wasn’t sure of the difference in all of them and why he and Cara seemed to be the least affected, but whatever the case was, he knew something was up. Either the four others of their group had some majorly repressed sides to them, or Psyche was navigating around their contracts somehow. As Cara then took off to enjoy the outdoors as well before nightfall, as she said, ‘to keep up the façade,’ Patrick worried deeply about their future. If it could happen to their friends, it only made sense that it could happen to them as well.

After a moment of basking in the still warm glow of the sun and trying to forget about his future worries, Patrick opened his eyes as he heard some of the floorboards of the deck creek behind him. He quickly turned around and saw another Little from the group that came after them and was currently in their first month here. He looked a little pale, particularly with his practically silvery curly locks, but otherwise didn’t seem as deathly ill as some of the others around here. “Hey… you need something? You’re kind of staring...”

The Little approached nervously. “Uh, maybe? Uh, I mean… need something that is…” Tim shifted nervously back and forth, emitting a loud groan from the wooden floorboards, but then just extended his hand. “Tim.”

Patrick wasn’t sure what to make of this particular Little but shook it back as a sign of good faith. For all he knew, Tim could be in trouble, especially considering that it had been the first caretaker day last week for them. “Good to meet you, Tim.”

There was an awkward silence between the two, but Tim began to talk about his time here and that he was looking for someone who knew this place a little better and that wasn’t ‘in la-la land.’ Patrick chuckled. “Yeah, I can help you there. Paralyzed myself and almost into my third month. You?”

“Congestive heart failure. Almost second month, but…” Tim shifted around, and Patrick swore he could just see the outline of something thicker beneath his pants.

“I take it that you’re at the questioning stage now, huh? Something you hoped never would happen in this program has, right?” he questioned with a subtle nod toward his pants.

Tim’s eyes bulged out. “H… how d…did you know?”

Patrickk sighed and patted his pelvic area, which immediately let out a distinctive crinkling noise. “Takes one to know one I guess.”

“But I’m not in diapers!” Tim protested, almost seeming to be on the verge of hyperventilating.

Patrick patted him on the knee as he sat down to keep from falling over. “Easy there… just take some deep breaths.” Tim lowered his head a bit and started to calm down. “That’s it, but just to point this out, no, you’re not in diapers, but look at my group.” Tim did. “Even less than a month ago and only a few of us wore padding of any kind. Now, only Cara seems to really be avoiding it. If today was any indication though, I don’t think that will be the case for much longer. It’s just a thing around here.”

“But isn’t that embarrassing? Shouldn’t it be? We’re adults, right?” Tim questioned.

Patrick took a moment to respond. Tim seemed like a nice guy, but he felt there was something else going on. Tim looked embarrassed for sure, but it was almost as if he was embarrassed after the fact of wearing protection, rather than the wearing it itself like most around here seemed to be at first. ‘Was he ‘that guy’?’ Patrick shook the thought out of his head. “You need to think about this stuff differently.”

Tim cocked his head a bit to one side and raised one of his eyebrows. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, I won’t tell you to just lie down and accept everything here, but sometimes there’s almost always a fee you need to pay for a miracle, like the ones they offer here. Old times it was blood or some animal or a pile of food on an altar. In this place, it might just be our maturity instead.” Patrick shifted in his wheelchair and tried to read the emotions on Tim’s face. It was tough, but he could only guess that he was trying to figure out his place in all this. Looking back down at his friends and their current playful state, he couldn’t blame him for at least being a tiny bit hesitant.

Patrick then thought again that Tim could be ‘that guy,’ so he decided to give him a bit of help either way. “You know… if it helps… look at my friends over there.” Tim nervously did. “See how they are? Padded, juvenile clothing, not a care in the world?”

“Yes…” Tim said with a little hesitation.

“Well, look beyond that,” Patrick continued. “Look at their faces. There’s not a single frown on them. Could be from something happening to them, but it could be something more.” He let the idea simmer for a minute. “So, I don’t know… Maybe they actually like it, but in either case, it’s going to be the price we pay for a miracle, or its just the thing that simply brings them joy. Everyone here is one or the other and that’s just how it goes and there’s nothing wrong with either of those scenarios in a place like this. Don’t fear what you might have once thought of as weird. Here, weird is purely all relative.”

Tim looked at Patrick and then back to the others. He had a peculiar look on his face that Patrick couldn’t quite place, but it then turned into one that anyone could recognize as panic. “I… I’ve gotta go!” Tim then sped off without another word, one hand shooting down to his crotch in a motion that Patrick had now seen far too many times.

Patrick was left sitting there in his wheelchair and musing over what he had just witnessed before the whole ‘needing to potty’ incident. Even if Tim was or wasn’t ‘that guy,’ he had a long road ahead of him. As Patrick had experienced firsthand now, Tim could go one of two ways with Psyche. First, Tim could just embrace everything like he had done and likely end up in diapers nonetheless in his second month here. Or second, he could end up like Ian, caught between two worlds of fighting against all of this or what he was doing now and hanging upside down from a tree, his shirt falling and revealing the waistband of his diaper without a care in the world. “Poor Tim. I hope you make whatever decision is best for you and you don’t wrestle with all this for too much longer.” Patrick shifted to a better sitting position and felt something wet for a moment. “Speaking of acceptance of changes…”

Patrick wiggled about for a moment and after pressing the front of the diaper to himself, he felt the squish of his most recent accident. Despite regaining more feelings all around his body, his bladder had only gotten worse and the constant settling into his used diapers had caused him to grow a little unobservant over their state at any given time. Additionally, the pants had robbed him of control of his limbs for 24 hours, but the sensations to his bowels had seemed to have taken a permanent vacation. He could only sigh in relief that despite being wet, he didn’t feel any unwelcome surprise in the rear of his pants today. ‘I guess it’s all about appreciating the small miracles now these days…’

Regardless of whatever he was feeling, the sun began to set behind the trees with the slow shortening of days and Patrick couldn’t help but look out over his friends as they began to tire from playing all day. In nearly the same wheelchair, Patrick had once sat here and talked with Eddy and Matilda while seeing the other more progressed Littles. Now, over halfway through all this, as he watched over his friends, it was hard not to see them as the more progressed ones now.

It was a disturbing sight to some degree, but Patrick also had to listen to his own advice that he had just given Tim. His friends were slipping to varying degrees inside and out, but at least they were happy, diapers and all. It was a nice calming realization and Patrick decided to join Quentin and Cara by the swings. He may not have been able to swing on them just yet, but he could still have fun with his friends.  

Not long after, when the sun had nearly fully set beyond the horizon and the lights had flicked on in the backyard, Dr. Halgen and a few of the other nurses came out and called everyone inside. “Come on! It’s dark now and it’s almost time for dinner!”

The group then practically stampeded back into the house, now as filthy as ever from their wild escapades outside. Dr. Halgen and the other nurses wiped each of the dirtier Littles off with some wet wipes, but overall, just let them wander about. Soon, Penny switched the T.V. away from one of the cartoons that had been playing earlier to a channel that just highlighted the most popular songs made specifically for Littles. Eerily, the group began to dance to the music without a second thought.

“Come on, Patrick! Join us!” Quentin called out from the center of the crowd when Patrick hadn’t joined in immediately.

Patrick just shook his head and tapped his wheelchair. “Still a bit trapped these days. Maybe soon though…”

Everyone whined and moaned but just continued to dance to the music and at least tried to mimic the tiny red cartoon bird flapping about on the screen as each song played.

Curiously, from the outside, Patrick could only view the scene with an odd sense of dread and almost confusion. Dr. Halgen and the other nurses had often scolded them for putting their feet up on furniture or not washing before dinner, but now, the entire group of Littles was prancing about in the large living room without a care in the world, all the while each of them were covered in the trappings of their outdoor adventures. Terra and Darren were even literally covered in copious amounts of dirt, and even as it fell to the floor to be stomped on by the several pairs of shuffling feet, none of the Bigs did anything.

Patrick couldn’t figure it out, but he then saw each of the Bigs smiling in a wave of satisfaction as they looked over their Littles in the middle of the room. Patrick looked back at his group of friends, and it then clicked in his head what was happening. Between their more juvenile behavior, the Little-themed song on the T.V., their chaotic movements, and even dirty appearances, Patrick could have sworn if he didn’t look too hard that he was staring back at a bunch of preschoolers at best. Clearly, whatever was truly going on, the Bigs were very pleased about it.

Patrick began to wheel over to confront them once and for all, but Cara stopped him. “Hey you! There’s no getting out of this one. You have to come dance with us!”

Patrick waved his hands. “No, I can’t. I’d just get in the way,” he tried to excuse to keep on his journey to figure out what was happening here, but Cara wouldn’t listen.

“I don’t think so, mister! You’re coming out with me right now!” Without a second of hesitation, Cara began to drag Patrick and his wheelchair into the middle of the group.

To his surprise, the group only embraced him further and used him as a sort of centerpiece for their chaotic movements. Not wanting to disappoint his friends, he began to shuffle around in the seat and move his arms about to make an effort from his lower and mostly fixed position.

Off to the side, he could just make out Dr. Halgen whisper something to Addy, but Terra quickly blocked his view and ruffled about her short dress to the point where Patrick inadvertently caught quick glances of her own diaper situated underneath. “Dance with us, Patty!” she yelled. “Keep shaking those arms!”

Patrick complied, and with Dr. Halgen and all now out of view, he just focused on the onslaught of annoying and somehow delightful music that was all now being spouted out by a fluffy sheep on the screen. In that moment, he felt a swirl of emotions and desires. He wanted to focus more on Dr. Halgen and the nurses. He wanted to get out of the huddle of his friends. He wanted to leave and figure out what was happening before it was too late. Instead, his body just seemed to automatically take over and he began to dance about more freely as if he had no control over what he was doing at all.

He only stopped for a moment when he felt a curious sensation from down below. Casting his glance toward his feet, unconscious or just a movement long forgotten and suddenly remembered, Patrick saw his foot tap to the beat. No specialized pants or movements in his sleep, but a genuine foot tap to the beat of the music. It was tiny, but with no movement for over five years now, it was everything to him. In essence, it was a genuine ray of hope that somehow and soon, he would get to dance like everyone else was doing now around him. It was a difficult notion to wrestle with, but as he had told Tim, despite wanting more than anything to figure out what was happening to his friends, if some of the oddities were the price of admission, it was a price he was still willing to make.     

[CDfm]

Awesome.  Patrick is able to move his legs without any assistance.  Being paralyzed from the waist down regaining any movement would have to be such an incredible high. Unfortunately that high comes with a high price as well. Not only are they loosing their potty training, they seem to be mentally regressing to. On a positive note, it’s only for five years.  The down side to that is will they be able to keep enough of their adult selves to be able to go back to being an adult after the five years? Patrick still has a good attitude towards his fate though so he might just do well. 
I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. 

[LostBBoyBear]

Here is the first chapter to the next part of this story. Now getting into the final stretch of chapters, more things will start to unravel or be revealed in some way.

As of right now, there are seven remaining chapters, and while I will try to push ahead to get them completed at my previous pace, I may adopt a mostly every other day positing system until the end with all the events happening in the next weeks for me. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I usually try to fill my time up with as many events as I can. Still though, I will try to post as much as I can without rushing through the remainder of this story.

I also just want to give out a huge thank you to everyone who has read, liked, and/or commented on this story. While Project Nurture seemed to surge ahead yesterday, there was a moment that this story was my most read one and it's not even complete yet. So, I just want to offer my sincerest thanks for seemingly enjoying what I have written here.

Now, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter and the first one of part V!

Part V: Reflection

Chapter 18: Mind Your Babble

PT sucks. Therapists are good, but the therapy itself is not fun most of the time, especially when one isn’t making progress. “One more round, Jack,” Patrick exhaled with a heavy breath. “I know I can do it. I just need another round on the bars and I’m sure it will work this time.”

Jack sighed as he stared back at the now-bearded, sweaty, and determined patient in front of him. It had been a month since the accident and two weeks since his last surgery. The so-called Amazon’s technology had been a marvel for his profession, but there was still only so much they could do. “Maybe you should take a break, Patrick. You’re soaked with sweat, and you look like you’re about to pass out.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine, man. I gotta do this,” he panted, his still growing muscular arms already starting to shake as he tried to will his legs forward.

Jack came closer and tried to guide him back down if he would let him. “It’s okay, Patrick. You’ve done more than anyone else and everyone deserves a brea…”

“No!” Patrick shouted suddenly. “I have to walk again. I have to make something right in all this… I can’t…” Patrick shut his eyes and tried to keep his emotions in check as his voice began to waver. With the new technology in preservation, he had been able to put off his mom’s funeral, but time was running short. He only had two weeks before even the new technology and state ordinances would force him to have the funeral. It was morbid and he hated doing it to his mom, but he couldn’t go and face anyone else there as a cripple. He didn’t want to be that much of a screw-up in all this…

Jack backed up and let Patrick try for a few more stumbling steps. He would still be nearby to catch him if he faltered, but sometimes, he knew that patients needed to find their own limits first when they began to push like this. It was a tough call, but he knew that Dr. Gibson would be stopping by today. Maybe he would have some good news.

Patrick tried a few more attempts to walk using the parallel bars to get his legs moving again, but they just hung low and limp. His arms were bursting and wobbling precariously, so, with a heavy sigh, he sat back down in the wheelchair that Jack had quickly provided from behind. Just then, Dr. Gibson walked back in.

“Evening, gentleman. How are you doing today, Patrick?” he asked quickly without giving time for a valid response. He had ten other patients to see here today, and the news today would be quick, if not disappointing, from his end. “Working on those arms to make them good and ready I see.”

“Sure, doc, but trying to get my legs going like you told me. I think I’ve almost got it.” Patrick then noticed the manilla folder in Dr. Gibson’s hands. “Is that more from the test results you had me do last week?” he asked pointing to the folder.

Dr. Gibson looked down at the folder and handed it over to Jack with a singular look on his face. Jack had recognized it after seeing it firsthand dozens of times before. Dr. Gibson inhaled sharply. “Patrick… there’s no easy way to tell you this, but your treatments aren’t working.”

Patrick remained motionless and only seemed to blink when Jack put his hand on his shoulder. “What does that mean?” he finally asked slowly.

Dr. Gibson combed his salt and pepper hair back with his hand and sighed. “Well, to put it plainly, I’m afraid your spine was just too damaged by the time we got to it. An hour sooner and things could have been different, but as it stands now, you will be paralyzed for the rest of your life.” Dr. Gibson stood silent for a second, and then added a near emotionless, “I’m sorry.”

The inside of Patrick’s head spun around once more, and he looked at his impotent and practically now-useless legs in hatred and disbelief. He briefly had an idea of chopping them off in the middle of the night… Prosthetics were getting better all the time, and he could be at least free to roam about like he used to in a year, unlike what the doc had just told him now. The whole notion was almost too tempting, but he could hear his mom telling him about how stupid of an idea it would be if she was here now.

“Do you understand, Patrick?” Dr. Gibson asked, hoping to get an acknowledgement of what he had just said before he moved on to his next patient. He didn’t want to treat each like a singular business transaction, but that’s just how medicine was working lately with all the new influx of technology. Cases that were once written off as hopeless were now possible, but it meant a huge influx of patients that would have otherwise gone home.

“Yes…” Patrick managed to say hoarsely, the words seemingly catching in the back of his throat. Still, a ray of hope continued to burn within his chest from his now nightly research. “I understand, but what about this treatment in Thailand? Or the one in Mexico City? There’s a genetic study or biofeedback sensors that could help. I heard Copenhagen…”

“Stop, Patrick!” Dr. Gibson said a little louder than he had intended. He then took a breath and tried to regain his composure. “I’m sorry to yell like that… but your case… it is hopeless.”

Almost not even registering what he had said, Patrick felt like he needed to convince his doctor further. ‘This can’t just be the end…’ Nearby, Jack just grimaced at the scene unfolding before him. “Maybe here,” Patrick continued, “but elsewhere, I heard, they were doing…”

“No,” Dr. Gibson forcefully interrupted, this time softer but twice as firm as the first time. “There is no way. I don’t want to be cruel, but you will never walk again with those legs. Even if you chopped them off, you still wouldn’t be able to walk with prosthetics with how you were injured. You will be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but you need to understand me when I say there is no way on this earth that you will walk again.”

Patrick blinked with each word and felt a stake of reality being slammed into his soul as they entered his ears. The words of nightmares and dark and hidden fears were now all out in the open. There was no interpretation to be had or miracle in some far-off land. Dr. Gibson was crystal clear now, and as a result, he knew that his failure as a son and even as a human was now complete. He had killed his mom and paralyzed himself all in one night because he wanted to go to a party.

Dr. Gibson cleared his throat when Patrick hadn’t responded to what he had just said. “I repeat, do you understand me, Patrick?”

*              *              *

“Do you understand me, Patrick?” Dr. Halgen asked once more after Patrick had drifted off to earlier memories for a moment. Dr. Halgen just sighed internally. Sometimes, she couldn’t tell where his head was at, even more than the other more regressed Littles she had dealt with.

“Sorry… just thinking…” Patrick stared with a wide smile down at his foot and the fact that he was now curling his toes. “But yeah… I understand. The month is coming to a close and I need to narrow my list down to two. Done and done.”

Dr. Halgen shook her head at the news in shock. “But what about…?”

Patrick held his hand up before she could finish, remembering a few of the caretaker days he had recently. “Yeah. Tiffany was great, but I think she wants a girl… and while I know that could be me with the tech here, that’s just not me in other sense…” Ian snickered from the side, but a quick look from Cara quickly shut him up. “Anyways… Daisy… she was nice but her serving me something that makes me long for tofu isn’t my ideal person.”

“What’s wrong with tofu?” Terra asked sadly.

“Uh… nothing. Just not for me, Terra,” Patrick replied as neutrally as he could. Her emotions had been in such flux lately that he didn’t want to set her off with anything he said. A few others had been the same way and like the other night, Dr. Halgen and the other nurses had been whispering quietly to each other whenever it had happened. When he had asked Addy about it, she had just said, ‘you’ll see’ or ‘don’t worry about it.’ It wasn’t very encouraging.

“So, anyone else have a nice story about their caretaker?” Dr. Halgen asked after a moment, obviously waiting to see if Terra would normalize or if she would have to pause the meeting and attend to the Little’s woes… again. Quentin raised his hand. “Yes, Quentin.”

Quentin shifted for a moment in his seat. “Well, uh, Harry took me to the library the other day. I listened to a bunch of books there, and each of them even showed what they were saying. It was like their own little movie showing in my hands,” he said excitedly by the end.

“So, you didn’t read anything… at a library?” Patrick questioned. Coming from Ian or Terra, he might not have questioned it, but Quentin had been a professor before all this. ‘Had he changed that much?’

Quentin mused about it for a second and then snapped his fingers. “I read before actually. Harry just suggested I try this other method as well. He thinks that I might enjoy the holograms better than reading sometimes.” He then smiled widely. “He’s always thinking about things like that for me! He’s so great.”

Patrick just sat dumbfounded by what he had heard. On the surface, Harry seemed to be every inch the caretaker that any Little here would dream of, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more. He checked his feelings though, thinking that all this could just be some residual mistrust from his encounter with Redge. It had taken a few meetings with Lloyd and Samantha to not view them as potential threats, and now he knew that it would take just a little longer for him to get used to some of the other Bigs.

The group then continued with a few other stories from Patrick’s fellow Littles. Cara had gone to the movies, Terra had gone to the botanical gardens in town, and Ian even had a night activity of star watching with Chris. It was all oddly pleasant, and even stayed as such, much to his surprise, when the conversation switched to their slow change in clothing akin to something more juvenile.

Cara’s striped tights clearly emphasized her pull-up and Quentin’s corduroy overalls bunched up heavily around his diapered rear as well. Patrick, Darren, and Ian were all even wearing some form of pants that either had elastic waistbands or snaps running up the inseams for easy changes today. It was all very sudden, but once again, the group barely seemed to register the change and even complimented the cuteness of any new logos or colors that they saw. It was downright spooky, but things seemed to go back to how they used to ne, at least in terms of rejection of something new when Dr. Halgen spoke back up.

“Now, as I told you last week, the nurses and I have started to track which of you have been getting sleepy during the day. Ian,” she started, much to everyone’s surprise and causing him to pucker up and sit up as straight as he could, “both of you showed signs of being tired, but at least for now, we believe that this could just be attributed to some of the more active days you’ve had recently.” He instantly deflated and leaned back into his chair with a heavy sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, Dr. Halgen then turned to the rest of the group. “The rest of you, however,” it was now Patrick’s and the rest of the group’s turn to sit up as straight as they could, “did not fare as well.” She then looked over at Cara. “You nodded off six times over the past week.”

Darren giggled and Dr. Halgen snapped her head over to him. He stopped giggling. “You, my little Darren, are even more severe. You have fallen asleep every day for quite some time now. The only reason why we’ve let you go on at all without any consequences until today is that you have been very active with your partner in crime, Terra, who honestly, hasn’t fared much better with falling asleep five times in the past week alone.” Both gulped.

Patrick knew he had nodded off a few times and had even passed out during one showing of Adventure Sam the other night, so he just remained resigned to his fate and silent. He knew he was going to be on the list, and if he was being honest with himself, the likely consequence of a nap might just feel divine at this point.

“So, as a result,” Dr. Halgen continued, “starting today, we will be implementing a napping policy at least during the afternoons. Some of you,” her eyes darting to Darren, “may come to need more, but we will be assessing all of you as time moves forward.” She quickly turned to the relaxed form of Ian. “That will include you as well…” He nodded glumly in understanding that naps could still very well be in his future.

“Now,” she looked at her watch, “this session is now over and today will be the first day of naps, starting now.” The whole group groaned loudly. “This is not up for debate,” she commanded quickly. “All but Ian will go to your rooms upstairs with your nurses and try to go to sleep.” She paused and scanned the room and smiled at what she saw. “I see some of you brought your comfort items with you and I encourage you to use them this afternoon. They may help with the transition. Now, off you all go!”

“But I don’t wanna!” Quentin complained with a sour look all over his face.

Dr. Halgen stood up and glared in his direction. “Quentin… I don’t want to have another chat with you like I did the other day after your ice cream incident…” she then stroked her chin before her eyes lit up. “Hmmm… I know… I see you have your cat with you today. Perhaps they can be used as a punishment. Say… a day without?”

“No!” Quentin shouted as protected the immensely fluffy object that had once been propped against his chair on the floor. Now, the stuffed animal was nestled safely within his arms. Curiously, after a moment though, Quentin began to blush as if he had just realized what he had done.

“That’s what I thought,” Dr. Halgen said smugly. “Now, all of you… I mean it! Go and take your naps!”

After her threat the group began to depart quickly in a single file line, and Patrick now noticed that almost everyone in the group, beyond Darren and Cara, had what was unmistakably a stuffed animal. Ever since the day he went hiking with Samantha and he had held what he now knew to be a bunny during his change, he had a growing desire to hold one again. From the sheep, dog, and cat he now saw, along with each Little’s seeming devotion to them already, he didn’t think it would be long before they all would have one. ‘At least I’ll have a wide selection to choose from…’

As he entered his room while Addy attended to Cara in her room, which Patrick had seen was now yellow and contained butterflies and a mosquito net canopy above her bed when they had talked the other night, he thought about his own situation for a moment. While downstairs he had actually frightened himself for a moment after he had thought about owning a stuffed animal of his own. He couldn’t believe that he had been so accepting of a blasted stuffed animal in the first place. The feeling had truly only lasted for less than a minute, but still… ‘I keep thinking everyone else is losing it, but am I as well? Would I even know?’

The feeling gnawed at Patrick for the next five minutes, but even more horrifyingly, his mind kept rocking back and forth between desiring a self-proclaimed ‘stuffy’ and a wanting to burn any such object that entered his room. His mind was still at war with itself when Addy knocked and then entered in his room.

“Hey there, buddy. I’m guessing you need a change before your nap, huh?” she asked sweetly, reaching over to check his diaper, not even giving him a chance to respond anymore. Patrick just let it happen. “Oh my… I would say so. You’re soaked, honey.”

“I figured…” Patrick said resignedly. “Let’s just get this over with, okay?”

Addy nodded and the two proceeded with their routine that they now practiced at least four times every day, often times more. For now, Patrick was just wet, so the change was even more routine. Addy’s changing had also become faster and more efficient, but it still maintained its caring feeling, something that Patrick had grown to appreciate based on the more clinical or even babying methodologies of the other nurses that he had seen and heard about.

“There,” she said, applying the last of the tapes to the now thick and cartoon-adorned diaper around Patrick’s waist. “All done.” She then helped him up and began to re-snap his pant legs.

As Patrick let her go about her business, he thought back to his at least partial desire for a stuffed animal and while he wasn’t sure how to fully feel about it, he was now wondering why he had been left out of receiving one. It seemed it should have been a badge of maturity to not be included, but he had to know if there was an ulterior motive going on. “Addy… why don’t I have a stuffed animal? Why do I seem like one of the only ones now?” he asked bluntly, now also remembering a blue bird stuffed animal hidden in the corner of Cara’s room the other night.

Addy had finished her last snap and looked at him with a smile. “Noticed that did you?” Patrick nodded and Addy then went over and crouched down before reaching under his crib. Once she stood back up, Patrick could see that she now also carried a rectangular box with her, which she then presented to him. “Here you go.”

Patrick took the brightly colored packaging adorned with balloons and even shook it. It didn’t make a noise. “Is this what I think it is?”

Addy then tapped on the box. “Well, silly, you have to open it to find out.”

Patrick groaned but proceeded to start unwrapping the box, now resting on his lap. He didn’t have any tools on him, so while the paper tore like normal, the tapes were proving to be a much greater challenge than he had first anticipated.

While he worked, Addy couldn’t stop smiling. “Remember back to when we made a deal, and I won the bet? And then I told you that my end of the bargain would probably be something you liked?” Patrick only nodded, still focusing on removing some of the tapes that kept the lid on the box of whatever she had given him. “Well… this is it. I wanted to give it to you when you were ready.”

Patrick listened to what she was saying, but then finally popped the last of the tapes off the box and removed the lid. White tissue paper was packed tightly and nearly sprung out from the box when he had opened it. Now, moving it all away, a shape began to form at its base. With the last of the tissue paper removed, Patrick could now see inside. It was a stuffed frog.

Patrick pulled it out with care and dropped the box on the ground and just surveyed the soft object he now held in his hands. He stared at it in amazement. Its forest and lime green skin was soft to the touch and its limbs splayed out in all directions chaotically, but almost seemed to be open as if to invite him in for a reassuring hug.

Addy eyed her Little and was satisfied with his reaction so far. She needed to push him a bit, but his reaction seemed to be one of care and compassion over the toy. “So, I wanted to give you this frog, because they can be used for a lot of purposes. By now, I’m sure you know they can help you cope with difficult situations, but they can also be a sounding board if you wish, or, if you really needed to, you could take your frustration out on it. Trust me, these things can take a beating if you need them to. I’m sure I speak for them when I say that they would rather you hurt them than take your frustrations out elsewhere.”

Patrick glanced up from the frog and squinted his eyes in confusion. “Them?”

Addy looked like she had just been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to, but then just as easily played it off. “Sorry… just helps if you think of them as alive in a way. Can help with coping mechanisms and all, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Patrick eyed the frog in his hands and could easily imagine hugging it whenever he was having a bad day around here. Oddly, as soon as he touched it, his feelings of wanting to toss it away seemed to dissipate. “No, that’s okay.”

Addy smiled. Internally, her inner voice was screaming in joy. It wasn’t a big step in the grand scheme of things, but for those Littles on this path like Patrick, and not one like Ian or Terra even, acceptance of a stuffy was very powerful. It was a signpost in their progression as a Little that they may be willing to freely accept more babyish items if they had a definable purpose. Still, she had to test out one final thing. “So, do you have a name picked out for them yet?”

Patrick studied the frog for a moment, but then stared back at Addy with a serious face. “I’m thinking on it but I want an answer to something first…” Addy nodded for him to proceed. “I can get into all this, but part of my wiliness comes from me being paralyzed. I was peeing in a catheter and diapers could have been in my life regardless of if I had chosen to go down that path, so I get it from my side.” He paused and then thought of his group. “I’m with the program until the end for what it’s going to give me, so don’t worry there, but I want to know what is truly going on here. After all these group sessions, I know there is no way some of this stuff is being consented to by the others. What’s going on here? How are you able to work around the contracts? Is there someone or something larger at play?”

Addy had felt her heart drop as soon as began to question things and now, even once he had finished, she still hesitated to give him a full reply. Psyche did have a secret, but she couldn’t be the one to tell him outright. Maybe if Patrick kept digging, he would find his answer, but she was worried about what else he could find there as well. “I want to… but I can’t tell you everything. I can tell you about the contract, but after, I need you to promise me that you won’t investigate any more of these things further, okay?”

Patrick was now the one to hesitate. He had seen the seriousness of a promise in this dimension, and he had heard that some Littles were even thrown out of Psyche in previous groups for breaking a promise on general principle. Now, it was his turn to promise something, and he couldn’t be more nervous. Still though, he had to know something about all this… “I promise…”

Addy breathed a sigh of partial relief and partly from the stress she was now feeling from others even beyond Patrick. “Well, in that case, you should know that there is a stipulation in the contract that notes, for the physical and, or mental health of the inductee, Psyche New Beginnings may intervene without the expressed consent of the inductee Little, as long as no harm comes to the Little in the long-term and that any measures would only be used to facilitate an improvement or curative measure of a previous problem, or problems.”

Patrick just stared at Addy in disbelief. It was all written there in black and white, and yet it left so much up to the whims of whoever was enacting it. ‘What constituted harm? How well could they measure physical, or even mental health for that matter?’ It then dawned on Patrick that the contract had specifically been written that way to ensure that particular section would be glossed over in all likelihood or leave plenty of leeway in its interpretation. ‘Crap… something is up.’

“I’m really sorry, sweetie, but some of what we do for you all, we don’t like, but we know that, uh…” she then hesitated for a moment, “what we do is for the best in the long run. It’s difficult but we are dedicated to making you all better when you leave this facility with your caretaker.”

Patrick fumed over the implications of what she had just told him, and Addy could tell. It wasn’t the first time a Little had been curious about the same thing, but they always came around in the end. She just hoped that he would come around before other measures were taken.

Not wanting to make things more difficult for the night and using her experience, she knew that Patrick just needed some alone time to think. Fortunately for her, it was now his new naptime, so without any further delay, she then scooped him up and set him in his crib.

His frog now nearby, Addy left and turned off the lights. “Get some rest, honey. We can talk more after if you want.”

Addy then left and Patrick was now all alone with only his thoughts and his frog. ‘It’s just not fair with all these blasted Bigs… but what could I even do at this point? I still can’t walk and… who knows if I could even do well on my own anymore with my diapers and everything else…’ Patrick despaired his fate, but as designed, his stuffed frog was right there to give him comfort. For now, his feelings were more just instinct, but soon they would be something more akin to desire or even love instead. Addy was no fool and ensured that the frog was near to him when she left. If she was lucky and had played her pre-approved cards right, said instinct would take over. Minutes later, Patrick had fallen asleep, and as predicted, was now also curled up tightly around his frog.

*              *              *

Later that night, after dinner, one much to the aggravation of half the group and to the delight of the other half of vegetables and shaped chicken nuggets, Patrick had gone back upstairs for the night. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts, so he just settled down with a good book. As usual though, about two hours later, Addy came in and performed their usual night routine before tucking him into the crib. They didn’t speak much, but he could tell something was bothering her.

Once she had left though and now alone and, in his room, once more, now illuminated slightly by a more prominent nightlight in the shape of a star on his dresser, Patrick stared back at his frog. “What the heck do I call you? Or should I even call you something?” The soft frog just wordlessly stared back.

Patrick rolled his eyes. “Crap! Now I’m starting to talk to these things as if they were real…” It was a peculiar feeling, but Patrick thought back to all the times where he had heard about a companion being important for mental health in a survival situation. Based on what had been going on around here lately, this frog now seemed like a perfect and non-judgmental companion… not a toy. “Maybe I should call you Wilson, huh?” he joked.

The frog continued to just stare back. “Well, if I’m going to use you as a sounding board, you need a name. Creature, stuffy, or even It, just won’t cut it if I’m going to be talking to you about my problems.” Patrick stroked his chin and pondered the different names. He briefly considered Mr. Green as a possibility, but he felt that Dr. Halgen would think it was too mature or some stupid logic like that and force him to change it to something more appropriate. “What about, Tad?” The frog stared back, but the name rolled around in Patrick’s head for a moment. “Tad… yeah, I think Tad will do just fine. Mature, but I can always play it up if I need to. Too bad Cara isn’t here right now… she would know of the perfect name to fly under their radar, but Tad… yeah… that should be good.”

Patrick then recalled back to when he had woken up from his nap and had found himself cuddling with him already. It had been an unconscious act in his sleep, but he felt so… good afterwards. With everything going on around him, he was starting to feel every bit the conspiracy theorist that Ian was… ‘Is it a ‘was’ for him now?’ Patrick wasn’t sure, but he felt like something was up or he was certifiably losing it. Either way, he couldn’t deny himself the possibility of feeling better, so he squeezed Tad tightly.

Almost instantaneously, he felt better. It could have been hinky itself, but all that mattered to him right now was the feeling of safety and comfort that he was getting from his frog, Tad. After that, it didn’t take long for him to pass out, nestled with his new friend, dry, and wrapped in a delightful swath of soft blankets.

*              *              *

The next morning, Patrick awoke, and oddly felt more at peace than he had in some time. Not fuzzy or anything suspicious as he may have feared when accepting something from Addy in the form of a stuffed animal, but Tad only seemed to be here for his comfort now. It was a pleasant thought and Patrick just gave him a little squeeze. Then, after shuffling about, he could tell his diaper needed changing, but as had become routine, Addy would soon be in here and get him ready for the day.

Briefly, he worried that it didn’t matter what he thought about himself anymore and that he was too far gone as a Little in this world. For his sake though, he had to brush those thoughts quickly aside and focus on the present and what he could do to keep himself as who he was, rather than as just another Little who had been changed by the Bigs.

Then, as predicted, Addy soon entered and the two went about their routine for the day. A change was followed by a bath, which was then followed by a rediapering and then choosing between one of two outfits that Addy had prepared for him. Today, he chose jeans and a collared white sweater over the overalls and Henley-style long-sleeve shirt. It was a sense of normalcy, ignoring the diapers, snaps on the inside, or even the notion of Addy dressing him at all, but he had learned about two weeks ago to just think of himself as royalty and that his servant was now preparing him for the day. It was a childish fantasy perhaps, but it seemed better than the alternative of being a helpless Little that would be doted on in this world by every commanding Big for the next five years of his life.

As she went about work today though, Patrick noticed that Addy wasn’t smiling and only seemed depressed or resigned to something. He had noticed the same look last night and he couldn’t stand it any longer. “Addy… what’s wrong? Is it something I said? I’m sorry if it was…”

Addy immediately perked back up and started to coo at Patrick. “Me? I’m all okay! I think someone’s just got a silly imagination.”

Patrick frowned but then became worried when Addy came in real close to him. “Just go along with what I do, okay?” she whispered, her face quickly turning serious.

Patrick was very confused but just nodded his head. Addy then proceeded to pick him up and place him against her shoulder as if he was an infant. “Shhh, shhh, baby. I know you don’t like mornings…” she said loudly. She then lowered her voice. “Close your eyes and just listen to me.”

Patrick did as he was told and began to panic over what was happening. As he did so, Addy just began to rock him back and forth. It was oddly nice, but his heart still beat rapidly over the suddenness of all this.

After a moment, she slowed down and began to whisper again. “That should convince them for now… but I don’t agree with some of what they’re doing here. Something is up, but I can’t do anything about it in my position. Then, I heard you last night with Ted, nice name by the way, so I know you can accept this. That being said though, can you try and accept all this a little more. Maybe do what Cara does and pretend a bit?”

“You know about that?” Patrick said a little too loudly, clearly worried about his friend.

“Shhh, shhh, baby,” Addy said loudly before once more returning to her whisper. “You need to keep quiet for now. Just nod your head if you can agree to that, but also, yes, I know about Cara. I was the one who told her to do that in the first place in secret. She found an independent streak in her here and I knew she would be ruined forever if I didn’t step in.”

Patrick was shocked, but some of Addy’s odd behavior now made sense. In one sense, she seemed to genuinely care about him and want him to do well as he had expected when coming here. Other times though, she seemed like the rest of the staff here with her cooing and displays of treating him like a regressed Little. It was maddening, but she had just given him a major piece to the puzzle he had been trying to figure out.

“I’m very sorry about all this,” she whispered with a small bit of sadness. “I’ll try to find out more, but for now, just go along with things and I’ll try to steer you out of harm’s way if I can. Also though, careful about what you say or do from now on.” She lowered her voice even more. “They’re watching us…”

Fear gripped Patrick’s heart, but all he could do was just nod at what she had now told him. It was unnerving and he knew that he would have to pretend like Cara did to survive. It was a tall order, but he knew he couldn’t fail. If fluctuating Littles like Ian were any indication, best case scenarios around here for Littles like that didn’t make the five more years here seem very likely. In fact, the fluctuating Littles made those five years seem to be a permanent situation in a completely non-voluntary way.

Addy then stopped her swaying and rocking and raised her voice again. “Well, you seem to be all cheery once again. How about we get a spot of breakfast in that rumbly tummy of yours, huh?”

Patrick could only nod as Addy began to walk over and put him in his wheelchair. The Jasper and Jinx designs on the waterproof cover now only seemed like a reminder for what Addy had just told him about playing a role in all this. Something was up now for sure, but he currently didn’t see a way he could figure out what, let alone change it before it was too late.

Later, down at breakfast, Patrick was already on edge from what Addy had told him earlier about being watched and that something was up. It didn’t help that once he had arrived at the breakfast table, many of the other Littles already there were giggling and snickering about as if his hair had been sticking out in a funny way. He even checked just to be sure, but he couldn’t figure out the joke if there was one. From the corner of the room, Addy gave him a small gesture to smile, and Patrick began to fake his outward emotions. He didn’t like it, but there was too much at stake now.

Finally, once they had all finished breakfast, oddly, everyone remained seated. “Why aren’t you all running outside to play like you usually do? Even you, Darren, seem to have ants in your pants and that you want to leave,” he directed over to the now fervently squirming Little.

Darren trembled and finally burst out. “Please! Can we tell him?”

“Darren!” Dr. Halgen barked as she entered the room, eliciting a tiny yelp from the Little. “A surprise is a surprise for a reason. Do we need to have a chat?”

Darren quickly stopped squirming and dropped his head low in submission. “No, Aunty Kelsey…” he mumbled out, having adopted Dr. Halgen’s other name a few days ago. He still called her Dr. Halgen occasionally, but those times were now seemingly becoming rarer.  

Dr. Halgen nodded and then turned her attention to Patrick. “So, I guess you’re wondering what’s going on, huh?” Patrick nervously nodded. “Well, we’ve been watching you.”

A large lump formed in the back of his throat. ‘Did she know? Addy had said they were watching… so did they see everything and now everyone here was to hold him down or regress him forcibly? Was that the joke?’ Patrick’s mind spun in several directions and Dr. Halgen’s face only gave off a feeling of satisfaction. It could have meant anything, and he did his best not to puke right at that moment from what he was feeling.

“We‘ve been watching you for some time… and we’ve seen your progress,” she continued. “Bruce has discussed all that you’ve done and especially with what you did with the walker pants the other week, we believe you’re ready for the next step.” She then stepped aside, and Bruce was hunched over as he pushed a large object into the room.

“Congratulations, buddy,” Bruce said, now presenting the specialized blue walker to Patrick. “Big day!”

Patrick wheeled over to the device and slid his hand over the sleek blue metal finish railings. It had a small foldable seat at the rear and a set of four wheels that allowed it to be moved with ease. Patrick could also see some buckles and straps inside, likely to hook up to him in the beginning stages, but the walker itself was there and that was the important bit. It was a physical manifestation of his progress, as the diapers on most of the group were now a manifestation of their continued regressions.

Patrick looked up at Addy, and she just nodded and smiled and gestured for him to keep smiling as he had been doing. She gave off a nervous energy that Patrick now knew was because there was something else sinister happening here. He wasn’t sure who he could trust or even if he would get out of here anymore with his mind intact, but based on the walker, things were still moving forward on some fronts at least.

As had become custom around here, the price of this place and its miracles seemed to be a steep one, but one he was still willing to pay. A stuffed animal traded for the use of a walker seemed inconsequential. Based on Addy’s apprehension though, he just couldn’t be sure for how much longer he would feel that way. He just hoped that by the time that feeling ever went away, he would be able to walk well enough by then. Something told him, after everything that he now knew, that a quick exit might be required.

[CDfm]

Not sure if I should be worried or elated.  Patrick is improving at a rapid pace now and will be walking again very soon.  He may be able to do so unassisted in the near future. The downside though is will he even know what he’s doing?  Will he know how to walk? 
I am very happy with how the story is progressing and I am eager to see more. 

[keith60]

good story 

[LostBBoyBear]

Before I forget, if you haven't already seen it, go check out the timeline of the stories I have written for the DD. It's just for my universe, but it will be more important in future stories. As a result though, there may be some mild spoilers, so just be warned. 

Sorry for the late posting of this chapter. Weekeneds are hard in the fall with everything I have going on, but I wanted to give you all something before I went to bed as there is no way that I'll be able to post anything tomororw. I hope I can on Monday, but just stay tuned.

Regardless, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter!

Chapter 19: Baby Steps... Literally?

It was a nearly clear and crisp fall day. The leaves rustled about as Patrick, Cara, and Terra swung freely on the swings in the backyard jungle gym. Addy was positioned nearby to give them an extra push if they needed it, but mostly, she just sat back and enjoyed the nice breeze and the clear enjoyment from the Littles in front of her.

“I can go higher than both of you!” Cara yelled as she reached the peak of her swinging arc.

“Not if I can go faster!” Terra chirped as she made her way forward again from her furthest back position.

“Come on guys. It’s just meant to be a little fun today. Besides, I’m already doing just as well, and my legs have only just begun to work.” It was true, as once Patrick had begun to exercise with the walker and his every other day with the machine had reactivated the nerves, tendons, and muscles in his legs. There were still numb spots in a few places, but for the most part, he had regained at least some of the old function in his legs. Swinging, from one of the suggestions by Bruce, was a good way to start building his muscles further up.

“Nuh-uh,” Terra defended as she got to the top of her arc. “I bet we’ll still be better than you!”

“Now, now, you all,” Addy chided from her spot under the shade of a large tree. “Play nice or we all go in.” Her tone remained soft and yet commanding.

“Yes, Addy,” all three said in unison, not wanting to push their luck.

“Very good,” she nodded as she smiled. “How’s the seat working out for you, Patrick? Any problems?”

Patrick looked down at the seat he was currently in. Despite his mental faculties at least staying somewhat normal in a place like this, he was still subject to the parameters that he and Addy had agreed upon in order to stay under the radar of whoever was behind all the hinky things around here. As such, today, he had been placed in a swing meant for infants. It ensured he wouldn’t fall from his paralysis, but it was mainly for show just in case.

It was equipped with the requisite two sturdy chains that attached to the top bar, but it also had a secure harness that wrapped around his waist and up through his crotch. It was humiliating and, though he didn’t mind it terribly, he had to be removed from the swing by a Big or be trapped inside. In fact, surprisingly enough, his continually normalizing diapers were the only part he didn’t like about the swing, with the crotch part of it having the propensity to push his used diapers against him with a squish every time he swung forward. Fortunately, he was only slightly damp right now.

“Uh… all good, Addy,” he said after a moment of flexing his legs out once more. “Legs are getting a bit sore, but I think Bruce said that was normal as I build my muscles back up.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Addy said. “Just let me know if it gets too much or if you want out. Don’t want you getting trapped in there all day now, do we?”

Patrick shook his head and just refocused on just moving his legs more to keep his momentum going. It was tough work, but the results of swinging so freely were well worth it.

Not long after, an array of the less progressed Littles came pouring out of the backdoor. With the possibility of potential candidates being in more than one group and with more than one Little, often, caretaker days were spread out amongst the groups to ensure everyone could see who they wanted without much issue. For the lesser progressed of the Littles here, their caretaker day was tomorrow. For Patrick and all though, there’s was today.

Patrick quickly spotted Tim from the exiting group, but once again, he just hurried off in another direction. It had been like that since their first conversation. Patrick wanted to confront him or at least ask if he was okay, fearing an incident occurring like with Redge, but the Littles tumbling out of the entrance made him realize what time it was. Tim was a priority, but Patrick had other goals he had to accomplish today. “Oh! Addy! What time is it? Do we need to leave?”

Addy looked at her wrist device quickly. “Oh yeah. We need to go if we’re going to be on time.”

“Wait,” Cara said with a joyous wonder in her eyes, “is it time yet, for… well, you know…?”

“Yes,” Patrick said as Addy lifted him out of the swing and into his still-present wheelchair. “Should be any minute now I believe. Addy?”

“That’s right, Patrick,” Addy confirmed. “Now, let’s get going if we’re going to get the supplies and then get to the main hall in time.”

Patrick waved to his friends his goodbyes and went inside. It took a minute, but he finally found the travel bag he had been looking for that he picked out in preparation for today. Addy set it out on the ground along with a blanket and his diaper bag over all of it. “Nervous?”

Patrick shook his head. “Not really. I could be a little, but I think they would be more nervous if they knew the true reason why they were coming here today.” Addy nodded in agreement.

A knock was then heard from the front door, and it soon opened. “I hope I’m not too late,” Lloyd said with some hesitation as he saw both Addy and Patrick apparently waiting for him.

“Oh no! Not at all,” Addy confirmed. “We were actually about to see if you all had everything that you’ll need for toda…” The sound of screeching tires halting could be heard from outside.

Addy grinned and beckoned Lloyd to come in further. Barely getting to their position, the front door opened once more and in walked Samantha.

“Uh, what are you doing here?” Lloyd asked with a little shock. He then lowered his voice as he walked over to his fellow Big and competing friend at the front door. “I thought we agreed to stay separate for the time being while we were here…”

“I did too…” Samantha said with some confusion. “So, if you didn’t know about this and I didn’t…” The two then looked at Patrick, who was now just casually checking the blanket next to him.

He quickly saw the two staring at him. “What? Someone else must have scheduled you all wrong. I’m not in charge of that stuff. I might be cute and all, but I don’t have that much power around here,” he said with a mischievous smile.

“Right…” Lloyd said, still unconvinced.

“Well, I guess we’re here already,” Samantha conceded. She then looked at the stack next to Patrick. “Is that for today? For at least one of us?”

“Yep!” Patrick readily confirmed. “I think I’ve talked to both of you about going to one of the local parks at one point. So, I asked Dr. Halgen to pack a lot of supplies so there should actually be enough for all of us. Might be a nice outing if all of us went… could be fun, right?”

Both seemed unconvinced that this was a mere coincidence, but just gave in and wheeled Patrick out to Lloyd’s larger car. All situated now, the three took off and headed toward the local but expansive park after a wave goodbye from Addy.

Once parked in the small parking lot after passing through one of the entrances, Lloyd and Samantha got out and came over to Patrick’s side of the car and opened the door. “Hey, so… we were doing some thinking the other day,” Samantha began, “and seeing how you’re walking now, and we push you anyway while we’ve been out, we figured you might be open to the possibility of something… else.”

Patrick wasn’t sure what they meant. “Else? You got a hover craft for me or something?”

Lloyd then reached behind him and pulled out a dark blue stroller; typical in every way that one would conceive of the foldable kind. Its sturdy frame wrapped around the single seat and went from the handles above to the wheels below. If it had been any other object though, much to Patrick’s dilemma, the seat almost seemed like it would be near pure bliss.

“Now, Patrick,” Lloyd started, “you have a choice. We still brought your wheelchair, but you may feel less noticed in this. Maybe still seen as a Little, but that would be it. No pressure either way though…” Both smiled at the still seated Little in front of them and seemed eager for what he would choose.

Patrick wasn’t sure when they had gotten together, but their proposal of using a stroller almost seemed ludicrous at first glance. Redge had basically put him in one over a month ago, and all that didn’t turn out so well, but this felt different somehow. It could have been because they were asking him first, or maybe it was simply the fact that both sitting in something other than a wheelchair and sitting in something that looked so comfortable were bonuses, but the option had some appeal to it that he couldn’t deny. “Could I change my mind or is this something I couldn’t do that with?”

Samantha let out a little chuckle. “Nonsense, sweetie. This park is pretty big, but we’ve got legs that are up to the challenge if you change your mind. And for the record, there’s only a few things you can’t change your mind on, but that’s maybe only one percent of things ever with me, like choosing a different yogurt flavor after you’ve already finished it.”

“Same here,” Lloyd piped in, clearly not wanting to be left out.

Patrick looked at the stroller once more. At one time, the thing would have been a monstrous contraption to seal him into a second babyhood, defined here as being a Little or not. It was a cage or at least a declaration to the world of his Little status if nothing else. While it could still be all those things conceivably, it also represented a step forward.

The past few years he had the option of chair, bed, or wheelchair, and not too many other options in between. While he may have preferred a throne or the seat of a rollercoaster, for the purposes of today, change was good. It was still a stroller, but it had also become a chariot of his further progression toward walking. He often didn’t care about labels, but today, at least for a little bit, he wouldn’t be known as a paralyzed person. He wouldn’t be seen, known or unknown, as the person who crippled himself and killed his mom. It wasn’t much, but every little bit seemed to matter so much more now. “Stroller, please.”

Both Samantha and Lloyd beamed as wide as was likely possible and loaded Patrick into the awaiting seat. A few crotch and waist buckles done up later and then storage of the diaper bag placed underneath, the trio set out to enjoy this most beautiful day in the park.

After the usual calm stroll through one of the outermost pathways, they came to a wide-open area that was currently hosting a farmers’ market. “Fresh apples!” “The last of the strawberries before winter comes!” “Come get your pumpkins for Halloween!” They all shouted their wares for the public’s knowledge and enjoyment.

In truth, while the stroller still seemed to be a slight irritation for Patrick, he actually appreciated it as a symbol of his status temporarily. Sitting in the stroller he was viewed as nothing more than a Little, but here, a Little was the most precious commodity. In fact, from what he had ready, some of the more dubious politicians had even suggested adding a section for the price of Littles on the stock market board, but it was quickly shot down. At the time though, it had been because not all Littles were created equally, but modern thinking liked to think it was more because you couldn’t put a price on a Little’s life. Patrick mused that Redge might have been one of the ones that thought differently. Regardless though, as a result of all that, he was given a nice and wide berth.

Moving through the crowds, Lloyd and Samantha chatted for a while amongst themselves, more because Patrick likely wouldn’t have been able to hear them than out of disrespect to him. For his part, Patrick didn’t mind and actually would have encouraged it if he could have. All the events of today so far hadn’t really been an accident and he had been playing matchmaker with these two from the start. There had been a spark, but Patrick wanted to know if there was something more.

After pouring over his contract for several hours over the past few weeks, he now knew that the choosing process didn’t have a straight answer for him if two people could be selected. In any case, he knew that he would have a strong case to select both if they were in a committed relationship. A Little could be told ‘no,’ but not a Big… or at least not in that type of way. So, Patrick was playing matchmaker today to see if something was there. So far, the results seemed to be very encouraging.

“So,” Lloyd started as the stroller stopped and he swung around to face Patrick, “Samantha and I think it would be nice to get something to go along with the picnic. What do you think?”

Patrick eyed the local vendors nearest to him and his eyes nearly bugged out from all the confections and delectable food now surrounding them. “Yes, please,” he said, trying his best to keep his cool so as not to overplay his hand.

“That’s what I thought,” Lloyd said with a smile.

The three of them then looked through several vendors and finally settled on a few apples and some pumpkin and sugar cookies for a treat afterward. Once purchased, they moved on to the main section of the park and found a nice grassy spot under a tree. Due to the gorgeous weather today, all the picnic tables had been taken, but Samantha just smiled and laid out the blanket that Psyche had provided them.

Once set up, Samantha and Lloyd looked over at Patrick, both with equally wide smiles. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

Samantha laughed. “No, honey. Lloyd and I were thinking…”

“With your progress,” Lloyd picked up, “we thought you might like trying to walk today?”

Patrick’s heart soared, but after a quick examination of his khaki pants, he didn’t see the wiring he had used the other week during his and Samantha’s hike. “But I don’t have the special pants on… how can I walk?”

Lloyd smiled and gestured to himself and Samantha. “Well, we’re not as fancy as the pants, but… your muscles have been growing and you might not need the pants to stand.”

“We know you’ve been using your walker with Bruce, and this would be a little different, but we can help be your support, if you want,” she added with a bit of a sadder tone than when she had started. Clearly, she wanted to help, but Patrick was grateful that she still respected his boundaries if he wanted to keep them in place.

Patrick looked at the two Bigs before him. There was only one of him though. “Okay… if I do this, are we switching off or…?”

Lloyd shook his head. “One of us will help you walk while the other gets the food ready for lunch.”

“Ah… so I get to choose…” Patrick looked to the two Bigs from his seat still in the stroller. He was still pretty unsteady with his feet, and while strength may have been a factor in other Bigs, both seemed like they could handle him with ease. It had been something he had kept at the forefront of his mind when he had first met them, and he had since ensured that he would always be on his best behavior.  

Looking at the two, both seemed eager, but in the end, it came down to personalities. Lloyd was a wonderful Big, but his strengths seemed less on the nurturing side. With his legs still on shaky ground, for his purposes, moral support might just be needed as much as the physical kind. “I can do it and… Samantha… can you help me?”

She quickly nodded and while Lloyd seemed disappointed, he still maintained his cheery demeanor as he began to unpack the picnic basket. Meanwhile, Samantha had practically leaped forward and was now standing over Patrick and quickly unfastening his buckles from the stroller. “Alright, you ready?”

Patrick nodded. “Probably as ready as I’ll ever be…”

“Have a little faith, honey, but here we go.” She then bent down and grasped both his hands. “Now, I’ll be here for whenever you need me. Try something first, and if it doesn’t work out, then no big deal, okay?”

Patrick nodded and tried to stand. His legs immediately began to shake but he was still able to move his butt off the seat by a good eight inches before collapsing back down.

“Oopsie,” Samantha said in a slightly cutesy tone. “That’s okay. You wanna try again, or do you want me to help you out?”

Patrick considered his options. “Uh, you help me out now. I’d rather save my strength for walking.”

“Sounds perfect.” Samantha then bent over a little more and lifted Patrick’s hands up above his head. The rest of his body followed, and from the quick reflexes of Samantha, she was able to catch him before he fell back into the stroller. “Look at it, honey. You’re standing on your own,” she gushed after a moment.

Patrick stared down, and while his arms were still heavily grasped in her own, his legs were standing by themselves. No pants or even a walker today. His legs wobbled a bit, but still… this was a major milestone and a signal of the things still to come.

“Way to go, bud!” Lloyd yelled from nearby, going as far as to even wave his hand about as if there was an invisible flag of support grasped within.

“Thanks…” Patrick then stared forward and began to will his legs away from the stroller. “Just one step… and then the other.” It was hard work, but after a few steps, Patrick could see his progress and his heart grew and his eyes began to mist over.

“You okay, honey?” Samantha asked with concern, now noticing his eyes.

“Uh, yeah… just… walking, you know?” he said, wiping a tear away with one of his arms as he paused his forward momentum for a second.

“Well, I’m very proud of you for all this,” she said with a genuine care that couldn’t be faked. “Keep moving like you’re doing now, and you’ll never have to see that wheelchair ever again.”

That one thought propelled Patrick forward for the next five minutes. Lloyd had finished laying everything out but seemed completely satisfied to just sit back and watch as his potential Little made great strides back and forth with growing confidence.

Soon though, Patrick began to get tired, and Samantha noticed. “Hey... it’s okay to stop if you want, or…”

“Or what?” Patrick asked as he stopped for a moment, a smidge out of breath.

“Well, we could try the foot method,” she said as if her wording should have been known to everybody. “Could give it a try if you’re willing…”

Patrick thought about it for a moment, but he didn’t want to stop this feeling of standing. It wasn’t exactly bliss, but it was the next best thing. He could have been stepping into a trap, but he trusted Samantha at least enough by now to push those feelings aside. “I’m willing to give it a go…”

“Perfect.” Samantha then hoisted Patrick up and spun him around before landing him precisely on her toes. “Okay, this is how it works. I step forward a tiny bit and you come with me. You’ll still be building your muscles by standing while also flexing out your tendons, but this removes a little of the extra effort if you were to move on your own. You still in?”

Patrick nodded and the two started off slow. Patrick was afraid that he would tumble off and be stepped on, but Samantha just kept her grip tight and her steps small. Soon though, she clearly wanted to amp it up a bit. With some hesitation, Patrick just nodded at her eager suggestion.

It turned out to be a wonderful idea though, and while still taking smaller steps, Samantha increased her speed. The two then quickly scampered around the nearby trees, picnic benches, and other families out on picnic blankets. The feeling was practically euphoric for a person who had been stuck in a wheelchair for over five years now. So, once the feelings of relief and progress had passed, Patrick had just started to get downright giddy. Within minutes, he was giggling and laughing through the whole walkabout between the two.

Several of the Bigs they passed absolutely gushed over the sight of what they assumed was a mommy teaching her Little to walk again. After the passage of the humane laws, those who could had started to be rehabilitated to some degree. Between his diaper and rapturous laughter, no one batted an eye over the scene before them. Patrick may have been mortified about this, but he was having too much of a good time.

Soon though, the fun had to end, and both made their way back to a practical feast laying out precisely on the picnic blanket. A large serving of bread, something similarly tasting to ham, the apples they bought, and bunches of grapes and strawberries now lined each of their plates. For once in recent memory, Patrick was eating just what the Bigs were. It was a small gesture, but one he was immensely grateful for from Psyche. The only thing was though, he wasn’t sure if it had been Addy or Dr. Halgen. In either case, he couldn’t come right out and ask, knowing what he did about the secret problems at Psyche. So, a thank you to both would just have to do when he got back.

Satiated and stuffed beyond capacity, the three of them laid back on the part of the massive blanket not under the shade and stared up at the sky while they nibbled slowly on their respective cookies, Patrick’s of course being smaller than the other two. From there, it didn’t take long for them to start guessing what the clouds looked like.

“It’s a bird,” Samantha conjectured.

“It’s a plane,” Lloyd countered.

“It’s an octopus,” Patrick said. Both Bigs turned over and looked at their Little in confusion. Patrick then started laughing. “Just kidding. It’s totally a bird.”

“Oh yeah?” Lloyd asked.

“Yeah,” Patrick defended.

“Well then,” Lloyd said in a huff. “If that’s the case then… maybe I just need to tickle you until your brain gets back to what it needs to be!” Lloyd then pounced on Patrick and began to tickle him all over.

At one time, Patrick would have socked him right in the jaw, but today was different. It might have been his mind slipping or just the joyous feelings of a day well spent, but whatever the case, Patrick just leaned into the tickling and burst into peals of laughter as Lloyd found his most sensitive spots on his sides.

“Oh my. Looks like someone’s a little ticklish, huh?” Lloyd asked rhetorically as he began to methodically tickle every square inch of Patrick’s sensitive skin. Patrick was slowly losing himself to the sensations arcing throughout his body.

“Careful, Lloyd. Don’t hurt him,” Samantha said with some concern as she got up and looked over at the scene unfolding to her left.

“Oh, he’s fine. Maybe a bit blue in the face, but otherwise fine. You want me to stop?” Lloyd questioned the squirming and nearly spasming Little under his touch.

“Uh, oh my god! I don’t care! Ha!” Patrick’s mind reeled from all the sensations he was receiving. He almost felt high, but whatever was happening, he didn’t have any inhibitions at this point. Lloyd noticed and soon, began to take full advantage.

“Uh, oh. Looks like I got a squirmy wormy over here. Maybe more of a monkey now though, huh?” Patrick questioned what he was talking about when his mind could actually focus, but he was soon answered as Lloyd quickly picked him up and started to nearly toss him around and then hang him upside down. Samantha looked on mortified, but just let the two have their fun while she began to clean up.

The scene of laughter and enjoyment continued with the two for some time, but as Samantha finished throwing away the trash, she called over to Lloyd. “Lloyd! Stop messing around and come help me! I’m not doing this alone anymore. Besides, Patrick probably could use a breather.”

“Aw. Just five more minutes, Sam,” Lloyd nearly whined like a kindergartener, much to Patrick’s amusement.

“I mean it right now! Patrick is turning red, and I don’t want him going full purple on us today.” She then rolled her eyes. “I swear, sometimes, it’s like dealing with two Littles. What am I ever going to do with you?”

Lloyd had been properly humbled, and he sheepishly looked at the Little wrapped around his arms. Patrick just quickly nodded over the notion of pausing their fun, but exhausting play, his head becoming a little clearer now. “Whoops, gotcha. Coming right away, Samantha! Let me just set Patrick over by the playset!”

Samantha nodded and true to his word, Patrick was set on a stool over by the playground. He had previously talked to Lloyd about his love of coloring and drawing, so neither saw any harm in letting him have a little alone time in the park only two dozen or so feet away from where they had picnicked.

So, Patrick began to draw a Little nearby he had spotted who was currently playing in the sandbox. Due to the massive size and crudeness of the chalk, the drawing was by no means a masterpiece, but Patrick just smiled and continued to have fun. Then, he heard some giggling from behind him.

He quickly spun around, something he realized he could now do with relative ease a few days ago, and saw Samantha was the culprit. From Lloyd’s face, it was immediately obvious that he had just told a joke. Patrick smiled as he saw the two getting along and hoped his matchmaking plan had begun to work.

His future was still up in the air, and Patrick would still occasionally tense up when a more shrouded Big would walk by near him, thinking it could be Redge, but things elsewhere were moving forward on multiple fronts. His legs and happiness were both moving in a positive direction for sure, but Lloyd and Samantha were still a huge question mark in his life. He knew, however, that he could only do so much in the grand scheme when it came to matters of the heart. For a second earlier, he thought he had pushed too far. Seeing the two now though, even just cleaning up together, he couldn’t help but feel that there were definite sparks there. If he had done things right, maybe, just maybe with a little luck, those sparks would soon turn into a flame.

[Guilend]

1 hour ago, LostBBoyBear said:

I mean it right now! Patrick is turning red, and I don’t want him going full purple on us today.” She then rolled her eyes. “I swear, sometimes, it’s like dealing with two Littles. What am I ever going to do with you?”

Okay, that brought back flashbacks from my marriage lol. Those were actually my favorite times. I can totally see him standing in the corner across from a corner that Patrick is standing in because they both got carried away and Samantha is standing behind them with her hands on her hips going I don't know what I'm going to do with you two, i swear lol.

I can't wait for the Halloween chapter. I want to see costumes. Especially to see what the staff decides to wear. I wonder if any of them will wear a baby/Little costume or if there's going to be any sexy nurse costumes. I guess the doctor can go as a sexy doctor? Lol. I'm not sure if I'd want to go in wearing a sexy school girl costume or dominatrix costume, but I'm betting there's rules on costumes, like no adult themed costumes lol. 

I have a feeling that Addy is an undercover spy for some organization. Or a journalist trying to get the scoop. Either way, she better be careful or she'll end up sleeping with one of those regression stuffies turned on, or worse.

[CDfm]

Fantastic!  I just loved the manipulative little guy thinking he could control his two caretakers. I think he was actually successful.  At least I am hoping he was successful. While I was reading this chapter I couldn’t help but have this feeling of dread deep in my heart thinking that Redge was going to pop out at any minute. I am thrilled that didn’t happen but the feeling remains. At this point I actually believe that Patrick is willing to accept being treated like a baby in exchange for the use of his legs. I think he is realizing that kind of treatment isn’t to bad .  In fact it’s rather comforting.  I think that one thing Patrick is still struggling with is the caretaker question. I have no doubt he wants both Samantha and Lloyd, (I think that’s still going to be best for him) but I really think he also wants Abby in that group too.  Now the question is how does he manage to get all three involved.  Maybe Abby could leave Psyche and Samantha and Lloyd could hire her to be Patrick’s nanny. Now wouldn’t that be the perfect setting for Patrick?  Heck, he might not even want to leave when the 5 years are up.  
Great job on the story.  I am looking forward to seeing more. 

[AnActualAirbender]

I’m loving the playful interaction between Lloyd and Patrick. I for one am rooting for Samantha and Lloyd becoming an item and adopting Patrick together. 

 Hopefully there are some Big / little interactions between Lloyd and Patrick now that he seems to be loosening up a bit and accepting his place as a little.