Tell Me More II: A Diaper Dimension Story (Chapter 07 - Completed)

[LostBBoyBear]

Warning

As with my previous stories, this one contains several elements inherent to the pre-established 'Diaper Dimension.' These include, but are not limited to:

• Diapers and their usage for their intended purpose
• Breastfeeding
• Non-consensual mental regression through various means (Including possible drugs, hypnosis, and/or surgery)
• References to surgery to achieve various nefarious goals
• Humiliation
• Giants, aka, Amazons or Bigs
• Predominantly female domination (some male)
• Babying of adults (perceived or otherwise)
• Experimentation on humans
• Kidnapping
• Coerced or manipulated actions through possible means of white lies, gas lighting, or incentives
• Mild language or use of explitives
• Depictions of death, illness, or handicaps
• Graphic imagery associated with any of these warnings

This story has not been labeled as mature, due to a lack of specific references to anything overtly sexual, but this warning serves as a 'turn back' point for any readers who do not wish to read about the previous warnings.

Lastly, this list is subject to change during the course of writing this story. While most of the plot is ironed out, more warnings may be added if needed.

For those readers interested or do not care about the warnings listed, please enjoy the following story or for the first story, go to the following link: 

https://www.dailydiapers.com/board/index.php?/topic/86885-tell-me-more-a-diaper-dimension-story-chapter-7-complete/

 

Hey everyone! Welcome back and to the sequel of ‘Tell Me More.’ I’ve already mapped out the bulk of the story and it’s sitting at around seven chapters. I liked the symmetry from my previous story, and I think it’s just enough to get everyone into the story and be intrigued, but it’s not too long to frighten people away either from a lengthy read or a lack of time to do so.

Additionally, as I will be going on a personal break, these chapters should be coming out pretty fast. As I said, there’s not a lot of them, and there’s enough time to pop them out almost every other day and still be fine, but just hold on and have some fun with this smaller tale. I’m here to tell you all that I think I’ve added in a nice ending to this story that I’m almost positive that many of you will like.  

Next, due to the break as well, there might be an extended period of time where I don’t post another story. I need to prepare for a few things personally or otherwise when I get back, not the least of which is the next story. In this light, I will be posting my next story options in the beginning of the following chapter. I will do my usual announcement of my next story during the final chapter, but with only seven chapters, there isn’t much time this go around, so definitely let me know as soon as possible if you want your opinion heard after the next chapter.

Finally, I hope everyone enjoys this first chapter of this new story!

Chapter 1: Hello Again

I flipped over the toast for my morning breakfast sandwich I knew I was going to have to wolf down in the car again on my way to the office. It was already the top of the hour and the radio station switched to its next program already. A year ago, I would be listening to it in the office or on my way there, but such delays are just life when you’re the mommy of a regressed Little sometimes.  

Still trying to find some normalcy in my already chaotic morning though, I listened to the next familiar DJ coming on. “Good morning, Losantiville! I’m Carl95 and you’re listening to LDN, channel 109.6, direct from studio 74! Our latest story: it’s almost been one year since the indictment began regarding the Juventas incident. All reports from the company say that everything has been resolved and that no further incidents should occur. However, we’ve been receiving reports of numerous regressions all across the region. The story and your thoughts in the next hour.”

The front doorbell then rang, just as I was able to wrap my sandwich up to go after taking a few bites of it first. I hurried over and opened the door. “Oh, there you are Tammy! I got so worried when you didn’t show this morning at your usual time.” I was already late, but I could clearly see the teenage girl was flustered and freaking out a smidge. It was also very unlike her to be late these mornings, so donning my therapist cap already, I changed my tone and my approach to the babysitter. “It’s okay. My first appointment is usually pretty late themselves and I’ve built in some buffer time lately anyway.”

Tammy seemed relieved but also nodded sorrowfully. “I’m so sorry, Doctor M. I tried driving here as fast as I could but one of the main routes over here now has a massive pile-up. Some Little protest I think.”

“Oh?” I knew it was the route I had to take myself to get to my office downtown. I knew full-well from other days that if I had taken it, I would have definitely been very late to see my first patient of the day. I hated starting out like that, so I was already feeling a little better with her arrival this morning. “Thank you for telling me, Tammy. I knew there had to be an explanation and now, I can avoid that way and still make it to see my first patient.”

Tammy smiled and I could see her flustered state continue to ease up a bit. I knew that Vincent would appreciate that. “You’re welcome for letting you know Doctor M but thank you for not being upset as well. I promise that I’ll make sure to leave extra early tomorrow.”

“I appreciate that, Tammy. You can hang up your purse like you usually do.” I then let her hang up her purse on the nearby coatrack peg, just in case to ensure it was out of reach of Vincent’s recently grabby hands. Once attached, I then gestured to her into the kitchen. “Come on. I still need to pour my coffee and Vincent could use a friendly face this morning.”

Tammy nodded and followed behind, quickly snapping into her dutiful babysitter role in seconds. She was truly a lifesaver with the way my career had been taking off lately. Sensing my tension this morning, she was quick to ask, “Oh? Everything okay with the little man today?”

I nodded as we passed into the kitchen where Vincent was still sitting in his highchair. Evidence of at least one incident this morning still remained at least smeared over his bib. “Overall, yes, but he was a little fussy with breakfast. A few other bits as well, but I think he’s just grumpy in general. You know how Littles can get in the morning sometimes…”

Tammy nodded and instantly went over to greet him. Gratefully, he was smiling seconds after seeing her. I still wondered if she ever had figured out his real identity or not, but I was just glad they got along so well. Vincent and I shared a bond, but beyond my receptionist, Carol, or Tammy, he seemed to dislike most other Bigs. Getting him into daycare had proven ultimately futile because of that, but to my relief, Tammy still seemed to appreciate her work here though.

I then poured the steaming pile of coffee into my thermos, added a little cream, and then grabbed the other half of my breakfast sandwich and my bag with all my files in it of the patients I was going to see today. “Okay,” I said, finishing my last checks to ensure I had packed everything away. “I think that should do it. I’m going to be awhile today, but I’ll check in like usual when I can just to make sure everything is still okay.”

“You got it, doc,” Tammy said, already knowing the morning routine by heart and getting Vincent’s morning bottle ready. I knew from my own time spent with him most weekends that he would soon be enraptured in his bottle while watching Adventure Sam. It was a little above his intellect I think, but I was still worried that some shred of his mind remained buried under the surface. I guess in a way, I hoped that if I ever found myself in that situation, that someone would take pity on me as well and provide me some stimulation beyond a mere plush toy.

I sighed and leaned over to give Vincent a little hug and peck on his forehead. “Bye-bye, Vincent. I’ll see you tonight. You be good for Tammy now, okay?”

“Mamamama!” he babbled out back to me in glee. It was one of the few decipherable words I could make out from him and even that had been an uphill struggle last year when he showed some signs of improvement from his initial regressed state. The courts had sent an LPS agent to check on us and she seemed less than enthusiastic that he had shown any progress, due to his punished state, but without any further progress beyond maybe an eleventh month old at best, she still hadn’t sent in a negative report about us.  

Making my way to the hallway, he then began to fuss a bit, likely recognizing that I was once again leaving him for the day. Satisfied that Tammy would take care of any of his needs or fussiness though, I continued outside and closed the door behind me. I smelled the fresh lilacs in my front garden, sighed over the lateness of the morning, and then just got into my car. Before starting my car up though, I crossed my fingers and just hoped there wouldn’t be any other delays this morning.

Finally in the car and driving pleasantly away to my office, I flipped on my radio. Carl95 was still talking about the Juventas incident from last year and was just finishing up with the last of his opinionated callers. “… I can’t believe the city hasn’t done more! I pay taxes to the government living here and we have an absolute crisis on our hands. My next-door neighbor used to be great at grilling and just to hang out with him to watch some of the track and field events. I mean, the Olympics are only a few months away, but now… the dude can barely pass a ball back and forth. No tricks, traps, or extra dosages, and I don’t care what anyone says from the hospitals down in the Carolusa’s. He doesn’t have maturosis. It’s this city and that darned Juventas.”

There was a bit of a pause on the radio. What he said was nothing new and even as I drove into the main part of the city today, I could already see the PSA billboards talking about getting checked with your local doctor if you saw any unusual symptoms. “Well, thank you Frank for that… spirited response,” Carl95 responded flatly. “We’ll take callers in the next few minutes, but first, I would just like to give a huge shoutout to Dr. Trisha Mengell.” Drinking my coffee, I almost spit it out on my front windshield at the mention of my name. I still wasn’t used to all the attention I had been getting recently.

“This fine doctor has been called the angel of our city, and I for one think that’s an apt title. Her work with Littles from not only our city but the rest of the state affected by all these recent outbreaks of regression is nothing short of amazing. By now, I’m sure we’ve all known someone affected by the outbreak, and I know this city is far better off with her presence in it. So, thank you, Dr. Mengell. I’m sure you’re out there helping another Little as I even speak now.” I quickly shut off my radio.

It wasn’t that I minded all the press and publicity I had encountered recently, but I knew I had to focus on my patients today. Unfortunately, I was still reminded that after the mayor had even given me an achievement award for all my success in the previous last December, I had been distracted and I missed the distress of one of my patients that day. A car accident and one broken arm later, I still couldn’t shake the guilt from the distracted triumph that I had basked in back then. So, if it was even possible, I had tried to help even more patients since then.

Regardless and refocusing, entering my office, I was just glad that the lobby finally stopped smelling of fresh paint and that three other tenants had subsequently moved in around me in the past year. Most were understanding of my practice at the end of the upper hall, and some had even referred some of their Little clients to me when one showed possible signs of regression. My approach, once thought of as fanciful well-wishing, had taken the city and even state by force. If it continued more like it had been this year so far, I was seriously considering adding a partner to my practice as well. Any more clients in desperate need of my help would take away my time from Vincent, and despite him spiking and regressing all his coworkers last year at Juventas and getting punished for it, as his mommy, I just couldn’t do that to him.

Finally, I made it upstairs and walked into my office. Inside, I could see that Carol was already there, which was good because I could also see that Carmen and Kathy had also arrived. Carol was currently distracting the mentally younger Carmen while Kathy tenderly looked on. Carol quickly noticed me entering. “Oh, hey boss. Carmen was just getting a little restless so I thought I would pitch in and lend a hand this morning.”

I smiled at my excellent assistant. “Thank you, Carol.” I then looked over to Kathy, who had acquired custody and guardianship of Carmen last year when the Little had burned herself on the stove while trying to cook some chicken nuggets for herself. Carmen was resistant at first, but further sessions between the two had since solidified their relationship and Kathy had even earned herself the title ‘mommy’ last month.

“I just want to apologize to you, Kathy,” I directed at the Big, seeing as Carmen was clearly too distracted by the wooden blocks passing back and forth in the maze before her. “Lots of issues with Vincent this morning. You know how it is…”

She smiled and nodded after briefly looking down at her adopted daughter playing on the ground. “Oh, do I ever these days.”

I smiled and walked the rest of the way in. “Vincent had one bad dream last night, a blowout diaper this morning, and then got all picky this morning with his peaches. I really do love him dearly, but sometimes…” I let my insinuations float through the air. Knowing Carmen as I did, I knew Kathy would understand.

And she did as she let out a little chuckle. “Oh yikes. I recently had to switch Carmen out of the Hippos brand and to the Koddles one instead myself. Way too many leaks all over the place.”

“Mommee!” Carmen complained, quickly blushing with embarrassment. Carol, Kathy, and I all just grinned over her cute little red cheeks and the fact that she was now trying to hide herself as best she could. It might have been a small thing or even terrible for other Littles, but for Carmen to still be embarrassed over something like that, it still showed that her mental state hadn’t completely lapsed into a full blown regressed Little.

“Sorry, pumpkin. Just chatting with Doctor M about mommy business,” she explained down to Carmen. Carmen still huffed and had now crossed her arms, a classic move I recognized very well from being her doctor for almost a year, but I could tell Kathy thought it was just cute. I had recommended Kathy last year as her guardian for that very reason. Kathy was stubborn and playful to Carmen’s chagrin most days, but Kathy could also take whatever was thrown back at her. Considering the four caregiver candidates Carmen had gone through before I recommended Kathy, I knew it was practically a requirement.

“Okay,” I said, trying to break the tension between the two. I normally avoided that type of thing, but I also wanted Carmen to be open to talking today. Having her already in a bad mood when she came in would have only made things harder. “Let me just open my door and we can go in and have a little talk today. Is that okay, Carmen?” I asked her, only using a slightly higher tone with her, actively avoiding using the usual babyish cooing tone I used with Vincent and only a few select others.   

Seeing her wildly fluctuating emotions firsthand, Carmen quickly bottled up and hugged her floppy-eared bunny, she had appropriately named, Flopsy a few months ago. I was worried she would be uncooperative today, but she then ultimately nodded. ‘Good. She’s in one of her shy moods today now, but she still seems open.’

I smiled back and then went to open my office door. Flicking on the light, I held the door open as Carmen slowly waddled inside. It took her a minute to climb up onto the couch, not wanting to let go of Flopsy, but she managed to get the hang of it. Smiling further, I gave a thumbs up to Kathy to reassure her everything was okay, and then shut my door. Being a caregiver and mommy myself, I knew that as much as Littles had their own separation anxiety, we often did as well.

Trying to put Vincent out of my mind though, I walked over and made sure not to make any loud noises on my desk. From the way that Carmen was hugging Flopsy this morning, I knew something had to be on her mind and I didn’t want to spook her into further silence. So, finally, I retrieved her file and sat down in my usual chair across from her before I opened it and read what was inside.

*              *              *

Patient Name: Carmen Baal

Biological Age: 26 Years old

Estimated Mental Age: Fluctuates with stress but a noticeable overall slip below preschool level 

Former Occupation: Mid-Level Billing Executive at Juventas

Current Occupation: Retired with full benefits and compensated lifelong salary

Regression Initiated: 364 days ago

Notes: Patient was one of the least mentally regressed, and bouts of physical regression have now mostly stabilized, but mental regression appears to fluctuate with stress levels though rarely exceeds preschool level. Patient has often become shy when first entering but often talks through constant companion stuffed animal. Due to Little and regressed status under the care of her new mommy, I have decided to allow this ‘crutch’ behavior to continue. Further visits are likely due to coping problems with regressed status.  

*              *              *

I stared back at Carmen and marveled over just how much she had changed in the past year. The Carmen that had first entered this office almost eleven months ago was so self-assured and confident. Despite a few embarrassing potty accidents and the whole incident with Juventas, she could still turn everyone’s heads when she walked into any room. Now, I was staring back at a very different Carmen.

Her penchant for fashion or dresses hadn’t faded, but she now wore a ruffled trim sleeveless dress all adorned with raspberry-colored roses clearly meant for someone toddler-aged. She had worn some protection when she had first arrived here, for her own sake at that point, but as Kathy had noted, the Koddles she now wore were anything but discreet and as she hugged Flopsy, her dress fell down her knees a bit and I could see that she was already wet.

I sighed and noted a few of my observations down, also trying to see if she would talk to me first. Sometimes she did, but today it seemed I would have to dig with her first. As most of my patients initially affected by the Juventas incident now only saw me every other week or I had transferred to other Little-specific therapists, seeming more in need of pediatric therapists now to be honest, Carmen was my last regular weekly seen patient now from the whole incident last year.

I sighed and dropped my pad of paper a bit to look at Carmen better. I usually found more direct eye contact and my full attention worked better with her on days like today. “Carmen? Is there something you want to talk about first with me?” Seeing her emotions were in flux, I typically found the direct approach to her problems the best course.

I could have been wrong, but her hesitation quickly showed me there was something there, even though she shook her head quickly after, sending her done-up hair twirling about her face.

“Hmmm… I don’t know,” I said playfully. “I think there might be, but you know what? It’s okay to be scared or embarrassed sometimes.” I could see a slight movement in her body, so I knew she was listening to me and that I was on to something. I could even tell she wanted to talk as well, but since her regular mental age had dipped below grade school level, I had noticed she had become increasingly shier. It was even worse on the days her emotions were in flux and she dipped below preschool level, like today.

So, I straightened up a bit and then leaned forward. I found some of my mentally younger patients found the pose to be more relaxed and engaged with them… less clinical in a way. “How about Flopsy, huh?” I asked, seeing more movement with her now. “Could maybe Flopsy tell me what happened this week?”

I could still sense the hesitation, but essentially using Flopsy as a puppet, Carmen nodded its head. “Uh-huh,” she said in a slightly different pitch than her usual voice. It was really cute, but I had discovered that stuffy’s, personal or otherwise, made great shields for shy Littles to express themselves when they didn’t have the courage or confidence to themselves.

Seeing she was willing to open up that way, I smiled. “That’s wonderful, Flopsy. I’m so glad you can tell me what happened to Carmen this week. You know, she’s a really good girl from I’ve heard from her mommy, so I bet she didn’t do anything wrong, am I right?” Carmen nodded Flopsy’s head. “I’m glad to hear that, so maybe start at the beginning and I can see if there’s something I can help with, okay?”

Carmen hesitated, but eventually nodded Flopsy’s head. “’Kay… my fwiends at daycawe… I… I…”

I could see whatever it was, was really affecting her today. As soon as she mentioned her friends though, I knew it was a possibility that the day had come where Carmen needed to be told some hard truths. See, she had met them at daycare when she first started going. They leveled out around preschool level, but now, that level of maturity only happened on Carmen’s best days. So, unfortunately, I already felt like I knew where this was going, but for the moment, I wanted her to tell me. “It’s okay, Flopsy. I’m here and I just want to help Carmen. I know it’s hard, but just start slow. Maybe just start slowly at the beginning, okay?”

Carmen slowly nodded Flopsy’s head. “I… I…”

“Deep breaths… just like we’ve been practicing. Deep breaths…” I reminded the duo in front of me. Carmen’s emotions had been wildly fluctuating lately and she had been having a lot of problems coping with them. I wasn’t sure if she remembered to breathe and try to calm down from our previous session, so I gently reminded her from time to time to reinforce the lesson.

I could then see Carmen take some deep breaths. After a moment, she, and therefore Flopsy, looked up and continued. “We wewe pwayin’ wiff dem, wike we’ve done… fo’evuh,” she exaggerated. “We jus’ had some snacks, an’ dey wen’ potty… I didn’ haffta… buh’ den…” I could see her emotions welling up again.

Sensing where this was headed, I reminded her again. “Deep breaths…” She followed the deep breaths I was doing as well to try and regulate her emotions better in a slow and relaxed manner. “Very good…”

Carmen nodded Flopsy’s head and continued. “I was jus’ waffing wiff dem an’… an’… I…” Even with Flopsy as her surrogate, having seen all this before with several other Littles around this mental age, I could tell she couldn’t finish the thought.

Sighing, I knew I would have to and knowing her by now, I knew it could only be one thing that would at least start to get her this upset. “You had a messy accident…” This time, Carmen nodded her head without Flopsy and instead hugged her bunny as tightly as she could. Curiously, I noticed her thumb begin to slip into her mouth as well this time. She then rocked back and forth for a moment, clearly trying to self-soothe, and I let her.

It took all my strength not to just cuddle her up on the spot, but I knew I had to stamp down those emotions. I had to funnel them later for Vincent and not cross that line here at work. I was a professional and I had to remind myself that either Carmen need to self-soothe or she needed her mommy to cuddle her up tightly… not me as her therapist.

After a moment, I was pleasantly surprised as her emotions seemed to start to level out once more. “Carmen,” I started again seeing that she could actually hear me now, “it’s okay to have an accident. Your mommy changes you into diapers still for a reason and having a messy one, though admittedly embarrassing, has been happening for a while now.”

Carmen quickly nodded and still sucked her thumb while she held Flopsy tightly. I could tell I had broken through her initial shell, but I knew there was something more to the incident as well. As I told her already, she had been messing her diapers for a while now, so her emotions, though unpredictable to a certain extent, didn’t seem to warrant something like a messy diaper. So, I didn’t want to, but I knew I needed to push with this. “So, what happened after? Did you get changed then?” I began to pry at her.

Carmen hesitated and when she finally popped her thumb out of her mouth, I could tell that she almost viewed the digit as a betrayer, clearly showing me that it was a recent habit, but she looked back at me and nodded. “Uh-huh… dey changed me wike a’ways… buh’ when I gah back…” She paused and started to stroke Flopsy’s ears for a moment. I wanted to know what happened next, but I let her self-soothe once more. While she was putting the attention on Flopsy, I knew it also served to temporarily ease her mind by shunting the bad feelings into each stroke of her hand. If it went longer than a minute, I would have spoken up to get us back on track, but she soon stopped and looked back up at me.

“I… gah back, an’… an’… dey made fun o’ me!” she wailed.

‘Aha!’ I knew I was right with my previous suspicions over what had happened. I liked being right, but I often also hated in this job why I was right as well. Littles who bottomed out, or stabilized, at different ages often could remain friends. Unfortunately, though, that often wasn’t the case in my experience.

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Carmen. Did a staff member help you out?” I asked, trying to see if there was at least some positive note in her story today.

Fortunately, Carmen nodded. “Dey did, buh’… my fwiends! I dot dey woul’ be nice ta me, buh’ dey jus’ cawed me names an’ waffed!”

I sighed and knew the time had come to have one of the more dreaded talks that I had to have with most Littles. I already had the talk with Carmen last year when her old friends weren’t regressing, and she was. She was of course devastated but that also just happened to be the time when she started having messy accidents during the day as well, so it made that transition a little easier. I had hoped that was the only time I was going to have to talk to her about friends and regression, but today had proved otherwise. Frankly, even despite my hope, seeing Carmen as she was, I was surprised it had even taken this long.

“Carmen… do you have any other friends… at daycare, or maybe even with some of your Littles events your mommy takes you too?” I asked hesitantly. I knew from experience, this could either be a joyous moment, or one fraught with tension.

Carmen nodded. “Yeah… buh’ dey aww babies!” Being a psychologist and therapist was hard sometimes for a variety of reasons. Right now, for example, it was hard not to see the irony in that statement coming from the Little before me. I could tell her diaper was even more wet now and that her thumb was once again dangling ever closer to her mouth threatening to pop back in at any second.

Still, I had to maintain my professionalism. “And instead, you want to hang out with people your own age… maybe even older, right?”

She quickly nodded and I wished there was a simple solution to her problem. On the one hand, if I told her to stick with her old friends, I knew she was in for more humiliation at some point. If they had laughed over a simple dirty diaper, there was no way that they wouldn’t laugh at the myriad of other problems that could arise in Carmen’s future. If, on the other hand, I told her to find new friends, it would be better long term for her, but she could lose trust in me. So, I knew I had to work around the problem.

“Hmmm… would you say your friends, the ones who laughed, are older than you now?” I knew I was walking a very dangerous line, but I knew if she confirmed it, I could have my way in to help her out.

Carmen hesitated, but ultimately nodded her head. “Uh-huh… o’ maybe? I don’ know…”

I smiled to reassure her further. “That’s okay, Carmen. You don’t need to know that answer completely right now, but how do you feel about those younger than you? Your mommy told me last week that you go to a reading event at your library every week and met someone…” I quickly looked back at my notes I had jotted down after. “Lucy, I believe?”

For a moment, I thought I could almost see a smile appear on Carmen’s face, but it was quickly replaced with annoyance. “Yeah… buh’ she’s much younguh dan me. She even dwinks fwom a bottle!”

“Oh, I see…” I was sad she hadn’t found a friend there, but I knew that Lucy was perfect to use as my point. “So, she’s younger than you, and how does she make you feel when she does something like that? Like drinking from a bottle I mean?” Carmen looked at me questioningly and I knew I was going to have to give her a little more. “Maybe you think she’s babyish? Or helpless and you feel frustrated being with her? Or maybe you almost want to laugh because she’s a little silly perhaps?”

Carmen instantly nodded her head. “Uh-huh! She’s such a baby! She even cwawls awoun’ on da fwoor!” Carmen then grinned and I knew she was playing right into my point. “Buh she’s awso weally funny when she twies to stan’ o’ walk!”

I let her laugh to herself for a moment, but once she was a little calmer, I asked the question I had been leading to. “So, you want to laugh at her because she’s silly?” Carmen once again nodded. “Like your friends did to you at daycare?”

Her smile instantly left, and I could see her mind was trying to come up with an argument against me. Traces of the old Carmen lingered, but I could also tell that her mind just wasn’t up to the task of arguing against me. “I’m not trying to make you think you did something wrong with Lucy, Carmen, but I want you to think about your other friends. They’re a bit older than you some days,” I made sure to add just incase she thought I was calling her a baby, “so, like with Lucy, they may see you as younger and sillier than them sometimes.”

“Buh’ I don’ wan’ dem to laugh!” she countered. I knew I had to act quickly or risk another breakdown today. Too many and she would shut down completely.

“But sometimes people can’t help when they laugh. If they’re doing it to be mean, then that’s a problem, like maybe when they call you names. Is that the case with them do you think?” Carmen hesitated again but ultimately shook her head ‘no.’ I honestly think that she was in denial with her friends, especially after hearing that they had called her names, but I knew I could only push this so far today. “Well, then you have three options with them. You need to tell them to stop, accept it when they do laugh, or find some other friends.”

I could tell I was giving her a lot to think about and I knew we were getting to the limit of her current mental capacity. She wasn’t dumb and I will defend that opinion of all Littles to my dying day, but her brain just couldn’t keep all the complicated facts together anymore. As it stood, I had even started writing little notes to give out to the mommies, daddies, and caregivers of the Littles I saw like her. Carmen was no exception, and I knew Kathy would ensure what I told her today would stick one way or another. It wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t remember everything, and I still wanted to help her out, whether she did it herself or had her mommy help her.

“Okay, Carmen, I think that’s enough of that for today. I want you to think about all that when you go home today, but for now, I want you to tell me some good parts of your week instead. Can you do that for me?” I asked with a hopeful tone in my voice.

Carmen popped out of her deep thoughts and nodded enthusiastically. “Uh-huh! Mommy an’ me wen’ to da zoo da odder day! I got ta see da fishies an’ da whinos an’ da…”

I smiled and continued to listen to my Little patient. I was always happy when they could list dozens of things during their week that were good. Last September, she couldn’t have done that if her life depended on it, and now, even if the items she listed were of the more childish or babyish variety, she was still excited by each thing she told me. I always found that, if at all possible, it was always best to end a session on a good note.

A little while later and a few conversations about diaper checks, finger painting, new foods, and all that, our session was over. I set my pad on my desk and walked over to help Carmen off the couch. Her diaper had swelled considerably during the session and still holding Flopsy, her waddle made her already labored walking even more difficult. “Mommy!” she cried, running back over to Kathy after I opened the door.

Kathy quickly crouched down to greet her adopted Little. “Baby! How’d your session go today? Learn anything new or whatnot?” Carmen quickly nodded and babbled off half a dozen things that we talked about. Kathy was attentive every minute, but soon gave her a quick hug and nodded up to me before looking back at Carmen. “Okay, sweetie. You play with Flopsy or color for just a minute while me and Doctor M talk for a second, okay?”

“Yes, mommy!” Carmen replied happily, settling in with Flopsy to color in one of the books I had lying on the coffee table in my lounge. ‘I swear, I go through a dozen or so of those books each week.’

Kathy then rose back up and smiled at me. “So, anything I should be worried about this week, doc?”

I smiled over at Carmen, who was now thoroughly engrossed in coloring in a picture of Princess Poppy. Even five months ago, she would have been glued to everything we were talking about her, but not anymore. “She’s had a few incidents at daycare with her friends that I want you to keep an eye on.” I then handed her the note I had written for her. “I’ve given her some options on how to deal with her friends laughing at her and calling her names, but I think she’s going to have some tough weeks ahead unfortunately.”

Kathy sighed and nodded. “Yeah… I was thinking that was going to be the case. I’m trying to get her involved in more activities for her age, but she’s just so…” Kathy then paused and seemed to try to figure out just what the right words were.

“Stubborn over being an older Little still?” I finished for her. Kathy quickly nodded. “I’ve seen that too, but as long as you’re trying for her, then that’s all you can do sometimes. She’s a regressed Little now but she was a former independent adult, so don’t forget that. She’s making progress at accepting her current life, but she’s going to struggle with a few things still.”

Kathy nodded. “Thanks, doc. Was there anything else?”

I sighed and I wasn’t sure if I should even bring it up, but right as I was having doubts, I noticed that once again, Carmen was circling her lips absent-mindedly with her thumb. “Just one thing… have you noticed her sucking her thumb recently?”

Kathy grinned and nodded. “I have. Cutest thing when I first saw it, but… I mean, should I be concerned at all?”

I shook my head. “No. I wouldn’t be. If she shows signs of stabilization or even maturing, we might try to break the habit, but for now, I might actually encourage it in a way.”

“Encourage it?” she questioned skeptically. “Didn’t something just come out that says it can be harmful to Littles?”

“Eh, the reports vary,” I admitted, “but most will say the same thing that I will. If she’s going to be sucking her thumb anyway, I would highly recommend one of those orthodontist pacifiers. Do that and it will knock down most of the negatives in those reports.”

“But won’t she reject them outright?” she asked, clearly fearing a tantrum or some other outburst as she looked over at Carmen, still furiously coloring away, the lines almost seeming like more of a suggestion in most places. “I mean… pacifiers just seem so… babyish.”

I sighed. “That’s all true, but I think her mind is learning to accept a lot of things. I saw her catch herself today looking at her thumb, so I know she’s aware of it on some level at least but look at her now.” Kathy did and I subtly gestured to the difficulty she was already having with coloring with one hand and holding Flopsy while still rubbing her thumb around her lips with the other. “Recent orthodontic pacifiers have a lot of benefits we Bigs know about, like reducing germs and keeping her teeth healthy, but to her, a pacifier will likely eventually be seen as a way to get all she wants. It’s hands free, and that’s what she’ll focus on after a bit of encouragement.” I could see Kathy’s hesitancy still though. “Just try one and don’t make a big deal out of it. Maybe even just leave it in her room by her coloring books and see what happens.”

Kathy ultimately agreed and we talked about a few other odds and ends, but the remaining bit of time during our session soon came to an end. I had built in a bit of a buffer zone at the end for conversations like I just had with Kathy for most of my mentally younger patients. Littles like Carmen could only sit still and talk for so long in a session like that, and by the time the Little got to that stage, their caregivers needed to be told of things instead anyway. Satisfied, Kathy then gathered Carmen up, both said their goodbyes and started walking out my front door.

As they were leaving though, Kathy turned back around, and I could tell she had that look of ‘just one more thing.’ I always hated that look because it usually meant something bad. ‘Oh, one more thing… I hear voices.’ ‘Oh, one more thing… I started wetting the bed at night.’ ‘Oh, one more thing… I can’t read anymore.’

“Uh, just one other thing… do you have a recommendation for another Little doctor in the area for general checkups and whatnot?” she asked, still trying to hold onto the clearly impatient Carmen tugging on her other arm.

“Everything okay?” I asked inquisitively. I had a duty to protect my patients and bad general doctors for Littles were more common, even up north here in Losantiville, Libertalia, than I would have liked to admit.

Kathy quickly nodded to my relief. “Oh yeah. Everything was fine, but I think the practice moved or something like that. Just need a new one with pollen season coming up and all. I don’t want Carmen to get all frustrated with sneezing every six seconds. Apparently, it made her potty issues last year much worse.”

I smiled and nodded. “Oh, I remember. I’ll be sure to add a few I might recommend with her file in the patient portal by tonight along with the suggestions I have for her dealing with friends now.”

Kathy smiled and I could see her get pulled once more by the anxiously waiting Carmen out in the hallway. “Thank you, doctor.” She looked back over at Carmen and grinned over her antics. “Guess we better be off now. I think someone could use a snack and a change.”

“Mommee!” Carmen wailed out again in protest and embarrassment. I knew Kathy was right though from what I had seen during our session and seeing the time myself as well, I quickly said my goodbyes to both and saw them out.

Carol then quickly helped me wipe everything down and reorganize the office in looking a little tidier and more professional once again. We had made that mistake with my next patient last week and I knew not to repeat it again. She was already temperamental and a bit fragile with all this still, so I knew everything had to be perfect for our session to go well today.

Just as I finished retrieving my next patient’s file and organizing my desk, I heard the downstairs door quickly open and then slam shut. She was here and I braced against my desk and closed my door in anticipation of my next Little. She had expectations of seeing a court-ordered therapist and I wanted to match each of them. I just hoped that today, she would trust me a little more.

[LostBBoyBear]

Hey everyone!

As I stated previously, with the shorter number of chapters with this story, the voting time for the following stories will be very limited. In all likelihood, this go around will last (at the longest) until next Thursday when I post the final chapter at some point. Also, I have decided to temporarily ‘retire’ the age regression story that I previous included in this vote. I will likely bring it back in a future poll, but it seemed to be continually passed over and I have several other stories that you all can choose from instead. It’s no hard feelings and it’s not gone forever, but I can take a hint for the time being.

For now, and your future reading pleasure, though, here are the other ideas:

Bethany

Set as a semi-sequel to The Opening, follow former drug runner, Bethany, as she strives to find herself a better life that has been promised in the newly discovered dimension, tentatively called, ‘The Amazon Dimension,’ though some have begun calling it another name due to the ever-increasing rumors of something awaiting all portal Littles on the other side. Join Bethany as she looks to turn her life around there and maybe even find a redemption of sorts and something else in the most unexpected of ways. Watch out though, in this new world, new and even greater dangers than the ones she left lurk around every corner.

A Big Change of Perspective

Set again in the Diaper Dimension, follow Sophie as she takes on a new Little placed in her care after looking for something new in her life. At first, both are hesitant about each other, but as time continues, Sophie realizes that her new Little, that she begins to care so much about, actually hates her guts. She begins to question everything she has ever been taught in this society, but a chance encounter and a potentially devastating event changes everything for her even more. Given a chance to save her Little from making a potentially terrible and harmful decision, she decides to make a choice that will not only change her life and perspective forever, but the fate of every Little in the dimension as well.   

Boys Maturity Reform

Set in a not-to-distant future, join John as he navigates through a world where all males must be required to pass a maturity test of sorts. While women are allowed to go to college or pursue their life at will without any such test, all boys over the age of 18 must attend a special school for three years to prove they are indeed ‘mature.’ Tests are laced throughout the time at this special school, but danger lurks around seemingly every corner for John and the friends he makes at the school. Success through these tests and obstacles ensures an eventual graduation and normal life afterward, but any failure is met with practices and punishments to demonstrate to others just how immature they are. Punitive measures, conspiracies, breakdowns, dwindling amounts of potty control, tests, and learning to cope with this unfair world all ensue in this longer story.

Finally, and back to this tale, I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter of this story!

Chapter 2: Frustrations and Congratulations

I looked over the file in front of me and to the young woman sitting on my couch now. She had come up the stairs, practically banging around and then storming into the office just to get to our session today. I could only imagine what the other tenants of this building would think of her if they could see her with her current attitude, but I just calmly opened my door when Carol buzzed me that she had arrived. I knew she had from the ruckus she had stirred up, but I found with Littles like her, believing all this therapy stuff to be pointless in an increasingly frustrating and controlling society for a Little like her, Carol buzzing me seemed more official and clinical. For Littles like Carmen now, clinical equaled scary. For the young woman sitting in front of me though, clinical meant professional… adult.

I sighed and briefly and casually looked over at the current Little sitting on my couch. Her dyed blonde hair and sharp, blue-framed glasses stuck out to me as being both smart and fashionable. Her fidgeting on the couch clearly showed her discomfort for being in here and her constantly bouncing knee and tapping fingers marked her as stressed though. I knew I was going to have my work cut out for me today already, but I guess that wasn’t so surprising as I looked over her file now in my hands.  

*              *              *

Patient Name: Julianne Stepanov  

Biological Age: 25 Years old

Estimated Mental Age: Minor changes from biological age, though these could just be related to stress

Former Occupation: Former librarian

Current Occupation: Seeking employment status to maintain independent lifestyle while temporarily stuck here from home dimension

Regression Initiated: 40 days ago

Notes: Patient exhibits few signs of mental regression so far but has had noticeable accidents and a potential loss of coordination since she believed she was drugged a month ago now. Recent behavior could suggest emotional regression as well, but further study is needed due to her status as a portal Little. Until Patient’s passport is reissued after losing it not long after initial incident, Patient is also looking to seek local employment in the meantime and needs validation from me to obtain a government-funded library job. Patient is clearly annoyed over this requirement and is highly resistant to any help she is given, needed or otherwise.

*              *              *

Her still-tapping fingers made me look up several times and I could see that Julianne was already on edge before our session had even started today. She was here for a simple competency interview technically, as was standard practice for any government funded job, and we both knew that it should have only lasted two sessions… if that. Instead, she had dragged her feet with several of her answers, and I was beginning to consider her a borderline case for approval or not. A possible drugging incident affecting her further did not help make my decision any easier as well.

While her mental state seemed mostly unchanged after that initial incident, she remained prickly over having to be here at all. That and being a portal Little had made me question all my prior experience in treating her. If I simply dismissed her as a regressing Little, stemming from problems with her attitude or otherwise, she could be doomed to a one-way ticket to being a diapered Little in less than a month. If I allowed her to become a librarian as she wished however, any transgressions she would likely exhibit soon after would be a poor reflection on me and could even be dangerous for her if she mouthed off to the wrong person in today’s current increasingly growing pro-Big society. I was in quite a pickle but setting her file down and picking up my pad to take notes on, I knew I just had to start somewhere today.

“So, Jullianne… actually, are you sure you don’t want to go by Judy?” I asked, just trying to break the ice while also attempting to give her a little agency back today. Already, she had been remanded to a halfway house of sorts, and from some of the other Littles I had seen before who stayed there as well, I knew that it was only a handful of steps above a daycare or foster home, especially from the viewpoint of a portal Little.

“Julianne. Plain and simple. Like I told you already,” she responded bitterly.

I wanted to sigh or to remand her from talking to me like that, but hoping to keep the peace, I smiled back at her instead. “Okay. I just wanted to make sure, that’s all. One never knows when a person could change their mind about something like that,” I defended casually. I was trying to come across as easy-going and almost friend-like to her. I was her therapist in a technical sense, but I knew if I came across like that to her already defensive mind, she would either bolt or quickly clam up. I needed her to speak to me instead, so I adjusted my approach accordingly. “So then, tell me about your week. New dimension and all. Must be a little different from Earth, right?”

She sighed heavily. “I mean, I guess? You’ve read my file from the library, right?” I nodded. “Yeah, so you know I won a trip over here through Diamond Inc. and got stuck after. Meant for just a simple vacation and seems like instead that I’ve joined an insane asylum.”

“That bad huh?” I of course knew what was out there, but I felt this could be a way I could get her top open up a little more. I mean, to be honest, I heard it all every day, but as she seemed to relish complaining, if I got even a sliver of knowledge from her complaints, I was all ears.

“Worse. I just…” her eyes then narrowed and she clammed right back up. “It’s whatever.”

‘Darn. So close…’ I knew I had to switch tactics once again and go a little more generic and yet specific about something. “So, meet anyone new or trying anything you haven’t before?”

“No,” she replied back bluntly. “What’s it to you anyway?” She shifted around on the couch, almost like she couldn’t find a comfortable spot and held her arms together, almost as if she was attempting to shield herself from me. She was putting up barriers again today and like I had last week, once again, I felt I had to push a bit to get anywhere with her.

“I just want to get to know you, Julianne. That’s what I do after all,” I explained. “In your case, I get to know you and I make sure you’re all ship-shape to go working for the public library.”

“Even though I’ve done that since before college?” I nodded plainly and she scoffed. She remained quiet for a moment, and I observed her keenly, but unfortunately, I soon saw that her nose began sniffing around. For a moment, I worried that my own nose had gone numb, and that Carmen had a messy accident before she left that I just hadn’t noticed. “Why the heck does it smell like baby powder in here? I thought you were a therapist… not some babysitter, huh? Is this some trap I keep hearing you Bigs set for Littles?”

I was at first relieved that my nose hadn’t gone dead to a dirty diaper, but I also realized that baby powder was probably only the third worst smell for Julianne to be smelling right then in her mind. “Oh, never! I would never trap a Little. I’m not that type of Big.” I sighed and looked at her with the sincerest face I could muster right then. “I’m so sorry about that Julianne. I really am, but I do have other patients who come in here as well and I think one of them or whomever might have just spilled a bit of powder.”

“As in someone changed their diaper in here?” she asked, clearly disgusted. I knew I had to reverse order quickly or risk losing her entirely with this line of questioning.

“Just out in the reception area, and they used a pad I promise, but Little’s baby powder can be pretty overpowering. I promise it has no reflection on you or how I think about you.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but a select few would point out that coming to me in the first place was a sign of something more and potentially babyish, but I just hoped she would buy my apology to her.

Julianne seemed upset still, but to my relief, she ultimately just huffed and sat back. For a moment, I thought I even heard her mutter, “Stupid baby doctor…” under her breath, and while I could have pushed the issue, I knew from experience that dropping the matter instead was my best move at this point. Any other move could be seen as condescending or a form of perceived punishment down to a child. Wrong, but I had to keep her likely opinions in the front of my mind.

Unfortunately, at that point, I also realized that today was likely going to be the appointment where I hit a nerve with Julianne. We had been dancing around a few topics for the past few weeks and I knew she was likely going to be set off anyways with her current attitude, so, feeling I was limited with my options to reach her today already, I knew I might as well use the time as best I could.

“So, moving forward, how’s this week gone for you? Any changes in your behaviors or are you having any other problems since we last met?” I asked directly. I could already see her nostrils begin to flare.

“And just what is that supposed to mean? I’m only here because this stupid society says I need to see a therapist, you, to check me off so I can be a librarian again until I get a new passport and get out of this whole stupid place,” she practically hissed at me.

“Hmmm…” I mused, knowing that I was going to have to start poking sooner rather than later, “that’s not quite entirely true though… is it?” Her head cocked a little bit, and she was clearly already blocking another reason she was here as well, so I pushed further again. “You came to me because of the requirement to get a job, but you also mentioned that you were having a few accidents as well. Isn’t that right?”

She quickly grumbled. “Yes… but that’s just a minor thing!” she protested. “Someone spiked my drink. Nothing more!”

“So, you’ve stopped having accidents during the day?” I questioned, again, driving to the heart of her current problems. As predicted though, from her blush and quick retreat, she didn’t have to say anything for me to know that her ‘occasional’ accidents hadn’t in fact stopped. “That’s what I thought. No need to be embarrassed with me but how many times exactly lately?” She wouldn’t budge and even started to take on a stubborn demeanor I thought seemed more reserved for preschoolers than full-fledged adults. Sensing her frailty over the matter, I knew I just needed to push a little more to get my answer. “Julianne… how many times in the past week?” Still, no answer. “Julianne, how many times…?”

“It’s getting worse, okay?” she shot back, her eyes just giving off the faintest glint of moisture now. “I thought coming here was supposed to be just for my stupid job and then maybe I thought you could help me, but instead, it’s just getting worse!”

I sighed and put my pen down on my pad and leaned over to her. I might have even offered a box of tissues, but I feared that she could just see that as a sign of weakness on her part at this point. ‘Maybe next week…’ Instead, I just gave her my best sympathetic smile. “Julianne… these things take times. Your drink was spiked in your first week here, and you’re bound to have some issues with that, okay?”

“But that was over a month ago by now!” she pointed out angrily, clearly seeing the fault in my logic. It was true that most drugs would have already left her system, but I started to suspect after last week that she might have gotten hit by the outbreak that was hitting several of the other Littles in this area following the Juventas incident. I didn’t have the evidence, but spikes like that currently happening here didn’t just happen over night for no reason. Regardless, Julianne needed some reassurances about her current problem today.

“Well, these things tend to happen here,” I tried to reassure her. “It’s been known to happen to other Littles here and you’ve been here for a while now to know that firsthand yourself.”

“But it’s never happened to me before!” I could tell she was getting into a critical stage of her progress with me. She was definitely in the denial and anger stage, but I could see the cracks forming in her resolve that she was evolving more into the depression stage. It was dangerous at this level and being a Little around here, I made a note to contact Officer Kenny to see if he could check on her where she was staying… just in case. After a few previous mishaps with other Littles, I didn’t want to take any further chances anymore with my patients when they began to hit this stage.

I sighed and looked back at Julianne. “I know that, and I really do believe you, but these things are more common here than back on Earth,” I tried to explain. “There are a lot of Littles here from Earth that are going through the exact same thing you are. You’re not alone.”

I hoped that knowledge would help her, but Julianne shook her head in despair and annoyance instead. “This whole place is just stupid… I wish I could go back home.”

She was definitively on the verge of the depression stage, but I could see the anger still coiled up down inside of her. “It can be stupid, and I wish I could help you go back home where you would be all safe and warm, but until then, I think this goes back to what we’re talking about last week. Do you remember?” I could tell she did, but that she also didn’t want to say it out loud. “Well, again, sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to.” I paused and tried to see if I could answer my own question, but the loose dark jeans she was wearing today blended into her clothes well too well for just my own casual observations. Sighing, I knew I had to ask a sticky question. “So, are you wearing the protection I suggested for you?”

Her saddened eyes quickly narrowed and scowled directly back at me. “You think I’m some little kid then? You think I actually need some stupid pair of pull-ups? Just say their name! You already think I’m a baby, so might as well use their proper name.”

My doubts about her maturity were growing, but she wasn’t ready to hear that yet. So, instead, I opted for the more logical approach. “No, but you said your accidents were increasing already this week. I just think it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared and save you from any potential embarrass…”

Without warning though, before I could even finish my sentence, Julianne stood up and glared back at me. “Fine! You don’t trust me, then look here!” Not even a second of hesitation and she unbuttoned her pants and dropped them to the floor revealing her purple pull-up, evidently one of the brands I had suggested with the older skateboard and music note designs on the front… only they weren’t really there anymore. Staring right back at me was a clearly wet pull-up… and Julianne didn’t seem to either notice or care about that fact.  

“See? Happy?” she spat back at me, still showing off her pull-up almost like a toddler proving how big they were. The irony wasn’t lost on me of the moment, and I also knew she was purely frustrated, but the fact that she had just dropped her pants so suddenly gave me further pause for a moment as well.

I was really trying to help Julianne out in this world and maybe to find solutions to her problems, but in the back of my mind was still the original assessment I was supposed to do for her. She had been approaching the borderline state for what I could approve or not, but today was playing with that line even more. Her unabashed pants drop, her increase of accidents also evidenced by her currently wet pull-up, and her seemingly further unstable emotional state were huge red flags to me. Nothing was definitive yet, but I had tragically seen all this before. Maybe Julianne would be the exception, but there was a part of me that couldn’t help but feel that that her tough days still weren’t over yet.  

As she pulled her pants back up and sat down afterward when I told her she could, I could see a flicker in the back of her eye that told me she likely just now realized she was wet. Not wanting to cause her any undo further embarrassment though, I quickly moved to the next topics that I thought were necessary for a variety of reasons. “Very well, Julianne. I’m sorry for pushing.”

“Yeah… it’s fine…” she said distractedly, her mind clearly on the realization that she had yet another accident. I wondered if she suspected that I had seen her wet pull-up, but I could see I needed to just move onto the next order of things today.

“So, have you been going to the doctor I recommended to check for any signs of issues? All this could just be a bug, or an infection remember.”

“His receptionist had to cancel…” she practically whispered. I could see her world was crumbling apart with the likely realization of her wet pull-up, so I knew I had to bring her back a bit eventually but carry the load of the conversation myself for the moment.

“I want you try again this week to find a doctor who can help you out with all that. Would that still be okay?” Julianne only listlessly nodded back. “Good. I’ll even make a few other recommendations as well if you want… just to make it easier.” Again, she only slowly nodded her head.

“Okay then… but also, remember the other thing I asked you about last week?” She made no movement, and I could see I was going to have to still push a little bit more today. This time was definitely a risk, but I knew it would also reveal a lot to me with either way that it went. “We talk about the negatives here a lot, but have you found any positives here maybe?”

Her shocked and saddened face quickly turned angry again and I at least knew she heard me this time. “Positives? Positives about this place?” I only nodded back, wanting to give her the space to vent if she wanted. “How the heck could I ever find positives about this place? You think I’m one of those people who actually likes this stuff, don’t you? Well… I’m not!”

I could see the tension building in her face and her body language. I could have intervened, but I knew today was a long time coming. I could tell that she desperately needed to vent to someone and blow up a little bit today, so I let her.

She then practically jumped off the couch and slammed her foot on the ground. It took everything I had not to put her a timeout for clearly throwing a tantrum, but I knew it was just her raging regression emotions and that she needed this as well, whether she knew it or not. “Well, screw you, doc! I don’t need this in my life. You’re a real piece of work, you know that? You and all your other friggin’ Bigs in this messed up world! I’m out of here! Don’t try and stop me!” With that she immediately slammed open my door, the reception area door out to the upper hallway and eventually the front door of the building. And just like that, she was gone.

I had pushed her just as far as she needed to go without fully popping. If I hadn’t, I would have bet everything that she would have blown up outside with someone else. If it was another Big, there would be no telling what her future would be afterward. I knew she might still have anger issues and lash out inappropriately, but I knew she had let off at least a little steam today.

Clearly concerned though, Carol peaked her head inside. From her face, I could tell she was worried about what she was going to find after most likely hearing everything that had just transpired in my office. It wasn’t unusual, per say I hated to admit, but being on the outside and the suddenness of everything had to come as a shock to her as well. “Everything okay, Dr. Mengell?”

I smiled and nodded as I just got off my seat and began to tidy the room up once more. “Yes, thank you, Carol. Julianne is just not ready to accept certain realities of her current condition.”

“Oh…” Carol looked disappointed, or at least distracted for some reason, but ever my dutiful secretary, she still helped me tidy up as well. “Is she going to be okay you think?” she finally asked as she finished wiping down the head of the couch in my office.

I sighed a bit and ran my fingers through my hair. “I think so. If I had to take a bet, I think she’ll be fine just like all the others were before her,” I recalled of my former patients who had done the exact same thing. Regression was a scary business, and I couldn’t blame them for lashing out when they did at this stage. “She just needs a chance to clear her mind and calm down a bit.” Carol only nodded and didn’t ask any further questions.

I normally didn’t like to poke, but she seemed far more reserved now than she had been previously. “I hate to pry… but is everything okay with you, Carol? You seem… different now.”

“Oh,” she quickly blushed. “I’m so sorry about that, Doctor. I just got some news...” I raised my eyebrows in curiosity as to just what the news was. “I just found out I got my doctoral thesis approved. I’m going to be a psychologist and therapist just like you now.”

I smiled warmly and quickly went over to give her a hug. From our conversations, I knew she had been trying for a long time, so I knew this was a big moment for her. “Congratulations, Carol. You’ve more than earned it.” She smiled back at me once we broke our hug.

“Thank you, Dr. Mengell. I’ve just seen the work you’ve done with the Littles here and I want to do the same.” She sighed and stared at the immense number of files I had accumulated over the past year of Littles I had in my care at one point or another. “So many need the help we can offer, you know?”

I nodded. “I absolutely do, and I’ll tell you what… once you graduate, no pressure or anything, but I would always like to have a partner in this office… if you want that is.”

Her eyes quickly bulged, and her head bobbed up and down just about as fast as I think it could have. “Oh yes! Do you really mean it? I mean… I would absolutely love that! It should be any day, but I can even send you over my doctoral work and some of the patients I had already seen during my program.”

I smiled back and clasped her hand in sincerity. “I would love to see all that. Just send it over, but I doubt I would have any concerns over accepting you as a partner. I can tell you’re already good with the patients here, and you have the tact needed to broach most of the biggest, troubling subjects you would encounter as a therapist here.” I paused and felt I wanted to give her a real offer. “I’ll tell you what… tomorrow is still free after lunch. Let’s talk about it more in detail then, okay?”

Carol nodded and went about her normal secretary duties for now as well, but with a clear newly added pep in her step. I knew I was going to have to hire another secretary, but I also knew that I was never going to find one as talented and perfect as she was. Still, I practically had butterflies in my stomach from the eager anticipation of getting a partner in this office. I was already eyeing the still unoccupied space next door, and with a few renovations, I knew we could expand easily over there as well so she would have an office connected to the reception area still and right next to mine. I also knew that with her help, this office could become even more well known and become the premier destination in the north for Little-based regression coping therapy.

It still felt like such a dream though, and for the moment, the ticking clock nearby reminded me I needed to file what I had just heard and evaluated from Julianne and then get ready for my next patient.

Going through my notes, I entered several of them into the patient portal for both Julianne and Carmen. I found it curious that both needed to find new doctors as I did so, but my timer on my phone went off and I remembered it was my reminder to call home today. As much as I hated to admit it and as much as I loved Vincent, sometimes my job just got the better of me timewise.

Still, curious of how things were going with Vincent and Tammy today and wanted to say hello, I immediately called my home phone. “Hello? Doctor M?” Tammy answered on the other line.

“Hey Tammy. It’s me,” I confirmed. “Just wanted to check on you two to see how everything was going over there. I know I left in a hurry this morning and it always gets me a little flustered these days to leave poor Vince like that, you know?”

“Oh, totally, but he was totally fine after a good round of Adventure Sam and his usual bottle that I fed him this morning. I honestly think it was just his lower intestinal tract acting up though with all his little fussiness before. Littles do that a lot when they’re on his type of diet. I mean, halfway through the show, he basically put on a whole musical show from all the gas that then popped out of him.”

I chuckled. “Oh yeah. I was thinking that could be what was happening, but I just didn’t want to give him anything just in case. His system can be so finicky sometimes with Little medications. I gave him that gas medicine a while back and he had nothing but blowouts for days afterward. I really didn’t want to put you through all that if I didn’t absolutely have to.”

Now, it was Tammy’s turn to chuckle. “Oh, Doctor M. You don’t need to worry about things like that with me. Besides, after his symphony ended, he let out some big old poopies as well for me. He even smiled afterward at the relief I could see from his face.” For her though, she then unusually paused, and I knew something was on her mind.

“Everything okay, Tammy? Something wrong with Vincent?” I asked, panicking just a tiny bit, quickly thinking that Vincent had revealed his previous identity or that LPS had called and threatened to take him away. I knew I just had to put those thoughts out of my head, and I took a deep breath in. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I’m all ears…”

I then heard her sigh heavily. “It’s just that, uh… I don’t want to tell you what to do, but… have you ever considered breastfeeding Vincent maybe?”

First off, Tammy and I had gotten very close over the past year, and her being a carer of Littles and me as a Little’s therapist and mommy myself, our conversations ranged all over the place and often got entirely personal, especially when it came to the topic of Littlecare. Secondly though, I actually had thought about it before. “Yes, I have, but I’m just not sure with him.”

“Oh?” I could already hear the twinge of excitement mixed with confusion in her voice that I knew was coming. “Not to pry too much, but why the hesitation? You of all people should know the benefits, right?”

I did in fact. Nursing usually helped with the bonding between mommy and their Little, assisted with sleeping issues, provided extremely rich nutrients that all Littles couldn’t get enough of, and ensured that constipation or most stomach troubles for the Little were things of the past. I thought this later benefit was likely why Tammy had asked me about it in the first place, given this morning’s events with Vincent’s digestive troubles, but one thing kept holding me back that I hadn’t mentioned to Tammy yet: what if Vincent was still conscious inside his currently regressed body?

It was a fear that had plagued my mind constantly in the almost year since I had received custody of him after his trial and subsequent regression punishment. See, they had used experimental drugs on him for some reason, and I still didn’t know why, but it always made me worried that they hadn’t exactly wiped his mind as was usually the case in regression punishments in most of Libertalia. So, if I was to nurse Vincent though, almost every case study that I’ve read showed that Big milk often reacts strongly with the FOY drug and the Little usually is never able to recover afterward if they had any semblance of adulthood left. So, if Vincent wasn’t fully regressed mentally, and just didn’t have the ability to express himself, I felt I was essentially killing the old person he used to be. Criminally liable for the regression of his coworkers and likely the rest of the city since then, but still a person nonetheless… but I knew that I couldn’t tell all that to Tammy. So, I lied.

“I’m just not sure about all that stuff. I think I would have to give up a lot and with my time commitments with all my new patients, and I’m just not sure.” I wasn’t sure if she bought it, so I added one last little detail I knew she would most likely enjoy hearing about. “I do know it would be good for him though, so I might consider getting an outside source of milk one of these days. Lots of us Big women can produce excess and that can be painful from what I’ve been told and they sell it off. I have the money, so for Vincent, it might be good for him one day.” I smiled over my ability to obfuscate the real issue and postpone the date interminably.

“Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea,” Tammy finally conceded on the other side of the phone. I could almost hear my stress level lowering for just a moment as a result. “Now, enough chit chat with me. Do you want to say hello to your little man like you usually do? I see the time and know you have to go soon, but I can tell that he likes to hear your voice when you do… if you want or have the time that is.”

I did on both accounts. “Yes, thank you Tammy.” I then heard some shuffling around and as soon as I heard some deep breathing and a little babbling on the other end, I knew Vincent was there. “Hey baby. It’s mommy. I just wanted to say how much I love and miss you here at work. I hope you’re being a good boy for Tammy today, but knowing you, I’m sure you’re just the most delightful thing around her. Be good, baby, and I’ll see you tonight. I love you.”

I wished he could respond back, but I knew his babbling and the occasional “mamama” was all I was going to get. So, after a few seconds more, Tammy got back on the phone instead and we both wished each other luck with the rest of our subsequent days. I might try to call back later, but as I looked at my schedule, I knew that my time was going to be limited already unfortunately. As it was, as soon as we hung up, I was right back to my notes and little tasks before my new patient showed up.

“Carol?” I soon called from my desk as I continued to write more notes.

“Yes, Doctor?” she responded back, getting up and entering my office.

“Can you do me a favor and ensure that Julianne has an appointment set up for next week at the same time?” I was betting rather than confirming in this case, but from what I saw today, I knew she’d be back again. Seeing her wet pull-up and the fact that she likely didn’t realize it was wet initially told me that she was going to need more help going forward, whether she really wanted to or not.  

“Yes, Doctor.” She then went back to her desk, and I could already hear the clacking of her keyboard going full steam.

Back at my own computer, I also made sure to write down two possible plans in my notes for Julianne when she came back. The first dealt with accepting her treatment and trying to move forward as best she could, in whatever way that meant for her. I was usually in favor of this plan with my patients, and it was my specialty after all, but I wasn’t sure if Julianne was quite ready to hear or implement that quite yet. So, for treatment plan two, I laid out a strategy to deal with the consequences of her rejection of the new caveats in her life and the subsequent plummet I knew would soon follow. While regression was terrifying to any Little, further rejection of it almost always led to breakdowns or acting out which inevitably led to further regressions in their lives, coming from their own minds or others in this world forcing it on them. It was terrible, but there was a reason I had been so busy in the past year after all.

So, to hedge my bets, I sent a quick message to Officer Kenny regarding him checking up on her at least every other day to ensure everything was still going okay on the home front. From what I had seen, I knew that her anger or depression stage would hit with full force this week and I also knew that Officer Kenny could jump in and help with both outcomes if needed while also ensuring she wouldn’t be punished for it either. Laws for Littles were sometimes weird and even up here in the north of Libertalia, those laws could be traps for any unsuspecting Little in crisis… like Julianne was bound to be.

Right as I finished messaging him the last of the details about her case, I heard a knock on the reception area’s front door. The timidness of it and the timing informed me it could only be one of my patients who always insisted on knocking before he entered. Though he had accepted several parts of his regression already, I knew it was just a matter of time before he hit another wall with what I knew about with his life lately. Hearing the hesitancy and light knocking again, I highly suspected that today’s session might just be that time.

[Guilend]

Very much love this story. Them poor Littles. I hope Tammy doesn't overstep as a babysitter. Or do I? If she does I hope the good doctor puts her in her place, well, below it lol. As for the next story, I say A Big Change in Perspective.

[Operational Systems]

one for Boys Maturity Reform

[Guilend]

On 5/7/2024 at 1:06 AM, LostBBoyBear said:

Kathy turned back around, and I could tell she had that look of ‘just one more thing.’ I always hated that look because it usually meant something bad. ‘Oh, one more thing… I hear voices.’ ‘Oh, one more thing… I started wetting the bed at night.’ ‘Oh, one more thing… I can’t read anymore

I forgot to comment on this, it almost sounds like she's had a few mommy's start wetting the bed in the past 😂. The hearing voices and wetting the bed let's me believe that a toy was effecting them, either because the range on the toy was bigger then they thought or the toy decided that the Big needed to learn a lesson 😂. 

[LostBBoyBear]

18 hours ago, Guilend said:

I forgot to comment on this, it almost sounds like she's had a few mommy's start wetting the bed in the past 😂. The hearing voices and wetting the bed let's me believe that a toy was effecting them, either because the range on the toy was bigger then they thought or the toy decided that the Big needed to learn a lesson 😂. 

Everytime you ever bring this up since I started with the toys and the rest, I always think of just how much you are going to love a few of my future stories. And for the record, yes, I wanted to leave this open for interpretation. In this world, science and technology gone amuck can affect both Bigs and Littles. They call it an accident most likely. I call it karma. 

[Guilend]

32 minutes ago, LostBBoyBear said:

Everytime you ever bring this up since I started with the toys and the rest, I always think of just how much you are going to love a few of my future stories. And for the record, yes, I wanted to leave this open for interpretation. In this world, science and technology gone amuck can affect both Bigs and Littles. They call it an accident most likely. I call it karma. 

For the record, there isn't a DD story you've written I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. 

Of course with that section of this story, I do wonder how she handles it when a mommy embarrassingly admits that they've started wetting the bed. I imagine most haven't even started wearing diapers to bed because that feels worse then just the bed wetting. I'm sure she tried to determine if it's hypnosis she's accidentally exposed herself to. I'm also curious how their current society handled Bigs that start wetting the bed or daytime accidents. I imagine at first they're status as an adult is temporarily removed and they're put under "observation" till it's determined if they're matured enough to get it back or have it permanently removed.

I love stories like this. Where a certain group is seen as immature and the mature group has decided what actions cement that belief and how that group, in this case, Higs, react and treat those in their own group that act similar to those of the immature group. The goes for the stories where all men are deemed immature and are babies and a female starts throwing tantrums and getting into mischief or otherwise acting similar to the men in that story.

[LostBBoyBear]

Hey everyone! This is a bit of a longer chapter, and I would have posted this earlier, but I think the site went in for an update or something like that on top of all the editing I had to do. No biggie, but here’s the third of seven planned chapters.

Now, I’m not sure how many actually check it, but I have now updated the timeline for the works I have created within the DD. It includes all my current works, including this one at some point on the timeline. I also know that a lot of people don’t seem to be able to view the image, so I’ve been considering splitting up the timeline a bit in a future update. For now, though, the written version is posted below the picture as well at the end of the post.

Next, as a reminder, there is currently a vote going for the next story I write. It will be done after my break at some point, but due to the short nature of this story, the timing for this vote will be short. As usual, if no one votes or there is a tie, I will use my discretion over what story is next (though in the event of a tie and there are several attributing votes, I may extend the vote and decide after my break). For now, though, this vote will end when I post my final chapter next Thursday at the latest. Further details about the specific date will come in subsequent chapters, but for those wanting to participate and didn’t read about them previously, the potential story options are located in the beginning of chapter 2.

Finally, and back to this tale, I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter of this story!

Chapter 3: A Numbers Game

“Hey you two!” I heard Carol warmly greet my next patient and someone else. Normally, the esteemed professor would just be here alone, but today, he was clearly here with a new person. Curious, I decided to poke my head out and see who was there with him.

We had been talking for several months now, but ever still the quintessential mathematics professor, Dr. Figgins had only briefly touched on a few of the relationships in his life. Considering the young woman now with him was first, a woman, and second, young, it narrowed the field of who it could be in his life considerably. From first blush, I thought it might be his close teaching assistant.

Deciding to introduce myself to her first, I walked over and greeted both warmly, but then specifically focused my attention on the new woman. “Hello, I’m Dr. Mengell, but you can just call me Doc, Doctor, or even Trisha. We’re usually pretty informal around here.” To further add to my hospitality, I went out to shake her hand.

The sandy-haired woman smiled back politely and shook my hand in return. “I definitely already know who you are, Dr. Mengell. Your reputation precedes you more than I think you know. I’m Molly, Dr. Figgin’s teaching assistant.”

I was glad my instincts were still on point. “I’m very glad to meet you finally, Molly. Dr. Figgins has talked about you a lot in our sessions. You seem quite the astute pupil of his.” Molly smiled and I would have followed up further, but I could see something was on Dr. Figgins’ mind and he seemed unusually antsy today.

I then looked down at the renowned Little professor and remembered his desire for me to be more formal with him during our sessions. It was a bit out of the norm for me with my particular style with my Little patients and came with some potential future drawbacks, but I also knew that if it made him feel more comfortable for now, then I knew it was well worth it for the time being. “Good afternoon, Dr. Figgins. Are you ready for our session today?”

He blustered about a little and again, I thought something was different about him today, but he ultimately nodded. “Yes, yes. Of course. Didn’ come all this way from Columbus for no wea… reason.”

I paused for a moment over his little slip in pronunciation, but not wanting to make a big deal out of it, I just smiled and gestured to him to come inside my office.

Dr. Figgins nodded and turned to Molly. “If you could just wai’ ou’ here, these sessions usually only take abou’ an hour.”

“I understand, professor,” she replied calmly before reaching over and retrieving some papers from her bag. “I cam prepared and I’m going to get on grading these midterm exams for you from yesterday. I know several of the students are eager to receive their grades back as soon as possible.”

“Very good. Thank you, Molly.” With that the two smiled and Dr. Figgins walked in and sat on my couch. I then closed the door and took my usual seat across from.

Again, once the door was closed and Dr. Figgins was settled back onto the couch, I swore I could see something bothering him. Not one for sharing his emotions freely though, I knew I might have to push. For now, though, I eased back into my own chair and began to read over his file again.

*              *              *

Patient Name: Dr. Bernard Figgins

Biological Age: 36 Years old

Estimated Mental Age: Mental shifts less noticeable due to logical mind and high intellect, but suspect could be lower than observable   

Former Occupation: Mathematician at Ohiyo State University

Current Occupation: Unchanged but has lost several key faculty spots on various boards

Regression Initiated: 120 days ago

Notes: Patient was considered a top-ranking mathematician and held several unusually high-ranking positions at Ohiyo State University. Assistance with the calculations during a rogue lab experiment seems to have caused his regression but I have some doubts about this. Previous status mostly remains abnormally high for exposure rate and timeline of others exposed in this manner, but admittedly, Patient’s formidable intellect may be the source of this immunity, or more likely, confusion in my assessment. Despite this, physical regression has maintained progress and as a result, has had a severe impact on his life. Emotional state remains firm, but cracks have been noticed based on the emails I have received from the university. Patient is likely unaware of the emails but is aware of the incidents.    

*              *              *

I set the file down and looked over to the still nervous-looking Dr. Figgins. He was still a well-known mathematics professor from Ohiyo State University, but after his lab accident there, I had started to see him after he started to notice his own slippage in a few ways. Now, months later, I felt I had a pretty good feel for the good professor, and I knew that if the usually focused and logical-minded Little before me was now looking concerned, I should be too. Given his well-regulated intellect and emotional state, I might have feared that his continence was an issue, but he had resigned himself to diapers for the most part three months as something logical in his case. It wasn’t easy to convince him to do that mind you, but more progress had been made on that front and others since.

Still, I didn’t want to scare him away today, so I started with my usual opening question. “So, Dr. Figgins, how’s the week been since we last saw each other?”

He shuffled around and I could see that he seemed distracted still. “It was… fine. Not a lot to repor’ to you, Doctor, to be honest.”

My mind and my own perceptions tried to penetrate the obvious shield he was putting up around me. When he first started visiting me every other week, and maybe even at the start of when he began to see me weekly about a month ago, he might have been able to hide his feelings. But from just the sheer amount of time he had to put walls up or his regression continuing by now, his ‘honesty’ now was just feeling like more of a front. So, I probed further.

“Well, ‘not a lot’ still seems to be something to report on. Anything happen I should know about specifically? I mean, you are here after all, so you might as well get something out of your time here.” Again, I knew that even before his initial regression, he had a reputation for his low emotional responses and few interpersonal relationships. His logical mind was his greatest strength, but also his greatest weakness. Remembering that, I tried to use logic to mauver through and actually get a meaningful response back.

“It was… tolerable…” he stated plainly before going back to twisting and folding his hands in front of him.

Right then, I knew something was definitely wrong. He always took the bait before with my logical approach, but now, he was actively avoiding something and putting up his emotional shields more than ever. I knew they were an important part of his life and support system, but I also knew that they were holding him back in our sessions. Before today, I let them go and allowed him to retain them as long as he was still open and honest with me for the most part. Now, with his attempt to hide further behind them and the university’s emails about some of his lapses there, I felt I had no choice. He needed some help, and I knew I had to poke further to find out just what I was dealing with now.  

“Well, tolerable is… good, but what about the details? You always love the details about everything,” I reasoned, “so, why not let me in on a few of them?” Now, he didn’t say anything, and if anything, it only furthered my suspicions. “What about anything social? Or what you did over the weekend, or what about your job, or…?”

“It’s all fine! Okay? Just drop it,” he immediately shot back. His response had come out of nowhere and the emotional state he was displaying now was highly unusual. Considering his response to work though, I knew I needed to start there. He was a private person however, so there were aspects of what he did that I still wasn’t completely aware of. Looking for an obvious hook or way in, I soon remembered Molly.

“Okay, I can do that,” I semi-lied. I hated it but seeing my patient in distress of some kind, I knew I had to get around his barrier somehow. “Molly seems nice though.”

I could quickly tell my seemingly random comment had seemingly come out of nowhere from his perspective as I saw the nearly puzzled look on the professor’s face, but to my relief, he also eased up a little afterward. “Yeah, she’s pretty great. Made a lo’ of things easier and…”

He quickly stopped and if I didn’t know any better, he looked as if he had just accidentally revealed more than he originally wanted to. “I’m sure she has. I imagine driving and grading papers must be a big relief for you in some ways.”

He smiled and nodded. “It is. I can’t tell you…” Again, he stopped, and I could see that he knew he had just fallen into my trap. That was concerning on one level for the professor, but what had concerned me more initially though had been that Molly had been grading his papers in the first place. When I first met him, trying to get a read on him and suggesting possible ways to ease his stress levels, I had mentioned that his then-unnamed assistant could help him out. He told me that ‘on no uncertain terms would he ever let a mere assistant help him out in that way.’ Molly could have improved since then in his mind or he could have been referring to someone else, but I suspected she was helping him out for a more specific reason now.

“Uh, wha’ I mean’ to say,” he quickly began to backtrack, “is tha’ it’s merely a precaution for her to drive me here. Long hours an’ all. See, I’ve been having sleepin’ difficulties… nothin’ more.” His defense would have almost admittedly been cute if it wasn’t also coupled with his admittance over his sleeping issues now.

In most adults, sleeping issues can spring from a bad mattress to maybe a random nightmare or fear or anxiety. With children and Littles though, not that they were the same on several levels, but when they came to their sleeping habits, they almost always aligned and could be telling of something deeper. Fear of the dark, bed wetting, nightmares over clowns, falling out of bed, crying because they felt alone, and so many other reasons could have been the cause. I wasn’t sure if Dr. Figgins knew it, but his way of digging himself out of the hole he had placed himself in the first place was in fact just making it deeper.

“I’m very sorry to hear that, professor. Still, Molly seems to be a big help for you at the university. All those papers must be very tiring to grade as well.” I could already see his face begin to twitch over hearing each of my words. I knew I was getting to him, but right then, I was even unsure of where it was going to lead. “I think you might be seeing some changes in your life if I’m hearing you correctly. Perfectly fine given what you’ve been exposed to, but maybe we could talk about those items. I’m sure your job must be very stressful and challenging at times. I know you’ve already stepped back and…”

“Stop,” he told me back, but I swore I could hear a little break in his voice. It stopped me cold. “Please… please, jus’ stop…”

“What?” I asked confused. “What do you want me to stop, Dr. Figgins. Is everything okay or…?”

“Stop… please stop…” he voiced again, his wording even frailer and labored than before.

“I’m not sure what you want me to stop,” I explained. “Tell me more, Dr. Figgins. Is something wrong at your job? Did something happen this week or…?”

“Yes, okay!” he burst out. Strangely for the professor, I could already see his eyes filling with tears. For a man so resolute in his logic and avoidance of emotion, it was quite a shock to see him like that. “I… I… messed up a’ work! I… I… they’re gonna fire me!”

It was a lot to take in all at once, not necessarily regarding his words, but more with his emotional state. I thought I had him pegged as strictly the logical no-nonsense professor of mathematics, but now… I started to wonder and even question what I had seen about him in the past. I wondered if his intellect had been an unknowing shield as well and that his regression was more advanced than I originally thought.

Regardless, for now, I could see that he at least needed some reassurances. “Easy, easy. It’s going to be okay. You’re not going to get fired, Bernard.”

“Yes, I will! I messed up on an equation the other day an’ everyone looked a’ me… they looked a’ me like I was… a…” I could tell he was struggling with his words now. “Well… a baby! How can they no’ fire me after that?”

“Well, did they catch your mistake, or did it even lead to any problems?” I questioned, hoping that nothing like that had occurred. If it did, I was likely going to be dealing with a whole other set of problems today.

“Well, uh… no, but I made a mistake! That doesn’ happen!” He trembled a little and sighed, fortunately already getting where I was going with my question. “I know wha’ you’re tryin’ to do, buh’ this is big for me. I don’ make mistakes an’…” I could see he was clamming up again.

“Go on,” I gingerly but internally eagerly coaxed. I could see the cracks begin to form in his shields and I felt like I could learn more in the next hour about Bernard than in the past six sessions of our combined.

“I… I enjoyed my free time away from the board meetin’s an’ academic review councils a’ firs’, jus’ like you told me that I would. I almos’ felt like I was on vacation, buh’ now… I’m startin’ to worry about my job itself. That mistake in fron’ of the other professors… it wasn’ my firs’…”

“Oh? There’ve been others?” I asked, leaning in closer to him.

He nodded. “Molly’s been helpin’ me, but I’m worried now that even she could do better than me… I mean, she’s my assistan’… I should be more advanced than her!”

I could see his humiliation coupled plainly with his growing embarrassment and fears. “That must be very frustrating, but we talked about this when you first came. Do you remember that?” He nodded. “Well, it seems that maybe we’re starting to see more signs of your symptoms coming out. I think that maybe, we might need to prepare for the future.”

It was such a simple statement, but I should have known that it could have been a trigger for him. After all, currently, his future from his point of view was the loss of his job, the abandonment of all his friends, the removal of all his intellect, and therefore the very foundation that he had built his life on. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was still subject to the same shock as anyone seeing a drastic change in a person right before their eyes. Dr. Bernard Figgins, the towering figure of mathematics, winner of numerous academic awards, and astute faculty member known around the country, began to break down and then cry.

“No, no, no!” he lamented in desperation. “No’ me! No’ me! I won’ let it! I… I…” He tried to finish his thoughts but his emotions, bottled up for so long, began to pour out from him.

“Okay, okay. Easy there, Bernard,” I consoled him, quickly handing him a box of tissues. “Just try and take some deep breaths for me and blow your nose.” I could see him struggle in vain for a moment, so I started to use hand gestures and my own breathing to try and get his own breathing regulation back under control. It took a minute, but finally, he began to compose himself once more. “There. Just try and keep breathing for me, okay? There’s no need to panic right now.”

“Okay…” he said, his voice seeming so frail right then.

I knew I had to be cautious, but seeing everything I just did, I felt like a lot had been hiding from me. I couldn’t torture my patients or get them to reveal anything more than what they wanted to, so there were always unspoken secrets buried deep. Often though, I could use my keen observation skills to deduce and get around their barriers, but that didn’t always work. So, now left with a Little who seemed to be more along in his regression than I originally thought, I worried about new problems he could be facing with this new stage. “Okay, Bernard. I’m just going to ask you a few questions. Some could be a little funny or weird, but just tell me the truth. No judgement or anything like that. I promise, but I just want the truth. Think you can do that for me?” Bernard slowly nodded and I started up.

What followed unfortunately concerned me even more. At one time in my career, I might have left certain answers alone and they might have only raised yellow flags for me. After being a Little’s therapist specializing in their regression for over a year now though, things had changed and what I was hearing from Bernard now began to raise red flags in my mind.

Initially, eating frozen dinners, leaving things around your house, or not finding the strength to do basic maintenance of oneself could all be indicative of depression. In a Little though, coupled with mood swings, wearing diapers, and being tired all the time, my conclusions began to narrow that Bernard was indeed regressing further. For that matter, I also noticed that he hadn’t caught me once using his first name. Having earned his doctorate, he used to be adamant that I would always call him Dr. Figgins. Now though, after about five minutes of using his first name, I wondered how long or even if he would ever catch on.

Then, right around the point that Dr. Figgins began to relay his fears about stoves, driving, and showering, I began to fear for him in a way that I never thought would occur. Being all alone, I wasn’t sure if that was safe for him anymore, but I also knew that he had no family by now and that his friends likely wouldn’t be in a position to help him out either. I sighed in resignation over my limited options and chose what would likely be the least objectionable for him. “Bernard… how much do you trust Molly?”

Curiously, Bernard began to smile for the first time today. “Probably a lot. In fact, she’s kinda been makin’ me feel safe recently. I mean, she’s been my assistant for a long time now, so I guess that jus’ makes sense, righ’?” I smiled and nodded plainly, but his face quickly turned curious. “Why do you ask?”

I had hoped he wouldn’t catch on, but I knew his mind was still very much there. It was only a matter of time, so I sighed in resignation. “Well… some of your answers were a little concerning to me, Bernard. I don’t think you’re going to blow up the house or anything like that, but I think you could use some… assistance.” I could see a frown start to eclipse over his smile. “With your permission, I would like to call her in and help you out a bit. Nothing mu…” I didn’t get to finish my thoughts.

“What? You want me to just accept someone from the university to help me out?” I could see his anger mounting, and I could have lied to him, but I felt we were beyond that, so I just nodded. “Well, I forbid it. I refuse! In fact…” He then bolted from the couch. “I’m gettin’ outta here!” In the blink of an eye, he ran for the door.

And this is where therapy became challenging in knowing the different approaches for different patients. Earlier, I had let Julianne storm out my front door without a single challenge. She was distressed, but I knew she could handle herself and still make it home safely. For Bernard though, I didn’t feel the same. So, while I knew it would exceed my powers and role as his therapist, I bolted to the door as well and firmly wedged myself against it.

“Leh’ me outta here now!” he screamed up at me. I knew I was in a delicate position with just how much I blocked him, but I could already see his eyes darting around the room for another way out. He soon found my window and then ran over there.

Being in the part of the city that we were in, my window had a fire escape just outside of it, so I knew he could escape, but I also wondered if he was so desperate to leave and avoid his problems that he simply didn’t care. Not wanting to take that chance though, I again beat him to it after I quickly locked the door as well. It was just a tiny click of the button right on the front knob, but I was also anticipating that Bernard’s emotional distress would cloud his judgement on that if he tried it again. For now, though, I just remained fixated on my one goal of ensuring Bernard’s safety during his moment of crisis.  

“Leh’ me outta here now!” he wailed again, his angry resolve slowly yet noticeably crumbling.

I took a deep breath. At least one of us had to remain calm in this situation. I could only imagine Carol and Molly were thinking outside. “Just try and calm down and stay focused. It’s okay, Bernard. I just want to talk about these things, okay? Please, just let me hel…”

“No! I won’ leh’ you tell me wha’ I know you wan’ me to hear. I won’ be taken in by a Big. I’m still an adult! I won’! I won’! I won’!” He slammed his foot repeatedly on the floor, and while I knew I would have to apologize to Mr. Peterson, the tax accountant below me, I was at least relieved that Bernard was no longer trying to escape.

“Bernard, please. Just try and take those deep breaths for me, okay?” I started to try and regulate his breathing again. “Okay, and in… and out… and in… and…” But after a moment of him at least trying, I could see he was still too upset. The poor Little was even turning a shade of blue as snot began to bubble out from his nose while he started to hyperventilate. Desperate, I broke a rule of most therapists. I took a deep breath and went over to hug him.

At one point, contact between a patient and a therapist was strictly forbidden in this society unless they were performing lifesaving procedures. About a decade ago now though, depending on the part of country you were in, therapists to Littles were now allowed to hug their patients. Of course, the law passed for this called it ‘manual constriction’ but the concept was basically the same. The only exception to this was if the patient was at or below a toddler mentality, in which case their caregiver would have to give their permission first. As that wasn’t the case with Bernard, I freely hugged away.

At first, Bernard struggled and even in my own mind, I was racked with guilt. I knew fully that I had the letter of the law on my side, but there was still a part of me that didn’t like the maneuver without getting permission from my patient first. I felt a little better however in that he was turning a bit blue beforehand, and further better when Bernard’s movements and deep breathing started to slow and match up with mine.

A knock then came from the door. “Is everything okay in there?” Carol asked.

It was but I was still grateful she had the sense to first, ask, and second, not break down the door first as others might have done. “Everything is fine,” I replied. “Just needed to apply a little manual constriction.”

“Oh…” Having just learned that she had completed her doctoral thesis, I knew Carol knew fully what that meant. “I’ll leave you to it then. Stay safe.”

I winced a little over that comment, knowing it could have set a few of my patients off, but Bernard was now only focused on my breathing. When I looked down, I could see that he was still crying and sniffling a little, but that his breakdown had also calmed down for the most part.

“Okay,” I began, moving Bernard off me a little bit. “Are you willing to maybe talk a little further?” Bernard nodded silently, apart form the occasional sniffle, and oddly, looked back at the couch warily for a moment. Seeing this, I rubbed his upper arm a bit. “It’s okay if you don’t want to sit. I’m going to if that’s okay with you but do what makes you comfortable.” Again, Bernard only nodded back.

Sitting down, I tried to think of the best way to go about things. Considering he hadn’t said a word yet since his episode, I decided to go for more of the logical approach still. It could come across as distant or even cold to some, which was a risk, but I knew that it would play it safe with Bernard no matter what he was currently thinking about.

“Now, I’m glad to see you’re a little calmer, and I’ll go slow, but I need to just lay out a few things for you, okay?” Bernard hesitant but still nodded. “Good.”

I sighed and knew I just needed to start and hopefully Bernard the professor would be listening, rather than more of Bernard the scared and regressing Little. “So, from what you’ve told me, you’re having several problems at home. You’ve kept a lot of them hidden and you should be proud of that, but I’m also concerned about the long-term impact on you. Does that make sense?”

“A little…” barely a whisper then came out of Bernard’s mouth. Still, it was enough to show me that he hadn’t just had a mental break. I could deal with that, but I still wanted to make progress and ensure that he would be safe once he eventually left this office.

“Okay… you’ve told me about scenarios I think are full of several issues, but I’m also worried there might be some items in your life you aren’t even aware of. I know some are hard to miss, but in both cases, I think you need help. If nothing else, getting a little help might give you less stress, and as you may know, less stress means fewer outward signs of regression popping up when you don’t want them to.”

Bernard nodded. “Tha’ makes sense…” I was shocked but pleased to hear him finally admit it, but then he veered into a territory I had been worried about since he first stepped in my door. “I looked up the numbers of Littles like me… I’m jus’ so afraid that I’m goin’ to lose everythin’ I’ve ever worked for in my life. With the way everythin’ has been goin’, I don’ think I can ignore wha’s happenin’ any longer, an’ numbers also don’ lie. If they are righ’, which they probably are, I’ll lose my job an’ due to my lack of family or friends… I’ll be placed in a fostuh home…” He sighed and I could hear just the tiniest crack in his voice. “Iss jus’ a number game now…”

Statistics are just that, but from what I had seen today, Bernard might have been right, but still, I had to have hope for him. Realistic hope perhaps, but hope, nonetheless. “Bernard… I don’t know the future. I just know what my experience tells me, and you aren’t a fully regressed Little.” I could have added ‘yet’ because it was still a possibility, but I felt that was just cruel at this point.

“Things might be difficult, but I actually have some pull in certain communities now,” I admitted. “I can recommend to the university that due to your tenure there, you can remain on the staff, but in a limited capacity for now.” Bernard looked up at me and I could see the hope swimming in his eyes.

“You still have a logical mind, Bernard. Don’t discount that just yet. Stress hurts it, but I know you can still do some theoretical work in your position, as well as some assistance for other faculty members when needed. I might suggest doing it in private for the foreseeable future, but I think it’s doable.” Bernard stared back at me in disbelief. I could just tell that his logical mind had never counted on this outcome before. It was probably why his breakdown had been so intense so quickly. And while I knew he could still slide into the realm he truly feared, I felt that was still too premature.

“Thank you, Doctor…” he finally said, a single tear rolling down his cheeks. He then wiped his eyes with his sleeves and for a moment, I thought he would start crying again, but I could then see he was also trying to calm himself down as well.

It was wonderful to see, but not to burst his bubble though, I still knew I had to maintain my integrity as a therapist. I had to do what was best for Bernard, and that meant several things, but his safety was chief amongst them. “I’m happy that you’re happy, Bernard, but if I do that, there are two caveats…”

Bernard’s smile quickly vanished and was placed by what I could only describe as fear. “Wha’ are they? I’ll do mos’ anythin’, but jus’ please, doc. I don’ wan’ to lose everythin’.” He didn’t know it, but he had just told me the magic words I needed to hear. Desperate perhaps, but I knew I had a way into my patient’s world and out of this mess now.

I sighed. “I’m glad to hear you say that, Bernard, but first, you need to know that if your mental state ever declines further, we may have to revisit this deal. I don’t want to do that, but I have to do what’s best for you, and for the safety and well-being around you. That being said, in case it does happen, we can revisit this matter later. I’ll create a few plans for you, so just in case whatever happens, you won’t be lost to the system.”

I could already see the gears turning in his mind and his reluctance to accept my first caveat, but he ultimately nodded. “Okay… I can do tha’.” He paused and hesitated but then asked me, “Wha’s the second?” I braced for what was to come if earlier was any indication, but I knew my second caveat was even more important.

“Well, the second is that you need a caregiver of sorts in your life.” I paused and let him absorb the information, but I could see his face quickly go from hesitant and back to anger.

“No,” he said flatly. “Jus’… no.”

I sighed, fully expecting this pushback, but I knew I couldn’t concede this time. “Bernard… I need to do what’s best for you.” I knew I now had to be direct and shy away from the truth. “From my stance right now from what I’ve seen and heard today, what’s best for you is to remove you from your academic position, be put on sick leave until you stabilize, and then we would reassess you later to either help you get better or find a new way in life. I don’t think you want that, so, I’m giving you a second option.”

I could see the gears turning once again and I knew from his face that he could see I was right, but the stubborn professor who always could find another solution to a problem, was getting in his way of accepting the truth. It was one of the qualities that made him such a good mathematical prodigy and excel so much even as a Little, but it was now also holding him back.

“I… w… won’ do ih’. I can’t!” Despite his protests, I could already see the cracks begin to form in his resolve. I knew I was close to getting him to accept it, so I tried a different route.

“How about I give you some resources to take back with you?” I could see the option appealed to Bernard, but I knew it was only a stop gap. Before the week was over in a few days, I knew Bernard was going to need a caregiver of some kind. “They might not all be perfect, but they still might allow you to maintain much of the life you once enjoyed.”

Bernard paced back and forth for a moment, and I was curious why he didn’t want to sit, but I was more focused on his hesitancy still. “Buh’… strangers?” he finally questioned. “I’m no’ sure how I feel abou’ people I don’ even know comin’ into my life like tha’. I’ve heard the stories you know… for a Little, other Bigs just don’ seem like the best idea. I mean… tha’s no’ so crazy to think, righ’?”

I shook my head. “No, it isn’t, but you need help, Bernard.” He sighed and I could see that he was starting to warm up to the idea. It felt fast, but I just passed it off as his logical mind at play. For now, I knew I needed to start to sow the seeds of an alternative option. “Maybe there’s someone you know who could help?”

I could Bernard pace more around the room and try to figure it out. I was pleased that he was even contemplating the option, and there was a part of me that felt like he was trying to get out of it by getting a lenient friend to help him, but for the time being, I was just happy of his further acceptance. Still, after a few minutes, he looked back to me with a disappointed look on his face.

“I jus’… I can’t think of anyone. All my friends are either Littles, an’ I don’ think you would accep’ them…” I quickly shook my head, “or, they’re too focused on their careers or jus’ downrigh’ scare me. There’s no one even remotely close tha’ I can think… of…” He then paused, frowned, and stared right back at me. I wondered what had just happened, but I didn’t need to wait for long. “You wan’ me to choose Molly, don’ you?”

I could have denied it, but his face stared back at me adamantly. I was cornered by his still high functioning mind. I didn’t even have the chance to enact my plan, so I nodded. “Yes, Bernard. I think you should think about it.”

“Buh’ I already said no!” he shouted back at me. “Don’ you remember? I won’ do ih’!” To my dismay, he even stomped his foot on the ground again.

I sighed, thinking we had been making so much progress, but that’s how these things went sometimes. Regardless of how he felt though, I knew I now needed to push. “I’m sorry to hear you still think that but consider her for just one moment.” I could see that he did, but his angry face remained defiantly the same.

“Think about it Bernard. By your own admittance, you trust her and feel safe around her.” Bernard’s mind seemed to whirl even faster. “Plus, she has ties to the mathematics department and could help you with your new position as well if you wanted.”

“Buh’ iss embarrassing!” he countered. “She’s supposed to be the studen’.”

I sighed and nodded. “That’s true, and I’m sorry that you might have to experience something like that, but she is still an option.” I knew his feelings were valid, and normally I would just be thrilled that his previously purely logical shell had finally cracked, but in this case, I felt there was also something else going on with him as well that I needed to know. I wasn’t sure what exactly, but his continued pacing almost seemed forced, and I just couldn’t help but feel that it was somehow a factor in all this. “Still, you’re right, but why do I feel there’s something more to it… something you’re not telling me…?”

Bernard stopped in his tracks, and he even seemed pained until his face quickly turned sad. “Iss the university. She’s a part of ih’. She can’t see me as how I am righ’ now or how I migh’ geh’. She could repor’ me to the university… and what if she makes fun of me? I don’ think I could ever see her again if she knew… uh… if she saw…”

My mind started going in several directions, and I was about to tell him that she would just be there to help him, not rat him out, but then my nose picked up something. I tried to tell myself that it was nothing and maybe just my imagination, but the smell only got stronger, and I couldn’t deny it anymore. Bernard had messed himself.

Now, to be fair, he had been in diapers for months now, based on my suggestion, but everything that I had been seeing recently just clicked. Molly was kind-hearted and thoughtful, but facing her professor in a dirty diaper was something that cut to the core of his current vulnerabilities. So, without saying a word, I quickly went over, bent down, and then gave him a hug. “It’s okay, Bernard. These things happen. You’re safe here.”

I could feel his hesitancy over my hug still, but I quickly felt his equal comfort in it now as well. After a moment, I pulled back and placed my hand on his shoulder. “I know it’s embarrassing, but she’s going to know today sooner or later. You can’t hide this, so let me bring her in and we take this one step at a time, okay?” Bernard seemed devastated, but just nodded.

Smiling warmly to my patient, I stood up and unlocked and then opened the door. Molly was still grading papers, but quickly looked up at me. “Molly? Everything is okay, but can you come in here for a moment?”

She seemed confused but set her papers down and started to walk over to me. Just as she got to the door though, I stopped her. “Thank you for coming, but before you come in, I need you to promise that whatever happens or that you see in here, it remains strictly confidential or risk penalty of prosecution,” I somewhat fibbed. She still seemed undeterred though. “If not, I need you to wait outside of this area.”

Molly seemed more confused now than ever, but ultimately nodded her head. “I can keep a secret.” Curiously, despite her confused look, she still wore a tiny smile… almost as if she was keeping some kind of secret to herself still.

Regardless though, I let her in. She quickly saw the now red-faced Bernard and she smiled for a moment, but then stopped dead in her tracks as I closed the door. I could quickly see her nose flaring up and I think Bernard did as well. In seconds, Molly seemed stunned and frozen in place, while Bernard’s face collapsed into his hands.

I was worried for a moment, but despite her panicked state, I could still see a small but evident smile of sympathy begin to show on Molly’s face. She then walked over to her professor and placed a hand on his back and began to rub it.

“It’s okay, Bernard,” she said softly. “You don’t need to be embarrassed.”

And that was all it took for Bernard to immediately begin to break down again. Looking like she was the one responsible for all this, I could see the guilt immediately cross Molly’s face and she quickly backed away. Now, it was my turn to comfort her, as well as Bernard once more. “Shh, shh,” I said, hugging Bernard again. I then looked up at Molly. “You didn’t do anything wrong, but we all need to have a little talk before anything else happens.” She only nodded and stood back while I eventually got Bernard to calm down again.

After pulling up a chair for her as well, I then sat down myself. “Okay, Molly. Bernard here needs your help more now than ever. I have a proposal for you if you’re willing to hear me out.”

Molly hesitated, but after looming over at Bernard for a moment, she nodded. “I’m willing to hear it, doctor.”

I smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear that, because you see, Bernard has been covering up his regression more than most would believe. I find it hard myself to even fathom still, but based on today, he’s further along than I previously thought.”

She seemed to be thinking about something for a moment, but then looked directly back up at me. “I already know, Doctor,” Molly stated plainly, shocking me and clearly shocking Bernard as well. She then turned to her professor. “I didn’t want to say anything. I mean, you’re always so proud and private, but I started to notice little slips here and there. Honestly, from what I’ve heard and read about with Little regression, I’m surprised you held it together this long without some serious problems.”

I was gob smacked myself and Bernard was as well, but he managed to string a few words together at least. “How… how lon’ have you known?”

Molly sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not really sure of an exact date, Professor, but I started to notice that you would trail off more in lectures. Plus, sometimes you would randomly pause in class, panic, and then disappear for a little bit afterward.” Bernard blushed a little over the insinuation and it didn’t take a therapist or a genius to figure out what she had witnessed and was implying.

“And then,” she continued, “the biggest instance I’ve seen most days recently was in how you dress.” Bernard quickly looked down at his attire and I did as well. “You used to be so well put together. Always a tie and sport coat at minimum and nearly immaculate. But now…” She trailed off and looked at his clothing for emphasis. His diaper bulge stood out prominently, but more than that, everything else was heavily wrinkled in areas and there were clearly rubbed-off but still present food stains down his front. When Bernard saw all this himself, he quickly blushed and a few more tears fell from his eyes.

Taking advantage of the moment of silence, I found my words again. “Thank you, Molly, for your discretion.” She immediately smiled back at me and then more sympathetically towards Bernard. “You’ve been a big help but it’s my opinion that Bernard can no longer remain by himself in a long-term capacity.”

Molly paused for a moment and now her gears seemed to be whirring away. “I understand…”

“I’m glad because Bernard needs someone to help him. How much is still to be determined, but I know he at least needs more help than he’s getting now.” I started to get my proposal ready to broach the subject of her becoming a caregiver in some capacity at least, but she spoke up first.

“Dr. Mengell… I can see where this is going. I’m a smart woman myself… calculated and thoughtful even,” she stated proudly. “So, before you even ask, yes, I am willing to help Professor Higgins out if he’s willing as well.”

Bernard began to sputter and mutter about, but managed to finally spit out, “You… you wha’? You’re willin’?” Molly gently smiled and nodded. “B… buh’… why?”

Molly sighed and scooched closer to Bernard. “I respect you professor. I really do, and I don’t want you to forget that, but I also can see now that you need more help than you can give to yourself.” She let the thought ruminate in his mind for a moment. “See, before I chose math, I almost became a nurse. I guess I still just have that instinct that if I see someone in need… I just can’t help myself.”

Externally, I was overjoyed, but internally, I couldn’t quite see past the student just trying to help her professor out. I loved her enthusiasm and willingness, but I also wondered if she knew what she was taking on. “Molly… I’m glad that you are willing, and I’m even glad that I’m not hearing an outright rejection anymore from Bernard, but do you really understand what you’re signing on for if you take on this role of caregiver?”

Molly looked down and I could tell her mind was running at full capacity, but she looked back up soon after and nodded toward me. “Yes. I understand. To me, it doesn’t even matter what happens next. I just want to see the professor happy and safe.” She hesitated for a moment and then looked over at the professor. “Professor… I don’t want to embarrass you, but when I walked in here… I smelled something.” Bernard instantly looked like he would have preferred anything else than what was happening right then. “If you’re willing… and you Dr. Mengell as well,” she noted, looking over at me, “I would be willing to change you, Professor.”

Everything was coming together better than I ever could have imagined, but I also knew just how precarious everything still was. If Molly could pull this off, I knew for now at least, Bernard would be okay. If she failed though… Bernard would be worse off than ever. Still, I knew I had to give her a chance at least. “Go ahead, Molly.”

Molly nodded and turned back to the professor. Tears began flowing from his face once more, but he nodded his head and Molly smiled back. “Doctor… if you could comfort him again… I need to go get something. Would you mind?”

I shook my head and quickly went over to comfort my patient while Molly ran out of the room. Seconds later, she returned with her backpack. “What’s in there?” I questioned quickly.

Molly opened the bag, and while one section was dedicated to the usual supplies of a professor’s assistant, the midterms stacked neatly in there as well, another section contained everything one would need to change a diaper. “See, I saw the professor return the last time he came back from this appointment, and I saw that he didn’t bring any supplies with him. Once he asked me to drive him here today, I just wanted to be prepared.”

It was minor overall, but it was still a wonderful sign that Molly was going to be exactly what the professor needed. “Thank you, Molly. That was really smart of you.” I then got her a changing mat I kept in here for just such emergencies and she gently laid Bernard out on it. Still distressed, I thought I would actually give the good doctor some privacy for once.

The air became foul for a moment after I heard a few shuffles, jingles, and then the tapes being cleared away, but Molly made no comments to her new charge. Other Bigs would have instantly babied Bernard, but I could see Molly was already acting in his best interests. I began to feel that if there was ever a Big that could keep the professor grounded in who he used to be while still taking care of him, I felt that it was Molly.

This feeling even doubled as I turned around after organizing a few of my files. The two were hugging, and while Bernard’s new diaper remained displayed prominently and his previously soiled one lay nearby, I could see the hope and affection in both of their faces. I smiled that maybe just this once, a Little could find the best possible ending for themselves after being regressed.

Still, our session continued afterward, and I let Molly stay after she had disposed of the dirty diaper. Ever prepared, she even made sure to take copious notes about all the treatments and plans I had for Bernard to try. By the end, we knew what we all had to do. First, Molly and Bernard both agreed on several points of their future together. There was some tension, but I could see that Molly knew what and how far to push the professor to get him to eventually agree or compromise to all that needed to happen. Then second, we all knew of the monumental task ahead of us to keep Bernard in the university as a mathematics professor. Both of my caveats and their planning were challenging, but we all still felt confident in our next steps for Bernard to remain safe and happy in his growing new life.

With the session ending, Molly helped Bernard get redressed and packed up all their things to go. I could still see the hesitancy on his face, but I could see that hope remained just as prominent, if not more. For a Little regressing, that was sometimes all one could hope for.

Just as they were leaving after our goodbyes though, Bernard stopped Molly and then turned back to me. “Doc?” I walked up closer and bent down a little bit to be more on eye level with him. “Uh, the doctor you recommended to me… the one I see the same day as you…”

“Yes?” I asked after he paused for a moment.

“Uh, he’s cancelled a few of our recent appointments… includin’ today,” he explained. “Can you maybe recommend another one?”

I nodded and smiled. “Of course. I’ll get those over to you probably by the time you get back home today.”

“Thank you, Doc.” With that, the two both waved goodbye and disappeared from my office.

Carol and I once again wiped everything off and then both took our lunch breaks in the period that I had set aside beforehand. I had to do some work while I was on mine, but as I was entering Bernard’s notes from today to his patient portal, I remembered that both Julianne and Carmen had needed new doctors as well.

Concerned and not believing in coincidences, I got up from my desk and went over to Carol to ask her for her help. Unfortunately, right before I could though, I then heard the front door open downstairs and the two muttered voices as they next climbed up the stairs. I didn’t want to push my suspicions off, but considering the circumstances of my next patient, I knew they deserved my full attention and guidance… especially after knowing everything he had already been through during his previous abduction.

[Operational Systems]

Rough for the professor, but glad it's working out.  Still, maybe it'll work out.  I'm not sure how mental regression actually works, but if it actually restores the youthful mind, it's possible he may come through out of it better.  As we age our fluid intelligence declines first, along with cognitive processing speed, reaching best performance in the late teens or early twenties.  So most mathematicians are at their best in early adulthood.

Maybe he'll get through it better, might need some guidance though, especially with emotional stuff.

[Guilend]

Poor guy. I hope it's not his assistant that's regressing him.

[AlexTheAlex]

So happy to be catching up with this.

I vote for Boys Maturity Reform, it's a really neat idea!

[LostBBoyBear]

Hey everyone! First, I just want to say thank you to those that have commented, liked, or even just read this story. I know most on here just want to see the direct regression or humiliation of a single character over time, but I am happy with how this installment in the series is turning out.

Looking ahead, there are three more chapters after this one. If everything goes according to plan, I should have just enough time to be able to put another chapter tomorrow, and then one on Tuesday and Thursday as well. If anything changes, I will be sure to post it on here like I have before.

Next, as a reminder, there is currently a vote going for the next story I write. It will be done after my break at some point, but due to the short nature of this story, the timing for this vote will be short. As usual, if no one votes or there is a tie, I will use my discretion over what story is next (though in the event of a tie and there are several attributing votes, I may extend the vote and decide after my break). For now, though, this vote will end when I post my final chapter next Thursday at the latest. Further details about the specific date will come in subsequent chapters, but for those wanting to participate and haven’t read about them previously, the potential story options are located in the beginning of chapter 2.

Finally, and back to this tale, I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter of this story!

Chapter 4: Coping in New Ways Over Old Trauma

“Good afternoon! Come on in! Come on in!” Carol quickly and warmly greeted both Polly and Austin, my next patient, as they soon entered the reception area. I rose from my desk and shuffled the papers I had out that pertained to the disappearances of the doctors of my previous patients today. It was all important, but I knew it could wait for the time being. Austin was a special patient to me by now, and I didn’t want either him or Polly to wait.

“Hello, Austin… Polly,” I then greeted them as well, joining the three, including Carol, outside my office. “How are you all doing today?”

Polly sighed. “Well… it’s been an interesting week… isn’t that right, Austin?” she asked looking down at her assigned Little. Curiously, he only nodded and shuffled around where he stood, and despite his more adult clothing today, I could still see the tell-tale bulge around the midsection of his diaper and hear the faint crinkling as well.

Curious as to what was going on though, I simply gestured towards my office to him. “Shall we?” Again, Austin only nodded and waddled past me and over to the couch. Looking back, I could see that Polly was clearly concerned about her Little and I made sure to go over to her. “It’ll be okay, Polly. I’ll figure it out all this week. Don’t you worry.”

“Thank you, Dr. Mengell. You’ve been such a big help, but…” she peered over Austin, now struggling to get on the couch by himself. “I’m just worried that he’ll slip back. He’s made so much progress and…”

I held my hand up to stop her. “Let me just hear him out first. He can do at least that much now. Despite his shyness today, we’re not starting back at square one. Trust me on that.”

Polly nodded. “I trust you… I’m just worried about him… that’s all, understand?” I nodded and knew the typical caregiver’s fears well myself. She then shook her head. “But you go now. Just help him out. Please…”

I simply nodded, patted her shoulder, and with that, I then went back to my office and closed the door behind me. Austin was still struggling and as had become routine by now; I gave him an extra boost on top. “Danks, Doctuh M…”

“You’re very welcome, Austin.” I smiled back at my patient and then sat down in my chair while retrieving his file from my desk nearby. “Alright… let’s begin,” I said as cheerfully as I could. I then peered back down into his rather thick file.  

*              *              *

Patient Name: Austin Sedder  

Biological Age: 24 Years old

Estimated Mental Age: Likely under 2 for emotions, but improving in bouts otherwise to preschool or even above

Former Occupation: Master’s Degree Student in Ecology

Current Occupation: Under the care of Polly, his state-appointed caregiver  

Regression Initiated: 210 days ago

Notes: Patient arrived to me in a serious state of neglect and abuse from his kidnap incident in western Carolusa by a local pro-Big survivalist group upon relocation back to his original home state. All markers for regression were visible then and initial visits proved valuable in learning more about his period of capture while also getting Patient out of his ‘shell.’ Now, abilities and emotional state are still notably at or below preschool level, but more movement on both fronts can be visibly observed after continued visits to local recommended doctor. I heavily credit the emotional improvement in Patient’s happiness over his own progress, though notably this could be problematic later. Plus, cognitive abilities and overall happiness seem to be improving with coping techniques and exercises given here in the office and reinforced by Patient’s caregiver.  

*              *              *

I suppose his thicker file was in large part due to his police file accompanying it as well. When he came to me about four months ago, stemming from my success with several of the Juventas incident patients and my friendly relationship with Officer Kenny, the courts had just started sending me several new Little patients in bulk. I got the opinion that some were sent to me to purposely diagnose them as incompetent, but Austin was different.

I wish that I could say that his time being kidnapped down to western Carolusa was an anomaly for Littles in our society, but if recent news reports were anything to go off, I knew he wasn’t. Carolusa, Tanassum, and Kentake had all been recent hotspots for Little kidnappings, particularly amongst survivalist pro-Big groups, like had happened to Austin.    

“You seem a little down today, Austin, but I just want to say first just how far you’ve come since you’ve been coming to me. I’m very proud of the progress you’ve made” He smirked over the compliment, but still said nothing. It was concerning, but considering he could smile, walk in here at all today, or that I was even expecting a response out of him, was testament to just how far he had come.

Unlike several of the other Little kidnappers recently, Austin wasn’t regressed to be sold off to a Big couple in another country or to criminals or the impoverished who couldn’t use the traditional methods of adoption offered. Instead, he had been regressed as part of a growing movement of Bigs that thought Littles were ‘less than’ and deserved to be babified. Of the 15 Littles found in the compound, the eldest age found was Austin, coming in right around the six-month old range, at best, in terms of his physical, emotional, and mental state.

“Is today another bad day?” I asked him plainly. Once I was able to advance Austin a little further to talking, along with his general doctor, we had established that some days were good, or others were bad. Bad days were becoming less frequent, but they often resulted into him clamming up and retreating into himself, like he had learned to cope with his previous trauma when he first came to me. Sadly, in confirmation of my suspicions, Austin only nodded and then tightly hugged his knees.

“Alright, that’s okay,” I comforted. “Would this be something you want to talk about, or should we try something else today?”

Austin hesitated for a moment, but then finally looked up at me and shook his head. “No,” he almost whispered, “I wanna tawk ‘bou’ ih.”

“Okay then,” I smiled back to him, relieved that he was at least open to talking today. Other days weren’t so lucky. “Let’s start simple and broader… how was this past week for you?”

Austin wavered for a moment with his hands and even grimaced at one point. “Ih…. Ih wass fine… I jus’ feew awone…”

“Oh?” It was the first time he ever admitted that to me. Most of the time, he was flooded with new friends and other Littles, or as before, he was simply still too regressed to care, but this was different. “Do you know why you feel alone, or is it just a feeling you have in general? Both are okay though…”

Austin sighed. “I dink… iss becaws Imma getting’ olduh… in my hea aweas’,” he said sorrowfully pointing up to the side of his head. “Iss aww comin’ back… buh bein’ olduh is tuff.”

I then sighed myself. I knew this point was likely going to come up in our discussion at some point. See, unlike most of my other Littles where I eased them into their new mental or physical ability respective ages, for Austin, I had to progress him. I usually didn’t like doing that with patients because the process was often difficult, painful even, and most often a failure anyway. I was glad that Austin had been able to progress in order to testify at his trial last month, but I could see that he was starting to truly deal with the aftermath and consequences of that court-mandated decision.  

“Your case worker Cynthia, Polly, and I thought that could happen at some point,” I admitted. “I have a guess as to why, but first, why do you think that being older as a Little is actually a problem?”

To my surprise, Austin shook his head. “No, no… I wike bein’ olduh… I can do dings my fwien’s can’t, buh’ dass a pwobwem also… I wanna be wiff dem an’ feew da pull of my ol’ self, buh’ I jus’ can’t…” He winced and I wondered just what memory he was conjuring up specifically, but I wanted him to express his emotions without being interrupted first.

“I wanna give in… I weally do, buh’… I jus’ geh’ so embawassed…” He sighed and dropped his head down in resignation. “I feew wike I’m bein’ wipped apawt. I jus’… I don’ know wha’ to do anymo’!” His head then sank into his hands in despair, and I could start to hear the softness of his cries.

I knew he was at another critical stage after his abduction and capture. First, he had to resist the despair that had come with what they had put him through once he could even form words after he came out of his initial shell. Then, he had to rebuild his skills, but now, third, he had to deal with the emotional baggage that came with his new awareness. While I would never condone the involuntary procedure of regression, I did know that for some Littles, it did have an appeal of sorts. As another Little had even reminded me last week, ‘ignorance is bliss.’

“Hmmm… that must be very difficult to cope with.” Austin immediately nodded. I knew I needed to help my patient, but with how he had been regressed, his triggers, and timing being an issue, the options I had open to me were very limited. I then remembered something, however, that a colleague had recommended to me last year. It might have just been propaganda for all I knew at that point, but I felt it could also be valuable for Austin at this point in this type of controlled and non-judgmental environment. “I have a suggestion that might help you… but its also a little unconventional. I might be able to think of something else, but would you at least be willing to try my suggestion first?”

Austin removed his head from his hands and looked up mournfully at me. “I jus’ don’ know… I wanna twy… buh’ I’m scawed…”

I warmly smiled and nodded. “And it’s okay to be. Everyone gets scared, but first, we’ll just start slow, okay?” He nodded hesitantly. “Okay then. I want you to think of being a Little as a who made of separate part and each of those parts has a separate container. Can you do that?” I could see his confusion, but he finally nodded. “Good. Now, in each of these pots, there’s an element to being a Little. All can be a part of some Littles, but just because you take from one pot, doesn’t mean you have to take from another, okay?”

Again, Austin hesitated. “I uh… I guess so.”

“Good, that’s all I want you to think of for now. Now, in the first, goes your emotions. The second is for your mentality, the third is for your physical traits, and the fourth is what you look like. By now, I’m sure you’ve seen lots of Little before. Some wear diapers but don’t drink from bottles… or have a stuffy but don’t sleep in a crib. Or in your case specially, others could be like you but don’t have all your newly reacquired abilities, right?”

“I mean… yeah? Matty fwom daycawe can’t even walk,” he noted, “buh’ we both watch da same cawtoons.”

“Exactly. He has more in one of his pots than you do. Now, if you take all the qualities from one and just look at that alone, a person, even Little or not, would be classified differently. For example, everything Little related put into the physical pot might translate as being fully paralyzed, but everything in the mental would be classified more as being brain dead.” I could see Austin was still understanding and I was thrilled that his mental abilities were coming back still. It would also make the next part easier in one way but also harder in another.

“Okay, what I want you to do, is think about that last pot, what a Little looks like…” Austin nodded and closed his eyes. “Can you think of some things for the pot?” Again, he nodded.

“Perfect. Now, in this exercise, if one just has all those qualities in one pot and maybe not the others, it could just be considered roleplaying. Have you ever heard of that?” Austin opened his eyes and stared back at me.

“Yeah… my fwiend befo’ aww dis… he did impwov.” He paused and I could see his mind clicking away over what I wanted him to do. “Iss wike… dat wigh’?”

I smiled. “That’s right, Austin. Very good, but for this exercise, I want you to put more into that pot. I think you don’t want the burden and messiness of being a Little directly of what you can control, which is why you like being older, but you also feel isolated as well.” I saw Austin quickly look scared. “Remember, if there aren’t items in the other pots, it’s just roleplaying, no matter what you do or look like. No one will think you’re a baby, but this might help with your blocks initially. I want you to feel safe being a Little when you want, okay?” Austin hesitated but nodded again.

“Very good. Now, look at yourself.” He did. “You look very nice today, but is that what a Little would wear? Do you think a Little would find all that comfortable? Do you even find all that comfortable?”

Austin’s eyes betrayed him, as he quickly looked at his pants and belt. From our past sessions, I knew he didn’t like either, but he also felt more mature when he wore them. For a Little that had been regressed so severely before, maturity was important. Now, however, I could see the painful expression in his eyes over them. “No… I wanna take ‘em off…”

I smiled. “I want you to feel comfortable here, Austin. If you don’t want to wear them, I won’t judge you. I promise, I will still see you as the same Austin you were before.” With my reassurance, he needed no other prompting and in seconds, he ripped his shoes, socks, jeans, and belt off and tossed them casually on the ground.

Now that he was clearly happier and freer, I went about going through a few scenarios with him, but I could still see the fear over what he was doing and that he would be judged by someone else. Even when I turned on the calming music that soothed most Littles, I could still sense his hesitancy. I knew it was just our first session with this new method of immersion and removing his guilt over how he dressed or looked, but I thought I could see something deeper there as well. Guilt was plastered across his surface level feelings, but I just knew something else was there. Seeing his slowly growing contended smile with this new method of immersion, I didn’t want to poke, but I knew that it was better to poke in here rather than risk someone else poking him outside and risk another withdrawal inside himself in public.

“Austin…” He quickly looked up at me from his almost daydream-like state. “We’ve talked a lot about what you went through… while you were kidnapped.” His smile quickly vanished. “It was the basis of why began to see each other in the first place, and I know a lot, but I think something is still holding you back. It could very well be something else, but I’m getting the feeling that it has something to do with that time.”

His smile vanishing was just the first step, and next, I could almost see the life and energy drain away from him completely. I hated doing this to my happy patients, but when he ultimately nodded over my suspicions, I also felt the relief from poking in just the right spot. It was terrible, but I just hoped I could help him now. He had been through enough. He didn’t need to feel guilt as well in his new life.

“I tol’ you ‘bou’ dose people…” I nodded, remembering several of his stories in a flash. “Dey made da days as bad as dey coul’ be.” What he described in detail to me next left me nearly speechless. Beatings, spankings, and other punishments and essentially torture routines were common for Littles like Austin and the others he was with. He had spoken of them before, but it had only been just enough to convict that survivalist group and not much else.

“Dey depwived us of foo’, sweep, even when dey woul’ cwean us off. Of da fifteen, five bwoke wiff’n a week. By da secon’ month… onwy six of us wemained… sane.” I shuddered after each detail he revealed next to me.

I could see he was starting to struggle with the next part of his story. I leaned forward and gave him a sympathetic smile. “It’s okay, Austin. They can’t hurt you anymore. They’re long gone and you’re safe. Just take some breaths and go slow.”

He smiled and nodded. He took a few small breaths, then one deep breath, and I could already see his eyes begin to mist, but he was still able to continue. “I wesisted mo’ an’ I became… da weaduh… boss even of dem to help dem geh’ back home. I made a pwomise… I twied givin’ dem hope buh’ da otthaw baddies saw. Dey pushed hawduh aftuh.” He blinked back the tears and wiped his nose on his arm.

Trying to offer what comfort I could, I handed him a box of tissues and he blew loudly. “And you said that not long after the last of them was regressed, you were rescued, right?”

Unfortunately, Austin nodded. It didn’t take a genius to see where his guilt was stemming from. “Fifteen Wittles an’ I was da onwy one to be saved. As da weaduh, I should’ve gone fiwst! Saved da othuhs befo’ myself!”

“And that makes you guilty whenever you give into those instincts to be more of your Little self.” I looked at his discarded clothing on the floor and then back to his green onesie that he still wore that had been underneath it all but looked so much more comfortable in. “Even if that makes you uncomfortable or alienated in life with your friends.”

Austin nodded. “How can I dwink a sippy cup o’ watch cawtoons when my pwevious fwiens… da ones countin’ on me to bwing dem home… can’t even wift a cup by demselves anymo’…?”

I sighed. “Austin… that’s too big of a burden to put on yourself,” I tried to reason with him. “You did the best you could…” Still, despite my words, I could see that Austin was retreating within himself. His guilt, internally justified or not, was getting the better of him and I knew I was running out of time before I was too late.

Panicking over losing him all over again for today at least, I looked around my room for things that could help him. I knew as a last resort that I could have hugged him, but unlike Bernard before, I knew that Austin could just take the hug as me forcibly placing my own feelings on him. He could lash out or feel that I wasn’t taking him seriously enough and that might have just been worse than doing nothing.

I was just about out of ideas, seeing that most things in my office were useless or just could make him worse alone, but finally, in the corner of the room between my psychology textbooks and filing cabinet, I saw it. Knowing there wasn’t a moment to lose, I put my pad and pen down and hurried over to retrieve the object I had spotted for him.

When I put the enormous stuffed teddy bear in Austin’s arms at first, I swore I could almost see a look of betrayal flash across his face. The stuffy was a large risk, but I also knew that it could have great rewards as well. Satisfied he wasn’t going to throw it though; I sat back down in my seat.

When Austin looked back at me in bewilderment still afterward though, I knew I had to explain. “I know you still might harbor some guilt over what happened to your friends, but I want you to think of that bear as a surrogate of sorts for you. Just hug him a little bit, but not in just another friend relationship kind of way. When you hug him, I want you to put all your feelings, your bad thoughts, emotions, all that makes you feel sad right inside of him. Use him as a sponge for all the bad in you and a shield for all the bad around you. Don’t worry, he can take it, but for me, just try for a moment. If you don’t like him, you can always set him back down and we can then try something else.”

Austin hesitated, but eventually hugged the bear. Like almost every Little out there however, the transformation was nearly instantaneous as I could see the relief wash over his face. The bear wasn’t even the best out on the market anymore these days, but his size and internal mechanics were designed to help increase the release of brain chemicals associated with peace and happiness. No tricks like others, but just the feelings one would normally get by hugging were amplified by only a little bit.

Seeing his comfort and ease with the bear, I knew now was my time to really hit home with what I needed him to hear. “Austin… I know you might feel guilty for a long time, but I want you to hear at least from me that what happened, wasn’t your fault.” To my relief and delight, Austin began to hug the bear even tighter. “You did everything you could for your friends. It wasn’t enough in time and that’s a tragedy and I can only say that I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

Austin nodded and buried himself further into the soft embrace of the larger than usual teddy bear. “I know they were regressed themselves and you promised to get them home. They didn’t as they were but know that their last thoughts before succumbing to your kidnappers’ designs, were about your comfort and that you at least had given them a chance. It was always a tiny chance, and your kidnappers should be punished eternally for that, and they are, but you also gave them hope in that compound. They didn’t have much, but you gave them that… and that’s not nothing… not by a long shot.”

I could see that Austin had heard me, and while tears streamed down his face, his face was still one of relief. What I said was only logical, and others could have thought of it, but for Austin, I knew he had probably never heard of those words before. By now, he had probably only heard about the tragedy of the LPS rescue at that compound and that 14 Littles were permanently regressed and lost to the will of madmen. His kidnappers would pay for years for their crimes, what exactly was still heavily up for debate, but Austin had received little peace from a verdict that though was a measure of justice, still wouldn’t help his friends. It was all so terrible, but today, I was happy that I had found another way to ease his burdens and that maybe I might have just found him the peace he was so desperate to find in the aftermath of it all.   

A few questions and answers later, from his face, I couldn’t see a drop of sadness or fear anymore. “So, how do you feel Austin? Are you doing okay?”

Austin quickly nodded. “Uh-huh… I feel nice an’ comfy… safe… pwotected… iss dat stwange?”

I smiled and shook my head. “Not at all. Teddy bears exist for a reason.” I sighed and saw the cute sight before me of Austin still hugging the stuffed animal. “I know being a Little gets a lot of bad stigmas sometimes, but I don’t want you to think about others. I want you to think about you and your friends… they would want you to be happy. So, be happy, Austin. I won’t tell you not to feel guilty, but don’t hold back from living in the moment because of them. If you want to do something, even if it looks younger than you’re supposed to be, if it makes you happy, just do it, okay?” Still holding onto the bear, Austin smiled and nodded contentedly.

Like in most of my sessions, I then got Austin talking about his past week and the positives he could find from it. I could tell that most of his stories ended in caveats of holding back from fully enjoying something though, but it just made me more relieved over our session today. If everything went according to plan, I knew that he could have the potential for dozens of new and exciting events to tell me about next week.

While we were talking though, Polly also came up a lot. She was a bit of a hippy in my opinion, especially for Losantiville these days, but she was a caring figure that was always respective of Austin’s limits or wants. She was court-appointed but I had quickly approved of her the first time I had met her after she had been assigned to Austin. The pair made for an unlikely successful caregiver-Little combo, but they made it work well.

Still, most of Austin’s stories focused on his time at daycare or with his friends afterward or on the weekends. Polly rarely popped into his stories, but when she did, he almost always beamed with happiness… for the most part. “…an’ den we wen’ to da faiw! Powwy gah’ me some popcown an’ cotton candy!”

“Oh?” It was nice hearing a positive story for once in his weekly rundown of his recollections. “Did you all ride any rides?”

Austin enthusiastically nodded his head. “Uh-huh! We wode da mewwy-go-woun’ an’ even a wolluh coastuh. I got scawed dough…” His face quickly saddened, and I quickly focused in with concern. “Powwy wanted ta hug me… I dink… buh’ I dink she wass also scawed to also…”

I had unfortunately heard this story countless times before. Up here in the northern part of the country, Big’s were often almost reverential, or at least respectful of their Littles. It was a nice change of pace from even a decade ago, knowing full-well of all those awful stories that people still talked about like modern day horror tales, but with that as well, several Bigs had even become fearful lately of doing something wrong. They saw Littles as people, and that was wonderful, but I often saw these Bigs tiptoe around their Littles afterward, worried that they were going to cross a line with them. Polly seemed like she had fallen into this trap as well.  

“Hmmm… so she wants to hug you, but you think she’s worried about stepping over the line with you?” Austin nodded. “Well, that must be frustrating for you and her. I’m glad you noticed that, but let me ask you this… would you have wanted her to hug you in that moment?”

Austin clearly thought really hard about it, but eventually nodded his head. “Uh-huh. I can’t do dings sometimes an’ I get scawed of huwtin’ myself… I wish she would jus’ tweat me like Billy gets tweated sometimes…”

His friend, Billy, also just happened to be another one of my patients. Illegal fishing outside of the runoff from the Juventas plant had given him a double blast full of FOY and had rapidly regressed after. It had been terrifying for him, but his sister’s friend had quickly jumped into help. She still respected him, but she had no qualms about treating him like the Little she saw he was when she deemed fit. If I didn’t know any better, Austin almost seemed to be jealous of that type of affection now. It quickly made me curious about trying something today.

“Austin… I want to bring Polly in on this for a minute… do you think that would be okay?” I finally asked. He hesitated but still nodded while also hugging his bear.

I smiled and stood up and then opened my door and looked at Polly. “Polly… could you come inside for a bit? Nothing to worry about… just want to talk about some bits.”

Polly seemed nervous, but smiled warmly and then entered my office, her feathered earrings and flowy clothing swaying gently behind her as she did. “Is everything okay, Doc?”

I nodded and gestured to Austin. Polly’s eyes bugged out as she saw her onesie-clad Little hugging a bear. “As you can see, we’ve made some progress today.” I then pulled up my other chair. “Please, have a seat.” Polly did, but her shocked eyes never left the sight of Austin.

“You see, Polly, Austin was feeling some guilt over a few things. I’ll let him share that if he wants later, but I just wanted to show you that he’s looking for some external traditional Little trappings, if you will.”

Polly finally turned and looked over at me with both happiness and curiosity. “What’s that even supposed to mean?”

“Well, simply,” I explained, “he wants to enjoy being a Little. Still retain the abilities he’s gained back, but he wants to give into some of his instincts… instead of fighting them. It’s perfectly natural… healthy even, but he needs you as well to do this.”

“Oh?” She quickly turned back to Austin. “Is this true, honey?”

I could see the nervousness in Austin already, probably fearing where this path could lead to. “It’s okay, Austin. This is a safe place and I’m sure that Polly just wants to help you.” Polly wasted no time in nodding her head in agreement.

He sighed and finally relented. “I jus’ get scawed sometimes… I don’ wanna be a baby, buh’ a hug woul’ be nice… maybe even some wuv sometimes?”

At first, I don’t think she knew how to respond, but she soon cracked. “Oh, sweetie… I’m so, so sorry!” I could see the guilt flash across her face. If any of the past Bigs I had seen were any indication, she was probably thinking back to all the times she now wished she had done something different.

“It’s okay, Polly,” I made sure to console her. My job was to help Littles, but since they were so interconnected with their Bigs at the stage Austin was currently at, I knew they needed my help sometimes as well. “The main thing to focus on now is helping Austin out where he needs it.” I could see the guilt still dancing about on her face. “How about this? Austin has his bear, but he just might like a hug now…” We both looked at Austin, who wasted no time in nodding just about as fast as he could.

“Oh, baby!” Polly wailed as she then immediately went over and hugged her Little. It was a tender moment, and even a little bit later when she used the opportunity to check his diaper, there were no tears or tantrums from Austin. Polly was just doing the job he needed her to do, but now he knew he could be a Little without feeling the need to be guilty and she knew she could be his caregiver without feeling her own guilt.

“Oh! Who’s this?” Polly then questioned the bear next to Austin he still held onto with one arm like she had now only just seen him.

“I dunno… Doctuh M gave him ta me…” They both then looked in my direction.

I nodded to confirm my loan to him. “I keep him in here for my other patients when needed. They’ve come to calling him Fluffers.”

Both grinned and Polly stroked Austin’s back. “Sweetie… I think Dr. Mengell needs him to stay, but how about this?” I could clearly see his distress as Austin squirmed uncomfortably, though clearly it was over the notion of parting with Fluffers, as opposed to something like his still exposed wet diaper. “How about we get you a new friend after this when we leave?”

I don’t think I had ever seen such a turnaround in emotions as Austin did right then. His pouting lips and fearful eyes soon transformed into giddiness to the point where he nearly bounced off the couch. “Yes! Yes! Oh, pwease, yes!”

Polly and I both chuckled. “Well, I guess that settles it then. We’ll go to Littles R’ Us and pick you up the best toy they have. Sound fun?”

Austin repeated his joyful mantra over and over. By then, I knew I was losing him fast to his inner regression. While still very much the more mature Little over many of his other regressed friends, Austin still occasionally swayed into his more Little self when his emotions were heightened. Happiness was certainly one of them.

Still, I wanted to know one more thing before both left entirely, and fortunately, with Polly in the room now, she was able to get Austin calmed back down a bit. “Thank you, Polly.” I then turned back to my patient. “Now, Austin. We’ve been seeing each other for a while now. I have some ideas if you don’t have any, so don’t worry if you’re not sure, but is there a place you want to be heading with our sessions?”

I made sure to ask him the question rather than share my own plans. I did make some like I noted, and I knew it was a hard question to ask a Little now largely focused on purchasing a new stuffed toy to later cuddle with, but I wanted to give him the power a little bit this time. He experienced enough loss that I knew he would appreciate the gesture.

“Hmmm… dat’s a toughy… I dunno, Doc,” he answered honestly.

I was going to tell him that it was okay, but I could tell Polly wanted to know as well. With her newfound sense of care for her Little and the permission to push the boundaries of their relationship a little, she turned to him. “Austin… is there anything you still want changed? I know there’s some things you can’t change, and I’ll help you with those…” I could quickly see her eyes darting to his even wetter diaper now. “But, I mean, is there anything you don’t like and wish could be different?”

Austin seemed perplexed for a moment still, but his eyes soon widened, and he nodded. “Yes… I don’ wanna be afwaid anymo’ of dis pwace an’ I don’ wanna be awone…”

His words felt like they grew my heart three sizes and just about wanted to pop it, but his feelings were still valid. They would have been anyway regardless, but sadly, it was nothing I hadn’t heard dozens of times before with other patients. So, I gave him a reassuring smile. “I can do that, Austin. We can definitely do that together.”

And just like that, the session was over. We talked a little more about next steps and the like, but as soon as Polly helped redress Austin, both were headed back out to the lobby. “Here.” I then handed Polly a note with a few suggestions over what to get Austin at Littles R’ Us. Some of it was what to include… others were about brands and features to avoid.

Polly saw both and smiled. “Thank you, Doc.” She started to head out but paused and turned back to me. “Actually, almost forgot about it, but if you see Dr. Belamy, can you thank him for us? He’s been such a help with Austin’s recouperation. We can’t thank you enough for his recommendation.”

My eyes narrowed and I wondered just what was happening. “Uh, I mean, sure… I’d be happy to, but don’t you all usually just see him tomorrow most weeks in the afternoon?”

Austin and Polly both sighed and I could see there was an issue already. “Well, yes… but see, he called out sick two weeks ago and then didn’t show up last week. A lot of other of his patients had the same issue, but after doing some searching, we were already pointed to a new one. So, no big deal, but if you see him, can you let him know?”

“Oh…” Fear gripped me fully. Another doctor… or maybe the same. ‘Surely four missing doctors in the same city can’t be a coincidence, right?’ It was a very bad sign, but I knew Polly and Austin didn’t need to know that fact themselves in this case. I knew I had to put on a façade and make them feel safe for now. “I’m sorry to hear that, but if I see him, I’ll definitely let him know.”

Both then smiled at me, waved goodbye, and hand in hand, left the office together. I was very happy over today’s session, but my fear still lingered about the four missing doctors, so I turned to Carol.

“Is everything okay, Dr. Mengell?” she asked worriedly, likely after seeing my frozen and nervous face.

“No… no, I don’t think it is…” I then snapped out of my fear-induced stupor and walked over to Carol’s desk. “I need to see something on the main terminal here. Can you look up the three doctors that were being used by Carmen, Julianne, and Bernard?”

“Uh… certainly…” I could see the panic and confusion begin to set in with Carol as well, but she immediately went to work. Not long after, her computer then beeped and I looked down to see what the records had to say. “Uh… Doctor?”

I focused my eyes on the four blinking lines. Clearly and boldly, Carol had even included Austin’s doctor, and all were confirmed to have been Dr. Ethan Belamy. “What does this mean, Doctor?”

I wish I had the answers to all life’s questions, but the fact is that I was just another person like everyone else. “I don’t know… I mean, something is happening, but I just don’t know what. We need to find more proof of something being an issue, but until we can, we just have to sit tight.”

The clock in the reception area then clicked and I saw that it was the top of the hour already. My next patient was going to be in here any moment, and I wasn’t ready. “Come on. Help me wipe things down again. I don’t like when another Little doctor has been gone for at least a week and no one seems to know where, but for now, we need to focus on the present.” Carol nodded and quickly pulled out the wipes once more. As much as my advice was valid, even my own mind kept drifting back to Dr. Belamy. Little doctors just don’t disappear into thin air. ‘Right?’ The clock struck again, and I quickly had to think about my next patient. Despite Dr. Belamy’s apparent disappearance, I knew my next patient deserved all my care and attention as the rest of my patients had received before this new revelation.

[Guilend]

The plot thickens. I wouldn't be surprised if it was discovered that Polly secretly wears diapers for "fun time" after her Little goes to sleep 😂. (Fine, I think that for about every female Amazon in a story 😂)

Speaking of roleplay, I bet a lot of Amazon's roleplay as an adopted Little, especially when the Amazon couple doesn't have a Little of their own 😂 

As for the next story. I hope you saw my vote. I'm curious if the changes to the Amazon caregiver is her big girl panties to thick diapers and the choice she is said to have been made is her making a big mess in her big girl panties 😂

[LostBBoyBear]

Hey everyone!

This chapter now marks the over halfway point in this much shorter story than I usually put out here. After this, there are in fact only two more chapters, so just sit back and enjoy the ride. As I noted previously, the next chapters should be out sometime this week (likely Tuesday and Thursday at this point), so keep a lookout for when they do.

Next, as a reminder, there is currently a vote going for the next story I write. It will be done after my break at some point, but due to the short nature of this story, the timing for this vote will be short. As usual, if no one votes or there is a tie, I will use my discretion over what story is next (though in the event of a tie and there are several attributing votes, I may extend the vote and decide after my break). For now, though, this vote will end when I post my final chapter next Thursday at the latest. Further details about the specific date will come in subsequent chapters, but for those wanting to participate and haven’t read about them previously, the potential story options are located in the beginning of chapter 2.

Finally, and back to this tale, I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter of this story!

Chapter 4: A Growing Unease

The clock ticked by, and just to be sure, I even checked my own watch. ‘Nope. Reception area clock shows nearly the same time as my watch…’ Becky and Avery were both now five minutes late. Not very long mind you, but Avery, Becky’s caregiver, was one of the most punctual people I had ever met. It served him well as a small business owner and in the several months I had seen Becky, they had never been late once. Considering that they were also just returning from a last-minute trip away and I hadn’t seen them in two weeks… my mind quickly bounced to the worst-case scenarios.

Still thinking about the disappearance of Dr. Belamy and having just seen Austin, I flashed to several news stories of Littles, and even their Bigs, that had been kidnapped and taken far away. The Bigs would be drugged and set loose in the wilderness in a different country or in the most remote region they could find while the Little would be regressed and sold off to the highest caregiver, scientist, or illegal breeder available. It was now six minutes past the hour.

“I’m sure they’ll be here soon, Dr. Mengell,” Carol tried to comfort me after a few more minutes, clearly seeing my pacing back and forth and my continued watch over the clocks nearby me.

I smiled over her reassurance and quickly nodded my head to the Middle. “Right, right. You’re right, Carol. I shouldn’t be worried. Austin running late is no big deal… especially what?” I looked back at the clock. “Yeah… ten, no, eleven minutes late is not an issue, right? I mean, for them at least?”

Carol sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure, Doctor. I’m just as in the dark as you as to where they are and if they’re okay. I mean, do you think…?” she started, but then stopped as we both heard the door downstairs open and quickly slam shut. “You know… that’s probably them now.”

Of course, she was absolutely right and less than a minute later, both hurried inside the reception area. It could have just been the stress from coming back from their trip together, but the usual neat and tidy appearance of both, or as much as Becky could manage given her younger mindset, was now in disarray.

“Sorry, sorry,” Avery practically panted as he closed the door behind him, having to reshuffle around just to keep the diaper bag slung over his shoulders from falling off. “Sorry we’re late. We were… delayed.”

I then stepped forward and smiled sympathetically at both of them. “It’s okay, Avery. I was getting a little worried, but now you’re both here.” I looked down briefly at Becky and the usually bright and even mischievous and rambunctious Little now seemed like she could blow over with a stiff breeze.

Curious, as Avery dropped the diaper bag in one of the seats, I questioned him. “Uh, is everything okay, Avery? I know it might just be the stress of coming back and all, but you two seem a little… stressed.”

Avery sighed and nodded. “To be honest, Doc, we are. It’s been a few tough weeks, but I’ll let Becky explain it more to you herself if she’s up to it.”

I looked back down at the fidgeting and nervous Little and was curious if she actually would be willing at all. Still, I knew I needed to assuage her nerves at least a little bit for now. “It’s okay, Becky. I’m not upset that you were late today, and this is a safe place, remember?” She hesitated but then slowly nodded. “Good. How about you take a seat and I’ll be right in, okay?” Again, Becky just nodded and almost jittered the whole way as she toddled into my office.

I then looked back at Avery. “Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will be okay. Tough weeks can be difficult to deal with, but I’ll see what she has to say, and we can go from there.”

He grimly smiled back at me and nodded. “Thank you, Doc. It’s all just been… a lot, but you’re a real lifesaver.”

I quickly thanked him, made sure he was comfortable waiting, and then joined Becky in my office before sitting down and taking out her file and my pad of paper. Despite the normalcy of their visits now, and the open communication that I thought we shared with each other, I could see that both were holding something back that they weren’t fully telling me about other than just a casual mention of a ‘tough week.’ It made me nervous, but to combat whatever was going on with them, I made a plan to see Becky first and then in all likelihood, actually see Avery today as well to get to the bottom of what I was seeing.

For now, though, I refocused on the fidgeting and almost frightened looking Little in front of me. I was looking forward to our visit, because of all my Littles, I actually felt she was the most comfortable being a Little now and was almost ready to switch to an every-other-week session instead. Looking at her now though, I wasn’t feeling as confident in that notion. Still, like all my other patients, I opened her file and began to read.

*              *              *

Patient Name: Becky Ryman

Biological Age: 24 Years old

Estimated Mental Age: Elementary school age or younger depending on emotional state

Former Occupation: Fashion designer at local boutique

Current Occupation: Little of Avery but assists in his small business of toy repair

Regression Initiated: 237 days ago

Notes: Patient was admitted to me through a favor to Officer Kenny as promised in our mutual agreement with each other. Patient has fully accepted her ‘Daddy’ figure Avery, into her life now after initial first several weeks of rejecting him initially. I suspect this is largely due to the fact that her mental and physical regressions have caused her to realize she needs help in most aspects of life now and is now more comfortable in her mostly stabilized life and Little age. I also suspect her pairing with his small business of toy repair has allowed her some independence and grasp of her former career as a fashion designer. Due to exceeding expectations of her care on most fronts, I may refer Patient to another Little therapist or see progressively less if deemed acceptable in future visits.

*              *              *

I sighed as I read my previous last line. Becky was leveling out around a two-year-old in several of her physical and emotional skills, but her mind had only regressed back to an elementary school age. Independence was out of the question still, but through our work and her pairing with Avery, she was able to make great strides in accepting her new life.

Still, seeing her today, I felt like we were starting all over again in several aspects. Her fidgeting, mumbling, and even her sad eyes and shy self around me was just how I remembered her when she first came to see me after being recommended by Officer Kenny. Her local boutique store was on his usual route, and he noticed her having difficulty as the week progressed, until finally, she broke down into tears in front of him. I saw her the next day and I had been with her ever since.

Our work together was tough but fair, and I began to see her smile with increasing regularity each time she came back. New regression symptoms always were tough, like when she first began to wear diapers again, but we had conquered them together. Now, I felt something new was very wrong, but I just wasn’t sure what… yet.

“So, Becky… I heard from Avery that it’s been a few tough weeks. Do you feel up to telling me about that?” Becky only squirmed and even whimpered a little. Clearly, she wasn’t ready for that yet, so I decided on going a different route for the time being. “Okay, how about your trip? Do you remember where you went?”

Becky was hesitant at first, but finally stopped ringing her hands and rocking back and forth on the couch. “We wen’ ta Gaule…” I knew that, but I needed to start somewhere to get her to open up to me today.

“Oh, that sounds lovely. Did you go to Lutetia and see the Koechlin Tower maybe?” I asked, still hoping I would be able to make it there and the rest of the country myself this year with Vincent. I knew his punishment status would make that difficult, but with the country’s history, beaches, culture, food, and being a safe haven for so many Littles, I knew it was a sure bet that we both would enjoy.

Becky nodded. “Uh-huh. Daddy pu’ me on his shoulduhs a wot… ih’ was fun, buh’…” she then quickly trailed off and sirens began to go off in my head.

As I had thought for Vincent, Gaule was a more pro-Little country and most tourists from Libertalia went there these days to get away from the more pro-Big elements forming lately. Change was in the air around here in most of Libertalia, but for a lot of people, it wasn’t coming fast enough to protect the Littles already here. As such, my mind quickly leapt to the idea that maybe their trip had been so sudden for a good reason… a reason that would make both so secretive.

Curious about this, but not wanting to get Avery or Becky into any trouble, I knew I was going to have to go about my questioning very carefully. The fact that they had returned was a good sign, but their nervousness was not however, if the scenario in my head actually had occurred to one degree or another.

“So, Becky, would you say that you were happy after our appointment two weeks ago?” I already knew the answer, but I just wanted to confirm it.

As I suspected, Becky’s face lit up. “Oh, yeah! Ih’ was so gweat! Timmy didn’ wan’ to pull my hair anymo’ aftuh I dih’ wha’ you told me to!”

“I’m very glad to hear that, Becky.” Timmy had been pulling her hair for over a week before then but had always made sure to do it while no one was watching. It was a classic transference over to Becky of his own recent failures as being a mature Little, having just lost his potty privileges there the week before. Feeling insecure, I knew he had looked for an easy target to vent his frustrations onto. It was all classic for the bully type, but through my talks with Becky, we discovered he almost always pulled her hair after she had done something mature herself. So, we laid a trap if he did it again.

She had exhausted all my normal suggestions, such as talking to him, walking away, etcetera, but he persisted, so she had clearly initiated the next step. “Because he got caught by Miss Abernathy?”

Becky quickly nodded her head. “Uh-huh! I did weally well in da pickup game to cwean up da woom. He saw an’ waited, buh’ den I wan away an’ he followed, dough ih was wigh whewe Miss A coul’ see him when he pulled my hair. He gah’ sen’ to da naughee seat aftuh dat.”

I hated to smile over another Little getting punished, but I was happy that Becky had achieved the success she did, so, I knew it wasn’t Wednesday at least that something had gone wrong. “I’m very proud of you, Becky. You tried everything else, but when he kept going, you just made sure that Miss Abernathy would see and punish him herself. I’m sure Avery was really proud of you for doing that as well.”

“Uh-huh!” she confirmed. “We wen’ ou’ ta geh’ ice cweam latuh.”

“That’s wonderful! Did you go to Spencer’s Treat shop then?” Becky nodded gleefully, so I knew it wasn’t Wednesday night either. Receiving a cancellation phone call from Avery on Friday morning, that only left Thursday. “So, did you help your daddy on Thursday in the shop?”

For the first time since I had started this new way of figuring out what was wrong, Becky hesitated, and her smile fell away completely. Seeing that I was on the right track at least now, I looked back at my previous notes. “Uh, let’s see… you said last time that you were fixing up a… Cassie doll. Were you able to finish her?”

Fortunately, Becky nodded. “Her dwess wen’ back togethuh so nicewy. Lotsa pwetty woses an’ fwom abou’ ten yeaws ago. I was vewy pwoud of ih. Even made anothuh dwess as a supwise fo’ her.” I loved it when she talked about fashion in our sessions. It had always been her true passion, which is why she had her own boutique store downtown before she was regressed. Unable to keep focused with the books though, I had convinced her to shut it down and after were some of her toughest days.

Fortunately, Avery entered her life not long after, and while the two bickered and couldn’t find the line of their newfound relationship between independence and needing help, they eventually found a rhythm and I convinced Avery to get her to start working at his small business of fixing toys. Small tasks at first, but he quickly could see that her valuable sewing skills were still there. She took longer than she used to, but by now, she had fixed likely hundreds of ripped toys and dolls’ dresses. It had helped her transition immensely, so thinking back, I was curious why she hesitated at first to talk about it. It gave me another idea to narrow the timeline even further.

“That sounds like you did a wonderful job, as always.” Beckly blushed a little at the compliment. “So, it seems like you finished with her. Any new projects after her then?”

Becky smiled broadly. “Oh yeah! I gotta Miss Pink teddy dat day an’ wen wigh to wowk on fixin’ da back seam. Wiff aww da ewectonics and weird stuff Daddy had ta hewp me wiff, ih took fowevuh!”

“I’m sure it did, but I’m also sure her owner really loved it when you finished her that day,” I partially fibbed to her. I knew she hadn’t finished it, based on the other projects like it in the past she had talked about, but I was hoping she was going to walk right into her story and narrow my timeline even further to that night.

She shook her head. “No, no. Ih was too compwicated aftuh da Cassie doll, an’ Daddy said we had ta go, an’ den…” Her face immediately clouded and her previously outspoken and even shining body posture retreated into itself like she had when she first walked in today.

‘Got it.’ I didn’t like that she had retreated into herself again, but I was glad that I finally narrowed down the timeline to some point on Thursday afternoon. If something bad did happen, and Becky and Avery somehow ‘disappeared,’ I could always now point Officer Kenny to the right timeline to look back at as a lead to follow up on.

“Becky…” I began slowly, “what happened after you were working on Miss Pink? Did something happen to your daddy? To Avery?” Becky hesitated but ultimately shook her head, but she did it in a way that made me think that she had fibbed, and something had happened to him, but that something happening to him wasn’t the whole story either.

“Hmmm… I noticed your shop was closed last week. It was all shuttered up, so was Mrs. Tisdale on vacation as well?” Becky looked up at me with wide eyes, and I could tell she knew I was onto her previous fib. Mrs. Tisdale was an elderly Middle who often came in and worked on touch-up work with many of the toys, ranging from paint to polishing. Nearly retired but deriving true joy from her work, I don’t think I had ever heard about a time where she had called off work.

“Pwease… I don’ wanna tawk abou’ ih…” Beckly pleaded with me. That was usually my signal to stop poking, but I felt that Becky was about to tell me something important and that even her and Avery’s safety could have been in jeopardy. So, I pushed a bit further.

“I know you’re scared, Becky, and it’s okay to be.” I briefly wondered where her stuffed clownfish was, but I knew other things were more important for the moment. “Please talk to me though, Becky. It will be okay. I just…”

“No ih won’!” she cried back at me before breaking down and heaving into her pulled up knees on the couch. I knew I had hit a button, but now that I had, I had to ease her out of where she was at and still find out if she was going to be okay after she left here today.

“Shh, shh,” I tried to calm her. “It’s okay, Becky. Whatever happened, I’m sure you’re not at fault and that it will work itself out.”

“Buh’ ih is my faul’…” she dropped her knees and sniffled for a moment. “I was thwowin’ my twash away an’ I lef’ da back doow open… den he walked in…”

Her story had just taken the turn I had been waiting for all this time, but I still wasn’t fully prepared for it. “Who, Becky? Who walked in?”

Becky shook her head. “I dunno! He jus’ stawted yellin’ at Daddy an’ me in da shop. Daddy pwotected me, buh’ da man stawted thowin’ dings. Daddy den showed da camewas an’ da man wan off. Mrs. Tisdale was dere as well an’ she hugged me while Daddy den wan off too.”

“He ran off?” I asked skeptically about Avery. I knew there had to be something to it because he truly loved Becky by now and there was no way he would ever leave her, even if Mrs. Tisdale was there. “Did he chase after the bad man?”

“Uh-huh, buh’ he didn’ catch ‘em…” I could see the pain from that night was still fresh, but I also wondered if that was all that had happened. I knew I was already going to be trying to speak to Avery today as well, so I let that feeling go for the moment.

“I’m so sorry about all that, Becky. At least you and your daddy are safe. That’s the important thing.” Becky tearfully nodded and I handed her the tissue box so she could blow her nose.

One trumpet blast and some sputtering and wiping later, Becky looked up at me with fear and trepidation. “Can I tell you a secwet if you pwomise nah ta tell?”

I really didn’t like promises like that, but from her wavering eyes, I could see that it was important to her. I knew it could be a lie, in case it was a danger to herself, but I ultimately nodded. “Of course, Becky. You know you can tell me anything.”

Becky sighed. “I wish I was younguh… as a widdle…”

The revelation came as a complete shock to me. In all my time as a therapist, I had never once heard of someone wanting to be younger. Even when I met the occasional Little from Earth who actually wanted this lifestyle, a little regression would come their way, and they would be satisfied with wherever they ended up landing at. So, when Becky revealed her secret, all I could ask was, “And why do you want that, Becky?”

Becky began to fidget with her hands again. “I jus’ don’ feel safe anymo’…” she mourned. “Younguh Wittles nevuh geh’ bullied by Bigs. Dey jus’ awe wef’ awone. I wan’ dat… I wanna be safe.”

Now her desire made more sense to me. While I hadn’t heard of a Little wanting to be younger before, I had continually heard of their desire to be ‘safe.’ To some extent, every Little I had seen today had wanted that at some point to one degree or another. Becky’s solution was rough and would be messy, but there was a regrettable sliver of truth to her words as well. Being outsiders and often not taken seriously, Littles often told the truth far more than most Bigs would give them credit for.

“That must be very challenging, Becky, but do you know what goes into being a younger Little? I mean, as it is already, you’re likely around the two-year old mark with some of your abilities at worst. Any younger though, and you would start to experience some massive changes. Even more than you’ve already experienced.” I quickly thought of my own Vincent back home, likely taking a nap right now after yet another bottle feeding and possible diaper change. I didn’t think Becky would truly want that type of lifestyle.

I then saw the notion of being younger truly start to spin around in her head. From her hesitation earlier, I knew she had thought of it before, and probably had felt ashamed of the desire, hence my need to keep a secret, but like most Littles, she was likely only thinking so far ahead. It wasn’t their fault, and many Littles were brilliant beforehand, but regression was a difficult burden to bear and came with several side effects.

“Buh’ dey seem so bwisful… an’ happy.” She blew again into the tissue she had taken from the box I had given her and now lay beside her on the couch. “Is dat so wong fo’ me ta wan’?”

I warmly smiled and shook my head. “Of course not, sweetie, but I want you to really think about it first.” She started to, and I knew I had to plainly present the options to her.

“I know some people and they could make you younger, but there’s a lot that goes into it afterward if you really go through with this. For example, you wear diapers now, but if you were younger, you wouldn’t even be able to tell if you were messy or not. It would just be another day for you… even if that meant dirtying your clothes.” I paused for a moment. “Or your sleep as another example…” Now, Becky seemed to really start to get what I was telling her. “You don’t like naps, but if you were mentally younger, you would be sleeping a lot more.” Her eyes filled with horror. It was almost cute, but I knew I needed to add one final push to help her in this case.

“Plus, if you were younger… you might have the physical abilities to sew, but you wouldn’t have the mental ability to do it anymore. If anything, you might just stick the fabric in your mouth, or worse, the needle itself. I don’t think Avery would let you fix toys anymore… it would only be to play with them, and even then, depending on how young you were, that might not even be guaranteed.”

And that was it. I knew it would be, but her resolve all crumbled at once after my mention of her no longer being able to sew. It wasn’t the fashion path she had once dreamed of, but she now clung onto what she had with every fiber of her being. Sewing being taken away was clearly unacceptable to her… like I knew it would be. “I don’ wanna be younguh!” She blew her nose into the tissue once more. “Buh’ I don’ wanna be scawed! Is dat so bad? Shouldn’ I be safe?”

I agreed with her and quickly nodded my head. I was only here to make recommendations to my patients and help them through the hard parts of their lives as much as I could. Regression was certainly one of them, but if Becky really wanted it, I would have just helped her… if that was what she truly wanted. I had a suspicion she didn’t, so I pushed, and now I knew that what she really wanted was simple and yet the desire of every Little in our world. She just wanted to be cared for and to be safe.

“Becky… I know it’s a lot to take in. These protestors and pro-Big supporters are really scary, but like Timmy, sometimes, you need to stand up to them and not run away.” I could see that Becky was still trembling over what had happened that day, and again, I felt there was something else, but I just pushed forward.

“What you do with Avery… it’s amazing,” I complimented her.

I could see Becky’s spirits begin to rise. “You dink so?”

I nodded. “I know so. What you do helps so many Littles. In fact, I met with a Little earlier today that held one of the bunny’s you fixed up a few months ago. We talked about a lot of hard things, but because of that bunny, she made it through with a smile on her face in the end.” I smiled back at her and saw that my new information was really striking a chord in her. “If you were younger, you could be safe, but you would likely lose the ability to help other Littles in that way forever.” She began to panic, and I knew I had to give her another option. “Instead, be brave and stick with Avery. He’ll protect you and I’ll make sure to do what I can. I can’t promise you much, but I can promise you that.”

Becky thought about my words for a moment and to my relief, she ultimately smiled back at me. “Dank you, Doctuh. It was jus’ so scawy, buh’ you’re wigh’. I can’t jus’ wun away… too many otter Wittles need me who can’t fix dere toys demselves. Dank you…”

“You’re very welcome, Becky.” After that, we discussed more of the exciting things that she and Avery did in Gaule together and I was glad that it was the break they needed. Sensing the time ticking on, though, I stood up to go get Avery and to help him as well today, but Becky yawned loudly, so I turned back to her.

“You still okay to continue, Becky? We can always stop if you want to.” She even yawned again but despite that, she shook her head.

“No… I’m good. I jus’… I weally haven’ been able to nap aftuh dat day da man came in, o’ even since.” I nodded plainly, but as I fetched Avery from outside, my feeling of something else happening that day only intensified. Becky was helpful, but she was ultimately still a Little and was even afraid of the dark, so her fears, while valid, could have just been acting up. Avery though… I knew I could dig into the truth with him of what fully happened later that day.

Avery sat down in the spare seat in the room, and I sat back down in my own chair. Becky was looking much better now, but as I looked over the still frazzled Avery, I knew I needed to be concerned as well for him. “So, Avery… Becky told me about the pro-Big supporter that came in and that you chased after. I’ll put in a report to Officer Kenny, and he’ll beef up security in that area, but what I want to know is… what happened next?”

Avery nodded and sighed. “He was just so terrible and frightening, but I filed a claim for what he had damaged and went back to work. It was tough but I had to. See, the local hospital, the one by the river, needed a whole shipment of their dolls fixed for their patients and I was already running a day behind.”

I nodded, quickly remembering the discounted work he did for them. “That’s a very good cause, Avery, but I feel that something else happened that day. This is Libertalia after all… a pro-Big supporter causing a ruckus isn’t great, but it’s not necessarily a running away to Gaule level threat.” I could immediately feel the tension in Avery’s body language, and I knew I had him cornered and had found my way to a truth of some kind. Again, I didn’t want to push, but going to Gaule so suddenly wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

Avery sighed. “You always find the truth… I should’ve known we couldn’t keep it a secret from someone like you…”

I wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing in this case, but I was glad that he seemed to be at least willing to discuss what had happened. “Please talk to me Avery. I might be able to help you, but I need you to tell me what went down and why both of you seem so scared still. Think of Becky, Avery.”

Avery grimaced over my plea to him, but then looked over to his Little staring back at him with wide eyes. “Pwease, Daddy. Jus’ tell her…”

Avery sighed but finally relented. “Very well… how can I say no to my little pumpkin after all?” He smiled at Becky, and she sweetly giggled back at him, but I could see the burden of that day still weighing heavily on his mind. He then turned back to me.

“Well, see, Becky and I were able to finish the dolls just in time for the hospital right as it was getting dark…” He winced and I knew we were finally at the moment of truth.

“Go on,” I coaxed.

Avery nodded and took a deep breath. “We had just gotten back to the shop… just to finish a few orders for the next day, but that’s when we saw it…”

“Saw what?” I could already feel myself on the edge of my seat. I no longer felt that Becky or Avery were the perpetrators of a crime, but I felt confident they had witnessed one instead now. Here in Libertalia, depending on what, that might have been even worse though.

“We saw a white van parked out behind one of the offices over there,” he recalled. “It was a bit unusual, not recognizing it and all, but then I saw the van rumble about a little bit. The side door then opened, and the back door slammed open from one of the nearby buildings.”

My eyes widened in horror as my brain began to put the pieces together of what he was telling me. Two weeks ago… and in an office near to where they worked. I feared I knew the name before he even said it.

“Doctor, it was Dr. Belamy. You recommended him to help with some therapies for Becky when she broke her arm after falling off the playground equipment about a month ago. They took him and we saw it.” His words hung in the air and only silence followed.

I knew they wouldn’t be to be a comfort to them, and I wished I could, but my head was swimming with all the possibilities of what was happening. Today alone, five Littles had now reported him missing in the past two weeks. Further, Avery had just confirmed that he had been taken out of his office and placed in some strange white van. “Did you see anything else?”

I could see the fear in Avery’s eyes, but he nodded. “I saw their uniforms… I’ve seen them enough in the news lately that it was hard to miss, even with that lighting back there.” He then paused and took a deep breath. ‘It was the Otrera Society…”

My heart sank as I heard their name. Originally founded by radicalized women after the last pandemic wiped after much of the male population, they were now largely considered the boots-on-the-ground force behind the pro-Big movement. Taking their name from the first Amazon queen, they often specialized in military operations in honor of her strength. As Avery had noted, they had been seen more lately on the news in the wake of kidnappings, protection services for radical politicians, and were even linked to a few assassinations. All rumors for some of their shadier dealings, but seeing them here now in Losantiville, was a bad sign.

“Oh no… I’ll have to inform Officer Kenny about this right away.” Avery gulped in likely fear over what was going to happen next, but he still nodded in agreement. Seeing a plan start to form, I still had a few loose ends to tie up. “So, seeing them, I’m guessing they saw you which is why you left the country to Gaule?”

“Yes… they saw us. Only for a moment, but you’ve seen the stories…” He sighed. “I didn’t know what to do and I thought if we left for a little while, everything was going to be okay, but we were followed today… that’s why we were late.”

Everything was falling apart for them, but cleanly falling into place for me. There were still a lot of questions, but I had just discovered more of what I wanted earlier about the missing doctors, now all confirmed to be the one and only Dr. Belamy. He was a friend, and I feared the worst for him now, especially if the Otrera society was now involved. So, after a little more questioning and consoling the two, I immediately phoned Officer Kenny to inform him of the situation.

After a moment and his reassurances over protection and more vigilance in the area, I hung up the phone. “Okay… he’s going to increase his patrols and he’ll put you in contact with the unit currently investigating them in this area. Apparently, someone has been contracting them out for some specialized missions up here for the past month.”

“Do you think we even have a chance to get passed all this?” Avery finally asked after sitting in silence and taking all the new information in. “I mean… back to a normal life that is?”

I sighed. “I don’t know with that society involved, Avery. I wish I did and could tell you more, but in this case, I would just advise keeping your head down and listening to what the police have to say. Things are probably going to get tough, and I won’t lie there, but I’ll say this…” I then trailed off as I saw the commendation award I had received last year on my wall.

I rarely looked at, especially with what happened with the Little later that day when I was basking in my glory, but I also knew it was a symbol of something more. The mayor had given it to me for being a protector and helper of Littles in this city. That told me a lot about it, and I felt a duty swell within me… to the city… to my patients… to my friend.

“I don’t know how yet, but I promise you both this… I’m going to find Dr. Belamy and we’re going to work through all this. Together. No matter what.” Avery and Becky both seemed fearful, but for the moment, I could see a spark of hope on each of their faces. It wasn’t much, but I had provided them with some relief, and that was enough for today.

Even still, I knew something was brewing outside my office. I had felt uneasy since my involvement with the Juventas incident last year and all the other events that had happened since. I hated coincidence and my uptick in the number of patients I needed to see with their subsequent regressions afterward had always given me a sour taste living in this city. Now, with Dr. Belamy missing and kidnapped himself, I didn’t know what was next, but I knew I had to find out… one way or another.

[AlexTheAlex]

The plot thickens! I love how this is developing.

[Guilend]

This is amazing. My favorite part was how many scenarios ran through my mind when it first said that they were late 😂 

I have a bad feeling we're not going to get a completely satisfied ending till a future, maybe even darker, story is written 

[Kat5]

I could cut the suspense with a knife!!

[kerry]

I can't imagine this story being almost over! There is so much tension and so much going on...and so much terribly wrong with this culture. 

[Kat5]

1 hour ago, kerry said:

...and so much terribly wrong with this culture.

And yet ... here we are.

Glued to the stories somehow entranced at the possibility of a "happy ending" that still involves the character being trapped in a situation that we can't stop reading about and hoping they can at least find peace.

Some of the Bigs we love! Some of them we -loathe- some we are ambivalent about. But in the end, even if we were there we wouldn't stand a chance against them and would be like rabbits trying to dodge predators at the very best.

I, for one, am enjoying this story.

On 5/8/2024 at 1:23 AM, LostBBoyBear said:

A Big Change of Perspective

-click here to vote for this- 

*click*

[Guilend]

10 minutes ago, Kat5 said:

click here to vote for this- 

*click*

Yay another vote for this. I'm extremely curious about this one. The details on it has me coming up with so many scenarios, both logical and some of course are purely fantasy wishes 😂 

[LostBBoyBear]

Hey everyone!

First, sorry for the delay. I majorly scuffed up my palms the other day and it’s been a beast to try and type the rest of this story out. I’m still going at it, so don’t fear, but speed is not going to be on my side.

Regardless, though, welcome to the penultimate chapter of this shorter story of mine. As you might have been able to tell from the last chapter, things are heating up rapidly and I hope everyone is nice and comfy and ready as they read this next chapter. I think some of you may have predicted this type of ending, but I’m hoping a few of you might still get a thrill out of it.

Next, as a reminder, there is currently a vote going for the next story I write. It will be done after my break at some point, but due to the short nature of this story, the timing for this vote will be short. As usual, if no one votes or there is a tie, I will use my discretion over what story is next (though in the event of a tie and there are several attributing votes, I may extend the vote and decide after my break). For now, though, this vote will end when I post my final chapter this coming Thursday at the latest. Further details about the specific date will come in subsequent chapters, but for those wanting to participate and haven’t read about them previously, the potential story options are located in the beginning of chapter 2.

Finally, and back to this tale, I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter of this story!

Chapter 6: Getting In May Actually Prove Easier

Have you ever felt like someone just didn’t want to be found? Well, I did with Dr. Belamy, and the more I investigated his whereabouts, the more I began to suspect something was amiss, or at least more than it already was after I had found out that he had been kidnapped last week when I talked to Avery and Becky last.

Thinking back as I drove out of the city, I guess it first started when I saw that his office had been completely deserted and cleaned out professionally. The existence of his life in Losantiville still lingered, but it seemed to be mostly relegated to distant memories or vague recollections of where he could be now. Everywhere I turned initially, I ran into people who either didn’t know, or were clearly avoiding the truth. Getting frustrated and remembering my promise to find him and to see all this through with Becky and Avery, I started using less conventional tactics in my investigation.

Relying on my slight celebrity status within the city, I was able to call in a few favors that allowed me to figure out the specifics of where he had last been seen more specifically. Apparently, what Becky and Avery saw was just an initial shakeup of the poor doctor. I guess it didn’t work though, as about two or three days later, he was last seen headed east out of the city. I wasn’t told where specifically, or even if he was still in the state, but going that direction as a doctor, I knew he was almost certainly headed to Reliance Hope Hospital, a psychiatric and general medical facility just outside the city… where I was now headed myself.

As I turned into the visitors parking lot of the large hospital complex, I was nervous, but I was at least glad that I had placed several of my affairs in order. Dr. Belamy had come this way himself after all, and now here I was, so it just made logical sense to ensure everything was in order. Even if nothing was wrong here, I had done it all the day after I had met with Avery and Becky to ensure that everyone was going to be okay who was close to me.

As Carol was graduating in a week, she was already going to come work with me after our discussion, so she felt logical to take over my practice, but one question remained after I cleared most of the other small affairs in my life… I still had no idea what I should do with Vincent. Seeing my distress though, Carol and Tammy had joined together and were now aware of everything about Vincent and his true past in relation to the Juventas incident last year. Both were shocked but had quickly talked and then offered to co-raise him if I ever disappeared like Dr. Belamy had. It was a big sigh of relief to me, as before, I was in a bit of a pickle with my options.

Being close to me and Vincent and already inheriting my practice, Carol was the most logical choice, but she was also a Middle. It didn’t make a difference as my future partner, but I knew that the wrong LPS agent could use it against her, and she could lose Vincent to the system very quickly. On the other hand, Tammy, already extremely close with Vincent, was busy with her own studies, but was also a Big and therefore a safe bet. With the two combined however, it ensured they complimented each other and had eliminated their respective problems. So, with everything now in order and my money set aside to guarantee Vincent a comfortable life, I parked my car in the visitor’s lot and walked out toward the hospital.

“Hello,” a nurse finally asked me as I walked in and tried to see where I needed to head to in order to find my answers about Dr. Belamy. “Can I help you, Miss…” The nurse then actually looked up at me and I could see she quickly recognized me. “Oh my…! You’re Dr. Mengell, aren’t you?”

I smiled and nodded back. “That’s me.”

“Oh, my word! I can’t believe someone like you has walked into our halls today. It’s an absolute honor, Doctor.” Form her reverence, I half expected her to almost start bowing to me, but to my relief, she was straight to business. “You here to see a patient then?”

I shook my head. “Actually, I’m looking for another doctor who likely came here a few weeks ago. I was kind of hoping I could speak with someone higher up, maybe? Someone they might have spoken to when they came here asking about a patient themselves?”

“I see…” the nurse responded cooly, seemingly almost disappointed. “Just one moment.” She then picked up the phone near her and began to speak in it. “Yes… Dr. Thompson… Yes, I’ll hold…” She then waited and weakly smiled at me as she held up a single finger to me.

While we waited for a moment, I took in the splendor of the enormous complex before me. Reliance Hope Hospital was considered one of the top medical facilities in the state and serviced the larger area of the southern half of the state, including Losantiville. They specialized in everything from general care, to nanotechnology, and more importantly to me at least, to psychiatric services.

“Yes, Dr. Thompson? Yes… It’s Dr. Mengell, Dr. Thompson… Yes, her… do you have time to maybe see her?” She nodded her head for a few moments and then gestured me over. “Yes, I see… thank you. Dr. Thompson.” The nurse then hung up the phone and looked back at me. “Our administrator here, Dr. Thompson, will see you in a few minutes. He’s finishing up a meeting now and he can just fit you before his next.”

I smiled back at the friendly nurse. “Thank you very much.”

She smiled back in turn. “You’re very welcome, Dr. Mengell.” She then pointed to a group of elevators just around the corner “Just take one of those up to the sixth floor. Signs right outside up there should point you the rest of the way.”

I nodded in thanks, and just as she said, once I was up on the sixth floor, I found the directions pointing to Dr. Thompson’s large main office. Outside, his secretary was there and guided me to a nearby couch. “Have a seat, Doctor. He’ll be with you in just a minute.” I nodded and sat down and began to wait.

As I waited, the clock ticked noisily, and I thought back to the pleading that both Tammy and Carol had initiated with me. It was honestly enough to give me pause about even coming here in the first place. Being Vincent’s caregiver and the head of a thriving practice, I knew I had obligations to look back on, but it just felt wrong to leave Dr. Belamy and the seedy undercurrent happening in Losantiville to continue without trying to do at least something about it. I felt that everything had started with the Juventas incident last year, so now, I also at least felt indebted in finishing all this mess out. My care of Vincent and the treatment of the other Juventas employees and victims felt like the start but sitting and waiting for the hospital administrator to come and answer my questions somehow felt like start of the ending to it all.

“… and yes, Dr. Thompson will be absent the rest of this afternoon. Yes, that’s right. After this next meeting, he will be in meetings and away from his desk. Any problems should be routed away if considered an emergency or I will simply record the more minor occurrences for later dealings. Yes, thank you… you too.” The secretary then hung up the phone and smiled at me. “Okay, Dr. Mengell. He’s off his last call now. Dr. Thompson can see you. Just go right in.”

I nodded and walked into Dr. Thompson’s office. The burly, aging administrator quickly got up from his seat and reached out to shake my hand as I approached. “Welcome to Reliance Hope, Dr. Mengell. Your reputation precedes you. Sorry for the wait though.”

“Thank you, Dr. Thompson. And no worries about the wait. I understand that you’re a busy man.” I quickly shook his hand and we both sat down across from each other. “I’ve only heard good things about this hospital, so I know your time must be limited. That being said, you must be very proud of the changes instilled in the last decade or so.” I needed information, so flattery felt like the best way to get on his good side quickly.

He smiled broadly and nodded his head. “Oh, absolutely! No more ECT, lobotomies, tendon shortening or stiffening, and certainly no corporal punishments or using our patients for corporate experiments. So many improvements… it’s almost hard to think of this hospital as even the same place anymore…”

I swore I detected a note of longing for that type of past. I knew it wasn’t in my best interest and I should have just moved on, but as a therapist who had seen the aftermath of many of those botched, or even just performed, procedures, I couldn’t hold back. “That’s a good thing, right?” Dr. Thompson edged out of his stupor and looked back at me. “I mean, for all those to be gone and things of the past, right?”

Dr. Thompson’s eyes narrowed for a moment, and I could feel my pulse race. I quickly regrated my question and I felt almost certain he was about to push a button himself and ‘disappear me’ like had been done to Dr. Belamy.

Instead, he just smiled and nodded his head. “Of course, of course. All better left in the past. Now, just therapies, drugs, and lots of activities and new-age practices to help whomever we can. All perfectly in line with current guidelines I assure you. I take personal pride in that notion as a matter of fact.”

“Right…” I noted to at least just cut the tension in the air that still somehow seemed to linger around the hospital administrator in front of me.

Finally, after a minute or two then, Dr. Thompson then smirked and leaned forward with his hands clasped in front of him. “So, how can I help the famous Dr. Mengell. Surely you don’t need help yourself, right?”

I quickly shook my head, not wanting to allow even a shred of doubt as to that matter. I still felt an unease, but I knew it could have just been my paranoia kicking in as I continually thought about the Otrera Society and Dr. Belamy’s disappearance. Still, I didn’t want to take a chance and suddenly upset the man, so I cut to the chase. “No, no. Actually… I’m just looking for a colleague of mine. Uh, Dr. Belamy? I think he headed here about two weeks ago now.”

Dr. Thompson clicked his fingers together and stared at me with his beady and calculating eyes. “I see…” was all he said at first. I could then see his mind spinning with his own recollections, but ultimately, he still just shook his head. “Sorry… the name doesn’t ring a bell.”

Despite his seemingly contemplation on the matter, I knew it was exactly what one would say if they were in fact hiding Dr. Belamy somewhere. It could have been the truth, but I didn’t want to come out here just to turn around without a little poking first. “I understand. Would it be possible though to see your records? I can sign an NDA if you wish, but I’m also curious if he might have come in here anonymously.” Dr. Thompson was practically glaring at me now and I knew he needed to hear something else to be convinced of my intentions.

“You know… I mean, I watch way too many crime dramas back home where the same John Doe gets into an accident, and then no one ever seems to check the records and that it’s him. Don’t want that happening here…” Dr. Thompson still didn’t move an inch. Seeing that and to further cement my story, I chuckled and pointed to my head. “It’s just my rampant imagination. It goes weird sometimes, but what do you say? Doctor to doctor here. Just a look. Nothing copied or taken I assure you…”

Dr. Thompson seemed conflicted for some reason, but ultimately sighed, smiled, and then nodded his head. “Of course, Dr. Mengell. Doctor to doctor… use the computer terminal outside. My secretary will give you access…” And with that, he stood up and calmly showed me to the door.

I was just glad to get out of there, but maintaining my cordial nature, I simply smiled back at Dr. Thomspon. “Thank you, Doctor. I’m sure he’s not here, but for a friend… one tends to go above and beyond just to be sure…” Dr. Thompson only nodded and then promptly shut the doors behind me. ‘Not suspicious at all…’

Outside his office, his secretary was already waiting and showed me to a nearby terminal where she scanned her ID badge. “Okay, here you go, Doctor. All files of patients here. Still not sure what you’re hoping to find, but good luck anyways…”

I nodded to her as she left. “Thank you…” I then dove back into the screen before me and went through dozens of records. To be honest, having done an internship at a hospital in Columbus during college, I had seen hospital records before, and even with that being over a decade ago now, these records still felt convoluted. My paranoid mind wouldn’t have even been surprised if they were purposely done like that though. Would likely make it much easier to hide something… or someone.

Despite its difficulty, it only increased my fervor and hope that somehow, I would find Dr. Belamy, but after twenty minutes, I was still nowhere close. I was desperate though, and my mind began to scatter into new ways of thinking. Codes, secrets, and all that began to fly in my head from dozens of movies and books I had read, but all seemed fruitless… until I realized a simple truth. If all this was in fact a conspiracy, Dr. Belamy wouldn’t be listed as a doctor here, patient or otherwise.

Details of who he was couldn’t be faked as far as I knew, but names and situations could still be altered in a hospital record, especially these ones. So, I began to think of ways to hide someone here. Numerous scenarios came to mind, but when I abandoned my hopes that he was just drugged somewhere and would be fine once I woke him up, I remembered that this place was a hospital but also a psychiatric facility. Keeping that and the fact that his identity would be somewhat concealed if this was a conspiracy of sorts, I found a patient file that seemed just right in less than three minutes.

*              *              *

Patient Name: Ethan Doe 

Biological Age: 45 Years old

Occupation: Unknown

Status: Current patient in Ward 5

Problem Likely Initiated: 22 days ago

Notes: Patient was discovered wandering the streets with soiled clothing. When questioned, Patient was clearly a victim of a complete mental breakdown, trauma, or previous mental disorder. Beyond the partial nametag of ‘Ethan’ found nearby on his person, due to lack of ID or coherent thought, he has been made a ward of the state and placed within this facility to observe, treat, and care for until such time as they can be properly identified. Staff remains hopeful, but experience notes that cases like these are sadly rarely resolved.

*              *              *

His identity was largely unknown, and the notes were grim indeed, but the first name, age, and dates still held. Further, in my conspiracy-laden mind, the rest of the details matched perfectly for a patient that seemed deadest on being forgotten about. I wondered what Ward 5 was, but remembering my slight celebrity status around here, I wondered if I could use that to my advantage.

“Excuse me,” I asked the nearby secretary as I walked over to her. Her head immediately popped up from looking over her own computer. “I was actually wondering about this hospital… a little more in-depth.”

“Oh?” I had clearly captured her attention now, and I knew there was likely only one story that could even be believed without too many questions.

“Yes. See, I have this patient… poor Little who came to me from Earth. Such a problematic place, you know… but regardless, I think she may be even beyond my help. I hate to say this about any patient, but I think she may need the power of a place like this. Do you think I could maybe get a tour of the hospital before I decide what’s best for her though?”

The secretary stared at me like I had just asked her to take me to the moon herself, but she ultimately nodded and hit her intercom. “Shelly, can you send up a nurse you can spare. We’re all busy up here, but Dr. Mengell would like to get a tour of our facility.”

“Right away. I’ll send someone up immediately,” Shelly replied without emotion. The secretary then guided me back to the same seat I had sat in earlier.

After waiting for another five minutes, I saw a Big but almost-Middle heighted nurse wearing cartoonish unicorn scrubs dash into the room. “Hey, sorry I’m late. Was bandaging a wound and… oh!” Her eyes locked with mine, and for a moment, I thought she might even faint. “You’re Dr. Mengell! I didn’t realize you were the one I was going to give a tour to. I’m so sorry. I…”

I stood up and held up my hand to stop her before she popped a blood vessel or something. “It’s okay. I didn’t mind the wait and it wasn’t long at all, Nurse…?”

“Oh!” She quickly went into shake my hand. “Nurse Eva. Glad to be of service, Doctor.”

I smiled and felt a smidge of naivety and large dosage of youth about her, but an openness as well that I knew could work to my own purposes today, so I warmly shook her hand back. “Good to meet you, Eva. Could we get started on the tour maybe? Don’t want miss anything today.”

She smiled and even blushed a bit. “Right, right. Sorry. Follow me and I’ll try not to get us lost.” She smiled back at her little joke, but the fear I saw in her eyes made me curious if she really had gotten lost before.

Regardless though, I’m happy to note that we didn’t get lost once. Dozens of hallways and six floors spread out over an immense campus was a lot to go through, but after most of the basic areas were covered, I began to notice large numbers on several of the walls and then finally saw a sign denoting ‘Ward 1.’ Remembering that Ethan Doe was in Ward 5, I was very curious about it all. “So, how many wards are there exactly?”

Nurse Eva halted in her tracks and spun around right before she entered the lab room of the hospital. “Oh, right. So sorry that I didn’t mention them.” She then walked over to a monitor and brought up a diagram of the hospital and the five numbers to the side.

“Each area of the hospital is designated with a specific number,’ she began to explain as she pushed the ‘1’ first and a section of the hospital lit up in a brilliant blue. “As you can see, Ward 1 takes up most of the space here. Mostly considered the administrative section and the general admission space for all Bigs, Middles, and specifically diagnosed and certified non-regressed Littles.”

She pressed the two and another portion of the hospital was highlighted in green. “Ward 2 is for regressed Littles and Bigs and Middles requiring more supervision. As the number increases, so does the security and level of access change for who is allowed to enter.” I quickly nodded and wondered just how bad Ethan Doe was if he had already been placed in the highest numbered ward. Despite reading the file, I still had some hope about him, but I was starting to worry that if Ethan Doe was Dr. Belamy, hope might have been n short supply.

“Ward 3 is the ICU section for all patients, as well as our infectious disease holding chambers,” Nurse Eva continued. The hospital then switched from a yellow portion to an orange further back toward the left side rear. “Ward 4 begins our voluntary psychiatric commitment area, though admittedly, this caters to mostly Littles these days. And lastly,” the portion of the hospital then switched to a vibrant red, “Ward 5 houses those involuntarily committed and just caters to Middles and Bigs lately.”

Warning sirens started going off in my head over her last two comments. Littles were usually pretty peaceful, unless they were pushed too far, but for there to be none located in Ward 5 at all stumped me in the worst of ways. “So, no Littles at all in Ward 5?”

Nurse Eva sighed and nodded. “It used to be different, but to be honest, most Littles that might have ended up there originally… end up regressed to newborns before they make it here… or wind up in Dark Cliff…”

Her words almost seemed to thunder and shake in the hallway around us. Dark Cliff was known the world over and was usually considered a shameful dumping ground for Libertalia’s most problematic Littles. Rumors swirled of corruption every year, followed by a promise to clean it up, but after almost two decades of it being opened, nothing had changed.

“I see…” I then sighed and looked back at the map. “I suppose the system is changing for the better. I just hope that more Littles with disorders can be helped before those types of measures are resorted to in the future.”

Nurse Eva smiled and nodded. “I would expect you to say nothing less, Doctor. I wish for that too, but you wouldn’t believe how many Little patients we have here that have read the article you published last year or have your picture posted in their room.”

I blushed but I had also been told as much before by the mayor and others who knew of my spreading reputation. Knowing Ward 2 was up next, I braced myself for what I was about to see.

Ward 2 was pleasant enough and the divide between the Middles and Bigs side versus the Middle side was starkly contrasted. While the Bigs and Middles displayed various disorders initially, the area was more supervised but otherwise looked very much like any other hospital in the country or even the world. The Littles side, however, seemed almost identical to any nursery of a hospital I had ever seen. Regardless of whether Littles needed the treatment or not, every single Little was dressed the same in a thin cartoonish gown and a thick babyish looking diaper underneath. From the amount of blushing and foul moods of Littles as I walked by them, I felt confident that at least half had been forced to endure this… rather than truly needing it.

“Sorry, Doc. It’s just policy around here,” Nurse Eva apologized as she saw my face over what I was currently seeing. “Maybe next year we can expand to have more options, but any amount of regression seen in a Little will land them in Ward 2… no exceptions.” Wanting to just move on and complain and fix the problem when I got home, I just numbly nodded.

Ward 3 was very much the same, but Ward 4 began to quickly sadden me more than the others. Still clearly divided between Littles or the Bigs and Middles, the patients here seemed more subdued and medicated at the moment at least. Nurse Eva noted that medication had just been handed out and most patients were in their rooms now, so it was a quick visit there, but as were walking along one of the patient hallways, a Little jumped to the window on the door.

“Doctuh Mendell! Doctuh Mendell!” he shouted out, nearly causing me to figuratively jump out of my skin. “Hewp me! Hewp me!”

“Geez, Ronnie!” Nurse Eva exclaimed. “You nearly gave us both heart attacks. You know you’re not supposed to jump up on people like that when they walk by.”

Ronnie’s face quickly saddened, and he then backed up and dropped his head. “Sowwy, Nurse Eva… I jus’… I jus’ need to speak with Doctuh Mendell…”

Curious and the Little’s therapist side of me practically working on overdrive by now, I peered in and looked at the sad but also clearly frightened Little. “Ronnie?” His head immediately perked up over the sound of his name. “You asked for help… is there something I can help you with?”

“Doctor… we really need to…” Nurse Eva began, but I quickly put my finger up to stop her.

“Please, Nurse Eva. I appreciate your time, but I just want to talk to Ronnie here for a moment.” I then looked at the thick door in front of us. “Actually… can you open the door for me?”

Nurse Eva didn’t seem inclined to do so at all, but ultimately nodded and waved to a nearby camera. The door quickly unlocked, and I opened it and stepped in. “Thank you, Eva…” She only seemed to be able to timidly nod back at me. Looking back at Ronnie, I smiled warmly at the partially regressed Little now standing before me. “Now, how can I help you?”

Ronnie quickly clammed up, and I sensed that he wasn’t anticipating this type of interaction with someone whom he clearly admired from my picture on his wall. Also, there were dozens of drawings, and while each seemed to feature him, I couldn’t help but notice a green and mostly angry figure in each of them as well.

“I wanna go home…” he quietly mourned. “I… I… can’t stay hewe much mo.’ Pwease…”

I sighed and had previously feared of this happening when I first heard that I was becoming more well-known to most Littles in need of some kind of therapy or psychiatric treatment. A regressed mindset and raving success stories of a Big willing to help Littles was a recipe for some kind of issue like this but since I was here already, I decided to at least reassure and maybe even partially indulge him and hear him out.

“Ronnie… I’m not sure what I can do,” I started. “I’m only one person…”

“Don’t say that!” Ronnie said, quickly seeming panicked. “She’s not here for Ward 6! That place is too dangerous! Shut up! She’s here for me.”

I was at first very confused, but remembering I was in Ward 4 and seeing Ronnie look off to his side seemingly at someone else, I knew the comment wasn’t in fact directed toward me. “Ronnie…” I said gingerly. “Is there someone you maybe want to introduce me to?”

Ronnie’s look of panic turned into immediate shock. “You… you…” I then shook his head and gestured to the corner of the room. “Doctuh Mengell… this is Claude…”

From his look of fear and the scary green figure in his drawings on the walls, it didn’t take me long to connect the two. Ronnie likely had schizophrenia or something similar, I would need to observe him more to fully understand, but his fear was still genuine. Wanting to help, my heart quickly reached out to him. ‘Ronnie… you don’t have to be scared.”

Ronnie peeled his eyes off the corner and looked at me with his big, sad eyes. “Buh’ I don’ feel safe hewe!”

I sighed, but at that moment, Nurse Eva leaned back in. “Doctor… we need to…”

I could see she didn’t want to say anything upsetting, but looking back at Ronnie, I felt I needed to do at least something for him now. With my options limited though, I could only think of one thing. “Ronnie… I want you to try and picture yourself in a better place. Every time you get scared, I want you to think of that place. Hug a pillow or blanket, or even a stuffy if that helps as well.” Ronnie quickly nodded and dove to his bed and immediately began to squeeze the pillow there. “I need to go, but I’m going to ensure that someone talks to you again real soon, okay?”

I could see the fear overtaking Ronnie and I wanted desperately to stay and help, but an insistent Nurse Eva made her presence at the door more clearly known. I knew my time was out. “Happy thoughts, Ronnie. Hug the pillow, but I promise, someone will help you, okay?”

Ronnie trembled as he largely still looked at the corner of the room, but for the briefest of moments before I left, he looked back to me and nodded. “Okay…”

I hated leaving him like that, but Nurse Eva assured me she would make sure he was okay and then guided me onward and into Ward 5. It was about what I expected, but here, Nurse Eva was required by law to accompany visitors, even me it turns out, at all times. Finally, we reached another terminal.

“Eva… is it okay if I look a patient up from here? I have a family member who apparently has a childhood friend here. I might be a Little therapist, but I am still interested in Bigs and Middles. Would that be okay to see?” I didn’t like lying to Nurse Eva, but with my time shortening today and still no closer to the truth, I was starting to feel the pressure to get results.

She seemed hesitant at first and I almost thought she was going to deny me access, but to my relief, she then slowly nodded. “Okay… just don’t do anything weird or something that will get me in trouble, okay?”

I nodded, but part of me wondered if I really could keep that promise. Still, I began to access the terminal of the patients here specifically.

On there, I saw just about everything I would expect in here for involuntary commitments. There were a few oddities and even other John Doe’s, but after searching the entire list, curiously, I couldn’t even find Ethan Doe, let alone Dr. Belamy. It was a puzzle in my head that I couldn’t solve right now, and frustrated, I closed out the terminal and followed Nurse Eva for the remainder of the tour.

Thirty minutes later and seeing all kinds of sights that made me long for the seeming simplicity of Littles therapy, I still hadn’t found Ethan Doe. Standing outside of Ward 5 and in the hallway of the main part of the hospital, my tour was now finished, and I was only left with more questions.

I suppose though, in the absence of answers, even someone like me can get desperate in their search for the truth. It was so small and apparently coming from Claude, but ever since it was said aloud, I just couldn’t shake it: Ward 6. Ward 1 through 5 sure, but 6? It fueled my mind and going down the proverbial rabbit hole a bit, I just couldn’t let it go. “Eva… is that all there is to this hospital? I mean, at least with the number of wards?”

Nurse Eva paused for a moment. I could tell that I had caught her off guard with my question, and while she chuckled, I felt she was just trying to cover up her own fault for not having a ready-to-go answer. “What? Of course not. You saw… just 1 through 5. I mean… I can show you again if…”

“No, no,’ I quickly interjected. “That won’t be necessary, but thank you… You’ve been a big help and I’m just going to wander a little but thank you.” I could see the hesitancy in Nurse Eva and the contemplation in her mind on whether or not she believed that I believed her about Ward 6, but after both saying our goodbyes, she still left.

I started to wander around, but after another hour and a quick call to Carol about Ronnie, I was still nowhere. I almost gave up even, and maybe I should have, but I soon saw two nurses enter down a hallway. Having walked through this area numerous times before in the past hour, the only thing down that hallway was a trash chute. Curious, I silently walked behind them and watched them to see what they would do.

Unfortunately, there was a slight bend in the hallway they took, so in order not to be seen, I lost them for a few seconds. When I raced to the next spot though, they were gone. ‘What the…?’

By now, my conspiratorial mind was in overdrive. Half expecting a candlestick to me the trigger to some secret doorway, only a little shoving on one wall produced the results I was looking for after seeing a few scuff marks on the floor that should have been there. Not even thinking something was wrong with all that simplicity, I was just happy I had found the potential clue that I had been looking for. To be honest, my only concern at the time was a little clicking noise behind me as the secret door locked. Event hat dissipated quickly though, as on this side, there was a clear unlocking mechanism button, so I still didn’t think anything more of it.

Right at that time though, as soon as I saw a giant ‘Ward 6’ sign, my head began to spin that I was now in a ward that shouldn’t have even existed according to official records. Dr. Belamy was already involved in this big mess and had been ‘disappeared’ himself for doing exactly what I was doing now. So, fearing I could have been next in my current guise, I saw a small locker room down one hallway that was mostly abandoned. Quickly snagging and then donning a pair of scrubs and a surgical mask, I left the room and began to explore more freely.

My luck actually seemed to hold out for a while, and though I noticed several cameras, I felt confident in my disguise, even as I passed a guard walking my direction. To my pleasant surprise, he only nodded and allowed me further into the ward.

There, I then saw that the area had been divided into two parts. There was a large main area that looked eerily like a playroom and then two long hallways with numerous doors. Curious of them but seeing a terminal first, I wanted to do some snooping around the records if I could as a priority. A rogue or disruptive patient in the hallway could have blown my cover in seconds, but the terminal could give me more results and even answers in less than a minute if I was lucky.

It turns out, I was very lucky. There was no password… just a series of simple math problems. It was concerning that the patients in here wouldn’t be able to figure that out or that the area lacked a forceful security presence at all, but I just reminded myself that this place was a hospital… not a bank.

So, I began my search. Record after record of old and new patients here. Each was more disturbing than the last and the brief amount I read of the patients I wasn’t looking for told me that Ward 6 was the last place I would ever want to end up. Most specified something called the ‘special projects division,’ but finally, I found the file I had been looking for since the beginning. Still, it wasn’t the news I was hoping for when I started my search for Dr. Belamy.

*              *              *

Patient Name: Dr. Ethan Belamy  

Biological Age: 45 Years old

Estimated Mental Age: Likely newborn, though some observable changes that could suggest higher inner function   

Former Occupation: General Little practitioner focusing in rehabilitation

Current Occupation: Patient

Regression Initiated: 22 days ago

Notes: Patient was connected to several Littles contracting regression symptoms, but realized a pattern existed for several of them. Further investigation into Juventas was deemed unacceptable by the corporate board and steps were taken to ensure his silence. Further measures may be required, but due to his mental regression (passed off as a normal unknown catatonic patient for now), these may be unnecessary. Likely, though, further investigation by outside sources may force more drastic actions.

*              *              *

I was horrified but what I found, but there was a part of me that wanted to know more. Further indications of the ‘special projects division’ and Juventas sent me into a frenzy of hate and self-loathing having ever worked for their company to start with. I wanted to puke, and at one point, I had to look away from the possible contingency plans they had for Dr. Belamy, but at last I saw his room number.

Now, I will be the first to admit that I wasn’t sure what I really wanted to accomplish with my mission today. Already, I had found that Dr. Belamy had edged too close to the truth of some kind with Juventas, and they and this hospital were now covering it up in Ward 6. I could have gotten that information out and things might have gone very different that very night. Instead, I decided to find Dr. Belamy and get him out of there.

So, finally making it to 34C, I looked inside the room and saw a single figure sitting on the padded floor and staring blankly at the wall. Opening the door from the outside with a simple slide mechanism, I walked in and viewed my former colleague.

I had always remembered Dr. Belamy for his slightly receding hairline, good-natured nerdy humor, and his glasses. Looking at the man before me, only his receding hairline was still there. A rivulet of drool threatened to run down his chin and his eyes only showed an emptiness that I had seen far too many times in Littles regressed to newborn levels. The room smelled of baby powder and pee, and I shouldn’t have been surprised after reading his file, but I was still too shocked over the sight before me still.

I walked in and crouched in front of Dr. Belamy and stared into his eyes. All my focus was on my friend and colleague as I was trying to search for any spark… any sign of life. It was all in vain though, but it had distracted me. I didn’t hear the door creak further open behind me. I didn’t hear the footsteps creep up after. I didn’t even hear the needle being removed from a side pocket and then being uncapped. All I felt though was the sting of the needle injected right into the base of my neck.

“Ow!” I got up but the world immediately began to spin. I tried to grasp the walls… to identify my assailant... anything, but it was all in vain. My world spun faster, and my knees gave out. I collapsed to the floor. I then saw an odd skeletal-like figure crouch down before me and smile. I wanted to spit or curse at him, but only an exhausted breath left my lips. The world began to darken. I fought as hard as I could, but it was all in vain. My eyes then closed and the world dropped from under me without so much as a fight. I should have thought it before, and maybe it would have prevented me from drooling onto the floor as everything faded away but right then, without a doubt, I knew I had screwed up.

[kerry]

OMG! I'm clinging to the notion that, since she is narrating this, she must end up all right in the end...but right now I can't figure out just how that could be.

One thing, though: why did she not think, as she wandered Ward 6, to call Carol? She'd already done that once (which may be what saves her), so why not now that she has sensed the danger of the place?

[Guilend]

You completely skipped the parts that some of the Bigs was wearing diapers during the tour or the condition of them 😂 and only alluded to the fact that the doctor she was looking for was also wearing a diaper, one that apparently was wet. Shame on you 😂 

You also forgot to mention that she saw at least one Big humping a teddy bear in her messy diaper before being allowed a diaper change 😂 

I'm hoping they don't immediately pump her full of the regression drugs. I'm hoping they leave the drugs alone for now and just try to get information from her first, like what all she knows, is there a paper trail and who else knows. Maybe a hot nurse starts if by giving her a hard spanking on her bare bottom after she wakes up naked on an exam table. Then after an enema she's diapered. They tell her if she answers the questions they have, they'll allow her to use the big training potty that's in the room with them. If she does answer them, she is made to sit on the potty, but her diaper is never removed, if she refuses and poops her diaper she's given a paddling on her messy bottom for pooping her diaper like a big baby and maybe forced to admit she likes it or is told she just gets off on it or something. 

I hope in the end she's not regressed and that she either just loses partial potty training, like being a bedwetter and can't hold it very long at all, or loses it all. 

I wouldn't be surprised if that nurse that gave her the tour or the secretary, or both, get into trouble and punished for allowing this to get this far.

Like I mentioned before, I don't see a big ending with this one, at least nothing answering the bigger questions and tying all the lose ends. At least not till a future story. Probably not till the one that ties all the stories together, well, all together in a sense.

[Kat5]

1 hour ago, kerry said:

OMG! I'm clinging to the notion that, since she is narrating this, she must end up all right in the end...but right now I can't figure out just how that could be.

One thing, though: why did she not think, as she wandered Ward 6, to call Carol? She'd already done that once (which may be what saves her), so why not now that she has sensed the danger of the place?

I'm hoping the police show up and demand they turn her over since someone knows she's there, but there's no chance that she's going to make it out of this even remotely unscathed.

I do at least hope for a semi happy ending since she's such a caring sweetheart.

[AlexTheAlex]

This has gotten really interesting. I hope the Dr is ok!