Daily Free-Write April 26, 2021: Brain Melter Pt. 4 (Patreon)

Continuation of April 20, 2021 "Brain Melter Pt. 3"

"What do you mean they've been transferred to another facility? And no one told me?! I have to see them!"

"Calm down, calm down. It's ok, there's just too much overflow from all the patients coming in. But you don't have to worry about a thing. The state's set up a fund. Everything will be paid for…"

"Don't worry? I want to see my fucking friends!" said Jessie, growing angry.

"Are… are you sure you haven't had any exposure to mind melter yourself?"

"No, I haven't!" said Jessie, breathing heavily.

"Are you sure? Not even from secondhand smoke?"

Jessie paused for a second. He had been in the van when they were smoking…

"I-I don't know. I mean… at least I don't think so…"

"Sweetie, I think we should keep you for observation…"

"No, no way. We're not doing that," said Jessie, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"Orderlies! Security!" called the nurse as Jessie started walking quickly toward the doors.

Jessie was now running full tilt as the nurse yelled after him. He didn't know where the hell his friends were, but he wasn't about to find out that way.

He made it into the parking lot and didn't see anyone following him, so he made a beeline for Jeff's van and jumped inside. He tore out of there, taking refuge at the nearest McBurger's where he drank his coffee and plotted his next move. Something was suspicious and he wanted to know what was going on. It didn't make sense that his friends had been transferred so quickly to another facility. What had she called it? Happy Days? LIke the T.V. show?

He sat in the parking lot drinking his coffee, too afraid to sit inside for fear of being taken away. Yeah, it was paranoid but better safe than sorry given all the weird rumors surrounding the drug his friends had taken.

He searched through forum after forum of conspiracy theories and weird personal accounts. Apparently he was not the only one who had experienced the weird phenomena of the unexplained patient transfer. It seemed like the patient records were in utter chaos and a lot of people had apparently 'fallen through the cracks'. Was that the fate of his friends? Had they 'fallen through the cracks' too?

He sat back and thought about it. He knew better than to try to go back to the hospital. But he did have one lead. He looked into happy days next. Pretty quickly the name popped up - though the spelling was a little strange. Apparently it was one of the government-approved facilities tasked with taking victims of the 'brain melter' drug. He checked the website of the daycare. Apparently the 'z' in Happy Dayz was after the founder and current director, Dr. Zelda Zeinberg.

The picture of the woman on the website looked innocent enough. An older woman with silver hair and kind eyes, who nevertheless looked very confident.She had a simple flowy dress and understated jewelry - the kind that shows off your wealth by not showing it off. The average person might see her and see a kind old lady, but putting her initial in the name of the daycare center? Jessie shook his head. He knew an egomaniac when he saw one.

He scrolled down to see other staff members, all friendly, all smiling. All suspicious. The front desk guy looked like he'd be easy enough to talk to. A portly man in a snappy uniform whose smile seemed genuine. Maybe, just maybe, he could risk going over there. Then again, there could just as easily be a shark hiding behind that friendly face.

He bopped back to the forums, and was about to click off when something hit him. He nearly dropped his coffee when he realized it. It seemed like the cases all centered around his city. Not the country. Not the county. The city. Which took outside growers out of the picture. Surely the ailment would have popped up in the major marijuana distribution hubs and along transportation routes throughout the country if it had come from there, but it hadn't.

And was it really a coincidence that it was found in the same city as a major university doing research on Adult Babies, and what's more, running a so called 'rehabilitation program'? He looked to see if the university had shown up in relation to any of these events, and found something chilling. Nothing. And anything that mentioned a possible connection was sketchy at best. Accounts were disabled, users inactive, journalists… no longer working for the related publications. A big black hole in the data, and one that made Jessie's stomach turn.

He put his phone down and took a few deep breaths trying to slow down his beating heart. Was he just being paranoid? He hoped so. But he picked up his phone and shot out a text to his best friend anyway.

RubberSissyViolet: Hey Davey… If I don't show up tomorrow, don't come looking for me. Actually do come looking for me, but don't go by yourself.

DprBoiDavey: Haha what? Jessi, you're so weird! Are you trying to flake on me? Really? It was your turn to do a challenge! So pick one already.

RubberSissyViolet: Yeah, yeah, I know… I will. It's just… look, just don't smoke any weed, okay?

DprBoiDavey: You know I don't touch the stuff. Come on. What is with you, girl? Are you high?

RubberSissyViolet: I wish. Listen I don't want to name any names, because I don't know who could be listening in, but DON'T go to any hospitals or… daycare centers. Okay?

DprBoiDave: You're high. I'm deleting this message and forgetting you ever sent it. LOL.

RubberSissyViolet: Probably for the best.

Jessie sighed. Realistically, if he wasn't coming back from his next destination, it was probably best if no one else went there after him. They'd only get caught up in whatever shit he'd involved his friends in too. He started up the van and drove off to the daycare center.

Meanwhile, back at Happy Daze Nursery, a certain bratty young man named Ed was stewing in his high chair, having recently come back to his senses.

"So what are you in for?"

The man next to him just babbled and drooled.

A nurse came up and smiled, dabbing the drool away with his bib. "Aww, is Jeffy saying his first words? yes he is! Yes he is!"

"Ugh," Ed rolled his eyes and turned to the other guy, who was rocking back and forth and talking to himself.

"I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be here."

"Yeah, you're not the only one, buddy," said Ed, still bitter about being stuck in this cacamamie place. "Name's ed. Yours?"

"D-d-dane…" said the man, shaking his hand. Some faded remnants of permanent marker could be seen on his hands.

"They got me while I was at Water World fucking with the dolphins. And how'd they get you?"

"Th-th-the hospital… Uh…."

The man started to drift off and Ed snapped his fingers in the man's face several times. "Hey… hey! Wake up!"

"Uh… wuh. where was I?"

"You said you went to the hospital… and?"

"Mmm… memory fuzzy. I… Uh… I don't remember… m my my friend and I.. went to the hospital because of brain melter…"

"Brain melter?"

"Yuh… yeah… the weed… Do you smoke?"

"Yeah, I smoke," said Ed, suddenly wishing he had a joint right then.

Dane's dull eyes lit up at that. "Got any on you?"

"Are you kidding?  In this place? Nah man, I think your stoner days are behind you unless you can…" he looked around before lifting his arms like he was yawning and stretching "break your way outta here. You know?"

"Buh.. buh…. buh…." Dane's look went from confusion to relaxation as a hissing sound could be heard from his pants.

"Dude are you…"

The crotch of Dane's romper began to swell as the diaper underneath expanded with piss. Ed would have been disgusted if he hadn't done it himself more times than he could count.

"Ugh... " Ed rolled his eyes once more. At least he didn't have that stupid grin on his face when he did it. Was that what they said happened to him? How the hell was he going to get out of this nightmare? He was just glad that he wasn't totally fried like tweedle dum and tweedle dee, but he knew that a few more of the doctor's special medicine might just put him there, and looking at Jeff and Dane,  he almost thought they were better off.

"Ignorance truly is bliss," he said, shaking his head, and then promptly filling his diaper himself.