Ersatz (Part 6) (Patreon)
Content
Tyler
This was wrong. This was so wrong. Tyler sat on the floor with his legs splayed open. On the floor beside him was a paper plate containing cut up hot dogs and blobs of ketchup and mustard to dip them in. The slices were big and thick enough that they were practically sausage patties. Tyler picked one up, dunked it in ketchup and shoved the whole thing in his mouth and chewed.
For beverages, they were given baby bottles filled with water with the lids removed. They were the only containers small enough for any of them to hold, or so Gloria informed them. Given the scale of everything else, that was probably true.
They ate on the floor because there was no place to sit that would accommodate them, save the highchairs. Their giantess host had the good graces not to suggest they sit in them. She also had the good graces to join them on the floor and eat with them.
âSorry,â she said. âItâs the best bite size meal I can whip up on short notice.â She popped a bit of meat in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. âI didnât think youâd want me spoon feeding you anything.â
Thank yous were mumbled, and everyone went to nibbling quietly, each stuck in their own head. Drew ate his meal standing up, balancing the paper plate on his forearm. The girls ate together, their backs against the couch. The initial shock of being topless around one another was nothing compared to the shock of waking up in a used diaper and then getting said diaper changed in front of everyone. Gloria laid on her side, practically lounging, but her eyes darted around from person to person, awkwardly waiting for someone to engage with her.
A most somber meal considering what little they were dressed in and how little they were dressed. Tyler smirked. That was a clever turn of phrase. He lifted his head and looked at his companions. His mouth opened to speak, but quickly shut itself.
The joke would have taken too much explanation for it to be funny to anyone but Tyler. As usual, his mind was moving so fast to the point that his mouth became useless. He doubted even Christy could have translated for him. That and this was sadly not the time for jokes.
As he ate, Tylerâs mind replayed the events in his head again and again, and he was left with only questions. Why had the playpen been set up? It hadnât been out before but was just in time to confine them while they all justifiably freaked out over shitting themselves.
Same for that baby gate that had kept them penned inside the guest room while giant had plucked them up one at a time and humiliated them. It hadnât been there before theyâd passed out from exhaustion, but was there just in time to keep them trapped until she was ready for them. That seemedâŠodd to put it mildly.
Tyler didnât ask âwhyâ because he already knew why. Or to be more precise, he knew what Gloria would probably say. Sheâd cite that the real children of this planet were coming tomorrow and thus she wanted to have the playpen ready for them. The playpen was to keep the actual children contained or to provide sanctuary for the group from them. Same likely for the guest room.
There were other purposes, but assuming Gloria was acting in good faith, that was the answer sheâd give.
FaithâŠspoken or unspoken, that was a poor choice of words. Guiltily, Tyler gazed back down at his plate and dipped another chunk of meat into a blob of mustard.
âHey, Gloria,â Brittney broke the silence. âI was thinking. Why was that playpen set up?â
âWhat do you mean, dear?â the giantess asked.
âIt wasnât there before we went to sleep,â Britney said. âWhy was it out now?â
âYeah,â Christy added. âThat baby gate wasnât there either.â
âOh, that.â Gloria sat up and shrugged. âI was making preparations for tomorrow. After you four went down for naps, I started getting things ready for tomorrow. I thought a playpen could be a good safe spot if the babies were bothering you.â
âYeah but you kind of trapped us in the guest room,â Drew said. âThat wasnât cool.â
Tyler watched the old womanâs jaw work around in place. âNo offense, Drew, but I donât see your point. The door was already closed and I donât think you could have reached the doorknob.â
âThe gate behind it didnât make it any easier,â Drew countered.
The granny sighed. âI was keeping an ear open, sweetie. If any of you had woken up clean, you could have called for me and I would have taken you to the bathroom, as agreed. You didnât thoughâŠâ
She let the sentence go unfinished, but the embarrassed glances downward from all let her know that the remainder had been heard.
BOOM! Tyler allowed himself a faint smile. Called it! It was like he was psychic, sometimes. âWhat about the music?â The question came out so fast and unexpectedly that Tyler wasnât sure if heâd said it out loud or just thought it.
Gloria jumped a bit, as if surprised by Tylerâs voice. âI didnât want to wake you,â she said, quickly recovering. âI was bumping around the house, moving things back around.â She gestured to the wall where the highchairs used to be-another recent terrain change-as proof. âSo I put on some background noise so that you werenât disturbed by every little scrap and bump.â
Tyler opened his mouth to question why it had to be baby music. Didnât she at least have a radio or something? His brain outpaced his mouth, however, and he realized that sheâd been singing some dumb baby song about diaper changes before she was so much as aware of their presence. Chances are nursery songs and such were the easiest thing she had access to on short notice. âFair enoughâŠâ
The giantess kept her seated position and sat cross legged on the floor. âI think itâs time to discuss whatâs going to happen tomorrow.â She slid her now empty plate away from and rested her hands on her knees
âOkay,â Brittney said, doing the same. Sort of. She pushed her paper plate off to the side, but was unable to tuck her legs in. Her bulky diaper gave just enough resistance to the act so that it was difficult (to say the least) to get her legs at the appropriate angle. Tyler squeezed his legs together and found the same.
Gloria nibbled on the corner of her lip. âI think that when youâre not actively using the bathroom, you should be wearing diapers, just in case. Just until we figure out whether or not it was a fluke.â
The quartet looked at one another, silently conferring. âThatâs fair,â Christy said. The others agreed. Tyler didnât quite agree, but there was no point in discussing it openly.
âIâll give you some spare baby clothes to wear when the babies and their parents come in to act as a disguise.â
âCan we get in our real clothes after the parents leave?â Brittney asked. It wasnât the first time that question had been asked, but Tyler waited to see if the answer would remain the same. This wasnât necessarily a friendly negotiation. Good to push up against restrictions and see where the line really was.
âThatâs inadvisable,â Gloria said plainly. âMy charges and their parents come in and out throughout the day sometimes. It doesnât make sense to have you in your real clothes and risk them coming in and seeing you dressed differently. I donât want to have to constantly be looking out windows or rushing to get you back into costume, either.â
âThen youâre not going to let us use the toilet, either, Iâm assuming,â Tyler said. âOr youâre going to have a childâs potty out here and force us to piss and shit in it all day long.â
Gloria looked genuinely perturbed at the remark. Maybe it was the cursing. âOn the off chance that they knock on the door at the worst possible time, I think I can talk around them enough to say that I was taking you to the potty.â
Drewâs ears started to wiggle. âSo we look potty training age to you?â he asked. Tyler immediately started imagining himself in pull-ups. Not ideal, but an upgrade for sure.
âWellâŠnoâŠâ the giantess admitted. âBut elimination communication is a thing.â
Tylerâs mind skipped three steps ahead. âAre your doors unlocked?â
âHm?â Gloriaâs lip pouted out. âNo. Why?â
âThen why would you need to tell them anything that lined up with what was really going on?â He looked to his companions and saw the look on their faces. He groaned inwardly. Again, his mind had gone too fast and run several permutations.
âIâm not following, dear.â None of them were.
Itâs not that he felt he was particularly smarter than his wife and friends, itâs just that his brain was constantly running through various scenarios and what-ifs. A benefit of growing up an only child and being easily distracted. âWhy not just tell them you were changing our diapers?â Tyler clarified. âParents can show up anytime, but itâs not like theyâre going to burst in on you. Why over complicate things with lies about elimination communication or whatever?â It was common sense really. He could see the suspicion start to grow on everyone elseâs faces.
âI can see us having to be in baby clothes first thing in the morning,â he allowed. âBut why not let us get back into our civvies after the main rush?â His brain kept sparking, with new ideas flowing out as soon as they were fully formed. âShit. Weâre wearing diapers to bed, sure. But why do we gotta wear them when weâre awake? Thereâs no data to say that weâre having accidents during the day.â He paused just long enough to take a breath. âLet us be ourselves. Then if someone comes a knocking, we put the disguises back on. They leave. We take them off. Easy peasy.â
The look of frustration and worry on the old giantessâs face lasted only so long as Tyler kept yapping. âNo offense,â she said, âbut you donât have much experience with kids, do you, hon?â
Tyler cocked an eyebrow. âNot really, no.â
âDo you know how long it takes to get four kids properly dressed?â Brittney was about to repeat the same tiresome refrain of how the four of them werenât actually children, but Gloria talked right over her. âImagine youâre a parent and every time you come to the door it takes five to ten minutes until the babysitter opens the door. And every time they ask, I tell them I was busy changing the kids?â
âWhatâs your point?â Drew asked. âIt happens.â
âEvery time?â Gloria retorted. âIâd be in the middle of changing four diapers every time a parent rings the doorbell? Really? I donât know if you know this, but a key feature of diapers is that you donât have to change them right away every time. What would be so urgent that I had to drop everything to change multiple children and couldnât even open the door?â
âLeaks happen,â Christy offered. âBlowouts too.â
âBut every time?â Gloria repeated. âI donât know how quickly you folks plan on going home, but I donât think itâs going to be tomorrow. Weâll start brainstorming and researching, yes, but itâs going to be at least the end of the week before we have enough time to do major deep dives. A blowout every time?â Admittedly, Tyler hadnât thought of that. âWhat if I tell them that, and then their child is wet or messy?â
âYouâŠchangeâŠthem?â Brittney said, confused.
Gloria sat up a little straighter on the floor and took on a near cartoonish demeanor. âOh, Iâm sorry, sir. I took a solid five minutes to answer the door because I was changing a bunch of babies at once and it couldnât pause to open the door. What? You didnât hear any screaming or crying indicating the babies were panicking? And your daughter is still messy? I donât know why I didnât change her.â She slumped forward. âI wanna help you, but I still gotta work, guys.â
Tylerâs own brain got the better of him. âWeâd need extra baby clothes, too.â Tyler mused. âIf they see us in one outfit in the morning, and are told the delay was due to an emergency change like a blowout, that afternoon, they might notice that the outfits havenât changed.â
âThank you,â Gloria said. âNow youâre being reasonable, Tyler.â
Tyler wasnât done. âBut youâre operating under the assumption that youâd have to dress us one at a time. âWe could dress ourselves.â
The giantess didnât answer at first. She just rolled over and crawled over to the changing table she kept in the living room. From the top shelf she grabbed a diaper and from the bottom one she grabbed a white T-shirt. She balled up the shirt and lobbed it into Tylerâs lap. âPut that on for me.â
Tyler flapped out the shirt only to realize it wasnât really a shirt. It was a onesie, a t-shirt that connected at the bottom. Tyler turned it upside down and started to pull at the buttons connecting the front and back. If the tapes on his diaper (his diaperâŠyikes) were titanium, then the snaps on the onesie were adamantium.
âThought so,â Gloria said. âYouâre not strong enough to remove the tapes. Youâre not strong enough to pop or unpop the poppers. I would have to dress you all.â
Next she lobbed the diaper at Brittney. âBrittney, would you be a dear and put that on?â
Brittney unfolded the monstrous thing and frowned. These things were unwieldy in their hands, and meant to be put on with aid. They really would need help getting dressed.
âThen thereâs the matter of where do we put your adult clothes when youâre not wearing them? Where do we keep the disguises? How fast can you get to them? How do we keep the kids away from them but still keep them accessible to you? What do I do with the diapers when youâre not wearing them for hours on end? Those things arenât cheap, you know, and they donât fold back very neatly. The tapes lose their stickiness real quick if youâre not careful, too.â
She was right. It would be difficult and completely impractical to switch the ruse back and forth multiple times a day for at least a week, probably longer. Was it worth all that just for their ego? His friends who had been right there with him a moment ago, now all exchanged reluctant looks. Giant lady was right. âPoint taken,â Tyler grumbled. âSorry.â Common sense was never Tylerâs strong suit.
âDonât be so hard on yourself, Tyler,â Gloria said. âIâm a granny and a nanny. The logistics of keeping kids in clean clothes is literally part of my job.â That didnât make Tyler feel any better. âYouâre right, though. On the off chance someone comes to the door while Iâm helping one of you with bathroom stuff, I can just say I was in the middle of changing you. I was overcomplicating it.â
âThanksâŠâ Tyler sulked.
Christy came over to him and sat down. She threw her arm over his shoulder and gave her husband a side hug. Tylerâs skin broke out in a blush. The bad kind. âGood effort,â she whispered.
âI think the best plan for tomorrow is to get to bed early so youâre awake and dressed tomorrow morning,â Gloria proposed. âIâll pick out things that wonât embarrass you but help you blend in. Iâll spend most of the day taking care of the babies like I usually do, and check up on you as much as I can. If you need anything, food, drink, bathroom, just holler and Iâll come help.â She looked at them one at a time. âDoes that seem reasonable?â
Damn it, it did.
âYes,â Brittney said. âI think so.â No one had any argument to the contrary.
âGood,â Gloria clapped her hands together. âThen the only thing I think is left to discuss is who gets first shower?â
First shower? Tyler was confused. So too, were the others.
âYouâre letting us take a shower?â Christy asked.
âYeah,â Gloria said. âOf course.â Almost comically she asked, âYou do have showers where you come from, right?â
âYeah,â Drew said. âJust not what we expected.â
Brittney got her wits about her and went full lawyer. âWeâre allowed to shower?â
âI donât see why not.â Gloria replied.
âBy ourselves?â
âOf course.â
âWithout you? Soap, shampoo, water, washcloth, towel?â
âIâll need to help you get your diapers off and on,â Gloria said. âYouâll probably want my help getting in and out of the tub, but other than that, I donât see why youâd need me there.â
âWhat about the bed? Can we sleep with the door open? No baby gate?â
Tyler saw the opening and threw in, âItâll be easier to wake you up to take us to the bathroom if we can move around freely.â
Tyler noticed a microsecond of hesitation. âI suppose thatâs true.â Then she offered, âIâve got a baby monitor if thatâd be easier.â
âWeâd prefer not,â Brittney said.
âFair enough. Letâs get showered.â
And so it was. As a group they were given big fluffy bath towels to drape over their shoulders. They were so big comparatively that they could have been bathrobes had they the sleeves. Then Gloria retreated to the bathroom and came back with washcloths that were comparative hand towels, and bright white bars of soap.
âWhy are they uhâŠus sized?â Christy asked.
âVacation?â Tyler wondered. He rattled his brain a second. âI mean, travel size?â
âRight you are,â Gloria nodded. âGood guess. Iâve got a whole box of these for when I travel.â
Tyler read the letter etched into the bar. âIs that why the brand is âLittleâ?â he asked. âThey only make tiny travel soaps?â
âTwo for two,â Gloria winked at him.
âDo you have any shampoo?â Brittney inquired.
âSorry, no.â Gloria said. âBut I put a bottle with a pump right on the edge. Should be easy to squirt in your hand and go from there.â
âOr we could just use the soap,â Tyler guessed.
Something akin to fear flashed across the womanâs face.. âI wouldnât recommend it,â she warned. âThis stuff gets the job done, but itâs rough on the scalp. Dries out your hair something fierce.â
Drew looked at Tyler with strange, judgmental curiosity. âDude. Do you use regular soap in your hair?â
âNo!â Tyler blushed. It was true, heâd never thought to use soap in that way until that moment.. That wasnât why he was blushing, however. It was his best budâs scrutinizing glare that gave him the willies.
Finally, Gloria went down the line, counted to three, and ripped the tapes on the diapers open and let the plastic backed panties waft to the floor. âAll clean, and all dry. Good job!â
Brittney reached out to both Tyler and Drew and grabbed each by the wrist, squeezing them tightly and digging her nails into their flesh. All of these condescending microaggressions were taking their toll. Tyler reached to his left and grabbed his wifeâs hand. He squeezed. She squeezed back. That didnât make him feel much better.
âOkay,â Gloria said. âWhoâs going in first?â
Drew raised his hand. âIâll go,â he said. And so it was.
âHey Brit,â Christy said, grinning. âToldja it was gonna happen.â
Brittney twitched. âNot the time, Christy. Not the time.â The reply wasnât snippy but there was genuine annoyance, like a big sister chastising her little sibling. The stress was getting to everyone. Things were going to look tense.
Christy looked disproportionately hurt. âSorryâŠâ She looked away, her face flushing.
âIâm gonna go tidy up,â Gloria said, coming out of the bathroom. âStill need to prep for tomorrow.â
Amongst the three remaining, no one said anything. Tyler did his best not to think.
A few minutes later, Drew called out a mighty. âOKAY! DONE!â The bathroom amplified his voice like a megaphone.
True to her word, Gloria came at a brisk face and boosted him out. âNext?â
Britney went next.
Then Christy.
Gloria used the intervening time to remove the baby gate and go back and forth with a few other items. âDiapers and powder for bed,â she explained. Then âSome milk to help you sleep.â
Tyler chose to go last. He needed as little hot water as possible. He walked into the bathroom, dropped his towel and closed his eyes for the lift up and over into the tub.
âGot your soap?â Gloria asked.
âYup.â
âGot your washcloth?â
âMhm.â
âOkay, make sure to scrub real good.â The older woman prompted. âFace. Neck. Pits. Everything. Especially the diaper area. Youâre so hairy, who knows what my wipes didnât pick up.â
Tyler looked down at his chest. Puberty had been generous to him in that regard. He wasnât wooly, but back home itâd be hard to mistake him as anything but a grown ass man. It was strange that the giants thought he looked like a baby, considering. âSure sure.â
âOkay, good,â Gloria said.. Donât want you getting sick in case thereâs viruses or bacteria that your body isnât used to.
âI thought you were just a babysitter,â Tyler said. âNot a doctor.â
As always, Gloria had an explanation. âGrannies and nannies are practically nurses. Kids get sick all the time. Youâve got about as much exposure as a newborn.â
âMakes sense,â Tyler sighed.
He set to work in the now tepid water, lathering up everything from head to toe, feeling a minor bout of hypochondria. War of the worlds ended with the aliens dying due to a simple cold virus. That would be a truly dumb way to die. âWorldâs worst martian.âTo himself, he whispered to himself. Then he whispered something altogether different, connected with an altogether different, guilty conscience. âThought crimeâŠno thought crimeâŠjust thoughtsâŠno crime.â
âSorry I didnât leave much hot water,â Christy said when he was out.
âItâs cool, babe,â he said. He leaned over and gave her a kiss.
âOkay folks,â Gloria said, hunched over and shooing them. âLetâs suit up for the night. Youâre still exhausted.
Damn but she was right!
They were herded back into the guest room, as a group this time. No one complained. Theyâd all seen each other get their butts wiped. Modesty was all but out the window. Their towels were taken and laid on the foot of the bed. Each naked body was picked up and laid down. They all laid with their hands behind their heads, as if tanning at a nude beach.
One by one, Granny Gloria crossed their ankles, lifted their legs, powdered their bottoms and diapered them. Tyler in particular, did his best to stare up at the ceiling during all of this. âThere we go,â she proclaimed. âOkay. Go on. Crawl into bed.â
As a group they rolled over and crinkled from one end of the giantâs guest bed to the other. âThese feelâŠbigger.â She wiggled her bottom and Tyler turned deathly white.
âNight time diapers,â Gloria explained. âTheyâre more absorbent. Can go longer without a change so babies can sleep through the night without leaking.â A beat. âJust in case.â
âJust in caseâŠâ Brittney echoed, suspiciously.
Right before she turned out the light, Gloria handed out more baby bottles full of milk. âHere you are,â she half-sang. âSomething to help you sleep.â
They all took their bottles with gusto. Tyler took it and started to practically inhale the stuff.
WaitâŠ
Something wasnât right about that. Something felt wrong. He liked milk as much as the next guy, but not this much.
He used his tongue to stop up the hole, and waited until the lights were off and they were alone. âHey guys?â He whispered.
âWhat?â Brittney asked.
If it had been anybody else, things might have turned out differently. âNothing. Nevermind.â Tyler set the bottle down beside him and let it roll all the way down to his feet. âGoodnight.â
He got the muted sounds of suckling in reply. Then snoring.
Tyler didnât sleep. Not at first. As usual, his mind couldnât turn off. It never could. This particular time, he couldnât get the weird dream heâd had out of his head. Ever since he woke up, his brain was guiltily fixated on that dream.
Heâd been dreaming of being a baby, crawling around and babbling on the floor with Drew, Christy and Brittney. All of them wearing baby clothes, the kind that couldnât be mistaken for anything else. Then his dream had focused on him crawling up behind Brittney, her butt wiggling and padded. Sheâd stopped, her diaper had ballooned out behind her, and then sheâd turned around and given Tyler a big wet sloppy kiss right on the lips.
The dream went further than that, but not much further. Heâd woken up to Drew freaking out and Tyler realizing how not only had he filled his pants in his sleep, but he was rock hard inside of his soaked and messy diaper. The coldness of the baby wipes and Grannyâs fawning over him like he were an embarrassed toddler helped the erection; just not the guilt.
Why had that turned him on? More importantly, why wasnât it Christy? Why Brittney? Why not his own wife? Heâd had the tiniest crush on her back when they were high school kids, but heâd long gotten over that, or so he thought.
For the first time that he could really remember, Tyler was afraid of his own thoughts. It would crush Christy if she knew. And he hadnât even done anything! Wasnât going to do anything! But the idea would hurt her all the same.
Thought crime.
Tyler kept the cycle up for an indeterminate amount of time. His eyelids closed, and his breathing slowed, but sleep would not claim him. Obsessed, he kept running himself through the dream, scolding and assuring himself it was just a fantasy and it wasnât harming anyone. That he still loved his wife and would never purposefully hurt her; yet he was terrified lest she find out.
After the hundredth or so attempt to roll over and go to sleep, something else caught Tylerâs attention. He had to pee. The water heâd glugged down with the hotdogs had finally gone through him. He scolded himself and sat up. Should have taken the opportunity to pee in the shower or something.
Oh well. Nothing to it but do it.
He got up and crawled all the way to the foot of the bed. It was oddly embarrassing. Every move he made let loose a crinkling noise that felt incredibly loud in the stillness of the room. For whatever reason, he was embarrassed at having to do what must be done. Didnât want to wake the others.
He edged himself over at the foot and let his feet dangle. The drop wasnât that steep. There in the dark, it certainly felt like it. He rolled over to his belly and slid down feet first. That felt less risky to him. His feet touched the floor before his arms went taut. Heâd need help climbing back in of course, but that was for a later step.
The next step came walking. The slight waddle heâd been forced to adopt while diapered increased exponentially in this thicker night time diaper. He had to move around like he was in one of those sumo wrestler fat suits that they put on goofy T.V. game shows. Every leg had to swing out in a wide crescent arc for him to take a step forward. Itâd been easier, in fact, to crawl. Tyler wasnât about to do that.
âWax on. Wax off. Wax on. Wax off.â Thatâs right. He wasnât waddling like a baby that barely knew how to walk, he was teaching himself 1980âs karate. Sure.
âHello?â He called out. âGloria?â His voice sounded so much louder in the stillness of the house. He suddenly realized that he had no idea where the giantâs room was. She hadnât told him. âHellooooo? Gloria? Glooooria?â He hoped he didnât wake his friends up. âI have to go to the bathroom!â
The flickering of lights coming to life. The creaking of door hinges. The falling of heavy footsteps. From deeper inside the house, the giantess came, wearing an old nightie. âTyler?â she whispered just loud enough so that her voice could be heard. âWhatâs wrong, buddy? What are you doing up?â
âI uhâŠhave to pee.â Tyler said, shyly. âWould you mind helping me?â
Gloria tilted her head curiously. âYou didnât finish your milk,â she said. âDid you?â
âI wasnât very thirsty.â
âThought so.â She bent over and picked Tyler up, cradling him in her arms. âOkay, buddy. Iâll help you go pee-pee.â
Very quickly, Tyler realized she wasnât taking him to the bathroom. âNo,â he corrected her. âI didnât wet my pants. I donât need a diaper change. I need to pee. In the toilet.â
âIâm not going to change your diaper,â Gloria informed him. âWeâre just making a quick trip to the kitchen.â True to her word, she carried him briskly through the play room, past the changing table, and straight into the kitchen. The light of the refrigerator was close to blinding.
âIâm not thirsty,â Tyler said. âI already told you.â
âI know,â Gloria said. âFirst, Granny will help you drink your milk. Then sheâll help you go pee-pee. Then sheâll help you go back to sleep.â
Tyler felt the rubber nipple brush against his cheek. His nose caught the barest whiff of the stuff inside and his brain lit up like an alcoholic who just smelled whiskey. He did like the milkâŠand it would be nice to be able to drift off. It wasnât his full bladder that had been keeping him up.
Tylerâs eyes adjusted and honed in on the rubber nipple. âYou promise?â Tyler asked.
âYes. Promise.â Granny said. âFirst milk. Then pee-pee. Then sleep.â She shoved the bottle into his mouth and gave it a squeeze, squirting the stuff in, before Tyler had a chance to reconsider.
His lips latched onto the nipple and began suckling with the same lack of intent as his leg jerking whenever a doctor hit his knee with a hammer. Panic subsided. Hiis belly began to fill. Without being asked to, Tyler reached up and grabbed the bottle himself, taking it from Granny.
âThatâs right,â she praised him. âDrink it all up. Itâll make you feel so much better.â Tyler did. Every gulp made his muscles relax more and his heart rate decrease. His eyelids were starting to feel very heavy. His thoughts, for once, were slowing down and coming into focus. âGood boy. That feels better, doesnât it, big boy?â
Tyler gave a sleepy nod. He still had to pee, but that seemed very unimportant now. It was like those rare times heâd wake up an hour or so before the alarm went off and decide that he was still too tired to get out of bed, so heâd just roll over and go back to sleep. Some part of him whispered out of the brain fog.
âWhat about the bathroom?â he asked. Heâd gotten up and found her for that reason.
Granny carried him out of the kitchen and back through the house, only much more slowly. âIâve been thinking about that,â she said. âMaybe you shouldnât go in the potty?â
Tylerâs mind started revolting and racing, but his heart refused to accelerate the blood to his brain. âHuh?â
âYou getting up in the middle of the night so I can take you to the potty doesnât make sense, does it? Not when you have a diaper on.â
âButâŠbutâŠâ Tyler couldnât articulate a rebuttal. It was like his brain was surrounded by a layer of cotton. Not unlike his butt. HehâŠanother joke he couldnât explain to anyone else.
Still cradling him, Granny bobbed him up and down in her arms. âI mean, if you want to be impractical and have to cry âGranny! Granny! Grannyâ everytime you need to go pee-pee, like a toddler, thatâs fine. Iâll help you. OrâŠâ
For the first time in his life, Tyler was connecting zero dots. âOrâŠ?â
âOr you could just go pee-pee in your diaper. Thatâs what itâs there for.â
âHowâŠis thatâŠ?â The words were even slower than his thoughts.
âHow is that more grown-up?â Granny finished the thought for him. Normally only Christy could do that. âItâs simple. Babies have accidents in their diapers. Toddlers have accidents in their pants. If you do it on purpose, itâs not an accident, is it?â
Tyler literally couldnât argue with that logic. His foggy brain wouldnât let him. âHmmmâŠâ his hum turned into a pur.
âGo on, big boy,â she whispered. âGo pee-pee. Let it alllll out.â
Tyler tried to, but something inside wouldnât let him. âIâŠIâŠâ
Granny let out a quiet sigh. âAwww. Itâs okay, baby. I understand. You donât have any control, do you? Weâll try again, later.â
That did it. Some part of his brain and body kicked into overdrive. Tyler hated losing. All that needed to happen was for his mind to turn not peeing his pants into the losing condition. âWait!â he begged. âWait! Iâm doing it!â
He cringed and pushed through while hot piss rocketed out of him splashing against his privates seconds before it was absorbed by the thirsty diaper taped around his hips. He heard a light hissing sound, subtle, nearly undetectable if not for the quiet of the house; like eating potato chips in a quiet theater.
âI know,â Granny smiled. âGood boy! Youâre doing it! So big!â
Tyler kept his bladder going until every last drop was out. The diaper swelled slightly, but Tyler could tell it wasnât anywhere near close to leaking. In a few minutes, after the insides had cooled, Tyler might wonder if heâd actually ever used it.
Grannyâs hand pressed between his legs. âVery big! So good! Did you like it?â
It was as if Tyler couldnât keep his eyes more than half open. âUmâŠkind of?â It was like a nice warm washcloth pressed up against his sensitive parts.
Grannyâs hand pressed harder on the crinkly paddling. âLet Granny help you enjoy it more.â She started to gently rub and massage the front of the diaper. Despite the crinkle of the infantile underwear, Tylerâs body started to respond.
âHuh?â Tyler mumbled. âWhat are youâŠ?â But he made no move to stop her.
âDonât worry,â Granny whispered. âIâm a Granny and a nanny. You donât have anything I havenât seen before.â
âButâŠbutâŠâ Tylerâs eyes started to roll back in his head, his breathing becoming shallower.
âThis wonât take long,â the giantess chuckled. âJust a little extra reward for being such a good boy and going pee-pee in your diapers on purpose. No one is getting hurt. Your Little friends canât hear us.â Tyler wasnât sure, but he could swear he heard the word âlittleâ be pronounced differently. Could almost hear the difference between the capitalization. The difference between animals and Animals in Wicked. âAll your Little friends are sound asleep in bed. This will be our secret.â
âNnnnâŠâ Tyler couldnât formulate the words for a proper refusal.
âA promise is a promise,â Granny talked over him, still stroking and massaging him through the diaper. âFirst milk. Then pee-pee. Then sleep. This will help with that. Just close your eyes, suck your thumb, and think of something reeeeeal nice while you get your diaper patted.â
The rubbing stopped just long enough for Granny to guide Tylerâs thumb into his mouth. He let the bottle fall from his hand and slide onto his belly. He closed his eyesâŠand thought of a certain someone crawling around on the floor, wiggling her padded butt while she crawled on the floor. And it wasnât Christy. He sucked harder and harder on his thumb, in time with Grannyâs hand messaging his diaper.
He sucked. And sucked. And sucked. UntilâŠ
The sucking stopped, and a quiet little moan leapt out of him. All of his muscles relaxed. His breathing deepened again. Granny stopped rubbing. âAllll done,â she said. âLetâs put you back in bed.â He only knew they were traveling when Granny laid him back down in the enormous bed and tucked him in. âIâll change you in the morning with the others,â she promised.
Tyler let his thumb fall out of his mouth and nodded, barely conscious.
âNight night. âBig boyâ.â her voice had an edge of mockery to it. âSweet dreams.â She left the room. Just before he lost consciousness, a gentle lullabye started to play. It didnât have lyrics, but Tyler swore it fit the lyrics and cadence of Humpty Dumpty exceedingly well.
Tyler would wake up soaked the next morning, and barely remember this, left to wonder whether it was a dream or not.