The Follow-up Appointment (Patreon)

When I finally released "The Appointment" on DA, it garnered a much bigger response than I was expecting. So, I decided to give it a sequel. Hope you enjoy.

Giselle Williams got out of her car, tugged her thumb out of her mouth, and stepped cautiously toward the doors of her dentist's office. It had been only a week since the last time she had visited Dr. Hoffman, but Giselle was already eager to see her new dentist again. She had noticed that her last visit had resulted in more than just clean teeth. She had felt a spring in her step. She had come out of this office a new woman, with a new lease on life. Her attitude had improved enormously, and her friends and family had taken notice. They had no idea why, of course, and Giselle herself wasn't entirely certain either.

She was certain of a few things. She knew that she was a Big Baby, for one. How that had happened and what exactly it meant for her were less clear, but she knew for certain that it was true. She was also a Thumbsucker and a Pantswetter. This didn't bother her, exactly, but lately she had become worried that those around her might realize how babyish she actually was. She had taken to wearing much more concealing clothing to keep her diapers hidden, and despite her best efforts, she had been caught sucking her thumb more than once.

She knew that she hadn't been a Big Baby before her last visit, and she knew that diapers had become part of her life at the same time. She knew something was odd about that, but she wasn't quite sure what. Wearing diapers had become both a convenience and a necessity. She had had very little in the way of bladder control lately. She had woken up in a wet diaper five times since her last visit, and had been wetting in her diapers several times a day, hardly ever making it to the toilet except when going #2. At first, she had been thrilled by this sudden change, but she had found herself becoming increasingly self-conscious as the week wore on. She suspected that her job interview had not gone well, and it occurred to her that this may have had something to do with all the thumbsucking she had been doing recently. She wasn't totally certain that she had sucked her thumb during the interview, but she had caught herself sucking so often lately that she couldn't rule it out. A feeling of vague unease was creeping into her life, and she wanted to talk to Dr. Hoffman about it. Whenever she felt anxious or uncertain, her mind turned back to the wonderful feeling of bliss she had experienced during her last dental visit. She wanted to experience that peace and serenity again.

Dr. Hoffman came out to greet her almost as soon as she entered the door.

“Hey, it's Giselle! Welcome back sweety!” said Dr. Hoffman, extending her arms warmly to her patient. Giselle hesitated, but finally she leaned forward to embrace her dentist halfheartedly.

“Thanks. I've really been wanting to talk to you. There have been a lot of...changes recently.” said Giselle.

“I'll bet there have!” chuckled Dr. Hoffman. “C'mon. Lets head into the examination room and we'll go over your progress.”

Dr. Hoffman took Giselle's hand and lead into the exam room of the small clinic. Giselle knew where it was, and having her hand held made her feel a little odd. Still, she knew that she just a Big Baby and that her dentist knew what was best.

The room was much as it had been last time: same incredibly juvenile decorations and intimidating cleaning equipment. Same plastic-covered chair and futuristic anesthesia dispenser looming in the corner. Giselle recalled how nervous she had been the last time she had been in this room, and wondered how she could have been afraid of such a cheerful place. However, she jumped a little when she realized that the room was already occupied. In one corner sat a young woman in a lavender-colored blouse with a notebook in her lap. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. She was a little shorter than Giselle, but had  the same blonde hair as Dr. Hoffman.

“Oh! Uh...hello.” said Giselle. She let go of Dr. Hoffman's hand suddenly when she realized that they weren't alone.

“Hi!” said the younger woman with a cheerfulness that seemed eerily familiar. “My name's Nancy.”

“This is my niece.” explained Dr. Hoffman. “She's interning with me. Learning the family business, you could say.”

Nancy and Dr. Hoffman shared a little chuckle at this, although Giselle didn't join them. She felt uncomfortable with Nancy in the room, although she wasn't certain why.

“I'll just be here observing and taking notes.” said Nancy, wagging her mechanical pencil to illustrate the point. “That's all right, isn't it?”

Giselle felt her spine clamp together. She really didn't feel like having anyone 'observe' her visit, let alone take notes. Still, both of them were looking at her with beaming smiles, and she didn't want to make a fuss about it.

“y...yeah, that's fine.” she said nervously.

“Good!” said Dr. Hoffman. “Take a seat, and we'll get started.”

Giselle sat down in the comfortable dentist's chair, and Dr. Hoffman pulled up a seat of her own.

“Now, have you been flossing and brushing every night?”

Giselle felt her face glow as she sat down. Just a moment ago she had felt relieved to be seeing Dr. Hoffman again. But now, with a stranger in the room, she felt like her personal business was on public display. She felt silly for feeling that way, especially considering that Nancy seemed perfectly friendly. Still, she had to fight the urge to stutter nervously as she answered her dentist's questions.

“Oh, uh, yes. Taking good care of my teeth, just like you told me to.”

“Having you been brushing every morning as well? Asked Dr. Hoffman.

“Er...yes.” muttered Giselle, nervously and untruthfully.

“Good girl!” said Dr. Hoffman warmly, making Giselle blush all the more. “Have you had any discomfort since last time?”

“Umm...well...” Giselle mumbled. “My teeth have felt fine, really. It's just...I've had some...odd feelings...ever since you gave me the gas last time.” She immediately wanted to put the words back in her mouth when she saw Nancy jot something down.

“That's very normal.” said Dr. Hoffman, giving her knee a comforting pat. “What kinds of feelings?”

Giselle swallowed hard and tried to compose herself. “I've...well, I've been a little nervous. I'm really not sure why. When I'm alone at home, I feel amazing. But when other people are around, I feel like I need to hide. Like what I'm doing is...bad, somehow.”

Dr. Hoffman listened and nodded sympathetically as she spoke. “I think I understand. Tell me something. Have you been sucking your thumb?”

Giselle felt as though her face would explode with embarrassment. She looked down at her shoes as she spoke. “Uh...oh my...umm, yes. I have.”

Dr. Hoffman kept a reassuring hand on Giselle's knee. “About how often do you suck your thumb, would you say?”

Giselle's heart raced. She knew something was wrong here. Surely this wasn't a question a dentist would normally ask! Still, try as she might, she couldn't decide what exactly the issue could be. She could feel Nancy's eyes drilling into her as she spoke. “Uh...about...six or seven times a day, maybe?”

This was a lie. Giselle's thumb had been in and out of her mouth all week. She didn't have the faintest idea how often, but she wouldn't have been surprised if it was hours each day. And of course if you added in her time sucking in her sleep, her thumb probably spent more time in her mouth than out of it.

Dr. Hoffman's forehead knitted together in a concerned expression. “Really? That sounds a little low. Have you been resisting the urge to suck?”

“...yes.” she said quietly, feeling utterly at sea. Was she supposed to be sucking her thumb, or not? “I've been trying to cut back. Some of the looks I get...” Giselle trailed off.

“Yes, I can imagine.” said Dr. Hoffman. “How about the diapers? Do you have the same problem with them?”

Giselle felt her heart rate accelerate once more, until she felt a dull throb in her ears. She felt woozy at the mention of her diapers.

“You are wearing them, aren't you?” asked the dentist with a look of concern.

“Uh, of course! I wouldn't...I mean...” Giselle fumbled through her words. Of course she was wearing them. She hadn't been out of them for more than a minute or two at a time all week, and that was only to change them or use the bathroom.

“I'm just joking, silly!” said Dr. Hoffman, giving Giselle's nose an affectionate tweak. “Of course you're wearing your diapers! How many have you been going through a day?”

Giselle glanced at Nancy, expecting to see the younger woman giggling at her. To her surprise, she seemed more bored than amused. “I...I guess, a half-dozen or so?”

Dr. Hoffman shrugged. She seemed disappointed, but only mildly. “I guess that's to be expected. I had hoped you'd have progressed a little further by now, but you can't always get what you want. I take it you've been wearing them at night?”

Giselle nodded enthusiastically. How was she supposed to sleep otherwise?

“Have you ever woken up dry?” asked Dr. Hoffman.

There was a long pause. “A couple times.” said Giselle sheepishly. Nancy noted this.

“Have you just been wetting, or have you been pooping in them as well?”

Giselle started. “What? No. No I...I've been using the potty.” Her face blazed as she heard what she had said. She thought she saw Nancy break into a grin, but when she turned her head, the young intern was calmly scratching down more notes. Nancy's pencil was working more quickly now.

Dr. Hoffman drew her chair forward and dropped an arm around Giselle's shoulders. “I see. Embarrassment can be tricky to overcome, can't it?”

Giselle nodded, feeling a sense of relief at her dentist's words.

“It can be difficult when you're first starting out, but it's very important that you learn to accept yourself for who you are. It really doesn't matter if other people don't quite see you as a grown-up, does it?”

Giselle sighed and nodded. She knew that Dr. Hoffman was right, of course.

“And what are you, Giselle? Are you a grown-up?”

Giselle looked back to her shoes and blushed intensely. She knew the words that Dr. Hoffman was looking for, but she could not bring herself to say them.

Dr. Hoffman turned toward her niece. “Nancy, can you tell me what Giselle here is?”

“A Big Baby.” stated Nancy. Giselle jumped a little in her seat at the words. They were spoken without emphasis or enthusiasm of any kind. They were neither an insult nor a supposition, but simply a fact. She may as well have been saying that it was Wednesday.

“Very much so. Does that bother you, sweety? The fact that you're a Big Baby?” asked Dr. Hoffman, sweetly as ever.

Giselle swallowed. “It's...it's just...I didn't used to be a...you know...before.”

Dr. Hoffman and Nancy exchanged a knowing glance, which did not serve to put Giselle's mind at ease in the slightest.

“It sounds like we've had a little bit of a relapse. Nothing to be worried about. That's why these follow-up appointments are so important. It just means that you'll need some additional treatment. Not a problem, I assure you. Just a minor recalibration.”

Giselle smiled faintly with relief. She still wasn't quite following what Dr. Hoffman was saying to her, but at least she didn't seem to be mad. She thought of how lucky she was to have such a nice dentist to explain things to her.

“Oh, well! We can soon sort that out. I think we should get started on your treatment now, sweety. It looks as though we'll need to stay a little longer today to make up for lost time.”

Giselle bit her lip. “I'm...I'm sorry.” she said, although she was uncertain why she was.

Dr. Hoffman rose from her seat. She took Giselle's head in her hands and raised it until their eyes met. “Hey! Hey. No need for that! It's just a minor technical issue, nothing to make a fuss over. Nancy, would you be a dear and get the anesthesia ready?”

Nancy jumped up and hurried over to the machine, moving like a child you has just been handed a quarter and told that she can have a gumball. Dr. Hoffman stroked Giselle's back as the strange device was wheeled over.

“Let's see...” muttered Dr. Hoffman, examining the set of electronic dials and displays that composed the machine's interface. “...the suggestions lost about 40% efficacy after only a week...” She carefully twisted three of the dials. One of the electronic displays suddenly shifted from green to yellow.

Giselle pointed at the yellow indicator. “What does that mean?” she asked nervously.

Dr. Hoffman patted her on the shoulder. “It just means the sedative is a liiiittle stronger this time.”

She picked the mask off the hook and pressed it onto Giselle's face. “Now, big breath in...big breath out...big breath in...Good Girl.”

The mask sealed around Giselle's mouth and nose as the machine hissed to life. Giselle's stomach was in knots as the sweet-scented gas filled her lungs. All through the appointment, she had been struggling to understand why she felt so uneasy. The more she thought about it, the less it all...

The thought peeled away and vanished, even as she tried to focus. The warm, weightless feeling she remembered from her last visit was back, now even more intense. The shapes in the room around her softened and blurred. Gentle, tingling music began playing from the machine's speakers. The room seemed to gently spin, though in what direction it was hard to say. The friendly stuffed toys that lined the shelves seemed to move a little, as though they were alive but trying to sit still. Giselle took another long, deep breath, as the mask was removed. She wasn't sure where it had gone. It seemed to drift away into nothing. The chair underneath her grew ever more warm and comfortable, as though it were made of half-melted wax.

“Damn. I was worried there for a little while.” said Nancy. Her voice sounded like it was coming from a long way off.

“Shh. She can still hear us.” whispered Dr. Hoffman.

“So? With a dose like that, we could drive a truck over her foot and she wouldn't even care.”

“Just keep quiet while I'm working. We don't want any side effects.” whispered Dr. Hoffman. Her voice was almost completely different without the forced pleasantness.

Giselle shook her head slightly. She wasn't sure what was happening any more, but she was certain that she didn't want any side effects.

Somewhere in the gentle haze, she heard a sigh of exasperation. Dr. Hoffman cleared her throat, then began to speak with a slow, rhythmic cadence:

“Just relax, Giselle. Feel every inch of your body relax. Your feet are perfectly relaxed. Your legs are perfectly relaxed. Your hands are perfectly relaxed. Your chest, your back, your neck, your shoulders, your jaw, all melting into blissful relaxation. Take long, slow breaths. Let all your worries and doubts drift away into nothingness. Let every drop of tension vanish from your muscles. Nothing can hurt you here. Nothing bad at all can happen. Good girl.

Giselle felt the corners of her mouth perk up, even as the rest of her body seemed to dissolve. This was the feeling of total peace that she had missed.

“You like being told what a Good Girl you are. You love it when people approve of you. And everyone is going to approve of you now. You know why? It's because you're a Big Baby. That's right. You are a Big Baby. You love to hear what a Big Baby you are.”

Giselle smiled as the words, accompanied by the soft, tingling music of the machine, drifted through her consciousness.

“And every day, you will become even more of a Big Baby. You will suck your thumb, and the sense of calmness you get from sucking your thumb will only grow stronger. You will go potty in your diapers, and you will love going potty in your diapers more and more. You will be sweet, happy, carefree, and adorable, and you will become even more so with each passing day. Everyone loves a Big Baby. Everyone will be so happy to see you. Everyone will want to meet you, and you'll want to meet them. Whenever you meet someone, you will be so excited that you will run up and give them a big hug. Hugs are very important. They are how you tell people how much you love them, and you love everyone you see. Everyone is so nice to you, and they need to know how much you love them. You will never feel shy or self-conscious around people again. Love is endless, and it must be shared again and again. You will become more cuddly and affectionate every day. You will want to hug, kiss, and cuddle with everyone around you. You love all physical contact with other people.”

Images of happy, smiling faces drifted through Giselle's mind, and she felt the words fill her with new urges. She wanted to embrace, to touch. The desire to hug, to kiss, to feel and be felt, coursed through her. To be able to share her affection with others, not shyly or covertly, but openly, enthusiastically, and utterly without fear. It was heavenly, and it was hers.

“There is no more need for you to work. Working is only for grown-ups. All that stress isn't any good for you. You're far too much of a Big Baby to be holding down a job, or doing chores, or paying bills. You should focus on just having a good time. Playing pretend with your toys, watching silly cartoons, and giving people big hugs will be your favorite pastimes now. Add in all the naps, feedings, and diaper changes, and that's all you'll have time for anyway.”

Giselle felt a strange sensation as the words floated over her. She had thought her body was totally relaxed and weightless, but now the feeling intensified. It was a though a lead weight had just fallen off of her soul, leaving her fantastically buoyant. She knew that she would never work again, and the thought was fantastic. Perhaps for the first time, she felt truly lucky to be alive.

“Relaxing your body is important, but relaxing your mind is even more important. At all times, your mind should be in a state of total relaxation. If you ever feel a troubling thought enter your mind, or feel yourself start to focus on something, or begin to  effort into a thought, you will learn to immediately stop and relax your mind. Thinking is hard, and a big Baby like you should never have to do anything difficult. You don't need to worry about trying to be smart anymore. Big Babies are never smart. Knowing things and figuring things out is a job for grown-ups, not Big Babies like you. Thinking is a hard job, so a Big Baby like you should never have to do it. Why waste all your time thinking and worrying when you could be having fun?”

Giselle felt the change. Whole swathes of her neurons were winking out and going silent. She could almost see the all the boring, useless skills and knowledge fleeing her mind. She giggled. Her brain was shrinking by the second, and she loved it. She was becoming the person she was always meant to be.

Dr. Hoffman leaned forward, until she could whisper into Giselle's ear. “You were nervous when you came in here, weren't you?”

Giselle felt herself nod.

“You didn't want Nancy here to know that you're in diapers, did you?”

Again, Giselle felt her head bob up and down.

“Well, that's just silly. You don't need to be nervous just because you're in diapers. In fact, diapers are the reason you should never be nervous. You know that no matter what happens, it isn't your fault. You're just a Big Baby, and you don't know any better. You can drool on yourself, or say foolish things, or even make poopies in your diapers, and it doesn't matter. Everyone will just think what an adorable Big Baby you are. You love wearing your diapers. You love how thick and babyish they are. You love knowing that you can bend over and have a nice poopy accident anytime, anywhere. There's no reason to be embarrassed. From now on, you will be proud of your diapers. You will want everyone around you to know that you wear diapers, and that you wear them because you are a Big Baby who can't possibly be trusted in big-girl panties.”

Giselle felt the thick padding around her privates, and sighed contentedly. A small fart and a spritz of urine squeezed out as the muscles that until now had been trying to keep her clothes clean finally gave in for good.

“And since you will wear diapers, you will need to be changed regularly. Now, I know you've been changing your own diapers recently, but that's going to stop right away. You're just too big of a baby to ever do something as complicated as wiping your own butt. Luckily, everyone loves to change an adorable Big Baby like you. Whenever your diaper is nice and full, you will be sure to tell everyone around you that you need a diaper change. You love getting your diaper changed. It will be the highlight of every day from now on. You will have stupid little accidents in your diapers all the time, and you will never feel embarrassed. Instead, you will feel proud. Whenever someone wipes your bottom for you, you think about what a Big Baby you are, how much you love the person changing you, and the fact that you are much too big of a baby to ever change yourself.”

Giselle gradually drifted off to sleep as the Dr. Hoffman continued to whisper pleasant reassurances into her ear. The music played, the room spun, and her chair felt like a cloud.

Slowly, the world around her came back into focus. Giselle wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, nor did she care. She felt amazing. Her limbs were bursting with energy. She stretched and yawned loudly. She noticed an odd smell in the air, and noticed a squishy feeling around her butt. She looked around.

She spotted Nancy in the corner, tapping boredly at a smartphone. A smile spread on her face as she jumped up from the dentist's chair.

“Nancyyyy!” she squealed excitedly. “I'm so glad to see you!”

Nancy had barely looked up from her phone when Giselle tackled her. She squeezed her entire body against the younger woman in an aggressive tackle-hug. Giselle did not spend an instant's thought considering the action. It came as naturally as breathing. She kissed the intern several times on the cheek.

“Well damn! Somebody's sure in a good mood!” said Nancy, returning her hug.

“I love you! You're so awesome! Do you wanna be best friends?” asked Giselle.

Nancy giggled. “I'd like that.”

“Can you change me? I made a stinky in my diaper!” explained Giselle, finally reluctantly breaking off the hug.

Nancy patted Giselle on the butt, prompting a noisy squelch. “You sure did! Wow, guess you're just a Big Baby, huh?”

Giselle nodded enthusiastically. “Uh-huh! I need a grown-up to wipe my butt!”

The door opened, and Dr. Hoffman sauntered in. She, too, received a generous dose of tackle-hug to celebrate her arrival.

“Oh, you look so much better!” said the dentist, rubbing her patient's back. “Did Nancy already give you the good news?”

Giselle clapped. “Ooooh! What good news?”

Nancy gently grabbed Giselle by the shoulders. “I'm gonna be your babysitter now, silly. You're gonna need someone to look after you now, since you're such a Big Baby. I'll drive you back to your place, and I'll move in and look after you. You're gonna need someone around to feed you, and make sure you take your naps, and of course change your stinky diapers! I'll be handling all the work, so you can sit around in your diapers and play all day! Doesn't that sound fantastic?”

Giselle jumped up and down and continued hugging her two friends. Having a babysitter sounded like the best idea she had ever heard.

“Good!” said Nancy. “Why don't you give your thumb a good ol' sucking while I get your changing mat ready? Keeping that tushy of yours nice and clean is a big job, but someone has to do it!”

Giselle began sucking her thumb, just as her babysitter had suggested.

“And it can't very well be you, can it?” asked Dr. Hoffman. Giselle just giggled and shook her head.