Attitude Adjustment: Dr. Zaaijer Origin (Patreon)

Prologue

"Daniel is becoming a problem.  He just won't go along with the program.  He needs an attitude adjustment."

"Have you talked to Daniel?  It's his research.  I thought he would want to see it through to its logical conclusion."

"I have but he is getting cold feet.  He thinks we are going to far."

"Where did he expect it to go?  He knew who we are funded by."

"He said he doesn't care."

"He had better care or he'll take all of us down."

"We'll have to do something."

"Maybe he needs a new job?  Maybe he would be happier if he wasn't a scientist   Maybe he could be the janitor instead.  We could give him Leticia's personality.  He won't even speak English anymore, he'll be mopping the halls at night instead?"

"I don't want him around at all.  I want him totally out of our hair.  We need a story."

The conspirators exited the room, but their conversation continued.

"We just have to make Daniel disappear."

"I think you are right, an attitude adjustment using his own device would be best.  We can say it was an accident.  We can say that he was testing it by himself and something went wrong."

"But what type of personality should we give him?"

"Let me think about it."

The conspirators didn't know that Maria Taylor heard part of their conversation.  She would have to warn Dr. Radecki what she had heard.

Beginning.

"What are you doing?"

"We are giving you an attitude adjustment.  An entirely new personality actually."

"What?"

We are going to remove your personality and replace it with another.  When you leave here you will be acting like a different person."

"You can't do that?"

"I can't?  Look, your new personality is being collected now."

Curtains were pushed aside in front of a one-way mirror.  He could see a little girl of about five sitting in a chair.  An attendant was attaching electrodes to her scalp.  There were different than those which were attached to his.  His were connected to wires from the ceiling.

"It's not possible."

"Oh, yes it is.  Soon your personality will be identical to the girl you see before."

"You can't do that.  Nobody can."

"Can't I?"

But he knew they could.  he had seen it with his own eyes.  His girlfriend changed dramatically.  The cheerful and vivacious woman she was changed to a stern and pious woman.  It was as if she had spent her entire life in a convent sheltered from the world.

I'll resist you.  I won't let it happen."

"You don't have a choice.  When it's over, you won't even know anything has happened."

The look of determination on his face, faded.  "I don't want to be here!"

"It won't take too much longer honey.  If you are good and sit still for just a few more minutes.  You can have ice cream after."

"Can I have Rocky Road?"

"You sure can."

"Can I have it with whipped cream and sprinkles?"

"Anything you want."

"How much longer will this take.  Just a few minutes.  Then it's ice cream time.  It'll be yummy.  And you know what?"

"What."

"You see the girl in front of you?"

"Yes,"

"She has lots of toys, especially dolls.  She wants to play with you."

"What type?"

"I hear she has a stuffed unicorn and a pretty monkey and a teddy bear that is almost as big as she is."

"Wow, that is big."

"Do you know what its name is?"

"What"

"Bosco."

"Would you like to play with Bosco?"

"Yes, but first I want my ice cream."

"You'll get it, Sweetie.  Just a few more seconds.  There it's done."

"Yay."

"OK, let me get these off you then you can have ice cream."

Rocky Road."

"Yeah."

"With whipped cream and sprinkles."

"Yeah."

He was let out of the chair.  "Ice cream?"

"You have to change first.  We have a pretty dress for you to wear.  Then you can have your ice cream."

"OK."  He liked pretty clothes.  he didn't like the suit he was wearing now.  It was icky for him.

He pulled off his suit and the rest of his clothing and was helped into pretty panties, red tights, and a pink dress with flowers and a full-shirt  He wore the outfit with black flats with a bow on the toe.

"You like your new dress?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"I want ice cream now."

"OK, it's ice cream time.  But you have to answer my questions while you are eating."

"Fine, where's the ice cream?"

"Come with me."

A bowl was provided and Rocky Road ice cream was stopped into it.

"Two scoops."

"OK."

Then the whipped cream was sprayed on time and next the rainbow sprinkles.

He dug in with a spoon.  he didn't care about the mess he was making.  He just wanted the scoop the ice cream into his mouth.

"OK, I'm going to ask you some questions.  They are very easy.  Just answer the best you can."

"I will."

"What's your name?"

"Daniel Radecki."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 34."

"Are you a man or a woman?"

"I'm a man."

"Where do you live?"

"Garden City."

Daniel answered all the questions with the facts of his life, none of those things changed.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Pink."

"Which is your favorite show on TV?"

"Puppy Patrol."

"What do you think of boys?"

"They are yucky."

"Why?"

"They are mean and they don't like to do fun things."

"Like what?"

"I don't know.  They just don't like the things that are fun.  They like dumb stuff."

Daniel answered all the questions that had to do with his personality, what he's like and what he likes and doesn't like just like a little girl.  He didn't have a problem identifying himself as a man, but saying he didn't like boys or that boys are mean.

"That's all the questions for now.  I told you they were easy."

"Uh-huh"

"You can go into the playroom."

A woman took Daniel by the hand and led him into the playroom.  There were lots of toys there, stuffed animals, dolls, coloring books, and other stuff a child, especially a little girl would like.

There was also the same little girl who had been attached to the electrodes in the other room.  She was playing.

Daniel was a little bit shy and found his own dolly to play with. 

"Sweetie," the woman told Daniel, "this is Karina.  Why don't you play together?"

Initially, Karina was hesitant to play with Daniel, he was so big and old and was a boy.  But she was a nice girl so she gave it a try.  Daniel and Karina became fast friends.  They liked the same things.  They actually had the same personality.  Daniel's personality was a clone of Karina's.  Soon, they were running and jumping and getting into all sorts of pretend adventures.

Through a one-way mirror, "Look at him.  It's a complete success, Daniel is a little girl now."

"You're going to leave him like this?"

"Yeah."

"But he can't take care of himself."

"I know what to do.  I had it all planned."

A call was placed to Daniel's wife.

"Mrs. Radecki there's been an accident."

"Daniel?"

"Yes."

"What hospital is he at?"

"He's not at a hospital, he's still at the lab."

"What's wrong?"

"You had better come down here and see. I don't want to explain on the phone."

"Is he alright?"

"Just come down here."

Mrs. Radecki arrived at the lab.  She didn't know what to think.  "Where is my husband?" she demanded.

"Let me explain first."

"What happened?"

"Daniel was working on a procedure, but we couldn't get the OK to move forward.  When no one was around, he tried it on himself.  He's changed now."  Mrs. Radecki was being lied to.

"Changed?"

"Yes, his mind, more accurately his personality. It isn't the same anymore?"

"What do you mean?  Is he violent?"

"No, nothing like that.  We did some testing, he has the personality of a little girl, maybe four or five years old."

"What do you mean?"

"What I said, he acts like a little girl."

"He thinks he's a little girl."

"No, he thinks he's a man.  But he acts like he is a little girl.  His former personality is gone."

"How is that possible?"

"It was the experiment.  It changed him.  He was all alone.  When we found him, he was acting strangely."

"I want to see him."

'We'll show you."

Mrs. Radecki was taken to the viewing room to look out the one-way mirror.  She saw Daniel alone in the room wearing a childish dress.  There were a lot of toys and stuffed animals.  Daniel was talking to each stuffed animal, there were six.  Daniel picked up an elephant and whispered into its ear.  Then she put the trunk of the elephant next to his ear.  Then he carried the elephant around the room and hid it behind a chair.  A moment later, he returned to the group of stuffed animals and did the same thing with a monkey, except that this time he hid it by the TV.

"What is he doing?"

"I told you.  He's playing.  He's acting like a little girl."

Mrs. Radecki asked again, "He thinks he's a little girl?"

"No, he is just acting that way.  He thinks he is his usual self.  He thinks this is how he is supposed to behave."

"You have to be kidding me.  This is all one big joke!"

"I assure you it isn't.  His personality has been completely transformed."

"This can't happen."

"We don't know exactly what he did."

"Let me talk to him."

"Sure."

Mrs. Radecki entered the playroom with Daniel.

"Cynthia!" Daniel shouted.  He ran over to her and hugged her tightly.

"Daniel, are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah."

"Why are you wearing that dress?"

"It's pretty."

"We thought it best to indulge him until we found out what happened."  Daniel was wearing a dress and tights which he apparently put on.

"Stop acting like this.  Act your age."

"OK," Daniel said.  Then he stood up straight.  he threw his shoulders back and put a serious look on his face.  He pretended to be a grown man.  But it was clear that he was pretending.  He made his voice sound deeper and was more robotic in his movements.  

"So you're not a little girl?"

"No, I'm a man."

"Good, let's go home."

"OK."  Daniel looked for Bosco from its hiding place and grabbed him.  "Let's go."

"Stop that.  Put on your real clothes and we'll go."

"You don't like my dress."  Daniel pouted.  

"Don't be silly."

"I'll get changed.  Daniel pulled the dress over his head and then pulled his tights down, leaving him naked.  It was only then that Daniel realized that his clothes weren't around.  He wasn't embarrassed to be naked in front of a group of people.

"Where're my clothes?"

"I'll get them."

Cynthia was starting to realize that this wasn't an act.

Daniel's clothes were brought to him: an oxford shirt, dress pants, black socks, a tie, briefs, dress shoes, and a white lab coat.  He put them on, the only thing he had trouble with was the tie which he couldn't tie correctly.  Daniel didn't like the clothes he was wearing, they weren't pretty like his dress.

"Do I have to wear these?"

"Yes, you do.  They are your clothes."

"Maybe we can get some nice ones."

"Maybe there are some you like at home?"

"I don't know.  I don't think I have anything nice."

"We'll see when we get there."

They walked to the garage.  When they got to the street, Daniel instinctually grabbed Cynthia's hand.

Cynthia clicked the beeper on the car. The door locks opened.  Daniel went for the back seat.

"No, you can sit in the front seat with me."

"OK."

As they were driving away, Cynthia felt something was wrong.  She knew what was obviously wrong, but there was something else.  The story she was told didn't make sense.

"Daniel," Cynthia asked, "what happened today?"

"They asked me a bunch of questions then I had ice cream and played with this really fun girl.  She was lots of fun."

"What was her name?"

"I don't remember, but she was fun.  We played with her dolls.  We dressed them up in pretty clothes and then pretended to go to the beach.  My doll saw a whale, so they tried to swim to it, but it was too fast and..."

"Hold on.  I mean what happened before that."

"Before what?"

"Let's see.  Before they started to ask you questions."

"Ummm, I don't know."

"Try and think, were you in a machine or something?"

"I remember something being tie to my head."

"Yeah, that's it."

"I was scared."

"You were?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you do that?"

"They made me."

"They made you?"

"Yes."

"Who made you?"

"People."

"What people?"

"I don't remember, people."

"You didn't do it alone?"

"No."

"How did the things get tied to your head?"

"Someone did it for me."

"What were you doing?"

"I was shouting."

"You were?"

"Yes."

"You didn't want them to do that to you."

"No."

"What happened next?"

"I was sitting there.  I thought it would hurt.  But it didn't and then after they gave me ice cream and Bosco and I had a lot of fun."

Cynthia couldn't believe what she was hearing.  Daniel didn't do this to himself.  They did it to him.  They made him into sort of a little girl.  This wasn't an accident.  They wanted it to happen.  

Cynthia didn't know what to do.  Should see go back and confront them?  Should she call the police? Should she just take Daniel home?

Cynthia decided to ask Daniel more questions.  "Daniel, do you feel any different?"

"Different?"

"You know, do you feel strange."

"I don't think so."

"But you said before you don't like your clothes."

"They are OK, but I would like something nicer.  Maybe something with a unicorn or a giraffe.  I like giraffes.  They have such high necks.  Can we get clothing with giraffes on them?"

"We'll see.  But you don't think anything is wrong."

"I didn't do anything wrong.  I did what the men told me.  They gave me ice cream.  I played nice with the girl.  She was friendly."  Cynthia could tell that Daniel was getting upset he was starting to speak rapidly.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong.  You're very good.  Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, you're Cynthia."

"How am I related to you?"

"You are my wife."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we got married."

"Good."

"Anything else?"

"We sleep in the same bed.  I like that."

Cynthia didn't know if she should ask the obvious question.  "What do we do in bed?"

"We go to sleep."

"Anything else?"

"I don't know, we watch TV?"

"Anything else?"

"We don't eat in bed.  That will get crumbs all over the sheets."

Cynthia didn't want to ask about sex point-blank.  She knew that Daniel was thinking like a child.  She didn't know how he would react.  It was better not to go there.

Cynthia would have to think about what to do.

When they got home, Daniel announced, "I'm hungry!"

"What do you want?"

"Donno."

"Do you want chicken noodle soup?"

"No."

"Do you want a sandwich?"

"Maybe?"

"What type?"

"Donno."

"Let's see what we have here.  We have tuna."

"Yuck fish."

"I thought you liked tuna."

"No, I don't   I hate it.  It tastes like fish."

"OK, no tuna.  Let's see.  I got some peanut butter."

"Yey, peanut butter and jelly!"

"I have some strawberry preserves.  How about that peanut butter and strawberry preserves."

"No, it has to be peanut butter and jerry."

"What's wrong with preserves."

"Don't want that.  Jelly."

"OK, what else do I have, let's see, I can make an egg."

"I want PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY!"

"We don't have jelly."

"Then get it.  I want peanut butter and jelly."

"You can't we don't have it."

"I'll hold my breath until you do.  I'll hold it until I die.  I want my peanut butter and jelly!"

"You can have something else."

"No, peanut butter and jelly."

"How about just peanut butter?"

"No, jelly too.  It has to have Jelly."  Daniel puffed his cheeks and held his breath.

Cynthia couldn't believe it.  He was holding his breath like a child.  "OK, then you won't have anything," Cynthia scolded.

"I'm hungry.  I'm hungry!"

Cynthia couldn't concentrate.  She didn't know what to do so she grabbed him by the arm and swatted his butt like she would a small child.

Daniel let his breath out.   "I want peanut butter AND JELLY!   I want peanut butter AND JELLY!"  he shouted stressing the jelly part.

Cynthia couldn't concentrate.  She grabbed him by the arm and swatted his butt like she would a small child.

Daniel burst into tears.  "I w-w-want peanut butter and j-j-jelly.  I w-w-want peanut butter and j-j-jelly."   
Daniel, her husband, was having a tantrum.

"You had better stop!"

"I w-w-want peanut butter and j-j-jelly.  I w-w-want peanut butter and j-j-jelly. "

Cynthia realized it wasn't Daniel's fault.  She decided to get the jelly for him.  Grape jelly naturally.  But now she has another problem, what should she do?  Take him with her or leave him here alone.  Legally she could leave him here alone, but how could she.  He was a little girl no matter what he said.  He could get into trouble.  On the other hand, did she want to lug him around the store while she got the jelly?  The people around here knew him.

Cynthia realized that it wasn't Daniel's fault.  She couldn't yell at him like he was an adult.  Daniel was the victim in all of this.  He doesn't know what happened to him.  He can't help but act up as any other child would.  

"OK, Sweetheart," Cynthia said softly, "I'm sorry.  I'll go out and get the jelly for you."

"Yay."

"But you have to be good while I'm gone.  I'll set a video up for you.  You can watch it with, what's your bear's name? Bosco."

"Yeah."

"OK, let's see what's on."  Cynthia put on Amazon Prime and looked for shows that Daniel would like.  "Let's see do you want to watch...Lost in OZ?"  Cynthia read the description.  It was about a twelve-year-old.  She wasn't sure if that was too mature for Daniel.  She wasn't going to be home.  She didn't want him to get scared without her there.

"No that doesn't seem good.  Here, how about this, Tumble Leaf?"  She liked that it said it was a very gentle adventure.  That should be better for Daniel.  Daniel did seem to act very childish.  Maybe something for a preschooler would be better?

Cynthia turned it on and watched a few minutes of it with Daniel.  It seem fine and Daniel was enjoying it.  "OK, I'll only be gone for a few minutes.  Be good while I'm away.  I'll be back soon."

Cynthia hurried to the store to get grape jelly and come back. But she was gone too long.  As soon as Cynthia left, Danie decided he didn't like the clothes he was wearing, so he stripped out of them.  There was a line of discarded clothes that started in front of the TV and continued to the master bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, Cynthia found more clothes.  Daniel looked through her drawers and her closets in the few minutes that Cynthia was away.  He obviously took the clothes out, decided if he liked them, and then threw what he didn't like willy nilly all over the floor.  

At this moment, Daniel was dressed in a stretched-out dress.  He was several sizes larger than she was.  It was only because the dress was stretchy that it fit him at all.  He was also wearing a pair of her pumps.  One of the heels was broken.  He probably took a misstep and forced the heel to the side, partially separating it from the shoe.

Daniel was still smearing makeup all over his face when Cynthia saw him. He had long since given up using the brushes to apply it and was using his fingers instead.  He seemed to be having fun though, as he was smiling.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I told you to watch the video," Cynthia demanded

Daniel turned around.  A look of horror was on his face.  "I just wanted to be pretty for when you got back."

"Don't use Mom.. my thing while I'm away," Cynthia scolded.  She almost said Mommy to refer to herself.

"I'm sorry.  I just wanted to look pretty."

"I know you did, but my things and my things.  You can't use them.  You have to use your things."

"But, I don't have a pretty dress like this."

That defused the situation.

"It's ok.  You just made me a little upset.  But It's alright.  Let's wash your face.  I got you jelly.  We can make sandwich's now."

"Yay!"

"Let me look at you, you sure made a mess."  Cynthia smiled.  It was funny seeing Daniel like that.  When he left home this morning he was a normal man.  Now, look at him.

Cynthia grabbed a washcloth.  She wetted it and rubbed some soap over it.  Then she scrubbed Daniel's face, cleansing all the makeup off.  "I'm sorry to yell at you, but you can't just use my stuff without asking.  You made a big mess of yourself."

"I'm sorry.  I just wanted to look pretty...for you."

"That's sweet.  Maybe if there is time, I can teach you.  But not now.  We have to have something to eat first.  You want to help me make PB&Js?"

"Yay!"

"Good, now that your all clean let's go do it!"

Cynthia decided to let Daniel wear her dress.  It was already stretched, what's the difference?

"Hey, you are going to help me put all this away too, aren't you?"

Cynthia was referring to the piles of clothes scattered all over the floor of her room."

"OK"

They arrived in the kitchen.  "See I got you grape jelly just like you wanted."

"Yay."

"Do you want your PB&J with juice or chocolate milk?"

"Chocolate milk!"

"OK, then get the chocolate syrup and milk with the bread and peanut butter."

"I'll get them."

"I'll get the plates and things.

Cynthia got a plate, tall glass, and a butter knife.  She would use these to make food for Daniel.

Soon everything that was needed was on the kitchen table.  Cynthia spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the jelly on the other.  Then she put the pieces together and cut off the crust as her mother used to.

"Do you want it cut: across, up and down, or diagonally?"

"Diagonally."

"Good choice."

Finally, Cynthia stirred the chocolate syrup into the glass of milk and served it to Daniel.

"Aren't you going to have some?"

Cynthia hadn't had PB&J in a long time.  "Sure why not."

Daniel seemed to be enjoying his sandwich more than he had any meal she had ever seen him eat.  The look of innocence on his face made him look adorable.   He was happy and smiling.  For a moment, Cynthia debated leaving him this way.

But she couldn't.  She knew what would happen when people found out about Daniel. The looks, the whispers behind his back.  Daniel would inevitably find out and would be devastated.  He wouldn't understand why people were talking about him.  He couldn't continue like this forever.  

Also, who would take care of him?  Having a child of her own was in her plans, but this was different.  He wasn't really a child.  How would she date?  She needed some affection too; adult affection.

She had to get him back to normal.  But for now, she let Daniel just enjoy his sandwich.  He was big so she made him another one.  He enjoyed the second one as much as the first.

"Wash your face," Cynthia told him.  He had gotten some of the jelly onto her dress.  She wasn't going to wear the dress again anyway.  Daniel had stretched it.

Daniel was done and ran to the TV which was still playing.

"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

"The mess in the bedroom.  You said you would help me clean it up."

"OK."

Cynthia taught Daniel how to fold shirts and tops clothes properly.  Daniel did his best.  She was on hanger duty.  The clothes that belonged on hangers instead of the drawers she put away.  Some had to be ironed first.  She would deal with those later.

Somehow it was fun to put her clothes away with Daniel.  he was both eager and helpful to do it, although as with lots of children he did get distracted easily.  Cynthia had to keep him on track.  But it was still fun.

Finally done with putting all the clothes away, Daniel returned to the living room to watch more childish videos and play with Bosco.  Cynthia joined him.  Daniel sat on the ground in front of the TV.  Cynthia sat on the couch behind.  She was using the time to think.

Daniel was a bundle of energy.  He wasn't ever this way before.  He watched his show for a while, then he had Bosco hop around on the floor like one of the characters on the video.  A while later, Daniel followed suit and was hopping around.  Then the hopping became dancing and later it became spinning.  His dress was spinning around him.  he noticed and started to spin harder.  He was enjoying himself.  

Daniel was carefree in a way he never had been.  Cynthia knew her husband was a genius.  As such, he devoted himself to his work.  There wasn't time for frivolous things.  Not that Daniel wasn't affectionate with Cynthia.  They had their moments.  But he was never free like he was now.  Cynthia never saw him smile so much.  She didn't know if she ever heard him giggle.  It warmed her heart.  

Daniel quite frankly could use a day of complete mental freedom.  A day when he wasn't thinking about work in any way.  She smiled too.  She wished he could retain some of this joy.  But that wasn't meant to be.  He had to grow up again.  He was too old to be a child, especially a little girl.

Cynthia came to her senses.  She had to find a way to help her husband, even if he didn't know he needed to be helped at all.  But the problem was how.  She couldn't go to the lab and demand that they change him back.  That was crazy.  She was one person, if she did that, she wouldn't be walking out.  Not as herself anyway.  They would do to her what they did to Daniel.  She didn't know how she would end up.  

Cynthia could be playing Barbies on the floor with Daniel.  That didn't seem to be such a bad fate.  She could imagine herself spinning and spinning without a care in the world, giggling the hours away.  What adult wouldn't want that for a little while?  She's an adult though, that wouldn't really be her.  It's nice to have a vacation, but you don't spend the rest of your life in Disney World.  You have to go home and get on with life.

She wanted a normal life.  A life where she would eventually be a mother.  She had been a child once.  That was then.  This is now.  Regardless, just going to the lab and confronting them was impossible.

Cynthia's next thought was to call the police.  But what could she tell them?  That they changed her husband?  That they made him act like this?  That they did this on purpose?  No one would believe her.  Even if they did, did they break laws?  Well, she guessed it was assault, but how would she prove it?  They may say that Daniel just had a breakdown.  Or they might believe their story that Daniel did this to himself.   Cynthia didn't know what to do.  In the meantime, Daniel was having a good time.

"Cynthia, can I have some ice cream?" Daniel asked.

"Sure, why not.  Let's both have a bowl." 

When it was time to sleep, Cynthia selected a pair of pajamas that Daniel almost never wore.  he usually liked to sleep in his underwear or naked.  But Cynthia thought this would be better.  Cynthia put on her own pajamas so as not to give Danial an idea about wearing one of her nightgowns.  As far as underwear, Daniel didn't care if he wore briefs or panties.  They were the same to him.  Although he might have preferred a little color.

In bed, Daniel cuddled up closely with Cynthia.  He didn't have any lascivious desires or motivations.  He just liked being close with her like any child would.  Cynthia liked the closeness too.  She held him tight.

In the morning, Cynthia received a phone call.

"Hello? Mrs. Redecki?"

"Yes."

"You don't know me, I'm Maria Taylor.  I work with your husband."

"Uh-huh."

"I don't know how to say this.  But is your husband acting strangely?"

"What do you mean by strange?"

First, I would like to say that your husband is the smartest person working here.  He is truly brilliant.  But something has been going on and I'm worried about him."

"What are you talking about."

"I'm one of the junior members of the team and they have been cutting me out.  keeping secrets, but I think your husband is in great danger?"

"Yeah, tell me more."

"I told your husband there was some plotting against him.  But he didn't believe me.  I think something has happened or is about to happen.  So is your husband acting like he usually does?"

"No, your right he is acting totally different.  Can you help me?"

"I think we should meet.  Someplace private."

The pair (and Daniel) met in private at a Mcdonald's.   They took a back booth for privacy.

Daniel had a chicken nugget's Happy Meal.  It came with a Disney World 50th Anniversary Toy (the Goofy one) and a Disney Magical coloring and activity sheet.  He amused himself while the adults were talking. 

"You can see what happened to Daniel.  He's a little girl now.  Not physically, but he acts and thinks like a little girl."

"I can't believe that they did this.  The project wasn't meant for this.  It was designed to help people with memory problems or to adjust certain personality disorders.  It was never meant to rewrite a person's entire personality.  Certainly not in healthy individuals."

"It doesn't matter what it was supposed to do.  You see what it has done."  They watched Daniel playing with his toys for a moment.

"I'm sorry.  I don't know what to tell you."

"You can tell me how can this be reversed."

"The better question is can this be reversed at all?"

"Oh My God."  Cynthia hadn't thought about that.

"I think it can.  I don't think it erases the old personality.  I think it sort of overwrites it.  But the new personality can be removed leaving the old personality back.  There might be a little difference.  You know when you erase a pencil make there is something left.  But it should be OK."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not a hundred percent sure either way.  It has never been done.  How could it, no one's personality had ever been completely overwritten like your husband."

"What do we do?"

"We have to sneak you and Daniel in at night when no one is there, then I can try and reverse it."

"What about calling the police and having them arrest everyone and bring this whole thing into the light."

"What do the police know about something like this.  This is science fiction stuff.  If you force their hand, things could get ugly.  It might be best to call the police after your husband is back to normal.  Not that they would believe you then either.  The most important thing is to get your husband back to normal."

"You're right.  We can do it today."

"Not today, tonight.  Tonight at 9:00 would be best when everyone has gone home.  Bring Daniel there then.  Meet me at the side entrance at nine."

"I will."

"Remember, I can't guarantee anything.  To be truthful, the person who knew the most about this was your husband.  I hope I know enough."

Cynthia didn't have a choice.  She would have to wait.  She didn't know what would happen if this didn't work.  She didn't let herself consider what would happen if it got worse.  Daniel was a happy little girl in his head now.  Anything could happen, Daniel could end up permanently insane or worse.  Not that Cynthia knew what worse could be.

Cynthia decided that Daniel should spend his last day like this having a fun day.  She would do whatever he wanted.  Tomorrow he would be back to normal.  He should spend today having fun.

"Daniel, if you could do anything in the whole wide world today, what would you do?"

"I wanna go to the park!"

"The park?  Hmmm, I think we can do that."

Cynthia decided that they shouldn't go to the local park.  How would Daniel face the neighbors if they saw him acting like a little girl  But that didn't mean they couldn't go to a park.  They would go to one far away.  One that was at least a two-hour drive.  No one should know him there.

"Are you done with the meal?"

"Yeah."

"Great, let's go."

Cynthia looked on her smartphone and found a park suitably far away.  She found out what activities were there.  There was the standard, swings, monkey bars, slides, seesaws, and sandbox.  Cynthia drove to a dollar store, bought a plastic shovel and pail.  (She left Daniel in the car while she purchased those items, maybe she shouldn't have, but she did.) and then drove the two hours to the small park.

At the park, she stayed close to Daniel.  She couldn't let him play with the other children, that was too awkward.  She let the other parents think that Daniel was special, which was sort of true in this case.

"What do you want to do first?"

"The slide."

"OK, go ahead."

Cynthia stood by the slide while Daniel went up and slid down several times.  She pushed him on the swings, teeter-tottered with him on the seesaw.  She stood over him as he played in the sandbox.  

The other parents stared at Daniel but didn't say anything.  They saw that Cynthia was supervising him.  

After about a couple of hours, "It's time to go home," Cynthia announced.

"Just a few more minutes," Daniel whined.

"OK, OK, but only five more minutes."

When they got home, Daniel needed a shower.  He had been playing and got quite messy.  Cynthia didn't know if he was mature enough to take a bath or shower alone.  She decided to supervise him.  She reminded him to wash his hair and inspected him to make sure that he was clean when he exited the shower.  They completed the day with dinner and then they were off to the lab.

Cynthia dressed Daniel in jeans and a t-shirt.  Something that would suit Daniel in both his normal and childish persona.

Cynthia arrived at the entrance at precisely 9 PM.  She waited a minute for Maria to come out, but she didn't.  Tentatively, Cynthia turned the handle and found out the door was unlocked.  She opened the door and entered.  

She looked around the long hallway, thinking about what to do.  Then she heard footsteps.

"You must be Cynthia," a young woman of Hispanic descent asked.

"Y-y-yes."

"Maria said you would be here.  I was sent to get you."

"You know Maria?"

"Very well.  Maria got a new job.  She couldn't come and get you herself.  But, I'll bring you to her."

They walked down the hall and then made several turns.  Cynthia could hear mopping in the distance.

Cynthia could see a cleaning woman in the hall in front of her.  She was in the typical uniform of a janitor.  She was mopping the floor with her head down.  As Cynthia got closer, she recognized the cleaning woman as Maria.

"Maria?" she called.

"¿Qué? ¿Quién eres tú?"

"I'm afraid she doesn't understand English anymore.  But that's OK.  She wasn't working out very well as a junior engineer.  But now that she is the night janitor I suspect she'll do a wonderful job. I should know, that job used to be mine.  You should congratulate me.  I've been promoted to be a junior engineer."

Cynthia turned to run but found that two burly security guards were behind her.  There wasn't any escape.  Daniel sensing something was very wrong started to scream.  

Daniel and Cynthia were escorted by force to the same lab where Daniel was transformed to his current state.

"Maria," the new junior engineer told Cynthia, "wasn't loyal to her job.  It's a good thing they found a new job for her because she was about to be fired.  She let her ethics get in the way of her duty to the job.  She doesn't have that problem anymore.  In her new job, she can have both her ethics and devotion to her duties.  It's better that way.

But, I'm happier too, I won't let anything come between me and my job.  They know I'll be with them up until the end.  I'm willing to do anything they need of me."

"You know what they do."

"Yes, I do.  They made me the woman I am today.  For that, I'll always be grateful."

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Well, we think that Daniel needs a brother. The question is does Daniel need an older brother, you know someone about six or seven, or a younger one around two.  What do you think?"

Cynthia didn't know what to say.  She was given a choice: she could be a two-year-old boy or a six-year-old boy.  She wondered if Daniel was given this same choice when they did it to him.  She was too scared to think.

"Decide quickly, here we are at the lab.

End.

Epilogue.

"I won't tell anyone.  Just let me go!" Cynthia begged.

"You won't tell anyone.  But you aren't going anywhere until we are through with you.  Now, do you want to be Daniel's big brother or little brother?  It's time to choose."

"Please just let me go," Cynthia sobbed.

"Let her go!" Daniel piped in.  He was still her husband although in this case, he was trying to protect her like a little girl protecting her Mommy.

"Leticia, you had better get Daniel out of here until the procedure is completed." The man in charge commanded Leticia the new junior engineer.

"Okay, where should I take him?"

"To the conference room.  It won't take too long.  Stay with him there."

Leticia didn't want to go.  She wanted to see the procedure.  She was fully committed to the personality experiments.  She had never seen one before, she was a cleaning woman just a few hours ago.  Back then she didn't even speak English.  

They told her if she agreed (she really didn't have a choice, but why force anything) she wouldn't have to clean floors anymore.  She would be part of the team.  She would have a better life, a life of respect.  She agreed immediately.  They transferred her former life as a custodian into Maria in addition to Leticia's language skills.  Then when they were finished with the transfer, they removed any ethics that Leticia had.  They didn't want any trouble with her as they had with Maria.

Leticia pulled Daniel out of the room.

"Cynthia! Cynthia!" he was calling.

"Hush, Daniel.  Cynthia is just with some doctors.  They are checking her out.  She'll be fine and with you in a little while.  Then she'll play with you.  I promise."

"But, I don't wanna go."

"I know, but the doctors have to work."

Leticia got Daniel out of the room and she was escorting him down the hall towards the conference room.  She was debating giving  Daniel a shot.  This shot would make him highly suggestible.  He would do anything that she said.  But she decided not to do it.  It wasn't far to the conference room.

Leticia gained the knowledge of the shots and their formula from Maria's mind.  She didn't know how the main apparatus worked, but one of the individual steps Maria had worked upon and that was what Leticia now knew.

"Seal the corridor!" Leticia heard men shouting.  "The lab is right around there!"

Leticia looked around the corner to see people securing the area.  These weren't people who worked at the lab.  She didn't know if they were FBI or the military, but they looked very official and they were very efficient.  Daniel broke away in the confusion and ran towards the men.  

Leticia knew that this wasn't a good place to be.  She ran the other way.

"Who are you?" an agent demanded.

"Soy Leticia, soy la señora de la limpieza. "  (I'm Leticia, I'm the cleaning lady.)

She still had her old ID and showed it to the agents.

They weren't interested in the janitorial staff so they let her go.

Leticia ran out of the building.  Then she left the city and the state.

She didn't know if anyone was looking for her.  But she was committed to the work.  Could she make complete swaps of people's personalities and/or identities?  That is what she wanted to do, but she would need a new alias and people to experiment on.  She would have to work slowly and quietly.  She didn't want to have the same fate as her colleagues.

In case the government was looking for her she would have to change herself as much as possible.  If she wanted to work on altering the personalities of people, she would impersonate a psychologist.  

She looked in the phone book.  Most people start with "A", but she decided to start with "Z".  She found Dr. Zaaijer: Family Therapist, which seemed perfect.  She would steal his practice, his identity, and his life.  She found a picture of him, he had a beard, that would make it easier to hide.  Who would be able to find her when she looked completely different?  She wouldn't even look like a woman anymore.

All she had to do was get Dr. Zaaijer to drink her magic potion as she called it.  It was just a drug that makes people highly suggestible, with no magic in it, but she called it 'her magic potion' anyway.

She came in posing as a possible patient.

After a few sessions, Dr. Zaaijer was putty in her hands.  Leticia was no more.  She...er he was Dr. Milton Zaaijer: Family Therapist now.

The original Dr. Zaaijer she sent away.  He thought he was on the run although he didn't know from who and couldn't articulate why.  But he knew he couldn't let them find him.  Leticia didn't care where he went as long as he stayed hidden.

The new Dr. Zaaijer gave the former Dr. Zaaijer's receptionist a new profession in the prostitution trade.  Then he hired a new receptionist.  

He was all set for new patients.  That is when the Morris Family: Alisa, Jack, and their daughter Michealina entered his office.