Daily Free-Write December 21, 2020

Continuation of November 15, 2020 "Wet World"

Everything would be fine. Ed had just had a little mishap is all. A stupid dolphin has squirted his pants and then a nearby special needs daycare group on a field trip had mistaken him as one of their own. Yes, the chaperones had diapered him and bundled him onto a bus, but it would all be sorted out soon enough. Everything would be fine. 

Ed smiled and watched the colored balls on his VR headset for the whole trip back to daycare. He didn't even notice his own body's urgent signals that he needed a restroom. He didn't notice anything that was happening around him. All he could see was the pretty colors, and the soothing music. So of course it was quite a surprise when that world was abruptly taken away, leaving him back in the disastrous situation he had left not long ago. 

How long had it been anyway? 15 minutes? An hour? He looked around to see if he could get his bearings, but the large chaperone had already stowed the headset and was 'helping' him up and off the bus. 

"Hey, get off me! I don't need your help." Ed said. Then he immediately stumbled because of his bulky diapers, tripping on his poorly tied shoelaces. If the chaperone hadn't been helping him, he would have eaten shit. 

"It's okay, buddy. Friends can help each other out, right? That's right. Just hand onto old Chad and we'll be inside in a Jif." 

Ed was too embarrassed to say anything more, having made a big enough fool of himself already. 

He found himself in the pick-up zone of the Happy Dayz Teen and Adult Daycare Center. Two busses were parked in the big semicircle, and Teens and young adults were being lined up, counted, and lead into the large yellow building with the colorful sign that announced to the world that this was a very special daycare. The building itself was a cartoony take on the neoclassical theme of higher education institutions. Large yellow columns supported a triangular pediment with the daycare center's logo on the front. The letters that spelled out 'HAPPY DAYZ' were fun cartoony objects in the shape of letters such as a globe for the D, and three crayons for an A. 

Ed was disgusted. He didn't want anything to do with this stupid daycare, and he quickly looked around to see if he knew where he was. Unfortunately, he did not. He suddenly had that feeling in the pit of his stomach that we all remember from childhood, that feeling of suddenly realizing you're lost. He didn't know anyone here, he didn't know how to get home. For the first time in a long time, he felt scared, and he wanted to cry. 

He must've been sniffling because the older lady who diapered him noticed and commented. 

"Oh, sweetie. What's wrong? Are you upset because you had to leave seaworld?" 

Ed just shook his head and continued crying quietly. Something about the smell of baby powder that wafted up to his nose made him feel small again. And maybe it was because he was lost, or even because he was now in thick bulky diapers, but something compelled him to just suck his thumb and tried to calm down. It would be okay. This was all just a misunderstanding. This was almost over, and he'd be back home soon. 

He continued to suck his thumb and sniffle as he allowed himself to be lined up with the others. The older woman and Chad conferred as they looked over the list. Everyone was accounted for except for him. 

"He says his name's Ed..." 

"I've never seen him before."

"He wet his pants earlier... We can check his clothes for information. Maybe his parents left him a note?"

"Ugh. These parents just don't want to get with the program. They think they can just drop their kids off here and we'll take care of them. We're going to have to send out a message to the other parents that they'll have to come back and pick up their  kids if they don't sign the proper forms." 

"Hold on a second," said the older lady, stopping the conversation. "Sweetie? Are you crying because you wet again?" 

Ed was shocked and insulted by the accusation. He pulled his thumb out of his mouth and said, "I don't wet my pants!" The way he said it sounded exactly like a petulant child, and clearly  it was not enough to convince the chaperones. 

"H-Hey, what are you doing?" cried Ed, as the older lady yanked down his sweat pants and fiddled with the maglock on the front of his diaper cover to reveal a very soggy diaper. The two yellow strips running down the center had turned bright blue, making it clear to everyone what had happened.

"I don't... but... how?" was all Ed managed to sputter out as he tried, and failed to hid his shame. His hands were quickly slapped away when he tried to cover up. 

"None of that now, young man. We really are going to have to teach you to keep your hands to yourself." The older lady shook her head and re-secured the belts on the locking diaper cover. 

Everyone else in line was getting antsy being asked to stay still for so long, so that was all the conversation he managed to have before his pants were pulled back up and everyone linked hands to move as a group. Once again he had no use of his hands and no control over where he was going as he was marched into the building. 

If the outside was cartoony and colorful, the inside was a sensory barrage. Everything was silly shapes and bright colors. The lobby had a big long desk with a large and friendly looking gentleman at the computer. He could see through the plexiglass windows between the entrance and the rest of the center that the place was quite large. There were soft mats to lie down on in one corner, and large cardboard stacking blocks that looked like bricks. There was a TV paying Blarney in another area, and another had hula hoops, jump ropes, and other active play equipment. And that's just what he could see from where he was standing. He could also see that everything beyond the lobby was behind secure locking doors. The kind with wire in the glass and made of metal for extra security. 

He didn't want to go through those doors, but he couldn't break the grip of the large young man in front of him, or the happy and excitable girl behind him. They grinned, oblivious to his distress, and let him further into the bowels of this stupid daycare. 

"Hold it,  young man," said the older lady, pulling him out of line. "Dana, Charles, you two hold hands now. I have to figure out where Ed belongs." 

"Bye Ed!" the two of them said, waving briefly before joining hands and going right into the main daycare area. 

"Thank goodness," he thought, as he watched the students walk by. "Maybe they'll finally listen to me and get me out of these stupid clothes." 

The lady didn't give him much time to think, however, because she once again grabbed his wrist and pulled him to her next destination.

"What seems to be the problem, Zelda?" said the portly man behind the counter as the two of them approached. So the older lady's name was Zelda.

"I've got a student from the field trip that wasn't on the list. Do you have him in your records?"

"Hey, buddy," said the man in an enthusiastic voice. "Are you new here? Aww, don't worry. We'll get you all sorted out in a second so you can go inside and play with your new friends. Won't that be nice? What's his name?" he asked Zelda, not even waiting for a response from me. 

"Ed," said Zelda, giving my wrist a sharp tug to stop my struggling as I tried to get away. "And as you can see he's quite a handful!" 

"Hey, now, kiddo, cut that out. You don't want to be in the naughty corner on your first day, do you? That would be no fun!" 

"I don't care about the stupid naughty corner!" yelled Ed. "I don't belong in this stupid daycare! I don't belong in diapers. Let me go!"  

"Edward!" said Zelda in shock, "We do NOT hit others!" 

Ed was punching at her with his fists, but his punches were weak. He was used to bullying younger kids, and he hadn't ever actually been in a fight with someone his own size. He found himself quickly restrained as a couple more adults in scrubs with the daycare center's logo came to grab hold of him. 

The man behind the counter looked sympathetic. 

"Poor guy, he must be really scared being in a new place and all. Do you think I could talk to him? A first name is not a lot to go on... We've got about a dozen Eds in the system right now. He may not even be in the system yet. Or do you think he's a..." his hands went up to his mouth. "Maybe he's a *special* intake..." 

"You think he could be...?" Zelda looked at me and then back at the man. 

Ed was back to sniffling and feeling sorry for himself,  having worn himself out trying to break free from the grip of the two daycare workers. 

"Well we won't know until we find out more about him... But first things first, this young man is in need of a diaper change, and some time in the quiet place. You check the records for anyone named Ed, and after he's situated, I'll go through his clothes to see if he has any more identification like a name written on his tags.

"Sounds like  a plan," said the man, looking reassured. He looked over to me, "Don't you worry little guy. You'll feel much better after a little quiet time. And we'll make sure you're back in time for lunch. You wouldn't wanna miss today's special! Spaghetti and meatballs! Oh boy!" 

Ed was to exhausted to call out a nasty retort. He had used up all his energy fighting with the daycare workers. The cranky and exhausted young man was led away into the daycare area and over to the spot with all the soft mats. It was out of the way of the rest of the daycare, far enough from the other girls and boys that no one would bother him there. A young lady named Ashley who looked like she could be his age or even a little younger spoke to him when he was sat down. 

"You just stay here, Ed. You'll have this space all to yourself - everyone knows not to disturb someone when they're in the quiet space. You can just relax and stay here as long as you need to. I'll come back to check on you at lunch time. Oh, but before leave. 

She held up a large bag with a colorful cartoony design ironically featuring dolphins. It could only be one thing - a diaper bag.

"Now calm down, Ed. I heard you don't like your diapers, but you need them."

"I don't need them! And... here? You can't change me in front of everyone like this!"

"Either I can put them on you here in the quiet place, or we can have more helpers come and hold you down for your change. I'm sure that'll draw a lot more attention if you're embarrassed about it, kiddo. Which would you like?"

"I... I guess here, then..." he said, looking defeated. 

"That's a good boy, Ed. I'll have you cleaned up and in a fresh diaper in no time, sweetie."

Ed covered his face with his hands as Ashley unzipped the bag. He didn't want to see what was coming next.