Brydie nodded and the nurse came in with a clean gown and said, "I see that you've already cleaned him up. Where did you put the dirty gown and empty jars?"

Brydie pointed to the waste basket and the nurse moved to pick it up and put it by the door. "Dr. Halstead would like to talk to you now, he's at the nurses station."

Brydie got up and laid Darryl in the crib and raised the side. "I'll be right back Darryl," she promised. She turned and walked toward the door, while the nurse busied herself unfolding the gown to put on Darryl. He lay happily on the bed, watching Diane's movements and sucking his thumb. Twenty minutes later Dr. Halstead entered the room, followed by Brydie, who looked shaken. Darryl was standing at the rail of the crib wearing a fresh paper gown which billowed out and made him look like he was wearing a short yellow dress over his diapers. When he saw her, he smiled broadly and prattled, "Ma-Ma!", stretching out his arms to be picked up. She went to the crib while the doctor continued to talk. "...so you see, Mrs. Burr, there's really nothing we can do. This is totally outside of our experience. All we know is that something reprogrammed his genes to rebuild his body. As nearly as we can tell, his physical age is now about one year."

Brydie reached over the crib rail and picked Darryl up in her arms and said, "Then why is he acting like a baby? I thought you said his physical age is one year old, what about his mental age?"

Dr. Halstead sighed and said, "We don't know; it could be a form of amnesia resulting from the rejuvenation of his neural tissue or it could be a psychological adjustment to his situation. We simply don't know. The fact that he recognized you, however, is a hopeful sign."

"Will he grow up again?", she asked anxiously.

The doctor heaved a sigh and said with his eyes downcast, "The epiphysis of the bones is absent. We don't think so."

"The what?", she asked. "The epiphysis, a secondary boneforming center at the ends of the bones, without them he can't grow," he answered.

"Can't you give him something to make him grow, a growth hormone or something?"

Dr. Halstead shook his head no, "Without the epiphysis, the bones wouldn't grow. Human Growth Hormone is very dangerous, it might kill him. Unless he matures mentally, it would be a waste of effort. Who would want an adult sized infant?"

She held Darryl closer and said despondently, "There really isn't anything you can do, is there?"

"We can watch and wait. I think you should go home now. There isn't anything you can do for him, but let him get some rest," he said.

Brydie lifted Darryl over the crib rail and stood him in the crib. The doctor moved toward the door and motioned for her to join him. She said, "Bye-bye Darryl. I'll be back tomorrow," then turned and walked to the door.

Brydie asked the doctor as they left the room, "I was wondering if my daughter, Carol, could visit him tomorrow. Would that be okay?"

Dr. Halstead assented reluctantly and closed the door. A rising wail arose in the room as they walked away, "Ma-ma!", cried Darryl plaintively.

Brydie half-turned and started to go back, but was stopped by a disallowing twitch of Dr. Halstead's head. The nurse picked Darryl up and carried him out of the room in her arms. She took him to the nurses' station and put him in the playpen. Darryl continued to cry until Brydie was out of sight, then settled down and whimpered in frustration. His nurse stooped down and put a pacifier in his mouth and gave him a teddy bear to cuddle. He hugged the teddy for a few minutes, sucking the pacifier furiously, then calmed. A few minutes later, he crawled over to the toys in the playpen and played happily until he fell asleep and was put in his crib by his nurse.




North Central Memorial Hospital

Doctor's Progress Notes

Date: Sept. 8, 1998 Time: ~9:00 pm Patient: Darryl Burr

Diagnosis: Somatic Regress,

Vitals:

Pulse

135

B.P.

93/63

Resp.

33

Temp.

99.6° F

(rectal)

Weight

23 lb.

[approx equal]w

0



Height

30 in.


Lab: Voids urine 6-8 times day (~400 ml/day) [normal 6-8 times day ~400 ml/day], pO2 88, pCO2 33


Other: Measurements: (normalized to values at admission), thigh 33%, calf 37%, foot 48%, upperarm 37%, forearm 45%, hand 52%, muscle width; arm + calf 7.2 cm, height 43%, weight 16% (no change from previous day)

Dental: 6 teeth; lower central incisors (2) [deciduous], upper central incisors (2) [deciduous], upper lateral incisors (2) [deciduous]( no change from previous day)

General: Requires 6-8 diaper changes minimum, otherwise no change from previous day.

Reflexes: no change from previous day.

Behavior: Pt. has adapted well to the use of the playpen and rarely cries. After Pt.'s wife was allowed to see the Pt., he attached himself emotionally to wife and cried when she left the room, Pt. has the appearance and the emotional responses of a twelve month old baby, intellectual development has regressed to the same stage, otherwise, no change from previous day.

Ambulation and range of motion: no change from previous day.

Notes: Pt.'s temp has become normal and the production of urine has fallen to values expected from a 1 year old. The sloughing of skin has stopped. Physical regression seems to have slowed or stopped. Pt. appears to be an extremely healthy 1 year old baby. After initial angry reaction to her husband's condition, the attitude of the Pt.'s wife became extremely maternal and protective of the Pt. The Pt. says ma-ma at the appearance of his wife and behaves as if his wife is his mother.

Orders: Nurses have requested that all Unit Nursing Protocols for Infant Care be observed for this Pt.-Ordered. The Pt.'s wife has requested that his daughter be allowed to visit. I changed the visitation orders to this effect.



















The next day Brydie brought her sixteen year old daughter, Carol, to the hospital. Carol was pleased with the opportunity to visit her father and didn't understand her mother's sadness. "Mother did say that Daddy wasn't sick, didn't she?", Carol thought. "Still," she thought, "...his long stay in the hospital was awfully suspicious."

All her mother would tell her was that she would understand when she saw her father. Brydie checked in at the nurses' station, then went to the room with Carol in tow. Brydie opened the door softly and went into the room. Carol rushed in behind her, determined to be the first to greet her father. "Daddy?", she said quietly, as she approached the curtain. "Are you awake Daddy?"

Carol flung the curtain back expecting to see her smiling father in bed and was surprised by the sight of a baby sleeping in a crib. Carol turned to her mother and said, "This isn't Daddy. Have they moved him to another room?"

Brydie shook her head no. Carol stood defiantly and said, "Well, this isn't Daddy! Where is he?"

Brydie's face appeared drawn and weary. "Your father is right there. I didn't know how to tell you. He's become a baby again," Brydie said disheartened.

Carol looked puzzled and said, "You mean that's Daddy?"

Carol looked down at the small sleeping form that had been her father. "Is he going to get better? I mean, is he going to grow up again?"

"They don't know ," Brydie said.

Carol lowered the side of the crib and carefully lifted Darryl in her arms and held him against her shoulder. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, "Poor Daddy, he won't like being a baby again." Brydie patted Carol's arm and said, "I don't think he knows he's a baby, Carol dear. Give him to me."

Carol passed him into her mother's arms and asked, "When is Daddy coming home, mother?"

Her mother looked uncomfortable and said, "They don't know yet." "Well, how will we take care of him? We don't have a crib or anything for a baby!"

"We'll buy whatever we need, dear," said her mother patiently.

"But how will we live? Daddy won't be able to work, he's only a baby. Where will we get money? Will we have to sell the house?", demanded Carol anxiously.

"We won't have to sell the house, dear. There's plenty of money in the bank and your father has lots of insurance. We'll be okay, I promise," said Brydie, trying to calm her daughter's fears. She had been astonished to find out just how much money Darryl had in the bank. She had gone through his papers to find their insurance policies and found an investment portfolio worth over eighteen million dollars as well as savings and money market accounts totaling nine hundred thousand dollars. There was even a fifty thousand dollar trust fund for Carol's college expenses. "No," she thought to herself, "we're not going to have to worry about money. My husband was a good provider."

Darryl yawned and opened his eyes and saw Carol. He chuckled in glee and stretched out his hand toward her. Carol said excitedly, "He recognizes me. Can I hold him, mother?"

Brydie nodded and Carol took him in her arms. She tickled him under his chin and he chortled in delight. "Daddy, can you talk? Say something to me! It's me Carol!"

"Ala mumum ippi!", replied Darryl.

"Mother, can Daddy still talk?"

"No dear, he just makes baby noises," said her mother sadly.

"Does he understand us, mother?"

"A little, I think, Dear," Brydie hesitantly replied.

"He really is a baby, Mother. Can I help you take care of him?", Carol asked.

Brydie sighed and said, "Yes dear, I'll need your help to take care of him. He'll be the baby brother you've always wanted."

"I'll finally be a big sister with a baby brother," she said looking at her Daddy's infant form. "At least I won't the youngest person in the house anymore."

Carol saw that tears were rolling down her mother's face. "Mother, don't cry. It'll be okay. I'm sorry I said that about being the youngest person in the house, I didn't mean it."

"That's alright, Carol dear. I know you didn't mean anything by it. I know how hard it is to be sixteen, remember I was sixteen once too. I just miss your father. It's hard for me to get use to the idea that he's a baby."

Carol nodded and said to Darryl, ""You won't be my Daddy anymore. I'll be your big sister and you'll be my baby brother," she said, secretly pleased by the reversal in roles. The opportunity to fulfill a long delayed desire suddenly occurred to Carol. "Mother, now the Daddy's a baby he won't be able to drive will he? Can I have his car? That way I'll be able to drive to the store and buy diapers and baby food when you run out."

"Yes dear," her mother said tiredly. "You can have his car. We'll see about getting you a driver's license. I'll need your help to take care of him."

"Do you mean I'll get to babysit him?," Carol asked.

"Yes, dear. You'll feed and bathe him and change his diapers," said her mother.

Carol looked down at Darryl in her arms and said, "Did you hear that? "I'm not going to be your little girl anymore, Daddy. I'm going to be your big sister and you're going to be my baby brother. I'll take good care of you Daddy!", Carol gushed happily.

Carol frowned and said to her mother, "What should I call him, Mother? It's embarrassing to call my baby brother Daddy. My friends will laugh at me, I can't call him Daddy."

Brydie looked thoughtful and replied, "We'll have to call him a baby name. How does Darrie sound?"

"Darrie," Carol said, rolling the word around in her mouth to get the feel of it. "It's perfect, Mother. We'll call him Darrie."

Carol noticed that the front of her blouse was wet. "Uh-oh,", she said. "I think Darrie is wet, Mother."

Brydie took Darryl from her arms and laid him on his back on the crib. She said, "Carol, I'll teach you how to change a diaper, come around here where you can see." Carol went to the head of the crib, fascinated by the operation. "First you check to see if he is wet. You do that by putting three of your fingers down the front of his diaper like this. You feel the diaper to see if it is wet. If it is, you need to change him. Then you unfasten the tapes on the side of the diaper like this and pull it down between his legs and look to see if he's pooped. See? He's only wet the diaper. Hand me a tissue, dear. Then wipe him off like this. Hand me a diaper from the bedside table, dear. Open it up for me, please. Now I pick up both his legs in one hand and pull the dirty diaper out from under him. Thank you dear. Just put it over to the side. Now I slide the clean diaper under his bottom. Let his legs down and pull the front of the diaper up between his legs up to his tummy. Now I tuck the front flaps inside and tape one side. Now I'll tape the other. See? It's easy. Now I'll fold up the dirty diaper so that the wet part is inside and use the tapes to keep it together. Put it in the waste basket, please dear. See,... ", she said, picking him up under the arms and swinging him out of the crib in front of Carol. "Darrie is nice and snug in a dry diaper."

"Can I hold him again?", Carol asked.

"Here dear," her mother said. "Now be careful, Don't drop him." She gave him to Carol and suggested, "Why don't you sit down on the chair with him, dear? Now sit him up in your lap and hold him with your left arm. Can you take care of him a few minutes while I go and talk to the nurses? I'll be right back."

She went to the door and was about to open it when she was interrupted by Carol saying delightedly, "Look Mother, he's sucking his thumb!"

Brydie smiled and nodded, then left the room.

Darryl screwed up his face and started to cry. "Darrie,..." Carol said firmly. "..now you stop that! Mommy will be back in a few minutes."

She hugged him tightly and said, "Don't cry Darrie. Would Darrie like to play horsey on my knee? Let's play horsey."

She sat his bottom on her leg with his legs astride her's and began bouncing her leg up and down. He smiled then bubbled in glee, pleased with this game. He made delighted shrieking noises and blathered happily. Brydie rushed into the room to see what was the matter with Darryl and found the two of them frolicking pleasantly. "What are you doing to him, Carol?", she demanded.

"We're just playing horsey, Mother. See? He likes it."

"Well, try and play with him a little more quietly. Would you please, dear? There are other babies trying to sleep on this floor. Why don't you see if he'll walk for you? Sit down on the floor with him and see if he'll take a few steps."

Carol got on the floor and left Darryl leaning against the easy chair. She moved a few feet away and said, "Come on Darrie. Walk to Carol. Come on. Come to your big sister."

Darryl let go of the chair, took a step and swayed dangerously, then took another and sat down suddenly with a look of surprise on his face. "Come on Darrie. Walk for me," she coaxed.

Darryl got on his hands and knees, smiled and crawled to Carol. "Oh Darrie," she said disappointedly. She picked him up and put him on her lap. "Mother was right, Darrie. You're just a silly baby. Aren't you?"

Darryl grinned toothlessly and drooled down the front of his chest. "Mother,..," Carol asked, "...did Daddy change my diapers when I was a baby?"

"Occasionally," her mother said.

"I guess now I'll get to pay him back by changing his diapers," Carol said with satisfaction.



Brydie knelt next to her daughter, put her hand on her shoulder and said soothingly, "Carol, honey, the nurses told me that the doctor plans to release Darrie at the end of the week and they want to do some more tests now. We're going to have to go."

"But Mother,...."said Carol. "..he'll start crying if we leave."

"We'll give him to his nurse at the nurses' station. He likes her. She'll keep him with her in a playpen until he needs to go for his tests."

They took him to the nurses' station and gave him to his nurse. She put him in the playpen, then reached into her apron pocket and took out a pacifier. "Ohhhh...Does Darrie use a pacifier too? Let me give it to him," Carol requested. "Here Darrie,..," she said, "...take your Binkie."

Carol put the nipple of the pacifier in his mouth, which he began to suck immediately. "We're going bye-bye Darrie. Can you wave bye-bye?", she continued.

Darryl stood mute with his hands on the top of the playpen rail. They turned and walked away with Carol waving Bye-bye to Darryl until she couldn't see him anymore. Darryl stood in wide-eyed wonder as they left, then sat down and played with the toys at his feet.

On Friday morning, Brydie and Carol stood at the nurses' station waiting for the unit clerk to finish the Patient Release Forms. Darryl's nurse was getting him ready and would bring him out when she was finished. The nurse walked up to them carrying Darryl and said, "He's ready now. Would you like to carry him or shall I order a wheelchair?"

"Oh,..," Brydie said, "we'll carry him."

Brydie put out her hands to take Darryl and was interrupted by Carol pleading, "May I carry him, Mother? Please?"

Her mother put down her arms and nodded to the nurse, who gave Darryl to Carol. She took Darryl in her arms and held him on her hip, with one leg in front and the other in back of her. The head nurse came out from her office, took the release forms from the clerk and said, "Dr. Halstead would like you to see him before you go home. He's in his office now. Could you stop by and talk to him? I'll call him and tell him you're coming."

Brydie nodded and the nurse handed her the forms. "Be sure to read the instructions for home care. Dr. Halstead would like you to pay special attention to them. I believe he would like to talk to you about them before you take him home. Have you been to Patient Accounts? Oh... Here it is. Well, you're all set. Can I get someone to help you? Do you have Dr. Halstead's office number? He's in the building next door. We're going to miss Darryl around here. He's been a wonderful patient. He's such a sweet baby. Bye-bye Darryl. Bye-bye." They left the hospital and went immediately to the Medical Arts building across the street to visit Darryl's doctor.

The receptionist showed them into his patient conference room immediately. Dr. Halstead invited them to sit down and began. "Good morning Mrs. Burr. Is this your daughter? I don't believe I've met her. Carol isn't it? Well, Darryl is finally going home. I can't say I'm happy about it, though, I would really like to keep him under observation for awhile. Since he seems to be stable and we haven't been able to do anything for him, it's probably best to let him go home. Do you have the home care instructions? Good. Now I want you to follow them exactly. Have you read them yet.? No? Well, I'd like you to take his temperature and weigh him three times a day. If his temperature is one degree above normal or his weight drops more than one half pound, I want you to call me immediately. If you think, for any reason, that he is getting younger again, I want you to call. Is that clear? Good.

Now Carol, has your mother explained to you what's happened to your father? Yes? Good. I want you to remember that he's not an adult anymore. He's just a baby. We don't know if he's going to get any better. I wouldn't hope for too much. I think the best we can hope for is that he won't get any younger and is happy. You'll help your mother, won't you? Remember that when you were a baby, your mother had your father to help her. Now that your father's a baby you're going to have to help her. Your father doesn't understand what's happened to him and you're going to have to do all the understanding for him.

Your mother has told me that you wanted a baby brother. I think it would be best if you thought of him as your baby brother. It might be best if you told your friends he's your brother. If they ask why he doesn't grow, tell them he has a congenital defect. Mrs. Burr, I'd like you to take Darryl to a colleague of mine who will be following Darryl's case in the future. Her office is right across the hall. I've scheduled a meeting with her right now, if you've got the time."

Dr. Halstead rose and escorted them to the hall door and led the way across the hall. The sign on the door said, Evelyn Beard M.D. Pediatrician. The receptionist greeted Dr. Halstead and called Dr. Beard on the office intercom. A few moments later, a graceful woman with motherly demeanor in a lab coat appeared at the office door. "Dr. Halstead," she said, "..and Mrs. Burr, I believe. Please come in."

Dr. Beard led them into her office and bade them sit down. Dr. Halstead looked at his watch and said he could only stay a few minutes, then proceeded to explain the reason for the change in doctors. "Mrs. Burr, frankly, there's nothing I can do for your husband at the moment. Your husband is physically and mentally a baby, with little hope of recovery. The only rational course of treatment is to monitor his condition from a pediatric standpoint; which is why I brought in Dr. Beard. She has been the pediatric consultant on his case; she is an authority on growth in children and has taken an interest in Darryl's case. I would like her to take over as Darryl's physician. I will of course review any changes in his condition with her and be available in case of emergencies."

Dr. Halstead looked at his watch again and said, "If you'll excuse me, Mrs. Burr, I'm scheduled to perform a procedure in thirty minutes. Good Luck."

Dr. Halstead shook Byrdie's hand and left the office. Dr. Beard smiled and said, "There goes a busy man. Now, Mrs. Burr, I have all Darryl's records here," she said, patting a three inch thick folder on her desk. "...I'd like to examine Darryl today for my records."

She keyed the intercom and asked the nurse to step in her office. A pert freckled brunette in a nurse's uniform came in and Dr. Beard said, "Susan, this is Darryl Burr. Would you take him to examination room four, please. I'd like to examine him."

Susan took Darryl from Carol's arms and took him down the hall and into an examination room. She laid him on the table and removed his diaper. Susan listened to his breathing and heart, then took his blood pressure. She sat him up on the table and put an infra-red temperature probe up to his ear canal and measured his temperature. Susan charted the results and waited for Dr. Beard. The doctor came in, studied the nurses notes on the clipboard and began her own examination. Dr. Beard took a tongue depressor from the counter and lit a small flashlight and examined his mouth and throat. "For a forty-one year old man, you sure look young for your age," she joked.

She put a disposable cover on the wall-mounted otoscope and examined his ears. "Everything normal," she pronounced, "That is, for a twelve-month old baby. Let's test your reflexes."

She tested a range of infant reflexes and said when she had finished, "No change since the last time I examined him in the hospital. Susan, would you bring his mother in here?" Susan smiled and said, "His mother, Dr. Beard?"

Dr. Beard looked nonplused and corrected herself, "His wife, then. Although I think we should all stop pretending. He is a baby and like-it-or-not she's his mother."

Susan brought Brydie to the examination room and stood quietly at the door while Dr. Beard talked. "Mrs. Burr, I don't know what Dr. Halstead told you about how to take care of Darryl. I'd like to talk to you a minute about that. The girl who was with you, is she your daughter?"

Brydie nodded. Dr. Beard continued, "Then I assume you've already raised a baby. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I think it's time to face reality if you haven't done so already. Darryl is a baby. He needs a mother. He doesn't need a wife now, he needs a mommy. He needs you. He thinks you're his mommy. Are you prepared to be his mother?"

Brydie said she thought so. Dr. Beard continued, "I know you're in shock, but we have to know now. If we have to make other arrangements for his care, he'd be better off if we made them immediately. Your married life to him is over, as far as you're concerned you're a widow with an infant child. Do you understand that?"

Brydie said that she did. "Good. If you need help, don't hesitate to call me. You might want to consider putting him in a day care facility for a few hours a day, just to give yourself some time to adjust to the situation. I can help you with that. You'd have trouble getting him in a day care without a birth certificate and I think you'd have even more trouble if you showed them his birth certificate. Will you promise me you'll do that, at least for the first month or two?"

Brydie assured her she would. "Good. Then it's settled. Susan, would you re-diaper him, please? I'd like to see Darryl again next week. Tell the receptionist that I'd like to see him every week until further notice. I'll see you next week." Dr. Beard shook Brydie's hand then saw them to the door. They made the appointment with the receptionist and went to the car.

Brydie strapped him in an infant seat in the rear passenger side of the car. He bubbled and played with his fingers all the way home. Carol took him out of the car and brought him into the house. Brydie said, "Carol, honey, put Darrie in the playpen while I get lunch for us. I don't believe he's eaten."

Carol sat him down in the playpen and left the room, returning a few minutes later with a small teddy bear and a baby blanket. She leaned over the side of the pen and gave them to Darryl and said, "Here Darrie, I bought you a Winne the Poo teddy to play with. And look at this, mommy bought you a blankee."

Darryl took the bear and hugged it to his chest tightly. He gazed at the proffered coverlet a few moments, then grasped the blanket in his fist and began to suck his thumb. He looked around the room with a bewildered expression. Carol dropped the side of the playpen and attempted to get him to play with his new toys. Brydie called to Carol and said "Carol, lunch is ready. Would you bring Darrie in the kitchen, please?"

Carol carried him in the kitchen and pointed out his new high chair, "Look Darrie! Mother bought you a new chair to eat in. Let's see if it fits you."

She put him in the chair and strapped him in, then Brydie came over and tied a bib around his neck and mounted the tray on the chair. Brydie picked up a baby jar from the counter, sat in a chair in front of Darryl and said, "Our lunch is on the counter, Carol. I need to feed him first."

She began spooning baby food into him as fast as he could swallow it. He tried to push it away and she slapped his hands and said, "Naughty Baby! Do you want a spanking?"

He looked surprised, then accepted the food and ate until it was gone. She cleaned him with the bib and gave him a bottle. He settled down and nursed while she ate her sandwich. When they had finished their lunch they took him with his bottle to the living room and let him crawl around the floor while Carol watched MTV on television. He rolled on the floor and played peek-a-boo though his legs with them, wallowing in infantile complacency. He adored having an audience and clowned shamelessly. He knew he was their beloved baby. Brydie went to do the laundry and left him with Carol. He crawled to Carol and jabbered at her. She cuddled him in her arms and said, "Daddy's a silly, silly baby. Isn't he? Daddy's not going to ground Carol any more, Is he? My friend Laura is coming over after lunch to watch MTV with me. Daddy's going to behave himself in front of Laura, isn't he? If Daddy's naughty, Carol will paddle his diaper in front of Laura. When we're finished watching tv, Carol will take him in his stroller to Susie's house. We're going to take off Daddy's diapers and let him crawl on the floor naked so Susie can see what a silly baby he is. And then we're going to play dress up and put him in Susie's baby sister's dresses. Darrie will be so cute in a baby dress. Now take your Binkie Daddy."

Darryl was blissfully incognizant of his daughter's taunts and sucked on the pacifier happily. "Can you still read Daddy? Would Daddy like Carol to read to him?"

He looked at her with wide innocent eyes and made no response. Carol carried him to the sofa and sat down beside him and took a book from the coffee table. "See Daddy, Mommy bought you a book. Course you can't read anymore can you? Here. You can look at the pictures while I read the story to you."

She put the book in his lap and opened it to the first page. "This book is called ëThe Cat in the Hat'", she said pointing out the picture of a standing cat on the page. "Can you say cat?"

He sat mutely while she proceeded to read him the story, gurgling in occasional delight at the pretty pictures. Brydie finished the laundry and entered the living room and was pleased to find them getting along so well. "Just the same," she told herself , "I'll keep my promise to Dr. Beard and enroll him in a day-care tomorrow."

"Carol, honey, could you babysit Darrie for me while I go into town to go shopping for Darrie? I should be back by seven o'clock at the latest. Do you mind?"

"Can I have my friend Laura over to watch tv with me? We told Susie that we would come by later this afternoon, Could I take Darrie with me?"

"Certainly, dear." Brydie picked up her keys and purse, then went out the front door. A few minute later the doorbell rang and Carol answered it, It was Laura. "Come in Laura!," she said cheerfully. "I want you to see our new baby!"

She showed Laura into the family room where Darryl was seated on the carpet with his thumb in his mouth. "Isn't he adorable?," Carol said proudly.

Laura looked confused and said, "Your mother wasn't pregnant. Did your parents adopt him?"

Carol laughed and said, "No, we didn't adopt him, he was already part of the family! Do you remember I told you that my father was in the hospital? Well,... that's him! He's turned into a baby!"

"You're lying!," Laura squealed. "That's your father?"

"Not any more. He's my baby brother now!," Carol said with a grin.

"I guess he won't mind if we watch MTV, will he?," Laura said. "He couldn't say anything about it if he does mind. He can't talk!"

Laura sat beside Darrie on the floor and tickled his stomach. Darryl burbled and gurgled in delight at her attentions. They sat down on the couch with Darryl between them. Carol turned up the tv and they talked about boys while the tv blared out music videos. Darryl grew bored and blathered at Carol. "Quiet Darrie," she said, "we're trying to watch tv."

Darryl continued to make noise unfazed by her instructions. "Be quiet!," she roared at Darryl.

He laughed at her and she became furious. "I'll teach you to disobey me!"

She pulled him over her lap and began spanking him. Darryl screamed in terror at the unexpected assault and immediately peed in his diaper. He thrashed and twisted hysterically in a vain attempt to escape. Darryl's panic made him pee until his diaper was sopping and began to leak. All at once, she stopped. "Darrie!!??", she said in surprise. "What have you done?"

She took him off her lap and laid him face down on the sofa beside her. In the center of her lap where he had lain was a large spreading yellow stain. "He peed on me!", Carol exclaimed. "He peed all over my lap!"

Laura chuckled and said, "Looks like you scared the pee out of him. Why don't you go and change clothes. I'll take care of him."

"Good, you can finish changing the little monster while I get some clean clothes on," Carol said as she left the room, and left Darryl in Laura's care.

Laura turned him over on his back and pulled Darryl's diaper bag next to her. His face was red and puffy from crying. His chest heaved with fear and he sniveled in self-pity. He had been badly frightened by the attack of someone he trusted. The angry tone in Carol's voice as she stalked off to her room had not reassured him that the danger had passed. Laura unfastened the tapes on the disposable diaper and pulled the front down between his legs. Laura's ministrations didn't comfort Darryl; he fidgeted apprehensively while she loosened the sodden diaper. He became alarmed when she pulled down the front of his diaper and exposed him to her thoughtful scrutiny. Darryl started peeing again in renewed panic; a thin stream of urine arced upward from his baby penis and drenched Laura's hands. She hurriedly threw the front of the diaper over the stream to be contained and soaked up by the cellulose padding. She reached into the bag and took out some baby wipes and cleaned her hands. She grimaced in disgust as she wiped his pee off her hands. He found the expression on her face so comical that giggled at the sight of Laura's discomfiture in spite of his fear. "So you think that's funny, do you? We'll see how funny you think it is when I tell Carol what you did."

She pulled out a diaper, then picked up his legs in one hand and began diapering him. When he saw what she intended to do, Darryl writhed and kicked his legs at her trying to make her stop. "Stop that!", she scolded. "Do you want another spanking? You soaked your diaper and peed all over Carol's lap. Now be a good baby and be quiet while I change your diaper or Laura will spank!"

She finished diapering him, then picked him up and sat him up on the couch. She leaned over him and said, "Now sit there until Carol gets back."

She reached into the bag, took out a pacifier and put it in his mouth. Darryl put his hand up to take it from his mouth and she shook her finger at him and said, "Naughty, Naughty! Suck on your Binkie or Laura will spank!"

Carol returned to the family room and sat on the couch. She put him on the floor while Laura told her what had happened. Carol's eyes widened when she got to the part about the arc of pee and she looked down at Darryl. "Dr. Halstead was right! You really are a baby! Aren't you? From now on, I'm going to treat you like a little baby! Sit! Now!," she said in a strident voice. "If you don't sit right now I'm going to spank you again!"

Darryl sat on the carpet obediently, even his infant mind realized that he couldn't fight her. He fretted at his frustrated desires but still obeyed. Carol smiled down at him maliciously. "You know...," she said to Laura, "we could have a lot of fun with him. It's not every girl who gets to chance to diaper and spank her father. He'll never be able to ground me again. Look at his expression, he's absolutely terrified of us. We can do whatever we want to him and he can't even tell my mother. He's completely helpless. I think we should start by making him crawl on the floor for awhile, then we'll teach him to creep on his stomach like he was six months old."

Laura agreed and they got down on the floor with Darryl and forced him to re-learn to creep and crawl. When they had finished, they took him down to Suzie's house to show Suzie what Carol's father had become.

"He's so adorable!," squealed Suzie as she watched Darryl crawling around the floor dressed in a diaper and an infant's baby doll dress. "You mean he's never going to get any older? He's always going to be like this?," Suzie asked.

"No," Carol said, "the doctor said that I should think of him as my baby brother. He even told me that I should tell everyone that he was my brother. Of course, he couldn't have meant that to apply to my friends. Anyway, you and Laura can keep a secret. You won't tell anyone."

Suzie got up from the floor where she had been sitting and watching Darryl and her baby sister Carrie crawl around the carpet. "I think we should take Carrie's dress off Darrie, I don't want him to get it dirty. It's time for Carrie's bottle, should I get a bottle for Darrie too?"