Sweat fever
by
Libra
"I've been sick as a dog for three days," Elizabeth Pane thought to herself.
Now only the Sweats came and went. She knew what it meant as soon she got them. She hoped that it was only the flu, but it was worse. She had what was supposed to be "mankind’s greatest gift", now turned into curse. She knew that inside her body was a virus that gave almost any person youth again. Who would have guessed the bug would mutate into completely different virus?
She had seen those who were infected before on TV and in newspapers. At first they appeared to be little kids wearing adult-like clothing. As you looked closer you saw in their eyes that they were really adults trapped in a child’s body. She heard that the virus can make some people younger than that as well.
"At least I have my husband to support me," Elizabeth thought. Lucky for him he was born immune to the first version of the bug. There were only two ways to get the second version: catch the first one then it mutates, or by the blood from someone who was infected.
The Sweats were a sure sign you got the second version. Odorless water poured from your skin at night, too much to be normal human sweat.
"My dear sweet Tom," Elizabeth whispered to him as he slept, his mind free of worries, his dreams untouched by nightmares.
When could she tell him and how? Elizabeth wondered in her mind. Soon she would start showing the signs of the virus. At first it would be a blessing. She would have extra energy and gain back her slim teen body. What happened next would depend on how her body reacted to the bug. She could find herself back in diapers, or picking out kid-sized underwear for the rest of her life.
Another cold spasm took her, and she had a mental picture of herself as little girl no older then six, sleeping next to her husband dressed only in a little girl’s underwear. She could see the underwear as clear as day: a Pokemon type that was bright pink with the Misty character on it, and covered with strange little creatures, even on the waistband. She saw herself small and skinny all over, no signs of womanhood anywhere. A hairless pink-skinned girl that was once a woman.
Elizabeth shook her head to calm herself and rid herself of the terrible picture as she sat on the edge of the bed. Tom had gotten used to her recent bathroom trips when she was really sick. No need to worry about that anymore. It was only the sweat that came. It was her body ridding itself of unnecessary water because it was now growing smaller as she aged backwards. She had hoped that it had been morning sickness, but when the Sweats came there was no doubt.
Tomorrow at breakfast she decided she'd tell him. Then she got back into bed and curled up almost into fetal position. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, she thought as she drifted into sleep.
"Good morning!" Thomas Pane said as he entered the kitchen and sat at the table. Elizabeth looked a lot better than she had in the past few days. He suspected he knew what was wrong with her.
"Honey, there is something I have to tell you..." Elizabeth said, then halted. The words were lost in her throat.
"Are you late?" Tom asked, concerned that this was causing his wife so much grief.
"Yes, but it might not be the cause your thinking of. I got the Sweats after I got better," Elizabeth said in a rushed voice.
"You're sure?" Tom asked with disbelief. He had noticed the sheets were wet on her side, like someone had poured a pitcher of water across her side of the bed. At least it didn’t smell, he thought as he remembered it.
"Yes" Elizabeth answered.
"We have to go see the doctor to be sure. If it is the bug then we have a early warning at least. If it’s not, then we get the nursery ready and spread the good news," Tom said, holding his wife’s hand reassuringly.
Then a terrible thought crossed her mind. "What if it is both?" she asked, almost pleading.
Tom went pale at her words. "I don’t know," he said, getting up to call the doctor.
They went on the same day, and Elizabeth spent hours being poked with needles and examined by three different doctors. Elizabeth felt like a lab rat and was glad when they finally told her to go home.
"We'll call you with the results," the doctor said as he talked with them as they were leaving.
Another restless night passed for the both of them. It was just after noon the next day when the phone rang.
Elizabeth couldn’t bear even getting up. Tom jumped up and pick up the phone with a slow 'hello', then listened as the doctor spoke. Elizabeth only caught a few words from the doctor's voice. Not enough to make much sense from what she caught.
Tom said "Uh huh," then an "Okay," looking both relief and troubled.
Another "Okay," and Tom handed the phone to Elizabeth.
"Yes?" Elizabeth said into the receiver, sounding like she was far away.
"Mrs. Pane, I just finished telling your husband that you have been tested positive for the virus... and that you are pregnant," the doctor said in a calming voice.
"What will happen to my baby?" she asked, almost going into tears.
"If we do nothing, your baby would simply revert back into an egg and sperm. But there is procedure that we can try," the doctor said, holding the receiver back a bit. Her voice sounded too sad to listen to up close.
"Anything to save my baby. I do anything you want -"
"That’s good to hear," the doctor interrupted, "but we are only half way there. The only way we can do it is by transferring your baby into a surrogate, which will be risky for the baby and the surrogate. There is a chance that the surrogate could become infected, and the baby could be lost anyway," the doctor explained, then paused.
"What would we need to do?" Elizabeth asked calmly after she thought it over.
The doctor placed the phone against his ear again. "First thing would be to find someone to be the surrogate. The closer in the family the better."
"I do have a younger sister," Elizabeth said.
"And the sooner the better," he continued. "Your baby didn’t reach the fetus state yet and there is only so much time before it’s too late. No more than 2 weeks. Call me after you talk to your sister; we can discuss the details then."
It was a strange call for Ann Lockard as she talk with her older sister.
"Does Mom know yet?" Ann asked after she received the news.
"Not yet. I wanted to wait for your answer. You understand there is chance this won’t work and we might end up sharing the same room again if it goes wrong?" Elizabeth asked, still unsure what the answer might be.
"I'll do it, big sister. You were always there for me when I was younger. If this goes bad, maybe I'll be the big sister for once," Ann answered, adding a small joke.
"Thank you," Elizabeth said, crying again.
"I'll tell Mom and we will fly in tomorrow if we can. I call you back if she can make it. Goodbye," Ann said then hung up to call her mom’s house.
The phone rang within five minutes after Elizabeth hung up. Her mother and sister were coming tomorrow. Tom was at work when this conversation took place, but she knew he supported her no matter what.
Due to the fact there wasn’t much time, most of the paperwork was put off until after the surgery. After many release forms were signed and copies were made, both sisters were checked into the hospital two days before the operation to be prepped. An expert in the field was called ahead of time and arrived the morning the surgery was to take place.
As both sisters laid on the tables inhaling gas from small masks and counting backwards from ten, they reached out and held eachother's hands for a brief time before they drifted off to sleep.
The surgery lasted for over five hours. Transferring a undeveloped fetus was a new and tricky surgery. There was only a 1 in 4 chance it would work even if nothing went wrong on the table; there was also the risk of rejection or infection.
Two teams of doctors work on the sisters in the room. The first team extracted the undeveloped fetus from Elizabeth, while the second team prepared Ann to receive the undeveloped fetus. The recipient was being fed a mixture of special hormones through tubes to prepare her body, to jump-start her body into thinking it was pregnant until it took over on its own accord.
Elizabeth spent the next week in a hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness. She was kept sedated so her body could recover better. When she finally awoke Friday she found her mother watching over her, stroking her head like she did when her little girl was sick.
"Water," Elizabeth croaked. Her lips were dry and her throat felt terrible. With her mother’s help, she sipped from a cup of water by her bed.
"Feeling better?" her mom asked, taking the cup away to refill it.
"A little," she replied. Elizabeth's body felt so weak that she thought she might never be able to move again. "My baby?" she asked, not sure she wanted to know.
"Safe for now," her sister replied from the bed next to her. Elizabeth looked over. Ann looked a hell of a lot better than she felt.
"Hey Honey!" Tom said as he came in, carrying two very large, but equal baskets of flowers. He placed them at each of their bedsides and gave his wife a kiss before sitting down on the opposite end from Elizabeth’s mother.
"Good, you're both up at the same time and everyone is here," the doctor said as he came in to make his rounds.
"It was a success. Congratulations are in order for the both of you." Looking at Elizabeth he said, "You are now the seventh woman in the world that this surgery has worked on with full success." Then he looked at Ann. "Your body has accepted the changes and you show no signs of infection. Lucky for us, Elizabeth's womb provided temporary protection." The doctor smiled. He looked like he couldn’t wait and go off to write paper on the subject. "Ann will have a scar when the stitches are taken off and bandages removed. Elizabeth won’t have one at all, for long. Her body will recover faster now, and she be out of here before Ann will. The drug's effects should wear off in the morning," he said as he check over their charts. "So sleep tight the both of you." He left to continue his rounds.
The doctor turned out to be right. Elizabeth was released first and spent the next two days in bed at home with short trips to the bathroom.
Her mother stayed at the hospital to look after Ann while Tom cared for his wife over the weekend.
"I feel like such a pig. Sweating and eating so much," Elizabeth complained after her husband bought her another dish full of food.
"Pigs don’t sweat, dear, and you are just getting your strength back. So here eat up while you feel like it," Tom said, sitting the dish on her lap.
"Look at me Tom. I'm already losing weight and my scar is fading," Elizabeth said as lifted her shirt to show her scar.
"Honey, you know the regression speeds up temporarily when someone is recovery from an injury. You have a lot to recover from." Tom said, then kissed her and stripped her shirt off. "Let's get you a bath." He took his own shirt off.
"Get your little piggy washed," she said as she moved the dish off her lap and onto the night table.
"You're not a pig," Tom said as he walked with her to shower.
"I meant this little piggy," she said mischievously, laying her hand on his crotch.
Tom was happy that night. The first part of the regression was always a blessing. He couldn’t remember her being so frisky since their teenage days.
As they laid together sitting up in bed watching TV, it was Elizabeth that broke the silent moment between them. "Think if we ask my sister she would move in with us?" Elizabeth asked Tom, sounding like she was wondering aloud more than actually asking.
"There is the room next to the nursery. Its just as big as our room," Tom said thoughtfully.
"Can I trust you with two women in the house?" she asked, only teasing.
"Yes," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Think she'll just uproot herself from where she lives now?" he asked her seriously.
"Well, I know she just became a nurse and all. I think she will say yes because her apartment is hardly bigger than the spare bedroom. She could easily get a job here, and if she needs more room there is always the basement," Elizabeth explained her opinion.
"Well, we'll ask her tomorrow. Let's get some sleep," Tom said, clicking the TV off with the remote and switching the light off.
Ann herself had given it some thought even before they asked her the next day. After she fully recovered she could get a job in the same hospital if she liked. It would be months before she'd be unable to work and she wanted to close to her sister. When they asked her, she was happy they had asked first and not herself. She took the basement over the room. she wanted more space then her last place had at the very least.
The sisters' mother was invited to stay as long she wanted. The guest bed was available since Ann passed it up. Tom wasn’t sure if he wanted a house full of women, but if it helped his wife he would do anything.
Elizabeth's regression slowed after she fully healed. Her scar was completely gone and she was back to eating normally. Weeks flew by as the odd looking family went out to stores to buy baby things and spent just nearly as much time fixing up the basement. Ann was glad when they were finally able to move her stuff in. She was getting tired of sleeping on a cot.
It was pleasant surprise to learn that Elizabeth’s mother was leaving and going to move into the neighborhood. Elizabeth could still remember her words: "Don’t know why I'm still living in that old house so far away from you all. Your father passed away years ago and it’s time for me to stop living in the past. My future is with my girls and my grandchild."
After all the moving was done and everyone settled in, the months seemed to fly by. Tom and Elizabeth spent most of their time with each other and her sister as they went to restaurants and movies. Elizabeth was getting younger of course. She could barely pass for an 18-year-old, and disliked when people would raise their eyebrows at them as she held Tom’s hand. Tom didn’t mind her becoming a teen. The sex was great and for once she wanted it even more than he did.
While they went out to movies, they were able to forget about their troubles, and they spoke in a casual manner as if nothing was wrong.
"Thank god for my parents leaving us so much money before they passed," Tom said as he held her slender hand. He also felt her wedding band with string wrapped around part of the band so it stayed on her finger. It was the sort of trick a high school girl did so she could wear her boyfriend’s high school ring.
Elizabeth did tease Ann a bit when she saw her waddling as she walked. She was now close to her due date.
"Think it will be a girl?" Ann asked hopefully as they entered the parking lot.
"Hope so!" Elizabeth answered back.
Tom didn’t voice his choice, but if they'd asked he'd have said 'a boy' for sure. He felt so out of place with all the girl stuff happening around him at home.
After helping Ann into the back of car. Tom jumped into driver’s seat. It was Elizabeth’s car, but since they kept getting pulled over by cops, Elizabeth was getting tired of showing her new id that explained why her age appeared wrong when they checked the plate number. The new card was a driver’s license/ID card that was green with black font. The color green was to show that she was one of those rare cases.
The secret reason Tom agreed was that he didn’t like the feeling that he was her father giving her driving lessons.
As they pulled away from theater and were about to pass through a intersection, it was Elizabeth that noticed first and too late. A car was running a red and didn’t see seem pull out. It was heading straight for her side of the car. Terrified screams and loud sick bang combination of metal, glass and plastic was last thing Elizabeth heard before she blacked out.
"I think she's coming around," came Ann’s voice.
Elizabeth found herself on a table in a emergency room with Tom and Ann looking down on her.
Upon seeing her eyes open Tom said, "A kid ran a light and crashed into us. You got it worse than us. You're a touch more banged up then us." Tom gestured between himself and Ann.
"The baby?" Elizabeth asked with worry.
"Fine," Ann reassured with a smile.
"Thank you, God." Elizabeth whispered as she sat up. Losing her only child would be too much for her.
"Doc’s got to check you out first then we can leave," Tom said as he helped his wife to her feet. "Oh honey, I'm afraid we won’t be able to sell your car for what it’s worth," Tom said as he watched her rub her head bandage gently.
"Totaled?" She asked with a little remorse. She was hoping to trade it in for a family vehicle.
"Completely. Only good news is the kid’s parents are willing to settle. The father of the kid is some corporate big wig. So we get enough money to cover these medical bills and to put into the next car."
"Not a car, hon. We need a mini van," She joked, knowing Tom disliked the 'soccer mom' van. She was only in such good spirits because her loved ones were okay.
"Whatever you want honey," Tom said, looking away.
"Lucky I live so close," was their mother's first words when she arrived to pick them up. Then came, "Is everything all right?" She could see they all were cut and bruised. She had driven a little faster then normal to get there when she got the call from Ann.
After assuring her numerous times that everyone was all right, including the baby, they went home.
Ann and Tom spent the next week in pain from car whip lash. Elizabeth recovered after the first day. She lost a few more years as her body sped up to heal itself. She was starting to worry about what kind of diapers she'd think she'd like wearing if virus didn’t stop soon. It would take a full year yet for her body to finish changing.
She was bordering on fifteen years of age. What troubled her then was her body. She had pimples and small teen breasts. Tom was getting less frisky with her and prefered to touch then have sex with her.
"Don’t think I am beautiful anymore?" She cried out one night after he refused her. Teen hormones were back in full swing again.
"Honey, You're still beautiful to me. I just figure, since it hurts you a bit, you wanted me to stop," Tom said and thought about the half of dozen times she ran to bathroom after relosing her virginity again and again.
"Getting tired of popping the same cherry over and over?" She asked, still furious as ever with no good reason.
"Baby, you're the only one I want to spend the rest of my life with," Tom said as he slid the fingers of his right hand into her vagina and fondled her breast with his left hand.
Her body soon became overloaded with his touches and strokes and she collapsed a few minutes later in great wave of pleasure.
Tension inside the house was rising. Elizabeth was stuck at home all the time. Her driving license was revoked since she looked fifteen. Her card had become nothing more than a picture ID. It was a good thing when their child was born a few days later.
It was in the early hours of the morning when Ann came into their bedroom to wake them up. She had started going into labor just minutes before.
It was strange to see a 14-year-old girl in the delivery room holding a woman’s hand as the woman breathed in and out, about to give birth to the child of the girl and the girl's husband. Tom was on the other side holding her other hand and yelling out encouraging words.
"One last great push!" the doctor said with such encouragement that rivaled Tom’s own words.
A smack sound was heard followed by a newborn’s wail.
"It’s a boy!" the doctor announced, handing the baby to the nurse. He was cleaned and wrapped up in a blanket, then handed into Ann’s arms.
"He's so beautiful!" they both said in almost perfect unison. Elizabeth held him next then finally Tom.
"It’s a boy, It’s a boy," was Tom’s only words for a while.
With the new addition in the house. Elizabeth forgot her own worries and starting worrying about new ones. She was the one who changed him, diapered him, and dressed him the most out of the family. Of course it was Ann who fed him and rocked him until he fell asleep.
"What is it like?" Elizabeth asked as she watched Ann nurse her son. Over the weeks, her high voice was slowly increasing in pitch.
"Kinda tickles," Ann said as she look down on her 'big' sister, who now appeared to look like a 12-year-old with hardly anything upstairs. "Training bra days?" Ann asked as she sat down on the sofa to stop walking back and forth.
"Yeah," Elizabeth replied despondently, sounding younger then she appeared.
"Wanna try it while you still have them?" Ann asked her while looking at her chest. "Doesn’t matter if you got milk. He'll suck anyway," she pointed out.
Stripping her shirt and training bra off, Elizabeth sat there on the sofa while her son tried to get milk from her small nipple. "It does tickle," Elizabeth said with a laugh, like a child playing a game.
She was soon embarrassed when Tom entered the room. He had slipped in quietly through the garage door and no one had noticed the small sounds he made as he entered. Handing the baby back to Ann, she ran from the room in tears and covered herself with her arms. Tom hadn't seen her naked for over a month and she didn’t want to be seen with a nearly flat chest.
Tom came into the spare bedroom. They had recently converted it into Elizabeth's own private room. Still topless, he found her crying and wailing into her bed pillow. She jumped when he started rubbing her back.
"It’s OK." Tom said softly. "I think it’s sweet you wanted to know how that felt." Tom went on trying hard not to sound like he was consoling a child.
"It’s not that!" she wailed from her pillow. She still had her head buried in it.
"You're still beautiful," Tom said before she could explain.
"Really?" Elizabeth said, drying her tears as she sat up, drawing her knees close so she'd have some cover while they chatted.
"Cute as ever," Tom insisted as he put his arms around her and lifted her into his lap. "I don’t care if I have to change your dirty diapers for the rest of my life. I will always love you," Tom said as he rubbed his nose with hers.
Elizabeth felt so small and timid as her big strong Tom held her. "Touch me?" She asked with sad eyes.
Kicking the door closed with his foot, he fulfilled her request for most likely the last time.
A short time later, Tom opened the door. "Bath time now."
"I want you to come in with me," she said as they walked out of the bedroom.
"I'll wash you, but I'm not joining you," Tom said as he switched on the lights in the bathroom.
"Okay," she said smiling. "Sis! Bring James for his bath." she called out.
Ann left the bathroom after she handed Elizabeth her son. "Give you all some family time alone," was her only comment as she left.
Elizabeth washed James as she sat Indian style and Tom sat on his knees outside the tub washing her. She was nearly flat and barely had any hair left down below.
"It doesn't even cover up anymore," Elizabeth said she looked between her legs.
"Shhhh, don’t think about it, hun. Just think of all the good things that happened. You have your child now, who was nearly lost twice. Your sister and mother are close when you need them. And the best part is, you have me to take care of you."
"Don’t want to be a baby," she explained her worst fear.
"I know," Tom replied. "Don’t worry you won’t be alone if you do."
"You mean...?" She started to say.
"Yup. If you can’t beat them, join them," Tom said with a smile. "I share a crib with you until the end." Tom gently moved her hair away from her face.
Then he thought; There was no growing up again, nor living forever for that matter. Anyone that was infected lived on for 50 years and sometimes longer before their body would simply shut down. All cases were the same when they were about to pass on. They would become tired all the time, then they would fall asleep one night and never wake up.
"No!" Elizabeth nearly shouted. "Not until our son is adult. He should have a father that he can look up to," she added.
"You sure?" Tom asked.
"Yes. If he can’t have a full grown mother, he should at least have a full grown father around," she said, now tearing up a bit around the eyes.
"Okay, only if you allow your mother to see you. It's been a while and the last time I can recall was when she saw you at the hospital after the car accident. I know you don’t want her to see you, but she loves you, like you love James," Tom said as he grabbed a towel to wrap James in.
"Okay. She can come over tomorrow," Elizabeth said after Tom took James in his arms. At that point she would have agreed to anything to keep Tom from the same fate as hers.
Elizabeth’s mother had been over to see her grandson many times, but she never caught site of Elizabeth. Elizabeth would hide in her room until her mother left.
Elizabeth wanted to get dressed up a bit for her mother. She even found the old dress that her mother used to love to see her wear when she was kid. She grew out of it and only kept it for around for memories.
"Mom, she lost a few years since you saw her last," Ann said as they sat down.
"I figured that much. How old would you say?" her mother asked.
"Between 11 or 12 years old now."
Elizabeth was in her new room looking over the old dress. Good thing it was vacuum sealed. Feels the same as ever, she thought.
"Elizabeth, I just put James to bed and your mother is in the living room waiting for you," Tom called as he stopped by the door before walking on.
"Okay," she answered back before he was out of ear shot.
"Hi Mommy," Elizabeth said as she stood in the doorway to the living room. She was a lot shorter now and looked so young to her mother.
Both just look at each other in complete silence for a few seconds.
"I am not going to spank you," her mother chided lightly. "Come here give me your mother a hug and kiss." She opened her arms wide.
Tom heard a "Sorry" from Elizabeth as they embraced.
"I know it’s been hard on you, suffering from this bug and having a baby in the family," her mother said, now only one arm wrapped around the waist of her once oldest daughter. "I love that you found that old dress just for me," she went on as she consoled her.
"Is Tommy here still showing he cares for you?" She asked looking from Elizabeth to Tom.
"Yeah, mom. I get plenty of kisses and hugs." Elizabeth said, going red in the face. She felt so much like a child now with her mother around that she certainly didn't want to go into intimate detail.
"Good! If he ever stops you just come and live with me. It'll be like the good old days again," her mother said with a bit of laughter and yet with a serious undertone.
"Don’t worry mom, Tom's not going anywhere. He even offered to share the crib with me if I wanted him to," Elizabeth said with a grin.
Tom’s face went red at that point.
"Really? Well that would be even better," her mother went right along grinning with her daughters.
A few more months went by and Elizabeth kept getting younger. She seemed to slow somewhat, but she still lost 2 years of growth every month. It wasn’t until she woke up as a 7-year-old that she found that she wet the bed. She didn’t want her sister to know she had become a bed-wetter, so she got Tom to help her with the sheets.
"They need a good wash anyway. I swear, you nearly soak the mattress all the way through when you get those sweats," was Tom’s reply as he carried the sheets to the washer.
"We have to get something I can wear at night," Lizzy replied almost in a whisper. Everyone now called her Liz or Lizzy since she requested it a few days ago. She didn’t feel like being called Elizabeth anymore. It reminded it her too much of her former life. There wasn’t much left of Elizabeth in the little girl wearing only a T-shirt because she had soaked her panties and pajamas and threw them in the hamper.
"Okay. Go get dressed and we ride down the store," Tom said, smiling. She look so much like a little girl he couldn’t help let his heart melt a little for her.
Lizzy didn’t like the way people treated her as a little girl, but she was still getting used to it. Now fully dressed and looking out the window of the new family car, she was happy she lived just outside the city and in a rural area. There was an old country store stocked with latest modern things any family would need just down the road. It was there that they were going as she listened to 'Beautiful', by Christina Aguilera, on the car radio. She really liked it for some reason.
Liz prefered to stand outside and wait while Tom shopped. Rebecca the clerk knew about Lizzy, but Liz didn’t like being in the store while other people were shopping.
"Liz, I wish you'd stop pacing about like that," Blind Willie said, then setting down his book down that was full of Brail words.
"How did you know it was me?" Lizzy asked with wonderment. She hadn’t said a word and Tom went in without saying hi.
"Because no child walks and breaths like that while they wait. Your steps are too slow and breathing is deep like an adult’s. That and you're still wearing some of that perfume your husband likes," He said, grinning toward where she was standing. He wore funny circle-like glasses over his eyes. "Mind if I see your face?" He asked, turning his right hand over to reveal his palm and fingers.
"No," Liz said, then guided his hand to the top of her face. She closed her eyes as he gently ran his fingers down her face only once.
Then taking his right hand into hers and holding it, he smiled again.
"Still beautiful as ever, and covered with lots of freckles I bet," he said patting her hand.
"Thanks." Liz blushed a bit and withdrew her hand. Old Willie could charm any lady he wanted.
"Your boy, James, is a lot like you. I'd be willing to bet he's got your eyes as well. Your mother stopped by a few times while she was baby-sitting him," Willie went on.
"Still asking her to marry you?" Liz asked with a grin. Willie asked every single woman that came by to marry him at least once a week. That was just a part of his charm and good humor.
"She still won’t have me," he admitted, smiling back. "I'd ask you to play a game of checkers, but I know you're not staying long," he said gesturing to the game laid ready by his chair.
"I would, but we're just here to pick up some supplies," Liz said with a little disappointment. Willie was one of few that didn’t treat her like a child. He judged people by what they said and what he could sense from them.
"Well, I hope you bounce soon. I'd rather smell that perfume than diaper powder," he said with warm voice.
"If you ever want to talk and help a old man pass the time, cut down the path behind the store from your house. We'll play checkers till the cows come home," he said, opening his book once again to read.
"Hi William," Tom said as he came out carrying a few bags. "Sorry I didn’t say hi earlier. Didn’t see you there before." Tom said after he dropped the bags in the back of the car.
"That’s all right. I didn’t see you either, so we're even," he replied, smiling at his own joke.
"Never miss a beat, do you William?" Tom asked grinning.
"Nope," he said, his smile turning into a grin.
"See you later," Tom said before he could stop himself.
"See you later, too." Willie answered almost laughing then.
"I'll come by another time to play a game and chat. Even if I have to crawl all the way here. Bye," Lizzy said before she got into the passenger seat.
"I got you the best ones I could find. Strictly night time wear stuff only. We'll hide them somewhere in your room where no one will see them," Tom said as they drove down the road.
"Okay," Lizzy said, wishing she could have stayed at the store.
James was almost a year old. He came to rely on Lizzy for changing and other such motherly things, but it was his aunty Anna he went to when he was hungry or thirsty. Since Lizzy couldn’t reach the stove anymore it was Ann that did most of the cooking. Ann stayed to help out with the house work and be close to her nephew.
"Hi ya James!" Liz said as she entered the house with Tom.
"Mommy!" James said, then running to hug her.
"Been good while we were out?" Liz asked. She was only gone for twenty minutes at the most.
"Yeah," James answered.
James had his mother's features when it came to his face, but he had his dad’s genes when it came to height. He was a little tall for his age. James had the best mommy in the world. She played with him all the time and took baths with him too. He spent nearly every waking hour with her and loved that she was his playmate as well his mother.
"Get everything on the list I left on the table?" Ann asked when she saw Tom enter the hallway.
"I think so," Tom answered, then sat at the kitchen table
"I took the sweat sheets out of dyer for you while you did the shopping," Ann added before she walked back to the living room to watch TV and enjoy her day off.
"So what shall we do today?" Tom asked Liz and James.
"Coutwee bears!" James said as his way to say he wanted to go see a movie. He saw the advertisement for it on TV.
"Fine with me," Liz said. She often gave into childish stuff as long her son wanted to do it.
Liz got used to her night underwear within the first month. With all the stress that came with becoming younger and raising a family, it was no wonder her body was acting the way it was.
Tom stopped in one morning to check up on her before she left for her mother’s house.
"Nearly a year now." Liz stood in front of the mirror only wearing a night time diaper that looked like underwear. She looked at Tom in the mirror as he stood there looking at her body.
"Looks like you beat that bug. No baby diapers or cribs for you," Tom said with his usual encouraging words. He was starting to wear down.
"Yup," smiled a 5-year-old Liz. It looked like she was going to stop short of four years old. She might be stuck to her nighties diapers, but nothing more than wearing a pad when she was a woman. "A little younger then I hoped for, but at least me and James won’t being using up all the diapers," Liz said, turning around. Sliding her nightwear down a bit so it fell freely to the floor, she asked, "Still beautiful?" as she looked up at him. Her body was completely undeveloped and hairless, and had started showing signs of toddler fat. Her face would soon become round.
"Always," he said. He picked her up and stood her on the bed to dress her.
Lizzy loved it when Tom would dress and undress her. It was nice to feel his strong hands again as he gently help her in and out of her clothing. This was as close as she could get to being intimate with him.
A knock came at the bedroom door at that moment. Liz jumped slightly. She was too busy noticing how strong Tom's arms were. He worked out more than usual, and his biceps were catching her eye. Tom kicked Liz’s nighttime wear under the bed before the door opened.
"Is Liz ready?" Liz’s mother asked as she entered the room, leading James by the hand.
"Nearly. Just a goodbye kiss is all that is left," Tom said, then Liz and tom gave eachother a quick peck on the lips.
Tom gave James a hug before they left to spend the day walking, then head back to Grandma’s house for hot chocolate. She and James would spent the night before they came home the next day. Fall season was now setting in and days were getting colder and colder. Liz and James wore light clothes inside while the adults wore pants and coats nearly all the time.
It was just a few days after James’s birthday that Tom broke down to tears of joy and sorrow. Liz was four years old and the virus had done all it could do in her body.
She wore little white socks, a blue skirt and a yellow sleeveless shirt that day. She had recently taken up a hair style like Sailor Moon. Her and James would watch the show in the morning and she liked the style. It happened in the living room on their old brown sofa, where Liz stood on a pink sofa cushion so she could be at eye level with Tom. Liz liked the bulletin board just behind the couch. The board held pictures of herself when she was adult.
Tom had on his old purple faded shirt and normal blue jeans. As they chatted about her regression finally being over.
"Oh Liz. I am so happy it’s over now, but so sorry I can’t be with you the way, as we were meant to be," Tom said as tears came to his eyes. He loved the child in front of him, but missed his adult wife so much.
"Don’t cry," Liz said, opening her arms to him and leaning into him as he moved his head toward her. She lifted her feet a bit to counter the weight of his head. Tom bent his head into her chest and cried a bit while he held her back with his left hand.
"Don’t cry," Liz repeated herself as she could only hold his head in her short arms. "I know we'll be happy again someday," Liz said with a sad look as she looked down at her husband.
The End.