Life goes on

Chapter 1
Completed story

“How much wonger will I be here?” I asked.

“You should be ready in about a week; I’ll have the director stop by later and fill out all the paperwork. Sleep tight Trev, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Ok, good night.”

I had been there nearly two months. Seven weeks to be exact. The standard for A/R patients was two months. Some took longer, some took shorter, it all depended on their level of adjustment. They told me I was progressing at the normal rate. By progressing they really mean learning how to deal with the situation.

I had grown accustomed to the routine. They try to create a similar schedule for every day. Routine is essential for someone still trying to cope with such a disease. It builds stability and confidence, and won’t fluster the patient. On occasion they would spice it up, the nurses would take me for a walk and we’d talk about how everything was going. It was a lot more personal than at the rooms at the center. The nurses never intentionally made me feel like a patient, but sometimes it happened.

I was definitely looking forward to leaving though. Two months of tests, medications that never worked and doctor jargon I couldn’t comprehend.

Overall I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to be in the A/R center. They usually only took the older A/R victims, those who haven’t regressed past the age of seven. I was teetering on thirty months. If I were any younger I would have been rejected, but since I still regained a little bit of independence they allowed it. There were a few guys there I could relate with. Todd regressed to about four and a half, and Janice regressed to about five. We were the youngest, as most of the others were between eight and twelve. Though everyone was friends, after a few tries, I realized I couldn’t play football with the bigger boys, so I had to stay with my young clique.

The nurses at the center were one of a kind. They were gentle, loving and extremely affectionate, but still remained a tremendous amount of professionalism, and the doctors were kind and understanding.

The first week was especially tough. I had trouble getting used to my new body. I was basically seeing the world for the first time. The first two weeks were designed to get me active, to get accustomed to my new frame and my new point of view. I took the time to re-adjust my distances, heights, weights, even time, which I almost had no concept of.

I was both eager and apprehensive to leave the hospital. On one hand, I was fearful of the “outside” world. I had no idea what life would be like, no idea on how I would adjust, if I could adjust. I longed to speak with my friends again, to tell dirty jokes, to laugh and share joy together, but in contrast, I knew it would be near impossible to pick up where we left off. Sometimes it pained me to think of what would become. I’ve heard stories of people living life normally, getting jobs, one even getting married. But, I’ve also heard stories of people not being able to handle it, begging for death. I mean, what would my friends and I do? When we go to sporting events, was I to be toted along like a purse? I guess only time would tell.

The center’s psychiatrist had done wonders for helping me get through everything, and we spoke in depth about what life would be like when I left. I went through an age appropriate training course as mandated by the center. This was when I really wished I hadn’t regressed so far. Even a few years later, I could enjoy recess and gym class. That week I enjoyed snack time. I was dropped off at a daycare each day for a week, after being given a larynx injection, this inhibited my speech and I could only form basic words.

I endured the typicality of the daycare, and lamented the boredom. I wasn’t challenged and extremely frustrated the whole time. The psychiatrist warned me it would be like that, and at the end explained that that’s not what the real world would be like, but I needed to know what it’s like being a true toddler, as I might need to use the experience. He told me it was instrumental to my rehabilitation. I determined from that point that I would regain my life.

I had a few friends visit me during my stay. The doctor said it would be good for me. While I agree it was healthy for me to face reality, I couldn’t help but notice the look on the faces of those who were once my peers. Thankfully, it wasn’t a look of disgust, but rather of disbelief and resolve to help me attain my goals of rehabilitation. I could not have asked for more. That did more for me than anything the center provided.

Upon leaving the hospital I was to live with a college friend of mine I’d kept in close contact with. Joe and I were good friends in college, but our kinship blossomed after graduation. I was struggling to operate an ice rink, and worked part time with his realty company. What was supposed to last less than six months turned into a five year relationship, almost becoming brothers we never had.

Luckily his real estate business grew into a national powerhouse, and he was fortunate to be able to work only part-time. He lived in a large house with his wife, Samantha, and his two daughters, Tabitha, 18, and Jessica, 12. Samantha worked part-time as a dental assistant, and they were able to make their schedule work out so there was always someone home to watch me. I was thankful I had these people in my life to help me.

The last few days at the center passed achingly slow. I helped the nurses pack what little I had, although with my size I was probably more of a hindrance than anything. I couldn’t pick up anything heavy and was constantly getting in their way, but they were gracious enough to thank me for the help. Later, I said my goodbyes to the other victims I had befriended, and that last night, I put my head to rest curious, scared, and excited of what was to become of my new life.

The nurse awoke me the next morning with a smile on her face. Because of the great relationship the nurses and I formed it was hard for us to say goodbye, but they were happy to see me off to better places.

As I awoke, she pulled back the covers and lowered my hospital issue pajamas, revealing a soaked diaper. I instantaneously became unsure of meeting Joe today. I knew he was that kind of guy who would understand, but the last thing I wanted was to be a weight to him, I’m sure he had enough to do without having to change my diapers. I asked her if I could meet Joe in underwear, so I could start our new relationship off with a small slice of dignity. I knew my toileting was lackluster at best, only making it to the toilet about five percent of the time, and that’s if I even realized the urge. She agreed, but I was to be kept in diapers until I got picked up. Satisfied with the compromise, I let her fasten a new diaper. She pulled the pants up higher than I would have, I guess out of habit, and I was led to the patient lounge to wait for Joe, he arrived twenty minutes later.

It would be a few hours until I saw him. He had a lot of paperwork to go over with both the doctor and my attorney. I was certainly curious as to what the doctor was telling him, but all I could do was wait patiently. About an hour later, the nurse came in and led me back to my room, then sat me down on a chair across from her at the table.

“OK Trevor,” she began, “Before you are released it’s important for me to tell you some of what the doctor is telling Joe. This isn’t to upset you,” she smiled, “but rather to help you understand that it’s OK for you to be the new you. While Joe can’t fully understand what you’re going through, the doctor is explaining it as best as possible. I want you to know that Joe and Samantha accept these things that you might do.” She said, peeking my interest. She then began to read from a short list the doctor and psychiatrist gave Joe.

”1. Trevor’s motor-skills are concurrent with that of a thirty-month-old child. He will need assistance in daily chores such as feeding, bathing, toileting, and exercise.” I knew what she meant by “exercise”: just playing around. It was funny how she phrased it though.

”2. Trevor has a fragile emotional status. It is important to understand that mentally, Trevor is as competent as you or me. However, his emotions will sometimes get the best of him. It is important to understand he has no control over this, rather, it is a side-effect of the regression process.

“3. Similar to his lack of acquired motor-skills, Trevor has also obviously lost muscular capacity. Trevor is not physically capable of day-to-day tasks he once considered routine, and will need assistance. Because of this you will see noticeable changes in his speech. His jaw and tongue muscle strength and dexterity have decreased, and subsequently his speech will be slurred or in rare cases incoherent. In addition, Trevor may or may not have difficulty controlling his bladder and/or bowels. Be prepared for either.” She paused, and let me take everything in for a moment.

“Trevor, again, I didn’t tell you this to make you feel bad. Now, you know Joe knows. Everything’s out in the open, there’s nothing to hide. There won’t be any surprises, so don’t feel bad if you need to ask for help. Joe and Sammy will help you with anything you need.”

With that, she looked down, and I could see her trying to hide her obvious disappointment of my leaving. She was happy for me, but at the same time I knew we would miss each other.

In contrast, I was taken aback by what I was obviously not prepared to hear. Until this point, I had never really looked at my situation from outside eyes. I knew most of what she said was true, and she was right herself, I wouldn’t have had the courage to sit Joe and his family down and explain all of this to them, and it would be even worse if they found out on their own. While hearing my shortcomings was difficult, I was comforted in the fact the air was now clear. More so, it prepared me more for possible heartache. I was always a proud person, very independent, and now I would have to rely on others for nearly everything. The center helped though, as I was now more acceptable with being picked up and carried places, to feel someone else shift your weight and manipulate you. It’s one of those things that makes more sense when you’re two and a half.

“OK, Trev, let’s get you ready.” She said as she picked me up and sat me down on the bed and stripped me to my diaper. To my surprise and displeasure it was dry. I would have liked it to have been wet, so I was sure my bladder was empty.

She brought out a grey sweat suit, the center’s only parting gift. She removed the diaper and slid a pair of training pants on, and finished dressing me in the sweat suit. She then sat me up, slipped on a pair of socks and finished with tying my shoes. She let me bounce off the bed and onto the ground, and we embraced, our final farewell, and then I was led to the lobby.

As soon as I saw Joe I broke down. It was too much for me. The realization I was joining the general population was too much for my fragile mind to handle. Before my eyes welled up, I could see the loving looks of the doctors and nurses, sad to see me leave, but proud of my recovery. Joe rushed over and picked me up, cradling me in his arms. Instinctively, I put my arms around his neck and hugged back, my tears shifting from embarrassment to sincere happiness.

“Happens every time, even with the older ones. Never gets any easier. He’s a great guy Joe; take care of him, he needs you know.” The doctor spoke.

My tears subsided to a sob, and I was able to muster a heartfelt thanks and goodbyes. My time in the center was over, but my life was just beginning.

Joe carried me outside, but before heading to the car, he sat me on the bench. I assumed we would have the “talk” at one point, where to go from here, what the game plan was, etc. etc., but I didn’t think it would be this soon. Now or never, I guess.

“Trevor, I just want you to know how honored I am you asked me to get through this. I want you to know I’ll be more than happy to help you with anything you need. For now, I want you to relax and take things easy. We’ll get the learning curve down eventually, no need to rush it.”

I nodded in agreement; ever so thankful I had a friend in such a daunting time.

Even though it was my first day out, Joe had a big day ahead of us. I was lucky enough to have my own room across from him and his wife. He wasn’t sure what type of furniture I wanted or what type of clothes I’d like to wear, so he was planning on taking me out for a day of shopping to get everything I need, boost my confidence a little.

I looked around for his sports car. He was always a kid at heart, an overgrown college student. He partied, drank, and loved life, which is why I was extremely confused to be led to a minivan.

“I hope you didn’t twade in your convewtibwle for dis.” I said. I know he loved that car, and it would have pained me for him to give up something so precious to him for me.

“Hell no, that thing was too badass to give up.” He joked, “Sammy and I thought this might make things easier around the house. For a minivan it’s pretty nice, all the options.” He said as he slid the side door open.

Joe’s not typically the type of person to use profanity around children, but I was also not your typical toddler. He interwove his language with profanity; it was second nature to him. Not in a bad or angry tone or anything like that, it’s just the way he was. While his language sometimes portrayed him as a lost sailor, he was gentle at heart. I wouldn’t have it any other way and was appreciative he didn’t sugar-coat anything for me. It seemed as if we were picking things up right where we left off.

With the minivan being low to the ground it was godsend to me. I couldn’t imagine trying to get in his roadster. I passed the first captains chair as it had a car seat in it, I didn’t even think twice. As I was about the climb into the other seat, Joe stopped me.

“Actually Trevor, you’re going to have to sit in this one,” referring to the car seat, “sorry bud, state law.” He continued, obviously seeing my disbelief.

Resigned, I walked over and allowed him to simultaneously spin me frontward and hoist me into the car seat. He buckled the five point harness, a few times moving my arms to pull a strap through. He paused a moment to make sure I was securely fastened, winked, shut the door and made his way to the driver’s seat.

It was definitely a different perspective than I normally would have had sitting in a car. Because of the added height the car seat added, and the fact that it wasn’t a bench style seat, everything seemed out of reach. What should have been normally sized windows seemed elephantine. The biggest difference was the way I was secured. A normal lap belt would allow freedom of movement, while the car seat made sure I was to stay put.

My curiosity took over and I began exploring everything about my new surroundings. Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying attention to my own priorities. Joe had always been a fast driver, he loved the feel of an engine at his fingertips, minivan or not. He roared around a turn and I felt myself lunge into the side of the car seat. When I was able to straighten myself up, I immediately noticed the seat was wet, both the car seat’s and my own. Not even a half hour after Joe picked me up I had wet myself.

“You know, for a minivan it’s got a solid engine. This baby puts out almost three-hundred horsepower.” Joe mentioned.

“Uh, yeah, dat’s gweat.” I tried to pretend as though I was listening, not focusing on more important matters. But through his years in a cutthroat business, Joe was keen on picking up things.

”You OK back there?”

“Uh, yeah, well, I had a accident.”

“Come on Trev, this car’s brand new, what’d you break?”

“No, it’s not dat,” I said, still trying to tiptoe around the subject, “I, uh, I wet mysewf.”

“Oh. Ooooohhhh gotcha. Uh, well, fuck no biggie, we’ll take care of it when we get to the store, is that cool?” He asked.

”Yeah, no pwobwem.” I was mildly uncomfortable, but the last thing I wanted to do was cause a hassle.

Shortly after we arrived at the baby superstore. While I was not happy with the choice of shopping venue, but I knew that even though I had to depend on products designed with a toddler in mind, that I wasn’t lowered to that status. It was something I had come to expect and understand.

Joe hopped out of the car and quickly attended to my situation. Picking me up, arms outstretched, the only way one picks up a soaking wet toddler.

“Guess you didn’t like those pants.” He joked, which put me more at ease. “Sorry bud, but I don’t’ have any clothes for you to wear, we’ll get it figured out when we get inside.” He led me to the store, pacing himself to allow me to keep up. I was moving extra slowly as I felt the cold dampness with every step. We made our way inside, and I immediately forgot about my predicament. I had forgotten what a two-story ceiling looked like, and I definitely don’t remember it loom so greatly. It was hard for me to gauge the size of the store. Usually, I could have peered over shelves and racks to see its depth, but my visibility was limited to at most ten feet.

“Excuse me, miss?” Joe asked a young clerk. Still embarrassed about my accident, I looked at the floor, barely hearing what he had asked her.

“Uh-oh, looks like someone had an accident.” The woman said patronizingly, she was a real psychic she was. “Oh he’s adorable,” she said turning to Joe. “Accidents will happen right? Anyway, they’re back on that far wall, and the restrooms are on the other side.

Joe said his thanks and led me to our first stop. I noticed an entire wall filled with colorful packages, colorful packages of diapers. However much I didn’t want it to happen, I knew it would eventually come to this. This subconscious knowledge allowed me to feel a little more relaxed about the situation. Besides, it’s not like I had a lot of ground to disagree with his choice.

“Alright, you’re the expert, which ones do you want?”

“I dunno.” It’s true. I had no idea what diapers were good; I wore whatever the hospital had. I told him the only thing I knew was that I was a size five.

Satisfied with the answer, Joe grabbed a package and a box of wipes and led me to the bathroom which luckily was empty. He removed my shoes, pants, and training pants and laid me down on the folded out changing table.

”So have you given any thought to how you want to be treated outside the house?” Joe asked as he tried to remember how to diaper someone. I had given it some thought but still wasn’t ready to make my decision. Joe knew I had been thinking about it, but wasn’t sure to what extent.

“It’s just that, well, someone your size doesn’t usually,” he started, trying to find a way to put it politely, “when someone looks at you all they see is a toddler. It’s tough I know, but that’s the facts. I was just wondering, around others only, would you rather I treat you like the person you are or the person you look like? I mean I wouldn’t embarrass you or anything, it’s just, it might be easier than having to constantly explain things to every person you meet. Life might be easier if you wanted to just slip under the radar screen.”

“I know what you mean. I was finking of dis for a whiwle. I tawked wif de psychiatwist and we fink dat might be de best option. You know, just to make fings easier. You might have to give me some time to adjust.” It would definitely be easier to just play along, but it would definitely be a chore to be able to get used to all the toddler nuances. Joe was very understanding and agreed with my decision.

I hadn’t noticed it until this point, but when Joe sat me up and went to put my shoes on, I noticed my pants were nowhere to be found. When I asked him, he told me I couldn’t as they were soaked, and not to worry as nobody would look twice. “You’re lucky it’s warm out.” He mentioned. Given the situation I didn’t consider myself lucky at all, but those are the breaks I’d have to learn to deal with. He carried me out of the bathroom, and although I could tell he didn’t care at all and his intentions were good, I was still very embarrassed to be carried around the store in just a t-shirt, shoes and a pamper.

The first stop we made was the bedding section. I immediately saw he intended to pick out a crib. I asked him why we couldn’t go to a regular store and get a bed, but he told me the doctor suggested a crib might be better, as the mattress had the right support for someone my size. He also mentioned it would be odd if someone were to come over and see a toddler, but no toddler accessories. I didn’t put up a fuss, sleeping in a crib at Joe’s was better than sleeping in one at the hospital.

I picked out a furniture set made of a dark wood, almost a regal look to it. I was lucky enough to find a plaid set of linens and bunkers for the crib, and realized that even though it was crib, it didn’t look as bad as it could have. We found the matching dresser and changing table, that’s when Joe broke the news I was to be kept in diapers for a while until I got used to the situation, but if I felt I could be potty trained he would be more than accommodating.

When I thought we were ready to go, I realized we were only about halfway done. He said he needed a few essentials to take care of me, and a few other items to make the house look like I lived there. First he had me test out highchairs, then playpens, then strollers. He told me the highchair and stroller would come in handy, but the playpen was just for looks.

He then gathered a few toys (again just for looks), then some bottles and pacifiers. I’ll be honest, the first few times of using an adult cup in the center didn’t go well, and after five spills I didn’t see one again. I guess the nurse told him about my occasional pacifier use. I don’t know why I liked them, they just felt so nice!

A few hours later we were ready for checkout. I ended up spending a few grand on all this (I had my account balances transferred to Joe’s; luckily I had a good amount of money saved up). Everything was to be delivered that day except the stroller, which went into the trunk of the minivan.

“Alright, let’s go get you some things to wear.” He said as he buckled me into the car seat.

We drove to the mall, a short distance from the baby superstore. We got there and I waited in my seat as Joe removed the stroller from the trunk and assembled it next to the door. As soon as I was released from the still mildly damp car seat, I was in the stroller, I my feet didn’t even touch the ground.

Luckily Joe was keen on understanding my physical limits. We both knew I’d be asleep in a short while, so I got fitted first, so if I were to doze he could get clothes while I was sleeping. I helped pick them out for a while, and I must say I was the most sharply dressed toddler out there. Joe let me pick out a pair of pants to wear for the rest of the day. The last thing I remember was seeing Joe examining a package of plastic pants. I was soon asleep in my stroller, rhythmically sucking on my pacifier.

I awoke to Samantha picking me up. Though I was still in a half conscious state, as soon as she put her arm under my bottom to carry me I felt I had left a present there. She brought me to my new room, my first time ever seeing it. Although it was a room fit for a toddler, it was tastefully done. There was nothing in pastel blues or pictures of cuddly characters. She laid me on the changing table and removed my messy diaper. It was a little awkward as we had only met a few times, and this was our first time seeing each other since everything happened.

“OK Trevor, we’ll get some dinner and then Joe and I want to speak with you about a few things.” She said as she cleaned me up and had me in a fresh diaper. She placed me down and led me around the room. The only thing I really needed to know was where my clothes were. I looked around and noticed the changing table was fully stocked with fresh diapers and wipes. I got the impression the table and I would be good friends.

I dressed myself in a t-shirt and grabbed a pair of pants. I would usually have put socks on first, but soon found my solo effort at getting dressed wasn’t going too far, the socks just didn’t want to go on, my fingers and feet couldn’t work together to get the job done. I figured I’ll get to the socks later, and went to put a pair of khakis on, but the button just didn’t want to go in the loop. I ended up walking downstairs with my pants and socks in hand. Samantha first noticed my shirt was on backwards, so she fixed that and then helped me finish getting dressed.

I walked around the house and noticed how much things were out of reach. Nothing was made for a toddler in mind. The couches were high off the ground, the TV too high to press the buttons accurately, even the door knobs were out of reach. I knew I would need help even if I wanted to get into another room. Upon exploring further I noticed they had set up a few door gates as well. When I asked I was told not to worry, they just wanted to make sure I wouldn’t fall anywhere or get into something I shouldn’t be, that it was just temporary.

Dinner was called shortly thereafter. I was brought in and strapped in the highchair. I had to wait about fifteen minutes in the chair while dinner was being finished. It was a little uncomfortable as everyone else was free to walk around but I wasn’t too unhappy.

Dinner went well. I met their daughters and we had brief small talk. It wasn’t that everyone tiptoed around the subject; it was more that there was no subject to talk about. It was clear as day what my disability was and you could tell by my shirt and hands that I was clearly not the adult I once was.

After dinner Samantha cleaned me up and brought me into the living room, telling the girls to head upstairs. Samantha sat me on her lap with her arms around me, and Joe sat on the chair across from us.

“So Trev, what’s on your mind?” Joe asked breaking the silence. I shrugged; I knew it was just small talk leading up to what they wanted to get across.

Joe continued, “Trevor, what do you see yourself doing a few months from now? It’s up to you. If you want to take some time and get used to your situation that’s totally fine, but we know you, you’ll go crazy sitting around the house.” This was true; I couldn’t sit around for the rest of my life.

“We were thinking you might want to try to get a job at some point.” Samantha said from behind me. “Obviously you’ll have some limitations, but I’m sure there’s something we can find. Just to keep you out and busy. You have any ideas?”

It seemed feasible, although my speech would be different, I would still be able to converse with colleagues. I could still use a computer, and that’s basically what got everything done. I was intrigued by the idea. I would love to rejoin the workforce again. We sat there for a few more hours while we talked about possibilities. I had a degree in sports management. In my old job I had been a sports agent, so with my credentials and knowledge that would be the best avenue to pursue. Overall it was a good talk, and I now had a positive outlook on my future. We ended the conversation by turning on a movie. I nestled between Joe and Samantha. Leaning on Samantha’s side I felt warmed by her body. Her breathing calmed me and with each moment I felt my eyelids grow heavier.

Months passed and the family and I had gotten into a fantastic team. Joe and Samantha were everything I could hope for, and even their kids were great about handling my condition. There had been a few awkward times, but they were limited. A few times Joe had clients over for dinner and the girls had a few sleepovers. During the sleepovers I could hide most of the night, but when clients were there everyone wanted to see the adorable kid running around. One time a lady offered to change me as Samantha and Joe were tied up, and she ended up doing so on the living room floor in front of everyone. If they only knew....

My job search was beginning to get somewhere. Joe made a few phone calls on my behalf and I was able to get some interviews lined up. They set up a laptop on a toddler table in a room near mine, so I was able to check stats and use the email to converse with people. I even got in a fantasy hockey league with Joe and his office buddies.

”Trevor, let’s go!” Samantha called. She was taking me into the city to meet with a scouting bureau. Luckily it was located only twenty minutes away, so getting there wouldn’t be a problem. She buckled me in the car and we were off.

We arrived in the lobby of a high rise. Samantha let me do the walking myself and we spoke to the receptionist and she told us where to go, commenting on how cute I was. I had to admit; if I saw myself I would have agreed. It’s not every day you see a toddler in a tie and jacket.

We took the elevator to the top floor. We walked in and greeted the receptionist; she called back and said we’d be ready to head back in a few minutes, and for us to take a seat. I climbed onto the chair and waiting, growing more nervous every moment.

I was meeting with the head of human resources. He knew of my condition but said he would make every attempt to ingratiate me into the workplace. We had previously met years back but only briefly. He knew of my qualifications and thought I would be a welcome addition. Since I was already well off, I wasn’t asking for an exorbitant salary, and that probably made the deal more enticing.

We spoke for a while, my nervousness leaving after a short while into the conversation. We talked about what the job would entail and if I thought I could handle the responsibilities. It was pretty average, I would check statistics via the internet, and email coaches and staff members about prospective athletes. There wouldn’t be any phone conversation, but I would still be helping the business. He asked me if I would require and special accommodations. Obviously because of my size I would need a special desk. I was told that wouldn’t be a problem.

What really became an obstacle was my medical needs. Nap-times, feedings, diaper changes; these would all need to be overcome. He mentioned there was a day-care located on the floor below us, and I would be free to stop by if I needed anything. I became excited that this might be a viable position for me. It seemed as though everything that needed to be work out had already been done so.

After the meat of the discussion was over we moved on to small talk for a bit. At the end of the meeting I was offered the position, and I gladly took it. I was to start Monday.

The weekend past by achingly slow. Joe took me out to get some new office clothes, but other than that I meandered through the house.

Monday came and Samantha woke me. We went downstairs for breakfast and soon we were off. We arrived at the office complex and she rode up the elevator with me. I guess news of my arrival had spread fast, and everyone was extremely polite and introduced themselves, all offering their assistance if I needed it. I was taken to the corner of the office where my desk was set up. It was a typical cubicle with the desk part set lower. The only small chair they had was a plastic one that seems to have been borrowed from the daycare. I didn’t mind, I had a job, I was doing new things and I was excited.

After a few hours of getting my desk ready and doing what I needed to do I took a break and headed for elevator, luckily the receptionist was free to press the button for me. I got off at the first stop and made my way to the daycare. Apparently there was a new woman there and was not informed that I would be stopping by.

“Oh how did you get out here??” She panicked, and scooped me up and carried me inside. I tried to tell her who I was and what I was doing there, but she hushed me, saying she knew I was scared but everything was alright now. She brought me inside and went to ask a teacher which class I was with. The teacher informed her of my situation, and with a puzzled and apologetic look on her face. She handed me off to the teacher I had me the other day, the one who would be handling me while I worked on the floor above. She changed me and sent me on my way with her apologies. I thanked her and she got the elevator set up for me and I went back to the office.

I had some snacks and drinks set aside in the fridge, so I made my way into the break room. As I walked in there was a man and a woman enjoying a cup of coffee. The man introduced himself as the head scout, and the woman worked in accounting. They were extremely pleasant, and even helped me to open the fridge. I took my goldfish and sippy cup of juice and went back to my office. Obviously it was uncomfortable to present myself as a productive member of the company while at the same time pulling a sippy cup out of the fridge. Oh well, better than a bottle.

I only worked half days; it’s all I could do. After about one o’clock I was useless anyway, as I was getting tired and looking to nap. Samantha or Joe would meet me at twelve-thirty every day. I wouldn’t even have to ride the elevator alone. It was almost as if it were school for me, I was dropped off at the door in the morning and picked up at the same spot, waving goodbye to my colleagues as if they were on-looking classmates. It didn’t help that my briefcase was a small bob-the-builder backpack, as the typical leather attach? was out of my size.

The routine passed on for about a year and everything was going wonderfully. I became immediate friends with everyone in the office. I got the feeling that they felt some amount of pity for me, but they treated me kindly and their friendship seemed genuine, sometimes going so far as to give me a playful tickle on their way by.

Work-wise I had become one of the top scouts in the region. I began to study game tapes and was really keen on picking up on the positives some players did. In my firs six months I had helped secure contracts with eight professional teams. My boss was in awe at how someone with my stature could be so successful.

Life-wise things were going great. Joe and Samantha were great caregivers. Their daughters began to help out somewhat, but with Tabitha gone to college I’m not sure if they trusted having me in Jessica’s care, so she only supervised when either Joe or Sammy was there. We tried to get me potty trained a while back, but that lasted about a week before I was back in diapers full time, but overall, I had come to love the life that was given to me.

Had I fully recovered from the disease? Physically, no, but mentally, yes and then some. I had made a great life from what I thought would be a disaster. Just remember, when you see that little guy in front of you, playfully bouncing along, it could be me, enjoying the fresh air and loving life.

While I had no idea what was ahead of me, I was excited. I had made so much out of what I thought was nothing, the only place for me to go was up.

 

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