Fresh Start

Chapter 16
Too Far

As soon as he woke up Tejay knew something was wrong. He felt cold and clammy. In fact he was almost shivering despite it being the middle of summer. He rolled onto his side in bed and immediately felt the wetness. His sheets were soaked in cold liquid. For a brief moment he hoped someone had just poured water on the bed, but then he smelled it too, the scent of pee. He had wet the bed in his sleep.

Tejay opened his eyes and pulled back his covers, noticing that the bed seemed much bigger than the night before. In fact his legs and feet look smaller and his jammies were far too big on him. His jammy bottoms had come off his legs completely in the night and the shirt was swallowing him. There was no doubt he’d gotten littler. But that wasn’t fair! They said he’d stop shrinking when he got to seven. And Tejay knew that he was really a big boy. In fact he was really a big teenager, even though that seemed impossibly old. But now he looked too little even to be in primary school.

Tejay got out of bed and stood up. It was definitely a further drop to the floor than he’d expected. He was glad he wasn’t on the top bunk, that would be really scary. The pyjama top hung on his shoulders, covering him down to his knees. That was good because his Batman undies, sopping wet as they were, dropped to the floor as soon as he stood. He stepped out of the cold, squishy things and padded to the end of his bed, looking around at the other boys and girls all still asleep. He sniffled, feeling alone and defeated. He didn’t want to cry though, he was really a big boy and only babies cried.

“Tejay? Is that you?” a voice mumbled.

Jason, lying in the bed next to Tejay’s, was waking up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked at Tejay and blinked, seeming to think something must be wrong with his eyes. Tejay didn’t reply though, he was too shaken to say a word, afraid if he opened his mouth he would start wailing.

“What happened to you?” Jason finally asked when he was certain his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.

Tejay’s bottom lip quivered a moment before he gasped, “I got even littler!”

Jason got out of bed, revealing that he was still a big six year old and his Cars pyjamas still fit him snugly. He absolutely towered over Tejay now, looking down at the toddler with pity. “Yeah, you sure did,” he agreed.

“What do I do?” Tejay asked the big boy, voice still shaking, on the verge of breaking down.

Jason shrugged. “Guess we better tell a grown-up,” he suggested. “They’ll know what to do.”

Tejay nodded, wishing he was still a big teen. He was sure he’d known lots off grown-up things then and he wouldn’t have been scared. But that was all kind of hazy now. He remembered he’d been a teen, but not what it felt like to be a teen. Now he felt like a primary school boy, which was still pretty big of course, but stuck in a little kid body.

Jason didn’t really remember being a teen anymore. Yesterday when Tejay had mentioned their time playing college rugby Jason had looked at him like he was crazy and then said he didn’t want to play pretend. At least he still remembered he was friends with Tejay though and now even though he was six he was the big boy here. So when he extended his hand, Tejay reached up and took it.

“Okay, let’s go find a grown-up to help you,” he directed, leading Tejay along.

Following Jason made Tejay feel like an elf. Everything had doubled in size and appeared menacing in the morning light. He had to walk twice as fast to keep up with Jason now that his legs were half the length of the older boy’s. Then just as they reached the front door of the cabin it swung open and Jessica appeared in the doorway, seeming surprised to see them standing there.

“Jason, what are you doing out of bed already?” she asked.

“Tejay woke me up, he got too little, see,” he explained.

Jessica’s eyes looked the toddler in the oversized pyjama top up and down. “Oh yes I can see that. Thank you Jason, I’ll take care of Tejay from here sweetie. You just go back to bed please.”

Jason nodded and let go of Tejay’s hand, leaving him to the grown-up. Jessica gave the tyke a little smile to try to relieve some of his apprehension, then she extended her hand. “Okay buddy, come with me and we’ll get this all sorted out.”

Tejay was more than happy to take her hand and let her take charge. She was careful to walk more slowly for his little legs at least. He was just thankful for the pyjama top allowing him some cover. He couldn’t imagine walking around out here with nothing on at all, the way a few of the kids from Buzzy Bee and Penguin Cabins did. After all he wasn’t really a dumb little kid. He even knew his two and five times tables and he could read whole sentences without stumbling.

“Are you gonna get me fixed?” he asked Jessica as they crossed the grounds.

“Yep, we’ll have you fixed right up in no time mate,” she assured him confidently.

“I... I had an accident last night,” he admitted sullenly.

“That’s okay dear, your body got smaller, most toddlers can’t help themselves at night.”

“But I’m not really a toddler, I’m a big boy,” he reminded her.

“Of course you are honey, and I told you everything will work out soon.”

Tejay nodded hopefully as she led him into the infirmary building. There Dr Howe and Mr Belton were already waiting, as though expecting him. Tejay was surprised to see both the grown-ups already up so early. He always thought kids woke up earlier than adults.

“Here’s the first one,” Jessica said to the men.

“Excellent, thank you dear. We’ll take charge of him from here,” Belton assured her.

“Okay, now you be a good boy for the men sweetie,” Jessica prompted him, then headed off, leaving him there.

Dr Howe knelt down so he could be at eye-level with the quivering little boy. “Hey buddy, looks like you got a bit younger than you were meant to, eh?”

“I’m supposed to be a big boy,” Tejay agreed. “I’m supposed to be seven.”

Belton and Dr Howe shared a knowing look, smiling at the boy’s answer. Tejay wasn’t sure what was so interesting about what he’d said, it was only the truth. Weren’t they going to help him?

“Can you make me big again?” he asked, nervous.

“Don’t worry about a thing Tejay, we’ll have you straightened out in no time flat,” Dr Howe promised.

“I’ll give the parents a call,” Belton said to the doctor. “You take care of the boy.”

Dr Howe nodded and the camp director left. Howe opened the door to the office and motioned for Tejay to follow him inside. But he didn’t stop in the office, he led Tejay straight back to the room with the chairs. Tejay hesitated, wondering how this was going to help make him big. Didn’t they need to give him a shot or something? He remembered getting in the chair when he was a big teen and that had only made him feel littler.

“C’mon buddy, hop in,” Howe was directing, standing beside the second chair on the left.

Tejay hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at the open office door. He was having second thoughts about this whole thing. If they could fix him so easy, how come they needed to call his mum and dad? He didn’t really want to sit in that chair. But he didn’t want the doctor to think he was a bad boy either. Dr Howe had been really nice to him in the past.

Howe seemed to sense the boy’s reticence and changed tactics. Leaving the chair he strode over to Tejay and dropped down to eye-level again, resting one of his massive hands on the boy’s little shoulder. “You’re feeling pretty scared about all this aren’t you buddy?” he asked tenderly.

Tejay nodded, glad the grown-up understood.

“That’s okay little guy, it’s natural to be scared with all that’s happening. But I’m here to make you feel all better. I’m a doctor right, that’s what I do. Now your mummy and daddy are coming here a bit early because of what’s happened and I want to be able to tell them you were a brave little boy and did what you were told. But if you don’t want to behave I’ll have to tell them that too. You don’t want them to think you’re a baby do you?” he threatened.

Tejay shook his head. He was a big boy, he was brave! He wasn’t a baby at all.

“Okay then, prove it,” Howe challenged.

Tejay nodded and headed over to the chair, still feeling scared. He pushed aside that fear though, climbing into the chair and sitting back.

“Good boy,” Howe praised him. “Now just hold still while I get your goggles on.”

“How come I need goggles? Those don’t make you bigger,” Tejay accused.

Howe stared at him a long moment, holding the goggles in his hand. Then he sighed and frowned, reaching one hand back behind the chair. “You’re right buddy,” he admitted. “The goggles don’t make you bigger.”

Then he punched a button hidden in the back of the chair and Tejay felt a sharp pain in his back for an instant. “Yow!” he screeched, scooting forward.

“There we go, it’ll be over in a second now,” Howe told him.

Tejay was confused by what the doctor meant, but he was clear on one thing, he’d been tricked. They had no intention of making him bigger and he didn’t want to be a stupid little toddler. So he was getting the heck out of this chair. Except he wasn’t. No, instead he was lying back into the chair, his muscles relaxing, his vision blurring at the edges. He felt so drowsy now, so disconnected from reality. Why wasn’t he fighting? Why wasn’t he running away? Howe was smiling down at him, then the goggles were slipping over his eyes, blacking out everything else.