The Return to Innocence

Chapter 20
Chapter 20 Rob Story

Chapter Description: Conclussion to this AR Story

The Return to Innocence - Part 20, Rob’s Story

The days turned into weeks as Terry worked on a solution. His efforts to find a solution were assisted by the young and talented Karen to help out in the lab. Karen was enthusiastic to be hired for such an exciting project. She’d heard rumours of a project focused on discovering new aspects in the relationship between space and time. Her aptitude for the subject was very promising and she added innovative ideas to the discussions with Terry which helped them overcome hurdles. Karen became indispensable with the repairs to the DNAM and other duties around the lab. As the testing phase of the project began she was in the lab 12 hours a day helping prepare and conduct. As the tests on the lab animals came to an end she suggested new experiments using a human subject to test small changes in age. She was so confident in the process she wanted to be the test subject and argued at length to be allowed to go in front of the DNAM. Terry already shy from the accident was reluctant to conduct trials on more humans at the time. However Karen kept suggesting a new test which Terry would only agree to consider.

For the two babies the passage of time was nonexistent. Each day seemed the same but no less interesting and they all seemed to blend together. Both would wake up and roll around for a few minutes until their mothers came in changed dirty diapers and brought them downstairs for breakfast before playtime began. Usually by mid morning they would receive juice or formula and another diaper change before going down for a nap. Then lunch, more playtime, diaper change and an afternoon nap. Up again in time for more playtime, suppertime, then it was soon time to get ready for bed.

Usually two or three mornings a week would be spent in the lab with Terry. Both mothers expected and received a spare room attached to the lab be converted into a nursery, so the children wouldn’t miss their morning nap. Although it was a bit odd to have two babies spending so much time in the building Terry found it extremely helpful to have them for bouncing ideas off of. When they had an epiphany both children would get excited bouncing up and down or squealing in joy. For Terry, the hours were long but a solution was coming into view. With some help from Jeff and Rob, the answer crept closer although it still took over a month before the first tests began.

For the two children life seemed to be getting easier as they slipped further into their roles as the incompetent, cute and adorable babies they were. Rob had adjusted well to his new life, becoming more like the infant he had become. He enjoyed the love from his wife especially since she paid more attention to him now than before the accident. She would take care of all his needs, all his wants and he rarely had to ask, she always seemed to know what he needed. Admittedly his needs had become far simpler than before but her ability to forecast his needs were still impressive. When he woke up she was there to quench his thirst, when he was tired she would carry him into the nursery and when he upset she was there to comfort him. His love for her hadn’t dissipated, instead it had morphed into a form of complete adoration and trust that any 10 month old baby would have for his mother. His eyes would light up every time she would enter the room or pay attention to him. When she changed his dirty diapers he would lay in submission looking up into his mother’s eyes, knowing he was safe and secure.

Rob eagerly anticipated the contact between him and his new mother. When he laid on the change table there was an unspeakable bond between the two. He would gaze into Michelle’s face and lay there completely limp as she took care of his most basic needs. Even if something as embarrassing as peeing in the middle of a diaper change did not bother him, instead he’d laugh as if it was the funniest thing to happen that day.

Even Rob’s relationship with his son had changed. Benjamin was becoming accustomed to having a room mate and friend. He liked having Rob around to play with but also proud that he wasn’t the youngest in the family, it was a new concept to Ben and he really enjoyed it. Showing his fondness for his younger brother, Ben constantly gave Rob more of his older toys he didn’t use. Most were meant for younger babies, toys that were less complex and more interesting for a 10 month old baby. Being the older brother, Ben had started to behave like the older sibling, showing greater maturity than before. Within a few weeks he became successful staying dry during the day. More and more Michelle was dressing Benjamin in training pants and he had responded in kind becoming a model 2 year old throwing off the image of the terrible two’s. Everything was going well for Rob and he enjoyed the love and bliss that came with being a child in the family.

For Jeff, life was also going well but he felt guilty watching his wife managing a household with three children and no father. Jeff had tried to show leadership however when your daughter takes you by the hand to your nursery for a diaper change its difficult to command any respect. Mary had also tried to be helpful however her real reason for helping was to get to play with a real life baby. Mary enjoyed sitting down and playing with Jeff, however it also took all of Jeff’s tolerance. He sat patiently as Mary wanted to play afternoon tea with her baby brother. The worst came regularly as Mary would to check his diaper before running to find her mother to announce he needed a change.

Jeff also enjoyed the new time he spent with his family. Before the accident his time with the family was limited. Between working, traveling to scientific conferences and spending nights in his study, there was little time to play with his children. He had missed the days when he had time to spend with the family. Now that is all he had time to do.

He was surprised to find out how mature all the kids had become, especially Susan, who had shown a remarkable amount of maturity since he’d been unable to help out around the house. Susan hadn’t complained about the constant babysitting duties, which included all the feeding and cleaning involved. In fact she enjoyed taking care of Jeff to the point that she started hiring herself out as a local babysitter. More than once Jeff had to spend an evening stuck in a playpen with other neighbourhood children. It didn’t bother him unless they became rough or irritable. When they did annoy him, he would get Susan to separate them by putting Jeff in another room. He’d become very good at acting like a real baby when others were around by speaking in two-word sentences and crying when he wanted something. This became especially poignant when Susan babysat the Watson kids who were 8 and 10 years old. On one occasion Jeff’s acting slipped when swore after he tripped and fell while toddling across the carpet in the living room. Both Watson kids were surprised to hear a baby swear and in such good diction. Jeff realised his mistake as he stood in front of the kids, wearing a onsie and sagging diaper, mouth open with a look of distress on his face. He didn’t know what to do he had made a grave mistake and was panicking. Adrenaline began to course through his tiny body as his mind began to race. It seemed like an eternity until he was woken from his stunned state by Susan, as she picked him up. “Jeffery don’t use that bad word. Tomorrow I’ll have a talk with mommy about Michael teaching you such horrible language. Bad baby!” She then gave him a heavy swat on his padded bottom causing the baby to start crying. “Come on baby, you’re tired its time for bed.” He was then carried upstairs to the nursery where they were alone. “I’m sorry Jeffery but I didn’t know what else to do. I hope you understand why I spanked you.” Behind the tears Jeff nodded in understanding and agreed with her handling of the situation. She put a pacifier in his mouth and consoled him until his sniffles stopped. Once he’d calmed down Susan changed his diaper and dressed him in a sleeper before tucking him in the crib for the evening. Tired and nerves frayed he fell asleep quickly.

After two months Terry believed he had solved the problems with the DNAM and had successfully test the machine. Karen was available to help while she recovered from a mishap but was still in contact and hoping everything went well. Rob and Jeff were brought in to help out with the theoretical side of the planning while Karen was laid up. When the time came to test the machine on Jeff and Rob there had been many questions presented by the mothers. Like any mother they didn’t want a scratch on their children and if any problems arose during the test it would be stopped immediately. For Terry this scenario seemed the worst, he wasn’t sure how he’d possibly convince them a second time to put two babies in front of the machine. Terry had gone over the calculations a hundred times and planned for every circumstance.

When the morning finally came to put Jeff and Rob in front of the DNAM it was not a happy day. Both mothers were so scared what might happen to their newest children the lab was a very tense environment. Michelle had to be consoled my Margaret and convinced that it was the best thing for Rob. For an hour while Terry configured the machine and took last minute data on the two subjects Margaret had an arm around Michelle trying to keep her calm.

The moment of success or failure had arrived. Terry asked the two mothers to place the infantized men in front of the DNAM. Jeff and Rob sat there however the excitement and anticipation was too much for two children. As Terry made last minute adjustments to the DNAM both boys tried to sit still however it wasn’t easy. Jeff kept standing up or fidgeting, not able to remain in one place for long. Rob on the other hand wasn’t so mobile however he was still very active. Because he struggled to walk, he remained sitting for most of the time. However after a few minutes of waiting the excitement was too much as he began to cry when he flooded his diaper.

When the experiment finally began the DNAM hummed to life and a dim white light came from the machine. The event seemed anti-climactic, especially to Michelle and Margaret who were expecting bright colourful lights or mini-explosions. To the others it was pretty much as the predicted. When the DNAM finished Jeff and Rob looked the same. Once Terry gave the okay both women ran over and picked up their boys, checking them over for any injuries before changing diapers and getting them ready for their nap.

After the experiment there were no noticable changes in Jeff and Rob’s physical size. When woken up from their naps both boys noticed a little extra attention from their mothers as they checked the baby’s bodies for any changes. By the morning both boys noticed slight changes in height while standing by the rail of their crib. As the days passed both toddlers grew into children. Within the week they were back into their mature adults bodies. Jeff’s children immediately changed the way they behaved treating him like their father instead of a brother. No longer taking him by the hand, caring for him and checking up on him all the time, instead they started to respect his authority as the alpha male in the house.

Both men took time adjusting to the changes in their bodies. Their coordination returned quickly as their bodies matured however both had a few problems to overcome. Both men had a bad thumb sucking habit for the first couple of weeks but it dissipated for Jeff however Rob’s habit continued. In fact Rob hadn’t faired as well adjusting to his adult body. Physically he was fine however mentally his personality was partially stunted. He had a strong attachment to Michelle, uncomfortable when she was not near by. He spent more time at home than Jeff, usually making excuses why he didn’t want to go to work.

Not only had Rob’s thumb sucking continued, he also had more trouble staying dry during the day and almost no control at night. Michelle decided he’d need to stay in adult diapers for the near future, which didn’t receive a single complaint. He seemed resigned and somewhat comforted by the decision that his accidents would be contained. When he was wet or messy Rob could change himself however Michelle did it most of the time around the house because he wasn’t as thorough cleaning up as Michelle. Rob became depressed after transforming into his adult self. The pressures of a highly successful scientist became too much and most of his cohorts found him short tempered and irritable. Usually when at home, Michelle would convince him to take a short nap in the afternoon after she noticed him starting to yawn or rub his eyes in a tired manner.

Michelle watched her husband and hoped the mental regression would end soon. Rob struggled to maintain his adult maturity and control however it wasn’t easy, nor was always successful at controlling his emotions. For the most part Rob didn’t go out in public unless it was with Michelle or he went directly to work and home again. Although she was concerned by the regression there was also a hint of satisfaction in having another baby in the house. Benjamin was becoming a pre-schooler, a small boy who was beginning to do things for himself. He was in his terrible two’s and started to show elements of a new found independence. Mary knew the bond bred from closeness and utter dependence was slowly dissolving and she would miss it. When Rob was a baby she had noticed a well of motherly affection and attachment spring up inside her and she already began to miss those feelings.

Within a few months Rob, Jeff and Terry had managed to understand the physics behind the DNAM experiment and how to control the output. Soon they were testing the device on lab rats and other small animals, continually refining and perfecting the device. The three men were excited by their achievements and published their findings in a leading scientific publication. Overnight their project was a success. All three scientists became very wealthy from the patents and salary bonuses the school lauded on them in anticipation of a huge return on their investment.

Everything was going well. As the accolades came in and their futures seemed bright, however Rob still remained depressed in his adult life and the pressures that came with it. Michelle noticed that Rob spent more time with Benjamin, she assumed at first he wanted to be a better father. Rob played and talked with Benny which his son reveled in, but after a while she realized Rob wasn’t trying to be a better father. Rob wasn’t playing games with Benjamin but engrossed in the activity of stacking blocks and pushing the toy train around in front of him. A few times she noticed Rob would begin exploring the textures and shapes of a toy with his mouth and lips. His behaviour concerned Michelle but she hoped that like Jeff he’d grow out of it. In time she did not see a great deal of improvement in his behaviour and became resigned that his immature mental state might be permanent.

It troubled Michelle that Rob wasn’t happy as an adult and after consultations with Jeff and Terry it was assumed that the resulting time as a baby had caused irrevocable emotional damage. Jeff had also shown similar behaviour however it had dissipated within a week or two. They all agreed that his behaviour might be permanent or at least his emotional state might take years to mature, much like a child matures over time.

After a period of discussion and debate the four agreed that Rob could not remain in his present state. Signs of depression crept in and an unhealthy mental state began to worry everyone. When Michelle approached the subject with Rob he agreed that he wasn’t cheerful as a big boy. “Maybe you should consider becoming my baby boy again. You were adorable and I don’t mind if you need to be that child again. Rob agreed without much consideration since he remembered how happy he was before.

Three months after the two men were returned to adulthood Rob stood in the lab making one of the most important decisions of his life. Stepping slowly in front of the DNAM Rob could feel the radiation wash over his body as Jeff and Terry adjusted the controls. After what seemed like 5 minutes; although he knew it had only been a few seconds, Rob sat there with his eyes closed basking in the glow. Gradually he opened his eyes to find everything was the same. Rob wasn’t sure why he expected it to be different but somehow he had hoped he might already be smaller. He knew though the process would begin soon.

Within hours the results began to show as his body rejuvenated. Within a week Rob stopped regressing and after a brief examination by the university doctor he was declared as a healthy 18 month old. Rob had asked to be 6 months old. He wanted to be small and completely dependent on his mommy however Michelle, Jeff and Terry were adamant he had to be old enough to walk and able to move around on his own.

It had been decided that Rob was still needed to research the DNAM and other side projects. His office was converted into a nursery and spent two or three days a week helping with the others with the research. Although his attention span was short, there were essential concepts which Rob had grasped that the others didn’t understand. It was a small inconvenience to have to take care of a baby at work so new discoveries could be made. Besides, this was no ordinary baby. They didn’t have to watch him constantly like a normal 12 month old. Rob was free to wander around the office and spend his time working on the problems of the DNAM. If his attention wandered usually Jeff and Terry would find Rob sucking his thumb and staring at the wall or sucking on something he found in the lab.

There was a playpen in the lab which was used from time to time. When the two left the office, they would unceremoniously dump Rob in the mesh walled prison while they were gone. Although Rob was perfectly fine being left on his own for short periods, all three were concerned if someone else walked in to find a baby alone wandering the lab. Besides Rob was comfortable being left in the playpen. As long as he had some toys and a bottle of water he was happy to sit and play.

Life hadn’t turned out how Rob had expected. In fact it had turned out better. He had the opportunity to start over and enjoy the short but exciting life of a child. He had a brother and a loving mother who would protect and guide him as he grew up all over again. He would get to experience the highs and lows all over again. However as a 18 month old baby there were no expectations other than playing and loving his mommy.

Life couldn’t be better.