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A door slamming in the distance jolted Jacob from his sleep.
While he waited for the pounding in his chest to pass, he heard distant yelling that confirmed his suspicions.
Must be my neighbors fighting again. Dammit.The young man stretched on his bed and pulled his cellphone out from under his pillow. He'd slept through the entire morning, only ever getting up to use the bathroom. After clearing the notifications on his phone, he tossed it over on the other side of the bed.
Jacob was only moments away from returning to his slumber when an alarm went off on his phone. He slid his arms around the bed until he found the aggravating device. Silencing the reminder that he set for his therapy appointment, he rolled out of bed, groaning the whole time. Even though Jacob had slept for almost twelve hours each day of the past week, he was physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted, and he knew there was no relief coming any time soon. Tomorrow, the day after that and every day next week, he'd wake up and continue the cycle of drowning in his depression. That was unless he decided to do something about it.Jacob couldn't escape the compulsion to fantasize about how much simpler it would be if he could just stop waking up. He was sure it would be a blessing, but for some inconceivable reason, he just kept opening his eyes every morning. Letting out a heavy sigh, he walked out to the living room of his small apartment and lit his last joint.Looking around, he took in the current state of his small apartment. Clothes, bottles, cans and to-go boxes littered the floor, and his stained sheets desperately needed to be washed. The terrible smell of the residual smoke mixing with his funk was enough to make his eyes water, but Jacob didn't have the desire to clean anything. He simply wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled on the pair of jeans that he left lying on the couch before shuffling back into his bedroom to look for a shirt.Standing in front of his dresser, he caught sight of his reflection. He stared at the pimples decorating his caramel brown skin and his jet-black Afro that had grown out to be about three inches higher than the two inches he normally kept it at. His beard needed a trim. The hairs were uneven and sticking out in random directions. Sighing and shaking his head, he fished out the last clean shirt from his dresser. Pulling it on, he walked out of his apartment headed for the bus stop.****Sitting in the lobby of his therapist's private practice office, he thought about how pointless his existence was. He was twenty-two years old, and he had absolutely nothing going for him. With no family, no job and no dreams, Jacob wondered what the point in continuing to live could be when he had absolutely nothing to look forward to. It only made sense for him to prematurely end his misery.His therapist, Simon, was a short West Indian man from Trinidad in his late thirties who had expertly assisted him in navigating his grief after he tragically lost his family a few years ago. During the last session on Tuesday of last week, they were working through creating some new life goals, and by the end of the last session, Simon had been pleased with how well Jacob was progressing.When Simon went to the waiting area to usher Jacob in for his session that Friday, he could smell the strong scent of weed emanating from his client, and he was already disappointed. From his uncoordinated walk to the therapy room as well as his bloodshot eyes, Simon knew Jacob was already so high that the session wasn't going to be very worthwhile. He decided he would at least try to get to the bottom of what happened before he sent him home.After Jacob finally made it to the sofa having been guided a bit by Simon so that he didn't accidentally damage anything, he rested his head on the back of the sofa and closed his eyes.Simon sat in his chair directly across the room from Jacob, and when the younger man didn't try to start conversation, he decided to initiate the discussion."Jacob?" he asked.
His client opened his eyes, sat up a little and slurred, "Oh heyyy! Wassup bossman? I forgot you were there for a second."Seeing that he now had Jacob's attention, Simon leaned forward in his and asked, "What happened Jacob? Why are you high?""I'm stoned because I wanna be, Simon," he adamantly declared.Simon sighed. He knew that it wasn't going to be easy to get direct answers from Jacob when he was intoxicated."Jacob, you decided to stop using cannabis a year ago," he reminded him. "Last session, you seemed to be very happy and hopeful. What changed between then and now?"Annoyed, Jacob looked through the window above his therapist's head. He wasn't ready to be reminded of how quickly his happiness was ripped right from under him."I stopped being an idiot, Simon," he said. "Now, I see the world clearly. That's all.""Yes, Jacob I know," Simon began. "Now the world is terrible, and everything is bad. But what in particular about your life changed that caused you to begin to feel this way?"The twenty-two-year-old rolled his eyes, sat back in the sofa and crossed his arms over his chest. Simon ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He knew that Jacob normally had classes on Fridays a few hours before the session, but he presumed there was no way he attended them like this."Did you go to your classes today?" Simon asked.
The aggravated young man shook his head. "No, fuck that school," he said. "Fuck class.""Fuck class?" Simon asked. "If I remember correctly, Jacob, during the last session you talked about how you were planning to take your class attendance much more seriously. So, I'll ask you again, what happened?"Jacob took a moment to dejectedly look at the floor. "I got kicked out of school. I'm a fucking loser with nothing left," he whispered with a tinge of sadness evident in his voice.Simon kept a neutral expression on his face, but he was inwardly pleased to have finally gotten a helpful answer from the young man. However, he still needed a few more details."When did you find this out?" he asked.
"I got a phone call and email the day after our last session informing me that I was kicked out," Jacob answered.Simon sat up a little straighter in his chair and crossed his leg. He needed to keep the conversation moving quickly, knowing from past experience that Jacob's cooperation was only going to last so long."Since then, what have you been doing?" he asked.
"Oh, I've just been chilling, smoking and making plans," Jacob enthusiastically responded while resting his head against the back of the sofa.The seasoned therapist was aware that Jacob had gone back to masking his emotions. He watched him sit back with a fake smile on his face, but Simon knew that this was something Jacob only did when he was feeling especially emotionally volatile. Nonetheless, he opted to bite the bait."What kind of plans?" he asked."Final plans," Jacob said, uttering the words slowly and deliberately.Simon knew where this was going. After the loss of his family, Jacob had attempted suicide a few times. Before his most recent attempt, Simon had him involuntarily committed to a local psychiatric hospital, but to Simon's shock and dismay, Jacob was able to weasel his way out of the hospital within a few hours. Jacob had attempted suicide again that night."Jacob, have you made plans to end your life?" Simon asked directly, hoping to stage an intervention.Jacob rolled his eyes. "Listen Simon. We don't have to do the whole shebang again." He paused for a moment before he continued, "You're good. I'm good. Everything is good.""Have you given up on therapy?" Simon asked. "This is just another rough patch in your life. You can move past it."Jacob sat forward in the sofa and crossed his leg. "I actually came here to tell you that I won't be coming back, but I did want to let you know that I appreciated having you as a therapist. You're really good, better than most.""Jacob, after your last suicide attempt, you agreed that you would see me for a closing session to discuss the work we accomplished together, rather than just leaving the same day you choose to quit," Simon quickly reminded him.He shrugged. "I mean if you really want to waste your time like that. I'll come.""Good, today is Friday." Simon said. "I can see you on Monday at 6:30 pm. Does that work for you?""Yeah, I'll be there," Jacob confirmed and stood up to leave.As the young man was about to walk through the door, he heard Simon call out to him, "Jacob, please at least try to be sober for the next session.""Sure, Simon. Sure," he responded, staggering through the main office door to the bus stop.On his bus ride back to his apartment, Jacob solidified his suicide plans. Having no real family or friends left made the whole process so much easier. There was no need to even leave behind a suicide note.
A few years ago, Jacob had watched a TV show where the main character chose to die by heroin overdose on a beach, and he wanted to go with that same route for this attempt. He already had a dealer in mind, and he intended to sell his electronics to come up with the cash.
Before unlocking his apartment, he noticed an eviction notice on the door meant to inform him that he had until next week Wednesday to clear the premises. But that was fine, he'd be out of there by Tuesday at the latest, and they'd at least get to start on the cleanup quickly.
****It was late evening when Simon had finished seeing his last client of the day. He sat down in his office and back to his session with Jacob. He didn't actually plan to see any clients next week. In fact, the private practice that he shared with his wife was closed for an entire month. It was almost the fifteenth anniversary of their marriage, and they intended to leave for their vacation home on Wednesday.Simon couldn't help but feel guilty that he couldn't seem to figure out how to help Jacob. He saw so much of his younger self in him. After he immigrated to the United States, leaving friends, relatives and loved ones behind, he remembered being in a similar dark place. That's why he didn't hesitate to try to see Jacob for one more session. He just had to explain the decision to his wife when he got home.
****Angelique had always supported Simon after Jacob's suicide attempts. She knew from her own experience as a seasoned therapist how difficult it was to process the guilt that surfaces after a client's suicide attempt. When Simon came home and explained to her why he intended to see Jacob before they left for their vacation, she was understanding.Simon and Angelique spent some time talking about contingency plans should Jacob still choose to try to end his life. Simon was less than hopeful that his next session with Jacob would be an effective intervention. With their laptops, the couple looked into psychiatric hospitals in Washington that specialized in rehabilitating patients who experience persistent suicide ideation.From their research, they learned about Saint Ives psychiatric hospital and the hospital's intensive care unit for chronically suicidal patients. The project was led by Dr. Kelly, the chief psychiatrist of the hospital. The unit was pioneering a new and robust treatment method that involved drug-assisted physical age-regression. In her work, Dr. Kelly asserted that often the only true cure for chronic suicidal ideation in patients is a chance to re-experience childhood in a family free of any form of dysfunction.Initially, the couple was doubtful about the efficacy of the program, but the more that Simon and Angelique read into the intensive care unit at the psychiatric hospital, the more confident they were in the treatment approach. If there was a chance to help Jacob, they had to take it. That night, Simon sent an email asking for a consultation with Dr. Kelly on Monday morning, including a few details relevant to Jacob's case.

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Jacob spent the weekend finishing the necessary preparation for his suicide. He met with his dealer and spent a large wad of cash on the purest heroin he could get. When he got back to his apartment, he locked the bag of powder in a drawer. He didn't live in the best neighborhood, and he definitely didn't want someone to steal it before he left the city on Tuesday.He would just leave for the coast right after his therapy session, but he wasn't sure whether Simon would try to have him committed again. He hoped that after the last time his therapist would understand that it was simply too easy for him to say the right things during psychiatric evaluations. That's the thing, Jacob was sure that he wasn't psychotic; he hadn't lost touch with reality at all. To the young man, acknowledging reality meant accepting that his life was just terrible, and it was
sane
to want an end to his misery.A few times it occurred to Jacob that he didn't actually have to go to the appointment on Monday with Simon, but he figured he owed one last session to him for all of his emotional support throughout the last few years. Even though he knew Simon was getting paid to listen to him, Jacob couldn't help but feel a connection to him. The older man had been the closest thing he had to a father figure in his whole life.Lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling, Jacob finally felt his inner peace resurface for the first time since he was a young child. He didn't have any doubt that he would fail to end his life this time. All of his other attempts were usually the result of spur of the moment decisions. This was the first time that he really sat down, contemplated his options and made a step by step plan. Now, he just needed to make it through the session with Simon on Monday evening without incident.****On Monday morning, Simon and Angelique had a very informative conversation over the phone with Dr. Kelly. They were impressed by all of the information the accomplished psychiatrist shared with them about the program. Listening to her talk about some of the extraordinarily positive outcomes she had witnessed from patients who had similar cases to Jacob's quelled any uncertainty that they had left.The couple was certain that St. Ives was the best option they had to try to save the suicidal young man's life. The only problem was that the hospital was a few hours away, and it was unlikely that Jacob would consent to being driven there or willingly check himself in.****Walking from the bus stop to the office, Jacob found himself paying attention to details he never considered important before. He noticed that the potted plants decorating the outside of the office had all been neatly trimmed and slightly re-organized. He squatted down for a second and admired a large, red Hibiscus flower.The yard of his childhood home in the US Virgin Islands had been adorned with Hibiscus flowers in a plethora of colors and shapes as they were his mother's favorite. Running his fingers over the soft petals, he remembered how he would traverse the yard and pick a myriad of the flowers outside before presenting them in a jar to his beloved mother on every Mother's Day that he lived at home. Letting the flower slip from his grasp and standing up, he heard a phrase softly echoing in his mind.
I'll be home soon, Mom.
Brushing his hands off on his pants and pushing his emotions aside, Jacob went to open the door for his final session, but it was locked. After a few knocks on the door, it was Angelique, the other therapist of the private practice, who answered the door.Angelique was a middle-aged woman of Spanish descent. She had a light skin tone, and at times, it unnerved Jacob how much she looked like the younger version of his grandmother that he had seen in old photo albums. That evening, he noticed that her long black hair was freely flowing down her neck rather than pulled back as she typically kept it. She was also uncharacteristically dressed in casual wear, and he assumed that meant she wasn't seeing any clients."Sorry about that. Come in, Jacob," she said, stepping back to give her husband's client enough room to step inside the office."No problem," he replied, walking in and taking a seat in the waiting area."Since you are our last client today, I'm locking the door," she explained, turning the deadbolt."Okay, cool," he shrugged and reached into his bag to hook his portable charger up to his phone.
"How are you?" Angelique politely inquired.Jacob always hated small talk, but he figured he might as well try to be a good person for the little time that he had left. Looking up and making eye contact with Angelique, he responded in the most pleasant tone he could muster, "I'm doing well, and you?""I'm also well. Thank you for asking," she said, turning and walking into her office.
Jacob didn't have to wait for very long in the quiet waiting area before Simon came to get him for his appointment."Jacob," he said. "Come on back."Jacob slowly walked into the therapy room, taking in the various paintings hanging on the walls. When he sat on the sofa, he announced, "I'm sober as you requested.""That is good to see," Simon remarked, smiling.After a short moment of silence, Simon began, "Jacob, I know that you said you wanted this to be your last session." He paused slightly before asking, "Is that still what you want to do?"Jacob nodded his head and looked directly at his therapist. "Yup, I'm not changing my mind," he confirmed."That's okay. I'm just glad you chose to attend the appointment today. I was a bit worried you wouldn't come," Simon admitted.The young man lightly chuckled and said, "Hey, you were the one who brought up the fact that I agreed to a final session in the past.""That's true," Simon relented before steering the conversation back on track. "Jacob, I thought we could talk today about some of the highlights of our past sessions."Jacob furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head. "Highlights?" he asked. "What do you mean?""I'll ask you this then," Simon said. "You've been seeing me for over two years, probably almost three years now. What do you think you've gained from therapy?""Oh. Well, I've managed to make it this long," Jacob acknowledged. "If you had asked me when I was seventeen if I would have made it to twenty-two after all the crap that's happened to me, I would have never believed it was possible. So, I guess there's something to this therapy thing."Simon smiled. "You've grown a lot in many ways since you were seventeen," he said. "I know the Jacob I first met almost three years ago was lost and confused. How do you feel about who you are now?"Jacob pursed his lips. "I don't know," he said, pausing to look at the ceiling. "I'm not confused anymore, and I wouldn't say I'm lost. I guess I'm relieved for the first time in my life.""Relieved? What do you mean by that?" Simon asked.The young man took a deep breath. He knew he needed to be careful with his words. "Well, now that I'm sure of where I will be in the near-distant future, everything is simpler and freer."Simon leaned forward in his chair and asked, "Where is it that you will be in the near-distant future?""Come on," Jacob said, rolling his eyes. "You know I can't answer that unless I want to have to sit through hours of evaluations again."
"Okay, Jacob," Simon said, throwing his hands in the air. "Since you've obviously decided that you are going to end your life, how will you do it then?""It will be on a beach. I want to be looking out at the sea.""So that's it then. You are just giving up on a future?""Yup. I've had enough misery for a lifetime."Simon shook his head. "How can you not see how childish this is, Jacob?"Jacob scoffed and glared at his therapist. "It doesn't matter if it's childish or not. You aren't my father, Simon.""You are right," Simon agreed. "I am not your father, but you can still go on to be a father someday. You can be a husband. You can have a family again.""I had a family once, and I lost it. I would never risk that again," Jacob insisted, folding his arms across his chest.After a few more similar questions from Simon that yielded the same answers from Jacob, the two men were sitting still silently glaring at each other. Neither Simon nor Jacob was willing to relent to the other's perspective. They had already gone fifteen minutes past the hour-long session when Jacob looked at his watch before looking at the door and asking, "Are we done here now? Can I go?""Not just yet, Jacob," Simon answered. "I need to get some termination forms for you to sign from my office if you'll just wait here for a moment," he explained as he stood up and walked to his office.Jacob shrugged and pulled out his phone to check the upcoming bus schedule to the Bay Area in California. He didn't want to wait until it was too late to buy his bus ticket for the following evening.Entering his office and walking directly past his file cabinet containing the termination forms, Simon opened the closet and pulled out the package that had been sent by Dr. Kelly earlier in the afternoon. Inside of it was a syringe filled with a strong sedative and a pair of handcuffs.Angelique had been waiting in his office knowing that this was going to be the deciding moment for Simon. He would have to break the Code of Ethics, and she knew that it would be tough choice for him. She was also aware that should he decide to sedate Jacob, he would need help restraining the young man long enough for the intramuscular injection to take effect."Are you going to go through with it?" she asked her husband with a compassionate look on her face.Bracing his hands on his desk, Simon whispered softly, "He'll die if I don't."It was a harsh truth that he had accepted the moment he realized that any intervention he posed in the session likely wouldn't be enough to sway Jacob from his decision to end his life.Simon summoned all of the physical and mental strength that he could and placed the pair of handcuffs in his back pocket before he walked back to the therapy room with the syringe in hand but hidden from direct view. When he re-entered the room, Jacob didn't even look up from the typing he was doing on his phone.Before Simon could lose his nerve, he walked to Jacob's left, pretending as though he was reaching to grab a loose pen from the bookshelf but instead grabbed Jacob's upper arm, stabbed the needle in and quickly pressed the plunger.When Jacob realized a needle had punctured his skin, his worst fears were running through his head. He never even in his wildest dreams imagined that soft-spoken Simon would go to such an extreme, or he would have never casually discussed his suicidal ideation. He tried desperately to pull away from Simon's grasp. He knew that he needed to get as far away from his therapist as possible before whatever he injected him with was able to take effect. Pulling back his right arm, he balled his hand into a fist and prepared to knock the older man out with a single punch to the face.His fist was only a few inches away from connecting with Simon's face when he felt his arm grabbed and pulled behind his back. He looked over to his right and saw Angelique assisting Simon in restraining him. Neither the adrenaline coursing through his system nor his utter desperation was enough to resist the two middle-aged adults forcing his arms behind his back. Only adding to his predicament, he felt cool metal around his wrists and heard the click that signaled he was locked in handcuffs."Simon! What the hell?!" Jacob shouted, trying to shrug off the hands of the therapists."I'm sorry it had to go this far, Jacob," Simon began. "When you proved that involuntary commitment to the average psychiatric facility wasn't going to work, I had to consider more extreme measures to save your life. Tomorrow, you will be taking part in a new program at St. Ives Psychiatric Hospital a few hours from here. We will drive you there, but you'll probably be asleep for the whole trip.""You'll lose your license for this!" Jacob shouted. "Don't do this!""I won't lose my license for this, and I'm doing this to save your life, Jacob," Simon reminded him. "Don't worry, this program will be good for you. The psychiatrist over the program has successfully rehabilitated a few other young adults in similar situations to yours. It will all work out. You'll see.""Simon, look I'll come back for another session," Jacob said. "Whatever you want, man. Just let me go.""Jacob, you and I are both well aware that you wouldn't come back for another session," Simon remarked. "If I let you go now, I'll just find out that you died. I refuse to do that.""No, we can...we can..."
Jacob rapidly blinked his eyes, finding himself unable to hold onto his train of thought. The young man realized that he was already feeling the drug beginning to take effect. His heart was beating quickly, and his vision was starting to swim. After another few minutes, he felt his body slump backwards into the sofa. It was almost like he no longer had control of his muscles; everything felt numb.Simon and Angelique had silently observed the young man reacting to the sedative. When they saw him slump into the sofa like a rag doll, they knew he was fully feeling the effects of the drug."I'll help you get him to the car if you are ready." Angelique offered."I'm ready," Simon confirmed. "Let me just get the handcuffs off first. That way, it will be easier to lift him."Once Simon unlocked the handcuffs, Jacob's arms hung limply at his sides. They each wrapped an arm under the young man's shoulders, and together the couple hoisted him to his feet.Jacob was fading in and out of consciousness as he was shuffled through the office and into the back of their car that was parked in the section of the parking lot hidden from road view.While Angelique went back to lock the office door, Simon sat Jacob up, clicked his seat belt in place and flipped the child safety lock switch before shutting the door to the backseat.Taking the driver's seat, Simon started the car's engine and drove them out of the office parking lot then onto the main road. Together the therapist couple and the sedated young man in the backseat began the three-hour drive to St. Ives Psychiatric Hospital.

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Simon and Angelique spent most of the trip to St. Ives silently admiring the beautiful scenery visible from the interstate. Along the drive, tall and majestic trees in varying shades of green adorned the edge of the road, and when the sun had begun to set, they were able to marvel at the kaleidoscope of colors that decorated the sky around the mountains in the distance.At some point, Angelique had turned on the radio in the car, and they had been listening to Reggae music for a while before Simon turned the volume down.Staring straight ahead at the road, he interrupted the silence, "Do you think he will ever forgive me?"Angelique reached over to take her husband's free hand in hers."Honey, I don't know that." She rubbed his arm. "But, we can be sure that this way, he will be alive long enough to have a chance to forgive you. That's all that matters."Simon nodded his head. Looking in the rear-view mirror, he watched Jacob's chest rise and fall slowly and rhythmically."This way, he will live." Simon repeated, nodding his head again and turning the volume of the car radio back up before returning to his thoughts.When they were getting closer to the hospital, the topography of the landscape changed. They were further into the section of Washington that was a desert. There wasn't much of a population in this part of the state, and this was evidenced by the tumbleweeds littering the expanse of light-brown dirt that stretched beyond the edge of the highway and into the distance.
Moments after Angelique had nodded off for quick nap, Simon moved his eyes up to the rear-view mirror. Throughout the drive, he had noticed that when Jacob was sleeping he seemed younger and less affected by his traumas. The therapist always knew that Jacob was gifted with incredible potential and exceptional talent, but the baggage of his past was always hindering him from developing new skills and honing his talents.He thought about how perfectly the program at St. Ives resolved the major obstacle in his client's progression.
You get to have a second chance at life, Jacob. This time, it will be better.
****It was almost midnight when the trio took the exit that would lead them to the St. Ives Psychiatric Hospital. When they pulled up to the drop off area near the lobby, Angelique went inside to inform a nurse at the counter of their arrival. A few moments later, she returned to the car with an orderly who was pushing along a wheelchair for Jacob.The young man was still asleep as the sedative had not yet fully run its course through his system. When the orderly lifted him from the seat of the car into the wheelchair, his head lolled to the side. Simon and Angelique watched as he was strapped into the wheelchair and pushed into the inpatient wing of the hospital.The couple spent some time in the quiet waiting area filling out the intake forms for Jacob. They chose to list themselves as his emergency contacts knowing their client had no friends or family. When they were finished with the forms, they handed them to the secretary who politely informed them that Dr. Kelly was on her way to meet them.It wasn't long before they saw a tall blonde woman in her 40s briskly walk over to them. Dr. Kelly was dressed in her white doctor's coat, and she exuded the demeanor of someone who commanded authority well."Simon! Angelique! It's nice to meet you both in person." Dr. Kelly reached out to shake hands with each of the therapists.Simon and Angelique both shook hands with the energetic psychiatrist."Before we get into the nitty gritty of the procedure, I wanted to reaffirm that you two definitely did the right thing by bringing Jacob here where he can get the proper treatment that will ease his suffering."Simon smiled sheepishly. "Thank you. It's appreciated."The doctor smiled. "I know we've talked a bit about the outcomes, but I realized I never described how the drug works. I can give you an explanation if you're interested."Angelique nodded her head. "Yes, please. The concept of drug-induced age-regression is very intriguing.""Lovely! So, the drug that we developed for this procedure is called Restalsis, and it works in three stages. We call it the CAP process actually, and it stands for cessation, active and passive. In the cessation stage, the drug targets the hippocampus in the brain inducing developmental inertia which immediately halts any ongoing biological growth or maturation, and in the following active stage, the drug binds to receptors in the brain and manipulates neurons to rapidly rewind physical development."When the doctor paused to take a breath, Simon asked, "Would this be the secret to ending aging?"Dr. Kelly rubbed her palms together. "We are almost there. We just need to find a way to stop the drug from entering the passive stage which reduces the patient's cognitive functioning. In the final stage, the cerebellum is targeted by the drug and this causes emotional regression and memory loss similar to dementia. The passive stage takes about a month to end, but the procedure itself is completed once the transition from the active to passive stage happens."The psychiatrist smiled at the therapists who seemed a little overwhelmed with all the scientific jargon."I'm sure you both still have some other questions."Looking over at her husband, Angelique could see that Simon seemed hesitant to ask his question, but she knew him so well that she was sure of what it already was. She held his hand and asked for him, "Will he be in pain?""I can assure you that he will not be in any physical pain throughout the procedure. We heavily sedate all patients before the Restalsis is introduced into their system. As for what the experience will be like for him, I think it's fair to expect that he will be in a sleep-wake state similar to what is experienced during episodes of sleep paralysis. It is common for patients to experience vivid hallucinations of childhood memories during the active phase. I believe 'taking a trip down memory lane' is what it is usually described anecdotally as."Angelique squeezed her husband's hand. "How long will the procedure last?""Because it is an outpatient procedure, we are usually done the same day." The psychiatrist paused and raised a finger to her chin. "How old did you say he was again?"This time, Simon was the one who answered, "He's twenty-two.""Okay, that's good then. The procedure should only last about five hours since he is still relatively young."The concerned therapist looked over at the door he had seen his client wheeled past. "What happens to him after the procedure is over?""I'm glad you asked that. That was something I wanted to talk with the two of you about. From the file you shared with me, I noticed that Jacob doesn't have any living family members." She paused slightly, before continuing. "Typically, we assign patients with no eligible relatives to families that have passed our extensive screenings. However, seeing that you two personally brought him in, I thought I would ask to see if you two wanted to become Jacob's caretakers once he is regressed."Simon and Angelique exchanged looks with each other, both at a loss for words.Seeing the couple's apprehension, Dr. Kelly asked, "Would you two like some time to think about it? I can come back after I order some tests to be done on Jacob."Angelique spoke up for the two of them, "Yes, we would like that! Thank you.""Okay, I'll be back in a few moments."The psychiatrist turned and walked further into the back of the hospital leaving the couple to discuss the opportunity to become Jacob's caretakers.****When Jacob woke up again, he was groggy and disoriented. Once the young man became a little more lucid, he was immediately aware that all of the muscles in his body were stiff as if he had the worst sleep of his life and that he had no memory of lying down for bed the night before.Fluttering his eyes open and adjusting to the bright fluorescent lights, Jacob recognized that he was in a hospital room. Lowering his eyes, he saw that his arms and legs were bound to the sides of his bed with leather straps and attached to a myriad of hospital equipment with the wires running along the sides of the bed. Frantically looking around the room, he noticed he was dressed in a hospital gown and his clothes had been neatly folded in a pile on a table over on the other side of the room.With the memory of his abduction surfacing, he pulled violently at his restrains, and he only halted his movements when the machine that was monitoring his heart rate suddenly made a high-pitched whine as though it was signaling someone to check on him.A few moments later, a nurse came to his room. She opened the door with a friendly smile on her face and walked over to silence the machine."Good to see you are awake, Jacob."Jacob turned as much he could to make eye contact with the nurse. "Please help me! I'm not supposed to be here. This is a mistake."The nurse looked back at him with a solemn expression. "There's no mistake, Hun. The doctor came in earlier to check your file and order some tests."Jacob frantically shook his head. "No, I'm begging you. Listen to me. That isn't right. I didn't consent to any treatment. I was kidnapped."As though she was unaffected by his words, the nurse simply continued to write some notes on his chart. She walked towards him, pulled back his eyelids and shined a small flashlight in each of his eyes before writing more notes on his chart."There's no need to work yourself up, Hun. Once the procedure is completed tomorrow your new family will take you home."The young man wildly pulled at his restrains. "New family? What the hell are you talking about? My family died a few years ago. I'm the only one left.""The doctor will explain everything tomorrow before the procedure. Try to get some rest and don't work yourself up. If your heart rate gets too high, we will give you some medication that will help you relax, but we don't want to do that before your procedure tomorrow unless we have no choice."Jacob wasn't even able to get a word in before the nurse flipped the light switch and closed the door behind her.Afraid of being sedated again, Jacob lay quietly bound to the bed. The young man was absolutely confused. He didn't understand why the nurse wouldn't take his accusation seriously. Thinking about the procedure she kept referring to, he could feel his skin crawl. He spent the night silently trying to come up with an escape plan and anxiously awaiting whatever the doctor had in store for him the next morning.****Simon and Angelique had just finished talking between themselves when they saw Dr. Kelly was on her way back to speak with them.When she approached she finished writing something on a clipboard before looking up to make eye contact with Simon and Angelique. "Have you two decided?"The couple held hands, and Angelique spoke for the two of them, "Yes, we've decided that we would like to become Jacob's caretakers.""Excellent." Dr. Kelly smiled. "Tomorrow, I will have the social worker for our unit speak with you two about the options for care throughout the passive stage. Jacob's procedure is scheduled for 10 am. So, if you would like to see him before, please try to be here by 9 am."Simon responded, "We will be here, then. Thank you so much, Dr. Kelly.""There's a nice hotel not too far from here. Be sure to get some sleep. I'll see you two in the morning."Dr. Kelly turned and stepped over to the secretary at the desk to hand her some forms.The soon-to-be caretakers left the hospital and drove to the only hotel in the small town, hoping to get a room for the night.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Lying on the bed in the hotel room with his wife asleep in his arms, Simon was wide awake and anxious. He was worried that he had made the wrong decision by supporting his wife's desire for them to become Jacob's caretakers. Certainly, this was something he wanted as well having had such a strong bond with the young man, but his duty was first and foremost to his wife. As her husband, it was his job to protect her, and he wasn't sure they were both emotionally ready to have a child in their home.

The married couple didn't have kids after 15 years of marriage, and it was not because they didn't want to. Rather, it was because their first attempt was so traumatic and disastrous that it took them years to process the emotional pain it left behind.
A few years ago, the therapist couple had moved to a lakeside house Angelique had inherited from her father when he died. Her dad had been a very successful medical doctor in upstate New York, and with some of the money he earned, he had invested in quite a few impressive pieces of real estate throughout the United States.
At the time, Simon and Angelique were in-between jobs having just left the mental health clinic they had spent many years working for. They were getting ready to make the transition to private practice, and they were sure the Washington home was an ideal location to build a new business and attract diverse clients.
The couple had been trying to conceive for some time, and right as they had just started to talk about making an appointment the following month at a fertility clinic, Angelique realized her period was late. The couple was overjoyed when the pregnancy stick showed positive for the first time. Simon and Angelique were so excited to be parents. It was part of the big dream to get married, raise beautiful kids and eventually grow old together.
With Angelique's inheritance and the money that they had saved up while establishing their careers, the couple was in such a great financial position that they decided to take a year off to prepare for the new addition to their family.
The prospective parents bought everything in preparation for their first child. By the time Angelique was in her last trimester, the lakeside house had been transformed into a home deserving of a childproof seal of approval. Simon had installed baby fences, wireless monitors and childproof cabinet locks throughout the house. Together, they had painted the nursery a neutral color choosing to keep the gender of their future child a surprise for the day of birth. They made sure the nursery was equipped with all of the essentials and more.
When Angelique was only one month away from her due date, they were as ready as they thought they could be. For the next 30 days, they planned to take things easy and just pass the time until their son or daughter was born.
It was on July 29th, that Angelique was one month away from her due date. That was the day Simon would never forget, July 29th, the day he almost lost everything.

Simon sat on his side of the bed browsing the channel guide waiting for his wife to finish in the bathroom. Every night, they would cuddle and trade the remote between episodes before falling asleep in each other's arms. It was their late night routine.

When he heard her entering, he enthusiastically called out to her. "Honey! You won't believe what show has a marathon tonight! It's Br-"

"Simon..."

Because Simon was a devoted husband, he immediately detected the distress in her voice. Having been married for over 10 years, he knew before he even looked that the situation was grave for her to use that tone of voice.

But even knowing that didn't prepare him for what he saw when he snapped his head over to look at her. A few feet away his beloved wife was struggling to hold onto the bathroom door and standing in a pool of blood with more running steadily down her legs.

The remote fell from his hand and shattered on the floor when he dived across the bed to grab his cell phone. He rushed over to her, and with one arm he did his best to guide her to the bed while using his other to dial 911.

Holding the phone to his ear, he looked at his wife and did his best to try to reassure her, "Everything will be okay."

Tears began to fall from Angelique's eyes. "The baby..."

Simon put his hand against his wife's cheek and looked deep in her eyes. "You don't need to worry about that. Right now, we need to focus on you."

He felt his wife's body begin to tremble as she was wracked with sobs. After Simon ended the call with emergency services, he tightly wrapped his arms around his wife and rubbed her back while they waited for help to arrive.

When the ambulance was outside, Simon ran downstairs to open the door and direct them to the upstairs bedroom. When he returned with the paramedics in tow, Angelique was passed out on the bed. Even when the EMTs tried to wake her, she was unresponsive.

Riding in the back of the ambulance van, he watched in shock as the paramedics desperately tried to keep his wife alive long enough for her to be taken into emergency surgery. When they arrived at the hospital, he was left in the waiting area as Angelique was wheeled past the double doors and into surgery.

Simon was still in shock when a nurse approached him with a pair of scrubs. It wasn't until he looked down that he realized his clothes and body were covered in the blood of his wife and unborn child. Wordlessly, he took the clothes from the nurse and walked to a restroom where he robotically cleaned the blood off of his body and changed his clothes.

When he got back to the waiting room, he sat in a chair, unmoving, even when minutes turned into hours. It had been two hours before a doctor came to speak with him.

"Simon?"

He immediately snapped his head up and jumped to his feet. "Y-Yes, that's me. Is my wife-Is she alright?"

The doctor took a deep breath. "Simon, your wife suffered from a uterine infection that caused the placenta to detach. We were able to stabilize her condition by administering antibiotics. Unfortunately, by the time she was able to get here, it was too late to save your son.

Simon instantly felt like a part of him had been ripped away forever. "My son...he's gone?"

The year after had not been better. Once Angelique had healed enough to fend for herself, Simon turned to work as his way of coping with the tragic loss of their son. He had dived head-first into building their private practice. Lost in relying on it as a coping mechanism, he didn't realize how he was distancing himself from his wife.
They had moved closer to the city hoping to escape the memories buried in the lakeside house and attract a large clientele for their new business. During the months that followed, he had focused on fixing up the new house and moving their stuff. Every day, he had a new project because doing nothing was just too painful.
While they were therapists themselves, their marriage wasn't immune to the trials and tribulations brought along by such a tragic loss. By the time the couple had realized they needed to see a counselor to help them work through their issues, they were hardly speaking to each other. It had only been around when Jacob first became his client that they had finally recovered from the ordeal, but still Simon was worried that it was too soon. He worried that maybe the old wounds might re-open for not just his wife but for himself too.
Looking at his wife sleeping peacefully and affectionately running his hand through her hair, he wondered if just maybe this could be a good thing for them. He wondered if having a tyke livening up the large lakeside home wouldn't be so bad. Closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, he wondered if the part of his heart that he had closed off forever could re-open again.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

At some point Jacob nodded off from sheer exhaustion as he certainly wasn't going to intentionally sleep bound to a bed. He woke up to the sound of the door to his room being pulled open.In the darkness, he heard a voice call out to him, "Good morning, Jacob. I'm Dr. Kelly."When the light was switched on, Jacob squinted his eyes, struggling for a moment to adjust to the sudden brightness. He opened his eyes to see an older blonde woman in a doctor's coat standing at the end of his bed and checking his charts.Jacob had already prepared his speech."Listen I'm not crazy, and I know you guys think that I am. But I can prove it. Let me do an assessment or something. I swear I-""I have the files from your therapist, Simon. Do you remember him?""Yes, I remember him. He fucking kidnapped me!"Dr. Kelly stopped writing on his chart and looked up to make eye contact with her patient. "Your therapist kidnapped you? Jacob, do you hear how that sounds.""I know how it sounds, but I swear it's the truth.""Okay. Why would your therapist kidnap you?"He wasn't prepared for her to ask that."He...uh...""Jacob, your therapist had you involuntarily committed to St. Ives Psychiatric Hospital when you expressed your intent to harm yourself." The doctor paused and smiled. "Fortunately for you, we excel in treating patients with your affliction."The excitement he heard in her voice terrified him. "W-What are you going to do to me?""Today, you will be undergoing a new treatment we are pioneering here at this facility. It's called drug-induced age-regression. It will turn you back into a toddler, and you'll get to experience the bliss of childhood again.""That's not possible. What the hell are you talking about?""Oh, but it is possible, Jacob. Later today, as part of your procedure you will be given the drug we developed, Restalsis, and it will do exactly what I said. I know you don't have any family left, but don't worry. Your new parents, Simon and Angelique, are excited to take you home this evening.""Simon and Angelique? You are sending me with kidnappers?! This is insane. You can't do this!"She dismissively waved her hand. "It will be fine. When your memory is gone in about a month, you won't know them as Simon and Angelique. They will only be daddy and mommy to you.""No! Let me go!" Jacob shook uncontrollably in anger, thrashing against his restrains causing the monitor checking his heart rate to instantly begin making the high-pitched whine.Dr. Kelly walked over to the machine that was closer to the head of his bed and promptly silenced the alarm.The doctor wagged her finger in the air at her patient. "Settle down, young man! I'm sure the nurse talked to you about keeping your heart rate down. Do you want to be sedated?"Jacob stopped fighting against his restraints and gave her a death stare."I asked you a question, and I expect an answer."Through clenched teeth, Jacob muttered, "No."Dr. Kelly tilted her head to the side. "I didn't quite get that, Jacob. What was that?"Inwardly, Jacob was seething with anger, but he knew that he couldn't afford to be sedated if he wanted to have a chance to escape before the procedure. Channeling every bit of his inner strength, he responded slowly and monotonously, "No, I don't want to be sedated."When she reached her hand over his head, Jacob tried to evade her, but he couldn't move far away enough in his restraints. Dr. Kelly pet his head three times, further infuriating him."Much better." She tapped her pen against the chart in her hand. "Alright, we just need few tests for preliminary data to be done before your procedure. Be sure to be on your best behavior for the radiologist."While she moved to place his chart back in its place at the foot of his bed, Jacob followed her with his eyes, glaring at the psychiatrist until she walked out the room and closed the door behind her.Only a few minutes had passed before a Latino man who looked to only be a few years older than him entered the room. This guy was tall and buff. Jacob was sure that he must have played football in high school or even college with his build."Hey, I'm Rob, the radiologist here, and we have a few tests to run. I'm sure you're looking forward to getting out of those restraints, but I have to cover the ground rules first."Jacob nodded his head already eagerly looking forward to his impending chance to escape."We are only going a few feet down the hall, and I would rather not have security come all the way up here for such a short trip. It would be best if you don't waste any time making this unnecessarily difficult. Any escape attempts, and you won't be walking back to your room.""No problem, man. I won't do anything crazy.""Good, then I'll take those off."When Jacob was released from his restraints, he rubbed his wrists and stretched his legs on the bed before quickly going to stand up. He almost stumbled onto the floor, but he was caught by the radiologist."I was going to tell you to take it easy since you haven't used your legs in a while."He lifted Jacob back onto his feet."There, now try taking a few steps towards the door."The radiologist pulled along the IV pole and guided Jacob as he got used to being on his feet again."Okay, good you're looking much better now. Follow me will you.""Sure."They walked down the hall with the radiologist pushing along the IV pole and Jacob keeping pace following behind. He quickly scanned the floor looking for a way out. He knew he didn't have very long in the hallway to figure out where the closest exit was. Just as the radiologist was ushering him into the room for testing, he saw it. At the end of the hallway, there was a door to the stairs. Now, he just needed to figure out how to distract the radiologist long enough to make a break for the stairs during the walk back to his room.He was nervous and impatient throughout the agonizingly slow process that it took for the MRI and X-rays to be completed. When they made it back to the hallway, the radiologist took the lead again pushing along his IV pole. Jacob glanced around checking to see that the hallway was clear enough to make a successful escape attempt. When he was sure the hallway was clear, he knew it was a do or die moment.Jacob ripped the IV port out of his arm, splattering blood all over the floor and made a sprint to his ticket to freedom at the end of the hallway. Just as he was a few feet away from the door, he was tackled from behind, and he hit the floor on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.Before he could recover from the fall, he was lifted and held in a chokehold that forced him to face the ground. Jacob heard the radiologist swear under his breath, "I told you not to waste my time."Rob reached around to face the nurse station and called over to them. "Can I get some help over here?"Immediately, a nurse paged for security over the hospital intercom. Seconds later, Jacob heard footsteps approaching the two of them, and when he felt the prick of a needle, he lamented over the unfairness of the entire situation. All he wanted was to just be left alone to die, and now he was about to be forced to undergo a procedure he didn't even consent to.
The young man lashed out in anger channeling the confusion, hopelessness and fear overwhelming him into trying to break the chokehold the radiologist held him in. After a few minutes of struggling, he broke free for a second until he smacked into the security guards sent to escort him back to his room.Jacob kicked and screamed as he was dragged back to his room. When they were only a few feet away, he felt all the energy in his body suddenly drain out of him, and he stopped resisting the security guards. His thoughts became muddled. He knew he was angry, but he didn't quite remember what it was that he was so mad about. He couldn't even remember how he got into the hallway, or why the security guards were there. To the young man, none of that even mattered anymore because everything felt okay.In the midst of fading away, he felt a nurse grab his face and tap his cheek."Good, looks like the drug has already kicked in. No need to restrain him, fellas. He won't be wanting to go anywhere."The orderlies sat him on his bed, and Jacob didn't move an inch. His mind was blank as if he had drifted off to a happier place.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

When Simon and Angelique were allowed to visit Jacob for a few minutes before his procedure, the couple entered the room to find him sitting cross-legged on the bed and vacantly staring at the wall across the room.Simon patted Jacob's back hoping to elicit a response from his former client, and when there was no reaction or even any acknowledgement, he interrupted the nurse who was stooped down stocking a cabinet with some folded sheets."Excuse me. What happened to him? I've never seen him like this before."She stood up and turned around to face the couple. "Oh, he's okay. We just had to give him something to help him relax earlier, but you can talk to him. He can hear you even if he doesn't respond." She gave them an encouraging smile and resumed stocking the cabinet.Angelique sat on the edge of the bed and took the young man's hand in hers. "Jacob, honey, we just wanted to let you know that everything is going to be okay. We will be the ones taking care of you after your procedure is over in a few hours. We are so excited to have you in our home."Simon and Angelique each gave the listless young man a hug before they left the room.****In his zombie state, Jacob was having an out-of-body experience. He distantly watched Simon and Angelique enter the room and try to talk to him. There was still a part of him that wanted to yell, scream and attack the two of them for forcing this procedure on him. A tiny sliver of his desperation was even willing to beg them to help him get out of St. Ives, but whatever drug they had given him earlier was just too powerful. He could barely make out what they were saying to him far more for responding.After they left, he observed many different nurses enter and exit his room; all doing something different to prepare him for the procedure. At one point, a nurse had cleaned the dried blood off of his arm with some alcohol pads and replaced his IV port. Shortly after, another nurse entered the room with a few small vials tucked under her arms and took samples of his blood.While a nurse was putting compression socks on his feet, an older white man dressed in a pair of scrubs approached his IV pole with a syringe in hand.Jacob watched as the older man waved around his hands and grumbled. "I keep telling you all to stop giving them tranquilizers before the procedure! Does anyone have any idea how difficult it makes my job when you do that?"The nurse in the room shrugged, and the anesthesiologist pushed Jacob into a lying position on the bed.Feeding the medication into his IV, he tapped on Jacob's chest. "Take a few deep breaths for me, buddy."The young man could almost immediately feel a warming sensation running through his body and relaxing his muscles."Mmm." He felt like the room was coming back into focus, and he looked up to see the doctor staring back up at him."Hey, buddy. How do you feel?"Jacob took a deep, lazy breath. "I feel...really nice. It's...tingly...all over.""That's good to hear. Welcome back to the land of the living."After the anesthesiologist made a few more adjustments to his IV, Jacob watched him move to the side attempting to give the nurse enough space to push his bed out of the room.His vision was still a little blurry when he was wheeled into the operating room. He felt much more aware of his surroundings and could appreciate that his thoughts were much clearer, but the drug the anesthesiologist gave him had him feeling extremely relaxed, making it impossible for him to fight back.Two nurses lifted him from the bed and onto the table for the procedure. He thought it was impressive that they could move him so fluidly since he weighed 170 lbs the last time he checked.A nurse straightened his head it so that it fit perfectly on the padded headrest attached to the table. Jacob felt a buckled leather strap secure his head in place, and the nurse quickly put a large number of small metal discs attached to tiny wires on his scalp and forehead.As soon as the nurse finished, he called out, "Electrodes are in place.""Excellent."Jacob recognized that voice, and from the corner of his eyes, he was able to make out Dr. Kelly on his right side brandishing a syringe filled with a bright blue liquid.She announced to her team, "Administration of the Restalsis begins now."The young man could only watch in terror as the bright blue liquid was injected into his IV. The room went silent for the seconds that it took to slowly flow down the tube and into his arm.The moment the liquid flowed into his veins, Jacob felt his muscles slowly tighten up. The uncomfortable sensation progressively spread throughout his body as all of his muscles involuntarily tensed. Just when he was beginning to think that the tendons in his arm would burst, the muscle just relaxed and all the sensation in it was gone.He heard a technician on the other side of the room announce, "He's begun cessation. We can see the brain waves slowing down."The Restalsis continued to progressively paralyze parts of his body, and minutes later, the only feeling Jacob could perceive in his body was complete numbness. Darting his eyes around the room, he tried his best to maintain his consciousness, but it was hard for him to escape the compulsion to fall asleep. He felt light and wanted to just drift away.From a distance, he heard a technician announce to Dr. Kelly's team. "Cessation completed. He's entering the active phase now."A soothing sensation of wind blowing past the side of his face prompted him to close his eyes for just a moment. When Jacob opened his eyes again, he was in absolute awe as the room around him had transformed into a forest. Listening to the sounds of the wind flowing around him, he was pulled into a flashback.
The wind rushed past his face while he was riding on his mountain bike through his favorite dirt trail closest to his undergraduate university. He had just finished a pretty decent jump when the Bluetooth in his ear alerted him of an incoming call. He got off to the side of the trail and fished his phone from his pocket. Since it was his mother, he decided he would answer.

"Hey, mom. Is everything okay? I'm riding my bike right now."

"Just a quick question, Jacob. Your grandmother wants to know if you will be coming home for the Labor Day weekend? I know you said you were thinking about it."

"Sorry, I can't. I have a thing at school, but, I'll be home soon, Mom. This Christmas, I'll be there. I promise."

"Okay, honey. Make sure you're safe and wearing your helmet."

"I am, Mom. I'll call you back later. Okay?"

"Bye, honey."
As the call ended, Jacob's consciousness emerged from the flashback. From a distance, he watched himself get back on the trail and continue the ride. He envied the ignorant bliss of his younger self. At the time, he didn't know he'd made a promise he would never be able to keep.When his younger self went over a hill and out of view, the wind around him picked up and shifted, plunging him into another memory.
The wind slapped his face as he sat in a jeep barreling down the highway. He looked out the open windows and took in the devastation. It was the following Labor Day weekend, and the smell of freshly broken trees mixing with overflowing sewage in the air permeated his nostrils.

In the distance, the ocean was a disturbing lime-green color that he had never seen before. His whole life, the beaches on St. Croix were only ever adorned with its characteristically crystal-clear waters, but that day followed the aftermath of a disaster the world had never seen before.

Debris littered the side of the roads. Pieces of metal, sections of roofs, broken doors and shards of glass were strewn all over the land visible from the highway. Jacob felt his stomach sink when they passed closer to the graveyard. There were closed body bags everywhere. It seemed they had run out of bags, and near the road, the soldiers were piling the uncovered bodies they had recently pulled out of the rubble.

The jeep filled with gasps, cries of horror and sobs from the other passengers. He felt his own tears running down his cheeks. The realization was just too tough to bear. Around him was the undeniable proof that his community, his home and his family were all gone. There was no living thing left behind.
Emerging from this flashback, Jacob shed a few silent tears. A few days before that Labor Day weekend, multiple catastrophic hurricanes had barreled through the Caribbean desolating the US Virgin Islands. Sitting on top of the nearest hill, he watched the Jeep pull into the graveyard and his younger self stumble out, making it only a few feet away before he braced his hands on his knees and violently heaved the contents of his stomach onto the road.As he watched his younger self fall onto his knees and release wild screams of anguish, he felt the wind picking him up from his seat on the hill and flying him into a new memory.
Holding a small urn in his hands, he walked barefoot onto the shore of the beach. He slowly trudged through the seaweed littering the sand until his feet touched the water.

Looking out into the ocean, he watched the waves as they crashed into the reef in the distance creating a thin white film on the surface. He felt himself absorbed by the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks near the shore. He focused on the smell of salt water and fish mixing in the air and the heat of the sand beneath his feet hoping to evade the emotional pain looming over him.

Standing on the shore, he felt the wind whipping past his face, drying his falling tears. His hands trembled as he struggled to open the urn containing the ashes of his mother, little sister and grandmother.

Removing the lid, he waded further into the water and released its contents into the sea. As he watched the ashes being carried further into the sea by the waves, he pulled at his chest struggling to bear the overwhelmingly inescapable loneliness facing him.
Once again, his current consciousness separated itself from the memory. He sat next to his younger self after he waded back to the shore. He wondered how it could be that after all these years, he still felt the same way. Here he was still sitting on the beach hoping to find the courage to end it all.Standing up and stepping back from the shore, he welcomed the wind that carried him back in time once more.This time, he landed on the playground of his elementary school.Standing a few feet away, Jacob watched his younger self ride the slide. He watched the child's face light up in delight and throw his arms in the air as he neared the bottom. When he touched the ground, the little boy ran over to the sandbox, and without missing a beat, he climbed right in. Jacob observed him pick up a shovel and enthusiastically fill an empty pail.Looking around, Jacob took in the sight of children at play. He listened to the high-pitched screams and squeals of delight saturating the atmosphere of the playground. To the young man, it was all so intoxicating, all so alive. He watched kids of all ages chase each other around the open field playing tag, hooting and hollering.A few moments later, Jacob noticed his younger self look up at him as if he knew he was there, and the little boy gestured for him to come over. Without even thinking about it, Jacob walked towards the sandbox feeling a light breeze ushering him there, and he marveled at the incredible castle situated inside. He didn't remember having been so talented at such a young age. The little boy smiled up at him and tried to hand him a shovel, patting the spot in the sand next to him.He shook his head at the boy. He wanted to, but he wasn't a little kid anymore. He was an adult now, and that meant he had to put childish things behind him.An adamant voice in the back of his mind rebelled, and he couldn't stop thinking about how free they all seemed. He wondered how good it would feel to return to his unburdened childhood. He yearned for a moment where he could let go of all the pain he was always holding onto.When the little boy reached over and pulled at his arm again, Jacob relented and stepped into the sandbox to join him. He accepted the shovel and dipped it into the sand a few times to fill the tiny pail.He looked over to his side hoping to get a peek at what his younger self might be preparing to craft next, but he was surprised to see there was no trace of him left. The boy had vanished leaving him alone with all the other kids in the large sandbox.Focusing again at the castle, he finally remembered the design. It was one that he had repeated a few times throughout his childhood. He decided he would at least finish it before he got out and let the wind carry him somewhere else.As he worked on the castle, his body relaxed, and his emotional pain slowly evaporated. His anxieties lessened, his depression eased and his traumas faded. For the first time in years, his existence was light and free. Gone like the wind around him was the desire to leave the playground.Unburdened by his past, Jacob sat in the sandbox crafting, creating and playing with the warming sun shining on his smiling face.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Once Simon and Angelique finished visiting Jacob before his procedure, a receptionist informed them that the social worker was on his way to meet with them. While they were sitting in the lobby, and Simon took the time to check his phone, and Angelique watched the game show on the TV.Almost half an hour later, they were approached by an older bald-headed man in his 50s. He was wearing a polo shirt with khaki shorts and had a sizable beer belly."Simon and Angelique?""Yes, that's us," Simon replied."Hello, I'm Mr. Hammond. I'm the social worker for the unit." He reached out to shake hands with the couple. "I was sent to talk to you two about some things to expect from Jacob during this first week after the procedure. If you two will follow me to my office, I have some paperwork we will need to go over."They silently walked with Mr. Hammond down a few hallways until they made it to his office. It was on the same wing as the room they had visited Jacob in. While the room was spacious, he had a collection of trinkets taking up almost all of the space on the desk which was cluttered with dog-eared papers, some even coffee-stained as well."Please, have a seat." Mr. Hammond gestured to the coffeemaker on a table in the corner of the office. "May I offer you both some coffee? I was just getting ready to get a cup for myself."Angelique responded, "Thank you, but we just had coffee and breakfast at the hotel.""Alright." He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat in his desk chair facing the couple. "First, I'd like to offer congratulations on becoming regressed Jacob's caretakers. Just like parenting, it's a tough job, but it's certainly rewarding in its own right.""Thank you. We are looking forward to it." Simon responded, and Angelique nodded."I'd like to talk about the options for care during the month that it will take the Restalsis to finish emotionally regressing young Jacob."Simon tilted his head and furrowed his brows. "There are multiple options?""Certainly. Because many of our patients are resistant to this treatment, it puts quite a burden on their caretakers to constantly deal with the fighting and blatant defiance, not to mention thwarting their persistent escape attempts."Mr. Hammond paused to take a sip of his coffee. "Many caretakers choose to simply medicate their toddler with tranquilizers for the month.""So, he would basically be an unresponsive zombie for an entire month?" Angelique questioned."Yes, and that's one of the reasons why we don't really recommend that as the gold standard for care. Not to mention that it is significantly likely the child will continue to have a dependence on the drug after they have completed the passive stage.""What are our other options, Mr. Hammond?" Simon asked."Well, we recommend setting firm rules and enforcing strict discipline. It's important to remember that Jacob will not be an average toddler. During the first week, he will have the awareness of his 22-year-old self."Angelique leaned forward in her chair. "Wouldn't it be nearly impossible to discipline him then? If he's consciously choosing to disregard rules rather than just acting out due to frustration or overwhelming emotions?"Mr. Hammond nodded his head and leaned back in his chair. "Yes, that is why we often advise caretakers to use more direct and immediate forms of chastisement for the first week."Simon widened his eyes and shook his head. "Surely, you are not advocating for corporal punishment, Mr. Hammond.""I know it's rather old-fashioned, but until he is at least slightly emotionally regressed, punishments like time-outs simply won't work on him." Mr. Hammond paused to take a sip of his coffee. "It's important to remember that initially, he will want nothing more than solitary confinement and that doesn't help him to regress seamlessly."The room was silent for a minute while Mr. Hammond reached for some papers on his desk."Don't worry. After this first week, it's unlikely you will ever have to use corporal punishment again. Actually, I think this would be a good time to talk about some of the expectations that I'd like the two of you to keep an eye out for during this first week.""Expectations?" Angelique asked.Mr. Hammond nodded. "We do have certain 'markers' that we are looking for each week. For this first week, the hope is that Jacob will lose a significant portion of his resistance. This will mean that by the end of the week, there should be much less aggressive behavior and fewer escape attempts. We are also expecting to observe a decline in his ability to regulate his emotions."Simon quietly clasped his hands together in his lap. "How drastically should we expect emotional changes to be in the first week?""For now, we should see him move from the level of a young adult and back into the level of a teenager. It's fair to expect much more intense and frequent mood swings from Jacob."Angelique nodded. "We'll keep an eye out for that then.""Excellent." Mr. Hammond reached across his desk to hand them some papers. "I've created a list of some items that you two may need to buy today while Jacob's procedure is in progress."Simon skimmed through the paperwork until he made it to the last page. He looked up to make eye contact with Mr. Hammond. "This will certainly be very helpful. I guess we should get started on the shopping right away.""Yes, I will let you two go to start on that. Do remember that above all, the goal should be to engage him in routine. He needs to get used to playing the part of a child again, and if he has to rely on his caretakers to get his basic needs met, he will be less resistant when it's at least predictable."Right as Simon and Angelique were gathering their items to leave, Mr. Hammond sat forward in his chair. "Oh! I forgot to mention that it's required that I meet with you both and Jacob at least once a week to check in on the progression of the passive stage. For this next one, I would like to do a house visit. Are you two open to that?"Simon and Angelique shared approving looks with each other before Simon responded for the two of them. "Of course. When would you like to schedule it for?""Today is Tuesday. So, let's say next week Tuesday around midday. Does that work?""Yes, that date and time works for us." Simon replied.As the couple stood up to leave the office, Angelique smiled at the social worker. "Thank you so much for your information, Mr. Hammond.""You are welcome. Good luck with this first week. You'll need it.""Thank you, Mr. Hammond." Simon replied, holding the door open for his wife.Simon and Angelique left the hospital and headed to the nearest shopping center, intending to purchase the items Mr. Hammond recommended and find a restaurant for lunch.****Later that evening, the couple returned to the hospital, and when they made it to the lobby, a nurse came out to escort them to the recovery ward.Simon and Angelique stepped inside the room in the recovery ward, and they were astonished by what they saw. Lying on the bed and soundly asleep was a little boy who looked to be just under two years old. He had only a diaper on his little body, and there were wires all over his chest.Walking closer to the bed, they were both able to verify that the child's facial features all matched Jacob's except they were all smaller and less defined. While his facial hair and body hair were almost all gone, the hair on his head seemed to have remained the same length as it was before. He had an Afro about five inches long, and baby fat all over his body.Angelique sat on the edge of the bed, and affectionately rubbed the little boy's cold arm a few times before the nurse came back into the room and handed the two of them the discharge forms."I'll just need the two of you to go over these papers and sign your names at the back while I get all of these wires off of the patient."Simon nodded, and the couple took a seat on the sofa in the room and went over the paperwork together, occasionally looking up to watch the nurse remove the equipment attachments from Jacob's tiny body.They had finished the paperwork at the same time that the nurse pulled the IV port out of Jacob's arm. After she disposed of the needle and removed her gloves, she took the paperwork from the couple."Thank you. That should have been everything we needed from the two of you. You're all set to get him dressed and take him home.""That's great. Thanks." Angelique said, while Simon rummaged through the shopping bag he brought with him.As the nurse walked through the door, Simon pulled out the pair of pajamas that they brought along with them and handed them to his wife.Angelique slowly put the long sleeve shirt and matching pair pajama pants on Jacob. When she finished, she held him in her arms for a bit until Simon reached out to pick up the little boy."I'll carry him to the car," he offered, lifting Jacob into his arms and resting the sleeping boy's head on his shoulder. The couple slowly walked through the hallways of the hospital and out into the parking lot.When they got to the car, Angelique opened the door to the backseat for her husband, and he deposited Jacob into the car seat they had just bought. He adjusted the toddler's head so that it was in a comfortable position and buckled him in.Angelique took the driver's side this time, and the trio began the three-hour drive to the lakeside vacation home.

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Throughout the drive, Simon and Angelique occasionally glanced at the tiny toddler asleep in his car seat. Simon was glad to see that the fit was almost perfect for Jacob. Mr. Hammond's list had indicated that they would need a car seat for a two-year-old, but it still took the couple a while in the store to decide on which of the ones available would potentially fit him the best. It was difficult since they had no idea what kind of body type he had as a child.Fortunately, Simon and Angelique didn't have to do much shopping when they went to the store earlier that day. When they moved into the city, they had opted to list the lakeside property as a vacation rental. The couple had decided against clearing out the nursery which made it a favorite among parents of young children. Angelique had even hired a local college student, Kimberly, to re-stock the house with the essentials before a patron had a stay.Peering at the boy through the rear-view mirror, Angelique was still in awe that the procedure was able to take him so far back in time. She smiled thinking about how adorable Jacob looked wearing the
Finding Dory
themed pajama set they had bought for him earlier that day.****It was just after sunset when the trio turned into the long, paved driveway leading to the lakeside home. Simon made sure to mentally note that the trees lining the side of the path would all need to be cut soon.The lakeside house was a Craftsman style home with a beige colored exterior. It appeared Kimberly thought to leave the outside lighting on for them. The porch light illuminated the wrap-around porch, and its light extended to the small garden decorating the front of the house. The couple was delighted to see that the white and red roses they had planted long ago were still flourishing.After Angelique parked the car in the garage, Simon stepped out of the passenger's side and opened the door to the backseat. He quickly unbuckled Jacob from the car seat and lifted him into his arms.At first, the light scent of urine made Simon suspicious, and when he felt the sagging diaper against his body as he propped the child up onto his shoulder, he was confident that his assumption was correct."Looks like he already used his diaper during the car ride."Angelique unlocked the door to the house and turned to look at her spouse. "Wow, already? I guess they probably did give him a lot of IV fluids while he was in the hospital. I'll change him before we put him in the crib."They passed through the living room choosing to leave the lights off for the night and climbed the stairs. When they made it upstairs, Angelique held open the door to the nursery for Simon. The room remained almost the same as it was when they first set it up.The walls were painted ivory white, and the linens, toys and decorations had an ocean theme. The couple had chosen to buy a light-brown wooden furniture set. The rocking chair, changing table and crib were all still occupying the same spots in the nursery. Kimberly had even re-stocked the shelves with supplies after Simon alerted her that they would be bringing a child with them.He walked in and gently placed Jacob on the changing table. Taking a seat in the rocking chair, he let his wife take care of changing the little boy. The middle-aged man watched as she efficiently made quick work of removing the soiled diaper and replacing it with a fresh one. Simon knew that his wife had taken babysitting jobs as a teenager and young adult. So, he had anticipated that she would have been quite proficient, but it was still remarkable for him to watch her work so swiftly while succeeding in imparting her tender nature into every motion.When she finished, she lifted Jacob into her arms, and just held him for a few minutes. Simon and Angelique had both resolved to take advantage of the opportunity to shower Jacob with affection while he was still asleep. They knew that once he woke up, it would probably be a while before he would be comfortable interacting with them given the circumstances of his regression. Simon stood and turned on the baby monitor near the crib making sure that the camera was syncing with all of their devices.Angelique lightly bounced the boy in her arms a few times before she lowered him into the crib. They took in the peaceful expression on his face as his tiny chest rhythmically rose and fell. Simon pulled the blue blanket over his former client and turned on the mobile above the crib.Exhausted from the activities of the day and the long drive, they both headed straight to their bedroom and silently got ready for bed. Simon opted to use the second bathroom for his shower, hoping to speed along the process for the both of them.When he returned, the lights were off, and Angelique was already in bed and under the covers. He got onto his side of the bed and slid under the sheets to snuggle against her. After a few minutes of silence, Simon asked in a low voice. "Would you have ever thought that we'd have a child in this house so soon?"Angelique took a slow, deep breath. "No, I wouldn't." There was a long pause before she continued. "But, I'm so glad we do."A few more moments had passed, and as Simon closed his eyes, he quietly whispered into the darkness, "Me too."****When Simon woke up the next morning, he rolled over and saw that Angelique had already gotten up. He expected it, as his wife had always been an early riser. He headed into the bathroom to begin getting ready for the day. Once he finished brushing his teeth and dressing himself after a quick shower a few moments later, he padded into the kitchen.The downstairs of the house had an open-floor plan. The spacious kitchen was furnished with white marble countertops, silver stainless-steel appliances, white cabinets and a light brown wooden pantry in the corner. Near the table in the dining area was a light brown wooden high chair equipped with an ivory white plastic tray. There was a large window above the sink giving them a beautiful view of the nearby lake and brightening the kitchen with sunlight."Morning." Simon hugged his wife from behind. She seemed to be in the process of making breakfast. "Can I help with anything?"Angelique smiled, continuing to slice the avocados. "No, I've got it. I'm actually almost done. If you want, you can pour yourself a cup of raspberry tea. I made some for myself earlier this morning, and it was really good."When they had finished eating, and Simon was sipping the last of his tea. He remarked, "I'm surprised Jacob is still asleep.""He was still deeply asleep when I changed him again right after I woke up. I guess his body still hasn't cleared the sedative from the procedure."Simon nodded. "The nurse did say he would sleep through the night. Do you think we should try to wake him if he isn't up by noon?""Yeah, I think that would be a good time. Will you help me with the dishes?"Simon downed the last of his tea and stood up to pile their dishes. "Sure."****It was just after 10 am when Angelique and Simon sat on the couch in the living room with the baby monitor placed on the coffee table in front of them. Angelique slowly flipped through the pages of her magazine while her partner browsed through his various social media accounts. The two of them had been sitting in silence and engrossed in their activities for about an hour before they heard soft whimpers that made them look over at the baby monitor.On the screen, the could see that Jacob reflexively stretch his arms and legs while his eyes were still closed. The couple immediately jumped up and quickly climbed the stairs headed to the nursery intending to be there as he woke up.

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When the couple opened the door to the nursery, they tentatively approached the wooden crib and stood on opposite sides of it. Simon and Angelique watched the little boy kick his legs and move his hands up to his face rubbing at his closed eyes.The therapist couple differed in their expectations for how Jacob would react when he opened his eyes. While Simon thought that Jacob might get verbally abusive, Angelique speculated he would initially have an internalized emotional reaction. However, they were both certain that the 22-year-old inside of that toddler's body was going to be a force to be reckoned with the moment he realized the procedure had been successful.But, neither of them could have predicted the events that unfolded next. To the astonishment of his caretakers, the toddler opened his eyes and let out a few whimpers before breaking out into a heart-stopping wail.Without any hesitation, Angelique reached into the crib and took the little boy into her arms. She bounced him a few times hoping to calm him down, while Simon stood still, momentarily stunned into silence.Watching Angelique try to soothe the crying child, Simon reflected on the little boy's response. He knew Jacob's reaction was not anything close to the behavior they were told to expect. Anxious, his immediate questions echoed in his mind.
Is this a complication? What went wrong? Will he permanently remain this way?The only thing he knew for certain is that they had to call Mr. Hammond right away as he would be the only one who could advise them on what to do next. Before he could finish gathering the thoughts and observations he'd need to describe to Mr. Hammond, Angelique tapped on his arm."Simon, did you hear me?"He focused his eyes on her, taking in her attentive expression. "No, I didn't. I'm sorry. What did you say?"She rocked the screaming child. "Could you get him a bottle from the fridge? I made one earlier. It should be in the door.""Oh, okay."Seeing that her husband was a little dazed by the recent development, she added. "Don't forget to use the bottle warmer on the counter."Angelique placed her free hand on the boy's head that was nestled into her shoulder. Swaying gently, she cooed softly to him, "It's okay."After a few moments, his loud wails dwindled into quiet sobs. The veteran babysitter expected that his throat must have been rather parched since he hadn't drunk any liquids in days.She saw Simon re-enter the nursery with the bottle in his hand and his cell phone pressed against his ear. He handed her the warmed bottle and immediately left the nursery to continue his phone call.With the bottle in her hand, Angelique sat in the rocking chair and propped the little boy's head up against her arm. It took her a few tries to get the rubber teat into the boy's mouth, but once he got a taste of the milk, his instincts took over. For a short while, the only sound that could be heard in the nursery was the little boy eagerly suckling the milk from the bottle.****When Simon made it to the kitchen, he retrieved the bottle from the fridge and turned on the bottle warmer. He reached into his pocket for his cellphone and dialed the number for Mr. Hammond's office phone. The phone rang a few times before it was answered."Hello. This is Mr. Hammond speaking.""Mr. Hammond, this is Simon from yesterday.""Gotcha. Is everything alright?"As soon as the light on the bottle warmer disappeared, he grabbed the bottle and made his way upstairs. "Well, we aren't sure. Jacob just woke up, but he...well, he isn't Jacob.""I'm not sure what you mean."Simon took a deep breath. "When he woke up, he whimpered and cried. His actions were closer to those of a true toddler rather than an adult. Angelique is upstairs right now trying to calm him down.""Wow, did he speak at all?"Simon quickly handed Angelique the bottle and walked out of the nursery."No, he's still crying. I'm not sure if you were able to hear him just now in the background.""Yes, I did. That is odd, indeed." Mr. Hammond paused, and Simon could hear him flipping through some papers and typing on his computer in the background. "It is possible this could just be a response to the sedative, but we have not had this happen with any other patients before. Let's take the day to observe him. Hopefully, he will snap out of it in a few hours.""Okay, we will do that. Thank you, Mr. Hammond.""Not a problem, Simon. I'll let Dr. Kelly know about this development, and we will be in touch in the coming days.""Alright. Thanks again. Bye."Simon put his phone into his pocket and stepped back into the nursery. He noticed that Angelique was seated in the rocking chair with the little boy snuggling into her embrace. It seemed Jacob had already finished his milk, as his wife had placed the empty bottle on a nearby table.Looking up at her husband, Angelique asked in a soft voice, "What did Mr. Hammond say?"Simon leaned against the crib. "He said it is unusual behavior, but he advised us to simply observe for now and wait until tomorrow to come in. The hope is that he will snap out of this state.""Okay. So, we just have to hope this isn't a serious complication?"He nodded. "Yup."They both heard Jacob let out a tiny yawn and watched him rub his eyes.Simon put a finger on his chin. "I wonder if he will talk."He crouched down to Jacob's eye level while the toddler was still seated in Angelique's lap. "Jacob?" he began in a gentle tone of voice.The little boy curled into Angelique and hid his face in her blouse.Simon looked up at his wife, and they both shared a smile. Angelique gently lifted Jacob to turn him around and re-seated him in her lap making him face her husband. She pat the little boy on the back, hoping to encourage him to interact with Simon.The middle-aged man tried again. "Jacob, do you remember who I am?"This time the little boy looked up at him with a curious expression, but he didn't respond.Simon did have considerable training in child therapy, and he decided to try some of the engagement techniques that he reserved for his youngest clients. He stood up and went to the toy shelf on the other side of the room, grabbing a plush clownfish. But before he went back to the other side of the room, he wanted to make sure he checked that the child's hearing was okay."Honey, could you distract him for a second?""Sure." Angelique tickled the little boy a few times, eliciting a few giggles from him as he shyly swatted her hands away.Simon clicked a button on a toy cell-phone watching to see if Jacob would respond to the noise. The toy played a musical recording of a high-pitched, sing-song voice. ♫
Hello! Hello! Who's, calling to say hi? Glad you called to talk a while. Then, we'll say bye-bye. Bye-bye!
♫The instant the music began, the child's eyes widened, and he ignored Angelique's tickles. Instead, he turned towards Simon trying to find the source of the sound.Simon smiled warmly in response to the boy's mystified stare and walked back over until he stood on the side of the rocking chair. "Well, I'm glad to know you can hear me, buddy."He stooped down again in front of the rocking chair and lifted the toy so that it was facing Jacob, holding it at the child's eye-level.Simon spoke with a playful tone of voice. "Hi, there." He raised the toy and shook it a few times. "My name is Nemo. Can you tell me your name?"When he didn't get a response, he continued. "I'm from the ocean, and I swim all around the sea." He moved the plush toy around with a wavy motion. "I have so much fun in the water. Can you say, water?"Once again, the toddler didn't respond. Instead, he put his thumb in his mouth while continuing to carefully observe the man's actions.Simon smiled at his wife and settled the toy on her lap next to the toddler. "This nice lady is my friend too." He snuggled the toy next to Angelique. "Sometimes, when I'm swimming in the ocean, I like to count stuff. Will you count with me? I want to count the people in the room, but I'm going to need your help. Okay?""Alright, here we go! One!" He nudged his chest with the clownfish. "Two!" He grazed the toy against his wife's arm. "Three!" He poked the toddler in the belly with Nemo.Jacob was a giggly mess. He closed his eyes for a second, clearly delighted by the game they were playing.Simon started the game again. "One! Two! Your turn beautiful lady."Angelique filled in. "Three!" The little boy looked up at her and smiled."One! Two! Your turn little mister." He touched the plush toy against Jacob's arm.He waited, trying to give the child a moment to answer."Can you say three for me, buddy?""One! Two!" He paused again, allowing a long moment of silence before he filled in for the child. "Three!"He put the toy down on the floor next to him and placed his hands over his eyes. Quickly uncovering them, he exclaimed. "Peekaboo!"The little boy squealed with a smile on his face, kicking his legs.Simon covered his face with his hands again, and this time he made a silly face eliciting more gleeful giggles from Jacob.The therapist reached over and gently took Jacob's hands in his, slowly removing his thumb from his mouth. He helped the little boy cover his own face with his little hands. Then, he quickly moved them away. "Peekaboo!"He repeated the gesture, and this time released his grasp of the boy's hands, hoping to see him mirror the game, but the toddler hid behind his hands for a few minutes until he peered up and went back to sucking his thumb.****Simon ran his hand through his hair. He had exhausted the best of his engagement techniques. After spending an hour trying to assess the communication skills of the child, he was still in the dark. Now, he reached the point where he had no choice but to resign himself to hoping the child would choose to verbally communicate with them somehow.Standing up and patting his thighs, he made eye contact with his wife. "I guess we'll just have to sit back and watch."Angelique responded with a sympathetic expression on her face, "That's okay. Now's a good time to get started on lunch. I'm sure Jacob might want some solid food."****Around 6 pm, after feeding, changing and bathing the toddler, Simon and Angelique decided to watch the new episode of Black-ish on the TV in the bedroom. They were seated at the foot of the bed, and the tyke was lying next to Angelique with his head resting on her lap. They had dimmed the lights in the room as the child had been in the process of falling asleep for a few minutes.Suddenly, Jacob's body shook like he had been electrocuted. Simon and Angelique immediately darted their eyes to his direction. The toddler's hands grabbed at his head, and he screamed in pain.Simon quickly moved from his seat at the foot of the bed and kneeled in front of the child still on Angelique's lap trying to determine what the child was experiencing. Inches away from him, the little boy frantically kicked his legs and shook his head.
It's not a seizure if
he still has control over his arms. What is this?But just as quickly as the symptoms started, they abated before Simon could make any conclusions. The couple paid close attention as the child slowly straightened himself into a sitting position next to Angelique. With his eyes tightly shut, the toddler massaged his temples."Ugh, my head." he groaned, and this time Simon and Angelique were sure the real Jacob had finally made his appearance.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jacob woke up to ringing in his ears and a dull throbbing in his head. He had never had a hangover this bad in his life before, and he squeezed his eyes shut until the pain and pressure eased up at least a little bit."Ugh, my head," he groaned while sitting up and massaging his temples.
What the hell did I do last night?Opening his eyes, he took in the unfamiliar room around him. He was sitting on a bed, and in way too close proximity to him for his liking were both Simon and Angelique. His eyes darted around the room as tried to piece everything together in his head.
Why am I here? Whose bedroom is this? Why are those two looking at me like that?"What the..."Before Jacob could finish, the events of the past few days flooded back into his memory, and he instantly felt his stomach drop."No way..." he muttered, looking down to focus on his trembling hands.His fingers were shorter, and his miniature palms were wrinkled at the edges with baby fat. It was clear that at some point one of them had dressed him in a pair of light blue flannel pajamas. His cloth-encased legs now barely made it over the edge of the bed.The young man shook his head in disbelief. "No. No. No. Th-This can't be happening." He closed his eyes again, hoping that this was just a sick dream. "This isn't real," he mumbled."Jacob, do you remember anything that happened at St. Ives?" Simon inquired.The moment Simon started talking, Jacob snapped his head up to make eye contact with the older man. When he realized his therapist was inching closer to him, he scrambled away until his back collided against the headboard. As the adrenaline coursed through his veins, he covered his hands with his face."Oh my god. This isn't happening. This isn't possible. I can't-I can't."Jacob was trying to take deep breaths and give himself a second to process what had happened and figure out how any of that was possible, but his next breath kept coming in faster than the last. Soon, he was clutching his chest and gasping for air.The therapists were able to recognize that Jacob was in the initial stages of having a panic attack, but they didn't want to add to his stress by moving too quickly towards him and invading his personal space in an attempt to help him."Jacob, you need to take slow deep breaths," Simon calmly instructed."I'm...tr-trying," he panted between rapid shallow breaths."Breathe with me. Inhale," Simon took a slow and pronounced breath. "Exhale," he instructed as he released the air from his chest slowly.After a few moments of following Simon's breathing prompts, Jacob calmed down and steadied himself. He looked between the two of his captors, distress evident on his face."This is so wrong. I'm not a child...I'm n-" Jacob braced himself with his hands on his thighs and gagged a few times before lurching the contents of his stomach all over himself.Once he finished heaving, he leaned his throbbing head against the headboard completely drained of energy. He couldn't even fight back when Angelique picked him up.Simon tossed the pillows off the bed and turned to face his wife. "When I'm done here, I'm going to get the bag that I packed earlier and start the car. Let's meet in the garage. I'll drive," he offered as he quickly stripped the sheets from the bed.While Jacob was being carried, he shut his eyes hoping to reduce the throbbing in his head that had worsened while he was jostled around. He opened his eyes again when he was placed on a soft, steady surface and took in the nursery around him.Jacob was sure that the two therapists didn't have kids, and Angelique didn't appear to be expecting. His stomach sank when the realization hit him. They really are planning to keep me here like this.He was immediately distracted from his thoughts when Angelique pulled his pants off and reached to undo the tabs on his diaper. He quickly placed a hand over himself."Please, no," he whispered weakly.Angelique reached under the changing table to grab some wipes and a new diaper. "Jacob, I need to get you into a clean one. It won't be fun to endure a three-hour drive in that mess."The young man was sure she was right, but he still couldn't just toss aside his dignity. He shook his head accidentally causing the pulsing to worsen for a moment.When he unconsciously moved his hands to cradle his head, Angelique took the opportunity to pull the tabs off and slide the old diaper out from under him.Jacob was mortified as Angelique lifted his legs to wipe his lower body clean and place a new diaper on him. He felt his face heat up, and his lower lip quivered."There's no reason to be embarrassed," Angelique sympathized as she pulled a new pair of pants over his fresh diaper.Jacob averted his eyes and muttered, "Fuck you."Ignoring his use of profanity, Angelique lifted the little boy into her arms and carried him downstairs and into the garage where Simon was waiting in the driver's seat with the door to the backseat open.Once Angelique buckled him in and got into the front seat, Simon keyed the ignition and began driving, and a few minutes after they got onto the interstate, Simon handed his wife his cell phone."Would you let Mr. Hammond that we are on our way?""He's the last outgoing call, right?""Yeah."Angelique put the call on speakerphone, and on the second ring the social worker answered, "Hello. This is Mr. Hammond speaking.""Mr. Hammond, this is Angelique. I'm calling to let you know that we are driving back to St. Ives.""Oh, has the situation with Jacob worsened?""Unfortunately, yes. He fully regained consciousness at around 6pm, but he's been complaining of pain in his head and he vomited all over the bed.""It sounds like he's dealing with migraines." Mr. Hammond sighed. "We have had a few instances where patients developed chronic migraines after the procedure. It's a rare complication, but the good news is that we do have a cure. How far away are you now?"Simon spoke up. "We will be there in two hours.""Alright, I'll let Dr. Kelly know that you two are coming in. The nurses will be instructed to prepare for your arrival. The treatment will only take about two hours including recovery time, and the doctor will meet with you two beforehand to explain everything.""Okay. Thank you again," Angelique responded."No problem. See you two soon," Mr. Hammond replied, and hung up the phone.Jacob listened to the conversation gleaming as much information as he could between bouts of migraine pain. He tried to piece the timeline together in his head. If what Angelique said was true, then he must have been out for a long time, but with how tired his body was, it didn't feel like he had been sleeping for over twenty-four hours. The young man wanted answers, but he was far too tired to carry a conversation. Leaning his head against the car seat, Jacob closed his eyes and drifted off to a much needed sleep."He's already asleep," Angelique whispered.Simon glanced at Jacob through the rear-view mirror. "Good, I'm sure he needed the break from those migraine bouts," he softly remarked.He sighed in annoyance. "I wish he didn't have to deal with this complication. The kid needs a break."Angelique nodded sympathetically and responded in a low voice, "Mr. Hammond seemed confident this treatment will cure him. I guess all we can do is trust in that."Speeding along the interstate, Simon made three-hour drive in just under two hours as he promised. When they arrived, he quickly got out and unbuckled Jacob from the car seat and carried him in his arms to the lobby of the hospital.The receptionist walked out from behind the counter to speak with them as they came through the automatic sliding doors."Are you two Jacob's caretakers?" she politely inquired."Yes, we are," Angelique answered."Alright, I'll call for a nurse to take you to the treatment room that we've reserved for Jacob.The receptionist paged a nurse, letting her know Jacob and his caretakers had arrived. The trio were only left waiting in the lobby for about a minute until a nurse greeted them."Simon and Angelique?" They both nodded in response. "Right this way," she gestured towards the double doors and walked ahead of them.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The nurse led them down a few halls towards the opposite side of the hospital that they had been to before. She opened a door to a room that had a small flat bed with railings on the side. The treatment room was equipped with a myriad of different monitors that were all connected by long gray cables."You can put him down on the bed. I'll be right back with a few supplies," the nurse informed the couple. She turned and walked out of the room.When Simon gently laid Jacob on the bed, the little boy released a long sigh as he stirred awake. The therapists stepped back just a bit, giving him some personal space.Jacob slowly opened his eyes as he was assaulted by the bright fluorescent lights. He thought his nap had been very beneficial since his head was much clearer, and the migraine pain was reduced to a tolerable level. After he adjusted to the lighting, he took in the room around him, and acknowledged the presence of his captors who were both standing mere inches away from him."Oh, this is great. I'm
so
glad to be back here," he remarked sarcastically."I'm happy to see you are feeling better than you were earlier." Simon responded.Jacob turned to glare at his former therapist. "I'd feel even better than I do now if I wasn't the size of a toddler. But you couldn't help yourself, could you? No, you had to play God."Angelique began, "Jacob-" but she was interrupted by Simon,"It's quite alright, honey. Let him get it out."The young man narrowed his eyes at Simon. "Don't you think I should have the right to decide on my own life?"Simon took a deep breath and calmly replied, "If you are asking whether I regret stopping you from ending your life, then the answer is no, Jacob. I don't."The nurse returned right as Simon finished speaking. "I'm sorry it took me a moment to get a smaller needle," she explained as she pulled on a pair of gloves.When Jacob saw the needle in the nurse's hand, he immediately focused on trying to escape. He refused to allow them to sedate him again. For all the young man knew, he might wake up even younger than he already was. He slid backwards on the bed, trying to figure out how he was going to get away with the nurse blocking the only exit.Seeing the young patient's apprehension, the nurse explained sympathetically, "Jacob, this is just an IV. I'm sure you're tired of needles by now, but we need to make sure your body is properly hydrated before you undergo the treatment. Otherwise, you'll have to deal with unpleasant side effects."Jacob stared at the nurse with a defiant expression. "Look lady. I'm sure you're just doing your job, but I don't consent to this shit. There's no way in hell I'm just going to let you or anyone else in this insane place stick another needle in me.""Have it your way then." The nurse looked over at the couple. "Do I have your permission to restrain him?""Yes," Simon confirmed and moved forward to help her hold him still."I do not fucking consent!" Jacob snapped, fighting against the nurse when she grabbed his arm."Hold his arms right there, please." Jacob heard the nurse direct his captors as she pulled a small pair of cotton straps from under the bed.It only took a minute for the nurse to secure his arms in the straps, and when she was done, Simon and Angelique released their hold on him and moved to sit in the chairs that were leaning against the wall.Jacob was silently fuming while the nurse poked his vein with a needle. He had calmed down some after the nurse left, but his anger boiled over once more when Dr. Kelly entered the room."Fix me back, you sadistic lunatic!" Jacob instantly demanded, seething with anger. "I'm not your lab experi-" He gagged feeling his headache and nausea returning. "I don't want to be stuck as a dumb toddler."Dr. Kelly smiled. "Jacob, I thought I told you that the effects of Restalsis are permanent. You will grow in time, and in about twenty years, you will look almost the same as you did last week.""You're sick and twisted. I already had a childhood. I don't want another!"Dr. Kelly ignored her screaming patient. "Simon and Angelique, could we continue this in the hall? I suspect Jacob doesn't plan to allow us to have a civil conversation in his presence.""Yes, of course, doctor." Angelique replied.When they got to the hallway, Dr. Kelly opened the blinds on the door before closing it behind them, allowing them to keep an eye on the patient.The doctor turned to face the couple. "So, Jacob is definitely experiencing a migraine problem that we have seen in other patients before. This may be a little jarring, but the best treatment available for his migraines is ECT." She paused and leaned against the wall, giving the therapists a moment to let that sink in. "I'm sure you two have heard of it before."Simon rapidly blinked his eyes, unsure that he heard the doctor correctly. "Electroconvulsive therapy?" he asked in a slightly higher pitch."Yes, but I do want to say that the media really has done a good job of making the treatment out to be a lot worse than it actually is in the 21st century. Nowadays, patients are never awake, and they are given an anesthetic which stops them from convulsing.Angelique commented, "That is much different than what I was picturing."Dr. Kelly nodded. "ECT is a simple, quick and an effective permanent cure. He will only be asleep for about fifteen to twenty minutes, and after we observe him in the recovery room for thirty minutes, you two will be free to take him home.""Are there any side effects that we should be watching out for?" Simon hesitantly asked."Yes, it's likely that Jacob will experience memory problems for the day. We don't know for certain how extreme they may or may not be as the extent varies from patient to patient but after tomorrow, his memory will be back to normal again.""Should we expect behavior similar to what he was like when he first woke up?" Angelique inquired."Mr. Hammond did speak to me about that. I wanted-" The elevator that was just a few feet away dinged, and Mr. Hammond stepped out and began walking towards them."Speak of the devil!" Dr. Kelly exclaimed as she smiled and waved at Mr. Hammond. "We were just talking about you, Charles!""Oh, were you? I guess I am right on time then." Mr. Hammond huffed, clearly out of breath. "This section of the hospital is quite a good walk away from my office."Dr. Kelly jovially responded, "It's not like you don't need the exercise."Charles laughed for a moment before he looked towards the couple with a more serious expression. "I'm sorry to hear Jacob developed a side effect to the Restalsis so soon."Dr. Kelly added, "Yes, it's surprising that it happened so soon, but I'm glad it is something we can cure it right away." She put her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. "Anyways, please tell us about what happened this morning."Simon and Angelique explained in detail how Jacob had behaved as though he was a true toddler when he woke up after the procedure. Simon shared his account of how he unsuccessfully attempted to get the child to speak, and Angelique relayed how Jacob had screamed and convulsed before he woke up again and started talking."Wow, that is a first." Dr. Kelly admitted. "What do you make of this, Charles?""Honestly, I don't know." Mr. Hammond rubbed the back of his bald head. "I certainly recommend a case study. We should follow his regression a little more closely.""I agree." Dr. Kelly pulled a pen and small pad out of her pockets and wrote a few notes before turning to face the couple. "Thank you for sharing this development with us. While this is a unique situation, I do want to say that I don't think this will negatively impact Jacob's regression. It may, however, add to our understanding of the way Restalsis works in the brain."Simon released the breath he was holding. "Okay, that's good news." The couple held hands. "We were worried there may have been serious implications of the events that transpired earlier today," he admitted.Mr. Hammond assured them, "No, his current behavior shows us that the procedure worked as expected. It may just have been the sedative. That's why we want to do a case study to be sure."The four of them stood in the hallway silently for a moment before Dr. Kelly took a deep breath. "Great. Well, let's get back to Jacob. I already got the drugs from the pharmacist," she said pulling the supplies out from the pockets of her white coat.Simon held the door open for his wife and Dr. Kelly as she held the vial of medication in one hand and an uncapped syringe in the other. "Alright, this is just a short-acting sedative and it will put him to sleep for about half an hour." She drew the contents of the vial into the syringe and continued, "Once he's fully asleep, I'll have you two leave the room, and we will immediately start on the ECT."Jacob instinctively tried to squirm away from Dr. Kelly as much as he could when she approached him with the syringe, but with the restraints, he didn't even move an inch.She injected him directly into his IV port, and within seconds, Jacob could feel the sedative in his system. He focused on the details of the room around him and the face of the nurse who entered the room to assist Dr. Kelly, trying his best to stay awake. But when he felt Angelique soothingly rub his head, the last of his concentration slipped away and his eyelids drooped.Dr. Kelly undid his restraints. "Okay, I'll see you two again in the recovery room in a few minutes. This won't take long at all. There's some coffee in the waiting area.""Thank you," Simon replied as the two of them left the room and closed the door behind them.****A few moments after they finished sipping their cups of coffee in the waiting area, the nurse who had assisted Dr. Kelly for the procedure came to escort them to the recovery room."Did it go well?" Angelique asked as they stood to follow the nurse down the hallway.While the three of them walked to the room, the nurse nodded her head and confirmed, "We're all done. The treatment was successful. We are just waiting for all his vital signs to stabilize. He should wake up soon."When they returned to the room, Jacob lay asleep on the bed. The heart monitor attached to him indicated his heart was beating quickly, but he didn't physically appear to be unwell at all. The couple sat on the chairs in the room waiting for him to wake up.A few moments later, Jacob fluttered his eyes open, and he was immediately aware of how tired he was and how stiff his muscles felt. He thought he heard the distant voices of people trying to talk to him, but his brain felt foggy, making him unable figure out what they were saying. The young man was even more confused when a nurse detached him from the medical equipment, but he was too tired to process anything and fell back asleep almost right away.Dr. Kelly came back into the room right as Jacob drifted out of consciousness. "His scans looked perfect right after the procedure. It was a success. The nurse informed me that he woke up and vitals have stabilized. So, You all are free to head home.""Thank you so much, Dr. Kelly," Simon and Angelique responded at the same time."No problem. Good luck on the drive home," she said taking her chart out and leaving the room. The couple followed behind with Simon carrying the sleeping boy in his arms to the car.It didn't take them long to make the walk back to the car, and while Simon was working on buckling the little boy in his car seat, he felt the sleeve of his shirt being pulled. He looked down to see that Jacob was awake again and tugging on his arm."Simon?" he asked quietly.Simon continued buckling him in, and responded, "Yes, what's wrong?""How come Nesee isn't coming with us?" Jacob tentatively questioned.When Simon froze, Angelique asked, "Who?""His little sister," the middle-aged man clarified softly."Jacob, can you tell me what year it is?" Angelique inquired."Um..." Jacob yawned. "I dunno.""That was a big yawn." Angelique remarked, taking the driver's seat in the car while Simon closed the door to the backseat. "Are you sleepy?""Yah," the little boy confirmed as he nodded his head."Well, it is quite late. So, you should get some sleep. Alright?""Okay."The couple watched as he obediently closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cushioned car seat. Before they got on the interstate, Jacob was soundly asleep.Simon and Angelique drove most of the way back to the house in silence. When they got home at around 1 am, Jacob was still deeply asleep. He didn't react when Simon picked him up and carried him to the nursery.Simon changed the boy's diaper before he laid the snoring child in the crib and pulled a blanket over him. He joined his wife in their bathroom, and the exhausted couple quickly got ready for bed hoping that Jacob would not experience any more major complications the next day.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The next morning Jacob woke up feeling well-rested but dazed like his whole mind had been wiped cleaned. He didn't know anything about who he was, where he came from, or why his brain felt so foggy.Looking past the wooden bars of the crib, he admired the themed decorations in the room and noticed how the furniture appeared neat and pristine, almost brand-new. He appreciated the framed paintings of sea creatures that decorated the ivory-white walls. It seemed reasonable to him to assume the owners of this house had to be well-off.Staring at the surprisingly soothing mobile above the crib, he hoped some information about himself would come back to him. For whatever reason, he still had access to his knowledge of trivial things. He could easily distinguish between the different species of the fish rotating above him, but all of the more important details were gone. One particular question tormented him in his mind above all the others.
Why can't I remember my name?
As part of her daily routine, Angelique went to the nursery to give Jacob his early-morning diaper change, and when she peered into the crib, she was surprised that he was fully awake."Wow, someone is up quite early this morning," she commented pleasantly, lifting him out of the crib and placing him on the changing table.Deep in thought, Jacob didn't reply. He simply looked at her with a blank expression on his face."How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" she asked as she pulled down his pants and removed his diaper.
Jacob...Oh, yeah. That's my name. I'm Jacob.
Jacob furrowed his brows, staring at the unfamiliar woman. "Miss, what happened. I don't...I don't remember anything," he admitted, scratching his head."We had to take you to the hospital yesterday, and they performed a procedure. The doctor told us that memory loss is a normal side effect, but it should all come back to you before the end of the day," she informed him, pulling his pants back up."What was the procedure for?""You were having some really terrible migraines. Does your head feel better now?""Yeah, I think so. I'm not in any pain.""That's good. Well, let's get some breakfast in you. I'm sure you're starving. It's been a while since you last ate," she proposed, stooping down to put the powder and wipes back under the changing table."Okay," Jacob agreed and held his arms up, waiting for her to pick him up.Angelique hesitated for a moment when she faced the little boy compliantly raising his arms in the air. It was odd to her how frequently he shifted between blatant defiance and amiable acquiescence. Knowing it wouldn't last, she settled on enjoying the little boy's placidity while she could and picked him up.She carried him downstairs, and when they made it to the kitchen, she placed Jacob in the high chair."I'll get you something to drink while I work on breakfast," Angelique said turning and walking to the fridge.He watched as the mysterious woman filled a sippy cup with milk and deposited it in the bottle warmer. When the light went off, she tested it in her hands before stepping over and handing him the cup.He took it from her and began drinking the milk, puzzled by how her pleased expression unsettled him.Quenching his thirst, his attention was fixated on the mysterious woman as she gathered the ingredients to prepare breakfast. She moved so fast, chopping fruits and pulling items from the fridge periodically."I didn't expect there would be two early risers in the house," Simon playfully remarked as he entered the kitchen a few moments later."Ha, I didn't either. Jacob was awake before I entered the nursery this morning," Angelique replied continuing to stir batter in a bowl.Simon stood in front of the high chair. "How are you today, buddy?"Jacob sat silently in the chair, transfixed by the familiar, short man with dark skin. He couldn't place exactly where or why he knew him, but the memories surged forward in his mind."You're Simon," he said surprising himself and the two middle-aged adults."Yes, Jacob. I am. Did you just remember that?""Yeah, but that's all I remember," he confirmed, dejectedly looking towards the floor."That's okay. It's a good start. With memory, you just need time and patience. So, don't get frustrated if it doesn't come back right away. It will," Simon assured the little boy.He went to help his wife in the kitchen, and after the couple finished preparing breakfast, Angelique walked over to the high chair.She placed a sectioned plate on his tray. "Eat up!"Jacob didn't realize how hungry he was until the small pancakes, strawberries and slices of hard-boiled eggs were in front of him. He didn't hesitate to begin stuffing his face, and it didn't take him long to finish his food with how quickly he was eating.He sat, contentedly leaning into the back of the chair. His face and hands were sticky with syrup and strawberry residue. Thinking about how enjoyable that meal was, he wondered if those dishes might have been some of his favorite foods before he lost his memory. Shaking his head, he decided he was sure because the meal was just that enjoyable."Is your tummy full?" Angelique asked, pulling Jacob out of deep thought.The little boy hadn't even noticed when the adults finished eating. As engrossed as he was in his mind, he hadn't even seen them take their dishes to the sink."Yes. Thank you. That was great.""You're welcome. Now, let's get you cleaned up," she said, beginning to wipe his hands and face with some wet paper towels.When she finished, Jacob was left sitting in the high chair while Angelique tossed the paper towels in the trash."I'll finish washing the dishes," she offered as Simon turned on the faucet."You sure?""Yes, Jacob needs a quick bath, and I thought I'd let you handle that.""Ah." Simon turned off the faucet and took Jacob out of the high chair, carrying him upstairs.As the two of them entered the bathroom, Jacob caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror before Simon stood him on the tile floor.While Simon turned on the faucet in the tub, the little boy thoroughly surveyed his tiny body, realizing he didn't feel as small as his reflection in the bathroom mirror seemed, but he brushed his concerns off.
Maybe I'm just small for my age.Simon quickly bathed Jacob in the tub, and the toddler remained passive throughout the whole process, obediently following all of the older man's directions. Once Simon finished drying the child, he wrapped him in the towel and carried him into the nursery.Jacob let out a serious of long yawns while he was diapered and dressed in a loose T-shirt and sweatpants.
When Simon finished, he addressed the little boy, "I think you need to take it easy today. So, how about you and I spend some time on the couch? You can watch some cartoons. That sound good?"Jacob nodded his head and Simon picked him up, carrying him downstairs. The older man grabbed the remote and placed him on the couch. He turned on the TV and changed the channel to a station dedicated to kid shows and grabbed his tablet from the shelf. Plopping down next to Jacob, Simon turned on his tablet, intending on going through the articles in his reading list.Jacob fixated his attention on the cartoon that played on the TV. The show followed a cheerful, blue octopus and his dog as they traversed the town running their daily errands. The calm voice of the main character was especially comforting to the little boy, and halfway through the episode Jacob fully relaxed into the couch. His head drooped every few minutes as he tried to stay awake, and a few minutes before the episode finished, he finally lost the battle and fell asleep.Simon had just finished a really informative article when he looked over and noticed that Jacob was sprawled out next to him soundly asleep. He silently motioned to Angelique while she was in the kitchen making a list until he got her attention. When she approached, he whispered to her, "Will you watch him while I set up the playpen?""Okay."The middle-aged man went upstairs to grab a blanket and the folded play pen from the closet in the nursery, and when he returned to the living room, he removed it from the carrying case, and swiftly set it up near the couch. Once he finished, Angelique carried the little boy in her arms, careful not to accidentally wake him and laid him in the playpen.****When Jacob woke up from his nap, he stretched his arms and the unmistakable texture of mesh material against his skin caused him to immediately open his eyes. Sitting up, he slowly realized he was inside of a playpen, and he was fully awake by the time Simon noticed him a few minutes later."Did you have a good nap?" he asked, handing the little boy a sippy cup filled with water.
Jacob rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "Yeah, I'm not tired anymore.""That's good. Plus, you woke up right in time for lunch."****After the trio finished eating lunch, the couple quickly completed the cleanup."I'm going to head upstairs and take a warm bath," Angelique informed her husband."Alright, I think I'll take Jacob outside on the porch to get some fresh air and sunshine.""Aw, that sounds great." Passing by Jacob who was silently standing behind Simon, she gently patted him on the back. "Enjoy the view," she encouraged the child and climbed the stairs.Simon opened the front door waited for Jacob to walk onto the wrap-around porch. The little boy took a seat in the large chair, and after Simon closed the door behind them, he sat next to him.The older man took a deep breath, clearly enjoying the fresh air and relaxed into the chair, looking out at the view of the lake in silence for a few moments.Simon pointed at the leaves of the forest trees that were beginning to change color. "Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower," he contentedly recited stretching his arms above his head.The gears in Jacob's mind were beginning to turn. The quote Simon recited echoed in his mind. This wasn't the first time that quote was recited to him. He didn't know how but knew that it was a quote by Albert Camus, a French philosopher. He had heard the phrase a year ago, but he couldn't place it.Concentrating as hard as he could on the memory, more and more details slowly came back to him. He was in a room, talking to someone. He sat on a couch in a lit room talking to someone holding a notepad and jotting down notes. He was in a private practice office talking to his therapist. He was speaking to Simon, his private practice therapist.With the awakening of that memory, the rest swiftly followed behind, and everything finally made sense to him. He didn't feel like a child because he wasn't one. He was twenty-two years old. Simon was his therapist, and he kidnapped him and took him to St. Ives where Dr. Kelly had forcibly turned into a toddler.Stunned, Jacob accepted the harsh realities that faced him. He wasn't safe in this house with his kidnappers, and more than anything else, he had to get away.The young man anticipated that he would never have another opportunity like this once his captors realized he got his memories back. His ticket to freedom was here. He just needed to wait until the right moment to take it.The two of them sat in silence until the older man eventually asked, "Are you ready to head back inside?"Jacob stiffened, frightened that he would not be able to maintain his prior facial expression of indifference towards his kidnapper. Thinking quickly, he averted his eyes towards the ground and slowly nodded his head.
"That's okay. It's probably time to start on dinner," Simon comforted him, thinking the little boy was ashamed to communicate his desire to retire inside.When the middle-aged man stood up and turned his back to open the door, Jacob bolted down the stairs to the porch, running as fast as he could down the path at the edge of the lake. He intended to get into the forest as quickly as possible, planning to use the trees for cover.He was sure his plan would work. He just needed to obtain protection from the authorities until he could reach to the closest medical research center and let them figure out how to undo the age-regression."Jacob!" Simon called out after him.The young man didn't even turn around. He poured all of his strength into sprinting the last few feet of the path before the forest. His lungs burned, and his leg muscles ached. His tiny body wasn't used to much physical exertion, but he pushed himself, determined not to be stuck in captivity for too long. He couldn't give his kidnappers a chance to mess with his mind. Just the thought of possibly becoming a docile toddler for the two of them to play house with was more than enough to fuel his flight to freedom.When he made it past the first tree, he assumed he was only seconds away from beginning the second phase of his plan, but his dreams disintegrated as he was lifted into the air midstride, spun around and tucked securely under the arm of his captor.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Deciding on what he wanted to have for dinner that evening, Simon turned the doorknob and was about to usher the child into the house, but the unmistakable sound of feet speedily padding across the wooden floor behind him prompted him to immediately turn around.For no apparent reason Jacob was sprinting across the yard towards the path near the lake. Simon immediately took off behind him hoping to capture the child before he could put himself in danger."Jacob!" he called after him wishing the child would snap out of the fight or flight response he seemed to be experiencing. He hoped this was not another strange side effect from the Restalsis.
Running behind the child, he regretted being as out of shape as he was. He mulled over not sticking with his New Year's resolution. The last time he had been to the gym was about two years ago, but now that he could plan on having to chase a tyke around, he imagined he would find the motivation to make good on his membership fees.As they got closer to the forest, Simon began to worry. He knew it would be extremely difficult to find Jacob once he was hidden within the trees. So, he put all his energy into closing the last foot of distance between the two of them. Just as the child passed the second tree, he picked him up midstride and tucked him under his arm.As winded as he was, Simon didn't even want to attempt at a conversation with the child right away. Instead, he focused on catching his breath and maintaining his grasp on the resistant boy as he walked back to the house.
"No! Someone help me!" Jacob yelled into the forest, trying to twist and turn out of his captor's grasp."Jacob! Calm Down!" Simon scolded him, already irritated that he had to run so far to fetch the fleeing child. He knew that there was no one in earshot of the boy's screams since the lakeside home was relatively secluded. In fact, the closest neighbor was a few miles away.When he began to climb the porch steps, the little boy screamed with desperation evident in his voice, "Help!"His kicking and writhing intensified so much that Simon struggled to suppress the urge to land a spank on the child's rear end. He really wasn't one for corporal punishment, but Jacob's behavior aggravated him. The little boy had made such a short trip exceptionally difficult.As soon as they entered the house, Simon went to the living room and released the squirming child into the playpen. He stood inches away rubbing at his sore muscles for a moment before Angelique made her way downstairs."I heard the commotion outside. What happened?" she asked, standing at the bottom of the stairs in a bathrobe.Still recovering from sprinting, Simon huffed before he explained, "When I turned around for just a second to open the door, Jacob ran down the path to the forest."Jacob quickly stood up, propping himself against the rail of the playpen. "Damn right I did, and you're absolutely out of your mind if you think I'll ever stop trying to escape," he confidently declared to them. He intended to shatter any delusions his captors might have of the three of them existing as a happy family."We aren't trying to harm you," Angelique clarified in a gentle voice."Then just let me go, you sick fucks.""Language, Jacob," Simon promptly reprimanded him."You aren't my father. Shut the hell up," Jacob sharply retorted.Simon pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath trying to keep his cool. "Okay, Jacob. You will remain in the playpen until you've calmed down enough to have a chat about your behavior and what our expectations are going forward.""Oh, you'll leave me the hell alone like I've been asking you to? Great!"Simon shook his head disapprovingly, and without saying another word, he walked into the kitchen where Angelique joined him right away.
Sitting in the middle of the playpen, Jacob could hear them having a conversation, but they were far away enough that he couldn't make out what they were saying, not that it mattered to him. The only thing on his mind was enduring his time in captivity and plotting his future escape attempts.Jacob ruminated over his failed escape attempt. He had been so close to the forest. He couldn't believe Simon was able to catch up to him so quickly, but the young man attributed it to his toddler body. If he hadn't been so far regressed, he would have easily been able to evade Simon in the forest.He wasn't sure if he was going to have another chance at escape any time soon. He imagined that it would probably be a few days before either of them slipped up, but he resolved to wait it out. He was confident that another opportunity would present itself, and he just needed to be ready.About fifteen minutes later, Simon approached the playpen."Ready to talk?" he asked, peering down to make eye contact with the defiant child."Fuck off," Jacob replied, scowling at his former therapist."Alright then," he replied in a level tone and walked back into the kitchen.Jacob sat silently taking in the layout of the living room. It was an open floor plan which would make his future escape attempts particularly difficult. He wondered what was behind the closed door near the stairs. Another possible exit would be a blessing since it was clear that he wouldn't be able to escape from any of the windows upstairs with how small his body was.After about another half-hour, Angelique came by to place a blue plastic bowl in the playpen. "I made you a burrito for dinner, and I brought you some warm milk to go along with it." She said as she placed a sippy cup of milk in the playpen.Jacob didn't even realize he was hungry until he was assaulted by the tantalizing smell of the burrito, but he refused to even consider eating it. At that point, he felt confident they would resort to drugging him. It was clear they had been enjoying the docile toddler he was before, and if he wanted to escape, he needed his wits to remain unhampered.He scooted into the corner of his prison and sat with his head resting against the padded corner. His stomach rumbled in protest, but he simply closed his eyes and focused on assessing weaknesses of his captors that he could exploit in the future.About fifteen minutes later, Simon abruptly interrupted his musings, "Why won't you eat?" he asked in a no-nonsense tone.Jacob scoffed. "I'm not gullible enough to think you psychos aren't trying to drug me."The older man's face twitched into a smile. "Jacob, if we were willing to go that far to control your behavior, don't you think we would just inject you?"Stunned into silence, Jacob felt foolish. He didn't have a counter ready because he really hadn't thought of that.Simon was pleased to see the embarrassment creep into the child's face. He felt like was finally getting through to him, and he hoped this was the beginning of the blatant disrespect finally coming to an end."Eat," he instructed, walking back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up.Jacob waited until Simon had walked back into the kitchen before crawling over to the bowl and sniffing the burrito. The seasoned beans and grilled chicken certainly smelled appetizing, and his mouth watered. He took tentative bites of the burrito, reminding himself that he needed to have energy for his next escape attempt.

After his hunger was satiated, he had been nodding off in the corner of the playpen intermittently for about an hour before Angelique took pity on him."Time for bed, mister grumpy pants," she announced.He didn't have the energy to do more than glare up at her when she lifted him up.They made the walk to the nursery in silence until Angelique laid him on the changing table and noticed a few cuts on his feet."Do those cuts hurt?"He was confused for a second until he tilted the bottom of his feet into his view and saw some shallow cuts that weren't even bleeding."No, not really.""Hm," she muttered, removing his clothes and tossing them into the hamper.Jacob was barely awake while she changed him. He didn't offer any resistance when she put the clean pair of pajamas on him.Once he was fully dressed, he was left dozing off on the changing table while Angelique went over to grab a pair of socks from the chest of drawers. He woke up again when she took him to the bathroom and sat him on the counter.Angelique gathered a few items from the medicine cabinet before gently cleaning the bottom of his feet with alcohol. She soothingly blew on it until it dried. After Angelique rubbed some first aid ointment on his feet, she covered them with the pair of socks.Once they got back to the nursery, she laid the child in the crib and tucked him in with a thick blanket."Goodnight, Jacob. Sweet dreams," she said turning on the mobile above him and flipping the light switch to the nursery.After Angelique closed the door behind her, Jacob laid in the crib contemplating what the future would hold for him. He was ashamed of his complacent behavior after he ate, but his escape attempt had already drained most of his energy. Having a full stomach on top of that was just too much. He resolved to resist as much as he could when he woke up tomorrow.He turned onto his side trying not to look at the stupid mobile above him, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The next morning Simon woke up before the sun rose. He had gone to sleep around when Angelique put Jacob to bed which was quite early for him. He was a bit of a night owl, but dealing with Jacob's escape attempt had exhausted him.Fully dressed after her shower, Angelique walked back in the room on her way to the nursery. Seeing that her husband was awake uncharacteristically early, she softly asked, "Did I wake you?""No, I think I woke up on my own," he said, stretching his legs and standing up."Jacob's already got you waking up early. By next week, you'll have gray hairs sprouting," she teased.Simon shook his head, and chuckled. "Speaking of the little devil, I'll get him this morning if you don't mind.""I don't. That will be great actually. I can get started in the kitchen once I'm done here." She explained, straightening the sheets and fluffing the pillows.Simon went into the bathroom where he got ready for the day and mentally prepared to deal with the insolence he anticipated from Jacob.****Jacob's blissful sleep gradually came to an end after the first ray of sunlight shone in his eyes. He turned over and pulled the blanket over his head, hoping to get a few extra minutes of rest. He longed to return to his dreams as they were his only escape from his new reality of being held captive.He sighed, accepting that he wasn't going to fall back to sleep again and pulled the sheet from his face. It took a short moment before his eyes adjusted to the light in the room.Stretching his muscles and blinking his eyes, he yawned. It wasn't until he shifted onto his side that he realized he was sitting in a wet diaper. That was one of the hardest parts about his regression for the young man. He was consistently being betrayed by his own body in his sleep.Standing in the crib, he pulled down his pants and kicked them off. He quickly ripped off the tabs securing his diaper and tossed it over to the opposite corner of the crib. Feeling particularly spiteful, he decided to get his morning pee out of the way and stood over the diaper, relieving himself onto it.Assuming it wouldn't be too long before one of his kidnappers showed up, he began climbing out of the crib. He thought he might be able to get away while they were still asleep, assuming they hadn't latched both of the doors.When Simon entered the nursery, his eyes immediately widened seeing the little boy in the process of climbing out of the crib."Shit!" Jacob exclaimed as his foot slipped. He kicked at the wooden bars trying to reclaim his footing. Without the support of his feet, he slid down the bars, and the following collision of his hand with the side of the crib caused him to unintentionally release his grip."Jacob!" Simon shouted, rushing forward and catching the falling child. "What were you thinking?" he admonished, placing the boy on his feet.Jacob didn't reply. The reality of how close he had just come to a really bad injury wasn't lost on him."What happened to your diaper?" Simon asked, scanning the room.The young man didn't even remember that his lower half was exposed until Simon pointed it out. Somehow, he didn't think about putting his pants back on before trying to climb out of the crib. He felt the blood rushing to his face but quickly stifled the embarrassment. Determined not to show any weakness, he mustered up as much bravado as he could."I left it in my cage, but don't worry. I did make sure to use it." Jacob answered with a wicked smile on his face.Furrowing his brows, Simon peered into the crib to locate the worn diaper. As soon as he did, his nose was immediately assaulted by the unpleasant smell of urine emanating from it. Eyeballing the pale-yellow mixing into the light-blue color of the sheet below the diaper, he hoped the mattress wasn't ruined.It would be one thing if the mess was accidental, but the older man knew Jacob had only done it to aggravate him. It was a disgusting way to rebel, and Simon certainly wasn't looking forward to cleaning it up. His day had just begun, and already the child was testing his patience.He turned back to face the little boy and firmly reprimanded him, wagging his finger in the air, "Do not do that again. If you remove your diaper without permission, there will be consequences."Jacob scoffed. "I'd love to see you try to stop me."Simon raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want to have mittens put on your hands?"Jacob's face fell when he narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't.""If you do it again, that's exactly what's going to happen. Is that understood?"The little boy scowled but didn't respond."Jacob, is that understood?" Simon questioned, staring down at the little boy with a no-nonsense look on his face."Yes," Jacob reluctantly responded. Averting his eyes, he asked, "So, can I get my pants back now?""Hm." Simon paused. "Since you're already partially undressed, you might as well have your bath before breakfast," he decided, stooping down and pulling the pajama top off of the little boy.After lowering the bars of the crib, Simon made quick work of stripping the soiled sheets off. As he tossed the linens into the hamper, he had never been more appreciative of the waterproof mattress protector. It was the only reason he wouldn't have to go to the store to get a new mattress."Come on, Jacob. The bathroom is just around the corner. Follow me," he instructed, opening the door and waiting for Jacob to walk through.The young man briefly considered running down the stairs, but he resisted the temptation. He had to remind himself that escape would only come if he was willing to patiently wait for the right opportunity. He knew there wasn't any point in unsuccessful escape attempts. They would only force his kidnappers to be more cautious, and that wouldn't help him get away. He needed to get them to let their guard down, at least just a little bit.Simon strolled into the bathroom with Jacob following closely behind. He grabbed a clean towel as well as a washcloth and folded them both over the towel rack. He lifted the naked boy and sat him on the counter next to the sink."Your teeth need to be brushed." Simon said, rinsing Jacob's toothbrush and squeezing a glob of toothpaste onto it. "Open up."Jacob's left eye twitched. This was a whole new low. He barely even remembered the last time his mother had brushed his teeth for him when he was a child.He took a deep calming breath and opened his mouth, loathing what he was about to experience. Trying not to make eye contact with Simon while his pride took a major hit, he focused on the bathroom decorations.Like the nursery, the bathroom also had an ocean theme. The shower curtain was blue with a wavy design and there were a few sea animal toys situated on the rim of the tub. The mats were light blue, and the tub was ivory white. When Simon allowed him to rinse, he noticed the that soap dispenser was also decorated with sea creatures.Turning off the faucet, Simon sat Jacob in the tub and turned on the warm water. They waited in silence for water level to rise. When Simon turned the water off, Jacob abruptly interrupted the silence."What is it that you want from me?" he asked in an exacerbated tone of voice."Less defiance and a lot more compliance would be a great start," Simon cheekily responded, scrubbing the little boy's back with the washcloth."No, why am I here? Why won't you just let me go?" he questioned, his frustration causing his voice to crack."Do you remember when we talked about your wounded inner child in therapy?"Jacob blinked a few times, unsure of where Simon was going. "Yes, and I told you the exercise was pointless?""You certainly did, but it wasn't pointless. It was a necessary step in your healing process. Since you refused to do it on your own, the drug the doctor gave you is supposed to give you a chance to become him again. We will have the chance to do the necessary re-parenting you wouldn't do.""Of course, it doesn't it matter what I want. Does it?""No, not after you decided to end your life," Simon clarified.Jacob sighed. He allowed the silence to return, not wanting to waste energy trying to continue the conversation. He had endured the same circular argument enough times already. It was like no one seemed to understand that he had the right to choose to end his life. He accepted that they weren't going to change their mind and he wasn't going to change his.He figured it didn't matter anyways. Once he got away and found a doctor who was able to fix him back, he'd be free to end his life like he had planned. While Simon finished rinsing him and drying him, he spent the time silently fantasizing about the adult freedoms he would be sure to enjoy at least one more time.When they were finished in the bathroom, Simon took him to the nursery and diapered him. "Remember, you are not allowed to take this off. Do not do it again," he warned the little boy.Jacob rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I got it.""Good, well it's almost time for breakfast," he said, once he finished clothing Jacob. He lifted him from the changing table, and when they entered the kitchen, Angelique promptly asked, "What kept you?""I decided to give Jacob a bath since he chose to remove his diaper without permission and left a mess in the crib for me to clean.""Wow, quite the morning," she commented with an astonished expression on her face."Indeed. Well, let's get you in your high chair so we can finish with breakfast.""What? No, I'm not sitting in a high chair. I'm not a fucking baby," Jacob snapped.It was all too much for the young man. He'd already suffered through being bathed, changed and clothed. He wasn't even allowed to brush his own teeth. Now, they expected him to sit in a high chair like he wasn't capable of sitting in a regular dining chair without falling over."Jacob, language! From now on, we will not tolerate any more swearing. Every time you use a curse word, you're getting five minutes in timeout," Simon chastised.He grabbed Jacob by his arm and walked over to the cabinet, removing a small stepping stool and placing it in the nearby corner of the kitchen."You will sit here for five minutes while we finish getting breakfast ready. Use this time to think about how you can avoid swearing in the future," Simon directed the little boy, pointing at the stool.Biting his tongue, Jacob complied. He slowly lowered himself onto the stool without argument, not wanting to make the situation worse. He was supposed to be getting them to let their guard down, and somehow, he already got in trouble before he even had breakfast.He took the time to dig into the depths of his soul, hoping to summon all the willpower he possessed. He anticipated that he'd need every bit of it to stick to the plan. He couldn't escape with the two of them watching his every movement.For just a second, he actually felt shame over his behavior, and it deeply concerned him. It was far too soon for them to be getting in his head. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that he had every right to be pissed off. They were the ones who continued trying to baby him. He didn't ask for it.Jacob's stomach growled loudly, distracting him from his thoughts. From his seat in the corner, he could easily spot the sectioned tray that was meant for him. He didn't plan to ever admit it out loud, but Angelique was better than any cook he had ever come into contact with. All of the meals he'd received so far were absolutely divine. He was undeniably looking forward to this one, and he licked his lips in anticipation.Simon made eye contact with him and approached the little boy. "Your five minutes are up. Are you ready to have breakfast?""Yes," Jacob responded, carefully limiting his speech. He didn't want to risk another timeout with how hungry he was. This time, he didn't complain when Simon deposited him in the high chair. His attention was completely fixated on satisfying his fierce hunger.Angelique placed a plate of sliced boiled eggs, avocados and small waffles on the tray of the high chair, and Jacob devoured it in a few short minutes. Filling his stomach as quickly as he did, he barely had time to taste any of the food, and when he was done, he quickly washed down the food with the cup of milk.Releasing a soft burp, he leaned back in his chair and wondered what the two of them had planned for the rest of the day. Closing his eyes and succumbing to his drowsiness, he meditated on how he was going to continue to keep his temper in check to win over his kidnappers and secure his freedom.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Jacob, sweetie, eating that fast might make you sick," Angelique told the boy as she sat down in her nearby dining chair.He didn't appear to have heard her. Jacob continued scarfing down the breakfast like he had been starving. Simon had only taken the first bite of his bagel when he heard Jacob release a loud burp. When he looked over, a hint of a smile was visible on the child's face as he relaxed his little body into the high chair.Before the couple even got halfway through their breakfast, the boy's relaxed breaths morphed into faint snores."Do you think we should wake him up?" Angelique asked."No, I think we should let him sleep for a little bit. He probably woke up a little bit too early this morning," Simon speculated."Okay. Since he's asleep, will you tell me more about what happened when you went to get Jacob?" she asked.Sighing and shaking his head, he began, "It's already been such a long morning..."When he finished obliging her request, Angelique had a stunned expression on her face. "Mr. Hammond did say these first few days will be tough. The good news is that it's already Friday," she said, trying to sound reassuring."Yeah." Simon paused and tapped on his chin. "Now that I'm thinking about it. I'm going to adjust the mattress height in the crib.""Okay, I'll keep an eye on him," Angelique agreed.****It was a thunderous burp that jolted Jacob out of his nap. He held his face in his hands, rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes. Once he uncovered his face, he focused on the two pairs of brown eyes staring down at him."You're finally up. I was a little worried that we lost you to a food coma," Angelique joked.Jacob looked between the two of them feeling slightly embarrassed. It didn't matter how much he tried, he couldn't resist the persistent need to sleep that his toddler body tormented him with.After a short laugh, Simon took Jacob out of the high chair and placed him on his feet. "I've got something fun to keep you occupied for a while. Wait here," he told him, heading upstairs.While he was gone, Angelique took the time to wipe Jacob's face clean with a wet paper towel, and it helped the little boy to become completely alert again."Come on over here, Jacob," Simon called out when he re-entered the living room.Angelique put an encouraging hand on his back, ushering him out of the kitchen to join Simon. Once the living room was in view, Jacob watched as the older man unrolled a foam play mat onto the hardwood floor a few feet away from the couch. He opened a small bin and deposited a handful of the wooden plank pieces onto the floor.It looked like an advanced building set for young architects. Growing up, Jacob had always wanted to get a set for Christmas, but his mom couldn't afford one. He marveled at the coincidence. Not too long ago, he had considered buying a similar set with some extra scholarship money that he had, but it had felt too childish.Crouching down to Jacob's eye level, Simon thoughtfully disclosed, "I sometimes enjoy playing with these myself.""Oh," Jacob said, genuinely surprised.Jacob hesitantly sat on the playmat and tentatively matched a few blocks together. At first his goal was only to appease Simon, but after a few minutes, he really got into the building process. He didn't even notice when his caretaker walked away to take a seat on the sofa.After two hours of uninterrupted building, Jacob had created a very impressive medieval style castle. He was happy to see that his affinity towards engineering also extended towards architecture.His castle was expansive. It consisted of a few different towers all connected to each other by walkways and bridges. He was just about to place a red flag on the highest tower when his elbow bumped an adjacent support column. Within seconds the entire castle crumbled right in front of him."Fuck!" he yelled, kicking a few wooden planks across the room."Jacob, what did we say about swearing?" Simon asked, standing and walking towards the playmat."I didn't even do it on purpose," he said, attempting to defend himself."I understand that you're frustrated, but the rule still stands," the older man said as he took his hand and began walking him into the kitchen."Well, that's just stupid," Jacob retorted, forcefully pulling out of Simon's grasp."Do I need to remind you that you are now a child, and this is our house? We are the ones calling the shots, not you. If you don't quit while you're ahead, you'll be sitting in timeout for ten minutes.""I don't give a shit.""Ten minutes it is," Simon said firmly.Jacob sat fuming on the stool. He was already upset that all of his hard work was undone by a simple mistake. It was such a grand castle, and he wished he had thought to ask them to take a picture of it. He consoled himself with positive thoughts.
It's fine. I've got all the time that I'm stuck in this hellhole to work on it.But when Simon started piling the planks into the bin, Jacob lost it. He bolted out of the corner, screaming, "What are you doing? I wasn't done!""Jacob! You do not get out of the corner," his caretaker scolded.The little boy stood his ground. "Why are you taking the blocks away? I didn't even do anything that bad!""I'm not taking them away. You've been playing for hours, and it's almost time for lunch." Simon moved to stand directly in front of Jacob. "Go back to the corner right now," he said, pointing at the stool in the kitchen."No," Jacob spat, crossing his arms in front of him."No?" Simon questioned, daring the little boy to repeat himself.Jacob defiantly glared at the older man and didn't say a word."For swearing and leaving timeout without permission, you'll be sitting here for the next fifteen minutes," Simon said as he took a hold of the little boy's arm."So, I can't swear, but you can kidnap people and hold them against their will? Fucking hypocrite!" Jacob screamed as he was pulled into the kitchen.Simon sat the child on the stool in the kitchen and stooped down in front of him. "You are on thin ice, Jacob. If you keep pushing me, I will have no choice but to punish you with some old-fashioned discipline," he warned in a no-nonsense tone of voice.The young man was absolutely livid. He couldn't believe Simon would try to threaten him with a spanking. Clenching his jaw, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the older man until he turned to help Angelique with lunch preparation.After every additional minute in the corner, he became increasingly frustrated. He felt like he was really trying to be on his best behavior and win over his kidnappers, but they were always finding new ways to coddle him like a toddler.When fifteen minutes had passed, Simon approached him and crouched down to return to his eye level. "I think an apology for your earlier behavior is in order before you leave the corner," he stated.Patiently waiting for the little boy to comply, Simon rhythmically tapped his knuckles.Seething on the inside, Jacob struggled with what he knew he had to do. He focused his eyes on the floor near his feet and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he whispered."What are you sorry for?"Jacob snapped his head up to look at Simon. He was in disbelief that the man would force him to debase himself that much. Just considering verbalizing the apology he knew Simon wanted to hear felt humiliating. He closed his eyes tightly, resigning himself to getting it over with."For swearing and leaving the corner without permission," he said, feeling a small part of his psyche tear off and die."Good boy," Simon praised as he put him in the high chair.He was silent throughout lunch and didn't touch any of the food Angelique placed on the tray in front of him. Characteristically, it smelled absolutely appetizing, but he was far too demoralized to eat anything. While Simon and Angelique ate their lunch, he laid his head against the back of the high chair, staring at the ceiling.His thoughts kept returning to how humiliating this entire experience was for him. He was an adult sitting in a high chair with a colorful tray in front of him. The whole thing was unreal and unfair. He was in the midst of wishing that a portal would open up above him and free him from his current ordeal when Angelique stood in front of him."At least take one bite," she said, urging the boy with a spoonful of seasoned rice and beans in front of his mouth."No," he said, ignoring her and turning his face away."Jacob, you need to eat, or you will be hungry before dinnertime," she said."I don't care," he muttered."Open up," she insisted, touching his lips with the spoon."I said no!" he shouted, slapping the utensil out of Angelique's hand.Simon immediately stood up, causing the dining chair to squeak as it was dragged across the floor. "That's it. You've earned yourself a spanking," he said pulling Jacob out of the high chair and taking him upstairs."Put me down!" the little boy screamed, banging his fists on the older man's back.A sharp slap to his behind caused him to involuntarily still, and Jacob felt his stomach fill with dread. He knew that Simon really was about to follow up on his earlier threat.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Once Simon got to the nursery, he took a seat on a small sofa and laid Jacob across his lap, keeping a firm hand on the unruly child's back to effectively trap him in place."Jacob, I've had to punish you far too many times today. You've been warned time and time again, yet your behavior hasn't changed. It seems Mr. Hammond was right. You clearly need to
feel
my displeasure on your backside before you will decide to change your attitude," he lamented, pulling the little boy's pants down to his ankles.For Jacob this was all happening too fast. His heart felt like it was pounding out of his chest, and as the familiar sensation of adrenaline rushed through his veins, his eyes darted around the room. He felt like he had dug himself into a deep hole in the ground and forgot to bring a ladder.Momentarily stunned until he felt his diaper being tugged down, he began his struggle against his caretaker's grip, shaking his head rapidly and shouting, "Wait! No!"His plea was ironic really considering how much Jacob hated the stupid diaper. The garment was a constant source of embarrassment for him, but at that point in time it was the only thing that would cushion the impending blows to his bottom.Regardless, he didn't get the chance to get another word in. Despite his protests, Simon pulled his diaper all the way down.Jacob squirmed around, trying to loosen the older man's grip on him. He felt like a true toddler, exposed and waiting for his ass to be lit on fire.The younger man couldn't believe he was actually lying over Simon's lap. As pacifistic as he knew his former therapist to be, he didn't actually think the man would be capable of spanking him, but he also didn't think that he would get kidnapped either and that certainly happened.After a few minutes, he had stilled with his arms and legs passively dangling towards the floor. Since Simon still had not started the spanking, Jacob hoped that it meant the man lost his nerve. He thought that maybe he was going to get off with just a stern warning, but his theory went out the window the minute Simon's palm landed firmly on his bare behind.It stung,
so
much worse than he imagined it would. It was nothing like the smack to his diapered bottom from before. The padding had almost nullified all of the force of the spank, but with his behind bared, there was nothing to reduce the impact of the blow.Nearly a minute passed without any spanks following the first, and Jacob wasn't sure why Simon was hesitating. Growing up, he had seen other kids being spanked, and it always consisted of rapid successive blows until the offended adult was satisfied that they had made a lasting impression on the petulant child's behind, but it seemed that this was not Simon's chosen method.Either way, he didn't have to do much more speculation because another sharp smack landed on his bottom, and after the third spank, he
really
wished Simon would stop spacing each individual smack so far apart. Spanking so slowly made the entire process more torturous for him, as the stinging from the last spank would just begin to die down when another landed, re-igniting the fire.By the fourth smack, his view of the floor below him was clouded by the tears pricking his eyes. He grit his teeth, unwilling to cry out. He reasoned that they could punish him like a child all they wanted, but it didn't mean he was going to play the part of the little boy crying over his father's lap.After the fifth smack, his entire behind stung horribly, and he tensed, anticipating Simon's hand making painful contact with his bottom yet again, but the next spank never came.Instead, his feet touched the ground as Simon stood him in front of the sofa, and Jacob wasted no time before reaching back to rub the sting out of his behind."Jacob," Simon began, tilting the boy's chin up to face him. "I spanked you because I care about you. We know that adjusting to your regression is difficult, and we are trying to make this as smooth as possible for you. However, to do that we can't have you fighting us on every little thing.""So, what do you want me to say? Thank you?" Jacob asked with the fire still burning in his eyes.
"No, I just want you to understand that this is what you can expect from now on if you keep pushing us."Jacob didn't respond. He knew that anything he said would probably land him in more trouble, and he didn't really want to find out if he could take more spanks to his already smarting behind.Simon sighed and pulled Jacob's diaper and pants back up causing the little boy to hiss.
"I'm going to put you in your crib for a nap.""I'm not tired," the little boy brazenly asserted, glaring daggers at his caretaker."Do not fight me on this," Simon said sternly."Whatever," Jacob grumbled as he was laid on his stomach in the crib."I hope you have a good nap," Simon said, closing the blinds.Jacob waited until his kidnapper shut the door to the nursery to release a loud groan of frustration. It was all too apparent that nothing in the last few hours went the way he had envisioned. He wanted them to think he was a sweet angel that they could leave unattended, but instead he was sure they thought of him as the extremely badly-behaved tyke from hell that they needed to keep an eye on at all times.Banging his head on the mattress, he reminded himself that he was an adult, and that he didn't need to be apologetic for asserting his independence. If anything, he was sorry for his smarting bottom, but definitely not his behavior.He rested his head against the soft blanket, remembering the first time he got in trouble at school when he was in the second grade. Pretty soon, his breaths evened out, and he was reliving the memory in his dream.
It was third period, Mathematics, and Jacob had already finished the assignment in only five minutes, which meant he had absolutely nothing to occupy himself with for the next hour.

His best friend, Maliki sat next to him. It was Friday and the next period was recess so young Jacob was bouncing with pent up energy, and even though he knew better than to disturb his classmate during work time, the boredom got the best of him.

He caught a millipede that was crawling on the ground near him and tapped Maliki on the shoulder to show him the bug.

"I bet you I can put this in Ms. Smith's shoe," he whispered to his friend.

"No way," Maliki challenged.

"Just watch," Jacob responded with a devious smirk on his face.

Jacob was small for his age. So, with ease he was able to slide under his desk and crawl towards the front of the classroom. While the other students were occupied with their assignment, Ms. Smith was taking the time to grade some of the assignments from earlier in the week. That was why she didn't notice the seven-year old crawling up the middle of the classroom.

When he got to her desk, he quickly placed the millipede on the side of her shoe, waiting in anticipation for it to crawl into her shoe.

In less than a minute, Ms. Smith shrieked, shaking the bug out of her shoe, and when she heard a giggle coming from below her desk, she knew she caught the little perpetrator red-handed.

At the time, his school was in the process of moving away from taking the responsibility for paddling students. Instead, the administrators opted to call parents in to provide the discipline for more serious infractions.

He was sitting on a chair outside of the principal's office for quite a while before he saw his mom walking down the hall. She looked tired
. His mom

didn't say anything to him before she knocked on the principal's door and walked in.

When she came out minutes later, she crouched in front of him and began, "Jacob, sweetie, you know your Mommy doesn't have time to come to school when you misbehave."

"I know. I'm sorry Mommy," he said, hanging his head.

His mother sighed deeply. "You deserve a proper spanking for what you did at school today, but I'm too tired right now, and I need to get some sleep before my next shift. Let's go home," she said ushering the little boy forward to begin the walk to the school parking lot.

That evening, the seven-year-old shouldered the burden of disappointing his tired, over-worked mother, and the excruciating guilt that tormented him from that day forward made certain he never got in trouble again.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"How did it go?" Angelique asked as soon as Simon made it back down to the living room.He sighed as he joined her on the couch. When he leaned against her, she closed her book and wrapped her arms around him."I felt like my father," he admitted in a hushed tone."You didn't abuse him," Angelique vehemently objected.He sighed and shook his head with his eyes downcast."Simon, you did not abuse that boy. There is a difference between a little corporal punishment and abuse. I know we agreed on going without corporal punishment for our parenting style, but Mr. Hammond is right. Jacob's case is very unique. Wouldn't you agree?""You're right," he relented."I know I am," she said, pecking him on the cheek before continuing, "Now, no more beating yourself up. Alright?""Alright," he agreed."Good, now come help me with dinner," she said, taking his hand in hers and leading him to the kitchen.~~~~"Jacob, it's time for dinner," Simon said as he gently pat the boy's back.Jacob rolled over and rubbed at his eyes for a few moments before Simon lifted him over the wooden bars and laid him on the changing table.It was a while before Jacob was awake enough that he was truly aware of his surroundings. He spent the time that it took Simon to change him persistently yawning and stretching."Are you up, or do you need your face washed?" Simon asked in a jovial tone.Jacob widened his eyes. "I'm up!" he exclaimed.Simon smirked. "Good, let's get dinner," he said, hoisting the toddler into his arms and carrying him downstairs.The minute they got into the kitchen Jacob knew they were having saltfish for dinner. The unmistakable aroma of tomato sauce mixed with onions and peppers saturated the air. In response, his mouth watered, and his stomach growled so loudly that Simon commented, "We better get some grub into you right away."Once Simon placed Jacob into the high chair, he turned to Angelique. "We need food STAT. His stomach is on its last reserves. My dear wife, he is moments away from spontaneous combustion," he joked in a light-hearted tone."No! We will not let that happen," she said, feigning concern. Grabbing the boy's plate and placing it on his tray, she continued, "Restore your reserves with this."Jacob stifled a chuckle at the couple's dramatic performance. Even though he wasn't happy with the two of them, he did have a slight smirk on his face because it was that funny.But he really was starving. So, he started on the white rice and saltfish and string beans as soon as the plate was put in front of him, and it didn't take him long to completely finish his food.While Simon and Angelique finished their dinner, he slowly sipped his lemonade.
He still felt a little tired. The nap from earlier didn't reinvigorate him at all, and it was probably because he had dreamt so vividly.Once Simon was done with his food, he stood up and removed Jacob from the high chair and carried him to the living room next to the couch."Will you sit here while we clean up, or do you need to be in the playpen?" he asked the little boy."I'll sit," Jacob agreed."Good," Simon said, placing him next to a cushion and grabbing the remote to turn on the TV and change the channel to one playing a kid's show.Jacob crossed his legs on the couch. For a few minutes, he did try to entertain himself with the mind-numbing cartoon playing on the screen, but he just couldn't force himself to suffer through it.To him, there just was no point in watching a show trying to teach him letters and numbers like he didn't already know them. He would just change the channel, but Simon left the remote on a ledge above the TV that he couldn't reach.He looked around the room and admired the framed portraits on the wall. There was a wedding photo of theirs hanging near the ledge above the TV. They looked so much younger, and the happiness was evident in their smiles. From their earlier banter, it was clear that the therapist couple was still just as happy together so many years later. He wondered how they did it and what was it that they had that so many other couples didn't.When Simon's phone rang in the kitchen, his attention immediately shifted to discerning the content of the phone call. He stood up on the couch to peer over into the kitchen."Mr. Hammond, hello," he heard Simon say, and there was a short pause before he continued, "Jacob is doing well, no more headaches."Jacob couldn't make out what the person on the other line was saying, but there was another longer pause before Simon said, "Yes, we are still looking forward to meeting with you."From the living room, Jacob could see Simon ask Angelique a question even though he couldn't hear what he asked. When Angelique nodded her head in response, he told the person on the phone, "Yes, see you then," before hanging up the phone.Now, Jacob was frightened. What if the two of them were that fed up with his behavior that they were willing to take him back to St. Ives where he would be regressed further? The repercussions would be catastrophic, and he couldn't let that happen.He quickly slid off the couch, and crawled underneath it.It was surprisingly clean down there, not that he would have minded. A hiding spot was a hiding spot, but he could assume that they must spend a lot of time sweeping and vacuuming because there wasn't a dust bunny in sight.He laid under the couch thinking about how he got himself into the whole mess. He thought about how everything would have been so much simpler had he withheld his suicidal plans from his therapist. Looking back, he didn't even understand why he told him. There was no real point. He was sure that he didn't want the older man to stop him, but somehow it just didn't feel right to disappear without telling him. There was some inconceivable connection that stopped him.A few minutes after he finished his rumination, he heard Simon walk into the living room."Jacob?" Simon frantically called out to him. After he received no response from the little boy, he called to his wife, "Angelique! Jacob's gone!"She took a few minutes to observe the living room before calmly assuring him, "The doors are still latched, and all the windows are closed. He must still be inside. I think he's just hiding."Jacob cursed mentally. There was a slight chance they might have moved outside to search for him which would have allowed him to get away while they were caught up doing that. He knew it was just a matter of time before they would find him, but the house was big enough that he figured it would take at least a little while. He decided he would enjoy the peaceful, quiet solitude while he could.While Simon was searching the obvious hiding places downstairs, he called out to the little boy, "Jacob, it's bath time. Don't you want to be clean and fresh for bed?"Jacob rolled his eyes, miffed that Simon would think he would go so far as to hide for fear of taking a stupid bath.It was nearly fifteen minutes before Simon resorted to checking under the couch for the little boy. Jacob had seen his feet walk by a few times, and each time he was sure that the man would stoop down to check. When he finally did, he sighed the second he saw Jacob underneath the couch."I found him," he called to Angelique before turning back to Jacob and softly asking, "What are you doing down here?""Eh, just chilling," Jacob lied."Well that's a dusty place to chill," Simon commented, offering the little boy his hand to pull him from under the couch."It wasn't too bad," Jacob said, accepting the older man's hand."Well, if you want to play under the couch in the future, you have to ask for permission. Okay?""Sure," Jacob responded, while Simon turned him around to begin dusting his clothes off.Angelique arrived downstairs just as Simon pat the boy on the back one last time."Where was he?" she asked, sounding exacerbated."Under the couch," Simon responded.She strolled over and stooped down to give him a hug. "Don't scare us like that again. We thought something might have happened to you," Angelique scolded in a light tone."Make sure you wash his hair this evening," she instructed Simon, plucking a piece of lint out of his Afro."Gotcha," Simon said, taking Jacob upstairs.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Simon set Jacob down onto the counter. He quickly stripped the little boy, leaving his worn clothes in a pile on the tiled floor and tossing his diaper into the trash."I already had a bath this morning," Jacob softly reminded Simon as he was released into the tub."Oh, that's right. I forgot. Well, you're going to be super clean tonight," he said, rubbing soap into the washcloth.It was quiet for a moment as Simon washed Jacob. Deep in thought, Jacob reflected on how worn down he felt both physically and emotionally. It was becoming more exhausting to constantly keep his guard up around the therapist couple.
He took a moment to imagine just how terrible it would be if he got used to them taking care of him, and the thought made him feel slightly nauseated. He knew he needed to remind himself at all times that they were his kidnappers, nothing more."Do you like dogs?" Simon asked, interrupting the silence."Yeah, I had a few growing up," Jacob answered."Good to know," Simon said before looking back at Jacob with a wide smile on his face.The regressed boy briefly wondered why Simon asked, but after a short moment he decided that he really didn't want to know. Rather than continuing the conversation, he let the silence return."Alright, let's wash your hair," Simon said, standing. He walked over to grab a small bowl from below the sink."Ugh," Jacob groaned in protest. He had hoped that Simon would forget about that part of the bath."Oh, you don't like to wash your hair?" Simon questioned with a bottle of tear-free kids shampoo in his hand."The water just gets everywhere, and I hate it," he explained, letting irritation seep into his tone of voice."Well, I can do my best to be quick," Simon proposed, keeping his tone calm and comforting."Okay," Jacob agreed, shutting his eyes tightly the moment Simon tilted his head back to pour the bowl of water onto his hair.Jacob survived the entire process of having his hair washed by taking himself to a happier place. He fantasied swinging on the playground of his elementary school. It was one of his favorite childhood memories and relaxing enough that he could almost forget about all the events of the last week. That was until Simon interrupted his daydream."Was that so bad?" the older man asked, shutting the water off and draining the tub."It was awful," Jacob declared petulantly."They say that if you keep your face all pouted like that, then it will stay that way forever," Simon told him in a jovial tone as he finished drying the majority of the little boy's Afro."That wouldn't be so bad. I wouldn't mind." Jacob asserted while rolling his eyes."Suit yourself," the therapist relented, wrapping a dry towel around Jacob and carrying him to the nursery."Can't we skip the diaper?" Jacob pleaded the moment he was laid onto the changing table."No, I don't want to clean up the accident you would definitely have overnight." Simon said in a firm tone."If you just give me a chance, there wouldn't be an accident," he protested."No, Jacob, and that's final," Simon told him in a no-nonsense tone that made it clear that the regressed boy would get no compromises out of him that night."Fine," Jacob relented, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Simon.While Simon finished dressing Jacob in a pair of green pajamas, Angelique joined them in the nursery."It's still a little early for bed, even for the little people," she announced, winking at Jacob before continuing, "So, I thought we could do a puzzle together.""How many pieces does it have?" Simon asked."It's a five-hundred-piece puzzle. I didn't want it to be too easy," Angelique said holding up the box in her hands with a smile on her face that intrigued Jacob."We are both really into puzzles," Simon explained, seeing a curious look replace the glare previously on the little boy's face."We sure are," Angelique said, hugging Simon and planting a kiss on his cheek."Shall we?" Simon asked, gesturing towards the spacious play table and releasing Jacob onto the floor.Angelique quickly opened the puzzle box, lifting the pieces out and placing them onto the play table.The therapist couple sat cross-legged near the table, and Jacob knelt on the floor as he was too short to sit and still be able to see. They made quick work of sorting the pieces, separating them by color and tossing the edge pieces into a pile."Would you like to work on putting the border together?" Angelique asked, handing Jacob a corner piece."Yeah, sure," he responded nonchalantly.Internally, Jacob certainly wasn't interested in spending quality time with either of the therapists. However, he didn't really want to be stuck in the crib so early. He couldn't deny that doing the stupid puzzle was the best of all the available options.It didn't take very long before the puzzle came together. Once Jacob finished the border to the puzzle, Simon and Angelique had already built half of the puzzle. Looking over at their progress, he knew that they certainly weren't exaggerating their puzzle skills. It was impressive."I'm uh done with the border," Jacob announced."Excellent! Let me just slide this over," Angelique said, attaching the completed portion to fit inside the corner pieces.When that was done, the couple continued building the puzzle at full speed. For a second, Jacob wondered if they had met at a puzzle competition. The speed at which they were doing it was astonishing. A few minutes later, it was down to the last piece. Simon and Angelique grabbed it at the same time.Laughing together, they looked over at Jacob. "Would you like the honor of finishing the puzzle Jacob?" Simon asked."He deserves it. We went full speed, and he didn't even get to participate," Angelique said with remorse evident in her voice."Uh...sure," Jacob mumbled, taking the puzzle piece from the edge of the table.He leaned into the table, standing on the tips of his toes to reach the right spot and finished the puzzle, earning slightly startling applause from the couple."Well, I guess it's time to get you to bed," Simon said, looking at Jacob."No. I'm not even sleepy," he protested."How about some hot cocoa?" Angelique offered, intending to diffuse the argument before Jacob landed himself in trouble again."Okay," Jacob agreed, satisfied to find a way out of getting stuck in his crib.Angelique lifted the tyke into her arms and made her way downstairs. Once she turned the lights on in the kitchen, she deposited Jacob into the high chair."This shouldn't take long," she said pouring water into the teapot."Do you still have that appointment tomorrow in town?" Simon asked."Yes. I almost forgot about that! Thank you for reminding me," she said, turning to face Simon."No, problem. I've got a phone conference tomorrow, but I should be okay by myself with Jacob," he said confidently."Awesome and right in time," she said in a sing-song voice as the kettle whistled.Angelique poured some hot cocoa into mugs for herself and Simon and a sippy cup for Jacob."Drink up," she said, setting the cup on the tray for him.Standing and sipping their mugs, the therapist couple stood in front of the posted calendar in the kitchen."We need to plan some different outings now that Jacob's around," Angelique said."Yeah, no more R-rated movies for a while on family nights," Simon joked."Definitely not," she agreed, laughing.While Jacob was chugging his hot coca, he remembered a few peaceful childhood memories. He remembered being four years old, sitting in his mom's lap having a cup of Ovaltine. He had felt so safe and secure, and he wished he could experience that memory at least one more time. He figured that he might in his dreams, dozing off and relaxing onto the side of the high chair.It wasn't until Simon had almost finished washing the dishes that Angelique noticed Jacob nodding off."Okay, time for bed Jacob," Angelique announced, taking him in her arms. She took him to the bathroom and quickly got him ready for bed."I'm not tired," he said, slurring his words as he was laid onto the mattress in the crib."Is that why you barely kept your eyes open the whole time I brushed your teeth?" she asked sarcastically."Mhmm," the sleepy boy answered lazily, obviously unsure of what he was agreeing to."Goodnight, Jacob," she said, chuckling before planting a kiss on his forehead and pulling the blankets over him.Within seconds of Angelique closing the nursery door behind her, he drifted off into a deep sleep that catapulted him into one of the most vivid dreams he would ever have in his life.
Fluttering his eyes open, Jacob was immediately aware of a strong burning sensation in his stomach. He was starving, and he needed to fix that right away. Jacob quickly opened his mouth to verbalize his desire for food, but the only thing that came out was garbled nonsense.

When he tried to sit up, the only thing he was able to accomplish was to roll himself from lying on his side to his back. He didn't know what the hell was going on, and it was freaking him out.

It appeared that his agitated movement and cries of distress were enough to cause his kidnappers to check on him. It was only a moment before the therapist couple were standing next to the crib and looking down at him.

"Aw, our little boy is awake," he heard Angelique say to Simon.

When Simon tried to tickle Jacob on his belly, Jacob recoiled from the older man's touch.

"He still looks scared. I think he needs more of the medicine," Simon told Angelique.

"You think so?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I'll give him another dose."

Jacob watched in horror as Simon immediately made his way towards a shelf in the nursery where he pulled a small vial and an unopened syringe. It didn't take him very long to uncap the needle and draw the contents of the vial into the syringe.

Standing next to the crib once again, Simon reached into the crib to Jacob back onto his side. With only the muscle strength of a baby, he wasn't able to offer any resistance.

"Just a little pinch," Simon said, tapping the air bubbles out of the syringe.

Jacob felt sick. His heart pounded as Simon inched the needle closer to his hip. He tried to squirm away from him, but Angelique gripped his arm and held him on his side.

The needle burned as it broke his skin and its contents were released into his system. His all too profound anxiety as well as the frustration of his powerlessness caused his eyes to burn, and he couldn't ignore the overwhelming compulsion to cry. As his cries grew louder, the world around him started to fade.

Before he knew what happened, he stopped crying, and there was giggling coming from somewhere. Looking down, he realized Simon was tickling him and he couldn't stop laughing no matter how hard he tried.

In his head, his own brain turned on him. Everything was funny, and he was just a silly baby who didn't need to think for himself. Complex thoughts were for big boys, and he was just a baby. He had lost all control, and with that, all his complex thoughts ceased. His inner thoughts dwindled into nothing and his consciousness faded away.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“No!” he shrieked, jolting out of his nightmare. His heart felt like it was pounding out of his chest. His eyes darted around, taking in his new surroundings. He tried to tell himself that he was okay, and he was safe. But he knew it wasn’t true.
He didn’t even have enough time to catch his breath before Simon and Angelique came rushing into the nursery.“Jacob, what happened?” Simon asked, scared and concerned for the boy.“I need to get out of here,” he pleaded, desperation bleeding through his voice.“You need to be out of the crib?” Angelique asked, ready to acquiesce his request.“No, I need to be out of this house and out of this life,” he said, pausing and pulling at his Afro before continuing in a low tone, “I need to fucking die.”“Jacob…,” Simon started with a look of sadness on his face. “You know that we can’t let you do that.”“Then just get out!” Jacob demanded, screaming.“We could talk about your nightmare,” Angelique offered, trying to impart her motherly kindness to the boy.“Leave,” Jacob monotonously responded.Simon put his arm over his wife. “Alright Jacob, we’ll let you get back to sleep. Goodnight.”The regressed young man waited until his kidnappers had left the room to pull himself into a standing position using the bars of the wooden crib. Jacob’s nightmare made him realize that waiting for an opportunity to escape was going to be more difficult than he originally imagined. The waiting game was dangerous, especially when he didn’t know how much time he had left. He needed to escape as soon as possible.Jacob tried to pull himself over the bars of the crib like he had done before, but it didn’t work. His leg wasn’t able to reach the top anymore. After a second lengthier try, he plopped back down onto the mattress and sighed. He assumed that Simon had likely changed the height of the crib after his earlier escape attempt.Annoyed, Jacob crawled to the corner of the crib and tried to rip the sheets off of the mattress. He intended to create a makeshift rope, yet tug after tug on the sheets yielded no results. Somehow the mattress was secured in the crib, and the sheets were tucked below it.Disheartened, Jacob curled into a ball. He knew escape wasn’t going to happen while he was stuck in the crib. His mind kept going back to his vivid dream. He couldn’t get the baby babbling out of his head. Shuddering, he resolved to escape the next day no matter what it took. He couldn’t let them turn him into a baby.He had gathered from their earlier conversation that Simon was going to be the only one watching him while Angelique was gone. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for, and he just needed the perfect moment to strike.He spent most of the night going over all of his options for escape. He had thought about sneaking off with a cell phone to call for help, but he realized it would be a waste of time. When the cops showed up, they’d just tell them that he was advanced for his age, and the authorities would leave him with his kidnappers. After thinking about it for some time, he settled on just making a run for it, and if it came down to it, he decided that he would be willing to end his life rather than face re-capture.Facing exhaustion in the wee hours of the morning, he finally dozed off, committed to his plan for the next day.****Simon and Angelique were in their bedroom, keeping an eye on Jacob from the baby monitor. They observed his frantic escape attempts, perplexed by the sudden change in his disposition. The therapist couple assumed that his nightmare must have been very traumatic, but they were left unable to assist him while he was angry and resistant.“I’m starting to worry that he might need to be medicated,” Simon whispered.“It’s only been a few days, and you’ve only spanked him once. I think he’s doing well with all things considered,” Angelique countered.“It feels like it’s been a week,” Simon lamented, sighing.“Kids will do that,” Angelique said, laughing before continuing, “I’m sure in a few more days Jacob will calm down some like Mr. Hammond said.”“You’re right,” Simon relented. “The only thing we can do is be firm about the rules with him and hope that he learns.”“Yup,” Angelique said, nodding. “Now, I’m going back to sleep. Jacob has already tried and failed to get out of his crib. He’ll still be there in the morning.”“Alright,” Simon agreed, cuddling closer to his wife.****The next morning, Simon and Angelique decided to have breakfast together before Angelique left for her appointment.

“I could just cancel,” she offered, finishing her cup of coffee.Simon reached over to grab the baby monitor, and they both looked at Jacob sleeping peacefully.“We will be okay today. I will handle it,” Simon said with a look of determination on his face.“If you’re sure, then I wish you good luck,” Angelique said, standing and grabbing the keys.“Thank you. Let’s hope I don’t need it,” Simon said jovially, standing up to share a long hug with Angelique.While Jacob rested, Simon busied himself with preparing for his phone conference and cleaning up the dishes from breakfast.****It was nearly midday when Jacob woke up. His legs were tangled in the sheets. He’d obviously been tossing and turning in his sleep, but he didn’t remember having any other vivid nightmares. He only had a short moment to yawn and stretch his legs before Simon entered the nursery.“Good morning, Jacob. I see you’re finally up,” Simon said, as he reached into the crib to pick the little boy up.“I’m hungry,” Jacob simply responded.“Alright. Let’s rectify that right away, but first I need to get you changed and ready for the day.”Simon placed Jacob on the changing table. In less than a minute, he had managed to put a fresh diaper on Jacob.“I’m getting pretty adept at this,” Simon boasted proudly, smiling down at the yawning toddler.Jacob didn’t respond. He thought it was best to keep his thoughts on how Simon shouldn’t get used to changing diapers to himself. He didn’t want to alert the man on his plan to escape before the end of the day.“Alright, breakfast time,” Simon announced, lifting Jacob into his arms.“What am I having?” Jacob asked, feeling particularly impatient.“I made you an egg sandwich since I know how you fancy your eggs,” Simon said thoughtfully.After Simon placed the little boy in the high chair, Jacob abruptly asked, “How long is Angelique going to be out today?”“She should be back at around 3 o’ clock, and I’ve got a phone conference around 1 o’ clock,” the older man explained, pulling a plate out of the cabinet.“I see,” Jacob responded, internally assessing how large of a window he had to escape.He was slightly distracted when Simon put the plate with the hot sandwich on his tray. The smell made his stomach growl, demanding that he immediately satiate his hunger. For the next few minutes, his only concern was taking the next bite. By the time that he was done, his stomach was so full that he felt slightly bloated.Simon quickly cleaned Jacob up while he was recovering from his meal. He refrained from lecturing the boy on eating more slowly. He resigned to simply waiting for him to realize that eating that quickly would make him feel sick and sluggish.“How about some TV while I work on something?” Simona asked, dropping Jacob onto the sofa.“Yeah, sure,” Jacob responded, knowing he would need a moment to recover from breakfast.When Simon changed the channel to a kid’s show, Jacob intended to complain until he realized that it was a re-run of his favorite childhood cartoon that was playing. It was Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, and their adventure to have a picnic for that episode had just began. They were gathering the supplies and picking the perfect location for it, leaving Jacob overwhelmed with excitement.As he got older, he had often returned to shows from his childhood to be disappointed as he had clearly remembered them to be more exciting than they were, but Maggie and the Ferocious Beast never disappointed.Time passed so quickly while he watched the episode and by the time it was done, Simon was calling into his phone conference.“Okay, Jacob. I’ll need you to be quiet while I have this phone call. It’s important,” Simon explained.“Gotcha,” Jacob responded.He went back to watching his show as another episode was beginning. In this episode, they were headed to the beach. It was another great episode, but by the end of it, all the talk about water was making Jacob need to relieve himself.Turning to his caretaker and getting his attention Jacob begged, “Simon, I need to pee. Can you take me to the restroom?”The older man pulled the phone away from his ear. “No Jacob. That is what the diaper is for. Just go and I’ll clean you up in a minute.”“Fuck no,” Jacob screamed, aggravated that Simon would say that so casually.“Jacob! We’ve talked about the foul language. You’ll be standing in the corner for the next five minutes while I finish my phone call,” Simon chastised in a hushed tone while walking Jacob to the corner.Jacob was fuming in the corner. He needed to go really badly, but Simon was being an asshole. He knew that Simon wouldn’t enjoy being told to use a diaper, and he intended to show him how he felt about his order. I bet you won’t like this.With his attention focused on the phone call, Simon didn’t even hear the ripping of the diaper’s tabs as Jacob got ready to relieve himself in the corner. It wasn’t until he smelled the strong scent of urine that he realized what Jacob had done.“I’m so sorry. Please excuse me. I have to deal with this child,” he explained to his colleagues.“Jacob! I cannot believe that you just did that,” Simon said turning the boy around to face him.As focused as he was on Jacob’s misbehavior, he wasn’t prepared to defend himself when Jacob landed a particularly powerful kick to his groin. Immediately, Simon loosened his grip, and Jacob wormed his way out from under his arm to begin running straight for the front door.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jacob ran towards the front door as quickly as he could. He knew he only had mere seconds before Simon would recover and begin chasing after him. With escape so close to his grasp, he couldn’t fail this time. Re-capture was not an option.As he neared the front door, his stomach sank when he saw that the door was secured with a childproof latch. He didn’t have the spare time to get something to climb on top of. No, he had to keep moving. He had to find another way out.He immediately sped towards the back door, praying to whatever power above looking after him that it wouldn’t also be latched. Jacob turned into the kitchen, stumbling for a second as he almost slid into the corner, but once he looked up at saw that the door wasn’t latched, he knew that luck was finally on his side.Escape was within his grasp. He stood on his tiptoes to undo the deadbolt. He was barely tall enough to guide it with only the tips of his fingers. He was seconds away from freedom. All he had to do was turn the knob and he was finally free. He looked back to make sure Simon wasn’t already behind him, and the coast was clear.Overwhelmed with anticipation, he turned the knob and pulled at the door, but it didn’t budge. He pulled again, harder this time using all the strength his toddler-sized body could muster, but the door just squeaked like something was blocking it from opening.Jacob peered up at the hinges of the door, and he could see that one of them was broken. He would have to be able to lift the door to get out. Adrenaline surged through his system. Time was running out, and he didn’t have another exit.He didn’t even have a second to evaluate his options before he felt a hand on the back of his neck, causing every hair on his body to stand on edge. He tried to turn and face his captor, but Simon just growled, “You are in so much trouble,” and hoisted Jacob over his shoulder.He took him upstairs and stood him in the corner of the nursery facing the wall. When Jacob immediately turned around, Simon quickly turned him back to face the corner and landed a hard swat on his behind.“Do not move,” he said in a no-nonsense tone that scared Jacob.The regressed young man didn’t dare move an inch as his sense of self-preservation kicked in. He was genuinely frightened. This was the angriest he had ever seen Simon get. He feared what was in store for him, especially his rear end.Simon took a seat on the rocking chair, trying to calm himself before administering Jacob’s well-deserved spanking. He took a deep breath, expelling the frustration he felt having to end the conference call with his peers. Simon had to make sure that he wasn’t going into the spanking with any feelings of wanting revenge for the earlier kick to his groin. He believed it would be irresponsible to spank the little boy while he was angry.Once Simon was fully calm, he sat forward in the chair. “Jacob, come over here,” he instructed him in a stern tone.Jacob hesitated. He didn’t want to face the punishment that he knew was coming to him, but at the same time, he didn’t want to make it worse by aggravating the older man.“Jacob, I’m not going to ask you twice,” Simon said, tapping his knee and pointing to a spot on the floor in front of him.His thinly veiled threat was enough to get Jacob moving. It was awful for him. He was being forced to walk to his own punishment. Simon might as well have asked him to cut his own switch.He tried stalling by walking slowly, but one look from Simon caused him to speed up his walk towards him. When Jacob finally stood in front of him, Simon tilted his chin up to force the little boy to look him dead in the eyes.“Before we are done here, I expect an apology from you,” the therapist stated matter-of-factly.Jacob mustered every drop of the courage in his body and responded, “Fuck you. I’m not sorry.”“That’s okay. We’ll see if your attitude changes in a moment,” Simon said, keeping his voice calm and his tone steady. As Jacob was already bare, he didn’t have to waste any time. He simply pulled the little boy right over his lap and began the spanking.Nothing prepared Jacob for the barrage of spanks that instantly landed on his bottom. Spank after spank, Simon wasn’t holding back, not this time. This was going to be a punishment that would make sure Jacob didn’t try to escape ever again.“This is what’s going to happen every single time you pull a stunt like the one from earlier,” Simon said, continuing to land spanks on Jacob’s rear end.Initially, Jacob thought he was going to be able to ride out the spanking like he had the first time, barely shedding a tear, but after the first dozen spanks, he was really feeling the sting radiate all over his bottom.He tried kicking out and squirming around, but Simon didn’t let him move an inch. The older man wrapped an arm around him, and simply continued spanking him. The spanking continued to go on, the only sound in the large lakeside home coming from the spanks that echoed from the nursery.“Ow!” Jacob howled out after a particularly forceful spank landed on his sensitive sit spot.“Are you ready to apologize?” Simon asked, pausing the spanking to wait for a response, but when Jacob ignored him, he landed a volley of sharp spanks to the boy’s sit spots.“I asked you a question Jacob, and I expect an answer,” he said, sternly.Jacob tried to hold out, unwilling to cross that boundary that Simon was asking him to, but with his bottom on fire, he couldn’t think straight. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and it seemed that Simon took that as his answer.The spanking continued with Jacob twisting and squirming under Simon’s tight grasp. He couldn’t repress the groans of pain or the instinctive tears that ran down his face. His body was automatically responding to the spanking whether he wanted it to or not.To Jacob, it felt like the spanking was going on forever, and he needed reprieve. He just wanted to make the stinging stop, and Simon had already made it clear what he needed to do if he wanted the spanking to end.“Simon stop! Please! I’m sorry,” Jacob cried out, no longer caring about anything other than his sore bottom.“Good boy,” Simon praised him, instantly stopping the spanking.Jacob lay across Simon’s lap panting. The spanking had taken a lot out of him. He’d used half of his energy trying to wiggle out of Simon’s grasp. The other half was used up when he tried to stifle his reactions to the sharp slaps to his butt.Simon waited until Jacob seemed to have somewhat recovered from the spanking before he lifted him off his lap and stood him on the floor in front of him.“Every time, Jacob, that you make an escape attempt, this is what’s going to happen. I hope that you learned the lesson you needed to choose not to do it again. Otherwise, you’ll be right back over my lap,” Simon said slowly, emphasizing his words with small hand gestures.When Jacob didn’t respond, Simon tilted his head up and asked, “Do you understand?”“Yes,” the little boy muttered.“Yes, what?” Simon asked.“Yes, sir, I understand,” Jacob ground out through his teeth.“Good boy. Now, let’s get a fresh diaper on you,” Simon said, placing Jacob on the changing table.Jacob groaned when his sore bottom was on the changing table. He was honestly looking forward to the diaper as it would provide some padding for smarting behind. Simon didn’t take long to diaper Jacob and slip on a clean pair of sweatpants on him.I’m going to put you down for a nap while I get lunch together,” Simon explained as he lowered Jacob into the crib.“Okay,” the regressed young man whispered, demoralized.Jacob lay in the crib on his belly with his face buried in the sheets. He was so tired, defeated and ashamed. He was so close to escape, and he failed. He didn’t have a contingency plan. Just twenty-four hours ago, he expected that by now he’d be headed towards freedom, but there he was lying in his cage of a crib with his diapered bottom smarting.
He couldn’t concede the war against his kidnappers just yet, but they’d certainly won the battle. He was tired of fighting, tired of the spankings. He didn’t care about anything that made him rebel anymore, not his past, pride or rights.The young man just wanted to sleep for as long as he could, and he dozed off hoping that he’d sleep away the shame of succumbing to the spanking.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Simon went downstairs to clean up the mess that Jacob left in the corner. He had to break out the cleaning supplies for pets, and the irony of it wasn’t lost on him.Once he finished scrubbing, he returned the supplies to the closet, washed his hands and sprawled out on the couch. He was absolutely worn out. The preparation for his conference call, Jacob’s misbehavior and the subsequent clean up had taken a lot out of him. It was one hectic afternoon, and he needed to relax. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV but fell asleep flipping through the channels.****Simon woke up when he heard the garage door opening. On the TV, a sports interview was being shown. There had recently been a highly public scandal involving a few key players. His attention shifted back to his wife when he heard her keys jingling in her hand.“Did the phone conference go well,” Angelique asked, placing the keys on the rack near the door.“Not exactly,” Simon answered, sitting up and making space for his wife on the couch.“What happened?” she asked with a concerned expression on her face.Simon explained in detail Jacob’s escape attempt and subsequent punishment. Throughout his recount of the afternoon, his wife held an amused expression on her face.“You’re laughing at me aren’t you,” Simon asked, slightly shocked.“I’m trying to hold it back, I promise,” Angelique said, barely managing to suppress her giggles.“What’s so funny?” Simon asked, scratching his head in confusion.“Well, this isn’t abnormal behavior. Right now, Jacob is being a typical toddler. Sure, they might be trying to go on an adventure in the forest instead of leaving town, but escape attempts are what little kids do,” Angelique explained.“I see,” Simon responded, glumly.Angelique leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. “It will get better. I’m sure,” she said, enveloping him in an embrace.“You’re right, as always my all-knowing wife,” Simon said in a light-hearted tone.“I’m glad you know it,” she said laughing before looking towards the kitchen and asking, “Have you had lunch yet?”“No, I fell asleep on the couch before I got to that,” Simon admitted sheepishly. His stomach emphasizing his words by grumbling loudly for both of them to hear.In the kitchen the therapist couple worked on lunch together. That afternoon, they had decided to have mashed potato, fish and mixed vegetables. They were mostly working in silence until Simon turned to his wife and said, “I’m thinking about fixing the kitchen door before Mr. Hammond’s visit.”“Are you planning on going into town to the hardware store in the morning then?” Angelique asked.“Yes, but I’m honestly concerned about leaving you alone with Jacob,” Simon confided, with a worried expression on his face.“You don’t need to worry. It will be fine. Jacob and I will have the chance to have a bit of quality time tomorrow morning,” Angelique replied cheerfully.“If you’re sure, then I guess I’ll head out tomorrow morning,” Simon conceded, still looking slightly worried.“I’m sure, Simon. Jacob isn’t any scarier than the hundreds of little devils I’ve babysat in my young adulthood,” Angelique responded confidently.Simon nodded his head. “Alright, it’s a plan then.”“Great. Well lunch is almost done. So, I’ll go wake Jacob,” Angelique said, washing and drying her hands before making her way upstairs.****Annoyance was the first thing Jacob felt when he woke up from his short nap. He was already irritated and slightly on edge. If there truly was such a thing as waking up on the wrong side of the bed, he had done it. His displeasure only grew in size the moment he heard the doorknob turning.“Jacob, it’s time to wake up,” Angelique said, flipping the lights on in the room.“No, I’m sleeping,” Jacob said, turning over and tightly closing his eyes.“Yes, I see that, but it’s time for you to have something to eat,” Angelique said sternly.“I just want to sleep,” Jacob mumbled into the sheets.“I’m not going back and forth with you, Jacob. It’s time to eat,” she said, lifting him out of the crib.While Angelique changed him, she noticed that his bottom was still slightly red from the earlier spanking. She was honestly a little surprised, knowing that her husband was a pushover when it came to kids. She found herself smiling, pleased that Simon actually laid down some boundaries with the boy.Jacob shut his eyes during the changing process. He had only slightly gotten used to the embarrassing procedure, but he was honestly still tired. Yawning loudly, he stretched his legs and scratched his belly.Angelique thought it was absolutely adorable. “Feeling better?” she asked.“No,” Jacob replied, letting as much annoyance seep into his tone as he could.“Well, I hope that changes soon,” Angelique said, smiling in amusement.“Doubt it,” he monotonously responded, his high-pitched voice squeaking as Angelique lifted him up again.“We’ve got a grumpy tyke this afternoon,” Angelique said to Simon, placing Jacob in his high chair the moment she reached downstairs.Sitting up, Jacob realized his bottom was actually still sore from the earlier spanking. Simon had really laid into him, and Jacob knew he didn’t want to get in that much trouble ever again. The small moment of freedom certainly wasn’t worth a smarting behind.Simon placed his plate of food on the tray, and Jacob just ignored it. He didn’t feel like existing, much less eating. He just wanted to go back to sleep.The therapist couple ate their food, chatting about their plans for the next day while Jacob just sat with his head tilted back. A few moments later when they finished their food, Angelique was the first one to notice that Jacob hadn’t touched his plate.“Aren’t you going to eat anything Jacob?” she asked.“I’m not hungry,” Jacob mumbled.“It’s okay if you have only a few spoons, but you can’t go without eating anything,” she told him firmly.“I’m still full of breakfast,” he lied, wishing they would just leave him alone. He felt like it was totally unfair that they were trying to dictate every aspect of his life. It was honestly worse than prison. At least there he would be able to sleep and starve himself if that’s what he wanted to do.“Jacob, you need to eat something,” Simon said sternly, lifting a spoon to Jacob’s mouth.Jacob shook his head and tightly closed his lips.“Do we need to revisit our conversation about following instructions, Jacob?” he asked in his no-nonsense voice.Jacob sighed dramatically, but he opened his mouth and let Simon feed him the few spoons of fish and mashed potato. When he was finished, he looked at Simon, irritation defined on his face. “There, so I’m done now, right?” he asked.“Yes,” Simon agreed, taking him out the high chair and standing him on the floor.“Can I go back to sleep now?” Jacob asked, expecting to be taken back to his cage-for-a-bed.“Not just yet Jacob. If you go to sleep now, you’ll be up all night,” Angelique replied.“Besides, you need a bath. You’re stinky,” Simon teased.Jacob sighed, unenthusiastic about having to sit in a tub of water again.“Come along, Jacob,” Simon said, allowing the little boy to follow him up the stairs. He hoped the exertion would help to wake him up.Jacob followed his former therapist up the stairs and into the bathroom near the nursery. Simon immediately started the faucet in the tub, letting it fill with warm water, but before Jacob was undressed, the concerned therapist pulled a thermometer out of the medicine cabinet.“What’s that for?” Jacob asked, confused.“You felt a little warm, and I just wanted to be sure that you’re not ill. You seem lethargic,” Simon explained.Jacob shook his head. “I’m not sick. I just want to sleep.”“Nonetheless, I still want to take your temperature. Unless of course you want to do it rectally,” Simon threatened, jokingly.“Not that,” Jacob said, slowly backing away from Simon.“I was kidding,” the older man explained, laughing at Jacob’s reaction. “Now say ahh.”Jacob did as asked, opening his mouth wide enough for Simon to place the thermometer in his mouth. Simon turned off the faucet while he was waiting for the thermometer to beep, indicating that the boy’s temperature was read.“98.6 degrees Fahrenheit,” Simon announced, after reading the output on the thermometer.“Told you I wasn’t sick,” Jacob said, snidely.“Very well. In you go,” Simon said, dropping Jacob into the tub of water.The small subsequent splash did slightly wet the bathmat outside the tub, but Simon figured the cleanup was worth every ounce of the amusement he was experiencing watching Jacob flounder around like a fish outside of water. The boy was a true land mammal, Caribbean without an affinity towards water.“What was that for?” Jacob asked, yelling at Simon.“Nothing. I just thought a little splash might cheer you up some,” Simon replied, wiping away the tears from his profound amusement.Jacob held back all the swear words he wanted to yell at the older man. In silence, he let Simon bathe, dry, diaper and dress him. Through most of it, he was just fantasizing about sleeping on the mattress in the crib. It was actually a very soft and comfortable bed. He thought it was probably an expensive mattress like almost everything else in the house. It felt nice, and he couldn’t wait to cuddle in his blankets.When he was finished, Simon brought Jacob downstairs and sat him on the sofa between the two of them while they watched the news. Jacob didn’t waste the opportunity to start dozing off as neither of the therapists were paying much attention to him. He curled into a ball and was quickly entering the initial stages of sleep.It was only when Angelique felt Jacob’s leg twitch on the cushion next to her that she realized he was already sleeping. It was too cute, but she didn’t want him to sleep on the couch.“Okay, Jacob, even though it’s early, I’ll let you get some more rest,” she said, taking pity on the sleepy boy.Jacob didn’t respond. He was too tired to really even comprehend what she was saying to him, lost in the initial phase of sleep. He just knew that someone was lifting him into their arms, and he didn’t care too much about it.For once he was looking forward to being laid down in the crib, and the moment his head hit the mattress, he was deeply asleep.

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The following morning, Jacob woke up to Angelique lifting his legs on the changing table. It surprised him that she was able to get him out of the crib without waking him. Before he was regressed, he had been a very light sleeper."Good morning sleepyhead," Angelique said once she saw Jacob was stirring awake. "Did you have a good rest, sweetie?" She asked while continuing to finish changing his diaper.Jacob simply nodded his head. He was certainly too tired to verbally respond to her. It seemed like all the people in his life were always morning people, and he didn't understand why this was the case considering that he was a true night owl."It's just us today. Simon went to handle some business in town. I already made your breakfast, and I figured we can spend some quality time together today once you are done eating." She pulled the onesie off of Jacob leaving him in only his fresh diaper and placed it in the laundry basket they kept in the nursery.Jacob just looked at her. He wasn't sure if he should try to explain why he wasn't interested in perpetuating Stockholm Syndrome to a therapist. He had also learned from his two spankings that neither of them took kindly to his smart aleck responses. The 22 year-old-turned-toddler was still too tired to be bothered with responding so he just yawned and closed his eyes again hoping to go back to sleep.Angelique tapped her fingers on the toddler's tummy trying to keep him awake. "It's already past 9am, Jacob. I don't want your breakfast to get cold. Let's get you to the bathroom. So, I can brush your teeth and wash your face."Jacob groaned as Angelique picked him up and walked to the bathroom. He hadn't been forced to adhere to such an early wake up time in years. While he was in graduate school, he would often go to bed in the wee hours of the morning and wake up whenever he felt like it as he mostly had evening classes.With one arm wrapped around the toddler, Angelique switched on the radio they kept on a shelf in the bathroom and picked a station that played music. She placed Jacob on the counter while she busied herself with gathering a towel, a wash cloth, a small toothbrush and a tube of fruit-flavored toothpaste for the little one.Once she gathered the supplies, she turned on the faucet and lathered some gentle soap onto the wash cloth. She slid Jacob closer to the faucet, gripped his chin with her left hand and proceeded to scrub his face using her dominant hand.Jacob was sure that he would never get used to the constant invasion of his personal space by his caretakers. He tried to pull away from Angelique, but he wasn't strong enough to get out of her grasp."I'm almost done," Angelique said as she felt Jacob trying to squirm away. "Close your eyes so I can rinse your face." She tilted the child so that his upper body was over the sink and poured a cup of warm water to rinse the soap off.Jacob did as she instructed and hated himself for his complacency in his own debasement. Washing his face was the absolute last thing he wanted to be doing in that moment. He began to think about how rapidly he was losing his autonomy.Angelique gently dried Jacob's face with the small towel. Once she was done drying him, she wrapped the towel around his neck then grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste.Jacob watched his caretaker rinse the small toothbrush and place a pea sized amount of the fruit-flavored toothpaste on the toothbrush. When he didn't automatically open his mouth, she put the toothbrush in front of his face and instructed the boy, "Say Ahh, Jacob."Jacob decided that he needed to at least try to preserve his dignity and autonomy. He was 22 years old, dammit, not some dumb toddler.Jacob shook his head. "I want to do it myself.""Mommies don't let little toddlers brush their own teeth. They don't do it quite right." Angelique tapped his cheek. "Say Ahh, Jacob."Jacob was convinced that his caretakers were living in an alternate reality. He was smaller sure, but he was certainly still capable of brushing his own teeth."You aren't my mother and I can brush my own teeth." He insisted, unwilling to allow another level of debasement without protesting."I see a certain little someone is feeling fussy this morning. Well, I would like to remind you that you were spanked yesterday for precisely this, refusing to follow instructions. Do you really want another spanking so early in the morning, Jacob?" Angelique calmly asked.Jacob was mortified that she would bring that up and threaten him with a spanking. He narrowed his eyes at her while she blankly stared back at him. After a short moment, he realized that the fight just wasn't worth it. He was too tired and didn't exactly enjoy the taste or smell of his own morning breath in the slightest. He sighed and opened his mouth wide enough for Angelique to brush his teeth."That's a good boy," she praised him.Jacob rolled his eyes at her, but he kept his mouth open while she continued to brush his teeth.When Angelique finished brushing his teeth, she tilted him back over the sink and instructed Jacob to spit. She also made sure to scrape his tongue which caused the groggy toddler to gag a bit. She filled the cup near the sink with water and placed it to his lips."Take a sip and rinse your mouth." His caretaker tilted the cup slightly forward.Jacob took a sip and rinsed his mouth, being sure to get as much of the fruit-flavored toothpaste off of his tongue as possible. Even though his child palette had returned, he didn't enjoy the texture of the paste on his tongue.After he finished rinsing, Angelique took the towel from around his neck and dried his face off once again."Alright, it's breakfast time," Angelique announced while lifting Jacob with one arm and moving to turn the radio off with the other.She walked downstairs and into the kitchen before placing Jacob into his high chair."Now you wait here while I make sure your breakfast is nice and warm for you," she said before moving into the kitchen to stir the breakfast in the pot on low heat.Sitting in the high chair, Jacob was glad to finally have a quiet moment to himself again. He leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes. As he was just about to drift into a deep sleep, he heard Angelique exclaim, "Jacob! Rise and shine, sweetie."Very few things caused Jacob to lose his temper, but at the top of the list was having his sleep disrupted and being jarred awake.Jacob snapped his eyes open and snarled, "Leave me alone! I just want to sleep.""Sweetie, we talked about this. A good sleep schedule is important, and it is better for you to start adjusting to a proper one.""I don't care! I'm tired. Go away!" Jacob shouted.Angelique ignored him and placed a small porcelain bowl of oatmeal on the tray of the high chair. She turned to retrieve a spoon from the dishpan near the sink.Jacob was livid watching her continue to ignore his protests, and he was tired of feeling like his words were falling on deaf ears. Before he could stop himself, he shouted, "I said I don't want breakfast!" and pushed the bowl of oatmeal off of the tray and onto the floor.The porcelain bowl fell to ground with a loud smash and shattered everywhere splashing all of the oatmeal over the dining area floor and littering shards of porcelain around it.Angelique had turned around to face Jacob with a small spoon in hand right as he pushed the bowl of oatmeal over the edge of the tray."Jacob! We do not destroy dishes in this house," Angelique admonished the young boy.She carefully stepped around the mess and removed the angry toddler from his high chair to hold him at eye-level."I think you need some time in your playpen to calm down and think about your naughty behavior."Jacob found himself even more infuriated by her tone of voice. He hated that she continued to talk to him as though he was a child."Fuck you!" he yelled. He pushed against his caretaker hoping to get out of her grasp before she confined him to the playpen."Oh, that is it!" She flipped the defiant boy over and tucked him under her arm, temporarily disorienting him while locking his arms in place.Once Jacob recovered from the shock of being turned around so suddenly, he did his best to try to twist and squirm to get out of her grasp. "Let me go!" He shrieked."You're not going anywhere," Angelique responded calmly while grabbing a wooden spoon from the kitchen. She quickly climbed the stairs to the bedroom with the wiggling boy tucked securely under her arm.Jacob was too preoccupied with trying to twist out of her grasp that he didn't even notice her get the spoon.As they entered the bedroom, Angelique took a seat on the edge of the bed, pulled the furious toddler over her knees and placed the wooden spoon on the bed. Jacob having now experienced two spankings, knew what was coming and began to feel desperate. It was one thing to have Simon spank him but a whole next thing to be spanked by a woman he barely knew.He tried to plead. "I'll eat the breakfast. Please, I don't want another spanking.""No, Jacob. We are past that. Your behavior has warranted a spanking, and you are getting one. There's no point in trying to get out of it."Her authoritative tone further enraged the young boy, and Jacob felt his vision go red when he caught a view of the wooden spoon on the bed. He couldn't believe she would spank him with that. This was the 21st century, and he was not a child."NO!" he shouted and bared his teeth.
I can't believe it. The beginning of the first chapter I ever wrote for this story. I had such a huge dream, and over 35,000 words later, I'm still expanding on it. Thanks for joining me on this journey y'all. It's unbelievable. -Caleb

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Angelique had sensed something was amiss by his defiant declaration and had tilted her left knee to get a view of his face. When she realized he was preparing to bite her, she quickly pulled him off of her lap once again disorienting the boy and pulled his diaper down to his ankles.She pulled him back over her lap, and without missing a beat, she picked the wooden spoon off of the bed, spun it around in her hand and rained several blows on his bared behind."You do not bite!" she yelled, astounded that the boy would go so far. She genuinely began to wonder if he had any sense of self-preservation. He just kept pushing boundaries.Jacob was shocked, having barely recovered from being pulled off of her lap so fast. He kicked his legs and pounded his tiny fists on her legs, unable to believe how painful the wooden spoon was on his bare ass.The defiant boy was barely suppressing the cries and moans that almost escaped his lips as the heat spread all along his butt. He was determined not to give her the satisfaction of hearing him respond to the spanking. He stopped pounding his fists, but he was still squirming trying to escape the blows from the spoon.Angelique had found a rhythm spanking him with the wooden spoon and alternating spots while holding him steady with her left arm. When he seemed to lose some of his fight, she lectured while still raining blows."Jacob, this behavior has to end. There will be no more biting, no more fighting, no more throwing things and no more swearing. We know you didn't ask for this, but because it's happening, we expect you to adjust and accept it. You don't have to like it, but you will respect the rules of this house. If you won't, you will be spanked until you learn to do so, however many times it takes."As Angelique was lecturing him, the reality of his situation was becoming apparent to Jacob. There he was, 22 years old but the size of a toddler pinned over the knees of his therapist's wife being spanked with a wooden spoon, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.The loss of control and powerlessness that he was experiencing crushed his spirit causing all of the resistance left in him to dissipate. All the frustration that had been building up behind a dam in his mind finally burst free, and he felt himself go limp over her knees and begin to sob.Angelique was pleased to see that her words finally seemed to have an effect on the boy. She knew it was almost time to end the spanking, so she tilted him forward and aimed the last few spanks at his sit spots, making sure that he would feel the after-effects of the spanking for a while.Jacob continued to lay limp over her knees while sobbing. He didn't even notice when she ended the spanking. He was overwhelmed with all the emotions that he had been suppressing up until that moment. The hopelessness, the loss of control, the frustration and the anger were all so overpowering.Once the spanking was over, Angelique comforted the sobbing toddler by rubbing soothing circles along his back while pulling him in tighter. She knew intuitively that Jacob must have reached some level of acceptance over his situation, and she expected that it was going to be tough on him emotionally. That was why she resolved to stay with him and provide him with comfort until he stabilized.A few minutes later, when his sobs finally died down into soft whimpers and occasional sniffles, Angelique slowly picked Jacob up off of her lap and stood him between her legs. She gently pulled his diaper over his reddened behind while he looked dejectedly at the floor, ashamed that he was emotionally vulnerable in front of pretty much a stranger.Angelique could see that Jacob seemed to have no intention of making eye-contact with her. She hoped to break him out of the cycle of habitual shame Simon had explained to her that the boy tended to torture himself with. Tapping two fingers under his chin she said, "Jacob, look at me."Jacob found himself playing with his hands before unconsciously placing his right thumb in his mouth as he raised his eyes to connect with hers. He expected her to still be angry with him for his behavior, but he was surprised to see her kindly looking down towards him.Angelique could see the confusion in his eyes, so she began, "I'm not angry with you, Jacob. You were punished for your behavior, and now it's behind us." She paused for a second to wipe the tears from his face and continued, "Honey, just try not to force another spanking on yourself. Neither Simon nor I take any joy from this, and I'm sure this isn't very pleasant for you, is it?"Jacob silently shook his head. He certainly didn't enjoy the fire being turned up on his ass."Alright then. Let's get the mess in the kitchen cleaned up and get some food in that tummy of yours. I'm going to put you in your playpen while I clean up the mess. I don't want you to accidentally get hurt by any shards of porcelain, okay?"Jacob nodded his head with his thumb still in his mouth. The nurturing woman lifted him into her arms being sure to be gentle with his sore behind.On the way back to the living room, Angelique grabbed a blanket and a sippy cup of water for the boy then deposited him into the playpen on his stomach, leaving him alone with his thoughts for a while.Jacob was exhausted physically and emotionally. He was also pretty thirsty from all the crying, so he picked up the sippy cup and turned himself over. He let out a groan when he felt his weight on his sore bottom. With his free hand, he rubbed at his bottom through his diapers trying to relieve the sting.While he gulped down the water, Jacob made sure to mentally note that he never wanted to experience another spanking from Angelique. That was nothing like the spankings he got from Simon; she was definitely the tougher disciplinarian. He figured it was to be expected since Simon was much more soft-spoken than his wife.Setting the cup down at the edge of his playpen, Jacob rolled onto his side. He was still so tired that he didn't even care whether Angelique might wake him up again. He could barely keep his eyes open. Pulling the blanket over his body, he drifted off to sleep wondering where Simon had even gone for the day.It was a few moments before Angelique had finished sweeping up the last of the broken pieces of porcelain and cleaning the dried oatmeal from the floor. She resolved to have Simon pick up a few plastic bowls from the store should there be another tantrum from Jacob at meal time. She was sure, however, that he would be on his best behavior for at least a few days.She went to get Jacob to put him back into his high chair for breakfast when she saw he was soundly sleeping in his playpen. She almost squealed in delight looking at how cute he was sucking his thumb, lightly snoring and cuddling with his blanket. That little hellion from less than an hour ago was now the picture of pure innocence napping in his playpen.Angelique decided that she would let him sleep for at least a few hours. She figured that she would wait until tomorrow morning to try changing his sleep schedule and went to the kitchen to get her phone. Sitting on the couch, she texted Simon asking him to pick up a few items from the store on his way back from town. While she waited for his return, she pulled out her current novel from the bookshelf and started reading.
I'm still so proud of my early work. This is a short chapter, but I couldn't bring myself to change it. It was a work of art from the very beginning. Thanks for sticking with me y'all!

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It was midday when Jacob woke up again, and he could hear distant talking. Rubbing his eyes and stretching his legs, he realized that he was starving, and his diaper was soaked. He desperately needed food and a diaper change, but he was trapped in the playpen and his caretakers weren’t close enough to notice his predicament.Tears streamed down his face as he stood peering through the net of his prison and before he knew it, he heard himself begin to wail in self-pity. He didn’t understand why his life was so hard or why everything always felt so difficult. He just wanted something to soothe the burning in his stomach and the wetness in his crotch.Suddenly, he heard a door open and he was lifted into the air. He felt fingers in the waistband of his diapers, but he couldn’t stop crying. He just continued to wail over his predicament.****Angelique and Simon were in the office downstairs discussing the length of their vacation when their conversation was cut short hearing the high-pitched wails coming from the living room. They opened the door and rushed in afraid something might be seriously wrong with their charge.Upon reaching the playpen, they observed that the boy wasn’t injured, and nothing seemed to physically be wrong with him. Angelique reached in and lifted the wailing toddler into her arms before sneaking two fingers into the waistband of his diaper. Sure enough, it was soaked. The experienced babysitter assumed that his soiled diaper and missed meals were causing this emotional meltdown that she and her husband were witnessing.In an attempt to defuse the situation as quickly as possible, she handed the fussing toddler to Simon. “Will you change him while I warm him something to eat?” She asked.“Sure, Honey,” Simon said. Turning to take Jacob to the changing table upstairs, he heard her call out to him. “Oh, give him this to drink while you change him. It should calm him some.” She said while handing Simon the boy’s sippy cup filled with water.Simon raised the sobbing toddler so that the little one’s head was resting on his shoulder. He took the cup from his wife with his free hand then ascended the stairs.Once Simon deposited Jacob onto the changing table, he tried to give the boy the cup of water, but his eyes were unfocused while he continued to sob. Instead, he simply placed the plastic teat in the toddler’s mouth and waited for him to notice.Almost immediately, Jacob grabbed the cup from Simon’s hands and began to greedily gulp down the water. He was disappointed that it wasn’t milk, but he was grateful to have anything fill his stomach.Seeing that the child was pacified for the time being, Simon gathered the changing supplies and started to change the soiled diaper. He was a bit surprised to see such a major emotional meltdown from his former emotionally detached client. However, Angelique had described Jacob’s earlier emotional meltdown during their earlier conversation, and he assumed that it was what was causing him to rapidly emotionally regress. The 22-year-old now had the emotional regulation skills of a true toddler.Just as Jacob finished the cup of water, Simon had finished putting the new diaper on the boy’s bottom. Simon took the sippy cup from Jacob’s hands and looked down at the sniffling toddler. He reached down to grab another wipe and cleaned the dried tears from Jacob’s face.“You have a fresh diaper and some water in your tummy. Do you feel a little better?” He asked.Jacob nodded his head.Simon theatrically tapped his chin and said, “Hm, I’m starting to think the voice box of my favorite little hellion might be broken. It seems like he doesn’t talk anymore. He only cries.”Simon began to tickle Jacob and asked, “Are you ready to get some grub in your tummy?”Jacob giggled at his theatrics and doubled over in laughter in response to being tickled.“Yessss I’m ready!” Jacob lisped between giggles while trying to evade Simon’s tickles.“I’m glad to hear that,” Simon said and scooped up Jacob then carried him downstairs.When Simon and Jacob entered the kitchen, they found Angelique in the middle of pouring some soup from a pot into a colorful plastic bowl.Simon pulled open a drawer in the kitchen and fished out a bib for Jacob. He deposited Jacob in the high chair and carefully placed the light blue bib around Jacob’s neck.Jacob was too hungry to put up a fuss over the bib. His eyes were fixated on the spoon Angelique was using to stir the steaming bowl of soup, and his tiny body was twitching in anticipation. He didn’t have to wait too long because once Angelique finished stirring the bowl, she sat herself in the dining chair closest to the high chair.While Angelique began to feed Jacob, Simon busied himself with the rest of lunch preparation. He began setting the table and fixing the plates for him and his wife.After the first spoon, Jacob was in heaven. The soup was hitting the spot, and he was experiencing a flood of childhood memories. Jacob was sure that this was almost the same exact soup recipe his grandmother would use when he was growing up. He didn’t even care that some of the broth would dribble down his chin while he chewed on a chunk of sweet potato, dumplings, fig or chicken.Angelique was happy to see just how much Jacob enjoyed the soup. She noticed that the little boy would lick his lips in anticipation of another spoon, and his eyes would close in delight while he chewed.When Angelique fed Jacob the last spoon she managed to scoop up from the bowl, she announced, “All done!” Jacob opened his eyes with a look of disappointment on his face as though his hunger was not fully sated.Before Jacob could protest, Angelique said, “Don’t worry sweetie. I’ve got some crackers and juice for you to munch on while Simon and I have lunch.”Simon was pouring their drinks into the glasses on the table while Angelique placed a small plate of table crackers and a sippy cup with fruit juice on the tray of the high chair for Jacob.Jacob immediately began to chow down on the crackers and once his mouth got too dry to continue, he guzzled down some of the juice. The toddler had an almost insatiable appetite. By the time he reached the end of the bowl of crackers and finished his cup of juice, Jacob was stuffed. He rested his head on the back of the high chair and closed his eyes in contentment.While the little boy was devouring his food, Angelique and Simon were enjoying their meal and discussing their plans for the rest of the day. They agreed that the garden needed some work this afternoon, and they decided they would plan to have a family movie night this evening.As Angelique and Simon were finishing their lunch, they noticed Jacob sigh in contentment and relax in his high chair. They both smiled at each other happy that he was finally beginning to settle down around them.When the couple finished their individual meals, they both got up, took their dishes as well as Jacob’s to the kitchen sink and began to wash them together. It was a team effort. Angelique scrubbed the dishes and handed them to Simon for rinsing and drying.“I was thinking that I might give Jacob a haircut after his bath,” Simon began. “What do you think about that idea?” He asked.“I was actually thinking that he needed a haircut this morning when I was getting him ready for the day. Right now, his little Afro makes it a bit difficult to get his hair dried quickly, and our little sweat monster needs to get his hair washed often,” she agreed.“Great! I think I’m going to take it down to about the two inches he used to keep his hair at and fade the sides along with the back.” Simon explained.“That sounds perfect. I can’t wait to see it. He will look so adorable,” Angelique enthused.When Angelique handed the last dish to Simon, she walked over to the high chair with the dish rag in hand.Jacob had spent most the time that Simon and Angelique were washing the dishes experiencing the dreaded food fatigue. Right before they finished, he felt himself becoming more energetic, so he started kicking his legs in the air trying to entertain himself. When he saw Angelique start to approach, he stopped swinging his legs and looked at her expecting her to take him out of the high chair.“Looks like someone is just about finished digesting the enormous meal he had,” Angelique told the toddler.She reached over the tray and patted his belly. “I don’t know how your little stomach made room for all that food,” she said.Jacob meekly responded, “Thank you for the soup. I really liked it.”Angelique kissed his forehead and said, “Aw, you’re so precious. You’re welcome.”With that, she used the dish rag to wipe down the high chair tray, cleaning up all the crumbs left behind in the wake of Jacob’s food frenzy.After Simon finished rinsing and drying the last of the dishes, he walked over to join Angelique and Jacob in the dining area. Looking at the little toddler with crumbs and other food residue covering his upper body, he announced, “Okay, it’s time for your bath, Jacob.”Simon lifted Jacob out of his high chair, keeping the dirty child held at a bit of a distance. He wanted to at least try to keep his shirt clean enough to be able to use it until he had his own shower in a few hours.Once they made it to the bathroom, Simon stood Jacob on the tiled floor and pulled the shower curtain aside to turn on the faucet in the tub. He filled the tub with warm water and added an ample amount of bubble bath soap to the water.Jacob was observing how strange it truly was now that everything felt so much larger since he was regressed. Looking at the amount of water filling the tub, he was actually a bit afraid of drowning in it.Immersed with memories from the last few times that he had a bubble bath during his childhood, Jacob remembered how much he loved playing war games with his little sister in the water using a few of the beach toys their mother had bought for them. It was then that he felt some sadness over the loss of his little sister creep up on him. This time, however, he wasn’t able to just snuff it down. Instead, he began to cry.Simon turned off the faucet and was checking the temperature of the water making sure that it wasn’t hot enough to scald the child. When he heard sniffling behind him, he turned around and saw a few tears running down Jacob’s little cheeks.“What’s wrong buddy?” Simon tentatively asked the crying child.“I miss my little sister,” Jacob whimpered. His little body trembled as he began to sob.Simon didn’t even hesitate before pulling the crying child in for a comforting hug.“I loved her so much. I can’t believe she’s gone,” Jacob sobbed into Simon’s chest.“I know buddy. I know” Simon rubbed the boy’s back.When Jacob’s cries died down, Simon pulled him back a bit and said, “Jacob, your sister lived her entire life knowing you cared deeply for her. That was the greatest gift you gave her, your moments in time together.”Jacob nodded his head and rubbed at his eyes. When he finally stepped out of Simon’s embrace, he looked sheepishly at the man’s shirt.Simon noticed Jacob’s embarrassed expression and was confused until he looked down and saw the mess of snot, crumbs and food residue covering his shirt. “Oh, well I guess I’ve got to get another shirt once we are done here,” he said casually.Simon reached over and undid the plastic strips on Jacob’s diaper and tossed it into the trash near the toilet. It was about a good distance away, so he did a celebratory fist bump when it went in perfectly.Jacob laughed at the man’s giddiness.“What are you laughing at? You’re next.” Simon jokingly told the laughing boy.“Noooo,” Jacob protested between giggles while Simon tickled him before he was deposited into the bath water and stood up against the rim of the tub.Simon opened a bottle of shampoo. “Alright, it’s time to get you squeaky clean. I’m going to wash your hair because you’re getting a hair cut after your bath.”Jacob would never admit it, but he enjoyed the sensation of his caretaker massaging the shampoo into his scalp. When Simon finished lathering the shampoo in his little Afro, Jacob found himself a bit disappointed that his massage ended.When Simon was scrubbing the food residue off of the little boy with a washcloth, Jacob asked, “Are you going to cut my hair yourself?”“Yes, I am,” Simon confirmed. He went on to explain, “I actually got pretty good with the clippers over the years. I’ve been cutting my own hair since I was in college.”“Oh, that’s cool. Are you going to cut it like I used to have it cut before?” Jacob curiously asked.“That’s the plan, Stan.” Simon cheekily responded, knowing that Jacob was likely too young to get the Paul Simon reference.Once the toddler was scrubbed clean, Simon opened the drain in the tub, grabbed a nearby bowl and rinsed Jacob’s hair along with his little body using water from the faucet.When he was done, Simon wrapped a large white towel around the boy’s body and lifted him out of the tub. Sitting on the rim of the tub, he took time to make sure Jacob’s hair and body was as dry as possible.

Well, I guess the length of this chapter makes up for it. This is the last one for today. I hope you all enjoy the binge!

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“Phew!” Simon exclaimed. “This is why you’re getting a haircut. I feel like I just got a workout towel drying all of this hair,” the middle-aged man complained while lifting Jacob in his arms.Once they made it to the nursery, Simon made sure to quickly diaper and dress Jacob. At this point, he was extremely adept at the daily chore, and Jacob was learning the rhythm, knowing when to lift his arms and point his legs.“We’re going to make a quick stop to my bathroom for the clippers,” Simon said, causing Jacob’s curiosity to spark. He hadn’t ever seen their bathroom.Once they were through the door, Jacob immediately noticed that it was much larger than the one near the nursery. Their bathroom was equipped with a double basin vanity. Two small mirrors decorated the wall perpendicular to the sink, and the entire master bathroom was furnished with a white and light gray theme. The shower was encased in clear glass, and the bathtub sat on top of a higher ledge with brick steps leading up to it.Simon placed Jacob on the counter while he rummaged through a drawer in the vanity.It was extremely clean in their bathroom, and Jacob thought it was almost too clean, as if the therapists had nothing else to occupy their time with other than playing house. He suspected that boredom had to play some role in why they decided to have him regressed, but he wasn’t going to air his observation. He knew better at that point.“Got it!” Simon exclaimed, holding the pair of clippers in his hand.“Congrats,” Jacob said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.“Alright. Let’s get this show on the road,” Simon enthused, lifting Jacob onto his hip with his free arm.When they made it down the stairs, Simon stooped down to stand Jacob on the living room floor.“Simon? Will you cut his hair on the porch?” Angelique asked, poking her head out from the kitchen.“Sure,” he agreed, grabbing a dining chair and walked it to backdoor. Jacob followed behind him onto the porch.“I already made a makeshift cape for him,” Angelique said, showing off a small garbage bag with a tiny hole cut into the bottom.As soon as Jacob saw her approaching with the small plastic bag, he was already dreading the experience of putting the contraption on. He was the tiniest bit claustrophobic, and having his head put through such a small space was not something he wanted to do. It reminded him of birthing, and he almost laughed at the irony of that.Angelique was surprisingly gentle while getting the cape on him. It wasn’t nearly the rough experience that Jacob anticipated. He sat still, anxiously awaiting his first haircut from his former therapist.After testing the clippers to make sure they were working properly, Simon pulled Jacob’s Afro into a small ponytail and tied it back with a large rubber band.“Here we go,” he said as he turned the clippers on again.In one small swipe, he cut the ponytail off, leaving behind a much smaller Afro on the little boy’s head. After attaching a small plastic guard to the clippers, he made a few swipes along the boy’s scalp, moving from back to front.The small hairs fell past the front of Jacob’s face and onto his lap. He watched them slowly fall through the air in front of him, partially looking forward to the new haircut. Before he was regressed, he had been meaning to get his hair cut, but he was too deep in depression to make time for it.It was a bit jarring for Jacob how much bigger the clippers felt since he was smaller. A few times when Simon passed the clippers close to his ears, he had to resist the urge to move his head away. Either way, it seemed Simon was prepared for him to fidget a little, guiding his head with his hands to make sure no accidents would happen.When he finally finished the haircut, Jacob looked like a different toddler. His hair was now a small curly Afro faded along the sides and back of his head. He looked like a child model after getting their haircut for a photoshoot.“He’s so cute!” Angelique gushed, quickly snapping a picture with her cellphone.“Would you like to see?” Simon asked, handing Jacob his cellphone with the front-facing camera on.The little boy maneuvered the phone around, looking at his haircut. He liked it, and it certainly made him feel more groomed than he had in a very long time.“Thanks,” he said, looking up to make eye contact with Simon.“You’re welcome, Jacob,” he responded, smiling and dusting the hair off of the boy’s makeshift cape.“It’s such a nice day,” Angelique said, marveling at the scenic backyard.“It is,” Simon agreed, standing next to her along the balcony and wrapping an arm over her shoulders.“Well we’ve been meaning to work on the garden, and Jacob needs to stretch his legs. So, let’s take advantage of it,” Angelique proposed.“Are you sure?” Simon asked, looking over at Jacob with a concerned expression.“He won’t run away,” she said, pausing and stooping down to be at eye-level with Jacob. “You’ll be on your best behavior, won’t you?” she asked him.He thought back on her spanking and the wicked wooden spoon, and quickly nodded his head. He had already promised himself that he would never get on her bad side again. She was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Simon he could handle, but not her.“See Simon. There’s nothing to be worried about,” she said, pecking her husband on the face and stepping inside to grab a small pair of sandals near the door.Simon was impressed how confident Angelique seemed in being capable of handling Jacob. He certainly appeared to acknowledge her authority. Now, he just needed to get the boy to mind him.After everyone got their shoes on, the trio made their way to the small garden at the side of the house near the shed. It was a small vegetable garden, enclosed with four thin pieces of light-brown wood. Angelique unlocked the shed and reached inside to grab a few cups with shoots ready to be transplanted to the garden.She turned to Jacob and firmly said, “Now, you are to stay within ten feet of us. Do you understand?”“Yes,” he replied, nodding his head.Internally, Jacob relished the opportunity to get some fresh air and clear his head. He was beginning to go stir crazy, stuck inside like a lab rat. When the therapists turned their backs to him to dig in the garden, he entertained himself by picking the dandelions sprouting in the yard.Jacob felt some temptation to run away, but he didn’t bother with it. He didn’t want to think too hard about escape. It made sense to him to focus on the present and what he wanted in the moment. More than anything else, he needed to chill out. The stress of focusing on nothing but escape for so long had really taken a toll on him. He needed to relax and take a break for a while, and he focused on doing just that.After he plucked every dandelion within ten feet of the garden, he walked in circles until he was finally tired of standing up. That was when he found a nice patch of grass and laid down on it, looking up at the clouds. The therapists’ distant conversation morphed into a hum in the background as he closed his eyes and relaxed.“Look Simon. I think Jacob’s asleep,” Angelique said when she looked back and noticed him lying in the grass.“Well, he sure can sleep anywhere,” Simon commented, chuckling.“Yeah, he can,” Angelique agreed, laughing along with him.“Let’s finish up here. That way we can get him inside and get started on dinner,” Simon proposed.“Yup, let’s do it,” she said, smoothing some dirt with her shovel.A few moments later when Simon reached down to lift Jacob into his arms, the little boy woke up, unconsciously shifting away from the older man.“We’re going inside now,” Simon explained softly.Jacob only mumbled a response that Simon wasn’t able to make out before he rested his head onto the Simon’s shoulder and fell back asleep.

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The therapist couple slowly walked to the nursery. Simon was about to lay Jacob in the crib, but he hesitated. “Angelique, would you put a blanket down in there?” he requested, motioning towards the crib. “I don’t want him to dirty the sheets. I just changed them,” he explained further.“Good call,” she quickly replied, walking over to the closet and unfolding a thick, purple blanket.After she smoothed it out over the mattress, he carefully laid Jacob onto it, trying not to disrupt his sleep. They stood over the crib for a moment watching him sleep and listening to his small snores. A small moment later, they decided to leave him to sleep, and Angelique quietly closed the door to the nursery behind them until the door clicked shut.“So, what are we having for dinner,” Simon asked, stretching his arms as they walked downstairs.“I’m thinking we can do some chicken fajitas,” she proposed.“That sounds great. I think Jacob will like it,” he replied, nodding his head.While they were in the midst of quietly working in the kitchen, Angelique turned to Simon and interrupted the silence. “In the morning, I think we should explain to Jacob that Mr. Hammond will be visiting,” she said thoughtfully.“You’re right. I don’t think he knows,” Simon speculated, running a hand through his hair.“I hope it goes well tomorrow. We’ve made a lot of progress,” Angelique said, wistfully.“Yeah. It would really be quite the setback if Jacob doesn’t take kindly to Mr. Hammond’s visit,” Simon agreed.“But we will still be okay if it doesn’t go well, right?” Angelique asked, burying her head into the crook of Simon’s shoulder.“Always,” Simon whispered, hugging her back.When they were nearly done with dinner, Angelique volunteered to be the one responsible for waking Jacob up. At this point, they were both very aware that he tended towards a grumpy disposition whenever his sleep was disrupted, no matter how minutely.She made her way upstairs and opened the door to the nursery. Jacob was still in the crib, but at some point, he had rolled onto his side and curled into the fetal position.“Jacob, it’s time to wake up,” she called out to him.The little boy yawned and rolled over, continuing to the snore as if he didn’t hear her at all. This caused Angelique to get a little more creative. She tickled the bottom of his foot. “It’s dinner time, Jacob,” she said in a sing-song voice.“No,” he grumbled, turning onto his belly and wiggling his foot out of her grasp.“Yes,” she responded, lifting him out of the crib and taking him to the changing table.Opening only one eye, Jacob looked at Angelique and simply said, “I’m hungry.”“That’s good,” she replied, tossing his dirty diaper before continuing, “Dinner is ready.”“What’s for dinner?” the grumpy little boy asked between loud yawns.“It’s a surprise,” Angelique said, lifting him into her arms.It wasn’t long before Jacob got his answer. The moment they made it downstairs, he picked up the aroma of the chicken fajitas that saturated the air in the living room. His stomach grumbled at the smell grew stronger in the kitchen.He could see the small plastic plate on the highchair’s tray was already filled with different toppings for his chicken fajitas. The moment he sat down fully on the seat, he grabbed the plastic spork and filled his mouth with some guacamole. He enjoyed avocados in any form. So, it was a nice way to start reducing his hunger.While Jacob stuffed his face, Simon turned on the radio in the kitchen to the news station. He grabbed two glasses of lemonade and made his way over to the dining the table.“Chance of rain: sixty percent,” the news anchor relayed.“Well, I guess that means we will be having lunch inside tomorrow,” Angelique said, sounding slightly disappointed.“And we won’t have to water the garden tomorrow,” Simon added on.“That’s true,” Angelique said, smiling at her husband.They continued to eat, listening to the rest of the news. Jacob finished his dinner before the therapists. While he waited for one of them to release him from the highchair, he kicked his legs rhythmically, humming softly to himself.“What are you singing?” Angelique asked, surprised to see the boy so at ease.“I don’t know the name of the song,” Jacob replied, raising his arms towards her.She pulled him out of the highchair and released him onto the floor in the kitchen. “We still have to finish the dishes, but you’re free to roam the kitchen while we do so,” she explained.At the same time, Simon changed the radio and began playing a CD filled with some older reggae songs.While his caretakers stood in front of the sink, he walked to the opposite side of the kitchen, noticing the “naughty stool” that was still in the corner. His curiosity got the better of him, and he opened the pantry that was next to him. When the door squeaked while he was opening it, he cringed, afraid that he might get in trouble.He waited a few seconds, expecting a reprimand, but neither of them said anything. He figured it was a silent endorsement of his exploration. So, he went to nearly every cabinet within his reach to open, peak inside and close them back. Most of what he discovered were just small appliances for the kitchen. He saw a coffee maker, a slow cooker, a waffle maker and many fancy dishes.He honestly wondered where they kept the snacks, and he was a tad disappointed he didn’t run into any candy. Jacob imagined that since he was the size of a kid, his sugar highs would once again be legendary.As if Angelique could read his mind, she asked, “Are you still hungry, Jacob?”He looked at her with a confused expression on his face. Drying her hands for a second, she opened one of the cabinets Jacob couldn’t reach and pulled out a cereal container. “Would you like to try some prunes?” she asked.The little boy screwed up his face, clearly disgusted by the mention of prunes. He never liked them, even after his adult palette had kicked in.“These are very sweet. Try one,” she encouraged, handing him a small prune.He hesitantly took the prune out of her hand and made a very tiny bite on the edge of it, fully expecting to spit it out, but it surprisingly wasn’t bad. He ate the whole thing, genuinely shocked at how candylike it tasted.“Do you want some more,” she asked.“Yes, please,” Jacob replied, trying to use his manners to appease her.He watched as she grabbed a small plastic bowl and poured a few prunes into it before handing it to him.“Thank you,” he said, while taking the bowl from her.“Enjoy,” she replied, grabbing a rag and walking towards the dining table.Jacob was in his own world while he walked in circles around the kitchen munching on the prunes. He was thinking about how nice it felt to have the freedom to walk around more. He did notice how his caretakers seemed to be giving him more privileges in response to his good behavior, but he didn’t think too hard about it. He was playing the part. So, he might as well enjoy the perks that come along with it.When he reached into the bowl one final time, and realized it was empty, he was almost overwhelmed with disappointment. He walked over to Angelique and tugged on her pants. She immediately looked down to acknowledge him and said, “Yes, Jacob.”“I’m done,” he replied, holding the bowl up above his head for her.She took the bowl from him and turned to Simon then asked, “You’re giving him his bath, right?”“Yup,” he confirmed, drying his hands and lifting Jacob into his arms.As Simon walked upstairs, Angelique called out to him, “I’ll get Jacob after I’m done showering.”Simon wasted no time walking to the bathroom near the nursery with the little boy in his arms. While Simon was undressing the boy he proposed, “How about a shower this time?”Jacob nodded, looking forward to escaping the bath. He wasn’t keen on standing in the water that was typically filled to almost half his body height.The West Indian man lifted the showerhead out of its holder and turned the water to a warm sitting. He tested it on his forearm then turned it towards Jacob’s legs.The water pressure was quite relaxing, and Jacob enjoyed the nice warm water, but when Simon aimed the showerhead towards his fresh haircut, he groaned in protest.“Hey, you’re the one who took a nap in the backyard. You should have known that you’d need your hair washed after that,” Simon explained.“I know, but it still sucks,” he muttered, shutting his eyes tightly.“Besides, we still need to get out all those little hairs from the haircut. Either way, you were going to need to have your hair washed,” he continued while pouring shampoo into his handsSimon was gentle while he massaged the shampoo and conditioner into the boy’s much shorter Afro. It was much quicker the second time around. That time, the rinsing and drying process was significantly faster.“Wow! The difference a haircut can make,” Simon enthused, wrapping Jacob in the small blue towel.

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“That wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be,” Jacob admitted, running a hand through his slightly wet hair.“Progress!” Simon shouted, lifting Jacob off the ground.Once Simon had seated the little boy onto the countertop, he rummaged through a small drawer on the side of the vanity. While he was focused on that, Jacob took the chance to peak at his reflection once more. He noticed how some of the curls in his small Afro were bending towards his forehead, a mess of tangles going in different directions. There was also a few stray hairs that were a little higher than the others. As messy as his new haircut was, he honestly liked it. To Jacob, it felt nice to be groomed again. He smiled at his reflection, reflecting on his new haircut.Simon pulled out a pair of scissors and a comb. “Mr. Grumpy is smiling!” he commented, feigning shock and causing Jacob to blush.The middle-aged man didn’t bother to have Jacob turn back around. Instead, he just began combing through his hair and used the mirror to make eye contact with the toddler.“Jacob, how do you feel?” he asked, using the tone of voice that he typically used when conducting therapy sessions.“I feel secure,” Jacob answered automatically, almost like he forget for a second about the past betrayal and animosity he still held towards his former therapist.“What do you mean by secure?” he asked, encouraging Jacob to continue.“Well, before…I wasn’t living in the best circumstances,” he admitted in a hushed tone. “Even though I didn’t agree to this, it is a better quality of life,” he said, focusing on his hands in his lap.“I know that must have been hard for you to admit. It was brave, considering how angry I can imagine you still are with me,” Simon acknowledged.“Thanks,” Jacob replied, grateful for the compassion.After he combed through all of Jacob’s hair, he used the comb as his measuring tool and began to clip away the stray hairs.“Tomorrow, we can see about putting some gel in this to make it look even better,” Simon suggested when he was done.“Cool,” Jacob agreed.

Finished in the bathroom, Simon made his way to the nursery with Jacob in tow. Before placing Jacob on the changing table, he went to the chest of drawers and pulled a onesie out of it. It was adorable, light gray and blue with a pattern of construction trucks.“Up you go,” he said, lifting Jacob onto the changing table.The toddler obediently laid back and allowed Simon to diaper him.“Am I supposed to be going to bed this early?” Jacob asked, rubbing his eyes. He knew it was just his toddler body trying to get him to sleep again, whether he wanted to or not.“No, we’re going to watch a movie,” Simon revealed, standing Jacob next to him.“Oh, so tonight is movie night,” Jacob said, nodding his head. “Do I get to pick?” he asked.“Sorry, buddy. We’ve already decided on the movie. Maybe next time,” Simon explained, clearing the changing table. “But first, I’ve got to take a shower. I’ll leave you in here until Angelique comes to get you. Okay?” he asked with one foot out the door.“Yeah, I won’t run down the stairs,” Jacob responded, knowing what Simon was worrying about.“Great! I’ll see you soon,” he said, closing the door behind him.When the door closed, Jacob turned around to take in the nursery once more. The grand ocean-themed room already held quite a number of memories from the short time that he’d been there. He cringed when the corner that he was forced to stand in front of caught his eye, and next to it was the rocking chair where Simon spanked him twice. On the other hand, he was fond of the play table where he watched the couple complete a puzzle in what could have been record time, and he was extremely acquainted with the crib and changing table.Jacob took his time exploring the nursery. He’d only ever gotten the chance to visually explore the room on his own, but for the first time he was truly free to roam around. The closet at the opposite edge of the room was the first thing that he focused on. He immediately strolled over and opened the doors, curious to know what his caretakers kept in there.
As he would have guessed, the closet was extremely organized. Plastic storage bins filled with linens lined the shelves. Additional changing supplies were neatly kept in over-the-door organizers. Hanging in the closet were few more formal outfits that looked like they would be for him. For a short moment, he contemplated on what events they could have planned to dress him up in those clothes.He quietly closed the closet doors, straining just a little and padded over to the toy shelf, intrigued by the bead maze situated on the lowest shelf. He sat down in front of it and couldn’t stop himself from moving the beads along the path. In his teenage years, he envied the kids in the dentist office who were playing with the maze. It never mattered how simple the toy was, it just brought him delight to play with it.Jacob lost track of time playing with the maze, but eventually his amusement came to an end when the doorknob began to turn. He quickly got to his feet, afraid to be caught playing like a little kid.“I’m sorry I took so long Jacob,” Angelique apologized as she walked through the doorway.“It’s cool,” Jacob replied, walking away from the toy shelf.“Aw, you look so precious,” she said, fawning over him in his cute, little onesie. “Are you ready to go downstairs with me?” she asked.“Yeah,” Jacob replied. “I heard we’re watching a movie,” he said.“We are. I’ve had many people recommend the movie to me,” she said, holding the door open for him.“What movie is it?” he questioned, wondering if he’d already seen it.“It’s called Inside Out. Have you seen it?” she asked, ushering him down the stairs.“I haven’t, but I think I heard about it,” he remarked.“That’s good. Well, let’s make a quick stop in the kitchen first. I thought we could have some popcorn and hot cocoa since it’s movie night,” she explained.Jacob watched as she poured water into a teapot and grabbed the boxes of cocoa mix and popcorn from the overhead cabinets. She moved fluidly, unwrapping the bag of popcorn and tearing open the small bags of chocolate and marshmallow mix. It was a synchronized symphony in the kitchen when the microwave beeped in time with the whistling of the teapot.She quickly poured some of the boiling water into the sippy cup containing the hot cocoa mix. After it cooled down a few minutes later, she handed him the cup and warned, “Careful it’s hot.”Angelique was pouring the bag of popcorn into a large white bowl when Simon came downstairs and entered the kitchen.“It smells amazing in here,” he commented, ruffling Jacob’s hair.“We’re just about finished here. Would you grab these cups?” she requested, discarding the paper bag.“Definitely,” Simon answered, taking the cups to the living room and placing them on the coffee table.Jacob followed them to the living room. He tried to climb his way onto the couch, but he was just a little too short to make his way up there on his own. When Simon noticed his situation, he quickly boosted him onto the cushion in the middle of the couch.“Alright, let’s see if this movie lives up to the hype,” Simon said, dropping onto the couch and grabbing the remote.Jacob contentedly munched on some popcorn and sipped his hot cocoa. He already knew before they told him which movie it was that they were going to pick a children’s movie. Still, it was better than being put to bed two hours earlier. So, he decided not to complain.He made it halfway through the movie before he began dozing off. He wasn’t bored watching the movie. Rather, he was genuinely engrossed by the plot of the movie. It was especially novel in its approach to coming of age and the mental health challenges associated with major life changes. It was just past his bedtime, and though he fought to stay awake, he was certainly fighting a losing battle.At some point, Angelique noticed him falling in and out of sleep. She quietly motioned to Simon, gesturing towards Jacob. He softly chuckled, watching the boy’s head droop.Simon patted him on the back and said, “Jacob, I think it’s time for you to head to bed.”“No, I’m watching the movie,” Jacob grumbled, opening his eyes and sitting up straighter.Simon looked at his wife and saw her shrug her shoulders. He didn’t feel like bothering to fight with Jacob over another hour.“Alright. But you’re going straight to bed when the movie is done,” he declared.Jacob nodded his head, gratefully. He wasn’t trying to fall asleep on himself. It was just hard to keep his eyes open, but he did manage to keep himself awake for another fifteen minutes before he was dozing off again. This time, Angelique simply guided him towards lying in her lap.Jacob barely even realized that she had done that, and he was certainly too tired to care. He twisted himself around, getting as comfortable as he could before he went back to sleep.When the little boy resumed snoring, Simon softly commented, “I’m impressed.”“It’s all about taking the initiative,” Angelique whispered. “It’s a trick I picked up when I was babysitting. Even the toughest kids want to be held. You just have to lead them into it,” she explained, shifting Jacob so that his head was better positioned on her lap.For the next thirty minutes, the therapist couple finished the movie.“I think it’s safe to say that it lived up to the hype,” Angelique said, looking at Simon.“Yeah, it was really good. I’m definitely going to recommend it to others,” he agreed, turning off the TV.Angelique didn’t even bother to try to wake the toddler up. Instead, she just picked him up and carried him to the nursery. She placed him in the crib, and tucked him into the sheets, bending down to kiss him on the forehead before quietly heading to bed with her husband.That night Jacob had numerous vivid dreams. In the first dream, he was in elementary school, waiting to be picked up. It felt almost like a memory, but Simon and Angelique were the ones who picked him up, not his real mom, and almost from a distance, he watched himself excitedly tell them about his day at school.In another dream, he had joined a sports team in middle school, and he looked into the crowd and saw the two therapists cheering him on. It was almost like he was watching himself grow up with them as his parents, and for the first time, he wasn’t opposed to the opportunity. He had always wondered what it would feel like to have two caring and encouraging parents, and so far, it wasn’t bad at all.

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Jacob snapped his eyes open, rolled over and shook his head, appalled by the tone of the dreams he had that night. He must have gotten too comfortable because what he dreamt was just inexcusable. Simon and Angelique were not his real parents, and they would never be. That was certain, and he couldn’t afford to be slipping into the character they wanted him to play. It was one thing to avoid spankings, but an entirely other thing to truly regress into a toddler.No, he couldn’t let them do this to him. He wouldn’t let them get in his head. He had to make a stand, and it was going to start with the nasty diaper he was stuck in. Quickly unzipping the onesie, he wormed his way out of it. Finally, he had the access he needed.Without another thought, he ripped it off and tossed his diaper into the crib. The regressed young man stomped around the mattress, gathering the free sheets that he was covered with while he slept. Hastily, he rolled the sheets to create a makeshift rope, and once he tied it around the top of the crib’s rail, he pulled on it to form a sturdy knot.Jacob wasted no time in climbing out of the crib, following nothing but his impulse to get away. Step after step he made his way to the top of the rail, and he was already halfway up the crib bars when Angelique unexpectedly entered the nursery.“Jacob! What are you doing?” she shouted, running over to the crib.Every muscle in Jacob’s body froze, and he fell back onto the mattress. Instantly, he snapped out of his defiant disposition, and boy was he sorry for what he had gotten himself into. Before he could stop himself, he started to cry.“I-I don’t want a spanking,” he blubbered, tears running down his face.The irrational part of his brain had taken over. He was so genuinely ashamed of his bad behavior and so very scared of the consequences. He knew he had broken at least one major rule, and he had learned time and time again what the punishment of doing so would be.Angelique reached into the crib to hold and comfort the crying child while she assessed the situation. She realized how fortunate she was to have gotten to him before he tried climbing down the sheet as he could have broken something if he fell. She did blame herself in part for his escape attempt, knowing it was careless of her to leave a sheet in there when he still wasn’t fully regressed. She just got ahead of herself with how well things had been going.“Jacob, sweetie,” she began, rubbing his back to soothe him. “You’re not getting a spanking,” she said, quietly.“I’m not?” he asked, looking up at her.“No, but you’re going to stand in the corner while I clean this up,” she told him firmly.“Yes, ma’am,” he responded, sniffling.She lifted him out of the crib and ushered him into the corner with a guiding hand on his back. “Now, you stay there until I tell you that your time is up,” she instructed, turning away from him to begin cleaning up the crib. It took a few minutes, but she was able to untie his makeshift rope, discard his dirty diaper, toss his onesie into the hamper and change the sheets.While Jacob was standing in the corner, he spent the time racking his brain, trying to figure out what was happening to him. Nothing but the shame of getting in trouble caused him to burst into tears, and he didn’t understand how that could be. He knew it wasn’t just the fear of a spanking. On the contrary, he simply didn’t want to be bad. He yearned to be a good boy, and good boys behaved and did as they are told.He shook his head, disgusted by the revelation. He was 22 years old, and he refused to allow them to have him believe otherwise. He had to find some way to fight back, but it was going to be tough with the invisible hold they now seemed to have on him.“Jacob, your time is up,” Angelique said, standing behind him.It was like her voice stirred something within him, and all of the rebelliousness in him faded instantaneously “I’m sorry,” he said on cue, hanging his head.“It’s okay now,” Angelique declared, taking his hand in hers. “You’re going to have a quick bath this morning,” she said, leading him out of the room to the bathroom.While the faucet in the tub was running, Angelique sat Jacob on the counter and grabbed his toothbrush. He watched as she squeezed a glob of paste onto the bristles. Holding his chin in her hand, she told him, “Open up.”To Jacob, it seemed like she was being unusually thorough that morning. Every inch of his teeth were well brushed before he was allowed to rinse his mouth, and in the shower, she scrubbed every inch of his skin with a washcloth.She quickly rinsed and carefully dried him before bundling him in the towels and seating him on the countertop once more. This time, she grabbed a comb and some hair products. Angelique meticulously combed out the knots that had formed in his hair overnight. She massaged some grease into his scalp, and with a palmful of curl enhancer, she rubbed all of it throughout his hair until his Afro morphed into a cluster of tiny curls.“So handsome,” she said, taking a step back to admire her handiwork. “Do you like it?” she asked him.“Yeah, it looks good,” Jacob answered.“Awesome. Well, let’s get you dressed,” she said, carrying him to the nursery.Angelique walked to the closet and picked out a light blue polo shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. She opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of white socks. Setting all the clothes on the changing table, she laid Jacob next to them, and helped him unwrap himself from the towel.“Are we going somewhere today?” Jacob asked, seeing the clothes she picked out for him.“Someone is visiting us today,” Angelique divulged, pulling the polo shirt over his head. “Your social worker, Mr. Hammond, is doing a house visit today to check on you,” she explained.It finally made sense to Jacob why she was so meticulous while getting him ready that morning. Now that he knew they were trying to impress this guy, maybe he could use that to his advantage.Putting on his socks, Angelique made eye contact with the toddler and recognized that calculating look on his face. She added, “So, you’ll be on your very best behavior, won’t you?”Jacob snapped out of his thoughts. “Yes, I’ll be good,” he mindlessly promised. Blinking his eyes rapidly, he tried to get a hold of what had just happened. There was that same phrase she had used sometime before. He wondered if it could be some kind of mind control trick where they were using trigger phrases on him, but he would have had to have been hypnotized as some point for that to be the case. He certainly didn’t feel hypnotized, but there was really no way to tell. He’d have to keep paying close attention.
“Breakfast time,” Angelique announced.When they got downstairs, Simon was standing in front of the waffle maker, and the unmistakable scent of turkey bacon permeated the air in the kitchen. Seating Jacob in the highchair, Angelique opened a drawer and pulled out a long bib for the toddler.“This is just to prevent a stain,” she explained, tying the bib around his neck.Once the last waffle was finished, Simon placed a colorful plastic plate with a small waffle and a few strips of turkey bacon as well as some grapes on the tray in front of him.“Bon Appetit,” he said, smiling.Even though Jacob wasn’t really in the mood to eat, he still devoured the breakfast. If there was one thing, he’d learned since he was regressed, it was that his toddler body wanted to eat and sleep indefinitely. It was like he was constantly oscillating between satisfying one of those two needs.Licking the syrup off of his fingers, he asked, “What time is the social worker coming to visit?”“Oh, you already told him?” Simon asked, surprised by Jacob’s question.“Yeah, I did while I was getting him dressed,” she answered. “He’ll be joining us for lunch,” she told Jacob, untying his bib and taking him out of the highchair.“Do you want to finish the movie?” Simon asked him.“Yes, please,” Jacob replied, excited to get to see the parts of the film that he slept through.Simon boosted Jacob onto the couch. He skipped to a scene right before the toddler had started to doze off.“Thanks,” Jacob said, when the movie began playing.“You’re welcome,” Simon replied, walking back to the kitchen.While Jacob was watching the movie, Simon went to fix the kitchen door. He had bought the new hinge a few days ago, but with everything going on, he hadn’t gotten the chance to install it. He strolled outside to grab a drill from the shed. After removing and subsequently tossing out the old, defective hinge, he quickly installed the new one, and when he was done, he tested the door a few times, enjoying its smooth, noiseless opening and closing.Shortly afterwards, the therapist couple began working on preparing lunch. Angelique had suggested that they go with her family’s lasagna recipe for lunch that afternoon. They busied themselves cutting up vegetables, seasoning the sauce and boiling the pasta. Once it was in the oven, they swiftly cleaned up the kitchen and changed their clothes.While Jacob was relaxing on the couch, watching the credits roll down the TV screen, he heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. He instantly sat up and watched as his caretakers went to answer the door, especially curious to see who his social worker was. He just hoped the man wasn’t as terrible as he knew Dr. Kelly could be.
This chapter marks another major milestone. Jacob’s Regression is now over 50,000 words long! Thank you all for joining me on this journey! Your support really helps me write, and I’m always glad that I chose to share this work in progress.

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“Mr. Hammond, thank you for joining us,” Simon said, as the man approached the front door.“You two have such a beautiful home,” Mr. Hammond commented, marveling at the exterior decorations.Both Simon and Angelique thanked and shook hands with him before they made space for him to walk through the door.“Come on inside,” Angelique said, gesturing towards the living room.Intrigued by the large, bald-headed man, Jacob peaked over the couch to observe his social worker from a distance.“Jacob! It’s nice to finally meet you!” Mr. Hammond exclaimed when he noticed the toddler hiding on the couch in the living room.“Jacob, why don’t you come on over here and shake Mr. Hammond’s hand,” Simon suggested.Obediently but warily, Jacob slid off the couch and padded over to where Mr. Hammond was. He reached his arm up and shook the older man’s hand.To Mr. Hammond, just that small action was a very good sign. Jacob would have to be regressing smoothly if he was actually obeying their verbal instructions.“He’s so adorable,” Mr. Hammond enthused. “Did you give him that haircut yourselves? It looks professional, but I didn’t think you’d be so brave to take him out this early,” he remarked.“I did the haircut and Angelique did the styling,” Simon said, proudly.“It’s amazing. He looks like a model,” Mr. Hammond commended, looking down at the tyke.Unused to having that much attention placed on him, Jacob anxiously shifted his weight between his feet.“We made lasagna for lunch. Are you hungry?” Angelique asked, moving towards the kitchen.“Yes, I haven’t had anything to eat yet,” Mr. Hammond replied, joining them in the dining area.“I already know Jacob is hungry,” she said, before asking, “Is it normal for him to eat frequently? His appetite is enormous.”“It’s normal,” Mr. Hammond answered. “It’s just a side effect of the Restalsis. His body is probably still recovering from downsizing so rapidly,” he explained, taking a seat at the table.Simon seated Jacob in the highchair and made certain to grab a bib for him. It would be far too easy for him to stain the light-colored clothes he was wearing.
“Try to eat slowly,” Simon advised the little boy.“Sure,” Jacob amicably agreed, knowing he intended to wolf down the food the moment it was served.Throughout lunch, Mr. Hammond asked them small questions to gleam an idea of their daily routine. He asked about what their typical day was like and about Jacob’s punishments. The couple took turns answering his questions in detail, knowing exactly what he was looking for as they had both studied to be social workers themselves.Jacob didn’t pay any attention to their conversation, fixated on the lasagna. It was hard to eat since he only got a plastic fork, but he made it work. Before everyone else was halfway through their food, he had finished his. Contentedly patting his stomach, he learned back into the highchair, yawning.“Does he typically have a nap after lunch?” Mr. Hammond asked, in between sips of lemonade after he finished the lasagna.“He does,” Simon answered. “I’m trying to encourage him not to eat so fast. I’m sure that contributes to why he can’t stay awake after eating,” he explained.“Alright, we should talk in detail after he’s asleep,” Mr. Hammond suggested, watching Jacob yawn and stretch. “By the way, this lasagna was amazing. Thank you so much for the meal,” he added politely.“Can I watch TV?” Jacob asked, trying to prevent them from discussing anything in private. He needed to know what was happening to him, and he got the feeling Mr. Hammond had a very good understanding of the mystery that was unfolding in front of him.“You can do that after your nap,” Simon said, untying his bib and cleaning his face with a wet paper towel.“But I don’t want to sleep,” Jacob whined, upset that they were weaponizing his blatant sleepiness.“That’s alright. I’m sure you’ll change your mind in a few minutes,” Simon responded, lifting him in his arms. “Now be a good boy and tell Mr. Hammond goodbye,” he instructed.“Bye,” Jacob grumpily said, sulking.“It was nice to meet you Jacob. I hope you have a good nap,” his social worker told him.Jacob was certainly not a happy camper when he was placed in the crib, knowing that his quest for answers was so easily thwarted.“Have a good rest,” Simon said, closing the blinds.“Whatever,” Jacob grumbled, curling into a ball on his side.Simon quickly left the nursery and returned to the kitchen, anxiously waiting to hear Mr. Hammond’s assessment.“So, it does appear that he is regressing smoothly. I can tell that he is minding your rules and instructions as he should at this stage. Has he been crying more?” he asked.“Yes, he has,” Angelique answered. “In fact, he cried this morning when I caught him misbehaving,” she added.“That’s good. It’s a sign that he is emotionally regressing and consequently losing his ability to emotionally regulate on his own,” he explained. “I do have some suggestions for the following week that you may want to write down,” he started, giving them a chance to take notes.“I’ve got some paper,” Simon said, grabbing a pen from the counter.“First, I do think Jacob’s ready to start joining you two on errands. It would be good for him to get used to being around other people as a toddler. If random strangers are speaking to him like a child, he will more quickly acclimate to being one,” he said, pausing to make sure he wasn’t going too fast.“Got it,” Simon reported, encouraging Mr. Hammond to continue.“Next, it’s good to keep him active in household duties. Try to give him small chores to keep him occupied. The idea is that if he’s voluntarily doing chores, then he will be less likely to throw a tantrum when he feels a small loss of control,” he pointed out.“We can definitely do that,” Angelique said, enthusiastic about his idea.
“Also, keep any eye out for any behavioral changes. His cognitive capabilities may shift in the next week. So, you all may have to more frequently remind him of rules and responsibilities. He isn’t ignoring you. It’s just eventually going to become more difficult for him to keep track of everything,” Mr. Hammond explained, pausing for another sip of lemonade.“Do you think he’s ready for playdates?” Angelique asked.“Hmm,” Mr. Hammond, replied, taking a moment to decide. “I’d say he’s doing well enough for that, but it would be a good idea to keep a watchful eye the whole time. There’s a good chance he might try to involve the other child in his rebellious shenanigans which may not go so well with the other parent,” Mr. Hammond explained, thoroughly.“That sounds good. We’ll be sure not to rush into anything,” Simon promised, diligently taking notes.
“Great. One last thing, in place of next week’s visit, I’d like you all to come back down to St. Ives. I know that Dr. Kelly has some testing she wants to do to see how the Restalsis is affecting his cognitive abilities,” Mr. Hammond said.“We can do that,” Simon agreed, taking note of the date in his calendar.“It will be another fun road trip,” Angelique enthused.“Do you two have any other questions before I head out?” he asked after downing the last of his lemonade.“No, that was all for now. Would it be okay to give you a call if we have any other questions as things come up?” Simon inquired.“That’s always fine. In fact, let me give you my card with my cellphone number on it,” Mr. Hammond said, reaching into his wallet for a business card. He placed the card on the table and stood up to tuck his wallet into his back pocket. “Thank you both for so graciously having me this afternoon,” he said, fishing his keys out of his front pocket.“It was a pleasure,” Angelique responded.Closing the door behind him, the couple heard Mr. Hammond’s car start, and they watched from the window as he drove down the path. When his car was fully out of view, Angelique turned to Simon and gave him a big hug. “I’m exhausted,” she admitted.“Why don’t you take an afternoon nap too,” Simon suggested.“Will you join me?” she asked, playing with a stray strand of her hair.“Yes, I’ll join you in the bedroom, but I’m watching TV while you nap. I don’t feel sleepy,” he explained.“That’s fine with me,” she said, taking his hand in hers and leaving the kitchen. Angelique made sure to grab the baby monitor from the coffee table, checking to make sure that Jacob was still soundly asleep.In their bedroom, the couple romantically celebrated the success of the house visit. They enjoyed a passionate moment where they were free from all of their responsibilities. The house was clean, and Jacob was asleep. Dinner wasn’t for another few hours, leaving them with plenty time to be at ease. For the past three years, the therapists enthusiastically and consistently kept the passion alive in their marriage, and that afternoon was no exception.Moments later, Simon laid back in the bed, listening to his wife’s peaceful snores and flipping through the channels, completely at peace.

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Jacob woke up feeling well-rested. He stretched out and stared at the ocean-themed mobile above him. It wasn’t on, but he found some comfort in identifying the different species of sea animals. Even the smallest activities helped to remind him that he was an educated adult and not some brainless toddler.“Did you have a good nap,” Simon asked when he entered the nursery.“I guess,” the toddler answered.“That’s good,” he said, laying the little boy on the changing table and handing him a sippy cup filled with water.“Thanks,” Jacob said, feeling parched and looking forward to the coming relief.“Do you still want to watch TV?” Simon asked, tossing his diaper into the trash.Jacob shrugged. Listening in on their conversation was the only reason he would voluntarily sign up to watch baby cartoons.“Okay, well I have something else in mind for us to do before dinner,” he said, lifting Jacob and standing him in front of the toy shelf. “How about you pick a toy,” Simon suggested, sitting cross-legged on the floor next to him.Jacob gazed at the expansive toy shelf, unsure of what he’d pick. He was a little nervous about it what with Simon only a foot away, analyzing him. Finally, he settled on a plush toy and settled down on the floor directly across from Simon.The therapist reached over to grab another plush toy from the same shelf. “I think I’ll pick him,” he said, setting the toy in front of him.“What do we do next?” Jacob asked, eager to avoid the awkward silence.“Anything really, but why don’t we start off telling each other about our toys,” he proposed.“I don’t know what to say. It’s a Batman toy,” Jacob said, awkwardly looking away.“Does he have a job?” Simon asked, pretending to be oblivious to help Jacob get comfortable role playing.“Yeah, he’s a superhero,” Jacob answered, shocked that the older man never heard of Batman.“Are you sure? What’s his power?” he asked, sounding unconvinced.“He doesn’t have a power. He uses his intelligence and special tools to fight crime,” Jacob explained.“How does he beat up a bunch of bad guys if he doesn’t have a power?” Simon asked, pulling at his beard.“He’s a master of martial arts. That’s how,” Jacob said.“Okay so, let’s pretend these are a bunch of bad guys,” he said, standing a few random toys in between them. “Could you show me how Batman would beat them up?” Simon requested.“Well, he’d throw his batarang which is like a special boomerang and that would knock some of the guy’s out,” Jacob explained, knocking some of the toys over. Then he would fight the rest of them in hand to hand combat. They probably wouldn’t even hit him once because he’s so good at dodging. Then, he would leave them all tied up for the police to catch them,” he said in the distinct tone of an animated child, knocking over all of the toys one by one and piling them up.“Wow, he’s a very important superhero, isn’t he?” Simon conceded.“Yup,” Jacob answered, popping the p. “He keeps a lot of people safe and fights crime,” he continued, stretching his legs and beginning to appear more relaxed.After a moment of silence, Simon grabbed his toy and asked, “Would you like me to tell you about my toy?”“Yeah, it’s your turn now,” the toddler remarked.Simon took a deep breath, remembering when he bought the plush toy a few years ago. He and his wife were on vacation visiting the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire, and when they saw it in the gift shop, they couldn’t resist bringing it home.“My name is Smokey,” he said in a gruff, deep voice. “I’m a park ranger, and it’s my job to teach young people how to prevent forest fires.”“How do you do prevent them?” Jacob questioned, taking his turn to ask the questions.“Well, when people are camping, they have to remember to clean up after themselves and to make sure that they don’t carelessly leave fires burning. They also have to properly crush out cigarettes. Remember only you can prevent forest fires,” he said, reciting the television icon’s famous line and moving the toy’s arm so that it pointed directly at the toddler.“I bet Batman and Smokey could work together,” Jacob proposed.“How could they do that?” Simon asked.“Well, Smokey could be on the lookout for all the bad people who are causing forest fires, and whenever he finds somebody, he could signal Batman. Batman would go beat them up and leave them for the park rangers to round up,” Jacob enthusiastically explained.“Wow, that would be a good partnership,” Simon agreed.Their play time was interrupted when Angelique entered the nursery.“What are you guys up to?” she asked, realizing they were in the middle of something.“Jacob was just telling me about Batman, and I was telling him about Smokey the bear,” Simon said from his spot on the floor.“Aw, well I just came up here to tell you two that dinner is ready, but if you both need another five minutes to finish up, that’s fine,” she offered, walking over and straightening the rocking chair.“No, we were already finishing up,” he explained, standing up and putting the toys back on the shelf.Jacob stood up, but he didn’t immediately put his toy back in its spot. He had quickly grown attached to Batman and didn’t want to give him up right away.“Do you want to bring Batman downstairs?” Simon asked, noticing Jacob’s apprehension.“Yeah,” Jacob replied, holding the toy tightly.
They made their way downstairs with Jacob following behind. He slowly inched down the steps, holding the railing with one hand and his plush toy with the other.“Batman is going to have to take a seat at the dining table. I’m afraid he won’t fit with you in the highchair,” Simon told Jacob as they neared the kitchen.“Okay,” the little boy agreed, padding over and dropping his toy onto a chair at the table.“Up you go,” Simon said, lifting Jacob into the highchair.“What’s for dinner?” he asked impatiently.“We’re having soup,” Angelique answered. “You even get some crackers and cheese for when you’re finished,” she added.After his food was served, Jacob speedily chomped down the vegetable and meat chunks in it. He didn’t waste time using his spoon for the broth and instead opted to chug it down from the bowl itself.“Jacob, not so fast,” Simon chastised from his seat at the table.The toddler continued eating at his pace, not even bothering to acknowledge Simon’s rebuke. He wanted to be obedient, but he was starving. His hunger compelled him to stuff his face as fast as he possible could. So, he did just that.Simon sighed, realizing that eventually he’d need to do something to combat Jacob’s tendency to wolf food down. He knew it couldn’t be good for his gastrointestinal health, but he wasn’t trying to start another battle with the child. As a therapist, he knew just how important it was to pick and choose fights with children.The couple ate at a much more moderate pace, pausing between bites to take a sip of some iced tea. When they were done, Angelique released Jacob from the highchair, being sure to clean up the mess of crumbs on his face before she let him roam free.While the couple cleaned up, the little boy found spots in the kitchen to play with his toy. He used a random cord and pretended it was one of Batman’s tools. Running around the kitchen, he pretended the superhero was flying through the air. With the therapists turned toward the sink, he felt less embarrassed about playing and had himself a good time.After the cleanup was finished, Simon excused himself, “I’m going to the office to work on that report they wanted us to send in.”“Let me know if you need any help,” Angelique said.“Behave yourself,” Simon said, ruffling Jacob’s hair as he walked past him.“I will,” he promised, following Angelique into the living. She helped him onto the couch and sat down next to him with a new book in hand.“Would you like to watch something?” she asked, grabbing the remote.“Can I watch some batman cartoons,” he requested in a soft, shy voice, looking down at his plush toy.“Let’s see if they have some uploaded,” she replied, using the remote to browse the available TV shows.She easily found a slew of episodes that were available. The little boy’s focus was possessed by the TV shows. He watched an entire episode in silence, but when the credits were rolling before the next episode began, Jacob turned to Angelique.“Whatcha reading?” he inquired, crawling across the couch until he was seated next to his caregiver.“It’s a collection of short fictional stories,” she began, closing the book to show Jacob the cover. “It’s satire and filled with humorous extraordinary circumstances that could occur at any time,” she explained.“Oh, okay,” Jacob said, his attention shifting back to his show as the next episode began.For the rest of the evening, he continued watching episode after episode, and by the time his bedtime had rolled around, Jacob was fast asleep, lying in Angelique’s lap, sucking his thumb and cuddling his Batman toy with his free arm.

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“Rise and shine, sweetie,” Angelique said, rubbing the sleeping toddler’s tummy.When his eyes finally blinked open, she moved him to the changing table and said, “Good morning, Jacob.”“Morning,” he mumbled back, stretching his legs in the air.She undid his diaper and checked its contents. Her expression shifted to reflect her displeasure with what she found.
“Has your tummy been hurting?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.“No,” Jacob replied, yawning.“Hm,” she mumbled, picking the naked boy up and taking him to the bathroom.She sat him on the counter to quickly brush his teeth, allowing him to rinse only when she was finished. Drying his face, she carried him over to the toilet and sat him on the toddler seat she had just installed.“Can you go?” she asked expectantly.Sitting with his feet dangling towards the floor, Jacob was genuinely surprised he was being allowed to handle his business with dignity. He didn’t want to waste the opportunity and got straight to the task.“I don’t think so,” he said, giving up after a few attempts.“That’s alright,” Angelique said, calmly helping Jacob down and leading him to the shower. She had been bathing him in silence for a short while before she announced, “After breakfast, we’re taking a trip to the grocery store.”Jacob’s eyes lit up in excitement. For days, he had been wondering how good candy would taste with his child palette, and he finally had a means of getting them to buy him some. Silently, he envisioned the pile of candy that he’d get. He imagined himself in a land with an ocean of orange soda in which the plants grew tiny fruit snacks. Child heaven was near, and he couldn’t wait.
In a matter of minutes, Angelique had successfully styled his hair and dressed him in a pair of Jeans and a white, V-neck shirt. When they arrived downstairs, Simon was busy stirring a pot of oatmeal.“You two are right on time,” he commented, pouring the breakfast cereal into two large porcelain bowls and one small plastic one.“It smells good in here,” Angelique complimented, settling Jacob into his highchair and placing a bib on him.“Why thank you,” Simon replied, serving her bowl of oatmeal.The older man approached Jacob with his small plastic bowl in hand. “I realize it’s unreasonable to expect you to eat as slowly as I’ve asked. So, I’ll be feeding you this morning,” Simon said, keeping a hold of Jacob’s spoon when he put the bowl on the tray.“I can feed myself,” Jacob argued, reaching for the spoon in Simon’s hand.“I’m not fighting with you over this, Jacob,” he said, mixing the bowl of oatmeal.Jacob crossed his arms, upset by the retraction of his prior privilege, but he was too hungry to go without eating. He offered no resistance when Simon placed a spoonful of oatmeal near his lips. Agonizingly slowly for the boy, Simon fed him his breakfast, and when he was finished eating, he was allowed to roam the living room while Simon ate his own breakfast.“Jacob, it’s time to put your shoes on,” Simon hollered, sliding on his sneakers near the garage door.The little boy obediently walked over and held his foot up for Angelique to slide into his sandals. Once his shoes were on, he followed his caregivers into the garage. Simon opened the door to the backseat, and Angelique buckled him into his car seat.Before he started the car, Simon handed Jacob a tablet with cartoons downloaded onto it. He perused through the tablet’s contents before deciding to continue his progress through the Batman cartoons. While Jacob’s attention was concentrated on his TV show, the couple discussed the items on their shopping list for most of the drive.***Jacob’s episode came to an end around when they arrived at the grocery store. Simon came around to unbuckle him from the car seat and help him out of the car. He kept a firm hold on the boy’s hand as they crossed the road. Angelique walked slightly ahead of them, and when they reached the storefront, she grabbed a cart and wiped it down. As though it was a routine affair, Simon helped Jacob sit comfortably in the child seat before securely buckling him in.While they made their way inside, the little boy excitedly took in the atmosphere of the store, looking around with one thing on his mind, and when they passed the registers, he found exactly what he wanted. There was a large bin in the middle of the floor filled with bags of cotton candy in different colors.“Can I have one of those?” Jacob asked, pointing at the small bags of cotton candy.The couple exchanged looks with each other. They both were unsure of Jacob’s tolerance for sugar and could only hope that he wouldn’t overreact.“If you behave for the rest of the trip, we’ll pick one up on the way out,” Angelique promised.Jacob cheered internally. He knew a bag of cotton candy was undoubtedly going to provide him with the sugar rush he was craving. Licking his lips in anticipation, he resolved to be on his best behavior for the trip.They traversed down a few aisles with the couple picking up a few items every now and then. The stacked shelves mesmerized the perpetually hungry toddler. It had been quite a while since he had last been to a grocery store and regressed as he was the shelves appeared so much higher and longer. It was almost like he had entered an entirely new world that they were slowly exploring.They had just walked into the fourth aisle when an older woman briskly called out to them. “Simon! Angelique! Who have you two brought along with you today?” she asked.“Cheryl! It’s so nice to see you,” Angelique said, walking closer and hugging the woman.“This is Jacob. He’s our foster child,” Simon answered, pushing the cart towards her.“Aren’t you so handsome!” she exclaimed, pinching the boy’s cheeks.Jacob smiled up at her, resisting the urge to swat her hands away. He knew that if he wanted the cotton candy, he’d have to pretend to be an adorable tyke for their acquaintance.“Hi,” he said, reaching to shake her hand.“You’re so precious. It’s nice to meet you, Jacob,” she said, shaking his small hand gently. “Unfortunately, I need to head out now because I have to get back to work, but it was nice to see you all,” she explained, waving and walking past them.
“Bye!” the couple said in unison, waving until she was out of view.The trio continued with their shopping trip. Every couple of aisles, a stranger would walk up to them to share how cute they thought Jacob was. Half an hour later, they walked through the final aisle with a cart packed with food and household items.“Can I have the cotton candy now?” Jacob asked when they passed the bin of cotton candy filled bags once more.“Yep, you earned it,” Simon replied, tossing a bag into the cart.“Yay,” Jacob cheered, swinging his legs in the air.Jacob waited as patiently as he could while the groceries were checked out. In such a small town, the line was nonexistent. He considered asking for another candy, but he ultimately decided not to push his luck. A whole bag of cotton candy was about to be his, and that was good enough.After the couple loaded the groceries into the car, he asked, “Can I have my candy?”“Alright,” Simon answered, returning to the truck to get it while Angelique buckled Jacob into his car seat.“Here you go,” Simon said, presenting him with the opened container.Jacob immediately took the cotton candy from Simon and stuffed a handful of the treat into his mouth. He sighed in delight. The taste was even better than he thought it would be. The texture was smooth and delectable as it slowly melted in his mouth. For the entire trip back to the house, he enjoyed bite after bite until it was all gone.***“Jacob, your entire face is sticky,” Angelique said, disapproval evident in her voice as she unbuckled him.“It tasted really really good,” Jacob replied, beginning to feel the effects of all the sugar he ingested.She sighed, knowing that the boy was clearly unable to tolerate candy well. The experienced babysitter knew that they were in store for a taste of hell for the rest of the afternoon.Angelique grabbed a small bag from the trunk and handed it to Jacob, “Will you take this inside?” she asked, hoping to help him burn off some of the excess energy.“Yup,” he answered, taking it from her and running inside to hand it to Simon.They continued with that process for a while until all of the smaller items were inside. Unfortunately for the couple, Jacob didn’t feel the slightest bit tired. He continued to run in circles around the kitchen, savoring the exhilaration he felt. Wound up like he was, he felt like king of the world. He felt unstoppable and invincible.Simon tried to calm him down by feeding him a cup of water, but no amount of water or scolding seemed to have an effect on the child’s reign of terror. Near exhaustion from chasing the little boy around, he sat down at the dining table for just a second. When he looked up, he watched in terror as Jacob climbed the coffee table and jumped onto the couch.“Jacob! No!” he shouted, running over to the living room.When the hyperactive boy noticed his caregiver running over, he quickly slid off the couch and ran behind it, giggling as he forced Simon to chase him around the couch. Jacob was able to successfully evade his grasp a few times, but the older man finally caught him.“You need to calm down before you hurt yourself,” Simon declared, placing the toddler in the playpen.“No, I want to be out!” Jacob demanded, kicking at the mesh.“Not right now,” Simon said, dropping onto the couch, completely worn out.After a few minutes of shouting and screaming, Jacob gave up on trying to get his way. He laid down and kicked his legs in the air, basking in the blissful feelings his sugar high provided him with. He rolled around the playpen and mumbled to himself, reciting poems he had learned in elementary school.A few minutes later, Angelique lifted him out of the playpen and told her half-awake husband, “I’ll take him for a second.” Sitting down at the dining table, she stood Jacob in front of her. “Sweetie, we have to talk about something important,” she began, holding the arm of the fidgeting toddler.“Okay,” he replied, looking up at her expectantly.“Jacob, I think you’re constipated,” she said, pointing at his stomach. “So, I bought a laxative to help you flush your system,” she explained, showing him the bottle.The tyke screwed up his face, knowing exactly how badly medicine like that tasted. “No, I don’t want it,” he whined, shaking his head.“I can mix it with some juice and that way it won’t taste bad,” Angelique offered.“No! I don’t want to!” he screamed, pulling his arm out of her grasp.“Jacob, stop this behavior this instant, or you’re going in timeout,” she warned using a stern tone of voice.“I’m not being bad. You are!” he shouted, continuing to twist and turn.“That’s it,” she said, carrying the boy over to the naughty step. “You are to sit here for the next five minutes,” she told him firmly.When his caregiver walked away, Jacob started to cry. It was already bad enough that he was forced to use his diapers in his sleep, but now they wanted him to humiliate himself even further. He remembered how awful laxatives were from his childhood, and he didn’t want to experience it again.When his time was up, Angelique crouched down in front of him and said, “I know this isn’t very fun for you, but it’s been over a week, Jacob. This needs to happen one way or another.”“I-I don’t want to,” Jacob stuttered between sobs.“Alright,” Angelique said, lifting him into her arms. She grabbed a box from the counter and went upstairs.
When they entered the nursery, Jacob was sure he was getting another spanking.“Please don’t spank me,” he begged, clutching her blouse tightly and sobbing even louder.“Jacob, you’re not getting a spanking. This isn’t supposed to be a punishment,” she consoled the bawling boy.She held him for a moment, waiting until his sobs morphed into soft sniffles to gently place him on the changing table. His cries grew louder as she pulled his pants off and undid his diaper. But before Jacob could realize what was truly happening, she flipped him over and swiftly inserted and squeezed a liquid suppository into his bottom. Startled by the strange and uncomfortable sensation, he instantly stopped crying.

“All done. Now was that so bad?” she asked, wiping away his tears.She left him idly lying down for a moment to toss out the applicator and retrieve a training toilet from the closet. After placing it on the floor away from the rugs, she thoroughly cleaned the seat with a fresh wipe.Angelique removed the still sniffling boy from the changing table and sat him on the training toilet. “I’ll be right here until you go,” she promised, grabbing a basket of clothes to fold.After about ten minutes, the laxative did its job and Jacob had his bowel movement. The exertion mellowed him out, and while Angelique quickly cleaned him up and put him in a pair of sweatpants, he began nodding off.She laid him down in the crib, handing him a cup of water and kissing his forehead. “Have a good nap, Jacob,” she said, closing the door to the nursery.With his sugar high morphing into a low, he eagerly drank the cup of water and quickly fell asleep in the crib, completely exhausted.

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The next day and a half had passed by quickly for the trio. Jacob had become accustomed to the routine, but they couldn’t stay inside all day. They needed to experience the great outdoors, and Simon thought a hike was the perfect outlet. He planned the outing, choosing a nicely paved, scenic trail and inviting a young couple who lived in a nearby home.Along the drive, Jacob agreed to pretend to be an actual two-year-old for the sake of appearances. His feigning was bought all too easily by the promise of a bowl of ice cream when they got back home. Of course, his guardians wouldn’t allow him to have uninhibited access to sugar, especially not after his unforgettable sugar high the other day. To appease him but keep their house in one piece, a carton of all-natural, low-sugar ice cream was waiting in the freezer for him.The trio were the first to arrive at the park where the trail starts. Angelique unbuckled Jacob while Simon pulled the stroller out of the trunk and unfolded it. She quickly helped him get his backpack on and buckled it in the front for him.“No running off, Jacob,” Angelique reminded the boy, adjusting the straps for his backpack. “I want you to make sure you’re staying close to us.”“Okay,” Jacob agreed, his attention diverting to the car that pulled up next to them.A young Mexican couple stepped out of the luxurious vehicle, and the therapists waved them over. The woman was short with long black hair, and the man next to her was of average height with a slim build. Both of their eyes were hidden behind their own pair of dark shades.“Daniel,” Simon began. “Maria. I’m so glad you two were able to join us today.”Once they all traded quick hugs, Daniel looked down at the tyke standing behind Angelique.“You must be Jacob,” Daniel said, crouching down to his height.“Hi,” Jacob said, reaching to enthusiastically shake his hand. “I’m two.”“Oh, you’re two?” Daniel asked. “You’re all grown up then.”“Yeah, look I have my own backpack,” Jacob said, delighted to show off that he was carrying something like everyone else.“You’re big and strong!” Maria enthused. “You’ve been eating your vegetables, haven’t you?”“Oh, he always clears his plate,” Angelique said, causing them all erupt in laughter.The group started on their stroll along the trail. Jacob stayed a few feet ahead of the group, eager to see where the trail was taking them.“How has it been having a little one in the house?” Maria asked. “Daniel and I are still undecided on it.”“It’s tough but rewarding,” Angelique answered honestly.“You never know if you’re going to have a devil toddler one day or an angel the next,” Simon added.“I recently interviewed a parenting coach for an article,” Maria said. “They spoke about how important it is to have others supporting you.”“We just want you guys to know that we here for you if you ever need us,” Daniel finished.“Aw, thank you,” Angelique said, wrapping her arms around her friend.“That means a lot,” Simon said.Jacob was out of sight for a few moments while they were still walking uphill. When he came into view again, it was clear that he was stopped at the side of the path, investigating a plant.“Jacob?” Simon asked. “What have you got there?”“I found food!” Jacob exclaimed, holding something to his mouth.“Wait!” Simon shouted, sprinting over and grabbing the tyke’s hand. “Those are poisonous.”“Nuh uh,” he argued. “They are blueberries.”“Jacob,” Simon started with a very serious look on his face. “Those berries will make you very sick if you eat them. Promise me that you won’t eat them or you’re going in the stroller for the rest of the trip.”“Fine, I promise,” the little boy muttered, letting the berries fall out of his hand.“Aw, Simon the disciplinarian,” Maria grinned. “He looks so good at it.”“He’s a natural,” Angelique chimed in.
Simon rejoined the group with Jacob at arm’s length. He blushed once he noticed all the attention on him. “You ladies having fun?” he asked.“Sure are,” Angelique teased.They continued along the path, and for a few minutes, Jacob entertained himself by kicking pebbles as they walked along, ignoring the group’s conversation.“How has it been getting him involved with other kids in the area?” Maria asked. “There aren’t many couples with young ones around here.”“We’ve actually planned a playdate for Jacob with Noah,” Angelique said. “We’re scheduled for tomorrow.”“That’s going to be so good for him,” Maria assured. “He’ll get to make a new friend.”“Yeah, I’m sure they will have a good time together,” Simon said confidently. “Diane is very excited for Noah as well.”As the afternoon wore on, Jacob once again scampered further away from the group, his attention fixated on a larger rock he was kicking around.“Jacob!” Simon shouted. “Wait for us to catch up.”“Okay!” Jacob shouted back.As they approached closer to the little boy, Simon could see Jacob holding something in between his hands.“Look, I caught a grasshopper,” Jacob said, proudly holding up the bug for everyone to see.“That’s really cool, Jacob.” Simon said. “But I’m sure the grasshopper’s family is waiting for him.”“That’s true,” the little boy admitted. “Here Mr. Grasshopper. You can go back to your family.”He released the grasshopper onto a nearby leaf, and they all watched as it hopped away.“That was very kind of you,” Angelique complimented him.Jacob beamed at her with a huge smile on his face, certainly proud of what he had done.The group continued walking along the trail. The scenery was morphing from a forest to an expansive plain. The grass was cut low as though it was maintained by some agency.“I’ve been thinking about remodeling the house back in the city,” Simon told the group.“Are you thinking about another bedroom?” Daniel asked.“Yeah, I figured since-” Simon stopped midsentence when he felt tugging on his shorts. “Jacob, what’s wrong?” he asked.“My stomach hurts,” the toddler complained.“I packed you some snacks,” Angelique said. “Will you sit in the stroller while you eat?”Jacob nodded, beginning to shrug off his backpack.“I think it’s a good time to start the trip back,” Daniel suggested while Angelique buckled Jacob in.“I agree,” Simon said, pulling out a map of the trail. “It looks like we made it pretty far.”Jacob sat contentedly in the strolling, sipping on a box of apple juice and eating some animal crackers while kicking his legs in the air. To no surprise for his caregivers, he fell asleep around his usual nap time.“He has the cutest little snore,” Maria remarked when she noticed the little boy soundly asleep in the stroller Angelique was pushing along.“He does,” Angelique agreed.“So, you never did say how you ended up fostering Jacob,” Maria began. “Were you all just looking to be foster parents?”“Not exactly,” Simon admitted. “He was involved in a rather complicated situation, and we were asked if we would be willing to foster him.”“I see,” Maria said, touching her chin. “Well, I think you both made the right choice for both you two and Jacob.”“Thank you for saying that,” Angelique said. “We were unsure at first, but it definitely worked out well.”“Do you think Jacob will sleep for the entire trip back?” Daniel asked.“Yes,” Simon answered. “He likes to take long naps.”“That will be good for kindergarten,” Maria said. “My brother used to wake up too early in pre-school and it always got him in trouble.”“I don’t know,” Daniel started. “If likes to sleep too much, that will get him in trouble too. Just imagine the tantrum he might have when he’s woken up.”“I’m hoping he will grow out of the tantrums,” Angelique confided. “Part of the goal with the playdate is to get him adjusted for daycare when we’re both at work.”“Yeah,” Simon said. “It’s all skill-building.”“Sneaky!” Maria enthused. “I like it.”All four adults laughed.“I think if we were to have a son, I would want to name him Matias for Daniel’s father,” Maria confided to the group.There was evident shock across Daniel’s facial features, and he rubbed at his eyes before he hugged his wife. “I’m sure he would have loved to know that you valued him so highly,” he said, his voice teeming with emotion.“I think we’re passing the torch, Simon,” Angelique said, in a mischievous tone. “Baby fever for Daniel and Maria!”“Baby fever for Daniel and Maria!” Simon chanted jovially.“You’re the worst,” Daniel said, playfully punching his friend’s arm. “We still have to talk and think about it, but I’ll admit that’s going to happen more now.”When they got back to the parked cars, Jacob woke up while he was being unbuckled from the stroller. “Is the hike done?” he asked, yawning.“It sure is, buddy,” Simon told him.“It was nice to meet you Jacob.” Maria said. “Bye now.”“Bye!” Jacob said back, settling into his car seat for the trip back home.

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Buckled securely in his car seat, Jacob watched the large, expansive houses, mesmerized by their grandiosity. The houses they passed along the nicely paved streets were all uniquely styled. Some were Victorian while others were mid-century modern styled homes. The color schemes were also unique but fitting to each house’s design.Finally, they stopped in front of ranch-styled home. The lawn was neatly cut and there was a narrow path from the driveway to the front door. A few small shrubs decorated the front of the yard.From the driver’s seat, Angelique put the car in park and announced, “We’re here, Jacob.”Angelique and Simon were determined to keep the experience as exciting as possible for Jacob. They wanted to get him acquainted with unfamiliar situations and new people. In the future, he’d need to attend daycare, and they planned to hire babysitters for their date nights.“Wait, Batman!” Jacob screamed as his toy fell from his hand while he was being unbuckled.Simon reached down to pick up the plush toy. “Got it,” he said, giving it back to Jacob.Jacob was helped out of the car and placed on the narrow brick path to the front door. Angelique ushered him forward with a hand on his back, and the trio made their way to the door.“Are you ready to meet Noah?” Simon asked, tickling Jacob along his side.“Yes,” he squealed, wiggling away from the tickles.“Well, you’re going to be the ringer, Jacob,” Simon explained as he lifted him up and held him next to the doorbell.Jacob pushed it, and he could hear the doorbell ring through the inside of the house. Just as Simon placed him back on his feet, the door opened, and Diana and Noah were standing in front of them.Diane was a white woman of average height. She had long black hair and a skinny build. Her smile was remarkably bright, and her face lit up with it. Her 3-year-old son, Noah, stood right next to her, and he had a short haircut and a skinny build like his mother. He was dressed in cargo pants and a thin blue shirt.“Welcome to our home. Please come inside,” Diane said, offering space for the trio to walk inside.While the adults hugged each other, Noah stepped closer to Jacob. “Hi, Jacob. I’m Noah” he said, shyly.“Hi Noah,” Jacob replied.“Mom let me put all my toys in the living room for us to play with,” he explained, excitedly gesturing towards the pile of toys in the living room.As Jacob still wasn’t completely regressed, he knew he had to be careful playing with Noah. His caregivers had stressed the importance of being kind to little kids who were not as “developed” as he was. He wasn’t sure what they thought he might do. He didn’t plan on holding the kid for ransom, even though it was a tiny fantasy he had imagined for a fraction of a second.“He’s getting so big,” Angelique enthused to Diane, looking at the 3-year-old boy.“It’s been a while since we saw each other, Noah. Do you still remember me?” Simon asked, giving him a quick hug.“Yes,” he answered. “You’re Mr. Simon, and she’s Ms. Angelique.”Diane reached over to give Jacob a squeeze. “It’s nice to meet you Jacob.”“Nice to meet you too,” he responded politely.“Wow, you speak in full sentences at your age!” Diane said, surprised. “He’s very verbal for his age,” she told the couple who pretended to seem surprised by her observation.Jacob looked at his caregivers expecting a reprimand. He was supposed to be pretending to be a normal two-year-old. This time they had promised him a popsicle for good behavior, and he was especially excited for that treat. When he made eye contact with the couple, they didn’t seem to be upset. In fact, they were smiling at him encouragingly which meant to Jacob that he could still obtain his popsicle.“Let’s give the kids a chance to get acquainted,” Diane suggested. “Can I offer you both some coffee?”“Yes please,” Angelique answered joining her in the kitchen where they could keep an eye on the kids in the living room.Noah led Jacob to the living room. “I really like trains,” he explained. “This is my train track.”Jacob took in the massive train set situated in the middle of the living room space. It was a wooden and consisted of quite a few different large pieces that were all connected together.“You can be the green one, and I’ll be the red one,” Noah explained, handing Jacob a green train.“Okay,” Jacob said, taking it from him.“Choo Choo,” Noah said, moving his train across the track.Jacob followed the lead of the three-year-old and moved his train across the track a few feet behind Noah’s train.“Oh no,” Noah shouted as the bridge broke while his train was passing over it.“I can’t stop fast enough,” Jacob exclaimed, continuing to move his train.Soon enough, his train collided with Noah’s and the two vocalized the sound effects of a massive train crash.“They need help,” Jacob cried with urgency in his voice.“Yeah, it’s an emergency,” Noah added, crawling over to the other side of the train track.He grabbed an ambulatory train and handed Jacob a helicopter.“We’re going to rescue them,” Noah explained, rushing over to the accident.Jacob played along, making sound effects for the helicopter as he moved it closer to the fallen bridge. The boys worked together to attach the magnetic attachments of the wrecked trains to the helicopter and ambulatory train. Soon, their hard work paid off and the wreckage was clear.“We gotta get ‘em to the hospital,” Jacob said. “Where is it?”“It’s over there,” Noah answered, pointing at a building on the other side of the track.“Let’s go!” Jacob shouted, crawling quickly and moving the trains along the track toward the new destination.“We have to hurry!” Noah cried.Quickly, they ushered all the passengers to the inside of the hospital. They barely had enough space in the small structure to fit all of the passengers inside, but they made it work.When they were done, Noah went back over to the broken bridge. “We’ve got to fix it,” he said, trying to attach the halves together.“Here, I can hold one side,” Jacob offered, lending a helping hand.“We did it!” Noah exclaimed when the bridge clicked back together.They were having such a good time; they didn’t even realize the time was passing by. The boys had spent nearly an hour playing with the trains, and Diane decided to interrupt them with snacks.“Jacob. Noah. Do you want snacks?” Diane asked, holding two boxes of apple juice and two small muffins.“Yes, mommy,” Noah said followed by a, “Yes please,” from Jacob.
“Let’s get our hands washed then,” she said, leading the boys over to the kitchen sink. She had them take turns standing on a small stepping stool and helped them wash their hands.“All done,” Diane announced. “Now you can have your snacks.”The boys took the snacks from her and moved towards the small kid table. As they passed the therapist couple, Angelique asked, “Jacob, did you say thank you?”Jacob shook his head sheepishly. “Thank you, Ms. Diane,” he said with a mouthful of muffin.“You’re very welcome, Jacob,” she replied, handing him a paper towel for his muffin.“Thank you,” he said again.“Were you two having fun playing?” Simon asked the boys.“Yes, we were playing trains,” Noah answered, toying with his straw.“What are you going to play next?” Diane asked.Noah looked over at Jacob’s Batman plush toy. “Superheroes!” he exclaimed.Jacob smiled. Noah was a really nice kid. The three-year-old was especially collaborative while he was playing. Jacob knew that he’d be very good at group work when he was older. He allowed the boy to lead him back to the collection of toys in the living room. He picked up his Batman plush toy from where he’d left it.“Let’s play superheroes, Jacob,” Noah said, digging through a toy box.“Can I be Batman?” Jacob asked.“Yeah,” Noah confirmed. “I’m going to be Superman.”Noah pulled out a plush toy similar to Jacob’s. “They can have a super fight,” he said.“Why are they fighting?” Jacob asked.“There can only be one superhero for the city,” Noah explained in a no-nonsense tone.“Let’s fight over here then,” Jacob said sitting further away from the train set.“Hiya!” Noah shouted, making Superman kick Batman.“Boom!” Jacob shouted, pretending to throw something on the ground. “There’s a smokescreen.”“Superman has heat vision,” Noah said. “You can’t hide from superman.”“Oh no!” Jacob shouted, trying to evade Superman’s attacks.They pretended to fight for nearly another hour. They were running around the room chasing one another depending on who had the upper hand during the stage of the fight between two of the greatest superheroes. In the end, there was no real winner. The boys had simply collapsed from exhaustion.Noah had pulled out a tablet, and they were watching some Spiderman cartoons until they fell asleep sprawled out on the carpet floor.The adults went to the living room to get the boys. Diane was taking Noah for a nap while Simon and Angelique were going to take Jacob back home.Jacob stirred awake while Simon was lifting him.“Say goodbye to Noah, Jacob,” he heard the older man say. “We’re going home.”“Bye Noah,” Jacob whispered to his sleeping friend.“Goodbye Jacob,” Diane said, holding her sleeping son in her arms.“Bye,” Jacob replied, resting his head on Simon’s shoulder and closing his eyes once again.

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Jacob had spent most the early morning tossing and turning in the crib. Sleeping just wasn’t going well, and when Angelique came to get him ready for the day, his grogginess was all too apparent.“Come on, Jacob,” she said, turning him over. “It’s time to wake up.”“No,” he grumbled. “I’m still tired.”“You can have a nap later,” Angelique said, lifting him out of the crib and laying him on the changing table.As Jacob woke up, he began to realize that he wasn’t feeling quite right. His nose felt stuffy and itchy, and his eyes felt watery. He rubbed his eyes with his fists, and the sensation soothed him for a moment. That was until Angelique squeezed a puff of powder onto his fresh diaper.Jacob sneezed violently, not once or twice but three full times. His chest hurt from the exertion and his sinuses felt like they were on fire. He held his head in his hands, trying to survive the dizziness he was experiencing.“Uh-oh,” he heard Angelique say over the pounding in his ears. “It looks like someone might have caught a cold.”Jacob felt her put her hand on his forehead and neck. “You don’t feel warm,” she said, sounding unconvinced.She reached for a tissue and gently wiped off the toddler’s nose.“Now do I get to go back to sleep?” Jacob asked, expecting her to give him a break since he was clearly sick.“Nope,” Angelique answered. “Since you’re sick, you need a good breakfast to help your body fight off the germs.”Jacob vented his displeasure by groaning the whole time while he was carried to the bathroom. His caregiver didn’t even acknowledge his whining. She just ignored his behavior and sat the grumpy boy near the sink.In no way was Jacob looking forward to having his teeth brushed. It was already hard for him to breathe through his stuffy nose. When Angelique held the toothbrush in front of his mouth, he turned away.“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Angelique asked, noticing the pronounced, uncooperative disposition of the boy.“My nose is stuffy,” Jacob explained, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand.“Is that why you don’t want to brush your teeth?” Angelique asked.“Yeah,” the boy simply answered. “I’ll suffocate.”“I see,” Angelique responded, tapping her chin. “How about we take small breaks so you can take a breath in between brushes?”“I guess,” Jacob hesitantly agreed, knowing that was probably the best compromise he was going to get.Angelique waited for Jacob to open his mouth and gently brush his teeth for just a few seconds before giving him a break to spit and breathe. They continued along with that process until Angelique felt like she had gotten his teeth sparkling clean.“Breakfast time,” the caregiver announced, lifting the little boy onto her hip and beginning to make her way downstairs.Simon was taking the time to wash some of the dishes while he waited for the other members of his household to join him for breakfast. It was taking a bit longer than expected, but he knew how unpredictable Jacob could be when he was woken up.When he heard them enter the kitchen, he immediately dried his hands and went over to give the little boy sitting in his highchair a hug.“Careful, honey,” Angelique warned. “He’s got the sniffles.”“Oh, you caught a bug?” Simon asked, covering his nose and mouth with the top of his T-shirt.Jacob rolled his eyes at Simon’s dramatic behavior. “It’s not like I’d get sick on purpose,” he grumbled in a hoarse voice.“That’s true. Oh, well. The only thing we can do now is load you up with some vitamin C,” Simon said, patting the boy’s head.“I’m getting him a cup of orange juice,” Angelique said, standing in front of the refrigerator and shaking the bottle in her hands.Jacob put his head down on the tray in front of him. He wasn’t interested in bantering with his caregivers, not when he felt like he was hit by one of Noah’s trains. Thinking about Noah, he realized he’d probably caught the cold from him. This was why he was never a fan of small children in his young adulthood. They were just walking germs. Now he was one of them too.“It’s not naptime yet, Jacob,” Angelique reminded the boy, prompting him to sit up in his chair.When he put his head back up, he noticed the bowl of oatmeal in her hands and assumed that he was being fed again. He still hadn’t gotten back the privilege of feeding himself. For once though, he didn’t mind it. As sick as he was, he didn’t feel like feeding himself anyways.He ate his breakfast, and when the bowl of oatmeal filled his tummy, he was taken out of the highchair and given his sippy cup filled with orange juice. He wandered into the living room while his caregivers had their breakfast. He tossed his sippy cup onto the couch and scrambled his way onto the cushion in front of him, kicking his feet out until he was able to boost himself up.The exertion was tiring, and once he recovered his sippy cup, he quickly made himself comfortable on the couch. He curled into a ball and listened to the sound of Simon and Angelique washing the dishes as he drifted off to sleep.Passing a dish to his wife for drying, Simon took a peek over at Jacob and saw him curled on the couch. “Looks like Jacob’s asleep,” he told Angelique.“I’m not surprised,” she said. “He didn’t want to wake up this morning.”“I hope we don’t catch the bug that he has,” Simon said, washing the last of the dishes.“You better not,” Angelique responded, glaring daggers at him. “I’d kick you out of the bed again.”“Okay. Okay. I’ll take some vitamins,” Simon promised, trying to appease his wife before he was stuck sleeping in the guest bedroom again.He knew that Angelique was especially aware of his typically weak immune system. He’d lost count of how many times he had gotten her sick in the past. It was almost a promise when cold/flu season came along that he was going to get sick, and she would get sick from taking care of him.When they were finished with the dishes, Angelique went upstairs to grab an ear thermometer from the nursery. She quickly removed it from the package and attached a new plastic earpiece, while making her way downstairs.She wasn’t trying to purposefully disrupt Jacob’s slumber, but she wanted to establish a baseline for his temperature. That way, she’d be able to tell if he was getting better or worse by the afternoon. Angelique took a seat on the couch and slid Jacob over until his head was in her lap. She turned on the thermometer and grabbed his free arm while she stuck the earpiece in the toddler’s ear.As she predicted, he immediately tried to fidget away, moving his arm to swat away the foreign object lodged inside of his ear.“I’m just taking your temperature, Jacob,” she reassured the boy, in a calm and steady voice.Jacob vocalized his displeasure at being woken up through a series of high-pitched whines. He kicked his legs out and tried to wiggle out of Angelique’s grasp. But he didn’t get to move an inch until the thermometer beeped and gave Angelique the reading she wanted. Finally, he was released. He immediately crawled over to the other side of the couch, flustered and agitated.“I’m sorry, Jacob,” Angelique said, reaching over to mend her relationship with the sick child. “I needed to take your temperature.”Jacob crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I was sleeping, and you woke me up,” he objected.“Yes, I know,” Angelique sympathized. “You can go back to sleep now. I can even put some cartoons on if you’d like.”“Cartoons,” Jacob grumbled, still unhappy that he was awake when he didn’t want to be.A soft smile lingered on Angelique’s face. She always found the boy’s theatrics amusing. She knew he would probably hold a grudge for the rest of the morning, but he’d get over it after another nap. Doing as she promised, she turned the TV on and switched to a kid’s cartoon channel.Jacob sipped on the remainder of his orange juice and watched the mindless cartoons. He grew tired once more, and relaxed into the couch, his heart rate slowing and his breathing becoming deeper.Once Jacob’s little snores started, Angelique tidied up the playpen, moving the small pillow in place and pulling back the sheets. She carefully rested the sleeping boy in the playpen. She wanted to be able to move freely for a bit, and she couldn’t leave him sleeping on the couch.The thermometer had indicated that he already had a slight fever going on, and she knew she would need to give him some medicine for that later. She just hoped he’d be a good sport about it, and they wouldn’t have a repeat of the laxative fiasco.Joining her husband in the kitchen, she grabbed a notepad from the counter.“Simon, would you pick up a few items from the store?” she asked, jotting down a few items.“Sure, I’m guessing that’s the list,” he remarked, turning around to see her scribbling fast onto the notepad.“You got it,” she said, handing him the piece of paper. “I’ll text you if I think of anything else.”“Alright,” he said, giving her a kiss and heading out to the garage. “See you soon.”“See ya,” she said as he walked though the door, leaving her to get started on lunch.

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It was around lunch time when Jacob stirred awake, and boy was he hot. His entire upper body was sweaty. He quickly stripped his sweat-soaked shirt off, leaving him dressed only in a pair of shorts and his diaper. As he adjusted to being awake again, he realized he was trapped in the playpen, and he only felt sicker than he did that morning.
His eyes burned and his head pounded. He was beginning to feel a growing itch in his throat that he knew would only get worse. To add insult to injury, he was sure he needed a diaper change. Slowly, he stood up and peered over the playpen bars.He could see Angelique in the kitchen standing in front of the stove and stirring a larger pot. He tried calling out for help, but his voice simply wouldn’t cooperate. His shouts sounded more like hushed whispers. Frustrated, he plopped back down into the playpen and leaned into a corner.He wiped his hand across his forehead, feeling the beads of sweat dotting his face. He had to tilt his head backwards as the snot from his runny nose threatened to descend onto places it didn’t belong.
But that only made the itch in his throat worse, and soon he launched into a coughing fit.Angelique heard the little boy’s coughing and quickly turned off the stove, giving the soup one last stir. “Jacob. Are you okay, sweetie?” she asked, as she walked closer to the playpen.The sick child just kept coughing, unable to respond. She reached in and rubbed soothing circles onto his back, helping him get through his coughing fit, and when he was done, she pulled him out of the playpen, resting a hand on his forehead.“You’re burning up,” she said, her voice laced with concern.“I feel awful,” he replied, his voice so hoarse it almost sounded like a whisper.“Simon should be home any minute now with the medicine,” she explained, patting his back. “The box that we had at home was expired.”“Ugh,” Jacob groaned, sniffling and rubbing at his eyes.“Do you want to have some soup while we wait?” she offered, walking toward the kitchen and grabbing a paper towel to wipe up the boy’s face.“Yes,” he whispered, looking forward to anything that might help his sore throat.“Excellent,” she replied, seating him in the highchair. A minute later, she returned with a small plastic bowl filled with soup and a colorful plastic spoon.Not bothering to wait for her instruction, he opened his mouth. He was immediately rewarded with some warm broth that was easy to swallow, and it really did reduce the soreness of his throat. His nostrils were less stuffy, and his sinuses cleared while he was being fed the soup. Moments later, the small bowl of soup was finished, but Simon still hadn’t returned home.“How about we get you a nice cool bath,” Angelique suggested, internally worried about the boy’s temperature. But Jacob would have been none the wiser as she kept a reassuring smile on her face.Jacob nodded his head in agreement. He was hot, sticky and sweaty, and the promise of a cool bath was enough to have him lifting his arms and waiting to be carried to the bathroom.Angelique carried him upstairs to the bathroom near the nursery. Quickly, she stripped him, removing his soiled diaper and tossing aside his pair of shorts. She turned on the faucet in the tub, and they both watched as the cool water cascaded across the basin. Once the water was at a high level, she turned off the water and held Jacob by the underarms.“Jacob, it’s going to be really cold, but it will really help your temperature,” she warned him. But he didn’t get a chance to take in what she said before he was placed into the cold water. Immediately, he recoiled. The water felt like ice against his skin. He was prepared for cold but not frigid.“It’s too cold,” he objected, splashing around in an attempt to flee from the water.Angelique simply blocked his exit, holding him in the bathwater. She waited a couple minutes until he slightly adjusted to the temperature, no longer actively trying to escape. Grabbing a washcloth, she dipped it in the water and lathered some soap onto it. Carefully, she washed the little boy’s body.Jacob shivered. He wanted nothing more than to be outside of the freezing water, but he was at the mercy of his caregiver’s discretion. He briefly thought about crying. He knew that would probably get her to let him out of the tub, but he thought about the snotty mess he’d be if he did it. No matter how bad things got, he wouldn’t willingly make himself a snot-nosed brat.After washing away the dried sweat, Angelique decided to take pity on the feverish boy. She grabbed his towel and lifted him out of the tub. While she was drying him, she heard his teeth chatter, and the sound melted her heart. It always felt terrible to be responsible for causing the discomfort in a child, but she knew it needed to be done.Just as she finished drying him, she heard Simon making his way upstairs.“Angelique?” he called.“We’re in the bathroom,” she shouted, wrapping Jacob in a towel.Simon entered the bathroom, holding the plastic bag filled with the items on the list.“Did you get everything?” Angelique asked, eyeing the bag.“Yes,” he replied, handing her the bag. “It took me a while to find the last item. I had to go to a different store, but I was able to get it there.”Angelique rummaged through the bag until she found the box of children’s cold medication. She tore open the box and unwrapped the enclosed syringe. Checking the back of the box, she took note of the dosage for a two-year-old and filled the syringe with the red liquid.“Okay, Jacob. Open up,” she said, holding the syringe to his lips.The boy hesitantly opened his mouth, not completely trusting of taking any medication from the people who had forcibly regressed him. But the promise of relief from his sickness was enough of a silver lining for him to at least try.A try it was; because as soon as the medication touched his tongue, he opened his mouth to let it fall out. The boy couldn’t believe how terrible the medicine tasted to his regressed palette. It was worse than any medication he could recall every having taken in his entire life.“Jacob!” Angelique admonished, wiping up the red liquid with his towel. “You have a fever, and you need to take some medicine for it.”“It’s so gross!” Jacob complained, spitting the rest of the medicine out of his mouth.“It’s either this or a suppository,” Angelique said sternly, offering no room for argument.Jacob looked between his caregivers at the door. He might have had a chance to make a run for it if Simon wasn’t in the small bathroom as well. He was stuck, and even though he really didn’t want to take the medication, he didn’t want to be violated with a suppository either.“Try holding your nose, Jacob,” Simon suggested. “You won’t taste it that way.”Angelique filled the syringe with Jacob’s correct dosage one more time. “Let’s try this again. Open up,” she instructed the boy.Jacob decided to give Simon’s suggestion a shot, seeing as he didn’t have a choice in the matter. He held his nose while Angelique squirted the contents of the syringe into his mouth. It burned when it touched his tongue, but this time he did his best to quickly swallow all of it.“Good job,” Angelique praised him, wiping the red dye from his lips with the towel.“I’ll take Jacob to get him dressed and tucked in,” Angelique explained, lifting the toweled boy into her arms. “Simon, I left the soup out for you if you want to get some lunch.”“Have you eaten already?” Simon asked.“No, I haven’t yet,” she answered, realizing that she’d got so caught up in taking care of Jacob that she had forgotten to eat.“I’ll wait in the kitchen until you’re finished with Jacob,” he said, taking the rest of the items he bought out of the bathroom.“Okay, I’ll be down shortly,” she shouted.Turning the corner into the nursery, she laid Jacob down on the changing table. The boy was beginning to feel drowsy, tired from the freezing cold bath and fatigued from the extra work his body was putting in to fight the infection. He yawned, rubbing at his eyes and scratching his tummy.“It’s good that you’re sleepy again,” Angelique said, lifting his legs and sliding the new diaper under his bottom. “Your body is using up a bunch of energy trying to fight off those nasty germies. Isn’t it?”Jacob nodded his head silently. He was getting more and more drowsy, but he wanted to have his Batman toy before he went to sleep. While Angelique dressed him in a thin onesie and a pair of socks, he looked around the room, searching for his misplaced toy.“Today, sleeping is encouraged. You get to sleep all day,” she enthused in a babyish voice while she laid Jacob down in the crib.“Wait!” he cried, holding his arms out towards her. “Batman.”“Oh, I know where Batman is,” she said, turning and walking towards the toy shelf. “Here he is.”She handed the little boy his plush toy and watched as he cuddled with it in the crib. Angelique marveled at how well his regression was going. Just one week ago he was kicking and screaming when it was nap time. Now he went to bed like a well-adjusted toddler.Smiling at the sight of the adorable toddler in front of her, she turned on the overhead mobile and gave Jacob a kiss on the forehead. “Have a good nap,” she said, closing the door behind her.****After having lunch together and discussing their plans in case Jacob got worse, the therapist couple spent the afternoon watching movies together. They stumbled across an exciting documentary about the time when dinosaurs went extinct.Before long, it was dinner time, and the couple had dinner together, deciding not to wake Jacob too early. When they were finished eating, Angelique warmed a bottle for Jacob, mixing in his dose of medicine into it. She wanted to avoid another power struggle over the medicine and make it easier on the tyke.With the ear thermometer and the bottle in hand, she went upstairs. Angelique flipped on the lights in the nursery. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jacob stir a little bit in his sleep, but he didn’t wake up. She reached inside the crib and felt his clammy forehead. It was warm to the touch once again, prompting her to get a reading of his temperature once again.Lifting Jacob out of the crib, she took a seat on the sofa and rested him on her lap, supporting his head with the crook of her arm. She gently inserted the earpiece into the little boy’s ear and waited.Almost immediately, Jacob twitched awake. With his eyes still closed, he kicked out his legs and whined until he started coughing. It was a loud, hacking, wet cough which left him gasping for breath and sniffling.Having successfully gotten his temperature, Angelique watched the child go through the motions of his coughing fit and pat him on the back. But her soothing circles weren’t enough to prevent the hot tears from running down the feverish child’s face. The two-year old sobbed loudly as the tears flew down his face looking as miserable as one could imagine he felt.Angelique soothed the crying child, standing up to bounce and rock him in her arms. “Shh, it’s okay,” she cooed softly to him.
She moved over to the rocking chair, leaving the ear thermometer and grabbing the bottle. She rocked him for a few minutes until he was calm enough to drink the bottle. In his highly regressed state, he readily accepted being bottle-fed. He quietly drank the bottle in his caregiver’s arms, innocently peering up at her.Angelique smiled down at the toddler, slowing rocking the chair, and as the bottle neared completion, the boy’s eyes began to droop. His caregiver had to tap him a few times to get him alert enough to finish the bottle. When she pulled the nipple out of his mouth, he unconsciously popped his thumb in its place, already beginning to doze off.After another quick diaper change, Angelique put Jacob back in his crib to sleep off the rest of his sickness, hoping that the dose of medicine in the bottle would help him through the rest of the night.

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The next day passed quickly. Jacob slept through most of it, only ever staying up long enough to take his medicine and have a meal. The therapists busied themselves preparing for the trip back to St. Ives for Jacob’s two-week follow-up appointment. Angelique went out to get a full tank of gas in the car, and Simon compiled a list of all the noticeable changes they had seen in Jacob’s behavior over the past week. Now, they just had to get him to the appointment without a tantrum.Jacob had mostly recovered from his cold with small sniffles and a few short coughs every now and then. That morning, he was coloring while his caregivers cleaned up the kitchen. He knew they were all going out. The clothes that Simon dressed him in had given that much away, but he didn’t know anything else. But he wasn’t focused on that; his attention had been shifted to the new coloring book he was presented with.
“Jacob, we’re almost ready to leave. Come over so I can put your shoes on,” Angelique shouted from the kitchen.When he didn’t join her in the kitchen, she walked over to find him engrossed in his coloring, kneeling next to the coffee table. He had the yellow crayon in his hand, filling in the lines of a mane.“That’s a nice lion,” Angelique commented, rubbing his back to get his attention. “But it’s time for us to go in the car.”“Can I color in the car?” Jacob asked, looking up at his caregiver.“You sure can,” Angelique promised. She took a seat on the couch and lifted him onto the cushion next to her.“So, where are we going?” Jacob asked, watching her slip his shoes on.“We’re driving to Richland,” she answered, knowing Jacob didn’t know where St. Ives was.“What’s in Richland,” he asked.“Someone is curious today,” Angelique observed, tying his shoelaces. “You’ll find out when we get there.” She finished tying his shoes and helped him off the couch. “Come on, Simon’s waiting.”Jacob quickly grabbed his coloring book and his box of crayons and followed Angelique to garage where Simon was waiting in the car. His caregiver opened the backdoor for him and helped him into his car seat. While she buckled him in, Simon turned around from the driver’s seat.“Do you want Batman?” he asked, offering Jacob his toy.“Yes!” Jacob answered, enthusiastically taking Batman from him and stuffing him into the car seat with him.Once Angelique got in the passenger’s seat, Simon opened the garage door and they began the trip back to St. Ives. Jacob spent most of the trip occupied with coloring his pictures, but every now and then, he paused to ask if they were almost there or for a snack. Finally, two and a half hours later, they made it to St. Ives.Simon pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car. “Now, we’re here,” he told Jacob. He stepped outside and opened the door to the back seat, quickly undoing the car seat’s buckles.
Noticing the crayons and coloring book in his hands, Simon told him, “Sorry, buddy, but you can’t bring the coloring book.”“But I want to color!” Jacob whined as Simon took the coloring book and crayon away from him.“I know you do, but you might lose some of your crayons in the building,” he said, helping him out of the car. “How about you bring Batman, and if you’re good, you can have a special treat on the way back.”“Can I have ice-cream?” Jacob asked, allowing Simon to hold his hand.“Sure, but only if you’re good,” Simon promised.They made walk through the parking lot in silence. Jacob had no idea where they were, but he assumed they were going to a museum. He remembered Simon telling him stories about dinosaurs the day before. When they walked through the double doors into a lobby, Jacob began to worry about where they might be.“We’re here for an appointment,” Jacob heard Angelique tell the receptionist at the front desk.“Simon and Angelique?” the receptionist asked.“Yes, that’s us,” Simon answered.“You’re in room 46. Walk down that hall, and it will be on the left. The doctor will be in to see you shortly.”When Jacob heard the word “doctor”, adrenaline began to pump through his veins. He realized they had to be at St. Ives, and he didn’t want to see the mean doctor again, not when she might make him smaller than he already was.As Simon led him along through the halls, he immediately stop walking forward and pulled at Simon’s arm. “I don’t want to go,” he cried. “No doctor!”“Jacob, it’s going to be quick. It’s just a checkup. There’s nothing to worry about,” Simon said, trying to console the boy before he had a meltdown in the middle of the hall.“No!” Jacob cried with tears beginning to fall down his face.“Alright,” Simon said, realizing that Jacob was clearly too distressed to be reasoned with. He lifted the toddler into his arms and encouraged Jacob to rest his head against his shoulder as he continued the walk down the hall.Angelique bent down to pickup his Batman toy that he’d dropped when Simon picked him up, and she followed closely behind. They found the room that they were supposed to wait in, and Simon took a seat in one of the chairs, holding Jacob in his arms as he sobbed. After five minutes of crying, Jacob finally calmed down.The trio heard two quick raps on the door, and a nurse walked through the door. “Hi, I came to get a reading of Jacob’s vitals. Would you mind sitting him on the exam table?” she asked, turning on the equipment in the room.“No problem,” Simon said, standing up and taking Jacob over to the exam table. When the little boy, pulled at his shirt, he told him, “It’s only for a second, Jacob.”Once he was on the exam table, the nurse took a reading of his temperature with an ear thermometer. Next, she attached a small device to the tip of his finger and wrapped a cuff around his arm. Once they beeped, she removed all the devices.Jotting down the readings onto a clipboard, she said, “Everything looks excellent. The doctor will be right over,” and left the room.“You did so well,” Angelique said, reaching over to pat Jacob’s head.Simon was still standing next to Jacob while he was seated on the exam table when Dr. Kelly entered the room.“Simon and Angelique. It’s nice to see you both again,” Dr. Kelly began. “Thanks for bringing Jacob in today. Has everything been going well?”“It has. Thank you for asking,” Simon said.“That’s good to hear,” she replied, pausing for a moment to look at the clipboard in front of her. “I asked you two to bring in Jacob so we could run a few standard tests to see how his regression is coming along, but we did say that we wanted to do a case study. So, the plan is to do a few specialized tests if that’s alright with you two?” she asked.“We’re fine as long as it isn’t very invasive.” Angelique said, glancing over at Jacob who was grabbing onto Simon in fear of the doctor.“Everything will be non-invasive. We only want to get a picture of how the Restalsis is affecting his brain. It will be as simple as a few extra flashcard tests and an EEG,” the doctor promised.“Okay, that sounds simple enough,” Simon said, put to ease by Dr. Kelly’s explanation.“One more thing,” the doctor started. “We were able to get a transfer of Jacob’s electronic medical records, and I think it would be best to make sure his vaccinations are up to date for today’s requirements of a two-year-old. We don’t want him contracting anything serious.”“That would be great actually. It will be easier to get him enrolled in daycare,” Angelique said.“Excellent,” Dr. Kelly said, turning to rummage through the drawers before asking, “Did either of you have any questions or concerns that you wanted to talk about?”“Yes,” Simon replied. “We noticed that Jacob’s regression has seemed especially accelerated over the last few days, and we were a bit concerned since we weren’t told to expect that.”“Oh, that’s good that you noticed that,” Dr. Kelly said, smiling and unpackaging a syringe. “We have a working theory about the way that Restalsis affects brains that aren’t fully developed. We think that they final stage is accelerated in those who are under the age of 25, but we aren’t sure yet. It’s still only a theory because the circumstances for those who are older when they are regressed tend to be different than those who are under 25.”“That makes sense. Thank you for explaining that Dr. Kelly,” Simon said.“Not a problem,” she replied before asking, “Anything else?”“No that was all we had,” Simon confirmed.“Look Jacob,” the blonde woman said, pulling out a small lollipop from her coat. “This is for you, but I’m going to give it to Angelique so she can unwrap it for you.”The doctor waited until Jacob’s attention shifted to the piece of candy she handed to his caregiver. Quickly, she uncapped the needle and injected the vaccination into his upper arm. Feeling the pinch in his arm, Jacob turned back around to face the doctor, and when he saw the needle in her hand, his frustration at being deceived grew until it released into another short crying fit.“I’m sorry,” Dr. Kelly apologized to the couple, seeming remorseful.“He’ll be alright,” Angelique assured her.“Great,” Dr. Kelly said. “The nurse will be in to take Jacob to his testing, and we have an event going on for caregivers of regressed children if you two would like to attend while you’re waiting.”“That sounds good, doctor. Thank you,” Simon said, patting Jacob on the back while the toddler finished crying.“You’re welcome, and I’ll see you all again in another two weeks,” she said, grabbing the clipboard and slipping through the door.“Jacob, are you feeling better, buddy?” Simon asked when Jacob’s cries finally dwindled down.Jacob nodded slowly, sniffling and rubbing away the tears on his face.“Do you want your lollipop?” Angelique asked him, holding the wrapped candy up for him to see it.“Yes,” Jacob replied softly, reaching out for it.“Okay,” Angelique said, unwrapping the lollipop and handing it to him.Jacob popped it into his mouth and immediately enjoyed the rush of flavors on his tongue. He didn’t get to enjoy his candy for too long before his caregivers decided it was time to spring the bad news on him.“Jacob,” Angelique began, rubbing his arm to get his attention. “In a few minutes, a nurse is going to come, and you have to go with her to take a few quick tests.”Seeing that the boy looked ready to cry again, Simon added, “But you’re going to be a big boy for the nurse and go with her to do the tests right. You can go with Batman and he’ll remind you to be brave.”A few minutes later, the nurse did come to the room to get Jacob ready for his testing, and after quick hugs from his caregivers, he hesitantly allowed the nurse to hold his hand and lead him out of the room.

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Jacob walked down the hall, holding the arm of his Batman toy in the hand that wasn’t gripped tightly by the nurse. He sniffled a bit, the fear of the unknown terrifying him. He wanted to be back with Simon and Angelique. He wanted to be held and comforted until it was time for another nap, but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen soon.They entered another section of the hospital and went through a set of large double doors. Then, they had to go through an indoor security checkpoint, and the nurse showed her badge to the officer on duty who waved her through. Finally, they stopped at a door, and the nurse punched a code into the keypad on the wall, and when she finished, the door slowly opened.The room was painted with vivid colors, and the walls were decorated with paintings of radiant rainbows. The shelves and cubbies across the room were all stocked full of toys and trinkets. Multiple bean bag chairs were littered in the center of the room, and there were a few other children sitting inside.“Okay, Jacob, you wait here. We’ll come to get you for your testing in a bit,” the nurse said, releasing his hand and turning to exit the room.Jacob stood near the door, unsure of what to do. The other kids looked to be about his age, but they weren’t playing with any of the toys. One was napping in the corner, and the other two were sitting on the bean bag chairs looking at him.“Oh, geez, we’ve got another brainwashed one,” the girl said, looking up from the book that she was reading to glare at Jacob.“Be nice Trish. It’s probably not his fault. You’ve seen how the medication seems to mess them up,” the taller boy rebuked, walking over to Jacob. “I’m Thomas, and this is Trish. What’s your name?”“I’m Jacob,” he answered shyly, clutching his Batman toy.“Well, Jacob. Welcome to the childcare center at St. Ives,” Thomas said, leading Jacob over to the middle of the room. “We’re all regressed like you were, and we all have different caregivers, except Trish and me. We’re stuck at the same house.”“They watch us behind the glass like we’re animals,” Trish ranted, sticking her middle finger up at the camera in the room.“How come you aren’t playing?” Jacob asked, innocently eyeing a bead maze.“Because we aren’t stupid,” Trish answered. “The more you play with the toys, the quicker you’ll get brainwashed, and I don’t want to end up like you. I bet you don’t even remember how old you used to be.”“I do too,” Jacob objected. “I used to be twenty-two before.”“You were younger than most of us,” Thomas said. “ I was twenty-seven, and Trish was twenty-eight.”“Were you sad too?” Jacob asked.“Yup, very sad,” Thomas replied. “That’s how they find people to experiment on.”“That’s how they make us disappear,” Trish added. “They pick people who don’t have lives or families that will miss them.”“It’s so messed up,” Thomas lamented, dropping onto a bean bag chair.“It’s fucked up,” Trish fumed. “That’s what it is.”“You can’t say bad words,” Jacob whispered, looking at the door and expecting Trish to get in trouble.“Kid, you need to wake up,” Trish said, shaking her head. “We’re adults, and I’m going to say whatever I want.”“I don’t like spankings,” Jacob explained. “They hurt.”“They don’t hurt forever,” Trish said with a wicked smile on her face. “My caregivers can spank me as many times as they want. I’ll still fight back.”“She gets in trouble a lot,” Thomas laughed. “I prefer to go with the flow. I don’t like spankings either. This butt is for sitting.”Their conversation ended abruptly when the doors to the room opened again. The nurse entered the room carrying a sleeping child in her arms. The watched silently as she laid him down next to the other boy in the corner. She made her way over to where they were sitting.“It’s time for your testing, Jacob,” she announced, holding her hand out to him.Jacob shook his head and hid behind Batman.“The sooner we get finished, the sooner you get to go home,” the nurse said. “You want to go home. Don’t you?”Jacob nodded, and hesitantly took her hand. He waved to Trish and Thomas and allowed the nurse to lead him out of the room. This time, the trip was much shorter. They only walked through two hallways before she opened the door to a room with a small machine hooked up next to the head of the hospital bed.“Let’s get you up here,” the nurse said, lifting him and seating him on the bed. “I’m going to attach these sticky pads to your head, and while I’m doing that, I’ve got some cards for you to try to read for me. Think you can do that?”“Uh-huh,” Jacob replied.“Here’s the first one,” she said, handing him a flashcard with the word onomatopoeia on it.Jacob looked at the card, not recognizing the word on it in the slightest. He tried sounding it out, mouthing the first few letters, but he couldn’t figure it out. He remembered his alphabet, but it was like the rules of phonics were lost in his memory.“Would you like to try another?” the nurse asked, attaching another electrode on his scalp.“Yes,” he answered, and was rewarded with another card with the word didactic on it.“Di-da-Di-dac-,” he fumbled, sounding out one syllable at a time but failing to get through the whole word.“How about this one?”“It says water,” Jacob declared, excited that he was able to read something.“Good job,” the nurse said. “Now, I’ve got a game for you to play on the tablet. You have to try to match all the numbers together in order.”Jacob accepted the tablet from her, enthusiastic about the game he was going to get to play. There was a short tutorial that showed him how to draw lines from one number to the other, and then he was able to get right into it. He made it all the way to fifty, but the numbers were becoming more difficult to find. Engrossed in the game, he didn’t notice when the nurse finished putting electrodes on his head and turned on the EEG machine.About ten minutes passed, and Jacob finished the level, successfully connecting the numbers all the way to one hundred. When he looked up, he saw the nurse sitting at the computer and heard her typing away. From the shadows on the door, it looked like a few people were standing right outside.Jacob didn’t get to even look twice because the door opened, and Dr. Kelly entered the room followed by a few younger doctors.“This is our special case. His name is Jacob, and he was twenty-two when he was regressed two weeks ago,” she said, to the younger doctors. “As you can see, the Restalsis has definitely affected him cognitively. He’s regressed to carrying a toy for comfort, but we know that he can have moments where his cognitive skills are unchanged. I developed a compound that might kickstart his cognitive functioning.”Dr. Kelly pulled vial from her lab coat and she uncapped a syringe. “This is called Stimetril and it can be used to facilitate deep brain stimulation. With it, I hope to nullify the cognitive regression that Restalsis causes,” she explained to the younger doctors while drawing the Stimetril into the syringe.The nurse pulled a rubber tourniquet from in a drawer and tied it around Jacob’s arm. Paralyzed by fear, he didn’t try to stop her. He only watched as Dr. Kelly moved towards him, and he noticed everything in that moment. The evil smile on her face, the curious stares of the other doctors and the pitiful glances of the nurse were all in his line of sight. He felt the pinch as the needle broke through his skin and the cool sensation in his veins as the contents of the syringe flowed through them.His racing heart slowed, and the room fell out of focus. It was like all of his other senses had been dimmed, except one. His hearing was incredible. Every individual sound in the room could be homed in on and processed, from the nervous tapping of a younger doctor’s shoe to the hum of the central air conditioning flowing through the vents. He was processing so much that he couldn’t focus on anything else. Operating his body was a perplexing mystery that he wasn’t able to solve, at least not until he had the chance to organize all the information in his brain.“If you look at the EEG data, you will see that his cerebellum and hippocampus are responding to the medication. It will take a while for the Stimetril to completely kick in, but we will be able to observe him from the childcare center,” she said, tossing her needle into the sharps bin and leaving the room with the doctors following behind her.The nurse quickly undid the band on his arm. She turned off the EEG machine and worked to remove all the electrodes from his scalp. It took a few minutes, but she got them all off and lifted him into her arms, resting his head against her shoulder. Bending down, she picked up his Batman toy and carried them both back to the childcare center.As the walked down the hall, Jacob felt like he could almost memorize the distinct sound of her footsteps, and he counted about two hundred steps before they made it back to the childcare center. Instead of resting him in the corner, she decided to lay him on a beanbag chair.The minutes passed by slowing as he laid there noticing the sounds around him. The tick tock of the clock on the wall faded into the sound of Trish turning the pages of the book she was reading. But soon, the intensity of the sounds decreased, and the world came back into focus. Air rushed into his lungs, and he opened his eyes wide.“Holy shit,” he gasped, sitting straight up.

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“Holy shit,” he gasped, sitting straight up.Eyes wide open, he scanned the room, quickly checking for any exits. There had to be an escape from this nightmare. He’d woken up to his plight, but it wouldn’t do him any good if he was still stuck. No, it was time to mobilize; freedom had to be fought for.“We need to get out of here,” he whispered to Trish and Thomas. His eyes were wide, and the urgency was evident in his voice.“Don’t you think I’ve tried getting out of here dumbass,” Trish said, putting down her book and rolling her eyes. “That locked door is the only way in and out, and besides they’re watching us right now.”“We can’t just sit here!” Jacob exclaimed, trying his best to convey the anguish eating away at his insides. “We can’t, not after what they did to me.”“Yeah, you were pretty messed up,” Trish laughed, casually taunting and disparaging the 22-year-old. “Those spankings got into your head, huh?”Jacob blushed and covered his face with his hands. He remembered all of the embarrassing stuff that he’d done while under the influence of Restalsis. The memory of looking up at Angelique as she fed him a bottle and rocked him sprang into his mind, and if he could have blushed any harder, he would have.“Oh my god,” he groaned, absolutely mortified.“It’s not your fault,” Thomas empathized. “I have moments where I regress a little. From what we’ve been able to eavesdrop, we know it’s a gradual and unavoidable experience.”Silence filled the room as Jacob processed the overwhelming humiliation that had been imposed on him by his time in Simon and Angelique’s care. He had started to forget everything, the circumstances of his regression, his adult life and the ability to complete basic tasks, even how to read. He had become more reliant on his caregivers, giving up his autonomy for the unreserved nurture and warmth provided to him. Sure, he might have been happier, but it was all fraudulent, superficial, artificial and deranged. He wanted no part in it.Dr. Kelly’s meddling had given him a second chance to fight back, a do-over he desperately needed. The rational side of his brain was working again, and it compelled him to devise a grand scheme, a surefire escape plan, but given his current situation, he knew just how hard-pressed he’d have to be to create an opportunity to flee. They’d locked down the childcare center so well that the likelihood of liberation remained far-fetched, the possibility of a breakout inauspicious.Looking down at his lap, defeat heavy in his heart, Jacob stared at the plush toy that he’d become attached to while he was regressed. The revulsion that he presently felt looking at the toy was overwhelming, and just when he was seconds away from launching the toy towards the wall in front of him where it would remain out of his sight, an idea popped into his head.He had once played a Batman video game, and one of the ways that he was able to escape a room where the character had been held prisoner was by opening a vent and maneuvering his way through the crawlspace. All three of them were the perfect size to comfortably and quickly travel through even the smallest crawlspace. It was a flawless escape plan, he just needed help finding the vent and opening it before the attendants could intervene.“I got it!” Jacob shouted, startling Trish who had gone back to reading. “We need to find a vent on one of these walls. It could probably be pried open with any one of the toys in this room.”“We are small enough to crawl through a vent,” Thomas agreed. “That’s genius.”“It won’t work,” Trish commented. “But I’ll help you look. It’s not like we have much else to do.”“I’ll help too,” Thomas volunteered.It was probably a hopeless venture, but the desperation that was building up behind Jacob’s chest urged him ahead. He needed to make a stand against the institution that reduced his status to that of a talking toddler. Their deeds demanded retribution, and he intended to instigate commotion however he could. It was not going to be business as usual now that his consciousness was back.“Let’s do this shit,” Trish enthused, jumping to her feet.As Jacob moved to stand, he heard the awfully distressing crinkle of a diaper rubbing against his thighs, and it unnerved him, heightening his awareness of the oppressive circumstance to which he’d woken up to. Forever, his diaper proved to be a continual reminder of the unavoidable effects that Restalsis produced. Rarely, did he ever even know when he needed to go. For the last two weeks, it was just something that happened. Soiling himself and waiting to be changed was his new normal, and that was an all too sobering reality. His regressed, toddler-sized bladder, courtesy of Dr. Kelly, had wounded his pride almost irreparably. But his deeply damaged ego didn’t deter him from waging war with the evil doctor and his kidnappers. If anything, it inspired him to fight harder and smarter; everything was at stake.
Trish, Thomas and Jacob started on separate walls, peering behind the bookshelves, toy bins and cubbies. They wedged their tiny bodies into the small spaces between where decorations met wall and prayed for a vent. It wasn’t an easy task. The observation room was carefully designed to be childproof, meaning that nearly everything was secured to the spot it occupied on the floor or beside the walls. Fortunately, they had three adult minds working together. It wasn’t easy, but it would be possible.Jacob was halfway through checking his wall, looking behind the cubbies that had been stacked with a variety of toys, from teddy bears to bins of Lego pieces. He ripped some stuffed animals from a shelf and tossed them onto the floor to make space for his head. He pushed his head through and looked through the back of the cubby, but only blank wall was hidden behind the large piece of furniture.As he maneuvered his way out of the cubby, he caught sight of his all-time favorite toy, the bead maze, sitting on one of the lower shelves. The sight of the toy alone was enough to shift Jacob’s consciousness, and his awareness slipped, plunging the him into his regressed state. Time slowed as he sunk to the floor, sitting cross-legged in front of the enchanting plaything.“I found one!” Thomas yelled, pushing a toy bin away from the wall and revealing a large vent.“Oh, man, that’s perfect,” Trish cheered. “We can use this action figure to pry it open, but we’ve got to hurry.”“Jacob, you coming?” Thomas shouted.When Thomas got no response, they both ran over to Jacob, perplexed by his behavior. It was his plan after all. They expected much more enthusiasm and leadership than he delivered, but anything was better than the nothingness he offered.“Jacob, did you hear what the fuck he said?” Trish demanded. “We’re about the get the hell out of here.”No matter how hard Trish or Thomas tried, their words didn’t reach Jacob. He kept staring at the bead maze in front of him. An inner voice from the rational part of his brain screamed at him, demanding that he aid Trish and Thomas in prying open the vent; time was especially limited. But the bead maze intrigued him beyond the urgency presented by his rational mind. The one red bead stranded all alone at the top of a curve needed to be reunited with its cluster. Until that had been resolved, everything else could be deferred to another moment in time.
“Leave him, Thomas,” Trish ordered. “We have to go!”“I’m sorry, man,” Thomas whispered and turned to help Trish with the vent.Just as Trish and Thomas ripped the vent from the wall, nurses and security guards barged in through the door. Trish and Thomas were able to crawl into the vent, and the nurses weren’t able to follow as the opening was only large enough for a child’s body. The room had abruptly become noisier than it had been mere moments ago. Beeping radios, barked orders and the cries of startled children meshed together to create a chaotic scene, but the whole time Jacob remained oblivious to the commotion around him;
his attention possessed by the strikingly satisfying motion of the beads as they traveled the poles, weaving and rotating along the way.He had no idea how long he played with the toy, his concept of time muddled, but at some point, the nurse who brought him to the childcare center stood next to him, holding his Batman toy in her left hand.“Jacob, your parents are ready to pick you up,” she informed him, offering him the plush toy. “Are you ready to go home?”“Yes,” he squeaked, nodding his head and standing up.During the long walk over to the lobby where Simon and Angelique were waiting for them, Jacob innocently played with Batman, holding it high and weaving the toy through the air and across the walls. He even added sound effects; a boom, many whooshes and even some vrooms echoed along the hallways.
His mind was at ease; the carefree, youthful daze clouded any and all practical thinking.When they walked through the large double doors and into the lobby, Jacob twisted his hand out of the nurses’ grip and sprinted into Simon’s outstretched arms.“I missed you, buddy,” Simon hugged him, enveloping the toddler in his warm embrace. Angelique joined in, and the trio simply stood there for a short moment, finally reunited.“Did everything go well?” Angelique asked the nurse.“Yes,” the nurse answered. “We were able to complete all the testing, and Dr. Kelly is looking over the results. We’ll be in contact if we need to update you all on anything.”“Thank you so much,” Simon said. “I hope Jacob behaved himself while he was in your care.”“Yes, he did,” the nurse verified. “He cooperated the whole time.”“I’m so proud of you,” Simon applauded, tickling Jacob and earning cheerful giggles from the boy.“Thank you again,” Angelique said as they left the lobby and walked to the parking lot, ready to begin the trip back home.The regressed boy gladly joined his caregivers as they left St. Ives. While he was no longer fully aware of all that transpired, he knew he didn’t want any more shots from the scary doctor. Simon and Angelique gave him all the warmth and affection he craved. He needed stability, routine and opportunities to be playful, creative and fun. His caregivers provided him with all that and more. Relying on them for safety and security was easy, and his quality of life was better for it.While Jacob was being buckled in his car seat, his stomach grumbled. “Can I have a snack?” he asked.“Sure thing,” Angelique replied, fetching a juice box and a small bowl of dry cereal.“Thanks,” he said, pulling the straw into his mouth.They hadn’t been on the road for more than fifteen minutes before Jacob fell fast asleep with crumbs stuck to his face, Batman squeezed next to him and the juice box tightly gripped in his tiny hand.
This chapter was a pleasure to write. Inspiration struck, and I'm so proud of many of the paragraphs in this chapter. Kudos and comments are always appreciated.

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The seminar that Simon and Angelique attended for caregivers of regressed children had been very informative. During the somewhat informal conference, they were provided with refreshments, and experienced childcare workers took turns delivering presentations. The attendees were told to expect moments of relapse for the next two weeks and given strategies to handle those disruptions. The experts taught the CIDER method which stood for carry on calmly, ignore any outbursts, disengage, entertain and regress.Simon and Angelique had left the conference with a wealth of knowledge, a couple of pamphlets and stronger confidence as caregivers. Jacob’s regression was going even more smoothly than they had been told to expect. By his second week, he’d already met many of the third week milestones. At the end of the presentations, Simon and Angelique were given the chance to mingle with other caregivers, and they heard horrifying accounts of other regressed children’s successful escape attempts that ended in serious injuries often caused by self-mutilation. Those appalling stories only heightened their resolve to persist with the guidelines provided by Dr. Kelly; Simon and Angelique were determined to protect Jacob, even from himself.The drive back to the lakeside home went smoothly. The therapist couple listened to a podcast on good parenting strategies for most of the drive, and it sparked new ideas for activities that they could engage Jacob with. Since his cognition remained higher than that of the average child, they found strategies designed for gifted children to be more appropriate.While the garage door was opening, Jacob stirred awake, rubbing his eyes and scratching his legs. He had slept soundly for the entire three hours on the road, leaving him well-rested and wound up with energy. Kicking his legs, he waited for Simon to open the backdoor.
“Did you have a good nap?” Simon asked, unbuckling the tyke from the car seat.“Yup,” Jacob replied, grabbing his coloring books and Batman then allowing Simon to help him out of the car.Jacob raced inside following Angelique inside the house. He’d set up his coloring book on the coffee table and scampered onto the couch. “Cartoons!” he demanded, pointing at the remote on the ledge.“Not so fast,” Simon said, scooping the toddler into his arms. “You need a diaper change.”“Nuh-uh,” Jacob said, shaking his head.“Yes-huh,” Simon asserted, his nose scrunched. “You’re stinky.”Simon walked up the stairs with Jacob on his hip, and when they entered the nursery, he laid Jacob on the changing table. Grabbing a wipe, he gently cleaned the crumbs off of the boy’s face. In between steps of changing Jacob’s diaper, Simon tickled Jacob and blew raspberries on his belly, keeping the tyke in an almost perpetual state of laughter.When they returned to the living room, Simon stood the two-year old next to him. “Jacob, my belly is grumbling,” Simon began, holding his belly. “You better run because when I’m starving a turn into a monster.” He stepped closer to the little boy, baring his teeth and raising his arms over his head. “I’m gonna eat you!”“No!” Jacob squealed, chased into the kitchen. He ran and hid behind Angelique while she was standing in front of the stove.“Don’t worry, Jacob,” Angelique smiled, reaching down to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I won’t let him eat you.”“Promise?” Jacob asked, glaring at Simon as he retreated to the living room.“I promise,” Angelique said. “Now do you want to help me cook?”“Yeah!” Jacob shouted enthusiastically.Angelique sat Jacob on the countertop and had him hold bowls that she filled with the appropriate amount of spices for the sauce recipe she’d decided to follow that evening. She held him up while he poured the spices into the pot, offering him praises and encouragement the whole time. Angelique even let him carefully stir the pot for a few moments.When there was finally nothing left to do that Jacob could help with, he joined Simon in the living room. While his caregiver filled out some forms, he focused on doing his best coloring. He paid close attention to the lines, working to make sure that each shape had the perfect hue of each color that he chose to include. The boy even added a colorful background to the picture, accenting the color scheme of the picture.Finished with his drawing, he held it up above his head and admired the quality of his work. Pride filled his chest, and he stood up. “Simon, look at my drawing!” he shouted, bouncing up and down.Shuffling through his forms, Simon found the one he was looking for and peaked over the pile of papers in his hands. One word left his mouth as he marveled at the child’s picture, “Wow.”Simon piled up his papers into a stack and set them on the coffee table. “May I take a closer look?” he asked Jacob, reaching for the picture.“Yeah,” Jacob answered, offering up his drawing.Simon took the piece of paper from Jacob and ran his fingers over the color of the water, sprinkled with little bubbles, surrounding the dolphin. He noticed the detailed pattern, swirls of varying shades of blue converging around the sea creature. Rays of light shone through the ocean, captured by Jacob’s use of streaks of white throughout the deep blue water.“This is amazing,” Simon commented, handing the boy back his picture. “I’m sure Angelique would like to see it too. Will you show her?”“Okay, I’ll show her,” Jacob said, running off to the kitchen. Simon followed behind him, smiling as he watched the tyke enthusiastically engage with Angelique.“Simon said to show you my dolphin,” Jacob said, holding up his colored picture for her to see.“Oh wow!” Angelique exclaimed, wiping her hands off on a kitchen towel. “That’s so beautiful.”“You like it?” Jacob asked, bouncing up and down.“I love it!” she said, ruffling the child’s hair. “Would you like me to hang it up on the fridge?”“Yes, please!” Jacob answered, handing her the sheet of paper.The little boy gleefully watched as Angelique pulled a magnet from the top of the fridge and placed his colored picture below it, right in the center of the large stainless-steel refrigerator.“Alright Mr. Artist, it’s time for dinner,” Simon commented, plucking the boy off of his feet and plopping him into the highchair.“We’re having stewed chicken and brown rice for dinner,” Angelique announced, handing Simon a small bowl of food and a bib with a sea turtle on it.“I hope you’ve worked up an appetite. Dinner looks really good today. I can’t wait to have my own,” Simon rambled, loosely clasping the Velcro ends of the bib together around Jacob’s neck.Simon didn’t make Jacob wait for his first spoonful of food. In no time, the little boy was happily chomping down bite-sized bits of chicken, vegetables and brown rice. After a couple more spoons, he decided to help Jacob practice eating more slowly.Feeling playful, Simon inched the spoon towards the boy’s mouth, “Choo Choo,” he exclaimed.Jacob giggled, but open his mouth as wide as he could to catch the imaginary train. They did that a few more times, every time eliciting smiles from Jacob, Simon and even Angelique from her seat at the table.The tyke wrinkled his nose, the spices in the food slightly getting to him. He sneezed loudly, shutting his eyes and turning his face toward his bib. But when he opened his eyes again, he wasn’t the same child from the moment before.For Jacob, it felt like he woke up from a long and major blackout. He knew that time had passed, but his memories of the last few moments were gone. Before he even had a chance to get his bearings together, his personal space was invaded by a spoon of stew moving towards his face.His anger bubbled back up, and the babyish noises that Simon cooed while twirling the spoon in the air made Jacob want to punch him in the face. He did the next best thing, slapping the spoon out of Simon’s hand. He ripped the bib off his neck and threw it as hard as he could.“Jacob, why did you take off your bib? You want to finish your dinner, don’t you?” Simon coaxed, realizing it was time to put what he learned at the seminar to the test.“I don’t want to eat!” Jacob shouted, banging his fists on the tray. “I want you to let me go right now!”“I see someone is feeling fussy,” Simon noted, removing Jacob from the highchair. “Maybe some cartoons will cheer you up.”“I’m not fussy, and I don’t want to watch cartoons!” Jacob screamed as he was carried into the living room. “Put me down!”His outburst was completely ignored. Despite his flailing attempts to get out of his kidnapper’s grasp, Jacob was dropped into the playpen, and Simon took a seat on the couch behind him, grabbing his tablet to notate the time and date of Jacob’s relapse.“Simon, please,” Jacob begged, turning around to face his former therapist. “I don’t want this. I don’t want to forget who I am.”“Jacob,” Simon began, adjusting his reading glasses. “I honestly don’t think you know what it is that you want. You’ve said time and time again that you want to die because your memories are too difficult to bear, but now that those memories are fading, you protest.”“I didn’t ask to be turned into a damn toddler!” Jacob snapped.“Yes, but you hated your childhood,” Simon recalled. “When we discussed it in therapy, you talked about how you wished to have had the chance to be a little kid and grow up without the responsibilities that were imposed on you. You wanted to have fun, explore and play without any pressures, and you have that now.”“But, not like this...” Jacob shook his head, a lump growing in his throat.“No, you’re upset that I chose for you,” Simon acknowledged, “and truly I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but you chose death when I only see a vibrant and fulfilling future for you. It may not be the future that you chose, but it will be the future you deserve.”Standing up to relocate to the kitchen, Simon left Jacob, confined in the playpen, to ponder his words.Jacob stood still, stunned into silence. Simon had hit him with so many harsh truths, one after another. His words echoed in his ears. It may not be the future that you chose, but it’s the future that you deserve. Simon had dropped a bombshell on him, and he collapsed in the aftermath. The choking gurgle of a sob bubbled up from his throat, and hot tears spilled down his cheeks. His body trembled, and he sunk to his knees as the feelings that he’d held at bay for so long finally came crashing forward.As much as he had loved his mother, he’d lost so much having to grow up early. Emotionally, he’d always been more of a father to his little sister than an older brother and more of a partner to his mother than a son. He was the parentified child, and that acknowledgement felt like such a betrayal to all that he had lost.He loved his mother, his sister and his grandmother. He had loved every moment in time that they’d spent together, but he always wondered how things might have gone if it wasn’t just them. His father had died when he was three, shortly after his little sister was born. He was much too young to remember him, and while he was growing up his mother had only ever spoken of his father anecdotally. Forever wounded by his actions, she would only ever reference his alcoholism and desertion. The message was clear; his father’s presence had only made life harder, not better.
It had never been conceivable that Jacob would be able to process the dissonance between the attachment and discontent that he had for his childhood years. How could he be expected to simultaneously love his mother and hate his upbringing? How could he manage to honor the many sacrifices that his mother made for him while mourning his childhood traumas? It was all too much, too painful, too distressing. He couldn’t bear the soul-crushing weight of the raw guilt. He needed reprieve from the unending torture from his conscience.Wiping the tears from his face, he peered over the bars of the playpen, following the storyline of the children’s show playing in front of him. He curled into a ball, holding himself tightly. For the first time, he welcomes the transformation back into his regressed personality. The conflicting feelings weighed on his soul too heavily. He popped his thumb into his mouth, leaving his adult worries, frustrations and anger for another time.
I know it’s been forever. I’m trying to manage working more hours and staying on top of graduate school at the same time. I’m a writing tutor now, and the first couple of weeks were packed with freshmen. Things have slowed down now, and I’ve got more free time to write. It’s just a little difficult with less inspiration than I usually have.

Comments and affirmations are always appreciated. It helps to be reminded that I’m just not writing for myself. I’m committed to finishing this story, and I can promise that it will get done eventually. As always, thanks for sticking with me.

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The next day Jacob woke up with no memory of the heavy conversation that he had with Simon. He had returned to his usual regressed personality and spent most of the morning engrossed in watching TV, being an absolute couch potato. While he was lying on the couch and waiting for his next episode to begin, Angelique walked over to the TV and shut it off.Jacob immediately sat up and complained, “I wanna watch TV!”“Yes, I am aware. But you have been watching TV for the better part of the day, and you need to do something else,” Angelique said sternly, placing the remote on the ledge.“But I got nothing to do!” the boy whined, crossing his arms.“I thought you might say that,” Angelique began, reaching for a pair of dusters. “Why don’t you help me dust some of these shelves?”Jacob slid off the couch and asked, “Then I can watch TV?”“Later, sure,” Angelique promised.They got started on the shelves near the TV. Jacob dusted the lower shelves while Angelique handled the ones that Jacob couldn’t reach. They moved through the living room and kitchen, and when they dusted the last set of shelves, Jacob immediately asked, “TV now?”Angelique smiled. She thought that Jacob’s persistence was almost admirable. Undoubtedly, he had quite a stubborn streak, and while it made parenting him a little more difficult, their progress was even more gratifying. “Later, “Angelique answered, taking the duster from the two-year old. “It’s time to eat. Would you tell Simon it’s lunch time? He’s in the office.”“Okay,” Jacob replied, scampering over to the office.When he got there, Simon was busy typing away on the keyboard. It was less than two weeks until the therapist couple was scheduled to go back to work, and Simon wanted to get a few things out of the way while he was still on vacation. Since Jacob might still be in their care when work began again, Simon knew that he would have other things to focus on besides the business.Freshly printed pages littered the desk around the computer. The boy crept into the room until he was standing right next to his caregiver. He tried to make some sense of the words on the screen, but he could only recognize a few sight words such as: at, the or it.Simon reached over to ruffle Jacob’s hair and asked, “Did you come to help me work?”“No,” Jacob answered, shaking his head. “It’s lunch time, and I came to get you.”“I can’t believe it’s already lunch time,” Simon began, shuffling a few papers. “Let me just save this document, and we can head into the kitchen.”A few clicks later, Simon stood up and allowed Jacob to lead him to the kitchen. Feeling a little playful, he lifted Jacob up and threw him in the air. The boy shrieked when he felt himself freefalling back into Simon’s arms, but the older man’s chuckles reminded him that he was safe and secure. Simon tossed him into the air two more times, leaving Jacob a giggly and slightly dizzy mess when he was finally seated in the highchair.“We’re having your favorite, Simon,” Angelique said, handing him Jacob’s bowl of curry chicken and rice.“Awesome!” Simon beamed, taking the bowl. “Thank you so much.”“You’re welcome,” Angelique replied, moving to set the table.“Are you ready to have the best meal ever, Jacob?” Simon excitedly asked.The tyke smiled up at him and said, “Yes!”Simon patiently fed Jacob his lunch while taking bites of his own food. Soon, they both were battling sleepiness, stomachs stuffed full of food.“Alright, it’s nap time,” Angelique announced, picking Jacob up.“I wana watch TV until I go sleep,” Jacob yawned.“How about we read a story instead,” Angelique offered, determined to shift the child’s fixation with the TV. She reasoned that if left unchecked, it would become a tough habit for him to break when it was time for him to transition to daycare.“TV instead!” Jacob whined as they passed through the living room.“You haven’t even seen the book we will read,” Angelique started, opening the door to the nursery and laying Jacob on the changing table. “I think you’ll like it.”The boy ignored his caregiver, popping his thumb in his mouth and scratching his leg. From the moment they entered the nursery, he’d already realized that he wasn’t going to get his way. Used to the routine, he recognized that fighting about nap time always got him nowhere.Angelique handed the boy a bright, orange, hardcover book. “This is what we’ll be reading.”Jacob took the book from her and stared at the picture on the cover, trying to see if he could guess what the story was about from the illustration.“It’s called, Green Eggs and Ham,” Angelique said, changing his diaper.“Green Eggs and Ham,” Jacob repeated around the thumb in his mouth, slightly intrigued. “That sounds yucky.”“Good,” she began. “Then I suspect you’ll learn a lesson from the book.”Angelique settled onto the rocking chair with the boy sitting on her lap where he had a good view of the pages in the book. She opened to the first page and in an animated voice she performed a dramatic, auditory rendition of the story. The experienced babysitter deliberately ran a finger over the words as she read them, helping him re-develop his sight word recognition skills.As Angelique read to Jacob, she realized that it was becoming more and more likely that the boy would still be in their care after he fully regressed. If this was the case, then she and Simon needed to plan more deliberately. They needed to start talking about daycare and babysitters. Now that Jacob was almost completely regressed, they needed to take responsibility for his academic development. The gears turned in her head as Angelique envisioned how she intended to add more structure to Jacob’s daily routine.When they finished the last page of the book, Jacob yawned and said, “I want Green Eggs and Ham.”Angelique laughed. “Maybe we’ll have some tomorrow, but now it’s nap time for a sleepy little someone.”Jacob didn’t complain as he was placed in the crib. Batman was already waiting for him next to his blanket. He quickly cuddled next to both items and closed his eyes before the lights were even turned off.Angelique made her way downstairs to the couch where her husband was lying down. She took a seat next to him and said, “Simon, we need to talk about our future plans with Jacob.”Simon immediately muted the TV and asked, “What do you mean?”“We go back to work in less than two weeks, and it’s becoming undeniable that Jacob will be in our care. We don’t have anything planned,” Angelique anxiously explained.“Let’s make a plan of attack them,” Simon suggested, rubbing his wife’s arm to soothe her. “What do you think is the first thing we need to get started on?”“Daycare,” Angelique answered. “He’s got to get into the best ones to get a strong foundation for kindergarten.”“That’s perfect,” Simon said. “Should we look up the ratings of the ones near our office?”“Let’s do it!” Angelique agreed, going to the office to grab her laptop.The therapists combed through the exhaustive lists of daycares in Seattle that had spots available. After nearly an hour of searching, reading reviews and creating spreadsheets, they decided on their first-choice daycare center. They printed all of the application materials, including the forms that Jacob was required to complete on his own.Simon went back to work on a few more items for the private practice, leaving Angelique to get started on the application forms. She highlighted the questions that she would need to read to Jacob later.Angelique allowed the boy a ninety-minute nap before she went to wake him up. She reached into the crib to lift the sleeping toddler. While she changed his diaper, she rubbed his tummy until he stirred awake. “Jacob, it’s time to wake up sweetie,” she sang.The boy opened his eyes and stretched his little legs. He felt well-rested and content. During his nap, he had dreams of playing with Batman and flying.Angelique lifted him into her arms and took him downstairs. “Do you want a snack?” she offered the boy.“Crackers!” Jacob exclaimed.“Alright, crackers and cheese it is,” Angelique agreed, sitting him in the highchair while she went to make him a snack bowl.Angelique waited until Jacob finished eating to wipe his face and hands with a wet paper towel. She took him out of the highchair and led him over to the kitchen table. Taking a seat on a dining chair, she kept a hold on Jacob’s hand.“I have to ask you a few questions for this paperwork that I’m trying to fill out, and I need you to be a good boy and answer them for me,” she explained. “You think you can do that?”“Yah,” Jacob replied, fidgeting in her grasp. He felt a little energetic after a good nap and a filling snack.“Can you spell your name for me?” she asked with a pen in her hand.“J-A-um-C-O-B,” the boy answered.“Good job,” Angelique praised, checking off a box on the form.She asked him a few other simple questions, checking off the boxes as she went. Finally, they got to the worksheet pages that he would need to complete on his own. “For these pages, you need to count all the fruits in each basket and write the number,” she explained, handing him a crayon along with the sheet of paper.Jacob took the crayon from her and placed his paper on the floor. He started counting the fruits, but the task slightly overwhelmed him by the time that he got to the third picture on the page. His mind strained to remember how to count effectively according to the specific kind of fruit, and after struggling to complete another problem, his adult consciousness surfaced.Twenty-two-year-old Jacob tried to make sense of the papers that were staring back at him. It looked like a bunch of academic work for a preschooler, and he had no idea why his caregivers would give him work like that to do. He looked over at Angelique and realized that she was filling out some paperwork that had the same formatting. He tried to connect the dots for a few moments, and when he did, Jacob knew exactly what was going on. His kidnappers obviously intended to enroll him into a daycare program, and he refused to contribute to his captivity.“I’m not doing this,” Jacob objected, crumpling the page he was working on. “I’m not going to help you put me in baby detention.”Angelique sighed. She had a feeling that Jacob’s adult consciousness might make an appearance if the little boy’s intellect was stimulated. Wordlessly, she grabbed the tyke’s arm and led him to the naughty step. “It was naughty of you to crumple the paper,” she explained in a stern tone. “You will sit here for five minutes.”Jacob crossed his arms, seething on the inside. His current existence frustrated and confused him at the same time. He felt like he was experiencing life as though it was a time lapse, going from moment to moment with no intermediary. His kidnappers clearly had some form of day-to-day routine, and every interruption of his led to swift punishment.The boy reflected on how his punishments shifted as he became more regressed. He remembered how readily he volunteered to be placed in the corner or confined to the playpen. Only weeks ago, he felt no fear of a spanking, but now he had no doubt that a single swat to his diapered behind would leave him in tears. Sitting on the naughty step, he felt a little sick to his stomach, but he instinctively knew that it didn’t have to do with anything that he might have eaten.The therapists had conditioned him well, teaching him to crave their praise, affection and warmth. Even his adult consciousness couldn’t escape the very primal and physiological responses to chastisement. He still craved their attention, and it actually hurt to have that taken away from him. Feeling the worsening sensation of butterflies in his belly, Jacob didn’t know if he could take another round of this torment. The choice for the twenty-two-year-old was clear: suffer or surrender.So, when Angelique alerted him that his five minutes were over and asked him to apologize, he readily did so, despite how humiliated it made him feel. Secretly, he enjoyed the hugs and kisses that followed his apology which only served to deepen his embarrassment over the entire ordeal. Apprehensively, Jacob allowed his caregiver to lead him to the living room, and he frowned at the sight of the stack of papers that was left to complete.Already expecting Jacob’s resistance, Angelique waved the bag of jellybeans in her hand in front of the two-year old, and the boy’s eyes immediately lit up. “For every worksheet that you finish, you get two of these,” she told him. “You get two to start.”Jacob eagerly took the jellybeans from her and popped them in his mouth. Adult consciousness or not, he would never refuse candy.Jacob immediately got straight to task, doing his best to trace the letter on the page. It took him a few minutes to complete it, but he finished his first page and immediately went to get his reward from Angelique who remained seated at the dining table to complete her portion of the application.“I finished one,” he said, handing her the completed page.“Good job,” she praised, opening the bag of jellybeans and handing him two.Jacob popped them in his mouth and enjoyed the flavors, already heading back to the living room to work on the next page. They continued with the reward system until he was completely finished with all the required pages. Angelique turned on the TV for the hyper two-year old, and Jacob danced along to the music playing on the kids’ channel until he wore himself out.

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A little hand was clasped in a mother’s steady grip as Jacob and his caregivers journeyed across the parking lot.
Simon acted as the pack mule, towing the bags they packed in preparation for the day’s outing while Angelique escorted their little one. The middle-aged man remained determined to make only one trip from the car, and the number of items in his hands, bands on his shoulders and straps around his neck reflected that.All three of them were already dressed in their swimwear, although Angelique had a white, knitted wrap tied around herself to guard against the cool, fall air. As they walked through the doors of the indoor pool, the trio looked like a picture-perfect family. Dressed in matching outfits, courtesy of Angelique, the family appeared genuinely happy to strangers, and maybe it’s because they were.That morning had gone by smoothly with no appearances from Jacob’s adult consciousness. Getting the little boy prepared for the day proved to be especially easy, enticed as he was by the promise of a special outing. By the time they were leaving the house, the boy’s excitement became all too visible for his caregivers. Relief surged for Simon and Angelique when they had finally arrived, grateful to no longer be bombarded by questions about how much longer the trip would take.While his caregivers looked around to find a good spot to place their belongings, little eyes lit up as they took in the colorful, relaxed atmosphere. Jacob tugged against Angelique’s hold on his hand, hoping to speed up her pace. The boy had been looking forward to swimming all day, inspired by his recent dreams of doing just that. Certainly, the expanse of water before him matched the vast ocean of his imagination. It wasn’t just a tiny tub that he could stand in.The big, blue pool would almost be intimidating, if not for the few other children who were splashing around and playing in the water. Giggles, shrieks and cheers echoed throughout the building, inviting Jacob to join in on what could only be described as fun. Transfixed by the excitement in the air, small feet bounded in pace with Angelique.Simon and Angelique led Jacob to the smaller kiddie pool that wasn’t very crowded. Only one family occupied the deeper end. Jacob’s caregivers waved to the nearby family as they walked past them, and when they reached the other end of the pool, Angelique took a seat at a nearby, empty bench and lifted the tyke onto her lap.“Let’s get these sandals off,” she told him, undoing the Velcro straps.Jacob watched as Simon organized the bags. His caregiver appearing intent to find something until he unzipped a compartment and pulled out a pair of blue, armband floaties.“Are you ready for your first swimming lesson, Jacob?” Simon asked, sliding the floaties along the boy’s arm.“Yes!” he squealed with his arms raised in the air.Jacob followed Simon to the edge of the pool where the water was the shallowest. His caregiver helped him get his feet wet, hoping to get him acclimated to the temperature of the water.After removing her wrap and discarding her flip-flops at the edge of the pool, Angelique waded further into the water and sat down. She reached her arms out to Jacob, urging him to join her.“Come on sweetie. The water is nice,” she encouraged.Jacob tentatively entered the pool with Simon’s support. His legs generated tiny ripples in the water, and he was already enjoying himself. His arms flailed, splashing his caregivers a tad as he steadied himself. Concentration defined his features as he waded over to Angelique, afraid to slip and fall.When the water was deep enough that he had to tiptoe, his armband floaties did their job, helping him to stay afloat even though his first swimming lesson had yet to commence. His tiny legs apprehensively kicked through the water, and Angelique helped him swim in a tight circle around her.Simon reached over and snapped a few photos on his phone of his wife guiding Jacob into the pool. He watched as the little boy’s trust for his caregiver eased his noticeable anxiousness from this new experience.“Let’s practice floating on your back,” Simon began. “This one is important so you’re as safe as can be when playing in the water.”Guided onto his back, Jacob experienced a bit of nervousness, unable to see the water below him. He squirmed in Simon’s arms, adjusting to this new exercise.“That’s it. You’re doing it,” Angelique praised, rubbing his arm.Simon waited patiently for Jacob to calm down, and when he did, the experienced swimmer slowly released his hold on Jacob. Gentle as he could be, Simon offered more affirmations to Jacob as he moved his hands away, allowing the child to float on his own.Distracted by the funny distortion of his caregiver’s voices through the water in his ears, Jacob was none the wiser that Simon was no longer supporting him with his arms. He was able to maintain his balance for a while before his concentration broke, and he realized that he didn’t feel Simon’s arms supporting him anymore. He stirred and Simon quickly caught him before he could slightly submerge.“You did so good, buddy,” Simon said, ruffling Jacob’s wet hair.“That was such good swimming,” Angelique added, sporting a huge smile on her face.The trio played in the water for a while, attacking each other with small splashes. Simon did a few tricks for Jacob’s amusement, and he even managed to surprise Angelique with a few. Jacob got to practice floating a few more times, and by the time that he was ready to leave the pool, his caregivers crowned him a master of floating.Jacob was looking forward to some snacks while Simon towel dried him off before they headed to the locker room. After Angelique offered to take Jacob with her to change him, she opened his changing bag to make sure that all of the items she would need were there.Chaotic shouting and screaming startled Jacob and his caregivers, causing all of them to abruptly pause their tasks and focus on the source of the commotion. Simon and Angelique immediately realized that an older woman from the family next to them appeared to be having a seizure.After one glance to make sure that Simon had Jacob, Angelique ran over to help. Growing up with a doctor as a father had left her with a bit more medical knowledge than the average person. That wouldn’t be the first person that she helped someone through a seizure.“My father was a doctor,” she shouted as she stumbled through the crowd that was already beginning to form. Quickly, Angelique rolled the woman onto her side and ensured that her airway was open.Simon grabbed his cell phone and dialed for emergency services. With one hand, he held the phone to his ear and led Jacob toward the crowd. After a moment, he joined Angelique in the center of the crowd and began conveying the information to the operator.“Tell them that she might have a concussion,” Angelique instructed Simon, inspecting the back of the woman’s head. “It looks like she hit her head pretty hard.”While Simon kneeled down to help his wife lift the woman into a sitting position, Jacob spotted a purple noodle floating close to the edge of the full-sized pool. He easily slipped through the crowd as he was the only one unperturbed by the situation. The little boy kneeled at the edge of the pool, intending to retrieve the forgotten item.“No!” twenty-two-year-old Jacob shouted as his regressed personality reached for the noodle. He knew the danger that the deep water posed for his two-year-old self. He compelled his body to stop, feeling fortunate to have woken up before the situation became dire, but to adult Jacob’s surprise, his command went ignored. Little arms stretched out to reach the floating purple foam, and he scooted closer and closer to the edge.“Stop it!” Jacob tried again, demanding control over his limbs, but still the tips of the little boy’s fingers wiggled through the air and eventually touched the coveted plaything.It was one more scoot towards the edge of the pool that did it. The little boy lost his balance and fell face-first into the deep water. Little legs kicked through the water, trying to fight gravity as it pulled him toward the bottom of the pool, but it was no use. Without his floaties on his arms, he could only plummet rapidly.Bubbles escaped his mouth as the little boy screamed for help. He desperately needed Simon and Angelique to come save him. Frightened and confused, his screaming and kicking only accelerated, tiring him out quickly.
Adult Jacob couldn’t make sense of what had happened. For the first time, he remained conscious, but the control was not his. Still, he did what he could to coach the child to save himself. Jacob tried his best until his inner child tired and closed his eyes, exhaustion beating his best attempts to reach the surface.The profound fear on the little boy’s face left a heavy impact on Jacob’s heart. He genuinely felt sorry for the kid, moved by the fight for survival that he just witnessed. It was so primal, and it didn’t matter that the little boy was really him. It didn’t matter that he had fought so hard for the right to end his own life. An innocent kid was drowning right in front of him, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it.That’s when the hardest realization hit Jacob. For the first time, he saw himself as an innocent child who deserved the chance to live, and he wondered if that’s what Simon saw in him. He finally understood why Simon intervened - why he couldn’t just let him die. Even though he got to experience true parental love for only a moment, he held onto the fond memories while darkness encroached upon him.As his inner world faded, a single tear fell from his eye. The black void surrounded him, and as he accepted his unfortunate end, he heard a strangled cry as Simon screamed his name.

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Simon’s entire world crumbled in an instant.
It wasn’t until he glanced behind him to check on Jacob that he realized his grave mistake. Quickly handing Angelique the cell phone, he stood up and scanned the crowd around him, looking for Jacob’s distinctly blue bathing suit.He pushed his way through the crowd, hoping that Jacob had simply went back to their belongings looking for a snack. As soon as the bench came into his view, his stomach flipped. Panic immediately took over, and Simon feared the absolute worst.He called out to Jacob, looking around for the little boy in every direction. The gravity of the situation hit him hard, and his jaw clenched as he steeled himself. An indoor swimming pool was the absolute worst place for Jacob to go missing. Danger surrounded him in every direction, and he ran along the deeper pool, fearing the most terrible of all possible circumstances.A strangled cry left his lips as an image straight out of a nightmare registered in his mind. Horrified, he jumped in the pool after the toddler floating face down in the water. When he held him in his arms, his stomach sank, feeling the cold, stiff body, and he feared that he might be too late.“Help!” Simon screamed, towing the lifeless toddler to the edge of the pool.A lifeguard ran over and took the child from Simon. He quickly laid Jacob down on the concrete floor and began CPR compressions.“One,” the lifeguard counted.Simon pulled himself out of the pool and kneeled next to Jacob’s listless body. Time slowed down, and each individual heartbeat from within his chest pounded through his eardrums.

“Two.”The little boy almost looked like he was sleeping peacefully except that there was no rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. His body remained unmoving, no sign of life within him.“Three.”The lifeguard blew a breath of air into Jacob’s lungs. Not a sound in the entire building could be heard as he waited a short moment before beginning the next round of compressions.“One.”Simon blamed the entire incident on himself. It was under his watch that Jacob fell into the pool. He wanted to protect this child and save Jacob from himself, and now he might not get the second chance that he deserved.‘Two.”Helplessness was all Simon felt while he watched the lifeguard trying to coax life back into the boy’s body. He wished he could do more, be more, but all he could do was hope for the best.“Three.”Another puff of air entered Jacob’s immature lungs followed by an extended moment of silence. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as people began to expect the worst.“One.”The lifeguard made eye contact with Simon, and the frantic father recognized that look. The doctor who spoke to him after Angelique’s stillbirth had that same look on his face, and he couldn’t believe that it was all happening again.“Two.”Simon’s eyes found his wife’s, and he could see the grief that had already began overwhelming her. She had already lost her first child, and now her second one might be gone too. He wondered if she’d be able to forgive him – if things could ever be okay again after this.“Three.”The lifeguard blew another breath of air into the little boy’s mouth, and this time he waited a little bit longer for a reaction, hoping for something, anything. Just as the lifeguard put his hands on the boy’s chest once more, a tiny trickle of water dribbled from the side of Jacob’s mouth.Simon gasped, not even realizing that he had been holding his breath. He felt Angelique squeeze his arm, probably checking to make sure that he’d also seen the miracle transpiring in front of them.The little body twitched, and water gushed from his mouth. He coughed, sputtering out the liquid that had flooded his lungs. The lifeguard rolled Jacob onto his side and softly pat his back. The crowd around them cheered, and sighs of relief echoed throughout the building.When his coughing fit had finally come to an end, tears flowed from Jacob’s eyes, and he sobbed, frightened, confused and distressed. His caregivers leapt into action, embracing him between their relieved and rejoicing bodies. Their warmth soothed him while they waited for the paramedics.After a short wait, the trio joined a paramedic inside the cramped ambulance. Jacob lay on the stretcher as his vitals were checked.“Hey there, buddy,” the paramedic began, holding a breathing mask. “I need you to take some big breaths with this mask on your face for me. You think you can do that?”Jacob nodded and filled his lungs with the pure oxygen.The paramedic turned to the boy’s caregivers. “His vitals are fine, and I don’t expect his condition to deteriorate, but it’s important that you make sure to observe him for the next twenty-four hours.”“Is there anything specific that we need to look for?” Angelique asked.“If he has a high fever, frequent coughing fits or discolored phlegm, you should take him straight to the emergency room. With all the water that entered his lungs, he could easily develop pneumonia.”“But he’s okay at the moment?” Simon asked, needing confirmation that Jacob was no longer in danger.The paramedic nodded. “From what I can see, there doesn’t appear to be any complications.”“Thank you so much for you help,” Angelique said.“Yes, thank you so much,” Simon added.“It wasn’t a problem. I’m glad your little one is safe and sound,” the paramedic replied.After a few moments, the paramedic removed the mask from Jacob’s face, and Simon lifted the little boy out of the ambulance. The couple headed back inside to grab their belongings, wanting to head home as soon as possible.Along the drive back, they stopped at a fast-food restaurant, and Jacob got his first kiddie meal. Neither of the boy’s caregivers had the energy to cook dinner, and they wanted to get him fed as quickly as possible, knowing he would need a good, long recovery sleep.When they got home, the couple took turns monitoring Jacob while they showered the chlorine off of their skin. Simon elected to give Jacob a quick shower, fearful that a bath so soon could trigger memories of his drowning.Showered and dressed in pajamas, the therapist couple sat with Jacob in the nursery. The boy snuggled in Angelique’s arms while Simon read him a book about ants. Soon, Jacob could no longer fight off his drowsiness, and he relaxed his little body completely, snoring lightly. His caregivers quietly tucked him into his crib and checked the baby monitors, remembering the paramedic’s counseling.Under the covers in their king-sized bed, Simon and Angelique simply held each other in silence. Words didn’t need to be exchanged for either of them to express the depth of the trauma that they had experienced that afternoon. Traumatic memories resurfaced for the both of them, and they weren’t easy to process.“I’m so sorry,” Simon whispered, eyes downcast and lip trembling.“It was an accident. It’s no one’s fault,” Angelique reminded him, squeezing him tightly.Supported by his wife, Simon let his guard down and sobbed. He let himself experience the guilt, helplessness and fear that was building up inside of him. He crumbled for a moment, and when he was ready, Angelique helped him to pick back up the pieces.The couple had just fallen asleep when Jacob’s loud cries echoed through the baby monitor.“I’ll get him,” Simon volunteered, crawling out from under the covers.When he entered the nursery, Jacob was already standing against the bars of the crib. He lifted the boy into his arms and sat in the rocking chair, hoping to calm him down. Finally, after many soft assurances and faint whistling, Simon lulled Jacob back to sleep, and as he gently laid the boy in the crib, Jacob’s eyes snapped open.“No!” the tyke screamed, standing up immediately and outstretching his arms.“You have to get some sleep, buddy,” Simon explained. “We don’t want you to get sick.”“No crib!” Jacob whined.Simon sighed. “Do you want to sleep in our bed tonight?”Jacob nodded, already pacified by the compromise.Having overheard the conversation through the baby monitor, Angelique was in the process of making space for the little boy when Simon brought Jacob to their bedroom. He laid him down between them. This time, Angelique provided the boy with a soft lullaby until he nodded off.When his snoring began again, she reached for her phone and snapped a picture of him in their bed, adding the memory to her photo album.“He’s so cute,” Simon acknowledged, covering the boy’s lower half with the comforter.“Yes, he is,” Angelique agreed, turning off her bedside table lamp.That night, loving parents sandwiched the child between them, and they all slept especially soundly, exhausted by the traumatic events of the afternoon.

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Jacob and his caregivers spent the weekend resting and recovering.
Simon and Angelique had agreed that Jacob needed some exercise. The child had been uncharacteristically disobedient, and that landed him in time out quite a few times that morning. His caregivers sensed his restlessness and attributed it to his limited physical activity over the past few days.Spending all day cooped up inside just wouldn’t do for a rambunctious two-year old boy. He needed unstructured time to be gleeful, free and lively. He needed the opportunity to dive face first into a sandbox, collect colorful, fallen leaves from the ground and pretend to be king of the world with a broken branch as his scepter. He needed his helicopter parents to let him be the little boy that he was, one that could take a fall without breaking into a million tiny pieces.From his seat on a wooden bench, little eyes explored the colorful, enticing recreational equipment scattered across the enclosed park. Angelique admonished his fidgeting as she struggled to apply sunscreen to the visibly eager boy. When he finally stilled in her grasp, she rubbed a thin layer of the cream onto his face, tightened his laces and helped him off the bench.After his caregivers gave him permission, Jacob sprinted away to the nearby climber that had caught his eye. Simon and Angelique followed behind him, taking pictures of him with their phones. With a few boosts from Simon, Jacob climbed up the rock wall and cheered once he made it to the top. His caregivers gave him high-fives, and Simon helped the boy down, eager to move him away from the ledge.Angelique had excused her husband’s minor interferences on the playground. A helping hand every now and then and the occasional anxious cautioning were permissible, but when Simon diverted Jacob away from the monkey bars, Angelique stepped in and unceremoniously dragged Simon away to a nearby bench.“What’s wrong?” Simon asked when they sat down.“You’re letting your anxiety make you hover,” Angelique lectured, handing him a pair of shades. “Relax. He will be fine, and we can enjoy the sun.”Simon sighed. He knew that his wife was right but understanding that didn’t make it any easier to watch Jacob run around on his daring and significant risk-taking ventures. Cringing, Simon paid close attention as Jacob flew slid face first into the large plastic tube. He didn’t release the breath he was holding until the boy landed safely in the sand.Eventually, Simon did manage to relax enough to pull out his cell phone and browse social media, looking up to check on Jacob only occasionally. With speedy thumbs, he congratulated Daniel on his latest promotion, complimented Diane on the amazing Halloween costume that she had crafted for Noah and checked up on his mother-in-law, Sophia.“Honey?” Angelique asked. “What’s the youngest age that you would feel comfortable with babysitting Jacob?”“I’m honestly not sure,” Simon answered, looking over at her a tad confused. “Are you planning a date night?”“No, but our anniversary is coming up,” Angelique reminded him, scrolling through babysitter listings. “I don’t want to find one at the last minute.”“Oh,” Simon replied. He hadn’t realized how quickly the date was approaching. Since Jacob became a part of their household, the days were passing by faster than ever before. But he did want to help with looking for a babysitter and suggested, “What about the college student, Kimberly?”“I don’t know if she does babysitting,” his wife replied, nodding her head. “I’ll ask.”“Hopefully she does,” Simon began, remembering his interactions with the young adult. “I think she would get along well with Jacob.”Angelique smiled. “I think she would too.”After about an hour of shenanigans on the playground, Jacob came running over to where the couple was sitting.“Did you see?” Jacob shouted, out of breath. “I was so fast!”“Yes, I did,” Angelique replied, grabbing a wet wipe and lifting him onto the bench. “You were so brave going on the big slide all by yourself.”Simon smiled encouragingly although he hadn’t actually seen it, and he was secretly glad that he missed it. Watching Jacob go down that tall slide would have stressed him out so much that his entire head might have turned gray in an instant. The next time they ventured to the park, he might very well make Angelique the designated driver and sip a cup of wine. He knew he’d never actually do it, but it was a nice fantasy.Angelique wiped down Jacob’s sweaty face and dirty hands and handed him a bottle of water and a pouch of cinnamon applesauce. Jacob sat with his caregivers for a few moments, and Angelique took a few pictures of them on the bench. Looking over his wife’s shoulder, Simon took a sneak peak at the photo album that she was working on, and it already looked pretty impressive.Finished with his snack, Jacob slid off the bench, grabbed Simon’s hand and pulled on it until the older man stood up. “Where are we going?” Simon asked, wondering what got into the little boy.But Jacob didn’t answer, pulling Simon along until they stood in front of the swings, and Simon finally figured out what the tyke wanted. “Do you want me to push you on the swing?” he asked, stooping down to Jacob’s height.“Yes,” Jacob answered, jumping up and down.“Okay, but we have to go to the other swings,” Simon explained, pointing at the bucket swings. “You’re too little to sit on the big ones all by yourself.”“Okay,” Jacob replied before sprinting over to the other swing set.Simon helped the little boy sit comfortably in the small, black bucket. “Ready?”The little boy nodded, excited to swing through the air. He’d envied a few other kids whose parents were pushing them, and now it was finally his turn. He stilled for a second when Simon released him through the air, taking in the new experience, but after the second push, he squealed, “Wee!”Simon pushed Jacob a few times, carefully gaging his strength. Smiling wider with every one of Jacob’s giggles, he started to really enjoy himself. There was a certain delight in contributing to the little boy’s glee, and Simon couldn’t get enough of it. He pushed him so many times that he’d lost count, but he eventually tired, giving the child one last half-hearted push.
“Higher, Daddy!” Jacob screamed, swinging his arms and kicking his legs. “Higher!”Simon froze, unable to believe what he just heard. He turned, and his eyes found Angelique’s face. Her raised eyebrows, wide eyes and open mouth conveyed exactly what they both felt perfectly, and once the shock faded, Simon’s heart expanded through a series of emotions and the dreams that accompanied them.He imagined the elation that would light up in his chest as his son leapt into his arms when he arrived at his daycare center at the end of a workday. In time, amazement would overwhelm him as he watched the boy grow up into a fine young man, and the already present conviction to protect his son only strengthened with this new title.Simon was a daddy, and in that moment, the trio’s relationship transformed. Simon and Angelique had moved from despised caregivers to adored parents through their little boy’s first acknowledgement.But Simon and Angelique weren’t the only ones surprised by the little boy’s admission. Jacob’s adult consciousness had been observing his younger self’s playground exploration. He couldn’t deny how happy he seemed to be, and that freedom sparked emotions that had laid dormant in his heart for so long. Even he, the discarded version of Jacob, trusted Simon and Angelique to protect him from the dangers of the world, to support him through his second childhood and to raise him into a better version of himself, and those feelings exuded into the very essence of the soul that connected him to his younger self. Maybe, it was those very feelings that shaped his younger self’s attitude towards Simon and Angelique.Still, it was strange to hear the words leave his own mouth, but the truth remained indisputable. Simon would always be the only father figure he’d ever known, the only man capable of imparting the compassion, praise and adoration that he’d craved both knowingly and unknowingly his whole life. Although initially opposed to his regression, Jacob honestly looked forward to the optimistic future that his younger self had, growing up with the loving father that he never had. His adult consciousness sat on a patch of grass and watched the happy family, smiling along with them.
When the trio finally finished with the swings, loving parents joined Jacob on the merry go round. Angelique tightly held Jacob in the center of the metal disc, and Simon gripped one of the outer poles. The middle-aged man ran as fast as he could-swearing to return to the gym more regularly- before jumping on to spin wickedly fast along with his wife and child.The trio, shouted, screamed and hollered to their heart’s content until they all finally tired and retired to the car, prepped for a long nap back at the lakeside home.

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A nude Jacob dashed through the kitchen and into the living room.
“Jacob!” Simon called, pursuing the wayward boy. “It’s time to put clothes on.”Chasing Jacob around the house just to get him clothed was quickly becoming a daily chore for Simon, and he struggled to address this new reality. Ever since the pool incident, he had a tough time acting as a disciplinarian with Jacob. For the last few days, he had relied on Angelique to lay down the law with him, but she was upstairs taking her own bath. This time, he was on his own, and he intended to see his responsibility through.Just as he closed in on the fugitive boy, he stumbled on a stray building block near the coffee table and landed on the couch. Simon sighed, slightly embarrassed, but he quickly took the opportunity to grab the giggling tyke. He turned, headed back upstairs to the nursery when the doorbell rang, echoing throughout the large, lakeside home.Simon wondered who was at the door. Neither he nor his wife were expecting any visitors, and he knew it wasn’t a mailman. Their house was so remote that they couldn’t get mail delivered to the address. They had to pick it up at the post office in the nearest town. Intrigued, Simon went to the front door, keeping a firm hold on Jacob’s hand, and checked the peephole.He opened the door immediately. “Sophia?”Angelique hadn’t told him that her mother intended to visit, yet she stood in front of him, luggage in hand. She wore a frilly blouse with a flower pattern and fitted jeans and had the biggest, most excited smile on her face.“Nieto!” Sophia exclaimed, dropping her bags and engulfing Jacob into a big hug. “You’re cuter in person than in the pictures your madre sends.”“Ma?” Angelique questioned, standing at the bottom of the stairs in her bathrobe.“Mija!” Sophia brushed past Simon, carrying Jacob along. “You look well.”“What are you doing here?” Angelique asked. “You said you would call before you visited.”“Mija,” Sophia began, bouncing Jacob in her arms. “You know I had to see my neito.”“I know, but you were supposed to call,” Angelique adamantly reminded her. “We weren’t supposed to be home today. Jacob’s social worker called us this morning to cancel the appointment since he is under the weather. You could have been stranded.” Angelique ran her hand through her hair, a nervous habit that she had picked up from her husband. “How long are you going to be here?”“I have a flight for the day after tomorrow,” her mother answered. “Is your guest room available?”“It is,” Simon answered, closing the front door. “I’ll take your bags up.”Sophia pinched Jacob’s cheeks while following Simon and Angelique upstairs. “Your papa is a strong man. Isn’t he?”Simon blushed, and he knew the laughter coming from his wife was directed towards his reaction. He placed the bags near the foot of the bed and immediately went to the closet to pull out a fresh set of linens.While her husband accommodated her mother, Angelique decided to address the earlier chaos, and that started with her naked son. She held her arms out toward the little boy. “Come on, Jacob. You need to get dressed.”“No!” Jacob protested, sticking his tongue out and holding onto his grandmother. “I’m nakey today.”“Jacob,” Angelique warned in her authoritarian tone. “You know better. There are no naked days. Now, let’s get some clothes on, and then you can play downstairs.”The little boy pouted but didn’t resist when she took him into her arms. Sophia quickly rummaged through her luggage before following her daughter and grandson into the nursery.“I love the decoration in here,” Sophia said, running a hand over the ocean-themed mobile above the crib. “I never did get to see how you all had decorated the nursery after the...” she trailed off, not wanting to drudge up traumatic memories for her daughter.“Yeah,” Angelique agreed, appreciative that her mother stopped herself. “We chose an ocean theme, and we really worked hard on the design. We were renting out the place for a while, and the families really liked it.”“That’s good.” Sophia walked over to the toy shelf and scanned the toys. “When are you going back to the city?”“In less than a week,” Angelique answered, pulling a thin, white shirt over Jacob’s head. “We found the perfect daycare for Jacob. It’s really close to the office, and his first day is on the Friday before we go back to work.”“I can see you’re happier now, Mija,” Sophia said, draping an arm over her daughter’s shoulders. “Your papa would be so proud of you for giving his neito a home.”“Thanks, Ma.” Angelique wiped at her eyes with her wrist. She had cried to her mother so many times after the loss of her first child. Things were better now, and it pleased her to know that her mother could see her move forward in her life. “That means a lot, Ma. It really does.”Just after Angelique placed Jacob on the floor, Sophia stooped down with her hands hidden behind her back. “I brought you a present, nieto,” she said revealing the wrapped gift in her hands. “I think you will like it.”“Wow,” Jacob breathed, taking the decorated box from his grandmother. To the tyke, the shiny wrapping paper looked interesting enough to sustain his attention for a moment, but he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with it. It didn’t look fun to play with.“You have to unwrap it, silly,” Sophia explained when Jacob simply held the box in his hands. “Here, I’ll help.”After a few rips, Jacob’s new toy was visible, and he quickly ripped away the remaining paper. Holding the miniature fire truck in his hands, he marveled at it for a moment. He recognized the shape and colors from one of the books that Simon had read to him, and he prepared to begin pretending to be a fireman.But before he could start, Angelique pat him on the head. “Don’t forget to say thank you.”“Thank you!” Jacob squealed before putting the truck on the ground. He pushed it all around the nursery, speedily crawling alongside it while Angelique crushed the wrapping paper and tossed it in the trash bin.Sophia and Angelique led Jacob downstairs to join Simon in the kitchen. “I guess we better get started on lunch,” Angelique said, watching her husband snack on an apple.“Let the women do the cooking, Simon,” Sophia ordered, pushing him out of the kitchen. “Watch some TV with your boy.”Angelique sighed. Her parents were very traditional, and she’d explained to her mother many times that she and her husband shared a progressive perspective of gender roles. She didn’t do most of the cooking because it her assigned job but because she genuinely enjoyed being in the kitchen.Simon looked at his wife apologetically, and she just shrugged, resigning herself to conceding to her mother’s outdated values. While they prepared lunch, chatting from time to time, Simon played with Jacob and his new firetruck. They went around the living room pretending to save people from burning buildings. Simon had even pretended to be trapped a few times, and Jacob had come to the rescue, pushing his truck to Simon’s spot on the floor and saving him from the imaginary flames.While they had lunch, Sophia volunteered to feed Jacob, and he ate his food at an impressive pace.“Buen trabajo!” she told Jacob when he finished his bowl of food. “You have such a healthy appetite – that stomach of yours has so much room.” She turned to face Angelique. “Mija? Have you started teaching him any Spanish?”“Ma,” Angelique began, almost begging her mother to take it easy on her. “Jacob only came into our home recently. Things have been hectic. We’ve been trying to get him accustomed to a routine before we start on that.”“No me des ecusas, Mija,” Sophia insisted, turning to Jacob. “Nieto, I’m your abuela. Can you say abuela?”“Abuela!” Jacob repeated.“Excelente.” Sophia sat down in the dining chair with Jacob in her lap. She sectioned a few individual pieces of pasta on her plate and pointed to each of them as she moved them to the side. “Uno. Dos. Tres. Cuatro. Cinco. Seis. Siete. Ocho. Nueve. Diez.”They went over it a few times, and after the third time, Jacob could get through most of the numbers on his own.“Diez!” he exclaimed, and all of the adults clapped, showering him with praises.“You’re so smart,” his abuela told him, squeezing him tightly “You’re going to do so well in school.”When Jacob tired in time for his afternoon nap, Sophia sat with him on the couch and told him stories about his abuelo. She described what he looked like and explained his responsibilities as a doctor.
Pretty soon, he lay fast asleep in her lap.***The family had gone out to a restaurant in town for dinner, and everyone had a great time. Jacob couldn’t wait to get inside, wound up from the sugary dessert his abuela had bought for him. He crawled around in circles with his firetruck while the adults watched the news, but he eventually got bored of that and started practicing somersaults.Simon chastised Jacob numerous times about how dangerous it was for him to do that on the hardwood floors, but Jacob continued to act as if he hadn’t heard him. As bedtime approached, Simon already knew they were going to have a hard time getting the tyke to go to sleep.“I don’t think he’s going to get tired anytime soon,” Simon commented, looking to his wife for support.“I have the perfect solution,” Sophia said, standing up. She went upstairs to the guest room and returned with a bottle of valyrian root powder. “Does he have a bottle before bed?”“Sometimes,” Angelique answered, going to the kitchen to warm a bottle. “But he’s never had any valyrian root before.”“He’ll be fine.” Sophia insisted, waving her hand. “I always sprinkled a little bit into your bottles, and you slept great as a baby.”When she walked back into the living room, Sophia handed the boy his warmed bottle of milk and watched as he gulped it down. When he finished, he gave his grandmother the empty bottle and went back to playing.About an hour later, Simon first noticed Jacob falling asleep on himself, and he was genuinely surprised. He didn’t think that a supplement could have such a potent effect. Grateful for his mother-in-law’s assistance, he scooped up the tyke and let him rest his head on his shoulder.Sophia stood up too and kissed Jacob on the forehead. “Buenos noches, nieto,” she said, rubbing his back.That night, Jacob slept well, and woke up especially excited to spend another day with his kind abuela.

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Simon and Angelique sat at the dining table filling out the necessary paperwork for Jacob’s official adoption.
When Sophia left the day before, Jacob had a total meltdown. For hours, he kicked and
screamed, all the while refusing any consolation from his parents. At dinnertime, he fought against Simon’s efforts to feed him dinner, demanding ice-cream and rejecting any sort of compromise. Angelique had to resort to bottle-feeding the half-asleep boy when he tired around bedtime.While Jacob slept, the therapists enjoyed the opportunity to de-stress once the boy fell asleep, hoping that his behavior would improve the following day.And it did. Angelique had disciplined Jacob only a few times that morning for relatively minor infractions. She had simply lectured him for whining at breakfast time, but when he ran down the stairs after Simon gave him his bath, she had scolded him about the danger and sat him in timeout. The little boy had apologized after his punishment was over, and once he was dressed, they let him play in the living room.The couple had been working on the paperwork for a while, occasionally conversing about the required documentation for certain sections. They intended to get started on lunch soon, but before they could get to that, a bored and mischievous little boy managed to sneak into the kitchen undetected by his parents. Once he made it over to Simon, he stood up, snatched a paper from the stack and ran as quickly as he could out of the kitchen.“Jacob, come back here,” Simon softly demanded, making no effort to retrieve the stolen paper.Angelique looked at her husband with an incredulous expression on her face. She stood up, caught the tyke and wagged her finger in the air. “No, Jacob. That was very naughty,” she told him as she sat him on the naughty step. “You do not take papers without permission.”Turning away from Jacob, Angelique walked over and sat in the dining chair opposite of her husband. She had one more person to lecture if there was ever going to be peace in the house again. “Simon,” Angelique began, taking his hands in hers. “We can’t keep going like this.”“Like what?” he asked, looking completely baffled.“Do you not see that Jacob is intentionally testing your boundaries? You’re letting him walk all over you. If you don’t do anything about it, this negative attention-seeking behavior is only going to get worse,” Angelique vented and took a deep breath before continuing in a softer tone. “I’m not always going to be around to act as the disciplinarian, and it’s not fair for me to carry that burden. I don’t want to always be the bad guy.”“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize,” Simon said, squeezing her hands. “I didn’t mean to put you in that position.”“I know that, and I know you feel terribly guilty about Jacob almost drowning, but no one is blaming you for that. You have to move past that,” she urged, looking over at the petulant child in timeout. “Right now, Jacob needs a father who will put his foot down and reign him in. Will do you that?”“Yes,” Simon whispered, his voice catching. He cleared his throat and tried again more emphatically, “Yes!’“Excellent.” Angelique slid over Simon’s pile of papers closer to her. “Well, you’re in charge of discipline for the rest of the day. I’m going to be a fly on the wall while I finish this paperwork.”“Alright,” Simon agreed. He knew what he had to do, and he hoped it wouldn’t be too difficult to make things right. He stood up and went over to Jacob.As soon as he approached, Jacob held his arms out towards him, but Simon didn’t take the bait.
“Buddy, you understand why mommy put you in timeout right?”Jacob nodded, still sniffling. His cheeks were wet with fresh tears and his little arms were wrapped around his knees. The little boy looked so small and profoundly apologetic, and that wasn’t lost on Simon.“You can’t just take things from us,” Simon lectured, stooping down in front of his child. “Next time just ask for a paper. Okay?”Jacob nodded again, and Simon gave his son a big hug and led him back into the living room where he grabbed a book and began a story, “Once upon a time, there was a little mischievous boy...”Jacob had a blast while Simon read the story, and things went well for quite a while.
Simon had permitted Jacob some TV time before lunch as a reward for his good behavior. The little boy sat on the couch, completely engrossed by his show, and Simon thought for a second that maybe things weren’t as bad as Angelique thought they were. But that shattered the moment the TV show ended, and Jacob stood up on the couch.“Get down, Jacob,” Simon immediately instructed. “That’s very dangerous. You could fall and hurt yourself really badly.”“No!” Jacob protested, his little body jumping all over the couch.“If you don’t get down right now,” Simon warned, keeping his voice stern,
“you’re going in time out.”Jacob continued jumping, totally ignoring him. Sighing loudly, Simon grabbed the boy and led him over to the naughty step. “You’re in time out because you didn’t listen when I told you to stop jumping on the couch.”“No,” Jacob said, crossing his arms over his chest.Simon didn’t even acknowledge Jacob’s defiance. He simply said, “Stay seated until your time is up,” and walked out to the living room where he could keep an eye on the defiant child.From his vantage spot, he watched Jacob fidget for a second, almost leaving the naughty step before glancing at Angelique and sitting back down. Seeing this, Simon realized just how accurately his wife had exposed the truth behind Jacob’s misbehavior. The boy obviously knew what behavior Angelique would tolerate, and Simon knew that if he had only pushed back on Jacob’s misbehavior days ago, then they wouldn’t be where they were now. The time for him to draw a line in the sand with the little boy had arrived, and he was going to follow through on it.When Jacob’s timeout was over, he crouched down in front of the visibly disgruntled toddler. “Are you ready to say sorry?”The little boy shook his head from left to right, keeping his lips shut tight and his arms crossed over his chest.“Oh,” Simon began. “Do you need another two minutes in time out?”It was clear that Jacob didn’t expect Simon’s response, and he rapidly shook his head, losing much of his attitude as he did.“Sorry,” he grumbled, kicking his legs out.“Very good. I know you can be better behaved Jacob, and I expect you to listen when I tell you to do something,” Simon slightly lectured before hugging Jacob and getting him ready for lunch.***After the trio had lunch, Angelique opted to move to the office to print a few more forms while she continued to finish the paperwork. While Jacob entertained himself in the living room, Simon decided to wash dishes and halfway through he decided to turn around to check on Jacob, and he nearly dropped the dish he was holding. Simon’s eyes locked onto Jacob as the boy stood on the coffee table, and it looked like he intended to jump off of it.“Jacob! No!” Simon shouted, quickly drying his hands before approaching Jacob.“Daddy, I fly!” Jacob exclaimed, his voice giddy and exuberant.“Jacob, you can’t fly,” Simon said sternly, “and you know you’re not supposed to climb onto the coffee table. You’re going into timeout.”“No!” Jacob wailed, dragging his feet while Simon guided him to the naughty step.As soon as the little boy’s butt touched the naughty step, Simon began a brief scolding, “You’re in timeout for two minutes for climbing onto the coffee table. It was very naughty and dangerous.”Simon walked over to the sink to finish the dishes, and he heard the distinct sound of little bare feet padding away from the kitchen. He looked behind him to check, and sure enough, Jacob ran back into the living room.Luck was on Simon’s side because Jacob ran into the corner of the living room, and it was simple for the older man to grab the tyke and lead him back to the naughty step. Of course, that didn’t mean that Jacob intended to make that an easy task.“Bad Daddy!” Jacob screamed, slapping Simon’s hand and pulling away from him, and when they passed the kitchen counter, despite the boy’s best attempts to delay the inevitable, Jacob threw himself onto the floor, squirming out of Simon’s grip as he cried, “I want Abuela!”Jacob’s rage hit Simon in waves, and he hadn’t prepared for the tsunami, outright rejection. Even though his rational brain understood that Jacob was trying to manipulate him, hearing his son call for someone else wasn’t easy for Simon to digest, and after a moment, he managed to push the rejection and jealously out of his mind, but while he tried to scoop the wailing toddler up, Jacob hit him with another emotional blow.“Mommy, help!” the little boy sobbed, tears freely flowing down his face. “Mommy!”Angelique could easily hear the commotion in the living room from the office, and her heart broke into a million pieces when she heard her child scream out for her. She’d never heard Jacob so frantic, and the desperation was almost believable. But she knew better. She knew this was a willful attempt at parental manipulation to avoid consequences, and she wouldn’t be deceived easily. It took every ounce of resolve for Angelique to ignore Jacob’s calls for her, but she remained determined to let Simon handle it.Despite momentary hesitation, Simon persevered. He took the sobbing child back to timeout once more and seated Jacob on the naughty step without uttering a word, and they continued that process for a few more times, father and son locked in a battle of wills. But Simon remained determined to win. After all, he had promised his wife that he would, and he wouldn’t go back on his word.And Simon did win. After a forty-five-minute struggle, Jacob sat, sniffling and subdued in timeout until his two minutes were up. There was one thing left to do before they could put the whole fiasco behind them, the heartfelt apology.Simon crouched down in front of his son. “Daddy put you in timeout for climbing onto the coffee table which was very dangerous and naughty,” he reminded the little boy.“Sorry, daddy,” Jacob whispered, wiping tears from his face.“It’s alright now,” Simon told him, lifting him up to take him to the nursery for a nap. “I know you’ll be better behaved next time.”And Simon was right. That forty-five-minute showdown demonstrated the extent of Jacob’s defiance. The boundary finally existed, and Jacob knew not to cross it again. Simon had stepped up to be the father that Jacob needed, and the therapist felt renewed pride in his parenting skills. And Angelique shared that sentiment, all too ready for a quieter, more peaceful home.***After dinner, Angelique opted to retire early leaving Simon and Jacob to watch a short movie before Jacob’s bedtime. While the movie played, rain started pouring, and it only got heavier as the hour dragged on. Soon, lightning flashed outside, and seconds later, a sharp, long crack echoed throughout the lakeside home.Jacob reacted immediately, cowering and crawling into Simon’s lap. After the second crack of thunder, Simon felt the frightened boy shake and shiver.“It’s okay,” Simon comforted him, rubbing soothing circles into the boy’s back. “It’s only thunder.”“Daddy, I scared,” Jacob whimpered, clutching onto Simon’s shirt.“You’re safe,” he promised, keeping his tone warm and gentle. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you. The thunder won’t get you in here.”Simon watched as Jacob visibly relaxed in his lap, trusting his daddy to protect him, and the older man’s heart swelled. After the events earlier that day, he welcomed the chance to provide Jacob with emotional support, to bond with him and to impart comfort when he needed it.And Simon did, consoling the boy until he fell asleep in his lap, despite the thunderstorm outside.

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Easy. Simple.
Smooth. Those were the words that Simon and Angelique wanted to describe the day with, but fate—fickle as it often is—slashed those dreams.With only a tiny bit of apprehension tucked quietly in the back of his mind, Simon strolled through familiar glass doors. He ushered his distracted child into the lobby and propped the door open with his elbow until Angelique walked through.Both parents kept their eyes on their child, and when Jacob looked up from the toddler-proof tablet in his hands, Simon held his breath. He eyeballed the tyke as he looked around until the boy found the unoccupied, child-sized table in the corner. As carefully and methodically as a toddler could manage, Jacob fumbled with the chair until he managed to scoot into a good sitting position. Without missing a beat, he went right back to playing his games, completely oblivious to where he was and preoccupied with his tablet.Simon let out the air in his lungs and visibly relaxed, thankful to have dodged that bullet. At least they would be able to sign in and get the paperwork done before the inevitable meltdown started. Focusing back on the task at hand, he joined Angelique and stepped up to the receptionist sitting at the front desk.“Hi!” the receptionist greeted the couple. “You must be Simon and Angelique, Jacob’s guardians.”Angelique smiled, grabbing the pen—tethered to the desk—to sign them in. “Yes, that’s us.”“You’re right on time as always,” she complimented. “I’ve got your paperwork for today’s visit in one of these folders, but I —” she stumbled, looking down at the desk—littered with blank manila folders—and reaching up to hide her face with her hands, “I forgot to label them.”Simon, seeing the embarrassment creep onto the young woman’s face, did his best to reassure her. “It’s totally fine,” he said, giving her a thumbs up. “We’re in no rush. Take your time.”“Thanks,” she mouthed and went right to work.While the receptionist combed through the folders, the nurse assigned to them commented, “It’s such a shame that this is Jacob’s last visit for a while.”Simon stared at the nurse for a moment trying to decipher the meaning behind her words. When nothing came to him and after a quick non-verbal exchange with his wife confirmed that she too was confused, he asked, “Why?”“Oh,” the nurse giggled. “All the nurses agree. Jacob is one of the cutest kids that we’ve got here.”Simon smiled. He looked over at Jacob, and it was certainly easy to understand why everyone always complimented the boy on his cuteness. He just emanated it. From his innocent-but-endearingly-charismatic smile to his kind, polite and friendly personality, Jacob took the title as the greatest kid, and Simon could barely hide his pride for the little boy, especially when he was just so grateful that Jacob was his son.His son. The words were just so new to Simon, and still they were attached to such profound and immense joy. After Angelique’s stillbirth, those words were a source of pain and grief, almost always amplifying the sadness in his home, in his marriage and in his heart until he could no longer bear it—until it destroyed the dad in him forever. After the funeral, therapy and even when he had told himself that he could move past the loss of his first child, the pain still lingered, confined to those words as Simon compartmentalized to keep going—to survive.Jacob changed everything for him—even as a young man, looking for a therapist. From their first therapy session together, Simon saw the boy inside of Jacob, starved of paternal love and affection. And after a few years, Simon knew that despite the regret, grief and loss all mixed up in every bit of the pain in his heart, Jacob saw the lingering paternal warmth inside of himself.Even before Jacob verbally acknowledged Simon as the father figure he never had, Simon knew. He saw it in the way that the young man’s eyes would light up when he praised him for getting good grades in graduate school and in Jacob’s barely contained excitement as good news tumbled from his mouth, words sometimes lost in the cacophony of excited cheers and hearty laughter. He saw it in the tragedy too, how despite feeling lost in his darkest moment, Jacob always managed to find his way back for another session, and Simon knew that their connection was so strong that even an hour of silence often communicated so much more than he ever could in a single session.Jacob didn’t even have to say it, but Simon knew on that faithful day almost a month ago, Jacob attended that session to ask his therapist and father figure to save him from himself. Simon heard the indirect cry for help from Jacob, and no amount of professionalism, no ethical guidelines and no objection from even Jacob could stop Simon from saving Jacob’s life. He would not—could not bear to lose another son.At first, the guilt from such an undeniably selfish act was hard to bear. But as days became weeks, he wondered if it really was so wrong to save someone’s life—to let Jacob be free and happy again. Jacob with himself and his wife as his parents now had a happy, healthy family again and while he could have never anticipated this connection when seventeen-year-old Jacob entered his office, neither Simon nor Jacob could deny that their special bond saved a grieving father and a forlorn adolescent from themselves.****“Thank you for inviting me to view the procedure, Dr. Kelly,” Mr. Hammond said into his office phone. “I am very excited to see the results on Jacob. From what we’ve seen, his case truly is special. I’ll get down to the lab right away.”Mr. Hammond put the phone back on the hook, and he stared at it almost as if the phone would disappear if he looked at it long enough. He inhaled for as long as he could— until his lungs can’t suck in another milliliter of air—and exhaled, “It’s time.”Quickly, he turned to his computer and opened the command function, typing the paragraphs of code he has memorized in case of emergencies. Within in seconds of his typing coming to an abrupt stop, the screen on his computer went black, and the only thing on the display was a blinking cursor. He typed:
new phase of unofficial testing to begin today

ready to apprehend doctor and seize records

permission to execute? -Agent R
…..Agent R waited, staring at the screen until his eyes burned. He had to believe that his superiors would trust his judgement. Now, was the time to act before another innocent life was harmed—or worse—by Dr. Kelly’s ambition. He could not allow her to experiment any longer on Jacob. The boy’s life could be at stake.Briefly, Agent R thought about what the outcome could be if his superiors denied his request. He would—in essence—be forced to watch the life drain from an innocent child, should Dr. Kelly’s current pharmaceutical cocktail prove to be too risky—too toxic for a child’s vulnerable biology. He knew deep in his heart that he could not do it. The years that he had spent undercover as Charles—a man whose personality he found repulsive—had to be worth something. Above all, he became a spy to protect vulnerable people, and that never entailed watching innocent after innocent die.He closed his eyes and promised himself that no matter what happened—no matter the consequences—he would act. He had to be true to the idealism of his younger self—back when he was just little Robert. And when he opened his eyes again, seven small letters were sent back to him.
granted
Robert expertly navigated his intentionally cluttered office room to retrieve the gear he had hidden in boxes in the room. He donned a bulletproof vest and reassembled his firearm. Quickly, he attached a body camera to the front of his chest and powered it on. He did a once over and began his mission as prepared as he could be.Charles rushed as fast as he could to the other side of the building. Although he pretended to be out of shape to maintain his cover, he could sprint through the hallways like a football quarterback. He rounded corner after corner, slid past the staff in his way and managed to make it to Dr. Kelly’s lab in what could probably be considered record time.As he got closer to her lab, he moved slower, approaching her with caution. He utilized every bit of his training from the military and the CIA. He didn’t dare breach the room until he confirmed Dr. Kelly’s location from a small window into her lab. He watched her open different cabinets and waited until she emptied her hands, unknowingly leaving herself completely vulnerable for attack. He steadied himself and entered.“Dr. Kelly,” he barked, his eyes cold and unafraid. “It’s over. You’re under arrest.”

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“Dr. Kelly,” Robert barked, his eyes cold and unafraid. “It’s over. You’re under arrest.”The room is silent as Dr. Kelly turns to face the agent intent on arresting her. The door that Robert opened slammed shut, and a hint of a smile ran from the doctor’s eyes to her cheeks—something that Robert wished he paid attention to.“Charles it’s nice to see you,” Dr. Kelly commented—her face calculating yet surprisingly nonchalant as if Robert was not a CIA agent in fully body armor pointing a gun at her.Robert would be lying to himself if he didn’t acknowledge feeling slightly unnerved by her demeanor. He knew just what Dr. Kelly was capable of. He knew that the kind, compassionate woman she portrayed herself to be was just a mask—nothing more than a disguise meant to camouflage her fiendish lust for immortality. She would do anything to continue her quest—even if that meant killing him where he stood.Before beginning his assignment, Robert had done his research on Dr. Kelly. From the files he uncovered that she was the daughter of the world renown biogerontologist. He presumed that it was the sudden death of her father that pushed her to try to finish his research on drug-induced de-aging—DIDA, her father had named his project. Still, even the CIA knew very little about how far his research had gone.At first, the scientific community welcomed DIDA as an intervention for psychiatric-resistant suicidality in youth, but over time, there were unanswered questions and doubts about the ethical implications of her research. No one knew just how far Dr. Kelly would be willing to go, and Robert was chosen as the agent to monitor her.When his supervisors approached him with the mission, Robert easily understood why he was picked. In college, he was a star football player at night and a social work student by day, and he loved working with kids. That was why, he could never—would never—let Dr. Kelly kill an innocent child. Robert held his stance, watching and waiting for Dr. Kelly’s next move. “On your knees!” he shouted.“Now, now. There’s no need to shout. I can hear you just fine,” Dr. Kelly admonished, stepping closer her former colleague. “However, I regret to inform you that you are not the one in control here.”“I will shoot you!” Robert barked, his finger ready to pull the trigger. “Get on the ground!”“Robert,” Dr. Kelly addressed him, and Robert couldn’t help but widen his eyes at the use of his real name. “Do you really think I would let you destroy my research when I am so close to finishing DIDA?” The doctor scoffed and shook her head. “I have known about your little mission for quite some time now. It was just not worth the effort to deal with you until now.”“Get on the ground! This is your last warning!” Robert barked, determined to ignore her. He knew that an intelligent criminal like Dr. Kelly would do everything to get into his head, and he refused to entertain it. The agent found himself feeling more uneasy the longer lasted. At first, he’d written off the pounding in his chest as mere anxiety before an arrest—something that every agent could admit experiencing in a high-stakes situation. That was until it got harder to breathe—harder to see straight—harder to hold his stance.
“Robby,” Dr. Kelly began, reaching into her lab coat pockets. “Do you really think that you’re in a position to make demands?”“Wha—” Robert gasped, his knees buckling under him. “What did you do to me?”Dr. Kelly smiled as she approached the agent barely managing to hold himself up. “I simply added some aerosol sevoflurane. Of course, I already gave myself a dose of a counteractant when I called you.”“Y-you won’t get away with this.” Robert mumbled as he fell face first onto the floor.“You’re wrong. I already have,” Dr. Kelly replied, reaching into the cabinets to grab some zip ties. “There is nothing that will stop me now—not when I’m this close to achieving everything Dad dreamed about.”Robert could do nothing more than lay limply as Dr. Kelly binds his arms. Promises to make her pay for what she is doing are mumbled through his lips. His vision fades, and he succumbs to the vaporized sedative.****Simon gently tapped Jacob’s back following the rhythm of one of his favorite tunes to hum softly to himself whenever he needed some reassurance. It was the song his mother used to sing to him, and he could tell that it was helping Jacob.The boy’s meltdown when they began walking down the halls to the exam room certainly outdid the last one, but the nurses were kind and patiently waited for Jacob to calm down enough to get his vitals.“The doctor will be in shortly,” the nurse had said a few minutes ago. While the couple waited, they finetuned the list of items that they wanted to be sure to discuss with Dr. Kelly.Simon and Angelique were sitting in silence for mere moments before the doctor courtesy knocked on the door before entering.“Simon and Angelique. Hello,” the doctor said, “I’m glad you two were able to make it today.” She reaches for Jacob’s chart and thumbs through the pages.“It’s nice to see you too,” Angelique replies. “We told the nurse, so I’m sure you’ll see it in the chart. Jacob had an accident at the pool a few days ago. He nearly drowned, so we want to make sure everything is okay with his lungs.”“Oh no,” Dr. Kelly said, patting Jacob on the head as the boy squirms away from her touch. “Was he unconscious for long?”“It seemed like a long time,” Angelique recounted, “but the paramedic didn’t seem to believe he had been,”Before Simon or Angelique could ask another question, Dr. Kelly abruptly asked, “Did either of you notice any major behavioral changes from Jacob after his last appointment?”“Not really,” Simon answered, the confusion pushing his eyebrows together. “Was he supposed to be acting differently after the last appointment.”“Sometimes, we see some relapses from the adult consciousness after the midway mark. Dr. Kelly told him, looking into Jacob’s eyes with a flashlight. “Are you sure he didn’t have one?”“Actually, he did relapse,” Angelique recalled, scrolling through their shared notes. “It says right here that it happened almost as soon as he got home, but he regressed again shortly afterwards.”“That’s right,” Simon agreed, running his hand through his hair. “I forgot about it because it passed so quickly.”“That is interesting,” Dr. Kelly said while making a note of it in her chart.“We just had anoth—” Simon started, before being interrupted by Dr. Kelly, “Has Jacob been noticeably performing better at games and puzzles in the last two weeks?”“Now that you mention it,” Angelique answered. “I do believe he has been. Teaching him in preparation for daycare was the easiest last week, and easier this week than during his second week.”“Thank you for telling me,” Dr. Kelly replied. She stands in front of Jacob and moves her finger to see if he will follow it, and the boy did, maintaining rather exemplary attention for a toddler.Simon tried to ignore the first interruption from Dr. Kelly, but when the doctor kept asking strange questions, he became concerned. “Is there some new development with Jacob’s case?”Dr. Kelly spun around from the computer she was making notes on. “No,” she replied, looking Simon directly in the eyes. “Why would you think so?”“It just seems like you’re expecting something different than what we’ve reported,” Simon answered, crossing his arms. “Is there something that we need to know about?”“The questions are just routine case study questions,” Dr. Kelly reassured him. “We’re still treating Jacob’s case as special since he had that hiccup at the beginning.”Simon felt satisfied with her answer. He did forget that they had agreed to participate in the case study for Jacob. He and Angelique asked a few of the questions they wanted to pose to the doctor before they felt comfortable with Jacob going off for testing.“How long will it be this time,” Simon asked, lifting Jacob off the exam table and preparing to hand him to the doctor.“It might be a bit longer,” Dr. Kelly replied, but seeing Simon’s hesitation to let go of Jacob, she added, “We just want to make sure he’s alright after the pool incident.”With the mention of the pool accident, Simon backed off his interrogation. He had his doubts about Dr. Kelly’s intentions, but he still blamed himself for the incident. If the doctor really did need extra time to make sure the boy was okay, Simon would give her that.After all, that was the only way he could let the child he would die for be carried away—crying, and screaming for him—in the arms of someone he didn’t fully trust.

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Robert came to in a dazed state, experiencing the worst migraine in his life. It took his eyes a long time to adjust to the bright, white lights worsening the pounding in his head. He found himself sitting upright and immediately moved his arms, looking for the leverage to stand. He rattled the doors of a locked cabinet and the recognizable—but so very despised—tightness of plastic zip ties scraped his wrists.That was the knowledge of his current predicament came back to him, and he searched the room for Dr. Kelly. She stood in front of a nearby workstation with her back facing him and replied as though she had eyes on the back of her head.“It’s nice of you to join us, Robby,” she mocked. “Did you have a good nap?”Robert heard the smugness in her voice, and he refused to let it get to him. He was a trained agent, and he had managed to get himself out of worst situations before. He just needed to keep the doctor distracted, until he could make his move.Little whimpers unnerved him, and he craned his neck from his spot on the floor to see that Dr. Kelly had Jacob strapped down to a small surgical table. The child looked absolutely terrified, and Robert knew that the stakes were higher than before now that Dr. Kelly had her most valuable patient in her clutches.“You could just let him go,” Robert suggested, planting his feet on the floor. “He’s an innocent kid. I don’t think your dad would have hurt innocents in the name of DIDA.”“Kid…test subject…lab rat. They are all the same to me,” Dr. Kelly replied, opening a cabinet and perusing the vials. “They are a means to the end of the most revolutionary research. Even if he dies here, Jacob will have made a valuable contribution to DIDA, and he will always be remembered in the lab notes.”Robert felt sick hearing the inhumanity vocalized by the doctor, but he kept his head clear and remained on task. He pulled at his restraints again, harder this time, using the floor to brace himself.“Robby, you’re wasting your time,” she assured him. “You’re not going to take an entire cabinet off of its tether to the floor, no matter how strong you think you are, Mr. CIA agent.”Robert ignored her and pulled at his restraints one more time, and that time he heard exactly what he was looking for—a squeak so faint that he could barely hear it over Jacob’s whimpers. It meant that at least one screw in the cabinet door was weak enough to be pulled off. Now, he just needed to wait for the right moment to take on Dr. Kelly.“What about Simon and Angelique?” Robert asked. “Don’t you think they will want to know what happened to Jacob.”“I will deal with them; however, I have to,” Dr. Kelly said, preparing a solution. “Right now, I’m assessing Jacob’s aptitude for restoring his cognitive functioning. Once, I’m done with that, I’ll deal with you first as I clean up this mess.”Robert wondered what she meant by that, but he didn’t bother to ask. He watched closely as she approached Jacob with a solution and began feeding it into his IV. Alarmed, Robert tries to stand, but his restraints yanked him back down to the floor. “What are you giving him?”
“This is another modified version of Stimetril—a more potent version that I believe will completely reverse the passive stage of Restalsis,” she tells Robert. “No one will ever grow to be too old ever again. With this, I can go further than Dad ever dreamed.”“Dr. Kelly, you need to stop this!” Robert shouted, yanking against his restraints. “Can you not see that he is terrified. He is a helpless child!”“He’s not going to be the only one,” Dr. Kelly says, grabbing a prepared needle from her workstation. “Soon you’re going to be another one of those little kids getting adopted.”Robert caught her bluff. “It would take hours to work,” he said, smugly—almost as if he wanted her to know that he was already ahead of her game.
“You don’t have that kind of time.”“You’re wrong,” the doctor declared, slowly approaching Robert. “I’ve made some modifications to the Restalsis formula, making it fast-acting. It was how I reverse-engineered Stimetril. In a matter of minutes, you’ll be drooling and looking for a bottle.”“You can make the choice to do the right thing,” Robert asserted, nearly pleading with her. He needed her to let her guard down and believe that he was completely vulnerable.
“It doesn’t have to be this way.”“Do you have any last words,” Dr. Kelly smirked, holding the syringe mere inches away from the skin on his neck, “before you only remember how to babble and suck your thumb?”“Yes,” Robert replied, using every bit of his strength to break off the cabinet door and knock the evil doctor onto the floor in one strike. “Fuck you.”Robert clipped off the zip tie and sprinted to Jacob before trying to identify which of the mess of cables he needs to remove first. He reached for the boy’s IV and just as he grabbed the plastic cable, Jacob started shaking and writhing uncontrollably, unmistakably in the beginning of a seizure.Robert knew he needed to act fast. He quickly followed the cable, looking for the flow cap, and just has he is about to flip the switch, he saw Dr. Kelly charging him from the corner of his eye and dodged her. The cable flew out of his hand, forcing him to reach for it once more.Dr. Kelly lunged at him once more, and this time she managed to knock him to the floor. “I will not let you destroy my experiment, Robby,” she growled, her eyes cold and calculating. “Now it’s time to be a good little boy and take your medication.”Robert felt slightly dazed. He knew he had to hit his head when he fell, and Dr. Kelly seemed to be willing to capitalize on that. She pinned him down, and he tried to flail against her to break her hold.Robert blamed the medication that she had put in his system earlier. He knew that he was still not at his full strength. Still, he could not let her turn him back into a child. He promised himself that he would save Jacob, and he could not fail—he refused to fail.“Don’t worry, Robby,” Dr. Kelly said, holding him down. “We will be sure to match you with a nice family looking for a future football star.”“Not happening,” Robert grunted and stretched his leg until the tip of his right shoe tapped the closest desk chair to them. He wrestled against her grip, refusing to allow her to trap his arm with her leg. He managed to hold out for a few minutes, until she was able to outmaneuver him.“It looks like I win,” she bragged. “Now get ready for another small sleep.” The deluded doctor held the needles and thrusted it towards Robert’s neck, and just as it was mere inches from his vein, he managed to topple the desk chair onto Dr. Kelly.The strike knocked her immediately unconscious, and Robert pulls himself from under the weight. He pushed two fingers into her neck to check for a pulse. A few heightened beats confirmed that the doctor was alive and could later face justice for her crimes.Without wasting any more time, he turned to focus on saving Jacob. He grabbed the IV cable and stopped the flow of the drug into the boy’s system. Jacob stilled as soon as the flow stopped, but Robert worried about being too late, as over a quarter of the medication had already been given to him.
He removed the restraints from the unconscious boy, and once Jacob’s vitals seem stable enough, he unhooked him from the machinery. Before he left with the boy, he decided to check on Dr. Kelly once more and restrain her until backup arrives to take her in.

What Robert saw completely took him by surprise.

In a pile of clothes now much too big for her, a one-year-old girl was fast asleep. The needle stuck out of the arm of her lab coat, where she must have accidentally injected herself. Robert reflected on the irony of everything, how the sociopathic doctor accidentally regressed herself into an innocent child. He thought it might be best for the doctor to experience a loving childhood to escape the shadow of her father. Just maybe, her own research will be the thing that saved her life.With his mission completed, Robert picked up Jacob in one arm and Dr. Kelly in the other and strode out the room.
Feel free to join us on discord to discuss the ending of the story. We're two chapters and 48 hours away. The link is in the comments.

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It was two days later, and Simon still could not let his guard down to close his eyes for anything longer than a few moments. He had gotten very little sleep apart from when he passed out due to sheer exhaustion around twenty-eight hours after Mr. Hammond—well Robert—and his colleagues debriefed him and Angelique.He couldn’t believe that he had trusted Dr. Kelly and left Jacob in the care of a monster. He had been so naïve, and that truth felt like a knife cutting into his flesh—one far too painful to confess—even to his wife—even to himself.
If nothing else, a father should protect his children.
Those words, once a whispered encouragement from Simon’s mother to be a good father to his own child one day, now haunted the man’s guilt-ridden mind. He had tried to do the right thing and save the closest client that he had to a son, and still it all went terribly wrong. He had possibly inadvertently destroyed the very life he was so determined to save. He wondered how he could call himself a father when it was his action—his decision to deliver Jacob to someone who could regard him as nothing more than a laboratory experiment—that got them to this point.
We barely managed to get him out in time.
His child needed to be saved, and he was only a few rooms away chatting, eating and laughing as though such a major part of his world did not lay bound to a bed—frightened, helpless and tormented. He tortured himself speculating on how many times the child had called out for him. His brain fixated over how long Jacob managed to last before the boy had given up on believing that his father would come to his rescue and save him from the evil doctor.In the hours after they were permitted to enter Jacob’s recovery room, his mind replayed the boy’s cries when he let Dr. Kelly leave that exam room with him. His child knew that the doctor was dangerous, and he didn’t listen. With every remembered scream that rang through his ears—as though perpetually on repeat—he felt his heart break, his gut wrench, his mind shatter and his soul tremble.
There’s no way to tell if or when he will wake up.
The doctors had repeated that mantra at every check in for the last two days, and it was never easier to hear than the time before. The child he loved—the child he regarded as his son lay in a hospital bed, tangled wires entering every cavity of his body, and the sickening symphony of medical machinery only served to strengthen Simon’s frenzied frustration.In the abandoned janitor’s closet that Simon sought reprieve in twenty-four hours earlier, the silence was deafening. It was hollow—devoid of at least the promise of life. Still, it was where he cried and screamed—heaved and panted—until sounds could no longer leave his lips, lamenting the unfairness of it all. It felt like a curse that his son would always be taken from him, and he couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t bear it.
There was no way to have known.
Even Angelique’s adamance that he was not responsible for the actions of Dr. Kelly couldn’t absolve him of the guilt he felt. His self-esteem drowned in the ocean of shame inside his heart, and his wife’s reassurance was a mere line of rope floating between the rough, engulfing waves. Each time Simon tried to pull himself out, he choked on another bitter truth.That was why he sat next to Jacob’s bed in the pitch-black room, even after Angelique had insisted that he get some sleep too. It was fitting—the ghastliness of it all—when he was but a ghost of his former self, a failed father, a disgraced therapist and a broken husband.
[02:06]
For a time, Simon had simply stared at the clock on the wall, fascinated by the passing of each minute. In those panic-stricken moments where his torment felt all too endless—too consuming—too exhaustive—those illuminated red numbers served as his beacon in the darkness of the night.
[03:40]
He swore he saw Jacob’s finger twitch, and at first, he worried that his trauma had induced a visual hallucination. He feared that the need to see an indication of recovery forced his tortured, fragile mind to create a fantastical vision, one that could not—would not—manifest.And yet, Jacob shifted again. The once listless body shook and shuddered. Simon watched with his eyes glued to Jacob’s small frame, wondering if he was witnessing the very miracle he had written off as doubtful. As the seconds passed, he became more convinced that it was not a delusion—not a trick of his mind—but what he so desperately needed to be whole again, the blessing of grace he so badly wanted.Small eyes peeked open, peering into the darkness before focusing on Simon.“Simon?” Jacob croaked, his voice hoarse and his language mature. “Is that you?”“Yes, it’s me,” Simon answered, reaching for a small cup of water. “How are you feeling, buddy?”“I’m okay,” Jacob said, stretching his stiff limbs. “just a little sore; I think. What happened?”“You’ve been asleep for the past two days,” Simon explained, helping Jacob to get a sip of water. “Do you remember anything from then?”“Everything is pretty hazy actually,” Jacob answered after a big gulp. “I just remember feeling really scared and everything was hurting, then someone saved me. I thought he was a superhero,” the boy paused and blushed before continuing. “Like batman…and then it’s all black after that.”Simon smiled. Robert was a superhero for all of them. “Some really terrible events took place,” he began. “Here’s what we know…”****Throughout most of the morning, Jacob had been in and out of testing. The doctors were doing their best to figure out the extent of what Stimetril had done to Jacob’s neurodevelopment, an especially daunting task when the scientist responsible for the drug could barely speak anything more than a few syllables at a time.A few hours after Jacob’s final test for the day, a group of doctors came in to speak to them.“Simon. Angelique. Jacob. We just want to offer you all our sincerest apologies for what you have gone through,” the doctor standing closest to them said. “Dr. Kelly was misguided and should not have been allowed to operate in the capacity that she did. For that, we are deeply sorry.”“Thank you,” Jacob said, grateful but anxiously awaiting his prognosis.“From your test results, it seems like there’s been a noticeable impact on your neurocognitive functioning and neuronal development, which means that Stimetril, the drug that Dr. Kelly injected you with, seems to have offset the effects of Restalsis,” he said pausing for a moment to let that all sink in. “However, we can see that the effect of Stimetril is gradually diminishing, meaning that you will eventually lose your adult consciousness once more.”“When?” Jacob breathed.“There’s no way to tell,” the lead doctor answered. “It could be tomorrow, next week or even a few months from now, but the signs will be there before it happens permanently.”
“Are there any options?” Angelique asked.“Unfortunately, the Stimetril nearly killed him, and we have no other way of continuing to stimulate his neurocognitive functioning to the degree that Stimetril did,” the doctor answered. “I’m sorry, but there is nothing we can do.”****Jacob and his caregivers had spent a few more days at St. Ives where Jacob could continue to be monitored for any side effects. The doctors and hospital staff granted the trio extra patient privileges as an apology for their inconveniences caused by Dr. Kelly’s misdeeds and the negligence of the hospital. Simon and Angelique were encouraged to take Jacob on walks to give him a chance to stretch his legs. At times, they visited the hospital’s outdoor paths and on other days they watched TV together and visited the cafeteria at mealtime. They bonded so closely for those few days that no one—not a single person observing from the outside—would have thought that a month ago, they lived such separate lives.Jacob knew he had such little time left with Simon and Angelique—the insistent urge to suck his thumb, play pretend and throw tantrums—all telling him exactly what could already feel.In the quiet moments—when he found time to himself—that he contemplated on his past, pondered over his present and speculated on his future.
Conditions. Notions. Emotions.
They were all so different now compared to that faithful day in Simon’s private practice office. He had lost everything and found himself devoid of hope with no way to move forward. No friends to call. No family to turn to, and somehow, he now had loving parents, a doting grandmother, aunts and uncles all wanting the best for him—something he once believed he didn’t deserve.Some words would remain unsaid. He preferred to show his affection. That was why he cuddled between his parents during every afternoon nap, why he asked for help with minuscule tasks he could do himself, why he initiated play and why he smiled for pictures with the silliest faces and poses.Even without Simon telling him or even showing him, Jacob saw the shadow of doubt—the weight of guilt—encumbering his former therapist and future father. He waited until it was near the end, in the middle of his last night with his adult consciousness, to give his final gift.“Simon?” Jacob whispered, tugging on his former therapist’s shirt. “You up?”“Huh?” Simon replied, the fog of sleep still clouding his eyes and awareness. It took him a second, but he managed to focus on Jacob as the boy fidgeted with his thumbs. “Is something wrong? Do you need me to get you a nurse?”“No,” Jacob quietly answered. “I just wanted to tell you something.”Simon sat up. “What is it?”“Well, I wanted you to know that I’m not mad at you,” Jacob said, looking down at his lap and fiddling with his thumbs. “I finally understand why you brought me here…why you had to save me.”“What changed?” Simon asked, not understanding where all of this came from.“I remembered how happy I was, and I know I’m happy now…and before I was so sad and hurt.” Jacob explained. “So, I forgive you for taking the choice from me, because I know now that I was going to choose wrong.”Simon cleared his throat, choked up by the consoling joy astounding his expectations. “Thank you, Jacob,” he said, reaching in for a big bear hug. “Thank you for saying that.”They hugged in silence for a few minutes until Jacob pulled away and looked at Simon as though he had something else on his mind.“There’s something else,” Simon assumed, running his hand through his hair.“Yeah.”“You can say it, Jacob.”“I’m telling you this now,” Jacob said, finally unclasping his hands, popping his thumb in his mouth and mumbling his words. “because I think I’m fading again.“And you think it’s permanent this time,” Simon finished for the boy.“Yeah,” Jacob said, his voice barely a whisper. He looked so small, so unsure of himself and his future. “I’m scared.”“It’s okay to be scared. It means you’re about to do something really brave,” Simon recited, cupping Jacob’s cheek in his palm. “You’re going to trust me to take care of you, and I will always protect you. I will always be there for you,” he promised engulfing the boy in his arms. “I love you, Jacob.”“I love you too, Simon,” the boy said, snuggling into his daddy’s lap and closing his eyes. “Be a good dad to me.”“I will,” the grateful father said as silent tears fell from his face into the darkness of the night.
I will because you’re my son, the one I always dreamed of.

I hope you loved this ending. We’ll be on the discord chatting again. Tomorrow is the epilogue and closing remarks. I’ll see you all again in 24 hours!

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It took a couple weeks to settle down in between seeing clients, moving furniture from the lakeside home into their Seattle residence and getting Jacob accustomed to attending daycare. It was Angelique’s turn to retrieve Jacob from daycare, and as soon as she opened the door to the private practice office, Jacob sprinted inside.“Daddy!” he screamed, tackling Simon while he was kneeling to wipe the bookshelf in his therapy room. “Look! I was a good boy.”Simon poked the yellow star stuck to Jacob’s shirt. “Oh, did you get a sticker for behaving well today?”“Uh-huh. I got i-scream too,” he lisped, bouncing from one foot to the other.“What happened to it?” Simon teased, straightening out Jacob’s shirt. “I want some too.”“Oh, sowwy, daddy. I ated it all.” The boy’s expression of contrition was so comical that irresistible amusement touched Angelique’s lips.“That’s okay buddy,” Simon said, standing up. “Would you like to color while Mommy and I finish cleaning up?”“Okay,” Jacob replied.Simon set him up with a sheet of paper, some crayons and one of his clipboards, and for a while, Jacob contentedly doodled on the floor.The therapists had a lot to get done. Their office needed a good deep clean and Simon and Angelique figured they could knock it out in an afternoon. They swept the hardwood floors, vacuumed the dusty carpeting, and re-arranged some of the furniture. When they took a break to check on Jacob, the boy sat on Simon’s therapy chair with his leg crossed, zealously writing something on his sheet of paper.“What are you writing, Jacob?” Angelique asked, entering the room with Simon behind her.“I’m a terapist, mommy,” the tyke enthused. “Like you and daddy.”“Yes, you are!” Angelique gushed, immediately pulling out her phone and taking pictures then switching to recording a video.“Can your daddy be your patient?” she asked, and Simon looked to Angelique, embarrassed to be put on the spot like that.“Yeah!” Jacob answered, so Simon played along and sat on the couch, waiting for his two-year-old therapist to acknowledge him.“Ask him how he’s feeling,” Angelique said, crouching to get a better angle for the video.“How you feel, daddy?” Jacob repeated, looking over the clipboard that was bigger than his head.“I feel really happy,” Simon said and smiled into the camera.Jacob scribbled onto his paper, and then looked to Angelique. “What next, mommy?”“Ask him why he feels like that,” she suggested.“How come you happy, daddy?”“I’m happy because I have a family that I love more than anything else in the world,” Simon said, his voice cracking as tears pooled in his eyes.“You need a hug, daddy?”“Yes,” Simon whispered, and Jacob hopped off the couch.“Let me get some of that too,” Angelique said, ending the video as she and Simon embraced with Jacob tucked securely between them.Simon took it all in. The genuine happiness at the end of a journey that started in that very same therapy room. The family they were—bonded together forever.And so it happened; the trio went on with their lives, a happy couple with their precious son, ready to tackle whatever was thrown at them—ready to take on anything as long as they had each other.

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Acknowledgements
I woke up one day with a dream that I couldn't stop thinking about. I had to write about it to explore the world that my subconscious had created. I had so many dreams for this story, and even though it took me nearly two years to finish it, I am so proud of what I managed to do. Still, Jacob's Regression would not exist without the support of so many people.Thanks to my undergraduate professor who gave me the name Mr. Hammond when I used social media to get help with naming, my college friend who let me use their last name for Dr. Kelly, the villain of my story and my other college friend who let me use their middle name for Sophia, Jacob's grandmother.To my first lover, thank you for making me feel so wonderfully human, loved, treasured and valued in a way that prompted me to find the artist inside of myself.To my therapist, who didn't shame me when I finally confessed to using your personality and the sum of our interactions as a basis for Simon and his relationship with Jacob, I owe you a debt of gratitude for the positive direction that my life has taken in the last two years. Months before I started this story at twenty-two, I was as hopelessly depressed as Jacob, and I have no doubt that our therapeutic relationship saved my life. You gave me the space to be a blocked writer during depressive episodes and an excited chatterbox when inspiration struck in the midst of hypomania. Your support enabled me to explore an unfiltered fantasy and create a world where I felt just as safe and supported as I did at each and every session.To my close friends, family, professors and teachers who read the first few chapters and listened to me talk about this story for hours on end, you gave me the courage to share my writing with the world. Without your encouragement, Jacob's Regression would have remained locked away inside a protected word document forever. Thank you to my two friends who helped me build the lakeside home, your home décor knowledge breathed a breath of fresh air into those opening chapters.I also want to thank my readers on wattpad and archiveofourown. Your comments regularly inspired me to continue writing even when I feared I had outgrown this story as a writer. I cannot put a number on how many comments I have screenshotted and saved to an album on my phone for when I feel like a dreadfully incompetent writer.I am especially grateful to those of you who have been with me since the very inception of this story. I still remember what it felt like posting the first chapter and promising myself that I would be happy if just one hundred people read it. Then, weeks later, I had thousands to tens of thousands, and now hundreds of thousands. It went from an unlikely dream to a lived reality of having fans who would instantly vote/comment within seconds of uploading a chapter. It was such an affirming experience that has shaped me as a writer in more ways than I think I even know. Thank you for believing in my dream.
Future Work
For anyone who is still looking for my work, I decided to write under a new pseudonym. My work will usually always remain on archiveofourown and the AR Archive. Thank you for reading this story. Jacob's Regression will always be where this all started, and I hope that you find my work again in the future :)