A Trip to the Shrink

Complete Story

"Clara I really promise this is the last time. I'm sorry I messed up again." Tim said as he and his much smaller wife entered the waiting room. He had been nervous about the procedure but now that he was in the place his heart was beating faster and faster. He really hoped Clara would back out of this. 

"No Tim. You aren't gonna talk me out of this one. Your naughty little gambling habits have cost us a lot. You tapped my savings this time and I can't ignore that. You'llhave us in the poor house if this keeps up and I won'tlet that happen." Clara said a as she flipped through a magazine and didn't even look in her husband's direction.

"Please Clara can't we try something else? I mean this is..."

"No." His wife interrupted flatly and Tim knew she wasn't gonna budge on this.

Tim sat silent now watching men and women go back, none as nervous about the process as he was. He had good reason to be nervous though. Most were here to get "a little off the top". Tim wasn't here for that at all. He was gonna be "all in".

"Hawkins!" Yelled a cheerful looking portly nurse. "We are ready for you, but you didn't finish the form here." The nurse said pointing to the paperwork at a place where a number should be.

For a second Tim was excited thinking about the reason it wasn't there. Perhaps she had decided to go easier on him. They really hadn't talked about an exact number afterall. 

"Oh yes I totally forgot. I wanted to make it special." Clara said with a grin as she reached into her purse. She pulled something out and placed it into Tim's hand. 

Tim looked down in fear seeing a pair of dice and knowing exactly what his wife wanted. He opened his mouth to speak but the look he got make him think better of it. He instead took a deep breath and tossed the pair of dice softly on the waiting room counter hoping this last roll had a little luck in it. As the dice stopped there end over end fall the rounded out nurse gave a giggle and Tim nearly fainted.

"Oh but honey it's... I mean that's...." Tim said nearly in tears now at how badly his roll had gone.

Clara said nothing as Tim was escorted back to the procedure room.

In 46 minutes Clara had read the only good magazines in the waiting area and was glad to hear her named called and the doors open to show the results.

Holding the hand of the stout happy nurse was a boy of very small stature looking a little scared. He stood unsteady in a pair of velcro Sesame Street shoes. On top there was a colorful shirt with other cartoon characters and a pair of shorts with a noticeable bulge to them around the waist. The boys hair was a childish bowl cut of dirty blond hair and his pretty blue eyes were a bit red and puffy from obvious crying. 

"Oh you turned out just adorable didn't you Timmy." Clara said as she effortlessly picked the boy up into her arms and supported him by his now small and crinkly sounding backside.

"I bet these wear quite embarrassing to be put in weren't they?" Clara said patting the boy on his diaper. Tim could only hide his face into Clara's shoulder and try not the tear up again. 

"Well he did give us quite a fuss about his diapers. He wasn't too much trouble to get in them though. I'm sure he'll get used to them in time." The nurse said.

"Well if there is one thing he will have an abundance of it's time. I mean you can't get lower than snake-eyes can you." Clara said with a giggle as Tim started to cry again in his wife's arms.