The Roommate

Chapter 2
Ending 1: Learning

Chapter Description: First of three endings.

After what felt like an eternity, Celine thought about going out on the floor and asking when the doctor would come. She would have already done so, hadn’t the ground looked so far below her little feet. Had they forgotten her?

As if summoned by her thoughts, the door opened and a middle-aged man entered accompanied by a nurse. The latter carried a tablet with a syringe, an ampule and disinfectants.

“Celine? I’m Dr. Helm.” The man coming in smiled, giving her his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Me, too,” the regressed college-girl said, feeling her hand vanishing in that of the adult.

Truth was she would have preferred to be anywhere else, including the playground with Judy. Still, as long as this would get her to be the right age again, she would endure anything.

“I will give you the drug that will help you change,” he explained. “Which arm?”

“Left.”

“Mrs. Amar?”

The nurse nodded and began to apply alcohol on a spot of the upper arm with a cotton pad. If felt strangely cool but this was nothing compared to the pain, when the doctor put the needle in her arm. Despite herself, Celine shuddered slightly, but kept focusing on the drug being pumped into her arm. Her way back to her proper age.

“Brave girl,” the nurse said. “Look what a nice plaster we have for you.”

The plaster showed a green stegosaurus and Celine found she liked neither of it, nor the nurse’s sweet tone.

Don’t you have simple ones?, she wondered.

“How long does it need?” She asked loud.

“You will notice the changes, soon,” Dr. Helm answered. “But we need you to get someplace where we can monitor you better.”

“Where?” The regressed college girl asked. “On one of the stations?”

“In one of our centers outside,” Dr. Helm revealed. “Ready to go?”

Celine nodded, but hesitated when she looked down. Such a long way! Still, the knowledge, that she would soon be an adult again, made her feel brave. Careful she let herself slid down the edge – the feeling of her diaper on the plastic feeling strange – gasping as she lost hold and after a long time landing on all fours. Proud of herself she stood up, cleaning her hands on her shirt and looking at the adults, ready to follow the man, as he opened the door.

“Little girl?” The nurse called.

Already near the door, Celine turned around to tell the woman to address her with her name, but stopped, when she noticed that the nurse held Mr. Blings.

“Don’t forget your teddy!”

Again, this sweetness in her voice, like she wouldn’t know exactly that she was in reality talking to an adult. Celine wanted to call her out, wanted to leave the stupid teddy there, but then Mr. Bling’s black eyes seemed to plead with her and she just couldn’t turn around. Feeling slightly lightheaded she went over and took it without saying a word. When she walked side by side with Dr. Helm down the corridor, she already regretted her decision. Visibly wearing a diaper was humiliating – also she hated to admit she slowly got used to it – but holding a teddy bear by the arm really perfected the picture of a little girl too much for her taste. Still, Mr. Bling would probably have felt lonely here all alone and …

Celine shook her head to get rid of this train of thoughts more fitting a toddler as they entered the elevator. She saw Dr. Helm press a button and for a moment couldn’t identify which it was. It wasn’t alone that most buttons were high above her, it was like she saw the symbol like through a fog. Finally, she realized it was the ground floor.

Satisfied she followed Dr. Helm to the reception once the door opened again. There he had a short chat with the man behind the counter. The man nodded and walked in a room behind, carrying something out of plastic, fabric and light metal. Celine couldn’t identify at first. It was only when it was unfolded, that she recognized it as a stroller.

“Can walk!” She insisted.

“Sure,” Dr. Helm agreed. “But the center is a few blocks away. I think you have walked a lot already today. Once the drug works you will feel even more powered out. I might have to carry you.”

Celine thought about these arguments. She had really enough of following adults on her short legs. Also, this way was probably quicker, meaning less people would see her. And compared to being carried …

“Okay,” she gave in, still less than enthusiastic.

Insecure she approached it. At least it was a simple green. No decoration on anything. She sat down, finding that the fabric felt good. Resting her feet on the plastic band below it felt nearly okay. This moment Dr. Helm wrapped the belt around her diapered waist.

“Hey!”

“I know it feels strange, but I have as much experience driving one of these as you have sitting in one,” Dr. Helm explained. “Better we don’t risk you flying out of it if I stop too abruptly.”

Celine knew he had a point, still she felt insecure, when he finally began pushing her. Her eyes briefly flew over the description of the hospital’s wings, but found them indecipherable. Scowling she wanted to try it again, but Dr. Helm had already was pushing her past it. She shrugged. Probably it was just the way she was moving … was moved. Curious she looked down, past Mr. Bling on her lap and to the ground going by beneath. Next, she focused on her sandals. Were they already getting too small? Celine curled and uncurled her toes, but couldn’t say. Briefly she thought about putting them off, but she would have to walk later and didn’t want to do so barefoot like Judy. This would make her look even smaller.

Celine looked up and nearly regretted it. The world which ran by was even stranger from this perspective than from walking. Parked cars, distance and everything seemed so freaking large, blurring as she tried to process them and compare them with the way she was used to. She barely reached the waist of most adult they passed. Thus, hardly gave her even just a short look, making her feeling insignificant. It was like she wasn’t even really part of their world right now. Just a toddler being pushed around, too little to even walk. A cold feeling in her stomach told her accepting the stroller had probably been a mistake.

I will be big again, soon!, Celine assured herself, clutching Mr. Blings tighter. Then I don’t need to care about strollers.

Relaxing slightly, Celine looked around, trying to see the world the grown-up-way. She noticed a sign on one big building ahead. Curious she tried to read it, but found she couldn’t.

“Doctow Helm?” She looked around, realizing her speech had become slightly more blurred, a lisp clearly hearable.

“Yes Celine?” The man behind her asked.

“Something wong!”

“What could be wrong Celine?” Dr. Helm asked, obviously too polite to notice the lisp.

“Me … I can’t wead. … I mean I can’t read!” Celine said. “The dwug isn’t right. We hafta go back.”

“Oh, I think the drug is working fine, but this can be checked in the center, too,” the doctor explained. “Still, let us test it. Shall we?”

Celine nodded.

“Where is left and where is right?”

Celine starred at her hands. It should have been easy. A knowledge deeply etched into her as long as she could remember. Still, as much as she tried it wasn’t there anymore.

“Don’t know,” she admitted.

“Well,” Dr. Helm noticed, moving the stroller to one side. “We are turning left right now.”

Confused Celine looked up. There was a door in front of them, leading into a large building. It was decorated with the painting of an owl with a teacher’s hat in the process of teaching a group of mice. Right of them was a meadow where some young otters were playing with a kite. To both sides of the entrance, shielded fences protected the area behind it from views, but she could hear the sound of children laughing and playing behind them. The regressed college-girl wasn’t able to read what stood in for her indecipherable cryptic letters above the entrance, but didn’t need to. She felt the front of her diaper grow warm.

“This is a daycawe!” Celine said angrily. “You said we go to centew to make me big!”

Dr. Helm knelt down in front of her.

“I told the tiniest of lies, but daycares are for helping small children to become big ones,” he noticed in a friendly tone. “See, the drug didn’t make you an adult again, but blocked most of your grown-up and even big-kid knowledge.”

Celine couldn’t see how this could be tiny. “Why?!”

“Because your friend told us that you lost your joy for learning … or never had it in the first place. She searched a way to help you and here in Doctor Owl’s Center for Little Learners is the perfect place for you. You can play and learn the whole day. Once we decide you have learned what fun it is to learn we might change you into an adult again … thought hopefully by then you understand, that growing up doesn’t just mean getting an adult body. The caretakers will love to help you change your view.” He rose with a smile and pushed the bell on the door. “Beginning with changing your diaper.”

With this there was a buzz, as the door unlocked. Grabbing the stroller’s handles, Dr. Helm pulled it in backwards.

“KAAATHYYY!” Celine screamed.

She still screamed as the door hearable fell into lock in front of her. On it the image of Doctor Owl greeted the newest little learner.

The end