Pamper Probation: Chapter 2 - A Messy Start
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Regression Adjustment Pathways Initiative
Sitter: Danielle Monroe
Assigned Participant: Corey (Level Two)
Hours Remaining: 492
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Danielle pressed her badge to the scanner outside Nursery D. The light blinked green, and so did the one on her ankle monitor. The latch on the door clicked.
She let out a hefty sigh. Day two. Only day two.
The door creaked open, and the scent hit her immediately. Faint antiseptic layered beneath synthetic lavendar. Like the room had been Febreezed to death. Muffled classical music played overhead.
She stepped inside. The lights were dimmed to âwakingâ mode. Corey lay in the crib, curled around that stupid stuffed giraffe with a tiny blanket bunched at his knees. He looked peaceful. Too peaceful. A pacifier was still bobbing in his mouth. Did he really sleep with that in the whole night? Why not just spit it out when no one was around?
Danielle hesitated, not really knowing what to do first. There were instructions about this sort of thing, right? Morning protocol...crib release...tone of voice.
âUhâŚgood morning,â she said, louder than intended.
He stirred. The plastic mattress crinkled noisily when he shifted, the sound crackly and artificial. A sharp breath whistling through the shield of the pacifier as his eyes blinked open, then landed on her.
âOh,â he said, voice dry and groggy, letting the pacifier fall as if embarrassed. âUhâŚhi...â
âYou were out cold,â she said, not bothering to soften her tone. The crib, even though it was larger than any crib sheâd ever seen, still wasnât long enough to allow him to extend his legs fully. His little blankie was more like a decorative towel than a comforter, and the lullabies pumping softly through the speakers would drive her insane. âAre you really able to sleep in here?â
He gave a tired shrug. âYou kind of get used to it..â
She moved to the side of the crib, found the latch, and fumbled with it until the rail finally dropped down. She let her gaze drift between his legs. She couldnât help it, there was constantly a very white, fluffy elephant in the room. The front of his diaper was visibly swollen, puffy with a faint yellow tint, but not sagging like the night before. Definitely wet though.
Corey followed her eyes and winced. âI didnât leak,â he offered quickly, as if that salvaged something. âItâs not bad.â
âOh, well then,â Danielle said dryly. âLet me run and get you a medal for being such a big boy!â
He started to pull the blanket back up, and thatâs when she noticed how he moved. Hasty. Defensive. Suddenly trying to cover more than just his dignity.
Danielle narrowed her eyes.
âOhhh,â she drawled. âDid someone get a visit from the stiffy fairy this morning?â
Corey flushed instantly. âIâŚ.I didnâtâŚâ He yanked the blanket over his lap.âItâs not what it looks like! I wasnât trying toââ
âSave it,â she snapped. âIâm sure itâs totally normal, right? Just your body doing its thing?â
He pulled the blanket up tighter, almost to his chest.
âWell, Iâm not changing you while youâre like that,â she snapped. âSoâŚfigure it out.â
He stared at her, wide-eyed, whimpering softly.
âYou heard me,â she said. âGet it under control, or you can sit in it till lunch.â
She stepped back, shaking her head in disgust.
No one had warned her about this. There was nothing in the orientation about how to handle erections in oversized diapers. Nothing about how some of the Littles, like this one, might actually enjoy it. Might want to be here. Surely that could never be the case though. No grown man would actually want this type of treatment. He was being punished for his sins just like her and every other subject in this fucked up place.
She didnât know if she was supposed to log it or flag his little erection, but she sure as hell wasnât going to touch it.
Still fuming, she crossed to the charting station, eyes scanning the screen, but not really absorbing anything.
Behind her, the room was quiet except for the soft hum of the ventilation system and the occasional crinkle of plastic as Corey shifted in the crib. Hopefully deflating. Literally.
She rubbed her temple. What now? Sheâd made her little power move, but that had only bought her a minute or two, and now she was just... standing there.
What was she supposed to do next?
She glanced back at the screen. Her badge login was still active. The checklist blinked at her, clinical and uncaring:
LEVEL TWO MALE â ID: #0231-7C
FEEDING REQUIRED: 7:30 AM
SUPPLEMENT TYPE: 12oz Formula, Bottle Format (Warm)
LAST CHANGE: 9:05PM (Previous Day)
HYGIENE STATUS: Acceptable
Right. The bottle. She could at least do that.
The nursery had a small kitchenette tucked against the far wall: a mini-fridge, a shallow sink, a drying rack, and a stack of pastel burp cloths that looked like theyâd never been used for anything innocent. Everything smelled faintly of powder and antiseptic.
Danielle yanked open the fridge. A neat row of sealed bottles stared back at her, each stamped Mother Maidenâs Milking Farm â Stage 2 Nutritional Supplement. The liquid inside was thick, off-white, faintly pearlescent. It looked like melted vanilla ice cream that had been left out too long. Her stomach lurched.
She grabbed one, slammed the fridge door shut, then stared at the warmer unit for a moment like it might bite her. It had buttons, that was about all she could say. No guide. No instruction sheet. Just a little panel with blinking lights. Danielle could barely boil an egg, and the most culinary thing sheâd ever managed was instant ramen. She was way out of her comfort zone with literally everything in this godforsaken place. She shoved the bottle into the slot and hit the first button she saw. Then another. The machine chirped. Lights turned orange. Something started humming.
Behind her: she heard plastic pampers crinkling. âUhâŚMs. Danielle?â
She turned her head halfway, already bristling. âWhat now?â
Corey shifted in the crib. âIâŚI think I might need toâŚuhâŚgo.â
Danielle narrowed her eyes. âGo where?â
His face flushed crimson, his eyes darted back and forth to anywhere but hers, he gestured helplessly to himself. âYou knowâŚâ he murmured, voice small and ashamed, ânumber two...â
Her stomach dropped straight through the foam-tiled floor. âNo,â she said flatly. âAbsolutely not.â
âIâm trying b-butââ
âTry harder.â she snapped. âIs it really that hard to not poop all over yourself? Are you that fucking pathetic??â
âIâŚI'm just saying I feel it coming onââ
âToo bad.â She continued, ignoring the beeping coming from the warmer. âI am not changing a messy diaper on my fucking shift, Corey. So you better clench. Pray. Do whatever you have to do, but you are not shitting yourself while Iâm in this room.â
âYou hear me?â she hissed, leaning in closer. âYou shit yourself right now and I swear Iâll leave you in it until tomorrow morning. Iâll strap you down and let you stew in your own mess. Is that what you want?â
Corey whimpered, thighs clamped tight, face burning with shame.
The beeping turned into one long, angry shriek.
Danielle finally spun around, snatched the bottle out of the scalding slot, and yelped as the boiling-hot plastic seared her palm.
She dropped the bottle. It hit the counter, rolled, and thudded against the floor with a slosh. Drips of milk spattering the floor. She scrambled to scoop it up, shaking her hand and swearing under her breath. Her skin already stung. She gripped the hot plastic carefully and flicked a few drops onto her wrist like sheâd seen people in movies do.
They sizzled. Literally sizzled.
Corey watched from the crib, wide-eyed. âYou...you could run it under water. Thatâs what the others usually do.â
Danielleâs head snapped toward him. âI know,â she hissed. âI know what Iâm doing.â But the truth was: she absolutely didnât.
He shrank back, eyes darting down. She turned sharply to the little mini kitchen, yanked the faucet handle, and shoved the bottle under the cold stream. Water splashed over her wrist as she rotated the bottle, teeth clenching so hard it hurt.
âThis is so stupid,â she muttered. âI should be at work, doing real work. Not prepping bottles for oversized babiesâ
The formula inside sloshed, thick and off-white, stubbornly clinging to the sides of the bottle like it enjoyed being a problem. Behind her, Corey didnât say a word. It was a small reprieve that he didnât laugh at her befuddlement. She might have found it amusing if she were in his shoes. God she was so glad she wasnât in his shoes.Â
She kept rinsing until the bottle didnât feel like molten plastic in her hands. Flicked some water off, tested another drop on her wrist. Still warm. No longer lethal. She dried it roughly with a paper towel, placed a finger over the rubber nipple, shook it, and exhaled hard through her nose.
She turned to face him. Bottle in hand. And absolutely no patience left.
âLetâs go,â she said, voice clipped. âFeeding time.â
He pushed himself upright on the floor slowly, leaning back against the legs of his crib.
She crouched on one knee and held out the bottle. âOpen.â
âWhat? Do you need me to wrap it up with a little fucking bow first?â
âNo,â he said quietly, and opened his mouth. The nipple slid between his lips with a soft squeak. She tilted it. He began to suck. Slowly. Painfully slowly. Barely more than a flutter against the nipple. She could hear it. Thin, pathetic pulls of air and formula.
Danielle scowled. âCan you hold this yourself?â
He blinked up at her, eyes wide. âIâŚIâm not allowed to.â
She stared at him. âWhat?â
âThey said weâre not supposed to. Itâs part of the âdependency metricâ.â
She almost laughed, but it wasnât funny.
âSo let me get this straight,â she said slowly. âYouâre not even allowed to hold your own bottle?â
Her fingers tightened around the plastic cylinder. The rubber teat was slick with spit. Formula was dribbling down his chin and soaking into the front of his shirt. Her knees were sore from crouching. Her arm ached from keeping the angle just right.
âI have to do everything around here and you just fucking take it,â she muttered.
âYouâre fucking useless. Canât hold a bottle. Canât hold your bladder. Probably canât even hold your own head up unless I do it for you, can you, wittle baby?â
Another sip. Another squirm.
She glared at him. âYou plan on finishing this before dinner?â
He paused to speak, which only annoyed her more.
âIt justâŚâ he started, already wincing, âit tastes so bad. Like⌠like chalky cereal milk, but spoiled.â
Danielle rolled her eyes. âWhat a tragedy.â
He took another sip, slower than before.
âIâm serious,â he whined. âIt makes my stomach hurt. And I already have to goâŚâ
âOh my god, Corey, weâve covered this. Youâre not messing that diaper. Not today. Not while Iâm the one stuck here with you.â
âIâIâm trying to hold it,â he said quickly. âI really amââ
âThen try harder,â she bit out. âClench whatever you need to clench and drink.â
He whimpered around the nipple.
âI do not want to clean up your whiny little accident,â she said, voice rising. âI donât care if your tummy hurts. I donât care if the formula tastes like trash. I am not your mommy. I am not your therapist. I am not here to coddle you while you dribble warm goo down your chin.â
He flinched. Took another sip. Still slow. Still dragging it out like it might buy him sympathy.
She leaned in, voice cold. âDo you think if you drink slow enough, Iâll get bored and let you stop?â
âThat Iâll say, âOh poor thing, you donât like it, do you? Better skip breakfast today, wouldnât want to upset your tum-tum.ââ
His cheeks went red. The bottle sagged slightly.
Danielle pushed it back up. âYouâll finish every drop. I donât care if you spit up, as long as you finish what you and I both have to do and we can move on. Got it?â
She stared at him, hovering. Watching each miserable swallow. She remembered scoffing at the judge when the sentence came down: 500 hours, community service, no big deal. Sheâd had no idea. No clue that âdirect care assistanceâ meant standing here, ankle monitor ticking, babysitting a grown man in a soaked diaper. And she still had six hours left on her shift.
His face twisted. He sucked again. Still slow, still mewling with every pull. More dribble. This time it slid off his chin and splashed onto the front of his romper in a pale, wet streak.
Danielle rolled her eyes.
âYouâre getting it everywhere.â She pressed the bottle harder against his lips, tilting it steeper so the thick formula surged in a relentless stream. âDo you need a bib, baby boy?â
He shook his head, cheeks flushed.
âThen drink like you mean it.â
He obeyed with a thick, desperate swallow, then another soft whimper vibrated around the nipple. His fingers tightened on the plush giraffe in his lap, knuckles white, as if the stuffed toy could somehow shield him from the shame flooding his body.
âI really have to go,â he mumbled around the rubber teat, voice muffled and pleading.
Danielleâs expression didnât flicker. âI really donât care. Youâre not going. Not on my shift.â
He looked like he might cry. Another stream of formula rolled down his cheek and onto the front of his shirt. Danielle watched it soak in, unmoved.
âI said drink.â She adjusted the angle again, making sure the flow didnât slow. âEvery. Last. Drop.â
His belly gave another low, ominous gurgle. His thighs clamped tighter, the padding crinkling sharply with the effort. He was nearing the end of the bottle now, but every gulp looked painful. His lips clung to the nipple, cheeks hollowing with each miserable suck. His eyes were watering. He groaned softly with each swallow, the sound vibrating up his throat.
Danielle leaned in, fingers still clamped around the bottle. âAwww!! What is it?â she snapped. âIs your tummy too full?â
He winced, nodding faintly as he sucked.
His stomach was visibly bulging now, round beneath the edge of his romper. His knees shifted. Another whimper slipped out.
âI think Iâm gonna throw up,â he mumbled weakly, breaking suction.
She yanked the bottle away, letting the last few warm drops slosh inside.
âYouâre not puking,â she said flatly. âYouâre fine. Just full. Thatâs what happens when you suck down 16 ounces like a big baybee.â
He groaned again, holding his belly.
She sighed. âOh for fuckâs sake. Come here.â
She grabbed him by the armpits and hoisted him forward, not gently, he was limp and sluggish, breathing shallow. She patted his back once. Hard. A second time. On the third pat, he let out a loud, involuntary burp.
Immediately, Corey went still.
Then he tipped forward slowly, almost reflexively, onto his hands and knees, the giraffe dropping from his grip. His back arched slightly, legs quivering under the pressure.
Danielle froze. She watched his body tense, watched his breath catch.
And then she knew. âNo. No!! Donât you dare.â
A soft, panicked moan escaped his throat.
âI swear to god, Corey!â she barked, stepping back instinctively, âDonât you fucking do it!!.â
âIâm s-sorry,â he gasped, trembling. âI c-canâtâŚit hurtsâŚâ He let out a sharp, helpless groan, his arms quaking under his weight.
Danielle turned in a circle, panicked. âOkay, okay fine. IâllâŚIâll take you to a restroom. JustâŚhold it.â
âI canât!!â he whined. âPlease!â
âYou have to hold it,â she snapped. âJust for one more minute. One. Iâll get you somewhereâŚIâll..â
Her eyes darted around the room. Walls. Soft tiles. A high chair. A fridge. The charting station. The crib.
But no toilet. No side corridor. No attached bathroom. No signage. No nothing. It hit her like a slap to the face: there is no restroom, there is no stopping this.
âPlease donât be mad!â He whimpered, âplease donât be madâŚâ
âYou have to hold it!â she shouted. âWeâll find one, justâŚjustâŚâ
Theyâd put her in this room with him. Theyâd sealed her in here with him, handed her a checklist and a diapered man, and expected her to handle everything inside these four pastel walls.
 âOh my god.â she breathed.
Corey whined, still hunched forward on trembling knees. âIâm sorry. Iâm sorry!!â
His hands clutched the floor. His hips jerked once, and then came the sound. Low. Long. Shuddering. Wet. His whole body jolted as nature overtook him. Muscles clenched, a moan caught in his throat.
She couldnât look away.
His head dropped between his arms. His face was red with shame. His breath hitched as the mess spread slowly beneath him, the seat of his diaper swelling, rounding, sagging. She watched, horrified, as his diaper ballooned in slow, visible waves beneath him. It was happening right in front of her. Slow, obvious and inevitable.
She hadnât even realized she was backing up until she hit the fridge behind her. He collapsed fully to the mat, burying his face in his arms, sobbing now. Loud and broken.
âIâm sorry!!â he cried, âI tried! Please! I didnât mean toâŚâ
Danielle stared down at him, heart pounding, fury and nausea and disbelief swirling in her gut. She blinked. âYouâve got to be kidding me. You disgusting littleââ
He sobbed, hands over his face. âIâm sorry,â he said again, voice high and shaky. âIâŚI couldnât stop itâŚâ
Danielleâs stomach turned. Her fingers clamped over her nose, but not before the stench punched her in the face. Her arms folded tighter across her chest. The bottle trembled in her hand. The stench was rising, wafting up and inescapably punching her in the face. She stepped back again, clamping her fingers over her nose.
Corey hiccuped. âW-what?â
She stared down at him, cold and flat. âIâm not changing that.â
His head lifted slightly, tear-streaked and red.
Danielle turned and walked to the far side of the room. Set the bottle down so hard that some of the thick milk shot out of the nipple. âNot happening,â she muttered. âYou can sit in it all damn day for all I care.â
A soft chime rang from the speaker above the charting station. Then a calm, synthetic voice came over the speaker above the charting station:
âLevel Two Sitter Monroe, a hygiene alert has been registered and not resolved. A five-hour penalty will be added to your sentence if the participant is not confirmed to be cleaned and changed within protocol window.â
Danielle blinked up at the speaker. âNo,â she said again. Louder to whoever was watching or listening. âHe did it on purpose. I told him not to.â She turned in place, pacing now, hands clenched at her sides.
Corey whimpered behind her. âI didnâtââ
âShut up!â she snapped.
Another chime. This time louder.
âDanielle Monroe, you have just added 5 hours to your probation sentence. Confirm and comply, or additional penalties will be assessed.â
Her jaw tightened. She squeezed her eyes shut. They werenât bluffing. She stood there, frozen in place, rage and helplessness twisting inside her. Then slowly, furiously, she crossed the room.
She crouched next to Corey.
âLook at me,â she said. Her voice was sharp and quiet.
She grabbed his shoulder and hauled him up just enough to expose the back of his diaper. The sight made her stomach lurch: a heavy, sagging bulge, the white plastic stretched taut and discolored in ugly brown streaks. The stench hit harder up closeâthick, earthy, sour.
Begrudgingly, she pinched the back waistband with two fingers and peeled it open just enough to confirm.
The mess had spread everywhere: soft, sticky brown smeared across his cheeks, clinging to the creases, pooled in the seat of the padding. The smell punched her in the face.
She let the waistband snap back and jerked her head away.
âConfirmation,â she spat toward the ceiling.
Silence. Then a soft chime.
She stood, stalked to the charting station, swiped her badge, and jabbed the screen until the alert cleared.
A final tone sounded. Danielle didnât move for a long beat. This was happening. Whether she liked it or not. Then she turned, walked to the changing table, and yanked open the supply drawer.
Gloves. Two pairs. She snapped them on with vicious precision, layering the second over the first. No masks. Of course there were no masks. They wanted her to smell every second of this.
The gloves snapped tight around her wrists. She put another pair on over, just to be safe. She looked for disposable masks she could put on to at least block out some of the smell. There were none. They wanted her to smell every second of this.Â
âGet up,â she said flatly.
Corey didnât respond. She stormed back over, yanked the giraffe from his arms, and flung it across the room.
âI said: get up! On the table. Now.â
Still sniffling, he dragged himself upright, his diaper sagging behind him with every movement. The plastic crinkled wetly. Loud. Shameful. She didnât help him onto the table. She let him struggle. Let him wince and squish and hoist himself up with trembling arms. He laid back. Stared at the ceiling. Eyes red. Face pale. Danielle grabbed his ankles and yanked them apart.
The smell hit her again. Thicker now, rising from the crushed mess inside.
She gagged. Actually gagged. âFucking hell,â she muttered, stumbling half a step back, one hand to her face.
Corey whimpered. âIâm sorryâŚâ
âOh, donât,â she snapped, regaining her balance. âYou donât get to say sorry right now.â
With utmost reluctance, she took a deep breath, then peeled back the tapes. Each rip feeling like a death toll. Rippp. Riippp. Riipppp. Rip.Â
The diaper peeled open with a squelch. Her gag reflex flared again. The mess had spread everywhere. Thick, soft, brown sludge coating his skin, smeared into every crease, clinging to his balls and the base of his cock. The padding was ruined, lumpy and sagging.
She stared, eyes burning, horrified and furious. âThis is your life now?â she spat. âThis is what youâve become?â
Corey didnât speak. His eyes were shut tight. The tears were fresh again.
She grabbed the first wipe and pressed it to his skin. It slid. She dragged it downward, the texture thick, slippery, warm.
Sheâd changed diapers before. Her little brother, years ago. Back when her mom made her help. She used to gag then, too. Thought she had the weakest stomach in the world. But that? That was nothing. This was something else entirely. The heat, the size, the shame radiating off him. The pathetic way he whimpered when she wiped too hard. She wasnât helping a baby. She was scrubbing down a grown man who'd just soiled himself and cried about it.
She gagged again and threw the wipe straight into the messy flap below. Grabbed another.
âYouâre disgusting,â she hissed, wiping harder now. âYou think anyoneâs going to feel sorry for you after this?â
He shook his head, barely.
âI told you not to mess yourself,â she snapped, voice breaking as she scraped the next wipe under his balls. âI warned you. I was clear.â
âIâI didnât wantââ
She wiped again. The mess kept coming. Kept moving. She pressed the wipe into a fold of skin and felt it give. She reeled back. Another wipe. Another breath through the mouth.
âBig grown man, huh?â she said, forcing a bitter laugh. âBig boy with a stiffy in the morning and a diaper full of shit by breakfast.â
He let out a sound, half sob, half plea.
Wipe after wipe, she scrubbed him down. Her movements were rough, detached. As if faster meant less real. But nothing could dull the awful combination of texture, smell, heat. Her stomach turned. Her forehead was damp.
Finally, finally, it was mostly gone.
She reached for the rash cream with trembling fingers, smeared it cold and thick across the cleaned skin, and pulled a fresh diaper under him like she was throwing a tarp over a disaster site. The tapes sealed with four final, loud rips.
She ripped the gloves off and threw them into the bin with a violent snap of her wrist. She didnât say anything. Corey curled to one side, facing the wall, shivering despite the warm room.
Danielle stood there, breath ragged. The music still played overhead, cheerful and slow. Her throat was dry. Her hands were shaking. But it was done. Her first. And she knew it wouldn't be her last.
Danielle stood at the sink, scrubbing her hands harder than necessary. The hot water scalded, but she didnât stop until sheâd almost taken the skin off, the last of the smell gone, and her breathing had finally started to slow.
Corey had climbed off the changing table and onto the floor, curled on his side. Diaper clean. Face red and blotchy. He was still crying, but softer now. Not the loud, shame-soaked sobs from before. Just little hitching breaths and the occasional whimper, like he didnât know how to stop. His thumb hovered near his lips more than once, but he never quite gave in.
Across the room, near the base of the fridge, she spotted the little stuffed giraffe. Sheâd chucked it when her frustrations had reached its peak. Now, looking at it, she felt a pang of guilt. Not for the toy, but for how she treated the man it belonged to.
Danielle bent down, picked it up, brushed it off, then crossed back to Coreyâs mat. She knelt beside him and set the stuffed animal gently against his chest.
He blinked at it. Then at her.
For a moment, he didnât move. Then his hand reached out, slow and cautious, and he pulled the thing in close, arms curling around it like a lifeline.
âThanks,â he murmured, almost too soft to hear.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
He held it tighter. Pressed his cheek against the giraffeâs soft head like it meant something.
Danielle sat back, watching him quietly. She didnât know why a grown man would cling to a stuffed animal like that. Didnât know why it seemed to calm him in a way nothing else had. But she didnât question it, either. He looked⌠safe. Or maybe just safer. For the first time all day, he looked like he might stop shaking. He stroked one of its little ears absently.
âWhatâs his name?â she asked before she realized she was talking. âThe giraffe?â
He looked up at her with a faint hint of embarrassment. Then spoke in the smallest voice. âJeffy.â
Danielle gave a small exhale, almost a laugh, but not quite. She looked away. âOf course it is.â There was no sarcasm in it. No mocking edge. JustâŚher awkward way of trying to ease the tension.
He gave Jeffy a little squeeze. âI know itâs weird,â Corey said softly, his normal voice returning. âBut⌠heâs the only solace I have in thisâŚplace.â
Danielle glanced at him. The way he said it, like he wasnât even asking to be understood. Just stating a quiet truth. She didnât say anything for a while. Neither did he.
Finally, her voice came, low and rough. âI mightâve been a little hard on you...â
Corey gave a small shrug, still staring at Jeffyâs stitched smile.
âI mean, youâre still disgusting,â she added with a half grin. âBut maybeâŚnot on purpose.â
That got a tiny huff of air. Almost a laugh.
Danielle leaned back, staring at the ceiling tiles. âYou want to tell me why youâre here? How you got yourself in this place?â
He didnât answer at first. Just squeezed the giraffe tighter.
âBecause I told my supervisor to fuck off,â he muttered.
Danielle looked over at him, eyebrow raised with genuine surprise. âYou? I find that hard to believe.â
âI know how it sounds.â
She gave a small scoff. âYouâve been crying since Iâve been here. You give a weak little whimper over every little thing. You havenât protested or raised your voice to me even once, and you expect me to believe you just blurted that out?â
He took a breath. âYeah. I mean, not in so little words. I justâŚlost it. Like a pipe bomb under too much pressure. All of my frustration and anger came out.â
Danielle turned to face him more directly.
âI was tired,â he continued. âBurned out. Work stress. And⌠the end of a relationship. Sheââ he hesitated ââsaid I had too many needs. That it felt like she was doing all the emotional labor. Said I was⌠too dependent. Too soft.â
He gave a faint, bitter smile.
âShe didnât like the things I was into in bed. Said it made her uncomfortable. Like I wanted things from her she couldnât give. Called it pathetic.â
Danielle frowned slightly. âWhat were you into?â
He shrugged. Looked away. âDoesnât matter.â
He let out a breath. âIt was right after the second wave of reforms. Men were being held to a new standard. Finally. And honestly? Yeah. It needed to happenâŚâ Corey said. ââI get it. There wereâŚareâŚa lot of shitty men out there. Things needed to change. Honestly, some of it probably shouldâve happened decades ago. Iâm not against that.â
Danielle glanced over, surprised. He wasnât defensive. Just⌠tired.
âThere were a lot of guys out there making things worse for everyone. Angry all the time. Entitled. Like the world owed them something for just existing. I wasnât blind to it. Iâd seen it. Worked with it. Hell, I probably laughed along with it sometimes.â
His fingers tightened a little around the stuffed giraffe.
âI told myself I wasnât like that. That I was one of the good ones. ButâŚâ He looked down. âI let my anger get the best of me, and I acted out.â
Danielle blinked. âThat got you sent here?â
He nodded. âYeah. They flagged it as âgendered aggressionâ. Said it showed signs of toxic masculinity, lack of emotional regulation. Said I needed regression and behavioral unlearning.â
He paused. Then added, almost to himself, âI donât even blame them.â
Danielle furrowed her brow slightly.
âI mean it,â Corey said. âI crossed a line. Even if it was just once. I let myself become part of the problem, even if only for a second. Thatâs on me.â He gave a faint shrug. âI donât think Iâm dangerous. But that doesnât mean I didnât do something wrong.â
Danielle didnât respond right away. She wasnât sure what to say. For once, he wasnât whining. He wasnât deflecting. He was justâŚowning it.
She sat back on her heels, watching him. The quiet between them stretched. Not awkward, justâŚpalpable.
Finally, she said, âYouâre not the only one who ended up here for something stupid.â
Corey looked up, wiping under one eye. âYeah?â
She hesitated. Then nodded. âMy boyfriend was abusive. Controlling. Loud. You know the type.â
He didnât answer, just listened.
âI didnât report him,â she went on. âNot when I should have. Not even when it got physical. I kept making excuses. Told myself it would get better.â
A bitter smile flickered across her lips.
âThen one night, I keyed his car. Smashed a few windows. It felt good, for about ten seconds. Then the cops showed up.â
She shrugged. âThey gave me probation. Two hundred hours of community service for the vandalism⌠and another three hundred for failure to report improper male behavior.â
Corey blinked. âYou got more time for not turning him in?â
Danielle nodded. âWelcome to the Matriarchy.â
He didnât laugh. Neither did she.
âI donât regret keying his car,â she added. âI regret not saying something sooner. Maybe if I had, someone else wouldnât have had to.â
Corey was quiet again. Then, softly: âIâm sorry.â
âDonât be,â she muttered. âI made my choices.â She looked away, then back at him. âAnd now Iâm here. In pastel hell. Changing diapers and getting spit-up on.â
Corey shifted slightly, still holding Jeffy close. âCould be worse.â
Danielle raised an eyebrow.
He shrugged. âI mean⌠not by much. But still.â
That pulled the faintest exhale from her nose. Half-sigh, half-scoff.
She stood, brushing off her knees and stretching her arms overhead.
âYou gonna make it through the rest of my shift without crapping yourself again?â
He gave her a ghost of a smile. âIâll try.â
âTry harder,â Danielle said, reaching for the charting tablet. âIâm not getting another hour tacked on because of your squishy ass.â She barked, but her voice had softened, just slightly.
The time crept toward the end of her shift. Danielle checked the tablet, nap protocol began promptly at 3:00. She hated how official everything sounded. Like it was a job title instead of a punishment.
âAlright,â she said, rubbing at one temple. âCrib time.â
Corey didnât argue. He stood slowly, Jeffy tucked under one arm. At the side of the crib, he hesitated. âProtocol says I need my pacifier for naps.â
Danielle glanced toward the floor. The pacifier was there, just under the changing table where it mustâve rolled earlier. She crouched, picked it up with two fingers, and picked the lint off of it.
He looked at her, but didnât seem to mind, it had probably been in worse places. âAnd⌠Iâd really like to keep Jeffy. If thatâs okay.â
Danielle didnât answer right away. There was no mention of stuffed animals in the chart. No directive. No rule. Just a quiet, pathetic man clinging to the only soft thing in a room full of plastic and powder.
She rolled her eyes, then shrugged. âFine.â
Corey gave a small nod of thanks and climbed into the crib, curling onto his side. He stuck the pacifier in without a word and pulled the giraffe tight to his chest.
Danielle slid the tall side rail up until it locked with a sharp click. He looked smaller now. More fragile inside the unrelenting bars of his giant crib. She lingered longer than she meant to. This wasnât what sheâd expected. Not any of it.
She turned off the overhead light, leaving only the faint amber glow of the wall sconce. âSleep tight,â she murmured.
He didnât answer. But he didnât cry, either.
She heard a click as the door for the room unlocked. She stepped out. The door hissed shut behind her, the light on her ankle monitor blinked and beeped.Â
Danielle rubbed her eyes. Another shift down. She walked over to the terminal to scan her badge. 484 hours to go, she thought.Â
She started to log out, then paused. No. That wasnât right. Sheâd gotten five extra hours tacked on for refusing to change him.
Her lips tightened into a thin line, cursing herself.
Maybe next time⌠sheâd just do it.
Chapter 3 to this story just went live on my SubStar! So go join if you would like to read it!