Right. Enough of that.
“Caley, you cannot refuse to eat because you don’t want help to go to the bathroom. I cannot allow that.” He kept his tone kind but firm. He grasped hold of her chin raising her face. “Do you need me to take more control?”
“I don’t…I don’t know. I still feel kind of lost. Even though I can tell I’m going to like it here, I don’t know what to do. I can’t work. I can’t feed myself. I can’t dress myself. I can’t even go to the toilet on my own.”
“Then let Daddy take over. You need time to recover, to work through what happened. I know it will take more than a couple of days. But let me take the reins for these few days. Let me make the decisions. You can spend the entire time in Little space or just some of it. And you always have your safeword. You can use it anytime.”
“Yes, okay. It might be easier for me to accept help in Little mode.”
He rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “Would it be easier if I put you in diapers?”
She gaped up at him. “No! That wouldn’t be easier.”
He studied her. “Okay but know that not eating is no longer an option for you. Come on, go potty then I’ll get you in your nightie and into bed.”
Caley knew she was blushing as he helped her use the toilet. It wasn’t easy to accept that level of help. From anyone. Once he had her nightie and panties on, he lifted her up and carried her to bed.
“Right, rules, Little one. Hmm, I’m going to need a new whiteboard, rewards/punishment chart and some jars.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary, Daddy,” she said quickly.
“Oh, I think it is. We hadn’t even gotten to use your jars. But don’t worry, it’s all up there.” He tapped his forehead. “I’m sure that there’s some spare whiteboards at JSI I can use in the meantime.”
Awesome.
He set her down next to the bed then pulled the covers back. The bedspread was a plain gray, but the bed itself was soft and lush.
He put some pillows behind her back. And she rested back. “I’ll go get you a bottle in a moment.”
“You have a bottle here?”
“Kent grabbed me some supplies. He also got that nutrition shake you like. You need it more now than ever.” He looked at her hair. “I need to brush out your hair. I think I saw a hairbrush in your pile of presents.”
He returned quickly with a wooden hairbrush. The back of it was very flat and shiny. She scooted forward so he could sit behind her and brush the tangles from her hair.
“Now, your rules are all the same as before. Except, since you’ll be in Little space and you need extra help, there’s no getting dressed by yourself, no going to the toilet on your own and no getting up on your own. Understand? I’ve ordered a camera monitor to help with nap times and if you sleep in so I’ll know when you wake up. I know it’s hard to let me help you with more intimate things like going to the bathroom, but if I’m not worried by it you shouldn’t be either.”
She guessed it made sense. She still knew she wasn’t going to like it. There was a small pull on her hair, and she realized he was braiding it.
“And your big-girl rules from before still apply,” he told her, slipping out from behind her. “Let m
e get your bottle.”
She snuggled into him as he fed her the bottle, her eyes getting droopy. Her lack of sleep over these past few days was catching up to her. She felt him tuck her in, Bumbly and her snuggly next to her. She was so glad that Kent had found them.
Something rubbery was pressed to her lips and she instinctively opened them, freezing at the feel of what could only be a pacifier was pressed into her mouth. She didn’t know how she felt about that, but she was willing to give it a go.
She realized now how much she missed their nighttime routine. She lay down and he massaged her scalp until she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Fire. Heat. Smoke.
She opened her mouth and screamed for help.
But nothing came out. No one could hear her. No one was there.
Issy! Archer!