Chapter 10: Dave

It was shortly after lunch and I decided that I could use a break. I pulled on a pair of shoes, and checked out the door to see if that monster was around. I could hear it, but it didn’t seem to be nearby. I locked my door as I went to check to my mail, I never got much and the box was usually empty. I walked briskly over to the mailboxes, the less time where the dog could get at me, the better.

Checking for mail, I found the box empty as usual, I heard a voice. “Hey, little girl give us your money.”

I didn’t respond, after all I wasn’t a little girl, but I hadn’t seen any one else around. I turned to look and see who was coming up. There were three boys, well young men, that were coming towards me. The biggest said, “I said little girl give us your money.”

“If you’re talking to me, I don’t have any,” I answered, not that I would have given them any anyway.

They were very close now, and I could see that the leader of the three was probably eight to ten inches taller than me, and sixty to seventy pounds heavier. I got a little nervous, but they shouldn’t be stupid enough to try anything with an adult. “Yeah, we’re talking to you, and if you don’t have any money go steal some from your mom to give to us.”

“Steal some from my mother?” I started laughing.

“Yeah, and what’s so funny?” The biggest asked as he shoved me into the mailboxes.

Before I could answer a second one shoved me, then a third and everything went dark…

“Where... am... I?” I asked.

I heard a voice, “You’re at the hospital. Do you remember what happened?” It was kind of familiar. “Ummm. There were some kids. They wanted some money. I told them I didn’t have any. They said to steal it from my mother. I think I laughed at that point. They started pushing me around then, but I don’t remember anything after that.”

“Okay Dave, we’re going to take you up to a room now, and put you to bed. I’ll be up in few minutes.” That voice still seemed familiar, and I slowly looked over, it was Mrs. Peterson I think.

“All right, thanks Mrs. Peterson.” Several people lifted me and moved me from one bed to another; that sent pain through my head. I realized that they were going to wheel me to another room, so I closed my eyes and held as still as possible. They must have been careful, because there was very little jarring during the move. Another transfer to a different bed, and a whispered apology, and the move was over.

Someone said, “We’re going to finish undressing you now, and we’ll try to be as careful as possible.”

“Okay,” I answered and relaxed to let them do their job.

When they got my underwear off one of them exclaimed, “It is a boy!” I didn’t move or say anything to that. Moving was too painful, and a comment seemed unneeded.

A woman’s voice called out, “I’ll take over from here.” I cracked my eyelids open, and saw the orderlies leave, as Mrs. Peterson and some sort of Cop walk in.

Mrs. Peterson said to the cop, “There’s his clothes, take what you want, but leave his keys.” A moment later she continued “There are gloves in the dispenser by the door.”

“I’ve got to go now. I’ll talk to you later.” The Cop said and I heard the door open and close.

“Dave are you awake?”

I looked up at her and whispered, “Yes, why did he take my clothes?”

“He’s a Policeman, he wanted them for evidence. The doctor said you’re not to move much. So, I’m going to put a diaper on you okay?” She was looking down at me, and now another woman is going to put me in diapers. I suppose that I didn’t look real happy because she continued, “Don’t worry we do that all of the time here. No one is going to say anything about it.”

She diapered me and then covered me with the sheet and blanket and made sure I was comfortable. She asked me a few questions about how I felt until a doctor came in and explained to me what happened in medical terms I didn’t understand. I lay there and listened to him, hoping someone would tell me in English what he meant.

When the doctor finished, he and Mrs. Peterson stepped outside for a few minutes. Mrs. Peterson came back in and pulled a chair up next to the bed. “Dave, I know that right now you’re in a bit of pain, but the doctor wants to hold off giving you anything for it for about an hour. That way we can be sure that you aren’t going to go unconscious again. The stronger pain killers can do that. If the pain gets too bad, let me know and I’ll call for the doctor.”

“Okay, it hurts, but as long as I don’t move it isn’t too bad. How come you’re here?”

“Well, I work in the hospital. I’m normally a nurse down in the E.R., but since the doctor wants someone to watch you for a while, I got the job.”

“Huh?”

“I’m here to make sure that you don’t slip into a coma. It’s not really likely, and normally we wouldn’t have someone doing this, but since the E.R. is a bit overstaffed because the students are on summer break. I can work on my paperwork here and talk to you.”

“That makes sense, I guess. So what happened to me, I heard the doctor, but I didn't really understand all those medical words he used?”

“I haven’t seen the videotape…”

“What videotape?” I interjected, surprised there was a tape of it.

“Sarah has a security camera over the mailboxes. It caught your entire attack on tape, or so I was told. The three boys shoved you into the mailboxes.”

“I sorta remember that,” I added.

“Well, once you busted open your head, you fell to the ground and they started to kick you. Then Thor ran up and chased them away. At least that was what Steve said.”

I started to sit up, but the pain stopped me, “Who’s Steve? And he said what about that dog?”

“Steve is the police officer that came and got your clothes. I guess he saw the tape. He said that Thor came barking and growling and chased away those boys. The he lay down next to you guarding you until Sarah and I got there. I know he was watching over you until I got there, and he only moved enough for me to try to help you.”

“Are you sure he wasn’t trying to eat me?”

She laughed at that, “I’m sure Dave; he wasn’t trying to eat you.”

We continued talking for a while, Mrs. Peterson kept asking me questions; about my job, how I liked living out there, where I’d gone to school, and all sorts of things. It took a while, but I finally realized she was probably checking my memory. She wouldn’t have known the right answers, but she could tell if I was struggling to remember stuff.

Finally she asked me a question that surprised me, “Dave, when did you first meet me?”

I answered quickly, “A couple of weeks ago at Sarah’s.” Then I paused and remembered that ‘I’ hadn’t met her. ‘Sissy’ met her. I started to cry.

“Dave, it’s okay. I knew already. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I figured I should.”

“Sarah told you, didn’t she,” I accused.

“Not really. That first day after I walked in on you, I saw ‘Sissy’ go into your trailer. I was puzzled, since I hadn’t seen a girl there only you. I went back over to talk to Sarah about it and she told me what had happened.”

“Yeah, I bet you two had a big laugh. I bet Sarah having big laugh right now over last weekend.”

“Dave, listen to me, we didn’t laugh. Sarah felt horrible. She said that she didn’t want to embarrass you, and she tried to stop you from leaving with your hair still done up.”

“Sure she did. Why don’t you just leave me, I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not leaving until the doctor tells me I can. Besides, if Sarah wanted to embarrass you she wouldn’t have told me to stay away over the weekend and to keep Ashley away. She also told Bob to keep Thor away.

Sarah likes you Dave. I like you. Bob likes you. Thor likes you. None of us wants to hurt you. What can I do to prove it to you?”

“I don’t know, but Sarah told me she wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“Well you spent all weekend with Sarah, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And you were dressed as Sissy, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Did Sarah do anything to embarrass you? Did she yell ‘Hey look at this man dressed like a little girl.’ or anything else? Did she change your diaper in public? Did she run off and leave you to wander around by yourself?”

“No, but she shouldn’t have told anyone.”

“Dave, she didn’t tell me, I figured it out on my own. I haven’t told anyone. I admit if you continue with what you did, I’ll probably have to tell my husband and Ashley though.”

“Why will you have to tell them?”

“So they don’t embarrass you. Sarah has been watching Ashley for years when Joe and my schedules don’t quite overlap. So eventually she’ll surprise you. I’ll have to tell Joe, just to warn him. He isn’t ummm, so stuck in his ways that he’ll go off on you, but if he isn’t warned his initial reaction could be bad.”

“Sure, so they won’t embarrass me. Sarah is probably making signs right now, ‘Come look at the grown man that wears diapers and dresses like a little girl.’ She got me to get my ears pierced and my hair done in a French braid. She’s probably making plans right now about what she wants to do next.”

“Dave no one is going to make you dress like ‘Sissy’ or wear a diaper, well once you get out of the hospital anyway. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

I was almost in tears again, “But Mrs. Peterson, no one ever treated me that way before.”

“Well, I would hope not.”

Sobbing I cried, “No, not that. No one ever hugged me, or wiped away my tears, nothing like that.”

“What?!” She almost yelled. “What do you mean no one ever hugged you, what about your parents?”

“All my father ever did was hit me and yell at me and my mother was drunk all of the time.”

She leaned over and hugged me and wiped away my tears. “Dave, I promise that none of us will ever do anything to intentionally hurt you. And if anyone does hurt you, you tell me and I’ll, ummm, I’ll… I’ll sic Thor on them. That’s what I’ll do.”

I was still crying a bit and trying to laugh at what she said. She kept holding me and wiping away my tears. I’m not sure how long we were that way, but that’s the way the doctor found us.

“Ummm, Nurse, I know that we want you to comfort the patients, but isn’t this a little excessive,” the doctor said after a moment.

“You just be quiet Doctor. Dave and I had a long talk and that was what he needed to help heal some old wounds.”

“Hmmm, if you say so. But I am more concerned about his new wounds. How is he doing?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to slip into a coma, but I think he has one hell of a headache right now.”

The doctor examined me, looking at my eyes mostly and asking to follow his pen as he moved it around. “That’s very good. Nurse Peterson is right, as usual, I have some pain killers here to give you. They are very strong and you’ll probably fall asleep, that’s good for you. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to steal Judy away from you though. So here take these and I’ll have Judy introduce you to the duty Nurse here.”

I took the pills, and the two of them walked out of the room. Judy returned a moment later with another nurse. “This is Nurse Phillips. She’s on duty here, if you need anything just press the call button and she’ll come quick.”

Nurse Phillips looked down at me, “Aren’t you just a little sweetheart.”

Before I could formulate an answer, the painkillers were strong, Judy cut in, “Dave is twenty one years old.”

“Oops, sorry Dave, I’ll try to remember that,” Nurse Phillips said.

“That’s okay, I get it all the time. I think I’ll just lay here and rest for a while.”

I heard the two of them talking quietly as they left, and that’s all I remember until someone accidentally woke me up.

“Ummm, who’s there?”

“Shhh. It’s Nurse Phillips. I’m just checking your diaper.” She looked at me and saw the look on my face. “Don’t worry, I do this all of the time.”

I closed my eyes, and then realized that she was now changing my diaper. I hadn’t remembered wetting it. Did I wet it while I was asleep? I felt tears building in my eyes.

Nurse Phillips must have looked at my face again, “Dave, it’s okay. The medicine the doctor gave you has a slight muscle relaxant in it. So that, along with the deep sleep you were in, caused you to wet. When you’re off the medicine, or earlier you will be back to normal.”

There was a slight pause then I felt her give me a little hug. I went back to sleep.

Someone, a different nurse, woke me later and served me dinner, after dinner, she gave me some more pills and changed another wet diaper.

The next time I woke, it wasn’t because I was being changed or to take more pills, I had a desperate need to get to a toilet. I pushed the call button for a nurse and hoped she would get here soon. Just as the door opened, I lost my battle. The nurse came in asked, “What can I get for you honey?”

I couldn’t answer her, I was just sobbing. She hesitated then leaned over, “Oh, is that the problem, I’ll fix that right away.”

She left for a moment, and then came back in carrying a diaper and some towels. “Are you finished?”

I whispered back between sobs, “I think so.”

“Hmmm, I think I’ll wait a few minutes to make sure. I know it feels bad right?” I nodded slightly and she continued. “Nurse Philips told you about the muscle relaxant. That’s what happened. There isn’t anything you could have done to stop it, and I won’t tell anyone.” She reached across me and gave me a little hug.

“You know,” she continued, “this sort of thing happens all of the time here. There is a construction worker down the hall with two broken ankles, he’s been in diapers for a week. I think he plans on using them at home too. Can you imagine that a big six foot tall man wearing diapers by his own choice?”

I smiled and laughed a little at that. She grabbed a tissue and wiped my eyes and nose. Then she changed my dirty diaper. She looked at me, “How come you’re not down in the pediatric ward?”

“I’m twenty one, not a little kid.”

She looked at my chart, “There sure are a lot of changes on this. Let’s you were admitted as an eleven or twelve year old GIRL!? What?” She looked up at me, “Oh, you were unconscious at the time, but... well I guess you do look a bit like a young girl. Then they changed it to male and twenty one. I can see that you look young, but why a girl?”

“When I got here, I had earrings in, and my hair was in a French Braid.”

“Okay, but why were you wearing earrings and have your hair braided?” She looked at me, but I just didn’t say anything. “Okay, your secret, but you know you’re lucky they found the mistake. The pediatric ward has rules, anyone in a diaper has to sleep in a crib, they have some big enough for you too. Although you may not have needed a bigger one. And I saw that you are on a liquid diet, guess what that means to anyone in a crib down there? Yep, baby bottles.”

My eyes got wide at that. She gave me another little hug, “Here, it’s a little early for your medicine, but I don’t think I should wake you back up in a half hour just to give you two pills.” I swallowed the pills along with some water. “You go back to sleep now.”

I was woken up again in the morning, by another nurse changing yet another wet diaper. I know I’ve been drinking a lot, every nurse had me drink some water or juice, but these diaper changes seemed a bit excessive. “Good morning.”

She jumped, “Good morning, I didn’t know you were awake.”

“You woke me up.”

“I’m sorry, how are you feeling?”

“Better, I think. My head doesn’t hurt as much, but that might be the pills.”

“That’s good, I’ll have someone bring you some breakfast, and the doctor should be here about nine.”

I ate breakfast, the less said about that the better, and saw the doctor. He examined me and told me that they would keep me here at least one more night, and that he was changing my pain medication to one that was not as strong.

I spent the day alternately reading, sleeping, and watching a little TV. It probably would have been easier to do any of the three if every female nurse, and a couple of the male ones, didn’t stop by continuously. They all seemed to want to check my diaper too. The young ones were bad enough, but there was one, she was ancient I think she served in the army under Washington. She treated me like a two year old. I wanted to scream.

Judy showed up just after lunch to talk to me. She gave me Sarah’s phone number and told me that Sarah had said to call her and she would come get me and take me home. We had been talking for a few minutes when a nurse walked in. Judy looked at her, “Did you need Dave for something?”

She hesitated and seemed kind of flustered, “Umm, no. I was just going to check to see if he needed his diaper changed.” Her voice trailed off.

Judy looked at me, “Dave do you need a change.”

“No. I don’t”

Judy looked back at the other nurse, “Nope he doesn’t need one, anything else?”

“Ummm. No, I guess I’ll just leave now,” and she quickly fled the room.

“What was that all about?” Judy asked me.

“Judy, they’ve been coming in every fifteen minutes or so to check my diaper. I swear every female nurse, and half the male ones, in this hospital has checked my diaper today. That really old one was the worst. She brought me some apple juice, and made me ‘Drink it all down.’ I think she would have brought it in a bottle if she could have. I’m positive she wanted to burp me.”

“Come on you’re exaggerating.”

“Just wait a few minutes.” We continued talking, she was telling me about her family then, when another nurse different from the first walked in.

Judy looked over at her, “Can I help you?”

“Ummm, I was just, er, going to, er, check to see if Dave, er, needed a clean diaper,” she was flushing at this point.

Judy looked back at me. “Nope” I said before she could ask.

Judy got up from her chair, “Dave, I’ll be right back. You,” she said to the other nurse, “come with me.”

They walked out the door, with the other nurse was hanging her head. I wondered what was going to happen.

A couple of minutes later Judy and a half dozen nurses I’d seen earlier in the day came into the room. One of them spoke up, “Dave, we’re sorry for bothering you all day. We don’t have any excuse. If you need your dia... ah, a change, please call us and someone will come and change you.”

They all walked out and Judy said to me, “I can’t do anything about Nurse Cratchet, she has more seniority here than anyone. I think maybe she was hired when they built the hospital.”

“Oh, I thought she had served with Washington at Valley Forge.”

Judy laughed at that, and we continued talking until Judy had to go to work. The last thing she told me then was, “If anyone comes in to just check your diaper, hit the call button. I explained what was going on to the Duty Nurse, she can’t see your door, and she’ll come and reprimand the person. Hopefully those six that were here will spread the word. I’ve got to go now.”

She hugged me and left. No more nurses came by to check my diaper, although I did have one come and change it. That night though, I was disturbed a couple of times by nurses checking me. I guess they were trying not to wake me.

The next morning, I saw the doctor again. He examined me again, the same way he had before. “Well, Dave, you’re going to be fine. I want to discharge you today, but first I have a couple of questions for you.”

“Okay, what are they.”

“Do you have someone that can give you a ride home?” I nodded. “Good, do you have someone that can keep an eye out for you?”

“Nurse Peterson lives right nearby, and I’m sure that my landlady will too.”

“Even better. Now you’re going to have some dizziness from time to time, and probably a headache for a while. I don’t want you to strain yourself, and to take it easy, no heavy lifting, no running or jumping etc. Just relax for few more days and keep from jarring your head.”

“Okay, doctor. I won’t do any of that.”

“Good, now you call for your ride, I’ll go start the paperwork to discharge you. And a nurse will come by in a few minutes to help you get ready to leave.”

I called Sarah, and she said she’d be here in a little while. A nurse came by a couple minutes later and took off my diaper. She walked over to the dresser and opened the drawers, “Where are your clothes?”

I thought for a minute. “I think some cop took them. They were evidence or something.”

“Does your ride know to bring you clothes?”

“I don’t think so, let me call her.” I called Sarah back but there was no answer. “She must have left already. Now what am I going to do.”

The Nurse looked at me, “First let’s get a clean diaper. We can’t have you running around naked. Then I’ll see what I can find.”

She diapered me and disappeared. When she returned Sarah was with her. “We have a solution, it’s not great but it should work.”

She pulled out a hospital gown, “I’ve cut the ties off and tied them together. The gown should be big enough to wrap all the way around you, and the ties will hold it closed.”

Once I was dressed in it, I guess it looked okay. It didn’t look like a dress and it covered the diaper I was wearing. Sarah grabbed my stuff, and I sat in the obligatory wheelchair.