Raised Again (Chapter 6)

I didn’t remember falling asleep…I didn’t even remember the movie ending. But the next thing I knew, I was stirring on the couch in the den. Rachel was laying next to me and stroking my head. Her eyes were closed, but I could tell she was awake. Jeonglin was sitting on the armchair, reading a textbook, likely for school. I rolled slightly and tried to see what was going on, or at least figure out what time it was. Judging by the light outside, I could tell that it was past noon. The sun’s hue had gotten a bit darker.
“How long was I out?” I squirmed and Rachel noticed, opening her eyes and smiling at me sweetly.
“Good evening, baby.” She whispered.
“Wow…I was out a while, huh?”
“Sorry, the movie is over…you fell asleep halfway through. You were pretty tired after your tantrum earlier.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.” Before anything else could be said, the door opened and shut. In ran an excited and smiling Minseong. He ran to see Rachel and Jeonglin, grinning broadly.

“Hello, Rachel! Hello Jeonglin!” He then turned and saw me. “And hello baby James!”
“Just say James, please…I don’t need to be reminded that I’m a baby.”
“Hey, Minseong! How was your day?” Rachel asked. Minseong dropped his bag and plopped down on the chair next to Rachel. He reached over and pat my head playfully, making me grunt a little. He was being gentle…but he didn’t really know his own strength yet, and it hurt a little.
“It was very tiring! I’ve got some homework tonight and I really don’t want to do it.”
“Gosh, I remember those days…maybe it’s a good thing I became too young to go to school…WHAT AM I THINKING!?” I shook my head in frustration.
“Well, you have to do that, because we’re planning on eating out tonight!” Rachel announced.
“We are?!” Minseong asked in shock.
“We are?!”
“We are…well…not yet anyway. I’m going to ask mom and dad if we can.” Rachel admitted. “I think it would be a good idea, since we don’t have a lot of supper food around the house.”
“And what are you going to do with me!?” Rachel ignored my squirming and lifted me up, setting me in her lap. I simply glanced up at her, to see if she would say anything else on the matter. She did not. Rather, she began to talk with Jeonglin and Minseong about their days and about what was going to happen later. I shifted and squirmed in Rachel’s arms trying to sit up. Soon, the conversation stopped and it turned to me.
“So what did you do with James today?” Minseong asked.
“Oh well we watched a movie.”
“I fell asleep halfway through it.”
“He wet his diaper”
“Not by choice.”
“And so I had to give him a bath.”
“In a sink, of all places.”
“Then we came back in here and poor James just couldn’t stay awake. He fell asleep almost as soon as we sat down.”
“All in the same day. Amazing isn’t it?” Minseong smiled and leaned over and pinched my cheek.
“Hahaha, well babies need their sleep.”
“Unhand me at once!!” He didn’t…I snapped and bit his finger, holding on. Minseong let out a yelp of surprise, but not a lot of pain…I didn’t have enough jaw strength to hurt him.
“Hahaha! I guess that James didn’t like that.”
“No one would.” I grumbled.
“Oh, sorry, James.” Minseong said quickly. I rolled my eyes and shrugged my shoulders slightly. “Here,” Minseong reached down and picked up something from the floor. He pulled up a small circular object that was red in color. As he lifted it, it made a shaking noise like a rattle. It was a baby toy. I just glared at it.
“Is this your idea of a peace offering?”
“You like it?” Minseong began shaking it back and forth, making the rattle beads inside shake and make noise…and I found myself entranced by the sound. What was wrong with me? This sound shouldn’t appeal to me…unless I was a baby! Babies love this kind of stuff, so did that mean that my baby body was responding to the rattle? Before I knew what I was doing, my arms were reaching out to the rattle, playfully. My throat was making babyish whining noises and my little fingers were opening and closing. Minseong tucked the rattle in my fingers and I took it, waving my arm up and down, making the toy rattle once again.
“Hahaha, I think that he likes it!” Jeonglin noted.
“This is ridiculous.” I groaned. But despite my displeasure, I couldn’t help but lay back and admire the toy in my hands. I began to shake it, and stare at it. Rachel and the others giggled at me, but I couldn’t control myself….I was locked in my own reflex. “Someone stop me, dammit!”

Suddenly another sound was heard. Everyone turned to see Rachel’s father walk into the room. He looked around at the scene and shook his head tiredly. He walked to his room to go set down his stuff, I assume, and then came back out to join us in the den. He sat down across from Rachel without saying a word and looked at her.
“So…what’s going on here?”
“You gotta save me!” I screamed mentally.
“We’re just playing with James.” Rachel laughed. Rachel’s father looked at me and I looked at him. Thankfully he must of recognized the desperation in my eyes, because he reached over and plucked the toy from my hand.
“Thank the Lord!!”
“I’m not sure James was enjoying that game too much.” He pointed out. “Has there been any trouble?”
“No not really. Just taking care of James and hanging around the house.” Jeonglin answered. Minseong gave Rachel a nudge and smiled real big. Rachel nodded back and turned to her father.
“Dad, we were thinking about going out to eat tonight…at a steakhouse or something?” Rachel asked. Her father raised and eyebrow and smiled.
“And why would you want to do that? It wouldn’t have anything to do with James, would it?”
“Yeah…it wouldn’t, would it!?” I growled. Rachel shrugged.
“Maybe…maybe not.”
“You’re a jerk, Rachel.”
“Well, we might be able to arrange that. We’ll have to wait for your mother to get home so we can tell her the plan too.” He said. I groaned and turned my head to rest against Rachel’s chest.
“What’s the matter James?”
“Maybe he’s hungry?” Jeonglin offered. I shook my head.
“Oh, maybe he’s still just tired?” Rachel asked.
“Oh yeah…that must be it.” I hissed sarcastically. Rachel’s dad looked down at me and then frowned.
“That’s a different diaper from earlier today…did you change him?”
“Yeah, he wet himself and I gave him a bath and changed him.” Rachel answered.
“Don’t remind me.”
“I didn’t see any baby powder or anything out.” He said accusingly.
“But…I just washed him, wasn’t that enough?” Rachel asked.
“No, you need to powder the babies butt when changing a diaper.”
“HE’S LYING! Don’t do it, Rachel!!!” I screamed in terror. I could deal with being changed…but having Rachel pat powder on my butt?! No…just NO!
“Oh, I didn’t know that.” Rachel replied.
“Yes, especially after a bath, because he could get a rash. I’ll get the powder, You go ahead and get him out of the diaper before it rubs anymore.” He stood up and walked out of the room as Rachel picked me up and carried me to the kitchen. She sat me down on the table and quickly took my diapers off of my body, exposing me once again. I flushed and looked away again.

“Sorry, James…you know I don’t mean to embarrass you like this.”
“Maybe not, but you sure do enjoy it.”
“Tell ya what, I’ll make it up to you tomorrow! I have an idea!”
“You don’t need to make it up to me…I just want you to treat me like your friend again, not your baby.” Rachel picked up my little naked body and cupped my butt in the palm of her hand, resting my head just under her chin and holding me to her chest.
“Your butt is so small, it fits in my hand! I can’t get over how tiny you are.” Rachel cried. I shivered furiously and felt the tears well up and my body began to convulse into a crying fit. It was too much. I was so tired of the pampering, the babying, and the mistreatment! I started to sniffle and wail in Rachel’s hands.

“Oh no, shhhh, it’s okay James. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Just stop it, Rachel! Please just stop it!” I whimpered, crying and sobbing into her chest. “I’m so sick of being a baby! I thought I could handle it…I thought I could put up with it…but this is so unfair! You’re not even treating me like a person anymore, just a plaything! Turn me back! Turn me back, PLEASE!” For the first time, it felt like Rachel was actually listening to me. I knew that she couldn’t understand me…but it finally felt like she was paying attention to me in a serious and down to earth manner. She was listening at last.
“James…I wish I could take all this back.” I saw tears start to appear in her eyes and she held me close, rubbing my back and sobbing over my head. “I was having fun at first…but…you’ve been hurting, haven’t you?” I didn’t even have the strength to think up a response. I merely nodded my head into her chest and shook violently, the palms of my hand pushed against her shoulders.

“Rachel?” Rachel turned to look and saw her mother standing in the kitchen doorway, with a bottle of baby powder in her hand. “Your dad told me you needed this…are you okay?”
“Mom…it’s James.” She said.
“What’s happened?” She asked, rushing over to see me. I clutched Rachel’s shirt and didn’t look in her direction.
“He’s really upset, Mom…I think he’s fed up with what’s happened to him.” Rachel whispered. Rachel’s mom sighed and wrapped her arm around Rachel.
“One of the hardest parts of being a mother is watching your baby cry because a baby can’t tell you why they’re crying. But sometimes…they aren’t crying because they want or need something…but because they just need to let out some frustration.” She said kindly.
“So what do I do?” Rachel asked.
“Just be patient. Let him let it out.” Rachel’s mom answered gently. I was no longer wailing or crying, but my body was still shaking, and I would occasionally hiccup and whimper. Rachel rubbed my back and cradled my head, using her other hand to cradle my tiny butt and hold me up to her chest. She rocked me and bounced me, making sure that I was comfortable.

“Rachel, why don’t you wait in here with James and powder him when he’s calmed down. I’m going to go and talk to the family about going to that steakhouse tonight.” She winked and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Rachel and I together.
“Rachel, I think I’m okay now.” I sniffled. Rachel held me a little longer though, softly kissing the top of my head. After a few moments she pulled me away from her and held me in front of her.
“James…we’re going to get through this.” Rachel assured me. “Just hold out for a  month…just a little longer.” She set me down on the table ontop of my open diaper.
“I’ll try Rachel…I don’t have much choice.” Rachel took the powder and popped it against her hand, putting a good later of it on her fingers. She then lifted my legs and patted it onto my bare butt. I grimaced and blushed in embarrassment. She then took the diaper and wrapped it around me. This time, the cool powder gave me a different sensation and I sighed as I sat up. Rachel picked me up and held me close to her, walking me to the den.

“Rachel! When you’re done, we’ll head to the steakhouse!” Rachel’s dad called.
“Coming dad!” Rachel responded. She then gazed down at me. “So James…ready to go?”
“I take my steak medium rare.”