The sudden fall startled little Tanner, who hadn't realized how uncoordinated he was now that he was in the body of a one-year-old baby.
Tears squeezed out of his eyes. He felt his emotions swirl. He looked up at Derrick, who had walked over. The fact his eight-year-old brother towered over him pushed Tanner over the edge. He started bawling.
"Don't cry," Derrick said, picking up his baby brother. "Tanner, please, stop crying."
Tanner actually tried to stop, but his emotions seemed to have a life of their own. He was still gulping down his emotions when the brothers heard a knock at the door.
Tanner tried to speak again, but his words came out as babble. He tried to concentrate, but that became impossible when the door opened and his girlfriend entered. Tanner wondered what had brought Ashley to the house.
"Hi Derrick," Ashley said. "We heard little Tanner crying. Is he OK? Does he need changing or something?"
Tanner listened. What did she mean with we?
That became clear when Derrick's best friend, Travis, walked into the house and immediately gave Ashley a hug. "What was all the commotion?" Travis asked.
Tanner struggled to gain control over his emotions, but seeing his best friend hugging his girlfriend wasn't helping.
"Give him to me," Ashley said, bringing about a transfer of Tanner from his brother's hands to her own.
Tanner blushed. He was naked except for the diaper and being held in the arms of his girlfriend who, for some reason, was with Travis.
"He's dry," she remarked after a quick check of the diaper.
Travis reached down and made a show of pinching Tanner's nose. "Look! I have your nose!"
Ashley frowned. "Stop that, Trav. You'll cause him to start crying again."
"Ashwee?" Tanner mumbled.
"Oh, that's cute. He said my name!"
Tanner felt mortified. Of course, he knew her name. They'd been a couple for the last six months.
"Maybe I have competition," Travis said.
Competition? Were they really together? Tanner's thoughts raced. Then, he realized the truth. The Chronivac had altered reality and now Ashley was there, not as his girlfriend, but as a babysitter for him and Derrick. And, for some reason, Travis was now her boyfriend.
"He could be hungry," Ashley said.
Derrick took some glee in pointing out the baby formula in the mini-fridge.
"That's convenient," she said as she turned and handed Tanner to Travis. "You keep him while I get a bottle ready."
Travis held the baby boy as if holding a sack of flour. "You're the babysitter," he complained.
She frowned. "Just keep him entertained."
Tanner decided to put an end to this. "Travis, it's me," he tried to say, but the babbled words sounded more like "Tav Ba Ga."
Travis looked uncomfortable, but he sat on the couch and balanced Tanner in his lap. "Just hurry, in case he has an accident," Travis said.
"He likes raspberries," Derrick said.
Tanner looked horrified at his little brother's betrayal.
Travis leaned down and blew a raspberry on the baby's tummy. Despite his intentions, Tanner found himself squealing in delight.
Travis chuckled. "He does like that," he said, repeating the process.
Every time Tanner came close to collecting his thoughts and concentrating, another raspberry sent him into peals of laughter.