For a few moments after Dr. Thomas left I just stood there, amazed at just how large everything in the room looked. I couldn't even see over the hospital bed I'd just been helped out of. The most surreal thing though was that it all seemed normal and not disorienting.
I looked up at the clock and scowled. "Thtupid Bwad can't wead a cwock," I muttered to myself, only to cringe as I realised that I sounded exactly like a petulant child. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror on the way to the chair that held my clothes I noticed I looked exactly like a petulant child too. I sighed and did my best to take the scowl off my face. It was too late now to change anything after all; no sense being a brat about it.
I reached behind my neck to untie the gown and pulled on the loose end of the string. Unfortunately, the loose end had gone through the loop of the bow and all I managed to do by pulling on it was create a very solid square knot. Before I'd have probably been able to manage getting the knot untied, but the more I tried the more I realised that Brad just wasn't that dexterous yet. Embarrassed, I padded over to the door and knocked on it. I waited for what seemed like a few minutes and then knocked again, harder. This time Dr. Thomas actually seemed to hear me and he opened the door.
"Brad, I thought you were getting dressed." He was using the same gentle by slightly impatient tone I'd heard my parents use whenever Brad got distracted from a task they wanted him to do. It didn't help my embarrassment level.
"Da wobe is thtuck."
"Oh... I should have expected something like that. Let me go get Gloria and she can help you."
"Why I hafta wait fow Gwowia?"
"Because it wouldn't be appropriate for a grown man like me to help a little boy out of his clothes Brad. You wait here, OK?"
"Ohhh..." I nodded, wondering why I hadn't been able to come up with that answer on my own.
I didn't have to wait very long at all before Gloria came in through the door, closing it behind her.
"Is your robe being mean?" Gloria was using the same sort of mock concern that most grown-ups used when they were being nice to little kids, but for some reason it felt kind of comforting. The robe was being mean after all.
"Uh-huh. Ith thtuck."
Gloria knelt down behind me and worked at the knot. Soon, I felt it come loose.
"Let me just get the other knot for you too." Gloria un-fastened the knot at the gown's waist level too before I had a chance to realise she was doing it simply to avoid the chance that I'd get that one tangled too.
"Thank you Gwowia."
"Aww, you're welcome Brad. Do you want me to stay here with you in case you need any more help?”
"I can dwess mysewf!"
"Well ok then sweetie, I’ll just be outside the door then. When you're done I’ll take you out to your mommy.”
"Oh, dat's OK."
It was time to face the reality of my new body. I looked at myself in the mirror. I had seen mom bathe Brad before but I was never got this close to his naked little body. I looked at my penis, if you could even call it that now. I guess all it was good for now was peeing. Damn, I just remember Brad wets the bed, this little thing was sure wasn’t gonna let me ignore it.
“At weast i’ms still a boy.” I said out loud. Still, the small frame and baby face was annoying. Looking of Brad’s ears made me realize how big they were compared to the rest of him. I was just hoping he’d- I - would grow into them eventually.
Thankfully, Brad had been dressing himself for the last year or so and my underwear, shirt, and shorts went on easily. Although I really would have preferred it if he hadn't chosen Pokémon underwear that morning, but at least no-one would see them under the shorts. I paused for a moment to look at myself in the mirror, still amazed at how natural it felt to be in Brad’s body, and then slipped on his shoes.
"Aww weady."
And with that, Gloria entered the room and took my hand. We walked out to the lobby where my mother and Brad were waiting.