Before Laura can do anything, the police officer picks her up and carries her to the building next door. Laura’s heart sinks as she realizes that the building is a daycare. The officer carries her inside and sets her down on the front desk. The daycare worker sitting there looks up.
“Oh, hey, Officer Romeo,” the daycare worker says cheerfully.
“I’m here to drop off another abandoned toddler.”
“Wow, twice in one day. That’s not very often.” The daycare worker’s face sobers. “Though, that’s a good thing. We don’t like abandoned children, after all.”
“Yes, well, do your job. Take care of him until we find out more information about him.” The daycare worker nods.
“I’ll get the paperwork started. Should I plan to have him staying overnight like Mason?”
“Probably. He hasn’t even told us his name.”
“Got it.” The daycare worker picks up Laura. “Wow, you’re a big boy!” She squeezes Laura’s diaper. “A wet big boy! Let’s get you changed.” The daycare worker takes Laura down a hall and into a room filled with toddlers ranging from two to four. Laura looks around curiously. She’d heard that one of the daycares made an arrangement with the police to look after abandoned children, but she didn’t realize it was this one.
Her contemplative thoughts vanish as she is laid on her back on a changing table and stripped down. She blushes at being naked in front of someone.
“Oh, you’re a tomboy!” the daycare worker comments. “Hmm, unfortunately, sweetie, you got your onesie wet, and we don’t have any boy clothes in your size. You’ll have to wear something more girly.” Laura sucks on the pacifier in response. Just then, she feels pressure growing in her bowels. She spits out her pacifier.
“Gotta poopoo,” she says urgently. The daycare worker’s eyes widen. She picks Laura up, still nude, and carries her into a bathroom within the room, setting her on a toddler training potty. Laura begins to empty her bowels, blushing at the humiliation of using a toddler’s potty in front of an adult, while nude.
“What a big girl!” the daycare worker compliments her. “Normally, I’d say you don’t need diapers, you can get by with training pants. But since you leaked through your diaper with just pee, you’ll still have to wear them. Training pants can’t hold that much peepee.” Laura merely grunts loudly, continuing to push.
Once Laura finishes with a sigh, the daycare worker wipes her and brings her back over to the changing table, where a fresh diaper is taped on her. The daycare worker then walks away to get Laura some clothes. When she returns, Laura is filled with dread at the clothes. It consists of a yellow diaper cover, a sundress patterned with sunflowers, tights, ballet flats, and hair ties. The daycare worker dresses her and puts her hair into pigtails.
“There! What a cute little girl!” the daycare worker says cheerfully. She picks Laura up and brings her over to a boy sitting in a corner. “Mason, why don’t you play with this sweet girl? She got picked up by the nice police, too.” Mason, who looks to be about three, wearing only a T-shirt and thick diaper, glances at Laura, then looks back at his blocks. The daycare worker sets Laura down and walks away.
“Before you ask, I don’t want to play with you,” he mutters to Laura. Laura blinks in surprise.
“You talk pretty well for a toddler,” she remarks. Mason looks over at her curiously.
“So do you,” he says slowly. They stare at each other before Mason reaches into a pile of nearby stuffed animals and pulls out a pair of dice identical to Laura’s.
“You got turned into a kid by the dice, too?” Laura whispers. Mason nods. “How young?”
“Four.” Mason gets to his feet and squats for a moment. There’s a soft hissing and his diaper turns yellow. Finished wetting himself, Mason sits down again. “But before you ask about the diaper, I was a late bloomer when it came to potty training. And I was small for my age, so the people here are pretty sure I’m two. I haven’t said anything other than my first name.” Mason eyes Laura. “What about you?”
“Five.”
“Five? Why are you dressed like you’re three?”
“…It’s a long story,” Laura mumbles. Mason gets to his feet and squats again. He begins to grunt. Laura’s eyes widen as she realizes that he’s messing himself.
“You can tell me while I go,” he says between grunts. Laura opens and closes her mouth silently. “Look, I’m in the same boat as you. I’m pretending to be younger than the dice made me.” Mason grunts loudly. A small fart comes out. “But unlike you, the age I’m pretending to be is too young to have any control over pooping.” Mason grunts again. With a much louder fart, a visible lump appears in his diaper. He sits down with a sigh. “And I’m wearing a diaper. Might as well use it.”
“I’m just glad the youngest I can pass as is three,” Laura mumbles. Mason shrugs.
“Eh. I’ve been wearing diapers since yesterday. I’ve gotten pretty used to them. So, are you going to tell me your story?”