The protein shakes Jacob drunk earlier come back in full force. A warmth spreads through Jacob’s diaper, accompanied by a soft hiss. Jacob turns beet red as he realizes that he’s wetting himself. Then, adding to his humiliation, he begins to push. He knows exactly why he’s pushing, but is completely powerless to stop it. Hoping to get it over quickly, Jacob pushes more forcefully, his face turning redder as he grunts with effort.
The daycare worker, having seen this a million times, knows exactly what Jacob is doing.
“Wow, good thing we got you in the diaper when we did,” he says cheerfully. “Come on, buddy, finish it up.” Despite Jacob’s best attempts to speed up the process, five minutes later, he’s not even close to finishing. He remembers belatedly that he struggled with constipation as a toddler. Hopefully, he can complete the bowel movement before the daycare worker resorts to what he considers the nuclear option.
Ten minutes go by, and a log has only just begun to enter Jacob’s diaper. The daycare worker, concerned, sets him on the ground.
“Let’s see what’s going on under the hood, okay, buddy?” he says gently, removing Jacob’s romper and diaper. “Hmm. I think I can help.” The daycare worker walks away, leaving Jacob naked, standing over an open diaper. He returns wearing disposable gloves. Jacob groans. It’s the nuclear option.
“Don’t worry, it might feel weird, but this’ll get it over with quick,” the daycare worker says. Jacob closes his eyes. The daycare worker grabs the little bit that has been pushed out already and pulls. The rest of the log comes out, falling onto the open diaper. Jacob bursts into tears. “Sorry, buddy, but if I let you try to finish on your own, you would’ve hurt yourself. Kelsey?”
“Yes?” A pretty young woman appears, wearing the daycare worker uniform.
“Could you get this little guy in a fresh diaper?”
“Want me to put him back in that romper?”
“No, he needs a nap after that traumatic experience. Put him in a onesie and give him a bottle with some softener and laxative in it.”
“Got it.” Kelsey scoops Jacob up and carries him over to the changing station, where she cleans Jacob, tapes him into a fresh diaper, and puts him in a soft onesie. She then sets Jacob in a crib and leaves. When she returns, she gives him a bottle of warm milk. Jacob knows that the bottle has both a stool softener and a laxative in it. But after what just happened, he’s glad for it. He greedily guzzles the milk down. Kelsey takes the bottle back and walks away.
Sitting in the crib, stomach full of bowel movement-inducing warm milk, Jacob considers his options, few as they might be.