Someone shook Danny awake. He sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily.
“Danny, Kristof finished his investigation,” Laura said. “He wants me to take you to his office.”
“Oh. Okay,” Danny said, still disoriented from just waking up. Laura picked him up from the crib and carried him out of the daycare and over to Kristof’s office. She knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Kristof’s voice said. Laura opened the door. She placed Danny on the chair across from Kristof’s desk and turned around to leave. “Actually, Laura, you should stay.”
“All right.” Laura closed the door to the office and leaned against it. Kristof looked at Danny.
“Danny, I couldn’t find any evidence to back up your claims,” he said. Danny’s jaw dropped. “I’m not saying you’re lying. But I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them. And the rules say that if I can’t find proof, I can’t reverse it.”
“Okay,” Danny said in a small voice. Kristof sighed.
“But that’s not all. Per company policy, when an employee claims a permanent change was made with malice, but that employee’s claim can’t be verified, the employee must be punished.”
“H-how are you going to punish me?” Danny squeaked.
“You’re a model employee, so I’m going as easy on you as I can.” Kristof set Danny’s badge on his desk and scanned it with his phone. “You’re being suspended for a week without pay.” Danny winced. It wasn’t great, but he could handle it. Why was Kristof scanning his phone, though? “You’ll be spending that week in the nursery.”
“What?” Danny asked.
“Think of it as being like an in-school suspension,” Kristof said. “Only instead of school, it’s the daycare at your work. You’re going to attend the daycare like the toddler you are. And some temporary changes will be made to ensure you act your age this week.”
“Temporary?”
“By which I mean they will be reversed at the end of the week. You’ll have the changes while at home. I’ve already called your roommate to tell him. He said he can handle it.” Kristof began to type on his phone. “You’re going to keep your adult brain, but lose your adult skills. No reading or writing or math. And get ready to toddle your way around even without a diaper on.”
The words on the books on Kristof’s desk turned into squiggles. Even numbers were suddenly incomprehensible. Danny began to cry.
“It’s just for a week, Danny. You’ll be back to normal before you know it,” Kristof said firmly. “At least, your version of normal.” Warmth suddenly spread through Danny’s diaper. “Laura, could you take him back to the daycare? He’ll be staying there this week and he also needs a change.”
“Of course,” Laura said. She picked Danny up and carried him out of Kristof’s office. As she took Danny to the daycare, a smelly mess filled the back of Danny’s diaper. “Phew! Smelly boy! Don’t worry, we’re going to take good care of you.”