You look around and see complete chaos. All the other boys, nine or so, are kicking and screaming. Three of them are wrestling the orderlies, and the others are working on some sort of escape.
One by one, they all get subdued and picked up, plopped into their cribs. They are injected with a baby blue sedative and witching a few minutes, they are asleep and the nursery is quiet.
You look at the blond boy standing a couple feet away. He is the only one not acting out, other than you.
“What’s going on?” You ask, walking over to him. He puts a finger to his lips and you nod. One of the workers walks over and looks down at you two.
“Look at you two, being so well behaved. Now that all the other kids are asleep, you can make a choice. You can stay up and play, or you can take a nap too so you’re not sleepy later.” The man says. He crouched down and puts his hands on his knees to talk to you like you’re little kids.
“I wanna stay up, please.” The other boy says.
“Okay. And you?” The man asks.
“Um, me too... please.” You say. The man smiles.
“Alright. When you get sleepy, let me know and I can put you in your cribs.” He says. He ruffles your guys hair and walks away.
Once the man is gone, the other boy turns to look at you.
“Come on, let’s go sit down. I’ll tell you what I know.” He says. You follow him over to the plastic table. It’s like the coloring table you had as a kid, but big enough for adults and teenagers. “I’m Terrell.” He says, shaking your hand.
“Cameron.” You reply.
“Nice to meet you. Anyway, there’s some stuff you should know about this place. First of all, they expect you to act like a baby. You saw what happened to the other boys because they didn’t cooperate. Second, what they say goes. We’re not supposed to fight them on anything, they make the rules.” Terrell tells you.
“How long have you been here?” You ask.
“A week. I was the only one for a few days, actually. It was pretty lonely, but I learned to behave the way they want.” Terrell says. He shrugs sadly and stretches. “What you’re really gonna want is a comfort object.” He tells you. You raise an eyebrow.
“Comfort object?” You ask, confused. Terrell nods.
“Yeah. It can be a pacifier or blanket or stuffed animal. There’s not a limit of how many you’re allowed, but trust me, they’re good to have. They really help take your mind off of stress. Personally, I have a paci and blankie. I also have a stuffed doggy, but he mostly guards my crib.” He says.
“Oh.” You say, not knowing what else to say. “So... do you like being here?” You ask.
“Well, it’s better than going to school and dealing with homework and crap.” He says. He looks around and sees one of the caregivers walking over.
“How are you little ones doing?” He asked, looking at you and Terrell.
“Okay, fank you. Can I have my paci, please?” Terrell asks calmly. The caregiver nods and leaves for a minute. He returns with a bright green pacifier with a yellow ring and pops it in terrells mouth. The boy smiles.
“How about you, little one? Why don’t we go let you pick out a couple comfort objects?” He says. He picks you up and carries you out of the room, leaving you without a choice. You are carried into a light blue room with paintings of ducks on the wall, and a white carpet. There is a bookcase with a basket of pacifiers, blankets stacked and folded in one cubby, and stuffed animals in the other cubbies. “Pick out whatever you want.” The man says, setting you on the floor. You look back at him and slowly crawl over to the bookcase, looking at your options. You slowly reach for a striped gray cat stuffie, a soft yellow baby blanket, and a purple pacifier with a black ring. You hold the objects and study the pacifier. After staring at it for a while, you push it past your lips and suck on it once or twice. It’s calming, you decided.
“Alright kiddo, let’s get you back to the nursery. I think someone’s ready for a nap.” The caregiver says, picking you up and holding you against his chest. You put your head on his shoulder and feel safe, his gentle movements outing you to sleep. The last thing you feel is being laid on your back in a crib, clutching your cat and blanket close.  | Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
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