Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45366 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45366 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
“Is she eating okay?”
“Yes. That’s one thing she does without fussing. I warned her I would feed her by another method she would not like if she balked at taking her bottles.”
“Good. How about urinating and her bowel movements?”
“She’s using her diaper. Most of the time she lets her bladder relax as she’s waking up.”
“That’s a good sign. Some Little girls take longer than others to regain bladder control after the six-month stasis. Some never fully get it back. It doesn’t matter either way. It’s actually easier if they don’t fight it and continue to wet themselves in their sleep.”
Kendra groans. “Can we talk about anything except my stupid bladder?”
Chadka pats her thighs. “Sure. How about we talk about how you’re feeling emotionally. There’s a lot of hostility in your voice.”
She glares at him.
This is good. I’m glad. I need Chadka to see what I’m dealing with so he can help me.
When she starts to cross her arms, I circle her wrist, reminding her not to do so. This causes her to shift her glare to me.
“Talk to us, Kendra,” Chadka encourages. “Your Papi wants the best for you, but you have to tell us what you’re thinking and feeling in order for us to address your issues.”
“Issues?” she shouts. “The list is long. Where would I start? How about with clothes. I don’t see why it’s necessary for me to be naked all the time. I’d like to wear a bra and shirt. Pants. Hell, panties would be nice. How about a bathroom instead of a diaper? I haven’t looked in a mirror in two weeks. I can only imagine what my face looks like without makeup, and my hair! I bet I have six inches of dark roots that need coloring.”
She’s right about that. Her hair is a lovely shade of brown. I don’t understand why she was bleaching it blond. I reach out and stroke her locks. “Your hair is so soft and pretty, Little one. Why were you coloring it?”
She jerks her attention to me again. “Because that’s what women do. We get our hair styled. We color it. We straighten it. We curl it.”
Chadka scoots closer, crowding her at her knees. “We don’t do that on Eleadia. Little girls are not encouraged to worry about things like hair, makeup, and clothes. Every Little girl who has moved here is on equal footing. No matter what background each girl came from, none of that matters here.”
“That’s bonkers. We each have a style. We’re individuals.”
“Of course you do, but you won’t reflect that in your appearance, Little one,” Chadka informs her. “You won’t be in competition with other Little girls over who has the best clothes or hairdo.”
I chuckle. This is hardly funny but… “Well, there might be some competition concerning hair,” I point out. “Some Papis are much better at fixing it than others. I bet when the Littles get together, they compare whose Papi did the best braids or pigtails.”
Chadka laughs. “Truth. Olivia gets cranky if I pull too hard or her scalp hurts somewhere in the middle of a braid.”
Kendra groans. “You could give me the brush and let me do it myself.”
I’m uncertain about touching her, but I need to, so I set my hand on the small of her back. “I like doing things for you, Baby girl. It’s in my DNA. I want to take care of you.”
Another exasperated groan.
Chadka ignores her reaction. “Does she have her full strength back? How is her walking?”
“She’s almost there. She wobbles a bit. But she’s close,” I tell him.
“Fine motor skills?”
I nod. “Also almost one hundred percent. She would be there if she wanted to be. Her playpen is full of all kinds of toys, but she often ignores them and just stares at the wall. She’s despondent.”
Chadka reaches for one of her hands. “Can you squeeze my finger, Little one?”
She grabs it and squeezes harder than necessary. I can feel the frustration rolling off her. I’m sure Chadka can too.
“Other hand,” he says next.
She does the same.
Chadka glances at me. “Have you pricked her lately?”
“Not since we arrived.”
“I think you need to. Even though you feel the bond, she’s not as connected. It happens sometimes. She’s fighting the bond with everything in her. It’s not something she can ignore forever, but your serum will help get her there.”
Chadka rises and comes to her other side opposite me. “Can you lie back for me, Little one.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t want to. I’m fine. Can I go now?”
Chadka strokes the top of her head. “You can’t leave here until I’ve examined you, Kendra. Even if it takes all day. I wouldn’t be doing a good job as a doctor if I let patients decide what medical care they need.”
She glances at me, which surprises me. Does she think I might give in and go against Chadka? “Please, Papi…” Her voice is very small. “I don’t want him to examine me. It’s embarrassing.”