“No!” Malcie almost screamed. “I won’t wear…”
“Don’t fuss so little girl,” the woman said as she pushed a pacifier into Malcie’s mouth.
“Now, let’s get to work.”
Malcie could not spit the pacifier from her mouth and could only mumble around it.
The woman produced a damp washcloth and used it to clean Malcie up, gently running it between her legs.
She then poured some baby lotion into her palms, rubbed them together and smoothed it all over Malcie.
She slid the thick cloth underneath the squirming girl.
After dusting Malcie with baby powder she pulled it up between her legs.
Malcie felt the soft, thick diaper enfolding her, pushing on her all over.
The padding underneath her was like a pillow and it forced her legs apart.
The woman slid a large safety pin into the folds on the right side, then the left, securing Malcie in her diaper.
“There we go,” she said, stepping back for a moment.
She reached under the table again, removing a diaper cover.
It was pink, with a teddy bear on the front.
She put that on Malcie, wrapping it around her, then snapping the six fasteners on the front close.
Each one snapped close with a sound like a gunshot to Malcie.
Now she could feel the padding about her, and every little movement caused the diaper cover to make a soft rustling sound.
The woman left Malcie lying on the changing table for a short time while she went to one of the closets.
She returned with a pink and white romper that she put on Malcie.
“There we go,” she picked Malcie up and deposited her into the crib.
“Now you just take your nap and after that we’ll bathe you,” she said happily, raising the side.
“We’ll take care of you forever.”
Malcie finally managed to spit the pacifier out of her mouth.
She tried to pull the romper off, but she could not unsnap it, and the material would not rip.
She grabbed the bars of her crib and looked out at the departing woman.
“Let me out!” She cried.
“I don’t want to be here.
I’m not a baby!”
She wailed, closing her eyes.
There was a chime, and Malcie opened her eyes.
She was back in the store.
“Excuse me,” a young woman said, sliding around Malcie as she walked towards the counter.
The old woman seemed to be waking up.
“What was that?” Malcie said, looking around, not sure what had happened.
She shook her head, turned around, and almost ran from the store.
She did not notice that attached to her briefcase with a pink ribbon was a pacifier
.