lastic crinkle against the bare skin of his side. Ruth handed him a baby bottle full of formula and said, “Mama brought you a bottle of warm formula to drink, Honey. She wants you to take your medicine and drink your formula until it’s all gone. Will you make a happy bottle for mama?”
Tony nodded gravely as she handed him his antidepressant capsule. He swallowed the capsule and began to suck on the nipple as she continued,
“Mama will read a story to you, Honey. It’s all about a little bear named Pooh who was exceedingly fond of honey. I think you and your new friend will like it.”
Tony closed his eyes and cuddled his bear feeling sooooo comfortable. The soft flannel blanket snuggled against his skin luxuriously, while the diapers gave him the feeling his bottom was being gently caressed. He suckled the warm formula from the bottle avidly. His rapidly filling stomach made him sleepy and his eyelids began to droop. Ruth stroked his hair as she read the story, lulling him into a peaceful sleep. His breathing slowed and became deeper as he drifted off into a dreamland filled with soft, furry creatures who were never cross or even said an unkind word. He knew they were his friends when he saw that they all sucked their thumbs and wore diapers just like him. They laughed and tumbled together on the soft, moss-covered earth of his dreamland, happy to be alive and play in the warm sunshine. One of the bears wet his diapers and began to giggle uproariously. All the others joined in and laughed as they good-naturedly changed his soggy diaper. They were such jolly playmates! Then they went to look for a baby bottle tree so they could all sit down and have some formula for lunch. When they finished their bottles, they all lay down for a nap together in a heap. Tony snuggled against his new friends and dozed with a smile of contentment on his face as he lay amid his furry companions. When they awoke, they changed each other’s diapers with howls of delight as they saw the messes each of them had made. Then it was off to an afternoon of play as the comrades crawled and somersaulted together on the soft green grass. Tony’s face shone with happiness as the dark cloud that been hiding his smiles evaporated under the loving sun.
Ruth put a bookmark where she had stopped the story and kissed Tony lightly on the forehead. She wasn’t in any hurry to finish the story, she knew that she’d be reading Tony and Teddy stories for a long time before he was ready for her to stop.