Chapter Text
Deuce's bedwetting accidents have been getting worse by the day. Dylla thought it would get better since he's in high school this year, but so far, no dice.
He's grown out of his rebellious phase, thank the Sevens, but he's had some periods of time where he's just really clingy with Dylla for some reason? Hugging her and whining when she had to get up, even for a small moment. Almost like a little kid. This tied in with the bedwetting, she felt like there was a problem with Deuce, but she just couldn't figure out. Maybe it had to do with his ADHD? Definitely. This was just a thing all teenagers go through! Probably!!!
Deuce was already fast asleep next to her, his face more relaxed and calm, totally different than the (unintentional) scowl he usually had on his face.
Maybe she should take him to the doctor tomorrow...
She dialed in his pediatrician's number and waited far too long on hold just to schedule and appointment, and the day was set.
The doctor's waiting room was as colorful as it's always been, bunnies plastered on the walls and a bunch of low tables for younger kids to sit at. There wasn't a lot of people in the waiting room today, which left Deuce to play with whatever he wanted without being embarassed or side-eyed by some random kid's parents.
He lazily played at a magnet maze while watching a show on his phone before the receptionist called his name, and he had to get his blood pressure taken, and his weight and height as well. Nothing's really changed since his last visit.
Deuce's checkup went fine, until it was time for Dylla to talk about stuff that's been bothering her...she explained everything to the doctor, who just nodded and wrote things down on her clipboard like a therapist. "...I see. How long has he been acting like this?" Dylla hummed in thought. "Erm, it's been almost a month now?" She started to notice it after he came home from what she thought was a rough day at school. Instead of saying anything when she welcomed him home, he just stood there. And then he started to cry, and then he hugged her.
Deuce blushed as she told the doctor about that night, and nudged her with his shoulder, grumbling. "Don't tell her about that...!" He hissed through his teeth. "It's okay, it's just your doctor! It's not like she's gonna tell all her friends about it." Dylla laughed, ruffling his hair. Deuce just huffed and crossed his arms.
"...I'm gonna go use the bathroom. Excuse me." Near the end of the appointment, he got up to go to the bathroom. The doctor smiled as he left, but her face got a bit more serious as she heard the door shut.
"Dylla. I've been wanting to talk to you about something for a little while now... You told me that Deuce almost stopped wetting the bed around middle school, but once he started acting out, it came back, am I correct?" She pushed her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. Dylla nodded, humming.
"Stress induced nocturnal enuresis, seemingly "out of nowhere"", the doctor made air quotes, "among with the clinginess you mentioned, are usual symptoms of Littles." Deuce was a Little? Or at least, he might be?! "We don't diagnose things like this during appointments, so I'll have you do a short multiple choice test. It has a brief description of the headspace as well."
Deuce finally came back, sitting down on the patient exam table's crinkly cover and shifting around a little. "I'll leave you to it, and come back in a little bit, okay?" Dylla started to work on the small test, and Deuce peered over to see what she was doing.
"What's that?" He asked, looking a bit mad. "Hey, cross that out. I don't wet the bed as much anymore." Deuce frowned, moving to try and grab the pen from his mom, but she's too fast. "Last night would disagree~" She teased, but felt a little bad as he pouted further.
The doctor returned again, happy to see Deuce's signature pouty face. "Oh, Deuce, you're back, wonderful!" She sat down in her chair, spinning around to face the family of two. "So...me and your mom talked for a second. Have you ever head of a Little before?" She asked. Deuce nodded. It was easy for even a kid of his age to understand. A person who acted younger than their mental age, usually a baby or toddler, but some could regress to an older kid or even a tween or teenager. After a while, they started to be known as 'Littles', or 'Middles' if they were on the older side of regression. Clock Town was more accomodating to Littles than most places in the Queendom of Roses, which only had a few stores here and there. There were some oversized playgrounds, and even a whole school and daycare specifically designed for Littles! To them, it was paradise! Thank God he wasn't one, he would die of embarassment! "Yeah. One of the kids in my homeroom's like that, but to me, it's...just weird. I know people have stuff going on, but, like..." He explained. Oh dear. This would't go well...
"Well...I think you might be a Little, or at most, have some symptoms." Deuce's eyes widened, and he gripped the paper cover. "Huh? Me?! Why would I be like that?" An explosion of anger was definitely oncoming. He hasn't gotten his mad since his first week of school.
"It's...weird! Why's there a whole medical thingy for acting like a baby in the first place! I'm...I'm tough! I don't need all that baby crap!" His face was a bit red, and he looked like he was about to cry. "We're not trying to say you're weak, or there's something wrong with you. It's just, sometimes, our bodies find different ways to cope, and some of them can be involuntary sometimes. And you won't be in your Little headspace all the time unless you take medica--" The doctor explained, but Deuce wasn't hearing it.
"SHUT UP!!!" He yelled, storming out the door.
"Wait, Deu--! Ugh, there he goes again... I'm really sorry about him, Doctor. I just don't know what to do with him sometimes..." Dylla sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's fine. Most of the older kids we see at the pediatricians act like this as well..."
On the ride home, it was dead silent. Deuce sat in the backseat instead of the front like he usually does, his eyes puffy from crying. It was definitely from earlier, when he left the office. Dylla, trying to break the tension, asked a random question. "Seen any good movies lately? I heard they're making a movie about that show you liked as a kid!" Deuce just gave a simple 'no', and put his wired headphones in.
"Oh-kaaay...nice talk."
When they got home, Deuce went back into clingy mode again, hugging Dylla from behind as she opened the door. "...Sorry..." He mumbled, his voice muffled from his face pressed into his mom's shirt.
Dylla, figuring it was one of those days, attempted to hug him back, petting his hair. "It's okay! Everybody gets mad sometimes, even your Mom!" It's definitely not okay to yell at your own doctor, but what else was she supposed to say now? She was able to peel him off of her back, setting down the medication she picked up on the kitchen table.
"I know you might not like it, but I'm gonna give you some new medication today, 'kay?" Deuce whined just at the word. He used to take medication for his ADHD, but they haven't made a pill version yet, so he had to drink it from a small syringe, it tasted TERRIBLE! "It's in pills this time, don't get all fussy on me now!" One of the pills was a headspace inducer, and the other was a suppressor. She felt like in the future, she would have to hide the suppressors from him...
At night time, Deuce was still feeling fuzzy, so Dylla helped him into his pajamas and pull-ups. The boxes of pull-ups always came with two prints, one with blue stripes and another with green undertones and planets on it. He was quite fond of them, but he wouldn't admit it to anybody, even if he got a million thaumarks. They looked like they would be nice to ride a magiwheel on, but they just needed cooler designs! Like skulls! Deuce was pretty sleepy, rubbing his eyes and letting out a cute yawn. Dylla couldn't help but pull him into a hug again, squealing over how adorable he looked in his bunny pajamas and pull-up. "Alright, ready for bed, bud?" She sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the mattress. Deuce plopped down next to her, getting into bed. His room was a big contrast to how he acted, a bunch of rabbit plushies scattered everywhere, one of then in his arm as he cuddled with it. There were also a few magiwheel posters, and even a small scale figure of one on his nightstand, which was more of his 'cool teenager' interests. He got it for his 13th birthday, and it's been his prized possession ever since.
The next day, which was a Friday, Deuce had to go to school. Dylla had to make a few deliveries today, but it was pretty light, so she was able to go home way early than usual. It felt good to just laze around and relax!
After a few episodes of her favorite reality TV show, she got a call from Deuce's school.
He had an accident. During gym class. Apparently, he had passed out and his bladder just voided.
They didn't have that much spare clothing, at least in his size, so the only option was to for her to bring in some of her own, but she just decided to take him home.
It was surprising, but her only focus right now was on her sweet baby boy.
"I told you, 'm not tired, I just...I just...Mama..." Mama? Mama?? The last time Deuce called her that was in 5th grade. Maybe...was he...
"Yes, yes, Mama's here, but Mama says you have to go to bed!" She giggles, walking up the stairs while carrying him. "Wanna wear your favorite pajamas? The ones from yesterday?" Dylla held up the same rabbit printed pajamas he wore the night before. He nodded excitedly, before catching himself and just mumbling a small 'Yes'.
He was put down for a nap, but Dylla didn't leave the room yet, sitting on the opposite side of the bed from him and wiping off some drool that was already on the corner of his mouth. He tried to grab onto her finger and put it in his mouth, but she replaced it with the bunny plushie, and he sucked on the big ear of it instead. Gosh, he was so adorable...
Well...a nap for her as well wouldn't hurt!
She laid down, covering herself with as much as the blanket as she could get since Deuce was hogging it all, and closed her eyes...