by Pepper North
Dylan’s heart ached. Penelope was too thin. She needed food to eat to be healthy and to heal. She was worried about the bill and trying to reduce the cost. He looked at the young man’s name tag. “Salvador, thanks for bringing the food. We’ll start ordering. We’ll make sure she eats.”
The young man’s face lit up with a grin. He nodded and walked from the room confident that someone was going to help the patient in room 623. He whistled as he pushed his delivery rack down the hall.
Just then, Dylan’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen to see that it was Jack texting to say that he was on his way to the hospital. He had decided to work from the hospital today. Dylan’s fingers flew over the screen asking Jack to stop at a fast food restaurant on his way and pick up a variety of things to feed all of them. Dylan followed a strict diet, but he’d make an exception to get Penelope to eat.
Dylan tried to get Penelope to eat the food on her tray. She tried to eat the oatmeal but couldn’t feed herself with her left hand. Dylan attempted to feed her but set the oatmeal away as Penelope gagged at the taste.
“Sorry. I take some medicine that makes things taste funny sometimes. I’ll try to eat it later,” Penelope said quickly. She sipped at the orange juice slowly, savoring it. She shook her head at Dylan as he offered her the coffee. “You drink it. I don’t like coffee.”
Dylan tapped the cup against Penelope’s juice glass as if they were drinking fine champagne. He was amazed at the transformation of Penelope’s drawn face when she laughed sweetly. He promised himself that he was going to make sure this Little had whatever she needed to be happy.
Chapter 5
Dylan and Penelope turned to the door when they heard footsteps. The delicious smell from the fast food bags wafted in with Jack. After setting his laptop case on the floor out of the way and handing Dylan the food and the separate drink carrier, Jack walked to Penelope’s side.
“Hi, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?” he asked with a smile. He hoped she’d remember him. He looked different in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt instead of his immaculately tailored suit.
“Hi, Jack. I did sleep well. I think if I’d had any bad dreams, Dylan would have wrestled them into submission,” Penelope smiled, glancing at Dylan. “Thank you for coming to visit,” she said politely.
“I’ve come to stay with you for a while,” Jake explained. “And, I brought some breakfast. I hope I can tempt you with one of these?” he said with a smile, glancing at Dylan who was unpacking the food.
“Did you just order one of everything?” Dylan asked as he opened the second bag with a laugh.
Jack nodded. “What is your favorite?” he asked Penelope.
“Is there one with an egg, cheese, and ham? I used to get those when I was a child, and my parents would stop by after church. I love those,” Penelope said with shining eyes.
“Right here,” Dylan answered, unwrapping the sandwich and rewrapping it, so Penelope could hold it while she ate. They watched her take a bite and begin to chew.
“Mmmm!” she hummed closing her eyes with pleasure. “This is delicious, Jack. Thank you.” Her eyes sobered. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any money to repay you.”
Jack looked at her sternly. “Penelope. I want you to look at me. We just met, but I hope you’ll come to trust my word. For now, you’ll just have to take a leap of faith. Dylan and I have been searching for our own Little girl for several years. We all may be a great match together, or we may just have to be friends. Regardless, Dylan and I are going to take care of you. Today and for all the tomorrows to come. I am a wealthy man, and I give to several charities around the city. It is a pleasure to donate my money to one very special Little who needs some help. Now, eat your sandwich. We need to fatten you up,” he said smiling.
“I’m very thankful that you’re here, but I’m confused. How did you know I was here? How did you know that I’m a Little?” Penelope asked bewildered.
“Eat, little girl,” Jack instructed. He picked up a small carton of milk and opened it for Penelope, setting it to her left so that she could use her good arm. “Your surgeon who fixed your arm called us. He’s a good friend.”
Dylan selected a sandwich and bit into it, enjoying the flavor. “I never eat fast food, and this is awesome. I may regret that I know what it tastes like,” he said to lighten up the conversation.
Penelope nodded in agreement and took another bite. The trio talked companionably about food. She was able to eat about half of the sandwich before she pressed her hand to her stomach. “I can’t eat another bite. It was delicious. Do you think I could keep it and eat it later? I bet I could put together a cooler with some ice in this carton.” She lifted the milk container and drained it.
“Let me go talk to the nurses. I bet they would like these other sandwiches, and I’ll see if they could put this in a refrigerator for you,” Jack said lightly. “Are there any other sandwiches that you like?” he asked noticing Penelope was staring at the food.
“Oh, no! Give it all to the nurses. I bet they’re hungry, too.” Penelope tore her eyes away from the large quantity of food. She could have eaten off that much food for a week at least.
“You’re lying to me, Penelope. There are usually consequences when you lie, but I’m going to let it slide today because you don’t know me very well,” Jack corrected her. “Choose one other sandwich to keep, and I’ll go talk to the nurses.”
Penelope pointed immediately at a sandwich that was just like her first but had sausage instead of the ham. “I like that one, too.”
Jack bundled her partially eaten sandwich and the other favorite in one of the restaurant’s bag and wrote her name on it in big letters. He returned the other sandwiches to the second bag before turning to leave. “Dylan, may I talk to you for a minute,” he asked quietly.
Following Jack, Dylan paused at the door to look back at Penelope. “I’ll be right back, okay?” When she nodded, Dylan turned the corner. He stood close to Jack and leaned slightly against him when Jack wrapped a free arm around his shoulders.
“I’m going to stay here and take over. You need some sleep. My assistant will notify me if there’s anything I need to take care of at work. I have my phone and laptop. I can work anywhere. Get me up to speed. What do you think about Penelope?” Jack asked, watching the expressions run across Dylan’s face.
“I’d like to spend a little alone time with her so-called ‘Daddy.’ She didn’t talk much, but she’s mentioned a few things. She has a weakened bladder from the chemo. Her jerk, I’m not even going to call him a Daddy, didn’t like to change diapers, so he’d make her wait to get changed. She held my hand all night because she was afraid I’d go away. She’s let me change her diaper. All the supplies are in the room. She doesn’t want to bother anyone. I think that’s partly a result of her strong character but also ridicule from the jerk. She needs us, Jack. She needs us more than anyone I’ve met. I talked to the night nurse. Penelope’s doing well with the chemo treatments, but she just doesn’t have any reserves to fall back on for strength.” Dylan dropped his head against Jack’s shoulder. “I’m tired and emotional. I’ve never felt this way. I’m glad you’re here. I’ll stay until you get back. Then, I’ll go crash and get some sleep,” Dylan said wearily, lifting his head to look into Jack’s eyes. “Ask the nurses what’s in store for her today and when they think she’ll be released. We’ll need a plan for that.”
Jack kissed Dylan fiercely. “I’ll take over. You go sleep. Go in and tell Penelope the plan and I’ll be back as soon as possible."
Penelope looked up and tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “Are you leaving?” she asked in a trembling voice before rushing to add, “Thank you for visiting.”
“Penelope, I promise you that Jack and I aren’t just visiting. You’re going to get sick of seeing us all the time.” He smiled as he saw hope flash in her eyes. “Jack is talking to the nurses, and then he is coming back to spend some time with you. He’s pretty jealous that you
held my hand all night. You’ll have to be nice to him, okay? I’m going to go home and sleep, but I’ll see you soon.” He walked to the side of the hospital bed and wiped her thin cheeks dry. Dylan leaned down and kissed the top of her head just as Jack walked back into the room.
Jack immediately noticed Penelope’s blotchy skin stretched across her face and knew that she’d been crying. He looked at Dylan who shook his head ‘no’ to let Jack know it was handled. “So, did this muscle-bound hunk let you know that you’re stuck with me for a while?” Jack asked with a smile.
“He does have big muscles, doesn’t he,” Penelope said, leaning herself over slightly so she could pat his muscled forearm. “It must be nice to be that strong.”
“We’re going to make sure that you are strong, too,” Dylan said with a smile. He said his goodbyes and kissed Penelope’s left hand before turning to Jack and wrapping a strong hand around his head to bring Jack towards him for a fierce kiss. “Take care of her, Jack.” When the other man nodded, Dylan looked back at Penelope to see her eyes wide and her fingertips pressed against her lips. Dylan hoped that she was interested in their kiss and not horrified as he walked out the door. Leaving Penelope was the hardest thing he’d ever done.
Chapter 6
Jack walked to Penelope’s bedside and picked up her left hand. “Sweetheart, did it bother you to see Dylan kiss me?"
Penelope shook her head rapidly without hesitation. “It was beautiful. You love each other very much,” she said simply.
“Yes, we do. Now, let’s talk about you. The nurses say you can take a shower with help today or we can do a sponge bath in bed. Which would you rather do?” Jack asked laughing at her eager expression.
“I’d love to take a shower and wash my hair. Do you think they have shampoo?” Penelope asked before stopping and looking at her arm. “I don’t think I can get this wet.”
“I’ve got a plan that includes a large plastic bag. Look here are some supplies in this basin: bath wash, shampoo, and conditioner. I’m going to run and get you a fresh nightgown and some extra towels.” He left and returned quickly with an armful of supplies and some tape. The nurse followed him with an injection of a painkiller explaining that it would help keep the pain under control as she moved.
“We’re all set,” Jack said as he carried the supplies into the shower stall and hung the fresh gown on the back of the door. There was a shower chair for Penelope already. He doubted if she could stand for any length of time. “Would you like me to get a nurse to help you, or would you be willing to settle for a totally untrained helper?”
“Would you help me?” Penelope asked, peeking up at him through her lashes. “I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but something tells me I can count on you. Is that silly?”
“It’s not silly at all, little girl. Something has already told me that I can count on you, too. Okay. Let’s get you all cleaned up.” He wrapped the plastic bag around her arm and taped it in place, being careful not to jostle it any more than absolutely necessary. Jack lifted her into his strong arms and cradled her against his warm chest. She feels right next to me, Jack thought to himself as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. He carried her small form into the bathroom and sat her on the closed toilet lid. He turned and switched the water on, adjusting it to a warm temperature.
Beginning to untie the hospital gown’s closures, Jack tried to be as gentle as possible. He was distressed to see the bruises that were liberally painted all over her body. “How did you break your arm, Penelope? Did you fall?”
Penelope nodded her head slowly. “I’m too clumsy.”
“Daddies are supposed to keep their Littles safe. I would say that someone should have been taking better care of you,” Jack said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. He unfastened the sides of her diaper and lifted her back in his arms, pulling the gown and diaper from her body before setting her down on the shower chair. Almost immediately, he felt the fingers of her left hand fumbling at the zipper of his pants. He captured her hand and held it away from his body. “What are you doing, little girl?”
“I’m sorry you’ll have to help me,” she said, gesturing at her broken arm. “I know Daddies get their penises sucked on when they have to wash their Little girls. It’s like a repayment,” she said openly. She obviously believed this to be true. “I take care of you, and you take care of me.”
Jack swore viciously. He felt Penelope shrink away from him and he rushed to reassure her that he was not angry with her. “Sweetheart, that is a load of garbage. Little girls only need to kiss their Daddies’ bodies when they want to. There isn’t any payment needed for someone to take care of you. True parents don’t ask for repayment of their love and care. They take care of their Littles because they love them.” He waited until she met his eyes and nodded slowly. He thought maybe she was beginning to realize that the man that she had called Daddy was far from a good father.
“Now, let’s get this shower started. What’s first? Wash your body or hair?” Jack asked trying to change the subject.
“Hair,” she said without hesitation. She leaned her head back to wet her short hair and groaned in delight as Jack began to rub shampoo through her hair. When he started lightly scratching her scalp, the smile on her face got even larger. “Are you sure that you aren’t a professional shower giver? That feels heavenly.”
“I’m glad, Penelope. Unfortunately, I have no formal training in taking care of Littles. I’m counting on you to let me know what you need or want. Okay?” Jack asked lightly as he finished shampooing her short hair and helped her lean back to rinse out the suds. He spread a good amount of conditioner over her hair and loved the moan of pleasure that came from her lips. He thought to himself how much he’d love to hear that heartfelt moan of enjoyment from her again. He left the conditioner on her hair and picked up the body wash and a washcloth.
“Tell me if I’m hurting you, Penelope,” he simply asked as he began to wash lightly over her bruised body. She leaned slightly against his side as he lifted her good arm and washed her torso. She was so thin. He could feel her ribs as they pressed against her skin. Her small breasts were almost flat against her body topped only by puckered, light pink nipples.
“I’m sorry,” she said simply.
“What are you sorry about, little one?” he asked as he rinsed the suds from her skin.
“I don’t have a beautiful, female body. My breasts are too small, and my hips are boyish,” she said looking down at her feet.
Again, anger flared inside Jack’s mind. He controlled it and began washing her back just as gently. “Your body is beautiful, Penelope. Maybe something was wrong with someone else’s eyes,” he suggested as he rinsed her clean. “Lean over more against me, sweetheart. Let me clean your bottom.” Jack eased her over to sit on one cheek, and he quickly washed between her buttocks before sitting her upright again. He tenderly cleaned her toes and feet, kissing her small instep before washing her legs. At the top of her thighs, he eased her legs apart and washed between them. He was delighted to see the shiny moisture gathered there giving away her arousal at his touch. He finished by rinsing her hair clean of conditioner before wrapping towels around her hair and body.
He lifted her from the shower chair and sat down on the toilet lid with her in his arms as he carefully dried her skin. Snagging the new gown from the back of the door, Jack tied it loosely into place and stood to carry Penelope back to her bed. The nursing aides had replaced her sheets with fresh bedding. He thanked them silently and laid her down in bed. The shower had depleted all her sparse energy. Penelope was almost asleep as he wrapped a fresh diaper around her hips and tucked Persimmon in her arms before pulling the soft covers over her bruised body up to her chin.
Jack sat down in his chair and rested his face in his hands. He was almost overcome with the need to cause the unknown Daddy as much pain as he had allowed Penelope to feel. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing and thoughts.
Jack rubbed his face and decided that while he couldn’t do anything about the past, he vowed to make Penelope’s future so happy that she would never remember the time that had preceded her accident. He picked up his phone and sent Dylan a message attaching a photo he snapped of the small woman sleeping in the large hospital bed. She looked more peaceful already as she slept soundly. He also sent a message to Matt Richards thanking him for calling. He had already talked to the billing department and taken responsibility for paying Penelope’s bills. He contacted his insurance to determine the process of adding her to his coverage. They had begun the process.
Chapter 7
He worked steadily on his laptop, stepping out into the hallway frequently to take business calls. Jack knew his assistant was astounded that he was not in the office, especially with the commotion in the accounting department. She was beginning to understand that he was concerned about the embezzlement, but that he was going to allow his trusted employees to investigate and report their findings to him.
Jack ordered lunch for both Penelope and himself from the hospital cafeteria. He hoped that she would eat better if he ate with her. About an hour before lunch was scheduled to come, Dr. Matt Richards walked into the room wearing his white coat. Jack stood and shook Matt’s hand. He started to gesture to the door so that they could talk outside, but he heard a small voice from the bed.
“Hi, Dr. Richards. My arm feels much better after you fixed it. Thank you,” she said gratefully. “Thank you for taking care of me.”