Secrets in A Small Town

19

It's 4 am when Brooke wakes up to Cade getting up beside her.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

"It's burning." He says, through clenched teeth.

That's right. The burn.

"I will help you." She gets up. Cade doesn't argue.

She turns on the bedside lamp. Cade is sitting on the end of the bed, legs spread apart.

"Did you get up and go to the bathroom earlier?" She asks.

"No?"

"Honey, you're dry, like completely dry." She notes.

Cade hadn't even seemed to notice. He looks over at the clock.

"It's been six hours..." A smile grows on his face.

"I do have to go though."

"Go ahead and go, I will put the cream on when you're done."

Cade nods and hobbles toward the bathroom. He pees for everything he is worth until he is completely drained.

He walks back out, stumbling a bit, trying not to aggravate the burn.

Brooke strips him, gently peeling the diaper back. The burn is bubbling again.

She bites her lip, carefully dabbing the cream on. Cade's hand is gripping the blanket, tightly, veins popping out on his arms.

Once she is done, he lightens his grip.

"Feel better?"

Cade nods. "A little bit."

"Are you going to be able to go home today?"

Cade nods. "I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Brooke laughs and puts the cap back on the bottle. Cade gently pulls the diaper back up around his waist and climbs back into bed.

He is right though. Cade is already struggling just to walk, how is he supposed to go back to work? She decides not to think about it and that there is no use stressing over what you can't control.

They wake up again not too long after and begin to gather their things. Cade is hobbling a little bit, gritting his teeth.

"Ready to go?" She asks.

Cade nods. He uses the bathroom one last time before they go. His same diaper is completely dry yet.

They get into the elevator, cramming in with another couple who also have backpacks. It's an awkward 30 seconds.

They catch a taxi and head to the airport. It's much bigger than the one back home. Brooke realizes after they go through security they have to go all the way to Gate E. Cade has been hobbling trying to avoid rubbing his legs together. It would be a 20 minute walk for an able person. His face is red and he is already in a considerable amount of pain.

"Where do we go?" He asks, tucking himself into her side, in the big, big airport. She slings and arm around him.

"I'm thinking we should catch the trolley, our gate is all the way on the other side."

Cade looks at her, pretty unsure of what any of that even meant.

She holds his hand as she guides him slowly to the pick up area. Soon enough a little subway-like car comes up. They board with along with another dozen or so people.

The gate is conveniently right at their stop. Brooke is grateful for that. Most of the other passengers are already here waiting, she assumes it is most of them. The plane parked outside the window is small and couldn't fit too much more than the people around them.

They're standing in line waiting to board when Cade starts to fidget. He is toying with his crotch. She can't tell if it's due to the burn or if he has to...

"Honey." She whispers discreetly.

Cade looks at her biting his lip. It's in the desperate way that shows her he doesn't only need the bathroom but is likely on the verge of wetting himself. He has probably been showing signs all along but she was too distracted to notice. Cade is still shy about asking to find a bathroom in public and usually requires her to ask and bring him there.

Cade doesn't bother answering, just blurts out relatively loud,

"I need to go potty."

That word again. Brooke has always found that weird, when adults use that word. If Cade qualifies as an adult.

"Babe, were boarding..."

"I can go when I get on though, right?"

"Usually you have to wait until we're in the air, it shouldn't be too long though, okay?"

Cade doesn't exactly think it's okay, but he know he doesn't have a choice.

Once they're seated, he is clearly on his last leg. The doors shut and he grabs his crotch again. The pilot makes some announcements, safety regulations and they'll be leaving shortly. Then the seatbelt sign comes on. Brooke helps Cade buckle his seatbelt, then her own. This gets a weird glance from an older couple seated across the isle, but they don't say anything. They can probably tell Cade is desperate to relieve himself, but they leave alone.

The plane starts to taxi down the runway. First slow and then fast as the nose end lifts off the ground. Cade is gritting his teeth. He can feel his bladder isn't full, but he knows when he is about to lose control. Once they're up in the air and the seatbelt signs go off, Brooke leans over to him.

"You have an accident?"

Cade's face is pale, disappointed. A tear is streaming down his cheek.

"It's okay, babe, it happens, no need to cry." She says gently. He gives her a side smile in return.

"Wanna go change?" She says as she wipes his cheeks dry with her hand. She had tucked two of the diapers in her purse, sitting on her lap.

Cade shakes his head through.

"I will be okay, it's not a long flight." He leans his head on her shoulder. He looks like he is fighting back sleep.

"It's alright, love." She pushes the hair off his forehead. "I've got you." He slumps onto her lap, falling asleep on a bunched up hoodie. It's not long after she feels a tap on her arm. It's the older couple.

"Is that boy okay?" A woman of probably 75 years old asks.

She nods and thinks of something to say. "He has some anxiety about flying, is all." She lies.

"It looked like he was in pain the way his cheeks were turning red." She comments.

"He has kind of a rash." She says not really thinking.

"Ohhhh." The lady coos.

"Are you his caretaker?"

"Uh..."

Honestly it's not the craziest thing anyone has ever thought. Cade probably did look a little slow when he was grabbing himself like a child, then suddenly being fine and falling asleep, after she got him situated and buckled his seatbelt.

"I—-yeah, something like that..." she responds.

The elderly woman touches her arm again.

"I am sure he deeply appreciates that, dear."

They don't talk the rest of the flight. Cade sleeps until they start to descend.

He holds Brooke's hand, looking out the window, he turns to her. His big brown eyes gleaming. He kisses her on the cheek and then gently hugs her. She notices the woman giving her a smirk.

Once they land they wait for just about everyone else to clear off the plane before they do. Cade moves slowly down the empty walkway. He is biting his lip.

Brooke instinctively makes her way to the bathroom, conveniently placed by the exit door. Cade doesn't say anything, but he follows. There are three doors, a men's, women's, and family.

Brooke looks back and fourth between the three, but soon enough Cade has her hand and pulls her into the family door.

It's a single stall, one where you immediately lock the door behind you.

He pulls down his pants and lets go, then he washes his hands, like this is the most normal thing ever. Like he just wanted her company while he did his business. Honestly they're way past this being weird at all.

Once they make it back to her car, in the nightly paid parking lot, Cade plops down in the passenger seat and immediately pulls down his pants.

"What are you doing?" She asks as she slides in the drivers seat.

He starts blowing on the burn. It's red and irritated, looking wet and chapped. Brooke grits her teeth.

"It hurts?"

Cade nods. She brushes her hand over his forearm and starts driving.

Once back at her house, Cade carefully slides his pants back up. They grab their things and walk inside. A blast of cold air hits them, from the A/C was on full blast the whole trip.

Cade shivers as he starts to feel warmth between his legs. Brooke doesn't seem to notice. He starts hobbling, due to the now massive buldge between his legs. She hadn't forgotten though.

"Come here, hun." She says in the bedroom. Cade doesn't know what she is doing. The voice came from the bathroom. Brooke is already naked, with the water running.

She strolls over to Cade and starts stripping his clothes. First the shirt and then the sweatpants, which she pulls down ever so gently.

He is left nearly naked aside from the puffy diaper between his legs. She looks at it, then back up at Cade, who looks embarrassed, but accepting of what she is doing. These diapers pull apart on the sides, like Velcro. She tugs at the seams until they come apart.

She carefully folds it up and tosses it into the trash bin.

She adjusts the water to just slightly over lukewarm. Both the burn and rash are still very visible. She gets in first, then pulls him in after. He doesn't hold back at all, let's her tug him by the arm.

She gets her whole body wet before switching places with him for the water. He tilts his head back into the stream. He looks relaxed, eyes closed, chest rising, then falling.

Brooke takes a pump of his shampoo, which he had brought over with some of the rest of this things, and starts lathering it through his hair. She runs her fingers through the strands, gently messaging his scalp. Cade is on cloud nine.

Once she tilts his head back and rinses it out, she uses her own, moisturizing body wash and begins scrubbing his body. She gently rubs the suds over his bottom and private area the down his legs. Cade's eyes are still closed, in absolute bliss.

Once he rinses off, Brooke gets in the water, quickly rinsing herself off and washing her hair. She turns the water off and grabs a towel. First she dries herself off, before hanging the towel over the shower rod. She grabs another one and starts drying Cade. She gently dabs around his body and then scruffs it through his hair.

She leads him to the bedroom and then for the first time starts to get nervous. She looks over at the pack of diapers sitting on the dresser, then back at Cade who is sitting on the bed, still looking totally content, and like he is waiting on her to do something.

She thinks back to babysitting. You would lay a baby down to change them.

"Lay down." She says. Cade does, still not looking the slightest bit uncomfortable.

She takes both creams, the one for the burn and the one for the rash and applies them in their designated areas. Then she takes the small bottle of powder she had gotten and applies that overtop.

Then she takes a diaper and carefully slides it over his legs and up on his bottom. His eyes are closed, but his body is giving, pliant as she handles him.

She grabs a t shirt he had brought over in his stack of clothes. It's baby blue, plain with no designs. She pulls him up and slides it over his body. She doesn't bother with pants.

Then she gets herself dressed and sits down next to him. His face is relaxed and he has never looked more at peace.

"Are you hungry?" She asks, feeling her own stomach growling. Cade nods. She takes his hand and walks him to the kitchen.

She makes three ham and cheese sandwiches with pickles and chips. One for her and two for Cade.

Once they finish up, Cade starts yawning and stretching his arms over his head.

"Didn't sleep enough on the plane or what?" She laughs.

"I guess not." He says with a grin.

It's 4 o'clock. Probably not the best time to be taking a nap, but they have a reason after being up so early.

She puts the dishes in the sink and then walks back toward the bedroom. She peels the blankets on her queen size bed back. They both slide in either side.

Cade comes closer, snuggling up to her, head in the crease of her neck. He has never felt this at home in his entire life. She can't help pressing a kiss against his forehead as she turns off the lamp and they drift off to sleep.