Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Chimaera ❯ Chapter 99 ( Chapter 99 )

Please see previous chapters for notes, disclaimers etc.

 

"Chimaera"

 

October 2003 ShenLong

 

 

Chapter 99

 

Heero and Duo both turned to face the nurse who had come into the nursery by now and was approaching them both.

 

"I think our first lesson should be in how to fold diapers and change the baby," Nurse Brown began. "Are you planning on using disposables or terry cloth diapers?"

 

"Both," replied Duo.

 

"We were told it would be better to use a combination of both, the disposables for when we go out somewhere with the baby for convenience and the cloth ones whilst at home," added Heero.

 

"Wise decision," replied the nurse. "Personally I prefer the use of the cloth diaper but the disposables do have their advantages too. At least it is a little easier these days when you're out to be able to change the baby."

 

"Huh? I don't follow," said Duo, a confused look on his face.

 

"Firstly it means you're not having to cart around soiled diapers and secondly they now have baby change rooms separate in most places."

 

"The carrying around of soiled diapers I get, it's the changing room part I don't," said Duo.

 

"In the past baby change rooms were usually located inside women's toilets."

 

"Aa," said Heero as he cottoned on.

 

"It meant that if you were a man and out with your baby there wasn't anywhere you could go to change the baby's diaper."

 

"Isn't that a bit sexist?" stated Duo.

 

"Yes, it is. However, over the years with more men taking an active role in bringing up their children, society was forced to change its outlook and now baby change rooms are separate so that male or female can access them to change a baby."

 

"Thank god we don't live in the dark ages anymore," snickered Duo.

 

"Anyway, at least now you will be able to change the baby when out in public," said the nurse. "Now, where is it you're planning on changing the baby in this nursery?"

 

"Here," said Heero pulling out the fold up change table and setting it up.

 

"Good. I'd suggest you have it set up right next to the chest of drawers, that way everything you will need will be right at hand," said the nurse. "Before we move to the actual putting on a diaper part, we need to teach you how to fold the diapers."

 

"You mean they don't go on like this?" asked Duo as he held up one of the cloth diapers.

 

"No, they don't. Tell me, Duo, how do you plan on getting that onto the baby and it staying there?"

 

Duo looked at the cloth diaper he held in his hand. It was completely open and square. "Ummm?"

 

"Here," Heero said and took the diaper from his husband. He placed it on top of the change table and folded it in half to make a triangle.

 

Nurse Brown watched with amusement. Once Heero had finished she placed the doll onto the triangle. "It's a bit big still," she said.

 

Heero promptly lifted the doll and folded the diaper again, making a smaller triangle. "Better?"

 

"Yes, but it's not going to be very effective in keeping the baby's waste inside. There's too much room around the legs."

 

"Shit."

 

"Yes, there will be that and it will leak out quite nicely from the gaps," replied the nurse.

 

Duo snickered.

 

"You have a better idea, Duo?" said Heero as he gave his partner a small glare.

 

"Errr... plastic pants?" came the cheeky reply and Duo held up a pair.

 

Heero scowled.

 

"Plastic pants are helpful but they also have the disadvantage that they can cause nappy rash. The urine gets broken down into ammonia which burns the skin. Plastic pants tend to keep in the heat and assist in the bacterial breakdown, therefore increasing the risk of nappy rash. I'm not saying don't use them, just be careful when you do to check the diaper regularly and change the baby as soon as it's wet or dirty," said the nurse as she reached for the cloth diaper.

 

Heero cringed at the word 'dirty'.

 

"Here, I'll show you a better way to fold the diaper." Nurse Brown took the cloth from the change table and shook it out. She set it out so the four corners were pointing north, south, east and west. "Watch," she said and proceeded to fold the diaper. "Take the right or east point and bring it to the middle. Now do the same with the left or west point."

 

"Looks like a kite," muttered Duo.

 

"Yes, it does resemble a kite, Duo. Okay, now we take the top or north point and fold that down to the center. The bottom or south point we bring a little way up and then fold a second time. Place a liner in there and..." Nurse Brown picked up the doll and sat it on the diaper, "all you have to do is bring the south part up between the legs and wrap the left and right parts around, securing with two safety pins. The advantage of this way of folding is that there is a better fit around the legs and you also have the extra padding where the baby needs it most for absorbency."

 

Both men stared at the doll that was now proudly wearing a neatly folded diaper. "Looks easy enough," said Heero.

 

"Here, you two try it, just the folding part for now," said the nurse and passed them both a cloth diaper.

 

"Right into the middle, now left over that..." Duo muttered to himself as he tried to remember how to fold the diaper. "Ah, shit. Too far. Left to the middle, right to the middle, now for the top bit and the bottom... Yeah!" Duo looked at his folded diaper. It sort of resembled the one the nurse had done.

 

"Not too bad, Duo. A little loose and you need to put in a second fold at the bottom. Try again."

 

With a sigh, Duo tried again. Heero, meanwhile, had studied the entire folding process and committed it to memory. Efficiently he folded the two sides then the top and finally the bottom. He studied the finished object and concluded he'd gotten it right.

 

"How's that?" he asked.

 

Both Nurse Brown and Duo looked at Heero's diaper.

 

"That's pretty good, Heero," said the nurse.

 

"Trust you to tackle everything as if it were a mission," muttered Duo as he eyed the folded cloth. "Sure you couldn't get the creases any sharper?"

 

Heero frowned. "If the creases were sharper they might injure the infant," he replied.

 

Duo rolled his eyes and turned away to have another attempt at folding. After two more tries he managed to get it right.

 

"That's good, Duo," said the nurse.

 

Duo couldn't resist poking his tongue out at Heero behind the nurse's back.

 

"You will find that the more you practice folding the easier it will become. By folding the diapers this way you can make them as large or small as you need for the baby. Newborns are tiny and quite often look swamped in a diaper, don't worry though, they grow rapidly and will soon be filling them out."

 

"Or filling them up," snickered Heero.

 

Nurse Brown heard the comment and replied, "The number of bowel motions a baby has varies from infant to infant. Some may only have one or two a day, others will fill the diaper after every feed."

 

Duo scrunched his face. "Knowing my luck we will have the sort to fill up after each feed. Heero?"

 

"Hai?"

 

"I've decided to promote you to Head Diaper Changer."

 

"Oh, no. No way, Duo."

 

"It's all part of being a parent, Heero. In case you don't remember I didn't create this baby all by myself. You shared in the fun now you can share in the care."

 

"But..."

 

"Come on, Heero. It's only going to be dirty diapers, not self destruction," teased Duo.

 

"Self detonation is far less painful."

 

"Eh? How do you figure that?"

 

"I've tried it."

 

"Ah, but you haven't tried changing a dirty diaper now have you." Duo stated. "Or is there something you're not telling us?"

 

"No, I haven't changed a baby before, but..."

 

"Yes?" Duo raised an eyebrow in question.

 

Heero flushed red. "I've been around places where women have had babies and the smell..." Heero trailed off leaving it to Duo to figure out the rest.

 

Duo laughed so hard he thought he was going to give birth then and there. "I don't believe it, Heero Yuy, savior of the Earth and colonies, is afraid of a little shit and smell."

 

"Okay you two, I think that's enough for now," interrupted the nurse. "Yes, a baby's bowel motions can be a bit strong and they usually smell stronger when they're bottle fed as opposed to breast..."

 

"Told you it would be better to breast feed, Duo."

 

"I am not a woman, Heero. I do not intend to grow breasts, it's bad enough I have the little bit I've already got. As for growing more tissue, you know what you can do with that idea." Duo gave his husband his best glare and scowled.

 

"Gentlemen, please?" growled the nurse. "It doesn't matter whether a baby is bottle or breast fed, the fact still remains that they will dirty their diaper and require changing so I suggest you both get used to the idea."

 

Heero made a mental note to check out if stores still sold gas masks whilst Duo was contemplating laying in extra supplies of air freshener.

 

"Changing the baby," began the nurse. "It's best to change baby as soon as you know it's wet or dirty, that way you minimize the chances of nappy rash. If the baby has had a bowel motion then you will need to clean its bottom as well. Baby wipes or cotton wool moistened with warm water usually work best. You will need to make sure that you get into all the creases and folds."

 

"Babies have creases?" said Heero.

 

"Yes, Heero, they do. Their skin is quite loose to start with so it does fold a little and it is necessary to clean those creases. "

 

Duo didn't say a word. He hadn't known about creases either but he wasn't about to let on.

 

"When you clean baby always make sure to clean away from the genital area so as to avoid infection, especially if the baby is a girl," continued the nurse. "If it's a boy you need to make certain to clean around the base of the testicles and don't apply baby lotion to his penis, use petroleum jelly."

 

Duo bit his lip to avoid opening his mouth and coming out with a smart comment about petroleum jelly, penis' and the gay factor. He caught Heero's eye and winked, the Japanese man taking one look at his husband and the wink to know exactly where Duo's mind was headed. Heero rolled his eyes.

 

Oblivious to what was passing between the two men, the nurse continued. "Once the baby is clean you can apply baby lotion to the bottom and thighs if you wish. Then hold the baby like this..." Nurse Brown placed the doll on the change table and raised its legs, grasping them firmly at the ankles with one hand. "Then you can raise the child enough to slip the clean diaper underneath aligning the top of it with baby's waist. Lower the legs and separate them enough to bring the point through between them. Then you simply bring the left side in and pin it... Then the right side in and pin that. There, you have a clean baby." Nurse Brown showed the men how to put on the diaper and held the doll up so they could see. "Not too complicated, now is it?"

 

Both men looked skeptical.

 

"Come on, who would like to have first try?" When neither man moved she gave a frown. "You have to learn how to do this you know, you can't wait until the child is born and then learn. It's far better to be prepared, as we used to say in the Girl Guides."

 

"Okay, I'll give it a shot," said Heero, albeit reluctantly and stepped closer to the change table.

 

"Here," Nurse Brown handed him the doll that she'd removed the diaper from. "It isn't that hard."

 

Heero still looked doubtful but placed the doll on the change table and reached for the diaper he'd folded earlier. Remembering what the nurse had said about grasping the baby's ankles in one hand he wrestled with the doll's legs to bring them into position, taking a firm hold and lifting them up. There was a funny noise and both Nurse Brown and Duo looked in shock as one of the doll's ankles snapped.

 

"Gently, Heero! This is a baby, not a mobile suit!" cried the nurse.

 

"I don't think you're meant to grasp them that firmly, Heero," said Duo in shock

 

"Sorry. I tend to forget my own strength at times," replied Heero as he looked down at the broken ankle. "I'll buy another doll."

 

"You're lucky that it's just a doll, Heero. You can at least replace that but you can't with a baby. Try to remember to be gentle," said the nurse as she shuddered at the prospect of Heero changing a real baby's diaper.

 

Heero tried again, only this time he remembered to take it gently and succeeded in lifting the doll and sliding the diaper underneath. He then lowered the legs and separated them enough to tug the point part of the diaper between the legs. Reaching for the side parts he quickly pulled them around and did the diaper up with the safety pins. "How's that?" he asked.

 

Duo watched carefully as Heero did up the diaper and winced as he tugged it between the doll's legs. "Shit, you're gonna give it a wedgie."

 

Nurse Brown took the doll and checked Heero's work. "It's a bit tight."

 

"You did say to make sure it was secure."

 

"Yes, I did, but not that tight that it's going to cut the baby in half."

 

"Hn."

 

"Here, let me have a go." Duo took the doll from the nurse and removed the diaper. Then he lay the doll down on the change table and proceeded to repeat Nurse Brown's actions. He raised the doll's legs and slid the diaper underneath, gently lowering the legs he separated them and eased the pointed part through. Bringing the two sides around, he quickly did up each side with a safety pin. "Hah! It's not that hard, Heero," he crowed as he lifted the doll up to pass over to the nurse to check.

 

As soon as he raised the doll though the diaper slid off and landed on the floor.

 

"You were saying?" smirked Heero.

 

* * *

 

The pair spent the majority of the afternoon with the nurse going through the motions of folding and changing diapers. Eventually they could both manage to change a baby and have the diaper stay on without cutting off the baby's blood supply or the need for plastic pants as support.

 

The safety pin issue was another thing entirely. Duo now sported several 'Band-Aids' to the fingers of his left hand where he'd managed to 'stick' himself with the pins as he'd tried to slide them through the clot of the diaper.

 

Heero had found that quite amusing until he'd had a few goes.

 

"At least I got my fingers. You managed to pierce the baby's navel, abdomen and genitals. Somehow I don't think a newborn is into the whole body piercing bit," had been Duo's comment.

 

Nurse Brown's comments had been a little more colorful and less than complimentary.

 

Once they had both mastered the art of securing the diaper with the safety pins and covered an interesting debate on why they were called safety pins when they drew just as much blood when you got stuck by one, Nurse Brown deemed them ready to move on to disposables.

 

Once they'd conquered the nappy bucket.

 

Nurse Brown explained how to set up the nappy bucket, how much solution to use, how to clean off a soiled diaper as well as the entire washing and drying procedure and once she was convinced that the pair wouldn't kill themselves with the chemicals and Heero wasn't going to be sick despite turning green, she allowed them to move on.

 

Duo much preferred the disposables, so did Heero. They were by far safer for the pair of them with only the sticky tabs to be negotiated and no blood loss on either theirs or the baby's behalf. The only thing Heero had to do was continuously remind himself of his strength. The first time he tried to remove the tabs he ended up almost ripping the entire diaper from the doll. The second attempt resulted in two large holes and the third saw him toss the diaper at Duo and tell him exactly what he could do with it after he'd tried to put the thing on and almost strangled the doll.

 

Both Duo and Nurse Brown thought it would be a good idea if Heero was only allowed to change the baby under strict supervision.

 

Heero didn't argue.

 

That concluded their first lesson in baby care and if Heero thought he was going to be getting out of the rest of the learning time he was sadly mistaken.

 

Nurse Brown informed them she would be bringing home another doll to practice with, one that had been specially designed to react like a normal baby. If either of the men put the diaper on too tight or accidentally stuck the doll with a pin it would be certain to let them know by crying.

 

Duo thought that sounded like a pretty cool idea.

 

Heero thought it sucked.

 

"Once I bring the new doll home we will move onto another part of the learning process," the nurse announced.

 

"And what will that be?" asked Duo. He was still feeling reasonably smug from his efforts with the diapers.

 

"Bathing the baby."

 

Heero wondered what assignments were currently in the pipeline at Preventer and if he could get Une to send him on one.

 

Preferably in space.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc.......