All Fall Down

[Mary Beth Sanford]

All Fall Down Part 1

Synopsis:  You’re dangling one story up, trapped by tons of concrete and the rescue units tell the chief it’s a week at least before you can be freed.  Just as it seems completely hopeless a woman lifts a baby nursing a bottle from a stroller to change her diapers.  It’s then, at that very moment that the two women charged with saving your life look at each other and smile.

This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.  As always I write this for your enjoyment.  A comment at the end would be greatly appreciated.  Hugs  Mary Beth.

Players:  Robert Jennings, Bob, owner.....; Maggie, Bob’s wife;  Jack Baker, Bob’s Supervisor; Tanner, Bob’s Foreman; Matt Roberts, Apprentice

Story

Robert Jennings, Bob to most of his friends, was a self-made man in the construction business.  In spite of the years he could still outwork most of the young men he hired. He was huge and walked in from the patio leaving the patio door open for another beer as the last of a very cold one trickled down his throat. 

He moved casually towards the wet bar and the ringing phone just as the Special Bulletin strip began to flash and dance across the silent screen of his television.  He didn’t utter a sound as he recognized the site he was seeing.  There was no doubt it was his building being shown.

His chest felt suddenly cold, tight, the warmth of the day slipped instantly away.  That strip whatever it was saying highlighted the scene showing the new Carter building, now collapsed, still shrouded in dust. When he had left the construction site Friday they'd reached the third floor and had started on the fourth. 

Bob felt his stomach tighten as he sat the empty bottle down on the table.  He stood frozen in place, unable to believe what he was seeing.  It looked like the second and third floor had fallen down onto the first floor right where the escalators would be installed.

"Jesus,"  Bob whispered glued to the television while still moving sideways to pick up the phone.   

“Hello,"  Bob answered in a shallow soft voice not willing to talk and about to hang up on whoever it was calling.  He was growing sick to his stomach.

"Do you have the TV on,"  Jack yelled from the other end.

"I'm watching it right now,"  Bob said realizing it was his Supervisor as his wife walked in from the kitchen.  She was wiping her hands on a dish towel.  Curiosity was on her face. She was about to ask who was on the phone till she saw her husband's face.  It had drained of color. 

Maggie had rarely seen her husband blanche like that, and his fear instantly made her afraid even without knowing why.  Bob was a rock and for him to show that kind of fear....  He was looking at the TV.   Maggie  turned to look at what he was looking at.  She took a step back as she realized what she was looking at.

"Jack, cut to the chase....  Right now it’s not about the building!  Just tell me, did we have anyone working there today,"  Bob asked moving to the desk where his opened briefcase sat.

"Yes,"  Jack said before saying anything else.

"God no, please, don't tell me that,"  Bob said in a lowered voice causing his wife to bring the towel to her mouth with her hands as Bob added, "who?  Who was it?  Where was he?  What do we know?"

"I just got off the phone with Tanner, our Foreman.  Tanner brought in a kid named Matt.  Matt Roberts.  He was widening a hole for a conduit about four feet to the right of that left beam where the first escalator would have gone."  Jack said.

“Those damn escalators,”  Bob whispered.

Exactly,”  Jack said and added, "and before you ask, "yes, he was actually in the building when it came down.  Foreman says he was on a ladder in the hole working because Tanner had just climbed in and back out to check on him."

"Do you know if he might have made it out of there,"  Bob asked.

"Not a chance Bob.  Seriously, doesn't look good.  Foremen did.  He was just at the gate when the building went down.  Tanner puts the kid, best, guess right under the collapse,"  Jack said.

"Shit,"  Bob said and then added, "okay, well, until we know for a fact, let's work on the hope he's still okay and just trapped.   I mean that Jack.  Spare no effort.  I want to round up everyone that's going to matter and get them into it ASAP.  I'm heading there now!” 

“You got it,”  Jack said.

“Jack, I’m not kidding on this!  I want it all.  I want everything and everyone!  I mean everyone.  Anyone talking to the family yet?"

"No one so far.  I can start that right now,"  Jack said and added,  "I'm in my truck heading to the site as we speak.  I've already got Alice calling in the equipment operators.  I’ve got five semi drivers in their cars on the way to the yard and two yard birds heading there to start warming up the heavy’s.  I'll get the equipment moving within half an hour.  We can be ready as soon as the engineers gives us a green light."

"Meet you there,"  Bob said hanging up his phone and turning to his wife as he added, "that's our building and we've got one worker, a kid in it when it collapsed.  No chance in hell he made it out of there when it came down.  At least it's not looking good, but still... if there is even the smallest chance....   Anyway, I'm going down there now to see what we can do about it."

Bob's wife nodded in silence at first.  There was nothing she could add.  She moved closer to touch his arm.  She knew he would be taking this personally. 

“Go,”  Maggie said.

Bob kissed his wife, grabbed his jacket and keys and headed for his car.   Bob’s secretary was already on the phone with Jack’s.  Jack's secretary Alice started calling in the workers that Jack wanted in.  She was also instructed to call the board of directors and staff to head for the office. 

Jack was already heading for the site.  Four network news helicopters were taking up positions overhead as Bob drove up.  Six satellite trucks were already setting down levelers and raising their dishes to start searching for network signals as the first cadaver dog was getting leashed and it's footpads laced on.  When the call went out that a building had collapsed they had been practicing five miles north as part of a demonstration

Distant sirens came from more fire and ambulance as trucks were still rolling in when Jack arrived.  A police officer still unrolling yellow tape across the road stopped to allow him in after asking who he was.  The building was still crumbling in parts and sending up shooting columns of dust.  Off to the right a broken main was spraying water in a high arch.  Cars were parking and people were starting to gather with cell phones to record the disaster as more police began putting up additional barricades and tape while redirecting traffic.

Within the rubble there was occasional movement as dust was sent into the air.   It wasn’t from people but from rubble settling.  Large and small pieces of concrete tumbled.  A fireman parked his car, opened his trunk and pulled his helmet on first as he pulled on his heavy turnout matted with the large letters Battalion Chief across the back before walking towards the first Fire Chief to arrive. 

Outside speakers in the grill of his car blared as the telltale squawk of synchronized emergency announcements of fire and rescue units all on the same frequency positioned themselves for whatever followed.  Electrical service trucks on call to the fire department arrived followed by their counter part in gas service units, as well as the city's sewer and lights.  Those trucks parked just inside a barrier tape being stretched across a road.  All of the technicians on duty that day started walking towards the Fire Chief.

[Mary Beth Sanford]

All Fall Down Part 2

A loud voice boomed over the air.  It was the Battalion Chief's voice going into a microphone connected to a portable unit he carried as he started barking orders:  "Station Seven, Engine Four, move South Side and give me two three inch feeds to twelve feet.  Station One, Engine Three, with Pump One on the Hydrant.  Rescue Six position also on the south side for a triage tent.  Wait instructions from the Fire Chief."

Units acknowledged:  “Stations Seven”.  “Engine Four.”  Station One.”  Engine Three.”  Rescue six pulled left of Engine three and moved to a curb giving her access to what might have been the entrance at one time as Helen slowed and stopped.

"Rescue Six,"  Helen said keying her mike as she moved her rescue unit slowly in behind the pump that had just stopped to hook up and drag a line.

“EMT unit behind Rescue Six,”  Fire Chief Becker ordered.

The chief had directed Helen and a station ambulance side by side as he walked over.  Helen climbed out, closed the door and turned towards the Chief.

"We may not need you.  Tell you the truth we don't know yet?  Not sure how many were in there.  Place was pretty empty thank God.  Might have one but it could be more.  We’ve got noise but the building is still tumbling.  We've got one soul officially logged in according to security.  No status,”  Chief Becker said.

“So you still want a Triage Tent,”  Helen asked.

“You know what, hold on the triage tent till we know more.  Got a cadaver dog getting leashed now so stand by with the EMT's for a recovery if possible.  City Morgue is on their way,"  Chief Becker said as he turned to direct a pumper hose getting laid to hook to a hydrant.

"Understood,"  Helen said as the chief broke off his talk with her and started waving at another trunk coming in while talking into his radio. 

"Station Seven, Engine Four, Station One, Engine Three setup on the east side with two inch and a half's.", the chief said before adding, "and give me your ladder height pointing down at the middle in case we get gas ignition.  I want three men in mask and tanks standing by just in case.  No one goes in till I get sniffers and an okay first."

"Station Seven, Roger,"  A voice said over the speaker.

Rescue Six positioned themselves on instructions from the Chief by radio as each rolled in.  Two squad cars set up a perimeter to keep the press and onlookers outside the rescue area as the Chief waited to hear from the cadaver team.  Two three inch hoses were getting tugged off a truck and another ladder truck was just pulling in.  A hundred feet away a large ladder rose in the air with a huge remote red nozzle pointing down over the rubble.

City services found the feed to the main that would shut the water to the building risers.  They asked the chief if it was okay to kill the water to the building to shut the geyser.  Chief Becker said yes and a moment later the forty foot spray quickly shrank to nothing.

Someone with a megaphone yelled, "quiet". 

It was the rescue team now standing on a slab with a second team member on his hands and knees hanging over the edge looking down.  They had pulled the dog back about twenty feet and given him the command to stay.  The dog was laying at his trainers' feet calmly waiting for the next command.  He'd been trained not to bark with a hand wave.

It was pitch black with the only sounds the echo of water dripping nearby.  Overhead the helicopters monitoring a set frequency had all pulled back two miles for their rotor blade noise. All the trucks in the area shut their engines and pumps on command.  Someone off in the distance caughed but that was the exception to the silance.

Matt, stunned, meanwhile was still gasping for air, Coughed.  He spit and coughed again.  He was desperately trying to clear his throat of dust.  He was mostly successful but his nose was still running from an allergic reaction to the choking fine dust.  He was scared, petrified that he'd been crushed and didn't know it yet.  He moved a finger, then a hand at the wrist.

Matt made an attempt to move down and out at the same time feeling with his shoe for his ladder.  Try as he might to move up or down he couldn’t.  Something near his side stabbed him painfully and he stopped.  There wasn’t enough room to get a hand down to feel what it was stabbing him.   Overhead he could touch cold concrete within half an arms length.  Before the noise and horrific sounds of the building crashing down around him there had been sunlight.

Below Matt had been his ladder.  Now his legs swung free and while it felt as if it was wide enough to slip out, that sharp object prevented him from going down any further.  Matt couldn’t get his hands down past his waist.  Concrete above prevented his climbing up.  Matt couldn't go up or down.  For all intents and purposes he was trapped.  That’s when he paused, took a breath to calm himself and started to yell.

"Hello,"  Matt yelled at the top of his voice.  He reasoned that yelling for help was somehow inappropriate.

Off in the distance Matt heard a loudspeaker call out for silence and a radio nearby blared to redirect the helicopters overhead to fly off two miles.  Somewhere a loud speaker called for radio silence.  A moment later you could almost hear a pin drop.

"Hello,"  Matt yelled again.

“Hello!  Hey!  Are you Matt,”  A voice yelled back.

“Yes,”  Matt answered.

"Hey buddy...  can you hear us okay,"  A voice cried out.

"I can hear you,"  Matt yelled.

"What's your full name son,"  the voice asked.

"Matt,"  Matt said and then added, "I mean it’s Matt Roberts."

"Matt, are you hurt,"  the voice asked.

"I don't know?  Maybe, a little,  It's my side.  I'm not sure.  If I am I don't think it's very bad,"  Matt said, and added, "it's really dark?  I can't see anything.  I can't move much.  Something happened.  I was working.  Something is keeping me from moving.  Can you see me?  I think I'm trapped?"

"I can't see you Matt, not yet son, but soon,"  the voice said.

"Can you tell me what happened,"  Matt said.

"I can't tell you that either Matt.  Give me a little time here to see if I can get to you and then we'll know more, okay,"  the voice said and then added, “Matt, it’s going to be okay.”

Okay,"  Matt said.

"Matt, can you feel around yourself and tell me if you feel any cuts or wounds,"  the voice said and then added,  "I'm Jessy by the way."

"Hi Jessy.  I'm feeling around now.  No, I can’t feel anything. So I don't think so.  I mean no cuts or bad wounds.  Not that I can feel.   I've got some scratches, does that count,"  Matt asked.

"Just making sure you're okay for now,"  Jessy said and added, “do any of the cuts feel wet?”

"No,"  Matt said.

"Okay Matt, hang in there, we're going to see where you are and what's got you pinned down okay,"  the voice said.

[Mary Beth Sanford]

All Fall Down Part 3

"Okay Jessy,"  Matt said.

Jessy hurried off the rubble following an orange line painted on the concrete with a spray can.  He made his way to the Fire chief.

There was a flurry of activity.  A table was set up for the architectural firm and city engineers.  Structural engineers were brought in by helicopter and within an hour Matt's approximate location was pinpointed and his survival was guessed at.  Matt's boss Tanner, acting foreman stood with Jack, his Supervisor. He and Bob stood together as they allowed Tanner to explain to the engineer what it was Tanner was working on.

To give them a better visualization they had the architectural renderings showing the first floor of the office building with people going up and down the escalators.  Tanner was highlighting the area when Matt was widening the opening.  The twenty foot ladder would have been positioned there where the UP escalator would be.

Everyone looked at the drawings.  There was a lot of good news.  Structurally Matt was at the strongest part of the building.  He was also standing or hanging within a hole.  The hole itself would have allowed a two foot by one foot metal framing between concrete floors to pass through.

When the concrete was poured It was not wide enough by an inch and Matt was spending his Sunday at double pay to chip out that one inch of concrete.  Matt was on a ladder using a hand held jack hammer chiseling through the one foot thick concrete on the first floor when the second floor and third floor came down.

The supports on either side of Matt were crushed down a foot but held the floor where he was working although some of the rebar had stretched and snapped.  That same rebar, used to strengthen the concrete had broken and twisted in such a way that they were now acting as barbs similar to a fish hook. Those barbs were what poked at Matt when he tried coming out of the hole.   

There was enough concrete on either side of Matt's head to hold the third floor from coming down completely saving him from being crushed against the second floor.  He was now suspended within a hole with his legs dangling just above the ground floor that would have been the lobby.  How long those columns would hold was anyone's guess but for now they were holding.

First issue was to fix the area however it could be fixed to keep it from collapsing further and killing Matt.  The next two immediate issues, in order, was to get to Matt and assess his immediate injuries.   Last of course was to get Matt out without further injuries.  The plan came together from there.

Teams began working their way into the chamber where Matt was dangling.  As that tunnel grew in size, large mechanical Jacks were brought in and were set on steel plates forming a supporting structure along this new path.  The goal was to have a reinforced “cave” when they reached Matt.

As the engineers explained, with the help of the fireman, Matt was more or less dangling in the hole he'd been working on.  They had clear access from the bottom where the lobby would have been from his waist down.  Above that he was in that concrete hole with a slab above that which had once been the next floor.  He had a little movement with his arms but only just. 

One of the fireman using a flashlight and mirror finally found what was preventing Matt from coming out from the bottom.  It was a piece of concrete with a stretched and torn piece of rebar now pressing firmly up against his chest. It had left a bad scratch but miraculously that was all. 

Matt would have to go out from the top.  If that was the way, the Fire Chief said with a nod, then that was the way!   That rebar, looking at the small camera images, was too close to Matt to cut or melt.

Emergency Medical Technician or EMT for Helen and Paramedic Barbie began preparing one of Barbie's gurneys.  They crammed it with what they thought they might need for whatever trauma Matt had suffered and then stood by outside their different rigs for the rescue team to give them the okay to go in. 

The entry team worked through the night under emergency lighting assessing the buildings structure as they inched their way to Matt.  The final engineering team’s assessment was made as the last jacks were set in place.

Brian Campbell of Capital Buildings had gone to Matt's house and picked up his mother and sister.   They were pulling up to the site when the first breach of the large space was made by the first fire department team.  That breach allowed Helen to be the first medical person to enter the chamber to climb the large sections of ladder set to finally reach Matt. 

The world watched in silence with Helen’s heavy breathing the only sound as the helmet camera feed came back live while Helen climbed up far enough to reach Matt's dangling legs and shoes.  They put the feed on a delay just in case there was something too gruesome they didn't want to go out to the public.

"Hey Matt,"  Helen said touching his lower calf for a reassuring touch and to get a sense of his body temperature as she dragged her medical bag up by the rope. 

Helen came alongside and looked up so the light shined while she began moving some of the smaller debris away.  Large and small blocks of concrete were being carried away on either side of Matt giving more space each time a piece was carried out.  The ladder Matt had been using was the first thing that would need to be cut away as would a couple of the twisted rebar. 

"I'm going to put my stethoscope on your back okay."  Helen said and then added, "it's going to feel a little cold.

"Okay,"  Matt said.

Ten minutes later Helen finished her assessment and managed to back down the ladder and give the fireman a chance to go back in and start clearing out the chamber a little more where Matt dangled.  Another team was using hammers and chisels around the walls to open the chamber to walk in and out of. 

Meanwhile work lights were set up and a meal wagon was driven into position for the long term.  Propane was lit off as teams started setting up for the  effort to move tons of concrete by hand.

The entire tunnel was cleared on either side of the Jacks already set up and by morning Helen went in again.  She did a better assessment now that she could stand on a platform.  The down side was Matt was still dangling almost completely now.  Helen did a full medical check with Barbie alongside jotting his vitals before they returned outside to make their report.

Both stood by the Chief as Helen, given the lead, read from their notes.

“He's got some scratches that I can see, but nothing serious showing.  He's in a mild state of shock, but it's from the accident and not from any injury that I can find.  He seems lucid and his vitals are solid although heart rate's high for obvious reasons,”  Helen said and paused. 

“I haven't started an IV drip and didn't give him anything yet till they get the area clear.  I think I can get a tube in for a little water but for long term feeding, that's out,"  Helen said as she added, "I can get you more when I have time for more."

"Fair enough, as for time, we don’t know yet,"  the Chief said moving off to talk to the building engineers. 

Helen moved back to her rig to give the fireman that were assembling into teams time to work.  Bob's men were sitting up massive powered hydraulic jacks and lifts to come in and shore up more of the flooring.  Their intent after some discussion was to build a mini platform around Matt using the first floor ground as the base with walk up metal stairs.

The chief stood over the table with the engineers.

[Mary Beth Sanford]

All Fall Down Part 4

"Shoring is going to be the first priority along with easing some of the tonnage around and above.  We can get hydraulics around the floor, that part's pretty easy and the base is strong enough, and fairly straight forward.  On top is another issue because we don't yet know what to cut.  That's the one that's going to take the time,"  the lead engineer said showing everyone the drawing he was talking about.

"Give us your best guess,"  Bob Jennings asked.

"Six... maybe seven... could be as much as eight days.  Eight at the most If everything holds!  Those floors are a foot thick each and reinforced.  Steel running this way and rebar reinforced concrete.  We still don't know why they collapsed so there is that,”  The first engineer said.

“That’s right.  Now they are twisted and mixed with each other making it even harder to figure out.  Some of it is still stable, some of it not, and we don't know which is which yet.  We've got to go in one foot at a time from both ends of that collapse so there is some kind of balance.  We can shore up each side as we go," the second engineer said.

"All right.  So do what you've got to do and use what you need,"  Bob said.

Meanwhile the rescuers and engineers had built a platform up to Matt with a steel stair case that spiraled up.  First impressions was of the Michelangelo Sistine Chapel scaffolding except it was made of metal.  It was also odd seeing a body hanging from the middle of it  Almost like a gallows except the upper torso disappeared.

"Matt, honey,"  Helen said after she was allowed back in and was now standing next to Matt. 

The fireman had done a remarkable job clearing the space and building workable area.  A half dozen long jacks were positioned around Matt and those had brought an additional bit of safety plus there was now heating and lights.   Six hours had passed.  A total of ten since the accident.  Outside jack hammers continued chipping away at the concrete above.

Helen and Barbie had carried the gurney up and sat it up right under Matt.  They made some adjustments so Matt could finally sit and started him on an IV drip immediately.  They were told he could be trapped for days. 

Barbie was also giving Matt a couple of small ice cubes that helped quince his thirst since they couldn't yet get a glass or any kind of tube or straw into the space above him yet.  They had a space heater warming the area but it was still chilly from the night air and massive amounts of concrete.

They had managed to cap the rebar with a plastic safety cap and put folded piece of gauze when it pressed against his chest.  They had also cut up a blanket and covered the concrete where it rubbed against his back and around his arms.  Now that he was sitting the pressure o his back had been taken off so his heart rate was coming down.  Matt’s first day was coming up as the Sun did.

Helen and Barbie were sitting out in the sunlight as morning was breaking talking about the long term care.  They had cut his pants and shorts off and put salve over his rash after he had urinated during the buildings collapse.  They had washed him clean but he was sensitive to the acidity of the urine and the rash came on quickly.  Solid food was out because of a risk of choking.  There was no way to treat him should he start to choke on a piece of food.  There was also the risk of more rash.

Barbie suggested a catheter and asked Matt if he had any known allergies.  Another piece of bad news came then.

"Polyacrylate," Matt said to Helen when she had proposed inserting a catheter for Matt so they could strap a bag to his leg to help him urinate. 

Matt had said no to the catheter and then explained it began last Summer while working at a chemical plant that made garden hoses.  Matt got the allergy while working on the injector line from the raw pellets used. 

He had developed a sensitivity to Polyacrylate within a few weeks.  Polyacrylate was one of the chemicals also used in manufacturing catheters which of course immediately ruled out the possibility of hooking Matt to a bag to collect his urine.

“Too bad,”  Helen said.

“I know,”  Barbie said and added, “which rules out option number two.” 

As it happens Matt was actually allergic to Sodium Polyacrylate or more specifically polyelectrolyte.   That allergic reaction to polyelectrolyte was what ruled out disposable diapers as well since the filling used to absorb water in disposable diapers was made up mostly of Sodium Polyacrylate. 

Matt only knew this because he had to be careful around things that used it to absorb moisture.   He found this out he said handling a small packet of the stuff in a pill bottle when he took a couple of aspirin and blew up like a balloon when he removed the small packet.

“Damn it,”  Helen said as she added, “he’s starving up there and dying of thirst and we’re down here eating.”

"We're getting blocked from all sides,"  Barbie said as she nibbled at her sandwich alongside of Helen.  They were sitting by their trucks.   It was warming up outside.  They had finally gotten a narrow long rubber tube to Matt's mouth for water so that had solved the immediate crisis but there was still the issue of feeding him over the span of days.

"Tell me about it,"  Helen added in frustration as she added, "if we don't start coming up with something we’re going to run into trouble with his long term care"

"What's happening with that rebar in front of his face,"  Barbie asked with concern in her voice

"Can't get any kind of cutter in.  No room and a torch is too close to his face,"  Helen said before adding.  They don't even know when they can start moving that big stuff out of the way yet."

Both went silent and slowly continued eating their lunch.  It was tasteless considering they were going to start losing the young man trapped in the building if they didn't come up with a solution very soon.  Helen was starring off into space when she glanced over at a mother just lifting a child from a baby carriage across the way. 

At first Helen focused on how lucky the mother was.  Then she began watching the mother caring for the child she had taken from the carriage.  There was a diaper bag sitting alongside the mother also taken from the carriage.  Cloth diapers Helen noted.

"Hey,"  Helen said watching the mother undoing the onesie she had the baby dressed in.  What had caught her eye was the fact she had laid an old fashion cloth diaper and pair of snap on plastic pants next to the baby before she began to change her.

"What,"  Barbie asked.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing,"  Helen said.

“What am I looking at,”  Barbie asked.

“Over there,”  Helen said.

“Where,”  Barbie asked.

“There,”  Helen said pointing.

Barbie followed Helen’s finger.

[Mary Beth Sanford]

All Fall Down Part 5

"The mother and child?  Yes?  What about them,"  Barbie said, paused.  She suddenly got it as she added, "yes!  Damn!  Oh, hell yes!  Why didn't we think of that before!  Cloth diapers!  Cloth diapers, and good old fashion plastic vinyl baby pants, VINYL!  Hell, even a baby bottle with rubber nipples!  That's it.  Why didn’t we think of this before?  For all practical purposes he's just a baby!"

“Pre Sodium Polyacrylate days as well.  I’ll bet you dollars to donuts if we look hard enough we can find baby pants even made of plasticized rayon.”  Helen said.

“Gerber,”  Barber said and

“Or at least something non allergenic,”  Barbie said then added, “even rubber panties.”

"It's been looking at us in the face the whole time,"  Helen said and added, "it's so damn simple."

"Oh my God!  Helen, you're right!  He's nothing more than an old fashioned baby,"   Barbie said and added, "just a little bit bigger than the one there on the bench.

"Exactly,"  Helen noted and added, "and he’s right out of the 1950's baby play book.

Both women laughed.

They wrapped their unfinished sandwiches in the papers they come in and tossed what was left into their bags as they rushed into the chamber.  They  had already managed to move a narrow gurney under Matt to relieve some of the pressure off his arms so he could actually sit as they rushed up and stood along side. 

They had been changing the sheets right after he would soil which was a kind of workable solution, but definitely not the best solution and he was still slowly starving to death.   They did a quick assessment made some measurements and a couple of sketches and agreed it would work.  They didn't tell Matt what they planned but did say they would be back.

A baby's vintage glass bottle would easily fit into the narrow opening and could tip up or go in at the 45 degrees it would need, and they could easily bring it to his mouth.  Helen did the math as Barbie got on the phone with a nutritionist at the local hospital who said they would work on a formula they could put into a solution to pass through a baby bottle nipple.

It took that morning to find a collector willing to give up a collection of glass baby bottles with several tops and rubber nipples to fit.  That collector got the address and promised to meet them at the site.  He was also going to bring some of the boiling aids a brushes that mothers once used to clean baby bottles.

Helen and Barbie then sat with the Fire Chief and told him what they planned.  He shuddered at the notion of what that young man was about to go through but it would be saving his life.  The Fire Chief gave them the go ahead. 

The ladies had three stops to make as they jumped into the ambulance and eased up to the first barrier as the police officer waved them through:  The first stop was to the health food store who promised to fix at least three days worth of meals based on the nutritionist formula that would get mixed and pureed into a fine mix to flow through a slightly enlarged baby bottle nipple. 

That nutritionist said she would flavor them for the time of day.  Bacon flavor for breakfast, American Cheese for lunch and a mild taco mix for dinner.  She would mix other flavors into jars for more days as she worked on Matt’s formula.

After the health food store stopover they headed for the pharmacy for additional baby accessories and finally that last stop at the Cuddles Diaper Service.  The manager promised enough diapers and vintage snap on plastic pants to keep Matt dry till he could wiggle free of his concrete prison.  The vintage plastic pants had been buried in storage and some were still brand new when he found them.

“Circa 1956 when bed wetting was treated directly with diapers and plastic pants regardless of age,”  the manager said handing Helen the package he had put together before adding, “you wet a bed like a baby in those days you went to bed like a baby.”

Barbie and Helen looked at each other and wondered out loud if that manager had spoken from first hand experience on the drive back.  Their guess was he had.  It was the way that manager caressed the baby pants.  In any event they had everything they needed to care for a baby Matt’s size in 1956.

That pharmacy stop also provided them with a box of latex gloves, baby wipes, baby lotion, baby powder and diaper ointment.  When they got back they had three firemen rig a partition with pitons and canvas so the gurney Matt sat on was protected and private.  Behind the tarp another gurney was brought it, stripped of the mattress to the fiberglass layer to act as a shelf and set up with enough room to get in between the first and second.

Barbie and Helen began opening the packages and bags of items while folding diapers and plastic vinyl pants into piles.  Even the diaper pins, also provided by that manager had old fashion lockable heads.   Behind the partition that the fireman had set up the two women created a nursery of sorts folding and stacking diapers and plastic vinyl pants with two sets of diaper pins.  The powders and ointments were also laid out. 

On the gurney were baby wipes and dry wipes, baby powder and diaper rash cream and oil.   Potable water was brought in hoisted up and set up along with a power cord and portable wash station. 

They brought in a second platform that was raised and set against the first doubling the area.  A sleeping cot was arranged for the girls.  A folding table held the formulas and a small pot to help heat the mixtures once they were poured into the glass baby bottles. 

They had even gotten Johnson dry baby bath for camping along with baby powder scented towelettes for travelers.  Helen was going to give Matt his first baby bath while Barbie moved a short step ladder to began to feed him while Helen fitted him into his first diapers and baby pants after his bath.

“Matt,”  Helen said when everything was ready.

“Yes,”  Matt replied

“We’ve come up with a solution that we think will take care of your current incontinence problem and more importantly meals,”  Helen said.

“Awesome,”  Matt said and added, “I’m kind of tired of sitting on cold wet sheets if you want to know the truth and I’m starved.”

“We know,”  Helen said and then added, “so the incontinence first.  Of course disposable diapers are out because of your allergies but we’ve since discovered you’ll fit into cloth.  We think that’s the best solution for now.”

“Cloth,”  Matt repeated before it struck him what Helen was saying as he added, “you mean diapers?  You’re talking about cloth diapers?  Diapers that pin on with diaper pins?”

“Yes,”  Helen said and then added, “cloth diapers.  Pin on style cloth diapers.  Not perfect but they will keep you dry and clean.  And we can change you immediately.”

“Which means baby pants over those,”  Matt said and then added, “which I’m allergic to.”

“Not these panties,”  Helen said.  We’re using plasticized rayon.  These are snap on style Gerber pants for teens.  We’ve measure them and they’ll fit you easily.  They are made from vinyl.”

“So you want me to wear cloth diapers and snap on plastic vinyl pants,”  Matt asked.

[Mary Beth Sanford]

All Fall Down Part 6

“Yes,”  Helen said.

“I’m not too keen on the idea but I’m not sure I have much choice either,”  Matt said and then added, “and I hate sitting on cold wet sheets.”

“I know and from now on you won’t have to,”  Helen said and then added, “as for eating.”

“Just don’t tell me you’re thinking of baby bottles,”  Matt said laughing.

“Okay, I wasn't.  We’ll just hand you one when the time comes,”  Helen said.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,”  Matt said.

“It’s the only thing we can think of.  They are telling us worse case maybe eight days.  You can’t go without food that long.  Look,  Matt, it’s just Barbie and me up here, and we’re the only two that’s going to be up here taking care of you,”  Helen said.

“Promise,”  Matt said.

“I promise,”  Helen said.

“And no one else needs to know about any of this right,”  Matt asked.

“Not another living soul,”  Helen said.

Helen further explained their plan which, after all the logic and questions, still hadn’t gone over very well,  but got reluctantly accepted.  Matt could understood the reasoning behind their logic and why they had to do what they wanted to do, but it didn't change what was going to happen to him. 

In the end he said yes, he had to. 

Both Barbie and Helen held a brief impromptu meeting between themselves but in whispered tones just a few feet away from Matt.  It was during that conversation that a slight problem arose.  It came right after Matt sat over his first diaper.

“I’ll be right back Matt,”  Helen had said right after slipping the diaper and baby pants under him.  As soon as he’d been told to lower himself over both his erection was instantaneous.

“Well, that’s a little awkward,”  Matt said feeling very embarrassed by the whole thing.  As soon as he’d felt the diaper touch him he’d gotten the erection.  He couldn’t explain it, didn’t even want to try. 

Up to now everything had been pretty straight forward.  Unfortunately the instant he sat over the diaper it had happened.

“It’s no big deal Matt,”  Helen yelled from a few feet away before adding, “seriously, Matt, It’s not!”

“What do you make of that,”  Barbie asked as they stood there together trying to decide what to do about it.

“Why it came on or the problems it’s going to cause?  Obviously the diaper is not going to fit over that,”  Helen said.

“Tell me about it,”  Barbie said smiling as she added, “it would be like trying to wrap a switch blade that’s sprung open.”

Helen snickered.

“It is going to be a problem,”  Barbie added.

“We could just wait and let thing calm a bit,”  Helen said.

“Good idea,”  Barbie added,

They had left things alone to see if Matt might relax and he had, but then, as soon as they started up again and the instant the diaper moved his erection came back. 

This was going to be an issue.  Helen wasn’t sure what was causing it but it didn’t matter.  The fact remained that he couldn’t be diapered with his erection getting in the way.

Both Helen and Barbie were mature women, and it wasn’t as if neither hadn’t seen one before but this time it was interfering with their work. 

I’m worried that if we don’t do this now he won’t let us do this ever,”  Helen said and then added, “and that’s going to include feeding him.”

“I’m afraid your right,”  Barbie said and added, “if he’s already pretty stressed over wearing the damn things.”

“Stressed, yes, but I think it’s also something more,”  Helen said and added, “maybe not a fetish but a turn on at the very least.  Perhaps not even consciously, but I’m willing to wager Sigmund Freud would love to be here to find out.”

“So now what,”  Barbie said.

“I say we do this and take a page out of Sigmund’s book, and actually let Sigmund take over,”  Helen said.

“What’s that mean,”  Barbie asked.

“Let’s let the good doctor loose and just diaper him.  Whatever happens, happens,”  Helen said.

“You mean let nature take it’s course,”  Barbie said.

“Exactly,”  Helen added.

“Sounds like a plan,”  Barbie said and then added, “at least he’s covered by the diaper.  I mean once he’s gotten off it might even make it easier to change him the next time.”

“That’s what I was thinking,”  Helen said and then added, “so let’s do this.

“I’m ready,”  Barbie said.

“You all set Matt,”  Helen asked.

“Yes,”  Matt said, paused and then in a quieter voice added, “I’m just not sure I can control myself.”

“We know.  We’re not going to worry about that,”  Helen said.

“Oh,”  Matt said and then asked, “why’s that?”

“If you’ll pardon the pun Matt, we’ll have you covered,”  Helen said.

“Oh, right,”  Matt said.  He didn’t dare want to discuss what that actually meant.

“Okay Matt spread your legs as wide as you can,”  Helen said.

They shifted the gurney a little just so matt felt it move and cranked it up a little so he was firmly against the diaper again.   It was all intended just to catch his attention.  Earlier they had laid open the baby pants unsnapped, then the folded diaper on top of those with a second diaper folded down the center.   Barbie had been generous with the baby powder.  Helen was just as generous with that same powder over Matt loins.

[Mary Beth Sanford]

All Fall Down Part 7

Barbie got Helen’s attention and nodded at Matt’s erection.  There was a drip of pre cu_m forming.  It wasn’t simply an erec_tion any more, but now a raging hard on and the tip was dripping.  With Matt sitting there, his legs open, it stood out at a forty five degree angle stiffly daring them to try and cover it.

“I think he’ll ejacu_late the instant the diaper touches and excites his tip,”  Helen whispered from one opposite side looking at Matt’s erec_tion then at Barbie.

“I think you’re right,”  Barbie noted.

Matt couldn’t hear nor see what was happening but he could feel the sudden movement of the diaper under his cheeks as it was gently pulled.  The diaper or diapers grew taut then came up between his thighs.  A mass, it felt like a mass but he knew it was his diapers formed over his erec_tion.  That’s when he heard the soft crinkling of the baby pants. 

It seemed to all come together right then and there.  Helen’s hand squeezed slightly gathering and pressing those diapers and baby pants against him at the same instant she smoothed them on top of his pen_is.  It was more than he could bear.  He fought the urge at first, then wondered why he was fighting and gave up.  He would have anyway.

That first pulse was sudden, massive and powerful.  If was followed immediately by a second and third, then a fourth with each growing less powerful.  The first curled his toes and stiffened his back and legs, tightening his bottom as he balled his fist.  He fought against the grunt but both women  heard it.  Helen felt it in his diaper.

Matt's soft grunt followed another giving hints that the process was working and his curling toes highlighted that fact that Matt was nearing completion just as his stiffened legs began to ease a little.  Matt's bottom clinched more and raised a little.  There was another soft grunt while he remained rigid a bit longer then suddenly he collapsed as his last spasm ended as a dry spurt.

Matt simply continued breathing rapidly as Helen continued diapering him.  She brought the back up to meet the front.  Held the two edges together while picking up an open diaper pin.  The sharpened diaper pin went in easily and close one side then the other.  With both sides pinned closed she snapped the panties closed.  Helen spent a few more minutes fussing with the edges around Matt’s legs and waist before lowering the gurney a little so he was sitting more.

“Hungry,”  Helen asked more to change the subject than anything else.

“Starved,”  Matt said.

“Barbie’s getting things ready as we speak,”  Helen said.

“Great,”  Matt said moving his bottom a little.  He had brought his legs together discovering as he did so that the massive amount of diapers kept his feet about a foot and a half apart.  He could overcome the distance but he would have to force it.  It felt strange that sensation of a mound growing over his pen_is when he moved his legs together.  He also felt the greater distance between himself and the gurney.  It felt like inches although he was sure it was only half an inch at most.  He wanted to caress it all but of course couldn’t.

Barbie grabbed the tongs to lift the glass baby bottle from the hot water wrapping a towel around it.  She used a thermometer to check the temperature then added the special rubber nip_ple and cap.  As promised the nutritionist had designed the meal with an American Cheese flavor for lunch.  There was another bottle of grape punch to wash it all down.

“Okay Matt, I’m handing this up so it’s already to start,”  Barbie said slowly slipping the glass baby bottle up past the concrete and rebar.  There was the faint clink of glass against metal or rock but she had wrapped a towel around the bottle first.

“I’ve got it,”  Matt said as the bottle reached him.

“Matt!  It’s pretty straight forward.  Just squeeze the sides of the nip_ple together and bring your lips forward and that will force the formula out the hole.  It’s liquefied enough that if you keep the bottle tipped at about a forty-five degree angle it should flow until it’s empty,”  Barbie said and then added, “you don’t have to finish it but if you do and want more there’s plenty.  Okay?”

“Okay,”  Matt said holding the baby bottle with both hands.  They had rigged a small LED pin light so he could see the small brown nip_ple now inches from his mouth.  The vintage baby bottle was full as he brought the nip_ple into his mouth.  He crushed the sides together and immediately got the taste sensation of a grilled cheese between bread from the nip_ple.  He was famished.

Barbie drew as close as she could to hear Matt feeding.  Every once in a while he would break contact with the nip_ple and air would rush into the baby bottle to fill the vacuum created by Matt’s feeding.  Barbie gave a silent thumbs up to Helen.  Helen sat by their cots after making coffee.  She wasn’t sure how much to tell Barbie because she wasn’t sure how much she herself was understanding, but when Matt had his orgasm she had her own.

“I’m going to step outside if you don’t mind,”  Helen told Barbie.

“Go ahead,”  Barbie said and then added, “He’s definitely going to take a second bottle.”

Helen squinted in the bright sunlight cursing her forgetfulness as she grabbed her sun glasses.  It wasn’t hot, nor cold reaching about seventy four with a predicted high of seventy eight by early evening.  Spring was going to be serious entrenched within another week or so as she took in the trees already budding above the fresh grass. 

Helen was stretching the kinks from her shoulders when she saw the woman again.  This time with the little girl sitting up in the stroller as she walked towards her.  Helen fussed with her truck which was just this side of the yellow tape as the woman neared.

“How is that young man doing,”  the woman asked coming up alongside.

“Very well considering.  They’re coming at him from above.  We should know in a few more days,” Helen said giving out more information than she normally would but she owed this woman.  Of course she wanted to thank her but didn’t dare.

“That’s wonderful,” the woman said.

“Can I ask you something,”  Helen said.

“Of course,”  the woman said.

“My friend and I couldn’t help but notice a few days ago that you are using cloth diapers and plastic pants,”  Helen said and then added, “I’m only mentioning it because it seems so old-fashioned.”

“It is,”  the woman said and added, “very old-fashioned.  It’s a concession to my grandmother.  All of these things belonged to my father.  She has dementia and she believes I’m the nanny now and my son here is her son back in the day.  She doesn’t have much longer so we’re indulging her in that fantasy.”

“You said son,”  Helen said looking at the adorable little dress and ruffled panties the boy was in.

“Different times,”  the woman said.  Boys were not put into pants till they were well past their toddler phase.  I only put him into dresses around her.  Like I said she doesn't have long and he doesn't know the difference yet,”  the woman said as she added, ‘”which remind me, she’ll be getting up soon.”

“You have a good day,”  Helen said watching the woman walk off.  The little boy with the pink bonnet and ruffled panties under that frilly dress was driving her into a shudder.  She could see Matt in that very same sort of dress, panties and bonnet as she turned to go back into the rubble.