Phillip slurped noisily. He had been eating the most delicious ice cream cone at a fair while holding fast to someone's hand. He felt very small. When he followed the arm of the hand that held his fast he seemed to be seeing Dr. Davenport from a great height, smiling down at him serenely. Then suddenly her face was right next to his, and she had a much wider smile on her face. She leaned close and planted a big wet sloppy kiss on his cheek. She pulled away, laughed, and then zoomed in and planted an even bigger, wetter, sloppier kiss on the same cheek, so that Phillip could feel the saliva running down his cheek, coating it wetly. His cheek was so wet. It was embarrassing. So thoroughly wet. The world melted away and Phillip found himself in his bed, the quilt tucked around him so tightly that his legs felt like thousands of pins were prickling them when he tried to move them. The side of his face that pressed against his pillow was soaking wet, and as he squinted to try and figure out why this was his lips closed around the shaft of the slick pacifier that had been dangling half in and half out of his mouth, pulling it in so that the plastic guard slapped against his lips. It was obvious that he had been drooling freely for quite some time, because his cheek and chin were wet with saliva and the wet stain on the pillow was enormous. "What?!!!!!!!!!" He peeled his cheek from the wet pillow, and struggled to sit up in bed, straining to pull the quilt free from where it had been so expertly tucked deeply beneath his mattress. Finally he did so, and only then did he realize the pacifier was still in his mouth. He spit it out in disgust. His lips still felt sore, and he knew with a sinking feeling that he'd been suc-king on the pacifier in his sleep. For how long? The room was still pitch black. His mind felt fuzzy. He remembered getting very tired and wanting to lay down, but Mother saying he hadn't finished his hour yet. She finally agreed that he could lay down if he kept "his device" in his mouth, and that she'd tell him when to take it out. That was the last thing he remembered. He clenched his fists with determination. He was going to put a stop to this. He'd speak to Mother about it first thing in the morning.
Phillip sat in the rear of Mother's car staring glumly out of the window. He could see the reflection of the ring and mouth guard of the white plastic pacifier moving rhythmically beneath his nose in the glass. He should have been in school, but Mother had called and told them he had a medical appointment. He was wearing his Sunday suit, with a white shirt and a red tie. Mother had insisted that he look "presentable" for Dr. Davenport. The minute breakfast was over they had gotten in the car, so that Phillip was smack in the middle of his after-meal hour as they made the short drive to Dr. Davenport's office.
He had gotten no where with Mother. She said he was fast asleep when she came to tell him that he could remove the pacifier, and that he was sleeping quite contentedly. She saw no point in disturbing him by removing it, and said that she just tucked him in and turned out the light. Mother had only gotten annoyed by his protestations. "I assumed it would soon fall out of your mouth of its own accord Phillip, I didn't realize that you'd decide to nurse it like a baby's dummy all night long! And on top of that I find it on the floor when it's time for your after-breakfast session! Just wait till Dr. Davenport hears about this!!" Phillip was beside himself but hated to talk with the pacifier in his mouth. As soon as Mother mentioned Doctor Davenport he remembered his dream, and felt himself redden. He remembered the slickness of pink plastic gown and bowing his head in shame when Dr. Davenport had grasped his balls with her fluttering fingers, only to find himself staring at her shiny high heels, and seeing Dr. Davenport shake her head in amusement as his pen-is became engorged under the pink gown. These memories only caused a tent in Phillip's suit pants just as they pulled into Dr. Davenport's parking lot.
The receptionist betrayed the tiniest of smiles when she saw first Mother and then Phillip enter the waiting area. Phillip's head was down but the white guard and ring were plainly visible against his face. Soon they were being ushered into Dr. Davenport's office. Phillip sat uncomfortably against the edge of his chair while his Mother gave her laundry list of complaints to Dr. Davenport, who listened intently, turning to look at Phillip when each transgression was explained. Dr. Davenport pushed her chair out from her desk and swiveled to face Phillip. She crossed her legs, and Phillip could see she was wearing a pair of high heels even pointer than the one she'd had at his examination. They appeared to be made of alligator skin. Phillip fidgeted in his seat.
"Well, I had hoped that Phillip would be cooperative in his treatment, these things so so much easier and quickly when the patient follows the proscribed regimen. The problem is that cutting a session short can set back the whole program. Fortunately we have additional tools to rectify a situation like this."
Dr. Davenport went to a cabinet and removed a box. She opened it and extracted what looked like a pink vinyl ball with a cuff on one end, from which some laces were dangling.
"Give me your hand Phillip." Still seated, Phillip extended his hand. Dr. Davenport took hold of either side of the cuff revealing a slit. She pulled the ball over Phillip's hand. The inside felt like a soft squishy cavity that seemed small but expanded to accept Phillip's entire hand. Dr. Davenport pulled firmly on the laces and Phillip felt the cuff draw tightly against his wrist. Dr. Davenport tied the laces into a large bow knot, and then doubled it, giving a final yank. "Now the other." Phillip hadn't a clue as to what was going on, and before he could really process what was happening Dr. Davenport had already pulled a second mitten over Phillip's other hand, and was tightening the laces in a business like fashion. She stepped back to admire her work. "There we are!"
Phillip looked down at his hands. They weren't really mittens, before they were just big round balls The padding inside was extremely thick, with the pink vinyl covering stretched tightly over it. Phillip's hands were both balled up into fists and there was no give inside the balls that would allow him to extend his fingers or even his thumb.
Phillip's thoughts were interuppted when Dr. Davenport abruptly pulled the pacifier out from between his surprised lips with a loud "pop."
"Phillip showed that he couldn't be trusted to keep his device inserted for the proscribed amount of time. And it's vital that he get the full benefit of his treatment." Dr. Davenport tossed the white pacifier down onto her desk, reached inside the box and removed another pacifier. This one was pink. The plastic mouth guard was even larger, so large that instead of a round circe, it had a V at the top to accomodate the nose, giving the guard almost a heart shape. And instead of laying flat against the lips, on either side the plastic narrowed and flared out, hooking around to the front. Phillip didn't like the look of it. Even the yellow rubber shaft seemed thicker and longer than his original device.
"Open wide Phillip dear." Dr. Davenport stood over him expectantly. Phillip could see his Mother poised in her chair, waiting for any hint of disagreement on his part.
He couldn't contain himself.
"Why does it have to be pink!!" He brought his arms up to emphasize his point, only to be reminded that both of his hands were already imprisoned in similarly hued vinyl spheres that squeaked noisily when he brought them together.
"PHILLIP!!" His mother glared at him with fury.
Phillp had never felt so frustrated. Dr. Davenport held the new pink pacifier inches from his face, with an amused smile on her face. He didn't dare incur the further wrath of Mother. Grudingly Phillip opened his mouth.
Nothing happened. Dr. Davenport looked down at him with a gleam in her eye.
"I said wide Phillip darling."
What was she talking about? He opened his mouth wider.
Dr. Davenport just shook her head and looked at him like he was a simpleton. "Now be a good boy and open nice and wide for Doctor."
"You heard Dr. Davenport!" his mother chimed in. This was crazy! It was obvious his mouth was opened more than wide enough to accomodate the new pink horror in the doctor's hand. Finally with a "that's good boy" Dr. Davenport slid pacifier into Phillips mouth until the guard was flush against his lips. Phillip was aware to the top of the guard flaring up in a semi-circle on either side of his nose.
"The important thing is that Phillip keep his device inserted for the prosribed period of time. . . " As she said this Dr. Davenport removed a thick rubber strap, also pink, with hooks on either end. She hooked one end around the flared hooking end of the pacifier and brought the strap around the back of Phillip's head. Phillip felt in stretch tightly against the back of his head for a moment, and then Dr. Davenport had hooked the other end of the opposite side of the mouth guard and let go. Phillip felt the rubber shaft of the pacifier being forced deeply into his mouth, while the plastic mouth guard pressed tightly against his lips. Involuntarily he reached up with his hand, only to have the fat round pink ball that encased his hand glance akwardly against the ring of the pacifier. He held up both hands and tried to grip the ring between them. It was impossible to grip in this fashion, and just slipped off of the slippery pink vinyl.
Dr. Davenport smiled at Phillip's futile movements. "As you can see Rita, these tools ensure that Phillip will complete his proscribed sessions with his device. The hand restraints, coupled with the elastic band, makes it impossible for Phillip to either remove or spit out his device. It can only be removed by you Rita, when the session has been completed satisfactorily."
Phillip thought Mother looked far too pleased at this news.
"And as for your question Phillip dear," Dr. Davenport now glanced down at Phillip, "only the pink model has the necessary hooks on the sides of the mouth guard to accomodate the rubber strap. Unfortuantely it's a slightly larger size as well, but I didn't anticipate that you would be so uncooperative with your Mother. Otherwise you could have kept your original device for the duration of your treatment." Dr. Davenport gave Phillip a final satisfied smile before turning back to his Mother.
"Now Rita, I'll leave it up to you as to when Phillip may return to his original equipment and be trusted to complete his treatments voluntarily. If I were you I would base it on how obediently he behaves in all other areas." She reached down and chucked Phillip under the chin, tilting his head back so he was forced to stare into her eyes, which twinkled merrily. "You'll be a good boy for Mommy from now on, won't you Phillip dearest?"
Unable to avert her gaze, and with the new pacifier pressed tightly inside his mouth, Phillip silently nodded his head.
"Splendid!" Dr. Davenport sat back down and pulled the telephone close. "I suppose I better ring up the nurse at Phillip's school and explain that he will be undergoing treatments after lunch for the next couple of weeks. She's a good friend of mine and I know she'll do an excellent job at helping Phillip into his equipment."
Phillip sprang out of his seat. "What?!!!!!!!!!!!!" The word was barely intelligible as saliva sprayed in all directions, coating the front of his shirt. He felt the blood rush to his head. This could not be happening!!