Halstead Sister

Bedwetting

(In this one, Tess lives with only Will. But don't worry, Jay is still in the story)

Tess POV (7 years old)
I woke up with a start. I'm not sure what my dream was about but it was definitely scary. My heart was beating so fast and I was covered in a cold sweat. I sat up and reached for my favorite stuffed elephant. When I sat up I felt something wet and sticky on my lap. I peeked under the covers and felt a wet spot on my pants and bed. My stomach suddenly felt queasy and my face felt all warm. I wet the bed! I jumped out of bed and stood in my room, not really sure what to do. I was 7 years old! I shouldn't be wetting the bed! I nervously bit my lip. I just wanted a hug from Will and for him to fix this but I knew he had work in the morning so I didn't want to wake him. Plus, I just knew he'd be mad at me for wetting the bed. Big kids don't wet the bed. I wiped away a tear that was running down my cheek. The pee was starting to dry on my pants and it was getting very uncomfortable. I got clean underwear and pjs and tiptoed into the bathroom. I threw my dirty clothes into the hamper and wiped myself clean before putting on the fresh pajamas. I still felt sticky and smelled like pee but at least I wasn't wet. As I left the bathroom I heard someone whisper my name. I looked toward the living room and saw Jay sitting up, using his phone as a flashlight. 'Oh no!' I thought. I forgot Jay was staying over while they were doing construction at his apartment.
"You okay?" Jay asked softly. I just nodded, scared he would follow me back to my room and see my wet bed. Jay seemed satisfied with my nod and I hurried back to my room.
I closed the door behind me and stared at my bed. I've helped Will make the bed before. How hard could it be to change the sheets? I pulled my comforter off my bed and frowned at the big wet patch on the bed. I grabbed the first corner of the sheet and got it off the bed. It was pretty easy so I did the same thing with the next corner and the one after. I went to get the corner by the wall but I couldn't reach. I tried to wiggle my way onto my bed but I lost my grip and fell onto the floor with a loud thud. I sat in silence, praying that the sound didn't wake my brothers, but I knew they were both light sleepers. A few seconds later, I heard footsteps heading to my room and another set following shortly after.
Jay pushed open my door, holding his gun. "T?!" He exclaimed, clearly surprised to see me on the floor and my bedsheets half off the bed. Will came into the room behind him.
I looked up at them and started crying. "I'm sorry" I sobbed.

Will POV
I heard a loud thud and immediately hopped out of bed. As I opened my door, Jay was heading down the hall, holding his gun. He held up his hand to tell me to stay put. Jay: the ever protective brother. He pushed open the door to Tess's room. "T?!" He sounded surprised. Figuring there was no serial killer in the room, I walked up behind him and was just as surprised. Tess was sitting on her floor and her bed was half stripped.
"I'm sorry" she looked up at us and cried.
I knelt down beside her. "Hey, Tiny T, it's alright." She threw her arms around me and I pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sorry" she muttered again as she buried her face into my neck. I looked at Jay with concern. He replied by tilting his head toward her bed, telling me to take a look. I peered over the top of Tess's bed and noticed a distinct urine stain in the middle of it. I nodded at Jay. "Tess, take deep breaths for me." I coached her and rubbed small circles on her back. "It's okay." She started to talk but I cut her off. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Accidents happen."
Tess pulled back from our hug and looked at me, kinda confused. "But I'm not a little kid." She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands.
I smiled. Ah, how nice it is to be 7 and think that you're all grown up. "I know T, but sometimes big kids wet the bed."
"And adults too" Jay knelt on the ground next to us. "Will one time wet the bed in sleep away camp. He was 15." Tess chuckled.
"I think she got the idea without that story, thank you very much" I glared at Jay.
"So you're not mad?" Tess looked at us.
Jay and I both shook our heads. "Not even a little bit." I answered. Tess relaxed and snuggled close to me again. "You wanna sleep with me?" I asked her.
"Can Jay sleep in my room?" She shyly asked. We both looked at Jay.
"Of course, kiddo" Jay said as he stood up. He held out his hand for Tess so he could help her stand up. "Do you want to shower off and Will and I will handle the bed?" Jay asked. Tess nodded and went toward the bathroom. I picked up the dirty sheets and mattress cover and threw them in the washing machine. When I got back to Tess's room, Jay was putting a new mattress protector on the bed. I grabbed the other corner and helped him.
"You think she's okay?" Jay asked as he passed me one side of the sheet.
I shrugged. "I think so. She's still young. These things happen."
"She's 7. Don't kids stop wetting the bed at like 4?" Jay questioned.
"It's actually surprisingly common for kids her age to wet the bed. If it becomes a chronic issue we-"
"You don't need to be a doctor right now." Jay cut me off and rolled his eyes.
"Sorry" I smiled at him. I repositioned her stuffed animals on the bed. "The short version is that it's probably nothing. If it becomes more frequent, I'll be worried." I told him. We heard the water in the bathroom turn off. "And thanks" I added.
"For what?" Jay asked.
"For helping out. I'm glad you were here tonight." I confessed. Although Tess and I have a great relationship, sometimes Jay can give her a different form of support that she apparently needed tonight.
"She's my sister too, bro. I'm here for you guys." We both looked at Tess who came back into the room.

Tess POV
I was so relieved Will and Jay weren't mad at me. I was still ashamed and embarrassed. No one in the 2nd grade wets their bed. I rinsed my body in the warm shower which felt really nice. Once I was out, I made sure to use the toilet before I went back into my bedroom.
"Hey Tiny. You ready to get back into bed?" Will asked when I came back into my room. I nodded and walked over to my freshly made bed. Jay pulled back the covers and waited for me to climb in before laying down next to me. I snuggled into him and he protectively held me close. I love being close to my brothers. They make me feel safe.
"I love you Tessy" Will hugged and kissed me before leaving the room. Even with the lamp on, it was still dark and I buried myself closer into Jay.
"What is it?" Jay asked.
"It's dark" I whispered back. I held tightly onto his shirt, in case some monster came and tried to pull us apart.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Jay sounded confident. "It's my job to protect you."
"It's your job to protect everyone" I replied.
"Not cause I'm a cop silly" Jay smiled. "Cause I'm your big brother."
"Thank you" I relaxed my grip and closed my eyes. "Love you Jay"
"Love you too Tess" he said softly before I drifted off into sleep.