Hopper

The Grind

They came back up again, around bedtime. Brandon waddled up to the changing table and Jenny began to unsnap his onesie. It was clear that he had made a mess. He looked a little bit more comfortable but only for a second. After cleaning him up and sliding a new diaper underneath him, Jenny's phone rang. She picked it up.

It was her parents and they were on the screen. Brandon got all read and Jenny stood there and talked. She said that she was feeling alright but was sad that she had to quarantine. When they asked about Brandon, she just said he was getting ready for bed. They talked for a few minutes before she hung up- the whole time Brandon watched, frozen.

He didn't say anything when she hung up and the tension he was holding on to, was slightly gone. She continued putting him in a diaper and then into another pair of footed pajamas. She changed into the same pajamas as the night before and they went to brush their teeth. She tucked him in, gave him a pacifier, gave him me and then climbed into bed with him.

The night was the exact same- fighting off small hoards of enemies. This was taking a toll, I needed to either get better equipment, some help, or set some traps. But again, we made it through the night- but a few germs attacked Brandon before I could stop them.

Beth woke up first again. This time she headed over to the computer- joining in a video chat class as Brandon slept. He woke up in the middle of the class, but laid down until it was over. When she was done, he asked if they could see the room and she assured him that the camera was set up so you could only see the wall and ceiling behind her.

He was soaked again, and also felt really hot. The germs that snuck through were getting to him. She changed him, back into another onesie- this one was just plain. He then attended his class, while she went down and made breakfast.

That was the method throughout the morning. Both had two classes. In the meantime- Jenny set up the monitor, which had a red light on when somebody was using it... which was good information to have. The giant bear, was placed in the corner of the room. It was the size of Brandon.

After lunch, Jenny came back up and told Brandon to take a nap because he was sick and not feeling well. She tucked him in and handed me to him. The light was on the monitor, so I sat there. Eventually, it turned off and I got up and walked to the new bear.

I tried talking to him but then realized that he wasn't moving. He must have been retired- which means he probably got caught in production. That was the hardest part for most of us; once we were awaken, we couldn't get caught. Most body guards are retired within the first day of being awake. I was lucky enough to have somebody talk me through the rules on the day of my awakening.

I checked the webpage, deciding that after two nights, adding a really large blanket wouldn't be suspicious since Jenny suggested it anyway. The largest one had unicorns on it but I added it to the cart. I then fought off as much of the germs and thoughts that I could, before the monitor was turned back on. I realized my first mission every night would have to be to turn that off- if I could make them think it was broke, I could protect better.

So that night, I climbed behind the monitor and twisted the cord until it stopped working. I then went back and fought off as much as I could. It was only made harder because Jenny put Brandon in a nightie, since he was hot. So I had to make sure nobody snuck in from the feet. But I felt like I was leveling up and gaining more experience. I was also gaining more trust with Brandon.

The next few days and nights were that. They would be in and out throughout the day. If Jenny was in class, Brandon was either in bed or in the corner playing with his toys. I hadn't been able to sneak onto the website to buy anything because my trust with Brandon was better- so he was taking me with him when he left the room. Jenny had bought more things- there was a booster seat at the table. There were also toys and stuff in the living room. Overall, Brandon seemed more comfortable with the process. His parents never used video calling and he was always not feeling well or busy when her parents called. Brandon even added some stuff to the Amazon cart, realizing he was low on diapers.

Things were smooth, until the 5th night.