Regenesis

Nap time

Across town, the six girls in Nursery were all dreaming, perhaps except for two. Ella was sleeping fitfully, unable to find a comfortable position with her mouth filled as it was with the inflatable pacifier which plugged the space between her teeth and her cheeks, and could only be removed by a nanny. By now her tears had ceased and her fingers were still exploring the dreaded object which covered her mouth on the outside and locked it on the inside. A plastic cover measuring about 7 cm by 4 followed the natural curve of her lips across the front of her face, with a small breathing hole in the centre and a hinged ring around it for when it would eventually be removed. Inside however were two rubber tubes which extended either side of the breathing hole outside her teeth, but inside her cheeks. A small tube hung outside of the pacifier with a valve, onto which a hand pump could be temporarily attached to inflate the rubber tubes inside the wearer's mouth, rendering her uncomfortably unable to speak. Once the tubes had been inflated, the pump was unscrewed and the pipe left protruding from the wearer's mouth.

And so Ella lay under her duvet, her cheeks distended, and her nappy now full, waiting until nap time was over. There were no clocks in Nursery and so girls had no idea how long any activity that had been planned for them might last. Consequently Ella could only listen to the light breathing of her room-mates, and the odd sniffle from the new girl, Samantha, whose cot was situated at the other end of the room. Although the blackout curtains had been drawn by the departing nannies, nightlights had been positioned strategically throughout the room, so that a nanny would be able to come in at any point to deal with any situation which might crop up, hopefully without disturbing the other girls. Ella had been in the Nursery for almost 4 weeks, although she wasn't completely sure, as days of the week were not referred to in Nursery. She had adjusted badly to her change in circumstances, resisting authority at every stage. This had not made her popular among the others, as many of the routines and privileges were operated on a group responsibility basis. One girl's behaviour could directly affect the well-being of the others. Until now, Ella had been the newest member of the sisterhood, but seeing a new entrant took her back to her own first day and she felt a strong sense of pity for this new girl crying at the other end of the room. Being careful not to make any noise which would be picked up by the microphone above her cot, she lifted herself into a kneeling position against the vertical railings which were locked at the side of her cot. She peered into the half-light down the room and followed the sounds to the last cot on the right. She could just make out the silhouetted shape of a body under a duvet, which shuddered in time with the muted sobs she could hear. How could she get Samantha's attention without herself getting into further trouble? Then she remembered her teddy. Every girl had been given her own, each with its owner's name written on the label. If only she could land it in Samantha's cot..

Ella's Programme had begun some four weeks previously. Brought up on a huge estate in Norfolk, her mother, Lady Felicity, had sent her only offspring to the best schools and had every hope that her daughter would emerge from them a cultured and feminine young lady, equipped with the refinements and skills necessary to run the family estate, and carry on the best traditions in keeping with her status in the community. Instead, despite doing absolutely no work and failing her A levels, she expected to be able to slide in to her rightful place on the estate. Fortunately, Lady Felicity had been to school with Ms Beckwith, who made the suggestion and introduction to the Programme. Being an only child, and despite years away at school, Ella had made few friends and had little grasp of the social niceties such as putting others first or "noblesse oblige" as her mother would often repeat.

Her time on the tennis courts at school had, however, equipped her well for her current task, and she took careful aim, judging lift and trajectory to land her teddy perfectly into Samantha's cot. Samantha was startled by the intrusion and immediately looked round to find out what had just landed on her. She thought it was her own teddy, but soon realised that there were now two teddies behind the bars of the cot with her. She knelt up cautiously and peered through the shadows cast by the nightlights. Ella was waving frantically at her from the other end. Being on her guard after the events of the previous few hours, Samantha peered around her cautiously, watching for any signs that she might be being watched. Satisfied that a little wave would do no harm, she raised her hand and sent a muted wave back. Ella felt pleased that she had made contact and even hoped that she might become a friend unlike the others who avoided her. Knowing that there was little more she could do in the way of communication, she gestured wildly for Samantha to throw the teddy back so she wouldn't get caught. It took a while for Samantha to understand what this girl wanted but eventually she nodded furiously, picked up the teddy and launched it towards Ella's bed. Unfortunately Samantha's sporting prowess was not as well developed as Ella's and the toy landed far short of Ella's cot and lay just peeking out from underneath one of the tall cupboards in the room. It may as well have been in a minefield for all either girl could do about it. They both peered at it from the bars of their respective cots before each girl slunk back onto her mattress with a pronounced crinkle of their pants. Without a watch or a clock, neither girl knew how long it was before the doors opened with a whirl and a line of nannies came striding in, their skirts swishing, opening curtains and letting the early afternoon light flood into the large room full of sleeping girls. As Samantha would soon learn, there was a set routine for everything in the Nursery which was followed to the letter. Each nanny stood by her allotted charge's cot and lowered the side bars before lifting off the duvet, shaking it and folding it over the foot end of the cot. When that task was finished, slippers were retrieved and placed below the feet of each child and the girls were helped into them. Girls were now standing facing nanny, left arms out to have their hankies removed before their nighties were lifted up over their heads. Nighties were carefully folded and placed over the duvets, and handkerchiefs were dropped into a laundry basket beside each cot. Girls stood in just their nappies and plastic pants while their nannies prepared the cots into changing mats with the addition of a rubber sheet. With a nod from nanny, girls sat back down on the waiting sheet and lay back down to be changed, arms extended behind their heads through the bars. Samantha, as the new girl, had to be shown what to do, and when the quiet request to lift her bottom came, shame was clearly visible on her face as she knew what her nanny would find. The plastic pants were quickly removed and dropped in the laundry, and the odour began to waft through the room, added to by those of the other girls. Having her arms straight out behind her prevented Samantha from seeing her nanny pass her own magnetic ring over the safety pin, releasing the lock that held it in place. The nappy was unfolded but there was no visible reaction from Nanny Green. She had seen it countless times before. After wiping, drying, creaming and powdering, the nappy origami was quickly performed and Samantha was soon cocooned in a tightly fastened and curiously reassuring new nappy awaiting the dreaded plastic pants. The bulge between her legs seemed even more pronounced than it had done before lunch, and she was about to try and loosen it, when a soft hand on her wrist cautioned her from even thinking about it. There was to be no escape from the inevitable, the thick translucent white plastic opened ready for her to insert her pointed toes, and the slightly cold sensation itching its way up her calves and thighs before the final stretch over the bulk of her cloth nappies. Invited now to stand in front of her cot, Samantha turned her head to see the very same operation being conducted for each of the other five girls in the room. Most of the faces looked blank and still drowsy from their sleep, but Ella's stood out with the clown-like appliance still attached to her face, puffing out her cheeks and giving her a rictus grin. Just then the door opened and a new figure entered, in a uniform not unlike the other nannies' but in purple and with an extra layer of frill at the cuff. She carried herself with an authority which was immediately recognised by all the girls in the room who instinctively lowered their eyes. Nanny Green adjusted Samantha's head to copy the others and the rest of the nannies carried on with their preparations, tucking the plastic pants to ensure the fit was secure and watertight around the thighs. Nanny Green whispered the word "Matron" to Samantha and the meaning was clear. Matron walked around the room, inspecting as she went and stopped at Ella's cot. "Is Ella in trouble again, Nanny Reynolds?" "I'm afraid so, Matron. Not keeping her head straight in line." "Punishment pacifier until tea time, Nanny Reynolds." "Yes, Matron." Matron started to walk slowly down the dormitory when her eye was caught by the teddy half poking out from under the wardrobe. She bent to pick it up, studied it for a few seconds and then asked in a quiet voice "Do we have a Samantha in the Nursery?" Nanny Green answered "Yes, Matron. She is my new little girl. Is that her teddy?" "So it appears, Nanny Green" "That is strange. Then whose is this teddy in Samantha's cot?" Nanny Green reached into Samantha's cot and retrieved the teddy sitting in the corner. By now Samantha had gone a deep shade of red and wanted the ground to swallow her up. Her first day and she was in so much trouble. "It appears to be Ella's teddy" By now everything had stopped. There wasn't even the faintest rustle of plastic. No one wanted to be the one who attracted Matron's attention. "Bring both children to my office in ten minutes please, properly dressed." She strode out, leaving horror in her wake.