Chapter 3: A Stormy Day

Saturday came a rainy day. Rain poured all over town, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled. Slither had set up wood into the fireplace, before he lit a match and put it on the pile, as the fire soon brightened the room, bringing warmth in the air. Seeing the storm made Ince sniffle, as he was afraid of storms like Feathers. He whimpered and shivered as thunder and lightning crashed in the sky, and he wet his cloth diaper a lot. Feathers whimpered as he wet his diaper too. Slither happened to notice this, and he approached them. "Shh, it's okay, boys. It's okay," he said, gently petting the two. "It's only a thunderstorm."

"But I'm scared of storms!" Ince wailed.

"So am I," Feathers said.

"I'm here for you. The both of you need a change."

"Can you start with Feathers, please?" Ince asked.

"You're sweet to ask, but Feathers can change his diapers now. He's a big boy. Oh, that reminds me. I went to the store and bought you new diapers. Feathers, before you go change your diaper, can you bring out the new pack?"

"Right away, Slither," Feathers said as he got up, and he approached a shopping bag, and he pulled out a pack of diapers. "Puppy Pads," he giggled, reading the name. "That sounds cute." He brought the pack to Slither, and Slither opened the pack.

"These are your new diapers, Ince," said Slither, showing the diaper. "Now hold still while I change you."

"Can you do that?" Ince asked.

"Trust me, Slither's changed my diapers before," Feathers said assuredly, to Ince. "Speaking of which..." he took his wet diaper off and wiped his bottom clean before taping a new diaper on, and putting the wet diaper in the trash can.

Slither threaded Ince's tail through the diaper's tail hole and held the front in place. "Now hold still," he reminded as Ince lay still. He placed the left tab on the front, and then the right tab as well. "There we go, you're all done, dear boy."

Ince got up and admired his new diaper. He slightly rubbed it, feeling the crinkling sensation, and he smiled. "Wow... it fits snug... it's perfect! Thank you, Mr. Scale!"

"You're welcome, Ince," Slither said warmly, as Feathers got back from the kitchen after washing his hands. "I told you those cloth diapers are temporarily until I can get you a new brand."

"Thank you so much, sir."

"But sir, would there be something else he can wear besides a diaper?" Feathers asked.

Slither pondered. "Yes, there's something missing." Then he snapped his fingers. "Of course!" He went to the bag and pulled out a striped red and yellow T-shirt. "Ta-da!"

"For me?" Ince asked. He took the shirt and put it on; it's a perfect fit. "Perfect! Thank you again, Mr. Scale!"

"You're welcome, again."

Thunder crashed from a flash of lightning, as Ince and Feathers yell out and hug each other, whimpering and shivering.

"Oh, boy," Slither sighed. "Never a dull moment, is there?" He took the two to the fireplace. "Let's settle by the fire, boys."

The two lay by the fire, while Slither placed the blanket over them.

"Thank you, Slither," said Feathers. "You're the best caretaker ever."

Slither chuckled as he patted Feathers' back. "I know, my boy. How about I read you two a story about the wizard and the dragon?"

"Oh, that's my favorite one!"

"A wizard and a dragon?" Ince asked.

Slither approached a bookcase and pulled out a black book. "The Sorcerer and the Dark Dragon, of course," he said, as he approached them. He gently wrapped his tail around the two to keep them comfy, and he opened the book. "'It began on a terrible night in a kingdom far, far away, where dragons rule the mountains with dragon powers. But one evil dragon craved that power to become king of the world, and he was called the Dark Dragon.'"

Ince gulped at hearing this, since villains in storybooks are considered scary with just his imagination. "Villains are scary," he said.

"Ah, just by your imagination, child," Slither said. "Now, where... oh, here we are. 'The Dark Dragon wanted to rule the world with his dragon powers, but the dragons were against that, as the law states that power is not to be used for evil. The Dark Dragon defied them and used his powers to harm innocent lives, and thus was banished from the mountains for his treachery. But that did not stop the Dark Dragon from wanting more.'" He turned the page. "'One day, a legendary wizard, the Sorcerer, came to his lair, and there was a fierce combat between him and the Dark Dragon, with fire and magic. The battle was strong and fierce, and the Sorcerer had used his magic to block the dragon's fire breath, and with his tremendous magic, he shackled the dragon down to the ground, and sealed his lair with boulders, imprisoning the Dark Dragon and ending his reign of terror. The Sorcerer, knowing the job was done, quietly vanished into the woods without a single word.'" He then closed the book. "The end."

"Wow... a sorcerer that defeated the dragon with magic..." Ince said. "Great story, Mr. Scale."

"Thank you, Ince. I figured a little story time will calm you down from that storm we have."

"It sure did, sir," Feathers said.

"Good, good." He heard the grandfather clock clang at nine. "Oh, it's time for bed."

Ince yawned and said, "Yeah, I am tired. I gotta brush my teeth." He got up and left.

Feathers grinned and said, "I'm glad he's feeling all better."

"Indeed," Slither said. "But I posit that his trauma is still inside him. Just remember that, my boy."

"I understand, sir, but maybe if I spend some quality time with him, I might..."

"Now hold on, not so fast. I admire your kindness, but sometimes kindness isn't enough. You need to give him some space, Feathers."

Feathers' ears droop. "But Slither..."

"No buts, Feathers. Have you forgotten how he came to us?"

Feathers then remembered Ince's sad story of the storm where he had lost his parents and home, and he fell sad. "That's right. He lost his family and home." He lowered his head.

Slither patted Feathers' shoulder. "Think about it, my boy. It will take more than kindness to help heal his heart. His heart needs time to heal, his spirit."

"But we just got started by being there for him, just like you were there for me whenever I'm in trouble. I know you, sir, because I've been your child for thirteen years, comforted, you raised me like a son, I treated you like a father, with love, kindness, support..."

Slither raised his hand to silence Feathers. "I get the picture, Feathers, and I appreciate your reminder. But listen. You and Ince are different. You were discouraged by your diapers for your incontinence. I was the one who helped you be yourself, by not letting your incontinence define you. Ince, on the other hand, has a traumatic experience from losing his family and home."

"What does that even imply?"

"Unlike you, he had a family. You were just an egg when I found you. Nobody knew what happened to your parents. But that didn't stop me from raising you, as I am your caretaker." He wrapped his tail around Feathers. "I may not be your father, but I love you, like you love me." Feathers' eyes tear up as he looked at Slither. "Ince just needs support, love, and someone to love. I know, because love helps. Love was how I raised you, and love was how Ince had gotten himself safe, the love he had from his parents. His parents are with him in spirit."

Feathers choked up and buried his face in his arms, sobbing. "You're so right, sir, but how could we help poor Ince after all he had been through...?"

Slither patted Feathers. "There, there, my boy. We'll figure something out."

Feathers sniffled and wiped his eyes. "Alright, if you say so, Slither. I just Ince would... Ince would..."

"Shh, it's alright. Let's go to bed."

Feathers sniffled and got up as he headed to bed, with Slither following him.