✅ My Sister's Problem

120. Justice

"Did you make the baby cry again?" They were Mum's first words when she came back into the room. But I guessed she could tell that I was crying because of the hypnotic trigger, not because Lindy had actually done anything to hurt me. They didn't talk much more about it; just started treating me like I was a little kid again. I should have been able to enjoy it, but it was still hard to think properly. I told myself that Lindy kind of understood; or knew enough to tell Hugo not to worry. But with how easy it could be to misunderstand, and all the malice she'd shown every time I tried to trust her so far this summer, it was hard to stay positive.

"Okay, sweetie," Mum said, a few minutes after getting back. "I think somebody needs a change. And Lindy, can you pass me the Kidicate box? I've been thinking about your suggestion since yesterday, and I think you might be right. We need to make sure that she understands that certain things are forbidden for a good reason."

For a couple of seconds I didn't understand what she was asking for, but then I remembered where I had heard the name before. The mysterious box that had come in the mail a few days before we set off here. The suppositories; a way of pushing me a little further into being a baby, or a nuclear option for a bully who wouldn't back down. I whimpered when I thought about it, but I didn't protest or argue this time. There was nothing I could say that would make any difference at this point. Lindy had proved that she was just too good at getting Mum to believe her lies.

I lay back on the bed and whimpered quietly as Mum cleaned me up, dreading what I knew was coming. I knew that she probably wouldn't give me enough to cause pain; that would be a real nightmare. But somehow losing control because of those things was like a hundred times more embarrassing than the hypnotic suggestion. I hated it. When she finished cleaning me up, and cooed at me like I was a little baby, I closed my eyes as tight as I could and tried to pretend that this wasn't happening. If I couldn't see it then it wasn't real, or something like that. She wiped me again, and I felt myself tense up.

"Don't cry, sweetie," Mum said. "It'll all be over soon." I hadn't even realised that I was sobbing again. I didn't know why it was getting to me so much. Maybe it was fear of the pain, or of the loss of control. Or just the emotions that I'd been trying to hold inside for the last couple of days, and I couldn't keep it bottled up anymore.

"Now, are you ready to take your punishment, and be a good girl for me?" I nodded with my eyes still closed. Not ready, but accepting that I didn't have a choice. I felt her push the pill inside me, and I shook a little.

"Mum, wait!" I heard Lindy's voice next, but still kept my eyes closed. I didn't want to think that she could see me like this.

"What's wrong, Lindy? It's just what you asked for."

"It's not fair," she said, tripping over her words as she rushed to get them out. "I don't want to do this to her."

"It's okay," Mum answered. "I did think about it, and I think it's okay for you to ask for a more severe punishment if your sister's done something so cruel to you after all the warnings."

"Yeah, but..." she mumbled, and a second later when she managed to speak again her voice was tiny. I wouldn't have been able to make the words without straining to hear over the distant hiss of the waves breaking on the beach. "But she didn't. I... I made it up."

There was a long silence then. I felt Mum taping up my diaper, and then I found the courage to open my eyes. Her hands were reaching out towards me, and I grabbed them to pull myself back into a sitting position.

"I'm sorry," Lindy whispered, her voice barely more than a breath now. I knew that it must be hard for her to say, but I was relieved that she was trying.

"You think that running water sound was innocent?" Mum asked, and I could tell from her voice that she had an eyebrow raised, even when she had turned to face Lindy.

"I... that was all me. I just... I started wetting the bed out of nowhere, okay? She said it wasn't her, and I needed to prove that she'd done something. It had to be one of those rivalry things, like The B–... I mean, I couldn't believe it was something that just happened. And every time there was some reason to believe it wasn't something she'd done, I just got more competitive, wanting to prove it was her. And if there was something to prove it wasn't, I had to try harder to make sure you know it's something she's doing to me. Even if it meant making things up. I'm sorry. I just couldn't believe that it wasn't her."

"I heard her phone playing water sounds."

"Yeah... I hacked it."

"That was a waste," I said, laughing a little. Somehow I could smile again, just thinking about that. "Like... If you'd used it for literally anything else, I would have admitted you beat me, and I'd be trying even harder to find something to one-up that. But I won't fall for that thing again now."

"Is that true, Lindy? You played the sounds on Sally's phone just to get her in trouble?"

She didn't say anything, just nodded slightly.

"So extra punishment isn't really called for," Mum said, but I knew it was already too late. "Should we keep Baby Sally in diapers for the rest of the trip because of that little trick with the bowl? Or...?"

"I'm not sure what happened that time," Lindy mumbled. And then a second later: "I heard you yelling at her. I kind of guessed. I poured water in a diaper and put it on so I could blame Sally. So I could say she'd done that all the times I had an accident before, and it wasn't my fault. I didn't want to believe that it was just me, and I..."

"Does that sound true, Sally?"

"Yeah," I nodded slowly. I didn't need to tell Mum the rest of the story.

"But even if you didn't do it, you still had that bowl in your hands. And Lindy's door had been locked from the outside."

"I did it!" Lindy squeaked. "It was all me. I tried getting a bowl of water and putting her hand in it while she's sleeping. And then I nodded off waiting for it to work. She must have carried me back to bed before emptying out the bowl. I was just so scared, I thought I might be in trouble, and I could prove it's not me if she's already... I mean..."

"I see," Mum said. "That would explain why you were wearing a diaper that night, but not any other night this week. So, this was all a part of some rivalry in your mind? And when you found proof that Sally hadn't done anything to hurt you, your only thought was trying to make it seem like she did?"

This time she just nodded.

"Well," Mum said thoughtfully. "I think in that case it would be appropriate for Sally to have her freedom again. No more punishment. Okay, Sally? You're free to get changed whenever you see fit. Although I would suggest you keep the diapers on for a little while, in the circumstances."

"Yeah," I mumbled, thinking about what I'd be going through over the next hour or two. Or... if I went to the bathroom right away, would I be able to get that stuff out of my system before the effects kicked in? I had no idea about that. "Maybe I can..." I hoped that Mum would understand, because I was too embarrassed to put that idea into words.

"Something you think would help?" she said. "You don't need to ask permission, you can do whatever you want now."

"Now, Lindy..." Mum turned back to my little sister as I headed in the direction of the bathroom. "We'll have to think about what would be a suitable punishment in the circumstances. You've been choosing Sally's punishments, so I think you have a pretty clear scale in your mind of what is a proportionate response. So... the first time we treated Sally like this. What was the punishment for, and what did we make her do?"

"She..." Lindy started, suddenly nervous now that she could see where this was going. "She wet herself and made a mess. Or..." I could hear the hesitation in her voice then. Was she going to confess to being responsible for that as well? Or was she staring at what must have seemed a terrifying fate, and hoping to keep it as small as possible? I wanted to keep on listening, but my priority now was to empty my bowels while I still had the choice. I could only hope that would be enough.

I ran to the bathroom, and just hoped that Lindy wouldn't suffer too much, now that she had finally told the truth.