Matilda could tell something was bothering her teacher and now guardian, Miss Honey. She wasn't as lighthearted with the class or quick to smile. She seemed on edge, with her shoulders bunched tight almost to her ears as she stood explaining to her year one class basic vocabulary. Matilda, who usually had permission to work on more advanced lessons by herself, was now eyeing her with rapt attention.

"Who can tell me another word that starts with the "ch" sound?" Ms. Honey asked. Her best friend's hand was first to shoot up, as was the norm. "Let's give someone else a chance, Lavender. Anyone else?"

"Child." Someone called from the back.

"Very good, but please raise your hand next time. Umm, Cory, how about you?"

A "ch" word of a different kind flashed through Matilda's mind. She shuddered at the memory of her time spent in the Chokee. She winced as she heard the sound of a few posters begin to shake and rattle on the wall. Breathe, she thought to herself. Breathe.

"Brian, would you mind getting up and closing the windows? It's getting a bit windy." Miss Honey asked. She locked eyes with Matilda for a second. None of the other students seemed to notice, not a single leaf or branch moved or swayed in the still air outside.

"Matilda," Miss Honey said after they exchanged glances. "Would you step out into the hall for a moment?"

A chorus of "ooohhhs" and "You're in trouble." Filled the room. Matilda wordlessly placed a bookmark in her geography book and made her way to the door, ignoring the many eyes that trailed her. She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. Wait, was she in trouble? She bit down on the corner of her lip. Well, she had lost control of her powers for a moment. Was Miss Honey mad at her for disrupting? Or was it because she had stopped reading? Her mind seemed to be trying to come up with a reasonable explanation, but a horrific thought kept worming its way to her consciousness.

Don't be stupid, she told herself. Miss Honey is the kindest and sweetest adult in the whole world. She's not going to throw you in the Chokee just because you made a few posters dance around on the wall. Then a different thought crossed her mind. What if another teacher caught her out here without a hall pass? Would they take her to the Trunchbull?

She nervously glanced up and down the hallway. What was she doing out here?

Matilda nearly jumped out of her skin when a door down the hall burst open and out came a balding man, she assumed to be in his 50's. She froze when he made eye contact with her. Oh no, was he going to ask her what she was doing out here? She breathed a sigh of relief when he merely nodded his head in her direction as he walked past to the teachers' lounge, his shoes clacking loudly with every step down the echoing hall.

"Matilda." A voice behind her said. She let out an, "eek" and jumped. She felt a soft hand fall onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, it's just me." She turned to find Miss Honey; her soft brown eyes narrowed with concern.

"N-no, it's fine, you didn't scare me." Matilda said, trying to hide her shaking legs. "A-am I in trouble?"

"What? No, of course not!" Miss Honey said with a frown. "I just wanted to see how you were doing? Usually when things start shaking…" she trailed off.

"Sorry," Matilda mumbled.

"You don't have to apologize; I understand you don't always have a complete grasp on…whatever this may be. I'm still just trying to figure out what makes you tic." She said with a weak smile. "You do look exhausted, though."

Matilda shrugged and looked away. It was Miss Honey that was worried about something! She hadn't meant to make her worried about her too!

"Would you like to lie down for a bit and rest? I could see if there's a bed open in the nurse's office."

Just as Matilda was about to shake her head, a wave of exhaustion seemed to crash into her. At the mention of a bed, it was all she could do to stay on her feet. She tried to protest, but Miss Honey had already taken her by the hand and was gently leading her down the hall.

"Did you get enough sleep last night? You didn't stay up reading under the covers with a flashlight again, did you? You know I love your eagerness to learn, but bedtime is bedtime for a reason."

"No, I just woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep." Matilda answered. Mostly true, she thought to herself. She hadn't started reading until after she had woken up.

"Did you have another nightmare?"

"Yeah." Matilda admitted. "But not about the Chokee, this one was different." She let Miss Honey guide her into the office as she talked to the nurse.

"Hey Jennifer, what can I do for you?" A bead of sweat began to form on Matilda's temple. Her stomach began to churn angrily as the adults stood talking to each other. In through your nose, out through your mouth, she chanted to herself. An unpleasant, heavy sensation began to form around her backside. No! Not now! You can't be getting sick now! She clenched her hands into fists, ignoring the cold goosebumps that began to rise on her arms and legs. In through your nose, out through your mouth. You can ask to use the bathroom after Miss Honey leaves.

"Would you mind if one of my students laid down for a bit?" Miss Honey asked.

"Just need to ask her a few routine questions. Come on up, have a seat." The older lady patted the hard blue plastic chair and motioned for Matilda to sit. She hid the grimace from her face as she slowly lowered herself down, ignoring the urge to excuse herself. "Any pain anywhere?"

"No." Matilda said in a softer than normal voice.

"Upset tummy? Fever? Chills?"

"Just a little tired." She said through clenched teeth. She didn't want Miss Honey to know she was feeling sick. She looked up at her concerned teacher and smiled weakly through the pain. "I'm fine, You don't need to stay here." She felt as if an invisible arctic wind passed through her body that only she could feel. She hugged herself, fighting the urge to double over. If she didn't leave soon, she wouldn't make it to the restroom in time. The thought of soiling herself horrified her so much, a "cover your cough" poster began to shake. In through your mouth, out through your nose. Calm down. Breathe.

"Alright, you can lay down in the back." She said to Matilda before turning her attention back to Miss Honey. " I'll send her back in an hour or so."

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, would you let her sleep as long as she can?" Miss Honey whispered something in the older woman's ear. What Matilda wouldn't give to have super hearing instead of telekinesis. As it turned out, she didn't need super hearing to know what had been said.

"Don't let her read?" The nurse said in surprise. "Jennifer! I never thought I'd never hear words like that come out of your mouth."

"Yeah, well, trust me. She won't sleep if there's a book in her hand." While normally true, Matilda didn't feel much like reading at the moment.

"What do you think this is, a pediatrician's office?" She rolled her eyes and added in a sarcastic tone. "As if our great and powerful leader left us any money in the budget for children's books. All I have is an old medical textbook I brought from home; nothing she'd find of any interest." She said dismissively.

Miss Honey cringed. "Don't you let her get anywhere near it! One hour with that and she'll be opening her own clinic underneath the monkey bars." The school nurse laughed, but Miss Honey shot Matilda a look that said, "Don't you dare."

She would not try and open a clinic underneath the monkey bars, Matilda thought to distract herself from the pain. It would be more of a first aid center, and it would be behind the slide. Miss Honey pressed what was meant to be a reassuring hand on Matilda's shoulder.

"Don't feel like you need to come back quickly. Try and get some rest and take it easy today. I'll be back later to check on you." Matilda nodded, too afraid to speak. She feared, one wrong movement, and she'd lose the battle of control against her churning stomach. She bit at her nail as she waited anxiously for Miss Honey to be out the door and around the corner before sprinting to the bathroom in the back and nearly knocking over the school nurse in the process.

"Matilda? Are you okay?" A voice asked her. A knock on the bathroom door. An involuntary moan came from Matilda's mouth as she sat doubled over on the toilet. Another cramp and then another. Would it ever stop? Her dress clung to her now sweaty, trembling frame.

"I'll be fine in a minute." She managed to get out. I hope.

"Are you throwing up?"

"No!" Ugh, she better not start throwing up! This was bad enough. Another cramp. Another moan. Why did it have to burn so much? "I… I must've eaten something that's not agreeing with me."

"Why didn't you tell me you were feeling sick?" Couldn't they have this discussion later when her body was not actively feeling and sounding like an erupting volcano?

Instead, she repeated she'd be out in a minute, but a minute quickly turned to five, and then 10. By the time she figured it was safe to leave, she could hardly move. She grimaced as she shuffled out, unable to pick up her legs or bring them together.

"How about we go over those questions one more time." The nurse said as Matilda very gingerly lowered herself down on the cot, the wax paper sticking almost immediately to her sweaty body. "Anything hurt? Your head? Stomach?"

"My stomach." Matilda admitted, among other more sensitive areas.

"Anything else? Nausea, Diarrhea? Chills?"

"Yes." Her heavy eyelids began to slide closed. Maybe she could just sleep it off.

"Open your mouth, I need to get your temperature. Don't fall asleep just yet."

'M'not." She mumbled in response, before feeling a hard point along with the odd feeling of the disposable plastic sleeve under her tongue, causing her mouth to quickly fill with saliva. She waited awkwardly for the beep, relieved when it was removed, and she could finally swallow.

"You're running a slight fever."

"I'm fine. I just want to rest for a minute."

"I really should call your mother and have her come get you." At that, Matilda's eyes opened, and she fought against the pull of sleep.

"No! Please don't! I'm fine now, see? I think I'd like to go back to class." She tried to sit up, but felt resistance. She looked to find the nurse holding her down with the palm of her hand.

"Woah there! I know Jennifer said you liked school, but you're sick. You should be home in bed."

Matilda shook her head. No one knew she had been living with Miss Honey, and she had been asked to keep it to herself. She had figured it was because Miss Honey was afraid the other kids would think she was giving Matilda special treatment and that's why she wasn't expected to follow along in class. But the nurse was talking about calling her biological mom to come get her, and Matilda had more than an inkling they didn't miss her in the slightest. They had hardly been aware of her existence when she had lived with them, what made anyone think they cared about her now?

"What's your last name, Matilda?"

She sighed in defeat before answering. "Wormwood." A sudden recognition shown in the school nurse's eyes, followed by a look of pity. Now it was clear she recognized her as the pathetic, whimpering and shivering mess that was in here last month.

"I see." Came a quiet, subdued response. "Then how about I just let you rest a bit and see how you feel in a couple of hours?" She suggested, as if it had been her idea all along. She went over to the sink and filled a cup with water under the tap. "The most important thing is making sure you don't get dehydrated." She handed the cup to Matilda, who downed it and handed it back before lying down on the cot. The cup was refilled and placed on the floor next to her with instructions to keep drinking every couple of minutes, but she was fast asleep before a couple of minutes had even passed.

The school nurse sat forward in her chair, file open on her desk and hand hovering over the phone receiver. There was something unnerving about the Wormwood's. While not as openly hostile and unpleasant as her boss, a feat neigh impossible, the blatant disregard they had for their daughter rubbed her the wrong way. It was as if Matilda was nothing more than an unpleasant, spoiled brat throwing a tantrum, belonging to some other unfortunate set of parents and not their own flesh and blood. Matilda, as far as she could tell, wasn't even a brat, but the most mild-mannered 6-year-old she had ever met.

"Maybe you'll be a little more agreeable today…" she muttered as she keyed in Matilda's listed phone number. She held her breath as the phone rang on the other end. Just as she was sure no one was home, an angry sounding woman answered.

"What do you want?"

"Hello, is this Mrs. Wormwood?"

"Yeah, Who wants to know?"

"Hi, this is Miss Rogers, I'm calling from Crunchen Hall Elementary regarding your daughter, Matilda. She seems to be feeling a bit under the weather and-"

"So? What are you calling me for?"

Miss Rodgers sucked in a breath and rubbed at her temple. "Well, if she's sick, then she really ought to be at home in bed."

"Look, lady, Matilda ain't our problem no more. Why don't you call up that teacher she's living with? She's the one who wanted her so bad, it's her problem now." Came the reply. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I've got more important things to do than discuss someone who don't live here no more."

Miss Rodgers blinked in confusion as the call was disconnected and tried to put the pieces together. So Matilda didn't live with her parents anymore? It was probably for the best. Well, if not them, who was she supposed to call? What teacher? A teacher here? Her teacher? She didn't mean… Jennifer?!

So that's why Matilda asked to stay at school. Miss Rogers knew Jennifer lived alone, but when it came to her personal life, she knew little else. She frowned. The Trunchbull would never let her leave early. Matilda was stuck until school let out if Jennifer was her only chaperone. She'd have to call Jennifer and at least attempt to get her out of here, if not for her than for the other kids she'd expose.

She stuck her head in the back room that held the three dirty, and rusty cots. What was the Trunchbull doing with the schools' money that they couldn't even afford proper beds? Instead, all they had was military style cots that looked like they came from the 50's and walls with cracked and peeling yellowish paint.

She glanced down at the young girl who lay curled in a ball with her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. Matilda was the fifth case of NoroVirus to come in this week. Miss Rodgers had sent them all home immediately at the first sign of tummy trouble in an attempt to curb the spread, but it was already too late. There wasn't much she could do when every time she stepped out of her office she saw children sharing drinks, putting their mouths over the water fountain, and even licking the handrails on a dare. She gave one more pitying glance at Matilda before returning to her desk.

They needed to think of a way to get her home and soon. If this was anything like what was going around, and she was pretty sure it was, Matilda was about to feel a lot worse before she felt better. It was time to call Miss Honey.

…..

Matilda was only vaguely aware of the passing of time from the distant sounding chimes of the school's bells. Was that for lunch or recess? Or was the school day over already? What if it was the start of a new school day? Had she slept all morning and through the night? Had they forgotten she was in here?

Her head was pounding, and he body shivered involuntarily from the cold. She had asked Miss Rogers for a blanket, only to learn there wasn't any. A mere 30 minutes later, her body's internal temperature switched and decided it was a hot summer day in the Sahara Desert. She had asked for a fan, but they didn't have any of those either. Matilda had to make due with room temperature water from the faucet Miss Rogers kept forcing on her.

She didn't want to drink any more water. Her stomach felt so full and bloated. Rushing off to the restroom at a moment's notice was becoming more and more difficult as the room spun. The last episode, she hadn't quite made it in time and had been forced to bury her underwear in the restroom trashcan. She was tempted to just pull the cot in next to the toilet and stay there, what with her stomach being as indecisive as her internal climate control. The near constant diarrhea was bad enough, but she wasn't sure how long it would stay only that. There had been a few close calls where the unrelenting waves of nausea had nearly tipped her over the edge. Talking seemed to make it worse, so whenever Miss Rodgers had come to check on her, all she could do was grunt in reply.

How had this happened so fast? One minute, she was sitting in class thinking of words that started with "CH" and the next thing she knew, her stomach decided to give an example of its own by "churning."

She tried opening her eyes, waiting for the world to stop tilting. She could feel the sweat rolling down her face and chest. Her dress was plastered to her body, refusing to unstick no matter how much she tugged at it. She'd give just about any earthly possession to be at home in bed right now instead of this miserable cot.

How much longer until the school day was over? There was a clock over on the far wall. If she could turn her head just a little to the left… A sudden rapid falling sensation had her gripping the sides of the cot for dear life. She shut her eyes tight. Her bladder voided itself. The cupboards began to bang open and closed around her. Papers, mops, brooms, and cleaning supplies began to fall to the surrounding floor. "Stop, please, stop!" she begged, but everything was out of her control. Miss Rogers rushed in, but as soon as she stepped through the doorway, Matilda heard a loud, "snap" and the school nurse's body fell limp to the ground.

"No!" she shouted. Panic overtaking her ailing stomach. Had she…had she just killed someone?!

"Matilda! Matilda! Wake up!"

A cold hand to her face jolted her awake. She was shaking and breathing heavy. Miss. Honey was standing over her.

"I'm sorry! I couldn't control it!" Matilda said as she bolted up right. She took in the room, expecting to see destruction, but not a single door was ajar and nothing was out of place. She felt relief as she settled back down. She hadn't killed Miss Rogers, after all!

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. The floor can be cleaned."

"Blood?" Matilda whimpered.

Miss Honey searched her face, her eyes full of concern. "Blood? Why would there be blood?"

It took a second for Matilda to realize what she had meant. She didn't need to look to know one part of the dream had been true, but she could hardly care at the moment she had wet herself.

"Bad dream." Matilda whispered. This is what she got for reading Stephen King's "Carrie". Miss Honey had tried to keep her from reading it, but Matilda had been bound and determined to read the book about a teenage girl with telekinetic powers.

"Probably the fever." Miss Honey said, "You're burning up."

"I want to go home."

"I know, sweetie. Soon. I can't leave yet, I tried. Hortensia's coming to get you. You're going to stay with her and her mom until I get off work. They live close by."

Hortensia? Why was she coming to get her? Not that Matilda was complaining. Anything was better than being here, but why wasn't she in school?

"Do you think you can sit up?" Miss Rogers asked. She offered Matilda her arm, and together they slowly got her up into a sitting position. The room began to spin in protest. Her stomach gave an angry lurch. Her mouth began to fill with saliva, but with a few even deep breaths, the wave of nausea passed. Matilda wasn't so sure how she was getting there. Were they expecting her to walk? It took a toll just sitting up, she didn't think she'd make it trying to walk out of the building, let alone however many blocks it was.

She was only vaguely aware of Miss Honey wiping her legs down with a wet paper towel. It wasn't until Miss Honey said, "Let's get you out of these wet things," and begin to reach up under her dress did Matilda remember her current state.

"Where's your underwear?" Miss Honey asked when her palms felt nothing but bare hips.

"Trashcan." Matilda mumbled back.

"Why did you throw them away? We could have washed them."

Matilda shook her head. There was no saving those.

"She's had a rough morning, Jen. Sometimes all it takes is a cough or a sneeze at the wrong moment, and you can kiss any outfit they're wearing goodbye." Miss Rodgers chimed in. Understanding seemed to dawn in Miss Honey's eyes.

"Not from this?" she said, referring to the wet cot. Matilda shook her head. She traced a cool, gentle hand down Matilda's face. "What about your dress? Did it get on it anywhere?"

"No." She had been holding it up, about to pull her underwear down, when disaster had struck. She really couldn't have been any closer to making it.

"Oh, I hate the thought of sending you over like this." Miss Honey said, taking in the dark, wet spot that ran up part of her back. "I don't have anything for you to change into." She turned her attention to Miss Rodgers. "Is there anything in the lost and found?"

"Well, there is one shirt, maybe if she's careful it could make due just until she gets there, but without any underwear it's iffy." Ms. Rodgers said. She headed out towards the reception area and began digging in a box underneath the counter and pulled out a large white shirt featuring the name of a nearby catholic summer camp on the back.

"It'll have to do."

Miss Rodgers handed the shirt to Matilda. Miss Honey motioned for her to lift her arms up, but Matilda shook her head.

"I'll change in there." She motioned to the bathroom. She could feel the slight pressure at her backside. She'd better not put it off like last time. The urge wasn't bad, but it was deceptive. What started as an annoyance could grow to full-blown emergency as quick as a snap of the Trunchbull's riding crop.

She gingerly stood to her feet and took a few steps. The room grew dark around her. Her vision began to tunnel. Her blood pressure was crashing. She stumbled, but Miss Honey was quick to grab her.

"Woah! Careful, are you okay?" Miss Honey's arms were around her, holding her up. As much as Matilda would have liked to stay this way for a few more moments longer, she had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Got up too fast." She wobbled a bit as she took another step closer, and then another. Her mouth began watering. Oh crap. She turned around and sat back down on the cot. On second thought, she could get changed out here after all.

Once she got the wave of nausea under control, she tried in vain to pull off her dress, but it wouldn't budge. She was just too exhausted and weak to even do this by herself, and the sweat coating her body wasn't doing her any favors.

"Arms up." Miss Honey commanded. Matilda gave in, allowing herself to be stripped naked, except for her socks and shoes. She held up her arms again, as Miss Honey shimmied the T-shirt for St. John the Baptist's Youth Retreat down her body, just stopping halfway down her thighs. "You'll need to hold it down, but I'm sure Hortensia has something else you can wear. Maybe you can even soak in a nice warm bath once you get there."

Matilda leaned against Miss Honey's arm and closed her eyes. A bath did sound nice, but she wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep. A loud thundering sound coming down the hall made her open her eyes.

"I told her to be discrete." Miss Honey said with a sigh.

"Good luck with that one." Miss Rodgers said as Hortensia rounded the corner, pulling a red, and slightly rusty looking Radio Flyer wagon behind her. "And look who it is! The Goddess of Chaos herself."

"I made it!" Hortensia cried, clearly out of breath.

"Did you run here?" Miss Honey asked.

"Yeah, but only 'cause I lost track of time petting a cat."

"And did you leave said cat where you found it this time?" Miss Rodgers asked suspiciously.

"Yes," Hortensia grumbled. "I swear! I had nothing to do with what happened the other day! I have no idea how that black cat ended up in Miss Trunchbull's office."

Well, that explains the screaming everyone heard over the intercom yesterday, Matilda thought. It had brought much needed laughter to the students and staff.

"Uh-huh," Miss Rodgers said, "Just like you have no idea how those scratches ended up all over your arms and tufts of black fur were found in your backpack? Let's not forget about the cat treats in your pocket."

Hortensia waved her hand dismissively. "All a big coincidence! Trunchbull's got it out for me! Every time something happens, she just assumes it's me."

Matilda gave a weak smile. That's because it was always her. Except for the time Lavender put a newt in the Trunchbull's drinking glass.

Hortensia seemed to notice her for the first time. Her eyes widened when they locked eyes. "What happened to you? You look like sh…" She caught herself at the second. "Shadows. You have shadows under your eyes." She looked down. "And you have no pants on. Why are you not wearing any pants?"

Matilda squirmed under her gaze.

"Do you think you could lend her something to wear when you get to your house?" Miss Honey asked.

"Probably, it'll be big, though." Hortensia said. She pulled the wagon closer. "Hop in, we got to go before my mom gets mad. I was only allowed to be out for fifteen minutes."

"Did you get in much trouble?" Miss Rodgers asked.

Hortensia sighed. "Grounded until the end of the summer."

Matilda let out a yelp as Miss Honey picked her up by the back of the legs. She could feel her stomach rolling in protest at the sudden motion, and was relieved when she was quickly set down in the wagon. She was so glad she didn't have to walk, there was no way she'd make it without puking before she even got out of the office. The pressure in her bowels had grown considerably, but it was too late to ask to use the restroom now. Hortensia had already started pulling her out the door, but not before asking Miss Honey, "You're still going to talk to Mr. Larson about my Math grade, yeah?"

The final piece clicked in Matilda's head. Miss Honey had bribed her! She must have been desperate!

Before they were completely out of hearing range, Matilda could have sworn she heard Miss Rodgers say, "I'm going to miss her when she graduates."

…..

It had taken less than three minutes for Matilda to thoroughly regret her decision not to walk. She could feel every bump in the sidewalk, and every crack she rolled over was like sealing the nail in the coffin for her. She didn't know whether to beg for Hortensia to speed up or slow down. She tensed every muscle she could manage. Her bowels demanded release of the built-up fluid and, what was worse, the nausea. If what she had experienced before were, "waves" than she was now sailing in the middle of the stormy ocean. She tried taking slow deep breaths, but nothing was helping.

"How much farther?" Matilda asked, through almost sealed lips. She was afraid if she opened her mouth, it would all be over.

"Just up the next street. You okay? You don't look so good."

"Bathroom." Matilda groaned, holding her stomach. She didn't want to admit she was about to hurl. Maybe if she didn't admit it, it wouldn't come true. It had been the wrong thing to say.

"Say no more!" Hortensia cried, and then she had begun to run, yanking the wagon along behind her. Matilda didn't even have time to turn her head off the side, instead coating the front of the white shirt and lap in bile and bits of Lucky Charms. Her bowels released from the forceful retching. Against the hard metal, it sounded like a playing card in the spokes of a bicycle.

Hortensia came to a sudden halt and spun around, "Did you just-" Her face went pale and then a shade of green. Matilda answered her question by leaning over the side and vomiting again. The invisible bike with the "bap bap bap bap" sounding spokes whizzed by. Hortensia jumped back out of the line of fire.

Matilda groaned and sat back in the wagon once she was sure there was nothing left inside her to throw up. She could feel liquid covering her legs. She looked down at herself and grimaced. The wagon, and her the lower half of her body, were coated in a dark yellowish liquid. She was thankful her body had rid itself of any solid waste long before this carriage ride from hell, but her bowels had continued to try and drown themselves. She looked up to find Hortensia with a closed fist tight against her lips as she paced back and forth.

"I think I'm okay now." Matilda said.

"That's go-" Hortensia tried to say before gagging. "I can do this. I can do-" Gag. "It's still better than summer schoo-" Gag. "Deep breaths." Gag.

It took them a few minutes to resume their trip. Matilda was horrified when she looked behind them. The wagon was leaking, leaving a trail from the scene of the crime all the way to their final destination.

"Ma!" Hortensia yelled when they came to a stop in front of a single story brick house. Hortensia unlatched the black gate and pulled Matilda into the yard, before letting go of the handle and running up the porch steps. "Ma! Bit of a problem!"

Matilda heard footsteps approaching and willed herself to disappear.

"What on earth is that smell!? 'Tens'! You better not have tracked dog shit home on your shoes again! Take them off. I swear to God, I leave you to do one thing and-" She stopped mid-sentence when she swung the screen door open. "Oh good Lord."

Matilda hung her head in shame as she sat in a puddle of excrement.

"Is there any on my back? She shat herself like a fire hose and-" The older woman walked past her daughter, paying her no mind, and stopped in front of Matilda.

"Oh, you poor thing!" Matilda let out her held breath. "'Tens', go start her a bath, and bring me a mask and gloves!" Hortensia eagerly bounded up the steps, eager to get away from the offending sight and odor. "I'm sorry, hun, I know you're feeling sick, but I'm going to have to hose you down. There's just no other way."

Matilda grimaced, but nodded. Once all the precautionary equipment was in place, The older, and quite larger, version of Hortensia offered her gloved hand and slowly helped her out of the wagon and out of her socks and shoes.

"Hang on to the fence if you need to steady yourself."

Matilda held on to the black iron bars for dear life as things began phasing in and out. Her stomach was beginning to do flips again.

"Take off your shirt. You're not bringing it into the house." Heat radiated in Matilda's cheeks as she slowly obeyed, grateful for the tall hedge blocking the view from the street. "Girly, where are your panties?"

Why did everyone care so much that she wasn't wearing underwear?

Matilda stayed silent, grimacing as she stood naked in front of this stranger while covered in waste.

"I take it it's been one helluva day for you?" Matilda nodded. She just wanted to get this over with, sit on the toilet, take a bath and go to sleep. She heard the hose turn on and braced herself. "Sorry if this is cold." She jumped as the ice-cold water made contact with her skin. Where was this when she wanted something cold earlier?

Matilda shivered as the cold water sloshed over her back. Her stomach cramped in response and the familiar heaviness settled. Not again. She moaned and clenched her fists by her sides, but it was no use.

"I need the bathroom!" She shouted, taking a step towards the house in a panic, but she could already feel it begin to drip down her freshly cleaned legs.

"STOP! Oh no, you don't!" Came a shout. "Not with that leaky bum of yours."

Matilda whimpered in desperation, her eyes full of panic and tears. "But, I need to-"

Hortensia's mom pointed back at the fence. "You can pop a squat there if you need to. I have to hose you and everything down again anyway. You won't hurt anything. Go on."

Matilda stood frozen in horror. She couldn't just…that was so… Another cramp. Another wave of pressure, followed by another leak.

"Don't just stand there, you'll only make a bigger mess. "

She shuffled back to the wet area where she was being hosed off and gave Hortensia's mom another pleading, desperate look as if to say, "You sure about this?"

"Do what you need to do. I'll be over here rinsing down the wagon."

Matilda winced as she gripped the fence with one hand for support and lowered herself down into a squat. Her body needed no further instruction.

….

She was bawling in near agony by the time she was led through the house. Her butt was beyond raw. It burned! It was unbearable! No amount of cold water from the hose would soothe it. She knew she was making the pictures shake in the hall, but she didn't care. Let them find out! They'd seen everything else!

"I know! I know! Shh, a warm bath with help with the irritation." She lightly guided Matilda from the back towards the bathroom. "Tens! I need you to run over to Chunky's and pick up a few things. I'll call her with a list as soon as I get her settled." A few seconds later, they heard the front door open and close. "There you go, how's that?" she asked as Matilda gingerly lowered herself into the water. "Do you think you'll be okay by yourself for a few minutes?"

Matilda nodded, still whimpering, and shut her eyes.

"Our neighbor has a toddler, his names Chuckie, but we call him Chunky, he's the biggest toddler you've ever seen! I think they might have something that can help ease the burning. Here's the toilet if you need it, don't worry about getting water on the floor. I'll be back to check on you in a few."

Matilda sighed and sunk as low as she could into the water. The warm water felt nice on her irritated skin. All she wanted now was to crawl into bed. Every part of her seemed to ache. She never wanted to be this sick again.

Her stomach had managed to behave itself in the 20 minutes she had been left to soak. Matilda hoped that would be the last of it, but she doubted it. Wishful thinking, she knew.

Once she was finished with her bath, she was led into Hortensia's room. It was exactly as Matilda had always pictured it. An absolute disaster. A path had been cleared by kicking clothes and other debris off to the side and everything pushed off the bed except for a t-shirt, gloves, a bottle of blue gel and some kind of mat.

"Lay on your side on the mat facing the wall, and we'll see if this will help with the pain." Matilda eyed the bottle suspiciously as she got into position. Petroleum Jelly.

"You're not gonna… you know, take my temperature, right?" Matilda asked.

"I think your booty has been through enough abuse for one day." Matilda couldn't agree more. She heard rubber gloves being put on. "I am going to put some on my finger though." Matilda clenched, "... And dab it on the irritated areas." She relaxed. This woman was putting her on an emotional roller coaster!

She jumped a little as the cold gel was applied. The relief to the stinging was almost immediate.

"Better?"

"Yes!" She was about to let her guard down the rest of the way when she heard a peculiar, and yet somewhat familiar noise. No! She couldn't be! She felt something pressed against her lower back.

"Roll onto your back for me."

She could feel tears prickling her eyes as she rolled over. "Why?" She looked down at it splayed under her. It wasn't even a pull-up like what she wore to bed!

"Hun, you are a very sick little girl right now, and this sick little girl has a very leaky bum."

"I don't think this is really necessary."

"The gallon of diarrhea I rinsed off you and my patio says otherwise. Now, do you need any more gel? Is anywhere else irritated?" Matilda laid on her back, glaring up at the ceiling. "Going once, going twice, going thre-"

"Here," Matilda mumbled, motioning in between the panty lines. "And the inside of my thighs."

"It's just in case, if you need to use the toilet, you can." She said, dabbing gel. "If I left you like you are right now, one sneeze, and you'd douse the dog."

Matilda blushed. She was probably right. "I didn't know you had a dog."

"The NEIGHBORS dog." Ok, now she was just exaggerating.

"It's not that bad."

"Let me show you something." She left the room, and came back, holding something in between her fingers. "This was the shirt my daughter was wearing." She came closer. Matilda felt her face begin to burn. Little yellow dots stained the back of it. "I quite like my furniture, so please. Let's just keep this on for now, just in case." Matilda let her tape it up. "I'm sorry I made you do your business in the front yard, but it was obvious you wouldn't have made it, and I couldn't think of anything else."

Matilda shrugged and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "Sorry, I had to."

"It's not your fault. I know it was completely out of your control. Here's a clean shirt you can wear. What would you like to do? Would you like to come out to the living room? Or would you like to sleep for a bit?"

"I think I just want to sleep." Matilda admitted after poking her head out from the shirt.

"Alright, I hope you feel better. I'll send Tens in with some medicine for your tummy a little later." She handed Matilda a blanket. "Here, you can watch some television." She turned on the little set and left.

Matilda scowled. She hated the television. She looked around for the remote but couldn't find it. She let her head fall back on the pillow, feeling irritated. She just wanted to sleep. She rolled this way and that trying to get comfortable, but with the inability to close her legs or turn down the volume, it was hopeless. Just as she was about to force herself up and turn it off, she spotted the remote lying across the room on the floor sticking out from under a pair of shorts. Without thinking, she stuck out her hand and made it come to her. There was a sudden bang. Matilda jumped as a bowl of soup crashed to the floor.

There stood Hortensia, empty-handed and mouth ajar. There was no question. She had seen far too much today.