The next morning Ran entered Conan's room carrying a bowl of oatmeal and his medication, the latter of which she placed on top of his dresser. She kneeled down next to Conan's head and gently shook him awake.
Conan opened his eyes. Having not taken his other medicine the night before, he was feeling much more well rested and in less pain than other mornings. His mind felt more clear as well now that it had been more than 24 hours since he last took the pill.
"Good morning, Conan," she whispered gently. "You can go back to sleep after breakfast, I just want to make sure you get your medicine before it starts hurting again."
Conan gave a big yawn and nodded. Ran lifted his head and placed it into her lap then began spooning oatmeal into his mouth. While Conan was eating he felt something strange on his legs. He adjusted himself a little and realized what it was.
He swallowed a mouthful and bashfully told Ran, "I think I leaked…"
"That's okay," Ran said patiently. "Finish eating and I'll get you changed."
Once Conan was finished, Ran gently placed his head back on his pillow and checked his diaper. It was wet, as she expected, but a small leak had indeed occurred and soiled the butt of Conan's pajamas pants. She walked to the closet and grabbed a new diaper then she went to his dresser to get him a spare pair of pajama bottoms. When she placed the diaper on top, to free up one of her hands, she accidentally knocked over the pill bottle she'd brought in. It fell to the floor and rolled under the dresser.
"Shoot," she muttered, getting on her hands and knees and feeling around under the dresser. She felt the pill bottle and pulled it out and proceeded on to Conan, who had fallen back asleep almost immediately after his head hit the pillow.
She shook him awake again and presented him with a glass of water and a pill. "Just one more things and I'll stop bugging you," she said.
"Thanks," Conan said, taking the pill.
Ran gingerly took off his wet pants and placed a towel under the small spot where his diaper had leaked. She wiped him down, powdered him, padded him, and put on the new pants. Conan made no attempt to stay awake, he was eager to get rest so that Haibara's "re-ageing" drug would get out of his system. He was out cold before Ran even left the room.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
A sliver of consciousness came to Conan, stirring him from his deep slumber. He still felt tired enough to stay asleep but the pain in his stomach and limbs was too distracting to let him get comfortable. He opened his eyes to force himself awake but it did little, his mind became slightly more active but his body still felt heavy. He attempted to move, maybe to force himself to stand, but when he went to sit up he barely got inches before he went back, reeling in pain.
"Aaahh," he groaned, throwing his head back against his pillow. He closed his eyes again, ready to just give up until Ran could help, when a foul smell hit his nose. Conan wondered what it was for a second, then he felt something foreign in the bottom of his diaper. He put two and two together.
"Awww, crap!" he exclaimed to himself, realizing he must have been sleeping so heavily he missed his body's usual signal that he needed to evacuate his bowels. He'd pooped his pants two days before but at least he'd had notice when he did it then. The fact that he'd done this in his sleep worried him, especially since he was supposed to start getting better today. In his freight, tears started forming in his eyes.
He wanted out of his mess immediately. He went to call out for Ran but, as he inhaled to yell, the pain coursed through his diaphragm and caused him to wince, letting out all the air. "Ran…" he groaned pathetically, the sound not even being enough to penetrate his door.
Conan laid in his mess for a while, crying to himself and wishing Ran would come in and help him. After a while his bout of melancholy passed and he could think clearly again. He mustered up the resolve and gritted his teeth as he pushed himself over onto his stomach. Then he fought through the pain and the fatigue of his muscles to push himself up on all fours.
He stayed like that for a minute to get his bearings, his arms wobbling and trying to drop him back into his bed, before making his way to the door. Each pace he crawled was difficult, he very deliberately placed one hand in front of the other before moving the rest of his limbs and repeating the process. The butt of Conan's diaper stuck into the air and pushed his legs apart, further complicating his movements. He would feel his mess spreading every time his diaper shifted and, while he hated it, there wasn't much he could do to stop it.
Conan slid his door open and looked both ways down the hall, finding no sign of life. His arms were feeling weak and ready to give in but he soldiered on to the staircase. Every step he took down brought its own pain and it's own challenge. He successfully maneuvered himself about halfway down the staircase before he planted a hand, only for the arm to go out on him. He dropped forward, his shoulder hitting the step, and rolled down the stairs with a *CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK* until he hit the bottom.
"Aaahhhhh," he groaned, laying flat on his cheek, sprawled out on the floor. The trip down didn't hurt him in particular but the positions his body was forced to take as he fell shot pain all through his limbs. The shock, as well, sent Conan into a crying fit.
"What was that?" he heard Ran say before she rounded the corner and saw him in his pathetic state. "Oh my God, Conan! Are you alright?"
Conan, through frantic sobs, replied, "I fell down the stairs..." he said, then gave a sniffle and continued, "...and I pooped my pants."
"You poor thing!" Ran said, frantically dropping down and rolling Conan onto his back. "Why didn't you call for me? I would have come up and helped!"
Conan, his voice raspy from crying, said, "It hurts too much."
This concerned Ran deeply, but she figured she could worry later. For now she knew Conan wanted off the floor and into a clean diaper. She grabbed Conan by the armpits and picked him up. As she lifted him his cries became louder, a sign that the movements were hurting him even more. "Shhh," she said, trying to calm him, "I'm sorry, you'll be okay."
She carried the boy up the stairs and into the bathroom. She set him on his feet so she could go get clean clothes but found Conan was having trouble staying upright. He was barely able to stand, his legs were spread out and wobbly. His arms moved every which way, trying to keep his balance, occasionally grabbing ahold of the counter to try and steady himself.
Ran, now sufficiently worried, didn't give Conan long to finally find his balance. She picked him up again and left the bathroom, making her way toward Conan's room. "You need to lie down," she said to the boy, who was still crying and obviously in pain. "I'll call The Professor after I change you and see if you can take another pill." The Professor had told her things should be easier today, not worse. She would definitely need to tell him.
Ran placed Conan back on his bed and went about the process of changing his diaper. This was the first time she'd ever had to wipe Conan's butt clean (she'd used the bidet the last time,) but Conan didn't seem too embarrassed by it. More than shame or disgust, Conan just felt miserable, tired, and sick. Ran, too, only felt sorry for the child.
As she changed him, Ran asked Conan some questions. "Do you feel worse today than yesterday?"
"Yeah…" Conan said.
"Do you still feel sleepy?"
He nodded.
"And did you wake up to poop?"
He shook his head no.
Ran pursed her lips but finished up the change and redressed the boy. "We're going to get you help," she said, trying to sound casual. "Just get some rest for now."
Conan nodded and closed his eyes. Despite the pain, sleep still came for him.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Conan came to when he heard The Professor's voice. His eyes still felt heavy and he was extremely tired, so he just laid back and listened as Ran explained the events of the morning. He wanted to protest and stop her when she mentioned him pooping the bed but he hadn't the energy. He didn't care about his pride, he just needed to get better.
"I see…" The Professor said once Ran was finished. "Let me take a look at him."
As The Professor leaned down next to him, Conan opened his eyes. "Oh good, you're awake," he said.
"Hey Professor," Conan said weakly.
"Ran told me you're not feeling any better today. I just have to do a few tests, bare with me and let me know if it hurts too much," The Professor said.
"Isn't Haibara here to help?" Conan asked.
The Professor shushed him before Conan could reveal too much. "Haibara's too young to help with this. Now quiet while I do some tests," he said. The Professor became more concerned as he realized Conan didn't have his usual mental capacity and power of observation. He knew Conan was right, though. Haibara was at home standing by the phone in case he ran into trouble.
"Ran, I need to take a blood sample. Could you be a dear and boil some water for me to sterilize this needle?" he asked. He didn't actually need to sterilize it, as it came clean, but he needed her out of the room for a couple of minutes while he asked Conan some question.
"Of course," she said, leaving the room.
The Professor bent down and whispered into Conan's ear. "Did you take your other medicine last night?" he asked.
"No, just the painkillers during lunch yesterday and this morning," he replied, his voice weak and his mind groggy.
"And where are they now?" he asked.
Conan thought for a second and remembered his tantrum from the night before, where he threw the dud pills against the wall. He faintly moved his arm up and pointed to under the dresser where they'd rolled.
The Professor quickly made his way over and felt around for the pill bottle. When he pulled it out it was just as he suspected; Conan had taken the wrong pill this morning. The Professor had used the same style pill capsule and bottle for both, because he had them handy, but to his trained eye he could see the little differences in the medical labels.
"Conan, why were these - " he started, before hearing Ran coming around the corner. He quickly pocketed the second pill capsule and pretended to examine Conan some more. He took some blood so he and Haibara could test it, just in case, but he was fairly certain that his condition was just a result of having taken the "re-ageing" drug for too long without painkillers. He sent Ran out again, this time to get a glass of water and Conan's medicine.
The Professor quickly whispered to Conan again, trying to fill him in. "Conan, you'll be alright. You took the wrong medicine this morning but the effects should wear off by tomorrow."
Conan nodded, he wasn't sure why he'd gotten the wrong medicine but he accepted it. He was still being sucked down by the heavily sedative effects of the drug. The only thing he could manage to say is, "It hurts…"
"I know," The Professor said, patting Conan on the shoulder. He wasn't sure how this mix up happened but he'd make sure he got his hands on the "re-aging" drug before he left, that way he could make sure this would never happen again.
Ran re-entered the room and The Professor took the medicine and water and turned away briefly, swapping the bottles out and pocketing the "re-aging" drug. He slowly tipped the glass of water into Conan's mouth, followed by the painkiller and more water.
"Thanks…" Conan whispered, closing his eyes and anticipating that relief would come.
Conan halfheartedly listened as The Professor gave Ran some excuse as to what had happened and how she could help Conan, but he was hardly able to concentrate. Their voices brought him great comfort and, as they talked to each other, he was taken by sleep.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Conan was getting his diaper changed the next time he woke. He opened his eyes and saw it was getting dark outside. Ran was gently wiping him down with a wetnap and didn't even notice his eyes had opened. Conan was still in pain, but the numbing effects had made it more manageable. Now that the pain was gone, however, he could talk a little easier.
"Did I poop myself again?" he asked, paranoid from the last time he woke up.
Ran smiled at him, glad the boy was able to wake up and speak. "No, sweetie, you were just wet," she reassured him. "Try and go back to sleep. I wont be long."
Conan closed his eyes but attempted to stay awake until he had his pants back on. He found himself drifting off fast once his privates were covered by the padding. He didn't even make it till Ran fastened the last tape before he lost consciousness.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Conan woke up to something in his mouth, where he was instinctively suckling on and drinking its warm fluid. He opened his eyes and saw Ran was cradling his head in her lap and using a baby bottle to feed him. He shook his head and Ran pulled away.
"Oh, you're awake," she said.
"What's with the bottle," he asked crankily.
"The Professor said not to give you any more solid food today, so he brought by some formula to take with your medicine."
"But I don't want to drink from a bottle," Conan whined.
"Conan, it's alright. It's easier for both of us this way," she said, putting the bottle up to his lips and gently rocking his head up and down.
"But-" he started, as Ran forced the nipple back into his mouth. His eyes grew tired and he accepted the bottle, suckling from it as fast as he could. He hardly had the power to fight it. He drifted in and out of lucidity as he finished his dinner, took his pill, then got his diaper changed.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Conan woke up naturally this time. He was still tired, but now it was a tired he was more comfortable with. That sort of comfortable tired where you realize you still have time before you go back to sleep. He was well past the sedative effect of the sleeping pill and was sitting comfortably in the grasp of his painkillers, which numbed the pain to where it was barely noticeable.
It was dark now, Conan had no idea what time it was. He searched the room for clues, taking advantage of having some of his mental capabilities back. The light from outside his door was still on, he could hear traffic in the street, and a quick move of his legs told him his diaper was very wet. He deduced it was evening, probably not long before Ran would be going to bed.
As if being summoned by mere thought, Conan heard soft footsteps coming up the stairs and knew it was Ran. He closed his eyes, not wanting her to fuss over him anymore tonight.
Ran slid open Conan's bedroom door and entered. She grabbed a fresh diaper from the closet and began her work. Conan, his thoughts now his own again, decided to feign sleeping during the duration. He vaguely remembered her wiping his butt that morning and didn't yet want to look her in the eyes.
Conan felt Ran lift the covers and pull down his pants. As she started untaping his wet diaper, Conan heard her start talking. "You know, when The Professor told me yesterday you were going to get better I was happy for you," she said, her whisper being softened by her even kinder tone. "But I was secretly kind of disappointed, I liked having a younger child in the house." Ran pulled the diaper out from beneath him and balled it up.
"I mean, sure, you're young anyway but you're normally so mature. You're like a little brother to me, but I never got to see you grow up. I didn't get to see how you became the child you are today," she continued, wiping his naked skin down and thoroughly cleaning the dirty region.
"I kind of liked it, to be honest. How couldn't I? Even when you were being an emotional brat, I couldn't help but think you were cute. But..." she whispered, carefully placing a fresh diaper under his bottom and powdering him.
"I can't stand to see you like this. The pain, the crying, the humiliation. As cute as you are, it doesn't mean anything to me if you aren't happy," she said, securing the tapes around his waist.
"But I miss you, Conan. The real you; the clever child who loved mysteries, and soccer, and reading, and hanging out with your friends. I miss the incredible way you see the world and the way your surprise me every day," she said, her voice breaking as she choked back tears. She placed the last tape and paused. "You need to get better, I already lost the most important boy in my life. I don't want to lose you too."
Conan, who had faked sleeping through all of this, could take no more of her pain. He bolted upright, clenching his teeth through the agonizing pain shooting through his gut, and embraced Ran using every ounce of strength still left in his little body.
Ran, shocked to see him move so suddenly, reflexively embraced the child and hugged him back. Her mouth was wide open in shock and tears started running down her face. Neither said a word as they held each other. The physical pain Conan experienced was indescribable in magnitude but he couldn't even fathom the pain he'd feel if he wasn't there to comfort Ran.
Once Ran had stopped crying Conan laid back into his pillow, grimacing at the pain in his gut. Ran stroked his head. "I'm sorry, Conan, I didn't mean to wake you," she said.
"I've been sleeping long enough," Conan said. "Thank you for everything, and I promise I'll be better tomorrow." He was confident he could fulfill that promise, but he knew Ran would have doubts. So he said it with as much conviction a diapered 1st-grader could possibly manage.
It seemed to be effective. Ran smiled down at him and tucked him into bed. "Just get some sleep, I'll come check on you in the morning," she said, then kissed him on the forehead.
Conan closed his eyes and snuggled the blanket onto his chin. "Goodnight, Ran," he said.
"Goodnight, Conan," Ran replied, shutting off the light on her way back. As Conan was starting to drift back to sleep, he vaguely became aware that Ran had forgot to put his pants back on him. He dropped it from his mind, though. His current diapers were future Conan's problem, for now he would have to learn to embrace them.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Epilogue
Conan's recovery and re-potty training were anything but pleasant for him. While Haibara took about a week to get back into big-girl undies, he was barely gaining his ability to feel the urge to pee again by the end of the first week. By the end of the second week the pain had mostly stopped but he still relied on his diapers, only now he was able to change himself. Haibara suggested this was because of the extra day he'd taken the pill, but she privately posited Conan enjoyed getting changed by his girlfriend too much.
Ran went back to school once Conan was able to move around on his own again. At first she'd drop him off at The Professors, where Haibara or Professor Agasa would help change him when necessary, but once Conan was able to change himself he was fine to stay at home alone. Ran enjoyed helping Conan re-potty train. She knew she couldn't be obvious about her joy, or the fact Conan was indeed re-potty training, but she applauded every effort he made to get to the toilet on time. She was sad when the day came that Conan finally graduated back to his regular, white underwear but she couldn't help but be a little pleased when he ended up wetting his pants while on a walk later that night.
Conan finally returned to school after a few weeks. He'd successfully been dry during the last 2 days but he wore pull-ups the first week, just in case. He found this a wise decision, being that he had to excuse himself twice from class on the first day to change. Things were briefly awkward around Mitsuhiko, Haibara, and himself but it quickly passed as they fell into their old routine.
It took over a month for Conan to be completely accident free but he still suffered from an itchy bladder. Even after he'd rejoined Mouri in visiting crime scenes he found himself having to run off to find a toilet, making it just in the knick of time. At first he found it annoying, but he realized having that trait made it easier for him to slip away and investigate on his own.
As for his bedwetting, it went away after a couple of months. He slept with plastic sheets for a full month after his last accident, though.
After awhile, Ran's suspicion of Conan's true identity and age came back. He'd get too clever, too cool, too mature and Ran would start poking around and trying to figure out his secret. In times like these Conan found is prudent to bite the bullet and drink a couple of glasses of water before bed. He'd wake up, which he was happy about, but he'd still force himself to relax and let the urine flow out of him. He hated laying around in his own urine but he knew nothing quelled Ran's suspicions like comforting the young boy in his soiled pajamas. He had to be careful, though, because after resorting to this twice in a week Mouri had threatened to put him back into diapers. His pride would never let him admit it but, secretly, he didn't think he'd mind that too much.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Author's note: While this is the last chapter of Yellow Sheets Alibi I have planned, I'm not ruling out continuing it at a later date. I'm also considering doing a bit of editing, adding a few scenes, and releasing it as an eBook. I haven't decided yet but I promise to update if I ever go for it. Anyways, thanks for reading! I learned a lot while writing this, and I thank you for your patience as I experimented. I hope you enjoyed it!