“Miss Kincaid, welcome back.” The feminine voice sounded excited, almost too cheerful to be professional. “And help me remember…”

“Winter.” Eli’s room swayed as his sister shook hands with the therapist.

“Ah yes, Winter. Cute as ever. And your sister...Ally was it?”

“She couldn’t be here today.” Winter said. “She’s got a lot of homework.”

“Over the summer?” the therapist asked.

“She’s in summer school,” Mom said. “Will it be a problem?”

“No, no of course not. Most of this would just be review for her, as it will be for you two. This session is primarily for Eli. I assume he’s in your carrier?”

“Yup,” Winter said.

Gravity increased, and the view outside Eli’s window dropped downward as his room ascended. In moments, he was greeted by a middle aged woman with gray streaks in her brown hair, and lipstick so dark it appeared purple.

“Welcome, Eli. It’s great to finally meet you. My name’s Dr. Amelia Webb.” She poked her finger through the open window, her dark red fingernail gliding toward him like a harpoon.

Eli flinched, turning his head away. If he could turn his body away, he would, but he was held fast by a special chair designed for transporting premies.

“Ooops, I forgot you’re still experiencing symptoms.” She withdrew her finger. “Though from what I’ve heard, you had quite the adventure yesterday. Got yourself trapped under a stuffed toy. You’re very lucky, you know.”

“His window, it was unlocked,” Mom said. “We’ve fixed the problem. But...he’s not happy with the arrangement.”

“Of course not.” Dr. Webb winked at Eli, then rose back to her full height. Winter lowered him to waist level. “No one wants to feel trapped. But at the same time, you shouldn’t have to worry about him trying to escape. That’s why we’re here today. Have a seat.”

The world swayed once more, ending with a mild jolt. He’d obviously been placed on some flat surface — the natural movements of Winter’s arm, likely imperceptible to her, had disappeared.

A triple beep preceded the release of Eli’s straps. He stood and stretched, then glanced at the door which opened before him.

“Come on out,” Winter said.

“Not leaving.” He sat right back down in the chair. They could make him come to this therapist, but they couldn’t make him leave his portable room. At least not by his own free will.

“It’s ok,” Dr. Webb said. “Here, we’ll just open the front wall so he can see better.”

The entire wall ahead of him, the one with the window, dropped away, rotating outward on it’s hinges. He leapt to his feet and backed into the corner.

“My, he is a timid one,” Dr. Webb said. “I’m amazed he was able to leave his apartment yesterday.” Her head dipped down into view. “Eli, can you see the monitor?”

He nodded, pressing his body harder into the corner.

“Can you make him less afraid?” Winter asked. “Even after we found him outside, he wouldn’t let me touch him. We didn’t get a chance to properly discipline him. He was freaking out.”

“Winter, remember what I said about using that word,” Mom said.

“But, they taught us — ”

“Winter’s right.” The therapist, who he disliked more and more, spoke matter of factly. “We do teach that discipline is necessary. Even though Eli no longer suffers from regression, he’s not an adult. And he’s still particularly vulnerable. The word ‘discipline’ may cause him some degree of embarrassment, but it’s better than the alternative.”

“She’s my little sister. She’s not going to discipline me. I’m not a fucking child.”

“Language!” Mom said.

“Eli, you’re fourteen.” The therapist spoke with maddening composure. “You’re still a child in the eyes of the state. Furthermore, as a premie, you must submit to any watcher in matters concerning your safety. Winter has had the appropriate training, so in spite of her age, she qualifies as a watcher. As such, she has the right to discipline you.”

“Dr. Webb, he really is a good kid. This was his first big mistake. I’m sure he’ll do much better after the training session today.” At least Mom was defending him.

“Miss Kincaid, while I respect your concern for your son’s feelings, we all have to recognize the dangers of a premie living in a human environment. Fatalities are up this year. Nearly all were caused by preventable accidents. Eli, do you know what the most common cause of death is for a premie?”

“Suicide.” He spoke before his brain filtered the thought.

“No. Actually that’s not even in the top five for premies dwelling with humans.” She made a notation on the black pad in her hands. “It’s falling. Proportionately, premies can fall further, perhaps twice as far as humans, before death becomes certain. However, much of it depends on factors such as the landing surface. A fall from human waist height onto concrete has been known to cause death. Almost certainly it would cause injury of some sort.

“From our last inspection, most of your house is carpeted. This is a good thing. It means you could’ve fallen from the nightstand and survived. However, you could’ve also broken your neck. I’m not going to sugar coat it. Do you know the second most common cause of premie fatalities?”

“Dr. Webb, is this really necessary?” Mom asked. “I’m sure he’s learned his lesson.”

“It’s ok Mom,” Eli said. He was actually a bit curious.

“This year it’s actually a tie between human interaction and outdoor exposure. Of the fatalities due to human interaction, less than two percent were caused by humans with proper training. That’s why I’m so glad you took the time to get your entire family trained, Miss Kincaid. You’d be surprised how many families fail to see the importance of it. Soon it will become a national mandate for anyone caring for a premie, but unfortunately, we’re not there yet.”

“I’d never hurt Eli.” Winter chimed in. “He knows that, but he’s still afraid. He says he can’t control his fear.” She seemed insistent on the whole fear thing. While true, Eli didn’t like hearing it repeated over and over.

“Part of his fear is instinctual. After all, humans do cause many premie deaths, and many, many more non-fatal injuries. Fear is his body’s natural way of protecting itself, of recognizing potential danger and withdrawing. For example, take a look at the screen. Can anyone tell me what’s showing?”

“It looks like a hand with the skin peeled off,” Winter said.

“Correct, in a way. It’s the musculature of the human hand. And what about this?”

“Oh. It’s like somebody pulled all his skin off. I know! It’s the muscul--ture of a person?”

“Very good! Looks like we’ve got a future doctor here.”

“She wants to be a nurse,” Mom said.

“Maybe I’ll be a doctor,” Winter said. “I’ve already learned everything there is to know about premie nursing.”

The therapist chuckled, tapping her pen in an irritating way against the leather of her pad. “Well, we could certainly use another physician, especially one who specializes in premie medicine. Anyway, you’re correct: it is a person...a premie to be more specific, drawn to scale. Did you know that if you add up the force exerted by all the muscles in a premie's body, it’s less than that of a human child’s forefinger? And that’s assuming a premie would be able to exert all muscles at once, in a single direction, which is impossible.”

“Whoa,” Winter said. “I didn’t know that.”

“It means if someone accidentally squeezed Eli too hard, they’d easily bruise him. Worse case, his bones would break or his organs would be punctured, leading to death. I know it sounds harsh, but it’s important for everyone to face reality. Premies are quite fragile.”

“Dr. Webb, we realize that,” Mom said. “But I’m not sure how this is going to help him get over his fear of us. If anything, you’re just making him more afraid.”

“That’s exactly what I want. His fear is healthy, and he needs to accept it, embrace it, and not be embarrassed by it. Does that make sense, Eli?”

“Yeh,” he said. “Whatever.”

“The good news is that when we’re done with our session today, you’ll still be afraid, but for the right reasons. You’ll be afraid of random humans, but not your watchers. And that, ultimately, is a good thing. It’ll keep you alive and healthy. And, eventually, happy. Because as bad as it seems now Eli, being a premie isn’t the end of the world. In fact, it’s the beginning of a whole new life which you can enjoy if you allow it, and if you practice good safety habits.”

“You saying I won’t be afraid is one thing,” he said. “But if you think I’m going to watch some video and be cured, you’re wrong. Go ahead and try, but it’s a waste of time.”

“Oh, I agree,” Dr. Webb said. “But I don’t plan on showing any videos. This will be a hands on session. I’m going to teach your family how to bind, and when we’re done, you’ll feel like a whole new person.”

“Fuck that.”

“Eli!” His mom slapped the table, and he felt the vibration.

“Eli, are you familiar with binding?” Dr. Webb asked. “Do you know what it is?”

He couldn’t tell her about his experience with Parker. He didn’t want his girlfriend to get in trouble. Was she still his girlfriend? He hadn’t decided, but he refused to rat her out. “I watched a video about it, and I’m not interested.”

“Oh?” Dr. Webb leaned back in her chair to get a better view of him. “And what about the video made you disinterested?”

“Let’s see. Oh, now I remember. The part about being grabbed by a giant!”

“I’m sorry Dr. Webb. He’s not normally this rude,” Mom said. “Eli, the sooner you cooperate, the sooner we’ll get home. We’re all here to help you. Please give Dr. Webb a chance.”

“Not coming out,” he said.

“How about I make you a deal, Eli,” Dr. Webb said. “Let me hold you for five seconds. If you don’t like it, say so, and you’ll get to go home early. Otherwise you can choose to stay in there, and we’ll discuss safety topics for the next two hours.”

“Two hours! What the — ”

“Eli!” Mom’s fingers thrummed on the table.

“Two hours, and there’s a quiz for you at the end.” She paused, presumably to let it sink in, which it did. “I can see that’s the route you’d like to take, which is fine.” Dr. Webb leaned toward the monitor. “I’ll start the first video segment and — ”

“Wait.” He took a tentative step forward. “Only five seconds? Promise?”

“Five seconds. You have my word. After five seconds, simply say you want to leave and we’ll call an early end to the session.”

He could resist for five seconds, couldn’t he? Parker had only affected him that way because, well, because she was Parker — beautiful, witty, and irresistible. This dried up old woman wouldn’t have the same effect.

“Fine.” He walked toward the open wall and stepped onto the warm table. His portable room was heated, and thankfully, so was the table’s surface. “After I count to five, I’m leaving.”

“Close your eyes if you want.” Dr. Webb stretched her arm in his direction, slowly. “Sometimes it helps. You won’t feel any pain.”

He gritted his teeth and squinted, determined to keep his eyes open, even if only just a little. As soon as her fingers wrapped around his body, he began his count.

“One.”

Similar to his experience with Parker, her fingers clamped his arms to his sides. However, the therapist was much faster, so fast he coughed out the word: “Two.”

The pads of her fingers pressed down on his shin, thigh, lower abdomen, and chest, in that order. The blood rushed to his head.

“Thr…” His arms pressed even tighter against his sides, and he inhaled as the tingling erupted at the base of his skull.

Then the calm, the same peace he’d experienced yesterday if not stronger. What was the next number? Three? Just a few more integers and he could leave early.

He opened his mouth to speak, but instead released a sigh.

***

Winter watched, amazed as her brother went limp in Dr. Webb’s hand. She’d watched the videos of course. She’d spent hours practicing with the premie pressure simulator, but nothing had prepared her for Eli’s reaction. He’d gone from determined to compliant in less than a few seconds.

“Do you still want to leave?” Dr. Webb asked, holding Eli in front of her face.

He took a deep breath before speaking. “You — you knew this would happen.”

“And what’s that?” she asked.

“You hypnotized me,” Eli said.

“Oh, I can assure you this isn’t hypnosis. You can finish your count at any time. But you’re choosing not to. Do you know why that is?”

He shook his head.

“Think about it,” Dr. Webb said. “You wanted to leave a few seconds ago. Why did you change your mind?”

“I guess because you’re trying to help me. You’re not a bad person. You want to...protect me...to keep me safe.”

“Very good.” Dr. Webb turned toward Mom. “You see, binding isn’t hypnosis at all. Rather, it is the satisfaction of premie id, the simultaneous fulfillment of their base instinctual drives. With proper technique, the watcher becomes elevated in the mind of the premie. Among other things, he or she becomes the ultimate source of sustenance and protection, more critical to survival than air itself. As such, the watcher also becomes deeply trusted.”

“You’re sure he’s not hurting?” Mom asked.

“Eli, how do you feel?” Dr. Webb addressed her voluntary captive. “Are you in any pain?”

He shook his head. “I feel...good. I — I’m sorry I was rude earlier.”

“It’s ok.” Dr. Webb said. “You were afraid. But you’re not anymore, are you?”

“No,” he said. “I’m relaxed. I know you won’t hurt me.”

“You see”—Dr. Webb placed Eli on the table before continuing—”premies need human contact. They instinctually crave it. For this reason and others, I believe Premoria is destined for failure. I’m not alone in my opinion. We don’t know what activates or suppresses the premie mutation, but we do know premies are not intended to live apart from humans. They need us, and perhaps on some level, we need them.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Winter dropped to the floor, lowering herself to get a better view of her brother. “I don’t want him to go to Premoria.” Poor Eli looked like he wanted to be held again. It took everything she had not to reach for him.

“It’s his decision to make.” Mom placed a hand on Winter’s shoulder. “It’s expensive, but if we can find a way, we’ll make it happen. I won’t strip my son of choosing what path he wants to take in life.”

“I agree,” Dr. Webb said. “The choice is his and his alone. If he decides to go to Premoria, he can always change his mind later. I’ll admit, there is some hope for the city. They’ve recently hired dedicated binders, watchers who specialize in binding premies of various shapes, sizes and genders. They currently only monitor a very small section of the city, but it’s something at least. If the program is successful, I imagine they’ll roll it out to more areas.”

“Can I hold him now?” Winter asked. “Will he let me?”

“Of course.” Dr. Webb said. “But first let your mother bind him, to get a feel for what it’s like. It’s quite an experience, even for the watcher. Eli, go to your mother.”

“Ok.” Eli walked toward his mom. No signs of nervousness.

“He certainly seems like he’s hypnotized,” Mom said.

“He’s not,” Dr. Webb said. “He just trusts me. The effect reduces as time passes, and once you bind him, his trust will transfer to you instead.” Once Eli reached Mom’s outstretched hand, Dr. Webb said, “Ok, now just wrap your fingers around him as you did in training.”

Mom did so, holding Eli so that her thumb crossed just under his neck.

“Good,” Dr. Webb said. “Now squeeze until you feel it. You’ll know when you’re squeezing hard enough. Listen to his body.”

“I felt it.” His mom seemed stunned. “He went limp.”

“Perfect. When you feel his body like that, it’s important to maintain the same pressure. Too much and you’ll hurt him. Too little, and the binding won’t work. If you need help, you can always ask him how it feels.”

“Do you feel ok, honey?” Mom asked.

“Yes. It feels...really good.”

Winter giggled. “He looks so happy. Oh, I can’t wait to try. Is it my turn?”

“It’s funny, I almost don’t want to release him. It reminds me of when he was just a baby. I know I’m embarrassing you sweetheart, but it does.”

“Oh you’re not embarrassing him,” Dr. Webb said. “He trusts you completely at the moment. You’re his mother. On some level he’s always trusted you, but binding brings it to the forefront. If you wish, you can let Winter try. I assume she’s completed the practice exercises?”

“Yes!” Winter interrupted before her mom could speak. “I get the right pressure on the first attempt every time.” Her mom set Eli down and not a second passed before Winter’s hand had wrapped around her brother.

“Just remember every premie is unique. While the simulation device is a close approximation, it’s impossible to anticipate every shape, size, temperament and gender.”

“I felt it!” Winter said. “He relaxed in my hand, kind of like putty. It’s so easy. I thought it would be more difficult.”

“Good,” Dr. Webb said. “Now remember to check with Eli, at least the first few times you do it. Always best to make certain.”

“Are you ok, Eli?” Winter asked, concern in her voice.

“Yeh.” His little lungs expanded and relaxed. “You’re grip is a bit loose, but it’s good.”

“Is that better?” she asked after tightening her hold. His body went utterly limp in her hand.

“Y—yeh.” His head lolled back a bit, resting on her forefinger.

“This is so cool!” Winter said. “He’s not afraid of me anymore. I can’t believe it!”

“Correct,” Dr. Webb said. “He’s not afraid of you at all. You’re his protector now. You’re the one in control, the one with all the power. At your size, you’re always the one with the power, but binding imparts that awareness onto him. He sees reality for what it is, and simultaneously feels comforted, safe, and loved.”

“So I can bind him whenever I want to play with him?” Winter asked before realizing her mistake. “I mean see him?”

Dr. Webb laughed. “Well, binding generally isn’t allowed unless you have the premie’s permission. An exception is for safety, and for the sake of safety, binding can also be used as a means of discipline. For example, now that Eli is proper bound, go ahead and discipline him for his actions yesterday. Do you remember how?”

“I just tell him, right?” Winter asked. She’d never understood this part of her training. It seemed unlikely to be effective.

“Correct. Just tell him what he did wrong and how it affected you. Be honest.”

Winter recalled the incident in her mind. “Eli, yesterday you broke out of your apartment. That’s against the rules. You could’ve hurt yourself badly. Ally was very upset, and I was a little upset. If you’d gotten hurt...he’s crying...why’s he crying?”

“When bound, he’s highly receptive to your feelings. He can feel your heartbeat and you can feel his. The pain you felt, the concern, the anger — he experiences it in a magnified form. As long as you’re honest about how it made you feel, he’ll sense that, and he’ll regret his actions.”

“How do I make him stop?” Winter’s own eyes welled with tears. “I don’t want him to cry.”

“Just tell him you forgive him, and mean it,” Dr. Webb said. “When he senses you’re not upset, he’ll stop crying.”

“I forgive you, Eli.” Winter sniffled, hugging her brother against her moist cheek. “You didn’t mean to do it. You’ll never do it again, right?”

“I’m sorry.” Eli’s voice choked. “I wasn’t thinking. I was mad...you didn’t invite me to the pool. I’m really sorry.”

Winter continued cheek-hugging her brother. It was the first time in her life she could remember him being this open with her, and it was the first time she’d held him since he’d awakened from his regressed state. The combination of it all overwhelmed her and filled her heart to bursting, but it did nothing to stifle the stream of water coming from her eyes.

“Oh my,” Mom wiped her eyes. “I’ve never seen them so close. It’s incredible.”

“It really is,” Dr. Webb said. “It’s why I think that humans may need premies as much as they need us. Perhaps not for physical survival, but for something deeper, more crucial to our souls. Discipline is really an unfortunately word for the process, because it has a negative connotation. When done properly, as Winter demonstrated, the watcher feels nearly as much emotion as the premie. Even after the effects of binding wear off, the memories of the emotions will remain, and if true, they’ll help change behavior for the better.”

Mom and the therapist continued their conversation, but Winter wasn’t listening. Several minutes passed before she and Eli were able to dry their faces. Since his arms were bound, she helped clean his face with a finger on her free hand. As her joy returned, so did his, as if he fed off her improvements in mood. She could see why her mother didn’t want to release thim. Holding him like this, he felt almost a part of herself, an extension of her mind and body.

“Alright, now that everyone’s happy again, how about we try an experiment?” Dr. Webb asked rhetorically. “Just to prove this isn’t hypnosis, Winter go ahead and set your brother down. Then, give him a silly command, something he’d never do.”

“Um, ok.” She reluctantly released her brother on the table and returned to her seat on the couch. “Like what?”

“I don’t know,” Dr. Webb said. “Use your imagination.”

“Hmmm.” A devious smile formed on her face. “How about kiss my foot?”

“Winter — ” Mom started before getting interrupted.

“No, it’s fine,” Dr. Webb said. “Go ahead, give him the instruction.”

Winter placed her foot, pink shoe and all, on the table. “Eli, please kiss my foot.”

He looked up at her, something between expectation and dismay written on his little face. He looked her shoe, and surprisingly took a step towards it.

“Is he really going to do it?” Winter asked. Some part of her wanted him to, but she wasn’t sure why.

“Just wait,” Dr. Webb said.

Eli reached the shoe and placed his hands on her laces. “Gross,” he said, looking up at Winter. “Why do you want me to kiss it?”

“Umm, just because,” Winter said.

He leaned toward the shoe, then sniffed it, but stopped short. “No. I won’t do it.”

“Wow, you’re right,” Winter said. “But he almost did kiss it.”

“Well, you’re still the most trusted person in his life at the moment,” Dr. Webb said. “But, at the same time, he can sense you’re not entirely serious. Even when you’re not binding him, the empathic connection remains in a reduced form, diminishing over time. Now, give him a command, something more reasonable.”

“Okaaaay…” She dropped back down to the floor, resting her chin on the table near him. “Eli, give me a kiss on the cheek.”

He stared into her eyes, something he could do more easily now that she was nearly on his level. After a few seconds, he said, “Fine.” Then, he walked over. She strained her eyes, shifting them left and downward to keep him in view. She felt his little nose, quickly followed by his lips as he gave her a brief peck on her cheek. Her face warmed considerably, and her heart thumped in her chest.

“That’s adorable.” Mom said. “I should’ve taken a picture.”

“You see it’s not hypnosis,” Dr. Webb said. “It’s something Eli would have done naturally on request, if freed of negative inhibitions. Binding frees him to act in a pure manner, without worrying about embarrassment, fear, what others may think, or anything like that. Isn’t that right, Eli?”

“Well yeh,” Eli said. “I know I’ll probably be embarrassed in a little while, but right now, I feel good. Winter’s my sister, and I trust her..”

“Ohmigosh!” Winter’s eyes felt moist again. “I wish Ally were here. She’d never believe this.”

“I’m sure Eli will let you demonstrate how to perform a proper binding when you get home,” Dr. Webb said. “But now that we’ve finished with the fun part of our session, we need to continue by covering the safety pieces. As useful as binding may be for discipline, it doesn’t help if no one is trained on the dangers that exist for premies. Today we’ll cover the topics of falling and exposure. Eli, if at any point you want your binding refreshed, simply ask, as I know these topics will seem frightening to you otherwise.”

“Ok,” Eli said, sitting cross legged, facing the monitor.

After the exposure topic, which covered everything from premie heat retention to the damage a single drop of rain could do, he did indeed ask to be bound again. He specifically asked for Winter, and she couldn’t have been more enthused. Dr. Webb explained a premie, if given a choice, would be far more likely to request a binding from the one who performed it last.

She didn’t release him through the entire topic of falling and fought to stop her free hand from shielding his eyes when Dr. Webb showed some of the more graphic images. Premies really were quite fragile. She’d have to work hard to ensure her brother never got injured.

And she would work hard. She’d protect him. No matter what.