Obligatory Content Warning: The following story involves cubs, nappies (diapers) and wetting, and hints at beatings.  If this is offensive to you, DO NOT READ ON.

For the second time in a week Cub stood outside the sanatorium door clutching one of the headmaster's green notes, but this time he'd dared to read what the headmaster had written, pausing in a corner to unfold it, read it, and carefully re-fold it.

"Can NOT keep his paws off his privates." it had read. "Three nights in the nursery with nappies on." Three nights! He still didn't understand what misdemeanour he was supposed to have committed. He was already in bed, and almost asleep, when the headmaster had come in. The headmaster had pulled the covers off him, scolded him for the way his paws were covering his crotch, reminded him about the very stern but puzzling lecture the older cubs had received after an evening assembly earlier in the week, told him to get out of bed and make it tidy, then pick up his day clothes, and handed him the note.

It was well after "lights out" time for the junior dormitories, the senior cubs would all be in bed soon, and there were no cubs in the sanatorium. It hadn't been a bad day by Matron's standards. Only a few cubs with minor ailments, scratches and bruises had come to her Surgery, and there'd been no extra laundry to deal with, so she'd managed to get most of the preparations for the cubs' long weekend exeat done two days in advance. Now she was relaxing with a book. She'd only read a few pages when the bell rang. Sighing, she closed her book, and went to answer the summons.

She looked down at the cub standing by the door. He was wearing his dressing gown and sleep shorts, clutching his day clothes in a bundle between one paw and his belly, and managing to look worried, puzzled and sleepy all at the same time. He handed her a note from the headmaster. She took it, sighed as she read it, and wondered how this generally quiet well-mannered cub had managed to catch the headmaster's attention so severely for the second time inside a week.

"You'd better come along in, then. Do you need a wash?" she asked. He shook his head to say no, so she guided him along to the nursery, and pointed at one of the beds. "That'll be your bed tonight. Put your clothes in that locker and hang your gown on the hook." she said, and then went to find the things she needed. When she returned he was sitting on the bed with his paws covering his crotch, his head down and his ears drooping.

"Did he tell you what to expect this time?" she asked as she placed the small pile of things on the end of the bed. Again he shook his head.

"It's nappies again, I'm afraid. Off you get." she said, and noticed that he kept a paw covering his crotch even as he was getting off the bed.

"If you need to use the bathroom then you know where it is. Off you go." she added, and pointed him at the door. While he was out of the room she prepared nappies for him.

"Time to take those shorts off." she said when he returned. Somewhat reluctantly, he pulled them down and stepped out of them. She picked him up and laid him on the nappies, then turned to pick up the shorts. As she'd suspected, there was a damp patch on them. She flicked them inside-out and checked again, giving them a quick sniff. It didn't look or smell like anything more than a little pee, so she suspected the accusation implied in the headmaster's note was unjust.

"I think you wet yourself a little, didn't you?" she asked, and he nodded bashfully, so she pulled a couple of wet wipes from a packet on the end of the bed, and used them to wipe his privates thoroughly. Then she fastened the nappies on him, fitting them snugly around his tail and between his legs, covering them first with waterproof pants, and then a snug sleeper suit, which she zipped up from his tail to the back of his neck. Finally she slipped him under the bedclothes and ruffled his head fur gently.

"Comfortable?" she asked, and he smiled very briefly. "Ok. Sleep well." She turned out the lights, and closed the door as she left. Dropping his damp shorts in th laundry on her way, she returned to her room, put her feet up, flicked a switch on the nursery monitor, and picked up her book again.

Cub lay in the dark, a little confused. This time he knew he was alone in the nursery. He'd have liked Smallest's company again, but at least he had an idea what to expect this time. He lay on his back, with his paws held behind his head.  The nappies kept his legs apart and made his tail feel a bit uncomfortable. Soon he heard the headmaster's footsteps. The door was opened and the lights were switched on. The headmaster strode to his bedside, pulled the bedclothes back, and prodded Cub's nappies.

"Those will help you keep your paws off your privates at night, won't they." he said, sternly. "You'll sleep in them for the rest of the week. Perhaps you'll have learned your lesson by the week-end."

Cub blinked, and nodded mutely. The headmaster turned and left. 

Back in the dark, Cub pulled the covers back over himself, rolled over, found a comfortable position to lie in, and tried to go to sleep. At least, this time, he'd not been beaten, but the bruises from his previous beating were still a little tender. He was thoroughly confused now. Since his previous night in nappies, when he'd woken in the morning wet, but with no memory of wettting them, he'd been worried about wetting his bed. Each night since, before bed, he'd been to the bathroom two or three times, and he'd gone to sleep with one paw clutching his sheath. So far, each time, he'd woken up in a dry bed. Now he was in nappies again, so he couldn't hold his sheath, because the headmaster seemed to think that it was a very bad thing to do. He couldn't work out what was so bad about it. They'd had that brief stern lecture earlier in the week when the headmaster had talked about sheaths and naughty things some cubs did, but it hadn't made any sense either. The confusion became overwhelming, and soon he was sobbing into his pillow.

Matron listened to the sobbing for a minute or two, hoping the cub would sob himself to sleep. Then she sighed, put her book down, and went to the sanatorium kitchen. There she prepared a small cup of a warm milky drink, and, after checking the cub's medical card, added a few drops from a small bottle to it.  Then she went to the nursery, and entered quietly, turning on only the night light. The cub was still sobbing. She set the drink on his bedside table, and ruffled his head fur gently. He sniffed. She pulled a tissue from a pocket, and wiped his nose.

"Can't get to sleep?" she asked, gently, and felt him shake his head.

"Ok. Sit up. I've brought you a drink that'll help."

Cub sat up, and took the drink, sipping it at first, and then drinking the rest more quickly. When he'd finished he reached to set the cup back on the table, and she wiped his muzzle.

"So, what's keeping you awake?" she asked. "The headmaster didn't beat you this evening, did he?"

"No," he replied, "but I don't understand what I did that's so bad..."

Matron sighed. The cub probably hadn't understood much of the headmaster's stern lecture earlier in the week. The headmaster wasn't very good at talking about that sort of thing at the best of times, and his attitude was also a bit old fashioned.

"He caught you holding your sheath?" she guessed. He nodded to say yes.

"He thinks that cubs holding their sheaths are always doing something very naughty, even when they're not," she continued, "so it's best if you never let him see you doing it."

Cub was still confused, but the last bit of advice made sense. "Ok, so if I need to hold it to stop me wetting my bed then I should'nt hold it 'til after lights-out." he added. She ruffled his head fur.

"You havn't wet your bed in years." she said. "Is that what you've been doing all this time?"

"No. Only since I wet my nappies in here last time." he replied, ears drooping at the admission. Matron thought for a short while. She'd just given the cub another dose of the same medicine she'd given him after his beating. It worked partly by helping tensed muscles to relax, so it might just be responsible for a loss of night time control. She made a note to check its side effects again.

"That might have been because you had an extra drink so late, or just because you were wearing nappies." she suggested. Then she looked at the empty cup, and added "You might be wet tonight, but I'm sure you'll be dry at night when you're not wearing them, so try not to worry about it. Now, ready to try going to sleep?"

He lay down and rolled into his comfortable position. She pulled the covers up and tucked him in, then ruffled his head fur again and wished him sweet dreams.  Cub, feeling somewhat comforted, soon fell asleep.

Matron returned to her room, pulled out her medical reference file, found the page for the one she'd added to the cub's drink, and confirmed that it did have bed wetting listed as a rare side effect. She put the file aside and returned to her book.

Cub slept well, and late. He awoke to the sound of the curtains being drawn back, the headmaster's booming "Wakey-wakey!" greeting, and his bedclothes being pulled off him.

"Kept your paws off your privates all night, I hope." the headmaster said.  "Better keep them off all day, too. I'll be watching you." he added as he strode from the room.

Cub pulled the covers back over himself as soon as the headmaster had left, glad not to have been smacked again. A few minutes later Matron walked in with a breakfast tray, and set it on the table by the window. He was soon out of bed, sitting at the table, enjoying the meal she'd brought.

He paused to consider the state of his nappies only after he'd finished his breakfast. He hadn't felt a need to use the bathroom since he awoke, and his nappies weren't uncomfortable, but they were most definitely wet, so he must have wet them while he was asleep.

Matron finished her own light breakfast and returned to the nursery, collecting a lidded bucket and a changing mat on the way. The cub was still sitting at the table, frowning slightly, but he'd eaten all the food she'd put in front of him.

"All done?" she asked, and he turned and nodded. "Well then, let's get you changed and ready for the day." She spread the changing mat on the nearest bed and beckoned him over, unzipped his sleeper, and when he'd shrugged himself out of it, picked him up and laid him on the mat.

"So, do you remember wetting them?" she asked as she removed his waterproof pants and unfastened his nappies. His ears drooped and he shook his head. "Well, then, tonight we'll see what happens if I don't give you an extra drink at bed time.  Have your normal drink after evening assembly, and then come straight here at bedtime. Ok?" He nodded. She picked him up and set him on his feet.

"Take your day clothes and have a shower. Then it'll be time for assembly." He did as he was told, holding his day clothes in both hands, away from his damp fur, and checking carefully for possible on-lookers before crossing the passage to the shower room.

Matron dropped the wet things into the bucket, wiped down the changing mat and folded it up, then made the cub's bed, folding his sleeper and placing it on the pillow. Then she gathered up the bucket, mat and breakfast tray, and walked off via the laundry to the kitchen. When the breakfast things were clean and tidied away she went back to check the shower room. The cub was gone, and had left it clean enough, so she headed off to do her morning round of inspections.

A few things needed a little tidying in the senior cubs' dormitory wing, but nothing too bad. She always left the youngest cubs' dormitory til last. This morning one cub had left his bed un-made, with the top covers in a bundle on the pillow, and the sheet and the cub's sleep shorts in a damp pile on the waterproof cover. She checked the other beds and found a second damp one. She sighed, hoping the cub had showered properly before he got dressed, but making a note to check both cubs at break time. She stripped the damp items off both beds, carried them off to the laundry, and set a load running. Then she returned to the dormitory with dry bedding, and cleaned and made the two beds. More morning chores followed, but there was still time for refreshments and a chapter of her book before the next duty called.

At break time Matron wandered over to the cubs' refreshments table. Every cub was supposed to have a drink, and two of the kitchen staff were preparing trays of beakers as the cubs queued to collect their drinks.  Matron spotted the cub who'd left his bed un-made, and beckoned him over when he'd collected his drink. A few sniffs told her he'd had a good shower in the morning. She looked at him, thoughtfully.

"Wet again last night. Want to sleep in the nursery tonight?" she asked.  He was undoubtedly the youngest and smallest cub at the school, but in this she trusted his judgment. He thought for a few seconds, then looked up at her.

"Not really," he replied, "but I think I'd better."

"Good cub." she said, and ruffled his head fur. "You know when. Now, off you go." He smiled and wandered off.

The other cub was a bit more difficult to find. A few full beakers remained, but she hadn't seen him in the crowd. Cubs were supposed to come to the playground at break time, but he might be trying to avoid company, so she went looking for him.  Sure enough, she caught him in his classroom. A quick sniff was enough to tell her he'd not showered since he'd wet his bed. She took him by the paw.

"Come along, cub. You need cleaning up, and I bet you've not had your drink yet." she said. He hung his head, clearly unhappy, though she wondered whether that was more about being found out. She led him out to the refreshment table in the playground. He took the last full beaker and drank its contents as quickly as possible.

"Well, that's a start." she said. "Come along."

She turned and walked off towards the sanatorium, checking that he was following.  She led him to the nursery shower room, told him to have a shower, and took all his day clothes to the laundry while he was doing so.  She returned with a clean set of clothes for him just as the blow drier switched off.

"You wet your bed last night, didn't you." she said as she helped him get dressed again. His ears drooped and he looked at his feet. She lifted his chin until she was looking directly into his eyes. "Some cubs do wet their beds sometimes. It just happens. It's not their fault, and it's not much fun for them when they do, but it's a lot better for everyone if they don't try to hide it. Luckily for you I found yours this morning before it began to stink too bad. If it happens to you again then make sure you leave the wet things in one pile on your bed and the dry things in another, and have a shower before you get dressed. Ok?"

"Sorry, Matron." he replied, apparently contrite, at least for the moment.

"Off you go now. You don't want to be late for class." she said, and pushed him gently out of the door. He fled, quite possibly relieved that she'd let him off lightly, but she hoped he'd remember what to do if he wet his bed again.

The rest of the day went by much like most days. She completed a lot more of the pre-exeat packing. A few cubs with scrapes and bruises presented themselves at her early evening surgery. As cubs' bed time approached she prepared the nappies for the two cubs she was expecting in the nursery, and returned to her room to relax briefly. It wasn't long before the bell rang. She let the smallest cub in, and he went straight to the nursery.  She stopped in the kitchen to make him a hot drink. By the time she reached the nursery he had undressed, and was on his usual bed waiting to have his nappies put on. She put the drink on his bedside table, and dressed him for bed. Then she picked him up and gave him a cuddle.

"Only two sleeps 'til exeat." she said. "It might be best if you sleep here tomorrow as well. That way you'll have had a couple of good nights' sleep before you go home." He nodded his agreement as she set him on his bed. He picked up his drink, and she went off to do her evening "lights out" duty in the juniors' dormitory.

Smallest sipped his warm drink slowly and looked around the room. There were nappies ready on another bed, so he'd have company tonight. He wondered who the other cub would be. There was a dressing gown he didn't recognise hanging up beside it, and a sleeper folded on the pillow, so the cub had probably slept here last night, too. He set his drink aside, and went to try the gown for size. It belonged to a cub rather taller than him. He picked up the sleeper, sniffed it, and smiled when he recognised the scent of his friend from a few nights back.  Relieved that his company was friendly, he returned to his bed, finished his drink, and settled himself comfortably.

Quite by chance, Matron was just leaving the junior dormitory when Cub came down the passage leading to the sanatorium. She waited for him, and they walked side by side to the door. As she opened the door she said "You've got company tonight." and when he turned to her a little apprehensively she ruffled his head fur, and added "You got on well enough last time." He smiled sweetly as she led him to the nursery.

"Last chance to use the bathroom?" she asked as they reached the nursery door. He shook his head.

"Ok. Time to get changed."

She waited as he took his day clothes off, noting that the younger cub was apparently already asleep. Soon the older one was similarly swaddled and tucked up. She left them in darkness, turning out the passage lights as well, and returned to her room. Hopefully, the headmaster would take a hint from the dark passageway, and leave the cubs alone tonight. She flicked the monitor's switch on, and then settling down with her book.

There were whispering sounds, and then sounds of movement, and a little more whispering, and the quiet. Matron guessed both cubs were now in the same bed. She got up, went to the main door, and flicked the lock. Then she turned out all the sanatorium passage lights and returned to her room.  If the headmaster decided to visit the cubs then he'd have to ring the bell to be let in.

A little later she heard him in the passage outside. He stopped by the door, found it locked, and went on his way. Satisfied, she switched the nursery monitor off, and went to bed.