Newsflash
Chapter 9 of Penitatas Diana
It was Sunday morning, and being a school free day, little Diana was sitting in the couch, watching holo-toons on the holo-projector.
She hadn’t watched holo-toons for decades before she was rejuved, but the nano-web in her head combined with her current physical age made her not only want to watch cartoons, but to enjoy them like the little girl she was.
It was well after breakfast time (She had Oatmeal with Bialys bread rolls with Orange Juice), and now she was enjoying The Boswell Bunny Show before she would go to the backyard to play, which was why she was dressed in a dark red shirt with blue Shortalls and white tennis shoes.
“Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-… That’s all, folks.” Said Corky Pig on the screen as the cartoon was over. A commercial brake before the next cartoon started.
So far it had been a fun morning for the little Penitatas girl.
During the commercials, there was a newsflash from the network’s news show.
It was then that Diana’s day started to go bad.
When she saw the images of the newsflash on the holo-projector, while the anchorman talked, Diana’s first reaction was one of utter shock as her eyes opened as wide as plates. Then, just as fast, she started to get sad, and sadder with each passing second, until she was finally crying out openly.
It was from hearing her crying that made Ruth go see what was going on. As soon as she walked into the lounge, she saw Diana with tears flowing from her eyes as she sat on the couch, watching something on the holo-projector.
“Diana? Diana, what’s wrong dear? Why are you crying?” asked Ruth, worried.
Seeing her mommy made Diana jump down from the couch and run towards her. Ruth knelt down as Diana reached her and put her little arms around her, Ruth did the same thing as Diana sobbed and cried into her chest. “Diana, please tell me why you are crying?” insisted Ruth.
Diana continued to cry into Ruth’s chest and extended one arm to point at the holo-projector behind her. “Oh Mommy… *sob* … on the news… *sob, cry* … its my fault… *cry*”
Ruth then looked over at the holo-projector to see what was going on.
The images were that of a hospital being closed down as trucks were taking away the machinery and furniture, and workers were closing down the doors and windows with wooden boards, but it wasn’t just a hospital, it was the Pierre Grondin General Hospital. The hospital Diana had worked in as a doctor before she was a Penitatas! (Ruth knew this since, as her assigned parent she was allowed access to Diana’s criminal file).
As she watched the 3D images, she could hear the anchorman talking ‘off screen’, “After months of economical struggling, Pierre Grondin General Hospital is finally closing its doors. Loosing almost all of its contracts with health care and insurance companies, due to the bad publicity that started after the arrest, and conviction of one of its employed doctors.” Diana wailed and cried harder when the anchorman said that last part.
The anchorman continued, “Even after the doctor in question was trialed and convicted to rejuvenation, the hospital was unable to recover from the scandal. Not only loosing corporal contracts, but patients too, as more and more people refused to take their family and loved ones to the hospital in fear that they would not receive the proper medical attention.”
Another wail and more crying from Diana.
The image of the hospital was gone from the holo-projector as the anchorman was visible again. “The closing of the hospital has also caused the loss of the jobs to all its staff, nurses and doctors alike. While some of them may be able to find employment elsewhere, some will have a hard time about it. We now return to our regular programming.” The music of the newsflash came on again, as the holo-projector showed more commercials again.
Ruth just used the proper command word to turn off the holo-projector, there were more important things focus on now.
“Is that why you were crying Di?” inquired Ruth, understanding now. She knew that what was happening now was a very important step in being a Penitatas.
“Oh, mommy…” cried Diana, “I’m a very… *sob* v- very naughty g- girl… *cry*!”
Ruth smiled in understanding, still holding Diana. “Why don’t you tell me all about it.”
Diana sniffled as she started to let it all out, “When I violated the first principle… I wasn’t thinking of the consequences… I was only thinking about myself… I was stupid and selfish… I didn’t even consider that my actions wouldn’t just affect me! I betrayed all my friends! All the staff at the hospital is now unemployed because of what I did. *SOB* Oh Mommy, I’m so sorry, please…” Diana looked up at Ruth with tear filled eyes, “Mommy, would you spank me… please?”
Ruth smiled and nodded, “I’ll be happy to, dear.”
Ruth sat on the couch and without even being told to, Diana unfastened the buttons of her little Shortalls herself, lowered her panties down to her knees and walked silently towards Ruth, climbing over her legs, positioning herself ready for a spanking.
Ruth grabbed the Mother’s helper paddle that she kept on the coffee table near the couch (for ‘just in case’ situations), and started to spank Diana’s bare bottom with it.
SPANK! SMACK! SLAP! SPANK!
Again and again the paddle slapped Diana’s reddening bottom. There were no begging or pleading from Diana as the spanking continued, she just cried and yelped with each one. She now understood fully how bad she had been, how much she deserved the spanking she was receiving and more.
Finally, after 30 minutes of constant spanking, Ruth considered that it was enough for now and allowed Diana to stand up. She helped her little girl getting dressed once again, and was surprised when she heard what Diana said next.
“Mommy, *sniffle* could you do something else for me?”
“What is it Diana?”
“Could you… could you take me next door? I really need to talk to Lao… please?”
.oOo.
Just a few minutes later, Ruth had walked Diana next door to the Lallane household. After ringing the doorbell and explaining to Majula what the visit was about, she agreed to let Diana talk with Lao.
Now Majula, Ruth and Diana were standing next to Lao’s room. Majula knocked lightly on the door. “Lao, dear, there’s someone here to see you.”
“The door’s open.” Came Lao’s voice from inside the room.
Majula opened the door, signaled for Diana to walk inside and closed the door behind the little Penitatas. They had agreed before that Diana had to talk to Lao by herself.
Lao was reading a book sitting on his bed when Diana walked in, he looked up from it to see his visitor, and was surprised to see Diana standing in his room, without either Majula or Ruth. “Diana? Why are you here by yourself?” he asked.
Diana didn’t reply, she quietly walked towards the Medicalos boy, “Lao… I’m really sorry for what I did to you. I feel awful… I’m so sorry, would you ever forgive me?”
While this was not the first time that Diana had said ‘sorry’ to him, it was the first time that he felt that Diana really felt it to the bottom of her heart, instead of being forced to say it by her spanko-parents.
“Diana, why this all of a sudden?”
Diana’s eyes started to get teary every time she remembered what she had seen on the newsflash earlier. “I’m… I mean, I was a doctor. When I denied you medical attention when you needed it, I was betraying myself, I was betraying my colleagues, I was betraying my profession and my oaths as a doctor.”
Lao smiled at hearing her, “Well, you actually thought that I was…”
Diana didn’t let him finish, “It doesn’t matter what I thought at the time! That’s the whole point! I made the Hippocratic Oath, even if you had been the worst serial killer in history, I still should have tried everything in my power to save your life! Violating the first principle is bad enough, but the fact that I was a doctor makes it even worse!” By now Diana couldn’t contain her tears anymore, and started to cry openly.
“And now… because of me… because I did not act like a doctor should have, they have closed down a hospital, leaving hundreds of people jobless. I feel so bad about it, I don’t know what to do… I’m so happy that they were able to save your life! If you had died from my actions… I just don’t know what I would have done…”
“Lao, I’m sorry I segregated you… I’m sorry you almost died because I segregated you… and I’m sorry you are now a Medicalos because as a doctor, I didn’t give you the medical attention when you needed it.”
Lao nodded with an understanding smile, “I forgive you Diana. I can see you are sorry.”
Diana hugged Lao, “Oh, thank you… I swear that I would do everything humanly possible to right the wrong I made!” then she looked up at him, “Could you spank me?” it was a very embarrassing request for Diana, she could feel her face getting red, but she needed it… she needed to do something about the guilt she felt.
Pretty soon, Diana was crawling over Lao’s legs just like she had done with Ruth a while ago.
Majula and Ruth smiled as they heard the smacking sound of Lao’s palm hitting Diana’s bottom, and Diana’s yelps and cries. They had stayed behind the closed door just in case, but they knew that they didn’t need to anymore. They walked downstairs and started talking to pass the time, they knew that Lao and Diana would come down when they were good and ready.
.oOo.
It had been a pretty normal week for Diana after that.
The only thing out of the ordinary was on Monday, when a Rigellian counselor had come to the school to have a session with her.
Except for that it had been the regular happenings for Diana. Going to school, playing with her friends during break, going back home, doing her homework, playing time, dinner and then bedtime.
It was on Friday afternoon, a couple of hours before dinner, than something else out of the ordinary happened.
Diana was playing one of the Edutainment games she had on the holo-projector, when the doorbell rang.
While she continued playing, Diana could hear her mommy talking with someone at the door. A couple of minutes later, Ruth walked back into the lounge. “Di, stop playing, there’s someone here to see you.”
Diana obeyed without hesitation, she was sorry that she had to stop playing (the game was designed to be more educational than fun, but it was still fun to play) but she knew that she had to obey her mother. Turning off the videogame, she then stood up and turned to look at Ruth. “Who is it mommy?”
Behind Ruth walked someone that Diana recognized but hadn’t seen since she was sentenced to be a Penitatas. It was Judge Marcus Garvey, the same Judge that had given Diana the sentence that she was going trough now.
Diana got scared! The only reason a Penny would be in front of a Judge was for a Judical Spanking!
Judge Garvey noticed Diana’s reaction, and immediately started to calm her down. “Don’t worry Diana, you are not in trouble, young lady.” said the African-American man.
That actually put Diana more at ease. “Then why are you here, your honor?” she asked, as politely as she could.
Ruth and the Judge sat down at the couch as Diana sat on a small stool in front of them, “Well, its because your parents told us something about you.” Explained the Judge. “I’m sure that you are aware that there is something about your current sentence that does not fit the usual regular parameters. You were sentenced to serve all your terms as hard time instead of getting some soft time in your last cycles.”
Diana nodded, she did wonder about that.
“Well, there was a reason for it. As you know, usually the Judge is the one that issues the sentence in regards of the crime if the Judicial A.I. finds you guilty. However, there are some cases in which the Judicial A.I. can issue some parameters that should be considered for some convictions. This was your case Diana. After reviewing all the evidence and testimonies of the trial, the Judicial A.I. considered that your sentence should be all hard time cycles, the basis for that decision was your character.”
Diana blinked, a little confused, “My character, your honor?” she asked politely.
“Yes, the Judicial A.I. considered, and I agreed, that one of the main reasons that caused you to commit the crime in the first place was your vanity, your arrogance. It was determined that you considered your personal knowledge and opinion above the opinion of others, and that it was this way of thinking that caused you to commit your crimes.”
Diana looked down in shame, mostly because the Judge was right. Before she was convicted, that was the way she acted; in her professional environment and in everyday life alike. She often argued with people, but not healthy arguments, she was just trying to convince everyone that she had the best point of view, and everyone else that did not share that point of view was wrong.
Looking back, Diana felt shame at herself.
The Judge continued, “The Judicial A.I. considered that in order to correct this character flaw, which was to be a main point in your rehabilitation as penitatas, then your cycles should all be in hard time. But that was only if you never showed signs of changing.”
The Judge took out a small chip, “We recently received a report by your parents that caused us to issue a new diagnosis for your character; which is why a Rigellian counselor visited you earlier this week. Your parents considered that you not only realized that it was wrong to commit the crimes you were sentenced for, but you also realized why they were wrong and how many lives your crimes had an effect on. The Rigellian counselor considered the same, and issued a report of his own, agreeing with your assigned parents’ opinion.”
The Judge put the chip back in his pocket, “Which is why the Judicial A.I. reviewed your case, and decided that now you do qualify to receive some soft time cycles after having at least half of your cycles as hard time, as is common practice for penitatas.”
Diana’s face lit up after hearing that. Soft time cycles! She could get some soft time cycles after her hard time cycles, maybe even qualify for parole!
“Now, young lady, this does not mean that you will get less cycles, or that you will be getting some special treatment. It just means that your rehabilitation is going better that what it was expected. So don’t be resting on your laurels about this, is that understood Diana?” said the Judge, in a stern tone.
Diana nodded, very seriously, “Yes your honor.”
She understood the message very well. She was showing progress, but she was still a penitatas in her first Hard time cycle. She was still going to be getting spankings, she was still going to be punished for her crimes. She was to keep showing progress on her rehabilitation if she wanted to get those soft time cycles after the first half of her sentence.
But she knew it would happen eventually.
After the breakthrough she had last week, after realizing the consequences of her selfish actions, she swore that she would be a better person, and she was NOT going to disregard a personal oath again.
