Quite the Lifejacket

ASHLEY'S NEW JOB : THE CAR SEAT
Chapter One, Part One

Maria led Ashley down the hallway toward a double set of door at the end. Ashley could smell the chlorine in the air and feel the humidity of the pool even before they passed through those doors.

The pool room consisted of a smallish pool, perhaps 15 feet square but deep, and a large deck area with a number of racks and even some desks. There was also a number of more interesting objects in the space, including a 5foot by 5foot tall glass tank rises above the deck with a platform and a small set of stairs leading up to it. On top of this was a metal frame with a sliding overhead assembly that ran between the tank and the platform, a number of metal cable hung from this. An identical assembly was set up over the in ground pool. No one else was using the pool area currently so Maria went over to one of the racks and retrieved the special needs vest they were there to assess.

"So there's a couple things we'll need to go over. Firstly we will need to access the jackets performance in the water as well as in rough water for which I'll turn the waves on and then, as this is a special needs vest, well also need to access whether a distressed wearer could remove the vest, so well just get you to try and slip out of it on your own."

Maria finished explaining the plan and walked back over to Ashley holding the vest in question.

"Here it is. It's actually more of a concept/prototype vest than a practical sales product, real products will be down scaled versions that will use some of the features here." Maria seemed to have some pride in the product.

It was not like any lifejacket Ashley had worn before. In place of the normal vest style jackets she was used to the one before her had a huge foam disk that appeared to go around the wearer's neck, below which hung a mess of straps and fabric. It's was intimidating to say the least. Maria put the jacket down on a small table and began the process of opening up all the straps. When she had finished this process she carted the jacket to the metal frame and connected the hanging hooks to clips on the top of the top of the collar so that the jack was hanging suspended at what was approximately the height of Ashley's neck.

"Ok want to step up here for me?" Maria gestured towards the waiting jacket. Ashley complied moving to stand in front of thing, looking up at it.

"Turn around for me please" Ashley did so as Maria guided her backwards into the jacket so that the collar was around her neck, once she has the younger girl in position. She pulled the collar closed around her neck, securing it with several straps that Ashley could see on the top in the foam disk. Those were the only straps Ashley could see tho, as Maria ducked under the collar to secure the remaining straps she was left to stare at the wall allowing Maria to simple move her arms around where she needed them. The first strap Ashley felt Maria fasten went around her chest, just below her armpits, it was secured in the back. That was followed by what felt like life jacket material without foam in it being wrapped around her upper body and a second strap pulling around her waist. This part of the vest was designed much like an ez on harness with a web of vertical and horizontal straps passing around the wearer's body and a pair of straps connecting the tops of the shoulders to the collar. Ashley felt Maria pressing on the inside of her thighs "would you spread your legs for me please?" Ashley complied shifting her feet apart what felt like a lot until Maria stopped pressing on the inside of her leg. Shortly after that the was the sensation of pressure between her legs as Maria passed some sort of large diaper type thing between her legs and secured it at the back somehow. Maria then went about tightening all the straps, including two between her legs on either side of the diaper thing. These straps, in combination with the fabric, acted almost like upside-down suspenders, instead of keeping one's pants up they seemed to pull her up, lifting her slightly and taking some of her weight. Ashley shifted trying to get more comfortable in the rig but there was not much she could really do, she raised up on tiptoes to take some of weight off the bit between her legs but Maria, still busy fiddling with the jacket, seemed not to realize why the straps connecting Ashley's shoulder straps to the collar went a bit loose and responded by adjusting them further, snugging them up and causing the jacket to take some of the teen girls weight again, now however Ashley couldn't even really touch the floor without going on her tiptoes, the vest was taking even more of her weight now. Maria was now connecting several long straps between the waist belt of the vest part of the jacket and the outer edge of the collar, these would serve a double purpose keeping the lower vest up on the wearer so the collar couldn't ride up and prevent the wearer from moving their body too far in any direction other than straight down. Ashley's feet were getting tired from their upright position and she was becoming uncomfortable. She let out a small grunt as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Maria could you let me down a bit or loosen that bit between my legs?" Ashley shifted her weight again more sloppily this time and grimaced a bit. " I can't really reach the ground.

Maria looked up from her work "is it uncomfortable?" She set about checking the tightness of all the straps by sliding two fingers between them and Ashley's body. " nothing seems too tight " what's hurting exactly?"

Ashley shifted uncomfortably "it's not hurting, the strap between my legs is just a bit high tho" she shifted her legs together unconsciously.

Maria checked the tightness on the straps passed between the girl's legs with a frown. "No pain tho? Or tingling?"

"No it's just a bit high, my feet can't reach the ground"

"Ow well your going to be in the water in a minute anyway and I'll have to boom you over, but let me know if it gets any worse we'll have to make a note of that"

Ashley considered pressing the issue and asking Maria again if she could lower her down a bit when she felt Maria take her left wrist and secure a strap around it, she had not been expecting this but it was not really that off putting, it did through her a bit tho. Maria connected her wrist to the outer edge of the collar by a short strap, it was enough slack to hang comfortable and theoretically paddle a bit in the water but just shy of enough to reach the straps secured around her chest and over her shoulders. Maria moved around to the other side of her and repeated the process with her right wrist. Ashley moved her wrists around exploring the limits of their movement (still dancing from one tip toe foot to the other) and, after being prompted by Maria, tried her best to reach or undo the straps around her body or on top of the collar, she was unsuccessful in both attempts. Finally Ashley's feet became too tired to support her and she allowed herself to fall down into the crotch straps, letting them take her full weight. A jolt passed through her and she was suddenly thankful for the straps holding her up as her legs went weak and jellowy. For a moment she really embraced the jacket and only after a moment did she notice that she was stringing against her wrist restraints, actually she was pressing against the straps all over her body and flexing her legs back away from her, slowly she forced herself to relax, tho she did not attempt to take her wait of the crotch straps, rather allowed herself to relax and hang in the air like a hammock, letting her legs hang loosely below her.

Maria seemed oblivious to the change in her manner. She was now fiddling with the rig from which Ashley was hanging. A moment later Ashley was jolted slightly as the rig began to slide slowly into position over the pool. Her feet skimmed lightly over the ground as she the rig maneuvered her out toward the water. She felt her toes bump on the raised edge of the pool and then there was nothing below her. Reaching down with her toe foot Ashley’s toe made contact with the warm water below her, suddenly she found herself extremely nervous, she couldn't see what was below her, or ever turn her head to look around, with a bit of a jolt she felt herself being lowered, starting to drop into the water.