Pistons won't retract!!

[leitlang]

Hi, posted something before and got a lot of help so here goes:
My 98 EX500 was working perfectly, I had to remove the front wheel to access fender to paint it. Now that I'm done, I tried to replace the wheel, found that a brake pad had come out. I stripped a bolt trying to take the caliper off, then left it and managed to get pad back in jiggling with a screwdriver and the like to make space..
Having accomplished that, the pistons now do not retract back in after a squeeze; after a few squeezes, the pads again have no room between them for the rotor... I can't go to another mechanic! What do I do please??

P.s. Might this have to do with brake fluid?

 

[Twoth]

Are you implying that they visually dont retract or that they keep the wheel locked. The pads detract once the wheel rotates, the rotor knocks them back.

 

[leitlang]

once we got the pad back in and then the wheel, spinning the wheel showed that there was still a lot of friction.
most of the playing around since has been without the wheel in, i just squeeze and see that with each successive squeeze it gets closer togetheruntil it stops

 

[dricked]

Ok so your wheel still turns? It's normal to have a bit of drag from the pads, they don't just suck back into the caliper. If you have old crappy fluid I'd say bleed it and put fresh stuff in but get help first before you try this or you'll end up with no brakes at all.