The centipede doctor shook her head a bit sadly, as she observed the new bunny girl. She was looking over a few of the readings, looking for anything that might be indicate disease or illness. Andy Thompson had already been told to stop drinking, his liver had been slightly poisoned in his last bout to the wards...
"What do the blood tests say?" She asked the nurse.
The nurse was a male, an insect of some kind. Probably a blue beetle judging by the sheen of his carapace. Being with a centipede doctor did seem to make him just a bit on edge, but it was clear they were both professionals by their demeanour to each other.
"Zero on toxicology. His liver is healthy."
The centipede doctor nodded. "Well, it seems he has had a lucky break. If he had continued drinking as he had, I doubt he would have survived another five years. without a transplant." She shook her head. It would have been a wasted life... and all she could see now, was a healthy woman just.. looking for an excuse not to live this new life.
"We did a few other tests. Some of her hormonal levels are a touch high," He brought another paper to her.
The centipede doctor looked at it tapping a pen on her face. "That is quite high... did her transformation place her straight into a heat cycle?"
"We took a few other samples across the day... we suspect that's her base count."
Yikes... the doctor bit her lip. "Definitely no cancerous antibodies?"
"Well... as best as we can make out, no. Given no transformed person has become sick, it seems unlikely."
The doctor nodded. It looked like a genuine result. She felt a little sorry for the new girl... "We might need to offer some additional councilling," She said.
"What about hormone suppression treatments? It might help."
The centipede woman shook her head. "In my experience, a tolerance is built up quickly on such drugs. Until we know what we are dealing with, I rather not pump her with any drugs other then tranquillisers." She wrote down a prescription for the nurse. "Ask the chemist for this."
"Okay..."
"S-usan?" Andy whispered, staring up at the ceiling.
"Yes?" A male voice said with.
Just that voice... that wonderful voice, like a siren calling... She wanted to be near him... she couldn't.. stop... thinking about it.
Susan could see his husband (or is that wife?) was conflicted... and he suspected he was the source of that conflict. But what could he do? Andy was asking him to stay... and he was going to stay.
"A-Are... the kids... okay?" Andy asked weekly.
"They are worried about you. As soon as you get better, I'm sure they will be happy..." he actually shed a tear at that.
Would they? She remembered her son's anger. She... She said... those things... about her own son. Her own son! Alex... Oh God..
"What.. happened to me?" She asked with trepidation. How could she...
"Andy..." Susan reached forward gently to his husband's hand, holding it firmly. He was relieved that Andy didn't flinch this time.
"P-Please... Susan... I'll do anything... don't... leave me... please... don't leave me..." She repeated it over and over... as if this promise meant everything.
Susan for his side, had a revelation. This was... in many ways, the fantasy of many males. He had here... a bunny girl, his spouse, willing to do anything he wanted... Their roles had completely reversed... he was no longer dominated... in fact, he had all the cards. This... did not make him happy.
what kind of man did he want to be?
what kind of husband did he want to be?
Marriage should be about the love of equals... not domination and submission.
Susan loved her... He didn't want to take advantage this... how could he? It would be wrong... he wanted to help her.
The doctor came in to see them, Andy shrank back from the bed slightly, seeing the shape of the centipede.
"How are you feeling Mr Thompson?" asked the doctor.
Andy still had that frozen wide eyed look, as if trying to make sense of her new world. Feel? "I... feel.. sick..." She said.
"What kind of sick?"
She glanced at Susan... those images in the back of her head came back. How could she describe this sickness? She started to cry again.
"I have some... good news," Said the doctor trying to coax the rabbit girl out of her sadness.
Andy stopped briefly crying.
"Your liver... is in good shape now. You did not heed our warning when you were first here, did you..."
A warning? She couldn't remember any warning...
"If you had continued your.. lifestyle, you would be dead in five years. You would have left your two children.. your wife..."
Andy gasped at the directness. This doctor looked like she was holding back an incredible amount of anger.
"I am prescribing you some mild tranquillisers, and a stronger pill in case you get another panic attack... Dosage is once every twelve hours, and only the tablet when you are really stressed out. If you use the stronger one, you must not drive for at least three hours, and they will likely make you sleep for at least one. Clear?"
Andy nodded meekly, her bunny ears falling onto her head slightly.
"Good. I believe we are almost ready to discharge you... unless you have any other concerns?"
"Doc? Andy... said something about..." He blushed. How could he say it?
"You mean the lust?" The doctor asked innocently. "Yes, that is common among the rabbit sub types. She'll have to deal with that, with you. Privately. I can not prescribe much for it. if it does seem excessive, make an appointment."
Steve glanced around... the disgust she felt at the whole deal was still there. But her mother insisted... she would be okay. Her mother wouldn't just be saying that would she? She was always honest with her... sometimes too honest. The way she's acted towards her has been... difficult. she couldn't fight her mother over it though. The flowergirl needed her... she was her only guide to anything about this.
Still the outside world could wait... she wasn't leaving the house if she could help it.
Steve's mother knocked her daughter's bed room.
"Steve? Your friend Ben is on the phone. He called to see how you were."
the flower girl froze. Ben called? What the hell could he say! "Tell him... um... tell him something. Anything! Tell him I'm not here."
"I'm not going to lie for you dear."
"Please mom!"
Her mother shook her head. "No more lying... now please talk to your friend."
Steve reluctantly took the phone. She put a little more emphasis on at least 'sounding' manly.
"Hey Steve," Ben's voice rang loud and clear. "I heard you got sick.. just making sure you are okay?"
"Um... yeah... just peachy," said Steve glancing down at her pink floral skirt.
"Was wondering if you are doing anything Saturday. Me and the guys are going play some games. Want to come?"
"No.. sorry Ben... I.. really don't feel well. Actually... I don't know if I'll be going to school for a while..." Steve practically whispered it to make sure her mother didn't hear.
"You really don't sound well..." said Ben concerned. "Okay... well... I guess I'll see you when I see you?"
"Yeah... sure..." Steve said very angry at herself.
Steve put the phone down, clenching her fist. She ran out of her room. "Mom why couldn't you- mom?"
The flower girl realised her mother had just fallen asleep on the couch. She poked her shoulder to rouse her.
"O-Oh.. sorry dear. I... I was up all night..." she yawned.
Steve realised she was normally sleeping at this point too... however she didn't feel that tired. Maybe it was the flower aspect of her? Or maybe just youth... She looked in concern to her mother. "I-Is there... anything I can do?"
"Well... I do have a few chores..."
"D-Did we have to go without telling Muriel?" Asked Jenny.
The cat girl rode on top of of the little girl's shoulder. Nobody seemed to pay it any mind... "Would she have let us?"
"B-But..." Jenny protested.
"Ah don't worry. I'm going to protect you!"
"R-Really?" Jenny wasn't sure if to feel assured or not. Tetra was a bit of a stranger... but she did save her life. She knew about the magic, and she wanted to help others...
"Of course! Now... go duck in there, and count to four... time to go into magic girl mode!"
Jenny ducked into the small street. It was not exactly an ally way, more a service enterence of some sort. There was nobody around... not on the weekend.
"One.. two.. three.. four!"
The spark of light from her bracelet glowed across her arm and across her shoulders. Four bright wings momentarily luminescent themselves into her aura, as her clothings rippled and changed. A light formed of a cross, striking through the middle of her body, rotating itself as a great wheel, before resting onto her chest. The bangs of her hair started to form themselves into four braids, twisting and turning with elegence.
She stood upwards straight, feeling the surge of magical energy.
Tetra clapped. "Well done! Now summon your weapon... just as before."
Jenny tried to invasion the sounding of four beats. It was like a heartbeat... she danced, and pirouetted across, as if the street were her stage... she wasn't sure why but this felt... nice? Different, but nice... in a strange kind of way. Why did it feel a bit wrong though when it was so much fun?
Her weapon came upon her hand... the strange cross-like weapon, with four points on it. While it looked like it was quite sharp, it didn't feel that sharp...
Tetra nodded. "Well done..." She jumped onto a small pocket in Jenny's costume. "Okay, Jump on that building."
"H-Huh?"
"Just jump!" Tetra encouraged. "Imagine yourself standing on there... picture it, and take your leap. Whatever you do, don't imagine yourself 'falling'.
As soon as Tetra said that though, that was all she could think about!
With some reluctance the magic girl did as she was asked... and with a rush of wind, found herself leaping into the air.
...right onto the top of the building.
"Good!" Smiled Tetra.
"U-Um.. This.. this.. is... er..."
"Exhilarating? Incredible? Great? Brilliant?"
"W-Weird," said Jenny looking down at the height. A few people might have seen her do the jump, but they didn't see her now... and seemed to dismiss it. Were magic girls easily dismissed by the general populous?
"Weird?! Sheesh, what kind of magic girl are you! You should be having fun doing this. Nobody said being a magic girl should be all work you know."
"U-Um.. but why am I F'our? Why not Ten, or twenty, or a hundred and something?"
"Well first of all, that's quite a long way to count and secondly..." The cat girl just started laughing. "Oh Jenny... you are just too innocent." She smiled at the girl.
Jenny made a strange face not really understanding.
The cat girl pointed. "Okay... I think I can sense some dark energy that way. Probably a dog from that animated world..." it felt quite weak... that same weird one she felt before.
"I- I don't want to hurt it..." said the girl.
"Oh don't worry. You are just going to send it home! I'll show you how. It will be fun."
