Chapter 6: Ch. 6

Hello there, dear readers! I'm so happy to bring you chapter six of Hairball! Once again, I have to give thanks to my friend, Trismegistus Shandy, for proofreading the chapter! Be sure to check out their stories! And of course, enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Hairball (Chapter 6)

 

by

 

Elite Shade

 

 

 

 

After I'd garnered more than a few stares in the waiting room upon entering, Rebecca alerted Nick to our arrival via text, and he was quick to find and usher us down a hall and into an examination room. He explained that he was swamped today, but he had a wide grin plastered on his face as he said it, showing how much he enjoyed his new position, and rushed off, though not before giving Rebecca a kiss and me a surprising hug. We only had to wait a few minutes before a tall and striking woman with a shock of long red hair entered. Her eyes were steel blue, but twinkled in delight as she took in the sight of me, letting out a very feminine squeal. Naturally, the friend of Nick's who would be examining me would be particularly bubbly.

"Alright, Alex, say 'ahhh'." I comply with Doctor Ashburne's command, regardless of the very apparent giggle she was fighting back.

"My goodness, I can't even begin to describe just how fascinating this is," she says as she shines a light in my mouth, my tongue thoroughly depressed from the wooden depressor. I only roll my eyes while Rebecca, who is sitting next to me on the crinkly paper of the examination table, squeezes my hand/paw reassuringly.

"I'm no dentist, but your teeth have definitely become a lot more feline. Although you do also still have some grinding surfaces, so clearly you are not built for an all-meat diet," she says before removing the depressor from my mouth and tossing it in a nearby trash can.

"Do you think that it's possible to give Alex here a proper examination, considering her... uhm... current condition?" Rebecca asks, her grip tightening a little, revealing a little more worry than she had let on earlier... I just can't figure out the why behind it, though. Seriously, I get that she would feel guilty about what... her son did to me... but not this...

Doctor Ashburne, or Kelly as she had insisted we call her, nods, her smile widening in excitement. "Oh, absolutely. Granted, there are some significant differences between a cat and a human, but before I became a doctor, I was a veterinarian."

While I guess that it's good to know that she has experience working on felines... that doesn't make it any less embarrassing to know that I've essentially been taken to a vet! My ears lay flat on my head as I feel my cheeks start to burn beneath my midnight fur.

"Of course, it would probably be a good idea to go ahead and have an X-ray done, maybe an MRI too while we're at it," she says as she scribbles something down on her clipboard. I get the feeling that she is a little bit aware of my humiliation, and that that's the reason why she hasn't made a cat scan joke yet, "but so far, everything seems to be normal."

I know that this check-up is most likely my best course of action at this point, but that still doesn't make it any less unpleasant. Also, I'm not really sure why this is, but I felt kinda awkward when I answered what questions I could about my medical background. I hadn't seen a doctor since I was seven, and I remember getting a shot then, but I'm not sure which. I just felt kinda... I don't know... like I did something wrong. Granted, none of my other foster parents had even thought to take me, or any of the many foster siblings I'd had over the years, in for a check-up either.

"However, since this is the result of a wishing stone," Rebecca had omitted some details I imagine, "I'd be willing to bet that the change hasn't had any inherently negative effects," Kelly says.

"Aside from my changing species and gender," I grumble a little. Kelly responds with a warm smile before reaching over and petting me on my head. I didn't think it was possible for the burning sensation on my face to get any worse than it did, but here we are.

"That does remind me, it might be a good idea to schedule a pelvic exam as well," Kelly says. I feel Rebecca's hand squeeze mine, and I look up at her confused.

"Maybe we could have that one done in a few days?" Rebecca offers, confusing me further.

"Yeah..." Kelly says, smiling at me sympathetically, "considering all that's happened... maybe that would be best. But it's still something that needs to get done." I feel nervous at this, and say nothing, just resume playing with my tail with my free hand... wait, when did I start doing that?

"Alrighty!" Kelly starts, her voice returning to its initial bubbliness, "then let's get that tank off and we can get back to it." Without thinking about it, I comply, only now remembering the two black-furred mounds on my chest wrapped in my new blue... bra...
She listens in with the stethoscope, which despite my fur is surprisingly cold. She takes a blood sample and a mouth swab. My height and weight are also measured, and now I know that my new height is at five feet even. COME ON!!! I also apparently lost a lot of weight. The scale we had in the bathroom at my old foster home, before Jonah went into one of his moods and threw it through the windshield of a passing car, said that I was 180 pounds when I last weighed myself. And now... well... I never thought that the word "petite" would ever apply to me, yet that's exactly how Kelly describes me after stating that I now weigh 105 pounds... in addition to calling me cute again... and of course, Rebecca is quick to agree with her on that. Anyways, I get examined... and, of course, there are shots I need to get... which is not fun at all... And somehow, Nick is able to arrange for me to get an MRI. According to Kelly, and some lab techies, in addition to my change being downright amazing, there are ultimately no serious medical issues going on with me. So I got that going for me, at least. I know that this sounds like me rushing through what's happening, but hey, I just want this check-up to be over already!

So now, here we are, in Rebecca's car, driving through town.

"I'm so happy, honey," Rebecca says with a smile as we stop at a light.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because now we know that you are a perfectly healthy, and adorable, young lady." I wince and sink down into my seat, my face burning again. I don't ever remember blushing this much in a single day before.

"Oh... yeah... that's great I guess..." I say... not feeling too thrilled...

Rebecca sighs as we drive down a few streets. "Sweetie, I know that it might not seem like it, but I promise you that everything is going to be alright." I think that that's the fifth time she's said that to me today. I guess that there's a part of me that wants to believe her, but it's a little too drowned out by my negative feelings at the moment. Instead of voicing any of this, I just nod.

As we drive, I can feel the stares of the various people we pass by, despite the tint of the windows and the windshield. I'm sure by now that rumors of the catgirl have already started to spread on social media, and most likely they'll be accompanied by pictures that I'm sure are being taken of me at every light we stop at. I can even see one idiot blatantly doing it while riding his bike. He really should be looking where he's... and that had to hurt... I let out a girlish giggle as I see him drop his phone as he tries to pick himself up from where he had pedaled right into a streetlight. Okay... that was a little funny.

I suppose that someone could make the joke that I can now stop boys in their tracks, I think to myself, moodily. The drive back is largely uneventful after that, aside from a few more stares. As we pull into the driveway, however, I can see a van parked out front.

Channel 8 Action News?! Oh crap... this is gunna suck...

"Oh no, I was hoping to get you all settled in first before the news got wind of your... condition..." Rebecca frowns as she continues towards the driveway. As we pull up, a man in a navy blue blazer with white slacks and trimmed hair scrambles out of the van with a cameraman in tow, fiddling with his camera.

"Mrs. Ferguson," the reporter, complete with mic in hand, says as he comes up to the still rolled up driver's window of the car, his voice a bit muffled, "Rick Brickle, Channel 8 Action News. Care to comment on the charges your client, Mr. Martin Cruz, is currently facing?" he calls out. He briefly looks me over, then returns his look to the still surprised Rebecca... before doing an actual doubletake.

"Wha...?" he says clumsily, shocked at the sudden realization that he's looking at a... petite catgirl riding shotgun.

"No comment," Rebecca says calmly, giving my hand not playing with my tail a squeeze. ...Why do I keep doing that?! Then she hits a button on the dash, and the gate swings open, allowing us to drive through. I look back as the reporter and the cameraman both seem to be coming to their senses, which happens to be just in time to have the gate swing shut right if front of them. Rebecca drives us into the garage, closing the door behind us.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Rebecca says, leaning over to pull me into a hug. Dammit! Why do my eyes keep getting misty whenever she hugs me?! Well, I hug her back... because I'm pretty sure that that's the normal response. She breaks off the hug and we get out, heading inside. One look out the windows shows a few more news vans from several different stations pulling up, while Rick Brickle is on the phone, gesticulating wildly. My guess is that Channel 8 was first to arrive about... whatever is going on with Rebecca's client, and that the others were just now arriving. I'd also be willing to bet that Mr. Brickle is on the phone, explaining an even bigger story he had just stumbled on... with that story being me. The catgirl... not that I'm surprised... it was only a matter of time before something like this would become newsworthy.

I turn to make eye contact with Ben as he's making his way downstairs. He stops and holds up both hands in surrender. I want to let out a hiss... which I hate that I can do that so easily now... but instead, I just feel my shoulders slump as I rush past him and dart into my room, closing the door behind me. Why... why am I crying again? I can't change anything just by sitting around and feeling sorry for myself? ...Why?

I throw myself onto my comforter, my emotions coming at me in a rush, and can no longer hold back any of the heavy sobs. My ears twitch as I hear some muffled voices, probably Ben and his mom, still downstairs. Ben. The bastard responsible for all of this! No matter what, I'll never forgive him. Never! ... I really mean it! This isn't something I'm thinking simply because of the veritable emotional roller coaster today's been. I am absolutely never going to forgive him. I mean, sure, he was picked on a lot... by someone I thought was my best friend... and he was looking at all of his hard work being made irrelevant by that same person... and he was drunk...

Wait, what the actual hell?! NO! At a certain point, everyone's responsible for their actions, and... oh forget it. I roll over onto my side, my sobs becoming sniffles, suddenly aware of two things. The first, that I am presently curled into a ball, clutching my tail in my paws. The second being that I am no longer alone in the room. Standing there, near the bed, is Benjamin himself. I scowl and gird myself to only converse with him with a sharp edge to my voice.

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"What do you want now?" I croak in a small, girlish voice, right after a sniffle.

He looks at me miserably, then looks down at his feet. "... Alex?"

I say nothing as I stare up at him, slowly uncurling myself. After a few moments, he continues.

"I'm... I'm sorry," he says, unsure of what to do with his hands, and deciding to stuff them into his jean pockets.

"Fine, whatever," is my reply as I turn over, facing away from him.

"..." He doesn't make a single move to leave. I let out a huff, and uncurl the rest of the way.

"... I'm sorry..."

"So what?" I ask, maybe a little petulantly.

"... I thought that..." he says, not seeming able to find the words.

"What? You thought that you would just say you're sorry, and everything would be made better? This is the third time today that you've made an apology to me, and the second that wasn't coerced out of you by your folks. But here's the thing of it, Ben, what you did to me is permanent. I'm going to have to live with it for the rest of my life. And no matter how many times you say it, or even if you actually feel it, it is not going to make anything about any of this situation better." My voice is flat and hollow now.

"I... I know... and, even if you don't believe me, I do mean it..." Is his voice starting to crack? No... he's just... trying to garner sympathy from me or something. "I just thought that... you would be different..." Okay, that makes me quirk my eyebrow... which, now that I think about it, is probably invisible amongst the black fur on my face. I roll over to face him again, and am shocked to see him wipe away a tear. ...Okay... I wasn't expecting that... but still...

"Different how?" I ask.

He pauses for a moment as he looks down at me, before looking away again. "Arrogant... and a major jerk... like Adam... those are... usually the only kinds of friends he has..."

 

I roll my eyes. "Had."

His gaze finds mine again, and I stare up into his deep blue eyes. "What?"

I roll my eyes once more. "Had," I correct him again, "past-tense. As in, I sure as hell ain't staying friends with someone who tried to set me up as their fall guy." I see the corners of Ben's mouth twitch up, just a little. Part of me wants to say something snarky to him, to try and wipe that tiny smile off his face, but I decide against it. No point in doing it, really...

"Right... that probably should have been obvious to me." Okay, maybe there is a reason to be snarky after all.

"A lot more than just that should have been glaringly obvious to you." my tone is hard, again. Ben looks down, his small smile gone from his face.

"Alex..." He still has no idea what to say. Instead of turning away, this time, I just fix my gaze on him. He seems to squirm a little. Okay... so maybe he does feel guilty for what he did... but, like I said earlier, I'm not going to be forgiving anytime soon! I mean ever! I will probably never forgive him!

"You're right..." He's not going to make this easy for me, is he?

"Well... damn straight I'm right..." Okay... this is just getting awkward... well, it was pretty awkward to begin with.

"I... well, I..."

"Don't know what else to possibly say?" He nods at my question. "Well, then that makes two of us..." I don't know why Rebecca pops into my head just now, but she did. And after everything she and Nick did to help me... well, I guess I could at least pretend to be civil with Ben... in their presence. I relay this idea to Ben, whose small smile has returned.

"But," a look of worry crosses his face as I start, "that doesn't mean that anything has changed. A monkey wrench has been thrown into my life plans, and you're the one who threw it." I guess I'm just too exhausted from today to maintain the level of anger I felt towards Ben earlier. Yeah... because how could I possibly start to forgive someone for a mistake this colossal? Hmm? Yeah. I couldn't! Even if he is looking at me with those eyes and it makes me feel like... I just kicked a puppy. DAMN HIM!!!

"So... uh... Alex?" he asks, looking bashful again, that smile at the corners of his mouth gone once again.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think... that it'll... ever... be possible... for you to forgive me?"

I open my mouth to cut him down again... and those freakin' puppy dog eyes... and so I let out another sigh. "One day... a long time from now... maybe..." Okay, why the hell is my face heating up at Ben smiling at my saying that? And also, why the hell's he smiling? I pretty much just said no... I mean... well I... don't go judging me, it's not like anyone would know what to do or feel or say in a situation like this! And if I do eventually decide to forgive the bastard, well, that's my business... and okay, I guess to an extent his as well... but only technically!

Anyways, Ben tries to make some awkward small talk, but I guess gets the hint that I want to be left alone for the time being, and so leaves. As he turns to go, I swear I catch him smiling a little. I turn back over and spy The Pistolwielder. I snatch it from where it lay on the bed, and find where I had left off, which was after Dolan found a young girl who came from Earth, or at least an Earth, since this series involves the infinitude of the multiverse. I get a few more chapters in, just to the point where they happen upon the smoldering ruins of the electric stagecoach, when there is a knock on the doorframe to my room. Rebecca is standing there, smiling warmly at me.

"I see that you're really enjoying that book," she says as she enters. I smile a little back at her as I put a bookmark in.

"That's for sure," I say, setting the book down on the bed. "So I take it that the news of the amazing catgirl has dwarfed the news about your client?" Rebecca frowns a little at my statement.

"Alex, honey, you are not a freak," she says firmly.

"What else would I be?"

"Cute as a button." I want to scowl at her response, but her smile is just too infectious, so I opt for wincing instead, my new go-to move, apparently.

"Maybe to you, but I'd be willing to bet that, regardless, those reporters out front might have a different opinion."

"You let me and Nick worry about them." She comes over and sits down next to me, pulling me into a hug. I let out a surprised squeak, and then blush under my fur. It takes a minute to compose myself.

"They're probably not just going to go away if we ask them nicely," I point out. Rebecca nods before giving me another squeeze and then letting go.

"True, but we'll think of something." Rebecca's confidence seems to be just as contagious as her smile. Damn! Now how am I supposed to wait for the other shoe to drop? "In the meantime, I was about to get dinner started, and I was wondering if maybe you'd like to help?"
I look down at my feet, feeling my blush return once more. "I don't really know how to cook," I say, lamely.

"Well then," Rebecca says, gently taking my paw in her hand and leading me out the door and down the hall, "it's about time someone taught you." I don't have any possible statement or quip to say in response to this. Oh boy...

 

 

 

 

 

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