The closer we got to the pack house, the more wolves I startled with my presence. At first, they would be surprised, but they didn't question it, as Alpha Tim walked at the front of the group.
I encountered my first problem at the door. The doorway simply wasn't designed for a bear to fit through. As I stopped, Mel stopped and faced me.
'Something wrong?'
'I am not going to fit through the door. I have to shift to something else.' I thought to her.
'Oh.'
I closed my eyes and concentrated inwards.
A few moments later, I was now a coyote. And everyone suddenly felt like giants, that or I felt miniature. I shook myself in a dog-like fashion.
'The size difference feels disorientating.'
'It's amazing at any rate' smiled Mel. 'How many different animals can you shift to?'
'I have no idea.' I answered as I followed Mel through the doorway. 'I don't know what limits most shifters have.'
She looked thoughtful.
Once we reached the infirmary, it appeared the Alpha had already filled the doctor in on the situation, as the doctor didn't seem surprised by my appearance.
Everyone left the room, except for Mel and the doctor.
I tried to think of a way to ask Mel to leave without sounding rude.
"I am going to need you to take your human form." The doctor said gently.
'Hey, Mel. Do you think you could find me some clothes to wear? I don't like the idea of walking around in a hospital gown. It would make me feel too naked?'
'Sure!' She answered automatically.
'By the time you transform, change, and find something for me, I should be done with the doctor, here. I'm really not hurt too badly.' I hoped she would take the hint.
'Oh, okay.' She said before she left.
After the door closed, I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. As I changed into my human form and reached for the hospital gown, I heard the doctor ask, "Are you ok?"
I didn't answer that.
Everything in life just felt too complicated at the moment.
The exam lasted three minutes. The doctor told me exactly as I suspected; there were bruises and more bruises. She gave me some gel to rub onto the bruises, so that my body would reabsorb the blood under my skin faster. I also happily took the two extra strength Tylenol.
There was a knock on the door. The doctor answered it. Mel stood there.
"Hey." She said brightly and with a smile.
"Hi" I whispered. Then I blushed. I hadn't meant to whisper it. It was just I suddenly felt shy. I realized it was easier to talk to her before, when she looked like a wolf, than it was now, while she was in human form.
Many people would think she was good looking. Although saying that wouldn't really do her justice. It was true what was said about werewolves; almost every one of them could be considered good looking.
But Mel, she looked like she had just stepped off an airbrushed magazine cover.
'How do you talk to someone like that and not feel shy?' I wondered.
She had thick, long chestnut coloured hair that suited her heart-shaped face. Though she had long legs, like a runway model, her torso was shorter. She had blue eyes, a perfect button nose and tan skin.
There was so much I wanted to tell her before, but now I seem to have lost my voice. I tried clearing my throat, but that didn't help.
"Liz?" Mel asked stepping farther into the room.
Suddenly, I realized she meant me, and I glanced up. "Yeah?"
"These are the clothes I brought you." She sat them on the edge of the bed I sat on.
"Oh, thank you." I said quickly. I didn't want to seem ungrateful.
She smiled and said, "I wasn't sure what to pick. I don't know anything about your style. But I thought, maybe you wouldn't be feeling so great, so I tried to pick comfier clothes."
I looked at the clothes. Leggings and a long sweater-dress. She was right about the comfy part. The fabric of both were very soft to the touch.
"I like these." I told her. "But I won't be wearing this." I held the hot pink sports bra out to her.
"Oh?" she asked, surprised.
"It would push too much on my rib cage." I explained. "It would push on the bruising."
Her look of surprise changed to one of sympathy.
I jumped down from the edge of the examination bed and pulled the sweater dress over my head. I worked it down over my body, and with some pain, untied the strings of the hospital gown underneath. Once I got the hospital gown off, I put my arms through the arm holes of the sweater dress and finished getting dressed.
"That looked like a lot of work." Mel commented with a giggle.
"It was." I laughed.
"Ready to leave the infirmary?" Mel asked me.
I looked at the doctor. She nodded at me.
"Yes." I said.