Fire And Ice

Chapter 57 - Not the Same

Natalia's P. O. V

I felt raw.

My entire body was stiff and creaky, but somehow noodle-like and ungrounded at the same time. My head was pounding in a way it hadn't since the last time Clark had gone on a rampage with me close enough for him to direct his rage at. Every single decibel of sound and every trace of every smell, for what I assumed were miles, bombarded my senses, adding to the throbbing of my head. With the way my ears and nose were acting up, I didn't even want to open my eyes.

I heard someone approach and enter my room. The scent told me it was Hailey, with food that triggered a growl from my stomach.

I was ravenous.

"Hey..." she called. Her tone was soft but her voice sounded like it was at full volume to my ears, "I figured you'd be hungry, I was starving after my first shift."

"I am, thanks." My voice sounded hoarse, like my vocal cords had been out of order.

I took a breath, then decided to peel my eyes open. I could literally hear the movements of my eyelids sliding over my eyeballs.

The first thing I noticed was that the world was much brighter, and there were more shades and colours than I'd ever seen. I knew my sight had been heightened before, but this felt like I was gazing into another dimension.

I looked over at Hailey seated in a chair next to my bed. She looked the same, but different, like I was seeing her again for the first time.

I guess this was what people who needed glasses felt like after their first time wearing them.

She placed the tray she was holding on my lap after I sat up in bed. It was a beautiful spread of pancakes and at least half of a grilled chicken. I paid no mind to the odd combination, devouring the food with a speed that surprised even myself.

When I was done, she silently handed me a glass of water, which I basically downed in one gulp.

"How do you feel?" She asked once she'd taken the tray back.

"Better..."

My hunger had been sated, but my body still felt weird to me.

She offered me another sympathetic smile, "I felt different after my first shift too, so I know that feeling of strangeness. Not to mention the fact that you Uncovered and your body just grew and matured overnight. I can only imagine how dissociated you feel right now."

I nodded, and my new hair came into view, "Everything's hyperfocused, but off at the same time."

It reminded me of when my hearing had heightened before at nine. It had been overwhelming, and had taken me a few days to get it under control.

And I needed to do that all over again, but also get used to moving with my new height and dimensions and controlling the rest of my senses. Plus, there was the little issue of my spontaneous combustion.

Hailey must have seen the worry growing on my face, cause she placed a hand on mine, "It's okay. Kaesha and I will be here to help you."

"Thanks." I smiled.

She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, then left with the tray.

I looked around my room. It was the same as I'd left it, with the only change being that Hailey had moved the vanity's chair next to my bed.

I spotted my phone on my night stand and picked it up. I'd wanted to check if I had missed calls from Timothy, but I caught sight of the date and my jaw dropped.

It was the twenty-third, and the middle of the day.

I'd lost a day and a half, and I had no idea of how much of that time I'd spent as a wolf or asleep. No wonder I'd been so hungry.