Shifters (Feline english version)

Chapter 8-2

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Damn it! It was the third time today that I passed out. A new record undoubtedly, but not very reassuring for my health. I struggled to emerge. My head hurt, my mouth as dry as the Sahara and my arms were aching badly. Nevertheless, I breathed more easily. My eyes had trouble focusing, only to open up to Jude's face, who was looking at me with a worried gaze. That was definitely weird! Maybe even totally creepy. I had to be at death's door for him to look at me like that.

- 'Welcome back,' he said in a soft and worried voice, as he tenderly stroked my hair with a calm and soothing gesture.

- 'Am I going to die?' I asked him weakly, disconcerted by his strange attitude.

- 'No, you silly girl!' he smiled nicely at me. 'What makes you think that?'

- 'No hurtful jokes or sarcastic remarks. I thought that my condition must be serious for such a radical change in behaviour!' I explained in a breathless voice, while struggling to get back on my feet.

I heard him laughing softly as I sat down. Once I was stable, I took the opportunity to examine my arms for the first time, and that was not good. Burns at various stages of healing spread from my fingertips to my elbow. It was ugly, but it could have been worse. It should have been worse, actually.

- 'How long did I remain unconscious?' I asked, while I turned around to look at him.

- 'Here, time is somewhat distorted, but I would say an hour or two.'

- 'I better understand your worried look.'

- 'No, that's not what I was worried about. In fact, you only really fainted for a few minutes. Then you went into a deep sleep, which is not unusual for an injured shape-shifter. On the other hand, burns generally take longer to heal. But the healing should be much faster than that,' he explained with a nod towards my arms.

- 'And you're worried because...' I started to wonder.

- 'It may mean that you have serious internal injuries that your body must treat first. Beyond a certain number of injuries, the accelerated healing capacity we have is no longer enough,' he said in a low voice.

I wasn't completely wrong in the end to ask if I was going to die.

- 'Could there be another possible hypothesis?' I asked, turning gently to face him.

- 'Your deficient genes... maybe?' he said mockingly, as he looked at me with a soft smile.

- 'Oh, that's it, your concussion is healed, you're back to your true nature!'

Even though he had said it in jest, his remark had brought up feelings that were anything but pleasant. He laughed softly and got up.

- 'And you, you are healed?' I asked him dryly.

- 'Of course!' he replied with a superior air.

Ah, it was official: the " asshole " was back. I shook my head resigned.

- 'What exactly happened?' he asked me, as he carefully inspected the rock slide that was now blocking the tunnel.

- 'I think that when it goes boom, it's called an explosion, isn't it?' I mocked him.

He didn't deign to answer my joke and turned around to give me a dirty look.

- 'I thought I felt a kind of resistance on my ankle and... a little metallic noise. But I'm not sure of anything.'

He frowned slightly and made a little annoyed noise with his tongue.

- 'That would mean that the gallery was trapped,' he thought aloud. 'But it doesn't make sense!'