unstoppable ferret

One day later

Ron woke with a groan, stretching himself out in his bed with difficulty. His body was covered in bruises and aches from the previous night's intensive training as the Ferret.

He looked at the clock and saw that it was 7:30 AM. "I still have time," he thought, although he wasn't sure he would be able to get out of bed.

He stood up slowly, feeling pain in every muscle in his body. He headed to the bathroom to take a hot shower, hoping the warm water would help relax his tense muscles.

As she washed her hair, she couldn't help but think about how difficult the training had been. "How can I do this?" she asked herself. "How can I be the Ferret if I can't even get out of bed?"

After his shower, he dressed in his usual clothes, although he had to pause to catch his breath after putting on his pants. He went downstairs and headed to the kitchen, where his mother had already prepared breakfast.

"Good morning, Ron!" said his mother with a smile. "Does something hurt?"

Ron sat down at the table and massaged his leg. "Just a little tired, Mum," he replied.

His mother looked at him with concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just need some coffee."

His mother smiled and poured him a cup of coffee. Ron took it gratefully, feeling that coffee might be the only thing that would keep him going that day.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Kim.

"Hey, Ron! Are you ready for school? I didn't see you after the hospital yesterday," Kim asked.

Ron hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yes, I'm ready now. Help Mr. North with homework," he lied.

"Great! I'll see you there," Kim said before hanging up.

Ron stood up from the table, feeling like his body was about to collapse. 'Another day in Middleton Town,' he thought, though he wasn't sure how he was going to survive.

Ron headed for the door, leaning against the wall to steady himself. His mother looked at him with concern.

"Ron, are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, Mum. I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Her mother didn't seem convinced, but she didn't insist. "Well, watch out for Kim. She'll help you if you need anything."

Ron smiled weakly. "Thanks, Mum."

As he left the house, Ron found Kim waiting for him on the sidewalk.

"Hey, Ron. What's wrong?" Kim asked, noticing the pained expression on his face.

Ron shrugged. "Nothing, just a bit tired."

Kim looked at him skeptically. "Ron, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Ron was tempted to reveal his secret, but he held back. "Yes, I know. Thanks, Kim."

At school, Ron tried hard to stay awake during classes, but his body hurt too much. He felt like he had been hit by a truck.

During lunch, Kim sat next to him and asked if he was okay. Ron lied again, saying he was just a little stressed about exams.

But Kim didn't believe the lie. "Ron, you know I can see you're hurting. What's wrong?" she insisted.

Ron felt cornered. How could he keep his secret without hurting Kim? And what would happen if someone discovered his identity as the Ferret?