Dragon Prince

Chapter 8

Lucy did not want to open her eyes. The stark light of the Florissant fixture overhead was blinding even through her closed eyelids. To say nothing of the massive headache at the base of her skull, which was only growing larger as she lay there.

Not this again. Not on the first freaking day at a new school. She remembered all too well how it went last time she had an episode. She sighed to herself, thinking there was nothing left for her to do but prepare. Prepare for the questioning glances and pitying looks. For the teasing and jokes and sarcasm. For the mockery and ostracization.

It had all happened before, so why would her luck decide to change now?

Through the pain, garbled words drifted into her ears.

She could tell from the tones of voices that the words were argumentative, though everything was too muffled to tell if they were arguing about what to do with her, or what toppings are the best on pizza.

Okay, they probably weren't talking about pizza.

Deciding that enough was enough, Lucy opened her eyes, sat up, and stretched as she took in the world around her.

First thing she noticed, was the size of the room. It was simply massive, for a nurse's office, there was enough room for ten cots, with ample space to walk in between them. She should know, she counted them.

Ten cots were neatly set up in rows, with more than two feet between them, with more, as of yet uncounted, of the small beds folded up in a corner. This made it seem to the blonde that the administration was preparing for an outbreak of the plague.

The sound of voices dragged her attention to her left, where she saw a curtain had been drawn, presumably for her privacy. From behind which came the arguing she had heard earlier.

"... Have a duty to fulfill." Said a voice that sounded like it belonged to an older, and somewhat surly woman.

"Yeah? Well I also have a duty to... my friends." said a second voice. Natsu, Lucy realized.

Friends. Lucy's cheeks flushed at the thought that she was one of them, already.

"yes, friends..." said the woman.

A very short moment later, the curtain separating the blonde from the conversation was pulled slightly aside and the woman peered in. It was easy to see she was old, wrinkles adorned her face with her mouth set in a thin line, (indicative of many years of being a high school nurse, and many more years of hating it,) set beneath two hardened red eyes, all framed by pink locks falling from a slightly frazzled bun.

Her face, which already looked cross, took on an exasperated expression as she threw open the curtain, revealing Natsu, who was rolling his eyes in resignation.

Before Lucy could speak, weather to ask Natsu what was wrong or what exactly was going on she wasn't sure, the pink haired woman beat her to it.

"It's about time you woke up." she said coming to stand by Lucy's bed, "Now, I have a few questions for you, and the faster you answer them, the faster I can get you two out of my hair. Understood?"

Lucy barely had a chance to nod before the woman began her interrogation. They were standard questions. she's heard that many times before, and knew the answers even before they were asked.

Do you know where you are?

Yes, Fairy Tail High.

Do you remember what happened?

I was in chemistry class when I... fainted.

When did this happen? For how long?

Admittedly, Lucy didn't have an answer for that one. She looked to Natsu for a bit of help, but the nurse regained her attention with a stern look.