Swollen Feet, and a swollen belly

Stormwing, once the type of pendragon to sit in the back of class and scribble things in her notebook due to disinterest, was currently seated in the front row of the lecture hall. Her eyes were trained upon the television set, where the professor was outlining the lesson plan, and her hand was poised over her paper, prepared to jot down notes. She wasn't here as a student, though, and perhaps that was what lent to her absorption. The professor had actually requested her to attend the class — an Apprenticeship level course in Shapeshifting — so that she could help with supplemental instruction. Storm was a Journeyman, because she'd had the ability to shapeshift since birth, and he wanted her to be an example to the class. The thing was, though, since the skill was natural verses learned for her, she wouldn't be able to use instructed techniques unless she, too, took the lecture, and could follow methods outlined. It would be a little difficult, and she'd have to pay close attention to the notes, but it would be good for the class... plus, she'd get credit for her Leadership trade for helping instruct a classroom full of her peers.

Just now, the professor changed the slides, and Storm began to scribble down notations about potential and kinetic energy. These were basics the class was reviewing, tiny details of Shapeshifting that rarely anybody thought about. But she savored over every fact, and made sure to include every detail in her notes.

Even as she concentrated on her summary, a sudden noise from further back in the lecture room distracted Stormwing. It sounded like someone grunting in disgust. The thill ignored it, continuing to take notes... until she heard the distinct noise of someone vomiting. Then again. At these noises, she swiveled around in her seat, her mismatched eyes searching around the classroom in an attempt to find the sick pendragon.

The professor, who'd cut off midsentence, now rushed up the aisle to the student, asking various, clichéd questions, like, "Are you okay?" Storm watched the goings-on with a raised eyebrow, though she didn't start to move around, whisper, and murmur like the rest of the class was. She watched as the instructor hoisted the ill thill off her desk, and began to usher her down the aisle, and she expected him to lead her from the lecture hall. Yet, at the last minute, he paused at the front row, and gave Stormwing a beseeching look.

"Since you're our SI instructor, and class leader, could you please escort this young lady to the nurse's office?"

"Uh... sure," Stormwing said. She carefully closed her notebook, packed it into her book bag, and stood. "I'll take care of it."

 

Storm watched the girl sway near the wastebasket, obviously trying to quash the urge to throw up again, and then she hesitantly walked over to her. To tell the truth, Stormwing didn't really want to get too close, as she had quite an aversion to illnesses, but she could see that this thill would need support just to move down the hall and to the nurse's office.

After the professor gave her one last, almost pleading look, Storm traipsed over to the sick girl. She waited to see if she had to throw up again, and then she grabbed her by the crook in her elbow, and began to gingerly tug her away from the trash can. She slowly led her to the doorway, and before more than five minutes had passed since the episode had started, the two thills were out in the hall.

The professor shut the door behind them, and Stormwing was left to look up and down the corridor. She wasn't looking for help — she could handle this, as repulsed as she was by the lingering stench of upchuck — but she momentarily forgot the location of the nurse's office. She'd only been there, once... and, uncannily, it had been in a situation just like this.

Finally deciding to take a left, Stormwing towed her ill companion. As they walked, she asked questions. "So... is it a bug? Drugs? Booze? Or is it morning sickness?"

The last few words were said with a twinge of something that could not be called nostalgia, but which sounded much more like sick familiarity.

 

As the two of them shuffled down the hall, the sick thill mumbling and muttering, Stormwing's ears twitched. She'd heard the stalled words — she'd been about to say "morning sickness," but had decided not to at the last minute. She could sort of relate to what this female was going through, though, so she didn't press her. Not for the moment, anyway.

"So... what's your name, anyway?" Storm asked. She looked at the other girl, whom was staring at the floor. "I'm Okkatteiru Stormwing, but most call me by my last name."

As she waited for the other's response, Storm turned to face frontwards again. The nurse's station wasn't that far up the hall, but the pair of them was moving rather slowly. Stormwing couldn't complain, though. This was much better than fearing for her life, dodging bombs, and running around in thunderstorms, as she'd been doing just two nights ago. This, at least, was calm, if a bit grueling.

 

After the sick stranger had said her name, the two continued to trudge in silence as Stormwing mulled. It was pretty obvious to her that Joey was pregnant. Storm wasn't a moron; she could see the symptoms, the sickness, the tender feet. But she didn't know whether she should press her while she was in this state, or just let it go. As she pondered, a rather good idea came to her. Perhaps she could kill two birds with one stone: she could both comfort Joey, and maybe get some information out of her, as well.

"You know, I had a day like this, just like this," she started. She shifted her arm, made her grip a little tighter on Joey as the other thill lurched a bit. "I went to class one morning a year or two ago, and my vision was sort of blurry. I felt dizzy, and sick to my stomach. I didn't throw up, though. I panicked instead. I panicked because..." For a second, her studded tongue paused. Was the rest of the story too personal? Too much information? Then again, it had happened in public, so what was there to hide? "...because I'd fooled around a little with my roommate, and I thought I could be pregnant. I wasn't, but it was a very, very scary experience. It was also humiliating, especially because of the exact relationship between my partner and I."

 

Storm was tempted to say something like, "I didn't say you were," or, "But it's so obvious..." Instead, she simply shrugged.

"Are you feeling any better? We're nearly there."

She lifted her free hand to point out the nurse's office. There didn't seem to be anyone around, but she could hear a voice. It was an arden's voice, actually, and really familiar. For a moment, Storm couldn't place it, but then she started. She knew that timbre very, very well.

 

Kjetta was standing in the office talking to the nurse about a student who'd just been released from the office because of being caught with drugs in their room. He was the Professor On Call this period and if it was one thing he hated, it was being on call. Every time the bleeper went off, he'd grumble. Whether it was to deal with a disruptive student or (like the previous one) someone caught disobeying the rules, it never got any better. Simply, it sucked. It suddenly bleeped, and the sound was screechy. Kjetta cringed and looked at it. A student with "suspicious ailments" was being sent to the nurse's office. Well, at least he was already there..

 

Finally, they reached the nurse's office. By now, the voice had faded, but Stormwing was following a strong, familiar scent. Dragging Joey more forcefully now, she pulled the other thill into the doorway, and through the threshold of the room.

Right there. He was right there, standing in the nurse's office, looking a bit annoyed. Storm let go of Joey's arm, and walked up to him, her eyes a little wide and a slightly shocked expression on her face.

"Kjetta! I mean... Profess Pujcmatt? What are you doing here? Are you the professor on call?"

As she said this, Storm glanced back at Joey. The younger female wasn't looking any better than she had right after spewing her breakfast all over the lecture hall. In fact, she looked like she might teeter and pass out at any moment.

"I have this student here... she has mor—" Storm cut herself off. "She's feeling ill this morning. She threw up all over the Apprenticehip Shapeshifting classroom."

She gestured melodramatically at the ailing Joey.

 

Kjetta turned to see who was being brought through the door. His brown eyes nearly fell from their sockets when he saw Joey and then.. oh no. Stormwing. Hang on, what was she doing here? Hadn't she left? A thousand thoughts ran through his mind at 100 miles per hour. He remembered everything regarding Stormwing a little too vividly. He gulped before she approched him specifically and spoke to him. Her expression was a shocked one too, and he listened carefully.

Yes Stormwing, I am the Professor on call... Maybe just as well

He muttered the last bit under his breath before listening to her again. He called her Stormwing because... well. She wasn't exactly a student anymore was she? He glanced over at Joey who was looking at the floor, obviously suffering from morning sickness and incredably worried.

He nodded to Stormwing before moving to sit besides Joey and gently put his hand on her shoulder as the Nurse handed him a bowl, just in case.

Hello Joey.. How are you feeling? Hang on... that's a really stupid question isn't it? Could you tell me and the Nurse what's wrong?

Of course, he knew EXACTLY what was wrong..

 

Stormwing could see her own surprise reflected in Kjetta's eyes. He seemed startled to see her here, at all. She was momentarily confused, but then she realized that perhaps her jail time, as well as her decision to take fewer classes, had probably caused most of the Janardan staff to believe she was gone. But she wasn't. She was still here — less than she used to be, but still.

Cramming her thoughts to the back of her mind, Storm glanced at Joey once again. The sick thill had crawled towards a chair, and was now sitting there, looking rather like a crumpled piece of paper. Storm was tempted to go sit beside her, but Kjetta and the nurse beat her to it. She watched them rush over to Joey; Kjetta took the chair beside her, and put his hands on her shoulders, while the nurse handed him a bowl in case Joey's nausea returned.

Really, it didn't appear suspicious at all. But the way Kjetta touched Joey — so tenderly, like a lover's touch — caused Stormwing to blink. A flock of butterflies rolled in her stomach, too, and she wondered now not whether Joey was pregnant, but whom had fathered the baby...

After all, it wouldn't surprise Storm in the least if Kjetta had had relations with a student. He'd tried to do the same with her once before.

 

Kjetta listened to Joey carefully, wanting to hold her but knowing he couldn't. The Nurse glanced at him when Joey'd finished speaking and called him over to one side. She wasn't convinced. She'd noticed the swollen feet and had noticed a slight roundness to Joey's stomach. She had all the signs of pregnancy. Shit. He glanced back at Joey, thinking of what to do. He told the Nurse that these things had to be dealt with the most extreme amount of care and according to Acadamy Policies. He walked back over to Joey and knealt down on the floor in front of her as she held the bowl.

Joey.. Is there something you're not telling us?

 

As Kjetta knelt in front of Joey, Stormwing shuffled over, peering down at the two with an expression only slightly more baffled than the nurse's. She didn't know what to do, what to say. Except... well. Kjetta had had feelings for her once, so perhaps he'd talk to her, tell her what was going on. Maybe if she drew him aside, and had a little chat with him, she'd have an idea about this situation.

"Hey, Kj... Professor Pujcmatt? I think the nurse is going to take her temperature and give her some nausea meds. You wanna step outside with me while she administers that stuff?"

She tapped him on the shoulder as she said these things, and lifted her eyebrows in a strongly suggestive fashion. Storm really wanted him to come out into the hall and explain... so that perhaps she could figure everything out, and even help them, if her suspicions about Kjetta and Joey were true.