A White Tiger and the Wolf

Chapter 2

At Work

When she got there she went to her locker took off her dress and sandals and put on her black and white checked trousers and white jacket which is the uniform she always wore at work. Put on her safety shoes and pinned her hair up and put on the hat and hairnet to keep her hair in place while she worked. The morning passed quickly for Kay but she kept having fades in and out as she called them.

By lunch time she was hot all the girls were doing nicely in the kitchen and she went to find Richard the deputy head of the main kitchen and told him she was taking a break outside. Kay managed to get outside without a problem and went to sit on the bench by the river where she always took her breaks. She had been there about 15 mins when Donna came out to see her. Donna was a good girl and was learning fast she was Linda's niece and Kay had taught a few things that she hadn't taught the other girls. Donna was more sensible and she also knew that something was wrong with her.

Donna and Kay were sitting on the bench chatting when Kay became aware that something was very wrong and something was going to happen to her. All of a sudden she was in pain again like her skin was on fire and she couldn't stop it then she lost control of her body and it started fading again slowly her body became terribly hot, almost burning her skin began to ripple Donna started to panic and screamed Kay looked like she was going to burn up right in front of her. Then Kay paced out.

Donna ran to get Linda quickly after running in the kitchen to tell Richard what had happened he came out with a blanket and put it on Kay.

When Donna got to the office and knocked on the door she was crying and went straight in to Linda but she wasn't alone Nigel and Bradley were with her. Linda asked her what the matter was and when she told them about what happened to Kay they all rushed out. When they got back to Kay she was sitting up on the bench with a blanket wrapped around her and a glass of water in her hand.

Kay was still in pain and shaking quite a bit and then she started feeling hot again and it happened again. Kay wondered what was happening to her and she became scared and started crying.

It was weird watching Kay Bradley thought because one minute she looked normal and next she was bright red with very deep blue eyes. Bradley, Linda, Nigel, Donna, Richard and Jason all looked at one another as Kay came back to normal and collapsed again.

Bradley took one look and picked her up and carried her inside they went into the common room and layed her on the sofa. Nigel went to the office and phoned Mason. Mason was the packs doctor. Linda went to get more blankets and Donna sat holding Kay's hand. Richard went back to the kitchens and carried on working asking them to tell him of any developments with Kay as soon as they could.

Mason came with Jane his nurse and asked everyone to wait in the other room. Kay was coming round again as Mason was checking her blood pressure. Hello Mason said and introduced himself and his nurse. Mason told Kay he was a doctor and Nigel had phoned him to come check on her. Kay was glad she had heard of Mason before and wasn't scared of him even though he was a very big man, he had a gentle face she thought.

Mason asked Kay to explain what had been happening. Kay was glad to finally tell some one as she was getting very scared. So she told him that she was very strong, could run really fast but had never checked how fast. That her hearing and eyes were a lot sharper lately.

She told him about her skin rippling this morning and told him the burning feeling which had been happening for about 6 months now but usually she managed to control it a bit so that it never happened in front of anyone. She told him how at these times her skin felt on fire and the pain was enormous almost as if something was trying to get out of her but, she didn't know what.

Mason asked Kay if her parents were still alive and were they human. She told him she always thought they were human but her dad had been really strong and fast like her. Both her parents had died. Mason asked her how old she was and she told him she would be 21 a few days ago.

Kay asked Mason what he thought was happening he said he would have to check it out as he didn't want to frighten her at this stage. But he had a good idea what it was.

Mason left Kay talking to his nurse and he went to find the others. They were in Nigel's office when he entered. Bradley and Nigel both started talking at once. Mason told hem what he had found and he had given instructions for Kay to rest. He told them that he thought that Kay was going into a shift soon. He told them it was strange that she hadn't shifted before.

Bradley asked if there was a room available in the hotel Kay could have for the next few days. Linda said the penthouse suite was free and she could use that for now. Mason said he wanted Kay to rest and not get out of bed for the next few days, that he was giving her some medicine to help with the pain and put her to sleep for a while.

When Bradley and Mason went back to the common room it was to find Kay fast asleep. So Bradley picked her up and took her in the lift to the penthouse and lay her on the bed. Jane came in and stripped Kay's uniform off her and left her in her underwear and then sat beside the bed taking her pulse and blood pressure. She left the room. Bradley said he would stay for a while.

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Bradley:

Bradley sat in the armchair by Kay's bed. Watching while she slept. He thought back to what Mason had said in the office. It was strange if Kay was getting ready for her first shift, why hasn't she shifted before. By rights she should have been able to shift after her first birthday. But he realised that Kay did not even know that she could shift, he wondered why that was and why her parents had never told her or showed her how to shift.

Kay started squirming on the bed and tossing and turning, moaning she was going very red again and then she started screaming. Bradley moved quickly to Kay's side and then Nigel crashed through the door followed by mason who gave her a shot of pain killer. Kay was really hot, Bradley rushed to the bathroom to get a flannel for her head. She wouldn't stop screaming, so Bradley got on the bed and held her try to calm her down a bit and was talking softly to her and brushing the hair off her face. He just held her in his arms until she finally started to relax a bit.

Kay opened her eyes they were bright blue again and she seemed to pull Bradley nearer and then she passed out again. Bradley tried to get up and move back to the armchair but, Kay wouldn't let him go every time he moved she would whimper so he stayed with her and let her rest her head on his chest. Soon they both fell fast asleep.