Page 3 of Prickly as a Porcupine

“It couldn’t have been Dr.Grimm.He sometimes had assistants helping,” she added, in nearly a whisper.A part of her, deep down, knew she was making excuses.She knew that what he’d done for her was nearly miraculous… but no miracles happen without some failures in the testing phases.But all of this?Ariel glanced around the room as if seeing the group members for the first time.Probably none of them could live among humans again.

Ariel swallowed that part deeper.If Dr.Grimm wasn’t the genius she took him for, then what did that mean?What had she been helping him do?

“Grimm did this to me, whether you can believe it or not,” Simon said softly.“It’s okay if you can’t acknowledge it.That’s what this group is for.We’ve all been through a lot.”

She laughed darkly.“But that’s the thing.I haven’t been through a lot.I… I benefited from his work.He gave me gifts for a small price.”

“By small price, you mean this?”Jennifer, across the room, lifted her pant leg to reveal a furry hind leg.Ariel wriggled her nose to take in the scent.It was shrew fur.Her fur.

No… not just her fur.Suddenly a realization hit, one that she didn’t want to believe, and yet everything inside her told her it was true.

It was her leg.

Ariel was lost for words for a moment.This had to be a trick.They were conspiring against her.“He wouldn’t do that.He said he needed it.”She shook her head, trying to shake loose the image.Her mind spun.So did the room.Ariel’s stomach lurched.Is that really my leg?

“He needed it forme,” Jennifer said with a sneer.“The first experiment didn’t go so well.Left me needing a replacement leg.And what better way to continue his shifter experiments than by attempting xenotransplantation?Grafting limbs from one shifter type to another, seeing if abilities would transfer from donor to recipient.He played you, Ariel.He played all of us at one time or another.”

“It was just a game to him,” Simon added as he brushed back his curly hair, his deer ears twitching in annoyance.

“No.It meant something.Imeant something,” Ariel choked out, horrified when she had to sniff to try to hold back emotions.Hot tears stung her throat, but she swallowed them.Even if they would drown her, she held them in.

“I think we need to bring this conversation back to the main topic,” Paige interrupted as Jennifer opened her mouth to probably say something else Ariel wouldn’t like.Paige turned to Ariel, “What about your family?”

“What about them?”She tried to bury the anger rising in her chest, though why it was there, Ariel wasn’t sure.

“Have you visited your brother yet?”

She narrowed her eyes at Paige, trying to figure out her angle.“No.So what?”She crossed her arms.

“Family—at the very least, our support system—is what helps us all to heal.Who is your support system?”Paige asked, glancing around the room.

“This group is mine,” Simon piped up.“So are the friends I’ve made at FUCN’A.I can’t see my family, but I have others I can get close to.”The lightness of hope colored his soft voice.

Arty sighed.“There’re many others here like me, who may never pass for ‘normal’ again.They are my support system because they know what I’m going through.And my family are shifters, so they can come visit me, too.”He gave an apologetic glance to Simon.

Jennifer crossed her arms.“I’m new here and have trouble trusting after… after what happened.I’m still building up my supports, I guess.”A darkness clouded her face before she added, “I don’t have a family.”

“Family can be chosen,” Ariel tried reassuring Jennifer, leaving out that Dr.Grimm was the first one to suggest this to her.He said it in the beginning, when Ariel was crying at night in the lab over how much she missed her family.I can be your family.Family can be chosen.Ariel shook the memory from her mind as she looked back to Jennifer’s now-covered leg—Ariel’s leg.Was it all a lie?Could the others be right?Did Dr.Grimm say what he had to so he could manipulate her and get what he wanted?

Paige clasped her hands together.“Today was a challenging group.Between now and next week, take some time to reflect on who is in your support system.Also, plan for some self-care later today if needed.And as always, my door is open if anyone needs to talk.”

Ariel sighed in relief.Saved by the bell.Hopefully the next group would be a safer topic.Ariel left the room with her dark thoughts, trying her hardest not to think about Dr.Grimm and their seemingly twisted relationship.The others were wrong about him.They had to be.

3

Joline shifted the sack of books on her back as she trudged into the cafeteria.She tried to keep her homework off her mind, but it was only Wednesday, and her weekend was already going to be full of reading and assignments.But all that floated away as soon as she spotted that mysterious redhead sitting at a table in the far corner.

Had the woman shown up for dinner because Joline had extended the offer, or was it mere coincidence?Five was a pretty common time to eat, and the cafeteria was the only place to get food.Was it too forward for Joline to sit with her?She didn’t think so, but that anxious voice in the back of her head suggested the woman may want to be left alone.

Joline walked toward the line of shifters waiting to get their food, debating with herself the whole time.Her stomach growled.Joline forgot to eat lunch earlier.She sniffed at the air, hoping Maude’s meatless meatballs were on the menu today.As a porcupine shifter, she stuck to eating plants only.While she could eat meat—certified “non-shifter” meat, of course!—if she wanted, she didn’t crave it, so she chose to stick with her animal instincts when in human form.With food, anyway.

Grabbing her tray, she noticed she was in luck.After asking for the spaghetti with an extra helping of the meatless meatballs, Joline grabbed a bottle of water and crossed the cafeteria towards the red-haired woman.She never did get her name earlier.As she neared the table the shifter sat at, Joline wondered if this was the correct decision.The woman’s brow wrinkled in worry as she pushed the macaroni salad around her plate.There was hardly a bite taken out of her hamburger.Maybe this wasn’t a good time to make a new friend.

Joline was about to turn around when the woman said, “I can feel you standing there.Feel free to sit, but I’m warning you, I’m in no mood to talk.”

Joline blinked at her.How did she know she was standing there?She took a seat as commanded, setting her bookbag on the floor at her feet.“Don’t worry.I brought a lot to read.”She gave the woman her best smile.

“Oh, it’s you.”She appeared to relax, her shoulders dropping as she leaned back in her chair.