Resetarits steadied her body as it started to die. This wasn't supposed to happen! Another man ran pa.s.sed them oblivious to the dilemma he now faced. He had to get Lottatna to the apartment complex before the changes started.

Lifting her dying body in his arms, he ran for the apartment. As her body became heavier with her death, his many tails slithered down his sleeves to support his arms until he could lay her down. When he reached the door, he had to kneel in order to pull out his access card. Then he had to open the door enough to get his foot in to keep it unlocked while he picked up Lottatna's nearly dead body. Her heart beat had slowed and slowed more as Resetarits trudged up the stairs. One flight of stairs, fewer heart beats. Two flights of stairs, fewer heart beats. Her death was coming faster than the last. He needed her out of sight!

Three flights of stairs, hardly a beat. He staggered down the hall with her weight. His arms and tails were shaking. Resetarits was glad she was lighter than the last, but not that this was happening. He set her down again as he pushed the key into to the lock. He turned the key and pushed the door open as Lottatna's heart stopped beating. He lifted her one last time and carried her inside. Resterits gently lay her body on the giant bean bag in the center of his front room before closing and locking the door.

If his estimation was right, Lottatna's body would not show visible changes for at least an hour, but that meant nothing when it came to the internal changes. Resetarits pulled off his clothes and let his energetic mask fall. He crouched his androgynous looking form down onto all fours. He paced to help his arms and shoulders relax from carrying Lottatna here. His many tails flailed in all directions—a couple of the fuzzy ones poofing out in agitation. He had hairless tails, furry tails, tails with scales, and others that had their own design and texture.

The tension was almost gone when a wave rolled through Lottatna's body. A motion that told him the internal changes had begun. He grabbed a large bin with a toilet seat on it. He removed Lottatna's shoes, socks, pants, and undergarment before shifting her body enough to place the bin securely in the bean bag. He rolled her body back over, centering her b.u.t.t on the seat so she wouldn't have to lay in what would soon be eliminated.

Her abdominal muscles tightened and she started to bleed. It came out of the urethra and v.a.g.i.n.a. Light in color at first then darkening as decomposed organ tissues were pushed out. The bladder, the kidneys, and all a.s.sociated tubing; the uterus and uterine tubes and the ovaries. The c.l.i.toris came off too and dropped into the bin with the rest of the crushed organs. A little more blood followed with the contracting of her abdominal and pelvic muscles until the skin healed over leaving no opening, save her a.n.u.s, in her lower body.

Lottatna's muscles relaxed and Reseterits rolled her off the bin to empty it. Then he returned the bin to its place and sat. He waited for the next change to come. His aquatic mammal nose twitched in antic.i.p.ation. The tube of her esophagus would merge with her tongue and grow little teeth of its own. The air sacs in her lungs would change to be able to take in water and air, her liver and gallbladder would enlarge and hollow out to form 2nd and 3rd stomachs. All the bile pathways would blend with the gastric juices.

The spleen and pancreas would move down to where her kidneys once resided. Their tissues would blend to filter out anything her new body no longer needed. Then once that was complete, her abdominal muscles would contract again. The contractions would separate the small and large intestines. The large intestine would attach to her current stomach to deal with meats and fats. The small intestine would attach to the new stomachs to deal with the rest of the food. Their ends would merge for an inch just inside her a.n.a.l opening.

Reseterits watched and waited until close to midnight before her abdominal muscles shifted. The contractions were steady and some blood dripped from her a.n.u.s. The contractions continued for nearly an hour before b.l.o.o.d.y, but well formed, ma.s.ses came through the hole. Dinner had been processed and she wouldn't need to eliminate for the rest of the night. He removed the bin and cleaned it out.

Then he pressed on the bean bag, adjusting it to more fully support Lottatna's body. Gently he removed her purse, her shirt and bra. Setting her clothing aside, he pulled out one of his spare blankets and lay it over her. Then his head came up and turned to her purse. Did Lottatna have to work tomorrow?

He dug through the bag looking for something that even remotely looked like a planner. There was nothing in the big pocket. He searched through her phone with nothing. He dumped out her purse then looked again. Still nothing. Resetarits nearly tore off the smaller pockets looking. It would not do for Lottatna to miss work without notice. He found a palm sized planner in the small zipper pocket on the front. After the house clearing this morning, Lottatna didn't have anything scheduled until Sat.u.r.day afternoon. He frowned and nodded.

He put the planner down then padded over to his couch. He curled up in a ball under the blanket. He looked at Lottatna's face and wondered how he was to explain everything to her once she woke.