Kathryn's Gift, by StevenB

Chapter 2
Kathryn's Gift, Part 2

Chapter Description: By StevenB

Kathryn slowly opened her eyes. As everything started to focus, she knew something was off. From the look of the equipment around her, it must mean she was in a hospital, but there were cartoon characters on the walls. Slowly she turned her head to the right and caught the glimpse of a small brown haired girl staring back at her.

’Why am I in the children’s ward of the hospital?’ thought Kathryn. She almost screamed when she realized that the girl she was looking at was her in a mirror.

’This can’t be, it’s impossible’, thought Kathryn, who was on the verge of hyperventilating. She tried to focus her thoughts on what happened to her at the lab to calm herself down. ’Stay calm, you’re a scientist, think through this logically’, Kathryn told herself in her head. Kathryn went through everything that happened at the lab, when she got to the point where the containment sphere shattered; she realized what the cause of her condition was.

’The temporal anomaly must have absorbed into my body and caused my regression. I would never had thought it could do that, but here I am as evidence that it did’, thought Kathryn as she starred at her reflection in the mirror.

’I must be around 5 years old, if I remember by childhood pictures correctly,’ guessed Kathryn thinking to herself. She looked at her puffy cheeks and missing tooth.

"I wook adowabwe", said Kathryn with a lisp. She was shocked on how high and baby sounding her voice was. "I have a wisp", frowned Kathryn.

The TV caught her attention and she used the remote to turn it on. She switched to the news channel.

"..last nights explosion of the government laboratory has thought to have been caused by terrorists. Of those presumed dead is one Dr. Kathryn Holts, who according to authorities, was in the building when it exploded, her car was found-." said the newscaster on the TV. Kathryn’s eye’s started to water as she heard that they thought she was dead. The news program started to list more people who were killed in the explosion. Not wanting to hear or read anymore, Kathryn turned off the TV.

’Now what am I going to do, no one will believe that I am Kathryn Holts. Even if they somehow did, all that would happen is that I would be put into some government lab for study or an insane asylum. And I will not be someone’s lab rat. I got to take this one step at a time’, reasoned Kathryn in her mind as she wiped the tears from her eye’s. Just then the door to the room opened and a female doctor walked in.

"I see that your awake, how are you feeling, any pain?", asked the doctor.

"I feew fine", answered Kathryn.

"Okay, good. What’s your name, mine is Jasmine", asked the doctor.

"Kathwyn", said Kathryn.

"Kathryn’s a pretty name, do you have a last name", asked Jasmine.

’I can not give them my last name’, thought Kathryn. "I don’t wemembew it", Kathryn said after some thought.

"That’s fine, you rest up and I’ll be back later, okay", smiled Jasmine and giving a little wave goodbye. Kathryn felt embarrassed at being treated as a little girl.

Kathryn closed her eyes and started to dream. Flashes of images of the incident at the lab and her running through the woods kept going through her mind as she slept. A few hours later, the door opened again with Jasmine and another lady walking in. The noise caused little Kathryn to wake up.

"Kathryn, this is Tracey, she is from Social Services. She is going to ask a few questions, okay," explained Jasmine.

"Kathryn do you know where your parents are?" asked Tracey.

’Great more questions, my real parents passed away two years ago. I’ll have to say something’ thought Kathryn.

"I don’t know", answered Kathryn after some thought.

"How old are you, Kathryn?" asked Tracey.

"Five", answered Kathryn while holding up five fingers. ’That should be close to what my age is now and I’ll have to act somewhat like a kid or they will think something is wrong’, thought Kathryn as she held up her right hand.

"Do you know why you were in the woods last night?" asked Tracey.

’What I am going to say to that. I can not tell them that I was running from the lab. I’ll keep up the act of not remembering’, thought Kathryn.

"I don’t wemembew anything wast night?" answered Kathryn with a little frown and watery eyes for effect.

"That’s okay sweety, you were very helpful. I am going to talk to the nice doctor lady outside", said Tracey as she gave a little wave and headed out the door.

’They are probably going to put me in a foster home until they decide what to do. Until I can figure a way to return to my real age, I’ll have to accept my position for now’, said Kathryn to herself.

A few minutes later, Kathryn felt the need to pee. She almost fell off the hospital bed because she had misjudged the height of it.

"Evewything is so big", Kathryn said quietly as she walked to the bathroom in the far corner of the room.

She lifted up the hospital gown and pulled down the plain white panties the nurses had put on her. Kathryn had some trouble climbing onto the toilet and she was careful not to fall in as the toilet opening was much larger than she was used to. When she was finished and had wiped herself, she took some time to look at the changes below.

"It is going to be awhiwe befowe any hair is going to be down thewe", said Kathryn as she looked at her crotch. She poked at her belly a little as she saw that it was pushed out farther than normal for her.

After she had examined herself, she pulled up the panties and let down the gown, which did not cover much in the back. She washed her hands in the sink, which was set lower for children. Kathryn climbed back onto the large bed and pulled the covers over her.

For about an hour while Kathryn waited, she watched some TV and did some thinking about her situation. She had just turned off the TV when Jasmine, Tracey, and a man and woman walked in.

"Kathryn, this is Anna and Greg Harrison. They were the ones that found you in the woods passed out on the ground. They have agreed to be your foster parents. After they sign some paper work, they can take you home." explained Tracey while pointing to the man and woman beside her.

Kathryn looked at Anna and Greg and judged them to be around their late 20’s. They looked a little nervous as if they were hoping that she would accept them as parents.

Bringing up her courage, Kathryn said "Hi".