Find all the chapters in my gallery here!

Jeanie had never before felt such a potent mix of conflicting emotions.  On one hand, she was horrified to see Shauna in such a state, who was obviously traumatized and was going through something life shattering. On the other hand, she felt a pang of giddy excitement over having performed so well.  She could tell by the smiles and nods of Anton and Shelly that she handled the situation correctly.

Maybe it was okay to feel both ways-- to sympathize with the victim, but also to take pride in how she handled an immensely difficult situation.

Anton looked at Shauna before turning to Jeanie, leaning close as he whispered, “Great work.  Please keep her company while I start the process to get her transferred.”

Jeanie nodded.  “Yes, of course,” she agreed.  There was no way she was going to abandon her duties now after coming so far.

Anton placed a hand on Jeanie’s shoulder and gave her an appreciative smile before walking from the room and pulling out his phone.

I’ll stay with you in case you need anything,” Shelly promised, taking a couple of steps into the room.  “Once we’ve confirmed we have the situation under control, we request reinforcements to assist with securely transporting the victim.  Anton will relay any speical needs or requests to the dispatcher based on his observations.”

“Thank you.  There’s a whole lot to digest,” Jeanie replied with a slight sigh before returning her focus to Shauna, who whimpered and snorted with tears streaming from her closed eyes.

“Hey…  We’ll get you out of here real soon, okay?”  Jeanie promised, kneeling by the trembling half-pig woman.  Adrenaline-fueled dread pumped through her, but she managed to stay smiling regardless.  “You can trust me, I promise.”

“W-- Weeeuugh…”  Shauna sniffed, opening her eyes as she looked at Jeanie with utter despair.  “M-- muhshh-- s-- senshe of s-- sighth…”  She stammered.

Jeanie looked at her hesitantly before leaning in to examine her eyes more carefully. ‘Sense of sight?’ As expected, she noticed the beginnings of small, dark splotches in her irises.  Eyes were often one of the last things to change while undergoing livestock syndrome, and as a result, victims would notice their visiion become increasingly like that of the animal they were becoming.  Her heart sank as she placed a hand on Shauna’s cheek.  “We have quality of life technology that accounts for changes in vision.  It’s pretty incredible,” she insisted, keeping a tinge of optimism in her voice.

“I-- I donth want it t-- to change,” Shauna choked, shaking her head.

“I know, sweetheart.  I don’t blame you,” Jeanie said soothingly, running a hand over the poor woman’s shoulder.  No one would ever wish to be in a situation like this; Livestock Syndrome proved how cruel life could be.  “I told you before about someone I know who became a horse.  She uses computer screens tuned for her sense of vision; it’s different, but she can still navigate life quite easily.”  She wanted to assure her that her sight would improve in othe rways, but as far as she knew, pigs dind’t have the greatest eyes.  They were dichromatic, meaning their eyes only perceived small wavelength colors like blue and green.  Apparently, they were nearsighted and couldn’t see objects too far away.  Dumping this knowledge onto Shauna wouldn’t help.  “You’ll be able to hear and smell quite effectively from what I understand.”

Shauna didn’t respond, only averting her eyes forward as she stared blankly at the wall.

Jeanie wasn’t surprised that the prospect of better smelling and hearing wasn’t any consolation.  She sat down next to Shauna and remained silent, deciding it would be best to match her pace.

As they waited for reinforcements to arrive, Jeanie thought back over the last few days; to all of the information she learned about a potential biological weapon, her encounter with Carrie, and all of the information crammed into her brain.  She wiped sweat from her brow and shifted, just now realizing how tired she was.  Her body trembled and her body ached as the adrenaline fueling her ebbed.  If all went as planned, she’d be sleeping like a rock tonight.

A little while later, Anton walked into the room and looked between the women.  “They’re here.  We’ll need to transport Shauna in just a minute.”

Jeanie couldn’t help but wonder how exactly they’d be moving Shauna, considering how large her body had grown.  Then again, they were likely well equipped to handle scenarios like this, especially since pigs were on the smaller end of animals people usually transformed into after contacting Lifestock Syndrome.  

“We’re going to be moving you in a moment, okay?”  She said to Shauna, fighting back the overwhelming exhaustion that bubbled up.  She only had to last a little longer and then the mission would be over.

~~~

It didn’t take long before a large, black, unmarked van pulled up to the apartment complex.  A few agents stepped out and secured the perimeter, standging guard as another couple of agents entered the building.

Anton beckoned for Jeanie to follow so she could watch the process unfold.  She eagerly agreed and offered some words of reassurance to Shauna before stepping away.

Upon entering the hall, she saw two very large male agents wearing somewhat baggy suits reached the top of the stairs with what appeared to be some type of fancy stretcher in tow.  Anton approached and raised a hand in greeting.  “The victim, Shauna, appears cooperative thanks to Jeanie here,” he said softly.

One of the men nodded.  “Have measurements been taken?”

“They have,” Shelly stated suddenly as she stepped into the hall while putting away a roll of measuring tape.  “We made it in time; Shauna should be able to fit through the door frames, but just barely.”

“I see; thank you,” the man said softly as the pair entered the apartment.

Jeanie watched them enter and then turned to Anton with a look of confusion.  “How are they going to move her?  She can’t be light,” she insisted with a shake of her head.

Anton nodded in understanding. “The reason their uniforms are so loose is because of the exoskeleton they wear underneath.  Along with a few other enhancements, these agents are well suited for extremely heavy lifting.”  He saw no reason in beating around the bush; the new recruit would be learning all kinds of fascinating technological secrets as she worked with the LSIU.

Jeanie blinked and briefly stared at Anton like a deer in headlights.  Exoskeleton?  Enhancements?  She opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself and exhaled deeply.  There would be plenty of time for questions; for now, she wasn’t going to worry.  “Sounds convenient; I should get one of those exoskeletons for the next time I move out and want to save some money,” she mused out loud.

Anton grinned.  “They’re pretty great,” he agreed before gesturing for Jeanie to follow.

They walked back into the apartment and she entered the room where Shauna lay, appearing nervous and shaking as she looked between the two strange men who entered her living quarters.

Jeanie offered Shauna a reassuring smile.  “They’re here to help you.  You can trust them, I promise,” she said with a nod.

Shauna seemed to relax ever so slightly at that and she closed her eyes tight, seemingly wishing she could disappear.

The two men approached Shauna on either side and bent low before hoisting her with minimal effort, each holding and supporting one end of her.

“Shh-- Shqueeeh!!!”  Shauna suddenly wailed and trembled, flailing within their grasp.  Panic struck hard and fast.

“Shhh-- it’s okay…  You’re going to be okay,” Jeanie cooed, quickly trotting over to them as she brushed a hand over Shauna’s swollen pink cheek.  “We’re just helping, remember?  We’re on your side.”  She offered more words of support and managed to calm the pig woman, her flailing and squealing tapering into a light whimpering while her body shook.

The men smiled and nodded at Jeanie, thankful for her help.  They then carefully approached the door with Shauna, exercising great care as they attempted to extract her from the first doorway.  Her body was squeezed as they exited but not too badly.  They were able to get her out with minimal difficulty before managing to carry her though the front door with a similar amount of effort.

Jeanie saw agents at either end of the hall standing guard, assumingly to stop any onlookers who might try to get a look.  She looked back toward Shauna as she was carefully lowered onto the stretcher, which had a bed that was segmented with stretchy, soft material connecting each segment.

After she was securely in place, an agent waiting halfway down the stairs approached with a dark sheet.  “Miss Shauna.  We’re going to use this to give you privacy,” he said warmly before carefully covering her, leaving just enough of her nose exposed so she could breathe.

At that point, the process was smooth.  She was taken down the stairs on the stretcher, which easily maneuvered the stairs, with the segments allowing them to glide down the steps.  Upon exiting, Jeanie stayed by Shauna’s side, whispering reassurances to her as she was hoisted into the back of the van, which was air conditioned and surprisingly spacious.

  As they closed the van, Jeanie faced Anton with a look of concern and exhaustion.  “Should I ride with her?  I can try to comfor ther more,” she suggested, clutching her hands.

Anton shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder.  “You’ve done more than enough; she’s in good hands.”

“But--”

“You’re shaking, Jeanie,” Anton interrupted, offering a sympathetic look.

Shelly approached them and nodded.  “I can tell you’re completely exhausted, and understandably so.  You’re pretty pale and you have dark rings under your eyes too, sweetheart,” she said warmly.

Jeanie looked between them, feeling a twinge of embarrassment before raising her hands and watching them tremble.  She didn’t want her new coworkers to think she was weak; neither of them were in the state she was.  “I-- I am sorry,” she quietly replied.

“You don’t need to be sorry,” Shelly promised as they made their way back to the van they came in.  “Come on, let’s head out.”  She flashed Anton a quick nod, showing that she had Jeanie handled.  The male agent nodded in return before getting in the driver seat, knowing Shelly could handle the rest.

The two women entered the van and buckled up, the air conditioner flashing on as they departed.  Jeanie sat in silence, taking slow breaths and trying to calm her heart rate.  Shauna’s desperate cries and look of despair were burned into her brain and she wasn’t quite sure how to process today’s events.

“You need this,” Shelly insisted, handing Jeanie a cold water bottle.  She reached back to rummage in the cooler behind them once more and produced a small premade snack tray with crackers, meat, and cheese.  “And this.”  She peeled it open and started to assemble some snacks.

“O-- oh, thank you…”  She opened the water bottle and chugged half of it down quickly, allowing the cool liquid to flow through her and provide immediate relief.  Putting up a fuss and refusing help would do no one any good.  After shoving a cracker in her face, she let out a sigh and sank into her seat, closing her eyes as the cool air enveloped her.  A couple of minutes quietly passed as she attempted to process everything that happened while allowing the surging adrenaline to ebb and wane.  She had done a good job, right?  She comforted the victim and helped ensure they could move her safely.

“You were awesome today,” Shelly promised.  “Newhires rarely sleep well the first week or two; not when they’ve just faced a series of shocking revelations and started learning the job functions.  The fact you held it together so well is admirable; I didn’t handle things this nicely when I first started.”

Jeanie smiled weakly, feeling a bit better.  “I appreciate it.  I’ll be ready and refreshed for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow’s Saturday, so we expect you to rest and relax over the weekend, not work,” Shelly teased.

“O-- oh…  Monday, then,” she blushed in embarrassment.

“Tuesday.  We give new recruits an extra day off after their first day of field work; we take mental health quite seriously,” Shelly promised.

Jeanie felt immensely grateful she worked somewhere so incredible.  She closed her eyes again and drank another swing of cold water.  “Tuesday-- wonderful…  A three day weekend sounds amazing.”  While relaxing was on her mind, she also planned on visiting Mable.  It had been far too long since she had seen her sister.

















CHAPTER END

Read up to chapter 8 now on Patreon with tiers only going up to $5/mo for earliest access!



https://www.patreon.com/posts/life-stock-8-111304417