Despite the clear wince of pain on her face when she got up, the tall blonde made her way to her even taller sister who currently held Cailin suspended by the collar of her sweatshirt. “Rachel, I told you, it was an accident! We look like bimbos, remember?”
“I know!” Rachel snapped. “I-I just had to, okay? He-She shot you!” Despite her protest, she released her hold on Cailin.
The snow-haired girl collapsed, coughing and clutching where Rachel’s knee had met her solar plexus. Her beat-down had been humiliatingly one-sided. It made sense, considering she had shrunk quite a bit from her transformation. In fact, compared to the statuesque Samus Aran look-a-like, she felt positively tiny. Her head could hardly be level with Rachel’s shoulder! Add to that her unfamiliar softness, and she never stood a chance. Not that she was in any mood to fight back. “She’s right,” Cailin gasped as she climbed to her feet with help from Amy. “I did kinda deserve that. Sorry for all this.”
“Well, wasn’t that refreshing,” deadpanned Morton from over Cailin’s shoulder. The scientist had suspiciously vanished when things got violent but now stood calm and a touch arrogant as if nothing had happened. “If you’re done compromising our new soldier for petty vengeance, it’s about time for her first checkup. Cailin, if you would please have a seat on this bench, we can get started.”
“Yessir.” Gingerly, Cailin lowered herself onto the indicated bench while the scientist began his inspection. Meanwhile, the sisters had returned to their place. Amy stayed out of the way but kept up a glare in Rachel’s general direction. “You know, I just have to ask. How did you recognize her? You weren’t there when we changed.”
“It wasn’t hard to figure out,” Rachel answered. “We’d been told you two would be joining us, and a first checkup is standard procedure, so the first new ‘bimbos’ through that door had to be you. As for which of you two she was, that guilty expression said it all. She’s just lucky I’m not Mei, or she’d be dead by now.”
“That’s enough, Rachel,” Jamie said before turning to Cailin. “For what it’s worth, welcome to the team, new girl.”
Cailin nodded back. “Uh, thanks, I guess.”
Over the next half hour, the checkup grew more and more embarrassing, especially when Morton announced her height as 5’3”. “A whole foot shorter than Rachel,” Jamie remarked, making Cailin blush. She had never felt self-conscious of her height as Colin, but losing several inches in just minutes was very disorienting. Having to crane her neck just to look at her waifu didn’t help either.
Things got even worse from there. At one point, the scientist told her to undress and take up various poses while being probed by strange - and universally cold - medical instruments. Sure, this part was mainly behind a partition, but she could hear the snickers from the other patients. After a while, she began to suspect that Morton, despite his detached expression, was simply toying with her.
Finally, when he tried to drive a particularly long device up a particularly personal crevice, she whirled around and punched him.
While the blow was weak and awkward, Morton’s shock and general lack of athleticism sent him backwards onto his rear. The device clattered onto the linoleum floor beside him. “What was that for!?” He demanded. To the side, Jamie and Rachel snorted with amusement.
“I might very well ask the same about that!” Cailin retorted, pointing at the offending implement that now emitted a suspicious humming noise.
The man adjusted his collar. “There is further data to be collected.”
“Data my ass!”
“Precisely.”
“Forget it, Morton. She’s on to you.” Jamie laughed, giving Cailin a thumbs up. “Congratulations, new girl. Consider yourself properly hazed. Just remember to keep an eye on this creep from now on.”
“I resent your insinuation,” Morton huffed, straightening back up and fixing his collar. “I am a professional scientist.”
“Yeah, yeah. We know.” Jamie waved a hand. “I think Cailin’s checkup is just about finished, don’t you?”
Morton turned away, making one almost think he was pouting. “Very well. I think I have sufficient data, for now. Next subject.”
Over the next few minutes, Cailin noticed that Amy’s checkup went by much quicker, with fewer suggestive poses and probes. Soon, she was given a clean bill of health and the two newbies were led elsewhere.