You don't resist as you're carried down the hall and into a room where you can already hear hot water falling. With Tommy close by again, you can feel his movements as though they were your own, and he stays close, hopping and bouncing and running between Marisa's legs to stay close. His emotions are open to you too, and above all else he has no intention of letting you out of his sight again. He's too afraid, too possessive. He's had a very hard time without you, but his little heart is beating so fast with excitement at having located you at last that you begin to fear for /his/ health. When you reach the shower, Marisa sets you down, and you sway a little on your legs. "Arms up." As the dress comes off, you feel your body settle down into its normal shape. Bones settle with a cracking sound as you become your usual height, bare toes replacing black-furred paws. You take care of the rest, and she moves a little hamper beside you for the wet clothes. She gestures to the shower. "Get in. We can talk once you've had a good wash and a good night's sleep."
There's no argument from you, and you climb in, Tommy sliding in behind you right as Marisa closes the glass door. You‘re too weak to go very far, and you collapse onto your rump in the hot water. Tommy rushes over to comfort you, and you hold him to your chest like, well... you‘d rather not think about it. "I looked all over for you, David! But that stupid factory changes insides all the time! I had to wait until the room you were in existed again! And Marisa tried talking to the guy who lives there, but his daughters lied about you being there, and he supported them, so she couldn't come in to look. But I found you!" He sounded proud, and you had no reason to put an end to that. He deserved to be proud about saving you.
"Thanks, Tommy." You say, rubbing his head with your hand. His snakelike body goes limp in your arms as you do that, and that makes you smile faintly. It‘s so wonderful to be alive again. To be able to move again. "I owe you big time."
Tommy's ears perk up, and he looks up at you with a grin. "Do you... owe me enough to let me be human some of the time?" He grins mischievously. "I've been thinking about that conversation we had since you were gone. If I was a person... I could really make things easier on you. We could split the work Marisa has for you at her shop, for instance. Marisa said it's up to you - but she's got this collar I could wear that would make me human whenever I put it on."
You think about Tommy's request as you sit under the hot water, enjoying the feelings assaulting your body. Wonderful, glorious feelings. You don't even care about being a girl, not right now. Granted you don't really know how to process hot water seeping gently inside you through a place you've never felt before but that's hardly your first concern after what you've just felt. You consider Tommy's request before...