Chapter 4

Ren decided to spend the weekend at Nora's apartment. She was struggling with her medication and needed the support, both physically and emotionally. He did not teach on the weekends, usually training instead, but he decided it was worth taking some time away from the gym. Nora tried doing some exercise but found herself too tired and decided to lay down on the couch to watch some TV. That was about all she had felt up to doing for the past few days and it was starting to get to her.

Ren went down and picked up her mail from the lobby for her. "Nora, why did you receive ten copies of this magazine?" Ren asked upon his return. "Crush. Isn't this pornographic?"

"Oh...uh...it must be a mistake or something." Nora said.

He squinted at the cover. "That's...that's you on the cover." Ren said. Nora sprung up and rushed over, grabbing the magazine away from him. She forgot that he had nine other copies. "Nora, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Well I...the thing is...before the Olympics...I was really low on cash." Nora explained. "Someone showed up at the gym one day while the weightlifting team was training and offered some of us cash to pose for the magazine. Everyone else turned him down but...he paid up front and I really needed the money. I didn't think it was a big deal at the time but now I'm really embarrassed."

Ren leafed through the pages of one of the copies. The pages were filled with muscular women in various states of undress, along with some fetish stuff. He spent extra time on Nora's section. "You look impressive." He said. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Really?" Nora gasped.

"Very." Ren confirmed. "Apart from the bronzer. Your natural skintone is much more pleasant."

"Ugh, I hate that stuff." Nora complained. "It smells funny and feels weird, makes me look like a turkey." She paused. "You're really alright with this?"

"I am." Ren replied. "It's your body. You can show it off if you want. I find a few of these shots quite...alluring."

"There's a...uh...video portion too." Nora admitted. "Online. Would you...like to see it?"

"Only if you want to show me." Ren said.

"There's no point hiding it." Nora shrugged. "It really isn't that big a deal." With a few taps at her phone she brought the video up and handed it to Ren. It started with Nora fully clothed but that did not last long. Once fully disrobed she sat on the ground. Someone handed her a watermelon, she placed it between her legs and crushed it with her thighs. Then another.

"Wow...that's...impressive." Ren gasped.

"It actually wasn't that hard." Nora said. "They kept asking me to do this strange Atlesian accent, well, one of them anyway, I don't know why. It felt weird, but also really hot. I wonder if I could crush someone's skull like that."

"Let's not find out, okay?" Ren said.

"Are you sure?" Nora laughed. "Do you have any enemies?"

"No, thankfully." Ren said with a smile.

Nora could no longer handle the side effects of her medication, so she and Ren returned to the doctor. There was only one medication left, but as soon as Ren heard the name he knew it would be a problem. It contained a banned substance that would disqualify Nora from competition. It was a big decision to make, sanity or doing the thing she loved, and not one Nora could just make on the spot. She would need some time to think about it. In the meantime, there was plenty going on.

Ren and Nora moved into a new apartment together. It was not the most luxurious, but certainly an upgrade for both of them, Nora in particular. Ren brought some furniture from his old apartment, Nora provided the electronics and brought along her weights, and a few purchases rounded out the decor. Even if Ren did not seem to notice, it was a big step in the relationship as far as Nora was concerned. Now they could be together more than ever. She could enjoy his stellar cooking on a regular basis and she no longer had to sleep alone. More than that, Nora finally had a place that felt like home.

It was later in the evening and Nora went digging through the kitchen cabinets, searching for a snack. Ren's home-cooked dinner had been great, but she was feeling hungry again. Ren had been encouraging her to eat better and limited the sort of junk food on hand, so Nora was forced to settle on a bag of pretzels. She placed the bag on the counter and opened the refrigerator to look for a beverage. It came down to a choice between milk or one of the slimy smoothies Ren insisted on drinking. She chose milk.

As Nora poured herself a glass - Ren discouraged drinking straight from the carton - she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It was dark and hard to define, but vaguely human in shape. When she turned to face the figure, it shot towards her. Nora screamed and dropped the milk. She tried to back away but slipped on the liquid she had just spilled and fell against the cabinets. The figured hissed something unintelligible but threatening, looming over her. "Stay back!" She yelled.

"Nora, what's wrong?" It was Ren's voice, but when Nora turned to look, she saw another dark figure standing there. She pushed herself into a corner and curled up in a ball on the floor.

"Stay back." She whimpered.

Ren figured out what was going on. "Nora, tell me what you're seeing." He said slowly and clearly.

"I...I...t-there are two monsters." Nora stammered.

"Nora, they're not real." Ren said. "I...hmm...try to imagine them as something else."

"But they're scary." Nora said.

"So try to imagine them as something that isn't scary." Ren suggested. "Maybe something you like."

"I...I'll try to imagine they're...sloths." Nora said. She closed her eyes tightly, then opened them and gasped. "Oh my God! It worked! There's a huge sloth now!" She said as she looked at Ren. "But where did the other one go?"

"Just try to calm down." Ren said. "Everything's going to be alright. If it gets scary just close your eyes and try to change it."

"O-okay." Nora said. She sat there for a few minutes, her eyes darting around and her breathing erratic. Then, as soon as it had started, she was calm. "I think...I think it's over."

"That's good." Ren said.

"You...you were a sloth for a while." Nora said.

"Have you ever had a hallucination like this?" Ren asked. "You said you've seen real people before…"

"No, this is the first." Nora replied. "Well, this one time I woke up and saw a big rabbit, but then I realized Alice in Wonderland was on the TV."

"I'll call the doctor tomorrow." Ren said. "Maybe he'll know what to do."

"Yeah, I hope so." Nora sighed. "It was so scary...at least until you talked me through it."

"I'm glad I could help." Ren said. "Now, if you'll help me clean up this mess…"

Nora's doctor could offer little help. He theorized the change in her hallucinations had been brought on by starting to take medication, then stopping without replacing it. The only realistic solution was still the medication that would disqualify Nora from competition. "Ren I...I don't know what to do." Nora said.

"I know it's hard." Ren said. "It's a big decision."

"I just...I don't know if I can be happy with the hallucinations, but I don't know if I can be happy without weightlifting either." Nora sighed.

"Whatever you choose, I'll support you." Ren promised. "I want you to be happy. If that means taking the medication, that's fine. If that means dealing with the hallucinations, that's fine too. We'll get through it together."

"I know I...I guess I'm not ready to decide." Nora said. "I wish you didn't have to go to work. I wish you could stay here all the time and take care of me. If I had a hallucination while I was alone...I don't even want to think about it. But I don't want you to throw away everything you love for me either."

"I'm sure we'll figure something out." Ren assured her. "I won't give up until we do."

Nora woke up before dawn like she usually did. To her surprise, Ren was not in bed. He was almost always still asleep when she awoke. A little confused, she stumbled out of the bedroom and into the main room. Ren was standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand. A petite ginger girl sat at the table nearby, her own cup of coffee positioned beside a large bag. "Ren...who is this?" Nora asked. "What's going on?"

"Good you're awake." Ren said. "Nora, I'd like you to meet Nurse Polendina."

"Please, call me Penny." The ginger said. "It's a pleasure to meet you Nora."

"N-nurse?" Nora stammered.

"I hired Penny to stay with you while I'm at work." Ren explained. "She's a professional, and she can help you. I know you sometimes feel lonely and anxious when I'm away, so…"

"But what if I hurt her?" Nora asked. "If I start seeing stuff and freak out…"

"I'm a professional." Penny said with a smile. "And I'm a lot stronger than I look. Besides, I'm confident I have nothing to fear from you."

"I...I...thank you but...okay...I guess this could work." Nora struggled.

"Great." Ren said. "I'll make us all pancakes for breakfast while you get to know Penny."

"Sure." Nora said with a bit of unease. She sat at the table with Penny. "So...you're a nurse…"

"Technically I'm a psychologist." Penny said. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm here to help you."

"Uh...thank you." Nora said.

"Ren explained your condition to me." Penny said.

"Did he explain my personality too?" Nora asked. "I tend to...scare people away."

"He mentioned something about you being too enthusiastic for some people." Penny said. "But I've always found a lack of enthusiasm to be more of a problem."

"I just don't want to scare anyone else away." Nora sighed.

"You don't have to worry about that." Penny assured her. "From what Ren tells me, I have nothing to fear from you."

"Oh sure, yep, just an Olympic weightlifter suffering from hallucinations and emotional outbursts, nothing to fear here." Nora joked. "Maybe the watermelon video would change your mind…"

"Nora, you might seem strong and threatening, but Ren has assured me that deep down you're gentle and caring." Penny said. "You wouldn't hurt a soul."

"I'd like to believe that." Nora sighed.

"Believe it." Penny said. "And believe that I'll be here for you, no matter what, just like Ren will."

Ren left after breakfast. Nora was still nervous but determined to give things a chance. Penny was kind enough and Nora was pretty confident she could control herself enough. Other considerations entered her mind however. Hiring Penny to spend days with Nora must be costing Ren a fortune. She had felt like a burden before, and now the sense was even more acute. And if Ren was willing to spend that kind of money, he must have been terribly worried about Nora. Taking the medication would surely lift the burden and assuage Ren's fears, but Nora could still not bring herself to commit to giving up weightlifting.

Nora decided to take a shower to relax and think things over. Both counts turned out to be unproductive and she emerged with her mind still buzzing with thoughts she could not resolve. "Lunch is almost…" Penny started. "Nora!" She gasped.

"What?" Nora asked, looking around.

"You're...you're...nude!" Penny stammered, averting her eyes.

"So?" Nora said.

"I'm just...I'm not comfortable with...casual nudity." Penny replied.

"Oh, sorry." Nora said.

Penny looked up then quickly turned away again. "You're still not getting dressed!" She said.

"Sorry, I'll go do that." Nora said, heading for her bedroom.

Nora got dressed and returned to the main room just in time for Penny to serve lunch. "I made you some pasta." Penny said, placing a bowl before Nora.

"Thanks." Nora said. She was not exactly used to being served her food, except by Ren. "You cook too?"

"My father encouraged me to learn as many practical skills as possible." Penny explained. "Cooking, cleaning, carpentry, Krav Maga, electrical work…"

"Is there anything you can't do?" Nora gasped.

"Lift 100 kilograms." Penny laughed. "If I need something heavy moved I'll have to ask you."

"I'm not exactly in the best shape right now." Nora sighed. "My knee is messed up and...I'm not supposed to do any heavy lifting. At least not with my legs."

"I know." Penny said. "Ren told me. But you can still do some exercises. I'll even join you if you like."

"Really?!" Nora exclaimed. "Awesome!"

As the days went by, Nora became fascinated by Penny's big bag. Whenever Nora needed something, be it a tissue, some aspirin, a snack, whatever, all Penny did was dig into her bag and produce the desired object. What wonders might it hold? Nora was determined to find out. Penny started washing some dishes, leaving her bag unattended on the coffee table. Once Nora was sure Penny was distracted, she struck, rifling through the bag as quickly as she could. There were various medicines, some cleaning supplies, some fruit, and Nora was only just scratching the surface.

"Nora, what are you doing?" Penny asked.

"Uh...looking through your bag." Nora admitted.

"What do you need?" Penny asked.

"I don't really need anything." Nora replied. "I was just curious really. And kind of hungry. I thought you might have some candy, but you didn't have the kind I wanted. I was hoping for fireworks too."

"What kind of candy do you want?" Penny asked.

"I'd love some gummies but Ren never lets me have them." Nora sighed. "He says I'm too energetic as it is and they have too much sugar."

"I can't really argue with Ren there." Penny laughed. "I'll see if I can get you some sugar free gummies though."

"Sweet!" Nora cheered. "What about fireworks?"

"Absolutely not." Penny answered. "They're far too dangerous."

"But that's what makes them fun!" Nora exclaimed. "And they're so pretty!"

"No." Penny said.

"Oh well." Nora shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to settle for the candy."

Nora had just finished working out alongside Penny. Her knee was well enough for some lighter lifting, and having Penny there to cheer her on made it even more fun. She had worked up quite a sweat and Penny insisted Nora take a shower. Nora turned on the shower and stood in the stream of water, letting it help relax her muscles. It had been a long time since she had been able to really push herself, and her body ached. Still, it felt good to finally be on the mend. Nora closed her eyes and let the water wash over her face.

Nora heard a faint growling sound. It seemed to be coming from just outside the shower. She poked her head through the curtain, only to see a tall, hairy, werewolf-like monster standing before her. Saliva dripped from the razor sharp teeth that lined its snarling jaws. Nora screamed, leapt out of the shower and - still naked and dripping wet - darted into the main room. "Monster!" She cried. "Help! Penny!" She made herself as small as she could, positioning Penny between her and the bathroom.

"Nora, what's going on?" Penny asked.

"There's a...there's a Beowolf in the bathroom!" Nora screamed.

"Beowolf...like from that show?" Penny asked. Nora nodded, shaking with fear. "Nora, you're having a hallucination."

"But I...it was so real!" Nora protested.

"Trust me." Penny said. "You're not in any danger. It wasn't real." She walked to the bathroom, checking every inch of the room as Nora cowered outside. "See, empty."

"But...but…" Nora stammered. She fell to her knees and broke down crying. "What's wrong with me?"

Penny returned to Nora, kneeling beside her. "It's alright, calm down." Penny said. "You're ill, but that's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I...I just want to be normal." Nora sobbed.

"There's no such thing as normal." Penny declared. "Everybody has their own quirks. It's what makes us special."

"This isn't a quirk!" Nora shouted. "My brain is broken!"

"It's not broken." Penny encouraged. "It's just different."

"I want it to stop." Nora wept. "I want it to go away. I don't want to see scary things that aren't there. I don't want to have to be afraid of seeing stuff that isn't real."

"I know." Penny said. "And with treatment, or medication, it could stop."

"The medicine makes me sick, and the only other kind...I'd have to quit weightlifting." Nora said. "The doctor says there's nothing else."

"Then if you want it to stop, you probably have to take the medicine." Penny said.

"But...I don't want to give up my dream." Nora sighed.

"You have to decide what's more important to you, weightlifting or living without the hallucinations." Penny said. "I know you'd like to have both, but sometimes it's just not possible."

"I just...I just want to lay down." Nora said.

"You should get dressed first." Penny advised.

Nora ignored the advice and laid down on the couch. "Penny...will you stay here with me?" Nora asked.

Penny wanted to refuse, wanted to demand Nora get dressed, but now was not the time. "Alright." She agreed. She grabbed a blanket and laid it over Nora before sitting on the end of the couch to act as a pillow for her.

"Thank you Penny." Nora said. "You're so nice to me."

In a few minutes Nora had fallen asleep. Penny wanted to extricate herself from the situation but was unwilling to risk waking Nora. She sat there for over an hour. The front door swung open. Ren stood there, looking at Penny and a still naked Nora in confusion. "It's a long story." Penny whispered.

Ren nodded. "I'll make us some dinner."