"We can send you a message once it's done if you'd want." The receptionist spoke with a little nod.

You'd been standing in front of the machine, watching the timer count down. 90 minutes had turned into 73, you felt yourself hesitate. This was "only a level 4", no doubt the receptionist had seen hundreds if not thousands of monstergirls being processed through these. It wasn't erasure after all.

"We'll hold on to her until you come to pick her up." The woman spoke softly.

You told yourself that multiple times, confirming the screen read "level 4" multiple times.

"Thanks." You nodded, then took a deep breath to force yourself to calm down. Scratching the back of your head, you glance at the receptionist. "Would you happen to have a training room I could reserve for tonight?"

"Room 002." She made a gesture with her hand. "I will need your ID for a second though." You hand it over and she passed it in front of a detector that beeped before handing it back. "Starting at 21:00, your dex device will be a functional key for the door. The room will be available for your use for 24 hours or until you give us a heads up that you're leaving."

"Thank you."

Turning to leave the medical centre, you consider what to do while you wait for Doctor Hale, your thoughts took you to Diane, and you... immediately realised what clothes she was currently wearing, while inside the sphere. You nervously chuckled, yeah, definitely did not want her wearing that when you took her to meet the good doctor.

You rushed back to her place, using the keys she'd given you to step inside.

You released Diane the moment you'd closed the door behind you.

The smile on her lips died out. "Huh?" She seemed confused as she looked around, realizing she was released right where she'd been recalled. "Master?"

"I did what I had to do, and I'm going to take you to see Doctor Hale in a bit but definitely not looking like that." You explained, she was still wearing the suit from last night.

Diane looked at herself, then giggled. "Silly Master." She spoke as she softly went down to her knees, eyes twinkling as she looked up at you with a wide smile. "Doctor Hale helped me pick this piece, but if Master thinks I should look more formal, then it shall be so." Her hands caressed your thigh. "Thank you, Master, for indulging my wish to spend some time inside the capture sphere. I liked thinking I was right there, on your hip, at your mercy..."

She was starting to get a reaction out of you, you hesitated.

"May this monstergirl show her Master her appreciation?" She almost purred.

You sighed. "I'm a bit spent, would you mind if we just... sat down and relaxed while we wait for a bit?"

That certainly caught her by surprise, but she nodded, changing gears after the second nod, her hands moving from your thighs up to your shoulders. "Maybe a massage?"

"Just sit down and enjoy calmness?" You offered. "I'm trying to chew through... things."

She nodded, leading you towards the common room. "Anything to drink? Water maybe, Master?"

A sigh, you reached out for her, pulling the monstergirl onto your lap. She looked at you as you leaned against the chair, closing your eyes. It took her a minute, but she relaxed into you. Her hands began to feel warm against your chest, you recognised the aura of calm, and how it was seeping into you, urging you to relax.

"Oh, didn't know you'd bring a guest." A voice interrupted your thoughts, you felt slightly startled.

You felt your whole body tense in uncertainty, even a slight panic at not having realized there was someone there.

Diane didn't even hesitate, looking very pleased in fact. "Not a guest." She said, trapped over your chest and hugging you close. "Master."

"Congrats." The girl spoke nonchalantly, still drying her hair. "Guess I'll be moving to the good bedroom now."

"I'm Rick." You manage to the stranger as an introduction.

"Rita." She replied, giving you a very long once over as her lips curled only slightly upwards. "Well, hope I'll see you around."

"Not going to go out and find some fun?" Diane asked, her hands spreading a soft warmth into your chest as she glanced at her housemate.

"Can't, got a second shift coming up in... twenty." Rita sighed, rubbing the towel on her head as she was reminded of more mundane things.

"Shame." Diane pouted, watching the young woman leave.

"I'm tired, Diane, not really in the mood." You looked at her with a frown.

"And sex isn't necessary to have fun or form a bond." She replied in what, to your surprise, was a chiding tone. "It is always courteous to try and help fellow monstergirls to bond to your Master. If nothing else, to reduce their concerns of going feral."

You glanced at her, feeling slightly exasperated but not much able to say anything over her logic.

Humans were a necessary resource.

You'd claim you didn't know what you were getting into, but even though you were half-certain, this still caught you slightly by surprise. Still, you had to sigh a little.

"Something wrong, Master?"

"Nothing, it's just..." You grimace. "It's clear I'm still getting used to this... I'll work on it, but for now I'd prefer our intimacy to be kept, well, intimate."

The nurse looked startled for a moment, concern, and then angry. Quickly, her hands stopped glowing, she shifted to hug you. Tightly.

"Diane?"

"I'm sorry, Master." She said.

You pause, completely not having expected this. "Sorry for what?"

"I didn't take Master's feelings into consideration, I assumed Master would enjoy the things I did in the same way." Her hug squeezed a little more. "Master does not need to 'work on it', if Master likes to have some alone time, or some quiet cuddling, then I will love it too. And if Master likes it in any other way, I will learn to love it too." She looked up at you with shimmering eyes. "Master, please, never force yourself to do something you're uncomfortable with for my sake; whatever it is that you desire, I will enjoy it as long as Master does so too."

Under normal circumstances, you would've probably felt deeply touched by her words, but right now it made you squirm a little with an awkward sensation because you had little doubt she meant every word in her own way. The way she looked up at you with glimmering puppy eyes made you feel strange, the earnest desire to please you, the honesty...

"Diane..." You caressed the girl's hair. Yes, she was barely twenty, just a little over half your age, as capable as she was, there was a wide gap between the two of you in terms of experience. At least when it came to things such as relationships.

Leaning down, you kissed her, reassuring those emotions within her, all too aware of their existence and of her vulnerability to you. "Don't think of this as your failure, I need to try things outside my comfort zone. Think of it as my prerogative for myself, that I must try new things or end up stagnating." You told her. "I want to do things that you like, even if I'm not used to them, I want to see what of those new things for me I like doing and which I don't. And above all, to learn which ones I must be able to do regardless of my preferences." Gently, you lean down to kiss her again. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master." She melted against your chest, laying her cheek against you. "Master is wise." She muttered.

"I'm just only a decade older than you, it comes with the years." You chuckled wearily. "Like the lower libido."

"Master's libido is definitely not low." Diane giggled, a finger twirling against your shirt.

"That's more to do with you and less to do with me."

"We could test it?"

"We're on a schedule."

A pout was her response, one that stretched itself into a thoughtful expression. "Master, if I may?" She paused, looking back up at you.

Her silence clued you in that she was waiting for you to let her speak up or not. "Yes?"

"I'd rather... smell of you." She blushed slightly.

"Then hug tighter." You said, but her eyes were looking longingly at your shirt. You instinctively covered your chest with your hands. "This is my only shirt and I know how girls and shirts work, that's universal law I'm sure."

"Universal law?"

"A guy who gives his shirt or hoodie to a girl has officially lost it." You replied. "And I'd rather not go around shirtless."

Diane giggled, then laughed, then kissed your chest and hugged you again. "I agree, I wouldn't want to have to beat off monstergirls with a stick to stop them from jumping my sexy mature Master's bones."

"I'm not that sexy, hot stuff."

"Oh, you definitely are, Master." She cooed. "Just one look from Rita and... I'm sure she could've been convinced to join a little fun."

"Stop it, you, schedule." You sighed. "Better get going soon."

She pouted.

"Now go get changed into something more presentable." You told her, patting her head.

A bigger pout, but she nodded. "I will be right back, then."

The monstergirl hopped on to her feet, running off.

Ten minutes later, she was back, wearing the dress she'd used at the start of the date last night. You took her hand and walked back outside.

"Since Master is going to be here for a couple of days, I guess I could help Rita empty my room." She smiled coyly. "Only if Master wishes to have some fun with Rita of course."

You don't sigh, instead you giving her an inquisitive look. "What do you know about her?"

"That she works at the warehouses, helping unload and load cargo and then helping distribute it around town to the various merchants and what-have-you." She replied with a shrug. "She's made a couple of deliveries to the centre, she's definitely stronger than me."

"You're strong?" You ask half-mockingly, already vaguely aware she indeed was stronger than she looked.

"Would Master like me to show?" She asked coyly, looking around and finding a bench. "Here." She stood on the bench. "Now, Master, stretch your arms upwards."

Curious, you do as she asks, wondering what this was about. She grasped your wrists and... pulled you upwards cleanly off the ground. It took her some visible effort, but not only does she manage it but the movement catches you by surprise and you almost stumble to the ground. Your eyes blink in shock as you abruptly see this submissive-loving girl under a new light. She would've could've been bending you over had she wanted to, you surely weighted at half-over what she did if not twice, and it hadn't taken her that much effort.

"See?" She declared with a wide grin, making a power pose for you, its effect completely lost on her soft body. "I'm strong. I've had my fair share of rowdy patients. Also, it's mandatory for nursing staff to take self-defence courses."

"Yes... yes you are." You pat her back, helping her down from the bench and moving on to the medical centre.

You made the note to keep reminding yourself that monstergirls could very likely be many times stronger than they looked. "Ah, sir, the cycle is done." The receptionist greeted you as you entered, pulling out one of the spheres and handing it to you. "Also, Doctor Hale should be in the break-room right now if you wish to talk to her."

"Thanks." You nod.

Your eyes linger on the device for a long second and you feel yourself sigh inside. That would come soon, first...

With Diane at your side, you walk along the corridor and following through towards the kibble dispenser from the first day.

"So kind, my Master is." Diane commented out of the blue.

"What?"

"Just how you talk to others." She replied, leaning against your shoulder. "I will definitely have to get that stick before they start jumping you."

"Hush." You stop her teasing as you approached the break-room, you realise Diane had been guiding your steps even though she'd been next to you, you'd never been to this part of the hospital before.

You find Doctor Hale, slumped on a chair, eyes closed, head hanging back against the wall, and a heavy smell of disinfectant hanging in the air. "Five more minutes." She muttered as soon as you got close.

"Think you can give her a pick-me-up?" You whisper at Diane.

"I just picked you up, Master." She snickered, to which you rolled your eyes.

"I can hear you." Doctor Hale muttered. "It's not funny."

"And is a clean-up in roof four funny?" Diane asked innocently.

Hale let out a fast exhale that nearly turned into a snort, nearly. "You're a rancid chewed up piece of bubblegum." She opened her eyes to look at the monstergirl directly.

"The room is always brighter after you leave." Diane replied with a smirk.

"I know worms with more backbone than you."

"The prescription for people who have to work with you is alcohol."

"Bitch."

"Granny."

"I'm fired."

"You quit."

Both of them immediately broke down into a fit of laughter. You wisely let them have their moment and stepped back as the two women approached one another.

"Kiss?" Diane asked. "For old time's sake?"

You had to blink in a little surprise, holding back the question and just letting them talk to each other uninterrupted.

"Bah." Hale rolled her eyes, waving off the nurse. "I'd say good luck, but knowing you it's your tamer who I should be telling it to."

"I'll miss you too, ma'am." Diane hugged her tightly despite not getting the kiss. "Not the smell though."

"Shut it, you lost the right to complain about it now that you're leaving." She hugged her back, and they kept it for several long seconds before the doctor pushed her away. "There, off with you before I need to clean snot off of my clothes."

With a nod, Diane walked towards you, leaving a kiss on your jaw before she touched her capture sphere and vanished into a beam of red light. You saw a faint tear run down her cheek before she vanished. "She's officially yours now." Doctor Hale took a long breath and sighed, calming down.

"I won't be leaving for at least one more night, maybe two more."

"But not as my patient though." She made a vague gesture in your direction. "You've been discharged, you're a tamer now."

"Would you like my number? You know, at least..."

"No, not really. Don't." She shook her head. "It's better to say goodbye and carry on, trust me, too many sad endings. I can find how to contact you if I need it. My neighbour has your number." There was a grim tone to that chuckle.

You nod, understanding her perspective. Still, as much as you felt the need to leave, you felt another question bubbling up within you. "How... are they?"

"No one's going to die, but some might take longer to recover." She shrugged. "That's all I can tell you though."

"I see." You nod, relieved. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, it's my job." She waves you off. "See you around."

A nod, you turn to leave, making your way around the hospital, erm, medical centre. You considered stopping at the taming room, and Monica, but you were hours away from being able to enter the room as per the registration, and you had lunch planned out. So moving outside, you released Diane out, watching her dry a tear as she glanced at the building.

"It's not going to be the same, coming here as a patient." She muttered, grasping your hand a little tightly.

"Let's make sure that we only come here as a client and not a patient." You replied, pulling her closer, she leaned against you, her eyes clearly working through some things. "Just make sure to talk to me if you have anything you'd want to bring up."

"Could Master fuck me here?" She asked, her words didn't carry actual weight, a little laugh leaving her.

"Nah, I've got lunch planned out already."

"Boo." She giggled softly.

You glanced at her. "So you and Doctor Hale..."

"It didn't work out." She shrugged. "She's a friend, but... I need a Master."

The look she gave you felt meaningful, the smile wide and cheery.