Chapter 2

Kim woke up quickly, but realized she wasn't where she had fallen. Her GJ training kicked in, and she kept her eyes closed as she surveyed her surroundings with her other senses.

She was in bed, lying on her back, but wasn't restrained. A beeping machine was to her right, and an antiseptic smell was very strong. She heard the breathing of someone to her left, and a crinkle of paper as they turned a page in a book or magazine.

Hospital, she quickly decided, and opened her eyes. Her mom was sitting and reading an old paperback book.

"Mom?" she said.

"Kimmie?" responded her mother, dropping the book, "How do you feel?"

Kim considered the question. "Hungry."

"Well, to anticipate your questions, you're in Go City General, and you've been unconscious for about twelve hours," said her mom. "It's seven A.M.."

"Okay... so what happened?" asked Kim.

"We were hoping you could tell us. We got your panic signal, and followed it to where you were. We found you lying there, out cold, but no injury or signs of attack," replied Anne.

"No, I wasn't attacked," answered Kim, and proceeded to tell her mother what had happened.

"Well, that gives me a better idea of what to look for," Said her mom. She hit the nurse call button, and a minute later an older woman with granny glasses and gray hair showed up.

"I want to do some testing on my daughter; it seems she might be dosed with some kind of radiation," she said.

"Right away, Dr. Possible," answered the nurse, and hurried out.

"Mom, before that, can I eat something? I'm REALLY hungry," said Kim, and her stomach growled to emphasize the point.

"Sorry, dear, I need to get this done, and be sure you're okay," answered Anne.

A few minutes later a wheelchair arrived and took a grumbling (both audibly and gastronomically) Kim to the testing room.

An hour later she was pronounced radiation free, and checked out. Her father and brothers were very happy to see her, and they had packed the car, no longer in a mood for camping.

At Kim's insistence, they stopped at an International House of Waffles, where the rest of the Possible clan watched in wonder as Kim pounded down all kinds of breakfast foods.

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All the way back to Middleton Kim insisted on stopping about every two hours for something to eat. And she ate nearly as much as she had that morning.

Watching her from the condiment table where the Drs. Possible were fixing their coffee, Anne said, "Well, it's obvious SOMETHING's going on. That rock did affect her appetite, if nothing else. She may not like it, but there's going to be more testing in her future."

James nodded. "I've seen her eat like that before, usually after a mission, but never more than once or twice."

kpkpkp

Back home Kim immediately unpacked and went to see Ron. She filled him in on the white rock and her increased appetite.

"You know what this means, don't you?" asked Ron, adjusting his sprained ankle on the stool where it rested.

"No, what?" she asked, puzzled.

"I've finally got real competition in naco eating!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah!" added Rufus.

Kim rolled her eyes. Trust Ron to come up with a tangent like that.

They spent a couple of hours cuddling, then Kim announced she was hungry again. Ron wanted to cook for her, but she absolutely refused to hear of it. He had to heal first. Cooking could wait. Reluctantly he agreed.

She gave him a hug and kiss goodbye, then patted Rufus and told the Stoppables she'd see them later.

Walking toward the street from the house, she was distracted, thinking of Ron, and how much she loved him. Suddenly she stopped walking. Puzzled as to why, she drew her head back out of the clouds to see she was in front of her own home.

THAT was weird... normally it was a five minute walk. Had she been that distracted? She shrugged and went inside to raid the fridge.

kpkpkp

At Middleton Hospital the next morning, the first anomaly showed up while doing the fundamentals. "Kim, you've put on five pounds," said her mom.

Kim looked down at herself. "Really? I don't know where it is... I don't look any different."

"No, you don't. But we'll keep it in mind. It might be a side effect of whatever that rock might have done to you," said her mom. Then she smirked. "Maybe it was added to your bubble butt."

"MOM!!" shouted an outraged Kim.

An enquiry at the desk showed the test results from Go City General had arrived, and Anne combined them with Kim's file.

Alone in Anne's office, she got a bit more personal with her questions. Yes, Kim's BMs and urinating were normal, except there seemed to be less material. But she wasn't feeling bloated or uncomfortable.

There seemed nothing else to do, except keep a watch for further developments, so Kim was released.

kpkpkp

A week later Kim and Ron were in their usual booth at the restored Bueno Nacho. The Mystical Monkey Power had healed Ron's ankle quickly, and he no longer felt sore putting weight on it.

Ron was watching wide-eyed as Kim scarfed down a large meal. Even Rufus was impressed.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked his girlfriend, "I've never seen you pound down so much food here before."

"I dunno," said Kim around a mouthful of naco, "I just have a huge appetite right now."

"Don't let it go to your head," smiled Ron, "After all, I have a reputation to protect."

kpkpkp

A couple of days later Kim approached her mom, concerned with what she had discovered.

"Mom, I've gained twenty pounds, but all my clothes still fit. I have no idea where that extra weight is..." she said.

Let me look you over," said Anne. She put her hands on Kim's shoulders, then moved down her arms. Then stopped. "Kim, your muscles feel like iron. Have you been working out more often?"

"No, mom, no more so than usual," answered Kim.

Anne ran her hands down her daughter's back and legs. "You're really solid, all over, a lot more than you used to be." She stood up. "I have an idea, but it's no crazier than anything else you and Ronald have come across. Let's go to the hospital. I want to check a hunch."

kpkpkp

After a full-body X-ray, Anne showed Kim the results. "My hunch was right. Look, your bone and muscle density have increased to the point the X-ray can barely penetrate them on a normal setting."

"And this means...?" asked Kim, somewhat confused.

"That rock is affecting you physically, somehow. You're going through some changes, but it's too early to tell if it's good or bad," her mom replied.

"Well, what do I need to do?" asked Kim.

Anne shook her head. "All I can suggest is keep an eye out for anything unusual happening. If you start having trouble moving your joints, for instance."

"Okay, mom, I'll be sure to do that, and let you know right away," answered Kim.

kpkpkp

His ankle fully recovered, Ron and Kim went back to helping the Middleton clean up.

By this time the streets had been cleared of debris, but some of the buildings were still in danger of collapsing. Team Possible was gathering debris from the sidewalk, and putting it in large containers.

Kim heard a "CRACK!!" from nearby, and looked. A man was standing under a metal awning in front of the door to a badly damaged building. He had tripped and landed against a wooden support. The weight of debris on the awning caused the support to completely split, and the material on top would crush him.

Without a second's thought, Kim ran over, grabbed the guy, and pulled him out of the way. She felt a tug at her shirt as she did, but paid it no mind.

"You okay?" she asked, holding the man upright.

"Yeah, thanks a lot!" he replied.

"No big," she said with a smile, but Ron interrupted.

"Hold on, KP, this time it IS big!" he said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked, turning to her boyfriend.

"Look, we were over here," he said, and walked over to where they had been, "This is like twenty feet away." He pointed at the pile of junk. "The awning was two feet over his head, and yet you somehow crossed that distance and got him away before it landed on him."

Kim looked at Ron, then at the mess. He was right. Her eyes got big.

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?" he asked, almost shouting.

Kim looked at her hands. "I-- I have no idea..."