Frankie rolled out of bed and didn't expect their leg to seize up and ended up grunting as they fell on the floor.
"Ow." they groaned, rubbing out the soreness before using their bed to stand up.
"Frankie?" Clawdeen asked, rolling over to stare at them through blurry vision, "What's wrong?"
"My leg just seized up a bit." Frankie explained, "I'm okay."
"Okay." Clawdeen mumbled, rolling back over.
Draculaura's alarm had yet to go off so they couldn't really blame her. Frankie shuffled over to their Dresser, grabbing their clothes and toiletry bag and headed to the washroom.
The soreness didn't subside. They took a large step and found themselves stumbling into the wall. Weird.
Opting to take smaller steps, they made it to the bathroom and got changed then went about fixing their hair. As they were applying mascara, Clawdeen stumbled into the bathroom.
"Good morning, Clawdeen." Frankie greeted.
Clawdeen mumbled something akin to a good morning but they weren't too sure. The werewolf was clearly not a morning person when they weren't worried about being expelled.
"Hey!" Ghoulia said, bursting out from a stall behind Frankie.
They jumped with a yelp, then a groan and a thump as their wrist detached, along with their right foot, sending them sprawling backwards.
"Really?" Frankie whispered out loud incredulously, "Hi, Ghoulia." They greeted the zombie.
Clawdeen ran out from the change room, fully dressed to see Frankie on the floor, hand in the sink and foot under the counter.
"Loose joints." Frankie said to Ghoulia sheepishly.
"Are you okay?" Clawdeen asked, giving Frankie their hand.
Ghoulia nudged over their foot. Frankie flinched a bit, reattaching it as Cleo walked in. It felt like pins and needles.
"Yeah, I just didn't know anyone else was in here." Frankie said as their friends helped them up.
"Is everything Okay?" Cleo asked.
"I spooked them a bit." Ghoulia said sheepishly.
"Clearly." Cleo said, "You smudged a little."
Frankie looked into the mirror to see they streaked mascara all the way across their face, "Sparks. Or a lot."
"Sorry." Ghoulia said.
"It's okay." Frankie said, "It happens."
They returned to the counter, grabbing a makeup wipe and scrubbing off the mascara before they started over on that eye.
Partway through their eyeshadow, their fingers ringer locked up, one of them falling right off. Frustrated, they threw the brush down and grabbed their finger, popping it into place.
"What is wrong with me, today!?" Frankie exclaimed, loudly. It felt like their body wasn't working at all.
Cleo looked over to them, "Frankie-"
"I'm fine!" Frankie interrupted, then frowned, burying their head in their palms and groaning in frustration.
. "Ok, first off, don't yell at me." Cleo said with a short glare.
Frankie stood and crossed their arms, staring at the floor, "I'm sorry."
"Better." Cleo said, "Now, I was going to ask you if you wanted some help."
Frankie looked at Cleo, "You'd do that?"
"Of course." Cleo said, "I'm always happy to help a monster in need!"
That wasn't really the impression Frankie got from the mummy. "Since when?"
"Hurtful," Cleo frowned, "But fair."
Frankie thought for a moment before giving Cleo a small smile then hopping up on the counter, "I'd really appreciate it. Just don't make me look stupid."
Cleo laughed, "Honestly, last week I might have." She picked up the eyeshadow and Frankie closed their eyes, "Now, I think I was too harsh to judge you. You repeat that, I will deny it."
Frankie laughed, "My lips are stitched."
Frankie heard some cluttering and Cleo moved on to their other eye.
"So, where did your eyes come from?" Cleo asked.
"Well," Frankie said, "I'm not entirely sure. There is this condition called tetrachromacy where a person can perceive more colors due to an extra cone cell in their eyes. Only 12% of women have it. That's my blue eye. The other is my dad's. He got a new one when he made me."
"Well, I'm all for recycling." Cleo stated.
Frankie opened their eyes as Cleo opened a bottle of lip gloss and applied it to Frankie's lips.
"There." Cleo said.
Frankie got off the counter and turned to see their reflection. Cleo did a good job, using two different eyeshadows like they would have themselves. By their left eye, Cleo drew a little wing but added two lines to make it look like stitches.
"This is perfect." Frankie said, "Thank you, Cleo."
Cleo gave a satisfied smirk, "I'm an artist."
Frankie smiled then gathered their things before going to walk out of the bathroom. They took too big of a step and the muscles in their legs constricted painfully. Causing them to lean into the door frame.
"Frankie?" Cleo questioned.
"I'm okay." Frankie said, "Just stiff today."
They took much smaller steps as they moved stiffly down the hallway and into their dorm.
"There you are." Draculaura groaned, "It took you long enough."
"Sorry." Frankie said, placing their things on the dresser and carefully shouldered their bag, "Ready?"
The girls nodded and they left the room. Frankie slowly walked behind them.
"Frankie?" Clawdeen asked. "Why are you walking so slowly?"
"I'm really stiff." Frankie admitted, "It hurts, for some reason. I'm not sure why."
Clawdeen and Draculaura frowned and slowed to Frankie's pace.
"I'm sure it will work itself out." Frankie tried to assure their friends as much as themselves.
They grabbed a plate and grabbed their breakfast, slowly shuffling to their usual table where everyone else was already seated.
"Wow, Frankie." Heath said, "You're walking like a zombie."
"Heath." Cleo scolded, "Don't be rude. They've had a…frustrating morning."
"Sorry." Heath said in apology.
The guys and ghouls chatted over breakfast. Frankie realized they hadn't felt this off since they first came to life.
After breakfast, they all went to their perspective classes. Frankie just felt worse as the day went on. They were getting used to it but they moved stiffly and it was becoming frustrating. After lunch, they usually had gym with their group but they really didn't think it was a good idea. As the group kept to Frankie's pace, which was getting seemingly slower, Frankie stopped walking.
"You guys go on ahead." Frankie said, "Clawdeen, Draculaura? Can I have a minute?"
Their roommates nodded while the others moved on ahead. They ducked into an alcove where they wouldn't be holding up the student traffic.
"I can't go to gym." Frankie said, gesturing wildly, hand flying off. Luckily Clawdeen's werewolf reflexes caught it "I'm literally falling apart. I thought it would get better but I feel worse. It feels like it did when I first came to life. I'm scared that…" Frankie trailed off tears in their eyes.
"You're afraid that you're shutting down?" Draculaura asked.
Frankie nodded, "I don't know what to do."
"I'll go fly and tell the coach you aren't able to come to class." Draculaura stated, "You two head to the nurse's office. It's near the science labs. I'll meet you there."
Draculaura didn't wait for a response as she went batty and flew off.
Clawdeen wrapped a protective arm around Frankie and led them down the way they came. The crowds have thinned out greatly so they were able to move unobstructed. They made it to the nurses office and Frankie sat down on one of the beds as Draculaura appeared next to them.
"Ok, coach Igor is not a logical thinker." Draculaura said, "He blew his whistle in my face like ten times, trying to make me run laps."
"Thanks Draculaura." Frankie said.
The nurse approached them after a few moments, "Who's the patient?"
"My name's Frankie Stein." They said, "Pronouns they/them"
"You two can wait in the hall." She gruffly told the,
"Wait!" Frankie said, "Can't they stay?"
The nurse pointed to a specific spot on the floor and eyed the other two monsters, "Stand there." They did as they were told and the nurse shut the curtain, "Don't move from that spot. I don't like monsters in my way."
Draculaura and Clawdeen nodded frantically.
"What seems to be the problem?" the nurse asked.
"I'm stiff. Everything is sore when I move and it feels like my muscular system is contracting." Frankie explained, "My limbs are detaching more frequently. I mean, I already have loose joints but it doesn't usually hurt."
"Lift your shirt please, Let's see your stitches."
Frankie obeyed the nurse's orders, lifting their shirt. Frankie looked down to see the stitches on their torso pulling uncomfortably tight.
The nurse prodded Frankie and they flinched at the pins and needles the touch left behind.
"Hmm." She said, "It looks like rigor mortis flare up. Your parents have it too."
"Am I dying…well, again." Frankie asked.
"No." The nurse said, sounding bored, "It's a perfectly normal side effect for some undead monsters. It's just worse for franken beasts due to your accumulation of parts. It will pass.'' The nurse grabbed a piece of paper as Frankie tucked their shirt back in and fixed their sweater vest. The nurse handed them an excuse note, "Just come to me for a note whenever it flares up."
"How long do they usually last?" Clawdeen asked.
"It really depends." She answered, "I would call your parents. They will know more."
Frankie thanked the nurse and shuffled out with their friends, pulling out their phone.
"You're going to call them now?" Draculaura questioned.
"Why not?" They asked, "If they can help, I would like to know sooner rather than later."
Clawdeen and Draculaura nodded and Frankie sat on a stone bench and dialed their parent number, putting it on speaker so their friends could hear.
"Hello?" a woman's voice came.
"Hi mom, it's Frankie." Frankie greeted, "What can you tell me about a rigor mortis flare up? How long do they usually last?"
"Oh I knew we forgot something." Mrs. Stein said, cursing herself, "Your father and I had flare ups a lot more at first. Popping stitches every which way. Very painful."
"It is." Frankie confirmed.
"You are the first franken monster to be made with so many parts of varying lifespans. I can't say how long it will last." Mrs. Stein, "But it happens less the longer you're alive. We found that heat can help with pulling stitches. Electric shocks can ease the pain "
"Oh thank goodness." Frankie said with a sigh.
"Thanks Mrs. Stein!" Clawdeen called.
"Is that a friend of yours Frankie?" She asked.
Frankie nodded enthusiastically despite knowing that the woman couldn't see them, "Yep. That's Clawdeen. She's a werewolf. Draculaura's here too."
"Hi." Draculaura greeted.
"We have to go, bye." Frankie said, cutting their mother off of what she was going to say as they hung up, "That's a relief."
Frankie stood slowly and started walking ever so slowly.
"You know what?" Draculaura said, "Why don't you go to the dorm? We can deliver the note."
Frankie frowned, "I missed half the day yesterday. I'll fall behind."
"You won't fall behind with gym." Clawdeen assured, "Why don't you start heading to your creepenomics class and wait on a bench for class to start."
Frankie smiled, "That's a great idea Clawdeen! I'll see you later!"
The girls waved as they began walking back to class now they knew their friend was going to be okay.
They slowly but surely made their way to their next class. They were glad to not be rushing, going at a leisurely pace. They found themselves out of breath by the time they sat on the bench across from their classroom.
It couldn't get much worse…they hoped.