[color=Silver][CENTER][h1][b]Natalie Ellis[/b][/h1][/CENTER][/color]
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[center][h3]Six Days Ago:[/h3][/center]


Natalie had been released from the hospital after a few hours. Partly because despite the force of the blow she took, which numbered in the tons, Natalie had suffered no damage besides some minor burns and some bruising, for which she was wearing ointment and dressing. The other reason was, given Natalie's past, she hated hospitals. Even with nullifiers present, trying to so much as take a blood sample from Natalie was like trying to bath a cat except the cat would scream, bite you and claw you much, muss less than Natalie did to the doctors and nurses. They frustratedly gave up and told her to come back if there were any problems.

Outside, Natalie learned that she had a reputation as something close to a superhero. She was suddenly kind of popular. And sure enough, a gathering of the students she had saved from the table came to meet her. A lot of them hugged her, and shook hands with her, and took selfies, and it's as if they were all talking at once. Natalie couldn't make out any one thing any of them were saying. She presumed they were thanks and muttered a shy and humble [color=silver]"You're welcome"[/color] but still the overwhelming din continued. Looking back, the situation may not have been as much of a swarm as she remembered, but she did remember almost feeling claustraphobic surrounded by all these people, and their voices blending into one large sound.

[color=silver]"Guys. Can you speak one at a time?"[/color] She asked quietly, though it was lost in the mix. [color=silver]"Guys? Can you give me some space?"[/color]

The potted plant that was beside them smashed into the wall...at the far end of the room. The group immediately stopped talking, but it was too late. The one who was unlucky enough to be standing closest got hoisted up by his lapels with one hand.

[color=silver]"SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"[/color] Natalie snarled into his face, raising her fist. But the fear in his eyes, and the eyes of the crowd around her, prevented her from striking. Tears forming in her eyes, Natalie pushed her way past the crowd and ran off. None of them had the courage to follow.


[center][h3]Three Days Ago:[/h3][/center]


"So, you're telling me you [i]want[/i] a shock collar to be put back on you?" the student adviser asked. "But you've made such strides! If this incident you've told me about, you were able to calm down, by yourself, without the need to any shock collar. I can't understand why you'd wish such a thing on yourself."

Natalie was idly playing with a hole in the sleeve of her newly bought cardigan. A good deal of her allotted funds had gone into clothes, toiletries, books and her very own phone, none of which she had owned for a long time. She had yet to gather the courage to talk to her parents, though, which was the main reason she had bought a phone.

[color=silver]"I stopped myself that time, but what if I don't next time? I don't want to hurt people, but I can't be trusted. I'd feel a lot better if measures were taken to make sure the people around me are safe."[/color]

"Natalie, you're an incredibly sweet and kind person, and honestly, I don't think those kids who called you a Hero were too far off the mark. You have issues but even in those areas you're making progress already. I admit I haven't read your file, and I don't know what happened in your life before you came here, but I know who you are now, and you're not somebody who needs to wear a shock collar."

[color=silver]"...I think you're wrong,"[/color] Natalie replied simply.

"Tell you what? How about we set up with some therapy sessions, nullifier present of course, and then we'll monitor your progress and see how you feel after that. Deal?"


[center][h3]Today:[/h3][/center]


Natalie was sitting on a bench overlooking the river that ran through the 'town', idly reading a book. Since that incident six days ago, though she was still thought of as something of a hero, she had also developed a reputation as being crazy, scary, dangerous or all three, and there was no argument she would make to the contrary. Due to this, she had few friends. Amelia was the only person who really talked to her. Lynn was still in the hospital and she hadn't seen anything of Archie since the first day. Not that she could blame him. if their situations were reversed, as they could have easily been, she'd be putting off seeing him too.