Part 1
Elena and Sophie sat in the small waiting room of the clinic. They had been there for nearly an hour, waiting for their names to be called. Across the room, a young man fidgeted with his phone, and an older woman flipped through an outdated magazine.
Elena huffed, crossing her arms. "I can't believe we're even here. I'm telling you, this whole 'shrink virus' thing is such crap!"
Sophie shot her a glare. "Crap? Tell that to the Andersons down the street. Last I heard, there son Harry was the size of a mouse!"
"Really... That's a shame, I thought he was cute... Anyway, that’s one person. Out of how many millions?" Elena scoffed. "It’s not like it's gonna happen to us."
"You're always so dismissive," Sophie snapped. "This virus is serious. 1% might not sound like a lot, but that’s one in a hundred people. You can't just ignore it."
"I'm not ignoring it," Elena said, rolling her eyes. "I just think there's no point in freaking out."
"I’m not freaking out," Sophie shot back. "I just don't want to wined up living in a dollhouse! Seriously Elena, you need to be realistic"
Elena's eyes narrowed. "Oh, so now I'm the unrealistic one? Just because I don’t freak out about everything?" A smirk spread across her face, "You know, if you do shrink, I could post videos of you doing embarrassing crap, like rubbing my feet! HA!."
Sophie’s eyes flashed. "Oh, really? If you shrunk, I’d keep you in a shoebox under my bed. Maybe put you in a jar when you're being especially annoying."
Elena's face reddened. "You think that's funny? If you shrunk, I'd tie you to the top of the ceiling fan and let you spin around until you were too dizzy to talk."
Sophie leaned in, her voice low and dangerous. "If you shrunk, I'd make you sleep in a gym sock, like a sleeping bag!"
Elena sneered. "well, If you shrunk, I'll put you in a dollhouse and lock the door. You'd be a lot quieter that way."
Their argument grew louder, drawing the attention of the other people in the waiting room.
The young man glanced up from his phone, and the older woman paused mid-page turn, eyebrows raised.
Sophie stood up, her fists clenched. "You are such a jerk!"
Elena stood up too, face inches from Sophie’s. "And you’re bitch!"
Sophie was about to grab her big sister, when a nurse stepped into the room with a clipboard. "Elena and Sophie Miller?" she called.
The sisters stood in silence for a second before following the nurse down the hallway. As they walked, their argument continued in hushed tones.
"I swear, you drive me crazy!" Elena whispered harshly.
"Right back at you, bitch!" Sophie replied, equally intense.
They exchanged one last glance, each stubbornly refusing to show fear, before stepping through the door and sitting near the doctors desk.
Doctor Taylor handed Sophie her results with a nonchalance that bordered on rude.
Elena held out her hand to receive hers but the Doctor sighed and stared her in the eyes.
"There's no easy way to say this Miss Miller, unfortunately you have tested positive for the shrink virus and the S-Gene is present in your genetics..."
A silence fell over the room before Elena asked, "Wh... What does that mean?"
Sophie spluttered a laugh, "You're going to shrink!"
"No... That's not what you're saying, is it Dr Taylor...?"
The Doctor face curled into a pitying smile. "Elena, I understand this is a lot to take in. We have support resources available and ways to help you adapt to your new size. It's important to have a good support system during this time."
"You've got to be kidding me!" she muttered, her voice shaky.
Sophie, standing beside her, couldn't hide her joy. "Don't worry Doc, I'll make look after her... Do you provide hamster cages or do I have to buy my own!?" she laughed.
Elena shot her a furious look. "This isn’t funny, Sophie."
Sophie shrugged, her grin widening. "Not funny... My obnoxious, bossy big sister is going to be teeny tiny! Elena, this is hilarious!"
"Shut up, Sophie," Elena snapped. "This is serious."
"Yeah, for you," Sophie said, barely containing her laughter. "For me, it’s just... well, it’s a bit of poetic justice."
The doctor cleared her throat, trying to maintain control of the situation. "It's important to stay positive, miss Miller. You have a strong family network around you for a support..." Dr Taylor had known the Millers for many years and had seen how the shrink virus was capable of pulling families together, "Plus, there are people working on a cure day and night and I'm confident that this virus will eventually become a distant memory"
Elena glared at Sophie. "Support system? With her around? She'll probably try to put me in a hamster cage."
Sophie snorted. "Or a jar!"
The doctor sighed, clearly sensing the sibling rivalry was escalating. "I think it’s best if we focus on the practical steps for now. Elena, we’ll schedule a follow-up appointment to monitor your progress and discuss what adjustments will need to be made as you shrink."
Elena nodded stiffly, still reeling from the news. "Fine."
Sophie couldn't resist one last dig. "Hey, maybe we can swing by the toy store on the way home and grab you some new outfits!."
Elena's eyes blazed with anger. "You just wait, Sophie. You’ll regret this."
Dr Taylor intervened gently. “Sophie, I understand this is a difficult situation for everyone, but it’s important to be supportive. Your sister will need your help.”
Sophie shrugged nonchalantly. “Sure, I’ll help. I just think it’s kind of funny that Miss Perfect is going to be so tiny.”
As they left the clinic, the tension between them was palpable. Elena walked ahead, her mind racing with fears and frustrations, while Sophie followed behind her, hurriedly texting her friends.
OMG, you guys won’t believe this!!
Elena has the shrinking virus! She’s gonna be like 4 inches tall!
Miss Perfect is going to be pocket-sized. How hilarious is that?!
