Chapter 9

Day 3

3 Section 36 -- Second morning -- McNeils, Katie

"It is seven o'clock on Day 3," the AI intoned, "and time to get up."

The McNeils began to untangle themselves from the arms and legs of their newly-enlarged family. Patrick had sponsored Linda and Valerie Norris. Nicole had sponsored Marc and Ruth Stankov. Belle and Melody Stankov, nine and six years old, were abed in the upper level.

Patrick and Nicole had spent the night getting to know their new concubines -- intimately. The master bed had been enlarged for that purpose. All six had frolicked together, taking advantage of whatever body parts that came within reach. None of the six had yet had any augmentation. Patrick and Marc had still managed to spend at least some time inside each of the four women. The women had become very friendly with each other as well. Ruth's initial hesitation was overcome to her great pleasure. When they finally fell asleep, the group was most satisfied with the union.

Amanda McNeil had decided to remain a concubine of her mother and father. She wanted to slake a longstanding hunger for Ryan and Jennifer. She had opted to spend the night in the bed of her sponsor brother and her concubine sister-in-law. They had had quite a successful romp as well.

The crowd passed through the large bathroom for their morning ablutions. "AI," said Nicole, "what's on our schedule today?"

"Patrick should sponsor one additional concubine," the AI answered.

"Ryan needs one as well," added Patrick.

"Great emphasis is attached to the rapid establishment of complete family units," said the AI. "Family units will be relocated tomorrow. Complete family units will be consolidated with others in the same service. Further details will be supplied during orientation.

"The first priority for Patrick is to select another concubine. Nicole should schedule augmentation as soon as possible," said the AI. "You may schedule the concubines for modifications as well. Each of you should attend two one-hour orientation sessions. Patrick and Nicole must use the sleep trainer. The remainder of the day should be spent with your family."

"Would you invite Ryan and the girls to join us here for breakfast?" asked Nicole. "We can make plans in private."

"Acknowledged," replied the AI. "What would you like for breakfast?"

Over a sometimes raucous breakfast, the modifications for all of the concubines were thrashed out. The schedules for the three sponsors were set. Of the concubines, only Linda required substantial body modifications. It was decided that she would go with Ryan, Patrick and Nicole to the med bay where they would have that work done immediately.

Ruth made the point that Marc's modifications were important even though invisible. That set off a round of serious ribbing and a decision to include Marc and Ruth in the morning trip to the med bay. Valerie volunteered to keep Emily, Belle and Melody.

Amanda and Jennifer decided to prowl for two additional concubines. They borrowed Nicole's CAP card reader and coaxed her into telling the AI to help them if needed. At first, they thought to separate from Valerie and the children. Nicole pointed out that more children in the two families immediately would be good. Amanda and Jennifer agreed and decided to stick with Valerie and the three children.

"AI," said Valerie, "what activities might be available for girls this morning?"

"The children have only begun to explore the possibilities within the living unit," answered the AI. "A wide variety of facilities are available in the public areas. The facilities that might suit the youngest child, Emily, would be either the pool area or the playground area."

"Playground, playground!" chanted Belle and Melody. The three women agreed. After a flurry of activity, including getting the children dressed, the entire troupe set off on their missions.

The transporter nexus was quite close to the playground area. Belle was off like a shot, followed by Melody and Valerie. Emily toddled toward the sandbox where a little boy was playing under his mother's watchful eye. The mother sat at a fixed square 'picnic' table.

"Hello there. I'm Jennifer and this is my Emily. That's Amanda, my one-time sister-in-law and good friend."

"Hello. My name is Katie and that's my Alex. He's nineteen months old. How old is Emily?"

"Her second birthday was two months ago," answered Jennifer with a smile.

Alex and Emily were enjoying themselves in the sandbox as the women talked. The women settled into a routine exchange of information about themselves and their children. They laughed and joked and had a good time.

There was no sense in delicacy. Katie was fat. She showed herself to be witty and intelligent, but her body had kept men at bay. Katie revealed that she had seduced a man with the express purpose of getting pregnant to alleviate her loneliness.

"I was a virgin. The guy didn't even notice. It didn't take him very long to finish. He got up, got dressed and left. I didn't even get a 'thank you ma'am'. I propped my hips up with pillows and lay there for hours. But it worked."

"Oh my God, Katie!" cried Jennifer. "So you've only had sex once in your life?" Katie nodded sadly.

"We're trolling for two sister-concubines," said Amanda. "I see your green collar. We like you so far. Would you be interested?"

"You two are concubines," said Katie. "Your sponsor won't look twice at a fat cow like me. Nobody's going to offer sponsorship to me!" Tears began to run down her cheeks. "All the people I brought along with me have been sponsored. Thanks, but you can't help me."

Jennifer produced the CAP card reader. "Let me see your CAP card," she told Katie. After a brief scan of the card, she looked up at Katie in wonder. "How did you manage with a sex score this high?"

Katie blushed crimson all the way down to the tops of her ample breasts. "I had a big toy chest," she said, looking at her lap. "I had a couple of girlfriends that would give me a mercy fuck now and again. I have a great imagination and elaborate fantasies."

Jennifer alternated looking at Amanda and at the CAP card. "She's got great maternal scores. She's smart and intuitive. She's a team player. Her self-image is about zero. I think a trip through the med tubes will produce the best sister concubine we could hope to find."

Amanda waved Valerie over to join them. "Your sponsor won't even talk to me, much less send me to the med tubes. Look at me. I'm fat and ugly!"

"First of all," said Amanda as Valerie moved to join them, "we have two different sponsors. I'm with my mom and dad who are both sponsors. My dad needs one more concubine. Jennifer is with my brother, who was her husband. They need one more concubine. You're selling yourself short, Katie. This is my sister concubine, Valerie. Valerie, Katie got preggers on purpose the one and only time she got fucked."

"WOW!" exclaimed Valerie.

"But look at the CAP sub-scores," said Jennifer. "Katie thinks Ryan and Dad won't even look at her, much less sponsor her."

Valerie looked up from the CAP card reader. "These are excellent scores, Katie. You should be in our family or in Ryan's family." Turning to Jennifer and Amanda, she said, "Remember the exercise we did this morning at breakfast?" The girls nodded. Valerie turned to face Katie. "AI," she said as she held her hand about two feet above the tabletop, palm down, "please create a hologram of Katie this tall and weighing fifty pounds less."

Katie blanched, eyes like saucers, as the hologram appeared. "Still too much weight," said Valerie. "Please take off one pound per second until one of us says stop." Katie was speechless.

"Katie," said Amanda, "do you want to be skinny or average size?"

"They can do that?" she squeaked in wonder, heedless of Amanda's question.

"Sure thing!" exclaimed Valerie. "Didn't they tell you that at the orientation?"

"Yes," admitted Katie, "but I didn't believe them."

"Actually," Valerie cracked, "we lied to you. I'm really Amanda's grandmother." Amanda slapped Valerie's hand on the table top. "That was a joke," admitted Valerie, "but they really can do that, and more."

Jennifer said, "You should help by telling the AI to make you exactly how you want to be. You have to leave your face pretty much the same so little Alex will recognize you as his mother. You shouldn't mind that because you really are good looking. AI, stop taking off weight."

Tears ran freely down Katie's face but she smiled radiantly. "Take off more weight, please," she said. "Stop." Turning to Jennifer, she asked, "Is this the one and only chance to make these kind of changes?"

"No," said Jennifer. "For one thing, they put you right back into mint condition right after every baby is born. You can have your body changed as often as you can persuade your sponsor to order it done."

Katie giggled. "Then I want to be skinny for once in my life. I want tits instead of these udders. AI, take another ten pounds off. Take weight off the thighs. Yeah, like that, so you can see through when the knees are together. Reduce the breast size. More. Okay. Make the areolae smaller. Smaller. Move the areolae up. Good. Make the nipples bigger, longer. Perfect. Make my hair silky and shiny, a deep, rich brown. Make my hair six inches longer. Okay, that's what I want."

Valerie, Jennifer and Amanda cooed approval. Amanda said, "That sure is thin, Katie. If that's what you want, go for it. Don't forget body hair. You don't want to have to shave ever again. The guys like bald pussy, too." She stood and pointed at her bare cunt.

"Okay!" said Katie. "Might as well go for broke!" The pubic hair on the hologram disappeared. Other body hair had not been visible.

Amanda and Jennifer watched as Katie's expression went from wonder and delight back to terminal depression, as though the air had been let out of a balloon. "Your sponsors aren't going to do that for me!" she cried. "They'll take one look at me and decide to look somewhere else!"

"Katie!" answered Jennifer. "Dad will take you. Ryan will take you. I will share my bed with you. I know Amanda will too." Amanda nodded. "You're really nice and your CAP sub-scores are wonderful. Okay, watch. AI, are Mom, Dad or Ryan available? Can I send a message?"

"Ryan is awaiting the next available med tube," answered the AI.

"Okay, please tell him we've found his new concubine. Her name is Katie and she has a toddler boy. Send her CAP scores. Show him the hologram of the new and improved Katie. Show him Katie as she is right now." Turning to Katie, she said, "Let's see how he responds."

The answer came in less than a minute. "Ryan McNeil offers sponsorship to concubine Katie," the AI intoned.

"YES!!!" screamed Katie as all four girls erupted in cheers and laughter. The two startled toddlers began to cry. Belle and Melody raced over to see what was wrong.

"Okay, okay," said Jennifer, "let's get a grip. We're scaring the kids." Jennifer and Katie scooped up their little ones. Amanda reeled in Belle and Melody, calming them with a hug and soft words.

Valerie giggled. "Your collar just turned red, Katie." A surprised Katie tried to look, but the collar wouldn't stretch.

Ryan entered the living unit and found Jennifer and Katie in the living room. "Hello there," he said.

"Ryan, I'd like you to meet your concubine, Katie O'Connor," grinned Jennifer. Katie could not bring herself to look at Ryan, fearing his reaction.

Ryan knelt in front of Katie and gently pulled her chin up. When he had her eyes he said, "I'm pleased to meet you, Katie. I think that usually a man and woman meet before they agree on sponsorship. With your CAP scores and Jennifer's enthusiastic support, I have no doubt we will all be glad that you have joined our family." Still looking into Katie's eyes, he asked, "Where is Emily?"

"She's next door with Alex and Amanda," said Jennifer.

"Alex?"

"Katie's Alex is one," Jennifer explained.

"Wonderful," said Ryan. "Let's try out my augmentation," and, before she could protest, Ryan had scooped Katie up.

"NO!" cried Katie, "I'm too big and fat! You'll hurt yourself!"

Ryan turned his head to Jennifer, grinning like a kid in a candy store. "They added strength, but I didn't know I'd be this strong. I'll have to be careful." He began to walk toward the bedroom. "Come on, let's see if Katie is a screamer."

"Don't you want to wait until I'm thin and beautiful?" she whined.

"You're already beautiful," he smirked. "I need to make sure your sexual response isn't degraded by the med tube. Besides, when else in life will I have the chance to make love to a big girl? I may like pillowy softness. Are you sure you want to be skinny?"

"Yes!" she wailed, panic-stricken. "Don't make me stay fat!"

"Ryan!" scolded Jennifer from behind him. "That's not funny. Tell Katie you were joking!"

"I'm sorry," said Ryan, his eyes still twinkling, "I was kidding. How are you going to enjoy our first kiss when you're all tensed up?" By now, they were beside the bed. Ryan turned to face Jennifer but his eyes never left Katie's. Jennifer caressed Katie's neck with one hand and her butt with the other. Katie's gaze moved from Ryan to Jennifer and back again. Ryan kissed Katie, at first gently but with increasing passion. When Ryan broke the kiss, Jennifer moved in for her own kiss, every bit as passionate.

"Put Katie down," Jennifer whispered, "and let's get you undressed." Ryan laid Katie on the bed while Jennifer began to work on his shoes and socks. When they had finished undressing him, she breathed, "Ooh, that's a nice one, even bigger than you were before. You be gentle with Katie. Give her time to stretch."

Ryan and Jennifer crawled onto the bed, one on each side of Katie. "Welcome home, Katie," Jennifer whispered.

Tears ran freely from Katie's eyes. "I'm afraid," she whispered. "I'm afraid you'll change your mind and send me away."

Ryan's eyes twinkled and he grinned like a fool. "Don't even think about teasing my sister at a time like this," Jennifer growled softly.

"No, no," chuckled Ryan. "I just wondered whether Katie has ever been double-teamed."

"What's that?" asked Katie apprehensively.

Jennifer giggled as she stroked Katie's face and looked into her eyes. "That's when two or more people gang up on you sexually. Have you ever been to bed with more than one person?" Katie shook her head. Jennifer and Ryan winked at each other, kissed passionately and then started kissing and licking Katie's face and neck.

Their hands began wandering from Katie's shoulders to her navel. Each trip south went lower, first into the thatch, then along the outer lips and finally along her slit. Jennifer and Ryan alternated kissing Katie passionately. Katie hardly had time to recover before the next passionate kiss began. It became more difficult to supply enough oxygen to her body through her nose -- her mouth was always full of her lovers' tongues.

It got worse for Katie when her new lovers simultaneously attacked her nipples, rolling each of them with thumb and finger, pulling and pinching. Katie's already intense lust skyrocketed. She whined and moaned, thrashing about between her lovers.

"No more, no more!" Katie squeaked. "Fuck me now, please, please!"

"Cowgirl," was all Jennifer said to Ryan. He immediately turned and lay down beside Katie. Jennifer coaxed Katie upright and then guided her into position straddling Ryan's legs.

"Can I touch it?" Katie asked with obvious trepidation. "I've never even seen a man's privates, much less touched one."

"Poor Katie," said Jennifer. "You have a baby and you've never had any fun. Yes, grab hold of him. You won't hurt him unless you mean to."

Katie cautiously extended one hand and carefully wrapped it around Ryan's throbbing cock. "It feels hot! It feels hard and soft at the same time."

"Let's save some for a later time," cooed Jennifer. "Scoot forward, lift up, line him up with your entrance, and slowly sit down." Katie nervously obeyed. She held Ryan's eyes locked with her own. As she began to lower her body onto his shaft, her eyes went as round as saucers.

"Are you alright?" Ryan asked softly.

"You're so big!" Katie breathed.

"Go slowly," said Jennifer. "Let your body stretch to accommodate him. Take all the time you need. It might help if you lift up some and then go down again."

Katie's eyes shifted from Ryan to Jennifer and back again, her face full of wonder and lust. Katie finally felt her pubic bone press against Ryan's. She smiled beatifically.

"Now," whispered Ryan, "you set the rhythm, the speed and the force exactly as you want them. Change whenever you want. Stop whenever you want. This is all about you, Katie."

"I think he talks too much," giggled Jennifer. "Why don't you stuff a tit in his mouth to shut him up?" Katie also giggled but she leaned forward and used her hand to guide one of her ample tits to Ryan's mouth. He responded by sucking the nipple -- and then biting her -- not hard enough to hurt but harder than Katie expected.

"Eek!" squealed Katie.

"You be nice, Mister," Jennifer scolded him. "Here, let me show you how to suckle. She lay down beside Ryan and guided Katie's other breast to her mouth.

"I've never had both boobies sucked at the same time," Katie breathed. She started to raise and lower her body. She felt Ryan's cock moving in and out of her. "This has already lasted longer than my first time," she breathed. "You're so much bigger than he was."

As she picked up the pace and power of the thrusts it became more difficult to keep her tits available to her lovers. She finally sat up, placed her hands on Ryan's chest and really got serious. Ryan used his hands to cup her breasts, rolling the nipples between thumb and index finger to Katie's obvious pleasure.

Katie's sweating body was like Jell-o. Her tits flew about in time with her thrusts, but so did her entire abdomen, her back, her jowls and even her face. Each time her clit pounded into Ryan's pelvic bone, ripples ran along Katie's arms and thighs like water when a pebble is dropped into a pond. Katie did not care; she was having the time of her life.

Katie was a screamer, in spades. The volume rose as she approached her peak. When she crashed over the edge into a powerful orgasm, her entire body momentarily seized before she began to silently shudder and quake, her mouth in a silent rictus and her face squeezed tight.

When she recovered her senses, she looked down at her new lovers, her whole face a smile. "That was incredible!"

Jennifer moved around behind Katie and began caressing Katie's back and sides. "Katie, he hasn't cum yet," she whispered. "Keep going! Make him shoot those baby makers deep inside you!"

Katie groaned and shuddered. "I can't go any more! I have to build up my stamina." Gazing down at Ryan, she said, "I'll have you begging for mercy soon enough, lover." Turning to Jennifer, she said, "I want you to have some, too!"

"This is about you, Katie," laughed Jennifer. "Here, let me help you into a new position. Ryan can do the work." Jennifer coaxed Katie's leg over and off Ryan. Katie caught Jennifer unawares as she smoothly positioned herself in front of Jennifer, gently pushed her onto her back, and jammed her tongue into Jennifer's pussy, her own ass waving in the air. Jennifer squawked in surprise but Ryan did not miss a beat. He slammed his cock all the way into Katie from 'the rear' and began to thrust furiously.

Now Jennifer's voice replaced the muffled sound of Katie's pleasure. At first, Katie's efforts fell off with each powerful orgasm, but she recovered and resumed her attack with gusto. All three were amazed with Ryan's stamina. "Give it to me, Ryan!" Katie howled, "I can't take much more of this!"

At last, Katie felt great gouts blast inside her. She shrieked her joy and pleasure. Ryan slowed and then stopped his thrusting but remained inside her as he gently stroked up and down her back. Katie moved her hips forward, forcing Ryan's cock out of her, and she lay down beside Jennifer. Ryan cuddled up on Katie's other side.

"That was amazing!" trilled Katie.

"Welcome home," Jennifer and Ryan said in unison. All three giggled.

Katie came rocketing out of the med tube, shrieking like a banshee, laughing and crying her joy. She danced, she leapt and twirled. Her body had changed so much that she was ungainly. She reminded the med techs of the Scarecrow, who could not seem to get the hang of his legs but who rose exuberantly after every fall.

"I'M THIN!! I'M SKINNY!!" she shrieked, laughing, crying and utterly ebullient. When she spotted Ryan and Jennifer, she shot towards them, launching herself headlong into his arms, heedless of injury. Fortunately, his enhanced strength enabled him to catch her. No sooner was she safely in his arms than she was grasping for his face, kissing him everywhere at once.

"Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, Ryan, fuck me! Fuck me here! Fuck me now! Fuck me forever! Fuck me anywhere! Fuck me everywhere! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!"

Suddenly, she was bawling. Deep sobs wracked her body, shaking her. The sobs continued for a long time. She tried to curl up into a tiny ball. "It's over," she sobbed, "it's over! Please! Please! Don't ever send me back! I never want to be fat again! Please, please, please!"

As the sobbing subsided, she seemed to deflate. By the time she stopped crying, she was unconscious in his arms. With a shrug to the med techs and a loving kiss to his wife, Ryan carried her home.

3 Section 37 -- Godwin/Tonkovich

Martin strolled along with Diane and Beth, one on each arm. In this area, nearly all of the prospective concubines were man and woman pairs. Some had young adults nearby, apparently sons and daughters. There were plenty of younger children as well. Martin noticed that there were a lot more stewards in this area and that every steward was alert and vigilant.

Sarah and Sandy had opted to take the four children to the wading pool. Martin, Diane and Beth planned to find a couple to join their family. Each of them harbored concerns about their mission.

The three had not voiced their concerns aloud. The issue of Diane's great ego loomed large. All three -- even Diane -- wondered how they would find a man tough enough to stand up to Diane while at the same time mellow enough not to dominate any family members. If that were not enough, they worried that the mate of such a man would turn out to be a shrew or a nag.

They worked assiduously on their goal, interviewing a seemingly endless stream of couples. They fell into the habit of jointly interviewing the couple. Unhappily, in most cases some flaw or other was quickly revealed. Those few that passed the initial joint interview were split up. The woman was interviewed by Beth and Diane while the man was interviewed by Martin. It was planned that any couple who advanced from this phase would be interviewed by the other -- the man with Diane and Beth, the woman with Martin. None of the couples made it that far.

"Don't lower your standards," warned Martin as they moved along toward the next candidates. "This is tedious. Remember that you literally have to sleep with your choices."

As the three approached, a man and woman rose to greet them. The woman was a couple of inches taller than the man and doubtless outweighed him. While he seemed happy enough, she put a wan smile over a long-suffering expression on her seriously homely face. He was trim but quite bald. She was frumpy, rather fat, and was in serious need of clothes to cover her unattractive body.

When Beth and Diane shrugged, resigned to yet another unsuccessful interview, Martin began introductions. "I'm Martin Godwin. These are my concubines, Diane Godwin and Beth Roundtree. Beth's two adult daughters, with two children each, are also my concubines. We still need two couples to join our family. Yes, that means eight concubines plus children. Would you be interested?"

After obtaining a slight nod from the woman, the man said, "I'm Rob Tonkovich and this is my wife, Allison. Our twelve-year-old twin daughters and our ten-year-old son are over there. We would enjoy talking to you. Shall we all sit down over here?"

Almost from the very beginning, each of them felt a comfort level so elusive in other interviews. Rob turned out to be a home heating oil deliveryman. Allison was an accounts payable clerk at a manufacturing company. The interview quickly became a chat with new friends.

After obtaining nods from Martin and Beth, Diane took the lead. "We're impressed with you and we're beginning to believe you would be a good fit with us. Would it be alright if we split up? Rob and Martin can have a chat out of earshot of us three women."

After the men had relocated themselves, Beth started in. "Would you like to tell us what really goes on between you, or would you prefer to hear the dirt on us?"

Diane was shocked but Allison chuckled. "Oh, I think I have you pigeon holed already," said Allison, smiling. "Please don't take offense. We're very interested in you. I just like to call a spade a spade.

"I didn't miss your last names. I didn't miss that you have grandchildren, Beth. Diane, you have an excellent plastic surgeon. I don't think you ever had any stretch marks that needed covering. In my judgment, Beth is a squared away, no nonsense woman, while Martin has spent twenty years spoiling Diane shamelessly. I suspect that Diane has a terrible temper that concerns you all. I am surprised at how quickly you two have become good friends and allies. I think you both want this to work for your whole family. Have I missed the mark?"

Diane blushed and turned away. "You are blunt, that's for sure."

Beth said, "You are also very perceptive, Allison. Diane and I have only been together for a short while but we're fast friends. Still, we all want to play to Diane's strengths and not her weaknesses. My girls are no wallflowers. I'm sure you're not, either. My concern is that the man we select has to be able to stand up to Diane without wanting to sit near the top of the totem pole. Would you talk about that for us, please?"

Allison smiled sadly and looked down. "Let me tell you about Rob, about me, about us. Rob is a good man. He always shows up and he works hard. He's no mental giant, but he's smart enough and he's very level-headed. He adores our children and does at least his share of chauffeuring and parental participation. He does more than his share of chores around the house.

"My friend and Rob's friend set us up on our first date. Everyone I've ever known has let me know that I'm butt ugly. Oh, you don't have to be polite. I'm over it. I've lived in this body all my life. But Rob seemed interested, and I encouraged him. He asked me to marry him and I accepted. I decided the best way to keep him from straying was to never, ever say no to his advances."

"Sounds like a loveless marriage to me," said Diane.

"Not loveless by any means," answered Allison with a smile. "We've never been in lust, but we love each other in our own way. Our marriage is comfortable. He's good to me and I take care of him. He doesn't last too long, making love. I think he's forgotten that I squirt when I orgasm. On the rare occasions I masturbate, I sit on the toilet so I don't make a mess."

"What makes you think Rob could stand up to a fully wound up Diane?" asked Beth.

"Rob encounters irate customers from time to time. Rob has had extremely unpleasant co-workers. I've taught him some strategies that help him a lot. For instance, I taught him to speak when the other person is talking. It is instinctive to stop and listen, and it is difficult to learn to overcome. He's very good at it now. He has other strategies as well. He doesn't easily back down from an aggressive person but he is very reasonable with someone who wants to find common ground."

"What about you?" asked Diane.

"Oh, I can hold my own in any sort of argument. You can't call me names, 'cause they're all true. Being ugly is burden enough. I don't let people take advantage of me."

"Will you tell us about your children?" asked Beth.

"Erin and Emma got much of their appearance and shape from me. I have taught them not to kiss ass just so someone will like them. If that person doesn't want to be their friend, that's fine with them. They do have good friends, and they are best friends with each other. They are good students, well behaved and responsible. They have been anxious to be able to start babysitting. They seem to genuinely enjoy small children.

"Their birthday is next month and they'll be thirteen. They have already flowered and I think the hormones are running high in them. They have been very attentive to all of the adult activities hereabout. They have taken advantage of the fact that their folks have to be naked and have gotten as much sex education as they can. They learned how to pleasure themselves not too long ago. They thought the ejected liquid was pee. I explained what it was and they felt a lot better.