Chris crawled slowly out of a bottomless blackness and into the bright light of a sunny hospital room. Within seconds of deciding he was awake, his mind was crowded with disjointed images. The Party. The beautiful sensuous gown.

The rustle of satin about his body. Dr. Brown! The papers!. The coffee! needle!

Andrea and Hormones! A

'You'll be a woman everywhere! blasted in his head like a rifle shot in an echo chamber. Then the whole exchange in Andrea's office thundered back into his memory. He wondered about his groin!?! He fought down a sudden nausea and lifted himself onto one elbow to look blearily toward his mid-section. The whole area between his waist and knees felt decidedly odd, numb but somehow... tight? Before he could investigate further a nurse materialized at his bedside, said something about him resting a while longer, and a needle pricked his arm.

After another eternity of empty blankness, Chris again awoke. This time he was alert and aware of his surroundings much more quickly. Paniced fingers that immediately discovered

bandages from waist to mid-thigh were unable to confirm for him the fact that he had lost his manhood. Still, he knew what had been done.

Dead!

Christopher Davis was gone. Admittedly, much of his destruction he had brought on himself by blindly trusting a beautiful doctor and her lawyer, then by needing so desperately to be accepted and, yes, loved, that he willingly endured what few other men would have tolerated. Until now, the young person lying there had not identified completely with the name everyone at the clinic now used. Now, however, Chrissy truly was the person in that hospital bed!

A nurse appeared at the bedside. "Good morning, Chrissy. It's nice to see you so alert.

Dr. Smith will be here shortly." Before Chris could react she had turned and gone.

Andrea arrived after a short wait. "How do you feel?" she smiled, playing the concerned doctor part to perfection.

"You did it, didn't you!??" Chris accused in a high shrill tone.

"Yes, we did," she admitted with satisfaction. "Why?"

She shook her head. "My dear Chrissy, we already explained that to you, remember? We determined that you would be better off if we helped you." She removed a stethescope from her blue doctor's smock. "How do you feel? Any pain?"

"No, but this tight girdle you have me in isn't very comfortable. What do I do when I have to pee?" he asked irritably.

Dr. Smith pointed patiently to Chris's crotch. "There's a catheter connected to a collection bag, so, for now, just let it go. It will have to do for a few days until you are up and around. Medically you are very strong, but you've just been through a major surgical procedure so take it easy." She checked his pulse then listened to his heart and lungs. "Very good, Chrissy! You are progressing nicely. I think you can expect some visitors later this afternoon."

Chris indicated the sunlit window.

is it?"

"What day

"This is Wednesday, April 6th. Your operation was yesterday," she informed him.

Sullenly, he said, "Oh."

Andrea laid her hand gently on his shoulder. "Come, come, cheer up! You're going to enjoy your new life, I know it. You'll see!"

She turned on her heels and left, leaving Chris with his mouth half open in readiness to vent a tirade of protest and anger that he now