After talking it over, they decided not to reveal the ring's existence to anyone else: a powerful family heirloom with a history seemed like it might invite interest from the wrong sorts of people. Rick swore that his lips were sealed, and Callie also agreed to keep the secret.
Callie's help proved vital when they started looking for medical care for Jim. The two most difficult needs were gynecological care and gender counseling. On Callie's recommendation, they went to an ob/gyn who was also a practicing witch.
Sharon accompanied Jim on his first visit for moral support. No one seemed to care that they went into the examination room together.
When a middle-aged woman came into the room, after the nurse had already come and gone, Jim said, "Are you . . . uh, witch-doctor O'Shea?"
"The correct term is doctor-witch. And yes." She offered her hand to Sharon and Jim in turn. "I take it you are the unusual pair of patients Callie Marine referred to me?"
Jim said, "I'm unusual, she's normal. I . . . wasn't always a woman. It's some sort of supernatural curse. We tried estrogen antagonists and surgery, but neither of them seemed to work. I came because I needed someone to check that my new female parts are in working order, since it doesn't seem that I'll ever be rid of them."
Dr. O'Shea said, "Ok . . . so tell me how the transformation occurred." Jim and Sharon told her the story; she asked questions in a matter-of-fact voice. They were prepared for all of them until she said, "Have you started menstruating yet?"
Jim blanched. "Uh . . . no."
"Well, I guess I still shouldn't expect it so soon, even though your development has been quite rapid: from male to female in less than six months. It's not uncommon for menarche to occur two years after the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics. You might want to talk to your female relatives and figure out if lateness runs in your family." Jim looked like he'd been poleaxed, but Sharon knew that what Dr. O'Shea was telling him made perfect sense.
"Yes, that does mean you should expect to start bleeding in the next couple months. Lay in a supply of tampons or pads, whichever you prefer. Sharon, I assume you can help him with this?"
"Yes." She blushed at the thought of assisting her lover with his period, though.
Dr. O'Shea stood up and said, "Ok, feet up in the stirrups, jeans and panties off. Let's make sure everything is in the right places." She snapped on rubber gloves. "This is one of the few cases where this kind of examination is justified." Sharon noticed that Dr O'Shea didn't even blink when Jim revealed his enlarged clitoris.
Jim spent the next hour shuddering as Dr. O'Shea made a thorough and clinical tour of his innards. Sharon moved her chair next to the table and held his hand: she knew how unpleasant and humiliating this kind of examination could be.
At last, Dr. O'Shea finished and pronounced, "Everything looks good. You have a healthy vagina, cervix, and uterus. If you have ovaries, and I'd be willing to be that you do, you can probably even become pregnant. If you're planning on having unprotected sex with a male, I can give you a prescription for the pill, or you can try some of the other methods available for birth control."
Jim shook his head. "Ok then," she said. "Before you go I'll want to run some blood tests to check your hormone levels, but other than that, you seem to be a healthy young woman."
Jim seemed too stunned by the experience to speak, Sharon said, "We're going to need a letter certifying that Jim has female parts so he can get his name and the sex on his birth certificate changed."
"No problem," said Dr. O'Shea.
Sharon had to lead him out: it took Jim awhile to recover from the shock of his first gynecologist's appointment.
Meanwhile, they went to a gender counselor who had some knowledge of magic due to an unfortunate incident in college. His name was Mark Sieber, and he was also sympathetic to their plight. Over a period of months, he counseled them as a couple, aiding them in working through many of the issues they'd already encountered but not resolved, and helping Jim come to terms with his femininity. Of course, Jim still desired to be male, but at least he was less unhappy about being female.
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Mon Oct 20 23:12:10 2003
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