Sarah woke to the sound of a nurse setting a breakfast tray down next to her.  Sarah felt groggy and disoriented.  “Hey.”  She croaked.  “Did it work?”  Her voice sounded higher, but off – maybe because she felt so dry and thirsty.

 

                “Good morning, Miss Kerrigan.  Yes, the procedure worked fine; I think you’ll be very happy with the results, once you rest and feel a bit better.  Oh, I’m Shelly, your nurse.  I’ll be here till three, and then Jack will be taking over.”

 

                “Thanks, Shelly.”  Sarah croaked.

 

                “Would you like the bed moved so you can sit up?”  Shelly asked.

 

                “Please.”  Sarah was so disoriented, she couldn’t see if the bed had controls she could reach.

 

                Shelly punched a button or two, and the bed shifted to a more sitting position.  “Is that better?”

 

                Sarah nodded.  “Yes, thanks.”  She was regaining her full consciousness, and looked around the room and at Shelly.  The room was a nicely decorated private room with a vidscreen and private bathroom, and Shelly was a cute young woman who looked in her early twenties, but with prolong, Sarah couldn’t really guess.  Under forty?   Shelly had short red hair and a spattering of freckles under blue eyes, and was short and slim. 

 

                “If you need me for anything, let me know.”  Shelly replied.  “And if you need help going to the bathroom, please call us.  Your muscles might be weak – we don’t want you to fall, okay?”

 

                “Okay.  Thanks.”  Sarah was getting coherent enough to realize her body felt radically different – and she smiled as she felt the unfamiliar weights on her chest, the smoothness of her legs, and the pleasant void between her legs.  Sarah felt more thirsty and hungry than curious at the moment – she hadn’t eaten anything not through an IV in several days, and was very thirsty. 

 

                Sarah looked at her food tray – it had two small containers of juice, a glass of ice water and ice chips, a plate of something that looked sort of like toast pieces – if you took a piece of bread and cut it into strips, plus a little plastic container of sauce, along with some cutlery.  It looked like real metal cutlery too, not disposable plastic.  Nice.  There was a small bowl of fruit pieces next to the toast.  She started with a sip of icewater, and smiled as her sore throat was soothed.  She had a few sips, and then went to explore breakfast.

 

                The fruit was tasty, and she quickly ate it up.  The food felt good in her empty stomach, and she quickly moved to the toast, which under close inspection seemed to be related to Terran French toast strips, coated in cinnamon sugar.  She assumed the sauce was a form of syrop, so she dug in – and it tasted great.  She was surprised to find after the small portions, her stomach was pleasantly full, and she drank one of the juices, saving the other one for later.

 

                “I guess I’m going to need to change my portion sizes, if my stomach is smaller.”  She muttered to herself.  “Either that or work out a bit more so I don’t pack on the weight.”  She chuckled at the concern.  She had always liked being fit as John, and she didn’t see that changing as Sarah.

 

                After breakfast, Sarah was feeling a bit tired – her body felt exhausted, but her mind felt rather alert, so she looked for a Vid screen control – but couldn’t find one.  “Uh… Screen On?”  She said, wondering if the television was voice activated.  Luckily it was, and the vidscreen turned on to what looked like local news.   It was four days after when she signed in to the Breckenridge NuYu clinic.   “I’ll never get used to the calendar system they use here.” She muttered.  “I miss months and days.”  Sarah sighed.  When she started taking her Merchant course, one of the first things she learned is that the Imperium had done away with month and day names – since every planet in the Imperium could have a different rotational year, 12 months of 30 to 31 days was impractical.  Instead the Imperium measured time by the Terran year – 365 days – that were simply numbered, followed by the year since the founding of the Third Imperium… So today’s date was 117-1115 TE – which her mind automatically converted to be April 27, not that it helped much.  Apparently many planets named their months and days for the comfort of the citizens, but when travelling between planets the awful number system held sway.

 

                The local news was rather boring, but it was a pleasant distraction with the noise, and while it muttered in the background, she rested a bit and took stock of herself.  She could see her long brown hair was now blonde – that was nice – and her skin was a bit lighter in tone, with a creamy complexion instead of the skin she’d had before as John.  Her breasts were a comforting yet unfamiliar weight on her chest, and likewise, the lack of anything between her legs filled her with happiness.  I probably look a mess, she thought.  She thought of getting up to brush her hair and maybe look in a mirror, but she decided that she was too tired.

 

                Sarah watched TV for a while, and then drifted off.

 

*              *              *

 

                Sarah woke next to the sound of someone shuffling into her room.  Her eyes opened up, and she saw Shelly bringing her lunch.  “Hey, Shelly.”  She said.  “I guess I’ve been a bit sleepy.”

 

                “Yeah.”  Shelly said with a smile.  “That’s pretty normal.  Do you have a few minutes for me to ask you some questions?”

 

                “Sure.”  Sarah said, sitting up.  “What’s up?”

 

                “Well, I’m supposed to quickly check a few things to see if the procedure worked properly.  Sometimes if there is excessive bone pain after the procedure, for example, it can mean that maybe everything didn’t go quite right.”

 

                “Well, I don’t seem to have any bone pain at all.”  Sarah replied.  “I’m tired, and a bit hungry and thirsty – but there’s no pain.”

 

                “That’s great, Sarah.  Doctor Mellann is really good at his job, so I’m not surprised.  You were a good match for the procedure too, apparently.”  Shelly put down the lunch tray and checked Sarah’s chart from a data slate – a wireless tablet that seemed to have replaced clipboards and papers. 

 

                “Any taste of copper in your mouth?” Shelly asked.

 

                “Nope.”

 

                “Any burning or itching in your groin – any pain or discomfort?”

 

                “Nope.  It feels a bit weird since the plumbing is different, but it doesn’t hurt or anything.”  Sarah replied.

 

                Shelly took a look at the medical readout above Sarah’s bed and copied down some numbers.  “It looks like everything went well, then, Sarah.  Just get some rest and feel better.”

 

                “Shelly, is there a way I can call my ship and see if my friends can visit?”  Sarah asked.

 

                “Yes.  If you like, you can bring up the Comm Network on the vidscreen and verbally call – its all voice operated – or you can get me to call your friends on your ship for you.  Visiting hours are 10am until 8pm.”  Shelly replied. 

 

                “Thanks.”  Sarah replied.  “I’ll probably call them in a bit.”

 

                Shelly smiled, and headed out of the room, leaving Sarah to eat.  Lunch was sort-of-chicken salad, with a side of vegetables that seemed familiar – peppers and carrots and celery – served alongside a crème soup that resembled a seafood chowder.  She ate it all – and embarrassingly a short while later, realized she might need some help – nature called.

 

                Sarah called for the nurse, and sat up – the thin hospital gown leaving her partially exposed.  The cool air felt good against her skin, and she felt like she could stand on her own – but she thought she’d better play it safe.  Shelly wasn’t long, and before long Sarah was hobbling to the bathroom to do her business.  She couldn’t help but notice how different it felt to pee – or how it felt when she cleaned up afterwards.  It was very sensitive down there, she thought.  She also had a chance to look at herself in the mirror – and to her relief, she looked virtually identical to her avatar, and smiled broadly.  I’m me.  She thought.  I’m me.  I am also a mess. 

 

                “Shelly, I think I can stand on my own.  Would it be all right if I got my brush and got a bit cleaned up?”

 

                “Sure thing, Sarah.  Just call if you need help.”  Shelly replied.

 

                “Thanks.”  Sarah moved slowly back to her bed – her limbs felt tired and a bit weak – and rummaged through her bag for a brush and some of Hortencia’s hair ties.  A few minutes later and another trip back to the bathroom, she actually felt presentable!

 

                By the time she got back to bed, instead of calling the ship, she felt exhausted by her small amount of activity, and lay down for another nap. 

 

 

*              *              *

 

                The next time she woke up, she could tell she wasn’t alone.  Bear, Hortencia and Drago were sitting or standing in her room, quietly, so as not to wake her.  Bear had something that looked like take out food with him in a bag. 

 

                “Hey guys.”  Sarah said.  “How do I look?”

 

                “Like a mussed up version of your avatar, Sarah.”  Hortencia replied.  “But you look great.  Are you happy?”

 

                “Oh hell yes.”  Sarah replied.  “I feel tired, but amazing.”

 

                “You look good, Sarah.”  Bear said.  “I brought you some food if food in clinic didn’t agree with you.  It is a couple of wraps with meat and veggies and cheese.  They are pretty good.”

 

                “Thanks Bear.”  She said, smiling.  “I’ll try one in a minute.  I think dinner …”

 

                “Dinner’s been here and gone.”  Drago said.  “Your dinner tray is over there, getting cold a bit.  You slept through dinner.  It’s about 6:30pm local time.”

 

                “Wow.” Sarah said.  “I can’t believe how sleepy I am.”

 

                “Well, you just had entire body changed on cellular level.”  Bear replied.  “It makes sense to be tired.”

 

                “Do you guys mind if I eat before it’s cold?”

 

                Everyone shook their head, and Sarah had what she could off the dinner tray.  The juices she kept for later, but the entrée was a stew of congealed meat and gravy that looked unappealing cold, so she ate the wraps that Bear had brought instead.  They were spicy, without being particularly hot, and were rather tasty.  By the time she was done, she felt more than full – and watched Drago eat her cold stew.

 

                “Did you guys miss dinner because of me?”  She asked.

 

                “Well, we delayed dinner.”  Hortencia said.  “We’re going to go grab some food after we leave.  Your nurse Jack says you should be able to check out tomorrow around 11:30am, so we’re going to come back for around then to give you a lift back to the ship.”

 

                “Uh… Depending on how I feel I might want to change that idea.”  Sarah replied.  “I need some clothes for girl me.”

 

                “Okay, Sarah – I just didn’t know if you wanted to take an extra day or not before shopping.  If you feel good we can go tomorrow.  Maybe I’ll get Bear and Drago to stay behind, so we won’t bore them while we shop?”

 

                “Sounds good to me, if you guys don’t mind?” 

 

                Bear smiled.  “If it is better, I will wait for you on ship.  Have fun clothes shopping.”

 

                Drago agreed.  “Yeah, I think it’ll be better if I stay on the ship too.  I’ll be looking for you tomorrow, though!”

 

                “Thanks guys… and thank you for visiting.  It feels good having friends.”  Sarah said, smiling.

 

                The others nodded, and could tell Sarah was still very tired.  After a few polite goodbye’s, they headed out to let her rest.

Sarah smiled.  It did feel good having friends – and it felt good having them stop by.  My life might be all strange compared to what I expected, but its not half bad at the moment, she thought, grinning.  Not half bad at all…

 

                Sarah watched TV for a while and drifted off to sleep

 

 

*              *              *

 

 

                The next day, Sarah woke to the feel of someone gently shaking her shoulder.  She turned over to see Dr. Mallann next to her with a data slate, gently shaking her.

 

                “Miss Kerrigan?”  He asked.  “Are you awake?  I need to speak with you.”

 

                “Um… yes.  Sorry.”  Sarah replied.  “I’m awake.  Is there anything wrong?”

 

                Doctor Mallann smiled, and shook his head.  “No, Miss, but I need to verify your paperwork – for your legal name change on your identity papers, and need to draw a sample of blood for the genetic marker on your ID.  I also wanted to ask you a few questions in preparation of you being discharged later this morning.”

 

                “That all sounds like it can’t wait.”  Sarah said.  “Where do we start?”

 

                “How about your name?”  Doctor Mallann began.  “Do you still want it to be Sarah Mackenzie Kerrigan?”

 

                Sarah smiled.  “Yes, please.”

 

                “Then all we need is a blood sample and a few questions.  May I?”  He held out something Sarah didn’t recognize – it looked like a little thimble made of plastic.

 

                “Sure.”

 

                The doctor touched her arm with the thimble, and there was the barest of pokes – and a light on the thimble turned green.  “There we go.  That should do it.”

 

                “That’s a pretty small blood sample.”  Sarah remarked.

 

                “Yeah, but at least its not like two hundred years ago, when we had to use needles.  How barbaric!” 

 

                Doctor Mallann sat in a chair next to her bed, and asked the same series of questions her nurse had asked her yesterday.  Sarah replied the same – no taste of blood in her mouth, no pain or sensitivity in her bones, and no burning or discomfort in her groin.  The answers seemed to satisfy the doctor, and he took his blood sample and left.

 

                Sarah ate what breakfast there was, and took another trip to the bathroom, where she gave herself a wash with some wet washcloths, and brushed her hair again.  Her limbs felt much stronger today and although she felt fatigued, it was only a mild level of fatigue, not the bone crushing exhaustion of the previous day.  She felt good – strong, fit.  She was ready to go home to the ship.

 

                Sarah waited impatiently until around 11am, when Shelly returned, along with what looked like her new Imperial ID card.  “Here you go, Sarah – you are officially Sarah Mackenzie Kerrigan.  I hope that feels good.”

 

                “It does.”  Sarah replied, smiling. “It does.  What happens now?”

 

                “Well, you can get dressed if you have some clothes, and we can settle the bill – and we’ll get you all checked out so you can head home.”  Shelly replied.

 

                “Sounds good to me!”   Sarah couldn’t stop smiling.  She had actually done it!  She was whole.  She felt like she was walking on air.

 

                A short while later, after dressing in her ill fitting “John” clothes, rendering payment and a good amount of paperwork, Sarah was being wheeled in a wheelchair down to the front door of the NuYu clinic, to find Hortencia waiting in the front lobby.

 

                “Hey Girlfriend!”  She said, getting up and coming over.  “How you feeling?”

 

                “Much better, Hortencia!  I feel amazing – but a teensy bit tired.  Other than that, I feel fantastic.”  Sarah gushed.

 

                “Great!  Shopping then?”  Hortencia asked.

 

                “You bet!”  Sarah got out of the wheelchair and thanked the orderly who had brought her down.  “I’m ready to go!”

 

                “Well, time’s a wasting, Sarah.  Let’s go get you something other than those boy clothes.”

 

                “Yeah!”  Sarah laughed excitedly.  “Let’s go!”