Part Twelve   "Motherly Concern"

 

Tammy's Tales Book 6
 

 
Monday 21st September (Continued)
 

"Tammy, I think you know what you should do?"

Sarah was right, of course. Tammy returned to the changing room.

"Ellie, are you ready to come out?"

There was no answer, Tammy repeated the question. She could now hear a quiet sob so pulled the curtain back and stepped into the booth, Ellie was curled up on the floor, the hoody was next to her.

"Ellie, no-one here is to try you. Come with me and we'll find out how we can help you."

Tammy picked up the sports bag, there was a St Andrews tag attached that said 'L E Sturgeon', confirming her suspicions.

She bent down again, Ellie wasn't moving and her breathing was shallow.

"Sarah, call an ambulance!"

"What's up?"

"She's unconscious."

Sarah grabbed her phone to make the 999 call, going to the door at the same time in order to turn the sign over.

"Anne, it is Leonard but there's something very wrong, can you give me a hand to get her out of the changing room?"

Ellie was put into the recovery position, then Tammy checked the bag. Inside was a St Andrews blazer, mobile phone and a wallet. The phone was locked so she put it back, with Anne watching she counted £200 in the wallet, before putting that back in the bag. One of the school rules was that the boys shouldn't have more than £50 in cash unless they had special permission, but they could lodge cash in the office in case it was needed later. Tammy put one of her business cards in the wallet.

"She was probably going somewhere, what do you know, Anne?"

"I was told he was a boy who had a morning appointment at the dentists, he was due back at lunchtime."

"Well, she has breasts and a 34-26-34 figure so not much of a boy there."

"I should call the school."

Sarah had finished on the phone and had now dropped the blinds, although within two minutes there was a rap on the door, she allowed two paramedics in.

They set to work, clamping an oxygen mask on her, then pulling up the shirt and t-shirt to check her chest and exposing the breasts. Anne was on the phone but gasped as she saw what Tammy had described. An injection was administered, Tammy heard the words 'diabetic coma'.

"We'll take, err, her to the Raigmore, a chopper will be landing in two minutes, is anyone coming?"

Tammy looked at the others then offered.

"Do you know the patient?"

"Not before today but I've just left that school and my mum's the welfare officer."

"Okay."

Tammy grabbed the bag and hoodie, catching the spare store keys that Sarah had thrown towards her.

A stretcher came through the doors and Ellie was loaded, she moaned slightly into the oxygen mask and tried to move. Tammy told her to keep calm.

The ride to the helicopter was uneventful,the pad being used was the one located at Thurso's hospital, The Dunbar. A few minutes later they were in the air.

"Have you flown before?"

"I'm part owner of RS helicopters." Tammy shouted in response.

"Most passengers have to be told how to put the harness on!"

"Not this one!"

The doctor on board was plainly becoming concerned for Ellie, it didn't help that they had no medical history. Tammy sent an urgent text to Joan but there was no mobile coverage in that area. She made certain the phone was on silent.

"What can you tell me?"

"Not alot Doctor, he told me he was sixteen yesterday and his name was Ellie. He only has a twenty six inch waist and has a female figure. Legal name is Leonard Sturgeon and a student at St Andrews. My initial though was he was transgendered but right now I'm not convinced that's accurate."

"We're not ruling anything out, Miss."

"As soon as I get some information from the school I'll pass it on."

"Thank you."

A text message arrived as they approached Inverness."

Leonard Evan Sturgeon 20 Sept 1999 (16 years old) in year 11.
Joined school at start of term, transfer from Essex. Was due to see me after lunch. Not settled well. Medical history says no issues. Call me when you can.

Tammy passed this on just before the chopper landed, even though it told her very little. She went with Ellie into Resus where the helicopter team passed on their information to the A&E team.

"Are you a relative?"

"No, my mother is the patient's school welfare officer and I've just left that school. The headteacher knows I'm here." She hadn't spoken to Dr McIntosh but was sure Anne would have told him. "I can get authority for anything that needs doing."

"Okay, what do you know?" Nurses were taking samples and cutting away clothing, at the speed they were working they were plainly concerned.

Tammy repeated her conversation with Ellie and identified herself as transgendered to the doctor.

"Doctor, what's wrong?"

"He, she is in shock. It's no longer hypoglycemia that we're concerned about. We'll get a CT scan done, can you see if you can find anything else out?"

Tammy went to a coffee machine then called Joan's office.

"Mum, Ellie's going for a CT scan."

"Ellie? Oh."

"Yes, from her initials. Why did Ellie transfer?"

"Officially his father was going overseas but unofficially he was acting too much like a girl. I just got that from the boy's mother."

"So they pack their little darling off to a school in the Highlands, out of sight and out of mind."

"Yes, if the Head had known this then he wouldn't have accepted the transfer. I was going to ask you to see him tomorrow morning."

"Was that why I was asked to be there early?"

"Yes. Are you okay there?"

"For now, but my car's in the middle of Thurso."

"How was your doctor's appointment?"

"Fine, I'll live."

"Tanya said she saw you."

"Yeah. It's been a busy day!"

Tammy made another call.

"Hilary, can you get a medical record for me?"

"Short answer, Tammy, is no."

"Well there's something not right here, this kid is parachuted into the school by a parent who wants rid of them,"

"Tammy, that happens more times that you would think, consider yourself?"

"That's different."

"Is it really? Unless there's an intelligence angle then I can't touch it, sorry."

"Okay, thanks."

Tammy was called back into Resus.

"We're going to open Leonard up, he's going straight to surgery."

"What is it?"

"I don't want to speculate."

Tammy went back to the waiting area. The coffee she'd bought before the first phone conversation was now cold. She put coins in to order another.

A doctor came past then stopped. "Miss Smart?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Dr Wright, we met when you had a little surgery here."

"Oh, when they tried to put me on the male surgical ward?"

"That's right, has it happened again?"

"Unlikely, not even a gynaecologist could tell the difference!"

The Doctor laughed, "good, why are you here?"

"One of the boys at my old school was brought in, I'm acting on behalf of the school."

"Is that the boy Leonard?"

"Yes, although I prefer to say Ellie."

"Ah, I've been asked to assist, so I'm on my way to theatre now."

"I won't delay you, bye."

Tammy had her tablet in her bag so sat down to read, but she found it difficult to concentrate. Looking at the clock on the screen, it was now gone five and fast approaching six. She checked her phone, there were no new messages.

"Miss Smart?"

"Yes?"

"Could you come with me?"

She was taken to a small conference room, a surgeon, Dr Wright and a nurse were present."

"What's up with Ellie?"

"We've discovered that Mr Sturgeon is female and had started menstruation. We've had to open the vaginal canal, the urethra will need rerouting."

"I see, that would explain for the secondary characteristics I saw this afternoon."

"Such as?"

"Breasts, thirty four B to be exact."

"We'll need to contact his family."

"His father sent him up here as Ellie was acting too much like a girl so I would talk Ellie before involving the father. My own mother is loco in parentis for the child, she's the school's welfare officer."

Tammy put her phone on the table and dialled Joan's mobile. The surgeon sought, and obtained, permission to finish the job they had started. Joan added, before she ended the call, that she would try to get hold of Ellie's mother.

"When Ellie's recovered sufficiently we'll bring in counselling before we go back into the theatre, it could be a few days."

"What did you find, Doctor?"

"Evidence this was her second, or third, menstruation. She would have died if she hadn't been found."

"She found me, I just did what was necessary."

"Excuse me, Miss Smart, but you don't seem fazed by this?"

"No, I had GRS a few months ago and had rather hoped the surgeon would find a womb in me."

Dr Wright laughed, "I performed the orchidectomy on Miss Smart in February."

"So, where is Ellie now?"

"In Recovery, we'll find a bed for her shortly, but she's not leaving Recovery until she's concious. I suggest you go home."

"I wish, my car's in Thurso." Her phone rang.

"Yes, Dad?"

"I'm in the carpark."

"Thanks, you have my car?"

"Not quite."

Tammy thanked the medics and found her way out to the carpark, a helicopter was on the grass behind the usual helipad, adjacent to the main carpark. It was attracting some attention but Tammy pushed through the crowd and jumped into the chopper before the local security officers decided what to do with it. Tammy hadn't finished fixing her harness before they lifted.

"Interesting day, Tammy?"

"You could say that, Sarah's asked me to look after the shop tomorrow, she'll be in the hospital for tests."

"Did you do something with your hair?"

"Yes, Sandy tidied it up for me."

"Looks good."

"Thanks Dad!"

They were dropped behind the barn at Dunbankin', Tammy noted that her car was in the usual spot.

"Hungry?"

"Are you kidding? Lunch is but a distant memory."

Of course Joan wanted Tammy first, the study phone was on speaker.

"Mrs Sturgeon, my daughter had just returned from te hospital."

"How is my son?"

"Mrs Sturgeon, I'm Tammy and I went to the hospital. Your son Leonard is actually your daughter Ellie."

"Arthur would never accept that, that's why Leonard was sent away."

"Madam, your son in having his second or third period right now meaning that your son was menstruating at least once during the summer holidays."

"That can't be right?"

"Believe me it's right. I measured Ellie earlier today, she has a 34-26-34 figure and is a B cup. Her waist is so narrow she has elasticated trousers."

"I still can't accept it, I hope they're not planing to operate?"

"They already did, otherwise you would be planning a funeral right now."

"What do I tell Arthur?"

"Mrs Sturgeon, I'd tell him that he has a healthy daughter named Ellie, there is no other option."

The woman was sobbing, "what will he say?"

Joan suggested Tammy went in search of food, waving her daughter out of the room, clearly Mrs Sturgeon had issues.

Tammy showered immediately after eating, taking care to use a shower cap on her freshly coiffured hair. She was sound asleep by eight.