Chapter 4 -- Free Agent

Principal Torres answered the knock at her door with a sense of curiosity. It was at her home, not her office, which made this particular meeting clandestine. No surveillance cameras captured the comings and goings of her guests. No audio recording were to be made, that was an in between the lines request. She figured no notes were to be taken. In fact, she didn't even know that phones were turned off before arriving so not even Google would be able to track her guests movements. "Please come in Maria and you must be Mr. Fred Jenson, esquire." Mr. Jenson and Dr. Alavarez came in and Principal Torres closed the door behind them.

"We need to talk to you in private, where we can't be overheard. And what is said now between us can never be repeated out of this home because of HIPPA, legal confidentiality, and because we are trying to insure that CPS doesn't need to get involved. Either of us could lose our licenses to practice if this got out."

Torres sat down and looked at the two. "That bad? Good thing I kicked Paul out with the kids so it was just us."

"Yes, Ynez. Here's the low down. I have a patient who is pregnant and is on bed rest. She is due in mid-june, but I am likely to induce at the end of May. Her son was in an accident a couple of weeks ago, not his fault by the way, and he lost his privates. They had to be reconstructed into a neovagina so when he is a mature adult teenager he can have a reconstructed penis built from the skin we saved. His paternal grandmother took him in to help her son as well as have more time with her grandson. Fred here drafted up the paperwork which allows her to make decisions for this boy in the absence of the parents who live about 30 miles north of Silver City. He is also representing their interests in dealing with the mining company whose vehicle hit the one the boy was in. It made sense at the time to arrange this too since the grandmother lives here and I have to examine him once a week. Maybe more in order to make sure his remaining tissues don't go necrotic or get infected. However, in the two weeks of caring for him, his grandmother, and has shown signs of dementia, thinks her grandson is now her daughter due, I believe, due to extreme sleep deprivation. I believe it is from worry for the child. I need to find a way to take the load off of her so she can return to normal. Well, as normal as possible."

"What's the grandmother's name?"

"Rosemary Martin. She lives two houses down from your school, Monument Elementary, on Yellow Rose Avenue."

"The street and the last name's familiar. Does she have a daughter by any chance named Vicki?"

"Yes, Vicki Martin."

Fred added, "It's Van Buren now."

"Oh my, yes. I think Vicki and I went to school together. I had a thing for a close friend of her older brother Alex. We used to double date. She was a year behind me in high school. When I became principal of the school, I saw the home and remembered coming to their house with Eduardo to pick up Alex and his date. This must be his son. Why can't you send the boy to her?"

Fred said, "Because she lives in Wisconsin with kids of her own now. They can't meet his medical needs. And she can't come easily down and help until the first week in June when her oldest is free to look after the youngest. That is why we are here in this undisclosed meeting that never happened, wink wink. I want to figure out what we can do for the poor boy and the grandmother before more drastic measures are needed, like CPS."

"So, where do I come in?"

"Fred here has a solution to float by you. I think it will work. The boy needs proper supervision. We think if he temporarily comes to school, he can be safely monitored during the day. I have called my friends at the senior center and they will allow Rosemary to stay with them for the day so she doesn't get into trouble. I've talked to my staff, and they will check on them in the evening making sure everyone is safe and she is getting enough sleep. If things go south, we will know right away and can take more drastic intervention. But, if they stabilize, everyone is a winner."

"Where does he go to school now?"

Fred answered. "He is home-schooled. And, ironically, because he was all gung ho about playing little league, he had finished the third grade before the accident."

Torres shook her head. "Well, I can't place him in fourth grade this late into the year. It would have to be third. I think I can have a quiet word with Mrs. Herrera, but you didn't hear that. She will help and be trustworthy. But, if what you say is true, I am wondering if for this short time he should come as a girl. Would that be possible?"

Fred and Dr. Alvarez spoke at the same time. He asked "Why?" She said, "Maybe."

Torres got right to the heart of the matter. "Sooner or later the boys will wonder why he avoids using the urinal. And, then they will see his feet in a stall pointed away from the toilet and never towards it. Given their nature, it will take only one to put two and two together. Once outed, I will have to explain him to the parents which means everything comes out into the open. Since, as you say, he has a neovagina now, he can easily pass for a girl and none the wiser. So, why not?"

It took only an hour, but the three hatched a plan that would in theory work. The fly in the ointment was Victor. Would he go along with their plan?

After a quick stop at the store, she returned to the Martin household. "What took you so long?" said a mildly frustrated Victor. "She's been asleep the whole time."

"Good. Help me with these groceries please." In the kitchen, she began putting away frozen foods. "Victor, these are microwavable meals. They should get you started. I'll have Cindy, one of my staff, come over and help your grandma get the rest on Monday. This way, you won't have to worry about kitchen fires."

"When can I get out of this dress, please?"

"I really ..."

"Please, the neighbor girl already knocked on the door asking me if I would like to play with her." He avoided telling her the rest of the story.

"Oh my, what did you say?"

"My grandma's sick and I have to wait for her doctor to come back."

"Good answer. Victor, can I ask you a question about your Mom?"

"Ah ... sure."

"How did she feel after her last miscarriage?"

Victor remembered his ruined seventh birthday party. It was bad enough that his birthday was during summer, but to spend it at the hospital worried about his mom was worse. He didn't get a birthday party for his eighth birthday either because they had to work the village. It was rough having a July birthday. He hung his head low. "Pretty bad. Mom was real sad for almost a month. That's when the job at the village opened up full time. We moved and I lost all of my friends. Dad said it seemed to cheer her up."

"I know. I have treated her for depression before. You see, your mom is in danger of losing this baby if she gets too excited or stressed. So, do you want that to happen again? Because I don't."

"No, of course not."

"Another good answer. You're a smart kid. This is an important concept for someone so young. Part of being a good man, like your wonderful father is ... yes, I respect him greatly ... is protecting your family. I won't tell you what sex the baby is, but I will tell you that as an older brother, making sure she or he is safe for the next several months is vital to your mom, your dad, your family, and to you."

Victor fidgeted while she talked. "But, I'm a boy. Why do I have to dress like this?"

"Victor. Here are the facts. Your grandmother clearly can't take care of you twenty-four hours seven days a week. The strain has already worsened her dementia. On the other hand, if you go home, the strain of finding out what happened to you could cause your mom to lose the baby. I can't contact CPS and ask for a foster family because they can't handle your special needs given their workloads. Lastly, you need to be looked at by me often. So, I've talked to a few people and we have a workable solution that will get you through the next month or so. Okay?"

Victor mumbled a weak okay.

"A few doors down the street is an elementary school. Your dad's attorney is going to take you there Monday morning to be registered there on a temporary basis. You will still be in third grade. And, here is the good news, she will be giving you fourth grade homework to do. You will have to take tests and everything. But, the grades won't count against you if you take them seriously and not make a fuss over the work you are given. Your job is just to blend in and not call attention to yourself."

Victor perked up a little. "I guess that is okay. I'll have other boys to play with."

"Maybe. Here is the problem. You have to sit to use the bathroom now. How long before the boys figure out that you don't have a penis anymore."

"I can control myself. I'll just go when they aren't in there."

"And when they ask why and they find out?"

"I could tell them about the accident."

"So the boys will now want to see you naked in the bathroom because you look like a girl naked."

"It's not fair. I thought you said my bits didn't define me?" Memory of his examining Susan's bits flashed through his mind when they played doctor. He blushed knowing the doctor was right. He just didn't want to let on he understood what she was saying.

"No, it's not fair. If it were just you, your bits wouldn't define you. However, people will define you by your bits if you are in a group. So, sometimes you will have to let them in order to keep the peace. Just know, when your dad said yes to your surgery, we felt it wouldn't be a problem because you are home-schooled plus you live in the boonies where no one can ask you to take your clothes off. Here, they will."

Victor looked at her with a horrible realization of what she was really saying. "You mean boys won't care that I am a boy too."

"No, they won't. They will want to exploit your body, play with it, see what a girl looks like. They could even try to abuse the hole we created for you. Believe it or not, spending a month or two as a girl will let you better appreciate how you could be misused in the future. This may well be a blessing in disguise. Learning this lesson early will protect you for the next eight years."

She reached down and gave him a hug, "Look Victor, Cindy and I will be here tomorrow to teach you how to act like a girl. Remember, your little brother or sister is counting on you. I'm counting on you too. I need to get to the bottom of what is happening to your grandmother too."

They both heard his grandmother coming down the hallway. "Vicki, you look so pretty in that dress. Hello Dr. Alvarez."

Victor looked at his grandma and then at the doctor. He took a deep breath. "Thank you Grandma, but I don't feel pretty." He found himself going up to her and hugging her. "I love you Grandma." She bent down and kissed him on the head. For the second time that day, he felt a warmth that radiated through his body. He let go and she went into the kitchen and he heard her running the water in the sink.

As Dr. Alvarez went to check on his grandmother, he presented his final argument to her, "But what about my seeing girls in the girls bathroom."

"Truth is Victor, you look like them now. You won't be seeing anything you don't have right now. Frankly, if you have any curiosity about girls your age, just look in the mirror." He stood there stunned by the suggestion. He couldn't argue with it at all. In fact, he realized he would someday do just that.

The phone rang and he answered it, "Martin's residence. May I ask who is calling please?"

"Victor, you did that so well. Your mom is so proud of you."

Victor brightened, "Hi mom. I love you and miss you. Daddy too!"

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes mommy, I am. I still have a lot of bruises that are healing. And the cushion I had hasn't come back."

"That's concussion sweetie. I sure miss you." She laughed at his use of the word cushion.

"How are you mommy? Do you feel the baby yet? Daddy says that he can see the baby move in your belly."

He heard a good laugh. "Well, he or she kicked me today. I am going to have to have a word with the baby when he or she comes out."

"Did I kick you?"

"Sure did."

"Sorry mommy, I didn't mean to hurt you. Howse Susan doing? Tell her I miss her too."

"She is in Truth and Consequences staying with her cousins. She'll come back when you come back. Can I talk to the doctor now, please?"

He put the phone down and went into the kitchen. "Dr. Alvarez, Mommy wants to talk to you."

Dr. Alvarez picked up the phone, "Hi Sally. How are you feeling?"

"Just fine. My blood pressure seems stable. But, I would love Victor to come home if possible."

"Well, your mother-in-law may have a cold which means Victor will have it next. There is also the fact we have to keep an eye on him. If he has any headaches, we need him to come to the hospital right away. No, I think his being here for a month won't hurt. Plus, you know darn good and well you would start taking care of him and what that means. So just relax and enjoy this quiet time your mother-in-law is giving you and Alex. Just remember, I am scheduled to induce you just after he comes back anyway. On the flip side, I think he is doing his grandmother a lot of good. They get along really well."

After the call, Dr. Alvarez and Victor helped his grandmother get back in bed. "I have a few pills for you I picked up from the pharmacy. I also picked up a CPAP machine for you. This is to allow you to sleep better Mrs. Martin. I am going to check you now. Why don't you go out front and wait for me Vicki." Victor went up front to wait on the Doctor to come back.

After she came back, Dr. Alvarez explained to Victor, "Cindy is coming over in a little while. She is going to check out what clothes you have in your closet. She is also going to look over the house and give you a list of chores that need to be done. Those things you can't do and your grandmother can't do by herself, she will help with. Tomorrow afternoon, Cindy and I are going to take you over to Walmart and my office. That way we can fill in any blanks in your wardrobe and personal needs. And then Monday will be your first day of school."

"Okay. I guess."

"By the way, how loudly does your grandmother snore?"

"Pretty loudly."

"Thanks, that confirms my suspicions. I have to leave now. You should be fine, I have put your grandmother on a CPAP machine and I think that will do wonders for her. So, if you hear a machine in her room, don't panic."

Victor smiled, reached out and hugged her. "Thank you. I felt so scared." She lightly ran her fingers through his hair. Then, without thinking, he took her hand and they walked to the door. He opened it and said, "See you tomorrow."

To their surprise, Aurelia was standing outside with her mother about the knock on the door. "Hi Vicki, my mom and I would like to know if you would like to come with us tomorrow to Las Cruces. We are going shopping for swimming suits."

Her mother then added, "Oh hi Dr. Alvarez, how are you?"

"Just fine Maria. Vicki told me she met someone earlier. Was it Aurelia here?"

"Yes. She was hoping that Vicki could join her. We're going shopping in Las Cruces for summer clothes too."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Cindy is taking Vicki over to Walmart tomorrow to get her things for school since she will start going to Monument on Monday."

"You're going to my school?!" Aurelia reached in and grabbed Victor's hand and pulled him outside. She gave him a hug. He found himself hugging back.

"Yes, it is so his grandmother can rest during the day. And it means she has kids her own age to be around and doesn't get into mischief. Mrs. Martin is too old to take care of an injured girl. So, Principal Torres is putting her in Mrs. Herrera's third grade class on Monday."

"You'll be in my class too? Awesome!" Victor shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Aurelia added, "We can walk together to school. We'll have so much fun, you and I."

Victor, feeling a little overtaken by her enthusiasm, said shyly, "That would be wonderful."

"Mama, can I please show Vicki my room?"

A wry smile came over Dr. Alvarez's face. "Maria, there are two nice chairs here. Why don't we sit here for a while talking and let them get to know each other."

Speaking to the two girls, she said, "Okay, but the doctor's time is valuable. How about, thirty minutes"

"I think that will be perfect. Just what the doctor ordered." The two women giggled at the doctor's joke.

Victor took Aurelia's hand and they walked across the street. He had been in Susan's room a hundred times. But, she didn't much care for his room. It was bland according to her. That was true. His parents wanted to be able to move him around at anytime because their house was also the bunk house for the summer staff. However, Susan's parents liked to spoil their little girl. Their place was just a three room mobile home with an exterior roof built above it. Victor wondered if her room would be like Susan's. Aurelia's house reminded him of his home in Silver City. Both were a single story with concrete block that was stuccoed over. He liked the rough look of the exterior wall. The wood posts holding up a little roof over the front door was painted a dark brown. He noticed as they entered the paint was peeling. The door was also brown and needed painting. When they entered the home, she commented, "My older sister. Mercedes, is at high school rehearsing a play she is in. She's fourteen."

Aurelia kept guiding her to her room past photos on the wall. Some were ancient black and white photos showing little splash of a rusted color. The people looked almost fake and painted in. They wore full dresses and suits that looked heavy and from a time in which everyone must have been begging to take them off they were so hot. Aurelia's room was bright and cheerful. The walls were pink and she had blinds and curtains on her window. The furniture was a yellowed white enamel that looked like it was handed down to her. Off in the corner sat a familiar sight. It was a collection of Barbie dolls. Ken was driving a Malibu car that had seen better days. She released his hand and he went to the dolls. "Do you like them?" she asked.

Victor found himself giggling. "Susan and I play pretend games with her dolls. Ken and Barbie have a fight. Ken and Barbie have a baby. Ken and Barbie go horseback riding. Barbie is a princess who has eaten an evil apple and needs Ken to kiss her." He picked up a Barbie Doll wearing a tutu and with a practiced silly voice said, "I am going to be a ballerina and go to school in Paris at a dance academy if only Ken would find that pendant for time travel."

"Oh, that sounds fun. I've never heard that story before."

"Susan's parents have a hard drive that their friends sent them of television programs. There’s a television series she likes to watch about a girl who is transported in time and who is a ballerina."

"Do you watch it with her?"

"No, my parents don't want me watching much television. They tell me that living where I am, I will have to use my imagination." He looked around him at the room. "You have a pretty room. I like the curtains. They look like clouds. And are the sheets from the Little Mermaid movie?"

"Yes, they are." She grinned at her friend's likeing her room. It had been a while since someone had. "Thank you. I like my room. The morning sun wakes me up. I hardly ever have to set my alarm except in the winter. What time do you get up?"

"It depends. I get up at five during the summer. I have chores to do. I have to feed the horses. I have to clean the common bathrooms. Make sure they have toilet paper. Then I have to sweep and get the village store ready for the day. Then I have breakfast. Afterwards, I clean out the stalls and shovel horse poop into a pile. Dad uses a tractor to take it out to a field away from the village and tills it into the soil. He says with the new water tower we have he wants to plant pecan trees there. During the rest of the year, I get up at seven, have breakfast, and then take care of the horses and cleaning their stalls. After all that, I sit down and do my school work with Susan. Her mother or my mother watch over us and make sure we are doing our work. In the afternoon, Susan and I get to play. If we have done a really good job at school, we get to ride our horses to the creek and around the village. I love riding Henry."

"What's the village?"

"It's a summer retreat for a bunch of very rich software developers living in Phoenix. They want to use it to give their children a break from the summer heat of Arizona and after they grow up, Dad says they plan to turn the village into a summer camp. They are talking about naming it this summer. We just built a pool, so I can go swimming this summer. I was supposed to be taking swimming lessons in Silver City." He stopped short of telling her that it would be after little league. "I guess I will have to take them at the village now because the doctor says I can't go swimming until the middle of June because of all my injuries."

He looked over to her desk and saw a poster leaning up against the wall. It had clouds on top and a pond at the bottom. On one side it had rain and the other it had squiggly lines going up from the pond. "Is that your science project? Was it on the water cycle?"

"Yes! You had to do one too?"

"I had to do one last year. This year, I had to diagram a volcano. My dad took me a field trip up north to one. We visited this park that had different kinds of rock that a volcano leaves and an old volcano you can drive up to see. When we got to the top, we saw the caldera. I didn't even know New Mexico had volcanoes. Afterwards, we went up to Colorado to see some horses that daddy wanted to buy."

"What's it like being home-schooled?"

"I was in first grade and kindergarten. There, the teacher told us what to do. But, in home school, my Mom and Dad tell me what to do. Along with Mrs. King, Susan's mom. Most of the time, Susan and I study together. She's in second grand and I am in third. So, I help her with her homework after finishing mine."

"That's awfully nice of you."

"She's more like a sister than just a friend. We doing everything together."

There was a knock on Aurelia's door. "Aurelia, Honey, it's time for Vicki to go home."

When he crossed the street, he found Dr. Alvarez waiting for him. "Did you have a good time?"

"Oh yes. She is very nice."

"Good. Being a girl for a month or so isn't going to be that bad, will it?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I am still a boy. But, it is nice to have a friend again." He gave her a hug and waived goodbye.

He could hear the machine in his grandmother's room and wondered what it looked like as he clean the kitchen. It wasn't needing much cleaning, but between being bored and having become accustomed to doing chores, it was a sensible way to pass the time. After he finished, he sat in the living room wating for Cindy. Looking across the street, he ached to be with Aurelia. After a while,, he saw a car drive up and a young woman get out. He opened the door for her, "Hi Victor, I'm Cindy. May I come in?"

She came in with a few packages from Walmart. "I need to put these away." The two headed off to the kitchen. "I guess I will call you Vicki from here on out, but I want to make sure you know I am doing it because I don't want to reveal your secret by mistake. Okay?" Victor nodded. "Where's your room. I want to check out what clothes you will need to buy tomorrow." Victor took her hand and guided her to his aunt's room. She let go and went to his dresser. "Looks like you have enough underwear. But, its old. Best to get you new panties. Let's see. You have t-shirts, oh, no, they're camisoles. Guess a few new ones will help." Going to his closet, she remarked, "Like that dress you are wearing, these are certainly dated. You need to blend into the student population. So, we'll help you there."

"Cindy?"

"Yes."

Victor repeated a question he heard his dad ask his mom on occasion when she went shopping. "Where is all the money for this coming from?"

She stopped and looked at him. "I don't suppose it will hurt to tell you. Your lawyer. I heard that the driver that hit you was found to have beyond the legal limit of alcohol in his blood. And since he was driving a company truck, that means your lawyer is going to sue them for a lot. He wants you to look good for some sort of questioning that the other side will do."

"But, I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Nobody said you did. Don't stress over it. The doctor says your lawyer is a good guy and knows what he is doing. The mine owners hate him. Okay, tomorrow, we are going to get you school suplies, clothes, pierced ears, and a make over with a friend of mine."

Victor eased himself up onto his bed. The soreness of his body was exerting itself against him today. "I'm still a boy. I don't know about getting my ears pierced."

"We know. The reason for the makeover is your grandmother and the school. Dr. Alvarez also feels that if you change your hairstyle and looks, your grandmother might benefit and you will benefit by looking more like a girl at school. At your age, usually it is just girls who have pierced ears. I am certified to pierce ears because I used to work in a tattoo parlor. The good doctor was certified too because certain of her patients like special piercings." She looked at him with a goofy grin. "Don't worry. We are doing just the ears. Besides, when you take out the ear rings at the end of May, the holes will close up by August. It will be as though you never had them pierced."

"Okay."

"But, Vicki, I bet you will have a blast if you just sit back and enjoy it. You are going to get so pampered. You will get all cleaned up and pretty."

Victor thought back to all the fun he had at the village. "I don't mind getting dirty. I love riding my horse, Henry. I get all dirty and smelly. I miss him. I miss Susan too."

"I bet you don't miss the chores." She looked at his sour face. "No, you really miss the chores too, don't you?"

"My dad makes them fun. After creating a manure pile, he lets me ride the tractor with him. And after, I do my chores during the week, he and I go out with Susan to fly kites. Or, he'll take us to the shooting range and teach us how to shoot a rifle. Sometimes, he drives Susan and me to Buckhorn for ice cream from the gas station. He and Jerry will talk about sports and other stuff. Since he got this job, I get to see my dad almost all the time I want. My dad is cool. I don't think he will want to do that with me as a girl."

"Chin up, it will be at least a month before you can go riding again. You have to let yourself heal. You'll be back to being a boy soon. By the way, I have some not so nice news for you. Your grandmother confessed during her examination that she threw away your 'disgusting and smelly clothes' this morning."

"Oh now that means I have no clothes!"

"No. You are just stuck wearing your aunt's old clothes, I guess, until we can get you boy clothes to replace them. In the meantime, if there is any change in your grandmother's condition, you are to call Dr. Alvarez first. If she doesn't pick up, leave a message telling her what is happening. Then call me if you don't get her and do the same. Our numbers are next to the phone."

Cindy stuck around and helped him microwave his dinner. His grandmother was sleeping deeply, so they decided to leave her alone for the night.

With the lights off in the room, he stared at the ceiling thinking about the day. It really hadn't been so bad. Meeting Aurelia was really nice. He could tell she was kind hearted. But, who was this girl that hurt her at school. That part wasn't fun. No, if he was going to have to be a girl, he would make sure he did what he could to be Aurelia's friend. He didn't like being the oddball in first grade.

As he turned his head on the pillow and looked toward the dimly lit Back Street Boys Poster, his last fleeting thought before he entered the land of nod was, "Why did I call Mom Mommy?"

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