Gary had gone to see a basketball game with his friend, Jon. Well into the game Gary hurt by a basketball player chasing a ball and him running up into the stands. Gary had helped cushion his fall with his body. No, he had not intended to be a hero nor a cushion.”

Caryn’s identity became known when they insisted he is seen in the arena’s Med Clinic. And now Gary’s returned home worrying if this would interfere with homecoming and cross-country running.

I wanted to cry as we went home from the basketball game; my lower leg had a bruise that should disappear, but my thigh had a good size welt from the guy’s knee ramming into me. My ribs hurt as well. I’d cry, but I’m sure my friend Jon wouldn’t understand. He’s neither a runner nor does he see himself as a girl.

If the two pain pills were working, I’d hate to feel all the pain. Jon jokes with me and that helps to get through the ride home. I did call ahead and asked if we had crutches. Katie’s reply was, “Don’t tell me that was you in the stands that got hurt when Jackson landed on someone in the stands. The sportscaster said it was lucky for Jackson you were there as he didn’t really get hurt… There was no word on your injuries by the time the game ended.”

“Sarai called, asking if you went to the game with Jonathan. As someone said he was near where the person got hurt.”

“I want to know why you girls were watching the basketball game,” I asked?

We were pulling up to the house when Katie said, “When Caryn and I are alone as sisters I will explain it to you.”

Jonathan honks the horn and Dad and Katie were soon out to help me into the house. Jon joked with Katie, “Guess what Dr. Meg saw when she had to examine Gary? It was a remnant of Caryn’s clothes. It served him right he was to fully be Gary today.”

Dad was helping me to the couch, and Jon left after talking to Katie. Katie said, “I hope you got more sympathy from Jon riding home?”

I said, “He jokes with me which helped pass the time.”

Dad said, “Katie, joking is a guy thing you wouldn’t understand.”

Katie was soon on her phone texting Sarai, “It was Gary who got hurt. You might want to come over to our house, he’s home.”
Sarai quickly called, “We’ll soon be there, Ashley’s giving me a ride over.”

Mom had come from the laundry room and was now having me strip to see if she could see anything. She agreed with me that the lower leg bruise was probably nothing. The welt on my thigh more significant and might cause me to miss my next meet. “Mom, that Saturday, I need to run that one.”

“Need to or not, I think you’ll be on the sidelines cheering Sarai and the others.”

Katie says, “Your big problem will be, will it show under the hems of your dresses.”

Mom said, “Katie, that’s not helping. Why don’t you get a pair of your shorts? I’m sure Sarai will want to see how hurt he is; she doesn’t need to see his panties or more as well.”

Mom turns to me, “I thought this was to be Gary’s day, what’s with the panties?”

“Not now Mom! I’m being punished enough.”

The doorbell rings and I yell out for Sarai and Ashley to come in. It was those two plus a much older cousin of Ashley’s, Lisa. She says, “I’m Lisa Camp, I don’t mean to intrude, but I’m a physical therapist/trainer. They urge me to come along.”

Sarai gave me a big hug and a small kiss. The hug was a little uncomfortable, and I guess I grimaced. Everyone asked where that hurt. It was the stretching up to hug her, there were several spots that ached. Lisa smiled, “I think those aches will increase over the day.”

Lisa had been talking to my mother, and I surmise they agreed I could use some personalized therapy. I hobbled to our guest room where she could check me over. I was able to keep on my shorts and panties, but my undershirt and shirt were taken off.

Lisa asked, “Gary, do I understand correctly that you are the improved runner at the high school? You have nice looking legs except for the two bruises. I would guess you don’t want to be out of running any more longer than needed.”

“I don’t want to be out at all. I have a meet Saturday morning; I plan to be in it at full speed. I’m not going to allow a little pain to stop me. No pain, no glory!” I bark out.

Lisa giggled, “That’s the boy in you, but I think you’d do better missing this one. I probably can help you to be back running soon, but not Saturday.”

I barked again, “Despite the shorts and how I look, I am a boy!”

She said, “It wasn’t to offend you or any dispersions about being Caryn. I’m on your side. Your legs are impressive girl or boy; I was talking about their condition. No disrespect, but I’ve seen some pictures Ashley has shown of you, and your legs to look good in a skirt.” It was then that I laughed and Mom and Lisa did as well.

Lisa did ask, “Seeing the tissue on your chest, I need to ask if you’re taking any hormone or other medication for that?”

Mom chimes in, “No she hasn’t, I mean him. He’s been wearing a bra much of the time and it has been over two weeks. Hopefully, they will disappear once this bet and homecoming is done.”

Lisa looks at my mom and me. I get the feeling she knows that I like this and things may not soon go back to the old normal. Finally, with her exam done, Lisa says, “If you want me to stop over here after work. My suggestion would be to start on Tuesday. Stretching and massaging some of the areas will stimulate a quicker recovery. I can also give her, I mean him, things to do. We’ll even have him walking and then jogging to help keep the muscle tone.”

Lisa turns to me, “I’m sorry about the wrong pronoun. I…”

I interrupted her, “Don’t worry, you’ll probably see me as Caryn, so instead of worrying about it; you might as well call Caryn or Gary, he or she, and not worry about it.” I joked, “If we were in my room I could show you one dress for homecoming.”

Lisa and Ashley were soon gone with me having thanked them both. Sarai had stayed to spend time with me. One good sign was Meg’s pain pills had either helped or I didn’t have much pain any longer.

Sarai laid down with me until I fell asleep and then she quietly left. It was a little after eight that evening when I finally woke up. And the pain had not gone away. The bruise to the thigh was turning a bluish purple. I felt a few more sore spots around my upper torso.

Mom talked to me about seeing a doctor for a closer exam and to have x-rays
checked by another set of eyes.

“Mom, I think it might be a good idea, but I’m sensitive about seeing Doc Gamble as I am.”

Mom asked, “How would you feel about going to my clinic? They have a sports medicine person, and I’m told she’s quite good and thorough.”

“Mom, your clinic is for women, and I’m Gary.”

“But tell me, are you not wanting to see Dr. Gamble because of how you look presently? I’m sure Dr. Michelle Watts will have good discretion, plus she’ll probably pick up on things a general doctor might miss.”

I thought and then asked, “Are you sure they won’t turn me away laughing?”

Mom was forthright, “I’m pretty sure, but if they did, neither Katie nor I would be their patients.”

The next morning I was nearly through getting ready for school when my mom called to me. “Caryn, my clinic called back, not only are they open to seeing you Caryn, but they had a cancelation for two o’clock today. Dr. Watts will see you then but you need to be there no later than 1:40; they have forms you need to fill out. I’m giving Katie an excuse so she too can go with you. She will not be in for the exam, but I’d like two sets of ears bringing back Dr. Watts report.”

“I’m apprehensive about this, but thanks.”

Today at school I was able to focus on my academic schoolwork, not running, and I got another report done. Katie and I left school at 1:10 to get to the doctors on time.

Filling in the forms, I’d would whisper comments, like how I couldn’t answer some questions because they didn’t regard me. Katie whispered back, “Mark you’re not pregnant. You need to answer the question, or the machine might not accept your information.”

Ms. Lea called me to an exam room away from the others. She gave me a pink exam smock to change into saying I should keep my panties on. She had taken my weight, height, temperature, blood pressure, and asked a number of questions. She said, “I hope it didn’t bother you our asking if you are pregnant?”

I lied, “Not at all.”

“We’ve had a few boys mark other and say they only wished they were. Have you ever wished you could become pregnant,” she asked?

When I responded that I thought that was a silly question; Lea remarked, “By your appearance and coming to a women’s clinic, I guess you might call me silly.”

“Touché” I replied. Ms. Lea left and a few minutes later Dr. Michele Watts came in.

“So someone said you’re the person that the basketball player crashed into.” She continued to talk to me as she examined me. She did ask about the fatty tissue on my chest. “Are you taking any medicine to help them develop? It is a little much from just wearing a bra.” She asked me to push my panties down so she could examine my privates. “Did you know your testes have not fully lowered. They’re there and to an untrained eye they could appear normal.”

I replied, “Dr. Gamble says, I’m just a late bloomer.”

She hit a button and my x-rays showed on a screen, and she remarked, “The x-rays are not terrible, but they should have been better. I can’t see any breaks or line fractures. Meg was good at taking them as a precaution.”

I said, “Do you know who Meg is?”

Michele asks in reply, “Yes, was she any more impressed in meeting the famed Caryn than I am?”

I said, “You doctors aren’t impressed by the likes of me. You only put up with us because it pays the bills.”

Dr. Watts sits with a thump and look of displeasure, “I’m truly sad that you feel that way. Up until then…” She pauses in mid-sentence. “Sorry, I lost my thought. You are remarkable; whatever you think my motivation for saying it is. A young man having the discipline of stepping to a girl’s world and taking it in stride. Many have said, that you’re much improved, not only your running time but as a person.”

She said, “I do have different health concerns. That has to do with your testicles not having fully fallen, the fatty tissue that is being shaped by the bras you are wearing.”

I ask, “What do you mean, I have balls like the guys my age!” I didn’t mean to say it so crudely. “Sorry about the way I said that and what I said before. It is like I have what my Mom calls a knee jerk reaction.”

“I kind of like dressing and being around the girls more, but then as Gary, I shouldn’t and I lash out. Do you know what I mean? I even like you and I know you are not judging me, but I feel like you should. When I was little I liked playing with other girls until I had it reinforced that I shouldn’t. My cousins Jeff and Bill helped get that across to me.”

Dr. Michele smiles, “You are correct, it is safe to say what you are thinking around here. I’m not questioning that you are a boy, but your testicles have not completely fallen. They usually would have for a boy your age. It could mean you are not producing as much testosterone as some other boys.”

“You’re saying I’m not a normal boy?”

Dr. Watts says, “No, normal varies for boys as well as girls. But instead of the acne, some other teenagers are having; it might indicate why you have such a nice complexion.”

“Thanks, Dr. Michele. I’m not exactly sure what pleases me more, being able to pass as a girl, to have Sarai and the other girls as friends, or my improvement as a runner and getting the attention that way.”

Dr. Watts says, “That is a good observation. Seemingly your life has changed a fair amount in just a short period of time. Those things can easily play on a teenager’s psyche.”

“I’d ask you more but we’ve run out of time; I have another appointment that has already been waiting. I was wondering if you’d like another appointment next Monday. Probably not if you’re sure you’ll be back to just being Gary after homecoming.”

I say to her, “My first meet next week is on Tuesday and I’d need you or another doctor’s approval to be able to run in it. One more appointment would be helpful.”

“If you brought a swimsuit as requested I want you in our whirlpool for twenty minutes before you leave today. And you could use being in a whirlpool again tomorrow and Thursday morning. It doesn’t need to be here, but schedule it if you want one or both.”

Katie, who was in for the last part of my appointment, said, “Caryn has a suit with her. She’d need to be Gary to use one of the boys' whirlpools, but Mr. Brock won’t be pleased or any too nice with him when he does.”

Dr. Michele had left, but Nurse Hall asked, “Katie could you have Caryn here tomorrow or Thursday morning between six-thirty and seven a.m.?”

There was a quick “Can do, both if helpful.”

The time in the whirlpool didn’t seem that great until it was time to get out and my thigh muscles were definitely more relaxed. By the time we got home, I knew why I needed to go back as my muscles were sore and becoming tightening again.

Katie and I talked as we went back home and it was more like sisters, “Katie, what can I do? Do I need to find a long dress for Homecoming? I don’t want the bruise to detract from Sarai and I being together, especially if she’s the Homecoming Queen.”

Katie inserted, “Or if you’re the Homecoming Princess, which I think is a very good chance.”

“Sis don’t tease me like that, I’m still a guy.”

“Are you now? I hope you will at least for this week have fun being the girl Caryn,” she replied.

“I confess only to you, you already know I like pretending I am.”

Katie said, “And I’m enjoying have a sister for now. My boyfriend even remarked that you’ve been good for me. Mark said the joy I have in having a sister, rubs off on our relationship. Plus he’s happy that I can shop with you instead of him.”

“I do think I’ll be a better boyfriend in the future; I’ll better appreciate a girl’s point of view.”

Katie whispered as we drove up to our home, “Do you ever think you're in danger of becoming transgender?”

The car was parked and turned off, and I didn’t mean to say it out loud, “I don’t think I could give up my boy parts.” Katie looked over and put her right hand on my hand.
“You probably already know that is not a requirement of being transgender. You’ve accepted being a girl weeks ago and it is becoming of you. Today you went to a women’s doctor and freely scheduled to go back.”

She added, “Do you know Cousin Marti is thinking of inviting you to be a bridesmaid next year?”

“No, I didn’t. But even if I did it would just be a matter of makeup and clothes…”

Story to be continued…