The Great Shift- Support Group
by Danielle J

Synopsis- Dr Anne Richardson was a struggling psychiartrist fresh out of her internship till the Great Shift happened. Now she has plenty of patients.

Author's Note- My first TG fiction story. It was first published in June 2000.

This story is dedicated to FM author Elaine who so kindly gave me some pointers
 

~*~
 
Today was to be Anne Davidson's first day seeing patients. Anne had just just recently completed her internship and opened her own psychiatric practice. She had joined with practices with another psychiatrist named Paul Ramsey.
She had only been practicing for 3 months and only was just beginning to build a patient base.

Then things had changed the great shift happened.

Anne was lucky in most ways from most of the victim's of the great shift. 92% of the human population found themselves in a different body. Over 50% found themselves a member of a different sex. Some had been transported great distances, but most had shifted to someone nearby. It was totally random without rhyme or reason. People found themselves in a different sex, race, some were in bodies of people much younger or older than their previous body. When the shift occurred there were many suicides, people killed themselves when they found out they had changed. There were also many fatal automobile and plane crashes in the wake of this still unexplained event.

Before the shift Anne had been 5'7 approximately 140 lbs., Blonde hair blue eyes. Nice figure, face, breasts were well proportioned to her figure, neither overly small nor large. Anne was just a week away from her 29th birthday the day the shift occurred.

Anne had been working late that afternoon at the office, she had one last patient that day and the patient had just left. Her receptionist was just cleaning up her desk and Anne had just finished using her private bathroom when she suddenly felt uneasy like something was tearing at her. Then the shift occurred.

The next moment Anne awoke and she found herself seated behind a desk. It was in her own office, and to her utter shock she discovered that she had become her receptionist Carmen. Then she heard a familiar scream from her office. Anne did not know what to do tried to get in the office but the door was locked from the inside. Anne returned to Carmen's desk where there was an emergency key to the office. When Anne finally got in she discovered the office and attached bathroom empty. There was an office window open that had been before and Anne went over to look at it. When she looked out the window she saw her body 4 stories down below on the pavement. Carmen had jumped to her death from the office window. Anne immediately fainted.

When Anne woke up she had no idea what to do. She picked up her purse and keys and left the office building. Outside it was chaos, people screaming and running everywhere, wrecked cars, bodies on the street. Anne headed right to where her BMW was parked and drove off. How the heck did this happen, she was now her secretary Carmen. Carmen was Puerto Rican, 5'5 but weighed a not so trim 150 lbs. She had dark brown hair and eyes and a very ample set of breasts and butt. Anne used to say to herself if Carmen could lose 20 lbs. she would look pretty good, Carmen's face was attractive it was just the rest of the body that needed work. See Anne was very much a lesbian. Had been as long she could remember and had a total dislike for men. She had no male friends worth mentioning she had found them to be patronizing and always using their brains that hung between their legs. Anne had a live in girlfriend named Florence who had a pediatric medical practice. Anne decided to drive to Florence's office.

It took 45 minutes to make the usual 15-minute drive to Florence's office. Anne had to carefully dodge the wreck cars and disoriented people who wandered in the roads. On the way Carmen turned on a news radio station where she heard some female announcer with a male name telling about some supernatural phenomenon that would later be called the Great Shift and how it was a world wide experience.

Anne arrived at her girlfriend's office building and the scene was even more chaotic than her own office building. There were adults and small children wandering around the lot and Anne had to be careful not to strike them. Anne got out of her car only to be approached by a 20 something year old woman.

" Where is my mommy?" The adult said as she started to cry.

Anne did not know what to do so she just walked by the young woman. Many adults were crying for their Mommies, so Anne rapidly concluded that many children had been switched with their parents and vice versa. There were even one or two adults sitting on the ground wailing like babies.

Upon entering the office the scene was still the same. The door leading into the doctor's office was open so Anne just walked in. Noone stopped her. Anne started looking for Florence. There were further scenes like the ones outside in some of the patient rooms. Finally Anne entered one of the rooms to find her girlfriend Florence on the floor crying like a baby. There was a young Hispanic woman with what looked like a newborn infant in her arms. The woman was stammering something in Spanish, but Anne's Spanish vocabulary was very limited.

"No intende espanol." Anne said.

The woman started speaking in broken English that her baby was not feeling well and what was happening. Anne suddenly realized that the mother seemed unaffected by what happened, but she was scared of what may have happened to Florence. Could Florence now be the woman's baby? The thought so thoroughly scared Anne that she ran from the building back to her car. Knowing nothing else to do she drove straight to her home. This normally 30-minute drive took well over an hour.

Anne spent the next few days at home. She hoped that some miracle would happen and Florence might come back to their apartment but as the days passed it appeared more and more unlikely. Anne became reconciled to the thought
that she would never see Florence again and she spent time crying about that and her own predicament. On the television there were reports about this unexplained phenomenon they were calling the Great Shift. No explanation could be given for the event except for some some large explosion in the American southwest that occurred just before the shift occurred. Various scientists appeared giving their theories but noone had any reason to think there could be a cure. Authorities were asking for calm and asking for people to try to return to their lives as much as possible. Anne soon felt that she was a lucky one, she was still a woman, and almost the same age as before, a different race but this was not bothersome to her. At least Anne could try to continue her life where it had left off. Some people were not as fortunate, being put into bodies either much younger or older than ones they previously owned.

Anne watched the interviews of people affected by the Shift and of psychiatrists who were offering advise to people on how to adjust. Then Anne got the idea of offering her services. She had a friend at the local CBS affiliate. So she called her. Shannon was not quite as lucky as her, she had switched with one of the male production staff at the station. After convincing Shannon who she was, Anne offered her services to the station. For the next few days Anne appeared on the Television station giving her advise to other victims of the Great Shift.

This immediately drew the attention of a local hospital. They wanted to set up various support groups for the victims of the Shift. So they contacted Anne and Anne immediately agreed. This would help her build a client base for her practice. With the shift there were going to be many people who would need her services.

It was now just 2 weeks since the Great Shift. Anne was sitting in her office preparing for her first support group meeting. Her receptionist, an 11 year old boy named Angela had shown the people to her conference room adjoining her office. The group was too big for her office. This support group was for men who were now in women's bodies. Anne was reading over some of the patient information sheets that these former men had filled out. Anne chuckled to herself. These men were finding out how it was with the shoe on the other foot! Well it was Anne's job to be a professional and help these people with their present situations. She just couldn't help find it amusing. Anne got up from her desk and walked over to the conference room.

When Anne entered the conference room there are 8 women or girls seated around the table. The youngest being 3 and the oldest being in her mid 70's. Anne took a seat at the far end of the rectangular table.

Anne began by introducing herself. "Hello my name is Dr Anne Davidson and welcome to the Male to Female shift support group. I myself like you in here have been affected by the great shift." Anne went on to tell about herself a little. Anne had put her new body on a strict diet and had already lost 7 lbs. and wanted to lose at least another 15 more. The only other problem she had with her own body was her sexual orientation. This body was in no way attracted to other females, but did find males attractive. Personally Anne found this totally repulsive. She only mentioned about the difference in appearance to her patients, not about her sexual orientation. They were here for therapy, not her.

" Well I think it would be a good idea if we all introduce ourselves." Anne said. "Tell us about yourselves before and after the shift. Also how you are adjusting and what problems you may be having." Anne added. Anne then asked the young woman on her left if she minded leading off. She said yes.

" Hi my name is Emiko or Tom." The woman said. She looked like a Japanese woman in her mid 20's. " I was Tom before the shift. I traded bodies with my girlfriend Emiko. She is now me. Emiko/Tom appeared to be little affected by the shift.

" How have you been doing since the shift?" Anne asked

" Ok. Emiko and me are still living together. We just have continued like nothing has changed." Emiko/Tom said. "Well this body is a lot different than my male body, I was around 6'5 and very muscular. Now I am barely 5' and rather weak. It has taken getting used to.

" You seem to be adjusting well." Anne commented.

" I don't know," Emiko/Tom went on. "Me and Emiko continued having sex in our new bodies after the shift. She says I should have had my period by now." Emiko/Tom was appearing more and more frightened as she went on. " I think I might be pregnant. I wasn't feeling very well this morning, Emiko made me an Appointment at a women's clinic tomorrow for a blood test. I am scared."

Anne was amused by the story she thought to herself. This former macho man now was a woman and probably knocked up by her former girlfriend. Well she had to remain her professional composure, but she found what happened to some of these patients very amusing. " Well you better make sure you keep the appointment. If you are pregnant you will need to take special care of yourself." Anne said then asking if Emiko/Tom wished to speak some more. She said no. So Anne asked the next woman at the table to speak. The woman next to Emiko was an elderly woman in her 70's who had been brought and helped by a nurse to the meeting. The nurse was seated at the back wall sitting quietly while the meeting went on. The old woman started to talk and it was apparent that it was not easy for her. "My name is Tom or Gretchen now. I was flying
home from a business trip when the shift happened. I was waiting in baggage claim. Then the shift occurred and I find myself here in this." The paperwork on Keith/Gretchen said that Keith had been shifted from the airport to a nursing home nearly 5 miles from the airport. Most shifts had occurred to people in close proximity to one another, but long distance shifts, even across oceans had occurred. The old woman tried pointing at herself. It was apparent that this woman had a tough time just talking she was so infirm and fragile.

Anne could not help feeling a little sorry for this person. They had basically been robbed of their life by the shift.

"I was 34 years old and I am now this, this.." The woman seemed on the verge of getting very ill when the nurse got up and came over to help. The nurse took some medication out of the bag and gave her a glass of water to help her take the medicine. In a few moments Keith/Gretchen appeared much calmer.

" Maybe we should let Tom talk again when she is feeling a little better." Anne said then nodded at the young girl seated next to the elderly woman.

The little girl spoke up. She was around 3 years old with long straight blonde hair down her back. "My name is David or Brittany now." She started to cry. " I was shifted with my great granddaughter Brittany when the shift occurred. I was a 81 year old man and was in a nursing home being visited by my Grandson, his wife and my great granddaughter." When the little girl mentioned his great granddaughter, she cried even more. The teenage girl on the left of the little girl tried holding her hand.

" Do you want to say anything else?" Anne asked looking sympathetic.

" I don't want to be Brittany. Brittany died of a heart attack right after we shifted. Oh Brittany I didn't mean this to happen." The young girl wailed. "I should be the one that is dead."

" You are not at fault for what happened." Anne tried to tell the little girl. " You need to accept what happened. It is not easy, I know it isn't easy for any of us."

" I just feel so guilty. Brittany had her whole life ahead and I was an old man, she didn't deserve this." The girl was calming down a little.

Well we are all here to help you." Anne said. She asked if David/Brittany wished to say some more. She said no. This was basically an introduction session at the moment, she would give her patients time to express their concerns about their new gender once the introductions were done. " Well you two came together, maybe it's best that you introduce yourselves. " There was a woman in her mid 30's seated next to girl who looked to be just about pre teenage in years. The older woman had a baby seat next to her with a small infant girl in it.

The young girl spoke up. " My name is Richard or now Michelle" and the girl nodded to the woman next to her " and this is my son James or Jimmy or oh heck she is in the body of my wife Rachel. I am in the body of my daughter." Jimmy/Rachel looked very uncomfortable and seemed to prefer if his Dad did the talking.

" How are both of you adjusting" Anne asked it was apparent it was not going too well.

" Well Jimmy took the body of his mother." The young lady was having a hard time talking about this " Seems my wife is now our baby girl. Rachel gave birth to Tiffany just a month ago. I became our other daughter Michelle. Now Michelle is me." Richard/Michelle stopped for a moment. " Why did this happen to us?" It was more of a comment than a question.

Jimmy/Rachel finally spoke up. " I don't want to be a Mommy."

A teenage girl seated directly next to Anne said " At least you aren't a teenage girl with all these horny teenage boys trying to get in your pants."

When Anne heard what Richard/Michelle said about his wife Anne felt bad for a moment. She thought about her Florence and how she was doing as an infant girl now. Anne turned to the teenage girl "We are all here to help one another. This is not easy for anyone."

" I just hate whining." The teenage girl said back.

Anne asserted herself to take control back of the meeting. " Jimmy you are a mother now and that infant needs certain things a mother can only do for a infant."

" I know. I just hate it when she sucks my breasts" Jimmy/Rachel said.

Anne tried to explain a little " A baby eventually will not need to be breast fed. Till then you will have to do the best. It's hard but I think you will be fine."

The father spoke up. "Jimmy will be going to a support group tonight for the new mothers too."

" Yes that sounds like a good idea." Anne said then asked if either Jimmy/Rachel or Richard/Michelle wished to say something else. They said no.

" Well I might as well start." Said an approximately 30-year-old woman. She was in the late stages of her own pregnancy obviously. "My name is Paul," and he pointed to a man seated against the wall "and that is my wife Kathy. We were at a Lamaze class when the shift happened."

Anne chuckled to herself, another man who was finding out how tough it was for women. Kathy looked so big that she might go into labor before the meeting ended. " How are you two handling life now?"

" Ok for the most part. My due date is day after tomorrow. I wish this would just end so Kathy and me can go on. We still love one another." The woman said, his wife was proudly smiling in his seat too.

Jimmy/Rachel's baby had started to cry. "Dad what am I supposed to do."

"Son I think it's feeding time." Richard/Michelle said.

"I know but I hate this." Jimmy/Rachel picked up the crying baby girl and without paying attention to the other people in the room undid a button on her blouse and exposed her breast. The baby immediately started to suck at Jimmy/Rachel's nipple. "Jeez how can you say things are ok?" The teenage girl was speaking again. " You are pregnant, got tits and a f.. pussy."

Anne noticed that Keith/Gretchen had fallen asleep. No use in waking her she thought. She did not like people interrupting other patients. She always wanted to keep group meetings orderly.

"Well me and Kathy have just decided to accept what has happened. Nothing can change what I am now. Between me and Kathy I will make it through this." The pregnant woman said. " This is our first child, we are still very
excited."

Most of the women at the table congratulated Paul and Kathy. Anne turned to the young African American woman seated next to Paul/Kathy.

" Maybe you should let her talk first." The African American woman said. "I am a little shy."

" Ok." Anne said and prompted the teenage girl next to her to talk.

" My name is Rick, I was home from College for the summer. I was the star linebacker for my college football team, I was considered a top pro prospect. Now I am a f.. girl!" Rick yelled. The girl was definitely attractive, even beautiful and was well endowed at what was a still young age.

Anne gave the teenage girl a disdainful look, she did not like cursing in her group meetings. " I know it's not easy, but I prefer if you didn't curse."

" You would curse too if you were a guy and now you were a teenage girl with a huge pair of hooters and a pussy," Rick exclaimed " Every horny teenage boy is hitting on me and my period started yesterday!"

Anne suppressed a smile. The last comment she found so funny, the poor thing was finding out about a woman's monthly cycle and finding out it wasn't such a joke. Also he was finding out that it was not much fun being the center of
attraction as a woman with men always treating you like a plaything. Anne went on. "Who did you trade places with."

"Carla, the girl next door." Paul/Carla had calmed down a little. " Carla keeps asking me for a date, I hate it."

Emiko/Tom spoke up from across the table. "Did you or are you going to go out with her?

Rick/Carla hung her head and said, "I don't know. Maybe"

Anne spoke up " Rick we are all in the same situation together. We can all help one another. I think you want to be helped, you came to this meeting. That shows something.

Rick/Carla smiled for a moment " I know. Thank You. This is just so difficult."

Anne turned to the last woman in the room "Do you want to introduce yourself." She was an attractive African American woman, with long brown curly hair. Anne noticed that she was definitely an well-endowed woman, Anne always liked a nice set of breasts.

" Hi I am Eric or now Latoya. I was a white truck driver till the Shift. I was watching some dancers at a topless bar when the shift happened, and I traded bodies with one of the dancers." Latoya actually looked totally unfazed by her new body, and seemed very confident. " How are you doing now?" Anne asked. Anne noticed that Keith/Gretchen's nurse had gotten up to care for the elderly woman.

" Actually I like it. When the shift happened I went home with my old body but I dumped her 2 days later. Men are so gross in bed." Latoya commented. "Actually I am now living with another one of the dancers named Katisha. Katisha was one of the unshifted ones. Katisha and I are" Latoya hesitated for a moment before going on " we are gay. We have been living as a lesbian couple."

Anne suppressed a smile. At least one former man had the common sense that two women loving one another was the greatest love possible. Anne was shaken by her revelry when she noticed the concerned look on the Nurse's face, the one caring for Keith/Gretchen.

The nurse said "Dr, I think she is dead." Anne immediately got up and felt for the woman's pulse, then checked her carotid artery.

"Tom please go outside and tell my receptionist to dial 911." Anne said, Tom/Emiko then hurried out of the room. " Ladies the rest of the meeting will have to be postponed. Please on your way out make sure my receptionist has all your telephone numbers. We meet again next Monday, same time." Anne appeared very calm. Everyone left the room but the nurse and her.

Anne never had a patient before. Then a lot of things were different after The Great Shift. Anne knew she would have plenty of patients to care for from now on.

The End