Zach’s Meteor

I was born in a small town, as the song says, but unlike the song, I managed to find a way to leave it behind, and until recently, I thought I thought I would never come back.

Until the day Zach’s meteor changed everything.

My way out of my small town was through medicine. I got into med school, and ended up taking Psychology, and became a psychiatrist who specialized in gender issues.

You have no idea how prevalent this is, but there are darn few of us who are willing to help the sufferers. Almost as soon as I hung up my shingle, as it were, my appointment book filled to overflowing with men and women who in one way or another dont fit the gender norms.

Why had I gotten into this particular specialty? Well, for the same reason I couldnt stand to live in my home town any longer. I’d had a friend who was a girl in every way except what was between her legs and to say she had a hard time of things is putting it nicely.

When she died, I vowed I would do everything I could to make sure that girls like her got the help they needed, rather than the hate they sometimes received.

The day Zach’s meteor hit, didnt seem any different than any other. I heard about a meteor shower coming, but not being a stargazer, I shrugged and let the thing go.

It was several months later that I got drawn into the whole issue. The one person from my hometown I still had contact with left me a message asking me to call him as soon as I could.

His name is Doctor Alan Brown, and yeah, he got ribbed for the last name during the 80’s, but for a small town GP, he was a pretty cool guy, and he had helped me a lot getting to where I am, so calling him back was a no-brainer.

So I ring his number, and when he answers, I say “Hey Doc. How goes the trip to the future?”

“Ha, ha, Adrien. How goes the head shrinking game?”

“Doing brisk business, as always. What’s on your mind?”

“Well, I got a bit of a situation here, Adrien. Is there a way you could come for a visit? Call it a consultation.”

‘What’s it about Doc? I have a lot of people here who need my help.”

“I... rather not talk about a patient over the phone, Adrien. But I really need your help, and so does my patient. And to be frank, it ... involves more than one person..”

I remembered all the times he’d helped me, and so at last I said, “Well, as it happens I have a week’s worth of vacation coming in two weeks. Is that soon enough?

“Okay, Adrien. And thanks.”

“No problem, Doc.” I said,, and then hung up the phone.

The next two weeks went by without much difficulty, but every once in a while I wondered what could possibly be going on that would make Doc Brown call me to come for a “consultation.” He knew what I specialized in, so the assumption would be it would have to do with that, but in that case, why not send the patient to me?

Finally, I had seen my last patient before my holiday, said good bye to my assistant who would be covering for me, and made the drive toward the place where I had been born.

It wasnt a long trip, physically, but it was worlds away from the life I now lived, and I had to admit I was more than a little nervous. How would I be treated, now that I was “big city folk”?

It was a pretty quiet day, with only a handful of people out on the main street when I drove in. I went to Doc Brown’s office, parked my car, and went into the small office.

The one thing new in the place was the receptionist.

A pretty blonde in her late teens or early twenties was at the desk, and she smiled when she saw me.

“Welcome home, Adrien.”

“Do I ... know you? I’ve trouble believing I would forget such a pretty face.”

She blushed, and said, “I’ve ... been through a few changes since you left.”

With that rather cryptic comment, she got up and sashayed to Doc’s private office. She knocked at the door, and said, “Adrien is here, Doc.”

Doc came out, looking as rumpled as his namesake from the movies.

“Thank you, Sabrina.” He said, and then took my hand. “Come. I’ll think better on a full stomach.”

We walked from his office to a little outside cafe and made an order.

Once it came, and he got a little food and coffee into him, he relaxed, and said, “Well, Adrien, you’re looking good.”

“Thanks. But you didnt bring me to town to make small talk.”

“Always straight to the point. First though, what did you think of my secretary?”

“Pretty girl. She seems to know me, but I dont recognize her.”

“That’s because last time you would have seen her, she was a him. That was Zack Murphy.”

I looked at him, waiting for the punchline. That girl, Zach Murphy? The son of one of the worst tormentors of my friend? He’d had colleges salivating to get a chance to talk to him when I left, the whole town loving him as the best football player seen in the area ever.

I looked at Doc and waited to see if he was going to crack a smile or tell me he was kidding, but he looked totally serious.

‘Okay, Suppose I believe you. Doesn’t explain why you called me to come. I mean, maybe I didn’t see the girl in her before, but there are a lot of my patients who try very hard to ‘man up’ for long stretches. ”

“That may be so, but how many of your patients were not willing participants in their .. transition, isnt it?”

“That’s the correct term. But what do you mean, not willing?”

“Perhaps its best to let her tell you the story. Care to come back to office, and she can tell you the whole thing?”

“Sure.” I said, and we settled the bill, and left.

We walked back to the office, and Sabrina was waiting for us.

“Doc told you about me?”

“Some. Hard to believe you used to be Zack Murphy, though. And what’s this about you being not willing?”

She laughed, and said, “Yeah, I could see how that would throw you. But its true. When this started, I was not a willing participant at all.”

I sat down beside her, and said, “Okay. Tell me all about it.”

“It all started the night of the meteor shower. One piece feel in the river that abuts our property, and I figured I’d go and see if it was worth anything. I’d heard some of these meteor fragments can be worth big bucks. The cold water of the river cooled it really quick, so I was able to pick it up and I took it home.

But something in the meteor started to transform me. By the end of the first day, I no longer resembled the football hero who had made his town and his dad so proud, instead I looked like like a feminized version of myself.

To say that I freaked out isnt putting too fine a point on it.

And my dad’s reaction was just as bad, if not worse.

He of course didnt believe me that this wasn’t my fault. All he could see was his precious dreams of me going to the pros collapsing on him, and as far as he was concerned I had betrayed him.

I ran out of there before he could show me his answer to that problem.

Not knowing what to do or where to go, I came into town and ran into Doc here. I guess I looked enough like the old me that he believed my story, and he took me to his house so I’d have a place to stay.

By the time I woke up the next morning, I was even more feminine-looking. I looked more like a tomboy girl than a guy, and there seemed no sign of the transformation slowing down.

By the next morning I no longer had male parts, and I had a pretty good set of breasts growing, and if it wasnt for Doc here I probably would have killed myself.

Once I was fully female he helped me find the information I needed to handle being a girl. By then I could go out in public and nobody would connect the new me with the old one, so with his encouragement, I picked a girl name, and started to try and make a new life for myself. He gave me a job working here as a receptionist, and I guess I’m doing as okay as I can be. And that’s my story, Adrien.”

I looked at this young woman, and remembering how her father had treated my friend, I felt compassion for her.

“Okay, but Doc hinted there was more than one person involved. Who is the other?”

“Well, I left the meteor behind me when I fled my home, Adrien. About three weeks ago, my dad stopped coming into town, and after that, nobody heard from him. Finally, Doc decided to pay him a visit, and well .... it must have taken longer to show the effects. He might not be the best person ever, but he still needed our help.”

“So it affected him too? Where is he?”

“He wont leave the farm, Adrien. We’re hoping that with your help we can convince him to at least let Doc examine him.”

I scowled. Did they really expect me to go to the aid of the man who drove my best friend to suicide? But on the other hand, he was still a human being, and didnt I become a doctor to help people?

I stood there for a long time, looking at this girl. If she could forgive her father for forcing her to leave, who was I to do any less?

“Fine. Lets go to your dad’s place.”

We went to my car, and drove out to the farm. To avoid the awkward silence that would have otherwise occurred, I asked Sabrina “All things considered, you’ve seem to adapted pretty well. How did that happen?”

“Doc helped a lot, but part of it was I realized I could let what happened victimize me, or I could do the best with what I had now. All I had to do was look at how my dad has lived his life. He was an athlete back in the day, and always blames an injury for not making it to the big time. He lives totally in the past, and cant seem to get over losing his athletic skills. That’s one reason he pushed me so hard. I guess he figured if he couldnt be a pro, he could be the father of one. If I had blown my knee or something, I might have ended up the same. So I’ve decided to take advantage of this change to be someone really different. I’m going to be a doctor, and make a difference in a way that throwing a football never would.”

“But being a girl ...”

“Is less of a big deal than I thought at first. Some things are different, but a lots the same, and at least I’m still young and healthy and have all my marbles. Could be a lot worse off.”

She sighed, and continued. “Look, I looked into the whole transgender thing, especially female to male, because that’s kinda what I felt like. I could bind my breasts, wear boys clothes and keep using my male name, but this body of mine may not let me take male hormones, or have surgery, so I’d always be kinda stuck no matter what. God bless those who would go that route anyway if it made them happy, but I’ve decided to give being a girl a shot.”

“Well, that’s ... really mature thinking.”

She laughed, and said, “I know. Football players are kinda always portrayed as being a little bit dim, but I would have aced college even without the free pass.people think athletes get.”

“How far along is your dad?”

“Not sure. he looked like a sissy, to use his term when he stopped going into town.”

“How can you forgive him for what he did?”

“Because he needs it. And I wasnt much different until my own transformation woke me up.”

“Because he taught you hate.”

“Maybe. But, I’ve learned better, and nobody would understand what he feels like better than me. Maybe I can teach him a better lesson.”

“Well, lets see if he’ll let us help him.” I said as we pulled into the long drive to the farm.

We knocked, and the door opened on its own. “Hello?” Doc shouted.

“Go away!” we heard.

“You need help, Mike.” I said. heading for the sound of the voice.

“Adrien? What are you doing back in town.” I heard from a bedroom.

“Believe it or not, your.... child has convinced me you to come. Even if you were a bastard.”

He/laughed, and it sounded hysterical. “More like a bitch, now.”

I had a bad feeling, so I smashed through the door, and saw him/her laying in bed with a large shotgun under his/her chin.

“Ummm. Mike? Could you maybe put the gun down, and we can talk about what happened to you?”

“Why? Cant live like this. I’m not a man anymore.”

“Neither am I, dad. But you can find reasons to live, if you want to.” Sabrina said, coming into the room.

“Zach? Is that ... you?”

“It was me, dad. I decided to call myself Sabrina now.”

He/she lowered the gun, and softly said, “That’s .. what your mother wanted to call you if you had been born a girl.”

“Yeah, I know dad. She and I had a few conversations before she died.”

“I ... I ...”

“Dad, its really up to you, but you can find a way to keep going. We’ll help, wont we Adrien?”

I gently took the gun away, and said, “Yes, we will.”

“Why would you help me, after what I did to Tom, to Zach?”

“Because your son has shown me a better way. Not forgiving you hasnt helped me at all. So maybe a little forgiveness will.”

“Okay.”

She took my hand, and i helped her out of the bed.

And into the future, one day at a time.