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The next morning, I went to meet Jess and found her waiting for me in front of her house.

"Good morning, Sam. How did you sleep?"

"Good morning, Jess. No so well, actually. I am a bit worried about going to the hospital again this afternoon for the ultrasound. What if they find something wrong with me?"

"I wouldn't worry so much. They just want to know what is going on inside of you I think. And for something being wrong with you, isn't it why you are going there in the first place? To find out why aren't you developing like you should? "

"That's true, but but I can't help getting nervous."

"I understand, Sam. Probably I would be nervous too if I were in your place."

"Let's change the subject, I don't want to think about it right now, okay?"

"You know, I was thinking about what you said yesterday."

"About what exactly?"

"About what you called 'the incident'. "

"What about it?"

"Are you sure that Stephanie is the one responsible for spreading the pictures? I mean, you said you two have been best friends all your life, right? Don't you think it's strange that she would throw away such a long time friendship like that?"

"I... I never thought about it, but who else could have been? She was the one who took the pictures."

"That is true, but did you try to talk to her about it?"

"No... I didn't. She tried to, and but I couldn't do it."

"Why not?"

"Because I couldn't bear the prospect of her telling me that she did it. It would hurt too much."

"More than spending almost a year hurting everyday for not knowing for sure? Maybe even hurting for something she might have not even be responsible?"

"Why do you think she might not be responsible?"

"Because she was your friend for a long time. I just got to know you and already care about you a lot. Also, I think she probably is a good person or she wouldn't have been your friend for so long."

"I don't know. Do you think I might have overreacted?"

"I don't know, maybe. Do you want to do something about it?"

"But... Never mind, it's too late anyway. I bet she won't talk to me anymore even if I try. Just drop it."
  

  

The morning was uneventful to say the least. I did talk to Jess between classes, but other than that I was mostly ignored by the other students. I had to eat my lunch alone though, Jess said she had something to and couldn't eat with me today. I was a little disappointed as I was looking for eating with her, but it's not like I'm not used to eat alone. I just hope she isn't having second thoughts about being my friend. I know it can't be good for her socially to hang out with me.

Right before the end of the lunch hour she came back and we talked a bit before we had to go to class. What she had to do, I have no idea, nor she said anything about it.

The rest of the school day was pretty much like the morning, something that I was actually thankful for. I was getting more nervous as the time passes by and could hardly pay attention to the lectures.

The final bell came with a mixture of relief, excitement and fear. I met with Jess and we walked back to her place together. I guess she picked up on my nervousness and tried to reassure me that everything would be fine and that there was nothing to be afraid for. Other than that we didn't talk much. When we got to her place, she invited me in, but I said I couldn't because I wanted to take a shower before going to the hospital. She looked a little disappointed but said she understood. She gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek. "For good luck." She said and we made plans for me to call her later.

  

  

I had just finished getting dressed when my mom got home and a few minutes later we were on our way to the hospital.

You know, time is an odd thing. Have you noticed that when you are excited about going somewhere it seems it takes forever for it to pass? And when you are nervous and scared, it seems that it takes no time at all.

So, there I was at the hospital and a nurse made me drink what I could swear it was a gallon of water. I thought I wouldn't be able to drink it all, but somehow I managed, but the worst part was to wait after drinking that much because I needed to go BAD and they didn't let me, bummer. At least it did take my mind of the upcoming test for a little while.

The nurse asked if I wanted my mother to accompany me and I said that I would insist on her doing so. We were led to the room were I was going to have the ultrasound had I was instructed to undress to my underwear and given one of those horrid hospital paper gowns to put on. "To preserve the modesty" she said.

After I "changed" I got out from behind the screen and a female radiologist instructed me to lie down on my back on the exam table. She then removed the town from my lower abdomen and spread something warm on my tummy. She pressed then pressed some sort of contraption against my tummy and started moving it around. That made me almost pee myself right there. She kept moving the thing around and looking at a screen, she would move the thing, stop on a spot, press it a bit harder moving it a little, make a face and press a button. I guess she was taking pictures. That or she really wanted me to pee myself. After what felt like an eternity, she gave me some paper towels for me to clean off the gel.
"How did it go?" I asked the radiologist.

"Everything went perfectly, sweetie. Now I just need to send the results to your doctor."

"Not that. I mean is everything okay?" I asked.

"I really can't say anything sweetie, your doctor will be the one to interpret the images. I can't say if there is anything wrong. I just know to my eyes everything seems to be in the right places."

I felt a relief at that moment. Nothing seemed out of place inside me, so that probably meant that I was normal, right? My relief was only temporary as I heard the technician talk to my mom.

"You have such a pretty daughter. I sure hope the doctor gives you some good news." She said.

"Daughter? That's my son." My mom said.

"B..but in the ultrasound images she... he... she... has..."

At that point was feeling a little light headed as I was starting to hyperventilate, shocked that she thinks I'm a girl after the ultrasound and trying to put on my pants at the same time when I lost my balance, falling down and I felt my head hit something before everything faded away.

  

  

When I woke up, I was confused for a moment as I expected to be in my room, but what I saw was a room with white walls, a beeping sound and a throbbing pain in my head. I looked around and saw mom, sleeping on a chair next to the bed I was laid on and I noticed I was in the hospital.

I started to sit down and I think that woke mom up, because she stirred at that moment and opened her eyes.

"Mom? What happened?"

"How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"My head hurts. Why am I in the hospital?"

"Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Why you came to the hospital."

"We came to do the ultrasound. The last thing I remember was going behind the screen to change back into my clothes and then... nothing. Did something happened?" I asked feeling confused.

"You fell and hit your head. You have been unconscious for almost 2 hours."

"I don't remember falling down. Wait, I think I remembered something." I said feeling worried.

"What?"

"When the test finished I really needed to go pee. I hope I didn't embarrass myself after I lost consciousness."

"Don't worry about it. It was perfectly understandable due to the circumstances."

"Are you telling me that I wet myself? Oh gosh, this is so embarrassing." I said lowering my head and bringing my hands up, trying to hide the look of shame on my face.

"It was an accident sweetie. There's no shame in that."

"Can we go home now? I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"I'll tell the nurse you are awake, but I don't think you are going anywhere today."

"Why not?"

"They want to keep you under observation as you probably have a contusion."

"As long they don't keep poking needles up my arm I won't complain."

  

  

My mom called the nurse and the nurse said that a doctor would come to see me soon.

"Mom, how did the ultrasound go? Did Dr. Campbell see them? Are they normal?"

"Sweetie, it is better if you let him tell you. We were going to come back tomorrow to talk to him because of the time of the test, as it would be way outside his shift. But when he heard you were admitted, he asked the nurses to page him as soon you wake up."

"You mean he is coming back here because of me?" I asked and she nodded.

"Call him and tell him I can wait until tomorrow. There is no need for him to come back."

"I can't, I tried and he said he is doing this because his daughter would kill him of he didn't bring her here."

"She has him wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?"

"Definitely."

  

  

A middle aged man came inside the room and introduced himself as Dr. Greg Ferguson. He passed a light in front of my eyes and asked me how I was feeling, if I had a headache (Duh.. of course I had I hit my head, remember?), dizziness (no) and a bunch of questions before saying that apparently I had just a minor contusion and would be able to go home tomorrow.

It didn't take long after that for Jess to come running through the door and give me a bear hug that if I wasn't already in the hospital would probably send me into one.

My mom left the room, probably to give us some space and talk to Dr. Campbell.

"I... c...can't ... breathe ..."

"Sorry." She said and stopped hugging me.

"I didn't mean for you to stop hugging me, I just wanted you to not squeeze me so tight." I said blushing .

"You got me so worried." She said hugging me more carefully this time.

"Hey, I just hit my head. Good thing I'm thick headed or I would be in trouble." I said trying to cheer her up.

"That's not funny." She said and giggled.

"Yes it is." I said giggling with her.

"I brought someone that wants to see you. Please, promise you are going to stay calm and listen to her, okay?"

"Huh? Okay?" I wondered who she brought with her, or even who would want to see me.

She went out of the room and pulled in a very nervous looking Stephanie.

"Steph! What are you doing here?" I asked surprised.

"I was worried about you. I was talking to Jessica when she got the news you had an accident here at the hospital. I wanted to come right away but she convinced me to go to her home and she would bring me here later."

"But why we're you worried about me? After what happened I thought..."

"You thought wrong. I wasn't the one responsible for what happened. It was the jerk that calls himself my brother. He saw the camera and when he saw the pictures he thought it would be funny to send them to a few of his friends. I tried to talk to you for weeks but you never gave the chance."

"You mean that you had nothing to do with it?"

"No I didn't, and I tried so hard to talk to you but it was like you closed yourself inside a shell. No one could reach you."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of my friends tried to talk to you too, you know. But you thought they were trying to make fun of you and dismissed them without listening."

"You mean I wasn't being ignored?"

"Not at first, but after a few weeks we all stopped trying, we figured out you wanted to be left alone for a while and when you were ready you would come to talk to us. It was you that were ignoring everyone and not the other way around."

"I talked to Steph today during lunch and she told me everything that happened from her point of view and I knew I had to do something to patch things up between you." Jess told me.

"Oh gosh. I never knew." I said feeling ashamed.

"You were always stubborn but this was over the top Sam."

"I'm so sorry, Steph. What can I do to make things right?" I asked her with tears rolling down my cheeks.

"You could start by giving her a hug." Jess said and we hugged crying together.

  

  

We were still hugging when mom came back with Dr, Campbell. "So you two finally patched things up, I see."

"I think so." I said drying my eyes.

"Yes, we did. Finally." Steph said.

"We just needed a little help from our newest friend." I added.

"It is good to see you are making friends so quickly, Jess." Her father told her. "But unfortunately I need to ask you and your friend to leave the room as I need to talk to Sam about the test results."

"Can they stay?" I asked.

"If it's that what you want and your mother agrees, yes. It is a very personal matter."

"Steph has been my best friend since my earliest memories, and she knows everything about me, also I don't want to have secrets between us. One time we didn't tell the other what we were feeling and tried to work things out, almost destroyed a life long friendship. Although I met Jess just a few days ago I feel a deep connection to her and, in such a short time she proved herself to be a great friend and a very caring person. I think I can trust them both."

"After that speech I don't think I can ask them to leave the room. They can stay of they want." Mom said.

"There are a few things I have to tell you, but I'll start by saying that apparently you are completely healthy kid"

"That is a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes it is, but we also found some anomalies in your exams. The first exams showed that your male hormone levels were very low, but also showed your estrogen levels at normal levels for a boy of your age. Also your physical development, height and weight is behind other boys."

"That we already knew or suspected, that's why we made the exams, right?" I more than said than asked.

"Right. With the physical exam and the initial X-Rays I found some anomalies, and that's why I asked for the ultrasound."

"What did you find out?"

"We found things that at first we though were anomalies, and they are if you consider that the patient is male, but the number of anomalies drop to almost 0 if the patient is female."

"But being that I am male it means that there is something wrong with me?"

"Dad, just give it straight, stop beating around the bush." Jess said angrily.

"Sorry Sam. I'm going to tell you what we found out. We discover that other than what appears to be a very underdeveloped penis there is nothing male about your body. Everything that shows you completely outside the development norm for males, shows you inside, even if in the low side of the norms for females."

"But what made you decide to compare me to females?"

"Because of what was found in your ultrasound. We found a complete set, even if a little underdeveloped, of a female reproductive system."

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To Be Continued...