Gerold vs. the Good Old Boys

7/ Pro-active

By Jo Dora Webster

Cover Art by Melanie E.

How are Grace and Glory pro-active
the day before the article is published?

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7/ Pro-active

I woke refreshed in the morning and with permission finished my story. It was time to turn the tables on the good ol' boys. I turned it in to my real employer at the paper. My contact and co- writer on the story added revisions and more substantiating details. It went through to editorial for final approval and was scheduled as a front page story in the next day's publication. I received a call from the editor informing me of all this after they had acted on my story. The only question was going to be what my byline was going to be.

"Hello, Gloria. Your federal name change came through so your byline for the story will be your new name, Gloria Ann Mercer.

"Hello, Chief. That's good news. How did you like the story?

"Excellent work. So much so that we want to offer you a promotion and a position with our Denver affiliate, The Denver Post - Dispatch."

"I accept Chief. I'm not sure how long that I will be laid up with the complications from my brain tumor."

"I'm glad that you've accepted, Gloria. We feel that it would be better if you were out of state when your article is published. We've arranged for your transfer to become effective immediately and there will not be any gap in your insurance. We will cover the expense of an air ambulance and we highly recommend you leave the state today. We found a bed for you at University of Colorado Medical Center (UCMC) which is the premier hospital in the area. We've rented a house for you and will cover all moving expenses "

"Wow, Chief. I accept both the immediate transfer but also all the arrangements that you have made. I also have some medical arrangements with Jamie's Hope Foundation (JHF) which I hope to get to their facility once I am physically able to do so."

"Fortunately for you, JCF has a secret facility somewhere in Colorado so at UCMC you'll be even closer to their facility than you are now."

"Great, Chief. Please give my regards to everyone at the paper at the appropriate time and especially to my contact and co-writer on the story."

"Have a great life, Gloria."

I hung up the phone and immediately phoned Grace to let her know about the change in plans.

"Grace, I'd like to leave today if we can make that happen. I'd also like for you to come with me to Denver and live with me in my new home there."

"Glory, I accept and I would love to live with you. I know that while ordinarily leaving Reyna down two workers would be a great imposition, in this case it could help her. I'm going to talk to Reyna now to update her and take off yhr rest of the day to make arrangements for the two of us. I have a lot to do so I'll get right to it, Glory. Bye!"

I rang for Nurse Janine and let her know about my change in plans. She agreed to help make things happened and she sent for Dr Drake. Dr Drake came into my room to discuss the situation with me.

"Grace seems like a very nice woman, Gloria. How does she seem to be taking the news that you are suddenly turning into a woman?"

"Grace is one of my oldest and dearest friends, Dr Drake. Grace accepts me as I am, She remains a very close friend. She's agreed to come with me to Denver and to live with me."

"Do you have any birth family to turn to, Gloria?"

"I was an only child and I have outlived my parents, who were only children, and my grandparents. I'm the last of my birth family. All that remains are distant cousins from the children of my grandparent's brothers and sisters. That's why Grace agreed to hold my power of attorney. There isn't anyone who really is 'family' left but Grace is part
of my family of choice. She's like a sister to me."

"Was there ever a time when you felt that Grace might be more than a sister to you?"

"Up until the time that I found out that Grace is a lesbian, I thought about the possibility. I wasn't her type then. Maybe I will be her type when I finish changing."

"Dr. Drake, If we could expedite my evacuation via air ambulance with Grace, it would be the best for the hospital. When my article comes out tomorrow which will anger state government at it's highest levels."

"I can sign off on it since Dr Erika, Nurse Janine and I are on staff primarily with JHF. We'll be on that air ambulance with you and Grace. You may be susceptible to another setback seizure as a result of such a move but I feel our familiarity with your case will allow us to pull you through it if it happens."

"With what the state is likely to try to do to me, I'd risk the same staying here. I'm glad you all will continue to be on my side, Dr Drake."

"I'll make the arrangements, Gloria. We'll leave within the hour. I'll alert Grace to come to the hospital ready for the air transfer."

Grace had already had a bag packed for both of us and she joined me in my room at the hospital.

"How are things going Grace with the sudden departure?"

"A moving company will be packing both you and me up today quietly and soon our belongings will be out of state and on their way to Denver."

"Things are taken care of at the paper. How about things at work with the department of transportation?"

"I tendered both our resignations effective tomorrow. I said our goodbyes at work. Every one there sends their best wishes for your recovery, Glory. They also wish us the best in our new home in Denver."

It wasn't long before we were all loaded up for the little jump to the airport via helicopter. Once there we transferred to the air ambulance jet and were on our way to Denver. My vitals held constant and strong and we had no difficulties for the entire flight.

We had no issues the entire trip that the ambulance took from Denver International Airport to the hospital. Finally it was time after I was settled in to my new room with Dr Drake and Nurse Janine. Grace was off to the new house to check it out and to check into a motel nearby where she would live until our belongings reached us. We were both relieved when we heard that all our belongings had made it out of state."

I knew that routine had finally been reestablished when Dr Erica showed up at my bedside for another session. After we exchanged greetings we got right back to it.

"Gloria, I understand that you endorsed the entire course of treatment even before they had removed the initial tumor which quit masking that you are in reality a transwoman. How do you feel about going back to work as a woman?"

"I feel really good to be able to work here in Denver. Compared to GA, CO is much more transgender friendly and the state already makes it easy for transwomen to get CO ID. I know I am a woman in my mind right now. It will take getting used to my expressing by my actions and attire that I am a woman. I understand some help will be provided by the hospital. I'm sure that Grace will help me adjust too."

"Would it be devastating to you if someone from your work did not accept the new you?"

"I'd be upset but I would not be devastated. I know that some people are afraid of someone who is different. As long as Grace stays with me, I will be able to get through it. Eventually I expect to be so secure in my thoughts that I would be okay even if everyone turned against me."

We continued the session for about an hour covering a variety of topics. Dr Erica was always one to get me to thinking about different things. She also was full of great answers to my questions. Although Dr Erica was not originally from Denver, she knew a great deal about my new home.

"Thank you for the great information, Dr. Erika. Thanks for taking care of my friend Grace for meals."

"It was my pleasure, Gloria. I guess we are caught up enough for now. I have another battery of psychological tests that I would like for you to take, Gloria. I'll start you on the first one and give the rest to your PCT to give to you
when you are ready for them. She'll collect the completed tests and get them to me for scoring. I'll be back in touch with you after I have finished scoring them so we can work on what comes next.

"Thank you Dr. Erika!"

"Erika gave me a test and started me on it and then told me, "Gloria, you may begin. I'll check on you later"

I waved to her and got busy answering the test. One by one, I finished all of the tests. I had a test break that I was grateful for to eat lunch which was very tasty.

There was only one tray delivered and I ate lunch alone. Gloria called and told me that she had finished her initial meeting with her new supervisor, Nicole Jones. She had been offered a new job in marketing with the Denver Post-Dispatch. Gloria accepted the job and would be starting at the beginning of the new week. Afterward she wanted to continue getting things all ready for us to move into our new home.

Following lunch and Grace's call, I returned for more of the psychological tests till they were all completed. I finished up just before supper. I was very pleased that Grace arrived just after the supper trays were delivered. There were two of them again with the second tray ordered again by Dr Johansen for Grace.

"How did things go with you today, Grace?"

"I certainly had a hard turn for the better once we found out that the newspaper was moving both of us here to Denver. I don't envy Reyna having to deal with the fallout once the word gets out that both of us are out of state and from the article the paper publishes. I spent a lot of time today getting everything shut down at both our homes as well as getting things turned on at our new Denver home together."

"Thank goodness, Reyna is on our side. Thank you so much for everything you are doing on my behalf, Grace. I guess this condition makes me a kind of catalyst and people reveal just what kind of person they are for real."

"You are welcome, Glory."

"Grace, I didn't know that the Post-Dispatch was going to offer you a job. Congrats! How did you like the office and the people there?"

"Definitely serendipity! I like the working conditions and my new co-workers. My new boss is wonderful. I love it!"

Enjoying every bite of it, I ate my supper. Grace finished hers about the same time as I did. I yawned and was generally showing signs of fatigue.

You seem to be fading fast, Glory. Guess I'll go and let you get some beauty sleep. Take care Sweetie!

"I do seem to be ready to get some sleep, Grace. Thanks for a wonderful day." I blew her an air kiss and she blew one back to me.

"Good night, Glory! She left the room and turned out the lights so I turned over and intended to go to sleep.

It all happened so fast but I was able to replay the events in my mind after that in order to try to make sense of what had happened. It started with a severe pain that started with my head and then radiated through out my body. I happened to be looking at the EEG which was monitoring my brain waves and those spiked as the pain hit me and I saw them trail off as I slipped out of consciousness.

The last things that I heard as everything was going blank was a voice calling, "She's having a seizure." and Nurse Janine responding, "Page Dr Drake! Stat!"