The Story Concludes Chapter 42 By Shiraz   Simon Jones is Eve Jones. But she didn't know.

 

 
Previously:
 
Eve and Claire made it to the Spa after Eve's mum recovered from the virus. It's the day of Eve's hospital appointment for an endoscopy.
 
Now the story continues.

 
I'd re-read the hospital letter the previous night but checked it again this morning, just in case. I wasn't allowed any breakfast this morning so I used that time to pack the overnight bag that had been requested, but as a precaution I packed for two nights. I sipped my hospital-approved water, okay it wasn't hospital approved but it was just water, ok, mineral water. Despite last night's meal I was sure I couldn't last the day, my stomach was uncomfortable.

We were in the car at seven forty for the fifteen minute ride to the general hospital. Parking in the staff car-park was great, but first we had to make a turn off the main road, the traffic was awful and no-one was prepared to give way.

We eventually reached the enquiry desk just after eight and were directed up two levels to the general surgery ward. Of course, my appearance was female, and I had the letter to prove it, but the hospital database hadn't apparently caught up with itself; I was first sent to the male part of the large ward but after a discussion with the duty sister was allocated a private room. There was no argument, no raised voices, just a quick compromise.

A nurse came in and asked me to change into a hospital gown with the great vented rear, fortunately I'd brought a dressing gown with me. At nine mum was asked to sign a permission form and I was given a pre-med then put in a wheelchair to go down to theatre, the nurse suggested to mum that she go to the café for a coffee.

Once there I was introduced to Dr Roberts who said he would be carrying out the procedure himself. He asked me some questions to confirm who I was and concerning my general health ("no headaches?"). I was then moved onto the table, he said I would only need entinox and a mask was put on me. I was feeling a little fuzzy, probably due to lack of food, he asked me to count down from ten.

I woke hearing my name being called, I opened my eyes and saw a nurse.

"Yeah?"

"Good, you're back with us."

I looked left and right, I was still lying on my back but didn't recognise where I was, obvious question time, "where am I?"

"You're in the recovery room dear."

"All finished?"

"I'll let the surgeon explain that."

"Surgeon? What about Dr Roberts?"

"I'll get you back to your room in a while, can you sit up?"

I might have just come round from anaesthetic but even so I can still spot a swerve when I see, or hear, one. With the nurse's help I raised myself to a sitting position, my legs over the side of the trolley I'd been laying on. Then I felt something strange in my groin. Given the earlier conversation I ignored it for now.

I was helped into a waiting wheelchair and, after a check of my eyes, was wheeled back to my room. A nurse there insisted I be put into the bed, telling me to hit the call button if I even thought about getting back out. Mum returned shortly after.

"Honey, is it all done?"

"I don't know mum, no-one's saying anything. The nurse in the recovery room mentioned a surgeon but I only saw Dr Roberts was in the operating theatre. Can you pass me that water? I'd kill for a coffee, and breakfast."

Mum handed me the water, I sipped it as the door opened and two gentlemen walked in. The second one was mum's favourite genito-urinary doctor, the first I didn't know.

"Miss Jones, Mrs Jones, I'm William Evans, you already know Dr Roberts of course. I'm a surgeon and I have been asked to operate on you."

"Why? I thought you just had?"

"Miss Jones, can I call you Eve?" That was Dr Roberts.

"Yes."

"Eve, when we opened you up we expected to find testes but instead we found two small growths, fortunately those were easily removed. I inserted an endoscope and found a mass I could not immediately explain. As we did not have the team necessary to open you up I stopped at that point and put some temporary sutures across the incision. I then asked Mr Evans to get here immediately. He does not ordinary do NHS work but I explained your arrangement with the Chief Exec so he's more than happy to assist."

"In what way?"

Mr Evans answered, "Eve, Dr Roberts has explained that the various scans were inconclusive, however the endoscope may prove to be more useful and that footage was recorded. I'll be reviewing that video and the earlier scans for a couple of hours and we want you back in theatre at two."

"So what are you planning to do with me?"

"I'll make my first incision across the groin, just below the bikini line. Initially this will be a keyhole so I can take a closer look but I'll have a full team there if we have to open you fully. I think it's important that we do this today given the uncertainty so far."

"Oh, is that all?" I started to cry, then mum joined in. The surgeon and the doctor left, there was a nurse stood behind and she gave us both tissues to dry our eyes.

I wondered why the nurse was still stood there, then I noticed the canula,

"Mum, there's a vampire in the room."

My arm can't have much blood left in it, what with all the tests I've had done since the end of August, and we still haven't finished with October.

I asked about a coffee and got a smile. What do I get if I ask for a full breakfast? Hold that thought, what would Claire think of that?

"Mum?"

"Yes dear."

"Claire?"

"Not yet, wait until we know for sure." Mum seemed to know what I was thinking.

"I s'pose so."

I must have fallen asleep as the next thing I remember is my shrink, Dr Fox, at my bedside, Mum wasn't in the room.

"Good morning Eve."

"Hello." I tried to push myself up but it was uncomfortable, my groin again.

"I'd like to talk to you, it looks like you are due to have major surgery and I need to know if you're prepared for it."

"I've split opinions, yes I'm worried about going under the knife but I want answers and if this is the only way?" I couldn't quite finish the sentence.

"So which opinion wins? They won't do the surgery if you or your mum are unwilling to sign, unless it was an emergency."

"So it may not happen."

"I think it is better to say it will happen, just possibly not today. From what I've been told surgery is required."

Mum re-entered the room at this point and looked at Dr Fox, plaining wondering what she was doing here. She hadn't heard the conversation so far.

"Mrs Jones, we need to be sure that Eve is prepared for what could happen, including any surgery. If Eve is not ready then the surgery will not proceed unless it was life threatening."

"Right, but do I get a say?"

"You would have to agree to the surgery as Eve is still a minor, but you can be overruled in an emergency situation, however we're not there yet."

"I see."

"Eve, until eight weeks ago you were a boy, as far as you and everyone else was concerned you had always been a boy. Then everything changed. Mrs Jones, you know your part in Eve's lifestyle change but we also have the physical changes. There's a lot to be considered, I think you want to know why this has happened."

"I do."

Mum corrected me, "we do."

I reflected on my words, wondering when the next time might be that I uttered them.

"Eve, Mrs Jones, I'll be back in an hour when you've had a chance to talk."

She left the room, I looked at mum but could think of nothing to say immediately. As it was gone twelve I suggested to mum that she get some lunch, that way I could think alone. This had to be my decision, in the first case.

I started thinking about my twin, the sister I'd never met. I had her name, but what happened to her? I started crying gently in sorrow for a life that never was. A nurse walked in the room.

"It's okay dear, we all have second thoughts."

"It's not the surgery, it's my twin."

"I didn't know you had a brother or sister."

"She died, still born. I don't know what happened to her."

"What was her name?"

"She wasn't named, and she wasn't collected."

"If it helps, I'll see what I can find out."

"Thank you."

"That's okay, I'll be back in a minute."

I laid there counting the tiles on the ceiling, I'd reached forty eight when the nurse came back.

"Now, the reason I cam in here is to see if you need to use the toilet. Normally, before surgery we'd fit a catheter but I understand you have an issue. I also need to give you a painkiller."

"That's right, and yes I would like a wee."

I was helped out of bed, my groin was still giving me grief but she wanted me back in bed before I received the jab. She sat me in the wheelchair and pushed me across to the bathroom, the other side of the room. My stomach was feeling worse, what I would do for a slice of toast. Having a wee with your sac covered in padding was not easy, she had to help me - necessary but still not easy to accept.

She was getting me in the wheelchair when mum came in.

"Could you leave me with mum for a minute?"

"Okay, but no more than two minutes." I still got my jab in the arm.

"Eve, the nurse told me that you were crying, she also called Dr Fox." Dr Fox had walked in behind mum, mum got a start when she spoke.

"Mrs Jones, she also told me why Eve was crying. It was because she had a sister she never met, never knew existed. There's no shame in having feelings under those circumstances. I know you have had problems but you have come through. I believe however that you have an appointment with Dr Preston in the morning."

"Yes, but I don't know if I can make it."

"Mrs Jones, for your own sake, for Eve's sake, please see him."

"I'll see how Eve is tomorrow morning."

"Eve, have you had any more thoughts?"

"No, I just feel that this is right."

"Eve, I'd glad you feel positive, this will be major surgery. Have you considered that?"

"No worse than brain surgery?"

"True, I think,

"Dr Fox, would worrying achieve anything?"

"No, but are you suppressing anything?"

"I know what you're trying to do, the answer is no, no."

"I had to ask."

"Perhaps, so what will your report say?"

"That you are in good mental health and ready for surgery."

"Good, now I wish the surgical bods would hurry up."

I hadn't spotted Mr Evans standing over by the door. "Surgical bod?"

"Sorry, just an expression."

"That's okay, I just came along to let you know what we found."

I suddenly felt a stabbing pain in my groin and I was told later that I'd passed out. I'd like to say I remember what happened next but no, nothing, until I heard mum's voice.

"Come on Eve, I know you're in there."

I opened my eyes gently, not very aware of my circumstances. My eyes were blurry, my head fuzzy. I wasn't sure I could feel my body. Now I know what a hangover feels like.

Then there was another voice.

"Eve, I'm going to wash your face then give you some water to drink. Don't try to say anything yet."

Something was moved out of the way then I felt a flannel, a straw was put in my mouth and I started to suck, coughing immediately. I tried a bit more water as the nurse spoke again.

"Eve, don't try to talk yet. You've been ventilated and your throat will be sore. I'll give you something to help you sleep for a bit."

So, nothing again until someone was gently shaking me. I opened my eyes, which were clearer now, and saw mum next to me.

"Eve, good you're awake."

I had a go at talking and nothing came out, mum held the straw to my mouth and I drank. Now I was aware of that annoying beeping and I could see lines going into my right arm. So, I'm wired into the mains?

"Mum?" I croaked.

"Yes dear."

"Where am I?"

"You're back in the same room. I've been here the whole time, although they wanted me to go home last night."

"Last night?"

"Yes dear, it's Tuesday afternoon."

"How?"

"Look, rest for a minute. I don't want a nurse to tell me off for encouraging you too much."

She offered me more water, my head was less fuzzy but definitely not clear. I still couldn't really feel too much in my limbs, what did they have me on? I closed my eyes.

"Eve?" That was a male voice. "Eve?"

"Yes?" I croaked again, more water.

"Good, now how many fingers can you see?"

"Stop moving them and I'll tell you."

"That's okay, we've reduced the anaesthetic a little to let you focus. You might start feeling a little discomfort."

Discomfort is another word for pain, it just sounds better. I could now feel my limbs and my head started to clear. I was a little more aware of my predicament so I looked around a bit, just moving my head from left to right. Apart from the lines in my arm, there was a pipe down the size of the bed.

"You bastards."

"What do you mean?"

"Catheter."

"Eve, we had to, honestly, we'll explain more in a while. Get some more rest, We'll be back at six."

"Mr Evans, can Eve have visitors?"

"I'm sorry Mrs Jones but I think it's best if Eve probably doesn't have any excitement today."

"Okay."

The room was empty when I next opened my eyes, although I wasn't aware I'd closed them. Now I could really feel my body, and it hurt. There was a call button by my left hand, I pressed it. It took a minute but a nurse arrived.

"Hello Eve. I'm Julie."

"Hi Julie. It hurts."

"It will, but the doctor said we had to reduce the anaesthetic, to bring you back to planet earth. Do you want a drink?"

I nodded, Julie picked up a control panel and pressed a button, my head started to rise slowly. She adjusted the pillows and gave me a cup, it tasted weird but she insisted I drank it.

"That'll help you get your energy back, there's also a little something in there to help the pain without sending you back off to sleep."

"Where's my mum?"

"We sent her home to have a shower, I suggested she needed one," she giggled, "I had to promise we'd really look after you."

"Yeah, she's a bit protective."

"So would I be for my daughter, if I had one."

"So what did they do to me?"

"Sorry honey, I think it's best that comes from the surgical staff. I do know some of the detail but I might get it wrong so it's best I don't say too much. What I can say is that you were lucky you were here."

"Why?"

"I shouldn't have said that, sorry. I tend to say too much."

"I get the idea. Don't you have someone else to see to?"

"No, I'm your nurse until ten tonight. I was just waiting for you to wake up and I dived out for a wee, we're not supposed to use the loo in your room."

"It doesn't look like I'll be using it soon, you see this?"

"Yes, but that's because you'll be in this bed for a few days. Right now, Eve I need to change your dressings. This will be uncomfortable and it may hurt."

She pulled up the blanket and fitted a pair of small slings, she called them stirrups, and had me put my feet in them, slowly.

"We don't want to tear the stitches, so gently does it."

When she removed the dressings I wasn't too worried, until she got to the last piece of gauze, I screamed.

"Sorry Eve, but it had to be done. I need to wipe the area, but I promise I'll be careful."

Fifteen minutes later she had just about finished when Dr Roberts and Mr Evans returned.

"Hello Eve, I see you've met Julie. That's a nice job, can you drop Eve's legs down please."

A minute later I was covered by the blanket, Julie stood to one side so the doctors could approach. They pulled chairs to the bed and sat, Julie then passed me some water to sip.

"Eve, I'm sure you are wondering what happened?"

"Yes, you could put it that way."

"When you passed out yesterday afternoon we had to take you straight back to theatre, there was just time for your mother to agree with us, although it would have been a formality at the time. What we had found by comparing the various scans was a set of female reproductive organs, plus some unexplained growths."

"Oh."

"Our first task was to open your vagina, that released a build up of heavily clotted menstrual blood, I believe you are currently experiencing your first period. Did you have any discomfort before you arrived yesterday morning?"

"Yes, since Sunday morning, so I'm really a girl?"

"More like a young woman who's experiencing late-onset puberty, I believe that is in your notes."

"Dr Khan did mention it. So what about the growths, do I have cancer?"

"No, we used an endoscope via a small incision, a keyhole, below your bikini line. The probe identified twelve more growths, about twelve to twenty millimetres diameter, around your womb and ovaries. I removed these through the keyhole and they were analysed yesterday evening. They were fibrous and, as far as we can see, benign."

"So did that throw the earlier scans?"

"Not by itself, it would appear that when the scans were done your womb was contracted and the growths fully obscured one of your ovaries, that would have caused confusion, especially as it also looked, at the time, as it you had testes, which we removed yesterday morning."

"So why wasn't this picked up previously?" I was getting a little concerned.

"Because no one person had reviewed all the scans, if they had then they would have come to the same conclusion as us, only several weeks earlier. It was the video from the endoscope that confirmed our suspicions."

"So what now?"

"You'll have to stay a little longer. What appeared to be a penis was an extended urethra, I've rerouted your urethra to the normal location and there are several sutures there holding it in place, we've had to fit a catheter because of that. I'd like to see your period finish and the bruising around your vagina go down. It's important that the tissue around the urethra is knitted, but I used dissolvable stitches there. Around the edge of your vagina I've used normal sutures which will need to be removed. You'll have to be cleaned and dressed every six hours until you're discharged, I'll want to take a close look tomorrow."

I started crying, I think they were tears of joy, but I then realised that if I was having periods ...

"Can I have a baby?"

"I don't see why not, although we'll have to do some tests, but your mum might suggest you wait. You also don't want to rip your stitches."

"I certainly don't expect her to be pregnant at least before she finishes school." Mum had walked in.

She came over to me and hugged me, "you are my daughter, no-one can say otherwise."

"She is, now you really do have to get Eve's birth certificate changed. I'll write to the relevant authority."

I had tears in my eyes again, "thank you Mr Evans, you don't know how much this means to me. Can I have visitors now?"

"Yes, you're awake and aware sufficiently but just be careful with those stitches. No more than fifteen minutes though. Also I don't want anyone jumping on your bed, and no sex yet."

"Not until I've finished my period?"

"Not for several weeks," Mum glanced at him, "or even months."

"Mr Evans, when can I take Eve home?" Mum looked serious now, I wonder if she was getting ready to have 'that' talk with me. Of course I'd had sex education classes at school, as a boy, and I knew Claire's biology pretty well so I couldn't learn any more, could I?

"A few days, I'd like to see most of the stitches out. I'd also like her period to finish. I suspect this one started two days ago, on Sunday, so we could have three or four more days."

"It's my seventeenth birthday on Sunday and I'm due to go back to school on Monday, that will be the first time since the summer."

"We'll see, Eve, you have had several hours of surgery and could be in a lot of trouble if you left here too early."

"I see. What's next then?"

"We'll arrange for an ultrasound in the morning to see how things are, and a CT scan on Thursday. Those images should be clearer now. You do know that we'll have to check you again every two months for a year and annually after that, as a precaution."

"Right, I think I understand why."

"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon then Dr Roberts will see you each day that you remain here, he will co-ordinate your discharge. All the information you need will be in the discharge letter to your GP, but you'll get a copy. If you have any questions in the meantime ask me."

"Okay."

He left after shaking my hand, he also gave mum a kiss on the cheek. Julie was still there and asked a simple question.

"Hungry?"

"You kidding?"

"I'll get the menu. By the way, visiting finishes at eight."

Julie disappeared out of the door, mum then handed me my mobile. I knew exactly what to do.

"Mum, you haven't told Sharon or Aunt Sue, have you?"

"No, I thought you would like that honour. Just remember it's half past six, not the middle of the afternoon."

I had already dialled Claire's number.

"Hi Eve, are you coming home?"

"No, I have to be here for a few more days."

"Oh."

"But they've told me you can visit, just no jumping on my bed."

"As if?"

"Seriously, and I have some news."

"Tell."

"When you get here."

"Give me five."

I hung up then called Jenny, "hi cuz."

"Hello, you survived then. What did they find?"

"Not telling unless you come to see me."

"I'll let mum now."

Mum's phone started ringing and I heard Sharon's voice and some moaning. Mum was confirming with Sharon that I wouldn't see that crowd before the morning and I could guess the groans were from Claire. Apparently they were doing something important and wouldn't be finished in time.

Aunt Sue called her next, they'd be here in fifteen minutes. Julie arrived back with a menu but warned against anything too heavy because of the anaesthetic and painkillers. I chose the soup and some fruit. Normal meals would start in the morning, if I was up to it.

Of course, the soup arrived about the same time as Jenny. She went to launch herself at me but mum stopped her, there was an instant sulk.

"So what did they find?" She's always direct.

"I'm a girl."

"We know that."

"Seriously, I'm having a period."

"Woah! You're not kidding?"

"No, apparently I can get pregnant, have a baby, all that stuff."

"So, new woman, when do you get home?"

"Not sure, there's a lot of stitches down there." I pointed, as if it was necessary.

"Why didn't they know before?"

"I didn't have a vagina, that was the problem."

"Yeah." Jenny stopped analysing the situation and started giving me the gossip updates. Most of it I didn't need to hear. Mum and my aunt were discussing things as I started eating the soup. It wasn't too bad, and it was food, I hadn't eaten for 48 hours.

Jenny and Aunt Sue departed after half an hour, mum gave me a kiss and then followed them out of the door. I thought I would get some peace but Julie returned to change my dressings. My legs went up again.

"I'm afraid we'll have to do this again at about midnight then at six in the morning."

"Can you not wake me?"

"Wish I could, but I get the feeling you'd wake soon enough, you'll be quite sensitive."

"Yeah."

"Congratulations by the way, I understand you wanted to be a girl anyway."

"That's right, it started when I was in here for a brain tumour a few months ago."

"It's strange how things sometimes just work out right."

"I know, but until now it never worked out for me, ouch!"

"Sorry, that looks a little sore. I'll put some cream on it."

"Thanks."

"By the way, you asked about your twin. I've asked someone in records to look it up. We should know more tomorrow."

"Thanks."

Julie worked on me for a bit longer before she could drop my legs. I now picked up a banana and had a munch. I must have dozed after that. I was woken by a nurse called Wendy who changed the dressings but didn't say much, I presumed it was around midnight.