Joe_Bates_Saga_________________________________________________________9__



9.  Chapter :      Doctors



Joe woke Sunday morning in Linda's arms.  He carefully untangled
himself, taking care not to wake her.  He pulled the sheet away, but
was no longer surprised by his appearance.  He was getting used to the
way he felt, too.  He gazed at his body, and contemplated the way it
looked.  He was always amazed at how some women's breasts seemed to
flatten, almost disappear, when they lay on their backs.  Now, as he
looked at himself, he observed that his own chest seemed flatter too.
It was still hairless, and the larger areolas affirmed that he still
looked feminine.  He touched them, feeling the now familiar softness.
No, they were not getting smaller, and he was entering his third day as
a woman.  The third day.  How many more would he have to endure?  Would
he ever be back to normal?  The question began to haunt him again.  He
could hardly wait for Dan to call.  Dan McQuire was Jay's friend, and
Dan was going to help him with the reason why his body had somehow
become female, apparently overnight.

Changed to female...  He was starting to accept it.  At first, he
reacted by denial, he was not really a woman, no matter what his body
looked like.  Yesterday, when he had seen what he looked like, all
over, he began to realize the situation he was actually in.  His
engineer's mind, trained to trust the facts and to keep an open mind,
was now fighting with the obvious fact that his body was no longer
masculine, and no matter what he thought, or what he said, people now
reacted differently to him.  He would have to relate differently to
them, too.  That included his friends.  Friends both male and female.
That included Linda, too.

Linda.  He thought about her.  She was unusually understanding and
tolerant of his strange problem.  Sometimes, she almost seemed amused
to watch his reactions, and the way he handled the differences.  He
could not complain about her help or understanding.  He really could
not understand why she was so understanding.  In fact, it almost seemed
like she enjoyed his predicament.  He knew he loved her, and that she
loved him, but now.  What about now?  How should he feel about her?  He
felt the same as before, as when he was male, and she was his fiance.
That would probably have to change.

Even if something could be done for him, and he could become male
again, even if not a completely functioning male, it was unlikely they
could, or would, continue as before.  Hell, they had even made Lesbian
love together.  At least it was like Lesbian love.  He did not consider
himself homosexual, but if he was now female, then he must be, since he
still loved women, loved to be around them, and loved to look at them,
and touch them.  Just like before.  Just like a man.  Even his own body
now turned him on sometimes, but then, why not?  The change had
transformed his body into a quite attractive, female form.

Joe got up, and went to the bathroom.  As he sat there, he noticed the
hand mirror lying on the sink.  He took it, and after he finished
relieving himself, he stood, and raised his leg on the closed lid of
the toilet.  He positioned the mirror to get another look at that new
genitalia.  He could hardly resist looking at himself.

It was so different.  It was like looking at someone else, but there
was no doubt that the image in the mirror was the reflection of his own
body.  Truth be known, he even sort of liked the way he now looked, but
he knew he would have problems if he tried to forget his past, and
resume his life with this new body.  He could not expect everybody to
suddenly accept him as a girl.  He did not think he could accept it
himself.  He had thirty years of experience being a boy and a man.  He
did not even know how to act like a woman.  He did not want to be
treated like a woman either.  He was a man.  He knew how to be a man.
He liked to be treated like a man.  He wished, with all his heart, he
could look like a man again.  It would make everything so much easier.

Disgusted, Joe put the hand mirror down, and looked into the mirror
over the sink.  He saw himself, his almost familiar face, and his new
body.  He turned to the side, looking at his profile in the mirror.
His new shape would be a problem if he was to become a man again.  He
looked at his shoulders.  They were not as wide as before, but might
possibly pass for a man.  He looked at his waist and hips.  His waist
was much smaller, and his tummy flatter.  That could easily change.
His hips.  He put his hands on his hips, and ran them up and down,
following the shape.  Maybe they were not much different from before.
Maybe he was just smaller everywhere else.

He turned and examined his butt.  Now that sure did not look like it
did before.  It was softer and rounder, and completely hairless.  He
rubbed it with both hands, feeling the softness.  It was nice.  Maybe
his best female attribute.  He turned back, and faced the mirror.  Yea,
his butt was his best feature.  He examined his breasts.  They were
pretty good too.  They were firm, and nicely shaped, but were, just
maybe, a bit small for his body, since he was somewhat tall for a
woman.  He had been almost six feet tall, but now he measured about
five eight or so, and he was thin, noticeably thinner than Linda, which
made him look even taller.  It might be difficult to pass as a man, but
not impossible, if that's what he decided to do.

Joe went back to the bedroom, and sat on the bed next to Linda.  She
was awake and turned to face him.

"What's up for today?" she asked.

"I don't know," Joe said.  "I hope I get a call from Dan, but I doubt
he works on Sunday."

"Yeah, I'm sure you want to know what's going on, as soon as you can,"
Linda said, smiling sweetly at Joe, "but I doubt that anybody is
working around the clock on your problem."

"Mind if I take a shower?" Joe asked.

"No, please do," Linda quipped.

Joe looked at her, and stuck his underarm up to his nose.  He smelled
different, even to his own nose.  Like a woman.

"I'm only teasing, Joe," Linda said.

Joe did not say anything, but went into the bathroom and turned on the
shower.  He looked through Linda's drawers until he found a razor and
some shave cream, and took them into the shower with him.  He carefully
adjusted the water temperature, and then wet his body down.  He took
the shaving cream and applied some under his arms.  He then took the
razor and shaved himself smooth.  His underarms felt real good without
the soft stubble, which did not feel at all like the stubble he used to
get on his face.  He touched his face, and felt a softness unlike any
time as a male, even immediately after shaving.

He put some shave cream on his legs, one at a time, and carefully
shaved them, feeling them for stubble, and removing it with the razor.
His legs felt great after shaving, too.  He felt his bikini line, as
Linda called it.  He carefully applied shaving cream there.  He
carefully used the blade to keep the outline of his pubic patch a
narrow triangle as Linda had done for him on Saturday.

When Joe finished shaving, he rinsed off, and soaped himself all over
with the bath soap Linda used.  He loved the way his body now felt, and
enjoyed the sensations when he caressed his body.  He never felt like
this when he had a male body.  He wondered if the feeling would go away
when the doctors changed him back, if they could.  "Probably would," he
decided.

Joe rinsed, dried off, and went back into the bedroom.  He found the
underwear they bought yesterday.  He looked, and realized that he only
had fresh panties, no clean bra.  His other clothes were still over at
his apartment.  Linda saw his problem, and went to her lingerie drawer,
and tossed him one of her bras, just like the one he wore yesterday.
He took it, and then decided not to wear it, but put his old one back
on.  He was getting accustomed to wearing a bra, and even liked the
more secure feeling he had when he did.  Besides, his breasts seemed to
bounce around embarrassingly when he did not.

Joe found the white shorts and the other new top, and put them on.  He
was hunting around the side of the bed for his socks when Linda went
into the bathroom.  She closed the door, but Joe could hear her pee,
and then turn on the shower.  He finished dressing, and went out into
the hallway.  As he passed the open door to the hall bath, he noticed
that Jay's swim trunks were still hanging in the shower.  He walked
into the bathroom, and picked them up.  They seemed very large.
Before, he was slightly bigger than Jay, but now, holding his trunks,
Jay seemed huge.  They were dry, and Joe held them up to his waist.
No, they would not fit.

He held open the waistband and looked inside.  His groin muscles tensed
slightly when he saw the mesh pouch designed for male organs.  It
seemed strange now.  It had only been a few days but he was already
used to the contours, the sleek fit of feminine attire.  This men's
stuff, huge and baggy, already seemed alien to him.  It was weird.  He
put the trunks back, and wondered about it.

Joe went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, found some orange juice,
and took it out.  He went to the cabinet, and found a large glass and
filled it with juice.  He took the glass and went to the breakfast
area.  He was looking through yesterday's paper when Linda came into
the room.

"Would you like some breakfast?" she asked.

"No, thanks, I usually don't eat breakfast," Joe said.

"Well, I'm going to have a bowl of corn flakes if you don't mind,"
Linda said.

"Not at all," Joe replied.

"I think I'll go over to my place for a while," Joe said.  "I'll wash
some things, and straighten the place up."

"Joe, can we talk?" Linda asked.

"Sure, absolutely," Joe returned.  "What about?"

"Joe, You have some real problems...  changes facing you in the next
few days or weeks, or maybe even months," Linda went on.  "Whatever
happens to you, you're going to need some help.  Even if you can change
back, I doubt that it can happen overnight, and you'll need someone to
take care of you.  If you can't be changed back, you'll need even more
help adapting to the changes in your life.  You're doing quite well,
but I can see you'd need a woman to guide you along.  I love you.  I
love you as a woman loves a man, and even if you must remain a woman,
I'll still love you.  Don't ask me what that means...  What that makes
me, because I don't know, and I don't care.  Whatever you are, or
whatever you become, I want to help you.  I'll be your girlfriend,
lover, fiance, or just your best friend.  Whatever you want.  Just
don't drive me away, whatever you decide to do." She had tears in her
eyes.

"While you live as a woman, why don't you move here...  with me?" Linda
asked.  "I have plenty of room, I can teach you the things you need to
know, and you won't get stares from your neighbors if you stay here."

"I don't have any problem with staying here" Joe said.  "I still think
of you as my fiance, but I don't know what we can ever do about that."

"You deserve more of a man than what I can ever be again," Joe
continued.

"Don't worry about your damned manhood," Linda said, showing an
uncharacteristic irritation.  "That's not as important to me as you
seem to think."

"Okay, I'll move over here, but I'll keep my apartment, at least for a
while," Joe said.  "I like it over there, and you may change your mind
when we find what's in store for me."

"I'm going to drive over there, and clean up," Joe said.  "Do you want
to come along?"

"Maybe later," Linda said.  "I better work on some papers today."

"See you in a little while," Joe said, and went into the bedroom.

Joe found his wallet in the jumpsuit.  He took some money, credit
cards, and his drivers license.  His shorts had only very small
pockets, too small for credit cards.  His top had no pockets at all.
He did not know what to do, but then he had an idea.  He pulled the
loose top up, above his bra.  He slid the license and credit cards into
his bra, between his breasts.  He pulled his top down, and looked in
the mirror.  He felt his breasts, and could feel the cards, but he
could not see them.  They fit ok there, but would be difficult to
retrieve if he needed them.  "Tough," he thought.  "A guy's gotta do
what a guy's gotta do."

With his key ring in his hand, Joe went out the patio door, to get to
his car.  He opened it, buckled up, and started the engine.  He went
down the drive, and carefully drove over to his apartment.  It would
really be hard to explain to an officer, after getting his license from
his bra, why although he was obviously a woman, he had male on his
license.  No, he must be careful.

Joe entered his apartment, and looked around the familiar surroundings.
He had lived here since he came to town, and liked it here.  He did not
know his neighbors, and there was a good turnover in neighbors anyway,
but every one was friendly, and there was no crime in the area.

He went to his bedroom.  He was surprised at the smell.  It was
obviously a guys room.  He had not even noticed it before.  Maybe his
nose was more sensitive now, or maybe he was just used to the scents of
Linda's room.  He took a whiff of his clothes.  He did not smell like
that now, at least.  Did he even smell like a girl now?  Probably did,
he considered.  He probably did not smell like a man, at least.

Joe went around retrieving his dirty clothes, some under the bed,
others in the hamper, and even a dirty shirt in the kitchen.  He sorted
the clothes and threw a load in the washer.  As he was tossing one of
his shirts, he took it, and held it to his nose.  He could smell his
old familiar sweaty smell.  It made him feel strange now.  It was the
scent of a male, and he was beginning to become accustomed to the
sensations, and maybe, the urges, of being a woman.  Even his own man
smell was now slightly arousing to him.  What was happening to him?  He
did not even like to think about it.

After he got the washer going, he went back into the kitchen.  He
opened the refrigerator, and took out a can of beer.  He was thirsty,
and it was all he had in the house.  He took the beer and went to the
couch.  He looked through his magazines on the coffee table.  Flying,
Car and Driver, PC Magazine, and Playboy.  The latest issues.  He had
only quickly glanced at the Playboy since it arrived, so he selected
it.  He thumbed through it, and as usual, stopped at the centerfold.
He looked at the pictures of the young woman in the magazine.  She was
maybe mid-twenties, and beautiful.  Joe looked at her, and felt the
same excitement as always.  As he looked, and imagined being in bed
with her, he remembered the irony of his situation.  The girl in the
pictures could now be him.  He put the magazine down.  It would take
time to get used to the different point of view.

Joe finished his wash, and cleaned the place up a little.  After all
his male clothes were washed and dried, he hung them in the closet.  He
wondered what he would do with all this stuff.  Most of it would not
fit him anymore, no matter what sex he was, or would become.  Maybe Jay
could use some of them.  It was a problem for another day.

He gathered up his female clothes, and then went into his bathroom.  He
took his shaving kit, his deodorant, and his new bath powder.  He
selected his biggest and best bath towels, and took them also.

It took a few trips to his car to get all the stuff loaded.  When he
had it all, he locked up his apartment, and drove back to Linda's.

Linda was still working on her papers when he returned.  Joe made some
iced tea for both of them.  When Linda finished her paperwork, They
went out and sat by the pool the rest of the afternoon.  That evening
they went to a restaurant and then came back to Linda's.  When they
entered the house, Joe went in straight to the bedroom.  He had decided
to keep his things in the second bedroom, which also had a bath of its
own, and was quite nice, much nicer than the bedroom of his apartment.
Joe removed his shorts, and top, and, in his underwear, went back to
Linda's bedroom.

Linda's clothes were laying on her bed, and she was in her bathroom.
Joe heard the toilet flush, and the shower start.  Linda would have to
go to her office in the morning.

Joe lay down on the bed.  Soon the shower stopped, and Linda finished
in the bath.  She came out, wearing her short robe, and sat on the bed
with Joe.

"Would you sleep with me?" Linda asked.

"Try and stop me," Joe responded, taking her in his arms.

They went to sleep, caressing each other, and enjoying each other's
company.

Morning came quickly, and the clock radio on Linda's night stand began
to blast out in song.  Joe woke, and looked at the digital readout.
Seven A.M. Already, it was time for Linda to get up.  She had an
appointment at nine.

Linda moaned and stretched.  She got out of bed, and went into the bath
room.  She brushed her teeth, and went to work on her makeup and hair.
Joe lay in bed, and watched her as she went through her normal
routines.  He watched as she applied the creams, powders, eye shadows,
and other stuff that women did to make themselves presentable.  Would
this be his fate too?  He remembered the other day, when the woman at
the cosmetic counter gave him a makeover.  He looked so much different
afterwards, much more attractive, though he looked pretty good with the
well-scrubbed look too.  He touched his face with his hand.  It was so
smooth, and soft.  He closed his eyes, and tried to sleep a little
while.  He would have nothing to do until he received a call, either
from Dan, or Jay.  He did not think he would be get a call from work,
since he said he would be going to the hospital for maybe a few days.

Linda finished in the bathroom, and came back in the bedroom.  She was
wearing black panties, and camisole.  "She looks so sexy," Joe thought.
She went into her closet, and brought out a gray wool suit.  Joe
watched as she selected black hose, not pantyhose, but the kind that
stay up by themselves, without garters.  She put them on and when she
stood, she saw Joe was observing her.  She smiled, a little embarrassed
to be watched so intently while she dressed.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Absolutely not," Joe replied.  "I was just watching you, thinking
about how sexy you look, and about the things women wear under their
clothes, even to work.  It seems it would make you excited, just
thinking about what you have on beneath that business-like, gray
exterior."

Linda looked at Joe with a devilish grin, and winked.  "Maybe it does,"
she said.  "I guess it's one of the advantages of being a woman.  Why
don't you try it, while you can?"

"Nope, I wore a skirt the first day, and I don't know what was more
difficult, that or the heels," Joe countered.  "It may look great, but
I know now it don't feel like it looks."

"Well, it gets easier when you get used to it, but you're right, it
doesn't feel as good as it looks," Linda agreed.

Linda finished dressing, and went out into the kitchen to make some
breakfast.  Joe got out of bed, and went across the hall to his
bedroom.  He opened the top drawer of his dresser, and looked inside.
Yesterday he had put his underwear there, and now he looked at the
selection of panties, bras, and pantyhose.  His things looked strange
to him, there in the drawer by itself, without any of his familiar
men's underwear for company.  It sort of made his situation seem more
permanent, but for now, it was probably for the best.  He selected the
white cotton bra he bought the first day.  It was the first one he had
worn.  He picked some beige nylon undies, and went into his bathroom.
This bath had a shower, and a sink with a large mirror.  He decided he
did not need a shower, and just brushed his teeth.  He had not put his
underwear on, and the jiggle of his braless chest as he brushed his
teeth caught his eye.  "Never a dull moment," he thought.

When he finished, he pulled the panties on, and found his deodorant.
He rubbed some Secret on his smooth underarms.  He took his bra, and
put it on.  It was getting easy to do, now that he was familiar with
the procedure, and he even liked the way it felt.  He shook himself,
and was pleased by the limited jiggle.  "I see why girls wear these
things," he thought.

He looked at his face.  His hair was still too short.  He took his hair
brush, and began brushing it back, and to one side.  It was just too
short to do much with it.  He tried brushing it forward, and decided
that was the best it could be.  He looked at his face again.  He pursed
his lips.  It made him think of the cosmetics that he had bought.  He
opened the drawer, and looked at the things he had placed there.  He
just did not know how to use this stuff.

He took the lipstick, and removed the cap.  He carefully rubbed some on
his lips, as he pursed them tight.  He did a fair job of applying the
color, which looked good as he examined himself.  Only a little got on
the area above his top lip.  He took some toilet tissue, and was
daubing the offending bit of color away.  Suddenly, he realized what he
was doing.  He was standing in front of a bathroom mirror, putting
lipstick on his face.  What was happening to him?  He tried to get
control of himself.  "What the hell is going on?" he thought.  "Am I
losing control of my mind?"

Joe looked at himself in the bathroom mirror again.  The lipstick had
added some color to his tanned face, and made him look more feminine.
He was trying to decide if he would try some of the other cosmetics
when Linda entered the open bathroom door.  She looked at Joe, and
smiled when she saw what he was doing.  She looked at the things he had
in the drawer.

"Well, it certainly looks good on you," she said.  "Why don't you try
some liner and blush?"

"I would, but I don't really know what I'm doing," Joe replied.

"Here, I'll help you," Linda said.

She opened the lid of the powder and brushed some on his face, and
continued until the colors were as she liked them.  She then used the
eyeliner pencil very sparingly, to put some emphasis on his eyes.  The
effect was amazing.  Joe looked even better than after the makeover at
the department store.  The tasteful use of makeup made his face look
much more feminine, and attractive.  It hardly looked like he had any
makeup on at all, and yet he was completely transformed.  He had to
touch his face to believe it was him looking back from the mirror.
Linda smiled at his reaction.  He looked at her, and back at the
mirror.

"Very impressive," was all she said.

She walked out of the bathroom.  Joe followed her out, into his
bedroom.  She did not stop, but went out into the hallway, and toward
the back door.  Joe followed, but realized he was still in his
underwear.

"I've got to get going," Linda said.  "I'll see you this afternoon."

"Bye," Joe called, as she went out the door.

Joe went back to his room.  He went to the closet, and was looked at
the few things hanging there, trying to decide what to wear.  He
grabbed the jumpsuit and took it out into the bedroom.  He still
favored it most of all, but he was getting more comfortable wearing
more revealing, and cooler, clothes.  He stepped into the light blue
outfit, and zipped it up.  He then went to the dresser mirror, and
looked at himself.  The lipstick, and makeup that Linda applied made
him look attractive, but less familiar than his plain face.  The loose
fitting suit concealed his figure.

Joe walked into the kitchen, trying to decide how to spend the day.  He
was snooping through Linda's refrigerator when the phone rang.  He
wondered if it was for him.  He had call forwarding at his house, and
had transferred his calls to Linda's.  He went to the phone, and picked
it up.

"Hello, Joe Bates here," he answered.

"Joe?  Joe Bates?" the voice on the other end said.  "This is Angela
Beaman, from Honeybone Avionics Personnel.  Sorry to bother you.  I
have a message for you."

"What can I do for you, Angie?" Joe replied.

"I had a call from Mr.  Matheney, from Flight Test.  I believe he's
your boss," she said.

"That's right," Joe answered.

Joe was an electrical engineer, and often worked in the Flight Test
Department, testing new avionics hardware.  Thursday he had worked on a
new Nav receiver system which was designed to fix its position from
signals from satellites positioned around the earth by the Department
of Defense.  He and an associate had been using the company Learjet 35,
conducting ground and flight tests on it.  Jim Matheney was the
department head of the group which conducted these type of tests.  The
company Joe worked for had a number of aircraft, a Gulfstream I
turboprop and a twin Cessna 421, as well as the Lear.  Joe was a pilot,
and was checked out in all of but the big G-I, which was almost never
used for test work anymore.  It was simply too expensive to operate,
and they did not need the room.

"Mr.  Matheney would like you to call him as soon as possible," the
woman said.

"Do you know what it's about?" Joe asked.

"No, I don't, really, but I think it's regarding your illness," she
answered.

"Okay, I'll give him a call," Joe said, not really hiding his
irritation.

"Thank you, sorry to bother you, and I hope you get well soon," Angie
said, and hung up.

Joe hung up the phone, concerned about what he would say to Jim.  He
did not want to go back to work like this, but what kind of excuse
could he use?  He decided to tell him that the doctor recommended a
week of bed rest, and would figure out what to do later.  Everyone
would know eventually, since not only was he a girl now, but he was
much shorter, and smaller in general.  No matter what he did, he could
not hide that from his associates.

Joe dialed Jim's work number.  The phone was answered on one ring.

"Flight Test, Matheney," Jim answered.

"Jim, this is Joe," Joe responded.  "I had a message you wanted me to
call."

"Hi, Joe," Jim said curiously.  "You sound funny.  I hope you are all
right."

"I have some medical problems, Jim," Joe responded, lying slightly.  "I
think I'll be out for at least a week of so."

"That's what I called about, Joe," Jim said.  "I was wondering what
your problem is.  Dave Skinner called in and said he had some kind of
problem, and Mike Osborn called in Friday, but I haven't been able to
call him at home.  I was wondering if you all came down with the same
thing, or what."

"Well, I've got some problems, but I don't know exactly what they are
yet," Joe offered.  "When I find out, you'll be one of the first to
know, but I suspect I'll be out for at least a week."

"I was concerned when all three of you called in sick at the same
time," Jim said.  "I had to stop testing the GPS receiver, since my
engineer-pilots and technician all got sick at the same time."

Jim's words made Joe start to think.  Could the other guys be having
problems too?  Could they all have been exposed to the same thing; a
virus or whatever?  There could be some connection.  He would have to
call the other guys.

"I'll call in a few days, and let you know how I'm doing," Joe said.

"Well, don't worry, just get well as soon as you can.  We need you
around here," Jim said.

"See you later, Jim," Joe finished.

"Later," Jim said, hanging up.

A new turn of events.  Was there some significance in the fact that all
the men who flew Thursday called in sick?  He would have to find out.
He got his company phone list out and looked up the number of his
friend, Dave Skinner.  Dave was married, and had two boys.  He lived
about a mile from Joe's apartment.  He found the number, and dialed it.

"Hello," a woman answered.

"Cindy, this is Joe Bates.  Is Dave around?" Joe asked.

"Hi, Joe," Dave's wife answered.  "Joe, Dave can't come to the phone
right now," she said nervously.

"What's the matter, Cindy?  Is Dave all right?  What's wrong with him?"
Joe asked hurriedly.

"Joe, I can't talk about it, but he's okay," Cindy said.

"Come on Cindy, tell me what's wrong with Dave," Joe asked, trying to
get her to tell him what was going on.  "Has he changed in any way?"

"Nothing's wrong with Dave," Cindy almost shouted.  "He'll be okay."

"Cindy, has Dave changed.  Is he feminine...  female?" Joe asked,
taking a chance.

"Uh, how...  Joe...  He's...  Yeah...  Yeah, he's a woman!  His body
has changed.  I don't know," Cindy stuttered.

"Okay, okay, I understand," Joe said; his heart pounding.  "Get him to
come to the phone.  I have to talk to him."

"He won't come, Joe," Cindy replied in tears.  "He won't talk to
anybody but me.  He's so depressed, I don't know what to do."

"Cindy, listen to me.  The same thing has happened to me.  I know what
he's going through," Joe said.  "You tell him that, and get him to get
on this phone, or I'm coming over there."

"I'll try," Cindy replied.

Joe heard the phone drop, and he waited.  So Dave has the same problem.
Interesting.  What could be causing this?  He thought of Mike.  Mike
Osborn was the technician on the test crew.  He was a big guy, probably
over two hundred fifty pounds.  He was strong too.  He lifted weights,
and was into body building.  He could not even imagine Mike as a
female.

"Joe, Dave here," Joe heard a dusky female sounding voice said the
words with the curt manner of Dave Skinner.

"Dave, this is Joe.  I heard what happened, and I want you to know you
are not the only one.  I have a problem too," Joe said quickly.

"Yeah, well, I bet you don't have tits and a pussy," Dave said.  His
feminine voice, with male inflection, sounding strange.

"Yes, Dave, I actually do, and I know what you're feeling," Joe said
truthfully.

"What?  You turned female too?  What the hell is going on anyway," Dave
almost yelled, in his new, slightly higher, voice.

"I don't know, Dave, but you can bet I'm going to find out," Joe said,
hoping to calm his buddy, who was usually unflappable.  "Somebody has
to have some idea what's happened to us."

"I'll tell you what has happened to me!" Dave yelled.  "I can't pee
right anymore.  I can't make love to my wife!  That's what happened to
me!  I don't want to have breasts big as Cindy's, but I do!  That's
what happened to me!" Dave's voice broke as he yelled at Joe.

Joe wondered what he could do for his friend, but could not think of
anything.  Hell, he had the same problem.  Of course, he did not have a
wife and family.  "Dave, we both have this problem, and Mike has called
in sick, too.  It must be something in the Lear, or someplace we went
that caused it," he said, thinking out loud.

"Mike turned into a girl?" Dave said quizzically.  "Big Mike Osborn?"

"I don't know, but I suspect he has," Joe said.  "He called in sick,
too, and Jim doesn't know what is wrong with him."

"I can't imagine him like this.  It would kill him," Dave said,
suddenly more interested in Mike than in his own problems.

"Well I'm going to give him a ring, and find out.  I hope he'll answer
his phone," Joe said.

"What are you doing today, Joe?" Dave asked.  "How about coming over
here.  I've got to talk to somebody about this"

"Maybe I will," Joe answered.  "I'll give you a call, later.  I have to
wait around here for a medical examiner to call.  I'm getting myself
checked out."

"You had a physical, looking like a woman?" Dave asked.  "How could you
get the nerve?"

"No, not a physical," Joe said.  "Just a blood test, and fingerprints.
I'm trying to prove I'm still the same person.  If I get stopped while
driving, I don't want to get stuck in jail because my license doesn't
match what I look like."

"I haven't even gone outside, much less drive a car," Dave said.  "I'm
too embarrassed to be seen.  Besides, my clothes don't even fit.  Right
now, I'm wearing some of Cindy's clothes, and they fit better than mine
do.  It's really embarrassing."

"Tell me about it," Joe agreed, "but just think what Mike might be
going through."

"Give me a call, Joe," Dave said.  "We have to get out of this one."

"I will," Joe said.  "Dave, let me ask a question."

"Go ahead," Dave answered.

"Do I sound like a girl ...  a woman to you?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, I guess so...  You sound a little husky maybe, but in a sexy
kind of way," Dave replied.

"Funny, that's the same as I was thinking about your voice," Joe said.

"Call me later, Joe," Dave said, and hung up.

Joe sat there at the phone, digesting the new information.  All the
guys who worked on the Lear crew Thursday seemed to have a problem.  At
least two were feminized, or something.  He decided to call Mike
Osborn.  He looked up his number and dialed.  He let it ring for a long
time, and was about to give up, when he heard the phone click as it was
picked up.  No one answered.

"Hello?  Hello?  Is anybody there?  Mike?  Mike, this is Joe, Joe
Bates.  Please answer," Joe said into the phone.

Finally, someone answered.  The voice of Mike Osborn, maybe a little
higher pitch, but not much, said haltingly into the phone, "Hello,
Joe?"

"Mike, it's Joe.  Are you okay?  Has anything usual happened to you?"
Joe asked.

"Unusual?  No, I don't think so.  Everything is okay...  fine," Mike
said quickly.

"Really," Joe said.  "Are you sure?  I heard you were out Friday too,
same as me and Dave.  I thought you might have the same problems we're
having."

"What kind of problem is that?" Mike asked.

"Well Mike, I seem to have undergone some kind of change," Joe said as
delicately as he could.  "I've developed breasts, and...  well...
generally seem to have turned female.  I just got off the phone with
Dave, and he seems to be experiencing the same thing.  We were
wondering if you had the same problem."

"Joe, I...  I don't know how to say this...  I do have a problem," Mike
Osborn carefully admitted to his friend.  "I don't know what it is...
I...  my...  I...  my balls are completely gone, my cock seems to have
shrunk a lot, and I can't even pee without sitting down.  I don't know
what the hell is happening to me."

"Have...  are you...  changing into a girl?" Joe asked.

"Hell, I don't know, Joe," Mike replied.

"Well, have you developed women's breasts, and lost a lot of body hair?
Are you smaller?" Joe asked his flustered buddy.

"Smaller?" Mike said, recovering his composure a little.  "I don't
know, maybe a little, but not much.  Breasts, no, I don't have breasts,
but my chest...  my nipples hurt some.  I haven't lost any body hair,
at least it doesn't seem like I have."

"Mike, could you meet me and Dave, at his house, in about an hour?" Joe
asked.

"Joe, I don't want to go outside," Mike said.

"Come on, Mike.  Do your clothes still fit?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, they fit pretty good," a confused and embarrassed Mike Osborn
said, trying to explain his situation to Joe.  "I don't want anybody to
see me, Joe.  I have to pee a lot, and I...  my cock seems to leak or
something.  Something's sure not right down there."

"Well, Mike, if it makes you feel any better, I don't have a penis at
all, and I don't think Dave does either," Joe said.

"What's happening to us anyway?" Mike asked.

"I don't know, Mike, but I want to find out," Joe answered.  "That's
why I'd like to meet with you and Dave, at his house."

"Okay, Joe, I'll be there," Mike agreed.  "Just don't laugh when you
see what I look like."

"I think you'll be surprised when you see me, too, so don't worry,"
Dave tried to reassure his big friend.

"I'll see you in about an hour, Joe," Mike said, and hung up the phone.

Joe went back into his bedroom.  He went to the mirror on the dresser,
and looked at himself.  He would soon be presenting himself to his
friends, people who knew him as a man, and he was nervous about it.
Even though Dave and Mike also had problems too, he was not looking
forward to exposing his problems to them and soon everybody else, it
seemed.  He was brushing his short hair, when the phone rang.  Was it
Dan, with some news?  He went to the phone by the night stand.

"Hello," He said carefully.

"Joe?  Joe Bates?" A voice on the other end asked.

"This is Joe.  What can I do for you?" Joe answered.

"Joe, this is Dan McGuire, from Forensic.  I have a little information
for you already.  Do you have a minute?" Dan asked.

"You bet I do!" Joe responded.  "I hope it's good news."

"Well, I got your military records from the DOD, it was quick, and much
easier than it is sometimes," Dan said, obviously proud of the job he
had done so quickly.  "They had a lot on you too.  Your Top Secret
Clearance is still current and included some interesting data.  You
want to hear some of it?"

"Sure, fire away," Joe was impatient to hear what he had found.

"Well, the blood types match, that's for sure," Dan said.  "Your prints
do, too.  I feel it's fairly certain that we can prove that you are who
you say you are.  I talked to some of the doctors, and they want to do
some genetic tests on you.  I might have some results from that at any
time.  A lot of people around here have taken interest in your case,
and you're getting top priority."

"What will genetic tests prove?" Joe asked.

"Well, they'll tell us if you are a man or a woman, at least
genetically," Dan explained.  "It's easy to see if your chromosomes are
XX, or XY. That's the basic test.  Any and all of your cells will carry
those chromosomes."

"If it shows that I'm a woman, what then," Joe asked, "or a man for
that matter?  I'll admit I'd like to know, but what will it help?"

"Well, If it shows you are XX, or genetically female, some real
questions will be raised," Dan said.  "As far as I know, no genetic
female has ever fathered a child.  Your records show that you did,
thirteen years ago."

Joe was amazed.  How did they know that?

"Where did you get that information?  I was only seventeen then, and
Jane was sixteen.  She didn't even keep the baby," Joe admitted.  He
had almost forgotten that low time in his life.

"When you're subjected to a National Security Agency investigation,
usually no stones are left unturned.  If you have any skeletons in your
closet they'll find them," Dan explained.

"I didn't think anybody knew about it," Joe said, still amazed.

"Can you get in here this afternoon for an examination from some of our
doctors?  They sure would like to see you," Dan asked.

"I have some news for you too" Joe said.  "I got a call from my
employer.  It seems that two of my friends, who had been in the plane
with me Thursday, the day before this happened, have been inflicted
with the same, or a similar problem.  What do you think of that?"

"Can you get them over here this afternoon?" Dan asked.

"I don't know, I'm supposed to meet them in about an hour.  I'll try,"
Joe answered.

"Well, get them over here.  We'll do what we can," Dan said.  "What
have you guys got yourselves into anyway?"

"I wish I knew...  I sure wish I knew," Joe said quietly, and hung up.
He had to get ready to see his buddies.