They rush Dominic to the GP

I nod, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. I don't know what's happening to me, but I know I'm terrified. They lead me out to the car and we drive to the doctor's office. The entire ride there, I'm hyper-aware of my new body, of how different everything feels. I'm not sure how I'm going to explain this to the doctor, or how I'm going to deal with the consequences.

When we finally get to the doctor's office, I step onto the scale, feeling self-conscious about my shorter height and feminine curves. The nurse takes my vitals, then leads me into an examination room where I change into a paper gown. The entire time, my parents sit in the waiting room, trying to keep their voices down so they don't draw attention to me.

After what feels like an eternity, the doctor finally enters the room. He's an older man with graying hair and a kind face. He takes a seat across from me and studies my chart. "So, Dominic," he begins, his voice gentle. "Your parents tell me that you woke up this morning and found yourself... different."

I nod silently, unable to meet his eyes. "I-I don't know what happened," I stammer.

The doctor listens intently, his expression concerned. "Well, I can tell you this, your vitals suggest you’re a perfectly healthy 18 year old girl, though you yourself and the records suggest you’re supposed to be male." He pauses, taking a deep breath. "The only thing I can think of is that you've undergone some kind of... hormonal transformation. It's extremely rare, but it's the only thing that makes sense given your current situation."

I feel my heart sink. This can't be real. I can't be a girl. But the more the doctor talks, the more it seems like that's exactly what's happened. "So what do I do now?" I manage to **** out.

The doctor looks at me sympathetically. "Well, considering you are fully healthy, I think you should return to school, though I understand that may be daunting so I do have a proposition”

Mum chimes in, her voice slightly higher than usual. "And what would that be, doctor? We're willing to do whatever it takes to help him..." She glances at me, then quickly looks away. "...her."

The doctor nods understandingly. "I suggest you enroll her back into school as a ‘cousin of Dominic’ or something, while telling everyone that he is ill and can’t return to school for now. I can certainly sort all the documents if that’s what you wish to do”

My parents exchange glances, clearly unsure of what to think. They've always been protective of me, always wanted me to be safe and happy. But they also know how important it is for me to finish school and get into college. They hesitantly agree to the plan, and the doctor assures them that he'll take care of everything on his end.

“So, what name would you like to go as from now, Dominic?”

I swallow hard, still struggling to comprehend what's happening. "Um... how about... Kylie?" It's the first girl's name that comes to mind.

My mum looks at me sombrely “aw, sweetie, that's a beautiful name. You'll make it your own, I promise you that. And don't you worry about everything else, we'll get through this together, you and me, okay? We're in this together, no matter what it is that you've gone through."

The doctor scribbles down the name and tells me that he'll make a note of it in my chart. "Now, I do have a couple options for prescriptions that may help you adjust, we don’t know how permanent this is after all.”

I nod, still feeling numb. "Okay."

“So option 1 is this blue pill, it’s infused with testosterone and may help you to feel more male again if that’s the route you want to go down. Option 2 is this pink pill, which predictably does the opposite, it’ll help you feel more feminine and likely make the changes permanent, you may also experience a bit more body change. There’s also this orange pill, which is untested. In theory though it should stimulate your prefrontal cortex into generating a new personality based on your new situation and surroundings, an **** option but good if you want to just start afresh and not remember this happening. And then of course you are welcome to not take any and just try to tackle this as you are”