The Princess and the Plague : 30

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The Princess and the Plague
Part 30
By Anistasia Allread
Edited by Edeyn & Karen J.

"I've been going through some testing to find out."

"Find out what?"

"I'd... I'd rather not say just yet," Erika looked away.

     
duckling.jpg

 
 
Erika was exhausted when she got home from self-defense classes. Seems the muscles that she used in the exercises with Lawrence were different than the ones she used in Rally.

"I've got dinner almost ready," her father called out from the kitchen.

"I need a bath and a bed," Erika moaned in reply.

"How was Lawrence?" her father asked.

"Brutal," Erika told him, "he thought you were sending your son."

"Oops. Sorry," Mr. Martin apologized, "I told him my kid was coming, but in previous conversations I might have mentioned you being my son. Sorry about that."

Erika sighed and whined, "I am so sore."

"I'll bet."

"I just hope I'm not going to have any bruises for homecoming."

"If there are, we can always use a bit of cover up," Mrs. Martin added.

Erika trudged upstairs to her bedroom and dropped her duffel on her bed. "Ugh. I have Chemistry to finish, too."

After a dinner of grilled chicken, some rice pilaf and salad, Erika returned to her room and went to work on her chemistry.

She woke up to her father coming into the room asking, "How's your homework coming?"

"I fell asleep," Erika blushed, chagrined.

"It's getting late, why don't you get ready for bed? You have a long day tomorrow."

"I do?" she asked.

"Your mother is taking you to get your CAT scan and MRI tomorrow."

"When?"

"In the morning. You should be back before lunch."

"Thanks," Erika murmured as she closed her book. Chemistry was a morning class. She'd be missing it, but would be excused. She could do her Chemistry while waiting for her tests.

Erika stripped out of her clothes and took a shower before slipping into her nightgown and crawling into her bed. She would have sworn she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

--o0o--

Erika made her way downstairs to the smell of peanut butter toast. She entered the kitchen and greeted her mom.

"Smells good."

"Sorry, you can't have any, Eric," Her mother said without looking up.

Realizing her mistake, she met Erika's gaze., "Oops, sorry... Erika."

Erika ignored the mistake and asked, "Why can't I have any?"

"You are to be NPO until after your tests."

"Huh?"

"NPO. It means you can't eat anything and only drink water before your tests."

"I'm going to die of hunger," Erika protested.

"Stop being so melodramatic. You can wait until lunch, it won't kill you."

"What can I have?" she asked.

"Water. Jell-o. Popsicle."

"Oh goody, water," Erika said sarcastically. She poured herself a glass and drank.

"We need to be leaving in about twenty minutes, you ready?"

"Almost," Erika finished her water and went back up to her bedroom. She pulled on her boots and added a cardigan over the blouse she was wearing.

"Okay, lets get going," her mother called from the foot of the stairs, as she was finishing up her makeup.

Erika finished stroking mascara on her lashes, grabbed her duffel and headed downstairs.

--o--

If she had known that they were going to make her strip naked for the tests, she would have just worn her sweats.

Erika sat in a chair in the dressing room, wearing one of the embarrassing hospital gowns that tie up the back with a lightweight robe over it that tied up in the front. All of her clothes and belongings were in a locker on the wall behind her. The attendant who brought her in handed her a warm, soft blanket.

"Oh, this is wonderful," Erika commented.

"It is the only good thing about hospitals," she nodded.

Erika pulled her robe tighter over her chest. This was the first time she had been in public without her breast forms in place. Her chest felt naked, cool. She felt exposed, as if everyone would know that she was hiding. She stood up and wrapped the flannel blanket around her while she basked in the heat that it radiated.

"Okay, Erika," the attendant said as she came back with a file -- presumably Erika's hospital chart.

"We're going to do the MRI first. Are you wearing any metal?"

Erika shook her head. Her earrings were with everything else in the locker.

"Any prosthetics? False teeth? Retainers?"

"No."

"Tattoos?"

"No."

The attendant took her into a room that held a large machine that had a large tube cut into it and a bed of sorts sticking out of it.

"Are you claustrophobic?"

"No," Erika didn't think so. At least, she had never had problems before.

"Go ahead and lay down here, with your head facing the machine."

Erika did.

"This will get pretty noisy. So here are some earphones," the MRI technician said as he handed them to her.

"Just lay back and relax, listen to the music. The scan will take about twenty minutes."

Erika nodded.

He then used some straps and strapped Erika's head, abdomen and legs to the table. "Okay, just smile pretty and hold still."

Erika waited for a few moments and then the table that she was laying on shifted, drawing her into the tube.

"You doing okay, Erika?" a voice came over the music in the earphones.

"Yes," Erika answered.

"Here we go. There will be some loud clicking noises. Just relax."

Erika could hear the clicking noise even over the music in her ears. She opened her eyes and stared at the roof of the tube which seemed only an inch or two away from her nose. She wasn't claustrophobic, but this was pretty tight, even for her. She closed her eyes and listened to the music and tried to ignore her surroundings.

She opened her eyes as the table began pulling her out of the tube.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" the MRI technician asked.

Erika shook her head.

Her attendant returned and said, "Okay, now, before we do the CAT scan, I need you to drink these two," she held up two one-pint containers.

"What is it?" Erika asked taking them.

"It's called contrast. It helps us see your digestive system in the CAT scan. It's kind of chalky, but they say they flavored it with orange flavoring."

She led Erika back to the waiting area inside the changing rooms.

"I'll be back in about twenty minutes."

Erika unscrewed the cap of the first bottle and took a sip, "Ech. This stuff is nasty."

"Drink as much as you can," the woman handed her another warm blanket and left her alone with the gastric torture drinks.

As hungry as she was, she had a horrible time getting the chalky, viscous drinks down.

"How did you do?" the attendant asked when she came back for her.

"I was only able to drink the one," Erika told her apologetically, "My stomach told me if I attempted the other that I'd be vomiting. Sorry."

"One is better than none. Come on, let's get this over with," she smiled.

She led Erika into a side room. I just need to get an IV started real quick."

"What for?" Erika was starting to panic.

"We have to inject your blood stream with a different kind of contrast so that we can see all of your blood vessels in the CAT scan."

Erika took a deep breath, nodded and sat in a chair and nervously waited as the attendant got her tape, needles and whatever vampire-ish things she needed.

Erika saw the attendant grasp the needle and point it at her skin. She turned her head and tried not to think about the small sliver of steel being shoved through her skin and into her vein. She felt a little prick just below her elbow and turned back to to see her tape some tubing down and then twist a syringe into it and push the plunger.

"You might taste some saltiness," she explained.

Erika felt a bit of cool inside her arm, and then she tasted a metallic, almost iodine, taste.

The attendant led her into a room with what looked to be a large white dough-nut with a familiar looking table sticking out of it. The attendant assisted her onto the table and covered her with another warm blanket. She hooked a long tube up to the one sticking out of her arm and placed it under the blanket.

"This won't take too long. Just hold still. There will be a point in which the machine will ask you to hold your breath. If you need to breathe, just do it very slowly. Okay?"

She smiled as Erika nodded, and left her alone with the CAT scan technician. The tech pushed a few buttons and made a few adjustments.

"We'll be right on the other side of that glass."

A few moments later, the machine began to make a whirling noise. The table that Erika was laying on then shifted, dragging her into the machine.

"Okay, we're going to inject the contrast. You might feel some warmth or get a metallic taste in your mouth," a voice said over a speaker.

Erika licked her lips as she tasted the stuff that they were talking about.

"Okay, hold still, here we go," the voice instructed.

Erika lay on the table as it slowly shifted back out of the circle of plastic with parts whirling around inside.

A few minutes later the attendant came back in, "You're done here," she said, disconnecting the IV from Erika's arm.

She assisted Erika into a sitting position, "They want to do another MRI."

"Another one? Is there something wrong?" Erika asked.

"They just want to get some better pictures," The lady smiled.

The smile, however, looked forced and she also averted her gaze from Erika.

She took Erika a few doors down the hall, back to the first room she had gone into. In a few moments, Erika was again laying on her back being drawn into the narrow tube.

They found something, Erika thought, What did they find? Oh, God, I hope I'm not sick! I don't feel sick. I haven't felt sick. Please don't let it be anything.

--o0o--

Erika was a nervous wreck as she got dressed in the changing room. She had questioned the attendant several times, but she kept saying that she didn't know anything and that her doctor would contact her if they felt it was necessary.

"How did it go?" her mother greeted her in the waiting area.

"I don't know," Erika confessed, "I think they found something. They did the MRI again."

"Sometimes a slight movement will cause a shadow or some blurring," Her mother soothed her, "I'm sure it's all right."

"They made me drink some nasty stuff," Erika admitted, "I almost vomited. It was disgusting."

"Should we get some lunch to get that taste out of your mouth?" she asked.

Erika shrugged, "I'm not sure how much I can eat, but something to get rid of that nasty orange taste."

--o0o--

"So, I guess you won't be eating lunch at school today?" Erika's mother inquired, sitting across from her at a Mexican restaurant.

"This beats cafeteria lunches any day," Erika grinned.

Her stomach felt a little better once she put some tortilla chips into it to help soak up the chalky substance forced upon her. Her nerves however, were almost as bad as they had been in the dressing room.

"What if something IS wrong with me?" she asked.

"You are a boy who wants to be a girl, Erika. Something already is wrong with you."

"I mean wrong with me," Erika swept a hand over her body.

"Well, IF there is something wrong with you, then... we'll just have to take care of it," she answered as she looked in Erika's eyes, "Waiting is the hard part. Once we know what is going on, then it's easier. We just go through the steps that need to be taken."

She reached out and took Erika's hand in hers across the table, "Just because I don't agree with this decision of yours doesn't mean that I don't love you. I do. I love you very much."

She squeezed Erika's hand.

Erika's eyes glistened. She blinked back tears and smiled at her mother.

"Do you have anything important going on at school today?"

"Not really, but I have to show up for Rally. I have already missed too much."

"Okay. How about we play hooky?" her mother asked.

"What did you have in mind?" Erika asked.

"Homecoming is in just a couple of days. You think we should go and get a mani-pedi?"

"Huh?"

"You should get some acrylic nails so that your hands look nice for Homecoming. While we are there you may as well get a pedicure so that your toes look great in your new shoes. You haven't had your nails done have you?"

"Actually, I did at camp." Erika informed her.

The two finished their food and climbed back into the car.

"Feeling better?" her mother asked.

"Yes, a bit," Erika tried to give her mother a reassuring smile.

But she hadn't seen the lie in the attendant's eyes, or the stiffer attitude, or more rigid posture.

--o0o--

Erika sat next to her mother in a deep, leather chair with her feet in a hot water bath. A device of some sort rolled and vibrated up and down her back as a nail tech worked on one foot and then the next. Erika opened her eyes and smiled at her mother who was watching her then glanced down at the long, acrylic nails adorning her fingers. She had to admit that their addition made her fingers look much more feminine.

"Whenever I'm feeling stressed, I get my feet done," her mother murmured to her.

"I can see why," Erika moaned as the tech massaged her feet and calves.

--o0o--

"I'll be back to pick you up in two hours," Mrs. Martin promised, signing Erika into school.

Erika hoisted her duffel onto her shoulder and walked out of the office. Her feet felt light and tingly after being pampered. She found a private bathroom and changed into her work out clothes before heading down to the gym.

It was still just a few minutes before the school's bell rang the end of the school day. The last gym class was already in the locker room changing out their gym clothes. The gym seemed larger and more eerie without loud voices. She set her duffel down, and went to the storage closet and began pulling mats out and setting them up for practice. She found the chore a little harder now that she had longer finger nails.

"Oh, good, you made it," Taylor greeted her.

"Hi, Taylor. I had to get some medical tests done. But I made it."

"What's going on?" Taylor asked.

"I'm not sure. I had to get an MRI done as well as a CAT scan."

"Are you hurt?"

"No," Erika shook her head.

"Sick?"

"Not sure," she admitted to the older girl, "I've been going through some testing to find out."

"Find out what?"

"I'd... I'd rather not say just yet," Erika looked away.

"Okay. Just let me know when you feel you can," Taylor said, grabbing a mat and setting it.

"Taylor?"

"Yeah?" the dark skinned girl looked up.

"This Friday's game is Homecoming. If I'm picked for the court, I'm supposed to be presented at half time, right? What do I do? If I'm picked, I'm supposed to wear a dress and stuff."

"You and me both," Taylor smiled, "They announced the winners of the court today."

"You didn't win Homecoming queen?" Erika asked.

Taylor scoffed, "I was never going to win, I just wanted to be on the court. You won, too."

"Who is the Queen?"

"Who else, but Melinda?" Taylor smiled again.

"So what do we do?" Erika asked.

"We sit this game out until after half time. Then we change and cheer the last half."

Erika nodded, understanding.

Jordon, Jorge and Krystal joined them. Samantha came in through another door, pulling an ice chest behind her full of ice cold bottled water.

"Let's start stretching," Taylor took on a more authoritative tone.

"You got your nails done," Samantha exclaimed, "they look good!"

"Thanks." Erika grinned.

--o0o--

Erika's mother entered the gym just before practice was over.

"Excuse me," she called with a serious look on her face.

"Mom, we're almost done," Erika turned red. How could her mother embarrass her like this?

"I'm sorry girls. I need to take Erika now," her mother insisted.

"Now?" Erika asked, "We're almost done."

"Go ahead, Erika," Taylor nodded, "See you tomorrow."

Erika with a bewildered look grabbed a bottle of cold water and her duffel.

"What is it?" she asked her mother as they left the gym.

"Dr. Bob called and said he needs to see us in his office as soon as possible."

Erika's heart stopped. Not just skipped a beat, full-on stopped for two seconds before it raced.

"What is it?"

"He wouldn't say over the phone. He just asked that your father and I bring you into see him."

Oh God! Erika's brain screamed.


 
To Be Continued...

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Comments

Intersexed?

Big Maybe?

=^.^=

Sephrena Lynn Miller
BigCloset TopShelf
TGLibrary.com

CliffHangers

Hey A.A.; Haven't we told you no "CLIFFHANGERS ALLOWED" Just Kidding, but you sure got this story going great, it's hard waiting another week to read the nx chapter! Richard

Richard

Oh , Those Tasty Barium Shakes( NOT!!! )

jengrl's picture

I could sympathize with Erika about those nasty shakes. I have had it done a couple of times and it definitely wasn't fun. I hope she will still be able to participate in Homecoming festivities after going through being terrified about the test results. Hopefully, it won't be anything that can't be corrected. I know from experience that when the doctor calls the patient and their family in, it is pretty serious business.

PICT0013_1_0.jpg

Gee Wizzer Girl!

PattieBFine's picture

They have a new flavor now??? So does that mean that they have improved a bit on the chalky-mint crap I had to swollow? And must be more effective as you only had to force down a PINT!??

I sticketh my tounge out at you!

;-P

Pattie

GaH! You can't stop there!

But you did. Shoot, now I gotta wait like a week to find out what's goin' on? Ya big meanie :)

Melanie E.

I Agree With Sephrena

That would Answer why Erik did not go through puberty, Or he could be like Drew Bond was low testosterone, high hormones.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Bonzi must have edited this

I recognize his style; "Cliff Hangers R Us"
'spoze you're gonna make us wait a whole week too ;-\
-Christine

Hints and Clues

Not too much to work with from the way you've described the testing. Which, from a story-telling point of view is the right way to do it. It could turn out to be anything! Plus, for those of us with vivid imaginations and too much exposure to reading about medical tests and such, we're left guessing away as to all the possibilities.

Looking forward to the next chapter to find out.

I bet they...

found something !
Thanks again Anistasia , not many storys can be this good for so long.

BookWorm

Sounds Awfully Dire...

A sexual anomaly wouldn't have the doctor pulling Erika out of school. I'm guessing a brain tumor or something equally life-threatening.

A.A. did indicate that the story would be getting more stressful very soon. That certainly happened. And I'll join the others who are hoping that since this episode came out early, the next one will as well. (This Tuesday, maybe?)

Actually, take as long as you and your editors need to do it right. But please don't leave us hanging any longer than you have to.

Eric

(Just had a thought: if Erika is hospitalized through Homecoming for an emergency operation, Tricia presumably winds up as Julian's "real" date at the dance. If that works out for them and Erika's return gets delayed, I could them demoting Erika to best friend/third wheel...)

Now that's what i call a cliffhanger!!!!

As to what the Doctors have found (and so quickly!!!) Well all you can think is it must be something big for them to want see Erika asap...I guess I'd better leave it to others far better qualified than me to speculate on just what the doctors have discovered!

So i'll just content myself with saying thank you Anistasia for providing us all with this marvelous story it just keeps getting better.

Kirri

ARGH!!!

You evil person, how dare you do this to us... lol luv'n the story but seriously, ya got to stop teasing us so...

Huggles,

Winnie

Huggles,

Winnie
Winnie_small.jpg

Sounds bad or maybe good but medically important

Hum, repeating the MRI and the doctor asking they come in ASAP the same day?

If the doctor was concerned that Erika needed the FYI to calmer his/her nerves a phonecall would have sufficed.

Needing BOTH parents and her ASAP means a medical emergency or high risk of an emergency.

An aneurism? possible but unlikely at her age.

Tumor(s) more likely but why now? I suspect its all related to his/her being behind her classmates in sexual development IE his so far nonexistent puberty.

Most likely a slow cancer that has inhibited her growth and puberty or she really is a she and is about to menstruate.

I admit she has little breast growth but if she was intersexed maybe the slight genetic goof that made her appear male interfered with her growth but now she is developing just a bit late? The technician's odd reaction to the second MRI test could be concern for the boy being about to learn shes a girl or ...?

Only our evil cliffhangering author knows for sure.

But if she is a she what will mom do? Poor mom will feel so guilty and now what the athletes did to Erik could be seen as sexual assault and might have to be dug up and revisited.

John in Wauwatosa

John in Wauwatosa

Killer Cliffhanger

Maybe Anistasia will take pity on us with a second posting this week.

It's possible that there is an issue related to the head injury that Erika had at camp.

Very Serious Problem.

Realistically, Docs don't call the same day unless there is a really emergent problem. Aneurisim or Cancer would be my first guess. Maybe she's been a girl all along and her willy is really just her clitty.

I know that I was less than 100lbs at the beginning of my Junior year.

Very interesting AA. Nice job.

M'salama

Khadija

Gawd, I hate those things

Gawd, I hate those things they make you drink for that stuff! They always say it's orange flavored, or strawberry flavored, but what it is, is disgusting! I felt sick for days when I had to drink one of those!

I'm betting the reaction Erika got had nothing to do with something being wrong with her, and were because of her being transgendered/intersexed. I can't wait to find out!

Great chapter Anistasia!

Saless

"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

Major Shakeup

terrynaut's picture

Oh, dear. Erika wasn't really taken out of school so I wouldn't call it an extreme emergency. If there was truly an emergency, wouldn't they take her to the ER in an ambulance? Try not to panic, people.

I'd say a quick decision needed to be made about some sort of corrective surgery. That's my guess.

My eyes glazed over a little during the lengthy description of the tests. Are they really that long and tedious? I've never gone through anything like that so I can't relate. I don't think it was a good idea to include them in such detail but that's just my humble opinion.

I was extremely pleased to see the results of the homecoming voting. It's almost like you tried to sneak it by us readers but we're too observant for you. Nice try though. *giggle*

Thanks very much for another chapter. Please keep up the good work.

- Terry

No

My eyes glazed over a little during the lengthy description of the tests. Are they really that long and tedious?

Much longer and far more tedious. ;-)

Damaged people are dangerous
They know they can survive

That's it !

Cliffhangers are like cockroaches, they will survive anything ! Just look how they keep coming back.

Darn it - Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?

^_^

Now another week :-P.

Kim

speculation

I'll guess it's a partially absorbed twin, just since no one else has mentioned that yet.

Cancer ?

Just might be the most logical choice as it can be a potential problem for the intersexed as some of those vestigial organs can turn cancerous.

I just wonder if it is a major health issue what kind of bearing does this have on her transition and her growth as the new women she is ?

Questions. Questions.

Kim

"Hey, Mom, I am really a

"Hey, Mom, I am really a girl" shouts Erika after she sees the doctor. "Told ya". This is what I foresee with the new meeting with the doctor, Erika, her Mother and Father. J-Lynn

Mostly "Dittos"

RAMI

There is nort much more that can be said, that has not already been said by others.

A.A. discription of the MRI and CAT Scan are very accurate. She must have had some in the past.

The fact that she had to have the test redone is ominous. I'm surprised that they did not keep her at the hospital in the first place. I guess the radiologist needed to consult some specialists to confirm his reading of the pictures.

Requireing Erika to come in so quickly with both parents can not be good.

A.A. did not mention what parts of the body were scanned. A 20 minute MRI would have only covered one are and not the whole body.
If there was a scan of the Brain, then it could be something to do as someone else mentioned with the camp injury.

RAMI

RAMI

Except...

...wasn't she scanned following the injury, and given a clean bill of health?

It's definitely a mystery. I'm sure A.A. knows where she is going with this, and all will be revealed. Eventually. :-)

Oh NO! Let me guess!

Nah, Miss Anistasia would just change the story to spite us! :-)

Great job, as usual, Anistasia. I can tell you're having a lot of fun leading us all around by our noses, haha.

Jeez, if you were a male stripper, we'd have to call you Cliff Hanger.

Hugs
Carla

MRI

The fact they want to see her so soon after can’t be good.

hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna

bad news?

well, they almost never want to see you right away for good news ...

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