David wasn't sure how much time had passed. The doctors had placed her into a special preparation ward, where she was given a questionnaire. It had so many questions on it relating to her life. Some of it seemed to be testing her mental abilities, various questions on maths and pictures... all of it to build a current psychological profile and an understanding of her base state as it was currently.
Did she see a vase or two faces? She looked at the optical illusion frowning, and said she saw both flicking back and forth. She always did with these illusions. They were stupid questions and hardly relevant, probably made to keep her out of trouble.
Maybe it would help if she thought of her own body, super imposed on this alien rabbit girl's body. If she could picture it, she could still feel 'his' body... glancing around the ward and being alone for the first time she felt her hands drawn a little to explore. She didn't really know what to expect a girl's body to feel like and it was just under the sheet. She reached down her soft legs, slowly going upwards. There was just the lightest intimate brush and-
She shivered. she shook herself out of that horrible thought. The idea that she would touch it was just... sickening. The sooner she got changed back the better.
After all the questions were taken, then came blood samples, hair samples, eye examinations, hearing tests (passed with flying colours of course), reflex test and temperature tests... they were checking everything and placing the results into some kind of computer as it constructed her image digitally.
She got a bit upset when they explained they had to measure and weigh her body in detail. In the end she only allowed her mother to do that. Her giant feet were measured, her legs were measured... her hip-line, her breasts, her head- and as if that was not insulting enough, her rabbit ears were measured.
"Can you keep them straight please honey?" asked her mother pleadingly as she rolled out the tape placing one end on her scalp trying to bend it around.
David frowned a bit as her ears straightened to their full height. her mother smiled as she did those measurements. "Hm, left ear is two millimetres smaller then right. is that normal?"
"Yes variance is to be expected. Try to be as exact as possible," said the doctor. "We need these numbers to get formulation correct." The importance of this was so significant and the stress of it was not lost on anyone.
David frowned and wondered if maybe she 'should' have let the doctors do this given how critical it was. But she trusted her mother more at this point. She didn't want the doctors to be this close to her. The newly transformed girl was stressed and afraid of being near any stranger. Being so young again felt... terrifying.
Her mother took a few notes down. "That's all of them."
"Good. Now step on the scale David." instructed the doctor taking her to a strange silver shaped machine.
David almost 'hoped' onto it, tensing as she did to get her balance. It was not a single platform, but designed with two platforms close together for each foot. There were also two sidebars, similar to those used on modern treadmills. Each was a pressure sensor, and it looked like it was not just measuring her weight, but her sense of balance.
She stood up on it, waiting patiently. Why did it take so long to measure her weight? Then she realised they were not just checking weight, but distribution of weight. Only a multi-platform sensor could do that.
"Place your hands on these bars now," said the doctor.
David did so, grimacing a little. There was a little 'ding' from the computer, as numbers were generated. She sighed at the endless barrage of what looked to be meaningless tests. The temptation to go home was always there, especially with the concerned look of her mother. But David knew she had to endure this. The chance to roll the dice to be normal would not happen again.
Finally she was lead into a strange room. She looked up at the doctor for an explanation.
"This is the grey room. You'll find a change of clothes in here. The environment is completely sterile. You'll also find two pills and some water. Please take them... for the next few hours, we'll only be able to talk to you on a speaker and glass wall. We'll see you there."
David nodded. She was starting to feel nervous. She went in, and everything was exactly as described. She took out the gown, frowning a little as she changed into it. It barely hid anything on her. She looked at the drugs... "I thought I wouldn't' have to take anything? You were just going to inject me with a cure?"
The speaker clicked on. "The actual treatment will have no drugs, but to initiate the effect of the virus we need to compromise your immune system for a few hours. Those are immunosuppressants, and will leave you vulnerable to another infection. It will allow the virus to replicate for a little while longer in you."
"I thought we wanted the virus dead." said David even more confused.
"We want it dead, after it has transformed you back to normal," Explained the doctor patiently. "If it was completely destroyed you'll never turn back. This is the riskiest part of the process, but you are in a clean environment. We have a lot of experience on this phase of the treatment, you will be fine."
David closed her eyes. She had to do this. She took the dose of immunosuppressants, steeling herself. She now knew that the drugs would weaken her immune system considerably. Going into the next room, she found a bed.
"Lie in the bed for now David, we'll check up on you in an hour. Remember... you can back out of this, at that point. but in an hour, there is no turning back."
David nodded as she perched herself on the bed lying back. Her ears got a little irritated as they slid on the back wall, flopping into her eyes. She fumed at them a little. She still had one hour to decide if to take this risk. She could already feel herself getting weaker from the drugs. "Mom? Are you there?"
"I'm here sweety," said the voice. There was a desperation in it. "I'm... still willing to take you home. You'll always be my baby. Girl or boy... animal or human... I love you."
Was she doing the right thing? Letting David do this to herself? She had the right to take her daughter away... part of her wanted to. To take her and to stop her being so childish. If something bad happened, she would blame herself. She was the parent, and was only doing what a 'child' was demanding. Throwing herself to the mercy of a child's tantrum wasn't exactly good parenting. She had hoped to reason with her daughter, that to take any risk is not worth it... she regretted telling her this treatment was available now. Perhaps in some other world where she made the 'right choice' she was just shopping with her, buying new clothes, eating some ice cream... having a nice day out. Instead she was watching... this.
"I.. love you too mom," said David. she wiggled her new foot, staring at it. It was so large... animal like... If people saw her, what would they call her? Rabbit foot? Three toed freak? She sighed heavily thinking back to Jon. "I.. hurt a changed person yesterday. Mom? Is... that why this happened? Am I being punished?"
"No David, of course not," said her mother quickly. "You just have foot in mouth syndrome when you talk to people," she smiled a little. "You like to use humour when you're scared yourself."
"I wasn't scared!" David protested a little... childishly. She cringed at that. "I.. I don't know."
"It's okay to have been scared David. Try not to worry about it. But this is a gamble... you don't have to do it." Maybe she could plead with her one last time. That thought of taking her to have some ice-cream was starting to look appealing.
"Why don't you want me to do it mom? If the doctors can do this why don't they let everyone do it? Would you rather... I was a girl?"
"Oh don't be silly, David. Of course not. Boy or girl, I just want you healthy and- I suppose I do hope to have grandchildren some day like any mother does," she laughed a little nervously.
David cringed wide eyed at that hiding under the mattress.
"Oh come now, I wanted that when you were a boy as well. I'm not going to change because of your transformation, and neither should you."
David wasn't 'entirely' comforted by that but it did serve to confuse her. Which is probably exactly what her mother was getting at. She didn't want things to change... but maybe certain things did have to change? That was hardly making her feel better, but if the changes were under her control... if she could choose what to change and what not to if this was to be her body...(something that one couldn't normally change) she could almost foresee the kind of things she could do and wouldn't want to do any more- all of which was her choice. Her mother wasn't forcing her to be, or do... anything. Still... to let go? To accept when there was this possibility... a hope... Maybe if she had a week to think on it, or a month... but she only had an hour. "Why am I getting this chance? I thought... there was never any treatment."
"You'll have to ask the doctors. From what I gather the circumstances are not always right. If the virus is dormant, it means you will change back when it gets reactivated most of the time. Sometimes the virus is killed straight away and a person is stuck. In theory another infection can turn you back, but the chances of the virus being the exact strain needed is near impossible."
David listened carefully. The only thing she understood was that a virus had to be both present and active to change a person... and that included changing them back human. "But I've never killed the virus when I was first infected... it's always dormant in me. Even after I changed back."
"Yes, that's why you're a special case. For some reason the virus in you remained dormant but... your immune system is finishing it off right now. If they stop your immune system, they can reactivate the virus and hopefully coax it into changing you back with blood from the last time you changed... so... that's the idea anyway. They want to try and make the virus do whatever it did last time to change you back, even if they don't understand why it did it or how."
David sighed. Should she listen to her mother? Maybe.. this was foolish. If only she had more time to think on it! Activating a transformation virus on purpose felt dangerous, and she knew it was... but... it had the possibility of turning her back as well as possibly making things worse- or... not doing anything at all.
Her mother leaned into the glass looking into the sterile room. "There are many advantages to a new life David... it might not be the one you thought you were going to have... but who in this world knows what they will have at the end? I taught you to be adaptive.. you can adapt to this. I promise, ten years from now you will be happy. On my life, I will make you happy."
David thought of her mother's words. It was true. In a world as this, when a disease could just change your entire body, forcing you to have a different... outlook? To adapt, and be adaptive to a new circumstance... a new body.. a new life was something all parents tried to give to their children- well her own mother did follow that rule. David as a child was given all the books on the changed. She remembered her favourite book "When Sally became a fox." designed to give children the understanding that a change can happen to anyone.
In this world it was difficult to consider that when she grew up knowing of the virus, but never thinking of the consequences of it. Reading the books was more like how to deal when 'others' changed, not oneself. (Because statistically, it did tend to happen to 'others') That her whole life could be re-written on such a fundamental level- anyone's life. Friendships had to be that much deeper, to accept what could be... Those friends she had made, those links she had made... it was all dependent on her human male form. Her life wasn't dependent on her mind, or even her heart... her hobbies, her interests... but her physical existence. Defined as it was shallow and meaningless. It was a moment David looked at just how much of his life revolved around his physical existence never believing the virus could strike him due to strong resistance in the past.
It took away his life... because his physical body was all he had to work with in his life.
"Mom? I know what you mean but... I think... even if it's a little risky, I want to try it. Besides, you said they would take my results and make the medicine better. So... I'm helping in that right?" Maybe if this was the case he wouldn't feel... like he was doing this completely for himself. Making a contribution to help others... that was a good thing, right?
"Yes. You would be helping others in trying this David," said her mother. "But... the risks are unknown. Just... if you change your mind, I'm here."
"I won't change my mind mom. I...might get back my old body." She smiled at that hopefully.
"For what it's worth, I hope you do. but if you don't... you're a very beautiful girl. Not a freak... don't worry about being a rabbit. I just hope you don't become worse and we all regret this."
Why did she have to be so suborn!
David leaned back as a nurse came into the sterile environment. She had a needle. "This will help you sleep now... are you ready?"
The rabbit girl nodded as she felt the embrace of the null reality once more.
The doctors looked at the various readings from David's bio on a computer. "Viral replication rate estimated to be at... 100 units per ml of blood in ten minutes. We should be ready."
Another doctor, entered the office. He seemed to be holding a serum. "Here it is... made to the exact concentrations as demanded by the subjects dimensions and requirements for a human transformation. We've had to take a few estimates on the target weight and height."
"How do you work all this out?" Asked David's mother in some awe of it.
"A great deal of work, number crunching, and some 'best guesses'. We don't know how the virus reacts at times, but we have made some pretty good guesses."
"G-Guesses?" said David's mother wide eyed.
"If you want to pull the plug, now's the time. This is frontier medicine, and we don't have experience in every parameter possible. Especially as this virus mutates so often. However we have got a good picture of this virus from twelve years ago and have some reaction studies from it- so long as it hasn't mutated too drastically."
David's mother looked at her daughter, lying in the bed. She was sedated and looked so vulnerable. The nurses were covered completely in white apparels, to ensure a clean environment except for the heightened growth of the virus. She pressed her hands to the glass, her eyes tearful. She wanted to take her home with her... but if she did that, David would never forgive her. "What are the odds of it killing her?"
"Unlikely... but not impossible. Suffice to say that has never happened before, because we haven't had that many clinical tests. But I'm sure you are aware that this transformation virus can do a lot more then kill. We are attempting to coax it to do what we desire and sometimes it fights back." The doctor didn't like anthropomorphising the virus but in his studies, that is exactly how he felt. Doing this had to be slow... otherwise it seemed like the virus 'caught on'.
"Alright... just... do it." This was it. No turning back... for better or worse, she condemned her child to this. She just couldn't convince her to 'accept'...
"Proceed," said the doctor as he placed the vial in a hatch and into the sterile room. "Begin count down... start energy drip feed.. now."
A nurse pushed a button, and a supply of nutrients started flowing into David's arm. It also came with a substance to break down the immunosuppressive drugs in her system. Almost instantly, her immune system woke up to an astonishing number of viral agents and attacked with ferocity. The virus started reacting to the attack, latching itself into organs.
"Temperature is increasing doctor..." said a nurse looking at it. "Blood pressure increasing.... Target temperature estimated in seven minutes."
The doctor frowned a bit at that. "Too slow for the viral estimate... are we sure there is enough viral agent in her?"
"The number is confirmed." said the nurse.
David's mother watched helplessly. She didn't understand what any of this meant, but she understood enough that it wasn't going quite to plan. Then again, was there a plan? She didn't dare say or breathe a word while they worked. She probably shouldn't watch... they were doing things to her baby! She... let them do this. She closed her eyes trying to be brave as the events took place.
"Alright, extend the countdown by two minutes, then perform electrolytic stimulation."
The countdown seemed to tick away... then one of the machines, gave a sound of static as a mild charge of energy zapped the rabbit girl through her hand and into her feet. It wasn't painful, but it did give a little shock. A bit like a pin prick.
"Heart is stable," said a nurse with relief. "Electo pulses are making the virus react as simulated."
Then slowly, it started to happen. First, David ears just 'fell off'. The rabbit ears and holes left on her head instantly sealed away with the briefest blood seen. Normal human ears formed, quite quickly after that. Her hair started to become a dark black once more, although was still quite long.
"It's... working." said a nurse in awe as she took the rabbit ears away and put them in a biohazard bucket.
The doctors watched in stunned awe at the result of their work. It was amazing to behold, and they couldn't help but wonder if they were witnessing a future, viable treatment for those transformed. If a store of antibodies could be created and made... synthesised for a virus strain then perhaps there was hope!
The effects on David were not quite like his first transformation. Unlike before when the virus changed her with an almost artistic look, this seemed to come out in 'splotches' and was a bit messy. Perhaps because the virus was more concentrated in other places of her body due to the artificial nature of what they have tried to do.
More changes occurred, as her breasts started to become smaller. It was a little uneven, with the left going faster then the right... but eventually it evened out and her shoulders broadened into those of a young male.
Then came the return of her manhood, as her legs started to shift and change back into a human form with a prickly sensation of hair forming.
"It's... really working?" asked her mother to the doctor an almost madly insane joy in her eyes.
The doctor gave a little hopeful smile. "It looks like it. The reaction isn't quite as fast as we've normally seen it but... we're definitely heading in the right direction." This was... amazing. This was just incredible. They were witnessing a cure... a real cure!
David's mother knew however, the day was still young... she watched her daughter becoming a boy again, and smiled. She hoped this really would be what he wanted...
She hoped this would last...
