"I'm afraid you are turning into a woman."
Jim's heart sank. He was afraid of this. "And all the tests agree?"
"Yes," said Dr. Marsh. "We did a genetic test in addition to the usual viral scans and sonograms when you contracted Girl Flu. We're already seeing changes to your anatomy, including the beginnings of a uterus."
"But I thought 'Girl Flu' was just a name it was given," said Jim. "You know, like Bird Flu or Swine Flu."
"A lot of people think that," said Dr. Marsh. "And that prevents most people from being careful. You were unfortunate enough to get a particularly virulent strain, one that substituted itself for your male chromasomes. For all practical purposes, Jim, you are genetically female. Your anatomy will gradually catch up to your DNA over the next few months. I will want to schedule more appointments, to help guide you through your anatomy change and learn how to take care of a female body. We'll give you a copy of the test results to help you break the news to your family, if you'd like. And, Jim, I know you feel like you're alone right now. I felt the same way when I caught Girl Flu. But there are others like you and we will support our new sister."
"Yeah, sure," said Jim. He made an appointment and hung up the phone. A woman, he thought. Everyone got Girl Flu at some point in their lives, sometimes more than once. It was unique in that it contained a functional X chromasome within its genetic makeup. It usually didn't do anything more than simulate severe menstrual pains for a few days as the body fought it off. But Jim had heard the legends, about versions of Girl Flu that snipped out the Y chromasome in men and substituted its X chromasome in its place. The virus continued onward, substituting X for Y, until the man had become a woman. Because the virus could only affect the Y chromasme, women, who had no Y chromasome, were able to fight off the virus when it had no DNA to affect.
Apparently the legends were true. And now Jim was going to spend the rest of hsi life with a vagina as a result.
