“Might have been that. I would have used napkin pads, usual hospital practice. But there were just too many bells and whistles—plumbing I mean—in the way. I didn’t think you would notice a tampon placed while you were sedated. Contrary to popular belief there is almost no sensation inside a vagina.”
“So? There damn well is in mine! I just didn’t know what the sensation was.”
“Well, the matter has never come up before; your case is unique. Was that all that was troubling you, Miss—sorry! ‘Johann.’”
“No. This new body of mine— Has it had a whatchamacallit, a female examination?”
“Oh, certainly. Dr. Kystra, best G-Y-N man in town. Done while you were paralyzed, checked again after your spinal cord fused but done while you were in deep sedation. All okay.”
“I want a full report. Damn it, Doc, I’m in charge of this body now…and I know as little about how to be female as my Grossmutter knew about aircraft Nothing, that is.”
“I can get the report out of file if you want it—”
“I do!”
“—but I can tell it in terms you are more likely to understand. Shall I?”
“Go ahead.”
“You have a normal female body, physiological age circa twenty-five—-calendar age somewhat older, I understand. Breasts normal virginal–which doesn’t mean your body is virgo intacta; it isn’t. Just means you haven’t suckled a child. No trace of abdominal surgery, from which I conclude that your appendix is in place and your tubes are intact—”
“Meaning I could get pregnant.”
“—the latter opinion having been confirmed by insufflation while you were paralyzed. You not only could get pregnant; you will. Unless you live an absolutely chaste life—and even if you plan to, I would still recommend precautionary contraception—say six-month implants in one buttock. The best-laid plans of mice and men, you know. And women. Especially women. Since you are Rh-negative, about six-sevenths of the male population could give you a damaged or stillborn child. We can prevent that if we know it in time, but an unexpected pregnancy can turn out tragically. So don’t let it be unexpected. Plan it. In the meantime use contraception.”
“Doe, what makes you so damn sure I’ll get pregnant? Even if I get married—which I do not plan on—hell, I’ve had only hours to get used to the notion of being female; I certainly haven’t had time to consider being actively female. But even so, as the old gal said, ‘Shucks, honey, hundreds and hundreds of times ain’t nothing happen a—tall.’”
“If you adjust normally to being a young female, you will be active about it, that’s why. Or you will eventually wind up on Dr. Rosenthal’s confession couch or some emotional equivalent such as joining a nunnery. Johann, your new body has a normal female hormonal balance; you had better plan accordingly. Even getting your tubes cut is no answer; you might come down with the emotional never-get-overs through regretting it. As for what the old gal said, it doesn’t apply. Because of that child you’ve already had.”
“What?” (Boss, why didn’t you mind your own business? I could have told you all of this you need to know.) (Shut up, Eunice.)
Garcia looked surprised. “You didn’t know? I had assumed that, since this body was that of your secretary, you knew that she had had a child. Or children.”
“Not only didn’t know it, I don’t believe it.” Surely the security investigation would have turned up such an obvious fact. . . and God knows Eunice had never been out of his sight since then long enough to bear a child.
“I’m afraid you will have to believe it, uh, Johann. Striations called stretch marks on belly and buttocks—hardly noticeable unless your skin is tanned and then easily concealed by cosmetics. But present. Not definitive, as a woman, or even a male, can get stretch marks from obesity. But characteristic. But the thing that nails it down is that the cervix of the virgin womb does not look like that of a woman who has borne a child. The difference is so marked that a layman can spot it. I have seen yours. Q.E.D. Could be photographed if you doubt me.”