I'm a Mermaid, Not a Merman

Chapter 23

[Mature content warning. This Chapter involves medical description of anatomy. Reader discretion is advised.]

"Danny."

"What?" he said in a harsh voice, rolling over in his bed.

"It's noon," Mom said.

"I don't want to get up."

"You need to do something," Mom said, "I know that this hurts... breaking up always does."

"It was not a break up. It was a shot in the heart."

Mom sighed. "You need to move on with life. I want you to just... slowly try the girl stuff again -"

"No! That is not who I am. I am not getting up and doing something unless it is to get this stupid mop of hair cut off."

"Danny, you need to get up. I've got a doctor's appointment for you with Doctor Taylor at 1:30. You better be ready to go, or I am not going to be happy."

She left Danny alone, and he threw off his bedsheets when she left the room. He got in the shower, and then got dressed into normal boy clothes, with his binder. Her pulled his hair back into a low ponytail. It looked slightly, slightly boyish. But there was little he could do to alter his freakish appearance.

An hour or so later, he was sitting in an examination room, his arms folded. He knew that made him look like a pouting child. He didn't care. When he glanced to Mom, she tried to put on a smile. He ignored it.

"Alright," Doctor Taylor walked into the room, "how are you feeling Danny?"

"Fine," he forced himself to say, rather than "absolutely horrible."

"Your mom tells me that things have been rough for you lately... that you've been struggling with gender identity."

"The struggle," he said, "is that I can't get these stupid things off my chest fast enough."

Mom put a firm hand on his leg, giving the obvious message none of that.

"Well," Doctor Taylor said, "I am afraid that with your issues a psychiatrist is probably advised. I have several I can recommend."

"Yes," Mom said, "I think that's a good idea."

"All I can say," Doctor Taylor said, "is that if you're going to continue wearing the binder, you're going to need to do so responsibly."

"Yes ma'am," Danny said begrudgingly.

"Oh Danny," Doctor Taylor sighed, "I've been seeing you for a while now - I've seen how tough this is for you. You'll get through it, I promise."

"Okay," he said in a token manner.

"Now, I need to take a look at your chest."

A while passed of uncomfortable examination, looking around at the offending problem. To his surprise, Doctor Taylor then asked him to undress completely. Following this were more examinations, but in his nether regions. This was even more uncomfortable. It had been a while since Danny had endured this in a Doctor's office.

"I know that this has been hard," Doctor Taylor said, "but your breasts look very nice and healthy, you've been taking good care of them."

"I want them to go away," he repeated his mantra.

"So Danny," Doctor Taylor changed the subject, "your mother mentioned pains that you've had on occasion, how long have these been going on?"

He shivered, the cold air in the room cold against his naked lower body.