"Good morning, Patrick!" Samara said, entering the guy's room. "How are you this morning?"
"I'm great, thanks!" Patrick said, smiling. He really was feeling very well after another good night's sleep. Besides, he couldn't explain why, but he was quite happy to see Samara. Maybe he really was starting to see her as a friend…
"Here's your breakfast. Also, I have something else for you."
Patrick then noticed that there was a suitcase next to the girl. "What's this?" he asked.
"New clothes for you."
"Really? But there are many clothes in my wardrobe that I haven't used yet!"
"Oh, silly, you have so much to learn... A woman never has too many clothes" she giggled. "If you want to be one of us, you need to understand that!"
"I see..." Patrick said, realizing that the girl had a point. He also wasn't feeling bothered to discuss this matter anymore. In fact, he was feeling a certain excitement, knowing that he was doing something that most people wouldn't even dare to think about. He was a bold, determined person... Almost a visionary. Another interesting thing was that the idea of leaving the clinic hadn't even crossed Patrick's mind that morning. It was as if he had never considered this possibility.
After the breakfast, Patrick went to the bathroom while Samara arranged his new clothes in the wardrobe and selected an outfit for him to wear that morning.
When he left the bedroom, he was wearing a light green chiffon blouse, with short sleeves and round neck; skinny black pants; white ballet flats; and light blue floral panties.
This was definitely the most feminine outfit he had used so far, but Patrick kept his good mood. He then went to the beauty salon, where once again he underwent electrolysis and tanning, and his nails were shaped. Next, he met Mrs. Beaulieu, who continued to teach him feminine mannerisms, still focusing on how he sat and gesticulated.
In the afternoon, he went to the gym, and thanks to his positive attitude it wasn't as hard as in the previous days. Patrick acted naturally, and followed Antonio's instructions without complaining. I can do that, he thought. I really can. I was being a fool for thinking otherwise before.
After the gym, Patrick was taken to the doctor's office, where he met Dr. Edward Reid, the doctor of the clinic. He was a tall man in his late thirties, with short black hair and a serious face. He greeted Patrick, and then asked him to sit down so they could talk.
Being in the company of another man, Patrick thought of sitting as he had done all his life, but he then remembered Dominique's words. He should sit like a lady all the time. Otherwise, it wouldn't become natural for him and his ability to pass as a woman would be compromised.
He then sat in the most graceful way he could with his legs tightly together, and put his hands on his lap. Throughout the process, Patrick ignored the inner voice that was saying that it was outrageous and that he was acting like a sissy in front of another guy. The good thing was that those sexist thoughts were getting weaker and weaker every day and were having less influence on him.
"So, Mr. Donovan" the doctor started. "I was informed that you came to our clinic with the goal of getting a temporary female appearance."
"That's right, doctor" Patrick said. "And Mrs. Larsen told me that she and her team can help me to achieve this."
"Well, I have been working in this clinic for a few years now and I can assure you that she wasn't lying. Anyway, she wanted you to come here so I can make sure that you are healthy and also to introduce you to some... options."
"Options?"
"Yes. You see, you can get the look that you want through the conventional program, with exercises, visits to the salon and prosthetics, but if you wish I can help you speed it up."
"Oh, I'm listen to you, doctor" Patrick said excitedly, remembering to gesture as he spoke as Dominique had instructed him to do.
"Well, to start with, we can use some drugs to suppress your muscle mass production."
"Hmm... But the effect would be temporary, right?"
"Of course. Provided you don't take those drugs for a long period of time. Furthermore, we can use something to soften and feminize your body a bit for some time."
"What would it be?"
"Basically, female hormones, administered together with male hormone blockers."
Whatever Patrick was expecting to hear, it wasn't that. The term "female hormones" had a strong impact on him and he almost freaked out. At first, he thought that it was too much. But after some time he calmed down a bit and asked the doctor, just out of curiosity, to explain the procedure to him. Dr. Reid did so, detailing all the physical and emotional changes that could happen to Patrick.
"Well, I understood that the effects of these hormones will also disappear some time after I stop taking them, but I'm not so sure, doctor... What do you think I should do?"
"My strictly clinical view is that only transgender people and cisgender women with hormonal issues should take female hormones. However, I also think that liposuction, for example, should not be done indiscriminately, but I know it doesn't work this way in real life. I myself have already performed various aesthetic procedures on patients that I didn't consider strictly necessary. I learned that each person has their own motivations, and I'm not here to discourage them from getting what they want as long as I don't put their health at risk."
"Therefore" he continued, "if you really want to speed up the process and improve your disguise, I think this may be a valid option. I assure you that the risks are minimal if you follow my guidelines to the letter. Oh, and this is what Mrs. Larsen thinks you should do, anyway."
On hearing this, Patrick didn’t know what to do. Hormones seemed to be a rather extreme solution, but Dr. Reid's arguments had been very solid, and he seemed to be very professional. Also, Mrs. Larsen thought he should go for it… He trusted her more and more each day… She was helping and supporting him in that endeavor when everyone else would say he was crazy… And more importantly, the prospect of reaching his goal faster was almost irresistible to Patrick. Plus, he would accomplish this through a procedure that would prove that he was even bolder than he was thinking… An intoxicating excitement grew within him and before he could control himself he said, "Okay, doctor, let's do that."
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That routine continued on the following days. Patrick had daily appointments at the beauty salon, went to the gym, and met Dominique Beaulieu, the etiquette teacher. In that first appointment with Dr. Reid, after Patrick agreed to start hormone treatment, the doctor only performed some tests to make sure that the health of his patient was in good condition. The next day, however, Patrick got the first female hormones shot in his butt. Furthermore, the doctor gave him several bottles of pills, with detailed instructions on the correct use of all of them.
Perhaps it was only then that Patrick understood the seriousness of all that. Was he really doing the right thing? His hesitations, however, completely disappeared during his next meetings with Mrs. Larsen. The woman pointed out all the time that he was doing the right thing, and that it was very brave of him. Patrick was very happy to hear that. Yes, it's obvious that she's right, he thought. He was increasingly amazed by the fact that she understood him so well. He was even surer that he could trust her unreservedly.
He was also getting closer and closer to Samara. Since he wasn't yet authorized to interact with the other guests present at the clinic, the girl was the only person he had to talk to during his free time. She could spend hours in his room, even after the end of her shift. When Patrick said that maybe she was wanting to rest a little, she told him not to worry because she wasn't there out of obligation, but because she really liked his company.
Little by little, their conversations began to focus on women's issues, like fashion and skin care. She even started asking Patrick to put on the clothes in his wardrobe and parade for her. She then would explain to him how to match the clothes for the best look, and teach him how to hide the imperfections of his body.
"But don't worry, Patti. Now that you started taking hormones, I'm sure that your body will look much better pretty soon!"
Patrick winced at this. He knew the girl was just trying to help and that those temporary changes in his body would be important. But even so, there were still times when he got scared, even though he knew that giving up wasn’t an option – not anymore.
The girl also started to call him Patti when they were alone. That upset him a little at first, but he soon realized that this was silliness. If he wanted to pretend to be a woman, he had to get used to women's names, after all…
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During his first weekend at the clinic, Patrick didn't have many commitments. So, he spent most of his time talking to Samara, or relaxing in his bedroom reading one of the women's books or magazines he had at his disposal. This sort of reading was still boring for him, but he was determined to use it to try to understand the female mind.
Mrs. Larsen had told him that this would be essential for him, and that soon they would begin to discuss the characters of these books. She wanted Patrick to read the books from the perspective of the women in the stories. "You need to think what they think; feel what they feel; see the world as they do" she insisted.
Since he already was in the clinic for a whole week, with no contact with the outside world, he wondered how things would be out there. He was missing his job and everyone at the office, and especially Julie, his fiancée. Mrs. Larsen had promised that he would be able to contact her soon. He just needed to finish that period of full immersion before that. Patrick was sure the woman knew what she was doing, but even so it was difficult. He had to remember himself several times that this effort would be worth it at the end…