CHAPTER 7
Two large attendants entered Joe's room. The larger of the two
men motioned for Joe to get up. "Come. Bath." He said.
Joe stared at him. "What."
Having been instructed in his native tongue to compel instant
obedience. The man slapped Joe's face so violently that Joe cried.
Having learned his first lesson, Joe painfully maneuvered his
body to where the attendants could help him out of bed and walk him
to the bathroom. He noticed that the bathroom was austere and
lacked a mirror.
While bathing under the observation of one of the attendants,
Joe noticed the curious lack of hair on his body. "Oh well. It'll
grow back," he thought.
After poking himself with his new fingernails a couple of
times, he learned to move slowly and carefully. He went to wash his
hair. "So they shaved my head too."
While washing his face he found out about his peculiar lack of
eyebrows. After he had dried off Joe was handed what looked like a
standard green hospital gown. It was different from the normal
hospital gown in two respects. It was made of silk instead of the
normal cotton, pulled over the head rather than tying up the back,
and fell to mid thigh.
Joe was able to return to bed unassisted. Walking back, he
noticed unaccustomed pressure on his feet and tension in his calf
muscles.
While Joe had been in the bath, the other attendant had been
making up his bed. Joe discovered that the new sheets and pillow
cases were slinky and slippery.
"Well I'll be," he thought. "Satin sheets. At least they go
first class here."
Joe began to relax. Now that feeling had returned to his body,
he took stock of himself. The stiffness and soreness had been
reduced by the hot bath. There was a odd itching sensation at
various points on his body. He probed his hips and buttocks were
the feeling was concentrated. Nothing seemed wrong. He scratched
his chest which also itched. He touched a nipple that was swollen
and sensitive. Pulling out the front of his gown he observed that
his nipples were enlarged. Further investigation disclosed the
presence of a hard lump in each breast.
"Probably a reaction to some new drug they're testing on me,"
thought Joe. "Just my luck, they're probably looking for a cure for
breast cancer."
One of the attendants returned with a food tray. After setting
a table in place over Joe's bed, he put the tray on it and left.
The smell of the food reminded Joe that he was ravenous. Opening
the plates he discovered an abundance of food. He found that he had
to adjust his handling of utensils to compensate for his long
fingernails. Still, he dug in with abandon. Pancakes with syrup,
eggs, bacon, milk, and orange juice. He ate it all and sated, Joe
relaxed and was soon asleep.
Dr. van Damme and Dave Weinstein, her behavior modification
specialist, watched the sleeping man on the monitor in her office.
"So, we are acclimating him to the feel of materials such as
silk and satin on his skin." Asked Dr. van Damme.
"Yes Doctor. The texture can sometimes produce a emotion of
resistance in a male. His subconscious knows that the cloth is
typical of female garb and objects because of the inconsistency
with his masculinity. By establishing the initial contact with such
textiles in a non-threatening environment, the male accepts their
presence and eventually regards them as normal."
"Thank you Dave. Keep me appraised of his progress."
