In the personal lab of Dr. Pietro Santoclair, or Stclair as the majority of English speakers called him there were all manner of critter collected from across the multiverse. The majority however were from Earth-3. One critter had only been there for a short time, and it stood out because of its apparently normalcy a small brown field mouse its nose twitching as it sniffed the air. It cowered near the back of the cage it found itself in. To say the mouse was confused would be an understatement it was dead then it was pulled back to its body from the field it was running in it hadn’t known hunger just that it was back because one of the big ones demanded it. But it wasn’t like before. It couldn’t smell the world nor was it hungry or scared it just was there. Then it smelled the big one that reminded it of the field it had been running in before it was yanked back to its husk of a body. It ran to her. Surely that big one could send it back. But it had not, it had hurt it but then it could feel its heart beating again. The big one felt like home. Then it woke up here in this cold place with strange smells. He had been hurt again by a big one. Then put in this cage. His nose twitched as a hand approached the cage and went through the metal grid that kept it trapped. He jumped to the side when the hand dropped a dead one of its brothers beside it. Then scooped it and up and through the metal bars. This also felt like the field. The big one held him up in his hand and like the big one that had glowed green this one could speak to him, and he understood. His nose twitched as he sniffed the big one. This big one was different the fur was the same color but the shorter. The eyes were different too.

“Shh little mouse. I know who you’re looking for. She’ll take care of you. She is the patron saint of lost souls.”

This one stroked his fur with a scritch, and his nose twitched it ran up the sleeve of the big ones jacket and onto his shoulder and whispered into its ear.

“Field?”

The big one’s face changed it went from showing teeth to not showing teeth. His whiskers twitched.

“I’m sorry little one, only the fields here for you now. I know I miss it too. But she will take care of you. Stick with her and she will take you to the fields again one day. Oh, you have such a life ahead of you now. You’re going to live long past your normal age. If you protect her, she will protect you. That’s how it works little mouse.”

He was picked up in the hand and it was strange, but walls seemed to hold no meaning for this big one. It seemed to go where it pleased. It held him up in its hand. Meeting his gaze. It looked around a few times then whispered again.

“Here is where you get off little one. Remember look after her and she will look after you. She has a lot of love to give. That is her real power.”

He was enclosed in the big one’s hand again it moved, and it opened again. His nose twitched and he smelled the big one, the one with the long fur that he could hide in the one that felt like the field. He lept down and landed on the windowsill and then onto the big one. He sniffed and rubbed against her fur. It felt like he was in the field again. Safe and free. He could tell the big one was troubled it shifted and moved in its sleep he lept to her shelf and his nose twitched. The rose bush in her room thickened and crawled up her wall like ivy. Forming a protective wall of thorns on one side of her room. He twitched and he jumped down nibbling on the big one’s ear gently like he would one of his own whispering.

“Safe. Here. Safe.”

*****

Sarah sat up straight suddenly with a loud scream she was covered in sweat. She had been in the green house again with the man. He had touched her. Her hands burned with the green veins which were slowly subsiding, and she looked behind her and saw that her Black Rose bush had turned into a black rose vine and was covering one of her walls. She caught movement on the bookshelf that formed the headboard of her bed and she jumped. It was a mouse of all things. It sat there staring at her with a twitching nose. She quirked her head to the side, and it did the same thing.

“You’re not scared little one?”

Its nose twitched she smiled and reached out her hand. It hesitated but then jumped on and up her arm and buried itself in her hair which tickled her neck and made her giggle. The half-remembered dream completely vanished from her mind, and she laughed as the mouse frolicked in her hair and down her arm and onto her leg and curled up there.

“You are a strange wee thing. I wonder what your name is. I’m Sarah. Should we give you a name, I wonder are you a boy or a girl, does it even matter? We could call you Mousie. Or Micky or Minnie. Or how about Sir Gallant, because you are so brave. I wish I had some food for you little one. I will make sure to get you some from the caf tonight. Yes, I Lady Sarah MacCloud, Princess of the Tower of the Black Rose, dub you Sir Gallant the brave.”

The mouse as if understanding her intent and words stood up on its hind legs and she was able to tap his shoulders as it were then his head. The mouse ran around in circles excitedly then jumped off her and started pulling one of her discarded pieces of clothing. Sarah was anything but tidy. It shoved them into the corner of her bookcase and started building itself a bed of sorts.

“I think I would have chosen anything but a pair of my dirty underwear but hey Sir Gallant you be you.”

She touched his head gently scratching him with a single finger. He ran in circles a few times before snuggling into the bunch of fabric and curling up. Sarah stood up and looked at the vine of black roses it was very pretty, but she wished it wasn’t so full of thorns and the vine rippled and it became thornless she jumped back her hands burned again. She looked at them as the veins retreated. It slowly dawned on her that twice in the space of ten minutes she had had used her powers where it was forbidden. She paced back and forth then went to find Ms. Sheppard she would have to admit it. She got half her clean clothes packed when she realized she should go see Ms. Sheppard first. They might not let her take her things. She knocked on her door biting on her thumb nail the whole time. No answer. She paced back and forth nervously for what seemed like an eternity she was panicking. Sarah was sure this was it. She was done at the Academy. She was too dangerous.

By the time Carly came back to her rooms after the class she was teaching Sarah had worked herself up into a sobbing panic attack and she was completely inconsolable by Carly’s door. It took several minutes for Carly to make any sense of Sarah’s sobbing confession. From what Carly could translate, Sarah knew they would be disappointed in her, she was ready to go to Supermax Earth-18 and that she was ready to put her limiter back on, or just be executed. None of the conclusions Sarah seemed to reach was a happy ending. Carly noticed Sarah had chewed her nails so much her fingers were bleeding slightly. She frowned. Sarah was so messed up from the drugs her parents had her on that even the littlest set back could send her into a spiral. Carly looked at the girl who was going from one thing to the other making no sense to anyone but herself she was as amazed as she was concerned at the random connections this child made. Sarah eventually talked herself out and was back to breathing rapidly and pacing instead of curling up in a ball. Carly took her arm and led her to her room.

She looked up at the wall of black roses that had turned into a vine. She had never seen a plant so lush. Well, she had, but it was through the barrier here. The thing that surprised her most was there was not a thorn on it at all. She touched the smooth branches of the bush that had completely jumped to a vine. She was no expert on plants but she knew some roses were vines and some weren’t, and this wasn’t one but there it was its white fibers that it hadn’t had before when she saw it were now dug into the wall. Sarah was full on explaining herself again. The train of thought made Carly dizzy. She was starting to figure out just how profound the effect Sarah’s ADHD had on the way her brain worked. She’d heard of it. She’d always figured it was a made-up disease but witnessing it full blown in a girl who was usually so together because of her meds and therapy made her realize that it was no joke. She took Sarah’s shoulders and held them tightly.

“Sarah! Stop!”

Sarah blinked at her stopping mid explanation. She looked like she was just slapped out of a deep sleep. She remembered the video she had been shown of Sarah with her father. She assumed it was some form of behavioral therapy they had learned so she decided to try it since her usual yell at them till they make sense plan wasn’t working. Teaching children was a lot more nuanced than she had assumed and she decided she would start reading up on that and teaching children with ADHD.

“Sarah, what’s next?”

“Breath.”

“So, breath, Sarah just breath. That is all you need to do right now is focus on your breathing. In, out, in, out.”

She watched as Sarah started to breath slowly and calmly.

“Good, now Sarah what is next?”

“I get sent to prison.”

“No Sarah, that is not what is next, keep breathing. Tell me exactly what happened. Keep breathing like you are. Tell me one step at a time. What do you remember?”

“I was in class. Maria animated a dead mouse. I… remember my hand glowing green. I had a nightmare a man… he was trying to… trying too.”

“Sarah, breath. Just breath. The man what did he do?”

“He chased me around a green house. He grabbed me.”

“Good, and then what happened.”

“I wanted him to stop, and the plants started moving.”

“Okay and then, what happened?”

“Another man whispered in my ear that I was safe, he was here, and I was safe. And I woke up. The roses were like this.”

She had tears dripping down her cheeks again.

“Then I wished they didn’t have thorns and my hand got all green veiny like it did in class, and they didn’t have thorns. And there was a mouse. Did I dream him? Sir Gallant. Because he was brave.”

The mouse heard the name the big one of the fields had given him and he poked his head out and saw another big one and he darted back into the den he had made. Carly’s eyes went wide. It was the very same mouse she had dropped off at the lab earlier.

“Do you know where it came from? The mouse?”

“I don’t I woke up and he was by my ear. Do you think he woke me up?”

“On this world full of magic bullshit, I would not be surprised if animals could talk Sarah. Are you okay now?”

“I…”

Sarah’s tears started flowing again.

“What is going to happen to me Ms. Sheppard?”

Carly wrapped her arm around Sarah’s shoulders.

“Well, I am wondering how Headmistress Aurelius didn’t realize the plant hadn’t stopped growing and changing when she sent it here with you. I mean, she should have realized shouldn’t she have? Maybe she did?”

Sarah shook her head.

“It was me I did this while I was sleeping.”

“Yes, but does anyone but you and I need to know that?”

“It seems wrong to lie, it will happen again I have had that dream before.”

“I think once you know the truth of that dream it will cease being so traumatizing after you face the reality of it. You have had your memories altered to hide something from you by your parents and the Headmistress. She told me I couldn’t tell you but I’m starting to think she doesn’t know what is best for you. So, I’m going to show you after supper. And by the way pets aren’t allowed in here, I’ll make an exception for Sir Gallant since he is a knight of exceptional valor, but you need to keep it quiet. Don’t want the Headmistress finding out, okay? If she can keep secrets from you then we can keep secrets from her. Fair is fair.”

Sarah nodded.

“Make sure you water the vine and that it gets lots of sun I don’t want this rotting in here.”

“You’re not going to make me cut it down?”

“And destroy something so beautiful? No. But you best take care of it. Same with the mouse he seems to be attached to you in some fashion you make sure he eats and has water. I know you can be forgetful if you don’t take your meds, but now there is another living creature depending on you, so do not forget to take your meds.”

Sarah nodded.

“Get yourself cleaned up and go to the store and get him something better than a dirty pair of underwear for a nest hmm? Oh, and because I’m technically your mother for the next ten months. Clean up your room. Cloths should be in a dirty cloth’s bin or your drawers, not all over. And that is not how you make a bed. I’m checking on Thursday morning after you go to classes better be done by then. And I’ll check your roommates to and I will tell them any infractions are your fault because you are being a slob. You understand?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Oh, and tomorrow morning, you are out of classes Headmistress wants you to undergo a full power test. She said its long past due. Meet me on front steps 0800 sharp. Your workout clothes from the morning are fine you’re going to sweat anyway.”

“But classes don’t start…”

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“I don’t care, your test starts at 0830.”

Carly called out she was leaving.

“And get out of your uniform before you get it covered in stains at supper, I’m giving you the rest of the afternoon off. Your first stop is the clinic to get your fingers looked at and a dosage review on your meds.”

Sarah got out of her uniform and hung it with her others in the closet. She looked at the mess of cloths on her floor. She looked down at her fingers where she’d chewed the raw during her panic attack. She pulled a pair of shorts and a top on and put on one of her clean sports bras and put her nice one that she wore with her uniform aside. She looked at Sir Gallant.

“I’ll be back with something for you to eat and drink. And hopefully something soft that isn’t my smelliest piece of clothing hmm?”

The mouse watched her and started to hop down like was he was going to follow her.

“No Sir Gallant stay here please. I need you to guard the Tower of the Black Rose for your princess.”

His nose twitched and he hopped back up on top of her bed then skittered up on top of the bookcase that was her headboard and he crouched down nose twitching as if he was guarding her bed. She shook her head and chuckled.

“You are a strange mouse Sir Gallant. I’m strange too, I think we will get along fine.”

He licked his paws and watched the big one of the fields. The other big one had been right. This big one needed protection. She was precious. Too good for the big one world. He watched her leave and kept his perch watching the door before he drifted off to sleep.

Sarah closed the door behind her and headed down to the subway. It was empty again. Her dorm sisters were in class and would be for another hour. She was missing PT as they referred to it here. She stared at the back wall of the subway. She heard footsteps behind her, and it was the blond-haired boy again. Same luminous blue eyes. She felt the same pull, it felt inevitable, like gravity. He walked up to her. She marveled at how adorable his half smile/half smirk was. She could get lost in his eyes forever. She felt his hand on hers and there it was again, that electricity that made her belly tingle. She shifted her legs uncomfortably.

“Sarah, what happened to your hand?”

Sarah blushed and she couldn’t find her words again. She was melting into him, and she couldn’t stop herself she just stared into his eyes and he hers.

“You can tell me, you know me.”

She found herself speaking, it felt like she had known him forever. Like she could tell him anything and everything.

“I used my powers in my dorm I was upset and scared they were going to send me away.”

“You shouldn’t fear them, Sarah. They should fear you.”

Sarah snatched her hand back he closed his hand slowly looking like something precious had slipped from his grasp. Sarah stepped back.

“What are you doing to me?”

“Sarah, I am not here to hurt you. You are lost. I’m here to bring you back.”

He reached out a hand then pulled it back when Sarah stumbled backwards into a support. Seemingly to get away from him.

“No, you’re in my head. I can’t think clearly when you touch me.”

“The only power I have over you is what you give me. As it has always been and always will be.”

She knew every word was true. She knew how his heartbeat felt against her head when he held her. How his lips felt on hers. She knew he would do anything for her, anything even… She couldn’t catch the thought it fled from her grasp. Her heart knew but her logical mind screamed this was some sort of magic or mind control.

“Go away!”

She looked and he was gone and one of the girls from her class was coming down the stairs and looked behind her and around her. Then gave Sarah weird look. The girl was one she recognized from her dorm. She was…Alisa? She had dark skin and Sarah believed she was American, from Mississippi.

“You don’t own the subway. Just because you have two powers and are a PL8 doesn’t mean you can boss me around; I belong here as much as you do.”

Sarah looked around and it was only the two of them. She started to blush, was she going mad?

“Did you see the boy? He was… right there.”

She pointed at the spot he was standing.

“I didn’t see anyone except your crazy ass. The other girls are right. You’re nuts.”

Sarah blushed again and distanced herself from her dorm sister and waited for the train. When it stopped, she swore she saw his reflection behind her watching her with sad eyes. When she turned, she saw nothing, she rubbed her eyes and got on the car and sat down. It was deserted except for her and the other girl who now thought she was a raving lunatic. Sarah looked at the floor of the car and avoided the cautious glances of Alisa for half the ride and then she thought she’d better say something. So, she walked towards her. Alisa pulled out her ear buds.

“I’m sorry I… am a bit well I’m not feeling great, and I am going to med I wasn’t talking to you, I honestly didn’t even know you were there. I’m not usually like this. Really. I’m just sorry, I would never… I don’t treat people… I treat people how they… I respect everyone. Until the give me a reason not to.”

“I get it you’re not racist, I bet you have all kinds of black friends huh?”

Sarah looked at her having no idea what she was talking about. She blinked a few times trying to process it.

“I’ve seen white girls like you all my life, pretending to be all woke. Bet you marched in BLM protests like your white ass has ever been randomly tossed around by MANA agents, police. Then you come here to this school get in our faces like you’re a somebody, go away.”

Sarah’s brain effectively shut down that point. She had no concept of how to respond.

“I… I… I’ll let you…”

Sarah wandered away and sat down again. Alisa put her earbuds seeming to be content she’d put the other girl in her place. She looked out the window it was getting close to the med center. She saw her reflection then she saw the boy again she jumped and looked again but she didn’t see him. Alisa who had seen her jump shook her head and went back to reading her holo-tablet. When the train stopped she got off. There were a few more people in the subway station here. She went up the stairs and found herself in the entrance way to the med center-hospital. She walked up to the receptionist. The med center was quiet today and basically it just seemed to be staff here.

“Wave your tablet over the scanner please.”

Sarah waved her wrist over it, the woman looked confused at first but then saw her screen light up with Sarah’s details.

“Oh, you’re one of the grade 9s with the fancy new tablets.”

“What can we do for you Sarah MacCloud?”

Sarah showed her the damage to her fingertips.

“Hmm one of those are you?”

“And I was hoping, I could talk to someone about my ADHD meds? I’m not sure they’re working properly.”

“Okay well, I see here that Ms. Sheppard has called ahead and said you were coming. First up is getting those fingers patched up, then Dr. Carston. Follow me, it’s pretty quiet I can get you right in.”

The receptionist motioned for Sarah to follow her, and she was taken to what she’d say was a non-standard clinic room. It basically had a desk and chairs and a bunch of weird symbols all over the place. A woman was there, and she was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

“Hey, stress nail biter, can you fix her up?”

The woman nodded and chanted motioning her hands and finally touching Sarah’s hands with hers and Sarah’s fingers were brand new again her nails were back to a nice length and the rawness was gone. Sarah looked at them.

“Wow that was amazing, thank you.”

The woman nodded and the receptionist tugged on Sarah’s arm.

“Let’s go to Dr. Carston. I already let him know you were coming when I got the call from your Dorm mother. Pay attention hon, this is the way you’re going have to go for your follow up appointments. They went through a small waiting area, and she knocked on a door. There was a receptionist desk that stood empty.”

“Come in.”

The receptionist let Sarah go inside and walked away. When Sarah entered the office and closed the door behind her. She looked around, it was a pretty warm space, the walls were a soft brown there was a couch, comfortable chairs. Things on the table to fiddle with. The doctor was a larger man. He had a full beard and a warm smile. He pulled his reading glasses off and put them on his desk.

“Sarah, welcome.”

He offered his hand and Sarah shook it. He had a firm handshake.

“I’m Dr. Carston I’ve been expecting you since I saw your file.”

Sarah giggled nervously.

“Oh, so, I’m really crazy instead of just scatterbrained?”

She rolled her eyes and was fiddling with her fingers, and she muttered in Gaelic.

“Of course, I’m crazy, I’m seeing things that aren’t there.”

“No, Sarah. I just saw that you had been overprescribed medications, that you were being transitioned to another gender and you have ADHD. You will need a refill on your prescriptions and even here where you can transition with magic it is still required you undergo a counseling, so you understand what it means to transition-.”

Sarah tried not to interrupt him, but she lost her patience. The desk started to shake, and her hands had blue veins starting to run through them.

“I’m going to stop you right there. There is no transition. There was never a transition, there never will be a transition. Oh my god why are people so blind! It was my mother!”

“Sarah, there is no need yell we can discuss this calmly. It was your mother. Okay let’s talk about that maybe without the earthquake?”

Sarah unclenched her fists the veins retreated rapidly as she started doing her breathing. She blinked and looked at the mess she had made on his desk, and she started to hurriedly pick up the pens like she could undo her telekinetic outburst. He touched her hand gently.

“Sarah, it is alright, happens a lot with students at the school.”

Sarah had tears running down her cheeks. She was trying to stop the onrushing panic attack with her breathing exercises.

“I… we aren’t allowed… I…”

“This room is a safe space. Obviously, something to do with the subject of gender has a very strong negative emotional response and you have ADHD, sometimes you lack the usual block between thought and action that neurotypical people have. This is all normal, your powers are like your arms or your legs. They are extra limbs, and you are still learning how to use them. It means that you lack control of them. It’s alright, nothing got broken except maybe my record for a power going off in an appointment. We found one of our pain points quickly, this is good.”

Sarah kept tidying the desk. She just couldn’t leave it like it was it was driving her slightly nuts for some reason. Dr. Carston obviously used to such behavior just let her finish while they talked.

“Why does my desk being in disarray bother you Sarah?”

Sarah shrugged.

“I don’t know most of the time a mess doesn’t bother me then all of a sudden it does. Like I suddenly get embarrassed and then I clean my room to the point of obsession and when I’m done, I look for anything I missed until something distracts me. I mean I could go for days putting everything where it belongs. It’s like I have this line if I go across it all I can think of is cleaning up. To the point it frustrates me when I have to stop, and I get angry. But then poof it is gone I give up again and just don’t care.”

He nodded.

“Anything else?”

“The mess I made on your desk; It reminded me I lost control. It was embarrassing.”

“So, you were trying to erase your mistake?”

Sarah shrugged. She kept staring at the rightened pen holder with the pens she’d just added to it.

“I thought this was about reviewing my meds.”

“Well, it’s a slow day and you are off, I figured we’d talk, find out what your challenges are first. So, about the gender transition that you say is not of your choosing. Would you like to talk about it?”

Sarah shrugged again not making eye contact.

“What’s to talk about? My mother took me to get shots every six months, said they were to help with my ADHD, but they weren’t they were to stop me from being a girl.”

“Well, that isn’t precisely what those do Sarah, they slow down development, so you have a choice if you want to be a boy. Are you happy with your body?”

“Of course not, I’m a teenage girl. My legs are too long, my chest is too small, I look like a boy. I… I… just, sometimes when I look in the mirror, I feel like the reflection is wrong. It’s not all the time sometimes it just hits me wrong.”

He nodded.

“But not all the time?”

“No sometimes I just see me and that’s me, its Sarah the girl who has the body of a boy.”

“So, Sarah, your mother didn’t tell you they were puberty blockers? You did not have a conversation with a doctor about it? To assess if you should be on them?”

Sarah shook her head while fiddling with one last pen she had not put away.

“So, when you found out how did you feel?”

Sarah had tears falling from cheeks and landing on her thighs.

“How do you think I felt?”

“I don’t know, that is why I am asking you.”

“I was mad. I was really mad.”

“Who were you angry with?”

“My mom, the doctor, my dad for not stopping her.”

“What did you do about it?”

“I stopped talking to them I nearly killed my mom when she tried to pressure me into talking.”

“Did you ask them why they did it? Have you talked to them about it?”

Sarah shook her head.

“I know why they did it, they wanted a boy.”

“Are you sure?”

“Why does it matter? They did it, they betrayed their own child.”

He nodded.

“And what about these other medications they had you on? Did they tell you why?”

“Aye, they said ADHD. But they had nothing to do with it.”

“No, they wouldn’t help with that. Were you an angry kid?”

“I mean I guess sometimes. It is so easy to get angry.”

“Yes, it is, Sarah, yes, it is.”

“It doesn’t matter I’m here now I just need meds that’s all. They are out of my life.”

“Are they really? I get the feeling you are still really angry with them, so angry that when someone mentions them you want to lash out.”

Sarah didn’t look up and shrugged.

“That looks like a yes, am I right?”

“Aye. Ms. Sheppard keeps trying to get me to talk to my mom.”

“Has your mother tried to contact you?”

“I dinnae, I blocked their numbers, blocked them on all my social media.”

“Did it help?”

“No but they just want to apologize to make themselves feel better and I don’t care if they die in a ditch.”

He nodded.

“Sarah, you can’t just ignore your family and hope the feelings go away. I’m not defending their actions, in fact I find them abhorrent, and I’m surprised they are not in prison.”

“They would be if I hadn’t come here.”

“How so?”

“The headmistress said if I came of my own free will and she didn’t have to drag me here in shackles she’d get them immunity.”

“So, you sacrificed your freedom for them, even though you don’t care if they’re dead in a ditch somewhere? Does that make sense to you?”

“No but stuff never makes sense. Can I get meds or not?”

He wrote down some more notes.

“Sarah, you have had a rough life so far.”

“No, I haven’t, I’m an upper middle class white girl who is a star athlete and almost straight A’s how is that rough, I’ve never wanted for anything.”

“You’re very self-aware for a fourteen-year-old, did you know that?”

Sarah shrugged.

“But you have wanted for something haven’t you? You wanted parents you could trust, you wanted doctors you could trust, and you wanted a normal body, which seems to be happening for you now. But trusting people is going to be hard. Based on the conversation I had with Ms. Sheppard, which was cryptic at best, she said you may need to talk to me again very soon. She is afraid you will feel betrayed by her and the Headmistress after she talks to you tonight. I want you to know I’m here for you. I hope you feel like we can trust each other to be honest and open. I know you’re struggling; You would have been struggling if you were in a normal high school on your original world, but now you’re on a completely different earth and things probably feeling a little out of control. So here is my card. You can reach me on that cell phone 24 hours a day 7 days a week.”

He picked up his glasses and put them on and started looking at his computer screen.

“Now let’s talk ADHD meds. Okay your current medications are, Vyvanse 10, and a monthly slow acting Estrogen injection. With a small Dexedrine dosage if you are having trouble.”

“Let’s start with the Estrogen. You are due next week; I will make sure we get you an appointment. How are you doing on the Vyvanse? Are you finding it hard to focus still?”

Sarah nodded.

“Okay, well let’s try this, you have how many pills left?”

“A month.”

“Okay tomorrow I want you to take two of your Vyvanse pills, see how it works. If you feel more focused continue doing that. If we see an improvement with that dosage, I’ll prescribe higher dosage ones. If not, we will look at increasing it. You have grown since they were prescribed originally, and you need more to do the same work. Are you taking breaks?”

“I was but then I was told not too by the Headmistress because…”

“No, you need to take breaks. Or you will get to a point where it will do nothing, and you will crash. If you do not have classes do not take them, unless you are going to have to be out in public or near big social events. Basically, I’m telling you if you don’t take them stay in your room and watch movies, study, do whatever, until you’re in better control of your abilities.”

Sarah nodded.

“Your dosage should have been increased already at least once, so I’m skipping the fifteen stage and going right to twenty. If you feel sweaty or you feel like you’re vibrating, you can’t eat, you’re overly thirsty, do not take two the next day. Okay?”

Sarah nodded.

“How are you feeling?”

Sarah shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

He wrote down some more notes.

“I have a suggestion, you seem like you’re stuck in a bit of a rut, why not shake stuff up. Go crazy, cut your hair, or dye your hair or both. Do something so that when you look in the mirror you are excited? I know the hormone therapy is not making things happen as fast as you want, but do something for yourself okay?”

Sarah nodded.

“Okay, well I’ve kept you for an hour. I’ve requested an appointment for our pediatric endocrinologist for your injection. Looks like they have recommended four more months. I have made an appointment for us next Tuesday same time. I’ve been told you do enough PT in the mornings on your own that you are okay with missing one of those classes a week. These appointments are mandatory until Ms. Sheppard is satisfied you are making good progress.”

Sarah shrugged.

“Whatever.”

“I’ll take that as, you’re excited to see me next week and look forward to making good progress.”

Sarah shook her head and smiled. She started to leave then put the pen in the holder and waved sheepishly before exiting the office. She walked towards the subway station.