"Woah, hold on there." It was a guard, looking at me like I was some amazingly odd pet someone let loose.
I waved the exit papers at him, held in my mental grip. "I have to turn these in at the front desk. Can you point the way?"
One could practically feel his worldview being shattered. "Is this a prank? Uh..." He pointed the way I had already figured out from wall signs. "That way?"
"Thank you." I walked past him with a calm clip-clop. I had no reason to cause trouble, but being seen was good. I needed to be seen, and not as a monster. Rounding the corner, I approached the front desk to the alarmed faces of the administrators seated behind the desk. "Here are the forms." I placed in front of them as if that were a perfectly normal thing for a unicorn in a hospital to do. "Is there a computer around with an internet connection? I can get my medical insurance information."
The man raised a finger slowly to point to the very obvious public terminal. I needn't have asked, but I wanted to.
"Thank you." I dipped my head at him before walking along to the terminal. My purse wasn't there, along with my phone not being there. I could only hope at the time that my friends had gotten it instead of it being simply lost. I pulled up my insurance's site, jammed in a user and password, and soon had my information. "Can you write this down on the form?" I called back to the still confused souls at the desk. "Group number..." I recited all the pertinent details. It would still be a bill, but it would be a smaller bill. Hirrah for medical insurance.
"Anything else I need before I wait for my ride?"
The female of the group slapped her hands down on the counter. "That's it! You're like from that show, with the little ponies!"
I gave her a gentle smile. "Celestia is best pony."
She burst into giggles. "Ohhh, I love that show. I haven't seen it for a while, but, wait, are you... a Hasbro stunt or something?"
I shook my head. "About as real as it comes. I suppose I would be better as a guide pony than anything else, but nope, it's me. Where should I go to report a dramatic appearance change, for paperwork?"
She sank back down into her chair. "How... extreme of a change?"
I considered that. There was no law that would cover simply not being human. There was one at least... "Gender reassignment. I was a woman when I entered this hospital, as I'm sure it was recorded. I'm not one now." I had little doubt she had seen proof of that while I was working on the computer. "I am a male. My birth certificate will need updating, then I'll have to go about updating my driver's license."
The guy looked over at the girl. "Is, uh, that serious?"
"Does he look like he's joking?" She pulled a pad closer to herself. "That's above my pay grade, but I can get the wheels turning. I'll see if a doctor's available right now."
"What's a doctor needed for?" I approached her with perked ears. "I'm healthy."
"As a horse," she stole my joke without shame. "However, we do need to verify your new gender. It's the law. Whoever sends in that letter has to swear to it, and they won't do that without seeing it for themselves." She picked up a phone and with a quick exchange, set it back down. "They'll be right with you. It shouldn't take long to confirm you one way or the other."
I clip-clopped over to a set of seats. There was one adult and one girl. Parent and their kid? It seemed likely. The kid was staring at me, while the adult was trying to avoid being obvious about it with limited success. Turns out human chairs are not really made for pony relaxation, so I just sat in front of them. "Hello," I said to the child. "Not feeling well?"
The girl smiled with a newfound joy. "You really can talk... Are you a nice horsey?"
"Very nice," I assured. "Just waiting my turn, like you are."
She bobbed her head and looked up at her father(?). "Can I pet him?"
He cleared his throat and looked to me. "Is it alright?"
Points to him for asking me instead of assuming. "If it will make her happy, I would be delighted." The more people that saw me and could swear I was there, the better. Besides, making a girl smile was a nice thing. Positive of being a horse, I was fairly sure no creepie crawlies she had would matter to me.
She hopped down from her chair and ran straight at me. In a flying tackle, she hugged my neck tight to herself. She was about as tall as I was, though I was a lot longer. I reached up a hoof and gave her a gentle patting. "What's your name?"
"Cindy, what's yours?" She hopped back and circled around, trailing a hand along me as she went. That was ticklish.
"Linda Frohein," I replied. The more people knew my name, also better. "A pleasure to meet you, Cindy."
An obvious doctor strode in, doctor's labcoat flapping with the motions. "Linda Frohein?"
I perked up. "That's me." Rising to my hooves, I nodded to Cindy. "Looks like I have to go. You be good."
She waved energetically, pouting that I had to go, but not stopping me.
The doctor turned away and marched. His motions were a bit stiff. Clearly he did not expect to be leading a pony around. I trotted up behind and to the side of him. "Just consider me a patient like any other, which I am."
"Right... Here, please." He waved to a small examination room. "Hop up onto the table and lie down."
It was a fairly typical padded examination table, sheet of paper included. I was not going to lay on it flat as a human, ponies were less built for that. I hopped up and laid down on my side facing him. "I think you can see that I am verifiable male."
"Can you get on your back?" He set aside a clipboard and closed the door. "It shouldn't take long. For thoroughness, your full name and date of birth?"
I rolled over, my hooves going straight up until I tried relaxing them. As it turns out, ponies have much more flexibility than normal earth hoses. My arms and legs could flop off to the sides or even fold straight with my body, so on my back I was, exposed and ready for a looking over. "Linda Frohein." I gave him a date of birth and tossed in hospital of birth while I was in there. "Do you need a social?"
"Couldn't hurt." He put on some latex gloves and casually inspected, quickly verifying that I was about as male as any equine could be. "Did you... come here reassignment? Your operating doctor really should be doing this."
"I didn't, but here I am. I was female yesterday, and on arrival to the hospital. You've likely seen the paperwork."
He obviously had, but he didn't say as much. I will say that having your various bits handled felt... I couldn't say bad or good. New, different. Some part of me would have been happy for him to be much more thorough, but I was already on a timer and my mind was occupied thoroughly with not ending up in a black lab somewhere. "All done?"
"Linda Frohein, you are male." He returned to his clipboard to make a few new notes, his gloves coming off along the way.
"Good." I sat up, hopped down and trotted right to the front counter. "I will be suing the hospital."
That got them to jump, good. "I came in as a female member of the race homo sapiens. I'm leaving as a male of a different species. This is clearly not the treatment I would have authorized. If the situation were reversed, would you not? Before you offer, no, I don't want reconstructive surgery. Just inform your lawyer. If you want to take pictures for their use, proceed. I'll be doing the same."
There was more to do, so much more. I went to the nearest public phone. Thank god they had one in the hospital. I dialed up my lawyer. Yes, lawyers have lawyers. Smart ones do, at least. "Hank? Been a while. Have I got a case for you."
"Hello, who is this?"
"Linda Frohein." I rattled off a number I knew only he would know. "I've been gender and species re-assigned without consent. It's all documented. I don't use the sue word often, but this is the time."
"Holy christ on a stick, is that really you, Linda?"
"Yes. I remember the time you had to borrow my notes in college to pass that test on precedents and the proper research thereof. You wouldn't recognize me right now, but I am still Linda." I gave him the name and address of the hospital. "I've been verified male. I'll have to have my documents updated. Can you help get that moving?"
"You know I'm on your side, but, Jesus, how? Wait, did you say species?"
"You're talking to a small horse." I rolled my eyes, a smile on my face. It was ridiculous, but I had to create all the paper trail I could. "When I get my phone back, I'll start sending you pictures. Just, please, get started as quickly as possible. I'll pay for the rush job." I saw a familiar car pulling in up front. "My family's here. You can contact me at my parent's house. You still have their number?"
"It really is you... I mean, yeah, I have that. Look, I'm on the case."
"I knew I could count on you. Talk to you later." I hung up the phone with my will and waited by the door to the outside world. I didn't quite have the confidence to go trotting across the parking lot.
Night clopped her hooves with a happy smile. "We should play a game." She reached over and snatched a fry, munching it down quickly. "Now that we've had something to eat."
Trixie inclined an ear at Night. "What manner of game did you have in mind?"
Night's chipper expression wore slightly as she struggled.
Tod sat up. "Well, if I wasn't here, I'd imagine a bunch of girls would play truth or dare."
Starlight grinned at the idea. "And why does your being here stop us from doing that? Truth or dare, are you in?" She pointed at Night, who gave an uncertain nod. She pointed at Trixie. "Do you dare?"
"As if Trixie could be so easily scared." She stuck out her tongue. "Just be prepared, for what goes around, comes around."
Starlight nodded to Tod. "Looks like truth or dare it is. Since it was your idea, I'll let you go first."
Tod grabbed a discarded can of soda. "Alright... If we're playing, we should do it right. You put this down between everyone and it'll decide who gets asked next." He gave it a spin and around it went, slowly stopping on Trixie.
Trixie beamed. "Of course it would pick Trixie. Why wouldn't we have a Great and Powerful start to the show? Go on."
Tod was less certain. "Okay, Trixie, truth... or dare?"
"Trixie wishes to see what you dare would be." She rolled a hoof. "Hit her with the best you have. She can take it."