Disclaimer: Harry Potter and company belongs to JK Rowling.
Summary: Set in the current Hols timeline a few days before chapter 98. Changes come into everyone’s life. Grant begins to deal with a major one for him with Max‘s help.
Warnings: Gender Blending, Alternative Lifestyle Mentions, Snark, and Junk Food.
AN: Whoa! Another fairly Gen one.
Changes
Max walked into his office at seven that morning and sat down at his desk. Jennifer would be in shortly and they would go over his patient schedule for the day. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the diplomas on his walls and sighed. He had come a long way and was, he felt, a good doctor and had an excellent bedside manner.
He stood and ventured out into the rest of the clinic, turning on lights and machines to get ready for the day. Soft feet padding on the floor clued him into Jennifer’s arrival. She stuck her head around the corner and smiled at him. “Morning, Dr. Sorens.”
Max grinned at the dishwater blonde and returned the greeting. “Ready for the day to begin? Do we have a heavy patient count today?”
Jennifer smiled and sat down at the front desk. “Let me check, I‘ve got today flagged already. She booted up the computer and the screen flashed violently purple at her. “Oh shit.” She whispered softly.
The schedule came up and one block, for some reason scheduled first thing that morning, blinked the same horrible purple colour. “Wolffe is your first appointment.”
Max frowned. “Damon? What is he coming in for? He was just here last week.” He moved to read the screen. “Oh hell no. What moron scheduled Grant first thing in the morning? It was that new chick, wasn‘t it? What the fucks her name…”
“Brenda.” Jennifer supplied and nodded.
“Fire her.”
Jennifer stared at him. “Max, that’s not nice.” She turned back to the computer. “Oh… you’re right; she has to go. She only scheduled fifteen minutes.”
Max rubbed his face. “I can’t deal with this today. Allie was up all night sick with the baby. Call him and see if we can‘t reschedule.”
Jennifer cleared her throat. “Good Morning, Dr. Wolffe. How are you today?” She smiled brightly at him and then turned to Max. “Your first patient is here and he’s early.”
Max looked up at Grant and sighed. “Hey, Grant. You do know I am not quite ready yet? You’re not scheduled for another forty-five minutes.”
Grant smiled at them both and set a sack on the counter and a drink carrier next to it. “Here is coffee and doughnuts, I thought that you both might like some breakfast,” he said and looked at Max. “I know I’m early, I was hoping to get this over with so I could go back home and tell Damon to stuff it up his ass.”
Jennifer blinked at the man and then turned to Max. He bent close to her. “Call the next four patients and reschedule them at least an hour or two later. I am going to need time after this.”
The blonde woman eyed the big healer. “What’s in it for me and don’t say the damn doughnuts either.”
Max licked his lips and thought for a moment. He flipped through the calendar two months ahead. He pointed to the Thanksgiving weekend. He picked up a pen and scrawled Jennifer’s name across the twenty-first through the twenty-eighth and then made a ‘PD’ after it. “The whole week, Jennifer.” He met her green eyes and smiled. “It’s Grant honey, please do this for me.”
She eyed him for a moment then sighed. “Brenda goes after today? You get to tell her.”
“Deal.” He sighed. “Place an ad in the paper for a new schedule nurse.”
The big healer looked up at Grant again and smiled. “Okay. Come on back, but no griping because the instruments are cold. You didn’t give them time to warm.”
Grant narrowed his eyes and looked at Max. “You’re a wizard, fix it. And I’ll thank you very much to lower your voice around other people when it concerns me,” he hissed as he stalked past him and back into the warren of rooms. “What room?”
Jennifer sighed and stood. She pulled a chart covered in bright stickers. “Dr. Wolffe, you know the procedure. I’ve got to get your vitals first. Step up on the scale for me.” She pointed to the large sliding scale at the end of the short hall.
Max shook his head. “Take him to exam two please. That’s the first one I started up this morning and hopefully it will be ready.” He leaned close to Grant. “Don’t make me call Damon down here, cause I know you didn’t tell him you were coming.”
Grant glared up at him and muttered. “You don’t need to threaten me, Max.” He walked down to where Jennifer was waiting with his chart. He eyed the scale with thinly veiled distaste as he slipped off his Birks and pulled everything out of his pockets, dropping it on the file the nurse held. Heaving a disgusted sigh, he stepped up onto the scale and waited for the judgement.
Jennifer tried not to laugh at the therapist as he vainly tried to affect a nonchalant air about his weight. Just to further inflame the other man she pulled up the height regulator and settled it on his head then adjusted the sliding weights. “Sixty-three inches. One hundred twelve pounds.” She called out to Max then made a notation on his chart.
Folding the bars and weights back into place she held out her hand to help him down. “Ok I’ll get your blood pressure and temp in the exam room.”
Grant glared at her while he slipped his shoes back on. “Were you expecting a growth spurt?” he snapped as he followed her down to the small room he was always seen in. Damon teased him that Max had placed plenty of sound proofing charms on it just so the little man could be seen without frightening the other patients away.
“One could hope, Dr. Wolffe. All men need a bit of growing up.” Jennifer opened the door and held it for him. “Up on the table, please.” She wrapped her stethoscope around her neck and got the automatic blood pressure cuff. She snapped the temperature probe into a plastic case and shoved it into his mouth before he could reply. “Dr. Wolffe, I am sorry if you have had a bad day today but that is really no reason to take it out on Dr. Sorens and I.” She wrapped the cuff around his upper arm and began to pump up the pressure. “Congratulations on your retirement. I heard it through the grapevine that your son will be setting up shop here as well.”
She turned and made a notation on the chart. “BP one ten over ninety.” The thermometer beeped and she pulled it from his mouth. “Ninety-nine. Okay, Dr. Wolffe. Why are you here today?” She asked as she listened to his chest for a moment.
Grant turned his face from her and closed his eyes, he didn’t want to be here. Damn, he could feel himself getting upset at her little dressing down and that was just not his nature.
“I just need to talk to Max,” he muttered quietly and refused to look at her. He reached out to the counter next to the exam table and grabbed a tissue, wiping at his eyes as he waited for her to leave.
Jennifer eyed him and then took his wrist to check his pulse. “Alright well, if I could brief him about your vitals and the problems it would help get you out of here quicker.” She marked down the rate and sat on the rolling stool and looked back up at him. “You know I would never share anything I was told except with Max.”
Grant shook his head. “No. Look, this is a bad idea, I’m going to go home. Enjoy the coffee and the days off you got for dealing with me,” he said as he slid down from the exam table. “You both have a good day.”
Max appeared at that moment and stood in the little man’s way. “Where do you think you are going? You came in here, brought me junk food and practically demanded we get this over with sir, now you want to leave. I know for a fact that you never come in here on your own so get back up there and tell me what‘s wrong, Grant.”
He pulled another roller chair around the door and sat down. “Come on, Grant. What’s going on?”
Grant wrapped his arms around himself and shook his head. “Make her leave,” he mumbled and looked out the window. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, but he knew he didn’t want anyone besides Max knowing anything. He was aware he was most likely being horribly unreasonable, but he didn’t care.
Max sighed. “She’ll have to come back when I do the exam, Grant. So why don’t you just tell me the problem, huh? That way we can get you out of here and you can put Damon in his place for whatever he has done now.” He eyed the older man, curious now more than anything. The little man was obstinate most of the time but usually good natured and always polite to his staff.
Grant wiped his eyes. “This was a mistake. Just send me the bill,” he said as he pushed past Max and headed out the door. He’d just manage on his own, maybe he could find something on an Internet site about people like him.
Max reached out and grabbed his arm. “Nope, sorry.” Jennifer, please excuse us for a moment.” He waited on her to leave and then closed the door. He picked Grant up and set him on the table again. “Now, better? I can see there’s something wrong and if you don’t want me going to your Dom about it then I suggest you tell me. I normally respect your wishes to keep Damon out of things but this is the last straw, Grant. I know something big must be bothering you.”
He lifted the small man’s face. “You can tell me. I won’t call him unless it’s medically necessary.”
Grant pulled away and looked down, taking a deep breath he began to list his symptoms. “I’ve got night sweats, hot flashes, chills, mood swings, dryness…there, I feel like I’m losing my mind, I can’t focus. Max, Damon is at the end of his rope with me and honestly, I can’t stand myself either.”
Max stared at him. Those symptoms were eerily similar to menopause. He treated several women patients with this condition but never a wizard. And he knew from past experience that Damon and Grant had been monogamous for the past forty five years at least, so that put to rest any sexually transmitted diseases. It had to be the first thing.
“Um… alright. Are you having any skin problems or hair loss? How about headaches or heart problems?” He watched Grant’s behaviour. “Incontinence?”
Grant nodded as he listened, his face colouring as he heard the last question. “I’m using more lotion than normal and there has been more hair in my brush,” he replied and thought for a moment. “No more headaches than normal and once in awhile my heart just feels like it is racing, but I’m not wetting myself… yet.” He frowned and made himself a promise that if he needed diapers, he’d just lay down in front of a bus and be done with the whole mess.
Max hummed and grabbed the chart Jennifer left behind. Making a notation he flipped back through the pages and then made another notation. “Any problems getting to sleep?” He eyed the small man. “When did your mother have her last child, Grant. Did you ever see her exhibit any of these symptoms? Aunts or sisters as well, please?”
The small man thought for a moment and counted on his fingers before answering. “I think she was twenty six or twenty seven when Magpie was born. Some of the women were more hostile as they got older, but we never talked about it,” he shrugged. “If something was wrong, you hid it, it wasn’t open for public discussion.”
Max nodded and made another notation in Grant’s chart. “I would like to get a blood sample from you and then I need to examine you, alright? Jennifer will have to come back in here.”
Grant looked at his healer and bit his lip. “What do you think it is?” he asked as he pushed his sleeve up so Max could draw his blood. He didn’t like anyone else doing it because he was a hard stick.
“I want to run some tests first but it’s not anything too serious.” He wrapped at tourniquet around the thin arm. “Make a fist for me.” He mashed on Grant’s arm and frowned. He rubbed an alcohol swab over the skin and thumped the older man’s inner elbow trying to get the veins to the surface.
Finally he found one and quickly stuck and began to draw the tubes of the bright red fluid he needed. Removing the stretchy piece of rubber, he pulled out the needle, placed a piece of cotton over the stick site and gathered up the specimen tubes and stood. “Go ahead and get undressed while I put these in the machine.” He patted Grant’s arm.
“Once again I’ll tell you, you are too thin, Grant. Just because Damon’s on the low fat diet doesn’t mean you need to be as well. You could use some good fats to get your weight up.” He walked out the door leaving the other man to change.
Before Max shut the door, Grant spoke up. “Do you have to look at that today? Isn’t blood enough?” he asked hopefully. He hated pelvics with a purple passion and would try anything to get out of them. One day, he hoped it would just fall out.
Max stuck his head back in the door. “Yes, Grant. You either have this done now or I’ll schedule you another appointment for an ultrasound… with the wand.”
“Evil sadistic bastard,” Grant muttered as he quickly undressed and put the thin gown on that Jennifer had left for him on the counter. “You know, you could get these in flannel!” he yelled out as he sat back on the exam table and shivered.
"That would be your husband and he’s not here.” Max yelled back to him. He knocked on the door and cracked it, looking in then opened it wider to admit himself and Jennifer. “I could get new gowns but those work just fine.”
He cast a warming charm on the room and sat on the stool. “Scoot all the way down, Grant. You know the routine.” He looked up at the older man. “You want Jennifer to hold your hand?” He asked softly.
Grant nodded imperceptibly. “Yes… after she gets me a blanket, I’m still cold,” he said and gave Jennifer one of his winning smiles, hoping for something warm.
Jennifer shook her head and reached into the cabinet to get out a blanket. She held it out to Max and waited for him to charm the cloth then spread it over Grant’s knees. She help him down to the end of the table and lifted his feet to the stirrups. She leaned him back and unfolded the blanket to his chin then reached under to clasp his hand with hers. “Better?” She smiled at him.
Grant nodded and smiled at her, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry honey, I didn’t mean to be such a pain to you,” he whispered and then closed his eyes as he took deep breaths to keep himself calm while Max went about his business. “I hope that torture device is warm, Max.”
Max got up and turned on the water in the sink. He waited for it to get warm and held his hands under the stream. Drying his hands he pulled on a pair of gloves then sat back down. “Alright, I am going to touch you now.” He pulled the speculum from the holder and placed it to his palm to test the heat then on Grant’s thigh. “Okay. Blow out for me.” He place a liberal amount of K-Y on the tool.
Carefully he inserted the instrument and opened it. He took his sample and then closed the speculum and removed it from the small man. “Okay. Let me check the outside.” He slid two fingers into Grant and then pressed on his stomach gently.
“One more place and then I am done alright.” He looked up at the small man and squeezed out more lubricant. “Ready?”
He checked Grant’s prostate as well then cleaned up the slick substance. He wiped his hands and then gently pressed on his testicles. He pulled the blanket back over Grant’s legs and removed his gloves. Max held out a hand to Grant as Jennifer helped him sit up.
Grant’s face was red as he sat up and wrapped the blanket around his body. “I can get dressed now?” he asked as he huffed out a breath and waited for Max to give the okay. Merlin he hated going to the healer.
Max nodded and left the room, Jennifer in tow. He placed Grant’s pap smear in an envelope and set it in the box to go to the lab then checked the blood machine. He frowned at the results and then checked the chart. He made a notation then went to the sample cabinet, pulling a phial of red liquid down.
He knocked on the exam door and cracked it open a bit. “You ready for me?”
“No, but I’m dressed,” Grant said as he opened the door for Max. “So do we talk here or in your office?” He looked at his friend and Healer and wondered what the results had been and if things were… okay.
“We can go in my office if you wish.” Max held open the door for the other man. He smiled at Grant. “You are going to live so get that look off your face.”
The smaller man rolled his eyes and smiled sheepishly as he walked down the hall and into Max’s office. He stood next to the wall and looked at the pictures hung there of Max’s family; Allie and little Sarah. There were pictures of Severus, Damon and himself as well. He smiled as he noticed the newest picture to be hung up. One of Severus and Harry taken in their new house.
He was nervous about what the test results were going to show, and chastised himself for waiting as long as he had to come in to see Max. He sat down in one of Max’s chairs and waited for his friend to come in.
Max came into the room and closed the door. He moved to sit at his desk and scooted the chair out from behind it. He sat and looked at Grant, studying him for a moment. He didn‘t know how else to say it but flat out.
“Alright. Grant, you are in menopause. Your hormone levels have dropped immensely from the last time we tested for them.” He let that sink in for a moment.
“I have never treated a wizard for this before so I am going to go at it like I would for a witch. You know there isn’t much on the Fleymann’s for us to go by so it’s trial and error from here on out. The other test looked and felt normal and I should get the pap back in a couple of weeks. In the mean time I want you to start on this.” He passed the potion to the other man. ”Once Sev sets up shop, he can work with the formula and hopefully we can adapt it for you.” He smiled. “Any questions?”
Grant took the small bottle and turned it over in his hand looking at it. He snorted softly to himself and shook his head. “So… I’m a barren, dried up guinea pig,” he whispered to himself. He was quiet for a moment.
He looked up at Max for a moment. “Will this keep me from feeling like I’m going crazy? Help me sleep better?” he asked as he set the small bottle back on the desk.
Max shook his head and sighed. “It’s a part of life, Grant. That potion should help. It may take a few weeks for it to get in your system to balance out your levels but it should. It’s worked for many of my other patients. If it doesn’t then we can try another.”
He watched the other man. “If you want I can contact some colleagues and see if any of them have treated someone with advanced Fleymann’s.”
Grant shrugged. “You can if you like, but I doubt you’ll find anymore information. It seems wizards with this hide in the woodwork,” he said as he pocketed the potion and gave Max a sad smile. “Actually from what I’ve read, many that are like me either opt to have a healer change them completely to female or some have simply chosen to live a life of celibacy to avoid being poked at.”
He glanced at his wristwatch and then back at Max. “Anything else? I should get home soon and I need to stop by Clangman’s first.”
Max shrugged. “There might be a support group, Grant. I know that you don’t like to talk about this and I totally understand that. I’d like to see Harry meet some more people, though.”
He stood and walked over to the older man. He knelt and leaned forward to wrap his arms around Grant. “It will be alright, Grant. We’ll figure it out. I promise.”
He pulled back from the other man and smiled at him.
Grant smiled gamely at the bigger man and patted his arm. “Thank you Max, for everything, but I really doubt that there is any kind of group for people like me,” he said softly and bent to kiss the top of his head. “You’re right though, Harry does need to have people to support him, but I don’t know of any close by. Down in Wheeling, I think there is a group. Chris had said something about a group he went to a few times, but you know they used a fertility potion, so I don’t know if they could help him any.”
He thought for a moment longer and sighed softly. “Don’t even think about asking me to talk to him, I can’t and I won’t.”
“I’m not.” Max told him. “But I would like you to think about something now that you are retired. Have you ever thought about writing a book? Not about your experiences but about the condition in general as a professional.”
“I’ve thought about it Max, but I don’t know if I can do it and keep it objective, and you know as well as I do that I would have to cite who I used as my subject. I just can’t and won’t put Damon through being known as the man married to the genetic freak of nature,” he said softly and stood. “Thank you very much for seeing me this morning and I hope I wasn’t too much of a horror for you and Jennifer. Just let me know how much her wages are and I’ll pay for those days off.”
Max shrugged. “It was just a idea, Grant.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Jennifer deserves those days and I am sorry you overheard that conversation. I had a bad night with Allie. She’s getting crazy again with this pregnancy and the morning sickness is going to kill us both.”
He sighed and stood. “Go on and do your errands.” He held out a hand to the older man. “Take your potion with some juice or something, three drops daily.”
Grant looked at Max and raised a brow. “How foul is this?”
Max chuckled. “It’s pretty bad, I won’t lie to you.” He smiled and opened the door to his office. “Go home and try to relax, Grant. If Damon gives you shit, tell him to call me.”
Grant paused and looked at his friend. “You are assuming I am going to mention I was here this morning,” he smirked and then walked out the door.
Max followed Grant, shaking his head. “Grant, you know as well as I do I won’t break the patient/Healer privacy act but as your spouse and emergency contact if he comes in and signs the release, I have to give him the information.”
He placed a hand on the thin shoulder. “He loves you and will support you, I shouldn’t have to tell you that. Talk to him.”
Grant patted his hand. “I will, you know that. I’m just not ready yet. This is kind of hard for me Max, I don’t know how to explain it, but I need time to come to terms with it before I have to answer questions about it,” he said quietly. “I’m probably not making much sense to you, but I am doing what feels right for me, and right now that’s hide away until I feel better.”
Max nodded. “I understand the feelings even if I can’t sympathize with the condition. I‘m here if you want to talk about the treatments available and how they might affect you.”
“Thank you Max. I’ll be doing research on my own as well at home. Between the two of us, we should be able to find something that will keep me from going on a rampage in the middle of Clangman’s when they are out of Diet Coke,” he laughed and gave the other man’s arm a squeeze.
Max led Grant to the office door and looked out at the grounds. The town was waking up and Grant’s visit hadn’t been as bad as he had thought it was going to be. Other medical professionals were the worst patients. He himself could claim that title of bad patient as well.
He opened the door. “We still doing Sunday dinner this week out at the farmhouse?”
Grant looked blank for a moment and then recovered. “Of course, same time as always. Give Allie and Sarah kisses from me. I’ll call you later on Max. Thanks again,” he said as he leaned in and gave the big man a quick hug before he hurried over to his little Mustang convertible to get his errands done.