The Decision

Nineteen year-old Dale Allcot is in the terminal stages of pancreatic cancer. With less than two weeks to live, he agrees to undergo an experimental procedure which puts him into a coma for three months. When he awakens, his cancer is gone, but he discovers that the treatment had an unexpected side effect. As his doctors explain, he is gradually becoming a pseudo-hermaphrodite: genetically male, but developing an increasingly female appearance. The specialists theorize that this transformation is the result of altering his endocrinal system to drive the cancer into remission.

While earlier patients had experienced a slight degree of feminization, Dale appears to be a unique case. Due to an undiagnosed genetic anomaly, the treatment triggered a "cascade" effect in his body chemistry, leading to a gradual but irresistible metamorphosis. Initially, Dale is horrified by the prospect of giving up his male identity, but eventually begins to accept the reality of his situation.

Following his release from hospital, Dale is taken in hand (so to speak) by his sole surviving relatives; Aunt Sheila and cousin Julie, both of whom are determined to "help" him adjust to the demands of female life. His attempts to resist their influence are ultimately unsuccessful, and Dale is reluctantly forced to assume a feminine lifestyle under their tutelage.

Complicating matters even further, Dale's ex-girlfriend Judith returns to town after a year studying abroad, and immediately finds herself intrigued (if not outright infatuated) by his startling change in appearance. Judith moves in with the Allcots, and Dale soon finds himself playing Cinderella to three extremely dominant women. Between his abject humiliation and the guilty pleasure he secretly experiences, Dale is ready to surrender himself completely to their rule.

At the last moment, fate decides to take a hand in Dale's final destiny. Twelve months to the day since he woke up in an unfamiliar body, Dale receives a call from the clinic - they may have found a way to reverse his transformation without risking a resurgence of his cancer. If he's willing to come in for some preliminary tests, they can discuss the matter further - but he'll have to decide very soon, before the "cascade effect" leaves him permanently locked in a female body.

Dale now faces the most crucial decision she's ever had to make. Looking at herself in the mirror, she tries to recall how it felt to be male. It suddenly seems such a long time ago - and now she's not completely sure she ever wants to go back.