An old story from 15 years ago. Some of the detail might be outdated now!
*****
My agony was a great source of amusement to the men in my squad, but I was beyond caring about them.
It felt as though the world had dropped on my balls and every movement only caused more pain.
Eventually I dragged myself from my bag and went to see the duty boss to report for sick parade.
Lieutenant Cranmer could barely suppress his amusement at my situation.
'Well, I can't say I'm surprised that someone couldn't holster their weapon,' he sniggered, 'but I didn't think it would be you, corporal. Will you be seeing her again any time soon?'
'If I may complement sir on his wit after I have seen the vet (!).'
'Yes, alright, but be aware we move out at 09:20hrs so you'll have to catch us up later. We'll be in yellow zone until sundown; you'll be alright with finding us there, yes?'
I hadn't forgotten that the exercise would carry on without me.
'Yeah, I was involved with the pre-planning sorties. Where is the MO at the moment?'
Mr Cranmer grinned.
'Knowing that you'd need them, they all buggered off last night with the senior officers! Breakfast in bed this morning for them, y'know!'
Bollocks seemed to be a suitable retort, under the circumstances!
'Are there no closer docs around, even on the other side?'
'There are Yanks down at Badhoffen, you might get to them before they move shortly, or else there is bound to be a quack with one of the Cloggy units at Ringerend who should be able to help you.'
'That would be the Dutch at Rengherhendt training grounds then,' I politically corrected him, 'and yes, they will probably be my best option.'
'It's only a name, I'll never need to say it again. . .' he grumbled, good naturedly...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I jumped gingerly from the back of a Land Rover, with my rucsac and rifle both conspiring to connect with my groin.
A passing trooper pointed out the hospital to me, hidden by camouflage netting and with a large white flag with a red cross in the centre on a pole planted in front.
Inside I was pointed to a line of chairs almost perfectly imitating a typical doctor's waiting room and told to wait until called.
The length of hair on those soldiers milling around conformed to me that I was in the presence of a Dutch unit. (The Dutch allow their military to grow their hair and even have an organised union!)
'You, come.'
I looked up, a door was open and a woman was beckoning to me.
Dragging my bag and rifle inside I was confronted by a neat little blonde, in battledress, holding a clipboard.
'Name?'
She was quite pretty, holding her pen to her lips whilst waiting for my response.
Her hair was down around her ears, she had intensely blue eyes and a small, button-type nose.
'Corporal Jon Pearse.'
'Unit?'
Her combat fatigues seemed nicely tailored to her body, I was impressed.
'2nd FAOC, 4 Regiment.'
'FAOC?' A questioning frown crossed her face.
'Forward Artillery Observation Company. FAOC.'
'Oh. What is your problem?'
'Extreme tenderness of the testicles. I woke up with them this morning. Loudly.'
I mimed pain and cupped my hands around the area concerned.
'Oh. You have done something?'
A smile was now being hidden behind the pen and clipboard.
'I have done nothing. There was no indication, erm, no pain when I went to sleep last night, but this morning. . .' She nodded.
'You have not been with a woman these two nights past?'
'Not in the last month, no.'
'No? Hmm. You have today made water?'
'Painfully; about one hour ago. And no, nothing unusual except the pain.'
'Pain, good,' she noted on her clipboard.
'Please to get on to the examination table and undress.'
'Bit nippy, erm cold. The doctor will be along shortly, yes?'
She turned to me with a strange, almost amused look in her eyes.
'Cor'pral Pearse, I am a doctor! Captain Monika van Houston is my name. I am a reservist, and I work from an accident and emergency department in Rotterdam! You will undress now.'
My embarrassment was only relieved when she stomped out of the room, the door closing loudly behind her.
Gingerly, and with great care, I undressed.
I sat on the examination table, my legs parted to relieve pressure on my balls but with my hands gathered in my lap, self-consciously.
She returned after a few minutes, now wearing a dark green uniform skirt and a crisp white blouse.
'I look like a doctor now, yes?'
I couldn't make out from her tone whether she was angry or just being business-like.
'Yes. I am very sorry, I didn't know what badges you wear, you had a clipboard, a red cross armband, and. . .'
I tried to excuse myself.
'You assumed cor'pral. You saw a woman and decided that I am nurse. No matter. Lay down please.'
She snapped on a set of latex surgical gloves.
I lay down, removing my hands and revealing my genitalia to her gaze.
I tried to pretend that she was not examining me closely, jumping only when she first laid her cold, gloved, hands on me, and groaning when she went a bit too rough.
She slid her hand under my balls.
'I have the matter in hand, cor'pral.'
She paused. 'That was a joke.'
'Oh, right!' Not impressed.
'Does this hurt?'
A little prodding.
'Yes.'
I held my breath in anticipation.
A bit more prodding.
'And this?'
I hissed a little.
'Yes, a bit.'
She tried to find another way to bring tears to my eyes.
'This?'
'YES!'
In my pain I nearly curled up in a ball, deciding that she was getting her own back for my earlier blunder.
She returned a satisfied grunt. 'Good.'
Turning to a pile of books on a desk, she first flicked through one, then another.
Finally she came to a decision.
'Antibiotics.'
She reached into a cupboard behind me, retrieving a bottle of pills and a bottle of water.
'Take two now, one an hour before and one an hour after eating, and two before sleeping.'
I accepted two pills and the water bottle, downing the tablets with a quick swig, following her orders. 'Thank you.'
'Did you shower this morning?'
'Erm, no. Last night,' I admitted.
'You did wash this morning?'
'Yes.'
'All over? Everywhere?'
'No, I was in agony!' Hopefully that was an acceptable excuse.
'Right. Stay there.'
She went back to the cupboard behind me, then to the draws in her desk, before rummaging through a rucsac on the floor by the door.
'A good soldier always has his equipment clean and ready in working order. This may tingle.'
She held a spray can up and, with a wicked grin, pointed it at my groin.
'What the fffARGH!'
The spray was very cold, and it did tingle - I nearly jumped off the examination table from my horizontal position in one swift move.
Maybe that would have impressed the good doctor...
'Feel better? Should make you feel less tender.'
It didn't work, I wanted to tell her, but didn't in case she gave me another dose.
She put one hand on my chest, pushing me down again as the other hand started to roll my balls around.
The anticipated pain didn't happen; I was utterly astonished.
'Well, yes! Much better! Why didn't you do that first?'
A wry smile passed across her face.
'Where is the fun in that? Does this hurt?'
She gently tugged on each of my testicles.
'No. Sort of prickly feeling.'