Patience Bared

Doctor Gray gently guided Patience through the lecture theatre doors. With one hand resting on her upper arm and the other on the small of her back, they descended the wooden steps to the dais. Patience took in the scene. Her employer, Dr Cranshaw, was waiting at his lectern. To his side was a leather topped examination bench, compete with its restraints. But what made her pause and draw breath were the three rows of dark suited gentlemen that made up the audience. She estimated thirty pairs of eyes were following her entrance. There was a wave of murmured approval.

The stage was brightly lit. The gas lights would not be required today: daylight streamed down from the overhead skylight windows. One had been opened wide allowing a draft of fresh air to pour down. Patience sensed the translucency of the thin cotton examination shift she was obliged to wear. She shivered slightly in the cool air.

Arriving at the stage, with Dr Gray still at her side, she glanced over to Dr Cranshaw who nodded his acknowledgement before addressing his audience.

"Gentleman, welcome to this the third presentation in the 1910 season. I would like to present to you my patient Miss Patience Bradley. Miss Bradley is 19 years of age and in good health, she is a respectable woman, in my employ and comes from a good family. I have been treating her for insipient hysteria using the technique of paroxysmal pelvic massage. And indeed, she has responded very well; this is the technique we shall be demonstrating this afternoon. Dr Gray, if you could..."

He glanced over to his assistant, who in turn nodded his understanding. Patience understood too. She was about to be undressed. Her gown was to be removed. She was to be rendered naked before the thirty pairs of eyes. She took a deep breath and lifted her head: acknowledging that she too was ready.

Gray reached out and began to undo the fastenings of her examination shift. Gray was a showman, undressing Patience was part of his performance; he was careful not to impede the audience's view. First Gray pulled open the bow at her neck, and eased apart the sides of the shift just enough to expose her upper chest. He deliberately kept her breasts hidden for a few moments longer.

Patience looked down. She did not want to make eye contact with her observers. But, she sensed their anticipation, and within her there was a sympathetic excitement feeding from it. There was a dream-like quality to her situation. Indeed, as girl she had frequently dreamt of finding herself naked in public, often at school, and it was never a bad dream. In the dream she felt elated: empowered by her nudity. In her dream people would comment on how clever she was to be naked, as if it was a skill, or a special talent.

She felt the shoulder straps being unbuttoned, one then the other. She felt the unsupported robe begin to slide, and instinctively, she moved to arrest the falling garment. But, in that same instant she remembered she must let it fall and be exposed: a very public unveiling. She lowered her arms to her sides. The cloth fell neatly to hang from the belt at her waist.

Patience felt the cold air against her chest, and she felt the stares too. She straightened her shoulders and pushed her bare breasts forward. Gray stepped to the side to allow the audience to view their subject, and Patience thought she saw him meet their eyes as if to gauge their approval.

Dr Cranshaw looked at her, paused for a second, and then resumed his lecture.

"As you see Patience is a fully-developed young lady, she menstruates regularly her last bleed I understand finished a week ago, she has never given birth. I have examine her and she is a virgin."

This last piece of information caused a murmur of approving comment from the audience. So much personal information: Patience realised it was not just her body being laid bare here today. She swallowed hard, willing herself not to blush.

Gray approached her again. Again Patience knew what to expect, after all this was a performance in which they both had parts to play. She lifted her chin to look straight ahead, then placing her hands behind her head she pushed her elbows back, arching her chest, accentuating her pert breasts.

"As you see gentlemen, she has fully developed breasts, though not overly large they are completely commensurate with her age, build and stature. They are firm, well rounded, with good projection from the chest wall."

Gray illustrated his colleague's words by tracing the contour of her left breast with the tips of his long fingers, finishing with his fingers underneath, gently lifting the soft flesh.

Doctor Gray will now auscultate her chest. We must ensure the heart is sound. This sort of treatment can place a lot of strain on a weak heart."

Gray had plugged the stethoscope into his ears as his colleague spoke. He now placed the chest piece between Patience's breasts. He waited a few moments, before repositioning it beneath her left breast then above. Finally, he nodded that all was in order.

"Good. Doctor Gray, if could you remove her gown we may begin".

Gray fumbled in the loose folds of the shift gathered at her waist and located the belt. He pulled open the bow, and shook it loose. The shift fell away and pooled around Patience's ankles. She stepped forward.

She was not mistaken, there was an audible gasp as the audience took in the completeness of her nudity. She crossed her arms in front of her chest then lowered her gaze towards the edge of the stage; seeking to display an appropriate air of modesty - though inwardly she was enjoying the exhibition. She could play her part in this show. She allowed Gray to take her elbow and turn her back to the audience.

"She has no marks or lesions on her back or legs." Cranshaw remarked. She felt Gray's hand brush her shoulders, back and thighs as he illustrated Cranshaw's words. She was turned once again to the front.

"You will notice she retains a full mound of pubic hair, many practitioners insist on patients being shaved, but this is totally unnecessary unless there are signs of infection, or infestation."

Gray reached down, and she realised exactly where he was going to touch her next. An involuntary shudder ran upwards through Patience's body culminating in a flick of her head. He combed his fingers across her pubic mound through the tight dark curls.

"Are we are ready for the examination?"

Standing in front of her, Doctor Gray cupped the elbows of her still crossed arms and guided her backwards. One awkward step then another until her bare thigh contacted the cold leather of the examination bench. Automatically she dropped back and sat down.

-----

Patience had previously talked at some length with Florence, her colleague and mentor at the practise, and she thought she had a reasonable idea of what to expect. However, Patience was surprised to find another man with Cranshaw when she arrived that Friday morning. The man was tall and smartly dressed in a dark suit, and younger than Cranshaw, maybe in his early thirties she guessed.

"Patience, good morning. May I introduce Dr Gray. He will be assisting me this afternoon."

Gray offered her his hand. "Miss Bradley, pleased to meet you."

He was, Patience noticed, a handsome man. His handshake was firm; he looked her in the eye when he spoke. Steel blue eyes, she noticed.

Once all three were seated, Cranshaw outlined what would happen later. She was to be medically examined, by Doctor Gray, who would then proceed to provide the treatment. Finally he asked if she had any questions.

"What would you like me to wear?" Previously, she had worn her underwear during the treatment sessions, at least a shift and corset, but she thought it best to check.

"I would like you to change into this examination gown before the lecture. Here." Dr Cranshaw slid a brown paper parcel across the table to her. "However, Dr Gray, will disrobe you immediately prior to your examination."

"Disrobe me: I will be naked then?"

"You will be completely naked."

"Oh, I see. And restrained?"

"You will be restrained."

This was not a surprise to her; she knew Cranshaw's preference in this regard. And privately, she enjoyed it. She liked the feeling of being powerless, and of relinquishing control to someone else. Then another thought crossed her mind.

"How many people will, will be observing?"

"There will be 8 doctors, but this is open to other invited gentlemen too. I understand that there may be as many as 20."

"Oh my goodness." She paused to consider this. To be naked with her colleagues had become natural to her over the last few weeks, but so many strangers.

"And the treatment, will that be the same as before, will you use the electrical device?"

"An electro-mechanical stimulator, a different type, but very similar to the one you have experienced before. We also have other equipment available here at the hospital".

"What sort of equipment?"

"Oh nothing you need to be concerned about my dear. You are familiar with the speculum?" Glancing over his spectacles it was clear from her expression that she was not.

"It's a simple device that we can use to examine you internally, it opens your vagina, lets us take a better look. There really is nothing to concern you."

Patience really didn't like the sound of this. Although she had had many treatments with Dr Cranshaw, only one of her examinations had involved an internal procedure, and that had been quite unpleasant. In fact she recalled it being somewhat painful. She really did not want to experience that again, and certainly not in public view.

"No please. I don't want to ...not internal."

"Patience, you have agreed to this examination, and you will be well rewarded as you know."

He was right, she had agreed, but she really didn't want this. Her mind was racing, but what could she do? In the end she just blurted out."

"Please, you will remember that I am still a virgin".

The two doctors smiled "and you will be afterwards, my dear."

Patience managed to banish the unease from her mind as they walked through the autumn sunshine towards the hospital building, and she was fine as they led her along its cream painted corridors and stairs to the side room that was to be her changing room. But as she sat alone waiting for Gray to return, waiting for him to collect and convey her to the lecture theatre, waiting for the performance to begin, she wondered what she was doing here. She glanced across at her own clothes removed, folded and neatly stacked on the hospital cabinet. She looked down at the flimsy cotton shift that draped her body - a temporary covering she knew. She had no control over what was to happen to her next. For the next hour she would submit to the will of the good doctors. Was she scared or excited, Patience couldn't tell?

------

She sat back on the examination bench, the stiff leather creaked and was cold against her skin. Gray, holding her just above her elbows, had her lie back. As she expected, Gray wasted no time in applying leather cuffs to her wrists, these he clipped to the bench above her head.

The bench was of unusual design, more like a long chair laid backward, angled slightly upward. Lying back Patient's head was still slightly higher than her torso. The seat of the chair, if that is what it could be called, was very small, and consisted of two semi-circular padded uprights. Patience was positioned so that each aligned with a buttock. With nothing to support her legs she was obliged to hold them awkwardly, knees bent in front of her chest. Indeed, she could see no obvious way that they might be supported. That was until Gray revealed another device of restraint.

The device, or more correctly devices, since there was one for each leg, were sturdy canvas slings. Not dissimilar to those used to support a broken arm except that this sling was placed around the thigh. Metal rings sewn into the free corners, allowed for easy attachment to tensioning straps which ran back and downward towards the head of the bench. Once tightened, Patience found her thighs were held upright, and due the angle of the straps, outward too. Her lower back was flattened against the bench, her pelvis was rolled upward and her legs were held wide apart.

She soon realised that the bench, its clever devices and straps, was designed solely to expose her sex to the audience. If she looked down, between her spread knees, she could see them staring. She closed her eyes. If she concentrated she could get through this.

Many parallel thoughts coursed through her brain. She was intimately exposed to all these strangers. Her arms and legs were restrained. Gray, yet another stranger, was about to examine her intimately. Cranshaw, whom she knew and trusted, was describing every feature of her body, along with every move Gray was to make, some of which she really didn't care for.

She opened her eyes and stared upwards. Through the open skylight she could see the blue of the sky and luminous white clouds drifting past. If she followed them, concentrating on them, she found her mind, cleared, slowed, acquiesced; she could block out the thoughts.

Gray approached, he held a tongue depressor with which he explored the mouth she obediently opened for him. Then he felt her neck and under her chin. She was vaguely aware of Cranshaw's narrative, something about glands and inflammation.

Then his hands were manipulating her breasts, pressing down against her chest, then pulling and rolling her nipples. It was like being in a trance; she was fully aware, but quite quite detached.

Finally, he arrived between her legs. She felt his strong fingers exposing and illustrating her anatomical features as Cranfield named them: labia majora, minora, urethra, clitoris... And then he was opening her, fingers exploring, locating and probing. She gasped, his fingers were inside her.

"Ah! - Please...!"

"Quiet please, calm yourself."

"There is a lot of nonsense talked about this instrument, and I admit that its use in the lock hospitals gave it a bad name. But the campaigners against the contagious diseases act, in my opinion were the ones that did the most damage to its reputation with their talk of 'rape by speculum' and defloration. Utter, utter nonsense."

Patience was suddenly aware that Dr Cranshaw was talking about the speculum, the instrument she so dreaded. His words suddenly seemed louder in her head.

"Please. I asked you not to use..."

"Quiet please. By opening the vagina in this way, we can visualise the cervix, and by visualising the cervix we can verify that paroxsism is taking place. Otherwise, we only have the subject's word, and as we know gentlemen, that is not always reliable when we are dealing with the fairer sex."

Cranshaw cast a look towards Grey who nodded his understanding. Gray had been holding up the instrument for the audience to see, but he now laid it back its enamel dish on the side table. Leaning forward, he whispered.

"Are you alright my dear?"

It was a subterfuge. The moment she opened her mouth to reply a gag was thrust into her mouth: an india rubber blade, forced between her teeth, pressing down on her tongue. But, then to her further horror she found it was to be held in place by straps, deftly fitted and adjusted around her head until it resembled a horse's bridle. Patience shook her head from side to side, staring wide eyed at Gray, the taste of rubber bitter in her mouth.

He picked up the speculum in his right hand, and she felt the firm fingers of his left parting the lips of her sex, and then she felt the coldness of the metal. Once the blades found their location, firm pressure slid them inward. The device was opened. Patience felt its expansion within her. She wanted to contract against it, but that brought more discomfort. Submitting to its penetration seemed the best way.

She shut her eyes, and tried to clear her mind. If she concentrated hard, she thought, she could block out what was happening. But thoughts flooded her brain in an incoherent torrent. The doctor's words: rape by speculum, defilement, defloration. She had read only that morning that soldiers had ravished women in a village somewhere in the Balkans. Flora's young man, Jack was a soldier. But, he was a nice man. Tall, handsome, she couldn't imagine him doing that. But her imagination was running riot now, and now the thought had taken form in her mind, it was the only thing she could imagine. Jack was strong; he could easily pin her hands above her head with one of his hands, leaving the other free to caress her naked breasts. His knees could easily hold her legs open. She would have to submit. She would submit to him. She would let him penetrate her.

-----

It was only a few weeks ago that Patience had seen a naked man for the first time. Flora and Patience had been asked to treat a young man. He too had been restrained, in much the same way as Patience was now: naked with his hands strapped above his head his legs held apart.

It had not been a pleasant procedure for the young man. The tube looked far too wide, but with manipulation of the tube by the doctor, and of young man's penis by Flora, it was coaxed into place. A strong medicament was to be introduced via the tube that would effectively cauterize his pox. As the doctor emptied the syringe, the young man writhed against the straps as the burning liquid did its job. Some 20 minutes later, with the tube removed, it had fallen to Patience for the next stage of his treatment.

Patience had been reluctant to touch him at first, but Flora had made her oil and massage his limp penis. She had been shocked by the sudden and dramatic transformation to erection. It was so big, so broad, and so hard. Too big she thought. Could such a huge thing fit inside her – the question had played on her mind ever since. Flora had shown her how to grip firmly, and move her hand up and down, fingers encircling his stem. She was shown how to ease his foreskin back and forth.

His first climax had come quickly and without warning. Never having witnessed such an event, Patience was taken by surprise and was grateful for the protective rubber apron that Flora had insisted she wear. The poor boy was allowed only a brief rest before the next treatment. He was apparently to be milked dry.

His subsequent climaxes took longer and longer to achieve, and by the fourth almost nothing was being expelled. Flora let him rest a while before the final treatment. To ease the tightness in his groin a warm compress was applied and this did seem to give him some relief. However, Flora needed all of her skills to coax a final dry paroxysm from the drained boy: deftly inserting a finger in to his anus while still working his stem.

-----

What it would be like to have such a large penis inside her. It would surely be bigger than this speculum. She imagined being opened and stretched. She conjured an image of Jack's face looking down at her, his strong arm holding her until she submitted. She imagined him penetrating her.

She worked hard to hold onto the fantasy, but she could not completely block out reality. The reality that Dr. Gray was now massaging her vulva: his firm fingers running along her labia. She felt him exploring and stretching her lips. She found that the more she focused on her fantasy, the more pleasant the sensation became. She tried to imagine Jack filling her, she imagined struggling against him, but being powerless.

The fantasy was working, and despite the public ordeal she knew she was becoming aroused. She sensed that Grey knew this too. She felt his fingers palpating the engorgement of her clitoris. She audibly gasped as he eased back its hood, back and forth, back and forth.

Even if his fingers had not felt its swelling, the gasp told him what he needed to know. It was time to switch to the electro-mechanical vibrator. The hand-held machine was ready. Gray had already selected an appropriate attachment and connected it to the black enamelled unit. He closed the switch and the machine made a deep loud hum. Gently he pressed the vibrating rubber disk against her clitoral hood in a circling motion.