Gwen opened her eyes for a second before clamping them shut and (with a moments resistance), arching her back as a yawn burst out that she only just managed to cover with her palm. As she lay back, deep into the pillows and the soft mattress, she gently pushed a strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen across her face tickling her nose. Then after light flickered briefly across her eyes, she opened them wide and took in her surroundings. She was surprised to find a nurse standing at the foot of her bed. She gazed down at her through tortoise shell cat-eye glasses. Gwen struggled to push herself up from the bed only succeeding in rising slightly onto the pillows (she felt so odd), noticing as she did so the shiny silver name tag on the nurse's tunic. Evidently, this was nurse Tina. Though Gwen knew she was in a hospital, and why she was in a hospital she had no memory of having seen this particular nurse before.
"Yes?" Asked Gwen, unsure what to say to the silent nurse, who was seemingly still too preoccupied contemplating her to have noticed Gwen's waking.
"Hello?" Gwen said a little frustratedly. Her words snapped Tina out of her reverie.
"My oh my." We're Tina's first words. Words which Gwen detected had a tinge of merriment and ridicule. Tina looked back to read something off the clipboard she held by her side.
"A BD1A. Well we haven't had one of those for a while."
"What, what's a BD...?" Gwen asked groggily.
"A BD1A?"
"Yes."
"It's what you are Miss..." She looked down at the clipboard and flicked the page over. "...Winters."
"But what does it mean, is it important?"
"Well", the nurse stood back and gazed at her, giving off a slight superior air like a newly installed headmistress addressing her first staff meeting. "Firstly, BD stands for..."
Just then another nurse, this one younger with curly carroty-ginger hair tied up in a bun and slightly protruding eyes, interrupted her. Eagerly she eyed Gwen's face and torso and bit down on her bottom lip as she took her all in. "I've not seen a BD before, never mind a 1A!"
Tina smirked and nodded. "I've seen plenty in my time but it's been a few years I'll admit since we last had one. Bit 90's and 2000's."
"She looks ridiculous doesn't she!" the ginger nurse said gleefully, stifling a laugh. "Those boobs!" she said under her breath, Tina nodded in sage agreement.
Gwen shook her head. She hadn't heard, let alone understood a lot of what had been said, but she knew she had had enough of people talking about her and not to her. Treating her as If she were some object.
"Enough." She said firmly, as she felt a twinge in her side. The two nurses looked at her in mild surprise.
"Assertive." Clipped Tina.
"For now, anyways." Smirked the ginger nurse.
"Ok", Gwen pushed the pillows up behind her and finally managed to sit up. As she did so she felt an unnatural heaviness, but still weary, had her eyes closed as she spoke. She meant to get to the bottom of this.
"Now please tell me what all this means. You've been talking
at
me and staring at me and telling me nothing."
"Well, well, well, aren't we the big girl now?" Tina's sarcasm made the other nurse bury her face against Tina's shoulder to stifle a laugh.
Gwen flashed open her eyes and felt herself get hot but before she could reply, the ginger nurse came over to her and perched on the bed. Gwen instinctively shrank from her.
"You've had a
big
operation Miss..."
"Gwen Winters" Said Tina, evidently amused.
"Miss Winters, and you've had a number of procedures, and some still to come, that combined make you a BD1A."
"What do you mean a
number
of procedures? I only came for one procedure. And please tell me what this anacronym is all about, BD..."
Tina took a step forward. "It means you're a barbie doll Miss Winters. BD stands for Barbie Doll and 1A is the most extreme version of the 'Barbie Doll' that we provide at this clinic. Hence, BD1A. Does that make sense or was it too difficult for you to follow?"
In shock Gwen opened her mouth without speaking, she blinked, and hesitated before trying to say something but still she produced no sound that could be recognised as English.
"But I only came in for a nose job?" Gwen finally replied, her voice hazy with confusion, overwhelmed and unable to process what she'd just been told.