"Good morning Mallory, how are you?"
"Um, fine. I guess. It's been a weird week." Dr. Morse met me in the lobby this time rather than a nurse. She looked the same as our last session and, with the amount of time she had spent in my mind the past seven days, I was confident I would've noticed any changes. The only apparent differences were a new pair of pants and a different colored blouse. Even the way she held herself and the way she spoke matched my memory.
"That just gives us more to talk about today," she smiled, "Now, let's get going." Opening the door to the back, she led me down the hallway, stopping halfway to speak to a nurse. I could vaguely make out something about bringing someone into her office, but the rest was too quiet for me to hear. However, following a quick nod between the two of them, we were soon moving again, Dr. Morse uttering a short apology to me before opening the door to her office and motioning for me to enter.
A change had occurred in her attitude following the interaction. It was only slight, but I could tell that her normal confidence level was starting to falter. "What was that about?" I decided to speak up, "Is everything OK?"
Dr. Morse's body tensed briefly following my question before she allowed herself to regain composure. "Oh, with the nurse?" she asked while sorting through the papers on her desk, "It was nothing. Just uh... something about a patient we have coming in this afternoon."
"Oh, OK." I wasn't sure if I should believe her but didn't push further in fear of breaching some sort of confidentiality. So instead, I focused on unbuttoning my jacket, hanging it on the coat rack once I was finished. Before I could take a seat on the examination table, however, I was promptly stopped by Dr. Morse.
"Sorry dear, we're going to start in the other room today," she motioned to the bathroom door with her head. Unlike last time, it wasn't locked, and we went straight in; perhaps she had prepared for me in advance. "I know it's a big step from our previous session," she turned to face me, "but I think it's time for you to go to the bathroom in front of me."
"I'm... I don't know about this...." I trailed off as I looked past Dr. Morse, focusing on the toilet.
"Just try your best," she gently pushed me forward, leaving me in front of the porcelain seat while she took the chair.
I was hesitant for obvious reasons. Using any bathroom other than my own was something already not privy to me, but having a witness made it all the more uncomfortable. Moreover, Dr. Morse seemed non-plussed by the whole situation, writing in her notebook as she waited for me to make my decision. If her blasΓ© nature was an attempt to put me at ease, then it wasn't working.
"Don't worry; it won't bite you."
Her effort at levity did not help much, but objection seemed pointless, and, as such, I began to remove my pants. In a last-ditch attempt to save any dignity, I turned my body to the side while pulling down my jeans. I couldn't understand how Dr. Morse could do this with such ease in our last session compared to the borderline panic attack I was currently experiencing -- and she wasn't even looking at me.
Unlike Dr. Morse, I decided to keep my underwear on until I was sitting on the toilet seat, at which point, I pulled them down just enough as to not wet them while still covering my pelvis ever so slightly. Thankfully, I had the forethought that something like this may happen and chose to wear a nicer, lacey pair of black panties. It was the first time since my divorce that I hadn't worn one of my old, faded pairs of cheap underwear. However, whether it was worth it or not remained to be seen, as Dr. Morse was still more focused on her notebook than me.
"Whenever you are ready, dear." She looked up, flashing a warm smile.
Taking a long breath, I relaxed my vaginal muscles, but nothing came out. I could feel that my bladder was full, having not gone to the bathroom since the previous morning. Still, no matter how hard I pushed, I couldn't force anything out. "I'm trying," I winced, noticing that Dr. Morse was now staring at me expectingly.
Setting her papers to the side, she stood up from her chair and approached me cautiously, "It's OK; sometimes it takes a bit to relax."
"I think I'm too nervous," my voice was shaky as I tried to shut out the world around me. The fact that Dr. Morse was now directly in front of me wasn't helping matters; my bladder was unable to perform under pressure. "It's difficult for me when other people are around; I usually can't go in public bathrooms," I explained.