"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Doctor Faschen," Mrs. Alice Hastings said as she stepped into the private consulting room. Caroline, the nurse, followed her in and closed the door behind them.
"Not at all, Madame," Doctor Faschen said in an accent that Alice had never, for the life of her, quite been able to place. The good doctor was quite a mysterious fellow, with dark hair and dark, piercing eyes, and no doubt his accent had been altered somewhat by his studies on the Continent. On days like today, Alice was simply thankful to have found him at all; her nervous distraction had reduced her quite nearly to tears, necessitating her sudden visit to Doctor Faschen's practice. "I am quite accustomed to patients who need my immediate attention, and you happened to find me at a convenient gap between appointments. Please, describe your symptoms to me."
Alice knew perfectly well that her symptoms were the same every visit, but she was nonetheless grateful for the chance to talk about them. "Distraction, Doctor. I cannot concentrate on even the simplest thing without having to worry about shortness of breath, trembling in my hands and body, a terribly feverish sensation, and it seems focused..." She blushed, as she always seemed to when discussing this part. Faschen was, of course, a doctor, and quite accustomed to dealing with the impoliter parts of a woman's body, and Caroline was as discreet as always, but even so, she took a deep breath before admitting, "...in my womanhood, Doctor."
Doctor Faschen nodded, fixed his monocle into place, and stared deeply into her eyes for a long moment. "Flushed skin, rapid motions of the eyes, goosebumps upon the skin...yes, I believe that it is a recurrence of your nervous hysteria. No doubt brought about by an imbalance of magnetic fluids in the womb, but we shall not be able to tell until you have removed your clothing. Caroline, if you would?"
Caroline nodded silently, and moved to assist Alice in removing her clothing. "It is as I feared, then," Alice said as she removed her dress. "Oh, but this is a dreadful affliction, Doctor! It saps my abilities so! I was at Mrs. Norris' tea yesterday, and I could scarcely keep my mind on conversation." She slipped off her camisole, setting it on the chair provided. "The waves of distraction flowing from my womanhood kept me quite unsettled throughout tea, unbalancing my brain most severely." She stood still as Caroline began to unlace her corset.
"Please, do continue, Mrs. Hastings," Doctor Faschen said. "I know that it is somewhat embarrassing, but only by a thorough explanation of your symptoms can I understand exactly how the condition is affecting you."
Caroline finished unlacing, and Alice removed her corset to add it to the growing pile of clothing. "I am afraid that whilst I was in that...that deranged state, I found myself possessed by immodest visions. Mrs. Norris was polite enough not to notice, but I could tell she was aware of my distracted state. Thankfully, I think she was quite unaware of what visions were appearing before me." Alice began removing her petticoats, one after another.
"And those visions were?" Doctor Faschen fixed his gaze upon her, and she could not help but recount the shameful thoughts as she looked into the monocle.
"I saw...within my mind's eye, I saw the waiter close the door of the tearoom, fasten the lock, and round upon us. He grabbed Mrs. Norris first, ripping open her bodice to reveal..." She removed another petticoat, almost mechanically as she was transported by the memory. "...to reveal the appendages of her womanhood. I was helpless to stop him in this vision, but worse, the distracting dizziness in my own womb grew fiercer as I watched the two of them struggle. It was like I was swooning, Doctor, as this madman ravished Mrs. Norris, and part of me ached with the thought that I might be next!" Having finally finished removing her petticoats, Alice slipped her chemise over her head, letting her bountiful breasts expose themselves to the warm air of the doctor's office. "Oh, but that was not the worst part, Doctor! In this vision, the man, he grabbed my hand, pulled me towards them, and forced me to place my own..." Alice practically sobbed as she removed her drawers. "He made me place my hands upon Mrs. Norris' body, Doctor. And that fierce tingling in my womb, it simply would not stop! Oh, Doctor, these visions are a form of madness! They had ceased almost entirely after I saw you last, but I fear they have returned! Please, you must help!"
