"Did you bring your medical equipment?" Michal turned and spoke quietly to one of the men as if the hushed tones were spoken out of respect for the woman's company.
"Of course I did. Given the situation, I made sure to bring more than just the essentials this time." The voice that responded was light and professional with a thick Indian accent and lacked any sort of disregard for Michal's desire for secrecy.
'This time.' Those two words summersaulted over her tongue. That would only imply that this was not the first time that Michal or these men have done this. There had been at least one other victim that was forced to undergo this torment, and given the ease it took Michal to capture her, perhaps there were more than just one.
"Why don't you go bring in the equipment and we can get started. No need to delay this any longer. We'll need to give the guests as much time as possible; I've already made them aware of the situation." The nonchalant demeanor of his tone meant that Michal was speaking.
"Medical equipment?" Aria's voice was light and fragile, on the verge of tears, but her question went unheard. "Who the fuck needs medical equipment!?" She began to thrash against her restraints, demanding that someone answer her.
"Careful love" Michal cooed, placing gentle hands against her bare shoulders "If you don't calm down, we will have to sedate you." Aria shuddered against his grasp but willed the rising panic in her to remain just beneath her skin. She certainly did not want to be sedated, regardless of how torturous her captivity might be.
"Then let me go, Michal."
The man hesitated a moment before lifting a finger to her chin and smiled "Soon enough love, soon enough."
It seemed as if everyone were now busy with a task, walking from one end of the room and back again, but she could only rely on her ears to convey what took place around her. She could hear furniture being shuffled around the room, filling in the space. Several items were positioned near her but well out of reach had she had the motivation to try and determine what it was that they were doing.
"Almost ready to start?" the professionalism in his voice was clear and sharp with an edge of excitement.
"Alright deary, let's get you a little more situated, shall we?" Two sets of hands met either side of her positioned at her arm and her waist in order to guide her.
"Take a step forward love" the gentleman to her right whispered, his breath hot against her neck. A hand dropped to her plump rear to encourage that step forward and remained in place to keep her from stepping back. Aria's shoulders rotated awkwardly, blades pressed against the pillar to support her weight as the men shifted what she assumed to be a piece of furniture beneath her.
"There we go, now why don't you have a seat love?" Both men now rested calloused hands on her shoulders, reminding her that denial would not be taken nicely.
Hesitantly, and with a little encouragement from her guards, Aria obeyed and sunk into the chair, but as she sat, the man whose hand rested upon her rear slid a finger between her cheeks for a brief moment, sliding out just as easily as she bent to sit. Soft suede cushioned her rear as she shimmied onto the old Victorian wrought iron chair she had watched Michael bring in earlier. "Now that's a good lil pup" an accented voice chimed, followed by a 'rewarding' pinch of her nipples, earning him a squeal of protest and as much of a flinch as she could muster. Her cheeks deepened in pigment burning with embarrassment at her exposure and her inability to do much else aside from plea with her captors.
At least three of the men shifted around her, close enough that she could smell each ones aftershave. Without the need of an order, hands wrapped around either ankle and guided it up several inches and lowered it once more. Her feet were met by a cold metal apparatus that closed around her feet with firm support. A mixture of warm hands and bitter metal played at the soles of her feet as the men worked to secure her ankles. A band of metal wrapped around her the balls of her foot, the arch and the heels of either foot and once again around her ankle. The apparatus allowed a small amount of wiggle room, and an audible click confirmed that they were now fastened to another metal object. She gave a weak tug at either foot and was surprised to find that she was able to move her legs to either side, but the apparatus kept her from being able to kick or extend her legs.
"Boys, I think that's everything. Let's let Sayid do his work now, shall we?" The smile in Michal's voice made Aria's stomach churn and the fear that clenched her heart now ran cold through her veins.
Suddenly the world was too bright and foggy, taking the young woman an extra few blinks to find her focus once they lifted the vile. Aria was first met by the doctor, a tall bronzed skin man who could easily pass for being in his mid-thirties. He had hair that hung in black curls and cut off just at his shoulders and was clad in a white coat with a stethoscope draped around his neck. Clean cut with a high regard for hygiene, he certainly looked the part of a doctor. Beyond him were dark leather couches aligned in an L formation along with several black suede chairs, each of which differing in appearance. It would seem as if every seat offered the viewer a decent perspective of her. Michal and two other men sat rather comfortably on the couches, each of them dressed in a pair of dress pants and a long sleeve dress shirt as if they were expecting a formal event.
"Alright Aria, we're going to do a little check up on you, make sure there aren't any complications going on that we need to be aware of." The doctor wheeled a short stool and took a seat, leaning over to turn on a light that was positioned to her left. The lamp arched overhead, casting a harsh light that illuminated every part of her.
"I'm fine; I don't need a check-up." She protested, sounding more like a resilient child than a collected adult.
"Uh-huh" Sayid seemed none to phased by her lack of consent and slipped on a pair of gloves. At the very least he was attempting to be sanitary. "Any issues with eyes or ears, dear?" As he spoke, he lifted the otoscope from his coat pocket, clicked the light on and pulled himself closer to her left side
"No, none at all" Aria's reply was dry, but true, seeing no need to lie about her general health. The doctor placed a hand at the crown of her head and tilted her to the side and guided the otoscope into the ear canal for several seconds before wheeling himself to the other side and examined her right ear.
"Your ears look fine" he murmured, jotting notes down on a clipboard she failed to notice. He set the otoscope on a metal tray that lay just outside her field of vision and reached for his pen light, testing the responsiveness of her pupils.
"Eyes are fine" he concluded, returning his pen light to his coat pocket and reached for his clipboard, jotting down another line of notes. "Let's have a look at your throat, any discomfort, have you been coughing?" She responded with a subtle shake of her head, turning to face the wall to her right where the couches failed to reach. Sayid lifted a hand to her chin and turned her attention back to him, meeting her with a stern gaze that hinted a silent warning. "Open your mouth and say 'Ahh' ". His tone offered no room for objection. Hesitantly, Aria lowered her jaw, lifting her bright hues away from his own and mimicked his command. Her tongue wriggled beneath the tongue depressor as Sayid completed his initial exam, checking off another box on his clipboard. "Everything looks fine. I'm now going to listen to your heart and your lungs."
Aria's hues narrowed, studying the man performing the medical examination. "Are you really a doctor?"
"Yes, I am" Sayid was short in his response, and wasted little time with her.
"Where did you graduate? And what kind of doctor are you?" she pressed, not fully satisfied with his answer.
"I worked several years as an OBGYN, went back to school and became a pediatrician. I'm still licensed, and yes, I'm still employed. Now, if you would please, remain still." Sayid inserted the earpieces of his stethoscope and lifted the diaphragm to her chest, wrapping his free arm around her back as if to support her as he listened. Several moments ticked by in silence as he moved the diaphragm several inches in either direction. "Hmmm. Alright, take a deep breath in for me." She did as she was asked, inhaling until she was told to exhale and repeated it several times while he guided the diaphragm from either side of her chest and several more times against her back.
"Well Aria, your lungs sound fine to me. Do you have a heart condition?" As he spoke, he wrapped the stethoscope around his neck and reached for the clipboard, taking more care as he jotted down a several more lines of notes. The young woman dropped her gaze to the floor as if finding more interest in the wood grain than answering his question. Annoyed, Sayid rested both hands on her thighs, quickly drawing back her attention "I only ask so that I know how to treat you should something happen. If you don't tell me, I won't be able to help you in the unfortunate event that anything were to happen while you are in our care."
The young woman bit back a chuckle at the irony of his words. Given her indecent exposure and the lack of freedom she was certainly not being cared for, yet they showed a minor interest in her health. Aria sighed heavily and met his gaze with hard eyes "It leaks." She returned his short and quick response, offering the layman's term for her condition.
"Any other complications?" he pressed.
