Informed Consent

Five days later, Elena found herself at the front door of a representative mansion in one of the city's best neighbourhoods. To her surprise, the business card from Alex' box of dubious gifts had turned out not to belong to some shady piercing parlour, but to a high-profile clinic for aesthetic surgery. She was early for her 2 pm appointment, but just could not bear waiting for another minute, let alone a half-an-hour.

The intervening period had been aggravating, to say the least. Barely back home from her body's futuristic measurement for the custom-made restraints, she'd opened what she had immediately come to think of as Pandora's Box. It took her a while to make heads and tails of its contents, but when she finally did, she immediately wished she had not. The accurately-machined blocks of resin each conformed to a part of her body, even though just which part was not always immediately evident.

Comparatively easy to identify were the templates complementing her breasts, despite the strange, T-piece type nozzles which sprang from the outside of each dome shaped item, with one end of the T's crosspiece attached right at the apex and its central stem pointing downward. Somewhat harder to figure out was the one intended for her nose; the twin, oblate, conical tubes sprouting on the inside threw her off at first, until she realized they were destined to go up her nostrils. A saddle-shaped piece with a number of parallel ridges and recesses apparently matched her pubic region, while yet another looked like it might just fit inside her oral cavity, provided that the shallow pocket at its core was intended to receive her stretched-out tongue. However, the most worrisome observation regarding all the templates was something else: if Elena surmised the purpose of the multitude of holes riddling them correctly, she would very soon be adorned with more numerous and more extreme piercings than any she had previously conceived possible.

Also included in the box was a small plastic envelope containing scores of blunt-tipped pins of various lengths and gauges; all made from the same clear resin and obviously intended to be passed through the holes. Experimentally, Elena had pushed one into a hole and upon the realization that wherever the pin crossed an open space, it would later transfix her flesh, had shivered with dread. Some of the acrylic studs came with removable, flat ended caps to prevent them from sliding out, while others were threaded at one end for the same reason. A few featured cross-bores (several even more than one, some also threaded), so they could intersect each other within her body!

Elena had stared at each part for a long time, oscillating between terror and arousal while she imagined the sensations of cold steel driven through her flesh. In the end the arousal had won, with her deft fingers diving between her thighs and driving herself to a monumental orgasm that granted her some much needed sexual relief. Afterwards, she meticulously put the templates back into the box and stored it under her bed, where it had rested with evil portent until today.

The weather had remained favourable, so she wore the same light summer dress as before, presently drenched in cold sweat and clinging to her lithe figure. The fateful box felt heavier and heavier with each passing moment. She had left her car in the parking area reserved for visitors of the clinic, next to a brand new luxury limousine more representative for its usual clientèle than her own modest vehicle. Since on Fridays the clinic was closed to the public and received visitors by ‘special appointment' only, Elena had not been surprised to find the car park otherwise empty.

Straightening her back with a tremulous sigh, Elena rang the bell. Its polyphonic chimes were still reverberating when she heard rapid steps approaching through the hallway, then a second later the door opened and she found herself face to face with a young woman in a white lab coat. Her stunningly beautiful face was marred by a frown of annoyance.

“Yes?” She inquired with an arched brow. An embroidered label on her left breast pocket identified her as Lisa.

“Hello, I'm Elena and I have an appointment with Dr Lowry. I'm a little early, I'm afraid,” she admitted with a nervous smile.

“Oh, it's you!” Briefly both eyebrows went up before the woman schooled her features into professional politeness. “Please, come with me.”

Elena followed her through the hallway and into a richly-appointed waiting room.

“Please have a seat while I inform the doctor that you've arrived, but first, let me relieve you of that,” she beamed and took the box from Elena's hands.

“Yes of course. Thank you.”

While the physician's assistant was away, Elena studied the room and thought that the interior design was a bit too ostentatious for her taste, an impression reinforced by the coffee table magazines laying around. These were all geared towards “discerning individuals of demanding taste” and their high-gloss pages dispensed essential advice on topics such as the breeding of race-horses or what yacht might be fashionable at the French Riviera this season. It made for fascinating reading and helped her to forget about the reason for her presence in the anteroom.

Her foray into the world of the ultra affluent was cut short by the return of Lisa, this time in the company of an attractive-middle aged woman and they stopped briefly in the open doorway of the waiting room. The older woman's haughty face was still youthful with only the slight crinkles around her mouth and eyes betraying her real age. They added character to her austere beauty, although Elena was not sure that the conveyed impression worked in the woman's favour. Even disregarding the cold glance she was spared, Elena had the notion that crossing this lady was not the smartest thing one could do, yet somehow, she already seemed to have attracted the other female's disapproval.

“So this is the reason my consultation was cut short,” she remarked just loud enough for Elena to overhear. Unfortunately, Elena could not understand the assistant's reply, which to all appearances went a long way towards appeasing the other woman whose attitude changed visibly while she listened to the whispered words. Her hostile air was replaced by one of speculative interest and a predatory smile played around her mouth when she bestowed another, less intimidating, if rather more condescending look on Elena, before both proceeded to the front door, continuing their quiet conversation. A moment later, Lisa returned alone.

“The doctor will see you now,” she announced from the doorway, where she waited for Elena, before leading the way up a flight of stairs to the second floor. Elena fell in step beside her.

“What was that all about?” she inquired, making no effort to hide her irritation about the mysterious encounter.

“Oh, sorry about that. She's a prospective client, obscenely rich, but also very high maintenance, if you get my meaning,” Lisa explained in a conspiratorial tone, then made a face. “I suppose Greg, um, that is Dr Lowry, was quite happy your early arrival gave him an excuse to cut that appointment short.”

“Well, she seemed not too happy about it. How did you mollify her?”

“Um, I told her you were here to see Greg about your inverted nipples. I hope you don't mind, do you?” Lisa gave her a sidelong glance, smiling a little worriedly.

Elena shook her head slightly and returned the smile, although inwardly, she had her doubts about that explanation. It sounded plausible enough, but she felt certain it was completely bogus nevertheless, and wondered briefly how many people were privy to the ‘secret' preparations that Victor had instituted for her permanent enslavement. It vexed her that almost everybody she met seemed more knowledgeable about them than herself, but this train of thought was interrupted by their arrival at a closed door. Lisa knocked perfunctorily and entered without waiting for a reply. Elena took a deep breath before she followed her. Inside, a tall, fit looking man greeted her with a casual nod from behind his gleaming white desk

“Hello Elena, I'm Dr Gregory Lowry. Please have a seat.” He motioned her to an empty chair in front of the desk and Elena sat while Lisa remained standing behind her. The surgeon silently studied her through his rimless glasses until Elena wanted to squirm under his sharp gaze.

“You represent a fine specimen of your gender, Elena,” he stated finally. “You're young, in excellent health, reasonably well educated as I'm told and rather beautiful. You can take my word on that. I'm a certified expert. If you applied yourself, you could have a bright future in almost any career you pick. Or, if you chose so, a favourable marriage would be virtually guaranteed by your looks. In short, by the standards of our superficial times, you've been extraordinarily blessed. Yet, you intend to give up all of that and become Victor's slave. Let me warn you though ... once you've taken this step, there'll be no turning back.”

“I'm aware of that,” she assured him.

“The modifications Victor has specified are quite extensive, and very few of them can be reversed, even by surgical means. Hiding them won't be an option permitted to you, either. That being said, trying to blend in with the petty bourgeois will be awkward, to say the very least. Victor's notion of irrevocable commitment may be very romantic, but assuredly is rather impractical with respect to everyday life. You're aware of that, too?”

“By now at the latest, I guess.”

“Splendid! In addition, as with all medical procedures, a small, but non-negligible quantum of risk is involved. Therefore, from a purely medical point of view, I must strongly advise you against having them done. Of course, from that narrow-minded point of view, nearly everything we do here is inadvisable.” An ironic smile played about his lips. “However, although we'll strive to make the actual operations as painless as possible, the healing period and aftercare will, by necessity, entail quite a bit of discomfort.”

“Believe me, I get it. What's to be done is potentially dangerous. It's probably painful. It's certainly foolish. Nevertheless, I want those piercings done,” Elena asserted, having never felt surer of that than at this moment. Strangely, all of Dr Lowry's warning words had only served to strengthen her resolve. She would endure the ordeals to come. She was strong enough and would make Victor proud of her. Dr Lowry acknowledged her outburst with a raised eyebrow and continued to frown at her.

“Could be love, actually,” Lisa quipped from behind. “It's said to cause a temporary, or in more severe cases, even chronic immunity to reason. You've seen the symptoms before, Greg.”

Dr Lowry spared her a glare, then shrugged.

“Very well! So be it. I'll need you to sign these documents.” He indicated a stack of papers lying in front of Elena. “These forms state that all procedures are performed at your express request and that you've been properly informed and educated about the medical risks involved. Furthermore, they indemnify us from any liability regarding the direct and indirect consequences of your modifications. The usual legal nonsense, you know.”

She took the proffered pen and quickly signed her name at the bottom of each of the documents, not bothering to read them properly. After all, she had just been reminded that after today's proceedings her fate was sealed anyway. Lisa also signed each one as a witness and the doctor followed her, embossing each one to ensure legality. Then he addressed her again.

“Thank you. That was very brave, albeit not too prudent, if you want my opinion, which you manifestly do not. Lisa will prepare you for the operations and I'll join you when everything is ready.” He shook his head, adding under his breath, “Victor's one lucky bastard!”

On that note, he picked up a celebrity magazine and engrossed himself in it, probably to assess the latest trends in his field. The abrupt dismissal annoyed Elena, who had hoped for a more detailed explanation of what was in store for her, even though she most likely would have found his patronising tone hard to tolerate. Instead, she was forced to take comfort in the thought that Dr Lowry could get away with his patent lack of social grace solely because he was very, very good at what he did.

Lisa guided her down the corridor to a small room where she asked Elena to disrobe. She'd anticipated the request and had not bothered with underwear this time either. She remained standing naked while the physician's assistant exchanged her white coat for surgical scrubs, then they left the anteroom through another door leading into a small but well-equipped operating theatre. In its centre, surrounded by medical machinery and taking up the space of the traditional operating table was a contrivance reminiscent of gynaecological chair. It was of massive rubber and steel construction and gleamed with menace emphasized by the multitude of integrated restraints, obviously intended to strap its occupant down securely. The low temperature in the room was not the only reason for Elena's dark brown nipples to harden into flinty turrets.

“Sit down, please.”

Reluctantly, Elena complied with Lisa's request and surrendered herself to the chair's cool embrace. It was equipped not only with dedicated rests and stirrups for each leg, but provided a deep cradle for her head also. Immediately after she had sat down, Lisa expertly began to buckle the broad belts around her waist, chest, wrists and upper arms, as well as her thighs, knees and ankles, then went over all of them a second time, systematically tightening each one until Elena was completely immobilized. Eventually, she could not even turn her head, thanks to broad, padded clamps swung forward and firmly latched to press against it. Elena allowed herself to be restrained in silence, apart from the occasional sigh when Lisa drew a strap uncomfortably tight. During her time with Victor, she had been taught to endure bondage far worse without complaint.

Satisfied at last, Lisa draped her naked body with isolating sheets that left only her breasts and crotch uncovered. These areas she subsequently cleaned with a strangely slick, antiseptic solution, then Elena's face was subjected to the same treatment, starting with her nose. Lisa carefully swabbed the outside as well as inside her nostrils. Next in line were her ears, followed by her lips. Not even her oral cavity escaped Lisa's meticulous attention to detail, but finally, Lisa put away the swabs and pressed a button on the intercom next to the door.

“We're ready Greg.”