Pierced
Dr Lowry appeared a few minutes later, attired in scrubs, mask and skull cap and immediately made a quick assessment of his assistant's preparations, taking extra notice of the strictness of Elena's restraints.
“Well done! Lisa knows how I like my subjects prepared. You can't move much, can you?”
“Not really,” Elena replied tersely striving to sound nonchalant, but unable to prevent a tremble from entering her voice. The enforced waiting had done nothing to calm her nerves.
“You should have realized by now we're playing for keeps. Are you having second thoughts?”
“No.” She forced the word out through clenched teeth. Simply shaking her head no was not an option, unfortunately.
“Good. It'd be too late to change your mind anyway,” Dr Lowry informed her sardonically.
He accepted the syringe that Lisa handed him, ceremoniously holding it upside down before Elena's hazel eyes while he gently tapped its side to shake loose some invisible air bubbles, then pushed the plunger until a drop of clear fluid was expelled from the glittering needle's tip. Elena watched the business end of the syringe approach her left breast in sick fascination, subconsciously holding her breath when it reached the nipple. She felt a small sting, quickly followed by a sensation of numbness spreading through her mound and did not even notice the subsequent injections when Dr Lowry systematically anaesthetized the whole area. Despite his foul humour and deliberately abrasive demeanour, he was a very conscientious professional, skilfully operating the plunger while he slowly pushed the needle in.
The procedure was repeated with her other breast before his attention moved to her pubic area. Elena could not directly observe his actions there, but after a series of pinpricks, the whole region gradually faded from her body awareness, as if it had ceased to exist. Next, it was her face's turn and she crossed her eyes trying to track the hypodermic needle's tip when it closed in on her nose. The first injection into the base was painful enough to send tears to her eyes, but fortunately, the pain subsided almost instantly and she barely noticed the follow-up punctures on each side. Her lips next received the same treatment, emptying the syringe.
“Please open your mouth for the next series of injections,” Dr Lowry requested, exchanging the emptied syringe for a full one.
Elena was left with no option but to open her mouth and with a few more pinpricks, her tongue had been transformed into an insensitive lump of flesh. The final act of numbing her ears was anticlimactic in comparison, although he used several injections there as well. When he lay down the syringe at long last, the whole lower half of her face was without sensation. It was an awkward feeling and she feared that with her slack features, she must surely look like the drooling idiot she berated herself to be in that moment, for having volunteered for all this in the first place.
In the meantime, his assistant had retrieved a large tray from the autoclave and placed it on a table next to Elena's chair. On top, right beside a frightening array of piercing needles, out of the side of her eye, she spotted the templates' and accompanying pins' familiar forms. Dr Lowry picked up the first template and held it before his eyes. Elena saw that it was the mould for her left breast. He studied it for a moment while an appreciative smile played around his lips before he pressed the dome shaped piece against her chest, capturing her breast.
“Lisa, the vacuum pump, please.”
While he held the template in place his assistant attached a flexible tube to the downward pointing stem of the T-shaped nozzle that Elena had wondered about. Its purpose became clear as soon as Lisa switched on the apparatus at the tube's other end, when, compelled by a strong vacuum, Elena's numbed breast was irresistibly pulled into the dome's narrow confines. Thanks to the anaesthetized state of the tissue, she barely registered the fact that her elongated nipple was drawn a full inch into the side arm of the T-piece.
Dr Lowry made some minute adjustments to the template's fit, ensuring that her breast was seated correctly inside its cup, then picked up a long needle from the tray. Its hollow shaft appeared huge to Elena's frightened eyes.
“Don't worry; these dermal punch type needles are extremely sharp,” Dr Lowry remarked cheerfully. Pointing to the tip, where the tapered end thinned to glittering point, he expanded. “They're made from surgical steel that's laser cut and so has a precision edge. It will slice cleanly through your skin without tearing or bruising and leave a perfectly defined hole that will heal quickly, even with a gauge this big.”
“Ow reasssurin'!” Elena's attempt at sarcasm was unfortunately sabotaged by her numbed tongue, but Dr Lowry was unimpressed anyway.
“You're welcome.”
Unerringly, he located one of the holes at the mould's base, close to her chest, then in one swift movement, pushed the needle in, all the way through her breast and out again on the opposite side through the corresponding boring there.
Elena gasped audibly, even though the actual piercing was accompanied by barely a prickle of sensation. The sight of the glittering steel projecting from her body while she perceived barely any pain at all was highly surreal and for a moment she felt as if she was just experiencing an exceptionally vivid dream, from which she would wake up any minute now. But then, a drop of red blood welled from the puncture and reality came crashing in again.
‘It was actually happening! When I'm released from my bonds, I'll be marked forever! I've finally crossed the point of no return!' She was granted no respite to dwell on that realization though.
Without delay, Dr Lowry picked up a delicate metal tube and held it up for his assistant, who had opened what looked like a pack of silvery white spaghetti, and extracted a single strand. The ‘noodle' was actually hollow with an opening at one end, as became obvious when she carefully slipped it over the proffered tube like a miniature nylon stocking, expanding its gossamer fabric in the process. In a second step, she used an even thinner pin to push the stocking's closed end into the tiny tube's hollow core, until only the first centimetre of its circumference remained sheathed in the gauze like material, while the rest of it was bundled within.
“Here we have something quite extraordinary,” Dr Lowry explained, bringing the prepared tube in front of Elena's eyes. “You see, due to the random orientation of its fibres, scar tissue is normally less resilient than the healthy tissue it replaces. With this reinforcing lining in place, the story's different however. The nano-material it's made of is rather talented: on one hand the fabric is incredibly tough for its thinness and on the other, it will stimulate the growth of scar tissue and help to direct and align its fibres. During the healing, it fuses with the forming fistula and so the bottom line is that once healed, your piercings will have a much higher tensile strength than ordinary tissue. Of course, as with everything in life, there's a downside as well. Once your flesh has bonded to the lining, it can't be removed, unless cut out, and will prevent the piercing hole from closing up ever again. However, in your case, that won't be an issue.”
This time around, Elena did not even try for a clever retort.
After he'd dipped the tube in a jar filled with some clear liquid, Dr Lowry used it to push the needle out of her breast, thereby replacing the latter with the former and simultaneously introducing the soaked lining into the puncture. His technique was quite ingenious, Elena conceded grudgingly, for the sleeve of gauze on the tube's outer surface stuck to the wall of the tunnel punched into her flesh. Hence when Dr Lowry slowly drove it further in (displacing the needle in the process), more of the lining fabric unfolded from within, adhering to the wound and paving the tube's way through her breast. Eventually, its sheathed tip emerged on the other side, at which point the tube was retracted again, leaving the lining behind. Lisa cut off the protruding fabric with a scalpel, then Dr Lowry selected the appropriate plastic pin from those that had accompanied the template and began inserting it into the piercing. Thanks to the lining, the pin slid in effortlessly and so Elena had barely time to register the ominous cross-bore through its centre.
“The plastic retainer will keep the hole dilated during the healing, until your permanent restraint jewellery is fitted,” Dr Lowry informed her while he screwed the pin into the hole on the mould's opposite side, so that its ends were flush with its outside.
The used needle was discarded, however, Lisa immediately handed him another. The two of them worked together smoothly, punching additional holes in Elena's body at a rapid fire pace. While the initial piercing had transfixed her breast horizontally, the next one went through vertically, perpendicular to the first. Both were situated close to her chest, next to the breast's base, yet the latter one was offset towards her nipple by about half a centimetre. The lining was emplaced in the exact same manner before the finished hole was filled by another pin; this one also with an opening at mid-point.
Piercing number three perforated her breast horizontally again, this time near its tip, beneath the base of the nipple, then a short, but rather thick pin, once again with an eye in its centre, occupied the lined tunnel that the needle had cut into her flesh.
The final piercing was the most extreme and ambitious yet and also turned out to be the reason for the central cross-bore that the pins filling the previous ones commonly featured. Using the side arms of the template's closing T-piece for guidance, Dr Lowry slowly forced a thin needle directly into the centre of her nipple then deeper into her breast, steadily turning it while he pushed it in. Despite the anaesthesia, the needle's slow but inexorable progress was accompanied by severe pain. Elena watched in sick fascination while centimetre by centimetre the metal spike sank further and further into her flesh until she felt suddenly queasy and had to avert her eyes. Six times the needle's advance stalled; evidently encountering one of the lateral piercings and having to punch through a layer of lining. Thankfully, soon after the last impediment had been overcome, the vertical needle projecting out from the centre of her nipple, stopped its advance for good and the stabbing pain abated to a more manageable dull throbbing. When Elena finally dared to look again, Dr Lowry had already retracted the needle and was readying the tiny tube designated to deploy the reinforcing lining. Resignedly, she shut her eyes and kept them pressed closed until the cessation of painful ministrations to her breast indicated that a thick dilating pin had been emplaced.
Elena reopened her eyes just in time to observe Lisa switch off the vacuum pump and remove its intake hose from the template's nozzle. With a slurping sound her breast detached from the mould, causing a bout of discomfort when the the pins skewering it in combination with their anchoring template forced it into a slightly changed configuration from its normal, unsupported shape. Dr Lowry gave her newly bared breast a cursory inspection and, apparently pleased, shared his findings.
“Thanks to Alex's precision work, everything went extremely well. Until the holes have healed sufficiently, we can't remove the template, unfortunately; but then, I suppose you'll learn to appreciate the protection it provides. I hope you're not in the habit of sleeping on your stomach.”
With her inarticulate groan when he picked up the template for her other breast, Elena elicited another of his sardonic smiles.
“Nature loves symmetry, my dear, and so does Victor.”
And symmetry he got. Each step of the whole, elaborate procedure was faithfully repeated with her right breast until it had been turned into its counterpart's mirror image. Elena kept her eyes shut most of the time, resolved to suffer her self-imposed ordeal stoically. Nevertheless, she could not prevent a trickle of silent tears from wetting the hair in front of her ears, but there were worse indignities to be inflicted on her yet.
Dr Lowry positioned a caster stool between her wide-spread legs and sat down to work on her genitals. He pressed the respective template against her vulva and fiddled with it until her labia had settled into place between the appropriate recesses and ridges, then the vacuum pump was attached and switched on. The strong suction brought her genitals into close, over-all contact with the template's inner profile, stretching her nether lips further out and drawing her clitoris from the shelter of its hood, into the notch thoughtfully provided for it.
Elena watched Lisa handing the various implements for her mutilation to Dr Lowry; however, she could not monitor what he was doing with them down there. The clamps that pressed against her temples held her head absolutely immobile and so her field of vision was delineated by the blood streaked mounds of her breasts. Yet whatever he did, it involved an alarmingly great deal of pain, given the general effectiveness of the anaesthetic.
Although Elena tried to fend it off, her memory of the layout of the mould's numerous cross-bores rose unbidden, and, according to the image etched into her brain, her labia were destined to be pierced several times each and neither her clitoris nor its hood were permitted to escape unscathed, either. Judging from the steady progression of painful punctures, Dr Lowry slowly but surely worked his way up from her perineum to her clitoral hood; the latter and her clitoris probably being spared temporarily for an agonizing finale. Under the circumstances, Elena would have been heartily glad if her forebodings had turned out to be wrong; alas, some minutes later they once again reinforced their aggravating tendency to be spot on.
After a seemingly interminable and at times excruciating session, Dr Lowry finally rose and stepped back, watching closely while Lisa detached the vacuum pump and removed the mould, exposing Elena's blood engorged genitals to the room's chill air. Elena greeted the sudden cold with a gasp, immediately followed by a grateful sigh when it brought about a welcome easing of the dully throbbing pain. As previously, Dr Lowry took a moment to critically review his work before he turned his attention to the last body part scheduled to receive its permanent modifications on this fateful day: Elena's face.
He and Lisa took up positions on either side of her head. The padded clamps that held it in their vice like grip allowed no movement whatsoever, so darting her eyes back and forth between them was the only option Elena had to follow their preparations. She watched him select a somewhat shorter, but comparatively large gauge needle, while his assistant picked up the triangular template for her nose. Elena eyed it with ill-concealed dread, for to her, the evidently imminent piercing of her nose was an act that like no other would openly proclaim her status as a slave. In addition, she was certain Victor would exploit the potential for controlling and humiliating her that was inherent in the piercing of this sensitive organ to the fullest extent. Yet, through her near-panic, she still recognized an altogether different emotion that came into play as well: an intuitive, almost preconscious craving for the very act she rationally dreaded.
She followed the mould's approach until her eyes crossed and its upper end brushed against the tip of her nose. Lisa paused for a moment to make sure that the oblate, half-cones extending from its inside were aligned with the nostrils, then slowly pressed the device more fully onto her nose. Elena felt the cones slide up into her nose, stretching its side wings and at the same time rubbing uncomfortably against her sensitive septum while Lisa continued to press the mould forward and slightly down. At last it pressed firmly against the end of Elena's septum and her panicky breathing now became distinctly audible when it whistled through the hollow cones.
As soon as Lisa had the template fully emplaced, Dr Lowry took over. With sure hands, he inserted the needle into the template's single cross-bore and slowly slid it in until its tip came into contact with the right side of Elena's nose. She felt a prick when the sharp point scratched her skin a generous finger-breadth from her nostrils, just below the point at which the cartilage attached to her nasal bone. She knew this to be just the overture and braced herself, clenching her teeth so hard that corded muscles stood out in stark relief on her jaw.
Dr Lowry steadied the template with his one hand, then, in one swift movement, he thrust the needle in. Tightly trapped in the mould her flesh had no recourse. The tubular needle perforated the right wing of her nose, easily punched through the stiff cartilage of her septum and finally emerged from her left nostril’s outer wall. The transfixion of her nose was accompanied by a stabbing pain that made Elena's eyes water, yet it subsided surprisingly fast, thanks to the powerful anaesthetic kicking in. It was over before she had a chance to scream.
‘Yes!' The deed was done.
Once the jewellery that Victor wanted was affixed there would be no chance of hiding the telltale sign of what she had become, for the stark nature of her modifications went far beyond what could possibly pass for an ill-advised, albeit innocent attempt at adornment. Elena experienced a moment of perfect calm when her long-suppressed masochism finally triumphed over the familiar discord of dissenting voices in her head. In stunned silence, she slowly released her held breath and blinked away her tears. Looking down her nose, she could just make out the needle's blurred ends sticking out from the template on both sides, watching mesmerized when a drop of blood lazily formed at the needle's tip, wanting this magical moment to last forever. Alas, an uncaring universe did not cater to her wishes.
Dr Lowry and Lisa continued, as efficient as ever and even before the drop reached critical mass where gravity could overcome the combined forces of adhesion and surface tension, the needle was displaced by a now-familiar sheathing pin. Momentarily, the pin was retracted, leaving only the lining in place, then Dr Lowry inserted a tiny scalpel into the hollow cone that distended her left nostril and cut through the tough fabric, trimming down the excess lining. He repeated the process on the other side so that Lisa could carefully withdraw the template while the remaining lining stayed in place. Nevertheless, there was some drag on the newly pierced holes and Elena was heartily glad when the template cleared her nose at last. Once that was accomplished however, the dilating pin was once more run through her piercings, considerably heightening her discomfort. Since this pin was meant to stay until the flesh healed, she would have to put up with its irritating presence, just as she had to make the best of the others that kept the new holes in her breasts and vulva occupied. Elena was thus given an inkling of what her permanent fittings would feel like. They would definitely take some getting used to. It was probably for the best that this latest piercing had left her emotionally drained and slightly dazed, especially since her current troubles were far from over. Next, her mouth received its share of not so tender attentions.
“Open wide and extend your tongue, please!” Dr Lowry requested.
With weary apprehension Elena eyed the mould for her mouth that Lisa held ready to be fitted. Whereas the template for her nose had featured only a single, albeit massive cross-bore, this one was riddled with seemingly dozens of holes. Resignedly, she complied as best as she could with his request, but was nonetheless rewarded with a nearly dislocated jaw when Lisa forcefully pushed the mould past the barrier of her teeth. Once inside, the strain was relieved only marginally since the template kept her jaws painfully spread apart and her muscles began to protest their abuse almost instantly. Elena fervently hoped that the planned procedures would soon be completed. First though, Lisa connected the vacuum pump, then turned it on and the strong suction immediately pulled Elena's tongue far out and fully into the thin plastic sheath waiting to accept it. At the same time, her lips and gums adhered to the lifelike, contoured profiles provided for them that prevented her from even twitching a muscle. With her mouth forced open wide, her lips stretched tight around the mould's gasket flange and her tongue painfully pulled out, Elena had been masterfully prepared. Everything was readily accessible and she was helpless to resist what was to come in any way.
Of course, Dr Lowry was ready to take advantage of the situation and availing himself of his seemingly inexhaustible supply of needles, he soon had Elena decked out with even more holes. After he had pierced her tongue for the second time, turning the numbed lump in her mouth into a dully throbbing one, everything became a blur for Elena for the strains and stresses of her prolonged suffering finally took their toll. Now, as the anaesthetic's effectiveness slowly diminished, her breasts and genitals began to hurt in earnest. She closed her eyes and allowed her conscious mind to withdraw into a shell, blanking out the unpalatable reality of her situation, i.e. being defencelessly strapped into a chair and perforated in every imaginable way... all by her own choice!
The further pinpricks in her tongue and lips barely registered on her mind, and she accepted the ensuing emplacement of dilating pins while almost forgetting about the formerly longed for extraction of the template. By then, the aching of her wide-spread jaws was just another thread in the tapestry of her misery. Besides, the relief of its eventual removal was short-lived, as Dr Lowry immediately switched targets and began his campaign on her ears. First, the respective moulds were applied; their anchoring extensions pushed deeply into her ear canals until they pressed uncomfortably against the tympanic membranes, then, the piercing needles' attack on her auricles commenced. Only after the constant barrage had ebbed for quite some time did Elena gradually emerge from her trance-like state and let herself become aware of her surroundings again.
To her surprise, Dr Lowry had already left the room, leaving the after-action mop-up to his able assistant. Lisa cleaned away the dried blood and swabbed all wounds with an antiseptic that was thankfully - now that Elena was ready to appreciate small mercies again - one of the non-stinging varieties. Where required, she then secured the dilating pins either by screwing them further in until their threaded ends engaged, or plugging the end caps onto their exposed heads.
Finally, she freed a physically and mentally drained Elena from her restraints and helped her out of the chair. Rising too fast after the long enforced immobilisation, Elena felt suddenly dizzy and would undoubtedly have toppled over if Lisa had not supported her. Her brain was flooded by pain signals from nearly every part of her body and for good measure, the throbbing behind her brow promised to turn into a major headache. With Lisa's help, she managed the few steps to an adjoining room appointed as a recovery area and with her every movement, the new, albeit temporary, hardware invading her flesh made its presence felt in unexpected and generally awkward, uncomfortable ways. Elena gingerly lowered herself onto the soft bed and with eagerness accepted Lisa's offer to administer a painkiller. Mercifully, the analgesic took effect almost immediately after the injection and Elena slipped into a dreamless sleep of pure exhaustion.