“How selfless of him.”
The doctor stands. “You can undress behind the privacy curtain, then make yourself comfortable on the examining table. Everything off.”
My legs wobble as I walk toward the privacy screen, and I knock into the coffee table, spilling coffee out of the cup there.
“Please excuse my sister. She’s quite nervous,” Abel says. I get the feeling he’s kept my disorder a secret.
“It’s natural,” the doctor says.
Once I’m behind the privacy screen, I slump against the wall and exhale a deep breath. I feel dizzy, and my skin is clammy. I close my eyes and force myself to breathe, counting to five on an inhale, holding, exhaling to five. Repeating.
I imagine myself at the swimming pool on campus swimming my laps. I do it every morning. It’s one of the things that helps, that keeps me level and steady. It’ll be over quickly, then I can get out of here. Then I can see Dad and maybe go for a swim in the afternoon before Eva gets home.
I undress and put on the robe, grateful there is one. Beyond the curtain, I hear the men speak in low murmurs while stirring sugar and cream into their coffee. I hear Santiago’s name and strain to listen, but they seem to quiet even more when mentioning him. From their tone, I get the feeling they don’t like him.
I know I’m taking too long when one of the men clears his throat, and my brother calls my name.
“Are you ready, Ivy? I’m sure these gentlemen have better things to do than wait on you.”
Those gentlemen can go to hell.
I tie the robe tighter around myself and walk around the privacy curtain, not looking at them as I make my way to the examining table, which has been adjusted. The stirrups have been pulled out, and I realize to my horror that they’ll have a perfect view right between my legs.
I hesitate, and Dr. Chambers, who has donned a white robe, moves to the table and smiles at me. It’s not a warm smile. In fact, I wonder if he’s got an erection under that robe just thinking about what he’s about to do. At how he’s about to humiliate me.
“Up on the table, Ivy. You’ve done this before, I’m sure. You should have been having these checks annually. It is a father’s duty.”
“My father could be quite soft on his daughters,” Abel says.
“That’s too bad. I keep a tight leash on Maria. That girl has a wild streak, but I believe I keep her in check.”
Wow. I actually feel sorry for Maria suddenly. I don’t want to think about her having to submit to anything like this. I don’t want to think about anyone having to.
My face burns as I tug the knot at my waist tighter and make my way to the table. I climb on, sit facing the door as I take a deep breath in, then lie back.
Get this done.
Get it over with.
That’s all I have to do.
I set my feet in the stirrups and make the mistake of looking across the room at where Abel and the other asshole are sitting back, watching as if I were a show on a stage. Which I guess in a way I am.
“Very good,” Dr. Chambers says, coming over to me.
I shift my gaze up to the ceiling as he moves my hands from the knot of my belt and sets them on either side of the table. I clutch the padded edges as he undoes the knot and opens the robe, exposing me wholly as he widens the stirrups.
Dr. Chambers clears his throat, and I feel his fingers low on my belly. “Not a promising sign,” he says. “When they shave all the hair, you have to wonder for whom.”
“I swim,” I say. Not that it’s any of their business if I want to shave every hair off my body.
“Quiet,” Abel snaps.
Dr. Chambers touches two of the bruises on my belly but doesn’t comment. I wonder if he thinks Abel beat me and that it’s perfectly fine.
He moves to stand between my legs and pulls the table on wheels closer.
Holton gets to his feet and comes to stand just to my side, eyes glued between my legs. I make the mistake of letting my gaze drop to his crotch, and from under his protruding belly, I see the pressing of his small dick against his slacks.
Pervert.
“I need to bear witness,” he tells me, patting my hand, which I pull away instantly. “I can’t very well see from there, can I?”
I barely breathe as I listen to them talk about the weather, about Dr. Chambers’ daughter, then about my vagina as the doctor lubricates his finger.
“You’ll feel pressure, but it won’t be painful, Ivy.”
I grit my teeth to prepare for the intrusion, but there’s no preparing for it as his cold finger slides inside me. It takes all I have not to scream. Not to fight. Because when I do try to bring my knees together, Holton pulls them apart.