Diplomatic Immunity, Part One

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

A Daughter’s Descent

Delilah

My stay in the room was one of unending boredom, and with the lights remaining on all the time, I lost complete track of whether it was day or night. The only diversion was to take showers and comb my hair with my fingers, and once every couple of days, wash my single robe in the sink. They’d left me with almost no toiletry articles, only a bar of soap and a pile of paper towels.

On what I thought was my seventh day, the Ambassador came to call once more. He stepped immediately inside and the door closed with a hollow boom.

“Young woman, you will be staying here for some time to come. I have received the packet from your father, and his instructions will be followed precisely. Sometime in the next week, a doctor will come and give you a very thorough physical examination. You will be required to undergo this as a part of your father’s wishes, and despite your former modesty, you will allow yourself to be examined by him, and you will answer all of his questions with the utmost honesty. Do you understand?”

“Yes, your Excellency; but I’m in perfect physical con ...”

“Be silent, you fornicating young w***e!!” he roared, making me retreat to my bed and fall back on it in fearful tears at his fury. “You’ll do as you are told and ask no questions! Be obedient, and life may be easier for you, but don’t you ever question any man again!”

“Y-y-yes, your Excellency,” I whimpered, covering my face with my hands and beginning to weep harder.

“Your tears will not save you!” he stated ominously. “One of the staff will bring down a copy of the Holy Book for you to read, as well as some other educational material. That is all!”

Turning, he rapped on the door. It was opened immediately and he stepped out, then some hours later, the thick books were slid through the slot at the bottom. Bored to tears, I opened the first and began to read through the turgid prose, for there was nothing else to do. Many sleep times later, the door opened again, this time revealing a tall, dark haired man in a white lab coat.

“Miss Mahjalis, I am here to give you a physical examination. Please remove all of your clothing and lay on the bed. When I’m done, I will have some questions for you, but until then, you are to remain silent unless I ask you something requiring a detailed answer. You may reply.”

“Y-y-yes, Doctor.”

“Very well. Please disrobe now.”

What followed was a most thorough and embarrassing medical examination. It was only the second one I’d ever been subjected to, and my face flamed continually while he prodded and poked my body, doing all the medical indignities to me that women have to suffer. At last, it was over.

“Please stand against the wall. I must make some quite detailed measurements.”

I obeyed, still totally naked and blushing a flaming scarlet. The measurements were, as he’d stated, extremely detailed and many were intimately personal, and, I felt, not relevant in any medical terminology I’d studied yet, but they too were soon completed.

“You may dress now, and then I shall ask you some questions.”

I scurried to the bed and quickly slipped into my long, concealing robe then stood quietly waiting. The next hour was spent with me answering his many questions, these read from a pages’ long list, and it seemed as though I’d told him about everything in my life by the time he was done. A strange, accepting lassitude began to steal over me.

“Thank you, Miss Mahjalis.” he said, rising from his seat on my bed. “I’ll be seeing you again in a week to ten days.”

With that, he walked to the door, knocked sharply, and a moment later, I was alone again with my reading. And so, for the next eternity, I remained a solitary prisoner in the barren little room. My meals came regularly but were tasteless and boring in the extreme. They seem like veritable feasts compared to what I’m fed now!

Dr Jannason

The envelope I’d been given contained an astonishing array of well-executed drawings and concise descriptions of the devices I’d been commissioned to have manufactured and then affix to Miss Mahjalis. Some were to be applied almost immediately, while the remainder would be added when she returned to her home. The covering letter required that she not be advised of any of the procedures, or in any way made aware of the capabilities of the various appliances before or after they were mounted onto and within her body. Most were quite severe in design and their intended application to the young woman; but there were none that truly, for the moment, crossed the boundaries of my Hippocratic oath.

I spent four intense days working out the details of their construction, and then a half day of scheduling and arranging the actual manufacturing processes. The operating theatre at the hospital was a simple matter to organize, and I had received, included in the packet of documents, a letter that gave me a virtually unlimited line of credit at a Swiss bank. Money was no object for the creation of the ‘jewellery’ and underwear (as I preferred to think of it) that Miss Mahjalis was soon going to have locked into and upon her body.

Initially, I had substantial misgivings about creating and mounting the equipment that was detailed in the long list, but with further thought, I came to the conclusion that there was no truly harmful result, and in fact, the assorted devices would perhaps be helpful to the ‘reformation’ of the young woman ... in the long run, and so I proceeded with the arrangements. Delilah was in perfect physical condition, and I’d assured myself there was no reason why I should not continue.

The manufacturer was surprised by the designs, fine tolerances, and my other requirements but assured me that everything could be completed quickly. The first accoutrements would be ready within seven days, although the larger pieces would take another fortnight to create. They were also somewhat concerned with the type of material I’d specified that everything be made of, for it was one of the newer, medical grade, stainless steel alloys; being very dense, quite heavy, and extremely hard. I was questioned about this requirement, of course, but informed them that money here was indeed no object, and that they were to proceed immediately using the material I’d specified. Apparently, only very sophisticated water jet cutters and spark-erosion laser cutters could be used to mould, cut, or weld the alloy. It was virtually indestructible and impossible to cut by any normal means.

Two weeks passed while I worked on the other projects and assignments and planned the operations that would be required. I called the embassy two or three times and spoke with the Ambassador of my progress, and during the last call, I arranged for the pick up and transportation of Miss Mahjalis. The hospital had a floor designated for diplomatic patients, and I obtained the use of a suite of rooms where I could attend to my newest patient both before and after the operations were done. I, too, would stay in them. The assorted medical staff: nurses, anaesthesiologist, and others, were brought to my office, and I briefly explained the situation to them in the broadest of terms then provided large cash bonuses to ensure that they remained close-mouthed about their patient and what would be done to her. Each of the staff that would attend Miss Mahjalis signed an exact duplicate of my own detailed non-disclosure contract. My patient would be professionally looked after for her entire two week stay, and any complaints she might register, or her situation there, would not be revealed. As well, she was accorded the benefit of diplomatic immunity, as were we all, working on behalf of the Ambassador, and so the situation was airtight, and for Delilah Mahjalis, quite literally, hopeless.

The day came, and I presented myself at the embassy with the ambulance that would take her to the private entrance of the hospital. It had already been driven to the back entrance of the embassy and was waiting when I was ushered into his office.

“Good afternoon, your Excellency!” I greeted him, shaking his proffered hand.

“Ah! Good afternoon to you, Dr Jannason! Our young patient has been sedated and waits quietly in her room. We can proceed with matters immediately. Two of our staff will assist then escort you to the hospital and her rooms there.”

“Very good!” I complimented his actions. “Ah, if you’ll pardon my asking, what plans have been made for her, once she has recovered and is ready to be moved from the hospital? I will need to attend her again if she becomes too stressed with the changes and additions.”

“Doctor, my instructions are that she is to remain here at the Embassy for an additional seven days following her return from the hospital, and then she will be flown home. From that point, the balance of her ... ah ... adornments ... shall we say, will be fitted and permanently sealed by her father’s own technicians. I take it that you have the full set of instructions available for them?”

“I understand, Excellency. However, if I may suggest it, I am also able to proceed to her home and do the final fittings myself, if that would be preferable? I have much free time now, and this would not present a problem.”

“That, my dear doctor, sounds like an excellent idea!” He beamed. “I’ll e-mail her father immediately and tell him of your availability. I shall get back to you within the day. I’m sure he’ll be most receptive.”

“Good to hear it. Well, we’d best get Miss Mahjalis on her way.” I stood up.

“Yes, yes! Please go with the escorts. I’ve already had the stretcher brought in from the ambulance. By the way, when will the operations take place?”

“First, I shall ensure that Miss Mahjalis is properly settled into her rooms, and then we will begin the day after tomorrow. As some of the procedures are quite intricate and invasive, they will be spaced over the following three days, taking some four hours for each set to be completed.”

“I see,” he replied speculatively, staring into the distance. “Well, once they’ve been completed to your satisfaction and she has recovered somewhat, say about a week from today, I shall need to see her.”

“That won’t present any problems, your Excellency. By that point, she will be unable to go anywhere without release and specific approval. She will await your pleasure, I assure you.”

“Very good! Please proceed, Doctor.”

With that, I left the office and was escorted to the basement room I’d visited before. One of the men carried the suitcase I’d brought with me which contained the restraints and other quasi-medical equipment I wanted Delilah to be fitted with before she was taken to the hospital. By the time I arrived at the door to her room, the stretcher was already in the corridor, waiting. One of the escorts unlocked the door, and I stepped inside to find my patient lying on the bed, eyes closed but not asleep. She struggled lazily to sit up; her expression slightly dazed.