Priorities

Melissa Washington staggered down the hall, stunned. She could feel blood trickling down from her forehead, feel more trickling down her right leg. Shaking her head in a vain attempt to clear blurred vision, she asked herself what had just happened.

It was supposed to be a routine inspection tour of her newest hospital. Well, not exactly new, just new to her. Apparently, all of the facilities of her newest purchase were old, worn, and badly in need of repair. Including, it seemed, the boiler. She had just turned away from the boiler room, her mind already working on ways she could upgrade things here with a minimum of expense, when a sound made her turn. She saw a flash, and the next thing she knew, she was staggering along the hall.

Somehow, Melissa found herself in one of the hospital’s many examining rooms, struggling to focus her eyes on the nurse who appeared and began looking her over.

“Hmmm, scalp wound, leg wound, possible concussion.” Firm, gentle hands pushed her back onto the table. “Not to worry. We’ll get you fixed up in no time.”

Turning her head, Melissa watched the nurse open a large drawer that seemed to be filled with nothing but endless rolls of some kind of wrapped bandages. Working quickly, the nurse wrapped the bandage around her leg, covering the skin from just over her ankle to nearly her knee before the roll ran out. When the nurse finished, Melissa rose to her feet, only to be pushed back onto the table.

“Not yet, hon,” the nurse said. “That head needs bandaged, too.”

Shrugging, Melissa sat quietly while another roll of bandage was used on her head, covering her from crown to just above her eyes.

“Thank you,” she said, rising, “but I really must go now.”

“Oh, no,” the nurse replied, once more pushing her onto the bed. “We won’t know how bad your injuries are until we can get you into X-Ray. Unfortunately, they’re backed up, what with the explosion and all. So I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait here.”

“But I can’t,” said, moving to rise again. “I have too much to do.”

Yet again, the nurse pushed her down. Melissa struggled to rise to her feet, the nurse holding her on the table only with effort.

“Now, hon,” the nurse said, “this just won’t do. You have to lay still until we can get you into X-Ray.”

When Melissa continued to struggle, the nurse held her down with one arm, her other hand reaching into the drawer. “This should keep you still.”

Suddenly, Melissa felt a bandage being wrapped around both ankles, pinning her legs together. By the time her still foggy mind realized exactly what was going on, her legs had been wrapped from ankles to the middle of her thighs, turning them into a single, shapely column.

“Let me go,” she shouted, “or I will have you fired. No, arrested. No, fired and then arrested.”

“Hmmm,” the nurse, said calmly, “delirious as well. Still, we don’t want you upsetting the other patients.”

With this, Melissa felt something touch the back of her head, and suddenly, everything went dark. Blinded, she could feel the bandages winding around her head. She opened her mouth to scream, only to feel something shoved between her lips, filling her mouth and pinning her tongue. As she chewed on the obstruction, she felt more bandage wrap across her mouth, sealing the cloth in place.

“There,” she vaguely heard through the layers of cloth now covering her ears, “that should keep you quiet.”

Desperately, Melissa reached for the cloth covering her head, only to feel her hands being grabbed.

“Oh, no,” she heard. “You have to keep the bandages on.”

Ignoring this, Melissa continued to try to reach with her hands.

“Oh, dear,” she heard, “you are going to be a stubborn one, aren’t you.”

Melissa heard a soft snipping sound, followed by a draft that seemed to touch her whole body.

My dress, she thought, she’s cut my dress off. Since she hadn’t worn anything underneath, this left her completely naked.

Now, her struggles were as much to cover her heaving breasts as to uncover her mouth.

“Almost done,” she heard, even as she felt cloth touch her shoulders.

Quickly, she felt her upper body being wrapped, gradually pinning her arms to her sides. Her final, desperate struggles proved pointless, and soon she found herself cocooned from the top of her head clear down to her ankles. Grunting into her gag, she continued to twist, even as she felt her feet, too, being wrapped.

“There,” she heard, “couldn’t leave that part of you out, when the rest of you is covered. Wouldn’t be right.”

Now, Melissa felt straps being passed over her body, pinning her securely to the table at ankles, knees, waist and just above her breasts. A final strap passed over her forehead, and now movement of any kind was impossible.

“What have we here?”

Hearing a new voice, Melissa screamed into her gag, but even she could barely hear the muffled grunts that emerged.

“Lacerations,” she heard the nurse reply, “concussion, delirium. She kept fighting me, so I had to restrain her for her own good.”

“Nothing major, then. Stick an IV in her, maybe a couple catheters, and she’ll keep. I need you to help with the more serious injuries.”

“Yes, doctor.”

Melissa felt the bandages on her left arm being parted, followed by a sharp sting. Moments later, she felt bandages being parted further down. Squeals leaked from behind her sealed lips as catheters were inserted fore and aft.

“Almost finished?”

“Just about, doctor.”

“Good. Make sure she has a full bag. With the injuries from the explosion, she could be there a day or two before we get to take a better look at her.”

“Yes, doctor.”

Melissa heard rustling sounds, followed by the closing of a door. Alone, she struggled against her bonds, but soon fell limp, defeated by the tightness of her wrappings. Vaguely, she could hear a bustle of movement outside the room where she lay helpless.

“Anyone seen Miss Washington?” she heard.

“No,” came a reply, “but when I do, I’m going to give her a piece of my mind. She should have started repairs and upgrades on this place as soon as she bought it, instead of waiting three months to even come by. If she had, we wouldn’t have all these injured to take care of.”

The voices faded, leaving Melissa in silence.

Naked, wrapped head to toe, gagged, strapped to a table, ignored by the staff, she could only lie helplessly.

And as she did, she made a vow. First thing, she promised herself, I’m going to get all these hospitals repaired, upgraded, with all the newest and finest facilities money can buy.

First thing.

Just as soon as somebody remembers to let me out.

23.12.12