chapter 8

I got to the bar early and sat in a private booth containing several leather arm chairs and a circular table. I nursed a pint of beer with thoughts of what Carolyn and the doctor were doing upstairs rattling around my head. Some of these thoughts were bland; some ridiculous, but all made me feel that I was missing out on something and I was getting very annoyed about it. I had to wait almost an hour before the doctor came into the bar.

I waved to her and she nodded, acknowledging that she had seen me. I noticed her turn to the barman and make a hand signal before she joined me. The barman instantly set about making a cocktail and it became clear that the doctor was a regular here. Did my employer own this hotel too? Once more, I got the feeling that I was part of something a lot bigger than I had ever imagined, and once more, I thought I was getting in too deep.

As the doctor waited for her drink to be delivered, she kicked off her shoes and leaned back in the armchair stretching her legs.

"It's so good to be off the clock," she said as she removed the pins from her tight bun and gave her head a shake, allowing her long silver blond hair to cascade over her shoulders. I realised that this was the first time I had seen her with her hair down; her steel blue eyes, which always seemed so cold and calculating before, were instantly transformed, and I realised just what an attractive woman she was. As if reading my mind the doctor smiled at me but told me that we could not talk until the drinks had been delivered.

Shortly, a waiter arrived with another beer for me and a very interesting looking drink for the doctor. Once he was out of earshot, I turned to her.

"So is this really a routine check-up?" I asked.

The doctor laughed. "Yes and no," she replied teasingly.

"Is everything OK with Carolyn? Where is she?"

"She's better than OK; she's absolutely perfect!" replied the doctor. "Immediately after her first medical I messaged through to our employers and told them I would personally oversee her delivery. We know how you like to abandon your girls!"

I felt utterly ashamed, but either the doctor did not notice or chose to overlook my glowing cheeks.

"But you have decided to come with this one," she continued. "I wonder why? I do hope you are not getting attached emotionally?" Ignoring the question, I asked again where Carolyn was.

"I gave her a sedative," replied the doctor. "She didn't know of course! She will sleep like a baby all through the night and that will give her stomach chance to digest all of that airline food." She laughed, but it reminded me of some of the things Carolyn had said.

"Doctor, I know..." I began.

"You can call me Abigail when I am not 'in uniform'," she said, using air-quotes.

"OK. Abigail, I know you cannot discuss Carolyn's details with me but I do have some concerns."

"Pfft. Why do you think I cannot discuss it? What do you want to know?"

I was totally taken aback by Abigail's response. I waffled about the Hippocratic Oath and confidentiality and all of these other medical phases which, in truth, I only knew about because I had seen them in films or on TV. Abigail listened patiently while sipping her cocktail, but when I started talking about her moral obligations, she just smiled at me and suddenly those eyes were cold as ice again. I stammered to a halt mid-sentence.

"Listen," she replied slowly, "Carolyn is company property now and you are an employee who is delivering her, as your job requires. For that reason, I can share anything with you. That and of course the fact that it doesn't really matter anyway; she'll never be in a position where she can report me to the General Medical Council now, will she?" Abigail laughed loudly and signalled the barman, and again I noticed how quickly he rushed to make the cocktail. He seemed almost afraid of the doctor and given what she had just said about Carolyn, I wondered if he had good reason.

We sat in silence again waiting for our drinks to be delivered. Abigail filled the time by opening her handbag and pulling out a small tablet. I could see her skimming through various pictures of women; some looked familiar, but they were not on screen long enough for me to be sure. Finally, she came across Carolyn's picture. It was the one which Carolyn herself had shown me a day or so after we first met.

"These are so much more convenient than paper files," said Abigail, clicking on the picture with a stylus. Instantly the screen filled with numbers and comments, but the doctor made sure I could not see them properly. "So what did you want to know?"

I was really curious about how much Carolyn had been eating and whether she was bigger, but was sure that this was not a normal thought to have. I didn't know how to ask it without giving away the fact that I found both Carolyn's appetite and belly exciting and erotic. Instead, I asked about the advice Abigail had given at the first medical.

"I was surprised that you encouraged Carolyn to smoke a lot more," I said. "That sort of thing goes against all medical advice."

Abigail looked at her tablet and scanned through the information. "Yes, Carolyn told me that she regularly smokes two packets per day now," she said. "Personally, I think she wanted an excuse, and if you are stupid enough to be her supplier..."

"Oh! So you never told her to do that then?" I began to feel foolish, but then Abigail totally confused me.

"Well, of course I did. The girl has a highly addictive personality which I needed to exploit."

I frowned, but secretly I was thrilled that I had a way to bring up what I really wanted to ask.

"But Carolyn told me that you said it would control her appetite," I said; my tone more accusatory than I intended. Abigail just nodded.

"But that is clearly not happening," I continued. "Carolyn just seems to eat everything that is put in front of her."

"Yes - She is a very greedy young woman," agreed Abigail. "It's that addictive personality again. And incidentally, everything I told her was true: smoking will control her appetite; it just takes a while to kick in." She looked at the pad again. "In the meantime, a three pound gain in a week is a good start."

"Three pounds?"

"Yes - but don't be disappointed. It's all on her belly; about a half inch increase around her waist. The changes around her arms, legs, breast and bottom are barely noticeable."

Abigail smiled, but I had no idea why she was giving me this much detail as if I expected it. Could she read my mind? As I sat there feeling aroused and looking foolish, realisation dawned on the doctor's face.

"You've never personally delivered somebody to the island, have you?" she asked with a wide, excited grin. "You don't know what goes on there, do you?" She drained her glass, picked up her shoes and stood up.

"Wait until you see," she laughed, and she walked away without looking back.