Seeking Asylum

Eight Months Later...

I begin the morning routine by sitting on the edge of my bed. Charlotte will be knocking on the door any minute. Angeline is still hollering from down the hall. I slip the hospital issued house shoes on. Charlotte opens the door.

"Dr.Ridgeway would like to see you right away. Grab a quick breakfast afterwards," she closes the door again.

I step out of the room and meet Aurelia's eyes. We say nothing to each other. I limp down the hall. I can feel her eyes on me, emitting pity. I knew she wanted to help me. She could tell the beatings were getting worse.

I knock on Ridgeway's door. He calls that it's open and I turn the knob. As usual, he's sitting behind his desk. "I have something urgent I need to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"You're still not rehabilitated, Miss Pendleton. Usually my hyper-sexual patients  are rehabilitated within four months. There is a procedure that we perform on males with excessive self abuse. I want to try it on you," he say, almost menacingly.

"No," I turn to leave.

"You don't understand, Caroline. You don't have a choice. You were put here to be rehabilitated and your father assured me that I could do anything that would make you better," he sizes me up.

"I doubt you cleared this procedure with my father. You do not have my consent," I turn to leave again. He calls for John and Henry.

I don't even panic anymore. I know I won't get away. Dr. Ridgeway instructs them to carry me to the operating room. I don't fight. There's no point. When we enter the room, I'm strapped to the table and he begins to explain the procedure.

"Usually, a small wire is implanted under the foreskin or through the penile head. This makes any form of sexual gratification painful. As I said before, I've never tried this on a female patient. You will be my Guinea pig," he smiles, "For you, I will implant the wire under the clitoral hood. It should work just as well." He injects the anesthesia in my arm. A single tear escapes before I black out.

•

I'm in the infirmary. Charlotte sits in the corner. She's crying and seems to be praying. She notices I'm awake. "Oh, Caroline," she rushes to my bed side and sits next to me.

"Can I go eat now? I'm starving," I ask tiredly.

"Caroline, I have something to tell you," she tries to hold back more tears.

"What?"

"Dr. Ridgeway performed the surgery," she pauses.

"There was no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't," I laugh groggily.

"The thing is," she takes a deep breath in, "he did an extra procedure."

"Charlotte, what do you mean?"

"He did a hysterectomy," she waits for my reaction. She prepares herself for me to become unhinged.

"Why?" was all I could say.

"He rationalized some of your problems to female hysteria, so he removed the organ that leads to that," she grabs my hand, "and what I'm about to tell you is confidential."

"Tell me," my demeanor hardens.

"He wanted to sterilize you. That's why he did this. He only wrote down the things about hysteria so the paperwork looked normal," For the first time, Charlotte seemed just as angry.

"That's it. We have to take him down," I try to stand, but I can feel the wire he implanted. Every move hurts. Charlotte  helps me stand.

"Where are you going, Caroline?" She asks.

"I just need to get out of here. He'll win if I feel vulnerable and useless. Charlotte?"

"Yes?"

"Will you help me take him down?"