Page 10 of Shameful Needs
CHAPTER 5
Heather
The building looked sonormal from the outside—just another corporate office complex with glass and steel facades that could have housed any number of legitimate businesses. But as we pulled into the parking area, I noticed details that made my stomach clench. The fence was higher than I’d first thought, topped with something that might have been decorative, but looked suspiciously like razor wire. The windows were all tinted dark enough that I couldn’t see inside. And there were security cameras everywhere, their black lenses tracking our van as we approached.
Officer Martinez parked near a side entrance and climbed out to open my door. The late afternoon air was cooler than I’d expected, and I shivered as he helped me out of the van, my legs unsteady after the drive and my arms stiff from the handcuffs.
“This way,” Mrs. Chen said, gesturing toward a glass door marked ‘Private Intake.’ A woman in scrubs was already waiting for us, her blonde hair pulled back in a severe bun that somehow made her look both professional and intimidating.
“I’m Nurse Simmons,” she said as we approached, her voice crisp and efficient. “I’ll be handling your intake processing, Heather.”
I wanted to refuse to respond, to maintain some shred of dignity, but the words tumbled out anyway. “I don’t want to be processed. I want to call a lawyer.”
Nurse Simmons exchanged a look with Mrs. Chen, and I caught the slight smile that passed between them. “I’m afraid that’s not possible at this time,” she said. “But I promise you’ll be much more comfortable once we get you settled in.”
The intake area was sterile and clinical, all white walls and fluorescent lighting that made everything feel exposed and harsh. Nurse Simmons led us through a set of doors that locked behind us with an electronic beep that made my heart race faster.
“Officer Martinez,” she said once we were inside the entrance, “would you remove the handcuffs, please?”
I felt a moment of relief as the metal restraints clicked open, my shoulders aching as I brought my arms forward. I rubbed my wrists, trying to restore circulation, but the freedom was short-lived.
“Now then, Heather,” Nurse Simmons said, turning to face me with that same professional smile, “Go ahead and remove your clothes. All of them. Wives in this facility must be naked except when allowed clothing for specific training activities.”
I stared at her, my mouth falling open. “What?”
“Your clothes,” she repeated patiently. “Please remove them and place them in this bin.” She gestured to a plastic container next to the doors.
I just stood there, frozen. Strip? Here? In front of these strangers? My mind reeled, trying to process what was happening. This was supposed to be some kind of counseling program, not… whatever this was.
“Heather?” Nurse Simmons prompted when I didn’t move. “I’m waiting.”
“I… I’m not taking my clothes off,” I stammered, wrapping my arms around myself. “This is insane. You can’t make me?—”
“Officer Martinez,” the nurse said without taking her eyes off me, “would you assist Mrs. Montgomery, please?”
“No!” I screamed as the large man stepped toward me, his hands reaching for the hem of my t-shirt. “Get away from me! Don’t touch me!”
I tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go in the small room. His hands were surprisingly gentle, but completely implacable as he grasped my shirt.
“Everything will be much easier if you remain calm, Heather,” Mrs. Chen said from her position by the doors, her voice maddeningly patient. “Fighting will only make this more difficult for everyone.”
“Stop!” I thrashed against Officer Martinez’s hold, but he was so much stronger than me. The fabric of my shirt tore as he pulled it over my head, and I felt tears streaming down my face as the cool air hit my bare skin. “Please, I’ll do it myself! Just stop!”
But he didn’t stop. His hands moved to my sweatpants next, and I sobbed as he pulled them down my legs, leaving me standing in nothing but my bra in front of these strangers.
“The bra too,” Nurse Simmons said calmly, as if she were discussing the weather.
“Please,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Please don’t make me do this.”
Officer Martinez’s hands moved to my bra clasp, and I felt something inside me shatter as the last of my clothing was removed. I stood there completely naked in the entrance of this sterile, corporate building—white walls, fluorescent lighting, and the kind of industrial carpeting that belonged in an office.
Nurse Simmons led the way down a corridor. After a helpless glance at Officer Martinez’s calm but stern face, I followed. As we walked I noticed subtle things, differences from an ordinary office building, that made my skin crawl. The hallways seemed wider than necessary, with reinforced doors that looked like they belonged in a medical facility. And there was something about the way our footsteps echoed that suggested the walls were thicker than they appeared, as if to muffle women’s cries of distress.
We stopped at a reception desk where a young woman with perfectly styled hair and a too-bright smile checked something on her computer. “Mrs. Ryan Montgomery,” she said, as if I were checking into a hotel, and it struck her as quite an ordinary thing that I should do it in the nude. “We’ve been expecting you. Dr. Hamelin is ready for your intake examination.”
The wordexaminationsent a chill through me. “What kind of examination?”
“Just routine,” Nurse Simmons said, taking my arm with surprising gentleness. “We need to establish baseline measurements and ensure you’re in good health before we begin your program.”
