wondered at the way his hand wrapped around hers. His fingers were long and strong, warm and supportive.
It seemed right.
She’d never been back to this part of the clinic since he reserved it for his personal study and experimentation. A separate branch of the building housed the general labs, leaving this area secluded. With each step, they drew further away from the bustle of the main practice and deeper into the solitude of the restricted area.
Kurt paused before the door at the end of the hallway to punch in a combination on the keypad next to the door. When the light flashed green, he turned to face her.
“Last chance, Becca. Are you sure?”
Without hesitation, she rotated the knob herself, pushed open the door and took the first step inside his private laboratory.
She hadn’t expected this. The whole room gleamed, bright white and clinical, compared to the subdued colors and indirect lighting of his office. Some distant part of her mind registered the ominous thunk of the closing door then the snick of the lock engaging as she surveyed the environment.
In the center of the room rested a large padded table similar to the one she had relaxed on when Kurt and their colleagues had treated her to a massage at the local day spa for her birthday last year. Surrounding the table, several mechanical objects beeped and whirred. A few she recognized as standard medical equipment but most remained a mystery. In addition to the machines, whiteboards covered with notes and designs for the new invention lined one whole wall. Imbedded in another, a large reflective window she recognized as a one-way observation mirror flung back the picture of her wide-eyed stare and open jaw.
Absorbed in the surroundings, she didn’t notice the doctor approaching behind her until he caressed her hip. She flinched beneath his searing palm. He’d always been so careful not to touch her when she studied with him.
“I’ve dreamt of this for a long time,” he whispered in her ear.
Rebecca assumed he referred to the development of the Dream Machine. If it was as monumental a breakthrough as he anticipated then it would aid thousands of people, guarantee his professional success and, no doubt, make him a very rich man in the process. Otherwise, why would he be so desperate to find a subject that he risked the participation fee if she didn’t complete the study? She forced her brain to untangle the problem as she would on any other assignment.
“Tell me more about the Dream Machine. How long has it been in development? Will you show it to me?”
She vacillated between curiosity and apprehension as she thought about what was to come. “What will it feel like? What will it do to me?”
“You’ll have all the answers in time.” Catching his intense stare, she watched Kurt’s grey eyes darken. He refused to be rushed. “We need to establish some rules and get you prepared. First, while in the lab you will address me as Dr. Foster or Doctor. Do you understand?”
Rebecca comprehended the importance of proper procedure and documentation for the success of an experiment, even one as personal as this. Trying to ignore the tingle of anticipation spreading through her at the prospect of submitting to his authority, she gave him a tentative smile and answered, “Yes, Doctor.”
“Good girl. Second, to maintain the integrity of the experiment, once we begin the official proceedings tomorrow, all of our time here must be witnessed.” Although she recognized the standard procedure, she cringed at the thought of anyone but Kurt having access to her innermost desires. Revealing them to him would be difficult enough.
“I thought the intrusion of other people might be difficult for you given the nature of our study so I made a case to the review board that it could skew our results. As head of the board, Luke convinced them to agree.” He shot her a conspiratorial smirk.
A sigh of relief escaped her parted lips. She’d always liked Dr.
It seemed right.
She’d never been back to this part of the clinic since he reserved it for his personal study and experimentation. A separate branch of the building housed the general labs, leaving this area secluded. With each step, they drew further away from the bustle of the main practice and deeper into the solitude of the restricted area.
Kurt paused before the door at the end of the hallway to punch in a combination on the keypad next to the door. When the light flashed green, he turned to face her.
“Last chance, Becca. Are you sure?”
Without hesitation, she rotated the knob herself, pushed open the door and took the first step inside his private laboratory.
She hadn’t expected this. The whole room gleamed, bright white and clinical, compared to the subdued colors and indirect lighting of his office. Some distant part of her mind registered the ominous thunk of the closing door then the snick of the lock engaging as she surveyed the environment.
In the center of the room rested a large padded table similar to the one she had relaxed on when Kurt and their colleagues had treated her to a massage at the local day spa for her birthday last year. Surrounding the table, several mechanical objects beeped and whirred. A few she recognized as standard medical equipment but most remained a mystery. In addition to the machines, whiteboards covered with notes and designs for the new invention lined one whole wall. Imbedded in another, a large reflective window she recognized as a one-way observation mirror flung back the picture of her wide-eyed stare and open jaw.
Absorbed in the surroundings, she didn’t notice the doctor approaching behind her until he caressed her hip. She flinched beneath his searing palm. He’d always been so careful not to touch her when she studied with him.
“I’ve dreamt of this for a long time,” he whispered in her ear.
Rebecca assumed he referred to the development of the Dream Machine. If it was as monumental a breakthrough as he anticipated then it would aid thousands of people, guarantee his professional success and, no doubt, make him a very rich man in the process. Otherwise, why would he be so desperate to find a subject that he risked the participation fee if she didn’t complete the study? She forced her brain to untangle the problem as she would on any other assignment.
“Tell me more about the Dream Machine. How long has it been in development? Will you show it to me?”
She vacillated between curiosity and apprehension as she thought about what was to come. “What will it feel like? What will it do to me?”
“You’ll have all the answers in time.” Catching his intense stare, she watched Kurt’s grey eyes darken. He refused to be rushed. “We need to establish some rules and get you prepared. First, while in the lab you will address me as Dr. Foster or Doctor. Do you understand?”
Rebecca comprehended the importance of proper procedure and documentation for the success of an experiment, even one as personal as this. Trying to ignore the tingle of anticipation spreading through her at the prospect of submitting to his authority, she gave him a tentative smile and answered, “Yes, Doctor.”
“Good girl. Second, to maintain the integrity of the experiment, once we begin the official proceedings tomorrow, all of our time here must be witnessed.” Although she recognized the standard procedure, she cringed at the thought of anyone but Kurt having access to her innermost desires. Revealing them to him would be difficult enough.
“I thought the intrusion of other people might be difficult for you given the nature of our study so I made a case to the review board that it could skew our results. As head of the board, Luke convinced them to agree.” He shot her a conspiratorial smirk.
A sigh of relief escaped her parted lips. She’d always liked Dr.
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