Chapter 8

Cynthia Bloomfield looked around the table at the members of the Non-Augmented Mammaries Committee. "Does anyone have anything to report?"

After a brief murmur among different people wondering who would be the first to speak, Dr. Barton smiled. "I spoke with one of the pioneers of genetic breast augmentation and one of his current patients the other day."

"What do you have to report?" Cynthia looked down her nose at Dr. Barton.

"Well, for starters, he seems to be receptive to the desire of his patients to enlarge their breasts. The procedure is not quite what I anticipated, especially since the patient falls into a deep sleep -- almost a coma -- as a result of the therapy. I have some concerns over whether or not this could be causing some kind of brain damage."

"I think we should look into this. You said you interviewed one of his patients?"

"Yes. She was very honest and upfront about her desire to seek the treatment. With your permission, I'd like to bring her before the entire committee so we can depose her about her experience."

"That doesn't seem unreasonable. Do you think we should depose her before she completes her therapy, or should we wait until after?"

"I saw her when she had the fourth of six therapy sessions. That was three days ago, so after tomorrow, she'll have completed her therapy. It's unlikely that we'll be able to get her here before tomorrow."

"Very well. Do you have a means of contacting her?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Go ahead, then. Do you need a subpoena?"

"I don't think so but I'll reserve the right to use one."

"Let us know how it pans out. Does anyone else have anything to report? I realize it's early and we may just be making first contact with persons of interest, but I'm open to any status reports you can provide."

Veronica Meissner, who was in charge of researching the history of breast augmentation, reported that she had started researching the exact process of the long-defunct surgical technique that was popular in the 20th and the first half of the 21st century. "It involved actually implanting a type of balloon inside the patient's chest. Different objects were approved and pulled from the market for various reasons. Most recently, it was discovered that the implantation device would adhere itself to the surrounding muscle, thereby creating a situation where the breasts would actually lose density over a relatively short period of time. That was about eighty years ago."

"Fascinating. It's kind of frightening the lengths to which some women were willing to go, just for a bigger bustline," the chair of the committee mused.

Dr. Barton chimed in. "At least current procedures don't have the concerns associated with either the implantation device or undergoing surgery."

There was a grumble of begrudging assent before the committee adjourned for another week.