Chapter 42

Ross was almost incoherent on the phone, "She's talking! She asked for a drink of water! I shrunk it by twenty percent. Twenty percent in one session! It works, your idea works."

Helen came to my side and took the phone from me. "What is going on dearest?"

They spoke doctor to doctor for nearly quarter of an hour, half way through Helen started looking at me wide eyed with surprise and admiration.

She dropped the phone onto my desk and wrapped her arms round my neck. "You wonderful man. You wonderful, wonderful man. Kiss me."

We kissed, she attacked my mouth with her tongue and then sucked greedily on my tongue when I entered her mouth. She pressed her body into mine pushing hard against my cock.

"You really don't know what a ruckus your idea is going to cause. Lots of doctors won't use this technique, mainly because they didn't think of it, others because they're going to wait for the first patient to die during a procedure. Ross is going to get a lot of stick over this. But I think he's going to get to visit Stockholm too."

I smiled down at her. "I'm glad I was able to help him a bit."

"A BIT! You brought together techniques from three different fields and described how they could be used for this particular tumour. That's not helping a bit, that's knocking every other contender off the list for the Nobel Prize. That's writing your name in the history books. They'll be calling it the Winter-McCraken technique within a year, you wait and see."

Karolina came in just then. Helen turned to her, "Karolina, your Master is a genius. He's thought of a way to cure inoperable brain tumours."

"Me Master good man. Look after he girls bestest." She looked at me. "Does work if tumour under brain?"

"YES!" cried Helen. "He's told us how to cure people who yesterday had a death sentence."

Karolina dropped to her knees. "Me Master, friend wife got tumour under brain. Is die. Can Dr. Ross help?"

"Get her here as soon as you can, fly her, whatever, just get her here as soon as possible. We'll ask Ross if he'll look at her. Bring her doctor and her notes and x-rays if you can."

"They not can pay fly here. Is not rich people," said Karolina.

I lifted her off her knees. "I'll pay for everything, just get them here." I turned her round to face the door then smacked her bottom to get her moving. She ran to the door laughing.

I turned to ask Helen to let Ross know but she was already on the phone.

"Ross, one of Paul's people need you to look at them. She's dying from a tumour. We're hoping that she'll be suitable for your new treatment." She listened for a while, "Probably tomorrow knowing Karolina," Helen told him. She smiled and hung up.

"He can't wait to see her. If she's suitable he'll do the first procedure day after tomorrow."

Iwona and Jerzy arrived just before midnight. Ross was already looking at Iwona's x-rays and discussing her case with her doctor, an elderly silver haired patriarchal looking man.

Ross looked at me. "I'll do her at ten tomorrow morning. I'll treat her as an outpatient. She won't need a general, just a little local, then she'll be able to come back here by, ohh ... two in the afternoon. I think she'll need four of five treatments though. I'll ask Helen to bring her over in the morning." He looked a little uncomfortable. "Is it alright if Helen stays another night?"

I smiled back, "I'd love to have her here again."

Ross nodded absentmindedly and left muttering things about angle of approach and depth of insertion as he left.

Iwona's doctor came over to me, "Sir not pay this man not more. He is..." he searched for a suitable word, "the duck (Note 1). Not proper doctor. Bad man, give hope where is none. Iwona, much ill, not speak three week now. Is ... thing ... growed by brain. Is not treat." His shoulders slumped, "I head doctor in hospital. Not skill treat Iwona. No one skill treat, not in best hospital in anywhere."

Speaking Polish, Jerzy stopped his wife's doctor. I heard 'Karolina' mentioned a number of times. Finally the doctor shrugged his shoulders and acquiesced.

Iwona was wheeled to Em's sick room where she would be given personal care by Em all night. Jerzy followed looking round him, just before the door he stopped. "Is possible speak Karolina?" he asked.

I picked up the phone and called her office. Ela answered, "Hi Ela could Karolina come to the Joasia room please?"

"She's right in the middle of something Boss. Fifteen minutes OK?"

"Fifteen minutes then. Thanks Ela."

"No problem Boss."

We hung up.

"Jerzy, Karolina will be here in about fifteen minutes. If you want I can send her to your room and you can talk more privately there."

"That be OK. Thank you, Lord."

"I'll send her to you then."

Jerzy left, I sat and sipped my tea. Karolina arrived in a little less than the expected fifteen minutes and she looked tired.

"Karolina, Jerzy would like to see you. He and Iwona are in the sick room tonight. Could you go and see him."

She smiled, "Yes Master."

"And then I want you to go straight to bed and sleep!"

"Yes me Master."

Taking my own advice for once I, too, went to bed, though sleep did not come easily.

The wait for news from the hospital was interminable. Iwona and Jerzy had left by taxi just after seven. I had breakfasted with Kelly and Elastic and then went to my office where I messed up a days worth of work before I realised that I wasn't doing myself any good here and left to wander around the place.

On the fourth floor I came across a short corridor guarded by one of Elastic's girls.

"What's this place?" I asked her.

She smiled at me, a strange look in her eyes. "It's your seraglio Boss."

"My what?"

"Seraglio. It's where the Harem slaves live," she explained.

I looked down at the ever present body slave, Alina this time, and asked her, "Do you have a room here?"

She laughed. "No Master. We body slaves share your quarters or sleep in the corridor outside your door. We can sleep here if we want to, but our status would suffer."

"Oh." I said, not really understanding what she meant.

I turned back to the guard, "So it's off limits then."

Now she too laughed. "Not to you, Boss. It's your seraglio." And she opened the small gate across the entrance.

I turned to Alina, "Shall we have a look?"

"As my Master wishes," she replied.

I went down the corridor and opened the door at the end. This led into a large room. It was obvious that internal walls had been removed from a number of rooms to make this huge space. On my left was a large sleeping area, a row of mattresses had been laid side by side to form a long bed. I could see two shapes under the covers, they lay side by side. On my right was a large, well lit, day and activity room. Susan and Lynne got up from their seats and came to me.

"Welcome to your Harem, Master," said Lynne.

They both knelt in front of me. "What can we do for you, our Master?" Lynne asked.

"How about showing me round." I suggested.

"Of course, Master. We would be glad to." They rose and Lynne gestured toward the sleeping area. "This is our bed, Master. Jo and Karen were up most of the night and so are sleeping now. I can wake them if you wish, of course you can join them if you would like."

"No let them sleep. I prefer my ladies to be awake when I am playing with them."

"Master, we don't mind when you play with us. We are happy to serve you," said Susan. "We like serving you."

They showed me their bathroom. Its single shower area was large enough for four or five and it was obvious that they showered together just as they slept together. The one area that was quite large was their makeup table. A long well lit mirror faced a table with space for at least six chairs. Makeup pots and tubs were lined all the way along the wall under the mirror.

"I didn't realise you all wore make up."

"Of course not, Master. If makeup is applied properly it should enhance, not conceal. And your girls know how to use makeup properly. We're not sluts like some slaves."

Lynne led me into the activity area. I went over to a large heavy duty sewing machine. A partially completed collar was in the process of being stitched together. Susan came and explained.

"This is Jo's collar for our trip to France. This is the last collar and I have only two more sets of anklets to complete to finish everything, Master." She pointed to a small table by the wall, "Lynne is helping me by softening and polishing the finished items. That takes the most time to do properly."

"And you're going to make sure that everything is done properly." I teased.

"Of course Master. Your girls are going to show the French how to dress properly."

There was one closed door in the whole room. "What's in there?" I asked.

"That's Karolina's room, Master," Lynne answered.

I must have looked puzzled.

"Karolina is your head girl, Master, she must have her own room to remind us other girls that we must obey her."

I decided not to go into Karolina's room, there might be things there for her project that I wasn't supposed to see.

"Thank you for showing me your home," I said.

"Maybe you'll stay longer next time and let us entertain you," Lynne replied.

"We'd like that. To show you what you mean to us," Susan continued.

I kissed both then Alina and I left.

On the way back to my office Alina's mobile rang. She handed me the phone.

"Paul." I said.

"It worked again, Paul. Twenty five percent reduction in size in thirteen minutes. This is absolutely amazing. Paul, I cannot thank you enough for explaining how to do this."

"Hi Ross," I laughed, "how's Iwona feeling?"

"She's resting at the moment, but her Obs are fine. All moving toward normal ranges, far better than even an hour ago. I'm going to discharge her in half an hour. She'll be back to you within the hour."

"I'll try and let Karolina know. I'm not sure where she is at the moment..."

"She's here Paul, she's been with Iwona all the time."

"OK Ross, I'll see them all later. I bet you're going to be doing a lot of writing now."

"Oh yes. I've already started starting writing up this technique. I just need three more patients and I can publish."

"OK Ross, if you need any help just give me a call."

"Oh yes, I need you to explain how you thought of this technique." He laughed.

"Oh bugger," I said, "I meant secretarial work that sort of thing."

"You don't get out of it that easily, Paul. This is really your idea. I just had the physical skills and the patients who needed the treatment you told me how to perform. You're in this up to your neck. Just get used to being fated and hated."

"Well, I'm used to being hated," I replied. We both laughed.

"Sorry Paul, my theatre sister is waiting for me and she's a'pursing her lips and a'folding her arms." He said in what was possibly the worse put on Irish accent I have ever heard.

"Oh boy, are you in the shit Ross. Do you want me to send Helen over to rescue you?"

"Nooo ... I don't think that's necessary, especially as she's standing next to the theatre sister. Elastic now, I could use her and a few of her girls."

We laughed and I hung up and left him to his fate. It was good to know that Iwona was responding to her treatment though.

I went back to my office. Alina called for some refreshments and I started clearing up the mess I had made earlier.

Iwona walked into the dining room. She was supported by Jerzy and her doctor, but she had walked from the sick room to here. Though a little pale she smiled to us as she walked in. Seeing her standing I could see the damage that her tumour had wreaked on her body. She was very thin and had lost all muscle tone. In places her skin was hanging loosely, her weight loss having been so rapid that her skin hadn't had a chance to keep pace. But the shining light in her eyes showed that, given any type of chance, she was going to cling onto life and fight.

Dinner was a celebration. Em had obviously told Debbie what Iwona could and couldn't eat, but Debbie had made an all-out effort to exceed her own very high standards. Duck a l'orange, boiled baby new potatoes and minted garden peas sounds like a quite ordinary meal, until it's been prepared by an expert. The duck, often greasy or dry, was moist and full of flavour. The accompanying orange sauce surprising as it filled the mouth with its sweet orange flavour without the least bit of sickliness. I cannot remember when I've tasted boiled potatoes that matched these in taste. Their slightly waxy flesh was firm but melted in the mouth. They were neither salted nor buttered but I didn't miss either. Even the peas, often a most pedestrian vegetable, delighted the palate, the fresh mintiness lifting the 'just picked' freshness of the pea up from ordinary to extra-ordinary. Debbie had served a fairly cheap red vin du table with the meal. However the wine matched the duck perfectly. This was a true test of an expert chef, to make an exceptional meal from quite ordinary food.

Debbie would be going to France too, but she, and Sally, would be going to train with a Michelin starred chef for a few weeks. I also wanted to get her an assistant, someone to take over the breakfasts and normal lunches. I wanted Debbie to have some time off, time to relax and time with Sally.

I patted my pockets trying to find a note pad and pen but Alina handed them to me. Where on earth did she get those? It might have been puzzling for a normally dressed girl to produce pad and pen when they didn't have a handbag. But my girls are usually naked, and I know that they don't carry pens, pads, phones, etc around with them everywhere. Believe me, I've checked all of their possible hiding places. Quite often.

"Thank you Alina." I smiled at her.

"It was a pleasure, my Master," she looked pleased that she'd managed to do something for me.

I made notes about Debbie and Sally and gave the notepad back to Alina. I knew she would give it to me when I next asked for it. Or one of the other body slaves would. I would have to watch and try to see how they did the handover.

After the meal Dr. Sobczak came to me and shook my hand. "You good man. I wrong about Karolina doctor. He do thing I never see before. He much skill doctor. He say you..." He searched for the right word, "you think how doctor do this operation. You save Iwona life. Save lot life now. I thank you much."