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She was slowly undressing Brenda Schnieder. Her own hands shaking as if she was the one about to be boiled alive.
Earlier that day, after Mildred's lunchbreak Nurse Bucket stormed toward her, dropped a stack of patient treatment plans at her lap, and said “Your patient files for the day. I hope there are no technicalities today during your bathing session with Ms.Schnieder. I had Dolly look it over before the treatment to ensure no disruptions.” She smiles slyly. “We wouldn’t want a repeat of last time now would we Nurse Ratched?” She pats her shoulder, and without waiting for a response she’s off.
As Mildred read of the patient files, her eyes stopped at Brenda Schnieder's name.
1 hour at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Let patient sit with lowered heat for 20 minutes. 1 hour at 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Place patient in ice bath directly after second session.
If patient is still presenting homosexual behaviors repeat treatments weekly.
Her knees nearly buckled beneath her as she slowly pushed Ms. Schnieder's wheelchair closer and closer to the Hydrotherapy room. Just as they had for every other patient receiving this therapy for this same circumstance.
As Dolly and Mildred lower Brenda into the boiling water, Mildred winces. She can’t help but recognize that this could be her if she’s not careful with Gwen.
Oh Gwen. So bold, so brash. Mildred always found herself wanting to hide that part of herself, the part of herself she had been told was evil all of her life, the part of her that was going to send her to the depths of hell for all eternity. That was before she met Gwen. Because of Gwen she had come to terms with her sexuality. She enjoyed the company of females, this was who she was. But she still couldn’t help but flinch and flick her hand away when Gwendolyn would reach for it at their favorite restaurant. Sure she could accept that she was a homosexual but that didn’t mean others would. And they wouldn’t.
She had her bite her tongue throughout the entire treatment with Brenda Schnieder. Her breath went shallow, afraid that if she showed any sign of empathy she would soon find herself in that very same predicament.
As she lifted her out of the steaming bath she couldn't help but murmur her apologies over and over into Brendas ear.
Schnieder is carefully rerobed, wincing as the soft fabric brushes against the sores that the boiling water created, and Huck moves her back to her room.
Dolly and Mildred begin mopping up the spilled water.
“Mildred, could you make sure the heat is off from the second bath? We still need to drain the tub.”
“Oh, sure.” She says, leaning over the tub to check the temperature.
The thermometer states that the bath is still in the 170s. Dolly must have forgotten to turn off the tub.
She reaches below her, grabbing for the dial that turns the temperature down, something catches her arm. Pinning it behind, onto her lower back.
“Wha-”
Suddenly her head is pushed into the bubbling water sitting below her. She doesn’t realize what's happening until she opens her eyes, the boiling water seeps into her corneas. She tries to scream with pain, but that just allows more water to enter her mouth. Immediately burning the entirety of her mouth.
As the pain washes over her, Mildred finally remembers that she still needs to breathe.
Her free hand tries to grasp onto anything that could pull her up. But her second hand is immediately pinned next to her other arm. That’s when she starts kicking. Kicking at whatever strange force that is holding her here. Bucking her legs back like a wild stallion, and snapping her head back, desperate for a breath of oxygen.
Her face hits the cold air, long enough for yell some sort of cry for help, before getting redunked.
Mildred can feel the sores already forming on the thin delicate skin on her face. This high temperature is dangerous for any part of the body to be submerged in, especially the sensitive skin on one's face.
Finally, after what feels like hours, the pressure releases and Mildred is free to cough up the water that has reached her lungs.
When her body can finally process what has happened, she cries. She can’t see, her eyes are swollen closed. She wouldn’t be able to tell if the attacker was still even in the room with her.
She throws up hot water that runs down her chin. Curling into a trembling ball, the best she can hope for is that Huck shows up soon to prepare the room for the next treatment.
“Finally got what was coming for you huh Nurse Ratched?”
Dolly.
“D-Dolly?”
“I saw you the other night. At the pier. With… some woman.”
“She’s a friend.”
Dolly laughs.
“She if she was ‘just’ a friend, you wouldn’t have said that so quickly. Why so defensive Ratched?”
Mildred can hear Dolly's heels click closer and closer towards her.
She kneels down, above her. Mildred can feel her breath on her face.
“You know I wasn’t quite sure that what I had seen that night was what I thought it was… But then I saw how you spoke to Ms.Schnieder after her treatment. Her treatment that is supposed to help cure her of homosexuality.”
Dolly waits for a response.
“You know what I think Mildred?”
Ratched grimaces.
“I think that you’re a fucking dyke.”
“And if you tell anyone about who did this, everyone will know you’re one too.”
A sharp kick reaches Mildred's ribs. She can hear the door slam as the sound of her heels echoes off into the distance.
Just as Mildred had predicted, it is Huck who finds her. Soaked in the bath water and also the regurgitated water she had thrown up earlier.
“Oh, Mildred.” He breathes softly.
It is then that Mildred lets out a guttural cry. Dolly had made her realize that the life she was given made her a target. That she will never be able to live blissfully. That she will always have to hyper-analyze everything she does when in the presence of another woman. Especially another woman like Gwendolyn.
She mourns her freewill. She mourns the person she will now have to hide in the shadows until she can return safely to the sanctuary that is her and Gwen's home.
Huck gets her cleaned up. Lightly lathering vaseline onto the sores that have formed on her neck and face.
Her eyes are beginning to open, which prompts the tears to finally fall.
Huck looks up into Mildred's eyes, offering her a tight smile and a pat on the back.
“I’ve already called Ms.Briggs. She’s on her way now.”
Mildred internally rolls her eyes, now Gwen is going to fuss over her like she's a helpless child.
“You didn’t need to do that Huck.”
“Nurse Ratched… not to be blunt but you were held under almost boiling water. I think that calls for a ride home.”
“Oh Mildred…” Gwendolyn cries, sliding her hand instinctually into Mildred's. “What happened my love?” her fingers gingerly tracing the welts that line her face.
Her hand shoots back as if that had been the part of her that had been dipped into the gurgling water.
“What’s the matter, my dear? It’s just the two of us here, alone.” Gwen's eyes search Mildred's for what could possibly be the cause of her anxiety.
“Gwendolyn…” Mildred's hands peel even further back, tucking themselves into her pockets.
“Mildred?”
“I had to subject another patient to hydrotherapy” she shudders at the thought of it.
“And as I was cleaning up after the session… someone held my hands back and held me under the boiling wat-” Mildred can’t finish before her words peddle out into a low wail.
“Oh Mildred.” Gwendolyns hand flys to her mouth, the other one wanting desperately to hold Mildred's hand in her own. Instead, it hovers, instinctually waiting for her to meet her touch.
“My love...” Tears involuntarily slip down Gwen's cheeks, falling to the tiled ground.
“I’m scared Gwenny.” Her voice sounds childish and small, very small.
“Can I hold you?”
Mildred nods, glancing at the door hesitantly.
“I will protect you, Mildred. I promise you that.” She murmurs against her forehead, before kissing it softly, careful to avoid her blisters.