The Harem

by Paul Preston

  I took Sapphire home, undressed her, put her in bed and for the first time in a week, Sapphire slept throughout the night.

  On Friday Sapphire’s appetite returned and she ate a full breakfast. We made it to a meeting in the early afternoon and I waited for her outside. I checked my phone and I’d received three texts. Both Eve and Cynthia said they could make it to the Harem by around 4 and Debbie said she could stop by for a few minutes at around 4:30 or 5. After the meeting, I drove back home with Sapphire and we spent a few hours just holding each other in bed. I told Sapphire to come join me in my bedroom around 4:45, if she felt better. After we ate a late lunch together, Sapphire fell back to sleep.

  I had just enough time to shower and shave before my guests arrived.

  After slapping on my cologne, I put on my black robe and met Eve wearing a gold cross around her neck, and then a few minutes later, an even more slimmed down Cynthia, dressed as Sindee, each holding their little black bags. I greeted them both very affectionately. I told Billingsley of my expected third guest and asked him to inform me when she arrived and escort her directly to my bedroom where we would be waiting for her. I walked arm in arm with Eve and Sindee towards my room, explaining that I had a very special guest coming in a few minutes and I had a unique request for them. After describing the manner in which I had hoped Eve and Sindee could help me, they readily agreed to my plan.

  They changed into their sexy lingerie and we relaxed in bed, watching an episode of “The Housewives of Orange County”. I sat between both ladies on the bed, watching the women on TV bicker and drink. After a few minutes, I heard Billingsley announce the arrival of my special guest. I turned off the TV and we assumed our positions. I removed my robe, put on a condom and lay down on the bed.

  Now that both Harem girls were sufficiently aroused, Eve easily mounted my erection on top while Sindee straddled my shoulders with her knees and lowered her wet vagina down upon my open mouth. After a moment or two, Billingsley opened the door and announced the arrival of Debbie, followed by a stunned silence.

  I wished I could’ve seen her first reaction. When Eve and Sindee heard Billingsley’s voice, they repositioned themselves, sliding down the bed. I sat up so I could see Debbie, as my two harem girls took off my condom and began pleasuring me orally, Sindee licking and suckling upon my scrotum while Eve swallowed my shaft from the tip to the root and rhythmically moved her mouth up and down upon it. Debbie stood in the doorway, her lips slightly parted, as if in a state of shock, unable to move, watching the scene.

  “Hello, Debbie. Welcome to my Harem. Come join us. I’ve missed you terribly. Let me introduce my new friends, Eve and Sindee, who are, as you can see, slightly preoccupied at the moment.”

  At that moment, as if on cue, Sapphire brushed by Debbie in the doorway, wearing her black lingerie and gave me an affectionate kiss, cuddling up to me on the bed.

  “Ahhh, and here’s my lovely Sapphire. Are you feeling better? She’s had a touch of the flu.”

  “How…dare you?” Debbie said.

  “Please don’t be offended, Debbie. I’ve created this Harem for you. For us. I was such a boring husband when we were married; I thought you’d like me better this way. I’m a much happier man now, in my current situation. Perhaps we could start over. I’d be delighted if you’d join us here, as slave girl number four. What do you say, Debbie? I’ve a nice little lingerie outfit picked out just for you. As you can tell, we have white, black and pink covered. I think you’d look particularly fetching in red, don’t you, girls?”

  “FUCK YOU, JEREMY!”

  Debbie stormed out of the room. I heard her heels clicking on the floor as she left my home.

  “Payback’s a bitch, Debbie!” I called out to her.

  “FUCK YOU!” I heard as the front door slam shut.

  I leaned back against the bed frame, my arms around my Harem girls and took a deep breath in and out.

  “Payback’s a bitch,” I whispered to myself.

  The door to my room suddenly opened and I saw a nurse, the nicer one, enter my room.

  “Good morning, Jeremy, it’s time for your medication,” she said.

  I was so wrapped up in my writing that I didn’t hear her coming. I quickly pressed the file tab, saving The Harem Novel and closed the document before the nurse saw what I was writing. I opened up a new document and randomly typed numbers and letters onto the screen.

  “What story are you working on today, Jeremy?” the nurse asked.

  She looked over my shoulder at the screen of my laptop.

  Go16?;7ha00qqqqqjibd*5rqvbske0fmfe993=cgfjk’;orx

  Go16?;7ha00qqqqqjibd*5rqvbske0fmfe993=cgfjk’;orx

  G016?;7ha00qqqqqjibd*5rqvbske0fmfe993=cgfjk’;orx

  “That’s a very good start to your new book, Jeremy. Now open your mouth, honey,” the nurse said.

  She tapped out the little white and red pills onto my tongue and handed me a cup of water.

  Chapter Twenty

  Dr. Alfred Billingsley

  Att: Head Nurse McAdams

  Please give this sealed envelope to Dr. Chantelle Bichon at 8AM on Monday morning 11/12/2012.

  Dear Dr. Bichon, Welcome to Potomac Fields. Please once again accept my apology for not greeting you personally and leaving this rather unprofessional note in my absence. As I mentioned on the phone, I will be presenting an abstract at the 65th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association over the next few days in Boston. However, if there is anything that needs my immediate attention, I will be carrying my pager and my staff can contact me. You come highly recommended by my colleagues at Georgetown University and I’m sure you will do fine without me for a few days. I’m pleased you decided to do a rotation here at Potomac Fields.

  I will be out for the group session on Monday and the one on one sessions on Tuesday, but will be returning for the group session on Wednesday. I look forward to getting better acquainted with you, Dr. Bichon, and especially hearing your first impressions of the four primary patients I’ve assigned to your care. I have tried to prepare the patients for you. It may be a little awkward, getting them to feel comfortable enough to talk to you and trust you, but your Chief Attending at Georgetown tells me you are one of the most promising Psychiatric Residents he’s ever encountered. I’m sure you’ll be able to handle everything here. Plus I believe it is a positive step in their recovery to adapt to a new person in the clinical environment.

  In this brief note, I just wanted to convey basic info regarding the patients in your care- first name, age, and the length and reason for their admission. Forgive the brevity. I’ve got to catch a flight in two hours and I’m not packed! I will be leaving the thick case files of each patient with their medical histories on my desk. Please feel free to use my office until my return. I would suggest that you spend Monday morning reviewing the files to better familiarize yourself with the four patients, to prepare for your group and individual sessions. All four patients are on meds and are non-violent. Three of the four patients are communicating well to the staff and have made great strides in the recovery process. One patient though has been silent for four weeks since being admitted to Potomac Fields, and is a bit of an enigma to me. He doesn’t appear to have a mental defect like autism. I believe he has the ability to talk, but just chooses not to. Perhaps a pair of fresh eyes on the puzzle of Jeremy will help us break through to him too, one hopes. Here are your four patients:

  Sara, age 24. Admitted 5 weeks ago with COC (Co-Occurring Disorders) after a crack cocaine overdose and manic depressive behavior. Seeks sexual attention from other male patients and staff.

  Carolyn, age 26. Admitted 6 weeks ago with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) after an emotional break up with a boyfriend. Suffers from body image problems and weight related issues.

  Eloise, age 27. Admitted 7 weeks ago with BD (Bipolar Disorder) after an attempted suicide following her first sexual experience. Is the product of a strict Christian household with associated guilt comp
lexes and shame about her sexuality.

  Jeremy, age 34. Admitted 4 weeks ago with… Depression? Diagnosis yet to be determined. Admitted after a self-inflicted wound on the day of his Father’s funeral. Left hand observed to be constantly clenched during the day and relaxed at night. Consulted Neurologist on call, tested for clenched fist or psycho-flexed hand syndrome, all tests proved inconclusive for a neurological disorder. Considering Electroconvulsive Therapy, please advise whether you agree with this plan of treatment after you’ve evaluated the patient.

  So that’s it. I will see you on Wednesday, Dr. Bichon.

  Best regards,

  Dr. Alfred Billingsley

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Dr. Chantelle Bichon

  11/11/12

  Personal Notes from the medical case files of the four patients I’ve been assigned to.

  Sara: First admission to a psychiatric hospital. In and out of several drug rehab programs for addiction to crack cocaine. Continues to struggle against her addiction. Grew up in a lower middle class neighborhood near Wheaton, Maryland. Complained of an abusive mother who locked her in a basement closet. Has been addicted to crack since she was sixteen years old. Ran away from home after graduating high school. Family is uninvolved. Before being admitted to Potomac Fields, lived with a boyfriend named Tony in an apartment and takes classes on and off at Montgomery College. Uses sex to gain attention, drugs, and men. Has achieved a recovery milestone of admitting she is an addict to the group and needs help to fight her addiction. Continues to be somewhat flippant about her recovery. Might be acting like the perfect patient here so we will release her back on the streets to restart her cycle of risky sexual behavior and cocaine abuse. Flirts with other male patients and staff. No further withdrawal symptoms are apparent from her crack addiction. Meds: Prozac

  Carolyn: Admitted multiple times to various psych wards and hospitals in metro DC area. Family is not involved and live out of state. Suffers from low esteem, poor body image and excessive weight gain throughout her life. While on her meds, her DID is in check. Finished her Degree in Education and was employed teaching English at Richard Montgomery High School up until her current admission. She slipped into her alter-ego Caroline, wearing a long red wig and revealing clothing. Officials reported her and she was admitted again. A boyfriend whom she calls the ‘Flaccid Bastard’ had just broken up with her, the day before she slipped into the persona of Caroline. On a strict diet and exercise routine, she is recovering well and approaching stability once again as Carolyn. Meds: Xanax

  Eloise: Admitted after a suicide attempt in the pool in the backyard of her parent’s house. Second Admission at Potomac Fields. Only child of a deeply religious family. Struggles with issues of sexual shame while seeking the approval of her strict parents. Suicide attempt was preceded by an awkward and painful sexual experience. Bloodied sheets were discovered by her parents after patient lost her virginity in her bedroom. Is slowly recovering from the traumatic sexual experience. Her parents visit her once a week and this seems to stress her out, setting back her recovery. Meds: Zoloft

  Jeremy: First admission to a psychiatric hospital. After his father’s funeral and burial ceremony one month ago, went into the back yard of the family home and repeatedly slammed a lawn mower against a tree until it was broken into several pieces. He cut both his palms and forearms in several places with the blade of the mower, (by accident? intentionally?) requiring several sutures. Suffering from depression. Has not opened up to anyone at Potomac Fields or spoken since his admission. Dr. B. has allowed patient to have a laptop computer in his room and he is observed typing nonsensical numbers and letters into it daily. Is peaceful and compliant with all requests. Mother lives currently with sister out of state. The mother reported he is estranged from his wife, has had no visitors. Meds: Cymbalta

  Email to: abillingsley@potomicfieldsclinic.com

  Subject: Notes on Group session

  Good afternoon, Dr. Billingsley.

  I thought I’d shoot you an email to give you a quick update. Thank you for your helpful notes on the four patients. There are no pressing issues that require your immediate attention. Perhaps we can discuss the patients in more detail upon your return Wednesday.

  The first session with group went as well as could be expected. I introduced myself to my patients as Dr. Chantelle Bichon, hoping if I used my first name, they would adapt to my presence in their clinic a little better. They were quiet at first. I fielded questions about my past, my accent, France. The three women were friendly to me. The session was light; the only issues discussed were Carolyn’s complaints about her diet and exercise regimen and Eloise’s anger at Sara for taunting her about praying each night before she goes to bed. Jeremy was silent in the meeting, scribbling lines in a notepad he carried with him. But a rather exceptional thing happened when I introduced myself to the group. Jeremy looked up into my eyes and winked at me. As far as I can gather from the progress notes, this was Jeremy’s first attempt to communicate to a staff member here.

  After the group session was over I asked Jeremy if he’d stay after the session for a minute. I wasn’t sure he would respond, but as soon as he heard me he sat back down in his chair. To gain his confidence, I asked him if he’d like a stick of gum and held one out for him. He took it and I returned to my chair to sit down. As I was looking down at some notes from his case file, Jeremy spoke to me, saying…

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Jeremy

  “Mmmm juicy fruit…”

  Dr. Bishon looked up at me in surprise. I thought it was a pretty funny joke, referencing the Jack Nicholson movie. I raised my eyebrows and smirked, hoping to win even the beginnings of a little smile from the attractive, but serious-minded physician. She kept her eyes cold and clinical; staring at me as if I was a rare insect she just discovered and wished to study behind a plate of glass. I suppose that’s exactly what I am to her. She didn’t laugh or smile, so I explained the joke.

  “You know the line from the mute Indian Chief in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? Did you see that movie, Dr. Bishon?”

  “Yes, of course. I love that movie. It is a classic moment in cinema.”

  A classic moment in cinema. Her feminine French voice brushed over the words and softly accented the syllables like fingertips lightly caressing my skin.

  “I guess if you have to explain a joke, it’s not that funny…”

  She continued to stare at me.

  “Sheremy, you spoke…”

  “Oui,” I said.

  She continued to look at me like a monkey in the zoo, so I made another lame joke.

  “See, Dr. Bishon? My two years of high school French class have finally paid off.”

  Dr. Bichon just cocked her head inquisitively. Perhaps I’ve taken this mental patient act a little too far. At least I’ve been able to complete the first two thirds of my novel at my mental hospital/writer’s retreat. My cover as the mute mental patient blown, I just winked at her again and got up to go.

  “But wait… Sheremy… Sit down…” I heard Dr. Bichon say as I left the group therapy room.

  I didn’t wait for all the inevitable questions she wanted to ask me. It’s always good to leave a woman wanting more. A little mystery can’t hurt.

  Later that night at the bewitching hour, I opened my laptop as the asylum slept. Tapping away on the keys like a madman, I weaved Dr. Bichon into my epic erotic romance. Man, it felt great rescuing Chantelle from the evil Butch McAdams and jabbing that son of a bitch right in the Adam’s apple. I’ve wanted to do that to him ever since they admitted me here.

  After I finished writing for the night, I couldn’t fall asleep. The thought of the lovely Dr. Bichon kept me awake. I kept imagining us in the midst of a passionate embrace on a beach in the south of France.

  “Sheremy… Je taime… My Sheremy,” the pretty Doctor said in my fantasy.

  For me, it was coup de foudre. I pictured us on our honeymoon in a French countryside chateau, dri
nking wine and eating Brea spread over warm baguettes.

  However, if I ever hoped to turn my fantasies into reality, I had a few major problems. One, I was bat-shit crazy, a wacko mental patient to her, locked up in Potomac Fields. Two, even if chemistry could develop between us, I’m sure a relationship with me would go against her medical ethics. I also had no idea whether Dr. Bichon was already involved with someone. She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring on her finger when I saw her for the first time at group, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t married. I would assume that she had a boyfriend here, a fellow psychologist at Georgetown perhaps, or a long distance relationship she left behind in France.

  As for the question of medical ethics, I typed into Google, ‘Ethics of a Doctor/Patient romantic relationship’. I found an article in which the American Medical Association issued a 1992 opinion, stating unequivocally that, “all sexual contact and romantic relationships between current and former patients and their physicians are unethical and constitutes sexual misconduct.”

  So I was a mental patient locked up in an asylum with zero chance of developing a romantic relationship with the pretty new Doctor. I have my work cut out for me if I have any chance with Mademoiselle Bichon, I thought, as I drifted off to sleep.

  The next morning I was standing by my window staring out into the grounds when Dr. Bichon surprised me by coming into my room, with Head Nurse Butch McAdams in tow. Even before I found out my case had been assigned to Dr. Bichon, I noticed my sexy new Doctor in the hallways on her first day at Potomac Fields, with McAdams showing her around the ward like a devoted puppy. I wished I’d had my favorite French cologne to smell good for her, and to cover the pungent smell of Butch’s underarms.