Sentenced to a Punishment Examination

by Carole Archer

  Megan trembled as she got into the car, and it had little to do with the outside temperature. She wanted to ask her father why he was so angry, but was terrified what his reaction might be. So instead she climbed in beside him, buckled her seatbelt, and stared out at the road ahead.

  It was an uncomfortable thirty-minute journey through the busy London traffic, neither of them speaking. It probably would have been quicker to walk the short distance, but her father insisted on driving his top-of-the-range BMW everywhere. She hoped he might drop her in town, but instead he drove direct to the court building where he worked, pulling into the car park and putting his vehicle into his own allocated space.

  They got out of the car and he locked the door, turning and heading toward the imposing red-brick building. Megan cleared her throat, before breaking the awkward silence. “Daddy, where am I going while you’re in there?”

  He stopped and stared at her. “You’re coming with me,” he snapped, marching toward the large glass doors, which slid silently open as he approached. Megan followed closely behind. He strode down the corridors, stopping at his office, unlocking the door and going inside. Standing in the doorway, she watched him, hardly daring to breathe, as he pulled on his long black gown and short grey wig. His own hair was short and grey and it generally made Megan giggle to see him put the curly wig on, but she had no reason to laugh today. If anything, he was even angrier than when they had left their home.

  “Daddy, are you working today?” she asked, her voice trembling. She knew it was a stupid question, but she had to say something.

  “Yes!” he snapped, yanking his desk drawer open and rummaging around inside.

  “Daddy, have I done something wrong?” she asked, her lower lip trembling as tears pricked her eyes.

  Letting out a frustrated sigh, he slammed the drawer shut and walked around the desk toward her. “You’ve let me down. You’ve let your mother down. But most of all, you’ve let yourself down.”

  Grasping her by the wrist, he dragged her along the corridor, stopping outside of courtroom four. Turning to face her, he gazed into her eyes. “Megan, I am more disappointed in you than I ever thought possible.” She swallowed back a sob. Without another word, he pushed open the door of the courtroom and pulled her in behind him.

  “Guards, restrain the defendant and put her in the dock,” he said. Megan gasped when two uniformed guards approached and grasped her arms, as her father headed to the platform at the front of the room. He climbed the steps and settled into his chair, in an elevated position behind the desk.

  “No,” Megan protested, as the guards pulled her toward the dock. “Please, no.” She was horrified when they stopped, pulled her arms behind her back and snapped cuffs on her wrists. During her struggle, she noticed her mother, sitting in the gallery, shaking her head as she watched. “Megan, behave yourself,” she instructed.

  “Mother, please, make this stop,” she pleaded. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to have done.” The older woman gazed at her, not an ounce of sympathy in her expression. Giving up the fight, Megan reluctantly allowed them to guide her to the small stand. She again thought of the incident the previous evening, but this was an over-the-top way of dealing with it. People did not appear in court for throwing eggs. The police would have arrested her if it was that, or more likely the dean would have contacted her parents. It must be something else. She racked her brains trying to come up with some other reason. She wondered briefly if it was a joke, but one look at her father’s face told her that was not the case.

  “Megan, you just told your mother you don’t know what you’ve done. Is that really true?”

  Opening her mouth, she was about to admit to her prank of the previous evening. She closed her mouth abruptly. If that was not the reason she was there, she would surely be digging herself into an even bigger hole. “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered.

  “Speak up, I can’t hear you,” he said, banging his gavel on the desk. Megan jumped, but raised her voice when she spoke again. “Yes, it’s true. I have no idea what I could have done. Daddy, I’m scared. Is this a joke?”

  His eyebrows rose. “A joke? Do you think this is funny?” His voice boomed and his eyes widened. Megan froze in fear. “Well, I don’t see anyone laughing, do you?” he asked.

  He stared toward the gallery, where her mother sat. Megan looked over and her legs buckled. The guards grasped her elbows, steadying her. “Dr. Wilkie?” Megan said, the colour draining from her face. Dressed in a smart navy suit, with white shirt and red tie, the doctor lowered himself into the seat beside her mother. His lips were tightly pressed together, his arms folded across his chest. Stretching his legs out in front of him, he crossed his ankles and stared at her. He was handsome, in a rugged way, with his neatly trimmed beard and moustache, and short dark curls. “Oh, Dr. Wilkie, I’m so sorry. It was only a foolish prank. There’s no need for all of this. Please. I’ll clean your window.”

  “Ah, so I see that’s jogged your memory,” her father said, banging his gavel once more. Turning to face the judge, Megan’s heart sank. Her chest tightened and her hands trembled. “Daddy, please, this isn’t necessary.”

  “Oh, but it is, young lady. I received a phone call last night from Dr. Wilkie. I was appalled when he told me what you’d done. We brought you up to behave better than that.” Megan sighed and closed her eyes, recalling the ringing phone the previous evening. It must have been the doctor.

  “Daddy, it wasn’t me.” Backed into a corner, she thought denial was the best option.

  “Oh, Megan, don’t make this any worse by lying,” her father scolded. “You’ve already apologised to the doctor, yet now you tell me you aren’t the culprit. Which is it?”

  Shoulders slumped and head hung low, Megan whispered, “It was me, Daddy, I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, you will be,” he said menacingly. “Believe me, you will be one sorry little girl when this is over.”

  Megan shuddered and looked toward the doctor. “How did you know it was me?”

  Dr. Wilkie rose to his feet and crossed the room, stopping in front of the dock and looking up at Megan. “I make it my business to know all of my students,” he said, folding his arms over his chest. His jacket sleeves tightened around his muscular biceps and Megan gulped. “Although your cap covered your hair, you looked up at my bedroom window and straight into the security camera. After you’d gone I checked it, and I recognised you immediately. Plus, you’re the only student on campus that I know of who wears such distinctive footwear.”

  Looking down at her feet, Megan winced. Her glow in the dark, bright yellow trainers with their white soles would have been a dead giveaway. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of that.

  “Megan,” the doctor said, getting her attention once more. “This behaviour is totally out of character. You’re normally such a good girl.” Her cheeks flushed at the unexpected praise. “I considered informing the dean, but he might have expelled you, or at the very least suspended you. I couldn’t allow that to happen. I contemplated calling the police, but you have a promising career ahead of you. I don’t want to jeopardise that. I looked through your file and saw your father was one of the top judges in the city, so I contacted him.”

  Megan looked toward her father. “Daddy, couldn’t you have just dealt with me at home?” She hated being spanked, but it was preferable to this nightmare. “Please don’t send me to jail, Daddy,” she pleaded. “I’ll go and clean the doctor’s windows. Please. I’ll do anything to make this better.”

  Her father sighed and shook his head. “It isn’t my intention to send you to jail. You haven’t been arrested or charged, so I couldn’t do that even if I wanted to.” Megan breathed a sigh of relief.

  “What I can do is teach you a lesson, to show you what could have happened if Dr. Wilkie had decided to call the police.” Megan lowered her head, ashamed of her foolish behaviour. “I want to give you a glimpse of what your future might hold, if you continue with such juv
enile behaviour. I don’t want to be a killjoy and stop you having fun, but you need to realise the potential consequences if a prank gets out of control. Now, I want you to explain exactly what happened and why you acted so foolishly.”

  Looking up, tears blurring her vision, Megan explained how she had gone out drinking with friends, then carried out a dare to throw eggs at the doctor’s window. She deliberately missed out the part about being asked if she had a crush on him. It was embarrassing enough without admitting she fancied him. Her father sat back in his chair, listening to her tale.

  “Daddy, I realise now how foolish it was. I knew at the time it was a stupid thing to do, but I had to save face and carry out the dare. I swear I won’t do anything to let you down again,” she said, meaning every word.

  “Princess, you let yourself down most of all.” Megan nodded, feeling some comfort when he used his pet name for her. It showed he had calmed down at least. “I know, Daddy, but I’m truly sorry.”

  “You certainly will be sorry, because you are going to be punished.” Megan nodded and a tear rolled down her cheek. “Yes, Daddy.”

  “I can see you think I’m going to take you home and smack your bottom.” Megan gasped and lowered her head. She knew he was trying to teach her a lesson, but he did not need to let the guards and the college doctor know that he was going to punish her. She would probably never see the guards again, but she would have to face the doctor at college, and she had no doubt in her mind that he would instantly recognise her after this.

  “Well, that’s not going to happen this time.” Megan raised her head and looked hopeful. “You’re not off the hook,” he said. “When I spoke to Dr. Wilkie, I told him that had he reported the incident to the police, you would have appeared before one of my colleagues, where the likely sentence would have been a day in one of the city’s punishment clinics. I gave him some insight into what that would entail.”

  Megan’s mouth hung open as she wondered what such a punishment would be like. She had heard about these places, which had been formed to deal with petty offenders toward the end of the twenty-first century.

  “You’re fortunate,” her father continued. “Dr. Wilkie did not want to impose such a sentence on you, for fear it would harm your chances of finding employment, once you’re qualified to practice law.” Glancing toward Dr. Wilkie, Megan offered him a small smile of gratitude. She looked at her father and felt a pang of guilt. He had proudly told anyone who cared to listen that his daughter was following in his footsteps. She couldn’t bear the thought of letting him down.

  “I swear to you, Daddy, I will make it up to you. I’ll…”

  “Megan, let me finish.” His tone was scolding, but not unduly harsh.

  “Sorry, Daddy.” Gazing intently at him, she hardly dared to breathe.

  “If you were sentenced to the punishment clinic, a number of humiliating examinations and painful punishments would be inflicted on you, by a team led by a doctor. As Dr. Wilkie is a qualified practitioner, we have decided that he’s going to give you a taste of what you can expect if you decide to continue with such immature behaviour, which could ultimately ruin your future.”

  Megan shook her head. She would never do anything so foolish again. “No, Daddy,” she protested, unwilling to agree to his sentence. “Please, there must be something else.”

  He sighed and put his papers down on the desk. “Yes, I can take this through the proper channels, call the police in, hand you to one of my colleagues, and you’ll be sent to the punishment clinic. You might even be sent away to a nursery for a year, if the judge decides that would be more suitable. If your ridiculous behaviour continues, I’ll personally recommend that course of action.” Megan’s eyes widened. Surely they couldn’t do that.

  “It’s up to you,” he said, raising his hands in the air. “I’m trying to help you, but if you refuse my help…”

  “No, Daddy, I don’t want to be sent away.” She bit down on her lower lip, trying not to cry.

  “So you accept my alternative sentence? You’ll go home with Dr. Wilkie today and accept punishment from him tomorrow?” Megan nodded in response. “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered, relieved when the handcuffs were removed and she was guided out of the dock. She avoided eye contact with the doctor, lowering her head. Her mother embraced her and told her to be good. When her father approached, he put his arm around her and guided her out to his car. She noticed the doctor had gone, and briefly hoped that the whole thing had just been set up to frighten her.

  A bewildered Megan climbed into the back seat of the car, but her hopes of a reprieve were dashed when her father told her they were going to deliver her to the doctor’s home. The journey was again a long and silent one. When the car pulled up at the college gates, she said goodbye to her mother. She felt totally numb. Her father got out and took her hand, leading her to the doctor’s house. Looking around anxiously, she hoped no one would see them. She had no idea how she would explain it to any of her friends, if they were around to witness her being led to the doctor’s home.

  “Daddy, I’m so sorry,” she said, as she stood in front of the house and gazed at the two eggs smeared down the window. Shaking his head, her father spun her round, bent her forward, and tucked her under his arm. He swatted her left buttock three times, very hard, repeating the treatment to her other cheek. Megan yelped at each contact of his hard hand. When he released her, she straightened up, blinked back tears, and gazed up at him. Reaching back, she cupped her stinging ass. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I love you so much. Please forgive me.”

  For the first time that day, he smiled at her and held his arms out. She fell into them, hugging him. “I love you too, princess. I’ll always love you and I’ll always forgive you. This is for your own good. You’ll thank me in years to come, when this unfortunate episode hasn’t ruined your prospects. It hurts me to do this, but you need a short, sharp shock to pull you back into line. Be a good girl and I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Kissing the top of her head, her father released her.

  Turning, she saw the doctor stood on his doorstep, leaning against the jamb. Her cheeks reddened as she wondered how long he had been there, and if he had witnessed her daddy spanking her. Sighing, she realised that before tomorrow was over, the doctor was probably going to be the one doing the spanking. She didn’t know much about the punishment clinics, but she did know that girls were spanked there. Before she had time to contemplate her fate further, her daddy nudged her forward.

  “She’s all yours,” he said to the doctor. “I trust this will act as a suitable deterrent if she considers misbehaving in future,” he said, before turning and walking away.

  Lowering her head, Megan was guided into the doctor’s house. She wanted to turn and run away, but knew that was not an option—at least not a sensible one.

  “I am sorry,” she said, as the doctor helped her off with her coat. “I meant no harm.” He merely shook his head and hung her coat up. Turning back to face her, he grasped her chin in his hand and leaned close. Her heartbeat quickened and she swallowed anxiously. “You will be sorry, I’ll make certain of that,” he said, his other hand reaching round to gently pat her buttock. The meaning was not lost on her, and Megan’s cheeks flushed crimson.

  Chapter Three

  “Right, young lady,” Dr. Wilkie said, guiding Megan toward the staircase. “I’ll show you up to your room. Your father wants you to spend the afternoon reflecting on your childish behaviour. You ought to consider what might have happened to you, had he not afforded you this opportunity to right your wrongs.”

  Leading her up the stairs, a hand pressed to her lower back, the doctor steered her into the back bedroom and toward the double bed. “I’ll bring you some lunch up in a little while, but I want you to stay here and have a good think about your naughty behaviour.

  “I won’t be long. And a word of advice, don’t even think about trying to escape.” His tone was harsh and Megan shuddered. “I won’t,” she whispered.

&nbs
p; “You think this is bad?” he asked. “Picture yourself staying in a nursery, wearing little girl clothes and being spanked on your bare bottom, on a daily basis.”

  Megan’s cheeks coloured as she raised her head. “There aren’t really such places, are there?” she asked, her voice trembling. The doctor nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid there are.”

  Walking back toward her, he smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling her to stand in front of him. “But you’re going to be a good girl, aren’t you?” he said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. “You’re never going to set foot in such places, because you’re going to knuckle down to your studies and not do anything to land yourself in so much trouble again.” His eyes were solemn as he glanced up at her, and she felt heat rising up her neck as he pulled her down to sit on his lap.

  “What’s going to happen to me now?” she asked, chewing her lip anxiously.

  “You’ll find out tomorrow,” he replied. Megan let out a pitiful whine and looked at him with pleading eyes. Smiling, he squeezed her hand. “What do you think is going to happen?”

  Shrugging her shoulders, she squirmed on his lap, gazing down at her feet and twiddling a strand of her long dark hair around one finger.

  “Come on, you must have some idea how I’m going to punish you. Tell me, what do you think’s going to happen?”

  Biting down on her lower lip, she gazed into his gorgeous brown eyes, framed by long dark lashes, his tidy eyebrows forming a perfect arch above each one. He raised his brows. “I asked you a question, little girl. I expect an answer.”

  “You’re going to p-p-punish me,” she stuttered, unable to look at him.

  “That’s right,” he said, grasping her chin and tilting her face up toward his. Leaning close, he stared into her eyes. “But we’ve already established you’re going to be punished. So how do you imagine I might do that?” His other hand reached out to stroke her long, silky hair. Squirming uncomfortably, she shrugged her shoulders.