I'm running late and being late for this appointment could mean ending up as a Common. I breathe a sigh of relief when I spot the tall hospital building and head toward it for my evaluation.
I follow the older, brunette nurse into the examination room. The floor squeaks under my feet, and I am greeted with the pungent odor of antiseptics. "Take off your clothes. All of them. Take a seat on the exam table," the nurse instructs with a tight smile. "Mara, you must obey without question." While I wait for the doctor, my attention is drawn to the tray of strange tools that is sitting next to me. I'm uneasy about what they might do. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I try to look at anything but those tools while I wait. I hear a click at the door behind me. I turn my head to see 5 men all in white coats entering. I'm shocked at the sight of so many male doctors.