Plastic Surgery
At twenty-five, Lois does not like the way her nose looks, she was bullied for it in elementary school and now she can’t get over how wide her nostrils are compared to the rest of her face. So since she got her first job, she started to save up for a nose job. That is, until her preferred clinic gets foreclosed and since she lives in a small town, she’s forced to rely on the internet to point her to another one.
All I wanted was a nose job, plain and simple as daylight. They bullied me back in elementary school for having nostrils that are too big for the rest of my face, and I honestly thought they were right. So ever since I started making my own money, I’ve been saving up for a one. And sure enough, after four years of saving and living in one-room studio apartments, I finally had enough for a nose job, but guess what? The clinic I had an appointment with closed down without notice! Apparently they hadn’t paid their taxes in five years, and whatever crook they were paying to get away with it was finally put behind bars… just my luck!
Of course in this small town, that was the only available beauty clinic. The nearest recommended facility was in San Francisco, that’s a good three hour drive away. I didn’t know if I would be able to afford a big city rate for the procedure. And my two week paid leave already in motion. I was desperate for an express solution, soo of course, like anyone else in a pinch these days, I turned to internet forums for help.
After wasting the first day of said paid leave, I was finally able to find someone with a concrete lead. Kathymandy666 from craigslist pointed me to a dr. Daniel Leeds who. I gave his number a call, he sounded like a friendly old man, who was apparently practicing out of his home at a Highlands, the town’s high end gated community — where all those city people who want a taste of the small town life without actually living the small town life lived.
Sounded good enough to me. We discussed the payment terms quickly and he actually gave me a fifty percent, discount, said he wanted to give back to the community. Amazing! A generous wealthy city doctor, who gave discounts for small town folks as charity work. I couldn’t wait for dr. Leeds to cut my nose up and be done with this whole thing. Walking away with extra spending money most definitely sounded nice too.
As expected, Dr. Daniel Leeds lived in one of those really nice brick country homes you saw the movies. It actually occurred to me then that for the twenty-five years that I’ve been alive, I had never once set foot behind the gates of Highlands, and there I was, staring at a Highlands country home, knowing full well I have everything right to be here, and about to have my nose, and hopefully my life changed forever.
A nurse answered the door and immediately led me to the kitchen, where I was served a very fancy looking buffet, including a shrimp cocktail. Delightful…I guess?
The nurse, Melanie, was a very polite stern lady, who then led me to a sterile operation room where dr. Leeds himself stood waiting. Already in his surgery robe, he looked exactly how I imagined he would, in his sixties, well groomed, and with a friendly smile that could only come from a life lived comfortably. I had already told him everything I needed to about the type of nose I needed, so it was straight to changing, lying on the table, and anaesthetics.
Nurse Melanie explained that once I woke up, I was allowed to stay at a room provided by dr. Leeds at his home for a week to recover. The drugs were already taking effect then, so I nodded along and fantasised about how nice that would be. New nose and a free vacation at a nice country home. Not bad at all.
As promised, when I woke up I had been transported to a lush comfortable bed in one of the rooms of dr. Leeds’ country home. The sun filtered through the window, it was a beautiful day. I couldn’t wait to see my new improved face.
“There you are, how are you feeling this afternoon?” Asked dr. Leeds, popping his head into the room.
I let out a series of garbled nothings and realised I wasn’t fully awake yet. The anaesthetics must still be doing its work.
“Shhh… that’s alright, take your time,” he said crossing the room and cradling my head. This is odd… why does he feel like he can touch me this way? Oh no… was he your run-of-mill pervert then?
I let out more garbled noises and tried to pull my self away from him, but that was when I noticed the chains. My arms and legs were chained to the bed… Oh God… what does he want with me?
“Shhhh. It’s alright, you’re safe, shhh…”
I realised fighting was futile and that the best thing for me to do was to lay still and wait to see just what it is he was going to do with me. Helpless. A chained up toy.
Nurse Melanie walked in then, pushing a cart of food, more exquisite fancy looking food, just like the buffet. She moved aside and I saw that what was on the platter was… there was not mistaking it, on the plate was my old nose.
“For your initiation,” said dr. Leeds.
“See I’m a aesthetician, meaning I pursue beauty…and you, Lois, through your willingness, hard-work, and dedication have also shown that you’re also pursuing beauty, hence I have decided that you’re a worthy resident at my house, where we dedicate ourselves to a lifelong pursuit of beauty.”
I couldn’t understand what he meant, what does he mean pursuit of beauty? He must’ve seen the panic in my eyes because he continued, “We’ve beautified your nose, and should you choose, you may consume your old nose, consume your past un-beautified self and pursue your ideal self. One that I will gladly help you achieve.”
I looked at my nose on a plate and back to dr. Leeds.
“But if you choose not to, well, this will be the end of your journey and we’ll be using your body to help beautify other people, those who will be dedicated to the cause.”
That drove me over the edge, I just wanted a new nose, now I have to deal with this mess… well… I guess at the end of the day, a nose is nothing but flesh, tender meat, once cooked it should be good enough to eat.
