Chapter 5, part 1
Female Barracks, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
“Rise and shine ladies!” Monica Perez stood in the doorway of the makeshift female barracks. Sunlight leaked in and sleepy eyes were awaken. “You have 30 minutes to get dressed and meet the drivers outside. We’ll have breakfast first and then orientation at 08:00 hours.”
Sofia rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. Her back was hurting and she hoped that the beds on the ship were more comfortable. Wearing only a black tank top and black panties, she reached for her night shirt to cover herself more appropriately. The moans and groans of others waking up were heard all over the barracks. Next to Sofia was Dana Church. It was Sofia’s job to help Dana in and out of her chair and give her the medicines she required.
“Do you need to sit up Dana?” Sofia asked as she came around the other side of Dana’s bed. They had put wedges at the top of the bed to help elevate her head. Dana was paralyzed from the waste down and had the use of her upper body. She was not totally useless.
“Yes please. What time is it?” Dana was groggy.
“Six thirty. We have to hurry. The vans are leaving at seven.” Sofia helped Dana sit up and with the help of another woman they put her in her wheel chair.
“Seven, okay. I can do that. Can you give me my bag over there so I can clean up. Oh and I need my meds.” Sofia knew the drill after only two days. She didn’t mind doing all of this, for now, but didn’t want to have to do it for the rest of her life. She didn’t ask for this burden. Not nice thoughts, she thought to herself, but nonetheless the truth.
Dana wheeled herself toward the huge bathroom, they all shared. It looked like the sort of bathroom you would expect to find in a jail. Very cold, very tiled, very stainless steel.
From the middle of the room could be heard the cries of an infant and the screams of a very cranky 20 year old Sierra. “Does anyone know what to do with this thing? It won’t stop crying. I’m going insane.” Sierra had no idea what to do. She had never held an infant before.
A woman in her 30’s walked up to the cradle and felt the child’s diaper and then her forehead. “This child needs a new bum and some food. Do you see any diapers lying about.”
“ahh nappies, no I don’t see any in the bag. I’ll check the loo . Off Sierra went to see if she could find some diapers or nappies as they were referred to in England. “Found some.” she came back waving a small bag.
“Guess what I found, cloth diapers. I’m guessing they want us to use these cloth ones. Put those away, those are diapers for old people, you know like Depends.” Sierra shrugged her shoulders and put them back on the counter. She did have the notion to bring back a wet cloth.
“thank you. My name is Jo Anna.” The strange woman introduced herself to the young girl.
“I’m Sierra. I’m glad you know what you are doing. Do you have any children?”
“No and I guess I never will now. Well that just sunk in my brain. My husband and I have been trying since the day we were married. It’s been two years and no baby. But I love to help take care of other people’s babies. I volunteer all the time at Church on Sunday. I suffer from Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS.”
“Crikey, what’s that?” Sierra was always interested in physical conditions.
“It is a disorder of the hormonal or endocrine system. Women with PCOS have a lot of different symptoms, but there are a few that nearly every women with PCOS has, weight gain specifically gained around the abdomen, this weight is normally pretty hard to lose and will come back because of the hormonal imbalances. Acne, severe during adolescence, moderate as an adult. Irregular cycles, some women with PCOS have as few as one each year, Personally, I have had 3 in the span of 12 months, and the more time between them the worse they are...sometimes I won't even leave the house because its so bad...Some women also experience unusual hair growth, or rapid hair growth...I'm betting the bearded lady had PCOS. Most of the symptoms are caused by having too much testosterone, and not enough Estrogen.
”For me, I have always had hair that grows REALLY fast, except when I was on the BCPs then it took forever, and the BCPs made me have horrible mood swings...we're talking Dr. Jeckyll and Mrs. Hyde kind of swings...Most of my cysts form on my right ovary and some of them will press on the nerve going into my thigh...I do occassionaly have some that form on my left ovary, The pain can be stabbing or a constant ache, it depends on where it is and what it is pushing on...If my body doesn't try to ovulate then I don't have a problem with pain though.” It was as if she had been through this speech a thousand times.” Jo Anna seemed to be a medical encyclopedia. Sierra’s eyes were wide as she tried to grasp what she had just been told.
“There little baby you are all diapered up and ready to be fed.” Jo Anna swaddled the infant and cuddled her in her arms. “I wonder what your name is.” She had searched around and saw that this child had no documentation of any kind.
“I think I will call you Emma. I love that name” Jo Anna’s eyes twinkled as she held the tiny Asian infant.
“you can take care of miss Emma any time. Besides, these things reek” Sierra pointed to the dirty diaper on the table and turned to head back toward her bunk.
“Rise and shine ladies!” Monica Perez stood in the doorway of the makeshift female barracks. Sunlight leaked in and sleepy eyes were awaken. “You have 30 minutes to get dressed and meet the drivers outside. We’ll have breakfast first and then orientation at 08:00 hours.”
Sofia rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. Her back was hurting and she hoped that the beds on the ship were more comfortable. Wearing only a black tank top and black panties, she reached for her night shirt to cover herself more appropriately. The moans and groans of others waking up were heard all over the barracks. Next to Sofia was Dana Church. It was Sofia’s job to help Dana in and out of her chair and give her the medicines she required.
“Do you need to sit up Dana?” Sofia asked as she came around the other side of Dana’s bed. They had put wedges at the top of the bed to help elevate her head. Dana was paralyzed from the waste down and had the use of her upper body. She was not totally useless.
“Yes please. What time is it?” Dana was groggy.
“Six thirty. We have to hurry. The vans are leaving at seven.” Sofia helped Dana sit up and with the help of another woman they put her in her wheel chair.
“Seven, okay. I can do that. Can you give me my bag over there so I can clean up. Oh and I need my meds.” Sofia knew the drill after only two days. She didn’t mind doing all of this, for now, but didn’t want to have to do it for the rest of her life. She didn’t ask for this burden. Not nice thoughts, she thought to herself, but nonetheless the truth.
Dana wheeled herself toward the huge bathroom, they all shared. It looked like the sort of bathroom you would expect to find in a jail. Very cold, very tiled, very stainless steel.
From the middle of the room could be heard the cries of an infant and the screams of a very cranky 20 year old Sierra. “Does anyone know what to do with this thing? It won’t stop crying. I’m going insane.” Sierra had no idea what to do. She had never held an infant before.
A woman in her 30’s walked up to the cradle and felt the child’s diaper and then her forehead. “This child needs a new bum and some food. Do you see any diapers lying about.”
“ahh nappies, no I don’t see any in the bag. I’ll check the loo . Off Sierra went to see if she could find some diapers or nappies as they were referred to in England. “Found some.” she came back waving a small bag.
“Guess what I found, cloth diapers. I’m guessing they want us to use these cloth ones. Put those away, those are diapers for old people, you know like Depends.” Sierra shrugged her shoulders and put them back on the counter. She did have the notion to bring back a wet cloth.
“thank you. My name is Jo Anna.” The strange woman introduced herself to the young girl.
“I’m Sierra. I’m glad you know what you are doing. Do you have any children?”
“No and I guess I never will now. Well that just sunk in my brain. My husband and I have been trying since the day we were married. It’s been two years and no baby. But I love to help take care of other people’s babies. I volunteer all the time at Church on Sunday. I suffer from Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS.”
“Crikey, what’s that?” Sierra was always interested in physical conditions.
“It is a disorder of the hormonal or endocrine system. Women with PCOS have a lot of different symptoms, but there are a few that nearly every women with PCOS has, weight gain specifically gained around the abdomen, this weight is normally pretty hard to lose and will come back because of the hormonal imbalances. Acne, severe during adolescence, moderate as an adult. Irregular cycles, some women with PCOS have as few as one each year, Personally, I have had 3 in the span of 12 months, and the more time between them the worse they are...sometimes I won't even leave the house because its so bad...Some women also experience unusual hair growth, or rapid hair growth...I'm betting the bearded lady had PCOS. Most of the symptoms are caused by having too much testosterone, and not enough Estrogen.
”For me, I have always had hair that grows REALLY fast, except when I was on the BCPs then it took forever, and the BCPs made me have horrible mood swings...we're talking Dr. Jeckyll and Mrs. Hyde kind of swings...Most of my cysts form on my right ovary and some of them will press on the nerve going into my thigh...I do occassionaly have some that form on my left ovary, The pain can be stabbing or a constant ache, it depends on where it is and what it is pushing on...If my body doesn't try to ovulate then I don't have a problem with pain though.” It was as if she had been through this speech a thousand times.” Jo Anna seemed to be a medical encyclopedia. Sierra’s eyes were wide as she tried to grasp what she had just been told.
“There little baby you are all diapered up and ready to be fed.” Jo Anna swaddled the infant and cuddled her in her arms. “I wonder what your name is.” She had searched around and saw that this child had no documentation of any kind.
“I think I will call you Emma. I love that name” Jo Anna’s eyes twinkled as she held the tiny Asian infant.
“you can take care of miss Emma any time. Besides, these things reek” Sierra pointed to the dirty diaper on the table and turned to head back toward her bunk.
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