They had trained extensively, and still the walk was hard. The rolling hills of Seattle had no mercy on Cristina's calves and hamstrings, and she began to feel the fatigue after lunch on the first day. Thank goodness for the spectacular views, the plentiful food, the super-clean porta-potties, and the cheering spectators who lined the route and congregated en masse at the designated cheering stations. She appreciated the small, thoughtful touches, like the random trivia questions on the potty doors and the answers, in the form of a smiling celebrity poster, on the inside. She had to laugh when she found herself peeing under the watchful gaze of Brad Pitt. At the same stop, Owen had scored Angelina, and they got a kick out of the coincidence.
The walk was much more of a spectacle than either of them had imagined. Aside from the thousands of participants, there was a motorcycle gang that took it upon themselves to stop traffic at intersections to let the walkers pass. They looked ferocious - except for the pink bras they wore backwards over their jackets. Then there was the Pimpmobile that gave rides to those who were struggling, all tricked out with leopard seat covers and bearing the sign, "We pick up street walkers." The Itty Bitty Titty Taxi had its own way of performing the same service. They laughed and pointed as a vintage Chevy convertible drove by, trailing bras tied together by their straps, tin cans on the end that rattled on the ground like a "Just Married" convoy gone wrong. A few male walkers showed up in nightgowns with huge balloon-filled bras over top and garish curlers in their hair. Many others, male and female alike, had large fake breasts on top of their shirts and wild pink outfits.
"Hey, how come you didn't dress up, huh?" Cristina punched Owen's arm playfully as they passed a particularly outrageous group of men in drag.
He gave her an incredulous look and pulled her in close, "There isn't much I wouldn't do for you, Cristina, but going in drag - anywhere, ever... forget it."
Cristina snickered and looked at him appreciatively, and it occurred to her that she and Owen had actually had more fun since beginning this project than she could ever remember having with anyone. It had taken them so long to finally get together, but now that they had, just being together was easy. They managed to overcome the obvious hurdles in the training process - like sore muscles and lack of motivation - by challenging and inspiring each other. And she had expected something much more somber when she had signed up, so she was delighted at all the unexpected humor in this experience. She snapped pictures of everything, preparing to create a slideshow to send to Mary when it was all over. She hoped the cheerful and sometimes hilarious shots she took would boost her friend's spirits.
They met many others with someone's picture on their shirts, and as they made their way mile after mile, they befriended some of the other walkers - some triumphant survivors walking for themselves, some walking for recovering or struggling friends, and others walking in memory of those who had passed. In the course of these conversations they heard stories of success and tragedy that gave them both a new appreciation for the resilience and greatness of the human spirit. It went without saying that they would both be better doctors because of their involvement in this walk.
When they reached the tent city in Marymoor Park where they would camp for the night, Cristina was so famished and sweaty she wasn't sure what to do first, eat or shower. The day had been humid and sticky, and a fine mist was hovering over the camp in anticipation of a nightime rain. They opted for food first, then located their gear and went to shower. Girl Scout troops had already set up the pink tents for everyone, and though Owen had playfully balked at sleeping in a pink structure ("I'll lose my man card forever..."), they had fun pumping up the air mattress and getting settled. Exhausted, they climbed into the tent to retire for the night. They could still hear the sounds of other people outside, talking and laughing as they settled down in their respective shelters.
They lay in silence for a few moments, side by side, until Cristina muttered sarcastically, "Wow. No TV, no laptops, no DVD player... This could get pretty boring if we don't fall asleep right away..."
Owen propped himself up on his elbow and leaned over her. "How tired are you?"
"Pretty tired. Why?"
In the soft pink light that filtered through the sides of the tent, she could see his mischievous grin. "Wanna play doctor?"
She smiled. "Hmmm... Well, we can't BOTH be the doctor..."
He brushed some stray tendrils of hair away from her face. "Oh, you're the patient... definitely the patient, Miss Yang." He trailed kisses from her ear to her neck, and took a little nip of her collar bone. "In fact, I understand there's a groin muscle that's been giving you some trouble. I think I'd better check it out..." He dived under the covers and Cristina let out a stifled giggle. She could feel the coarse hair of his beard as he tugged on the edge of her panties with his teeth, then yanked them all the way down and off in one swipe of his hand. He pulled the covers down so he could see her, then laid soft kisses on her pelvic area before tickling her belly button with his tongue. Cristina started to squirm. "Now, you'll have to keep still, Miss Yang," he admonished, running one finger up and down her cleft at the same time "or this might take even longer. I'm sure you have other things to do today after our appointment..."
"Not really..." Cristina gasped.
"Well, then, I'll need to have you remove your shirt so I can do a more thorough exam. Would you mind?"
"What?" Cristina was already barely coherent. "No. Here." She yanked her skimpy cami over her head and Owen looked at her appreciatively. Her naked body was a view he would never grow tired of. He moved up and took each nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it until she was writhing beneath him. Her responsiveness thrilled him as much this time as it had the first. She was already wet and ready, and he circled her clit with his finger until she started to moan softly.
"Hmm. Sounds like you're in pain. I'll have to look a bit closer to check this out more thoroughly." He exerted gentle outward pressure on her inner thighs as he moved downward.
Suddenly it dawned on Cristina where they were and how close their tent was to the ones on either side. Owen's voice tended to carry. "Shhh! Everyone'll know what we're up to in here!" she whispered urgently.
She heard Owen's low chuckle coming from her nether region, and he whispered back, "Then I suggest you forgo the screaming and moaning this time..." and began licking her with short, quick strokes that almost took her right over the edge. Cristina gasped and giggled at the same time, covering her mouth with her hand to keep the noise down. Her sore muscles were really starting to throb, but she was so immersed in the pleasure he was giving her that the discomfort was relegated to a back burner for now. The man had magic fingers and an even more magical tongue. He was moving a little more quickly than he usually did, though, and Cristina was about ready to come. She wanted him inside. "Owen, please..."
He stopped what he was doing and said in a mock-serious tone. "Pardon me, Miss Yang, but that's Dr. Hunt to you. I believe it's quite improper for you to address me by my first name here in the office."
"And what you're doing isn't improper?" she challenged playfully. "I could have you arrested."
He pulled himself up over her and gave her a mischievous look. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't aware I was offending you. If you'd like me to stop..."
"No! That's not what I..."
He silenced her with a kiss, then whispered in her ear, "Then tell me what it is you want, Miss Yang, and I'll try to oblige... I pride myself on seeing to ALL my patient's needs."
Cristina could barely stand the tension anymore. He had brought her to the edge and just left her there, and she was ready to kill him. She pulled him close and bit his earlobe, "Then shut the fuck up and get inside me RIGHT NOW."
Owen pulled away and gave her a devastatingly handsome grin. "Now, now, Miss Yang, no need to be rude..." and plunged into her in one long, hard stroke. Cristina moaned and arched her back. She was so close. "Shhh," Owen teased as he moved in and out, slowly at first and then faster and harder, "Everyone will know what we're doing in here..."
Cristina was past caring. They moved together with increasing urgency, finally peaking at virtually the same time, and she considered that - impossible as she had assumed it to be - she might have actually found a way to enjoy camping out.
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On Day 2, Cristina awoke more stiff and sore than she'd ever been in her life. Her calves and hamstrings were practically screaming, and her lower back was in agony. They had to get up early to be on their way, which just made matters worse. Owen was disgustingly cheerful, rummaging through their stuff, getting dressed, as Cristina lay there and glared at him. "I can't move. I don't know how I'm going to get through today."
Owen stopped what he was doing. "Turn over. Let's see if I can help you out a little." Cristina did as he suggested, and she moaned into her pillow as he kneaded out the worst of the kinks. His surgeon's hands were very adept at finding the hardest knots and she practically shot through the top of the tent when he found a particularly sore spot, only to force herself to relax so his fingers could work their magic. This was a talent of his they hadn't explored yet, but now that she knew about it, she planned to take advantage in the future. About 20 minutes later, she was finally able to move enough to get dressed and go to breakfast. Owen assured her that walking would help with the rest of the soreness, a prediction she fervently hoped was correct. Fortunately the layout of the Seattle route had them returning to the same camp tonight, so there was no need to pack up. Soon they were through the checkout line and on their way, albeit at a slower starting pace than the day before.
Day 2 held the surprise of moral support from SGH, scattered throughout the route. The first inkling they got of this was when Meredith grabbed Cristina's arm from behind and started walking with her.
"Wha... What're you doing here?" She and Owen had been holding hands, and she pulled him to a stop. Derek caught up with them at that moment, a little out of breath. "Good eye, Mer... I'm amazed she spotted you in this crowd. I would've missed you."
"Hey, Shepherd."
"Hunt," Derek nodded.
"What're you guys doing here?" Cristina repeated. "Don't you have work to do?"
"Hell no," Derek shook his head, "Took a day off. We thought we'd drop in and walk with you a bit - make ourselves look good. It's the least we could do after you took all our money."
Cristina looked at Owen, who nodded in the direction of traffic. "Let's go, then." They started walking, and Meredith and Derek stayed with them for almost 2 miles before bidding them goodbye and turning around. They were joined later by Bailey, with little Tuck in a jogging stroller, and she surprised them both by walking with them for over an hour. Karev and Izzie were waiting at an intersection near mile 10, and just talked for a couple of minutes before waving them on. Izzie was doing well but still wasn't up to much exercise. Sloan and Lexie handed them Snickers bars and walked a mile with them too. All the others were on duty but sent their regards. By the time the day was over, Cristina realized that the support she was receiving from her colleagues had put her in an excellent mood in spite of her achy muscles. It was amazing that, in helping someone else, she was only now realizing the amount of assistance that she herself could muster. People had come through for her - and by extension, for Mary - in every way possible.
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Day 3 was Cristina's slowest and hardest. The fatigue of having already walked 40 miles in two days had her totally trashed. She had worn out one pair of shoes, and the new ones she had on weren't nearly as broken in. She had thought the blisters from Day 1 were bad, but Owen had lanced those for her at lunchtime; that and some bandaids, and she'd been ok. Now new ones were forming in new places, and to top it off, her right knee began to hurt like hell and one of her big toenails felt like it was about to fall off. It didn't help that Owen seemed impervious to any discomfort on this walk. It was clear that a 60 mile, 3 day hike held no real challenge for him. He offered to start complaining just to keep her company, but she was not amused. Finally, at mile 16, her wayward groin muscle decided to give out,. She yelped in pain, staggered over to the curb, and sat down.
"You ok?" Owen sat down beside her.
"Nope. Fuck. That's it," she groaned. "I can't walk any further. It's the groin pull again. I'm done." She was trying to massage it without looking like she was some kind of a pervert. "I was really hoping to make it all the way... Shit... "
The walkers streamed past, some stopping to check on Cristina before Owen waved them away, "She's ok. I've got it."
"I could carry you like last time," he suggested. "It's only 4 miles. Piece of cake."
Just then they heard a van pull up. "Hey, Sugar, need a lift somewhere? I could make it worth your while..." They both looked up to see the Pimpmobile, with a guy in an enormous feathered hat and more rings than he had fingers leaning out the passenger side window. They couldn't help but start laughing. Owen looked at Cristina. "I think this is your best bet... Sugar. You want a ride?"
"Nope," she waved them off, "but thanks anyway. We've got it covered." The guy waved back, "Y'all come back and see me sometime, y'hear?" and sped away.
Cristina shook her head with a combination of amusement and frustration. "I didn't come this far to ride the last few miles, even in a classy vehicle like that one." Her sarcasm covered a deep disappointment that Owen could read all to well. "So... I'm not thrilled with the piggyback thing, but the truth is I don't see any other way where I'll feel like I actually did it. Let's just try and keep this low key, ok? I don't want to attract a lot of attention." Owen nodded in agreement. "Come on, then. Let's do it." He helped her onto her feet, then had her stand on the curb while he knelt down low enough for her to climb on. People smiled and waved at them as they went by, clearly appreciating these last efforts to finish the walk. Cristina mused that some of them probably wished they had a guy like Owen to carry them the rest of the way even if they weren't injured. She was pleased that he did his best to keep things as unobtrusive as possible, though when he handed her camera to another walker and asked her to take their picture, she was tempted to jam her foot somewhere painful. He insisted that Mary would want ALL the details, not just the pretty ones, and while Cristina was somewhat miffed, she knew he was right and decided not to say any more about it.
They arrived at the holding area three miles later, one mile from the finish. There, they received their official 3-Day T-shirts and were told to wait until everyone had come in. The final mile was to be walked as one big group, and in spite of the fact that they had been delayed by Cristina's injury, they were not even close to the last ones in. Finally, when enough of a group had accumulated, they all set out together along the waterfront. There were loads of people congregated there to cheer everyone along this final mile, and they spotted a contingent from SGH among them. Cristina was mortified that everyone she worked with would see her finishing the walk on Owen's back, but there was nothing to be done.
They walked over to exchange high 5's with everyone, and Karev shouted, "Hey! I want my money back! I paid for two walkers, not one and a half!"
Izzie clamped her hand over his mouth and smiled brightly at them, and Cristina gave him the finger.
Owen laughed and shook his head. "She's injured," he explained to everyone as they walked by, "She did most of it herself. I swear."
"Yeah. Bite me, Karev!" Cristina chimed in. "Let's see you do 60 miles sometime."
Despite her immense discomfort, Cristina wanted to actually walk across the finish line herself. Owen set her down a few yards before the end and, with him holding her by the arm, she hobbled under the gigantic pink banner. As soon as she was across, Owen picked her up off the ground and spun her around before giving her a long and lingering kiss, then pulled her to his side so she could hop along and go sit down. There was a huge crowd awaiting everyone in the Memorial Stadium, and after a brief rest he hoisted her up one more time to take a quick look and a few photos, before they gathered their gear and took off for home.
