THIS CHAPTER JUST MOVES THE STORY ALONG, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE A LITTLE FUN WITH IT. THEREFORE, THE FIRST PART IS RATED "M" FOR STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT.
Chapter 29 - Training Begins
Howard sat on his bed thinking about upcoming call and talk to Bernadette, while hurriedly eating a hamburger and fries, since they had missed dinner at the Officer's club. They had worked all day and part of the evening on the suit, now using the suite main computer to identify additional problems that needed to be corrected and additional parts that needed to be ordered. Howard was a little too pumped to sleep anyway, the successful powering up of the suit and the thought of starting training the next morning, making him happy, curious and scared. He needed to talk to Bernadette, to calm himself down, if he was ever to get any sleep that night, so as soon as he stuffed his last French fry into his mouth he punched Bernadette's contact number on his cell phone.
"Hi Honey."
"Howie, are you just getting in? It is sort of late for you." Bernadette's voice was laced with concern.
"Yeah, we were working and sort of got involved, sorry to call so late."
"Honey it is two hours earlier here, so it isn't too late for me, but it is sort of late for you. Aren't you tired?"
"No, I am sort of on an adrenaline high right now, so I am wide awake. Besides I love talking to you, it helps me put my mind at ease, hearing you voice and knowing you are okay."
Bernadette smiled, "I feel the same way Howie." Bernadette was so in love with her husband, she so wished he was with her, she just wanted to hold him and love him. She wanted to go to him and take care of him, like she did when he was suffering through NASA survival training, but this time there was no way she could, and that frustrated her. Then a thought came to her, he was having trouble sleeping, maybe she could help him and she knew exactly what might help him sleep. "Howie, I am safe in my bed, so don't worry." Bernadette then bit her lip, 'here it goes', she thought, "Honey, I have been thinking about you and well, it is sort of hot, so I just went to bed only in my panties". Bernadette was actually in her pajamas, but if this worked out she would be out of them soon enough.
Howard swallowed, did he hear her right? "Pardon me?" Pictures of his very shapely wife now coming immediately to his mind.
"I'm sorry Honey, I just miss you a lot and I have been touching myself some while I fantasized about you."
Howard almost dropped his phone as his eyes went wide. "Umm….really." He was at a loss for words.
Howard's surprised responses were what Bernadette was hoping his reaction would be, her plan was working, so she pulled off her pajama pants and actually touched herself. "Yes Honey, I close my eyes and pretend you are touching me."
Howard was breathing a little heavier, "Umm…..I am, I mean you dream I am….wow." Howard was now feeling a little tight in his pants.
Bernadette smiled, she had been gently rubbing herself and now she put her hand down her panties, finding she was actually damp between her folds. This was in fact turning her on, really on, she was a good Catholic girl that was having telephone sex with her husband and enjoying it. "Howie, I am so wet thinking about you."
"Oh my God." It came out in almost a whisper, without a thought, from Howard's mouth, his own free hand now resting on his crotch. He had never ever had telephone sex, this was unbelievable and his wife's sexy voice was really turning him on.
Bernadette unbuttoned her pajama top, she knew Howard loved her breasts, they were large for her size, very firm and all natural. She let out a little moan as she pinched her nipple. "Oh Howie, my nipples are so hard." Moaning as she said it.
Howard was now completely excited, his wife's graphic descriptions of what was now going on in their apartment, on their bed, was getting him extremely turned on. "Honey, you know you are turning me on, I'm hard as a rock." His voice low, almost a whisper.
Bernadette thought about that for a few seconds, her eyes were closed, a small smile on her lips now as she thought how it would feel to have her husband inside her. Without any conscious thought she then slid a couple fingers in herself. "Oh Howie." She moaned, as her back arched a little.
Howard recognized her sex voice and the way she talked when she was really turned on, and the thought of what she was doing made him unzip his pants and take things in hand. They both went on for the next fifteen minutes telling each other what they were doing, talking softly to each other and eventually moaning each others names as they both came almost simultaneously, both spent and satisfied. Together they then just laid there for a few minutes just listening to each others breathing, on their phones.
Howard spoke first. "Thank you Honey."
Bernadette smiled, 'God' she wished she could kiss him. "Your welcome Honey, but I think I got the better deal."
Howard was surprised. "You weren't faking it?" After it was all over he had maybe thought she was faking it, just for him, after how turned on she seemed over the phone.
Bernadette giggled, "I definitely wasn't faking it, Honey."
"I'll be dammed." Howard smiled. "Honey you are the most amazing woman in the world."
Bernadette smiled again. "You are pretty amazing too, my little stud muffin." They both laughed at that and talked for another 30 minutes before the they both started to feel sleepy, from being in bed after having sex. They told each other they loved each other about ten times each before they hung up and they both fell asleep shortly afterwards.
-TIN MAN-
Leonard and Howard were delivered to the training unit at 6 AM the next morning by Major Martin, with their duffle bags of gear for their first day of training. Captain Wilton was there waiting for them, and along with Martin following, showed them their barracks room and gave them instruction on how they should temporarily put their clothes up. Wilton was not happy, but he forced himself to be very polite, because Martin was watching what was happening like a hawk and he didn't look like the kind of guy who didn't take his job seriously. After Wilton got them a little settled he had Leonard and Howard form up with the rest of the training unit outside for the morning run and was about to join them until Martin took him aside.
"Captain has your Colonel briefed you on the situation with those two men."
"Sir may I speak freely?"
Martin nodded. "Please."
"Sir this is bullshit. This is the Army and these men need to be treated like everyone else. There are no special cases in the Army, they either make it or not."
Martin nodded again. "Anything else?"
Wilton shook his head, "No Sir."
"Okay, here is the situation. These men are a special case. These men are already in the Army and will be Lieutenant Colonels, at the end of training. You are just teaching them how the Army structure works and when to salute, so they are not completely lost."
Wilton looked at him wide eyed, "Lieutenant Colonels!"
Martin nodded. "Done deal and their future is currently being personally supervised by the Army Chief of Staff, and I am his eyes and ears. So Captain is there any questions about these two men that you have?"
Wilton looked at Martin and saw the dead serious look in his eyes, he was letting Walton know not to screw with these two men and don't screw up. "No Sir."
Martin nodded. "I'll be back to pick them up at 5 PM, will they be done for the day then?"
"Yes Sir."
"Fine, see you later Captain."
Wilton saluted Martin then watched him walk off, whispering under his breath, "Damm".
-TIN MAN-
Leonard and Howard marched out with their group to the exercise area, as the sun was coming up, to do pushups and sit-ups with the group, still not really good at them, but almost keeping up. However the running, the first morning, was actually easy for Leonard and Howard, they only ran for a mile the first day and they were in the front half of the group the whole run, Leonard not even needing his inhaler anymore when he ran. The exercising turned out to be not that hard as they had been at it for about a week already and Leonard and Howard hit the showers with a little bit of confidence, that morning on their first day.
The rest of the day Leonard and Howard spent with their group, doing in processing, eating lunch and then attending some basic Army orientation classes in the afternoon, resulting in the day going by quickly for them. Major Martin was waiting for them when their group was dismissed for dinner, to take them to grab dinner before then went to the lab that evening. Martin was a little surprised when he walked up to them and in unison they snapped to attention and saluted him.
Martin gave Leonard and Howard a snappy salute back, then smiled. "How was training today?"
"Fine Sir." Both again responded in unison.
Martin tried not to chuckle, thinking to himself, 'They sure learn fast.' He looked over at Walton, who was still standing outside after the rest of Leonard and Howard's training group entered the dinning hall. Martin gave Walton a small smile and nodded, at which Walton nodded back then turned and followed the rest of his training group into the dinning hall.
-TIN MAN-
Leonard and Howard would only be able to work a few hours a night while they were in training, so they decided to tackle a suit system each night. Since motion was the most important feature, it was the first system they began to trouble shoot and Leonard ended up being in the suit for the next two straight hours as he and Howard went through each servo's testing and range of motion. They gotten pizza so they could work while they ate and by the time 9 PM rolled around, they were beat, quickly showering, calling their wives for a half hour and going to bed as soon as they were brought back to their rooms. They both slept like the dead that night.
The guys phone calls ended before 9 PM Pasadena time, so Bernadette and Penny sat in the living room having a glass of wine and eating some popcorn, while trying hard to keep interested in a reality show on the TV. They were both trying not to obsess over their husbands, but both could tell their men had a hard day and were wore out. It brought out worry and concern from both of them and they just needed to talk.
"Bernadette, how did Howard sound when you talked to him?" Penny couldn't not discuss it anymore and had turned to look at Bernadette.
Bernadette was actually happy Penny mentioned the guys, she wanted to talk about them so much, it was driving her crazy. "Penny he sounded so tired. What did Leonard sound like?"
"The same, tired, sore and wore out. I am a little worried about what the Army is doing to him."
"I searched on the internet one night, while you were at work, to see what Army training was like and they do a lot of marching and exercising there."
Penny shook her head as she looked at her wine glass. "Leonard, was so bruised up when he left, and he has never really worked out before, and….and he has asthma." Penny voice cracked a little, but she didn't cry.
"Howie is not in shape either, when he was training at NASA, survival training almost did him in." Bernadette then got quiet and looked at her wine glass too.
Both girls just sat there for several minutes, not saying a word, lost in their thoughts. Penny then looked at Bernadette, "How did you do it, the months he was in space, right after you got married."
Bernadette looked at Penny, and a small frown formed on her face. "I don't really know? I guess having my parents, his wacky mother and you guys helped me through it." Then Bernadette sighed, "I also cried a lot, when I was alone."
Penny just nodded, this was a bad night for her, she felt very lonely, and she knew tonight, in bed, she would be crying. They both sat there a couple more minutes, then got up to go to bed, both ending up having a hard time sleeping that night.
