Fortunately, Jordyn had Friday off and offered to take both Sofia and Bella for the day so the girls could play together. It was as much for her own sanity as everyone else's, Jess was already bored and driving them nuts. Arizona pulled out of the driveway after dropping Sofia off and rested her hand on Callie's leg which was bouncing a mile a minute. The ortho surgeon was a nervous wreck. She practiced her speech late into the night, went over her slide show three different times and practiced again this morning before throwing up and brushing her teeth two more times. Arizona was only grateful that she didn't have to brush the vomit out of her hair this time, though she did sit in the bathroom and rub a cool cloth on the back of Callie's neck, telling her how strong she was and how she was prepared and everything would be fine. Knowing it would do no good to keep trying to reassure her, Arizona kept quiet and allowed Callie the time to read through her note cards one more time. She listened to all the science and data being spouted off and appreciated how intelligent her girlfriend was and how truly amazing her leg was, but just like her speech about the cartilage, it was lacking something. She knew not to speak up though, last time it caused Callie to become discouraged and only made her more nervous.
When they walked into the doors of Fresh START, Lorraine greeted them and Callie asked, "Is the conference room all set up?" The older woman shook her head no and explained, "Based on the number of responses we got from the invitations sent out by the grant committee, the conference room would be too small so I set up the small auditorium for you. Your projector and all of your monitors and doohickeys have been brought down as well." Arizona could swear Callie turned green as she ran for the bathroom. She turned to Lorraine and asked, "Can you get me a spare tooth…" Lorraine was already handing Arizona a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a small bottle of mouthwash and explained, "We've been through this a time or two." Arizona offered her thanks, took the items and followed Callie into the bathroom.
Once they were in the auditorium and had everything set out and had the stage ready for the presentation, Callie finally took a moment to breathe and realized for the first time that day how stunning Arizona looked. She was wearing black dress pants that showed off her toned legs and ass, topped with a royal blue silk top that not only hugged her curves and amazing breasts perfectly, but made her entrancing blue eyes even more mesmerizing. Her hair fell in soft curls just above her shoulders, she had on just enough makeup to make her features pop even more and she was wearing the biggest, most amazing dimple popping smile she could ever remember seeing. She walked toward her girlfriend, wrapped her arms around her waist and husked out, "You look absolutely gorgeous. No one is going to pay attention to the leg because they'll all be looking at you." Arizona stepped back, eyed Callie up and down, taking in her black trousers, emerald green silk shirt and black suit coat and responded, "Not if they see you first. You look very dapper and very sexy Dr. Torres." Callie smiled brightly and leaned in for a long slow kiss and answered, "At least I look good on the outside because I'm a mess on the inside." Arizona rubbed her arms and soothed, "You'll do fine. How about we run through it one more time."
Before sitting down, Arizona noticed the tools sitting out on the table, walked over, picked up the Wartenberg pinwheel and scolded, "Calliope, I told you this thing was off limits from now on. It hurts!" Callie huffed and responded, "That's the point Arizona, to show that you can feel pain." Arizona dropped the instrument back on the tray and mumbled something about making Callie feel pain. Callie laughed at the comment then tried not to do the pee dance as she started her presentation. "With this prototype, veterans, athletes…" Callie broke off as she looked up at Arizona. The blonde stood looking at her with so much emotion reflecting in her eyes and she couldn't get past that damn sexy outfit. She tamped down her urge to reach out and pull her into another heated kiss and her mind from travelling back to another speech which the blonde helped her practice.
"Just picture your audience naked, that helps!" Arizona chirped. "Okay, I need to start over…" Callie tried her best to focus on her cards, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult because her wife stood before her in nothing but a pajama top that she was currently unbuttoning. At the first sign of cleavage, she gave up all pretense, "Uhh, what are you doing?" she asked as she took a small step forward. With a slow seductive grin, Arizona responded cheerfully, "I'm um helping!" She finished with the last button and allowed her top to float to the floor as she closed the distance and claimed those luscious red lips she'd been watching for nearly an hour.
Arizona knew she had successfully distracted her wife from her extreme anxiety when she felt the smile against her lips and heard the soft hum indicating Callie was thoroughly enjoying her special kind of help. As Callie pulled her closer, Arizona's hardened nipples rubbed against the rough fabric of her wife's top causing a gush of fluid to pool at her core and drip down her naked thighs. She groaned at the contact and darted her tongue out requesting access which was quickly granted by red lips wrapping around it and sucking deeply. As their tongues slid slowly against one another, soft pale hands made their way under the Latina's shirt and deftly unclasped her bra, lifting both the bra and the shirt upward. Heated lips broke apart long enough to remove the unwanted piece of clothing.
Hands roamed over bare torsos and finally a slim hand covered a caramel-colored breast and squeezed firmly. The brunette's gasp broke their kiss allowing pink lips to move to the sensitive area just below the soft earlobe. She licked and nipped her way down a neck so taut her pulse was visible. Unable to help herself, she bit down and licked the red spot that appeared. "Arizona…I have to…oh God don't stop." The brunette moaned as she felt deft fingers slip into her waistband and beneath the lace of her now drenched panties. "Mmmmm what do you have to do Callie?" the blonde asked even as she pushed her wife toward the bed and carefully lowered her to a sitting position. She unbuttoned her pants and tugged at the black material until her wife lifted her hips enough to allow her to strip the offending object off the long, tan legs. Tossing them behind her, she placed one hand on each strong thigh and pushed them apart while using them to lower herself to the floor. She leaned her head in between those muscular thighs and stopped just a breath away from her wife's glistening throbbing core. She looked up and raised an eyebrow in question, "Should I stop?" In response, Callie wrapped her long fingers into the blond tresses resting on her thighs and tugged forward. "Don't you fucking dare!" She growled as she watched a pink tongue dart out and swipe through her swollen folds.
Arizona breathed in the intoxicatingly sweet scent that drove her mad and reached up to part the glistening lips and proceeded to lick and lap at all the juicy goodness her wife had to offer. She was careful to avoid the ever-hardening nub, while circling it, nibbling the lips around it, and retreating only to circle the quivering opening that needed her attention just as badly. The blonde played and teased until she herself was trembling with want and she felt her juices continue to flow down her inner thighs. "Please Arizona!" the brunette cried as she tugged and pulled at blonde hair trying to pull her wife's head closer to where she needed it. The peds surgeon stopped and looked up, licking her lips, she tilted her head and coyly asked, "Please what Calliope?" she then lowered her head and blew warm air across the red and swollen clit. The brunette groaned and threw her head back, "Arizona! Please! Touch me, lick me, fuck me! I don't care! Just make me come damn it!" Blue eyes flashed with desire and without warning, two fingers plunged into Callie's tight channel making her scream with pleasure as her moist walls clenched around pale fingers making it nearly impossible to move them. Pink lips wrapped around the tight bud and sucked roughly as the pale fingers within curled up and massaged the spongy area just inside and above the pubic bone. "ARRRIZOFUUUUUUUUCK!" the brunette screamed as she saw an explosion of color behind her eyes then she saw nothing but black.
Still trembling, Callie opened her brown eyes and looked directly into the sparkling blue orbs that lit her world. She felt strong arms embracing her and a soft hand smoothing up and down her back. She smiled shyly, "Did I…?" Leaning forward to place a soft kiss on swollen red lips, her wife responded, "Hmmmm you did." Laughing lightly, the brunette responded, "I haven't done that in a while." Lifting her pale hand to gently move a stray black curl from blocking those gorgeous eyes, the blonde asked, "Still nervous?" That million-dollar smile showed itself, "No, I think I am completely relaxed now. Thank you." She then leaned forward and gently took possession of her wife's lips.
"Callie?" Arizona questioned her girlfriend when she broke off mid-sentence, but the darkening of her eyes and the glazed over expression on her face told her exactly where Callie's mind had wandered. She smirked a little and snapped her fingers in front of the nearly onyx-colored eyes and demanded softly, "Calliope! Mind out of the gutter. You have a presentation to practice." Callie blinked and shook her head to clear the haze, realizing by the smirk on the blonde's face she had been caught while on her stroll down memory lane. She felt a blush creep up her neck and onto her cheeks. She lifted one brow and said, "Someone once told me it helps if your audience is naked." Arizona threw back her head in laughter, not at all helping to cool the heat rising in the Latina's abdomen. That laugh was always her weak spot.
"I believe I said it helps if you PICTURE your audience naked." the blonde giggled with a wink. Callie wasted no time stepping forward and placing her hands on Arizona's slim hips. She smiled wickedly and added, "Then you proceeded to get naked. Definitely helpful!" She wiggled her brows and pulled another laugh out of the blonde as she squirmed free. "Un huh! You're avoiding the inevitable." Arizona teased. "Oh, you will be getting naked after this. That's not inevitable." the ortho surgeon mumbled as she stepped away and rearranged her cards. Choosing to ignore that comment and the chills that ran down her spine, the blonde snatched the cards out of Callie's hands. "Hey! I need those." Callie exclaimed as she reached around Arizona trying to get them back. Both women dodged and darted around the stage giggling as Callie tried to get her cards back. She finally cornered the blonde against the wall and placed her arms on either side of the shorter woman's shoulders.
Breathing heavily from their antics, they finally looked at one another and Callie watched as blue eyes darted around to measure her possibilities of escape. The brunette took a step closer, effectively blocking the blonde from moving away. She leaned in and whispered in a pale ear, "Give me my cards Arizona." The goosebumps and shiver from Arizona did not go unnoticed. "Or what?" the blonde questioned knowing the strength of her voice was betrayed by her body's reaction. She felt Callie's tongue dart out and lick the sweet spot behind her ear. She knew her knees were about to buckle. "Or I take them back." The brunette whispered as her lips made their way to an alabaster collar bone where she nibbled and licked until she heard the gasp she was waiting for and smiled slowly. Knowing Arizona's defenses were down, she easily slipped the cards from her grasp and stepped back.
The blonde growled when she realized what had just happened and stomped behind her retreating girlfriend. "Would you just sit down and listen? This is important." Callie whined. Arizona walked up to her and took her hands and sat her in a chair then sat in front of her. Still holding her hands, she asked, "Do you remember your TED Talk?" The brunette smiled, "Umm pretty sure that's what started all this." she said as she motioned around the room. Arizona shook her head and squeezed the strong hands that rested in hers. She then became serious and bent her head to look into the other woman's eyes. She spoke intently, "Callie, you worked on that speech for weeks, practiced it to the point that I could probably recite it to this day, but do you remember what happened when we walked in that room and the camera turned on?" The ortho surgeon nodded, "You told me to be myself and just talk." Callie smiled at the memory of the encouragement her wife had given her. Arizona nodded, "That's right and you barely said a word of what was written on those cards. To this day, that TED Talk is one of the most watched in the medical community." Callie nodded; she knew Arizona was right. But that was television, these people were all going to be sitting in front of her expecting a sales pitch.
Arizona smiled her super-magic smile, pulled Callie's hands to her chest and encouraged, "This is so much closer to your heart Calliope. They need to see the passion and energy you poured into this. They need to know your motivation and insistence on seeing it through. The statistics don't matter, the type of material you used doesn't matter, not right now. That is all written in your brochure. The most important thing they need to know right now is that Dr. Calliope Torres is a badass who invents robotic legs that will in essence save lives by improving the quality of those lives and giving amputees some of what we had before." She slipped the cards from her girlfriend's hands and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to go get us some coffee. You take a moment to breathe and find the badass I know is in there." Callie looked at her and smiled softly. She reached out her hand and gently placed it on the other woman's pale cheek. "You've always been my biggest fan and strongest support. Thank you." Placing her own hand on top of the tan hand resting on her cheek, she leaned into the touch and briefly closed her eyes, "I always will be. I'm here and what you can't do, I will." Arizona smiled and backed away leaving the room quietly.
As Callie watched Arizona retreat, she sat back in the chair and closed her eyes. She knew Arizona was right. She also knew that this would sell itself. She just had to find the words to express to the audience that this prototype needed to be manufactured and at an affordable cost. The ortho surgeon allowed herself to revisit that day nearly six years ago when she had made the call to cut off her wife's leg. She traveled through time and thought of the struggles, the arguments, the pain her wife endured both physically and emotionally, the first mind-mapping project, her trials with Derek, her first failures with the veterans, her first success with the police officer, and everything that has happened since she left Seattle such as receiving the grant that allowed her to open her own center. She remembered the day Arizona discovered the leg and how she felt when she asked if she could have it. She thought back to their first tests and the emotion and excitement they both felt when Arizona realized she could feel things again. She thought about every day since then and how her girlfriend continued to gain confidence and share more and more of herself. She was well aware it wasn't just from the leg; she knew Arizona had done her own healing long before that, but she also knew it was part of her continued growth. She was well aware this would take an emotional toll on both of them, but she had to express her motives like Arizona said, she had to show her passion, most importantly, she had to show how this leg would indeed save lives. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to not only allow her intended audience to hear her, but to open herself up wholly to a group of strangers.
Within a few moments, Arizona returned to the auditorium, gave Callie her coffee and a bottle of water and pointed to a seat and explained, "I'll be right there. If you get nervous, you look at me." Callie kissed her softly and Arizona went to the exact seat she pointed to in the front row. As people started to enter, she watched as Callie stood by the door and greeted each person by name, handed them a brochure of the prototype, and thanked them for coming. Knowing the other woman's body the way she did, she could see how nervous she was, but to the average person, she presented as confident and professional. Callie recognized nearly all the representatives from various prosthetics companies and grant foundations but there were a few others she didn't know. Her confidence was slightly boosted when she saw Lorraine, Maria, and several of her colleagues enter the room as well.
The final visitor shocked her thoroughly and she exclaimed, "Catherine! I had no idea you were coming. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Catherine Fox smiled warmly, "Callie dear, do you honestly think I would miss the unveiling of something this groundbreaking in the medical community? The foundation had already been informed of this presentation and planned to send a representative, however, when I received Addison's call and realized it was your work, I couldn't help but come out myself. I texted Arizona to let her know I was coming." Callie looked from Catherine to Arizona who had come to join them and saw the blonde smiling brightly at her. Callie blinked and shook her head and asked, "I'm sorry, you were going to send a representative for what purpose?" Catherine laughed and spoke to Arizona, "She really doesn't get it does she?" The brunette quirked her brow in question at the blonde who explained, "Calliope, Catherine is here on behalf of the award committee." The ortho surgeon froze briefly before her million-dollar smile threatened to split her face in two. She nodded and said, "Oh!" and then kicked herself inwardly because that's the best she could come up with. Catherine and Arizona walked to their seats and the older woman leaned in and whispered, "You'd never know how shy and humble she truly is by watching her work." Arizona shook her head and sighed, "She's amazing."
Callie walked onto the stage, stood behind the podium, and took a moment to gather herself. She looked at her guests, then searched out those azure blue eyes which brought her a sense of calm. Arizona mouthed, "Be yourself," and sent her a dazzling smile. Callie took a deep breath and stated, "Good morning and welcome to Fresh START Medical Center for Orthopedics and Prosthetics. I am Dr. Callie Torres, the owner and director of the center and START LLC. I would like to start out by thanking you all for coming out today and need to point out that neither this center nor my continued research would be possible without the funding of HHS, The Veterans Project, and private investors." She waited for everyone to finish clapping then leaned forward and picked up the stack of cards that were sitting on the podium and held them up, then began again, "I have a very detailed and methodical presentation prepared for you. Every piece of information you would need to know is written on these cards; materials, overhead, profit, specs, data, all of it. It is also available in the brochures you were given as you walked in. But I am not going to talk about this information today. I am not a saleswoman; I am a surgeon. So instead, I am going to talk about my purpose for doing this research and the driving force behind creating this prototype." She looked out among the many faces and saw that their interest was piqued.
Callie took a drink of water, set the cards down and stated, "Several years ago, as a resident, I was told by someone I admire greatly that we are taught in medical school to do everything we can to not care about our patients. We drape the patients so we can't see their faces. We do a thousand different things, so we care a little less." She stopped and looked at Arizona whose eyes were twinkling as her own words were repeated aloud. "I have learned over my years as a surgeon that some doctors treat an illness or a condition while others treat the patient. I always prided myself on being the type of surgeon, the type of person, who treats the patient. When I see a patient, I see the person and I do everything I can to learn who that person is. I have invented artificial cartilage, I rebuilt a man's leg out of titanium, I replaced a dancer's leg with the bone of a cadaver, I rebuilt the hand of an artist that was crushed by a garbage truck, I have even replaced a man's thumb with his toe so he could continue to work in his family business. I couldn't have or wouldn't have done those things, pushed myself as a surgeon, if I didn't allow myself to get to know my patients." Pausing to collect her thoughts, the ortho surgeon once again sought out blue eyes and saw they were shining with pride.
Gathering her courage, she continued, "I also performed many of those surgeries after being pushed to the end of a trauma or last in line of importance. When many people, most physicians included, think of orthopedics, they don't think of it as a lifesaving specialty. While I obviously disagree, it wasn't until my family endured our own personal tragedy, that I learned in one particular area, I was at a loss to do anything but the inevitable. It wasn't until that moment that I realized while I may not have been saving physical lives, I was saving lives in the sense that my patients were able to continue living without much disruption to their everyday activities. But one area of my specialty didn't allow me the luxury of rebuilding limbs, inventing cartilage, or grafting other parts of the body. There comes a time when bones just can't be saved, muscle can't be rebuilt, and nerves are far too damaged. There comes a time when saving a limb can mean losing a life. I had amputated dozens of limbs. Every time I encountered a patient who needed an amputation, I felt horrible for their loss, but I never knew, I never thought about what happened after they left my care. Until my wife experienced it, I never realized I was sending patients home half dead. I never realized you could take a life without killing someone." With these words, she heard several gasps around the room and looked to see Arizona with tears in her eyes still wearing that super-magic smile prodding her to continue.
Callie knew she was about to expose the horrible details Arizona just shared with her, she only hoped she would forgive her. Taking a deep breath, she recalled, "Nearly seven years ago, my wife was in a plane crash along with several of our colleagues. They spent four days in the woods enduring God knows what. Every minute of those 4 days, she sat in excruciating pain staring at her open leg wound and her shattered femur. She watched as bugs crawled into her exposed flesh and had to suffer as colleagues tried to pick them out and clean her wounds with their bare hands." Callie stopped briefly to get the mental image from her own mind. She carefully observed Arizona and watched her struggle with her thoughts. Arizona nodded and she continued, "She sat there knowing that her wife was an orthopedic surgeon, and she was staring at her own bones. As a surgeon herself, she knew the hopelessness of the situation as every minute passed. When she returned to me, her leg was full of infection and bone and muscle tissue had been destroyed beyond repair not only by the damage done by the plane, but also from the flesh-eating bugs that had infested her leg." Callie took a breath and allowed herself to look around the room. She could see tears in the eyes of several of the audience members including her friends and Catherine Fox as well.
Noticing she had everyone's undivided attention, she continued, "I, along with my entire team did everything we could to save her leg. I even promised her that I would not cut it off. Both of us being surgeons, we knew I should never have made that promise. But this wasn't just a patient. This was my wife. I couldn't drape her face because I saw it every time I closed my eyes. I couldn't do all those things we are taught in order to care a little less. Not caring wasn't an option. I couldn't separate my emotions. I couldn't be Dr. Torres OR Callie. In that moment, I was both. I was a woman who had the skills to save her wife's leg. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough." Callie paused to allow her words to sink in. She spoke the truth, even if Arizona hadn't made her promise, she would have because this was her wife and she wanted her to feel safe and secure. "While I was performing surgery on another victim of the crash, my wife went into septic shock and I was informed that she was coding and would die without the amputation of her leg." The brunette stopped for a moment realizing she had tears running down her cheeks. She looked to Arizona who also had tears but smiled and nodded for her to continue. "I froze. On my table was the award-winning neuro-surgeon Derek Shephard whose million-dollar hand was open in front of me while in the other room, my wife and a world-renowned pediatric surgeon was coding on the table. I knew if I did not tell them to cut off her leg, she would surely physically die. But I also knew, if I did tell them to cut off her leg, a piece of her would die, the part of her that was strong, independent, fierce, and the part of her who spent upwards of 40 hours at a time on her feet saving her tiny humans. To me, the woman, having my wife and the mother of my child in my life was a no-brainer, so I gave permission for one of our colleagues to amputate her leg. To me, the surgeon, I knew what I was taking away from her, I just never understood the extent until after recovery started." Callie heard gasps and sniffles from around the room. She glanced up and noticed a few people shaking their heads in awe. She had shared this story with very few people in her new life. She knew by telling this story today, she was opening the closed book that was Callie Torres.
She continued, "Unfortunately, I was correct in my theory that a part of my wife would die without her leg. My wife was a bouncy, perky, positive person, she woke up happy, she even skated at work. But by saving her life so the world would still have her in it, so our daughter and I would still have her in it, I made her life so much more difficult and miserable. She was angry, scared, and depressed along with suffering PTSD from the crash itself. She was no longer the person she prided herself on being. Everything had to be planned and thought out including getting out of bed. If she were sick, she couldn't just jump out of bed and run to the bathroom. She couldn't stand in the shower and let the hot water flow over her tired muscles. She couldn't even soak in a bath without being lifted in and out. She could no longer just run to the nursery and pick up our baby and bounce her around when she heard her crying. She couldn't look forward to the day that she passed along her love of skating to our daughter or run alongside her as she learned how to ride a bike. I couldn't just grab my wife and have an impromptu dance party like we used to. We couldn't spontaneously pick up and take a weekend somewhere without a bunch of equipment, ensuring a place was accessible for her and met her needs. As a woman, she no longer felt comfortable wearing dresses or skirts, she couldn't wear high heeled shoes. As a surgeon, she couldn't skate through the halls, run to an emergency, she couldn't stand over a table and save her tiny humans in surgery. I didn't allow my wife to die, but I took her love of living from her." Callie looked up and saw Catherine smiling at her and reach out to grab Arizona's hand as she cried at Callie's words.
Arizona hung onto every word. She lived it, she knew the story, but to hear it from Callie's perspective was heart-wrenching. She was beginning to understand why Callie took the blame and didn't tell her it was Alex. Callie felt responsible for taking all of that away from her. Callie carried all the guilt and Arizona let her and piled more on top of it. She worked through some of this with Dr. Dawson, but she didn't thoroughly get it until right now.
Callie wanted nothing more than to go to Arizona and scoop her up and hold her while she cried. She could see the guilt in her eyes and she never intended to cause that pain. She closed her eyes briefly and continued, "We knew she would need a prosthetic and I knew little more than the average person at the time. But we never took into consideration the time of fitting a prosthetic, learning how to walk again, the pain she would feel from the pinching of the socket or the lack of absorption of the titanium and the effects it would have on the rest of her body. We never thought about the need for more than one at a time, the difference in purpose they would serve. What would happen if it got damaged? The care and maintenance of a prosthetic was foreign to us. We never thought about the amount of money that prosthetics would cost over the span of her lifetime. We didn't think about the need for multiple pairs of crutches, wheelchairs, safety rails and rearranging our entire apartment. EVERYTHING changed for us. I started to walk on her left side in case the ground became uneven so I could catch her if she fell. I sat on her right side so I could reach out and touch her leg and she could feel it. We had to switch sides of the bed after she could share a bed with me, and we were able to get that horrid hospital bed out of our room." Callie shook her head as if trying to rid her mind of all the changes they endured. Arizona's heart lurched at everything her wife had gone through. These weren't things that crossed her mind as she was in so much pain both physically and mentally at the beginning.
Callie looked to Arizona and smiled when she received a wink indicating she was okay and kept on, "With all of this in mind, 5 years ago, I started to develop a prototype for a prosthetic that would meet all my wife's needs. It had to accommodate her life as a surgeon, athlete, mother, and just a woman in general. I did it as much to meet her needs as I did to try to heal myself for the horrible guilt I felt for not being able to save her leg or her life. Over the course of those 5 years, along with the collaboration of the late Derek Shephard, we developed what is now known as mind-mapping. We inserted sensors into the brain and connected them to a robotic limb. It was heavy and clunky, but it worked. Knowledge of these sensors somehow reached the President of the United States and he wanted to purchase the rights to use them solely for the government. This would have shut down my project and in effect stopped any further development of my robotic limbs. We fought to share the technology and I was able to continue. Upon further research, I was able to create sensors which were inserted directly into the prosthetic and responded to the nerves and muscles of the residual limb allowing for full movement. Over time, as technology improved and with the aid of funding, I have been able to provide robotic limbs to hundreds of amputees. It wasn't until recently however that I made a major breakthrough and developed sensors with response capabilities. I'd like to demonstrate this prosthetic for you today." Hearing the murmuring, Callie stopped and looked at Arizona. She nodded, stood up, walked to the stage, stood behind the podium for a moment so she could remove her pants, then stepped out so everyone could see her legs.
Catherine gasped and brought her hands to her mouth as tears flooded her eyes at the amazing sight before her. She honestly couldn't tell which was the prosthetic. All eyes were on the two women at the front of the room. Callie held out her hand and introduced her girlfriend, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Dr. Arizona Robbins, now triple board-certified surgeon, plane crash survivor and amputee." All eyes took in her appearance and some seemed to fill with question. Callie brought a tall stool out of the corner and helped Arizona up. Arizona took out her phone, pushed a few buttons and everyone heard a quiet woosh emanate from the stage. Callie removed her prosthetic and held it up for everyone to see. "This is the AR5511 Prototype. As you can see, this specific model was designed to match Arizona's measurements and specifications. The skin was matched perfectly to her skin tone and we even included freckles, birthmarks and scars to make the leg look more authentic but to also make it feel more authentic. By looking at her most recent scans, I was able to match the sensors in the socket to fit the nerve endings in her residual limb. The sensors are coated in a special silicone material I designed myself which is encased in the socket. There is no need for a special liner or sock since this prototype is vacuum sealed to keep the sensors tight to the limb, as well as offer more comfort. The prosthetic is 100% waterproof, light weight, and made with half the titanium used in your average prosthetic. Arizona, if you would put it back on please." Arizona smiled and took the leg and put it back in place.
Before starting the demonstration, Callie looked to Arizona and then back to the audience and explained, "Before Arizona received this prototype, she wore a titanium C-leg prosthetic for everyday use, she also had a flesh-tone leg to wear with high heeled shoes for dressier occasions, and she also had a running blade for exercise. The combined cost of these prosthetics for an above the knee amputee is over 150 thousand dollars depending on how much insurance covers which we all know is the bare minimum." Callie heard a few snickers and suggested, "Think about that for a moment. For the average person with two intact legs, all we need to do is change our shoes. When I come to work, I wear my dress shoes or a pair of loafers, if I want to go running, I put on my running shoes, if I want to go dancing, I put on different shoes. If any of you are like me, you probably have at least 10 pairs of shoes sitting in your closet right now. Now imagine if every pair cost 50 thousand dollars each. How many pairs of shoes could you afford? How many of those events could you participate in? Your activities would be limited by cost alone. Now think about doing those things with a leg that doesn't function like your other leg. You don't just have to change your shoes; you have to change your entire leg! My guess is most of you can't imagine it. I couldn't. I never even had to think about it before Arizona was injured. Neither did she. But with this prototype, she has less to think about, less to worry about and her mobility has changed dramatically. Since wearing this prosthetic, Arizona has gone swimming, running, dancing, and performed many other activities that would require her to consistently change her leg."
Callie looked around the room and shared, "Last month when Arizona first received the prosthetic, for the first time in nearly 7 years, she was able to step into the shower by herself, without assistance of handrails, without sitting in a shower chair or on a bench and she was able to feel the water flow down her body and pool around her feet. She didn't need her crutches to help her out of the shower or bathroom. This is something we take for granted every day. We come home from a long day at work and step into a hot shower or bath to relax our muscles. But it is something amputees come to dread because it takes more effort and more work to prepare and to manipulate than it allows relaxation." She looked around and could see from the facial expressions of her audience that this fact never crossed their minds. She continued, "When Arizona was injured, our daughter was just a baby, a few weeks ago, Arizona was able to feel her daughter's touch on her leg, both legs, for the first time in her young life. It brought tears to my eyes to see how important it was to her, to see how much she needed that. With this prosthetic, we can give that feeling back to thousands of amputees at nearly three-fourths of the cost of just one prosthetic."
Callie walked across the stage to where Arizona was seated on the stool near the table and connected the wires and monitors and turned them on. She declared, "I am now going to set Arizona up on monitors so you can see for yourself how the sensors work." Callie walked Arizona through a series of steps showing the mobility of the joints and laughed when everyone else did when Arizona wiggled her toes like it was the greatest thing on earth. Once those tests were complete, she took out a scarf and held it up. "I will now blindfold Dr. Robbins and she will describe what she is feeling as we test the sensibility of the prototype." Callie quietly asked Catherine to join her on the stage and motioned for her to choose something from the tray to apply to Arizona's leg. Catherine picked up the Wartenberg pinwheel and ran it down the length of Arizona's calf making her and the lines on the monitor jump as she let out a yelp then responded, "It's that stupid pinwheel." All eyes widened in surprise and a few people chuckled at the blonde's comment. Each time Catherine placed an item on her leg, Arizona described the sensation and guessed the object. They continued testing each item until they had reached the last one and Catherine was sent back to her seat. Callie decided to play a little and pinched the pale leg causing the blonde to jump off the stool and rip the blindfold off. "That was not part of the test Dr. Torres." she said with a smile as she swatted her girlfriend with the scarf. This broke the silence and caused everyone to chuckle.
Feeling confident now, the ortho goddess decided to wrap it up. "As demonstrated, this prototype is fully functional and responsive to touch. It is my hope that you take that into consideration along with what you saw and heard today. It would have been far easier for me to stand up here and read you facts about a piece of metal and silicone rather than share our personal journey." She winked at Arizona and continued, "But I think…we think, it is important to keep in mind that this is not a business proposition, it isn't a money-making tool, it is, for some people, the opportunity to find as much normalcy as possible in a world that has been turned upside down. I will now take any questions that you have." Callie was shocked to see the number of hands fly up and answered each question with ease. Finally coming to the last hand, she called on the man she recognized as the representative from Mobius Bionics and wasn't at all surprised when he asked, "Have you made concessions for or anticipated any upgrades for this prototype at this time?" Arizona smiled and nodded at Callie who felt the excitement shoot through her body like an electric current.
Callie walked to her computer and pulled up her notes then responded, "I have actually researched different options for further upgrades and I am in the process of reconstructing this prosthetic to meet the needs of pregnant women. While conducting my research, I see this as a pressing need. I have found cases in which women were wheelchair bound throughout their pregnancy because their current prosthetic could not withstand the demands of the weight gain as well as the shift of balance. Other women have long-term scarring from the top of the socket rubbing against their lower abdomen in later stages of pregnancy. I feel with a few minor adjustments to this model, I will be able to build a prosthetic which will meet those needs and assist women in having a safer, more comfortable experience throughout their pregnancy." The expression on the man's face was priceless. Callie wasn't sure if he was trying to stump her or figure out if this was a one hit wonder type of situation or what. But she was happy to see he seemed satisfied with her response. Seeing there were no more questions, Callie almost forgot what Miguel told her and announced, "I apologize, you all know I have to say this, as you will notice on the bottom of the brochure, this product, the sensors, and all of the portions I have developed myself are all patented by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. While I have shared this information with you today, it may not be used without my expressed written permission." Callie smiled and said sincerely, "Thank you all for coming."
Callie let out a deep breath and was astounded when everyone in the room stood up and began clapping for her. Arizona threw her arms around her neck and whispered, "There's my badass!" making the brunette giggle and respond, "You are the badass, thank you so much baby." The two parted and smiled at one another. Arizona stepped back and watched on with pride as everyone came forward and spoke to Callie congratulating her on her breakthrough and tremendous work. As people finished talking to Callie, Arizona found herself answering questions about the fit and feel of the leg from an amputee's standpoint.
While people mingled about, Callie was approached by the man who asked her the last question. Extending his hand he introduced, "Dr. Torres, I'm Troy Wilcher from Mobius Bionics." Callie smiled and shook the man's hand and replied, "Thank you so much for coming and for asking that question. I got a little caught up and forgot to add that I was already working on upgrades." The man smiled and stated, "I am extremely impressed with your prototype as well as your presentation. I have to admit, I expected to come here today and get the regular sales-pitch and be presented with something that has already been done or that we could do better, but I can honestly say, you have blown me away. This type of prosthetic and your ingenuity is exactly what we are looking for at Mobius. I am certain after today you will have several offers extended to you, but I would like to sit down with you and some of our technicians and prosthetists and see if we can look into getting this on the market." Callie was shocked, she was hoping for something like this but didn't expect it so soon. Before she could respond, Mr. Wilcher added, "I may have a more vested interest in this than others because my daughter was injured in a car accident and they had to amputate her right arm and leg to get her out of the car. As you know, it's a long road to recovery and while she is doing well now, your words hit home with me and I don't think people understand that this isn't just another product or another sale, it's someone's life and we have to get it right. I think you see that Dr. Torres and it would be an honor to work with you. So what do you say?" Callie looked over at Arizona who was speaking with Catherine and responded, "It would be my pleasure to meet with you and your team. If you give my assistant your card, she will call and set up a meeting with you." Mr. Wilcher smiled and responded, "I'll save her the call and set up the meeting before I leave. Thank you for your time Dr. Torres." Callie shook the man's hand again and walked over to speak to Catherine and Arizona.
Arizona took Callie's hand as soon as she walked up and explained, "Catherine was just telling me all about Harriet. She had a few questions for you but I didn't know the answers." Callie nodded and Catherine asked, "Callie, have you received any funds from the foundation to work on this project?" Callie furrowed her brow and answered, "No, honestly I haven't needed to and I have tried to keep everything from this center completely separate from Grey-Sloan and my connections there, with the exception of Arizona of course. She was kind of necessary." Arizona smacked her shoulder and said, "Hey!" Callie batted her eyelashes and asked, "What? You are necessary in my life." Arizona squinted her eyes at her and responded, "Nice try Torres."
Catherine laughed at the two women then continued, "I'm asking because I want to make sure there is absolutely no conflict of interest here. I don't want to make the same mistake we made with Yang." Callie shook her head and said, "I'm sorry what?" Catherine explained, "With Meredith having won last year's award, I want to make sure that I can take your name to the committee and say you have no affiliation with the foundation other than the fact that you are part owner of Grey-Sloan." Callie and Arizona stared at Catherine in shock and Callie repeated, "Take my name to the committee." The older surgeon just shook her head, she wondered how someone so bright and talented could be so obtuse. Finally she explained, "Dr. Torres, I am adding your name to the list of prospective nominees for this year's Catherine Fox award." Callie smiled and said, "I understood you, I just…I don't…What?" She then started laughing nervously. Arizona looked at Catherine and explained, "This is what she does when she doesn't know what to say." The older woman chuckled and replied, "I'll keep in touch. Excellent work Dr. Torres." When she walked away, Callie whispered, "Did that just happen?" Arizona nodded and responded, "It sure did."
Once everyone cleared out of the room, Callie was packing up her materials and smiled when she felt Arizona come up behind her and wrap her arms around her middle. Arizona rested her cheek on Callie's back and asked, "Do you know how proud I am of you?" Callie let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Since ending her presentation she worried she said too much and was afraid Arizona would be upset. Turning in her girlfriend's arms, she brandished her mega-watt smile and asked, "Yeah?" As soon as Callie turned around, Arizona could see the concern and maybe just a little fear in those gorgeous brown orbs. Tilting her head she said softly, "Talk to me Calliope." Callie caressed her smooth alabaster cheek and replied, "I said a lot. I told our whole story and I looked at you and you were crying and I just wanted to stop and carry you out of here. Did I say too much? Are you angry with me?" Arizona pulled her tighter and answered, "Oh honey, no. No I'm not angry and you didn't say too much. What you said was perfect, you did exactly what I suggested and you spoke from the heart and your passion came through so strongly. You were magnificent." Callie kissed her softly and asked, "Then why were you crying so hard?" Arizona took a moment to try to find the right words.
Lifting her hand to rub at the back of Callie's head to soothe herself as much as her girlfriend, she explained, "Some of the things you talked about, the experiences afterward, it just reminded me of how much you went through alone. I was there, but part of the time I was in so much physical pain, I wasn't processing. Most of the time though, I was just so hurt and angry, I wasn't listening or participating and you went through so much on your own and you did it for me." Callie bent down and brushed their lips together once, twice, then deepened the kiss so they could both feel the connection but so she could show Arizona her love, her gratitude for seeing that. When the kiss came to an end, Arizona looked her in the eye and said, "Thank you Calliope, thank you for everything you did and everything you put up with and for just…for being who you are. Your presentation didn't make me feel angry, it made me feel humble and just a little guilty. But that's not on you and that is something I worked through with Dr. Dawson, but hearing the words come out of your mouth, it was just a stark reminder." Callie smiled softly and replied, "I'd say I'd do it all again, but I'm not going to tempt fate here and there's so much I would do differently." Arizona pulled her in for a hug and said, "Me too baby, me too."
Arizona stepped back and said, "I need to get over there. My day is back to back meetings and setting up for Monday's orientation. Kim and Dee are putting all of the packets together, but we have to make sure the licensing and everything is in order for the center and the Day Care Center as well as the education program." Callie took her hand and walked her to the door and said, "Thank you for being my model today and for getting me through the presentation." Arizona kissed her again and replied, "You did that all by yourself superstar." Callie chuckled and kissed her one last time then Arizona whispered, "Since you did such a great job today, I think you deserve an extra special reward tonight." Callie arched her brow and flirted, "Is that right?" Arizona leaned up, traced her full red lips with her tongue, then nibbled on her bottom lip and replied, "Absolutely. See you this evening Dr. Torres." Callie watched the door close behind her girlfriend, leaned against it and willed her libido to cool down then smiled and said, "I'm so getting laid tonight!"
A/N: I know, 2 chapters in 2 days. I love summer vacation. I had this part mostly written and decided to edit and post it for you now. As always, thanks for the love and reviews.
I took a little backlash last time I went into great detail about the prototype and want to reiterate that there are indeed products similar to this on the market. It is never my intention to belittle or dismiss the feelings of amputees and I have tried to be sensitive of that fact. I do indeed research these things and as stated before, I am basing Arizona's response and part of Callie's speech off of interviews I have read on-line. Callie's research into pregnancy and amputees is also based upon my own research.
Also, a guest reviewer asked about the tool Addison used that made Arizona respond the way she did so I mentioned the actual name of it here in this chapter.
I also need to add that none of the companies I mentioned belong to me nor do I have any affiliation with them. Of course, the original Grey's characters still belong to Shonda, but I'm having so much fun with them.