A Gift in Disguise Ch. 12

After my Monday morning class, I returned to my grad student's cubicle in Hertz Hall to compile some notes. There was a sticky note from Dr. Keller's secretary asking me to pop in for a brief visit with Keller at my convenience.

I walked up the stairs to Keller's office. His gatekeeper secretary smiled nicely and announced me over the telephone. "Go right on in, Mr. Connors."

I still knocked and waited for Dr. Keller to invite me in. Don't tick off your thesis chairman and the department head.

"Tom, come in. I won't keep you long. "

I'm looking to try and schedule your thesis meeting with the committee, Dr. Geiler-Callaghan, and Dr. Klein in three to four weeks. Do you think you and Dr. Geiler-Callaghan be ready to discuss your master's thesis and doctoral project that quickly?"

I felt quite certain he had already received confirmation from Dr. Klein that he and Dr. Geiler-Callaghan would be there. Kim and I had already been working diligently, exchanging relevant information to familiarize each other with our respective disciplines, so there was no doubt in my mind we were already prepared.

"I can't speak for Dr. Geiler-Callaghan, but I don't see why not. We've been exchanging information and ideas two or three times weekly either in person or via email, and we've both got some ideas about a project timeline and benchmarks."

"Excellent! I'll go ahead and talk with Klein about some possible dates. Then we'll meet with you to finalize the date and time. In the meantime, Tom, keep doing exactly what you and Dr. Geiler-Callaghan have been doing. Collaboration will assure a positive outcome."

If only he knew how Kim and I had been collaborating, I thought to myself as I left his office.

Tuesday afternoon I arrived a few minutes before two o'clock at Jamie's laboratory. Since there were several extra spaces in the employee parking lot, I drove in through the open gate and parked. Then I walked to the front public entry door and went in.

The young receptionist recognized me. "Everyone else is back in the lunch room getting coffee before your meeting. Go right on back, please," she said cheerily.

I walked in the lunch room and recognized everyone except one woman who was talking with Jamie. I presumed that was Major Robyn Broadsword. Jamie looked up and saw me come in. She motioned for me to join her.

"Tom, I'd like to introduce you to Dr. Robyn Broadsword. Robyn is an Army Major and my primary contact with the Department of Defense."

She extended her hand and said, "Jamie speaks very highly of you, Tom. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"How do you do, Major. Or, should I address you as 'doctor?'"

"'Robyn' will do just fine," she said with a very warm smile. Her grip was firm but comfortable and warm.

Major/doctor Robyn Broadsword would never be a runway model, though judging from her stocky build and grip, she very likely took good care of her body. My first impression of her appearance, though, was that she could be Emily's better-dressed sister. She was like Emily, sexy but in a plain way. Stealth sex with plenty of confidence in herself.

She wore little or no makeup, and she had a plain, rather square face with wide-set, downturned eyes. Her nose was relatively flat with slightly flared nostrils, and she had thin lips on her wide, Julia Roberts-like mouth, and she seemed to be perpetually smiling. Even without makeup, her skin was perfect, lightly tanned and blemish free. Her hair was darkish brown, straight, collar length, and definitely unstyled. She was about the same height as Jamie.

Just before two o'clock, Jamie announced, "Could I have your attention, please? Let's move into the conference room and begin our meeting."

Once we were all seated around the conference table, Jamie used the computer to project some video slides supplementing her efficiently brief and clear explanation of the design, fabrication, and functioning of the most recent iteration of the phallus.

She had a functioning prototype mounted on a stand. She connected it to a computer which projected sensor output information on a screen. Then she slid the display phallus to Robyn and asked her to manually masturbate it. Robyn participated with no hesitation, but she displayed complete surprise when the phallus became fully erect and hard in her hand. Jamie directed Robyn's attention to the phallus's electrical impulses projected on the screen while she stroked it.

After explaining and demonstrating the phallus basic operation for Robyn, Jamie asked Lorraine and Emily to make their presentations about the phallus. Thereafter, Kim and Marta would make their presentations. She urged the four of them to comment on the features and functions needing improvement for utility, wear comfort, and sexual satisfaction.

Following the four presentations, Jamie briefly explained our intentions to address the color and temperature issue. Amanda acknowledged not yet finding an acceptable and workable way to have the user-detachable phallus also pass bodily fluids. Lorraine, Amanda, Emily, and I explained our proposal for the pubic hair overlay.

Kim and Marta's presentations echoed the observations Lorraine and Emily had offered, though Kim said she did not find depilation to be objectionable.

Jamie invited Robyn to address the group.

Robyn had paid very close attention to the preceding discussions. She very briefly explained her medical training and experience both in and out of the Army. She also gave a quick overview of DoD's recognition of the value of prosthetics to the mental health of military veterans.

She speculated that a significant number of the PTSD-related medical discharges and worse, suicides, had some association with loss of sexual function. Her speculation had some basis in the DoD's own psychiatric evaluations of patients.

She explained being astonished by the amount and quality of research and work our ad hoc group had successfully completed on a prosthetic phallus in a relatively short time, particularly since it was only part-time for all of us.

Robyn surprised us when she candidly admitted that DoD had done remarkably little in trying to develop a prosthetic phallus to provide restored sexual function. She explained that DoD's direction was to perfect the penile transplant process instead. It would be transplant or nothing at all.

With remarkable candor Robyn openly disagreed with that, explaining that unlike more conventional transplants, penile transplants were far more complicated and fraught with frequent recipient rejections. Her concern was that a transplant failure or rejection would aggravate deteriorating behavioral conditions. She hoped the prosthetic phallus would at least be an interim measure to provide positive reinforcement toward restoring the patient's mental health until medical science made the penile transplants consistently reliable and successful. Some reasonable hope, she said, was better than dashing all hope.

She pointedly commended Jamie's meticulous research into making sure that all prosthetic devices were properly designed, sized, and fitted to each individual client rather than trying to come up with one-size-fits-all solutions. Robyn's own followup research on Jamie's clients had convinced her that Jamie's properly fit prosthetics played as much a role in a client's successful mental rehabilitation as in his physical restoration.

With obvious disappointment and resignation, Robyn also explained that part of the reason DoD had not pursued the prosthetic phallus as even an interim pre-transplant measure was because there was political and social opposition that refused to finance the necessary research and development. That, she said, was why she was so happy to see our work reach a point of a viable prototype. Our prototype, even with its limited live testing, would pressure the numerous naysayers inside DoD to explain to the pols how DoD's labs could not produce positive results when a small, privately funded lab could using donated NASA surplus material and lunch money.

Heads nodded around Jamie's conference room table.

Robyn then revealed that she had been working privately with a DoD psychiatrist to research the therapeutic value of sexual function restoration in helping military men and women cope with PTSD. To not draw any attention to their own unofficial research, they simply referred to it with the acronym HOST which stood for Hyperintensive Orgasm Stimulation Therapy.

Robyn went on to explain their operating theory is that all persons are born with a range of sexual functions and behaviors which are basically lodged in the brain during its development but which can vary throughout their lives depending on a variety of factors. It was the variability of those factors, she theorized, that might cause a person's sexual activity and identity to influence the person's development in other areas such as health, education, and sociability.

Then Robyn dropped a bombshell. She said that their admittedly limited research suggested there may be people whose brain had developed in a way that causes them, even empowers them, to generate hyperintensive orgasms in their sexual partners. In turn, these hyperintensive orgasms appeared to result in some unexpected but definitely pro-social behaviors including reduced anger flare-ups. She quickly added, however, that they had no scientific evidence to support that, only anecdotal accounts.

She emphasized, though, that the little information they had strongly supported further research into a theory that such intense orgasms could stimulate a wide range of brain functions that might have been dormant to that point. One such possible stimulation was a reinvigoration of the brain's control over the body's immune system and the subsequent restoration of bodily functions and organs damaged by traumatic and emotional incidents.

We had all been paying polite attention to Robyn's presentation, but with her unexpected revelation, we all looked at her with an intensity she instantly picked up on.

"What?" she said. "Did I say something wrong?"

There was a brief silence that seemed it would last forever. Then Marta and Jamie locked eyes. Marta's head nod toward the door prompted Jamie to say, "Robyn, could I speak with you briefly outside?"

Without waiting for an answer, Jamie got up from the table and opened the conference room door, waiting for Robyn to exit with her.

The door closed behind them, but less than a minute later, Jamie reentered the conference room looking very serious.

"I asked Robyn to wait for a moment to let us discuss something in private.

I have not told her anything about Tom's 'gift', but that is exactly what she just described. The question is, do we reveal anything more about it to her? This doesn't just affect Tom. It affects Lorraine's and Kim's and Marta's and Amanda's ethical obligations of patient and client confidentiality. It affects, potentially, all of our privacy.

What are your thoughts?"

Attorney Marta Cruz spoke first. "Well, everything we say today is still within our original nondisclosure agreement with her, Jamie. I'd suggest, though, that we negotiate a new nondisclosure agreement for everything after today.

As you all know, 'nondisclosure agreement' really is a misnomer. It doesn't prevent someone from actually revealing sensitive information; it only allows penalties for unauthorized release.

My first impression is that the existing NDA she has signed with Jamie and Devlin Laboratories would need to be redone and expanded. I'd have to discuss it with whoever is Robyn's JAG representative, though."

"Tom, what do you think about it?" Jamie asked.

"I'm probably the least affected person here. You've all got professions and reputations already established. You've all got more to lose than I do. But I'm all for doing it.

It would be selfish of me to withhold any knowledge that might help someone else, particularly someone damaged in service to the country. I'd hate to think that I could have provided some knowledge or insight that would have kept someone from physically or emotionally hurting himself or others."

To my complete surprise, there was instant agreement from everyone around the table that we should provide Robyn with every shred of information we had about my condition and about the prosthetic phallus. Nothing would be withheld from her.

Everyone around the table explicitly acknowledged that I also needed to go into detail with her about their personal sexual contacts with me. They all affirmed that their responses to my 'gift' were an essential part of Robyn's understanding the risks and benefits of what she had called Hyperintensive Orgasmic Stimulation Therapy or HOST.

Marta urged that the first meeting with Robyn and her JAG representative should be scheduled soon. The group suggested that if Robyn was agreeable, then I should meet with her immediately after today's meeting to talk about what we had discussed and to inform her how we wanted to proceed. One of the most important points that would not be negotiable, Marta said, was that none of us would be identified by name or geographic location in the HOST files. Only Robyn and maybe her associated psychiatrist would know our identities. Again, there was complete agreement.

Until now, Jamie had said little, so I turned to her and asked her for her input.

She spoke surprisingly comfortably given the gravity of what I would be discussing with Robyn.

"I've been working with Robyn for several years now. She is very aware of my physical anomaly. At no time in our association have I ever had even the slightest hint she has betrayed any confidence I've shared with her. To the detriment of her own career advancement, she has steadfastly resisted efforts by her superiors to get more information than they needed to evaluate the quality of my laboratory's work or the expenditure of public money.

Even Pentagon brass, White House officials, and Congressmen and their staffers who have seen the physical and emotional benefits of our lab's work on patients consistently defend her refusal to reveal personal and unrelated information just to satisfy morbid or salacious curiosities or to further political or career aspirations of some of their colleagues. They desperately want solutions to the serious mental health issues that affect our military personnel. Part of that is they understand that if DoD can begin to find solutions, the information will be shared quickly to the civilian communities.

I have complete trust and confidence in Robyn, too.

At the same time, I respect each of you here. Whatever we decide, that won't change either."

Kim looked at the heads nodding at the table. "Bring her back in," she said firmly.

Jamie opened the conference room door and asked Robyn to rejoin us. When she entered, she looked worried.

Jamie explained to her that we had some additional information that I would discuss with her after this meeting. It was important enough that we should adjourn immediately. Robyn's look of worry turned to one bordering on complete befuddlement, but she agreed.

After everyone except Robyn and I had departed, Jamie came back into the conference room with us.

"Tom, I'll loan you the company credit card. Why don't you take Robyn out for an early dinner? I'd join you, but frankly, I'm beat. I need to go home and go to bed and try to shake this annual crud."

"Keep your card, Jamie. I'll buy," Robyn said. "Remember, I can voucher representational meals."

"Tom, can Robyn ride with you? She cabbed it from the motel to here for the meeting."

"Sure, that's fine with me," I answered.

Once in my car, I explained very briefly what had been discussed in the room after she left. I suggested that we discuss it in more detail over dinner.

Robyn looked noticeably relieved and readily agreed. She explained that she was staying at the Airport Inn and that there was a quiet restaurant she liked right next door to the motel. I could park in the motel parking lot and we could walk to it. She said the restaurant ought to be practically empty on a late Tuesday afternoon.

We parked in front of her motel room and walked directly to the restaurant. Inside, we were greeted by one of the waitresses who addressed Robyn warmly by name and said she was glad to see her again. Robyn told the waitress who wore a name tag 'DeeDee' we would appreciate a quiet table for business discussions over dinner. DeeDee seated us, left the menus, and departed.

A few minutes later DeeDee returned, said she would also be our waitress, and asked if we would like to order drinks. Robyn ordered a Vieux Carre and I asked for ginger ale.

We glanced at the menu, decided what we would order, then set the menus aside. DeeDee returned moments after we had set the menus down, so we ordered light dinners. Robyn ordered a glass of chablis; I settled for water.

"I take it you don't drink, Tom?"

"No, I was on the swim team in high school and college, so alcohol and drug abuse were a no-no. I never really particularly wanted to even try either."

While we waited, then enjoyed our dinners, we talked. Actually, I did most of the talking.

At the outset Robyn readily agreed that our talk would be off-the-record, as if it never occurred, until after she, Marta, and the JAG attorney had the first formal meeting and had worked out nondisclosure rules. Given Jamie's complete trust in Robyn, I felt very comfortable giving her all the details starting with my first visit to Lorraine and taking her through the meeting today.

Everyone in our group at today's meeting had agreed that my explanation of my 'gift' to Robyn needed to include specific details about the sexual intercourse I'd had with each of them.

Given what Robyn had revealed about HOST during our meeting, her immediate interest in my 'gift' was no surprise. Just as Lorraine and the others had been when they experienced each orgasm with me, Robyn was fascinated that somehow I was able to consistently synchronize my own rate of arousal and subsequent orgasm with my partner's. She was amazed that I was somehow able to not just delay but also extend the duration of my own orgasm, highly unusual for a man, while at the same time somehow stimulating each woman to have multiple intense orgasms in rapid-fire succession quickly so they appeared to be one massively intense orgasm.

Robyn showed considerable interest in my quick sexual recharge time, my ability to experience frequent orgasms whose intensity and volume of output didn't seem to diminish after each orgasm. In contrast, she said, even the most virile and potent men are rarely able to quickly reproduce the volume of ejaculate that I evidently can. Even men who can quickly become aroused again after ejaculation are usually unable to produce much ejaculate for a day or two.

Robyn was also intrigued by the women's consistently being unable to remain awake as the effects of their own intense orgasms subsided after sex with me. Men, she said, are usually the partner who fall asleep quickly after orgasm whereas the woman is the partner who often remains awake and alert.

In their presentations in the conference room, none of the women had even mentioned that after having sex with me, they all experienced various but unexpected effects on their personal physical health, stamina, reinvigorated youthfulness, and mental acuity. Then again, their presentations were more related to the phallus's performance, not mine nor their reactions to mine.

My preference for sex with women older than I didn't seem to surprise Robyn, and my preference for them to be assertive and initiate the sexual contact even seemed to almost please her.

Robyn surprised me a bit at that point by noting a significant lack of jealousy or competition for my sexual attention among the women in our group. She was especially pleased when I commented in return that seemed consistent with her own working theory about HOST reducing anger or conflicts.