Flight to Paradise Ch. 02

Book #3: Flight to Paradise

Chapter 2

Tuesday morning Mac is sitting in his boxers in an exam room at LA Prosthetics with his leg removed. The interface technician arrives behind a rolling desk, bustling into the room in a flurry of cables, computers, and shockingly blue hair.

"Good Morning, Mr. McMillan! How are you this morning?"

"Fine, thank you," Mac says with a smile. "But it's Mac, please."

"Okay, Mac it is," the girl agrees. "I'm Abby. Hang on a minute while I get ready, then we're going to plug you in and see what we have to work with." Abby spends a couple of minutes getting her computer ready then comes at Mac with a cable in her hand. "The good news is, since there's no feedback, this isn't going to hurt a bit," she says with a smile before plugging the cable into the port on his leg.

He tenses involuntarily, but she's as good as her word and he feels nothing. He sighs with relief.

"Didn't believe me didja?" she asks brightly. "Trust me. If it's going to hurt, I'll tell you. Now, you and me are going to get real friendly for the next few hours," she says with a smile as she stands at her desk. "Let's start with some knee bends. Pull your knee as far back as you can then straighten it out as far as you can. Pull hard, okay? The more range of motion you give me to record, the better the leg will work. Go nice and slow and keep it up until I tell you to stop."

He begins to pull his right leg, the one disconnected and lying on the exam table beside him like a lump, as far back as he can, straining as if he were trying to snap the knee off.

"Pull Mac! Pull, pull, pull, pull," she chants in encouragement. "Okay, good. Now out straight."

He straightens his non-existent leg out in front of him, straining with all his might, trying to make the missing knee bend backwards.

"That's it! Keep pushing, keep pushing, push Mac, push!" she cheers.

He grits his teeth as he strains against nothing with all his might.

"Great!" she congratulates him. "Now, I need nine more just like those."

He begins to chuckle. "Don't want much do you?"

"Nothing less than your best, so hop to," she commands, but her big smile takes the sting out of her words.

For the next three hours he works his knee, ankle and toes in every conceivable range of motion, Abby sometimes showing him with his good leg exactly how she wants him to move his missing one. Her touch is firm but gentle, and quite pleasant if he's honest with himself. By the end of the recording he's beginning to sweat, and he can't remember the last time he worked so hard at doing nothing.

"Great, Mac! Just great. That's all I need," she says enthusiastically but then she sobers. She hates this part of her job. "Okay, this is where hell begins. I'm going to turn on the feedback loop and I'm going to hurt you. I'm going to hurt you a lot. What I need you to do is tell me when you feel the first thing. It'll feel warm, like the breath of a lover." She pauses again, preparing to tell him the bad news. "But then it is going to get hot. Painfully hot. I need you to take the pain as long as you can. I've had people scream, and curse me, and cry, but you need to take all you can, okay? Once again, the more you can take, the more lifelike the leg will feel. Okay?"

He nods that he understands.

"Okay, we need a word, so I know you've had enough. I usually suggest 'Armageddon.'"

He begins to chuckle. "I don't like the sound of that."

She smiles sadly. "And you aren't going to like me very much, but it has to be done. I'm going to turn on the feedback now."

She touches a key on the computer and Mac gets a sudden searing pain, but it is gone as quickly as it arrives.

"Ouch," he says without emotion, causing her to giggle.

"Okay. Let me know the moment you feel something," she says before touching a key.

He waits until he gets the tiniest feeling of warmth on the top of his missing leg. "Now," he says.

"How about now?" she asks as she touches the key, the warmth appearing in a different place, the back of his calf this time.

He finds it interesting that he can feel a warm spot on something that doesn't exist. "Yes."

"Now?" she asks again, the warmth in a different spot still, the top of his foot this time.

"Yes."

"Now?" she asks a third time.

"Nothing."

"How about now?"

"No, still nothing."

"Now?"

"I can feel that," he says, the warmth on the inside of his missing leg.

"Okay. I have your lower baseline. Now, it's going to hurt. You do what you have to, but take as much of it as you can. You can't say or do anything I haven't seen or heard a dozen times over. Are you ready?"

"Ready."

Abby touches a key and Mac feels a warmth on his leg. It starts out pleasant but slowly increases in intensity until it feels like his very skin is burning. He groans, his eyes closing as he fights against the pain, and still it increases. He grits his teeth, pulling against the bottom of the exam table so hard the table creaks with the strain, and still the pain increases. Just when he's about to scream Armageddon, the pain is gone, and he slumps in relief.

"You maxed it, Mac," she says quietly, her eyes bright with tears. She hates this part of her job. "You're only the third or fourth person I've seen be able to do that."

"Glad to know," he says breathing heavily before smiling. "Only my best for the lady."

She smiles and chokes out a teary laugh. "Unfortunately, we have to do this four more times on the different parts of your leg."

"Just four more times? Just when I was starting to have fun," he says with a weak smile.

She barks out another short laugh and pats him on the knee of his good leg. "You're not fooling me at all, but thanks for trying."

They repeat the process, the pain wearing him down as they work their way down the length of his missing leg. Finally, after the fifth and final check, on the top of his foot, he's sweaty, panting and pale, but he succeeds in maxing the machine each time.

"We're done! You did great today!" she says enthusiastically as he blows out a cleansing breath. Unlike an injury, when the pain from the test is gone, it's gone, leaving no lingering tenderness. "I love it when a man works up a sweat. That's how I know he's giving me his best."

He pauses before answering. Was she flirting with him? He's used to women flirting and he's become the expert of the double entendre. "I bet you do," he says innocently, keeping his face pleasant but neutral, giving nothing away.

She flushes a bright red but says nothing more, causing him to smile to himself. She's a little on the young side, but is certainly pretty enough, and he likes her enthusiasm. He wonders what she'd be like in bed, and considers asking her out, but decides to wait until he hears back from Todd, to see which nights he'll be available. He'll have a chance to see her at least once more, so there is no reason to rush.

"Thanks for working so hard for me today," she says, holding her hand out and shaking his hand. "We'll program the leg tonight with the parameters we collected, and I'll see you tomorrow. You're scheduled to be here at ten in the morning, and I'm glad I'm the one scheduled to setup the interface. I want to be there when all the hard work you did today pays off on the new leg." She pauses, clearly uncomfortable with what she's about to say. "Normally we'd take the scan of your mount today, but our scanner is broken. We'll do the scan tomorrow, when we sync the leg, but that's going to delay delivery of the leg by a day, I'm afraid, while we mill the mount. I apologize for that, but there isn't a lot we can do until the scanner is fixed. It should be fixed by the end of the day. They're shipping the part by plane for same day delivery. I hope this doesn't inconvenience you too much."

"I'll still be out of here by Friday, right?"

"If the part arrives on time, yes," she says as he breaks eye contact.

"Okay. One more day isn't going to hurt anything." He didn't want to stay another night, but really, flying home on Thursday or Friday wouldn't make any difference to his schedule. It isn't her fault the damn scanner is broken.

She sags in relief. "We're doing everything we can to get the scanner working again. We really need to buy another one, but they don't give those things away, you know?"

"It's okay. Really. Things happen," he consoles her.

"Thank you for your understanding," she says, her brilliant smile returning. "I wish all my clients were as easy to get along with as you."

"There are plenty of assholes in this world already. It doesn't need another one."

Her smile grows even wider. "I like your attitude. I'm going to steal that line if you don't mind."

He smiles. "No need to steal it. You can have it. A good friend of mine told me that once. He'd be honored if you use it."

She looks at him for a moment, sensing there some greater meaning in that simple sentence, but she lets it go. "Okay. Thanks. I have to go, people to see you know, but I'll see you tomorrow!" she says brightly before gathering her stuff and bustling out of the room, pushing her rolling desk in front of her.

He watches her go before jamming his leg into the prosthetic mount, thinking about what she might be like in the sack to give him something to think about other than how much making the connection to his leg is going to hurt.

By eleven o'clock Todd decides he's given Mac enough time to get up and pings him. Mac answers almost immediately.

"Good morning, Todd."

"Good morning! Where are you? You sound like you're in the in middle of a road."

"Hang on a minute," Mac says. He'd just walked out of the clinic when Todd pinged him, and Todd is nearly right, he's standing by the road next to his car.

Fuel cell cars are nearly silent. When the number of people being run down by a car they didn't hear became too high, car manufacturers began to add selectable noises so pedestrians can hear them coming. It reduced the number of people being struck by cars, but to his ear, the cacophony of artificial engine roars, whistles, and beeps create a din worse than any old-fashioned car noise ever could be. He opens the car and slips behind the wheel, the tomb like quiet of the car surrounding him.

"Sorry. This better?" Mac asks.

"Much. You still want to get together for dinner?"

"I'd like to, if it's convenient for you."

"How about our place? Tonight. About eight."

"That'll be fine, but I thought I'd take you two out or something."

"No need for that. Charlie would like you to come by and actually visit for a while."

"That'd be great, if you don't mind. I haven't had a home cooked meal I haven't prepared myself in a long time. But I don't want to put you out."

"No trouble. It was Charlie's idea and she does the cooking."

"Okay, then thanks. I'll thank Charlie when I get there. Any idea what we're having. I'll bring a bottle of wine."

"Just bring yourself. I don't know what we're having myself." He pauses for a moment, thinking about how to break the news of Kate to Mac. "Tony, there's one other thing, though."

"Oh?" Mac says cautiously. "What's that?"

Todd clears his throat. "Well, Charlie wants to invite a girl friend of hers to dinner too. If you don't mind that is."

Mac is quiet for a moment. "She does, does she?" he says his voice full of mischievousness. "I see Charlie is still the matchmaker."

Todd sighs. "Sometimes, but what can you do? But I think you'll like her."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Her name is Kate, Katherine actually, but she goes by Kate. She's very tall. Very pretty. Very outgoing. I think she's a few years older than you, but you wouldn't know it to look at her."

"Really?" he asks, intrigued in spite of himself. "How tall is very tall?"

"I would guess she's at least 6'2, maybe 6'3."

"And she's hot too?" he asks, suddenly becoming interested.

"Well, she's no Charlie, but yeah, she's damned attractive. They don't hire ugly women to be models you know."

"She's a model?"

"Yeah. I guess I should have mentioned that, huh?"

Mac is quiet for a moment. "And you want to set us up?"

"Okay, first off, let's be clear. This is Charlie's doing, not mine," Todd says, his smile clear in his voice. "Secondly, I wouldn't consider this setting you two up. Charlie thought you two might enjoy each other's company while you're in town." He pauses for a moment. "Okay, come to think of it, yeah, I think Charlie's trying to set you two up," he finishes with a snicker.

"Sure, what the hell. Why not? Tall and hot. Two out of three s'not bad."

"What's three?" Todd asks, his smile in his voice.

"Easy," Mac deadpans.

Todd bursts into laughter. "Well, Tony, my friend, you've just hit the trifecta. I wouldn't call her easy. That has implications that aren't right. I'd call her selectively available."

Mac's right eyebrow tries to crawl into his hair. "Tall, hot, and selectively available, huh? Suddenly I'm finding this Kate much more interesting."

"Thought you might. That's why I didn't ixnay the idea at the frontend. She and Charlie have been friends for a long time. You and I, we'll take turns telling her embarrassing stories about Charlie."

"Uh-huh," Mac grunts. "Just tell me where to send the flowers for your funeral."

Todd chuckles. "I see you remember Charlie well. So about eight, at our place?"

"Sure. Thanks, Todd. I'm looking forward to it. It'll be good to catch up with some old friends. You're sure I can't bring anything?"

"Just yourself."

"Okay, eight it is."

When Mac drops out of the link Todd smiles as he sends their physical address to Mac. It would be good to catch up with old friends, and he wonders, again, what Mac has been up to these last twenty years.

Kate, Todd, and Charlie are standing in the kitchen enjoying the company and the smells coming from the oven. Charlie has pulled out one of her grandmother's recipes, baked ziti, a rich pasta dish made with her grandmother's special sauce. Todd is just about to ping Mac to make sure he's still coming when the front door chimes. "That must be him," he says, walking to the door.

Opening the door Todd stares at the biggest man he's ever seen. Rick, his best friend, at 6'2, is two inches taller than him. Coy, the male lead of their latest immersion is just huge, towering over him at 6'5, but Mac takes it to a whole new level. He'd always been big, but before he was mostly tall. Now, however, he's a fucking battleship. Even his sport coat can't hide the size of his arms and chest, and yet, somehow, it's the same old Tony.

Mac smiles and offers his hand to Todd. "Hello, Todd. Mac McMillan."

"Mac?" Todd asks in confusion, taking his hand.

"Sorry. Habit. Everyone calls me Mac now. The only people that still call me Tony are in Hays."

"Well, then, 'Mac', come on in. Let me introduce you to Charlie and Kate," Todd says after the giant releases his hand.

He appreciates the fact that Mac didn't play any of the stupid power games, his handshake firm but far from crushing. Mac follows him into the kitchen, Mac moving with a smoothness and grace that belies his size.

"Charlie, you remember Tony, I mean Mac," Todd says to Charlie.

"Mac? You don't go by Tony anymore?" Charlie asks while looking up and shaking his hand.

"Only at home. I got tagged with the nickname 'Mac' in the army and it kind of stuck. But Tony is fine too. I have to say, Charlie, Todd told me on the ping you are more lovely now than in high school." He pauses and offers her a lopsided smile. "He certainly wasn't lying."

Charlie begins to blush, both at Mac's words and the fact that Todd would actually say that. "Thank you... uh... Mac. That's very kind of you to say."

"Hey! Hey!" Todd calls with a grin "Quit flirting with my wife. Bertrand McMillan, allow me to introduce Katherine Thompson. Kate, Mac."

Kate extends her hand. "Nice to meet you, Mac," she says, her voice already low and sexy. "I get the Mac, but where does the Tony come from?"

"It's Bertrand Anthony McMillan... Jr.," Mac says gently shaking her hand. "Dad's Bert, so I'm Tony." As Mac releases Kate's hand, she holds his hand a fraction longer before turning loose.

"Well, Mac certainly fits you," Kate says, looking up into his eyes. Even in her three-inch heels, she still has to look up just a little, and she likes having to do so. They look into each other's eyes for just a moment before Mac breaks the gaze.

"Let me take your coat, Tony... sorry, I mean Mac. Can I get you anything to drink?"

As Mac slips out of his coat, following Todd out of the kitchen, Charlie watches Kate. Kate's eyes sparkle and her mouth is crooked into a half grin. She turns to the oven, opening the door to check on the bubbling dish so Kate won't see her smirk. She hopes Mac is up to it, because it looks like he's going to have one hell of a night.

Dinner starts a little awkwardly because there is no single topic that all four can participate in. When talking about Hays, Mac, Todd, and Charlie's hometown, Mac is very courteous and continuously explains things to Kate, keeping her in the conversation. By the time dinner is well underway, the conversation becomes much freer ranging. Kate and Charlie talk about modeling, regaling Mac with story after story of tantrums, shoots gone horribly wrong, and other behind the scene escapades. Mac talks a bit about his time in the Army, and some about what he does now, but gives few details. Charlie and Todd talk a little about Immersion Playground, how they had to convince Rick and Giselle to release the immersion in the first place, and the differences between small town life in Hays, Kansas, and big city life in Los Angeles, California.

As they eat and talk Mac works hard to keep his eyes off Kate. Not only is she gorgeous, there is something about her, something he can't put his finger on. Whatever it is, it's working, and big time. There's an undefinable pull on him that she's somehow exerting. It might be a bit awkward tonight, but he's going to try to have this woman before he flies home, because he wants her, he wants her badly.

Kate has been watching Mac all night, pouring on the sex. He's surprisingly immune to her charms, but as the night progresses, she finds him looking at her more and more as she wears down his resistance. Normally men flock to her when she turns on the sex appeal, but his reserved and cool demeanor represents a challenge, a challenge that draws her like catnip. By the time Charlie produces a dessert wine, a wine undoubtedly selected by her friend Giselle because of its outstanding quality, Kate knows she's having Mr. Bertrand Anthony McMillan, Jr. tonight, even if she has to bind, gag, and throw him into the back of her SUV.

Charlie has been watching the interaction between Kate and Mac all night, and the heat coming off the two of them is almost enough to make her pant. Mac is playing it cool, causing Kate to keep tightening the screws on him, but Charlie knows Mac well enough to see that Kate's advances are not going unnoticed. When the dessert wine has been served, Charlie calls Todd into the kitchen, begging Kate and Mac, as their guests, to keep their seats.

Once in the kitchen she sets the nearly empty baking dish on the stove and turns to him, pulling him in close. "I hope they leave soon because you are sooo going to get it tonight," she whispers into his ear. "I hope they don't set the house on fire."

"You noticed that too, huh?" he answers just as quietly.

"Yeah, I noticed. I doubt either one of them will be able to walk upright tomorrow," she says quietly before backing away and returning to their guests, Todd barking a laugh before following.