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Startled by the shrill ring of the phone, Paulette grabbed the receiver. “Thank you for calling P&G. This is Paulette, How can I help you?”
“Yes, this is Col. Leamon’s secretary. I’m calling to let you know that he needs to reschedule his meeting with you.”
Paulette slammed her fist on the desk in frustration. “What do you mean he’s rescheduling the meeting? I’ve been preparing and waiting for quite some time to demonstrate the prototype in live action.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but Col. Leamon can’t make the meeting because of a family issue and asked that we reschedule for next week, if possible.”
Frustration dripped from Paulette’s voice. “Fine, I guess I don’t have a choice but to wait another week.” Calming down a bit she said, “Please give my condolences to Col. Leamon.”
“I will, and I’ve rescheduled you for the tenth of May at 9:30 a.m.”
“Thanks.” Paulette placed the receiver back down on the telephone set. Dang it! I was so ready to show them that the prototype works and that they should continue to fund the project. Now I must wait another week. Oh well, I’ll have to let Greg know about the delay. He won’t be happy, either, but there isn’t much we can do about it. Guess it gives me more time to practice my speech and groom Karen for her part of the demonstration.
Greg was dozing in his bed when he heard a knock at his door. He groaned at the thought of having to get up when he needed to rest for his test coming up in a few hours. The end-of-semester tests always stressed him out, and the only way he could stay somewhat calm was to rest after studying.
“What!”
“Let me in, Greg, I need to talk to you about the meeting,” Paulette insisted.
“Fine, hang on while I put my pants on.”
As Greg opened the door, Paulette pushed her way in. “You won’t believe this, but the meeting has been rescheduled. Now I won’t be meeting with them till next week.”
Greg just looked at her like she had two heads and wondered why in the world she was stressing over a rescheduled meeting. “So what? I think it’ll be okay; it’s just another week,” he mumbled.
“Well, sure, but if they keep this up, the second semester of my sophomore year will be over and I won’t be any closer to fully launching the company than I was when we first talked about it. Jeez, Greg, don’t you even care?”
“Of course, I care, but you forget that one of us has to study hard and finish college. Since that happens to be me, I’m not too concerned right at this moment.”
“Fine, I guess I’ll just get in touch with Karen and go over what we’ll do at the meeting next week. By the way, she’s doing awesome. She told me the other day she doesn’t even think about the bionic leg anymore. It’s as if she never lost her leg in the first place, other than her nightmares, that is.”
“That’s great! I can’t wait to produce other limb replacements, once we get the funding. If that doesn’t come through, I think we still can get private investment, or something, since we’ve got the hottest new technological miracle on the planet.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
It seemed just like yesterday Paulette was complaining about the meeting being rescheduled, and now it was knocking on her door. She had arrived at Karen’s place early to pick her up.
“So, how are you doing today?”
“Doing great. Again, can’t thank you enough for what you guys have done for me. It’s been great being able to walk normally again, not needing help from others, and most of all, not getting stared at by other people when I’m out and about.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad we could help you. Are you ready for the meeting?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. Not sure what they want to see,” she said chuckling a bit.
“Yeah, they won’t see much, except you walking and being happy again, but that’s okay. We’ve got all of your x-rays and doctors’ notes to prove that you once were missing your leg, and now you’re using a bionic leg to get around.”
“I’m a little nervous, but I’ll get over it. So what time is the meeting again?” she asked.
“It begins at 9:30 a.m., so we need to get a move on, since we have to drive across town,” replied Paulette.
As they entered the lobby of the Smith Building, beautiful pictures on the walls of various scenes throughout the United States gave Paulette a warm feeling about the place. Heels clacking on the polished tile, she and Karen walked up to the receptionist’s desk.
The secretary glanced up from her work when she heard someone approaching. “Good morning, Paulette.”
“Good morning.”
“Please have a seat in the waiting area. I’ll let Col. Leamon know that you and Karen are here.”
“Thanks,” they both said simultaneously, as they made their way to the waiting area.
A few moments passed by when they heard the secretary.
“Paulette, Karen, Col. Leamon and the committee are ready to see you two.”
“Thank you.”
Paulette juggled all her notes and records as she tried to catch up to Karen, who practically bounded to the door. The secretary opened the door. Inside, the blinds were up, allowing the early morning sun to stream in and light up the conference room.
She and Karen took their seats.
Col. Leamon addressed the entire room. “Welcome back, Miss Brown, and a special welcome to you Sgt. Shaffey. We’ve heard a lot about you already and can’t wait to see what you can do.”
“Thank you, Col. Leamon. It’s great to walk again.”
“I’m sure it is. Miss Brown, you may proceed with your notes and demonstration.”
“Thank you.” Paulette arranged her notes and began her presentation. “Ladies and gentlemen, a year ago you helped fund our company, hoping we’d produce a viable product. Today, I’ll show you, not only a working product, but the notes, x-rays, and doctors’ statements to attest that we’ve done just that. We chose Karen as our candidate because of how recent her injury was and the chances of success. With the help of Dr. Bellows and his team at the VA, we were able to successfully attach a working bionic limb to Karen’s stump. She underwent weeks of physical therapy to help train her brain to use the new leg. After some trials and errors, Karen was able walk unassisted again. With her efforts and the research involved, we now know how to help new candidates become successful in their physical therapy. As you can see in your packets, she has been walking successfully now, with no limp or indication she ever lost her leg, for almost four weeks. She has not had any residual effects or setbacks, and the typical phantom pain associated with a lost limb has also faded. We feel this is because of the nerves being reconnected and assisting the bionic leg in its motion. The brain no longer can tell that it was missing a limb.”
Paulette paused a minute then continued. “We’re pleased to offer more types of limb replacements as we continue to grow as a company. It’s my hope that seeing this successful prototype will convince you of its wonderful benefits to those who have lost a limb and that you’ll be willing and eager to continue to fund this project. Thank you very much for listening and taking this into consideration.” Paulette concluded her presentation and sat back down. She hoped that she had impressed the group enough to get favorable consideration for further funding.
Col. Leamon stood. “Well done, Miss Brown. Sgt. Shaffey, can you please stand so the committee can look at you.”
Nodding her head yes, Karen pushed back her chair and stood up.
“Thank you. Please take five steps backward and stop. Then I’d like you to complete the following battery of tests. First, I’d like you to complete ten squats, then stand on the bionic leg with your other leg lifted. Next, I’d like you to walk around the room as you normally would. When you reach your seat again, you may sit down.”
“Yes, sir, no problem.” Karen pushed her chair to the side and stepped backward five steps, completed the ten requested squats with ease, and then stood for one minute on her bionic leg, perfectly balanced. Once she completed this, she walked around the committee members till she reached Col. Leamon’s chair. She stopped, clicked her heels in place, stood at attention, and saluted the colonel.
Col. Leamon grinned as he returned the salute. Then Sgt. Shaffey did an about-face, went back to her chair, sat down, and scooted the chair up to the table.
Col. Leamon looked pleased with the results. “Very good. I can’t see any difference. Other than you’re showing off how long you could balance on the leg, we wouldn’t know that you even had a bionic leg. We’ve got one last request. We’d like to see your legs and how well the integration went.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. I can lift my skirt up a bit so you can see.”
“Thanks, please proceed.”
Karen pushed back her chair, stood and walked to the end of the conference table. She lifted her skirt a few inches, then asked, “What would you like me to do next?”
“Could you walk around and let each of the committee members see your legs.”
“Sure.” Karen began walking and stopping at each of the committee members’ chairs. When she got to the skeptic Jill Sikes, she paused long enough for her to take a really hard look.
“Wow, this is amazing. I can’t even see any scarring.” “Which leg is the bionic one?” Jill asked.
Karen coyly played out the scene by asking, “Which one do you think it is?”
“Well, I don’t know. If I had to guess, I’d say the right one. But we all know it’s the left one, based on your earlier demonstration. They did a remarkable job with the integration. There is no way to tell, just by looking, that you ever lost your leg, or that it was replaced with a bionic one. Amazing!”
“Thank you."
Karen continued her walk around the room till she came to her chair. Sitting back down, she waited to hear what she was to do next.
“Thank you for the demo, Sgt. Shaffey. Would you two mind stepping out of the room and going back to the waiting area while we discuss the information presented to us today?” The colonel gestured to the open door.
“Okay,” Paulette said.
Karen and Paulette headed out of the conference room and sat down in the same chairs they had been in before.
“Do you think they were impressed?” Karen asked.
“Yes, I think they were, but I’m still concerned about what the committee will say now that they have seen how well it works.”
Paulette wasn’t the type to get hopeful about anything until she knew for certain. They waited patiently, for what seemed like an eternity, before hearing the secretary’s voice.
“Paulette, Karen, they’re ready for you. Please head back into the conference room.”
“Thanks,” they echoed, as they both stood and walked to the conference room doors.
They went back to the same seats as before and sat waiting to hear what Col. Leamon had to say about the committee’s decision.
Col. Leamon addressed them again. “Miss Brown, Sgt. Shaffey, it was great having you both here today. The committee and I have looked over everything you’ve presented and discussed the remarkable capabilities of the bionic leg that Sgt. Shaffey now has. We’ve decided to continue funding your project and hope you can help thousands more with your extraordinary technology.” He paused briefly.
“That being said, I’d like to ask you to prioritize this procedure for our injured military so they can get back to action, if they so choose. Then our veterans should be next. If you’ll do this, we’d be willing to assist civilians who could never afford such a blessing by paying for their limb replacements and aftercare. What do you think?”
Paulette sat there for a few minutes, pleasantly shocked, but also pondering the idea of allowing the military to dictate who got bionic limbs first and who got them last. However, the fact they were willing to assist those too poor to have this technology was a plus. She wanted to help as many people as possible. She wished Greg were there to help with the decision. She had to decide today.
“Well, Col. Leamon, I’ll have to admit I don’t like the military directing me on what and how I do things; however, I like the idea of you helping the less fortunate.”
“Let me assure you, we won’t be dictating what and how you do things. We’d just like our troops and veterans to have priority. That’s all.”
“So, if we determine that a particular person is not a candidate for the limb replacement, you won’t insist that we do it, anyway?”
“Absolutely not. I don’t understand the whole process, but from what I can see here, there are some strict requirements to be followed to ensure the best success. Am I correct in my assessment?”
“Yes, you’re correct. We wouldn’t turn down an injured soldier unless there wasn’t enough remaining nerve, muscle, or tendons to make a good connection with the bionic limb. Hopefully, in the not-so-distant future, we’ll be able to help everyone who needs a new limb. For now, though, we need to keep it to the ones we know can have the best success.”
Paulette glanced at Karen. “They have been through enough already, and to give them false hope or to have it fail would be catastrophic for them. I do have to admit that even we are not perfect and something like this could happen anyway, but we’d like to take every precaution to prevent that from happening.”
“I understand where you’re coming from, Miss Brown, and let me assure you again that you’ll be in full control of your company. All we ask is that you provide us with a yearly update on the progress being made so we can justify our continuing support. Will this be acceptable to you?”
She thought for just a moment before giving her answer. “Yes, your terms are acceptable, and I look forward to working with you and the rest of the committee members. Thank you so much for believing in me and our company.”
“It’s our pleasure. This meeting is adjourned. Again, thank you for coming in and for fulfilling your promise to us,” he said.
“You’re welcome.”
Paulette and Karen packed up and headed back to the car — two very excited young women who couldn’t wait to go celebrate. “We need to go pick up Greg, so he can celebrate with us,” Paulette said with a giggle.
Karen smiled. “I would love for you to meet my physical therapist. His name is Roger. He was so supportive of me during my physical therapy, and I feel he deserves to celebrate with us. I don’t think I could have done it without him. Besides, I kind of like him, and this would give me a chance to be with him, without being by myself.”
“I’d love to meet him.”
“Great. Let me give him a quick call.”
Paulette tried hard not to listen in to the conversation as Karen talked to Roger, although that was difficult being in such close quarters.
Karen hung up and said, “Roger says he’s available.”
“Great. We can make it a double date if you’d like.”
They headed back to the University campus to pick up Greg, and then stopped by Roger’s house to pick him up.
Next stop was a local pub in downtown Seattle to celebrate. They ate dinner and enjoyed the music.
Greg hollered over the music, “I can’t believe we’ll be able to continue our work.”
Paulette barely heard him and yelled back, “Yeah, I was quite pleased with the outcome today, and Karen was great. Can you believe she stood balanced on the bionic leg for one minute?” Paulette glanced at Karen. “I think you were showing off a little, don’t you?”
Smiling, Karen hollered to be heard over the music, “Well, yeah, why wouldn’t I? Besides, if there was any doubt in their minds that this wasn’t my leg, I think doing that kind of erased them.”
Roger piped up, “Man I wish I could have been there to see their faces when you did that.”
“I think you’re right on that account Karen,” Paulette yelled. Looking to Greg, she continued to speak in a raised voice, “So Greg, now we can start working on other limb replacements, like hands, feet, and other important body parts. Oh, and they said they’d pay for civilians who couldn’t afford it, as long as we helped the military soldiers and veterans first.”
Greg sipped his Diet Dr Pepper and placed it back down on the counter before answering. “Awesome, can’t wait to get started.”
Paulette was in deep thought when Greg interrupted her. “Hey, what are you thinking about?” he said over the music again.
“I’m thinking of getting a puppy once I quit school.”
“A puppy? You think you’ve got time to take care of one?”
“Yes and no, but it would be with me at the office so it should be a little easier.”
“Yeah, I can see it now. We’ll all have to share taking it out to potty.”
They spent the rest of the evening drinking sodas, dancing, and enjoying the ambiance of the music. With the remaining end-of-semester tests continuing Monday, they’d need to head out soon to get some rest.
The next week was incredibly stressful with the tests, but Paulette wasn’t too worried about them. She was more concerned about establishing the production processes for the prosthetics they would be offering. Not only did she need to look for additional people for positions that needed to be filled in her new company, but she also would need to evaluate all the new candidates.
One thing she desperately needed was a marketing manager and promoter. She couldn’t think of anyone better than Karen to fill both these jobs. She decided to call her and offer her the position.
“Hey, Paulette, what’s up?” Karen asked after answering her phone.
“I’m calling to see if you would like to work full time for us as our marketing manager and product promotion person. The pay and benefits we’d be offering you are excellent. What do you think?”
“Wow! I’m honored. I’d love to. I should certainly be qualified to promote the product since I’m wearing it.”
“That’s great. It’ll be awesome having you on the team. When can you start?”
“Well, I need to give at least two weeks’ notice to my current employer, and then I can start. However, I can come by and do some part-time stuff after my shift at my current job.”
Paulette could hardly wait for Karen to start. “That would be great. See you tomorrow night?”
“Sure, I’ll be right over after work,” Karen replied.
Relieved to have that position filled, Paulette headed out to take her final college tests.
Tuesday night Paulette met with Karen to go over the pay and benefits package and what she expected her to do in her new job. “We’re offering you a salary of a hundred thousand dollars a year to start, with a full health benefits and retirement package. Is this acceptable to you?”
Dimples appeared as a wide smile spread across her face. “It sounds like a very generous package.”
“I’m glad you like it. There’ll be increases each year to compensate for the rise in cost of living.”
“Very nice. What does the job entail?”
You’ll oversee marketing of our products to the military, VA, and the public. Keep in mind, pricing is based on what is needed and the extent of the required surgery. We only need to worry about the bionics, not the surgery, but I’m sure people will ask. Also, we’d like you to set up small conferences where you can demonstrate the product and show the different types of bionic limbs and member parts as they become available. Do you have any questions?”
Karen swiped away a bead of sweat from her brow before it dropped into her eye, and said, “Wow, that’s a lot to do. I’ve never done marketing, but I think a little on-the-job training will get me up to speed. The rest should be easy as pie.”
“Good, we want this company to go far in helping others, as well as making plenty of money.”
“I don’t see a problem with helping you achieve those goals,” Karen said.
“That’s great,” Paulette said as she got up and shook Karen’s hand. “I’ll see you soon, and we can get started with your training.”
“I look forward to it. Thanks again for all you’ve done for me. I appreciate it.”
“It was my pleasure.”
