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Russell put the phone on the table and hugged Naomie tight. "What if he loses that leg, Naomie? You know what that means. What he'll have to go through.” Russell could barely stand to consider it. Riggs wasn't supposed to come home broken. He was supposed to one day tire of the danger and come home, all limbs intact, and join his brothers and sisters in running the family empire.
He was supposed to come home, fall in love, have kids and a good long life. "This isn't how it's supposed to be, Naomie. Not Riggs."
"I know. But we've got his back, Russ, and we'll find a way to help make him whole."
"It might not be that easy. You know he'll probably not be sent out again."
"No, I don't know that, but even if it's true, it's not the end for him. Not by a long shot."
Russell nodded. He didn't know how to make something like this right. In fact, he wasn’t sure that was possible, and if it wasn't, then what would happen to his son?
Naomie rose and pulled him to his feet. "Do you trust me?"
"You know I do."
"Then trust me on this, okay? You and Rich get him home, and I promise you, we'll put him back together. Maybe not as good as new, but as close as is human and technologically possible. Now, do you want lunch?"
"No, I'm not hungry."
"I know. I'm not either. I wish we could just go to Riggs.” Her eyes widened. "Hold on, why can't we?"
"I don't know. He's in a military hospital, and I don't know if–"
"Well, he's not a prisoner, and your brotheristhe President, so he's bound to have the clout to make it happen. And I need to talk to his surgeon like an hour ago."
"Why?"
"Because the sooner we get the prosthetics team on board, the better. We need to make sure it's our surgeon who makes the decision about his leg, and if it is decided that amputation is required, our surgeon will do it. Remember, we're not just talking about some device that slides on over what's left of his shin. We're talking about a mind controlled prosthetic leg."
"What are you saying?"
"Bionic, Russ. I'm saying bionic."
"That's not possible. Is it?"
"It is."
"How can you know that?"
"Because I developed the IMES."
"The…"
"IMES. Implanted myoelectric sensors. The IMES are surgically placed in residual muscle tissue and trigger movement via a receiver located inside the prosthesis. It's a process that takes place subconsciously, continuously and in real time."
"And in layman's terms, that means what for Riggs?"
"A limb as close to real as is possible. It's essentially a mind-controlled bionic leg. Adapting not just to the individual’s intentional movements, but also to intuitive actions. Russ, it's just a blink away from true integration."
"It sounds like science fiction."
"But it's not. It's real, and I'm getting Riggs into a program the moment he's back on home soil."
They spent the next hour speaking with Gunner, making travel arrangements for themselves, and Naomie spoke with the people she wanted to take Riggs to see. She was on the phone with them when Russell's phone rang.
He snatched it up. "Rich?"
"He's going to be on a plane tomorrow. One of his teammates, Gunner Hale, is escorting him home. Where do you want him taken?"