I was looking over Raphael's shoulder. He got the straps done and was now working on the wing. He said, "OK. This is where I'm going to need your help." I said, "Oh really?" He nodded. "I need to see the length of your wing." I didn't exactly feel comfortable with the thought of him getting close to my wing. There were two people that I new of that got that close. One of them cut of my wing, the other helped in my healing by closing the wound.
Hesitantly, I removed my shirt and sat on the stool he provided. He said, "If you would, please extend it." I still hesitated, but I did it anyway. I jumped a little when I heard the sound of measuring tape being ripped out. I had to remind myself that that's all it was.
I could barely feel the wall with my wing. I heard him talk to himself. "Hm. Almost thirteen feet." He wrote it down on a piece of paper on the table. He then said, "I need to see if there's any way I can get you to move the wing once you have it. I want you to move your missing limb as if it was still attached. Alright?" I grunted and started flapping what wasn't there. He said, "Alright. That's enough. That's more than enough for the pressure sensors to detect."
I folded in my wing and said, "I really hope this little thing-a-ma-jig of yours works." He nodded. "Understood." he said.
For the next week, Raphael worked on the mechanical wing with barely any break. I tried to help with whatever I could. At one point one of our stomachs grumbled and we couldn't tell who's it was because we were both so hungry. I tried to eat as less as I could, but I couldn't fool him. "You must be going through a growth spurt. Don't worry about money, man, just eat whatever."
The eighth day came along, and we finally finished it. He tightened a screw into the base of it and said, "I think we're done." I was a little eager. I ripped the thing from the table and began to strap it on. "Whoa. Easy there, cowboy. Here." He helped in buckling the waist part. There was another strap going over my shoulder. Thankfully, Raphael thought ahead and put a cushion there. Raphael started to explain. "OK. As it turns out, the doctors didn't get all of your wing. There is a bone that acts as a lever for the wing to push outward. That one bone they didn't get. So, when you start flapping the pressure sensors will detect it and push out the wing. When you start flapping, the sensors will send the message and the wing will start flapping too. Go ahead, try it out."
I experimentally pushed with my severed side. The wing opened up and out. The light shown through the cloth and showed where the light, hollow metal pieces were placed where the bones should have been. I willed it to flap and it responded. It was perfect. If I couldn't feel the harness I would have thought I had my wing back. I was in shock and awe.
I looked at Raph. He was grinning. I felt my eyes getting wet. Then he said the thing I was thinking, "You want to go and try it out?"
I grinned. "Let's."
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