Her brain kept insisting that either her perfectly healthy arms had to go or it would instead. A young woman shares her dark secret with the only person she knows who might understand, and, bypassing the legitimate medical community, finally gets what she needs to be truly happy.
Warning: Some people may find this story to be disturbing, and so it is intended for mature audiences only. If you are 18+, read at your own discretion. This is a fictional account of a young woman with a condition called body integrity dysphoria (BID), which is very real. People who have BID typically have an overwhelming, irrational need to be physically disabled in some specific way, a desire which began in childhood and has only become more intense over time. The desired disability is frequently, but not always, the amputation of one or more limbs.
Becoming Venus, Part 5 consists of the following chapters:
Chapter 12 – Getting Settled
One day, Savannah and Adam got to talking about their future. Adam and his quadruplet siblings would each be getting $250,000 from their parents and grandparents on their 25th birthday, which was only a few months away in October. They’d done the same for each of his older siblings, or in some cases a year or two earlier if there was a pressing financial need.
“I’m going to be getting that windfall soon,” Adam reminded Savannah. “I’m thinking the best use for it would be to put most of it down on a house. We can use some of the rest to make any modifications you think might be helpful, like putting in a shower big enough for you to sit down in so you can use your feet, or whatever else. Maybe I should also set some money aside to help you buy a car when you’re ready to start driving again, too,” Adam suggested.
“Thanks, but you don’t need to buy me a car, Adam,” Savannah replied. “I still have the cash from when I sold my old car, plus I have other savings I can use. But I’m on board with the rest of it. I suppose I need to start really thinking about what my must-haves and nice-to-haves are. I like the shower idea, though. I think we also need to make as many things as we can voice controlled, too.”
“Yes; very good idea,” Adam agreed.
“So what are your thoughts about how and when to make our relationship official – you know, actually getting married?” asked Adam. He knew that weddings were mostly about what the bride wanted.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” replied Savannah. “You’re already committed to spending the rest of your life with me, right? The wedding would just be a formality.”
“Absolutely,” replied Adam.
“Likewise for me,” said Savannah. “So, I don’t see any reason to drag out our engagement. Let’s just go ahead and get married and make it legal.”
“So what, then?” Adam asked. “Go get a marriage license this week and then have a courthouse wedding as soon as we get past the waiting period?”
“Oh, hell no!” Savannah replied, acting more indignant than she actually was. “I want a real wedding ceremony with a white dress and attendants and my father giving me away and all that. I just don’t see any point in waiting a year or more. I don’t see any point in waiting any longer than necessary to make the arrangements.
“Let’s face it; in my current condition, a blowout wedding where I invite every second cousin and great aunt and everyone I’ve ever been friends with since kindergarten is a bad idea. I think the guest list needs to be pretty much limited to people who already know about my amputations. Both of our immediate families and maybe a few of our goth and kink friends, and that’s about it. Granted, you have a big family, but still, that’s going to be a fairly small wedding.
“I was thinking maybe we could do it in the backyard of the big house, you know, the one you grew up in that Jazmyn lives in now. I don’t need an expensive, custom-made dress; I’ll be perfectly happy with a secondhand one, as long as it’s off the shoulder. You have a relative who’s a DJ, right? So, we’d need to figure out who our attendants would be and what they would wear, and line up an officiant and a florist and a photographer and a caterer and someone to bake the cake.”
“We’ll need to rent a big tent,” replied Adam. “You can’t just plan an outdoor wedding without some provision for rain.”
“Good point,” agreed Savannah.
“What if the bridesmaids just wore bridesmaid’s dresses they already have?” Adam suggested. “I think every girl in our age bracket probably has several hanging in their closet, and if they don’t, they could certainly find one easily enough. The groomsmen could just wear suits.”
“I like the way you think,” replied Savannah. “I’ve always hated that bridesmaid’s dresses can only be worn once. I have a couple of my own that someone could use; they’re at my parents’ house.”
“Why don’t we start trying to line things up and see what date ends up working best?” suggested Adam. “Out of all of the things you’ve mentioned, I bet getting a caterer would be the hardest to schedule, and of course, everything is dependent on you finding a dress. How about if you focus on those two things, and I’ll look into getting a tent and tables and chairs and whatnot and talk to my brother-in-law about deejaying.”
Right away, Savannah found a secondhand dress online that she really liked and was local. She arranged to see it and brought both Cara and Darcy along with her. All three of them loved it and it was just about a perfect fit. She contacted several caterers that had been recommended to her, and one of them had the capacity to accommodate a small event on a date six weeks out. Otherwise, it was going to be a long wait unless there was a cancellation.
Savannah discussed it with Adam, and neither of them saw a reason not to do it that soon if their family members were free or could get freed up that day. They sent out mass texts explaining the situation, and everyone already had that date free or could readily get out of whatever they had planned for that day. Renting a tent and tables and chairs wasn’t going to be a problem. They went ahead and locked in that date, knowing full well they still had to line up a few other services.
Savannah asked her now 19-year-old sister Bekah to be her maid of honor, and Cara and Darcy to be her bridesmaids. Adam chose his fellow quadruplet Brock as his best man and his older brothers Quentin and Trevor to be his groomsmen.
Being a small wedding, Savannah had no problem lining up a florist and a baker who could accommodate them. There was no shortage of available officiants, but the couple didn’t want some rando marrying them; they wanted someone they had a connection with. Conversely, they couldn’t seem to find an available photographer to save their lives.
They put out an appeal to their respective families to help them find an officiant and a photographer. Once they did that, it didn’t take long for them to nail both down. Jazmyn’s husband Victor volunteered to officiate the wedding. He’d have to get certified to do that, but that was a simple process. Adam knew Jazmyn and Victor were devout Christians, and so he explained that he and Savannah wanted a completely secular wedding without any religious references. Victor understood and was willing to do that. The photographer was someone just starting out but highly recommended by Adam’s DJ brother-in-law.
Bekah asked Savannah what the couple were going to do about wedding rings. Savannah realized that she hadn’t even given that a thought. She considered the question, and decided she definitely wanted Adam to wear a wedding ring; she wanted other women to know that he was already taken. She was less certain about whether she should wear something to indicate she was married. Savannah discussed the matter with Adam, and he was in complete agreement about him wearing a wedding ring. He also thought Savannah should wear a plain gold ring on the fourth toe of her left foot to indicate her marital status, assuming it wouldn’t interfere with her using her feet as hands. Savannah didn’t think that would be an issue, and so they agreed to do both.
The next thing Savannah had to consider was how to walk down the aisle with her father and back up the aisle with Adam. She obviously couldn’t walk arm-in-arm with them, but it didn’t seem right to just walk side-by-side, either. She settled for having her father put his hand on her back as they walked together, and Adam putting his hand on her hip. As far as a bouquet went, she’d just do without one, instead wearing a fairly large corsage on one side at her waist. Her bridesmaids would carry bouquets, however, so they’d have something to do with their hands.
After six weeks of scrambling to put together a small but complete wedding, the actual event was anti-climactic. It felt almost like a normal family gathering except that it was more formal than usual. As far as weddings went, though, it was quite informal. Since neither Adam nor Savannah were religious, there was no prayer or scripture reading or hymns or the like. Since the attendees were nearly all close family members, there was no need for Victor to elaborate on how the couple met or what he thought of them.
Instead, the wedding ceremony was just like the wedding planning: quick and efficient. Adam and Victor stood in front of the seated attendees. The DJ played the processional music, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen came down the aisle, followed by Savannah and her father. Mr. Ewing made eye contact with Adam and said to him, “Good luck, son,” as he shook his hand, and then sat down next to his wife on the front row.
Victor then addressed the crowd, saying. “Well, we all know what we’re here for, so let’s get to it.” Everyone laughed at this unexpected greeting. “Adam, do you take this woman before you, Savannah Ewing, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Adam smiled as he looked into his bride’s eyes and said confidently, “I do.”
“Savannah, do you take this man before you, Adam Farris, to be your lawfully wedded husband?” he asked.
“I do,” Savannah said just as confidently, never breaking eye contact with her man.
Victor then said, “Adam and Savannah, you may now exchange your vows to each other.”
Adam went first. “Savannah, from this day on, I humbly accept the privilege and responsibility of always protecting you, always providing for you, always loving you, always remaining faithful to you, and always putting your interests above my own, until my dying breath.” Brock then handed him a ring. “This ring is a token of this promise I’ve made to you,” he said. Savannah slipped off her left shoe and held her foot up, and Adam placed the ring on her fourth toe.
Savannah then followed. “Adam, I pledge to you my undying love, my unwavering loyalty, and my complete devotion to you and your needs, wants, and desires to the best of my ability, for as long as we both live.” Bekah held out another ring. Savannah then said, “This ring represents my commitment to you.” Bekah placed the ring in Savannah’s mouth, and the armless bride manipulated it into a vertical position. Adam then held up his left hand, and Savannah placed the ring on his finger by taking it into her mouth and through the ring.
Victor then wrapped things up. “All right, then. By the power vested in me as a certified wedding officiant, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Adam, you may kiss your bride.”
Adam put his arms around Savannah and embraced her tightly as they shared a prolonged kiss.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Adam Farris!” proclaimed Victor, and the assembled guests stood and applauded the newlywed couple.
Despite the wedding being a small, backyard affair, Savannah was determined to have the full wedding experience as much as she could. However, she wasn’t going to try to feed herself using her feet with a wedding gown on, so she left it up to Adam and her bridesmaids to feed her her meal.
After dinner, she danced first with Adam and second with her father, but after that, she was up for dancing with anyone who asked, male or female, young or old, abled or disabled. She especially enjoyed dancing with Jazmyn’s daughter Valeria and Kaden’s adopted daughter Josie, aged 10 and 11, respectively, both born legless and in wheelchairs. Both girls enthusiastically moved their wheelchairs from side to side in beat with the music in their own way of dancing.
When it came time to cut the cake, Adam had to do it himself, and feed himself his own piece in addition to feeding Savannah hers. He then tossed her garter to the single guys and it was caught by his womb mate Brock.
Savannah had debated what to do about tossing the bouquet to the single girls. First, she didn’t have a bouquet to toss, and, just like trying to eat with her feet in a wedding gown, there would be no graceful way to toss it with her feet, especially over her head. She realized she would be wearing a corsage in lieu of a bouquet, so that could be tossed instead. But by whom, and if by her, how?
Savannah discussed this with her bridesmaids. All three were single and would be in the crowd trying to catch the corsage. She realized she needed another married woman to help her out and do the tossing for her. She couldn’t think of anyone more worthy of the honor than Jazmyn. Jazmyn was flattered to be asked and was more than willing to lend a hand, literally.
So when the time came, Jazmyn unfastened the corsage from Savannah’s waist, wheeled herself around to face away from the single women, and tossed it backwards over her head. Several of them in the front row lunged for it, and the corsage was inadvertently deflected to the back row, where it ended up in the hands of Darcy, who had no intention of trying to catch it. Everyone laughed as Darcy rolled her eyes and made a show of making it clear she didn’t want it.
After all that had happened in the previous year, as well as their upcoming anticipated move from an apartment to a house, neither Savannah nor Adam felt up to going on a big honeymoon. They eagerly anticipated the day when their lives settled down and gave them some semblance of normalcy again. They couldn’t just do nothing, however, so Adam booked a three night stay at a luxury hotel about an hours’ drive away from home. When life calmed down some, they agreed they’d go on a more substantial vacation to make up for the mini-honeymoon.
The time off away from everything, brief as it was, was very therapeutic for both of them. They made full use of the spa facilities and sauna and pool, not to mention the king-sized bed in their room. The masseuse at the spa was kind of weirded out by Savannah’s empty shoulders and seemed to not know what to do. By then, however, the incisions were healed and the tenderness was gone. Savannah encouraged her to just do what she normally did and not to worry about hurting her; she’d let her know if it was too much. As she realized that she wasn’t hurting Savannah, the masseuse steadily became more confident and increased the pressure. Savannah thought it felt amazing and told her so.
Once Adam had the windfall in his bank account, he and Savannah stepped up their house hunting from casual looking to being much more intentional about it. They brought in a real estate agent to help them with their search, and described what they were looking for and in what price range. As best they could, they explained Savannah’s specific requests to accommodate her disability.
The agent explained that in most cases a handicapped-accessible home meant that it was wheelchair friendly, with no steps, wide hallways and doorways, and large bathrooms with grab bars near the toilet and in the shower or tub. It was almost guaranteed that there would be nothing out there already suitable for an armless person. To get what they wanted, they’d either have to have a house custom designed by an architect and built accordingly, or to find an existing house that would allow them to easily make the modifications they desired.
Adam knew all along they wanted to go the latter route; despite the windfall, they didn’t have money for a custom home. The most practical way to give Savannah the large shower with a seat that she wanted was to get a house with a shower/tub combo in the master bathroom, and replace it with a large shower. Anticipating that they’d someday have kids, they also needed a second bathroom with a shower/tub combo that they’d leave as-is.
After about a month of seriously looking at potential homes in person, they found one they thought would work for them. The agent also connected them with a bathroom remodeling contractor, and they had the contractor look at the house, confirm that he could do what they wanted, and provide a written estimate. Armed with that information, they figured out the financing and determined that they had enough money to proceed. So, they took possession of the home and had the contractor make the bathroom modifications before they moved into it.
Simultaneously, they had another business make the house into a ‘smart home’ with as many devices as possible able to be controlled with either a phone or with voice commands. This enabled Savannah to do many things that she couldn’t do before, or could only do with difficulty. She especially appreciated that she could unlock and open the front door by just standing in front of the doorbell camera and giving the appropriate voice commands.
Chapter 13 – Officer Fetish
[Warning: This chapter contains a violent scene depicting a mass shooting. There's no death or gore, but nevertheless, this chapter may not be suitable for all readers, especially those who have been victims of violence or are easily triggered by depictions of violence.]
A couple of months after their wedding Adam and Savannah, or as they were known, Sting and Venus, were at a BDSM event held at a local nightclub. This particular type of event wasn’t a ‘munch’, where participants dress and behave in a socially acceptable manner, but neither was it a sex party where people would openly participate in sexual activity. It was something in between, called a ‘kink meetup’ where attendees were in full BDSM attire as much as public decency would allow, and were behaving in accordance with their roles short of engaging in sexual acts.
These were usually held on weeknights, and whatever nightclub was hosting it would be closed to regular patrons. This event was no exception. By mutual agreement between the event organizers and the nightclub, the sign in front simply said ‘Closed for Private Event’ rather than advertise what was going on inside. The nightclub got less flak from outraged citizens that way, and it less likely to attract people who might take matters into their own hands to drive the freaks and perverts out of their neighborhood. But those measures didn’t completely stop those who had a problem with kinksters and fetishists. Because of that, Adam carried his gun and refrained from drinking at such events.
That particular evening, the couple were seated at a table and enjoying a conversation with some acquaintances when there was a sound like someone setting off firecrackers outside the building. Most people inside who heard it didn’t think much of it, and didn’t do anything more than exchange glances and continue doing whatever they were doing.
However, Adam immediately reacted. He suddenly pulled Savannah to the floor while shouting, “All of you, get down and stay down!” and then ran towards the back wall of the room; the same wall that the main door was on. As he ran, he drew his handgun from its shoulder holster under his jacket with one hand, and pulled out his badge and clipped it to his belt with the other hand. He had his back against the wall, his gun pointed up, and he intently watched the entrance.
Adam noticed that another guy had done exactly the same thing against the wall on the other side of the door. He was obviously another law enforcement officer who’d been trained similarly, though Adam didn’t recognize him. The two men nodded in acknowledgement of each other. For the moment, they were partners who had each other’s backs, and both knew they were entrusting their lives to the other.
The music and conversation in the club continued. The two cops moved towards the door, when they and everyone in the room heard the same firecracker sound, coming from the lobby and much louder this time. Adam and the other cop knew it was gunfire the first time they heard the sound, but the patrons in the nightclub only realized it was a threat after the second burst. Suddenly everyone was screaming and running for the emergency exits in a panic. The two cops both pointed their weapons at the door, very much aware that by doing so they were also pointing them at each other.
Savannah and the people she was with had gotten under the table as soon as Adam told them to get down, but when the panic ensued some of them got up and also tried to escape. Savannah quickly decided to obey Adam’s order to stay put. Without arms, she was more in danger of being hurt in the stampede than from the gunman.
Then a man with an assault-style rifle burst in the room and started lowering his weapon toward the crowd. The other cop shouted, “Police! Drop your weapon!” which drew the man’s attention. He spun toward the sound as he continued to lower his weapon. Adam then shouted, “Police! Freeze!” and gave him one second to comply before he fired his handgun. The gunman dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.
Both cops ran to the man with their guns drawn while keeping their eyes on him and also scanning the room and the lobby for any additional threats. Adam kicked the rifle away from the gunman and then picked it up while the other cop covered him. Adam then covered the other cop as he searched the man for additional weapons and secured his hands behind his back using a zip tie he carried in his jacket pocket.
The other cop guarded their prisoner and stayed alert for any additional threats while Adam handed him the rifle and cautiously went out the door and into the lobby with his pistol drawn. There were several people who screamed at the sight of his gun; two shot and wounded and a few others attending to them. Adam loudly said, “Police! Are there any other gunmen?” Everyone shook their heads and said no. He went to the front door and carefully looked outside, but saw no additional threat.
At this point, Adam pulled out his phone and quickly made a call as he kept an eye out the front door. He said into the phone, “This is Officer Adam Farris, badge number 552. Advise units responding to the Northern Lights shooting, plainclothes officers are on the scene! Repeat, plainclothes officers on the scene!” He knew if they were not aware of that, they’d be far more likely to shoot at anyone in civilian clothes carrying a gun. “One suspect down and in custody. Additional suspects unknown. Multiple casualties, number unknown. Dispatch EMTs.”
Adam kept the line open and the phone to his ear, but said nothing further. A minute or two later, he could hear multiple sirens approaching. After they’d pulled into the parking lot, he said into the phone, “Responding units are securing the scene,” and then put it back into his pocket.
As the other officers entered the front door with their guns drawn, Adam pointed his toward the ceiling and kept his other hand raised as well. “Police officer,” he announced to them. He then quickly advised them of the other plainclothes officer and the downed suspect just inside the main room and reported that he believed the inside of the building to be secure.
As much as he wanted to return to Savannah, Adam knew he first had to find the incident commander and give a report. He also knew he was going to be there all night. Adam found the IC and brought him up to speed, and then said to him, “I need to get my wife out of there. She should be under a table in the middle of the room, and she’s disabled.”
The IC got on the radio to the cops inside the building and instructed them to find and assist Officer Farris’ wife out of the building. He asked Adam to describe his wife. “She’s easy to spot; she has no arms,” he replied. Almost no one on the police force knew of Savannah’s disability. The IC couldn’t believe what he thought he heard and made Adam repeat it. He passed that information on, and he himself had to repeat it as well.
Meanwhile, the other off-duty officer was waiting to give his report. “I’m Sergeant Shane Kirk, State Highway Patrol,” he said to the IC and to Adam. He looked to be about 35 to 40 years old or so. Standing next to him was a woman about his age, who Adam presumed to be his wife or girlfriend. Sgt. Kirk gave the IC essentially the same account as Adam had just given.
Then he said to the IC, “I want to state for the record that this young officer here,” nodding toward Adam, “performed in an exemplary professional manner under chaotic and stressful circumstances. I credit him with saving not only my life but the lives of countless others in the building as well. When the suspect turned toward me, I attempted to fire my weapon and it jammed. Had he not been there and acted without hesitation in accordance with his training, you’d all be attending my funeral in a few days.” He looked directly at Adam and saluted him. “Thank you, officer,” he said. “It was an honor to work with you.”
Adam extended his hand and introduced himself. “Sergeant, I’m Officer Adam Farris, Springfield P.D.,” he said. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
The woman with Sgt. Kirk then reached for Adam’s hand and said to him, “I’m Kristen Kirk, Shane’s wife. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for having his back!”
“I’m sure he would’ve done the same for me had the tables been turned,” Adam replied modestly as she gave him a big hug.
Then a uniformed officer came forward with Savannah. “Adam, I found your wife,” he said to him. “She’s unharmed but rather upset.” At this, Savannah burst into tears and began bawling. Adam thanked the officer and then wrapped his arms around her, held her tight, and comforted her. He could feel her trembling with fear.
“It’s okay, baby,” he said to her. “It’s over now. Everything’s all right.”
“Oh, Adam, when I heard that gunshot, I was so afraid I’d lost you!” she said through her tears.
Sgt. Kirk spoke up. “Ma’am, that shot you heard was your husband neutralizing the threat and saving untold lives. He’s a hero, and you should be very proud of him!”
“Sergeant, you and I are both going to be stuck here all night, and Savannah’s in no condition to drive,” Adam said to him. “If your wife is up to it, would it be too much of an imposition for her to take her home for me? I’ll get a family member to stay with her.”
“Please, call me Shane,” replied the highway patrol sergeant. “Honey, are you up to driving this young lady home?” he asked his companion.
“I’ll be happy to. It’s the very least I can do,” his wife replied. “I can stay with her, too, if she’s willing.” She then addressed Savannah. “It might be best if you’re with another police wife tonight, sweetie.”
“Okay,” Savannah replied. “Thank you. I think you may be right.”
On the way home, Savannah, still very emotional, asked Kristen, “How do you do it?”
“How do I do what?” Kristen asked in reply.
“I assume you’ve been married for a while, and your husband being a sergeant, he’s obviously been a cop for a good while. Your husband took the same risks that mine did tonight, putting himself in harm’s way, yet you’re so calm about it. I’m a blubbering mess; I can’t stop thinking about all the ways that tonight could’ve turned into a disaster for Adam and for me. So how do you do it?”
“I assume you’re not usually this upset about his job, right?” Kristen asked rhetorically. “How do you cope with all the other times he walks out the front door and into harm’s way?”
“I try not to think about it,” replied Savannah. “Every day he leaves for work, I tell myself it’s going to just be another routine shift like all the others before it. But I’ve never seen him actually working and in danger until tonight. Now I realize what any of those routine shifts could turn into in a split second. Every time he responds to a call, every time he makes a traffic stop, someone could try to kill him, and that terrifies me.” Savannah was so upset she couldn’t say any more; she just sat there and cried.
Kristen patted Savannah’s leg in an attempt to console her. “You weren’t there yet when Shane gave the incident commander his assessment of Adam’s performance. If I remember his words correctly, he said something along the lines of ‘he performed in an exemplary professional manner under chaotic conditions’ and ‘he acted without hesitation according to his training’.
“Adam isn’t some random guy who they happened to give a gun and a badge to and told to go catch bad guys. He’s obviously a highly trained, highly disciplined professional. He knew exactly what to do in a situation that would be terrifying for you or me and he had the wherewithal to do it. If any cop has an excellent chance to come home from his shift in one piece, it’s someone like him. Just like he did tonight. He didn’t even give that guy a chance to shoot at him or Shane; he dropped him in his tracks before he could even try. You can take comfort in all of that.”
Savannah said nothing in response.
“Every cop’s wife goes through something like what you’re experiencing tonight the first time their husband has a particularly dangerous call. You can consider this your initiation test for the cop’s wives’ club. Not everyone passes.
“If you don’t pass, then either your marriage is over or your husband’s career in law enforcement is over, or maybe both. You’ll force him to sacrifice one to try to save the other, and you might not like the choice he makes. Even if he does choose your marriage, he could resent that you forced him to make that choice enough that the marriage is doomed anyway.
“I’m telling you this to encourage you to be strong; to get the help you need to get through this. The cop’s wives club is a sisterhood; we’re all in this together and we do everything we can to support each other. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to drive you home and stay with you tonight. Someday, you’ll do that for another rookie cop’s wife.”
Savannah then said to Kristen, “You never answered my question: How can you stay so calm when your husband’s life was on the line?”
“You don’t even know the half of it, sweetie,” Kristen replied. “Another thing Shane said before you got there was that the gunman was turning toward him and preparing to aim his weapon at him. Shane tried to shoot first, but his gun jammed. He would’ve been a sitting duck if Adam hadn’t shot the guy before he could do anything. Shane’s life was much more at risk tonight than Adam’s was. If anyone has a reason to be traumatized by what happened tonight, it’s me.
“But here’s the answer: I already told you that I learned to trust my husband’s training and discipline and judgement to get him through a dangerous situation, or if I didn’t say it, I implied it. I realize that alone might not have saved him tonight. However, I’ve also learned to trust other cops’ training and discipline and judgement, too.
“Even though our husbands don’t work for the same police force and had probably never met before tonight, they immediately entrusted their lives to each other when then both reacted to the gunfire outside and sprang into action. That trust was not in vain, and Shane still standing upright is proof of that. If they can put their trust in each other to that degree, then I need to be able to do it, too.
“Do cops do everything right and still die in the line of duty? Yes, unfortunately. But the good guys win overwhelmingly more often than the bad guys, or else no one but crazy people would dare to be a cop. Cops are the bravest people I know, going out and facing danger every day. It only takes a fraction of that bravery for me to not obsess about Shane’s safety, and I choose to at least be that brave.
“People say things like, ‘Every day when he leaves for work may be the last time you ever see him’, and that’s true. But it’s also true for wives of plumbers and accountants and dentists and anyone else. Anyone can die in a traffic accident on the way to work or be randomly murdered or drop dead of a heart attack. I refuse to dwell on that sentiment just because my husband’s a cop.
“I know I rambled quite a bit, but does that answer your question?” Kristen asked.
“Yes, thank you; that was very helpful,” replied Savannah.
“Now I have a question for you,” said Kristen. “When Adam said you’re in no condition to drive, what exactly did he mean? Did he mean you’re too upset, or too tipsy, or armless?”
Savannah laughed. “Definitely the first thing, and maybe the second. I can drive a car without arms.”
“Really? I can’t even imagine that,” Kristen replied.
Savannah demonstrated from the passenger’s seat. “I use my right foot for the gas and brake, and I steer with my left foot, like this,” she said as she held her left foot up high, turning an imaginary steering wheel.
“And that’s legal?” Kristen asked.
“There are no laws that say you have to steer with your hands or that you can’t use your foot,” Savannah replied. “Adam made sure before he let me try. You just have to be in control of the vehicle.”
At this point, they arrived at Adam and Savannah’s home and Kristen parked the car. Savannah unlocked and opened the front door using facial recognition and voice commands via the doorbell camera and the two women entered the house. Savannah then offered Kristen a drink, which she accepted, but apologized for making her get it herself. Kristen got one for Savannah as well, and they each found seats in the living room.
Kristen then said, “If it’s okay with you, let’s take a break from talking about shootings and cop stuff. We can return to those topics later if you want, but for now, let’s talk about anything but that. I’m very curious about what happened to your arms, about what kind of kinks you and Adam are into, and whether the two are related.”
Adam was off work for a few days after that as they gave him time to decompress and also meet with a police psychologist to talk through the events of that evening and his thoughts and feelings about them. He also requested that Savannah receive counseling as well, as she was still quite traumatized, and that was granted without question.
The psychologist cleared Adam to return to duty, but he would be restricted to administrative duties until the investigation was completed with regard to his actions and performance that evening. Therefore, Adam was stuck at the station during that time. Every cop who had a reason to be in that building made a point of seeking him out and congratulating him on a job well done, which was great for his morale, as this was the first time Adam had ever had to shoot someone.
But the cats were also out of the bag regarding Savannah’s amputations and that they’d been attending a BDSM event. This resulted in lots of questions, and also lots of teasing and wisecracks, much of it good-natured but some of it rather insensitive. Like Savannah, and out of respect for her wishes, Adam refused to answer questions about the reason why her arms had been removed. His unwillingness to answer led to open speculation that it was somehow related to some extreme version of BDSM. Adam denied this, of course, but without providing an alternative reason, no one really believed him.
It took almost no time for someone to dub him and the highway patrol sergeant ‘Officer Fetish’ and ‘Sergeant Kink’, respectively, and the name immediately stuck. He knew he’d now be known as Officer Fetish and teased about having an amputee fetish for the rest of his career. The irony was that he didn’t even have any fetishes or kinks. However, it was a price Adam was willing to pay in order to keep Savannah’s secret.
Adam and Savannah became good friends with Shane and Kristen Kirk and saw each other regularly after that. Adam really liked being able to talk shop with someone from outside of his own department, and Kristen and Savannah naturally developed a mentor-mentee relationship with regard to being a cop’s wife. The Kirks came to understand that Adam and Savannah weren’t really into BDSM but attended alt lifestyle events because the people were readily accepting of Savannah.
As they got to know each other well, Savannah gradually warmed up to the idea of telling the Kirks about her BID and what she had gone through prior to her amputations. It was difficult for her to do that, but they were not at all judgmental or closed-minded, and Savannah’s story moved Kristen to tears. The two couples became even closer friends after that, and the Kirks came to deeply respect Savannah for her bravery and determination not just since the surgery, but also during the years leading up to it, and Adam for his selfless willingness to help her in every way possible.