Anton_Cloche

Good thing for Josh it was the standard hospital issue 'one-piece' aluminum cane and not a folding version. Those don't even work as nunchucks. 😮

WHOA. Who are you, and what have you done with @Jeff Burton? More importantly what have you done with 16 year old Josh (aka Joshua Thomas Quinn alledgedly born Oct. 19, 2008, 'B-More' MD, possibly aka 'Carrington-Lindsay'?). Josh's sudden and instant awakening at 03:17 and on full sentry/defense mode. Military precision, no wasted motions, no pause to consider next actions. Just a switch flipped ON, and Josh being 1000% aware of every detail, just like a trained 'operative'? BTW, those expecting a 'tox-screen' on the suddenly dead patient in Room 617, may be sorely disappointed. First, that 'patient' was not on 'monitors' so no alarms sounded when he suddenly died. Second, after "five-ten, one-sixty-five, black hair, bright green or blue eyes, average build, wearing blue scrubs ... entered room 617 with what appeared to be a syringe." Josh 'engaging' in a life ir death struggle with the other guy in plainclothes, unknowingly provided the extra few minutes for whatever was in that syringe to kill the man in room 617. And while an overdose of say 'Digoxin' can cause a heart to stop, it would take at least 50ml in an IV to perhaps do so quickly. Something that could cause a heart to stop would be inejected air into an IV, causing an Air Embolism and a heart attack or stroke, but the amount of air injected would have to be significant to cause sudden death. So ... tick, tick, tick. @Jeff Burton is there a follow up chapter appearing Friday with a weekend cliffie? (versus 'Cliff Notes' which would be perhaps helpful?).

"The names have been changed to protect the innocent." Unfortunately in this story, "the innocent" in all likelihood is Josh, who doesn't remember that his Mom and Dad (biological or adoptive) were in the car with him and died trapped in the inferno he dragged himself from. Josh doesn't yet remember Rachel Carrington and Garrett Lindsay as the loving parents who raised him and tried to protect him when things went horribly wrong on a snow-covered two-lane section of I-81 near Charlottesville (ed. Close to Roanoke VA I know well). Was it an accident on a family weekend vacation? Were they running for their lives? Or did they just not see the vehicle looming close behind them? As the FBI investigate the missing couple, Josh has no idea his soon to be foster Dad VA. State Trooper Kincaid is the brother (?) of FBI Agent Greg Kincaid. But is Josh a target? 😥

Hmm? Why does this seem familiar? Oh I remember, a 'certain' Chapter 3 comment and visual CLUE ((exit sign?(. Sometimes a 🔬 beats a 🔎 which beats 👀 searching for clues, reading between the lines. Or ...? Nice doggy.

Let us not forget, we have been told / shown / alluded to, in other "wolf" tales, including those of @Laura S. Fox that clairvoyants and other 'seers' have been said to represent and/or be in league with underworld entities. Entities that want to see 'packs' destroyed to serve their own purposes. If as Theodore said to Ryder: “My pack,has been gone from the face of the Earth for decades now,” why did Cassandra lie to Ryder and put Ryder's Pinemoor Pack existence at similar risk of demise? Theodore licked his lips, while his fangs began to grow. “Cassandra. I know of the name. So, she must have sent you to finish the job.” Ryder narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?” Theodore ... “I have a personal beef with clairvoyants. I know, I haven’t mentioned it before. But now, it’s evident why she sent you here.” Ryder ... If he put two and two together, ... felt tempted to believe that clairvoyants like Cassandra had something to do with Theodore’s pack’s demise, and that made no sense. Clairvoyants were never that powerful. Or was she? And serving the most powerful demon... Has Ryder survived the fall from such a great height? Will morphing into his full alpha form help him survive? Recover?

Let's just hope there isn't a setback coming for Stephen or anyone else. With PTSD, especially 'traumatic' ones, there is often a 'trigger' that can seem unrelated to the original event(s) and yet still causes a bad reaction even many years later. Another well written chapter @Lee Wilson. Just waiting to see if there are any legal surprises coming.

OWWW. Boy do I ever remember that ".. loud pop, the loudest yet. Somewhere low in my body. Hip, joint, spine, maybe all of the above. For a terrifying second I was almost sure something had broken." Other Pops" and the sensations of things 'wakng up'. And the pain, both from Physio but rehab was worse. And the satisfaction of 'doing' things myself, but followed with concern over what comes next. All the things Josh is going through and will continue to go through, but with one major difference. I knew me! Josh doesn't have that, and it remains the biggest obstacle and the biggest loss to deal with. You've nailed all of that in this chapter @Jeff Burton . but now comes perhaps the hardest part for Josh, and for Trooper Daniel. Finding the missing 'parts' and piecing together the 'whys' and 'hows' of what happened in the first place, that put Josh here. And the 'who, if there is one, is behind this. And still, very strange questions keep coming up, like when DSS Case Worker Nathalie, talking about getting Josh back in school says: “I still haven’t found records." In this day and era when computers have a wealth of knowledge, especially since fingerprints in state and federal databases should have the missing information? And there's Josh eventually going "home" with the Kincaids in time for Christmas, which causes this sad reaction from Josh: "I don’t remember having a mom,” I said quietly. “Or what one’s supposed to feel like.” Much more to come. Hopefully soon to fill in the blanks, find out what really happened, (who was in that second car when the Josh's family went off the road, into the trees and burst into flames)., and if Josh is in danger when his memory returns.

"The site isn't porn"? What did I miss? Two men each enter one of two dark cubicles that are side by side. There's a hole in the wall between the cubicles for them to 'talk' to each other. One man kneels facing the other and confesses, anonymously. Each is looking for 'something'. Guidance? Submission? Permission? Supplication? Forgiveness? In the end, they part and go their separate ways. Perhaps to come again? Bless me Father for i have ... Damn!

Steps in the right direction towards recovery @Jeff Burton? A name makes working on recovery somewhat easier. But feeling it doesn't fit? That's not uncommon with those suffering from amnesia, especially resulting from trauma. It can be like putting together a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle that's mostly sky or water. When DSS Case Worker Natalie Rhodes arrived with information about our 'John Doe'; to put a name to a face, so to speak, the information to 'Josh' about "Josh", not only didn't feel "right", it caused this: "My body jerked. Just a little, like something inside recoiled". Natalie caught the movement. 'Recoiling' is an instinctive reaction usually from fear or disgust. From something that feels wrong. It's often a trigger of the innate 'fight or flight' mechanism. Natalie said: "...your name is Joshua Thomas Quinn. You were born October 19th, 2008, in Baltimore Maryland.” Josh let that information sink in. "But it felt wrong. Like wearing someone else’s clothes, technically a fit, but not mine. “It doesn’t feel right,” I said quietly. “I mean… it’s not a bad name. But it doesn’t feel like mine.” And States don't get information wrong, but although Josh's fingerprints match those on file for a child adoption, there is: “No baby picture, no family photo. Just legal paperwork. Birth certificate, adoption decree..." So no face to match a name? Also no school or other records. No history. Like it was put together to fit a profile? Better news arrives with Trooper Daniel Kincaid that gives both him and Josh some much needed relief. Daniel and his family want to 'foster' Josh once he's well enough to be released from hospital. And Daniel isn't concerned that Josh might be gay, since the older of he and his wife's two sons is gay. So Josh has a safe place to live, protected by a Virginia State Trooper. Hmm, snow covered road, somewhere in northern VA, close to MD where Josh's "legal paperwork" originated.

And with that, a neglected Editor's forgotten drawer pops open and a poem fell out. Written by Sir Walter Scott in 1808, it begins with the phrase: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive”. I am not implying that @Jeff Burton is trying deceive us or lead us astray. Perhaps we mis-red something. Or we're just hard of herring. 😉 Now "deceive" doesn't literally have to mean "lie". But it may mean that complications arise from a domino effect of constructing one thing to explain another, only to eventually run out of control.

When Trooper Daniel returns he will bring both good and sad news. Despite the dashboard and driver's door frame VIN # being destroyed by the fire (more on that 'too big' conflagration later), since all vehicles after 1987 have VIN # etched on the engine block, transmission and other parts (+2), they were able to identify the owner and DNA matched his parents. Which means they know know his identity. Police were also able to locate CCTV traffic video showing his parent's car being followed, and a license plate. 📹

The road to slow and steady recovery, suddenly takes a curve and heads down QAF Liberty Avenue 🏳️‍🌈 ? "My brain exploded with images. Rainbow flags. Rainbow confetti. Rainbow fireworks. Marching drag queens at Pride. Except it was worse. They were all in perfect formation, marching like it was a Communist military parade. Boots stomping in unison. Behind them came the bears, (OH MY), who were being chased by twinks with daddy issues. One of them turned to me in my mind’s eye, winked, and shouted, “YEP! STILL GAY!” And now, our “Sixteen?” year old victim, who still has no clue WHO he is, makes a sudden revelation to Nurse Rodney that, “I think I’m gay,” I muttered. Better a 'cute' "I’ll be your primary RN during day shift, nurse Rodney", than Nurse Ratchet from 'Cuckoo's Nest'. (You can now ALL stop drooling over visions of Sponge Baths. Shame on you 🙄.)

@Jeff Burton you have hooked us from the 'get go'. A young boy, a backseat passenger in a (family?) car, barely survives a wreck, extricates himself and drags himself from certain death to imminent one? But before the blackness swallows him: "...a whisper in the back of my mind: Don’t forget me". Before that happens, and in the struggle to free himself from a death trap: "...something slipped free from my jacket pocket, brushing past my hand on the way down. It hit the door beneath me with a dull clink. Small. Metal. I didn’t know what it was, but something in me did. A flicker of importance sparked in the back of my mind...'that thing matters', a voice whispered". Not the 'thunk' of a cellphone, but that "... dull clink. Small. Metal." Perhaps an ID bracelet? And then, the description from Trooper Daniel of the car to Doctor Leah: “No. You got anything from the car?” Daniel shook his head. “Plate was charred, VIN barely readable. The whole thing is ashes. We uh found two bodies inside the car, the driver and front passenger. No ID on either yet.” Leah frowned. “His Parents? He didn’t strike me as a runaway.” "Probably. The way that car crashed, it was at high speeds." "In that weather?" Leah asked. "We found a second set of tracks near the scene that don't match up." "So what, they were being chased?" "Possibly. But there's no witnesses, no cameras, hell there's nothing at this point. Just a car that didn't stay on the road." Who was chasing the boy and his parents? Intent on running them off the road? To kill them all? Road rage or something more evil?

A promise as legally binding as the paper it's not written on. Even IF it was a written agreement, it would not stand up in any Court when involving a possible minor.

From what I know (don't ask) when the mental flood gates open, the deluge can be overwhelming to say the least. For Leon it will be reliving what happened when Mark raped him as a young boy. His previous counselor(s) will know how to address ongoing PTSD. For Steven, it could be horrendous to (a) re-live what he did in killing Mark to save Leon, and (b) figure out how to live with that and the PTSD which will affect him going forward. Michael will be a key player in Steven's recovery and "Living with it." IF / when Steven visualizes in his dreams (more than likely) what he saw when he repeatedly shot Mark, that's often life long baggage. 💓🙏 Well written chapter handled with empathy Lee. On a lighter topic, as for "the back 9", if there's enough grass acreage, loan it out to some hobby farmer with sheep or goats. They won't overgraze, and you might strike a deal in return for fresh Goat (or Chèvre) Cheese 🧀 or perhaps lamb chops 🍽️ ?

And that's the FATE that most readers hate, or so it would seem. Especially among those hoping for a condom failure. However, if lycanthropy lore is accurate and to be believed, (oh wait this IS fiction, despite how well @Laura S. Fox weaves her stories), the exchange of Ryder's bodily fluid's with(in) Daniel, whether by accident or design, wll not affect a change: "It is said that humans can be turned into werewolves by having been bitten by another werewolf. Getting 'scratched' (or exchanging 'other' fluids. - Ed) ... these only worked if the werewolf in question (Ryder) is in wolf form." (https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werewolf#:~:text=It is said that humans,question is in wolf form.) @Summerabbacat provided other options to consider in his recent comments, including: "This story just keeps getting hotter and hotter, more bewitching and more suspenseful with each passing chapter @Laura S. Fox. ". Thank you @Laura S. Fox for a superbly written chapter.

Somebody didn't pay attention in church or religion classes, or perhaps not a follower of "church" doctrine (all earning a 'D' grade); or worse, from a writing POV, failed research ? Ooh does that get less than an 'D-' Grade? At Confession, one starts with a prayer before stating their sins: "I confess to you Almighty God, I am heartifully sorry for having offended you, in my thoughts, words and deeds; in what I have done and what I have failed to do and I detest all my sins because of your just punishments. But most of all because I have offended you, My God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your forgiveness, to sin no more and to avoid further sin. Amen". (or similar worded prayer depending on Church). The good (?) Father doesn't get to choose which sins. It's not a multiple choice quiz, or a buffet menu. 'Father Warren was a homosexual. The good Father’s cock was at full attention. He couldn’t wait to get home and whack off, but he also wanted details to help him achieve the maximum masturbation fantasy. He certainly knew that his church frowned upon any sexual activity outside of marriage, including masturbation, but he also knew that if he was to maintain his vow of celibacy, masturbation was necessary. HE CHOSE WHAT HE CONSIDERED TO BE LESSER OF TWO SINS (?). He consoled himself with the knowledge that everyone did it, and God could not punish everyone'. Father Warren is using a version of Occam's Razor theory (named for 13th Century Franciscan Friar Occam, as choosing "The lessor of two evils") to excuse himself from sinning. And sliding while sitting on a razor's edge? He won't need to worry about the his sexual sins for long. And the church considers Occam's Razor as an act of Parsimony, also a sin. Class Dismissed

Thank you Calvin @CLJobe for this story about young David C. McLavic, who chose a different path (or road) from that of his archaeologist father to become an architect. David's travels down life's road to wind up at Crystal Lake, introduced him (and us) to many people who affected his life, including 'Uncle Joe', his early soulmate (?) Clay and finally to Bobby (David's protege now living with David's father while Bobby pursues his own architect's degree at university, before rejoining David, at work). I think there's definitely enough groundwork laid for a sequel. Finally, this 47th (+ ?) story of yours reminds me of The Beatles 'Long and Winding Road' that says in part: "The long and winding road, That leads to your door. Will never disappear, I've seen that road before. It always leads me here, Leads me to your door". Finally (perhaps not?), after 1,895,438 words across 47 stories, you still have a few stories listed with either "temporary hold" or "long-term hold". Stories where perhaps your 'muse' took a break, but like Hansel and Gretel, left a trail of crumbs to follow. Or the annoying buzzing in your ear (not me, more a friendly 🐝 and not an annoying mosquito 😉, egging you on. 😂 ). Take Care. Be well. 🫂

Coming SOON Lee ? We're kind of hanging by our fingertips here, waiting for: 'Stephen started shaking uncontrollably. “Stephen, what’s wrong?” Thomas cried out, “We need a medic out here! Stat!” I'm guessing Stephen's going into shock just 'crashing' down from the Adrenaline High he experienced. 🫰 🙏

Checked out 'Trash Compactors' in Want Ads (don't make me explain what those are too people who'll never experience paper cuts 😬) or Online Ads? Up to 200% more garbage in one compressed block.

'Civic's' and History weren't favorite classes, or worse, school board had them as "electives' (choosable / optional classes)? BTW, anyone want to hazzard a guess which Elected Officials chose NOT to take harder 'Elective' or AP classes. You will be shocked.

So at 15, Jeff was days away from being put into Military Prep school to straighten him out, and get rid of his problem behaviour. Now added to that is whatever he gets for 3 misdemeanors? Including "Theft Under", "Eluding / Evading Police" " Underage Drinking"; but hey, let's send him to Military Prep were he learns shooting to kill, combat training and other societal finer skills. "This is my weapon, This is my gun. One is for fighting, the other for fun." As for @Lee Wilson Ollie North comment, he did 'serve' vs C-I-C and DoD heads who did not.

@Jeff Burton, this chapter is riveting. And the depths to which Jamie's sperm donor has sunk? Rob deserves ALL the pain, suffering and hurt he has caused Jamie to come back onto him a thousand fold. That the police arrest and charge him. And while we're in the topic of just punishment for Rob (from a couple of lonely 6'5" 280# inmates); since Rob is probably wishing he'd never spawned Jamie; can we gift him a retroactive vasectomy with no anesthesia, performed by a "Dr" recovering from a 3-day bender, and using a rusty chainsaw?

@drsawzall is correct. It is indeed critical that he gets legal help. File an assault report with police IMMEDIATELY, and speak with victim counsellor at the university as his father can be charged with a hate crime. "Get his ducks in a row", and be prepared to fight. (Not just for himself, but for every person who has faced the continued bullying, emotional and psychological, by his sperm donor). Oops, sorry for middle of the night rant. @Jeff Burton, another extremely well written chapter, one that has obviously reverberated with so many. Thank you.

@Jeff Burton take all the time you need in writing the chapters. As an editor I understand all the variables that can affect writing, and as a result, their ETA. To the impatient, the eager and those seeking instant gratification (You know the kind. The ones who stream all episodes of any online show and turn into frustrated Karen's demanding the next season be given to them "NOW" 😳). To them I offer the oft repeated phrase: "Good things come to those who wait" (and I'd add "PATIENTLY") Boo wah ha ha 😂.