Wayne Gray

Awesome! I'm really glad you enjoyed it, Dave I loved this chapter, so that makes me smile. 🙂

Ohhhh ... you'll get to see exactly what "lesson" entails if you read the next one. 😄 Thanks for the comment!

It really was good. I enjoyed it as well.

If you like horror then don't skip this one. It sent a chill down my spine, and the imagery was just right. A nice addition to the genre, inspired by Lovecraft, but voiced in Thorn's own style. Give it a read.

Thanks for the comments, all of you. A little update: Still no call. I've dropped this into the lap of our compliance officer. He's talking about turning them over to CMS (the folks governing MediCal - California's version of Medicaid) for fraud. That could end them entirely if CMS decides to go after them. Good riddance.

I can't use the word "lovely" for this one. But ... grim, foreboding, inexorable all those come to mind. Well done, Thorn. *shiver*

Huck has been misled by a man who is supposed to know the way. Though we can see that he has doubts, and luckily he softened the approach the pastor wanted him to take. We'll see what develops there. And Harlan ... hehehe. Keep your eye on him.

The companies will always get their money, and it doesn't matter who is in the way.

Greed is an ugly beast and our system is run by it. I work right in the guts of it. I know what I'm talking about. We work so hard to deliver care to those who need it most, in such a flawed and damaged system ... and then we have these fuckers who bleed dry anybody they come in contact with. I'm not good company tonight. Sorry.

It's all woefully broken. There was a prompt ... it said: "Write a story about someone with the ability to heal wounds, but the healing took a horrible toll." The single response, because there was no other that bested it ... "The US Healthcare system"

I'll make them pay for it if they didn't. We will never send another test to them if this is true. This is my sphere. If I tell my boss this company is committing fraud and using the names of our providers to accomplish it, then they will never see the name of another of our patients. We'll see if that's necessary.

I keep hoping they're wrong. Maybe I got the wrong information, and they're just mistaken. If it's not the wrong information, then they're breaking all sorts of laws. There's a lot of financial incentive to do so, and getting caught will mean a fine - one that is easily offset by the amount they stand to earn from this practice.

I manage medical labs. Part of that management is I decide which tests ordered by our providers are integrated into our EMR (electronic medical record). Some will never be "mapped," as it's called, because they're esoteric, or just too rarely ordered; it takes effort and time to do this mapping, so we pick and choose which get added. Well at the request of a number of providers who particularly like this odd genetic-based test for cancer screening, I began the process of mapping this new item. Part of that mapping process includes digging up something called CPT codes assigned to the testing. So I contact the company. I ask for the codes, as they're not available on their website (an oddity I could overlook). This lady tells me, "Oh the CPT codes change based on payor. You know, the insurance." I sat there a moment, then finally found my voice. "So ... what you're telling me is based on how good someone's insurance is, your organization is picking and choosing which procedures to run, completely apart from the legal orders submitted by the provider?" Silence for a good twenty seconds. "Uh," *whispering to someone* "I think I need to give you to my supervisor." "That sounds great." "Please hold." "Sure." I'm put on hold. Five minutes later I get a guy. "Hi, I hear you have questions about our test?" "I sure do." I repeat my question, and add, "Feel free to tell me I'm wrong. Because unlicensed individuals making medical judgments based on financial situations is antithetical to everything my organization stands for. So I'd love to be able to tell my medical directors that isn't happening." Silence. Finally, a cleared throat. "I feel as if there's no good way to answer your question at the moment. I'll have to do some research and get back to you. May I have your phone number?" "Sure." I hung up after I gave him my number. Here we are. This ... right here, is why for profit healthcare is an abomination. Edit: 18 June 2020 - Still no call. I've dropped this into the lap of our compliance officer. He's talking about turning them over to CMS (the folks governing MediCal - California's version of Medicaid) for fraud. That could end them entirely if CMS decides to go after them. Good riddance.

Let's hope.

When I first saw this I laughed. Then like a weird lightning bolt ... I wondered if any other creature, alien or spirit ever looks at humanity, and feels the same way I did when I first saw the picture. Cut me some slack, it has already been a long week. And our neighbor has taken up drumming. *groan*

We have spoken about all of these aspects at one time or another throughout our time knowing one another on GA, but this is the first time I've seen it all in one place. It's a good reminder of the importance of tim in your life, and more ... a great lesson in how D/s works. I particularly find it incredible how you knew the moment where you had pushed tim out of his comfortable, submissive role. he stepped out of it because he had to - because you needed him to. he pushed past the fear - to make you see. To me, that is such a loving thing. Thanks for sharing, Mike.

Frankly, that picture taught me a lot in the span of a single paragraph.

I edited my original post just for you, Reader. Because "supporter" needs to be in there too. And yes ... it is really sad.

Thank you, Mike. You already know why I came about to write my story, but maybe others don't. I very intentionally chose Kent and stanley to be guys who explore and then adopt the D/s lifestyle. I did this for one huge reason. It was to atone for the misinformation that I myself had perpetuated concerning the Life. See the long blurb under the spoiler to read the whole story. We need to have the awareness - this writing club is specifically designed to increase knowledge of the dynamic (go read the very first post tim made when he started it). So if it feels like you're being preached at, well ... you are. That's the point of this place - to learn what D/s is and isn't. To show support for those who may wonder if the Life is right for them. Some visitors here need to be reaffirmed that the way they are is valid. The DiC may be the only place they feel accepted for their lives. So here in the DiC ... we are livers, learners, stewards or supporters of our D/s friends. It's not hard, but it can be immensely important in a world where even the gay community treats the entire Life as a fetish to be picked up and discarded as desired. FYI - I am not D/s. I've learned a lot, but I don't live it. I'm not an expert. I just want to be an ally to my friends and members who are marginalized by the larger gay (and straight!) community.

Thanks, Fae. And thanks for pointing me at tim and at MacGreg's work.

I spent a long time researching for my D/s couple in Fleeting Eternity. You, MacGreg's writings, and tim (along with his poetry - wow!) were immensely helpful in getting it done in a way that was respectful and as true to the "real" as I could make it. D/s is fetishized for entertainment purposes, when really it's a depiction of a way of Life that's already misunderstood. I figured if I'm going to write D/s then I need to do my homework with those who live it. Distrust of mainstream media in this case is healthy. I know I didn't get it perfect, but I did my best as a guy who doesn't live that Life.

You pretty much nailed Zampa's approach to her humans. Let's find out if you're right about Stefano! Thanks for the comment!

Thanks, KayDeeMac. 🙂 I'm so glad it was worth the wait. I think it wraps things up pretty well for everyone involved. There's a lot going on in the background even after the story ends, but that's to be expected. We can't peek into their lives every second! I'm excited about the story with tim too. We're working away on it. You be safe too. Thanks again.

This story is, by far the most emotional thing I've ever written. I don't write death into my stories without careful thought. I ask myself if there's a way to tell the story without it. In this case there wasn't. The story is about legacy, and how the things we do now will go on long after we're gone. It didn't make Tad's death easier, but I hope it gave his life meaning. Thanks for reading and commenting.

All thanks to the legacy left by Tad. A brief life, but one full of meaning that spreads out from his existence in waves. He's gone ... but, not really. Not when so many see, appreciate, and are moved by his work. Thanks for reading.