Wayne Gray

Hehe. Sandra is one of my favorite characters. She's prickly, smart, and driven. I don't write many like her, and it's fun to throw her into a room with her on guard son, and a remarkably prepared Troy. Rhett is unprepared for his own success, but he's trying to catch up. Grant gently pushing him helps, and Dr. Petrucci's faith does too. Thanks, Parker!

28 January 2019, Monday 11:53 a.m. Rhett and Grant were at the tail-end of their Monday morning clinic, and every patient on their schedule had showed. Additionally, they had squeezed two young men into the schedule between their regular patients. It made for a hectic morning. They were learning what Grant called "the dance." It was where they anticipated the needs of the other and did their parts unconsciously in support of their two-man team. Leaving room six, Rhett smiled at Grant

Thanks for the great message, Danners. Grant has a lot of empathy, and he values Rhett. Grant wants to do what Rhett needs to feel safe and accepted, and his friends are conscious and smart enough to follow his lead. He truly is a caregiver; it's who he is. That control you mention is important to all of us, and even more to someone like Rhett. Situations that I find exciting, and mildly stressful can paralyze someone with social anxiety. Handing over as much control over the situation was something Rhett needed, and Grant did it instinctively. Yes ... you're right that he found it rewarding once he got through the fear. Also, I appreciate that you shared your own struggle here. Thanks for doing that. I hope it helps to see people like Rhett in stories. We've all got our "something" but that doesn't mean we can't have lives. Rooting for Rhett is good. Rooting for Rhett to get mauled by Aaron and Brian is likely going to result in disappointment. So far the only handsy behavior with men Brian and Aaron display is with one another, and even that has, so far, been done in fun. But you keep hoping. 😉

Rhett is a good man with some challenges most of us don't have to deal with in our day to day life. The friends can sort of sense that something's different about him, and they're being pretty gentle. Grant works in a good place with good people. Dr. Petrucci values him for what he brings to the practice, and he doesn't care one way or another about Grant's sexuality. Though, in this case it works out to the practice's advantage! Thanks for your comment!

Thanks, Jeffrey. Brian is a real friend, to both of them now. He's also a believer in communicating, so he was going to tell Grant how he felt. He's a good friend ... one who would go to war for them both.

Oh, just wait. That train's coming. Thanks for reading and commenting, Tom!

Oh, good! Thanks for the great feedback on the chapter and Troy’s reaction. It felt right to me too, so I’m glad it works for you. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Wow, well thanks, Tom! Like you, I'm impressed by the readers who see fit to comment on this story. It's nice. Since I try to write characters that have real-world issues, I think people see themselves reflected in the work. I believe that encourages feedback, because people have things to say about something they're intimately familiar with. For example: I'm not an expert on social anxiety, but I worked hard to get it right. I welcome readers who deal with it to tell their stories - how they're similar and different from Rhett. And how, maybe I could have done things even better. I want to know. Yeah. I appreciate all of the great feedback. It helps.

Thanks, Bft! Grant's finding it easier to say the words thanks to how he has been treated by his coworkers and boss. Rhett had a lot to do with that. Now, it seems that Grant is repaying Rhett's easy acceptance with some careful treatment. Maybe you're right about mister Rhett. Time will tell. 🙂

Thanks, Parker. Yes, you're right. Now that the men aren't struggling with their own external stresses and internal messes, they're better able to see and respond to the needs of others. Grant really is a part of the group now, and he's not selfish with them. He's more than willing to bring Rhett along if that's what he wants. 🙂

Well, I hope you enjoy it, tim. you really said it well ... "Someone with a disability who is having a real life,..." That's a big deal.

Oh man. I can't wait for you to get to know Sandra better. She is absolutely acting within her character. She's under stress, but yes ... still, within character. More on her is coming this Thursday. 🙂 Thanks for the comments!

Don't try to make sense of it. It's easier that way. 🙂

Thanks, yarameb. There's more to come. Next chapter will drop on Thursday, and it's a fun one! 😄

Thanks, kbois! Grant and friends really want Rhett to feel good about himself, and about being there. The friends don't have a name to go along with how Rhett presents to them, but they can sense he's a bit tender. Yes ... even Georgette can tell. 😛 Georgette is the pregnant one, but I get what you mean. I worked in an OB clinic for a couple of years, and I got to hear repeated accounts of that malaise which strikes pregnant women. I felt bad for them. But, it was nice to watch their partners with them. Most were so loving and sweet. I liked that a lot. That game is hilarious. My pack of friends loves it, and there are some terrible things that come out of some of the card combinations. FYI, you should check out Joking Hazard. It's like Cards Against Humanity, except with comics. It's ... awesome.

Thanks, droughtquake. Rhett does have pretty bad anxiety, depending on the situation. He tries, though it takes a lot for him to gain enough momentum to get through that initial terror. When I first wrote this story and posted it on other sites, I received a lot of email on this chapter. So soooo many readers commented that this was the first time they'd ever seen a character with social anxiety on Nifty and Storylover. That really made me sad. People deserve to see themselves in stories, and they deserve to see portrayals that are positive, despite the hurdles they and my characters face. I bet homelessness did many things to push you. I can't really imagine it. I'm glad you're not in that situation anymore.

Thanks, chris. My friend who has social anxiety was an enigma to me for a long time. Finally, he agreed to come to a little party we had at our house, and when he did I got to talk to him a bit about what made that invitation different. He said, "You told me I could just go. If I wasn't having fun, or if it was too much you said I could just get up and leave, and that you wouldn't be upset with me. That's what did it." He needed to know he could simply leave - that he had permission to ahead of time. I have never forgotten that. Grant and friends are all fairly socially intelligent. Well, Georgette could use some work, but that's just how she is. They're all trying to help Rhett feel like he belongs, and I think they did pretty well. And yes ... the practice is interested in being more inclusive, across the board. It's a great place for Grant to work.

24 January 2019, Thursday 4:22 p.m. Expertly handling all of the orders for Grant's last patient of the day, Rhett disappeared into an exam room to clean it up. Unlike every other provider/medical assistant team in the building, they were on track to finish a little early. Grant sat at his desk working on their last patient's chart to complete the visit before he left for the day. They were now up to full productivity. Grant and Rhett saw at least twelve patients every four-hour block of

I'm very good at the "flop" at the end. Sort of an expert.

*twitch*

Okay. So one of the characters (the main character's father) in the film suffers from a stroke. Me ... a Kentucky boy is already trying hard to understand whatever it is that these people were doing to English, and then dad starts talking, and I'm like, "Okay, subtitle time."

If anybody is looking for something to watch on Netflix ... God's Own Country is a great gay love story. HEAVY Yorkshire accents ... but worth trying to understand anyhow. I figured I'd throw it out there in case you're trapped at home looking for something to do. 🙂

That's an excellent point. Grant is already somewhat on guard, thanks to Sandra's strangeness on the phone. Thanks for reading and commenting, Fae. 🙂

Maybe asking him directly would help. "What do you feel I'm missing?" Then again, maybe it's more emotional too - something he can't articulate. You can find out, though. Good luck. 🙂

It's a good start. Slow, methodical, the reader knows there's more to come, but not how fast. Keep writing. 🙂