Wayne Gray

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. 🙂

Thanks, chris. Mother is interested in seeing her son and his boyfriend. Why is that, do you think? Did Sandra suddenly turn into a completely different person, based on her diagnosis? Is she suddenly warm and fuzzy, and just wants to unconditionally accept everything her son does? *giggle*

Thanks, Tom. I'm glad you're invested. These guys have a lot going on, and there's so much more to go. I'm reading ahead to the next couple of chapters, and we're getting to some new dynamics between characters we've already met. I'm really eager to see what people think about it. Have a great day. Stay safe!

Thanks for the comments, Danners! Sandra is treating this as another challenge. She has yet to surrender to anything, and to her, adapting to this condition is one more hurdle to overcome. William is her great love. You're going to see more of that in later chapters too. She certainly loves her son. Not great at showing it, but she loves him. Ahhhh ... meeting the boyfriend. That chapter is great fun for me. I loved writing it, and watching Sandra interact with both Grant and Troy. We won't get there next update, but I think it's in the one after. It's coming, and that's the important bit. 😄

Thanks, Parker. Sandra does want to meet Troy, and Grant is wondering why. Grant isn't ashamed of his lover at all ... but he does wonder what mother is up to. We'll find out how that goes a couple of chapters from now. 🙂

Hehe. That made me laugh, drought. Thank you. And she just wants you to call her "Sauhn druh."

Grant is absolutely serious about HIPAA. I live in a small community, and if we are not real guardians of our patient's healthcare information then it will get out, and those people will never trust us again. Not to mention, if it comes out who spilled the medical beans that's a big fat lawsuit (rightfully so too). Grant has my own views on HIPAA. Ahhh, Sandra. She is in an industry that is traditionally male, and from a family who expected that she would have to relinquish control to others to succeed. She has worked hard to get where she is, and Grant was a tool in that process (social climbing is very important in her circles, and her son is handsome, intelligent, and charming - he's an asset). Her loss of control over him is not something she has taken well. She does love him. She has done a poor job of showing it, but she does. We'll find out if she manages to cross the chasm she has created between them or not. Thanks for the comments!

Thanks for taking the time to comment, empress. Sorry if this hits a bit close to home. I had a cousin with the most aggressive version of this disease, so I know something about it myself. Sandra has a milder version, but as you know it will be with her until the end. Everyone handles these challenges differently. I hope you enjoy how Sandra and William deal with their version.

Thanks, molly. 🙂 The woman herself has appeared. And ... her sweet husband too.