centexhairysub

It is 09/11/13 today and it is sort of funny sad that I am reading in this chapter about the bombing in Oklahoma City on the anniversary of the 9/11 bombing in New York City... I truly don't understand how anyone can make a decision based on religion or anything else that gives them the idea that it is okay to just kill innocent people... On a lighter note, I just don't see JP and Stef being in a harem to the new guy...

Damn, I just love how Mark is able to pull those from the past into the storyline again and again. It is nice to see what happened to the kid that Stef saved all those years ago and returned to Mexico with a big chunk of money... I guess Stef invested in a mexian syndicate, but just didn't get any of the returns... LOL...

Damn, what is there about straight me and Stef. I know guys like that, they can seemingly attract the straightest guys in the world and convince them to take a walk on the wild side... I am glad that Lou seems to have found something for him that can take the place of the circuit parties...

What is it with Stef and JP both deciding to take such younger lovers for a summer or temporary fling? Is it just the need to feel loved and in control? JP and Marcel made a little more sense to me since they had so much in common intellectually but I have a harder time seeing Stef and Lou... I like getting even glimpses of the next generation. It make me realize that the saga will continue for a while...

Stef being around children always seems a little strange to me. i don't know why; he just doesn't seem the type to be able to relate to them. I have to wonder if Greg is really ready to leave or if he is just afraid of losing Stef? I have to wonder how long he will be able to stay gone???

It is funny to me that with all that he has accomplished, Stef still comes running to JP when he is down or needs to fix something. I wonder if he even realizes why he does it. Professor Whit does not sound like someone that JP would be deeply involved with. I have to wonder what the attraction is; or is Stef right and he is only with him to keep from being alone.

Mark, I just cannot say enough about how well written the last couple of chapters have been. With this one, the subtle way you have pulled us into the terror; the darkness of the staircase, the sudden lights in the face, the smoke and the heat, and finally the look of determination on the face of the firefighters as they went to their death.. Brad and Stef should be safe and have plenty of time to get away from the building. JP would be safe if he would move away and I hope he does so as they finish moving the triage area further away. Will, Darius, and Maddy should be safe. I am hoping that Robbie started back up and then just couldn't get back through the smoke and heat and had to head back down. If he made it through the area where the plane hit, he just would not have enough time to get back down before the building collapse at 9:59 a.m. Jeanine and Hank just waited to long. My one hope with Robbie is that I believe four people from above where the plane hit made it out. With Will, Darius, and Maddy going further down, I am sure they are three of the four and Robbie would make the fourth. We really haven't seen anyone else heading down; everyone else is going up. If Robbie doesn't make it; I don't know that Brad will ever fully recover. The loss of Robbie will just cause Brad to try and control things just that much more and I am afraid it will make his relationship with Will just that much harder. Robbie has always been the best person to in the end get Brad to see reason and release his need to control the situation. Without Robbie, there really isn't anyone else that does that with any degree of success. If Senator Danfield perished, at least he died happy... With the desk up against the wall, and the fact he was struck from the back; I would doubt that even if someone is trying to rescue those in his area that they could get into the office. I know that he might be dead but this section was written in such a manner that even if he does die; it sure had some comedic underpinnings. I am glad that Wade and his father have been able to repair so much of their relationship and they were in such a good place with each other. It is so hard when someone passes and there are unresolved issues; it often makes it so much more difficult for those that survive. Bravo, Mark, Bravo....

Well, Brad and Stef are safe. JP would be safe if he would get the hell away from the buildings. Will, Darius, and Maddy should be safe as well. You figure from the time that Robbie, Darius, and Will started in this chapter at 9:12 a.m. that at least 15 minutes had lapsed. That would put them close to 9:30 a.m. when Robbie started back up after Jeanine and Hank. That would mean he would have to catch up to them coming down and then the three of them would have to come the rest of the way down all in less than 30 minutes. Tower 2 fell at 9:59 a.m. and I just don't see how the Robbie, Jeanine, and Hank could make it down in that limited time frame. Senator Danfield is probably not going to make it either. If they had pushed a desk up against the door, and then were hit in the back, the door is probably blocked and even if people are trying to get others out; they probably cannot get into that room. Plus, depending on how close to the crash site the Senator and the guide were; they may have been killed instantly. I pray that I am wrong and Robbie, Jeanine, and Hank all make it out. If they don't, I don't think Brad will ever recover from losing Robbie. Robbie is the only one that has ever been able to restrain Brad when he goes too far out on a limb and pull him back in. Without Robbie around, Brad will have no one to offset his desire to control everything. On top of that, losing Robbie will just make him want to control everything more. While losing his father would hurt Matt, I am so glad that the Senator and him have been able to make so much progress in repairing their relationship and are now on so much better terms. It is so hard when someone passes and you don't have a chance to make peace with them... Great writing Mark, you just pulled us into the terror in such subtle little ways...

I want to take a moment and thank everyone that is posting their memories of that day on here. I know how hard it can be to relive them for some of you; but you just don't ever know when something you say will help someone else when dealing with something like this... I had an early morning meeting in Austin, Texas that day and was on my way to the office when the first plane struck. I had been listening to a transcript from a patient's session and so I did not have the radio on. Just as I walked into the office, the guard at the front desk had the TV going and was just yelling at it telling people to get out. He was so upset that it was as if he was really there and was yelling for the people in the building to get out while they could. I stopped to find out what was going on just in time to see the second plane hit Tower 2. I think like many people, my first reaction was horror for the lives that were lost or being lost; but part of me immediately went into planning mode knowing that this was going to be a trigger for some patients and that we needed to make sure we had everyone there to help those that reached out. I remember that I had no appointments that morning because of a scheduled meeting but that was soon cancelled and I had a patient in my office by 10:30 a.m. with issues relating to the planes hitting the building. It was after 8:00 p.m. before we had the offices shut down that night and we ran with extended hours for the next few days. I left for New York City the next week as part of a group that was called in to help with counseling of those that survived and well as those that lost someone in the tragedy. I hope I never have to go through something like that again...

Yea, it has always amazed me that those that rise up and throw out the aristocrats always seem so fascinated with the same people from other countries. Even in the United States, we have a long history of being fascinated by those with titles...

This is the first time that I have re-read this story since when it was first posted. I am so glad I started to go back and add the reviews. I liked this story so much more this time then the first time I read it. I know a lot of people talk about how this story just did not connect with them but I found it really well done and enjoyable this time around... Well done, Mark....

I have never understood those parents that just did everything to keep their children from growing up and becoming independent individuals... I see it all the time and they always have these great reasons that make no sense at all...

Well, Max is free of Lark but went straight into another relationship. I don't ever think this is really a smart move but I can always hope for the best... Lark just needs to be in control and the fact that he isn't in control of any aspect of his life is one of the chief reasons that he treats anyone he is with the way he does... I hope he gets some help but he would have to admit he needed it first... Lou was telling the truth. He is the kind of guy that will take anything from Marcel but would never really do anything to hurt him. He knows what he is doing is wrong but he just can't help it...

Is there anything more exciting and yet scary then that first few thrilling days of a new relationship???

Damn, Marcel should have been much more careful. E is one of those drugs that just sneaks up on you and you really need to be with people you trust when you take it... Max is about to get rid of Lark or Marcel will get rid of him for him...

Well, Marcel does have a thing for older men, but not sure this will work out as well. There is something a little off about this one... I think Marcel should have stuck to his guns with Lou, this is gonna be trouble....

Max is the kind of man that if he isn't ready for the relationship will do what he can to keep it at bay. I have a feeling that he cares way more about Marcel than even he is will to admit at this point... I love where JP and Marcel are right now. JP will be happy for him when he finds that special someone or someones along the way...

I think that Brad has always wanted to seperate Max from Lark. I think he really does care for both of them, but he see's their relationship for what it is... Marcel is learning to have a little fun now that he and JP and set themselves right. I think they will be better friends than lovers...

Really, who would have thought Stef would have been the knight in shinning armour? I am glad Stef was able to get JP to understand how much he was hurting both Marcel and himself. Some people should just never be together as a couple, they can be okay seperately but together they are just a disaster... Max and Lark are like that....

JP believes that he is protecting Marcel from getting any more inovled and therefor any more hurt but that isn't the case. I think JP has misread the situation maybe for one of the few times in his life. I don't mean that Marcel and JP are fated to end up together just that the breakup should have been handled much more delicately and over a longer period of time...

God, I love how JP's mind works... If I was ever in a disaster, I would hope I had someone around that would be like JP... Marcel is right, you can feel from the tenor of the words and his actions that JP is pulling back. I think he is doing it because he thinks he is going to protect Marcel, but I don't think that is what is going to happen.

You can choose your friends but not your family, seems terribly unfair... I think that Marcel probably needs to face the pat some. He just dissapeared from his families life to some extent. I think his mother's biggest problem is that she had to face her past in losing him and that is never an easy thing to do...

Marcel is right, you cannot help who you fall in love with. That being said, I doubt this will be more than a summer romance as the title suggest. It isn't always the age that drives two people apart that are far apart, it is the life experience and lack thereof...

WOW, Marcel and JP, I guess everything does come full circle. I guess you can't really think about him being Jeff's son since he wasn't raised around any of the rest of the family. I do think some people forget how sexy intelligence can be. JP would be hot to me because of how smart he is. There is few things in the world better than a man of the world that understands his place in it...

Well, damn, Tim answered while I was doing my writing and smashed all my well thought out reasoning....