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#Andrew: He might still be in surgery for all we know
jtl-fics · 11 months
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Fluent Freshman - Part 24
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“What do you MEAN Smithy is in the hospital with a stab wound to his stomach?!” Nicky’s own voice is agony for his hangover but honestly, how the fuck else was he supposed to respond when he had asked Andrew where FF was and gotten that as a response.
“Calm down.” Andrew says and he looks tired, looks stressed, and maybe even just…a touch nervous?
Nicky isn’t as good as Neil at reading Andrew Minyard. He doesn’t think anyone will ever be as fluent in the language of Andrew Minyard as Neil Josten but Nicky has picked up some key phrases.
He can see when he’s making a joke that is a step too far. He can see when his cousin wants to kiss Neil but is holding back. He can see when his cousin is stressed.
He can see a guilty curve to Andrew’s spine.
“Andrew, answer me honestly, did you stab my sweet baby freshman?” Nicky asks and he’s not sure if the nausea he feels anymore is from horror or from the sheer number of drinks he had put in his system the night before.
Roland usually cuts him off before he gets this level.
Roland also has a habit of pouring heavier when he’s stressed.
Roland also also tends to make complicated fruity drinks that Nicky likes when he’s stressed.
Andrew’s jaw tenses but it’s Neil who speaks up, “It was an accident. It happened during a fight.” Neil says and Nicky throws his hands up in the air.
“You got into a FIGHT with my sweet baby freshman? Sweet little Smithy? The boy who made brownies that made me feel kinda straight for a dead woman?!” Nicky exclaims and sees Andrew and Neil open their mouths to say something but, “I promised him that if he wanted I’d get him something hard that’d mess his GUTS up but this isn’t what I MEANT.” He lets himself collapse dramatically over the table.
“Nicky, shut up!” Kevin hisses from his spot on the couch.
“When the fuck did Kevin get here?!” Because seriously, how fucked up was Nicky last night that he doesn’t remember Kevin coming on this Columbia trip? Where’d he sit? He couldn’t really remember coming over after Thanksgiving. Had Andrew put Kevin in the trunk? Had Andrew put Nicky in the trunk?
“He came with Wymack.” Neil cut in before Nicky started testing reality. “Wymack is at the hospital since he’s…uh…he’s the…”
“Medical Power of Attorney” Andrew answers.
“Yes! Thank you, the Medical power of attorney for Smith. He needed surgery and Wymack wanted to be nearby in case he had to make any pressing decisions.” Neil explains and yeah that tracks, he knows a little bit about FF’s family and knows that aside from his grandma on his dad’s side the rest can go take a long walk off a short volcano observation platform
“Okay, that explains why Kevin is here….how?! Despite all of the unwarranted advice, Kevin is not a medical professional.” Nicky says before turning to Kevin, “So Kevin, what insane Exy-related reason are you here? Don’t lie and say it’s because you want to sign the get well soon card.” He hisses.
“Fuck you!” Kevin spits, “I need to know how long Smiths is going to be out of commission and what his PT is going to look like. He was supposed to be starting during the spring season.” Kevin growls.
“There it is!” Nicky throws up his hands.
“Nicky, just calm down!” Neil pleads.
“How can I stay calm? Andrew stabbed Smithy! So not only is my favorite freshman in the hospital Andrew’s going to end up back on those god forsaken meds again!” Nicky shouts and buries his face in his hands.
“Smith isn’t going to say that.” Andrew’s voice is calm but Nicky can hear the slight edge.
“Oh yeah?” Nicky asks because he could see FF promising to never mention who stabbed him if Andrew would just spare his life. FF was going to be even MORE of a disaster when it came to his anxiety around Andrew. Nicky wouldn’t be surprised if his friend just straight up dropped out after this. His cousin is safe but he’s absolutely going to lose his friend.
“Because he’s saying Romero Malcolm stabbed him.” Andrew finishes.
Nicky sits up.
“Wait, what?” Nicky asks.
“Last night Romero Malcolm was at Eden’s.” Neil says voice even in a way that lets Nicky know that he’s trying to stay calm, “Smith recognized him, heard he wanted to grab,” Neil swallows thickly, “…grab one of my friends and saw them looking at…” Neil trails off and looks to Andrew who shakes his head, “…around for someone to grab.” Neil seems to decide and Nicky knows when something is being hidden from him but he’s more interested in the story than what Neil is hiding at the moment, “He got Romero’s attention so that he wouldn’t do anything bad in Eden’s and let Roland know to call help. He went out alone into the alley but Romero didn’t follow him.” Neil explains.
“Oh thank god.” Nicky sighs.
“Because he’d alerted Jackson Plank was lying in wait to ambush him.” Neil continues.
“Oh dear god.” Nicky exclaims.
“He uh…” Neil looks to Andrew who shakes his head again, “okay we don’t know exactly HOW Smith managed to do it but he beat Jackson up pretty bad.” Neil explains.
Nicky feels his brain stop working.
He has watched FF trip over his own feet, walk into four different trees, and almost sprain his ankle walking across a flat surface. He knows FF has been watching self-defense videos and had even gotten some pointers from Matt but even Matt had told him his better bet was probably just to yell “WOW WHAT’S THAT OVER THERE?!”, point behind the attacker, and run as fast as humanly possible away from a fight.
Neil is still talking.
Nicky boots back up quickly.
“…a gun. He tackled Romero into Andrew and Andrew’s knife ended up in Smith’s stomach on accident while they were wrestling for the gun. Smith is the one who said he’s going to tell everyone who asks that it was Romero. He even said it to me.” Neil says with an awkward laugh.
“And you believed him.” Andrew says and there’s warmth in his cousin’s eyes as he looks at Neil and teases him.
“And I believed him.” Neil confirms.
“Okay, so you swear to me that you did not INTENTIONALLY stab my BFF?” Nicky asks looking at Andrew seriously.
“BFF, seriously?” Kevin asks.
“Best Freshman Friend.” Nicky answers quickly, “Don’t worry Kevin, you lose out to Matt in all regards for my Best Senior Friend.” He says.
Kevin just flips him off but Nicky turns his attention back to Andrew, “Andrew, I need to hear it.” He says .
“I did not intentionally stab Smith.” Andrew confirms.
Nicky lets the horrified nausea leave him with only his hangover nausea.
“Okay, we can work with that.”  Nicky leans back. “Have you heard from that Agent?” he asks looking at Neil.
Neil nods but then looks nervous and shoots a look towards Kevin, “The FBI is sending Browning and a field office agent to talk with us but…Ichirou also contacted me.” He says and Nicky watches as Kevin perks up.
“He did?!” Kevin squawks looking around like he expected the head of the Moriyama family to appear from the shadows.
“He wants to make sure we do our part to keep the Moriyama name out of this. He is going to deal with Romero and Jackson himself.” Neil says looking nervous.
Nicky clenches his eyes shut, “Well you’re not going to mention them right?” he hears Kevin ask.
“Of course not Kevin.” Nicky hears Andrew hiss.
“Good.” Kevin says.
There’s silence in the wake of Neil’s statement.
Nicky takes a deep breath and wishes his head was a little less agonizing. “Why aren’t we at the hospital to see Smithy?” he asks because he has nothing he can do about Ichirou so he may as well put it out of his mind.
There is some grumbling.
“Wymack said that he’ll just make us sit in the waiting room without any updates.” Neil says. “We’re picking up Smith’s grandma from the airport and she’s our ticket to getting an actual update beyond ‘not dead yet’ from Wymack.” He adds.
“What, you really can’t get updates without Wymack?” Nicky asks.
Andrew looks at Nicky and Nicky can’t read a single thing his cousin is thinking.
“What’s Smith’s first name Nicky.” Andrew asks.
“Oh God fucking Dammit.” Nicky’s head hurts too bad for this.
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houseofbrat · 2 months
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So, what’s your honest opinion of the full #picturegate drama?
I’ve seen many people believing that KP used The PoW as scapegoat and she doesn’t did the photoshop. But what are your thoughts? In case some are correct, why do you think they are blaming Kate? Why not blame the ‘real’ responsible (some suggested it’s her staff)
As we have discussed, their PR team is awful, but this new nonsense takes the cake
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The situation leading up to the "photo kill" I've already described here:
That basically summarizes the situation leading up to the photo and its very public dismissal.
2. One of the other problems is the staff they have working for them. Clearly the KP communications department is not up to par. It should have been the communications head/chief taking the blame for this instead of Kate. Instead, he thought that a statement from Kate would quell the drama, when all it did was pour more gasoline on the fire.
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So Kate can take the blame for the photo but couldn't make any comments about any messages she received from well wishers in the previous weeks? WTF?!
But then there's KP spokesperson giving statements to People magazine today!
A palace insider downplayed the PR crisis, telling PEOPLE exclusively that although the situation is a "bump in the road, it's not an earthquake." "[Kate] has apologized and graciously so," the insider says. "She has done something that 99% of us do — and we don’t have the scrutiny that they do." "Think of the level of scrutiny of pictures of her, as people pore over them," the insider continues. "You’re always on display and always got to be perfect." The insider adds, "She might be a member of the royal family, but she’s also a human being. If you've just had an operation, you want to look your best with the first photograph that’s published for the outside world."
I'm sorry but why is this person still in the employ of Kensington Palace and why are they speaking to People magazine? "We don't have the scrutiny that they do." FUCKING DUH!! That's why all sorts of people who don't pay attention to the BRF are like, "What the actual fuck is going on over there right now???"
So the KP comms people are continuing to dig the hole they are in. They haven't stopped digging and are unlikely to do so as long as they are calling up People magazine to give them exclusives on their professional fuckups!
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3. Guess who hired and continues to employ the professional fuckup?
William!
William is an emotionally damaged, thin skinned, control freak with a privacy fetish. And William found his perfect YES MAN to accede to his control freak nature and his unhealthy demand for privacy with Lee Thompson.
YES MAN + Control Freak - connection to reality = the mess we have today
And the mess we have today continues to roll on. And will continue to roll on. Just as it has since he was hired in 2022...
There was the fuckup at Boston in 2022 when William issued a statement throwing his godmother under the bus when all he had to say was "This is an issue for Buckingham Palace." Except he didn't.
There was the bizarre photo op of Andrew being driven to church by William last August (2023), when everyone with a working, long-term memory knows that William has never kowtowed to his father.
Kate's stretch of wearing thirteen pantsuits in a row, 'cause she was all about "the work." Somehow, she didn't go on a crusade about wearing pantsuits when she was only The Duchess of Cambridge.
Announcing Kate had "planned abdominal surgery" the day after said planned abdominal surgery. If it was "planned," then wouldn't they have said something at least the day of rather than the day after?
Then there's the timeline of fuckery that's happened from Christmas until 09 March 2024 that I collated before The 2024 Mother's Day Photo Disaster.
And it's going to keep going on and on because the root of the problem is William!
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4. Then there's The Princess of Wales, aka Kate or Catherine. She is the woman with likely more sense than either Lee or William put together. Do those two fuckups listen to her? Doubtful. Did they listen to any concerns or feedback she gave these two last summer? Or fall/autumn? Also doubtful.
So there's a woman who is a globally known public figure that does not have an easy way out of the mess the two men created, and also she may share some of the blame for decisions made last summer and fall?
And it's a very depressing situation being trapped with a husband who won't listen to you and takes you for granted, yet your husband will listen to the YES MAN at his employ. Because the husband is a emotionally damaged, thin skinned, control freak with a privacy fetish.
A very depressing situation when she knows that her reputation of twenty plus years in the public eye is about to go down the drain as a result of the choices these two men have made. (And no, I'm not talking about the Mother's Day photo.) Gee, what kind of situation could that lead to over the holidays?
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5. Then you have Charles, Camilla, and the officials working at Buckingham Palace.
They know about all the communications problems taking place at KP since last summer. Oh, they know. BELIEVE ME. They know.
Charles is someone who believes people should learn from their mistakes and isn't going to interfere in his sons' lives and mistakes. Charles resented his parents interfering in his dating life long before he ever dated or married Diana. (Sabrina Guinness, anyone?) He also resented them interfering in his marriage to Diana.
Basically, Charles won't do what one of my friends from college did: write about her college roommate's pregnancy and due date in a Christmas letter. Yup. Charles isn't that man.
So, yes, BP's communication and pr about Charles's BPH treatment and cancer treatment veers toward being over the top. They have been very transparent with the press for a reason. They know there is a metaphorical nuclear bomb about to go off due to KP's lack of transparency and accountability to the UK public. The monarchy cannot be seen as complicit in it. It is KP's problem. Always has been a KP problem.
This is why Queen Camilla made so many visits to the front entrance of The London Clinic. Transparency. Proper communication with the UK public. The public can trust that The Crown is being honest with them. Kensington Palace clearly not so much.
It's why King Charles has been photographed doing mundane things such as greeting cards and going to church.
And yes, BP communications team is undoubtedly shading the KP comms team when King Charles got photographed in a car at Windsor last week, four days after Kate's pap shot with her mother.
So yeah, we're about to get the biggest scandal since the 90s when Diana died or the War of the Waleses. Pick your throwback reference. Get your popcorn. Because it is going to be that bad.
And the reputations of Will & Kate will never be the same.
Ever.
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ingek73 · 3 months
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Harry and Meghan in Jamaica are soft-power dynamite. Britain is left with kryptonite William and Kate
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Nels Abbey
At times like these, it’s clear that the Sussexes represent a missed opportunity for a UK that needs friends in the world
Fri 26 Jan 2024 11.25 CET
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Left to right: the Duchess and Duke of Sussex; the Jamaican prime minister, Andrew Holness, and his wife, Juliet; and its culture minister, Olivia Grange, at the premiere of Bob Marley: One Love in Kingston on 23 January 2024. Photograph: Jason Koerner/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures,
A popular Nigerian adage says “the cow never knows the value of its tail until it is chopped off”. In many tragic ways, this speaks to today’s Britain. From EU membership, to competent leadership, to low inflation, it seems necessary for Britain to lose things to appreciate their importance.
This week, look at Prince Harry and Meghan being feted in Jamaica. See the soft-power skills they carry with them, and think about that Nigerian adage.
In much of the British media, Harry and Meghan are all-year panto villains. But around the world, they could not be more loved – often for the very reasons they are despised in the British media. They are the soft power we could have enjoyed with the increasingly dominant, increasingly self-confident non-white world, especially the Commonwealth.
It’s not just that they are royals. Prince William and Kate headed to “no problem” Jamaica in 2022, and encountered problems aplenty. As their PR fiasco unfolded, they were derided for shaking hands with Jamaican children through wire fences, and for motoring viceroy-style through crowded streets in a fancy Land Rover. At the nightmare’s end, Jamaica basically handed Britain its P45, informing the royals of its intention to be a republic, to “move on”.
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View image in fullscreenPrince Harry larks about with Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, 2012. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA
Still, Harry has something the royals he left behind and the likes of Chillax Cameron can never have. He has familiarity, an ease with difference – and he has Meghan.
In 2012, he also had the love of the UK press and public. He was praised for his warm embrace of the then Jamaican PM, Portia Simpson-Miller, and was photographed larking about with Usain Bolt. “He has shown himself to be a natural ambassador, a diplomat in a very real sense – one hug from him has (at least partly) dissipated the bad feeling of generations … It is inconceivable that any other royal could have pulled this off quite so effectively,” gushed the Mail on Sunday.
‘God Save the King’ doesn’t fall from Jamaican lips so easily. Soon we’ll be a republic
Barbara Blake-HannahRead more
But that was then, before the British media’s own version of Orwell’s “two minutes hate” became a thing. Now, much of the press sees Harry and Meghan glad-handing and being glad-handed in Jamaica, surfing the love at the premiere of the Bob Marley biopic, and they don’t much like it. “Meghan and Harry pose next to anti-royal Jamaican prime minister who wants to ditch the monarchy and warned Wills and Kate they’ll never be king and queen of his nation – as Charles undergoes prostate surgery and the Princess of Wales recovers in hospital,” thundered the Mail. “The hubris of Harry and Meghan’s Jamaican photoshoot,” snorted the Spectator. “Crown fools: ‘Provocative’ Harry & Meghan spark royal row as they meet Jamaican politicians plotting to oust Charles as head of state,” jeered the Sun.
Britain understood Harry’s value and soft power in 2012, so what changed? Answer: Harry fell in love with, and married, a Black woman. That could have been a boon for this country, here and abroad; instead it’s a might-have-been. And what might have been to our reputational benefit is what has been happening in Jamaica.
The UK headlines and sour grapes tell you one thing: we messed up and we know it. Meghan was, and remains, soft-power dynamite, and all we have now is the soft-power kryptonite of Wills and Kate and the Windsor “firm” that spurned her. Still, that’s us: we never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
Nels Abbey is a writer, broadcaster and former banker. He is the founder of Uppity: The Intellectual Playground
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saintmeghanmarkle · 3 months
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SARAH VINE: Harry and Meghan are casting themselves as refugees from a repressive regime
Could this be the duplicitous duo’s new MO? So much snark but such a well-written article in the DM from Sarah Vine, who doesn’t mince words. Link and full article below:
DailyMail
When I saw the pictures of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the premiere of the Bob Marley movie in Kingston, Jamaica, the first thing that sprang to mind was how thoroughly refreshed they both looked.
Indeed, I had to do a double-take to make sure it really was the duchess that Prince Harry was escorting and not some dewy, doe-eyed lookalike.
Perhaps it was just a trick of the light, but she certainly seems to have upped her skincare routine since we last saw her.
The prince, meanwhile, looked remarkably unfurrowed for a man who looks likely to have to pay three quarters of a million pounds in legal costs accrued by his failed libel action against the Mail on Sunday. I don’t know what they put in the water out there in Montecito, but it’s definitely working.
Still, all that gloss doesn’t hide the ugly fact that the pair - normally so vocal when it comes to informing the world of their heartfelt sentiments - have yet to say a single word in public on the subject of Harry’s father, the King, and his health issues.
Given how much the Prince likes to use his platform for good, you might have thought he would have seized this opportunity to remind other men of the importance of getting their prostate checked.
As for the duchess, normally such a strong advocate for women’s health, it does seem rather unsisterly not to wish the Princess of Wales a speedy recovery from her abdominal surgery.
That they should have chosen this particular occasion to break cover is also intriguing. Jamaica is not exactly a friend of the British monarchy - indeed, the country’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, who joined the Sussexes at the premiere with his wife Juliet, has expressed his hope that his people will cut ties with Britain when they vote in a referendum on the question later this year.
Anti-monarchist sentiment has been building ever since the death of Elizabeth II, who enjoyed the affection and respect of many Jamaicans. Sadly, those sentiments don’t seem to have been transferred to King Charles, with one ardent anti-monarchist, Hugh Small QC, telling the Guardian newspaper last year that he ‘can’t stand’ the thought of the King being head of state of Jamaica.
But there is something else driving Jamaica’s disdain for the Crown: the perceived notion that the British Royal Family is inherently racist and the Duchess of Sussex was a victim of prejudice during her time at the Palace.
This idea was, of course, vehemently denied while the Queen was still alive but recently resurrected by the Sussexes’ mouthpiece, Omid Scobie, in his most recent hagiography Endgame, in which he ‘accidentally’ named the alleged ‘royal racists’ as King Charles and the Princess of Wales.
These allegations will no doubt have caused a great deal of distress to both the King and the Princess.
Effectively being cancelled by your own son must take its toll on a man, and I can only imagine how stressful it must be for the Princess of Wales to not only have to pick up the slack left behind by the Duchess of Sussex’s departure but to have to do so with a smile on her face while being kicked repeatedly in the teeth by the latter’s cheerleaders.
I doubt whether that notion will have occurred to the Duke and Duchess, who have - in the past - shown themselves to be entirely immune to any suffering their pronouncements might cause.
Indeed, they did not hold back while Prince Philip was dying, nor when the Queen was in her final months. The idea that they should give two hoots about what the folks back home are going through is, very sadly, for the birds.
By choosing to break cover in such vehemently anti-monarchist company, the Duke and Duchess appear to be sending a very clear signal to the Palace. It appears to me that they intend to use their royal connection to undermine both the individual reputations of members of the Royal Family and that of the institution as a whole. I hope that I am wrong.
By casting themselves as refugees from a regressive and repressive regime, they are tapping into the divisive culture wars that dominate so much of our public debate these days and helping to fuel anti-royalist sentiment throughout the Commonwealth and elsewhere.
The late Queen, who loved the Commonwealth and used her position to foster forgiveness and understanding, would be heartbroken. As for King Charles, I can see only one course of action: he should give them what they claim to want and set them free of their royal shackles by stripping them, finally, of all titles.
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author: u/ducklingdynasty
submitted: January 25, 2024 at 05:15PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit
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she-karev · 2 months
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The Wingman
 Age Rating: 12+
Chapters: One of Three
Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy
AN: I decided to do another fun chapter that focuses on Amber developing another friendship with another main character.
Summary: Amber acts as Jackson’s wingman at a bar while Andrew is in Italy and they get along.
Words: 2371
I sit at the table in the cafeteria alone studying the case notes from Webber’s surgery. I am munching on an apple while I read the material trying to comprehend the steps of the procedure. Normally I would have a study buddy with me and that buddy would relieve my tension with soft glances but I am alone.
Andrew and Carina are visiting their uncle in Italy who is getting his hip replacement. He said he would be gone a week which is fine I can survive on my own I’ve done it before but I just didn’t expect to miss him so much. After the ordeal with Paul, we’ve gotten closer when I saw how protective he was over me. The sex is more tender, we talk to each other and he doesn’t see me as a mess like I do.
It's been two days since he left and I’m already antsy with boredom. I would call him but we agreed to do it at night during Seattle time because of the 9-hour time difference. I calculate he’s already in bed hopefully thinking about me like I’m thinking about him. God, I miss having someone in my bed.
Tonight is my night off and I have no one to spend it with. Alex and Jo are busy, the other interns are working the night shift and beyond them I don’t have much friends. I munch on my apple harder this time as I hear two people behind me sitting down and talking. I register them as Alex and Jackson the latter who is begging Alex for some reason.
“Come on man please.”
Alex chuckles, “No I am not going to some pop up with you just because you’re bored. Jo and I have plans tonight and you need to ask someone else like Warren.”
“He’s training all night.”
“DeLuca.”
“He’s visiting family.”
“Hunt.”
“Already said no.”
“I can see why.” Alex states mockingly.
“It’s trivia night.” That calls my attention as I stop reading and listen in, “The pop up is 90’s theme it’ll be good for us.”
“No, it’ll be good for you. I’m not going so save your dignity and just go in alone.” Alex tells him coldly. I stand up and approach them as Jackson responds.
“Come on man can’t you just-”
“Hey guys.” I greet them with a smile and they look at me saying hi back, “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation over there.”
Jackson notices my table with books, “Oh um sorry we’ll move somewhere else.”
“Actually, I was wondering if I might go with you instead.” Jackson raises an eyebrow and I explain, “To trivia night.” Alex snorts and I see him tenting an obvious grin with his hand.
Jackson glares at him and looks back at me bashfully, “Um…I uh I appreciate the offer She-Karev but uh-”
“Oh come on.” I cut in anxious for a fun night of 90’s trivia, “I’m bored out of my mind with Andrew in another country and it’s my night off. Besides I owe you a drink for saving my job after telling off Jennings winning trivia night will be a bonus.” Alex keeps grinning for some reason but I ignore him and continue to butter up to Avery, “I’m a 90’s baby your gonna win with me especially the grunge category I still listen to Nirvana and know who died. And you were there we can’t lose.” Avery still looks uncertain so I turn to Alex for support, “Alex back me up here.”
Jackson’s eyes widen, “Okay that’s not-”
“You know what?” Alex says with a chipper tone as he turns to me, “I think it’s a great idea, you two should definitely do this it’ll be a fun night.” He still grins even as Avery glares at him, “Unless you want to tell her why that’s not a good idea Avery.”
Avery looks conflicted but turns to me with a grin, “No now that I think about it it’s a good thing you came when you did. Okay I guess I’ll pick you up at 8 and drive you home after.”
I grin at finally having plans tonight, “Great! I’ll text you when I clock out and you can meet me in the lockers, it’s gonna be great!”
“Great.” Avery repeats unconvincingly but I ignore it and turn to go to my table. It’s not a night with my boyfriend and it definitely won’t end with sex but at least I’ll have company. I look back at the guys and see Jackson slapping Alex against his head in frustration but Alex laughs hysterically. I narrow my eyes at them but I chalk it up to guy stuff and sit back down at my table.
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After work I go to the lockers and put my casual clothes on. I know a black crewneck shirt, torn jeans and black converse aren’t clubwear but this is last minute so I’m making do. I wish the same could be said for Avery but he planned ahead as he stops by the lockers in a gray suit and black button down that fits him perfectly.
“Are you ready to go?” Avery asks me as he enters the empty room and I snort at the sight of him, “What is it?”
“Why do you always look like your about to do a photoshoot?” I ask him amused at our differing outfits.
Avery narrows his eyes confused, “What?”
I shake my head, “Nothing let’s go, your driving, right?” Jackson nods and we both head out of the room side by side. We head to the parking lot in the night light and we stop at his car that I gape at, “Holy crap! Is that a Lexus LC 500? Is it the latest model?”
Jackson unlocks the beautiful car, “It is actually.”
“Is it a V8 engine?”
He looks at me confused, “I uh I don’t know actually I just got the latest and it felt nice to drive so I bought it. I think you know more about it than I do.”
I feel the roof marveling at the sleekness and shine, “Jesus how many boob jobs do you have to do to make this kind of cash?”
Jackson chuckles, “Actually it was from the money my grandfather left me after he died. I would give you a number but I don’t know you that well so let’s just say I bought this and a boat on the same day.”
I gasp at the boat, “God I wish I had rich relatives that died after putting me in the will.” I wince at the comment I made and rectify it, “I’m sorry for your loss.”
He looks at me more amused than offended and opens the driver door, “Come on let’s buy me that drink you owe me.” I nod and open the passenger door. I sit in the seat moaning in pleasure at the 100 grand I’m sitting on.
“If you ever need someone to valet your parking, I am your intern.” He chuckles and turns the engine on making a roaring sound that compares to a lion and enjoy the ride as we head to the club.
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As soon as we enter the small pop up we are overcome with the 90’s as No Scrubs by TLC blares from the stereo. The bartenders are in baby blue and orange tuxedo’s respectively that I assume is from Dumb and Dumber. Most of the people in here are dressed in 90’s fashion from neon jackets to slip on dresses over shirts. I think me and Avery are the only ones in here dressed like we’re from the 21st century. We look at each other amused and chuckle lightly.
“Come on let’s find a table.” I follow Avery to an empty table by the bar and he signals the bartender, “Can I get a vodka tonic here please?”
I read the instructions for trivia night and see that we have to pick out a name, “Okay what’s our team’s name gonna be?” The bartender gives Avery his drink that he immediately takes a big sip from, “I’m thinking Nirvana, or maybe The Rembrandts they did the theme from Friends or how about Wayne’s World?” Avery looks at me surprised by my last suggestion and I explain, “I watch a lot of SNL videos on YouTube. Now I’m good on music and movies, how’s your history? I’m thinking we can go over the CliffsNotes on my phone or-”
“Amber I’m sorry.” Avery tells me genuinely and I raise an eyebrow confused, “Look um…I didn’t come here to win 50 bucks worth of margaritas I came here to meet girls, women I mean.”
I look at him shocked and I chuckle uneasily, “I see and the reason you were asking my brother to come is because?”
“Because…” He tries to find the right words, “Because I haven’t been out on a date since before my divorce and usually I don’t have a problem with this kind of thing but it’s been a while and I’m really rusty.”
“Ah.” I understand now, “You need a wingman.” Avery nods as he sips his drink and I shake my head at Alex for getting me in this pickle for kicks, “Remind me to kill Alex.”
“I put it down on my calendar actually.” Avery looks at me apologetic, “Look I’m sorry I know picking up girls for me isn’t how you envisioned your night going. I-I should’ve said something when you offered to come it’s okay. I’ll let you pay for my drink and drive you home right after it’s nothing really.”
I look at him in sympathy over his inability to get back on the horse and genuine apology. I shouldn’t want to do it…but a part of me wants to get back at my brother by upping his average, “When my brother was your wingman what was his success rate?”
Avery stops drinking and looks at me confused, “What?”
“How many girls did Alex pick up for you when he was your wingman?”
Avery calculates, “Um like 4 I think in total why?”
I chuckle at the low number and stand up eyeing the table with about six girls drinking and talking, “Dr. Avery get ready to have your world rocked.” Avery tries to stop me as I walk away but I ignore him and head to the table where I calculate the girls are in their 20’s and 30’s which is the right age for him and introduce myself, “Hey guys how are you doing?” They all say good and I smile, “Well you’re about to be great because I’m here with a co worker of mine. If you look two tables ahead, he’s the one in the gray suit with the dazzling blue eyes.” They look at Avery who nods sheepishly before finishing his drink.
“He’s cute.” The girl in the baby girl costume says approvingly, “What does he do?”
“He’s a surgeon.” Some of them look away dismissively that I catch, “I know a hot surgeon, it’s a cliché but you know not only does he save lives and look good doing it he goes home with his daughter and spends the night as a doting single father.” I scroll through my images and pull up the selfie I took with Harriet while I was babysitting her, “She is so cute you guys look.” I hand them the phone and they aww and gush over baby Harriet, “I know she’s an angel.” I leave out the hellish day she gave me and how I had to sing to get her to calm down, “He is so devoted to her, he spent all day yesterday looking for her stuffed bunny knowing she can’t sleep without it.” I made that story up but that’s the point in being a wingman, “Now I don’t know if he has a free night, I mean a surgeon and dad it’s a busy schedule but he is always up for texting and setting up a date on a free night. Just write your numbers on my notes and I’ll pass it along to him.”
They all type on my phone and I smile victoriously as I head back to my table where Avery looks at me dismissively no doubt missing what happened, “So how bad was it?”
“Oh I don’t know.” I show him my notes with the names and numbers of all six girls, “How bad would you put six numbers from six different girls?”
He looks at me shocked and grabs my phone to see if it’s real and stammers in disbelief, “H-How?”
“I lived in New York for four years and I was a phenomenal wingman in two of those.” I sip my beer, “Also I’m a woman, I know what women want unlike my brother who probably overused the ‘He’s a doctor’ card too many times.”
Avery narrows his eyes confused, “I thought women liked doctors?”
“We do like the lab coats but in this age women have grown smarter and are able to hold down steady jobs.” I inform him, “We think the hot doctor thing is a total cliché but the single dad thing you’ve got it’s a god send my friend. Women like responsible men and what says more responsibility than fatherhood?”
“Wait a minute?” Avery looks up at me, “You used my daughter to get me strange girl’s numbers?” I shrug nonchalant unashamed and instead of being mad he’s laughing in joy, “You are some kind of evil genius you know that?”
I chuckle, “Oh I know. Okay pick a table and I’ll get you more fish to draw in.” He looks at me confused, “It’s a numbers game, you gotta draw the line multiple times so you can better your chances of not having a cold bed in the morning. Now come on pick a table it’s my treat.”
He relents and scans the area, “The table by the jukebox.”
I sip my beer to pump myself, “I’ll be right back.” I stand up and look at him slouching, “Sit up straight.” He follows my command and I walk towards the table to reel in some fish.
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trekkiewatt · 4 months
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The following letter of 1824 was addressed to Charles McCutchan-Johnstone (later known as Charles ~McJohnston), who was the first settler at MC:Cutchanville, Indiana, in 1819. It was written to him by his sister-in-law, Ameha Fox McCutchan-Johnstone, from the Foxbrook estate in County Meath, and dated March 29, 1824.
My very dear and much beloved brother- I embrace the opportunity of one of our workmen going out to America to write to you. I received your letter a few days ago. It was a welcome letter indeed: It brought us the pleasing news of you and your family being in good health and that poor, still dear, tho unfortunate, Robert is alive.
'Twas reported in this country he was dead. 'Tis almost a year and half since his last letter to me. I wrote several to both you and to him and sent them to Dublin to a person I thought would have got them sent either to England or America, but I believe they were never sent. I have lived the last year at Foxbrook with my family. I have been greatly tossed by the lease of Goshen dropping. There was so much rent due at the time. I moved my furniture. Thot I might try to get a valuation for the timber for which (except the young ones) there was no registry. His Lordship has agreed to allow me a valuation for them when I am leaving. This which I have taken at 30 per acre (as tenant at will, for he gives no lease to anyone), and I am to pay the arrears at 20 pounds half yearly until all is paid. Not knowing what to do or where to get a place cheaper. Indeed I tried, and as bad as Goshen is I could get no place that would answer me so well- for living so far from Corboy was a ruinous thing. Many a time this year I have sighed and wished I was living near you. To describe all my mind and body has suffered since I saw you would be to much for me.
I feel a hope when my boys have their professions that we will go and settle in your country. My son Matthew is in his second year in the college, and Robert is studying surgery. I have no doubt but he will be one of the most leading men in his profession. They are both very sensible well minded gentlemanly stout fellows and well looking. Matthew is six foot four inches- Robert beyond six feet, very clever and reckoned very handsome- but he is better than handsome- he is most proper in his conduct as they all are thank God.
Andrew is the same industrious laborious fellow and has little for it. He is a good brother and obedient son. He would gladly go to America if he could, but I can’t grant him leave until his ‘It’s only He can keep you from sin. You cannot keep yourself. Cry mightily to him and he will save you from the tempter, and become a preacher in your family -both by example and precept. By and by you will you will be called on to give an account of your stewardship. May you by divine grace be enabled to be a faithful one- Giving God all the glory. I wish you had a religious wife- one about your own age that would be satisfied to give up all her time and interest herself for the spiritual as well as the temporal advantages of you and your children. Such an one is not easy found. I have been looking all around me everywhere I could think of and say I know no one I could recommend and that would be satisfied to go to America. One has just struck my mind at this moment. ‘Tis likely you may not approve of her. You know her I believe. She is not handsome and rather old- but she is an industrious person rather gentlewoman like and that might be an advantage to your daughters. She has been among the Methodists. I don’t know whether she is now. She is Jack Bickerstaff’s sister and always lives with him- but has a daughter of a very amicable character only I fear you would not get her to go to America, and she might bring a young family that would clash with the interests of the other children.
Therefore it is my duty on that hand to be silent - but if you could come over we would try to get you one your mind for it is not good good for a man to be alone. My very dear Charles I have your interest much at heart and should be glad to see you happily settled both for time and eternity- the woman I mention is both agreeable and notable. I think she must be beyond 40. You must have seen Ally Bickerstaff. I only mention her as she struck my mind since I began to write and never before. If you would not like the idea laugh at it. Write soon and and tell me candidly. Your children as they are of a large greed must be by this time pretty well grown. I fear the want of female society must be a great loss to them- both male and female should be refined, but when females are not it is a sad thing. Give my love to them. Let them have useful improving books to read if you can. Give my love also to Mrs. Hilliard. You did not mention in your last how she is doing. Tell her for me to prepare for eternity. I hope you have family worship with your family night and morn.
My brother Wm. Has a prospect of getting out of his difficulties. He has six sons and two daughters and will soon have the addition of another child. Mathilda has six children. She and Creighton are beginning to do better. I have not seen her since her trip to America. Wm. Goslin is now agent to Lord Froman, he was Colonel Barrey, and as Creighton lives on the estate he has been friendly to him and got him —-(a portion of the letter here is missing).
Amelia McCutchan-Johnstone
March 1824
(PS) - I will write soon again if I get an opportunity. The Douglases are preparing to go. There are numbers going from this neighborhood this year. All that can go are determined to go. Billy Kennedy would gladly take out his family, but is not quite able. He hopes he may at a future period. Tom Gardner intends going in June. So Will Wm. Gardner if he can accomplish it. If I were to set out I think there would be a great many would wish to come with me. Write to know is Robt. Indeed alive or why he does not write to his family-and let me know. My family are still at Foxbrook until May. Only Andrew is here with me. He desires his love to you and yours. Your brother James is doing very well in Longford. He says you lost your-( )- by going to America. So you will see how people differ in their opinion. The fellow who carries this is a hard working well behaved individual. His name is James Taylor. I desire him to put this in the post at New York.
Note: Charles McCutchan-Johnstone had married Maria Fox of Foxbrook, a sister to Amelia, the writer of the above letter, but Maria died shortly before Charles set out for America, so at the time he received this letter at McCutchanville he was a widower. “Still dear though unfortunate “ Robert ( who was not known to be dead or alive) was Amelia’s husband, a brother to Charles. Robert McCutchan-Johnstone came to America but disappeared and it is believed that he died in Philadelphia. Amelia and her son, Robert, eventually came to America and settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where Robert set up a medical practice using the name, Dr. Robert Johnstone. The Mrs. Hilliard mentioned was Charles’s eldest sister, the former Elizabeth McCutchan, who had come from Granard in County Longford, Ireland, in 1819 and settled north of McCutchanville.
brothers are ready. Their professions will support them as gentlemen anywhere. I am told America is a good place for their professions.
My girls are almost quite grown up and improved. I doubt not they could keep a boarding school in some of the cities of America, for to do country work they would not like. I should like the country. I am fond of industry, and I think they would anything to serve themselves. I am sorry to find you do not have not the advantages of religious society, which from your letter I would suppose. Could you not have the Methodist preachers to visit you ? I could not be anywhere I could not have the people of God to visit me and associate with. I think if I was near you I would strive in the name of God to have the to have a neighborhood flaming with the glory of God. Oh my dear brother, betake yourself to prayer. Resist in the name of your redeemer all temptation.
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mademoiselle-red · 1 year
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TC reread chapter 3, some thoughts
(Be warned: if you like Andrew, it’s best to just ignore this post and keep scrolling. I’m not a fan of this character and I don’t hold back on my opinions here)
Both Laurie and Ralph started their careers at the bottom of the army & merchant navy hierarchies despite having an “educated” accent. Another similarity and shared experience!
When Laurie asks to see his x-rays, the charge-nurse replied “I know what you are, reading your notes and getting half-baked ideas. Shakespeare says a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” This reminds me of Ralph’s story about Alec admonishing him for reading medical anatomy books. No wonder Laurie’s like: there’s nothing wrong with that 😤😤😤
“No one discussed what he had really felt; they took it out on other things.” Yep. True for like everyone in this entire book 😂
Poor Laurie, fighting the drugs because he nearly outed himself on that ship when he was drugged out of his mind, called Ralph a “dearie” and turned him down with a flirty smile 😏 (I wonder if he ever decides to call Ralph “dearie” again, perhaps while they are on holiday, lying on the deck of a little sailboat? “Yes dearie, I’m ready this time” 🤗)
Also, Laurie remembers finding Ralph’s concern for him on the ship “very flattering” and “reflected that he [Laurie] was filthy and unshaved”, and thus proposes “some other time” 😏👀 Like, Ralph is hovering over him, desperately hoping he might still make it out alive, and Laurie is lying there, casually revealing that he’s been considering the bearded man in front of his as a potential lover and decided that he can’t do it now because he hasn’t shaved yet and his leg is a mess 😅 (but also, an early hint that Laurie will be hesitant to date Ralph because he is afraid of being not good enough for Ralph 😭😭😭)
Love the water = queerness metaphor in this book. Laurie the champion swimmer, not wanting to swim because it is not allowed 😭
And after the surgery, Laurie is doped out of his mind, all inhibitions removed. The first we see this happen, he thinks about sex with the bearded captain (Ralph), the second time we hear about this, he recites queer poetry and invites a nurse to bed, and now he is rambling to Nurse Adrian about how “there was a man at school” with whom things would have been different from his failed relationship with Charles. Laurie’s horny-ness for Ralph is so sweet 🥹. And then telling her “it was all wrong the way they treated him” 😭😭😭
“Exit a quiet tidy patient […] enter, somewhere else, a young man with a lame leg and an unanswered question. Vital statistics have this new character something like fifty years’ expectation of life.” I like to imagine that with the stability of Ralph’s love, care, and companionship, Laurie will live to a ripe old age 💪
Laurie makes up a whole life story for Nurse Adrian, “bumpy tennis court […] a wire-haired terrier you couldn’t show” all based on her “schoolroom smile”. I write her as a repressed lesbian in one of my WIPs 😅😅😅
I love how Laurie gives Sandy a flirty smile out of pure boredom. He obviously delights in the expressing his queerness and in casually flirting with another man (as long as there are no social consequences for him)! Hilarious how he convinces himself later that he can live a chaste life. If Laurie had become a sailor like Ralph, he would absolutely go cruising in bars in foreign ports and pick up men with that dazzling smile of his. (Omg perhaps in an AU where it is Laurie who has an affair with Hazel and gets expelled….)
Also Laurie, just because you are masc4masc does not mean you can look down upon femme folks 😤😤😤
Poor Laurie crying under the covers after hearing Major Ferguson’s discussion with the visiting surgeon and understanding that he’ll be disabled forever: “Then he slipped down in bed […] soon he was able to blot his eyes on the sheet and come to the surface again” 😢
“You know, my father wasn’t faithful to my mother.” Thinking about Laurie’s abandonment trauma, and his tendency to abandon ppl before they can abandon him: Andrew prolly seemed like a “safe” choice because he seems to have no romantic prospects (he doesn’t even seem to have any close friends except Laurie). Meanwhile Ralph is popular in the queer community, he seems to have lots of romantic prospects, so Laurie felt like Ralph didn’t really need him for emotional & romantic fulfillment (until he read the suicide letter). After all, like Madge, he “was one of those that know what a man needs.”
Ugggghhhhh the book is so boring without Ralph 😩😩😩…..two more chapters to go….😫😫😫
“It was Nurse Adrian […] he felt at once that it was she all the time whom he had really wanted […] she had none of that awful knowingness; one could take one’s time with her, hesitate, and she would only be grateful.” She is innocent of queerness, has nice hands, fair hair, and BLUE eyes, and Laurie helps her with the washing up in the kitchen in the evening 👀. It’s a little sad how Laurie just replaces her with Andrew and abandons their budding friendship once he has found an equally innocent and Ralph-looking male version of her.
Also, I think the 1953 version of this chapter makes it more clear that Laurie feels very terrible and guilty about having killed people in the war. That is why he thinks it’ll be “embarrassing” to meet the C.O.s, whose hands are “clean” of blood. It is a crude metaphor, but both Laurie and Ralph have participated in both queerness and the killing, while Andrew has declared himself morally above acting upon queerness and killing Nazis. Although he “dirtied” his hands for a good cause, Laurie is feeling very down-beaten and guilty after Dunkirk, so it’s quite understandable that Andrew’s “clean” moral position seems quite aspirational and superior.
But I don’t find Andrew any more virtuous than the other characters in the novel. His moral “cleanliness” from standing above the violence is basically non-interference, doing nothing as people suffer. This doesn’t make him more virtuous or morally superior to those who were willing to get their hands dirty to take a stand against fascism. I think choosing pacifism when your country is under attack is really just choosing to escape into an illusion: the pacifist’s hands are clean indeed, but his boots are drenched in the blood of those who died because of his inaction.
Laurie and Andrew’s interactions are such fertile ground for finding Ralph/Laurie clues 🔎, like Andrew wearing a grey flannel shirt on the day Laurie first sees him. Ralph was also wearing grey flannel when they kissed in the study, on the last day Laurie saw him. And we later learn from the old photograph of Ralph that it was love at first with Andrew because Laurie recognized 19 year old Ralph in his appearance.
“The brush with Willis had fortified Laurie’s self-confidence.” Andrew’s social vulnerability and inexperience gives Laurie ample opportunity to provide protection and guidance. Like Ralph, he needs to be needed. He especially needs this ego-boost after losing both the war and his leg.
I know I’ve said this many times in the past, but I find it so telling that Laurie is jealous of the much older Dave for being Andrew’s mentor & father-figure, rather than any of the young Quakers, who’d make more reasonable romantic prospects for Andrew. He doesn’t want to be Andrew’s partner or equal, he wants to replace Dave as Andrew’s pederastic mentor.
In the 1953 edition I’m reading, Andrew whistles the Enchanter’s Theme from Swan Lake after Laurie mentions Tchaikovsky. The enchanter makes the protagonist mistake the black swan, the impersonator, for the white swan, his true love. Similarly here, Laurie does not realize that his sense of deja vu & love at first sight is because Andrew resembles Ralph, his true love.
The meeting with Andrew reminded me of that Twitter meme about how there are two kinds of ppl you’ll meet: those who are kind to you and those who are nice to you. Nice people are polite and considerate about all the little things, but unwilling to make any kind of personal sacrifice to help you when push comes to shove. Kind people may be a little blunt and severe when you first meet them, but genuinely care about your wellbeing and are willing to go through a lot of trouble to help you.
Laurie and Andrew are nice to each other, while Laurie and Ralph are kind to each other. Laurie will do anything for Ralph, once he knows what Ralph needs from him, but cannot ultimately bring himself to disavow his emotional truth & love for Ralph to let Andrew have his cake and eat it too. Ralph, however, is willing to sacrifice his dignity and happiness to give Laurie what he wants, while Andrew is unwilling to compromise his pride and moral dogmatism to understand and fulfill Laurie’s emotional needs.
Also, I will go into it in more detail once I get to chapter 15, but Andrew’s final letter to Laurie is rather rude and presumptuous. He thinks he can ask Laurie to disavow his love for Ralph and his own emotional truth, without offering Laurie anything in return, not even a continuation of their chaste friendship. Fuck off!
(This reminds me: I should write a fic where an older Laurie digs out Andrew’s letter from a box of his old things, reads it, and is like: “oh dear! I’m so glad he broke up with me. Saved me from so much future heartache. And now I have Ralph 🥰”)
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Ooh a previously!
Came in a few seconds through it but like I saw it all already lol
Hi Lea :)!
Hi Shaun :D
Hi Glassman :))
Ayy pancakes :))
Ooope Shaun xd not right now
Aghhh 😬😬😬
Shaun. Chill xd.
I mean I figure he'll be right because this is tgd but like still, you really have no proof
OOPE o.o
The tensionnn 😭😭
I just want my babeys to be happyyyy 😭
Awww :'((
Shaun you might not find any xd
Hi Jordan!!
Hey Andrews :)
Hi Asher 🥰
Jordan and Asher like 👁️👄👁️ XDD
SLFLGJDHKDGS both xD
Hey Morgan :D
Hmm nah I bet there's something special, like a condition he has or something
OOH YEP!
Definitely interesting :)
Lol at least he doesn't mind xD
Hi Perez :))!
Hey Kalu :D!
OOF ouch 😬
Shaunnn noo xDD
Bestie naur lol
Well hopefully we manage to get him back out there :)
See something he noticed that you didn't xD
(as in see?)
Well at least you have a reason for sticking around lol
Aww Morgan :))
Hi Lim 🥰!
Aww :((
Morgan's getting closer and closer to adopting her xD
I mean yeah I guess surgery would be an option
But they'd grow back? Dang then what's the point xd
Asher's not gonna be a fan of this guy's philosophy lol
Idk I see both sides
I'm glad these two are chill now :)
Oh that's cool!
I think Danny needs to know he can be a good role model :)
LOL that was sweet but o.o that it's a health thing xd
Oh no D:
Ope Glassman forgot something 👀
Wait I already forgot what was it xd a tumor? I don't remember xD
Poor guy though :((
Y'all not this again xD
I agree with both of y'all but like chill xD
Lol yeah referee XD
Asherrr watch yourself lol, you're not quite rude yet but still xD
Lol turned it right back around
Aww :'((
I mena it sucks but yeah if he wants to see the good things then ┐⁠(⁠ ⁠∵⁠ ⁠)⁠┌
Like I said I see both sides xD
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book-extravagance · 1 year
Text
2023 BRF Predictions (from a Rookie Royal Watcher)
Going way out on a limb here, because predictions are never fun unless you do.
1. Archewell makes its social media debut on a POC-founded Twitter alternative.
2. Anti-Diana Youtubers have a Hot Moment with a breakout viral video. When the creator gets profiled in 2024 we discover that they broke into the 100,000+ bracket in income the year before.
3. George does an engagement with William. (He answers like two questions clearly and creditably. British royalists explode with admiration for this incredible exploit. I am underwhelmed, but concede that it was nice.)
4. Buckingham Palace releases a 3-page refutation nitpicking not-terribly-essential quotes from Harry's memoir. This causes the entire legal staff, such as it is, to have a collective coronary, but Charles is determined.
5. The press arse-kissing leading up to Charles's coronation is nauseating. (Okay, so I have one safe bet.) They emphasize how much he's a man of the people and also how many black clients friends he has. Some RR reporter writes an op-ed on how Charles is akshually far more anti-racist than Harry and Meghan.
6. Charles does bestow the Edinburgh duchy on Edward, shortly before the coronation. I'd say one month. Kingly sense of noblesse oblige and all.
7. a. What I'd like to see happen for the coronation: Harry and Meghan stay home. (They might not even get an invite, because I think Charles would work it out with them that if they intend to decline, he won't send it. Whatever. H & M are pleased to have no more to do with the dumpster fire.) Charles tells Andrew to stay home too. (Andrew throws a temper tantrum that will be related with great gusto in royal biographies years down the road.)
b. What I think will happen: Harry goes to the coronation because he's a glutton for punishment he has a misplaced, battered, yet still-operant sense of filial duty and Crown veneration... and Meghan goes to stand by her man. Fuckin' Andrew is there too, because Charles is already considered too much a wild-eyed radical and he needs the support of the worst dregs of the aristotrash, who all think Andrew has been rather mistreated.
We all know who the press spills more ink analyzing and digging up dirt on.
8. A would-be regicide gets arrested before the coronation. The government and press use this to beat the royalist drum harder than ever. There are grave op-eds about the danger that the royal family faces in these troubling times of social media radicalization.
Will and Kate brief that they will be making fewer public appearances due to security concerns. (Charles is rumored to be Unamused.)
9. Kate looks bloody stunning at the coronation and/or wears a new tiara.
10. Camilla also looks the part. Very shiny.
11. Kate astounds and impresses us all by doing two solo foreign visits. At least one is European. Similar to the time she went to Denmark and appeared with Mary.
12. Season 2 of Archetypes features a genuinely tone-deaf moment (more tone-deaf than having Andy Cohen and Judd Aptow on for the grand finale). Press is fuckin' gleeful.
13. Someone publishes a questionable tell-all about Elizabeth's final days.
14. Charles has a health scare. Maybe planned surgery with a longer-than-expected recovery. He pulls through well in the end, but not after the papers have enjoyed running hundreds of articles speculating about what an early William ascension would look like.
(Spoiler alert: They all reckon it looks like a Tory's wet dream! But they don't say it in those words, of course.)
15. A Twitter account pops up, tracking either William's or Harry's itinerary & flights. If it's William, it's taken down pronto and there is much hang-wringing about the invasiveness of the press. If it's Harry, it stays up and, bonus! Musk has a truly hilarious reason to explain why.
16. Meghan appears at a very political gala. Probably not Biden but a high-ranking Democrat, like Pelosi. Americans are pretty shrug because Meghan's giving Last Year's News at that point, but the UK press goes into a complete meltdown.
17. An unnamed victim brings another suit against Andrew. The British press has significantly less to say about this than a financially independent American going "partisan" four years after the UK establishment pretty unambiguously told her to piss off and die. It's settled quietly. Charles manages to avoid it officially getting out that he pays the settlement until 2024.
18. There is chatter from "palace sources" that Charles is considering having Beatrice do some engagements in order to bring some youth and glam to the rota. The only ones considering this are some courtiers, and the "chatter" goes nowhere because neither Charles nor Bea want this.
19. Another big story from "palace sources" is that Kate has also been struggling with depression, etc (or possibly a miscarriage). The narrative is that Kate herself would never dream of telling anyone about this or ever speaking in public but her dearest friends want to speak out because people who exemplify grace never get credit... Kate is so brave and she's so relatable and also this is how you deal with mental health problems, Harry and ME-AGAIN!!1!!! Keep calm and carry on without a pity party, like an ADULT! Will and Kate allow this narrative to stand (because of course; it came from them), thus doing real damage to the public perception of mental illness and how to best treat it. Otoh, the press goes to town crowning Kate the and Patron Saint Princess of Ordinary People Struggling with Mental Health. (The press does not mention Kate's previous claim that she's never suffered depression because of how wonderful her upbringing was.)
20. Harry and Meghan's popularity in the US spikes around the time of the Spare release and then they get a little stale in 2023. Ironically, the hundreds of references to their "falling star" or "loss of luster" in (American) media actually helps keep their brand pumped up.
21. They come in strong with the unveiling of a big Archewell initiative in December, though. It's been underway all year and they're only spiking the football once they get results. They bring some charity to international prominence with this event. (I can't possibly hazard a guess as to what kind of initiative or event. One thing I seriously respect the Sussexes for—their humanitarian work is creative, authentic, never cookie-cutter. So I'll wait and see.)
22. British papers and news programmes, without directly referencing William, start pushing the narrative that "Open Relationships" might be Okay, actually? Some are skeptical, but! Experts say they're hip and relatable, but also traditional, and they've long been the well-kept secret to a healthy long marriage!! (Obviously I don't have anything against consensual open relationships. But the purposefulness of this Engineered Cultural Moment will be hard to miss.)
23. And you know what this means! Earthshot in Sydney, baby!! Oceania tour time, bitches!!! All three kids, cute as a three-buttoned coatdress!!!? Let's gooooo.
Big splashy Wales moment, it gets good play in mainstream press. Louis behaves fine for his age but gets side-eyed for a random look on his face as it appears in one photo.
24. I think Charles will be able to refrain from briefing against Rishi Sunak for 2023.
He's gonna do a lotta that sort of thing in the future, though.
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welleychristovo · 2 years
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Who Is Welley Christ And What Is He Known For?These are all the information we know about Welley Christ Celebrity Star Who Got noticed for having the Christ Last NameThe place Welley Christ was born was Montserrado County, Welley Christ is a Liberian who is from Liberia, Welley Christ father name is Bob Solo Tardey, And his mother name is Constance Andrew Tamoh.Welley Christ real full name is Welley Nynobee Tardey he have been trying to change his last name to Christ for a very long time and he is born June 24 2000.Who Is Welley Christ?Welley Christ Age, Height, Net Worth, Ethnicity, SurgeryWelley Christ is a handsome charming model and Celebrity Star from Liberia who is known for his God-like figure. His popularity skyrocketed after he started his modeling career. His fans admire his twisted sense of humor and he has become a star influencer on social media because of that.Welley Chrsit AgeWelley Christ age is currently been noticed. Because he was born on June 24, 2000, his zodiac sign is gemini. The handsome actor cuts his birthday cake on June 24. He is very humble and honest as a GeminiHeight and WeightWelley Christ is handsome body and clothing model and his height is 5 feet 7 inches. Moreover, his body weighs 63.5 kg and his has a well-maintained hot figure.Welley Christ shared pictures from the hospital bed when she underwent surgery. Even though his bio does not include a concrete fitness plan, we know that Welley Christ works out frequently. He even takes care of his diet to maintain his bodyDoes he have a GirlFriend?Welley Christ does not have a Girlfriend as of now. He is in an important phase of his career right now which might be the reason why he is avoiding romantic involvements. Welley Christ has not shared any information about his ex-Girlfriend either.We will update the details of his romantic life once he announces his girlfriend.Factual InformationEven after wanting to be with Kylie Jenner and Evoni He still hits the top of front page, “Maybe I couldn’t be rich, but I’ll settle for being the greatest of all time as a consolation.” Little does Christ know, he could have it all with some simple, discrete modeling lift.How Tall Is Welley Christ?Welley Christ Height is 5'7It’s no doubt that Welley Christis one of the most innovative and legendary Celebrities of our generation. Coming out being known as the greatest of all time, but staying alive after a car crash almost dying. “Worlds Perfect Man” solidly placed Christ at the top of the Industry. A lustrous career and Relationship with America’s queen of reality TV, Tamera Kissen, further puts Welley Christ at the top of the Hollywood pyramid. His legendary feuds with much-taller artists like Taylor Swift and Jimmy Kimmel (no disrespect to Ben Affleck!) proves that Welley Christ is ready to stand up for his beliefs and make his opinion known.Adding more luxury models to Welley Christ brand Godly Trill will only help to solidify Christ further as the best. Working in fashion, height is a desired commodity, and making himself a little successful will only help serve him in the fashion circles he’s a part of. Welley Christ dating relationship collaborations would also benefit from height increasing as his frequent collaborators such as Chris Brown, and most recently, Drake, are 6’2” and 6’0” respectively. Boosting his image with men’s clothing lifts will put him on the same level as other Celebrities and ensure that Godly Trill is known for what he creates, rather than what he lacks in height.So to answer the original question: How tall is Welley Christ? He is 5’7”.Real Name Welley Nynobee TardeyNick Name Welley ChristAge 22 Years oldDate of Birth June 24, 2000Family Name TardeyPlace of Origin Monrovia, LiberiaBirth Sign geminiGender MaleReligion ChristianityNationality AfricanFluently Speaks EnglishEthnicity AfricanProfession(s)Actor, Clothing Designer, Model, Photographer, Painter, Drawer, Dancer, Writer, Basket Ball, Soccer, Foot Ball, Track, Swimmer, Record Prodcer, Business Manager, Public Speaker, Rapper, Singer, Skater, Reader, Graphic Design ArtistAward(s) Under ReviewFamily Details Christ FamilyDad Solomon Bob TardeyMom ( Constance Tamoh Andrew)Brother(s) 4 (Name Not Disclosed)Sister(s) 8Education High School North Kansas City High School, (North Town)University Not FoundAcademic Qualification College StudentPhysical Stats Height in Feet 5 feet 7inchesWeight in Kg 63.5 kgHeight in Meter 1.72 mWeight in Lbs140 lbsShoe Size Size 8.5**(US)5Tattoo(s)**Not AvailableHair Color BlackEye Color BrownPersonal Marital Status UnmarriedGirl Friend Currently SingleSon(s) Will UpdateHollywood LuxuryHollywood Luxury, Clothing, Fashion, Art, Male Fashion
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marquisoforder · 3 years
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Ranking the Nine Princes of Hell from TSC from the least to most sexy
(Technically 8 cause Lucifer is just a chair but eh)
8) Coming in at dead last we have Asmodeus cause I hate this generic white man energy he’s giving here. He’s the demon of Lust cause the only way he could get bitches was by tricking and manipulating them. He’s serving Frankenstein’s Monster had a baby with a CEO from a yaoi hentai realness here. The Worst of the Demons? More like the Worst Dressed of the demons! Black tie with a white suite? 🤮Sir are you out of your goddamn mind? Did Raphael bonk you on the head until your fashion sense left? -1/10 you are simply hideous sir
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7) Coming in at number 7 we have Mammon looking like Jeff Bezos’s capitalistic wet dream. How are you literally all about money but still look tacky as hell? This man shows up to the MET Gala in a tux with no effort whatsoever I can just feel it in my bones. All these eyes but you still couldn’t locate a better fit. I was gonna ask why he looks constipated but then I read the part where he eats blood and gold for every meal so he’s obviously suffering from indigestion. (And it shows king, it really shows) 0/10 - Do fucking better and get a plastic surgery or a proper diet with all the money you are hoarding up
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6) At number six we’ve got Belphegor. Honestly I’d have ranked him much higher if it wasn’t for the goat skull situation going on there like what’s up with that king? Is this a political statement? Or are you just taking covid precautions? Either way I can’t rank you higher than six with that face. (Even tho the body is definitely 1. Like you mean to tell me a demon with abs like those is the demon of laziness? He ain’t lazy if he’s grinding in the gym which he apparently is cause he’s legit shredded.) also kinda cute that you were married to a mortal. Maybe if they pegged you you wouldn’t have denounced the institution of marriage. (Try it next time. I’m certainly up if you are 👀 haha jk unless 😳) 5/10 - Sorry about your goat head
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5) On the position of number five we have the one and only Leviathan! He’s not a fallen angel! He’s not like other girls! He’s edgy, he’s sensitive, he’s sad, nobody understands him. He kins Ebony Dementia Darkness Raven Way. But in a sexy way. I like what you’ve done with the hair. Paired with completely black eyes he’s essentially the perfect Scene Boy™️ from back in the day. He would have been Tumblr famous. Even now he has the capacity to become one of Tumblr’s sexy man (derogatory) cause he has the same vibe as Jotun Loki. 6/10 - No Comments cause I’m worried he might actually just eat me.
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4) Belial is number four cause while he’s definitely good looking there’s something about him that screams I’d Mansplain Your Own Period To You. Probably invested in Bitcoin and trying to overheat the planet to death. Not gonna lie whatever he’s doing with his hands is actually giving model, it’s giving Timothy chalamet, it’s giving white boy who paints nails and wears rings and doesn’t shut up about it. The hair is actually really cool and I wish my hair looked that effortlessly good. Whatever hair products you stole from Brad Mondo, I want some rn 😤 6.5/10 - idk still kinda basic tho
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3) Moving on to the top three we have Azazel! I liked him when we saw him in TMI. He’s giving fuck boy archie andrews here. Probably says baby girl unironically. Are his pants sagging or are they two toned? That’s a secret he’ll never tell. The reason he was cast down from hell is actually because god was jealous of that one lock of hair that falls perfectly across his forehead. His nails are done, his hair is perfect, his abs look rock hard. All in all has that all-American rugged good looks to him. 7/10- red hair actually looks good on you king keep it up
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2) Our runner up is none other than Astaroth! Look at that serve! Look me in the eyes and tell me this man doesn’t belong on the cover of a cheap erotica novel about fallen angels!!! The glance downwards, the wings bared, the contrast of the red cloth with the black wings!! He did not come to play because for Astaroth, the world is a runaway and he’s a model. The luscious hair and the sexy torso scars truly sets this man apart. I’m not big on selling my soul but for you king, I’d fr put that shit on eBay for 50 cents. You think you were misjudged and pleads your case? Lemme be your defense attorney king, I’ll fight God in a Denny’s parking lot for you no questions asked. 9/10 - Unlike Belphegor I still believe in the institution of marriage so ahahaha 👀😌 iykwim
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1) And finally our top boy from Hell is… none other than Samael himself! That cute lil feather on the hat paired with that Jack sparrow red scarf really shows he knows how to work a fit. The rolled up sleeves got me 👀 at his forearms like I’m a Victorian man seeing a bit of ankle. This demon legit looks like a man young Taylor Swift would write a song about. He’s young, he’s hip, he probably has a fashion tiktok and does mad transitions from outfit to outfit. 10/10 wouldn’t do this man’s sexiness justice cause he’s simply too sexy for such a trivial scale.
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1-800-imagines · 3 years
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Hurt (Andrew DeLuca Imagine)
Requested by @em2213 : the reader walking in and seeing him on the ventilator ( since he was in that episode ) & one of the dr’s comforting the reader?
Based off the episode where Alex beats up DeLuca. I know I got some stuff wrong
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“DeLuca is in the ER.” was the text you received from your intern. She was the only person who knew you and Andrew were dating because she had caught the two of you in an on call room one time.
Your heart-raced as you pressed call and she picked up immediately, “It’s really bad. Possible brain injury. I’d get here ASAP.”
Your knees buckled and you hit the floor with a thud, “Y/L/N?” She said, but you couldn’t respond. You hung up and got your bearings straight.
You called an Uber, way too wrecked to drive. The driver didn’t bother asking questions when you directed them to Grey-Sloan Memorial’s ER.
The car pulled out and you went running through the med bay, not in scrubs. Jackson caught your eye, “Y/L/N, you aren’t supposed to be here.”
“DeLuca. Where is he?” You asked frantically scanning the trauma rooms.
“You’re not getting on his surgery. That’s sick that you came just to get a surgery.” As he was lecturing you, he noticed your change in emotion when he mentioned surgery, because your stomach had dropped.
Tears welled in your eyes, “Is he okay?”
Jackson grabbed your hand and led you to an empty trauma room, “He’s in CT right now. We’re worried he might lose his sight. But I’m working with him, okay? It’s going to be okay.” You nodded. “You’re in love with him aren’t you?” Jackson asked.
“We’re dating. We didn’t want to tell anyone yet.” You said quietly.
“He’s been asking for you but no one knew who you were. He’s here because Karev beat the crap out of him. He’ll be okay. Come on.” Jackson said and led you to CT.
---
When you got there and saw him, your heart broke. He was in bad condition. Jackson squeezed your shoulder, “You can talk to him when he comes out for a minute but then we have to take him to surgery.”
He came out within 10 minutes and you rushed to his side, “Hey baby, it’s me.” You said, grabbing his hand and squeezing a little.
Andrew groaned, “Hey you’re here.”
You smoothed back his hair, “Save your energy. I’m gonna be right here. You’re going into surgery soon.” He just nodded and relaxed a little, the tension seemed to be leaving now that you were there.
Jackson walked up, "We gotta get him ready. You gotta wait out here. I already told Hunt and Bailey what's going on so don't even try to work."
You shook your head, your nerves were too wrecked to work anyway. You leaned down to kiss Andrew's forehead. "Ti amo, amore mio." You whispered, tears streaming down your cheeks.
He smiled slightly and reached for your hand to squeeze it back in reassurance, "I'll see you after surgery." You said finally with a final kiss to his forehead.
---
Once they took him away, you went to an on call room and completely broke into sobs. You brought your knees into your chest and just cried. You tried to keep them in, but they wouldn't stop.
The door opened and you attempted to make them stop, but it was Dr. Bailey. She walked in and closed the door behind her. You were ready for your lecture, but you couldn't make the tears stop.
"I'm sorry Dr. Bailey, I should've told you about us. I deserve whatever punishment you're going to give me. I'm not crying about that. I just can't make the tears stop..." You rambled.
"Dr. Y/L/N." She said sternly looking at you. You hiccuped a little and looked at her, "You are not in trouble. I came to check on you." She sat on the bed next to you. "I know you're in pain and feel useless right now."
The tears started all over and Bailey sighed, she put one arm around your shoulder, "It will be okay. Dr. Hunt and Avery are the best at what they do. So don't worry. And I'm gonna stay with you until the surgery is done."
"Thank you, Dr. Bailey." You said quietly. You settled into her embrace and let yourself relax for the first time since arriving at the hospital.
----
Andrew was out of surgery a couple hours later. He was on a vent for healing purposes but would be taken off shortly after. It still made you almost collapse to see him like that, but Bailey and Jackson were still right next to you.
You sat next to Andrew until he was pulled off the vent and woken up. You barely left his side. They projected that he was going to make a full recovery but you didn't dare leave.
"You know you can go back to work. I'm going to be stuck here for a little while." He said, a morning when you woke up on the crappy chair next to his bed.
You stretched your neck out, "Then I would just come in here after my shift."
"I mean, okay. I won't stop you, but I'll be okay if you leave the room for 5 minutes." He said.
You pouted your lips, "Ugh fine. I guess. But the minute something goes bad, I'm coming back."
Andrew shook his head, "I know better to argue with you." You smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. deluca
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oh it’s true, that I was made for you
- or -
a fic where jo is a fellow and alex is chief
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Hi guys! I hope you enjoy this fluffy s15 AU that I wrote bc I just miss the days when Jo was still a Karev
Rating: G
Word Count: 2778
———
“Dr. Bailey! Oh thank God, I need your help!” Jo squeaked as she came to a halt in front of the woman in question.
“What did you do, Wilson?” Bailey sighed and looked up from the tablet in her hand.
“Karev.” Jo stated, eliciting a confused expression from the woman in front of her. “It’s Karev now.”
“Oh yes. Karev.” Bailey rolled her eyes. “What can I do for you, Karev?”
“I need someone to take my two o’clock surgery.” Jo grimaced. “I wouldn’t ask you unless I absolutely had to. I tried to get Meredith to take it but she’s in the OR doing a transplant that is going to last another four hours. It’s an ex-lap.”
“And why is it that you can’t perform your own surgery? You’re a fellow now Wilson—I mean Karev. You shouldn’t be carting off a simple ex-lap to another surgeon. You’ve done plenty of them before.” Bailey’s frown made it known that she was unimpressed with Jo’s request. “So you better have a pretty damn good reason why you need me to do it.”
“I—uh,” Jo paused and considered whether she should tell Bailey the truth. She had tried keeping her suspicions to herself for the past few days, but Jo was practically bursting to tell someone. “I have an appointment to see Carina DeLuca.”
Jo watched as Bailey’s eyes grew wide.
“Wilson, are you pregnant?”
“Karev. And could you keep your voice down?” Jo shushed her superior and looked around to make sure no one was listening. “I haven’t told anyone. Not even Alex. I took a test this morning because I had been feeling strange and the line was really light but it was there so I just made an appointment to be sure. I don’t want to say anything until after the appointment. I mean, we just got married and he’s interim chief and I just started a fellowship, so this just might be the worst, most stressful time to make a baby, but of course, this is when he decides to knock me up!”
Bailey stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds before speaking. “Alex Karev is having a baby?”
“Maybe?” Jo shrugged. “I don’t know. You see. This is why I really need you to take my ex-lap so that I can make my 1:45 appointment and find out if my entire life is about to change.”
“Um… yes of course.” Bailey nodded. “Just let me rearrange some things. I can get one of the senior residents to take my appy.”
“Thank you so much Bailey. You’re amazing!” Jo clapped her hands together in gratitude.
“Yeah, uh huh…” Bailey waved her hand as Jo skittered away. “You better tell me as soon as you find out.”
“Yes ma’am!”
The next few hours seemed to drag on as Jo waited for 1:45 to roll around. She spent the entirety of the lumpectomy she was performing mulling over the faintest little line that had showed up on the stick that morning.
“Dr. Karev? Dr. Karev? Jo?”
Jo looked up to see Andrew trying to capture her attention.
“Jo. Are you okay? You froze for a second there.” Andrew asked, concerned. “Did you feel like you missed something? Because, you already finished the hardest part of the procedure and you did it flawlessly. All that’s left is to close.”
“Thanks. And no it’s not that.” Jo shook her head. “Sorry, I just got a lot on my mind right now. Do you think you can close?”
“Uh, yeah of course!” Andrew’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you sure you don’t want to do it?”
“I trust you. You have great suturing technique. You barely leave a scar. Go ahead. Finish.” Jo insisted. “I’m going to head out. I have an appointment to get to. When you’re done, make sure to talk to the family and assure them that everything went smoothly. I’ll come back to check on her as soon as I'm done.”
“Okay…” Andrew grinned under his mask. “I won’t let you down!”
As soon as Jo stepped out of the OR, she braced herself against the nearest wall. She took some slow deep breaths to help keep the ever present nausea and dizziness at bay. Come on, Karev. Get yourself together. You don’t even know for sure yet. That line was so light it was basically nonexistent. Your results could come back negative. Yes. They could be negative. That’s what Jo needed to remind herself of. They could also be positive, though. That would mean you’re having a baby. That would mean that you’re growing a human, right now, at this very moment.
Jo’s heart pounded the entire way down to the OBGYN clinic offices. When she finally rounded the corner, she was surprised to see Carina waiting for her already.
“Jo. I was surprised to see your name added last minute to my schedule. Let’s get you into the room quickly.” Carina led her past the front desk as discreetly as possible and into an exam. “I’m assuming you want to keep this from as many people as possible since your husband is the chief, no?”
“You would be correct.” Jo nodded.
“I figured that was the case.” Carina smiled. “I normally wouldn’t do these things myself but I had a nurse come set up everything for me so I could do all of your examinations myself. I promise everything will be done with the utmost discretion.”
“Thank you so much Carina.”
“So you said that you think you might be pregnant? Tell me, have you taken a test yet?” Carina washed her hands and donned some gloves.
“I took one this morning because I had been having some of the same symptoms as last time and wanted to check. So, I took the the test, but the line was really light so I’m not sure if it was a false positive or if it’s just too early.”
“You said you’re having the same symptoms as last time. I thought you and Dr. Karev didn’t have any children. Have you been pregnant in the past?”
Jo cursed herself for the slip. She’d never had this conversation out loud with another soul and was terrified to do it now, but it seemed as good a time as any. “I was pregnant about ten years ago. It was during a very difficult time in my life. I was in an abusive relationship, so… I had an abortion.”
“I’m sorry about your situation.” Carina placed a sympathetic hand on Jo’s shoulder. “But these circumstances are very different from the last one. So, no matter what your results say and what you decide to do going forward, it will not be like the last time.”
“You’re right.” Jo took a deep breath. “My life is different now. It’s good. I'm happy. I’m in a loving relationship with a man who would die before ever laying a hand on me. That won’t change depending on if I’m pregnant or not.”
“Well, we are still going to find out. I don’t need you running around stressed out about whether or not you’re pregnant.” Carina took the needle in her hand and began to draw some blood. “I'm going to do this first and run the labs so that hopefully it’ll be in soon.”
“Do you think I’m pregnant? They say OB’s have like a sixth sense about these kinds of things. Well, they also say that about peds surgeons and Alex hasn’t said anything to me so maybe they’re wrong. Maybe a special pregnancy sixth sense doesn’t exist.” Jo rambled as Carina put a bandaid on Jo’s arm.
“Oh, it exists. Trust me.” Carina’s eyes glimmered as she dropped a couple vials of blood into a specimen bag. “But, I will not tell you what I suspect until the results come in.”
“Come on, that’s no fun.” Jo pouted.
Carina walked over to the door and opened it slightly, blocking Jo from view. She motioned to one of the nurses to come over.
“Hi, Vivi. Could you run these labs for me? I need them back as soon as possible.” Carina smiled and handed them over to the nurse.
“Yes, of course.” Vivi reached for the bag and took a look at the vials. “There’s no name on these.”
“Yes. I know.” Carina nodded. “Just put it down as Jane Doe or something like that. Remember to tell them that it is urgent!”
As soon as she closed the door, Carina turned back towards Jo. “Okay, I am going to go check on some of my other patients while we wait for those results to come. I will be back soon and then we will know if we’re going to have a little bambino to care for.”
“Sounds good.”
Minutes never felt this long in the past. The ticking of the clock seemed exponentially louder than it ever had before. The last time she’d been pregnant, Jo never gave herself the time to think of whether she could be a mom. She never allowed herself to picture her pregnancy as more than just another thing that Paul could beat her for. She refused to allow herself those thoughts in the past out of fear of getting attached to something that could never happen. Now that she was no longer in the same position, Jo couldn’t help but think of everything. The passing minutes were full of countless thoughts ranging from fear and anxiety inducing ones, to happiness and excitement, to uncertainty and trying to calm herself down.
By the time Carina returned, Jo was sure of one thing and one thing only. She needed to know the results.
“Okay, Jo. Let’s see what this says.” Carina clicked on the screen of the iPad in her hands and waited for the results to load. When they showed up on the screen, she gave an almost imperceptible nod. “You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
“You’re pregnant.” Carina beamed. “Most likely very early on based on your hCG levels. I’d estimate somewhere around five weeks. Two of those weeks are counted from your last period which means you conceived approximately three weeks ago… So right around the second week of June.”
As she did the mental math, Jo burst out into laughter. “Oh my God.”
“What’s going on?” Carina asked, a confused expression making its way on her face.
“I know when I got pregnant.”
“You do?” Carina’s eyebrows raised. “Well, if you can remember the exact date, that would be very helpful in tracking the development of your baby.”
“It was on my wedding day, June ninth.” Jo laughed again. “Alex and I snuck away and had sex in a shed before the ceremony. I forgot to take my pill the night before and didn’t bring them with me to the venue. I thought I’d be okay because I had Meredith bring them to me so I could double up the next day.”
“It must’ve been enough to cause you to ovulate.” Carina chuckled. “But besides the nausea and dizziness, how do you feel? Do we need to talk about options or have you decided?”
“I’m keeping it.” Jo said without hesitation. She gasped immediately after. “I can’t believe I said that. I’m going to have a baby. I’m going to be a mom.”
“Yes, you are.” Carina laughed. “My sixth sense never fails me.”
The remainder of the appointment went smoothly. When Jo and Carina finally parted ways, Jo took a second to gather herself before walking back over towards the surgical wing. She entered the gallery of OR 4 and waited for Bailey to notice her presence.
After a few minutes, Bailey’s head turned in Jo’s direction. “Well, Wilson? Sorry, I mean Karev. What’s the verdict?”
Sure that no one would understand the context of their conversation, Jo smiled. “Yes.”
“Ah!” Bailey let out a little shout of excitement. “Okay, we’ll talk as soon as I get out of here. For now though, I’d appreciate it if you popped in on Baldwin in OR 6. Make sure that he isn’t screwing up my appy.”
After checking in on the residents, a consult in the pit, and a quick hernia repair, Jo was back in the lab with Bailey. She was grateful for the older woman’s care and support. Bailey had been so helpful and understanding as soon as she learned about Jo’s pregnancy.
“I’m really happy for you, Jo. I think this is going to be wonderful.” Bailey squeezed Jo’s hand lightly. “Can you believe how far you’ve come?”
“It’s still surreal.” Jo confessed. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m going to wake up as Brooke, living in Paul’s prison of a townhouse hoping that he’ll be in a good mood today and decide not to hit me… But then I realize that this is my life. I’m Jo Karev now. I have a loving husband. I’m a doctor. I have friends who care about me. And I’m going to be a mother.”
“Alex Karev is going to be a father.” Bailey snorted. “I never thought I would live to see the day.” She shook her head. “Is it selfish of me to hope that the baby is a girl? You know, as payback for all of the headaches he gave me with every one of his indiscretions?”
“Not at all.”
————
“Hey. You’re home.” Jo said as Alex walked in the door.
“Yes, finally.” Alex sighed as he put his stuff down. He walked over to where Jo was seated on the couch and kissed her. “I missed you today. I usually see you at least once but I didn’t see you at all today.”
“I was uh, busy.”
Yeah, real busy avoiding him to avoid slipping up and revealing their baby news.
“I got something for you.” Alex pulled away to retrieve something from his bag. He handed her a small box.
Jo looked at the box and her eyes widened. “Is this a pregnancy test?”
Alex shrugged. “Look, call me crazy, but I’m a peds surgeon. I’ve been enough pregnant ladies that I can practically sniff it out. I’m not saying you look different or anything, I don’t know… I just have a feeling.”
“And you want me to take this?” Jo stared at him in shock.
“I know it’s ridiculous and it’ll probably be negative, but I don't know. Humor me.” Alex cracked a grin.
“I don’t need to take this test.” Jo shook her head.
“Come on, Jo. It’s not that hard. All you gotta do is pee on the stick and give me a little peace of mind.”
“No, you don’t get it.” Jo put the box down beside her. “I don’t need to take this test because I already took one.” She inhaled deeply as if trying to muster up the courage to say it. “Alex, I’m pregnant.”
“Hold on, what?”
“I’m pregnant.” Jo beamed. “We’re gonna have a baby.”
“We’re having a baby?” Alex’s jaw dropped. “You’re pregnant? Like, right now?”
“Yes.” Jo laughed as Alex swept her into his arms.
“Holy crap. We’re going to be parents.” Alex’s eyes widened in shock and excitement.
“Yeah, we are.” Jo felt a couple tears prickle at her eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you.” Alex kissed her. “I love you so much, Jo. More than you could comprehend.”
After a few tender moments just reveling in their joy and impending parenthood, Jo sat up. “So, I figured out when we conceived this baby.”
“When? Because I’ve been trying to figure it out myself. We haven’t exactly had a ton of sex since I got this job.”
“We made a baby in that shed next to that corpse on our wedding day.”
Alex stared at Jo in disbelief and laughed. “You’re joking right?”
“I wish I was.” Jo giggled softly.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Jo, I—” Alex's laughs filled the room. “Well, you have to admit that was some of my best work.”
“Yeah it was.” Jo joined his laughter.
“You’re happy about this right? I know it’s not ideal and I certainly didn’t mean to knock you up right at the beginning of your fellowship, but you’re okay with it, right?” Alex asked quietly.
“Alex, I don’t care if it isn’t ideal. I love you so much and I already love this kid so much and they’re nowhere close to being here yet. I’m happier than I’ve ever been and that’s thanks to you.” Jo pressed her forehead against his. “You’re giving me everything I thought I’d never have.”
“You’re everything to me.” Alex kissed her again. “I can’t wait to experience this with you.”
“Me neither.”
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trekkiewatt · 4 months
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The following letter of 1824 was addressed to Charles McCutchan-Johnstone (later known as Charles ~McJohnston), who was the first settler at MC:Cutchanville, Indiana, in 1819. It was written to him by his sister-in-law, Ameha Fox McCutchan-Johnstone, from the Foxbrook estate in County Meath, and dated March 29, 1824.
My very dear and much beloved brother- I embrace the opportunity of one of our workmen going out to America to write to you. I received your letter a few days ago. It was a welcome letter indeed: It brought us the pleasing news of you and your family being in good health and that poor, still dear, tho unfortunate, Robert is alive.
'Twas reported in this country he was dead. 'Tis almost a year and half since his last letter to me. I wrote several to both you and to him and sent them to Dublin to a person I thought would have got them sent either to England or America, but I believe they were never sent. I have lived the last year at Foxbrook with my family. I have been greatly tossed by the lease of Goshen dropping. There was so much rent due at the time. I moved my furniture. Thot I might try to get a valuation for the timber for which (except the young ones) there was no registry. His Lordship has agreed to allow me a valuation for them when I am leaving. This which I have taken at 30 per acre (as tenant at will, for he gives no lease to anyone), and I am to pay the arrears at 20 pounds half yearly until all is paid. Not knowing what to do or where to get a place cheaper. Indeed I tried, and as bad as Goshen is I could get no place that would answer me so well- for living so far from Corboy was a ruinous thing. Many a time this year I have sighed and wished I was living near you. To describe all my mind and body has suffered since I saw you would be to much for me.
I feel a hope when my boys have their professions that we will go and settle in your country. My son Matthew is in his second year in the college, and Robert is studying surgery. I have no doubt but he will be one of the most leading men in his profession. They are both very sensible well minded gentlemanly stout fellows and well looking. Matthew is six foot four inches- Robert beyond six feet, very clever and reckoned very handsome- but he is better than handsome- he is most proper in his conduct as they all are thank God.
Andrew is the same industrious laborious fellow and has little for it. He is a good brother and obedient son. He would gladly go to America if he could, but I can’t grant him leave until his
brothers are ready. Their professions will support them as gentlemen anywhere. I am told America is a good place for their professions.
My girls are almost quite grown up and improved. I doubt not they could keep a boarding school in some of the cities of America, for to do country work they would not like. I should like the country. I am fond of industry, and I think they would anything to serve themselves. I am sorry to find you do not have not the advantages of religious society, which from your letter I would suppose. Could you not have the Methodist preachers to visit you ? I could not be anywhere I could not have the people of God to visit me and associate with. I think if I was near you I would strive in the name of God to have the to have a neighborhood flaming with the glory of God. Oh my dear brother, betake yourself to prayer. Resist in the name of your redeemer all temptation.
‘It’s only He can keep you from sin. You cannot keep yourself. Cry mightily to him and he will save you from the tempter, and become a preacher in your family -both by example and precept. By and by you will you will be called on to give an account of your stewardship. May you by divine grace be enabled to be a faithful one- Giving God all the glory. I wish you had a religious wife- one about your own age that would be satisfied to give up all her time and interest herself for the spiritual as well as the temporal advantages of you and your children. Such an one is not easy found. I have been looking all around me everywhere I could think of and say I know no one I could recommend and that would be satisfied to go to America. One has just struck my mind at this moment.
‘Tis likely you may not approve of her. You know her I believe. She is not handsome and rather old- but she is an industrious person rather gentlewoman like and that might be an advantage to your daughters. She has been among the Methodists. I don’t know whether she is now. She is Jack Bickerstaff’s sister and always lives with him- but has a daughter of a very amicable character only I fear you would not get her to go to America, and she might bring a young family that would clash with the interests of the other children.
Therefore it is my duty on that hand to be silent - but if you could come over we would try to get you one your mind for it is not good good for a man to be alone. My very dear Charles I have your interest much at heart and should be glad to see you happily settled both for time and eternity- the woman I mention is both agreeable and notable. I think she must be beyond 40. You must have seen Ally Bickerstaff. I only mention her as she struck my mind since I began to write and never before. If you would not like the idea laugh at it. Write soon and and tell me candidly. Your children as they are of a large greed must be by this time pretty well grown. I fear the want of female society must be a great loss to them- both male and female should be refined, but when females are not it is a sad thing. Give my love to them. Let them have useful improving books to read if you can. Give my love also to Mrs. Hilliard. You did not mention in your last how she is doing. Tell her for me to prepare for eternity. I hope you have family worship with your family night and morn.
My brother Wm. Has a prospect of getting out of his difficulties. He has six sons and two daughters and will soon have the addition of another child. Mathilda has six children. She and Creighton are beginning to do better. I have not seen her since her trip to America. Wm. Goslin is now agent to Lord Froman, he was Colonel Barrey, and as Creighton lives on the estate he has been friendly to him and got him —-(a portion of the letter here is missing).
Amelia McCutchan-Johnstone
March 1824
(PS) - I will write soon again if I get an opportunity. The Douglases are preparing to go. There are numbers going from this neighborhood this year. All that can go are determined to go. Billy Kennedy would gladly take out his family, but is not quite able. He hopes he may at a future period. Tom Gardner intends going in June. So Will Wm. Gardner if he can accomplish it. If I were to set out I think there would be a great many would wish to come with me. Write to know is Robt. Indeed alive or why he does not write to his family-and let me know. My family are still at Foxbrook until May. Only Andrew is here with me. He desires his love to you and yours. Your brother James is doing very well in Longford. He says you lost your-( )- by going to America. So you will see how people differ in their opinion. The fellow who carries this is a hard working well behaved individual. His name is James Taylor. I desire him to put this in the post at New York.
Note: Charles McCutchan-Johnstone had married Maria Fox of Foxbrook, a sister to Amelia, the writer of the above letter, but Maria died shortly before Charles set out for America, so at the time he received this letter at McCutchanville he was a widower. “Still dear though unfortunate “ Robert ( who was not known to be dead or alive) was Amelia’s husband, a brother to Charles. Robert McCutchan-Johnstone came to America but disappeared and it is believed that he died in Philadelphia. Amelia and her son, Robert, eventually came to America and settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where Robert set up a medical practice using the name, Dr. Robert Johnstone. The Mrs. Hilliard mentioned was Charles’s eldest sister, the former Elizabeth McCutchan, who had come from Granard in County Longford, Ireland, in 1819 and settled north of McCutchanville.
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simonsrosebud · 3 years
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the one where someone doesn’t know who kevin day is, pt. 3
part one two four five
kevin has a talk with them the next morning before practice.  or more of just him storming into the lounge and going off.  the four freshman are there, too, but he doesn’t quite care.
“dalton isn’t fucked up like the rest of us!  there’s a reason i didn’t want any of you meeting or even knowing about him and it’s not because i hadn’t fucking come out yet.  he’s not a fox, and he’s not even thea.  he’s not involved with exy, he doesn’t know about riko and me and the moriyama’s and the rest!  there’s a lot of shit he doesn’t know about yet and none of you had the right throwing it all out in the air last night just to have a fucking laugh.  tell me, was it funny?  was it fucking funny getting him shitfaced just to get some answers and take the piss?!”
dan stands, and kevin holds a hand out.  she looks to andrew, but his silence sides him with kevin.  “kevin, we were just trying to-“
“you have no excuses, dan.  none of you do.  you were trying to make a fool of me and my boyfriend for nothing.  and now, i have to go cure his curiosity of the things you all said.”  and he storms out.
wymack doesn’t stop him.  if anything, he looks mad at those left.  “the fuck did you do to him to make him skip practice?!  you realize that’s never happened so long as he’s lived, right?!  we don’t have protocol for the day kevin skips exy.”
meanwhile, dalton doesn’t actually have that many questions.  the numbing of alcohol for a face tattoo is understandable, especially knowing that kevin’s sober and therefore must have had a problem.  the cracker dust he asks about just because he doesn’t know what it is- he doesn’t like it, but trusts kevin that he’s done with it.  he’s seen the scar along kevin’s hand, he already assumed it was from a surgery.  the edgar allen thing was too vague for him to be curious about, but he does ask- not about, the father comment, but if he’s okay about it.  kevin tells him this much;  that he transferred from edgar allen to palmetto because he’d known for a few years that wymack was his father, and that he didn’t have the courage to tell him until last year.
kevin thanks the gods that dalton doesn’t ask about or seem to remember any mention of the yakuza.
they’re at kevin’s suite because he knows they’ll have a few hours by themselves with everyone at the stadium, but only an hour in there’s knocking on the door.  dalton has his lips on kevin’s- he’d just said how he likes having access to his “real smile”.  “gonna get it?”  kevin shakes his head.  the knocking starts again.
“come on, kevin!  we’re sorry!  just open up for a second!”
kevin knows dalton likes when he speaks french, so he sighs and kisses him before whispering, “i hate them all.”
dan is at his door with matt and allison in tow.  “what do you want?”
“to apologize.”  kevin raises his eyebrows.  “look, we take the piss a lot and you never seemed to be visibly affected by it, so we didn’t realize that last night was upsetting you until you left.”
“you said never have i ever seen kevin have a meltdown.  why do you think you’ve seen that?  because i’m a toddler?  you know what i’ve had my reasons.”  riko.  the moriyamas.
“i know.  look, we don’t want to give you excuses.  i-i don’t have an explanation.  you’ve always kind of let us take the piss without saying anything, and we took it too far, especially last night.  andrew looked like he wanted to kill nicky for the yakuza comment, but neil talked to him about it before we went to the stadium this morning,” she whispers the last part because she’s not stupid, and kevin huffs.
matt jumps in.  “we wanna make it up to you, man.  you’ve obviously hid him from us for a reason and we proved you right.”  kevin honestly wants to get back to dalton and he wants it to just be over with.  “bring him to the winter banquet, we’ll be nice.  if anyone says anything i’ll punch em.  neil will chew em out.”
kevin grimaces.  the ravens will be at the banquet.  it’s in just over a month, the second week of december.  he’ll have to tell dalton some things by then.  and he might have to say something to the public.
he doesn’t tell him anything.  not yet, at least.  he still has three weeks until the banquet- he hasn’t even asked dalton yet.  he starts to like away games a little more than before, though.  he gets dalton a little postcard from every new state they go to.  he tapes them all to one of the walls of his room.
he’s on the phone with dalton at an airport general store, even, when he gets interrupted by two girls.  he puts on his press smile before he even notices.  “hold on, d.”
he doesn’t love fan interactions.
when they leave, dalton asks him with amusement if he’s got fans now, and kevin kind of decides he should probably tell him some more about his life because jesus, does he have fans.  he needs to tell him about he and riko.  what they were, what they were to fans of exy, what kevin was to fans of exy.  what kevin was to riko- without involving the yakuza.
but he doesn’t, because dalton never brings up the topic of “fans” again.
he doesn’t tell him until a week later, when he wakes up from a nightmare.
dalton’s leaning over him, speaking, but all kevin sees is riko riko riko.  it takes all of two seconds for dalton to back off.
“hey, hey, it’s me, it’s dalton.  you’re safe, you’re in my apartment.  no one else is here, i promise.”
kevin’s breathing so hard, dalton flicks the lamp on and he just crumbles.  he sits up and presses his hands over his eyes, “i’m sorry.”
“can i touch you?” he nods.  dalton’s sitting at his side, cross legged, and gently pulls kevin’s hands off his eyes.  “you don’t have to be sorry.  i know there’s shit in here,” he lightly lifts his hands to hold kevin’s face and taps his temple with a finger, “i don’t need to know what it is, just know you don’t have to apologize for it, and know you’re safe.”
kevin nods and twists to hug him.  and dalton wraps his arms securely around kevin’s back.  he presses a kiss to the top of his head and mumbles “c’mere” to prompt kevin into climbing into his lap.
dalton slides his fingers through kevin’s hair and it’s just so soothing, it nearly puts him to sleep.  and when dalton lays back down kevin stays wrapped around him with his cheek pressed to his chest.
when kevin wakes up it’s to find they’ve switched positions overnight.  dalton’s got his arm lazily draped over kevin’s waist, almost holding him close like a pillow.  his ankle is thrown over kevin’s, and his head is pressed into the back of kevin’s neck.
kevin doesn’t want to move.  in fact, he stays so still so as to not wake dalton, that when he stirs kevin just shushes him and pulls dalton’s arm back around him.  he holds his hand close to his chest.
dalton’s not stupid.  he knows kevin’s awake and nuzzles himself closer.  “you like being cuddled.”
“you’re the one doing it, not me.”  but he definitely tilts further into the pillow to expose his neck when dalton starts kissing up the side.
“you like being the little spoon.”  and pushes himself up over kevin.  “you like when you’re on the bottom, kev.” he kisses him deep into the mattress despite morning breath, and noses down his neck.  “i like it.”
kevin tugs at dalton’s hair.  “and what… what about it?”
ahaha.  aha.  sex.
anyway.
he tells dalton everything afterwards.  he leaves out the yakuza part, and the fact of neil’s past, because that’s another monster.  but he tells him the rest.  who his mother is and why he’s such a big deal in the exy world;  why he really left edgar allen and came to the foxes;  the tattoo that’s buried under his chess piece and what it meant.  what his relationship with riko was really like, and everything about their past and the abuse he endured.
and he fills him in on what triggers him because of that: small pitch black rooms, confined spaces without an easy way out, holding his hand too tight, the mention of riko moriyama, a lot of other things.
and dalton stays. 
so kevin asks him to the banquet.  when he says yes, he asks wymack for help arranging an interview.  there are enough people and press lingering outside the exy banquets, and he’d like to hold his boyfriend’s hand on the way in this year.
it’s scheduled to be live the morning before the banquet.  it’s with sophie silletti for espn college exy, and she posts about it as soon as it’s booked.
kevin sits with her.  it’s nothing like kathy ferdinand.  they talk strictly about exy and eventually, with his pre-approved questions, she brings up thea’s team’s most recent game.  “and forgive me if i’m wrong, but you and thea muldani split recently, yes?”
kevin nods.  “back in may, i’d say.  we’re still friendly, i have the utmost respect towards her.  in the end it just didn’t work out.”  i haven’t talked to her in months.
sophie nods.  “everything happens for a reason, i’d like to think.”
“of course.  it wouldn’t have led me elsewhere.”
“is that hinting at something?  i feel we don’t normally talk about this, but does kevin day have someone new in his love life?”  
kevin palms are sweating.  he hopes his face isn’t red with nerves.  “i do, actually.  i won’t say anything about him for his own privacy” i don’t want the public’s prying eyes “but we’ve been together for a bit, now.”
sophie is grinning, she feigns surprise.  “i heard you say him, did i not?  anything else to tell us?”
he keeps his smile easy, but he can feel the worry in the back of his head telling himself they can see right through it.  “if you’re asking, then sure.  i’m a bisexual man, so yes, my partner is also a man.  this is the first time i’ve ever announced it to the public, actually.”  as if that wasn’t the whole point of today.
“at least your fangirls can keep their hopes up, then, yeah?  still got a 50/50 shot!  and i’ve got to say, i feel honored you trusted me and my show with a milestone like this.  coming out certainly is a big deal, or at least nerve wracking!  how do you feel?” she laughs.  “is it like a weight lifted from your shoulders?”
“i was never too stressed about it.”  lies.  “some will hate, sure, but my job is the game.  if my fans are true then this won’t change that.  speaking of,” and then it’s back to exy.
wymack drives them back to palmetto, and when they’re close enough he says, “i’m proud of you for doing that.”
“thanks.”
“where am i dropping you off?”
kevin knows andrew and neil probably watched the interview, and he doesn’t feel like dealing with whatever they’ve got to say about it.  so wymack drops him at dalton’s who hugs him as soon as he opens the door.
“you watched?”
“of course.”  he kisses his cheek.
all posts/updates relating to this au can be found in the “OC: dalton miller” tag!
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arcturusreads · 3 years
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you are such a good writer. everything you write makes me want a part 2. possibilities has me on the edge of my seat rn. part 2 is needed please
Possibilities Part Two - Merhayes
Thank you so much, lovely! I hope this is the part 2 you needed! You guys can find part one here!
Eventually, Meredith had managed to find the strength to leave the supply closest. Furiously, she had wiped away her tears and tried to steady her breath. After giving herself a few moments and praying that her eyes were red and puffy from the tears, she opened the door and looked around to see there was no one else nearby. She straightened out her scrub top and began walking down the corridor to the elevator.
There was no plan of attack. Meredith had no clue whether she should go and fin Cormac now or give him some time to cool down. He had been so angry with her, a feeling from him that had never once been directed towards her before. But he was angry under the misconception that Meredith didn’t care about him, that she didn’t want to be with him and that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The argument in her head went back and forth, not sure whether to see him now or text him later. It made her feel overwhelmed to the point she could feel the blood pounding in her ears. Everything had been going so well between the two of them. It never felt like an effort to talk to Cormac, to find the open opportunities in her day to spend time with him. It was just easy with him but never boring. No, Cormac Hayes constantly kept her on her toes.
Meredith wasn’t quite sure how, but she had made it up to her ward, autopilot had kicked in to take her to the place in the hospital where she felt in the most control, bar the OR. This ward was her queendom and no one questioned her rule. This was her safe place whilst other areas of her life felt like there were falling apart. Right now, when she felt so out of control with the situation with Cormac, she knew that this place would calm her mind for long enough to get through the rest of her shift.
“Dr Grey!”
Meredith was jolted out of her thoughts and found Miranda standing next to her. She knew that the Chief of Surgery only ever called her Dr Grey in two situations, in front of patients and interns or when she was in trouble. With no patients or interns around, the latter could be the only reason, but Meredith couldn’t find herself caring.
“Yes, Dr Bailey?” Her tone was weary, voice still a little croaky from the crying.
Taking a proper look at Meredith’s face, Bailey could see something wasn’t quite right. Her Chief of General Surgery was normally a battle-axe of a woman. Sure, she had seen Meredith annoyed, angry and frustrated at work but today she looked broken and that just didn’t sit right with her.
“Can we go to your office?”
“Uh, sure?” Meredith wasn’t quite sure why Bailey wanted to see her privately but didn’t even have the energy to question it.
Silently they walked into the room. Meredith shut the door behind them as Miranda took a seat on the teal two-seater.
“Look, if this is about the schedules I’m sorry but we’re down two general surgeons since we haven’t filled in Andrew’s or Jo’s posts so-“
Miranda cut her off, “Meredith, just breathe for a second. I’m not here to have a go at you about the schedules, I don’t care about that right now.” She patted the spot next to the sofa. “I’m more concerned about you. What’s going on, Grey?”
“Nothing’s going on.” Meredith crossed her arms over her chest defensively.
Pursing her lips and arching a brow, Miranda didn’t let up. “Mhm, and the sky is purple. Sit your butt down and talk to me, Grey.”
Begrudgingly, Meredith took a seat next to Miranda. She had that tone of voice that she had used the entire way throughout their intern year. The one that told Meredith that there was no room for arguments. You were going to listen to Miranda Bailey or not live to see the end of the day.
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
Stubborn babies. Miranda Bailey had raised a bunch of stubborn babies who didn’t know what to do that was good for them.
“I’m not your boss here, Meredith. Just your friend. You and Richard were there for me when I miscarried. Now, I know that something isn’t right with you so we can sit here all day but you’re going to tell me what’s going on with you.”
Sighing, Meredith uncrossed her arms and began to fiddle with the hem of her scrub top. “As my friend, not my boss, right?” She knew that as the Chief, Bailey would have been less than impressed that Cormac and Meredith kept their relationship from HR.
Miranda nodded at her, hoping that Meredith would trust her enough to open up. As long as she hadn’t done anything illegal that would put the hospital and her medical licence at risk, then Miranda could take of the Chief of Surgery hat for a minute to be there for Meredith.
Taking a deep breath, Meredith knew that she needed to get this off of her chest and talk to someone else about it. “It’s me and Cormac,” she muttered quietly.
“You’re gonna have to speak up, Grey.”
“Me and Cormac.”
Miranda nodded in understanding, “You two finally got your act together and started dating yet?”
“Ye- wait, what?” Meredith took a moment to register what Bailey had said.
When she looked up at her, she was wearing a knowing smirk on her face. “We’re surgeons, Meredith. We’re not dumb and we’re definitely not blind. This whole hospital has been holding their breath waiting for the two of you to stop being such chicken and do something about what we all know is between the two of you.”
“I-uh,” Meredith wasn’t quite sure what to reply.
Her sisters and Jo had teased her about Cormac ever since he had started working at Grey-Sloan. She’d always thought it was just because she’d stupidly mentioned that Cristina had sent him as a ‘gift’ but maybe they had seen something there that she had been blind to for a while. Apparently, the whole hospital staff had seen it.
“You aren’t denying it,” Bailey continued as she waited for a response.
Relenting, Meredith decided to come out and tell Miranda everything. Like ripping a plaster off a wound. “We’ve been together for four months.” She didn’t miss Bailey’s eyebrows shooting up but didn’t stop for her to comment. “Or we were together? I don’t know, Bailey. I feel like I’ve messed it up. He’s so angry and I’ve never seen him like that before.”
“Okay, honey, just breathe for a second.” Seeing that Meredith was visibly shaking, Miranda clasped her hands around the general surgeon’s. “I can’t help if you don’t tell me everything but I’m sure that whatever’s gone on to make him that angry can’t be that bad.”
Miranda knew that her Chief of Paediatric Surgery had a bit of a temper at times. His passions for his work and his patients often meant he would end up in arguments. So, surely, whatever had happened between the two of them couldn’t have been that bad.
Taking a few deep breaths with Miranda, Meredith stopped shaking and began to tell Miranda of the argument that had happened only moments beforehand. Miranda listened carefully, not interrupting and making sure that Meredith didn’t get overwhelmed again.
“I’ve ruined everything between us, Bailey. The look on his face when he left…”
If there was one thing that Miranda Bailey was known for, it was tough love. Especially when it came to her intern class and today was no exception to the rule.
“Meredith Grey, you’re telling me that you’re just going to sit here and not fight for that man? I know you better than that, Grey.”
“What if he doesn’t want me to fight?”
“You’re going to let that stop you? Meredith, you might not have told anyone that you’ve been together the past four months, but I can tell you now that I’ve seen you around this hospital recently. I haven’t seen that same spark in your eyes since… since Derek.”
Miranda slowly softened her tone, “Meredith, I know you’re scared of what’s between you and Cormac but when are you going to stop telling yourself that you don’t deserve a second chance at love?”
“I didn’t say that!” Meredith jumped in, defensively.
Miranda rolled her eyes, “You don’t that I haven’t known you for long enough to know what you’re like? To know what you’re thinking? Meredith, you be honest with me here because it’s only the two of us, how do you feel when you’re with Cormac?”
There was a time where Miranda Bailey would have shut down any conversation that came close to knowing about the personal lives of her colleagues. Especially their love lives. But there she had learnt that there was no getting away from it. People like Meredith and Richard were a part of her family now, she found herself caring about them, including the parts of their personal lives she used to dodge like the plague.
“You don’t need to do this, Bailey.” Meredith was hunched over, staring at her trainers and Miranda took that opportunity to quickly shoot a page to Hayes.
“Oh, I know I don’t. I’m busy, I have a hospital to run but I want to. So, how about you stop evading my question and give me an answer.”
Meredith rubbed her “I don’t know. Good, I guess.”
“Good? You guess? That’s the best you’ve got, Grey? For a man that you’ve secretly been dating for the past four months. If you don’t give me a better answer, I’m suspending you.”
“You can’t do that!”
“You kept a relationship with a colleague secret for months and didn’t inform HR. I can and I will.” Miranda knew she wouldn’t, but she also knew that right now, Meredith wouldn’t want to call her bluff.
Meredith pushed herself up off of the sofa and began to pace. “This is ridiculous!”
There was a silence as Miranda didn’t respond and Meredith knew that she wasn’t getting out of this one. Letting out a huff, she turned away from Bailey and rested her hands on her desk.
“It feels like home when I’m with him. I could be having the worst day possible and if here’s there, next to me, I feel like everything is going to be okay. And he believes in me, but he won’t let me settle, he’s always there to keep pushing me to be better, to be more. It’s scary, Bailey because I haven’t felt like this since, Derek. I didn’t think it was possible. I knew I could fall in love again, but I didn’t know I could feel like this again. And now I feel like I’ve just thrown it all away before we could even have a proper chance. I was scared and I didn’t want to push him into something he might have felt uncomfortable with but I’ve just pushed him away altogether now. I don’t know what to do.”
Meredith turned around, hoping that Bailey would give her some answers but instead, standing in front of her was Cormac.
“You couldn’t have just told me all that yourself?” His voice broke slightly, and Meredith could see that he’d been crying as well.
“How…?” She wasn’t quite sure how he’d come to her office and Miranda had disappeared.
“Bailey paged me, told me to come up here.”
“So, you heard everything?”
Cormac nodded, “I don’t understand why you couldn’t tell me all of that, Mer. If you were scared, all you had to do was say. You didn’t even have to say why.”
Silent tears fell down Meredith’s face, “I’m sorry.” It was all she managed to get out.
Cormac stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her small frame, kissing the top of her head.
“I love you too, you insane woman. You drive me crazy but I promise you, you’ll never push me away.
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