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Post by slyn11 on Feb 9, 2012 11:14:36 GMT -5
Thanks for updating when you aren't feeling well Slyn. The conversation between Kate and Melanie was great. I really liked the flashbacks. Poor Philip. I hope the dialysis helps him or the medicine starts to work. He may need another miracle. Glad you liked it! Yes Philip may need a Salem miracle. |
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Post by gapeach on Feb 9, 2012 11:15:16 GMT -5
Thanks for that clarification... I had forgotten she liked both Belle & Stephanie... I could only remember Carrie!!
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Post by slyn11 on Feb 9, 2012 11:16:22 GMT -5
I like the heart to heart between Kate and Melanie. You managed to make me cry yet again Slyn! Thank you. Only Kate can make not killing someone a compliment. Lol |
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Post by slyn11 on Feb 9, 2012 11:27:31 GMT -5
Thanks for that clarification... I had forgotten she liked both Belle & Stephanie... I could only remember Carrie!! You are welcome. I would say on the show and in my story Kate has more of a respect for Melanie and an appreciation that she loves her son. I am not sure she actually likes her but she no longer disapproves. |
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Post by Kpatch on Feb 9, 2012 21:58:53 GMT -5
So Philip told his mother almost the exact same words about the way he feels about Melanie as she said about him.
Melanie is really stretched to the limit taking care of everyone but herself. Philip at work, Parker at home. And we got a little more information about the night of the accident. I'm kind of nervous to learn all the details, which I'm sure you'll reveal at some point.
Thanks for the added character insights, Slyn.
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Post by slyn11 on Feb 10, 2012 13:06:03 GMT -5
So Philip told his mother almost the exact same words about the way he feels about Melanie as she said about him. Melanie is really stretched to the limit taking care of everyone but herself. Philip at work, Parker at home. And we got a little more information about the night of the accident. I'm kind of nervous to learn all the details, which I'm sure you'll reveal at some point. Thanks for the added character insights, Slyn. Philip and Melanie are a lot alike. They both have esteem issues and they both are looking for acceptance and love. If you think back to the first love stories they told in the accident....similarities there.  Philip felt like he was losing the only person that every truly "got" him and accepted him flaws and all when he spoke to his mom that night. Now that Philip is in a coma - Melanie is feeling the same loss. The one person that loved her for her, is "gone". Then we have Chloe. She is slowly starting to realize that she might have missed out on something by giving up Philip. (small spoiler for next update) She feels his absence acutely. And she is starting to see just how much he means to her. Things are starting to shift...Melanie doesn't want a divorce. Chloe is "seeing" Philip in a whole new light. He has a new baby. Philip might be waking up to a whole new world. I wonder how he will handle it.  |
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Post by fluffysmom on Feb 10, 2012 13:54:02 GMT -5
Things are starting to shift...Melanie doesn't want a divorce. Chloe is "seeing" Philip in a whole new light. He has a new baby. Philip might be waking up to a whole new world. I wonder how he will handle it. I can hardly wait to find out!! |
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Post by Kpatch on Feb 10, 2012 14:29:31 GMT -5
Philip might be waking up ....  Another spoiler! Philip might be waking up! |
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Post by slyn11 on Feb 11, 2012 0:28:03 GMT -5
A/N: I've decided to break this conversation with Chloe into two parts. First we have her with Nicole and later with Daniel. I just thought it flowed better. I am playing with dialogue here...lots of talk less action. She is in bed, not much to do but chit chat!
Thanks for all the comments. I really appreciate you reading my little story.
The last chapter with Melanie was a bit dark. Broke my heart picturing Melanie holding Philip in her arms. I think about what it would be like if it were my own husband....just so sad.
So let's lighten the mood...a bit...with Nicole.
-------------------------------
Chapter 5 pt 2
At least the walls weren’t yellow. Pale blue, no window, but a really bright fluorescent light over head. She had spent the night there, in this small hospital room, alone, with only her thoughts to keep her company. She was under observation, poked and prodded for hours. Now all she could do was wait, for someone to come back, and tell her just what was wrong with her. Her nerves had gotten the better of her so she used the phone that was in the room and called Nicole.
“Thanks for coming Nicole.”
“You think I’d miss breakfast with my best girl friend?” asked Nicole from her position at the end of the bed. She had kicked off her shoes and made herself comfortable.
“Hanging out in a hospital room is no fun. Plus I am sucky company. I feel like crap.”
“At least you didn’t get your stomach pumped.”
“True. I did spend the night talking to the walls though.”
“So what was up with that? They said you were found wandering the streets.”
Chloe widened her eyes in surprise. “Who said that?”
“Uh the paper, the news, the internet. You’re the talk of the day. I guess I should be asking you for your autograph. You’re famous or is it infamous?”
“Oh God Nicole. How did the news find out?”
“Sweetie the media is camped out across the street from this place. And you just waltzed right out the front door. What did you expect?”
“I didn’t think anyone would notice.”
“Well someone did. Journalists tend to be a stealthy lot. Never let on they’re tailing you.”
“They followed me? What did the article say?”
Chloe’s heart pounded in her chest as she imagined what the paper said about her. She was going to be totally screwed if they followed her to Maggie’s house. How would she ever explain being there to the judge?
Nicole reached in her bag and pulled out her phone and handed it to Chloe. “Front page picture of you, hoodie and glasses. Nice look by the way. Nerd chic is still hot.”
Chloe groaned as she scrolled through the article on Nicole’s phone. “Just says I was wandering the street in the cold with no coat.”
“You were right? Or is there more to the story? Where did you really go Chloe?”
She didn’t want to lie to Nicole, but she had no choice. The less people who knew about what happened last night the better. She didn’t want to risk anyone having to testify against her in court, if it came to that. Hopefully Maggie, Drew and Daniel would keep things quiet. She had managed to sneak back in the hospital without incident. Daniel had carried her in saying he found her disoriented in the street. He started barking orders and no one questioned a thing. She guessed it paid to be a world renowned surgeon.
“I think the medicine had me out of my head. Things are fuzzy,” lied Chloe.
“Right. So uh do you know about Philip?” asked Nicole.
Chloe tried to look as innocent as possible. She had refrained from bringing up Philip the whole time, even though she was so worried about him. She couldn’t let on to Nicole that she had already known that Philip was sick. She was supposed to have been out of it last night. So she held her tongue.
“How is he? Is something wrong?”
“He’s not doing well at all,” said Nicole sadly. “Brady and I checked on him before I came up to see you.”
“Brady’s here?”
“He got called to the house by Victor. They all did.”
“Family meeting?
She hoped that meeting wasn’t about her and her little visit to see Parker last night. She could picture Victor gathering the troops to plot her demise. If he ever found out that she had snuck into Maggie’s he would make her life a living hell. Worse than it already was.
“I guess. Oh I know,” said Nicole perking up. “Now could be a really good time to go see Philip. His little wifey went to Victor’s too. We can go in and see him in the flesh.”
“I better not. I’ve done enough damage already.” Chloe slumped down in the bed pulling the blankets around her.
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes I sneak out and see him at night. I’m probably the reason he’s sick. I contaminated him or something.”
“He has visitors all the time. Melanie won’t let him have a moment’s peace. She always wants someone there. If he got sick from being around people its her fault, not yours.”
“Do you know what’s wrong with him?” asked Chloe praying that it was nothing serious.
“Brady was saying something like a blood infection. I think sepsis?”
Chloe sat up in alarm. “What? Oh my God!”
“I take it you know what that is.”
“I do and it’s really bad. What if something happens to him? What will Parker and I do?”
Chloe inwardly cringed as she realized how selfish she was being. She really did care about Philip and want him to get well, but she had so many other things to handle. Time was running out and she could be shipped away to a mental hospital for years to come. Her baby would essentially be an orphan. As much as she cared about Philip, that just took precedence in her mind. She needed him to be okay. If not for her, then for Parker.
Nicole patted Chloe’s leg reassuringly. “He’ll pull through this.”
“This is all my fault.”
“Chloe I told you. He has visitors all the time.”
“That’s not what I mean. It’s my fault he’s in a coma.”
Nicole sat up and crossed her legs Indian style, her arms draped across the footboard of the bed. “No that would be his wife’s fault. Brady told me she was driving the car that night.”
“It’s my fault because I married Lucas.”
“Ok. You lost me.”
“In high school things were good between Philip and me, but there was always this thing with Brady that I couldn’t ignore.”
He had been so infuriating. How he always popped up unexpectedly, how he constantly challenged her choices, how he questioned why she was with Philip. Chloe had wanted to hate him on sight, to dislike him just because he was such a know it all. But she never could quite manage the hate part. As much as she wanted to deny it, Brady knew her in a way no one else did. It was like he could see inside her, and hear her music. It sounded unbelievably corny then and still did, but Brady and her were just connected on this other level. It was something she never could really define. It just was. Until it wasn’t.
Nicole smiled. “Brady does have that effect on women.”
“While I hated hurting Philip, I just couldn’t deny what I felt for Brady. But when I came back to Salem, when my marriage with Brady fell apart, Philip was there for me. I started feeling more for him again. I think maybe even more than I did in high school.”
“I remember your sexcapades vividly,” chuckled Nicole. “I was always kinda surprised you and Philip never took it further. Made it official.”
Philip would look at her with those intense blue eyes and she felt like her heart would stop just waiting to see what he would do next. He has been so unpredictable to her, familiar and new all at once. The years had taken the boy she had loved and shaped him into a colder, harder, and stronger man. An undeniably sexy man. That was what had thrown Chloe the most. Philip used to be sweet and earnest, he now was fierce and seductive. He wore his sexuality like a badge. He had a new found swagger and his voice had deepened. Everything became laced with innuendo, a subtle promise of the pleasures he could provide and when he licked his lips and flashed that killer smile, Chloe just knew he could back it all up. It didn’t take long before she was in his bed, screaming his name, begging him to never stop. She wanted more of him, all of him, anything with him. She had fallen hard.
“There was so much confusion back then. He started dating that college girl and I didn’t know what to think.”
“You never asked him? Like how he felt about you?”
“You know me. Leap first, look later. We didn’t have “the talk” until after I had started things with Lucas.”
“You and Lucas were just a one off at first right? Couldn’t you and Philip have worked things out after that?”
“I was afraid. He’d taken up with this other woman he was acting so distant even when we were sleeping together. We weren’t connecting. It was like he was holding back with me.”
There was a distance, though he still was supportive, her constant champion. He bent over backwards to make her feel special and wanted, but he never truly let her in. He never let her get too close. Always a part of him she couldn’t touch. Chloe figured that time would close that gap, but then there was Morgan, later Lucas, and finally nothing.
“Well he had been through a lot back then. Didn’t he break up with Belle around that time?”
“Yes, and I was going through a divorce, but still it was…us. No matter what Philip and I have always been close. I’ve always been able to share anything with him. And it felt like things were changing. I started to freak out a little I guess, because I wanted him in my life more than anything. And I started to think, what if becoming more...a couple...what if it messed us up for good? What if we couldn’t survive another break up? I was so afraid to chance it, even though my heart wanted to try again with him so much.”
“Enter Lucas,” smirked Nicole.
Tears filled Chloe's eyes as she spoke. “I made that choice. It was safer in the long run to just keep Philip as a friend.”
They were left with the unfulfilled promise of second chances never taken. Love never spoken. But at least the friendship remained. And that was enough. It had to be.
“I actually can relate. I was with EJ when Brady came back into my life. Brady had always meant so much to me. I loved him so much and there was a time I would’ve done anything to be with him.”
“I remember.”
“Yeah sorry. Nothing personal sweetie. I just was consumed by him. You kind of got caught in the crossfire.”
At first it had been strange calling a truce with Nicole and becoming her friend. Now it was hard for Chloe to think of life without her. Nicole had been there for her during some of the toughest times of her life. Of course she hadn’t forgotten how Nicole tried to destroy her to get to Brady, but Chloe didn’t judge. She really couldn’t. If Nicole only knew how much in common they had now, they would really have something to laugh about. Chloe knew all too well what it felt like to be consumed, to lose control, to want to destroy.
“What’s a little disfigurement between friends?”
“I’ve made it up to you right?” asked Nicole tentatively.
“Yes that file you slipped in with that lip gloss was so great. Thank you.” They both looked up at each other and broke into laughter.
“I’m glad we can talk about all of this now and laugh. I’m surprised I don’t want to claw your eyes out.”
“Huh?”
“Well because of Brady. I know how he feels about you,” said Nicole softly.
“Nothing’s going on with me and Brady. We’re just friends.”
“You have this special place in his heart. Sometimes I catch him looking at you and I just feel….”
“Nicole I promise you nothing is going on,” interrupted Chloe.
“For you maybe. But for Brady,” she sighed. “He’s always gonna love you more than he’ll ever love me.”
“Nicole…”
“Hey I can accept it. Part of me always knew it. That’s why I married EJ even when Brady begged me not to. I knew if I got involved with Brady in that way, I would lose him. I would do something to screw things up and he would never speak to me again. I couldn’t risk it. He had already got past so much.”
“You didn’t think you could survive another blow," said Chloe as if finishing Nicole's thought.
“Yeah,” she agreed.
“I can’t believe I’m about to admit this,” Chloe took a deep breath and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Lately I’ve been starting to think I should’ve taken that chance with Philip. We might’ve gotten married and our little miracle would have been born sooner, without all the drama. Melanie would’ve never even been on his radar and he never would have been in that car. He would’ve been home with me and our son. Happy and safe.”
“That’s a lovely thought. One thing though. What about Daniel? This little rewrite of your history erases not only Lucas but also Daniel. Would you really be willing to give up having loved him?”
And then there was Daniel. Strong, brave, commanding. He made Chloe feel like a woman, feminine and sexy, just like in all those cheesy pop songs. He held her in his arms and she felt safe and protected. He was this heady mix of comfort and sex appeal. He worshipped her body and soul, never neglecting to let her know that she was the most amazing part of his life. He was everything that Brady and Philip were within one man. He was perfect. Chloe felt like she had finally gotten it right.
“I hurt him so much and when I look at him now it’s like he never loved me. And I think maybe we both would be better off if we had never gotten together. Then I imagine my life without all of those amazing times I shared with Daniel and I can’t do it. I wouldn’t trade in those days for anything.”
“Even if it meant you could save Philip?” asked Nicole.
Chloe paused at that question, uncertain how to respond. Would she really give up all she used to have with Daniel for Philip? Could a lifetime with Philip, compare to her brief, but breathtaking time with Daniel?
She wanted to believe that all the answers were with Philip, that he would be the one to bring her and Parker back together and help them build a stable life. She wanted to have faith in their history and unending connection, proof he would never let her down. She desperately needed to hold on to Philip and all they ever meant to each other. It had to count for something. But in Chloe’s experience putting faith in any man only led to heartbreak, especially in a man that wasn’t really hers to hold in the first place.
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Next update - Daniel and Chloe
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Post by MrsM on Feb 11, 2012 10:00:45 GMT -5
Wow. I love the honesty that they are speaking with. It is almost like a journal entry that you don't want anyone to see.
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Post by Kpatch on Feb 11, 2012 13:02:01 GMT -5
Great description, Mrs M! Like a journal entry.
I loved this chapter and hearing Chloe admit that she might have made a mistake by giving Philip up, and letting herself fantasize how different things would be if she had married Philip.
Thanks for the update, Slyn!
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Post by fluffysmom on Feb 11, 2012 20:20:38 GMT -5
Loved the honesty between the former rivals turned best friends. I can hardly wait to read more.
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Post by slyn11 on Feb 12, 2012 14:37:03 GMT -5
Question for my readers: Should I update today or tomorrow? Do you guys like more of a break between chapters? I am trying to figure out what pace I should be attempting to post.
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Post by Kpatch on Feb 12, 2012 14:43:55 GMT -5
You could update every day (or even twice a day) and it would not be too much for me. Addicts need their drug and I'm addicted to your story. Today please!
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Post by MrsM on Feb 12, 2012 15:38:46 GMT -5
^^What she said!!
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Philip felt like he was losing the only person that every truly "got" him and accepted him flaws and all when he spoke to his mom that night. Now that Philip is in a coma - Melanie is feeling the same loss. The one person that loved her for her, is "gone".
Another spoiler! Philip might be waking up!