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Post by Kpatch on Apr 3, 2021 17:42:16 GMT -5
it has to be a balance to what she’s comfortable with for her child and so far I’m not seeing this with Gwen at all I just see someone trying to sink her hooks into Philip I wouldn’t have given Gwen a second visit personally i would have sought out someone more professional like Mary.....hint hint Thank you! I am so glad you mentioned Mary. It's heartening to know that she is still remembered with affection. I'm currently working on a sequel to Story of My Life and Mary will return! |
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Post by Kpatch on Apr 8, 2021 7:32:02 GMT -5
Chapter 24a
Back on dry land in the Coast Guard locker room, Philip’s arms and legs were shaking as he changed out of his wet suit into his day clothes after rescuing the family. Today was one of only two times in his life when he thought he was going to die, the other time being when he stepped on a land mine in Iraq. He secured his prosthetic which had come loose when he peeled off his wet suit.
He made his way into the main hall where some of his Coast Guard colleagues were milling. Gwen’s eyes lit up when she saw him and she rushed to his side. Grasping his arm, she touched his chest and said, “Philip, are you okay? You’re white as a sheet. Actually, you’re gray as a ghost.”
“That’s a lot of…” He was looking for the word similes, but he couldn’t bring it out. “I’m fine,” he answered, but he wasn’t. He was having a hard time focusing and thinking. It felt like he was watching himself from outside his body.
“Well, I’m not going to take your word for it.” She gripped his arm tighter. “You’re coming home with me.”
Philip’s brow knit. “Um. Thanks for the offer, but I need to get home.”
“I won’t take no for an answer. I can’t bear the idea of you going home to an empty house on a night like this.” The worst of the hurricane had passed, but it was still grey and windy and rainy and there was a lot of debris in the road. “You told me Chloe and Parker left town—”
“Yeah, but I need to try and get hold of her and make sure they got to Salem okay.” Philip reached into his pocket for his phone, and pulled out a piece of notepaper instead. Puzzled, he read it.
Chloe,
Coast Guard called me to help with rescues. Didn’t want to wake you, but I have to tell you I’m sorry. I was wrong to try and buy the club without talking to you first.
I know you hate the idea of riding out the storm in a shelter, but you and Parker will be safest there. If we lose contact, stay put. I’ll find you. Just don’t give up on us.
P&C4E
He inhaled sharply. It was the note he meant to leave for Chloe, the note he thought he did leave. His heart sank when he realized she never had a chance to read the note.
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Post by heroicmuse on Apr 8, 2021 8:49:49 GMT -5
Well, I'm glad Philip realizes that.
He's not exactly thinking clearly right now and I don't think going home with Gwen would be a good idea.
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Post by mae00 on Apr 8, 2021 8:55:54 GMT -5
At least Philip realizes that Chloe never saw the note. I'm sure this will make him more bound and determined to find them now. Philip needs to talk to someone about what he just went through and what he's feeling. I don't think that Gwen is the person that he needs to talk to but I hope he does find someone.
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Post by André DiMera on Apr 8, 2021 9:36:19 GMT -5
Interesting that Philip thought he had left the note when he didn’t. I’m not sure that going home with Gwen is a great idea, especially when Philip isn’t thinking clearly.
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Post by doolfan4life on Apr 8, 2021 13:03:51 GMT -5
Surprise Gwen insists on taking him home
I hope he sticks to his No and doesn’t go with her
I dunno if it’s cuz I don’t like her that I’m picturing British Gwen from the show
I really hope she’s exposed for the games she’s trying to play
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Post by fluffysmom on Apr 8, 2021 20:07:55 GMT -5
I'm glad Philip found the note. I hope he gets ahold of Chloe and finds out she and Parker are at the shelter.
I hope Philip doesn't go home with Gwen. It feels like a very bad idea.
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Post by meemz on Apr 11, 2021 14:39:14 GMT -5
Omg my heart sank ! Loved this chapter
And um gwen? Haha hope this one does not projectile vomit all over philip
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Post by Kpatch on Apr 15, 2021 7:22:18 GMT -5
Chapter 24b
Before yesterday, Chloe had expected a shelter to be a harrowing experience. In her mind, it would be like Open House days at the orphanage when all the the kids who were up for adoption were brought into a big open room. The kids were ordered to sit on floor mats, on display for all to see, like exhibits in a zoo. Prospective parents came in to look the kids over, kick the tires, take them for a test drive, so to speak. When the Open House began, Chloe would always feel hopeful. Maybe today would be the day she would finally get a family. Maybe today would be her last day stuck in the orphanage. As the day wore on and she continued waiting, her hopes of being adopted faded. If anyone came to talk to her at all, they didn’t stay long. They quickly moved on to meet other children because Chloe wasn’t good enough, cute enough, young enough, charming enough, interesting enough.
And that’s what she imagined a shelter would be like—crowds of people sitting on the floor … waiting.
Turned out it wasn’t nearly as bad as Chloe expected it to be. Certainly, it was no picnic and she’d rather be anywhere but here. But everyone here was in the same boat and even if they weren’t always civil to each other, it was only because riding out a major hurricane in a crowded shelter where people were competing for floor space, food, and bathrooms was a highly stressful situation. Meeting Helen had proven to be a godsend. She was a lovely woman, motherly, kind, reassuring, caring.
Chloe spotted Helen heading back from the bathroom and noticed that she looked … hmm … weird. Seemed like she wasn’t focussing, so Chloe raised her hand high in the air and waved. “Over here, Helen,” she called out. As Helen approached, she stumbled and fell onto the mat, partly on top of Parker. Parker quickly squirted away. “Helen?” Chloe said. The older woman looked at Chloe with fear. She was spacey, shaking, and the color had drained from her face. Chloe cried out. “Help. We need help over here.” Her eyes darted around the room, looking for someone in authority. She quickly stood up to try and see around the people who were milling about. “Hey, we need a medic over here,” she shouted.
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Post by André DiMera on Apr 15, 2021 7:57:12 GMT -5
Interesting reflections Chloe’s having on living in the orphanage. Glad the shelter is, so far, proving to be an overall better experience.
Wonder what’s going on with Helen.
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Post by doolfan4life on Apr 15, 2021 9:53:27 GMT -5
Hopefully Helen is ok
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Post by mae00 on Apr 15, 2021 13:44:55 GMT -5
I hope Helen is ok!
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Post by fluffysmom on Apr 18, 2021 15:57:36 GMT -5
I liked hearing Chloe's recollections. I hope Helen will be okay.
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Post by Kpatch on Apr 22, 2021 7:13:47 GMT -5
Chapter 24c
“I won’t take no for an answer,” Gwen insisted. “I can’t bear the idea of you going home to an empty house on a night like this. You told me Chloe and Parker left town—”
“Yeah, but I need to try and get hold of her and make sure they got to Salem okay.”
Philip reached into his pocket for his phone, and pulled out a piece of notepaper instead. Puzzled, he read it.
He inhaled sharply. It was the note he meant to leave for Chloe, the note he thought he did leave. His heart sank when he realized she never had a chance to read the note.
“Damn,” he mumbled. He stuffed the note back in his pocket and retrieved his phone. He pressed the home key. “Still no signal.”
“Chloe’s not in Salem.”
Philip whirled around to see who said that. Feeling dizzy, he gripped a nearby chair. The man who said, “Chloe’s not in Salem,” was his friend Bill, the reservist who’s a realtor in his real life. “Bill! What do you mean she’s not in Salem? How do you know?”
“Because, I personally drove her and the boy to a shelter. She was reluctant to go, but she had no choice. I had a busload of people and I wasn’t coming around that way again.”
Philip remembered Chloe telling him she hated the idea of going to a shelter. The idea of being stuck in a crowded shelter with hundreds of people competing for food, floor space, and a bathroom for hours or even days, freaked her out. Why didn’t she go with Brady back to Salem, he wondered.
“Which shelter?”
Bill shrugged. “It’s either the grade school, middle school, high school, or one of the government buildings. I don’t know which.”
Philip grabbed Bill’s shirt. “How can you not know? You just said you drove her there.”
“Take it easy, Phil.” He took a step back. “I picked up her and a few hundred other people. I was picking up and dropping people off all day. When one shelter filled up, they diverted me to another one. All day long.”
Philip drew a deep breath. “Sorry.” He smoothed out Bill’s shirt. “Sorry I jumped on you. I—” He glanced at Gwen. “I gotta go.”
“Wait, I’ll come with you,” Gwen insisted.
“Why?” Philip asked.
“You’re going to look for Chloe and Parker in the shelters, right? I can help," she told him. "Divide and conquer, you know? I know what they look like.”
Philip was too weak to argue. He nodded and they took off.
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Post by heroicmuse on Apr 22, 2021 8:38:22 GMT -5
This seems like a bad idea. Let's hope nothing worse happens than Chloe freaking out because Philip shows up with Gwen.
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