Undertow 2: Uncharted Waters - Update 9/1/15 (Read 115,049 times)

[slyn11]

Apr 20, 2012 16:40:56 GMT -5 sportsgirl said:

Finally caught up. I decided that I needed my Philip fix and less crappy daytime TV...I am in tears Slyn...There is so much emotion going on that you almost feel you are right there in the room with them all.. Poor Philip, Poor Melanie.. they have both lost so much. and also poor Chloe.

I wonder if Philip will get his years back and be the father for Parker that he needs to be.

So cool you decided to read! Thank you.

The only guarantee I will make is that Philip will be an amazing dad - eventually. ;D

[slyn11]

A/N: Finishing up Chapter 8 and decided to add a Philip section in there along with the Melanie and Chloe ones. So I am opening it up to the floor...

Who should Philip talk to next? Chloe is not an option. I want to add Philip to the next chapter before he sees Dr. Hill. Wondering what person you guys want to see him interacting with..

A look ahead...

Chapter 8 - Melanie/Daniel and Chloe/Drew chapter (both POV in one)
Chapter 9 - Philip gets a "roommate" and meets Dr. Hill
Chapter 10 - Philip finds out about Parker.
Chapter 11 - Philip finds out about Melanie and Chloe

[krw627]

Philip should talk with Brady...or Bo. Either one may provide some insight without stressing him out too much!

[jc20886]

BO

[slyn11]

Tally so far....2 votes for Brady....2 votes for Bo....1 vote for Daniel

[fluffysmom]

The upcoming chapters sound great!

[sportsgirl]

Totally looking forward to me.....already getting withdrawals ;D

[slyn11]

A/N: Here's the plan for today. I am spending my rainy Sunday writing. Chapter 8 is a series of conversation with a variety of people. So as I complete each conversation I will post it in the DISCUSSION THREAD...sort of like a sneak peek and to allow non-members (who I know lurk because they are still messaging me through youtube asking why they can't see the story now) the chance to register and join the board.

When all the conversations are posted I will compile them into one chapter and post them here in the Undertow2 fic thread...with some extras thrown in as well.

Sound like a plan?

[slyn11]

Sneak Peek #1

Rushing down the stairs that led from the Nursing School wing of the hospital to the main building, Melanie’s head started to spin. Once she reached the bottom landing she leaned her head against the cool white brick wall and closed her eyes, willing the dizziness to stop.

“Melanie. Hey!” Her eyes shot open at the interruption. Stephanie Johnson had popped up beside her on the stairs.

“Stephanie,” said Melanie, attempting to smile weakly, but fearing her face was more likely in a grimace.

“Are you okay? You don’t look so good,” said Stephanie leaning forward and peering into Melanie’s face.

“Just tired,” said Melanie instinctively shifting away from the other girl.

Stephanie smiled brightly at Melanie, although something about the way her eyes crinkled made her smile seem less sincere. “So have you seen Nathan?”

“Nathan?” asked Melanie wondering why Stephanie would go there with her, now of all times. “Why would I have seen Nathan?”

Stephanie shrugged, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder. “Just figured you might have. He got that fellowship at Johns Hopkins.”

“That’s great,” Melanie smiled. “I knew he could do it.”

“Yeah, he has made everyone here so proud. It’s great news. Even better news for you right?”

“What are you talking about?” asked Melanie, confused.

“Well with Nathan leaving you won’t have to be torn between two lovers anymore. You can pour all your energy into Philip,” Stephanie stated, her tone overly upbeat. “That is until the next distraction comes along.”

Melanie sighed, bored that once again she was being forced to have a conversation about Nathan. “I’ve never been torn, Stephanie. I'm fully committed to my husband.”

“So do you always write secret love letters on your wedding day to men you have lukewarm feelings for?”

“I don’t have time for this,” said Melanie pushing past Stephanie and heading down the hall. “I need to get back to Philip.”

“Right, you run along Melanie,” Stephanie called after her. “Enjoy your big romantic reunion with your hubby. Oh wait you can’t do that, can you?”

Melanie stopped in her tracks, and turned back toward Stephanie. “Do you have a point? Or are you just here killing time because you have no life?”

“My point is that with three years erased from Philip’s mind makes it pretty hard to have any sort of reunion doesn’t it?” asked Stephanie as she walked up the hallway to where Melanie was now standing. “I mean isn’t it ironic, that out of all the periods of time that Philip could have blanked out, he chose the one with you in it. It was like he wanted to purposely forget all about you. Must suck huh?”

“You really are a piece of work. How can you stand here and mock what we’re going through?”

“I think Philip will be fine. He’ll recover, healthy and strong as ever. He’ll find out about Parker, he’ll reclaim his life.”

“He lost three years. That’s not fine,” said Melanie, tears starting to sting in the back of her eyes as she thought about how upset Philip was earlier that day.

“I look at it this way. He remembers what’s important. His family, his friends, and most of all Chloe, the woman he shares a child with. I think he has all he needs for a bright future. You on the other hand, are totally unnecessary. I don’t think he’ll lose one wink of sleep when he finds out the only thing important he missed in the past three years is his impulsive decision to marry you.”

“You’re forgetting one thing Stephanie. If he has forgotten me, then he has forgotten you as well. Your little love affair happened in those three years.”

Stephanie snorted, the contempt evident all over her body. “Every time you open your mouth, you further prove how stupid you truly are. Philip and I have known each other longer than three years. He may have forgotten our engagement, but he won’t have forgotten me. Can you say the same?"

“You’re such a bitch,” said Melanie coldly, shaking her head in disgust.

“Resorting to name calling. I must have struck a nerve. Oh well, off to look for Nathan. Take care.”
==============
up next sneak peek #2 Chloe & Iley
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sneak Peek #2

Chloe sat in the middle of her bed, legs crossed Indian style as she watched her roommate organize her belongings in the middle of the floor.

“Are you married?” asked Iley as she folded her clothes into neat piles.

“Divorced, twice. And recently broken up with my fiancé,” responded Chloe, feeling a little embarrassed by her relationship stats.

“So you tried to off him? Your ex-fiancee?” Iley asked the question so nonchalantly, as if she were asking Chloe where she grew up.

“What? I would never try to kill anybody.” Thoughts of Carly crept into Chloe’s mind, but she quickly pushed them away. That didn’t count, she wasn’t thinking clearly.

“You had to have tried to kill someone. They stuck you in the killers ward.”

“What do you mean, killers ward?”

Iley ran her hand through her pale blond hair as she explained. “Every ward in this place is segregated by crime or mental illness, different levels of security in each section. Here, where we are, is for the murders.”

“There must be some sort of mistake, I’m not a murderer.”

“Attempted murderer then?” Iley asked raising one eyebrow.

Chloe shook her heard emphatically. “I think you’ve got it all wrong. The only person I tried to kill was myself.”

“That’s a given, we’ve all done that here at one time or another.”

“You tried to kill yourself too?”

“Yes, just once. I’m a cutter," responded Iley.

“I’ve read about that, some say it is like trying to commit suicide slowly.”

“Isn’t it funny how you become an expert in all that psycho garbage? I think I should become a therapist after all the time I’ve spent in sessions. But I’m not a cutter like you think. I’m one of those special cases.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I liked to cut other people,” Iley stated flatly, looking Chloe directly in the eyes.

Chloe’s eyes widened in alarm. “You don’t mean…”

“Yep. It started when I was about fifteen, I used to do it to my little sister. I got shipped to an institution, six months later I was cured.”

“So why are you here now?”

“No one is ever really cured. You just learn to manage it all, to try to function. Things got bad for me in college and I started in on my roommate.”

“You cut your roommate?” Chloe asked in alarm, easing herself backwards on the bed, until she had hit the wall.

“With a paring knife, little slits in her sleep. She didn’t notice at first, thought she was bleeding from nicks from her shaver.”

“You cut your roommate and they put you in here with me?”

“I was pretty surprised too. I’ve been in an out of hospitals for years. They’ve never given me a roommate. Not that I’m complaining. You seem sweet.”

“Oh uh...” Chloe stammered nervously trying to come up with something to say next.

“Don’t look so nervous,” she chuckled. “I haven’t cut in months. Maybe that’s why they put me with you, to test my willpower or something.”

“But to test you with me?”

“Maybe because you are all high profile, they assumed I wouldn’t risk it.”

“You know who I am?” asked Chloe, starting to feel ill about the entire conversation.

“Doesn’t everyone? Besides we were both at Salem University psychiatric ward.”

“I don’t remember seeing you.”

“You sort of stayed to yourself, from what I can tell, so I’m not surprised.”

“If you knew who I was, why did you ask me about why I was in here?”

“Never fair to assume. We all get to tell our own stories. And if you don’t want to tell me the truth, which you clearly don’t, then it’s on you. I’m not gonna judge you.”

“I did tell you the truth.”

“Except the part about how you tried to kill your baby.”

“That never happened, not how you think.”

“I understand. I would try to block something like that too. Just be careful around here. Women don’t like baby killers.”

“I didn’t kill him. He’s fine.” Chloe pulled her knees up to her chest, and rocked herself back and forth slowly on the bed, humming in her mind to block out Iley’s words.

“Is he with your parents?” asked Iley raising her voice, as if she knew that Chloe was trying to ignore her.

Chloe eyed her suspiciously. “I thought you knew all about me.”

“I haven’t been allowed to watch much TV so I’m behind. Last I heard, your baby was with his father’s wife, but I figured you’d nip that in the bud.”

“Can’t do much stuck in the hospital.”

“I suppose. If it were my kid, I’d make sure my mom had him. You don’t want another woman raising your child.”

“His father will have him soon. He’s better now.”

“Good. But if you find out that’s not the case, and that other bitch still has your baby, let me know. I’ll take care of it.”

“Take care of it how?” Chloe asked apprehensively, the dread rising as she eyed her roommate on the floor.

“I’ve got my ways. I can cut her in places she’ll never recover from, just like I did my college roommate.”

The door opened and a brunette female aide appeared.

“Chloe, your attorney is here to see you. You’ll have to come with me,” she said.

“Oh thank God!” Chloe exclaimed as she jumped off the bed and rushed to the door.
=================
Next sneak peek - Philip and his first visitor.

[slyn11]

A/N: I had to leave a lot out of this one in order to share with you. Our boy Philip is thinking up a storm during this conversation, but I wanted to save all that stuff for when I posted the chapter. It wouldn't be a sneak peek if I gave it all to you.

Only two people in the conversation so read it closely to figure out who is saying what...I didn't want to give away too many of their emotional responses either so I left them out here too. (I've got to give you some reason to come back and read the chapter!)
+++++++

Sneak Peak #3

“Lucas?” asked Philip squinting toward the door. “Is that you?”

“Ah yeah, do I look that different?”

“No just a little fuzzy. I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. Couldn’t get a flight out.”

“Of prison?”

“Prison? No from Hong Kong. I haven’t been in jail for years…oh I forgot.”

“Yep. I got a few holes in the brain.”

“You always had that problem, a few screws loose, probably some missing.”

“Very funny. Laugh at my anguish.”

“That’s what brothers are for. So how are you otherwise? You look great. Webcam does not do you justice.”

“Webcam?”

“Yeah Mel used to Skype with me and put you on webcam so I could see you and talk to you.”

“While I was in a coma?”

“Melanie thought that you might be able to hear us talking to you and respond.”

“I can’t believe the little nurse did all that. She went above and beyond.”

“She was always getting these crazy ideas from those seminars and classes.”

“Classes? So you mean the class she is taking right now was for me?”

“I think so. She was pretty dedicated to finding a way to bring you around.”

“I hope my dad is at least paying for these classes. She’s like the model employee. We need to double, no make that triple her salary.”

“How about giving her half your net worth?”

“Let’s not take it that far. It’s not like she’s my wife,” Philip chuckled. “Seems like you know her pretty well.”

“I do. She’s a cool girl. I think of her like family.”

“Like family? Wow she must have really charmed you. Did she get all flirty with you too?”

“I can’t say she has. I don’t think I’m her type.”

“She got really friendly with me, not that I’m complaining, but she is married.”

“Yes she is. So what’s the last thing you remember?” asked Lucas changing the subject.

“Being at the plane crash site in a tent with Chloe.”

“With Chloe? Now that must have been something.”
“Let’s just say I think it was a life altering moment. I felt like it was the start of something big. Being stuck in a confined space like that, emotions flare, things rise to the surface. You know?”

“Oh I know. Stuck in tents, supply closets, elevators.”

“Sounds like you’ve been there.”

“I can certainly relate.”

“I’m very anxious to talk to her again. I did talk to her on speaker earlier, but that was before I got my voice back. I need to talk to her again, for real this time.”

“How did you to talk to her without your voice?”

“Little nurse Melanie hooked it up.”

“She called Chloe for you?” asked Lucas a shocked look on his face.

“She did. Why are you acting so surprised? I just told you how helpful she’s been.”

“I see. So what did Chloe have to say for herself?”

“She told me she was out of town at a singing gig.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” mumbled Lucas.

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing, just talking. I think I might be jet lagged. I came directly here from the airport.”

“I feel honored, but don’t tell Sami you came to see me first, she might slaughter you.”

“Sami is not an issue. We are no longer together and she has remarried.”

“Not EJ?” asked Philip raising his eyebrows.

“Nope to Rafe Hernandez. He’s a nice guy. Allie and Will seem to like him.”

“How are the kids?”

“Allie is four and Will is a freshman in college.”

“No way. Will is in college? Man I feel old.”

“How do you think I feel? My son’s practically a grown man. It seems like just yesterday when he was as little as yours.”
“Mine?”

“Uh…”

“It’s okay. I know I have a son out there. I try not to think about him though because I gave him up.”

“You made the best choice you could at the time.”

“I wonder about that. I was so proud to be Claire’s dad. I would have done anything to keep her in my life, yet I let my own flesh and blood go. What kind of man does that make me?”

“I think that makes you a good dad. You did what was best for both of those kids. You can’t beat yourself up over it. And you never know, you might get another shot at fatherhood.”

“I wouldn’t put money on that. Seems to me I am very single right now. Not a woman has come through that door looking for me. I can’t believe that I haven’t formed a lasting relationship in all of these years.”

“Don’t knock bachelorhood. I’m embracing it.”

“So no one for you since Sami?”

“I wouldn’t say no one. I had some hits and misses.”

“Pull up a chair brother and fill me in.”

“I’m not supposed to do that. They want to monitor how much you find out.”

“That’s such bulls**t. It’s my life and my brain. I should be able to determine what I can and cannot handle.”

“I think they are just worried you’ll pop a blood vessel or something from information overload.”

“Whatever. I think people just like to control me.”

“You just came back to us. Give it time.”

“Can you at least give me a hint at what I missed? A crumb? Something?”

“Mom and Melanie would kill me if I upset you.”

“What’s up with that anyway? Mom actually seemed like she was being nice to Melanie.”

“Don’t look at me I’ve been in Asia. Mel has been here with you the whole time. I’m sure it counts in her favor with Mom.”
“Do you know if Chloe ever came by? To visit?”

“I’m pretty sure she has, but like I said, I’ve been out of the country.”

“This is going to drive me nuts. I’ve just got to talk to Chloe.”

“You just won’t let this drop. What the hell happened in that tent?”

“Lucas you don’t understand, it was… I can’t even find the words. And now I find out three years have passed. I’m starting to feel like I missed out on something really good.”

“With Chloe?”

“Yes with Chloe, who else? You know how I feel about her.”

“Back then you were all about Belle, from what I remember.”

“I love Belle, part of me always will, but that was always completely separate from this thing with Chloe. You of all people should understand.”

“Because of Sami.”

“Exactly.”

“I think you just need to relax, you’ll get all your answers soon.”

“I’m not going to be able to relax, until I see her. Lucas, just tell me one thing.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Is Chloe single? I know she and Brady broke up, but is there anyone else, another man?”

“Not a man per se, but someone else, yes.”

“What do you mean not a man? Is she hooked up with a younger guy? Some teenager? I can’t picture Chloe with some college guy.”

“College students have their appeal. Sometimes a little youthful energy is good for the soul.”

“You’re telling me that you’d date a college girl, some chick in class with Will?”

“I don’t know about that, but I wouldn’t count anything out.”

“I’m not sure I could do it. You’ve got to at least be able to drink legally to get in my bed. I think I’d feel like a dirty old man.”
Lucas let out a loud laugh, covering his mouth with his hand to try to stifle himself.

“What’s so funny?” asked Philip.

“You’re still a little young to be a dirty old man.”

“You know what I meant. A girl’s got to be legal. And I know Chloe would feel the same. So just tell me straight up, is she seeing anyone?”

“Chloe is very much alone these days.”
============
Anyone up for another peek tonight?

[MrsM]

That was yummy. Lucas and Philip in one conversation.

[Kpatch]

Oh, that was a very good conversation. I was filling in the blanks in my head, but you'll do it so much better. Wait til Philip finds out that Chloe and Lucas were married in the interim. Loved the comparison of the close space in the tent to the elevator. And Philip thinking he would never date anyone much younger than he is.

Yes, I'm up for another peek any time you want, girl.

[slyn11]

Lucas is sticking around...so hopefully everyone will enjoy him.

Stephanie however....she won't be around much,

[fluffysmom]

I'm always ready for more, Slyn.

[MrsM]

Apr 22, 2012 21:52:43 GMT -5 slyn11 said:

Lucas is sticking around...so hopefully everyone will enjoy him.

Stephanie however....she won't be around much,

Is she gonna go upstairs?