word count

[valarltd]

Having trouble getting into the swing of things this year

Showdown at Yellowstone river. Started at 20733

26,179 / 50,000 (52.4%)

Shell Shocked Starting at 35280

36,063 / 50,000 (72.1%)

PLus 626 of a synopsis


Nano Count:

6,855 / 50,000 (13.7%)

Should be 8333



February started badly. It snowed all weekend, so by the usual Tuesday trip to the clinic, the streets and sidewalks oozed gray slush. Sean walked carefully, gripping Gabe's chair. The cold had gotten into his knees and every step hurt. The valium only took enough of the edge off that he could be outdoors.

Gabe bundled down in an extra Goodwill quilt, complaining of the cold in his knees as well. When Sean reminded him he had no knees, Gabe had snapped at him irritably, demanding to know why they hurt. They made the two blocks in strained silence.

Sean went first. Nurse Trudy made sure all was well.

“Any word on the new dosage?” Sean asked.

“Sorry, Mr. Dempsey, no. They'll let us know.” She made a couple of notes. “Otherwise you're fine. You know not to drink on the Valium, right?” she asked softly. “A lot of patients take to it when the meds quit working.”

“I know. I can't afford booze,” Sean said.

Trudy smiled. “That makes me feel better.”

Conner Woods' raised voice from the next exam room made them both startle. Sean found himself in a hand-to-hand combat-ready position and quickly straightened up.

“I said move, you crazy fag.”

Sean ground his teeth and made for the door. Trudy stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Sean,” she never called him by his first name, “let me handle it. From the look on your face, you're going get into trouble. Please.” She handed him the bottle of pills. “Please just go wait and I'll take care of this.”

Sean grabbed the pills and tried to stalk out, feeling dismissed. The feeling of impotence only grew when his legs buckled and he had to grab the wall. He made his way to the waiting room, feeling old. True, he had been about to go rip off Woods' tattooed arm and beat him senseless with it. He started at the Weather Channel predicting more snow, turned his pill bottle in his hand and waited.

Comments

[princesslanie.livejournal.com]

great more words on shell shocked and a peek. thanks.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

There is no reason I can't finish it this month.

[(Anonymous)]

that would be awesome. i can't wait. it's just something about the story that dragged me in and and i can't stop pokeing you about it. :)

[princesslanie.livejournal.com]

that was me. i forgot to sign in when i wrote it.

[megleigh.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed the snippet. Makes me want to know more about the characters.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

We started it as a chaser series, so now we're working to get three short stories into something resembling a novel.

Problem is, we have the first and the third, but the middle is giving us trouble.

[hlglne.livejournal.com]

I buddied with you over at the NoNo site. Didja notice?

And I love the gritty angst and feel of reality in this. Tell it like it's gonna be now that the recession is hitting. All quiet on the American Front.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I've been having trouble getting on the site and was going to wait a couple days until traffic died down.

It's the Erotic Gay Pagan Inspirational Romance.
Pink Petal Press is after us to finish it.