DUEL with the DEVIL
Viewing comments for Chapter 42 "DUEL with the DEVIL - Chapter 42"The problem of creating a non-addictive painkiller
16 total reviews
Comment from tfawcus
Jules is a tower of strength. I guess that having been an addict herself gives her a clearer perspective on the problem than most people would have. Nicely written.
reply by the author on 16-Oct-2024
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Jules is a tower of strength. I guess that having been an addict herself gives her a clearer perspective on the problem than most people would have. Nicely written.
Comment Written 15-Oct-2024
reply by the author on 16-Oct-2024
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Yes, that and the fact that she's able to put his drug abuse in a proper perspective, which I remind readers of in the next chapter--the fact that he's only abused drugs once before this in the 15 years they've been together, and that was after that excruciatingly painful gym accident.
Thanks so much for these 6-star reviews. I'm very flattered.
Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill
She is deluded. He is an addict and he never should have self dosed. He knew that. But addicts always think they are in charge. And they never are. He needs to go to rehab now. Or the emergency room either one. Karen
reply by the author on 29-Sep-2024
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She is deluded. He is an addict and he never should have self dosed. He knew that. But addicts always think they are in charge. And they never are. He needs to go to rehab now. Or the emergency room either one. Karen
Comment Written 29-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 29-Sep-2024
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I don't blame you for thinking this way because several others have as well, but I think the next chapter will put things in proper perspective in regards to Julia's thinking.
He is an addict, but a very sporadic one, having not been high for 13 years now. I don't think he expected his new drug to be addictive because he used an entirely different approach to blocking pain signals than the way opioids work. Plus, the animal testing didn't show that it was.
He had plans to do dosage testing at much smaller increments than doubling it right off. That was so that if there were any noticeable side effects, including euphoria, he would stop and address the problem. It was an accident that caused him to double the dose like that.
I don't believe rehab would help because he is not the typical addict, and there's nothing more to learn there. Rehab may have helped right at the beginning, just to keep him away from his drug once he got hooked, but now it's unnecessary. He doesn't have any more of the drug because he destroyed all the raw materials, so he couldn't get high from it if he wanted to. But he doesn't want to; he just couldn't resist it when it was available to him.
I am much the same way with sweets. When they are in the house, I will eat them until they are gone. They call to me, and I can't resist them. But if there are none around, I'm okay.
Comment from Pearl Edwards
I like the way Julia used that music at the end of the chapter, though I must say, love is one thing but I would have been very angry too. I enjoyed hearing from her first hand in this chapter Jim.
Cheers
Valda
reply by the author on 28-Sep-2024
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I like the way Julia used that music at the end of the chapter, though I must say, love is one thing but I would have been very angry too. I enjoyed hearing from her first hand in this chapter Jim.
Cheers
Valda
Comment Written 28-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 28-Sep-2024
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Perhaps you wouldn't be as angry as you think. We'll see. Please let me know what you think after you read the next chapter. I'm very curious about this, because many people have thought this same thing. Personally, I think she would just feel more baffled about what happened than angry until she hears more. But maybe that's not realistic.
Comment from jmdg1954
Hmmm... Jim, I'm somewhat torn but I think after this four hour "high" window brings Brian back down, things will explode.
By that I mean, for right now, Julia is to calm. They invested over a half-million dollars on this project not including the value of his time. To me, so far she's acting to reserved, calm, understanding.
But we'll see what the next chapter(s) bring. Loved works in mysterious ways..,
Cheers
John
reply by the author on 28-Sep-2024
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Hmmm... Jim, I'm somewhat torn but I think after this four hour "high" window brings Brian back down, things will explode.
By that I mean, for right now, Julia is to calm. They invested over a half-million dollars on this project not including the value of his time. To me, so far she's acting to reserved, calm, understanding.
But we'll see what the next chapter(s) bring. Loved works in mysterious ways..,
Cheers
John
Comment Written 27-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 28-Sep-2024
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I don't know about "explode" but it will certainly get more real. How they both respond to what has happened and what will follow is really the crux of the story.
I think what you meant by Julia being too calm (because she is extremely worried about what is going on and what is happening to Brian) is that she's being too easy on him. Is that what you meant because a number of others have thought the same thing?
If so, please let me know if you still feel the same way after you read the next chapter when they've had a chance to discuss it and put it in perspective.
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You got it!
Comment from Debbie D'Arcy
I wasn't sure how Julia would react to this, especially given the fact that so much of her money is tied up in this project but she's proved herself to be a remarkably strong woman who cares deeply for her husband. But she's not without her reservations and is wondering if her mother might have been right all along. You've skilfully demonstrated how annoyingly unconcerned Brian is in his drug-induced state, even cracking a joke about oxymoron but Julia is ultimately steadfast. An excellent idea to switch perspective to Julia, especially as the scene needed to be seen objectively so that the shock was palpably felt. I hope this story isn't nearing its end too soon, Jim, because I'm pretty engrossed in it! Well done! Debbie
reply by the author on 28-Sep-2024
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I wasn't sure how Julia would react to this, especially given the fact that so much of her money is tied up in this project but she's proved herself to be a remarkably strong woman who cares deeply for her husband. But she's not without her reservations and is wondering if her mother might have been right all along. You've skilfully demonstrated how annoyingly unconcerned Brian is in his drug-induced state, even cracking a joke about oxymoron but Julia is ultimately steadfast. An excellent idea to switch perspective to Julia, especially as the scene needed to be seen objectively so that the shock was palpably felt. I hope this story isn't nearing its end too soon, Jim, because I'm pretty engrossed in it! Well done! Debbie
Comment Written 27-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 28-Sep-2024
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Debbie, I'm very impressed by this review and the way you've thought about this story. Rather than ascribing a knee-jerk reaction of automatically being furious with Brian for finding him this way, instead you see Julia as being perhaps baffled by it and needing to know more before automatically wanting to "throw the bum out." You understand the deep bond between these two, and while she may have reservations and wonders if her mother is right, her first reaction is to dismiss that. She knows her man and knows something went drastically wrong.
In the next chapter, I didn't originally, but I've put in some dialogue between them that I hope will give other readers the perspective that you have because you perceive things exactly as I think is in character for Julia, and it would have been very much out of character had she come down hard on him at this point. If he doesn't help himself get out of this rut, maybe then, but not now.
Five chapters to go, but more than likely there will be a sequel.
Comment from royowen
Wow! He really is going to hell in a hand cart, it seems like they've got a real struggle with this, Brian is the compulsive, impulsive, type as I am, and the only way to beat it is cold turkey and resolution, I understand Addict, beautifully written my friend, blessings Roy
reply by the author on 28-Sep-2024
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Wow! He really is going to hell in a hand cart, it seems like they've got a real struggle with this, Brian is the compulsive, impulsive, type as I am, and the only way to beat it is cold turkey and resolution, I understand Addict, beautifully written my friend, blessings Roy
Comment Written 27-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 28-Sep-2024
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You do seem to understand it, Roy. Let's see in the coming chapters how both of them deal with this and if there's any hope for salvaging the situation.
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Well done
Comment from barbara.wilkey
So, Julia is commented to remain with him and help him fight this addiction no matter how long it takes. I'm curious if she knows what's she's in for. Is it going to worse than before? I can't wait to read more.
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2024
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So, Julia is commented to remain with him and help him fight this addiction no matter how long it takes. I'm curious if she knows what's she's in for. Is it going to worse than before? I can't wait to read more.
Comment Written 27-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2024
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I would guess she only has a vague inkling of what she is in for. This is going to get much worse before it gets better, but Brian is fortunate enough to have a wife who won't easily give up on him.
Comment from Pam Lonsdale
Just me suggesting: Replace "He's a very good explainer" with "He's an excellent expounder."
I like how you tied the situation at hand with the song, and I like that you used his joke again, but with Jules repeating it this time.
A short chapter this time? Brian, get ready for some ass-kicking because I see that in your future. (With love behind the kick, of course.)
xo
Pam
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2024
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Just me suggesting: Replace "He's a very good explainer" with "He's an excellent expounder."
I like how you tied the situation at hand with the song, and I like that you used his joke again, but with Jules repeating it this time.
A short chapter this time? Brian, get ready for some ass-kicking because I see that in your future. (With love behind the kick, of course.)
xo
Pam
Comment Written 27-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2024
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How about, "He explains things so clearly" instead?
You always identify my favorite lines, Pam, namely Julia's use of the line from the song and her repeating Brian's mixed metaphor.
Ideally, I would have combined the last chapter, this one, and the next one into one big chapter, as they all go together, but it would have been too long for most people's liking, so I split it up.
Regarding your prediction for the next chapter, I debated with myself how to write that chapter and whether or not Julia would take a hard line with him as, perhaps, Fran would. I decided that it wasn't her personality to do that, and she hasn't been provoked enough by Brian into thinking that way.
In the 15 years they have had a relationship, only once before now did he ever abuse drugs. That was the time in freshman year after the gym accident that put him in excruciating pain. I figured she would be more baffled by this than fed up with him, and she's trying to understand how it happened. She, herself, had once been an addict, so she should have some sympathy for his condition now. Plus, she remembers the time how close she came to falling off the wagon before her Juilliard audition and how Brian came to NY to support her because he feared for her.
Let me know after reading the next two chapters and hearing some more about this if you feel this was a realistic way for her to be.
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Will do, and that line works fine.
Comment from BethShelby
Nothing but a really deep and lasting love could get a woman to deal with such a problem because he has allowed addiction to win too many times but Julia is willing to fight for her man. It some ways she is stronger than he is.
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2024
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Nothing but a really deep and lasting love could get a woman to deal with such a problem because he has allowed addiction to win too many times but Julia is willing to fight for her man. It some ways she is stronger than he is.
Comment Written 27-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2024
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Well, not really that many times. Only once before this in their relationship--during freshman year of college after that gym accident. But you're right about the deep and lasting love. And she may very well be stronger than he is. He is certainly going to need her strength.
Comment from Wayne Fowler
Well written.
All I can say is that Julia is a better man than I am. I would have turned around and gone to a hotel, or somewhere. And left it to Brian to figure out how, or whether, to contact me.
I'm curious, am I the only one with this sort of response?
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2024
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Well written.
All I can say is that Julia is a better man than I am. I would have turned around and gone to a hotel, or somewhere. And left it to Brian to figure out how, or whether, to contact me.
I'm curious, am I the only one with this sort of response?
Comment Written 27-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2024
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No you're not, but I think you nailed it with your second sentence. (Smiley face here).
Look at it like this: In the 15 years Julia had known him, only once before this has he abused drugs and become addicted, and that was way back in his freshman year of college after he suffered excruciating pain following that gym accident. Not once in their 10-year marriage has he ever abused drugs. So when she comes in to find him this way, she's more baffled than angry. Everything had been going so well before she left.
Put yourself in her shoes. Wouldn't you want to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible? Anger may come. We'll see, but I think it would be out of character for her to just up and leave without talking to him first. That comes in the next chapter.