1 [Report This]Date: November 17, 2021 06:03 am Title: Day One: The Office
I have come back to reread this story several times & know I will continue to do so. It may very well be one of the most beautiful, melancholy, hopeful, despairing stories I have ever read. It's difficult to put into words, I don't have your gift. It's been a long time since it was written & you may never read this but thank you.
1 [Report This]Date: December 10, 2020 02:56 pm Title: Epilogue- A Gift of Remembering
This is a tremendous accomplishment of a story.
1 [Report This]Date: June 03, 2020 05:35 pm Title: Epilogue- A Gift of Remembering
You made me feel so much... Thank you. Eternally so.
1 [Report This]Date: January 07, 2019 08:10 pm Title: One Week Gone
Man, this brought me to tears. Fantastic writing!
Date: November 01, 2009 11:09 pm Title: Epilogue- A Gift of Remembering
I wanted to bring you up to 70 reviews. Your story is just too amazing for words.
10 [Report This]Date: November 01, 2009 07:41 pm Title: Epilogue- A Gift of Remembering
That was stunning. Truly stunning. I cannot possibly begin to describe how much I have enjoyed this story, how strong an emotional response it has elicited.
A truly incredible piece of work.
10 [Report This]Date: September 15, 2009 12:30 pm Title: Day One: The Office
Wow. That's all I can really say. This story was amazingly written. My heart was aching for Jim. I loved the way you ended it.
Date: September 01, 2009 01:10 pm Title: Epilogue- A Gift of Remembering
What a beautiful and visceral description of the afterlife, and of different levels of consciousness. Well done. Also, you did a great job of letting this story take a natural pacing, so the Jim's eventual breakdown had a greater impact.
10 [Report This]Date: August 08, 2009 07:34 pm Title: Day One: The Office
Honestly one of my favorite stories ever. Astounding. :)
10 [Report This]Date: May 01, 2008 04:09 am Title: Epilogue- A Gift of Remembering
Just found this story today and wow. Holy mother of all that is awesome. I haven't read something this moving in a very long time. You really captured Jim's agony in this one. So well-written and seasoned with beautiful and heart wrenching imagery. This paragraph especially had me choking up:
He knows it is coming before he feels it, and he feels it before he can do anything about it. There is nothing he can do now to stay or lessen the torrent of pain that is raining down on him: not running around the hospital, not driving as fast as he can on the freeway, not standing in the shower for long stretches of time and letting the spray from the nozzle substitute for his tears, not lying in his bed gripping the pillow with white-knuckled fingers and refusing to moan into the mattress. It is here, and he shouts raggedly with the agony of it. He grips her scratchy white hospital sheets with one hand and her hand with his other, as his sobs force themselves so violently from his chest that it hurts him, as he buries his face in her abdomen, as he alternately rails at and begs God: please, God, please, God, please, God, please....as the the tidal wave of grief and pain breaks over him again and again, wave after wave after wave after wave of it.......
I love how you use such vivid images to describe what it feels like for Jim when he finally succumbs to everything that he has been holding up in him all this time. I like how you firstly describe what he has been going through, trying not to feel and secondly uses the tidal wave as a metaphor to illustrate how the release of these feelings has crept up on him and now breaks uncontrollably.
Similarly you brilliantly manage to tie in Pam’s thoughts with the rest of the plot. The “If I had a week to live” sequences are beautifully done. They have a simplicity and calmness about them that to me seems very fitting to this no man’s land between life and death that Pam finds herself in. I love how you use water (The Pacific) as a metaphor for death, how it seems enticing for Pam to jump in and just float, not unlike what Jim has been doing waiting for her to wake up.
Finally, you manage to illustrate just how deep the connection between Jim and Pam is by having them both go after what is real. As he acknowledges his emotions, he offers up his hand which she grabs, signifying her return to life, her return to what is real, as you describe here:
And she acknowledged the truth in that. It was exactly as she had suspected. And, also mercifully, she didn't remember the waves and the sea spray and the Pacific. She is also of speech, of the weight of this world, and not of water, now. But she smiled at him then and squeezed his hand, and told him that yes, she had most definitely come back for him.
So what we learn about Jim and Pam’s connection is that it’s real but at the same has a depth which transcends reality. Very well done.
Date: February 10, 2008 10:06 am Title: Epilogue- A Gift of Remembering
Aw I'm so glad they got to live happily ever after!! And that last part was gorgeous: Jim pauses and remembers. He pauses to reflect, and to be grateful, and to never, ever take her for granted again.. *sniffles* This was such a wonderful story, so emotional and angsty at times but never less than beautiful. =)
Date: February 10, 2008 09:54 am Title: Past One Week
Aww! So sweet.
Date: February 10, 2008 09:51 am Title: One Week Gone
Oh you nearly had me in tears!! I could feel Jim breaking down when he sees the food and the teapot and OMG if I could copy and paste that entire paragraph after the teapot shatters, I would, because it's just so raw and heartbreaking to read. Aw I just knew Jim would be the one to bring Pam back. I'm glad he's finally able to sleep, poor thing.
Date: February 10, 2008 09:43 am Title: Pacific: "If I Knew I Had a Week to Live...."
*tears* Wow! I loved this chapter -- his water is where I am going, the wildness does not frighten me. Inside the wildness is peace. I am being called, being called by name, I hear my name over and over in the waves and it feels like home. I smile; I know it's an incandescent smile. Sooo beautiful.
Date: February 10, 2008 09:41 am Title: Day Six: The Hospital
Guh. So tragic. I really hope Jim can get it together long enough to visit Pam. He's starting to worry me more than Pam. Heh.
Date: February 10, 2008 09:35 am Title: Grand Canyon: "If I Knew I Had a Week to Live....."
Beautiful. =)
Date: February 10, 2008 09:34 am Title: Day Five: The Hospital
I'm glad Jim's parents arrived because he really needs to be taken care of. I kinda wish Pam's family would talk more with Jim, but I'm not sure how much they know about him. Also, I'm a bit conflicted over how to feel about Roy...he really must be feeling terrible right now. Great chapter, I'm definitely hooked!
Date: February 10, 2008 09:30 am Title: South America: "If I Knew I Had a Week to Live...."
I like these interlude chapters in Pam's head. Hopefully she'll get to see all these places when (or if) she gets better.
Date: February 10, 2008 09:29 am Title: Day Three: The Hospital
Awww Karen! *sniffles* That whole scene got me all choked up.
Date: February 10, 2008 09:25 am Title: Day Two: The Hospital
*sigh* Poor Jim, sitting there, waiting, not leaving but not able to go see Pam. And I'm sad for Karen too.
Date: February 10, 2008 09:22 am Title: Europe: "If I Knew I Had a Week to Live...."
Gorgeous imagery.
Date: February 10, 2008 09:14 am Title: Day One: The Hospital
Oh I'm so glad she's stable. Poor Pam's family...and poor Jim. *sigh*
Date: February 10, 2008 09:10 am Title: Day One: The Office
Oh my goodness! Interesting AU start. I loved the talking heads...even though they were just a couple of lines each, they painted such a complete picture of what happened. Especially the last part of Karen's. Off to read more!
Date: December 30, 2007 03:42 pm Title: Epilogue- A Gift of Remembering
Awesome story! I had to read it straight through, no stopping to review until now so yay!
First chapter when she got punched, I loudly exclaimed Oy!, felt panicky, depressed and immediately became obsessed. Throughout the rest of the fic I was so caught up I even thought, "If she dies I'll be sad, but it'll be okay because this fic is amazing."
Great characterization, I loved Michael actually being serious and Jim becoming all kinds of depressed and protective. I guess I'll end this rambly review by saying wonderful fic!
Author's Response: Thank you so much, dreamingwriter! Your review wasn't rambly; I am so glad to know that you were 'caught up' in it! Yeah, Jim really was caught- couldn't leave the hospital, couldn't go see her. Angsty Jim- *sigh*. Thanks for reading and especially for reviewing! (And, there was no way I could have Pam die. SOB) ;)
Date: December 29, 2007 12:20 pm Title: Epilogue- A Gift of Remembering
This is so lovely. I read the whole thing in one go yesterday evening. The strange but coherent coma dreams are wonderful, and remind me somewhat of Michael Ondaatje (who isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I adore him). My favorite is the final coma sequence, in which Pam is somehow simultaneously in the tide and of the tide, if that makes sense.
The last chapter is so understated and true; my husband was hospitalized a few years ago (not with a brain injury). Though he's completely recovered, whenever I see his scar, I feel just what you describe here: a gift reminding me never to take him for granted. I assume you've had a similar experience. If that's so, thank you for articulating it so honestly; if not, you have amazing insight!
Author's Response: Wow, thank you, Annabel, for such a detailed and encouraging review. I'm glad you were able to stay with the story all the way through. My son had a serious medical emergency at one time; I know that must have colored my writing there at the end. Thank you again for reading and reviewing!