Aww, they're so sweet. I love how nervous they are.

That's so sweet of Jim to remember something like that. Love this story, keep the chapters coming. =)

Aww, tearful!Jim breaks my heart. He seems so lost and sad... I'm glad he has Pam though for support. Loved the line Could you be my - wife?. =)

Author's Response: It's a rough thing to go throush, watching your parents like this.  I fear it will get worse for our boy, Jim, before it gets better.  Pamela will be a lot of suport, indeed!

I've been debating whether or not to say anything....to be honest, I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. You seem to have really strong opinions against doctors, and as a medical student, I'm pretty offended by your harsh words, to the extent that I'm not sure I can read on. Also, endocrinologists aren't "blood stuff", that's hematologists.

Author's Response:

Wow.  First of all, thanks for giving such honest feedback.  I think most people don’t write anything if they don’t enjoy the story and the writer never hears the criticism.

I really didn't mean the chapter to come across as negative about doctors at all.  Having gone through hell for seven years with both my parents – MANY health problems as they got into their 80'S – I dealt a lot with doctors.  I have a great respect for them.  They gave me 5 – 7 years more with my parents than I would have had without their care and expertise.  I never had contentious relations with any of my parents doctors, so it’s not like I have an axe to grind.

I’m not sure what I said that was so terribly critical of doctors.  I don't think it's an indictment that they don't talk to each other.  It's just a fact of scheduling.  They are doing surgeries and seeing many patients throughout the hospital on a given day.  They have to rely on their notes.  Those charts do get incredibly thick and it's a lot of information to scan as the doctor is about to walk into the patient's room.  I guess I could have been more clear about that.

But I believe it IS critically important that families try to play an active part in their loved one's care.  I had a cardiologist tell me to prepare for my father to die because his bypass didn't work.  His ejection fraction was still at about 27%.  When the day before the rehabalitiation doctor had enthused to me that his ejection fraction was up to 44% and the surgery was a success.  I told this to the cardiologist who basically replied that the rehab doctor wasn't a cardiologist and didn't know what he was talking about.  She left the room, writing my father off.  Well, to her credit she did then look for those test results and had found them by the next day.  When we next saw her, her opinion – and her approach to my father's care – was 180 degrees opposite of the day before.  (Ah, but I am giving away a future plotline, I fear.)  I’m not trying to imply that this experience soured me on doctors.  It just made me realize that the family can contribute to the patient’s care by being vigilant and attentive.

I stand by my statements about cardiologists.  They know their stuff but they don't have great bedside manner.  (I have dealt with probably 20 cardiologists and it is definitely a pattern that I saw.)  They are frankly the specialty I remember the most about.  It’s been several years since my parents died and I didn’t really keep the notebooks I encourage my friends to use when they have critically ill family members.  For some of the other stuff, I’m trying to Google and get info to write something that’s not completely off the wall.  I blew it on the endocrinologists, I guess.  (What exactly do they do?)

I also stand by my statements about nurses.  To me, nurses are angels on earth.  Most of them, anyway.  Especially ICU nurses.  I have seen situations where nurses with 10 – 15 years experience are frustrated by dealing with interns who think that their degree places them many levels above the nurse, with her lowly RN.  (I’m thinking that may have been one of the passages that offended you.)  It hasn’t happened often in my presence but I know it can be a source of frustration for nurses.

Have you done hospital rotations yet?  Critical hospitalization is a dizzying adventure for the family and one that, as a doctor, you will never experience the same way.  I have the sense that what I’m saying comes as a total surprise to you in a way that might seem different if you’d had personal encounters with families like mine who are watching their loved one die before their eyes.

I don’t plan to write a story that is an expose on hospitals or critical of the medical profession.  My doctors are going to be highly professional and provide excellent care to Mr. & Mrs. Halpert.  I hope you’ll give it a chance for another chapter or two.  In fact, would you be willing to be my beta for medical accuracy?

Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts…

Super cute. I love how Jim saves everything, that's so sweet. And guh, now I'm craving Cheesecake Factory. There's one right by my house but there's always a three hour wait. *dies*

Aww, that was adorable!! So very sweet, like candy. =)

Author's Response: Thanks for the review. It was very sweet.

That was very touching. Happy place, indeed. =)

Author's Response: Thanks so much for the review.  It is a happy place.  Thank you for visiting   :)

Oh. My. Wow. Loved the initial timidity and hesitation between them...the phone conversation with Karen at Jim's was amazingly in character, the "hour one hundred and twenty-three" scene was just deliciously smoking hot, and that ending...awww!! That was just so perfectly them. Thanks so much for posting that. Hope it made past Sophia feel better, too. =)

Author's Response: Thank you! I'm glad the characterization felt real; sometimes it's hard to nail it with a story that's mostly dialogue since you're missing the actors' voices. And yes, I hope that retrospectively mopey college sophomore Sophia is thinking about writing less languidly-despairing fic. ;)

LOL!!! Oh that was so cute!! Those Halperts are hilarious. =)

Author's Response: Thank you so much! I love me some Halpert, yes I do.

Oooh poor Pam!! Really nice start, looking forward to reading more. =)

This chapter was so heartwrenching -- angsty goodness. =)

Woohoo check out Mr. and Mrs. Beesly kicking Roy out! Glad Jon came to help Jim out.