Reviews from

This Time It's Personal

An ethical question is contemplated.

29 total reviews 
Comment from mermaids
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Your story held my interest and it went in a direction that I did not expect. Obviously the unscrupulous surgeon will have a difficult time practicing surgery with one hand. You have excellent character development and a smooth flow of story.

 Comment Written 18-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 18-Oct-2022
    Thank you for reading and for your review. Terry.
Comment from MissMerri
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

This is an amazing story! I couldn't stop reading, and was generously rewarded for my effort when the doctor got what he most certainly deserved. How it came to be, I have no idea, but the story is well-told and I found almost *no errors to correct, so I think six stars are certainly deserved for this post. I'm wondering if I missed a clue somewhere, but for the life of me I don't know how John Carmello made this happen. Perhaps that's irrelevant. The perfect touch was the Beatles song playing on the intercom. Well done!
*(One question... should it be 'worst,' not 'worse' in this sentence? "But the worse part (,) his right hand had been severed."

 Comment Written 17-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 18-Oct-2022
    MM, thank you for the six stars! I will take another look at the 'worse' question. You did not miss a clue about how John Carmello pull off the accident. I left that vague, because for me, the details did not matter. What mattered was that John knew how to do it. Thank you very much for reading and your kind review. Terry.
Comment from Mary Vigasin
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

I have to admit, I had Jeb while smart and talented was insufferable as how he went on about himself and his firm. He appeared less than a devoted son, working over family life. But then it became personal and I saw that he is worthy of his reputation as a smart, savvy lawyer. He found a way to get his revenge and stop the doctor. He gets revenge in the end.
As always your story is clever, creative, and very interesting.
Best wishes,
Mary

 Comment Written 17-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 17-Oct-2022
    Mary, thank you for your review, you did a very nice job and figuring it out. My original working title was "Revenge." Thank you. Terry.
Comment from Tpa
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

It appeared Jeb was a high-priced, educated, and ethical lawyer-at least until the end of your story. At least, this is what I'm thinking. Jeb was not a family man, showed little concern about his mother while she lived. I got from your story, a person, no matter rich or poor, smart or dumb, seeks a remedy of clearing his conscience of his behavior that he done to others. In his mother, I looked at it as revenge.
GOOD WRITING.

 Comment Written 17-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 17-Oct-2022
    Tpa, thank you for the six stars! Thank you for reading and for your very insightful review. The original working title was "Revenge.'' Terry.
Comment from amahra
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Loved this story. It was very well-written and interesting. Loved the word "plethora. I also loved the line, "We are expensive. We are worth it."

My mother died last month at eighty-three. She died of heart failure. [I suppose this is nick-picking, but I think, "Last month, my eighty-three-year-old mother, died of cancer."]

 Comment Written 17-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 17-Oct-2022
    Amahra, thank you very much for reading and for your review. The idea did come from real life. My mother did die at 83 from heart failure. A surgeon did want to amputate her leg three days before she died. The rest is fiction. Terry.
Comment from Jay Squires
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

High stakes politics in west Texas, eh? I remember when I was in Austin, Texas (I was a counselor at Brown School), I was amazed at how there was so much political tension with Johnson's ranch only a stone-throw away. There's an old-boyism in Texas like nowhere else. That's why the reality of trying to convict a doctor when he's a part of the "network" there hit home in me. Your story was developing nicely right up to it's comic "I want to Hold Your Hand" ending. A fun read, Terry!

 Comment Written 16-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 17-Oct-2022
    Jay, thank you very much for reading and for your review. Terry.
Comment from Teri7
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

This is a very well written fiction story. You used very good descriptive words and very good imagery from the art work you chose. This kept my attention from the start to the finish. Great job. teri

 Comment Written 16-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 16-Oct-2022
    Teri, thank you very much for reading. I am glad you enjoyed the story. It is fiction with a good dose of truth. Terry.
Comment from LateBloomer
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Hi Terry, your stories always have the best ending, always a twist. I was trying to figure out what the twist was going to be, and my mind was blank. Karma is a bitch. Dr. Patel got what he deserved. The Beatles singing on the radio was hysterical.

As I was reading your stories, these were points of note:

--I do not represent those seeking political office, holding political office, or who formerly held political office.

(Good Lawyer--never be beholden to anyone, especially a politician.)

--She wanted more from me than my full-time plus twenty-five percent law practice provided her.

(Ha, ha, ha, Lawyer. I know someone who had to divorce his wife to keep her from spending money like the world was coming to an end. The divorce was expensive, but cheaper in the long-run.)

--my mother said, "Doctor, do whatever you need to do."

(Those are famous last words. I use to feel that way, but after a few long-term stunts in the hospital, I now question everything and everybody. Also, I want to know who the people are who are coming to my bed. Wearing the nametag backwards is not for me--not acceptable.
I want to know everyone's name and what/if they have medical training. I no longer care if it sounds rude.)

--"Dang, why would anyone want to amputate the leg of an eighty-three-year-old woman in that condition?"

(Bingo. Million dollar question. As my husband always reminds me, surgeons want to operate. That's how they make money. Co-pays don't pay the bills, and they also hate being in the office.)

Terry, real writing. This story could apply to anyone or anyone's loved one. I always like the humor you bring to your stories. Well done.
Margaret ~ LateBloomer

 Comment Written 16-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 16-Oct-2022
    Margaret, I would give you a six for the review! Thank you for reading, your review is right on the money. My story does a big element of truth. Terry.
reply by LateBloomer on 16-Oct-2022
    I don't trust doctors. My own son is a doctor. He wanted us to fill out one of those forms that let's everyone know if you want to be put on artificial life support or not. I told him, "No, thank you. I don't trust doctors." His in-laws were there, and they were hysterical laughing.
    Think about this one ... how many people died during Covid because they had signed this stupid piece of paper? It would have been a long recovery, but many of them who got "disconnected" would have probably lived ... in my humble opinion. I rest my case. Lol. Margaret
reply by the author on 16-Oct-2022
    Amen, sister!
Comment from Wendy G
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Well, justice was discretely served. Perhaps such things occur more than we would want to know about. Well written - interesting and engaging throughout.
Wendy
Typo:
"Mother" needs a capital when used as a name or title
I want don't anybody killed: should be "don't want".

 Comment Written 16-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 16-Oct-2022
    Wendy, thank you very much for reading and your kind words, and the suggested edits. Terry.
Comment from lyenochka
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Oh my! Now that's quite the resolution and no legal process was involved. I was wondering, too, if you were hinting at our John Ciarmello in your story. Glad that justice fit the crime but however, now wonder what kind of business Mr. Carmello was running. Great storytelling and it covers a terrible situation of the abuse of our medical system!

 Comment Written 16-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 16-Oct-2022
    Helen, thank you for reading and John's name was misspelled to protect the innocent, but I did tell him his picture made him look the part! Terry.
reply by lyenochka on 16-Oct-2022
    😊