Date: 30 Dec 2014 00:05 Title: Call of Duty: part 2
You do such a beautiful job of keeping the interactions between the 3 perfectly in character. We've seen Spock get irritated because it wasn't logical to risk others to save him, and we've seen Jim get irritated when anyone else takes a risk besides him. And of course, we've seen Bones get irritated with b othof them, even while risking himself for them! You drew out those dynamics exquisitely. You have many, MANY strengths as a writer, but that's probably my favorite thing about your stories.
Author's Response:
::blushes profusely:: I am literally speechless at that commpliment. Don't quite know what to say, except to offer my profound thanks.
Date: 29 Dec 2014 19:16 Title: Call of Duty: part 1
I am re-reading this, and even though I knew that McCoy would sacrifice himself this time, I still loved the way you set it all up. I was amused at his ploy to get Jim out of sickbay--so that he could do the procedure on himself, of course, but also so that he could get Jim out of his hair, since Jim was bugging him so much. I like Jim's characterization in this--he just needs something to do! Sitting around waiting is torture for him, and McCoy seems to understand that very well. I also liked how you portrayed Christine's conflict. It was only a short part of the chapter, but you brought out her love for Spock, her horror at sacrificing one patient for another, and her "medical mind" which lined up with McCoy's in knowing exactly what had to be done and being willing to do it.
Author's Response:
That's one of the best compliments I could get - that not only does someone find this worthy of a re-read, but a re-review as well. I'm touched and tickled that you find it to be worth another look, and so glad that the characterizations ring true.
Date: 31 Jul 2013 17:56 Title: Call of Duty: part 2
Oh, I did enjoy this! Nicely written, all of your characters were very accurately portrayed, the plot was believable and your medical knowledge was also good.
Plus your grammar & spelling are excellent (can't say the same for all authors - surprising how a lack in this area detracts from the whole fic).
The rating option seems to be absent at present, but if I were able, I'd give it the full 5 stars (or 10, whatever the maximum is on this site)!
Author's Response:
Thank you so much! This is another story that got its start with a short blurb in the free writes at the forum, but one day took off with a mind of its own. When that happens I just hold on for dear life. ;-)
Yes, the rating system was disabled by the admin team about a year ago, but thanks for the A+ rating. :-D
Date: 30 Jul 2013 02:19 Title: Call of Duty: part 2
It ends on a good note, hopeful, as McCoy realizes that he's got some affection for Spock, something that he likely had not fully admitted before.
Well done, as always.
Author's Response:
As my goal with most of my stories is to explore the nuances of the eternal triangle that is K&S&M, I'm glad that aspect of it came through loud and clear.
Date: 30 Jul 2013 02:00 Title: Call of Duty: part 1
I think I had read this story back when we had the cures and their diseases challenge, and I can't recall why I didn't review it then. No matter.
Be that as it may, it's interesting to me, seeing the story in the context, now, of the possibility of Spock losing his leg and what it would do to his space career. The context for me, now, is vis a vis the Boston Marathon bombing of April 15, 2013. And watching the advancement of prosthetic technology, it tells me that it's highly likely that, a good 250 or so years from now, prosthetics would be fairly well seamless. Hence the doctor's argument (while it dovetails perfectly with canon), would likely not dovetail with reality. Artificial leg in space? Would anyone even notice?
Author's Response:
Well, at least you're reviewing it now. My profound thanks for that. :D
Yeah, that damn leg thing keeps coming back to haunt me. ;-) As I mentioned below, I was trying to stick with canon as we knew it back in the sixties. Who knew that by now we'd all have personal communicators that doubled as mini PCs? One of the pitfalls when writing for a series that is almost fifty years old.
Yes, great strides have been made in artificial limbs, but you need to remember that for many of those it involves amputation just below or just above the knee. Disarticulation at the hip - essentially losing the entire limb - is another whole can of worms that has its own set of tricky problems. One of my betas for this is an MD, a surgeon, and assured me that it's no small feat. It might have been better to explore that angle - that the surgeryin itself was extremely risky, and difficult, and combined with the swift-moving necrosis it was downright dangerous.
I do like the fact that this element gets people engaged, and thinking, and talking, though. :-) Thanks again for reading and taking the time to comment. :D
Date: 26 Jun 2012 06:40 Title: Call of Duty: part 2
The conversation between McCoy and Spock is perfect. Just the right balance of indignation, gratitude, affection and irritation from both of them. I also like how your stories interconnect, so that I always know which one I need to read next!
Author's Response:
*bows* Thank you! I'm always nervous about how the Spock/McCoy interactions come off - there's a definite tightrope to be walked there. ;-)
When I first started writing, I just put out things as they came to me, but about a year into it I started making a concerted effort to have all the stories mesh with themselves, as well as established canon. You'll find that there are little 'gems' hidden in sevveral of them, with allusions made to things that have happened in stories set earlier in my timeline. They can be understood on their own, but do carry a little more weight if you see the connection.
Date: 26 Jun 2012 05:59 Title: Call of Duty: part 1
I'm sure it's for both him and Spock. Good chapter; I was taken by surprise by the doctor's plan to inject himself with venom, but of course that's what he'd do. Well done.
Author's Response:
I suspect it is, too - and maybe even for Jim - although McCoy might not see it as such given his often cynical outlook on things. ;-)
I'm glad that caught you by surprise - I was really afraid it was too obvious even though I did my best to not have that plan unfold until the very end of this chapter. But of course, it's the only choice he could make, and the only one we'd expect him to.
[Report This]Date: 26 Aug 2011 22:06 Title: Call of Duty: part 1
I don't feel like I added much here...but thanks for the kind inclusion. Many (most!!) of the tiny detail bits that were right but not quite right have transformed into wonderful scenes. I told you I didn't quite like Kirk, but now I think he is spot-on, yes, the blanket and some deleting here and there make it fab! This is now a flowing, gripping and exciting story and just perfect for all lovers (me...) of the friendship theme. Well done :-)
About that 'leg' buisness....an answer for Nerys: high amputations-exarticulations at hip level are very tricky because they go into the pelvic area with plenty blood supply, a proper danger zone, 23rd century or not and just imagine how they are supposed to heal....with a pretty big gap there. And with spreading necrosis, infection =problems with the clotting of the blood and the healing, this can turn nasty. It's also coming rather close to all these nerves and other organs within the pelvis....I wouldn't want to be the intern operating Thankyouverymuch (I'm sure by then there will be computerized helper 3D videos though!)
Hope that helps.
[Report This]Date: 24 Aug 2011 18:26 Title: Call of Duty: part 1
Reading the great reviews you’ve received so far, especially Miranda Fave’s thorough discussion, I’m finding it difficult to identify some aspect of this terrific story that hasn’t already been called out for respect and admiration, and usually more than once.
You capture the spirit of TOS and understand the eternal triangle that is K, S & M like no one I have ever read before – and I am including the Pocketbook authors in that list, too.
Let me just say Brava, Bravo and Bravissimo! :)
Author's Response:
*beet red with embarrassment* Thanks again, Sam. But I have to attribute a lot of the praise to stellar beta help. :D But seriously, I'm floored by your comments - I always wind up scraping my jaw off the ground after reading one of your reviews. I'm so glad my vision of the characters and the dynamic that binds them one to the other matches up to what others see - there's always the worry that maybe I paint them with a slightly different palette than everyone else does. ;-)
[Report This]Date: 23 Aug 2011 20:25 Title: Call of Duty: part 1
Now that was quite an intense tale. I thought nothing of the heated debate Spock and McCoy at the beginning, accept that it was classic Spock and McCoy. But looking back, it makes for a great foreshadow for events to comes with regard to McCoy's unconventional approach. Too many things could have gone wrong, but McCoy stuck with it making sure he risked only himself in addition to his patient, and in effect going beyond "The Call of Duty". Look for a similar approach to be taken in my entry to this challenge to be posted later today.
In terms of characters, glad to see Giotto as a full-time crewmember in your stories, outside of the character's lone appearance on "The Devil in the Dark."
Author's Response:
*bows* Thanks, E1981. I must admit, I struggled with the argument scene at the beginning (in terms of what topic to choose), one of the last I wrote, in fact, and when I was done, I wondered if anyone might see a parallel between that subject and the rest of the story. Jim might be a fan of unconventional methods only when he's the one employing them, but McCoy surely is a fan of technology only when he can use it for his own ends.
You caught the title, too - each of the triad went beyond the 'call of duty' in some way in this story. ;-)
Thanks for noticing Giotto. I always wondered why they didn't stick with the character in TOS - looking at things from the head of security's POV could have made for some interesting dynamics in the show. He, Riley, Kyle, Leslie and DeSalle are some of the others I try to work in whenever possible.
Looking forward to reading your entry - you never disappoint. :D Wow! Ten stories and counting - the best challenge we've had in a long while.
LBD
Date: 21 Aug 2011 14:45 Title: Call of Duty: part 2
Again, terrific conclusion to the whole tale. McCoy speaks true when he says that Kirk is only a fan of unconventional methods when he is the one employing them. But the strength here again is the dynamics between the characters and the sacrifices they make for one another and their reactions to their friends gambling with their lives to save the others. It works terrifically to create such scenes/stories and you nail it LBD. Nail it beautifully.
Chapel by the way, just rocks - standing up to Kirk like that is just win - reminding him of what he would do, of why McCoy is doing what he is doing. All in all, every character in the story is made of win. Terrifically done.
Author's Response:
Seems to me, I'm the one who should be saying 'aw, shucks.' My intention has always been to capture the spirit of TOS; that sense of awe and wonder, and most of all the dynamics of that most unusual friendship between the three that I found so captivating as a child. Reading these two reviews from you have made *my week*! :DD All of you have been so kind in your praise for this piece; gives me hope that the Tarsus story I'm working on - slowly but surely - might just have some potential.
Again, thanks for the vote of confidence, MF - it means everything to this TOS girl. :DDD
Date: 21 Aug 2011 14:35 Title: Call of Duty: part 1
Firstly, I just wanted to say 'Oh Joy'. Not obviosly for the terrible predicament the TOS crew find themselves in but just for the chance to read some classic TOS and see it depicted in such a way that I could imagine an episode taking place - you have that magic ability to transend people to that when they read one of your tales LBD.
What really sells it, is of course the characters and the interactions and dynamics between. A smile creeps on my face as I read the mess scene and then I easily imagined Kirk and Spock on the planet surface - you know one of those TOS studio planet with ferns and palms planted all around the place! Again, oh joy! Bt then the crux of the matter, Kirk perturbed at Spock's fate and willing to do anything to save him. McCoy knowing full well the lengths Kirk would go to and so he sends him off on a merry goose chase so that he can take the biggest gamble. It talks of the triad friendship that such moves can be made and be believeable to the story.
Again, the impression is of pure TOS. From mentions of Giotto, M'Benga to the concern that Spock might lose his leg - that strikes as a TOS fear where today we would think of cloning a leg replacement or something bionic - but the efforts to try and avoid that situation ring true to the TOS setting and not a Trek apologist trying to 'right' the 'wrongs' of Trek. And of course, Chapel is just a terrific character and seeing her here with McCoy and her concerns for Spock are just nuanced brilliance.
[Report This]Date: 21 Aug 2011 03:10 Title: Call of Duty: part 2
You have a great talent of writing your stories the way that make me feel I'm watching an episode when I'm reading. The Great Trio is always in character...sometimes more than in TOS episodes ;)
But...had Bones really not realised that he and Spoke were friends, too? Granted, their friendship is rocky and very 'rough,' but I never doubted that they weren't any more distant from each other then each of them from Jim. Seems like the events of those difficult days made it very clear to the good doctor. I'm certain, though, that it won't stop him from commenting pointy ears or posing questions like ' are you out of your Vulcan mind.' It's just Bones :)
I enjoyed the story very much! It was like a missing TOS episode to me.
Author's Response:
Thanks, Gul Rejal. Again, some of the best praise I could get. :D
I'm sure that deep down, both Bones and Spock realize they are friends - not that either of them would admit it, or course. ;-) I've addressed this very topic in a couple of my works, showing the steps that I felt led to this revelation, for each of them. I think the best evidence though, is TWOK. In a room full of people, Scotty included, Spock decided to trust his katra - the most important aspect of *self* for a Vulcan - to McCoy. If that ain't friendship, I don't know what is. ;-)
"I'm certain, though, that it won't stop him from commenting pointy ears or posing questions like ' are you out of your Vulcan mind.' It's just Bones :)" Funny you should say this; I actually have McCoy say something very similar to Spock in one of my stories where they first admit their friendship to each other out loud - well, almost out loud. ;-)
I'm so glad the story worked for you, and as always, thanks for reading and reviewing. :D
Date: 20 Aug 2011 23:54 Title: Call of Duty: part 1
The leg issue is no problem to me...that was simply my curiosity as to how you saw things. :-)
Author's Response:
And I didn't take it as such - believe me. :D I was just happy to have the chance to explain to anyone who might wonder about that what I was thinking - not something we always get to do as authors, so thanks for asking and granting me the forum to explain what was in my head. :D
Date: 20 Aug 2011 23:12 Title: Call of Duty: part 1
Very nice character interactions! I was never a TOS fan, but loved the TOS books because of the strengths of the characters, and as always, you follow wonderfully in that tradition. The argument was a very engaging opening. :-)
I like how you show Chapel's clear, immediate understanding of what's happening, in contrast to Kirk's being slower on the uptake (understandable in his panic). Given my dislike for how TOS portrayed women, that's always one thing I liked about the books--the women become professionals. Chapel shows her skills, Uhura becomes a linguist and not just a glorified space secretary, and so on.
But above all...McCoy places his trust in her in the most total way I could imagine.
In general, your medical terminology strikes me as accurate without overwhelming the plot--another plus. And the incredibly fast spread of the necrosis makes me think of the horrors of the flesh-eatiing bacteria. Coupled with McCoy's act of self-sacrifice...wow.
Jim's gesture with the blanket was very touching. Subtle, but really conveys a lot of strong, unspoken emotion.
The one curious question I have is, would losing a leg truly end his career or send him to a desk? At least in the 24th century that wasn't true of Nog. How do you see the technology in the 23rd century, and why is that the case?
Definitely one of the stronger entries.
Author's Response:
Thanks, Nerys. I was trying to be accurate medically, without overwhelming the layman, but not having those more versed in medicine roll their eyes at my stupidity. ;-)
As I've said to other reviewers for this piece, the friendship *is* Trek for me, and what still captivates me about TOS to this day. Glad those subtle touches came through - like the blanket, and Kirk falling into an exhausted sleep on Spock's arm. And it wouldn't be TOS without a S&M argument showing up *somewhere*. ;-)
Ah, the question of the leg. You're not the first one to ask me this, and my take on it was drawn directly from Chris Pike's plight in 'The Menagerie.' If the best 23rd century medicine could muster for him was a motorized wheelchair and a light to blink yes or no with when answering direct questions, I didn't see how they'd be able to produce a bionic leg that would grant Spock the agility he'd need to continue in the front lines of space exploration. His mind would still be intact, of course, so he'd still have quite a bit to offer to Starfleet, just not in the capacity of a first officer serving aboard a constitution-class vessel. Definitely just MHO...
As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read and review. :D
Date: 19 Aug 2011 00:21 Title: Call of Duty: part 2
Great story, LBD; the trio of McCoy, Spock, and Kirk again showing how, together, they formed bonds of friendship not seen since in Star Trek. You really captured all three well here and bonus points for making Nurse Chapel awesome! She often gets forgotten about but you did her justice. Good job all around.
Author's Response:
Thanks, trekfan. The unconventional friendship between these three has captivated me since I was a child, and you hit the nail on the head - for me, personally, this is the element missing in the other iterations of Trek, and what keeps me returning to TOS, and the Triumvirate.
*grins* Yeah, I thought it was about time someone cut Chapel some slack. ;-)
[Report This]Date: 18 Aug 2011 23:18 Title: Call of Duty: part 2
Lil...dog is a dying breed, it would seem, and that's tragic. She's one of the few good fan writers still breathing life into CLASSIC TREK. She brings home the goods: The triad, the friendship, the adventure, all the spirit of TOS, and she gets the character's voices and personalities right. Those who prefer slash may still enjoy lilblackdog's tales, as she delivers so strongly on the friendship, you may not miss the sex.
Author's Response:
Wow! I'm truly humbled NCTM - that's about the best praise I could ask for. I'm so pleased that you have found this, and my other pieces, commendable. These three have been a part of my life since I was eleven; it's beyond satisfying to hear that I'm doing their friendship, and TOS, justice.
LBD