Chaper 49: Man On The Floor!

[Paul S.]

Since we already have quite a discussion about this chapter going in another thread (even before it's been published) I guess I better get it out there toot-sweet.

https://www.ttbrown.com/defying_gravity ... Floor.html

I hope we can continue the discussion of this chapter HERE, rather than in the thread for Chapter 11.

--PS

P.S. This one's for you, Victoria!

[Victoria Steele]

Great chapter. I didn't think that they could get any more interesting but WHOA!

Dr. Brown was right of course. I think that he knew his daughter well enough to know that she would do exactly what she said later that she would have done. I ask myself if I had KNOWN that I had actually died and then been lucky enough to have been brought back, what would I have done? EXACTLY? when the love of my life walked into it again? I would have wrapped myself around him so hard nothing would ever pry us loose again. period.

For some reason I guess the work that Morgan had in front of him and maybe the work that Linda was destined to do in the future was important enough to see this sacrifice come down. Because thats what it ended up, just as I have been suspecting. They were pulled apart, and this is just the first of the drifting force. Knowing the truth would have set them both free? Maybe. But then, free to do what?

Perhaps Linda could have followed the way of her school mates , become engaged, then married the next June. But I don't think that Linda was that conventional! Wherever Morgan went, she would have wanted to go! Only Dr. Brown knew, I think, where that was destined to be. We have talked about this alot on the forum here and I think that all of us will agree that Morgan turned probably into a very dangerous, perhaps deadly, man. Was this to Lindas future? " She NEEDS not to know" was what Dr. Brown had said to Morgan regarding his new association with the "Group" and the changing face of his relationship with Linda.

But if Linda HAD known about getting that second chance. she would have changed things! Tooty tooty guanranteed and I don't even really know her. Perhaps with her involvement Morgan would not have joined Dr. Brown except as a son-in-law.

Then what? Could he have kept any secret jobs secret from her? I don't think so. Or if he did, then what kind of a marriage would they have been forced into then? And if they had children? what sort of danger would those kids have been in in the distant future? No, he couldn't at all become the Morgan that the group needed and still function.

So, as hard as it probably was for that "loving parent" I don't think Dr. Brown actually lied to her. He just didn't tell her. Jeepers I am wondering what she thinks of all of this NOW.

And it ain't even Thursday Victoria

[Trickfox]

Wow....
I'm stunned. Mr. O'Riley You are an amazing person in deed.
I see now how occupied you have been Paul.
Elizabeth, how do you like this chapter?
Victoria will love this one too.
Trickfox

[Elizabeth Helen Drake]

I am curious Victoria. If you were Linda would you REALLY have walked out with Morgan? (Yeah well , silly question, mix two redheaded free spirits together, and Victoria has already said that she really likes this bad boy)

But remember the qualifying statement here." If you were Linda."

Here is a girl that has spent her entire life up to that point being a strong system for the "family", which to her was basically her Mother and Dad. She had already more than proven her loyalty, I think. Moving so constantly without a blink of complaint, constantly supporting whatever it was that her Dad wanted the family unit to do. (You know when I wrote that I was reminded of the TV show " The Unit". They make a big deal there about talking about loyalty within the "Unit". Well, thats what was happening in Lindas life I believe. You didn't desert the Unit.)

So I really wonder. Would that near death experience, if she had known about it , really have changed her path after all of those years? Mikado? You think? You have been there and back. With Linda Browns experience do you think it would have changed her , made her more concious of her needs as an individual and not just a "unit " member.?

I think that the thing that might bother me if I found myself in the process of finding out a secret that had been held for so many years .... maybe I would be ...... perhaps insulted that after all the proof of loyalty ..... she was not given the opportunity to face it squarely again and make her own choice ..... again ..... or maybe for the first time actually. Would she have "wrapped herself around Morgan"? Maybe. But the question still remains to me ..... Would she have walked out the door with him? Of course, there is the other element too remember. Would he have let her? Elizabeth

[Victoria Steele]

Oh, Elizabeth!

Thats a really good question. What would Morgan have done if Linda had said ....." Take me with you."

Jeeze. Victoria

[Mikado14]

So I really wonder. Would that near death experience, if she had known about it , really have changed her path after all of those years? Mikado? You think? You have been there and back. With Linda Browns experience do you think it would have changed her , made her more concious of her needs as an individual and not just a "unit " member.?

Elizabeth,

I believe I gave an answer else where to your question and I answered "yes", it would have had a definite change. But then, only Linda can answer that and I would say to her, and I believe she is checking in on this, what do you remember? What did it feel like? I can tell you that it is a conscious transistion, especially when you see everyone around you. My first words were, "This ain't good" as I was watching everyone scurry around.

Now, let's see...anger? do you think?......I suppose I can see that but then I am looking at it through the eyes of a Father. Just my opinion but, I would take the stance,"if she doesn't say anything, we won't but if she does, we'll just say she was unconscious and it was all a dream." Remember, I don't know if you have children Elizabeth but Linda does and if she is here, she knows the steps a parent will take to shield their child and I would tell her further remember the times...... remember the times.

Now, let's go a little further. How do we know that it didn't change her? My suggestion for Linda would be to do a little soul searching, deep soul searching, if you get my drift. For forty years plus, it has been nothing more than a dream, a dream that was forgotten, but then......is it?

I am here,

Mikado

[Mark Culpepper]

Whew. Alot of emotions floating around. This is my take.

I think Linda Brown probably would have considered things totally differently if she had known what had happened to her.

An experience like that HAS to make you reconsider your path. I think that this particular young girl would have been rational enough to look around at the silly social realm that Southern Seminary might have been at the time and said to herself " What the f**k am I doing here? (Possibly not using that language but the feeling might have been the same.)

And then, I think we all have been given a window into her feelings for that red headed young man. He was a Lucky son of a gun to have that kind of passion there for him. Add that to the strong feeling that time was so very precious, and life was so precious. I think when Morgan walked into that dorm room, she would have certainly said "I love you, no games, Lets go"

Shit Morgan what would you have done then? Perhaps Dr. Brown was considering YOU when he didn't tell her what had happened! What would you have done? the kid who backpaddled like a lobster when she said "I love you" the first time! (for those of you who haven't kept up try Chapter whatever .... " Do you love me Panic of 1965?")

You have to remember all of that happened in the spring of this same year ....... Just months later the kid has had this wonderful exciting opportunity open for him , hes been to Nassau, had this wonderful relationship with Linda ...ah life was certainly looking sweet, I think!

and from the look of it he is already working for the Group when Linda got sick. But its only been a few months. His attitude and his worry over commitment can't have changed all that much! Sure they spent some time in Nassau and Florida during the summer and I have a feeling that was really special to him, but he wasn't in any way ready to settle down.

So if she, head over heels in love ( my wifes favorite expression, too bad it didn't last for us!) had declared her love for him at that moment and that she wanted to leave with him .... I think he probably would have sucked back to that " Uh .... lets think about this a moment" and I truly believe that would have crushed her emotionally!

So MAYBE Dr. Brown read those people in his life well enough to know that would happen. Maybe he didn't really even have to see the future. Maybe he just knew the personalities.

If Linda was without that extra pressure of knowledge all could have gone on as before and perhaps more successfully. At least the separation that was probably meant to be (as Victoria keeps saying, she sees a train wreck for Lindas emotions) but maybe it didn't have to happen that exact moment? Just a thought from this side of the fence. However it works out, its a great love story. Mark C.

[Victoria Steele]

I agree with you Mark.

No matter what Linda would have been feeling and wanting, Morgan was on his particular "fast track" to being the "James Bond" he had dreamed about.

What was his position supposed to be? International Security agent? Something like that. That could be all kinds of things and I think he was really looking forward to finding out what that job was really going to offer.

Even if he and Linda had hooked up, then he would have to deal with her parents. And they have already pretty much told him to leave her behind, not involve her in what he was learning and doing. She NEEDS not to know " he father had required of him and Josephine had already told him basically ..... You take this job, you leave my daughter behind. Well, he apparently took the job. So like I said again I see the train a coming!

But Morgan has asked her to come up to spend the end of the year (New Years Eve in New York City? Now that has some romantic promise. For about a second and a half. Remember that he was supposed to be "cutting his ties with his past" Pretty sure thats going to mean Linda too. Damn, Victoria

[LongboardLOVELY]

Informative Chapter, Paul.

Question for Mr. O'Riley (Mr. Twigsnapper):

Medical information wasn't as private or confidential then as it is now, but still the fact that she coded and was rescusitated enroute to the hospital would have been information not readily available to the public. Did you find out through her father, or through the Network?

Also here's some interesting trivial pursuit information:
When someone has either a bronchial infection severe enough to cause that person to "pass out" or a condition of the same sort (like COPD or Emphysema), the "passing out" is usually caused by the Valsalva Maneuver which is a mechanism the body plays so that one's heart does not actually stop, but "pauses".
If Linda Brown actually did code, which I don't doubt, her infection would have been pretty severe, and there could (or should) have been another underlying condition). Usually these pneumonias are triggered by cold weather, stress, and of course bacteria. But to have to be coded like that...?

Did she go to the hopital in an EMS wagon or a regular car? All MR. O'Riley says is that "During the trip to the hospital she arrested". If she was transported by friends/classmates, they would have called 911.
It would be interesting to know what type of infection she had, and how she had acquired it.

*******
I wonder if after this story Linda has ever thought about what else her father has kept from her all these years (beside the fact that he and her mother were divorced!)

OH AND ONE MORE QUESTION FOR Mr. Twigsanpper:
What's an MG? Sounds like a nice ride!

LBL

[twigsnapper]

Morris Garages, Linda ... thats what MG stands for and I guess when you decide that you like them, that feeling sort of sticks with you. I drove an MG FT when escorting Dr. Brown around in London and he just about froze me out because he wouldn't let me put the flipping top up.

Still have the car by the way.

My second adventure was an MGB GT which made its appearance in my garage about three days before I gave it to Morgan to drive south. He was worried about taking it, not being accustomed to something that little. (and that new) Once he got the hang of having to wind it up and keep it up there he was pretty good with it. At least it eventually returned to me without a ding. I was worried however that he would take his new role as a young James Bond to heart.

Still have it too. Someday my dear, I will take you for a ride. Bring the white rose! twigsnapper

[LongboardLOVELY]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... F_2002.jpg

Mr Twigsnapper! Those are so cute!

I think Andy and I saw a few in Europe in 2001. They look like James Bond cars!

I'll definitely bring my white rose. And a scarf!

The 2002 model is way cool....

Why does every discussion we ever have go back to Asia? MG Rover went bankrupt in the spring of 2005. MG cars are expected to resume production in January 2007 under new owners Nanjing Automobile Group.
According to Wikipedia, they're bringing the cars to the US in 2008.

PAUL,
you should get Mr. Twigsnapper to take a picture of his car, and then put it in your book!

LongboardLOVELY

[grinder]

LindaB,

You seemed to hint that perhaps there was an underlying cause for the experience that Linda Brown had at the hospital while she was at school. And of course we are knee deep in talk of spies and the Cold War and stuff and the thought struck me suddenly...... and this I HOPE is too far out to be really considered. Perhaps that "arrest" was prompted by an outside source. I mean. THAT would be worth hiding from your daughter I think, if someone had ... I don't know ... what could they have tried in that time ... poison? A drug? Perhaps someone got past whatever security her father had in place. ( I know that she was at a remote womens college but you can't tell me that he didn't have SOMEONE THERE watching over her somehow. But maybe not. Perhaps there was a lack of security because they thought no one would try for his daughter? I hope I am REALLY way off here because I understand that this would be very upsetting, if true. Upsetting then maybe moreso if she had known. Maybe now Linda Brown is more accustomed to such thoughts. Still, disconcerting. But I imagine that the only people interested in doing such a thing to get back at Dr. Brown would have been the Cold War Russians .... and they are sorta hard to find at a womens college in Virginia, don't you think? grinder

[Mikado14]

If she was transported by friends/classmates, they would have called 911.

Not really, Now I feel old. Remember the year, 911 didn't exist yet. If you dialed 411 you did get information. They would have had to dial an ambulance service, the hospital or a local Volunteer outfit. Responses 40 years ago in a rural area are not like what they are today. Jumping in the nearest car/truck would have been the quickest.

Just a little history, and a few memories.....

Mikado

[LongboardLOVELY]

If she was transported by friends/classmates, they would have called 911.

Not really, Now I feel old. Remember the year, 911 didn't exist yet. If you dialed 411 you did get information. They would have had to dial an ambulance service, the hospital or a local Volunteer outfit. Responses 40 years ago in a rural area are not like what they are today. Jumping in the nearest car/truck would have been the quickest.

Just a little history, and a few memories.....

Mikado

Good to have age and perspective. Forgot the period we were referring to!

LBL

[LongboardLOVELY]

LindaB,

You seemed to hint that perhaps there was an underlying cause for the experience that Linda Brown had at the hospital while she was at school. And of course we are knee deep in talk of spies and the Cold War and stuff and the thought struck me suddenly...... and this I HOPE is too far out to be really considered. Perhaps that "arrest" was prompted by an outside source. I mean. THAT would be worth hiding from your daughter I think, if someone had ... I don't know ... what could they have tried in that time ... poison? A drug? Perhaps someone got past whatever security her father had in place. ( I know that she was at a remote womens college but you can't tell me that he didn't have SOMEONE THERE watching over her somehow. But maybe not. Perhaps there was a lack of security because they thought no one would try for his daughter? I hope I am REALLY way off here because I understand that this would be very upsetting, if true. Upsetting then maybe moreso if she had known. Maybe now Linda Brown is more accustomed to such thoughts. Still, disconcerting. But I imagine that the only people interested in doing such a thing to get back at Dr. Brown would have been the Cold War Russians .... and they are sorta hard to find at a womens college in Virginia, don't you think? grinder

HUH?
Not what I was suggesting at all. But interesting...

LBL