ext_19925 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
byslantedlight.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ci5hq2019-04-27 12:06 pm
byslantedlight.livejournal.com) wrote in ci5hq2019-04-27 12:06 pm
Pros Novel Read-Along - Painted Angels by Angelfish - Chapter Five
At last!Cover art by
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
firlefanzineChapter Five
Chapter Five
There has been a bomb explosion, and like the other emergency services, Bodie and Doyle, now working together as a team, responded. On arrival, however, Doyle remained by the car, too scared to go any further, while Bodie ran straight into the cloud of smoke to help.
Eventually Doyle screws up his courage and joins Bodie, who is assessing what seems to be a detonator. Doyle recognises it as a specific Irish terrorist group, and Bodie immediately knows who he's talking about. They realise that there's a second device nearby, ready to go off when the emergency services have arrived. They find it, and Doyle uses his penknife to cut the wires - a mad guess between red or blue, because it could be either - and saves the situation.
Even as they're laughing in relief, however, one of the first bomb's victims staggers into them and collapses. They're badly burned and blinded, and asking for Richard. Bodie recoils but Doyle pretends to be Richard as comfort as the man dies in his arms.
The next thing Doyle knows is that he's sitting on a wall outside a church with Bodie, though he can't remember getting there. Bodie is rubbing his back, then "tangles... fingers into his hair, carressing" and explains that the first time in such a situation is the worst, and he'll be okay. Doyle points out that he doesn't ever want to be "okay" with this situation, and begins to feel guilty about not having been able to stop it. He knows London so well, he should have seen some sign. Bodie rejects this - "Jesus Christ, Doyle. You'll sink both of us."
Doyle realises he's been in shock, recovers, and just as he's getting up spots a priest helping the victims. He's not impressed - "Oh great... God's here." Bodie's puzzled by this, and Doyle realises that the priest is giving first aid, not the last rites. As he watches the priest, however, and then hears his voice, Doyle realises that he's familiar. ""Gabriel. Gabe!" and begins to walk into the crowd."
So - what did you think?
no subject
Yes, he redeems himself afterwards and is more the Doyle that I know - but why in the world set him up like that? It makes no sense to me
I agree. I think the author’s characterisation of Doyle is strange… why - what is the point - does she persist in making him look such a wimp? And, as you say, denying him his experience of 70s London (in particular) under prolonged IRA threat? Is it just to make Bodie look better? She obviously *does* know the lads well because at other times in the same chapter she gets it spot on, e.g. with the choosing which wires bit, it’s so Doyle and so them that Doyle would do the opposite of what Bodie suggests!
But aside from what I've nitpicked, I really did enjoy this chapter (especially Bodie's hands tangled in Doyle's hair) for the tension, action, Bodie being Bodie and I welcomed the return of Gabriel, not just because it gave more point to the Prologue, but because I'm looking forward to Bodie's response!
no subject
Heee!
And what’s with all the vomiting that goes on in some stories? Do people really vomit *that* easily?
To be fair I've definitely felt the urge to vomit myself when I've seen (and smelled and all...) someone else vomit, so I can imagine that there might be a reaction to something really raw and grisly... But not from our lads, who are both trained and experienced as well! They might have vomited the first time they'd seen something awful, but I reckon that would have been a long time ago for both of them...
I think I've said before that what properly bugs me about this story is that the author does write in a way that makes me want to read, and makes me want to know and feel more - so when something jars it probably jars much more than for a less-skilled writer (if that makes sense...)
I like the way that she captures moments - like Bodie tangling his fingers in Doyle's hair, and at the end when Doyle realises for a moment that Bodie's just as thrown by what happened as he was (though he then stops himself from believing it). She adds detail in a showing us way, and even bits where she's giving us information feel less like telling than showing.
And, as you say, denying him his experience of 70s London (in particular) under prolonged IRA threat?
There's a bit of me that does wonder if this is a familiarity thing. The author seems to have a good grasp of the lads sometimes - and then is completely off in others, and I wonder if it had been a while since she watched an ep when she wrote this, so that we're getting her most vivid impressions and memories as part of this story, but not the overall picture of the lads from when you remember what they did in this-ep or that-ep...
I'm looking forward to Bodie's response!
Yes! *g*
no subject
Yup, I think that's how I view them as well.
no subject
Yes, sometimes they do. Even professionals. For example my mother. She was a nurse and she fainted when she was to observe an operation and she told me that she vomited very easily when she smelled someones vomit. That was one of the reasons why she had to use a face mask with two or three drops of peppermint oil.
no subject