Pros Novel Read-Along - Painted Angels by Angelfish - Chapter Five

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

At last!

Painted Angels by Angelfish.
Cover art by firlefanzine

Chapter 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?

Comments

[macklingirl.livejournal.com]

I think I shoulde phrase the part about Doyle giving comfort to the dying man in other words. I think it is (like you said) more normal for Doyle to give comfort than for Bodie. But it doesn't fit into the super-hero-image the author is creating here for Bodie. Because if he were such a super-hero it should be no problem for him to react in such a way and not in nearly pulling his gun.

We seem to get Doyle's pov when he's feeling weak, and Bodie's pov when he's feeling strong, and it makes me feel as if it's more unbalanced than sometimes it is, I think...
Well, I always thought that it could be me not beeing a native speaker that made it difficult for me with the changes in the pov, so I tried to ignore it. But I think you're right, that might be my main problem too.

Hmmn - Firlefanzine said that too, but I didn't actually have a problem with the end of the chapter like that... It's perhaps the one moment when he isn't swooning! *g*
I just don't think that he would walk away like a girl seeking for the knight in shining armor only because he hears a voice he remembers. For me he is to much a professional and he knows there is more to do. He isn't swooning, but he doesn't react like the Doyle I know from the eps. The Doyle from the eps would do his job and after all he could do is done would go to the church to look if the priest is really Gabe.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Because if he were such a super-hero it should be no problem for him to react in such a way
Oh okay - I guess I wasn't thinking of him being mentally and psychologically a super-hero, just with the physical bravery and so on.

I just don't think that he would walk away
Oh, but I don't think he's walking away from the bomb scene, or what needs to be done - Gabe is actually trying to help he victims too, so it's more that Gabe's in the middle of things rather than that Doyle is leaving. And since he and Bodie have worked out who set the bombs, stopped the second bomb from detonating, and perhaps don't have as much of a role now as the medics and ambulance drivers (maybe until Cowley gets there to give them their orders etc.), then helping with the victims is surely acceptable - especially when it's his adolescent ex-lover who's just turned up doing the same... *g*

[macklingirl.livejournal.com]

But I really don't understand how he could be so sure that it is Gabe. He didn't see him for a lot of years and to be sure that it is his ex-lover only because he is a darker man whose voice sounds familiar is something that don't work for me.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I dunno - that didn't cause me problems. If you're so close to someone, and they were both almost their adult selves then too, then I think you might recognise them from their voice and just the way they move, even years later...