Wheelchair Races
This is a tiny taste of new content that you will find in the fifth published book in my Beauty of Life series, PURGATORY: Bonds Forged in Hellfire.
The 5th book is near complete, hoping to publish in the next couple of weeks. Currently, it is at 60 chapters and 531 pages and will grow a bit more as I still have new content to add. PURGATORY takes a slightly different spin on the first half of my fanfiction story ROMCB (before they go on the mission to save Dom's girls).
The book has well over 70% new content and covers his first year and a half in Special Forces and expands on the rehab, showing how the bonds were formed. It will have more twists and turns and you will get to see his struggle to come back. The book will start in the present day, continuing from OUTLIER, but then delve deeply into his history, told in real time rather than flashback format (below is an example). It will come back to present day and lead into his second Christmas (book 6).
Enjoy this little sneak peek of PURGATORY.
March 21 - Base Hospital – Waiting Area
A grin played on Sam's face as he rocked his wheelchair back and forth. Today he should be released from this damned thing. He glanced at Matt who was flipping through an old magazine as they waited for his appointment with Dr. Parker. The rest of the guys, except Patch, stood off in one corner.
Patch was currently in with Dr. Parker going over his medic recertification test results. Sam was certain Patch passed with flying colors. Winds chatted up one of the nurses. Mason and Ripsaw were deep in a discussion slash argument on who would win next round of darts. Sam smirked. It would be him and not them. He had an incentive they didn't. A sketch of the grape man was taped to the center of the dart board, and he never missed.
Sam's gaze landed on Blaze. Sometime within the past week, he had come to rely on Blaze's strength. Measuring up in his eyes became extremely important. Sam still wasn't sure what changed, but there was a subtle shift in how he viewed Blaze which was different than the rest of the guys. The one thing he recognized was he felt safe around Blaze—protected. Something he needed and craved.
As one of the orderlies parked an empty wheelchair in the waiting area, Sam tracked him. His grin increased as he turned to Matt. "Race ya."
Matt looked up from the magazine. "What?"
"Race ya."
"I'll win. You're still confined to the chair until the doc gives you the a-okay and even then you aren't doing any running."
Sam pointed to the empty wheelchair. "Race ya."
Matt followed Sam's finger and laughed. He set down the magazine as a broad smile grew. "Well, we were going to wait until we were in the old folk's home, but I guess we can set the baseline now. What do I get when I win?"
"No, the right question is what do you give me when I win," Sam retorted cockily.
Laughing Matt went to the wheelchair and sat down. "So sure you'll win?"
"Yeah, I have more practice. Besides, I'm faster than you."
"On your feet, but this is a chair."
Ripsaw nudged Mason, and both turned to watch. "This should be fun."
Sam rolled up to Matt. "So one lap. Loser buys the winner a beer."
"You can't drink yet. But at least you can buy me one when I smoke your ass." Matt adjusted in the seat and rolled forward to line up with Sammy in the hallway.
"Rain check. And you'll be the one sucking in my smoke because you'll be behind me the whole way." Sam gave Matt a lopsided grin.
Blaze noticed what the boys were up to and rolled his eyes. Clearing his throat, he said, "Just don't run into anyone or break anything."
Matt and Sam turned to Blaze then to each other. Their silent communication said 'no promises.'
Mason sauntered over. "On your mark, get set, GO!"
Both jolted forward in the chairs, their arms working fast to spin the wheels. Sam took an early lead on the straightaway down the hall. He glanced behind him. "You're slow. You need Ripsaw to push you?"
Matt poured on the speed and managed to close the gap. He smiled as Sammy glanced behind him again. Matt would pass him because Sam didn't notice the cart which was just pushed out of a doorway directly into his path. He laughed. "Heads up, Sammy boy."
In his peripheral vision, Sam glimpsed the cart barely in time. He put on the brakes holding the wheels to slow himself and managed to turn, so he didn't crash into the cart. Matt sped ahead of him laughing his ass off.
Blaze cringed at the near miss. He grumbled, "Overgrown kids."
Winds turned his attention from the lovely nurse at Blaze's comment. He chuckled. "Papa Bear lost control of his cubs?"
Rounding the corner, Matt yelled, "Move, move, coming through." Orderlies scattered, plastering themselves against the walls.
Hot on Matt's tail Sam saw his opening. He gave the wheel an extra hard push and came alongside Matt. He turned and gave Matt an evil grin. "Enjoy your snack." Then he pushed hard again and bumped into Matt's chair sending Matt off to the right, straight for a table filled with bags of chips. Sam sailed into the lead.
Matt crashed into the table and bags of chips went flying, several landing in his lap. Not to be deterred, Matt turned the chair and dug down deep, and his hands rapidly worked the wheels. He was gaining on Sam. "You haven't won yet."
Mason, Ripsaw, Winds, and Blaze heard both Blondie and Matt laughing though they could no longer see them. All four cringed at the sounds of several things crashing to the floor and both Blondie and Matt shouting, 'sorry.'
Neck in neck, Sam and Matt sped down the hallway after knocking over several empty IV stands in addition to a few other items. They bumped into one another trying to make each other to crash into the wall or other obstacles they had to maneuver around.
Nurses, orderlies, patients, visitors, and a few doctors now lined the halls watching the wheelchair race, which turned into more of a demolition derby. Most observing wore smiles, a fun break in the monotony and seriousness which veiled the hospital on a regular basis. The laughter of the two racers was infectious.
Rounding the third corner, and starting for the home stretch, both Matt and Sam pumped their arms fast and furious. Three-quarters of the way down the hall it looked like the race would end in a tie.
Patch finished reviewing the results of his medic recertification test with Dr. Parker. He opened the door, and the sounds of familiar laughs brought a smile to his face. Patch stepped out into the hall when Dr. Parker called his name. He turned back to the doctor, as Blondie shouted, "Patch, move!"
Sam didn't want to plow into Patch and possibly hurt him. With little time to react, Sam yelled at him then yanked on the wheel and careened to the left. As Sam tried to avoid Patch, Matt needed to avoid running into the beautiful medical tech Elise. He yanked his wheel and veered to the right.
The wheelchairs rammed into each other. Given the speed and the off-kilter positions, the chairs tipped and dumped their occupants unceremoniously to the tile floor. Sam and Matt rolled as one in a tangle of arms and legs, both laughing the entire time.
They came to a stop with Sam lying on top of Matt. The brothers grinned at each other, and simultaneously said, "I win!" Matt and Sam devolved into laughter again as the guys, Dr. Parker, and Elise gathered around them.
Jasper stared down at the two young men, hard pressed not to break into chuckles himself. If someone told him two months ago Sam would be laughing and smiling, he wouldn't have believed them. He beheld a real miracle.
He tried for stern, but humor edged its way into his voice as he said, "Damn good thing I'm releasing you from the wheelchair today or I'd be treating you for new injuries." He glanced down the hall and added, "And probably a few others."
Matt and Sam both blushed as they saw the congregation of people at the end of the hall and the mess they made.
Sam's eyes gleamed as he stared at Matt. "No more chair!"
"No more chair!" Matt restated. "Now, get off me and stand on your feet."
Several sets of hands reached out to haul both Sam and Matt up. Once standing Sam scanned the guys. Without them, he wouldn't have made it this far. He still had a long way to go, but with their help, he would achieve his goals.
Sam turned to the doctor. "Thanks, Doc."
Blaze crossed his arms and stated firmly, "First order of business, go clean up your mess."
Where the words came from, Sam didn't know but he a little rush of warmth spread through him as he replied, "Yes, Dad." He promptly blushed when Matt's mouth gaped open. He cleared his throat and quickly said, "Yes, sir."
Blaze chuckled.
Mason and Winds shared a knowing look. Papa Bear and Goldilocks both recognized the shift in their relationship.
Jasper said, "Come into exam room two when you're finished picking up."
"Yes, sir." Sam and Matt responded together and ambled down the hall to set to rights the stuff they knocked over. They began to banter about who won the race.
Once they were out of earshot, Jasper turned to Blaze. "Your main challenge now will be to rein him in. Sam still has a way to go. His density scans show marked improvement, but running is still out of the question at the moment.
"He needs to continue to eat, more now than ever as the therapy sessions will increase in intensity and he will burn off more calories. We don't want him backsliding on the weight he has regained. I have instructed Private Tate to prepare a selection of non-perishable food items for you to keep in the barracks. Encourage Sam to eat."
Mason said, "He likes protein bars. Perhaps we should grab a box from the PX."
"Which ones?" Jasper asked.
"The fruit and nut one. He's not fond of the chocolate ones. They tend to melt and are messy in the field," Patch said.
"I'll make sure Tate includes them. If you will excuse me now, Sam should be ready to leave in about thirty minutes." Jasper turned and strolled towards exam room two.
Winds righted Blondie's wheelchair. "Good riddance to you!" He pushed the chair against the wall.
Mason picked up the other one. "Made me happy to hear him laugh. Closer to the Blondie we all recognize."
Ripsaw leaned on the wall. "Yeah, I agree. Their laughter is magnificent. He still has a way to go, but I think we need to do something to celebrate his milestone tonight."
"The kid can't drink yet. Got any ideas that don't include the bar?" Blaze asked.
Ripsaw shook his head. "Not much to do, especially since PT wears him out and he dislikes going out in public."
As they strode to the waiting room, Winds said, "We could play pin the tail on the jackass. I still have a few photos of Murphy we could use."
Blaze chuckled. "Murphy is a one. I'll grant you that. But I don't think a game which involves blindfolds would be appropriate for Blondie at the moment. Might trigger memories."
Winds sighed. "I didn't think of that. Well, we can always play darts again and pin Murphy's face to the center."
"How about we try and round up a movie? One we haven't watched a ballizion times," Patch suggested.
As the guys sat in the waiting area, they thought on how to celebrate Blondie ditching the wheelchair.
.
The Beauty of Life series takes my original fanfiction stories and revamps them—with tons of new content and expanded story lines while still keeping the same heart and familiar feel of my fanfiction stories.
The first four books in my Beauty of Life series are available as ebooks or paperbacks on Amazon—just search for Laura Acton in books.
The ebook versions are less than the price of Dan's favorite iced capp.
If you don't have a Kindle—no problem—just download Amazon's free reader app—it works on phones, tablets, and computers.
If you have Kindle Unlimited you can read them for FREE, too. And I think Amazon offers a free 30-day trial of Kindle Unlimited (where available) which is even better for you if you want to read all of them in one month :)
Beauty of Life series
- FORSAKEN: On the Edge of Oblivion (Beauty of Life, Book One)
- SOLACE: Behind the Shield (Beauty of Life, Book Two)
- BELONGING: Hope, Truth, and Malice (Beauty of Life, Book Three)
- OUTLIER: Blood, Brotherhood, and Beauty (Beauty of Life, Book Four)
- Work in Progress: PURGATORY: Bonds Forged in Hellfire (Beauty of Life, Book Five)
- Work in Progress: SERENITY: A Path Home (Beauty of Life, Book Six)
You can visit Amazon and search for LAURA ACTON in Kindle Books to read the first few chapters of each book with the look inside feature.
Come meet Daniel William Broderick, Alexandra 'Lexa' McKenna, Jon Hardy, Nick Pastore, Loki Baldovino, Bram De Haven, Ray Palomo, Tia Walsh, Brody Mikhail Hunter and the rest of your favorite characters (General Broderick, Yvonne, the Broderick cousins, Blaze, Mason, Patch, Winds, Ripsaw, etc.). Delve into a complex world of courageous men and women riding a roller coaster of emotions and danger. Explore the nature of relationships and bonds developed, tested, and strengthened in the face of adversity as they seek to find the beauty of life.
If you like all the details, twists, turns, and connections of my fanfiction – then you'll love the books — they're filled with them.
If you're a JAM fan become a LAN fan – come fall in love with Dan and Lexa. Their relationship has all the passion of JAM with a new exciting and hot way they first meet. Their relationship has a surprising beginning that turns into a slow burning build of their soulmate connection—it's quite a ride.
If you love the Team, the General, the Broderick cousins, Blaze, Patch, Winds, Mason, and the rest of the cast of characters, you should enjoy the new Beauty of Life series—they get more time than before.