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alexandria_finetuning

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Which of the following is the strongest base? > > Which of the following is the strongest base? > > > 1. $\ce{LiOH}$ > 2. $\ce{CH3Li}$ > 3. $\ce{LiNH2}$ > 4. $\ce{LiF}$ > > > According to me the answer should be $\ce{LiF}$ as it has max number of lone pairs but the answer says its 2). I am confused. In order of decreasing basicity they are ranked $\ce{LiCH3}$ > $\ce{LiNH2}$ > $\ce{LiOH}$ > $\ce{LiF}$. We are dealing with the ions $\ce{F-}$, $\ce{OH-}$, $\ce{NH2-}$ and $\ce{CH3-}$ and so the factor which influences their basicity is the stability of the ion compared to its conjugate acid. The stability of the ions is determined by the energy of the lone pairs. Carbon has the least effective nuclear charge ($Z\_{\text{eff}}$) and so the lone pair on the $\ce{CH3-}$ ion has the highest energy, making it the least stable ion and so the strongest base. The $Z\_{\text{eff}}$ increases as we move across the period until we get to fluorine which has the greatest $Z\_{\text{eff}}$ and so its lone pairs have the lowest energy, making $\ce{F-}$ the least basic ion. Look at the conjugate acid of each of the anions (the base). If the conjugate acid is a strong acid (low pKa), then the anion is a weak base. If the conjugate acid is a weak acid (high pKa), then the anion is a strong base. Let's list the anion or base, the conjugate acid and the pKa \begin{array}{|c|c|c|} \hline \text{Base }& \text{Conjugate Acid}& \mathrm pK\_\mathrm a \\ \hline \ce{OH-} & \ce{H2O} & 15.7\\ \hline \ce{CH3-} & \ce{CH4} & 48 \\ \hline \ce{NH2-} & \ce{NH3} & 38 \\ \hline \ce{F-} & \ce{HF} & 3 \\ \hline \end{array} The conjugate acid with the highest pKa is methane ($\ce{CH4}$) it is the weakest acid of the group. Therefore the $\ce{CH3-}$ in $\ce{MeLi}$ is the strongest base in the group.
stackexchange/chemistry
I'm reading the book Dependency Injection Principles, Practices, and Patterns and I read about the concept of leaky abstraction which is well described in the book. These days I'm refactoring a C# code base using dependency injection so that async calls are used instead of blocking ones. Doing so I'm considering some interfaces which represent abstractions in my code base and which needs to be redesigned so that async calls can be used. According to the book definition a leaky abstraction is an abstraction designed with a specific implementation in mind, so that some implementation details "leak" through the abstraction itself. My question is the following: can we consider an interface designed with async in mind, such as IUserRepository, as an example of a Leaky Abstraction ? Of course not all possible implementation have something to do with asynchrony: only the out of process implementations (such as a SQL implementation) do, but an in memory repository does not require asynchrony (actually implementing an in memory version of the interface is probably more difficult if the interface exposes async methods, for instance you probably have to return something like Task.CompletedTask or Task.FromResult(users) in the method implementations). "An abstraction is the amplification of the essential and the elimination of the irrelevant." Thus, interfaces aren't, in themselves, abstractions. They're only abstractions if they bring to the surface what matters, and hides the rest. The book Dependency Injection Principles, Patterns, and Practices defines the term leaky abstraction in the context of Dependency Injection (DI). Polymorphism and the SOLID principles play a big role in this context. What this means is that clients (calling code) define the abstractions that they require, and then you go and implement that abstraction. A leaky abstraction, in my view, is an abstraction that violates the DIP by somehow including some functionality that the client doesn't need. A client that implements a piece of business logic will typically use DI to decouple itself from certain implementation details, such as, commonly, databases. This interface is entirely synchronous since the MaîtreD class doesn't need it to be asynchronous. There's no inherent rationale for the domain logic to be asynchronous, but in order to support the asynchrony of the implementation, this is now required. At NDC Sydney 2018 I gave a talk on this topic. In it, I also outline an alternative that doesn't leak. I'll be giving this talk at several conferences in 2019 as well, but now rebranded with the new title of Async injection. I plan to also publish a series of blog posts to accompany the talk. These articles are already written and sitting in my article queue, waiting to be published, so stay tuned. It's not a leaky abstraction at all. Being asynchronous is a fundamental change to the definition of a function - it means the task isn't finished when the call returns, but it also means that your program flow will continue almost immediately, not with a lengthy delay. An asynchronous and a synchronous function doing the same task are essentially different functions. Being asynchronous is not an implementation detail. It's part of the definition of a function. If the function exposed how the function was made asynchronous, that would be leaky. You (don't / shouldn't have to) care how it is implemented. The async attribute of a method is a tag that indicates that particular care and handling is required. As such, it needs to leak out into the world. Asynchronous operations are extremely difficult to compose properly so giving the API user a heads up is important. If, instead, your library properly managed all asynchronous activity within itself, then you could afford to not let async "leak` out of the API. There are four dimensions of difficulty in software: data, control, space and time. Asynchronous operations span all four dimensions, thus, needing the most care. a leaky abstraction is an abstraction designed with a specific implementation in mind, so that some implementation details "leak" through the abstraction itself. Not quite. An abstraction is a conceptual thing that ignores some elements of a more complicated concrete thing or problem (to make the thing/problem simpler, tractable, or due to some other benefit). As such, it is necessarily different from the actual thing/problem, and thus it's going to be leaky in some subset of cases (i.e., all abstractions are leaky, the only question is to what extent - meaning, in which cases is the abstraction useful to us, what is its domain of applicability). That said, when it comes to software abstractions, sometimes (or maybe often enough?) the details we chose to ignore cannot actually be ignored because they affect some aspect of the software that is important to us (performance, maintainability, ...). So a leaky abstraction is an abstraction was designed to ignore certain details (under the assumption that it was possible and useful to do so), but then it turned out that some of those details are significant in practice (they cannot be ignored, so they "leak out"). So, an interface exposing a detail of an implementation is not leaky per se (or rather, an interface, viewed in isolation, is not in itself a leaky abstraction); instead, the leakiness depends on the code that implements the interface (is it able to actually support the abstraction represented by the interface), and also on the assumptions made by the client code (which amount to a conceptual abstraction that complements the one expressed by the interface, but cannot itself be expressed in code (e.g. the features of the language aren't expressive enough, so we may describe it in the docs, etc.)). Q: Which one doesn't belong with the other two? A: The async method is not the one that stands alone. The one that stands alone is the method that returns void. To me, the "leak" here isn't the async keyword; it's the fact that the method returns a Task. And that isn't a leak; it's part of the prototype, and part of the abstraction. An async method that returns a task makes the exact same promise made by a synchronous method that returns a task. So no, I don't think the introduction of async forms a leaky abstraction in and of itself. But you may have to change the prototype to return a Task, which "leaks" by changing the interface (the abstraction). And since it's part of the abstraction, it's not a leak, by definition. This is a leaky abstraction if and only if you do not intend all implementing classes to create an asynchronous call. You could create multiple implementations, for instance, one for each database type you support, and this would be perfectly okay assuming you didn't ever need to know the exact implementation being used throughout your program. And while you can't strictly enforce an asynchronous implementation, the name implies it should be. If circumstances change, and it may be a synchronous call for whatever reason, then you may very well need to consider a change of names, so my advice would be to do this only if you don't think this will be very likely in the future. We didn't go from returning Foo to returning Task<Foo> because we started wanting the Task instead of just the Foo. Granted, sometimes we interact with the Task but in most real-world code we ignore it and just use the Foo. What's more, we often define interfaces to support async behavior even when the implementation may or may not be asynchronous. In effect an interface that returns a Task<Foo> tells you that the implementation is possibly asynchronous whether or not it really is, even though you may or may not care. If an abstraction tells us more than we need to know about its implementation, it's leaky. If our implementation is not asynchronous, we change it to be asynchronous, and then we have to change the abstraction and everything that uses it, that's a very leaky abstraction. That's not a judgment. As others have pointed out, all abstractions leak. This one does have a greater impact because it necessitates a ripple effect of async/awaits throughout our code just because somewhere at the end of it there might be something that is actually asynchronous. Does that sound like a complaint? That's not my intent, but I think it's an accurate observation. A related point is the assertion that "an interface is not an abstraction." What Mark Seeman succinctly stated has been abused a little. The definition of "abstraction" is not "interface", even in .NET. Abstractions can take many other forms. An interface can be a poor abstraction or it can mirror its implementation so closely that in a sense it's hardly an abstraction at all. But we absolutely do use interfaces to create abstractions. So to toss out "interfaces aren't abstractions" because a question mentions interfaces and abstractions isn't enlightening. Is GetAllAsync() actually async? I mean sure "async" is in the name, but that can be removed. So I ask again... Is it impossible to implement a function that returns a Task<IEnumerable<User>> which is resolved synchronously? I don't know the specifics of .Net's Task type, but if it's impossible to implement the function synchronously, then sure it's a leaky abstraction (In this way) but otherwise not. I do know that if it was an IObservable rather than a Task, it could be implemented either synchronously or async so nothing outside the function knows and therefore it's not leaking that particular fact. Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged c# object-oriented api-design interfaces dependency-injection or ask your own question. Am I following a good design thought process? Is the Abp framework overkill? Does this structure satisfy the terms of the Inversion of Control principle? Another "Why use Abstract/Interface" question. But I'm a solo developer. Why use it?
slim_pajama
obesity and its associated metabolic diseases , including cardiovascular diseases , diabetes mellitus , stroke , osteoarthritis , gastric esophageal reflux disease , and cancer , are severe medical problems that are increasing in prevalence worldwide . the world health organization defines obesity as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that can be detrimental to health with considerable associated morbidity and mortality . a recent article on the trends of estimated mean body mass index ( bmi ) in 200 countries from 1975 to 2014 revealed that the prevalence of obesity was higher than that of underweight in 2014 ; this proportion was the opposite of that in 1975 . the worldwide age - standardized mean bmi increased from 21.7 kg / m in 1975 to 24.2 kg / m in 2014 in men and from 22.1 kg / m in 1975 to 24.4 kg / m in 2014 in women . the prevalences of obesity in asian , african , and western countries have also increased substantially over the past decade . despite recent debate about its criteria , obesity has a significant impact on mortality . according to this paper , median survival decreases in patients with a bmi 30 . furthermore , obesity is a complex public health problem that is commonly associated with an individual s economic environment . it has become an important social burden that results in significant economic burdens to healthcare systems . numerous studies and developments are currently underway in an effort to solve this problem worldwide , including studies on obesity treatment drugs . however , several such drugs have been withdrawn due to complications ; currently available drugs with less adverse effects have a weight reduction effect of approximately 5%11% of the initial body weight . while behavioral and pharmacological treatment approaches are partly effective in the short - term , their effects are not long - lasting . various surgical methods have been established and applied to treat obesity for decades , such as roux - en - y gastric bypass ( rygb ) , vertical band gastroplasty , sleeve gastrectomy , and gastric band surgery . each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages ; they also vary in efficacy . recent bariatric surgical interventions aimed to reduce procedural complications and burden while maximizing the beneficial effects . since bariatric surgery has been established as an alternative to diabetes mellitus treatment , it has attracted attention as a new treatment for this disease . however , although previous studies have described bariatric surgery as the most effective treatment for metabolic obesity disease , it is associated with a high morbidity rate , mortality rate , and economic burden . while the mortality rates of surgical interventions have decreased in recent years , the adverse events related to bariatric surgery remain considerably high . according to a meta - analysis study , endoluminal interventions performed entirely by using flexible gastrointestinal endoscopy offer an alternative approach to the treatment of obesity that is safer and more cost - effective than current surgical approaches . the use of endoluminal techniques in the field of metabolic obesity disease has several promising applications , such as endoscopic gastroplasty , intragastric balloon , endoluminal malabsorptive bariatric procedures , and gastric electrical stimulation ( ges ) for the modulation of gastric emptying ( table 1 ) . the weight loss effects of endoscopic bariatric treatment are higher than drugs but lower than bariatric surgery , although the complications rates are less than the latter ( fig . 1 ) . research on endoscopic obesity treatment is ongoing ; in recent years , the treatment has accelerated in the united states and other countries . the range of diseases to which they are applied is also increasing , and a variety of items is currently being studied . this review will discuss recent trends and roles in endoscopic bariatric therapies using currently available endoluminal and transgastric technologies . intragastric balloons were developed to treat obesity by filling the stomach to induce early satiety . although this technique was introduced 30 years ago , it was abandoned due to adverse events and balloon deflation . since then , after several upgraded product developments , several intragastric balloons have been commercialized . the bioenterics intragastric balloon ( bib ; allergan inc . , irvine , ca , usa)/orbera intragastric balloon ( apollo endosurgery , austin , tx , usa ) has long been utilized for weight loss and is still used today . this device consists of a silicone balloon strong to gastric acid and a self - sealing valve that is filled with isotonic saline and methylene blue . in recent years , several other balloon devices for weight loss have been developed , such as the ullorex oral intragastric balloon ( obalon therapeutics , inc . , san diego , ca , usa / phagia technologies , inc . , usa ) , reshape duo integrated dual balloon system ( reshape medical , san clemente , ca , usa ) , baronova polymer pill ( baronova therapeutics inc . , foster city , ca , usa ) , spatz adjustable intragastric balloon ( spatzgfar , inc . , ny , usa ) , heliosphere bag ( helioscopie medical implants , vienna , france ) , he elipse ( allurion technologies , wellesley , ma , usa ) , pear - shaped semistationary antral balloon ( jp industria farmacutica s.a . , brazil ) , silimed gastric balloon ( slimed , rio de janeiro , brazil ) , and endogast - adjustable totally implantable intragastric prosthesis ( districlass medical s.a . however , these balloon devices also have several limitations , such as migration , rupture , gastric erosion , ulcers , perforation , technical problems , and clinical intolerance . the products that obtained european conformite european ( ce ) certification are awaiting food and drug administration ( fda ) approval , and additional clinical studies with intragastric balloons have been expected . a recent study reported meta - analyses using the existing obera balloons . according to that study , weight loss ( reduction rate of total body weight ) was 11.3% and excess weight loss ( [ pre - treatment body weight ideal body weight]/pre - treatment body weight ) was 25.4% . the american society for gastrointestinal endoscopy suggested that endoscopic balloon therapy intended as a primary treatment for class ii / iii obese persons ( bmi > 35 kg / m ) should achieve a mean minimum threshold of 25% excess weight loss measured at 12 months . common adverse events following intragastric balloon insertion include abdominal pain ( 33.7% ) , gastroesophageal reflux disease ( 18.3% ) , anorexia , and nausea ( 29% ) . severe complications such as gastric ulcers ( 2% ) , small bowel obstruction ( 0.3% ) , perforation ( 0.1% ) , balloon migration ( 1.4% ) , and death ( 0.08% ) are less common . endoluminal gastroplasty involves the reduction of gastric volume via the creation of a mucosa - to - mucosa tissue apposition , sleeve gastro mucosa - to - mucosa apposition , or stomach sleeve similar to surgical sleeve gastrectomy . endoscopic gastroplasty uses natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery ( notes ) to reduce or eliminate the trauma of access incisions . the currently available endoscopic suturing devices for human and animal studies include the following : endocinch ( c.r . , murray hill , nj , usa ) , toga system ( satiety inc . , palo alto , ca , usa ) , esophyx ( boston scientific corp . , natick , ma , usa ) , kumc successive suturing device ( korea university , seoul , korea ) , overstitch endoscopic suturing system ( apollo endosurgery , austin , tx , usa ) , g prox ( usgi medical , san clemente , ca , usa ) , ndo plicator ( ndo surgical , mansfield , ma , usa ) , t - anchors ( ethicon endo surgery , cincinnati , oh , usa ) , looped t - anchors ( cook endoscopy , usa ) , otscs ( aponos , kingston , nh , usa ) , and double - arm - bar suturing system ( hirohito mori , zeon medical co. , tokyo , japan ) [ 23 - 27 ] . however , each of these devices has several weaknesses , including safety , interrupted sutures , complicated installation , time - consuming use , and difficulty accessing upper gastric lesions . although barosense ( redwood city , ca , usa ) developed the trans - oral endoscopic restrictive implant system ( teris ) , there are limited data on its use on humans and long - term efficacy . several studies were recently conducted using the incisionless operating platform ( iop ; usgi medical , san clemente , ca , usa ) . the iop system consists of a multi - lumen access device ( transport ) , endoluminal tissue approximator ( g prox ) , and suture anchors ( snowshoe ) . recent research combining the primary obesity surgery endolumenal ( pose ) procedure with the iop system , such as the milepost and essential studies , have showed effective and safe results . this study showed that patients had a mean total weight loss of 17 kg at 1 year and an excess weight loss of 44% at 1 year after the pose procedure . the overstitch ( apollo endosurgery ) is an fda - approved therapeutic flexible endoscopic suturing device . this study showed that patient had mean weight loss of 33 kg and excess weight loss of 30% after 6 months . the endoluminal malabsorptive device was designed for endoscopic duodenojejunal bypass , allowing for weight loss and control over diabetes mellitus . the proximal small bowel interventions are very efficient in blocking nutrient absorption ; therefore , proximal small bowel bypass may contribute to obesity treatment and improved glucose control in diabetics . the representative endoscopic malabsorptive product is the endobarrier ( gi dynamics , inc . , watertown , ma , usa ) , an intraluminal tube - shaped liner anchored in the bulb as a self - expanding metallic stent and located inside the duodenum to the proximal jejunum ( 60 cm ) . several study results have been presented using this mechanism . a meta - analysis with duodenal - jejunal bypass sleeve revealed significant mean differences in body weight and an excess weight loss of 5.1 kg and 12.6% , respectively , compared with conventional diet modification . however , the mean differences in glycated hemoglobin and fasting plasma glucose among patients with diabetes mellitus did not reach statistical significance . carpinteria , ca , usa ) is a 120-cm - long endoscopic gastroduodenojejunal sleeve that combines both gastric restriction and malabsorption techniques . the first clinical study with endoluminal gastroduodenojejunal bypass sleeve reported 1-year implantation results this study achieved excellent weight loss results , with a 54% mean percentage excess weight loss . they also showed that these results resolved and significantly improved over 70% of all co - morbidities . columbus , oh , usa ) , is also implanted into the stomach and duodenum to delay the transit time of food and has shown effective short - term results in the treatment of obesity and metabolic disease . clinical studies using the duodenal mucosal resurfacing ( dmr ) system have been attempted in patients with diabetes mellitus and obesity . dmr is a minimally invasive catheter - based gastrointestinal endoscopic procedure that involves hydrothermal ablation of the duodenal mucosa and mucosal healing . it results in a clinically significant short - term glucose reduction with tolerable safety in patients with diabetes mellitus . several studies have been conducted since the introduction of aspiration therapy ( aspire bariatrics , king of prussia , pa , usa ) . aspiration therapy includes the endoscopic placement of a gastrostomy tube and the aspireassist siphon assembly to aspirate gastric contents 2030 minutes after meal ingestion . this technique leverages the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube approach to induce weight loss by aspirating a proportion of consumed meals from the stomach . a clinical study using the aspireassist aspiration therapy system of sweden also showed substantial weight loss with few complications . the aspireassist system has several advantages and the potential as bridge therapy ; however , alleviating patient repulsion has yet to be overcome . ges , which is used to treat gastroparesis that is unresponsive to medical treatment , is awaiting fda approval . ges devices are implanted subcutaneously along the abdominal wall , and they generate electrical pulses via bipolar leads in the muscular gastric layers . these devices stimulate a targeted gastric region and impair gastric electrical slow - wave activity , causing gastric distension , inhibiting peristalsis , and leading to delayed gastric emptying and increased satiety . various ges devices have been developed and studied for metabolic obesity disease , such as the enterra / transcend implantable gastric stimulator ( transneuronix inc . and enterra therapy system , medtronic , minneapolis , mn , usa ) , the endostim ( endostim bv , the hague , netherlands ) , the intrapace abiliti gastric stimulator ( menlo park , ca , usa ) , maestro vblock therapy system ( enteromedics , mn , usa ) , and the diamond / tantalus ii system ( metacure , kfar - saba , israel ) . these devices were recently approved by the fda as a treatment for obesity . however , the limitations of these devices include lead dislodgement , lack of a long - term effect , and surgical risks . several ges systems have been applied in humans as a treatment for obesity and metabolic disease , while several clinical studies have shown significant results with fewer adverse events . in a multicenter randomized comparative study of a ges group and a laparoscopic gastric band group , the ges therapy group showed non - inferiority results compared with the laparoscopic gastric band group . there were significantly fewer and less severe adverse effects in the ges group than in the laparoscopic gastric band group . recent endoscopic installation trials of ges devices have shown minimal effectiveness in animal studies [ 42 - 45 ] . obesity is a chronic relapsing multi - factorial disease that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality . most therapeutic approaches to weight loss include lifestyle modification , pharmacotherapy , and bariatric surgery . recent advances in endoluminal technology for the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases have been promising . reversible approaches that do not require the patient to commit to permanent surgical modifications of the gastrointestinal tract are of particular interest . the application of endoscopic bariatric technology as a treatment for obesity remains ambiguous ; however , with more research of evidence overcoming previous therapeutic limitations , endoscopic bariatric therapy will find its role in obesity treatment . diet , nutrition , physical activity , and behavioral modifications are important along with several medical tools that support adherence to low - calorie food intake . the development of new endoscopic techniques allows the endoscopist to play an increasingly important role in the management of obesity . there is also hope that minimally invasive endoscopic technological advancements will lead to an effective therapy to help the millions of people currently afflicted with metabolic obesity disease worldwide . each device will require careful assessment through clinical trials to determine their safety , efficacy , and durability . finally , the endoscopic bariatric approach will have the initiative in a continuum of obesity treatment care .
pubmed
Yu-Gi-Oh Silken Sands Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi ... ... ... A lone torch wavered and died, issuing curling tendrils of smoke into a darkened stone hallway. The lone occupant glanced at it briefly, piercing eyes well-adapted to probing the darkness. His heightened senses told him no living thing breathed there, so he resumed his quiet but urgent passage, thankful for the cover of added shadows. It was only a matter of time before he had to leave their safety, he knew, and chance his unearthly body to the mercy of the moonlight. But as for now, his passage was protected, wrapped in the ever-welcoming arms of night. ... ... ... With a sigh, a tired pharaoh fell into the silken embrace of his waiting bed. The curtains were drawn tightly against the light of the full moon, but sleep proved elusive. He sighed again and flopped over, burying his face beneath soft pillows. His mind raced. His body ached. He attempted to find a peaceful escape, but the burdens of the day continued to haunt him, flickering through his mind with vibrant life. He grumbled his frustration. In due time, a soft breeze rose from the west, pulling at his curtains, bringing into the palace walls the soft scents of the desert. It wasn't long before restlessness succumbed to slumber. ... ... ... Quickly sidestepping the spilled gold of a burning candle, Seth hissed in annoyance as his other foot bathed itself in the glow of an adjacent window. He felt his skin burn beneath his heavy cloak and sandals, felt the heat of her steel blade daggers bite deep into his flesh. Intense, irritated eyes glowered at the offending portal. It made no sense to him why the damned things were left uncovered on evenings when the moon was so luminous. Ascending gracefully the last three steps at the otherwise vacant hall's end, he paused for only a moment before slipping insubstantially, as if made of wispy smoke, between heavily adorned double doors guarding the king's chamber. A careful glance inside revealed heavy velvet drapery had already been secured, barring the harsh light from always-open windows. The rich smell of the pharaoh's favorite wine permeated the air, uncovered and forgotten, mingling with the spicy aroma of his perfumes. (He claimed he slept better when the air was thick with the scents of Egypt.) Pulling aside the filmy curtains surrounding the king's four-poster bed, blue eyes quietly searched for the slumbering lump among the heaps of blankets and pillows. Once found, he reached out with pale, slender fingers, softly flicking the pharaoh's nose. An unintelligible grumble greeted him. "You're here," the king said, voice and eyes heavy with sleep. "Of course." A near-flippant reply. "I thought you wouldn't come this night." "Have I ever not come?" _"Yes."_ The visitor's scoffing reply was abruptly silenced, cut off by the touch of a warm hand upon his arm. The king pulled himself from the covers, red eyes breathing luminescence all their own. Together, the cousins slipped from the palace compound and disappeared into the night. The desert-siren called to their souls. _"If you love me, you'll never be free."_ ... ... ... His Highness had warned him. That much could not be denied. But, to give in to the calling, to find himself lost in such a vast, open wilderness, was the only thing Seth truly lived for. The only thing he craved. The only moment where the world slipped away and the rawness of Life itself remained, clothed in starlight and sand. He could bathe in no other light; and so it was this which he hungered for. Diffused among the desert sand and dark-winged winds, not even the moon's rays could burn him here. But still, Atem's quiet voice repeated the desert's warning, as if it were a ritual needing to be said. (Indeed, in some ways it was.) Seth rolled his eyes and continued, cresting the dunes without slowing for his mortal companion. Seth was an arcane creature of the dark. Civilizations rose and passed before his eyes like smoke in an autumn breeze. Just what was it that His Royal Highness thought would happen to such a creature? One small spit of sand couldn't possibly hinder the unfathomable magnitude of Seth's unearthly, vampiric powers. He quickly dismissed Atem's silly concerns that _caution should be taken: the stars seemed unnaturally distant and unyielding_. Seth rolled his eyes. Atem spoke too many words with too little meaning. So he reached into the shadows and drew them about himself, cloaking his body in shrouds upon shrouds of breathing, writhing black. The stars looked just fine to him. With a quiet chuckle he leaned down to whisper into the king's ear. "Just try to stop me." Atem frowned, knowing that even in such darkness Seth would still be able to see it. ... ... ... In the morning, Atem woke as he always did, wrapped tightly in the comforting arms of his richly adorned blankets, his room perfumed with the desert's lingering scent. Seth must have carried him back; he tended to fall asleep long before the vampire grew tired of marveling in the richness of the desert evenings. Daybreak murdered the undead. The sun's rays pierced through a vampire's otherwise unbreakable defenses, forcing Seth into surrender beneath the desert's protective surface. He sought refuge in the labyrinthine halls and chambers of death scattered throughout the sun-blessed land of Egypt, lying in borrowed tombs of pharaohs who had long since passed through their own hearts' judgments. With a sigh, the mage-king rose from his bed, slipping golden feet into sandals of elegantly embroidered linen. He wondered, and not for the first time, what life was like on the other side: where immortals like Seth could wander through the trappings and boundaries of time, never burdened with responsibilities, sickness, or the eventual fear of death. Perhaps he'd remember to ask tonight, while Seth led them deep into the sandy dunes. ... ... ... Seth returned in his usual manner, after sunlight's last kisses faded away and night's velvety wings embraced the Egyptian homeland below. He shifted through the hallways, melting and swift. He slipped his way into the grander palace chambers, carefully stepping around the moon's pools of silver. Reaching the king's bedside, Seth brushed straying gossamer curtains aside with a swipe of annoyance, removing the filmy obstacles from his path. He knelt down low and scooped the hidden body out from beneath a bundle of blankets. The king stirred unhappily, preferring to remain asleep, but as always his cousin was persistent, distracted, and irritable until things went exactly his way. Traversing the shifting sands, they would reach that place where no man had marred the surface with buildings or temples, where wide, open space allowed Seth's powers to grow and flourish, where shadows could be summoned, and only then and there could the vampire drink the fullness of what it meant to be alive. Of course, Atem's spells had to be set first. Vampires couldn't learn to wield Shadow Magic of their own unless they first contracted with a human sorcerer. But, as always, Atem ignored Seth's glaring impatience until he had reminded him of that always irritating promise, placed upon his lips by the mighty desert herself: _"If you love me, you'll never be free."_ As usual, it was dismissed. ... ... ... Years later, those words would echo within Seth like a never ending reverberation, like the toll of the young king's death-bell: deep, hollow, and cold. Years later, as he held onto snow-white lilies with loose fingers beside a marbled headstone, would he begin to understand the implications beneath a few unheeded words. Years later, he would finally see how clearly the desert's calling had ensnared him, how she had bound such a proud, powerful creature. His weaknesses had been exploited so completely through this buried mortal corpse—such trickery! Atem had known. He _must_ have known. He'd always repeated the warnings. Seth hadn't wanted to understand. Never wanted to leave, never dreamt of letting go, he'd clung to the surface world so _desperately_. His cousin had become the personification of his freedom, and never before had Seth felt as alive as when he was surrounded by the silence of the desert, a place where Atem's own magics could resonate with that of the undead's, filling the cold with warmth and bringing light to night-blind blue eyes. But the same desert which breathed such breath into _him_ had stolen it away from his cousin, his only true companion in a life half-lived. He hadn't been able to look past his own tangled desires in time to save himself from this despair, this loneliness, this loss of freedom. Seth's greatest longings had been woven against him until it was _he_ who had wrapped _himself_ in this inescapable, detestable trap, and now that he knew what it felt like to _live,_ he realized he hadn't lived at all. Living was loving. And without the presence of those he loved, he had nothing left to live for. The black dawn of understanding bloomed within an undead heart, and death-knolls resounded in the silence left behind. Relentless sands were shifting, changing, clawing and crawling forward to bury his stubborn pride. For indeed, the desert's whispered warnings had come true, and now an embalmed mortal's short-lived promise would forever rot a vampire's eternal curse. End file.
fanfiction
Spyro the Dragon Talking Round the Vision Pool **Really, I should know better than to try and write fanfiction while fluey. Takes place in the middle of the Spyro Game: The Eternal Night. Hence the prompt connection.** **This was inspired by a picture by the deviantartist _Rassek_, which featured Ignitus and Cynder and something similar to the story below. Standard disclaimers apply. Reviews and concrit are appreciated.** * * * '_Cynder. Ever since I failed the night of the raid, I've dreamt of this day...'_ - Ignitus (Gary Oldman), "The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning". '_Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.'_ - Paul Boese. Talking Round the Vision Pool. The visions has been quiet tonight. Which stands to reason. If he were to call this moment in time anything, it would probably be "the calm before the storm", and the storm itself is in no hurry. It might take weeks, or even months, before they even begin to understand the consequences of Convexity's collapse. Ignitus can't pretend that he isn't grateful for the respite. Lately, he has found staring into an empty pool a great deal more encouraging that staring into visions of what could be. That is when he sees her reflection against the green surface. She stands in the shadows, small and still and virtually invisible, and so it takes some time before he realises she is there. He is usually more alert than this, and the fact that he was unaware of her presence for so long... bothers him somewhat. 'Um... Ignitus, sir?' Still, she being who she is, perhaps it shouldn't come as such a surprise. '...Cynder.' 'Um. Yeah. Sorry, you're busy Looking, I didn't... it's just that Spyro said you'd be here and... um... yeah. You're Looking. I'll go away.' And she turns to do just that. Ignitus uses an age old technique to prevent her from disappearing –he lays his tail across her path. 'The correct term, young dragon, is _Seeing_, not Looking.' Cynder stops trying to walk away and glances back with dark, green eyes. She has questions, he realises. Questions which have very little to do with how the Pool of Visions works. It doesn't take a clairvoyant to see that. 'Oh. Is... is that important?' 'More important that you might imagine it to be. There is a great different,' he said, settling down and looking away from the pool, 'between looking at something and truly seeing. This is the first lesson that any dragon who is capable of seeing visions must learn. Come here. I'll show you.' Cynder hesitates for a moment, afraid to approach, or perhaps simply afraid to accept the invitation, but eventually she approaches and sits down, crouching back and keeping her distance both from Ignitus, and from the pool itself. 'I... I can't see anything. Am I missing something?' 'Not at all,' Ignitus erassures her, without fully understanding why. He knows that very few dragons have the gift of second sight. fewer still have the gift of third. He imagines Cynder is only just getting used to having control of her first sight again... What must it have been like for her, serving the Dark Master's will with such unknowing loyalty? 'The visions are very quiet, tonight. A few brief glimpses of history. Nothing more.' He remembers her egg. There had been few black shells that year –only half a dozen at the most. He recalls the details of each one. Hers had been less than flawless, mottled with faint grey and pink wherever the light touched it. The night that the Ape King took her away there had been no light except for the torches, and its surface appeared as black as her shadow does now. He remembers... 'Oh.' Cynder leans forwards, only slightly, wanting to look but not confident enough in her right to do so. 'Is... that strange?' 'Perhaps a little,' Ignitus admits. 'Though given the circumstances, it's to be anticipated. There are no visions of the future tonight, only glimpses into the past.' 'Well, better than that things you don't want to see huh?' She manages half of what he supposes is supposed to be a smile. It makes him wonder what her true smile looks like - the one not driven by discomfort of cruelty. 'Yes, perhaps that's so. But sometimes, such peace is merely a respite before further fury.' '...Am I a circumstance?' 'I'm sorry?' Ignitus is... slightly confused by the question, but it wasn't like Cynder had spent a great deal of time conversing with other dragons. He imagined her company all these years had consisted of apes, monsters and slaves. 'You know. Is the fact that I'm not... you know, big and scary anymore, a circumstance?' Cynder shrugged, and like with all young dragons, even that simple movement seems to take up most of the muscles in her small body. 'Is that changing what you see?' 'Well... there are many things that affect what I can see each time, Cynder. Clairvoyance is an ancient art, but its qualities are ever fleeting. Most gifts can be honed and focused, concentrated until they can be utilised constantly and with no difficulty. But psychic abilities are not nearly so refined. Their usage takes... time, reflection and patience...' He pauses when he realised that she is looking at him and blinking in a way which seems confused. He forgot for a moment that he was speaking to a child. '...I apologise for boring you, sometimes I forget. It is difficult for one not familiar with clairvoyance to understand.' 'I don't think it's boring,' Cynder says, and Ignitus can see honestly in her face as she says it. 'I could never do anything like that, that's all... Not even when I was big. I remember doing all the things that my... that the Dark Master wanted me to do, and I could do all those things, but I wasn't sure how, and I wasn't sure why.' She scratches her claws against the stone floor of the temple. There is nothing much he can say to that. He merely watches her for a moment. Hours earlier she was renowned and fearsome. Now he can't imagine the number of creatures who would wish to destroy her, small and weak as she is. 'Time you learned how complicated life can be,' she says eventually, and her choice of words makes Ignitus glance in her direction again. It's hard to focus on the vision pool now. 'I said that, didn't I? I said it to Spyro... I was kinda crazy, but I think I was kind of right, too, wasn't I? Life _is_ complicated. It isn't simple at all...' 'I would be the first to tell you it is not, had you not already realised it for yourself.' Ignitus smiles slightly. 'I believe it was Spyro too who once said that nothing worthwhile is ever simple.' 'Maybe he's right,' Cynder shrugs again, not sounding entirely sure whether or not she actually believes it. For a while there is nothing but the night time silence. His quiet and her still anxiety, the confusion between strangers (at one time, enemies) who should be family. She opens her mouth several times, as if to speak, but the words fall away before she can utter them, and Ignitus is just trying to think of something –anything– that he can possibly say to her, when she finally finds the courage to ask him: 'Did it hurt?' '...Hurt?' 'The thing I did... with the crystal and the magic. It hurt Volteer,' she adds after a moment, speaking in a way that almost reminds Ignitus of his childhood –being caught by the then-dragon Elders with his nose in the vision pool outside of proper viewing hours –knowing of his guilt and being unable to deny it. 'He... he roared. Or screamed. Or something. I'm not sure but... I know it hurt him, so it must've hurt everybody else. Having your magic dragged out of you like that...' she shudders. 'I know what that feels like now.' '...I see. Tell me, what else do you remember?' Ignitus asks. She doesn't want to talk about this. She never came here to talk about this, but he can see no other way around the issue. She keeps her distance from the pool, as if she is afraid what she might see within her own reflection. The death and destruction her existence has evoked. For that is what Ignitus sees around her now – a sullen cloud of lost lives and damaged minds. And pain. So much incredible pain that it almost hurts to think about. 'I remember that I needed power. A lot of it. So I could set my master free. I set up the crystal the way he told me to,' Cynder says, quietly. 'And I waited for it to take your magic out from you, the way it did all the others. But it was all spread out through every part of you... Kind of like Spyro's was spread throughout me, when he changed me back to me real body in Convexity, only... different.' She pauses, tail curled tightly around her feet. 'I had to change the way the crystal worked, keep powering it up, attacking you... Make it tear right into you so I could find the power I needed. You really didn't want to give it up at all... ' She looks up at him. Solemn, expectant, desperate for explanations. ...There should have been more of her, five more with her colouring. A hundred more without it. There should be many children in the temple tonight, trying hard to sleep amidst anxious whispers in the darkness. It seems so very iniquitous that there should now be only two remaining. '...If I had, then you would have used that power against Spyro.' Ignitus says, as softly as he can. 'I couldn't allow that.' There is no sense, he decides, in blinding her to the truth. She has already seen and done too much to be satisfied with the non-answers and commentary that the other guardians have been giving her. Comments such as "Many things simply utterly cannot be helped no matter how very uncomfortable they might be –and usually are– for all involved, don't trouble yourself on things of the past, of history, it's gone, forgotten, all over now," (Volteer) and "Sometimes existence is difficult, but we are not always to blame four our own inabilities, young dragon, and our inner strength shall always win out" (Terrador) and "Simply be grateful that you were brought to a halt before more damage could be done" (Cyril, of course). Asides from that, Ignitus feels that is it important, that she understands exactly what it was that the Dark Master turned her into. 'I thought it was something like that.' Cynder says, softly. 'So it wasn't so much about saving the world was it? Just about saving Spyro...' She shook her head slightly. 'I'd never imagine him needing to be saved if I hadn't seen it myself.' Ignitus cannot answer that statement; he is too surprised by its emergence. 'There is no need to fear us, Cynder. We understand better than you realise.' '...I want to say I'm sorry,' Cynder says, carefully. 'I _want_ to. I just... Ignitus, I...' 'Is it necessary?'Cynder stops when he asks that. Then she shakes her head, shudders and... paces. The way Cyril does when tense, or Spyro when angry or Volteer whenever... well, whenever he has the opportunity to do so. Her wings flare and she shakes her head and refuses to meet her elder's eye. She looks, Ignitus realises after a long (and almost amusing) moment, rather like the child she is. Petulant and confused about everything, the way dragonlets were always intended to be. The way in which she should have had the opportunity to grow up. 'I don't know, but tried to say it. To Spyro. He just shook his head. He says there's nothing for me to be sorry _about_, but look at all this, Ignitus, look at what I did!' She is glaring out across the landscape now –he cold hollowness of the Swamps and Mushroom Lands and the cold, hard solidity of the Mountains in the distance: all worn bare and ragged by her power over the last twelve years. 'And he says that it's nothing? That I didn't do anything wrong? I killed people! Me, Cynder, the Queen of Conquer, _Cynder; the Monster of the Dark Master_, filling all the skies with terror!' She snaps, spitting the words as if they make a bad taste in her mouth, and Ignitus wishes that he could pretend those last words had not, at one time, emerged from his mouth also. And then she half laughs. 'Wouldn't think it to look at me now, would you? I'm a killer and he looks at me like I'm just...' She stops. Her body deflates, her wings fall limply to her sides and the anger vanishes from her face, replaced by cold sorrow. '...Like I'm just like him.' 'Then perhaps Spyro sees in you the thing you refuse to see in yourself.' 'No, you don't understand, I loved him!' Cynder is yelling again. Ignitus isn't certain where the anger is coming from but one way or another, he is going to find out. 'Doesn't anyone get that? I cared about the Dark Master he... he was my master, he made me that way, and now...' And now she knows nothing, Ignitus finishes the thought that she does not speak aloud in his mind. Now she is alone and afraid, unsure of what awaits her. Unsure of who would want to kill her, had they the opportunity. Unable to decide who she shall become. So desiring absolution, and yet unable to ask for it. He offers it anyway. And when she attempts to move away, back into the temple, he places a claw in front of her path to prevent her. He is sure that she hadn't... anticipated the gesture. He imaged that she had never been held before, except possibly in the harsh grip of an ape, or the cold envelopment of shadows. She isn't used to the warmth and the carefulness involved. He feels her entire body tighten up, trembling, as if she's trying to curl back up inside of her shell. It takes over a minute before she relaxes and buries her face into his front. She might be crying, but it's difficult to tell. She keeps her face and eyes well hidden. Yet still he knows that there is nothing left of her that he can connect to that creature that tore an entire nation asunder. She is a fire dragon Ignitus thinks, as he holds her close. He knew this from the moment he first encountered her on the battlefield. One of _his_, whether or not she truly understands that yet. Had she lived with them before tonight, she would have been brought up learning the ways of fire and magic under his tutelage. She would have played with other children her own age, irritated Cyril with endless questions, been amongst those many dragon hatchlings who would have filled the temple with magic and brightened up these dark days... So many children dead... and now only two remain: A purple dragon with the weight of the world on his small shoulders, and a black scaled, angry and frightened child, who has never before tasted comfort, and has never had to ask for forgiveness. She is forgiven, nonetheless. Before them, the vision pool lies empty, showing not even the merest glimpse into what future might yet befall them, and there is nothing for them beyond this night. This is exactly where Volteer finds them, several hours later, just as the sun is beginning to rise, pale green over the distant mountains, and Cynder has long since fallen asleep within the hold of her Guardian. For once in his surprisingly long life, Volteer succeeds in keeping utterly silent. * * * **When you think about it, it's no wonder Cynder left at the beginning of "_The Eternal Night_". The poor kid must have the guilt trip of the century and sometimes, no amount of others forgiveness can half you at a time like that. Not when you've done the things Cynder has. And then of course there are the guardians being so darn _understanding_ about it all... Confusion, much?** **I wish I could call this a happy ending, but... well, you all know what comes next.** End file.
fanfiction
FADE IN: 1 EXT: MIDTOWN MANHATTAN STREETS - DAY Behind the opening credits, we watch a montage of RUPERT PUPKIN making his daily rounds as a messenger delivering manila envelopes and packages to various New York offices, always courteous and polite in his demeanor, PUPKIN is an attractive-looking young man just past thirty and dressed in a stylish blue suit, broad tie and wide-collared shirt. His shoes are neatly polished, his hair carefully groomed. As the montage continues, we see that he has finished his deliveries and is walking rapidly towards his destination. It turns out to be a television theater north of Times Square whose marquee announces THE JERRY LANGFORD SHOW. It is dusk and the show is about to break. There is a very small crowd already positioned at the stage door -- a few young girls, a few curious passers-by who have stopped to see who will emerge. Three professional autograph hunters are clustered together: MAE, a lady in her sixties, wears a red velvet dress, a lace hat and much too much rouge. SIDNEY is in his mid-twenties, tall, badly-complexioned, slicked hair but otherwise neatly dressed. He carries a brown lunch bag. CELESTE is an enormously fat woman in her mid-thirties. She wears a large cape to conceal her obesity. A middle-aged MAN, dressed in a corduroy suit, emerges from the backstage door which is guarded by a large, white-haired POLICEMAN. The non-professionals in the crowd just peer at the MAN but MAE immediately steps in front of him with her autograph book raised. MAE (to the MAN) Are you somebody? MAN No, honey, I'm just a working stiff. The MAN keep walking and MAE returns to her cohorts just as PUPKIN arrives. MAE Hi, Rupert. CELESTE (coolly) Hello, Rupert. SIDNEY Who did you get? PUPKIN (distractedly) Nobody. PUPKIN carefully places himself near the door, a step or two away from the other professionals. MAE (to SIDNEY) I got Mr. Raf Vallone outside 21. CELESTE (to SIDNEY about PUPKIN) He'd never tell you anyway, Sidney. MAE Then I got him again at the Pierre at four o'clock. SIDNEY Be a dear, Mae. I don't happen to have Mr. Vallone. MAE You know what I want for him. SIDNEY But I have only six Barbra's left. You know how difficult she is to work with. MAE I don't have her even once. CELESTE (to MAE) Maybe Rupert would help you. PUPKIN shoots a hostile glance back at CELESTE. SIDNEY Would you do that, Rupert? You don't feel about Barbra the way I do. MAE I'll give you Mr. Burt Reynolds too. CELESTE (needling RUPERT) Look, Sidney, Rupert doesn't do that sort of thing. SIDNEY How about it, Rupert? I'll give you whoever you want. SIDNEY starts pulling little white cards out of his paper bag and reading them off. SIDNEY Rodney Dangerfield ... Richard Harris ... Liza Minelli ... and she's not so easy to work with either ... Louise Lasser! CELESTE You're wasting your time. PUPKIN has been trying to remain apart from the other three. Finally he turns to SIDNEY. PUPKIN Look, Sidney. I'm just not interested. This isn't my whole life, you know. CELESTE What's that supposed to mean -- that it's my whole life, or Sidney's or Mae's? MAE It is so my whole life. CELESTE Shut up, Mae. What about your mother? Isn't she part of your life? MAE It's her whole life too. The show breaks. The doors swing open and people pour out. The crowd around the backstage door swells. POLICEMAN (to the crowd) If you want Jerry's autograph, give me your piece of paper and I'll send it backstage. A number of people in the crowd hand in pieces of paper. PUPKIN is standing next to a young couple, about college age. The YOUNG GIRL has just sent in her paper. PUPKIN (to the GIRL) What are you going to do with Jerry's autograph? YOUNG GIRL I don't know. Maybe I'll sell it. BOYFRIEND I'll tell you what she's going to do with it. She's going to pin it on her bulletin board and have an orgasm. The YOUNG GIRL laughs unself-consciously. CUT TO: LANGFORD's limousine waits directly in front of the stage door. MAE has engaged the CHAUFFEUR who stands at the door of the car in conversation. CHAUFFEUR (wearily) No, Mae. MAE I don't mean now. CHAUFFEUR No, Mae. MAE I'll get right out. The CHAUFFEUR, smiling, shakes his head. CUT TO: A plain-looking GIRL in a black raincoat and black, floppy hat stands on the street side of the limousine, carefully watching MAE and the CHAUFFEUR talk. CUT TO: MAE But I've never been in one. We hear a cry as a celebrity emerges from the backstage door. MAE turns and goes back towards the door. CUT TO: The POLICEMAN is handing out the autographs. Suddenly LANGFORD emerges, flanked by three PAGES, husky young men in their early twenties dressed in theater uniforms. There is screaming and some yelling of LANGFORD's name. LANGFORD pays no attention. Smiling nervously, he makes his way towards the limousine. The CHAUFFEUR stands at the rear of the car, holding the door. LANGFORD enters the car and then suddenly springs back. The GIRL in the black raincoat and black hat has hidden herself in the back seat of the limousine. The three PAGES, who have already turned and headed back toward the theater, hear the commotion and swing around. The GIRL, who we shall come to know as MARSHA, hides herself in the far end of the limo, so two of the PAGES go around to the far side of the car and start pulling her out while the third PAGE moves into the limo from the street side. She fights like a wildcat, but the PAGES slowly manage to drag her out. During the struggle, LANGFORD stands amid the crowd, a bit shaken. PUPKIN stands next to him, staring at him. When finally catches LANGFORD's eye, PUPKIN smiles pleasantly. PUPKIN (to LANGFORD who barely listens) How the hell did that girl get in there? Jesus, they certainly don't give you very good protection, do they? LANGFORD says nothing, glancing nervously at PUPKIN. PUPKIN Look at you here. Who the hell is watching you? Any one of these freaks could just walk right up to you and do whatever he wants. A couple YOUNG GIRLS are pressing against LANGFORD. FIRST GIRL Oh, Jerry. How can we get to talk to you? PUPKIN Just a minute. This is crazy. PUPKIN straightens up for action. PUPKIN (yelling at the crowd) Okay! Stand back! PUPKIN wades through the crowd towards the limousine, pushing SIDNEY and MAE among others out of the way. LANGFORD follows in the path PUPKIN is clearing. PUPKIN Didn't you hear me?!? Come on, people, have a heart. The PAGES have succeeded in pulling the GIRL out of the far door of the limo just as PUPKIN and LANGFORD arrive at the near door. The CHAUFFEUR has been blocked by the crowd from opening the door so PUPKIN opens it. PUPKIN Stand back! (To LANGFORD) Go ahead, Jerry. LANGFORD slips in quickly. He looks up at PUPKIN who is holding the door, smiling pleasantly. LANGFORD Thanks. Thanks very much. PUPKIN stares at LANGFORD for a moment and then slides into the limo next to him, closing the door behind him. 2 INT: LIMO - NIGHT PUPKIN I hate to bother you like this, Jerry, but could I speak to you for a minute. LANGFORD I'd like to but ... PUPKIN I know you're a busy man. I promise not to take very long, really. But I need your advice. PUPKIN looks down at his hand which has been badly scratched. PUPKIN You don't have a handkerchief, do you? Jesus, these people will kill you for a cufflink. LANGFORD hands him a monogrammed handkerchief, then checks his watch. PUPKIN Thanks. If you have to be somewhere, I don't mind talking as we drive. You can drop me off anywhere. LANGFORD Sorry, but I've got a strict rule never to ... PUPKIN I put myself on the line for you, Jerry. Reluctantly, LANGFORD signals with his head to his CHAUFFEUR to start moving. As the car moves through New York traffic, PUPKIN and LANGFORD talk. PUPKIN Thanks, Jerry. I'm grateful for this chance to talk to you ... I hope I'm not boring you. LANGFORD I'll let you know. PUPKIN Really? Fine. I'm Rupert Pupkin, Jerry. I know that the name itself doesn't mean very much to you but it means an awful lot to me, believe me. Maybe you've seen me outside your show and wondered who I am. Well, right now, I'm in communications but, by nature, I'm a stand-up comedian. I know what you're thinking -- 'oh no. Not another one.' And I wouldn't take up even one minute of your time if I wasn't absolutely convinced of my talent. I'm really good, Jerry, believe me, I'm dynamite. Now you're probably wondering if I'm so good why haven't you caught my act somewhere, right? LANGFORD Well ... PUPKIN Well, up to now, I've been biding my time, developing my act slowly and carefully so that when my big break finally comes, I'm ready -- like you were that night Paar got sick and you sat in for him. I was there that night, in the theater. That was the most important night of my life, until tonight, of course. PUPKIN fishes a cigarette case out of his jacket pocket, flips it open and offers one to LANGFORD. LANGFORD No thanks. I don't smoke. PUPKIN returns the pack to his pocket. PUPKIN Me neither. I just carry them as a courtesy. How about a cough drop? LANGFORD (smiling indulgently) No thanks. I don't cough. PUPKIN I try not to but sometimes, you know ... Am I making any sense? LANGFORD (smiling) Go on. PUPKIN Well, that night you did Paar, I walked out of the theater like I was in a dream. All of a sudden, I knew what I wanted. I started catching your guest appearances on Sullivan and taping them and, when you got your own show, it got to be a kind of regular thing. I studied how you built to your one-liners, nice and relaxed like you were chatting, and how you delivered the jokes without leaning too much on them, without saying "here's the punchline, folks." And I watched the way you played off dead audiences, how you let those long silences build until people couldn't stand it and then the way you got them off the hook with that slow smile. You were my college of comedy, Jerry, like a kind of teacher, a friend. I know it sounds crazy, but when you watch someone every night ... But that's all in the past. What I'm trying to say is this. I'm ready now. I've finished the course. And I'm thinking as we sit here talking "Is this it? Is this that one big break?" Is it, Jerry? There is a long pause. PUPKIN Jerry? LANGFORD Look ... er ... what was the name? PUPKIN I'm Rupert, Jerry. LANGFORD Look, Rupert. I know what you're saying. But things don't work that way. You can't just walk onto a network show without any experience. You've got to start at the bottom ... PUPKIN But that's where I am! LANGFORD You've got to work your way up, learn your trade in front of live audiences, start playing the little clubs. PUPKIN But that can take years, Jerry! Look at me. I'm already 31 years old! People my age are way ahead of me. I've got some catching up to do and I need your help. What do you say, Jerry? All I'm asking you to do is listen to my act. That's all. Is that asking too much? LANGFORD I get calls from agents every day. All they want ... PUPKIN I tried getting an agent. I did, Jerry. But you know how it is. You can't get an agent unless you're working and you can't get work unless you've got an agent ... or unless you know somebody. And the only person I know is you, Jerry. There is a long pause. LANGFORD Look, why don't you call my office. PUPKIN Could I?!? Oh, I knew you'd say that, Jerry. You don't know how many times I've had this conversation in my head. And this is the way it always turns out. That's why I had to sort of invite myself into the car tonight. I know it's kind of presumptuous and I really appreciate the time you've given me. But breaks like this don't just happen. You have to make your own breaks. The limousine starts slowing down as it pulls up before U.N. Plaza. It stops. LANGFORD gets out. PUPKIN follows. 3 EXT: U.N. PLAZA APARTMENTS - NIGHT LANGFORD turn to PUPKIN, looking to get rid of him as cleanly and gracefully as possible. LANGFORD extends his hand. PUPKIN goes to shake it but his hand is wrapped in the handkerchief. He extends his left hand. LANGFORD shakes it awkwardly. LANGFORD Nice meeting you, Rupert. I hope it all works out for you. PUPKIN Thanks, Jerry. I don't know how to repay you. I'm a little short on cash this evening, but, if you don't mind some good, hearty food, I'd be honored to take you to dinner. LANGFORD Thanks, but some people are waiting for me. PUPKIN Oh, I understand. Well, then, maybe I could repay you with a joke. LANGFORD is starting to walk into the building. PUPKIN Wait a minute. How's this? The first night you do your show from the coast, you open this way. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, it's great to be back here in Southern California where you can wake up in the morning and listen to the birds coughing ... " LANGFORD (nodding but unsmiling) Not bad. Maybe. PUPKIN calls after LANGFORD who heads for the entrance to his building. PUPKIN Consider it a gift. Hey, Jerry! How about lunch? My treat! LANGFORD (turning back before he enters the building) Call my office. PUPKIN waves with his bandaged hand, notices LANGFORD's handkerchief and unwraps it. PUPKIN (to the handkerchief) Thanks, Jerry. The CAMERA MOVES IN for a CLOSE-UP of PUPKIN in a kind of daze. FADE TO: 4 INT: SARDI'S RESTAURANT - DAY PUPKIN and LANGFORD stand at the edge of the foyer, waiting for the Maitre d' to seat them. VINCENT, the owner, spots them and hurries over. VINCENT I'm sorry, Mr. Langford. (To PUPKIN, angrily) How did you get in? LANGFORD That's alright, Vincent. Mr. Pupkin's a friend of mine. VINCENT (puzzled) Oh, I see. PUPKIN That's alright. Now if you'd be good enough to find us a nice table. PUPKIN pushes a five dollar bill into VINCENT's hand. VINCENT Certainly. This way, please. VINCENT leads PUPKIN and LANGFORD to the "bullpen," a select spot in a corner of the restaurant. VINCENT Here you are. Enjoy your lunch, gentlemen. LANGFORD Is Eddie here today, Vincent? VINCENT I'll send him over. A WAITER arrives and hands them the menu. WAITER Our specialty today is Rizzofino Dolce Acqua a la Marinara con Spezi. Very good. PUPKIN Sounds like a new opera. LANGFORD Fine. What comes with it? WAITER Me. The three laugh. PUPKIN Fine. For two. WAITER Very good. The WAITER leaves. PUPKIN You look tired, Jerry. LANGFORD It shows, does it? It's all these problems with the show. That and the custody suit. PUPKIN I was sorry to read about that, Jerry. Charlene never should have gotten the kids. If there's anything I can do. LANGFORD I appreciate it, Rube. Just talking about it a little with you helps. Eddie arrives. He is a small, slightly-bald man with greying hair and a goatee. He wears a foulard under an open-necked shirt. He carries a long sketch pad. He immediately sets up a small easel and starts sketching. PUPKIN Hasn't Eddie already done you? LANGFORD Never mind. You were saying ... PUPKIN Well, I've been giving a lot of thought to your situation, Jerry, ever since I saw you starting to lose ground in the ratings. And I think I know what the problem is. Too many of the same faces. LANGFORD Yeah? PUPKIN Sure, people are getting tired of these people who live off game shows and talk shows and can't really do anything. They've seen 'em and heard 'em till they can't stand it anymore. LANGFORD You know, maybe you're right, Rube. PUPKIN I'm sure I am. When a show runs out of surprises, it loses its audience. A YOUNG GIRL stands before PUPKIN and LANGFORD. She hands PUPKIN her autograph book. PUPKIN What's your name, dear? GIRL Dolores. PUPKIN (writing) To Dolores, who sensed greatness. Rupert Pupkin. GIRL (reading it) Thanks, Mr. Pupkin. The GIRL leaves. PUPKIN You see what I mean? What you need on the show is some unknown quantity, some brilliant talent making his television debut. Imagine the suspense. Who is this young guy? How will he do with the eyes of all America on him? Something like that has got to help. LANGFORD And that's where you come in. PUPKIN Why not? Believe me, Jerry, I'd give you the credit you deserve and I'll stick with you. Anytime you need me, I'll be there, doing a few minutes at Guild scale. LANGFORD I'd be grateful, Rube. I really would. EDDIE All finished, Mr. Langford. EDDIE turns the caricature so PUPKIN and LANGFORD can see it. It's a picture of the two of them, facing each other and smiling. PUPKIN Oh, Jerry, you sneaky ... LANGFORD Looks good, Eddie. The WAITER arrives with a bottle of champagne. PUPKIN What's this? WAITER Compliments of Mr. Sardi. EDDIE hangs the picture of LANGFORD and PUPKIN on the wall behind them among the hundreds of other caricatures -- from Bankhead to Sid Caesar to Bette Davis. The CAMERA PANS over these. We hear the champagne pop. PUPKIN'S VOICE How does your afternoon look? LANGFORD'S VOICE What have you got in mind? PUPKIN'S VOICE Well, we've still got time to catch the Cubs and the Mets out at Shea. LANGFORD'S VOICE Why not? But first, a toast. To you, Rube and your success. PUPKIN'S VOICE Thanks, Jerry. FADE TO: 5 EXT: U.N. PLAZA - NIGHT PUPKIN Thanks, Jerry. PUPKIN takes LANGFORD's handkerchief and folds it reverentially, tucking it carefully into his breast pocket. He claps his hands together a few times for joy and dashes into the street to hail a cab. CUT TO: 6 INT: LANGFORD'S APARTMENT LANGFORD enters his apartment. It is tasteful, modern, spacious and empty. A floodlight shines on a single setting at the end of a long dinner table. He walks over to a large aquarium and sprinkles some food for the fish. LANGFORD (to the fish) Say hello to Jerry. On a shelf above the aquarium stand three pictures, one of two boys, roughly eight and eleven, flanked by a shot of each boy alone. LANGFORD walks to the end of the table where a covered dish and a New York Post await him. He lifts the covered dish which reveals a large, cold salmon. LANGFORD (to the fish) Say hello to Jerry. LANGFORD begins poking at the fish with his fork. The phone rings. He answers it. LANGFORD Yeah. GIRL'S VOICE It's Marsha, Jerry. Did you get my note? I left it on the back seat. Did you get it? I dropped it there before they pulled me out. Those guys hurt me, Jerry. (pause) Jerry? LANGFORD (icily) Who gave you this number? MARSHA'S VOICE Don't be angry with me, Jerry. I didn't know what else to do; I've been trying you every five minutes, I miss you, baby ... Jerry? LANGFORD hangs up the phone and then takes it off the receiver. LANGFORD Say goodbye to Jerry. He shakes his head wearily, returns to his dinner and turns to the inside pages of the New York Post. CUT TO: 7 EXT: LEXINGTON AVENUE IN THE SIXTIES - NIGHT A cab pulls up in front of an all-night florist shop. PUPKIN dashes out of the cab and into the florist's. The cab waits. CUT TO: 8 EXT: LEXINGTON AVENUE IN THE SIXTIES - NIGHT PUPKIN dashes out of the florist's clutching a single red rose. He hops back into the cab which starts moving. CUT TO: 9 EXT: A STREET OFF BROADWAY - NIGHT The cab pulls up in front of Gil's Steaks and Chops, a restaurant of little distinction that has a few checkered tableclothed tables in the rear and a long bar at the front. PUPKIN stares through the window of the bar at RITA, the bargirl, an attractive, somewhat shopworn blonde in her late twenties. PUPKIN enters. CUT TO: 10 INT: BAR-RESTAURANT PUPKIN goes to the near end of the sparsely-populated bar. PUPKIN Miss! RITA comes over. PUPKIN smiles knowingly. PUPKIN A beer please, Miss. Something imported. RITA Heineken's alright? PUPKIN Fine. RITA serves him a Heineken's. She stares at him, searching his face. PUPKIN How have you been, Rita? She stares again. RITA You're not Rupert Pupkin! PUPKIN smiles broadly. RITA How the hell did you find me? PUPKIN Sally Gardner, I met her after a matinee. Aren't you glad to see me? RITA Sure, sure. How is old Sally? PUPKIN The same, I guess. You know, two kids, a nice husband, living in Clifton. RITA It figures. PUPKIN A lot of the kids in our class have moved back. RITA What are you doing here? PUPKIN I just thought I'd say hello. Here, I brought you a little something. RITA (recognizing his style) Oh, yeah, Mr. Romance. PUPKIN Don't forget to put in an aspirin. It lasts longer. RITA fills a glass of water and puts in the rose. RITA Nothing's gonna keep it alive in this place. PUPKIN How have you been, dear, sweet Rita? RITA I don't have an aspirin. PUPKIN Maybe a Rolaids would work. PUPKIN pulls out a pack of Rolaids and hands one to RITA who smiles vaguely and drops it into the glass. RITA Well, what are you up to these days, Rupert? PUPKIN Didn't you know you'd see me again? RITA You still going to the movies? PUPKIN You're looking as beautiful as ever. RITA Oh, yeah. I was a real knockout. PUPKIN I thought so. RITA Well, here I am. Local cheerleader makes good. PUPKIN I voted for you for Most Beautiful. RITA Yeah? PUPKIN I didn't have the nerve to tell you then, but I guess it's alright now. RITA Well, nothing terrible's gonna happen, if that's what you mean. There is an awkward pause. PUPKIN stares admiringly at RITA. RITA Well, how are things with you, Rupert? PUPKIN Great! Everything's starting to break. RITA Is that right? PUPKIN Yeah. As a matter of fact, that's why I'm here. I've known about this place for a long time. I just didn't want to make my move until I had something to offer you. Everything's a question of timing. RITA stares at PUPKIN as he rattles on. PUPKIN What's the matter? RITA shakes her head in disbelief and chuckles. RITA Jesus Christ, Rupert Pupkin! PUPKIN (smiling) The two of us are often confused. He's the one with the famous father. PUPKIN waits for a laugh. RITA just keeps shaking her head. PUPKIN looks around. PUPKIN (critically) You like this place? RITA shrugs. RITA Why, you got something better? PUPKIN Maybe. RITA What? PUPKIN What are you doing tonight? RITA Tonight? RITA starts laughing. PUPKIN (smiling reluctantly) What's so funny? RITA (still laughing) You call me up all junior and senior year. Night after night after night, right? And every time I'm wondering 'when is this guy going to stop talking and ask me out?' Well, now I know the answer. August twelfth, nineteen seventy-six. It only took you ten, eleven years to work up to it. PUPKIN If I had asked you out? Would you have gone? RITA Oh, no. PUPKIN Why not? RITA starts laughing again. RITA Because I thought you were a jerk! PUPKIN You see! I was right! But that guy isn't me anymore. I look at my picture in the yearbook and I don't even recognize myself. I'm not the same guy, Rita. A bull-necked MAN in his early forties enters. He waves a brief hello to RITA as he walks by. RITA smiles and the MAN takes a seat at the far end of the bar. MAN Rita! RITA (to PUPKIN) Excuse me a minute, honey. PUPKIN I'm not honey! I'm Rupert. RITA goes to the far end of the bar and serves the MAN a beer. They chat briefly as PUPKIN watches uneasily. Finally PUPKIN downs his beer and raises his glass. PUPKIN Miss! Miss! The MAN gets RITA's attention for PUPKIN. RITA returns to PUPKIN and serves him another beer. PUPKIN I'm in the mood to celebrate tonight. Why don't we go to this nice restaurant I know, talk over and times, get to know each other all over again. RITA And then? PUPKIN Well, tomorrow night I thought we'd go out again, talk some more, get to know each other even better. RITA How much? PUPKIN How much what? RITA How much do we have to get to know each other? PUPKIN I don't understand. RITA (emphatically) How much do we have to get to know each other before we start talking about that job? PUPKIN I'm not talking about any job. RITA Then what's this big offer you were talking about? PUPKIN You'll see. Right now I'm asking you for a date. How about it? RITA I'm sorry, Rupert. But I'm busy. PUPKIN Busy? RITA Yeah. Busy. PUPKIN But this is the biggest night of my life. RITA I've already got a date. The MAN at the end of the bar raises his glass. MAN Rita! RITA goes to the far end of the bar. She pours him another beer and settles against the bar, resuming her chat with him. PUPKIN looks for a moment and downs his beer. He raises his glass. PUPKIN Miss! Miss! RITA returns to him. PUPKIN Is that your date? RITA None of your business. PUPKIN What do you want to go out with him for? RITA He's a good friend of mine. PUPKIN Tell him you're busy. RITA What's so important about tonight? PUPKIN Everything! You don't understand. RITA No. I don't. It's been really nice seeing you, Rupert. Thanks for dropping in. But I've got some work to do. RITA leaves PUPKIN and returns to the far end of the bar where she once again resumes talking with the MAN. PUPKIN sits for a moment, gets up slowly and heads for the john. 11 INT: THE JOHN - NIGHT He enters the john and goes to the farthest of the three urinals. A moment later, the MAN enters. He goes to the nearest of the three urinals. The two men stare at the wall before them but the obvious tension between them renders them both incapable of relieving themselves. PUPKIN glances over at the MAN's face, then immediately turns back to the wall as the MAN turns to look at him. The MAN glances quickly at PUPKIN and then returns to staring at the wall. PUPKIN sneaks a furtive glance at the MAN's penis. The MAN sneaks a furtive glance at PUPKIN's penis. CUT TO: 12 INT: THE BAR - NIGHT PUPKIN emerges from the john, followed a moment later by the MAN. They resume their seats at each end of the bar. A third MAN has come in and is seated midway between PUPKIN and the MAN. PUPKIN Miss! RITA walks over reluctantly. PUPKIN Listen to me for a second. RITA I have work to do, Rupert. PUPKIN Just listen. I'm at the start of something really big. I don't want to talk about it here but it's going to happen soon and it's going to be great -- for both of us. RITA No kidding? PUPKIN So see that guy some other night. MAN Rita! RITA turns to go. PUPKIN But I haven't finished! RITA returns to the MAN and pours him another beer. PUPKIN sits for a few moments, then downs his beer quickly. Again, he raises his glass. PUPKIN Miss! Miss! The MAN leans over the bar and tells RITA something. She opens a bottle of beer and hands it to the MAN who slides it down the bar towards PUPKIN. As the beer reaches the middle of the bar, the THIRD MAN seated midway between PUPKIN and the MAN raises his beer glass to take a sip just as the sliding beer bottle passes under his hand. The bottle stops right in front of PUPKIN who takes it and slides it back with equal force. At this moment, the THIRD MAN in the middle has finished his sip and has just placed the THIRD MAN's glass on the counter. The beer bottle collides with the THIRD MAN's glass, creating a mess. RITA glares at PUPKIN as does the THIRD MAN. PUPKIN shrugs an apology and RITA cleans up the mess. RITA (to the THIRD MAN) I'll get you another one. As RITA cleans up the mess and pours a fresh beer, the MAN walks down the bar towards PUPKIN. He leans over him and puts a supposedly friendly paw on his shoulder. PUPKIN glances distastefully at the MAN's hand on him. MAN (to PUPKIN) Look, friend. I'm trying to have a nice civilized conversation with the young lady. Be a good little lad, huh, and give us a break. PUPKIN looks up at the MAN who pats him on the back in a gesture of fraudulent friendship and menace. PUPKIN burps. With an effort, the MAN controls his temper and returns to his seat at the end of the bar. PUPKIN instantly raises his glass. PUPKIN Miss! Miss! The MAN advances towards PUPKIN with another bottle of beer. PUPKIN watches passively as the MAN pours half the bottle into PUPKIN's breast pocket and slams the half-empty bottle on the counter. The MAN walks down to the end of the counter where a smiling RITA is waiting. PUPKIN again gulps his beer down. RITA and the MAN stare at PUPKIN expecting him to raise his glass and call for another beer. PUPKIN just sits there. After a few moments, RITA and the MAN resume their conversation, but they keep glancing over at PUPKIN, expecting him to interrupt them with a call for beer at any moment. PUPKIN continues to sit there. Just as RITA and the MAN have settled back into their conversation, PUPKIN falls like a stone from the barstool onto the floor. He lies motionless. RITA and the MAN look at PUPKIN for a moment while the handful of other patrons glance at him and return to their drinks. RITA leaves the bar and goes to the rear of the restaurant, disappearing into the kitchen. As she does, the MAN walks over to where PUPKIN is lying inert and prods him cruelly with his foot. MAN C'mon, schmuck, wake up so I can kick your ass outta here. The MAN turns to the kitchen to see if RITA is returning. As he does, PUPKIN carefully opens one eye, grabs a free chair from a nearby cocktail table, rises and bangs the MAN smartly over the head. The MAN falls, out cold. PUPKIN straightens up quickly as the other patrons look on with interest. PUPKIN brushes off his suit, which is blue, just like the MAN's, and stands above the MAN just as the MAN stood above him, his back to kitchen. RITA emerges from the kitchen with the owner, MR. NICHOLS and a large black COOK. RITA (to NICHOLS) He was making trouble one minute and the next he was on the floor. RITA automatically reaches out as she talks for what she thinks is the MAN's arm. Instead, PUPKIN turns around smiling, leaving her too startled to speak. NICHOLS and the COOK lift the MAN to his feet. COOK Okay, buddy, here we go. NICHOLS and the COOK lead the MAN, who is still groggy, out of the bar as RITA continues to stare at PUPKIN with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. RITA Okay, Tarzan. Where do we eat tonight? CUT TO: 13 INT: CHINESE RESTAURANT ON UPPER WEST SIDE - NIGHT We are in the kitchen watching two dishes being chopped, shredded and boiled in deep fat. The activity is frantic. WE FOLLOW the two dishes as a WAITER carries them from the kitchen to a booth where PUPKIN and RITA are talking. It is a painfully plain restaurant, shaped in a rectangle, with booths lining either side and a row of little tables in between. At the back is the kitchen and two phone booths, facing each other. An old Chinese WOMAN mans the cash register by the door. The WAITER sets the dishes down before RITA and PUPKIN and clears an enormous plate of spare rib bones from RITA's place. RITA hands the WAITER her empty cocktail glass. RITA and PUPKIN are facing one another. RITA Another one, Chan. PUPKIN (to WAITER) Chopsticks, please. The WAITER nods and leaves. RITA So all this time you've been thinking about me, huh? PUPKIN That's right, Rita. RITA What kinds of things were you thinking? PUPKIN drops his eyes shyly. RITA starts laughing. RITA Oh, ho! Those kinds of things! Shame on you, Rupert. PUPKIN Rita, I assure you there was ... RITA Rupert Pupkin is an unclean person! PUPKIN Come on, Rita. People will hear. RITA (in a whisper) Rupert Pupkin is an unclean person. Oh, come on, Rupert. Relax. Have a little fun. WAITER arrives with RITA's drink and chopsticks and a beer for PUPKIN. PUPKIN This is a very important evening to me, Rita. RITA Did you know your nose wiggled when you talked? PUPKIN It does? RITA Yeah. Just the tip. Like a rabbit. (pause) Hey, are we gonna eat or what? I'm starving. PUPKIN serves RITA. RITA It always looks like they put worms in this stuff. PUPKIN Just taste. RITA tastes. RITA Well, I guess it won't kill me. PUPKIN This is supposed to be the finest Cantonese cuisine in the city. RITA Yeah? Then what happened to the tablecloths? PUPKIN drops his eyes. RITA Oh, don't worry about it. This is fine. (She takes a long drink) I'm having a good time. So you've been devoted to me, huh? PUPKIN I used to see you at the Garden every year. RITA Oh, the Follies. That was the right name for 'em. How did you know which one was me? We all looked like chickens. What I mean is, we all looked like the same chicken. I thought it was gonna be Rita Keane in the Ice Follies and I wind up looking like Henny Penny. RITA chuckles to herself. PUPKIN You just didn't get the breaks. RITA Breaks, bullshit! My parents didn't have the money for the right coach. But what difference does it make? She starts laughing to herself. RITA I remember once we were down in Atlanta and the ice machine broke down. We did three hours of slush. Everyone was falling on their faces and hopping up with their arms open for a bow like the whole thing was planned. And the people ate it up. PUPKIN I liked the show. RITA Yeah? The Follies? You really must have been carrying the torch. What did you think when I got married? You knew I got married? PUPKIN I knew it wouldn't last. RITA You think I should have married you, instead, huh? PUPKIN Peter Drysdale! Really, Rita! RITA If he'd only been hit by a train. He was worth a helluva lot more dead than alive, I can tell you that. RITA raises her glass to the WAITER who is standing nearby, talking with another WAITER. As she does, a nice-looking young MAN sitting in the middle aisle raises his glass of beer to her and drinks it, as a kind of toast. RITA smiles briefly and her eyes return to PUPKIN. The YOUNG MAN is seated behind PUPKIN, facing RITA. The WAITER comes over and collects the glass. Throughout the rest of the scene, a subtle flirtation continues between RITA and the YOUNG MAN. PUPKIN Are you seeing anyone? RITA starts for a moment, thinking PUPKIN has caught her looking at the YOUNG MAN. RITA What do you mean? PUPKIN I want to know about the competition, that's all. RITA Well, tomorrow night, I've got a date with Joe Namath -- you know Joe. And Thursday --- let's see -- PUPKIN I'm serious, Rita. RITA (imitating him) I'm serious, Rita. (In her own voice) Sure I see people. I'm not a nun, Rupert. I see a lot of people. PUPKIN Anyone special? RITA (chuckling) You mean am I "going steady"? Rupert, I'm thirty-one years old! PUPKIN What about that guy tonight? RITA Him? PUPKIN Why him? RITA What am I supposed to do, huh? Sit home watching TV? He's just some guy. He's got his own aluminum siding business. He comes into the city sometimes, that's all. PUPKIN You don't go out with him for his money?!? RITA Oh, horrors! Look, Rupert, what do you think they pay me in that dump? Ninety-five bucks. And you don't get the world's greatest tippers in there either. Somebody has to take care of me. PUPKIN That's what I want to talk to you about, Rita. The WAITER arrives with RITA's drink. PUPKIN Who's your favorite movie star? RITA You are, Rupert. Especially your nose. PUPKIN Just tell me. RITA Is this some kind of game? Are you going to tell me something about my character? PUPKIN You'll see. Give me his name. RITA I can't think of anybody. PUPKIN You've got to have one, Rita. Everybody does. RITA Okay. Okay. Let's see. (pause) Marilyn Monroe. PUPKIN slowly pulls out a leather-bound book from his inside jacket pocket. RITA Oh, Rupert! Are we going to exchange phone numbers!? PUPKIN expertly flips to a middle page in the book and, keeping the book open, his finger pointing under a name, he turns the book to RITA. RITA That's her name. PUPKIN Her name! She signed this herself, especially for me. RITA starts flipping through the book, curious about the other names. She isn't paying any attention to what PUPKIN is saying. PUPKIN She wasn't a great actress but she had a real gift for comedy. She died tragically, you know, alone, like so many of the world's most beautiful women. I'm going to see that doesn't happen to you, Rita. RITA Who's this one? PUPKIN checks the book. PUPKIN Burt Reynolds. RITA Oh yeah, the guy with no clothes. Who's this? PUPKIN Mel Brooks. RITA And this? PUPKIN Carol Burnett. RITA No kidding. How about this? PUPKIN Glenda Jackson. RITA Never heard of her. PUPKIN (pointing to other names) And that's Woody Allen and there's Ernie Kovacs -- he's dead -- and that one's Lauren Bacall. RITA You don't really know any of these people? PUPKIN Take a look at this. PUPKIN flips to one of the back pages and shows a name to RITA. RITA (squinting) I can't make it out. PUPKIN Try. RITA This is really weird handwriting! Exasperated, PUPKIN follows the name in question with his index finger. PUPKIN Rooooper .... RITA (guessing) Redford! PUPKIN That's Robert Redford. RITA It is? PUPKIN No! It's ... it's Rupert Pupkin PUPKIN tears out the page and hands it to her shyly. RITA just stares at it and back at PUPKIN. PUPKIN Don't lose it. It's going to be worth something in a couple of weeks. RITA start laughing. PUPKIN That's what I've been trying to tell you. Things are really breaking for me. I'm ticketed for stardom. RITA laughs harder, despite efforts to be serious. PUPKIN Only a couple of hours ago, I was talking to Jerry Langford, the Jerry Langford. Stop it, Rita! RITA pulls herself together for a moment. PUPKIN We were talking about my doing my act on his show. RITA (suppressing a smile) Your act? PUPKIN Get that guy you knew from Clifton out of your head right now. You're looking at Rupert Pupkin, Rita. Rupert Pupkin, the new King of Comedy. RITA starts laughing hysterically, in spite of herself. RITA (getting a grip on herself) I'm sorry. PUPKIN Why not me, Rita? A guy can always get what he wants if he's willing to pay the price. All it takes is a little talent and sacrifice and the right break. If you've got a friend in the right place, that's all it takes. And that's exactly what I have going for me right now. After all, crazier things have happened. RITA listens silently for a moment, then begins to giggle. As PUPKIN resumes speaking, we CUT between RITA and the YOUNG MAN. Their flirtation picks up steam. The YOUNG MAN raises his eyebrows as if to ask, "Are you interested in me?" She smiles. All the while, PUPKIN rattles on. PUPKIN You just don't realize what a shot on the Langford Show can mean. That's coast to coast, national TV, a bigger audience than the greatest comedians used to play to in a lifetime. A shot like that means a free ticket on the comedy circuit -- Flip Wilson one week, Cosby the next, then Sonny and Cher or Carol Burnett. And you've always got those other talk shows to fall back on -- Carson, Griffin. And all that leads straight in one direction, Rita -- Hollywood! That's when we really start living. How does this sound to you -- a beach house in Malibu, right on the ocean. You'll get a beautiful tan, believe me. And we'd keep a suite at the Sherry. That's the only place to stay when you're big. We could get something on a top floor and look down on all our old friends in Clifton and just laugh. How does that sound to you? RITA It sounds wonderful, Rupert, and I really hope you get what you want. But it's getting late and I'm a working girl. You know what I mean? The telephone at the back of the restaurant starts ringing. A WAITER in the background moves slowly to answer it. PUPKIN You going to spend the rest of your life in that place? Is that what you really want, talking about nothing with nothings? I thought you wanted something a little better than that and that's what I'm offering. Every King needs a Queen, Rita. I want you to be mine. What do you say? RITA You really want to help me out? You see this. (She points to her lower back molar) A hundred seventy-five bucks. If you could spare fifty, say, until next Monday, that would keep three people really happy -- me, my landlord and my dentist. During RITA's speech, the WAITER has been working his way from the phone booth towards the front of the restaurant. WAITER Telephone for you, Miss. RITA (looking puzzled) Me? Nobody knows I'm here. You didn't tell anybody, did you? PUPKIN No. RITA (getting up) What the hell's going on? CAMERA FOLLOWS RITA, who walks to the back of the restaurant and picks up the dangling receiver in one of the two facing booths, the other of which is occupied. 14 INT: THE PHONE BOOTH - NIGHT RITA Hello? MAN'S VOICE Hi. RITA Who is this? MAN'S VOICE Who do you think it is? I've been staring at you all evening. RITA Where are you? The YOUNG MAN taps forcefully with his index finger on the glass door of his booth. RITA, hearing the noise, turns around and finds herself staring at the YOUNG MAN. She smiles. CUT TO: 15 INT: THE RESTAURANT - NIGHT PUPKIN at the table looking over the check. He gets out a ten dollar bill. RITA emerges from the booth in nervous high spirits. RITA (with repressed gaiety) You know who that was -- the bar. I have to go back to work. PUPKIN How did they know you were here? RITA (gathering her things) I guess I must have told them. They need someone right away. PUPKIN (accusingly) You don't even care, do you? RITA Oh, no. I do. Really! PUPKIN It's not the bar, Rita. Don't tell me it's the bar. RITA Don't be angry. It has nothing to do with you. I had a nice dinner, really. It was great seeing you again. PUPKIN stare at her icily. RITA Come on. Let's see a smile. PUPKIN Why don't we finish the evening up at the bar together? End the evening where it began? RITA After what happened there? PUPKIN Well, I could at least drop you off! RITA (hurriedly making up her face) That's okay. Really. I can manage. Why don't you just go to a movie or something? Don't let me spoil your evening. PUPKIN But that wouldn't be right. RITA gets up and stands before PUPKIN. RITA (firmly) Look, Rupert. It's been a lot of fun, really. I'll see you sometime, huh? PUPKIN But Rita! RITA starts moving towards the door. RITA Come on, Rupert. I'm in a hurry. RITA marches out with PUPKIN trailing behind. He throws the check and the ten dollar bill at the CASHIER. 16 EXT. THE STREET - NIGHT CAMERA FOLLOWS PUPKIN as he streaks out the door and jumps into the adjacent doorway, immediately peering down the street. He spies the YOUNG MAN and RITA walking about three quarters of a block down and follows them, keeping out of sight. They turn occasionally to see if he's around, then stop turning. They go around the corner and disappear into a large apartment building. PUPKIN rushes after them, positioning himself across from the building. He searches the windows for some clue as to where they have gone. Finally a set of lights go on on the fourth floor and a MAN's shadow is seen closing two sets of blinds. CUT TO: 17 INT: THE APARTMENT BUILDING FOYER - NIGHT PUPKIN enters the building and finds himself in a small entranceway. The door to the lobby is locked. Next to the door, on the wall, are listed the tenants, their apartment numbers and a button next to each name. There is an intercom speaker. There are eight apartments listed on the fourth floor, running from 4A to 4H. PUPKIN looks them over, takes a deep breath and pushes 4A. CUT TO: 18 INT: YOUNG MAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT It is an extremely well-furnished studio apartment with all the requirements of a contemporary bachelor pad -- an imitation bearskin rug, nice bookshelves including an elaborate stereo system, recessed lighting, including a soft spotlight on the Queen-sized bed with its pseudo-satin cover. The YOUNG MAN and RITA stand in the middle of the room. RITA looks about uneasily. No intercom buzzer sounds. YOUNG MAN Welcome to the pleasure dome. RITA You don't kid around, do you? YOUNG MAN (smiling) I do alright. What's your libation? RITA Huh? YOUNG MAN Your potion. Your drink. RITA Bourbon and soda. Make it light. The YOUNG MAN goes to his chic little bar and starts fixing RITA a strong bourbon and soda. He also fixes himself a strong scotch and water. As he works, they talk. YOUNG MAN You from the South? RITA Me? YOUNG MAN That's what Southern people drink. Lots of bourbon. RITA What do people from Jersey drink? YOUNG MAN I make it a point to study things like that. It's important to know people's backgrounds, their tastes, their culture. It gives you a little head start. The YOUNG MAN turns from the bar and hands RITA her drink. YOUNG MAN I'm Chet. Whom do I have the pleasure of serving? RITA I'm Mary. YOUNG MAN Pleased to meat you, Mary. (He lifts his glass) To our evening. CUT TO: 19 INT: THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT PUPKIN stands before the intercom. WOMAN'S VOICE Who? PUPKIN Rita Keane. I want to talk to her. WOMAN'S VOICE Rita Keane? PUPKIN That's right. Oh, never mind. I must have the wrong apartment. WOMAN'S VOICE There's no Rita here. PUPKIN I know. I know. I'm sorry to bother you. WOMAN'S VOICE You must have the wrong apartment. PUPKIN I'm sorry. PUPKIN pushes 4B. CUT TO: 20 INT: YOUNG MAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT RITA is seated on the couch. The YOUNG MAN is putting a record on the phonograph. Once again, the intercom doesn't sound. PUPKIN has drawn another blank. YOUNG MAN Leisure is America's fastest growing industry. Did you know that? Think about it. Short work weeks, more vacation. People need something to do with all that time and that's where I come in. Leisure Villages, Inc. We buy land an hour or so outside your metropolitan centers. We set up the bungalows, dig some lakes, lay out a golf course, you know, fix the whole place up so it's usable. Then young, personable guys like me show the people around. It the guy seems tight, we point out the investment factor. If he's a swinger, well, the bungalows are very private. If he's a sports nut, we talk up skiing and fishing and tennis. The phonograph starts playing Burt Bachrach. YOUNG MAN What's your work, Mary? The YOUNG MAN walks back to her and stands over her. RITA Me. I fly for National. YOUNG MAN (delighted) No kidding? RITA What's that smell? YOUNG MAN Sandalwood incense. It seemed very you. CUT TO: 21 INT: THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT PUPKIN yells into the intercom. PUPKIN I said I'm sorry! We hear the intercom at the other end click off. PUPKIN pauses a moment and pushes 4C. CUT TO: 22 INT: YOUNG MAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT RITA and the YOUNG MAN are seated on the couch. Still no buzzer. As the YOUNG MAN talks, RITA is staring at a woman's shoe lying underneath a small table that holds a lamp. YOUNG MAN Did you know that you have remarkable hair? RITA Yeah? You know what? I feel like going to a movie. YOUNG MAN Now? RITA Sure. Why not? It's only twenty of ten. We can make a ten o'clock show. The YOUNG MAN takes her hands and looks deep into her eyes. YOUNG MAN Why don't we make our own movie? RITA No. I don't think so. YOUNG MAN Don't be so uptight. Give it a chance. RITA I want to go to the movies, that's all. YOUNG MAN We can go to the movies later. RITA pulls her hands away. RITA Let's stop playing games, okay. I'm not a kid. YOUNG MAN You have something against pleasure? RITA I'm just not interested in being tonight's ritual sacrifice, okay? YOUNG MAN Shall I freshen up your drink? RITA shakes her head. YOUNG MAN (growing irritated) What exactly did you think we were going to do up here? CUT TO: 23 INT: THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT PUPKIN pushes 4D and waits. MAN'S VOICE Yeah? CUT TO: 24 INT: YOUNG MAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The YOUNG MAN is practically sitting on RITA's lap. He has RITA backed up against the end of the couch. YOUNG MAN Look, if you've got sexual problems let's talk about them. It helps clear the air. RITA There's nothing wrong with me. YOUNG MAN Then it's me? RITA I don't even know you. YOUNG MAN Then find out. Sex is a great way of breaking down barriers. RITA I don't think so. YOUNG MAN I'm sure this could lead to something beautiful. The YOUNG MAN kisses RITA roughly. YOUNG MAN Passive resistance, huh? RITA Let's just write this thing off as a big mistake. What do you say? YOUNG MAN What's wrong with me? RITA Nothing. I just want to go home. YOUNG MAN I can see I'm not turning you on. RITA (smiles) You noticed that, huh? YOUNG MAN Come on. What's wrong with me? RITA You really want to know? YOUNG MAN Yeah. RITA How can I put it? Well, it's like you've got your fly open and your tongue hanging out. CUT TO: 25 INT: THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT PUPKIN, growing more frantic, pushes 4E. CUT TO: 26 INT: YOUNG' MAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The YOUNG MAN is all over RITA. No buzzer sounds. YOUNG MAN I'm really a very sensitive person. RITA Come on. Get offa me. YOUNG MAN Sometimes I write poetry. RITA pulls herself away. RITA No! YOUNG MAN So you wanna play hard to get, huh? The YOUNG MAN grabs her. CUT TO: 27 INT: THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT PUPKIN, even more desperate, pushes 4F. OLD LADY'S VOICE � Que es, por favor? CUT TO: 28 INT: YOUNG MAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The YOUNG MAN is strong-arming RITA who is beginning to get frightened. RITA Come on. Let's talk this over. YOUNG MAN I admire you very much. I respect you, Mary. RITA (her eyes beginning to fill with terror) You're hurting me. YOUNG MAN I'm only doing what you want. RITA (pleading, on the verge of tears) Oh, please. CUT TO: 29 INT: THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT PUPKIN, frantic, pushes 4G. CUT TO: 30 INT: THE YOUNG MAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The YOUNG MAN has RITA securely pinned and is starting to undo her blouse. She is desperate. YOUNG MAN Afterwards, you'll thank me. The buzzer sounds with great force. It is one, long, protracted blast that breaks the YOUNG MAN's concentration. RITA takes advantage of the distraction to grab her bag and rush out as the buzzer continues to sound. CUT TO: 31 INT: THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT PUPKIN still has his finger on 4G as RITA rushes out the EXIT door next to the elevator and comes rushing towards him. She is numb and emotionally exhausted. PUPKIN Rita! RITA (in desperation) What do you want? RITA keeps walking out of the entranceway and onto the street. PUPKIN is at her side. PUPKIN Don't be angry with me. I was worried about you, that's all. RITA Just go home and leave me alone. PUPKIN take off his jacket and puts if around RITA's shoulders. PUPKIN (quietly) Here. You'll need this. It's getting chilly. RITA I'm so bad. I'm such a dummy. PUPKIN Don't say that, Rita. Everyone does crazy things. RITA Not all the time. PUPKIN I'll get us a cab. PUPKIN rushes into the street and hails a cab. CUT TO: 32 EXT: WEST 56th STREET BETWEEN EIGHTH AND NINTH AVENUES - NIGHT WE SEE the taxi pull up in front of one of those middle- class tenements -- a fairly well-preserved six-story building with a fire escape running up the front. PUPKIN helps RITA out of the taxi. A dime bounces at PUPKIN's feet. CAB DRIVER'S VOICE Stuff it, big spender! PUPKIN pays no attention. He walks RITA to her front stoop. RITA Well, I guess you're entitled to come up for coffee. PUPKIN That's okay, Rita. You're tired and I know I'm not always the easiest guy to be with. There is a pause. RITA (puzzled) What do you want, Rupert? PUPKIN (softly) You don't understand anything, do you? I love you, Rita. I want to change your life ... if you'll only give me a chance. RITA just shakes her head sadly. PUPKIN Look, what if I arranged it so you could meet Jerry? You'd have to believe me if you heard it from him. RITA There's no ... PUPKIN I'll arrange that, Rita. We'll all go out to dinner some night or maybe out to his place, on a weekend. You'll see. The trouble with you is you've got no faith. Now go to bed and get a good rest and I'll see you in a couple of days. PUPKIN gives RITA a very gentle, sweet kiss on the forehead. PUPKIN (gently) Now run along in. RITA just stares at him. PUPKIN Go on. RITA turns slowly and goes in. She looks back. PUPKIN is gone. FADE TO: 33 EXT: MADISON AVENUE AND 48th STREET - DAY PUPKIN carries a large manila folder into 424 Madison. As usual, he is impeccably dressed. CUT TO: 34 INT: OFFICES OF KOERNER-LIBERMAN TRAVEL - DAY It is a large corner office, broken up by glass dividers. A RECEPTIONIST sits at a desk facing the door. PUPKIN enters. RECEPTIONIST Yes. PUPKIN hands the RECEPTIONIST the package. PUPKIN I need somebody to sign. You can sign anything you want -- Cary Grant, Art Carney, I don't care. The RECEPTIONIST signs. PUPKIN Would you mind very much if I used your phone? It's local. RECEPTIONIST Don't be, long. Dial nine. PUPKIN takes out a little piece of paper from his suit pocket and dials a number. PUPKIN (tense, nervous) May I speak to Jerry Langford, please? Thanks ... Jerry Langford, please. Rupert Pupkin ... Jerry knows. I'm calling at his request ... I see. That's alright. I'll call him again. RECEPTIONIST That's not Jerry Langford, the ... PUPKIN (smiling proudly) That's right. Thanks for your phone. CUT TO: 35 EXT: TIMES SQUARE - DAY PUPKIN approaches Times Square phone booth. He rests a few folders on a trash basket just outside the booth. He enters the booth and dials. PUPKIN Jerry Langford, please ... May I speak to Jerry Langford, please ... Rupert Pupkin, I called earlier ... I see. How long do you expect that'll last? Oh, fine. I'm at (PUPKIN checks the number on the phone) CH 4-1482 ... I'll be here for another half hour, forty- five minutes. Please be sure he gets my message. Thanks. PUPKIN hangs up. CUT TO: 36 EXT: TIMES SQUARE - DAY A SHOT of the clock on the Allied Chemical Building. It reads 10:10. A nearby record store starts blasting music into the street through a loudspeaker. The music serves as background for a montage in which we CUT BETWEEN the clock, which moves in bites towards 11:30 to Broadway as it looks to PUPKIN in the booth -- that cavalcade of hustlers, whores, housewives, kids, weirdos and working people; and SHOTS of various people waiting to use the phone -- their impatience, anger, disgust. Each time one of them arrives, PUPKIN pretends to thumb through the phone book and dial a number. WE WATCH him chatting with animation until the waiting party leaves. Then WE SEE him push the coin return to retrieve his dime. Finally, PUPKIN takes a last look at the clock. WE SEE that it reads 11:30. He leaves the booth and goes to the trash basket. His packages have been swiped. CUT TO: 37 EXT: AN UPPER BROADWAY HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDING - DAY WE SEE PUPKIN enter. He is watched by a plain girl of about twenty in a black raincoat and a floppy black hat whom we recognize as MARSHA. CUT TO: 38 INT: A CORRIDOR IN THE HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDING - DAY PUPKIN emerges from the elevator and walks down the corridor looking for the door the Jerry Langford Show offices. He finally finds it and enters. CUT TO: 39 INT: THE RECEPTION AREA OF THE JERRY LANGFORD SHOW OFFICES - DAY A bored, plump, middle-aged RECEPTIONIST sits behind a large desk that holds a phone receiver connected to a small switchboard. PUPKIN presents himself. RECEPTIONIST Yes sir? PUPKIN Mr. Langford, please. RECEPTIONIST Your name? PUPKIN Pupkin. Rupert Pupkin. The RECEPTIONIST puts a call through. Wide-eyed, PUPKIN observes the blow-ups of Langford talking with various celebrities. FADE TO: 40 INT: A TELEVISION STUDIO - DAY LANGFORD is seated at his desk on stage and PUPKIN is his guest. WE SEE television cameras and in the background, the control room. PUPKIN You know the secret of dieting, Jerry? Grapefruit. It's good for you. It's filling. And it's low in calories. LANGFORD (to the camera) Take note of that, you ladies. PUPKIN As a matter of fact, yesterday I went to the outdoor market near where I live and I bought twenty grapefruit. The grocer looked at me and said, "What are you gonna do with all those?" So I bent over and told him (in a confidential tone) "I'm gonna take 'em back to Florida and set 'em free!" LANGFORD and the AUDIENCE laugh heartily. FADE TO: 41 INT: THE RECEPTION AREA -- DAY RECEPTIONIST (holding the phone and talking to PUPKIN) I'm sorry, Mr. Pupkin, but Mr. Langford's secretary has no record of any appointment. PUPKIN Pardon me? RECEPTIONIST Mr. Langford's secretary has no record of any appointment. PUPKIN Well, technically speaking, I don't actually have an appointment. Jerry asked me to call him today and when I couldn't get through, I thought ... As PUPKIN talks, a VISITOR has entered and stands behind him waiting for the RECEPTIONIST's attention. RECEPTIONIST I see. (Into the phone) He says Mr. Langford asked him to call. (To PUPKIN) Mr. Langford's secretary wants to know what this is in reference to. The RECEPTIONIST glances past PUPKIN to the VISITOR waiting. RECEPTIONIST (to PUPKIN) Would you mind talking to her yourself? The RECEPTIONIST hands the phone to PUPKIN and occupies herself with the VISITOR. PUPKIN Hello? ... Jerry and I discussed my being on the show last night and he told me to call ... No. I don't mind. PUPKIN hands the phone back to the RECEPTIONIST. PUPKIN I'm supposed to wait. The RECEPTIONIST listens to the phone for a moment and then hangs up. The VISITOR has just disappeared into the back offices. PUPKIN stands there, smiling politely at the RECEPTIONIST who returns a professional smile. PUPKIN Who was that gentleman? (PUPKIN indicates with a glance to the entrance to the back offices that he is referring to the VISITOR) RECEPTIONIST Mr. Gangemi. PUPKIN draws a complete blank but wants to appear knowledgeable. PUPKIN Oh, I see. Mr. Gangemi. RECEPTIONIST He takes care of our air conditioning. CATHY LONG emerges from the back offices. She is a tall, modishly-dressed, attractive woman in her early thirties. CATHY LONG Uh ... Mr. Pupkin? PUPKIN Yes? CATHY LONG I'm Cathy Long. PUPKIN I'm Mr. Pupkin. CATHY LONG Can I help you? PUPKIN I'm sorry, but you are? CATHY LONG I'm Bert Thomas' assistant. PUPKIN Bert Thomas? CATHY LONG He's our executive producer. PUPKIN Oh, yes. I'm sure he is. But, you see, I've already talked directly with Jerry about my being on the show and he told me to get in touch with him. I'm just here to follow up on that. CATHY LONG What do you do, Mr. Pupkin? PUPKIN Stand-up comedy. CATHY LONG Fine. Where are you working? PUPKIN Well, right now I'm developing new material. CATHY LONG I see. Well, as soon as you start performing again, let us know where you are and I'll send my assistant down to check you out. PUPKIN Sure. Sure. But that's not necessary, Miss Long. Jerry and I already went over all this. CATHY LONG Does Jerry know your work? PUPKIN (nodding) Yes. I don't think he does. CATHY LONG You don't happen to have a tape or a demo that we might listen to? PUPKIN Oh, sure. I've got lots of tapes. That's no problem. CATHY LONG Good. Why don't you just send one to us and I assure you we'll listen to it promptly. PUPKIN Great. I'll do that. I can see that'd be a lot easier for Jerry. Thanks a lot, Miss Long. CATHY LONG Don't mention it, Mr. Pupkin. Now, if you'd excuse me ... PUPKIN Sure. Sure. Thanks again. CATHY LONG leaves. PUPKIN, left standing there, smiles at the RECEPTIONIST who returns another professional smile. PUPKIN (to the RECEPTIONIST) Thanks. CUT TO: 42 EXT: THE UPPER-BROADWAY HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDING - DAY PUPKIN comes out of the building elated. He is immediately confronted by MARSHA. PUPKIN continues to walk as MARSHA skips beside him. MARSHA I've got to speak to you for a minute. I'm Marsha. PUPKIN Yeah. I know. MARSHA Look. Did Jerry say anything about me last night? PUPKIN I'm really in a hurry, Marsha ... MARSHA Was he angry? ... In the car last night, I saw you. Did he talk about me? PUPKIN I thought that was you. That was some stunt. MARSHA What did he say? PUPKIN We didn't talk about you. MARSHA You know Jerry? PUPKIN Yeah. MARSHA thrusts an envelope into PUPKIN's hands. MARSHA Give him this for me. PUPKIN Why don't you ... MARSHA Because I can't! Please. I need your help. You'll be my friend forever. Come on. I'll buy you something. What do you want? She takes a great messy bunch of bills out of her raincoat pockets and jams them into PUPKIN's hands. PUPKIN I don't want this. MARSHA Take it. I can get all I want. PUPKIN shrugs and pockets the money. PUPKIN Okay. I'll try. MARSHA (turning cold) Don't try. Do it. Remember. We just made a deal. PUPKIN stares at the envelope. MARSHA And don't open it. It's private. PUPKIN Okay. Okay. MARSHA How soon can you get it to him? PUPKIN I don't know. Couple a days. MARSHA (menacingly) You'd better. MARSHA turns and walks in the direction from which they came. CAMERA FOLLOWS PUPKIN who walks on for a block or so, then opens the envelope. It contains a set of apartment keys, a scrap of hand-knitted woolen cloth and a note in lipstick that reads: "I've made you a sweater, honey. Come try it on. I miss you. Love, M. 74 East 83rd Street, Apartment 2B!" He takes out the money MARSHA gave him. There are wads of tens, twenties and fifties with a sprinkling of fives and ones. CUT TO: 44 EXT: A TIMES SQUARE HOTEL - DAY The hotel is just one step up from a flophouse. WE SEE PUPKIN enter. CUT TO: 45 INT: PUPKIN'S ROOM - DAY PUPKIN enters. WE SEE that it is a small room, furnished by the hotel in the plainest way. Nicely-done home-made collages of show business figures decorate the drab green walls. The room is neat and clean. PUPKIN goes directly to a plain table which holds two tape recorders -- one a small cassette the other a large table tape recorder. He picks up the microphone of the larger one and speaks into it. PUPKIN Testing. Testing. Testing. In the following montage, we hear in the background the replay of his "testing, testing testing" and various other noises -- a bit of his voice taped, a burst of laughter, the squeal of a tape recorder sent fast-forward, a sudden burst of applause, a scrap of theme music. At the same time, the CAMERA PANS about the room. We look at the collages which include all the obvious show business figures, with a heavy emphasis on comedians from Chaplin and Keaton to Sid Caesar and Woody Allen. The collages also include such varied figures as Jimmy Carter, Julia Childs, Tom Seaver, David Brinkley, Muhammad Ali, Clifford Irving, Walter Cronkite and Mark Spitz. There is a special Kennedy section -- John F. and Bobby framed in black, Jackie in mourning and a picture of Teddy. There is also a trio of assassins -- Sirhan, Oswald and James Earl Ray. There is also a talk show collage with a photo of Langford in the center like a sun surrounded by Snyder, Walters, Carson and Griffin. One bookshelf holds a veritable library of comedy -- joke books, biographies of comedians, treasuries of American humor. Another shelf holds scores of tapes in their own little boxes, each one neatly marked, i.e., "LANGFORD MONOLOGUES: 7/5/72 to 9/9/72." "MISC. MONOLOGUES 6/13/68 to 8/1/69." CUT TO: PUPKIN sitting before the tape recorder lost in thought. Finally, he starts the larger recorder and lifts the mike. PUPKIN First, Miss Long. Thanks very much for your help at the office and for passing this along to Jerry. I appreciate it more than you know. PUPKIN stops the tape recorder and thinks again for a few beats. He then starts the large recorder. PUPKIN Now, Jerry. Before I begin, I just want to thank you for listening to this material and for the opportunity that you've given me. You know, lots of people think that guys like you, you know, people who have made it, lose their feeling for struggling young talent such as myself. But now I know from experience that those people are just cynics, embittered by their own failure. I know, Jerry, that you're as human as the rest of us, if not more so. (pause) Oh well, I guess there's no point going on about it. You know how I feel. So let's get on with the show. The best of Rupert Pupkin! I've sketched out this little introduction in order to save you a little time. So close your eyes and imagine it's exactly six o'clock. You're standing in the wings and we hear Rick Ross and the Orchestra strike up your theme song. PUPKIN pushes a button on the cassette and we hear the theme song of the Jerry Langford Show, followed by the voice of BERT CANTER, the announcer. BERT CANTER'S VOICE And now, direct from New York, it's the Jerry Langford Show! Tonight, with Jerry's special guest ... PUPKIN deftly shuts off the cassette and substitutes his own voice for that of CANTER's. The large tape recorder keeps rolling. PUPKIN ... the comedy find of the year making his television debut, Rupert Pupkin, the King of Comedy! PUPKIN rapidly races the cassette tape forward, then pushes down the "play" button. We hear a burst of thundering applause. PUPKIN lets the applause run for a while and then shuts it off. The large recorder keeps rolling. PUPKIN Now you come on, Jerry, and do your monologue. Then, when the time comes, this is how I see you introducing me. You'll say something like this. "Ladies and Gentlemen we're going to do something a little bit different tonight. It isn't often that you can call someone a sure thing in the entertainment business. After all, the verdict is always in your hands. But I think after you've met my next guest, that you'll agree with me that he's destined for greatness. So, now, will you please give your warmest welcome to the newest King of Comedy, Rupert Pupkin!!!" PUPKIN pushes the cassette and we hear another enormous burst of applause. PUPKIN lets it run, listening intently. He stands up and faces a wall of his room, still holding the microphone. WE SEE that the wall is covered by a huge blow-up of an audience laughing and applauding. CUT TO: 45 INT: THE LANGFORD TELEVISION STUDIO - NIGHT WE SEE a real audience laughing and applauding. CUT TO: PUPKIN strides triumphantly onto the stage, nodding to acknowledge the applause. He stops center stage as the television cameras maneuver about him. CUT TO: A SHOT of the "APPLAUSE" sign flashing, then stopping. Still, the applause goes on. CUT TO: PUPKIN raises his hands to quiet the audience. After a few moments the applause dies down, except for a pair of hands in the center of the orchestra. PUPKIN peers out to see who is still applauding. CUT TO: RITA, in the middle of the audience, applauds enthusiastically. CUT TO: PUPKIN on stage. PUPKIN gives RITA a special smile and nod. PUPKIN Will somebody tell that lovely lady that the applause sign is off. The audience laughs. CUT TO: 46 INT: PUPKIN'S ROOM - DAY PUPKIN stands facing the "audience" still holding the mike. PUPKIN That's a possible introduction, Jerry. Now let's move on to my act. CUT TO: 47 INT: THE RECEPTION AREA OF THE LANGFORD SHOW - DAY PUPKIN is pacing. He is wearing another suit, this one a broad-lapelled-grey. He is freshly shaved, is hair neatly combed, his shoes carrying a bright shine. He clutches a small flat box, neatly wrapped with the words 'FOR JERRY LANGFORD" written clearly across the top in large print. CATHY LONG emerges from one of the back corridors into the reception area. CATHY LONG Yes? PUPKIN (suddenly a bit shy) I didn't want to take any chances with this ... uh ... Miss Long, so I ... uh ... thought I'd just bring it here myself. He hands CATHY LONG the package as though it contained nitroglycerine. CATHY LONG We talked about this this morning, did we, Mr. ... ? PUPKIN Pupkin. Rupert Pupkin. CATHY LONG Oh, yes. It's been some day. (pause) Well, I certainly appreciate your bringing this over, Mr. Pupkin, and we'll listen to it as soon as possible. PUPKIN Fine. Er ... you don't have any idea how soon that might be? CATHY LONG Well, you can try checking with us tomorrow. We might know something by then. Otherwise, it'll have to be Monday. PUPKIN What if I just sort of waited around here today, just in case? I'll stay out of the way. CATHY LONG You'd just be wasting your time, Mr. Pupkin. We won't know anything until tomorrow at the earliest. PUPKIN Oh, I wouldn't consider it a waste of time at all. I'd be glad to do it. CATHY LONG Look, why don't you try us tomorrow. Okay? PUPKIN Tomorrow? ... Right. I'll do that. Thanks a lot, Miss Long. And thank Jerry. CATHY LONG smiles at PUPKIN and goes, leaving PUPKIN staring at a picture of LANGFORD on the wall. WE FIX on LANGFORD a moment and PULL BACK to see LANGFORD in what PUPKIN would imagine his office to be. 48 INT: AN OFFICE - DAY A large, corner office furnished in royal red, with high ceilings and a huge desk. Potted palms and hydrangeas rest on a marble floor. LANGFORD is moving about restlessly, clutching PUPKIN's tape in one hand and waving it about. PUPKIN is seated on a comfortable couch. LANGFORD Dynamite! This is dynamite! PUPKIN (shyly) You think so, Jerry? LANGFORD Look, I've been at this for fifteen years, Rupert, and I haven't come up with anything like this -- not me, not any of my writers. PUPKIN (smiling with obvious pleasure) Well, I'm glad you like it, Jerry. LANGFORD Tell me something, Rube. (pause) How do you do it? I'm not asking to use the material myself. I just want to know how you (LANGFORD waves his arms in a gesture of frustration) how you do it. PUPKIN Well, I don't know if I can explain it, really. LANGFORD Come on. Try, Rube. PUPKIN Well, it just sort of comes. I think about my life, see, mainly about the worst parts, all the awful things, and I just try to see them in a funny light. That's all. LANGFORD (eagerly) Is that what you do? The worst parts, and then you look at them in a funny light? Is that what you do? PUPKIN More or less. It's hard to describe how its happens. LANGFORD But that's just it, Rube. It doesn't happen for me. Why do you think the show is in so much trouble? By the time I've done my monologue, everyone has switched to Carson. Maybe if you did a little writing ... ? PUPKIN Sure, Jerry, I'd do anything I could to help out. LANGFORD You would? Great. Why don't you come out to my place this weekend and we'll hash it out. I'm having a few of my friends but we should be able to get a little work in. PUPKIN Would you mind if I brought someone? LANGFORD (smiling) A girl, Rube? PUPKIN A very special girl, Jerry. LANGFORD I'd love to meet her. 49 THE HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDING ON UPPER BROADWAY - DAY PUPKIN emerges, lost in thought. Suddenly he notices MARSHA waiting nearby. She doesn't see PUPKIN. He sneaks off. CUT TO: 50 EXT: U.N. PLAZA - DAY It is a bright morning. LANGFORD, attempting to camouflage himself by wearing a cap over his eyes and his trench coat collar turned up, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, walks out of the building. A DOORMAN is standing by the door. DOORMAN Cab, Jerry? LANGFORD That's alright, thanks. WE FOLLOW LANGFORD as he walks. Some people don't notice. Others stare but leave him alone, a few commenting to their companions and pointing at him. A CAB DRIVER pulls alongside. DRIVER Hey, Jerry. My brother can sing and juggle at the same time. How about puttin' him on your show? LANGFORD keeps walking. DRIVER How about it, Jerry? LANGFORD Sorry, I'm off duty. CUT TO: 51 EXT. A MANHATTAN STREET - DAY LANGFORD stands at the corner, next to a middle-aged COUPLE. WOMAN You're Jerry!! LANGFORD pulls his cap a little more tightly around his eyes. WOMAN You know something. (She giggles) I undress in front of you every night and Larry here doesn't mind at all. LARRY I can't get anything started with her until you're off the air. Your show is ruining my sex life, Jerry. LANGFORD Well then, you'll just have to put on a better show than I do. CUT TO: 52 EXT: BROADWAY, A FEW BLOCKS SOUTH OF LANGFORD'S OFFICES - DAY WE WATCH LANGFORD continue to walk, feeling what it is to be a celebrity out in public. After a few beats, we CUT TO: 53 EXT: BROADWAY - DAY WE SEE MARSHA trailing LANGFORD. LANGFORD notices her and starts walking quickly. MARSHA walks quickly. LANGFORD starts jogging. MARSHA starts jogging. Finally, LANGFORD breaks into a sprint. MARSHA runs after him. LANGFORD disappears into his office building. MARSHA arrives several seconds later. MARSHA Jerry! God damnit! Just as MARSHA turns around, PUPKIN, unaware of her, walks cheerfully into the building. CUT TO: 54 INT: RECEPTION AREA OF JERRY LANGFORD SHOW OFFICES - DAY PUPKIN enters. The same middle-aged, plump RECEPTIONIST is seated behind the desk. RECEPTIONIST Yes, sir? (recognizing him) Oh, hi. PUPKIN Hi. How are you? RECEPTIONIST Not bad. PUPKIN I'm fine. RECEPTIONIST Can I help you? PUPKIN I'd like to see Jerry, please. RECEPTIONIST You are ... ? PUPKIN Mr. Pupkin. RECEPTIONIST Just a minute. The RECEPTIONIST dials a number. RECEPTIONIST Mr. Pupkin is here ... That's right ... (to PUPKIN) She'll be with you in a minute. PUPKIN Who? RECEPTIONIST Miss Long. PUPKIN But I wanted to see Jerry. RECEPTIONIST Mr. Langford's not in. Miss Long will take care of you. PUPKIN Alright. PUPKIN paces for a few beats. He smiles at the RECEPTIONIST. A beat later, CATHY LONG comes out, carrying the tape in its box. CATHY LONG Mr. Pupkin? PUPKIN How are you today? CATHY LONG Fine, Mr. Pupkin. Thank you for your tape. We listened to it with great interest. And, frankly, Mr. Pupkin, we saw a lot of good things in what you're doing. We feel you have good potential. Very good potential. PUPKIN (smiling) Thanks. CATHY LONG That's why I'll be honest with you, Mr. Pupkin ... PUPKIN Yes? CATHY LONG We just don't think you're ready yet. PUPKIN (baffled) Not ready? CATHY LONG Well, we just don't feel right now that you're right for Jerry. PUPKIN (rapidly, half-listening) Right for Jerry. Sure. CATHY LONG Some of the material ... some of the one-liners, for instance ... PUPKIN Yes? CATHY LONG ... were not very strong. PUPKIN You didn't care for some of the jokes, is that it? CATHY LONG That"s right. PUPKIN Good. Good. I can take care of that right way. Thanks. Just tell me the ones you think should go. That would be a big help. (to the RECEPTIONIST) This is great. (to CATHY LONG) Which ones? CATHY LONG Well, it's not just that, Mr. Pupkin. You see, Jerry likes to panel his guests, you know, chat with them afterwards. PUPKIN Sure. Sure. CATHY LONG And frankly, we just don't feel you've got very much to talk about right now. PUPKIN But I've got my whole life to talk about! CATHY LONG Which is interesting to you, I'm sure and to your wife ... and to a few friends. But we feel that you should keep developing your act. Test it in some live situations. There are a number of clubs in the city you can try. And after a reasonable period, get in touch with us again and we'll be glad to send someone down to check out your progress. PUPKIN stares at her for a few moments as the tension grows. PUPKIN May I ask you a question, Miss Long? CATHY LONG Of course. PUPKIN Are you speaking for Jerry? CATHY LONG Let's put it this way, Mr. Pupkin. Mr. Langford has complete faith in our judgment. PUPKIN I'm sorry to have to say this, Miss Long, and I certainly don't want you to take it personally, but I have to tell you that I don't ... I don't have faith in your judgment. CATHY LONG Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, Mr. Pupkin. But I'm afraid there's nothing that can be done about that. PUPKIN No ... No ... I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you again. CATHY LONG (with strained politeness) That's your privilege, Mr. Pupkin. Now, if you'll excuse me, please, I have some things to do. I'm sorry the news isn't better. CATHY LONG turns to go. PUPKIN Miss Long? CATHY LONG turns back. PUPKIN When are you expecting Jerry in? CATHY LONG He won't be in until very late this afternoon. PUPKIN That's fine. Thank you. CATHY LONG stares at PUPKIN for a moment, glances at the RECEPTIONIST and then goes. PUPKIN takes a seat in the reception area. He smiles once more at the RECEPTIONIST. The RECEPTIONIST drops her eyes. A few beats go by. CATHY LONG passes by the entranceway and glances at PUPKIN. PUPKIN continues sitting there. RECEPTIONIST Is there anyone else you would like to see? PUPKIN That's alright. I'm happy just waiting. A few beats pass in silence. RECEPTIONIST Well, would you mind waiting outside, please, Mr. Pupkin? This is a reception area, not a waiting room. PUPKIN I understand. PUPKIN remains seated. A few more moments pass. Several OFFICE PERSONNEL pass by the entranceway and glance at PUPKIN. After a few more beats, a large, plainly-dressed MAN in his mid-fifties emerges from the back offices. He goes over to PUPKIN, who stands. OFFICIAL Mr. Pupkin? I'm Raymond Wirtz, in charge of security for the Langford organization. WIRTZ puts his arm on PUPKIN's shoulder and, as the following dialogue unfolds leads him out the door, down the corridor and into the elevator. WIRTZ Now I think you understand that we have certain rules here that are essential to the smooth functioning of our operation. PUPKIN Sure. Sure. WIRTZ And that without these rules, we really wouldn't be able to function at our best. You follow my point? PUPKIN nods. WIRTZ Now one of these rules is that only authorized personnel and those having official business with our organization are permitted on our premises. And that's why I'm asking you, Mr. Pupkin, to cooperate with us. They have reached the elevator and WIRTZ has pushed the button. PUPKIN You want me to leave the building. WIRTZ That's right. It's nothing personal, Mr. Pupkin. Just doing my job. The elevator arrives. WIRTZ signals with his head that PUPKIN should enter. PUPKIN gets in. WIRTZ Have a pleasant day. CUT TO: 55 EXT: STREET OUTSIDE THE LANGFORD BUILDING - DAY PUPKIN comes out and takes up a position outside the door, preparing to wait for LANGFORD. MARSHA sees him and comes over to him. MARSHA Well, did you give it to him? PUPKIN (out of a daze) Huh? MARSHA Did you get my letter to him? PUPKIN He's not in there. MARSHA Look, if you don't want to give it him, okay. I'll get somebody else. But don't try to con me. PUPKIN I told you I'd try and I will. I'm going to wait for him right here. MARSHA Give me the envelope, huh? PUPKIN Sure, but ... MARSHA I saw him go in myself! PUPKIN Who? MARSHA Jerry! PUPKIN But they said he wasn't in. MARSHA Just give me the envelope. PUPKIN When did he go in? MARSHA Ten minutes ago! That's when. PUPKIN You sure? MARSHA Look, I saw him my ... PUPKIN And he hasn't come out? MARSHA I've been standing right here. Now how about it? PUPKIN turns and goes back into the building. MARSHA yells after him. MARSHA I'm staying right here! CUT TO: 56 INT: RECEPTION AREA OF THE JERRY LANGFORD OFFICES PUPKIN enters briskly and goes up to the RECEPTIONIST. PUPKIN (with authority) Tell Jerry Langford I'm here, please. RECEPTIONIST I'm sorry, sir. Mr. Langford's not in. PUPKIN I happen to know he is. So would you please tell him I'm here. RECEPTIONIST I'm sorry. He's not in. PUPKIN You're putting your job on the line, lady. The RECEPTIONIST starts making a call inside. PUPKIN glances at her and walks right in to the inner corridors. He starts peering into the open doors of the offices that line the corridor. The whole place is like a gigantic maze. OFFICE PERSONNEL pass by him, taking no notice of him. He continues wandering around desperately, completely lost. A few beat later, he spots WIRTZ leading a pair of SECURITY GUARDS. PUPKIN keeps peering into offices quickly as he flees. The GUARDS and WIRTZ finally catch up to PUPKIN at the steno pool and, after a brief chase around the pool, they catch PUPKIN and subdue him. They start dragging him out past the eyes of the OFFICE PERSONNEL. PUPKIN (calling as he is dragged) Jerry! Jerry! (to WIRTZ) You're going the have a hell of a lot of explaining to do! (calling) Jerry! WIRTZ You had your warning, Mr. Krupkin. PUPKIN Jerry! Help me. Jerry! CUT TO: A CLOSE-UP of PUPKIN as he is dragged out. PUPKIN (screaming) Jerry! CUT TO: 57 EXT: LANGFORD BUILDING LOBBY AND EXIT - DAY WE WATCH the SECURITY GUARDS and WIRTZ pitch PUPKIN out into the street. WIRTZ If we see your face again, Mr. Pupkin, we'll call the police. PUPKIN Start looking for a new job! MARSHA comes straight up to PUPKIN who is brushing himself off. His eyes are glazed and distant. MARSHA Well? PUPKIN Huh? MARSHA Does he have it? PUPKIN (abstractedly) Don't worry. I'll get it to him. MARSHA Yeah? When? There is a pause. PUPKIN This weekend. He asked me to go out there, to his house. CUT TO: 58 THE BAR-RESTAURANT WHERE RITA WORKS - DAY PUPKIN enters the bar-restaurant. Through the window WE SEE him talking to RITA. He is voluble, animated. She looks skeptical, with a wry smile on her face. Finally WE WATCH him extract an answer from her. She shrugs, smiles and says yes. He comes walking out the door, his hounded expression softened by a smile. CUT TO: 59 INT: THE FITTING AREA OF A MEN'S STORE - DAY WE WATCH PUPKIN getting fitted in a new suit, attended by a SALESMAN and a TAILOR. CUT TO: 60 INT: LUGGAGE SHOP - DAY WE WATCH PUPKIN buy a suitcase. CUT TO: 61 INT: CARTIER'S JEWELERS - DAY WE WATCH PUPKIN perusing the beautiful diamond, sapphire, and emerald rings and we take a few moments to PAN OVER these beautiful jewels as he sees them. Finally, he picks out a splendid ring with a single, middle-sized sapphire and hands a surprised SALESLADY the money in cash. CUT TO: 62 INT: SUBURBAN TRAIN - DAY PUPKIN and RITA are seated side by side. Since it is Saturday morning, the train is sparsely populated. A CONDUCTOR has just finished taking PUPKIN's tickets. RITA is edgy. PUPKIN is strangely calm and a little remote. He is wearing his new suit. RITA What are we going to do? PUPKIN (patiently) Look, I told you, I've got some work to discuss with him. That's all. RITA But what about me? PUPKIN You're with me. RITA That's fine, but while you two are talking, what am I going to do? PUPKIN You can chat with the other guests. RITA I'm sure they'll be thrilled hearing about the wonderful world of draft beer. (pause) Let's tell 'em I'm a model, okay? PUPKIN What? RITA If they ask what I do, let's just say I model. You don't mind pretending just a little, do you? PUPKIN If it make you feel better. There is a pause. RITA This is a gas! Too bad nobody'll believe it. (pause) After you guys are done working, what happens? Are we going out someplace, or what? PUPKIN I'm sure Jerry has something arranged. There is another pause. RITA What do these people do for fun? Do they party or do freaky things or just get drunk or ... I mean, What do they do? PUPKIN I guess they just sit around and talk and enjoy each other's company, like anybody else. RITA Talk?!? What can you talk about for three or four hours?! PUPKIN What do you mean? They've got plenty to talk about. They do things. All kinds of interesting things happen to them and then they talk about them. What do you think Jerry's show is all about? RITA Yeah, a cocktail party with no drinks. That's what all those shows are. At least they help you get to sleep. There is a pause. RITA (glumly) Boy, this is going to be some great weekend. I thought we were gonna have some fun. PUPKIN (smiling) Just take it easy, Rita. Everything's going to be fine. WE MOVE IN for a CLOSE-UP of PUPKIN who is fading out. FADE TO: 63 EXT: A NEO-CLASSICAL MANSION It is a large white house with colonial columns set in the middle of a palatial estate whose rolling lawns are punctuated with fine old trees. We circle around to the back where LANGFORD, a handful of his FRIENDS (which can be familiar television celebrities) and PUPKIN and RITA are just finishing a lavish lunch on the patio. A pair of SERVANTS are clearing the table and serving the coffee and desert as the scene unfolds. As we arrive, we hear a loud burst of laughter. PUPKIN is regaling the COMPANY with stories. PUPKIN Oh, you have no idea how bad it's gotten in New York. Now the muggers are so efficient that, each time they jump you, they take your name and address and put you on a mailing list. (the COMPANY chuckles) And once you're on the list, you're in real trouble, like this friend of mine who was mugged thirty-two times on his way home from work. (a little laughter from the COMPANY) A SERVANT places the desert, a little, elegant tart, in front of PUPKIN and RITA. PUPKIN (to SERVANT) Thanks. The SERVANT smiles. As PUPKIN continues his story, he glances occasionally at RITA who has begun to nibble at her tart. PUPKIN also glances conspiratorially at LANGFORD who smiles back. PUPKIN So what my friend does is get himself a dog, one of those huge German Shepherds. One night, he's walking the dog in Central Park when he hears this voice behind him. (in a German accent) Okay, Harry, drop your vallet and keep your hantz over your head or I bite your little fanny off. The COMPANY breaks up. ONE GUEST (to LANGFORD) Looks like you've found yourself a winner, Jerry. LANGFORD (looking at PUPKIN) He's the one who found himself a winner. RITA looks up, smiles and blushes. The rest of the COMPANY smiles benignly and grows attentive as RITA returns to eating her tart. Suddenly she bites down on something hard. She fishes it out of her mouth and looks at it. The COMPANY giggles. It is the ring PUPKIN purchased at Cartier's. The COMPANY applauds lightly and laughs. LANGFORD lifts his wine glass. LANGFORD To Rita and Rupert -- a short engagement and a long, happy marriage. The COMPANY drinks with murmurs of "Hear! Hear!" RITA and PUPKIN beam. RITA looks lovingly at PUPKIN. A SECOND GUEST (the PUPKIN) Have you set a date? PUPKIN (looking pointedly at LANGFORD) Oh, yes. A THIRD GUEST I hope we're all invited. PUPKIN Everyone's invited. CUT TO: 64 INT: THE LANGFORD TELEVISION STUDIO The theater is packed. World Series bunting hangs from the balcony and the front of the stage. We hear RICK ROSS and the ORCHESTRA strike up Mendelssohn's Wedding March. Down one aisle walks RITA, accompanied by the MAN whom PUPKIN hit over the head at the bar. Down the other aisle marches PUPKIN, accompanied by LANGFORD. The AUDIENCE cheers wildly. The two COUPLES walk to the stage where a white- haired OFFICIAL awaits them. BERT CANTER stands at his side. PUPKIN and RITA disengage from their ESCORTS and stand before the OFFICIAL. The music stops and the AUDIENCE grows quiet. OFFICIAL We are met here in these extraordinary circumstances to join this man and this woman in holy wedlock. But, before we begin, let me voice a personal word of thanks to you, Rupert and to you, Rita, for choosing me to perform this prestigious ceremony. Because we are on prime time, I am going to discard my customary remarks in favor of a few personal reflections. When I was principal at Clifton High and these two were students, I had very little faith that Rupert here would amount to very much. But like his teachers and his fellow students, I underestimated this fine young man. Some say that this misjudgment is directly tied to my recent dismissal as head of the Clifton School System. But let me take this opportunity to set the record straight. Knowing that Rupert and Rita here were most certainly destined for a great career and a lifetime of happiness, I voluntarily stepped down. I would only here add my own wishes to those of millions of viewers for their continued health, wealth and boundless success. The OFFICIAL looks quickly past RITA and PUPKIN. OFFICIAL We'll be back to marry them in a minute, right after this word. FADE TO: 65 INT: THE TRAIN - DAY PUPKIN and RITA are seated as they were. We hear the CONDUCTOR calling. CONDUCTOR'S VOICE Greenwich. Greenwich next stop. Greenwich. PUPKIN and RITA grab their small suitcases and quickly move down the aisle towards the door. CUT TO: 66 INT: A SUBURBAN TAXI - DAY RITA is peering out the window. PUPKIN is still lost in thought. RITA Look at that one. How'd you like to live in that?!?! Or that one! What do you figure these run? The taxi stops in front of a walled lot behind which is visible a handsome English stucco home. PUPKIN (to DRIVER) What's this? DRIVER This is it. RITA It's gorgeous! PUPKIN is genuinely puzzled. PUPKIN (to DRIVER) You sure? DRIVER Look, friend, I wouldn't want to tell you how many times I made this trip. (pause) That'll be three seventy-five. PUPKIN, still puzzled, hands him a five dollar bill. PUPKIN (abstractedly) Keep it. The DRIVER gets out and puts PUPKIN and RITA's bags, which he had stacked on the front seat, onto the sidewalk. DRIVER Thanks. If you need a ride back, just ask the guy for Wayne. That's me. The CAMERA PULLS BACK as PUPKIN opens the gate and he and RITA walk up the drive. CUT TO: 67 EXT: LANGFORD'S HOUSE - DAY PUPKIN and RITA stand before the front door. PUPKIN rings, After a few beats, the door is opened by an Indonesian HOUSEBOY. PUPKIN walks in right past him, RITA following behind. CUT TO: 68 INT: LANGFORD'S HOUSE - DAY PUPKIN hands the HOUSEBOY the two suitcases as he talks. PUPKIN You must be Jonno. I'm Rupert Pupkin and this is Rita Keane. Mr. Langford's expecting us. Jonno nods politely but uncertainly. JONNO (uncertain) Mr. Langford asked you to come? PUPKIN That's right. Would you mind taking those up? Jerry and I have some work that may oblige me to stay overnight. JONNO But Mr. Langford's not here. PUPKIN Out playing golf, right? JONNO (still puzzled and unsure) That's right. PUPKIN Maybe he'll finally break a hundred. JONNO Maybe it's better if you came back ... PUPKIN (interrupting) That's alright. We don't mind waiting. PUPKIN walks from the foyer into the living-room, leaving JONNO staring after him holding the bags. RITA walks into the living room after PUPKIN. RITA (worried) The table's only set for one. PUPKIN That's from breakfast. Relax, will you? CUT TO: 69 INT: LANGFORD'S KITCHEN - DAY JONNO is on the phone. A black lady COOK stands at his side. JONNO (into the phone) Let me talk to Jerry Langford please ... I know he is ... It's important. CUT TO: 70 INT: LANGFORD'S LIVING ROOM - DAY It is a handsomely furnished room, done in old American antiques and other tasteful pieces. There is a grand piano heavy with pictures in one corner and wall-to-wall bookshelves that are mostly full and mixed with a balance of classics and modern popular reading. The whole room marks LANGFORD as a man of discernment. The shelves also house a fine stereo and a small, discreet bar. RITA and PUPKIN walk in like strangers in paradise, awed by the obvious elegance and expense the room reflects. PUPKIN (as though he owned it) How do you like it? RITA (admiringly) I could live here. PUPKIN (smiling proudly) It's the only way to live. RITA stands in the center of the room, ill at ease, while PUPKIN strolls about comfortably, picking up an ashtray here, a cigarette case there, inspecting the artifacts for inscriptions, clues, hints about LANGFORD's character and life. RITA How come he isn't here? PUPKIN You heard the guy. He's out playing golf. RITA Didn't you tell him when we'd get here? PUPKIN continues to move about the room, fielding RITA's suspicious inquiries effortlessly. PUPKIN We didn't have time to iron out the details. Now just relax. We're the first guests, that's all. RITA (interrupting) That Jonno character hadn't even heard of us! PUPKIN (a little irritated) It probably slipped Jerry's mind. He has better things to think about than what he tells his houseboy. RITA It's just not time way I expected it, that's all. There is a pause. PUPKIN continues his investigation. He has moved to the grand piano in the rear of the room. RITA What do we do now? PUPKIN is looking at a picture of an American Gothic couple standing in front of a wood-frame house. As he comments on the pictures, the CAMERA PANS over them. They form a kind of slide-show of LANGFORD's life. PUPKIN These are Jerry's parents. His father runs the Post office in Wolverine -- that's in North Dakota. PUPKIN then fixes on a picture of an eleven-year-old boy standing next to a puppet stage with a puppet (obviously held by the boy) staring at its master. PUPKIN This one was in Newsweek. He started giving these puppet shows when he was still in grade school. WE SEE a picture of a very young LANGFORD seated before a microphone with some celebrity. PUPKIN And this is from his quiz show in St. Louis. Can you believe it? RITA Sure I can. PUPKIN That was the name of the show. WE MOVE to a picture of LANGFORD smiling at JACK PAAR. PUPKIN And here's when he wrote for Jack Paar. He made a hundred and fifty a week and look at him now. Another picture of LANGFORD with a group of women sitting in a studio. PUPKIN And this is his morning show. A picture of LANGFORD standing in a park with his two boys, eleven and eight. PUPKIN And his kids. He's divorced. RITA, who has been only half-listening, has picked up a small, beautifully enameled cigarette box. RITA Look at this. I love these kind of things. Look at the work. I've got this thing about boxes. RITA puts it down reluctantly, picks it up, then puts it down again. CUT TO: 71 INT: THE KITCHEN - DAY JONNO is holding the phone, waiting. The COOK stands, looking at him. JONNO Mr. Langford? ... I'm sorry to disturb you ... CUT TO: 72 INT: THE LIVING ROOM - DAY RITA has just finished fixing herself a drink. She takes a large sip and starts pacing around. PUPKIN is seated. RITA How much longer are we gonna have to wait? PUPKIN I don't know. Until he gets back. RITA. Do we have to just sit here? PUPKIN He should be back pretty soon. RITA Doesn't he have any music or anything? Let's get a little life into this place. It's like a funeral parlor. She walks over to the stereo and opens the cupboard beneath it, revealing rows and rows of records. RITA This is more like it. She pulls out a record. PUPKIN Come on, Rita. RITA Come on, yourself. She puts the record on. Frank Sinatra starts singing "They Can't Take That Away From Me." She takes a big sip of her drink, puts it down and comes over to PUPKIN. RITA How about a little spin, handsome? PUPKIN (pulling back) Here? RITA snuggles into PUPKIN and starts dancing him around. He resists feebly. RITA Come on, Rupert. I came up here for a good time. PUPKIN gives in and starts dancing with her in the style of the 1950's, elbow out, arm up, box step. After a few moments, PUPKIN closes his eyes. He has reached a moment of perfect bliss, his dream girl in is arms. They dance silently as we hear Sinatra singing. SINATRA'S VOICE The way you wore your hat, The way we danced till three, The memory of all that -- Oh no, they can't take that away from me, No ... they can't take that away ... from ... me. The orchestra plays. RITA You never could dance, could you? PUPKIN How would you know? RITA Oh I danced with you a couple of times -- at the Sigma U party. PUPKIN You were there with Tommy Winston. RITA You didn't ask me. PUPKIN That's the one time I did ask you and you went with him anyway. RITA Well, I couldn't go with you! PUPKIN Why not? RITA Be serious, Rupert. CUT TO: 73 INT: THE DINING ROOM - DAY JONNO stands a few feet from the kitchen door, staring at RITA and PUPKIN dancing in the living room, an unbelieving, anxious expression on his face. CUT TO: 74 INT: THE LIVING ROOM - DAY The music has stopped momentarily and PUPKIN and RITA disengage. PUPKIN looks lovingly at RITA. PUPKIN Well, it's all ended happily and that's what counts. RITA grows jumpy under his gaze. She looks around. RITA I wonder what the rest of this place looks like? PUPKIN I'm sure it's all very nice. RITA (gaily) Well, there's only one way to find out. RITA scampers over to the stairs and pauses on the first step. RITA You coming or not? RITA bounds up the stairs. PUPKIN Rita! CAMERA FOLLOWS PUPKIN up the stairs. CUT TO: 75 INT: UPSTAIRS - DAY There is no sign of RITA. PUPKIN Where are you? There is no answer. CAMERA FOLLOWS PUPKIN from room to room. They are all guest rooms, neat, pretty, clean. PUPKIN Come on, Rita. This isn't funny. Finally, PUPKIN opens the door to another room. CUT TO: 76 INT: A BEDROOM - DAY It is clearly LANGFORD's bedroom with a few clothes strewn about, and other signs of being lived in. RITA lies on the bed. PUPKIN (shocked) What are you doing, Rita? RITA I love it! All those millions of women out there dying to change places with me right now. PUPKIN Come on. We shouldn't be here. RITA Relax, will you. Let me have a little fun, for Christ's sake. RITA gets off the bed and runs into the john. CUT TO: 77 INT: A LAVISH BATHROOM - DAY RITA Look at this. It's nicer than my whole apartment. PUPKIN enters the large, beautifully done bathroom. RITA examines her face in the mirror. PUPKIN (urgently) Let's go, Rita. RITA Boy, I really need some sun. PUPKIN Rita, this is Jerry's ... RITA Lay off, will you, Rupert. PUPKIN But we have no right ... RITA picks up a can of shave cream and squirts a large dollop in PUPKIN's face. WE COME IN for a CLOSE UP of PUPKIN's face, buried under shaving cream. PUPKIN That wasn't funny, Rita. RITA hands him a towel. RITA Here. She looks around. RITA Now for something that smells nice. She swings open the cabinet with a flourish. The door swings open violently and the mirror shatters against something as pills and bottles tumble into the sink. PUPKIN and RITA stand there, staring at each other. RITA begins to laugh, but her laugh is cut short by the slam of the downstairs door. CUT TO: 78 INT: THE FOYER LANGFORD has entered, drawn and businesslike. JONNO and the COOK have moved out to greet him. LANGFORD (looking around) Where are they? JONNO I was going to call the police but then I thought to myself 'what if they are Mr. Langford's friends?' We hear some whispers and scuffling at the top of the stairs. LANGFORD, JONNO and the COOK look up. PUPKIN comes bounding down the stairs jauntily with RITA following cautiously behind. PUPKIN has large traces of shaving cream behind his ears and on his neck. PUPKIN Hi, Jerry. We were just freshening up. PUPKIN stops at the base of the stairs, turns around, and waves RITA down. PUPKIN (to RITA) Come on, Rita. No need to be shy. PUPKIN smiles conspiratorially at LANGFORD. RITA comes slowly down. PUPKIN Jerry, I'd like you to meet Rita Keane. Rita, say hello to Jerry! RITA (tentatively) Pleased to meet you. LANGFORD nods imperceptibly, his face tense, his eyes alert. RITA, reading her frigid reception, looks to PUPKIN who walks blithely past LANGFORD into the living room, toward the bar. PUPKIN What's your pleasure? PUPKIN glances at the small mess he has left on the bar and turns back to LANGFORD who has moved into the living room with JONNO and the COOK a few steps behind. PUPKIN flashes LANGFORD an apologetic smile. PUPKIN (to LANGFORD) We've already taken the liberty, so to speak. Rita was a little nervous. It isn't every day she meets someone like you. LANGFORD What's going on here? PUPKIN We've been sitting around, waiting. That's all. How was your golf game? JONNO I told them you weren't here. COOK That's right. PUPKIN He did, Jerry. He was very helpful. We had to take an early train. There was nothing else until after one. (pause) I brought the material. It's upstairs, in my bags. (pause) Where is everybody? LANGFORD Who? PUPKIN The other guests! (in a confidential tone) We're getting a little hungry, to tell you the truth. LANGFORD (as though confirming what PUPKIN said) You are. PUPKIN (backing off) But we don't mind waiting, do we, Rita? RITA says nothing. She has sensed something terribly wrong and is slowly backing away from PUPKIN. LANGFORD You know, I could have you arrested, both of you. PUPKIN (seizing the idea) You know you could! And there'd be absolutely no way we could prove we belonged here. I never thought of that. LANGFORD Well, you should have before you ... PUPKIN (still fixed on the idea) Maybe we could work up a routine about that, about a guy who throws all his friends in jail. Let's talk about that. LANGFORD (sharply) Let's not. PUPKIN Sure, Jerry. Whatever you ... LANGFORD (exasperated) Look, if you've got something for me to sign, let's have it and get it over with so I can get back ... PUPKIN (interrupting) That wouldn't be right, Jerry. Not in your own house! LANGFORD (summoning his last bit of patience) I have a lot of work to get to. (to JONNO) How did they get here? PUPKIN We took a taxi, Jerry ... But don't worry about us. You go ahead and do your work and we'll just take a stroll around until lunch is ready. LANGFORD You're a little thick, aren't you? PUPKIN (smiling as though complimented) Well, maybe a ... RITA What's he's saying, Rupert, is that he wants us out. PUPKIN Don't listen to her, Jerry. She doesn't understand anything about us. RITA Don't get me into this. LANGFORD (to JONNO) Call the station. JONNO goes back into the foyer, followed by the COOK. LANGFORD There'll be a cab here in a few minutes. Now if you'll just wait at the gate ... PUPKIN Look, Jerry, if I've said anything out of line, let's chalk it up to inexperience, okay? I'll just go upstairs and get my tape and we can start working. It shouldn't take long and then you'll have the rest of the afternoon to yourself. LANGFORD I've told you just as clearly as I can. I want you out of here and I want you out now. Scram, beat it, vamoose, out! Is that plain enough! RITA deftly pockets the enamel box. PUPKIN But what about my material? When are we going to go over it? RITA Come on, Rupert, the man wants us to go. PUPKIN Tell her she's wrong, Jerry! RITA Look, Mr. Langford. I didn't know anything about all this. I hardly know this guy. I haven't seen him in years. PUPKIN Rita! RITA So if there's anything I can do, any way I can make this up to you. PUPKIN She's nothing, Jerry. She's just some girl who works in a bar. Don't let her spoil things. LANGFORD starts herding RITA and PUPKIN towards the door. LANGFORD Come on. Let's go. PUPKIN All I'm asking is fifteen minutes. That's all. Just long enough to listen to my act. Is that asking too much -- fifteen minutes of your day against my whole life? LANGFORD I'll call the police if I have to. LANGFORD realizes he is being hard. He stops for a moment. LANGFORD I have my own life, that's all. PUPKIN But what about me, Jerry? What about my life? I made plans -- based on what you said. You can't just turn your back on me. LANGFORD I'm not telling you again. There is a long pause as the truth finally sinks in. PUPKIN just stares at LANGFORD with disbelief that turns to anger. PUPKIN So this is the way it works when you're big, huh? You just play with people. Is that part of the kick, Jerry? (pause) I can see I was all wrong about you. All wrong. RITA starts tugging at PUPKIN. RITA Come on, Rupert. PUPKIN (to RITA) Shut up! (to LANGFORD) You weren't my friend at all, were you? You were just playing some kind of game with me. Well, that's not going to stop me, Jerry. I'm just going to work a little bit harder, that's all, use a little bit more enterprise. And not count on anybody. That's where I made my mistake. I can see that now. PUPKIN picks up the pair of small suitcases. PUPKIN (glaring at LANGFORD) Come on, Rita. We're wasting our time. CUT TO: 79 EXT. LANGFORD'S FRONT DOOR - DAY PUPKIN strides out with RITA following. She casts LANGFORD an apologetic glance as she goes. The door slams behind them. They walk down the path silently for a few moments as the CAMERA PULLS UP, following them in an OVERHEAD SHOT. We hear them start talking as they make their way towards the gate. RITA (baffled and angry) What did you think was going to happen? You think he'd just ... ? What's the matter with you? (pause) You can't just walk into a guy's house! And what about me? What did you ... PUPKIN (interrupting in a calm but firm voice) Shut up, Rita. I'm thinking. CUT TO: 80 EXT: OUTSIDE THE U.N. PLAZA - DAY CUT TO: 81 INT: A NEW MERCEDES BENZ - DAY MARSHA sits at the wheel of this lavishly appointed sedan, her face made up as though she were going to a fancy party. PUPKIN sits on the other side of the front seat. His ex- pression has changed somewhat from the PUPKIN we have seen. He is less wide-eyed, less innocent, tougher. MARSHA (whining) How much longer?!? PUPKIN Do you want him or not? There is a pause. MARSHA You sure he's in there? PUPKIN Certain. MARSHA (with obvious delight) My parents are going to be furious! PUPKIN pulls a toy revolver from his jacket pocket and looks it over. MARSHA glances at it. MARSHA It looks real. PUPKIN That's the whole point. (gesturing with his head towards the entrance of the building which is some 50 yards away) Pay attention. MARSHA looks towards the entrance. A few beats pass. MARSHA What if he doesn't come down? PUPKIN He will. MARSHA But what if he doesn't? PUPKIN We'll come back tomorrow. MARSHA And wait again? PUPKIN Look, you're going to have him all to yourself. What else do you want? A MAN resembling LANGFORD walks out the entrance. PUPKIN Is that him?!? MARSHA No. PUPKIN You sure? MARSHA Sure I'm sure. That looks too much like him. PUPKIN What do you mean? MARSHA When it's him it doesn't look like him. PUPKIN Keep watching. PUPKIN closes his eyes and rests for a moment. MARSHA That's him. PUPKIN's eyes snap open. WE SEE LANGFORD, concealed in his trench coat, dark glasses and tightly pulled cap start walking east. MARSHA What should I do? PUPKIN Wait a second and follow him. CUT TO: 82 EXT: A STREET GOING EAST - DAY LANGFORD is walking innocently towards his offices. The Mercedes prowls a quarter of a block behind. CUT TO: 83 INT: THE MERCEDES - DAY MARSHA What about here? PUPKIN Too busy. Keep going. CUT TO: 84 EXT: ANOTHER EASTBOUND STREET - DAY LANGFORD continues walking. The street is practically empty. CUT TO: 85 INT: MERCEDES - DAY PUPKIN Go past him and stop. CUT TO: 86 EXT: THE SAME EASTBOUND STREET - DAY WE STAY with LANGFORD as he walks. WE SEE the Mercedes pull past him. Suddenly PUPKIN is IN THE FRAME, walking side by side with LANGFORD. PUPKIN Just keep walking or I'll kill you right here. LANGFORD looks at PUPKIN in terror. He falters a bit, out of fear. PUPKIN I said keep walking. This is a gun in my pocket and I've got nothing to lose. LANGFORD (who keeps walking) What do you want? PUPKIN Just keep walking and don't talk to anybody. I'll tell you what to do. A MAN coming the other way stops and stares at LANGFORD out of curiosity. PUPKIN and LANGFORD keep walking. They get to where the Mercedes is waiting. PUPKIN jabs LANGFORD in the ribs with the gun. PUPKIN Get in! LANGFORD Look, this is ... PUPKIN (interrupting) Just shut up and get in. LANGFORD gets in the front seat. PUPKIN follows. CUT TO: 87 INT: THE MERCEDES - DAY LANGFORD moves to the middle of the front seat. MARSHA Hi, Jerry. LANGFORD looks over and recognizes MARSHA. A CLOSE UP records his reaction of sheer terror. CUT TO: 88 EXT: A BROWNSTONE-LINED STREET IN THE EAST EIGHTIES - DAY WE SEE LANGFORD get out of the Mercedes which is parked in front of a fire hydrant. LANGFORD follows MARSHA into a brownstone. PUPKIN walks behind LANGFORD. CUT TO: 89 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - DAY PUPKIN, LANGFORD and MARSHA enter. It is an absolutely stunning studio apartment, furnished lavishly by Marsha's parents for their daughter in antique furniture suitable for a woman of fifty. MARSHA has imprinted her own stamp on the apartment in two ways: First, the place is abso- lutely chaotic. Secondly, there are a number of blow-up pictures on the wall. A picture of LANGFORD sits on the bureau. There is a big brass bed with an ornate brass frame at the foot. LANGFORD stares at MARSHA and PUPKIN. PUPKIN closes the blinds and turns on the lights. MARSHA trains the gun on LANGFORD. PUPKIN finishes his work and takes the gun back. PUPKIN I didn't like being so rough out there, Jerry. But I wanted you to know that I meant business. I didn't want anything happening to you over some misunderstanding. LANGFORD just stares at him, frozen with fear. PUPKIN Now I know you're wondering what this is all about. Actually you've got nothing to worry about. You just do what I tell you and by, say, midnight, you'll be safe and out of here. Of course if you try anything clever, I'll kill you -- or Marsha will. She knows how to use this too. LANGFORD You realize what you're saying. PUPKIN Come on, Jerry. This isn't a spur of the moment thing. Give me a little credit, will you. PUPKIN looks over to a small phone table with a chair next to it. He motions to it with his head. PUPKIN (to LANGFORD) Sit down. LANGFORD docilely sits by the phone. PUPKIN Now, you're going to call your office and tell them this: that unless a man who identifies himself as the King is allowed on the show tonight as the first guest, they'll never see you alive again. LANGFORD What? PUPKIN I'll say it again ... CUT TO: 90 INT: BERT THOMAS' OFFICE - DAY It is a large office in two pieces. A SECRETARY sits in the smaller part next to the door of the larger section. Her phone is ringing. She answers. THOMAS' SECRETARY Bert Thomas! ... He's in a meeting, Mr. Langford ... I see. CUT TO: 91 INT: A CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY THOMAS, a young, trim executive in his late thirties, in modish dress, sits at the table with several other PEOPLE, including CATHY LONG. They are sipping coffee from con- tainers. There are memos and lists and other papers on the table. The SECRETARY stands at the doorway. THOMAS and the others are looking up at her. SECRETARY He says it's urgent. THOMAS (smiling) Yeah? Well, tell him I'll call him back. (to the others) It's that Martino kid, the impressionist. CUT TO: 92 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT -- DAY LANGFORD sits by the phone with PUPKIN a few steps away, holding the gun and MARSHA looking on. LANGFORD looks desperate. PUPKIN Then try again! CUT TO: 93 INT: BERT THOMAS' OFFICE - DAY An irked BERT THOMAS wearily picks up the phone. THOMAS Yeah? ... Okay, Martino, let's stop the bullshit ... what? ... Okay, I'm listening. WE WATCH THOMAS' expression as it turns from skepticism to concern bordering on alarm. THOMAS Give me that again? ... Wait a minute. What do we call our second cameraman? CUT TO: 94 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - DAY The scene is as before, only now LANGFORD is sweating a bit. LANGFORD (into the phone) Helen Keller. PUPKIN (warning) No tricks, Jerry. CUT TO: 95 INT: BERT THOMAS' OFFICE - DAY THOMAS is still at the phone. THOMAS Don't do anything, Jerry. Stay right there. Tell him we'll do anything he wants. Tell him to cool it. Are you okay? ... Look, tell him to call us about five, okay. We'll let him know what to do. And don't do anything stupid. THOMAS puts down the phone. THOMAS (calls to his SECRETARY) Vivien! THOMAS' SECRETARY appears at the doorway. THOMAS Get me the number of the F.B.I. right away. And get me Crockett's office. And keep your mouth shut about this. CUT TO: 96 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - DAY LANGFORD is standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, wearing a sweater that matches the patch of cloth we saw in the envelope MARSHA gave PUPKIN. PUPKIN is still training his pistol on LANGFORD and MARSHA is appraising the fit. MARSHA (to PUPKIN) What do you think? PUPKIN Looks fine. MARSHA (to LANGFORD) I had to guess on the sleeves. (to PUPKIN) He gets to keep it, doesn't he? PUPKIN Sure, if he isn't dead. CUT TO: 97 INT: THOMAS' OFFICE - DAY THOMAS is on the phone. THOMAS (panicky) I know he's in a meeting and I don't care. I've got to talk to him! ... No, he can not call me back. Don't you understand? This is an emergency ... NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! CUT TO: 98 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - DAY LANGFORD is seated on a chair whose back is pressed right up against the high, ornate brass bedstead at the foot of the bed. MARSHA trains the gun on LANGFORD now. PUPKIN is unpacking a suitcase. He takes out a handsome blue suit, ruffled shirt, a bow tie, black shoes, underwear, socks, shaving equipment, soap, a hairbrush, a clothesbrush, a small shoe shine kit, aftershave lotion, deodorant and a dozen or so rolls of inch-and-a-half wide adhesive tape. He removes this stuff from a suitcase that is barely big enough to hold it -- so the mere packing of all this para- phernalia into such a small space represents something of an achievement. As he takes the stuff out, he talks to LANGFORD, his back turned to him. PUPKIN This wasn't an easy decision for me, Jerry, believe me. For one thing, I knew it meant we could never be friends again and that hurt me. It's hard to lose a friend, even one who has let you down. You always hope you can patch things up. You know, a guy like me doesn't make friends that easily. PUPKIN pauses a moment, then turns to LANGFORD, his voice filled with emotion. PUPKIN Why didn't you just listen to the tape when I asked you? Then I wouldn't have to be doing all this. Was it really too much to expect -- a few minutes of your time to listen to something I'd worked on my whole life? LANGFORD's eyes shift rapidly. He is obviously calculating how to deal with PUPKIN. LANGFORD (with disarming charm) Hey, if that's what's bothering you, let's go over to my office and listen to that tape right now. PUPKIN Are you crazy, Jerry? Do you know what would happen to me? MARSHA listens to this exchange a bit nervously. Gesturing to her gun, she says: MARSHA Am I going to have to hold this thing all day? PUPKIN sees she has lowered it practically to her side. PUPKIN (to MARSHA) Just keep it on him. (to LANGFORD) You know, Jerry. Friendship is a two- way street. All that time I was worrying about you and your ratings and everything, you couldn't have cared less about me. LANGFORD thinks rapidly for a beat or two. LANGFORD You're right. You know that? I was thoughtless. It's just that when you're doing a big show, it's hard to tell who your friends really are. I was wrong. I apologize. Why don't we just shake hands and forget the whole thing? PUPKIN (suspiciously) That's easy to say, Jerry. LANGFORD But I mean it. I'll tell them that the whole thing was a joke and then we can go to my office and listen to that tape. Come on. What do you say? LANGFORD rises with his hand extended toward PUPKIN. MARSHA (to LANGFORD, sharply) Sit down! LANGFORD looks to PUPKIN. MARSHA I said sit! LANGFORD reluctantly sits down. PUPKIN (to MARSHA) What's the matter? You heard what he said. MARSHA All of a sudden, with a gun on him, he wants to make up and be friends. And, once he's out the door, what happens then? PUPKIN What happens then, Jerry? MARSHA You get to his office and they jump you, that's what happens, Rupert. PUPKIN She's right, Jerry. LANGFORD Not if I tell them not to. This is Jerry, Rupert, I give you my word. PUPKIN (to MARSHA) He gives me his word. MARSHA Yeah? And what else? Come on, Rupert, I'm sick of waiting. PUPKIN And what else, Jerry? LANGFORD Come on, Rupert. My word's good enough, isn't it. PUPKIN stares at LANGFORD for a few beats. Then he shakes his head sadly and says in a very quiet, discouraged voice. PUPKIN No, Jerry. It's not. (to MARSHA) Keep the gun up! PUPKIN comes over to LANGFORD with a few rolls of adhesive tape in his hand. PUPKIN I'm sorry to do it this way, Jerry, but I'm no good at knots. Just put your arms up and out, okay? LANGFORD spreads his arms back against the brass bedstead. As PUPKIN goes to tape them, LANGFORD tries to grab him, but, with sudden, demonic force, PUPKIN pins him against the bedstead. They are practically nose to nose. PUPKIN Oh, no, Jerry. None of that. Now hold still. CUT TO: 99 INT: A LARGE EXECUTIVE OFFICE - DAY We are in the office of WILSON CROCKETT, president of the National Broadcasting Network. CROCKETT sits behind his desk, facing a group which includes several other NETWORK EXECUTIVES, BERT THOMAS, CATHY LONG, F.B.I. INSPECTOR PATTEN, and his assistant, GIARDELLO. They are in the midst of debate. PATTEN Look, I tell you, the bureau is doing everything possible to locate Mr. Langford. Right now our men are out checking out every radical group in this city. AN EXECUTIVE Radical? PATTEN They're willing to sacrifice their leader in order to get their message across, aren't they? You've got to figure that this is a desperate outfit. I don't know who they are anymore than you do. But I do know I've got to stop them. Otherwise, what you're seeing here is just the first of a whole wave of these kinds of kidnappings. THOMAS (upset) Does this mean we're not supposed to put him on?!? PATTEN Who am I addressing, please? CROCKETT That's Bert Thomas. He produces the show. PATTEN I'm only saying, Mr. Thomas, that we can't allow this to reach the public. When the kidnappers call in, of course you're going to be cooperative. Promise them anything they want. After all, this King character is going to have to show up sooner or later. And once we get our hands on him, he'll tell us where Mr. Langford is. PATTEN grinds his fist into his palm. CUT TO: 100 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - DAY WE SEE PUPKIN in the shower, shampooing. CUT TO: 101 INT: THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE The scene is as before. PATTEN Sure. Let him go on if you have to. It's just a taping. You can always erase him afterwards, can't you? (pause) All I'm saying is this: don't put him on the air. THOMAS That's fine, Inspector, but let's say he finishes his bit and you've worked him over ... PATTEN Questioned him, Mr. Thomas. There is light laughter. THOMAS Okay, questioned him and he still won't talk. We get to eleven thirty and what do we do? Do we air him or what? There is a heavy pause. PATTEN I would say no. THOMAS But they might kill Jerry! CROCKETT (breaking in) Okay, Burt. (to PATTEN) Thank you, Inspector. We appreciate your position and we'll do all we can to cooperate with you. But I have to tell you right now that, if it comes down to it, we're not taking any chances with Mr. Langford's life. PATTEN I understand but ... CROCKETT (interrupting) If your men haven't been able to locate Mr. Langford by air time, we're going to have to put this King guy on, no matter what he's said. After all, Inspector, what's ten or fifteen minutes of talk show time against a man's life? CUT TO: 102 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - DAY WE SEE PUPKIN in his new suit and ruffled shirt, impeccably groomed, standing next to the bed. He is talking to LANGFORD but we don't see anyone but PUPKIN. PUPKIN Open. (pause) Bite ... Good. He is wrapping LANGFORD's mouth shut but all we see is that he is doing something. PUPKIN Can you breathe? Both ways? In and out? WE PULL BACK TO SEE LANGFORD nodding. He is strapped to the bed with tape and encased like a mummy, only his eyes and nose showing. PUPKIN has wrapped him in tape from tip to toe. MARSHA emerges from the kitchen stirring something. PUPKIN (to MARSHA) You've got until around midnight. Have a good time. (to LANGFORD) So long, Jerry! Wish me luck. PUPKIN leaves. CUT TO: 103 INT: BERT THOMAS' OFFICE - DAY The phone rings. BERT THOMAS' SECRETARY answers. THOMAS' SECRETARY Bert Thomas! Who's calling please? (her voice grows tense) Yes, Mr. King. CUT TO: 104 INT: BERT THOMAS' DESK - DAY THOMAS sits by his phone. There is a large machine, looking like a large tape recorder, attached to the phone and monitoring the call. GIARDELLO is at a second phone and starts placing a call. PATTEN stands next to THOMAS. There are two other PLAINCLOTHESMEN in the room, CROCKETT and CATHY LONG. PATTEN (quietly to THOMAS) Keep him talking. THOMAS nods and picks up the phone. THOMAS Yes? ... Yes, Mr, King. We understand. Everything's been arranged. Now if you'll just tell me a little about the nature of your material, so that we can ... CUT TO: 105 EXT: UPPER EAST SIDE MANHATTAN STREET - DAY PUPKIN stands in a public phonebooth on a streetcorner. PUPKIN (into the phone) I'll tell you everything you need to know at the studio this evening, Mr. Thomas. I appreciate your co- operation. Goodbye. PUPKIN steps out of the booth and starts walking downtown. CUT TO: 106 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - DAY Late afternoon. MARSHA is setting the dining room table for two. She talks as she works. MARSHA I've got so much to tell you I just don't know what to begin with. Are you okay? LANGFORD mumbles incoherently through his gag and tape. MARSHA Good. Tell me if you're not. I guess you're wondering why I do stuff like this. I think it's because I'm a Leo, but my shrink says I'm pathologically rebellious and self-destructive. You don't think I'm self-destructive, do you? LANGFORD, mummified, again mumbles and struggles a bit in his bonds. MARSHA I knew you wouldn't. That's 'cause you're the only person in the world who really understands me. CUT TO: 107 INT: CROCKETT'S OFFICE - DAY CROCKETT sits behind his desk. With him are BERT THOMAS, CATHY LONG and three other EXECUTIVES. CROCKETT Can Randall* sub for Jerry? [*Tony Randall is one of any number of substitute hosts.] THOMAS His agent's calling us back but it looks good. I only told him Jerry's sick. CROCKETT Well, if worse comes to worse, Canter can always carry it. (to CATHY LONG) Let me see your list. CATHY LONG hands CROCKETT a blue piece of paper. He glances over it quickly. CROCKETT Any one of these a writer? THOMAS (pointing to a name on the list) McCabe. The Vanishing Siberian Tiger. CROCKETT He's out. CATHY LONG What if we don't run this King guy? Who'll fill the time? CROCKETT We'll stretch the other guests. But I think we're going to wind up running him. For one thing, we've got to think about Jerry. FIRST EXECUTIVE And from a news point of view, we've got a responsibility to air this story. CROCKETT Exactly, Lou. (pause) I mean, who would you rather watch -- some tiger expert or a live kidnapper. A SECOND EXECUTIVE But nobody's going to know he's a kidnapper. They'll think we've gone crazy. CROCKETT Then they'll read about it in the papers tomorrow and, believe me, tomorrow night, everyone in America will be watching Jerry talk about his experience. And he can put this King guy on rerun. THOMAS You're going to put him on twice? A THIRD EXECUTIVE What if his stuff's unusable? SECOND EXECUTIVE And remember what Patten said about ... CROCKETT Hold on. (pause) We can always edit the guy. And, as for a wave of these things, I just don't buy the idea that there are that many people out there crazy enough to spend their lives in prison for a few minutes on television. CUT TO: 108 EXT: MADISON AVENUE IN THE SIXTIES - DAY PUPKIN walks purposefully down the street. CUT TO: 109 EXT: OUTSIDE THE JERRY LANGFORD SHOW THEATER - DAY The street is quiet. Suddenly three cars pull up and some dozen PLAINCLOTHESMEN get out. Two wait outside the theater; the ten others disappear inside through the backstage entrance. CUT TO: 110 EXT: MIDTOWN MANHATTAN STREET - DAY PUPKIN is now walking cross-town, towards the theater. CUT TO: 111 EXT: LANGFORD THEATER -- DAY A line of some 100 PEOPLE has gathered outside the theater. A sign at the bottom of the poster showing Langford reads "Tonight's Guest Host: Tony Randall." CUT TO: 112 INT: THE TELEVISION STUDIO From the POV of the stage, WE WATCH six PLAINCLOTHESMEN descend into the orchestra and take widely scattered aisle seats. When the last has taken his seat we ... CUT TO: 113 EXT: THE LANGFORD THEATER - DAY Depending on the season, it is either dusk or late afternoon. The USHERS swing the doors open and the TICKETHOLDERS file in. CUT TO: 114 EXT: A MIDTOWN MANHATTAN STREET - DUSK PUPKIN is crossing Broadway, a few blocks from the theater. CUT TO: 115 INT: STUDIO At the center of the stage, a pretty MODEL used solely to test color quality sits in Langford's chair as several MEMBERS of the Tactical Patrol Force admire her considerable cleavage. A number of TECHNICIANS go about their work. CAMERAMEN move to and from their stations. CUT TO: 116 INT: CORRIDOR LEADING FROM THE BACKSTAGE DOOR TO THE STAGE Four PLAINCLOTHESMEN are gathered behind the stage door. They watch ZSA ZSA GABOR (or some other sexy talk show celebrity) enter and then return to talking among themselves. CUT TO: 117 EXT: THE TELEVISION THEATER - DAY TO EARLY EVENING The situation appears normal. Only the regular backstage door GUARD, a big, grey-haired man, stands at the door. Nearby two other young MEN, in colorless suits, stand talking. We WATCH CLARENCE MCCABE, a writer, his plain WIFE and her PARENTS arrive in front of the theater, locate the backstage entrance and present themselves before the GUARD. MCCABE (a bit pompously) Good evening, officer. This is the backstage door I take it? GUARD Your name please? MCCABE Clarence McCabe, the writer. And this is Mrs. McCabe and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Solters of Cleveland. GUARD (checking his list) I'm sorry, sir. I don't see you here. MCCABE I'm on the show tonight, officer. GUARD Well, you're not here. MCCABE (getting a bit agitated) Look, Cathy Long gave me instructions to present myself at a quarter to six. May I see her please? GUARD I'm under strictest orders tonight to admit only authorized personnel. MCCABE (huffy) This is absurd. (to the others) Wait right here. MCCABE marches past the GUARD and rushes to the backstage door. He opens it. The GUARD trails behind. GUARD Stop him! CUT TO: 118 INT: THE BACKSTAGE CORRIDOR - EVENING The four PLAINCLOTHESMEN jump MCCABE and start pulling him downstairs. MCCABE Hey! CUT TO: 119 EXT: OUTSIDE THE THEATER - EVENING PUPKIN arrives at the backstage door. Seeing no one, he walks in. CUT TO: 120 INT: A ROOM IN THE BASEMENT OF THE THEATER - EVENING MCCABE has just been hustled before PATTEN. PATTEN Are you the King? MCCABE looks baffled. CUT TO: 121 INT: BACKSTAGE - EVENING PUPKIN is looking for a familiar face. He approaches a CAMERAMAN. PUPKIN (getting CAMERAMAN's attention) Excuse me. The CAMERAMAN looks up. PUPKIN I'm the King. CAMERAMAN Yeah? CUT TO: 122 INT: THE BASEMENT ROOM - EVENING PATTEN is sitting behind a desk. MCCABE is standing before him, still securely held by four PLAINCLOTHESMEN. PATTEN Don't talk to me about tigers! CUT TO: 123 INT: BACKSTAGE - EVENING. PUPKIN approaches the STAGE MANAGER. PUPKIN (to STAGE MANAGER) I'm the King. STAGE MANAGER (smiling) What can I do for you, your highness? CATHY LONG passes by. She spots PUPKIN, and walks swiftly over. CATHY LONG What are you doing here, Mr. Pupkin?!?! CUT TO: 124 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The lights are dimmed. Music is playing on the phonograph. Two candles burn on the elegantly-set dinner table. MARSHA stands in the middle of the room, in front of LANGFORD. She is singing. LANGFORD is still encased in tape. MARSHA (singing to the music) "I'm gonna love you, Like no one's ever loved you, Come rain or come shine, Happy together, unhappy together, And won't it be fine." CUT TO: 125 INT: THE BASEMENT ROOM - NIGHT Now PUPKIN stands before PATTEN, held by PLAINCLOTHESMEN who frisk him and hand PATTEN the autograph book. GIARDELLO stands next to PATTEN. PATTEN (to the PLAINCLOTHESMEN) I hope you brought me the right guy this time. (to PUPKIN) Where's Jerry Langford? PUPKIN (to GIARDELLO) Are you on the show? PATTEN No, Mr. King. That's my assistant, Mr. Giardello. PUPKIN I want to see someone on the show. PATTEN Well, you tell us where Mr. Langford is and we'll let you see anyone you want. PUPKIN Just get me someone from the show. PATTEN starts browsing through the autograph book. PATTEN Come on, Mr. King. Let's not fool around. (looking up from the book) Should we know about any of these people? PUPKIN (gesturing to the book) That's Orson Bean. PATTEN I see. (to GIARDELLO) Check these out. GIARDELLO starts looking through the autograph book. PATTEN Now are you going to talk to us, or not? PUPKIN Sure I'll talk. Just get me someone from the show. PATTEN (to GIARDELLO) Get that Thomas guy in here. GIARDELLO leaves. PATTEN We haven't much time, Mr. King. PUPKIN looks towards the door. PATTEN Let's start with your name. PUPKIN Rupert Pupkin. PATTEN That's your real name? PUPKIN Yes sir. PATTEN You an American? PUPKIN Yes. PATTEN Then why do you people do these things? THOMAS enters. He scrutinizes PUPKIN. PUPKIN Are you on the show? THOMAS Yes. I'm Bert Thomas. PUPKIN pulls thin piece of neatly typewritten paper from his inside jacket and hands it to THOMAS. PUPKIN Here's the introduction to my act. Please make sure Mr. Randall follows it exactly as I've written it. PATTEN nods to THOMAS who takes the paper and reads it as he leaves. PATTEN Okay. How about helping us, Mr. King? PUPKIN What about make-up? I need make-up. PATTEN (to PLAINCLOTHESMEN) Put some color in his cheeks. CUT TO: 126 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT MARSHA has finished a half bottle of wine. She is eating a beautifully decorated piece of stuffed capon and talking through her tears. MARSHA (crying) It was the second lead! I'd never gotten a part in my life and here I get the second lead. And what does Daddy say? SHOT of LANGFORD still bound from tip to toe. MARSHA Not "Marsha, that's wonderful" or "we're proud of you" or anything. Oh no. He starts lecturing me on how I should have tried out for Emily! Now do you understand, Jerry! MARSHA gets hold of herself. She swallows a couple of pills and swills them down with some wine. MARSHA (calmer) My doctor says I shouldn't get excited. MARSHA picks at another piece of capon. MARSHA This is the best I ever made it. You want some? LANGFORD, the mummy, nods. MARSHA picks up the plate across from her, fills it with food, and pulls a chair up next to LANGFORD. She undoes the tape around his mouth and picks a sock out of his mouth. MARSHA Now open. Marsha's going to feed her Jerry. CUT TO: 127 INT: BACKSTAGE - NIGHT Two young GIRLS are working on big cue cards copying from the piece of paper PUPKIN has given THOMAS. TONY RANDALL stands next to THOMAS. The two of them watch. RANDALL is going over the lines. CUT TO: 128 INT: THE BASEMENT ROOM - NIGHT PUPKIN has obviously been worked over. He is sweating. PATTEN How about it, King? PUPKIN If I'm not on that show, Jerry Langford is dead, I promise you. PATTEN nods to his PLAINCLOTHESMEN again who start working PUPKIN over. CUT TO: 129 INT: THE TELEVISION STUDIO - NIGHT The beginning of the taping is seconds away. Everyone is in his place. The STAGE MANAGER is counting down from five on his fingers. At zero, he points across to RICK ROSS, the orchestra leader, who strikes up the familiar Langford Show theme song. CUT TO: 130 INT: THE CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Four TECHNICAL ENGINEERS are seated along a large console containing a multitude of small television screens. One screen shows the spotlight falling where Randall will enter. Another shows the logo of the Langford Show. Another shows nothing in particular. Behind the TECHNICIANS, stand CROCKETT and the EXECUTIVES we have seen in the previous scenes. A TECHNICIAN is giving instructions to the CAMERAMAN. TECHNICIAN Hold on two. Hold. Hold. Come on, Keller. Get it framed! CUT TO: 131 INT: THE TELEVISION STUDIO - NIGHT The theme song is playing. BERT CANTER stands off-camera at one side of the stage before a microphone. CANTER Now! Direct from New York! It's the Jerry Langford Show with guest host Tony Randall and his special guests -- Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz, pundit Gore Vidal, the one and only Zsa Zsa Gabor and another of Jerry's taped exclusives, an interview with Prince Ranier of Monaco. As always, Rick Ross and the Orchestra and me, Bert Canter. And now ... say hello to Tony!!!!!! CUT TO: An APPLAUSE sign flashes like crazy. The AUDIENCE cheers wildly. In the back, we notice a handful of TACTICAL PATROLMEN scattered about. RANDALL strides on stage briskly, accepting the cheers of the crowd with his arms raised. He nods and then his eyes fix on those hastily written outsized cue cards. He reads them with a mixture of professionalism and wry distance, wanting to disown the words without seeming silly. RANDALL Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. Thank you very much. I have some sad news for you. Earlier today, my writing staff was executed in Central Park by the network firing squad so there'll be no sensational Randall monologue this evening. The AUDIENCE cheers derisively. RANDALL No embarrassing displays of emotion, please. (the AUDIENCE laughs) Instead, we're going to do something a little bit different this evening -- a lot different if you ask me. We're going to give you a glimpse into the future. It isn't often that you can call someone a sure thing in the entertainment business. After all, the verdict is always in your hands. But I think tonight, after you've met my first guest, you'll agree with me that he's destined for greatness -- in one way or another. So will you please give your warmest greeting to the newest King of Comedy, Rupert Pupkin!!!! The music plays. The APPLAUSE sign flashes. The AUDIENCE applauds heartily -- and nobody appears to fill the spotlight at the edge of the wings. The spotlight holds for what seems like an eternity. CUT TO: 132 INT: CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT TECHNICIAN Just hold. Three. Pick up the audience. CUT TO: 133 INT: THE STAGE - NIGHT Finally after what seems like an eternity, PUPKIN emerges, straightening his jacket a bit and trying to crane the kinks out of his neck. He is a bit tense but very high and in full command. As he delivers his monologue, PUPKIN is more confident, comfortable and self-assured than we have ever seen him. PUPKIN Good evening, ladies and gentleman. Let me introduce myself. My name is Rupert Pupkin. I was born in Clifton, New Jersey, which was not, at that time, a federal offense. (laughter) Is there anyone here from Clifton? (silence) Good. We can all relax. Now, I'd like to begin by saying that my parents were too poor to afford me a childhood but the fact is nobody is allowed to be really poor in Clifton. Once you fall below eleven thousand you're exiled to Passaic. My parents did, in fact, put down the first two payments on my childhood. Then they tried to return me to the hospital as defective. But, like everyone else I grew up in large part thanks to my mother. If she was only here today I'd say, "Hey, mom. What are you doing here? You've been dead for nine years?" (laughter) You should have seen my mother. She was wonderful -- blonde, beautiful, intelligent, alcoholic. (laughter) We used to drink milk together after school. Mine was homogenized. Hers was loaded. (laughter) Once she was picked up for speeding. They clocked her doing fifty -- in our garage. (laughter) When they tested her they found that her alcohol was two per cent blood. They took away her license and she died shortly afterwards. We used to joke together Mom and me, until the tears would stream down her face and she'd throw up. (laughter) And who would clean it up? Not Dad. He was too busy down at O'Grady's throwing up on his own. In fact, until I was sixteen, I thought throwing up was a sign of maturity. While the other kids were off in the woods sneaking cigarettes, I was hiding behind the house with my fingers down my throat. (laughter) I never got anywhere until one day, my father caught me. Just as he was giving me a final kick in the stomach, for luck, I managed to heave all over his new shoes. "That's it," I thought. "I've made it. I'm finally a man!" (laughter) As it turned out, that was the only time my father ever paid any real attention to me. He was usually too busy out in the park playing ball with my sister, Rose. And, today thanks to those many hours of practice, my sister Rose has grown into a fine man. (laughter) Me, I wasn't especially interested in athletics. The only exercise I ever got was when the other kids picked on me. They used to beat me up once a week, usually Tuesday. After a while, the school worked it into the curriculum. And, if you knocked me out, you got extra credit. (laughter) Except there was this one kid who was afraid of me. I kept telling him, "Hit me! Hit me! What's the matter with you? Don't you want graduate?" As for me, I was the only kid in the history of the school to graduate in traction. The school nurse tucked my diploma into my sling. But my only real interest, right from the beginning, was show business. Even as a young man, I began at the very top, collecting autographs. (laughter) CUT TO: 134 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Dinner is over. MARSHA is sitting next to LANGFORD. As LANGFORD speaks, it is obvious that he is turning on the charm for strategic reasons. LANGFORD That was a wonderful dinner, Marsha. I want you to know how much I enjoyed it. MARSHA We can do it again. LANGFORD I'd like to show you my gratitude. But it's a little difficult, like this. LANGFORD indicates his bonds. MARSHA. (in a tone of intimacy) Let's say I took all this off. What would you do to me? Tell me. CUT TO: 135 INT: THE TELEVISION STUDIO -- NIGHT We break in on a great burst of laughter. PUPKIN is just finishing his monologue. PUPKIN A lot of you are probably wondering why Jerry couldn't make it this evening. Well, he's tied up -- and I'm the one who tied him. (laughter) You think I'm joking, but that's the only way I could break into show business -- by hijacking Jerry Langford. (laughter) I'm not kidding. Right now, Jerry Langford is strapped to a bedstead somewhere in the middle of this city. (laughter) Go ahead. Laugh. But the fact is ... I'm here. Tomorrow you'll know I wasn't kidding and you'll think I was crazy. But I figured it this way: better to be King for a Night than Schmuck for a Lifetime!!! (laughter) Good night ladies and gentlemen. God bless you. The AUDIENCE applauds heartily. The music plays. And TONY RANDALL salutes PUPKIN with a wave of his hand. PUPKIN goes off stage after soaking up the applause. CUT TO: 136 INT: THE WINGS - NIGHT A group of PLAINCLOTHESMEN seize PUPKIN and march him briskly through the backstage corridor towards the backstage door. CUT TO: 137 EXT: THE BACKSTAGE DOOR - NIGHT A handful of PEOPLE are waiting, among them the autograph hunters, MAE, CELESTE and SIDNEY. MAE, out of a reflex of thirty years, immediately extends her autograph book towards PUPKIN, then, recognizing him, immediately pulls it back. MAE (to PUPKIN) Who did you get? PUPKIN says nothing as he is hustled into a limousine. SIDNEY and CELESTE look on. MAE trails after PUPKIN and the PLAINCLOTHESMEN. MAE (to PLAINCLOTHESMAN) Could I have a ride? The PLAINCLOTHESMAN says nothing and starts getting in the limo. MAE I've never been in one. The limo pulls away. CUT TO: 138 INT: INSPECTOR PATTEN'S DOWNTOWN OFFICE - NIGHT PUPKIN stands among a crowd of PLAINCLOTHESMEN who have obviously been working him over. PATTEN sits behind his desk. GIARDELLO is at his side. The clock on the wall reads 10:20. PATTEN Okay, Pupkin. We'll start all over again. Where is Langford? You know, we're going to find him sooner or later. PUPKIN I'm trying to tell you, Inspector. You let me walk out of here, right? And as soon as I'm seen my act on the show -- as soon as I'm sure they've really put it on -- I'll tell you where Jerry is and you'll get him back safe and sound. PATTEN Fine, Pupkin. Then why don't you watch the show here with us? That way we're all happy. (to GIARDELLO) What channel? GIARDELLO Seven. PATTEN We get that one in fine. So what do you say, Pupkin? PUPKIN Look, I'll say it again. You let me go now. PATTEN motions to the PLAINCLOTHESMEN wearily with his head. They drag PUPKIN off. PATTEN looks up at the clock. CUT TO: 139 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT MARSHA is frantically attempting to unwrap LANGFORD. With each pull of the tape, LANGFORD yelps. There is a small tangle of unwrapped tape collecting around LANGFORD's feet and sticking to MARSHA's clothes. LANGFORD Watch my hair! MARSHA I'm sorry, baby. We hear the sound of tape ripping. LANGFORD Ow! MARSHA I'm sorry. CUT TO: 140 INT: PATTEN'S OFFICE - NIGHT PUPKIN is hustled before PATTEN again. A PLAINCLOTHESMAN Still nothing. PUPKIN glances at the clock. It is 11:05. PUPKIN I've got to get out of here. PATTEN You're not going anywhere, Pupkin. Now, where is he? PUPKIN I'm telling you, Inspector, if I don't see that show where I want to see it, Jerry Langford is dead. My people have instructions to execute him unless they hear from me by midnight. PATTEN glances apprehensively at GIARDELLO. PATTEN Just where is it you want to watch this show? CUT TO: 141 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT LANGFORD is half unwrapped now. The place is covered with yard after yard of tape. MARSHA is working frantically to finish unwrapping LANGFORD who is helping now that his arms are free. LANGFORD Ow! God damnit! Not so fast! MARSHA (working frantically) We haven't all night, baby. MARSHA rips the tape off LANGFORD. LANGFORD OW!!!! MARSHA Oh, I love you, baby. I love you so much. CUT TO: 142 EXT: BROADWAY - NIGHT A limo drives down Broadway, followed by an unmarked car. CUT TO: 143 INT: THE LIMO - NIGHT PATTEN and GIARDELLO sit up front, with the DRIVER. PUPKIN sits in the back between two PLAINCLOTHESMEN. The limo pulls up in front of the bar-restaurant where RITA works. PATTEN turns around in the front seat to address PUPKIN. PATTEN Here we, are, Pupkin. I don't know what this is all about, but as soon as you've seen yourself, you're going to talk to us or I promise you, you'll never see daylight again. PUPKIN I'll need a couple of minutes, Inspector. PATTEN What?!? PUPKIN After it's over, I want a couple of minutes. And I'll need ten dollars. Does anyone of you gentlemen have my wallet? PATTEN Don't push me, Pupkin. PUPKIN A condemned man's last request, Inspector. PATTEN Well, I'll tell you right away, the answer is no, Pupkin. PUPKIN It's not much of a ransom, Inspector ... PATTEN (losing his temper) Look, I'm drawing the line, that's all! No ten dollars and that's it. (emphatically) No -- ten -- dollars!!!! You understand?!? PUPKIN (in mollifying tones) Sure. Sure, Inspector. No ten dollars ... PATTEN (appeased) Okay. PUPKIN ... and no Jerry Langford. There is a pause as PATTEN stifles himself. PUPKIN Come on, it's getting late, Inspector. PATTEN (exploding to one of his MEN) Go ahead. Give him his goddamned ten dollars! Give him twenty! I don't care. Just get him out of here! One of the PLAINCLOTHESMEN in the back opens the door and PUPKIN and the other PLAINCLOTHESMAN get out. The unmarked car has pulled up behind the limo and other PLAINCLOTHESMEN stand next to it. PUPKIN and the two PLAINCLOTHESMEN start walking the ten yards or so to the bar-restaurant. CUT TO: 144 INT: THE BAR-RESTAURANT - NIGHT PUPKIN marches in flanked by the PLAINCLOTHESMEN. The clock over the bar reads 11:30. RITA looks up from talking with a CUSTOMER and sees PUPKIN. She says nothing. She just looks at him. There are five CUSTOMERS at the bar. A working class COUPLE in their late fifties are half-stewed, the man telling the woman that her friend, Maud, isn't really her friend because she wants $150 for a used refrigerator. A few seats down, two MEN in their mid- forties, in wind-breakers are locked in an intense but inaudible conversation. And, close to the television set which hangs over the far end of the bar sits a MOUSY MAN with glasses, who looks like an accountant. He is sipping a beer, his eyes fixed on the set where the CBS late movie is just showing its logo. PUPKIN marches up to the bar. PUPKIN (urgently to RITA) Turn on Langford. Seven. MOUSY MAN Hey! I'm watching this. RITA keeps staring at PUPKIN. PUPKIN Just turn it. Come on. MOUSY MAN I was here first, mister. You can't just walk in like this. It isn't fair. RITA glances at the MAN. PUPKIN can't wait. He vaults onto the bar and turns the set to the Langford Show, just as, on screen, he walks from the wings onto the stage to the applause of the studio audience. Perched atop the bar, standing next to the image of himself, PUPKIN looks down at RITA, a smile of pride and triumph on his face. CUT TO: 145 MONTAGE -- NIGHT PUPKIN walking onto television screens in various homes across America -- in a chic New York living room, in a suburban bedroom, in the parlor of an Indiana farmhouse, in a kitchen where a COUPLE is in the middle of a raging domestic quarrel, in an otherwise dark bedroom where a COUPLE is in the throes of lovemaking, in a bar, a station house, in a television store window display. CUT TO: 146 INT: MARSHA'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT MARSHA has just removed her dress and stands in her bra and panties as LANGFORD unwraps the last tape from about his ankles. The room is swimming in tape, like an enormous boa constrictor gone mad. MARSHA moves towards LANGFORD, her arms open. MARSHA Oh, baby. Baby. LANGFORD frees his ankles of tape just in time to side-step MARSHA and moves quickly to the dining room table where he grabs the gun. He trains it on her. LANGFORD Stop! MARSHA moves toward him. He pulls the trigger, releasing a plastic pellet that hits MARSHA in the stomach, stinging her. MARSHA Ow! LANGFORD glances down in horror at the gun which he now realizes is a toy and looks up in horror to see MARSHA, bigger than life, bearing down on him. MARSHA Don't be afraid of Marsha, baby. CUT TO: 147 INT: BAR-RESTAURANT - NIGHT The CUSTOMERS are watching the conclusion of Pupkin's monologue, along with the PLAINCLOTHESMEN and PUPKIN. WE COME IN a split second after a joke. The CUSTOMERS laugh, with the exception of the MOUSY MAN who is waiting, in bad humor, for Pupkin's act to finish. The PLAINCLOTHESMEN laugh reluctantly. PUPKIN, no longer standing on the bar, but back down with the others, watches with fascination. RITA watches grimly, occasionally glancing at PUPKIN. PUPKIN on TV But I figured it this way: better to be King for a Night than Schmuck for a Lifetime. (audience and CUSTOMERS laugh) Good night, ladies and gentlemen, and God bless you. The television audience applauds and the CUSTOMERS applaud and cheer in good humor except for the MOUSY MAN. The HALF-STEWED MAN leans across his WOMAN to yell at PUPKIN as the two FRIENDS in windbreakers congratulate PUPKIN at the same time. There is a brief moment of carnival excitement. HALF-STEWED MAN FIRST FRIEND Hey, that's pretty good. (to PUPKIN) Schmuck for a Lifetime! How do you think up all (to the WOMAN) You know that stuff? who he's talkin' about? Your brother! SECOND FRIEND HALF-STEWED WOMAN It's a trick, that's What about your all. Larry can do it brother? as good as him. HALF-STEWED MAN MOUSY MAN What about him? Is it over now? HALF-STEWED WOMAN FIRST FRIEND He's another one. He's funnier than Larry. Larry just makes a lot HALF-STEWED MAN of faces. (getting a little angry) I told you to shut up about MOUSY MAN my brother. (to PUPKIN) Well, if nobody She doesn't know nuthin'. minds ... PUPKIN takes all this praise and excitement with a shy smile of satisfaction, glancing at RITA from time to time for her reaction. She merely stares at PUPKIN with a sad expression on her face. PUPKIN Come on, Rita. Don't spoil the party. (to the CUSTOMERS) Drinks all around on me. HALF-STEWED MAN (in a loud voice, to HALF- STEWED WOMAN) What about the hundred and fifty? We never saw a penny outta your brother. HALF-STEWED WOMAN That's because my brother is a family man, not like Phil. The argument between the HALF-STEWED MAN and his WOMAN continues at the end of the bar. The two FRIENDS have resumed their intense conversation. PUPKIN (to the two FRIENDS) What'll you have? FIRST FRIEND I'm okay. Thanks, pal. SECOND FRIEND Me, too. The MOUSY MAN has climbed up on the bar and has turned the TV back to the late movie. He sits enthralled by a scene of violence courtesy of Tony Curtis as the Boston Strangler. PUPKIN looks down the bar at the STEWED COUPLE to offer them drinks, but they are lost in an argument over the relative merits of their brothers. PUPKIN turns to the PLAINCLOTHESMEN. PUPKIN I don't suppose you're allowed anything. (to RITA) I guess nobody's in a celebrating mood. How about you? You want something? FIRST PLAINCLOTHESMAN It's getting time, Pupkin. PUPKIN In a second. RITA (in a sad, serious voice to PUPKIN) That was true, wasn't it? ... about the kidnapping. PUPKIN nods and shrugs. PUPKIN Now you can say you knew me. That's something, anyway. FIRST PLAINCLOTHESMAN Come on, Pupkin. PUPKIN (to RITA, in a quiet, tender voice) I guess I've got go. Take care of yourself, will you. And when you're bored -- you know, when you're brushing your teeth or something, give me a thought, okay? RITA Okay. The PLAINCLOTHESMEN lead PUPKIN out of the bar. The two FRIENDS are still buried in their intense, private conversation. The PLAINCLOTHESMEN and PUPKIN walk past the HALF-STEWED COUPLE. HALF-STEWED WOMAN It's okay to talk about my sister, but we can't say nuthin' about Phil, is that it? HALF-STEWED MAN (to PUPKIN) She's just had one too many. The PLAINCLOTHESMEN lead PUPKIN onto the street. 148 EXT: THE BAR - NIGHT As they walk the few steps to the car, the FIRST PLAINCLOTHESMAN turns to PUPKIN. FIRST PLAINCLOTHESMAN I just don't get it, Pupkin. You're gonna spend eight years in the can -- "minimum" -- and for what? SECOND PLAINCLOTHESMAN Yeah, Pupkin. You threw it all away. PUPKIN (vaguely) We'll see. WE CLOSE IN on PUPKIN, smiling. FADE TO: 149 INT: THE JERRY LANGFORD SHOW STUDIO - NIGHT The STAGE MANAGER is counting down. At zero, he points to RICK ROSS who launches the orchestra into the Langford Show theme song. BERT CANTER, standing stage right, speaks into the mike. CANTER And now! Direct from New York! The Jerry Langford Show, starring Jerry's special guest, out on bail, Rupert Pupkin, the kidnapping King of Comedy!!!! The AUDIENCE applauds mightily and the FINAL CREDITS roll. As they roll, the music to the Langford Show continues and WE WATCH a MONTAGE that shows PUPKIN progressively taping LANGFORD to the back of a brass bedstead on stage as the two of them talk and laugh. By the end of the MONTAGE, LANGFORD is once again mummified and PUPKIN, having finished, bows and smiles. WE CLOSE on a FREEZE-FRAME CLOSE UP of PUPKIN in ecstasy. FADE OUT. December 15, 1976 draft Screenplay by Paul D. Zimmerman King of Comedy, The Writers :   Paul D. Zimmerman Genres :   Comedy  Crime  Drama User Comments Back to IMSDb
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traditionally , the electron self - energy is often determined via diagram expansion methods.@xcite diagrams to low order in the interaction strength can be calculated in perturbation theory . it may also be possible to sum certain classes of diagrams to infinite order . for instance , the lowest order diagram in the screened coulomb interaction , the gw method,@xcite gives reasonable results for moderately correlated systems , such as free - electron - like metals and semiconductors.@xcite even in the case of a strongly correlated system like nio certain aspects are described reasonably well , but , still , important parts of the physics are believed to be missing.@xcite including the next order terms in such an expansion can even lead to wrong analytical behavior.@xcite improving further in this respect , would require the consideration of the contributions to the electron self - energy of different channels simultaneously , as it is done in flex,@xcite functional renormalization group,@xcite or the parquet approximation.@xcite despite the ever increasing numerical workload of these schemes , they often do not improve upon the gw for the description of crucial aspects of correlated systems . for instance , they also fail to capture the physics of the mott - hubbard metal insulator transition , whose nature is intrinsically non - perturbative . to overcome these difficulties , completely different _ and _ non - perturbative methods , such as self - consistently embedded impurity / cluster algorithms like the dynamical mean field theory ( dmft)@xcite , dynamical cluster approximation ( dca)@xcite and cellular dmft ( cdmft)@xcite have been introduced , and are now widely used . in such methods , a cluster with a finite number ( @xmath0 ) of atoms is embedded in a self - consistent host of noninteracting electrons . the cluster problem can be solved by diagonalization algorithms but for most cases quantum monte carlo ( qmc ) methods are more efficient , e.g. , in its hirsch - fye@xcite or continuous time ( ct)@xcite version . in this approach the only essential approximation is the limitation to a finite cluster and the convergence of the results with @xmath0 can be checked systematically@xcite . in cases where the monte - carlo sign problem is not serious , these methods can provide very reliable results for the electron self - energy . in the last years , also calculations of two - particle vertex functions@xcite became possible . this technical progress has a very high impact , because two - particle vertex functions are a crucial ingredient for calculating@xcite momentum- and frequency - dependent response functions in dmft and dca , and also represent the building blocks for all multiscale extensions of dmft@xcite and dca,@xcite aiming at including spatial correlations on all length scales.@xcite the purpose of this paper is , however , not to obtain new result for the self - energy with these novel schemes . in fact , at least within dmft and dca , the self - energy can be directly computed without the time consuming calculation of the two - particle vertices . our aims , here , are different : ( i ) to develop methods that improve our physical interpretation of the self - energy results in strongly correlated systems , and ( ii ) to understand how the correlated physics is actually captured by diagrammatic approaches beyond the perturbative regime . we do this by applying a parquet - based diagrammatic decomposition to the self - energy . specifically , we use the dmft and dca results for this parquet decomposition , thus avoiding _ any _ perturbative approximation for the vertex . we apply the method to the hubbard model on cubic ( three dimensional , @xmath1 ) and square ( two - dimensional , @xmath2 ) lattices . in these cases , quite a bit is already known about the physics , which , to some extent , allows for a check of our methodology . we recall briefly here , that in the parquet schemes two - particle diagrams are classified according to whether they are two - particle reducible ( 2pr ) in a certain channel , i.e. , whether a diagram can be split in two parts by only cutting two green s functions , or are fully irreducible at the two - particle level ( 2pi ) . diagrams reducible in a particular channel can then be related to specific physical processes . specifically , we obtain three classes of reducible diagrams , longitudinal ( @xmath3 ) and transverse ( @xmath4 ) particle - hole diagrams and particle - particle ( @xmath5 ) diagrams . because of the electronic spin , the particle - hole diagrams can be rearranged , more physically , in terms of spin ( magnetic ) and charge ( density ) contributions , while for @xmath5 the @xmath6 term ( essential for the singlet pairing ) will be explicitly kept . in this work , we compute explicitly the parquet equations , bethe - salpeter equations and the equation of motion ( eom ) which relate the vertices in the different channels to each other and to the self - energy , by using the 2pr and 2pi vertices of the dmft and dca calculations . hence , apart from statistical errors , we get an `` exact '' diagrammatic expansion of the self - energy of our dmft ( @xmath7 ) or dca ( @xmath8 ) clusters . since , within the parquet formalism , the physical processes are automatically associated to the different scattering channels , our calculations can be exploited to extract an unbiased physical interpretation of our dmft and dca self - energies and to investigate the structure of the feynman diagrammatics beyond the perturbative regime . we note here that , from the merely conceptual point of view , the parquet decomposition is the most `` natural '' route to disentangle the physical information encoded in self - energies and correlated spectral functions . the parquet procedure can be compared , e.g. , to the recently introduced fluctuation diagnostics@xcite approach , which also aims at extracting the underlying physics of a given self - energy : in the fluctuation diagnostics the quantitative information about the role played by the different physical processes is extracted by studying the different representations ( e.g. , charge , spin , or particle - particle ) , in which the eom for the self - energy , and specifically the full two - particle scattering amplitude , can be written . hence , in this respect , the parquet decomposition provides a more direct procedure , because it does not require any further change of representation for the momentum , frequency , spin variables , and can be readily analyzed at once , provided that the vertex functions have been calculated in an channel - unbiased way . however , as we will discuss in this work , the parquet decomposition presents also disadvantages w.r.t . the fluctuation diagnostics , because ( i ) it requires working with 2pi vertices , which makes the procedure somewhat harder from a numerical point of view , and ( ii ) it faces intrinsic instabilities for increasing interaction values . by applying this procedure to the 2d hubbard model at intermediate values of @xmath9 ( of the order of half the bandwidth ) , we find large contributions from spin - fluctuations . this is consistent with a common belief that @xmath10 spin fluctuations are very important for the physics , as well as with the fluctuation diagnostics results.@xcite for the 3d hubbard model similar physics was first proposed by berk - schrieffer.@xcite later spin fluctuations have been proposed to be important for the 2d hubbard model and similar models by many groups.@xcite we note , however , that the contributions of the other channels to the parquet decomposition are not small by themselves . rather , the other ( non - spin ) channel contributions to @xmath11 appear to play the role of `` screening '' the electronic scattering originated by the purely spin - processes . the latter would lead , otherwise , to a significant overestimation of the electronic scattering rate . at larger values of @xmath9 the parquet decomposition starts displaying strong oscillation at low - frequencies in all its term , _ but _ the spin contribution . physically , this might be an indication that the spin fluctuations also predominate in the non - perturbative regime , where , however , the parquet distinction among the remaining ( secondary ) channels loses its physical meaning . the reason for this can be traced back to the occurrence of singularities in the generalized susceptibilities of these ( secondary ) channels . such singularities are reflected in the corresponding divergencies of the two - particle _ irreducible _ vertex functions , recently discovered in the dmft solution of the hubbard and falicov - kimball models@xcite . here we extend the study of their origin and generalize earlier results @xcite to dca . we discuss the relation of these singularities to the resonance valence bond rvb@xcite character of the ground - state , the pseudogap and the suppression of charge fluctuations for large values of @xmath9 . our results are relevant also beyond the specific problem of the physical interpretation of the self - energy . in fact , the parquet decomposition can be also used to develop new quantum many - body schemes . wherein some simple approximation might be introduced for the irreducible diagrams that are considered to be particularly fundamental . the parquet equations are then used to calculate the reducible diagrams . in our results , however , for strongly correlated systems the contribution to the self - energy from the irreducible diagrams diverges for certain values of @xmath9 both in dmft and dca . this makes the derivation of good approximations for these diagrams for strongly correlated systems rather challenging . it remains , however , an interesting question if the parquet decomposition can be modified in such a way that these problems are avoided . the scheme of the paper is the following . in sec . [ sec:2 ] we present the formalism relating the vertex function to generalized two - particle response functions as well as the parquet decomposition of the vertex function . we also briefly describe the model and the calculation method . in sec . [ sec:3 ] we show results from the parquet decomposition and its behavior for intermediate and large @xmath9 . in sec . [ sec:4 ] the behavior of the generalized susceptibility is discussed , and the origin of singularities in the generalized charge response function is shown . in sec . [ sec:5 ] we discuss the relation of these singularities to the rvb character of the system , the pseudogap and the suppression of charge fluctuations . [ sec:6 ] is devoted to our conclusions . we first discuss the vertex function , following the notations of rohringer _ et al._@xcite and gunnarsson _ et al._@xcite we introduce the generalized susceptibility for finite temperature @xmath12 , using the matsubara formalism @xmath13 } \\ & & \times \langle t_{\tau}[c^{\dagger}_{{\bf k}\sigma}(\tau_1 ) c_{{\bf k}+{\bf q}\sigma}(\tau_2 ) c^{\dagger}_{{\bf k}'+{\bf q}\sigma'}(\tau_3 ) c_{{\bf k}'\sigma'}]\rangle \nonumber \\ & & - \beta \ , g_{\sigma}(k)g_{\sigma'}(k ' ) \ , \delta_{q=0}.\nonumber\end{aligned}\ ] ] here we use the condensed notations @xmath14 and @xmath15 , where @xmath16 and @xmath17 are ( cluster ) wave vectors and @xmath18 and @xmath19 are matsubara boson and fermion frequencies , respectively . we have also introduced a green s function @xmath20 @xmath21 where @xmath22 creates an electron with the wave vector @xmath17 and spin @xmath23 and @xmath24 is the thermodynamical average . from @xmath25 , and specifically from its connected part , we obtain the full two - particle vertex @xmath26 : @xmath27 the vertex function @xmath26 is shown diagrammatically in fig . [ fig:2.1 ] , and it can be interpreted , physically , as the scattering rate amplitude between two added / removed electrons . within the parquet formalism all diagrams contributing to @xmath26 are divided in two classes : either they can be split in two parts by cutting two internal green s function lines ( two particle reducibility : 2pr ) , or they can not ( two - particle irreducibility : 2pi ) . moreover , because we are considering two - particle processes , whose diagrams have ( altogether ) four external lines , a finer classification can be performed for the 2pr diagrams . as exemplified by the diagrams on the right - hand side of fig . [ fig:2.1 ] , we can further distinguish among the cases , where , in the cutting - procedure , ( i ) lines 1 and 3 are separated from 2 and 4 , which corresponds to particle - particle ( @xmath5 ) reducibility , ( ii ) lines 1 and 2 are separated from 3 and 4 , i.e. , longitudinal particle - hole ( @xmath3 ) reducibility , and , eventually , ( iii ) lines 1 and 4 are separated from lines 2 and 3 , i.e. transverse particle - hole ( @xmath4 ) reducibility . @xmath26 can then be written as a sum of these types of contribution @xmath28 where @xmath29 contains the pure 2pi contributions and the functions @xmath30 describe the 2pr contributions in all different channels , as diagrammatically represented in fig . [ fig:2.1 ] : this is the _ parquet decomposition _ of the scattering amplitude @xmath26 . finally , because of the electron spin , it is convenient to treat the @xmath3 channel by introducing generalized charge ( @xmath31 ) and spin ( @xmath32 ) susceptibilities @xmath33 we then define the quantities @xmath34 and @xmath35 which contain the diagrams of @xmath26 which are irreducible in the density and magnetic channels , respectively @xmath36 where @xmath37 is the generalized bare susceptibility , being a product of two interacting green s function . the @xmath25 s are treated as matrices in @xmath38 and @xmath38 and @xmath39 can be calculated for one @xmath40 at a time . we also define the reducible quantities @xmath41 via the bethe - salpeter equations @xmath42 and the parquet equations@xcite : @xmath43 \nonumber \\ & & + \phi_{sp}(k , k+q , k'-k ) -\phi_{pp}(k , k',k+k'+q ) \\ \nonumber \ ] ] by using the ( schwinger - dyson ) equation of motion , the electronic self - energy @xmath44 can be expressed in terms of two - particle vertex function : @xmath45 where @xmath46 ( because of su(2)-symmetry ) , @xmath0 is the number of @xmath17-points . this is shown schematically in fig . [ fig:2.2 ] . the equation of motion for @xmath44 is a well - known , general relation of many - body theory with a two - particle interaction . however , valuable information may be obtained by inserting in eq . ( [ eq:2.9 ] ) the parquet decomposition of eq . ( [ eq:2.4 ] ) and , in particular , its specific expression for @xmath47 : @xmath48 this way , _ after _ all internal summations are performed , the expression for @xmath44 is naturally split in four terms : @xmath49 evidently matching the corresponding 2pi and 2pr terms of eq . ( [ eq:2.4bis ] ) : this represents the _ parquet decomposition _ of the self - energy . in fact , the four terms in eq . [ eq:2.9bis ] describe the contribution of the different channels ( pp , charge , spin ) , as well as of the 2pi scattering processes , to the self - energy . since each scattering channel is associated with definite physical processes , eq . ( [ eq:2.9bis ] ) can be exploited , in principle , for gaining a better understanding of the physics underlying a given self - energy calculation . in the following section , we will apply this idea to specific cases of interest . in particular , we will test the performance of a parquet decomposition of the self - energy in the case of the three and two - dimensional hubbard model on a simple cubic / square lattice , whose hamiltonian reads @xmath50 where @xmath51 , @xmath52 the hopping integral and @xmath9 is the on - site coulomb interaction . for the sake of definiteness , @xmath53 ev for the @xmath2 case , and @xmath54 ev for the 3d case . this choice ensures that the standard deviation ( @xmath55 ) of the non - interacting dos of the square and the cubic lattices considered is exactly the same ( @xmath56ev ) , and thus allows for a direct comparison of the @xmath9 values used in the two - cases , provided they are expressed in units of @xmath55 . this hamiltonian constitutes an important testbed case for applying the idea of a parquet decomposition , since eq . ( [ eq : hubbard ] ) provides a quintessential representation of a strongly correlated system . moreover , in the 2d case eq . ( [ eq : hubbard ] ) is frequently adopted , e.g. , to study the still controversial physics of cuprate superconductors.@xcite in this framework , we note that typical values for @xmath9 are about @xmath57ev , i.e. , @xmath9 is equal to the non - interacting bandwidth @xmath58 . this choice corresponds to a rather strong correlation regime , as it is clearly seen even in a purely dmft context.@xcite in this work , however , we will also consider smaller values of @xmath9 , of the order of half bandwidth , corresponding to a regime of more moderate correlations . in this section we study the parquet decomposition of an electron self - energy computed by dmft and dca . in these non - perturbative methods a cluster with @xmath0 sites is embedded in a self - consistent electronic bath . the calculation of a generalized susceptibility is rather time - consuming when compared against computing only single - particle quantities . for this reason we restrict our calculations to the tractable values of @xmath7 ( dmft ) , @xmath59 and @xmath60 ( dca ) . the results are therefore not fully converged with respect to @xmath0 , but , nevertheless , will illustrate well the specific points we make in the following sections . the cluster problem has been solved using both hirsch - fye@xcite and continuous time ( ct)@xcite methods . consistent with the discussion of the previous section , we will use eq . ( [ eq:2.9 ] ) , illustrated diagrammatically in fig . [ fig:2.2 ] , and eqs . ( [ eq:2.4 ] ) , ( [ eq:2.4bis ] ) to express the self - energy in terms of contributions from the different parquet channels . as for the latter , in fig . [ fig:3.0 ] we show some typical diagrams , and their classifications according to the parquet decomposition . using the definitions in sec . [ sec:2 ] , fig . [ fig:3.0]a and b show longitudinal and transverse particle - hole reducible diagrams , respectively , and fig . [ fig:3.0]c shows a particle - particle reducible diagram . in fact , the vertex diagram in fig . [ fig:3.0]a contains contributions to the random phase approximation for the longitudinal charge and spin susceptibilities , reducible in spin- and charge - channel . in the same way , the diagram in fig . [ fig:3.0]b contains a contribution to the transverse spin susceptibility and fig . [ fig:3.0]c displays a particle - particle ladder diagram . we start by applying the parquet decomposition to the easier case of the dmft self - energy . in particular , we will focus on one of the most studied cases in dmft , the half - filled hubbard model in @xmath1 , where dmft describes a mott - hubbard metal - insulator transition at a finite @xmath61 . the specific parameters in eq . ( [ eq : hubbard ] ) have been chosen in this case as follows : @xmath62 ( half - filling ) and @xmath63 ev@xmath64 . the results of the parquet decomposition of the dmft self - energy are shown in fig . [ fig:3.1 ] in the weak - to - intermediate coupling regime @xmath65 ev . the plots show the imaginary part of the dmft self - energy ( solid black line ) as a function of the matsubara frequencies i@xmath19 and for two different values of @xmath9 ( we recall that @xmath44 does not depend on momentum in dmft , and that in a particle - hole symmetric case , as the one we consider here , it does not have any real part beyond the constant hartree term ) . by computing the dmft generalized local ( @xmath7 ) susceptibility of the associated impurity problem , and proceeding as described in the previous section , we could actually decompose i m @xmath66 into the four contributions from terms in eq . ( [ eq:2.9bis ] ) , depicted by different colors / symbols in the plots . before analyzing their specific behaviors , we note that their sum ( gray dashed line ) _ does _ reproduce precisely the value of i m @xmath44 directly computed in the dmft algorithm . since all the four terms of eq . [ eq:2.9bis ] are calculated independently from the parquet - decomposed equation of motion , this result represents indeed a stringent test of the numerical stability and the algorithmic correctness of our parquet decomposition procedure . given the number of steps involved in the algorithm , illustrated in the previous section , the fulfillment of such a self - consistency test is particularly significant , and , indeed , it has been verified for all the parquet decomposition calculations presented in this work . by considering the most weak - coupling data first ( @xmath67ev , left panel of fig . [ fig:3.1 ] ) , we note that the 2pi contribution ( @xmath68 in eq . ( [ eq:2.9bis ] ) , plum - colored open squares in the figure ) lies almost on top of the `` exact '' dmft self - energy . at weak - coupling this is not particularly surprising , because @xmath69 , while all the 2pr contributions are at least @xmath70 . hence , when the 2pi vertex is inserted into the equation of motion , @xmath71 simply reduces to the usual second - order perturbative diagram . in this situation ( i.e. , i m @xmath72 ) , it is interesting to observe that the other sub - leading contributions ( spin , particle - particle scattering and charge channel ) are not fully negligible . rather , they almost exactly compensate each other : the extra increase of the scattering rate [ i.e. : -im @xmath73 due to the spin - channel is compensated ( or `` screened '' ) almost perfectly by the charge- and the particle - particle channel . not surprisingly , the validity of this cancellation is gradually lost by increasing @xmath9 . at @xmath74 ( right panel of fig . [ fig:3.1 ] ) , which is still much lower than @xmath75 , one observes that the 2pi contribution no longer provides so accurate values for i m @xmath76 . at the same time , the contributions of all scattering channels increase : the low - frequency behavior of the spin channel now would provide -taken on its own- a scattering rate even larger than the true one of dmft . consistently , a correspondingly larger compensation of the charge and the particle - scattering channels contribution is observed . at higher frequency , these changes w.r.t . the previous case are mitigated , matching the intrinsic perturbative nature of the high - frequency / high - t expansions@xcite . the situation described above , which suggests an important role of spin fluctuations , partially screened by charge and particle - particle scattering processes , displays important changes at intermediate - to - strong coupling @xmath9 . this is well exemplified by the data reported in fig . [ fig:3.2 ] ( left panel ) . despite the dmft self - energy still displays a low - frequency metallic bending ( @xmath77 is on the metallic side of the dmft mit ) , in the low - frequency region one observes the appearance of a huge oscillatory behavior in the parquet decomposition of @xmath44 : all contributions to i m @xmath44 , _ but _ the spin term ( s. below ) , are way larger than the self - energy itself and fluctuate so strongly in frequency , that several changes of sign are observed . this makes it obviously very hard to define any kind of hierarchy for the impact of the corresponding scattering channels on the final self - energy result . hence , at these intermediate - to - strong values of @xmath9 the parquet decomposition procedure appears to be no longer able to fully disentangle the physics underlying a given ( here : dmft ) self - energy . at the same time , we should stress that the strong oscillations visible in the parquet decomposition of fig . [ fig:3.2 ] can _ not _ be ascribed to numerical accuracy issues . in fact , one observes , that , also in this problematic case , the self - consistency test works as well as for the other data sets : the total sum of such oscillating contributions , still reproduces the i m @xmath76 from dmft in the whole frequency range considered . the reason of such behavior has to be traced back , instead , to the divergencies of the 2pi vertices recently reported in dmft work.@xcite while the relation with such divergencies will be extensively discussed in sec . iv , it is worth stressing already here , that there is only one contribution to @xmath76 , which never displays wild oscillation , even for intermediate - to - strong @xmath9 : the spin channel . this means that even when the parquet decomposition displays a strong oscillatory behavior , a bethe - salpeter decomposition in this specific ( spin ) channel will always remain well - behaved and meaningful . this is explicitly shown in fig . [ fig:3.2 ] ( right panel ) , where all the contributions to @xmath76 , but @xmath78 , ( i.e. , formally : all the contributions 2pi in the spin channel ) are summed together : here no oscillation is visible . the results of such bethe - salpeter decomposition of @xmath76 in the spin channel suggests then again an interpretation of a physics dominated by this scattering channel , though -this time- in the non - perturbative regime : strong ( local ) spin fluctuations , originated by the progressive formation of localized magnetic moments , are responsible for the major part of the electronic self - energy and scattering rate . their effect is , as before , partly reduced , or screened , by the scattering processes in the other channels ( opposite sign contribution to i m @xmath44 ) . differently as before , however , the specific role of the `` secondary '' channels can no longer be disentangled via our parquet decomposition . in this subsection , we discuss the numerical results for the parquet decomposition of self - energy data computed in dca . different from dmft , the dca self - energy provides a more accurate description of finite dimensional systems , as it is also explicitly dependent on the momenta of the discretized brillouin zone ( i.e. , a cluster of @xmath0 patches in momentum space ) of the dca . we will present here parquet decomposition results for the self - energy of the two - dimensional hubbard model with hopping parameter @xmath53 for different values of the density @xmath79 and of the interaction @xmath9 . in particular , we will mostly focus on the self - energy at the so called anti - nodal point , @xmath80 , because it usually displays the strongest correlation effects for this model and also because the vector @xmath80 is always present in both clusters we used ( @xmath81 ) in our dca calculation . we note , however , that the results of the parquet decomposition for the other relevant momenta of this system , i.e. the nodal one @xmath82 , ( for @xmath83 where it is available ) , are qualitatively similar . as for the dmft case , we start by considering a couple of significant cases at fixed density ( here @xmath84 , corresponding to the typical @xmath85% of hole doping of the optimally doped high - t@xmath86 cuprates ) , and perform the parquet decomposition for different @xmath9 . in the left panel of fig . [ fig:3.3 ] we show the calculations performed at a moderate @xmath87ev ( interaction equal to the semibandwidth ) . as one sees the results are qualitatively similar to the dmft one at intermediate coupling ( right panel of fig . [ fig:3.1 ] ) , which one could indeed interpret in terms of predominant spin - scattering processes , partially screened by the other channels . however , also in dca , extracting such information from the parquet decomposition becomes rather problematic for larger values of @xmath9 . at @xmath88 ev ( interaction equal to the bandwidth : fig . [ fig:3.3 ] right panel ) , the parquet decomposition appears dominated by contributions from the 2pi and the @xmath5 channel : these become an order of magnitude larger than the spin - channel contribution and of the total dca self - energy . this finding , in turn , indicates the occurrence of large cancellation effects in the parquet - decomposed basis , making quite hard any further physical interpretation . it is also instructive to look at the effect of a change in the level of hole - doping on the parquet decomposition calculations . this is done in fig . [ fig:3.4 ] : in the left panel of the figure results for the highly doped case @xmath89 ( @xmath90% hole doping ) are shown . despite the large value of the interaction @xmath91 ev , this parquet decomposition looks qualitatively similar to the one at moderate coupling of the less doped case fig . [ fig:3.3 ] ( left panel ) . conversely , at half - filling ( @xmath62 , right panel of fig . [ fig:3.4 ] ) , although we chose a lower value of @xmath92 ev , the parquet decomposition displays the very same large oscillations among different channel contributions observed in the dmft data ( fig . [ fig:3.2 ] , left panel ) . hence , our parquet decomposition procedure applied to the dca results allows us to extend the considerations drawn from the dmft analysis of the previous section : for a large enough value of @xmath9 and moderate or no doping , the parquet decomposition of the self - energy becomes rather problematic , as some channel contributions ( supposed to be secondary ) become abruptly quite large , or even strongly oscillating , with large cancellation between different terms . the inclusion of non - local correlations within the dca allows us to demonstrate that this is _ not _ a special aspect of the peculiar , purely local , dmft physics , but it survives also in presence of non - local correlations . actually , as we will discuss in the next sections , the non - local correlations do _ favor _ the occurrence of singularities in the parquet decomposition , which is observed for dca in a correspondingly larger parameter region ( at lower @xmath9 and hole - doping ) than in dmft . in this perspective , it is interesting to investigate , whether the singularities in the parquet decomposition , with their intrinsically non - perturbative nature , already occur in a parameter region where the dca self - energy displays a strong momentum differentiation , with pseudogap features . as discussed in ref . , such a case is achieved in a @xmath83 dca calculation for , e.g. , : @xmath93 ( @xmath94% hole doping ) , @xmath95 ev , @xmath96 ev@xmath97 ( with the additional inclusion of a realistic next - to - nearest hopping term @xmath98 ev ) . in the left panels of the fig . [ fig:3.5 ] the dca self - energy for the anti - nodal and the nodal momentum is shown , together with its corresponding parquet decomposition . we note , as it was also stated in ref . , that the positive ( i.e. , non fermi - liquid ) slope of im@xmath99 in the lowest frequency region for @xmath100 indicates a pseudogap spectral weight suppression at the antinode . the parquet decomposition of the two self - energies is , however , very similar : the strong oscillations of the various channels clearly demonstrate that in the parameter region where a pseudogap behavior is found in dca , the parquet decomposition displays already strong oscillations . it is also interesting to notice that , similarly as we discussed in the previous section , also in this case , the spin channel contribution of the parquet decomposition is the only one displaying a well - behaved shape , with values of the order of the self - energy and no frequency oscillations . consequently , also for the dca self - energy in the pseudogap regime , a bethe - salpeter decomposition in the spin - channel of the self - energy remains valid ( see right panel of fig . [ fig:3.5 ] ) . as discussed in the previous section , this might be interpreted as an hallmark of the predominance of the spin - scattering processes in a non - perturbative regime , where a well - behaved parquet decomposition is no longer possible . in this perspective , the physical interpretation would match very well the conclusions derived about the origin for the pseudogap self - energy of dca by means of the recently introduced fluctuation diagnostics method@xcite . at present , hence , the post processing of a given numerical self - energy provided by the fluctuation diagnostics procedure appear the most performant , because -differently from the parquet decomposition- it remains applicable , without any change , also to non - perturbative cases . after discussing our parquet decomposition calculations , their proposed physical interpretation , and their limitation in applicability , it is natural to wonder , where such limitations arise from . this analysis is , in fact , very important also _ beyond _ the calculations presented in this work , because the parquet equations represent the base - camp of several novel quantum many body schemes aiming at the the description of strongly correlated electron beyond the perturbative regime . as we anticipated before , the reason for the occurrence of strong low - frequency oscillations in the parquet decomposition can be traced to the _ divergence _ of the 2pi irreducible vertex functions observed by increasing @xmath9,@xcite or -equivalently- to the occurrence of _ singularities _ in the generalized @xmath3 charge ( @xmath101 ) and @xmath5 ( @xmath102 and/or singlet ) ( @xmath103 ) susceptibilities . the investigation of the exact relation between the peculiar behavior of the parquet decomposition by increasing @xmath9 and the singularities of the corresponding generalized susceptibility matrix will be explicitly addressed below . in this section , we aim at clarifying _ why _ some contributions of the parquet decomposition start displaying singularities and strong oscillatory behaviors upon increasing @xmath9 . from a general perspective , since the singularities observed in the previous section _ always _ affect @xmath71 , the contribution stemming from the 2pi vertex , a clear relation must exist with corresponding divergencies of the 2pi vertices . in fact , the occurrence of divergences in the 2pi vertices of the hubbard and falicov - kimball model has been recently demonstrated by means of analytic and dmft calculations.@xcite in particular , we recall that such singularities show up simultaneously in the fully 2pi vertex @xmath29 as well as in the irreducible vertices @xmath104 in the charge ( @xmath105 ) and particle - particle channel(@xmath106 ) , while the full vertex @xmath26 and the self - energy remain always well - behaved . evidently , this perfectly matches the problematic channels of our parquet decompositions . as discussed in ref . [ ] , a divergence of a @xmath104 must be associated to a non - invertibility of its corresponding bethe - salpeter equation and , hence , according to eq . ( [ eq:2.6 ] ) , to the occurrence of singular ( @xmath107 ) eigenvalue in the generalized susceptibility matrix @xmath108 . in fact , when an eigenvalue goes through zero , the irreducible vertex functions change qualitatively . in particular , one observes that second order perturbation theory breaks down , failing to reproduce even the sign of the vertex - functions at low frequencies . in this sense the system is then in the truly strong - coupling limit . in ref . , @xmath109 was computed in dmft ( @xmath7 ) , treating @xmath101 as a matrix in @xmath38 and @xmath110 for fixed @xmath40 . for the case when the frequency transfer @xmath18 is zero , we showed that the lowest eigenvalue of this matrix becomes negative as @xmath9 is increased . a similar behavior was found for @xmath103 in the @xmath102 sector ( or in the singlet channel ) for a somewhat larger @xmath9 . in the following , we will analyze in more details such divergencies , by extending the previous dmft ( @xmath7 ) results@xcite to dca ( @xmath111 ) , and by investigating in details how singularities develop in the generalized susceptibility matrices and how they affect the parquet decompositions of the self - energy . for the sake of clarity we start by analyzing the generalized charge susceptibility in the @xmath7 ( dmft ) case , focusing on the most - correlated case of half - filling . in particular we will mainly study the most singular case of @xmath112 . in fact , @xmath112 represents the largest contribution to the parquet decomposition for the values of @xmath113 studied here , and , thus , its behavior is particularly significant . the case @xmath114 , nonetheless , will be also discussed briefly afterwards . for a very small value of @xmath9 , where no problem in the parquet decomposition is observed , we can approximate the generalized charge susceptibility with the non interacting one , i.e. , with a product of two green s functions @xmath115 . in addition we can use noninteracting green s functions . the corresponding diagonal elements are given by @xmath116 where @xmath117 is the number of @xmath118-points and @xmath119 is the corresponding single - particle energy eigenvalue . off - diagonal elements will obviously appear at finite @xmath9 , remaining however much smaller than the diagonal ones in the perturbative regime . if we now consider the limit of very large @xmath19 , the diagonal elements behave as @xmath120 and , hence , also become very small . in the numerical calculations , we limit the range of @xmath121 to some maximum value @xmath122 . hence , in the perturbative regime , the lowest eigenvalue of @xmath101 will correspond roughly to the value of the diagonal element for @xmath123 , and its eigenvector will have weight for @xmath124 . as @xmath9 is increased , however , the off - diagonal elements @xmath125 become gradually more important until , at a certain point , ( e.g. , at @xmath126 ev for the temperature we considered ) this picture changes radically : the off - diagonal component of @xmath127 for small frequencies become comparable or larger than the corresponding diagonal ones . as a consequence ( see appendix [ app:2by2 ] ) , the lowest eigenvalue of @xmath127 crosses zero and , for large interaction , a negative eigenvalue appears . in contrast to the small @xmath9 case , the corresponding vector has most of its weight for @xmath128 : for these parameters the total weight of two elements for @xmath128 is about @xmath129 . this indicates that a crossing of energy levels has occurred between a lowest eigenvector having most of the weight at large frequencies to the one having most of the weight for small frequencies.@xcite in this situation , the most significant piece of information can be extracted by restricting the analysis to the matrix elements for @xmath130 , i.e. , to a @xmath131 matrix in frequency space . then the lowest eigenvalue of @xmath101 is @xmath132 . it provides a good approximation after the level crossing has occurred , i.e. , where the lowest eigenvalue of @xmath101 has become negative . [ fig:5.1 ] also shows the elements @xmath133 and @xmath134 . the diagonal element decreases and the off - diagonal element increases as @xmath9 is increased . approximately as they cross , the lowest eigenvalue goes negative ( the minor deviation of @xmath135u reflects the corresponding small difference between @xmath136 and @xmath137 ) . as the lowest eigenvalue @xmath137 of @xmath138 goes through zero , @xmath139 becomes infinite . for the cases we have studied , the diagonal and off - diagonal matrix elements of the @xmath131 matrix have the same sign when this happens . consequently , for the corresponding ( singular ) eigenvector , the elements for @xmath128 then have opposite signs . it then follows from eq . ( [ eq:5.3 ] ) that the diagonal and off - diagonal parts , @xmath140 and @xmath141 also have opposite signs . inserting @xmath139 in the expression needed for the parquet decomposition , we then find that a cancellation of the singular contributions does occur ( see appendix [ app:2by2 ] ) . however , as one can easily infer from the right side of fig . [ fig:5.1 ] ) , at larger values of @xmath9 , the sign of the diagonal matrix element changes , and then the ( now non - singular ) contributions add constructively . hence , when a second eigenvalue of @xmath138 crosses zero , no cancellation will occur and the singularity will show up in the corresponding terms of the parquet decomposition of @xmath66 . in particular , from ref . [ ] we know that a second divergence takes place at a slightly larger value of @xmath9 than the range of fig . [ fig:5.1 ] . in particular , for @xmath142 ev , a second eigenvalue of @xmath138 vanishes , simultaneously with the first one of @xmath143 as discussed above , now , the sign of the matrix elements is such that the singular contributions to the parquet decomposition _ no longer _ cancel . then the parquet decomposition , in its corresponding counterparts ( @xmath144 , @xmath145 and -consequently- @xmath71 ) , blows up at low - frequencies . hence , for somewhat larger values of @xmath9 results similar to figs . [ fig:3.2 ] are obtained . at the same time we find , consistent with the findings of ref . [ ] , that _ no _ vanishing eigenvalue occurs in @xmath146 even at larger @xmath9 and @xmath78 remains well - behaved also at strong coupling . a more physical elaboration of the meaning of such a selective appearance of singularities in the different channels will be given in the last section of the paper . until now we have discussed the case @xmath112 . for @xmath147 there are negative diagonal matrix elements of @xmath101 even for small values of @xmath9 . for instance , already in a generalization of eq . ( [ eq:5.1 ] ) negative diagonal matrix elements can appear . these elements are particularly small for large @xmath19 and @xmath18 . hence , inverting such a matrix gives large matrix elements for large @xmath19 and @xmath18 , which are rather unimportant for the self - energy and , thus , not very interesting in the light of the parquet decomposition . .[table:5.1]important matrix elements of @xmath148 for @xmath10 and @xmath112 . the parameters are @xmath111 , @xmath53 ev , @xmath149 ev and @xmath150 ev@xmath64 . [ cols=">,>,>,>,>,>,>,>,>,>",options="header " , ] we will now extend the previous dmft analysis of the singularities to the dca calculations for @xmath111 . in this case , @xmath101 is also momentum dependent , and , in general , a complex function . however , at half - filling , for @xmath10 and @xmath112 it remains purely real.@xcite we therefore mostly focus on this case , which gives an important contribution to @xmath44 . as in the previous section , we use the parameters @xmath53 ev and @xmath150 ev@xmath64 , and study the occurrence of vanishing eigenvalues in @xmath101 . since , as discussed at the beginning of last section , we are not interested in the high - frequency ( perturbative ) eigenvalues of @xmath101 , we choose an interaction value , where the most important fermion frequencies have already become the lowest ones : @xmath151 . in particular , table [ table:5.1 ] shows some of these matrix elements for , e.g. , @xmath149 ev . here , one sees that the dominating off - diagonal matrix elements are obtained for @xmath152 and @xmath153 taking values @xmath154 or @xmath155 . based on the size of the different matrix elements in table [ table:5.1 ] , it is then natural to focus on the @xmath156 matrix containing the @xmath17-vectors @xmath154 and @xmath155 as well as the frequencies @xmath151 for @xmath10 and @xmath112 . the lowest eigenvalue of this matrix is defined as @xmath157 . we also calculate the lowest eigenvalue , @xmath158 , corresponding to the the @xmath131 matrix containing the two @xmath17-vectors at the fermi - level , @xmath154 and @xmath155 , for one frequency , i.e. , @xmath159 . finally , we calculate the lowest eigenvalue , @xmath160 corresponding to the @xmath131 matrix containing two frequencies @xmath151 and one @xmath161 . the results of our analysis , for different values of @xmath9 , are shown in fig . [ fig:5.5 ] . we see that the eigenvalue @xmath157 provides a quite accurate approximation to the exact minimal eigenvalue @xmath137 of the full generalized charge susceptibility for values of @xmath9 ( @xmath162 ) where @xmath163 . this illustrates that the matrix elements discussed above are really the dominating ones . furthermore , we find that the `` fermi - level''-momentum approximation @xmath164 is also reasonably accurate , while the low - frequency @xmath160 is less accurate . [ fig:5.5 ] ( right panel ) shows the dependence on @xmath9 for some of these matrix elements . the diagonal element for @xmath165 and @xmath166 rapidly decreases with @xmath9 , while the absolute value of the off - diagonal element in @xmath17 for @xmath80 , @xmath167 and @xmath168 is large and slowly increases with @xmath9 . this matrix element is , in particular , due to the unequal spin contribution . in sec . [ sec:5 ] we show how in the case of @xmath111 cluster this evolution is linked to the progressive stabilization of a rvb - dominated ground - state . the off - diagonal element in frequency for @xmath169 , @xmath170 and @xmath171 , instead , remains rather small . the minimal eigenvalue @xmath172 of the @xmath131 matrix in @xmath17 is given by @xmath173 \!-\ ! \nonumber \\ & \!=\ ! & \chi_{ch}^{diag } - t_{\bf{k}}\end{aligned}\ ] ] evidently , when the magnitude of the off - diagonal element ( @xmath174 ) becomes equal to the diagonal element ( @xmath175 ) , the lowest eigenvalue @xmath176 goes negative ( see fig . [ fig:5.6 ] ) . the ( opposite ) sign of the matrix elements in the @xmath177 matrix are such that the two components of the corresponding eigenvector have the _ same _ sign . by extending our analysis , we will then the considered the @xmath156 matrix . its two lowest eigenvalues are shown in fig . [ fig:5.7 ] . the eigenvalue @xmath178 is further split into two by the small off - diagonal matrix elements for @xmath179 ( @xmath180 in fig . [ fig:5.6 ] ) , in a bonding and anti - bonding state . similarly to the @xmath7 case the components of the eigenvector corresponding to the lowest eigenvalue ( @xmath181 ) have different signs for @xmath182 and @xmath183 . then , the eigenvector corresponding to the second lowest eigenvalue , which vanishes at a larger @xmath184 , will have the two component @xmath128 with the same sign . eventually , combining all the eigenvector signs , we obtain that the lowest eigenvalue is associated to an eigenvector with opposite sign components , while the second lowest is not . this evidently depends on the specific signs in table [ table:5.1 ] . hence , similar to the @xmath7 case , also for @xmath111 , the singularities occurring in @xmath101 will be actually responsible for the blowing up of the parquet decomposition ( see appendix [ appendix ] ) , with the significant exception of the first one encountered from weak - coupling . if one considered also the generalized susceptibility in the particle - particle channel @xmath185 , we would find an analogous trend . for the case considered here where @xmath103 is real for @xmath186 , it would show an eigenvalue going through zero slightly below @xmath187 ev . similarly , the complex @xmath103 for @xmath10 has a real eigenvalue going through zero slightly below @xmath188 ev . in such cases , the signs of the corresponding singular eigenvector components do not compensate , which yield to the strong low - frequency oscillations of the @xmath145 data , presented in the previous section . moreover , in the same parameter regime ( @xmath189 ) , also the singularities of the lowest real eigenvalue of @xmath101 for @xmath190 or for @xmath155 crossing zero do not cancel , leaving the spin channel as the _ only _ contribution of the parquet decomposition unaffected by singularities . in summary , we find that the singularities in the generalized susceptibilities are actually reflected in a blowing up of the parquet decomposition in the corresponding channel(s ) . due to the possible occurrence of compensating signs in the frequency components of the singular eigenvector of @xmath25 , however , the correspondence is not complete . in fact , we find that the parquet decomposition remains well - behaved in _ all _ channels even beyond the value of @xmath9 , where the first singularity appears in the bethe - salpeter equation for the charge channel ( i.e. , at @xmath191 for @xmath192 ev@xmath64 in dca with @xmath111 ) , because of the compensating signs of the singular eigenvector . however , this is no longer the case for larger values of @xmath9 , where the singular parts of @xmath139 and/ or @xmath193 add up in the parquet decomposition of the self - energy , making a separate ( parquet ) treatment of the corresponding scattering channels quite problematic . more specifically , in this regime , the absolute contribution from the totally irreducible diagrams to the self - energy at low - frequencies tends to be very large , and to a substantial extent , to be canceled by a very large particle - particle contribution . beyond this compensations , it is also interesting to note that in fig . [ fig:3.3 ] a sign - crossing is observed between the anomalous low frequency contributions of the irreducible and the @xmath5 channel to the self - energy and their more conventionally behaved counter - parts at high - frequency . hence , since the high - frequency behavior of the self - energy can be related to the lowest order perturbation theory , the sign crossings of the @xmath5 and fully irreducible contribution at intermediate frequency represent an evident manifestation of the break - down of the perturbative description . in order to go beyond this mostly formal interpretation of the singularities in the generalized susceptibilities ( and of their effects on the parquet decomposition ) , in the next subsection we will improve our understanding of the underlying physics by a comparison with simplified model cases , where such singularities also appear . to improve our physical insight on the occurrence of the singularities , we start by considering one of the most basic case , where they appear , i.e. , a simple two - level ( impurity ) model : this model has a coulomb interaction @xmath9 on the ( @xmath7 ) cluster site and no interaction on the bath site @xmath194 and an intersite hopping @xmath195 . specifically , we use @xmath196 ev , @xmath197 ev@xmath64 and we consider the half - filled case . [ fig:5.5a ] shows the lowest eigenvalue @xmath137 of @xmath101 for @xmath112 and the corresponding lowest eigenvalue @xmath198 in eq . ( [ eq:5.2 ] ) of the @xmath199 matrix containing matrix elements for @xmath128 . more specifically we also note that increasing @xmath9 increases the off - diagonal matrix element @xmath134 . similarly as for the dmft calculations of the previous section , when this element becomes equal to the diagonal element , @xmath198 goes negative [ eq . ( [ eq:5.2 ] ) ] . at this point , @xmath198 becomes a rather good approximation to @xmath137 , as it was also the case in fig . [ fig:5.2 ] . hence , in this parameter range , we can limit our analysis to the lowest frequency sector ( @xmath128 ) . from the above discussion , we notice that the overall properties of the singularity of @xmath101 in the two - level model appear qualitatively similar to the one of the dmft calculations of the hubbard model in sec . [ sec:4.1 ] . differently from the latter case , however , in the two - level model , we have access to more intrinsic information , such as the exact ground state of the systems . this allows for a deeper investigation of the physical evolution associated with the singularities . in particular , we show how large the overlap of the ground state of the system with the singlet state @xmath200 is , where two electrons , one on each site , form a valence bond : in the inset of fig . [ fig:5.5a ] , by increasing @xmath9 , we clearly observe a monotonously enhanced weight of the singlet state of eq . [ eq:5.4 ] in the ground state of the system . in particular , the progressive change in the ground state is responsible of the ( increasing / decreasing ) trends of the ( off - diagonal / diagonal ) elements of @xmath201 , driving , eventually , the sign - change of @xmath137 . below we will continue by discussing the more significant @xmath111 case , and show in more detail how the formation of a negative eigenvalue of @xmath101 is , in that case , associated with the formation of a resonance valence bond ( rvb ) . in this subsection , we will show how the analysis of properties of the ground - state of the system can be extended to the case of @xmath111 . here , instead of the two - level model , we will exploit a preceding study of the pseudogap in the hubbard model using a very different approach.@xcite in fact , due to the relevance for the cuprate physics , the general problem of the pseudogap formation in the hubbard model on a square lattice has been intensively investigated for embedded clusters , e.g. , in dca.@xcite based on studies for @xmath111 and @xmath60 , it has recently been argued that , for a sufficiently large @xmath9 , a _ localized _ state @xmath202 is formed on the cluster,@xcite leading to pseudogap features . more specifically , by comparing correlation functions of the dca calculation and for @xmath203 , this state was identified@xcite with a singlet , which for @xmath111 we are considering here takes the approximate form @xmath204 here , the @xmath205 level is doubly occupied , while the levels @xmath80 and @xmath155 are each doubly occupied with a probability of @xmath206 . we now want to show that this state is closely related to the resonance valence bond ( rvb ) state.@xcite since the rvb state has no double - occupancy ( @xmath207 ) , we can make this connection explicit in two steps . first we compare with a calculation for an isolated cluster with @xmath53ev and a finite , intermediate value of @xmath188 ev , relevant for the discussion here . afterwards , we compare these calculations for the isolated cluster with @xmath188 ev and @xmath208 . we find a very large overlap ( @xmath209 ) between @xmath203 of eq . ( [ eq:3.1 ] ) and the ground - state of the isolated @xmath188 ev cluster . secondly , we find that the overlap of the ground - state for the isolated cluster with @xmath188 ev to the @xmath208 rvb state is also large ( @xmath210 ) , the difference arising mainly from the double - occupancies . in fact , all configurations in real space with nonzero weight for the rvb state have similar weights also in the calculation for @xmath188 ev . in summary , @xmath202 in eq . ( [ eq:3.1 ] ) is closely related to the ground - state of the isolated cluster at finite @xmath9 , and , hence , apart from some residual double occupancy , to the rvb state . we now want to show that the state in eq . ( [ eq:3.1 ] ) is indeed formed and to relate this to the divergence of @xmath101 . we focus on the case @xmath111 . as discussed in the context of fig . [ fig:5.7 ] , an important reason for the divergence is the behavior of @xmath101 and in particular of @xmath211 for @xmath212 and @xmath17 and @xmath213 equal to @xmath154 or @xmath155 at the lowest matsubara frequencies . as @xmath9 is increased the element for @xmath214 is reduced while the element for @xmath215 becomes large and negative . to make the connection between the formation of an rvb state and the divergence , we introduce @xmath216 fig . [ fig:5.2 ] shows that the ratio between @xmath217 for @xmath218 and @xmath219 behaves in a very similar way as the corresponding ratio for @xmath220 at the lowest matsubara frequencies . the difference between the two curves is that @xmath217 contains a sum over all matsubara frequencies . it is then not surprising that the two curves are similar . the quantity in eq . ( [ eq:3.0a ] ) is easier to analyze . we use that @xmath221 , where the summation is over fermion or boson frequencies . then @xmath222 it is then easy to check that for the ground - state ( [ eq:3.1 ] ) the matrix element for @xmath10 , @xmath165 is zero , while it is @xmath223 for @xmath167 . this would lead to a vanishing ratio in fig . [ fig:5.2 ] , in qualitative agreement with the actual calculation . the second lowest state on the cluster is a triplet of the form @xmath224 it should be emphasized here , that if this had been the lowest state , we would have got exactly the _ opposite _ result to above , i.e. , a large matrix element for @xmath214 and a small matrix element for @xmath167 . our analysis of the @xmath111 dca results demonstrate thus that in the regime , where a pseudogap is observed@xcite for sufficiently large @xmath9 , i ) the essential physics can be traced back to a state of rvb character , and ii ) that the hallmark of such rvb character is directly reflected in large off - diagonal elements of @xmath25 in the fermi - momentum subspace [ @xmath155 , @xmath154 ] . the latter result is quite important for discussing the interpretation of the observed singularities in the parquet decomposition of the dca results . at large enough @xmath9 , in fact , an underlying rvb state has also been related to the formation of a pseudogap.@xcite thus , in this regime , the trends towards a rvb ground - state would be the common underlying reason behind onset a pseudogap and the formation of negative eigenvalues of @xmath101 and the associated strong frequency oscillations of the parquet decomposition . we note , finally , that the considerations discussed here are rigorously valid for the parquet singularities of the @xmath111 data . they will remain largely applicable to the cases of small dca clusters discussed in the present work . modifications might be possible , instead , in the cases of extended clusters , where a pseudogap spectral weight suppression can be induced also at much weaker - coupling by long - ranged ( spin ) correlations@xcite . for such larger dca clusters , the parquet decompositions is still numerically challenging . some further physical insight into this problem can be gained starting from the general observation that , when @xmath9 is increased , the charge susceptibility is suppressed , while the spin susceptibility becomes large . it is then not surprising that we find rather different behavior of @xmath101 and @xmath226 . the charge susceptibility can be expressed in terms of the generalized charge susceptibility @xmath227 we now use eq . ( [ eq:5.3 ] ) to rewrite the susceptibility as @xmath228 where @xmath229 and @xmath230 are the eigenvalues and eigenvectors , respectively , of @xmath101 . the @xmath40 dependence is not shown explicitly . we find @xmath231 where @xmath117 is the number of @xmath38 values and thereby the number of eigenvalues . thus , except `` pathological '' cases of strongly varying overlaps @xmath232 occur@xcite , @xmath233 will be in general _ not _ small . this , together with @xmath234 being small , puts then constraints on the eigenvalues . for @xmath7 it has been shown that all eigenvalues of @xmath235 are positive for small @xmath9.@xcite for large @xmath9 , a small @xmath236 can be obtained if all eigenvalues are small ( and possibly all positive ) or if some eigenvalues are negative . since individual matrix elements are large , the former could not be the case . then the strong suppression of @xmath236 for large @xmath9 is expected to require that some eigenvalues are negative , although pathological cases may be found where this is not the case . similar arguments apply for larger clusters for values of @xmath40 where the eigenvalues are real and positive for small @xmath9 . the appearance of negative eigenvalues as @xmath9 is increased and , hence , of the huge low - frequency oscillations in the the parquet decomposition , should be a consequence of a gradual suppression of charge fluctuation as the system approaches a mott transition . this supports an earlier preliminary interpretation ( within dmft ) of a negative eigenvalue as a precursor effect of the mott transition.@xcite the dca results , suggesting an intrinsic connection with the rvb physics and the pseudogap formation , implies a more profound , and highly non - perturbative , picture of the electronic correlations in two - dimensional lattice systems . we have calculated the two - particle vertex function in dmft and dca for the hubbard model . the vertex function was then exploited to perform a parquet decomposition of the dca self - energy . the purpose of such decomposition was similar as for the recently introduced fluctuation diagnostic approach,@xcite i.e. , to improve our understanding of the physical origin of the numerical results for the self - energy . in comparison to the latter approach , the parquet decomposition allows -in principle- for a more direct formulation , which does not require any representation change in the equation of motion for the self - energy . however , as we discussed in this work , as opposed to the fluctuation diagnostics procedure , its usage poses also important new challenges . while the parquet decomposition works relatively smoothly in the perturbative regime and allows one to evaluate quantitatively the role played by the different channels , for larger values of @xmath9 and moderate doping , some of its terms start to display very large oscillations at small frequencies . this renders it impossible to disentangle the role of the channels affected by such oscillations . we should note , however , that in all cases considered we could always find , even at strong coupling , at least _ one _ well - behaved term in the parquet decomposition ( which was the spin contribution , @xmath78 , for the @xmath2 and @xmath1 hubbard model close to / at half - filling ) . this has been interpreted as a specific indication emerging from the parquet decomposition of a predominance of that well - behave channel . in this way the predictions of the parquet decomposition of @xmath44 provide a qualitatively similar outcome@xcite to those of the fluctuation diagnostics . unlike the former , the latter approach , appears not to be affected at all by entering in non - perturbative regime . beyond the physical insight in the self - energy , our results are also relevant for the future developments of forefront methods in quantum many body physics . in fact , several recently proposed computational schemes have been based on the parquet decomposition , introducing approximations for the totally irreducible diagrams , and then calculating the reducible diagrams via the parquet equations.@xcite the results above , however , show that the contribution from the irreducible diagrams becomes highly complicated for strongly correlated systems , even diverging for certain values of @xmath9 . this suggests that all schemes based on the parquet decomposition above might encounter unforeseen problems in the intermediate - to - strong correlated regime . however , we should recall that the generalized susceptibilities in matsubara space are not directly measurable quantities . hence , one may wonder , whether alternatives to the conventional parquet decomposition for classifying the feynman diagrams could be found , in order to improve the description of electronic correlations in the intermediate coupling regimes and avoid the singularities . in the specific context of our dmft and dca analysis , we have demonstrated that the singularities of some terms of the parquet decomposition of the self - energy is directly related to the divergencies of @xmath139 and @xmath193 at intermediate @xmath9 values . in particular , we showed that the divergence of @xmath139 is related to the suppression of charge fluctuations . this represents an early , non - perturbative , manifestation of the mott - hubbard physics . the relation of such singularities to a rvb state and to the formation of a pseudogap has also been investigated for the case of the @xmath111 dca clusters , making progress towards a theoretical understanding of the highly non - trivial physics of strong electron correlations in two - dimensions . we thank e. gull and p. thunstrm for insightful discussions . we acknowledge financial support from the austrian science fund ( fwf ) through the doctoral school solid for fun ( w1243 , t.s . ) the project i610-n16 ( t.s , g.r . ) , and the sfb - vicom f41 ( a.t . ) . j.m . acknowledges financial support from mineco ( mat2012 - 37263-c02 - 01 ) . g.s . acknowledges financial support from research unit for 1346 of the deutsche forschungsgemeinschaft . we also thank k. klbl for graphical advices . in this appendix we further elaborate on the divergence of @xmath237 at @xmath112 in sec . [ sec:4 ] and the corresponding evolution of the singular eigenvalue of @xmath238 . specifically , in order to analyze the role played by the lowest eigenvalue of the generalized susceptibility , we express the inverse of @xmath238 in the basis of the eigenvalues ( @xmath229 ) and the eigenvectors ( @xmath230 ) of @xmath238 : @xmath239 an approximate expression , @xmath240 , can then be obtained by restricting the sum to the lowest eigenvalue of @xmath238 . we now illustrate the usefulness of the representation eq . [ eq:5.3 ] by applying it first to the case of dmft ( @xmath7 ) . in fig . [ fig:5.3 ] , the evolution of the exact and approximate eigenvalues with interaction strength @xmath9 is shown for @xmath53 ev , @xmath62 and @xmath150 ev@xmath64 . for @xmath241 , where the lowest eigenvalue is positive , the contribution for @xmath128 is approximately zero , because the corresponding ( weak - coupling ) eigenvector has almost no weight for these frequencies . @xmath237 becomes large already for @xmath9 slightly smaller than @xmath242 , where the approximate eigenvalue is small but positive . here , a low - lying `` resonance '' gives a large contribution . when the resonance goes through zero and becomes a `` bound state '' ( negative eigenvalue ) for the matrix of the generalized susceptibility , the sign of @xmath237 ( and hence also that of @xmath243 ) changes . for @xmath244 , @xmath240 provides a quite good approximation of @xmath237 , showing that the large values of @xmath237 are mainly due to this `` bound - state '' . as @xmath9 is increased further , the lowest eigenvalue gets more negative , and the matrix elements of @xmath237 are reduced . the basic character of @xmath238 , however , remains qualitatively different compared with smaller values of @xmath9 . this analysis can also be extended to the case of dca . [ fig:5.9 ] shows matrix elements of the dca @xmath237 ( at half - filling and @xmath245 ) compared with the approximation @xmath240 where only _ negative _ eigenvalues are considered in the inversion in eq . ( [ eq:5.3 ] ) . for @xmath246 all eigenvalues are are positive and @xmath240 is zero . however , there is a resonance for @xmath9 close to 1.05 , as is also indicated by the small value of @xmath157 ( see sec . [ sec:4 ] for the corresponding definitions ) . this leads to a large contribution to @xmath237 for @xmath9 close to 1.05 . as the lowest eigenvalue goes negative at @xmath247 , the signs of some large matrix elements of @xmath237 change [ see eq . ( [ eq:5.3 ] ) ] . at the same time @xmath240 becomes a rather good approximation to @xmath237 . increasing @xmath9 further , a second resonance forms , as is also seen by the small value of the second lowest eigenvalue in the @xmath248 space . this leads to very large values of @xmath237 for @xmath249 , which are missed by @xmath240 . for @xmath250 this resonance is converted to a negative eigenvalue , signs of matrix elements of @xmath237 change , and @xmath240 again becomes a good approximation of @xmath237 . the following generic matrix is related to the discussion in the main text : when the first eigenvalue vanishes ( @xmath258 ) the first term of the matrix @xmath259 diverges , while the sum over all its matrix elements stays finite , because the sum over the matrix elements in the first term exactly vanishes due to the antisymmetry of the corresponding eigenvector . hence , the sum over all matrix elements , originating from the second term in eq . ( [ equ : minv ] ) , yields the finite result @xmath260 . for @xmath261 , however , one encounters the divergence of the second eigenvalue . in this case also the sum over all matrix elements diverges , as the ( equal ) signs of the corresponding eigenvector no longer cancel it . for a review , see , e.g. , n. e. bickers , int . j. mod b * 5 * , 253 ( 1991 ) and in _ theoretical methods for strongly correlated electrons _ , edited by d. senechal , a. tremblay , and c. bourbonnais ( springer - verlag , new york , 2004 ) , chapter 6 . v. jani , j. phys . : condens . matter * 10 * , 2915 ( 1998 ) ; phys . b * 60 * , 11345 ( 1999 ) . s. x. yang , h. fotso , j. liu , t. a. maier , k. tomko , e. f. dazevedo , r. t. scalettar , t. pruschke , and m. jarrell , phys . e * 80 * , 046706 ( 2009 ) ; ka - ming tam , h. fotso , s .- x . yang , tae - woo lee , j. moreno , j. ramanujam , and m. jarrell , phys . e * 87 * , 013311 ( 2013 ) . m. h. hettler , a. n. tahvildar - zadeh , m. jarrell , t. pruschke , and h. r. krishnamurthy , phys . b * 58 * , r7475 ( 1998 ) ; m. h. hettler , m. mukherjee , m. jarrell , and h. r. krishnamurthy , phys . rev . b * 61 * , 12739 ( 2000 ) . for a systematic and extensive comparison of extrapolated dca data w.r.t . other techniques , see : j. p. f. leblanc , a. e. antipov , f. becca , i. w. bulik , garnet kin - lic chan , chia - min chung , youjin deng , m. ferrero , t. m. henderson , c. a. jimnez - hoyos , e. kozik , xuan - wen liu , a. j. millis , n. v. prokofev , m. qin , g. e. scuseria , hao shi , b. v. svistunov , l. f. tocchio , i. s. tupitsyn , s. r. white , shiwei zhang , bo - xiao zheng , zhenyue zhu , e. gull , phys . rev . x * 5 * , 041041 ( 2015 ) . a. n. rubtsov , m. i. katsnelson , and a. i. lichtenstein , phys . b * 77 * , 033101 ( 2008 ) ; h. hafermann , g. li , a. n. rubtsov , m. i. katsnelson , a. i. lichtenstein , and h. monien , phys . rev 102 * , 206401 ( 2009 ) . c. taranto , s. andergassen , j. bauer , k. held , a. katanin , w. metzner , g. rohringer , and a. toschi , phys . * 112 * , 196402 ( 2014 ) ; n. wentzell , c. taranto , a. katanin , a. toschi , and s. andergassen phys . b * 91 * 045120 ( 2015 ) . b. kyung , s. s. kancharla , d. senechal , a .- m.s . tremblay , m. civelli , and g. kotliar , phys . b * 73 * , 165114 ( 2006 ) . a. macridin , m. jarrell , t. maier , p.r.c . kent , and e. dazevedo , phys . lett . * 97 * , 036401 ( 2006 ) . see , e.g. , a. toschi , m. capone and c. castellani , phys . b * 72 * , 235118 ( 2005 ) ; d. nicoletti , o. limaj , p. calvani , g. rohringer , a. toschi , g. sangiovanni , m. capone , k. held , s. ono , yoichi ando , and s. lupi phys . rev . lett . * 105 * , 077002 ( 2010 ) . we note that , by reducing @xmath113 the weight of this eigenvector will become distributed over several low - lying frequencies , but the general picture , as well as the qualitative difference to the weak - coupling regime , remains similar in the whole temperature interval we considered . for @xmath190 and @xmath155 @xmath101 is , in general , a complex matrix . a few eigenvalues , however are real , and one of these goes through zero , though for slightly larger coupling , i.e. , between @xmath187 and @xmath262 ev . for @xmath186 @xmath101 is , in general , also a complex matrix . however , in this case already perturbation theory can give a negative real eigenvalue , and the study of @xmath186 is therefore not very interesting . see , e.g. , a. macridin , m. jarrell , thomas maier , p. r. c. kent , and e. dazevedo , phys . * 97 * , 036401 ( 2006 ) ; a. macridin , m. jarrell , phys . b * 78 * , 241101(r ) ( 2008 ) ; p. werner , e. gull , o. parcollet , and a. j. millis , phys . rev . b * 80 * , 045120 ( 2010 ) ; g. sangiovanni and o. gunnarsson , phys . rev . b * 84 * , 100505(r ) ; e. gull and a. j. millis , phys . rev . b * 86 * , 241106(r ) ( 2012 ) ; j. p. f. leblanc and e. gull , phys . rev . b * 88 * , 155108 ( 2013 ) . it is worth stressing , that in the light of the recent results obtained via the fluctuation diagnostics@xcite- the occurrence of strongly varying matrix elements looks unlikely to be realized in secondary scattering channels , such as the charge channel in our case . rather , the secondary nature of the ( here : charge ) channel would be reflected in a relatively _ featureless _ and smooth matrix element behavior of the ( corresponding ) generalized susceptibility .
arxiv
the design of nebulizers has been the subject of considerable development activity in recent years . this includes both compressor - based jet - nebulizer systems and more portable mesh - based device designs . the focus of the development activity has been geared toward making the devices more patient / carer - friendly ( eg , faster , quieter , and less environmental contamination with drug ) . there have been a number of publications on the variability of nebulizer compressor combinations with respect to delivered dose ( dd),13 but both the mode of operation of the nebulizer itself and the additional variability that could be introduced by the patient have received less attention . in the four main guidelines for nebulizer testing ( european committee for standardization [ cen ] en 13544 - 1,4 united states pharmacopoeia [ usp ] chapter 1601,5 european pharmacopoeia [ ep ] chapter 2.9.44,6 and international organization for standardization [ iso ] 27427:2013[e]),7 test methods for nebulizers are described in terms of dd , output rate , and mass median aerodynamic diameter . it is of note that the usp contained such guidance up to usp 37,8 but in recent updates all guidance relating to parameters to report and how to calculate them has been removed.9 the iso 27427:2013(e ) standard states that its objective is to ensure that the results of the various tests declared by the manufacturer are meaningful to the users and buyers of nebulizers.7 the test methods for dd ( the total amount of drug that leaves the nebulizer and is delivered into inhalation ) and dd - output rate ( the amount of drug delivered into inhalation during a minute ) use a single standardized breathing pattern of 500 ml tidal volume , 1:1 inhalation : exhalation ( i : e ) ratio , and 15 breaths per minute ( bpm ) frequency . the standards represent a good basis for the direct comparison of nebulizers under in vitro lab conditions for quality - control purposes . they are , however , limited in that the respirable dd ( rdd ; the amount of drug contained in droplets of a size suitable for penetration into the lungs,10 ie , in the respirable range < 5 m ) leaving the nebulizer mouthpiece during inhalation is not directly reported . in the iso 27427:2013(e ) standard , it is stated that the percentage of fill volume emitted is an important value to be disclosed to the user , because it can influence the decisions of dosage intended for delivery in terms related to the expected amount of drug given to the patient.7 this statement shows an attempt to address clinically relevant parameters in the standard , but the omission of rdd or use of different patient - relevant breathing patterns could lead to incorrect decisions in terms of the expected amount of clinically effective drug delivered to the patient from a device . the results of the test methods in the standards are thus limited in their clinical usefulness . within publications and manufacturer literature , a number of different terms are used to describe the performance of nebulizers , but the meanings of the terms can vary from publication to publication , eg , in some publications , the term delivered dose has been used for everything that leaves the nebulizer gravimetrically ( ie , solution delivered into exhalation and into inhalation , as well as the sum of the mass of solution from within the reservoir solution that is lost to evaporation),11,12 while in other publications it has been used to refer to the drug that is delivered to inhalation only.1315 the terms used in this article are detailed in table 1 . the study reported in this article the protocols recommended in the guidelines are used in part 1 to assess dd , as well as additional parameters significant to nebulizer performance , such as rdd . outside the laboratory , patient breathing patterns vary considerably , and the dose delivered to the 1:1 i : e ratio laboratory pattern may not reflect the actual dose delivered to the patient . in some studies,16,17 a 1:2 i : e ratio has been used , which is more representative of a healthy adult breathing ratio.18 it has also been reported that patients with obstructive lung function can have i : e ratios of in excess of 1:4.1922 although other factors may affect real - life device use , eg , peak inspiratory flow and tidal volume , to enable an identification of the effects of the highly significant i : e ratio without the complication of having to resolve effects from the other variables , i : e ratio was as far as possible isolated as a single variable . i : e ratios between 1:1 and 1:4 are used in part 2 to determine the effect on dd and rdd , and the contrast with emitted dose ( ed ) and respirable ed ( red ) , which are often quoted by manufacturers and in publications . breath - activated nebulizers deliver only into inhalation , and thus in theory dd should be independent of i : e ratio3 and dd and ed should be equivalent . therefore , the effect of i : e ratio on the performance parameters of breath - activated nebulizers that are claimed to be breathing pattern - independent is examined in part 3 . although parameters in the breathing pattern besides i : e ratio , such as peak inspiratory flow and tidal volume , also potentially affect dd and rdd , the scope of this investigation was limited to change the i : e ratio only , to enable a clear separation of the varying effects of this on the nebulizers of different modes of operation , without the complication of other variables . a summary of the modes of operation of nebulizers that are currently available for use in aerosol therapy is presented in table 2 . it is clear that there are a number of different modes of operation , and even within a mode of operation there can be subtypes , eg , jet nebulizers can be conventional , venturi , or breath - enhanced . the focus of the study reported in this article was on jet and mesh nebulizers , to examine the effect of the mode of operation and breathing pattern on dd and rdd . it is useful to visualize the effect of the different modes of operation of different nebulizer types upon the delivered drug . a typical means of doing this is via a tidal breathing flow - time graph . the principles of operation of the three subtypes of jet nebulizer are illustrated in figure 1 . a conventional nebulizer uses a driving gas flow ( typically 6 l / min ) to generate aerosol . it delivers an approximately equal volume of aerosol into inhalation and exhalation when a breathing pattern with a 1:1 i : e ratio is employed . the addition of a venturi to the nebulizer allows additional air to be entrained , and thus the same 6 l / min driving flow is complemented by entrained air to give a total output of aerosol - laden air of around 16 l / min ( figure 1b ) . the breath - enhanced design of the nebulizer includes a valve that allows the venturi effect to be exploited during inhalation ; however , the valve closes during exhalation , thus reducing aerosol delivery during this part of the breathing cycle . this enables more drugs to be delivered to inhalation and reduces the amount of drug lost to exhalation ( figure 1c ) . the i - neb adaptive aerosol delivery ( aad ) system and the aeroeclipse ii are breath - activated devices that deliver only into inhalation ( figure 1d and e ) . the i - neb aad system is a mesh - based nebulizer system that delivers aerosol using sensors and electronics , which run a breathing - pattern algorithm . the i - neb aad system nebulizer can be run in two different modes of operation tidal breathing mode ( tbm ) and target inhalation mode and only tbm is relevant to this article . tbm operates when a patient inhales spontaneously during tidal breathing , during which the i - neb aad system nebulizer monitors the inspiratory flow rate and length of the inhalation . aerosol is then pulsed during the first 50%80% of the inhalation , depending upon the specific characteristics of the breathing pattern . the duration of each pulse of aerosol is determined by the patient s breathing pattern and varies for each subsequent breath , depending on a rolling average of the preceding three breaths . these features eliminate waste during exhalation , provide precise dose delivery independently of i : e ratio , and give the patient feedback on performance.23 the aeroeclipse ii is a jet nebulizer with a mechanical mechanism that allows the production of aerosol only when the inhalation airflow exceeds a certain flow rate . this provides control over the portion of the breath into which the aerosol is delivered , but is dependent on the inhalation flow of the patient . nine different brands of nebulizers were used in this study , and are shown in table 3 . a summary of the modes of operation of nebulizers that are currently available for use in aerosol therapy is presented in table 2 . it is clear that there are a number of different modes of operation , and even within a mode of operation there can be subtypes , eg , jet nebulizers can be conventional , venturi , or breath - enhanced . the focus of the study reported in this article was on jet and mesh nebulizers , to examine the effect of the mode of operation and breathing pattern on dd and rdd . it is useful to visualize the effect of the different modes of operation of different nebulizer types upon the delivered drug . a typical means of doing this is via a tidal breathing flow - time graph . the principles of operation of the three subtypes of jet nebulizer are illustrated in figure 1 . a conventional nebulizer uses a driving gas flow ( typically 6 l / min ) to generate aerosol . it delivers an approximately equal volume of aerosol into inhalation and exhalation when a breathing pattern with a 1:1 i : e ratio is employed . the addition of a venturi to the nebulizer allows additional air to be entrained , and thus the same 6 l / min driving flow is complemented by entrained air to give a total output of aerosol - laden air of around 16 l / min ( figure 1b ) . the breath - enhanced design of the nebulizer includes a valve that allows the venturi effect to be exploited during inhalation ; however , the valve closes during exhalation , thus reducing aerosol delivery during this part of the breathing cycle . this enables more drugs to be delivered to inhalation and reduces the amount of drug lost to exhalation ( figure 1c ) . the i - neb adaptive aerosol delivery ( aad ) system and the aeroeclipse ii are breath - activated devices that deliver only into inhalation ( figure 1d and e ) . the i - neb aad system is a mesh - based nebulizer system that delivers aerosol using sensors and electronics , which run a breathing - pattern algorithm . the i - neb aad system nebulizer can be run in two different modes of operation tidal breathing mode ( tbm ) and target inhalation mode and only tbm is relevant to this article . tbm operates when a patient inhales spontaneously during tidal breathing , during which the i - neb aad system nebulizer monitors the inspiratory flow rate and length of the inhalation . aerosol is then pulsed during the first 50%80% of the inhalation , depending upon the specific characteristics of the breathing pattern . the duration of each pulse of aerosol is determined by the patient s breathing pattern and varies for each subsequent breath , depending on a rolling average of the preceding three breaths . these features eliminate waste during exhalation , provide precise dose delivery independently of i : e ratio , and give the patient feedback on performance.23 the aeroeclipse ii is a jet nebulizer with a mechanical mechanism that allows the production of aerosol only when the inhalation airflow exceeds a certain flow rate . this provides control over the portion of the breath into which the aerosol is delivered , but is dependent on the inhalation flow of the patient . nine different brands of nebulizers were used in this study , and are shown in table 3 . droplet - size distributions of salbutamol sulfate aerosols produced by the nebulizers were evaluated in terms of volume median diameter ( vmd ) and fine - droplet fraction ( fdf ) by laser diffraction . laser diffraction was chosen , as salbutamol sulfate is a homogeneous solution , and thus the drug is distributed equally in the droplets ; therefore , the reported values of droplet size represent the drug distribution and allow a greater number of measurements in a reasonable time frame compared with the more time - consuming determination of mass median aerodynamic diameter using an impactor . values are reported as vmd , but due to the homogeneous distribution of the drug , this equates to mass median diameter . the nebulizers were filled with 2.5 ml salbutamol sulfate solution ( 2 mg / ml , salamol steri - neb ; ivax pharmaceuticals , castleford , uk ) . the aerosols were evaluated using a mastersizer s laser - diffraction particle - size analyzer ( malvern instruments ltd . , the mastersizer s was operated using an open flow - cell arrangement used to present aerosol to the laser , and included a 10 l / min shroud airflow introduced into this cell and a 30 l / min extraction airflow set at the exit of this cell . the nebulizers were attached at the entrance to the mastersizer s flow cell and sealed . the nebulizers were then stopped after the third determination . for each nebulizer brand , three nebulizers the i - neb aad system nebulizer was run in an engineering test mode that allows continuous operation without the need for a simulated breathing pattern to be applied . the methods used to determine the interbrand dd variability between the seven non - breath - activated devices were based on methodology stated in the cen en 13544 - 1 guideline.4 each of the seven nebulizers was weighed , filled with 2.5 ml of 2 mg / ml salbutamol , reweighed , and connected via a filter ( filtrete ; 3 m , maplewood , mn , usa ) to an asl 5000 breathing simulator ( ingmar medical , pittsburgh , pa , usa ) set to generate the cen standard test pattern ( tidal volume 500 ml , i : e ratio 1:1 , bpm 15 ) ( figure 2 ) . the connection between the filter and nebulizer mouthpiece was sealed with parafilm ( alcan packaging , neenah , wi , usa ) . the nebulizers were run until 60 seconds after the onset of sputter ( detected audibly by the operator ) for the jet nebulizers , and until the end of aerosol generation for the mesh nebulizers . the nebulizers were reweighed at the end of nebulization to determine the residual mass and gravimetric ed . the drug collected on the filter was eluted for quantification by high - performance liquid chromatography to give the dd . as with the droplet - size tests , three of each brand of nebulizer were tested in triplicate and washed in warm soapy water , rinsed , and dried in a drying cabinet between the tests . to determine the dd variability between the seven non - breath - activated devices with different i : e ratios , the same methods were employed as those used to determine the interbrand dd variability between the devices , using three additional breathing patterns , shown in table 4 as b , c , and d. the methods employed to determine the dd variability between the breath - activated devices with different i : e ratios were the same as those previously described , using the three additional breathing patterns shown in table 4 . the i - neb aad system nebulizer was fitted with a 0.5 ml dosing chamber to ensure that the dd was within the range of the non - breath - activated nebulizers , and filled with the same fill volume as the other nebulizers . droplet - size distributions of salbutamol sulfate aerosols produced by the nebulizers were evaluated in terms of volume median diameter ( vmd ) and fine - droplet fraction ( fdf ) by laser diffraction . laser diffraction was chosen , as salbutamol sulfate is a homogeneous solution , and thus the drug is distributed equally in the droplets ; therefore , the reported values of droplet size represent the drug distribution and allow a greater number of measurements in a reasonable time frame compared with the more time - consuming determination of mass median aerodynamic diameter using an impactor . values are reported as vmd , but due to the homogeneous distribution of the drug , this equates to mass median diameter . the nebulizers were filled with 2.5 ml salbutamol sulfate solution ( 2 mg / ml , salamol steri - neb ; ivax pharmaceuticals , castleford , uk ) . the aerosols were evaluated using a mastersizer s laser - diffraction particle - size analyzer ( malvern instruments ltd . , the mastersizer s was operated using an open flow - cell arrangement used to present aerosol to the laser , and included a 10 l / min shroud airflow introduced into this cell and a 30 l / min extraction airflow set at the exit of this cell . the nebulizers were attached at the entrance to the mastersizer s flow cell and sealed . the nebulizers were then stopped after the third determination . for each nebulizer brand , three nebulizers the i - neb aad system nebulizer was run in an engineering test mode that allows continuous operation without the need for a simulated breathing pattern to be applied . the methods used to determine the interbrand dd variability between the seven non - breath - activated devices were based on methodology stated in the cen en 13544 - 1 guideline.4 each of the seven nebulizers was weighed , filled with 2.5 ml of 2 mg / ml salbutamol , reweighed , and connected via a filter ( filtrete ; 3 m , maplewood , mn , usa ) to an asl 5000 breathing simulator ( ingmar medical , pittsburgh , pa , usa ) set to generate the cen standard test pattern ( tidal volume 500 ml , i : e ratio 1:1 , bpm 15 ) ( figure 2 ) . the connection between the filter and nebulizer mouthpiece was sealed with parafilm ( alcan packaging , neenah , wi , usa ) . the nebulizers were run until 60 seconds after the onset of sputter ( detected audibly by the operator ) for the jet nebulizers , and until the end of aerosol generation for the mesh nebulizers . the nebulizers were reweighed at the end of nebulization to determine the residual mass and gravimetric ed . the drug collected on the filter was eluted for quantification by high - performance liquid chromatography to give the dd . as with the droplet - size tests , three of each brand of nebulizer were tested in triplicate and washed in warm soapy water , rinsed , and dried in a drying cabinet between the tests . to determine the dd variability between the seven non - breath - activated devices with different i : e ratios , the same methods were employed as those used to determine the interbrand dd variability between the devices , using three additional breathing patterns , shown in table 4 as b , c , and d. the methods employed to determine the dd variability between the breath - activated devices with different i : e ratios were the same as those previously described , using the three additional breathing patterns shown in table 4 . the i - neb aad system nebulizer was fitted with a 0.5 ml dosing chamber to ensure that the dd was within the range of the non - breath - activated nebulizers , and filled with the same fill volume as the other nebulizers . there was a considerable range in droplet sizes across the different brands of nebulizer , ranging from 3.27 m to 7.35 m ( table 5 ) . this droplet - size variability is reflected in the fdf , the amount of drug in the respirable range , which across the nebulizers ranged from 30% to 73% . the laboratory humidity conditions during droplet - size analysis were relatively constant , ranging from 46% to 50% relative humidity . the dd between the non - breath - activated nebulizers ranged from ~750 g to ~1,900 g salbutamol . as expected , the conventional and venturi nebulizers delivered less to inhalation than the breath - enhanced nebulizers , due to greater delivery efficiency of aerosol into the inhalation portion of the breath by the breath - enhanced nebulizers ( figure 1 ) . the amount of salbutamol delivered by the different non - breath - activated nebulizers varied from ~210 g to ~980 g ; this is a more than a fourfold difference . it is also notable that although the dd from the salter 8900 and sidestream nebulizers was similar ( figure 3a ) , the difference in droplet size and fdf resulted in a significant difference between the two nebulizers when rdd was considered ( figure 3b ) . the nonrespirable dd ( nrdd ) was calculated by subtracting the rdd from the dd . this represents the amount of drug delivered through the nebulizer that is potentially too large to reach the lung and is deposited in the oral cavity or throat . there was a nearly fivefold difference in nrdd between the nebulizers ( figure 3c ) , ranging from ~210 g to 960 g salbutamol . the results of residual solution remaining in the nebulizers following nebulization are illustrated in figure 3d . a residual between 1.45 g and 1.84 g solution was observed for most of the non - breath - activated nebulizers , regardless of whether they were conventional , venturi , breath - enhanced , or mesh nebulizers . however , when compared with the other non - breath - activated nebulizers , the residual of the microair u22 nebulizer was much lower ( 0.62 g solution ) , which would account for its considerably higher dd when tested with the same fill volume as the other nebulizers . the dd from all the non - breath - activated nebulizers tested reduced as the i : e ratio changed from 1:1 . the dd varied from ~1,900 g salbutamol with the microair u22 nebulizer at a 1:1 i : e ratio down to ~200 g salbutamol with the salter 8900 nebulizer at a 1:4 i : e ratio ( figure 4a ) . as was found with the comparison of nebulizers at a fixed 1:1 i : e ratio , the expression of the dose as rdd rather than dd resulted in wider variability in the dose delivered by the nebulizers . the rdd varied from ~1,000 g with the microair u22 nebulizer at an i : e ratio of 1:1 , to ~100 g with the salter 8900 nebulizer at an i : e ratio of 1:4 ( figure 4b ) , and thus a tenfold difference in rdd was observed . the ed represents all of the mass of liquid leaving the nebulizer into inhalation , exhalation , and due to evaporation . since the nebulizers were run continuously , this would be expected to be independent of i : e ratio . this was the case for most of the non - breath - activated nebulizers ; however , the ed results for the eflow rapid nebulizer showed some breathing - pattern dependence ( figure 4c ) . as with ed , red would also be expected to be independent of i : e ratio . as with rdd , the addition of the fdf into the calculation resulted in a change in the relative dose from each of the brands of non - breath - activated nebulizer ( figure 4d ) . as shown in figure 4e , treatment times for each of the non - breath - activated nebulizers were independent of i : e ratio , but between the brands there were considerable differences , ranging from ~140 seconds to 500 seconds . overall , the variability increased as the output measurement moved from simple ed to other performance factors . dd included the variability of the nebulizers in the ratio of drug delivered to the mouthpiece and that delivered to exhalation , and rdd further included the fdf , a measure of the quality of the aerosol generated by the nebulizer . for all the non - breath - activated nebulizers that operate continuously , with the exception of the microair u22 nebulizer , eds ( measured gravimetrically ) were very similar , clustered around 2,500 g salbutamol ( figure 4c ) , ie , 50% of the dose was retained within the device . when dd was considered , significant variability was apparent between the brands , as dds ranged from ~700 g for the conventional and venturi jet nebulizers , ~1,200 g for the breath - enhanced jet nebulizers , and ~1,900 g for the microair u22 mesh nebulizer . aad system nebulizer was independent of i : e ratio , as it delivered ~1,000 g salbutamol across the four breathing patterns . the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer delivered on average ~1,500 g salbutamol across the four breathing patterns , but showed a small dependence of dose on i : e ratio , with less being delivered as the i : e ratio changed from 1:1 to 1:4 ( figure 5a ) . the average rdd from the i - neb aad system nebulizer was ~600 g , and from the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer it was ~1,100 g , although as with dd , there was a small change in the amount delivered across the four breathing patterns ( figure 5b ) . the rdd from the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer was approximately twice that from the other jet nebulizers at a 1:1 i : e ratio ( figure 4b ) . this would be expected , as the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer delivers all of the drug from a standard fill into inhalation rather than into both inhalation and exhalation , as with the non - breath - activated nebulizers . the ed and red from the i - neb aad system nebulizer remained constant throughout the four breathing patterns ( figure 5c and d ) . however , as shown in figure 5c , there appeared to be a decrease in the ed from the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer as the i : e ratio increased . the reason for this is not clear , but it reflects the similar trend found with the dd and rdd . as expected , there was an increase in treatment time for both of the breath - activated nebulizers as the i : e ratio increased ( figure 5e ) , reflecting the greater time spent in exhalation per breath and thus the greater time during which aerosol was not being produced . due to its improved overall efficiency , the i - neb aad system nebulizer is metered to provide an equivalent dd to that provided by the jet nebulizers . as a consequence of the smaller total amount of drug that needs to be nebulized to give an equivalent dd to that from a non - breath - activated nebulizer , nebulization is faster with the i - neb aad system nebulizer ( 200 seconds compared with up to 300 seconds with the jet nebulizers ) . the treatment time for the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer was 620 seconds , but being unmetered it provided a considerably higher dd of 1,600 g salbutamol ( since the aerosol that would normally go to exhalation was delivered ) . there was a considerable range in droplet sizes across the different brands of nebulizer , ranging from 3.27 m to 7.35 m ( table 5 ) . this droplet - size variability is reflected in the fdf , the amount of drug in the respirable range , which across the nebulizers ranged from 30% to 73% . the laboratory humidity conditions during droplet - size analysis were relatively constant , ranging from 46% to 50% relative humidity . the dd between the non - breath - activated nebulizers ranged from ~750 g to ~1,900 g salbutamol . as expected , the conventional and venturi nebulizers delivered less to inhalation than the breath - enhanced nebulizers , due to greater delivery efficiency of aerosol into the inhalation portion of the breath by the breath - enhanced nebulizers ( figure 1 ) . the amount of salbutamol delivered by the different non - breath - activated nebulizers varied from ~210 g to ~980 g ; this is a more than a fourfold difference . it is also notable that although the dd from the salter 8900 and sidestream nebulizers was similar ( figure 3a ) , the difference in droplet size and fdf resulted in a significant difference between the two nebulizers when rdd was considered ( figure 3b ) . the nonrespirable dd ( nrdd ) was calculated by subtracting the rdd from the dd . this represents the amount of drug delivered through the nebulizer that is potentially too large to reach the lung and is deposited in the oral cavity or throat . there was a nearly fivefold difference in nrdd between the nebulizers ( figure 3c ) , ranging from ~210 g to 960 g salbutamol . the results of residual solution remaining in the nebulizers following nebulization are illustrated in figure 3d . a residual between 1.45 g and 1.84 g solution was observed for most of the non - breath - activated nebulizers , regardless of whether they were conventional , venturi , breath - enhanced , or mesh nebulizers . however , when compared with the other non - breath - activated nebulizers , the residual of the microair u22 nebulizer was much lower ( 0.62 g solution ) , which would account for its considerably higher dd when tested with the same fill volume as the other nebulizers . the dd from all the non - breath - activated nebulizers tested reduced as the i : e ratio changed from 1:1 . the dd varied from ~1,900 g salbutamol with the microair u22 nebulizer at a 1:1 i : e ratio down to ~200 g salbutamol with the salter 8900 nebulizer at a 1:4 i : e ratio ( figure 4a ) . as was found with the comparison of nebulizers at a fixed 1:1 i : e ratio , the expression of the dose as rdd rather than dd resulted in wider variability in the dose delivered by the nebulizers . the rdd varied from ~1,000 g with the microair u22 nebulizer at an i : e ratio of 1:1 , to ~100 g with the salter 8900 nebulizer at an i : e ratio of 1:4 ( figure 4b ) , and thus a tenfold difference in rdd was observed . the ed represents all of the mass of liquid leaving the nebulizer into inhalation , exhalation , and due to evaporation . since the nebulizers were run continuously , this would be expected to be independent of i : e ratio . this was the case for most of the non - breath - activated nebulizers ; however , the ed results for the eflow rapid nebulizer showed some breathing - pattern dependence ( figure 4c ) . as with ed , red would also be expected to be independent of i : e ratio . as with rdd , the addition of the fdf into the calculation resulted in a change in the relative dose from each of the brands of non - breath - activated nebulizer ( figure 4d ) . as shown in figure 4e , treatment times for each of the non - breath - activated nebulizers were independent of i : e ratio , but between the brands there were considerable differences , ranging from ~140 seconds to 500 seconds . overall , the variability increased as the output measurement moved from simple ed to other performance factors . dd included the variability of the nebulizers in the ratio of drug delivered to the mouthpiece and that delivered to exhalation , and rdd further included the fdf , a measure of the quality of the aerosol generated by the nebulizer . for all the non - breath - activated nebulizers that operate continuously , with the exception of the microair u22 nebulizer , eds ( measured gravimetrically ) were very similar , clustered around 2,500 g salbutamol ( figure 4c ) , ie , 50% of the dose was retained within the device . when dd was considered , significant variability was apparent between the brands , as dds ranged from ~700 g for the conventional and venturi jet nebulizers , ~1,200 g for the breath - enhanced jet nebulizers , and ~1,900 g for the microair u22 mesh nebulizer . the dd from the i - neb aad system nebulizer was independent of i : e ratio , as it delivered ~1,000 g salbutamol across the four breathing patterns . the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer delivered on average ~1,500 g salbutamol across the four breathing patterns , but showed a small dependence of dose on i : e ratio , with less being delivered as the i : e ratio changed from 1:1 to 1:4 ( figure 5a ) . the average rdd from the i - neb aad system nebulizer was ~600 g , and from the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer it was ~1,100 g , although as with dd , there was a small change in the amount delivered across the four breathing patterns ( figure 5b ) . the rdd from the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer was approximately twice that from the other jet nebulizers at a 1:1 i : e ratio ( figure 4b ) . this would be expected , as the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer delivers all of the drug from a standard fill into inhalation rather than into both inhalation and exhalation , as with the non - breath - activated nebulizers . the ed and red from the i - neb aad system nebulizer remained constant throughout the four breathing patterns ( figure 5c and d ) . however , as shown in figure 5c , there appeared to be a decrease in the ed from the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer as the i : e ratio increased . the reason for this is not clear , but it reflects the similar trend found with the dd and rdd . as expected , there was an increase in treatment time for both of the breath - activated nebulizers as the i : e ratio increased ( figure 5e ) , reflecting the greater time spent in exhalation per breath and thus the greater time during which aerosol was not being produced . due to its improved overall efficiency , the i - neb aad system nebulizer is metered to provide an equivalent dd to that provided by the jet nebulizers . as a consequence of the smaller total amount of drug that needs to be nebulized to give an equivalent dd to that from a non - breath - activated nebulizer , nebulization is faster with the i - neb aad system nebulizer ( 200 seconds compared with up to 300 seconds with the jet nebulizers ) . the treatment time for the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer was 620 seconds , but being unmetered it provided a considerably higher dd of 1,600 g salbutamol ( since the aerosol that would normally go to exhalation was delivered ) . consistently with the findings of others,1,2 significant differences in ed , dd , and rdd between the nebulizers of different brands were found in this study . in this study , a single nebulizer driving a flow rate of 6 l / min was used for all nebulizers , but the results showed almost threefold variability in dd . smaldone et al2 reported on a similar study in variability of dd , but used different compressors with a different flow rate . the variability in their study was sixfold , indicating that both the nebulizer and compressor contribute to variability in dd . for the rdd ( figure 3b ) , the amount of drug that would be expected to penetrate into the lungs was taken into account . due to the range of vmds between the nebulizer brands ( table 5 ) , the range of respirable doses delivered expanded further ; overall , there was a fivefold difference between the lowest rdd and highest rdd . therefore , a low fdf resulted in a lowered rdd . an additional consequence of a low fdf was that much of the ed was not in the respirable range and the nrdd was higher for nebulizers with low fdfs compared with those that produced a higher quality aerosol with a higher fdf ( figure 3c ) . this nrdd would be deposited in the oral cavity or throat , and would subsequently be swallowed . the regulatory guidelines provide international standards that enable a direct comparison of dd between different nebulizers . in all three guidelines mentioned earlier in this article , the dd pattern used for adult simulation is a single breathing pattern with a 1:1 i : e ratio , 500 ml tidal volume , and 15 bpm frequency . the data in figure 3a were obtained using this breathing pattern , allowing for a comparison to be made . such a comparison would conclude that the salter 8900 and sidestream nebulizers may underdose and that the microair u22 nebulizer may overdose . however , as discussed , dd includes both the potentially clinically effective rdd and the wasted nrdd , and thus may not represent the best comparison . the comparison of rdd ( figure 3b ) showed that although the salter 8900 nebulizer still under - dosed , the doses delivered by the sidestream and microair u22 nebulizers were closer to the nominal delivery of the other nebulizers . all four standards also include a measurement of the particle size and fdf , so the data needed to calculate the rdd are available , but additional calculation is required , as the numbers are reported individually in the manufacturer literature . if the intent of the standards is to provide data that are meaningful to the users and buyers of nebulizers , then quotation of the more clinically relevant parameter ( rdd ) should be required , rather than relying on the expert knowledge of users and buyers . with a constant 1:1 i : e ratio , there were considerable differences in the performances of the non - breath - activated nebulizers . however , a 1:1 i : e ratio is not typical of the ratio in either healthy or patient populations . a typical healthy adult has an i : e ratio typically closer to 1:2,24 while in such patient groups as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , this can extend to 1:525 and tends to increase as the condition progresses.26,27 it would be expected that with different i : e ratios , as exhibited with some patient groups , differences in ed , red , dd , and rdd could become even greater.4 the ed is the measure of the total mass leaving the nebulizer , and as shown in figure 4c was independent of i : e ratio for all nebulizers except the eflow rapid . the variability in ed between the nebulizers was due to differences in residual rather than any nebulizer aerosol - generation performance criteria . the much - higher dose from the microair u22 nebulizer was a consequence of the very low residual mass , which made an additional 1,500 g of salbutamol available for emission from the nebulizer . although ed was independent of i : e ratio , as the ed does not give any information about the dose received by the patient , this independence is of limited value . the dd is of more relevance , as it is the total dose available to the patient and is the quoted figure that clinicians would be expected to use to determine an appropriate dose to be delivered ; however , from examination of figure 4a , it is apparent that the dd was substantially dependent on the i : e ratio , with a percentage change of 40%60% across the breathing patterns tested , depending on the nebulizer tested . therefore , the effect of increased i : e ratio upon the dd would need to be accounted for in sicker patients . the decline in dd with increasing i : e ratio was fairly consistent for each nebulizer , so it is possible that the dose calculations could be adjusted . however , as there was an appreciable difference in dd between the nebulizers tested and across the breathing patterns ( eg , between the microair u22 nebulizer and the salter 8900 nebulizer ) , nebulizers would need to be individually characterized to allow appropriate adjustment . the rdd also reduced significantly ( figure 4b ) as the i : e ratio extended and more time was spent on exhalation , and as with dd , the decline was fairly consistent for each nebulizer . the greatest percentage change was seen with the conventional nebulizer , for which with an increasing i : e ratio the rdd reduced to 40% of that delivered with a 1:1 i : e ratio breathing pattern . in the case of the breath - enhanced nebulizers , a reduction also occurred , as ~55% of the rdd with a 1:1 i : e ratio was delivered with a 1:4 i : e ratio breathing pattern . the microair u22 nebulizer , which appeared to be the best performing of the non - breath - activated nebulizers at a 1:1 i : e ratio , delivered a comparable respirable dose to the sidestream plus nebulizer at a 1:4 i : e ratio . with rdd , there is the added advantage that the variation in individual nebulizer performance due to fdf is already accounted for , so a clinician using rdd to make dosing decisions would have fewer variables to deal with in setting or adjusting an appropriate dose . given that the patients with the most severe disease are the ones most likely to suffer extended i : e ratios of 1:4 , be prescribed a nebulizer , and be most in need of efficient drug delivery , these results have significant implications for device selection and the standards used to generate the data upon which the selection decisions are made . the results suggest that breath - enhanced nebulizers will deliver proportionally more drug to sicker patients than conventional nebulizers . therefore , the standards should incorporate test parameters that cover patients from across the spectrum of disease severity to ensure that prescribing decisions are based on representative data . not surprisingly , the dd results for the breath - activated nebulizers did not show the same breathing - pattern dependence that was observed with the non - breath - activated nebulizers . the i - neb aad system nebulizer results showed no trend in dose reduction with an increasing i : e ratio , and thus the dds and rdds were independent of i : e ratio across the breathing patterns ( figure 5a and b ) . however , a slight reduction in dose of approximately 10% was observed for the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer across the breathing patterns , and the reason for this is not clear . as these devices are designed to be independent of breathing pattern , testing using the standard pattern is a reliable indicator of performance across the range of breathing patterns . we have investigated the effect of changes in i : e ratio on the performance parameters of non - breath - activated and breath - activated nebulizers . the i : e ratio , although a major factor , is just one of the parameters of the breathing pattern that could affect dose . it would also be beneficial to explore the relationship between mode of operation of the nebulizer and dd using simulated patient breathing patterns with different peak - inhalation flows and tidal volumes to define fully the potential variability in dose delivered to patients , both within a single nebulizer brand / type and between the brands / types . in addition , it may be beneficial to compare between nebulizers with particle sizes 2 m , as they may be more efficient at reaching small respiratory bronchioles , which is of significance for some disease conditions , so a topic for further study would be to examine whether the range of doses expanded even further for aerosol delivered in these very small particles . changing nebulizer types , eg , from a compressor - driven venturi nebulizer to a breath - enhanced nebulizer or portable mesh nebulizer , or vice versa , may need to be carefully considered ; indeed , even changing between different brands of nebulizer with the same mode of operation should be carefully considered . for drugs with wide therapeutic ranges , this may not be a great concern , but where the drug has a narrower therapeutic range , it could be a cause for concern . in this study , the effect of changes in i : e ratio on variability in dd from nine nebulizers was examined . to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between device mode of operation and dd to patients , additional studies with simulated breathing patterns with i : e ratios typically found with different disease conditions that address the effects of other breathing parameters , such as peak inspiratory flow and tidal volume , would be beneficial . consistently with the findings of others,1,2 significant differences in ed , dd , and rdd between the nebulizers of different brands were found in this study . in this study , a single nebulizer driving a flow rate of 6 l / min was used for all nebulizers , but the results showed almost threefold variability in dd . smaldone et al2 reported on a similar study in variability of dd , but used different compressors with a different flow rate . the variability in their study was sixfold , indicating that both the nebulizer and compressor contribute to variability in dd . for the rdd ( figure 3b ) , the amount of drug that would be expected to penetrate into the lungs was taken into account . due to the range of vmds between the nebulizer brands ( table 5 ) , the range of respirable doses delivered expanded further ; overall , there was a fivefold difference between the lowest rdd and highest rdd . therefore , a low fdf resulted in a lowered rdd . an additional consequence of a low fdf was that much of the ed was not in the respirable range and the nrdd was higher for nebulizers with low fdfs compared with those that produced a higher quality aerosol with a higher fdf ( figure 3c ) . this nrdd would be deposited in the oral cavity or throat , and would subsequently be swallowed . the regulatory guidelines provide international standards that enable a direct comparison of dd between different nebulizers . in all three guidelines mentioned earlier in this article , the dd pattern used for adult simulation is a single breathing pattern with a 1:1 i : e ratio , 500 ml tidal volume , and 15 bpm frequency . the data in figure 3a were obtained using this breathing pattern , allowing for a comparison to be made . such a comparison would conclude that the salter 8900 and sidestream nebulizers may underdose and that the microair u22 nebulizer may overdose . however , as discussed , dd includes both the potentially clinically effective rdd and the wasted nrdd , and thus may not represent the best comparison . the comparison of rdd ( figure 3b ) showed that although the salter 8900 nebulizer still under - dosed , the doses delivered by the sidestream and microair u22 nebulizers were closer to the nominal delivery of the other nebulizers . all four standards also include a measurement of the particle size and fdf , so the data needed to calculate the rdd are available , but additional calculation is required , as the numbers are reported individually in the manufacturer literature . if the intent of the standards is to provide data that are meaningful to the users and buyers of nebulizers , then quotation of the more clinically relevant parameter ( rdd ) should be required , rather than relying on the expert knowledge of users and buyers . with a constant 1:1 i : e ratio , there were considerable differences in the performances of the non - breath - activated nebulizers . however , a 1:1 i : e ratio is not typical of the ratio in either healthy or patient populations . a typical healthy adult has an i : e ratio typically closer to 1:2,24 while in such patient groups as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , this can extend to 1:525 and tends to increase as the condition progresses.26,27 it would be expected that with different i : e ratios , as exhibited with some patient groups , differences in ed , red , dd , and rdd could become even greater.4 the ed is the measure of the total mass leaving the nebulizer , and as shown in figure 4c was independent of i : e ratio for all nebulizers except the eflow rapid . the variability in ed between the nebulizers was due to differences in residual rather than any nebulizer aerosol - generation performance criteria . the much - higher dose from the microair u22 nebulizer was a consequence of the very low residual mass , which made an additional 1,500 g of salbutamol available for emission from the nebulizer . although ed was independent of i : e ratio , as the ed does not give any information about the dose received by the patient , this independence is of limited value . the dd is of more relevance , as it is the total dose available to the patient and is the quoted figure that clinicians would be expected to use to determine an appropriate dose to be delivered ; however , from examination of figure 4a , it is apparent that the dd was substantially dependent on the i : e ratio , with a percentage change of 40%60% across the breathing patterns tested , depending on the nebulizer tested . therefore , the effect of increased i : e ratio upon the dd would need to be accounted for in sicker patients . the decline in dd with increasing i : e ratio was fairly consistent for each nebulizer , so it is possible that the dose calculations could be adjusted . however , as there was an appreciable difference in dd between the nebulizers tested and across the breathing patterns ( eg , between the microair u22 nebulizer and the salter 8900 nebulizer ) , nebulizers would need to be individually characterized to allow appropriate adjustment . the rdd also reduced significantly ( figure 4b ) as the i : e ratio extended and more time was spent on exhalation , and as with dd , the decline was fairly consistent for each nebulizer . the greatest percentage change was seen with the conventional nebulizer , for which with an increasing i : e ratio the rdd reduced to 40% of that delivered with a 1:1 i : e ratio breathing pattern . in the case of the breath - enhanced nebulizers , a reduction also occurred , as ~55% of the rdd with a 1:1 i : e ratio was delivered with a 1:4 i : e ratio breathing pattern . the microair u22 nebulizer , which appeared to be the best performing of the non - breath - activated nebulizers at a 1:1 i : e ratio , delivered a comparable respirable dose to the sidestream plus nebulizer at a 1:4 i : e ratio . with rdd , there is the added advantage that the variation in individual nebulizer performance due to fdf is already accounted for , so a clinician using rdd to make dosing decisions would have fewer variables to deal with in setting or adjusting an appropriate dose . given that the patients with the most severe disease are the ones most likely to suffer extended i : e ratios of 1:4 , be prescribed a nebulizer , and be most in need of efficient drug delivery , these results have significant implications for device selection and the standards used to generate the data upon which the selection decisions are made . the results suggest that breath - enhanced nebulizers will deliver proportionally more drug to sicker patients than conventional nebulizers . therefore , the standards should incorporate test parameters that cover patients from across the spectrum of disease severity to ensure that prescribing decisions are based on representative data . not surprisingly , the dd results for the breath - activated nebulizers did not show the same breathing - pattern dependence that was observed with the non - breath - activated nebulizers . the i - neb aad system nebulizer results showed no trend in dose reduction with an increasing i : e ratio , and thus the dds and rdds were independent of i : e ratio across the breathing patterns ( figure 5a and b ) . however , a slight reduction in dose of approximately 10% was observed for the aeroeclipse ii nebulizer across the breathing patterns , and the reason for this is not clear . as these devices are designed to be independent of breathing pattern , testing using the standard pattern is a reliable indicator of performance across the range of breathing patterns . we have investigated the effect of changes in i : e ratio on the performance parameters of non - breath - activated and breath - activated nebulizers . the i : e ratio , although a major factor , is just one of the parameters of the breathing pattern that could affect dose . it would also be beneficial to explore the relationship between mode of operation of the nebulizer and dd using simulated patient breathing patterns with different peak - inhalation flows and tidal volumes to define fully the potential variability in dose delivered to patients , both within a single nebulizer brand / type and between the brands / types . in addition , it may be beneficial to compare between nebulizers with particle sizes 2 m , as they may be more efficient at reaching small respiratory bronchioles , which is of significance for some disease conditions , so a topic for further study would be to examine whether the range of doses expanded even further for aerosol delivered in these very small particles . changing nebulizer types , eg , from a compressor - driven venturi nebulizer to a breath - enhanced nebulizer or portable mesh nebulizer , or vice versa , may need to be carefully considered ; indeed , even changing between different brands of nebulizer with the same mode of operation should be carefully considered . for drugs with wide therapeutic ranges , this may not be a great concern , but where the drug has a narrower therapeutic range , it could be a cause for concern . in this study , the effect of changes in i : e ratio on variability in dd from nine nebulizers was examined . to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between device mode of operation and dd to patients , additional studies with simulated breathing patterns with i : e ratios typically found with different disease conditions that address the effects of other breathing parameters , such as peak inspiratory flow and tidal volume , would be beneficial . based on the results of this study , it can be seen that there is a variance in performance between different brands of nebulizers . the degree of the variance depends on the measure used to determine nebulizer output performance ( ed , dd , or rdd ) . the methods for the in vitro determination of dd in the four regulatory guidelines examined in this study use a 1:1 i : e ratio ; however , as shown in this study , dds with i : e ratios that are more representative of patient use were much lower than found with the 1:1 i : e ratio . consideration should be given to this when selecting the appropriate drug - dosing regimen with individual nebulizer brands , particularly as the i : e ratio could change as the disease progresses . results obtained using the 1:1 i : e ratio , 500 ml tidal volume , and 15 bpm breathing pattern described in the regulatory guidelines may not provide the most appropriate selection criteria for nebulizers , as these methods do not reflect actual breathing patterns and are limited by measuring ed , rather than the clinically more significant rdd . this may lead to inappropriate device selection for the sickest patients , if the relative performance of nebulizers with different modes of operation is based solely on measurements obtained with a 1:1 i : e ratio standardized adult laboratory test pattern , rather than test patterns resembling the actual breathing patterns of such patients . in future revisions of the guidelines , testing protocols that more accurately reflect the potential therapeutic dose delivered to patients should be considered . potentially , the rdd is the parameter of greatest clinical significance , as this represents the dose that reaches the patient s lung . for the nebulizers that operate continuously , as the i : e ratio increased , the rdd decreased . the rdd across these nebulizer brands and across the i : e ratios tested varied between 100 g and 1,000 g salbutamol . with the breath - activated nebulizers , there was a much more consistent dose across the i : e ratios . however , due to the nature of these nebulizers delivering only into inhalation , the dd and rdd from a fill with a standard ampoule can be significantly higher than from a continuous nebulizer , unless the breath - activated nebulizer has a dosimetric function to compensate for the extra dose delivered to inhalation . the variability of nebulizer performance between different brands , modes of operation , and i : e ratios limits their applicability to deliver active drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges . for such active drugs , the use of such devices as the i - neb aad system nebulizer , which produces a consistent dd irrespective of i : e ratio , would be more appropriate . this study has demonstrated that regulatory guidelines for nebulizer - aerosol testing , although providing quality - control data , provide little information on the dose received by a potential patient . this stems from the differences between patient breathing patterns , different modes of operation of devices , and the way they are affected by changes in breathing pattern and the dose measure quoted compared with standardized laboratory testing . the original cen 13544 - 1 standard was developed in the 1990s as an approach to standardize comparative laboratory nebulizer testing . in this era , most nebulizers were conventional jet nebulizers , and thus the testing parameters were suitable for the time and scope . the guidelines have developed over the years , but the basic aerosol - test methods and reported values have not evolved . the information generated using these test methods is published in the device instructions for use , and this information can be used to compare devices and make dosing decisions . as it is often used as part of the sourcing process by health authorities in europe , it is suggested that the nebulizer guidelines are revised to provide greater information under patient - relevant conditions , as has been proposed for inhalation devices in general.28 this would allow informed decisions to be made regarding potential patient dosing with the great variety of different nebulizers with different modes of operation . two potential revisions could include the use of more realistic patient breathing patterns and the inclusion of rdd .
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Ranma Love Chaos Note to readers: This is the first story in my twelve-part Year of Evil Series each story will take place roughly a month after the previous one. Also this story takes place shortly after the introduction of Ukyo. Thank you for reading I hope you enjoys it. Questions or comments? I can be reached at larzaius2003 Sincerely T. Ranma 1/2 Love and Chaos Two days ago: It was a very dark in the cellar of the Cat Cafe but Cologne didn't mind as she began grounding an herb into a fine powder. "Soon son-in-law, it will be done very soon, she croaked. She found it difficult to talk with the mask covering her nose and mouth, but she worked unaware of a pair of glasses watching her. "Great Grandma, I'm home!" Shampoo said getting off her bike. As she did, a duck with glasses waddled towards her. "Go away Mousse. Shampoo don't want to play right now." As the heartbroken duck began to waddle off Shampoo looked for her great grandmother Cologne. Great Grandma where are you?" A sound coming from the cellar answered her question. "Hello Shampoo, please wait out there until I'm ready," she croaked. The door opened and Cologne stepped out she was dressed in a small smock with gloves and wearing a frog mask. "Great Grandma, what you doing in cellar?" Cologne took off her gloves and frog mask and looked at her great granddaughter. "Do you know what the Sakuratu root is Shampoo?" Shampoo just blinked twice as an answer to Shampoo's question. "It is an old mystery kept secret through out 3,000 years of Chinese Amazon History. The root of the Sakuratu tree was used as a relaxant. It could calm the most stressful of warriors before and after battle." She stopped for a minute to catch her breath and jumped up on her staff. "It would be boiled for four days and nights into a powerful tea and then poured into a ceremonial kettle to be served in tiny ceremonial cups. One Amazon princess decided to ground the root into a fine powder so she would not to wait for the special tea, but a horrible accident took place when she got the powder all over her skin. She fell deeply in love with the first man she saw." Shampoo's eyes twinkled. "Ah! Great Grandmother you saying if Shampoo sprinkle special powder on Ranma and he see her, he fall in love with Shampoo?" She put here hands to her face and spun around an image of her and Ranma finally married formed in her head. "Where is powder?" she asked enthusiastically going towards the door. "Wait my child! It will be at least a day before the powder is ready!" As they left to discuss plans for the upcoming ceremony neither one saw a particular duck wearing really big glasses looking at the basement door and speculating. Today: Though it was another typical day and another typical walk to school for Ranma and Akane, Ranma was worried. _What's going to happen today? Is Kuno going to declare his love for Akane, maybe Ryoga or some student I don't even know'll attack me? _He thought to himself. _Perhaps Kodachi will show up and try to drug me again or I'll learn of yet another fiancé Pop set me up with to fill his belly. _A cloud of dust heading towards him and Akane interrupted his thoughts. "Now what?" he asked as the cloud got closer he could make out a couple of people running then he heard the voice of the annoying bane of the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts. "What a haul! Oh what a haul!" It was Happosi. As usual he was running from the female students a big bag of women's underwear flung over his shoulders. "Looks like he's at it again," Akane said a note of disapproval in her voice. "Hold it right there freak!" Ranma shouted running towards Happosi. "Ranma my boy how ya doing, here, catch," Ranma was surprised to find a pair of women's underwear suddenly in his hands but before he could react to it, a bra was slung over his eyes. Wrestling with the bra Ranma saw a horde of angry girls advancing towards him_. Oh no,_ he thought. _Not again!_ Thinking quickly he jumped over the fence and into the river. Swimming to shore he found the transformation had taken place, and once again he was a girl. "Hurry, Ranma! We're going to be late for class!" she heard Akane shout at her as she found a dry surface. While this was going on they were unaware that they were being watched by a mysterious figure. **"Ah Happy, Happy, Happy, still up to your old tricks I see."** He said as he watched the young man pull himself out of the water. His clothes were drenched but that was not that unusual considering he just dove into the river, however the person wearing those clothes was not the same young man, instead it was a cute redhead of similar make and build. **"Interesting,"** the figure said, grinning, his teeth showing hugely which revealed a small pair of fangs. **"This will definitely require further watching."** "Damn that old bastard. I'm going to be late!" Ranma said running towards his school in girl form. His mind went back to all the times that Happosi had gotten not only him but also the entire Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts in trouble. What really bothered Ranma was he and Akane were usually the ones who had to stop his perverted romping since Mr. Tendo and his pop spent most of their time groveling before him. He thought that he would have at least a couple of months of peace and quiet after Happosi left during that whole Shiori mess. But unfortunately the old freak always had the worse habit of coming back just in time to screw things up. "Why couldn't he just stay gone?" Ranma muttered to herself. Looking at the clock, she saw she was five minutes late. "Oh well at least I don't have to worry about Kuno bothering me today." As she reached the gates her mind drifted once again to Watihati Kuno, the upperclassman that dubbed him-self 'The Blue Lighting of Forenkin High'. In truth he was a pompous blowhard who fancied himself a samurai and until Ranma had arrived, had been in love with Akane Tendo. When he learned of Ranma's arranged engagement to Akane he became a sworn irritant (enemy was just too strong a word). It had become even worse when he saw Ranma in his female form; the idiot had fallen in love with his girl form. There were times were Ranma considered letting Kuno just chop off his head to spare him further grief. Once again she found herself in the sport equipment storage locker behind the school, with the usual pail of hot water and dumping it over her head. "Still, I wish just once the old leach would meet someone more selfishly perverted then him just so he could get a taste of his own medicine." As he headed off to class a young man wearing a baseball cap emerged from the shadows. **"Be careful what you wish for Ranma-San, you just might get it."** "So ladies, how many can I put you down for?" Nabiki asked as she jotted down orders in her notebook. "No fair Nabiki." one of the other girls started to complain, "How can you even think of taking advantage of us by selling us gym shorts every time that pervert shows up?" Nabiki just smiled. "If you don't want them, that's fine by me but how are you going participate in gym class the teachers won't let you do it in your uniform?" The girl hung her head in defeat and made in order along with the rest of the gym class. Nabiki had to smile. Since Happosi's return it had been a profitable month. Selling gym shorts at one hundred yen a pop made it look like it this was going to be a good year indeed. Meanwhile, the cap-wearing, grinning shadow watched all this from an outside window **"How delightfully sneaky that one is and here all I thought I was going to get was just a little T&A session. I might actually like it here."** He then disappeared before anyone could see him watching the girl's locker room. Meanwhile back in the cellar of the Cat Cafe; a figure stirred in the darkness. He moved quietly almost gracefully like a swan, his glasses shining as he looked at the container holding the powder. "Ah Shampoo at last you will be mine!" he said as he quickly slipped the vial into his concealing sleeves and replaced it with an identical container. He carefully walked out of the cellar just in time to hear: "Mousse where are you? We have spilled ramen that needs cleaning!" Mousse went up the stairs to respond to his future grandmother's command. After cleaning the spill he approached Cologne. "Great Grandma where is Shampoo?" Cologne sighed as she explained to Mousse that Shampoo was going to meet Ranma for a date. "Ranma..." Mousse whispered. He quickly rushed to the door but tripped over a bucket of mop water that triggered his transformation into a duck. Cologne just shook her head and sighed as the duck waddled of to meet his beloved. Down the stairs she went. "The powder should be ready by now." Cologne said rubbing her hands together as she smiled her usual devious smile. The school bell rang allowing the students of Forenkin High to head home, much to Ranma's delight. He didn't understand much of the academic stuff since he had always preferred physical activities like martial arts. As usual he found himself walking home with Akane when he heard the familiar voice of his best friend and other fiancé "Ranma-honey, wait up!" He leapt off of the fence and turned to greet her. "Hey Ukyo How's it going?" He couldn't help but smile. Out of all his fiancés, Ukyo was the only one who ended up hurting him the least. She also was very attractive and a good cook, almost the mirror opposite of Akane; not that he would he say that out loud, he just didn't feel like getting any bruises today. "I'm doing all right. Would you like something to eat?" Ranma could smell the cooking in her basket and was just about to take up Ukyo's offer when he heard another familiar sound a laugh that try even Buddha's patience. Black rose petals filled the air. Sure enough as he looked up he saw the form of Kodachi, the Black Rose of St. Bachus High. "Ranma mon-chere, I have been looking all over for you!" Ranma sighed as he thought about all his encounters with the Black Rose both as a guy and as a girl and either way he was sure he was going to end up with some bruises today after all. "Great." He started muttering under his breath. "Now all I need is," the familiar sound of a bicycle bell and the impact of the front wheel hitting him in the face interrupted his reverie. "Shampoo," He grunted out in pain as the front wheel was slowly removed from his face. He quickly glanced at Akane with a merciful plea for help forming in his eyes. But as usual Akane's jealousy got the better of her as she tightened her shoulders and began to walk away, leaving Ranma alone with his other fiancés. Once again he found himself trapped in his fiancés tug-o-war with him as the rope. "Akane help!" he screamed in desperation but to no avail. Akane was already skulking off towards home. He couldn't scream for help a second time as he found Kodachi's ribbon wrapped around his neck cutting his airflow. _Man, I could really use some help right now at this point. Anybody would be welcome, _he thought to himself as he was slowly being torn apart. With Ukyo pulling on his left arm, Shampoo on his right and Kodachi ribbon tugging at his neck Ranma barely noticed the blur of white on top of the tree branch amidst the chaos. Suddenly the young man dressed in a flowing white robe dove from the treetop and threw a white powder bomb down onto the whole group of confused fiancés. All but Kodachi found them-selves surrounded in a cloud of white smoke and a strange dizziness over took each of them. Ukyo turned to wipe the powder from her eyes only to see Mousse stumbling about in the resultant cloud of powder. _Wow! I never noticed how good-looking Mousse is!_ She thought to herself. In fact she usually didn't think much of Mousse at all but now she found herself under the effect of the Sakuratu root and she wasn't the only one. "You know Shampoo you really are cute when you are not trying to kill me." Ranma said as he grabbed Shampoo in an embrace. Upon hearing this, Mousse wondered whom Ranma was talking to if he had Shampoo in his arms. Quickly he put on his glasses to find himself holding Kodachi. "Get your hands off me you cretin!" Kodachi said as Mousse face went flush. "Oh my black rose-petal girl, how could I have wasted so much time with Shampoo?" He said his voice husky and horse from inhaling the powder, still unaware that he had gotten the powder all over himself. Kodachi didn't notice that her ribbon was still around Ranma's neck as she wrenched herself free of Mousse and ran across the courtyard. She heard Ranma cry out followed by a splash in the school water fountain. "What is this madness about that disrupts the path of Watihati Kuno, the Blue Lighting of Forenkin High?" Kuno could not believe the chaos he was witnessing: Ukyo was chasing after Mousse; who at the same time was being warded of by his sister, and the girl in the Chinese dress was riding around on her bike calling out Ranma Saotome's name. He was about to step in when he heard a familiar voice say: "Kuno-darling can you please help me out of this fountain?"He reached down and found himself in the loving embrace of the pig-tailed girl. The dark shape that had been following them chuckled from behind a nearby fence. "Stupid Ranma," Akane grunted as she sent splinters of wood and brick flying through the air. She usually did this to vent the frustration from her fiancé whenever he pissed her off. Later in the evenings, after he returned home, she either threw him into the meditation pond or hit him with a table. _Better yet_, she thought, _throw him in the pond then hit him with a table! _ "Dinner's ready!" called the voice of Akane's oldest sister, Kasumi. Akane sighed and went into the house to get ready for dinner, wondering where Ranma was or more importantly, who was with Ranma. The meal looked really good. Once again Kasumi out did herself not with a meal that smelled delicious but also was beautifully presented. "So where's Ranma?" asked Nabiki. Akane was not quite sure how to answer her second oldest sister. It wasn't that Akane didn't trust Nabiki; it was more that Nabiki had a way of exploiting any information for her own gain and lately since Ranma arrived, she plenty to exploit. Even now she was still selling photographs of her and Ranma in his female form, to anyone who would buy them. Over the past couple of years this arranged marriage had become Nabiki's main source of revenue. Her reverie was cut short by a familiar female voice. I'm home," Ranma female voice announced "And I've brought a guest." "Idiot," Akane muttered under her breath. Which of the two fiancés who know his secret has he brought home with him this time? It was either Shampoo or Ukyo. Kodachi just wasn't playing with a full deck to figure out his secret so Akane knew it wasn't her. Secretly she hoped it was Ukyo. Out of all his fiancés, Ukyo was the closest one to a friend that Akane had. Girl Ranma walked into the dining area. "I'm sorry if I interrupted your dinner everyone, she said in a very lady like tone, "But I would like you to meet my new fiance." Upon hearing this Akane fumed. _New fiance, Just who does he think he is?_ _He's even introducing us to her in his girl-form!_ She stayed quiet as she braced her fingers under the table and prepared to smush both Ranma and her new fiancé "Oh darling, come in and meet your new family." Before Akane could attack the familiar figure of Watihati Kuno entered. Ranma hugged his arm very lady-like. "Father, Mr. Tendo, allow me to introduce The Blue Thunder of Forenkin High, Watihati Kuno. This is my new fiancé." She said with adoration in her tone, love written on her face. A moment later all she heard was Nabiki: "Kuno-baby" Following that the sound of three heads hitting the floor in stunned astonishment, including hers. Finally Kasumi voice sounded in the shocked silence: "Oh dear." The shadowy figure watched from in the tree beside the meditation pond; he easily masked his presence from all the so-called martial artists. In his hand he had a notepad, which he was rapidly filling with notes: 1. The Saotome boy suffers from the jusenkyo curse and is engaged to the Tendo's youngest daughter (obvious sexual tension). Currently the Saotome boy is under the influence of the Sakuraku root in both male and female forms. (This could be fun.) 2. The middle daughter bears my close attention. (Requires further study) 3. The eldest Tendo daughter is possibly on uppers. He then stopped, put the pen to his lips and started writing a list of ingredients for a strange incantation. Back at Ukyo's restaurant, Ukyo was hard at work making okonomiyaki, humming a joyful tune while she did. On her creation, which was shaped like a heart she had made letters that spelled out U-K-Y-O while just below them was a mathematical addition sign then below it she had carefully spelled out M-O-U-S-S-E. "Wait please!" Mousse said chasing Kodachi as she leapt from one rooftop to the next. _The fool still is following me. I'm running from him; can't that idiot take a hint?_ She suddenly stopped. Looks like I have no choice. Mousse stopped just short of bumping into the solitary figure of Kodachi who was just standing there, framed in the evening sunset. He approached her very slowly she turned and smile a seductive smile at him. "Why do you pursue me?" she asked Mousse. They were just an inch away from physical contact." "Because I love you," Mousse said unaware of the influence of the Amazon Love powder. She touched his face with her hand and slid it to the back of his neck, drawing him closer to her lips. "Oh black rose-petal girl." Mousse whispered as Kodachi smiled. "Tell me your name beautiful one." "My name is Kodachi Kuno, know as the Black Rose." She said as she blew paralysis powder in Mousse's face. Mousse fell backwards staring up into the sky. _Kodachi_ he thought as his limbs lost all control and his glasses fell off. Kodachi took one last look at him. _The fool actually looks quite handsome without his glasses_, she thought as she bounded away after her beloved Ranma. "Great Grandma, I'm home!" Shampoo looked for Grandma Cologne. "Great Grandma, Shampoo needs your help. Where are you?" Cologne hopped up the stairs on her wooden cane. "Patience my child the powder is ready." Shampoo once again blinked twice. "Shampoo knows powder is ready that is problem." Shampoo quickly told Cologne all that occurred in the last two hours. "So the powder has killed three birds with one stone. You will marry son in-law and Mousse will chase after another woman while Ukyo chases after Mousse. I still don't see the problem." Shampoo sighed. "There's more story great grandma." Shampoo concluded the story with the portion of Ranma running off with Kuno and eluding Shampoo. Cologne blinked once. "Will you excuse me my dear?" Cologne then went back down into the pantry as Shampoo just stared blankly ahead, tears forming in her eyes while sounds of muffled croaking laughter coming from the cellar. Back at the Tendo household, things were going from strange to worse. After recovering from the shock, Akane went to talk to Ranma. "Excuse me Kuno, Ranma can we talk?" Akane said dragging Ranma out of Kuno's arms and into Akane's room. Clear of earshot and shocked faces, Akane turned to Ranma. "Alright Ranma, what are you up to this time?" Ranma just blinked. "What do you mean Akane?" she asked in a soft feminine voice. This only angered Akane more. "Come on Ranma, out with it; why are you stringing along Kuno this time?" Once again Ranma just blinked. "I don't understand Akane. What are you accusing me of?" Grabbing Ranma fiercely Akane shook Ranma. "Stop playing around Ranma," tears formed in Ranma eyes. "Ow! Let go Akane, please your hurting me!" Akane let go of Ranma so quickly that she fell on the floor. Ranma's tears were still forming in her eyes. "Akane please don't hurt me. I love Kuno and that is all. I'm not planning anything I swear please, "she cried out. "Is this because you love him too?" _Oh no the idiot must have bumped his head again. _Akane shook her head. _I've had to put up with a lot of people who are after Ranma Saotme: Kodochi, Shampoo,and Ukyo. I'll be damned if I'm going to lose Ranma to Kuno of all people._ She grabbed Ranma and dragged her to the bathroom. "So Kuno-baby, when's the big day?" Nabiki asked ignoring Soun's look of shock and Genma's form of panda denial, playing with his ball. Nabiki looked at Kuno and lowered her brow_. Oh no, if Kuno-baby marries Ranma then he won't be buying any more pictures from me and I'll have to rely on my less profitable endeavors. _ "I haven't really decided on a wedding date yet but I promise it will be a huge ceremony so everyone can witness our happiness." A picture of the huge wedding ceremony formed in Kuno's head; his kiss with the pigtailed girl, walking to the limo after the ceremony, his bride's wedding night attire. "And what about Akane?" the voice that interrupted his fantasy was Nabiki's. "Sadly Akane Tendo is engaged to that wretched Saotome and I, as a true man, must respect that." Nabiki blinked stunned to hear Kuno give up Akane so easily. "Now if you will excuse me," Kuno said shaking white powder from his robe, "I have to find my bride." As he walked away all Nabiki could utter out was "Kuno- baby." "Where are you dragging me Akane?" Ranma asked in a little girl's voice. "To have a bath," _Before I kill you!_ Akane added to herself. As Akane dragged girl-Ranma towards the back of the house and the bathing area, Kuno headed upstairs to try and find his pig-tailed goddess. "Ah, that's nice of you. I have this white powder all over my hair, and I could do with a change of clothes and..." she blathered on. _Maybe I should just kill him._ No one heard the sound of a bicycle bell ringing in the street approaching the Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. "In you go!" Akane said forcing Ranma into the tub of hot water. Once again the jusenkyo curse reversed and she was a he again. "What the hell did you do that for?" Ranma asked as he emerged from the tub forgetting to cover up. Akane could not help but stare, which prompted Ranma to quickly grab a towel. Meanwhile at the front door, Shampoo had arrived at the Tendo dojo armed with a kettle of hot water. "Hello, anybody here?" Shampoo walked in to the hall. "Oh Hello Shampoo Kasumi greeted her from the hallway next to the stairs. "Where is Ranma?" Shampoo asked. "In the bathroom with Akane I think." Shampoo headed towards the bathroom, where shortly thereafter Kuno greeted Kasumi as he descended the stairs. "Kasumi, I am searching for the pig-tailed girl. Have you seen her?" "Ranma is in the bathroom with Akane." Kuno headed down the hall. Kasumi shook her head and smiled as she went upstairs to her room. _That's right! Akane wanted to talk to my beloved pigtail girl,_ he thought joyfully until he was hit by another thought, _and Saotome is with them both in the bathroom! _ He quickly went down the hall. Ranma was standing wrapped in a towel, about to put his clothes back on, when he heard Shampoo's voice. "Ranma were are you?" Ranma darted out of the bathroom completely unaware that his towel caught on the doorframe. "Shampoo here I come!" he shouted as he ran down the hall past the dining room where Nabiki was sitting. She heard thundering steps and peeked outside the door just in time to see Ranma running in the buff. "Well this certainly is a picturesque moment," she muttered taking a few snap shots and Polaroid shots. However, Nabiki wasn't the only one who was watching. From one of the closets shadowed eyes with fangs watched also. **"Well this should be interesting, one type of swordsman against another."** Kuno was startled to see naked Ranma stop a few feet in front of him. Kuno blinked for a second before raising his sword. "Saotome! What were you doing in the bath room naked with Akane Tendo and my beloved pigtailed girl?" _**Probably living out your wet dream if I understand you correctly you putz.**_ The shadow mused as he watched the frozen tableau. At that junction, Shampoo entered the hallway. Kuno lowered his sword in surprise at her appearance, conveniently covering up Ranma's over exposure. Shampoo just blinked at the site of the two men. She lowered her eyes slightly, looking at Ranma, her face turning a light shade of red. Kuno noticed this. "For God sake man, cover yourself in the presence of a lady!" Kuno said blocking Shampoo's view of Ranma with his back to Ranma's chest. "Besides," he whispered over his shoulder, "Fighting with you in this manner is disturbing and undignified." A bright flash followed by a loud click and whirling sound caught their attention. Three heads turned simultaneously to find the source. Beside the group, standing in the doorway of the family room, holding a picture of Ranma and Kuno in a questionable position was Nabiki. "Well boys, looks like I just hit the jackpot." Snickering, the mysterious shadow crept out of the closet just as everyone's back was turned and disappeared. Ukyo entered the Cat Café. "Mousse-honey, are you in here?" she asked. "Mousse isn't here child; he hasn't been here all day." Cologne said hopping on her cane from the kitchen area. I wonder where he could be." Ukyo mused just as the door chime rang. The customer was a young man about Mousse's age with red hair and a baseball cap with a big letter A on it. "Welcome, what can I get for you?" Cologne asked her customer. He flashed a toothy grin that reminded her of Ryoga as he reached into his jacket pocket. **"Actually I'm here to speak to Miss Ukyo,"** he said pulling out a small vial of powder. Cologne nodded, picked up her tray and turned to clean some tables. "I'm sorry but have we met somewhere before?" Ukyo asked trying to remember the young man. He was about the same height as Ranma with a black jacket with the initials D.U.W in small letters on the front. He had red hair sticking out of the brim of his cap, but he wasn't remotely familiar. Ukyo was certain that she would have remembered a boy with a voice like his. It sounded scratchy and eerie like a person choking on something. **"No we haven't met before Miss Ukyo,"** he spoke in the same choked voice. **"I'm just a traveler who happens to have a strange voice and who also specializes in ancient magic." **Ukyo blinked twice wondering why he wanted to see her, she never used magic before. _Oh no what if he's after Mousse?_ She thought reaching for her spatula. "What do you want? I don't know any magic!" The kid showed her the vial he had in his pocket. It was a blue crystalline powder that sparkled in the light. **"I know that you have been afflicted by a 3,000 year old Chinese Amazon love spell."** He shook some of the powder into his cupped palm. Cologne slammed the tray down on the table that she was cleaning and looked at the young man with a glare that would make any martial artist cringe "How do you know about this?" she demanded as a crackling aura of blue energy formed around her. The young man just shrugged and continued talking to Ukyo. **"This is the cure for that spell,"** he said as he blew the powder in his palm into Ukyo face. She blinked for a moment as she inhaled the strange blue powder, and then realized her attraction to Mousse was gone. Cologne's face grew even angrier as she walked towards the young people. "I don't know how you got that cure young man, but I want it now!" The young man just stared at her for a minute then started to laugh, softly. This surprised Cologne. She expected the young man to comply, hesitate or perhaps fight but his laughter caught by her surprise and that made her even angrier. "What do you think you're laughing at?" she asked watching the young man casually help a confused Ukyo to a seat. Ukyo sat down still blinking. He turned with a look of pure amusement on his face. He then grinned showing a small set of fangs. **"I'm laughing because I'm being threatened by someone who looks like a cross between a Christmas ornament and a tree monkey!"** This was the last straw and Cologne advanced on him. "Arrogant fool I'll show you what 3,000 Years of Chinese Amazon Histo.." **"Three thousand years of Chinese Amazon blah, blah, blah. Yea, I've heard it all before grandma."** He smiled. **"The thing is your training is still two thousand years to soon for me." **Ukyo watched as the stranger parried each one of Chestnuts-On-An-Open-Fire attacks. She also watched Cologne get more and more agitated as the stranger kept grinning at her like he was just toying with her. As she watched, the stranger suddenly disappeared. **"This is getting boring. Time to go Miss Ukyo,"** he said reappearing beside her. He scooped her up gently in his arms and headed towards the exit. "You're not going anywhere stranger, until you tell me what you know and how you know it." Cologne called after him hopping forward on her stick. Once again the stranger grinned as he put Ukyo down on her feet. He disappeared briefly only to reappear on his knees face to face with Cologne. **"By watching your fighting technique I know that you really are no threat to me."** Then he whispered something to Cologne that caused her eyes to burst wide open. Ukyo watched as the stranger put one finger on Cologne's forehead and pushed gently. The old lady fell over petrified staring at the ceiling. "What did you do to her?" Ukyo asked staring in disbelief at Cologne. The stranger just grinned. **"That Miss Ukyo is a secret you're better off not knowing."** He then gently grabbed her arm and steered her out of the restaurant. Mousse was finally able to stand up as the paralysis powder wore off. "Kodachi." he whispered and jumped down off the roof of the small apartment building. As he was about to land a young woman threw a pail of cold water out the window. Transforming into a duck Mousse found himself in a confused state as his affection for Kodachi had disappeared. They were all staring at Nabiki. "Here Ranma." she said throwing him a tablecloth. "Much better I can't have you showing the merchandise for free, now can I?" Ranma wrapped the tablecloth around himself the best he could and turned to face Nabiki his sword pointed downwards. "All right Nabiki, now what are you up to and what do you mean by merchandise?" Nabiki grinned as she held up four photos. "You see, I have four rare photos of Ranma Saotome in the buff and I'm willing to let them go for a 10,000 yen each." "Sold," Shampoo yelled out holding the bills for Nabiki to see. "Now just wait a goddamn minute Nabiki Tendo!" Ranma said only to be interrupted a familiar laugh that made him cringe with fear every time he heard it. _Man she could unnerve the palace guard in China with that laugh,_ Ranma thought as he turned to face Kodachi. "Ah dear sister, what brings you here?" Kuno asked striking a dignified pose. "I'm here to see my darling Ranma, though I admit I didn't think I would see this much of him!" Kodachi answered with a little grin. "You can see even more of him for 15,000 yen." Nabiki said holding another set of prints. "Sold," Shampoo yelled out again holding even more bills in her hand. Not being able to tolerate anymore, Ranma ran towards Nabiki. "Give me those photos!" Thinking quickly Nabiki dove to the side, grabbing the knot in the tablecloth and pulling it lose just as Kasumi and Akane came in to see what all the commotion was about. Both sisters couldn't help but look down causing Ranma face to go bright red as he heard Kasumi say: "Oh my," "Ah, ah" Ranma broke into a stutter before tearing past all three sisters and running for literal cover. "Darn, A missed photo opportunity." Nabiki said. She then shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, anyway Kuno-baby, I can only imagine the embarrassment you will have to face if anyone saw these photos of you and Ranma." Hearing this Kuno turned but was still able to keep a dignified composure. "How much do you want Nabiki Tendo? Nabiki smiled as she held the photos in her hand. "10000, 000 yen each," Kuno sighed as he paid Nabiki for the photos. _Embarrassing photo of Ranma and Kuno,_ thought Akane she turned bright purple and ran down the hall as she left everyone heard her screaming: "Ranma!." Ukyo and her mysterious savoir sat down on a park bench underneath a streetlight. She looked at him, she knew that she should thank him but instead she was a little afraid of him _He just too eerie, the way he took down the old ghoul as if she was nothing. It's all just too creepy. _ **"Are you okay Miss Ukyo?"** The stranger asked his voice still choked but very tender. She nodded still looking at him_**. **_**"Good, because there is much you have to do now."** said the young man. He gave Ukyo the vial of blue powder. **"Listen closely this will cure the rest of your friends, all you have to do is get it on their skin."** Ukyo just nodded as she looked at the vial. **"But you must make sure not to sprinkle it on anyone who is not affected by the Amazon love powder. If you do sprinkle this on a person who is not affected, they will feel disdain for the first person of the opposite sex they see."** "You mean this powder can cause a woman to hate the first man they see?" Ukyo said with a sly smile. **"Yes, so be sure that you are very careful otherwise you may end up breaking somebody's heart."** "Right we wouldn't want to do that." she said with a devilish grin feeling less scared. She looked into the night, clutching the vial and thinking wicked thoughts. She turned to thank the stranger only to find herself alone on the park bench. The duck waddled into the Cat Cafe very carefully; he wanted to be human before confronting grandmother Cologne. She no doubt already knew about the switch he had made in the cellar and she might be hungry for duck soup as a result. He carefully poked his head through the left door of the cafe and saw no one. As he quietly waddled across the floor his glasses slipped off of his beak. While searching in vain for his glasses he bumped into something. Unable to see to clearly, he felt along the nearest wall to get to the kitchen. Once safely there he used his wings to fill the sink with hot water and dived in. Once again Mousse was human. He pulled himself out of the cramped sink and dressed quickly in clothes he had secretly stashed in the kitchen. Finding his spare pair of glasses in his sleeve pocket, he ran back to the serving area of the Cat Cafe. "Old lady Cologne where are you?" Mousse shouted desperately looking for her. He looked down and saw her lying on the floor, just staring at the ceiling and murmuring something. "Old lady Cologne I need your help! I took your powder and something went wrong - whenever I turn into a duck I fall in love with your granddaughter instead of my beloved Kodachi!" She just lay there, staring at the ceiling, murmuring. Mousse went down to see if he could hear what she was saying. He put his ear to her lips. The words he heard confused him. Mousse grabbed Cologne's shoulders and shook her gently. "What are you talking about old lady?" Mousse asked. "Who's prancing with five mountain deer's?" Konk!, (The sound of Cologne's-ended cane smashing Mousse in the head.) "I said he has been practicing for five thousand years!" she said realizing how disturbing it sounded aloud. The sound of the food let Ukyo know that her special okonomiyaki was complete. She took it off the grill making sure all her skin was covered up just in case. She then pulled out her bottle of sauce and started writing A-K-A-N-E. Back at the Tendo household, Ranma's face was a very deep red. "Damn Nabiki." he cursed as he got dressed in his usual training clothes. Still cursing he looked in the mirror. "In front of Shampoo too," He looked down at the floor. "Still, I guess it's okay if she has those pictures. I mean after all we are engaged. This thought put a smile on his face and he decided to go talk with his fiancé Shampoo. He walked out of his room and headed back down the hallway towards the place he last saw Shampoo. Suddenly a flying table blocked his sight of the hall. The back of Ranma's head hit the floor with a painful thud and was followed up by the table hit him again in the face with a powerful slam. "What the hell did you do that for?" Ranma said as he pushed the table to the side and stopped dead in his tracks by the sight of a royally pissed off Akane. "Ranma, I'm only going to ask you this once." she said picking up the abused table. "Look Akane." She put her hand up indicating that she wanted Ranma to be quiet. Ranma stopped talking and prepared to dodge the table. "Did you have sex with Kuno?" Akane asked in a strained yet calm voice. "What?" Ranma said not believing his ears. "Damn Nabiki! Look Akane the pictures that Nabiki took are not what they seem." Akane loosened her grip on the table as Ranma continued; "I was only naked behind Kuno because I wanted to see Shampoo. "Naked behind Kuno!," And before Ranma could move, the table hit him again. Ukyo arrived just as Nabiki was auctioning off her forth set of prints. "That's $75,000 yen going once!" Nabiki called out. "$80, 000," Kodachi yelled back. "$85, 000," Shampoo followed up with. "What's going on?" Ukyo asked. "Ukyo would you like to join the auction?" Nabiki asked displaying the prints. _I knew having a small darkroom set up in my room would come in handy._ Ukyo pushed her way passed Shampoo and Kodachi and peered at the offered pictures. Ukyo blushed at the image of Ranma naked. "I'll order some later." she said. "Right now I'm looking for Akane." "I believe she is with Ranma right now." Kasumi said coming out on to the deck. Upon hearing their beloved fiances name all three women went inside the house and headed towards the living room. In the lead was Ukyo, and then Kodachi followed by Shampoo after she paid for another set of prints. Ukyo was careful not to drop her special okonomiyaki as she went upstairs to Akane's room. She reached Akane room and heard her fuming in her usual "Idiot, that Idiot" Ukyo knocked on the door. "Akane, its Ukyo. I want to talk to you please." Meanwhile Ranma was alone in the bathroom exposing his head to a cold ice pack_. Something must be wrong with Akane she never just leaves me inside the house after a beating; I usually end up in the pond outside._ He sighed heavily. _And its all because of those photos Nabiki took. _The thought of those photos in all his fiances' hands made him blush again. Looking down he saw his body was not feeling nearly as embarrassed as he was. _Whoa I better take a cold shower before seeing Shampoo. _ Minute's later Ranma was once again female from the cold shower, and once again the strange effect of the Sakuratu root took effect on his female alter ego. _Poor Akane_, she thought, _she must love Kuno just as much as I do._ "I have to talk to Akane about me and Kuno." he said out loud. She quickly towel dried and re-dressed, so as not to provide Nabiki with more photo opportunities. She walked up the stairs towards Akane room practicing in her head what she was going to say. _Akane I love Kuno and he loves me. Please, try to accept this. After all, you are my best friend and I would like you to be my maid of honor at our wedding._ She then started picturing the beautiful wedding that she and Kuno were going to have. A picture of a huge ceremony formed in her head; her handsome Kuno approaching her after the ceremony for the kiss. She let a happy little giggle escape her lips before knocking on Akane's door. "Who is it? She heard Akane ask. "Akane, its Ranma. Can we talk, please?" "Sure come on in," said another voice. It sounded like Ukyo. As Ranma entered she was surprised to see Akane blindfolded and with blue powder on her mouth. Ukyo removed Akane's blindfold. Akane took one look at Ranma and her face turned an angry shade of purple. "Ranma," Akane screamed grabbing the closest weapon at hand and throwing it at her. Unfortunately for Ukyo the closest weapon to Akane was Ukyo's giant spatula, with Ukyo still attached. Back at the park the mysterious stranger perched in a tree. **"Oh my, I forgot to tell Miss Ukyo that if the affected person looks at someone of the same sex they would develop a violent hatred of that person." **He smiled revealing his fangs. **"How could I forget to tell her that?"** He jumped down out of the tree. **"Oh well I guess I better go back to the Tendo's house and warn them."** As he stretched his arms he saw the sun setting. **"But it's such a nice day I think I'll take the long route."** Ukyo got up and rubbed her head. She heard a distant voice scream "Get back here Ranma!" followed by another voice: "Akane please why are you so angry?" She then heard what sounded like heavy objects hitting the floor. Picking the vial of antidote off of the floor she ran downstairs towards the sound of the fighting. She followed the noise into the dojo. In the training hall she saw Ranma hiding from Akane behind a training dummy. She carefully uncapped the antidote vial. _Maybe a second exposure will restore her._ She looked again at the scene. _Wait a minute, why is Ranma-honey not fighting back?_ Ukyo started to step into the dojo but before she could she heard: "Don't worry my pigtailed-princess, your gallant knight will rescue you!" from behind her. Before she could move out of the way, Kuno tripped on Ukyo. Seconds later Shampoo and Kodachi charged around the corner of the hall and right into the Ukyo/Kuno traffic jam. It ended up as an ugly pile up with Kuno on the bottom. During the violence of the collision the vial was knocked from Ukyo's hand and ended up covering most of Shampoo. Shampoo untangled herself, wiping the blue powder from her eyes. She then stopped rubbing her eyes and blinked at the pile, seeing only Kodachi's face. She looked very intensely at Kodachi, who had no trace of the powder on her. Shampoo then walked slowly to Kodachi, helped her stand up. With Kodachi off of her Ukyo was now able to crawl off of Kuno and watch the two pairs facing off. Shampoo grabbed Kodachi's face, administering the Amazon Kiss of Death. Shampoo raised her bonbori to strike Kodachi when suddenly a chain with a claw embedded itself into the door jam next to Shampoo's raised bonbori. _The old lady was right! My beloved Kodachi was in danger!_ Mousse leaped in between Kodachi and Shampoo. It was one of the strangest things Ukyo had ever seen. _Mousse protecting Kodochi from Shampoo,_ She thought. She then turned to see without a doubt the strangest thing she ever saw - _Kuno protecting Ranma from Akane. This is just too weird! _ "Akane please be reasonable!" Ranma pleaded from behind Kuno as Akane stalked towards with a huge table in both hands. She didn't answer Ranma's plea instead she pulled her arms back and prepared to strike. "Look out pig-tailed girl!" Kuno screamed just before Akane struck. Kasumi carefully balanced the tray in both hands. _I hope our guests enjoy this tea. _She thought when she heard one loud crash followed by another coming from the dojo. She walked in through the side entrance, unaware of the complete carnage. Ukyo watched as Mousse avoided Shampoo's bonbori while he was trying to protect Kodachi. _Why is this fool protecting me can he really be in love with me?_ Kodachi pondered. Mouse interrupted her musings as he grabbed her gently and quickly took her out of the dojo. Shampoo lunged again as Mousse diverted his attention. "Oh my beloved Kadachi are you all right?" He asked as he was brained upside the head by Shampoo's bonbori. Meanwhile, Kuno was in pain both from the table swung at him by Akane Tendo and by the wall he hit after she had slammed him. In fact the only comfort he felt at that moment was from his beloved pig-tailed girl who was cradling him gently. "Kuno, Kuno are you okay sweetheart?" she asked, fear still in her voice as Akane approached. "Oh my beloved pig-tailed one; I am in such pain that only your sweet kiss can ease it." Ranma gently raised her beloved's head. "All right," Ranma said as she eagerly went for Kuno's lips. Thinking quickly Ukyo grabbed the teakettle from the stunned Kasumi and threw it at Ranma but it was too late! Their lips touched, as Ranma turned male. "Ranma," Akane screamed. Ranma opened his eyes to find Kuno in a lover's embrace. He quickly dropped Kuno and turned his head to spit when he saw that all the fighting around him had stopped as everyone was staring at him in stunned silence. "Ah, ah, ah," Ranma stuttered. Akane very calmly walked over to a stunned Shampoo and grabbed her bonbori. Shampoo didn't even resist. She just stared as Akane walked over to a petrified Ranma and hit him in the head. Ranma went down with a quiet thud followed by a scream of frustrated rage from Akane. She then proceeded to beat the hell out of him before Ukyo could stop her. After what seemed like hours to a very-sore Ranma, Akane walked back to the still shocked Shampoo and gave her back her bonbori. "You can have him." she said and then walked away. Seeing this as a chance to escape, Mousse grabbed Kodachi and fled the dojo. "Come on my black rose princess; we have to leave before Shampoo notices were gone." Shampoo was busy comforting her poor love that was still not able to stand without help. "Ah pig-tailed girl your lips are so powerfully passionate." Kuno said suddenly revived, or so he thought before falling on his face again. Ranma just groaned as the mental picture of him kissing Kuno flashed into his head. _Why did I KISS Kuno of all people?_ Ranma thought as Shampoo helped him up. "Ranma you okay?" Shampoo asked as Ranma slumped on her shoulder. He just stared blankly. _I'm a guy and I kissed Kuno, I'm a guy and I kissed Kuno. And worst of all he liked it. _Feeling the strong urge to spit he looked away from his beloved Shampoo. _How can I face her after kissing Kuno? Especially since, since,_ he suddenly shook his head as much as his neck would let him. "For two seconds I liked it" he whispered. "What?" Shampoo asked unable to hear him clearly. She sat him in a chair as Ranma repeated the same words with a little more volume. "For two seconds I really enjoyed kissing Kuno." Shampoo blinked twice then smiled. "You were girl-Ranma when you kiss stupid boy," she stated cradling him gently. It okay. You boy-Ranma now and you love Shampoo, that all that matter." "Shampoo" Ranma whispered as she drew closer and kissed him on the lips. He happily received her kiss closed his eyes and returned with one of his own. Splash was the sound the bucket of cold water made as it struck Ranma and Shampoo, Ranma opened her eyes to see Ukyo standing in front of her with an empty bucket and an angry look in her eyes. Then she noticed the tickling sensation under her nose. Her eyes flew wide open as she found herself in a lip lock with a wet cat. "Aaah" She screamed throwing feline Shampoo into the air. She started to run for the door when she slipped in a puddle of water and went flying into the air. **Bamm! **was the sound that came as Ranma hit the floor and aggravated her injuries and ultimately knocking herself unconscious. Shampoo landed on her feet gracefully was approached the unconscious red head when suddenly everything around her went black. "There that ought to keep you from making a bad situation worse." Ukyo said trapping Shampoo under a bucket. She then quickly put a small weight from the bench on top of the bucket. "Come on you two I think we should get you someplace a little more comfortable." She said looking at Kuno and Ranma Taking another glance she then added, "And also we need to call a doctor." The mysterious stranger was almost at the Tendo household when he saw Mousse bounce by with a protesting Kodachi in his arms. "Let me go you cretin!" Kodachi yelled which prompted Mousse to stop. The stranger quickly hid in some nearby bushes and observed the young couple. He watched as Mousse put Kodachi down. _**It's the idiot who started this chaotic yet highly entertaining situation**_. He thought going for a vial of blue powder hidden in his jacket. He eyed the vial contemplating his next move. _**On second thought I really should get to the Tendo household before Happosi learns about the powder. After all I don't want to play my hand to soon. **_ Mousse looked at Kodachi. "How beautiful you look your hair, your face; you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." They were standing only a few millimeters apart from each other. Kodachi put her hands on Mousse's face and removed his glasses carefully. _He really is quite handsome without these foolish looking glasses._ She reached under her leotard for her powder when Mousse gently grabbed her arm. "Please my cunning beauty before you paralyze me again can I get one kiss to linger on my lips while I'm blissfully paralyzed?" Kodachi stopped dead, nobody ever asked her so passionately for a kiss, and she never met a man who would let her paralyze him before. Both her hands found themselves on Mousse's face and before Mousse could react she kissed him aggressively on the lips. Taking this as his cue the mysterious stranger left. Akane sat in her room fuming she didn't feel like breaking anything, or throwing anything. _That idiot kissing Kuno, getting naked behind Kuno while _ _Shampoo watched._ She dry wretched as an ugly mental picture formed in her head. She pushed herself away from her desk and plopped on her bed. _Well fine then - if Ranma, Kuno and Shampoo are into that kinky stuff then they can have each other!_ She turned off her lamp and just lay very still. Dr. Tofu wasn't used to doing evening house calls but the voice on the phone sounded urgent enough. Ranma must have really upset Akane if he can't make it to my clinic. Meanwhile Kasumi was on her way to the market. "I wonder why Ranma insisted that I go shopping now." She said out loud as she checked the list that Ukyo wrote for her. Ice Soup Bandages Aspirin Tea Condoms (god, please don't use them) Catnip Cat food Litter and kennel Kasumi put the list back in her pocket and proceeded to the market place. Kuno found him-self barely conscious as strong masculine hands went to work on his aching shoulders. "Ah my pig-tailed princess your hands are so strong yet still feminine." He relaxed his aching muscles and enjoyed the massage he was getting. "Ah my love that feels so good I can't wait until we're married." "I'm afraid that will be a long time Mr. Kuno." Dr. Tofu said. This startled Kuno who started to jump up. "Who are you and where is my beloved?" He asked. "I'm Dr. Tofu and I was called here to treat both you and Ranma." "What do I care for that wretched Saotome? Where is my pigtailed love?" "She's fine you jackass." Ukyo said as she entered the room with an ice pack. Tofu helped Kuno back onto the couch. "Miss Ukyo would you mind taking over here?" He donned latex gloves and went over to Kuno's discarded robe. He gingerly put it into a plastic bag. Using a brush he carefully took a sample of the powder. _Funny, Miss Ukyo said the powder was white but this powder is blue._ He was about to put his sample slide under the microscope when Kasumi entered the room. "Would anybody like some tea?" Kasumi asked. _Oh no! Didn't Ranma honey say that Tofu goes goofy when Kasumi's around? _Ukyo thought but it was too late the inevitable happened. In a passion-induced hysteria Tofu rubbed his powder laced gloves across his face as he turned away from Kasumi. He was now looking at Kuno. "Kasumi can you please leave the tea here? I have a patient I have to attend to." He said coldly. Kasumi left and it seemed to a shocked Ukyo that she was a little disappointed. _Oh no the powder must have killed Tofu's love for Kasumi._ Ukyo felt ashamed. _All this trouble is my fault I just wanted Ranma honey to break up with Akane but now I've gone and broke more hearts then I meant too, plus Ranma's marrying Kuno is gross._ "Miss Ukyo can you go check on Ranma please?" Tofu said in his usually joyful expression, which interrupted Ukyo reverie. "Sure doc." Ukyo said glad to have an excuse to leave the tragedy she caused. **"Ah finally here."** the mysterious stranger snuck very carefully into the Tendo household. He heard a muffled cry of pain quietly he went to investigate. When he saw the source he couldn't help but giggle at the sight, which he beheld. _**Well that was entertaining. **_He moved on looking for Ukyo and Ranma. He found Ukyo busy in the kitchen cooking a get-well okonomiyaki so he let her be. "Are you sure about this Nabiki?" Ranma asked. Nabiki smiled. "It's all right Ranma. Every bride-to-be rehearses her wedding vows. Now just speak loudly and clearly into the tape recorder." Ten minutes later the mysterious stranger knocked on Nabiki's door. He heard the sound of Nabiki hiding the tape recorder. "Come in." **"Oh I'm sorry ladies! I was looking for Miss Ukyo. Have either of you seen her?" **Nabiki sized up Ukyo's young friend; the nice leather jacket he was wearing indicated he was doing well financially; but it was the cap that concealed most of his face that made his true gullibility hard to determine. He looked at Ranma. **"Hey don't I know you?"** Ranma blinked she was sure she would remember a voice like that. "No I don't think so." she continued to look at Ukyo's friend. He was a couple inches taller than her but it wasn't his height that made her feel uneasy. "My name is Ranma Saotome and this is Nabiki Tendo." She turned to Nabiki, "Excuse me Nabiki, I'm going to check on Kuno." _**That's a better idea then you think,**_ he let her pass by and looked at Nabiki. **"Well if you will excuse I'm going to continue looking for Miss Ukyo."** As he left Nabiki shut her door. _Man I wish Kasumi would stop letting these people into the house without thinking first._ Akane was still fuming when a loud scream filled the entire house causing her to nearly hit the ceiling from her prone position on the bed. She quickly rushed down to the living room where the screaming was coming from. She arrived at the entrance only to find the rest of the house's occupants already assembled. Her father and Mr. Saotome were armed with brooms while behind them were her sisters. Ukyo stood ready with her giant spatula guarding the rear. **"What's going on?"** The mysterious stranger asked, thus startling Ukyo, which caused her to push Kasumi who shoved Nabiki etc, etc. Akane and the stranger watched as the dojo dominos fell down on the living room floor due to a very disturbing sight. "There now doesn't that feel better?" They heard Dr. Tofu say in his usual tone. But what he was doing was far from the usual. Akane couldn't believe her eyes; Tofu had Kuno face down on the couch with his arms and legs tied to either end he also had a wad of cotton stuffed in his mouth. His robe had been removed completely exposing his upper body. They watched as Tofu stuck a large pin in Kuno's back. Kuno's eyes widened in pain his back looked like a fleshy pincushion. "Relax Mr. Kuno, acupuncture is one of my specialties," he said raising another needle. Suddenly a red mist was blown into his face. Tofu blinked twice then shook his head as the effects of the anti-sakuratu root wore off. Confused, Akane looked away from Kuno and saw Ranma cringing in a corner with tears coming out of her eyes. **"I got here just in time, right Miss Ukyo?"** The stranger asked as the crowd of people untangled themselves. All eyes went on Ukyo but before she could explain another scream filled the room. "Ranma!" Akane screamed, still suffering from the effects of the anti-sakuratu root. Akane lunged at the whimpering Ranma causing a survival instinct that prompted Ranma to quickly run away from Akane. "Kuno save me please!" Ranma cried out running towards her bonded beloved. All watched as Akane stalked Ranma. The only thing separating them was the couch that Kuno was tied to. Dr Tofu quickly jumped out of the way of the rampaging Akane. "It would seem that Akane is under the same effect I was." Tofu said approaching the Tendo family. "I must have been exposed to the sample of powder Miss Ukyo asked me to analyze." Once again all eyes were on Ukyo as her face turned crimson red. She quickly ran to the mysterious stranger. "Can't you do something?" She said as she watched Ranma and Akane circle each other around the couch. **"Don't worry Miss Ukyo I have enough antidote for two more people."** Saying this he quickly appeared by Ranma's side and blew the red mist into her face. Meanwhile Akane was tiring of the obstacle that was barring her from her source of rage. She then decided to use it the obstacle as a weapon against that source. During all the confusion nobody noticed that the bucket holding Shampoo had been kicked over. The cat watched as the couch that Kuno was tied to was brought down on a dazed Ranma and a black blur. Akane had stopped for a second to catch her breath when she spotted Shampoo. She grabbed the feline foil and approached the combined wreckage of the couch, Kuno and Ranma. Ranma slowly pushed the wreckage of the couch off herself. Wha, what the hell are you." Akane grabbed her head. "Well Ranma since you like Shampoo's pussy so much - here have it all!" Saying this she rammed the source of Ranma's phobia into his face while holding the back of her head. Before she could have another panic attack Ukyo splashed Ranma and Shampoo with the still steaming hot water from the teakettle. Ranma now found his face being enveloped by Shampoos naked breasts and Akane was surprised to find her hand holding his head there. "Smile," They heard Nabiki say as she took her most profitable picture yet. Both Ranma and Akane pulled back at exactly the same time and just blankly stared at the group who witnessed this action with shock on all but Nabiki's face. "Oh my god, Shampoo," Ranma said grabbing her and trying to cover her naked body as much as possible with his own. Shampoo turned to the now regaining her senses Akane. Her faced turned a deep purple as she saw Ranma all over Shampoo's naked body. "Can Shampoo keep him now pervert girl?" Shampoo asked feeling both triumphant and slightly aroused. Ukyo angrily grabbed Kuno discarded robe. "Here." she said flinging it at Shampoo. Ranma stood in front of the crowd trying to shield Shampoo from their view while she slipped on Kuno's robe. Akane was beyond furious at this point. "I'm going to beat that baka within an inch of his miserable life with my bare hands!" She suddenly found the mysterious stranger standing right in front of her. He put his hand gently on her shoulder and try as she might she couldn't push past him. All she could is watch as Ranma approached Shampoo unaware that his sword was sticking out. **"There is no need for violence Miss Tendo."** he said as he blew the last of the red mist at Ranma again. Once again Ranma was dazed **"the love spell that was placed on him will wear off in a couple of seconds." **he said and walked towards the door. "Love spell?" Akane angrily blurted looking at Shampoo with the evilest of eyes. The stranger stopped just in front of Shampoo. **"Lay off the love spells. They're not worth the hassles kid."** He then whispered in her ear**. "Oh yeah, if I were you I would check in on your great-grandmother; she wasn't looking to well when I last saw her this afternoon."** After hearing this Shampoo quickly ran off before anyone could stop her. Ranma snapped out of his daze as the confused viewers dispersed around the room, each firing a barrage of questions. **"I think Miss Ukyo can answer you better then I can. Besides if I tell you everything, I'll lose that cryptic edge that makes me a Cool Mysterious Stranger."** He pushed past them and went out the patio door into the garden and vanished before anyone could stop him. "Well, what a night! I guess I better get going also!" Ukyo said quickly inching towards the door. "See you guys." she said. A very angry Akane and a very confused Ranma suddenly blocked her path. "You better put a large pot of tea on Kasumi," Nabiki addressed her sister, "It looks like it's going to be a very long night." The mysterious stranger found himself sitting on the same tree branch as before the whole mess started. _**I have this nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something,**_ he thought to himself. _**Oh well it couldn't have been that important.**_ He chuckled to himself as he disappeared into thin air. Meanwhile in the Kuno gardens a strange duck with glasses fought desperately to avoid getting eaten by a huge alligator while the woman that was his beloved in his human form was sleeping blissfully in her bed. End file.
fanfiction
Band of Brothers 1. Chapter 1The Officer Across the Way Though I've written fanfictions for years, this is the first time I've ever published anything, so be gental. Watched the series, read the book, loved the book more, but since I thought of this idea when I watched the movie, this story will take place according to how the that went. I don't own anything but my charaters and such....so enjoy! Captain Dick Winters let the burn of coffee slowly slip down his throat as he listened to the Airmen and Marines go on behind him. If he'd been a different type of man, maybe like Nixon or definitely like Harry, he would have turned around and said something. He could just picture the insuring brawl if Harry or Lewis had been with him, crashing its way through the tables of the small, outdoor café and into the busy Parisian street. However, he wasn't that type of man, so he just let them carry on and enjoy themselves. They very well could be lying dead somewhere in a month. Still, he couldn't help but turn his shoulder so that the screaming eagle patch and his bars were clearly visible to the guys behind him. Dick wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. When Nix put that paper down in front of him and said what it was, he didn't believe him. Even when he opened and looked over the pass he wanted to congratulate the intelligence officer and Lt Welsh for their zealous effort in the prank. Though he didn't want to go, Dick still promised Lewis he'd take it easy and enjoy himself. However, being among civilization only confused him. He felt as though he was in a dream. He was clean, warm, dry and not hungry. The sun was shining warmly on his fair-skinned face and the sounds of the busy city replaced the sound of the base and the battlefield. It made him wonder if everything else he'd experienced before now had really happened. Had he really jumped out of a plane with thousands of tracer rounds brushing past him? Had he really survived all the horrors of D-Day and the month after? Though it'd only been a few short months ago, it seemed eons ago. Then again, some days it felt like only yesterday he was getting on the train for basic training. He hadn't seen any real action since early October, unless one included the night Moose was shot. Instead, he'd been stuck writing reports and signing every scrap of paper that kid shoved at him for the past three months. He missed the men. He missed being around them and most of all he missed leading them. Though he'd never admit it, he loved the thrill of carrying out a well planned, successful attack; like at Brecourt Manor. It made all the training and hell he'd been through worth it. That's why he hated failing and retreating. It must have been the competitiveness in him. Of course, he was scared senseless when he ran into an attack with bullets flying all around him, but instead of that fear working against him, it drove him to fight harder, smarter, and longer. Dick didn't fear dying, he was afraid of his men dying, and now he had to sit back and sign the dotted line while his men ran off to battle. Yes, he still commanded them in a sense, but now Lieutenant Dike, who Dick had very little confidence in, held their lives in his hands. Easy Company, his company, risked life and limb while Dick risked getting carpal tunnel; it wasn't what he signed up for. Dick found it hard to enjoy himself in Paris when he knew he'd be returning to that nightmare in two days. Nevertheless, Dick was going to try his damnedest to relax, but the Pennsylvania farm boy was a bit lost for ideas in the City of Lights. Sure, there was plenty to do, but hardly any he would do. He seemed to have made a reputation of being a do-gooder Puritan. He didn't smoke, but he might as well have because he breathed in a pack a day from the rest of the men and he'd been cured of drinking when he was 16 by his father, a threshing machine, and a 100 degree July day. It was hard to believe, but the calm, reserved Captain had once been the black sheep of the well-respected Winters family. Dick had tested and found his limits many times in many ways when he was young. After getting all that out of his system, Dick tried to go about life with a clear head and clean set of lungs. A group of sailors got up from the table across from him, revealing a lone woman sitting at the table in the corner. Dick wasn't quite sure why she had caught his attention. There were hundreds of people in his line of vision and yet she was all he could see. He had a feeling her uniform was the reason. He normally wasn't one to stare, but he couldn't help but watch as she finished off the last of her coffee. Her brown hair was pulled back in a neat bun at the base of her neck. On top of that hair was a service cap and on her lapel was a serpent wrapped around a cross and a large 'N'. She was a nurse. Her eyes flickered down to the drink on her right. She looked at it like it was something she needed to conquer, but didn't want to. His inability to take his eyes off of her probably had something to do with the fact she was very beautiful. The afternoon sun cast a glow over her, making it look like she was glowing. Dick watched nurse for five or so more minutes. In the back of his head he was somewhat waiting to see if she was waiting for someone. Probably a young, good-looking GI whose finger she bandaged once, he mused. Dick help couldn't but be a bit pessimistic when it came to women. It always seemed as though he was a day late and a dollar short when it came to them. Unlike many of his fellow soldiers, the opposite sex hadn't been on his mind much. After all there was this little situation called a war going on. Still, he continued to watch her as she absent-mindedly drew circles with her finger tips on the white table cloth. Then, she abruptly turned her head to scan her surroundings. Dick ducked his eyes back down to the brochure he'd been holding, hoping she hadn't caught him staring. She craned her neck around to look behind her and he caught the silver bar glimmer in the sunlight on her shoulder. She was a first Lieutenant. The Captain suddenly felt himself get a dose of reality. Fraternization with Army personnel of a lower rank could be punished by court marshal for conduct unbecoming. Though women weren't in any sort of combat, they still played a major part in the Army. He could still recall Sobel's rather 'enjoyable' and informative speech about getting involved with any female personnel. Dick shook his head at the thought of his former commander. He sighed and went back to his brochure. That brawl became clearer and clearer in his head after a little while when a guy behind him knocked him in the back, almost causing him to spill his coffee in his lap. If only Nix had been there with him, but he wasn't. He was back in Aldbourne breaking the very same rule Dick was trying not to break himself. His eyes couldn't help but glance back over to the nurse, who was sliding that untouched drink away from her. He sighed and collected his things as he stood up. He dug for some money and quietly groaned as one of the coins slipped through his fingers and clattered against the pavement. He ducked down to pick it up and as he came back up, he noticed the nurse was leaving. He watched as she navigated her way through the tables and onto the crowed sidewalk. Dick left what he hoped was the right amount and started walking in the same direction. He wasn't purposely following her, but she was going the same way he had planned on…at least that's what he told himself. They walked about a block before she stopped at an intersection and looked up at her surroundings. She a lost look on her face, but not the 'I'm can't find my way' lost. It was the 'where do I go now lost'. He knew that look. He'd had that same look since he'd stepped off the train earlier that afternoon. Suddenly, a group of young Frenchmen came running down the sidewalk as though they were running for their lives. They blew past Dick and the nurse like a freight train. He received an elbow in the arm, but his eyes snapped over to the nurse who was dangerously teetering backwards. Suddenly, his combat reflexes kicked in. Dick didn't think. He just sprung into action. * * * First Lieutenant Rosemary Beyer breathed in the smoggy, Parisian air. Normally, the Midwestern farm girl found any sort of urban air stifling, but to her it was refreshing. There wasn't a hint of blood, burnt flesh, or sweaty soldiers in the crisp December air. Rose was a nurse in the Army and had been stationed in several aid stations and tented hospitals. The men did all the fighting and cleared the way, but the nurses cleaned up the mess. It was only the beginning of the US's involvement in the second Great War in northern Europe, and already she'd seen enough horrors to last a lifetime. She landed on Normandy beach on D-Day plus four and walked five miles through Rommel's flooded fields to the first medical station. While there, she and the other nurses slept, or tried to at least, to the sounds of artillery rounds and the moans of wounded men under flimsy tents on the damp ground. Before that, she'd been stationed at a hospital in North Africa, but only for a few months before being shipped to England. Back there, she was saw many horrors, but none compared to the ones on the beaches and country side of Normandy. Rose had won a 48 hour pass to Paris. Ever since she'd joined the Army Nurse Corps, Rose had only used up two days of leave and those had been spent sleeping. What she didn't know was that Captain Kent, one of the doctors, and her best friend rigged the lottery so the young nurse could get a break. They had watched her rub her tired feet and aching eyes. They noticed the gauntness in her cheeks and the paleness of her skin. She was by far the hardest working and best nurse in the whole regiment, but she didn't act like she was. She was a one of the few 1st Lieutenants and so she did have authority over most of the other nurses, but she didn't abuse it. She just did her job. After checking into the hotel, she studied a map and tried to find something to do. Rose had always been the quiet one in the crowd. Her close friends and family found her dry sense of humor and uncanny timing to be hilarious, yet Rose didn't try to be the life of the party, ever. Nor had Rose been to very many big cities, especially alone. She wasn't afraid to go out by herself, just unsure of what she was supposed to do by herself. Her friend and fellow nurse, Annie Scofield, told her about a few good places to go and she promised her she wouldn't waste this leave. Rose wandered around like a typical tourist for a few hours before finding that café. Rose enjoyed her first cup of real coffee in a very long time. The aroma filled her senses and sent her back thousands of miles and many years. Some days, Rose couldn't believe she'd been to all the places she'd been and seen the things she'd seen. Five years ago, her life was going down a totally different road. She was just barely out of college and was teaching in a small school house a mile from home when her best friend volunteered to be a nurse in the Navy. Rose used to get letters upon letters describing how beautiful Hawaii was and how she didn't think anything would ever happen. But, something did and the day after Molly's funeral, Rose joined the Army. When Rose sat down, it had been pretty quiet, but then a few groups of soldiers from all different branches filled up the small outdoor space. Rose only prayed to god that they'd leave her be. She dealt with enough wanna-be Romeos every day. Actually, she had a great deal of fun dealing with the overly flirty GI's. Her sly and sarcastic humor came in quite handy and so far, the boys seemed to enjoy bantering with her. She had fight fire with fire because it kept her from falling for the female-deprived soldiers' charms. But, even the best entertainers needed a vacation every now and then. Unlike most of the young woman who had joined the Nurse Corps, Rose wasn't looking for romance. Though relationships weren't totally against the rules, they were so carefully regulated that it was almost not even worth it. Almost every single nurse in the Corps was an Army equivalent 2nd Lieutenant. That way, the women had authority over the majority of soldiers they treated and worked with. It also meant that because they outranked the privates and sergeants, they couldn't get involved with them. Although, that didn't stop the rest of the nurses in her company from having their wartime flings anyway. She wasn't as strict about it with her nurses as some of the other higher ranking officers were. There was one particular Lieutenant who practically walked around with a ruler and chastised any nurse who got any closer than six inches to patient, and suffice to say, she wasn't very well liked. Rose just reminded her nurses that they had taken an oath, and at the very least to have some discreetness. A few of her nurses had been disciplined with latrine duty after she'd found them not practicing the latter, so they knew that even though she was lenient, she wasn't a pushover and they really respected her. Part of her success as a leader was leading by example. And though she often caught flack from her friends, she had made up her mind that she wouldn't fall for every good-looking soldier that came in on a stretcher or looked sharp in a uniform. Rose seemed to be really good at setting herself for failure when it came to men anyway. She'd get her hopes up so high and then they'd come crashing down instantly when she'd learn they had a girl back home or had some repulsive habit. Therefore, she just decided that there were more important things to worry about. Like, staying alive, writing reports, keeping the men alive, air raids, inventories, landmines, and all those wonderful things found in a war. However, it was hard focus one's mind of those things when having a smoke with a cute GI was all three-fourths the nurses in her company seemed to worry and always talk about. Still, it didn't mean she couldn't look and dream. She was just a woman after all. Her eyes subtly scanned the café that was bustling with uniforms. Most of them were hardly in their twenties or were much older officers. Rose was, according to her great aunt, a ripe old maid at the age of 23, though the last few years had made her feel many years older. Behind a group of sailors, Rose did catch a glimpse of a redheaded Army paratrooper. He was reading something and seemed to be fairly engrossed by the way his brow was creased and lips were slightly parted in concentration. He was very good looking, but not the movie star-cookie cutter good looks that so many of the soldiers she'd met had; his looks were unique. He had an air of authority as well, which she guessed was the reason he wore two bars on his shoulders and cap. A sailor leaned back and blocked her view and Rose looked away and shook her head. He was probably married with three cute, redheaded kids running around back home. Suddenly, a waiter appeared next to her table with a drink. Rose looked up at him slightly annoyed. She hadn't ordered a drink and she had a suspicion that it wasn't a mistake either. "Mademoiselle, courtesy of the gentlemen over zere." He set it down and mentioned to a table of young Privates, who were winking and snickering. "Thank you." She told the waiter, but just ignored the boys at the other table. Technically, she could have chewed them out, but didn't feel like it. She looked down at the drink and could tell it was just cheap brandy. Part of her wanted to drink it just because she hadn't had a drink since before Normandy, but yet she didn't want to drink it because it would give the boys, who weren't even old enough to have a drink, a thrill. So she just let it sit there and get warm while she watched the hundreds of faces filter by. After a few minutes, she couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her. She calmly turned her head and swore that Captain Redhead had looked away from her. The sailors had left and she now had a clear view of him. His facial expression had changed. His mouth was pursed and his eyes didn't seem to be moving like he was reading anymore. Maybe she was just seeing things, she told herself as she turned back around. After a few more minutes of sitting there doing nothing, Rose pushed that drink away and picked up her purse. She was getting tired and a real, queen bed and a real bathtub were waiting for her back in the hotel. She threw a few coins onto the table and glanced towards the Captain. She felt a slight twinge in her chest when she saw that he had disappeared, but quickly brushed it off and closed her purse. Just my luck, she mused. She weaved her way towards the sidewalk and just followed the flow of the crowd, not really knowing where she wanted to go. She stopped at an intersection she remembered. Go strait and she'd head back to the hotel, but it was only four in the afternoon. Rose looked around at the buildings above her. She wished she was back at the hospital, at least there she didn't feel so out of place. Out of nowhere, Rose suddenly felt something wiz by behind her. She instinctively jumped forward, only to have another figure crash into her front, sending her teetering backwards. She stuck out her arms to receive the cold, hard pavement… ...but the pavement never came. Rose found her torso suspended in mid-air. Then, before she could comprehend her situation, a pair of strong arms easily lifted her back to her feet. As soon as she was firmly back on her feet, she hastily straitened her skirt before turning around to face her savior. She was poised to gush 'thank you', but was rendered speechless when she met her saviors face. 2. Chapter 2 One in a Hundred Thousand "Are you alright, Lieutenant?" Dick asked the young woman, who looked as though she'd seen a ghost. Dick had taken a calming breath after removing his hands from her slender waist. It had been the closest he'd been to a female since that random woman kissed him in Holland. Rose's mouth opened and closed like a fish, trying to find the ability to speak. She just couldn't believe it that out of the hundreds of thousands of people in Paris at that very moment, it just so happened to be the handsome, redheaded Captain she'd been gawking at earlier was the one who'd caught her. He'd gone the other way hadn't he? Rose stared up into his eyes. They were the most peculiar color she'd ever seen. They were very light blue when one looked them alone, but when paired with the rest of his features, they had a greenish tint. Dick placed a comforting hand on her upper arm. "Are you ok?" he asked the silent woman again. Dick looked down into the Lieutenant's wide, brown eyes and smiled slightly. She was a good six inches shorter than him, but she still stood tall with her shoulders back. Her eyes were the warmest shade of brown he'd ever seen, like the color of polished walnut wood, and they were surrounded by long, thick lashes. She had an angular, delicate, feminine face that seemed to be perfectly proportioned. Dick didn't want to say that she was too pretty to be a nurse, but she looked like she belonged on a movie screen. He couldn't imagine her up to her elbows in blood and guts. Rose mentally slapped herself in the face and tried to remember how to speak. "Uh, ye-yes Captain." She stuttered. Rose looked up into his kind eyes and for a moment she felt like the entire city had disappeared. She then found herself smiling and her confidence returning. She reached up to re-adjust her cap and pulled her coat back down. "But I believe, Sir, you just cost me a Purple Heart." Dick laughed and Rose couldn't help but notice what an endearing crooked smile he had. "I apologize Lieutenant." He smiled with one of his fine, red eyebrows quirked. "If you would like, I could direct you to the pothole that nearly took me out and you could try again." Rose laughed and offered her hand to him. His eyes flickered down and he promptly took it. "First Lieutenant Rosemary Beyer, sir." "Captain Richard Winters." "Nice to meet you, sir." Rose smiled. She liked his voice. It was slightly raspy, but not harsh. It was like no voice she'd ever heard. Dick was surprised by the firm grip her slender hand produced. It wasn't soft and smooth like one would expect from a good looking woman. The back of her hand was dry and rough; no doubt the result of being covered in blood and scrubbed raw with harsh disinfectants all the time. An uncomfortable silence befell the two after they broke the handshake. Rose fiddled with the flap of her pocket and Dick swallowed hard. Part of him was waiting for her to thank him, say it was nice meeting him again and then say good-bye, but a small ounce of him was hoping they could spend some more time together. "What brings you to Paris Lieutenant Beyer?" Dick asked, deciding he'd make the encounter last somehow. Rose let out a puff of air and chuckled halfheartedly. "Honestly sir, I have no idea. They had a raffle back at my evacuation hospital. I won a 48 hour pass. Apparently, I have some amazing luck, because I don't even remember putting in my name." Rose rolled her eyes and shrugged. Dick chuckled in the same manner. "I know what you mean." "Can I assume you're enjoying the city as much as I am, Captain Winters?" Rose smirked. "Oh, I'm having a blast." Dick replied sarcastically and smiled. Rose laughed. At least she knew now that she wasn't the only one. Rose wanted to ask him if he had plans, but she knew it would have been very inappropriate for a nurse to ask a higher ranking officer that. Rose wasn't that bold anyway; Captain or not. Besides, no war time flings, she reminded herself. Dick looked around the busy corner and sighed heavily. "Well…" he was trying to be nonchalant. He wished Nixon was there, he would have been able to keep the situation light. "Ah, you know any good place to grab dinner?" Rose was momentarily surprised, as was Dick that he'd been able to choke it out. It wasn't inappropriate to ask a lower ranking officer to join him for a meal. Perhaps he was toeing the line with the fact she was a female officer, but something just came over him and he couldn't resist the urge to spend more time with the nurse. She just had this look about her. "Uh…" Rose's mind was screaming 'think think', but she didn't even like French food let alone know any restaurants. "I'm afraid not sir. Actually," her eyes twinkled and a sly smirk formed on her bowed lips. "I was looking for a place that had nothing but S.O.S. and beans." Dick chuckled. She reminded him a little of Nixon with her sarcastic humor. "Well, I'm sure we could find something." Dick smirked and motioned her to accompany him with his arm. * * * An hour later, they found themselves sitting on a bench looking out over the Riviera. "I never would have imagined…" Rose mused as she pulled back the paper wrapper from her sad looking hotdog. "Home of the finest cuisines and restaurants in all the world and you spot a hotdog stand." Dick laughed and took a bite. He never had been fond of hotdogs back home, but at the moment it was the best thing he'd ever tasted. He looked down at the little picnic they had sitting between them on the bench that, besides the hotdogs, included a bag of popcorn and two bottles of Coco-Cola. "That vender is the one laughing though." He said as he wiped a bit of mustard off the corner of his mouth with his thumb. "I bet he's making a fortune." "No doubt." Rose smiled. "Didn't you hear him say 'God Bless America' after you paid him?" Dick chuckled and took in everything around him. The scars of war were still ugly in the city, but there were signs of healing; mostly the people seemed to be healing. They were full of life and vivacious as ever. He popped the top off his Coke and took a swig. His blue eyes flickered over the striking nurse beside him. Her eyes were trained on a group of children playing tag down the hill from them. He could see a sense of longing in her eyes and noticed the tiny sigh that escaped her chest. "Do you have any kids back home?" he asked without thinking. Rose whipped her head around at the sound of his voice. She scrunched her forehead and flashed her eyes back over towards the children she'd been watching. She tried to ignore that proverbial pain in her chest. She felt it every time somebody asked if she had children. "Oh. No, no. I'm not married." Rose replied hastily, maybe a bit too hastily. Dick was slightly embarrassed and felt stupid. He looked down at his half-eaten hotdog. Of course she didn't have kids. If she did, she'd be back in the states taking care of them. Most nurses weren't married, engaged maybe, but he didn't think married women were allowed to join any Military branch. "I was a teacher back in Wisconsin." She told him, noticing the slight blush creeping up from under his collar. He looked back up at her with the corner of his mouth curled up slightly. He smiled more when his eyes meant her warm, brown ones. He could see her being a teacher with that kind, trusting gaze. He leaned back and draped his elbows across the back of the bench. "You miss it?" he asked. "Teaching or Wisconsin?" she joked and smiled at Dick's indifferent shrug. "Either I guess." Rose sighed sadly, but laughed it off. "Well, I do miss both, some days more than others though. Never ceases to amaze me how Wisconsin can be like the Arctic in the winter and as hot as Arizona in the summer. I love it there though. It's a lot like Pennsylvania I guess, but with hills instead of mountains." Dick smiled, thinking of his home as well. "And the kids." She continued. "I really do miss them. I had a really great class. I felt pretty bad about leaving them. But, I'll tell yah," she wagged a finger at him. "I don't miss those older farm boys. I'd rather evacuate during an air raid then deal with that rowdy bunch in the winter." Dick chuckled. He knew what she was talking about. He used to be one of those rowdy farm boys. He finished the last bite of his hotdog and wiped his hands with a napkin. "What about you?" Rose asked, "Do you have a family back home?" She watched his eyes suddenly turn very distant and his shoulders slump ever so slightly. Rose's heart leapt a bit when he shook his head, but she quickly scolded herself. She could tell something was hurting him. "Nope," he said, clearing his throat. That pain she saw a second ago was quickly masked. "Just a few nieces and nephews." "Those are the best." She smiled, trying to rekindle the mood. "Spoil them rotten and then send 'em back. Repayment for all the times my older brother locked me in the chicken coop and left spiders in my bed." They both laughed. It seemed that once that elephant was out of the room, they really kicked it off. They spent the next few hours talking about everything. The more they talked, the more they realized how alike they were. Both had grown up on small farms that somehow made it through the depression and they'd both gone to small colleges. They shared stories about their childhood and the crazy adventures she and her brothers carried out. Dick found himself relaxing for the first time in a very long time. With every chuckle, he eased up a little more and opened himself up. Rose saw this. His emotions came across clearer and clearer the more he laughed. Most people saw him as being a very blank person, hardly raising an eyebrow at anything. However, his facial expressions were so subtle that one hardly noticed. Being a teacher, she was an expert at reading people. Her kids could never get away with anything because she could see right through them. Her brothers often said she would have made one hell of a cop had she been a man. Rose had only spent a few hours with him, and already she could read the Captain like an open book. They talked about everything well after the sun had dipped below the cityscape. Then Dick and Rose walked side-by-side down the lighted streets. For the first time, Rose found herself smiling for no reason. There wasn't that suffocating weight on her chest that had been there since she'd joined the Army. Dick felt the same way. If it wasn't for their reflection in the glass, store windows, he would have forgotten they were even in a war. However, both their moods were suddenly brought back to reality when they rounded a corner… 3. Chapter 3 Rose's Pain The two officers stood solemnly under a street light as they watched a truck load of caskets being unloaded in front of a funeral parlor. They could hear the muffled wails from the mothers and wives of the deceased French soldiers. Dick looked down at Rose, who let out a shuddering breath. He could see the pain pooling in her deep, brown eyes and the tears glistening on the rims. He couldn't imagine how many of those caskets she saw every day. A little part of him died with every one of his men he'd lost, but compared to her, he hadn't seen anything. Dick slipped his hand down around hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. That warm hand broke the nurse out of her trance. Her eyes snapped up to his sympathetic ones and Rose suddenly felt very feeble and weak. She quickly wiped the forming tears away and straitened her shoulders. "Huh," she despondently laughed "didn't think I was even cable of doing that anymore." Dick squeezed her hand again. "You're only human." She smiled sorrowfully up at him and grasped his strong hand back. "I wish that I was more than that. Maybe I wouldn't have to put so many in those damned things." Dick didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he gently pulled her along and they walked back towards the train station. They strolled quite awhile in silence, both slowly slipping back into their own little, painful worlds. Rose thought of all the lives she hadn't saved. Dick thought of all the lives he had taken. Occasionally, Dick looked down at the sad, beautiful woman whose hand he still held. She looked much older than her 23 years. What the hell was she doing in this mess anyway? She should have been back home, married, with children running up to her screaming "Mama". He felt bad for thinking about it, but most nurses in the Army were unmarried for a reason. He'd often heard the men complaining about the lack of looks in the hospitals. But, Dick didn't like Rose just for her looks. Sure, she was beautiful, but he wouldn't have been holding her hand at the moment if her looks were all she had… "Rose?" he suddenly asked, breaking their long silence. Rose jerked her head up to his handsome face. He'd caught her off guard by using her first name, but she liked it. "Yes?" she answered softly. "Why are you here? Why did you join the Army?" Rose looked up at him and shrugged. "Oh, you know…adventure, free clothing, a wonderful salary…terrific food…" her voice dripped with sarcasm. Dick chuckled, but looked deeply in her eyes. "Really though…of all the things you could have done for the effort?" Dick earnestly wanted to know. Rose sighed and stared down the darkened, empty, cobblestone street. She could have told him what she simply told everybody else: _"I joined to serve my country" _or "_couldn't let the boys have all the fun." _But, Rose didn't want to deny him the truth. With him, she felt safe to tell him…tell him everything. "My father was in the Army during the first go 'round. He called me his little miracle because all those chemicals they fought with were supposed to have made him infertile" Dick watched her eyes glaze over in sadness. "I never knew it, because he still worked as hard as ever on the farm, but he'd been hurt real bad in France. They'd missed a piece of shrapnel in his leg. One day, my mother found Dad out in the barn unconscious. That shrapnel shifted and cut his femoral artery and he died of internal bleeding. I was only four. He was my hero…and I don't remember what his voice sounded like." They walked in silence for about a block before she continued. "Then my mother remarried this man who owned the feed mill. He didn't like any of us kids. He worked us to exhaustion…had to earn our keep since he took us in." she sneered. Dick swore he could feel her hand trembling in his. He could see it was painful telling him, but he could also see she had to get it off her chest, so he squeezed her hand and let her keep going. "He used to make my mother get all dolled up on Friday nights and they'd go out. He had some bootlegger friend and he'd come home higher than a kite. I woke up one Saturday when I was nine and instead of my mother trying to hide her bruises, the sheriff was in the kitchen telling my brothers they'd found our car in a ravine…" she trailed off as her soft voice began to crack. "After that, we moved in with my grandparents." a glimmer of a smile snuck into her eyes. "Pop taught me to be strong and he raised me like a boy, but Ma made me wear a dress and convinced me to go to teacher's college instead of fighting my way into medical school. Then," she sighed heavily. "my best friend, Molly, joined the Navy as a nurse because her boyfriend had joined. She begged me to go with her. She knew I wanted to be a doctor instead of a teacher." Dick could see the sorrow seeping back into her face. "I almost did too. Had the papers ready and everything, but I just started teaching and Pop pulled a lot of strings to get me into our local schoolhouse, so I stayed home." She looked up into Dick's eyes, her turmoil clearly written across her face. "She was at Pearl Harbor. She's buried across the lane from my father in the cemetery. They couldn't even have an open casket." "Rose, I'm sorry…" Dick whispered. She just kept going. "I felt so guilty. I was supposed to go with her…she was always getting herself into things way over her head, but I'd always saved her. Maybe if I'd been there…" she trailed off. Dick suddenly pulled her to a stop and turned to face her, still holding her hand. Rose was looking down at his ribbons, trying to hide those damned tears she'd cried a million times before. Dick gently hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her delicate face to his. "There's no way you could blame yourself for that. Some Japanese Admirals and politicians are to blame for her death. Hell, blame Hitler!" The tears rolled down her soft cheeks. "But I would have saved her. I always did. She would have been somewhere safe…" "You don't know that. You could have been stationed somewhere else… thousands of miles from Pearl Harbor, or worse…" his hand cupped her cheek and he wiped the tears away with his thumb. "You could have both died…but you're here." "I lose everybody…my father, my mother, Molly…so many young soldiers…I should have saved them all…" she whispered hoarsely. "Rose…for every soldier you lose, you save a hundred more." Neither of them had realized how close their bodies had gotten. The only thing keeping their bodies from touching was the fact that Dick was still holding onto her hand, which he'd brought up against his chest. His other hand was holding her face carefully and his callused thumb tenderly wiped away her last tear. Rose wasn't even aware that she barely breathing. She carefully searched his gentle eyes. For the first time, Dick could smell her perfume. Every one of his senses was being invaded by her. He could feel the heat from her body through his thick, wool uniform and he could hear her short, shallow breaths. She seemed to being leaning more and more into him, and he welcomed it. Suddenly, his eyes fluttered closed as his head dipped down to hers. Rose felt her heart leap. She could feel his breath on her lips. Their lips brushed ever so slightly and… Then a boisterous laugh made the two officers jump apart. Two French policemen came around the corner, talking to one another. They smiled kindly to the Americans, who'd expertly masked their surprised faces with one of composed coolness. Dick nodded and Rose smiled as they passed by. They stayed like that until the Frenchmen disappeared from the same manner as they had appeared. Rose sheepishly looked down at her shoes. She couldn't believe she'd let herself do that. They could have been caught. She could feel the embarrassment burn up her neck and settle in her cheeks. Dick could hardly slow his pounding heart. His mouth was painfully dry and could still feel were her lips had just barely touched his. What if they hadn't heard those men coming? He doubted they would have reported them, it was France after all, but just thinking about someone like Sobel walking around that corner made him sick to his stomach. He nervously scratched the corner of his eye and looked over at Rose. "Um…" Rose said awkwardly after several moments of deafening silence. "We should probably get on that train before it closes for the night." Dick cleared his throat. "Yah," he said hoarsely. "Yah, you're right." They continued on their way like before, but with a wall of tension keeping them a good distance apart. Dick unconsciously kneaded his fingers in his palm, where hers used to be. It took a great deal of will power to not look down at her because he was so embarrassed. But suddenly, after several minutes of silence, Dick couldn't help himself. He had to re-break the ice somehow. "So…why didn't you join the Navy?" Rose snapped out of her self-induced trance. After getting over the fact he'd actually spoken to her again, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, the Army is a Beyer family tradition and since both of my brothers were rejected I guess I didn't want to be the generation who broke it." She looked up at the tall Captain and looked at him sheepishly. "Plus, I get seasick." Dick eyes twinkled and he couldn't help but laugh, but it still didn't change the fact he'd almost kissed the woman. He took a deep breath and refocused his eyes forward. Rose did the same. They entered the sparsely filled train station and waited for the last train. There was no denying the tension between the two, but they deftly acted as though nothing was wrong. Dick was a little let down when she chose the seat across from him, but he quickly reminded himself it was the proper thing to do. He settled in to the long train ride back to the hotel, but then he saw him… 4. Chapter 4 Dick's Dilemma Thank you so much for the reviews. I'm glad to see people actually like it. I promise no more cliff hangers for a little while. I wrote the first three chapters all together, so those spots just seemed like good places to break things up. I'll try really hard to keep 'em coming! * * * The only image in the mind of Captain Richard Winters was a wide eyed kid kneeling in the grass, dressed in a German uniform. Ever since October 5, Dick hadn't slept one night without that haunting image of that young man dying right before him. A shaky breath escaped his chest and he looked over his shoulder to sneak another look at the young Frenchman. His mind had to be playing tricks on him, but it wasn't. The resemblance was uncanny. The nightmare had succeeded and escaped the confines of his dreams. That fear had been the very reason he'd put off writing that damned after action report for Colonel Sink for so long. He had a hard enough time reliving that day in his dreams, let alone reliving it while he was awake. Thinking of that boy made him think of all the men he'd killed. Many of them weren't even German. They were forced into service by the Nazis. They had to follow orders that would likely kill them or else they were killed. The light on the train flickered, making him jump a little. He looked over at Rose, hoping she hadn't seen him do that, and it seemed she hadn't. She was watching the blurry figures fly by outside the window. He thought of all the pain and suffering she'd seen. Though she tried desperately to hide it, he knew that deep down inside she carried a lot of pain. Dick had only seen a glimmer of what was really underneath back on that corner where they'd almost kissed. He guessed he'd sort of taken the medical personal for granted. The men got hurt, they went away, they got better, they came back and often returned with horror stories that made him somewhat resentful and reluctant to send away men that probably needed to be sent to the hospital. It was enough to make many of his men, like Wynn and Guarnere go AWOL. But, the way Rose had talked earlier as they sat on that bench made him realize the medical divisions were just like any other aspect of the Army. They had to deal with the same administrative B.S. and rank politics as he did. They had supply troubles and incompetent officers just the same as everyone else and they had to do the best they could with what they had. And so far, it seemed as though they'd done pretty well. With the problems they were having on their front, he could only guess it was ten times worse on the Axis side. They'd been fighting a war for several years already and they were already running low on supplies. They used horses and carts because they didn't have enough fuel for vehicles. He could hardly imagine what it was like in their hospitals. He himself had put a good share of men in those hospitals; men who had probably led peaceful lives before all this; men who had families they needed to take care of, men, who probably didn't make it out of those hospitals. Dick couldn't stop himself and he looked over his shoulder at the boy again, who smiled at him. Dick half heartedly smiled back, but quickly turned around. For the millionth time that afternoon, he found his eyes glued to the nurse sitting across from him. She had her elbow propped up on the narrow sill of the window and was resting her chin in her hand. He tried just focusing on her, but his mind kept going back to that young, German soldier. It had taken Dick two seconds to kill that boy and yet he could see every detail of it. He saw the cloud of blood billow behind him. He saw the life drain out of his wide blue eyes. He saw the kid slump into the grass…over and over again…he saw it. Dick felt his insides burning up. He killed that kid, and he'd killed hundreds like him. He was a murder…just a cold blooded murder. Suddenly, a gentle hand slipped around his tightly clenched one. Dick hadn't realized he'd been squeezing his eyes shut until they flew open. His heart skipped a beat when he found Rose sitting next to him, holding his hand. Her warm eyes were full of concern. She leaned close to his ear so he could hear her on the nosy train. He caught his breath as some of her hair brushed against his cheek. "Are you alright Dick? You look life you've seen a ghost." That was the first time she'd used his first name. Technically, she wasn't allowed to do that, but Dick wasn't about to call her out on it. He leaned over to her, closer than he should have, to speak in her ear too. His hot breath tickled her cheek. "I'm fine. Just…just thinking, that's all" He tried to lie. He didn't need to unload his pain onto her. She already had enough of her own. "Dick, you're not fine." Rose shook her head slightly. Who was he trying to fool? She was a teacher after all. "Please, what's wrong?" Their faces where so close that she couldn't look into his eyes, she could only hear his ragged breathing. "That kid, behind us…he, he…" Rose glanced towards the young French boy sitting in the back. He was very tall and lanky with dark, tussled hair. He was very young, maybe sixteen. He just sat there with his parcel looking around the train with wide, wondrous eyes. He seemed innocent enough, but something about him was causing Dick a great deal of unrest. She squeezed Dick's hand tighter, encouraging him to continue. "He looks just like a kid I killed…I had to shoot him…he wasn't even holding a gun. But, I shot him…he was just standing right in front of me. I've killed hundreds of men. I'm a murder" She could hardly hear what he was saying because his voice kept trailing off, but she knew exactly what he was going through. She'd heard many soldiers come into her hospital with the same remorse. For most soldiers, they treating shooting the enemy like it was hunting. Just shoot the thing that's moving and wearing the right clothing. They could pull the trigger alright, but it was afterwards when it would hit them like a ton of bricks. They were taking human life, something they'd grown up knowing was illegal and a sin to do, but there they where…being ordered to kill people. Some hadn't had that realization yet, but sooner or, even much later, it would sink in. No matter how many years, the gut wrenching feeling was still the same. But even though they'd killed, they weren't murders. "Dick…murderers kill people under their own will power. They kill for themselves. You're not a murder. You do what you are trained to do because you are fighting for your country. You're a soldier. You don't fight for yourself. You fight for the guys beside you." Rose said into his ear. Dick felt his heart beat a little more with every word she spoke. Their cheeks were practically touching. "A soldier upholds duty and honor for his country and to his fellow soldiers. Murderers have no honor…they don't feel remorse for their sinful acts, a soldier does…" Rose pulled back from him and looked into his troubled blue eyes. She had to resist the urge to hug him as she watched a tear form on the brim on one of those eyes. He stared straight ahead for several minutes, taking in everything she said. When he did look up into her beautiful face, he had to fight every nerve, muscle, and reflex to not kiss that woman. Dick quickly turned away and trained his eyes forward again. He never wanted to kiss someone more in his life. She made him feel like he was still a human being. She reminded him of home. She reminded him that there was some good in this world. She made him feel alive again. "Monsieur." the French boy suddenly said from the aisle. The two officers' head snapped up to the boy, both looking at him like he was some sort of ghost. He said something in French that neither of them really understood, but looking around them, they realized the train had stopped and the lights were shutting off. Dick mentally slapped himself and stood up and ever the gentleman, held out his hand which Rose took. She gratefully relished in the feeling of his warm, strong hand for the few seconds the embrace lasted. The boy followed them out of the desolate station and stood next to Dick as he looked around, trying to get his bearings. Rose had no idea where she was, so she hoped Dick did. She couldn't help but smile as the boy straitened his shoulders to match the Captain's and giddily saluted. That smile quickly fell away and she sighed sorrowfully when she realized Dick still saw that German boy in that kid as he barely nodded and quickly looked away. Dick straitened his uniform and glanced down at Rose, but turned his head away before she could catch his eye. He just nodded and the two walked sided by side down the nearly empty French streets. Not one word was spoken between them. They just walked wordlessly, turning a few corners here and there. Dick was thinking about all she said. She was right. He had to do what he did; otherwise the man next to him could end up dead. The way she had said it actually made him feel better. He'd heard several different excuses, but none had made feel better about what he did. Most of soldiers just blamed the Germans and said it was payback for all they'd had done, but Dick knew they were just soldiers like them who were only following orders. Still, during combat, he had to push those feeling down deep inside of him. The Germans were the enemy; nameless; faceless; and out to kill any American they saw. He expected no sympathy from them, so he couldn't give any either. Rose saw the American Red Cross sign hanging over their hotel in the distance. Butterflies started to flutter in her stomach, and something else seemed to be awakening deeper inside of her, something she hadn't felt in years. Her heart beat so fast that she felt as though she'd just sprinted twelve miles. She'd never felt any like what she was feeling at the moment. Especially, for a man she'd only met a few hours ago. She didn't have those feelings. She was Rose Beyer, the level-headed Lieutenant who did things by the book. The things she wanted to do with him were the very things she told her nurses they couldn't do. They were things that could get her in a whole heap of trouble, but for him…Rose would have gladly faced a firing squad. Though they were several feet apart, Rose could feel the heat radiating off the officer. Dick stared straight ahead with his lips pursed firmly and his hands jammed deep in his pockets. They walked a leisurely pace, only because Dick didn't want his time with her to end, but also he feared he wouldn't be able to let her go. He couldn't deny his attraction to the nurse, but he had to hide it. He was a captain in the United States' Army. He was Executive Officer of the 2nd Battalion in the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division…but he was also just a man. Dick didn't need to look down to know she was still next to him. His whole being knew she was there. His fingers burned to feel her skin again, to hold her delicate face in his hands. With every step they took toward the hotel, his heart beat faster with fear, anticipation, excitement, and dread. They entered the hotel, removing their caps and reality set in once more as they befell upon a lobby full of other service members. Dick felt himself snap back into Captain mode as a group of Lieutenants saluted them. He and Rose dutifully saluted back as they walked by. The entire hotel was filled with Military personnel and Dick suddenly had the horrifying image of Sobel marching around the corner. He put a few more inches between he and Rose as they stepped onto the elevator. "Floor?" the young operator with a thick French accent asked. Dick down at Rose and gave her an encouraging nod. Rose found herself speechless when she caught his eyes. It had been the first time he'd looked directly at her since the train. The once soft, caring light blue eyes of the Pennsylvanian were burning with a dark intensity that she'd never seen before. "Oh, uhh…" Rose choked out after Dick looked back down at his boots. "Four please." One floor below him, Dick noted. He felt the elevator jolt into motion and with every number that the needle above their heads passed, Dick became more and more tense. Rose stared into the young operators back, trying to pretend she didn't have less than appropriate feelings for the officer next to her. Though it seemed like hours, it only took the elevator and few short minutes to stop and open its doors on Rose's floor. But instead of stepping out right away, Rose stood there frozen. She just wasn't ready to end it yet. "Four." The young man said to the silent and unmoving officers. "I'll show you to your room Lieutenant." Dick said with his deep voice and motioned to her with his arm. Rose's heart suddenly leaped, but was quickly drowned out by the nervousness in the pit of her stomach. There was also another ache that she desperately tried to ignore. She quickly exited the elevator, and with Dick close behind her, walked down the hall towards her room. She dug out the key and her trembling hands slipped it in the lock and the cold sound of metal moving met her ears. She opened the door and stepped into the dark hotel room. Rose flipped on a light and took a shuddering breath before turning to face the captain. Dick nervously scratched the back of his head. He knew what he wanted to do. He'd never been surer of something in his entire life…but he couldn't. He had to resist. He was a captain for god's sake. Rose stood in breathless anticipation before him, waiting for his move. "You," he coughed uneasily "you got your own room?" A tremor painfully ripped through her womb. Was he hinting at something? "Oh, uh yeah, um I guess I just lucked out. You?" "Nah, I got put with some bomber pilot." A small grimace passed over his face and he stuffed his hands into his pockets and he couldn't stop from rambling. "Informed me though he'd be spending his weekend someplace else though if you know what I mean." A looked passed over Rose's face and Dick inwardly cringed. Not the most appropriate time to say something like that, you idiot, he scolded himself. It sounded like something Lewis would have said. "Ah, well." Rose said, noticing his embarrassment, and tried to help him laugh it off. "I'm sure he'll be needing a shot of penicillin in a few weeks." Dick shook his head and chuckled. "Yeah…" his voice trailed off and swallowed hard. Yet again, an awkward, tension filled silence fell over the two officers. Rose's finger nails painfully dug into the palms of her clenched fists, distracting her from doing or saying anything she'd regret. Her eyes focused on his light colored tie that contrasted starkly against his dark uniform. Her heart ached as she imagined her fingers loosening that tie and opening his top button and exposing more of his strong neck. There was no denying the desire that burned between them. Had another person been standing there with them, they would have felt embarrassed. Dick's mouth was painfully dry and he was losing his battle with his feelings for the woman standing before him. He wanted so badly to step into that room and wrap his arms around her… But instead, Dick held out his hand. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Lieutenant." He said earnestly, but with a commanding undertone. Rose looked apprehensively down at his extended hand, feeling as though the entire world had just crashed down upon her. But, when she looked back up into his face, an understanding passed between them and Rose was able to push her emotions beside. They couldn't, though they wanted to, so badly. They had taken an oath when they joined the Army; an oath to uphold, enforce and obey…to obey the rules, rules that they already almost broke back on the street before getting on the train. She took his strong hand and he shook hers with a firm, but tender grip. They held the handshake almost desperately, knowing that it was all the further they could take things. "You too, Captain." She managed to choke out as she gazed at him sincerely. Dick smiled and gave her hand one last squeezed before reluctantly releasing it. "Let me know if you find yourself enjoying the city…maybe I can find you hamburger stand for lunch tomorrow." He joked, hoping she'd catch the invitation. "Will do, sir." She smiled warmly. Rose snapped to and formally saluted him. Dick followed suit, hoping she didn't notice his trembling hand. "Good night Rose." He said tenderly, but with the sadness clearly evident in his low voice. "Good night." She smiled sweetly, desperately trying to hide her utter disappointment. They shared one last look before Dick swallowed hard and curtly nodded his head before he stepped away from the one thing he desired more than anything else in the world at that very moment. Rose watched the tall, handsome, redheaded Captain slowly walk back towards the elevator. He gently pushed the brass button before stuffing his hands in his pockets. He turned back towards her door, hoping to catch another look of her gorgeous face and warm eyes. But instead, he heaved a heavy, sad sigh. She'd shut her door. * * * Oh…my…goodness… That was a hard chapter to finish. It seriously took almost a month to write that. But look! No cliff hangers, but I bet you want to throw me over a cliff with that ending :). Oh those poor, love-unrequited souls…their duty overpowered their hearts. But don't worry, it's only the beginning of Dick and Rose… 5. Chapter 5 Slim, to None Thank you so much for the encouraging reviews. They've really helped me in my writing. Sorry this took a bit longer than it should to get this next chapter up here, but real life tends to get in way... * * * Rose had to shut the door before she made a complete fool of herself in the hotel full of military personnel. She leaned back against the closed door and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears. "God…" she whispered. She wasn't quite sure what she was feeling, but her heart felt like a lead weight. She was sad, hurt, angry, and relieved all at the same time. She was relieved because she didn't have to fight her feelings in front of him anymore, but she was sad because he was gone. She was angry both because she'd once again set herself up for failure and because she'd let him walk away. What the hell was she thinking anyway? What happened to her no-war-time-fling policy? Embarrassment started to settle in, making her stomach twist and turned almost to the point of making her sick. She'd behaved like a shameless, love-sick teenager in front of him. He was a Captain for god's sake! If they'd been back in the states, their chance meeting could have been the start of something wonderful. It had all happened so perfectly too; almost to the point of being cheesy. But even if she did see him again tomorrow, he would be returning to Mourmelon and her back to her hospital post the next day. The chances of seeing each other again were slim to none and it wasn't like they could write one another either. Though officers' mail weren't as closely censored as enlisted men, regular correspondence between a Captain and a Lieutenant, who was attached to a hospital, wouldn't go on long without someone raising an eyebrow. She'd done it to herself again. She'd set herself up for failure. "This damn war!" she growled as she heaved herself away from the door and walked towards the bathroom. She threw her cap down on the chair next to the door and started undoing the buttons of her jacket. Well, at least she'd have a good story to tell Annie when she returned. Rose shook her head at the thought of her best friend, Nurse Annie Scofield. They'd met on the day they arrived in England. Annie was a fresh faced graduate, while Rose was the veteran who had been transferred to a company that'd only finished their training a few weeks before shipping out. Annie had grown up on a large ranch in Montana and perhaps it was their country raised work ethic that brought them together. Almost all of the other nurses came for middle-class, suburban families. The two farm kids tried to instill their work-ethic on the city girls, but often found it infuriating. Annie was very outgoing and lively. She could cheer up the sorriest of soldiers just by walking into the room. She was the unofficial moral officer of the company. She made a point of making sure the soldiers and nurses were in good spirits. Annie had also caught the eye of Captain Kent, and Rose had a feeling something was going on between the two. As a First Lieutenant, and leader of their platoon, Rose should have reprimanded her, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. They made one another happy, and Rose just had a feeling about those two. They seemed meant for one another. Maybe that's why Rose was beating herself up. She could let her friend break the rules, but yet she couldn't do it herself. Rose sat down heavily on the end of the bed and started undoing the laces of her dress shoes. When she kicked them off she flopped back against the soft comforter and stared up at the ceiling, resting her hands on her torso. However, as she laid there she started imagining a certain redhead lying above her, slowly undoing the buttons of her shirt. She could feel the weight of him on her body, pressing against her… Rose's body suddenly shot back up. She covered her face with her hands, trying to push those provocative thoughts about Dick out of her head. Maybe she needed to have a talk with Annie about Captain Kent when she got back. She let out and exasperated sigh and hiked up her skirt to remove her uncomfortable stockings. She'd always hated the damn things. They itched, they were always getting runs and holes, and they were so hard to replace with the nylon rationing. She used to run around barefoot on the farm all summer until she was fourteen and her aunt introduced her to the latest must have fashion. Rose remembered laughing in her face and telling her those flimsy things would never catch on. Now she just prayed for the day when they'd go out of style, but she just had a feeling by the time that came, she'd be too old to enjoy that freedom. She balled up the annoying things and threw them into her suitcase before reaching up to undo her tie. As the refreshing air hit the sensitive skin of her neck, she began to wonder what it would feel like if warm, calloused hands replacing her own hands. Rose slapped her hand against her forehead, bringing those thoughts to a halt. She threw herself onto the queen sized bed and buried her face into the soft, feather pillows and screamed. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!" she scolded herself. She suddenly remembered the bottle of wine she'd brought earlier across the street from the hotel. She'd purchased it to send home to her brother, a budding (and hardly successful) vineyard grower, but she had to have something to calm her nerves and to get that man out of her head. She jumped off the bed and grabbed a glass from the bureau before digging the skinny bottle out of the paper bag. "God damn-it." She cursed though when she realized she had no way of opening it. For a moment, she was tempted the smash the neck against the top of the bureau, but she wisely decided against it. Instead, she miserably placed the tumbler and bottle on the table and walked into the bathroom. She stood over the sink and looked at her sorry self in the mirror. Maybe if she'd been a real raving beauty he wouldn't have been able to resist, she started to think. Rose never considered herself pretty. She knew she wasn't ugly, but she just didn't have those looks that made the men fall to their knees. Annie told her she was the prettiest nurse in the battalion, but Rose thought that about Annie. Annie was perfect with her curly blonde hair, captivating green eyes and spunky personality. She was the one who made the men stop in their tracks. If only Rose was like that… No, he's too good of an officer and a gentleman, she reminded herself. Rose reached up and pulled the pins from her shoulder length hair. She left the bathroom and again fell onto the soft bed. She made herself focus on the fact the she was going to spend the night in a real bed. A real bed! Something she hadn't experienced in almost three years. Something, she had to be grateful for, even if it was lacking a certain warm body… Rose closed her eyes and curled up into a ball. She began imagining a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She didn't reprimand herself that time. She let it comfort her and soon her weary, worn out, war beaten body got the rest it had been long denied. * * * Rose hadn't been sleeping very long when a knock on her door made her open her eyes. Spending many nights close to the front had made her a very light sleeper. The knock was faint, and a normal person would have probably slept right through it. She groggily pushed off the covers she pulled over herself in her sleep and slid off the bed. Who in the world would be knocking at this time of night, she wondered. Maybe she was being called back to duty. Maybe it was some drunken GI who'd gone to the wrong room. Maybe it was Dick. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought, but she just shook her head. Yah right, she thought. She wasn't that lucky. Before she opened the door, she smoothed out her wrinkled uniform that she should have taken off and made sure her hair wasn't a complete disaster. Her fingers undid the lock and gripped the cold, brass doorknob. Rose squinted against the sudden intrusion of light, and was rendered completely unable to make out the tall figure standing the hall "Can I help you?" she asked groggily. The figure didn't answerer. Rose scowled and rubbed her eyes. She still couldn't see and it made her feel very vulnerable and her temper's fuse was getting shorter and shorter with every passing second of silence. "Whoever the hell you are…" she started to say, but was suddenly rendered speechless when her eyes finally adjusted. "Ca..Captain?" she asked, completely dumbfounded. No way, she thought, I'm still asleep! But she wasn't. Standing before her was none other than Captain Dick Winters. Dick swallowed painfully as he looked down at the astonished looking nurse. His confidence flaked away with every second they stood there in silence. But, there was no turning back this time, he'd denied himself already and now that she was standing there, looking up at him with those beautiful brown eyes, he didn't think he had the strength to walk away again. The only thoughts running through his head at the moment were something like: "To hell with Sobel! To hell with the Army and the court marshal, to hell with propriety! I need that woman!" Rose frantically searched his eyes, wondering what he was doing there. But a blind person could have seen that his eyes were blazing with desire. Rose thought her heart was going to pound right out of her chest. That same desire filled Rose's brown eyes and Dick got the answer he'd been praying for. He stepped over the threshold and shut the door. "I don't normally do this sort of thing." He stated in a deep, desire-thickened whisper. "Me neither." She answered breathlessly. They shared one more smoldering look before catapulting their bodies into one another. Dick's long arms wrapped around her and crushed her body against his needy one. The infantry pins on his collar were painfully digging into her cheek, but Rose couldn't have cared less; she was experiencing the most amazing kiss she'd ever had. It was like one of those movie kisses; the one that you waited the entire movie for, and in the end the wait was absolutely worth it. The Luftwaffe could have bombed Paris right there and then and she would have died the happiest woman on Earth. They only broke the kiss for the need of air. Dick held her tightly in his arms and stared down at her with lustful eyes, panting like he'd just sprinted up Currahee. "You came back." She whispered, equally breathless. The corner of Dick's mouth curled up slightly and a twinkle played in his blue eyes. He brought his mouth down just inches from her already ravished and swollen lips. "I told you…I don't like retreating." He replied huskily He crushed his mouth against hers and they shared yet another electrifying kiss. Rose's instincts took over and her hands flew down to the buckle on his jacket. Dick was distantly aware that she was trying to undress him. He was more interested in her being undressed; however, she'd already much further along in that department. Dick hands flew down to the large gold buttons of his jacket and it wasn't long before he shrugged it off his shoulders and it hit the floor with a 'whoosh'. Rose couldn't slow her beating heart as she undid his tie and opened his collar, for once she was living out her fantasy. Dick trembled when the cool air hit his enflamed skin and her soft finger tips skimmed his chest. As much as he wanted to relish in the moment, Dick was losing a battle that he was in fact perfectly fine with losing. He pulled her against him and kissed her. When she pulled back and looked up into his eyes, she saw a fiery desire burning deep within those orbs. Pure need ripped through her insides and made her clench his strong forearms to keep from falling over. Her fingers flew down the rest of his buttons and his class A blouse joined his coat on the floor, which was soon followed by his white t-shirt. Dick pushed her towards the bed and his own fumbling fingers undid the last few buttons of her blouse. By the time he laid her down on the soft comforter, all that was left of her clothing was her silk, Army issue chemise. It wasn't long before that was done away with, along with the rest of Dick's apparel. As Dick stared down at the most beautiful site he'd ever seen, nerves started to get the best of him. He suddenly felt like he was a nervous teenager in the back seat of a car. "Rose." He suddenly said, his voice cracking like an adolescent. Rose, who was breathing so hard she could hardly talk, swallowed hard and answered. "What is it Dick?" she whispered. "I uh," he stammered, suddenly feeling embarrassed for breaking the mood to say what he was about to say. "I don't…" he swallowed hard. "Don't have a, uh…" Rose looked up at him perplexed, and slightly annoyed. It took her a moment to get what he was trying to say. Then she suddenly got it. A slight pain shot through her heart, but she quickly quelled it. She reached up and put a hand on his cheek and pulled him closer to her. "It's okay." She reassured. "I…I can't have children anyway. You're okay." Dick looked at her for a moment, digesting what she'd just told him. Relief washed over him, but at the same time it made him feel bad. She would have been a wonderful mother, he could just tell. "I'm sorry." He said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Rose was touched, but she didn't want to think about her problems at the moment. "Dick, just kiss me." She whispered huskily. She pulled his face down to her awaiting lips. Though he was actually the senior officer, Dick did what he was told. Two officers; well respected members of the US Army; both very brave and honorable; both the epitome of how officers should be…broke the rules that night. They could both be court marshaled and imprisoned if they were caught. One almost got a Medal of Honor and the other one was told she could make it all the way up the ladder someday. They shouldn't have, but they couldn't not. That night, both of them forgot about the Army, their training, their superiors, their pins, medals, and ribbons. That night they weren't in the midst of the greatest war the world had ever seen. That night, they were two lovers who met in Paris. * * * And...there you have it. Didn't feel the need to go into great detail, you can all do that on your own... Might be a little while before I get the next one up here. Still working on tying up the loose ends. As always, please review and thank you so much for reading my little story! :) 6. Chapter 6 A Vivid Dream I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record, but again thank you so much to the reviews. I noticed my little spelling error right after I posted that last chapter and I almost went back and fixed it, but then I was like 'eh', nobody will notice or care…guess I'll know better next time, lol. Alright…enough of my ramblings…here it is, enjoy! * * * Rose snuggled deeper into the soft covers, relishing in the warmth and coziness of the soft sheets. She could hardly recall the last time she'd been so comfortable. Normally, she never had a problem getting out of bed. Her grandmother had been pretty adamant about that when she was growing up. Like most farm kids, Rose had a whole heap of chores to get done before breakfast and school. Sleeping in wasn't part of her vocabulary, but she knew it was going to take a lot of will power to get out of the soft, snug cocoon her body was in. However, the more she enjoyed it, the more she noticed the absence of the daily discomforts she normally woke up in the morning to. There was no rumble of supply trucks, no acid smell of antiseptic, no dampness in the air, no annoying support bar in the middle of her cot digging into her back… Rose's brown eyes suddenly shot open. In place of the dirty, green canvass wall that she saw every morning was elegant, white molding and wall paper. As she looked around the dimly lit hotel room, goose bumps started forming on her exposed skin, making her clench the sheets tighter around her naked body. The memory of a certain paratrooper made her heart skip a beat and her stomach flutter madly. Had that all really happened? Maybe it had all been dream…a very vivid dream… Rose slowly pushed herself up. The twinges and soreness in certain areas of her body confirmed that it had not been just a dream. She combed some loose hair out of her face and looked down at the empty side of the bed and all that was left of Captain Richard Winters was an indentation on a pillow. Rose shook her head, trying to push the disappointed feeling out of her heavy heart. It was better he left, she told herself. Neither of them had ever done anything of the sort, and it would have been horribly awkward. He'd probably woken up and realized the mistake they'd made. He probably used all his combat training to silently sneak around the room and retrieve all his things so he wouldn't wake her. He probably snuck back to his room before anyone saw him leaving a room that wasn't his. He'd done everything right, for the right reason, but still, she wished he could have said good-bye. Rose rubbed her eyes and sighed deeply. Now what was she supposed to do? She could hear the patter of rain hitting the window, making her frown. Her first thought was to stay in bed all day and sleep away his memory. She reached for the clock on the night stand, but her hand abruptly stopped mid-reach when a wrist watch caught her eye. Rose's stomach flip-flopped as her fingers curled around the nylon strap. It was a standard issue, just like hers. Rose smiled as she traced the face with her finger tip, noting that it was very early in the morning. She leaned over the bed to set it back on the nightstand when something else suddenly caught her attention… A uniform jacket with brightly polished gold buttons and pins was lying on the floor next to the bed, and the screaming eagle patch stood out starkly against the dark wool fabric. Rose looked down at it in absolute shock. Forgetting a small watch was expected, but no way in hell would anyone forget a major part of a uniform like that! As she looked around at the scattered clothing, she realized, quite sheepishly, that most of the pieces weren't hers. "My god…" she whispered as her hand flew to her mouth. He was still there. She searched the room wildly, but he was nowhere to be seen. Without thinking, she slipped off the bed and stood up, only to remember she was stark naked and her robe was hanging behind the bathroom door, the only other place he could have been. She tore the tangled sheet off the bed and wrapped it around her body. Her ears strained to hear any sound from the other room as her eyes glued themselves to the open bathroom door where her coat hung on the knob. However, not a sound came to her ears after several minutes. Rose's bare feet silently crept across the cool wooden floor towards the bathroom, not knowing what she'd find. She peered into the marble adorned room and the sight she found made her freeze. However, she soon found herself smiling at the sight of that red head of hair sticking out of the streaming bathtub. Happiness, relief, excitement, all the good feelings a person could have spread throughout her body as she leaned against the door frame and gazed at him. He looked so peaceful and content. All the worries and fears she felt from him the night before seemed to have lifted off his chest. She wrapped the thin sheet tighter against her body as the sight of his bare skin made memories of their night together flood back into her head. She could still feel his gentle hands touching her skin and the weight of his body against hers. The more Rose watched his chest rise and fall under the water's surface, the more her finger tips tingled to feel his skin again. That familiar shortness of breath and ache deep within her core made her blush and look away from the submerged man. She suddenly felt embarrassed standing there spying on him. She turned to go back to the bedroom, but the sound of water sloshing startled her. She spun around, only to be locked into Dick's burning gaze. Dick hadn't heard her come to the door. He was focusing on all the soreness being pulled out of his muscles by the first bath he'd had in a very long time. He only opened his eyes when the sound of swishing fabric met his highly attuned ears. Dick's already inflamed skin heated up even more when he caught sight of Rose standing in the doorway. She looked like a Greek goddess with her hair down around her shoulders and the sheet draped across her body, accentuating every one of her curves. He could barely breathe and his heart pounded so loud in his ears he could hardly think. "I figured you'd left." She said softly. The corner of Dick's mouth twitched ever so slightly and he shook his head. Rose's heart soared, but she was still hesitant. "Why?" Dick's mouth contorted as he searched for a response. He'd thought about leaving when he'd woken and realized what he'd done. The practical side of him told him he should sneak back to his room while the chances of someone seeing him where still slim in the wee hours of the morning. But, when he looked down at her beautiful, sleeping face, all practical thoughts flew out the window. The MP's could have had him at gun point and he wouldn't have budged. He just couldn't bring himself to leave her. Deep down he knew they needed one another. She made his pain go away. That boy had haunted his dreams and thoughts constantly, but after what she told him, he felt that a huge burden had been lifted off his chest. She made him feel alive, in more ways than one, again. An innocent smile donned his striking face and Rose could see that sparkle she become so familiar with in the last 12 hours in his blue-green eyes. "You're tub is bigger." He declared. Rose closed her eyes and laughed at matter-of-fact answer he gave. "Really," she teased. "Well, I'm glad you helped yourself." Once again, silence fell over the two and as they looked at one another, the light-heartedness of the situation started to wane. Rose's eyes fell to her feet, unable to find the words she wanted to say, so she stepped back towards the bedroom to leave. "Big enough for two..." Rose froze, contemplating what he'd just said. She slowly turned around and again was met by a smoldering gaze and a slight smirk. So many things went unsaid between the two, but so many things were understood. Rose slowly walked to the bathtub, her heart beating faster with every step and her eyes never leaving his. She stopped next to the tub, her knees ready to buckle any moment. Dick thought his heart was going to explode as her fingers loosed their grip on the sheet. It cascaded down her body and pooled around her feet. Dick summed up every bit of will power not to move until she climbed over the side and her body touched his. Rose slowly eased herself into the hot water. Dick calloused hands gently grasped her hips. "Turn around." He told her softly. She maneuvered her body and leaned back against his muscular, bare chest. Dick wrapped his arms around her slender frame and the two sat there silently, letting the hot water melt away all their stress, soreness, and pain. Rose leaned her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes. She'd never been more comfortable in her entire life. A smile graced her lips as Dick planted a kiss on the top of her head and rested his cheek against it. "I hated taking baths when I was little." She suddenly said after almost five minutes of silence. Dick smiled and wrapped his arm tighter around her chest. He watched as the water precariously toyed with the edge of the tub. He should have let some of the water out before she'd gotten in. "Always figured they were just a waste of time. I was going to go out and get dirty anyway…yah know, why bother. Everyone else I saw lived on a farm. We could have just saved a lot of time and came out in the open with the fact we were dirty and smelly most of the time." She snickered. "Went almost a full month without a bath, until my grandma and my aunt finally cornered me…" Dick laughed. He could just imagine her younger self being chased down by the two with a bar of soap and a scrub brush. "I proceeded to make the mother of all mud forts with my brothers later that day." Rose smiled as she thought of the better days of her childhood. "It's amazing how you take those little thing for granted…now a days, you'd give your right hand for two minutes in lukewarm water with a cheap bar of soap." "Yah." Dick knew the feeling. He lifted his left arm out of the water and began stroking her chocolate brown hair, which was getting very curly in the humidity. He'd been doing pretty well considering a gorgeous, nude woman was lying against him, but his resolve was slowly breaking. His lips found her neck and they left a trail of wet kisses to her bare shoulder. Rose shifted slightly so she could offer more of her delicate skin to him. He slid his right hand across her chest, only catching the tops of her breasts, but still enough to make the nurse quiver. Underwater, his hands slinked down to her thighs and his large hand gently squeezed them. Rose gasped when his hands slid dangerously close to her center. She could feel him pressing against her. She didn't want him to have all the fun. She grabbed the sides of the tub and pulled herself up and turned her body so she could face him. Dick caught his breath and swallowed hard as he stared into her desire darkened eyes. She straddled his body and her slender hands slid up his chest to his stubbly cheeks. She liked the gritty feel against her callused fingertips as she traced the line around his mouth. She trembled when his wet hands slid up her back, applying the lightest amount of pressure that made her lean close enough so he could capture her soft lips. At first, the kiss was soft and gentle, but it didn't take long for it to escalate. Water splashed onto the tile floor as the two maneuvered their bodies closer. The bathtub was supposed to be every man's' fantasy, but Dick found it to be quite uncomfortable and cumbersome. It really wasn't big enough for two. There was no way he could do all the things he wanted to do to her in that tub, so he pushed her away and stood up. Rose's perplexed face received an encouraging kiss after he pulled her naked body up out of the water and against his. He carefully lifted her slick body out the bathtub and set it gently on the floor. Rose stood there shivering, but she wasn't cold. Dick grabbed a few of the soft, thick towels and wrapped her in them before picking her light frame. Rose instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him deeply. Dick had to grab the doorframe to steady himself as his legs momentarily gave out on him. Rose giggled against his mouth and then let out a yelp when he suddenly launched them both onto the bed, which groaned and creaked in protest. "I think you broke it." Rose teased. "Me?" Dick smiled and continued his assault on her neck and jaw with his mouth. "The room is in your name." "Oh, I see…_Oh!" _she suddenly rendered speechless when his hand slipped up her side and found its way to her breast. Words were hardly spoken the next few hours. Like the night before, they took solace in each other. Except this time, the rushed, awkward, mindless sex was replaced by slow, tender, deliberate lovemaking. Rose had never felt anything like what she felt with Dick. He hadn't been her first. No, she'd very regretfully given that honor to a less than honorable person when she was seventeen. He was the best looking boy in school with a Ford pick-up truck and charisma beyond belief. Rose was the complete opposite, but she was also one of the prettiest girls in school and with her overly protective brothers, she'd been pretty sheltered, or at least her family thought so. Call it the bad-boy syndrome, but Rose thought she was in love. After one night in the back of his truck, he treated her like something he'd conquered and Rose never spoke to him again. Then there was the boy she met while in college. He came to the café' she worked at and he was studying to be a doctor. He was a nice young man, but they hardly had anything in common. He came from a wealthy, tight nit family from the city. She'd been his first and after that night, he proposed to her, but Rose knew she didn't love him. They drifted apart and after he left for medical school, he stopped writing and they never saw each other again. Both men had been demanding and very pushy with her. She'd cried after both times, but with Dick, Rose didn't regret one single second. In fact, she only wanted to be with him more. * * * Well, there you have it. There was more, but I decided to split it up so I could get the finished parts posted. Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading! 7. Chapter 7 No Strings Thank you for being so patient with me. Getting this next chapter up here took way longer than it should have. Unfortunately, I've been suffering from a nasty ailment call 'academia'…symptoms include sitting through insanely boring classes, writing research papers that seem to suck any form of creativeness out of its victims, and mocking annoying professors (okay…that part is fun). Sadly…there won't be a cure until after the painful procedure known as final exams…so it might be a bit before the next one gets up here…sorry in advance…gotta sleep sometime. ENJOY!!!! * * * "We should really get out of bed." Rose said as she strapped the watch she'd discovered earlier to the owner's limp arm draped over her waist. Dick didn't open his eyes, but a small smile crossed his relaxed face. Getting out of that soft, warm bed he was in was the farthest thought from his mind, and the notion of letting go of the body nestled perfectly against his wasn't even an option. He just squeezed his long leg tighter around hers and burrowed his face deeper into her hair. "Mmmm." The captain mumbled unenthusiastically, pretending to agree with her. The rain that Rose had woken up to earlier had long ago cleared. The sunlight filtering through the curtains cast a glow over the two of them as they laid there entangled in each other's limps. The quiet, desolate streets of the night before no longer existed. Sounds of the bustling city penetrated the stone walls of the hotel, telling the two lazy soldiers that there was a whole big world out there that and they were missing it. "It's almost 1000 hours, yah know." Dick only tightened his arm around her slim waist, hoping to quell any more notions the nurse had about getting out of bed. A smile played on Rose's lips. She wasn't quite sure why she was making such a big fuss. She didn't really want to get up either and it wasn't like they needed to be anywhere. Rose scooted herself closer against his warm body. Dick welcomed the movement and pulled her tighter against his chest. Rose closed her eyes and sighed and conceded to the fact that the man holding her wasn't in any kind of rush. "I haven't slept in this late in six years." She mused. Dick peaked open an eye and mischievously smiled. "I don't think you can call it sleeping in…more like making up of a lack of sleep." He slyly pointed out. His deep, sleep-thickened voice rumbled in his chest and resonated against Rose's body, making her insides tingle. Rose opened her eyes and a bashful grimace crossed over her face. "Oh…I guess that's true." a blush stained her cheeks as she thought about their previous nocturnal and early morning activities. Dick chuckled and suddenly maneuvered himself so that she was trapped beneath him. As he looked down Rose, a silly smile spread over his face. That infectious grin spread to Rose and her brown eyes gleamed as she smiled up at the man who seemed to make all her worries and pain go away with one little smirk. For once, Rose didn't feel like she had the whole weight of the world pressing down on her chest. In its place was a handsome redhead who was smiling down at her with those twinkling blue-green eyes of his. Dick made her feel things she never thought she could. A small part of her mind started envisioning what it would be like to be with him all the time. She imagined taking him home and introducing him to her family. Her grandfather, with his uncanny ability to judge a person's character spot on with one glance, would have liked him immediately and would take him for a walk to show him around the farm. Ma, who was normally a stern, stoic woman, would have fallen all over him just because he was interested in her granddaughter and chatter away while dishing him up a piece of her famous apple cobbler. Her second eldest brother, Henry, would have tried acting like a macho, protective older brother and in doing so, would make a complete fool out of himself. Carlyle, her oldest brother, would have taken a more subtle approach with his 'brotherly duties', but he would eventually accept Dick and she could see them becoming good friends. However, Rose's happy, little scenario was cut short by a familiar jingling noise. Her fingers reached up and entwined themselves in the chain of Dick's dog tags which dangled in front of her face. Rose mentally scolded herself for her silly, wishful daydreaming. This time tomorrow, they'd both return to their posts and Rose had experienced enough in life to know that happily-ever-after didn't happen to her. Dick watched her study them. The smile fell from his face as a tiny speck of guilt flickered in his stomach. He'd almost forgotten about the precarious situation they were in, but cold, metal reminders hung around both their necks. He wished he'd taken his tags off, but then again that was at least one rule they hadn't broken. "Hmm…O neg." she observed his blood type on the metal tag. "Better keep that under wraps or else they'll suck you dry." She let go of his tags, but her fingers fell down to her own tags. She'd gotten so used to wearing them that she hardly ever noticed them. Like any other military member, they'd become a part of her. "Yah, Doc Roe…well, Easy's medic. He knows." Dick smiled fondly, thinking of the Cajun medic from his former command. "He's chased me down and stuck me more than a few times." Dick held out his arm and with her highly trained eyes, Rose could easy decipher the tell-tale needle marks from the freckles that dotted his fair skin. "Well, that's your own fault." She said as her finger traced a prominent vein that that ran down his muscular arm. Rose had taken thousands of blood samples and inserted hundreds of IV's and so she could spot a good vein a mile away. "Guess you just have'ta run faster." She said with a smile and an eye brow quirked. Dick rolled his eyes and smiled down at her with that trademark crooked smile. "Or just learn how hide better from him. Roe's got a bad habit of sneaking up on a fella when he's looking for a donation." An amused grimace passed over Rose's face. She was guilty as well and was quite proficient in the art of duping people into donating. "He any good?" she asked Dick. Rose had dealt with a fair share of incompetent medics. Many of them did more harm than good. Either they didn't know what they were doing, or they were too arrogant to listen to a female's advice when she tried explaining things to them. A fair share of Allied medics had received much deserved, and sometimes harsh, criticism from the 5'6" former school teacher. Annie and Captain Kent had coined the name "The Rose Thorn Show" for those little ego-trampling sessions. Though they found her well-justified tirades to be quite entertaining, Rose didn't rip on the men because she got a kick out of it, but because it had to be done and thus far, she seemed to be pretty effective. No medic who'd been ripped to shreds by a pretty nurse whilst all his fellow comrades watched and snickered ever dared cut any corners or shirk from his duties again. Dick rolled onto his side and propped his head up with his elbow and looked at her. "Yah, he's really good; by far the best in the battalion. Probably seen the most wounded too." "Mmmm, I'm glad to hear that. There are a lot of really good medics out there, but it's those few idiots who ruin it for the rest of us." Rose shook her head as one particular incident came to mind. "I had one who fainted while we were working on a man. The idiot managed to crack his head open on the way down and after I took care of the gusher that squirted _me_ in the face, I had to give him a few stitches." Rose rolled her eyes and stretched like a cat under the blanket and left her hands resting her head. Dick chuckled and brushed back a strand of chocolate brown hair on her forehead. She'd been in the Army almost as long as he had, but she'd been on the front much longer than he. While he and the rest of Easy were running up Currahee, she was treating soldiers in Africa. Despite that fact, Dick still had a rough time imagining her in that chaos. He didn't doubt her ability though. He recognized in her all the traits of a good soldier and leader. The two officers had more in common than either realized. "Yah, all the men of Easy Company are the best." He smiled fondly, but his eyes seemed to glaze over as he lamented over the men in his former command. He wondered how they were doing back at base. They were probably finishing up with morning drills and getting ready for training. When he moved up to Battalion, the first few weeks had been rough on the Captain. He was so used to seeing the men every day that he almost felt lonely. He missed hearing them talk and joke. He missed witnessing their cohesion. The men had a bond like no other he'd ever seen, and he knew the reason; Sobel. As much as his personally disliked the man, he had to give him create; he made one hell of a company. Rose chuckled at his remark and playfully poked him in the chest. "Coming from a totally unbiased source..." She sarcastically commented. The corner of his mouth curled up and he smiled for a moment. "Guess you got me there." He answered in a low voice and shrugged. His clear, blue eyes clouded over again in thought and he absent mindedly stroked her arm with his index finger. "You really do miss them, don't you?" she asked after watching him think for several moments. Dick smiled a tiny, sheepish smile at the fact he'd been caught, as Nixon put it, pouting again over the loss of his company. "Yah…" he looked at her sadly through his blonde eyelashes, unable to fully meet her gaze. "yah, I guess I really do." A caring smile formed on Rose's lips and she reached up and placed a gentle hand on the sorrowful leader's face. She knew what it was like to suddenly be ripped away from the people you knew and trusted. While in Africa, Rose had been with an excellent hospital. They were all very professional and knew their stuff and Rose learned so much. But, that was back when the standards seemed to be higher. When Rose got promoted to first lieutenant, she was transferred because they needed experienced nurses to lead the fresh-faced graduates in the ETO. It felt like she went from teaching a college class to a group of first graders. It wasn't that her present company was bad, just inexperienced. Plus, as the Army was being spread thinner and thinner across all the places of the world, getting decent supplies was half the battle being waged. It was hard to train personnel when she hardly had enough supplies for the real thing. Rose had to do her best and most times was training them on the fly. "I bet they feel the same about you, Dick." She said softly. Dick turned his face and gently kissed her palm as he reach up and covered her hand with his own as he listened to her. "You're still leading them though, you just don't realize it. I know you'd rather be in the trenches with them, but they you need up there. After all, the way you talked it sounds like Easy's been the only thing keeping the whole lot together. Now that you're up the ladder, you can make the whole Battalion as good as Easy." Dick smiled and caressed her hand with his thumb. What she said made perfect sense, but he still would have traded everything to be back up front yelling "Follow me!" instead of standing behind them shouting "Forward!". "You use that same look on your students?" he asked after gazing into her soft, caring eyes that seemed to magically melt away his worries. "Why, is it working?" Rose laughed; she hadn't even realized she was doing it. "Yah, kinda..." His smile grew as she intensified the gaze to the point of mockery. Rose laughed and leaned over to place a quick peck on his lips before she sat up, holding the light blanket against her bare chest as she swung her feet over the side of the bed. "You should have fallen down and scraped your knee. You would have gotten a hug and a piece of candy." She quipped, peering over her shoulder. Dick turned over and propped his body up on his elbows and chuckled. He watched her situate the blanket around her body as she prepared to get off the bed. A tiny sigh escaped his chest. He guessed she'd finally won. He'd soon have to follow suit and climb out of the soft bed which was nowhere near as inviting anymore without a certain warm body in it. The light was shining through the tall, glass windows and cast a glow over her body just perfectly and she glowed like some heavenly apparition. He had the urge to pinch himself to make sure he really was awake. Never in a million years would Dick have imagined himself doing something like this. It just wasn't in his nature. With the exception of his 'wild' streak in his teenage years, Dick had always been a shy, quiet boy. His mother's parents were Mennonites, and even though she never officially joined the religion because of meeting Dick's father, she still raised her children with the same beliefs and values. His actions with Rose unquestionably broke the 'Quaker' imagine he'd made for himself with some of the men. He could just imagine the look of shock on Nixon's face if he heard about this, but he could only imagine. Dick had already made up his mind he wasn't going to broadcast the events that had taken place between him and the Lieutenant to even his closest friend. Besides, Nixon would have never believed him anyway. Dick finally made up his mind to follow Rose's lead and he started to sit up, but he suddenly noticed something. The light Rose was being bathed in highlighted something else about her body, something he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed before. Unable to stop himself, Dick's fingers reached up and delicately traced one of the many long scars that crisscrossed the porcelain skin of her back. Rose jumped slightly when she felt his fingers tickle her bare skin. She was about to let loose some sly remark, but she froze when she realized what he'd seen. Rose squeezed her eyes shut as his calloused fingertips brushed over those ugly reminders of the more sorrowful times of her childhood. Dick's jaw hung slightly open and his eyes grew dark with concern and anger for whoever had done this to her. The scars were old and hardly visible, but he still could count every single one and there were far too many. "Rose, who di..." he started to ask in a low, anger filled voice. "My stepfather." She answered, cutting him off as she solemnly peered over her shoulder. Her heart swelled for a second when she looked into his rage and worry filled eyes. "I did deserve a few of them. I was a pretty disrespectful stepdaughter." Dick shook his head in anger and disbelief. He'd had his fair share of well deserved lickings by his father's belt growing up, but nothing even close to this. "So young…" he whispered, remembering she'd only been nine when her mother and stepfather died. Had the man still been alive, Dick would have tracked the bastard down and given him the same beating. He may had only met her less than 24 hours ago, but Dick had already developed a strong urge to protect the woman, even though he knew she probably didn't need it. "Didn't your mother do anything to stop him?" Rose turned away from him and stared straight ahead so he couldn't see her trembling chin as thousands of memories of those dark times of her childhood filled her head. "She…" she barely managed to squeak out with her cracking voice. She cleared her throat and continued melancholically. "She had to take the punishment if I didn't, and he already gave her enough of her own bruises and scars…" Dick's eyes feel away from her scars and he shook his head. How could someone so young, bright, and kind have lived through so much heartbreak? He hadn't forgotten what she had told him last night. He couldn't help but feel as though he was taking advantage of her condition. The urge to ask her why she couldn't have children had been with him all morning, but he felt asking her would have been just another slap to the face. Instead, Dick reached from behind her and gently placed his hand over hers that was sitting limply on her lap. The motion broke Rose's stare into nothingness and she looked down on his freckled hand that gently squeezed hers. She entwined her fingers in his and smiled slightly. "Poor woman…" she shook her head and sighed forlornly. "She knew she made a mistake when she married him; she was just too proud to admit it." They sat there in silence for a few moments until Rose finally shook her head as if she shaking off the sullen mood that had suddenly settled over the two officers. She'd put all that behind her years ago, and with the exception of last night on the street corner, Rose tried not to let her gloomy past get to her. "It is a glorious day outside and here we are loafing around like a bunch of lazy bums." She declared as she turned and looked at Dick with an eyebrow quirked and a sly smile on her lips. She got up from the bed and Dick reluctantly let go of her hand, letting his arm fall limply to the soft mattress. Rose threw a smile over her shoulder as she walked towards the bathroom. It had taken a great deal of will-power to get up, but she knew they both had to have some shred of truth to tell their comrades when they went back to their posts. Dick returned the smile, but sighed in defeat as she disappeared behind the door and shut it. He knew she had a point. They both had an entire day to do what they please in the beautiful city of Paris, but he still didn't want to get up. His contented, blue eyes surveyed the floor and took stock of the scattered uniform pieces. The sight of the crumpled, brown clothing strewn carelessly across the floor made the military man cringe. There was going to be a great deal of starching and pressing in both their futures. He sighed once more and heaved his long legs over the side of the bed and he started the task of separating his garments from hers. The question of how the Captain was going to sneak back to his room without being seen lingered in his mind. He thought of the possible scenarios as he collected and donned his clothing. Dick couldn't help but crack a smile at his militarily minded plans. He didn't think there was a field manual for sneaking out of a woman's hotel room in the Army's vast collection of 'how to' books. Nixon probably could have helped him. Dick shook his head as he thought of his friend. It would have been right up his alley, he thought. Infidelity was another one of his best friend's less than favorable traits that Dick didn't exactly fully condone. Then again, Dick wouldn't have condoned what he, himself, was doing either. Dick couldn't deny the fact he'd broken a few rules and regulations in his career. He had an unauthorized knife he kept tucked in his jump boot, and he had the men disobey orders that were just plain idiotic. Of course, there was Malarkey's motorcycle that just happened to drive itself across the English Channel… An officer couldn't be a good officer if he followed every, single, idiotic rule the Army seemed to have. A good one knew how to bend the rules and come out ahead. However, he hadn't bent the rules with Rose. They broke them into a million pieces. The same train of thought seemed to be running through Rose's mind as well. She stood at the sink, trying to tame her hair back down into a more presentable fashion. When Dick appeared at her door and made his intentions quite clear the night before, a small voice the back of Rose's head said 'you'll regret this later'. It was the same voice that had warned Rose the other two times she'd been with a man. Well, if one could even call them men, but she did indeed very much regret her actions with them. Rose was so heartbroken by her first that she almost told Carlyle and Henry so they could 'teach' him lesson. On the other hand, she knew that by doing that, she would have been exposed and her reputation would have been ruined. As far as her family knew, Rose was a nun. She'd never lied to them about her status; they just assumed and never asked. Though Rose had a feeling her grandmother knew. She was just that type of woman who you couldn't hide things from. A trait Rose herself also seemed to have. However, Rose still hadn't felt any form of guilt toward the situation she and Dick had created from themselves. She wasn't proud of herself for going against military regulations, but she still hadn't gotten that sickening feeling that one normally gets when they realize their misdeeds. In fact, she was quite happy; so happy she was giddy with excitement. The more she thought about the man just outside that bathroom door, the more her heart seemed to swell and the wider her smile got. In the back of her mind, that same voice reminded her that she would never see that man again after tomorrow. Rose's smile fell from her face. Spoil-sport, her giddy side said to that rational side of her head. Rose sighed and placed her hands on either side of the porcelain sink and leaned heavily against it. They'd have to say good-bye sooner or later. "Enjoy it while it last girl." Rose mumbled to her reflection in the mirror. She pushed herself off of the vanity and tightened the strap of her silk robe and her waist. Dick looked over toward the bathroom door when the sound of creaking hinges met his ears. Rose let out a relieved sigh she didn't even know she was holding in when she saw Dick standing there buttoning up his shirt. She half expected to walk out and find an empty room. They shared a smile, but both ducked their eyes away as if knowing any lingering stares would put them right back to where they were before. Still, neither of them could help but sneak glances towards one another. Rose smiled when she noticed Dick struggling with his tie. She stopped smoothing the wrinkles out of her blouse she'd picked up off the floor and watched the annoyance grow in his fair face as he started the knot over for the third time. Dick jumped slightly when he felt a body approach him from behind and arms slinking around his shoulders. He'd been so engrossed in the damn thing, he hadn't noticed her approach. For some reason beyond Dick's knowledge, he'd always had a difficult time with ties. It was quite embarrassing for the officer. He could jump out of a flying airplane without flinching, hit a target a hundred yards away off his hip, and throw a grenade at precisely the right moment…but he couldn't tie a god-damned tie. Rose gently grasped his furious fingers and pulled them away from the maddening strip of fabric. "Before you cause anymore damage to my room, sir…" she quipped as her own fingers went to work. Dick rolled his eyes bashfully and his shoulders slumped like a little boy who'd just been caught in the cookie jar. Normally, he just loosened his tie to take it off, so he didn't have to redo it. But Rose had mangled it beyond repair when she removed it for him the night before. Suffice to say, he had been too preoccupied to stop her. Rose teetered on very tips of her toes and she was basically draped over Dick's back as her expertly twisted and pulled the light colored fabric. Dick watched her through the mirror with his mouth pursed in concentration as he tried to memorize her movements. Rose noticed his watchful eyes and smiled. "I take it it's not my stunning beauty that just happens to be tripping you up." She said sarcastically. Dick cracked a smile and bent his knees slightly so she could reach better. "Well, I could." he joked at first, but his mouth twisted into a sheepish grimace. "Usually it only takes me two or three times to somehow get it right." Rose chuckled and finished the knot. "There." She smiled triumphantly at her handy work and rocked back down on her heels. Dick studied the knot and shot her a coy glance. "Thanks." He said quietly as he tucked the end of the tie in its proper place between the buttons. "Eh," She patted him warmly on his muscular shoulder. "Don't feel too bad. My brother's almost 30 and the man still hasn't figured it out." Before Rose could do anything else, Dick turned around and wrapped his arms around her waist. His body pressed against hers and Rose gulped back gasp. His roaming hands seemed to burn right through her robe and seer her skin. Rose's own arms soon slinked up around his neck, bringing their bodies even closer. They stared into each other's eyes; brown and blue melting into one as that burning gaze she'd come to desire pulled her lips towards his. Dick's own heart beat jumped up a few notches and he brought up his hands and gently, but firmly, grasped the back of her head and guided it towards his. Their lips met and Rose's arms tightened around Dick's neck as her knees gave away on her. Rose felt herself falling back into that blissful haze of passion he'd put her in far too many times in the last 24 hours. His hand tightened against the small of her back and Dick's mouth moved from hers and his lips grazed and path down her cheek to her ear. "Oh Dick." She grasped when he found a sensitive spot on her neck that she wasn't even aware of. Dick smiled wolfishly against her soft skin. He'd become quite fond of hearing that phrase from her. He leaned his head back and relished at the sight of her. Those big, brown, desire filled eyes stared up at him. Dick felt as though his heart could pop right through his chest it was swelling so much. He felt his instincts start to push away any rational thoughts floating in his head. He needed her. Dick leaned back down to capture her lips again, but Rose's head suddenly ducked down and nestled itself against his heaving chest. A pang of confusing mixed with disappointment shot through Dick's body, but instead of pursuing anything else he just tightened his arms around her slim body. Rose squeezed her eyes shut and just focused on the warmth coming from the Captain's strong, lean body. That pessimistic voice in the back of her head was nagging her yet again. As much as she wished to continue, it was eating away at her. "Dick?" her muffled voice said against his still, heaving chest. "I think we need to talk about this…what we doing together." Dick squeezed his eyes shut and a sullen grimace crossed his face. He took a few deep breathes to calm himself before he could even consider answering her. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He'd just been ignoring it. "Yah…" he swallowed painfully. "Yah, I guess we should." Rose took one more deep breath before she pulled back and looked up into his face. She tried to appear serious, but bits of sadness and longing were already slipping through her solemn demeanor. "You and I both know that after tomorrow, the likely-hood of us seeing each other again is probably as likely as Hitler walking through that door." Rose nodded toward the closed room door. "Would make things a hell of a lot easier if he did…" Dick looked towards the door and squinted, trying to keep their conversation from getting any more depressing than it already was. Rose rolled her eyes and smiled, but it quickly fell away. She had to get what she needed to say out while she still had to guts to. "You know what I'm trying to get at though, right?" She asked. Dick looked back down at Rose with doleful eyes and solemnly nodded. "Yah…I think I do." He cocked his head to the side and bore his eyes into her as if he was trying to commit every part of her to memory. Rose took another deep breath and tried to continue without fumbling her words too much. "I thi...think it would be in our best interests if we both get on our trains tomorrow and act as though none of this ever happened." Rose couldn't help but cringe as soon as those words left her mouth. They sounded so cruel and uncaring; like something heartless harlot would say. As harsh as it sounded, Dick agreed completely…even if he didn't want to. He nodded slowly and brushed a bit of hair away from her forehead. "I know." He answered. Rose sadly shook her head. "This thing might be over next week, but if something happens…I don't think either of us can afford to be daydreaming." Dick sighed and tried to hide any sadness he might have been feeling. Though she didn't say it out loud, Dick knew exactly what she was talking about. Many called Dick lucky because by all rights, he should have been killed more than a hundred times already. Dick never really believed in luck until the night he dropped into Normandy. He owed a great deal of his survival thus far to his training and his natural instincts, but even the best soldiers, through no fault of their own, could just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though Rose was a nurse and not supposed to be in harm's way, things could happen. The very thought of that made Dick's stomach twist painfully. "Yah…you're absolutely right. It wouldn't be fair to my men and I don't want you cutting some poor soldier's arm off because you're thinking about me." Dick shrugged playfully. "Don't flatter yourself…" Rose rolled her eyes and they both laughed. They stood there in one another's arms as if both were afraid to let go. "No strings then?" Rose finally asked after several moments of gazing into his tender eyes. Dick leaned down so his lips were millimeters away from hers. Rose could feel them smiling playfully against hers. "Not a thread…" * * * There it be…for now. 8. Chapter 8 Back to Business So, I've been trying to write my final research paper for the last month, but this chapter has been eating away at me and I just couldn't do anything unless I got it done. So, here it is. Hopefully, now I can get to work on my fantastic (substituted for different adjective that also begins with an 'f') research paper. ENJOY! * * * Lewis Nixon hummed as he walked down the quiet hallway towards his best friend's office. That trademark sly smile was present and his playful brown eyes twinkled with contentment. He'd just returned from a lovely weekend back in England with a very pretty, green-eyed, WAC member and he was in a very joyous mood. Nothing could faze him; nothing, except for the empty flask bumping pathetically against his thigh in his fatigue jacket pocket. He came to an opening in the hallway and glanced at Silinsky's empty desk. Normally, the ever-faithful (to the point of annoying) orderly was perched at the desk, clacking away at a typewriter. Nixon had been there only a few hours ago pestering the chubby private about the whereabouts of the Captain. Lewis didn't know why, but he just couldn't help but get a thrill out of annoying the kid. Maybe, it was because the kid seemed to look down his nose at everyone, even Dick. It was like the private knew they couldn't do their jobs without his typing skills or maybe it was just because the kid seemed to always ignore him. Lewis was still waiting on his bacon sandwich… Nonetheless, Lewis had already had his fun with him for the day and was glad to see him MIA at the moment. However, seeing that the pesky private was missing also meant that he couldn't ask if Dick was back yet; which irked the Captain even more. "For the love of god..." Lewis grumbled and his shoulders slumped as if the weight of the empty flask was too much to bear. He was about to turn and leave when he noticed a light coming from under the door of the Battalion XO's office. "Ah-ha." He smirked and tip toed toward the door. The shade was pulled down over the window and Lewis had a vision of Silinsky sitting in Dick's chair with his feet up on the desk, sipping bourbon, and smoking a big fat cigar. Then again, the likelihood of that image was very slim seeing that, despite all the Lewis' best corruptive efforts, Dick neither smoked nor drank. Nevertheless, the image made the intelligence officer chuckle. He knocked on the door and smiled widely when he heard the all too familiar voice of Captain Dick Winters. Dick unenthusiastically thumbed through a stack of papers which had piled up too high for his liking while he was gone. He figured his orderly was bringing him yet another bundle to go through when he heard the knock. However, Dick's face lit up when he saw the S2 saunter in the door with that ever present playful smirk on his persistently scruffy face. "Hey Lew, I was just going to come find you." Dick smiled warmly as he eased himself down onto the chair behind the large, wooden desk. "You take your foot locker key with you?" Lewis asked with a wily look on his face and his hands stuffed in his pockets, fingering the cold, **empty** flask. Dick froze as a perplexed looked crossed his fair face. One of his slender, red eyebrows furrowed in annoyed confusion. "What?" he asked with squinted eyes. But, before Lewis could speak, it dawned on Dick. He suddenly remembered a stash of chubby, brown bottles still hidden in the bottom of his footlocker that did not belong to him. Dick's mouth formed an 'o' and he peeked up at Lewis, looking as innocent as he possibly could without smiling. "Oh…yah, oops." Dick honestly had forgotten and didn't mean to hold out on his friend. In fact, Dick sort of wished he had thought about locking Nix out of his stash on purpose, because it was kind of funny… Lewis laughed sarcastically and plunked down in the leather chair next to the desk. "Yah…oops." He mocked and rolled his dark, brown eyes. Dick didn't really mind it in there. He was even somewhat flattered that Lewis trusted him enough to keep his precious Vat '69 safe. Though Dick often believed the intelligence officer did it just for the novelty of it. Everyone, including Coronel Sink, knew Lewis had it. But still, as much as they joked about it, Dick was starting to worry about his friend. He'd already had to do an intervention with Harry just after D-Day and it was only a matter of time until it was Nixon's turn. Dick had gotten in the habit of locking his footlocker since they'd been placed at Mourmelon. After the failed Market-Garden fiasco and the months that followed, the men opened their recently shipped footlockers only to find many of them ransacked. But instead of a newly-minted Captain just being a chicken-shit, nosy privates with too much time on their hands and sticky fingers had been the ones who had taken many of the men's mementos from Normandy. Dick was lucky and had nothing stolen, but he felt bad for the rest of the men. Those Lugers and other spoils of war the men had collected while in France were badges of honor and the thefts only seemed to add to the bleak mood of Mourmeloun. "Well, I promise for now on I'll leave a spare key under a flower pot next the step, Lew." Dick said in a sarcastic, low voice. He eyed him for a second with a devious smirk before looking back down at his work. Lewis chuckled and settled himself deeper into his favorite chair. Sometimes, Dick felt that Lewis enjoyed his promotion to executive officer more that he did. The Yale graduate had been a bit lonely up at Battalion, but now with both Harry and Dick dealing with the same B.S., the trio always seemed to congregate in Dick's office with Lewis perched in the chair he scrounged up from god only knew where. "Haven't you taught that kid how to forge you signature yet?" Lewis motioned towards him with a wave a hand as Dick signed yet another form. Dick eyed him for a second and smiled as he pushed another sheet into the 'done' pile before picking up yet another. He read it over briefly before scratching his name on the dotted line. "Probably can already." Dick said as he cocked his head to the side and squinted down at his handwriting. He'd always had a plain, simple signature, but he had noticed it had become increasingly sloppier since he'd started signing a tree's worth of paper every day. "Why don't you grab a stack and help a fella out?" He jokingly suggested to Lewis. "Sure," Lew nodded and held out his hand. "Gimme the supply request forms, by god we'll have every can of pudding in the whole Army by the time I'm done with that baby." Dick chuckled and rolled his eyes. Maybe that's why Sobel signed everything with such a pompous, ornate signature. He could hardly imagine the fun the boys could have had with that if it had been more forgeable. Then again Dick had received enough letters from that moron that he could have probably forged it himself. He still had his court martial letters buried somewhere in his footlocker, probably under Nix's hooch. Technically, Captain Winters was still awaiting court martial, but he was pretty sure Strayer had conveniently misplaced the paper work by now. He would have never been promoted to Captain with an outstanding dereliction of duty charge. Dick sighed ecstatically as he signed the last of his homework for the time being. A satisfying click met his ears as he capped his pen and tossed it idly onto the desk. A small smile settled onto his relaxed face as he leaned back in his chair and stretched his long limbs. "Harry back from Reims yet?" He asked as he looked around his office that he had not missed one bit while gone. "Haven't seen him." Lewis answered and crossed his leg over the other. "Wonder if he got Kitty an autograph?" Dick shot a knowing smirk to his dark-haired friend who just rolled his eyes and mumbled 'oh god'. Since finding out Marlene Dietrich was in Reims, the short, curly-haired Lieutenant had gone on about nothing else except for how he was going to get an autograph to send home to his beloved bride-to-be. "Eh, probably got arrested by the MPs for beating up Marlene's bodyguards when they wouldn't let him through..." Nixon mused while looking out the window and shaking his head. They both laughed, knowing that very well was a possibility when it came to Harry Welsh. Next to Lewis, he was Dick's closest friend. He was a good man and one hell of a soldier, but that Irish temper got the best of him sometimes, especially when it came to something for Kitty. It was a funny contradiction. A silence fell over the two friends, giving Dick's thoughts plenty of time to drift back to the city and to a certain brunette lieutenant who he got to pretend was his for a few nights. Suffice to say, Dick had broken their agreement more than once already. He missed her. Just thinking about her made his heart flutter and he kept imagining that she'd walk through that door at any moment. Dick wondered if she'd broken the agreement as well. She would have been back to her post by now and Dick couldn't help but wonder what she was doing. Although he'd held her in his arms earlier that morning, it already felt like it had been years ago. Tonight was going to be very lonely without her curled up against his chest. Their last moments together had been replaying in his head all day… _The train station was alive with activity. People zigged and zagged through the crowds as they hurried to their trains. It was very noisy. Train whistles blew and steam escaped the mighty engines with a loud, powerful hiss and the smell of smoke and iron filled the air. Panhandlers and conductors cried out their calls over the controlled chaos and there in the middle of all it, to secret lovers stood facing one another._ _Dick stared down at the pair of brown eyes that had captivated him like no other in the last two days. Her dark dress uniform was neatly pressed and the gold pins that were securely positioned in there respected places reflected the sunlight filtering through the skylights of the bustling train station. She looked exactly, if not more beautiful, as she did the moment he spotted her sitting across that crowed café. He wanted so badly to reach out for the sharply, dressed Lieutenant standing before him; his fingers tingled with need…_ _However, propriety had to been re-established between the two officers. The bars on their shoulders might as have been bars put up between them. Besides, they'd already said those types of good-byes back at the hotel._ _Rose's train left at 11:35 and Dick's left at 11:40 on opposite sides of the station and their last minutes together were becoming fewer and fewer. Dick wished he had the ability to slow time so he never had to actually say good-bye, but unfortunately, he did not have that capability. _ _Instead, they just stood there staring at one another in such a way that no one but them would have known they were two lovers saying goodbye for the last time. To the sea of people filtering by, they just looked like two officer in the US Army cordially parting ways._ _Rose grudgingly looked up at the large clock and hid her apprehensiveness with a cough. _ "_Well…" she said as confidently as she could possibly muster. "It was pleasure meeting you, sir."_ _Dick looked down at her extended hand. Déjà vu overtook him and he felt as he was back standing in front of her hotel door, only this time Rose was one who had to strength to say goodbye and there was no returning after this one. Dick took her hand, knowing it was the last time their skin would ever touch. Knowing this, they both seemed to make the moment last as long as possible. Dick's thumb gently and discretely stroked her hand that had become noticeably softer since the first time he'd held it. They held the 'handshake' as long as they possibly could before it went beyond appropriate._ _They loosened their grips and both their hands fell limply to their sides. Dick swallowed hard and stuffed his hands in his pockets so they wouldn't be tempted to touch her again. Rose let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and tried to keep her calm exterior from waning. Oddly enough, Rose didn't feel sad. Somehow she'd managed to convince herself that she should be grateful for their time spent together. Fate is a funny thing and if those boys wouldn't have been goofing around, Rose and Dick would have never met, let alone make eye contact._ _A smile broke out on Rose's face and she couldn't help but chuckle. Dick smiled and gave her a funny look, wondering where the sudden spurt of laughter came from._ "_You know, I never thanked you."She answered, her brown eyes glowing in mirth._ "_For what?"Dick's brows furrowed thoughtfully and he couldn't help but think 'I should be thanking you'._ "_For catching me the other day on the street." Rose replied. "If you hadn't of caught me, I would have spent my leave nursing a sore backside and maybe a broken wrist, but..." she smiled at him warmly with a soft, knowing smile on her lips. "instead I got to spend it with you."_ _Dick hadn't realized that. It was indeed pretty funny how things worked. If she'd gone a different direction or had stood a few feet the other way, Dick probably would have watched her walk away, never to even know her name. _ "_You are more than welcome, Lieutenant." He answered with a broad smile on his face…_ "So...how was Paris?" Lewis's voice brought the trooper back to reality. The image of Rose throwing one last smile over her shoulder as she walked through a cloud of steam quickly faded away. Dick's glazed over eyes cleared and focused on Lewis, who had a smug smile gracing his square-jawed face. He'd been the one who'd instigated the pass to Paris in the first place. He knew it would have been a fight to get the stubborn Pennsylvanian to take some time for himself, so Lewis and Harry took the initiative and went right to Sink. It hadn't taken much. Lewis knew that Sink had a soft spot for Dick. The hard-nosed Coronel had been keeping a watchful eye on him ever since he joined the paratroopers. He recognized Dick's leadership skills and his knack for all things military. Nix had a feeling that when all this was over, Sink was going to try his damnedest to keep Dick in the Army. If Lewis had not been scratching a bit of dirt off is his fingernail, he would had seen the forlorn grimace pass over Dick's face. The redheaded Captain quickly wiped any indication that he was unsure how to answer that question before Lewis looked up, waiting for an answer. Dick knew he'd be questioned about his time spent away, but he hadn't given an answer much thought. He sat up in his chair and leaned his elbows on the edge of the desk. "Ehh, it was fine." He coolly brushed off and changed the subject. "Have fun in Aldbourne?" "Yep, grand time. Helen says hi by the way." Lew smiled and bobbed his head up and down and steered the conversation back to Dick. "So, what'd yah do in the city?" Dick swallowed hard and forced himself to look up into Lewis's face. He shrugged indifferently. "Walked around, saw the sights, slept…other than that, nothing much." "Uh-huh…" Lewis answered doubtfully. He couldn't help but feel that Dick's answers seemed almost rehearsed, but then again Dick wasn't much of a talker when it came to himself. Call or it being modest or shy or a little bit of both, but Lewis knew better then to expect too much of story from the quiet Captain. Still, it was fun to pester him. "Nothin' much, eh? Enjoy yourself?" You have no idea just how much, Nix, Dick answered in his head. "Yah, I guess I did." Dick answered out loud with the faintest hint of a knowing smile on his lips. "You didn't happen to see the Barnes' did you?" "I did. Stopped in and said hello..." Lewis nodded, noting Dick persistency in changing to subject. "How're they doing?" Dick inquired after his adopted family back in England. "Good. Mrs. Barnes wanted me to remind you that their address hasn't changed in over fifty years and that they do in fact run a very efficient Post Office." Lewis smiled, repeating the exact words Mrs. Barnes had used. Dick grimaced guiltily and shot Lewis an innocent smile. "Think she was hinting at something there, pal." Nixon continued, his dark eyes gleaming as he gave Dick a scolding look. "I guess I haven't been very good about that lately." Dick picked up his pen and twiddled it in his fingers. Even though he really enjoyed writing to his friends and family back home and in England, he just hadn't made the time lately. Mostly, he put it off because Dick was tired of trying to explain war to people who were being misled by the War Department and its ridiculous propaganda. They just didn't understand what it was really like. Dick no longer had the patience to talk about it anymore, especially with a friend he had once been only a letter away from asking her if she'd, as the men would put it, be his girl. Just before Moose got shot, he received a letter from her gushing over this new boyfriend. He was a paratrooper from the 82nd who'd been wounded with what Dick thought to be some very minor injuries. Most of Easy had been wounded worse and yet they still remained, so Dick figured he'd been kicked out or found some pathetic loop hole to get sent home. She boasted how this man was some amazing war hero and told Dick about all the things he'd been involved with, but unless the guy was the Flash, he was just talking himself up to impress her. There was no way he could have been involved in the battles he claimed to be because some of them happened several hundred miles apart within hours of each other. After that, Dick realized how clueless the girl was to the real world. Dick just didn't want to deal with her anymore, and because of that, just didn't feel inspired to write to anyone, even his family. There was one person who he wished he to write to; who would understand completely, but they'd agreed that they couldn't. He wouldn't know what to write to her anyway... "So, really…what did you do on your pass?" Lewis once again broke Dick's train of thought with his line of questioning. "Like I said, nothing much." Dick tried not to let his annoyance with his friend's persistence show. He was starting to feel like he was one of Lewis' POWs being interrogated. Dick wondered if Lewis used the same technique of annoying them into insanity in order to get them to talk. "Nothing much," Lewis exclaimed. "You mean I got down on my knees and groveled in front of Coronel Sink just so you could do _nothing much_?" Dick rolled his eyes at his friend exaggeration. He was sure Lewis just used that charm of his and a glass of Southern Comfort to get the Coronel's signature. If one knew how, it didn't take much to get anything out of that man. "Did you run into anyone you knew?" Lewis asked, still trying to milk some sort of information out of the Captain. I got to know someone, Dick said in head, but he just shrugged and scratched the corner of his eye with his index finger. "Nah, thought I saw someone, but it wasn't who I thought it was." Dick said truthfully, thinking of the boy from the train. "Well, then did you meet anyone interesting?" Lewis prodded. A coy look passed over the redhead's pale face, but it disappeared before the intelligence officer could even notice. "I uh," Dick cleared his throat that felt like it was starting to constrict. "I chatted with a lieutenant from a medical unit who followed us during Normandy and cleaned up the mess. We swapped stories a little bit." Dick picked up the pile of papers he'd signed and nonchalantly flipped through them, checking to make sure he hadn't missed any, but really was avoiding meeting Lewis' quizzical eyes. Luckily for the Captain, the other Captain didn't analyze that statement as critically as Dick had expected. Lewis just shrugged it off, but if he would have paid more attention, he would have noticed how jumpy his teetotaler friend was. Lewis knew Dick wouldn't have any wild stories to tell, he just liked making the altar boy squirm. "Damn." Lewis said sarcastically and snapped his fingers. "I was really hoping you'd come back with some juicy story and I would have had the satisfaction knowing I took part in the corruption of Saint Captain Richard D. Winters." Dick tried not to smile too wide. For a brief moment, Dick considered fessing up, just so he could see the shock on Lewis's face. It would be priceless. But Rose hadn't been a conquest that he needed to declare victory over, even to Lewis Nixon. Their relationship was something that they shared just between themselves and besides, it was easier to keep a secret if you were the only one who knew it. Dick set the stack of papers back down and sighed silently to himself. He hoped that statement meant that he'd successfully deterred Lewis from any more nagging. "Better luck next time buddy." Dick smiled knowingly and chuckled softly. "Yah," Lewis sarcastically sighed in defeat as settled deeper into his chair. "guess I'll just have to go with you next time to make you do things right." The corner of Dick's mouth curled up as he thought about all the times he wished Nixon had been with him to help him out. Then again, Dick doubted things would have gone as far as they had if Dick had not been without his friend. No doubt Nixon would have encouraged him to pursue Rose, but Dick wouldn't have actually done it. "Hey," Lewis perked back up. "I've got a pool going on the football game. Gambling's a good start to moral corruption. Want in?" Dick shook his head and smiled. Lewis knew his aversion to gambling, and as the X.O., Dick could have reprimanded all those involved, but he was in too good of a mood to care. "Well if you're playing then put me down for the 502nd." Dick joked, shooting him a shrewd look. "Ha-ha, cute." Lewis laughed sarcastically. "Actually, I'm waiting to put down my bet until the guys can convince Buck to play…" Dick's brow furrowed deeply and a concerned frown weighed down his face. "Buck's back?" he asked. Despite his reaction, Dick was happy to hear the Lieutenant had returned. Buck Compton, the best officer and leader in the company by Dick's standards, had been severely missed while he recovered from his rather inconvenient injury. It seemed to be a popular wound amongst Easy; one Dick hoped he would never have the honor to endure. "Yah, showed up the other day while we were both gone I guess." Lewis shrugged and smiled halfheartedly. "And he doesn't want to play football? Doesn't sound like the Buck Compton I know?" The corner of Dick's mouth quirked back in worry and he leaned back in his chair and interlaced his fingers across his middle. "Yah I know. Yah think he'd be out there hoping around on one leg. The guys nominated him for captain, but he said he didn't want to." Nix shook his head soberly and shrugged. "Well, he might be sore yet. Wouldn't you be after getting shot through your ass?" Dick asked with raised eyebrows and a slight smirk. Lewis pulled a face and shook his head. "Yah…can't imagine that was a fun one to deal with. Hey," Lew suddenly asked earnestly. "yah think he got four Purple Hearts?" Dick closed his eyes and shook his head and a smile broke out on his face. The kind of smile when one knew he shouldn't be smiling, but couldn't help it. But one look at Lewis who was beaming that same grin and Dick could no longer contain his amusement. A hearty chuckle escaped his lips and Lewis joined in. "Ah, hell…" Lewis commented after the laughter died down. "'spose we shouldn't be taking enjoyment out of another man's misery." "Yah," Dick agreed as he stretched his arms back and smiled. "probably not…" A silent lull fell into the conversations and Dick picked up and flipped through a few more stacks of paper. The silence allowed Dick's thoughts to yet again stray. A different kind of smile settled into Dick's features, but this time Lewis did notice. He watched his friend's eyes glaze over and that warm smile on his face seemed to grow. For the first time in a long time Dick looked, what was the word…happy, almost giddy. "I have to say Dick, it looks like that little trip did you some good." Lewis commented after studying the contented Captain. Dick quickly broke out of his happy daze. He smiled a shy smile that distracted Lewis from noticing his bobbing Adam's apple. Dick knew he really needed to work on hiding his emotions, but he'd allowed himself to loosen up so much with Rose, it was easy to forget himself. Dick cleared his throat and leaned up into a more formal position. His wooden chair creaked as he did so. "Really?" he asked sarcastically, only to hide his embarrassment. "Yah," Lewis smiled and nodded curtly and squinted his dark eyes. "You look…refreshed." Dick smiled coyly and shrugged. "Yah, well…like I said it was nice to sleep in a real bed." Along with other certain comforts, Dick continued in his head. "Yup," Lewis replied as stretched back. "It definitely was nice sleeping in a real bed." Dick knew exactly what Lewis had meant by the smug smile on his square, scruffy mug. Yet again, another subtle, guilty grimace went successfully unnoticed. If only Lewis knew that his friend had actually been involved in some of the same activities as he had. But, Lewis did have an inkling that Dick was holding something back, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. Maybe he got lucky, Nix mused. But that was so unlikely it as laughable. "Well, you need to pretend you're not in such a good mood, then maybe I can squeeze another pass outta Sink and I can go with you next time. Show you how to really enjoy Paris." Lewis told him with a wink. Dick eyed him for a second while he fiddled with his pen. I think I did pretty well on my own buddy, Dick said in his head with the slightest hint of a smile twinkling in his eyes. "I'll try." He answered quietly, but it was clear he had no intentions of doing so. "Well, the way it's going it's not like we'll have anything else to do." Lewis commented in a bored voice and sighed. Dick looked at his friend with narrowed eyes and a sly smile. Lewis was never one to complain about the lack of combat. Captain Lewis Nixon wasn't exactly what you'd call a warrior when it came to the physical aspect of battle. Dick still didn't know how he managed to make it through PT in Toccoca. After all, the man had more alcohol than blood running through his veins. Dick figured he would have keeled over the first week, but somehow he made it. And even though he avoided it by all means necessary, Lewis could pull off some pretty amazing physical feats when it really mattered. But for all his pitfalls, Lewis was a damn fine tactician and officer. Dick wouldn't want anyone else doing with Nix did. He was probably the best intelligence officer in the entire division and if it wasn't for his aversion to some of the higher ranking officers and his drinking, he'd probably be working for Eisenhower. "You complaining?" Dick quipped. "Well, no…" Lewis rolled his eyes. "But Normandy was more cheery than this dump." "At least nobody is shooting at us here." Dick reasoned. "Yah, well it might get to the point if they don't find something for these guys to do soon." Lewis said as he stood up stiffly and stretched his back. "I think they actually got us a decent movie this time though. Maybe I'll go check it out." "Yah," Dick said looking around, hoping to god there wasn't anything else left to do behind the confines of his desk. "Maybe I'll go with you, go see the men." Dick stood up as well, but not as stiffly. He, unlike Lew, hadn't had the pleasure of spending a night in an Army issue cot, and reversing all the good a few nights in a real bed had done for his body. Just thinking about sleeping make a sad twinge shoot through his chest. After spending the last two nights with his arms wrapped around another's soft, warm body, nothing reminded a man that he was alone more than a single, canvass stretched cot. "What's the movie?" Dick asked as he pulled his suspenders back up over his shoulders. It had felt almost strange changing out of his class A's into his ODs again. It was like he was getting rid of Rose by changing out of them. However, he kept on his dark shirt because he could still smell traces of Rose's perfume on it. It was faint enough that no one else would have noticed, but every once in while the intoxicating scent would waft up and remind him of the best two days he'd ever had. Dick didn't think he could ever have that shirt washed again. He'd also been very careful to remove his tie without messing up the knot. Anything that she'd touched, Dick now held sacred. "I dunno." Nix shrugged and waved his hand uncaringly. "Some John Wayne movie I think." Dick smiled as he pulled on his fatigue jacket and walked around his desk toward the door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small set of keys and dangled them tantalizing in front of Lewis's face. "I think your lease is up Lew." Dick shot his friend a mischievous smirk and dropped the keys into his palm. "Lock her up when you're done moving." Lewis gave Dick a sheepish look before nodding and closing his fingers around the important pieces of metal. "Will do." Lewis answered Dick just patted him on the shoulder and headed out the door. He walked down the quiet hallway and stepped out into the chilly, night air. It had gotten considerably colder while he'd been away, which made it feel like he'd been away a lot longer than two days. He donned his garrison cap and cocked it slightly to the side the way he liked it. The base was pretty quiet as most of the soldiers were taking haven in the warmth of the indoors. It was almost eerie. Dick's boots crunched in the fresh snow as he made his way through the darkness to the mess hall that also was a movie theater and lecture hall. As he reached the door, it suddenly burst open, startling the paratrooper. Dick's hand instinctively reached for his sidearm only to grab a handful of cloth. Bill Guarnere suddenly stepped out of the door with Babe Heffron following closely, both cackling about something. The two Philadelphians halted when they saw the Captain. "Oops, excuse us sir." Bill said cheerfully with his thick Philly accent. Both soldiers dutifully saluted their former commander, who did the same. "Bill, Babe." Dick acknowledged the two men with a smile. "You guys get kicked out or is the movie just that bad?" Bill flashed a Cheshire cat smile and snickered. "Oh a little bit of both, sir. We've both seen it before. Plus Luz thinks he needs to narrate." Dick chuckled and shook his head. He could always count on Easy when he needed a good laugh. "Well, carry on. Stay outta trouble." Dick dismissed the two with a smile. "Yes, sir." Bill smiled and the two saluted again. Dick followed suit and then stepped in the door that Babe held open. "Thank you, private." Dick nodded to the other redheaded soldier. The two turned and headed out into the darkness, Bill still obviously limping from his unhealed motorcycle repercussions. Watching him do so suddenly reminded Dick of something he wanted to inform the man of. "Hey Sergeant." Dick called out to the retreating duo. "Yes, sir?" Bill turned and answered promptly. "I just thought I'd let you know that I received documents about your pending court martial for going AWOL last week." Dick told the shorter man with a seemingly grave voice. Bill's demeanor immediately sobered and his small, dark eyes fell to the ground. Babe's face took on a similar guilty look and he bit his lower lip, clearly concerned for his friend. "Yes, sir." Bill answered grimly. The tall captain stared the sergeant down for a few moments, as if he was thinking about a way to punish the loyal Toccoca man. However, Dick's austere face broke out into a cunning smile. "But, unfortunately." Dick said in his best officer voice, but with a heavy, sarcastic undertone. "The documents were misplaced and may have ended up in the trash by accident before I could look at them." Bill's sullen face swiftly broke out into and devilish smile and so did Babe's, but Bill quickly suppressed it and attempted to look serious. "I'm sorry to hear that, sir." He answered slyly after clearing his throat. "Most unfortunate." Dick smirked and winked. "Terrible clerical mistake." With that Dick turned away and left the two men standing out in the darkness. Wild Bill turned to Babe and punched him playfully in the shoulder. "I always knew that Quaker was a good guy." Bill exclaimed as he turned and continued to hobbled away. "Were my eyes playing tricks on me, or did he wink at you?" Babe looked down at his good friend and mentor with narrowed, confused eyes. Bill replayed the conversation in his head again. "Yah know Babe, I think he did." Bill answered with his brows furrowed. "Hmph, never seen him do that before." "Never seem him that cheery…" Babe said as the two headed off into the darkness, their voices fading into the wind. * * * Alrighty, so I know you're thinking 'hey wait, there's got to be some chapters missing?' But fear not, there is some logic behind my madness. All shall be revealed in due time. Hope you liked it…time to finish my research paper *gag* 9. Chapter 9 Unintended Confessions Hello, faithful readers. Once again I apologize for the delay. I may have been cured of 'academia', but now I have 'summeritis'. It has been too beautiful outside that I just haven't been able to sit at a computer more than a few minutes. Thank goodness for rainy weekends; they justify laziness and creativity. Of course, I have to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me excited about writing. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, and a quick correction. In past chapters I said Rose was 23 years old, but I've decided to change her age to 25. It's not too significant, but just for future reference… So without further ado, here it is… * * * "So, did you meet some dashingly, handsome Frenchman who swept you off your feet and made passionate love to you for hours on end?" 2nd Lieutenant Annie Scofield jokingly asked her brunette friend over her shoulder. She turned back around and whipped out a pillow case and folded it neatly into a regulation square and added it to the pile. The two women were busy in the laundry tent at the current home of their field hospital. It was in a pleasant place just outside of a small town in France. The small village of tents was set up in a farmer's cow pasture not far from an air field. It was protected from the wind by a small hill on one side and a row of trees on the other. It was going to be a nice place to spend the French winter. The small, quaint town was only a short walk down the road and Paris was only two hours away by train. After the months the unit had spent roughing it in tiny, tacked up tents in muddy fields with artillery fire not three miles away, this place was a resort. Being in a stationary position with no pending orders to move allowed them to actually set up some more permanent amenities like showers and latrines. Since there weren't many casualties, due to the lack of military movements, the personnel had lots of free time and were able to make themselves more at home. Instead of living out of their packs, they had sturdy tents that they didn't have to take down and move every few days. Some people had quite the décor going on in their canvass abodes. There was even talk of an Officer's Club going up, but that was only a rumor the enlisted personnel weren't too happy about. Rose had returned from her pass to Paris earlier that day. As a First Lieutenant, Rose was also a Chief Nurse and in charge of the post op ward and a platoon of nurses. As soon as she got back to the hospital, Rose wasted no time and got straight to work on catching up on her duties. Annie finally succeeded in getting Rose alone after chasing her around all afternoon and evening. They'd been chatting about everything, save for Rose's trip. In fact, Annie couldn't seem to get a word in with the unusually chatty Rose going non-stop. Annie wanted to know everything about Paris. After all, she was the reason the Chief Nurse had gone. Annie knew Rose needed a break, so when the worn-out nurse refused to put her name in for the 48 pass raffle, Annie, along with the help of Captain Kent, took matters into their own hands. Annie could still see the look of pure, utter shock on the poor woman's face when her name was called. It had been absolutely priceless, though Rose hadn't found it very amusing. After much arguing and near order-giving by Charlie, Rose grudgingly packed up her things and got on the train bound for Paris. As much grousing as Rose had done about the whole thing before she left, Annie could tell that the trip had done her a lot of good, even without hearing it from the young woman. Rose returned looking better than Annie had ever seen her. Physically, Rose looked marvelous. Her chocolate brown hair, that was usually dull and flat, looked as though it was made of silk, and instead up being pulled back into her usual, teacher-do, it was loosely pulled back in combs with her curls pinned at the nape of her neck. It made her look relaxed and carefree. It was also the first time in a long time that Annie had seen her wearing make-up, even though Rose didn't need it. But most importantly, Rose was emotionally refreshed. There was a spark in her warm, brown eyes and a small smile seemed to be ever present on the normally stoic woman's face. Annie repeated the same motion with another pillowcase while she waited for the sarcastic comeback that normally came from her pal after a question like that. Some of the other nurses perceived Rose to be cynical or grouchy, but her dry sense of humor often just flew over the heads of said younger women. Annie and Rose's personalities couldn't have been more different. No one quite understood their friendship, including Rose and Annie. As reserved and clever as Rose was, Annie was just as bubbly and spunky. Rose often joked she lived vicariously through Annie, who in turn believed Rose was the one person who could keep her from doing anything too stupid. However, despite the differences in personalities, they had a lot in common. Both were from hard-working, rural families and both had lost their fathers. Annie's went out on his horse to check the stock in early spring and a freak blizzard came out of nowhere. His horse came back the next day, but he never did. Annie was about eleven when it happened. However unlike Rose, Annie's mother eventually remarried to a very nice widower who Annie loved like a father. Though one would think she would, Rose didn't feel any jealousy towards Annie when she gushed over her stepfather; Rose wouldn't wish what she suffered through on anybody. The other difference was that Annie had quite a large family. She had one older brother and sister, twin stepbrothers about her age, and then a younger half sister. All three of her brothers were in the service. The twins were in the Marines and the oldest one was an Army sergeant stationed in the Pacific. Annie loved them all dearly and had pictures of them posted all over the tent she and Rose shared. After no sly comeback came, Annie pushed a pesky strand of platinum blond hair off her forehead and twisted around with a cunning smile on her lips. "What, trying to count all of the…" Annie suddenly stopped short when she saw the look on Rose's face. It was a look the blond nurse had never seen before. It was a cross between a silly grin and absolute shame. That look turned into shock when Rose realized she'd been caught. She quickly averted her eyes down at the hospital gown she was patching, attempting to hide the blush burning up her neck to her face. It was no use though; her cheeks were already as bright red as the cross on the side of the ambulance parked outside. Damn-it, Rose cursed in her head. She would have been fine if Annie hadn't asked her that question at the very same moment an incident with a certain someone was replaying, quite vividly, in her thoughts. "Rose…?" Annie cautiously asked, assuming Rose was just playing another joke on her. Annie suffered from a certain degree of gullibility and Rose never seemed to miss an opportunity to take advantage of it. Rose's slowly rolled the curved needle, meant for stitching flesh, in her fingertips and twisted her mouth into a funny, puckered frown. She was unsuccessfully trying to hide the sheepish smile that threatened to break through. Rose had no intentions about informing Annie about certain events that'd taken place in the city of lights. In fact, she and Dick had an unspoken agreement that neither of them would broadcast their affair. They'd been so careful in their sneaking around that both of them could have been candidates for espionage missions. Neither went through all that trouble just to blurt the whole thing to the first person they saw back on base. But, her friend had caught her off guard. Rose cleared her throat and collected herself. "Nothing…" she said as she feverishly jabbed in some messy stitches to the warn cotton; clearly trying to avoid eye contact. "Nuh, nuh, nah, no…" Annie scolded and wagged a finger at her. "I wasn't born yesterday missy. What happened?" "Nothing, Annie." Rose repeated. She held the gown up as she pretended to inspect her horrible stitching. Rose cleared her throat. "Did you hear Marlene Dietrich is on tour with the USO?" "Oh, yah right." Annie exclaimed at the nurse's disgraceful attempt to change the subject. "You aren't getting out of this that easy, so unless you've brought me back the entire Chanel winter line, you better start talking!" Rose squeezed her eyes shut and sighed behind the curtain of cotton. Her mind raced to find some answer that would deter Annie from finding out the truth. She started forming some elaborate tale about how she met an American…no English, an English spy who saved her from tripping…no, being mugged in the street. He fell madly in-love with her and showed her around the city, treating her like a queen the whole time. He then tried wooing her into marrying him before she left because the next day he was going on a dangerous mission to assassinate Hitler, and he wanted to have someone to love incase he was killed. But Rose refused because she didn't wanted more than one night with a husband. Yes, it would have been a grand tale. She could even throw in that they were being spied on by German agents the entire time. Rose rolled her eyes at the absolute silliness of her little tale. Besides, Rose could never outright lie to her best friend. She could fib her way out of anything with people she didn't like when she wanted to, but not her with friends. Even as gullible as Annie was, she'd never believe her. But, would she even believe the truth? Maybe she'd think Rose was pulling her leg and just laugh it off. There was only one way to find out… Rose bit her lower lip, put down the gown, and looked up at Annie with the most innocent face she could muster. Annie stood before her with her hands planted firmly on her hips and her eyebrows nearly up to her hairline, waiting for an answer and she wasn't going to stop until she got one. "Well," Rose said cautiously as she looked around and made sure they were alone before turning back to the impatiently waiting nurse. Her brown eyes gleamed with shameful mirth and she muttered demurely: "He wasn't French…" Annie's expression fell from inquisitive irritation to utter shock faster than a mortar round being set off. "Rosemary Beyer! You…" Annie exclaimed, quite loudly. "Shush!" Rose swiftly jumped up. Her patch work fell to the floor, and she clapped a hand over the nurse's big mouth. She didn't mean to tell anyone, let alone the entire hospital. She removed her hand from Annie's stunned face and smiled, no longer able to keep the bliss she felt pent up. Annie stared down at her friend with her green eyes as wide as saucers, still in complete and utter shock. There was no way, she thought. Rose would never do such a thing. Suddenly, Annie grabbed Rose's arm and dragged her back to the crate she'd been sitting on. Rose's backside rudely met the wooden surface and Annie plopped herself on another crate across from her. "You have to tell me everything." Annie ordered Rose as if she were a four star general ordering a private. "Well, I'm not going to tell you every detail…" Rose said sarcastically. Annie rolled her eyes and smacked her on the arm. "I swear," she warned with a dangerous looking finger pointed in Rose's direction. "if you are pulling my leg I will…will, well I don't know! But it won't be pleasant." Rose giggled and shook her head. It was quite humorous when Annie got flustered. Even though she could have been easily stereotyped as a ditsy, bubbly blonde, Ann Scofield was quite intelligent and very good at her job. She was a quick thinker and an even quicker doer. She and Rose were always the first two choices of all the doctors when they needed a nurse in the field. Rose had a feeling Annie wouldn't be a Second Lieutenant much longer. Annie actually wanted to be a veterinarian, but like Rose, it was even harder for a woman to break into that profession. Annie also seemed to love the Army. Rose had a feeling she'd be in it for the rest of her career. Maybe someday Annie could get into the Vet Corps through the Army. "Well?" Annie urged, leaning forward towards Rose with a little shake of the head that said 'I'm waiting'. Rose stared her down a few more seconds. She bit her lower lip apprehensively. The idea of the spy story still sounded pretty good. However, Rose sighed and a fond smile crept onto her face… * * * "I…I'm, I am speechless Rose." Annie finally replied several minutes after the completion of the real story of Rose's escapade in Paris. "That would be the first…" Rose mumbled under her breath as she toyed with the flap of her pocket. Her eyes flickered mockingly to Annie for a moment before they returned to her lap. Annie shot her smart-mouthed friend and glare and shook her head. She still couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Annie always knew Rose wasn't a complete saint, but she sure was good at portraying herself as one. Rose was the epitome of a First Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps. Maybe it was because she was a teacher and she had that mother hen syndrome, but Rose was a leader through and through. Even when one couldn't see that silver bar on her lapel, everyone knew she was in charge. She just gave off that impression, and it wasn't because she was demanding or bossy. Unlike a lot of the ranking officers, she didn't let her rank get to her head. She was one of a four First Lieutenants in their outfit. Captain June Narverson was in charge of all the nurses, and technically Lt. Mildred Clarke was the executive officer, but she wasn't the sharpest scalpel on the tray. Her father was a close friend to the Surgeon General, and that's the only reason she was around. Captain Narverson often looked to Rose for input and reports. Suffice to say, Lt. Clarke wasn't too fond of Rose. She was also the one who carried the ruler around. June Narverson was a good nurse and nice lady, but she probably would have been better suited at a permanent hospital back in Scotland or something. She was very organized, to the point of obsessive, and couldn't stand the moving and the chaos. She didn't handle being so close to line either. As soon as the artery started booming in the distance, she got as jumpy as a jackrabbit. Rose was the only nurse in the hospital to have seen action before Normandy. Almost everyone, including the surgeons, agreed that Rose probably should have been in charge. "I just, never would have imagined you…you of all people Rose..." Annie leaned up and shrugged her shoulders. "Never imagine I wasn't so boring?" Rose sarcastically joked as she picked up her discarded stitching from the canvass floor. The operating room, the post op, and the recovery wing had rough hewn wooden floors, but the rest of the tents still had tarps laid down over the cow pasture. "Hey now, I didn't mean that…I just, I…why, why do you think he came back?" Annie asked suddenly, as if throwing the conversation back at Rose on purpose. "After he said good-bye, yah know? Was he drunk?" "Well, gee thanks Annie." Rose scoffed. She suddenly was starting to regret telling her. "Oh Rose, you know I didn't mean it like that!" Annie back tracked with a whiney voice. "It's just, you said he was such a gentleman, but why did he come back?" Rose sighed and chewed on her bottom lip. She knew exactly why he'd returned, but how did one put that need into words? That first night, it had been pure, raw need; just two lonely bodies that longed for some intimacy. But then it turned into something different. By the next morning, it was two people who needed one another. The physical needed was still there, but it was something more meaningful; emotional need. Rose twisted and rolled the soft fabric of the gown in her hands. She didn't think she could put those feelings into words. "I don't know, Annie." She finally shrugged. Annie leaned over, rested her elbow on her thigh, and plopped her chin in her hand. Her perfectly kept brows furrowed in concentration and her mouth twisted and curled. Rose watched her do so curiously. What warranted such contemplation, she wondered. Her friend's reaction wasn't at all what Rose had expected. Annie was such a dreamy romantic that Rose would have thought she would have been delighted to hear Rose had actually had a little fun. She felt more like she'd just told her grandmother than her best friend. "Are you one-hundred percent sure he's not married or something?" Annie abruptly asked. Rose's heart stopped for a moment. What if Dick had lied to her? What if she'd been nothing more than a warm body for a lonely soldier? What if he'd lied about everything? What if he did have those six redheaded children running around at home? But those questions came to an abrupt stop as fast as they had materialized. The answer to all those questions was no. Rose knew it down deep in her gut that he wouldn't have lied to her. She too had her grandfather's amazing ability to figure people out, which was why she was such a successful teacher and officer. She knew Dick wasn't the unfaithful or the lying type. "I'm absolutely sure, Annie." Rose answered with a determined gleam in her brown eyes. Rose leaned back and shrugged as if she was trying to prove herself innocent. "Why are you mulling over this so much, I thought you'd be happy for me?" Annie suddenly perked back up. "Oh, of course I am Rose!" She exclaimed, looking appalled that Rose would think that. "I'm just so surprised." Rose rolled her eyes and set her untouched sewing to the side. There was no way she was going to be able to finish it anyway. She fiddled with a loose thread from the seam of her fatigue jacket pocket. She too was feeling a bit out of place in her ODs after spending so many days in her dress uniform. That had been the first time she'd worn the skirted ensemble in months. She had to have it taken in because she'd lost so much weight during the whole Normandy and Holland debacle. Despite the extreme temperatures and the sand, the food had been quite good in Tunisia. Rose figured she'd dropped at least three sized since June. "What was his name?" Rose's head shot up to meet Annie's green eyed gaze. Her brow furrowed while she rehashed her story. Her mouth quirked back as she realized she indeed hadn't mentioned his name throughout the entire account. "Dick." She answered softly with a warm glow in her eyes and a fond smile playing on her lips. "Captain Richard Winters. He's a paratrooper in the 101st." Another astonished looked passed over Annie face. "A Captain?" she said with a low voice, as if she was afraid someone would hear. "Rose, what if you'd been caught; a Captain for goodness sakes?" Rose's head cocked to the side and a condescending glare quickly found its way to her face. "Oh, like you should be talking…" Rose stated with a low voice. Her mouth then pursed like she was scolding a student. Annie's agape mouth quickly snapped shut and she took on a doe-like innocence. "Captain Kent and I are just good friends." She proclaimed. "Besides, I knew him when he was a lieutenant back in the states," Annie used her extended index finger to help her weak argument. "so, technically it's okay." "Uh-huh…" Rose shook her head and gave her friend a look. "Oh stop that…" Annie protested with defeated narrow eyes, realizing she indeed couldn't condemn Rose's actions. "Okay, okay…I'll won't say another word." Her eye brows suddenly shot up again. "But I will say I'm a little disappointed. You're such an over achiever, why didn't you go for a Coronel, or a General?" She exclaimed mockingly. Rose softly kicked her friend in the foot with her boot and shot her a glare. "Because the Captain was the best looking!" Rose sarcastically replied as she repositioned herself on the hard, wooden crate. "If it's any consolation, he is the executive officer of his Battalion, and he received the Distinguished Service Cross." Annie nodded and shrugged, as if to say 'not bad'. The two sat there in silence and Annie watched her friend with a smile growing on her face. She didn't know who this man was, what he really looked like, besides having red hair, or what he was really like, but she wished she could have hugged him. Beside a few warranted glares, that giddy smile hadn't left her best friend's lips. The joy was practically radiating off of the young woman from Wisconsin. She was glowing, and Annie now understood why. Rose didn't know it, but even a few of the other nurses had made comments about Rose's merry mood since she'd been back that short while. "Oh Rose, it really is so romantic…you should write a novel. Bet it would be a best seller back home…" Annie plopped her chin in both hands this time and dreamingly looked upwards to the canvass roof. Rose rolled her eyes, but kept that giddy smile. The Annie she knew and loved had finally returned. "How 'bout I just write a report and send it to Ike." Rose mocked. Annie giggled and shook her head. Rose was right, probably wasn't such a good idea. "Besides." Rose continued with a slightly serious tone. "What happened between us was between us…well," Rose eyed Annie for a moment. "it was between just us." "Hey," Annie leaned back up and held up her hands innocently. "You think I'm going to broadcast you love life over the loudspeaker?" A wary smile appeared on Rose's face. She was imagining how mortifying something like that would be. Rose could just visualize Corporal Flint, a former sports announcer and official regimental prankster, talking about her exploits over the loudspeaker like it was a casual, morning announcement. "I know, I know…" Rose replied softly. "Just…please. Don't even say anything to anyone else…even Charlie." Rose trusted Captain Kent and highly doubted he would have reprimanded her if he found out. He was a pretty easy going guy. In fact, he always told her she needed to loosen up and constantly reminding her it was okay to do something for herself every once in awhile. Besides, he couldn't very well reprimand her with a clear conscience either. But, one too many people had already found out. Annie cocked her head to side and smiled warmly. She reached out and placed a gentle hand on Rose's that lay in her lap and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I promise I won't tell a soul." Her green eyes glowed with reassurance. Rose returned the smile and sighed happily. Despite the initial regret, she actually had enjoyed telling Annie about Dick. By telling someone, it felt like the whole thing had actually happened and it wasn't just some fairytale she dreamed about one night. But then again, telling Annie also meant that Rose had cemented her feelings for Dick. She could no longer deny that she still had them. Their no-strings-attached relationship seemed to be adding a thread with every fleeting thought of the paratrooper from Pennsylvania. Rose had to keep reminding herself that it was over. They'd had their time together. They'd helped one another bury their demons. They reminded each other what soft, caring touches and simple moments felt like in all the death and destruction, and they would never see each other again. But…what if he suddenly showed up next week to visit her? Mourmeloun-le-Grande wasn't all that far away, wasn't it? What if he broke their agreement and she got a letter from him, what if she wrote him? Would he reply? The optimism was escalating with every hopeful question mark. No, stop that; the rational side of her head scolded her. No more 'what if's'. Rose couldn't let herself fall back into her old habits of setting herself up for failure. But, I really wish I could see him again; the giddy girl from Paris inside of her countered. Rose sighed despondently and shook her head ever so slightly. Maybe she needed to go see Major Anderson, the Battalion psychiatrist. It couldn't be healthy to argue with one's self this much. "Well, are you in love with him?" Annie's voice suddenly interrupted Rose's quarreling personas. "I…well," Rose took a deep breath to try and calm her suddenly speeding heart. Love? The thought of love hadn't even crossed her mind all the time she was with the Captain. She'd been too busy thinking about the feelings he made her feel. Was she in love with Dick? Well, of course she was, even if she refused to admit it. He was the kindest, most honest, and gentlest man she'd ever met. Rose had never felt safer than when she was in the cradle of his strong, warm arms. He was everything she'd ever wanted in a man. She wasn't afraid to tell him anything. For once, Rose felt like she could truly be herself in front of someone else. She allowed him to see her at her most vulnerable state and had never felt safer. Whenever their eyes met, an understanding seemed to pass between them. They had a connection that only two people in love could explain. But, she wasn't supposed to be in love with him. "No…" she finally answered curtly. "I mean," Rose repented, realizing she sounded awfully harsh. "it wasn't that kind of love, Annie. We respect each other and, I don't know…I guess we just sorta pretended we were in love for a few nights." Rose ducked her eyes down to her hands, knowing she couldn't even say a little white lie to Annie and look her in the eye. She picked a bit of dry skin next to her fingernail. It had taken one scrubbing with a stiff bristle brush and her hands were right back to the reptilian texture they'd been suffering from for the past few years. Annie eyed the suddenly sullen nurse in front of her and sighed. She mentally shook her head at her best friend. As keen and wise as Rose was about people, she was completely blind when it came to herself and her own feelings. Annie knew as soon as she saw the giddy grin coming from Rose's glowing face that she was head over heels for this Winters fella. It would take a very particular type of person to make Lieutenant Rosemary Beyer do something so rash and out of character as sleeping with a man she'd only known for a few hours, and he clearly was that person. Annie had seen the Chief Nurse deal with all the smooth, sly, and sweet talking G.I's; the ones who usually could get a dame with one wink. Their charms fell flat against Rose's impervious heart. While other nurses were reduced to giggles and blushes, Rose, depending on the situation and the degree of flirtation, either dished it right back at them or gave them one 'I mean business' glare and stopped the lustful soldiers in their tracks. Annie always joked there were more men than Rose could possibly count who'd fallen in love with her while under her care. Rose didn't realize her own beauty. She didn't notice the lingering stares or the nudges to their buddies after she walked by a group of soldiers. Her aloofness and her quick wit only added to the package and made the men pine after her even more. "Well…aren't you glad stopped whining and went?" Annie asked cleverly. Rose snapped her head up and met Annie's playful eyes. A gleeful smile slowly built on her face until it broke out into a hearty laugh. Annie joined in and the two nurses laughed until Rose thought her side was going split open. Her head fell into her hands and her shoulders shook as the last remaining chuckles escaped her lips. Annie marveled at the sight before her. A satisfying smirk came to her heart shaped face. Rigging the raffle had been totally worth it just to see Rose this happy. Rose finally leaned up, her face still rosy from the giggles, and wiped the forming tears from her sparkling brown eyes. Rose couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed hard enough to cry. "My goodness…" Rose breathed as she tried to calm her breathing back to a more manageable pace. "Yes, I am, Annie. I officially apologize for all the grief I gave you." Annie smiled smugly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Apology accepted." She nodded briskly. Rose sighed loudly, letting another giggle escape and leaned back to prop herself up with her arms. Her feet swung playfully over the side of the crate like a giddy school girl on a swing. "So…" Annie leaned forward again and plopped her chin on her fists. Her lips curled up and her left eyebrow elevated, forming a devilish smirk on her face. Rose eyed her suspiciously, knowing that smirk meant her friend was about to do or say something inappropriate. Annie pulled off the sweet and innocent routine when she needed to, but Annie enjoyed saying scandalous and inappropriate things that made some of the more reserved and shy nurses blush. "So what?" Rose inquired, bracing herself. "Well…how was he?" Annie asked brazenly. Rose's jaw dropped momentarily, but she wasn't surprised at her friend's question. She knew some risqué question like that would be coming from Miss Scofield. Rose couldn't deny that their time together had indeed been very, very well spent. It may have not been her first time with a man, but it was the first time Rose had been with a real man. He took her to places she'd only read about in the trashy romance novels she and Molly snuck from the latter's mother's stash. Dick far exceeded any expectations she'd imagined about his abilities. His touches had been so tender that he could have hypnotized her at times, and then sometimes they were so passionate they made her dizzy. "None of your business, Annie." Rose retorted smartly. "That's how he was." Rose knew that answer wouldn't satisfy Annie's curiosity, but she hoped it would deter it. "Oh come now, I'm not asking details…" Annie persisted. "Just a rating?" She shrugged innocently. Nope, didn't think so… Rose shot her a look and stood up from her crate. She tugged her bulky fatigue jacket down into place and surveyed the tented laundry room. The large pile of sheets from the recovery tent had been reduced to a neat stack and there really wasn't anything else left for them to do except take them and put them on the empty beds. Annie followed suit and stoop up with her arms crossed and her foot tapping steadily on the canvass floor. She had that impatient look on her face again. Rose shook her head and smiled grudgingly. Wrapping her scarf snugly around her neck, she picked up a stack of sheets and headed for the door. Annie was about to call out in protest to the retreating Lieutenant, but she was cut short by Rose. "Four stars." Rose said over her shoulder and smiled shamelessly with a devilish fire in her eyes. Annie stared at her friend's back for a few seconds before a laugh escaped her lips. She couldn't help but notice there seemed to be a swagger in Rose's step. She picked up the remaining sheets and quickly hurried after her through the door. "Hey." She called out to Rose in the frigid night air and jogged to catch up with her. "So, what'd you bring me back?" The sound of Rose's laughter faded into the wind… * * * Well…there it is. I'm not going to make any promises on when the next chapter will be up, but I promise I'll keep plugging away at it. Might have to bribe the weather gods again… Thanks for reading! 10. Chapter 10 Welcome to Hell Greetings. My deepest, most sincere apologies for the delay. July was a crazy busy month and I pretty much had to lock myself in a small room with no window to get this one done. I almost published it a few weeks ago, but I just wasn't satisfied with it and I just couldn't seem to make it any better. So after watching the entire Band of Brothers series again for the tenth time and reading a very good, unrelated novel, I was finally inspired to write again. Once again, I'm so sorry for the wait. Even I was getting impatient with myself, but I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I published something that wasn't worthy of you wonderful readers. :) * * * "I was going to be a ballerina." Rose said as she and Dick walked past the brilliant, ornate opera house where a group of young girls wearing matching jumpers filed out the door in perfect rows. Dick looked down at her and the corner of his mouth curled up in that crooked smile of his. "Really?" he questioned doubtfully with narrowed eyes. He pictured her as the tomboy type as a child, and the image of her in a pink tutu just didn't seem right. "Oh yah, I was obsessed." Rose looked up at him and nodded curtly. "I saw those ballerina paintings in a book and I pestered the heck out of my entire family until Ma finally found me a place to take lessons, which, how she ever did in the boonies of Wisconsin I'll never know." Rose smiled fondly, remembering those days when, even despite the depression, life seemed so much more peaceful and easier. Rose never really knew her grandparent's until they showed up a day after her mother died. They lived a few hours away in southern Wisconsin. Her father was determined to make it on his own as a farmer, so that's why he found his own place in his own part of the state. After he died and her mother remarried, Rose's stepfather wouldn't allow them to see the children because he was that kind of son-of-a-bitch. Karl and Lena Beyer were extraordinary people who'd worked very hard and made it through some very tough times. They'd married when they were only seventeen and by the time they were 20 they had Rose's father, Joseph, twin daughters and 89 acres of untamed land to cultivate. Lena was a typical farm wife. She could milk the cows, castrate a boar, hitch a team of horses, and shoot a shot gun better than most men. And yet, she did the most beautiful crocheting and embroidery and made the lightest and fluffiest pastries one had ever tasted. However, she was also the one who gave Rose her inability to keep her mouth and temper in check. Rose may have had her mother's looks, but her head was every bit her Ma's. Some people were downright scared of Lena, but she wasn't an ornery woman in general. Lena had a heart of gold underneath her stern exterior, but crossing her was more dangerous than pestering a rattle snake. Karl Beyer was a short, lean man with not many hairs left on his head. He was very strong for his size and worked twice as hard as men half his age. He'd cleared every field and pounded almost every nail of every building on the home farm. Besides his Sunday suit, Pops never wore anything else but the same ensemble of a light blue, long sleeved shirt, denim overalls with a pocket watch tucked in the front, and a brimmed cap. Karl was a loving, easy going kind of fella who always had a piece of candy in his pocket. For the most part, he was a quiet man who liked to sit in the corner of the room and just listen to everyone else jabber on. He was a man of few words, but when he did say something people listened very carefully; whether it be an intelligent opinion on a situation or the latest joke he'd heard. When the Beyer children suddenly became orphans, they weren't exactly keen on moving in with people they barely knew. Their maternal grandparents were dead and her mother, Mary, was an only child, so they had absolutely nowhere else but an orphanage to go. All three of them weren't exactly the best behaved children either. They'd had adopted a rebellious nature towards their stepfather, and several other related behavioral issues stemmed from it. Carlye lost quite a bit of his childhood due to everything that had happened and often acted like he was all grown up and didn't like being told what to do. Henry had one foot in the jail house due to his illegal antics of theft and vandalizing. And Rose, well, she was ever the smart mouthed, unruly, little firecracker of a girl who had a mind of her own. It took some time before the Beyer clan settled into their new life. They were all a bit wary to trust their new guardians; they just weren't used to so much unconditional kindness. There were a few moments where it seemed things weren't going to pan out. Luckily, they did. Karl and Lena were able to give the three kids, who'd been through hell and back, a stable, loving, disciplined home. The Captain and the Lieutenant came to a stop and looked up at the magnificent building that towered over their heads. Dick let out a sigh, but it wasn't a sigh of boredom, frustration, or weariness, for first time in a very long time, it was a sigh of contentment. The unusually warm sunlight beat down on their faces and the warmth only added to pleasantness of the situation. They stood there for a minute gazing up, both smiling for no particular reason. "So," he asked still squinting up at the tall, gilded pillars "whatever happened with that plan?" Rose's mouth twitched ever so slightly and her eyes followed his gaze up to the ornate sculptures at the top of the pillars. She placed her hand on her cap as she tilted her head up so it wouldn't slip off. Several moments passed before she answered. "Did a twirl in the kitchen after the first class. Broke two glasses, Pop's favorite mug and sprained my ankle." She finally answered in a flat, emotionless voice. "I never went to another lesson." Dick glanced down at her for a second before looking back up to the sculpture she was focused on. He didn't say anything at first, but a tiny hint of a smile graced his features and his eyes twinkled in amusement. "No tour then?" he asked, trying his damndest to hold back a smile. "No." she said impassively with narrowed eyes as she shook her head. She turned away from the magnificent building and started walking back down the steps, her heel clicking against the cobblestone. "No tour." Dick didn't move a muscle as she walked away. He just stood there, with his hands lazily resting in his pockets, still craning his head up to towards the amazing structure. Suddenly, he closed his eyes and laughed. He gave the opera house one last glance before following her down the steps… _Crash!_ Lieutenant Rosemary Beyer opened her eyes and instead of busy, Parisian streets and the bright sun warming her back, she found herself looking across a stack of crates to a dark, dirty, green, canvass truck canopy. _Ba-Boom! Crash!_ Rose cringed as her already sore tailbone met the hard, wooden truck bed again for the millionth time. Rose's outfit had been enjoying another quiet afternoon making Christmas decorations and gifts when suddenly a serious voice came over the loudspeaker and told the entire camp to start packing immediately. Tents were torn down and supplies dumped into crates in record time. Captain Naverson nearly had another mental breakdown as everyone did so. Rose had to give her the usual pre-moving out 'everything will be put in its proper place when we get there' pep talk. Lieutenat Clarke ran around pretending she knew what she was doing and gave Rose the stink eye every time June called for Rose. The nurses threw on their winter gear, what little they had, and packed everything else into their footlockers they knew they probably would see again for some time. They were ordered to only take the mandatory essentials. They had everything they would need in their packs around their shoulders, and those only held so much of even the mandatory things. They were then very hastily stuffed in the nosy, drafty trucks and been on the road ever since, stopping only once to refuel and relieve themselves. The Chief Nurse wore every layer of ODs ever issued to her and already Rose was frozen stiff. Just the other day, Rose had gone around and collected her nurses clothing sizes so they could get issued their heavy winter wear. Up until the day after Rose returned from Paris, it had been a very mild European winter, so no one had give much thought to long-johns and mittens until the mercury started dropping. Rose left the form with Captain Kent's orderly, who said they'd probably get their stuff in about two weeks. Rose distinctly remembered commenting about how soon that seemed. Now there they were…two days later in the freezing cold with only a scarf, a thin pair of gloves and their light fatigue jackets (the same jackets they'd carried off the boats in Normandy), and one extra pair of socks. Some nurses were lucky enough to have gotten a fatigue sweater, but Rose was in Paris when they were handed out. Rose didn't know if Kent's orderly had sent the form for their much needed warm clothing or not, but Rose had a feeling they wouldn't be seeing it anytime soon. The irony of that remark she made to Kent's orderly still ate away at Rose's conscience. Rose snuggled her face deeper into her scarf and scooted her knees closer to her body as she swayed with the rocking truck. The tip of her nose had long ago lost feeling and her stiff, tingling toes were headed for the same fate. Her fingers saving grace weren't the paper-thin gloves she wore, but her armpits which they were stuffed under. She would have loved to have been able to go to sleep, but the non-stop bouncing and banging, kept her painfully awake. "Rose, where on earth are we going?" Annie, the only other person in the supply filled truck, readjusted her helmet and scooted closer against her friend. The rest of the nurses were riding a bit more comfortably in personnel vehicles and ambulances. Rose had been too busy making sure that everything else had transportation that she had forgotten to save herself a seat. Captain Naverson offered Rose a spot in the Jeep she and Lieutenant Clarke were riding in up ahead of them. It would have been more comfortable than bouncing around in the supply truck like a rock in a tin can, but Rose chose the latter over enduring Lieutenant Clarke's icy glare the entire time. Thankfully, Annie was gracious enough to give up her spot in an ambulance so her friend wouldn't suffer alone with the bedpans and IV bottles. "Rose? Did you hear me?" Annie asked, elbowing her fellow frozen nurse in the arm. Annie practically had to shout to hear even herself over the roar of the convoy. "Somewhere in Europe." Rose answered after freeing her mouth from the confines of her warm scarf. "Oh, ha-ha." Annie replied snidely to the shivering woman. "Aren't…" she was interrupted as the truck flew over another bump, sending the two woman a good foot off their seats. Both Rose and Annie reached out and grabbed whatever purchase they could find as the truck clattered and banged over a series of ruts and potholes. Rose felt like she was thirteen years old again and riding in the back of her grandpa's Chevy flatbed truck with her brothers. It was always quite an event to go into town. Pop would usually go every few weeks to run errands and buy or sell livestock and grain. Ma usually came along and would sit up in the cab with Pop. She'd do her best to coax Rose up to the front where the 'ladies' should sit, but unless it was raining, Rose refused to give in. The three kids had too much fun bouncing around back there. There was a nasty bump in particular that they looked forward to every trip. Rose and her brothers would stand at the back of the bed and hold onto the stock racks while Pop sped up. They'd go flying up in the air and it was a miracle that none of them ever flew right off the vehicle and onto the road. Usually, the only casualties were the ice-cream cones they picked up at the general store. Annie reached up and strapped her helmet around her chin after the road finally flattened out. She would have just taken it off, but it did seem to be keeping her head warm. "Aren't you supposed to know these kinds of things _Chief_?" Annie finished asking with an extra, snide emphasis at the end. Rose screwed up her face and shrugged like she had no idea what Annie was talking about. "I'm not an intelligence officer." She shot back with a devious glimmer in her eyes. She followed Annie's lead and tried to buckle the strap of her helmet. Her numb fingers could hardly handle the thin nylon strap. It was like trying to thread a needle while wearing oven mitts. Annie rolled her eyes in exasperation and hugged her legs against her chest with her arms. "You know, I am really happy that you had a swell time with Captain Frosty…" Annie took notice of the suddenly fierce glare Rose shot her, but ignored it and continued anyway. "But I've about taken all I can stand from you, missy." Rose looked at her for a moment and the corner of her mouth curled up. Even she couldn't deny that her jolliness was starting to even annoy her own self. She just couldn't help it, and she knew Annie was absolutely right about whom to blame. While sitting on that bench by the river, Dick was telling Rose about Easy Company and he made a comment that there were a few men who always seemed to find humor in even the grimmest situations. He said most commanders would find those moments distracting and unnecessary, but he was always grateful for them. Dick said it was amazing how a well timed smart-ass comment could boost the morale of an entire company. "My goodness Nurse Sunshine…" Rose feigned a look of dismay and clapped a hand on her chest as she mocked her friend. "am I took much for you?" Annie shot Rose a look and shifted her sore body, trying to ease the torture to her poor, battered backside. "I'm just saying that at least I didn't have to endure so much mockery in order to get a straight answer out of the Rosemary I sent to Paris." Rose's eyes twinkled as her lips curled into a smile. Annie did have a bit of a point there. Rose suddenly had a violent shiver ripple through her body. The kind that made her entire body convulse like she'd just stuck her finger in a light socket. She then realized precious warmth was escaping from her loose scarf. Rose's numb fingers tucked the ugly, green wrap back around her neck, trying to contain whatever body heat she had left. "Well, that's your …" Rose started to say. _Ba-Boom! Bang!_ The truck hit another pothole so hard Rose swore she could see parts bouncing away behind them on the frozen, dirt road _Ba-Boom! Dink!_ Both Rose and Annie yelped and let some unladylike phrases slip from their mouths after their helmeted heads smacked into one another. Rose's face contorted into a painful grimace as her fingers gingerly rubbed the forming goose egg above her left ear. Damn thing, she cursed internally. About the only thing their helmets were good for was as a wash basin or a cooking pot. Rose could hardly do anything while wearing that stupid tin can, let alone comprehend how soldiers fought in them. They weren't bullet proof and they traded protection for the ability to hear. Dick admitted to her that most the Allies knew the Germans had a much more practical and effective helmet. However, not only was it a matter of being able to tell friend from foe, but the Kraut cover had become an infamous identifier of evil in the rest of the world's eyes. The good guys couldn't very well run about wearing that same thing, even if it would have saved thousands of Allied lives. "You were saying…" Annie asked after her teeth quit vibrating. "I said that's what you get for putting my name in that lottery!" Rose yelled over the roar of engine downshifting. Annie's green eyes bulged. "I did no such thing!" she exclaimed. "Oh, who else would have done it?" Rose cried out with an accusing glare. Annie's face twisted into a shamefaced grin and she shrugged innocently. Annie should have known better than to go on thinking Rose was still oblivious to her well intentioned misdeeds. It had actually been Charlie's idea to rig the raffle, and Annie did the sweet talking. Charlie swapped out the helmet full of other people's names for one filled with slips of folded paper with 'Lt. Rosemary H. Beyer' written on them while Annie kept the pimple faced private, tasked with guarding the helmet, occupied. After that it was just a matter of praying nobody inspected the rest of the slips too closely. That's why Charlie fought tooth and nail with Rose about going after she refused the prize. He knew if they tried picking another name, they'd be found out. "Hey…if it hadn't been for us, you'd a' never had the most romantic experience of your life!" Annie shouted and nudged Rose in the shoulder. Rose wrapped her arms around her legs and glared at an innocent box marked in large stenciled letters 'Rubber tubes'. Annie had many vices that annoyed Rose, but the one that aggravated her most was that if Rose happened to be wrong about something, Annie would never let her forget about it. "Are you going to hold this over my head for the rest of…" she started to ask, but her brow suddenly furrowed when she thought about what Annie had just said. "Wait…what do you mean by _us_?" "…what?" "Who is _us_?" Rose repeated. "Us?" Annie declared, seemingly taken aback. "I have no idea what you're talking about!" Annie tried to act totally innocent, but her eyes got freakishly round and her lower lip protruded so far it was in danger of falling off. She turned her head away and looked around the truck, knowing she couldn't look in Rose's eyes without breaking out in laughter. Rose stared her friend down with narrowed eyes for several seconds, like the bad cop in an interrogation room, waiting for the blonde woman to crack. But after no confession came, Rose just turned away and shook her head. "I'm going to kill that man…" Rose glowered, knowing exactly who Annie's partner in crime had been, even without her confession. Annie turned back towards the Lieutenant with a scolding smirk on her lips. "Oh…Charlie did it because he knew you needed it." Annie defended the Captain. "Besides, you should be thanking him…remember?" There Annie went again, but she did have a point. Rose was trying really hard to be mad, but if those two meddlers hadn't done what they'd done, she would have just sat around the base last weekend. Instead, she got to spend it in Dick's warm embrace. Rose finally admitted defeat and shook her head with a smile on her lips. How could she stay mad at Annie and Charlie when they gave her those two incredible nights? She turned towards Annie and the two women shared a look, making Annie giggle. She loved it when she was right. Rose pursed her lips, trying to look annoyed again, but it only made Annie's smile grow. Rose dropped her chin to her chest, making her helmet slip forward and cover her eyes. Rose was supposed to forget Dick, act like they'd never met, but the warm, fluttery feeling the thought of his crooked smile and soft kisses gave her was addicting. She sighed and pushed her helmet back and leaned her head against the side of the truck. They seemed to be on a much smoother stretch of road and without constant, bone-rattling jarring, Rose was beginning to notice the heaviness of her eyelids. Rose lolled her head to the side and noticed Annie was thinking the same thing. She'd nuzzled her nose down into her scarf and jacket and her green eyes had that sleepy, blank look about them. Rose shifted her body so her side was leaning up against the metal wall of the truck bed. It eased the pressure on at least one side of her aching backside. She pulled her scarf back over her face and hugged her torso with her stiff arms. She drifted off into a fitful sleep, imaging her head was tucked against the warm, muscular shoulder of a redheaded Captain… * * * "Looks cozy…" Captain Winters looked up from the frozen dirt he was chipping away at with his tiny entrenching tool and squinted against the brightness of the snow. The extreme difference in values between the black soil and the white blanketed forest made it hard for Dick's eyes to adjust and make out the face under the frost covered helmet. At least he could tell from the silhouette and shape that it wasn't a Kraut looming over him; which honestly wouldn't have surprised him. However, Dick didn't need visual conformation to know who the man was. Dick could recognize that nasally voice anywhere. "Harry." He acknowledged to the Lieutenant as he squatted down next to Dick's half done foxhole. Dick tossed another scoop full of what might as well been concrete over his shoulder and jabbed his entrenching tool down into the dirt the best he could. He grimaced as he took a deep breath. The cold air stung the inside of his lungs like he'd just inhaled acid fumes. It made his whole neck and chest ache painfully and it felt like he had glue stuck in the back of his throat. Digging a fox hole was already a strenuous task as it is, but the cold air made it ten times more so. Dick was top physical shape and in normal circumstances could have a regulation foxhole done in twenty minutes or less. But their current situation was far from normal. Then again, what the hell was considered normal circumstances in war? They'd been in Bastogne for what had been the longest, coldest, and most stressful two days of the war for Dick, and probably the entire 101st. It was almost certainly one of the most aggravating battles of the entire war thus far. Every day they were engaged by the enemy. They'd gain some ground, only to lose it a few hours later to the Krauts. Dick felt like they'd been abandoned on a leaky ship. They'd plug up one hole only for it to spring another leak, and they were running out fingers to stick in the holes. But at least, they'd held onto Bastogne and its roads that were vital to the German's advance. They finally seemed to have a solid position around the town and where digging in to keep that line. Adding to the aggravation was the lack supplies. Even though he couldn't do a thing about it, Dick couldn't shake the feeling that it was somehow his fault for how unprepared the men had been. Of the three companies in the battalion, Easy was the worst off. They already were only one crate of beans a few loaves of stale bread away from running out of food, and the unusual winter fog made it absolutely impossible them to be dropped supplies. Lieutenant Dike hadn't heeded Dick's advice and some of the men didn't even have gloves or a full clip of ammo Norman Dike…the name was almost becoming a curse word. Dick was raised not to judge people he didn't know very well. When he first met the man, Dick hadn't been impressed. He had this smug look about him, and not a confident smugness. It was like he was looking down his nose at everyone around him. However, Dick tried to give the man the benefit of the doubt; he knew not everyone made good first impressions. But, Dick had yet to have an encounter with the man that changed that first feeling of dislike. Somehow Dike always managed to make himself look like an idiot and denounce the people around him. "_Can you believe that? We're going to the front. The front! And our CO isn't even in the same damn country!"_ Dick had to hold back every impulse in his body in order to keep his mouth shut while the man whined about Strayer's absence. As he stood there next to that fire, the XO wanted to say something like 'Well, gee Lieutenant, I'm so flattered that you have so much confidence in my leadership abilities' or 'Oh, he's not back yet? That is a problem because they never told me what Executive Officers are supposed to do'. Or something along those lines of sarcastic and snide; something that Rose would probably say in a moment like that. It probably would have made Buck's and Peacock's night. None of the other officers liked Dike. He wasn't put in charge of Easy because he was a brave, hard working tactician with excellent leadership potential. Better qualified officers were passed up because Dike was chummy with the right people in the right places who knew he needed some dirt on his boots to make it up the ladder. Dick assumed the plan had been to let him play soldier for a few months before they promoted him somewhere else. Unfortunately, his attempt to spruce up his resume couldn't have come at a worse time for Easy. Foxhole Norman had an authoritative sounding voice. That was about as far as his leadership abilities went. Dike never did anything that directly involved interacting with the men. He probably didn't even know any more than a handful of their names. He never did anything himself either. He'd just let the word roll down the ranks, just like he did that same night they headed into Bastogne. Instead of overseeing it himself, Dike passed the task of finding supplies along to the other officers. Buck did the best he could, but Shames and Peacock weren't exactly the most resourceful people in the world. If Dick had still been leading his Company, he would have searched every building himself and scrounge every last scrap of food on base. But Easy wasn't Dick's Company anymore. Nonetheless, it didn't stop him and Nix from setting up the Battalion CP near Easy's position. It wasn't the most advantageous plan, but at least Dick could keep an eye on them. "Well," Harry commentated as he looked around the wintery landscape and grimaced. "pretty sure we'll have a white Christmas this…" Dick slumped back against the side of his foxhole and let out a lone laugh. The breath that expelled from his lips plumed in front of his face was so dense it almost obscured his view of Harry. "Santa gonna know where to find yah this year, Harry?" Dick quipped as he wiped his runny nose with the sleeve of his fatigue jacket. Harry rocked on the balls of his feet and chuckled. He shuddered as a sudden chill coursed through his body "Eh, wouldn't matter anyway. I've been on his naughty list since I was four years old." His gapped-tooth smile beamed down at the Captain. Dick chuckled as he pulled his jacket tighter around his body and shivered. He got sweated up digging his fox hole and now that he was standing still, he was quickly getting very cold. "What's the word?" he asked. Harry just shrugged and squinted as he looked out into the misty grove of trees. "Same as it was yesterday…" he sighed, his lower jaw trembling from the cold. "Still surrounded, still no air support, still freezing our asses off…" A smile that probably could have been more believably classed as a grimace crossed Dick's face. It was a vague description, but there was no other way to sum the predicament they were in up. He tried swallowing that lump of unknown gunk in the back of his throat and he tucked his fingers under his armpits. "The Kraut's are still pushing west, but there's rumors floating around that the bastards are running out of fuel for their tanks…" Harry continued. "I guess Old Adolf didn't think that far ahead." Dick's eyes flickered over to Harry's face. His brow quirked up and he bobbed his head. "It don't seem like there was a whole hell of a lot of planning about any of this, Harry." Dick replied, turning his gaze back to the bottom of his foxhole. He absentmindedly kicked a chuck of tree root with the toe of his boot. The entire attacked seemed nothing more than a last ditch attempt of desperation. The German's were being squeezed on either side and it was only a matter of time before the Reich crumpled into pieces; either from outside forces beating down on them, or from within. The only thing Hitler had going for him was that he had taken the Allies by complete surprise with this sucker punch. It was a brilliant idea, but they didn't have the man power to support it. Harry nodded in agreement and sniffed loudly. "Yah, just had to get one more dirty swing in…" he commented. Dick's mouth pulled to the side in contemplation and he shifted his weight to his other foot, only to be reminded that it was his bad leg. The bullet wound in his shin had healed months ago, but every now and then it would get stiff and painful. Sometimes, he only had to turn on it a certain way and a sharp pain would shoot up his entire leg. Rose said it was probably because the ricochet hit him close the nerve that ran down his shin. The sudden thought of Rose caused a hitch in Dick's breath. He wondered if her hospital had gotten dragged into this mess as well. They couldn't evacuate the wounded anyway, so Dick had no idea what hospital was even the closest. The past few days had left Dick with hardly a moment to breath, but he always found a moment to think about Rose. Her brown eyes and warm smile was always the last thing he saw just before he dozed off, huddled under a thin blanket, leaned up next to a skinny tree, or down in the frozen dirt. Sleep wasn't something that came by often or easy for the Captain. Sleep since entering this frozen hell was defined by short, restless cat naps, usually interrupted by tree bursts or bone jarring coldness. Sometimes, Dick woke with frost on the inside of his helmet. He prayed to God every night that Rose was somewhere warm and safe. A tiny smile formed on his chapped, wind burned lips and he suddenly felt warmth spreading from the center of his chest, relaxing his stiff, frozen limps. It was the same feeling he got every time he thought of Rose. "Speaking of dirty swings…" Dick suddenly said to Harry. "You been behaving yourself?" Dick's blue eyes twinkled as he raised an eyebrow towards his feisty friend. Harry had come a long way since he'd first enlisted. Back then, Harry would knock a guy's teeth of for so much as blinking at him funny. Before he joined the Paratroopers, Harry was promoted to sergeant…several times. He kept getting himself busted back down to private every time that Irish temper of his got the best of him. But Harry was a born leader, and luckily the people around him knew so. He eventually straightened out and got sent to Officer Candidate School. He and Dick became good friends after Harry was transferred from the 82nd. They bunked together in the tiny room at the top of the stairs above Mr. and Mrs. Barnes post office in England. After Dick was given official command of Easy, Harry was Dick's first choice as Executive Officer. Things were perfect there for a while in Easy Company; it ran like clockwork, until Dick got bumped up to Battalion and Moose got shot by that sentry with a nervous trigger finger. If Harry hadn't of went and gotten himself promoted too, he would have been leading Easy instead of Dike. Harry stared at the Captain for a few moments with evasive eyes before his face broke out into a sly, knowing smirk. "Been keeping it under wraps..." he shrugged while clearing his throat and repositioning feet in the snow and dirt. "Just might take it out on that idiot Dike though…" Dick rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Wouldn't blame yah…" he answered softly. Dick watched a few men mosey around with their arms stuffed under their jackets, stamping their feet into the ground. There weren't many people around, mostly just Battalion staffers. Most of Easy was out on patrol or out at the OP. Lewis was still passed out under a tarp in his foxhole, recovering from his late night spent piecing the line back together. "The little prick is always hanging around the Regimental CP…I don't think he even know why he's there…" Harry complained. "That's an understatement…" Dick muttered under her breath. "Huh?" Harry asked. "Nothing…" Dick brushed off. He sniffed back his runny nose and scratched an itchy spot under his chin. He could feel the sandpaper like scruff under his cold fingertips. He cringed at the thought of shaving in the frigid weather. Dick had never gone more than a few days without shaving in his entire life, and less so since joining the military. Besides being a matter of Army regulation and image, Dick couldn't stand letting his face get scruffy; it was itchy and uncomfortable for him. However, the damage he'd done to his face by hastily shaving with little or no lather and a dull blade in the field was probably more uncomfortable then not shaving at all. Coronel Sink always stressed to his officers the importance of looking sharp in front of the men, no matter how dire the situation was, and Dick maybe took it a bit too seriously. Except, Dick truly believed in Sink's words. If the people, who were supposed to keep the rest of the soldiers' hopes up, looked like they'd given up, how were the men supposed to keep going? "Well…" Harry grunted as he stood back up. "Think I might go catch some shut eye." Dick craned his neck back and squinted up to look at Harry's face. He couldn't help but chuckle at the rarity of the situation. Normally, the vertically challenged lieutenant was the one looking up at Dick. "Good luck…" he offered. "Thaaahhhnks." Harry said in a long, enormous yawn and stretched. "Jesus…Oh, Sink is giving General McAuliffe a tour, so don't be surprised if they swing through." Dick liked McAuliffe. He wasn't the typical, jeep riding, golf playing general with stars clouding his eyes. He was the soldier's general. He wasn't afraid to go out to the line and get down in the dirt with his men. He was no nonsense kind of leader who didn't pussy foot around with politics. He got the job done the way it needed to be done, when it had to be done. Honestly, Dick wouldn't have minded if General Taylor stayed in Washington the rest of the war. "Okay," Dick nodded. "thanks for the heads up." Harry waved in acknowledgement as he turned and shuffled off towards his foxhole. Dick watched his fellow Pennsylvanian's retreating back for a few moments before he looked down at his foxhole. "Oh," Harry's voice made the captain turn his head back towards the man. "I never got the chance to ask…how was Paris?" A shy, lopsided grin grew on Dick's face as he reminisced over his stay in the City of Lights. He'd forgotten Harry had been Lewis's co-conspirator for Dick's little excursion. Harry hadn't been back on base more than an hour when they got the word about the German offensive in the Ardennes. "It was great…" Dick answered honestly. "I enjoyed it. How 'bout you? Did you get Marlene Dietrich's autograph?" "No…" Harry answered and lowered his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets like a pouty little boy. "Her body guards wouldn't let me get close enough…" Dick stifled his laughter and he turned his head away, trying to keep Harry from witnessing his amusement. Dick's shoulders shook he was laughing so hard inside. It was several seconds before he could take a calming breath and compose himself. "Well, I'm sure kitty would understand." he reassured. Dick turned his head back towards Harry with his mouth pulled to the side, concealing the smile on his lips. However, his blue eyes twinkled and gave away any attempt to keep his delight covert. "Yah, yah, yah…" Harry grumbled as he turned back around and walked away. Dick silently chuckled and shook his head. Poor guy, he thought. Dick reached up and rubbed his chin, almost like he was making sure the stubble was still there…and it was. He sighed and sat down heavily on the earthen side of his hole. He reached in his pack and dug for his razor. He figured he better take care of his fledgling beard in case the Sink and McAuliffe did happen to show up. As he retrieved the necessary supplies, Rose's face suddenly popped into his train of thoughts. Dick froze for a moment and let the memory play out in his head. It was the morning of their second night together. Dick had brought a few of his toiletry items from his room so he didn't have to leave so early to get ready. As he shaved in front the bathroom mirror, Rose scooted in next to him while she brushed her teeth. There was nothing significant about the moment. Rose had toothpaste dribbling from her mouth and Dick had yet to comb his hair and half a face full of lather, but the simplicity of it was what made it so beautiful. It felt so right to have her there next to him, getting ready for their day. They caught one another's eye in the mirror on accident, and they smiled at each other like two people who knew something that no one else in the world knew. For a brief moment, Dick thought about how great it would have been to have mornings like that every day… The tiny, tender smile that had formed on his lips while he fondly recalled the moment suddenly fell into a frown. He couldn't be thinking about things like that; he and Rose made a promise they wouldn't. All that would come of that kind of thinking would be heartache and disappointment. The warmth that Rose's memory gave him was slowly and painfully conquered by a frigid, encroaching chill that crept up his body like some sort of sudden affliction. A despondent sigh escaped his chest and his shoulders slumped as he glanced around the frosty landscape of the Ardennes forest. He was a long way from Paris and Rose's arms… * * * "Welcome to Verviers, ladies." Rose pushed her helmet back with her index fingers and squinted as she looked around the small town. It was a typical European village with its timber and plaster covered buildings, a lifeless fountain in the middle of the town square stood proud and empty and smoke curled up out of the chimneys on the rooftops. It wasn't like the many other war ravaged towns Rose had seen, because everything seemed to be intact. The only indication that war had even touched the place was the fact that it was now teeming with green, military vehicles and American Army personnel running about like worker bees buzzing around a hive. Rose reached up and readjusted the straps of her heavy pack that were pinching her shoulders. She and the rest of the nurses of the hospital crowed around a short, husky Lieutenant who stood on top of a garden wall so he could see over group of woman. Captain Naverson and Lt. Clark stood below him facing the rest of the group. They'd arrived early that morning after the longest, bumpiest truck ride of Rose's life. "As you all know, Hitler launched a surprise attack through the Ardennes. They've completely overrun our troops and are continuing to push west." He announced. As Rose watched him talk, she noticed that his chest puffed out and he stretched his neck towards the sky, trying to make himself appear taller. He was probably very self-conscience about his size and by the looks of his croaked nose and chipped tooth that flashed every time his lips moved, she guessed he probably made up of for his shortness by brawling. "You will be setting up the hospital in that building over there." He pointed and all the nurses turned their head in unison towards the large, brick building down the street. Rose squinted as she sized up her future place of employment. It had one large main hall, then several smaller additions surrounding it. A large bell was perched on the peak of the roof and she could just make out an outline of metal swings and see-saws in the snow blanketed lawn. "It's a school…" she muttered to Annie, who was standing next to her. Annie flickered her eyes away from the Lieutenant, who continued his briefing, and looked at the building. "Its huge." She commented, shifting her bag in her arms. Rose nodded. Annie was right; it was enormous for a small town. "Probably a boarding school…" she whispered. "Helmets will be worn upon exiting a building. No exceptions; fines will be issued if you fail to comply." The man continued. "As of two hours ago, the I SS Panzer Division was 10 miles away and still coming." A flurry of whispers and gasped erupted from the females. Rose stood there silently and eyed the worried looking woman around her and Annie. Rose thought their alarm was a bit of over reactive. They'd been in worse situations… "So don't get comfortable…always be prepared to evacuate at a moment's notice" Rose watched a look of panic wash over Naverson's face. "We will be receiving a majority of the wounded from the northern forces, so expect lots of casualties…" The short officer nodded to indicate the conclusion of his briefing. "Mam…" he saluted Captain Naverson before he jumped of the wall and made his exit with shoulders back and chin held high. In other words, there were going to be 18 hour shifts and blistered feet in their future. Rose's cheeks puffed out as an already weary sigh escaped her lips. "Well…" June said with an overly chipper voice and clapped her hands together. "We have a lot to work to do, so…um," she turned and looked at Lt. Clarke. Mildred cleared her throat and straitened her back, awaiting June's orders. "Rosemary…" June suddenly veered towards Rose. Mildred's nostrils on her large flat nose flared and her beady eyes shot towards Rose. "Yes mam?" Rose answered, ignoring the feeling she was being hexed the XO. "You will be in charge of directing personnel. Work with Captain Kent and the orderlies." The tall, slender woman nodded. "Yes mam…" Rose replied. What June pretty much meant was 'you handle it'. "I will, um…I have to go speak to the Coronel." With that she turned and headed down the cobble stone sidewalk with Mildred following like a lost puppy. Rose's pursed her lips and shook her head. She wasn't one bit surprised. June knew she didn't know how to handle things and she knew Mildred couldn't either, but she knew Rose could organize things. Rose guessed she at least have to give the woman that much credit. Rose suddenly realized the rest of the nurses were hovering around her, waiting for orders. Rose took a deep breath. "Okay…" Several hours later, Rose dragged the last box of gauze pads out from the back of the truck. She set the box down heavily on the end of the bed and instead of jumping out; she eased herself down next to Annie, who'd sprawled her body out on the wooden floor. "I'm beat…" Annie's muffled voice said from behind the hands that covered her face. "It's just the beginning, hun…" Rose reminded her. Rose rubbed her sore shoulders and winced, finding a painful knot. Her body had been already bruised and beaten from the 16 hour truck drive, only then to spend the entire day caring heavy boxes and moving desks out of the classrooms. The school really was the perfect place for a field hospital. It had plenty of large rooms, a kitchen, a large lecture hall that they made a recovery ward, and the dormitories had soft beds and real bathrooms. Things still weren't completely set up, but hopefully they'd be done just in time for the wounded to arrive. "Don't remind me…" Annie growled as she pulled off her helmet. She too was also nursing a sore body. Rose almost chastised her about the helmet, but she was too tired to care. The two sat there in silence, knowing it was probably the only break they'd see in the next 48 hours. The ambulances had already been sent out and were on their way back with their first round of wounded. They couldn't lollygag for long, but the two women couldn't bear to stand on their feet anymore. Rose copied Annie and laid back. She rested her hands over her tummy and closed her eyes. She could have drifted to sleep right then and there. "I heard they sent the 101st Airborne to Bastogne." a male's voice suddenly said after a few moments from somewhere around the truck. Rose's eyes shot open and her heart felt like it quit beating. Her body jolted up and her ears strained to hear the conversation. Annie turned her head towards Rose and looked at her friend's face with her brows furrowed. "Rose," Annie whispered. "Wasn't _he_ in the hundred and…" Rose's index finger shot up and pressed against her lips, making Annie snap her mouth shut. Annie sat up and listened as well. "They're completely surrounded and cut off. No supplies, no air support because of the shitty weather …" the voice continued. Rose could hear the sound of a lighter and the smell of cigarette smoke met her nostrils. "Yah, but they're paratroopers…shouldn't they be used to that?" a higher pitched voice with a Brooklyn accent chimed it. "Yah, but still…" There was a pause as the man took a drag on his cigarette. "Shit, that's gotta be a sickening feeling, knowin' you're all alone with no ammo and an entire army of Krauts bearing down on yah…" "No shit…" the other voice answered. "Poor bastards…might as lined 'em up in front of a fuckin' firing squad…" With that, the men walked away, boots crunching in the falling snow. Rose couldn't breathe; her hand clutched the front of her jacket over her pounding heart. Dick was smack dab in the middle of the worst of it, with no support. She furiously chewed her bottom as she replayed the conversation she'd just ease dropped on over and over again. Maybe it wasn't the entire 101st…maybe the 506th had been sent somewhere else, maybe they left the second battalion in reserve… But, Rose highly doubted any of that. After all, they'd been involved in almost every major battle since D-Day. Just the thought Dick being out in that cold, snowy forest, cold and hungry with no way to defend himself made Rose sick to her stomach. "Oh god…" Rose breathlessly whispered and squeezed her eyes shut. "Rose…" Annie said in a soft voice. She put a comforting arm around Rose's shoulder. "I'm sure he's okay…" Rose took off her helmet and smoothed back her hair with a trembling hand. Dick probably wasn't scared at all, and that's what worried Rose the most. "You said he was an XO of a Battalion." Annie ducked her head down so she could look into Rose's face. "They're not going to let him run around, chasing Germans. They'll keep him safe." Rose smiled sadly. Annie made a good point, but she didn't know Dick. They'd have to tie him down and throw him in a foxhole to keep him from grabbing his riffle and running out there with his men. Rose picked up her helmet and set it back on her head. She jumped off the end of the truck and fixed her OD's, which had gotten askew from laying down. Annie's green eyes watched her friend with concern. "You okay?" Annie asked as she too jumped down. Rose looked at the nurse and sighed. "I'm fine…" she lied. "It's just…just I was afraid of this…" "Afraid of what?" Rose leaned up against the side of the truck and crossed her arms. She shivered in the cold evening air. "That I'm going to spend every moment of the day wondering if he's still alive…" she answered and pinched the bridge of her nose before dropping her hands limply to her sides. "We promised each other we wouldn't let our relationship get in the way of our duty…" Rose's voice was hardly above a whisper. Annie looked at the sullen woman sympathetically as she returned her own helmet on top of her platinum curls. She wished she knew how to help Rose, but Annie had never been in a situation like that. "Well, don't let it get in the way then. Simple as that. You're the best nurse and the strongest woman I know, Rose. You'll do your job just fine." Annie told her. "Besides, I'll bet you bedpan duty for the next month that he's been thinking about you too…" Annie eyes twinkled and her rosy lips curled into a sly smile. Rose's head turned towards the 2nd Lieutenant and a tiny smirk did find its way to Rose's lips. Normally, Rose was the one handing out wisdom and word of encouragement. Annie was right. Rose just had to push Dick out of her head for the time being. Rose closed her eyes, let out a heavy, shaky sigh and breathed in deeply. The cold, crisp air seemed to clear her head and awake her tired body. "You're right, Annie." Rose reached over and tenderly squeezed the former cowgirl's shoulder. "Thanks…" Annie smiled brightly and shrugged. "I know I am." She exclaimed, quite boastfully. Rose couldn't help but laugh. Typical Annie, she thought. "Come on." Annie said as she grabbed the box off the back of the truck and hoisted it into her arms with the help of her knee. "Let's go get some dinner. God knows it will be our last real meal for a while." As the two nurses walked towards the school turned hospital, their boots crunched in the freshly fallen snow. Rose stuffed her hands the large pockets of her fatigue jacket and craned her head as far back as she could without her helmet slipping off. The sky was completely covered with snow heavy clouds. As the soft, cold flakes fell on her face, Rose said a little prayer for a certain, brave, redheaded officer. At that moment, that officer was hunkered down in a frozen foxhole just outside of Bastogne, Belgium, imagining himself in a soft bed in Paris with a beautiful, spunky brunette named Rosemary… * * * Psst...hey you...Yah, I'm talking to you. See that little review button thinger down there on the bottom of the screen? Yah, that one. Rumor is, the writer of this story loves getting reviews and they make said writer want to write more and more...so yah know, not to put you under any pressure, but click that darn thing! 11. Chapter 11 War of the Words Because I still feel absolutely awful for making everyone wait so long for the last chapter, here be my attempt of redemption. I again want to thank everyone for their patience and their wonderful reviews. I am so grateful for them and it is such humbling thing to know that so many people take time out of their busy lives to read my little story and that they look forward to reading more. Thank You! Okay…before I could possibly get anymore sappy…here it is. Enjoy! * * * "Nurse!" a panic-stricken voice hollered over the flurry of activities. "Hurry it up!" Rose's feet moved as fast as they could through the crowd of bleeding, moaning, and slowing dying soldiers. Bodies, either immobile or standing, laid or ran about in every which direction, filling the room from wall to wall on the blood-stained, wooden floor. Rose had to step very carefully so to not bump into another working surgeon or operating table. Suddenly, she stepped into a large pool of blood, making her left foot suddenly fly out from under her. Rose's whole body seemed to turn to jelly, just like that day on the sidewalk in Paris. Except, this time there was no redheaded paratrooper nearby to reach out and wrap his strong arms around her. But fortunately, the nurse's reflexes where quick and her hand flew out to a nearby table and prevented her from crashing down onto the floor. Rose juggled the arm load of dressings she'd been clenching against her chest and by some small grace, not one fell. "Beyer!" Rose took a calming breath to recover and continued her perilous trek towards the doctor who was screaming her name. "What the hell took you so long!" the snotty doctor snapped, and ripped a handful of dressings from her arms with his blood covered hands. "Sorry, sir." was all Rose replied. However, she had a few other, not-so-appropriate answers in mind. She wasn't particularly fond of that surgeon. Captain Woods was moody, up-tight and very arrogant. She didn't know much about him, but she knew he came from rich, prominent family in Boston and he'd gone to Harvard, something he never let anyone forget. He'd been a private doctor to the rich before he was drafted and he was hardly suited for triage. "For the love of god, can't we get some decent help around here?" The Captain grumbled under his breath. Rose pursed her lips behind her surgical mask and her seething eyes shot down to the writhing body laid out on the operation table. The young soldier had been wounded very badly by a mortar round. Scraps of metal and wood splinters speckled his chest and torso, and he had a rather large gaping wound just below his sternum. Woods dug around inside the poor boys guts with all the grace and sensitivity of a butcher. But, from what little Rose could tell, the shrapnel hadn't hit any of his vital organs. By any means, it wasn't the worst off soldier Rose had seen so far that day. Suddenly, Woods yanked a piece of metal out from the boy's belly with his fingers and dropped it into a pan. It made a "dink' noise when metal hit metal. Woods didn't seem to think much of it, but Rose gasped when she realized what the imbecile just had done. The wound immediately started profusely oozing bright, red blood; the tell-tale sign that somewhere in the depths of the boy's body an artery had been severed. Rose knew the culprit needed to be found clamped shut, but instead, Woods only packed more dressings on the wound and started picking out the shrapnel around it. The young soldier jerked with every painful rip as the physician uncaringly yanked out the blood soaked, mangled metal out of his flesh. "Damn-it." The Captain cursed as blood from the huge wound soaked though yet another layer. Rose narrowed her eyes and glared at him, wondering why the hell he wasn't doing what he was supposed to. How the hell did Woods not see that? The man needed to sedated first of all, and why the hell was Woods wasting dressing, which they were running low on, by stuffing the kid like a teddy bear? He needed to find that gusher and stop it; all of the other wounds were superficial. Her eyes flickered down to the wounded man's face. His large blue eyes stared at the ceiling and his blood stained mouth hung opened and he gurgled and moaned. His bright blonde hair was plastered against his forehead by mud and blood. Suddenly, his eyes met hers and the terrified, pleading look he gave her burned through every fiber of her body and painfully seared her heart. Every second that ticked by, his crystal-clear, blue eyes went duller and duller and his skin paler, which fueled Rose's resolve and anger. "Captain." Rose's voice shouted sharply above the chaos. "Captain, this soldier is bleeding internally, you need to find the artery and clamp it before he bleeds to death!" The Captain snapped his head up to her and his watery, cold, blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "Nurse," he said venomously. "as I recall, I am the fucking doctor here. Make yourself usefully and go find me some more goddamn dressings." Rose bit her lip and her brown eyes burned fiercely with disdain for the pompous idiot in front of her. This young man didn't have time for this egotistic jackass. "At least I am useful, unlike you." She retorted, her voice dripping with scorn. Woods whipped his head back around and his eyes widened, and though she couldn't see it, she knew his nostrils on his large, hook-like nose flared defensively. She could see his big nose twitch under the cotton mask. "Wha…what did you just say to me, Nurse?" he sputtered angrily. Captain Woods would someday come to regret asking that question to First Lieutenant Rosemary Beyer from Mill Creek, Wisconsin. "I said you're nothing but an arrogant, horse-faced, stringy, son-of-a-bitch!" she yelled, no longer giving a damn for propriety. "Get the hell out my way and go make yourself _useful _by finding a real surgeon!" Rose pushed herself in front of the flabbergasted officer and plunged her gloved hand down into the gross warmth of the solder's insides. The smell of fresh blood suddenly hit her nostrils like slap in the face. Rose had to fight her damndest to hold back the gag reflex. In the back of Rose's mind, it registered that it was strange for her to be feeling that sensation. Rose had been around blood her entire life. She'd helped her grandpa butcher hogs and chickens. She'd treated hundreds of injured animals and people, but for some reason the bitter, metallic smell of blood didn't agree with her at the moment. But Rose pushed through it and focused all her senses to the tips of her fingers. The feeling of having one's hands buried in a living being's body was something no one could explain unless they'd actually done it. It was kind of like sticking your hand into a giant pot of hot, slithery pasta. Only a highly trained person could decipher that gooey mess and as Rose blindly searched around in the blonde soldier's chest cavity, she was starting to worry she'd gotten herself in way over her head. Just when Rose was about to cry out in defeat, she felt it; the pulsing warmth of fresh blood against her fingers. Rose's fingers quickly snagged the tube-like artery and she squeezed it as hard as she could. Suddenly, Captain Kent appeared at her side. Their wide eyes met, neither believing what she was doing. "I need forceps!" Rose exclaimed, knowing there was no time to explain. In a reversal of roles, the surgeon nodded and his hand furiously dug in the disarrayed pile of stainless steel surgical instruments for a pair of forceps. Rose internally begged him to hurry it up. She could feel the pulse of the artery in her fingers dwindle. "Here!" Captain Kent exclaimed and held the instrument in front of Rose's face. Rose's free hand flew up and ripped the cold, steel forceps from Kent's hand. She went to work trying to guide it into the oozing mess her other hand was embedded in. "Suction!" she yelled. Kent quickly produced the small glass tube and went to work clearing out the oozing blood so Rose could see what she was doing. "Webb! Webb!" Kent called out for the anesthesiologist across the room. The balding Captain, who reminded Rose of one of the school board members from back home, quickly appeared at on the other side of the table. "What'cha need Char…" he did a double take and froze when he noticed Rose feverishly working on the patient and Captain Kent running the suction. "John, John!" Kent yelled on the stunned man to get his attention. "John, look at me. I need you to put this guy under before he goes into complete shock." The wide-eyed man snapped out of his daze and nodded. He quickly sat down by the soldier's head and took his pulse before putting the gas mask over his gaping mouth. The blond soldier quickly relaxed and his eye lids fluttered shut over his wide, cornflower-blue eyes. "BP is low, but holding." Webb stated, with his fingers on the man's neck. "What the hell was he thinking?" Kent mumbled, referring to Woods, as he watched Rose's fingers expertly work around in the mess of the boy's abdomen. Rose's brow furrowed deeply in concentration as her fingers dug and pulled at the boy's flesh. The artery had contracted and she couldn't get it out from underneath his ribcage enough to clamp it. Pages of Gray's Anatomy appeared in her head so clearly she could have had the thick volume right before her eyes. She had practically memorized it when she was fourteen and still had aspirations to be a doctor. She knew exactly what everything she was looking at was and where it was supposed to be. Rose was careful not to puncture any of his internal organs as she probed with the tip of the forceps. Finally, Rose felt the cold, metal tips touch her fingers that were holding the severed artery. She'd been biting her lip the entire time and she could taste the blood on her tongue, but she couldn't have cared less. "I got it!" she suddenly exclaimed when she finally managed to snare the perpetrating artery in the grasps the metal tool. "I got it!" she repeated as if to reassure herself that she had indeed done it. "BP rising, Lieutenant." Webb proclaimed, that time referring to Rose with a small gleam in his eye. "Good job, Rosemary." Kent complemented as he handed over the suction tube to another nurse. "I'll take it from here." Rose nodded and extracted her blood soaked hands from the soldier's body. Kent took the clamp from Rose and took her place as she stepped back. Rose held her bloody hands up around the level of her chest, staring at them. She breathed heavily like she'd just emerged out of water after holding her breath, which she had in fact done the entire time. She watched her once steady hands shake like a leaf in the wind. Pure adrenaline was coursing through her veins and the nurse was still trying to contemplate what she'd just done. She wanted to wipe the sweat that was dripping into her eyes, but her surgical gown was covered on so much blood that she didn't a convenient, clean spot to do so. "Lieutenant Beyer." Captain Kent called out to her softly, his hazel eyes peering over the white of his mask. "You're relieved. Go get yourself cleaned up." Rose slowly nodded and took another deep breath before she turned to leave the room. Rose hadn't noticed, but her endeavor had enticed a small group of on-lookers. The flow of wounded had finally dwindled for the time being and nurses and other doctors parted like the Red Sea as she made her way to the door. Captain Naverson stood with her eyes wide as saucers. "Rose…" she quietly said as the lieutenant brushed by her. Rose pushed through the curtain that divided the operating area from the prep area. She stood there for a moment, taking deep breaths as the situation she'd just put herself in replayed in her head like a reel on a projector out of control. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. The tangy taste of blood stung her mouth. Rose squeezed her eyes shut. "My god…" she whispered. She opened her eyes again and it seemed like she could finally breathe at a normal rate again. She looked down at her blood covered body. There was no telling just how many different, unwilling, donors' blood was on her gown. The first ambulance had arrived around nine the night before and Rose had been on her feet ever since. In the last 20 hours, she hadn't eaten more than a half a Spam sandwich, a mouthful of her Hershey Bar, and sip of coffee Annie had brought her and helped her drink so Rose didn't have to go scrub up again. Normally, Rose was outside the OR, directing traffic, but they needed all the help they had. At the last count, 124 soldiers had been treated, 45 had been critical and required extensive surgery, 13 of them had been amputees, 52 would return to the battle field in a matter of days, and 14 families would be receiving a visit from a black car with flags on the fenders and a priest inside. Rose stripped off her gloves and tossed them into the bin and freed her face from behind the confines of the stuffy surgical mask. Her stiff, tired hands could barely carry out the task. She reached around and tried to untie the tiny strings of her surgical gown, but the task proved to be even more unsuccessful that her gloves. Rose's hands fell loosely to her sides. Suddenly, the nurse could hardly stand. The adrenaline had finally run out and Rose couldn't bear to stay upright a moment longer. She sat down on a small stool and leaned back against the wall. Her eyes fluttered closed and Rose tried to relax, but she was at that state of exhaustion where her body wouldn't let her rest. It didn't take her three second of stillness for Dick's face to pop into her head and it hit her that he hadn't crossed her mind once. She felt a bit guilty for seemingly forgetting about him, but at the same time proud of herself that she'd been able to keep her mind in the right place all night. She'd done exactly what she and Dick talked about and what Annie re-enforced, but it didn't mean she couldn't have little moments, like the one she was having right then and think of that lopsided smile. Her own subtle smile made her haggard face soften into a contented state of relaxation. It hadn't yet been a week, which seemed impossible to Rose that it had already been that long, but also that recent. The warm weather of Paris and the distance they had been away from the war made it seem like it had been several months since Rose had felt his gentle touch instead of just a few days. However, Dick's memory was still as fresh in her mind as if he'd been by her side only a few moments ago. It was all so contradictory. "Lieutenant." a stern, low voice suddenly sneered. The fond smile on her lips was rapidly replaced by a frown. Rose begrudgingly opened her eyes and in place of her former lover's face was the hawk-like visage of Captain Woods glaring down at her with hateful eyes. Rose's warm, brown eyes became cold and hard as she narrowed them up towards the incompetent physician. The two engaged in a seething starring match for several moments before Woods opened his mouth. "Why aren't you standing at attention, Lieutenant?" he growled. The muscles of Rose's cheeks hardened and if looks could kill, Woods would have been a smoldering grease spot on the floor. Nonetheless, Rose hauled her tired body up from the stool and snapped to. She stared straight ahead of her as Woods stepped uncomfortably close to her. He smelled of stale cigarette smoke and too much aftershave. Rose didn't fear the man one bit, but it didn't stop the hair on the back of her neck from standing up. "So you just think you could just go and make a fool out of me, Nurse." he hissed. You didn't need my help for that, she very wisely only said in her head. If there was one thing she couldn't stand were officers who were chickenshits. Every unit had one and everyone knew what they were like. They used their rank to as justification to demean and bully the people under them just because they had the insignia to do so. They blamed innocent subordinates for their own mistakes and they did so because they lacked the leadership ability and confidence. Rose suddenly realized who Woods reminded her of; Dick's former commander and nemesis. Sobel, that was his name, wasn't it? Over lunch at a small, quiet bistro, Dick told her all about the most hated man in the 101st. He told her about how the insecure Captain abused and mislead the men. He told her about training at Tococca and the things he did that made absolutely no sense, like not allowing the men to drink water on marches and bogus barrack inspections. Rose could hardly believe that the Captain tried to have Dick court martialed for the most pathetic and ridiculous charges Rose had ever heard of, just because the men were more loyal to Dick and he was jealous. Sobel fit the definition of a chickenshit to a tee. About the only thing Sobel could take credit for was that the men of Easy all shared a strong hatred for him, and they knew the only way to survive him was to stick together and be the best. On the other hand, Woods couldn't take credit for anything like that. He was just an incompetent jackass who'd rather be back in Boston in his cushy office or out on the golf course. "Sir, he was going to die if…" Rose started to say. "I didn't give you permission to speak!" he suddenly yelled. Rose flinched at the sudden explosion, but she didn't move. "You think you own this place," he said with a dangerously low voice and he leaned closer yet. "don't you?" "No, sir." Rose answered through clenched teeth. "The United States Army does." She couldn't stop that one from sneaking out. She was too busy fighting the urge to smack him. "Oh, you are so smart…" Woods sneered. "Well, you're nothing but a goddamn nurse! You didn't spend 7 years getting a degree from the best medical school in the world!" He all of the sudden seemed to go into an uncontrollable rant. Rose wondered if the entire hospital could hear him, or hoped they could. "Did you even know what a school was before you got here? Well, I tell you what you missed…You're goddamn job is to give me the right instrument and give the patients something pretty to look at…" That did it. Rose refused to stand there and let him insult her. "For your goddamn information," Rose shrieked in such a rage, she was shaking. "I was a school teacher before this! And I graduated early from training with the highest scores in the history of the damn program!" Woods bristled at Rose's onslaught and seemed to withdraw as if her words were a dangerous weapon in her hands. "You…" he tried interjecting, but Rose was relentless. "And it's my goddamn job to keep incompetent doctors like you from killing innocent soldiers like that boy in there. You are the worst doctor I have ever seen in my entire life and I will not stand here and let you insult my intelligence when you have absolutely none yourself!" The rage Rose felt for the man energized her body and she tore off her gown and slammed it onto the pile of the other bloody gowns. "How much money did daddy have to donate in order for you to actually get that degree, huh? Because there's no way in hell you got it on skill alone! You sure it was Harvard College you went to, and not the butcher shop in Harvard, Illinois!" Suddenly, Woods lurched forward and wrapped his spindly fingers around Rose's wrist and gripped it excruciatingly tight. A tremor of fear coursed through Rose's body. She recognized that look in Woods face. It was the same look of blind fury her stepfather had just before he'd grab that leather strap he kept behind the kitchen door and beat her until her flesh ripped open. But Rose wouldn't let this sorry excuse for an officer, doctor and man get the best of her. Her blazing, brown eyes glared up at the jackass with every ounce of hatred and strength she had. "Remove your hand, sir." she ordered forcefully. "Or what?" Woods inquired with a deranged smirk on his narrow and unattractive face. "You may be able to pull rank on me Captain," Rose said deathly calm voice that could have made Hitler balk. "But I have the gender card and a hell of a lot of burly MPs who won't hesitate to beat your scrawny ass the moment I scream." Woods glared at her a few more seconds. She was right, he didn't want to admit it, but fear suddenly gripped what little bit of a heart he did have. He knew the Lieutenant was popular amongst the staff and the MP's were indeed very well qualified for their duties. He let go, but leaned in much too close towards Rose's face. "This isn't over." he threatened, breathing heavily onto her cheeks and nose. He was trying to scare her, but his melodramatic attempt to frighten her into submission did the opposite. An almost satanic smile formed on Rose's bow shaped lips. "Well, at least you got one thing right." she leaned in and whispered dangerously, her eyes giving him a look that said 'I will eat you alive'. Woods eyes grew in circumference and he took a breath in like he was about to speak again, but another doctor stepped through the curtain, making Woods jump back from the nurse. Rose crossed her arms over her chest and looked over at Major Fitch. Rose liked the curly-haired Texan. He was a big, broad-shouldered man who wore thin, silver rimmed glasses over his soft, gentle eyes. Before the Army, he was a pediatrician, which fit him perfectly. The two often had long, in-depth chats about child development and shared stories about former students and patients. He was also the Executive Officer of their mobile medical unit. The Major and Rose's eyes met and he immediately picked up on her discomfort, even though she didn't show it one bit. "Martin…" he said to Woods in a seemingly pleasant and calm manner, but there was a commanding undertone as he removed his surgical mask. "They've got fresh, hot food down in the kitchen. Better get down there before it's all gone." Woods pursed his lips and didn't move for several moments, almost like he didn't want to admit he was the one who needed to leave. The tension in the small, curtained off section of the room was so thick it was almost suffocating. Rose felt like she was in the middle of a hostage situation with an armed man. Would Woods stand down and leave, or would he go ballistic and lash out at the two officers. Rose's eyes flickered pack and forth between Woods and Fitch, who just stood there emotionless and as unmoving as a boulder. Finally, Woods nodded to Fitch. "Yes, sir." he said, with a hint of malevolent sarcasm. "Thank you for letting me know, sir." He acted as if Rose wasn't even there as he turned around and stomped out the door. "Ya'all save some for me, ya hear!" Fitch called out after him. Once Woods was gone, Rose couldn't stop a sigh of relief from escaping her lips as she tried kneading the dull, heavy ache of exhaustion out her eyes with her fingertips. Rose suddenly felt like there was some force weighing down on her weak and fatigued body. That little tryst with Woods had taken the rest of what little energy she had left. Perhaps it was the gravity of the situation she was in pressing down on her shoulders like she was carrying two bags of feed on them. Rose had enough stress in her life at the moment without adding this whole ordeal to that stress. Rose was probably facing charges of everything Woods could possibly think of. "You alright there, Rosemary?" Fitch asked and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Rose's face shot up and met his kind eyes, realizing he saw right through the facade she was wearing. Rose hated appearing weak in front of other people, especially in front of her comrades and even more so in front of her superiors. Arnold Fitch was a very kind and comforting man, it came with the territory of pediatrics. But for some outlandish reason, Rose got it in her head that he would lose respect for her by appearing so feeble. Dick was the only person, besides her grandmother, who'd ever witnessed her resolve falter enough for tears in her adult life. Rose looked at him for a few moments before she shot him a weak smile and nodded. "I'm fine, sir." she assured him, trying to be convincing. He didn't notice Rose unconsciously rubbing her sore wrist. Fitch gave her arm a reassuring squeeze before he dropped his hand. He knew not to pursue the matter with the young and bright Lieutenant; she had too much dignity to admit if Woods had scared her. The respect Rose had for the man went both ways. Fitch liked her tenacity and spunk, as well as her common sense and composure. The Major crossed his arms over his chest and he cocked his head side and smirked. "You sure created quite stir in there, little lady." Rose's jaw dropped and a look like her students used to get when they were caught red-handed doing something naughty found its way to her face. Rose hadn't realized the Major had been in there and witnessed her blatant example of insubordination. "Sir, I…I can explain…the Captain…the patient had a severed…" Rose tried to speak, but her word only came out in jumbled phrases. "What was it you called him?" Fitch suddenly interrupted with a wily smile on his face. "A horse-faced son-of-a-bitch?" Rose's mouth snapped shut, realizing what he was doing. Woods wasn't very well like by anybody, including the Major. The concern she had about any impeding punishment lessened significantly. She tried to hide the bashful smile on her face by ducking her head down and gluing her eyes to her feet. "I believe it was an arrogant, horse-faced, stringy son-of-a-bitch, sir." She corrected quietly. "Ah," he smiled and snapped his fingers. "That's right. I'm gonna hafta write that one down." Rose chuckled softly and lifted her eyes back up to meet Fitch's jolly, umber orbs. She took another calming breath and she finally seemed to be able to calm herself down enough to speak in coherent sentences. "Sir, my actions in there were completely deplorable as an officer and I should be reprimanded, but…" Rose started off sounding formal with shoulders back as she was trained to as an officer, but then her voice softened like she was confiding in a friend. "He was just letting that boy die…and I couldn't stand there…" The Major shook his head and held up his hand, silencing the Lieutenant. Rose didn't know it, but Fitch had been standing outside listening to everything that had been said between the Captain and the former school teacher. He had almost stepped in and stopped Woods from yelling at her, but when he heard Rose's voice cut in, he just stood there and listened with a smile on his face while the petite nurse tore into the man like a scrappy, little Terrier dog fighting off a varmint. When things went deathly silent, that's when Fitch got worried and stepped in. "Darlin', you don't need to explain yourself." he said. "You did what you felt was right and I was damn proud of you. That boy ain't outta the woods yet, but you'd a been fixing him up with a toe tag if it hadn't a been for you takin' the bull by the horns and showin' tha' yeller-belled coward a thing or two" Rose felt a lump rise in her throat and she had to hold back the urge to hug the sweet man's massive frame. Rose had been responsible for hundreds of soldiers getting a second chance at life, but it had been a long time since she'd been reminded how important and beautiful something like that was. "Thank you, sir." She croaked, suddenly fighting the urge to cry. Fitch gave her another encouraging smile before he turned away towards the sink to start scrubbing up so he could return to the OR. "You go get yourself some sack time, Lieutenant." he ordered her, but in a caring, warm way. "You've had a long day." "Yes, sir." Rose nodded. Rose left the room and went out in the hallway. Soldiers with lesser wounds were lined up along the walls being treated. A private with a mop slopped up the blood from the floors. Even though the school was filled with hundreds of people, it was as silent as a tomb. No one talked and people walked like they would get yelled at if their steps made too much noise. It was almost unnerving just how quiet everything was. Not an hour ago, the whole building was full of shouting doctors and nurses and moaning infantry men. Rose wanted nothing more than to heed Fitch's words and head right for her soft mattress with warm blankets, but there were just too many things for her to do. Instead of heading up the stairs to the dormitories, she veered left and headed for the Recovery Ward. As much as her tired feet and aching eyes protested, the Chief Nurse would never be able to do something as selfish as sleeping when the other nurses were still working on so many patients. Just before Rose stepped into the overcrowded room, she happened to glance out one of the several large windows that lined the west wall of the hallway almost floor to ceiling. She paused, and crossed her arm loosely around her middle. The late afternoon sky was yet again heavy with thick clouds and only the dim, gray glow above the tree line in the distance made the time of day discernable. Rose brought right hand up and she pressed it against the window, the frost covered pane burning her fingertips with its coldness. It was getting increasingly colder outside and even though Rose had been only been out of the school a few times, she'd returned nearly frozen every time. But whenever she held her hands next to the roaring fireplace, a pang of guilt rippled through her chest down to her stomach. She thought of all the poor souls stuck out in the frigid weather not allowed to even start a fire. Suddenly, all of Rose's problems seemed so insignificant. Her feet were sore and probably swollen, but at least she didn't have trench foot. She was in a warm building with food that, even though wasn't very good, as at least in good supply, and Woods was now her mortal enemy, but he wasn't a German hiding behind a tree with a rifle and orders to shoot her dead. Rose took her hand off the window and it fell against her collar bone. A sigh escaped her chest as she starred longingly out in the distance. Rose hadn't heard anymore news about Bastogne, but she'd been so busy maybe she'd missed it. Rose hated the heavy feeling in her heart. She now knew how all the wives felt back home, waiting in fear, watching the reports, wondering if their husband's were involved in the bloody battles they heard about, and if they were still alive. But Rose wasn't married to the subject of all her distress. God forbid, but if something did happen to Dick, Rose would probably never know. But then again, maybe it was a good thing if she never found out his fate. He would forever be the dashing Captain from Paris with a soft touch and gentle eyes. The man who made her do and feel things she never thought herself capable of, and who's arms she fell asleep in after doing those things. Dick would always be in her heart and memory as perfect as he was. Rose refused to imagine him as just another dead, frozen soldier, lying face down in the snow. Tears prickled Rose's coffee-colored eyes and she felt her throat painfully constrict, but she quickly pushed her feelings back down in the depths of her soul, where her love for Dick resided. She sniffed back her emotion induced runny nose and gave the rapidly darkening landscape one last look before she turned and headed into another long, grind of healing and comforting sad, wounded, men who, like Rose, only wanted to be with their loved ones. * * * Well, there you go. I'd love to tell you what's going to happen next, but what fun would that be? However, because I love you guys so much, I'll give you a little inside information… Rose and Woods have some unfinished business to settle, obviously. Meanwhile in Bastogne, Dick continues to fight behind the lines to keep his men alive while under siege, and he discovers one of his men has a secret…a secret he can relate to. Please review and honestly, don't be afraid to offer up some constructive criticism if you feel the need. If things aren't up to par, I want to know so I can make improvements. Thank you so much for reading! 12. Chapter 12 We're Not in Paris Anymore Hello, hello, hello! I cannot even begin to express how sorry I am about seemingly disappearing from the face of the earth for the last few months. I just can't believe it's the end of November already. This fall has flown by so fast. Believe me, I've been trying to work on this, but with school starting up again and getting settled into a new place, I've spent many nights staring at a blinking curser, trying to find what little creative energy I have left after writing papers and completing endless art assignments. Plus, it was really hard to write about frostbite and snow when it's 80 degrees in October… Thankfully, the end the semester is near and I will have an entire free month to write to my heart's content. On a random and personal note, it was a year ago right now I saw Band of Brothers for the first time. I can't believe I've come this far with this story since I first got the idea. So here it is, enjoy and a Happy Thanksgiving! * * * Dick wished the wind would blow. Just a little bit of a breeze every now and then… Yes, it would make it colder…dear god, just the thought of that sharp air slicing through the many layers of wool and 'windproof' cotton covering his already shivering body made his bones ache. It would be downright miserable, more so than it already was, but he'd take the frigid wind over the eerie, unnerving disquiet of the frozen landscape. When the Kraut's weren't shelling the hell out of the them, there was nothing besides the occasional pop-pop-pop of a distant rifle, the ground rattling boom of a random shelling, or the intermittent hacky _whoop-ah_ of a trooper coughing up a lung, that kept his ears from hearing, or supposedly hearing, every little thing around him. Every few seconds a twig snapped, or a dead leaf still clinging to a skeletal branch of a rare broad leaf sapling in the sea of evergreens was rattled by some invisible specter, or the sound of snow crunching beneath non-existent boots echoed off the tree trunks around his foxhole. It seemed those unnerving sounds, either real or materialized in an overactive imagination, met the soldier's hyper-sensitive ears every other minute. _Click-crack-swish_ Dick stopped breathing and his heart even seemed to pause it's beating for a moment. His stiff, gloved fingers tightened around the cold, wood stock of the M1 cradled readily in his arms. Dick's green hued eyes calmly, but rapidly, searched the lifeless, dreary landscape for signs of a supposedly encroaching enemy, but nothing caught his immediate attention, even as he squinted harder into the distant fog looming lazily in and around the gray, snow-frosted trees. He swallowed the rising lump in his throat and his eyes flickered back to the right, to the left, over to that large clump of scrubby brush, and back to the right again, but still they detected nothing out of the ordinary. Dick finally relinquished his futile search and sighed. He squeezed his eyes closed as if trying to reset his tumultuous thoughts and attempted to relax his painfully tense muscles. He pursed his colorless, chapped lips as he internally cursed his unfounded, stupid, and annoying paranoia. They'd finally seemed to have patched up the holes in their line for the time being. A Kraut would have to sneak by several OPs, a vast array of manned foxholes and Easy's CP before they made it to Dick's foxhole, so the fact that he was still jumpy infuriated him to no end. Searching for an enemy he knew wasn't there was about driving him insane. That's why he wanted the wind to blow. He needed something to account for his madness, a gust of skin burning wind, a flutter bird wings, hell, at this point, he'd even settle for another wayward, unarmed, German infantryman heeding nature's call. Dick squeezed his eyes shut for a second and shook his head as if loosening the icicles from his cold, stiff mind. The Captain needed to ignore those ominous noises. He needed to stay sharp, stay focused on patrol orders, TO and E's, casualty reports, enemy movements-all the things that encompassed his battalion duties. Then again, it seemed when he wasn't being overly paranoid, his mind fogged over with thoughts of warm food, roaring fires and a brunette beauty named Rose… All of a sudden, the sounds of crunching snow met his ears for real. Dick's senses went on high alert and once again his hands tightened around the familiar firearm that had become an extension of his body since his time in combat. His head whipped around to the direction of the obtruding sounds and his eyes focused on the approaching figure. However, his body and mind relaxed as soon as he recognized that familiar gait of his best friend. "Dick…" Lewis Nixon's raspy voice called out before being interrupted by a string of hacky coughs. Dick shifted his rifle to the other arm as he watched his fellow officer settle down into his foxhole. "You okay?" he asked as Lewis dug out his canteen from behind his back and took a sip to quell the minor attack. Dick was tempted to inquire about the actual contents of that metal vessel, but he decided ignorance was bliss. "Ah-hem!" Lewis let out an exaggerated final cough as he cleared his throat. "Yah…I'm fine...can't get rid of me that easily" He took another sip of his canteen. That familiar, satisfied grimace crossed Lewis's face and confirmed Dick's suspicions. A tiny smile pulled at the corner of his lips and he eyed his friend for a moment before looking away, shaking his head. Dick had been wondering all week if his friend had been able to gather the essentials before pulling out of Mourmelon, he should have known better than to think otherwise. Nothing, including Hitler's surprise offensive, could keep Lewis Nixon from his beloved blended whiskey. Dick stuffed his painfully numb hands further underneath his armpits where one would expect to find some form of warmth. "What's up?" he asked before burrowing his chin down into the saving grace of his scarf. Lewis's canteen scraped and rattled as his gloved fingers clumsily screwed the lid back on. "You're not going to like it…" Lew's gravelly voice said as he reached around his back, returning his stash to its proper place. "They want some reconnaissance patrols sent out…" he continued, heading Dick's inquisitive stare. "find the German lines…see what they're up to…" Lewis was right, Dick didn't like it. Those damned patrols, though necessary to their defense, cost more in supplies and casualties than they were worth. The men hardly had enough ammo to go around to each man, let alone be able to productively engage and fend off the enemy. Unfortunately, that was just the nature of the beast called war. Dick had every confidence in the men. They were tough and they were smart. He knew what they'd been through and how they worked together. He only wished he could say the same thing about the people supposed to be leading those incredible men. Dog and Fox Companies seemed to be in good hands. Their commanders had their misgivings, but they were good, smart leaders for the most part. Unlike Dike, they weren't totally inexperienced and clueless. Easy's only officer with decent combat experience was Buck, however, there was something different about Lieutenant Compton. Dick couldn't put his finger on it, but the man huddled in the foxhole a few hundred feet away wasn't the same man Dick put on an ambulance in Holland. The Captain saw it right away that night back in Mourmelon. Like Dick, Buck loved a good movie. It was a popular topic of conversation between the two officers. Buck seemed to know everything about the silver screen and loved analyzing and critiquing the, more often than not, dismal selections the Army offered. So when Buck didn't jump into an enthusiastic assessment of the plotline and the actors' portrayals of the various characters, Dick knew something was up, still, it he couldn't figure out what exactly. With Buck being somewhat not entirely all there, Dick thanked god for First Sergeant Carwood Lipton. That man went far beyond his call of duty to lead and care for his men. As far as Dick was concerned, the sergeant was more qualified than half the officers in the battalion. "Who do they want?" Dick asked with a croaky voice and wiped his runny nose on his sleeve. "Everyone…whole battalion…" Lewis could see the fleeting look of discontent pass over the Captain's face. "First is still regrouping after their ass-kicking in Foy…third is going to be in your reserve, but they got the crap shelled out of them yesterday so don't count on much…" Dick sighed, shaking his head. It wasn't like 2nd Battalion was in any better condition. Both Dog and Easy had gotten hit that morning and had a some casualties evacuated into what was left of the town. However, there was no use complaining about it, somebody had to do it. It was just the way things were. Dick shifted and untangled his arms from his body so his could dig out his maps. His stiff fingers struggled to find and grasp the zipper of his jacket. In fact, his entire body could hardly move. Between the cold and sleeping in a cramped foxhole with his knees drawn up against his chest, he was stiffer than all get out. He felt like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz in need of a good oiling. "Any word on the ammo situation…" Dick's voice suddenly became very hoarse. He tried to clear it with a cough. "Or should I have the men start making bows and arrows?" he said between coughs. A hearty chuckle rumbled in Lewis's throat as he reached in his pocket for the sheet he'd scribbled Dick's patrol orders on. Dick had sure been firing off those wisecracks left and right, more so than normal. So many people couldn't understand how two seemingly opposite people could get along so well. What they didn't realize was that underneath the alcoholism, the stoic demeanor, the privileged lifestyle and the Mennonite background, Lewis and Dick were very much the same man. They understood one another and both shared many of the same ideals about war and leadership. Most importantly, they both had the same dry, sarcastic sense of humor. The two could sit around for hours and shoot the bull back and forth. Usually, Nix had the upper hand in clever remarks, but since his leave in Paris, Dick had been running laps around him. "Yah, tell 'em to get their standard issue slingshots ready…" Lewis threw in as he clumsily unfolded the brittle scrap of paper. Dick smiled, but inside he knew their situation was nothing to be joking about. Despite the fact they were gaining some ground around Bastogne, the German's hadn't backed off in even the slightest and it was only a matter of time before the boys would have to start using their rifles as clubs. Dick had given out his only full clip to Bull, telling him to disperse the measly eight rounds to his squad. They needed it more than Dick did. He kept one round in the chamber of his M-1 just so he could feel like he wasn't carrying it around for show. His pistol had a few rounds in it, but the leather of his holster was so stiff from the cold, he'd never be able to get it out quick enough if needed. However, the ability to defend themselves was the least of their problems. Dick was more concerned with the men dying of exposure. They couldn't start fires, they didn't have hardly any food, and many of the troopers had the beginnings of trench foot. If the Krauts didn't kill them, Mother Nature was going to. "What about supplies?" Dick inquired, his voice thick and raspy with congestion. Dick hoped he'd painted a grim enough picture for General McAuliffe the other morning, not that it took any embellishments. The truth of the matter was bleaker than anything a person could ever conjure up. The good general seemed to understand the ineloquent brief from a young, out-of-uniform, and under-ranked Battalion XO with lather icing up on his face. Dick thought he heard the roar of C-47s earlier that morning. "Yah, in matter of fact I did hear something about supplies…" Lewis answered, pushing his helmet back to reveal the wily glimmer in his dark eyes. Dick paused, his hand on the map he sought in the inside pocket of his jacket, and looked at Nix. "And…" the Captain prodded. "They made a successful drop this morning…" Lewis continued, but by the ominous and sarcastic tone in his voice, Dick knew the news wasn't going to be good. "too bad they were off by about five miles." Dick shook his head and laid his fist full of folded papers up on the frozen edge of his hole. Of course something like that would happen. He quickly set back to work zipping his cloths back up before anymore of his hard-earned body heat escaped. "Right now there's a whole division of Krauts learning the about the gastronomical wonders of Spam and beans…" said Lewis dryly. Dick eyed him for a few seconds with a hint of a smile in the corner of his mouth. He could imagine the Krauts sitting around a foxhole with opened cardboard boxes of K-rations scattered about, them all wondering 'how the hell are these Americans fighting the war eating this garbage?' When Dick was first introduced to the 'food' of a K-ration, he didn't believe such a tiny box could nourish a cat, let alone a grown man fighting a war. He, like many other ignorant souls, ate several helpings of the highly concentrated food after the first one he ingested just didn't seem to be enough. Just as the instructors had warned, Dick received the worst gut ache he had ever suffered in his entire life. After that, Dick never questioned what or how much of something the Army told him to put in his mouth, like those air sickness pills. He knew he didn't need them, but he took them anyway. So maybe dropping those supplies to the unbeknownst German's wouldn't be such a horrible logistical mistake. Dick sighed and peered around the frosty landscape, his soldier sense checking to make sure there wasn't a company of German's flanking them, before he hauled his stiff and sore body up out of the his hole. He had to get up and get his limps moving and blood flowing before they snapped off like frozen hotdogs. Up from the protection of the frozen dirt, he got his wind he was looking for. It burned his skin like a slap in the face. The trooper turned back to the man still hunkered down in his hole and lent him a hand. Lewis looked at up at the redheaded Captain for a second before grasping it. "Where we goin'?" he asked as Dick hauled him up into a standing position. "Easy's CP…you can brief Dike yourself." Dick slung his rifle over his shoulder with a hint of a sly smile and gathered his maps. "Oh thanks…" Lewis grumbled sarcastically. "You mean if he's actually there…" Dick couldn't help but chuckle. Lewis couldn't stand Dike, and unlike everyone else, he made no effort to hide his disdain for the man. As much as Lewis hated the hierarchy of rank, he sure loved pulling it on the Lieutenant. Dick thought it was kind of funny. Both men came from incredibly similar backgrounds and one would have thought the two would have gotten along famously, but they didn't, not by a long shot. Dick stamped the numbness out of his feet and the two officers set out for Foxhole Norman's lair. According to Dick's watch, it was around noon, but the constant mist made the time of day hardly discernable. "Goddamnit…" Lewis swore as the needle-like wind made his entire body jerk like it had hit a wall. "Yah know…never thought I'd miss those shot-to-hell tin cans they stuffed us in… " he blew into his frozen hands. "The damn planes were at least warm when they were on fire…" Dick looked down at his frigid friend as he adjusted his thin scarf tighter around his neck and smirked. It seemed decades ago since their last jump in Holland. When Dick joined the paratroopers, the recruiters painted a very heroic, dramatic and unrealistic picture of what this elite unit really did. He imagined every other day they'd be flying in over the battlefields and relieve the battered and desperate infantry men in their most desperate hour of need. Dick and his men would float down and a sad soldier would lift his heavy helmet and feel his heart soar as those angle-like paratroopers landed gracefully on their feet, slung up their weapon and ran into battle. Never missing a beat, they'd save the day; just like in the movies. It didn't take long before the young, naive officer learned the truth about war. It wasn't glamorous and it sure as hell wasn't a movie. Dick's eyes flickered up towards the cloudy sky, wondering if things would have been different if they would have parachuted in instead of tailgate jumping. Maybe they would have had more supplies with them because they would have been packed into every possible inch of their bodies. Then again, it would have made it the most comfortable and easy jump since his first training jump back in Toccoa. That one had been fun because he didn't have more equipment strapped to his body then what he weighed. He really did enjoy jumping because was exciting and absolutely terrifying all at the same time. His favorite thing about it was the airplane ride. Someday he'd like to ride in one without having to jump out of it, or it being shot up by flak. The Pennsylvanian's ears stained as they blocked out the crunching of the snow beneath his and Lewis's feet and listened for any possible hum of a distant C-47. Thinking about jumping made him think about heights, thinking about heights made him think of high things. One tall structure in particular popped in his head. A warm smile settled onto his lips as fond memory clouded over his eyes… _Dick gazed out on the surrounding city from the top level of the Eifel Tower. He remembered the first time he saw the iconic structure in a movie. It was so majestic and foreign looking, something everyone could recognize, but only a small portion would actually see with their own eyes. Dick never imagined he'd be one of those people. _ _He leaned into the rail and looked down tiny people milling about in the streets below like ants at a person's feet. A tiny trickle of hate and anger pulsed inside him as he imagine Hitler walking down those very same streets. However, he quickly swallowed that anger, realizing that the fact he, an American soldier on furlough, was standing there enjoying the delights of Paris. Surely that was a testament to the Allie's progress thus far. _ _Dick tried to lean further out so he could see better, but the bars where doing their job and prevented him from doing so. Dick had felt comfortable being so far away from the solid ground his entire life. When he was three years old, his mother caught him climbing up his grandfather's windmill. He made it more than half way up before his father managed to catch him and bring him down. Dick couldn't recall the event, but his father said the little strawberry-blonde boy had a grin on his face the entire time. That is until his mother got a hold of him. _ _However, no spanking could deter the determined and precocious Richard Winters. When he got in trouble before his teenage years, it was usually because his feet weren't on the ground. It was no surprise to his family when he took a job painting radio towers in college. It didn't exactly have the best working conditions, but it paid better than mowing lawns and bagging groceries. When Dick thought about it, parachuting out of an airplane and landing behind enemy lines was probably safer than dangling off those slippery, metal towers with a bucket of paint hanging on his foot and a ratty, frayed rope loosely tied around his waist. Dick had taken a couple of missteps that turned into a few, very close calls. Still, despite his close to disastrous experiments with gravity, he felt right at home in thinner air._ _The Captain turned from the edge and looked over towards his touring partner. He smiled as he witnessed an Army nurse he was very, very acquainted with cautiously peak over the edge, before she cringed and quickly turned away from the incredible view._ _Rose squeezed her eyes shut and took a shaky, not-really-all-that-calming breath and tried to make herself forget the jelly-like feeling in her knees. She didn't see the man, she was pretending not to be having less than respectable relations with, walk over and stand next to her._ "_Don't like heights, Lieutenant?" he teased._ _Rose's eyes opened at the sound of his voice and they shot over to Dick before rolling in jealous annoyance. He was coolly leaning against the railing as if it where spit rail fence along a dirt road, and not like it was several stories up in the sky. Dick also had a small, knowing smirk on his lips and she could see the mocking glimmer in his eyes._ "_No, Captain…" she said as she turned her back away from the rail and looked across the platform, though that didn't offer any more of a comforting visage than the other side. "I can't say I'm too fond of them."_ _Rose could feel the butterflies twist and jumble in her stomach and her heart race, however, she couldn't blame them that time on the handsome, sharp-dressed paratrooper standing a respectable distance from her. Rose didn't know why she was afraid of heights. They messed with her equilibrium and anything more than a few stories gave her vertigo._ _Dick turned his head and looked back over the city. _ "_Oh, this is nothing…" He casually shrugged a shoulder, his sly smirk subtly growing, making his eyes sparkle merrily._ _Rose looked at him, only turning her head far enough for her eyes to see him and not the edge that she was surely going to plunge to her death over, and gave him a nasty glare. Rose had two older brothers, she knew when she was being made fun of._ "_Not everyone lists 'jumping deliberately and willingly out of an airplane' on their resume, sir." she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest._ _Dick chuckled and flashed her a toothy smile as he straightened up his body so his comfortable posture wasn't perhaps so offending towards the uneasy Lieutenant. He took a few steps closer, not only unable to resist the urge to protect, but to continue to playfully pester Rose. _ "_Jumping's the easy part…" he said with a mischievous tone in his husky voice as his hands settled on the iron rail. "it's the landing that'll get yah…"_ _Rose narrowed her eyes and her lips formed into an annoyed pout. The Captain continued to calmly gaze out on to the landscape, but she could see that sparkle in his eyes. He was still laughing at her inside. The determined, rebellious young girl Rose had not known for years started to bubble up inside of her. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew against her body making wisps of hair flutter about her face and her knee caps quiver. Despite the fear frenziedly surging around inside her body, Rose couldn't back down from the challenge those blue-green were giving her. _ _Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath before forcing herself to do an about-face and join Dick at the rail. Dick turned his head when he noticed her presence, but he didn't say a word. Rose's knuckles were deathly white clutched as she tightly gripped the rail. He could hear her irregular breathing and see out of the corner of his eye her flared nostrils and set jaw as she faced her fears._ _Damn, Dick thought. Every minute that he spent with this woman, she managed to amaze and impress him even more. Suddenly, a jolt of excitement and anticipation shot through his chest. They still had one more night together. He wished for a moment that the day would hurry up and get over with so he could take her back to the hotel, but he quickly scolded himself for his lustful thoughts. They didn't have much time left together, so he better treasure every single second and not hurry it along._ _Dick turned around and looked about the tower platform. It wasn't as crowded anymore and the people that were around where busy gawking at the view and had their backs to the surreptitious lovers. Dick sneakily inched closer to the woman he was yearning for. Still internally fighting her demons, Rose didn't notice his covert movements until she felt a warm, calloused hand slide over her tightly clenched one. Rose snapped out of her self-imposed trance. She looked down at his hand that softly stroked the back of hers with his thumb. Her first reaction was to pull it away in fear of being seen, but one look in his eyes vanquished any of those worries. She knew he wouldn't do something so obvious unless it was safe, she trusted Dick._ _A different type of butterflies, the good kind, started fluttering in her stomach as she loosed her vice-like grip on the rail and allowed him to intertwine his fingers in hers. Dick smiled as he looked into her beautiful face and watched her worrisome appearance slowly fade into that of contentment. _ "Jesus, Dick!" Lewis Nixon's voice brought the Captain back to the cold, harsh reality. Dick shook the pleasant cobwebs of Paris out of his head and looked down to see Lewis's gloved hand grasping the sleeve of his fatigue jacket. They'd walked nearly fifty yards from Dick's foxhole, but the XO didn't recall a single second of the journey. "I just saved you life…" Lewis declared and let go of Dick's arm. "You almost ran into that tree…" "Oh…" Dick looked at the perpetrating evergreen next to him and pursed his lips. "I uh…I guess I wasn't paying attention…" His voice trailed off and he nervously scratched the corner of his eye as he looked around the area, hoping nobody had see his near calamity. Lewis gave the man a funny look from under his dark, thick eyebrows and nodded. That strange and unexplainable feeling he'd had in the back of his mind since Dick had returned seemed to quiver. Under different circumstances, he would have interrogated his friend further, but Lewis just chalked Dick's inattentiveness up to the stresses of the siege. Hell, it would have been strange not to be preoccupied in this hell. He gave the still flummoxed looking Captain another glance before turning back to their surroundings and the infinite maze of foxholes and trees around them. They had a busy day ahead of them and there'd be time to mock Dick's clumsiness later. "Where the hell is Dike's hole anyway..." 13. Chapter 13 No Rest for the Weary "That is right boys, you will fail. Give up, go home, go back to you family and embrace the mighty greatness that is the Nazi empire…" a silky, seductive voice of a female with a German accent said over the rosewood veneered radio that someone had found in the school somewhere. A small group of women congregated around the small box. Some were sitting on the floor, a few perched themselves on the various couches and ottomans that surrounded the blazing fire place in the commons room of the dormitory. They all had the same appearance; all looked hollow, lifeless, and ready to fall asleep at any moment. The sultry fraulein went on to talk about how the Allied commanders were abandoning them and that the Jews were ruining the world. "Dorothy, will you turn that nonsense off." Rita, a short, husky butcher's daughter from the Bronx, ordered the nurse closest to the box. Dorothy Miller, a petite woman with mousey brown, curly hair and big, blue eyes pushed her thin, silver glasses back up her long nose and shot the short, squat nurse a look. "Aw, come on Rita, the tunes should be coming on soon." She whined. "You're wasting the batteries." Rita stated matter-of-factly. "What's the point of having the gosh-darn thing if we never get to use it?" another nurse piped up. The group of females went on to argue about the status of the power switch for several minutes, the snarky comments getting quite heated at times. The trivial argument was just yet another typical occurrence in an over-worked, overly-tired, and over-stressed group of women. Whenever their current situation was stressful, they always resorted to petty squabbles and pointless bickering over the most insignificant problems. It seemed as though the females were looking for any excuse to relive their pent up stress by snapping at each other and disputing every little decision. The great debate of the radio had been reduced to insulting one another's taste in music and amount of peroxide used on their roots. The superior officer in the room probably should have intervened before the nails came out, but she was tucked under a warm, wool blanket on a cushioned window seat, staring blankly out onto the snow blanketed city, her mind hundreds of miles away. The previous day had been another grueling, nineteen hour grind and it was really the first significant break Rose had taken since arriving to Verviers. There hadn't been as many wounded brought in, but now there was more patients tucked away in every corner of the school, filling the hospital far beyond their capacity. It took twice as long to get around to every patient and by the time everyone had been fed, given morphine, IV's changed, charts checked, and offered a bit comforting, it was time to start all over again. As far as anyone knew, the Germans were still pushing west like an armored tidal wave, destroying everyone in its path. With every hour that went by, Rose swore the shelling got closer and closer. Another indication of how close the Krauts were getting were the wounded men themselves. The worse the injuries and the more that had those severe injuries meant the closer the line. Those with spurting arteries and head traumas would never had survived that long if the line wasn't so close. Even Rose was starting to get a bit nervous. There was no conceivable way they could pack up and skedaddle out of there fast enough if the Germans suddenly surged forward. She was always on her toes and prohibited the nurses from unpacking any of their personal item. Anything they used, went right back in their packs. As tempting as it was to fill the carved oak bureaus with their clothes and place their hair brushes on the vanity, Rose wanted them to be able to grab one thing and go in case of an evacuation. However, news that Patton had turned his tanks around and were heading north had made its way to Rose's ears. She prayed to God the good general would make it to Bastogne in time before the tidal wave overtook the island of paratroopers. Knowing that reinforcements were on their way helped everyone's moral a little bit, but they couldn't stand around waiting for help. There was so much to do and there were only so many people and time to do it all in. However, Rose could handle the stress of an encroaching enemy. What she couldn't handle were all the looks, whispers and uneasy tension floating around the premises since the incident in the OR. It never ceased to amaze Rose just how fast stories could travel and be embellished in the matter of a day. They spread faster than the chickenpox in a one room school house. Every breathing creature right down to the mouse scuttling around the base boards knew about her little confrontation with Captain Woods. According to the latest account, she'd performed open heart surgery on a Colonel after knocking Woods over the head with a gas tank. Corporal Flint had taken to calling her Nurse Ballbuster and the other surgeons seemed to be extra diligent and overly cautious while she was around, as if she was the Surgeon General looking over their shoulder. Some people offered their praises to Rose for her valor and quick thinking, which the Lieutenant took with a shy smile and a weak nod of a thank you, but most just avoided her all together. Quite frankly, Rose preferred the latter. She hadn't done what she'd done for the attention; she'd done it for that poor boy's life, which was still hardly hanging on by a thread. However, people repelling away from her like the opposite end of a magnet was starting to get old. Fortunately, the Lieutenant hadn't had any further encounters with her favorite physician. She'd noticed him once from afar in the hallway outside of the supply room, but if he'd seen her as well, he didn't show it, and Rose was thankful for that. She had a feeling that Fitch had found a way to keep the now enemies as least likely to bump into one another as possible. Woods hadn't stepped foot in the OR all day. Captain Narverson had yet to even acknowledge that anything had happened the other day. In fact, she seemed to be avoiding Rose as much as humanly possible as well; but that was the way June was. She avoided sticky situations like the plague. She hardly ever took a side on anything because of fear of being disliked by the opposing party. A sworn bipartisan, if she were a country she'd be Switzerland. On the other hand, Mildred wasn't afraid to look at Rose with smug, knowing smile, like she knew something about Rose's impending doom. Maybe Rose was going to be transferred out of the unit, demoted to cleaning bed pans at some measly, rat hole of a hospital for the rest of the war. Lt. Clarke would have liked nothing more than to get rid of Rose, and perhaps she just might get her wish. Rose was surprised the woman hadn't taken her punishment into her own hands already. The school teacher let out a long, weary sigh and let her head fall back against the ornately carved wood work behind her. She was so tired, and yet it was only the second, or was it the third, day of this fiasco. It was so unlike her to be burned out already. Back in Normandy, Rose had gone two straight weeks of nonstop work in conditions far from as comfortable as their current one and she never felt as exhausted as this. But then again, that was a long time ago and so much had happened since then. Maybe she was getting old. Maybe she'd lost her enthusiasm she had back then. Maybe she was just plain wearing out; simple as that. The flickering firelight danced on her features, bringing out the golden hues of her neglected and hasty pulled back hair. Rose's vision grew blurry and soon her eyes fluttered shut. The blissful heaviness of sleep weighed down on her soul. She snuggled deeper within her warm cocoon and welcomed the eminent slumber and it didn't take long for a familiar place to fill her dreams… "_Dick, did you want to go find something for dinner?" Rose called softly from the bathroom._ _Rose combed a few stray strands of hair back into their place in her neatly done chignon in front of the mirror. Annie had been trying to convince her for months to cut her brown locks so she didn't have to bother with putting them up all the time, but Rose's hair wasn't curly like Annie's and she certainly didn't have time to fool around with curlers. That's was her excuse, but it was really because when she was a little girl, her grandmother always cut her hair short because it was always tangled and Rose wouldn't let anyone brush out the painful mess. When Rose finally grew out of her total, wild, tomboy stage, she grew out her hair and ever since then had been protective of its length. Rose would continue to pin it up, no matter what the fashion was._ "_Dick?" she asked again when no answer came from the other room._ _She gave herself a tiny, harmless narcissistic smile in the mirror before she headed out in to the bedroom._ "_I mean, as good as that hotdog was, I wouldn't mind something a bit more sophisticated." She lightheartedly stated as she stepped out into the bedroom. Her eyes were focus down on the waist band as she smoothed the wrinkles of her blouse back underneath her wool skirt with her fingers. "We are in Paris aft…" her words were immediately stifled when she looked up._ _He had dozed off..._ _Rose covered her mouth with the palm of her hand to hold a laugh that wanted desperately to escape her throat. No wonder he hadn't answered her. Her hand moved to the side of her face and she wrapped her other arm around herself as she smiled warmly down on the napping soldier. _ _She really couldn't blame him; they'd had a long day walking around the city with little sleep the night before. It was late in the afternoon and the December sun was hanging just above the horizon of cityscape, making dark, languid shadows spread throughout the city and into the room. The two tourists had parted ways around the corner from the hotel, but not before Rose slipped him her spare room key. Dick later returned and entered Rose's room as if it were his, raising no suspicions to the two Marines down the hall. The two shared a brief, but very tender, greeting before Rose retreated to the bathroom. She hadn't been in there long, but apparently he'd made himself right at home in that time._ _The paratrooper was lying on the side bed with his long legs crossed at his ankles. He'd removed his meticulously polished jump boots and placed them squarely on the floor beneath the bed just like he'd been trained in OCS. His shoulders were propped up against a pile of pillows and his head tilted to the side ever so slightly as it rested against the wooden headboard. His face looked so soft and unperturbed with his eyelids gently resting over those blue-green eyes and his lips relaxed and parted in slumber. His weathered face was free of all his worries and fears of everything, making him appear years younger, making him appear his actual age. _ _He looked so peaceful, it made Rose forget that he was in charge of getting hundreds of young men back home to their families, that he been inches from death nearly every day since June, and that he'd killed people. She was seeing the Dick Winters before a rank preceded his name. _ _He'd apparently learned his lesson from the previous night. His jacket and blouse were hung neatly on a hanger in the wardrobe. Dick's right hand laid across his white t-shirt clad chest and between his hand and the white cotton was a forgotten newspaper. It looked as though he'd fallen asleep mid-sentence. A fond, but slightly sad, smile softened her face. The sight reminded her of her family and place called home; a place so far away in both distance and time. _ _The amazing ability to fall asleep at a moment's notice seemed to be a Beyer family trait, a trait that only seemed to affect the male members. In fact, when Rose thought about it, the married ones seemed to be the most afflicted. If Rose's grandfather or older brother sat in any sort of cushioned seat with the intention to read the new farm journal cover to cover with a fresh cup of steaming coffee within an arm's reach, they'd be dead to the world with the literature sliding to the floor in less than five minutes._ _Rose's stocking encased feet silently crept across the hardwood floor closer to his sleeping form. She didn't want to disturb him, but she couldn't resist the urge to be closer to his body. She just stood there next to the bed, somewhat hovering over him at the bedside. With every second she watched his strong, immaculately toned chest rise and fall, the faster her heart pumped heated blood through her veins. Knowing her legs were going to give out on her anyway, Rose gently eased her bottom on to the edge of the soft bed. It shifted slightly under her weight. She half expected him to open those soft blue eyes of his, but her movement didn't seem to disturb Dick's siesta. _ _Rose sat there completely still and studied every single detail of Dick's noble face. Every faded freckle on his fair skin, the bump on his cheek bone near is his ear, the way the five o'clock shadow framed his mouth, his strawberry blonde eyelashes resting on his cheeks, and the strand of hair that had fallen out of place and curled against his relaxed forehead. She admired the shape of his chin and the crease in his lower lip, her heart fluttering as she recalled how those lips felt against hers. She leaned in a little bit closer, placing her hand on the other side of him next to his hip to prop herself up. Rose could see the various imperfections of his face, the small scars and faint lines around his eyes and mouth. Some were newer than others. Every one of them told a story and they made him look experienced and rugged. _ _Her eyes narrowed as she intently studied the bump on the side of his nose. She'd noticed it before, but hadn't realized just how crooked his entire nose was. When the light from the glowing lamp hit his face just right, it was quite obvious that it had been broken some time in his past. The nurse in Rose couldn't resist the urge to reach up and examine it. She brought up her free hand to his still face._ "_Didn't they teach you anything about stealth in Basic?" his deep, rumbling voice suddenly said softly, startling Rose and making her pull her hand back like a child who'd been caught about to touch a priceless antique in a museum._ _Dick's eyes slowly opened and captured hers in their intoxicating gaze. Dick breathed in a deep, satisfied sigh and smiled a leisurely, warm smile up towards the inquisitive, guilty looking woman above him. Rose closed his eyes for a second to collect herself and when she opened them, she tried to shoot him a scolding glare for scaring her like that, but she couldn't hide the smile on her lips no matter how much she twisted them down in a frown. Dick chuckled again at the funny face he assumed was an attempt to give him a dirty look. He shifted his hips over so she could sit more solidly on the side of the bed._ "_Didn't they teach you to be alert at all times?" Rose shot back._ _Dick softly snorted and smiled as he stretched his limps, causing the paper filled with American headlines about various celebrities, sports scores, a vague military reports to flutter to the side of the bed. Rose soon discovered his stretch had ulterior movements as his hand slipped over her leg and rested on her outer thigh. _ "_I knew where you were the entire time." He told her smugly as he closed his eyes and settled his head back against the pillows, wiggling his shoulders deeper in to the soft down._ _Rose smiled and rolled her eyes. _ "_That so?" she cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. _ "_Yup." He replied without opening his eyes._ _Rose knew he hadn't heard a single word she'd said. She thought about thoroughly ridiculing Captain Attentive, but she decided she'd let it slide. Rose pushed her lower half up from the bed and climbed over the top of him to his other side. Dick opened his eyes and lifted his arm so she could settle herself in and wrapped it around the nurse's shoulders._ "_Anything interesting in that?" she motioned to the newspaper still precariously balancing on the edge of the bed with a nod._ "_Nope…" he answered as his held it up and scanned it with impassive eyes and sighed. "did put me to sleep after all."_ _He put the paper down on the floor before he turned his head and smiled down in to Rose's soft face. Her long eyelashes framed her glowing eyes as she returned the smile. He leaned down and nuzzled against her hair before placing a soft kiss against her temple. With Rose's warm body cuddled comfortably against his, it was now twice as hard to resist the heaviness of his eye lids. The Captain gave in and nestled his head back against the pillow._ _Rose could feel herself being pulled into the same sleepy, bliss, but, unlike her partner in crime, she wasn't ready to surrender to it. Once again, the nurse found herself studying his crooked nose. It didn't look quite as apparent from her current point of view, but she could still see the slight rise of healed cartilage. _ "_Dick?" she said his name with a soft, inquisitive tone._ "_Hmmm?" he replied with a rumble in his chest._ "_How did you break your nose?"_ _Dick opened his and turned his head towards her with a brow raised and stared down at her for a few moments._ "_I mean…" Rose tried to justify her random question. "I just noticed it...well, it when I looked at it close…it's not that bad…" She backtracked, fearing that he may be self-conscience about his misshapen feature._ _However, he only looked at her bashful face for a moment with a bemused smile. Rose just shrugged innocently, making him chuckle. He knew she couldn't help her curiosity. It was a valid question after all. A question he'd been asked by more than a few people. He told them he'd broken it playing basketball in high school, but that was a fib, an innocent white lie that hid his comrades from the less than honorable truth, which the Captain was honestly quite embarrassed of. He opened his mouth, posed to repeat his fabricated story he'd perfected telling with a straight face…however, something stopped him. He looked at the woman resting on his shoulder and pressed his lips together. It didn't feel right lying to her._ "_Well…" Dick softy grunted as he repositioned his body so he could look at her without having to crane his neck._ "_You didn't step on a rake, did you?" Rose teased as she leaned up and propped her head up on her elbow._ _Dick smiled and rolled his eyes a little._ "_The first time, I…" he began to say, but Rose interrupted yet again._ "_The first time?" she repeated with a mocking look of disbelief._ _He raised a brow and gave her a look, and then bobbed his head as if to say 'yah, I know, are you going to let me finish'. Rose smirked bashfully and pressed her lips tightly together, making an unsaid promise to keep them shut. Dick gazed at her for a few seconds, marveling how beautiful she looked in the soft warm glow of the lamp, and then continued._ "_Yes, the first time, I…I couldn't tell you how it happened even if I wanted to..." he told her with a sheepish grimace. He continued, prompted by Rose's quirked brow and confused eyes. "I was 16 years old and I, uh…" he cleared his throat and looked shamefully to the side. "got rip roaring drunk for the first time…and, uh, the only thing I remember is being dumped off at my parent's home holding my blood soaked shirt under my nose…."_ _Rose tried not to laugh as her jaw nearly popped out of its socket. She was expecting him to say he'd been kicked by a horse or got smacked in the face with a 2x4 on accident, something innocent and incredibly clumsy, but nothing to that degree. Nonetheless, she wasn't totally surprised. As the younger sister of two former hell raisers, Rose was no stranger to dealing with drunken teenage boys. She distinctly remembered walking out to the barn one chilly, fall morning to find both her brothers passed out in between the milk cows after a wild night at the Dover Dance Hall. Henry was sporting a fresh, steaming cow pie on his pants just above his ankles to go along with his split lip and Carlyle's black-eye turned into a lovely shiner by the next day._ "_My, not what I expected…bet you parents were darn proud…" she said with a bemused look on her face._ _Dick gave her an uneasy chuckle. "Oh yah, my mother especially…but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be…" he shrugged and squinted. "My father told me if I wanted to drink, I had to drink at home…"_ _Rose nodded, seemed like a reasonable solution. Pa shared the same ideology. He didn't mind the boys having a good time, it was the whole point of being a young and free. He always said it was best to get out the wildness before you had bills to pay and a wife to answer too. Karl just didn't like the boys being out all hours of the night, doing god knows what stupid and dangerous things. He had a strict curfew that the boys had to follow, and they did so for the most part._ "_I agreed to his conditions and…the next weekend he, uh…" Dick's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as a more intense look of shame clouded his eyes that wouldn't meet her gaze. "…well, sat there and watched me get three sheets to the wind on my neighbor's homemade wine…"_ _Rose was taken aback, her brow furrowing skeptically. He was pulling her leg now._ "_Really…" Rose questioned with an unconvinced look pinching her face to the side._ "_Oh yah," Dick nodded and exclaimed. "I couldn't believe it either. He and my uncle let my polish off four bottles of the stuff before I passed out on the porch." _ _Rose just knew there had to be a downside coming soon by the ominous undertone of Dick's voice. _ "_The, uh, next morning he woke me up at four, drove me out to my grandfather's farm and I proceeded to spend the hottest, muggiest day of the decade in a dusty field helping thresh oats…well, when I wasn't doubled over retching those four bottles up…lemme tell you, that stuff doesn't come up as easily as it goes down" he cringed, his stomach aching at just the memory of that horrible day._ "_My…" Rose softly, and slightly sarcastically, exclaimed with a chuckle. "I 'spose that would sour a man's stomach towards the stuff…"_ _Despite being from Wisconsin, Rose hardly ever drank. She hated the out of control feeling and wasn't a fan of hangovers. But the biggest reason she hardly drank was because of her stepfather and what his love of that narcotic took away from she and her brothers. _ "_Yah, well…just promise not to tell my men, got 'em all convinced I'm an innocent Quaker" he shot her a cunning smirk "…wouldn't want to ruin my reputation."_ _Rose chuckled and laid her head back down on his shoulder. Yes, wouldn't want his men to think their upstanding, saint-like commander would do something as inconceivable as being stupid drunk and come home with a broken nose he couldn't account for. Dick let his hand slide down from Rose's shoulder and let it rest on the curve of her hip. Or for that matter, know he had an illicit affair with nurse he'd met less than 24 hours ago on a street corner in Paris._ "_So what about the second time?" she asked as she drew circles on his chest with her fingertips. _ _Dick was too mesmerized by her delicate strokes that it took him a few extra seconds to realize she had asked him a question._ "_What?" Rose craned her neck up and looked in his face when he didn't answer. "Did you crash running moonshine or something?"_ "_No, not quite that exciting…" Dick shook his head and smiled. "I, uh…I got smacked in the face by a tree branch mowing a lawn."_ _Rose had to study his eyes for a few extra seconds before she believed him, but there was no lie in them._ "_Yah, I think you should make something up for that one..." she commented sarcastically as she laid her head back down._ _Dick closed his eyes and smirked and nuzzled her hair again. Suddenly, Dick wasn't tired anymore. As if sensing the sudden rise in his body temperature, or the change in his breathing, Rose lifted her head and locked eyes with him. An uncontrollable force, the same one that got them into trouble the night before, started to take over the two officers' bodies. Rose felt Dick's fingers tighten against the material of her skirt over her hip, pulling it up her leg ever so slightly. It wasn't even on purpose, and yet that little movement set her skin on fire and made every muscle in her body tingle in anticipation. As if her lips where a magnet, Dick suddenly dipped his head and captured hers, muffling Rose's moan. _ _Her hand slid across his chest and grasped the back of his head as they clumsily entangled their limbs around each other's bodies. Dick rolled over top of her and deepened his kiss as Rose arched her body against his. His fingers reached down to the front of her blouse and started popping open the acrylic buttons._ "_Dick…" she whispered against his cotton clad shoulders and he trailed kisses down her neck and she felt his knee gently nudge her inner thigh._ "Chief…" a soft female's voice suddenly interrupted Rose's blissful dream. A hand gently shook her shoulder and Rose violently jolted awake, starling the owner of that hand. The First Lieutenant's eyes, still fuzzy with sleep, searched the dim room for her red-haired lover, but instead they settled on a Dorothy Miller holding her thin, long fingered hand against her chest. "Chief, I'm sorry…" she exclaimed breathlessly. Rose closed her eyes and let a shaky sigh sink her shoulders and calm her racing heart. She checked her watch and realized it was time for their shift down in post-op anyway. "No Dorothy…" Rose tried rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, as well as to hide the blush in her cheeks from having such a provocative, vivid dream. "Don't be sorry…" The tall, spindly woman pushed her glasses back up her nose and watched her superior untangle herself from her blankets and stand up. Rose looked around the empty room and frowned. "Is everyone gone already?" she asked, wincing as she stuffed her sore, swollen feet back into the confines of her boots. She liked to get to the post-op before the rest of her nurses and handle all the little details of a shift change. It wasn't incredibly important, but Rose felt it was something she needed to do as a Chief Nurse. "Yes ma'am…" Dorothy replied. "Lieutenant Clarke came and told the rest of us to report down to the music room…they sent me back up to get you" Rose paused and looked up at the nurse, but ducked her eyes back down before Dorothy saw the irritated glare in them. The music room was where they did briefings and any other important business that needed the personal's full attention for, and which meant Rose could have been missing something important. Rose mouthed some choice words to herself with tight lips. Why the hell hadn't anyone woken her earlier? Mildred had probably saw her sleeping there and took it as a perfect opportunity to hijack her platoon of nurses and make Rose look incompetent. Rose just shook her head. As if there weren't enough thorns in her side already. She finished lacing her boots and grabbed her helmet that laid on the floor and tucked it under her arm. It was always close by incase she needed to run outside for any reason. "Well," she nodded, looking up at the tall nurse. "let's go…" Dorothy diligently followed the Chief Nurse out the door of the commons and into the hallway, Dorothy's long legs easily keeping up to Rose's hurried strides. They descended the large, wooden staircase and rushed past the maze of walking wounded meandering about the place to the large, ornate doors of the music room. Rose poised her hand over the door knob, planning to quietly sneak in, but it suddenly, the door flew opened. Both Rose and Dorothy jumped back in surprise as a flood of chatty females came out the double doors. Rose saw Annie in the mob and she reached out and snagged her friend. "Rose?" Annie exclaimed in surprise. "Where were you?" "I was sleeping…apparently someone didn't feel the need to wake me" she answered, looking sideway for a moment with a set jaw. "What was this all about?" Rose motioned her free hand to the emptying room and Annie just shrugged. "Just a briefing…Monty's managed trip up the German's a little bit, so we might be able to stick around here a little longer…" Rose felt a tiny ounce of anxiety flake off her soul. Even though she knew it was probably only temporary, knowing they were in a little less danger did lighten one's heart a little. "That's good news" she softly exclaimed hopefully, however, it didn't last long. "…what's the bad?" She'd been in the military long enough to know good news never went anywhere without it's evil twin. Annie sighed and cringed a little bit. "They're having trouble with the supply lines. We'll be sewing the boys up with shoe strings if they don't get here in the next few days…" Rose solemnly nodded and chewed her bottom lip. Things definitely were getting tight. She'd been in the supply room earlier that morning and there wasn't a sight more sickening for a medical officer than near empty crates and shelves. Rose's brown eyes skirted around for a second before looking up at Annie. "Any other news…" she asked quietly. The worry in Rose's eyes made Annie's heart grow heavy with pity for her friend. She knew exactly what sort of news Rose was searching for. "No news is good news Rose…" she replied with an apologetic, but reassuring, smile. Rose snapped her mouth closed and looked away. Annie apparently knew Rose better than she herself did. Rose wished they'd hear at least something new, but Annie was right. Bad news always spread faster than the good stuff. If Bastogne had been overtaken, they would have known by now. Rose rubbed the side of her face and peered into the music room, seeing Captain Naverson gathering up her things and preparing to leave. "Annie, will you handle the shift change? I'll be there as soon as I can." She requested, then lowered her voice. "Check on Private Butler right away, please…" Annie smiled warmly and reached out and patted Rose's arm. Rose had hardly gone two hours without walking over to that blue-eyed boy's cot. His name was Robert Butler from Mooresville, North Carolina and he was 21 years old. He had yet to remain conscious for more than a few minutes at a time and his blood pressure still remained dangerously low. Annie prayed that all the boys they treated made it, but she really, really hoped this one would. Rose needed him to make it, she needed something positive to come out of all this. "Of course, Rose…" Rose nodded thanks to the blond nurse and stepped into the music room. It was full of chairs of different sizes lined up in rows and lyres that had been pushed against the walls. Beautiful, polished violins and cellos stood in stands and a shiny, black piano, that'd had every little ditty an American might possibly know had been played on it, was shut up for the time being. Rose walked up to June and Mildred, who was standing beside the Captain and looking like she was doing something. "Ah, Lieutenant Beyer." June acknowledged pleasantly as Rose came to a stop before them. "We missed you." June Naverson looked like a fair-skinned version of Katharine Hepburn with her strong chin, high cheek bones, and blonde eyelashes. However, her personality was far from Kate's tough, steely attitude. "I apologize ma'am. I was resting and was not informed of this briefing." She managed to keep her eyes on June, but the condescending tone in her voice was too hard to suppress. It was a good thing she did too, because she didn't see Mildred's sadistic, little smirk. "Well, I'm sure you needed the extra rest." June smiled sweetly with a clasped her delicate hands together. Rose gave her a slightly uncomfortable smile in return and stood there awkwardly as the moments ticked by in complete silence. There was something June needed to tell her, but she was putting off doing so. Rose could always tell when the Captain was holding back. She acted overly polite and would stare at her as if the conversation had already happened and Rose knew exactly what she was thinking. All one could do was wait it out and eventually June would actually start talking. "Well," June finally began after several more moments. "I'm glad you're here now because there is something you need to be aware of…" June just looked at her with a smile and blinked her cat-like eyes. Rose really could have done without the grand pauses. She had places to be and work to be done. "Yes, ma'am?" she replied without sounding too impatient. She had a feeling she knew what it was about anyway and just wanted to get it over with. "I'm to inform you that Captain Woods has filed a formal complaint against you for your actions the other day…" June finally answered way too pleasantly. Rose's eyes flickered over to Mildred, who had a satisfied sneer on her pudgy, unattractive face, for a moment before dropping them down to the floor. "Yes, ma'am…" Rose's shoulders slumped as she sighed. She didn't know why it bothered her so much. She knew it was coming after all. She was actually surprised he hadn't requested a full-on letter of court martial. "Also, I will not be handling the Article 15…" June continued. Of course you wouldn't, Rose said in her head. Mildred was probably going to be the one in charge of that. She wondered what it was going to be..KP for the rest of the war, the stocks? "Captain Woods will…" June suddenly said. "As he is Chief OR surgeon and the incident did occur there. You are to report to his office at 1800 hours." Rose stared at her superior in utter confusion. It wasn't a secret that she and Charlie were friends and he'd been involved in the incident. Wasn't a third party supposed to be proctoring the procedures for something like this? Shouldn't Major Flint or even Colonel Jackson be in charge of this? Rose just didn't understand. "Is that clear?" June asked sweetly. "Yes, ma'am." Rose dutifully nodded, even though it was far from clear. "Alright then, you better get down to Post-op." the Captain clapped her hands together and nodded. Rose snapped to and saluted the woman, before turning on her heal and walking out of the music room. She shook her head and shifted her helmet to her other arm. How could they put Charlie in that position? How could he be expected to punish a good friend while at the same time remain true to military regulations? But then again, maybe it would be in her favor. Charlie knew Woods wasn't the best surgeon and that Rose had just done what she needed to. Rose didn't regret stepping in for a moment, even though that decision was causing her more distress then her already stressed body and mind needed. She was so confused, but there'd be time to figure that out later. There was a very important private she needed to check on… Well, there you are. I know it seems like things are dragging on a bit, but I'm trying to stay true to the series and there was just so much that happened during the Battle of the Bulge. I hope you will stick with me because I promise you'll understand why they had to go through all this in the end. Thank you so much for reading and I want to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas. :) 14. Chapter 14 Nothing Ever Makes Sense For the first time, the hospital was totally calm. Once in awhile, Rose would hear a distant artillery round, like a distant rumble of thunder, but it was such a regular occurrence that she hardly even noticed them. Though the days were starting to get just a little longer, it still felt like it was already ten when really it was only five o'clock. A few oil lamps gave off a warm glow, but their cadmium halos only extended a few feet from the flickering sources, creating little islands of light throughout the otherwise dark and quiet recovery room. Rose sat in one of those islands of light in at desk, her pen scratching away at a piece of paper. She was trying to write a letter home, but was finding great difficulty in doing so. _Dear Ma,_ So far, that was all she had written on her third scrap of paper. She sat there with her pen poised over the paper whose color matched her skin. Rose was afraid to write anything more than that because she knew she'd end up crinkling it up and starting over again. Rose set down her pen on the table top and let her heavy head fall in her hands. She had no idea what to tell her family. With the censorship, there wasn't much she could tell them about as far as what was happening with the war. Even if without the censorships, she never told them about all the horrors she'd been through. She saved all that for a diary she tried to write in as often as possible. She didn't exactly feel like telling them about her own personal war she had started either. Dear Ma, she composed in her head. You know how you always warned me about my temper? Well, I should have listened. Rose rolled her eyes at herself dropped her hands away from her face. She picked up her pen and started writing the typical 'hi-I'm still alive and well-the food is horrible-miss you-hope all is well at home-love you" letter she'd written millions of times. "I think we have another private gunning for a section 8…" an exasperated sounding female said. Rose lifted her head from her letter and watched 2nd Lieutenant Elaine Parker sink down into the chair across from her with the look of complete and utter frustration screwing up her delicate, aristocratic face. Elaine was a horribly shy, quiet banker's daughter of _the _Parker family in New York. They were one of the richest, oldest, most influential families in Manhattan. They were all bankers and stock brokers. They lived in big, fancy penthouses and owned vacation homes in exotic, tropical places that Rose had never even heard of. Elaine grew up with a governess, butlers, maids, a French tutor, a Latin teacher, violin and piano lessons, and, well, silver spoons of course. She went to fancy, private boarding schools with names like So-and-So's-Something Academy for Privileged Young Ladies and they had wings named after her relatives. Many of the other nurses, including Rose herself, had at one time or another, questioned what in God's name impelled the petite, fragile and innocent, little Elaine to join the Army Nurse Corps. She'd never washed a thing in her life, lifted anything heavier than large novel, or had orders barked out at her. According to the rest of the nurses, Elaine cried herself to sleep nearly every night during training. After a while, Annie couldn't fall asleep if she didn't hear Elaine's soft whimpers from a few bunks away in the Nurse's barracks. The rich man's daughter didn't exactly take well to blood either. She was a fainter. Everyone knew keep an eye on her and be prepared to stick a hand out when she got that glassy look in her hazel eyes and her heart shaped face turned as white as her surgical mask. As well as being squeamish, the easily flustered nurse was terribly clumsy. Elaine had dropped an unspeakable number of sterilized instruments trays all over the filthy OR floor and bounced off of everyone like a pinball in the chaos. She'd been scolded and yelled by almost everyone, including Rose, but only once back just after the invasion. Rose knew screaming at her was only going to make things worse and she tried to boost the poor girl's confidence by encouraging her and giving her advice on how to calm herself down during the flurry of incoming wounded. On the other hand, Lt. Clarke never missed an opportunity to belittle and screech at the poor little nurse for any possible minute infraction she may or may not have done. The power hungry Lieutenant had Elaine set permanently set in her sights. It frustrated Rose to no end. Any progress Rose made with Elaine was completely reversed anytime Mildred set her beady little eyes on the poor girl. Because June gave Mildred nothing to do, she took it on herself to be the enforcer of all rules impractical and downright stupid. She was like that evil, corrupt advisor that sat next to the ignorant monarchs throne and whispered untruths and misguided counsel in their easily persuaded ears. "Why?" Elaine threw up her hands and quietly exclaimed. "Why do they think they can pull this on me? Do I really look that gullible?" Rose softly laughed and ducked her eyes back down to her letter. It was best that question remained rhetorical. Elaine was very soft spoken and had huge, doe-like eyes and a near perfect complexion that made it hard to believe she was an actual nurse and not some sixteen year old candy stripper. The poor girl did seem to be a magnet for those soldiers feigning mental illness to get out of duty. "What's he saying?" the Chief Nurse inquired as she finished the last few sentences of her generic letter. "He keeps insisting he's a trombone player in Bob Hope's bandstand…" Elaine answered. "And that he and his 'invisible' band mate need to hitch a ride to Paris and catch up with the USO before they head out to the Pacific for MacArthur's Christmas show!" Rose's eyes flickered up to the flustered nurse for a second and smirked. "That's a new one…" Rose commented with a quirk of her brow. Diagnosing insanity was a slippery slope in the field of combat medicine. There was no doubt in Rose's mind that war truly did make some men go mad. She had seen it firsthand. Some of those poor boys had either been completely scared out of their wits by artillery barrages or struck dumb after seeing their best buddy blown into several pieces right next to them on the blood soaked sand during Operation Overlord. None of the soldiers had ever experienced anything as horrific and utterly terrifying as landing of those beaches. There was absolutely nothing their instructors could have done to prepare those young men for that hell. Sometimes, the simplest cure was simply a comforting hand and a shoulder to cry on. Others were in a bit more dire shape. They had to be sent to a mental ward somewhere as far away from the battle field as possible and go through some serious rehabilitation. However, some didn't suffer from insanity, they suffered from cowardliness, and it was sometimes nearly impossible to tell the difference. Because of those people who fiend insanity, some military higher ups didn't believe in battle fatigue or temporary insanity. It had actually been Rose's old unit in Africa where Patton's infamous slapping incident had taken place. She hadn't actually witnessed it, but as she knew all too well, word had traveled fast. Rose didn't condone what the flamboyant general did, but she couldn't blame him either. It was so hard to be accommodating when one just didn't know what to handle a situation like that, especially for a piss and vinegar general like Patton. Just like teaching, it was hard to know if a firm hand or a kind word was needed. Unfortunately, it only took one rotten apple in the bunch to spoil it for the rest and men who truly needed psychiatric help went untreated. "He's such a pest…" Elaine grumbled. "Every time I'm anywhere near him he spouts off and he disturbs the rest of the men." Rose looked up and shook her head as she sighed despondently. Her pen made a thud as she dropped it onto the never ending stack of charts and clipboards that cluttered the desk. The Chief Nurse rubbed her cramping hand as she leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Well," she began to say. Rose had inkling that Elaine wanted her to go handle the delusional private, but she didn't have the energy nor time. Elaine knew what needed to be done and it was about time the girl took a step without Rose holding her hand. "Make sure you inform his primary physician. He'll probably have you send for Major Anderson or Father Bechman…" As Elaine listened, Rose could see her face fall and the fear creep up into her large eyes. The poor girl was so timid when it came to talking to higher ranking officers, let alone men. She was known as "Leery Lainy" among the surgeons. Rose just didn't understand the girl. One would have thought that since she was from a life of wealth and privilege, Elaine would have completely spoiled and full of herself. But she didn't fit the stereotype one bit. Rose appreciated her modestly and her fluency in French was invaluable, but she wished the young woman wasn't such a wall flower all the time. "Clear?" Rose asked, leaning forward in her chair and setting her hands on the oak desk top. Elaine answered with the formal 'yes, ma'am', but Rose would have gotten the same kind of response if she'd been holding a gun to mousey nurse's head. "Elaine…" she said with a soft voice and looked at the woman with a warmth in her eyes that had been known to stop tears, sooth the disappointment of a poor test score, and encourage even the most dejected pupils. "You'll do just fine. I know you're scared, trust me…we all are…but, you gotta believe in yourself. Not only for your own benefit, but for everybody's…" Rose motioned around to the room filled beyond its capacity with the recovering wounded. "for them…the doctors, the nurses…we all need each other to get through this." Rose's words washed over the fragile woman and she sat there silently as they soaked in. Her fingers toyed with a curl of hair at the nape of her neck, a nervous tendency she always resorted to. Finally, a shaky sigh quivered up from Elaine's chest, but she nodded diligently. "Yes, ma'am…" she squeaked, but there was a tiny, grateful smile on her perfectly bowed lips. Rose gave her another warm smile and jerked her head towards the seemingly never ending line of cots behind them. "Go on…go over there and have a chat with his 'friend' and see what instrument he plays." Rose joked with a sly smile as she picked up her pen and situated herself to return to her writing. That got a giggle out of the Elaine. The nurse stood up from her seat and nodded with a seemingly invigorated morale and walked away. Rose watched the nurse's back for a few moments with a tiny glimmer of satisfaction in her tired, brown eyes. It was a small victory in a never ending battle. Rose sighed and looked back down and wrote a few closing sentances. _I miss you all dearly and love you very much._ She wrote and prepared to sign her name at the bottom. "Lieutenant?" a voice interrupted for a second time. Rose's eyes shot up and saw that it once again was Elaine standing before her. "Yes?" Rose inquired softly. "What is it?" "I…ma'am…" Elaine stuttered and nervously wrung her hands together. "I…I just wanted to say I thought what you did for the soldier was really brave…" Rose felt a hitch in her breath, but her face remained emotionless as the banker's daughter continued to speak. "What you said about all of us needing each other…" Elaine's hazel eyes flickered to the floor, as if suddenly embarrassed. "I hope you know that the rest us girls think you really are a swell nurse." She lifted her eyes back up to meet Rose's face. "No matter what the outcome with Captain Woods, we all are standing behind you…" Rose swallowed the lump in her throat. The veteran nurse hadn't expected such a heartfelt statement from little, Leary Lainy to mean so much to her. So often, she was the one doing the complimenting and reassuring that she'd forgotten what it felt like to get one herself from a colleague. "Thank you, Elaine…I really appreciate that…" Rose answered from the bottom of her heart, but she quickly ducked her head down before Elaine saw the tears caught in her lower eyelashes. "You…" Rose cleared her throat and busied herself with some chart that was all of a sudden very important she find at that very moment. "You better get going…" Elaine smiled, the confidence was suddenly radiating off of her. "Yes, ma'am." With that, Elaine Parker walked down the aisle between the cots with her chin held a little higher than normal. Rose quit her pointless riffling once she was sure she was gone and quickly rubbed away those pesky tears before anyone else decided to drop in on her. "Damn you, Dick." Rose whispered to herself behind her hands. Rose felt like she was nothing but a tear bucket since Paris. She'd spent almost her whole life hiding her feelings because she didn't want people to take pity on her and coddle her like a pathetic, little orphan. After Molly died and she joined the Army, that detachment became a valuable and necessary tool. Spending time with the paratrooper had melted away her steeliness, and the same went for him. They'd reminded each other what it felt like to feel again, to experience emotions besides exhaustion, despair, worry and fear and that it was okay to show those emotions. But now, Rose felt like a flood gate had been opened. She couldn't stop all of them from bubbling up and it was just downright annoying. Speaking of annoying, Rose looked down at her watch and scowled. It was nearly time to go meet her maker. Rose put down her pen again and rubbed the back of her neck as she sighed. Those newly rediscovered emotions probably had put her in this mess in the first place. Rose knew she should have gone and gotten another surgeon instead of saying the things she had to Woods. However, everyone else had been incredibly busy, by the time she'd found someone and gotten him gloved up, the boy would have bled out. Rose could have also just pushed Woods out of the way and started looking for that bleeder without insulting him first. The Rose Thorn Show shouldn't have moved to primetime right then and there. Rose sighed and let her body melt into the woodwork of the uncomfortable, creaky chair she'd been sitting in way too long. Hindsight is 20/20, Ma always said. Rose knew her grandmother was right, there wasn't an idiom that was truer. Despite all the misgiving Rose had about her actions, she couldn't deny that it had felt absolutely empowering to finally let the arrogant jerk have it. He'd had it coming for a long time. As well as being a terrible doctor, the sorry example of a man was a sexist pig. Many of the other women in the outfit had complained of his suggestive, demeaning remarks and total inconsideration for their abilities. Apparently it was a scientific fact that if a person lacked certain appendages below their waist, they couldn't do medicine. As Woods had stated in their little discussion, the nurses' jobs were to be eye-candy for the men. Rose didn't recall that part of the nurse's oath, but she guessed it had been a long time since she'd taken it… Rose looked at her watch again and inwardly groaned. Why did time always seem to fly by when there was something unpleasant in the near future? She picked up her pen and signed _'Rosemary'_ across the bottom before folding and stuffing it in one of the many pockets of her fatigue jacket. She started putting the various charts and papers in order for Annie who was going to cover for her and stiffly stood up from her seat and stretched her back. She looked around the dimly lit hall. There had to be at least eighty or more soldiers stuffed into every possible space. Many more were scattered out in various classrooms and hallways. Her eyes settled on a particular row of cots that she'd visited quite often in the last few days. It was the place closest to the science classroom that had been serving as the OR, and the resting place for the soldier whose life this whole debacle had been started over. There might have well been a path worn in the wooden floor because Rose had gone over to his side so many times in the last 48 hours. Rose's feet followed that path across the room and she eased down in the chair that somebody had conveniently placed by the private's bedside, as if knowing he'd have a frequent visitor. Robert J. Butler had been give three blood transfusions, the last one being courtesy of an MP who had eyes for Annie and a sergeant who owed Rose a favor for resetting and keeping a finger he'd broken in a brawl with a soldier from another unit off the books. The blonde soldier still hadn't maintained conscious for more than a few mumbles and thrashed at a time, but he did seem to be getting better. His face wasn't so deathly white and his breathing seemed steadier and deeper. Rose carefully leaned over the still boy and gently lifted the wool blanket that covered his torso. His naked chest rose and fell like a boat on top of gentle, rolling waves. Below his chest, his middle was wrapped with a stark, white bandage. Rose and another nurse had changed the dressing just a few hours ago. She wasn't happy with how they had done it, there should have been at least three more layers wrapped around him to properly put pressure over his wound, but they had to make do with what they had. Supplies were getting dangerously low. When the nurses and orderlies weren't carrying out their normal duties, they were busy boiling and sterilizing as much reusable supplies as they could. The tiny blots of crimson blood that had soaked up to the snow white cloth over his opened belly was a painful reminder how dire their situation was becoming. Rose pulled the blanket back over the boy's body and picked up his wrist to take his heart rate. After timing it out on her watch, she leaned closer to his head and gently pulled up his eyelid, exposing one of his bluer than blue eyes. She held her hand and shaded it from the light before quickly pulling it away. His pupil shrank nearly immediately. Rose breathed a relieved sigh and settled back down in her chair. She didn't write anything on Private Butler's chart because Rita had done the very same examination no more than twenty minutes ago. Rose just had to make sure for herself. "Well, Private…" Rose softly spoke to the unmoving soldier as she looked at her watch. "This might sound selfish of me, but I need you to get better…" She reached over and gently squeezed his fingers and watched one of his eyes twitch a few times before it returned to stillness. "I might need you as a witness at my trial…" she sardonically joked with a halfhearted smile. Rose sat there for as long as she possibly could, somewhat wishing that he'd suddenly awaken. However, he only continued to lay there, his breath softly whistling between his parted lips. Rose gave his hand one last squeeze before grudgingly hauling her body up off the chair. She took a step towards the aisle, but had to wait as two solemn orderlies carrying a blanket covered litter passed in front of her. Not far behind, was Father Bechman holding his worn bible against his chest. Rose impassively watched the grim procession go through the double doors and disappear. Dead bodies didn't bother her. She'd seen plenty of them in her lifetime. What bothered her was thinking about the souls that no longer occupied those bodies. Hopefully, it wasn't some sort of omen. The nurse pushed the worry out of her head and looked across the room to the desk she'd recently occupied and saw a blond head of curls bent over, furiously writing. Annie had arrived while Rose was with Butler and didn't want to interrupt her friend. However, as if sensing Rose's stare, the younger woman looked up and made eye contact. Annie put down the pen in her hand, but didn't get up to wish her friend good luck. Instead, she gave Rose a small, sweet smile and one acknowledging nod. She knew Rose well enough to know that the woman wasn't one for melodramatic scenes. The unsaid encouragement was exactly what Rose needed. Rose gratefully returned the smile and took one last look around the large room before she turned and headed out the doors. The hallways of the main floor were filled the dim chatter and mumbles of personal and soldiers. The small town had also become somewhat of a marshaling area for what was left of the troops as they remobilized and prepared to return to battle. The school had become an aid station as well as a full on hospital, draining even more of their precious resources. They were nearly out of food. The only full meal Rose had eaten other than the first night they'd arrived was a few spoonfuls of a strange, disgusting looking concoction of an unidentifiable pale, rubbery meat (Corporal Flint started the rumor it was stray cat) and pinto beans. The unsavory muck had at least been warm, but Rose wasn't desperate enough to eat it ever again. Instead, the nurse lived on coffee and little bites of her Hershey bar she kept stashed in her pack. If there was one thing that Rose could praise the Army for, it would be for putting chocolate bars in K-rations. Rose's love for chocolate may have looked more like an addiction to others. Carlyle and Henry, who had their father's blonde hair and blue eyes, teased Rose that she got her brunette features from all the chocolate she ate. However, she had been blessed with her father's extraordinarily sturdy teeth while those two dingbats had more gold and silver in their mouths than a jewelry store. Rose's heart sank ever so slightly as she grasped the cold, smooth banister and pulled herself up the flight of stairs. Though Henry could be quite the numskull sometimes and Carlyle acted like a know-it-all much too often, Rose did miss them dearly. The three of them had stuck together and survived some pretty rough times. Carlyle was married to a very sweet, though sometimes a bit neurotic, woman named Ellen. They lived in a small house he, Henry and Pa built just over the hill from their home farm. They had two girls and a little boy whom Rose missed dearly. On the last round of letters Rose received from her family, she'd been informed that they were now expecting a fourth child. While Carlyle was the mature, responsible one, Henry was like the silly sidekick in the slapstick comedies. Sometimes, Rose felt like they'd been born in the wrong order. Henry was more like a little brother rather than being nearly four years her senior. He was a self-proclaimed ladies man, who also swore he was never going to get married. Both had been rejected by the draft board, twice actually. The first time had been just after Pearl Harbor. Because they worked for Pop at the time, the draft board deemed them essential agricultural workers. As America geared up for the Invasion of Europe and as the situation over in the Pacific continued, they got a lot less picky. Once again, the Beyer boys were called up, and once again, they were sent home. Carlyle had been left nearly deaf in his left ear after a bout with Scarlet Fever as child and Henry had a heart murmur. Though Rose felt bad about both their ailments, she also thanked God for them. At least women in the military were generally kept out of harm's way. Knowing her brothers, they would have charged head first into that danger and probably gotten themselves killed in a matter of hours. Then again, Rose couldn't very well criticize of her brothers with a clear conscious. She guessed she was genetically inclined to jump into things without thinking. The Lieutenant felt a bit like she was walking her death march as she marched down the dimly lit hallway to Captain Kent's office. The echoes of her unpolished boots on the dusty, scratched floors were hollow and empty. However, her gait didn't give any indication of hesitation. It was steady and determined. It matched her feeling at the moment. Rose didn't feel one ounce of fear about her impending meeting. In the matter of fact, she could feel her fiery, Lena-like temper simmering to a boil inside of her, but she was trying her damndest to suppress it. Rose wasn't sure who of the brass was also going to be in Charlie's office administering the little get-together, so she needed to be on her best behavior. She finally came to the end of the hall. She stopped at the large oak door and looked at it. She'd been through the door several times in the last few days and yet she'd never noticed just how intimidating the door really was. She imagined all the students standing in her very spot and just how much they didn't want to step through that portal. Rose sighed and smoothed the creases of her uniform and tucked back the nonexistent stray hairs behind her ears. Her eyes focused on a particular knot in the wood grain for a moment before she lifted her hand and rapped her knuckles against the oak. "Enter." Rose heard Charlie's baritone voice say. Here is the beginning of the end, Rose thought. She grasped the painfully cold brass knob with her fingers and pushed open the door. She entered the dimly lit office and saw Charlie standing behind his desk reading over a chart. She quickly scanned the room, looking for the rest of the posse of officers, but it found not another soul. "Ah, Lieutenant Beyer…" he acknowledged and put the chart down motioned to the chair in front of the large, ornately carved desk. "Have a seat." Rose, like a dutiful junior officer would, quickly and quietly took her seat and looked up at the Captain as he sat down into his chair. Charles Kent was in his early thirties and had just started his residency at a hospital in St. Louis when Uncle Sam called him up. He was good doctor and an excellent thoracic surgeon. From the first incision to the last suture, he could pull off an appendectomy in less than fifteen minutes. As well as being a first-class doctor, he was a good officer and an even better man. He was the calmest, most level-headed, as well as funniest officer in the entire unit. However, like Rose, he had been though some trying times in his life and he carried those scars deep within his being. After scraping and clawing his way through medical school, the young and bright doctor found the perfect job, had the perfect wife, bought a perfect little house and had a perfect baby girl. He had everything going for him until everything came crashing down one snowy, icy night. His wife, who was seven months pregnant with their second child, died after her taxi was struck by another vehicle. Suddenly, his life was anything but perfect. He gave up his dream job and moved back to his hometown to be closer to both his wife's and his family to raise his daughter. Barbara was now six years old and lived with back in St. Louis with his sister and her family while he served. The adorable, little girl's picture went everywhere with him and it currently sat on the corner of his desk, with blonde ringlets in pigtails and smiling proudly to show off a missing front tooth. Rose wasn't exactly certain how he and Annie came to be so close, but she was certain of them. They weren't by any means an obvious couple if one based the match purely on looks. Though Charlie was a good-looking man, he was a bit plain in comparison to Annie's undeniable beauty. He was more than a few years older than her and he said he wasn't losing his hair, his forehead was just growing. He was also a shorter and stouter built man, while Annie was taller and lean. The two were a true testament to the saying that love was blind. Though they both claimed their friendship was platonic and had done a pretty good job of convincing everyone else so, but Rose knew better. She had seen the way they looked at each other. It wasn't the cutesy, lovey-dovey, puppy dog love like one would have expected from someone as outgoing and bubbly as Annie. She and he captain had a partnership based off of respect and trust. They knew each other so well they didn't even have to say a word to know what the other was thinking. They reminded her of an old married couple. Though she wasn't supposed to encourage the relationshi, Rose secretly hoped she might be a bridesmaid when and if they ever made it back home to the States. "So," the Captain shuffled some papers out of the way as he spoke. "this won't take long…" It never does, Rose thought to herself and grimaced a little. "I know you're wondering why I'm the one talking to you…" he looked across the desk with a slight smile and continued before Rose could even display some sort of response. "Colonel Jackson and Major Fitch are pretty busy trying to sort out the supply situation, and, well, you know how Captain Naverson is…" he said rolling his eyes slightly. "So, they asked me to pass along the recommendation of reprimand they've decided on." Rose solemnly nodded and braced herself for it. "Because of the seriousness of the current situation the unit is in," Charlie said gravely and looked at the nurse with a deadpan gaze. "it has been decided that you will be charged with a 50 dollar fine…" Rose remained deathly still and eyed the Captain, just waiting for him to continue with the rest of the sentence. However, the seconds ticked by and he only raised a dark, thick eyebrow at her. It slowly became apparent to her that he had nothing more to say. Rose blinked several times in confusion and astonishment. "That's it?" she asked disbelievingly. Charlie gave her a look and smirked. "Why?" he asked sarcastically. "Would you like more? I could make something up." Rose's dropped her jaw for a moment and then jerkily shook her head. "It's just…" she frowned, still unconvinced. "I figured Woods was going to throw the book at me…" She looked up at the man, searching for answers. A cautious feeling of relief started to slowly spread throughout her body, relaxing her tensed muscles. "Well, Rose…" he leaned back in his chair and smiled warmly. "Just be thankful that there some people in this hospital who know what a good nurse and valuable leader you are…" Rose bit her bottom lip and she twisted a corner of her fatigue jacket in her fingers as she pondered over the sudden change of events. Rose had psyched herself up to have the wrath of God cast on to her only to get a weak slap on the wrist. That feeling of relief intensified, but instead of being overwhelmed with joy, she felt like a balloon full of hot, angry air being slowly deflated. She no longer wanted to wring somebody's neck, which was lucky for Charlie because he was the only one in reach. Rose sighed in relief and a tiny smile started to tug at the corners of her mouth. However, she suddenly looked up with a hint of trepidation returning to her softened face. "What about him…Captain Woods…" she inquired soberly. The Head Surgeon looked down at his hands and furrowed his brow as he seemed to contemplate how to choose his words. He looked back up at Rose with his lips pursed and pulled to the side, as if there was something he wanted to tell her, but couldn't. Was their little exchange going to get swept under the rug? She wondered. In the incident report Rose had spent an hour of her life she had rather spent doing something else the other morning, she reiterated everything that had occurred, nearly word for word, no conjecture, no frilly, elaborate adjectives, just the truth. Rose only wished she bruised easier. Some women seemed to turn black and blue if the wind blew too hard, but other than being sore after receiving a blow or being grabbed, Rose rarely got a pretty contusion to show off and get sympathy for. It took much more than Woods's spindly, weak fingers to damage her tough hide. "Well, I'll be speaking with him here pretty soon…" he finally said, then shrugged helplessly. "I can't tell you much else…" Rose nodded understandably. She hadn't expected Woods to receive much of a punishment, though it would have been incredibly satisfying to see that weasel get nailed. However, they needed the extra hands during this attack, even as unskilled as they were. She wiped some imaginary dust off the knee of her pants and look back up at Charlie. They looked at one another for a few more seconds before he offered her another one of his warm, compassionate smiles. "How are you doing?" he suddenly asked, squinting quizzically at her from the other side of the furniture. Rose looked at him blankly, being caught off guard by his change in topic. "I'm…fine…" she answered hesitantly. "…I guess as fine as I could be at the moment." She knew she looked tired, but didn't know it was that apparent. "Why do you ask?" "I just was checking…" he shrugged, looking earnestly at her. "I know you've been under a lot of stress with this thing…and, well…Annie said something about you being worried…" his voice trailed off, as if realizing he was admitting their relationship out loud. Rose swallowed a sudden lump in her throat and kept a look of fear and shock from spilling over her features. She furrowed her brow and shrugged, pretending to not only have no idea what he was talking about, but to seem not to care. "Worried about what?" she asked, but the real underlying question was what did Annie tell you? "Well, she's always asking me if I've heard anything about the 101st in Bastogne…" he said with a small grimace. "I asked why and she said you had an old friend from back home is in there, and that you were worried about him." The woman nearly laughed as well as cried out loud. She dropped her eyes to her scuffed, unpolished boots and anxiously shifted in her chair. Of course Annie would do something like that. Tell someone just enough of the truth in order to get the information they needed out of them. She should have been a spy. I told her not to say _anything_, she fumed in her head. But suddenly, it occurred to her that maybe Annie had the right idea. Perhaps the safest place for her secret was right out in the open. Annie had already done the fibbing, all Rose had to do was tell the truth, just not the whole truth. "Yah, he's on one of the battalion staffs." she said softly, picking at the cuticle of her nail, unable to look at the Captain's face, fearing she give it away that she was misleading him. "We used to be pretty close and I've just been wondering if he's okay…" "I see…" he looked at her sympathetically. "I promise, if I hear anything, you'll be the first to know." He eyed the sullen woman as he rubbed his chin, wishing he had something more that could ease her distress. An encouraging smile suddenly lit up his face and made the corners of his hazel eyes crinkle. "But you know…those bastards are tough…unless," he paused and teasingly cocked his head to the side. "…if he broke your heart, maybe you want him dead…" An uneasy chuckle escaped her lips and she shook her head. Though he'd meant it at a joke to ease her concern, fear gripped her heart just thinking about death and Dick in the same sentence. "No…the parting was mutual…" she finally looked back up at him, no longer needing to hide her face because she was telling him the god-honest truth. However, she couldn't mask the faraway gaze in her eyes as she weakly smiled and shrugged. "We enjoyed our time together, but we both knew it wasn't meant to last…" Sometimes, nothing was more painful than the truth. 15. Chapter 15 Seeing is Believing Hello wonderful readers. First off, I would like to extend my deepest, most sincere apologies for the delay in this story. As a fellow reader, I know exactly how disheartening and frustrating it is when you are left hanging for so long. I found myself getting a little batty when I finished the last chapter, so I decided I needed to take a break for a little while. Writing this had become a chore and it just wasn't fun anymore. I was writing only to get something posted and both the story and those around me were suffering. However, I really, really, truly, honestly did not mean to take this long of a break. This inadvertently got pushed back to the back burner (you know, that tiny little burner that nobody ever uses anyway) to school and an upcoming wedding (not mine) and a internship…before I knew it, the snow melted away and the trees had leaves…so again, I am so incredibly sorry. I also had another issue that hampered the progression of this story as well... As most of you know, Major Winters passed away earlier this year. When I first started writing this story, my knowledge of him extended only as far as Damian Lewis's portrayal of him on screen. However, when I started researching the real man, I discovered what an incredible officer, leader and human being he was. If more people shared the same values and insight on the world as he had, we'd all certainly be living in a better place. I've always had a little bit of hesitance while writing fiction based on a real, living person's true story. Upon hearing of his passing, I really felt that I was doing him a great dishonor. I have the upmost respect for him and he has truly inspired me in numerous ways. His principles of leadership is hanging on my wall above my desk and his motto, 'Hang Tough', has kept me going at some pretty low times in my life. I will continue to write this story, but I would like to remind both myself and others that this is purely a work of fiction based off of what I watched on the miniseries. I have nothing to gain from this other than to entertain others and practice my own writing skills. If his family asked that this story be taken down, I'd do it in a heartbeat with no regrets. Without further ado, here it be…finally (sorry again). * * * When Captain Richard D. Winters decided something, it was final. There was no more deliberation, no flip flopping, no backtracking, and no dithering. It was the mantra he had lived by since he'd joined the service. It was what a good officer and commander did; they were decisive. They had a job to do, a job that affected other people's lives. They had to know when and how to make tactical decisions at exactly the precise moment. And the Executive Officer had made one of those decisions…he wasn't going to think about her anymore. The Captain had to just act as though nothing had ever happened a just a few weeks ago. He never saw a beautiful woman sitting all alone at the café. He didn't become absolutely smitten with a quick-witted school teacher in only a few hours of conversation. He didn't almost kiss that woman on the streets of Paris and bare his soul to a proper stranger on a train. He did no such thing as return to a lower ranking officer's room after walking for around the city for nearly an hour, trying to suppress his desire for that certain nurse. He didn't wake up with his arms wrapped around a woman named Rosemary. Dick just couldn't think about her anymore. He didn't want to, he didn't need to, he didn't have the time, he didn't have the energy to. He, nor the rest of the men, could afford to have him daydreaming about things that had already happened, that were never going to happen again. It was as simple as that. Easy's disastrous reconnaissance patrol the day before had been the catalyst for his new, or reverted, state of mind. As he settled down into that foxhole and looked around at the morose, deadpan stares on the colorless faces of the men, he thought about the young man lying out in a desolate forest, in a frozen pool of his own blood. He died all alone, in and unfamiliar place, thousands of miles from his loved ones, before he even got the chance to begin his life. Dick didn't know Julian personally. He was just another wide-eyed, overly-eager replacement that took the places of the men whom Dick had bled, sweated and fought with since the days back in the states. Now that he was dead, Dick wondered about the kid. He wondered what kind of life he would have led. Dick thought about the girl who never got to love him, the children that would never be born, the people whose lives he would have altered in some way. So many lives died with that young boy, so many dreams, so many people would never know him…it put things into perspective for the for the preoccupied officer. Before yesterday, Dick had spent every spare moment to himself imagining a little farm back in Pennsylvania with a whitewashed house with a porch, a barn filled with some dairy cows, a small pond out back, a couple of kids running around barefoot in the yard, and a brown-eyed wife watching over them. The pastoral picture of green pastures and vibrant flower gardens in his head took him away from all the death, the destruction, hopelessness of the frozen woods he'd been damned to. It was what he wanted, what he'd rather have at the moment…but he couldn't have any of that and imagining it was silly and dangerous. The other afternoon with Lewis had been the perfect anecdote. It had been downright irresponsible of him. That tree could have easily been a landmine. He had to be paying attention at all times to everything around him. He'd been doing the very thing that he and Rose had promised each other they wouldn't do. He had to be living in the here and now. The past was the past, and the future was a bit sketchy at the moment… "Now, I don't want your boys runnin' around like a bunch of mangy, dogs fightin' over table scraps." Colonel Sink's clipped voice announced from the other room of the relatively intact house that served as the Regimental CP. "The quartermasters will collect and distribute the supplies equally." Dick and Harry halted their discussion at the sound of the unique and unforgettable accent of the Colonel. They listened to the announcement and shared a look before dropping their eyes back to the dusty map on the rickety table neither dared put too much of their weight on. The CP was a flurry of chaotic activity. However, instead of usual frantic chaos, there was an optimistic energy buzzing in the dank air as the staffers bustled around the commandeered home. Those C-47s that had flown overhead earlier that morning with the sunshine glistening off their wings had been like seeing angles float down to Earth. Everybody's spirits were soaring. The men were like giddy little boys on Christmas morning, except the packages they open contained toys a bit more grown up than BB guns and die-cast six shooters. Though he was pleased to see the men in higher spirits, Dick didn't let himself get overly excited. Supplies weren't going to stop the German advances. Supplies didn't change the fact that men were still sitting out in those godforsaken foxholes getting frostbite and pneumonia. The temperature had dropped even more the last few days, making it more and more miserable every minute spent out in that damn forest. Dick hadn't slept more than a few hours in the last few days. It was so cold, his body just wouldn't let him lose consciousness and actually sleep. He was starving as well. He'd been ignoring the grumbles and the tightness in his gut for several days now. His time behind a desk had, despite his own personal 'battle of the bulge', caused the waistband of his trousers to become a bit snug. However, Belgium had taken care of that problem and then some. He found he had to tug is belt quite a bit tighter than he remembered having to back in Par…well, back before Hitler threw this sucker punch. Dick glanced over to the crackling fireplace where the remnants of a once beautiful walnut buffet were being sacrificed for the _cause_. Nixon and Strayer had conveniently staked out a standing place right next to the glowing hearth. Strayer's orderly and Fox Company's commander stood at their flanks, trying to inch their way closer to the radiating heat. Dick didn't need to try lighting his backside on fire to enjoy its warmth. Just hearing and smelling the burning wood warmed his body from the inside out. Unfortunately, the few blissful, shiver-free moments were bittersweet. By the time his body thawed out, it would be time to go right back out into the elements. "Intelligence said the Krauts moved their one of their guns the east 'bout a hundred yards." Harry pointed a dirty fingernail to a spot on the map. "Yah, right at Dog's CP…" Dick grumbled. His blue eyes scanned the dingy material for a few seconds as he contemplated the course of action. Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole hell of a lot he could do. They knew the German's were preparing to make a move and Dick had to keep their lines together, as thin as they were, it was better than nothing. "Okay," he nodded. "I'll have Dog shift their CP to the west." He pointed to the position on the map. "Other than that they will maintain their current position. And make sure their mortar squad has at least something." Harry wavered for a moment, like he wanted to say something, but he just nodded and looked up at the taller man with an understanding nod. Their eyes met and they stared at one another for a moment. They both knew there wasn't much anyone could do. Dog Company had to hold the line, zeroed in or not. War is war. "Yah…" Harry reluctantly agreed as he stood back up and crossed his arms over his chest. Nixon walked around a dusty chaise longue and joined the two Pennsylvanians. He had probably been the unit's most valuable asset throughout this entire siege. He'd worked tirelessly since this whole ordeal had started. He took turns with Dick walking the line, checking on the men and gathering their own intelligence. The operations officer acted as a liaison between the Battalion and Regiment. He always was instrumental in the planning and coordination of pretty much everything they did. Dick couldn't imagine going through this war without the alcoholic, he definitely made Dick's job a great deal easier. "Well," Lewis's gravelly voice croaked. "You gentlemen want to hear the bad news or the devastating news first?" He crossed his hands over his helmet that he held over his belly and glanced back and forth between the two, waiting for an answer. Dick looked up from the soiled map with an expressionless gaze and waited for the S3 to spill the news. Lewis knew better than to think Dick would answer. It was just the way he was sometimes. Since the other day, something about Dick had changed, again. He was the most uptight Lewis had ever seen him. He double checked everything he did, he walked the lines religiously and chatted with nearly every soldier in the entire battalion. Not that he hadn't done the same things before, but now he was overdoing them. Lewis knew that Dick had been pretty disturbed by Easy's patrol. It had turned out just as he'd predicted. Most of the battalion hadn't faired all that well. They knew where the enemy line was and that the Krauts still had plenty of ammo to throw at them, but that had been about all the intelligence gathered from the operation. It had been about as stupid as poking a stick in a hornet's nest just to see if they were home. Lewis cleared his throat and glanced down at Harry's curly mop of hair before looking back down at Dick. "The bad news is that Ike nixed Bradley…" he said. "Whatever's left of the infantry that got their asses kicked outta here in the first place it now under Monty." "That ain't all that bad…" Harry commented, glancing sideways to make sure no one important was in ear shot. "Ole' Omar couldn't lead a marching band …what's the devastating news?" Dick put down his pencil and wiped his running nose as he looked up at Nix. A small part of him, that he was trying to ignore, wished that Lewis's sarcasm would find its way into his impending words and that the devastating news was really something good or very insignificant. "They only dropped about a quarter of the supplies we actually need…" Lewis answered grimly. "They're getting freezing rain and 40 mile per hour winds back at the air strip, so don't bother looking up anytime soon." No such luck, Dick's unconsciously said to himself in his head. "That's why Sink is being such a tight ass about the supplies." Harry mumbled and let out a loud, sticky cough into the crook up his elbow. "Yah," Lewis nodded. "The heaviest hit positions will get priority…2nd Battalion will get what's ever left." Lewis's almost black eyes settled onto the fair-skinned Captain. "Dick, Strayer wants to speak to you too." Nixon motioned over his shoulder with a jerk of his scruffy chin. "You might be in for an ear full if it's the same thing he chided me about. Don't say I didn't warn you…" Dick glanced over Lewis's vacated spot next to the Lt. Colonel, trying to judge just how bad of a mood he was in. Then again, Strayer seemed as though he was always frowning no matter his disposition. Colonel Strayer was a good man and a good staffer in an administrative sense, but he lacked confidence in decision making and planning in the field. Ever since they'd entered combat, he'd always needed an entourage surrounding him to feed him ideas, sometimes they were the wrong ideas. Since Dick's promotion, many, actually nearly all of the decisions of combat operations in the last few months often fell down the ladder to Dick, but he didn't mind one bit. Strayer knew the Captain did what he did well, and Dick liked the feeling that he was actually leading the men, that he was actually doing something useful. "Great." he grumbled sarcastically as he picked up a stubby pencil and scribbled a few final notes on a scrap of paper before stuffing it in his jacket. He combed his fingers through his hair, only to grimace at the grubby feeling of his scalp. It was just another fact of their situation he was trying to ignore. At least there was one plus about the bitter cold. Everyone was so congested with colds and sinus infections that they couldn't smell each other, unlike back in the summer heat and humidity six months ago. They probably gave away their positions with their stink sometimes. Dick wiped his fingers on the dirt crusted thigh of his trousers and walked over to the Battalion commander like he'd done so many times before. * * * "Rose!" Annie called out as she burst into the dormitory she and the rest of their platoon shared. She wildly looked around the dim lit room before she ran across the room and fell to her knees at the side of an occupied cot. She reached over and violently shook the sleeping body under that mound of blankets. "Rose! Come on! Wake up!" Rose was sacked out on her belly with her head so deeply embedded in one pillow and another held over her head. Annie feared for a second that she'd suffocated herself in the feather down. However, the inaudible groans that came up from the down cocoon let Annie breathe a sigh of relief. "Rose, honey, come on…" Annie continued her attempts in a less erratic method. Rose buried her head deeper in her pillow, refusing to become cognizant. It was the first time she'd gotten more than four hours of sleep since they'd gotten into this mess. She was so warm, so comfortable, so blissfully asleep that she could have slept for the rest of her life. But that state of euphoria only lasted for a half a second more. Her training kicked in and her body instantaneously snapped awake like a bucket of cold water had been thrown in her face. She suddenly rolled over and was in the sitting position with such superhuman-like speed that it nearly knocked Annie back on her behind. "What is it?" Rose's groggily said as she roughly rubbed her face. Still half awake, she blindly reached for her boots. "It's Private Butler…" Annie answered as she grabbed a boot and thrust it in Rose's fumbling hands while she shoved the other on the seated woman's foot. Rose's heart stopped. _No…, _she thought. She lifted her head and looked at the other nurse with eyes already brimming with tears. "What…is he…" Rose couldn't even finish her sentence with her choke-up whisper of a voice. "No, no, no, no!" Annie reassured and took other boot from Rose's idle hands. "He's conscious and he's asking for you!" "What?" Rose gasped. She couldn't believe it, he wasn't supposed to make it through the night. She sat there for a moment and closed her eyes, letting the relief spread its relaxing warmth through her body. However, there wasn't a moment to lose. Annie finished sloppily lacing Rose's boots and hauled the still slightly dazed woman up from the tangle of her blankets. "We gotta go, come on…" Annie pulled her out the dormitory. Rose somehow remembered to grab helmet on the way out. Rose stumbled a few steps as Annie dragged her along. She still didn't completely have her wits about her, and her coordination was suffering greatly. "What's the matter?" Rose exclaimed, grabbing the door frame to steady herself. "They just delivered supplies and they're going to evacuate some of the wounded…" Annie spoke almost as fast as an auctioneer and a cattle sale. "He's stable enough and they're getting ready to take him any minute." Rose finally managed to wrestle her limb away from the frantic nurse before they reached the flight of stair before them. Rose thought Purple Hearts were pretty, but she didn't necessarily want one for herself. The two quickly descended into total chaos. All the people in their helmets looked like a mass of little green beetles swarming around on a log somebody had just rolled over. Supply personnel were trying to push their way in through the narrow double doors with heavy crates in their arms while litter carriers were trying to push their way out with wounded soldiers and doctors and nurses ran about in between the bunch. "Where is he?" Rose called out as the two pushed their way through the crowd. "I dunno…" Annie responded as she stretched up and tried peering over the masses like a prairie dog. Rose looked around with a disgusted glare weighing down her brow. Rose wished she had a whistle or a starter pistol she could stand on a table with to get everyone's attention so she tell them all to get themselves in order and to stop running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off. However, given she'd just barely skirted serious charges, the Lieutenant decided it was probably best she kept her head down. Still, she had to find that private. "Corporal!" Rose grabbed one of the orderlies by the arm. "Ma'am!" he skidded to a stop and tipped his helmet back. The Corporal, George Jenson, was tall, lean, muscular, incredibly charming and unspeakably handsome. He'd had hopes of going to med school before being drafted and somehow managed to get into a medical unit instead of being placed as a medic in a combative unit. Because of his undeniable good looks, he was the most favorite object of ogling for almost every female in their unit. The poor man received a great deal of unwanted attention. Rose liked the man as well, but it wasn't because of his sandy blonde hair and a face that had been sculpted by the gods. Rose was one of the few women who wasn't smitten with him, and because of that he was able to talk with her without being flirted with. Needless to say, it caused a great deal of jealousy from the other nurses, but they didn't know he had a girl waiting for him back home. Rose had somewhat taken it upon herself to protect him from the ferocious females. George was a good man and was going to make an excellent doctor some day. "George, do you know where Private Butler is?" she asked frantically. George looked at her blankly. "Who?" he asked, reaching up and rubbing his forehead. He had absolutely no idea who she was talking about. The poor man had seen over a hundred privates in the last few days. "Butler!" Annie jumped in a repeated. "The one Woods botched!" It immediately dawned on Jenson and he looked around like an excited little boy who couldn't wait to show them something. "They just took 'em out." He exclaimed, waving his pointed finger toward the congested doorway. Rose looked over to the doors where the frigid air was gusting in. Annie suddenly grabbed her sleeve and pulled her towards it. Rose managed to shove her helmet just as they stepped out into the bitter cold. The chaos, though not as concentrated as in the school, was still just as frenzied and unorganized. The town square was a mess of ambulances and personal vehicles. "You might as well paint a goddamn bulls eye on the roof!" Rose overhead Major Fitch screaming over the crowd at an officer from the infantry unit that had invaded their position. Town people gathered in little clusters around the perimeter of the chaos, watching with their weary, blank eyes and wrapped in thick shawls and wool coats. Most of them just kept to themselves, sometimes they'd grumble about these 'damn yanks bringing the war to our peaceful town', according to Elaine's translation. But there were a few friendly natives who lent their services. The local priest had gone to school in America as a boy and sat with the men and just chit-chatted with them. His passion for American baseball kept them all quite entertained. The town midwife helped with the laundry and also sat with the men. Rose liked the older woman a great deal. She reminded Rose of Lena with her quick wit and tough-as-nails attitude, but she was kindly and had an instant soothing touch with her wrinkled, soft hands. She'd become an adopted grandmother, or even mother to those who actually had hair on their face. They called her "Ma'ma Marie". Rose pushed back her helmet that had always been too big for her and continued her frantic search. There were just so many people, she didn't know where to look first. However, by the grace of god, she spotted a familiar head of blond hair sticking out from under a military-green blanket on a litter headed for the back of a truck. Rose got tunnel vision. He sore, swollen feet ran across the snowy yard and skidded to a halt on a small patch of ice just as the litter carriers were about to hoist his body into the transport truck. "Wait!" she cried out the to sergeant and the private who faces where obscured by the scraps of what looked like a torn fatigue sweaters and long johns wrapped around their necks. Rose's already frozen hands rested on the side of the stretcher and her heart sunk to her toes when she found the private's eyes to be softly closed. She figured he'd slipped back out of consciousness. Rose suddenly felt very selfish for wanting him to see her, for wanting him to know it had been her who'd saved him. She was just one of thousands of medics who saved hundreds of lives a day. It was her job. She couldn't remember, and had already forgotten, many of the men she'd treated. Why did she think she deserved to be remembered? "Lieutenant…" the sergeant said hurriedly. "We got to get going…" Rose felt her chin quiver as her sad brown eyes looked up at the bundled up soldier. He was right. It was cold and they had a long and dangerous drive and every second she stood there, she put everyone's life in danger. Rose dropped her hands away from the litter and was about to take a step back when she was suddenly locked in the gaze of the clearest, bluest eyes she'd ever seen in her life. "Ma'am…" Private Butler hoarsely whispered. Rose all but fell to her knees next the waking soldier. "Hold on!" she cried out to the rightly so impatient litter carriers. She reached down and gently placed a hand on his shoulder with tears welling up in her eyes. "Private…" she smiled. "I have to say this conversation has been long over-due." The private closed his eyes and smiled so weakly it was almost unidentifiable. "Ma'am…you are the only think I remember since I got hit…" he mumble tiredly. Rose felt a sharp intake of air burn the insides of her throat and lungs. "Thank you…" he whispered with his near white lips, opening his eyes only slightly enough for Rose to see tiny slivers of his blue eyes. Rose squatted down closer to him and squeezed his hand. "You are very welcome." She smiled, fighting her hardest to hold back the tears by rolling her lips and swallowing a million times. "How am I ever going to repay you, Lieutenant…?" he asked, straining to looking at her. "Can I ask you you're name ma'am?" "Beyer…Rosemary Beyer…" she answered with a sigh. "You can repay me by getting better and don't you die anytime soon because by god, I'll hunt you down and kill you myself…" The private weakly chuckled, but cringed in pain because to the movement. "Yes, ma'am…" "Ma'am…" the deep voiced sergeant spoke again. "I'm sorry, we have got to get him on the bus…" Rose looked up, catching a glint of pity in his obscured eyes, and nodded solemnly. She squeezed Butler's had one last time. He'd closed his eyes again in utter exhaustion, but Rose could feel his weak fingers tighten around hers. She let out a shaky sigh and let go before stepping back. In less than a second and a slam of a door, he was gone… "Rose?" Annie's voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Rose looked over her shoulder and found the blond nurse smiling at her sympathetically. She stepped forward and wrapping a caring arm around the shorter woman's shoulder. Rose felt her body weakly sink against her friend's for support. Had they not been in the middle of a crowed, busy. Military operation, Rose would have collapsed into Annie's arms and cried like a fool. Rose had too many emotions running through her mind that she could hardly comprehend what she was feeling for sure. Instead, she just stood there until Annie gave her a final squeeze and let go. The two didn't need to say anything to each other. They were both nurse's who'd been in this for a long time to understand what Rose was feeling. Rose gave one last look at the retreating truck and turned back to the school with Annie following suit. However, something across the yard caught her attention and stopped her in her tracks. "What on earth..." Rose softly exclaimed and grasped the Annie's sleeve to halt her as well. Captain Woods stood across the square with his gear slung over his shoulder, glaring at Rose as if he was trying to kill her with looks alone. Rose only glared back with phrases going through her head that if they'd been spoken old loud, would have made a sailor blush. Suddenly a Jeep pulled up behind him and unceremoniously blared its horn at him. Woods nearly jumped out of his skin before his turned away from Rose's deathly stare and threw his bag into the back. Rose's jaw suddenly dropped when the reality of the situation dawned on her. He was leaving. How could he be leaving at a time like this? As bad as he was as a surgeon, they needed every person in the unit. "Where's he going?" Rose asked, pulling her coat tighter around her thin frame. Annie had dragged her out before she could grab her scarf and the blustery wind was cutting through her light jacket like a knife and chilling her to the bone. "What? Don't you know?" Annie exclaimed. Rose looked up at Annie's astonished face and shook her head. Rose apparently had missed something during her much needed nap. "Know what?" she exclaimed back, equally confused. "He's been transferred out of the unit…" "What…" Rose looked back over the Jeep with her brow's furrowed and watched Wood's settle his lanky, uncoordinated body in to the front seat. "He smarted off to Charlie and Major Fitch during his meeting." Annie told her and then leaned down and whispered in the nurse's ear. "I'm not supposed to know this, but the Colonel instigated a full letter of reprimand and Wood is looking at a court martial for dereliction of duty and conduct unbecoming. Major Fitch heard him threaten you outside the OR." Rose was floored, but at the same time a slight feeling of satisfaction started bubbling up in to her chest. The Jeep across the yard roared to life and the driver jammed the gears, nearly making Wood's fly out of his seat. As the vehicle made the loop around the square, it passed the two nurses. Wood's cold eyes locked with Rose's. She felt her body stiffen up and instead of cowering, she threw back her shoulders and lifted her chin so she could look down her nose at the discredited doctor. Technically, Rose was supposed to salute the man, but Rose also knew that officers didn't salute those who were inferior to them… * * * The conference with Strayer ended up taking only a few minutes. However, it had been long enough to sour what little of a good mood Dick had been in before. Strayer more than soured it, he knocked it over the back of the head, spat on it, and kicked dirt in its face. Dick had just been ripped up one side and down the other by the stout, little Colonel. One of Foxes platoon leaders had misunderstood a patrol order his company commander had delegated to him because that commander had misinterpreted the orders that Dick had given him, and the results had been disastrous. The company's third platoon had lost half its men and given up a great deal of dirt that they'd fought hard for just the other day. Sink was livid and had given Strayer an earful, which he then passed along down the line to Dick. Even though he knew he'd explained the orders clearly and competently, Dick felt at fault, and it made him mad. He was more than mad, he was downright pissed off. Dick didn't like being yelled at, especially when he didn't deserve it. But what upset Dick more than the earful he'd gotten was that instead of punishing the proper offenders, Dick had been the scapegoat for absolutely no reason. He'd always strived to do his best and fulfill his duties as best at the situation allowed him to. Dick knew Strayer's plan was flawed when he'd given it to him, so Dick made a few changes that where for the better. When Foxes commander misunderstood Dick, and the platoon leader botched the operation, Strayer found out about the Captain's amendments and was livid. Maybe if Strayer actually took the time to see what the real situation was, he would have understood the changes, Dick angrily mustered in his head and he stalked away from the Lt. Colonel. Dick pulled on his thin gloves and prepared to leave the warm haven of the CP. Dick placed his helmet on his head and gave the CP one last glance around. His mouth tugged to the side in annoyance before he stepped out of the building and promptly retrieved his M1, still bearing it's solitary round, that laid in the corner of the doorway. He looked across the devastated square that was a mess of piled stone, splintered timbers, dirty snow and abandoned vehicles. Natives of Bastogne carefully stepped their way through the piles of their once beautiful, quaint town, all with sagged shoulders and downcast eyes. Dick had learned a long time ago to not let himself think about what those people were going through. If he did, he'd start seeing his family members and friends' faces on those war weary civilians. Even though times were hard back in home, Americans would never truly know hard times like those people. As one of those war-weary civilian's walked by Dick, the old man looked at him and nodded in acknowledgement with an appreciative smile. Normally, Dick would have tipped his helmet to the man, but this time, he was too preoccupied with resentment to even look at him. The Captain brushed by the man and stepped down the crumbling steps of the CP on to the broken cobblestone sidewalk. "Dick?" Lewis's voice called over the roar of another jeep that flew by in the slushy street. Dick looked up to see him and Harry already situated in the Jeep awaiting to take them back to the line. He tucked the collar of his thin jacket back around his neck and stepped towards his comrades. "Damn, I hope Taylor's enjoying Washington…" Harry groused as he adjusted the various pieces of equipment strapped to his body so he could sit more comfortably in the backseat. "For such a little guy, you sure take up a lot of room." Lewis whined as he eased himself down next to the Lieutenant. Height definitely had its privileges as Dick seated himself into the front seat and easily stretched out his legs to the floorboard. However, it also had its drawbacks. The biting wind felt like a leather belt across the face. Dick motioned to the driver and pulled his scarf further up against his pale face. The Jeep roared to life as the driver put it in gear and the officers were pushed back against their hard seats. "How'd it go with Strayer?" Lewis hollered up to Dick over the whipping wind. Dick didn't answer the other Captain. He just sat there with his arms wrapped around himself against the cold and simmered. Lewis turned to Harry with an eyebrow quirked. Harry cringed and shrugged his shoulders. Lewis never let the bureaucracy of rank get to him unlike Dick. He'd gotten himself promoted out of Easy early enough before he really had to deal with the whole Sobel debacle, so he guess he could understand why Dick was so sensitive to chicken-shit officers. He had also learned to deal with everything by keeping his blood pressure down and a healthy dose of Vat 69. They whipped throw the slushy, pothole (most caused by artillery shells) filled streets at breakneck speed. Dick gazed unfocusedly at the passing buildings as he continued to belittle the incompetent officers in his head. The Jeep slowed down slightly as the driver navigated his way through the jammed up square in front of the church that served as their only aid station. Dick tightened his grip on the seat as the Jeep weaved in and out of the stumbling wounded and piles of debris. All three officers suddenly braced themselves as they screeched to a halt for another Jeep that suddenly came to a stop right in front of them. He muttered some curse words under his breath and was about to tell off both drivers for their erratic driving. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Dick saw something in a secluded doorway on the side of the church that made his forget what he was about to say. A soldier was standing in that doorway with petite, body wrapped in a passionate embrace. Dick caught the medic's white and red arm band of his sleeve and the delicate hand of a woman clenching it. Dick couldn't move, he just stared at the scene before his eyes with his jaw clenched in both anger and shock. He didn't hear the driver called out curses to the occupants of the other vehicle, he only saw the couple in the doorway. Suddenly, they broke their embrace and the medic lifted his head away from the Belgian nurse…the face Dick saw was a face as recognizable as his own mother's. It was Doc Roe… However, before Dick could comprehend what had taken place before his eyes, the driver's punched the accelerator and was in fourth gear before Dick could blink. The secluded alleyway disappeared from his line of sight. Dick twisted around in his seat and looked back at the other occupants to see if maybe they'd witnessed the indiscretion as well. But Harry was rubbing his face with his hand as he let out a loud yawn and Lewis was occupied searching in one of the pockets of his fatigue jacket. Both seemed unperturbed and unaware. Dick's eyes looked past their helmet covered heads and in the distance he saw a figure emerge from the alleyway with a medic's bag on his hip. * * * Well, I know it's not much considering how long you've all been waiting for this. I just finally decided to take the day and sit down and write. In a few weeks, things will hopefully slow down and I will have much more free time (that is if I survive this whole maid of honor gig). Thank you all for waiting and I'll try not to let nearly six months pass again before I post anything. I just seem to hit road blocks in this story every now and then. I have the other side written already, but building that bridge in between can be quite tricky sometimes. I hope you all will stay with me. Reading your reviews truly helps me stay motivated! 16. Chapter 16 Missed Chances Hello…here be another chapter for you're reading pleasure. I'll try my hardest to keep turning new chapters. It's yet again a busy semester the merry land of college, but I'm doing my best to write every spare moment I get. I can't make any promises when I'll get the next chapter up, but I can promise I will finish this story, so please stick with me. I promise too that things move along much faster after the next chapter. Enjoy! * * * Everything was quiet…far too quiet for Rose's taste, but she wasn't about to complain about it. Rose titled her head back and let the lukewarm sprinkle of water splash onto her face from the corroded shower head and cascade down her bare body. If she'd been able to, she would have stood there for hours until her fingers and toes shriveled up like raisins, but she only had ten minutes before the school washroom was descended on by the remaining gender of the medical unit. It wasn't quite as lavish as her last bathing experience with the claw foot tub and white marble walls, but it did make the woman feel like she was living in the correct century again. She had been the last to finally enjoy the luxury and was the only one left in the room, but she didn't mind. The typical shower tent chitchat wasn't always intelligent conversation that she neither cared to listen to or join in on, though warmer water may have been a reasonable trade off. Rose leaned over and picked up a half gone bar of scentless, off-white soap and lathered up some suds into a thin wash cloth. She hastily scrubbed the bits of dried blood flecked on her pale neck and the smudged ink stains on the outside of her palm. She hoped the grotesque stench of infected flesh that she'd been subjected to the day before would wash away as well. The unit had somehow made it through the chaos and many patients had been evacuated off to better facilities and hopefully to better recoveries. It was almost like someone flipped a switch and the place went from unimaginable pandemonium to quieter than a school house in July. She should have been used to it by now. The staff's work load had dramatically decreased in the matter of hours. There wasn't anything that that absolutely needed to be done besides the regular evening rounds for the few dozen soldiers who had come in that morning with non-fatal injuries. The new supplies had all been squared away, the bed sheets had all been washed and replaced, the OR floor scrubbed, inventories taken, and Mildred had even given out her weekly reaming to Elaine. All that had been completed before lunch. It was against the unwritten rules to announce, let alone think it, but Rose was bored… Chaos and adrenaline had become a fixture in the nurse's life, almost like a drug and her withdrawal was down time. She always was more productive when under the wire. She had three generations of farming blood to thank for that. It seemed like there was always something that had to be done before dinner, ran to town before the bank closed, or hay to be made before the rain fell. They were the masters of the last-minute, her Aunt Alice always would say. Rose needed to have a deadline in order to actually get things done. It wasn't that she procrastinated, she just needed to feel that sense of urgency lingering over her head to get the motivation. Maybe that's why she and the Army seemed to get along so well. Orders were orders, not suggestions or favors, and they needed to be completed twenty minutes ago. However, the hurry up and wait attitude of the institution seemed a bit hypocritical to Rose. If they didn't have you working your fingers to the bone, you were twiddling their thumbs, but if you were caught doing the latter, they found something to send you back to the former. The Beyer children learned very early in their new home to never say they were bored, especially in ear shot of Lena. They also learned how to look busy, a skill they picked up from Karl. Rose found that ability to be very helpful in the Nurse Corps. It kept her from being volunteered for many bed pan rounds or other unpleasant and menial duties. However, bar the boredom, the down time was productive in other ways. Just as the saying went, they made hay while the sun shined. Rose made sure all her nurses had their turn in the large washroom to take care of some much needed hygiene. Although most of them agreed that'd they'd rather see their male counter parts first in line, Rose knew better. She'd lived with her brothers long enough to know that having to endure their body odor for a few more hours was far better than having to deal with the mess they would had left in the washroom. It was a decision she was quite glad she made as she shut off the water and combed through her soaked hair with her fingers. Rose grabbed her towel off the hook and wrapped it around her body before stepping out of the shower. The building they had overtaken wasn't just a school, it was the place all the rich French aristocrats sent their spoiled children to get them out of their hair. Though it had been abandoned for some time, the building still demonstrated all its grandeur under the layers of dust and cobwebs. It made Rose think of what the unkempt mansion in Great Expectations would have looked like. Rose looked around the large room with wistful eyes as she dried her hair. Her one room school house back home had a hand cranked water pump and an outhouse that liked to attract squirrels and big hairy spiders that boys loved to catch and terrorize the girls with. She quickly dried herself off, but not fast enough to ward off the goose bumps that almost immediately formed on her pale skin. She tucked the corner of her towel snuggly under her armpit to hold it up. Rose had never had much of a bust to begin with and her latest nutritional plan wasn't helping her cause. She could hardly fill out the darts in her Class A's even before all this happened. Whoever designed the female's uniform clearly hadn't taken those who were less fortunate in to account. She raked her fingers through her wet hair and went over to the cobbled-up clothes line that was strung across the washroom. She yanked off the only remaining undergarments that also had 'Beyer' written on a scrap of paper folded over the line. Rose couldn't afford to put her entire uniform out of commission so she just spot washed the dark brown bloodstains off of the olive-drab trousers and jacket the best she could earlier in the day. It always amazed Rose how something as simple as clean hair and clean clothes could do wonders for the moral. Rose wasn't sure who was more thankful, the woman, or the men who had to deal with the cantankerous females. The men had another thing to be thankful about. By whatever strange and unknown phenomena of nature, Mother Nature seemed to bestow her gift to all the nurses of the unit at once and that siege seemed to have finally been broken. A part of Rose was thankful that she wasn't a part of that club that required a monthly membership payment. However, missing out on it also meant she was missing out on the one thing that Rose had most wanted to be someday…a mother. Even though she was a rebellious tomboy who chased chickens and picked up garden snakes, she did plan on being having children someday. Not only was it just what every little girl planned on doing someday, Rose felt as though she needed to make up for her dreadful childhood, that she needed to prove something to her own mother. However, her chances were ruined before she even could give it a shot. Only a handful of people knew about her condition, and only two of which whom she'd chosen to tell. Annie had been one of them simply because the fertile nurse had been complaining about her monthly cramps and asked Rose if she had any advice to quell them and Rose had to explain why she couldn't relate. Likewise, Rose had never intended on telling Dick. It wasn't exactly something one divulged to a person they only planned on knowing for 48 hours, but she had let it slip that first night. Then again, she hadn't exactly been thinking very rationally that entire weekend and she was only thinking about one thing when she blurted it out. Her time in Paris was starting to feel less like a memory and more like one of those odd, vivid dreams that she couldn't seem to forget. Piece by piece, the details of those memories were starting to disintegrate. Details that she'd previously been able to recall without hesitation where turning into vague accumulations that described a whole. It was like looking into one of those brain teasers with all the little bits of seemingly random colors and shapes that actually formed a larger picture, only Rose's eyes could immediately focus on the larger picture and look right past the details. Unless, she really took the time to concentrate on that picture and made her eyes squint out those details. The last few days had been too busy to allow herself that time and effort. She didn't want to forget, yet she couldn't allow herself to remember. There were too many more important things besides recalling those two nights that she needed to use her head for. But a mind is sometimes like a Rube Goldberg machine, one chain reaction after another of random and unseeingly related thoughts suddenly found Rose the time for recalling a fading memory… "_Here we are…" Rose pursed her lips as she carefully fished out a sepia photo with a torn corner from a leather billfold she retrieved out of her issued satchel. _ _She held the precious picture daintily in her finger tips and crossed the wood floor and the worn carpet back to the bed. She hiked up the hem of her loosely tied robe as she climbed onto the bed and rejoined the occupant who had remained with the covers pulled over his hips. Dick proceeded to pull his torso up with his arms and prop himself up against the headboard, but he strained with the unstable mattress caused by Rose's added weight and movement. The nurse couldn't help but stare for a moment as the muscles in his bare chest flexed and bulged in the warm lamp light. _ _Rose had likely seen over a thousand naked men of all shapes and sizes in the last few years. Working in the hospital unit was about like looking through a Sears-Roebucks catalog. With the amount and diversity of men, a woman could simply decide on the height, weight, eye and hair color, and religion she wanted and it was very likely she'd find a match, if not two or three. The Lieutenant had gotten over the involuntary reaction ogle at those male specimens of perfection that came under her care, especially when those sculpted bodies were full of holes and squirting out blood. However, Dick reminded her, quite quickly, of how that breathless, tingling feeling in her stomach felt like. He wasn't overly muscular to the point of gaudy, nor was he spindly and thin. He had just the right about of mass in all the right places._ _Rose, realizing she was gawking, quickly ducked her pining eyes away before Dick noticed her starring. What she didn't see was the self-satisfied, little smirk that tugged at the corners of the fit Captain's lips when he caught a glimpse of the nurse's reddening cheeks. All those morning runs and sit-ups were paying off with something else besides combat effectiveness. _ _Rose laid down on her side next to him and placed her head on his shoulder. Dick wrapped that arm around her satin covered body and pulled her against snuggly against him. Both noticed, but neither could bring themselves to comment on how well their bodies seemed to fit together as Rose draped her leg over his thigh and held up the picture in front of his face. _ _Dick carefully took the well loved photo from her protective finger tips and angled it towards the light. A handsome couple stood next to a large, dapple horse in a harness. They were in a house yard with basket ball sized hydrangea blooms and a white framed, screened in porch in the background. The man, Rose's father Joseph, had his hand up in the horse's mane. He was tall with suspenders stretched over broad, strong shoulders. The rolled up sleeves of his work shirt exposed biceps that looked like they belonged on a heavy weight boxer. He had a strong, sculpted Scandinavian face with a rounded, strong jaw and hooded eyes. His thick boyish, blond hair was blown back by the wind. Joe Beyer looked youthful and lively physically, yet in his eyes, Dick saw a maturity and wisdom that came from a man who'd experienced both the good and bad of life. He'd seen the same look in the young faces of his fellow soldiers and in his own reflection. _ _Held easily up in Joe's strong arms was a little boy with white, sun-bleached hair squinting against the brightness._ "_That's Henry." Rose pointed to the boy. "And that one who looks like he's about 35…" Rose pointed to the stern looking boy standing on the other side of the draft horse with his arms crossed over the front of his overalls and the brim of his hat obscuring his eyes. "That's my oldest brother Carlyle…"_ "_Hmmm…" Dick chuckled. "Good looking kids…" His eyes scanned over the males of the Beyer clan for another moment before they settled on the other side where Dick saw an almost hauntingly familiar female looking back at him._ _Rose couldn't look more like her mother than if she had tried. Rose was about the same age as Helen in the photo and the resemblance was uncanny. Her mother had the same dark, thick hair and delicate featured face, though she was a bit shorter and finer boned than her daughter. Her arms and hands were slender and small whereas Dick had actually been surprised by Rose's toned and muscular body. In Helen's arms was a healthy, chubby toddler wearing a little dress and a floppy bonnet. Rosemary's thick arm was reaching out to grasp Joe's sleeve with her little fingers, looking as if she was jealous of her brothers and wanted to be in father's arms instead._ "_My god, you look just like your mother…" Dick turned and looked at her with a crooked smirk on his lips._ _Rose looked up into his playful, blue eyes and felt her heart melt from the inside out from the look he was giving her, which seemed to warping into something else beyond admiration. She looked away before she fell under his spell and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear as she studied the picture that she didn't need to look at to know every single detail._ "_You really think so?" she earnestly questioned and slid her open hand out across his chest, unable to resist the need to get as close to him as possible._ _She'd been told the same thing by several different people, but she always figured it was just something people said because she was the only daughter. Rose knew she had her mother's brown hair and eyes, but looking in the mirror she certainly didn't see a ghost looking back at her. The face of her mother that she most remembered was an overly done-up, thin, pale, and drawn down with a fearful look of dread. _ _In the five years that Helen lived after Joe died, she was always looking over her shoulder, being the victim of both anxiety and spousal attacks, and fainting from low blood sugar. In the picture Dick held in his hands was how Rose wished she could remember her mother. She was smiling a cunning little smile and she looked so healthy and happy standing there proudly by Joe's side. Carlyle, who was old enough to remember as well as understand, said that her mother may have been killed in that car accident, but her soul and spirit had died the day they put Joe in the ground. _ _Rose used to resent her mother for being such a weakling, for giving up instead of fighting. Even before Joe died, Helen was very soft spoken, but that characteristic evolved into complete helplessness soon afterwards. Her daughter was the complete opposite just out of spite, but when Rose grew older and starting experiencing it herself, she started to understand how so much heartbreak could wear on a person's soul. Helen simply gave up on life and everyone in it. She was out of her wits after Joe died and the bank kicked them off the farm. She turned down Karl and Lena's offer to move in with them, something nobody ever understood why. She married Arnold Peterson out of desperation, but things only got worse for his new trophy wife and her children. Rose remembered her mother sleeping a lot and when she was up, she was always ingesting some tonic from a thick brown bottle she'd bought of a snake oil salesmen that was supposed to improve her mood. Unfortunately, such a deep state of depression took more than corn syrup and whiskey to cure. _ _Rose often wondered if that car accident that ended that sordid chapter of her life had really been an accident. Arnold had driven that same bend in the road nearly every night in some state of inebriation and made it home in one piece. No one would ever know for sure, but the thought gave her only daughter a bit of peace of mind that maybe Helen did finally put up a fight…and won, for both her and her children._ "_If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that was you in this with your husband and kids…" Dick slyly answered looking back at the photo. _ _Dick felt her body shake against him in a silent chuckle, but when he looked down at her he saw that same forlorn look that he'd seen the day before on the park bench. Dick suddenly felt like a ten pound hammer hit him in the heart and a grimace settled onto his face. He had completely forgotten about striking that sensitive nerve with the amazing day they'd had together, and he'd just ruined it. A silence quickly filled the room, one so heavy that it almost seemed to suppress the words Dick wanted to get out of his throat. _ "_I…I'm sorry Rose…" his voice rumbled out of his chest softly. "I forgot…"_ _Rose felt the pinch in her chest tighten and twist down in her stomach. He remembered, well, for the most part. However, she wasn't sure whether she pleasantly surprised or mortified. The nurse shifted against his body and noticed that he had become tense and uncomfortable, but hers had done the same thing. Rose took a in a shaky, shallow breath and closed her eyes. She hadn't forgotten about divulging a close guarded secret in the throes of passion. After all, it was Rose's infertility that was allowing them to carry on their fraternization with no reservations. She thought about it every time and she hoped that he didn't think she had just blurted it so that he wouldn't stop. But then again, if he'd had his doubts and worried about getting her in to 'trouble' or having to take a visit to the prophylactic station, they would have had this conversation several longing glances and popped buttons ago. _ "_Don't worry about it, Dick." she indifferently shrugged his innocent statement off. He hadn't meant anything by it. Rose was actually upset with herself for reacting the way she did in front of the perceptive Captain. Rose took a deep breath and repositioned her cheek against his shoulder, hoping the stifling air of awkwardness would soon clear out._ _However, the instigator didn't let his untimely joke go. His curiosity had been gnawing at his insides ever since she accidently blurted her bareness out. However, asking her so had to be twenty times worse than asking a woman her weight. Dick chewed on the inside of his cheek for several moments as he worked up the courage. What a man, he thought to himself. He'd been through two of the roughest campaigns of the ETO and thrown himself into dangerous situations without a second thought, yet he couldn't ask a woman a simple question. He needed to get up out of his foxhole and just ask her. He would probably get shot down in the process, but it was a risk he had to take._ "_Rose…" he whispered into her hair, his hand around her hip sliding up to her waist before returning to its former place in a gentle stroke._ "_Hmmm?" she murmured back, still staring at the photo, thinking for the millionth time about the fact that she'd never be in a family photo like that._ _Dick nuzzled her temple for a few moments as he thought about the way he was going to approach this inquiry._ "_What happened…" he asked point blank. "How do you know that…" his voice suddenly trailed off. The decorated Captain's fortitude failed him as rapidly he'd mustered it up._ _Rose opened her eyes again and looked back up at the photo still in Dick's hands, taking her turn of speechlessness as she laid there listening to his heart echo against his chest wall. _ _Dick swallowed anxiously, regretting that he'd even broached the subject. The day had been spent ignoring anything that wasn't enjoyable and Dick had just broken the streak. However, retreating from this battle wasn't as easy._ "_You don't have to…" he started to say._ _"When I was 20…" Rose cut in and Dick snapped his mouth shut, knowing he'd already said to much and it was his turn to listen. _ "_I just…just didn't feel right and I had a sharp pain, right about here" Dick's eyes flickered down to the concave spot just between the point of her hip and her belly button her hand was resting on. "...they thought I had appendicitis, they were even ready to open me up…but then the pain stopped…and…well, so did my monthly cycles…" Rose paused, hoping he was at least somewhat familiar with female reproductive functions. _ _Dick looked down at her with his soft eyes that seemed free of confusion and Rose gave him a half-hearted smile and shrug. _ "_The doctor said my ovaries stopped functioning properly and because of that I rarely menstruate…which means I can't conceive." She ended the phrase with a sarcastic-cheeriness._ _Before her words could even sink in, she sat up and reached for the photo still in Dick's idle fingers. His hand resting on her robe-clad hip reluctantly slid down past the small of her back to the warm sheets her body once occupied as she sat up and returned her picture to its place between the folds of leather. Rose didn't want to look him in the eyes because she was extremely downplaying the severity of the steps it took to reach that diagnosis. The entire experience had been a great deal more complicated and painful then she was letting him to believe, but Rose knew that the woman's life he'd inadvertently chosen to get involved with was already enough of a Greek tragedy, she didn't want to dish more onto his plate. _ _She noticed things going wrong her last year of college. Rose started getting horrendous cramps that doubled her over. It felt like someone had stabbed a knife through her gut and twisted it. Usually, it only happened during her period, but then there started to be less and less time that she wasn't in pain. At first, she merely blamed it on being extremely stressed with finals, and student teaching. Henry had also broken his arm late that winter. The farm was short of help and struggling more than ever to make ends meet and Rose felt guilty that she wasn't around to help. It was also the spring she turned down that marriage proposal, but the pain continued after all that had passed. Rose hid it from everyone except Molly partially because she knew her grandparents couldn't afford an expensive doctor visit, but mostly because she was ashamed and afraid that her previous indiscretions were the cause. She suffered for months until Lena found her curled up in her bed sobbing from the pain one night just after she graduated. _ _Despite Rose's protests and knowledge of the subject, the local doctor was determined that Rose had appendicitis and scheduled an operation. Rose had been through many harrowing situations in the war, but she had never been more scared and fearful for her life than that night as she sat there waiting for them to put her under so they could cut her open. She knew he was wrong, but what scared Rose more was not knowing what else it could have been. _ _By the grace of god, the pain suddenly stopped when Rose felt a funny 'pop' in her belly and after some observation, they sent her home. She felt better, but as the months went by she noticed she had stopped cycling. The doctor told her that whatever caused her all that pain stopped her ovaries from working. He told her as Lena sat with her that the likelihood of her ever becoming pregnant was a one in a million chance. Rose tried doing her own research because she didn't trust the old, stuffy doctor, but the female body was still taboo in the medical world and there just wasn't anything to explain her symptoms._ _The captain watched the nurse sit there on the sheet, facing away from him and playing with the end of her robe tie. His bare chest rose as he took in a deep, breath and sighed. He wanted to say something, but what? He couldn't even imagine what she'd had gone through, let alone comment on the situation. He sat up and twisted his torso so he could lean against her back. He propped up his body up with his arm and snaked his left hand around her middle._ "_I see…" he murmured into her ear, not knowing what else he could possibly say besides that, and inwardly cringed at the stupidity of the words he'd just uttered. _ _Rose turned her head towards his and peered up into his eyes. Dick was the first man she'd ever told, let alone been involved, since she learned her fate. For awhile, Rose blamed the men in her life for why she wasn't pursuing any serious relationships, but that wasn't the real reason. She'd turned down many good-husband candidates because she asked herself the same question every time she let someone near her heart._ _What man would knowingly marry a woman who couldn't give him a child? _ _She guessed that was the Freudian reason she remained unmarried and why it was so easy for her to resist the temptation of all the men she was surrounded by. She couldn't bring herself to lie, nor could she go through the scrutiny of being a motherless wife. That reason was also why her current fling with Dick was working out so perfectly. After tomorrow, it would be over. She wouldn't have to worry about lingering doubts or feelings. She didn't have to feel the burden or the scrutinizing by his family when she couldn't produce an heir for their only son. The two officers simply couldn't be together, both logistically and lawfully. Besides, they'd already discussed the uncertainly of what this war could bring._ _Rose waited and looked deeply into his eyes, almost baiting him to say something more. Everyone else, even Lena, had expressed their sympathy, because they all assumed that Rose wanted to talk about it. Their unsolicited advice only made her realize all that couldn't be done, all she was going to miss out on…it just made her feel worse. She waited for him to start digging a hole like everyone else had before him._ _But she should have given him the benefit of the doubt because he just sat there without saying a single word. She didn't find a trace of pity, empathy maybe, but she didn't feel like any less of a woman in his eyes. Not a single word came out of his mouth, but what he told her with his eyes and the comforting hand protectively wrapped around her body was the best response she could have ever hoped for. Rose felt her chest swell in appreciation and that familiar tingling deep in her belly as her admiration for the man behind her nearly exploded. She leaned into his chest and tipped her head back. Dick met her movement as he leaned down and kissed her sweetly._ "_Thank you…" she whispered against his lips when they broke the kiss._ _Dick furrowed his brows and gave her a funny smirk._ "_For what?" he asked befuddled. _ "_Nothing…" she responded with a smile. _ _Even if she knew how to explain her gratitude, Rose didn't want him to have to burden of trying to understand it._ Suddenly, a loud ruckus and boisterous male laughter came up through the floor register and reminded her that if she didn't get dressed soon she'd have to add a whole platoon she could add to that list of one who'd seen her out of uniform. Rose quickly shook the lingering memories out of her head before others regarding the rest of that night found their way in and hastily finished dressing. She thanked God for the supply convoy's healthy stock of long underwear and fatigue sweaters. Rose also had a brand new wool coat hanging on her bedpost. Things were finally turning out to be not quite so miserable. She gathered the rest of her things and left the washroom, making sure to relieve as well as thank Rita for her sentry duty. The majority of personnel in the unit where all pretty well behaved, but there were a few pranksters that the nurses had quickly learned to watch out for. The two walked together and discussed the book Rita had been reading for a few minutes until the stout woman parted ways with her at the stairs. Rose went up to the dorms and she wasn't in the door for three seconds when Annie caught up to her. "There you are!" Annie exclaimed like an older sister scolding a wayward sibling. "I've been looking for you because Elaine needs help moving the piano and I've been trying to convince Private Amacher to make some pies or cakes, but he claims he has no sugar but Charlie swore he saw a few bags just the other day and I know for a fact they brought more flour and Judith doesn't know…" "Whoa, there…" Rose threw up her hands to stop Annie before she was blown back on her behind by the cowgirl's onslaught of breathless ramblings. Rose squeezed her eyes and shook her head as if trying to reset her brain. "Back up...why does Elaine need help moving the piano?" she asked with a raised brow. "Well, to take into the auditorium of course…I know we don't have that many patients in house right now, but we certainly aren't going to fit everyone in that music room." Annie's hands waved as she spoke like she was directing that piano in for a landing. "I see… " Rose answered hesitantly, still uncertain why they needed the piano. "What's the occasion? The German's surrender or something?" she wistfully kidded and wiped the remaining dampness from her face. "Well, that would certainly make the celebrations all the merrier if they did…" Annie smiled and crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the doorway. But her face fell from playful mockery into a frown when she realized Rose just wasn't getting it. "Rose…it's Christmas Eve…" Rose peaked from behind her rough towel, with furrowed brows. She quickly added up the days in her head and her jaw dropped when her calculations did in fact match with Annie's statement. Rose dropped the towel from her face and looked down at it, as if it held all the answers of the universe. "My God…it is." Rose softly exclaimed both wondrously and reasonably humiliated. How on earth could a person forget about Christmas? She'd written the date nearly a hundred times every day the past few weeks. How did she not make the connection? Rose had actually been looking forward to the forthcoming celebration at their previous position. Annie had been the curator of the holiday festivities and if event planning was a qualifying merit for a medal, Annie should have had four of them. She'd put together a choir and was leading the charge in decoration making. Corporal Flint and a wounded Private from the Engineer Corps had gone out and commandeered a pine tree from some French aristocrats lawn. It was a pretty tree as long as one didn't look at the blackened trunk and lower branches from the explosives they used to 'cut' it down. Rose put down the towel and reached to pull back the heavy blackout curtain to look out the frosted over window of the dorm. She wasn't entirely sure what she was searching for, but whatever it was, she didn't find it in the snow covered streets. There were no wreathes hung on the lamp posts, nor any store fronts bustling with excitement as hopeful children crowed around the glowing display of cherry red tin trains and blue eyed baby dolls. The only thing in Rose's immediate line of sight was a green Jeep covered in dirty, grey, road snow. "Doesn't really feel like Christmas…" she mumbled forlornly with a sigh as she squinted to make out the church steeple in the distances that should have been ringing before dropping the drape back in its place. Rose hadn't had a real Christmas in three years. She'd been fortunate to make it home for New Years during training to celebrate a belated Christmas with her family, but since then holiday celebrations had been nothing more than a few tone death Christmas carols and a care box full of stale cookies that arrived in February. Christmas in Tunisia had been celebrated with 157 wounded men and Rose getting a finger sliced by a shaky-handed and fatigued surgeon in a Captain's perforated intestine. She was on antibiotics for two weeks after that and the Captain didn't make it. They tried putting her in for a Purple Heart since it was an injury sustained in a war zone while performing her duties, but Rose refused the submission, claiming it wasn't an injury incurred by enemy hands. Besides, her inch long cut that only took three stitches would have been an insult to the men who came in with their lives and limps hanging on by a thread. Her second Army Yuletide experience had been spent sacked out on in a swinging cot, knocked out on tranquilizers after spending disgusting three hours in the lavatory burning away her taste buds with stomach acid on a ship to Scotland from Morocco. Annie reached over and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Well, we're going to do the best we can to make it feel like Christmas." the endlessly chipper woman smiled. "And don't feel too foolish…you weren't the only one who forgot about it." Rose gave a modest shrug and quirked her mouth in understated embarrassment. Annie continued to lay out the evening's plans as Rose dug out her walnut and boar hair brush that had been her mothers and pulled back her hair. "Father Bechman is giving a mass at five and then after supper Elaine is going to play some carols, that is if were ever get it pushed down the hall. That thing's a beast…" Annie rambled on. Rose thought about her family back home. It wasn't even morning there yet with the time difference, but when they did get up, they'd still have to take care of the morning chores like any other day. But afterwards, Lena would make them a special breakfast of smoked sausages from the hogs they'd raised and butchered earlier in the fall and pancakes with real maple syrup sent to them from their relatives up in the North Woods. She'd then spend the rest of the day slapping Henry and Karl's hands away from the cooling racks full of mince pie, ginger bread cookies, and homemade candies meant for the next days celebrations. Later that night they'd pile in a pew down at St. John's the Baptist for Christmas Eve mass and after suffering through the stiff backs and shushing Carlyle's rowdy and impatient children, the whole crew would return home to hot chocolate and Karl's summer-made stash of blackberry wine and hard apple cider. They'd all sip their drinks and eat treats while they told funny stories and played games. Rose felt a little pinch in her heart as she dwelled on the tradition. Everybody missed their families back home more than ever this time of year, but just like other things she was missing at the moment, she learned not to dwell on them. "Are our other guests going to join in on the festivities?" Rose asked, referring to the infantry unit that still remained in town. The Colonel had finally succeeded and kicked the loiterers out their building, but many of them still remained on the school grounds, camped out in the out buildings and stables. The human being that still resided in the Chief Nurse's heart felt for those cold, hungry men, but the pragmatist that she was forced to be knew that having a combat unit as house guests created a security risk. If the enemy found out the Allied troop locations, it was incredibly possible that they may be attacked. Rose really didn't feel like evacuating. Though she wasn't supposed to let herself get comfortable, it was hard not to with a location as both functional and comfortable as theirs. "No, I doubt it…" Annie replied with a shrug. "Maybe if Amacher stops being such a scrooge and makes something we can take out to them…I feel sorry for those poor grunts." "Yes, well…" Rose let out a grunt as she plopped down onto the side of the bed and leaned down to re-lace her boots. "There are a thousand other soldiers out there who won't be having the greatest Christmas either…" * * * Dick was dying…a slow, cold, excruciating death. Technically, that over-exaggeration was correct in a physiological sense because frost bite killed skin, so in all actuality, Dick was dying. The wind felt like it was boring into his head through his eardrums like a drill bit every time it blew against his aching ears. His thin scarf helped slightly, but it mostly just made him look foolish. He, just like the rest of the Division, hadn't a scrap of cold weather gear. Only a handful of men had the stomach and or the right degree of demented detachment to take provisions off of the frozen, dead bodies that lay scattered throughout the Ardennes Forest like fallen logs buried in the snow. Dick had no qualms about taking ammunition or weapons from those who certainly wouldn't be using them anymore because it was what he'd been trained to do, a task that had to be done in the heat of battle when the lightness of an empty musset bag started to feel more like a noose around one's neck. Over six months of constant war had hardened his resolve and allowed him to be pragmatic and insensitive even when the scene he saw before him should have made him fall down onto his knees and weep or empty his stomach. He had to be resourceful at times or perish, but taking something like clothing, or watches, wallets, even boots where completely different. They were far too personal, possessions that belonged in the hands of loved ones, not those of an unsympathetic soldier who happened to have the time to riffle though their dead comrade's pockets. Besides, being cold was better than being dead…wasn't it? Dick stopped his feet in the snow, trying to beat some blood flow back into the numb limbs as he and the rest of the officers waited their turn as the enlisted men got their grub. At least he'd been religious about changing socks and he knew he didn't have trench foot, yet. He watched the slow line of men lumber towards a steaming pot for Joe's famous concoction of beans and god-only-knew broth. Dick didn't honestly care anymore what he was ingesting, just as long as it was warm. The supplies had been indeed stretch terribly thin and their Christmas Eve meal was going to probably be the last real meals until the air strips cleared and the Air Corps was able to drop more. The most recent German tank assault had nearly eaten up all their ammunition earlier that morning. Easy had been hit head on with the point of it and as the Captain looked out on to those hardly recognizable, scruffy, chilled faces, he noticed more who weren't in the group than who were actually there. Smokey Gordon had been one of the latest losses who Dick deeply regretted. Gordon was one of the best. He may have not been the most athletic of the bunch, but he had the most determination and heart that Dick had ever seen in a man or soldier. Dick looked past the line and his eyes quickly settled onto a lone man sitting against a tree. Eugene Roe looked like at frozen ice statue. Babe Heffron set a cup of soup down in Roe's idle hands, but he hardly even noticed. Clearly, his mind was preoccupied with something and Dick was probably the only man in Bastogne who knew a key factor for his blankness. Dick had calmed down from his first initial anger over the indirection he'd witnessed between Roe and the Belgium nurse. If Roe had showed up around the CP shortly after the trio of officers had return from town, Dick would have very well called him out right then and there, but that very moment was the first time he'd laid eyes on the medic since he'd caught that glimpse of him in that alley. Suddenly, a roar of a Jeep caught Dick's attention and he turn to look over his shoulder as Colonel Sink's vehicle appeared out of the mist. The distinguished officer nimbly jumped out of the passenger seat before it even came to a stop. "Can have sit down dinner of turkey and hooch back at the Division CP…" he announced as he walked around the front of the Jeep's bumper. "Damned if I don't like Joe Domigus's rancid-ass beans better…" Sink always knew how to put things so eloquently. Dick couldn't help but looking longingly at his clean, fur-lined jacket as the man stepped through the crowed of half frozen and mud covered Easy company members and bid 'hello'. The colonel approached Dick and they shook hands. He held out a piece of paper that held the message from General McAuliffe, but Dick turned down the offer to read it because he just didn't have the chops like the Colonel when it came to announcements. Plus, maybe the men would benefit from getting some one on one attention from the higher ups, if not to just get a good laugh out of it later when Luz impersonated him. "Men!" By the way Sink passionately shouted, Dick doubted he had even intended not to give the speech. He walked in front of the crowd of shivering officers and Dick followed. As he read the sheet of paper, Dick glanced back over to Roe. The medic was still sitting against the tree with his cup still untouched in his hands. Dick couldn't tell if he was listening, or still back in the church at Bastogne. Dick decided right then that he was going to speak with him. He had to; it was his duty as an officer. Technically, the Battalion Executive Officer should have spoken to Roe's company commander, and if it would have been anyone else besides Dike, Dick would have done so. Besides, he was the one who saw what happened, plus Dick had known Roe for quite a while. Easy Company had lost so many good people during the siege that they couldn't afford to have their medic carousing around town with a nurse who also had her own duties to be attending to. Suddenly, Rose's face flashed through the determined Captain's mind, making his insides jerk like he'd just hit the prop-blast out of a C-47… "NUTS!" Sink shouted next to Dick, pulling him back into reality which replaced former lover's face with those of his soldier's. A hearty chuckle went around the men, all except for Dick, who suddenly found himself caught in a bit of a hypocritical paradox. "We are giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present…" Sink continued "Being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms, we are truly making for ourselves a Merry Christmas." Dick could think of a few other privileges that weren't very gallant, but would have made for a much merrier Christmas in his mind. He meekly starred down at his snow dusted Corcorans. For the first time in his Army career, he had no idea what he was going to do about Roe. There was a vast difference when it came to the procedural action to take and the morally right. The man was seconds away from becoming another victim of combat fatigue, but how did his commander even broach the subject. Why should a man who's saved hundreds of lives be punished for finding comfort in this bleak world full of pain, suffering and death when he, Captain Quaker himself, did the very same thing and gotten away with it. "A Merry Christmas to you all and God bless you." With that, Sink slapped Dick on the back and walked through the throng of cheering men repeating their new favorite word. Even Dick couldn't withhold his own smile as he looked around at their cheerful faces. For a few moments, he forgot how miserable they all felt and all the sacrifices they'd made with both lives and limbs. How far away they were from their families and their loved ones. They weren't only fighting to save their own lives, they were fighting to save the whole outcome of the war in Europe. If it wasn't for the 101st's actions and keeping the Krauts out of Bastogne and its roads, Hitler would have his troops halfway to Paris. However, one sideways glance over to a medic still sitting motionlessly against a tree quickly dissolved any optimism. They were still cold, still low on supplies, still had a great deal of work to do, and as far as Dick was concerned still down a medic. "Nuts…" Lewis said as he stepped next to the Captain. "Knowing McAuliffe, his response was probably another favorite four letter word of his…" he mused. "But I suppose they couldn't very well print that on the front page of the Post." Lewis stood there, waiting for Dick to input or at least some sort of acknowledgment that he'd even spoke, but Lewis looked up and found his friend starring across frost covered helmets of the men. "What are looking at?" Lewis stretched his neck up to try and match Dick's vantage point. Dick glanced down and away from Roe and shifted on his feet. "Nothing…uh, just thinking…" he said with a raspy voice thick with congestion. He readjusted his M1 on his shoulder with numb fingers and looked down. Lewis raised a thick, black eyebrow and glanced at Dick. "You sure been thinking a lot 'bout nothing lately…" Lewis quipped as he pulled the collar of his jacket tighter around his neck. Dick just shot him a quick side-ways glance. Lewis had again noticed a change in Dick's demeanor since the other day. The Pennsylvanian Captain had suddenly buttoned up tighter than a nun's habit. Lewis was just starting to enjoy his friend's new found slyness, but instead of firing them right back, Lewis's wisecracks where bouncing off of Dick's steely exterior like rifle rounds against a tank. "Come on…" Lewis gestured towards the line of Officers forming in front of the steaming pot. "Let's get something to eat…" "No," Dick replied and coughed into his chest. "You go ahead. I'll wait a little bit." Dick looked over in the rapidly darkening landscape, but the thin tree no longer held the weight of a Cajun medic. He grimaced and scanned the sea of gray clad soldiers, looking for one with an armband. Next to him, Lewis loudly blew his nose into a handkerchief and shrugged. "Alright then…" the skeptical Captain replied. "I won't promise to save any…" he mumbled as he walked away. Dick glanced at the retreating man's footsteps in the compacted snow for a moment before a bone-quivering shiver tore through his body. He reached up and lifted his helmet and pulled his scarf down from his head. His ears had their chance and they were probably goners already anyway. He couldn't take the cold air sneaking down under his collar and chilling his whole body. His stiff fingers struggled to manipulate the thin fabric into a position that would give him the most protection. Dick had to constantly remind himself that the best way to stay warm was to stop thinking about just how cold he was. He also had to stop thinking about the fact that less than a week ago he was looking forward to spending Christmas Day watching a football game that promised to be quite entertaining with hot, wholesome food filling his belly. Captain looked over at the grub line and saw the remaining Battalion staffers lining up, as well as a few extra enlisted men who'd snuck back in line, with their cups outstretched like the little orphan boys in Oliver Twist. He looked back over into the crowd of soldiers and squinted into the darkness. A retreating figure caught the Captain's attention. The soldier wasn't carrying a weapon and he was too slender to be Spena. Dick took a step forward, ready to chase down the fraternizing medic, however, the hollow sound of a ladle scraping against an empty pot held him back. Dick knew if he didn't get in line, he'd been eating pine cones for dinner. A dense plume of vapor obscured his view of Roe as Dick let out a frustrated sigh. When the air cleared, he could no longer see the Medic in the dense forest. Dick grumble and an irritated frown weighed down his pale features. His stomach just cost him an opportunity and he had no choice but to go get in line. He'd have to go find Roe later… 17. Chapter 17 Silent Night The Belgium night was exceptionally quiet. The air had a glacial stillness that blanketed the entire forest, which was void of all sounds except for his own chattering teeth and involuntary grunts that shivers coaxed from his throat. It felt like the world surrounding him had been frozen in time. Though previously unnerved, the lonely soldier was somewhat relishing in the near silence. Not a single rifle or artillery round rumbled or popped through the nose biting air in the distance. It was so quiet he could hear the snowflakes landing on top of the hard crust of snow. The fresh layers of pure white precipitation dusted the landscape and hid the frozen pools of blood and exposed dirt where mortar rounds had scarred the ground. In a matter of hours it would look just like another peaceful forest and not ground zero for death, starvation and homesickness on a traditionally joyous night. Captain Winters almost felt guilty for disturbing the peacefulness as his scuffed, stiff boots crunched across the pristine earth and left ugly footprints in his wake. Dick stopped for a moment and looked at the ground ahead of him and gazed at an empty foxhole that had been occupied just a few hours before, blood from those occupants were all that remained. Past that was the line littered with strategically placed outposts. His trained eyes could just barely make out the rounded helmets floating just above the edge like green turtles in a mud puddle under their evergreen covers. Dick shifted the slipping strap of his M1 up higher on his shoulder. His fingers struggled with the task. The thin gloves he wore felt like they were made of thick, sticky mud and it took just as much strength and effort to move them as it did to untangle a heavy log chain. He looked to his right down the never ending line of young pine trees and he found himself oddly mesmerized for a few moments. The trees were too skinny, that's what he hated most about the forest. He longed to gaze upon a grove of thick, gnarly oak trees that needed two people to reach their arms around the massive trunks. His parents had one in their backyard when he was a child. It was another structure he'd been banned from exploring. To indulge his need for air under his feet, his father installed a swing and the little, freckled-face boy spent hours kicking his feet up in the air, never knowing that someday he'd really get to fly. He loved swinging in the winter because a large snow drift always blew up against the fence and provided the perfect landing zone. None of the young, scrawny trees in the forest around him had boughs that could have supported a swing. A cold, burst of reminder slapped him across the face and the Captain looked away from the derisory trees. Standing in the middle of a clearing less than thirty feet from the forward line was far from intelligent and was the exact thing he preached to his men not to do. While he'd been standing there the snow had stopped. Dick lifted his head and looked toward the outpost. He could see the helmets bobbing and hear faint mumbles of a conversation between the three men. He turned away from the line, but not before he threw one more glance over his shoulder. Maybe the night was too quiet. It was Christmas Eve after all. If there was ever a time to think your enemy had their guard down, tonight was the night. He wiped his nose with the back of his stiff glove and started heading back into the depths of their position. Dick looked down at his folded arms as he walked, burying his frozen and raw face in his scarf. His breath against the thin wool warmed his chin. A year ago at this very moment, Dick had been sitting in a cushy, winged-back chair, sipping tea in front of a crackling fireplace while Mr. Barnes read a passage from the Bible to his war-time family. Even Harry had been present, trading a night out at the pub for a warm fire and homemade biscuits on a chilly Christmas Eve. He sat on the rug and leaned his back against Dick's chair and listened with his eyes shut. He had mostly likely been dozing and not paying any attention, but Dick saw it in Mrs. Barnes' eyes that she was pleased with the Irishman's presence none the less. The Yank soldier never pretended to take the place of the aged coupled deceased son, but Dick did feel as though he filled a tiny bit of the void left in their hearts. They certainly eased the pain of his homesickness. Suddenly, Dick's eyes spotted a crater in the ground ahead of him. It wasn't a shallow, torn-up divot made by an artillery shell. It was deep and precise, a text book example what a foxhole should look like with its mounded sides and just enough area for a body or two to sit in. Dick quickened his steps towards the prepared position, hoping the lone occupant could help him find the person he'd been aimlessly wandering around looking for. However, as Dick stepped out from under the darkness of the snow-laden tree boughs, he realized his search was over. His feet slowed and shuffled through the fresh layer of snow. The pallid face of Eugene Roe appeared from under the frosty, green helmet. However, fear tightened it's cold, icy grip around Dick's heart as he looked down at the disturbingly still medic. Was he even alive? Had he frozen to death lying in that cold hole? Dick breathed short, shallow, excited breaths from his gaping mouth as he drew closer to the man. Thankfully, the Captain's sharp eyes spotted the tiny cloud of breath forming out of the parted lips just under his cheery red nose and a sigh of relief expelled from Dick's own lips before he pressed them together. He slowly squatted down next the medic's foxhole, never breaking his gaze from the young man. He had an entire speech prepared in his head to give the insubordinate soldier about his duties and responsibilities as a medic and soldier in the United States Army. Dick was going to tell Roe how disappointed he was in him for his lack judgment and reckless conduct. He had to use everything he'd learned from Lewis and interrogate the medic and find out exactly what went on between him and the nurse and they'd both be punished accordingly. Roe would probably be busted down to a private and transferred off to some hospital unit because of his lack of combat training and be forced to a life of mopping floors. Dick knew Roe would never treat his former commander the same. It would ruin the respect shared between the two, but it was something that absolutely, without a doubt had to be done. Dick took another, careful breath, his vocal cords tensed, ready to say Eugene's name and wake him. The muscles of his numb face contracted as he opened his lips… But, a sudden shift in the wind brought a familiar melody to his ears and stole the Captain's attention. Dick turned his head and looked through the trees and across the snow-blanketed clearing for the source of the Christmas Carol. The clear, rich baritone voice echoed and reverberated over no-man's land. It was both comforting and terribly unsettling to hear the harmony of voices join in. A painful knot suddenly formed in the bottom of Dick's stomach and whatever he was about to say to Roe was completely forgotten. Even if he could remember, Dick would do no such thing. He couldn't. A secret with striking brown eyes and a comforting touch kept him from doing so. Dick turned his eyes back to Roe. Turmoil clouded them and the beautiful face of the woman he'd sworn off in his mind quickly pushed itself to the very forefront of his thoughts. "Rose…" he whispered so softly that his own ears didn't even hear the utterance over the Kraut chorus across the line. It was the first time since that sunny morning at the crowed train station that her name had come from his lips. Dick felt his shoulders slump with the weight of all the feelings he'd denied he still had for petite Lieutenant. He was a complete fool to think that he could simply forget her like an acquaintance he'd made while waiting in line at the post office. What was done was done, and there was no use of pretending it hadn't happened. When Dick had needed somebody the most, she had come into his life. Even though he wasn't positioned on the line or in any eminent danger other than stabbing himself with his letter opener, the trooper had felt more lost and scared than that night he dropped into France. He didn't know what he was fighting for anymore. It was all TO and E's, supply mix-ups, request forms, signatures, casualties lists, and typing, so much damn typing. There was nothing, nothing to do but plan combat operations and look back on besides former operations that he'd never be a part of again. He didn't even think about what his life was like before he'd entered this hell. War was all he was knew about anything anymore. He'd told all that needed to be told and had heard all the stories about everyone around him. There was nothing new. He had nothing to look forward to or to reminisce on, until he saw her. Rosemary walked, rather fell, in to his life just in time before Dick became another desensitized, battle-worn, grouchy desk officer who didn't really give a damn about what happened anymore. She reminded him of who he was, what he wanted from life, and what it could be like. She saved him, and probably some of his men as well for revitalizing their mentally exhausted Executive Officer. Hearing about her trials and tribulations gave him hope that as bad as things seemed, they somehow would always work out for the better. So how could he punish another when he was guilty of the exact same crime, Dick questioned himself as he continued to stare and listen to the song. It wasn't ten days ago he'd woken up in the wee hours of the morning with his limbs tangled in sheets and the soft skin of Rose's body, and there he was, about to chastise the overworked medic for finding comfort in this time of peril just as he had done himself. It was blatantly hypocritical, and if there was something a leader couldn't do, it was not abiding by the same rules he expected his men to, and then punish them while he got away with it scot-free. Both he and Rose had known the danger of doing what they did in a hotel full of other troops. It was like committing a homicide in a police station. They knew the consequences of their actions, yet they went ahead and completely disregarded them anyway. Dick knew, despite not wanting to know, about the amount of shenanigans that most of the men in Easy Company had partaken in with the opposite sex since Toccoa. Bill Guarnere's current gait and painful grimace attested to it. Perhaps that was why Dick had jumped to conclusions so quickly when he saw Roe with Renée. The XO had no evidence to produce against the two. A fleeting glimpse in a dark alley way was hardly enough evidence to throw him in the stocks. For all he knew, that passionate embrace was as far as the two had gone. The Captain certainly knew what he and Rose had done together. For as long as he lived, he'd never forget the passionate kisses and electrifying touches they shared in that hotel room. Maybe the reason Dick had been so enraged by what he saw the day before was because he was subconsciously jealous of Eugene. The person he cared for was less than a few miles away and was most certainly going to see again in the near future, whereas Dick didn't have the slightest clue where Rose was at the moment. The sleeping medic shifted slightly in his half dug grave, startling the officer looming above him. Dick swallowed the forming lump in his throat and squeezed his eyes prickling eyes shut. He hated to admit it, but he missed her terribly. Though most of the unit was full of young, single bucks like himself, there were more than a few who had wives and special girls who they hadn't seen in over a year waiting for them at home. At least they had pictures and letters to lessen to loneliness. All Dick had was a memory and shirt tucked away in his footlocker hundreds of miles away that smelled of her perfume. Even if he could write her a letter, Dick didn't know for sure what unit she was attached to. The Captain with a slowly breaking heart took a shaky breath, that wasn't caused by the cold, and stiffly stood back up. He knew had to retreat before Roe woke up and found his former company commander looming over him with a forlorn gaze contorting his face. Dick shifted the strap of his weapon on his shoulder again and squeezed his eyes shut. This was one mission that needed to fail. Roe was one of the finest medics in the entire unit and he'd been working tirelessly the entire time they'd been in Bastogne. By way things were looking, he was going to be needed more than ever. Dick had no right to disturb his much-needed slumber. The tall Captain slowly backed away from the medic's foxhole and retraced his footprints and prayed that the snow would start again and hide the evidence that anyone had ever been there. As he carefully weaved his way back through the maze of trees and foxholes, Dick's thoughts continued with Rose. A feeling grew in his heart that was just as pleasurable as it was painful. He had never felt the same way about anyone as he had about Rose. He'd had a girlfriend in college. She was a very nice girl and they got along very well, but they're goals in life were vastly different. It was no secret that she wanted settle down as soon as she could instead of finishing college. Dick was nowhere near ready to do anything of the sort and she got tired of waiting. Not long after they ended things, she found someone new and the last Dick heard she'd gotten married and already had three kids in as many years. The feelings he had for her were nowhere near the magnitude he felt for Rosemary. It only took an hour of conversation with her to make Dick feel as if he'd known her his entire life. Deep down, Dick was very much so in love with her, he knew it the moment they locked eyes. That's why the normally shy officer was able to ask her to dinner, why he almost kissed her on the street, why he couldn't stay away from her even when he knew it was incredibly irresponsible of him. Everything that happened between them transpired because of the love they secretly shared, even though they both pretended it was merely lust. Alas, neither of them was in a position to do a thing about those feelings. It wasn't like he could just hop in a Jeep and drive past the Krauts and their tanks to go find her. Even if they weren't completely surrounded and cut off from the rest of the Allied forces, Dick couldn't go AWOL or even think about leaving his men, nor could she leave her post. They both had important responsibilities that the lives of those around them depended on. They were two people in love caught up in the epicenter of the most devastatingly awesome conflict the world had ever seen. War. The very thing that brought their lives together in the first place was now the thing that kept the lovers apart. It was a beast that had no mercy or any regard for the lives it affected. What everyone thought was going to be over with by tomorrow now had no foreseeable end. The only option Dick had in order to get through all of it was to keep fighting. The chances of he and Rose's lives ever intersecting again where one in a million, but they would be zero if he let himself succumb to powers that be and get himself killed. That little reminder seemed to give his step a little more spring. He had a job to do. He had lives to look out for. Pushing Rose out of his mind clearly had been just as devastating as thinking about her every second of the day. He'd have to find a happy medium. Dick came to another clearing not far from the Battalion CP and stopped in the middle of it. He could hear the soft chatter of voices filtering out of the surrounding foxholes. He even heard a chuckle break through the frigid air. He might have not had the woman he loved with him, but he did have damn good group of soldiers who cared just as much about his safety as he did for theirs. That was the best a man is his position could ask for. For some reason, Dick didn't feel as cold anymore. It might have been because most of his body was already too numb to notice, but he didn't feel the need to implode to find warmth inside his body. It felt good to relax his arms and let them hang down at his sides. Dick suddenly glanced up at the sky that was framed by the snowy tree tops. He was always taught to bow his head when he prayed, but since Dick had come pretty close to meeting God more than his fair share, he figured he'd earned a more direct meeting. As his light greenish-blue eyes gazed up at the clouds, he reminded Him of their previous deal they'd made that past summer. However, he asked for another favor. He asked God to keep extra an eye on a quick-witted nurse who was somewhere on the same continent as him and keep her out of harms way. Dick let out a sigh, but with a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his chapped, wind-burned lips. He also thanked him for bringing her into his life, even if it was for such a short time. Tiny flakes of perfect, little snowflakes began to fall again ever so gently on his face. Though Dick's faith had been tested several times over in the last few months, he took it as a sign that somebody had been listening. * * * "Deck the hall with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la-laaaaa-la-la-la-la! 'Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la…" the ramshackle chorus of three nurses, two tone-deaf orderlies, a soulful ambulance driver, and four patients sang loudly along to Elaine's piano playing up on the stage. For the first time since they had arrived at the abandoned school, sounds of joy and cheer echoed through the hallways. Nearly all the occupants were congregated in the high-ceilinged auditorium in a circle of cots and chairs. Charlie and Corporal Jenson and a select group of officers and NCOs sat around a makeshift poker table with short stacks of nickels and dimes piled in front of them. Others sat around in small groups and chitchatted while they nibbled on what Sergeant Amacher called 'cookies'. Annie had been busy running from group to group all evening, making sure all had holiday cheer and something to drink. It certainly had been the most fun anybody had enjoyed in the last week or so. Jokes and stories were being told left and right and the only tears where those that came from too much laughter. Rose walked into the hall with a stack of typing paper cradled in her arms that were soon to be made into ornaments for the scrubby, little tree Corporal Jenson had found on the grounds. The Chief Nurse paused for a moment by the door and took in the scene. The local priest and Father Beckman were sharing and laugh and Ma'ma Marie was trying to teach one of the young privates with a broken ankle how to speak a few lines of French. There wasn't a sour face in the room, except for Mildred, but everyone just figured her face had gotten stuck like over the years. All that were missing were sugared up kids and a dog sleeping by the fireplace. Rose couldn't help but smile. It had been a long time since she'd seen the happy faces outnumber the sad ones. Suddenly, Corporal Flint appeared disturbingly close to her side. Rose looked up as his mischievously handsome grin with a raised brow. When he wasn't being a complete pain in the ass, the fun-loving baseball announcer was very likeable. He was like the goofy, yet funny sidekick who always managed to steal the show from the main act. With his wiry, curly brown hair and sly, little smirk, it was hard not to fall for his charms and smooth talking abilities. He had quite the reputation and seemed determined to get a girlfriend in every country he served in. "Something you need, Rocky…" she inquired unperturbedly. He didn't say a word, but he raised his arm up above his head and smiled cunningly. Rose glanced up at the bunch of pine sprigs tied with a shoelace he held in his hand. She rolled her eyes and looked back down into his awaiting grin and gave him a look. "Corporal, you know that's not mistletoe, right?" she asked. "Hey, a fella hasta' get creative in these desperate times…" he shrugged with a gleeful grin still twinkling in his playful brown eyes. "Well, this gal isn't desperate…" Rose retorted with a slow shake of her head and a raised brow. Flint broke out his best seductive smile and put his free hand over his heart. "Oh, Lieutenant Beyer…" he said as if he was in some sort of pain. "You know the way you deny me with such exceptional skill and ease only makes me love you more…" Rose let out a quick laugh and shook her head again. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd made overtures to her and she was quite certain it wouldn't be the last. "Has that worked on anybody at all?" she bluntly inquired, motioning to the sappy needles still above his head. The smile fell from Flint's face and he dejectedly dropped his arm to his side. "Nah," he shrugged. "Notta' one…But I haven't gotten slapped yet, so I figure that's something…" he held his free palm up before it dropped back against his thigh with a muffled slap. The Lieutenant closed her eyes and chuckled before she patted the unsuccessful Casanova on the arm. He flashed her one last grin before he took off to find a female who was a bit more gullible than her. Rose rolled her eyes and pushed a stray hair back behind her ear. It was both somewhat flattering and incredibly frustrating to be constantly flirted with. Flint had been bugging her ever since she joined the unit. However, despite the fact he was only a corporal and off-limits, he also reminded her of her brother, Henry. That alone made her impermeable to his charms. She continued her trek down the long room and set the stack of paper on the table where June and a few other nurse's cut stars, bells, snowflakes and gingerbread men out of the white scraps of paper. "Ah, thank you Rosemary…" June said in her singsongy voice. "I hope you didn't steal all this from my desk?" she jokingly asked as she took a one of the long sheets and started cutting into it with an old pair of surgical scissors. "No ma'am." Rose replied. "I always follow the chain of command." she paused to make sure Mildred wasn't in earshot. "I swiped it from Lieutenant Clarke's drawer." she said smugly. The group, even June, irrupted in a fit of laughter. Rose smiled and picked up a handful of scraps from the table and dropped them into a waste bin. She looked around the table at the collection of makeshift ornaments. They were all very neat and tidy with crisp strait edges and perfectly proportioned shapes. Rose wouldn't have expected anything less than such attention to detail from women who cleaned every speck of debris from wounds before stitching them closed with perfect, straight sutures. "Nina, that's beautiful." Rose complemented after spotting the intricate three-dimensional star the older 2nd Lieutenant was folding out of paper. "Where did you learn that?" "A friend taught me," the San Franciscan with dark brown hair and a mouth full of large teeth replied. "We used to make them out of newspaper to decorate my grandmother's house fern when we couldn't afford a tree." "At least you had plant to decorate..." Rita piped up next to her. "Instead of a tree my Pop hung a side of beef in Ma's kitchen and stuck a star at the top! We'd haf'ta slice our own cuts off and that was our Christmas present!" Another round of laughter traveled across the table, except Rose found the horrified grimace on June's face more amusing. "Hey, I'd give anything for a nice, juicy prime cut porterhouse steak instead of the rat meat he's been making us…" Rita exclaimed with a finger pointed at Amacher who just happened to be blowing his nose into a filthy looking dishtowel. The nurses' squeals of disgust and laughter where interrupted by the jingle of piano keys. Everyone turned their attention and immediately quieted down when they saw Colonel Jackson standing up on the stage. "Ladies and Gentlemen!" his commanding, yet pleasant antebellum drawl projected throughout the hall. "I just wanted to say a few quick words and I'll let you get back to the festivities." Mervin R. Jackson was a tall, barrel-chested South Carolinian with a steely stare and sternly set jaw. He was a career officer who'd worked his way up through the ranks and gotten his medical degree through the Army. He'd treated the wounded in the first Great War and fought malaria in the Panama. He was also a distant relative to old Stonewall Jackson. His salt and pepper hair was never out of place and his uniform was always perfectly creased. He was incredibly intimidating. If one wasn't utterly frightened the first time he looked at you, then you must have been dead. But as scary as he could be, he was an excellent leader who got the best out of the people who worked under him. He was also very understanding and a good surgeon. Though Rose rarely had many doings with him, she did like him and got along with him quite well. "I first want to thank Lieutenant Scofield for organizing such a fine gathering." he motioned his large hand towards Annie who smiled bashfully and waved to the crowd. "I just wish you could have found us more whiskey…" he said and got a hearty chuckle out of the audience. "I know everyone in this room would rather be celebrating this holy night back in the comfort of your own homes in the loving company of your families. Holidays are always painful reminders of how far from our loved ones we are…but," he looked around at the suddenly morose crowd and smiled "I wouldn't want to be with any other unit than this fine establishment on a night like tonight…you people are the best of the best! We have the highest survival rate of any mobile medical unit in the entire ETO. Ya'll are with no doubt the finest group of medical professionals I have ever served with. I raise my glass to you" he said and raised his chipped coffee mug and looked around the crowd with a twinkle in his steely, hard blue eyes that was so bright everyone could see the admiration in the dimly lit room. Jackson even broke a smile as he took in the whooping and cheering that came from his underlings. "Now, if our good Father would allow an old Southern Methodist giving it a go," he looked down at the thin haired Catholic Chaplin with a smile. "I'd like to say a quick prayer." "We are all God's children!" the Father granted with a raise of his glass. "Alright then, if you would please bow your heads." The Colonel asked soberly. Rose folded her hands in front of her belly and closed her eyes. However, it wasn't half a second they were shut and a redheaded paratrooper's face popped into sight. "Lord…" Jackson began. "Thank you for all that you have given us these past few years. Thank you for all the bleeders that have stopped, the fevers that broken, and the eyes that have opened after a long coma. Give us the strength to continue as we tend over the wounded sheep in your flock. Grant us open eyes and alert minds when they are needed to most and please forgive us of our sins we may commit during these harrowing times." Rose felt her heart skip a beat. "Please watch over our families that we've left behind while we serve our country. And please oh Lord, watch over those brave souls who tonight on the most holy of nights are out in the cold, snowy battlefields and the mosquito invested jungles. Grant them the strength and safety to keep fighting as they protect the weak and all that is good." Rose could feel the painful pressure working up from her throat to her face as she desperately held back the urge to break out sobbing. If she'd been able to open her eyes, she would have seen she wasn't the only one struggling to make it through the prayer with dry cheeks. "Oh, and please Lord." There was a change in Jackson's tone as he added the post script onto the prayer. "Tell Santa that all we and the rest of the Allied Forces want for Christmas is a hundred pound block of TNT dropped down Hitler's chimney..." The sullen atmosphere was suddenly disrupted by rowdy laughter and hollers of approval from the entire audience. Much to her relief, Rose was able to open her aching eyes and join in on the applause. "AMEN!" Jackson cheerfully concluded and was answered by an equally enthusiastic echo of 'amen's'. "Now, Lt Parker…how 'bout another round of 'Joy to the World'?" "Yes, sir." she gladly complied and began playing the opening chords on the out of tune piano. Rose looked around as the personnel shook hands and hugged one another as everyone began to sing the first verses. Annie appeared at Rose's side and gave her a friendly shove. The two women grinned ear to ear at each other. As much as they'd suffered the last few days, the night was certainly making up for it. But then again, making the best out of the worst situations was what they'd done nearly every day of their lives the last few years. The tasteless cookies and paper gingerbread men weren't exactly how mama used to make them, but they were something. Rose was at least thankful that she was on dry land and wasn't covered in blood this Christmas. It may have been a morbid thing to be happy about, but in the present situation, it was as good as it got. It may not be everyone's most favorite Christmas, but it would certainly be the most memorable. Alas, it would indeed be a night that she'd never, ever forget. As Rose's alto voice joined in and found the harmony with Annie's soprano, she almost forgot they were in the middle of a dangerous war zone. Rosemary had no idea that the man she'd shared her secrets and bed with had just barely missed being killed by a mortar round. She didn't know that the first aid advice she given her former lover had probably saved his best friend's life. She, nor anyone else in that room, was aware of an air attack that was taking place over the small, under siege town of Bastogne. She didn't know that the worst was yet to happen because no one knew that those very same planes where headed to Verviers… * * * Yes, I know. I just left you stranded with a huge cliffhanger…I know, you all hate me. Thanks for reading! End file.
fanfiction
the importance of being physically active has been well documented from a public health perspective , with increased activity associated with reduced risk for the development of chronic health conditions like cardiovascular disease [ 14 ] . researchers have also reported positive mental health outcomes ranging from improved cognition to decreased depression [ 5 , 6 ] . additionally , there is a strong association between physical activity and weight management [ 7 , 8 ] . although a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity is suggested to reduce health risks , some researchers have reported that more activity may be necessary to prevent weight gain and promote weight loss or prevent weight regain after a significant loss [ 1012 ] . it is notable that physical activity behavior has been shown to distinguish those who are successful at maintaining weight loss . other important behavioral factors associated with weight management include disinhibited eating [ 12 , 13 ] , low - fat diet , fruit and vegetable intake , and self - weighing . although these behavioral variables are helpful in determining who might be more successful at weight management , they do not account for all the variance observed . as a result , researchers have also examined psychosocial variables to determine how to improve weight control outcomes . psychosocial factors encompass many different domains , including depressed mood , stress , and social support . although the literature is mixed regarding the exact direction of the relationship between mood and weight , many studies report an association . according to results of the national weight control registry , less depressive symptomatology was associated with significant long - term weight loss maintenance ( i.e. , > 30 lbs weight loss maintained for at least 1 year ) . prospective work suggests that while baseline depressive symptoms negatively influence weight over time , baseline weight does not have a direct effect on one 's mood . however , in the context of purposeful weight loss , successful loss is associated with improved mood [ 17 , 18 ] . for example , lower ratings of baseline stress were associated with greater weight loss in one study . however , the literature is mixed with some studies failing to find an association between perceived stress and body weight . finally , social support is another psychosocial variable that has been shown to be associated with improvements in weight and physical activity behavior ( e.g. , ) . psychological factors like depression and stress may interact with other theory - based variables like self - efficacy to promote participant behavior change that is associated with weight loss . with regard to physical activity promotion and weight management , social cognitive theory ( sct ; ) and the transtheoretical model of change ( ttm ; ) are discussed frequently within the literature and used to tailor interventions ( e.g. , [ 25 , 26 ] ) . both sct and the ttm emphasize self - efficacy or one 's confidence in making a particular behavioral change . self - efficacy ( eating and exercise - related ) has been shown to be predictive of short - term weight change [ 27 , 28 ] . additionally , self - efficacy has been shown to be a critical intermediate variable associated with physical activity and weight loss maintenance . the ttm also highlights other constructs like decisional balance , or the pros and cons of behavior change , and the processes of change ( cognitive and behavioral ) [ 30 , 31 ] . decisional balance and processes of change have been associated with increased physical activity and weight loss [ 27 , 29 ] . however , participation in an exercise promotion trial may not always improve all theoretical constructs ( e.g. , ) . overall , theory - based interventions targeting physical activity and body weight have been shown to be largely effective , and these interventions have been delivered via a number of channels including face - to - face , mailings , and the internet [ 3337 ] . despite these studies , additional work is needed to determine the ideal components of interventions designed to promote physical activity and weight loss . in particular , there is a continued need to clarify the roles of behavioral and psychosocial variables that affect physical activity and weight management . the women 's wellness project was designed to examine the efficacy two print - based physical activity promotion programs for women . in this project , women were randomly assigned to one of three groups : ( 1 ) choose to move ( ctm ) , a print - based physical activity intervention designed specifically for women , ( 2 ) jumpstart , a motivationally tailored print - based intervention , or ( 3 ) wellness contact - control group . the interventions ( see below ) focused on the adoption on maintenance of physical activity and did not include calorie goals or weight loss targets . since participants completed 1-year follow - up assessments , this type of physical activity trial is useful for assessing change in weight status among participants . a 1-year time point was selected as this is a designated time point for determining long - term maintenance of weight loss . given the importance of understanding individual variability in weight stability and response to physical activity interventions , we proposed to examine and identify evidence - based constructs associated with weight stability . therefore , we hypothesized that psychosocial and behavioral variables , selected based on research and theory ( e.g. , [ 8 , 13 , 2729 ] ) , would successfully discriminate between individuals who had different patterns of weight change over time . this study was approved by the hospital 's institutional review board to ensure the adequate protections for safeguarding the rights of human subjects . recruitment consisted of a both in - person and mass media approaches , including information booths in local community settings , such as supermarkets and at the local community college . additionally , flyers were distributed in the libraries , to town employees with their paychecks , and to school department employees in their mailboxes . mass media approaches included inserts in local , regional , and special interest newspapers and public service announcements on cable - access television and radio . the recruitment message was targeted to women and included a brief overview of eligibility requirements and study purpose . potential participants were prompted to call a toll free number to obtain information and determine eligibility and via a brief telephone screen prior to participation . healthy , sedentary women between the ages of 18 to 65 years were recruited , with sedentary defined as participating in 90 minutes or less of purposeful physical activity or 61 minutes or less of vigorous physical activity . other exclusion criteria included medical problems that could potentially impede or be exacerbated by physical activity ( e.g. , history of pulmonary , cerebrovascular , cardiovascular disease , severe osteoarthritis , diabetes , bmi > 40 ) . physician consent was required for individuals with hypertension , murmurs , and mitral valve prolapse . in addition , individuals were excluded if there was a planned move from the area within the next year , current or planned pregnancy , hospitalization for a psychiatric disorder within the last 6 months , current suicidal or psychotic episodes , or current use of certain prescription medications ( e.g. , mood stabilizers , antipsychotics ) . 660 were reached and screened for eligibility , with 35% ( n = 233 ) being ineligible to participate due to ( 1 ) medical conditions ( n = 100 ) , ( 2 ) being too active ( n = 88 ) , or ( 3 ) having a bmi 40 ( n = 27 ) . in addition , 18 women were excluded for other reasons , ( e.g. , age greater than 65 , transportation difficulties , planned relocation , and planning to become pregnant within the next year ) , and 58 were not interested . of the 369 participants who met the eligibility requirements for the study , 280 participants were randomly assigned at baseline into one of the three study arms . for these analyses , an n of 247 will be used as this is the sample size for which we have complete bmi data at baseline and month 12 . the majority of the sample was caucasian ( 94% ) , middle - aged ( m = 47.5 ; sd = 10.7 ) , married ( 65% ) , employed full - time ( 53% ) , and underactive ( m = 45.4 ; sd = 101.5 ) . , there were 59 ( 22% ) normal / underweight women , 105 ( 39% ) overweight women , and 106 ( 39% ) obese women . the primary assessment time points were months 3 and 12 after baseline . at these time points , participants attended an in - person assessment session and completed questionnaires and objective measures . for the purposes of these analyses , only the baseline and month 12 values will be used . follow - up rates were excellent , with 94% and 93% of the sample being retained at month 3 and month 12 assessment time points . choose to move was a print - based booklet developed by the american heart association to help women adopt and maintain physical activity . the booklet was a 12-week program targeted to women , with each week covering a topic of relevance from social cognitive theory and the transtheoretical model such as goal setting , benefits of physical activity , increasing confidence , as well as self - report logs and self - administered worksheets . jumpstart was a print - based intervention that was developed and validated by researchers at the miriam hospital and brown university [ 38 , 39 ] . the jumpstart intervention consisted of tailored expert system reports and a booklet matched to stage of motivational readiness for change [ 38 , 39 ] . the expert system report consisted of pre - written counseling messages on self - efficacy , barriers , benefits , social support , goal setting , and strategies for change that were provided based on information obtained from each participant . each participant in the tailored - intervention group received a mailing 4 times during the course of the 12 months ( baseline , month 1 , month 3 , and month 6 ) . participants in this arm of the trial received one mailing that included a binder of women 's health information , with no recommendations relating to physical activity or calorie / fat goals . the materials were compiled from reputable sources such as the american cancer society , food and drug administration , usdhhs office on women 's health , and the national mental health association . women were categorized by weight status change from baseline to month 12 : no change ( bmi within 1 unit ; n = 154 ; 62.4% ) ; increase ( bmi change 1 unit ; n = 34 ; 13.8% ) ; decrease ( bmi change 1 unit ; n = 59 ; 23.9% ) . the interviewer administered par [ 40 , 41 ] , was the primary outcome measure . the par has established validity and reliability [ 40 , 41 ] , and it has been shown to be sensitive to change in studies of moderate intensity activity ( e.g. , [ 4244 ] ) . this 5-item self - efficacy examines the respondent 's confidence regarding participation in physical activity in five separate situations ( e.g. , vacation , bad weather , being tired , negative affect , lack of time ) . the 16-item decisional balance instrument examines participants ' beliefs about the costs and benefits of engaging in physical activity . sample items include i would feel less stressed if i were regularly physically active and at the end of the day , i am too exhausted to be physically active . there are two subscales one for the pros or benefits of being physically active and one for the cons or negative factors associated with being physically active . each subscale has demonstrated reliability ( coefficient alphas of 0.79 for the costs scale and 0.95 for the benefits scale ) . there are two factors , behavioral and cognitive processes , each consisting of five subscales . this social support scale is a 14-item measure that assesses the degree to which family or friends are sources of support specific to physical activity . for the purposes of this investigation , the participation / involvement subscale was used . items include during the last three months , my family / friends have exercised with me , and during the last three months , my family / friends gave me encouragement to stick with my exercise program . this subscale has a demonstrated test - retest reliability ( ranges from 0.77 to 0.79 ) and internal consistency ( cronbach 's alpha ranged from 0.84 to 0.91 ) . this 14-item measure assessed the extent to which a participant evaluated different situations as stressful ( e.g. , in the last week , how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things is your life . ) . the ces - d scale is a 20-item self - report measure developed to assess depressive symptoms in the general population . the ces - d scale is composed of ( 1 ) depressive affect ; ( 2 ) positive affect ; ( 3 ) somatic and retarded activity ; ( 4 ) interpersonal problems ; with = .84-.90 . i felt that i was just as good as other people , and i felt that everything i did was an effort . the ces - d has been shown to discriminate between psychiatric inpatient and general population samples . for the purpose of this study , participants self - reported the number of hours spent watching television per week . the fruit and vegetable screener assesses 10 fruit and vegetable food items over the period of the last month . it includes items assessing the frequency of eating certain foods ( e.g. , fruit , juice , lettuce salad , potatoes ) and the amounts consumed of each . this measure is designed to provide an estimate of the total number of pyramid servings of fruits and vegetables consumed daily . the fat screener is a 17-item measure designed to provide an estimate of the percent of energy from fat . this measure includes items to assess the frequency a participant consumed certain foods ( e.g. , margarine / butter , sausage / bacon ) . responses were coded and weighted in order to estimate the percent of energy from fat . this screener was validated against two 24-hour recalls collected from a nationally representative sample in the united states and a food frequency questionnaire . the fat screener correlations with true fat intake ranged from 0.36 to 0.59 among women . all analyses were performed using sas 9.2 . a list of theoretically and research - based constructs was selected to investigate which variables discriminated weight status change ( i.e. , stable , gain , lose ) from baseline to month 12 . change scores were calculated with change from baseline to month 12 on the variables of interest . first , a stepwise discriminant analysis was used to select the subset quantitative variables for the use of subsequent analysis to discriminate among the classes . next , a discriminant function analysis using the variables identified in the stepwise discriminant analysis was conducted . at the 12-month follow - up , participants in all treatment arms had increased their physical activity ( m = 140.4 , se = 14.82 ) , with no differences between the arms . there were no differences on key variables ( i.e. , age , bmi , baseline physical activity ) between completers and noncompleters . there also were no differences between the treatment arms on weight change ( m = 0.28 ; se = 0.09 ) . therefore , for the purpose of this paper , data will be collapsed across treatment arms . based on the research literature of behavioral and psychological factors related to weight change ( e.g. , ) as well as theory ( e.g. , [ 27 , 28 ] ) , we selected the following constructs as possible variables for use in discriminating among those women who lost , gained , or remained weight stable . the constructs were depressive symptoms , physical activity , sedentary behavior ( i.e. , tv watching ) , friend / family support for physical activity , perceived stress , cognitive and behavioral processes of change , self efficacy , decisional balance , diet composition ( i.e. , fruit / vegetable and fat consumption ) . models were run with both stepwise and forward entries , with the same cluster of variables being produced by each model . discriminant analyses revealed depressive symptoms ( f ( 2 , 223 ) = 3.95 ; p < .05 ) , physical activity behavior ( f ( 6 , 442 ) = 3.09 ; p < .01 ) , self - efficacy ( f ( 4 , 444 ) = 3.40 ; p < .01 ) , fat consumption ( f ( 10 , 438 ) = 2.74 ; p < .01 ) , and cognitive processes of change ( f ( 8 , 440 ) = 2.93 ; p < .01 ) as discriminating variables . tests of dimensionality indentified two distinct dimensions ; both of the dimensions were statistically significant . dimension 1 ( f ( 10 , 456 ) = 2.76 ; p < .01 ) had a canonical correlation of 0.26 between the response variables and weight status classification , while the canonical correlation for dimension 2 ( f ( 4 , 229 ) = 2.70 ; p < .05 ) was lower at 0.21 . standardized canonical coefficients for both dimensions were examined with the first dimension positively weighted by changes in mood ( 0.73 ) and self - efficacy ( 0.79 ) . the second discriminant dimension was more weighted to change in physical activity ( 0.58 ) and fat consumption ( 0.55 ) . the first dimension reflects a negative affect and self - confidence dimension , while the second reflects a physical activity and dietary behavior dimension . see table 2 for the standardized pooled , within class standardized canonical coefficients , which can be interpreted similarly to standardized regression coefficients . for example , a one standard deviation increase on the depression variable will result in a .73 standard deviation decrease in the predicted values on discriminant function 1 . the first dimension was a psychological dimension weighted by changes in depressive symptoms and self - efficacy for physical activity . when examining the mean changes on these variables by weight status classification , women who gained weight reported increases in depressed mood ( mean = 4.47 ; se = 1.58 ) , compared with women who lost weight ( mean = 1.30 ; se = 0.95 ) or remained weight stable ( mean = 0.47 ; se = 0.66 ) . this finding is consistent with other studies in which depressive symptomatology was negatively associated with weight regain . successful and purposeful weight loss is associated with improved mood [ 17 , 18 ] . other findings from a recent meta analysis suggest that there is a relationship between increased physical activity and improved mood . additionally , although psychosocial in nature , clinically , depression encompasses many physical and behavioral features . in fact , behavioral activation is often the first step in successful evidence - based treatments for depression . given the behavioral components of depression , it is not surprising that depressive symptoms also loaded at .52 on dimension 2 . these results highlight a need to include distress tolerance or some other intervention targets for managing negative mood within the context of weight and physical activity trials . the other variable that was weighted highly on dimension 1 was self - efficacy for physical activity . although the research related to the construct of self - efficacy and weight loss has been mixed [ 55 , 56 ] , self - efficacy has been shown to be an important construct for the adoption and maintenance of physical activity , and weight change in short - term weight loss studies [ 27 , 28 ] . the association between self - efficacy long - term weight outcomes from this physical activity - only trial provides further evidence for the importance of this construct . self - efficacy is a construct that reflects one 's confidence that they can be active despite numerous barriers [ 23 , 57 ] . while self - efficacy tends to be domain specific [ 57 , 58 ] , there is likely overlap between one 's confidence to be physically active and their confidence to perform other healthy weight - related behaviors . it is interesting to note the change scores for this construct by weight status . for women classified as losing or gaining weight , the mean change was about 0.33 . however , for women classified as being weight stable , there was virtually no change on self - efficacy between baseline and month 12 ( m = 0.02 ) . women who have successfully performed physical activity for a 12-month period may have already internalized their confidence to do so , which may reflect the stability of that construct over time among women who were weight stable . future studies should investigate the longitudinal relationship between changes in physical activity self - efficacy and weight gain . for women who are gaining weight , confidence in their ability to exercise may not transfer to confidence for managing dietary behaviors . consistent with other studies , these results provide further evidence for the importance of behavior change ( i.e. , physical activity and diet ) in long - term weight maintenance . in particular , women who lost weight reported , on average , 170 minutes of physical activity , in contrast to the amounts reported ( 93 and 96 minutes ) in women who gained and remained weight stable , respectively . this result is similar to other studies indicating that physical activity behavior distinguishes successful weight loss maintainers . consumption of a low - fat diet has been shown to be an important behavioral target for weight loss / maintenance , as well ( e.g. , ) . findings from the discriminant function analysis also identify fat consumption as a distinguishing variable . however , when the means are examined , women who gained weight reported lower ( 1.80 ) fat consumption compared with women who lost ( 0.32 ) or remained weight stable ( 1.03 ) . it is surprising that women who gained weight from baseline to month 12 reported greater decreases in fat consumption than women who lost or remained weight stable . this could reflect a tendency for underreporting [ 5961 ] or a social desirability bias [ 62 , 63 ] that women who gained weight may be embarrassed by their dietary intake and thus were not forthcoming about their intake . unsuccessful dieters have been shown to misreport ( i.e. , underestimate ) their intake by 47% compared with 19% of controls . it is likely the results of the current study are related to a reporting bias , which is consistent with other studies which have found selective underreporting of fat by obese participants [ 60 , 64 ] . future studies should include more precise measures of dietary intake and behavior than the screener measure used in this study . first , although weight and height were clinically measured and physical activity was assessed via an interviewer - based measure , the other measures were self - reported . a particular limitation of the measurement is the use of fruit / vegetable and fat consumption screener measures , rather than a food frequency questionnaire . a more complete measure of dietary intake may have resulted in different findings for eating behaviors . additionally , the study sample was all female and predominately caucasian , therefore the results can not be generalized to men nor to other races / ethnicities . of the sample , only 13.8% gained weight over the 12-month period ; despite this small number inclusion of this group provides an important comparison for the study . finally , the participants were self - selected in that they were interested and willing to be part of a physical activity intervention trial . anecdotally , many of the women reported joining the trial with the goal of losing weight . it is possible that the women were motivated , in general , to lose weight , and this could have influenced the associations found in this study . nonetheless , a physical activity - only intervention trial , particularly one with > 90% retention rates , provides a useful context for examining long - term weight change . this retrospective longitudinal analysis provides a framework for examining patterns of change that can be generalized to individuals who have not had the benefit of dietary recommendations , calorie goals , and problem solving for high risk situations , as is typical for behavioral weight control interventions . although the variables selected for inclusion in the analyses were based on theory and evidence - based practice , the study was retrospective in design , consisting of post hoc analyses . discriminant function analyses have great potential value , particularly in the retrospective examination of certain predictor variables , but have limitations . specifically , this approach does not allow for the examination of directionality of changes nor reverse causality . for the current study , there were other variables known as important for weight loss maintenance not included in the discriminant analyses as they were not measured in the present study . future studies should examine other psychosocial and behavioral variables of interest . despite these limitations this study provides further evidence for the importance of behavior in long - term weight maintenance , particularly physical activity and dietary fat consumption . these findings also provide evidence for the importance of psychosocial variables , in particular depressed mood and self - efficacy . these results give investigators signals as to the variables of importance for targeting in future physical activity trials . not only are they important in physical activity trials , but also for weight trials . approximately 24% of the sample lost weight ( at least 1 bmi unit ) over the 12-month period , despite the lack of a calorie goal , weight loss problem solving , and behavioral weight control content . thus , almost 1/4 of women in this trial were independently making changes to be successful at weight management without the benefit of direct education and skills provided within the context of behavioral weight loss . therefore , it is essential to better understand the strategies and steps these women are employing to learn to extend to other individuals . better understanding of the intermediate steps women take to lose and maintain weight over a 1-year period can help elucidate the critical mechanisms for successful weight loss and maintenance . there also are implications for the design and content of both weight management and physical activity interventions . in particular , future interventions should continue to provide education and strategies for improving self - efficacy , particularly in the context of weight loss and maintenance . such strategies include modeling or watching others perform the behavior , practicing and mastering the behavior in situations previously thought insurmountable , modifying and reinterpreting physiological states ( e.g. , aches / pains ) to something positive ( e.g. , i must be building muscle mass ) [ 68 , 69 ] . additionally , while treating depression may be outside of the expertise of health promotion professionals in particular , mindfulness - based approaches to diet and physical activity are promising adjuncts to traditional behavioral weight control interventions [ 69 , 70 ] . with the high rates of obesity [ 7173 ] , there is emerging focus on the importance of understanding individual responses to physical activity and weight loss trials . this study sheds light on individual variables that may help explain why some people experience different long - term patterns of weight change . these variables also are important for understanding the mechanisms by which individuals maintain long - term weight losses . future studies are needed to replicate these findings in physical activity intervention trials , as these trials provide a controlled way for understanding what individuals are doing outside of the context of weight loss trials , which is more reflective of the general population . the results from this study provide further evidence of the importance of continuing to refine our behavior change interventions to assure that they contain the most relevant content and theory - based skill building . by providing this information and skill building
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ten years later , levels of serum tumor marker ca15 - 3 progressively increased until 2n although other serum tumor markers ( a - fetoprotein , carcinoembryonic antigen , carbohydrate antigen 19 - 9 ) were normal . axial contrast - enhanced multislice ct scan showed a solitary and hypovascular 4-cm lesion located in the right lobe of the liver ( segment vii ) . liver mri found this lesion in segment vii to be associated with multiple and small lesions with high signal intensity scattered throughout the liver especially in the subcapsular area in t2-weighted images ( fig . after contrast injection , the multiple masses showed irregular progressive enhancement from arterial phase through delayed phase . gastroscopy and coloscopy did not find new tumors and pet scan showed hyperfixation only on the hepatic lesion in segment vii . the diagnosis of a single liver metastasis of breast cancer was suspected although its characteristics were unusual ( hypovascular lesion ) . the diagnosis of von meyenburg complexes ( vmc ) was also suspected preoperatively , but the presence of multiple secondary hepatic lesions could not be dismissed because of breast cancer history . percutaneous biopsy of the largest hepatic lesion found fibrosis but no malignant infiltration and could neither confirm the diagnosis of metastasis of breast cancer nor the diagnosis of vmc . since this tumor had unusual characteristics , we performed laparoscopic assessment to obtain histological proof of malignancy . during laparoscopy , multiple gray - white nodular lesions ( about 0.5 - 1 cm in diameter ) a liver biopsy was performed because we feared multiple liver metastases ( contraindication of curative resection ) . histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of multiple benign vmc ( biliary hamartomas ) encompassed by major fibrous stroma . after conversion to laparotomy , right hepatectomy was performed and the pathological findings of the specimen confirmed the liver metastasis of the breast cancer in segment vii ( without argument for cholangiocarcinoma ) associated with multifocal , irregularly dilated tinged bile ducts . vmc is a cluster of benign liver malformations including biliary cystic lesions , with congenital fibrocollagenous stroma . this entity corresponds to ductal plate malformation , which explains why they can be found in association with other congenital intrahepatic abnormalities , such as congenital hepatic fibrosis , caroli 's syndrome and polycystic liver disease . vmc are usually asymptomatic but clinical findings including jaundice , cholangitis , epigastralgias and fever have been reported . when these lesions are multiple , deep and larg ( many millimeters in diameter ) , they can simulate secondary metastatic lesions particularly in case of cancer history and so contraindicate curative resection . ultrasound can show hypoechoic ( larger cysts ) and/or hyperechoic structures ( smaller cysts ) with comet - tail echoes . in some case , these hyperechoic structures correspond to small stones inside the dilated bile ducts . nonenhanced ct shows hypodense , small hepatic nodules , scattered throughout both liver lobes , measuring less than 15 mm in diameter . the best imaging to diagnose vmc is mri with typically hypointense and well - defined lesions in t1-weighted images and hyperintense lesions in t2-weighted images [ 3 , 6 , 7 ] . semelka et al . reported a thin rim enhancement on early postgadolinium images that persisted until late postgadolinium images . vmc was suspected preoperatively in our patient , but confirmation of the diagnosis required further investigations particularly because of cancer history . macroscopically , vmc are grayish white nodules measuring 1 to 15 mm in size that are scattered throughout the liver , particularly below the capsule of the liver , in the periportal region of hepatic lobules . a definitive diagnosis of vmc requires histopathologic examination of the specimen because its findings are nonspecific and easily confused with malignant liver diseases . microscopically , vmc are characterized by cystic dilatations of the bile duct or clusters of mature bile duct of various sizes , periductal glands and encompassed by fibrous stroma . preoperative discovery of multiple gray - white nodular lesions scattered on the surface of the liver should not always contraindicate curative liver resection .
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Slayers Appearances Title: Appearances author: tsutsuji Fandom: Slayers Characters/Pairing: Kervan/Marcus - original fandom characters from the fics "Poison" and "Birth Rite." (No regular Slayers characters appear in this story) Length: around 5600 words Kink: Shaving/Depilation, with elements of Danger, Class Fantasies, Blades, a hint of wet/messy/dirty, and a fair bit of dom/sub. Summary: Fleeing from their homeland (for reasons as yet undisclosed), Kervan and Marcus pause to relieve some tension and, in the process, explore certain complicated aspects of their relationship. Notes: This is a side story/prequel that reveals a bit of Kervan's and Marcus' history; it takes place a few years before Zel and Xel first meet Marcus in Poison. Spoilers for their backstory, but might be jossed (if it's possible to joss yourself) since I haven't worked out all the details of said backstory yet. I _am_ clear on the power and class dynamics of their relationship, which is what this fic really is about. I'm not sure how well that comes across in this, so feedback would be even more loved than usual. XD * * * It had been a week - more or less; Kervan was starting to lose track of days at that point - since they'd crossed the border, which meant it had been that long since he'd slept in a real bed or had a real bath, or even a decent wash and shave. He felt as if he had gone beyond guttersnipe and was rapidly approaching barbarian. Even Marcus had begun to make faces when he caught a whiff of himself, and that was saying something. Marcus actually _was_ a guttersnipe, after all, even if he was an unusually fastidious one. Neither of them was much cut out for camping in the wild, as they'd proven in the past however-many days it had been. Kervan's obligatory military training was only cursory, his birth right assuring him an officer's rank and an office far from the reek of any battlefield if he was ever actually drafted into action. He remembered how to make a campfire without magic and without burning down the forest, and which berries were poisonous (most of them, in this part of the country at this time of year), and that was about it. Marcus' city street smarts were impressive, but that didn't really cut it in the mountain wilderness, either. It was one part of their escape plan that neither of them had taken into consideration. When they finally decided to indulge in the risk and expense of staying at an inn, Kervan half expected the innkeeper to chuck the filthy pair of them out the door. Whether it was because of Marcus' chameleon charm or because they were the only travelers in town, the old man didn't even raise an eyebrow. In fact, the disheveled look did them well in one way; the innkeeper did not try to fleece them as he would surely have done with recognizable nobility. He did make a half-hearted attempt to sell them two rooms, but when they said one would do, he just shrugged and handed them a numbered key. The Double Ax Inn was little more than a barn partitioned off into box-like rooms, a hostel for the itinerant woodcutters and tinkers who traveled through these sparsely populated hills. Still, it was shelter and civilization, comparatively speaking. They were thankful for a roof and a bed and a warm meal, and Kervan dared to hope for a bath, at last. That hope was nearly dashed, however, when they met a pair of drunken lumberjacks coming out of the bath house at the back of the inn. Two men of substantial girth stumbled past them, eyeing them in suspicious silence which they returned in kind. Both were as hairy as barbarians, and still reeked strongly of wood smoke, sweat, and booze even after they presumably had bathed. If that wasn't discouraging enough, the bath itself turned out to be a large, leaky wooden tub in a dimly lit shed that smelled of mildew. Marcus grimaced but went ahead in, while Kervan hesitated at the doorway. If he hadn't been desperate, he would have given up and gone back to their room. But, since he was desperate, he muttered a quick spell under his breath as he crossed the threshold. Unfortunately, Marcus heard him. Half undressed and standing at the edge of the tub, Marcus turned and glared at Kervan. Clutching his dirty tunic, he stood there, twitching like an angry, nervous wasp, his eyes darting around the room as the cleansing spell took effect. "_Kervan_! What're you thinking!" he hissed. "You were the one who said no magic, remember?" Kervan winced, but he held Marcus' glare with his own, his mouth set in a grim line. Deliberately, he shed clothes and approached the water. Marcus gave way with a shake of his head; he finished undressing and plunged chest-deep into the water himself, muttering some comment about who was the crazier one here anyway. Kervan ignored the griping that he knew he was meant to hear. It was worth the risk, as far as he was concerned, just to be able to relax into the bath and actually feel cleaner rather than worse. Disappointingly, the water was barely lukewarm, but at least it was clean. He didn't have the energy left for a Fireball to heat it up again. They did not lounge in the tub for long, anyway, only enough to soak the worst of the grime and ache of the road from their weary bodies before they slipped back to the privacy of their room. Marcus was still shaking his head and pursing his lips at Kervan when they got there. Kervan unrolled their map and spread it out across one of the beds, and then just stood there, staring down at it. He was determined to plan the next stage of their journey, but he felt too tired to think. Marcus sidled up to peer around his shoulder at it. "Decide where we're going yet?" Marcus asked with a cheery, all too innocent smile. Kervan opened his mouth to snap an answer, but snapped it closed again instead. Marcus nodded. "Well, no need to decide right away, is there! I mean," he continued, leaning forward to point at their location on the map. He let is fingertip follow the jagged line marking the mountains, following them down toward the bottom of the page. "No reason to take the hard way over the mountains," he said, as Kervan expected. "Better to keep on this road 'till we get further south, and then we can cross over the lower passes to the plain and go... well," he went on, straightening up again with a shrug. "If you still want to go to Seyruun by then, it'll still be quicker to backtrack that way. Better roads, less hills to scramble around in!" "And we'll be that much closer to this mythical wonder land your oh-so-trustworthy cleric friend told you about," Kervan finished for him. "Which you think you will have talked me into going to by then, I suppose?" "It's worth a shot, Kervan," Marcus answered. The forced joviality had disappeared. "Not just because Argo's a Shrinekeeper there. You know the reputation that place has. Anyway, it's bound to be safer than Seyruun, you know, politically speaking. Unless you think the aristocracy in the Holy City is likely to support a rebellion in some little country that's barely on the map." Kervan tried to rally his usual arguments, but he couldn't find words. The long days of travel and that last spell had taken too much out of him; he had no energy left to deal with Marcus' ridiculous theories and superstitions, and right at the moment, less scrambling around in hills sounded more appealing than he cared to admit. "We don't have to decide tonight, anyway," was all he managed to say about it. He ran a hand through his hair, wearily, and grimaced. In spite of the bath, he still felt grimy and unkempt. He hoped to all the gods the bed was cleaner than the bath had been. He really did not need bedbugs to add to the mosquito bites he had already. He realized Marcus was staring intently, not at the map any longer, but at him. He crossed his arms, turned his head, and stared back. "Is there something else you'd like to say?" he asked, in his most aristocratic "this had better be good but probably isn't going to be" tone of voice. Marcus leaned in close and peered up into his face, in that way he did when he was trying to look smaller than he actually was. Pale blue eyes studied him intently for a few close seconds, darting around to take in everything from the straggled ends of bangs hanging almost in his eyes to his disgustingly stubbled chin. So intently, in fact, that Kervan could only stare back and wait. "You look terrible," the guttersnipe finally announced. Kervan's left eyebrow rose of its own accord. "Oh, really?" he answered, his voice flat with sarcasm. He was certain he didn't look as terrible as he felt. Eight or ten days (he really had lost track) of constant travel through rugged countryside with very little sleep would do that to a person. Or at least, it would to a person who was more accustomed to being driven around the city in a comfortable carriage. Marcus didn't look all that much the worse for wear, really, though his eyes, now that Kervan was forced to stare into them for a moment, were fever bright, and his fingers twitched nervously. Well, no, that was not a sign of anything unusual. Nervous was Marcus' default condition. He was almost always jumpy and twitchy about something or other, and often with good enough reason-except for those rare and startling moments when he wasn't. "Yeah, you do. You look like a Guttersnipe on a bender, or worse!" Kervan's right eyebrow joined the left one. Then he grinned, not at all humorously. "I thought that was the idea," he reminded Marcus. Marcus' idea, as a matter of fact. Which, come to think of it, had actually worked like a charm to get them out of the city and across the border unnoticed, or at least, much less noticed than the heir of the House of Alfas would normally have been under the circumstances. He supposed he should thank Marcus for that, somehow...someday. "It was!" Marcus agreed, stepping back to take a full look at him. "And you're welcome, now that you don't mention it! But now you actually look convincing." "Meaning I didn't before?" "Are you joking? If I hadn't kept the porter at the city gates distracted the whole time, why, you'd still be..." He cut himself off, even before Kervan narrowed his eyes in warning. "Well, never mind where," Marcus finished with a wave of his hand. He ducked his head, avoiding Kervan's sharp gaze for a few seconds before he shook off that thought and went on cheerfully. "Never mind! You're here now, and as charming as the barbarian look is on you, I think we'd better get you cleaned up a bit before we go any further." Kervan gladly went along with the change of subject, if it meant no more discussion of route they should take. He pluck a lock of hair out of his eyes, eyeing it distastefully. His hair was indeed tangled and lank, already a good bit longer than its usual length, curling over the collar of his tunic. His ran his knuckle over the rough stubble on his chin, and that raised his eyebrows again. Barbarian, indeed. No Alfas had ever been so uncouth as to grow a _beard_, like a monk or some uncouth lumberjack out of the hills. Then he glanced around at the bare room, the luxuries of which included a cracked basin and a pitcher on a rickety wash stand, with a pair of rough, yellowed towels on a rack beside it. Considering the local residents they'd seen so far, he strongly doubted he'd find a barber shop just down the street-not one that he'd care to trust his skin to, anyway. Lovely. Now that he'd thought of it, he longed for a shave as he could not remember ever longing for a thing ever before. Well. Maybe a few things. He turned away from the map with a resigned sigh. They really should have thought through this escape plan more thoroughly. Then he stopped and stared. Marcus, with his usual, rather alarming knack for anticipating Kervan's needs, had pulled a straight razor, soap, towel, a small mirror, and a cup out of his bag, and was already mixing up a thin bit of foam in the cup. He pointed at the implements. "Have you had those all along?" "No reason to use 'em before now, was there?" Marcus answered. "We're just a couple of mangy, grubby guttersnipes, right?" "Yes, but..." Kervan said faintly. Marcus ignored the unspoken question of how he'd managed to hide all that gear away in his little bag, from which he'd also already pulled a change of clothes for each of them and more than half of the food they'd manage to escape with. Probably the same way he'd managed to walk past a half-dozen guards and sorcerers carrying a stolen chest full of centuries old Elf-made charms on the occasion of their first meeting. It had just been Marcus' bad luck that the chest had a magical Trace on it - which had turned out to be Kervan's very good luck in the long run. Marcus was now rubbing his own chin and peering at himself in the little mirror, frowning and humming thoughtfully. He was fair-haired and round cheeked, looking perpetually younger than the 30-some years he claimed to be. Kervan couldn't help noticing with some envy that even after this many days of unwashed travel, his face barely showed a shadow of a beard. "All right," he said, with a nod toward the a rickety-looking chair that was wedged between the bed and the window. "You'd better come sit here, the light's better." After a moment of hesitation long enough to make it clear that he was not in any way taking that as an order, Kervan went and sat. He reached for the cup and the razor, though now that he was sitting, he felt almost too tired to bother after all. He got hold of the cup, but Marcus snatched the razor back out of his reach and shook his head. "Planning to cut your own throat, are you? Look how your hand is shaking! Better let me do it, hm?" "Don't be silly," Kervan snapped. "I'm perfectly capable." It was true that he preferred to let one of the professional barbers in the city shave him as often as possible, but he could certainly do it himself just as well-usually. Unfortunately, what Marcus said was also true. When he reached out for the razor again, a tremor of sheer weariness ran down his arm. "I'll do it," Marcus said, as if it was a decided fact already. He snatched the cup out of Kervan's hand as well. "Safer that way!" "You have many hidden talents, Marcus," Kervan said dryly, "but you're no Barber. I'll manage." The next thing Kervan knew, Marcus was sitting on the edge of the bed right in front of him, leaning toward him, and staring at him with a familiar, slightly manic gleam in his eye. "You're probably used to having one of your High Street barbers shave you, aren't you? Well, it's not the lap of luxury you're used to," Marcus said with a quick glance at the bare room. "And I'm not one of your fancy Barbers, I'll grant you that. But I've seen worse!" _I'll bet you have_, Kervan thought, but where he would have spoken the words aloud with a sneer of contempt not so long ago, he kept the thought to himself now. He may have failed at being a convincing guttersnipe, but he'd been enough of one by now to know that no one would choose that life, no matter how much they all seemed to cling to it. Not that he could entirely blame them for that, when he thought about what he'd seen while living in their world for a while. There was, at least, a kind of honor among the guttersnipes, a familial loyalty which the nobility didn't even bother to pretend to have anymore-blood related or not. None of that mattered now, he reminded himself. He had given up what little honor remained to the House of Alfas in order to run off into the wild with this particular guttersnipe, and they were stuck with each other now, unlikely allies in self-imposed exile. The situation that had brought them here was complicated, but the real reason, when he thought about it, was simple enough that even his tired brain couldn't miss seeing it. Not when it was sitting right in front of him, staring at him with that peculiar gleam in pale, blue eyes. Not when it was plain that Marcus was offering something he hadn't even realized he needed more deeply than he needed bath and bed and a shave. For a moment, his eye was caught by the flash of light from the window on the fine edge of the razor. Marcus twirled it between his fingers, as deftly as he would flip a silver coin in one of his tricks of parlor magic. He felt Marcus watching him intently, watching him watch the blade. It was unnerving, as only Marcus could be, and that... in spite of Kervan's weariness, that made it just slightly arousing. No. He was too tired for this now. He didn't need this now, no matter what Marcus thought, no matter how Marcus always _knew_. He just wanted a shave and then a bed, or so he insisted to himself. "I would prefer..." he began, reaching out again. "Hands down," Marcus snapped quietly. He flipped the razor up, blade angled toward Kervan, not quite exactly in the way one would hold a knife on a cornered enemy. Kervan went completely still. He was suddenly alert, eyes wide open; suddenly awake enough to know that he was too exhausted to rest yet, wound up too tightly after days of scrambling through the hills with the threat of much worse than death at their backs. As was Marcus, clearly; awake and aware enough to know what they both needed before Kervan had figured it out. Marcus waited, leaving the choice entirely up to him. He wouldn't insist, Kervan knew, and he wouldn't offer this again, not now. Who knew when there would be another chance? Kervan returned Marcus' stare, and let his arms hands fall to his sides, let his arms hang there loosely on either side of the chair. Marcus flashed a smile, the mad grin that had worked like a spell barrier to keep cutthroats and soldiers at bay when he needed it to. A shiver ran down the back of Kervan's neck. He inched his hands further back, curled them behind the chair. Marcus nodded. Then, suddenly all business, he settled in front of Kervan with the cup and shaving brush, and started to lather up Kervan's face. The familiar scent of the finest sandalwood soap was surprisingly comforting, taking Kervan back to the luxurious barber shops in the city that catered to the most refined tastes of nobility. When and where did Marcus have time to steal luxury grade shaving soap, he wondered. And was it coincidence that it was Kervan's own favorite scent and brand? Not likely. The hard chair and the ache and weariness in his bones were reminders that he was no longer in that lap of luxury, and most likely would never know such things again. More to the point, this was not his favorite deferential and highly skilled barber getting ready to put a sharp blade to his skin; this was Marcus, the chameleon charlatan, the thorn in his side whom he had somehow become ridiculously fond of, if fond was even the word for it any more. Marcus, the nervous mouse who would flinch at a shout and vanish at the first hint of danger, except when he turned as fierce and reckless as a wolf protecting its life mate-a sight which Kervan frankly hoped never to witness again in his life. Marcus, normally twitchy with nerves, who hated weapons of any kind, now casually flicked that razor back and forth, back and forth along the short length of stropping leather. His pale eyes followed the flicker of the blade for several strokes, then suddenly lifted to catch Kervan's gaze again. The grin that slowly crept across his face made the short hairs stand up on the back of Kervan's neck. He could not define how much of that reaction was from fear and how much from anticipation. Kervan let the shiver of nerves ripple up his arms and down his spine. That was why he was sitting here, with his hands behind himself as if bound there, after all. Kervan's skill was - had been - his quick and cunning mind, the ability to see patterns and to connect ideas, to see the flow of energy, whether that be patterns of magic or the flow of money or the intricate web of political power. Marcus' magic was in his hands, and in his chameleon-like ability to blend into any background. Recent experience proved it was far easier for a guttersnipe to play the part of a nobleman convincingly than the other way around, but Marcus had a particular gift for putting on convincing airs. He was a guttersnipe with quick and agile hands, which was reassuring when you needed him to snatch a purse or palm a jewel, or misdirect a palace guard's attention for an essential few minutes. It was a little more disconcerting, Kervan decided, when he was flashing a freshly sharpened, naked razor blade in the vicinity of your jugular vein. Marcus stopped with the blade held a hair's breath from his skin. His eyes twitched, a sign of his intense focus on the task at hand, or of nerves, or maybe of an edge of madness. Even Kervan could not be certain which was in play at the moment. He could only hold his breath and hope this was an instance of the first. Marcus held his gaze for a moment, like a snake holds a mouse frozen with its stare-an analogy that made Kervan's lips twitch with a threat of laughter. Anyone else, surely anyone who knew either of them back in their homeland, would far more likely see Marcus as the mouse and himself as being as snakelike as they come. He congratulated himself silently when he managed not to flinch at the first touch of the blade on his skin. He thought he could feel the intensity of Marcus' focused gaze on his skin now, as he nudged the razor over lathered skin with a steady pressure, carefully following the curve of his jaw. His face was so close that Kervan could feel soft breaths puffed out through lips parted in concentration. Marcus nudged Kervan's chin up with his knuckle, and started in on the stubble below his jaw. Kervan's mouth felt dry, suddenly; he had to clamp down hard on the urge to lick his lips. He distracted himself with a thought back to how this had begun, not long after he discovered the talented thief walking off with a rival family's treasure which he himself had not found a way to acquire. That had been coincidence, a convenient one as he'd thought at the time, but it was also-probably-coincidence that the upstart ruler of the land had a special interest in the contents of that treasure chest. It was annoying, to say the least, that they had not only lost said treasure because of this, but that they still did not know why they had nearly ended up worse off than dead because of it. Even now, with no hope of going back to settle the matter, he could not help but follow the thread of circumstances that had led from that to chance meeting to this moment, sitting here in a threadbare room of an inn in the middle of nowhere, wary and motionless while a guttersnipe with clever hands, pale blue eyes and peculiar twitching eyebrow shaved the eight-day beard from his face... That twitching eyebrow turned out to be all the warning he got. The corner of the razor bit at the back of his jaw. He was too startled to even jump, though his lips did part on an almost-out-loud exclamation. "Oops!" Marcus said. He leaned in and peered up at Kervan with earnest but false apology. He shook his head and tsk'd as he dabbed at the cut, making the faint sting of it blossom into a thin line of fire in Kervan's skin. "Can't have that! Wouldn't want to give you any distinguishing marks, now, would we?" Kervan let an eyebrow leap to its full height without moving one single other muscle in his face_. _ Marcus beamed at him with pure, angelic innocence. That smile had fooled many a judge in their homeland, and some of them more than once. It did not reassure Kervan in the slightest. "Are you implying I'm not distinguished?" he quipped. The sarcasm slipped out before he could stop it. He felt more than heard the soft snort of laughter. Marcus didn't look amused at all; his attention seemed to be back on the task at hand even as his words rambled on absently. "We could always go back home and find out! I mean, even in Guttersnipe's rags and a nine day's beard, I daresay you are quite distinguishable enough for the palace guards to know you when they see you!" He seemed to have a second thought about that as he paused and sat back. With his head cocked to the side, he regarded Kervan's half shaved, half lathered face. "In that case, p'raps I shouldn't ..." "Finish the job," Kervan demanded through clenched teeth. Well, it was half demand and half resigned plea, really. Marcus stared at him for a moment, eyes shifting again, lips stretching into a thin curve. Kervan stared back, for a heartbeat or two. His fingers twitched, but he didn't raise his hands. He hadn't moved them or anything else, as instructed, so-aside from the lapse of attention and the sarcasm that slipped out of his mouth-what rule had he broken now? Oh, yes. Probably that one. "If you would. Please," he finally added. It was as sincere as his naturally sarcastic mouth could make it, as humble as his noble upbringing would allow. He couldn't quite bring himself to lower his eyes, but that was as much caution as pride. Marcus did smile then, beamed at him in fact, momentarily brilliant, before his conniving_ I've-got-you-__where-I-want-you-now_ grin returned. The blade flashed in front of Kervan's eyes again, then pressed against the side of his throat. It was the side that was already shaved clean. Kervan tried to convince himself to exhale slowly and relax. Then he thought better of that. They could both relax later, in bed. Marcus had offered him this opportunity to do something creative with all this tension they'd both accumulated, like two tightly coiled springs, over the last however-many days. Even longer than that, ever since they'd noticed that their own personal little schemes had landed them in the midst of a political revolution. In other words, nearly as long as he could remember. He went completely stiff and still again, let his eyes fall half closed, and let himself drift down into that fine, sweet line of pain under his jaw. Then he leaned back and lifted his chin a little further, baring his throat. Marcus' eyebrow twitched again, though he did not shift his gaze from Kervan's throat. He'd seen or sensed the change in Kervan, though, and then Kervan could feel it in him as well. He just barely saw the flash of a grin before Marcus moved in again and got back to work. Through his lashes, and through the stinging pain of the cut, Kervan stared at Marcus' mouth, and imagined what it would taste like, later, and imaged the warmth of Marcus' skin against his. He imagined running his tongue over all of Marcus' skin that he could currently see, and since he couldn't do that yet, he let his eyes travel there instead. He stared with gently swelling hunger at the lips pursed in concentration, the slight curve of Marcus' mouth, the gentle roundness of his cheek, the line of his jaw, pale lashes fluttering as Marcus' quick eyes studied his handiwork. There were no more nicks to his skin, no more reminders of who was in control of even his thoughts at this moment. He was only acutely aware of Marcus' quick and steady hands gently pulling his skin taut, and of the scrape of the blade. He concentrated only on the warm, spicy scent of the shaving soap, and the soft sound of Marcus' breath, steady in concentration. He was aware only of sensation, and then not even that, no thought at all, only the bright sting of the cut, and Marcus' presence, as if those were all that held him in place in physical reality... By the time Marcus sat back and tipped his head to the side to look him over, it felt entirely natural not to move at all. Not even when Marcus placed his palm against Kervan's smooth and sensitized cheek. "Yes," Marcus said, tipping his head the other way. "Now you look more like your aristocratic self again. Well, an aristocrat from our country, anyway," he went on, sitting back again. "Do you know, I've heard that the Royal Prince of Seyruun has a really impressive beard, all black and bushy, like a barbarian in our land? I wonder if that means we'd look like common riffraff to him?" Kervan went as far as narrowing his eyes, then, but he managed to hold his tongue. Marcus grinned. "Well. Different countries, different customs, as they say!" he quipped. "Are you finished?" Kervan finally asked, his voice as neutral as he could make it. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or not when Marcus leaned forward again. "No," he said. "Not quite." Then he began the task of checking his work, testing the smoothness of Kervan's skin with his lips and with quick, light fingers. Kervan held himself just as still as if the blade was still there against his throat, his hands back and down at his sides, until finally Marcus' teasing mouth passed across his lips. Kervan turned his head to follow it, caught it with his own, and then caught Marcus in his arms. Marcus grabbed the hair at the back of his head, pulling him harder into the kiss, for a moment, and then Kervan heard him set the razor down on the windowsill. The soft tap was like a signal. He clutched the back of Marcus' shirt, dug his fingers into bow-tight muscles, and felt Marcus exhale sharply, almost like a sob of relief. The life-or-death tension Kervan had been holding onto melted away then, quickly replaced by a tight thrill of need. Marcus tugged his head back and caught his gaze, forcing Kervan to focus on him. Blue eyes, clear and steady now, searched his face. "Are you sure, Kervan?" he asked, still studying him so intently that Kervan was caught between laughing at him and growling at him. "I mean, is it enough? I really don't want to mark your face up, of course, but there's always the stropping leather, if you want?" Kervan decided on the growling, with a smile. He really did have to thank Marcus, not later but right now, and for several things. "Oh, it's quite enough, for the moment," he said. "As you might have noticed..." He pulled Marcus forward, onto his lap, which made the answer clear enough that even Marcus couldn't miss it. "Oh!" Marcus said. He smirked, obviously pleased with the results of his tonsorial efforts. "Oh, well, in that case..." It was a short stumble from the chair to the bed. Marcus' skillful hands were as shaky as his own, just as clumsy but just as effective in getting their clothes out of the way, getting them skin to skin. "But," Marcus pointed out, "_I_ haven't shaved yet. Are you sure it's proper for the exalted Heir of Alfas House to take a tumble with a scruffy guttersnipe like me?" "The _formerly_ exalted Heir of Alfas only wishes to bestow the proper reward on said scruffy guttersnipe for services rendered," Kervan said, with only a touch of sarcasm, because it was basically the truth. So he proceeded to thank Marcus... as well as he could, for the moment. In spite of how skilled Marcus had turned out to be as barber, now that the tension had dropped away they were both too tired to do much more, after all, but lie tangled together and fall asleep. It didn't matter. For now, Kervan decided, he didn't care where they were going, how they got there, or how long it took. What they had ever been, what they appeared to be to the rest of the world, certainly didn't matter to them at all. ~~ the end ~~ End file.
fanfiction
Can I determine a transformation matrix for a stress tensor with respect to the axes $O x_1 x_2 x_3$ to define new axes of maximum shear stresses? Is it possible to determine a transformation matrix for a given stress tensor with respect to the axes $O x\_1 x\_2 x\_3$ to define new axes $O x'\_1 x'\_2 x'\_3$ of maximum shear stresses? To make my question more clear, take for example a stress tensor with respect to $O x\_1 x\_2 x\_3$ axes: $$ \sigma\_{ij} = \begin{pmatrix} 5 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & -6 & -12 \\ 0 & -12 & 1 \end{pmatrix}$$ Now I want to determine a transformation matrix to define new axes $O x'\_1 x'\_2 x'\_3$ of maximum shear stresses (with respect to $O x\_1 x\_2 x\_3$ axes). Is it possible to determine that? I was able to determine the transformation matrix to determine principal axes $O x^\*\_1 x^\*\_2 x^\*\_3$ (with respect to $O x\_1 x\_2 x\_3$ axes) by finding principal stresses $\sigma\_1 = 10$; $\sigma\_2 = 5$; $\sigma\_3 = -15$ and principal directions of the stress tensor. My result was: $$ \begin{pmatrix} 0 & 1 & 0 \\ -\frac{3}{5} & 0 & \frac{4}{5} \\ \frac{4}{5} & 0 & \frac{3}{5} \end{pmatrix}$$ I tried to find maximum shear stresses values (which i am not sure, whether they are correct) (=$12.5$; $2.5$ and $10$) but I am not able to determine the transformation matrix nor the stress tensor with respect to axes $O x\_1 x\_2 x\_3$, how would I do that? Thank you. You calculated the the transformation matrix to the principal axes by means of eigenvalues (the principal stresses) and eigenvectors (which if normalised give the corresponding transformation matrix) correctly. The corresponding **maximum shear stress** can be found by **rotating the coordinate system by 45° in the plane spanned by the maximum and minimum principle stress**, in your case $\sigma\_1$ and $\sigma\_3$.
stackexchange/physics
The Redshift of the CMB vs. Dark Energy The cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation comprises about 98% of all electromagnetic radiation in the universe. And, from the creation of the CMB to today that electromagnetic radiation has red shifted to about 1100 times its original wavelength. And, the energy content of electromagnetic radiation is inversely proportionally to its wavelength. Therefore, the CMB has shed an immense amount of energy in the last 13.8 billion years because of the redshift due to the expanding universe. How does this amount of energy compare to the estimate of Dark Energy in the universe? In terms of direct numbers at present, dark energy comprises about 70% of all of the energy in the universe. Radiation, on the other hand, makes up less than 0.005% of the energy in the universe. It's such a small fraction that it's less than the error associated with the values for matter and dark energy. A good way to approximate how the two energies compare over time (with expansion included) is through the scale factor of the metric, $a$. The scale factor represents the ratio of the distance between two points at any given moment of time to the distance between those two points now. Naturally, as the universe expands, the amount of volume in a given region of the universe increases like $a^3$. With that said, let's take a look at the volume density of both your types of energy. As you quite correctly pointed out, the expansion of the universe redshifts radiation, which means the universe loses that energy entirely. Add to that the fact that the number density of a fixed number of photons is proportional to $\frac{1}{a^3}$, and it's not hard to understand why relativity says the total energy density of radiation decreases like $\frac{1}{a^4}$. In other words the total amount of energy contained in radiation decreases approximately like $\frac{1}{a}$. As for dark energy, the current accepted model, $\Lambda$-CDM, treats dark energy like a constant energy density. That means as the universe expands, the amount of dark energy per unit volume remains constant. Yikes. This means the total amount of dark energy increases like $a^3$. Add them together and you see there is a net increase in total energy of the universe (the total energy of matter remains more or less constant). Clearly it isn't the case that the energy lost from radiation is picked up as dark energy. But, of course, you already knew that. You had already gone as far as realizing that the radiation energy fell off like $\frac{1}{a}$ and there would need to be a seriously funky (<-- technical term) relationship between $a$ and the energy density of dark energy for the two totals to sum to a constant. Kudos to you for having figured this out by yourself and asking an excellent follow-up question. The dynamics of FLRW cosmology is really not that different from elementary Newtonian mechanics. One can derive some of the salient aspects of this using Newtonian mechanics. The energy $E~=~K~+~V$ has the total energy $E$ constant, and the kinetic $K$ and potential $V$ energies add and subtract from each other to maintain a constant total energy. The scale factor for the evolution of the spacetime, which I work out in a Newtonian framework here [How did the universe shift from "dark matter dominated" to "dark energy dominated"?](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/257476/how-did-the-universe-shift-from-dark-matter-dominated-to-dark-energy-dominate/257542#257542) within a Newtonian context. The more complete general relativistic equation is $$ H^2~=~\left(\frac{\dot a}{a}\right)^2~=~H\_0\left[\frac{\Omega\_m}{a^3}~+~\frac{\Omega\_r}{a^4}~+~(1~-~\Omega\_r~-~\Omega\_m)a^{-3(1+w)}\right] $$ Here $\Omega\_m$ holds for matter, $\Omega\_r$ for radiation. $\Omega\_m$ is $.26$ for dark matter and $.04$ for luminous matter, so $\Omega\_m~=~.3$, and currently $\Omega\_r$ is very small. This equation describes the dynamics according to dark energy or the vacuum. In a Newtonian framework the left hand side is kinetic energy and the right potential. The loss of energy in photons means the photon by being stretched has its energy taken in by spacetime.
stackexchange/physics
nutrition security ensures optimal actualization of human resources and overall progress and development of a society and nation . malnutrition ( both under- and overnutrition ) is currently one of the biggest challenges being faced by the modern world . micronutrient deficiencies , more commonly referred to as hidden hunger , form a significant component of burden of malnutrition worldwide , more so in developing countries like india . deficiencies of iodine , iron , folic acid , vitamin a and zinc are the leading five causes of micronutrient deficiencies which constitute a global public health problem1 . iodine deficiency disorders ( idd ) are linked to iodine deficient soil . due to glaciations , flooding , this in turn leads to deficiency of iodine in crops grown on iodine deficient soil with consequently low iodine in the diet for livestock and humans . in the past however , over the last quarter of the century , it has become increasingly clear that iodine deficiency leads to a much wider spectrum of disorders commencing with the intrauterine life and extending through childhood into adult life with serious health and social problems . the spectrum of diseases includes goitre , cretinism , hypothyroidism , brain damage , abortion , still birth , mental retardation , psychomotor defects and hearing and speech impairment2 . majority of consequences of idd are invisible and irreversible but at the same time preventable . idd constitute the single largest cause of preventable brain damage worldwide leading to learning disabilities and psychomotor impairment3 . children living in iodine - deficient areas on an average have lower intelligence quotient ( iq ) , by as much as 13.5 iq points as compared to children living in iodine - sufficient areas4 . idd have been shown to be associated with at least six of the eight millennium development goals5 . idd are a major challenge to the health of populations the world over particularly among preschool children and pregnant women in low - income countries . globally two billion people are at risk of iodine deficiency disorders due to insufficient iodine intake6 . nearly 266 million school - aged children worldwide have insufficient iodine intake . of the 130 countries which reported data for idd in 2006 ( comprising 91.1% of the total global population ) , idd was a public health problem in 47 countries6 . the 43 world health assembly held at geneva , in may 1990 recognized idd elimination as a major priority7 . it adopted universal salt iodization ( usi ) as the preferred strategy to achieve the goal of idd elimination by 2000 . the united nations world summit for children , 1990 attended by 71 heads of state and other senior officials of 15 member states , adopted a plan of action for elimination of idd by the year 20008 . in 2002 , in the united nations general assembly special session ( ungass ) on children , a new goal was adopted for idd elimination by 20059 . impressive gains have been made in household - level coverage of adequately iodized salt ( more than 15 part per million of iodine content ) globally . currently 145 countries worldwide have implemented usi and over 71 per cent of the population worldwide consumes adequately iodized salt10 . globally , india has the largest number of children born vulnerable to iodine - deficiency11 . india , as one of the participants of the ungass on children had committed to the goal of idd elimination by 2005 . however , india subsequently revised the idd control goal in 2006 . the idd control goal in india was to reduce the prevalence of idd ( i.e. total goitre rate ) below 10 per cent in the entire country by 201212 . this article reviews the efforts done to control idd in india with a brief outline of the historical evolution of the idd control programme in india . we look critically at the strengths , weaknesses , opportunities and the threats facing the idd control activities in india . surveys conducted by the central and state health directorates , indian council of medical research ( icmr ) and medical institutes since 1950s have clearly demonstrated that idd is a public health problem in all states and union territories in india . of the 325 districts surveyed in india so far , 263 districts are idd - endemic , i.e. the prevalence of idd is above 10 per cent in the population13 . as per the survey conducted by the national nutrition monitoring board ( nnmb ) in 2000 - 2001 in rural areas of kerala , tamil nadu , karnataka , andhra pradesh , maharashtra , madhya pradesh , orissa and west bengal , the overall prevalence of total goitre rate ( tgr ) among six to twelve year old children was about 4 per cent14 . the prevalence of goitre was highest in maharashtra ( 11.9% ) and west bengal ( 9% ) . in india the entire population is prone to idd due to deficiency of iodine in the soil of the subcontinent and consequently the food derived from it . of these , an estimated 350 million people are at risk of idd as they consume salt with inadequate iodine ( table i ) . every year nine million pregnant women and eight million newborns are at risk of idd in india . these estimates are based on the household - level coverage of adequately iodized salt as reported in coverage evaluation survey ( ces ) 2009 and extrapolated to total population estimates from census 2011 ( provisional figures)1516 . estimated burden of indian population at risk of idd state level idd surveys were carried out in seven states ( kerala , tamil nadu , orissa , rajasthan , bihar , goa and jharkhand ) from 2000 to 2006 by international council for control of iodine deficiency disorders ( iccidd ) in collaboration with state medical colleges , micronutrient initiative ( mi ) and unicef17 . the surveys were carried as per the recommended guidelines of who / unicef / iccidd and used 30 cluster into 40 children sampling methodology3 . children in the age group of 6 - 12 yr , women in the household , retail shop keepers and other community stakeholders constituted the study population . total goiter rate ( tgr ) , urinary iodine ( ui ) concentration and iodine content of salt ( household and retail shop ) were studied . the household level consumption of adequately iodized salt ( 15 ppm ) ranged from 18.2 per cent in tamil nadu to 91.9 per cent in goa ( table ii ) . the median urinary iodine excretion ranged from 76 g / l in goa to 173.2 g / l in jharkhand . these state level idd surveys are the only sub - national level idd surveys in india where all three indicators , viz . iodine deficiency disorders ( idd ) status of seven states surveyed ( 2000 - 2006 ) in india as per the coverage evaluation survey 200915 , 91 per cent of households had access to iodized salt , of whom 71 per cent consumed adequately iodized salt . . there are wide rural and urban variations in household coverage of adequately iodized salt ( 83.2% in urban areas vs. 66.1% in rural areas ) . wide variation was also seen across different states / uts ; with chhattisgarh ( 31.6% ) , karnataka ( 35.5% ) and jharkhand ( 41.4% ) being the low coverage states and manipur ( 98.3% ) , meghalaya ( 98% ) and nagaland ( 97.1% ) being high coverage states . further studies documenting goitre in india were done by several other researchers including stott et al ( 1931)19 , and ramalingaswami ( 1953)20 . salt - iodization as an intervention to address goiter , the then well recognized and more visible manifestation of iodine deficiency was first initiated in united states of america ( usa ) and switzerland in 1920s21 . india was one of the first countries in the world to start a public health programme to address iodine deficiency disorders based on salt iodization . a landmark study in kangra valley region , himachal pradesh was conducted by ramalingaswami and his team from 1956 to 197222 . this community based intervention study clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of iodized salt in reducing goitre prevalence in kangra valley . the study area was divided into three geographically distinct zones , zone a , zone b and zone c. salt was fortified with either potassium iodate ( zone a ) or potassium iodide ( zone c ) , to deliver 200 micrograms of iodine to each study participants . zone b was the control area and received non - iodized salt . a progressive and significant decline in prevalence of goiter 1 ) additionally , the pattern of iodine metabolism in this population returned to within normal limits in contrast to the control population that did not consume iodized salt . from 1962 subsequent checks in 1968 and 1972 demonstrated a decline in goiter - prevalence in this population as well , which was directly attributable to the introduction of iodized salt in the diet . the results of this study have been supported by evidence from other international community - based intervention programmes as well2324 . these studies from united states and switzerland clearly showed a causal link between daily consumption of iodized - salt and reduction in prevalence of goiter . decrease in goitre prevalence after salt iodization in the kangra valley study ( 1956 - 72 ) . prevalence of goiter in 1952 was 40 per cent in all the three zones . in zone b ( control group ) , intervention ( iodized salt ) was done in 1962 . based on the success of the kangra valley study22 , the government of india established the national goitre control programme ( ngcp ) in 1962 at the end of the second five - year plan25 . the objectives of ngcp were to identify the goiter - endemic regions of the country and supplement the intake of iodine to the entire population in these regions . the ngcp primarily focused on the so called goitre belt in the country which comprised the himalayan and tarai region in north and north - eastern parts of india . subsequently , new evidence emerged that idd was not limited to a few endemic foci in india and was reported from nearly every geographical region of the country262728 . based on the evidence from district idd surveys carried out as per the guidelines of ngcp , situation analysis conducted by the nutrition foundation of india ( nfi ) and studies carried out by the indian council of medical research ( icmr ) and the all india institute of medical sciences ( aiims ) , new delhi team , it was decided to expand the activities of ngcp29 . in 1983 in the annual meeting of central council of health , it was decided that all edible salt in india would be iodized by 199230 . the process of iodization salt was started in a phased manner in the country from april , 1986 . iodized salt was brought under the revised prevention of food adulteration ( pfa ) act of 198831 . there was a growing realization that iodine deficiency is not limited to goiter alone but could mani - fest in several other ways with far serious consequences . available scientific evidence both from across the world and from india showed significant impact of iodine deficiency on early brain development , cognition and learning abilities of children4323334 . according to a study by kochupillai et al27 , the incidence of neonatal hypothyroidism in one of the idd endemic regions of india was one of the highest reported in the world . the incidence of neonatal hypothyroidism varied from 0.1 per cent in an iodine sufficient region of india to 13.3 per cent in iodine - deficient region . in populations with high incidence of neonatal hypothyroidism , increased nerve deafness and low iq were observed27 . these effects of mild brain damage suggested that nutritional iodine deficiency could manifest in ways other than goiter or cretinism . the world summit for children in 1990 endorsed the concept of idd as a spectrum of diseases and set up a target of global elimination idd by year 2000 . the government of india reiterated its commitment to achieve usi by 1995 at the second south asian association for regional cooperation ( saarc ) conference on children in south asia , held in colombo , sri lanka , in september 199235 . following the saarc conference , the government of india introduced an amendment in the national plan of action for children to include universal access to iodized salt by 1995 as a specific goal36 . the nomenclature of the ngcp was changed to national idd control programme ( niddcp ) in 1992 to emphasize the wider implications of iodine deficiency . the identified objectives of the niddc programme were to conduct surveys to assess the magnitude of the idd , supply of iodated salt in place of common salt , resurvey after every five years to assess the extent of idd and the impact of iodated salt , laboratory monitoring of iodized salt and urinary iodine excretion and health education and advocacy37 . the niddcp identifies usi as the primary strategy to eliminate idd as a public health problem in the country . in 1998 after consultation with all stakeholders policy guidelines for niddcp were formulated37 . the policy guidelines were revised in 2006 and clearly delineated the administrative structure , idd survey guidelines and financial outlay of the programme12 . concomitant with the evolution of the idd control programme in india , the idd control goals also went through various stages of revision and reformulation ( box 1 ) . case study of rajiv gandhi mission for elimination of iodine deficiency disorders , madhya pradesh , 1994 to 1996 idd control programme in india is a public health success story . we have come a long way from a district - centric approach of ngcp in 1962 to having a national - level programme today covering the whole country . nearly 91 per cent of households in the country have access to iodized salt with 71 per cent consuming adequately iodized salt15 . iodized salt production in india was less than two hundred thousand metric tons ( mt ) per year in 1980s , of which 50 per cent was exported to nepal . currently , the total iodized salt production is 5.82 million mt per year , well in excess of the national requirement of 5.2 million mt per year38 . the key factors contributing to this remarkable progress of the idd control programme in india are effective translation from research to policy , political commitment , involvement of the private sector in production of iodized salt , legislation to ensure iodization of salt and catalytic role played by the troika of academic institutes , civil society and international agencies . translation from research to policy : the dynamic evolution of niddcp in india demonstrates the successful translation of research to policy to programme . the land mark kangra valley study22 ( research ) was the genesis of idd control the researchers used the results of the study effectively to reach a consensus and formulate a policy to combat idd in india . further studies carried out in tarai region of india and from other regions led to evolution of niddcp from ngcp . sustained political commitment : after initial efforts to reach consensus on idd control , the need to upscale and mainstream the idd control efforts was felt . ( indian council of medical research , directorate general of health services , health council , ministry of health and family welfare , etc . ) and informal ( political leaders , civil society groups , etc . ) institutional structure for decision making were adopted . the resultant sustained political commitment to the idd control policy was borne out by the inclusion of idd control in the 20-point programme of the government of india in 198340 . the commitment of the government of india ( goi ) and senior political leadership to the goal of idd control was reaffirmed by active participation by india in the world summit on children in 1990 , saarc children summit in 1992 and ungass on children , 20028935 . increased production of iodized salt and involvement of the private sector : the indian salt industry has made rapid progress over the last three decades with increase in both quantity and quality of iodized salt produced in the country . this increase in iodized salt production is primarily due to the contribution of the private sector . currently 98 per cent of total iodized salt production in india is from the private sector38 . this is a classic example of responsive and responsible participation by the private sector in a major national public health programme . institution of legislation to ensure iodization of salt : after sustained advocacy , goi notified a ban on sale of non - iodized edible salt in 1997 under the prevention of food adulteration act 195441 . the imposition of ban gave a huge impetus to the promotion of adequately iodized salt in the country . the withdrawal of the ban had adverse effects on household - level coverage of adequately iodized salt . this underscored the need to have a mandatory legislation to ensure usi in india , and the ban was reinstated in 200543 . catalytic role played by the troika of academic institutes , civil society and international agencies : government of india and its nodal ministries - ministry of health and family welfare and ministry of industry undoubtedly have the central and primary role in implementation of niddcp and usi in india . all india institute of medical sciences , new delhi , has provided leadership for research policy and advocacy towards idd control and usi programme in the country . civil society and international agencies such as global alliance for improved nutrition ( gain ) , international council for control of iodine deficiency disorders ( iccidd ) , micronutrient initiative ( mi ) , unicef , world food programme ( wfp ) and who have not only acted as important partners for idd control initiatives in the country , but also as vocal advocates for reinstatement of the ban on the scale of non - iodized salt . the goal of idd control programme in india was to reduce the prevalence of idd ( i.e. tgr ) below 10 per cent in the country by 2012 . the recent coverage evaluation survey ( ces ) 2009 has reported 91 per cent population coverage of iodized salt in india , of which 71 per cent population is consuming adequately iodized salt and another 20 per cent is consuming salt with some added iodine ( < 15 ppm)15 . the usi target of greater than 90 per cent household coverage of adequately iodized salt is within our reach . the ces results show an increase of nearly 20 per cent from the last national - level iodized salt coverage survey carried out in 2005 - 2006 ( fig . progress in household level adequately iodized salt coverage in india using salt testing kits ( stks ) . ces , coverage evaluation surgery 2009 ; nfhs2 , national family health survey ; dlhs2 , district level household survey ; nfhs3 , national family health survey 2 . there has been remarkable progress in terms of the capacity to produce iodized salt in india . the country currently produces 5.8 million tons of iodized salt ( 2009 - 2010 ) against a total requirement of 5.2 million tons . but due to multitude of factors this increased production of iodized salt has not translated into usi at household level . the major factors for not being able to achieve usi in india are low priority accorded to the niddcp programme , meager fund allocation for the programme , lack of communication campaign for sustained and effective behaviour change , lack of monitoring of iodine level of salt from production to consumer end , no mechanism of monitoring iodine content of salt transported by road ( leading to easy availability of non - iodized salt in areas where salt is primarily transported by road ) and poor implementation of prevention of food adulteration ( pfa ) act4546 . salt iodization especially by small scale producers who contribute to approximately 66 per cent of total iodized salt production in the country is not of optimal quality . there are considerable variations in the levels of iodization , high moisture content of salt and use of improper packaging material leading to sub optimal iodine content of salt at consumer level46 . a study done in rural households of eight low - iodized salt coverage ( less than national average ) states in india , reported that only 58.7 per cent households were aware of iodized salt and only 35.4 per cent respondents knew that iodine deficiency causes less mental development and diminished intelligence47 . this poor awareness and knowledge of iodized salt and idd leads to inadequate demand for adequately iodized salt . as per the criterion of who / unicef / iccidd for tracking progress towards sustainable elimination of idd we still have a long way to go ( table iii ) . of the 10 programme indicators listed by who / unicef / iccidd3 , india has attained only five , with another four being partially attained ( table iv ) . current status of progress towards sustainable elimination of idd in india current status of ten programme indicators for tracking progress towards sustainable elimination of idd in india there is a paucity of representative national - level good quality data for monitoring idd control activities in india . the national idd cell / icmr district - level idd surveys carried out as part of niddcp only report tgr . even these goitre surveys with different reference periods for different district surveys are carried out infrequently and irregularly making them useless for monitoring state and national level idd activities . the results available from various state level or district level idd surveys carried out as a part of research by various academic institutes and international agencies are too sparse and sporadic to be of any use for monitoring programmes . the current idd survey guidelines detailed in revised policy guideline on niddcp312 do not conform to standard guidelines laid down by who / unicef / iccidd for monitoring of idd control programmes12 . the cut - off of tgr used to define a region as idd endemic is 5 per cent as per the who / unicef / iccidd3 whereas it is 10 per cent as per the revised policy guidelines of niddcp12 . as per the revised policy guidelines , district level surveys are to be conducted in every district once every five years by rotation in the state using three indicators , viz . the target population recommended is school aged ( 6 to 12 yr ) children only . it does not include pregnant women as recommended by the standard guidelines of who / unicef / iccidd3 . the recommended sample size to be selected using cluster sampling method ( 30 clusters into 90 children ) of 2700 for tgr , 540 for iodized salt and 270 for urinary iodine per district is also not as per the standard guidelines . the current revised policy guidelines lack any epidemiological rationale both in terms of sampling method and sample size . who / unicef / iccidd3 guidelines include urinary iodine in pregnant women and do not include tgr as an indicator . the recommended sample size as per who / unicef / iccidd guidelines is 1200 school aged children and 300 pregnant women for idd survey . the current allocation of 50,000 to conduct a district level survey is grossly inadequate when one has to collect information of all there indicators viz . district level idd data can not be aggregated to obtain state or national idd estimates as district level surveys are done over different time span . thus , there is a need to revise the niddcp policy guidelines , and bring these in conformation with internationally acceptable idd control guidelines . the only available indicator in india that can be utilized for monitoring idd control programme at the most up - to - date and valid source of adequately iodized salt coverage in india is the coverage evaluation survey ( ces ) 200915 . however , ces 2009 used salt testing kits ( stks ) to estimate iodine content of salt instead of the recommended gold standard method of iodometric titration . there are methodological issues with using salt testing kits for estimating population level iodized salt coverage because of the low specificity and hence low validity of the method48 . but even with these shortcomings , iodized salt coverage ( using stks ) is the only useful national level indicator available to track progress towards sustainable elimination of idd in india . thus , in spite of the limitations of stks , the comparison over the years provides useful information on trends in coverage level46495051 . achieving idd control goal in india requires a mission approach with greater coordination amongst all stakeholders of idd control . the mission approach has to be adopted by the government at the highest political level , and should have clearly defined objectives and strategies . the plan of action has to be executed within a defined time - frame by a committed team . fast - track procedures and collective action by an inter - sectoral effort are integral components of this approach . close monitoring and transparent evaluation should be developed in line with the goal , objectives and strategies of the mission approach . the potential of mission approach in making significant progress towards usi and idd control has been demonstrated by the successful case study of madhya pradesh in india from 1994 to 1995 ( box 2)52 . however , it is imperative that mission approach is designed concurrent to a system approach as sustaining the success achieved during mission approach is equally important . evolution of goals of idd control program in india in 2006 , a national coalition for sustained iodine intake ( ncsii ) was established53 . the national coalition comprises a wide array of stakeholders involved in iodine deficiency elimination activities in the country . these included government of india agencies ( ministry of health and family welfare and salt commissioners office ) , state government agencies ( ministry of health and family welfare at state level ) , national institutes / organizations national institute of health and family welfare ( nihfw ) , national cadet corps ( ncc ) , partner agencies ( who , unicef , wfp , gain , mi , iccidd ) , health professionals groups indian public health association ( ipha ) , indian association of preventive and social medicine ( iapsm ) , indian thyroid society ( its ) , indian society of pediatric and adolescent ( ispae ) , salt manufacturers associations ( isma ) , civil society/ consumer advocacy groups and media advocacy groups . the coalition provides a platform bringing together all partner agencies , government agencies and departments . the coalition has ensured greater coordination , synergy and experience sharing amongst different stakeholders engaged in idd control activities in india . there is a need to further strengthen the national coalition and to establish state level coalitions on similar lines . all stakeholders should sensitize policy makers to the criticality of idd control for human resource development and national progress . it is to be emphasized that even moderate iodine deficiency is associated with cognitive impairment in children54 . i.e. it is every child 's right to have access to optimal iodine nutrition to ensure optimal brain development . health being a state subject as per the constitution of india , it is imperative that due focus be given to state level idd control activities55 . the translation from programme to activities in niddcp like all other health programmes occurs at the state level . currently wide variations in idd status across different states are observed , making it even more important that we devise state specific action plans to control idd . state level coalition and alliances of stakeholders would go a long way in taking forward the agenda of idd in india . there is a need for capacity - building of work force required for idd control activities in states , institutionalization of idd research and advocacy in academic institutes at state level . there is a need to set up a stringent laboratory quality assurance programme from the production end laboratories to the consumer level monitoring laboratories . capacity - building of private salt manufacturer / refineries and state / district level salt iodization monitoring laboratory personnel is a critical component of ensuring good quality iodized salt . despite legislation requiring mandatory salt iodization in india , the primary approach especially with small scale salt producers has been advocacy based i.e. sensitizing , persuading these manufacturers to iodize the salt produced by them for large good of society . strategy , i.e. implementation of prevention of food adulteration act , 1954 , and punishing the violators of mandatory salt iodization provision has been only sparingly used . now zero tolerance and strict implementation of food safety and standards ( fss ) act , 2006/prevention of food adulteration ( pfa ) act , 19543156 . the choice is between 2000 salt producers who must produce quality and adequately iodized salt and millions of newly born children at risk of idd . there still exist wide inequities in iodized salt coverage , across states , across the rural - urban divide , across socio - economic strata and amongst marginalized populations57 . pregnant women and newborn children , the most vulnerable to idd , are still not provided with optimal iodine nutrition58 . targeted interventions , innovative approaches and concerted efforts are required to ensure that each and every child born in this country is protected from brain damage caused due to inadequate iodine intake . pregnant women have increased requirement of iodine and thus it is imperative to monitor their idd status to ensure optimal brain development of the foetus59 . a review of available studies from india shows a significant iodine deficiency in pregnant women58 . the recommended iodine intake during pregnancy was increased from 200 to 250 g / day and median ui concentration cut - off was increased from 100 to 150 g / l3 . this upward revision means that the current level of iodine supplementation in salt ( at 15 parts per million level of iodine , daily average salt consumption of 10 g will provide only 150 g / day of iodine ) may not be sufficient to meet the increased requirement during pregnancy . it is imperative that ui monitoring of pregnant women is included as a vital component of niddcp in india . there is a need to conduct national level representative surveys to better quantify the iodine nutrition of pregnant women in india . another important research agenda should be conducting intervention trial for iodine supplementation in pregnant women . the key hurdle in achieving usi is ensuring access to quality iodized salt especially for the socio - economically poor strata of the population . utilized primarily by the populations below poverty line , providing low - cost quality adequately iodized salt through pds will ensure that we cover the last one fourth of population which still has limited access to adequately iodized salt . pds along with integrated child development services ( icds ) scheme and mid - day meal ( mdm ) programme together have huge potential as far as ensuring universal and optimal iodine nutrition to the population is concerned . strengthening of national and state idd cells which are the back bone of the niddcp is critical to achieving idd control goals in india . increased resources especially financial , infrastructure strengthening and capacity building of human resources of national and state idd cell should be done at the earliest . increasing consumer awareness and demand for adequately iodized salt has been proven to be one of the most effective interventions to promote usi globally . the behaviour change communication ( bcc ) activities need to be upscaled and intensified . along with activities targeted towards increasing awareness of consumers , salt testing kits ( stks ) are an effective community advocacy tool and if linked to a quality assured laboratory network ( with capacity of iodometric titration ) can be a highly effective community monitoring mechanism to ensure usi . tracking progress of sustainable elimination of idd at national and state level using defined criteria should be incorporated into the niddcp at the earliest3 . monitoring and evaluation is the weakest and most crucial link of idd control activities in india . there is a need to adopt achievable goals with appropriate resource allocation so that the indicators linked to these goals are measured regularly . state idd surveys should be carried out regularly every three / five years as per the guidelines . sustaining the progress made towards idd control so far should be the focal point henceforth . elimination of idd from a population should always be coupled with a mechanism to ensure the sustainability of the programme . as has been borne out by numerous case studies across the globe , also , in india slackening of efforts has resulted in re - emergence of idd as seen in case of madhya pradesh62 . one of the models proposed for sustaining idd elimination efforts is the social process model ( fig . may be represented by a six - element circular model ; ( i ) assess / reassess the situation epidemiologically , ( ii ) increase awareness of the situation through communication and dissemination of findings , ( iii ) develop and achieve political resolve and agreement at all levels ( from national to community level ) , ( iv ) create and update plans for infrastructure development and plan of action , ( v ) vigorously implement the programme , and ( vi ) assess / reassess the programme progress ( viz . monitoring and evaluation ) to track progress towards sustainable elimination of idd . closely linked to the issue of sustaining the progress is the debate surrounding the need for usi , its ethics and allegations regarding promoting monopoly of multinational corporations ( mncs ) . idd is a public health problem and thus requires public health intervention . ensuring equity in iodine nutrition is critical to this approach . social process model for a national idd control programme . neonatal hypothyroidism screening programmes to screen and treat newborns with hypothyroidism ( including that caused by iodine deficiency ) , which are adopted by developed countries globally are based on the principle of early detection and treatment . however , due to the high costs involved and other operational difficulties such as low institutional deliveries , this is not suited for developing countries like india . 4 ) . salt iodization has to be universal to reach the most marginalized and individuals at risk . thus , health promotion along with usi is ideal strategy to combat idd in india . schematic representation of availability of key components essential for implementation of neonatal hypothyroidism screening program in india and its comparison with western countries . the recommended salt iodine fortification level of 15 ppm provides 150 g of iodine per day assuming daily salt consumption of 10 g. iodine fortification at this level meets the recommended daily requirements ( rda ) and is also well within the upper safety limit of 1000 g recommended by who3 . iodine intake has been postulated to be an important determinant of the pattern of thyroid diseases , broadly related to three distinct subsets of thyroid disorders ; iodine induced hyperthyroidism ( iih ) ( thyrotoxicosis ) , autoimmune thyroiditis ( ait ) , and thyroid carcinoma . the increase in the incidence of iih subsequent to iodine supplementation is minimal and self limiting . increase in incidence of iih has been observed only when iodine is supplemented for a population living in a severely iodine deficient area and more likely to occur only when large doses of iodine are given over a short period of time and is limited to the age groups > 40 yr old64 . iih is believed to occur only in subjects with pre - existing autonomous nodular goiter or in patients with latent graves disease , i.e. iodine supplementation merely unmasks the underlying thyroxicosis . current available evidence linking iodine supplementation with ait is unequivocal with no study conclusively proving increased incidence of ait after iodine supplementation65 . ait is a disease of multifactorial aetiology which includes genetic predisposition , environmental factors , and endogenous factors66 . iodine intake may be one of the multiple environmental factors like low birth weight ( lbw ) , viral / bacterial infection , selenium deficiency , radiation , stress , etc . however , iodine intake leads to an increase in the ratio of papillary ( less malignant ) to follicular ( more malignant ) thyroid carcinoma thus having an overall favourable effect . another critical issue in addressing idd control in india is devising a strategy to offset the harm caused by the change in idd control policy and legislations . serious effects of changes in legislation regulating salt iodization was seen when the government of india lifted the ban on sale of non - iodized salt in 2000 . the iodized salt coverage declined from 49 per cent in 1998 - 199949 to only 30 per cent in 2002 - 200351 and subsequently plateauted at 51 per cent in 2005 - 200650 . a brief mention also needs to be made about iodine nutrition in light of the recent nuclear radiation accident in japan70 and mitigating the adverse effects of the same . india is at risk from radiation fallout due to nuclear power plant accidents and threat of nuclear warfare70 . the risk from nuclear radiation accidents in india is increased by the region being endemic for iodine deficiency as adverse effects following a nuclear radiation fallout like thyroid cancer are significantly higher in iodine deficient populations71 . there is a need to institute disaster preparedness measures to mitigate the damage in case of a nuclear accident . surveys conducted by the central and state health directorates , indian council of medical research ( icmr ) and medical institutes since 1950s have clearly demonstrated that idd is a public health problem in all states and union territories in india . of the 325 districts surveyed in india so far , 263 districts are idd - endemic , i.e. the prevalence of idd is above 10 per cent in the population13 . as per the survey conducted by the national nutrition monitoring board ( nnmb ) in 2000 - 2001 in rural areas of kerala , tamil nadu , karnataka , andhra pradesh , maharashtra , madhya pradesh , orissa and west bengal , the overall prevalence of total goitre rate ( tgr ) among six to twelve year old children was about 4 per cent14 . the prevalence of goitre was highest in maharashtra ( 11.9% ) and west bengal ( 9% ) . in india the entire population is prone to idd due to deficiency of iodine in the soil of the subcontinent and consequently the food derived from it . of these , an estimated 350 million people are at risk of idd as they consume salt with inadequate iodine ( table i ) . every year nine million pregnant women and eight million newborns are at risk of idd in india . these estimates are based on the household - level coverage of adequately iodized salt as reported in coverage evaluation survey ( ces ) 2009 and extrapolated to total population estimates from census 2011 ( provisional figures)1516 . estimated burden of indian population at risk of idd state level idd surveys were carried out in seven states ( kerala , tamil nadu , orissa , rajasthan , bihar , goa and jharkhand ) from 2000 to 2006 by international council for control of iodine deficiency disorders ( iccidd ) in collaboration with state medical colleges , micronutrient initiative ( mi ) and unicef17 . the surveys were carried as per the recommended guidelines of who / unicef / iccidd and used 30 cluster into 40 children sampling methodology3 . children in the age group of 6 - 12 yr , women in the household , retail shop keepers and other community stakeholders constituted the study population . total goiter rate ( tgr ) , urinary iodine ( ui ) concentration and iodine content of salt ( household and retail shop ) were studied . the household level consumption of adequately iodized salt ( 15 ppm ) ranged from 18.2 per cent in tamil nadu to 91.9 per cent in goa ( table ii ) . the median urinary iodine excretion ranged from 76 g / l in goa to 173.2 g / l in jharkhand . these state level idd surveys are the only sub - national level idd surveys in india where all three indicators , viz . iodine deficiency disorders ( idd ) status of seven states surveyed ( 2000 - 2006 ) in india as per the coverage evaluation survey 200915 , 91 per cent of households had access to iodized salt , of whom 71 per cent consumed adequately iodized salt . . there are wide rural and urban variations in household coverage of adequately iodized salt ( 83.2% in urban areas vs. 66.1% in rural areas ) . wide variation was also seen across different states / uts ; with chhattisgarh ( 31.6% ) , karnataka ( 35.5% ) and jharkhand ( 41.4% ) being the low coverage states and manipur ( 98.3% ) , meghalaya ( 98% ) and nagaland ( 97.1% ) being high coverage states . further studies documenting goitre in india were done by several other researchers including stott et al ( 1931)19 , and ramalingaswami ( 1953)20 . salt - iodization as an intervention to address goiter , the then well recognized and more visible manifestation of iodine deficiency was first initiated in united states of america ( usa ) and switzerland in 1920s21 . india was one of the first countries in the world to start a public health programme to address iodine deficiency disorders based on salt iodization . a landmark study in kangra valley region , himachal pradesh was conducted by ramalingaswami and his team from 1956 to 197222 . this community based intervention study clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of iodized salt in reducing goitre prevalence in kangra valley . the study area was divided into three geographically distinct zones , zone a , zone b and zone c. salt was fortified with either potassium iodate ( zone a ) or potassium iodide ( zone c ) , to deliver 200 micrograms of iodine to each study participants . zone b was the control area and received non - iodized salt . a progressive and significant decline in prevalence of goiter 1 ) additionally , the pattern of iodine metabolism in this population returned to within normal limits in contrast to the control population that did not consume iodized salt . from 1962 subsequent checks in 1968 and 1972 demonstrated a decline in goiter - prevalence in this population as well , which was directly attributable to the introduction of iodized salt in the diet . the results of this study have been supported by evidence from other international community - based intervention programmes as well2324 . these studies from united states and switzerland clearly showed a causal link between daily consumption of iodized - salt and reduction in prevalence of goiter . decrease in goitre prevalence after salt iodization in the kangra valley study ( 1956 - 72 ) . prevalence of goiter in 1952 was 40 per cent in all the three zones . in zone b ( control group ) , intervention ( iodized salt ) was done in 1962 . based on the success of the kangra valley study22 , the government of india established the national goitre control programme ( ngcp ) in 1962 at the end of the second five - year plan25 . the objectives of ngcp were to identify the goiter - endemic regions of the country and supplement the intake of iodine to the entire population in these regions . the ngcp primarily focused on the so called goitre belt in the country which comprised the himalayan and tarai region in north and north - eastern parts of india . subsequently , new evidence emerged that idd was not limited to a few endemic foci in india and was reported from nearly every geographical region of the country262728 . based on the evidence from district idd surveys carried out as per the guidelines of ngcp , situation analysis conducted by the nutrition foundation of india ( nfi ) and studies carried out by the indian council of medical research ( icmr ) and the all india institute of medical sciences ( aiims ) , new delhi team , it was decided to expand the activities of ngcp29 . in 1983 in the annual meeting of central council of health , it was decided that all edible salt in india would be iodized by 199230 . the process of iodization salt was started in a phased manner in the country from april , 1986 . iodized salt was brought under the revised prevention of food adulteration ( pfa ) act of 198831 . there was a growing realization that iodine deficiency is not limited to goiter alone but could mani - fest in several other ways with far serious consequences . available scientific evidence both from across the world and from india showed significant impact of iodine deficiency on early brain development , cognition and learning abilities of children4323334 . according to a study by kochupillai et al27 , the incidence of neonatal hypothyroidism in one of the idd endemic regions of india was one of the highest reported in the world . the incidence of neonatal hypothyroidism varied from 0.1 per cent in an iodine sufficient region of india to 13.3 per cent in iodine - deficient region . in populations with high incidence of neonatal hypothyroidism , increased nerve deafness and low iq were observed27 . these effects of mild brain damage suggested that nutritional iodine deficiency could manifest in ways other than goiter or cretinism . the world summit for children in 1990 endorsed the concept of idd as a spectrum of diseases and set up a target of global elimination idd by year 2000 . the government of india reiterated its commitment to achieve usi by 1995 at the second south asian association for regional cooperation ( saarc ) conference on children in south asia , held in colombo , sri lanka , in september 199235 . following the saarc conference , the government of india introduced an amendment in the national plan of action for children to include universal access to iodized salt by 1995 as a specific goal36 . the nomenclature of the ngcp was changed to national idd control programme ( niddcp ) in 1992 to emphasize the wider implications of iodine deficiency . the identified objectives of the niddc programme were to conduct surveys to assess the magnitude of the idd , supply of iodated salt in place of common salt , resurvey after every five years to assess the extent of idd and the impact of iodated salt , laboratory monitoring of iodized salt and urinary iodine excretion and health education and advocacy37 . the niddcp identifies usi as the primary strategy to eliminate idd as a public health problem in the country . in 1998 after consultation with all stakeholders policy guidelines for niddcp were formulated37 . the policy guidelines were revised in 2006 and clearly delineated the administrative structure , idd survey guidelines and financial outlay of the programme12 . concomitant with the evolution of the idd control programme in india , the idd control goals also went through various stages of revision and reformulation ( box 1 ) . case study of rajiv gandhi mission for elimination of iodine deficiency disorders , madhya pradesh , 1994 to 1996 we have come a long way from a district - centric approach of ngcp in 1962 to having a national - level programme today covering the whole country . nearly 91 per cent of households in the country have access to iodized salt with 71 per cent consuming adequately iodized salt15 . iodized salt production in india was less than two hundred thousand metric tons ( mt ) per year in 1980s , of which 50 per cent was exported to nepal . currently , the total iodized salt production is 5.82 million mt per year , well in excess of the national requirement of 5.2 million mt per year38 . the key factors contributing to this remarkable progress of the idd control programme in india are effective translation from research to policy , political commitment , involvement of the private sector in production of iodized salt , legislation to ensure iodization of salt and catalytic role played by the troika of academic institutes , civil society and international agencies . translation from research to policy : the dynamic evolution of niddcp in india demonstrates the successful translation of research to policy to programme . the land mark kangra valley study22 the researchers used the results of the study effectively to reach a consensus and formulate a policy to combat idd in india . further studies carried out in tarai region of india and from other regions led to evolution of niddcp from ngcp . sustained political commitment : after initial efforts to reach consensus on idd control , the need to upscale and mainstream the idd control efforts was felt . concerted efforts , focusing on both formal ( indian council of medical research , directorate general of health services , health council , ministry of health and family welfare , etc . ) and informal ( political leaders , civil society groups , etc . ) institutional structure for decision making were adopted . the resultant sustained political commitment to the idd control policy was borne out by the inclusion of idd control in the 20-point programme of the government of india in 198340 . the commitment of the government of india ( goi ) and senior political leadership to the goal of idd control was reaffirmed by active participation by india in the world summit on children in 1990 , saarc children summit in 1992 and ungass on children , 20028935 . increased production of iodized salt and involvement of the private sector : the indian salt industry has made rapid progress over the last three decades with increase in both quantity and quality of iodized salt produced in the country . this increase in iodized salt production is primarily due to the contribution of the private sector . currently 98 per cent of total iodized salt production in india is from the private sector38 . this is a classic example of responsive and responsible participation by the private sector in a major national public health programme . institution of legislation to ensure iodization of salt : after sustained advocacy , goi notified a ban on sale of non - iodized edible salt in 1997 under the prevention of food adulteration act 195441 . the imposition of ban gave a huge impetus to the promotion of adequately iodized salt in the country . the withdrawal of the ban had adverse effects on household - level coverage of adequately iodized salt . this underscored the need to have a mandatory legislation to ensure usi in india , and the ban was reinstated in 200543 . catalytic role played by the troika of academic institutes , civil society and international agencies : government of india and its nodal ministries - ministry of health and family welfare and ministry of industry undoubtedly have the central and primary role in implementation of niddcp and usi in india . all india institute of medical sciences , new delhi , has provided leadership for research policy and advocacy towards idd control and usi programme in the country . civil society and international agencies such as global alliance for improved nutrition ( gain ) , international council for control of iodine deficiency disorders ( iccidd ) , micronutrient initiative ( mi ) , unicef , world food programme ( wfp ) and who have not only acted as important partners for idd control initiatives in the country , but also as vocal advocates for reinstatement of the ban on the scale of non - iodized salt . the goal of idd control programme in india was to reduce the prevalence of idd ( i.e. tgr ) below 10 per cent in the country by 2012 . the recent coverage evaluation survey ( ces ) 2009 has reported 91 per cent population coverage of iodized salt in india , of which 71 per cent population is consuming adequately iodized salt and another 20 per cent is consuming salt with some added iodine ( < 15 ppm)15 . the usi target of greater than 90 per cent household coverage of adequately iodized salt is within our reach . the ces results show an increase of nearly 20 per cent from the last national - level iodized salt coverage survey carried out in 2005 - 2006 ( fig . progress in household level adequately iodized salt coverage in india using salt testing kits ( stks ) . ces , coverage evaluation surgery 2009 ; nfhs2 , national family health survey ; dlhs2 , district level household survey ; nfhs3 , national family health survey 2 . there has been remarkable progress in terms of the capacity to produce iodized salt in india . the country currently produces 5.8 million tons of iodized salt ( 2009 - 2010 ) against a total requirement of 5.2 million tons . but due to multitude of factors this increased production of iodized salt has not translated into usi at household level . the major factors for not being able to achieve usi in india are low priority accorded to the niddcp programme , meager fund allocation for the programme , lack of communication campaign for sustained and effective behaviour change , lack of monitoring of iodine level of salt from production to consumer end , no mechanism of monitoring iodine content of salt transported by road ( leading to easy availability of non - iodized salt in areas where salt is primarily transported by road ) and poor implementation of prevention of food adulteration ( pfa ) act4546 . salt iodization especially by small scale producers who contribute to approximately 66 per cent of total iodized salt production in the country is not of optimal quality . there are considerable variations in the levels of iodization , high moisture content of salt and use of improper packaging material leading to sub optimal iodine content of salt at consumer level46 . a study done in rural households of eight low - iodized salt coverage ( less than national average ) states in india , reported that only 58.7 per cent households were aware of iodized salt and only 35.4 per cent respondents knew that iodine deficiency causes less mental development and diminished intelligence47 . this poor awareness and knowledge of iodized salt and idd leads to inadequate demand for adequately iodized salt . as per the criterion of who / unicef / iccidd for tracking progress towards sustainable elimination of idd we still have a long way to go ( table iii ) . of the 10 programme indicators listed by who / unicef / iccidd3 , india has attained only five , with another four being partially attained ( table iv ) . current status of progress towards sustainable elimination of idd in india current status of ten programme indicators for tracking progress towards sustainable elimination of idd in india there is a paucity of representative national - level good quality data for monitoring idd control activities in india . the national idd cell / icmr district - level idd surveys carried out as part of niddcp only report tgr . even these goitre surveys with different reference periods for different district surveys are carried out infrequently and irregularly making them useless for monitoring state and national level idd activities . the results available from various state level or district level idd surveys carried out as a part of research by various academic institutes and international agencies are too sparse and sporadic to be of any use for monitoring programmes . the current idd survey guidelines detailed in revised policy guideline on niddcp312 do not conform to standard guidelines laid down by who / unicef / iccidd for monitoring of idd control programmes12 . the cut - off of tgr used to define a region as idd endemic is 5 per cent as per the who / unicef / iccidd3 whereas it is 10 per cent as per the revised policy guidelines of niddcp12 . as per the revised policy guidelines , district level surveys are to be conducted in every district once every five years by rotation in the state using three indicators , viz . the target population recommended is school aged ( 6 to 12 yr ) children only . it does not include pregnant women as recommended by the standard guidelines of who / unicef / iccidd3 . the recommended sample size to be selected using cluster sampling method ( 30 clusters into 90 children ) of 2700 for tgr , 540 for iodized salt and 270 for urinary iodine per district is also not as per the standard guidelines . the current revised policy guidelines lack any epidemiological rationale both in terms of sampling method and sample size . who / unicef / iccidd3 guidelines include urinary iodine in pregnant women and do not include tgr as an indicator . the recommended sample size as per who / unicef / iccidd guidelines is 1200 school aged children and 300 pregnant women for idd survey . the current allocation of 50,000 to conduct a district level survey is grossly inadequate when one has to collect information of all there indicators viz . district level idd data can not be aggregated to obtain state or national idd estimates as district level surveys are done over different time span . thus , there is a need to revise the niddcp policy guidelines , and bring these in conformation with internationally acceptable idd control guidelines . the only available indicator in india that can be utilized for monitoring idd control programme at the most up - to - date and valid source of adequately iodized salt coverage in india is the coverage evaluation survey ( ces ) 200915 . however , ces 2009 used salt testing kits ( stks ) to estimate iodine content of salt instead of the recommended gold standard method of iodometric titration . there are methodological issues with using salt testing kits for estimating population level iodized salt coverage because of the low specificity and hence low validity of the method48 . but even with these shortcomings , iodized salt coverage ( using stks ) is the only useful national level indicator available to track progress towards sustainable elimination of idd in india . thus , in spite of the limitations of stks , the comparison over the years provides useful information on trends in coverage level46495051 . achieving idd control goal in india requires a mission approach with greater coordination amongst all stakeholders of idd control . the mission approach has to be adopted by the government at the highest political level , and should have clearly defined objectives and strategies . the plan of action has to be executed within a defined time - frame by a committed team . fast - track procedures and collective action by an inter - sectoral effort are integral components of this approach . close monitoring and transparent evaluation should be developed in line with the goal , objectives and strategies of the mission approach . the potential of mission approach in making significant progress towards usi and idd control has been demonstrated by the successful case study of madhya pradesh in india from 1994 to 1995 ( box 2)52 . however , it is imperative that mission approach is designed concurrent to a system approach as sustaining the success achieved during mission approach is equally important . evolution of goals of idd control program in india in 2006 , a national coalition for sustained iodine intake ( ncsii ) was established53 . the national coalition comprises a wide array of stakeholders involved in iodine deficiency elimination activities in the country . these included government of india agencies ( ministry of health and family welfare and salt commissioners office ) , state government agencies ( ministry of health and family welfare at state level ) , national institutes / organizations national institute of health and family welfare ( nihfw ) , national cadet corps ( ncc ) , partner agencies ( who , unicef , wfp , gain , mi , iccidd ) , health professionals groups indian public health association ( ipha ) , indian association of preventive and social medicine ( iapsm ) , indian thyroid society ( its ) , indian society of pediatric and adolescent ( ispae ) , salt manufacturers associations ( isma ) , civil society/ consumer advocacy groups and media advocacy groups . the coalition provides a platform bringing together all partner agencies , government agencies and departments . the coalition has ensured greater coordination , synergy and experience sharing amongst different stakeholders engaged in idd control activities in india . there is a need to further strengthen the national coalition and to establish state level coalitions on similar lines . all stakeholders should sensitize policy makers to the criticality of idd control for human resource development and national progress . it is to be emphasized that even moderate iodine deficiency is associated with cognitive impairment in children54 . i.e. it is every child 's right to have access to optimal iodine nutrition to ensure optimal brain development . health being a state subject as per the constitution of india , it is imperative that due focus be given to state level idd control activities55 . the translation from programme to activities in niddcp like all other health programmes occurs at the state level . currently wide variations in idd status across different states are observed , making it even more important that we devise state specific action plans to control idd . state level coalition and alliances of stakeholders would go a long way in taking forward the agenda of idd in india . there is a need for capacity - building of work force required for idd control activities in states , institutionalization of idd research and advocacy in academic institutes at state level . there is a need to set up a stringent laboratory quality assurance programme from the production end laboratories to the consumer level monitoring laboratories . capacity - building of private salt manufacturer / refineries and state / district level salt iodization monitoring laboratory personnel is a critical component of ensuring good quality iodized salt . despite legislation requiring mandatory salt iodization in india , the primary approach especially with small scale salt producers has been advocacy based i.e. sensitizing , persuading these manufacturers to iodize the salt produced by them for large good of society . strategy , i.e. implementation of prevention of food adulteration act , 1954 , and punishing the violators of mandatory salt iodization provision has been only sparingly used . now zero tolerance and strict implementation of food safety and standards ( fss ) act , 2006/prevention of food adulteration ( pfa ) act , 19543156 . the choice is between 2000 salt producers who must produce quality and adequately iodized salt and millions of newly born children at risk of idd . there still exist wide inequities in iodized salt coverage , across states , across the rural - urban divide , across socio - economic strata and amongst marginalized populations57 . pregnant women and newborn children , the most vulnerable to idd , are still not provided with optimal iodine nutrition58 . targeted interventions , innovative approaches and concerted efforts are required to ensure that each and every child born in this country is protected from brain damage caused due to inadequate iodine intake . pregnant women have increased requirement of iodine and thus it is imperative to monitor their idd status to ensure optimal brain development of the foetus59 . a review of available studies from india shows a significant iodine deficiency in pregnant women58 . the recommended iodine intake during pregnancy was increased from 200 to 250 g / day and median ui concentration cut - off was increased from 100 to 150 g / l3 . this upward revision means that the current level of iodine supplementation in salt ( at 15 parts per million level of iodine , daily average salt consumption of 10 g will provide only 150 g / day of iodine ) may not be sufficient to meet the increased requirement during pregnancy . it is imperative that ui monitoring of pregnant women is included as a vital component of niddcp in india . there is a need to conduct national level representative surveys to better quantify the iodine nutrition of pregnant women in india . another important research agenda should be conducting intervention trial for iodine supplementation in pregnant women . the key hurdle in achieving usi is ensuring access to quality iodized salt especially for the socio - economically poor strata of the population . utilized primarily by the populations below poverty line , providing low - cost quality adequately iodized salt through pds will ensure that we cover the last one fourth of population which still has limited access to adequately iodized salt . pds along with integrated child development services ( icds ) scheme and mid - day meal ( mdm ) programme together have huge potential as far as ensuring universal and optimal iodine nutrition to the population is concerned . strengthening of national and state idd cells which are the back bone of the niddcp is critical to achieving idd control goals in india . increased resources especially financial , infrastructure strengthening and capacity building of human resources of national and state idd cell should be done at the earliest . increasing consumer awareness and demand for adequately iodized salt has been proven to be one of the most effective interventions to promote usi globally . the behaviour change communication ( bcc ) activities need to be upscaled and intensified . along with activities targeted towards increasing awareness of consumers , salt testing kits ( stks ) are an effective community advocacy tool and if linked to a quality assured laboratory network ( with capacity of iodometric titration ) can be a highly effective community monitoring mechanism to ensure usi . tracking progress of sustainable elimination of idd at national and state level using defined criteria should be incorporated into the niddcp at the earliest3 . monitoring and evaluation is the weakest and most crucial link of idd control activities in india . there is a need to adopt achievable goals with appropriate resource allocation so that the indicators linked to these goals are measured regularly . state idd surveys should be carried out regularly every three / five years as per the guidelines . sustaining the progress made towards idd control so far should be the focal point henceforth . elimination of idd from a population should always be coupled with a mechanism to ensure the sustainability of the programme . as has been borne out by numerous case studies across the globe , one time elimination of idd is not the answer6061 . also , in india slackening of efforts has resulted in re - emergence of idd as seen in case of madhya pradesh62 . one of the models proposed for sustaining idd elimination efforts is the social process model ( fig . may be represented by a six - element circular model ; ( i ) assess / reassess the situation epidemiologically , ( ii ) increase awareness of the situation through communication and dissemination of findings , ( iii ) develop and achieve political resolve and agreement at all levels ( from national to community level ) , ( iv ) create and update plans for infrastructure development and plan of action , ( v ) vigorously implement the programme , and ( vi ) assess / reassess the programme progress ( viz . monitoring and evaluation ) to track progress towards sustainable elimination of idd . closely linked to the issue of sustaining the progress is the debate surrounding the need for usi , its ethics and allegations regarding promoting monopoly of multinational corporations ( mncs ) . ensuring equity in iodine nutrition is critical to this approach . social process model for a national idd control programme . neonatal hypothyroidism screening programmes to screen and treat newborns with hypothyroidism ( including that caused by iodine deficiency ) , which are adopted by developed countries globally are based on the principle of early detection and treatment . however , due to the high costs involved and other operational difficulties such as low institutional deliveries , this is not suited for developing countries like india . salt iodization has to be universal to reach the most marginalized and individuals at risk . thus , health promotion along with usi is ideal strategy to combat idd in india . schematic representation of availability of key components essential for implementation of neonatal hypothyroidism screening program in india and its comparison with western countries . the recommended salt iodine fortification level of 15 ppm provides 150 g of iodine per day assuming daily salt consumption of 10 g. iodine fortification at this level meets the recommended daily requirements ( rda ) and is also well within the upper safety limit of 1000 g recommended by who3 . iodine intake has been postulated to be an important determinant of the pattern of thyroid diseases , broadly related to three distinct subsets of thyroid disorders ; iodine induced hyperthyroidism ( iih ) ( thyrotoxicosis ) , autoimmune thyroiditis ( ait ) , and thyroid carcinoma . the increase in the incidence of iih subsequent to iodine supplementation is minimal and self limiting . increase in incidence of iih has been observed only when iodine is supplemented for a population living in a severely iodine deficient area and more likely to occur only when large doses of iodine are given over a short period of time and is limited to the age groups > 40 yr old64 . iih is believed to occur only in subjects with pre - existing autonomous nodular goiter or in patients with latent graves disease , i.e. iodine supplementation merely unmasks the underlying thyroxicosis . current available evidence linking iodine supplementation with ait is unequivocal with no study conclusively proving increased incidence of ait after iodine supplementation65 . ait is a disease of multifactorial aetiology which includes genetic predisposition , environmental factors , and endogenous factors66 . iodine intake may be one of the multiple environmental factors like low birth weight ( lbw ) , viral / bacterial infection , selenium deficiency , radiation , stress , etc . however , iodine intake leads to an increase in the ratio of papillary ( less malignant ) to follicular ( more malignant ) thyroid carcinoma thus having an overall favourable effect . another critical issue in addressing idd control in india is devising a strategy to offset the harm caused by the change in idd control policy and legislations . serious effects of changes in legislation regulating salt iodization was seen when the government of india lifted the ban on sale of non - iodized salt in 2000 . the iodized salt coverage declined from 49 per cent in 1998 - 199949 to only 30 per cent in 2002 - 200351 and subsequently plateauted at 51 per cent in 2005 - 200650 . a brief mention also needs to be made about iodine nutrition in light of the recent nuclear radiation accident in japan70 and mitigating the adverse effects of the same . india is at risk from radiation fallout due to nuclear power plant accidents and threat of nuclear warfare70 . the risk from nuclear radiation accidents in india is increased by the region being endemic for iodine deficiency as adverse effects following a nuclear radiation fallout like thyroid cancer are significantly higher in iodine deficient populations71 . there is a need to institute disaster preparedness measures to mitigate the damage in case of a nuclear accident . idd control programme in india is one of the success stories of public health in the country . the current 91 per cent household level coverage of iodized salt in india , of which 71 per cent is adequately iodized salt , is a big achievement . a mission approach is required with effective and efficient coordination amongst all stakeholders of idd control efforts in india to achieve and sustain the idd control goal .
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Dragon Age 1. Chapter 1 "I had heard many a tales of the great beauty of Highever, who knew that the rumors were true? Bryce has held back on me." King Cailian said in a deep husky voice as he watched the stunning young Cousland walk across the bridge away from Duncan. After their brief introduction and stunning realization as to whom the beauty was, Cailian couldn't keep his eyes off her. Elizabeth Cousland had come from a highly prestige bloodline, in fact had not his father stepped up she would be royalty now and he a high ranking Lord. "Any word from her Majesty?" a deep voice asked, Cailian heard the annoyance and light scold in the speaker's voice. Being caught ogling a women wasn't new, sadly it had happened more lately even his father-in-law had caught him a time or two, but non ever corrected him or scolded like this voice did. In fact it was like having his father with him again, looking away from the gentle sway of Elizabeth hips he turned to see Duncan had doubled back to where he stood;just beyond the entrance to Ostagar. Smiling with a small amount of embarrassment in his eyes he turned his attention to Duncan. "Anora is well of last reports, thank you for your concern." Cailian fought to not fidget under Duncan's knowing eyes, _Blasted rouges, know everything...or is it because of being a grey warden? maybe it is just Duncan._ As if reading his thoughts Duncan replied, "It is me your majesty. I have known you for years, though you are well schooled in politics. I am well-trained in Bullshit, of which you just spuid! The truth if you please." Sighing heavily Cailian looked around noting that they were not fully alone solders stood a few feet away and could over hear, giving Duncan a pointed look, which to most would look as though the king was putting the mighty Grey Warden commander in his place, but in truth he communicated with his eyes they would talk else where so as not to be over heard. The Battle was in 2 days, there was a lot to prepare, but maker please let Duncan forget this conversation. Duncan nodded in understanding before bowing his head then walking away towards the Wardens camp site. The stirrings of an idea where coming to him and he would be damned if anyone would stand in his way. Duncan had said to walk around explore and when ready to find a ginger warden named Alistair. That was easier said than done, she had wondered around camp for over an hour now looking for a man who fit the description with no such luck, and growing extremely frustrated. Feeling a presence behind her Elizabeth turned around to find a fancy armored man approaching her. "Warden," he greeted with a slight bow, before taking out a parchment from his pouch handing it to her. Looking down it bore the royal seal. Looking back up confused at the messenger he explained. "His Majesty request the honor of your presence for evening meal, he said as to further discuss the situation with Highever, if you were to ask." Nodding her head to returned to her tent to changed, raised as she was she could not ignore her breeding, though on a battle field if summoned by the king you came dressed appropriately. That didn't mean she liked it. Having switched her armor for fine linen she followed the solder whom was to escort her apparently to his tent. The royal tent was gold and the largest one here, with a knock on the wood post before the tent entrance and a "Enter" Elizabeth stood in the middle of the tent floored at how big it was inside as well. The furniture was ment for comfort not battle. Rich smells assailed her nose as a bountiful spread was laid out on a table, taking quick note that only 2 place sittings were laid out. His Majesty, King Cailian was in another part of the tent what appeared to be a bedroom where the king was in the middle of changing out of his armor. Gracious he was gorgeously tan, quickly removing her eyes and turning around to allow privacy, she felt a flush rise on her cheeks. "Sorry your Majesty, I didn't mean to..." to what? see him in the middle of changing! but he left the curtan up and bid entrance, she had no reason to be ashamed. "Come forward." His velvety voice commanded. "Your Majesty?" confused she slightly turned to look at him to see if he was talking to another but looking now no one else was here all the servant staff that had been here a moment ago were now gone. "I require assistance, or would you rather dine with a walking piece of metal all night?" She could not hold back the laugh that escaped so suddenly from his unexpected humor. Breathing deeply she walked over to the king and started to unfasten his gauntlets. Keeping her eyes on her task she did not notice how her nearness greatly effected the kings breathing, or how he stared at her, trying desperately to memorize her face and every feature of her body that can be seen. 'Maker she was beautiful.' There was a pregnant pause, her hands stilled but she still did not look at him. The silence stretched til finally she spoke, "Excuse me your majesty, what did you say?" Only then did he realize he had spoke his thought, eyes slightly rounded from surprise at himself, such a babe thing to do, and not even realize. A slight flush worked its way up his face til the tips of his ears where a bright pink. She looked up having still not receiving an answer to see the King of Fereldon blushing, Maker did he look tempting blushing like a school lad barely out of short stays. He seemed frozen in shock and embarrassment, she had heard tales of the 'Casanova king" whom would bed just about anything with a skirt on. But to look on him now those tales must be rumors brought on by possibly scorned women whom were turned away for NOT turning his head. A mischievous gleam in her eye, she decided the only way to break this stalemate was to have some fun. "Does his Majesty think I'm pretty?" she asked in a sultry voice she'd heard her late sister-in-law use to tease her brother with. Seeing him gulp but not answer she decided to push a little more, running her hand up his still armored chest to his shoulders where buckles she expertly unclasped, making quick work of disarming him. All the while giving him what she hoped were seduced eyes and continued to purr her questions/taunts. "Would my leige like to 'royally inspect' me, one never knows if I might be concealing anything." "Are you telling me to search you? or that your going to assignats me!" His voice slightly higher than before but it's a start from silence. "His Grace would enjoy an assignation I'm sure..." Elizabeth said as she gracefully covered her mouth to laugh, all the while teasing him with her eyes. Gracious she is teasing him! Recovering finally from his blunder, he decided it was time to see how far she'd go with her game. She had already disrobed him of his chest plate, gauntlets & shoulder plates, as well as the padding that when underneath, his boots already had been removed from a servant. Leaving his shin & thigh guards, looking at her now with hunger in his eyes. "My lady Cousland, you seem to have forgotten the rest of my armor." Looking mildly shocked with a flush on her cheeks,"Oh, my King surely you do not require assistance with the rest..." "Oh but my Lady I do, I find myself quite stiff and unable to move.."he said in a contrary voice, like it should be all but obvious. Snapping his fingers he motioned for her to continue disrobing him. Finding herself swallowing hard now, she stepped closer to him, kneeling at his feet. Elizabeth looked up to see if he jest, but no the look of expectation & elation was prominent, the latter not quite making since. Elizabeth removed his shin guards first then reaching up untying the thigh guards and looking into his eyes she all but stop breathing. The look in his eyes was something she had never seen directed at her before, like he wanted to devour her and knew how she would taste. The air grew heated almost like it was in the middle of summer not early fall. Heart racing, blood pumping, was there a mage in here, cause there was electricity here... Pulling the guard down his legs, she was met face to face with a very large bulge in his pants she couldn't help the gasp or the flush that rose to her cheeks, seriously she must look like a tomato right now. He seemed unabashed about his manhood straining to see her. Cailian reach down gently grabbing hold of her hand, one to not scare her, but also to make sure she didn't run. Helping her stand he brought her close to him, moving slowly like she was a skittish doe and he a hungry lion. For truly that is how he felt, but he remained slow and patient to give her enough time to say no. She did not, he brought his lips down on hers and he swore he heard Andrastate singing, she was sweet and mouth-watering. He had to have more, slowly backing her up to the bed he continued his assault on her mouth plundering her til he could think no more, the earth could end that moment and he wouldn't know, or care. All his life he had been told whom he will play with, fight with, lay with, marry. His whole life had been laid out for him since before his birth, and he followed where he was led. Never really complaining or pitching a fit, til it came to the Grey Wardens. He had fought Logain tooth & nail for their assistance and then that he would be in the front lines with them. Victory's hard fought & won, now this. He wanted her the moment he met her, and he would have her! Falling down on the bed with Lady Elizabeth beneath him, her hands in his hair, (Maker he loved the feel of her playing with his hair.) pulling him closer to her, as if she were just as hungry for him as he was for her. Pulling back slightly to look at her, to commit this moment to memory, her eyes normally a breath-taking sky blue where now a midnight blue, lost in passion. Her breath coming in short quick gasps, pink glowing skin, Maker she was beautiful. Cailian started caressing up her arms, then her shoulders, her neck, slowly down her chest. finding her nipples already standing at attention for him. Lightly scrapping a nail over them pulling a moan out of her. Moving his hand lower to the hem of her dress before hooking it up so he might caress her legs, slowly moving back up til he reached her hip, where she jerked at his touch. Elizabeth groaned into his kiss, Maker she couldn't think at all with him kissing and touching her. Never before had anyone touched her like this, she was slightly scared but mostly shaken. She didn't know what to do, should she tell him no, could she? He was her king after all, did people tell him no? If she was still Lady Elizabeth Cousland she could say no, maybe. But now that she was a Warden she held no power of a noble women. Was she ready for this, was this normal? Did he think she was normally like this or that he could do this because she was a civilian now? Before she could get her head around what she should do, Cailains had removed her undergarment and his hand was playing at her entrance between her legs. She yelped in surprise, "mm, I take it my Lady likes." Cailian said in response to her noise. He lightly stroked her surprised at how wet she already was for him. Finding her nub he rubbed it, she squirmed and groaned beneath him in ecstasy. His loose trousers where extremely tight and uncomfortable, wanting release from his captivity, Cailian leaned back to support his weight on his knees while he released his manhood one-handed. With his other hand he rubbed Elizabeth's clit with his thumb as he pushed two fingers in to her entrance, it was tight, and warm. She moaned louder with each thrust of his fingers, soon very soon, she was almost ready for him. He kept it up as he leaned down and undid the strings on the front of her dress. exposing her voluptuous breast. Creamy white mounds with dark rose-pink nipples peaked and begging to be suckled. Bending his head down he took one peek into his mouth sucking, then holding it between his teeth while his toung flicked back and forth. Elizabeth had started to buck against his hand, while pulling his head closer with one hand and gripping the sheets with the other. Throwing her head back and forth, she was so close to her climax. Taking his other hand he grabbed her other nipple and lightly squeezed; that did it she let out a scream that had his ears ringing. Cailians dick twitched at the sound as well as if pleased. Pulling out his hand it was coated with her fluids, licking his hand clean and enjoying the sweet and tangy taste he knew she'd be. He positions himself at her entrance waiting there as she came back down to look at him as he thrusted into her. In that moment he wished he had gone slower, He entered her completely in one full thrust. Realizing to late, she had been a virgin as he broke her maiden head. She yelled out in pain, clawing his shoulder and back. Tears tricked down her face as she bit her bottom lip and turned her head. Cailian was at a lose at first, he had never been with a virgin, even Anora wasn't a virgin when she came to their marital bed. Nor any of the other women he had been with. He knew normally it is painful, and he normally took care to make sure they were extra wet for him, he knew he was a big man, not just in length but in width as well. He bit his lip to focus and keep still as she adjusted to him. "Is that it, don't you move or something" Elizabeth asked pain still laced her words. "I'm waiting til you custom to my size, then the pain will receded and I'll continue,-" "I'll not grow accustom to your size, just continue please..." "Lady Cous-" "Elizabeth, please..I'm no longer Lady Cousland, she died with her family in Highever. Besides I think we are intimate enough to be on first name bases, don't you." Cailian looked down at her, Elizabeth was putting on a brave face but her tears betrayed her, her face was turned away from him, the candle light catching on her tears as they silently rolled down her face. This is a strong and proud women. Reaching out and capturing her chin with his hand he turned her face to him, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Might I beg for my lady's forgiveness,-" "I told you-" "Shhh," Cailian placed a his thumb over her lips to keep her from interrupting him again. "I have heard what you said, however you are in my tent, in my bed, and in my arms as such you are my Lady, Lady Elizabeth. I must humbly beg your forgiveness my dear. I did not know, but that doesn't matter I should have taken more care with you. I lost my head and I harmed you in the process. I did not show you the joys of making love, and now you wish it over and done. Whist I wish to remain with you and show you the right way, that this can and should be pleasurable and fun, not painful and rushed like a dirty little secret. My lady please let me show you how it should be, or die trying." Silent tears came faster down her face, seeing a man, nay a King beg her forgiveness and asking for another chance. Words failed her, quietly nodding her head in acceptance. She breathed a sigh of relief when at last the pain faded to just a dull ache.. Cailian felt her wiggle and sighed in relief, not only would he get another chance with her, but he felt she was now accustom to his size. Slowly he started to move, he could see her brow furrow ever so slightly, taking care to go slow and gentle he leaned over and placed kisses on her brow, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth..til she opened her mouth and he could taste her again. Slowly the tension was building again in her stomach like before, she didn't know what it was but she liked the feelings it led to the last time. Pulling him closer, grinding more to him, just letting her body take over and do as it pleased seemed to build the fire more. Gasping as she was on the brink, she grabbed Cailians ass cheek and pulled him closer, bringing him deeper. He picked up speed thrusting in deeper, harder, faster til at last she fell over the edge. Screaming 'Cailian' name as she came, he pumped a few more time before he spilled his hot seed into her. Collapsing on her to catch his breath, when he realized he must be crushing her he went to move to the side, only to notice she had wrapped herself tightly to him and wasn't letting go. Chuckling and held on to her in return as he rolled on to his back, bringing her on top of him as they were still joined together. Maker, Cailian couldn't remember another time when he felt like his head was going to pop off as he came. The others had all been experienced and not nearly as tight. Anora was experienced and tight but knew how to get you off quickly so you could get off her. She looked at the marriage bed as a chore she must endure. Never had she seemed eager or excited to take part. Yet here was a beautiful, strong, proud women whom is inexperienced but was highly responsive and seemed to enjoy love-making once the unpleasantness was over. Cailian had found what he did not know he was seeking, and he wanted to keep her. END OF M SCENCE! "Might I ask your majesty about something?" Elizabeth asked, with hesitation, not meeting Cailians eyes across the small table that was over flowing with food. Once they had finished both remembered there was food, and starving after the activity, decided to partake in evening meal together. They had been having fun with small chat. "Of course, as long as My Lady will dispence with the formality and call me Cailian." "Very well, I expect the same curtsy in return though. Cailian" "As you wish Elizabeth." A huge grin on his face he looked at her expectantly. "Not that I didn't enjoy myself, your Maj- Cailian. But one must wonder why." "Why what my dear" "Why me? It is no secret that you are married. For a few years now, Why be unfaithful, why now?" Cailian was caught completely off guard, had he known she would ask this he would have prepared a line or maybe a distraction. As it was his brain was flying to try to find a political answer to her question but what came out was anything but. "Do you believe this the first indiscretion I've ever done?" his tone seemingly cold. Inwardly he cringed, he enjoyed her, he was not ready to see the fun end so soon, or at all. "I- um..well, I had thought" she felt like such a fool, of course he hadn't been faithful. Why would he suddenly choose now to change, for her; she is nobody special. But she had hoped. Seeing the hurt, and self-condemnation he couldn't allow her to continue, leaning forward resting his elbows on the table,(Something his Nan would have a heart seizure about) He started to tell her his story..How since before he was born his life had been laid out for him, all his decisions made, how he never fought back, or said no. Not even when in love with a minor nobleman's daughter, his father told him, His wife was already chosen, and to "Bang that sweet red-head and be done with her" "Anora and I were raised together, we would play with my uncle Teagan in the garden as children. Anora had always loved Teagan since then, Her and I fought bitterly, she was to pig-headed and I refused to not make decision whist I played. I was prince after all." chuckling he continued. "It wasn't till I was 14 Anora 13 that I walked in on her...servicing Teagan who was 17. I had just met Lady Alice Wolfe, as I said she was from a minor noble family." "Lady Alice was your first, how sweet." "Not quite my dear, you see though I had met her I had not fell in love yet. After seeing Anora and Teagan I had a slight...problem." Coughing uncomfortably and readjusting in his seat he continued. "I didn't know where to go, and I was terribly embarrassed so I went to my room, there was a servant in their cleaning, and she saw my .. problem. She was my first, She was in her early 20's." stopping do to her loud gasp that caught his attention, looking up at her she was floored! "WHAT! How could she take advantage of a child!" "I was not quite a child my dear, and later she tried to say she was with child, claiming a royal bastard." "And was she?" "She was with child but not mine. " silence fell on them for a moment before Cailian continued. "For a time I attempted to woo women, and it worked more than I thought. Only to find I was a pawn in their game. Whom could conceive the royal bastard first." he said with venom in is voice. His eyes were no longer focused on here, but a time in the past. "I'm sorry, Cailian. I do not plan to get with child though-" waving off Elizabeth's unrest. "No, My dear I know you don't. But if you should it's alright. Truthfully I need an heir to the throne. Now more than ever." he grew silent still lost in his past. "What of your queen, is she not willing to give you an heir?" "Weather she is willing or not is besides the point, she can not. She had been found barren, I addressed thus before I left, but with the 'blight' I was called away before I made the official pronouncement. The papers had been drawn and signed, she is no more queen but in name only." "How does she feel about that? and Logain?" "Does it matter? They knew of her condition before we wed! Yet still I was forced into that farce of a marriage. Anora is now free to love whom she chooses, Logain, well Logain is commander of my army's, and my fathers most trusted friend. I wonder if he still see's me as a boy or my father..." I sat a moment watching him as he pondered over these things, I am sure he never ment to tell me all this. He had revealed more than he wanted to, but whether it was the drinks or late hour, or the simple needing a sounding ear to listen to his troubles; Cailian was a troubled man and a ruler with a country on his shoulders. and for all that he is still so young, at only 25, he had worries most never have. Wanting to make him feel better and get his mind off his troubles, Elizabeth stood up and walked over to him. He looked up in to her blue eyes as she stratled his hips, sitting in his lap facing him. She leaned forward and kissed him as she let her hands explore his hard chest, finding the hem of his tunic she lifted it over his head, returning to kiss her way down. "Not that I don't enjoy this Elizabeth, but what are you doing?" "Isn't it obvious, I'm only starting what you promised to show me rightly." "Oh, then by all means continue.." he ended in laughter as she playfully smacked his bare chest. Capturing her lips again in a deep passionate kiss. Cailian wrapped his arm around her waist as the other hand grabbed her ass. Standing up Elizabeth in his arms, he carried her to the bed to ravish her through the night... 2. Chapter 2 **Hey guys I sorry it had been a whole week or more since I posted, sorry for miss spellings or what not, I actually am replaying the game getting character set up ready for Inquisition...SOOOOOOOOO excited! I also know this chapter is shorter, but I got more coming soon, and longer. ** **DON'T FORGET TO R&R!** **I DON'T OWN D.A. but I love messing with them :P** It had been 2 days since Elizabeth arrived at Ostegar with Duncan, on that first day Cailian had laid claim to her, and by now EVERYONE there knew it. A large portion were there for her 'walk of shame' that first morning when she tried to sneak out of the kings tents. Bumping into the guards on duty who were not there when she came in, and by the look of surprise and the commotion they made; they didn't know she was with-in. The commotion got the attention of several units doing morning routes. To then be accused by guard #1 to be a thief, guard #2 suggested she was a assassin sent to kill the king. Guard #3 was going along those lines as well but that the darkspawn sent her! guards #4 & 5 had her in cuffs and were half dragging half pulling her to Logians tent to 'work this out'. 'Logain was the last man she wanted to see at the moment considering what she had done last night with his daughters husband, official or not.' Looking up to see he was already out of his tent and heading her way with fury in his eyes. Just as Logain joined the party so did Duncan. There was yelling and names thrown around, but Duncan remained calm and respectful, but firm. "I don't bloody give a shit if she is a Grey Warden, or the makers bride herself. I run this army and she will be made a example of if we are to keep order. I will not have men or women sneaking about assassinating or deserting on my watch!" Logain ranted at Duncan. "I understand." "What!" I had been mostly ignoring the conversation on principle do to the names being thrown at me. Til I heard Duncan agree with Logain, that got my full and undivided attention. My eyes round is surprise, I had expected many things to happen today, but not Duncan my commander to agree I needed to be made a 'example of'! What the bloody hell did that mean anyway. As I opened my mouth to protest quite loudly Duncan continued with the now quite Logain. "I agree, her actions were not befitting a Grey Warden, vows or not. I as her Commander will punish her as befitting her crime." Duncan finished with a calm but authoritative voice. Logain was speechless for a moment with his mouth hanging open as were the guards in our group. Regaining his wits Logain protested, "Be that as it may Warden, this is still MY camp, and My army! My men are witness to, and I will have order!" Just as Logain was getting started a throat cleared behind me that had my guards & those all around bowing at the waist (one guess who it was) guard 4 & 5 forcing me on my knees. "Pardon the interruption and all since you decided to have this rather loud discussion in front of my tent, I assume you were on your way to bring this to me. Seeing as this is MY tent, and My Army, and these are My men, as well the Wardens are My guest." Though King Cailian had not raised his voice, it was heard by all, as was the gentle reminder as to whom was King. "Your majesty, I was-" "It is nothing to worry about your majesty." Logain said, "Really, didn't sound like nothing, what with all the yelling at this ungodly hour." "I have simply been informing the Warden that any indiscretion warden or no, will be handled by me" Logain grounded out. "Your Majesty if I may speak?" asked Duncan, waiting for the king to nod. When he did he continued. "With all do respect your highness, the Wardens are a natural party. We do not pledge alliance to anyone, there for we do not fall into anyone's jurisdiction to punish. We are our own, and we punish or commend our own. I understand someone must answer for her crime, but as her Commander that falls to me." Duncan stopped as Cailian raised his hand in a silence jester. He stepped up next to me looking down with his loose hair covering his face he winked at me, before looking up and addressing the point I had wanted to make before he joined us. "What were her crimes?" he asked simply. Looking at the arresting guards they could not answer. Cailian turned his gaze on the others, finally guard #2 stepped forward, bowing his head he answered. "We's saw her sneak out of your tent we did. Caught her in the act of trying to assassinate you, your grace" Cailian laughed out loud, all around us the guards looked lost, all but Logain & Duncan. Duncan looked agitated at Cailian, while Logain looked murderous. When Cailian finally stopped laughing he ordered my freedom. "Cailian,-" "Enough Logain, I have spoken. Duncan, from now Elizabeth is to be the representative of the Wardens, any business you might have with me, please send her to discuss it." He turned addressing the camp and all the solders standing around. "Let it be known, this Warden, her and her alone has full access to me & my tent at anytime she so chooses, under no circumstance are you to stop her." Just as he was about to reënter his tent he turned around and added, "And NONE are to touch her!" in a threatening voice that left quite a few solders soiling themselves. Well great, if it wasn't obvious enough with the recruit dealing with the king personally and giving me carblonge of his tent and person publicly, the few idiots who didn't get what he was really sawing, sure enough got it after his parting command. "None are to touch her" might as well put a giant target board on my forehead. Here I was worried about few speculating eyes catching me sneak out of his tent this early in the morn. Plus explaining to my Commander why I wasn't in my tent last night, tops. But nothing like this, The King,(cause at the moment I am so mad at him right now I can't even think of him with a name!) just officially named me his mistress! Weather he plans for more or not remains to be seen, as it stands now though. He is still a married man in the eyes of his people, I am a 'home wrecker' a lowly whore. I was seeing red, staring were 'the King' and disappeared behind the tent folds. Duncan must have seen my face, for he not so gently grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the grey warden tents. Once inside the main tent, Duncan's I assume. I ripped my arm from his hold and turned, letting out a blood curdling scream. "I had never in all my life been so...so...AHHHHH! What the bloody hell was he thinking! How dare he! I'm going to kill that stupid son of a B-" "Temper your self young Cousland, like it or not he is still your King. What you speak is treason, and no amount of talk or favor will get you out of that crime." "You know what he said, what he has done...what it means!" treacherous tears came to my eyes. "...Yes I know." Duncan looked sad, almost regretful for what I do not know. "Why would he do this to me? I thought" sighing I plopped down in the nearest chair. "...What did you think would happen when you serve yourself up on a silver platter?" I gasped looking up at Duncan that now stood before me, looking down on me like a father scolding his child. His voice was not masseuse, but disappointed. "I, I thought" "You thought what, that after meeting him for a few minutes he was different, that you were special. That he truly cared for you, that he'd leave his wife; your Queen Anora and marry you!" Silence answered his accusation and questions, I felt so small. Closing my eyes so he couldn't see my tears. Taking a deep breath, I stood back straight and chin up. "It doesn't matter what I thought, what is done, is done. There is no changing that, I will simply have to avoid him as best I can, hopefully my stigma will die down once everyone sees I will not bend so easily to the Kings whims." "You forget my dear, you are now the Wardens representative, it will be hard for you to avoid him, when we meet several times a day for meetings, some with other dignitary, some alone, in his tent." "Blighted nug humping Bastard!" "Whoo, what did I do now?" Alistair asked in a jesting manner as he entered the tent caring a bowl of hot porridge and a scroll with a seal on it. "Not you Alistair, is that for me?" Duncan asked reaching for the scroll in his hand, only to have Alistair hand him the bowl of food instead. "Nngh, no the Porridge is for you the letter is for Lady Cousland." Alistair looked comical in the way he at once noticed how Duncan didn't want the food Alistair had made, and sad about having to give the scroll to me. "Thank you Alistair, but I'm not quite that hungry this morning." "Bullocks Duncan, you haven't eaten anything since last eve, and I know your starving..Grey Warden appetite and all." Alistair shoved the food at Duncan again, watching to make sure he ate something. I'd have laughed but I was zero in on the scroll in my hand bearing the royal seal. Breaking it open to see in beautiful script a elegant 'request' (command) for my presence in the kings tents. Sighing cause I know there is no way around this I head to my tent to clean up, and change in to my armor. No more will I dress to impress his royal highness. _**R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R**_ 3. Chapter 3 **Hey so unless I get some motivation & free time. I might not be updating til after summer. I have my god-daughter/Niece here for the summer and she is young and energetic :) She is 11 with the energy of a 3 year old and the attitude of a 15 year old..lol...FUN! I enjoy spending time with her, I didn't have her last summer, but so excited to have her now. ANYWHO, I pre-wrote this chapter so you have something, and like I said if I get free time & motivation I might post something up, even if it a small teaser..better than nothing right! lol... I hope. Also have 2 trips coming up. So Busy!** **Hope you enjoy!** **I don't own D.A or anything affiliated with them. (don't know if I mentioned that before so I am now!)** **DON'T FORGET TO R&R! We live for them...or die from them if they are mean!** "You summoned me mil Lord." I grumbled out between biting teeth. Though I know I can't not ignore a summons or Command it didn't mean I couldn't fantasize about all the things I wanted to say to him, to do to him. A gasp interrupted my mind prattle. "How dare you, you will address your king with the proper greeting child." A old women in chanter garbs screeched at me. "Enough, Leave us." The king said without looking up from the table were he was leaned over studying maps of some sort. Expecting his orders to be carried out he did not look up to make sure the chanter and other servants left. He simply waited a moment before speaking to me. "Come" _Come, heel, sit, beg, roll over, open your legs, play whore for me puppet. Makers what did I see in him, why did I allow things to progress as they did or as fast as they did. Bloody hell I haven't even been in Ostagar a full 24 hours and I already had been bedded by the king, almost started a incident between the Wardens & Fereldon! Been called a whore among other not so favorable names, been claimed and announced by said king, been accused of assassination, and almost committed treason. All in a day's work Cousland, Papa did say if you do anything to do it right or don't even try! Papa also said that to do one's duty was the most important thing, and never to skirt away from it, no matter how much we hated it. "It simply is the Cousland way, pup"_ Elizabeth swore she heard her papa in her head say that. How she missed them. Not realizing it she had never moved from her spot after Cailain had called to her, he said her name several times to no avail she was somewhere else in her mind. Finally she looked at him having realized he was looking. "Your angry with me." he stated, as if it were fact and he was not asking. "Yes," she saw no reason to lie, or sugar coat the truth. They were alone and she would tell him in case he didn't know what he had done, but she was pretty sure he knew; he was a smart man after all. "Of that I saved you from punishment, or that I had laid claim to you?" he asked amused, turning fully to her now, he leaned on the table with his legs crossed at the ankle in front of him. "Save me!? You did not save me from anything, in fact you made it worst!Laying claim to me so openly whilst everyone believes you to still be married to Anora! You claimed me as a mistress, a whore! Duncan reamed me for being so easy and careless. Logain looks like he is waiting to assassinate me, and not in the fun way your thinking." Cailain smirked, while I continued. "Mil Lord do you know what you have done, what you have started? I am cast down, not openly in fear they might incur your wrath. But neither am I welcomed anywhere, Duncan had to set up a separate tent for me because the other female Wardens do not wish to share their tent with a loose women. I am now guarded instead of guarding.-" "I thought you would be use to all the attention, you are a tyrans daughter after all, a very beautiful one if I do say so myself, and I do." "Yes I am a Tyrans daughter and as such am use to being talked about and looked at often enough, but not like this, never in scorn. If you'd remember I never even made my dabue to court yet. I wouldn't even care if it were just scorn and hurtful words about me, I would deal with it. But it is not, they are attacking my parents, my family honor...My family honor is being besmirched." embarrassing tears fell down my face and my voice rose in pitch at the end. So much had happened in so short amount of time, I had yet to have a moment to properly mourn my parents. Now it felt like the damn was crashing down, a gut wrenching sob escaped and I was about to collapse on the floor in tears, when strong arms held me up and close to a warm solid chest. Sweet coo's and place setting words were said to calm me but they did not. After a moment he must have realized I wasn't stopping anytime soon, he picked me up cradling me to his chest and carried me to his bed, sitting with me in his lap slowly rocking me back and forth. After what seemed like forever, my sobs slowed down. The king my face in his big warm hand, kissed my eyes, then my cheeks down to my lips. It started soft and comforting, then hot and despite, leaning me back to where I laid on my back with him over me. "Did you know I have a brother?" "Cailian.." "No it's true, I have a bastard half brother. We aren't even that far apart. My mother the late Queen was entice with me, she hadn't told my father that she was expecting yet. Because my mother was a fighter she had issue conceiving and keeping the babe to term. She had lost so many she wasn't sure my father could handle anymore let down. She waited til she was several months in til she told him. It was easy to hide her changing body since shortly after she found out he was called away for state afairs. When she was 5 moons along she had heard a rumor that her husband had a mistress and she was expecting as well. It broke my mothers heart, she was never the same after that. My uncles and father use to tell me stories of what she was like, but I never knew that person, all I knew was a quite, reserved women who did her duty, she was cold and detached. Never the warm, fun, quick to laugh, warrior goddess they claim she was. She died when I was young, only 5. " "My father promised my mother that my birth right would remain mine alone, that no 'bastard' would steal it. And I was never to see him, that's when I found out I had a half brother. At 5, I was lonely, I wanted a brother, someone to play with. So I tried to find him, it took me years but I finally found that he was at my uncles house as his ward. When I was 12 I ran away from the palace, I was going to surprise my brother. Only when I got there he was there no longer. Later I had found news of my plan had been made known and my uncle heard, he took my brother to a chantry to start Templar training. I was infuriated, no matter how hard I tried or where I searched I never found him. It wasn't til after my father passed I stumbled upon his chronicles where it mentioned where he was. I couldn't go to him, not yet. I was to have my coronation and wedding, so I called on a trusted friend. He did find my brother." "That is wonderful, what happened to him?" I asked so engrossed in the story I had forgotten to be angry with him, or ashamed that while angry I had broken down and cried in front of him, let alone made love to him again. We now laid on his bed naked with nothing covering us, he laid on his back with one hand behind his head, as the other played with my hair. I was laying on my stomach with my head resting on my hands, and elbows on his glorious chest. "He was almost to late, I was. I didn't get to have the reunion with my brother I had always dreamed of. Instead my friend spirited him away to join him in his order, before he could become a Templar, of which he had protested ever being." bending his head to look me in the eye he said, "So you see my dear, I am just as you. I am orphaned as you are, and I have a lost brother just as you. I know your pain, though I do not think that makes it any less painful, It does make it easier to bear, knowing you are not alone in your grief." I stared up at a man I figured I had easily pegged, only to realize he was a man of many layers and colors. And blighted stars I was falling in love with him. In that realization I pushed up kissing his slightly swollen lips. "Cailain, King or not I will not let you shirk your duty, You missed the strategy meeting, and your soldier are awaiting your inspect-!" Logain yelled as he entered the tent rounding the corner to see us butt naked in his bed. Cailian quickly grabbed his cover and laid it over me. "Cailian!" Logain growled out. "Logain" Cailian responded calmly like nothing was amiss. He stood up butt ass naked and walked over to his basin washing up before he dressed. "I'll not dress in full battle attire, after I inspect the troops I'll meet with the regent members and we will have your strategy meeting, again!" Cailian said as he dressed in a simple yet expensive tunic and breeches. "Cailian, one does NOT inspect his troops in civilian clothes." "They are hardly civilian clothes, and I hardly think it matters, I will not sit for the next several hours in heavy armor whilst my insides are being pushed out listening to that same people and the same argument for the hundredth time! I had already made my choice as to what we are doing. I am humoring you in this farce of a meeting!" "It is a blessing Maric didn't live to see his welp like this." "Yes, pity, I think he would have enjoyed watching you try to control MY kingdom." There was a heavy silence in the tent, then Logain turned on his heels and fled the tent. Breathing a sigh of relief, Cailain walked over placing a quick kiss on my forehead before saying his goodbyes and left. I dressed and went back to my tent, not un-noticed as I would have liked. After that day things had pretty much flown in the same pattern. I all but lived in Cailians tent, even when I wasn't there he would find me, or request me to accompany him to his meetings. All but for a few hours the day of the battle, I was to go into the wilds and collect a few things needed for the ritual. Something that Cailian had strong armed Duncan into postponing as long as possible, but there was no more time left, the battle was that eve. So in the morn I set off with Sir Jory & Daveth and Alistair to collect blood and papers. It was eventful, While in there I tried to still look for any sign of my brother. When we had come upon a scouting party that had been decimated by darkspawn I had nearly frozen in fear, the thought of finding my brothers body like that. But no, they were not his men, but barers of Howles seal. I thanked the maker that they were not Cousland seals, as I slit the mans throat. Upon our return to camp there was a uproar, a number of Wardens were in holding cells and a lot more of the king's personal guard when in the infirmary. confused as to what transpired I looked to Cailian but he was nowhere to be found, turning I ran smack dab into Duncan. With out a word he roughly grabbed me and pushed me into his tent. "What have you done?" "Sir?" I asked not sure how to answer that. "You stupid girl what have you done, I thought you were going to stay away from him as much as possible, I thought you were letting him down, Not playing with him." "Wait are you talking about Cailain, what has happened?" "What hasn't happened, he pushes to get the ritual held off, he pushes to have more guards on you. He pushes for meetings changed, traditions changed, order is chaos! Today he has commanded I hand you over to him, that you are not to join the order." "He can't do that...can he?" "No, you have been conscripted, if you do not recall. He nor anyone can stop this, it is to be, and it will be. I will know what has happened Elizabeth, you said he made you a whore, why then is he demanding you no longer be a warden?" "I, we...it just...I'm just as confused as you are." "...You love him." it was not a question but a statement of fact, a fact I knew all to well. I remained silent looking down at my feet. "You fool, what have you done, your childishness and ignorance has lay way to harm several innocence. Anora, Logain, the Wardens, Your brother if he still yet lives. Your parents name, you have shamed them, what would they say if they were here?! Do you think he really loves you, that it is even possible, he is a KING, AND YOU ARE NOT BUT A PLAY TOY TO PASS THE TIME!" the last part he yelled, I felt it all the way to the bone. He was right, Cailain doesn't love me, I'm just something to pass the time, he only has become attached because of the up coming battle. Once it is over and he heads back to Denerim I will be not but a distant memory. While I will be mending a shattered heart. What poisonous webs we weave, I just hurt myself. I never saw Cailian after that, I busied myself before the battle, then when it was over Cailain was dead, as was Duncan..and all other Grey Wardens but Alistair and me. We were now traitors to the crown and hunted men...well women in my case. Hope you liked... R&R I was going to put actual lines from the game in but decided not to. The rant from Duncan I thought would be around what he would say, from the few times I managed to piss him off in games he did kinda sound fatherly, but short tempered, and knew how to hit 'below the belt' hit your 'sore spot' Hope you guys liked Cailian, I love him, wish for a chance to romance in game but oh well, he'll just have to STAY in my dreams. End file.
fanfiction
How to Apply Right Hand Rule to Circular Magnetic Fields? Considering this image of the interaction of two current carrying wires [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KyQTo.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KyQTo.png) So the field from $I\_1$ induces a magnetic force on $I\_2$ and vice versa. How does one prove that the forces do indeed point in the illustrated direction for each example using the right hand rule? [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/aS9qZ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/aS9qZ.png) There are plenty of diagrams such as this one showing how the rule works but they all assume that the magnetic field is point in the same direction. But in the case of the wires the magnetic field direction is always changing and therefore the force direction must also always be changing. So how do we know that the forces point in the direction they do for the interactions between current carrying wires? You can just think of the current as a bunch of charges moving upwards/downwards, and the magnetic field generated by each wire remains the same no matter what your y-coordinate is (assuming the wires extend sufficiently long in the y-direction). [![diagram of wires and magnetic fields](https://i.stack.imgur.com/L6RBg.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/L6RBg.png) Now, you just have a simple problem of charges moving in a magnetic field. If we look at the first wire in case one, there are positive charges moving upwards, and the magnetic field for every point on wire 1 is pointing out of the page (the magnetic field generated by wire 2 doesn't change as you move laterally; it doesn't change as you move up and down). By the right hand rule, the force would be to the right. consider $\vec B$ due to one wire at position of second wire. You don't need to worry about $\vec B$ at other positions. eg. first case: consider magnetic field at right wire due to first, which is into the plane of screen. Velocity is downward as current is upward. then force is towards left (towards left wire) Note that two wires carrying current in the same direction will attract each other, and they will repel if the currents are opposite in direction. This is shown on the first figure; in this case, $\vec F\_1$ is attracted to $\vec F\_2$. Conventionally, when visualising the right hand rule, any changes made to a variable (eg. direction of current, magnetic field or force) will result in changes to the other two. Therefore, given that only the direction of magnetic field is changing, the force will also be affected. In real life, as mentioned, the magnetic field direction is always changing due to the motion of the wire, resulting in changes to the direction of force due to it being dependent. The answer is we can't directly 'predict' the direction of the force based only on the magnetic field.
stackexchange/physics
u. d. j. thanks the national institute of standards and technology for kind hospitality during a number of extended research appointments . the authors acknowledge e .- o . lebigot for help in obtaining numerical results for selected partial contributions to the electron self - energy , for the hydrogenic energy levels discussed in this work .
arxiv
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slim_pajama
Green's function for adjoint Dirac Equation If $S\_F(x-y)$ is the Green's function for the Dirac operator $(i\gamma^\mu\partial\_\mu-m)$, that is, I assume the following matrix equation holds: $$ (i\gamma^\mu\partial\_\mu-m)S\_F(x-y)=i\delta(x-y) $$ The adjoint dirac equation is: $$ -i\partial\_\mu\bar{\psi}\gamma^\mu -m\bar\psi=0 $$ I am looking for the Green's function of the above equation, in terms of $S\_F(x-y)$, that is, if $F[S]$ is some function of $S$ (may include complex conjugation, transposing, etc), then I am looking for such an $F[S]$ such that this equation holds: $$ -i\partial\_\mu F[S]\gamma^\mu -mF[S]=i\delta(x-y) $$ What I have done so far: 1. Dagger this equation: $(i\gamma^\mu\partial\_\mu-m)S\_F(x-y)=i\delta(x-y)$ and get $$(-i\partial\_\mu S\_F(x-y)^\dagger \gamma^{\mu\dagger} - S\_F(x-y)^\dagger m)=-i\delta(x-y)$$ 2. Multiply by $\gamma^0$ on the right to get: $$ (-i\partial\_\mu [-\bar{S\_F}(x-y)] \gamma^{\mu} - [-\bar{S\_F}(x-y)] m)=i\delta(x-y)\gamma^0 $$ 3. So $[-\bar{S\_F}(x-y)]$ almost solves this equation, except you get a factor of $\gamma^0$ on the right which I am not sure how to handle. The solution to the problem can be found in the nature of the propagator of the Dirac equation: it is a matrix with two spinor indices, i.e. $$S\_F(x-y)=S\_F(x-y)\_{\alpha\beta}.$$ In step 2, you have treated the propagator as if it was a spinor with a single index, which is not correct. Avoiding this, but multiplying the equation by $\gamma^0$ from the left leaves you with the result $$F(S)=\gamma^0 S^\dagger \gamma^0=\bar{S}.$$ The last equality sign is consistent with the reference given in one of the comments and with the definition of the adjoint of a matrix discussed in [this question](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/94785/dirac-adjoint-of-a-matrix). After thinking for a while I think it's easiest to treat this problem in momentum space. Then $$S(p) = \frac{p\!\!\!/ + m}{p^2 - m^2 + i\varepsilon}$$ and satisfies $$(p\!\!\!/ - m)S(p) = 1.$$ Note that $S$ carries spinor indices. Then from dagger on the above equation, $$S(p)^\dagger (p\!\!\!/ - m)^\dagger =1.$$ Now, $p\!\!\!/ = p\_\mu \gamma^\mu$ and $p\_\mu$is real, so $$p\!\!\!/^\dagger = p\_\mu (\gamma^\mu)^\dagger = p\_\mu \gamma^0 \gamma^\mu \gamma^0 = \gamma^0 p\!\!\!/ \gamma^0.$$ Therefore, $$S(p)^\dagger(\gamma^0 p\!\!\!/ \gamma^0 - m) = S(p)^\dagger \gamma^0(p\!\!\!/ +m)\gamma^0 = 1$$ so $S(p)^\dagger\gamma^0$ solves the adjoint Dirac equation with unit source. Can we just multiply from the left with $\gamma^{0}$ then we would get , \begin{equation} \left[-\gamma^{0}S\_{F}(x-y)\gamma^{0}\right]\left(-i\partial\_{\mu}\gamma^{\mu}-m\right)=i\delta(x-y) \end{equation}
stackexchange/physics
Hans-Ulrich Rudel 2 July 1916  18 December 1982 was a German ground-attack pilot during World War II. Rudel was the most decorated German serviceman of World War II, being the sole recipient of the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds in January 1945. Post-war, he was a prominent neo-Nazi activist in Latin America and West Germany. During the war, Rudel was credited with the destruction of 519 tanks, as well as one battleship, one cruiser, 70 landing craft and 150 artillery emplacements. He claimed 51 aerial victories earning flying ace status and the destruction of more than 800 vehicles of all types. He flew 2,530 ground-attack missions exclusively on the Eastern Front, usually flying the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber. Rudel surrendered to US forces on 8 May 1945 and emigrated to Argentina in 1948. A committed and unrepentant National Socialist, he founded the Kameradenwerk, a relief organization for Nazi refugees that helped fugitives escape to Latin America and the Middle East. Together with Willem Sassen, Rudel helped shelter Josef Mengele, the notorious former SS doctor at Auschwitz. He worked as an arms dealer and a military advisor to the regimes of Juan Perón in Argentina, of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, and of Alfredo Stroessner in Paraguay. Due to these activities, he was placed under observation by the US Central Intelligence Agency. In the West German federal election of 1953, Rudel, who had returned to West Germany, was the top candidate for the far-right German Reich Party but was not elected to the Bundestag. Following the Revolución Libertadora in 1955, the uprising that ended the second presidential term of Perón, Rudel moved to Paraguay, where he acted as a foreign representative for several German companies. In 1977, he became a spokesman for the German People's Union, a neo-Nazi political party founded by the extremist politician Gerhard Frey. Rudel died in West Germany in 1982. Early life Rudel was born on 2 July 1916, in Konradswaldau, in Prussia. He was the third child of Lutheran minister Johannes Rudel. As a boy, Rudel was a poor scholar, but a very keen sportsman. Rudel attended the humanities oriented Gymnasium, in Lauban. He joined the Hitler Youth in 1933. After graduating with Abitur in 1936, he participated in the compulsory Reich Labour Service RAD. Following the labour service, Rudel joined the Luftwaffe in the same year and began his military career as an air reconnaissance pilot. World War II German forces invaded Poland in 1939 starting World War II in Europe. As an air observer, Rudel flew on long-range reconnaissance missions over Poland. During 1940, he served as a regimental adjutant for the 43rd Aviators Training Regiment, based at Vienna. In early 1941, he underwent training as a Stuka pilot. He was posted to 1 Staffel Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 StG 2, which was moved to occupied Poland in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, in June 1941. On 21 September 1941, Rudel took part in an attack on the Soviet battleship Marat of the Baltic Fleet. Marat''' was sunk at her moorings on 23 September 1941 after being hit by one bomb near the forward superstructure. It caused the explosion of the forward magazine which demolished the superstructure and the forward part of the hull. 326 men were killed and the ship gradually settled to the bottom in of water. Her sinking is credited to Rudel. Rudel's unit then took part in Operation Typhoon, Army Group Center's attempt to capture the Soviet capital. Rudel's gunner from October 1941 was Erwin Hentschel, who served with Rudel for the next two and a half years, both men earning the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during that period. Hentschel completed 1,400 sorties with Rudel and drowned on 21 March 1944 when they were making their way to the German lines following a forced landing. In early 1942, Rudel got married while home on leave. Later in the year, he took part in the Battle of Stalingrad. From May 1941 to January 1942, Rudel flew 500 missions. In February 1943, Rudel flew his 1,000th combat mission, which made him into a national hero. He then participated in the experiments with using the Ju 87 G in the anti-tank role. The anti-tank unit took part in operations against the Soviet KerchEltigen Operation. The footage from an onboard gun camera was used in Die Deutsche Wochenschau, a Reich Ministry of Propaganda newsreel. In April 1943, Rudel was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, receiving the Oak Leaves from Hitler personally in Berlin. Rudel participated in the Battle of Kursk with the same unit. On 12 July 1943 Rudel claimed 12 Soviet tanks in one day. In October 1943, Rudel was credited with the destruction of his 100th tank and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords one of only 160 awarded on 25 November. Rudel was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III. Gruppe on 22 February 1944. On 20 March, Rudel performed a forced landing behind Soviet lines and he and Hentschel his gunner, mentioned above escaped to the German lines. The men attempted to swim across the Dniester River and Hentschel drowned in the attempt. Upon his return, Ernst Gadermann, previously the troop doctor of III. Gruppe, joined Rudel as his new radio operator and air gunner. Rudel was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds one of only 27 awarded on 29 March 1944, the tenth member of the Wehrmacht to receive this award. The presentation was made by Hitler personally. Rudel was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 September 1944, and appointed leader of SG 2, replacing Stepp, on 1 October 1944. On 22 December 1944, Rudel completed his 2,400th combat mission, and the next day, he reported his 463rd tank destroyed. On 29 December 1944, Rudel was promoted to Oberst colonel, and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, the only person to receive this decoration. This award, intended as one of 12 to be given as a post-war victory award for Nazi Germany, was presented to him by Hitler on 1 January 1945, four months before Nazi Germany was defeated. On 8 February 1945, Rudel was badly wounded in the right foot, and landed inside German lines as his radio operator shouted flight instructions. Rudel's leg was amputated below the knee. He returned to flying on 25 March 1945. He claimed 26 more tanks destroyed by the end of the war. On 19 April 1945, the day before Hitler's final birthday, Rudel met with Hitler in the Führerbunker at the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. On 8 May 1945, Rudel fled westward from an airfield near Prague, landing in US controlled territory, and surrendered. The Americans refused to hand him over to the Soviet Union. Post-war While Rudel had been interned, his family fled from the advancing Red Army and had found refuge with Gadermann's parents in Wuppertal. Rudel was released in April 1946 and went into private business. In 1948, he emigrated to Argentina via the ratlines, travelling via the Austrian Zillertal to Italy. In Rome, with the help of South Tyrolean smugglers, and aided by the Austrian bishop Alois Hudal, he bought himself a fake Red Cross passport with the cover name Emilio Meier, and took a flight from Rome to Buenos Aires, where he arrived on 8 June 1948. Rudel authored books on the war, supporting the regime and attacking the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht for failing Hitler. In South America After Rudel moved to Argentina, he became a close friend and confidant of the President of Argentina Juan Perón, and Paraguay's dictator Alfredo Stroessner. In Argentina, he founded the Kameradenwerk lit. comrades work or comrades act, a relief organization for Nazi war criminals. Prominent members of the Kameradenwerk included SS officer Ludwig Lienhardt, whose extradition from Sweden had been demanded by the Soviet Union on war crime charges, Kurt Christmann, a member of the Gestapo sentenced to 10 years for war crimes committed at Krasnodar, Austrian war criminal Fridolin Guth, and the German spy in Chile, August Siebrecht. The group maintained close contact with other internationally wanted fascists, such as Ante Pavelić, Carlo Scorza and Konstantin von Neurath. In addition to these war criminals that fled to Argentina, the Kameradenwerk also assisted Nazi criminals imprisoned in Europe, including Rudolf Hess and Karl Dönitz, with food parcels from Argentina and sometimes by paying their legal fees. In Argentina, Rudel became acquainted with notorious Nazi concentration camp doctor and war criminal Josef Mengele. Rudel, together with Willem Sassen, a former Waffen-SS and war correspondent for the Wehrmacht, who initially worked as Rudel's driver, helped to relocate Mengele to Brazil by introducing him to Nazi supporter Wolfgang Gerhard. In 1957, Rudel and Mengele together travelled to Chile to meet with Walter Rauff, the inventor of the mobile gas chamber. In Argentina, Rudel lived in Villa Carlos Paz, roughly from the populous Córdoba City, where he rented a house and operated a brickworks. There, Rudel wrote his wartime memoirs Trotzdem Nevertheless or In Spite of Everything. The book was published in November 1949 by the Dürer-Verlag in Buenos Aires. Dürer-Verlag 19471958 issued a variety of apologia by former Nazis and their collaborators. Besides Rudel, among the early editors were Wilfred von Oven, the personal Press adjutant of Goebbels, and Naumann. Sassen convinced Adolf Eichmann to share his view on the Holocaust. Together with Eberhard Fritsch, a former Hitler Youth leader, Sassen began interviewing Eichmann in 1956 with the intent of publishing his views. The Dürer-Verlag went bankrupt in 1958. Discussion ensued in Germany on Rudel being allowed to publish the book, because he was a known Nazi. In the book, he supported Nazi policies. This book was later re-edited and published in the United States, as the Cold War intensified, under the title, Stuka Pilot, which supported the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Pierre Clostermann, a French fighter pilot, had befriended Rudel and wrote the foreword to the French edition of his book Stuka Pilot. In 1951, he published a pamphlet Dolchstoß oder Legende? Stab in the Back or Legend?, in which he claimed that Germany's war against the Soviet Union was a defensive war, moreover, a crusade for the whole world. In the 1950s, Rudel befriended Savitri Devi, a writer and proponent of Hinduism and Nazism, and introduced her to a number of Nazi fugitives in Spain and the Middle East. With the help of Perón, Rudel secured lucrative contracts with the Brazilian military. He was also active as a military adviser and arms dealer for the Bolivian regime, Augusto Pinochet in Chile and Stroessner in Paraguay. He was in contact with Werner Naumann, formerly a State Secretary in Goebbels' Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda in Nazi Germany. Following the Revolución Libertadora in 1955, a military and civilian uprising that ended the second presidential term of Perón, Rudel was forced to leave Argentina and move to Paraguay. During the following years in South America, Rudel frequently acted as a foreign representative for several German companies, including Salzgitter AG, Dornier Flugzeugwerke, Focke-Wulf, Messerschmitt, Siemens and Lahmeyer International, a German consulting engineering firm. Rudel's input was used during the development of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, a United States Air Force aircraft designed solely for close air support, including attacking ground targets such as tanks and armored vehicles. According to the historian Peter Hammerschmidt, based on files of the German Federal Intelligence Service and the US Central Intelligence Agency CIA, the BND, under the cover-up company Merex, was in close contact with former SS and Nazi Party members. In 1966, Merex, represented by Walter Drück, a former Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht and BND agent, helped by the contacts established by Rudel and Sassen, sold discarded equipment of the Bundeswehr German Federal armed forces to various dictators in Latin America. According to Hammerschmidt, Rudel assisted in establishing contact between Merex and Friedrich Schwend, a former member of the Reich Main Security Office and involved in Operation Bernhard. Schwend, according to Hammerschmidt, had close links with the military services of Peru and Bolivia. In the early sixties, Rudel, Schwend and Klaus Barbie, founded a company called La Estrella, the star, which employed a number of former SS officers who had fled to Latin America. Rudel, through La Estrella, was also in contact with Otto Skorzeny, who had his own network of former SS and Wehrmacht officers. Rudel returned to West Germany in 1953 and became a leading member of the Neo-Nazi nationalist political party, the German Reich Party Deutsche Reichspartei or DRP. In the West German federal election of 1953, Rudel was the top candidate for the DRP, but was not elected to the Bundestag. According to Josef Müller-Marein, editor-in-chief of Die Zeit, Rudel had an egocentric character. In his political speeches, Rudel made generalizing statements, claiming that he was speaking on behalf of most, if not all, former German soldiers of World War II. Rudel heavily criticized the Western Allies during World War II for not having supported Germany in its war against the Soviet Union. Rudel's political demeanor subsequently alienated him from his former comrades, foremost Gadermann. Müller-Marein concluded his article with the statement: Rudel no longer has a Geschwader squadron! In 1977, he became a spokesman for the German People's Union, a nationalist political party founded by Gerhard Frey. Public scandals In October 1976, Rudel inadvertently triggered a chain of events, which were later dubbed the Rudel-Affäre Rudel Scandal. Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 51st Reconnaissance Wing, the latest unit to hold the name Immelmann, held a reunion for members of the unit, including those from World War II. The Secretary of State in the Federal Ministry of Defence, Hermann Schmidt authorized the event. Fearing that Rudel would spread Nazi propaganda on the German Air Force airbase in Bremgarten near Freiburg, Schmidt ordered that the meeting could not be held at the airbase. News of this decision reached Generalleutnant Walter Krupinski, at the time commanding general of NATO's Second Allied Tactical Air Force, and a former World War II fighter pilot. Krupinski contacted Gerhard Limberg, Inspector of the Air Force, requesting that the meeting be allowed to be held at the airbase. Limberg later confirmed Krupinski's request, and the meeting was held on Bundeswehr premises, a decision to which Schmidt still had not agreed. Rudel attended the meeting, at which he signed his book and gave a few autographs but refrained from making any political statements. During a routine press event, journalists, who had been briefed by Schmidt, questioned Krupinski and his deputy Karl Heinz Franke about Rudel's presence. In this interview, the generals compared Rudel's past as a Nazi and Neo-Nazi supporter to the career of prominent Social Democrat leader Herbert Wehner, who had been a member of the German Communist Party in the 1930s, and who had lived in Moscow during World War II, where he was allegedly involved in NKVD operations. Calling Wehner an extremist, they described Rudel as an honorable man, who hadn't stolen the family silver or anything else. When these remarks became public, the Federal Minister of Defense Georg Leber, complying with §50 of the Military law, ordered the generals into early retirement as of 1 November 1976. Leber, a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany SPD, was heavily criticized for his actions by the Christian Democratic Union CDU opposition, and the scandal contributed to the minister's subsequent retirement in early 1978. On 3 February 1977, the German Bundestag debated the scandal and its consequences. The Rudel Scandal subsequently triggered a military-tradition discussion, which the Federal Minister of Defense Hans Apel ended with the introduction of Guidelines for Understanding and Cultivating Tradition on 20 September 1982. During the 1978 FIFA World Cup, held in Argentina, Rudel visited the German national football team in their training camp in Ascochinga. The German media criticized the German Football Association, and viewed Rudel's visit as being sympathetic to the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina following the 1976 Argentine coup d'état. During the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, he visited the German team at Malmö on 8 June 1958. There he was welcomed by team manager Sepp Herberger. Personal life, death and funeral Rudel was married three times. His 1942 marriage to Ursula, nicknamed Hanne, produced two sons, Hans-Ulrich and Siegfried. They divorced in 1950. According to the news magazine Der Spiegel, one reason for the divorce was that his wife had sold some of his decorations, including the Oak Leaves with Diamonds, to an American collector, but she also refused to move to Argentina. On 27 March 1951, Der Spiegel published Ursula Rudel's denial of selling his decorations, and further stated she had no intention of doing so. Rudel married his second wife, Ursula née Daemisch in 1965. The marriage produced his third son, Christoph, born in 1969. Rudel survived a stroke on 26 April 1970. Following his divorce in 1977, he married Ursula née Bassfeld. Rudel died after suffering another stroke in Rosenheim on 18 December 1982, and was buried in Dornhausen on 22 December 1982. During Rudel's burial ceremony, two Bundeswehr F-4 Phantoms appeared to make a low altitude flypast over his grave. Dornhausen was situated in the middle of a flightpath regularly flown by military aircraft, and Bundeswehr officers denied deliberately flying aircraft over the funeral. Four mourners were photographed giving Nazi salutes at the funeral, and were investigated under a law banning the display of Nazi symbols. The Federal Minister of Defence Manfred Wörner declared that the flight of the aircraft had been a normal training exercise. Summary of military career Rudel flew 2,530 combat missions on the Eastern Front of World War II. The majority of these were undertaken while flying the Junkers Ju 87, although 430 were flown in ground-attack variants of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. He was credited with the destruction of 519 tanks, severely damaging the battleship Marat, as well as sinking a cruiser incomplete and heavily damaged Petropavlovsk, a destroyer Leningrad-class destroyer Minsk and 70 landing craft. Rudel also claimed to have destroyed more than 800 vehicles of all types, over 150 artillery, anti-tank or anti-aircraft positions, 4 armored trains, as well as numerous bridges and supply lines. Rudel was also credited with 51 aerial victories, 42 of which were fighter aircraft and 7 Ilyushin Il-2s. He was shot down or forced to land 30 times due to anti-aircraft artillery, was wounded five times and rescued six stranded aircrew from enemy-held territory. Rudel received the following decorations: Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe as Oberleutnant in a Sturzkampfgeschwader 20 October 1941 Iron Cross 1939 2nd Class 10 November 1939 & 1st Class 15 July 1941 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds Knight's Cross on 6 January 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 9./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 229th Oak Leaves on 14 April 1943 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 Immelmann 42nd Swords on 25 November 1943 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 Immelmann 10th Diamonds on 29 March 1944 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Schlachtgeschwader 2 Immelmann 1st Golden Oak Leaves on 29 December 1944 as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of Schlachtgeschwader 2 Immelmann 8th 1st and only foreign Hungarian Gold Medal of Bravery 14 January 1945 In fringe culture Rudel remained popular with the German far-right after his death, especially with the German People's Union, the DVU, and its leader Gerhard Frey. Frey and the DVU established the Ehrenbund Rudel - Gemeinschaft zum Schutz der Frontsoldaten'' Honour federation Rudel - Community for the protection of the front soldiers in 1983, during a memorial service for Rudel. British holocaust denier David Irving, who delivered a memorial speech on the death of Rudel, was given the Hans-Ulrich-Rudel-Award by Frey in June 1985. Publications References Citations Bibliography Further reading External links Category:1916 births Category:1982 deaths Category:People from Wałbrzych County Category:People from the Province of Silesia Category:Deutsche Reichspartei politicians Category:German World War II flying aces Category:German World War II bomber pilots Category:German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States Category:German amputees Category:German anti-communists Category:German emigrants to Argentina Category:German expatriates in Argentina Category:Nazis in South America Category:Recipients of the Gold German Cross Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
wikipedia
a 59-year - old female weighing 45 kg with body mass index 16 , presented with atypical chest pain . the past surgical history was significant for aortic valve replacement and endovascular graft repair of arch of aorta and persistent dissecting aneurysm of thoraco - abdominal aorta ( figure 14 ) . the patient was on warfarin 7.5 mg therapy with target inr 2.53.5 for the prosthetic valve . besides warfarin , patient was on amlodipine , metoprolol , hydrocodone , acetaminophen , simvastatin , gabapentin , and temazepam at home . the other laboratory findings were blood urea nitrogen 16 mg / dl , serum creatinine 1.3 mg / dl , glucose 90 mg / dl , hemoglobin 11.9 g / dl , leucocytes 3.7 k / cumm , platelets 104 k / cumm , albumin 3.3 g / dl , total cholesterol 120 mg / dl , triglycerides 89 mg / dl , high - density lipoproteins 44 mg / dl , low - density lipoproteins 58 mg / dl , serum iron 34 mcg / dl , total iron binding capacity 299 mcg / dl , iron saturation 11% and serum ferritin 92 ng / ml . pre - albumin , serum vitamin b-12 and other nutritional indices were not tested at this admission . on further workup of the pain , it was found to be associated with very severe nausea , as if someone pulling her stomach . the patient had severe weight loss due to the avoidance of food altogether and marijuana abuse for medical as well as the recreational purposes . the esophagram ( figure 5 , figure 6 ) showed delayed esophageal emptying with findings suggestive of reflux . esophagus and stomach were stretched , enlarged and extended down to the pelvis secondary to the enlarged dissecting thoraco - abdominal aortic aneurysm . the etio - pathogenesis for her pain was the severe pull on the stomach by the endovascular grafted large dissecting aneurysm of the thoraco - abdominal aorta . this pain was associated with the severe nausea , resulting in a loss of appetite that had been interfering with her food intake chronically and hence contributed to the supratherapeutic inr because of the chronic lack of vitamin k food supplements . the treatment was not altered as the plan for the underlying very advanced atherosclerotic disease was palliative ; however , the insight into the underlying etio - pathogenesis ensured that the patient received appropriate non - urgent care in her future emergency room ( er ) presentations with chest pain and supratherapeutic inr . figure 1computed tomography angiography scan of the lower thoracic cavity in transverse section demonstrating the enlarged aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta compressing / stretching the lower esophagus . computed tomography angiography scan of the lower thoracic cavity in transverse section demonstrating the enlarged aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta compressing / stretching the lower esophagus . figure 2computed tomography angiography scan of the thoracic cavity in coronal section demonstrating the extent and location of the enlarged aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta . computed tomography angiography scan of the thoracic cavity in coronal section demonstrating the extent and location of the enlarged aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta . figure 3computed tomography angiography scan of the abdominal cavity in coronal section demonstrating the extent and location of the dissecting aneurysm of abdominal aorta and associated compression / stretching of the lower esophagus and stomach . computed tomography angiography scan of the abdominal cavity in coronal section demonstrating the extent and location of the dissecting aneurysm of abdominal aorta and associated compression / stretching of the lower esophagus and stomach . figure 4computed tomography angiography scan of the origin and distribution of the celiac trunk from the dissecting abdominal aorta . computed tomography angiography scan of the origin and distribution of the celiac trunk from the dissecting abdominal aorta . figure 5esophagram scan demonstrating the strectched lower esophagus and tubular stomach in the left lumbar region . esophagram scan demonstrating the strectched lower esophagus and tubular stomach in the left lumbar region . figure 6esophagram scan demonstrating the antrum and pylorus of the stomach in the left pelvic region . esophagram scan demonstrating the antrum and pylorus of the stomach in the left pelvic region . the average daily consumption of vitamin k in united states is about 6080 micrograms per person and changes in vitamin k consumption can interfere with maintenance of narrow therapeutic window of inr levels . though the usual focus is on adjusting the daily intake of vitamin k in patients with non - therapeutic inr levels , however the poor vitamin k ingestion by the patient may direct the physician attention to the overall poor food intake in the patient secondary to underlying debility gastrointestinal pathological process . the primary focus in the literature has been directed to predict prevalence and to develop guidelines for managing these non - therapeutic inrs . however , the underlying etio - pathogenesis of these non - therapeutic inrs can be equally important and critical for the long term prognosis and management of these patients . this case highlights the fact that supratherapeutic inrs direct the attention of the treating physicians team to the underlying severely debilitating gastrointestinal diseases . in summary , the supratherapeutic inr can be an objective indicator of chronic loss of appetite with poor nutritional status of the patient and therefore acts as a warning sign for diagnosis of severe debilitating primary gastrointestinal disease .
pubmed
fanfiction
If inertial mass were equal to for example half of gravitational mass why would things not still fall at same rate? [duplicate] **This question already has an answer here**: [Why must inertial mass and gravitational mass be equal, not just proportional?](/questions/212425/why-must-inertial-mass-and-gravitational-mass-be-equal-not-just-proportional) (1 answer) Closed 22 days ago. I have read that it is the equality of inertial and gravitational mass that causes all objects to fall at the same rate irrespective of size. But if this were not true, what effect would we see? Would inertial mass being half g-mass mean an object twice as massive would accelerate twice as fast? If so, why? EDIT: Here is where it is asserted that the equality is responsible for all objects falling at same rate: [Why do two bodies of different masses fall at the same rate (in the absence of air resistance)?](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/11321/why-do-two-bodies-of-different-masses-fall-at-the-same-rate-in-the-absence-of-a) Objects would be accelerated by gravity at a uniform rate regardless of their mass provided that inertial mass and gravitational mass were proportional. There's no requirement for them to be identical, from that perspective. Say you have Earth's mass as $M$ and your object's mass and distance from Earth is $m$ and $r$ Using Newtonian gravity we have the Force experiences by the object to be $F\_g = \frac{GMm}{r^2}$ where $G$ is a constant. Now the force experienced by earth due to the object's mass is $F\_{g2} = \frac{GMm}{r^2}$ Acceleration of both objects, $F\_1 = ma\_1 \to \frac{GMm}{r^2} = ma\_1$ so $a\_1 = \frac{GM}{r^2}$ $F\_2 = \frac{GMm}{r^2} = Ma\_2 \to a\_2 = \frac{Gm}{r^2}$ The acceleration that the earth experiences is negligible in comparison. The acceleration the object experiences is only due to Earth's mass. (Note that for considerably large objects the acceleration due to the object's mass would make it seem like the object is accelerating quicker towards Earth than other objects because Earth is moving towards the object fairly quickly too) If inertial mass $F = ma$ was different from the gravitational mass you would just have a different acceleration for each object BUT every object would still be accelerated at the same magnitude. ex: $m\_g = \frac{m\_i}{2}$ then $F\_g = \frac{GMm\_g}{r^2} = m\_ia$ so that $a = \frac{GM}{2r^2}$ and you'd have halved acceleration. Assume that Force by each if $W = \frac{GM\_gm\_g}{R^2}$ Where $m\_g$ and $M\_g$ are the gravitational masses of both body under test and earth respectively Suppose that $m\_i$ is the body inertial mass Assuming $m\_i=km\_g$ Where k is not 1 but a proportionality constant Newton 2nd law: $W = \frac{GM\_gm\_g}{R^2}=k m\_g a$ Where $a$ is the acceleration ==> $a=\frac{G M\_g m\_g}{k R^2}$ ==> independent of the both values of $m\_i$, and $m\_g$, but different than the case when: k=1 The acceleration is different in its absolute value but independent of the inertial/gravitational mass of the falling body
stackexchange/physics
GF 527 TAO is a widely used Access Control in the office. Choosing a lot of stable original parts, strictly follow the national security product standard. GF 527 TAO is suitable for the entrances and exits of office, factory, hotel, school, etc. All input /output are using anti-jamming protection and over-voltage/circuit protection. The product experiences the strict degradation test before leaving factory. The greatest advantage of GF 527 TAO is that it is easy to install, with multifunctional & elegant design and reasonable price.
slim_pajama
astrocytoma is the most common subclass of glioma and is graded on a who scale of i to iv , whereas oligodendrogliomas and oligoastrocytomas are usually classified as grade ii or grade iii . grade iv astrocytic tumor , commonly known as glioblastoma ( gb ) , is the deadliest form of brain tumor that despite multimodal therapy only shows a median survival of 1215 months . recent transcriptome and genome profiling of brain tumors in combination with advances in stem cell biology has led to an improved understanding of the molecular pathology of this disease and revealed novel targets for therapy . the p53 tumor suppressor gene is frequently mutated or deleted in human tumors and is often found mutated or lost early in glioma formation [ 6 , 7 ] . p53 can trigger diverse cellular programs such as cell cycle arrest , apoptosis , differentiation , dna repair , autophagy , and senescence . one prevailing hypothesis is that gb could arise and recur because of malignant transformation of neural stem cells residing in protected niche areas . recently , novel functions of p53 in stem cells have been characterized including suppression of pluripotency and inhibition of stem cell self - renewal . despite being one of the most extensively studied proteins , there is still a need to acquire further knowledge and insight into p53 function in stem cells including neural stem cells . what function of p53 is the most important one to inactivate for brain tumor initiation and progression ? could it be the ability of p53 to restrain self - renewal and to promote differentiation , or is it the pro - apoptotic and cell cycle regulating activity ? here we discuss the role of p53 in gliomagenesis and the significance of p53 in relation to brain tumor stem cells . we review the literature regarding the neoplastic potential of neural stem cells , and we describe how the loss of p53 in parallel with deregulation of growth factor signaling pathways promotes brain tumor development . finally , we discuss how the reactivation of p53 in brain tumor stem cell populations could become one viable approach to suppress proliferation and induce differentiation and apoptosis of these cells . gliomas often display mutations in the arf - mdm2-p53 and p16ink4a - cdk4-rb tumor suppressor pathways resulting in increased genomic instability , loss of g1 cell cycle checkpoint control , and evasion of apoptosis [ 2 , 11 ] . deregulation of the pi3k / akt / mtor signaling pathway and hyperactivation of receptor - tyrosine kinases ( e.g. , pdgfr and egfr ) are frequently observed in gliomas [ 2 , 11 ] . a primary gb arises with no signs of previous lower - grade tumor and often displays loss of the ink4a / arf tumor suppressor gene locus , pten mutation , and egfr amplification and/or mutation . secondary gbs show a previous history of progression from a lower - grade tumor and tp53 mutations are frequent . recently , transcriptome and genome profiling of gbs has revealed additional genetic differences , and new subclasses of gb have been defined [ 1214 ] . tp53 mutations occur early in glioma progression , and grade ii astrocytomas commonly display tp53 mutations or loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 17p where tp53 resides [ 15 , 16 ] . tp53 mutations are infrequent in medulloblastomas , pilocytic grade i astrocytomas , and ependymomas . the p53 tumor suppressor restricts cell growth and proliferation following stress and is known as the guardian of the genome . p53 has pleiotropic anticancer functions and plays a role in senescence , apoptosis , differentiation , autophagy , metabolism , and angiogenesis . these diverse cellular effects can be attributed to the regulation of hundreds of different genes directly by p53 [ 8 , 19 ] . the transcriptional function of p53 is stimulated through increased levels of the protein coupled to conformational changes triggered by different posttranslational modifications or p53- binding proteins . while approximately half of all human tumors contain a mutation or deletion of tp53 , the rest of the tumors often have inactivation of p53 through other mechanisms including viral infection , loss of arf , or overexpression of mdm2 . the mdm4 and mdm2 proteins suppress p53 's transcriptional activity and target p53 for proteasomal degradation , respectively . it is therefore not a surprise to learn that mdm2 gene amplifications are present in 10% of primary gbs and that amplifications of mdm4 are found in about 4% of gbs [ 23 , 24 ] . gliomas are also seen in the li - fraumeni syndrome , a familial cancer predisposing syndrome characterized by germ line tp53 mutations [ 25 , 26 ] . it has been a widely held notion that somatic tp53 mutations are common in low - grade gliomas and secondary gbs but more uncommon in primary gb . however recent studies , which also included additional sequencing of tp53 , revealed that mutations are prevalent in primary gbs as well [ 13 , 27 ] . another common and critical tumor suppressor gene alteration in gb is loss of function of pten that occurs in both primary and secondary gb . accumulated experimental and clinical evidence suggests that the loss of p53 function is a key initial event in glioma development in combination with other genetic and epigenetic alterations [ 6 , 7 , 26 , 2934 ] . numerous studies have also been carried out in order to investigate the effects of p53 overexpression in glioma cells . evidently , p53 can block cell cycle progression and induce morphological changes resembling differentiation in glioma cell lines [ 3537 ] . given these findings , therapeutic targeting of the p53 pathway tissue stem cells are considered to be rare cells within organs with the ability to self - renew and to give rise to all types of cells within the said organ . examples of tissue stem cells include hematopoietic stem cells , neural stem cells , and mammary gland stem cells . embryonic stem cells on the other hand are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts , are pluripotent , and can give rise to all cell types of the body . neural stem cells are the self - renewing cells that generate the main cells of the central nervous system ( astrocytes , neurons , and oligodendrocytes ) . new neurons are thought to be born throughout adulthood in predominantly two regions of the mouse brain . these are the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle wall , from where new neuronal progenitor cells migrate to the olfactory bulb via the rostral migratory stream [ 42 , 43 ] , and the subgranular zone of hippocampus . reynolds and weiss were the first to isolate neural progenitor and stem cells from adult mouse brain . within the subventricular zone , cells can be classified as type b neural stem cells and type c transit - amplifying cells that give rise to neuroblasts ( type a ) . neural stem cells are often studied in vitro using a method referred to as the neurosphere assay developed by reynolds and weiss , see also for an update . neural stem cells have the properties of self - renewal , clonogenic capacity , and ability to engraft , migrate , and give rise to differentiated progeny [ 41 , 46 , 48 ] . several common tumor forms , including brain tumors , have been shown to harbor a fraction of cells with stem - like features referred to as cancer stem cells . the cancer stem cells are considered to be a relatively small population of cells that are capable of self - renewal , and the progeny of which can undergo differentiation to generate the phenotypic heterogeneity observed in solid tumors [ 50 , 51 ] . cancer stem cell populations have been found in many malignancies including those from breast , brain , pancreas , colon , and the hematopoietic system ( acute myelogenic leukemia ) . cancer stem cells show malicious behavior including prolonged exit from the cell cycle ( quiescence ) , resistance to chemotherapeutic agents , efficient dna repair , and resistance to apoptosis [ 5760 ] . using the approach of reynolds and weiss , several groups reported on the growth of adult and pediatric glioma cells cultured and propagated in the form of neurospheres , also known in this context as gliospheres [ 6165 ] . the cells capable of self - renewal and of forming new gliospheres and with the ability to initiate the formation of a new tumor in nude mice are known as the brain tumor stem cells . these cells can also be referred to as brain tumor initiating cells or glioma stem cells . it was shown that gliospheres have an increased growth potential and features of aberrant differentiation when directly compared to normal neurospheres from the adult brain . cell sorting is based on expression of the cell surface marker cd133 selected for glioma cells with stem - like features , and cd133-positive brain tumor cells are relatively resistant to radiation when compared to cd133-negative cells . the clinical value of cd133-expression in tumors remains unclear , but some groups have reported that the increased expression of cd133 is associated with a poor prognosis [ 67 , 68 ] . however , recent studies indicate that also cd133-negative brain tumor cells can initiate tumor development and act as brain tumor stem cells . it is at present discussed whether cancer stem cells represent a minority of the tumor cells . if most cells within the tumor are endowed with stem cell properties , why should we focus our energy on targeting a specific sub - population of cells ? debated is also whether cancer stem cells originate from normal stem cells or from differentiated cells that have acquired the ability to self - renew , and this discussion is especially dynamic within the brain tumor research community [ 5 , 71 , 72 ] . it still remains unclear if gliomas ( in general ) originate from multipotent neural stem or progenitor cells , restricted neural progenitors , or mature glia cells that have undergone the process of de - differentiation . a number of recent studies show that p53 has a critical function in neural , mammary , hematopoietic [ 75 , 76 ] and embryonic stem cells by regulating self - renewal , symmetric division , quiescence , survival , and proliferation . these can be described as the abilities of p53 to induce differentiation and to suppress de - differentiation and evidence in the literature supports a role for p53 in both of these processes [ 10 , 7881 ] . in the mouse brain , p53 is critical for induction of apoptosis in neural progenitors and postmitotic neurons during development of the central nervous system , and a subset of trp53 knockout mice develop exencephaly [ 82 , 83 ] . furthermore , neuronal cells are sensitive to p53-dependent apoptosis following irradiation , exposure to chemotherapeutic agents , and ischemia . p53 regulates cell cycle progression and apoptosis but it can also directly modulate the transcription of genes that are specifically required for neuronal differentiation [ 81 , 84 ] . the role of p53 in apoptosis of neuronal cells is relatively well understood [ 85 , 86 ] , but less is known about p53 function in astrocytes , oligodendrocytes and their precursors . oligodendrocyte precursors cultured in vitro can undergo p53-dependent differentiation although the cells appear to have a low basal level of p53 expression . both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes can undergo apoptosis following infection with an adenovirus expressing p53 . although speculative , cells of the glial lineage may be more prone towards p53-induced differentiation and senescence following stress than neuronal cells . what is the function of p53 in the neural stem cells ? the enhanced proliferative capacity of neural precursors from trp53 knockout mice was described in the early 90s . later , it was found that p53 is expressed at higher levels in cells in the neural stem cell niche than in other regions of the adult mouse brain . cells in the brain 's lateral ventricle stem cell niche displayed an increased proliferation rate in trp53 knockout mice compared to wild - type . it was also found that a p53 deficiency in neurospheres resulted in increased self - renewal capacity , increased cell proliferation and a reduction in apoptosis . analysis of the stem cell transcriptome from wild type and tp53 knockout mice identified several genes that were down - regulated in p53-null neurospheres , importantly p21 and p27 , established negative regulators of cell proliferation . in a related study , gil - perotin et al . , found a p53-dependent effect on differentiationthe and they could determine that loss of p53 increased the number of tuj1 neuroblasts in the subventricular zone in vivo . the increase in cell number was apparently not due to loss of apoptosis , as it could be compensated for , and it was argued that this is the reason for why there are no tumors in trp53 knockout mice . also by using olfactory bulb neural stem and progenitor cells cultured as neurospheres it was found , in agreement with the previous studies , that loss of p53 can promote neurosphere formation and stem cell self - renewal . furthermore , loss of p53 facilitated differentiation of progenitor cells into tuj1-positive neurons , with a corresponding moderate decrease in mature astrocytes . in summary , a number of studies show that the loss of p53 provides an advantage to neural stem cells and/or early progenitor cells [ 31 , 73 , 90 ] . however , the loss of p53 alone does not cause brain tumors within the relatively short life span of trp53 knockout mice . p53-mediated control of stem cell functions has also been studied in other tissues . for example , p53 has a critical role in regulating hematopoietic stem cell quiescence [ 75 , 76 ] . transcriptome analysis identified gfi-1 and necdin as p53 target genes involved in regulating quiescence . in mammary gland stem cells , p53 controls polarity of mammary epithelial stem cell divisions . in bone formation , the loss of p53 not only accelerates early osteogenesis from mesenchymal stem cells but actually prevents terminal differentiation to a mature osteocytic phenotype . these studies taken together further strengthen the notion that p53 controls stem cell self - renewal and differentiation , but that it may not only do so in a cell - type - specific manner . perhaps the suppression of incipient cancer stem cells is one activity by which p53 can inhibit tumor growth , but what are the mechanistic links between p53 and the emergence of cancer stem cells , if any ? p53 was found to repress the cancer stem cell marker gene cd44 in an experimental breast tumor model . overexpression of cd44 on the other hand blocked p53-dependent apoptosis , leading to expansion of tumor - initiating cells . it would be of interest to determine if similar mechanisms are involved also in brain tumor development , but exactly how the loss of p53 function leads to transformation of normal cells in the central nervous system remains unclear . development of a brain tumor may begin with a mutation in the p53 gene which makes neural stem cells proliferate faster and perhaps also migrate out of the niche like their specialized progenies . wang and coworkers carried out a series of experiments using mice engineered to have an internal deletion mutation in tp53 , exon 5 - 6 , specifically in neural stem and progenitor cells . they found that a majority of mice developed malignant brain tumors and that the same mutant p53 was detected in the tumor cells but not in normal cells . mutant p53 protein was detectable in a minority of proliferative neural stem cells two months after birth . it was argued that it is presumably the mutant - p53-expressing cell population with features of transit - amplifying cells that drives tumor initiation . the hypothesis that stem cells residing in the subventricular zone can give rise to gliomas is also supported by other studies [ 9 , 29 , 95 , 96 ] . an interesting point of view is that tissue stem cells remain undifferentiated due to environmental cues in their particular niche , and the stem cells differentiate when they leave that niche , or no longer receive proper signals from the niche . gb was initially considered to be a monoclonal tumor and the patterns of clonal expansion of cells with mutant p53 supported this notion . however , given the heterogeneity of gb taken together with the recent findings that there are coexisting populations of cells with different p53 status within the same tumor , we must also consider polyclonal events . gb is composed of several types of cells , and some phenotypes or clones may be better suited for the specific environment but they could still coexist with other sub - optimal lines of tumor cells . one of these sub - optimal lines could however following a novel and different type of stress adapt and instead become the most successful line , and this type of event could contribute to treatment resistance of gb [ 5 , 71 ] . phenotypically different subpopulations of cells may even benefit from each other and thus remain coexisting in the tumor . as with regard to p53 , perhaps the majority of tumor cells benefit from having mutant p53 or no p53 at all , but may some tumor cells thrive when carrying wild - type p53 ? pluripotent stem cells can be generated from normal fibroblast cultures , and in principle four key pluripotency genes essential for the production of pluripotent stem cells were defined , namely : oct-3/4 , sox2 , c - myc , and klf4 . of interest is also the recently established function of the p53 pathway in suppressing reprogramming of normal cells to induced pluripotent stem cells ( ipscs ) [ 101104 ] . it remains unclear how p53 blocks reprogramming of cells to ipscs , but one possibility is that it could be related to the higher sensitivity of ipscs to stress than the more differentiated cells from which they were initially derived . the process of creating ipscs resembles the creation of tumor cells by specific factors and highlights the similarity between ipscs and cancer stem cells . gbs frequently overexpress genes typical of neural stem cells including sox2 , myc and oct4 . a hallmark of some poorly differentiated tumors , including gb , is a stem cell signature . the malignant progression of glioma may be associated with the emergence of such a signature . therefore , targeting pluripotency - associated molecules such as myc and sox2 , combined with reactivation of p53 , specifically in brain tumor stem cell populations could become one approach to effectively reduce tumor growth . in fact , c - myc is required for brain tumor stem cell growth , and in normal neural stem cells , loss of c - myc on its own attenuates self - renewal and induces differentiation towards the glial lineage . in this context it should also be mentioned that p53 plays a specific role in the dna - damage response of embryonic stem cell . embryonic stem cells lack a distinct g1/s cell cycle checkpoint , but new evidence shows that p53 in response to dna damage acts to induce differentiation and to suppress expression of the pluripotency factor nanog . whether a similar mechanism is involved in the neural stem cell stress response , remains of interest to determine . we must also take into account the function and expression of proteins and micrornas that regulate p53 . olig2 is a central - nervous - system - restricted transcription factor highly expressed in brain tumor stem cells and required for neural progenitor cell proliferation . olig2 directly suppresses p21 , a downstream key target of p53 , and olig2 is therefore presumably an important antagonist of the p53 pathway during glioma development . interestingly , gli1 can repress p53 activity and gli1 promotes an increase in neural stem and progenitor cell pools . these studies revealed novel intricate signaling networks in stem cells and how they are connected to p53 . ( bcl2-like 12 ) a protein found overexpressed in gb that prevents apoptosis , was shown to interact with and inhibit p53 . as mentioned , loss of the tumor suppressor pten is a frequent event in brain tumors . interestingly , pten is critical in restricting neural stem cell self - renewal and proliferation similar to p53 [ 119 , 120 ] , and the combined loss of p53 and pten promotes a synergistic increase in neural stem cell self - renewal associated with elevated levels of c - myc and rapid growth of gliomas in vivo [ 27 , 121 ] . in turn finally , regulation of the p53 pathway by micrornas is likely to be of importance also in brain tumor development and brain tumor stem cells . a number of recent studies using animal models have provided compelling evidence that gliomas can be induced from neural stem cells , provided combinations of several different tumor suppressors are deleted ( e.g. , pten , nf1 and trp53 ) [ 29 , 9496 ] . loss of p53 in neural stem cells has in mouse models been proven as an important step in the initiation of gliomas . using a different approach , others have shown that persistent mitogen signaling ( e.g. , pdgf - b ) can promote gliomagenesis also in lineage- restricted progenitor cells giving rise to oligodendroglioma - like tumors . therefore , development of gliomas may take divergent pathways and start in different cell types and locations . oligodendrocyte progenitor cells express pdgfr and can be induced to proliferate when stimulated with pdgf . the use of retrovirus or adenovirus vectors to introduce pdgf - b in newborn mice brains mostly results in gfap/ng2+/olig2 + tumors that by transcriptome analysis are similar to oligodendrogliomas [ 126128 ] . this is true even if the virus is directed to neural precursors by the nestin - tva or gfap - tva systems [ 129 , 130 ] . the oligodendroglioma - like features have been interpreted as due to pdgf 's ability to modulate the balance between neuronal and glial cells generated from neural stem cells , in favor of oligodendrocyte progenitors . in a recent report , transgenic mice were generated expressing pdgf - b in brain under control of the human gfap promoter . these mice were shown to be similar to wild type mice , but on a tp53-null background they developed large gb - like brain tumors at a high frequency , in spite of the fact that tp53-null mice do not otherwise develop brain tumors [ 32 , 91 ] . the tumors were very heterogenous , displaying many different cell lineage markers , including stem cell markers . early lesions displayed abundant gfap - positive cells , although the larger tumors partly lost the expression of gfap . the gfap promoter is most active around birth and remains active in both astrocytes and neural stem cells of the adult brain ; however ; the mice developed brain tumors only in adult life , at 26 months of age . therefore , distinct possibilities of glioma cells of origin need to be considered including ( 1 ) adult neural stem cells that lose their differentiation capacity and ( 2 ) mature astrocytes that dedifferentiate due to the lack of p53 . these pdgf - induced experimental gliomas are similar to human gbs in that the glial tumor cells express pdgfr whereas the vasculature expresses pdgfr in pericytes . the model was created to mimic human secondary gbs characterized by combined pdgfra overexpression / amplification and tp53 deletion / mutation , and results did prove that this combination is instrumental in generating gbs . a previous report described a significant association between pdgfra expression , as analyzed at the mrna level by in situ hybridization and loh17p in human gliomas . recently , by the help of high - throughput genome and transcriptome analyses , human secondary gbs were shown to be similar to the proneural type of primary gbs and associated with pdgfra amplification , tp53 and pten deletion / mutation , idh1 mutation and also disturbances in the pi3k signaling pathway , and finally by the expression of oligodendrocyte markers . loss of function of p53 , together with overactive growth factor signaling , contributes to glioma formation . in the transgenic mice expressing pdgf - b in astrocytes , tumors developed in homozygously furthermore , pdgf - b retrovirus - induced brain tumors developed at a higher frequency and with shorter latency when injections were performed in trp53-null than in wild type mice , and in a trp53-null background these tumors showed higher p - akt and lower pten levels . still , the mechanism of the combined pdgf - b / trp53 null effect has not yet been clearly defined . one guess is that the trp53-null status directly or indirectly allows for proliferation of pdgfr-positive precursors in the brain and/or for upregulation of pdgfra expression at the promoter level . cultured , otherwise normal trp53-null brain cells show an increased survival and proliferation in vitro , coupled with upregulation and activation of pdgf - receptors . pdgf signaling is known to expand the pool of glial progenitors generated from neural stem cells . given the fact that the lack of p53 may in addition result in an undifferentiated state of these cells , an increase in the number of glial precursors promoted by pdgf , possibly induced to migrate , but unable to differentiate further , may be all that it takes to create a lethal neoplasm in the mouse brain . we need to consider that the human brain has tighter control mechanisms than the mouse brain , but the cancer genome atlas ( tcga ) and other similar high - throughput screening projects provide us with excellent tools to identify additional molecules and mechanisms affected in human brain tumors . treatment of brain tumor patients is extremely challenging because the normal brain is highly susceptible to damage during therapy , the brain has a very limited capacity to repair itself , and several drugs can not cross the blood - brainbarrier to act on tumors in the cns . brain tumor cells are also highly infiltrative and can hide in apparently normal parts of the brain . paradoxically , nonmalignant neuronal cells are highly vulnerable to stress and respond with the induction of p53-dependent apoptosis , yet glioma - derived cells show resistance to apoptosis - inducing stimuli . standard treatment for gb is surgery , radiation therapy and concomitant and adjuvant treatment with the chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide . temozolomide is an alkylating agent found to have beneficial effects in the palliative treatment of gb . whereas glioma cell lines expressing mutant p53 are sensitized to temozolomide , the status of p53 does not seem to affect the response of brain tumor stem cells treated with this drug . despite the fact that the survival outlook for gb patients remains poor , recent years have seen progress towards longer survival , as summarized in an excellent review . several targeted therapies are currently in preclinical or clinical phase i iii trials and examples include small molecule or antibody inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases , angiogenesis regulators , histone deacetylases , heat shock proteins and mtor [ 4 , 142 ] . early results from monotherapy trials have been rather disappointing , but a number of emerging drug candidates used in combination are expected to further prolong survival of brain tumor patients [ 4 , 142 ] . what about specific targeting of brain tumor stem cells ? as mentioned , brain tumor stem cell populations show resistance to drugs and toxic agents , display efficient dna repair , and low tendency to undergo apoptotic cell death . screenings to find novel small molecules that specifically target cancer stem cell populations have been carried out . salinomycin is a novel small molecule that targets breast tumor stem cells and selectively reduces the proportion of these cells relative to the effect of paclitaxel . molecular targets in brain tumor stem cell populations could for instance be different components of the pten - pi3k - akt - wnt signaling networks that drive cell growth . another approach could be to target brain tumor stem cells with small molecules that can induce differentiation , for example , histone deacetylase inhibitors . ribosomal dna transcription ( the rna pol i machinery ) is also an emerging target in cancer therapy . depleting cells of ribosomes by blocking production of ribosomal proteins was shown to induce p53-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation and morphological differentiation of glioma cells in vitro . selective inhibition of ribosome biogenesis in stem - like cell populations in brain tumors as another kind of differentiation therapy should be explored further . restoration of the p53 tumor suppressor function holds promise in cancer therapy [ 148 , 149 ] . tumors with dysfunctional or no p53 have been shown to undergo apoptosis or senescence in vivo upon functional restoration of p53 [ 150 , 151 ] . when it comes to the tumor cells , we first need to distinguish cells with no p53 from cells with mutant p53 , and cells retaining wild - type p53 . activation of endogenous wild - type p53 with small molecules , reactivation of mutant p53 , or transfer of the p53 gene should therefore be considered . nutlin-3 is a compound that disrupts the binding between mdm2 and p53 leading to activation and accumulation of free p53 . interestingly , activation of endogenous wild type p53 with nutlin-3 correlated with restoration of asymmetric breast cancer stem cell divisions resulting in tumor reduction . this occurred in the absence of any major effects on the bulk of tumor cells . in another study it was found that mutant p53 reactivation with the drug ellipticine when combined with 5-fluorouracil led to depletion of colon cancer stem cells in vitro . perhaps the reactivation of p53 specifically in brain tumor stem cells could induce permanent differentiation or apoptosis followed by tumor regression ? apoptosis is however not frequently seen upon retroviral expression or activation of endogenous p53 in glioma cell lines , but overexpression of p53 by adenovirus may sensitize glioma cells to apoptosis . there are some pitfalls when it comes to p53 reactivation that need to be discussed . for instance , maintaining wild type p53 could have a prosurvival effect on tumors that are not intrinsically prone to apoptosis . in tumors resistant to cell death for example , wild - type - p53-containing glioma cell lines are more resistant to cytotoxic agents than cell lines with mutant p53 . we must also take into consideration that activation of p53 may lead to the emergence of treatment resistant brain tumor cells that express mutant p53 or that have completely lost p53 . moreover , persistent activation of p53 in nearby residing normal neural stem cells could have adverse negative sideeffects such as stem cell depletion and premature organ aging [ 58 , 159 ] . whereas activation of p53 traditionally has been viewed as the main avenue , the potential medical applications of inhibiting p53 should also be realized . in fact , inhibiting p53 protects normal cells from radiation - induced cell death and can improve recovery after ischemia in the central nervous system . unfortunately , inhibition of p53 activity in nontumorigenic cells could have a procarcinogenic effect , although encouraging results from studies in hematopoietic cells indicate that this might not be the case . there are a number of remaining unresolved issues with regard to the existence and phenotype of brain tumor stem cells and how similar they are to normal neural stem cells [ 5 , 71 ] . the hypothesis that a normal neural stem or progenitor cell can evolve to become a brain tumor stem cell perhaps through a mutation in p53 is a very reasonable one and has got substantial experimental support [ 27 , 29 , 31 , 94 ] . several lines of evidence in the literature indicate that loss of p53 affects the properties of adult neural stem cells by providing a proliferative advantage [ 31 , 73 , 90 ] . although loss of p53 on its own does not give rise to brain tumors in mice , it allows for rapid tumor development in the presence of persistent mitogen signaling , oncogene activation and subsequent mutational events . however , we must also be aware that there are presumably different cellular origins for gliomas and that they could originate from various regions of the brain . we are now faced with the intriguing situation in which p53 suppresses tumor development by restricting expansion of incipient brain tumor stem cells , but p53 also retains its conventional roles in controlling cell cycle progression and apoptosis following stress . which one of these p53 activities is the most important one to circumvent during gliomagenesis , remains to be determined . we also do not know exactly through which mechanisms and pathways p53 controls neural stem cell self - renewal , but once identified , such mechanisms are putative novel targets for therapy . treatment of brain tumor patients presents a unique challenge , and the selective targeting of brain tumor stem cell populations , regardless of whether they constitute a minor or major part of the whole tumors needs to be further explored , in order to become a clinical reality in the future . combination therapies targeting both brain tumor stem cells and bulk brain tumor cells could turn out to be the most effective ones . it is of outermost importance to achieve a permanent eradication of brain tumor cells including brain tumor stem cells . however , the elimination of all tumor cells remains a very difficult task when considering the wide spectrum of tumor cell phenotypes , differences in p53 status , and divergent cellular responses to treatment .
pubmed
Preferred camera store 🇨🇦 Canada 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇮🇹 Italy 🇪🇸 Spain 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States Auto Panasonic LUMIX ZS80 Fujifilm X-T200 Fujifilm X100V Camera Recommendations Best Cameras For Photography Best Cameras For Vlogging Best Digital Cameras Best GoPro Cameras Best DSLR Cameras Best DSLR Cameras For Beginners Best Travel Cameras Best Cheap Cameras Best Nikon Cameras Best Mirrorless Cameras For Beginners Best Cameras For Low-Light Photography Best Cameras Under $500 Best GoPro Alternatives Best Cameras For Landscape Photography Best Mirrorless Cameras Under $1,000 Best Cameras For Street Photography Best Compact Cameras For Travel Best Vlogging Cameras With Flip Screens Best Cameras For Beginners Best Cameras For YouTube Best Cameras For Filmmaking Best Canon Cameras Best Point-And-Shoot Cameras Best Cameras For Wildlife Photography Best Compact Cameras Best Sport Video Cameras Best Bridge Cameras Best Sony Cameras Best Camera Brands Best Cameras Under $1,000 Best Fujifilm Cameras Best 4k Cameras Best Cameras For Blogging Best Mirrorless Cameras For Travel Best Panasonic Cameras View all camera recommendations All Camera Reviews EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D EOS Rebel T100 / EOS 4000D EOS Rebel T8i PowerShot SX740 EOS Rebel SL3 Z 6II Z fc COOLPIX P1000 COOLPIX B600 ZV-1 α7C α7 III α6400 RX10 IV RX100 VII LUMIX FZ80 Lumix DC-S5 LUMIX LX100 II LUMIX G100 LUMIX ZS80 LUMIX FZ1000 II LUMIX GH5 II Brave 7 LE V50X GR III OM-D E-M5 Mark III OM-D E-M10 Mark IV K-3 Mark III View all 71 camera reviews Latest Camera Activity View all camera activity We purchase our own cameras and put them under the same test bench, so that you can compare the results easily. 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Best Full Frame Best Crop Sensor The 5 Best DSLR Cameras - Winter 2022 Reviews Updated Dec 24, 2021 at 09:38 am By Adriana Wiszniewska 71 Cameras Tested Store-bought cameras; no cherry-picked units DSLR cameras have long been the preferred tool of amateur and professional photographers, with a wide variety of choices that cater to almost every skill set and budget. While they've ceded some of their market dominance to mirrorless cameras in recent years, there's still no shortage of traditional DSLRs that deliver a versatile overall performance. It's worth noting that a camera's overall performance can vary drastically depending on what kind of lens you use. Your lens influences the amount of light entering the camera, an image's depth of field, autofocus behavior, and stabilization performance. That's without mentioning the physical aspects of your lens: a larger lens with a longer zoom length and a wider maximum aperture might make it easier to take the kind of photos you want, but it could make your camera more of a hassle to carry around. For the sake of consistency and user-friendliness, we currently test a camera with its standard kit lens. We've tested over 70 cameras, and below you'll find our recommendations for the best DSLR cameras. These picks were selected not only based on their overall performance but also their feature set and price. If you'd prefer a mirrorless alternative, you can take a look at our list of recommendations for the best mirrorless cameras, the best cameras for beginners, and the best cameras. Best Full Frame DSLR Camera: Nikon D780 Sport & Wildlife Photography Action Video Tested Lens Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR The best DSLR camera that we've tested with a full-frame sensor is the Nikon D780. This enthusiast-level DSLR feels very well-built, with a large, textured handgrip and well-spaced physical controls. Its screen can tilt upward if you like to shoot from the hip, and there's also a small display on the top of its body that lets you easily check settings and remaining battery life. That, along with its remarkably easy-to-navigate menu system, makes it very comfortable to shoot with. It's also advertised to be weather-sealed against rain and humidity. The camera delivers amazing overall image quality, and it has incredible RAW noise handling capability at higher ISO levels, so you can take photos at high ISOs in low light without introducing too much noise. Its autofocus system is also fantastic, with 51 advertised detection points and a superb success rate when tracking moving objects, so your subject should stay in focus even when moving, whether you're taking photos or shooting video. It also has an exceptional battery life that should last for approximately 2,260 photos, according to Nikon. That said, it doesn't have in-body image stabilization, meaning you'll have to rely on the optical stabilization of whichever lens you're using. With its Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR kit lens attached, it does a poor job of reducing camera shake when recording video without a tripod, particularly in 4k. On the upside, it performs a lot better for photography, allowing you to get clear shots even when shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds. Overall, this is one of the best cameras we've tested for photography. Cheaper Alternative: Canon EOS 6D Mark II Canon EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM If you want to save some money on a full-frame DSLR, check out the Canon EOS 6D Mark II. Unlike the Nikon D780, it doesn't shoot 4k video and has a slower continuous shooting speed, but it's considerably cheaper and still a great option if you need a full-frame DSLR for photography. It's well-built and comfortable to use, and it has a fully articulated screen that gives you more flexibility to shoot from unconventional angles. It delivers amazing image quality with great dynamic range to bring out details in high-contrast shots. Its RAW noise handling capability is excellent, allowing you to shoot at high ISOs in more dimly-lit conditions. Its autofocus system does an excellent job tracking moving subjects in video, though it's only decent when taking photos. The camera also has a much shorter battery life, though this can vary with real-world conditions. Get the Nikon if you want the best DSLR camera we've tested, and 4k video capability is essential to you. If you want to save some money and are primarily interested in still photography, the Canon is a solid alternative. Best APS-C/Crop Sensor DSLR Camera: Canon EOS 90D Canon EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS STM The best DSLR camera that we've tested with a crop sensor is the Canon EOS 90D. This mid-range DSLR feels very comfortable to shoot with. It has a large, high-resolution viewfinder, a fully articulated touchscreen to help you shoot from different angles, and it's weather-sealed. Its menu system is highly intuitive, and it has a small display on top of its body so you can see settings and battery life at a glance. The camera uses a high-resolution 32.5-megapixel APS-C sensor with a wide ISO range. Overall image quality is good, and images have an impressive amount of dynamic range at the camera's base ISO. Its autofocus system also does a good job tracking moving subjects and keeping them in focus. While it doesn't have in-body image stabilization, it does have a digital stabilization feature, and you can further help its stabilization performance with an optically stabilized lens. Unfortunately, it's not as well-suited to shooting in low light since its high ISO performance is just okay. There's minimal noise at moderately high ISO settings, but it becomes noticeable at ISO 3200 and above. The camera also doesn't support USB charging, which is a bit inconvenient, but on the upside, it has an excellent battery life that should last a long time, depending on your usage habits. All in all, this is one of the best APS-C DSLRs that we've tested. Best Budget DSLR Camera: Nikon D5600 Nikkor AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR If you're on a budget, the best DSLR that we've tested for most people is the Nikon D5600. It's a decently constructed APS-C camera with a simple design, comfortable handgrip, and intuitive menu system. It has a built-in flash and a fully articulated touchscreen to help you shoot from different angles. Nikon also offers a wide array of DSLR lenses to choose from, which you can invest in with the money you save by going with a more affordable model like this one. It has a 24.2-megapixel sensor and delivers great overall image quality with excellent dynamic range and good noise handling capability when shooting in JPEG. Its RAW noise handling capability is okay, though noise starts to become visible at moderate ISOs, meaning it's not as well-suited to shooting in very dim conditions. Still, it has a decent autofocus system that does an excellent job tracking moving subjects. Also, its advertised photo battery life is fantastic, though this can vary with settings and usage. Unfortunately, this camera can't record 4k video, and its video features are limited. It can record 1080p video at up to 60 fps, meaning it can capture smooth, fast action, down to more cinematic-looking 24 fps video. However, FHD video quality is disappointing, and its autofocus system performs poorly for video. Despite that, this is still one of the best beginner DSLRs that we've tested and should be a good choice for those on a budget. Easier To Use Alternative: Nikon D3500 If you'd prefer a camera that's even easier to use, check out the Nikon D3500. Its autofocus system isn't as effective as the Nikon D5600, and its screen is fixed, giving you less flexibility when composing shots through Live View. It's affordable and has a unique 'Guide' shooting mode that helps novice users grasp the fundamentals of photography. It's a simple camera with an APS-C sensor, but it delivers impressive image quality with relatively little visual noise. Unfortunately, it's similarly lacking in video features since it can't shoot in 4k and offers middling FHD video quality. However, it has an even longer battery life that should easily last through a day of shooting depending on settings and usage habits, although it doesn't support USB charging. It's also compatible with all the same lenses the D5600 is, so it's a good option to grow with as a photographer. Get the D5600 if you want a more robust autofocus system and a fully articulated screen. If you're a total newcomer to photography and want simplicity and an extensive guide mode, the D3500 is a good alternative. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV: The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is a great full-frame DSLR camera, but it's more expensive than the Nikon D780 and performs a bit worse in battery life, photo autofocus, and video quality. See our review Canon EOS Rebel T8i: The Canon EOS Rebel T8i is a crop-sensor DSLR with a fully articulated touchscreen and an autofocus system that delivers exceptional overall performance while recording FHD video. That said, it can only record in 4k with a severe crop. It also does a poor job of smoothing out camera shake, and overall video quality is somewhat grainy. See our review Canon EOS Rebel SL3: The Canon EOS Rebel SL3 is a highly portable entry-level DSLR with an APS-C sensor. It can also shoot 4k video, making it a good choice for vlogging, but its 4k video features are limited, and it has a worse battery life than the Nikon D5600. See our review PENTAX K-3 Mark III: The PENTAX K-3 Mark III is a premium APS-C DSLR that offers excellent image quality and is especially impressive in low light, given its crop sensor. However, it's significantly pricier than the Canon EOS 90D, and its autofocus isn't as reliable. See our review Dec 24, 2021: Moved the Canon Rebel SL3 to Notable Mentions. Nov 26, 2021: Ensured that all main picks are still available and represent the best choice for their given category. Oct 29, 2021: Verified that picks still represent the best choice for their given categories. Oct 01, 2021: Replaced the Nikon D3500 with the Nikon D5600 as the 'Best Budget DSLR' and made the Nikon D3500 an 'Easier To Use Alternative'. Added the PENTAX K-3 Mark III to Notable Mentions. Sep 02, 2021: Verified accuracy and availability of picks; no change to recommendations. Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best DSLR cameras for most people to buy, according to their needs. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability (no cameras that are difficult to find or almost out of stock in the U.S.). If you would like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our reviews for DSLR cameras. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There is no single perfect camera. Personal taste, preference, and shooting habits will matter more in your selection.
slim_pajama
Entanglement and the uncertainty principle Suppose you have two maximally entangled particles. You measure the spin about the x axis of the first and the spin about the y axis of the second. But both spins cannot be known simultaneously, so how is this problem resolved? When someone says that spin measured about different axis can't both be known, they mean that whatever state you pick will have variability in at least one of the possible spin measurements you can do. So that is what you will get when measure the spin, you will get variable results. This happens even with entanglement with even just one particle. With just one particle, if you first "measure" the spin about the x axis and then "measure" the spin about the y axis. Then you will get variable results for the y axis result. Since this case is more basic, let's make sure we understand it first before we get to the case with entangled particles. By variable results I mean you get different results different times if you set up the experiment the same way repeatedly. How do you do that? First you need to identically prepare a bunch of particles the exact same identical way (to have lots of particles to have some way to get results that can change or be the same). Then you must "measure" the spin about the x axis for a particle. Then after you've "measured" the spin about the x axis for that particle and gotten a certain result follow up that "measurement" with a follow up "measurement" on the same particle, this time measuring the spin about the y axis. No entanglement, just measuring about the x axis then measuring about the y axis. The measurement about the y axis will give us variable results. By that I mean that if we take that huge colelction of identically prepared systems, some of them give us one result for the measurement about the y axis and some give us other results for the measurement about the y axis. In fact every possible result will occur equally frequently. That's what we mean by variable results. We set up the experiment identically as best we could but got different results different times. This would not have happened if we measured about the x axis on the same particle two times in a row, then we'd get the same result both times, so the results would not be variable. That's what it means about "knowing the spin about two different axis simultaneously". The "simultaneous" is that we can prepare it so that the x axis results have low variability or we can prepare it so that the y axis results are low variability, but no matter how we set up the experiment at least one will have some variability. I must emphasize this again. The idea of simultaneity was back at the moment when we choose how to set up the experiment. We could have set it up in a way that gave low variability results for measurements about the x axis. Or instead we could have set up the experiment so that we got low variability results for measurements about the y axis. But back when we planned the set up we can't do both. So know we know what it means that "both spins cannot be known simultaneously." It it means that at least one spin will produce variable results. And we know what it means to have variable results, it means that it we set up multiple instances of the entire experimental set up then we get different results on different set ups. So now we are ready to bring up entanglement. Things are trickier for entangled particles because the results are already maximally variable for any possible measurement. Yup. When particles are entangled, the property that is entangled produces every possible result available to it and in such a way as to have every possible result appear equally frequently, that's as variable as it can be. Entanglement means that each particle gives highly variable results. So, each of those results (both measurements about the x axis and measurements about the y axis) give you every possible result for a spin measurement, and each result happens equally frequently (in the heads-and-tails sense of not favoring any one side in the long run, not that it strictly alternates). The entanglement means the results are correlated. For instance if you measure both spins about the x axis you get each possible result equally likely but you are 100% likely to get the results to be the same (if they are entangled that way). Each side looks as boring as can be, you can pick any axis (not just x,y, or z, but any direction in space) and you get every possible result, each result equally often. The only thing weird is that later when you and your friend compare your results you'll notice that any time you both picked the same axis you got the same result. Spooky.
stackexchange/physics
Crackdown 3 Getting Delayed Again to 2019? Xbox One fans waiting on Crackdown 3 may be waiting even longer yet again. Amazon Spain has apparently cancelled all pre-orders for the game leading many to believe that the game is getting delayed yet again. Jez Corden from Windows Central seems to further back this rumor up as he says he has heard from a few people that the game may be pushed to 2019. This would be just the most recent misstep for Microsoft regarding Crackdown 3. The game was originally announced at E3 2014 and has been planned for launch just about every year since before always being delayed until the next year. The game was apparently in very bad shape at E3 2017 leading to a lot of criticism which then led Microsoft to delay it to Spring 2018. The game was then pushed again and it's believed that Microsoft is trying to put more resources behind it to improve it. After mediocre reception for Xbox's current 2018 exclusives, Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2, Microsoft really needs a hit to bounce back. Whether this extra time for Crackdown 3 will pay off we'll have to wait and see.
slim_pajama
What are range and domain of Hamiltonian? [closed] **Closed**. This question needs [details or clarity](/help/closed-questions). It is not currently accepting answers. --- **Want to improve this question?** Add details and clarify the problem by [editing this post](/posts/66701/edit). Closed 6 years ago. [Improve this question](/posts/66701/edit) What are range and domain of Hamiltonian? Hamiltonian is function so it should have ones. What are they? Hamiltonian is not a function, but an *operator* (a function in a broader sense, if you'd like): $${\hat {H}}=-{\frac {\hbar ^2}{2m}}\nabla ^2+V(\bar{r},t)$$ It is applied to some function (our supposed $\psi$) and yields some other function. So its domain is the **set of all doubly differentiable functions** on our underlying space (the space itself can be 1D, 3D, or whatever else, depending on the nature of the problem), and the range is even broader than that, because the derivatives (or $V$, for that matter) do not have to be differentiable.
stackexchange/chemistry
in the most general setting one can define a gray code as a listing of _ words _ , formed with @xmath0 _ letters _ from an _ alphabet _ with @xmath1 _ symbols _ , ordered in such a way that any two successive entries differ in just one symbol . these codes are named after frank gray , an engineer at bell laboratories who employed it in a patent in 1953 @xcite , although the use of the code has been traced back at least to 1878 when the french engineer jean maurice emile baudot ( after whom the name baud for the signaling rate measure was chosen ) developed a telegraph code on these grounds which readily prevailed in france . we are interested in the case where numerical symbols are involved . we can still distinguish different types of codes according to the number system used . the most commonly employed basis are of course 2 and 10 giving rise to the _ binary _ and _ decimal _ gray codes respectively . originally , the characteristic feature of these codes was important in mechanical devices such as counters , for no more than one piece at a time needs to act in every counting operation . needless to say , this feature decreases the possibility of occurrence of errors albeit these may still be large . although nowadays perhaps old - fashioned , a very illustrative and familiar situation comes from the mechanical odometer of a car . when it reads 9999 km . five inner wheels have to rotate to show 10000 km . gray code is designed to avoid such _ multiple _ changes . in a wide variety of types gray codes have been and still are applied in a large range of extremely distinct fields . we leave apart their use as puzzle - solvers @xcite ( e.g. the towers of hanoi or the chinese rings ) or in some even more bizarre application like campanology @xcite . as a sample of more canonical fields where gray codes are relevant we can cite as mere examples : database searching @xcite , design of charged particle detectors @xcite , space filling hilbert curves @xcite , genetic algorithms @xcite and their use in parameter optimization problems @xcite , neural networks @xcite , computation of unstable periodic orbits in chaotic attractors @xcite and , very recently , quantum computing @xcite . even a little surfing in the web will convince the reader of their importance in commercial matters related to a - d converters or design of communication codes . in our case it was using the native gray code to generate walsh functions that we were led to the considerations presented in this paper . we take a gray code as the play ground in which we build and represent some construction that is then analyzed by techniques familiar in other fields like dynamical systems or time series analysis but whose application is novel , so we think , in this context . the construction we refer to is a permutation , @xmath2 of natural numbers which in fact constitutes a known sequence , listed as a003188 in oeis @xcite . our approach is basically descriptive and is not directly related to the interesting topic of the mutual relationship between gray codes and permutations which has been extensively considered in the literature @xcite . in section [ reflec ] the specific type of gray code which we will focus our attention on is briefly reviewed , namely the so - called _ binary reflected gray code _ ( brgc for short ) . then we build what we call gray curve which we analyze from a fractal geometry point of view in section [ selfsim ] . statistical considerations borrowed from modern time series analysis are applied in section [ timeseries ] . for easier reading we have postponed to section [ permu ] the discussion of the technical details of the structure of the permutation of @xmath3 elements associated to the native gray code . in the last section we add some final comments . the general definition of gray code recalled in the introduction corresponds to what is known in the literature as a @xmath4-gray code and can in fact be fulfilled by very different orderings . consequently one can find in the literature a considerable variety of members in the family of gray codes and generalizations @xcite . we are only interested in the length@xmath0 _ binary _ subclass which includes all @xmath3 words of @xmath0 bits ordered in such a way that any two consecutive words differ in just one bit . we will even restrict our attention to the binary reflected gray codes which are formally defined in a recursive way @xcite : let @xmath5 denote the empty string and @xmath6 be the brgc sequence of @xmath0bit strings , then @xmath7 where @xmath8 denotes the sequence @xmath6 with @xmath9 prefixed to each string , and @xmath10 denotes the sequence @xmath6 in reverse order with @xmath11 prefixed to each string . .native gray code construction for the first @xmath12 natural numbers and its associated permutation @xmath13 . [ cols="^,>,>,>,^",options="header " , ] perhaps the easiest way to seize the idea that underlies the reflected binary gray code is through an example . table-[tgray16 ] shows the first @xmath14 decimal integers @xmath15 and their corresponding binary gray code with @xmath16 . the obvious first column lists the natural decimal ordering we are familiar with . the second column , which we shall not use explicitly in the following , is included just to explicitly appreciate the differences between standard base-2 and gray code orderings . the latter is shown in the fourth column . a first look at it reveals the aforementioned defining feature : adjacent entries differ in one , and only one , bit . the third column is incorporated to illustrate more clearly the building procedure from equation ( [ knuth ] ) . the fifth column , which is central to our discussion , displays the decimal version of the previous column . we have identified four blocks of rows in the table-[tgray16 ] which will help in the explanation that follows , referred to the third column . the first block with two rows can be considered the seed for the gray code , it represents @xmath17 from equation ( [ knuth ] ) . the next block includes the previous one together with the added next two rows . when observing only the right - most bit in these latter one sees simply the previous two rows in reverse order , i.e. @xmath18 . when @xmath9 and @xmath11 are added respectively to the left we complete @xmath19 . observe that in order not to obscure the illustration of the building process the @xmath9 has not actually been written in the first two rows . the third block adds @xmath20 new rows which accommodate the first @xmath20 rows in reverse order and then the left - most @xmath11 is prefixed . the fourth block illustrates the procedure again to obtain @xmath21 which is given in full in the fourth column . the generalization to @xmath3 elements is straightforward . this is a recursive algorithmic way to construct the gray code table . there are other possibilities for describing an algorithm leading to gray codes . for example , once we have chosen the number of bits , @xmath0 , we can start with an arbitrary string of length @xmath0 . the next term in the sequence is obtained by changing only one bit . from here on the same procedure is repeated with the proviso that strings which have already appeared in the listing are discarded . observe however that in this way we obtain certainly a binary gray code , although we can not assure it is the native brgc . apart from these recursive and constructive ways to obtain a brgc of given length there is also an explicit method @xcite . let us write the @xmath1th entry of the brgc of length @xmath0 as the string @xmath22 , then the @xmath23th bit ( from left to right ) is given by the parity of a binomial coefficient by the following expression which will be helpful in section-[permu ] : @xmath24 } \qquad ( { \rm mod}\ ; 2)\ ] ] where @xmath25 $ ] is the integer part function and @xmath26 , @xmath27 . a comment may be in order here . the previous equation could give the wrong impression that the gray code representative of the natural number @xmath1 may sensibly change with the total number of bits @xmath0 . either from equation ( [ conder ] ) or directly from ( [ knuth ] ) one can easily see that this is not the case . increasing @xmath0 only adds @xmath9 s to the left of the representative string . the native code is cyclic in the sense that 16 , in our example , would go onto 0 . more generally , the code is cyclic provided we deal with a number of elements that is a power of @xmath28 . it is worth mentioning here that the exact number of cyclic gray codes for general @xmath0 , which is related to the number of hamiltonian paths in an hypercube , is still an open problem in combinatoric analysis . from the numeric stand point , the gray code listings that we use here were generated with the short fortran routine in @xcite . eventually , we are particularly interested in interpreting the entries in the gray code column as natural numbers written in base-2 . their decimal conversion is given in the last column of the table-[tgray16 ] . comparison of first and fifth columns admits the following interpretation which we word in two obviously equivalent ways : 1 . the last column in table-[tgray16 ] is a specific permutation of the @xmath14 elements @xmath29 . or in general , the length @xmath0 brgc gives a permutation of the @xmath3 elements @xmath30 which we denote by @xmath13 . 2 . the last column in table-[tgray16 ] defines a function of a discrete variable in a definition domain with @xmath14 ( in general @xmath3 ) points . the reason we have stated separately these , otherwise interchangeable , sentences is because each of them suggests a different line of approach . in fact , while the permutation terminology is more amenable to combinatorial analysis , the functional sense calls to mind the idea of discrete dynamical system associated to the iteration of functions and related fractal structures . both interpretations will be considered in this paper and yield interesting findings when considering @xmath3 elements with @xmath31 . by now , we stress the fact that all of our development pivots about the correspondence between the first ( decimal sequence in standard order ) and the fourth columns ( decimal equivalent of the binary gray code entry ) in table-[tgray16 ] . gray codification has been then just an intermediary in the process . we introduce now some notation . let @xmath32}\equiv \{d_n = n , n= 0,1,2,3,\ldots,2^n-1\}$ ] denote the sequence of the first @xmath3 natural numbers in base-@xmath33 and @xmath34}\equiv \ { g_n , n=0,1,\ldots,2^n-1\}$ ] , the decimal representation of the gray code , i.e. , for @xmath16 , the last column in table-[tgray16 ] . @xmath13 denotes the permutation that connects @xmath32}$ ] and @xmath34}$ ] for a given @xmath0 , i.e. , @xmath13 is the element of the symmetric group @xmath35 which acts on @xmath32}$ ] according to @xmath36 in the next two sections we present a series of heuristic considerations on @xmath13 deferring to section [ permu ] its more technical details . let us now represent graphically the action of @xmath13 . we consider then the set @xmath37 of the @xmath38 plane consisting of the points with coordinates @xmath39 , @xmath40 in figure-[gray - fig1 ] , we plot @xmath34}$ ] _ versus _ @xmath32}$ ] up to @xmath41 , where we have connected successive points only as a visual help . a direct view of the disconnected set is given in the lower inset of the same figure . when no confusion may arise we shall continue to refer to this set as the gray code curve . we could describe it , at first , as a kind of crinkly devil s staircase . in view of the algorithmic way explained above to build up @xmath34}$ ] , it becomes clear the self - similar nature of the plot : increasing a new bit to the leftmost position of the gray number means to sum a certain power of two , and besides , the preceding binary structure is inherited with a reversed ordering . in the @xmath42 representation of the upper inset the scale invariance is fully appreciated . in the present section we describe the set @xmath37 for large @xmath0 from the point of view of fractal geometry . the self - similarity of the gray code curve may be made explicit . figure-[gray - ifs ] contains its first @xmath43 points . two subsets of @xmath14 points each have been framed . the subset of points in frame b is geometrically obtained from subset a by a procedure of the type _ replicate , reflect and translate _ , as follows : 1 . make an adjacent copy of the set of points in panel a. 2 . reverse the abscissae order in the replicated copy , i.e. substitute it by its image in a vertical mirror . 3 . add @xmath44 (= cardinal of the subset ) units to every ordinate . this is panel b. it is easy to see that inside plot frame a a similar procedure has been followed starting with the eight first points . the seed of the procedure was just @xmath45 . to put this description in formulae let @xmath46 be @xmath47 the set of the first @xmath48 points of our curve , @xmath49 then @xmath50 where @xmath51 is the image set of @xmath46 under the function @xmath52 defined on @xmath38 which corresponds to the previously described manipulations . by this iterative procedure the whole curve in figure-[gray - fig1 ] grows out . from a purely geometric point of view the previous function defines an affine transformation . but its translation part depends on @xmath1 , the generation index , a feature to which we shall come back . alternatively we can inscribe the curve in the unit square with vertices @xmath53 by the following iterative procedure . let us denote by @xmath54 the set @xmath55 , incidentally @xmath56 , and define @xmath57 where @xmath58 and @xmath59 are respectively the image sets of @xmath60 under the affine ( still @xmath1-dependent in the case of @xmath61 ) transformations @xmath62 which scale down , reflect and translate the curve . from all these considerations the fractal flavor of the whole construction is evident . the procedures just described to construct the gray set are clearly reminiscent of the so called iterated functions systems , very popular in fractal building and image compression @xcite . as it is well known a collection of functions are applied , either following a deterministic plan or randomly , to a simple object . the two more striking features of this approach are , on one hand , how astonishingly complex images arise from very simple seeds . on the other hand perfect coincidence in the final product of deterministic and random processes , although more and more familiar every time thanks in part to the popularization of chaos studies , is always odd . although not necessarily so , in most of the applications of ifs the functions involved are a few affine transformations with constant parameters . it is natural then to look for an ifs generator of our set @xmath37 . the problem is , however , that one can not find constant parameters for a bidimensional affine transformation capable of generating by iteration our fractal . the reason being the @xmath1 dependence mentioned earlier . so we are led to look for more general functions , i.e. non - linear ones , of the coordinates , such that when iterated produce the desired result . but the @xmath1 dependence continues to be a nuisance . the only way out is to increase the dimension of the space we are working on from two to three . this is exactly the same idea one takes advantage of in , e.g. , classical mechanics to convert a time dependent hamiltonian system in an autonomous equivalent . we then propose to extend @xmath38 to @xmath63 and take as our ifs the following @xmath64 functions : @xmath65 the price one has to pay for getting rid of the @xmath1 dependence is the higher dimension we work on and the non - linear character of the function @xmath66 involved . needless to say that for representation purposes we only plot the projection on the @xmath67 plane . anyway , equation ( [ k_ifs ] ) changes now to @xmath68 observe that the action of @xmath69 and @xmath66 on the @xmath70 coordinate prevents the existence of fixed points when each of these functions is iterated on its own . in the @xmath67 plane when @xmath69 is repeatedly iterated the results tend rapidly to the origin . it is only a little bit more complicated to see that iteration of @xmath66 leads in the limit to the point @xmath71 . the combined and competing iteration of the two functions is what produces the final figure . the set \{f , g } constitutes a _ bona fide _ ifs . the system is deterministic if @xmath69 and @xmath66 are repeatedly applied one after the other . when this is done starting with @xmath72 , then the whole set @xmath37 is generated . it is a random ifs if @xmath69 and @xmath66 are iterated with prescribed probability @xmath73 on an arbitrary initial point in the unit square . @xmath37 is obtained as the final attractor of the process . our proposal now is to interpret @xmath74 as successive values in a time series . conventional statistics ( average values , standard deviations and other indicators calculated from higher moments ) are of no particular interest for us here because they depend solely of the numerical values @xmath74 and these are simply the first @xmath3 natural numbers . the order in which the different values appear does not play any role in the computation of those statistics . the information from the time series obtained in this way could be termed as static . instead , we are interested in the dynamics represented by the series . the ordering , then , matters and we need other indicators . with this aim we analyze in the present section the series of increments @xmath75 with @xmath76 , @xmath77 the inset in figure-[gray - powerlaw ] shows a sample of the series of increments @xmath75 . by its very definition the average of the first @xmath79 values is @xmath80 and because it is always positive the gray curve is globally increasing . the statistics on the set of values @xmath81 reveals that their frequency obeys a power law , with the exception of the very small values ( see main graph in figure-[gray - powerlaw ] ) . as a matter of fact , the frequency histogram goes like @xmath82 , which means that the probability of encountering a jump @xmath83 grows as @xmath84 . one could express this fact by saying that the values @xmath74 are far from equidistant . by contrast , it seems appropriate to mention here that in its binary form , brgc is characterized by any two consecutive elements being equally spaced by a unit hamming distance . an often encountered statistic when analyzing time series is the so - called residence time , or sojourn time , @xmath85 . to deal with it , one has to define a dichotomic property of the system such as crossing a predefined threshold and keep track of the time elapsed between successive crossings . in our case we focus our attention on changes in sign of @xmath78 . accordingly we define the residence times as the length of the sequences in which @xmath78 keeps its sign . if it stays just one unit in the , say , positive region , we define its sojourn time to be just one unit . when we collect the statistic for residence times in the set of values of @xmath78 the fact which first calls our attention is that @xmath85 can only take three different values : @xmath86 or @xmath87 . suppose @xmath78 has changed sign with respect to @xmath88 , then there are only three possibilities : either @xmath89 has sign opposite to that of @xmath78 ( then @xmath90 ) , or @xmath89 and @xmath78 have equal sign but different from that of @xmath91 ( which corresponds to @xmath92 ) , or @xmath78 , @xmath89 and @xmath91 have the same sign which necessarily changes in @xmath93 ( giving @xmath94 ) . never more than two consecutive steps can be given without encountering a change of sign . as a matter of fact the statistics reveals more than that : the probabilities ( relative frequencies of appearance ) for the values of @xmath85 are exactly @xmath95 this behavior of the residence times contrasts with other known situations . for example , exponentially decreasing probability distributions are common in chaotic systems . it is worth mentioning that the statistics of residence times we are treating provides information only about changes of sign in @xmath78 . it says nothing about the direction ( upwards or downwards ) of the change . the fact that , as mentioned earlier , the average of increments @xmath75 is positive suggests the increasing overall character of our curve . by simply looking at it at any scale one corroborates that it is globally increasing , in spite of its ups and downs we perceive in more detailed graphs . in the jargon of time series analysis one says that this reflects extremely persistent dynamics which we analyze next from the hurst exponent point of view . the so - called re - scaled range statistical analysis , @xmath96 analysis , is a method designed to reveal long - run correlations or anti - correlations in a complex process . the idea was first introduced in the analysis of some hydrologic time series , but has been also applied in other studies in climatology , geophysics , econometrics , following feder @xcite , we define the average increment over a period of @xmath1 units as @xmath97 the local accumulated departure of @xmath78 from the mean @xmath98 is then @xmath99=g_n-\frac{n}{k}g_k\ ] ] the range of @xmath100 over this period reads @xmath101 where the extremal functions are evaluated in the interval @xmath102 . the range increases with @xmath1 . when properly normalized to the standard deviation @xmath103 ^ 2\right)^{1/2}\ ] ] then hurst found that the re - scaled range @xmath96 is well described by the power law @xmath104 where @xmath105 is called _ hurst exponent_. purely random series give @xmath106 . curves with @xmath107 ( @xmath108 ) witness a long run correlation of persistent ( anti - persistent ) character . this feature means that positive changes are more likely followed by positive ( negative ) ones , whereas for random phenomena both results for the next move are always equiprobable . hurst @xcite found that most natural phenomena give rise to @xmath109 , which is sometimes referred to as hurst phenomenon . in the case of the gray curve a hurst like analysis provides a value @xmath110 , revealing the extreme persistence of the series of increments , as pointed out above . this analysis appears in figure-[gray - fdh ] where @xmath96 ( straight line with open circles ) is to be read on the right scale . we follow a technique by higuchi @xcite to measure the fractal dimension of a set of points @xmath111 , @xmath112 , forming the graph of a function like that in figure-[gray - fig1 ] . the idea consists in measuring the average length @xmath113 of samples with @xmath1 points each . then , if @xmath114 , the curve is fractal with dimension @xmath115 . for instance , a time series obtained with pure noise should give @xmath116 , whereas for a regular curve @xmath117 . the method recalls the so - called richardson plot in fractal geometry . in figure-[gray - fdh ] we have plotted in doubly logarithmic scale @xmath113 against @xmath1 , with @xmath41 ( straight line with solid dots ) . the straight line is fitted to the points by the least square method and gives a slope @xmath118 . here the error estimate comes from the stability of the result with respect to the number of data rather than from the fitting procedure . these values for @xmath105 and @xmath115 are consistent with the connection formula relating @xmath105 and @xmath115 which reads : @xmath119 . a common tool in nonlinear analysis of time series consists in giving a 2d- representation of the 1d time series called return plot . a return plot , or first return map , of the sequence @xmath120 is a 2d plot of the points @xmath121 . thus , for instance , a true random sequence gives rise to a uniformly scattered plot . chaotic sequences where the generation of the @xmath122th term involves only the @xmath123th term produce 1d patterns . in the present case , the return plot for the gray curve is in figure-[gray - fig3 ] . we have drawn not only the points but also a path connecting them in order to realize the variety of jumps involved , in accordance with the set of values @xmath124 . the inset in figure-[gray - fig3 ] is a zoom of the indicated zone showing the detail of the curly structure of the curve . it is clear how strongly the natural numbers sequence gets intermingled in the permutation @xmath13 : the recurrence plot for the set @xmath125 is simply a straight line like @xmath126 . at the end of subsection [ ifs ] it was pointed out that the gray fractal can be obtained as the attractor of a random process of iteration of functions @xmath69 and @xmath66 . here we investigate the statistics obeyed by the distances traveled in every move . this point of view quits the static perspective on the fractal and enters a new kind of dynamics . starting from an arbitrary point in the unit square , runs of @xmath127 points were carried out . we have retained just the last @xmath128 points , and the previous ones were considered as a transient . the idea is to lose any memory about the initial position by getting close enough to the true attractor . a histogram of the euclidean distances traveled between two consecutive points in a random walk on the gray fractal is shown in figure-[fig - fly ] . it is noteworthy the presence of equally spaced peaks on the log - scale . the same is true for the bottom of valleys . this phenomenon means that the geometry of the fractal selects ( or avoids ) some particular flying distances along its random generation . the specific mechanism underlying this selection rule is unclear , as according to the statistic of @xmath78 in subsection-[stat - d ] all length distances are present in the fractal itself . in this section we collect some properties of the permutation @xmath13 which have been instrumental in most of the considerations presented so far . in correspondence with the name _ native gray code _ sometimes used for the brgc we call @xmath13 the _ native gray permutation_. a little experimentation and some reflection lead to the following observations : 1 . the recurrent definition of the permutation @xmath129 as a function with domain @xmath32}$ ] is @xmath130 with @xmath131 , and where @xmath132 , @xmath133 . particularly interesting values are @xmath134 and @xmath135 . an explicit expression for @xmath136 can be deduced from equation ( [ conder ] ) . given @xmath137 , @xmath138 , the minimum number of bits necessary to write it in base-2 is @xmath139 given by @xmath140 + 1.\ ] ] then we have @xmath141 where @xmath142 has been defined in section-[reflec ] 3 . the equation @xmath143 has , for any value of @xmath0 , only two solutions : @xmath144 and @xmath145 it is to say , @xmath9 and @xmath11 are the only elements of @xmath32}$ ] which @xmath129 leaves invariant . all other elements of @xmath32}$ ] under the action of @xmath129 are grouped in cycles , but only cycles of length @xmath146 will appear . in symbols that means that we can factor out @xmath129 in cycles in the form@xmath147 where @xmath148 represents a cycle of @xmath146 elements of which @xmath149 different specimens appear in @xmath129 . @xmath150 indicates that the length of the longest cycle or cycles is @xmath151 . 4 . the distribution of the @xmath152 elements of @xmath32}$ ] in cycles follows a strict procedure : they fill cycles @xmath148 in increasing order of @xmath153 . no @xmath154cycle appears until all allowable @xmath155cycles are filled up . moreover , @xmath149 has a maximum value independent of @xmath156 in other words , once a certain number of @xmath154cycles has been reached no matter how big @xmath0 becomes no other @xmath154cycle will be formed . furthermore , when @xmath0 increases the factorization of @xmath129 keeps the structure corresponding to the lower values of @xmath0 . the new cycles formed are as long as the longest ones for previous values of @xmath0 or longer . this property confers to @xmath13 a certain type of shell structure . @xmath154cycles will appear for the first time for @xmath157 in the language of the theory of dynamical systems one could say that at these values of @xmath0 a period doubling bifurcation appears . this way of speaking has to be considered simply as an analogy and can not be taken too literally . it is illustrated with an example in figure-[orbits ] which is self - explanatory . with all these considerations in mind a careful book - keeping shows that the length of the longest cycle in @xmath13 is @xmath151 with @xmath158 + 1=[\log_{2}(n-1)]+1,\qquad n\geq2\ ] ] where @xmath25 $ ] stands for integer part . obviously for @xmath159 we have @xmath160 and , for any @xmath161 @xmath162 according to observation ( iv ) above , the maximum value of @xmath149 , @xmath163 is , for @xmath164 , independent of @xmath0 and it is not difficult to see that@xmath165 while the number of longest cycles is @xmath166 where in these formulae @xmath150 has been for simplicity written as @xmath1 . observe that in this last case the dependence on @xmath0 is explicit . as a test one can check that @xmath167 to fully appreciate the complexity of the cycle structure of the gray permutation @xmath129 we show in table-[tciclos ] a few cases of values characterizing that structure . it gives the complete cycle structure of @xmath129 up to @xmath168 and includes also the total number of cycles , @xmath169 , and the average cycle length , @xmath170 . [ c]|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|@xmath0 & @xmath3 & @xmath171 & @xmath172 & @xmath173 & @xmath174 & @xmath175 & @xmath169 & @xmath170 + @xmath11 & @xmath28 & 2 & @xmath9 & @xmath9 & @xmath9 & @xmath9 & @xmath28 & @xmath11 + @xmath28 & @xmath20 & @xmath28 & @xmath11 & @xmath9 & @xmath9 & @xmath9 & @xmath87 & @xmath176 + @xmath87 & @xmath177 & @xmath28 & @xmath11 & @xmath11 & @xmath9 & @xmath9 & @xmath20 & @xmath28 + @xmath20 & @xmath14 & @xmath28 & @xmath11 & @xmath87 & @xmath9 & @xmath9 & @xmath178 & @xmath179 + @xmath180 & @xmath43 & @xmath28 & @xmath11 & @xmath87 & @xmath28 & @xmath9 & @xmath177 & @xmath20 + @xmath178 & @xmath181 & @xmath28 & @xmath11 & @xmath87 & @xmath178 & @xmath9 & @xmath182 & @xmath183 + @xmath184 & @xmath185 & @xmath28 & @xmath11 & @xmath87 & @xmath186 & @xmath9 & @xmath187 & @xmath188 + @xmath177 & @xmath189 & @xmath28 & @xmath11 & @xmath87 & @xmath190 & @xmath9 & @xmath191 & @xmath192 + @xmath193 & @xmath194 & @xmath28 & @xmath11 & @xmath87 & @xmath190 & @xmath14 & @xmath195 & @xmath196 + @xmath33 & @xmath197 & @xmath28 & @xmath11 & @xmath87 & @xmath190 & @xmath198 & @xmath199 & @xmath200 + the reminiscence of the atomic shell - model mentioned earlier is of course purely symbolic but it is reinforced when observing figure-[fig - nk ] . in it we represent @xmath150 as a function of @xmath0 and one can see that the jumps occur for values of @xmath0 which are exact powers of @xmath28 . the inset shows that precisely at these values the number of longest cycles falls down . of course the general formulae we have deduced do not give explicitly the elements in each cycle like for example , for @xmath16 , @xmath201 but this information is much less relevant for our purposes . it is interesting to notice the somewhat distinguished role of @xmath13 in the symmetric group @xmath35 . it is clear that from the information given in this section one can easily draw the young diagram corresponding to the equivalence class containing @xmath13 in the group @xmath35 . it is also obvious that binary gray codes other than brgc originate also permutations in @xmath35 , but these may have a cycle structure very different to that of @xmath13 and consequently behave in other ways . on the other side any element @xmath202 generates trivially a binary code , but in general it is not of the gray type . among combinatorics problems with physical applications the study of permutations has always been of particular interest . as recent exponents of it , in @xcite and @xcite random permutations are used in connection with stochastic processes . on the other hand gray codes have also met applications in different branches of physics , as widely shown in the introduction . from the point of view of combinatorics or graph theory relationships between this type of codes and permutations are manifold and are being explored in different directions in mathematical literature @xcite . but from physics standpoint no such kinship seems to have been studied in detail . in this paper we have analyzed the permutation associated with the binary reflected gray code from the perspective , and with the techniques , of a dynamical system and its corresponding time series . in so doing we have been led in a natural way to enhance some fractal aspects of the system . one may hope that this line of approach could be helpful in understanding a more dynamical role of permutations . the results of the analysis carried out in this paper involve only integer arithmetic , some book - keeping and graphical considerations and so constitute , in our opinion , appropriate material for pedagogical purposes . as a final summary we would like to mention as a particularly appealing result of our approach the generation of the permutation @xmath13 by an iterated function system applied either in a deterministic or a random way . also worth mentioning is the discovery of strong selection rules acting on the system which manifest themselves in the distribution of residence times with only three allowed values , and of flying distances . which , if any , of these results apply to other permutations associated with other codes may perhaps be worth considering in the future . as would be a deeper understanding of the selection rules mentioned before . this work has been partially supported by contracts mcyt - bmf2001 - 0262 and gv2003 - 002 , spain . 99 silverman j , vickers v and e sampson j l 1983 statistical estimates of the n - bit gray codes by restricted random generation of permutations of @xmath11 to @xmath205 _ ieee trans . inf . theory _ * 29 * 894 - 901
arxiv
schwannomas are benign tumors that originate from nerve sheaths composed exclusively of schwann cells8910 ) . a major - nerve , intramuscular schwannoma is an extremely rare condition9 ) . due to low frequency of this tumor type and lack of specific instrumental signs and symptoms , we present a rare case of intramuscular schwannoma originating from the dorsal ramus nerve in a 62-year - old woman . a 62-year - old woman patient was admitted to the hospital because of a palpable back mass on her left side . the mass was identified eight years prior , and grew slowly , until pain developed upon touch five years prior . the mass was observed in the left erector spinae muscles ( in the l2 - 4 region ) by magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) . t2- and t1-weighted images showed heterogeneous high signal intensity , and intermediate to low signal intensity , respectively ( fig . 1 ) . the preoperative diagnostic evaluation suggested the growth was metastasis , sarcoma , or a peripheral nerve sheath tumor . the lesion was thought to originate on the cranial side , and was completely removed , including the origin . when the mas was cut , the surface of the mass was mottled , whitish pale - yellow , and myxoid with hemorrhagic foci ( fig . microscopically , the tumor was composed of compact spindle cell regions ( antoni - a ) , with a nuclear , palisading and whirling cell pattern , and loosely arranged areas of lower cell density ( antoni - b ) , along with ectatic , irregularly - shaped hyalinized vessels ( fig . the most common types of benign soft tissue tumor are lipoma and related variants ( 16% ) , and other types include fibrous histiocytoma ( 13% ) , nodular fasciitis ( 11% ) , hemangioma ( 8% ) , and schwannoma ( 5%)5 ) . approximately 25 and 45% of schwannoma cases occur in the head and neck areas , respectively12 ) . the symptom frequencies reported among patients with benign schwannoma are 5 - 52% for tenderness , 20% for radicular pain , 60 - 96% for the tinel sign , and 7.6 - 82% for motor weakness6 ) . intramuscular schwannomas are highly uncommon ; however , reports have been documented for such tumors originating from the psoas and coracobrachialis muscles , with palpable masses that presented with either no symptoms or lower extremities numbness , but no characteristic symptomatic features12489 ) . schwannomas typically originate from a small nerve branch within the muscle , and symptoms vary depending on the site of origin6913 ) . because intramuscular schwannomas originate from motor branch nerves , neurological symptoms , including pain , motor weakness , paresthesia , are rare69 ) . in our case , there was no radicular pain or motor weak ness ; however slight tenderness was reported . in our patient the erector spinae muscles are dominated by the lumbar dorsal ramus nerve , which branches to form the spinae nerve . the dorsal ramus nerve runs dorsocaudally in the transverse domain , and generally separates into the medial , intermediate , and lateral branches3 ) . schwannomas are typically well encapsulated and solid with membranes composed of a thin fibrous capsule pressing on perineural tissue12 ) . however , if a schwannoma is large , it appears heterogeneous in radiological exams , indicating hemorrhage and tissue necrosis1 ) . in the present study the histological hallmark of a schwannoma is varying proportions of two distinctive tissues : fascicular type ( antoni - a ) and reticular type ( antoni - b)911 ) . antoni - a is highly cellular , with compact , spindle - shaped cells17911 ) . immunohistochemically , schwannomas typically show diffuse , strongly s-100 protein expression11 ) . in the present case , we cautiously removed the encapsulated mass and excised the origin , which appeared to be the dorsal ramus nerve . our tissue biopsy confirmed the presence of a very rare intramuscular benign schwannoma , with typical features . to our knowledge , this is the first report of a dorsal ramus nerve schwannoma within the erector spinae muscles . when a patient has palpable , deep or intrinsic back muscle tissue mass , a radiological examination , such as a computed tomography ( ct ) or mri should be considered . in the ct or mri , a distinct pattern in the surrounding wall of the mass is suggestive of schwannoma , which we confirmed by needle biopsy . if histological findings suggested the presence of antoni - a or -b and the s-100 protein is strongly expressed , a diagnosis of dorsal ramus schwannoma should be considered .
pubmed
substance use is accompanied by increased risk of morbidity and mortality , psychological and interpersonal problems , academic failure , difficulties in establishing and sustaining relationships , and experiencing unwanted or unprotected sex , crime , accidents , and injuries ( 1 ) . the consumption of legal and illegal drugs has increased around the world , including asian countries . this increase is not just limited to mood - altering or psychoactive drugs , but it also includes many illicit drugs ( 2 ) . on the other hand , adolescence and youth university or college duration is also a sensitive and critical period , because substance use could be seen , especially among students under academic pressure , peer group effects , popularity , and easy access to common substances like alcohol ( 3 ) . arria and caldeira ( 4 ) showed that the exposure opportunity and onset of substance use often occurs in universities . school surveys are efficient and frequently used when studying alcohol , tobacco , and substance use among young populations . besides , anonymity of questionnaire leads to increased confidence of students and accuracy of results ( 5 ) . accordingly , school surveys are the most common epidemiological studies on substance use in the world ; examples of this type of study are the americans monitoring the future ( mtf ) study , conducted every year since 1975 ( 6 ) and european school survey project on alcohol and other drugs ( espad ) , performed every four years in most european countries since 1995 ( 7 ) . several studies have also been conducted in iran among university students , which was evident by the fact that 17 studies were included in a systematic review in this domain ( 8) . sixteen out of 17 studies were conducted in medical universities , indicating the fact that medical sciences universities pay more attention to this matter . this systematic review showed that lifetime and last month alcohol , opium , and cannabis use were more common among iranian students . in case of daily consumption in males , after this review , several other studies have been conducted on students in iran ( 9 - 11 ) . it should be noted that because of the pressure due to heavy workload , the prevalence of substance use in medical university students may be different from the general population or other students . this pressure could lead to adverse health effects and more arbitrary use of drugs for coping with stress ( 12 , 13 ) . additionally , medical sciences students may be at a higher risk for substance use due to their familiarity with and easier access to drugs . on the other hand , their attitudes towards substance use may affect their professional behavior . besides , substance use by this group can create unfavorable patterns and lead to increased risk of unhealthy behaviors in the society ( 10 ) . therefore , the information obtained from substance use in medical university students can be used for formulating interventions as well as for educational and prevention programs in high - risk groups ( 14 ) . in iran , since 1986 , medical universities have been part of the ministry of health and medical education and separated from nonmedical fields . tehran university of medical sciences , with the largest number of students ( approximately 16000 ) at different fields and levels , is the oldest and largest university of medical sciences in iran . therefore , this study was conducted to determine the status of substance use and its correlates in the students of tehran university of medical sciences during 2012 - 2013 . we used multi - stage sampling based on the proportion of students in different colleges ( stratified sampling ) and number of classes ( clusters ) . students were chosen based on the following strategy ; in each college ( strata ) , some classes ( clusters ) were randomly selected and all the students of the selected classes were included in the study . to gain the students trust before distributing the questionnaires , an explanation was presented by interviewers about the purposes of the study , anonymity of the questionnaires , and the voluntary nature of participation in the survey . finally , same - color pens were distributed among the students for maintaining their confidentiality . the students who were randomly selected completed a self - report questionnaire , developed earlier in another study ( 15 ) in the classroom . the questionnaire had been prepared based on the world health organization ( who ) core questionnaires and who alcohol , smoking and substance involvement screening test ( assist ) , taking into account the situation of substance use in iran . the content of the questionnaire had been previously validated by a group of researchers in another study ( 15 ) and the validity was assessed by pretesting the questionnaire in a class of master of public health ( mph ) students . this questionnaire begins with questions of demographic information including age , gender , marital status , and the type of residence . other questions included smoking , hookah use , alcohol use , prescription drugs misuse ( including opioid drugs , methylphenidate and sedatives or tranquilizers ) , illicit substance use ( including cannabis , ecstasy , stimulants such as amphetamine and methamphetamine , opium and its burnt , heroin and cocaine ) , alcohol use , prescription drugs misuse and illicit drug use in the family members and close friends , the importance of substance use in close friends . in this paper , the term prescription drugs misuse refers to the use of opioid drugs and sedatives ( tranquilizers ) at least three times a week for the last month or the last year use of methylphenidate . illicit substances included cannabis and similar compounds , opium ( or burned , and the sap ) , heroin and cocaine , ecstasy , amphetamines , and other stimulants such as methamphetamine . for smoking , hookah and alcohol , the last year use was considered , while for illicit substances , lifetime use was considered for statistical analyses . the norm rate of usage of each substance was used as the selection criteria for each period . for example , in iran , the occasional use of opioid drugs without a doctor 's prescription for physical pain is widespread , but its continuous use is considered abnormal and can lead to numerous side effects . prevalence with 95% confidence interval ( ci ) was reported . to perform simple statistical analysis , chi - squared and fisher 's exact tests were used . for assessing multiple associations of all the variables with prescription drugs , alcohol and illicit substance use , multiple binary logistic regression analysis was used separately for the outcomes . to improve the veracity and reliability of anonymous respondents , limited demographic data were recorded . the most important criterion for ensuring the representativeness of the sample was gender . because the number of female students at universities of medical sciences in iran is about twice as males , simple ratios were used rather than weighted ones . from 2212 distributed questionnaires , a total of 1992 ( 90.5% response rate ) were completed by the students . the mean age of the subjects was 21.16 3.15 years ( range : 16 - 44 ) . the majority of sample were female ( 69.2% ) and 7.9% of the samples were married . among 1992 students , 98 ( 4.9% , 95% ci : 3.4 - 5.9 ) had used prescription drugs at least three times a week for the last month . among these , 40 ( 40.8% ) , 9 ( 9.2% ) and 54 ( 55.1% ) of them had used opioid drugs , sedatives ( tranquilizers ) , and methylphenidate , respectively ( table 1 ) . of the respondents , 138 ( 6.9% , 95% ci : 5.8 - 8.0 ) had used alcohol in the last year and 57 ( 2.9% , 95% ci : 2.1 - 3.6 ) had never used illicit substances . among the never users of illicit substances , some of them reported the use of cannabis ( 23 , 40.3% ) , ecstasy ( 6 , 10.5% ) , methamphetamine ( 5 , 8.8% ) , opium ( 26 , 45.6% ) , heroin ( 2 , 3.5% ) , and cocaine ( 8 , 14% ) . table 1 presents the demographic characteristics of substance users and the association between prescription drug misuse , alcohol use , and illicit substance use ( table 1 ) . the results of these analyses showed that alcohol use in the last year ( or = 5.3 ) , illicit substance use ( or = 3.2 ) , and illicit substance use among friends ( or = 2.6 ) were associated with prescription drug misuse . this table also shows the association of smoking in the last year ( or = 5.5 ) , hookah use in the last year ( or = 8.3 ) , prescription drugs misuse ( or = 5.5 ) , illicit substance use ( or = 3.5 ) , alcohol use in the family members ( or = 3.4 ) , and alcohol use among friends in the last year ( or = 3.9 ) with alcohol use among university students . results of the logistic model also showed that being a male ( or = 4.0 ) , hookah use in the last year ( or = 3.2 ) , prescription drug misuse ( or = 3.2 ) , and alcohol use in the last year ( or = 3.3 ) were associated with students illicit substance use . use of opioid drugs and sedatives ( tranquilizers ) at least three times a week for the last month or last year use of methylphenidate . lifetime use of any illicit substance ( e.g. cannabis , ecstasy , amphetamine and methamphetamine , opium , heroin , and cocaine ) . variables entered in step 1 : gender , age , marital status , residency , smoking , hookah use , alcohol use , illicit substance use , illicit substance use in family , illicit substance use in friends , prescription drug use in family , and prescription - type drug use in friends . variables entered in step 1 : gender , age , marital status , residency , smoking , hookah use , prescription drug use , illicit substance use , alcohol use in family , alcohol use in friends , illicit substance use in family , and illicit substance use in friends . variables entered on step 1 : gender , age , marital status , residency , smoking , hookah use , alcohol use , illicit substance use in family , illicit substance use in friends , prescription drug use , alcohol use in family , and alcohol use in friends . separated results based on the drugs are as follows : about 2.7% of the students had used methylphenidate in the last year . methylphenidate is used in medical sciences students for increasing the learning abilities and academic achievement . it can be easily used and considered to be stigma - free ( 16 ) . in an earlier , smaller study in another iranian university , the prevalence of methylphenidate use in our study was comparable to studies from the medical university students . in the mtf study in the us , 1.8% of the students it seems that some medical university students did not have a negative attitude toward nonmedical use of methylphenidate . this can be warning for the dissemination of methylphenidate use in young people in iranian universities . the prevalence of sedatives ( tranquilizers ) use ( at least three times a week for the last month ) was 0.4% , which was lower than the prevalence reported in studies from other countries . for example , in the mtf study , nonprescription uses of sedatives and tranquilizers in the last 30 days were 0.8% and 1.1% among students , respectively ( 6 ) . in european countries , in a recent espad study ( 7 ) , on average , 6% of the students reported lifetime nonmedical use of tranquilizers or sedatives , ranging from 15% and 14% in poland and france respectively to 2% in ukraine , russia , and germany . about 2.0% of all the students had misused ( at least three times a week for the last month ) prescription opioid drugs . in most iranian studies regarding nonmedical use of drugs in students , for example , the result of a study from guilan university of medical sciences showed that 0.36% of students used morphine during the last 30 days ( 18 ) . another study showed that the prevalence of tramadol use in university students was 9.5% in the last 30 days ( 19 ) . these differences probably are due to different definitions of prescription opioid drugs use and the study location . the resulted prevalence in our study was similar to those on students in the medical university students . in the mtf study ( 6 ) , 2.2% of the students had used narcotics other than heroin ( e.g. methadone , morphine , codeine , etc . ) . the prevalence of alcohol use in the last year was 6.9% ( 13.4% in male and 4.1% in female students ) , which was lower than that of other studies . in the mtf study in the us , for example , in a study in turkey , 48.5% of students had used alcohol in the last year ( 20 ) . lower rate of alcohol use in this study is mostly related to the following reasons : 1 ) religious and legal prohibition of alcohol use ; 2 ) the cultural stigma against alcohol use ; and 3 ) disapproval of alcohol use by parents . the prevalence of alcohol use in this study is similar to other studies in iran ( 21 , 22 ) . based on a review study , the lifetime prevalence of alcohol consumption in iranian students varied between 5% and 34.7% ( 8) . taremian and bolhari ( 21 ) reported that the lifetime prevalence of opium ( the most common illicit drug used in iran ) and heroin in universities of tehran was 2.3% and 2.2% , respectively . for example , in the mtf study , 50.5% of the students had a history of any illicit substance use ; however , after putting marijuana aside , this rate reached 23.8% ( 6 ) . the results from the european study ( espad ) ( 7 ) also indicated that on average , 6% of european students had lifetime use of illicit drugs other than cannabis , with france having the highest rate ( 11% ) . in pakistan , 17% of the students reported history of any psychoactive substances use ( 23 ) . in the mtf study , the lifetime prevalence of use of marijuana , inhalants , hallucinogens , cocaine , and heroin were 49.1% , 5.7% , 7.6% , 5.2% , and 0.5% , respectively ( 6 ) . our analysis showed that opium was the most frequently used drug among students ( 45.6% of the users of illicit drug ) . in general , because of the domestic reasons and high availability due to the close proximity to afghanistan , opium consumption is more common in iran ( 24 ) . therefore , in addition to differences in the prevalence rate , the pattern of substance use in iranian students is completely different from students of western countries . our findings suggested that the prevalence of prescription drug misuse , alcohol use , and illicit substance use in male students was much higher than in female students ( 7.3% vs. 3.8% , 13.4% vs. 4.1% , and 6.8% vs. 1.1% , respectively ) . studies conducted in iran and other countries have shown that the prevalence of prescription drug misuse , alcohol use , and illicit substance use was more in males than in females ( 18 , 25 - 28 ) . however , after entering all the variables into the logistic model , the effects of gender on the use of prescription drug and alcohol were adjusted . the remaining difference could be due to other factors such as consumers in family and friends . however , the results of this analysis showed that regardless of other factors , being a male increases the chance of lifetime illicit substance use by about four times . co - occurrence is one of the most effective approaches in the prevention of high - risk behaviors . numerous studies have emphasized on the co - occurrence of substance use and other risky behaviors ( 29 , 30 ) . our findings indicated that prescription drug misuse , alcohol use , and illicit substance use were strongly associated with each other , as well as with other high - risk behaviors ( eg , cigarette and hookah smoking in the last year ) . one of the most important factors that influences the spread of substance use is peers and friends effect . youths who have drug - using friends are more likely to have the tendency towards substance use ( 31 ) . therefore , if close friends are substance users and substance use is common in a large group of peers , these youths are more likely to be pushed to consumption ( 32 , 33 ) . several studies have also shown that substance user parents increases the risk of substance use in children ( 34 , 35 ) . our study showed that there was a significant association between the use of substances in students with the use of substances in their family members and friends . for example , alcohol use in family members and close friends increases the odds of alcohol use in students by three to four times . the strengths of the present work were its large sample size and high response rate , both of which increase the generalizability of the findings . the present work also had the following limitations : first , due to the cross - sectional design of the study , causality could not be assessed . second , the study relied on self - report data ; thus , underreporting of substance use was expected , even assuring the participants of the anonymity of the questionnaires . this study reported the prevalence of some types of substance use and determined some of theirs associated factors . the results also indicated that the prevalence of prescription drugs misuse , alcohol use , and illicit substance use was relatively low among iranian university students , though still important . longitudinal studies are required to determine and monitor the incidence rate of substance use and its correlates . the findings of this study can be used for planning and evaluating interventions by considering the risk factors as well as protective factors of substance use in universities .
pubmed
Ramiro II c. 900 1 January 951, son of Ordoño II, was a King of León from 931 until his death. Initially titular king only of a lesser part of the kingdom, he gained the crown of León and with it, Galicia after supplanting his brother Alfonso IV and cousin Alfonso Fróilaz in 931. The scant Anales castellanos primeros are a primary source for his reign. He actively campaigned against the Moors, who referred to him as the Devil due to his ferocity and fervor in battle. He defeated the hosts of the Umayyad caliph, Abderramán III, at the Battle of Simancas 939. Succession When, shortly before his death in 910, Alfonso III of Asturias was forced by his sons to abdicate, the Kingdom of Asturias descended into a period of successional crises among the royal family and their supporters from the regional marcher aristocracies. The kingdom was initially partitioned, with García I receiving León, Ordoño II Galicia and Fruela II the Asturian heartland. With the successive deaths of García I 914 and Ordoño 924, these were re-consolidated, Fruela ruling the entirety of what would thenceforth be referred to as the Kingdom of León. His death the next year, 925, again brought about disputed succession and partition. A younger brother, Ramiro, appears to have married Fruela's widow and adopted the royal title, but gained no traction. Instead it was the next generation that rose to the forefront. As eldest son of the prior king, Alfonso Fróilaz was crowned but proved unable to extend his power to the entire kingdom and was marginalized by his cousins the three sons of Ordoño II, who had the backing of the Kingdom of Pamplona. These brothers again partitioned the portion of the kingdom they controlled: the eldest, Sancho Ordóñez, ruling in Galicia, Alfonso IV in León, and Ramiro II in the newly conquered lands to the south al-Andalus chronicler Ibn Hayyan located his court at Coimbra. When Sancho died in 929 his kingdom was absorbed by Alfonso IV, but in a quick succession of events taking place in Leon and Zamora, Ramiro forced the abdication of Alfonso IV, and had him and Fruela II's three sons blinded in order to make them incapable of ruling. Reign Ramiro stood out as an excellent military commander, and expanded remarkably his territories south Salamanca, Ledesma,... as well as founding or repopulating frontier strongholds Osma, Clunia,.... Ramiro masterminded a Pamplona/León coalition that defeated a joint Andalusian counter-offensive in the Battle of Simancas 939. This victory allowed the advance of the Leonese border of the Duero to the Tormes. In the last years of his reign, he lost the support of his Pamplona brother-in-law/son-in-law García Sánchez I, who then helped another brother-in-law, the count Fernán González of Castile, to gain brief de facto independence. Still in 950 Ramiro launched an expedition to the valley of the Edge and defeated the Cordovan Umayyads at Talavera. Family Ramiro II married twice, first to his first cousin Adosinda Gutiérrez, daughter of Gutier Osóriz and Ildonzia Menéndez a sister of Ramiro's mother, queen Elvira Menéndez, and second to Urraca Sánchez of Pamplona, daughter of Sancho I of Pamplona and Toda. By Adosinda, who was also cousin of San Rosendo, Ramiro had Bermudo and Ordoño III, and presumably also daughter Theresa, wife of García Sánchez I of Pamplona. García is referred to as Ramiro's son-in-law by chronicler Ibn Hayyan, and his eldest son by his documented second wife Theresa was named Ramiro, while Theresa would not have been daughter of Ramiro II's second wife, who was her husband's sister. By Urraca, Ramiro had two children, Sancho I of León and Elvira Ramírez. He figures prominently in the romantic poem, the Miragaia, which tells the apocryphal story of Ramiro bedding Ortega, the daughter of a local Arab lord. By her he is given a son Aboazar, the progenitor of the Galician/Portuguese Maia family. This Maia tradition was subsequently linked to another legend, that told in the Cantar de los Siete Infantes de Lara by giving Ramiro and Ortega a daughter Ortega Ramírez, who is made to marry Gustios Gonzalez, grandfather of the legendary infantes and of hero Mudarra González. Subsequent elaboration of this legend gave further supposed descendants among the Lara family, but these Lara connections are dismissed by modern scholars. References Category:900s births Category:951 deaths Category:Leonese monarchs Category:Galician monarchs Category:10th-century monarchs in Europe Category:Beni Alfons Category:Burials in the Royal Pantheon at the Basilica of San Isidoro
wikipedia
The tale of the torn Vail _**The tale of the torn Vail **_ _**BY**_ _**Adrian Vail (D.W.B.)**_ _ it was late. the night air crisp. the grip of winter was long and icy. as it had been for the last two weeks. the snow had started to fall. It was late November. _ _ the year was 1940. the wind hounded at my door. I sat in my house with my wife. And my daughter who was only five years old at the time._ _ it was night the radio had called for a storm to blow through. so I was not so unsettled by the sound erupting from the shadows out side my window. my wife Serra had gone to bed, to be up with the little one in the morning. I was finishing the paper and was growing tired. so I had locked the door. and headed to bed and turned off the radio._ _ when I heared the knocking at the window. It drew my attention. I then turned the light back on. To find a bloody hand print on my window. I then went to the window to look out, and found nothing. I proceeded to turn the lights off. when a knock came from the door ever so faint. I miss tuck it for a scratch of a branch on the window. then a sound that I will never forget came from the hall behind me. it was my daughter who was woken up from the sounds of the storm, and had come to find me. so I turned to take her back to her room._ _ when a large crash had hit the front door. I rushed my girl to her mothers room and told the m to be as silent as they could. And then tuck the pistol from my office. _ _ I looked through the peep hole on the door. there was a looming sound coming from the wind. as if there was something bad about to happen. I saw nothing out the door, but a small pool of blood where it looked as if some one had been laying. I looked as far in to the looming darkness that came form the shadows of the night. the storm had laid a blanket of snow on the ground. Enif that I could see a set of foot prints on the ground with a trail of blood behind them. I opened the door. as if to see if I could see any thing better._ _ as I opened the door the wind cot the door. it flow from my hands it crashed on the wall with a loud hallow thud. I looked in to the piercing darkness of the night. I then turned to turn the porch light on. _ _ I felt a slight breeze come from in front of me. I turned to find a women laying on my porch. bleeding from her leg and her arm. As if mauled by a rabid dog or animal. _ _ She was as cold as ice and looked as if she was frozen. Her hair was blond a gold hue. Her cloths were nice as if she was from a black tie diner. Her skin was like marble. I was not shore if she was alive or not. _ _ I pulled her in to the living room. Placing her in my char. I then turned to close the door to keep out the bitter cold. witch nipped at the door like claws of a dog. _ _ I then hired a crash come from the kitchen. I went to check on my wife and daughter Jain. Who were in my bed room in the back half of the house. I walked slowly down the hall. could barley see. The darkness covered the hall. i could not find the switch to turn the lights on. _ _ I felt a hand that was not a hand it could not be. it had felt like death himself had garbed me by the shoulder. _ _ Turning to find that the women who was died on my chair or so i thought was. she was fine. She was standing next to me. then darkness surrounded me. the last thing I remember hiring was "don't be frightened" ,I was fine calmer then I had ever felt. then I hired a scream. then a shoot and nothing. but ringing everything else is a blare. _ _ I only remember part of the next two hours flashes of light, a motor from a car, and muffled screams coming from in the trunk. silence and darkness again and a pain like I had been hit with a bat._ _ I woke two hours later only to find that I was had awoken chained to the floor of a large room. And the smell of salt water. I screamed my wifes name out as loud as I could. All I got was silence. I started to cry out for my family still meet with silece of the sea witch crashed a long the shore I though I was not that far from the land I screamed for help nothing came only more silence. After a few minutes I waited. _ _ I laid there wondering what was going to happen to me if I was going to die. I looked around the room to see if there was any thing. I saw a canvas half painted. A paint brush laying on a easel where it looked like someone had been painting. The painting was only half done but I could see a women in a blue dress and a league and a partial ocean and shore. The painting looked as if it was taken right out of a book. I called out one last time. Just to see if I got a answer or a last hopefull cry for help. I heared a sound come from behind my head a women standing over me. _ _ Her eyes were blue, like pools of crystal. Her long hair, kept in a braid draped over her shoulder like a golden waterfall. It accented her outfit, a dated yet well kept dress which covered her to her ankles. It was an icy blue in color, relieved only by the ruffled frill of her collar._ _ Time pasted slowly as she moved close to me. I felt a uforeya wash over me. As if struck def I could only heir a faint sound of a voice. Witch called faintly as if vary distant as if not even there. _ _ As she gestered for me to stand I lifted my hand to grab her hand. As are hands meet it was as if holding a block of ice clod as if soulless. I tore from her hands to get a way as I did._ _ A flash of light hit me. I was back at my house but not me _ End file.
fanfiction
What Happens When A Gravitational Wave Interacts With Another One? If two gravitational waves came in contact with each other what would happen? In another question entirely, what happens when a higher gravitational field interacts with a weaker one. **Weak** gravitational waves are just like light or sound: they temporally "interfere" and pass through each-other unaffected. However, if the waves are **strong** they will "pull" on each-other, since the waves contain energy (which is mass). In the extreme case this would make a black hole. In general, large amplitude waves of anything (light, sound, water, etc) begin to affect each-other in strange ways (the scientific term is "non-linearity"), For the stronger vs weaker field, the stronger wave(s) determine the metric and the weaker waves would behave just like light waves would: being "pulled" toward the stronger ones. "Strong" means that space-time is stretched/squeezed significantly, which requires the mass-energy contained in the waves to approach that of a black hole the same size. This is VERY strong, so don't expect natural gravitational wave interactions to produce black holes. Finally, the waves must be moving in different directions. Otherwise you could find a reference frame for which the waves are redshifted to low energies. The same goes for any wave that is being propagated in a vacuum.
stackexchange/physics
Nikola Lončar Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Лончар; born May 31, 1972 is a Serbian former professional basketball player. He also holds Spanish citizenship. Professional career Lončar started his career at Partizan, making his professional debut in 1989. With Partizan, he won the Euroleague in 1992. Lončar also played for Real Madrid, Cagiva Varese, PSG Racing, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Joventut Badalona, Zucchetti Montecatini, Breogán, Estudiantes and Armani Jeans Milano. Yugoslav national team Lončar was a member of the Yugoslav national team at four major tournaments during the 1990s. He took silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, gold medal at the 1998 FIBA World Championship in Greece, and two FIBA European Championship medals gold in 1997 and bronze in 1999. Post-playing After ending his basketball playing career in 2006, Lončar began working on Spanish television as a studio analyst for the NBA coverage on Movistar+ platform. In March 2018, Lončar was named a sports director of Partizan NIS. References External links Nikola Lončar at acb.com Nikola Lončar at legabasket.it Nikola Lončar at euroleague.net Nikola Lončar at fiba.com Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:ABA League players Category:Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:CB Breogán players Category:CB Estudiantes players Category:FIBA EuroBasket-winning players Category:Joventut Badalona players Category:KK Partizan players Category:Liga ACB players Category:Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. players Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Olimpia Milano players Category:Olympic basketball players of Yugoslavia Category:Olympic medalists in basketball Category:Olympic silver medalists for Serbia and Montenegro Category:Pallacanestro Varese players Category:Paris Racing Basket players Category:Real Madrid Baloncesto players Category:Serbian expatriate basketball people in France Category:Serbian expatriate basketball people in Israel Category:Serbian expatriate basketball people in Italy Category:Serbian expatriate basketball people in Spain Category:Serbian men's basketball players Category:Serbian basketball executives and administrators Category:Shooting guards Category:Sportspeople from Kragujevac Category:FIBA World Championship-winning players Category:1998 FIBA World Championship players
wikipedia
Q: Replacing jaxb:globalBindings with schema level bindings I have a global binding that I would like to modify the scope of (schema level), but the syntax that I am using is not working. Preferably I would like to put it inline, but externally at the schema level is fine. Here is my global binding: <jaxb:globalBindings generateIsSetMethod="true"> <xjc:serializable uid="7490292371592404588" /> <jaxb:javaType name="java.util.Date" xmlType="xs:date" printMethod="com.acme.schema.adapter.MyDateTimeAdapter.marshallDate" parseMethod="com.acme.schema.adapter.MyDateTimeAdapter.unmarshallDate" /> </jaxb:globalBindings> Here is what I have tried unsuccessfully: <jaxb:bindings schemaLocation="myschema.xsd" generateIsSetMethod="true"> <jaxb:javaType name="java.util.Date" xmlType="xs:date" printMethod="com.acme.schema.adapter.MyDateTimeAdapter.marshallDate" parseMethod="com.acme.schema.adapter.MyDateTimeAdapter.unmarshallDate" /> </jaxb:bindings> I have not been able to find a good example of how this is done.
slim_pajama
The Oakland Mills Bridge is a historic structure located in Oakland Mills Park southwest of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, United States. The span carried Hickory Road over the Skunk River for . In July 1876 the Henry County Board of Supervisors decided to locate the bridge over the Skunk River at Oakland Mills. After engineers looked over the proposals, they choose the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company of Leavenworth, Kansas to build the structure. The long-span combination Pratt truss through and pony truss was completed later the same year. The steel components where manufactured by the Phoenix Iron Company of Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest Pratt through truss bridges in Iowa. Long closed to vehicular traffic, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. See also List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa National Register of Historic Places listings in Henry County, Iowa References Category:Bridges completed in 1876 Category:Truss bridges in Iowa Category:Road bridges in Iowa Category:Bridges in Henry County, Iowa Category:National Register of Historic Places in Henry County, Iowa Category:Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Category:1876 establishments in Iowa Category:Steel bridges in the United States Category:Pratt truss bridges in the United States
wikipedia
Concurrent field lines I am stuck with this problem: > > A semicircular wire with radius R has uniform charge density−λ. Show that at all points along the “axis” of the semicircle, the vectors of the electric field all point toward a common point in the plane of the semicircle. Where is this point? > > > [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HKEfz.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HKEfz.png) What I have so far is: $-\lambda=\frac{dq}{ds}$ $\overrightarrow{E}=\frac{1}{4\pi \varepsilon\_o}\int \frac{-\lambda ds}{r^2}\widehat{r} = \frac{-\lambda}{4\pi \varepsilon\_o}\int \frac{Rd \phi}{r^2}\widehat{r} $ Maybe it is a good idea to use cylindrical coordinates, so that $\widehat{r}=\langle \widehat{\rho},\widehat{\theta},\widehat{z} \rangle$. But I am not really sure how to use this to solve this problem. You are almost there: $r^2=R^2+z^2$. In terms of a coordinate system with z vertical and x along the symmetry axis of the semicircle, you can write the coordinate of the point where you measure the electric field as $(0,0,z)$ and the source (an element of charge $dq=-\lambda R d\theta$) is at $(R\cos\theta,R\sin\theta,0)$. Then $\vec{r}=(0,0,z)-(R\cos\theta,R\sin\theta,0)=-(R\cos\theta,R\sin\theta,-z)$, and $\hat{r}=-(R^2+z^2)^{1/2}(R\cos\theta,R\sin\theta,-z)$. You will have three components for $\vec{E}$, given by $$\vec{E}=\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon\_0}\frac{\lambda R}{(R^2+z^2)^{5/2}}\int\_{-\pi/2}^{\pi/2}d\theta(R\cos\theta,R\sin\theta,-z)$$ You can now solve the three integrals (for the $x,y,z$ components). A sanity check is that the integral along $y$ is 0. If all $\vec{E}(z)$ are directed to a point in the plane, along the $x$ axis, say at a distance a from the center, then $$-\frac{E\_z}{E\_x}=\frac{z}{a}$$ All you need is now to find a. Since this is basically a homework type question, I will not give the full solution. The diagrams are given: [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/q11VC.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/q11VC.png) Consider a charge element having charge $y$$dx$ where y is the charge density, and x is the angle shown in TOP VIEW. From figure 2, you can see that at a point A at a height z, The electric field is quite easily found using the square of the radial distance $AC^2$ = $AB^2$ = ($r^2 + z^2$) [ r is the radius]. Now , You need to find its components. So multiply this field you found by sin($tan^-1$(z/r)) to obtain the vertical component of the field at A. Similarly, multiply the field by $cos(tan^-1(z/r))$ to obtain the field magnitude in the direction OB and OC. Multiply by cos(x) to obtain the field components in the X direction.[note that the y direction field components cancel out]. Now you have the vector components in terms of differential charge. Integrate it to obtain the field at A due to the the ring.(trivial integration). Now that you have the vector, i will leave the rest to you to determine where that vector cuts the X axis. [Hint: use your knowledge of lines from coordinate geometry, or any other way you want]. Let me know your answer.
stackexchange/physics
surface barrier effects in type ii superconductors have been predicted by bean and livingston @xcite and de gennes.@xcite the entry of flux lines into a planar type ii superconductor situated in an external magnetic field @xmath0 parallel to its surface is opposed by a strong surface barrier when @xmath1 , the first critical field . therefore the entry of flux lines could occur at a field value @xmath2 , where @xmath3 is the second critical field . these surface barrier effects have been observed experimentally in the @xmath4s on lead thallium alloys @xcite and on niobium metal,@xcite and make it difficult to measure directly thermodynamic properties of the superconductor . typically surface barriers are reduced due to surface disorder , which creates large local magnetic fields and allows for nucleation of vortices . suppression of surface barriers for flux penetration was observed on ybacuo @xcite and in bisrcacuo whiskers @xcite due to heavy ion irradiation . in ellipsoid - shaped ybacuo it has been argued that due to roughness of submicrometer order the surface barrier does not push the penetration field @xmath5 above @xmath6 but only lowers the rate of vortex entry.@xcite another source for the delay of the entry of flux lines into superconductors is the geometrical barrier",@xcite which is particularly important in thin films of constant thickness ( i.e. , rectangular cross section ) . this effect is absent only when the superconductor is of exactly ellipsoidal shape or is tapered like a wedge with a sharp edge where flux penetration is facilitated . the resulting absence of hysteresis in wedge - shaped samples was nicely shown by morozov et al . @xcite . [ fg:1 ] , width=264 ] in this paper we study another source for delay of entrance of flux lines , due to inhomogeneity of the external magnetic field . in particular we consider magnetic field produced by an external current @xmath7 flowing parallel to the surface of a type ii superconductor , see fig . 1 . the magnetic field produced by the external current enters the sample as curved vortices at sufficiently large current . we find that the entrance of the first line occurs when the induced magnetic field at the surface at the position closest to the wire already exceeds the bulk critical field @xmath6 . this delay in entrance of the curved vortices occurs due to geometrical reasons : the entry and outlet points are associated with an energy cost @xmath8 , where @xmath9 is the penetration depth , @xmath10 is the flux quantum , and @xmath11 is the free permeability . note that @xmath12 , implying that in typical superconductors this is a large energy scale . in addition the spatially averaged magnetic field experienced by the vortex is lower than the the maximal one occurring closest to the wire . considering those effects in an actual calculation we find how large a magnetic field can be applied locally without introducing vortices into the sample . this implies that application of magnetic field by an external current near the sc can be convenient for experiments demanding sizable magnetic fields in the vortex - free state . as such an experiment we mention the london - hall effect.@xcite whereas this effect was observed in regular superconductors,@xcite it is now interesting to measure it in high temperature superconductors . typically @xmath6 is quite low in these materials and therefore vortices penetrate the sample at very low homogeneous magnetic fields ; hence our geometry can be useful . however other surface effects seem to be an additional obstacle for the observation of the london effect in high temperature superconductors.@xcite a parameter which we leave out of consideration in this work is anisotropy of the superconductor , which is particularly important in high temperature layered superconductors . in the case of strong anisotropy additional complications enter the problem even in the case of uniform magnetic field , where the direction of the vortices deviates from the direction of the external magnetic field.@xcite for certain ( elliptical ) treatment of the short distance cutoff the vortices can have two different directions , corresponding to two degenerate minima in the free energy.@xcite we argue that strong anisotropy is expected to have important effects in our geometry , increasing further the maximal local magnetic field allowed before curved flux lines penetrate the sample . consider the case where the @xmath13 axis of a uniaxially anisotropic superconductor corresponds to the direction @xmath14 in our geometry , @xmath15 . in this case the surface of the superconductor , parallel to the external wire , corresponds to an ab - plane . in the limit of strong anisotropy @xmath16 the bulk critical field parallel to the surface @xmath17 becomes very small . on the other hand , the entry and outlet points of the flux line are associated with a large energy cost @xmath18 independent of @xmath19 . therefore we expect the maximal surface magnetic field before the entry of the first vortex to increase relative to @xmath6 as a function of @xmath20 . we leave a detailed treatment of anisotropy in this geometry for a future work . the paper is organized as follows . in sec . [ se : formulation ] we formulate the problem and obtain expressions for the magnetic field and free energy within london theory . in sec . [ se : barrier ] we present and discuss the numerical results for the minimization of the free energy as a function of vortex contour . in sec . [ se : formulation ] and sec . [ se : barriera ] we consider the simpler but unrealistic case of a wire with zero width ( i.e. @xmath21 ) . in sec . [ se : barrierb ] we generalize to wires with finite width . [ se : conclusions ] contains conclusions . some details about the derivation of the expression of the free energy are relegated to the appendix . suppose that a type - ii superconductor ( sc ) occupies the region @xmath22 and magnetic field is induced by an external current @xmath7 flowing along a wire of zero cross - section at @xmath23 , see fig . ( [ fg:1 ] ) . our main object under consideration is a curved flux line lying in the plane @xmath24 . let @xmath25 denote the closed contour in fig . ( [ fg : axialline ] ) consisting of the axial line of the flux line @xmath26 and a line @xmath27 symmetric to @xmath26 with respect to the plane @xmath28 , corresponding to an image vortex . upon further increasing the current a lattice of curved vortices is expected to form along the wire . however here we shall concentrate on small currents and a single flux line . is the axial line of the vortex line . the closed contour @xmath25 is @xmath29 . [ fg : axialline ] , width=170 ] in the type ii limit , where the coherence length @xmath30 is much shorter than the penetration depth @xmath9 , the total free energy at zero temperature is given by @xcite @xmath31&=&\frac{\mu_0}{2 } \int_{r>\xi } d^3 r \bigl[\vec{h}^2+\theta(x ) \lambda^2 ( \vec{\nabla } \times \vec{h})^2 \bigr ] \nonumber \\ & -&\mu_0 \int d^3 r \vec{a } \cdot \vec{j}_{\rm{ext}}.\end{aligned}\ ] ] here @xmath32 , @xmath7 is the applied current through the wire , @xmath33 is the vector potential @xmath34 and @xmath35 is the unit step function . the integral @xmath36 is carried out in all space outside of the vortex hard core " @xmath26 . we assume that the radius of curvature of @xmath26 is larger than @xmath30 at any point in @xmath26 . note that at @xmath28 there is an apparent kink in @xmath25 , however this should be though of as a kink only for length scales large compared to @xmath30 . the corresponding equations for the magnetic field @xmath37 are the maxwell equation , @xmath38 for @xmath39 , and the london equation , @xmath40 for @xmath22 . for all @xmath41 we also have @xmath42 . in addition we impose appropriate boundary conditions at @xmath28 : the magnetic field is continuous , and no supercurrent flows perpendicular to the surface : @xmath43 . to construct a solution we use the functions @xmath44e^{-\tau(k_2 ) x } & x > 0 \\ b(\vec{k}_2)[k_2 \tau(k_2 ) \hat{x}+i \vec{k}_2 \tau(k_2)]e^{k_2 x } & x < 0 \end{array } \right . , \nonumber \\ \vec{h}_{\gamma}(\vec{r})&=&\frac{\phi_0}{\mu_0}\int_{\gamma } d\vec{r } ' \int \frac{d^3k}{(2 \pi)^3 } e^{i \vec{k}\cdot ( \vec{r}-\vec{r } ' ) } \frac{1}{1+\lambda^2 k^2 } , \nonumber \\ \vec{h}_{i',d'}(\vec{r } ) & = & \frac{i'}{2 \pi } \frac{(-z,0,x + d')}{(x+ d')^2+z^2}.\end{aligned}\ ] ] here @xmath45 , @xmath46 , and @xmath47 . for any @xmath48 , the function @xmath49 satisfies the homogeneous equations @xmath50 for @xmath39 , and @xmath51 for @xmath22 . the function @xmath52 satisfies the london equation @xmath53 in all space . the function @xmath54 satisfies maxwell equation @xmath55 for @xmath56 for all space . for @xmath66 [ direction of field lines correspond to anticlockwise rotation around @xmath23].[fg:1a ] , width=151 ] the term @xmath75 is the energy of the system without vortices . to evaluate it we introduce a finite wire radius @xmath76 , and assume the external current flows in a thin shell of this radius . note that @xmath75 scales linearly with the length of the wire , @xmath77 . the result of a calculation , using the methods of the appendix , is @xmath78 , \nonumber \\ g(y)&=&\int_0^\infty dx \frac{e^{-2 x}}{x+\sqrt{x^2+y^2}}.\end{aligned}\ ] ] we can infer from it the repulsive force per unit length @xmath79 between the wire and the sc . it is plotted in fig . ( [ fg : force ] ) ( for @xmath80 ) . using @xmath81 , @xmath82 , we may identify two regimes . ( i ) @xmath83 : here @xmath84 and @xmath85 . in agrement with ampere force law , this corresponds to a repulsive force per unit length between two wires @xmath86 apart carrying current @xmath7 with opposite direction . this is the origin of the levitation effect . the second wire corresponds to the term @xmath87 in the solution for @xmath65 , see eq . ( [ eq : h ] ) ; ( ii ) @xmath88 : the @xmath89 divergence in the force is cutoff by @xmath9 . the limiting repulsion force per unit length as the wire approaches the surface is @xmath90 where @xmath91 . behaves as @xmath92 for @xmath83 , and goes to a constant @xmath91 for @xmath93.[fg : force ] , width=283 ] the term @xmath94 accounts for the interaction between the vortex and the external current . using @xmath95 we have @xmath96_y .\end{aligned}\ ] ] the contour of integration @xmath97 @xmath98 corresponds to the external current . physically the wire should be closed into a loop , and we may close the contour of integration e.g. in the @xmath99 plane from the @xmath100 side . then , using green s theorem we obtain @xmath101_z .\nonumber\end{aligned}\ ] ] note that @xmath102 vanishes at @xmath39 . using the formula for @xmath103 , eq . ( [ eq : h ] ) , we obtain @xmath104 we used the identity @xmath105 which holds for any continuous function @xmath106 if @xmath25 is a closed contour . in this calculation @xmath107 . the terms @xmath108 and @xmath109 have been derived in refs . [ ] , @xmath110 the term @xmath108 is sensitive to the short distance cutoff @xmath30 . to account for the cutoff we restrict the contour integration to @xmath111 . here the anisotropic kernel for @xmath109 is @xmath112 , hence there is no need to regulate @xmath109 with a cutoff . different than the usual case with a uniform magnetic field , in our problem the energy @xmath113 is a function of the contour @xmath26 and is minimized for a particular contour which we need to find . to this end we minimize @xmath114 $ ] numerically , approximating @xmath26 by a polyline having @xmath115 equal length sides ( @xmath116 in most simulations ) . we assume that @xmath26 has the reflection symmetry @xmath117 . this leads to a @xmath118-dimensional parameter space in which we search for the minimum of @xmath119 . for an example see fig . ( [ fg : contour ] ) . in all our calculations @xmath120 . for @xmath121 , and for the specified currents . we assume that @xmath26 has the reflection symmetry @xmath117 , and plot @xmath26 only for @xmath122 . [ fg : contour ] , width=113 ] we find that the free energy contains a surface energy barrier . from this section we shall disregard the vortex independent term of the free energy , @xmath123 . for later comparison we briefly discuss the case with homogeneous magnetic field.@xcite consider a semi - infinite type - ii superconductor with a flux thread within it , parallel to the surface and to the external magnetic field @xmath0 ( @xmath124 ) . the line energy @xmath125 ( @xmath126 is the length of the vortex taken to be parallel to @xmath127 ) as function of the distance from the surface @xmath128 , is given by @xcite @xmath129.\ ] ] here @xmath130 is the function giving the field at distance @xmath131 of a single straight flux line , @xmath132 , and @xmath133 is the zero - order bessel function . the term @xmath134 describes the interaction of the line with the external field and associated screening currents . it is a repulsive term . the term @xmath135 represents the attraction between the line and its image . when @xmath136 there is a strong barrier opposing the entry of a line . we can understand this barrier as follows : when @xmath137 , @xmath138 . if we start from @xmath128 large and bring the line closer to the surface , the repulsive term ( @xmath139 ) dominates the image term ( @xmath140 ) . thus @xmath141 becomes positive and we have a barrier . the barrier disappears , however , in high fields . when @xmath142 , the slope @xmath143 becomes negative . @xmath5 is of the order of the thermodynamic critical field @xmath144 . the conclusion is that , at field @xmath145 , the lines can not enter in an ideal specimen ( although their entry is thermodynamically allowed as soon as @xmath146 ) . however this picture is modified in experiment due to surface inhomogeneities producing local large magnetic fields , and allowing vortices to enter the sample above @xmath6 . we find a similar energy barrier for the entrance or exit of a curved vortex in our geometry with an external current rather than an homogeneous external magnetic field . this barrier can be visualized in the curves in fig . ( [ fg : el ] ) ( except for the diamonds ) . note that typically the barrier hight @xmath147 is of order @xmath148 , where @xmath149 is the critical temperature of the sc . this implies rather small tunneling probabilities @xmath150 which prevents entry of vortices for clean surfaces . however for strong disorder , vortices can enter more efficiently via nucleation at impurity sites . the contours corresponding to the minimum of the curves with stars and squares are plotted in fig . ( [ fg : contour ] ) . in all our calculations @xmath120 . . when @xmath151 ( diamonds , @xmath152 ) the force on the line points always towards the surface . when @xmath153 ( stars , @xmath154 ) there exists a meta - stable minima with positive energy . when @xmath155 ( squares and triangles @xmath156 ) the minimum energy is negative , but a barrier opposes the entry of the flux line . in each point in this plot we have minimized numerically @xmath119 with respect to the contour @xmath26 at fixed @xmath128 . [ fg : el],width=283 ] . figure ( [ fg : el ] ) implies the following picture . for infinitesimal current there is no stable vortex configuration . as the current increases we identify three threshold currents @xmath157 : when the current exceeds @xmath158 a meta - stable minima with @xmath159 occurs . when the current exceeds @xmath160 , the minimum energy changes sign , @xmath161 , but still there is an energy barrier for the entrance of a flux line . when the current exceeds @xmath162 the barrier disappears . in fig . ( [ fg : ic01 ] ) we investigated the dependence of @xmath158 and @xmath160 on the distance to the wire @xmath163 . in the limit @xmath164 the results for @xmath160 are consistent with the formula @xmath165 [ see diagonal dashed line in fig . ( [ fg : ic01 ] ) ] . the behavior of @xmath158 in that limit shows that the region of metastability @xmath153 is very narrow . this behavior appears in sharp contrast to the case of uniform magnetic field even in the limit @xmath166 : we recall that eq . ( [ degenes ] ) predicts metastable solutions for infinitesimal homogeneous magnetic field @xmath0 . these states live far from the surface as @xmath0 becomes smaller . this effect is absent in our geometry both due to the fact that the effective external magnetic field created by the wire decays at long distances from the surface and due to the line energy for penetration a long distance into the sc . in the other extreme limit @xmath93 we observed from the numerical solution that the contour @xmath25 can be approximated by a circle centered at the origin . making this assumption we can calculate @xmath167 ( @xmath168 , @xmath169 ) , and @xmath170 ( @xmath171 , @xmath172 ) in the limit @xmath173 . this approximation is in reasonable agreement with the actual solution as the horizontal dashed lines show . and @xmath160 on @xmath174 . [ fg : ic01],width=302 ] . the shape of the contour changes as function of @xmath163 . in fig . ( [ fg : xz ] ) we plot the extension of the contour in the @xmath41 and @xmath175 directions . we fitted the numerical results for @xmath128 with an empirical formula @xmath176 with @xmath177 , implying that the penetration of the vortex is of order @xmath9 for all @xmath163 . on the other hand it appears that @xmath178 grows linearly as function of @xmath163 . in the limit @xmath179 we have @xmath180 and @xmath181 ( implying that the circular contour is only an approximation ) . and @xmath175 as function of @xmath174 , at @xmath182 . [ fg : xz],width=340 ] . for disordered surfaces , the present geometry can be useful for application of large magnetic fields on a sc sample in a vortex free state . the maximal magnetic field that can be applied in a vortex free state using the wire geometry is @xmath183 $ ] [ see eq . ( [ eq : h ] ) ] at current @xmath160 . in the limit @xmath83 this magnetic field coincides with the bulk first critical field @xmath184 , however at smaller @xmath163 the magnetic field at the surface increases . this is shown in fig . ( [ fg : hratio ] ) where we plot the magnetic field @xmath185_z = [ \vec{h}_{s0}(0^+,0,0)]_z$ ] given in eq . ( [ eq : h ] ) at the current @xmath160 , which we calculated above as function of @xmath163 . note that the field enhancement is small for @xmath186 ( @xmath187 for @xmath188 ) . . at @xmath83 this magnetic field tends to the bulk critical field @xmath6 . as @xmath163 becomes smaller the sc can sustain larger magnetic fields in the vortex - free ( meissner ) state.[fg : hratio],width=302 ] we turn to an estimation of the threshold current @xmath189 at which the barrier disappears . a more precise calculation would involve the ginzbur - landau theory . we follow the above analysis of @xmath5 . @xcite since the london theory is applicable at distances @xmath190 we estimate @xmath189 using @xmath191 we find numerically that at @xmath192 the closed contour @xmath25 is well approximated by a circle with radius @xmath128 centered at @xmath193 . in the limit @xmath194 we can evaluate the functional @xmath119 analytically as function of @xmath128 . in eq . ( [ eq : fvs ] ) for @xmath108 we can set @xmath195 , hence @xmath196 compared to @xmath108 , the stray term is negligibly small , @xmath197 . the interaction energy with the external current reads @xmath198 using these formulas for @xmath199 and @xmath94 we obtain from eq . ( [ eq : zeroderivative ] ) the estimate @xmath200 the dependence of @xmath189 on @xmath174 is hidden in the function @xmath201 , with @xmath202 , @xmath203 , where @xmath204 . for @xmath205 we have @xmath206 . in this case the magnetic field due to the external current at @xmath193 is @xmath207_z \to \frac{i_{s}}{\pi d}$ ] . it is of the order of the second critical field @xmath144 . in the other limit @xmath208 we have @xmath209}$ ] . note that this behavior holds for @xmath210 . in this regime we have @xmath211 . in fig . ( [ fg : ic2 ] ) we plot the phase diagram . vortices are thermodynamically unfavorable . for @xmath212 curved flux lines become favorable , but an energy barrier opposes their entry until the current exceeds @xmath189 . a metastable phase exists in a narrow strip below the boundary @xmath213 , shown in fig . ( [ fg : ic01 ] ) . [ fg : ic2],width=264 ] . experimentally the wire carrying the external current has a finite cross section . therefore it is important to include this effect in our calculations . consider the rectangular cross section as shown in fig . ( [ fg : rec ] ) , and assume current @xmath7 flows uniformly in this cross section . , width=226 ] . we can write the external current as @xmath214 the modification to the magnetic field @xmath215 occurs only in the first term , @xmath216_{d \to \tilde{d}},\nonumber\ ] ] where @xmath217 is given in eq . ( [ eq : h ] ) . next we focus on the modification of the vortex dependent part of the free energy @xmath218 . only the term @xmath94 is modified . using eq . ( [ eq : jext ] ) it is easy to find that @xmath219 let us first specialize to the case of square cross section where the wire touches the sc , @xmath220 , and compare this with a point like cross section @xmath221 which we considered until now ( we ignore any electron or cooper pair tunneling between the sc and wire ) . first we repeated the calculation of @xmath158 and @xmath160 . the results are roughly the same for both cross sections for @xmath222 , and deviations up to @xmath223 are obtained for @xmath224 up to @xmath225 . in fig . ( [ fg : xzrec ] ) we compare the contours at @xmath160 as function of @xmath163 for the two cross sections . we can see that @xmath178 changes by a factor of up to @xmath226 for @xmath227 . of the lengths @xmath128 and @xmath178 , characterizing the vortex contour , for zero versus finite wire cross section [ @xmath228 ( stars ) and @xmath229 ( squares ) ] . [ fg : xzrec],width=340 ] . the magnetic field at the surface just below @xmath160 is compared for the two cross sections in fig . ( [ fg : hratiorec ] ) . at @xmath230 it approaches @xmath6 in both cases , while for @xmath88 it is larger for point like cross section by about @xmath223 . , for either zero wire cross section ( @xmath228 , stars ) or finite cross section ( @xmath229 , squares ) . [ fg : hratiorec],width=264 ] we estimate the typical values of the threshold current @xmath160 . for the regime of interest @xmath231 , we have @xmath160 of the order of @xmath232}$ ] . for @xmath233 this corresponds to current density of @xmath234 . next we consider the dependence on @xmath235 for @xmath236 which can be experimentally relevant . the limit @xmath237 can be treated analytically since the external field @xmath65 is uniform at all @xmath238 . in this limit the maximal magnetic field at the surface before vortices penetrate is @xmath239 . for finite @xmath235 we calculated @xmath240 numerically with the result plotted in fig . ( [ fg : hratiozw ] ) . accordingly @xmath235 should not be too large in order to obtain the effect discussed here including the enhancement of the surface field in the vortex free state for a disordered surface . as function of @xmath235 , for @xmath241 , @xmath242 . [ fg : hratiozw],width=226 ] in this work we studied solutions of london theory in a geometry where an external mesoscopic current flows parallel to a surface of a sc . only above a threshold current @xmath158 there exist solutions with curved flux lines entering and leaving the sc at the surface . at a larger threshold current , @xmath160 , these solutions become energetically favorable , however an energy barrier separates them from a vortex free solution . at a third threshold current , @xmath162 , this barrier disappears . to determine the current at which vortices actually penetrate the sample one has to account for the degree of disordered of the surface . for strong surface disorder the vortex can penetrate at @xmath213 despite the presence of the barrier , due to large local magnetic fields produced at impurity sites allowing for nucleation of vortices . on the other hand for clean surface the entrance of vortices occurs at @xmath243 . by calculating those currents using a numerical solution of the problem we conclude that for strong surface disorder the present geometry allows to achieve locally larger magnetic fields in the vortex - free state , as compared to the case of homogeneous magnetic field , provided that the wire thickness is of o(@xmath9 ) . this can be potentially relevant for experiments in high - temperature superconductors which typically have extremely low values of @xmath6 . we argued that the effect of enhancement of the magnetic field in the vortex free ( meissner ) state becomes more pronounced in strongly anisotropic superconductors , which is particularly relevant for layered high - temperature superconductors . we would like to thank jordan baglo , walter hardy and cedric lin for stimulating discussions . this work was supported by nserc ( es @xmath244 ia ) and cifar ( ia ) . we shall prove the vanishing of crossed term in the energy eq . ( [ eq : f ] ) between @xmath65 and @xmath103 [ see eq . ( [ eq : h ] ) ] , from eq . ( [ eq : h ] ) we have @xmath246 where @xmath247 and @xmath248 correspondingly , we have @xmath249 . consider the term @xmath250 . we will use the vector identity @xmath251 , with @xmath252 , @xmath253 , and the fact that @xmath254 . then the volume integral can be transformed to an integral on the surface @xmath255 . however this integral vanishes because @xmath256 , hence @xmath257 . now let us consider the term @xmath258 and define @xmath259 . for the integral in the region @xmath39 we use the above vector identity with @xmath260 , @xmath261 , and for @xmath22 we use the vector identity with @xmath262 , @xmath263 . taking into account that @xmath74 and @xmath264 satisfy the homogeneous equations we obtain @xmath265 here @xmath266 , and @xmath267 . for @xmath22 we can use @xmath268 , which follows from london equation for @xmath74 . next we use the fact that , by construction , @xmath269 . this allows us to express @xmath270 , and combine the two terms of eq . ( [ eq : xxx ] ) as @xmath271_x.\ ] ] now we use explicit forms of these factors : @xmath272 , @xmath273 , @xmath274 plugging these expressions in eq . ( [ eq : simple ? ] ) , one can readily obtain @xmath275 ( without performing any integration ) , completing the proof for @xmath276 . 99 c.p . bean and j. d. livingston , phys . * 12 * , 14 ( 1964 ) . g. de gennes , superconductivity of metals and alloys ( benjamin ; 1966 ) . a. s. joseph and w. j. tomasch , phys . * 12 * , 219 ( 1964 ) . r. w. de blois and w. de sorbo , phys . * 12 * , 499 ( 1964 ) . e. h. brandt , j. low temp . * 42 * , 557 ( 1981 ) . a. sudb and e. h. brandt , phys . b * 43 * , 10482 ( 1991 ) . m. konczykowski , l. i. burlachkov , y. yeshurun , and f. holtzberg , phys . b * 43 * , 13707 ( 1991 ) . j. k. gregory _ et . b * 64 * , 134517 ( 2001 ) . c. iniotakis , t. dahm , and n. schopohl , phys . rev . lett . * 100 * , 037002 ( 2008 ) . e. zeldov _ et . * 73 * , 1428 ( 1994 ) . e. h. brandt , phys . b * 60 * , 11939 ( 1999 ) . n. morozov _ et . _ , physica c * 291 * , 113 ( 1997 ) . e. altshuler and r. mulet , journal of superconductivity * 8 * , 779 ( 1995 ) . l. n. shehata and a. g. saif , j. low temp . * 56 * , 113 ( 1984 ) . r. liang _ et . b * 50 * , 4212 ( 1994 ) . f. london , _ superfluids _ ( wiley , new york , 1950 ) , vol . j. bok and j. klein , phys . lett . * 20 * , 660 ( 1968 ) . j. b. brown and t. d. morris , _ proc . conf . low . temp . phys_. , vol . 2 , 768 ( st . andrews , 1968 ) . t. d. morris and j. b. brown , physica ( amsterdam ) * 55 * , 760 ( 1971 ) . p. lipavsk _ et . b * 70 * , 104518 ( 2004 ) . g. blatter and v. geshkenbein , phys . b * 47 * , 2725 ( 1993 ) , _ ibid_. e. h. brandt * 48 * , 6699 ( 1993 ) . a. sudb , e. h. brandt and d. a. huse , phys . . lett . * 71 * , 1451 ( 1993 ) .
arxiv
Naruto 1. Chapter 1: It's all started with necklac **Proclaim: I do not own Naruto** * * * **Chapter 1: It's all started with necklace** Uchiha Sasuke is the CEO of Uchiha Inc. He was 21 years old and had married already. His wife is Uchiha Sakura, 21 years old also. They had been married for three years, and now their married life was almost over. Everyday the Uchiha couple spent their time together to argue with each other even on the simplest things. Last months, Sasuke filed a divorce to Sakura but her parents asked him to give her a second chance. At first, he didn't want to, but after her parent said that they would send their beloved grandson, Namikaze Naruto to help with the situation, he decided to agree. Why? Simple, because he loves Naruto ever since in middle school. Back in the middle school, Naruto is Sasuke's kohai (junior) in the soccer club. He was just a captain and Naruto was a striker. When Naruto joined the club, he falls in love at Naruto for the first time. He never has seen such a beautiful person in his entire life. It was a love at first sight for him, and it was his first love too. Naturally, he didn't know how to handle the situation. He tried to confess to Naruto his love but fail thousands of times cause someone always to disturb their moments. Besides, Naruto was well-liked among the student. Hell he was the most popular boy in Osaka due to his cute and pretty face with his sexy body. It was until the end of the year that Sasuke had enough courage to confess his love to Naruto, but he was too nervous at that time that instead of confessing his love to Naruto, he said he fell in love with Naruto's aunty, Sakura, which is the same age as him. Naturally, Naruto was happy for him and told the news to his friends and families. The news traveled fast and by the time he realized his mistake, it was too late for him to fix it caused the following day; Naruto moved out from the town caused his parents got a new job at somewhere else. The news about Sasuke fell in love with Sakura reached to Sakura and her family, which resulted in he was getting married to Sakura the next few years. Even worst, he was planning to correct his mistake on the wedding day, but Naruto didn't come because he went on vacation on that day. So, the Uchiha missed his chance to correct his entire mistake. Now, he was married for three years. Why he didn't break up with Sakura if he really hates her that much? It's because Sakura and her family is the only connection, Sasuke had to meet Naruto. It's been more than five years since he last saw Naruto. Everyday he had been thinking about him. That beautiful smile, his cute face with whisker and his happy-go-lucky attitude which made him fall in love with him. Plus, Naruto had all the traits he wanted as his lifetime partner or wife or husband in this case. Naruto knew how to cook, great with kids, cheerful, talkative and most importantly; he is the only person besides his family that can put up with his egoist attitude. Back in the school, Naruto used to make him bento for lunch which they shared with each other. They usually ate their lunch on top of the school because nobody will bother them there. They were pretty close back there. When ever there Sasuke, there will be Naruto. When there Naruto, there will be Sasuke. So, the thought of Naruto going to see him again excite him which the main reason he decided to postpone the divorce plan. This time, he was going to capture Naruto's heart and his soul and protect him from everything like he used to when they in the middle school. Suddenly, the door's bell was ringing. Sasuke rose from his sofa to open the door. Sasuke took a deep breath before he opened the door. After making sure he put a stoic face, he opened the door. For Naruto, he was quite nervous actually. He was wearing a white vest and an orange shirt underneath. He also was wearing white pant and a red bracelet on his left wrist. Naruto hadn't seen Sasuke for years, so he really didn't know how Sasuke will react. He figured Sasuke will be mad at him because not contacting him before since they were best friends before, and now they are a family. It's not like Naruto don't want to call Sasuke but back in the middle school, Naruto loved Sasuke. So he figured Sasuke will be confessed to him since the way Sasuke acted with him like he want to get into Naruto's pants right away. Everywhere he went. Sasuke will accompany him and made sure no one, especially guys groped him. Naruto does technically look like a girl, heck even girl can't compare to him. Naruto beauty is on a different level. He was very grateful to Sasuke for always be there for him back then. So, when Sasuke told Naruto that he loved his aunt whom the same year as him. Naruto's heart broken down to pieces and his cheerful personality faded away. His heart was so heartbroken that he could not see Sasuke's face anymore that he asked his parent to move in another place. His parent knew his loved to Sasuke. It's hard to ignore it when Naruto always talked about him during dinner and how close their son with Sasuke. The news that Sasuke loved his aunt surprised them. Hate seeing their son heartbroken, his parent agreed to move out of town to a better place to give their son a new life. When Naruto parent, Namikaze Minato and Namikaze Kushina got the invitation for Sasuke and Sakura wedding, Naruto went into the heartbroken state again. To cheer up their son back, the family decided to go around the world cruise ship tour which does the trick to cheer Naruto up. Three years past, Naruto got news from his grandpa who told him his uncle and aunty on the verge of divorce. His grandma completely in panic mode when she heard the news. His grandparent asked his uncle, Sasuke to give her aunt a chance to redeem herself which Sasuke accepted. His grandpa then decided to send Naruto to help his uncle and aunt married life as he thought Naruto could cheer his uncle up since they were best friends back in the day during middle he was standing in front of his uncle's huge house. He took a deep breath as to calm him down and knocked the door. The door opened, and Sasuke stood in front of Naruto. They stood silently in front of each other. Naruto was sweating in nervous as he was terrified that Sasuke will be mad at him for not contacting him at all. Sasuke, on the other hand, was checking Naruto out. One word that could describe Naruto right now. HOT. Over the past five years, Naruto had become more feminine and his slim body a lot slimier than ever. He could see come sweat trailing on Naruto exposed neck. He could only have imagined what he would do if Naruto is his wife or husband right now. He will pull Naruto to their bed and started with make-out session, But he had to hold up with his perverted plan as he didn't want to freak his beloved Naruto. Naruto seeing that Sasuke won't say something to him decided to start with the greeting. "Hello, uncle" said Naruto as he smiled sheepishly as he didn't what else he can do. Sasuke returned his greeting the Sasuke way. "Dobe" said Sasuke with a stoic face. Naruto's eye twitched a little hearing the nickname that Sasuke used to call him. "Teme" shouted Naruto. However, Sasuke just ignored him and walked inside his home. Naruto pouted a little. He picked up his luggage and stepped inside the house. Sasuke's home is pretty big. It got living room, seventeen rooms and one very huge kitchen and a swimming pool at the back. Oh yeah, he also got one large garage that looked like a show room with sport cars in it. Naruto went to the living room to see Sasuke sat on the sofa. He went near Sasuke and put his luggage besides the sofa. He looked around to find someone missing. "Where is aunt?" asked Naruto as he walked to the cupboard nearby to check the picture inside it. One of them is a wedding picture of Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto frowned a little as he was jealous with his aunt now and also sad thinking his love to his uncle, Sasuke. "Your aunt, Sakura went to work" said Sasuke. He turned his head to right to see Naruto checking the pictures in his cupboard. Naruto turned around with weird expression and asked, "What kind of work that needs you to go to work at night?" "A doctor kind. She has been working the night shift ever since we got married" answered Sasuke as he grunted a little thinking about his wife. He picks up the business magazine on the coffee table in front of him and read it. "Now, I see why grandpa sent me here. You are too moody you know. I like I can feel a black creepy aura behind yours" said Naruto. He went to the sofa and sat on it. "So, where do I put my stuff?" asked Naruto. "Well, we got plenty of rooms here. You can pick whichever you one except the one on the left of the stair. That's my room." said Sasuke. As his eye is fixed to the magazine. Naruto pouted a little seeing Sasuke ignoring his presence. '_Teme, at least look at me when you're talking_' thought Naruto. Naruto just sighed as he stood up and picked up his luggage. "Then I'll be taking shower first, uncle" said Naruto as walked to the stairs and went inside the room. When Naruto got inside of the room, he immediately slumped back on the mattress. He stayed that way for minutes before sitting up put his wallet and phone on the table nearby. He noticed the table was covered with dust that he needed to take a tissue from his bag to wipe it off. After putting all his clothes inside the drawer, he then took a bath. Half an hour later Naruto walked out wearing white shirt and blue pant. Sasuke was still sitting at the living room. Once Naruto reached near Sasuke, he said, "You really need to clean your house, uncle. It's too dusty in here. If grandma comes to visit I can only imagine her anger, now" "Too busy and stop calling me uncle. It's not like our age gap that far apart. You, 19 and I'm 21." said Sasuke as he put down the magazine. "Yeah, you're right teme. Glad you remember my age." said Naruto as he went to Kitchen. He frowned when he saw nothing on the table. Naruto went back to the living room. "Hey teme, where are the foods? Don't tell me you eat all of it, you selfish bastard." Sasuke just sighed as he leaned up to the sofa. "There is no food dobe. You know me and Sakura can't cook" answered Sasuke. "So, what's now? You're not planning to let me starve tonight, right?" asked Naruto as he sat on the opposite Sasuke. Sasuke shrugged his shoulder and said, "Let's just order some pizza. I really don't feel like eating outside today." "Alright, I just go make us some tea." said Naruto as he stood up and went back to the kitchen. * * * _**20 minutes later…**_ Naruto and Sasuke were enjoying their pizza. They were sitting at the living room while watching a movie. Seeing Sasuke now in good mood, Naruto decided to ask his uncle how his life with his aunt, Sakura. "So, how serious is yours relationship is teme that make you want to file a divorce to my aunt." asked Naruto straight to the point. He here to help saved the marriage, although Naruto was rather happy if his uncle divorce anyway. Nevertheless, he had promised his grandpa that he would help them and he will never go back on his words. Sasuke just leaned back on the sofa and make himself comfortable. He knew this going to be a long chat. "We don't really talk now for few months. Even if we talk, we always argue with each other. Last month, we argued with each other cause she bought a pearl necklace which cause 2.2 million yen [A/N: Around 20 000 dollar]" said Saske. Naruto shocked hearing the price of the necklace that Sakura bought. "Really, I could even buy a car with that money" said Naruto. "I know. The worst part is she buying it using my money. So can you imagine my anger at that time?" said Sasuke. He sighed a little and pitched his nose bridge thinking about it. "Is that the reason why you want to file a divorce?" asked Naruto. He handed a cup of tea to Sasuke to release his stress. Sasuke gladly took the cup. "Pretty much. There are a lot of reasons, but her action last month really pulled my trigger back there" said Sasuke as he sips the tea a little. Naruto just slumped back and sighed. "Great, grandpa sent me here to save your marriage life but all I see that this marriage is like a sinking ship. Anyone who set foot on it only makes it worst" said Naruto. "So, you don't see any way to save it" said Sasuke "I do but it's up to you and aunt Sakura to decide" said Naruto as he took a sip of his tea. "I'm just a peace maker actually." They stayed quiet for a while until Sasuke called Naruto. "What are you doing after you left Osaka?" asked Sasuke. He was curious to hear how Naruto life is after he moved out. "Well, I'm a photographer actually. So, I just travel around world taking pictures for National Geography" said Naruto. "You're going out with anyone?" asked Sasuke. Naruto just raised his eye brow and said, "Why the sudden interest?" He was curious what made the Uchiha to ask that question. "Just curious" said Sasuke as he continued eating his pizza. "No, I haven't been out with anybody ever since in middle school" said Naruto. Sasuke relieved a little hearing the answer. Meaning he still had the chance to correct his mistakes and seduced the cute blond uke. So, now game play began. Sasuke grinned a little, "So, your single now." Naruto just nodded before swallowing the pizza. "Yup, and enjoying every single second with it" said Naruto. Naruto look at the clock on the wall to see it near was near midnight. "When will aunt return home?" asked Naruto. Sasuke frowned hearing the question. He was just started his 'seducing the uke blond' game when the said uke asking about his wife. "she returns at five in the morning" grunted Sasuke. Sasuke sipped his tea to lower the stress when he heard his wife's name. '_Alright, Sasuke. You can do this. You had been waiting for this chance for more than five years. Don't blow it now_' thought Sasuke as he put his focus back into the game. After making sure he fully calm, he asked, "Naruto. Are you still gay?" Naruto was surprised hearing the question. He didn't expect Sasuke would ask that question. Naruto grinned as he took this as a sign that Sasuke still like him. "Don't tell me you plan on hitting on me." said Naruto playfully. His grinned still there on his face. Sasuke answered was his lustful eyes as he stared directly into Naruto deep blue eyes. "Nice try, but it won't work for me. You have to try harder to get me and yes. I'm still looked at man hot" said Naruto as he stood up and walked to the stairs. "Good night, teme" said the dobe as he entered his room to sleep. "Hn" replied Sasuke as he also stood up and went to his room. Now he need to do is seduce the uke and divorce his wife and… he really didn't know what he was going to do after that. Even so, the important things right now, he needs to claim Naruto * * * _**The next day**_ It was seven in the morning. Sasuke had already woken up an hour ago. He was now wearing his working attire which were a black suit with a white T-shirt underneath. He also wore a red tie and black pant. After combing his hair, he looked back at his bed to see Sakura sleeping on the right side of the bed. Sakura had returned home the same time around five. Sasuke told her that Naruto had arrived and she just give a nodded before went to sleep. Sasuke grunt a little thinking what a happy normal couple would do at this time. The wife will be at the kitchen making breakfast while their husband getting ready for work. For Sasuke, after three years of marriage life he still didn't get any breakfast from his wife. He always went to his company's café for breakfast. Now Naruto came to see their married life, he though Sakura will act like a good wife to show Naruto that their lives is fine by trying to make breakfast or something. Key word trying as he knew that his wife didn't know how to cook. Setting his problem aside, he tried to wake up Sakura so she can greet Naruto and make breakfast for him. "Oi, Sakura. Wake up already?" said Sasuke as he shaked his wife's shoulder. However, Sakura was dead sleeping. Sasuke bet if a nuclear exploded beside her, she still won't wake up. So again, Sasuke grunted and opened the door of their room and heading down the stair to go to the kitchen. When Sasuke neared the kitchen, he could smell something nice and delicious. He also heard some noise coming from the kitchen area. When Sasuke arrived at the kitchen, he was met with the sight of Naruto in his orange shirt and brown pant. He was also wearing a white apron which made him super sexy in Sasuke's eye. Sasuke moved to the table located at the centre of the kitchen. Sensing presence of someone is here, Naruto turned around to see Sasuke pulling the chair and sat on it. "Morning, teme. You wake up early today" said Naruto. "I'm a boss Naruto, so I need to wake up early so I can set a good example to my employees" said Sasuke explaining to Naruto the reason he woke up early. "Where's aunt?" said Naruto as he turned back to continue with his cooking. "She was still sleeping," said Sasuke. He was still mad at Sakura caused not waking up to make him breakfast. But, after smelled Naruto's cook and seeing his hips moved around in those tight brown pant as he cooked the breakfast. He was really glad that Sakura was sleeping. Hell he even didn't think of Sakura anymore as his mind is occupied by sexy blond standing in front of his eyes. "Oh, yeah. I'm almost forgot that she worked at night meaning she be sleeping during the daytime like an owl" said Naruto as he reminded last night conversation with Sasuke. He was currently not aware that his uncle right now was staring at his hips, more specifically his butt. "What are you cooking?" asked Sasuke as his eyes still fixed on Naruto's butt. "Just a simple traditional Japanese breakfast. Steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, tamagoyaki, and nori (dried seaweed)" answered Naruto as he put the grilled fish on a plate. "You called that simple. The way I heard, it's complicated. There're too many things to cook. Even your aunt can't do that. The only food that she can do sandwich and ramen" Sasuke was amazed that Naruto could cook this many types of dish early in the morning. He was even more amazed that Naruto could find all the ingredients and equipments to cook considering how big his kitchen is. Even he was having a hard time just to find a glass to drink. Naruto turned his head slightly to give Sasuke a disbelieved look face. He didn't believe that Sakura was that bad at cooking. If she did, how do they even survive for three years? "So, how you guys live before?" said Naruto. He was too curious to know. "We just go eat outside" said Sasuke bluntly as he removed his eyes from Naruto butt not wanting to get caught staring by Naruto. "What's wrong with that? From the way I see, it's more romantic with both of you eating together and with candle between you" said Naruto as he put the food on the table. "Yeah, it will except we don't eat together" said Sasuke which he received a 'huh' from Naruto. "I'm a boss and she is a doctor. I work in daytime while she at night time. There really no time for us to spend together" said Sasuke as he tried to explain the situation he and his wife were having. Naruto frowned a little hearing the story. He now currently was making coffee. "Oh, that too bad" said Naruto as his hand was stirring the coffee. "Yeah tell me about it" said Sasuke . Naruto chuckled a little. "Hehe… so that the reason why Sakura still hasn't been pregnant yet" said Naruto as he gave Sasuke a big grinned. "Hn, like I said there no time even for sex" said Sasuke not caring if Naruto knew about their sex life cause there really nothing to it. "Yeah, my suggestion you better have a child fast because grandma had been frustrated wanting another grandchild" said Naruto which received a grunted from Sasuke. Naruto lifted the pot from the counter and put it on the table neared the cup that he had set up before he started to cook. "Tada. Breakfast serves" said Naruto as he smiled proudly at his cooking. Naruto put the steamed rice in bowl and handed it to Sasuke which he gladly received. Naruto then put steamed rice for him and pick the chopsticks so do with Sasuke. "Ittadakimasu" said Naruto and Sasuke before they started eating their breakfast "You know this is the first time I had breakfast at home since I married to your aunt" said Sasuke. "Oh… that's too bad. Lucky you, you got me around for one week to make you breakfast" said Naruto as he smiled teasingly to Sasuke. "This is delicious. You can be a chef, you know" said Sasuke as he handed his bowl to Naruto asking for more. Naruto took Sasuke's bowl as he put the steamed rice into it and handed it back to Sasuke. "Yeah, I get that a lot. But, I don't think I want to cause from what I heard. Job as a chef is so stressful. Did you watch Hell Kitchen?" asked Naruto. "No" said Sasuke, which confused Naruto a little wondering if his uncle ever watched a TV. "Have you ever watch television?" asked Naruto "No" said Sasuke "Then why did you buy that big plasma television for if you're not going to watch it" said Naruto as he pointed his hand to the plasma TV at the living room. "Sakura watched it, but I don't" said Sasuke as to explain why he bought it. "Why?" asked Naruto as one of his eye brow raised a little. "I got no one to watch with. I become bored, so I figured I'd better do other things then watching TV alone" said Sasuke slowly as he reminded Naruto how his married life is. Naruto just kept quiet after hearing the answer. Then, Sasuke grinned a little as his eyes started to change to lustful eyes as he stared directly to Naruto's eye. "Maybe next time I watch it, since I got someone to accompany me for one whole week" said Sasuke as he tried to flirt with Naruto. Naruto blushed a little hearing Sasuke and said, "don't get your hope high up; remember grandpa sent me here to look after you guys to save your married life" said Naruto as he tried to remind Sasuke the reasoned he was here. However, Sasuke didn't care anymore. As far as he concerned, Naruto got the quality as a wife whom he wanted, and he will get Naruto one way or another. Hearing Naruto's answer make him want to tease Naruto even more. "Then, please take good care of me. Na-ru-kun" said Sasuke. "Just eat your food" said Naruto as his face fully red by now hearing Sasuke teasing. Sasuke decided to stop the teasing, for now since he didn't want to anger Naruto further. They spent the entire breakfast eating quietly and Sasuke staring at Naruto the whole time checking him from head to toes, remember every edge of his body, especially the butt and crafted the image in his brain permanently. After the breakfast, both went to the door. Sasuke was putting on his black leather shoes while Naruto was waiting to say good-bye to Sasuke. Before Sasuke opened the door of his house to go outside, Naruto called him, which caught his attention "Say Sasuke, when will you return home?" asked Naruto as his voice sounded a little nervous. "Around five, why?" asked Sasuke as he raised one of his eye brows wondering what Naruto wanted to talk. Naruto blushed a little for no reason and look down on the floor. "Nothing, it just that I want to go shopping for groceries cause your home got nothing left for me to cook. At first, I want to ask aunt, but knowing her. She is in a bad mood every time she wakes up from bed. So, I thought maybe you could accompany me to the supermarket. But, it's alright if you're busy. I just catch a cab then." Hearing Naruto request wanting him to accompany Naruto to market, Sasuke immediate turnaround and put his hand on top of Naruto blond hair. "No, just wait for me. I'll be back around lunch time so wait for me" said Sasuke making Naruto to look up to see Sasuke serious face. Naruto could not help but too blush caused Sasuke is so handsome right now, and his heart melted a little hearing Sasuke's words. "Alright, thanks teme" said Naruto as he smiled teasing his uncle with his nickname. "Hn, bye dobe" said Sasuke as he let go of his hand from Naruto hair. Naruto frowned a little due to the loss of heat. Sasuke then headed outside to enter his Ferrari Scorpio car. He put on the seat belt and looks at through the window to see Naruto who waving his hand at him saying good-bye at the door of his house. His mood could not get any better today. He had breakfast, and then he got a date with Naruto this afternoon. He definitely was looking forward to his days with Naruto. After watching Sasuke's car faded into the street, Naruto turned around and start planning what to do until lunch time. He looked around the house. He went to the living room and found most of the furniture covered with dust. He went to the bathroom and he saw a large bucket full of dirty clothes. He went to the store room and found the vacuum and all the cleaning equipment. With that, Naruto decided to clean his uncle house first. Three hours later, Sakura woke up from her sleep to go to the kitchen to see anything to eat. Her eyes were still closed as she walked around the house. Its look like that she was sleepwalking to the kitchen. Naruto at the time was outside of the house hanging the clothes that he just washed just now. After hanging the clothes, he entered the house through the kitchen door and then he saw something moving inside the house. As he turned to the table at the kitchen, he saw a creature eating the leftover from the breakfast this morning which scared Naruto. Out of fear, Naruto screamed as loud as he can. ** AAAHHHHH!** Sakura who was enjoying her breakfast was choked as soon as she heard Naruto's scream. She was surprised, which forcing her to swallow her food making her choked. She then reached for the coffee she just poured just now and drank it to allow the food to go down. Sakura turned to her left to see Naruto was scared shitless. His face looked like he saw a ghost. "Naruto, is that you? Why did you scream just now? You're surprised me" said Sakura. "Aunty, is that you? I thought you were a ghost just now" said Naruto as he took a very long breath of relieved. He then take a good look at his aunt and said, "Aunty why your hair is so messy and did you get enough sleep cause you got a big black mark under eyes". No wonder Naruto was so scared; his aunt technically looked like a ghost. Hell, even ghost scared of her look. "Is that why you got scared off? Sorry, it's just that I really have no time to look after myself for the past few months. You know how our life right, Naruto" asked Sakura as, she was sure Sasuke told everything to Naruto about their married life. Naruto just nodded his head and took a sit in front of her. "Yeah, to summarize everything he said. Uncle said that his life is shit" said Naruto truthfully. "I don't know what to do Naruto. I had been trying to talk to him but the only answer I got is 'Hn' " said Sakura as she sighed upset with her married life. "Well, that just uncle's way of saying things. You just need to understand what that word mean" said Naruto as he smiled remembering Sasuke when he said that word. It was normal for Sasuke to say 'Hn'. "It's easy for you to say because you somehow know what's those words mean. But for me, I really couldn't understand what he was trying to say" said Sakura as she expressed her sorrow to Naruto. Sakura knew that her married life was about to be over. She needs to do something before her married was really over. She wanted to talk to Sasuke like they used to in the past. For Naruto, he was sad also hearing Sakura story. It's seemed she tried to talk to Sasuke. It just that Sasuke ignored her most of the time. Suddenly, an idea popped up in his head as he knew how to solve this communication problem Sakura and her husband were having. "Say, today me and Sasuke are going to market to buy some grocery. You know like chicken, veggie and others. How about you come with us? Sasuke said that it had been a month since you guys went out together" said Naruto suggesting his idea. "You know; that's a good idea. We haven't gone out together since…" Sakura stopped in the middle of her conversation as she remembered the cause of the problem that making her married life breaking a part. Seeing his aunt staring at the wall as she remembered something, Naruto decided to snap his aunt from her thought. "Ummm…. aunty. You're alright?" asked Naruto. "Yeah, what was that you're saying" said Sakura as she snapped from her thought. "I said, do you want to join us? It's good for you two, you know" said Naruto as he smiled a little to assure his aunt that everything is alright. Sakura just nodded her head to agree. Naruto then got up from his sit. "Great, I tell uncle when he gets back. Oh, uncle said he'll be return after lunch" said Naruto as to remind his aunt. "Alright Naruto, thanks" said Sakura. "Yeah, just make sure you have a very nice talk with him. A word of advice. Don't talk about your married life cause I worry he brings up the past mistake that you guys have. Just talk about other things like school life or something" said Naruto. Sakura just nodded her head and walk towards her room to continue with her sleep. Naruto seeing his aunt went back to her room. He decided to continue cleaning the house. * * * _**Later on… **_ Naruto just finished cleaning the house. He then saw the clock showing around one 'clock, which meant Sasuke probably on his way home. He went to the kitchen to see if he can make some drink because today was really hot and he figured that Sasuke would like something to drink when he reached home. Meanwhile, Sasuke just arrived to his home. He can't wait to see Naruto and was looking forward to their 'date'. Sasuke went out from his car and entered his home. He looked around the hall and no sign of Naruto. But he did notice that his home was a lot cleaner than this morning and it give a welcoming aura to him. 'Look like Naruto cleaned my house.' thought Sasuke as smiled looking around the living room. He then walked into enter the kitchen only to see Naruto was busy making something with his back facing him, which gave him a very good view of Naruto's slim body and his sexy ass. Seeing Naruto's back were facing him, Sasuke decided to surprise the blonde. He walked slowly to Naruto and said, "Tadaima, dobe". **Wah!** Naruto was startled hearing Sasuke voice. He turned around to see Sasuke grinned at him, glad that he scared Naruto. Naruto frowned and punched Sasuke at his shoulder and answered his greeting, "Okaeri, teme" Sasuke smiled receiving Naruto punched. It wasn't that hard compared to Sakura. "I see you been busied this morning. Did you clean my house?" said Sasuke as he walked to Naruto right side to see what Naruto was doing. "You noticed it. Yeah, I cleaned your house. Your house was too dirty and besides. I don't have anything to do. So, I thought why not I just cleaned it. Oh, yeah. I make you some orange juice. I figured you will be thirsty the time when you got back. So here." said Naruto as he poured Sasuke a glass of orange juice and gave it to him. Sasuke smiled as he received the juice. He drank the juice immediately caused like Naruto said. He was indeed thirsty and the cold orange juice Naruto just gave to him really did the trick getting rid of that thirsty feeling. Sasuke then looked at Naruto to see him watching him drinking the juice. "Thanks, dobe. I seriously need that" said Sasuke. This simple action that Naruto just did, making an orange juice making the Uchiha really want him to become his wife or his husband theoretically. "So, when do we head out to the market?" asked Naruto. "The sooner the better" said Sasuke. He had been thinking of going out with Naruto all day when he at his workplace. He really wanted to go now. Sasuke was now sitting on the sofa at the living room. He put the juice that Naruto just gave to him on the nearby table. "Oh, alright. Can you wait for a minute? I need to change my clothes" said Naruto as he smiled glad that Sasuke wanted to go now. That mean more time for him to shopping and more time for Sasuke and Sakura to talk with each other. "Hn" said Sasuke as a sign that he understood. Naruto then walked towards his room only to stop in the middle. He turned to Sasuke, "Oh, aunt said that she would be joining us too. She said it's been a month seen you guy went out together. So, we also need to wait for her too" said Naruto. With that, he went upstairs to change his clothes. Sasuke, on the other hand, was furious hearing what Naruto's just said. His wife going to join them meaning she will get in his way to get Naruto. Besides, ever since Sakura bought that 2.2 million yen necklace, he had reminded himself to never going out with Sakura again. Right now, Sasuke pinching the bridge of his nose as his head was working hard coming with some sort of plan to kick Sakura out from joining their 'date'. Meanwhile, Sakura headed downstairs to see Sasuke. Naruto just stopped by her room to say Sasuke is back. When she saw Sasuke, she decided to greet her husband. "Sasuke, you back" said Sakura greeting Sasuke. (AN: If you ever called that greeting) Hearing Sakura's voice, Sasuke looked up to see his wife. Sakura was still in her night gown and her hair was still messy. If you looked very closely, you could see a trail of saliva coming out from her mouth indicating she just woke up from her sleep. "You're still sleeping" said Sasuke. His voice raised a little cannot believe his wife in this ugly state. The same states that made Naruto screamed this morning. "It's not my fault that my job starts at night. So the only time I get to sleep is during daylight" said Sakura trying to defend herself. 'Yeah blame it all to your job' thought Sasuke. When he saw his wife in this ugly state. He started to wonder why he even married to this woman in the first place. Sakura decided to remind her husband that she will be joining the Naruto shopping trip "Did Naruto tell you that I'll be joining you for shopping" said Sakura. "Hn" said Sasuke. Inside his head, a few plans were formed to kick his wife from the shopping trips. "He said he needs to buy some grocery. Oh yesterday I saw this nice new dress at this boutique. I really want to buy it" said Sakura. She wanted to buy the clothes that she saw yesterday, but the clothes were pretty expensive. Thus, when she heard Sasuke was going shopping with Naruto, she thought this was a great opportunity to buy that clothes cause Sasuke is very, very, very, very rich guy. Last time she used to buy using Sasuke's credit card, but Sasuke had taken it back. So she really can't buy expensive stuff like she used to. Sasuke on the other hand, when he heard Sakura was saying about these new clothes. He knew that Sakura going to make him paid for that clothes. Plus, knowing Sakura that clothes must cost millions of yen which he really didn't like it. "So, when are you guys going?" asked Sakura. "Now" said Sasuke as he grunted a little. Hearing Sasuke wanted to go now; she quickly turned around to change her clothes. "Oh, wait for me. I'll go get ready" said Sakura as he climbed the stairs to go to her room. At the same time, Naruto was climbing down the stair and headed to Sasuke. "I'm ready, teme" said Naruto smiling. Sasuke looked up and saw that Naruto wearing a blue jacket with short sleeve that complimented with his blue eyes and yellow shirt with long sleeve underneath the jacket. He also was wearing a brown pant. Seeing Naruto was ready, Sasuke stood up and grabbed Naruto wrist. "Good, let's go" said Sasuke as he started dragging Naruto out of his home and heading to his car, Ferrari Scorpion. Naruto hissed a little as Sasuke dragged him into his car. "Hei, what are you doing teme? Let go of my hand" said Naruto as he wriggled a little to let Sasuke let go of his hand. But no avail as it only tightened Sasuke's hold onto his wrist. When Sasuke reached his car, he pushed the button on his car controller to open the car door and pushed Naruto into his car. He then walked quickly to the driver side and entered the car. Sasuke started the engine and hit the pedal to move his car completely leaving his wife, Sakura alone at the house. Sasuke drove his car to the market nearby which called Giant. He looked at his left to see Naruto tendering the wrist that he grabbed just now. Naruto wrist also shown a little red mark indicating Sasuke grabbed Naruto wrist too hard and cause a bruise. He stopped at the junction when the traffic light turned red. Sasuke then grabbed Naruto's wrist that he was tendering. He kissed the red mark that shown on Naruto wrist. "Sorry about that. I don't mean to hurt you" said Sasuke. He was mad at himself for hurting Naruto. Naruto on the other hand, blushed heavily. Sasuke just kissed his hand. His head and his neck were totally red thanks to what Sasuke just did. "No, it's alright" said Naruto as he looked down to avoid Sasuke from seeing his red face and pulled his hand away slowly from Sasuke. Naruto then noticed something. "Um.. aren't you going to wait for Sakura? She wants to go together with us, you know" said Naruto to remind Sasuke that he just left his wife. Sasuke brought his sight on the road and hit the pedal as the light turned green "Just leave her. Bringing her will only waste my money" said Sasuke while he continued his driving. "What's wrong with wasting money shopping for grocery? We need to stock up your kitchen, you know. It's too empty" said Naruto. It's normal things for people to use their money to buy groceries. Sasuke sighed hearing Naruto misunderstanding. By wasting money he meant, wasting money on unnecessary things. "I don't mind at all if my money is wasted on food or household equipment. You can waste my money all you want. But, I do care when my money is wasted buying something not important like jewellery, clothes or all that girly stuffs. Just now, she said she wants to buy these new clothes. Knowing her taste, I bet that clothes worth a millions yen" said Sasuke. "She is a girl. What are you expected? It's just their habits to shop that sort of things" said Naruto as he pulled his own seat belt and put it on. "I know, but after wasting my money 2.2 millions yen on her pearl necklace last month. I make it a note to never bring her to shop again unless she is buying it" said Sasuke. There was firmness in his voice as he reminded the past event with Sakura. Naruto just stayed quiet for while hearing what Sasuke said. Sasuke was upset with Sakura caused she bought so expensive things using Sasuke's money. Suddenly, Naruto's eye widened as he remembered what Sasuke said. "So, those that mean that you don't mind If I waste your money buying all this grocery. Because I really want to try to cook something new tomorrow so I don't know if I could make it though. So, I truly need to buy a lot of groceries" said Naruto as his eye went wider and sparkle in his eyes became shinier, which make Naruto became cuter giving Sasuke a hard time to resist himself not to hug Naruto right now. Sasuke nodded his head as signed, he didn't mind Naruto wasting his money. He then pulled out his wallet using his right hand to take the red credit card in it. He gave the card to Naruto which surprised the blond with his action. "Here, it's your" said Sasuke as he held the card to Naruto. Naruto took the card from Sasuke's hand. He looked at the card which wrote 'Uchiha Inc.' on it. He quickly turned to Sasuke. "You're serious. This is your company credit card" said Naruto as he could not believe that Sasuke just gave him the card. Sasuke only smirked seeing Naruto surprised reaction. "Hn. Buy anything you want. Besides, your cooking is the best I ever taste, so I really don't mind if I have to waste a millions yen if I have to" said Sasuke. He was pleased that Naruto was happy. "Thanks, Sasuke. Say, can I buy some clothes with this. I have been wearing this shirt for the last two years and I think I need a new one" said Naruto as he smiled asking for Sasuke's permission. "Sure, like I said. It's yours. So use it anyway you want. Just don't buy anything too expensive like your aunt" said Sasuke as he looked at Naruto who putting the card in his wallet. "Don't worry, I won't" said Naruto as he flashed a grinned to Sasuke which made the Uchiha smiled. Naruto raised from his seat a little and move to Sasuke. He then gave the Uchiha a kiss on his left cheek, which surprised Sasuke. Sasuke turned to face Naruto who only a few inches away from his face. He was very surprised that Naruto kissed him just now. "Thanks, Sasuke" said Naruto as he returned to his seat happily. For the rest of the journey, Sasuke found himself could not stop smiling as they made their way to the market. He was planning to make Naruto fall for him slowly, so he seriously didn't expect Naruto to kiss him. Today was a really good day for him. * * * _**Thirty minutes after Naruto and Sasuke left…**_ Sakura just finished changing her clothes. She was wearing a pink dress with a short white skirt. She was even wearing the expensive pearl necklace that made Sasuke mad. After satisfied with her look, she went to the living room to tell Sasuke she was ready. When she reached the living room, she didn't find her husband. She thought he went to the kitchen to grab something to eat. However, there no one there when she checked it. "Sasuke, I'm ready. Where are you?" shouted Sakura hoping her husband to hear her and came out. She went to the bathroom to see no one in there also. "Sasuke, where are you?" said Sakura as she is pacing around in the house. She went to the backyard and shouted, "Sasuke" but no one answering her called. She decided to go to the guest room which Naruto was staying. "Naruto" she called in front of the door. Hearing no reply from inside the room she twisted the knob of the door and found the door was unlocked. She went inside to find Naruto was not there also. 'Don't tell me they left me' though Sakura as then walked towards to the garage to confirm it. When she reached there, she found Sasuke's car was not there anymore meaning they indeed left her already. Sakura went into the house and sat on the sofa at the living room. She was crying as she thought back the event that happened last month. **_ _**_**Flashback [start]**_ _Sakura and Sasuke were at the living room. Sakura was just getting readied to go to work when Sasuke called her to meet him at the living. Sasuke gestured Sakura to sit on the sofa while he was standing. Sasuke face expression clearly not happy and Sakura was a little nervous under the glare of the Uchiha._ _Sasuke put a resit on the table in front of Sakura. Sakura took the resit and found out it the resit she got when she purchased a necklace last week._ _"Do you know what that is?" said Sasuke. He was pointing his index finger at the resit that Sakura hold._ _"Yes, this is the resit that I got when I purchased this necklace last week" said Sakura as she showed the large pearl necklace to Sasuke._ _"You know how much it cost?" as Sasuke as he grunted when Sakura shown him the necklace._ _"Um…. 2.2 millions yen" said Sakura hesitantly._ _"2.2 millions yen. Do you know how much that cost? That's the most expensive necklace I ever heard in my entire life" shouted Sasuke as he cannot contain his anger anymore._ _"What are you so angry about? It's just a necklace" said Sakura as she ignored Sasuke anger towards._ _"It's just a necklace. That necklace of your cost 2.2 millions yen and the worst part is you bought that using my money" sneered Sasuke._ _"Hei, I'm your wife. So, your money is technically my money also. I can use it however I want. Besides, you are the third richest person in this world. 2.2 millions yen is nothing to you" said Sakura as she also raised her voice._ _Sasuke pinched his nose and said, "Just because I am rich, that doesn't give you the right to use my money freely. 2.2 millions yen, we could buy another car with that money, or buy grocery because our kitchen is empty for months now, or we could even send our child to university and paying fee using that money."_ _"Correction, we don't have a child" said Sakura while she played around the necklace showing it to her husband. This of course only raised his anger more._ _"That's because you were too busy with your work. When I want to have a sex with you, you will give excuses, like 'I can't I need to go to work', or you're too tired. Do you even know that your mom was really mad because she waits three years for her grandchild but still no sign of them?" said Sasuke. His breath became irregular right now due to his temper._ _Sakura apparently didn't want to hear Sasuke babbling. So she stood up and started walking to the door to exit her house. "Can we talk this later Sasuke? I need to go to work" said Sakura._ _"There you go again with your pathetic excuses" said Sasuke as he rolled his eyes._ _Hearing Sasuke's statement make Sakura got mad. She turned around and brought her wallet out and took out the red credit card in it. Then, She threw the card to Sasuke and the card landed right in front of Sasuke's feet. "Fine, if you care so much about your money here. Take back your credit card. Next time I buy using my own money when I go shopping and I don't want you to come with me" shouted Sakura._ _Sasuke just bowed down to reach card and took it off the floor. He put the card in his pocket and said, "Good, cause I don't even want to". Sasuke then turned around and climbed the stairs leaving his wife alone._ **Flashback [end]** Sakura cried remembering the event. It's seemed that Sasuke really didn't want to go out with her and today proof it when Sasuke left her alone. Sakura blamed herself for selfishness. Before this, Sasuke always looked after her by giving her everything she wants. He never complained when she said she not very good at cooking and cleaning. He did not complain with the lack of sex. They not even do it yet. Can you believe it? They have been married for three years. For those three years, it was only Sasuke who played the role in their married life. He was the one who cleaned the house, and sometime cooked some food. While she was laying around doing nothing. Now, perhaps Sasuke had enough with her attitude. After their argument about the necklace, Sasuke had filed a divorce but her parents opposed it and pleaded Sasuke to give her a chance. They even sent their beloved grandson to help her building back their married life. Thinking back, maybe she really not meant to be with Sasuke. **-to be continued-** 2. Chapter 2: Credit card **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.** **Warning: English is not my first language but I tried to improve my grammar from time to time** * * * **Chapter 2: Credit Cards** Naruto and Sasuke were having great time at the market. They bought a lot of groceries, and Sasuke was helpful enough to push the trolley while Naruto looking for the grocery. After that they went for a lunch at Akimichi Restaurant. Before they noticed, it was getting dark already. So, they went to Sasuke's Ferrari. Naruto looked at the time inside the car that shown near seven o'clock. Sasuke started his car and drove to his home. It was then Naruto realised something. They forgot to bring along his aunt, Sakura. Which mean she will be mad at them when they return home. Naruto then remembered how scary her aunt can be when she was mad. A series of flashback started to play inside his brain as he remembered his aunt used to be in the Judoo club back in the middle school and how frightening she was that she single handedly defeated the tutor of the Judoo club. Not to mention that she was the National Judoo champion. "Man… we are so dead" shouted Naruto. Sasuke turned his head slightly to the left. Just enough for him to see Naruto's worried face without diverting his focus on the road. "What's wrong, dobe?" asked Sasuke. "We are so dead, I'm telling you. We just left Sakura alone at home. She will surely be mad when we return" said Naruto. He promised his aunt that they will go shopping together, but somehow they left his aunt alone at home. Seeing his uke in panic mode Sasuke said, "Calm down dobe. It already seven so your aunt should have gone to work right now." Naruto turned his head to Sasuke with wide eyes and said, "You're sure. What if she takes a leave today or what if she forgets that she has to go to work or what if the hospital blow up and she doesn't have to go to work or…." Naruto started saying none sense. To stop him, Sasuke put his left hand onto Naruto's mouth to keep him quiet. "When I released my hand, I want you to take a very deep breath and calm down" ordered Sasuke and Naruto nodded his head cutely. Sasuke released his hand from Naruto's mouth and he did what he had been told. Seeing Naruto starting to calm down, Sasuke focused his sight on the road again "Don't worry, dobe. Even if she is still inside the house, she won't be mad at us" "How so?" asked Naruto. He tilted his head a little making him looked like a cute kitten. "By the time we get there I just make up an excuse" answered Sasuke. "Alright, what excuse you going to say?" asked Naruto. "I just say that I forgot about her" answered Sasuke without a care about his wife. Naruto, on the other hand, went back to panic mode. "Wahhh…. We are so dead" said Naruto. If his aunt heard that excuse, it will make her angrier than before. Now he really didn't want to go back home. "Can't you make up a better excuse? You're a genius after all" said Naruto as he made puppy eyes pleading Sasuke to come out with another excuse. Sasuke turned his car to the right and said, "Too late dobe. We're here. Let's just pray that she isn't at home" They're now reached Sasuke's home. Sasuke parked his Ferrari inside his garage. Naruto then pointed his index finger to the Audi R8 car. "That's aunt's car right?" asked Naruto. They're still inside the Ferrari. Naruto knew that is his aunt car cause last night when he arrived at Sasuke's home, that car wasn't there. So, that means his aunt must be taking that car to go to work. Sasuke only answered with an 'Hn'. Naruto's face turned pale. Again, he went into the panic mode inside the Ferrari. He put his seat belt on and said, "Sasuke let's go. I don't want to meet aunt. She sure is mad at us." "Where are you expecting us to go? We already at my home" said Sasuke. This was normal for him. Naruto always in panic every time he sensed a trouble coming. But Sasuke didn't mind one bit. Why? Naruto then pulled Sasuke left hand and cling to it for his dear life. "But Sasuke I'm scared. You know how strong Sakura can be when she is mad?" said Naruto. This is the reason Sasuke didn't mind at all cause Naruto started to become very clingy when he panicked. A clingy Naruto is just what Sasuke wanted. But a clingy Sakura. Okay, that gross. Still, even though Sasuke is happy right now. He got to say that his uke made a point. His wife is scary when she is mad. Last time on middle school she used to take down a whole group of bullies. '_Alright, now I'm scared_' thought Sasuke. He looked out from his Ferrari's window only to see their bedroom light is on. 'Their bedroom' meant Sasuke and Sakura's bedroom. "Great she didn't go to work today" said Sasuke out loud. This also made his uke even more scare. "Ehhh… what do we do now? It's all your faults for leaving her behind" said Naruto as he pouted, which only made him cuter. Sasuke grabbed both Naruto hands tightly, which make Naruto blushed a little. "Say Naruto, will you stay with me" said Sasuke with seriousness in his eyes. Hearing Sasuke's statement Naruto could not help but to blush. He could feel the blood rushing to his face. His face is fully red right now and his hands starting to sweat. He lower his head to cover his face so Sasuke could not see his blushing face. "Wh- What did you mean?" asked Naruto. "I mean will you stay with me receiving your aunt punishment together with me" explained Sasuke. Naruto blinked his eyes, confused for a while before he fumed with anger. He pulled his hands from Sasuke grip and turned around to get out from Sasuke's car and walked towards the house. Sasuke surprised when Naruto started to leave him and shouted, "Naruto. Where are you going?". He turned off his car engine and picked up the groceries that they just bought from the market. Naruto started to mumble under his breath. "I can't believe I fall in love for that teme. How dared he makes such a wonderful statement but with different meaning in it. 'Will you stay with me'? I thought he was going to confess his love to me, but he actually wanted me to receive the punishment as well. You the worst, SASUKE-BAKA" said Naruto and he also shouted the 'SASUKE-BAKA' making sure to tell the bastard that he an idiot. Sasuke started to chase his beloved uke, "Dobe, what did I do?" asked Sasuke. Naruto just kept walking towards the door. "I thought you're suppose to be a genius. So, figure it yourself?" shouted Naruto as he entered the house. "Naruto" shouted Sasuke. He too entered his house. He just took one step and he saw Naruto ran back to him and clanged to his left armed. "Sasuke, I'm scared" said Naruto as he looked inside the house checking around to see where his aunt is. Sasuke smirk returned seeing Naruto went back to his panic mode. He put his right hand to his uke's right chin to brought Naruto's eye to meet his own eyes. "I told you already, Naruto. I will take care of it" said Sasuke as he stared into Naruto's blue eyes. Naruto just gaped could not believe that Sasuke can become this… romantic. "Why don't you take the groceries and put it into the kitchen. I go see your aunt what she's up to" said Sasuke as he handed the groceries to Naruto. Naruto looked at Sasuke with a worried expression. "What if she gets mad?" asked Naruto. Sasuke chuckled hearing his uke's question. It appeared Naruto still scared of his aunt's wrath. "Alright, how about this. If she gets mad, then we make a run for our life to my car and we go to nearby hotel and sleep there until she is cool down" said Sasuke. Surprisingly, Naruto grinned hearing Sasuke's plan. He nodded his head as to agree with Sasuke. Sasuke gave the groceries that he was carrying to Naruto. He then went up the stair toward his room to check on his wife, while Naruto went to the kitchen to store the groceries. Sasuke entered the room and saw that Sakura was sleeping on the bed. He saw a trail of tears on Sakura's face and on the bed. It was quite obvious that the girl cried herself out until she became tired and fell asleep. Sasuke just shrugged his shoulder and went out from his room and climb down the stair to tell Naruto that Sakura was sleeping. Sasuke reached the kitchen and saw Naruto was walking back and forth keeping the groceries. Naruto stopped when he saw Sasuke. "So, do we need to run or can I continue storing the groceries" asked Naruto. Sasuke walked to the bags of grocery that Naruto put on the table. "Sakura was sleeping, so you can continue storing the groceries. Need any help?" said Sasuke. "Thanks god" said Naruto as he sighed a relieved. He turned his head to Sasuke and said, "Yes, can you put the chicken and the fish inside the fridge on the top level. I want to find some containers to keep these onions and spices." Sasuke just said 'Hn' and did as he was told. After finished storing the groceries, they both went for a quick bath before Naruto started to enter the kitchen again to prepare for dinner. Sasuke also joined him in making dinner. * * * _**With Sakura**_ Sakura woke up from her sleep. She wiped out her dried tears on her chin and walked towards the window. She saw Sasuke's Ferrari at the garage. '_They're back_' thought Sakura sadly. She was left alone at home for five hours. During those hours, she spent her time crying for what she did in the past. Sakura walked to the bathroom to wash her face and look in the mirror. '_Alright Sakura. You can do this. No more fooling around from this day forwards. After this, you're going to be a good wife to Sasuke_' thought Sakura as she pulled herself together. She then went for a bath. 40 minutes later, Sakura was busied picking which dress she should wear tonight. She was planning to seduce Sasuke in hope that Sasuke will forgive her for what she did in the past. She's now focusing on to become a good wife. However, there is one problem. She didn't know how to be a good wife since she really didn't have the skill of becoming a wife. She can't cook, can't clean the house. She can't do anything that a good wife can do. That's when the idea of having sex came to her, since that the only thing she can do. Any girl can do. Now, she was looking through her drawer to see which dress she should wear. '_Sasuke always argued with me for the lack of sex we had. That's going to change today. All I need to do is to seduce him and he will ravish me like a dog. Now, which dress should I wear? This dress should be sexy enough to seduce Sasuke_' thought Sakura. Ten minutes had passed by, she still hasn't decided yet. '_This will be much easier if I could get that dress at Karin's boutique_' thought Sakura. She wanted to buy that dress, but didn't have enough money to purchase it. While she was busied choosing a dress, Naruto and Sasuke were busied in the kitchen. Naruto was cooking curry right now. He was already done with other dishes, which were fried rice, Kushiyaki (grilled chicken), Simmered zucchini with miso (very delicious vegie ^^) and fried tomato. Sasuke was standing on the left side of Naruto. He asked Naruto was there anything he could do. Naruto replied by saying that he could help him cut the onion. A few minutes pass by and Sasuke still didn't cut onion. It not that he didn't want to cut the onion. But he knew what onion will do when you tried to cut it. It will make you cried and crying in front of Naruto was something he didn't want to do since it destroyed his pride as an Uchiha. Uchiha never cried. "So, tell me why I have to cut the onion again?" asked Sasuke. He was holding the onion in his left hand while the right was holding the knife. Naruto was stirring the curry in the pot. "It's because I was busy cooking curry. Since you're not doing anything why don't you make yourself useful and cut the onion" answered Naruto. He picked up a bowl of sliced onion on his right and put it into the curry and mixed it with some spices and salt until the smell of curry came out. Sasuke noticed that Naruto put the sliced onion in the curry. 'Naruto already used the onion for the curry. Why would he need the onion for when he already used it?' thought Sasuke. "Why would you need the onion for? You already put the onion in the curry" asked Sasuke. Naruto stiffed when Sasuke asked that question. The truth is he wanted to see Sasuke cry caused he never saw Sasuke cried before. He thought it would be funny to see Sasuke cried. "Well… I want to use it for… soup" answered Naruto as he made up an excuse for Sasuke to cut the onion. Sadly, Sasuke was not buying it. "Soup? You want to serve dinner with curry and soup" questioned Sasuke. That got to be the worst dinner set dish ever. No one had served curry with soup before cause the taste counter act each other. "Yup" answered Naruto trying his best to make a poker face. "That got to be the worst dinner set ever. You know soup and curry don't work well together" said Sasuke. Naruto became a little angry when Sasuke questioned his cooking style. "Whose care, I want to make soup. So, cut the onion" said Naruto. He knew that curry and soup didn't go well together, but it's not like he was going to make soup. He just wanted to see Sasuke cry. Sasuke went to Naruto's back. He then slipped both his hand under Naruto's armpits and hugged him from behind. This caused Naruto to blush. "Hei, what are you doing?" asked Naruto as he wriggled out of Sasuke's hug but failed. Sasuke just answered huskily on Naruto's left ear. "You thought I was stupid, did you Naruto? I know you're trying to trick me to see I'm cried" said Sasuke as he grinned at his uke. Glad that he figured out his uke's trick. Naruto could only smile sheepishly knowing that he was busted already. He could see that Sasuke was smiling from the corner of his eyes. "Since you really want sliced onion to make soup. I will cut the onion for you. But you have to be with me when I'm doing it. That way, we both can share our cries together" said Sasuke dangerously on Naruto's ear. Naruto wriggled ferociously when he heard what Sasuke going to do. "Stop, Sasuke. Alright, I was kidding. Please, don't cut it in front of me" pleaded Naruto, but Sasuke just ignored it. Naruto's eyes widened when he saw Sasuke brought the onion in front of his and Sasuke' face. Sasuke then brought the knife near the onion with his right hand and cut it very slowly making sure the onion vapor to reach their eyes. It was not long until Naruto felt like a burn in his eyes. He tried to hold the tears, but failed as the trail of tears coming out from his eyes. Even Sasuke cried as well. Naruto was just sobbing and turned his head to the left to see Sasuke. "You are cruel, teme" said Naruto as he sobbed forcing more tears to come out from his eyes. Sasuke just smiled as he leaned his chin on Naruto's chin. He also made sure that his trail of tear to meet Naturo's tear as well. Naruto blushed when he felt Sasuke chin on his skin. He could feel that their skins were getting wetter when his tears combined with Sasuke tears. They stayed that way while Sasuke slowly cut the onion in front of their face and Naruto just continued cooking his curry making sure his and Sasuke's tears did not get into the curry. XxX Half an hour later, both Sasuke and Naruto were sitting at the table enjoying their dinner. Both had red eyes since they cried so much. Naruto just glared at the Uchiha after what he did. Their peace and _lovey dovey_ time was put on hold when Sakura came into the kitchen. Sakura saw Sasuke and Naruto were eating at the table. Naruto had his back at Sakura so he didn't notice Sakura presence. However, Sasuke who was sitting in front of Naruto saw Sakura entering the kitchen. Sakura was wearing a very tight purple dress that shown her fat body curve with an extremely short skirt. When she saw Sasuke looking at her, she was happy as she thought Sasuke was falling for her charm. Sakura first plan succeeded, which is to capture Sasuke's attention towards her sexy dress. She began to move onto the next phase which was to seduce her husband with seductive and dirty words. "Good evening, dear. Enjoying your dinner I see. Would you want something better than that" said Sakura as she lowered her chest to show Sasuke her flat chest. When Naruto heard his aunt voice, he turned around to invite his aunt for dinner. However, his eyes landed on Sakura flat chest instead. He immediately blushed since Sakura's breast actually a few inches away him. Sasuke seeing his uke's face near Sakura breast, he immediately stood up and pulled Naruto head away from the breast. He proceeded to put his hands onto Naruto's eyes to protect Naruto innocent mind. "Sakura, what with that clothes you're wearing?" shouted Sasuke. He was now standing beside Naruto still covering Naruto eyes with his hands. "Do you like it, Sasuke-kun?" said Sakura as she turned around to show his body. Sasuke just glared at his wife. "No, but you're tainting Naruto's innocent mind. Go back into your room and change into decent clothes before I throw you out of the house" said Sasuke harshly. He was really mad at his wife showing her dirty body to Naruto's innocent mind. Besides, the only person who had the right to taint his uke is him. Uchiha Sasuke. Sakura heartbroken hearing Sasuke straight answered. She thought her planned to seduce her husband was working, but it was not. She could see the Uchiha glare that her husband was giving. Doing as she was told, she got out from the kitchen to enter her room to change her clothes. After making sure his wife out from the kitchen, Sasuke removed his hand from Naruto. He could see Naruto was still blushing heavily. It was obvious that he was remembering Sakura's breast. To snap Naruto back to the real world, Sasuke poked Naruto's chin, which made the cute blond to blink. Seeing his uke was back, they continued with their dinner. Sasuke was eating his dinner quietly. He looked at his uke only to see him staring at his dinner. "Aren't you going to eat, dobe?" asked Sasuke. He saw Naruto was playing with his spoon. Naruto just nodded his head and said, "Yeah, but after seeing aunt in that dress, somehow I lost my appetite". Naruto pouted a little, sad that he had lost his appetite. Sasuke was also mad. Out of all time, why did his wife choose dinner time to seduce him? Not only had she just destroyed Naruto's appetite but his too. He put his hand under Naruto's chin and brought his gazed to him. "You better eat or I will force to feed you" said Sasuke. Naruto blushed seeing Sasuke lustful eye. Now his mind completely full with Sasuke. "Alright, alright" said Naruto as he removed Sasuke hand from his chin. Sasuke smiled seeing his uke continue eating his meal. They both finished with their dinner a few minutes later. Sasuke excused himself and said to Naruto that he would be in his office room to do some work. Naruto just nodded his head saying he understood and continued washing the dishes. Later, his aunt came wearing a pink pajama. At least, these clothes are decent. She took a sit at the table and poured herself some fried rice into her bowl for dinner. "Where's Sasuke?" asked Sakura. "Oh, uncle is in the office room. He said he had some work to do" said Naruto as he wiped his hand after cleaning the dishes. He then sat in front of her aunt. "Sorry for leaving you behind this evening. Uncle pulled me straight away to the car after I finished changing clothes. I tried to tell him to pick you up but he just ignored it" said Naruto. Sakura just ate her food slowly. "It's alright Naruto. I think your uncle still mad at me" said Sakura. Naruto smiled a little. "So, you're not mad" asked Naruto. Sakura shut her eyes as to think for a while before replying, "I am still mad" "But I'm sorry aunty" said Naruto with pleading eyes. Sakura just smiled seeing Naruto's cute kitty face. "Alright, how about this. You have to come with me tomorrow to Tokyo Plaza. I want to buy some new dress. If you do that, then I forgive you" said Sakura as she continued eating her dinner. Naruto frowned knowing what his aunt was up to. She was going to torture him to pick which dress to choose. Knowing her, it will take more than one hour just to pick one dress. Naruto slumped himself. He agreed with his aunt that he will come with her to Tokyo Plaza tomorrow. Sakura smiled happily while giving her dish to Naruto to wash. Naruto reluctantly picked up the bowl and moved to the sink to wash it. Sakura, on the other hand, just went to her room leaving Naruto alone in the kitchen. After washing the dish, Naruto thought of doing some coffee for Sasuke. He decided to make a cup of cappuccino for Sasuke. After finish making it, he walked to the office room to give Sasuke the cappuccino. He noticed that Sasuke was busied looking through documents on his desks. He walked near to Sasuke. "Hei, you're busy teme" said Naruto. "Hn" answered Sasuke as he was still reading the documents. Naruto just put the cappuccino on top of the desk and said, "Here something to refresh you up". Sasuke moved his gazed from the document to the cup that Naruto just put on his desk. "What is it" asked Sasuke as he peered inside the cup. "Cappuccino, it's delicious" said Naruto. Sasuke took the cup and drank cappuccino a little. He just smiled after tasting it. "See, told you it was delicious" said Naruto which he received a 'Hn' from Sasuke. Naruto then walked to the door to get out from the room. He didn't want to disturb his uncle when he busied doing his work. When he reached the door, he turned around to Sasuke. "Before I forget, tomorrow morning me and aunty going to Tokyo Plaza to do some shopping" said Naruto to inform his uncle. Sasuke just nodded his head and said, "Thanks for the cappuccino and good night" Naruto smiled and leaved Sasuke alone finishing his work. * * * _**The next day [Tuesday]**_ Naruto and his aunt were at the Tokyo Plaza. Tokyo Plaza is a large where various kinds of shops are located here. Most of the shop were selling clothes or foods. But there also saloon shops, books store and cellphone shops. They even got a cinema here. Sakura and Naruto went to the Tokyo Plaza after Sasuke left to go to work. They went there by Sakura's car, Audi R8. Sakura said to Naruto that she wanted to buy new dress. They went inside one of the shops. While Sakura busied with herself trying all sort of dresses, Naruto was looking at the jacket section of the shop. That's when he found the jacket, he had been looking for. Sakura went to her nephew to see if Naruto found something he like. "So, did find what you're looking for" asked Sakura when saw Naruto holding an orange jacket. "Yeah, I was looking for this jacket everywhere" said Naruto. He showed his aunt the orange jacket he wanted to buy. The jacket was just the same as any jacket. What make Naruto want to buy it because this jacket has a hood which looked like a cat ear. Naruto smiled happily since he found what he wanted. "How about you aunty, found any dress you're interested" asked Naruto. Sakura just frowned and said, "no I haven't found any dress that caught my eyes, yet. Never mind that, let's pay your jacket first and we go to next shop". Sakura led her nephew to the counter to pay for the jacket. At the counter, Naruto gave the jacket to the casher for him to check the price. The casher looked at the price on the tag and put the tag at the scanner. The price of the jacket came out at the cash machine. "That would be 15000 yens" said the casher. Naruto took out his wallet from his pocket. He then noticed that he didn't bring large cash with him. So, he took out the red credit cards that his uncle gave it to him yesterday. "Do you accept a credit card? I don't bring large cash with me" said Naruto. "Of course we are sir" said the casher. Naruto gave the credit card to the casher. After finish with the whole register process, the casher gave back the card to Naruto. "Here is your card and the bill. Please do come again" said the casher. "I will" said Naruto as he put the credit card into his wallet. Sakura whom been standing beside Naruto surprised when she saw the red credit card Naruto just used. '_Isn't that my credit card that Naruto used just now? How come he gets that card_' thought Sakura as she saw the red credit cards that Naruto was holding in his hand. Sakura and Naruto walked out of the shop to go to the next one. As soon as they both got out, Sakura asked something to Naruto. "Naruto, where did you get that card?" asked Sakura. "You mean the credit card I just used. Uncle gave it to me yesterday saying I could use it to buy anything I want as long as it not too expensive" answered Naruto. He was looking inside the bag adoring the jacket he just bought. Sakura surprised hearing the answer. "He gave it to you" said Sakura. She could not believe Sasuke would give Naruto his credit card. Not just any credit card, it's a company credit card. Meaning anything that Naruto bought will be paid by Uchiha Incorporation Company. Sakura was jealous of Naruto for having that card. '_That's card supposed to be mine, how dare Sasuke gave that card to Naruto_' thought Sakura. However, she can't blame Sasuke also since it is technically her fault. If she didn't give back that card to her husband, then she had the luxury of buying anything she wanted like her nephew, Naruto. Now, she knew Naruto had that card. She was planning to take it back. At the same time, she also worried if she took that card back, then Naruto will tell Sasuke which surely made that guy mad and divorce her completely. She needed some kind of plan to use the credit card without Naruto knowing it. Suddenly, she got an idea. She smiled to Naruto and said, "Say Naruto would mind come with me to the Karin Boutique. There is a dress that I want to buy." "Sure" said Naruto as they walked to the boutique. Inside Sakura mind, she was doing a victory dance. '_It's a good thing that my nephew is a loser. Now all I have to do is to plead Naruto to buy it for me. Knowing him, he will hard time saying no to me. You're a genius Sakura, just like your husband. Hahaha_' thought Sakura Naruto and Sakura reached the Karin boutique half an hour ago. Now, Sakura was busied trying all sort of dresses inside the boutique. She went out from the changing room and showed Naruto her gold dress with diamonds at the skirt. "How do I look, Naruto?" asked Sakura. Naruto just gave a thumb up. He was getting bored now. He was sitting at the same chair for half an hour with nothing to do but giving a comment to his aunt dress. He wished his aunt would make up her mind soon. After wearing several other more dresses, Sakura then made up her mind to buy the gold dress. She had been dreaming to buy this dress since last week and now her dream will come true. All she needed to do was to trick her nephew to buy that dress for her. Sakura and Naruto walked to the counter to buy the dress. "That would be 30.4 millions yen" said the casher. Naruto after hearing the price completely burst out in anger. "What? Why is it so expensive? What did the dress was made from anyway? A gold" shouted Naruto. The casher answered Naruto calmly, "Yes, sir. The dress itself was made from gold string, diamond and a pure silk. Not to mention it was made by the most famous designer." Naruto just gaped hearing the material needed to build that dress. Sakura on the other hand, put her hand onto Naruto chest to calm him down. "It's alright, Naruto" said Sakura slowly and Naruto took a deep breath to calm down his anger. '_Yeah, that's right Sakura. You need to calm Naruto down first before you tricked him or he will notice your plan_' thought Sakura. After Naruto completely calm down, Sakura turned her attention to the casher and brought out her purse. She then pretended to search for her wallet inside the purse. A few minutes later, she smiled sheepishly and said, "I'm sorry, but it seems I forget to bring my wallet". She turned her head to Naruto and sad, "So, Naruto would you mind buy it for me using the credit card." She even made a pleading face to make Naruto fall for her trap. Being a kind heart person, Naruto agreed to buy it for. Naruto took out his wallet to pay for his aunty, but as soon as he touched the credit card, he remembered what Sasuke had said to him yesterday in the car. * * * **-Flashback-** _"She is a girl. What are you expect? It's just their habits to shop that sort of things" said Naruto as he pulled his own seat belt and put it on._ _"I know, but after wasting my money 2.2 million yen on her pearl necklace last month. I make it a note to never bring her to shop again unless she buying it" said Sasuke. There was firmness in his voice as he reminded the past event with Sakura._ * * * After remembering, what Sasuke said. Naruto looked at his aunty's face with a disbelieve face. '_I can't believe it. My own aunt trying to trick me buying her expensive dress_' thought Naruto as he looked into the pleading eye his aunt made. Putting his wallet into his pocket, Naruto stared straight through his aunt's eyes and said, "No". Sakura on the other hand, could not believe her ears the words coming out from her nephew mouth. "What? Why?" shouted Sakura. "Because uncle gave this card for me to use, not to you aunty" answered Naruto. Sakura was starting to become mad. She could not believe that her only nephew that used to scare at her because of her strength now had the courage to back talk to her. "Hey, that card belongs to my husband. Anything that my husband own is mine also. So give it to me Naruto" commanded Sakura. "NO" shouted Naruto as he walked pass his aunt and got out from the boutique. "Hei, Naruto. Where the hell did you think you're going?" yelled Sakura couldn't believe that her plan back firing. Then she noticed several customers inside the boutique started to whisper to each other. Embarrassed, Sakura walked out of the boutique and chased after Naruto. "Naruto stop" yelled Sakura. Naruto stopped and turned around to look at his aunt. They're now at the parking lot of Tokyo Plaza. Sakura just walked to his nephew and raised her right hand. ** PANG!** Sakura just slapped her nephew very hard that the whole parking lot can hear the sound of the slap. Her slapped was so strong that Naruto fall on his back after receiving the slap. The bag that he was carrying also dropped on the floor. Naruto eyes widened couldn't believe that his aunt just slapped him. He put his hand on his chin where Sakura slapped him just now. He could feel the pain on his chin. Slowly, he stood up and picked up the bag that contained his jacket; he just purchased. "How could you humiliate me in front of everyone, Naruto?" shouted Sakura. Alright, now the blond was angry. He looked back at Sakura in her eyes and shouted, "How could you lie to me"? Sakura eyes widened. "What? I'm lying to you" said Sakura acting innocent. Naruto just glared hard at his aunt, "You think I'm stupid, didn't you aunty? I thought you brought me to that boutique to help you choosing the dress, but you tricked me to buy that expensive dress." Sakura glared back and counter, "Hey, don't use that tone on me got it. I'm your aunt so you have to listen to me. Now give back my credit card" Sakura held out her palm in front of Naruto and asked him to give the credit card to her. However, Naruto refused by saying, "Your. It Sasuke's credit card and he gave it to me. So, no. I'm not going to hand it to you." Sakura walked to Naruto and attempted to take the wallet out from Naruto's pocket. "Give it to me, Naruto" said Sakura she tried to take the Naruto's wallet. Naruto just slapped Sakura's hand away from his wallet. "No. Geez, no wonder uncle hates you so much. You're acting like a bitch" yelled Naruto. Sakura fumed with anger when Naruto called her a bitch. By the time Naruto realised what's happening, Sakura gave a very hard punched on Naruto face sending him to the light pole nearby. Naruto head then hit the pole really hard and fell into the drain. Even the jacket he just bought fall into the drain as well. Sakura walked to Naruto. Naruto was lying flat on his chest in the drain. His shirt now dirty since there was water in the drain. Sakura bowed down and took the wallet out of Naruto's pocket. She then took out the card and threw Naruto's wallet, which hit Naruto face. "That's what you get for calling me a bitch" said Sakura as she walked away and entered the Tokyo Plaza to buy the gold dress. Naruto was left lying in the drain. He tried to stand up but found himself couldn't move. He could only cry and prayed someone found him. He felt a very strong pain on the back of his head. He could feel the energy inside of him leaving his body. '_Sasuke, I'm sorry_' whispered Naruto slowly hoping that his words magically reached Sasuke's ear, so he could hear it. Naruto eyes closed slowly as the darkness soon surrounded him. * * * _**Uchiha Incorporation**_ Sasuke was in the meeting room. He was explaining to his employees about the new project that he wanted them to do. Suddenly, he heard something in his head. **Sasuke, I'm sorry** Sasuke turned around as his eyes widened. The executives in the meeting room looked at their boss with a confused face. Their boss was talking about the budget for the project when he suddenly turned around and looked everywhere like he was searching for something. Seeing no one behind him, Sasuke looked down at the floor as he was thinking about the voice he just heard. _'I recognize that voice anywhere I go, it's Naruto. But why did I heard his voice suddenly_' thought Susuke. Then, he felt a chilled at his spine. '_What is this uneasy feeling inside of me?_' thought Sasuke. He reached out his hand to pick up a glass of water only to see the glass broke. By this time, Sasuke knew something bad was happening to his beloved uke. Sasuke looked at the executives and told them the meeting was postponed until he told when. After that, he hurried got out from that meeting room and walked towards his Ferrari. He started the engine and went back home to look for his beloved uke. * * * _**Sasuke's House**_ Sakura just arrived at home. She walked inside the house with hand full of bags. She had a great time shopping at boutique using 'her' credit card. She went to the living room and sat on the sofa. She began to open her bags looking at the beautiful dress she just bought. She even bought new shoes, purses, jewellery, and watch. How much did it all cost? She didn't have any idea. She just picked the one she like and purchased it using 'her' credit card. That's all. Then, she heard sound of a car coming from the garage. Looking through the window, she saw her husband returned home. 'Sasuke backs early today. Today must be my lucky day. Just wait until he sees my beautiful dress. He will surely fall for it when I wear it and then we gonna have some sex and our married life back to it normal states' thought Sakura. Sasuke entered his home and noticed that Naruto's shoe wasn't at the doorstep, but Sakura's shoe was there. He looked back at the garage and say his wife's car was there. He knew that Sakura and Naruto were going to shop today since Naruto told him last night. So, if his wife's car was here, then Sakura supposed to here also with Naruto. '_Then why is Naruto's shoe isn't here_' thought Sasuke. He went to the living room only to be greeted by his wife. "Oh, Sasuke-kun I just bought this new dress. Isn't it beautiful?" said Sakura. She showed the dress to her husband. Sasuke didn't reply. Instead, he walked passed Sakura and went to the sofa. He noticed there were a lot of bags on the sofa, on the table and on the floor. Sasuke went to one of the bags and picked up the item which is a black purse. He checked the price on the tag and it was written 15 millions yen. Sasuke eyes widen could not believe the price. He asked, "Where did you get the money to buy all these things?" Sakura at this time was sweated herself, afraid that her husband knew that she was using his credit card. Quickly, she came with a lie hoping Sasuke to buy it, "I just used my money". Sasuke just kept quiet. He was checking the price of each item. Every time he checked, the price that was written all had the 'millions yen' word in it. He knew Sakura couldn't afford to buy all this thing unless… Just then he remembered that he had given his credit card to Naruto. If anyone could afford to buy all this thing, it's had to be him. But he knew his beloved uke would not do such a thing. Naruto is not the type of wasting money. If Naruto didn't buy it for Sakura, then it can only be one thing. Sasuke turned and glared at this wife. "Give me your purse?" ordered Sasuke. Sakura knew that Sasuke knew she was using his credit card. So, she hided the purse on her back and said, "What you need my purse for?" "I said, give it to me" said Sasuke as he went near to Sakura and snatched the purse from her. He checked the contain and found the red credit card that he gave Naruto yesterday. He turned around to Sakura. His face looked like a demon right now as he now filled with anger. "WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THIS?" yelled Sasuke. Sakura took a few steps back as she was afraid of her husband. "Naruto gave it to me" lied Sakura hoping her husband will be mad at his nephew for a change. However, Sasuke only got angrier when he heard the answer, "No way, I know Naruto won't give it to you. So you must steal it." Seeing her husband defending Naruto, she shouted back, "So, what? It's mine anyway". The argue began. "No it's not" yelled Sasuke. He could feel the vein coming out from his head. Then he remembered the reason he was here. He was here to check on his uke, whether something bad happened to him or not. He looked around the living and there was no signed of Naruto. Sasuke turned back at his wife and asked, "Where's Naruto?" Sakura just looked down on the floor and kept quiet. "Where is he?" sneered Sasuke. Sakura scoffed and said, "How should I know? Last time I see him, he was lying flat at the parking lot near Tokyo Plaza." "What did you do?" asked Sasuke "I punched him for not giving me my credit cards" answered Sakura. "Your credit cards. It was not yours in the first place. It was Naruto credit cards. I gave it to him. And how dare you punch…" Sasuke stopped in the middle of his sentence as the words 'punched' and 'Naruto' registered into his mind. He walked out from him home and put the red credit cards into his pocket. He entered his car and drove to the Tokya Plaza. * * * _**Uchiha Incorporation [Security Department]**_ Security department duty is to guard Uchiha Incorporation property. They also act as the Uchiha's personal bodyguards. The chief of department is no other than Hatake Kakashi. He was sitting inside his office while reading his… journal. Suddenly, his cell phone rang. He looked at it to see his boss was calling. He pushed the green button and brought the phone to his ear. "Yes, Sasuke. What do you need me for?" asked Kakashi. "Kakashi, I want you to come to Tokya Plaza parking lot with the guards. Meet me there" said Sasuke and then hung up the phone. Kakashi just looked at the phone and said, "Well, someone sure in a hurry." He walked out from his office and shouted, "Alright boys, time to get to work." * * * _**Tokyo Plaza [Car Park]**_ Sasuke just arrived at Tokyo Plaza. He parked his car at the parking lot and got out from the car. He then saw his bodyguards coming on BMW 5 series sedan. They parked the car near Sasuke and got out also. Kakashi walked to Sasuke. "What you need us for?" asked Kakashi. Sasuke brought out his wallet and said, "I called you here to find Naruto. This is the picture of him" said Sasuke. He showed the guards picture of Naruto that he kept inside his wallet. Sasuke called the guards to find his uke because the parking lot is big. It will take a long time for him to find Naruto alone. Kakashi eyes widened when he saw the picture. He had seen the blond before. Two months after he started working at Uchiha Incorporation, his boss mom Uchiha Mikoto called him. She had given him a mission which was to find his boss friend. She showed the exact same picture that his boss had just now in his wallet. Kakashi then grinned under his mask that covered his mouth and nose. He had been working with Sasuke more than two years, and he never saw his boss this nervous before. Whoever this cute blond boy is, must be important to the Uchiha. Still, there is something he was confused. "Sasuke, why did you put the picture of this cute blond boy inside your wallet and not your wife picture?" asked Kakashi as he made a smiley eye. Sasuke who just put his wallet back into his pocket, yelled at Kakashi, "I answered your stupid question later. Now, find Naruto first or I fired you all'. With that, the guards quickly running around at the parking lot while shouting Naruto names. It wasn't long until one of the guards spotted something weird in the drain. Sasuke came closer and he was shocked when he saw the blond hair which could belong to one person. "Naruto" shouted Sasuke as he ran to his uke and picked him up from the drain. Naruto clothes were soaking wet. He was more nervous when he saw Naruto was unconscious. Sasuke tapped Naruto chin lightly to wake him up. "Naruto, wake up Naruto. Naruto" said Sasuke but Naruto not answering. Sasuke turned his head to the guards. "Kakashi" yelled Sasuke. The BMW car came and Kakashi was driving it. He opened the window and said, "Quick, get inside". When he saw the unconscious boy, he knew they need to take the boy to the hospital quickly. So, while his boss ran to get the boy, he went back to get his car. The other guards opened the door for Sasuke. Sasuke put his hand under Naruto's leg and picked up his uke bridal style and stepped inside the car. As soon as the door was closed, Kakashi hit the pedal and drove the car to the hospital. Sasuke put Naruto head on his lap and whispered, "Naruto, please stay with me. I lose you once and I don't ever want to lose you again". A trail of tear coming out from Sasuke eye. Kakashi who heard the whispered only hit pedal much harder, speeding the car so they could get to the hospital faster. _** **_ * * * **-to be continue-** * * * This story is dedicated to '**Killua17**', **'Kunoichi of the Moonlit Night**', '**donthateapreciatexyaoix'**, and '**Narutopokefan**' since their reviews fuels my writing spirit to write this Chapter 2 I noticed that there a few reviews asking me to get a beta. I did wish to get a beta but I decided to cancel my wish since I got a bad experience with a beta before. I don't want to talk about it but let's just said that the said beta is too manipulated that he/she want me to write the story "Encounter with Nate" his/her way. It was a pokemon story. Frustrated I sever my connection with my beta. I deleted the story since it's remind me of that beta so much. Besides, it's kinda waste of my time when I need to wait for his/her review on my story. I really busy on the real world and I don't want to keep my reader waiting. So, I'm sorry but I guess I will not get a beta for the time moment. Want me to update soon, plz review End file.
fanfiction
linear polarization of submillimetre continuum radiation is associated with optically - thin synchrotron emission , and with partial magnetic alignment of elongated dust grains . in both cases , magnetic morphology can be deduced from the directions of polarization vectors , and these techniques are much less subject to confusion than in the optical and radio regimes , where scattering and faraday rotation dominate the polarized signal . in the submillimetre , the limitations are that the data are only sensitive to the net plane - of - the - sky magnetic field direction within the telescope beam , and that there is no direct information on magnetic field strengths . however , with the capability to detect levels of linear polarization of 1% or less , considerable magnetic _ structure _ information can be obtained . the importance of magnetic fields is now being realised in sources ranging from disks around young stellar objects to the inner jets in active galactic nuclei @xcite . observing techniques at submillimetre wavelengths have matured considerably in the last decade , particularly with the introduction of the first generation of continuum cameras . the chief difficulty for ground - based observations is the high opacity and time variability of the earth s atmosphere , and these problems are critical for polarimetry . atmospheric absorption can be largely overcome by building telescopes at suitable high , dry sites , such as mauna kea in hawaii ( summit altitude 4200 m ) , and by observing in frequency ` windows ' away from oxygen and water absorption lines . under the best conditions , the zenith transmission is then about 80% at a wavelength of 850 @xmath0 m , and as much as 40% at shorter wavelengths such as 450 @xmath0 m . the other problem affecting the quality of flux measurements is atmospheric instability , especially emissivity changes on short timescales of a few seconds . this is a particular challenge for polarimetric observations , which require measurements accurate to better than 1% over periods of minutes to hours , and necessitates sophisticated techniques for removing sky - level changes . submillimetre polarimetry using single - pixel photometers began about a decade ago ( e.g. , * ? ? ? * ) , and a number of important detections were made both in the ( sub)millimetre ( e.g. , * ? ? ? * ; * ? ? ? * ; * ? ? ? * ) and with complementary studies of warmer sources in the far - infrared ( e.g. , * ? ? ? these observations were extremely laborious , but a major breakthrough has been made with the arrival of sensitive submillimetre and far - infrared cameras . with the inclusion of polarimeters typically based on rotating half - wave plate designs and either internal or external to the cryogenically cooled instrument polarization imaging of a wide variety of sources has now become feasible . a complete introduction has been presented by @xcite . in this paper , we describe observations and techniques with the new imaging polarimeter used with scuba , the submillimetre common - user bolometer array @xcite at the james clerk maxwell telescope ( jcmt ) on mauna kea . the general design of the polarimeter has been described by @xcite . it is an external module that fits over the scuba cryostat window , and comprises a rotating half - waveplate and a fixed photo - lithographic grid ( ` analyser ' ) ( figure [ fig : diag ] ) . the waveplate is stepped to a series of fixed angles , which has the effect of rotating the incoming source plane of polarization , by twice the physical angle of rotation . the grid , with a 10 micron line spacing ( of etched copper on a mylar substrate ) , efficiently reflects one plane of polarization that is fixed in the scuba reference frame . the net effect ( figure [ fig : wplate ] ) is to select out a fixed component of a rotated linearly polarized signal , so that the scuba bolometers see a modulated signal of the form @xmath1 . \label{eqn : sig}\ ] ] here @xmath2 is the unpolarized intensity , @xmath3 describes the modulating polarized component above the minumum observed signal @xmath2 , @xmath4 is the waveplate angle , and @xmath5 is the position angle of the polarization in a suitable co - ordinate frame . the factor of @xmath6 arises because one plane of polarization is reflected by the analyser ; this contrasts with cameras designed specifically for polarimetry , which typically use a waveplate inside the instrument and measure both planes of polarization using two separate detector arrays @xcite . the waveplates are made of birefringent quartz , cut to a thickness to retard one plane of polarization by half a wavelength relative to the orthogonal plane , on emerging from the plate . since scuba has filters for observing at a wide range of wavelengths , from 0.35 to 2 mm , an _ achromatic _ design was adopted following the pancharatnam method @xcite . this uses a sandwich of an odd number of individual half - waveplates whose ` fast ' axes of polarization are offset by @xmath7 . the effect is a combined plate whose fast - axis direction ( @xmath8 ) is slightly wavelength - dependent , but with very good polarization modulation efficiency ( pme ) over a broad range of wavelengths . the plates were wax - bonded and then held in place in mounting rings . a good transmission ( @xmath9 ) was achieved using single - layer polypropylene coatings to reduce reflections at the plate surfaces . cccc @xmath10 & mean pme & @xmath8 & @xmath9 + ( @xmath0 m ) & ( % ) & ( degrees ) & ( % ) + + 350 & 96 & + 9 & + 450 & 97 & + 7 & @xmath1160% + 750 & 99 & + 1 & + 850 & 97 & 5 & @xmath1285% + + 450 & 95 & + 7 & + 850 & 94 & + 6 & + 1350 & 99 & + 18 ( + 8 ) & @xmath1285% + 2000 & 93 & + 3 ( 7 ) & @xmath1285% + for the scuba polarimeter , two achromatic designs were used : one with three quartz plates to cover the 1.1 , 1.35 and 2 mm bands and one with five plates for the 350 , 450 , 750 and 850 @xmath0 m bands . because scuba has single photometers at the millimetre wavelengths and full imaging arrays at the submillimetre wavelengths , the plates are known as ` photometric ' and ` array ' for convenience . the performance of the waveplates on the telescope was first measured in october 1997 , and the results are given in table 1 . excellent pme values were measured , close to 100% at all wavelengths , and it was even found possible to operate the photometry plate in second order ( 3@xmath10/2 ) at the array wavelengths . ( this has advantages for complex observing programmes , because the polarimeter need not be removed to change the plate . ) nominally , measured polarization percentages should be divided by the pme to obtain the true values , but in practice this small correction is usually neglected . the transmission properties met the specifications for a single - layer coating , except at the shortest observing wavelengths , and it is suspected that re - coating and bonding of the plate might be necessary to improve this . ccccc @xmath10 & p(ip ) & @xmath13(ip ) & source & epoch + ( @xmath0 m ) & ( % ) & ( degrees ) & & + + 350 & 0.82 @xmath14 0.13 & 100 @xmath14 4 & saturn & oct 1997 + aug 1999 + 450 & 3.51 @xmath14 0.34 & 113 @xmath14 3 & mars / uranus & 19971999 ( 5 dates ) + 750 & 1.16 @xmath14 0.04 & 97 @xmath14 1 & saturn & oct 1997 + aug 1999 + 850 & 1.09 @xmath14 0.06 & 161 @xmath14 2 & mars / uranus & 19971999 ( 25 dates ) + + 450 & 3.26 @xmath14 0.23 & 100 @xmath14 2 & saturn & jul 1998 ( 6 bolometers only ) + 850 & 0.92 @xmath14 0.05 & 163 @xmath14 2 & mars / uranus / saturn & 19971999 ( 4 dates , all 36 bolometers ) + + 1350 & 1.72 @xmath14 0.11 & 166 @xmath14 2 & uranus & 19971999 ( 7 dates ) + 2000 & 1.34 @xmath14 0.09 & 170 @xmath14 1 & saturn / uranus & oct 1997 & aug 1999 + an important part of the commissioning test was to confirm that the results agreed with previous polarimetric observations , from the jcmt and elsewhere . tests included both low and high polarization sources : for example , * 850 @xmath0 m polarization of the dr21 cloud core was measured to be 1.70 @xmath14 0.27% at @xmath15 , whereas minchin & murray ( 1994 ) found 1.8 @xmath14 0.3% at 17 @xmath14 4@xmath16 at 800 @xmath0 m * a flux peak in the crab nebula was detected at 1350 @xmath0 m with 25.9 @xmath14 0.6% polarization at 148 @xmath14 1@xmath16 , while @xcite obtained 25 @xmath14 2% at 144 @xmath14 2@xmath16 at 1100 @xmath0 m . these results were from previous photometric polarimetry at the jcmt , and are for dust and synchrotron emission respectively . since the previous instrument had no imaging capability , reproducibility in this mode relied on data from other telescopes : for example , our 850 @xmath0 m polarization map of omc1 is very similar to the 350 @xmath0 m results of ( * ? ? ? * his figure 5 ) . the position angles of dust polarization should be wavelength - independent provided that the telescope beams sample the same grain population and line - of - sight @xcite . the sensitivity for polarization measurements is determined essentially by the sensitivity of scuba , with additional effects of the transmission through the polarimeter and the limiting accuracy of corrections for sky fluctuations . the critical quantity is the polarized flux : the product of percentage polarization and mean flux . with the previous jcmt polarimeter used on a single - bolometer detector , ukt14 , the smallest polarized flux that could be measured was about 100 mjy at 800 @xmath0 m @xcite . this is equivalent , for example , to p = 1% in a 10 jy source , such as one of the brightest galactic protostars . with the scuba polarimeter , the expected sensitivity can be derived by considering the magnitude of the fractional polarization , as obtained by subtracting signals at two waveplate angles and dividing by their sum apart will have the largest and smallest observed signals , @xmath17 and @xmath18 , and it can be demonstrated from equation [ eqn : sig ] that @xmath19 is equivalent to the polarization fraction , @xmath20 . for convenience we re - write @xmath21 where @xmath22 , and differentiate this to give @xmath23 . for small polarizations @xmath24 so @xmath25 . then as the two @xmath26 measurements are independent , @xmath27 and combining the last two expressions , @xmath28 in the limit @xmath29 . ] . the error on the polarization fraction is @xmath30 times the fractional intensity error , so half as much time is needed as would be for a measurement of @xmath26 alone . however , this is cancelled by a factor of twice as much time that arises because half the photons are lost to reflection off the analyser . finally there is another time factor of four because four waveplate positions are needed to obtain the two orthogonal linear polarization components ( stokes parameters ) . this determines the signal - to - noise on the polarization percentage , @xmath31 , for a given integration time @xmath32 : @xmath33 where nefd and @xmath34 are the noise equivalent flux density and source flux in mjy/@xmath35 and mjy respectively , and @xmath36 is the fractional polarization ( e.g. 0.01 for 1% ) . n is the inverse of the fraction of time spent on one spatial point , so it is 1 for photometric polarimetry , 4 for imaging polarimetry at beam width spacings , and 16 for a nyquist - sampled polarization map . but smoothed to about beam width spacing to improve @xmath31 . for an extended source , smoothing with e.g. a gaussian function includes more flux and hence reduces @xmath32 to obtain a given @xmath31 . ] at the primary observing wavelength of 850 @xmath0 m , the nefd is 70 mjy/@xmath37 under the best conditions , and a 1 hour integration would give a 3@xmath38 detection for a polarized flux @xmath39 mjy in a beam - spaced map , or 7.5 mjy for photometry . this signal - to - noise is sufficient to determine magnetic field directions to 0.5 radians / 3 , or about @xmath40 , and the sensitivity is more than an order of magnitude better than with the ukt14 polarimeter . the faintest sources actually detected have had fluxes of about 0.2 jy per beam and polarizations of a few percent ; scientifically , large samples of protostars , faint galactic clouds and agn can now be detected . also , types of sources that were previously impossible can now be studied , including asteroids , pre - stellar cores and nearby starburst galaxies . the absolute accuracy of any polarization measurement depends on how reliably instrumental effects can be subtracted . for the scuba polarimeter the main problem is instrumental polarization ( ip ) , which is dominated by the woven goretex windblind through which the jcmt observes . the thread spacing , which is approximately 0.5 mm , is slightly different in the vertical and horizontal directions and this affects the relative transmissions , particularly at a wavelength of 450 @xmath0 m which is closest in size . the solution would be to either roll back the windblind ( a half - hour labour - intensive operation that is only possible on rare occasions of very low windspeed ) or add a second orthogonal sheet of goretex in the beam to induce ip cancellation . the latter has been tried and reduced the ip by a factor of at least three at 450 @xmath0 m ; further experiments are ongoing but this is not yet the standard observing mode . the ip in the main beam of the telescope has been measured using planets , assumed to be unpolarized ( e.g. , * ? ? ? * ) , and the results are listed in table 2 . at the primary wavelength of 850 @xmath0 m the measured ip values are very stable and can be subtracted to an accuracy of about @xmath41% , the measurement uncertainty for individual bolometers . global differences , such as off - axis effects in the three rings of bolometers that form the hexagonal close - packed array , are 0.1% or less , and for the central array bolometer ( used for photometric polarimetry ) the measurement error has been reduced to about @xmath42% . fewer data are available at other wavelengths but generally a very accurate measurement can be made during a particular observing run . values tend to be stable over time , taking into account that the angles must be corrected for telescope elevation . the observed @xmath5 is @xmath13 plus elevation , due to the alt - az telescope mounting and the fact that scuba is aligned with the elevation axis but is fixed on the nasmyth platform . this angle relation is quite reliable , with deviations of around @xmath43 at extreme elevations , for the 850 @xmath0mpixels at the array edges that are furthest from the optical axis . the sidelobes of the telescope beam have low intensity - amplitudes ( e.g. @xmath44% at 850 @xmath0 m at @xmath45 from jupiter in figure [ fig : jup ] ) , but different reflection and scattering effects for the two incoming planes of polarization can still produce instrumental ` sidelobe polarization ' . this needs to be considered when observing extended sources , or faint objects next to much brighter ones , as the sidelobe ip can be considerable , and is additional to the main - lobe ip that has been measured using a compact planet . in theory , a polarization map of an extended unpolarized source ( generally jupiter ) , made with the same primary dish surface and secondary mirror chop throw as the source observations , can be used for an exact subtraction of sidelobe ip . an example of such a map is shown in figure [ fig : jup ] , after subtraction of the standard main - lobe instrumental polarization . however , in practice it is often easier simply to estimate the error induced by the sidelobe effects . the most extreme case is seen with large chop throws of the secondary mirror ( the maximum reccomended is @xmath46 ) in a non - azimuthal direction . in this case , there are residual vectors towards about half of jupiter s disk , with magnitudes up to 3% , although when _ averaging _ over this area ( diameter of 40 arcsec ) the net effect is only 0.25% . for smaller or azimuthal chop throws , the net residual is similar or lower and only about 1 in 10 individual points has a significant vector . thus if the observer is interested in average polarization of an extended source , the error is quite small , but more careful calculations are required for data on a single map point in an extended region . additional problems arise if trying to extract source polarization when there is a much brighter object nearby in the field . in figure [ fig : jup ] , there are vectors averaging @xmath47% around jupiter , although the largest tend to be at large radii where the power in the beam is low . a good general method is to set a threshold of _ source _ polarization percentage , above which sidelobe ip is not a serious contaminant , and to base this threshold on the relative polarized flux contributions . for example , if the instrumental polarized flux is half that of the source polarized flux , then in the worst case the two effects have orthogonal stokes parameters , and the error in @xmath5 for the source will be @xmath48 or only 13@xmath16 . ( if the effects are parallel , then the error will instead be in @xmath36 , which is generally of less scientific importance . ) taking into account the beam power profile , this criterion for the minimum believable source polarization percentage can be written @xmath49 where the three terms on the right - hand side are the ip at the relevant point in the sidelobe , the power here relative to the main beam , and the ratio of the flux of the object in the sidelobe to the flux in the main lobe . thus sidelobe polarization can often be non - critical if the first two terms are small , even if there is a bright object in the sidelobe ( @xmath50 ) . as a quantitative example , observed polarization in the jets of the proto - planetary nebula cr 2688 , at positions offset 15@xmath51 from the central star . the ratio @xmath52 was 3.6 , the average @xmath53 was 3% and the power at the edge of the main beam was @xmath54 . using equation [ eqn : pcrit ] , the polarization of the southern jet was found to be believable because the measured value of 1.9% exceeded @xmath55 evaluated at 1.3% . at larger offsets , the critical product of power and ip tends to be smaller : for example the values @xmath56 and @xmath57% ( figure [ fig : jup ] ) give a smaller product than in the crl 2688 case . the most critical quantity in individual sources is thus the flux ratio : very high contrasts will mean that faint regions need to be highly polarized to give usable results . data acquisition and reduction are based on extensions to standard techniques used at the jcmt ; more details of the standard procedures are given in @xcite , @xcite and @xcite . for polarimetry , standard imaging or photometry observations are made at a set of waveplate positions ( normally 0 , 22.5 , 45 , 67.5 , 90 ... 337.5@xmath16 ) , and these data are fitted to detect the sinusoidal signal modulation from rotating the incoming polarization vector . using a complete cycle is intended to eliminate other modulations such as reflections off the waveplate . an alternative to fitting is direct subtraction of data taken at different angles , as for example , @xmath58 can be found from @xmath59 and @xmath60 from @xmath61 ( equation [ eqn : sig ] ) ; this method is entirely valid and gives both stokes parameters directly , but is less often used . for an excellent introduction to polarization observing procedures and limitations , see also @xcite . three observing modes have been adapted for use with the polarimeter . these are _ photometry _ , where a single bolometer observes a fixed point ; _ jiggle - mapping _ , where the secondary mirror is jiggled to obtain an image of one scuba field - of - view , using all the bolometers in an array ; and _ scan - mapping _ , where the telescope scans across a source and the data from all bolometers are reconstructed to give large images . all of these modes use chopping of the secondary mirror to remove the sky emission ; photometry and jiggle - mapping also nod the source between left and right beams halfway through an observation to minimise sky gradients . for polarimetry , the only difference is that a complete standard observation is made at each waveplate angle before moving on to the next angle . the first two polarimetry modes are fully commissioned , and the third has been proven experimentally but is not yet fully integrated . all six of the available scuba wavelengths have been used , but only a small number of observations have been made with the 350/750 @xmath0 m filter combination or using the 2 mm photometric pixel ( less than 1% each of the total number of observations ) . thus the best quantified performance is at 850 and 1350 @xmath0 m ; 450 @xmath0 m data are obtained simultaneously with 850 @xmath0 m but are often not usable due to poor atmospheric transmission . scan - mapping has been tested only at 850 @xmath0 m . the photometry mode is most suited to sources with accurately known positions that are smaller than the telescope beam width ( 8 , 15 and 24 arcsec at 450 , 850 and 1350 @xmath0 m ) . the off - source bolometers remain ` switched - on ' and can be used to subtract residual sky signals ( not possible with the individual photometric pixels at 1350 and 2000 @xmath0 m ) . typically the secondary mirror chops between on- and off - source with a 1 arcmin throw , to allow subtraction of the sky dc - level , and 8 seconds of data are obtained at each of the 16 waveplate positions . the chop takes place at a rate of 7.8 hz , and the telescope nods so that the source moves from the left beam to the right beam after 4 seconds . a small grid of points can be used rather than a fixed point but this in not generally done . integrations of up to about 20 seconds can provide higher signal - to - noise in stable conditions , but generally many short integrations are co - added . the jiggle map mode is typically used for sources bigger than the beam but smaller than the 2.3 arcmin array field - of - view in at least one dimension . if the source is larger , two effects can corrupt the polarization measurement @xcite . firstly , the maximum recommended chop throw is 3 arcmin , so sources larger than this will be ` self - chopped ' . in practice sky noise subtraction requires several emission - free bolometers , so the setting of the zero level will be inaccurate if the source dimensions approach 3 arcmin ; an incorrect zero - level changes @xmath2 and so alters the percentage polarization . secondly , if there is emission in the reference , i.e. nominally off - source , beams it may well be polarized and this can corrupt the on - source polarized signal in both magnitude and direction . a limit can be estimated where the reference polarization is not known , but this may not set useful constraints : for example , faint outer regions in some dust clouds can be up to @xmath62% polarized ( e.g. , * ? ? ? a 16-point jiggle sequence with the secondary mirror gives an 850 ( or 750 ) @xmath0 m image with a point every 6 arcsec , so is slightly better than nyquist ( half - beam ) sampled . the simultaneous data at 450 ( or 350 ) @xmath0 m are undersampled , since the points are only a little better than a beam width apart , and a 64-point jiggle sequence with 3 arcsec sampling is required if these data are of importance . the simpler jiggle takes 32 seconds to complete at each waveplate position , and the more complete jiggle takes 128 seconds , so the former is preferable for greater sky stability . the scan map mode has been tested at 850 @xmath0 m only , on a few sources with sizes of about 610 arcmin . the technique used is to scan the telescope across the source in any suitable direction , while chopping in ra or dec . using two different chop throws in each direction , for a total set of four , has been found to give good reconstructed images ; further details of this ` emerson ii ' technique are given by @xcite . it is important to scan off - source so that a true baseline can be established and set to zero in each individual waveplate image , before the polarization reduction is done . the scan rate used is 48 arcsec per second , so sampling every 1/8th second gives points 6 arcsec apart , the same as in jiggle mapping . the minimum number of waveplate positions needed to deduce the stokes parameters is four , so scan map polarimetry is rather time - consuming , for example , taking 30 minutes for one dataset on a 400 arcsec square area . this compares to three minutes or less for a set of stokes parameters in the other modes , so scan map polarization measurements require more stable conditions . two separate software packages are used for the data reduction : one for photometric polarimetry ( sit : * ? ? ? * ) and one for imaging polarimetry ( polpack : * ? ? ? the reduction philosophy is the same in both cases , and in fact polpack can handle single - pixel ` images ' , while sit is more optimised for inspecting the results of individual waveplate cycles on a single point . the raw data are reduced @xcite by extracting the chopped signals , flatfielding , and correcting for atmospheric extinction using a skydip . this is a series of measurements of sky emission at different elevations , made either with the jcmt at the observing wavelength , or taken from the 1.3 mm database recorded at the adjacent caltech submillimeter observatory ( cso ) and extrapolated in wavelength . the next refinement is to subtract rapid changes in sky emission ( to a greater accuracy than achieved simply by chopping : @xcite ) by shifting the mean level using blank bolometers in the array , or in scan - mapping , subtracting smoothed data seen by each bolometer over 2 seconds . this ` sky noise ' is spatially correlated over the array diameter @xcite . the main lobe instrumental polarization is then removed on a bolometer - by - bolometer basis using the expression : @xmath63 where @xmath64 are the percentage and direction of instrumental polarisation at elevation @xmath65 ( a constant percentage is generally assumed ) . this is an approximation of @xmath66 and is valid for instrumental polarizations of up to a few percent . the former expression is prefered as the mean flux level is not easily determined prior to regridding the bolometer jiggles to different source positions and thus only part of the data stream refers to a particular spatial point . also , not exactly the same point is seen by this bolometer for the next waveplate angle , because of sky rotation ( scuba does not use an image de - rotator ) . in imaging mode the data are then regridded to a rectangular array , removing pixels from the edge that are affected by regridding edge effects in order to simplify mosaicing . for scan map data , a fourier deconvolution is used to remove the chop signature and combine the four different chopped maps @xcite . the stokes parameters i , q , u are then extracted by fitting the signal in each pixel as a function of waveplate angle ; errors are supplied by comparing signals at identical or equivalent waveplate positions ( e.g. 0 , 90 , 180 and 270@xmath16 ; see eq . [ eqn : sig ] may be used , in which case the same angle in different cycles should be compared . ] ) in sit , the q and u are then listed and statistical tests can be used to reject anomalous fits before calculating averages and deducing @xmath67 . in polpack , an i , q , u data - cube is generated and a catalogue of vectors produced corresponding to all the image pixels . when combining different data sets ( a set contains 16 waveplate positions ) it was determined that the best results were obtained by coadding the iqu cubes rather than adding more data to the fit . as more data were added to the fit the signal - to - noise did not increase in the expected way , suggesting that it was susceptible to dc - level differences amongst the observations . various binning and selection procedures can be used to improve the polarization signal - to - noise . typical criteria are @xmath68 ( i.e. @xmath69 ) and an upper limit such as @xmath70% to eliminate biased data . because the waveplate angles increase step by step , a linear drift in the sky transmission can force , for example , a positive q and u , and these spurious fits tend to produce a high @xmath36 , especially in regions of low i. thus a @xmath71 criterion can eliminate such data with a large scatter between good and inaccurate fits . for example , four measurements with similar @xmath5 but @xmath72% would give an average @xmath36 of 4.5% and a standard error of 1.3% ( hence @xmath73 ) . this dataset is clearly biased by the last measurement , but could be eliminated with a @xmath74 1% criterion . this entire reduction process has been automated using the orac - dr data reduction pipeline @xcite . science targets so far observed include asteroids , planetary nebulae , supernova remnants , t tauri star disks , accreting protostars , pre - stellar cores , bok globules , dark cloud filaments , high - mass star - forming clouds , the galactic centre including the black hole sgr a * , the starburst galaxy m82 , the ultraluminous galaxy arp 220 and a number of variable agn or ` blazars ' . results have been discussed by @xcite , among others . many of these objects have sub - jy fluxes per beam , and were not feasible to observe before scuba ; they are also very difficult for other ground - based instruments such as the hertz polarimeter - camera used at the cso , which operates in the more challenging 350 @xmath0 m band @xcite . examples of some typical observations are described below ; the imaging results shown in the figures have not previously been published . m photometric polarimetry of sgr a * , illustrating data quality for one waveplate cycle on an 8 jy , 3% polarized source ( instrumental polarization of 1.4% has not yet been subtracted ) . the axes are measured signal modulation versus waveplate orientation , and the scales are polarization fraction ( tick marks at intervals of 0.01 , i.e. 1% ) versus angle ( tick marks at 10@xmath16 intervals ) . the top plot covers @xmath75 and the bottom plot is for @xmath76 . good consistency is demonstrated by the upper and lower fits from the first and second halves of the waveplate cycle being in phase . , width=317 ] sgr a * , the massive black hole candidate at the centre of the galaxy , was observed polarimetrically by @xcite . crucial observations were made at 1350 and 2000 @xmath0 m in the photometric mode , to establish the polarization spectrum in the millimetre regime as well as at submillimetre wavelengths . these were the first detections of linear polarization of sgr a * , and they showed a dramatic @xmath77 shift in position angle around 1 mm wavelength , which implies self - absorption in a very compact emission region of only a few schwarzschild radii @xcite . the 1350 and 2000 @xmath0 m detections were each significant at the 10 sigma level after about 15 minutes of integration . an example of the fitted results from one waveplate cycle ( 2 minutes of data ) is shown in figure [ fig : phot ] . it is now routinely possible to detect polarized emission from compact radio sources . a @xmath78 detection of a 0.510 jy source can be made in 3060 minutes , depending on the fractional polarization ( values of 240% have been observed ) . large levels of polarization indicate that the magnetic field must be quite highly ordered , and allow its direction to be inferred without worrying about opacity effects . comparisons with quasi - simultaneous results from 7 mm very long base line interferometry show that , in many cases , the angle of submillimetre polarization matches that very close to the base of the sub parsec - scale jet , and/or the structural position angle of the jet ( stevens et al . in prep . ) . one of the faintest photometric detections with the ukt14 polarimeter was the hh24mms protostar observed by @xcite at 800 @xmath0 m . this result was confirmed with the scuba polarimeter at 850 @xmath0 m : hh24mms was 3.7 @xmath14 1.3% polarized at 95 @xmath14 10@xmath16 in the earlier data and the new measurement was 3.82 @xmath14 0.61% at 109 @xmath14 5@xmath16 . thus results published with the old instrument appear to be quite reliable , but now much fainter targets can be detected . jiggle map polarimetry has been used for a wide variety of targets : figure [ fig : w3 ] illustrates results for the high - mass star - formation region w3 . the two bright cores contain the luminous clusters of young stellar objects irs5 and irs4 ( left and right respectively ) , plus an extended envelope . the image illustrates the care that must be taken to chop in the direction of the faintest extended emission ( here at a position angle of @xmath79 east - of - north and 2.5@xmath80 throw ) ; there are some minor discrepancies with the 350@xmath0 m polarization map of @xcite , which can plausibly be explained by their larger ( and more suitable ) @xmath81 chop throw . examination of a jcmt archival 850 @xmath0 m scan - map shows that the faintest regions with plotted vectors in figure [ fig : w3 ] have in the worst cases up to 25% relative flux in one of the off - beams . although no large - scale polarization data are available , we can estimate that a 10% polarization at this off - point would seriously contaminate a 2.5% on - source vector . projects on regions such as w3 are producing very valuable information on different magnetic morphologies in clouds with more or less active star formation and varying core and star masses . also , the marked decrease in polarization with increasing flux can be used to test models of field lines that are tangled or turbulent within the beam , and/or models of grains that are less well aligned in dense cores @xcite . the faintest targets detected with jiggle map polarimetry have fluxes of about 0.2 jy / beam and a few percent polarization . this covers a wide range of galactic interstellar clouds and also the closest star - forming galaxies @xcite . observing efficiency compared to previous point - by - point magnetic field mapping has been greatly increased : for example , the 800@xmath0 m polarimetry of the w3-irs4 core reported by required one hour of observation per spatial point , whereas the data in figure [ fig : w3 ] took a similar time for 78 detected points going down to much lower flux limits . scan map polarimetry is still under development , but initial tests on the polarized synchrotron emission of the crab nebula gave very good results ( figure [ fig : crab ] ) . the 850 @xmath0 m polarization was very similar between scan map observations and a standard jiggle map ( of the central 3 arcmin ) ; percentages and angles differed by only 1% and 6@xmath16 ( the latter is probably dominated by rotation of a few degrees during each 30 minute map sequence ) . the angles also agree very well with 9 mm results published by @xcite . however , the scuba data improve our understanding of the ( sub)millimetre polarization pattern from 90 to 15 arcsecond resolution , greatly clarifying the geometry around features such as the emission ` arm ' to the north - west . the average flux and polarization for the crab nebula are 1 jy / beam and 25% , and @xmath82 detections were obtained in one hour of observing . a more typical source with an equivalent polarized flux , such as a 5 jy / beam , 5% polarized dust cloud , should be detectable in the same time . work is ongoing on automating scan - map polarimetry and expanding the use of 450 @xmath0 m polarimetry . the latter will give a factor of two improvement in spatial resolution over 850 @xmath0 m but not all the ip data have been obtained . fast corrections for atmospheric changes are also being tested , utilising a water vapour radiometer @xcite in the jcmt s receiver cabin . this monitors the profile of the 183 ghz atmospheric absorption line about every second , and thus gives a very precise transmission measurement along the same line - of - sight as the source . some tests have also been made of a ` continuous spinning ' mode , as an alternative to stepping the waveplate to discrete angles . by analysing the power spectrum of the signal , it is possible to detect the intensity of the polarized signal ( a modulation every 90@xmath16 ) , and the position angle can also be measured by retaining information on orientation as a function of time . this should be a very fast method of detecting strong sources , and rapid spinning ( e.g. @xmath83 hz ) would eliminate most problems with the sky changing before the complete polarized modulation has been detected . finally , a replacement camera is currently being built by the uk astronomy technology centre . with scuba-2 and a new polarimeter , there should be a factor of 2.5 decrease in nefd , a factor of 16 increase in imaging speed due to instantaneous full - sampling ( no jiggling ) and a 15-fold increase in field - of - view , combining to give an improvement in polarization imaging power for large sources of @xmath84 . an efficient polarimeter coupled with a very sensitive submillimetre camera has facilitated a major advance in ground - based imaging polarimetry . the variety of science targets has also expanded , with almost every category of galactic source of dust and synchrotron emission becoming available , as well as a number of extragalactic objects . investigations of the dust polarization spectrum can also be made , especially in conjunction with 60350 @xmath0 m polarization data from the kuiper airborne observatory and the cso @xcite . this reveals unique information about the relation of grain alignability and emissivity , particularly in mixed grain populations . finally the multi - wavelength capability of the scuba polarimeter covers both the high - frequency end of synchrotron spectra and the long - wavelength tail of dust spectra , where both effects are generally optically thin and easiest to interpret . the jcmt is operated by the joint astronomy centre on behalf of pparc of the uk , the netherlands osr , and nrc canada . we acknowledge the software and support provided by the starlink project which is run by cclrc on behalf of pparc . we especially wish to thank the many members of jcmt staff involved in commissioning and maintaining the scuba polarimeter . w. s. , cunningham c. r. , gear w. k. , jenness t. , laidlaw k. , lightfoot j. f. , robson e. i. , 1998 , in proc . 3357 , p. 305 - 318 , advanced technology mmw , radio , and terahertz telescopes , thomas g. phillips ; ed .. pp 305318 w. s. , robson e. i. , gear w. k. , cunningham c. r. , lightfoot j. f. , jenness t. , ivison r. j. , stevens j. a. , ade p. a. r. , griffin m. j. , duncan w. d. , murphy j. a. , naylor d. a. , 1999 , mnras , 303 , 659 jenness t. , lightfoot j. f. , 1998 , in albrecht r. , hook r. n. , bushouse h. a. , eds , asp conf . 145 , astronomical data analysis software and systems vii . , san francisco , p. 216
arxiv
since berry s discovery @xcite that a state of a quantum system can acquire a phase of purely geometric origin when the hamiltonian of the system undergoes a cyclic and adiabatic change , there have been numerous proposals for generalizations , including the geometric phase for nonadiabatic , noncyclic , and nonunitary evolution @xcite , the geometric phase for mixed states @xcite , the geometric phase in systems with quantum field driving and vacuum induced effects @xcite , as well as the geometric phase in coupled bipartite systems@xcite . recently , the attention has turned to studying geometric phase in open systems , this is motivated by the fact that all realistic system are coupled , at least weakly , to their environment . from the perspective of application , the use of geometric phases in the implementation of fault - tolerant quantum gates @xcite requires the study of geometric phases in more realistic systems . for instance , the system which carries information may decoher from a quantum superposition into statistical mixtures , and this effect , called decoherence , is the most important limiting factor for quantum computing . the study of geometric phase in open systems may be traced back to 1980s , when garrison and wright @xcite first touched on this issue by describing open system evolution in terms of non - hermitian hamiltonian . this is a pure state analysis , so it did not address the problem of geometric phases for mixed states . toward the geometric phase for mixed states in open systems , the approaches used include solving the master equation of the system @xcite , employing a quantum trajectory analysis @xcite or krauss operators @xcite , and the perturbative expansions @xcite . some interesting results were achieved that may be briefly summarized as follows : nonhermitian hamiltonian lead to a modification of berry s phase @xcite , stochastically evolving magnetic fields produce both energy shift and broadening @xcite , phenomenological weakly dissipative liouvillians alter berry s phase by introducing an imaginary correction @xcite or lead to damping and mixing of the density matrix elements @xcite . however , almost all these studies are performed for dissipative systems under various approximations , thus the representations are approximately applicable for systems whose energy is not conserved . quantum trajectory analysis @xcite that uses the quantum jump approach is available for open systems with conserved energy . its starting point , however , is the master equation , a result within the quantum markov approximation and in the weak coupling limit . beyond the quantum markov approximation and the weak coupling limit , the geometric phase of a two - level system _ with quantum field driving _ was analyzed @xcite , where the whole system ( the two - level system plus the quantum field ) was assumed subject to dephasing , the subsystem(two - level system in that paper ) may still acquire geometric phase even when the whole system in its pointer states . this is an ideal situation to show the vacuum effects on the geometric phase of the subsystem , as well as the decoherence effects on the geometric phases regardless of its feasibility of experimental realization . however , beyond the markov approximation and the weak coupling limit , the geometric phase for a dissipative system remains untouched . in this paper , we will deal with the geometric phase in open systems , beyond the markov approximation and weak coupling limit . the structure of this paper is organized as follows . in sec . ii the exact solution and calculation of the geometric phase of a system dephasingly coupled to its environment is presented , an example to detail the representation and a discussion on physical realization are given in sec . iii . in sec . iv , we present an example to show the calculation of geometric phases in dissipative systems . finally we conclude in sec.v . in this section , we investigate the behavior of geometric phase of a quantum system subject to decoherence . in order to make a comparison with the results from the quantum jump approach , we consider the quantum system without any field driving except the environment . so , it is not directly relevant to our previous study@xcite . the environment that leads to decoherence may originate form the vacuum fluctuations or the background radiations . we restrict ourselves here to consider the case where the system - environment coupling @xmath0 and the free system hamiltonian @xmath1 commute . this is the situation of dephasing and the exact analytical dynamics may be obtained . on the other hand , the evolution of a system with such properties may be described by the master equation when the markov approximation and the weak coupling assumption apply , this kind of decoherence would not change the geometric phase of the quantum system by the quantum jump approach@xcite . however , as you will see , this is not the case from the viewpoint of interferometry considered in this paper . we consider a situation described by a hamiltonian of the form @xmath2 where @xmath1 describes the free hamiltonian of the system , @xmath3 stands for the hamiltonian of the environment , and @xmath0 represents the system - environment couplings . the environment and the system hamiltonian may be taken arbitrary but with constraints @xmath4=0 $ ] . let us suppose that the interaction hamiltonian @xmath0 has the form ( setting @xmath5 ) @xmath6 where the @xmath7 are the system operators satisfying @xmath8=0,$ ] and the @xmath9 represent environment operators that may take any form in general . commutation relation @xmath8=0 $ ] enables us to write the time evolution operator for the whole systems(system+environment ) as @xmath10 with @xmath11 , a function of environment operators satisfying @xmath12 here , @xmath13 stands for the eigenstate of @xmath1 with eigenvalue @xmath14@xcite , while @xmath15 denotes the eigenvalue of @xmath16 corresponding to eigenstate @xmath13 . for a specific @xmath17 , @xmath11 may be expressed in a factorized form , which will be shown later through the spin - boson model . furthermore , we assume that the environment and the system are initially independent , such that the total density operator factorizes into a direct product , @xmath18 at time @xmath19 , the reduced density operator of the system is given by @xmath20 where @xmath21 is defined as @xmath22.$ ] eq.([dmst ] ) shows that the diagonal elements of the reduced density matrix @xmath23 are time - independent , while the off - diagonal elements evolve with time involving contributions from the environment - system couplings , it at most cases would lead to decaying in the off - diagonal elements , and eventually results in vanishing of these matrix elements . now we turn to study the geometric phase of the open system . for open systems , the states in general are not pure and the evolution of the system is not unitary . for non - unitary evolutions , the geometric phase can be calculated as follows . first , solve the eigenvalue problem for the reduced density matrix @xmath24 and obtain its eigenvalues @xmath25 as well as the corresponding eigenvectors @xmath26 secondly , substitute @xmath25 and @xmath27 into @xmath28 here , @xmath29 is the geometric phase for the system undergoing non - unitary evolution @xcite , @xmath30 denotes a time after that the system completes a cyclic evolution when it is isolated from any environments . taking the effect of environment into account , the system no longer undergoes a cyclic evolution , but we still keep the @xmath30 as the period for calculating the geometric phase in this paper . the geometric phase eq . ( [ gp5 ] ) is gauge invariant and can be reduced to the well - known results in the unitary evolution , thus it is experimentally testable . the geometric phase factor defined by eq.([gp5 ] ) may be understood as a weighted sum over the phase factors pertaining to the eigenstates of the reduced density matrix , thus the detail of analytical expression for the geometric phase would depend on the digitalization of the reduced density matrix eq.([dmst ] ) . to be specific , we now present a detailed model to illustrate the idea in sec . the system under consideration consists of a two - level system coupling to its environment with coupling constants @xmath31 , the hamiltonian which governs the evolution of such a system may be expressed as @xmath32 where @xmath33 , @xmath34 are the creation and annihilation operators of the environment bosons , and @xmath35 , @xmath36 denote the excited and ground states of the two - level system with rabi frequency @xmath37 . this hamiltonian corresponds to @xmath38 and @xmath39 in the general model eq.([gm ] ) . generally speaking , the choice of the coupling between the system and the environment determines the effect of the environment . for example , the choice of the system operator @xmath40 that do not change the good quantum number of @xmath1 when they operate on the eigenstates of @xmath1 would result in dephasing of the system , but not energy relaxations . the system - environment coupling taken in this section is exactly of this kind . by the procedure presented above , the reduced density matrix in basis @xmath41 for the open system follows @xcite , @xmath42 where an initial state of @xmath43 for the total system was assumed in the calculation , and @xmath44 with @xmath45 , and @xmath46 denoting the vacuum state of the environment . some remarks on the reduced density matrix are now in order . for any @xmath47 , @xmath48 , so as @xmath19 tends to infinity ( with respect to the system s coherence time ) , @xmath49 tends to zero , this indicates that the off - diagonal elements would vanish on a long time scale with respect to the decoherence time , and hence the open system would not acquire geometric phase when time is longer than the decoherence time . this is different form the results concluded in the previous work , where the subsystem may acquire geometric phase even for the whole system in its pointer states @xcite . to calculate the geometric phase pertaining to eq.([ha2 ] ) , we first write down the eigenstate and its corresponding eigenvalue for the reduced density matrix @xmath50 as , @xmath51 with @xmath52 clearly , for a closed system , namely @xmath53 , @xmath54 , the eigenvalue and corresponding eigenstates reduce to @xmath55 , and @xmath56 , @xmath57 @xmath58 @xmath59 all these together yield the well - known geometric phase @xmath60 eq.([ev ] ) and eq.([ef ] ) are the exact results for the open two - level system , the geometric phase would depend on how @xmath49 varies with time . for a continuous spectrum of environmental modes with constant spectral density @xmath61 @xmath62 with @xmath63 where @xmath64 was assumed . up to the first order in @xmath65 , the geometric phase at time @xmath66 is given by @xmath67 this result can be easily understood as follows . the geometric phase factor for mixed states is defined as a weighted sum over the phase factors pertaining to the eigenstates of the reduced density matrix , the dephasing that leads to decaying in the off - diagonal elements would change the phase factors acquired by each eigenstate of the reduced density matrix , thus it modifies the geometric phase . this is different from the definition in the quantum jump approach @xcite , in which the problem of defining berry s phase for mixed states was avoided by approaching the dynamics of open system from a sequence of pure states , this leads to the result that the geometric phase is unaffected by dephasing , but it lowers the observed visibility in any interference measurements . from the aspect of mixed state , the evolution of the system is among several trajectories with corresponding probabilities , so the geometric phase is defined as a weighted sum over the trajectories that the system undergoes . now we are in a position to discuss the geometric phase acquired at time @xmath66 by the two - level system . substituting eqs([ev ] ) and ( [ ef ] ) in to eq.([gp5 ] ) , we obtain @xmath68 it is worthy to notice that eq.([bpf ] ) is the geometric phase beyond the quantum markov approximation and the weak coupling limit . in this sense it provides us more insight into the geometric phase for dephasing system . the numerical results for eq . ( [ bpf ] ) are presented in figure 1 , where the dependence of the geometric phase is illustrated as a function of the azimuthal angle @xmath69 and the damping rate @xmath65 . the spectrum of environmental modes was taken to be @xmath70 in this plot . clearly , the two - level system acquires zero geometric phase with @xmath65 tends to infinity , this indicates that the two - level system acquires no geometric phase after the decoherence time . the representation in this paper may be used to analyze and estimate the error in the holonomic quantum computation due to decoherence @xcite , in which the key error occurs within the degenerate subspace . the hamiltonian that describes such a system reads @xmath71 , where the degenerate energy was assumed to be zero , @xmath72 denote the degenerate levels coupled to the environment with coupling constants @xmath73 . the hamiltonian can be rewritten as @xmath74 , with an appropriate choice of @xmath75 . this exactly is the case discussed in sections ii and iii . the open system effect in geometric phase may be observed with a combination of the engineering reservoir technique @xcite and the mach - zehnder atom interferometer @xcite , in which each of the arms consists of an atom in a dark state . the dark state can be realized in the atom - light system that consists of cesium atoms interacting with light resonant with the @xmath76 transitions of the @xmath77 line . it makes the dynamical phase negligible with respect to the geometric phase . a dephasing engineering reservoir in one arm of the interferometer , which may be simulated by variations of the light fields , would give a relative phase to the atom passing though the arm , the output interference pattern yields the geometric phase of the atom system . one of the key assumptions of our representation is the dephasing condition , i.e. , @xmath78=0 $ ] . using ground states as the qubits can make the formulation exact . suppose now there is an small additional term in @xmath0 , @xmath79 , that breaks the dephasing condition . simple algebra shows that the transition probability between @xmath13 and @xmath80 due to coupling @xmath81 is proportional to @xmath82 , where @xmath83 denotes the maximum of average values of @xmath84 . in the case of @xmath85 , the open system may be treated as a dephasing system , because the transition between any different eigenstates of the system may be ignored . the case where this transition could not be ignored will be discussed in the next section . in this section , we will consider a spin-@xmath86 particle interacting with an environment formed by @xmath87 independent spins through the hamiltonian @xmath88 where @xmath89 and @xmath90 , @xmath91 denote pauli operators for the environment and spin-@xmath86 particle , respectively . @xmath92 are coupling constants , term with @xmath93 stands for the self - hamiltonian of the particle . this model is interesting because the pointer states do not coincide with the eigenstates of the interaction hamiltonian , but can range from coherent sates to eigenstates of the system s hamiltonian determining by the interplay between the self - hamiltonian and the interaction with the environment . we will calculate the geometric phase gained by the particle beyond the markov approximation and the weak coupling limit . the dynamics govern by hamiltonian eq.([hd ] ) can be solved exactly by a standard procedure@xcite , it yields the reduced density matrix of the particle as @xmath94 where @xmath95 is the polarization vector given by @xmath96 with @xmath97 and @xmath98,\nonumber\\ p_z(t , b ) & = & p_z(0 ) \frac{b^2+\delta^2 \cos ( 2 \omega_b t)}{\omega_b^2 } \nonumber\\ & + & p_x(0 ) \frac{2 \delta b } { \omega_b^2}\sin^2(\omega_b t ) + p_y(0 ) \frac{\delta}{\omega_b } \sin(2 \omega_b t).\label{pt}\end{aligned}\ ] ] to get this result , it is only required that the couplings @xmath99 of eq.([hd ] ) are sufficiently concentrated near their average value so that their standard deviation exists and is finite . by rewriting the reduced density matrix @xmath24 in the form @xmath100 we get the geometric phase@xcite of the particle acquired at time @xmath101 , @xmath102 after simple manipulations , we arrive at @xmath103.\label{bpd}\end{aligned}\ ] ] here , @xmath104 @xmath105 @xmath106 @xmath107 the dependence of the geometric phase @xmath108 on the variance @xmath109 and system free energy @xmath93 is complicated , we discuss here on two limiting cases @xmath110 and @xmath111 with a specific initial state @xmath112 . in @xmath113 limit , the dynamics of the spin-@xmath86 particle is so slow that its behavior should approach @xmath114 and @xmath115 which yields @xmath116 because @xmath117 in this limit with the initial state . in @xmath118 limit , eq.([pt ] ) follows that , @xmath119 , \nonumber\\ p_y(t)&=&p_z(t)=0,\end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath120 @xmath121 is the error function , and @xmath122 in this limit . by eq.([bpd ] ) , it is clear that @xmath116 in this limit , too . the numerical result for the geometric phase as a function of @xmath93 and @xmath109 was shown in figure 2 . to plot this figure , we assume that the system has evolved for time @xmath123 , which is the characterized time for the system undergoing a free evolution . figure 2 shows that the geometric phase is zero in the two limiting cases @xmath124 and @xmath125 as expected . there are sharp changes among the line @xmath126 , indicating a crossover from the limit @xmath125 to @xmath127 we have presented a general calculation the geometric phase in open systems subject to dephasing and dissipation , the calculations are beyond the quantum markov approximation and the weak coupling limit . for the dephasing system , it acquires no geometric phase with the decoherence rate @xmath128 , this can be explained as an effect of decoherence on the geometric phase , i.e. , the quantum system could not maintain its phase information after the decoherence time . there is a sharp change along the line @xmath129 as figure 1 shown , this can be understood in terms of the bloch sphere that represents the state of the system . the geometric phase increases due to decoherence when initial states fall onto the upper semi - sphere , but it decrease when the initial states on the lower semi - sphere . these results are similar to the prediction given by the quantum trajectory analysis for dissipative systems . the geometric phase @xmath108 in dissipative systems is always zero as long as @xmath130constant , this is exactly the case when @xmath131 or @xmath132 . @xmath131 implies that the self energy @xmath93 of the particle is much larger than the cumulative variance @xmath109 of the coupling constants @xmath99 . for @xmath99 taking the value @xmath133 or @xmath134 ( @xmath135 arbitrary ) with equal probability , @xmath136 this tells us that the geometric phase is zero when the self - hamiltonian dominates . on the other hand , when @xmath132 the interaction hamiltonian dominates , pointer states in this situation coincide with the eigenstates of the interaction hamiltonian , thus the spin-@xmath86 particle could not acquire geometric phase . in the crossover regime @xmath137 , the geometric phase change sharply due to the interplay between the self - hamiltonian and the interaction with the environment . these results constitute the basis of a framework to analyze errors in the holonomic quantum computation , where two kinds of errors are believed to affect its performance . this first error would take the system out of the degenerate computation subspace , while the second takes place within the subspace . the first kind of error can be eliminated by working in the ground states and having a system where the energy gap with the first excited state is very large . the second kind of error falls to the regime analyzed in sec . ii and iii , since there is no dissipation but dephasing in the system , while the first belongs to the regime discussed in sec . the calculation presented here in principle allows one to study the geometric phase at any timescale , and hence it has advantages with respect to any treatment with approximations in most literatures . + x.x.y . acknowledges simulating discussions with dr . robert whitney . this work was supported by eytp of m.o.e , nsf of china ( 10305002 and 60578014 ) , and the nus research grant no . r-144 - 000 - 071 - 305 . + x.x . wang , and t.y . zheng , phys . lett . * 92 * , 150406 ( 2004 ) ; x. x. yi , and e. sjqvist , phys . rev . a * 70 * , 042104 ( 2004 ) ; l. c. wang , h. t. cui , and x. x. yi , phys . a * 70 * , 052106 ( 2004 ) . @xmath138 was assumed nondegenerate , for the degenerate case , we may choose some linear combination of the degenerate eigenstates as the new eigenstates of @xmath1 , such that @xmath138 are also belong to @xmath40 .
arxiv
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slim_pajama
after appendectomy and right before cholecystectomy , surgical repair of hernias is the second most common surgical procedure in france and brazil . it is generally believed that the learning curve for performing endoscopic inguinal hernia repair is longer than that for open repair . laparoscopic repair of hernias is considered difficult especially with the totally extraperitoneal ( tep ) technique because of a limited working space and different appreciation of the usual anatomic landmarks seen through an anterior approach . the risk of serious complications may be higher during the learning - curve period , and adequate patient selection and training might minimize the risks for rare but serious complications . the aim of our study was to answer the following question : does the umbilical - pubic ( up ) distance , which influences the size of the mesh , affect the tep technique used in the treatment of inguinal hernias ? from january to may 2011 , the up distance was measured with a sterile ruler graduated in centimeters in all patients who underwent symptomatic inguinal hernia repair by means of the tep technique in 2 hernia surgery centers ( clinique chirurgicale mutualiste de saint etienne , saint etienne , france , and professor edmundo vasconcelos hospital , so paulo , brazil ) . a 10-mm trocar was inserted in the subcutaneous plane in a horizontal direction and then slowly lifted up and introduced at an angle of 60 toward the sacrum . the gender , age , body mass index ( bmi ) , hernia type , up distance ( figure 1 ) , operative time , length of hospital stay , and complications were prospectively examined based on the medical records . the contraindications for the tep technique in this study were as follows : the choice of the patient , patients aged < 18 years , pregnant women , high surgical risk patients ( american society of anesthesiologists status 3 or 4 ) , obesity ( bmi > 35 kg / m ) , strangulated hernias , patients receiving anticoagulant treatment , large inguinal - scrotal hernias , and previous surgery in the preperitoneal space ( radical prostatectomy , relapse after laparoscopic hernia repair ) . the smaller the umbilical - pubic ( up ) distance , the greater the angulation during surgery . there were 82 primary hernias , 13 recurrent hernias , 60 external oblique hernias , 43 direct hernias , 1 crural hernia , 16 mixed hernias , and 25 bilateral hernias . the mean age of the patients was 54 years ( range , 1879 years ) ; the mean operative time was 44 minutes ( range , 15130 minutes ) , with an average time of 38 minutes per hernia . the mean up distance was 14 cm ( range , 10 to 22 cm ) , and the mean bmi was 25 kg / m ( range , 1630 kg / m ) ( table 1 ) . estimates of coefficient of linear correlation between bmi ( kilograms per square meter ) , up distance ( centimeters ) , and direct and indirect hernia with respect to operating time ( minutes ) bmi = body mass index ; up = umbilical - pubic . there were 3 openings in the peritoneum ; they were closed with an endoloop ( ethicon , somerville , new jersey ) . the series was stopped at 70 patients because the up distance never influenced the course of the tep procedure . laparoscopy allows a physiological and anatomic treatment reinforcing the myopectineal orifice ( described by fruchaud ) by a mesh placed behind the pectineal muscle orifice in the cleavable retrofascial preperitoneal and prevesical layer described by stoppa and colleagues . the tep technique and transabdominal preperitoneal approach are effective and incorporate the principles described by stoppa and colleagues : the forces that were at the origin of the hernia are used to repair the hernia . our standard technique is the tep technique because we are loyal to stoppa and colleagues within the classic surgical procedure . the benefits of laparoscopy compared with the inguinal approach are numerous : laparoscopy is the only technique that can repair the wall without damaging it , which is the purpose of treatment ; mesh covers all areas of weakness in the inguinal region ; and the risk of postoperative chronic pain is less significant because the dissection by laparoscopy is in a plane that is different from the nerves ' anatomic plane . it is recommended for the treatment of bilateral inguinal hernias or recurrent hernias by the french society of digestive surgery . it is recommended for unilateral inguinal hernias by 2 other societies : french society of endoscopic surgery and european hernia society . laparoscopy is considered difficult and not reproducible , and this is applicable especially for the tep technique because the workspace is more limited and the anatomy is less familiar to the surgeon . our surgical technique is standardized in 4 steps : dissection in the midline , lateral dissection , hernia reduction by parietalization of the spermatic cord elements , and placement of prosthetic reinforcement . the position of the 3 trocars on the midline improves the comfort of the surgeon while avoiding pain in the shoulder and decreasing the triangulation of instruments . in theory , this triangulation is reduced when the up distance is smaller ; therefore we studied the impact of the up distance at each stage of tep progress for the treatment of inguinal hernias . the influence of the up distance has been studied by stoppa and colleagues to calculate the correct size of prosthetic reinforcement . tall patients tend to have a greater up distance and require a larger mesh . on the basis of anatomic studies , this should be wide enough to fully cover all areas of weakness of the inguinal region and anticipate the tissue 's retraction around the reinforcement , which can be up to 30% ( shrinkage ) . at the same time , individuals with a shorter up distance have less space in which to operate and accommodate smaller mesh ; this may lead to difficulty in surgery . the up distance was similar in the 2 countries in which the study was conducted ( france and brazil ) and did not influence the positioning of the mesh , the size used , or the operative time . we had the impression that the shortest up distance would entail technical difficulty , but this was not found . moreover , we noted that the operative time was correlated with bmi increasingly in the group of patients with bilateral surgery and no history of surgery ( p = .027 ) and decreasingly with direct hernia in the group of patients with unilateral surgery and without previous surgery ( p = .005 ) . we must take into account the skill and experience of the surgeons involved , which can minimize the results . if we had collected data from surgeons with little experience , the results may have been different . the up distance had no influence on the production of the tep procedure with 3 trocars on the midline in this study .
pubmed
How to compute the electronic energy reported by Gaussian from the AlphaOrbitalEnergies? I followed the instructions on [Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center — FCHK (.fchk)](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/format/FCHK.html) to analyze the `*.fchk` file. I ran an energy calculation with Gaussian and converted the results to `*.fchk` files. The `*.fchk` files were imported to Mathematica. I extracted the `AlphaOrbitalEnergies` from [`MetaInformation`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MetaInformation.html) provided in the `*.fchk` files. Is there a way to compute the electronic energy reported by Gaussian from the `AlphaOrbitalEnergies`? For my example calculation of methane with HF/3-21G, the electronic energy is $\pu{-39.976406 Ha}.$ I tried adding up all the energies from `AlphaOrbitalEnergies` and I got $\pu{-2.18778 Ha}.$ Next, I tried to only add the energies of occupied orbitals and I got the value of $\pu{-13.7344 Ha}.$ How to obtain the electronic energy from the alpha orbital energy? This is a common question in quantum chemistry. (It's common enough that one colleague specifically mentions this every time he teaches a quantum chemistry class.) I'm going to assume that when you say AlphaOrbitalEnergies that you have a singlet species, so the alpha and beta orbital energies are identical. For a Hartree Fock calculation, the total SCF energy is: $$ E=\sum\_{i(\text { occupied })}\left\langle\phi\_{i}|h| \phi\_{i}\right\rangle+\sum\_{i>j(\text { occupied })}\left[J\_{i, j}-K\_{i, j}\right] $$ If I add up the occupied orbital energies (i.e., two electrons in each orbital), I get: $$ \sum\_{\mathrm{i}(\text { occupied })} \epsilon\_{i}=\sum\_{\mathrm{i}(\text { occupied })}\left\langle\phi\_{i}|h| \phi\_{i}\right\rangle+\sum\_{\mathrm{i}, \mathrm{j}(\text { occupied })}\left[J\_{i, j}-K\_{i, j}\right] $$ Notice that the second term is different. Notice that if I'm adding up the occupied orbital energies I'll be double-counting the term with Coulomb - exchange energies. In principal, you could get the total energy from the orbital energies, but you would have to do work: $$ E=\frac{1}{2}\left[\sum\_{\mathrm{i}(\text { occupied })}\left\langle\phi\_{i}|h| \phi\_{i}\right\rangle+\sum\_{\mathrm{i}(\text { occupied })} \epsilon\_{i}\right] $$ On the other hand, I believe the FCHK files include the total SCF energy already.
stackexchange/chemistry
the large magellanic cloud ( lmc ) and the small magellanic cloud ( smc ) , the two galaxies closest to the milky way , provide unique opportunities to study astrophysical processes ( westerlund 1991 ) . in regard to the interstellar medium , there are three outstanding properties which motivate detailed investigations : ( 1 ) the magellanic clouds consist of material characterized by a smaller metallicity than the milky way ; ( 2 ) their uv radiation fields are stronger than in the solar neighborhood ; ( 3 ) they provide a large number of targets at a well determined distance . the first two properties have far reaching consequences for the astrophysical conditions of the interstellar medium : an absence of dust and extinction in the molecular cloud envelopes results in reduced shielding against the intense uv radiation and decreases the sizes of molecular clouds relative to atomic gas components ( lequeux 1994 ) . the low metallicities are also expected to have consequences on molecular abundances . the eso - sest key programme ( israel 1993 ) included observations of the ( 10 ) and ( 10 ) spectral lines toward iras sources and regions in the lmc and the smc . with the australia telescope compact array in narrabri , hunt & whiteoak ( 1994 ) discovered a second 4.8ghz compact radio component in the lmc region n159 ( hereafter n159hw ) , where no emission had been found . this detection motivated our search for ( 10 ) cores offset from the centers of some of the most prominent regions . in order to determine the position of brightest emission in molecular clouds , we thus mapped nine regions in the lmc , which have particularly strong ( 10 ) and ( 10 ) line intensities according to the eso - sest key programme . toward peaks of three of these sources and n159hw we also made 3 mm multiline studies to elucidate the chemical and physical conditions of the cloud cores . the smc is even more metal poor than the large magellanic cloud . hence a comparison of molecular data from a variety of environments like the inner and outer galactic disk and the lmc also has to include the smc . this widens the range of covered metallicities by a factor of 3 . in previous studies , the molecular line observations toward the smc were confined to and transitions ( rubio 1993a , b ) . we therefore observed lirs36 , which shows the brightest ( 10 ) and ( 10 ) emission peaks observed with the eso - sest key programme , in a variety of molecular transitions . .positions and velocities for observed objects [ cols="<,<,>,>,^ " , ] the hcn / hnc abundance ratio calculated is a factor 2 4 less than the observed line intensity ratio and is very close to one . hcn / hnc ratios greater than 1 generally arise in warm regions ( ic443 ) , or in spiral arm gas clouds ( see table[tbl : mc1-ratio ] ) . in both cases , the key factor is that hcn is able to form at lower extinctions than hnc , although at high temperatures ( @xmath8 @xmath9 100k ) , hnc may be destroyed more rapidly than hcn . giant molecular clouds in the lmc and the smc have relatively larger envelope / core sizes than galactic clouds because their higher uv fluxes and lower metallicities allow uv photons to penetrate deeper into clouds ( maloney & black 1988 ) . under such conditions , ch@xmath10 radicals form more efficiently than nh@xmath10 radicals , while , not atomic c , is the dominant form of carbon . thus the reaction @xmath11 produces hcn faster than the reaction @xmath12 produces hnc . our model calculations are capable only of describing the core of the clouds in the lmc . we thus predict that hcn / hnc ratios closer to one should be obtained if one observes at higher frequency , and therefore at higher spatial resolution . from an investigation of different molecular species toward several regions in both the large and the small magellanic cloud , we obtain the following main results : 1 . toward n113 in the lmc we obtain the strongest and emission so far observed from extragalactic sources on a 45 scale . it is therefore recommended to carry out a detailed investigation of this region . 2 . the mass - to - co luminosity conversion factors are @xmath13 and @xmath14mol@xmath3(kkms@xmath4)@xmath4 , for n113 and n44bc , respectively , which are very close to the standard galactic disk value but smaller than @xmath15 obtained by the cohen ( 1988 ) study made with a much larger beam . the maps of observed regions were used to estimate the gravitational stability . ignoring magnetic fields , all cores appear to be gravitationally unstable . disordered ` irregular ' magnetic fields of 30@xmath16 g to 120@xmath16 g would , however , achieve cloud stability . such values are consistent with observations from galactic star - forming regions . 4 . for the first time , the hyperfine components of hcn have been resolved for an extragalactic source . the normal @xmath17 but high @xmath18 values toward n113 and n159hw in the lmc indicate that the hcn line is emitted from a relatively cool dense molecular core . 5 . some of the cn hyperfine components could be identified toward n113 and n159hw . the intensity ratios are close to the lte values . 6 . in the magellanic clouds the @xmath0()/@xmath0(hcn ) intensity ratios are higher than in most other galaxies ( including our galaxy ) . this ratio is even higher in the smc than in the lmc . the relatively strong emission is consistent with a high ionization flux from supernova remnants and young stars , while hcn is mainly arising from spatially confined dense cloud cores and may be optically thin . in all studied sources of the lmc , the @xmath0(hcn)/@xmath0(hnc ) ratio is @xmath9 1 which is consistent with the presence of warm ( @xmath9 10k ) or shocked gas . chemical model calculations suggest @xmath0(hcn)/@xmath0(hnc ) line intensity ratios @xmath19 1 , when observed with higher ( @xmath20 30 ) angular resolution . only upper limits to hcn and hnc could be obtained from the smc . the molecular hot spot n159hw has also been seen in radio continuum but not in emission . this may be due to the fact that it is a relatively cold unevolved cloud core , which is consistent with the hcn hyperfine component measurements . an underabundance of 18 relative to 13 , suggested by johansson ( 1994 ) for n159 , is qualitatively confirmed for several star - forming regions . apparently , this is a characteristic property of all regions in the lmc . 999 baudry , a. , combes , f. , perault m. , dickman , r. , 1980 , 85 , 244 bronfman , l. , cohen , r.s . , alvarez , h. , may , j. , thaddeus , p. , 1988 , 324 , 248 cernicharo , j. , castets , a. , duvert , g. , guilloteau , s. , 1984 , 139 , l13 chi , x. , wolfendale , a.w . , 1993 , j. phys . g. 19 , 795 churchwell , e. , nash , a.g . , walmsley , c.m . , 1984 , 287 , 681 cohen , r.s . , dame , t.m . , garay , g. , montani , j. , rubio , m. , thaddeus , p. , 1988 , 331 , l95 dame , t.m . , ungerechts , h. , cohen , r.s . , de geus , e.j . , grenier , i.a . , may , j. , murphy , d.c . , nyman , l .- , thaddeus , p. , 1987 , 322 , 706 farquhar , p.r.a . , millar , t.j . , herbst , e. , 1994 , 269 , 641 fiebig , d. , gsten , r. , 1989 , 214 , 333 garay , g. , rubio , m. , ramrez , s. , johansson , l.e.b . , thaddeus , p. , 1993 , 274 , 743 goldsmith , p.f . , langer , w.d . , elldr , j. , irvine , w. , kollberg , e. , 1981 , 249 , 524 goldsmith , p.f . , irvine , w. , hjalmarson , , elldr , j. , 1986 , 310 , 383 gottlieb , c.a . , lada , c.j . , gottlieb , e.w . , lilley , a.e . , litvak , m.m . , 1975 , 202 , 655 graedel , t.e . , langer , w.d . , frerking , m.a . , 1982 , 48 , 321 guilloteau , s. , baudry , a. , 1981 , 97 , 213 harju , j. , 1989 , 219 , 293 harju , j. , walmsley , c.m . , wouterloot , j.g.a . , 1992 , 98 , 51 heaton , b.d . , little , l.t . , yamashita , t. , davies , s.r . , cunningham , c.r . , monteiro , t.s . , 1993 , 278 , 238 heiles , c. , goodman , a.a . , mckee , c.f . , zweibel , e.g. , 1993 , _ protostars and planets iii _ , levy , j. lunine , the university of arizona press , tucson , p. 279 henkel , c. , mauersberger , r. , schilke , p. , 1988 , 201 , l23 henkel , c. , whiteoak , j.b . , nyman , l .- , harju , j. , 1990 , 230 , l5 henkel , c. , mauersberger , r. , wiklind , t. , httemeister , s. , lemme , c , millar , t. , 1993 , 268 , l17 henkel , c. , whiteoak , j.b . , mauersberger , r. , 1994 , 284 , 17 herbst , e. , lee , h - s . , howe , d.a . , millar , t.j . , 1994 , 268 , 335 hunt , m.r . , whiteoak , j.b . , 1994 , 11 , 68 httemeister , s. , henkel , c. , mauersberger , r. , brouillet , n. , wiklind , t. , millar , t.j . , 1995 , 295 , 571 israel , f.p . , 1992 , 265 , 487 israel , f.p . , johansson , l.e.b . , lequeux , j. , booth , r.s . , nyman , l .- . , crane , p. , rubio , m. , de graauw , th . , kutner , m.l . , gredel , r. , boulanger , f. , garay , g. , westerlund , b. , 1993 , 276 , 25 johansson , l.e.b . , 1991 , 146 : _ dynamics of galaxies and their molecular cloud distributions _ , eds . f. combes , f. casoli , p. 1 johansson , l.e.b . , olofsson , h. , hjalmarson , a. , gredel , r. , black , j.h . , 1994 , 291 , 89 kronberg , p.p . , biermann , p. , schwab , f.r . , 1985 , 246 , 751 lada , c.j . , 1976 , 32 , 603 lovas , f.j . , 1992 , 21 , 181 lequeux , j. , le bourlot , j. , pineau des forts , g. , roueff , e. , boulanger , f. , rubio , m. , 1994 , 292 , 371 maclaren , i. , richardson , k.m . , wolfendale , a.w . , 1988 , 333 , 821 maloney , p. , black , j.h . , 1988 , 325 , 389 mauersberger , r. , henkel , c. , 1989 , 223 , 79 millar , t.j . , herbst , e. , 1990 , 242 , 92 mitchell , g.f . , deveau , t.j . , 1983 , 266 , 646 nguyen - q - rieu , nakai , n. , jackson , j.m . , 1989 , 220 , 57 nguyen - q - rieu , jackson , j.m . , henkel , c. , truong - bach , mauersberger , r. , 1992 , 399 , 521 nyman , l .- . , millar , t.j . , 1989 , 222 , 231 nyman , l .- . , olofsson , h. , johansson , l.e.b . , booth , r.s . , carlstrm , u. , wolstencroft , r. , 1993 , 269 , 377 rubio , m. , lequeux , j. , boulanger , f. , booth r.s . , garay , g. , de graauw , th . , israel , f.p . , johansson , l.e.b . , kutner , m.l . , nyman , l .- . , 1993a , 271 , 1 rubio , m. , lequeux , j. , boulanger , f. , 1993b , 271 , 9 sage , l.j . , isbell , d.w . , 1991 , 247 , 320 sage , l.j . , mauersberger , r. , henkel , c. , 1991 , 249 , 31 schilke , p. , walmsley , c.m . , pineau des forts , g. , roueff , e. , flower , d.r . , guilloteau , s. , 1992 , 256 , 595 stacey , g.j . , geis , n. , genzel , r. , lugten , j.b . , poglitsch , a. , sternberg , a. , townes , c.h . , 1991 , 373 , 423 strong , a.w . , bloemen , j.b.g.m . , dame , t.m . , grenier , i.a . , hermsen , w. , lebrun , f. , nyman , l .- . , pollock , a.m.t . , thaddeus , p. , 1988 , 207 , 1 turner , b.e . , thaddeus , p. , 1977 , 211 , 755 valle , j.p . , 1993 , 296 , 819 westerlund , b.e . , 1991 , 2 , 29 ziurys , l.m . , snell , r.l . , dickman , r.l . , 1989 , 341 , 857
arxiv
HM George I's 20-Great Grandfather. Poss. HRE Ferdinand I's 16-Great Grandfather. Poss. HRE Charles VI's 20-Great Grandfather. U.S. President [WASHINGTON]'s 21-Great Grandfather. PM Churchill's 26-Great Grandfather. Louis XVII's 24-Great Grandfather. Poss. Agnes Harris's 19-Great Grandfather. `Osawatomie' Brown's 27-Great Grandfather.
slim_pajama
Bleach, Inuyasha 1. Chapter 1 Hello reader! My name is Niki and you are welcome to read the story if you like... I won't do a huge long monologe... this time. ;P This takes place near the end of the Bleach series. It would be around episode 254. So if you haven't seen it you should be able to find a good player on but they may have taken down the good player! ^_^ Disclaimer: I do not own ANYTHING! Except the plot, and the clever characters I somehow manage to come up with XD * * * **_Seimei No Nazo_** **_Chapter 1: The Riddle Begins._** * * * Dear Kit, _**She of the tiger... **_ I have heard them all my life. The voices of many different people, singing a strange song, a song that sounds more like a riddle. _**...must be freed...**_ They sing in pairs; one male, one female. No exceptions, and if I listen hard enough, I understand the true message. Then, I always forget it when I wake. _**Give her space and... **_ I think they are calling me 'She of the Tiger', but I don't know If I'm actually the one they are refering to! _**... fill her need. **_ It starts off every line with the same words "She of the tiger" What's that even suppose to mean? Sounds like a spooky old curse to me! _**She of the tiger... **_ There is a pattern to it as well, they says she's afraid every other line, but I'm confused... what's she afraid of? _**... is afraid... **_ Anyway, personally I think it's just some weird dream I always have, but MOTHER says it's a 'sign' As if I'd understand what that means! _**...Of what you ask...**_ I don't think I really understand anything anymore, this whole thing with Inuyasha... it's left me so confused! What am I suppose to do? How am I suppose to react, is there some secret to love, something I'm totally missing out on? _**... the secrets made... **_ I feel like he doesn't even like me anymore, it's more like he's leading me on to believe he likes me just so I'll help him with the jewel shards! _**She of the tiger... **_ Is that really what is going on? Is he simply using me for his own twisted need? As if I wouldn't help him if he didn't love me. Which as I said, I'm doubting. He sneaks off every night, thinking I don't see it. _**...cannot win...**_ He goes to see her, Kikyo. He's become so distant lately, as if he's forgotten me entirely. Sango tries to comfort me, and I pretend it doesn't bother me, but... I just love him you know? I can't not love him and pretend it's nothing! _**... Until she learns... **_ Maybe I'm just not good enough for him, maybe I don't deserve him. _**... to love again...**_ Love Ya, Kagome * * * Today was just getting worse and worse. It had started off normal enough, Inuyasha had come screaming through the well and tried to force her back into the Fuedal Era, nothing out of place there right? Then, her mother had sided with Inuyasha talking about her duty, still the norm. However, what he neglected to tell her was the village was being attacked by Naraku and his demons, and worse off Kagome's bow and arrows were in Kaede's house. Sadly enough the house had already been demolished by the time Kagome got there, so she had no weapon. Then, Kikyo showed up and got herself into a life or death situation, so naturally Inuyasha left Kagome's side and allowed her to do whatever she pleased. Of course Kagome had tried to run to Sango, who was screaming for her to get behind her. But of course a large blue Oni had to get in front of her and swipe it's claw out... decapitating her. She had then appeared inside the Shikon Jewel, which she found out after Midoriko appeared next to her, sweating and bleeding, and explained that she wasn't Kikyo's reincarnation, but Midoriko herself's reincanation. This would have been all rosy and dandy if they hadn't been surrounded by demon's and if Midoriko hadn't gone on what Kagome could only call a lunch break. Anyway, here she was unarmed and surrounded by the biggest demons she had EVER seen and after some consideration, she decided she didn't wish to die... again. So, she began to fight the monsters and found out she had some pretty cool new powers! Haha! Fire, Ice, Earth, Energy, Water, you name the element and it was totally responding to her! She let out a girlish squeal. "Thanks Midoriko-sama!" She had called, obviously believing said woman had 'lent' her the power. She then continued to slaughter anything that dared get close enough to her. Midoriko finally came back, and watched in awe to see Kagome taking a breather while the demons began to once again manifest around her. "There is something I had yet to inform you of our soul." Midoriko said quietly, as if guilty. Kagome stared at her curiously. "This soul of ours is not of this world. It is not what one would call 'human'." Kagome's brow wrinkled. "If I- we aren't human what are we called?" Midoriko sighed. "They call us Akuma no yoso, or Demonic Element they believe our existance is that of a possessed element." Kagome raised an eybrow. "I don't understand, why couldn't I use these powers before?" Midoriko smiled. "Like I said, we are not of that world, in this new world we have entered we may use of powers as we please." Kagome blinked. "What world have we entered exactly?" "It's an alternate universe, the Jewel immediately transports whoever is unlucky enough to be trapped inside of it, into this world. The world of Humans, Soul Reapers, and Hollows. Even in this world we can never be accepted for what we are. Akuma no yoso will be accepted in no place, it is our curse." Midoriko explained. Kagome gulped. "So, we're stuck here? I can never get back?" Midoriko smiled once again. "You will live in this world, and you'll fit in nicely. The jewel only needs one preistest. I have chosen to stay, you shall leave and live a peaceful life. The jewel had decided to put you in one of the three planes. The Hueco Mundo, I hope you may live a happy life there Kagome." Kagome blanched. "Wait what do you mean three planes?" "In this new world there are 3 different planes the different species reside in the first is Earth. The second is the Soul Society, and lastly there is Hueco Mundo." Kagome nodded absorbing the information. "Where do the human's live?" Midoriko froze. "I'm afraid I'm not aware of that detail, besides the jewel isn't going to back down and take you to another place, let's just hope you get into the right section of this world." She grew very serious. "Take heed child, you will not have these powers once you are out in that world, you must discover them on your own, only once you have found the man that will tie you to that world, shall you become able." Kagome's eyes grew big. "I have to find some guy to help me?" Midoriko cracked a smile. "Not just some guy Kagome, you must discover your soul mate. This task seems easy, but it will be taxing. After all, it is not everyday you discover a man who does not age." Kagome's eyes grew even larger as she fought back a gasp. "What do you mean find a guy that doesn't age! That's stupid!" Midoriko stared back at her intently. "Is it now, I must say I shouldn't be surprised, after all the time spent inside the jewel passes in a blur... do you have any idea how long you've been fighting the demons? How long it took me to convince the jewel to let you out?" Kagome gulped. _What could she be getting at? _"... No?" Midoriko smiled kindly back at her. "You've been here 700 years. After you've entered the jewel, you can no longer age." That is where Kagome's misfortune came to a true beginning. When the jewel dropped her off, it was in a barren desert of sorts, and she was surrounded by the most terrible of creatures. They had to be at least 100 meters tall, surrounded completely by black cloaks, all that could be seen of them was a white mask, long claws, and the sharp spikes that proturded from what should have been their shoulders, then making a full circle. Kagome gulped when they stared down at her hungrily. _Come on! Why'd it have to be here! _ She squeaked and backed away in fear when something red began to gather in one of the monster's mouths. "Oh great!" She snarled sarcastically jumping out of the way as a beam of light incinerated the spot she had once been in. * * * **_20 years in the future. _** * * * Kagome heard what sounded like a groan coming from the giant beings around her. She had to admit, looking down at herself, she looked like hell had come and burned her to bits, then added water to the mix. Covered in sweat and grime, her school uniform once calming green and spotless white was filthy, now a rusted green and a dirty brown. Kagome sighed. _When will this nightmare end? _ The beings groaned again, before a crack began to make it's way into the sky of Hueco Mundo. The giant organisms turned and began to reach ofr the crack groanin gas they did so, the crack was getting larger and larger. Kagome could now see green trees and a blue sky on the other side. _Could this finally be my way out? _Longing filled her, at the prospect of her finally being able to escape to another, better place. She ran forward climbing one of the dark cloaks, not that it noticed, she was probably like a misceto, compared to it especially with the lack of food and water, the jutting out of her ribs didn't exactly look healthy. Kagome got about waist length before she relaxed for a tiny while in a crease of the robe, resting up for the rest of the climb. Starting out again a moment later she noticed that this time she wouldn't even have to climb! _The giant hand... _Kagome bit her lip. _I know I can make it! _ She jumped and landed on it's sleeve, right above the wrist. The hand continued reaching for the crack, which had now stopped growing. Kagome gasped in pain as lights of many different colors began to shrink the crack. She reached out for it, so close to being freed. Kagome got ready to jump, when on cue the large cloaked thing finally realized she was clinging to it, and annoyed flicked its wrist like a human would to get a fly to leave. The combined force from her jump and his... flick of the wrist sent her flying through the crack, not a second before it closed. Kagome began to gradually not off in mid air, the adreniline was gone she no longer had the energy to care how far away the ground was. Nor to realize she'd been caught by a pair of strong arms. * * * _**i luv niki4444**_ Hey guys, so this is my latest and weirdest idea. It's going to be pretty crazy so I hope you can bear with me! LOL _**Ja Ne!**_ _**-Niki**_ 2. Author's Note Hey Guys it's Niki! I just wanted to say I'm really sorry I haven't updated in ... A LONG time. But the thing is... 1) I've been feeling really uninspired lately on ALL of my stories. 2) My sole attention has been on "Good Intentions" Which is (If you don't already know) my Inuyasha/Naruto crossover. Anyway the reason I'm writing this author's note is really just because I wanted to apologize. I feel like I'm taunting you with having my story out here and never updating it! 0_0 So, I'm promising to update EVERY single one of these stories by the end of the month. (Except "A Crying Heart" and "A Heart Long Forgotten" because they are completed! YAY) If I don't, you can feel free to spam my Inbox with words of fury, or if you are an anonomus veiwer, my reviews. I read my reviews pretty often (and immediately after I get a new one.) It's kinda like Christmas for me! LOL! Oh and guess WHAT! It's my birthday in **5** days! 0_0 I'm going to have a new poll on my profile, hopefully today, because... 1) My age will change so it'll be cheating, I'll post my age on my profile for 3 days, so if you are curious go look! XD 2) I want you guys to tell me what I should start working on first! 'cracks knuckles' It'll be pretty hard because I want to get around 3,000 words in the chapters (And I'm a lazy person ;P) so, I really just want to know how you feel! You can PM or just leave a review on here to tell me, anything... seriously ANYTHING. For this chapter I'm whole heartedly excepting Flames... and you know I won't just cry my eyes out for 3 hours because you really hurt my feelings 'cough' Kim 'cough' or consider finding you just to scream at you for being a "Meanie!' 'cough' Kim 'cough' ... hehe Kidding, I'm not that offended actually I'm very glad she told me how she felt and didn't sugar coat it. THANK YOU KIM! LOVE YOU! (even if you hate me and never read another one of my stories! XD) Anyway Love you all and hope to get an update out for you soon! Oh and one more thing... I don't really think it's safe to have Author's Notes out for every long anymore, so I'll remove this VERY soon... okay I'll keep it on until 7/13/12... the day AFTER my birthday, hopefully the story will not be removed. 3. Kagome's Ailment _People are always asking me why I'm so awesome. My reply? I'm a nerd, that's why I'm awesome. _ _-Niki_ **Summary:** _Kagome Higurashi your average 15 year old. Traveling through dimensions, fending off angry demons. Yep totally normal. Well, except for that we bit off a problem. Kagome Higurashi isn't human, in fact she isn't anywhere near human. But to unlock everything that makes her special she has to find that special someone and stay with him... until the end of time._ * * * _Seimei No Nazo_ _Chapter 2: Kagome's Ailment!_ * * * As Kagome awoke, she noticed voices hissing in hussed whispers, much like athe adults in Charlie Brown. Scurrying feet became frantic as the voices began to get louder. "Who is she?" "Why was she so filthy?" "Girls been in Hueco Mundo, that's what I heard." "Nonsense Aiko! No one survives Hueco Mundo!" "Well she did." A rough female voice interupted. "She's lucky she made it out right before we finished sealing it!" A softer, kinder girl's voice replied guiltily. "She could have been turned into a hollow if she'd stayed a minute longer." Kagome blinked her eyes open... nothing. All she could see was darkness. "Um... excuse me?" She muttered interupting the gossip. "Could you turn the lights on please?" The gentle voice gasped. "Miss... the lights are on! Can't you see us?" Kagome blinked desperately, whipping her head back and forth. After about a minute of this Kagome finally sighed giving up. "... I can't see a thing." "Oh no! Rangiku what do we do?" The rough female voice, now known as Rangiku sighed. "Stop worrying... both of you. Aiko, please go get Captain Unohana." "She doesn't need to." Another sweet voice called out. "I'm already here." Footsteops echoed through the room as the woman known as Unohana appeaed to stop beside Kagome's bedside, and she took hold of her hand. "What's your name sweetheart? " Kagome watched the spot where she assumed Unohana was curiously. "Kagome." "I'm Unohana. Captain of Squad Four, the Medical Department." She took a steady breath. "Now Kagome, it appears you absorbed quite a bit of Reiki when you were escaping the Hueco Mundo. Your eyes may need some time to adjust." Kagome gulped. "How soon?" Unohana sighed. "It's hard to say. It could be two weeks, could be two months, but I assure you three months at the most. You'll be fine sweetheart." She cleared her throat. "Now onto other matters..." "What were you there for?" A young man's voice interupted unhappily. Kagome blinked once more, looking around for the man curiously, having not yet adjusted to her new predicament. "He's over here Kagome-chan!" The gentle voice from before replied moving her head so she was facing the guy-or so she assumed.- "She's blind at the moment Toshiro." An irritated huff followed this statement as the male growled. "Momo, how many times must I tell you to address me as Captain Hitsuguya!" Momo giggled. "Sorry Captain!" "Whatever, what I want to know is why that girl was in Hueco Mundo." Kagome bit her lip. _'My past could cause problems...' _"I... I can't remember." _'So it's better to pretend I've forgotten it.'_ Someone groaned. "Well this is perfect! She's forgotten!" The one known as Rangiku cried loudly. "Is that why you didn't tell me your surname?" Unohana asked, curiously. _'No.' _"Yeah, I don't really remember anything except for my first name." _'I'm crossing my toes.' _ "Oh you poor thing!" Momo cried wrapping her arms around a startled Kagome. "Captain Unohana what are we gonna do with her?" The Captain of the medical department sighed. "We'll have no choice but to take care of her until she regains her sight... or at least that is how I see it. We'll have a Captain's meeting soon to decide, but don't you agree with me Captain Hitsuguya?" Aiko rolled her eyes. "I don't see why Captain Unohana, we should simply hand her over to a nearby village, let them take care of her." Toshiro glared at her. "No, Captain Unohana is right, and I'm sure the others feel the same. The only question now is which Captain will be taking care of her. I seriously doubt we could put her out on the street." Aiko blinked, "Well why not, it's not our fault she's gone and got herself blind!" Rangiku cleared her throat. "Actually it is. Kagome over there was just trying to escape Hueco Mundo, something anyone would do, but we were trying to seal it. Somehow our Reiki was absorbed into her while she was escaping." "Meaning we are the reason she's blind." Momo finished. * * * _**i luv niki4444 **_ Hello all you wonderful readers and writers! Now I recently was asked by a reviewer named "Guest" To write a Inuyasha/ Kaze No Stigma crossover... I did. But anyway that's not the point! I'm telling you this because I think Kaze No Stigma is the best anime EVER EVER EVER EVER _**EVER**_! And I'm almost positive every one of you who have not seen it will fall in love in the first episode. So I'm asking you to just check it out... and then if you do love it and are like WHY IS THERE NO SEASON TWO! Come on over and read the Inuyasha/ Kaze No Stigma crossover... I'll be sure to give you a season two (Or a second chapter, whichever you prefer.) The real reason I bothered typing all that (anime awesome go WATCH NOW!) I don't really remember... well this is awkward. I know I had a joke or something I was going to tell and you would have been like. "ROFL!" but yeah, now you won't because I forgot what I was going to say... ANYWAY! (lets get away from that awkward moment over there) Thank you for all the reviews and I'm sorry I had an author's note last chapter! XD Response: Guest: hehe...sorry? 'sheepish' I didn't mean to I swear! Hm... I think I'll use that... 'grins evilly' Anyway until next time! _**Ja Ne! **_ _**-Niki**_ 4. Diary Entry, Day 1 _How can two people be happy, when they both think the other is intentionally messing with them?_ _-Ally_ Hello fellow readers/writers! I hope you are having a wonderful night/day/evening! **R**ead, **R**eveiw, and above ALL else **Enjoy**. _'Thoughts'_ "Talking" _diary_ _"Diary"_ When something is centered and italicized it is being written IN her diary. When it has quotation marks, is italicized and is centered. Kagome is telling Rangiku what to put in there but she may or may not be actually putting it in. XD * * * **Seimei No Nazo** **Chapter 3: Diary Entry; Day 1** * * * Dear Kit, _It's me again!_ _Today is going to be the best day of my entire life! _ _Anyway, you'll never guess what, there is a new verse to the riddle. I know it isn't much but hey, it is something._ _**She of the tiger must be freed**_ _**Give her space and fill her need**_ _**She of the tiger is afraid**_ _**Of what! You ask the secrets made**_ _**She of the tiger cannot win**_ _**Until she leans to love again.**_ _Up until now that was everything I could remember, but now there's a new verse! It goes..._ _**She of the tiger will not lose**_ _**Once her soul makes the final chose**_ _**She of the tiger is afraid**_ _**But the secret is not ours to give or trade!**_ _Isn't it so weird? I'm almost positive it's got something to do with what Midoriko-sama was saying! It must be-"_ "Hey Kagome? Do you think you could repeat that last line?" Rangiku's bored voice suddenly called out, breaking Kagome from the diary entry she was providing. _"Because I couldn't see, Toshiro- Hitsuguya-senpai had taken it upon himself to order Rangiku to help me with all my diary entries...not that I could 'remember' I wrote a diary... more like they found it in my back pocket and demanded I continue it._ _"After I started talking it became pretty obvious to Rangiku that I could remember everything and- always one to pry demanded information- she tried to get stuff out of me. Unfortunately for her I looked at her with a serious expression and-"_ "Really Kagome, do you honestly want me to write all that? IT'S TO HARD!" Rangiku whined from the desk. Kagome sighed, "Okay fine, but you know I can't write! How am I suppose to write it myself?" Of course Kagome could write with no vision, she had to write in the dark all the time, but... she was feeling really lazy for some reason. Kagome heaved another sigh, what no one could understand though was... she could see perfectly fine. If she channeled her miko energy into her eyes Kagome could see everything, though it was a little foggy, and looked like she was staring at a rainbow. Some objects were green, some yellow, the air around her was always pink, most people were red, a couple purple and such like that. She couldn't see the features but she could see the shapes. "Are you sure you can't write?" Rangiku asked, her voice slightly annoyed. "Fine, give it here Rangiku." Kagome groaned, stretching her aching limbs, a few bones popping loudly. "I don't want you altering it anyway." _Sorry about that Kit, Rangiku can be really snotty._ "HEY!" Rangiku yelled from her ear, obviously feeling the need to protest at the remark. Kagome rolled her eye over to lazyily watch her from her peripheral vision, Rangiku had just turned an outraged black color... interesting. "You shouldn't read over my sholder." "You shouldn't spread slander!" "No one is ever going to read my diary Rangiku!" "I'm reading it!" "Hush! I'm trying to concentrate!" _Anyway as I was saying..._ Kagome let out a sigh, annoyed. "Can you please stop reading behind me?" "Oh come on Kagome! Don't be so harsh!" "Stop reading!" "FINE!" The rustle of clothing was heard and Kagome eyed Rangiku as she moved out of the room. _Finally some peace and quiet! I'm all alone by myself. So here's the thing, I've been told that I'm some kind of supernatural being! Take that Inuyasha, I'm totally amazing and you suck at eve-_ **SQUEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKK! ** Kagome slowly brought a hand to her temple, fighting off the urge to kill something. _'Seriously, right now! What could that noise be!' _ Rangiku's head popped in. "Hey! Help me move this Kagome, this thing is REALLY heavy!" Kagome slapped her forehead in frustration. "Rangiku can you pl-" **_SQUEAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKK!_** "Never mind Kagome, I got it!" Rangiku grinned obviously proud of her achievement, the lieutenant seemed to have raced all the way back to her house and brought... a bed? A TV! MAGAZINES! _Someone kill me! Rangiku is a nightmare, you have to save me Kit she's-_ "WHEN I SAW YOU OVER THERE! I DIDN'T MEAN TO STARE! BUT MY MIND WAS EVERYWHERE! I WANNA KNOW YOU!" Rangiku sang, totally off key and pitch. _Great she brought a CD player as well! Get me out of here! Please she's scaring me! Did you hear that! Huh? HUH! IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING GRATING AGAINST MY EAR-_ "GONNA GUESS THAT YOU'RE THE KIND, TO SAY WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND, BUTCHA LISTEN WHEN I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU!" A growl escaped Kagome. "THAT'S IT! RANGIKU I'M SUPPOSE TO BE HEALING!" Rangiku blinked, as she turned off the music. "Yeah, so?" A tick mark appeared on the side of Kagome's head as she began to rub her temples. "Soooo Shut. Up! Or I'll make you shut up!" Rangiku smiled, a predatory gleam entering her eye. "Oh really, well come get me blind girl I can't wait to kic-" "What's going on here?" A cold voice suddenly replied, breaking the 'children' from their argument. "C-Captain K-Kuchiki!" Rangiku cried, startled he'd come. "What are you doing here." "The Captain's meeting was adjourned. We have decided." "But what about the lieutenants? We weren't called." "You were not needed." Kagome watched the transaction curiously, this new guy had a light aura... an almost blinding white, and he seemed to be glowing. _This seems like the calm before a storm, Kit. Either that guy is gonna attack, or Rangiku is going to begin talking._ Unfortunately it was the later of the two options. "So... they chose you Captain Kuchiki? "That is correct." The captain replied, walking over to Kagome's bedside and peering at her face. "Hmm, girl." He said, startling Kagome from previous thoughts she'd actually been hoping he'd thought she was asleep... with her eyes open. "It's Kagome." She responded back quietly. "I didn't ask for your name. You'll be staying with me from now on." He eyed her once again. "Can you walk?" Rangiku gulped, gathering her courage. "Not to pry Captain Kuchiki, but she's been temporarily blinded." "I asked her if she could walk, not if she could see." Kagome sighed, and began to once again scribble in her diary. _Remember when I said I thought today was going to be a good day?_ _Yeah, I was wrong Kit. SOOOO wrong. _ "Stop scribbling and look me in the eye." Kagome sighed. "Sorry mister, but I can't see your eye. And yeah, I can walk fine." Kagome got up, "Rangiku where is my bag?" Wordlessly Rangiku picked up the bag and walked over, gently she took the notebook and pencil from Kagome's hands and placed them in the largest pocket before zipping it shut and handing it over to Kagome. "Thanks. Now, where are we going?" Kagome asked, turning to where she would estimate Byakuya to be... were she actually blind. She heard the soft exhale of breath and almost smirked. She was already getting to him. Kagome released the miko energy from her eyes and the lights on her vision went out. Kagome resisted the urge to strike out when she felt herself being lifted, and carried bridal style across the room. _'Great, I'll be living with another Sesshomaru!'_ * * * XD Hey guys! I hope I didn't completely massacre Rangiku or Byakuya's personalities. She seems super hyper, he seems... kinda strict. 0_0 And I'm also sorry the chapter isn't that good, or that long. It's around 1a.m. here so I'm VERY TIRED! LOL, I'm trying to get an update in for Scarlet Knight... but for some reason I can't to tired I guess! **_Ja Ne!_** **_-Niki_** 5. Nano Wrimo i luv niki4444 For the month of November I will be participating in a contest called NaNo Wrimo. You write 55 THOUSAND words in a month. If you win you have the satisfaction of doing it as well as bragging rights! XD I'll be trying to write 2,000 words a day so my updates should be more frequent. However it doesn't start til November 1, so I will not be doing any writing until then. Hopefully I'll be gettting a chapter out everyday after that! If I don't it may be because I'm writing a Ultra Mega chapter for Good Intentions, Scarlet Knight, or potentially Dancing in the Dark (There are 83 reviews and I only make a Ultra Mega chapter with 100) . If you have not read Good Intentions (or have just forgotten) an Ultra Mega chapter is a chapter with 14,000+ words. I make these for every 100 reviews I get on a story. This should give me the oppertunity to update a lot! XD I hope you guys will like it! (I'm not sure which stories will be updated and I'm almost positive there will be some stories that I won't update but thank you for reading this!) I'm also going to take this opertunity to publish a story I've been thinking about writing for a few months. It's called "Under the Silvery Stars" And it will be on FictionPress, (Meaning it won't be a fanfiction) if you want to read it there will be a link up on my profile as soon as it's published. _**Love**_ _**Niki**_ 6. Dairy Entry, Day 2 _The man of white_ _is dressed in black_ _and they but heads _ **_Seimei No Nazo_** _i luv niki4444_ **Chapter 5: Diary Entry, Day 2** * * * Kagome pouted, she really couldn't understand this guy. He was like a second version of Sesshomaru! ... except maybe not as lethal. Maybe. "Mr. Why wouldn't you tell me your name?" OF course she knew it was Captain Ku-something or another but he didn't exactly tell her! Silence, the blessed silence that she'd craved when she was with Inuyasha... it really sucked now. "I told you mine! Remember, I said "Howdie Captain I'm Kagome.'... please tell me!" "Kuchiki." He muttered before falling silent once more. "Mr. Kuchiki-" "Captain." "Why are you so quiet! It's really annoying and I don't like it." There it was again! He was giving her absolutely NOTHING! "Kuchiki-san? Ohhhhh Kuchiki!" "Quiet, do not treat me with such disrespect." He hissed back. "But-" "We are in a public place, I'd prefer to not be the laughingstock of the Soul Society!" He muttered harshly under his breath, his cold voice like steel. "Alright then Kuchiki-san." She murmured back tucking her head under his chin. They were in fact walking through the maze like city that was soul society, steadily approaching the Kuchiki Manor. Every person who saw them stopped and stared. It was definately not a normal experiance to see the Kuchiki head carrying anyone, much less a young girl! R umers spread quickly. She was his new lover. He'd taken in another orphan. S ome didn't care what the reason was, she was there and that was all that seemed to matter. Kagome pouted, really the guy needed to lighten up. She felt him fly through the streets for a couple more minutes -really how did any of the people even notice them?- before slowly coming to a stop. He shifted her weight to one arm so he could open the door, and Kagome clung to him. "Um... how much-" "Just a short while longer." Kagome sweat dropped, "But can't you-" "Lord Kuchiki should I prepare tea." A voice droned from in front of them. Captain Kuchiki walked past the person, "That will not be necessary Nanalie." Kagome sighed again, the guy was the life of the party wasn't he? Must be real popular with the ladies. You know, the ladies that don't mind having a husband with a stick shoved up their a- "We're here." Kagome blinked. _'Is this a conversation I'm sensing!?' _"Where is here?" She asked eagerly. No answer, she heaved a sigh. And she'd been so close too... "My quarters." Kagome perked up. "That's cool w- Wait a minute... you mean your room." Kagome blushed. "Why are we going there?" "I'm supposed to protect you at all times. I will not be forced out of my own chambers for a silly girl." Kagome huffed. "I'm not talking to you anymore mister rude!" If she had been able to see she would have saw his mouth turn up in a small smile. * * * _Dear Kit,_ _I had a... strange dream last night. It was about Captain KooCoo. He said he liked me... and I actually cared. I felt __**the spark**__! I was atounded cause that kind of thing only happens to fairytale princesses! Now, I'm blushing like an idiot whenever I think about the jerk!_ _Examples of this are..._ _* Wonder what Captain Koo- BLUSHING_ _*What's for dinner? I hope the rugga muffin idiot can- BLUSHING_ _*Where are I supposed to sleep? Oh right with Captain K- BLUSHING_ _So at first I thought I could pretend it never happened, you know wave it off..._ _Then, he started mentioning it! "Are you sick?" He says? ARE YOU SICK! Noooo I just blush for random reasons normally. Of course I'm sick my mind whispers to me against my will "Take care of my Captain" stupid evil perverted mind!_ _But no I don't get sick very often, actually I usual-_ * * * "Girl, are you sure you're feeling well?" Kagome snapped out of her thoughts, pausing her writing. "You seem to have a fever." Kagome's face was beet reb and kept getting even worse as she wrote. "Um... no? I'm just feeling a bit warm." She muttered, before feeling a cold hand on her forhead. That wasn't hers! "I'll inform Unahana." "Noooo!" Kagome groaned. "I'm seriously fine, you don't need to do that!" "I am in charge of your health, you will be going to Unahana." He replied back in a no nonsense tone of voice and Kagome had the weird feeling of being three years old again. So she quickly came up with the only responce that she could in that situation."But I don't want to!" * * * Kagome huffed, hating that he had so much power over her, he could really force her into anything at this point. She made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat as he continued to carry her back -much faster than before mind you don't want her jumping off- to the hospital. "Quiet, stop with that impudent noise making." Kagome growled this time resisting the urge to bare her nonexistant fangs. "Leave me alone, I already told you I'm fine yet you insist on acting like an insolent child." She had decided she could make up big words too. No vocabulary be damned! "And are currently forcing a victim to be-" "Quiet." "Why should I listen to you _Captain _Kuchiki? I should skin your scrawny ass right now mister!" A thin eyebrow was raised when the the small woman bean to poke his chest angrily. "I was unaware you held such an interest with my derrière, especially since you're supposedly unable to see it." Kagome's face turned tomato red. She hadn't expected the quiet man to say something so... dare she say his tone was playful? It was then that she remembered the dream once again and her face glowed pink. He had won for now... but next time... She would have her revenge. * * * **_i luv niki4444_** Well this chapter is LONG overdue (Especially since it's been complete and in my folder for a while. 0_o) And it's also much shorter than it should be! Thank you guys for reviewing! Word Count: 47,621 words out of 50,000 words! XD I'M SO CLOSE! XD Please review some more too? 'puppy eyes' **_Love Always_** **_~ Niki-nee-chan! XD (I wish, it's just me, Niki ^_^)_** End file.
fanfiction
Click here to download/view a copy of the PowerPoint presentation in PDF format. The law requires electronic submission of all cancer diagnoses by pathologists as of 1/1/19. Hear from the experts on what cases need to be reported, data elements to be submitted, optional means of submission, and types of software/program that can assist in submission of required data. January 1, 2019 - California state law will require pathologists to report cancer diagnoses to the CCR by electronic means. Please click here to review the questions and responses from the CAP California Cancer Registry Structured Reporting webinar on November 16, 2015. The questions were received during the webinar and the responses are from our various panelists and subject matter experts. Also, you can still view the recording of the webinar by clicking on the link below. CSP is NOW actively seeking NEW MEMBERS ~ JOIN TODAY and Refer a Colleague! CSP is YOUR SOCIETY and YOUR VOICE in the State Capitol for State Legislation and Regulation. Become a Member< and help your Society help you! Join the premier state organization of pathologists for pathologists. Providing education, advocacy, government relations and practice management geared towards the needs of practicing pathologists. The CSP is also the focal point for interaction with other state and national societies such as the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP). Legislative and Regulatory Information - Keep up-to-date with the most current information. Bulletin Articles, State and Art Reviews, Policy Statements. If you are looking for something to read go here! About the California Society of Pathologists, staff contacts and the CSP Board of Directors. CSP past webinar recordings and upcoming webinar registration/information. CSP Annual Meeting information: dates, times, location and travel arrangement material. Also, obtain information on other pathology related events. THIS RESOURCE IS FOR MEMBERS ONLY. If you would like to find out more about our membership program please visit the Membership Section.
slim_pajama
Thermodynamic versus kinetic reactions In a lecture, teacher said "Nucleophilicity is about 'kinetic', and basicity is about 'thermodynamic'" but I saw the picture below from another source. [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zWDdf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zWDdf.png) Here, both pathways start with an acid/base reaction (it's about basicity) and then nucleophilic addition happens (it's about nucleophilicity). as a result, 'kinetic' and 'thermodynamic' product come up. So here's my question. Are the terms 'thermodynamic' and 'kinetic' that are used above in two cases different? The terms are used in a different context to mean slightly different things. The kinetic product of a reaction is the one which is formed the fastest. In the case shown above this is the 1,2 product which results from formation of the most stable cation, which has a lower activation energy for formation. The thermodynamic product is the most stable product. In this case it is the 1,4 product because it has a more substituted double bond. However, it forms from a less stable carbocation and so the activation energy is higher and it is formed slower than the kinetic product. Raising the temperature favours the thermodynamic product because the activation energy becomes less important. Another way to get the thermodynamic product is to run the reaction under equilibrating conditions, allowing the product to convert back to reactants. This will eventually form more of the more stable product. Nucleophilicity is often referred to as a kinetic property because it has to do with how well a species can attack an electrophile and is affected by factors such as steric hindrance. Basicity is often referred to as a thermodynamic property because it is to do with the position of the acid-base equilibrium: $$\ce{B + H+ <=> BH+}$$ I want to point out that the two cations you show in the diagram are not two separate species, but rather two "resonance structures" of the same cation. Kinetically, it appears that chloride attacks preferentially at the more highly charged carbon atom, to give the so-called kinetic product.
stackexchange/chemistry
in recent decades , the proportion of women entering scientific careers has increased substantially , but women remain underrepresented in academic ranks . leaky pipeline , whereby women drop from the academic ladder and thus deplete the potential pool of women in senior academic faculty ranks . the leaky pipeline has been attributed to many causes , including discrimination , inadequate mentoring , lack of role models , and the difficulty in balancing academic and family life ( 1 , 2 ) . in this article , we identify a strategy that might encourage more participation of women in science . in a search for points of leverage that might influence women s success and retention in academic careers , we identified invitations to speak at national meetings as key professional events . they are venues for disseminating research findings , becoming known in science , and networking with colleagues who can enable future professional opportunities . however , the career ramifications extend far beyond those associated directly with the speaking event itself . first , promotion committees typically view invited meeting presentations as evidence for external recognition when considering whether to advance a candidate to a higher academic rank . second , speaker rosters are often used as a starting point for planning other meetings , amplifying the impact of each event . third , invited speakers are often provided financial support for travel to the meeting , thereby either making it possible for them to attend or releasing their own travel funds for other uses . in addition to the impact on the speaker herself , speaking at meetings may influence younger women s career choices by providing them female role models . hence , invitations to speak at scientific meetings are a critical feature of academic science and thus are important to consider in efforts to increase the participation of women in science . several studies have shown that women are underrepresented as speakers in scientific meetings in absolute terms and relative to attendees ( 24 ) . a retrospective analysis of participation at meetings of the american association of physical anthropologists found that symposia organized by men were significantly less likely to include women as first authors in posters , talks , and symposia , despite the fact that women constituted the numerical majority in primatology and were well recognized for their contributions to that field ( 5 ) . the american society for microbiology ( asm ) has hosted its general meeting ( gm ) covering all aspects of microbiology for over a century . in addition , asm runs the interscience conference on antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy ( icaac ) , which focuses primarily on the science of antimicrobial drugs and their clinical applications . historically , the gm was organized by the divisions of the asm , but beginning in 2011 , a new format was instituted whereby a program committee met and designed a meeting composed of plenary sessions and symposia ( 6 ) . both program committees provide overall guidance for the scientific programs and assign conveners , but there are differences in how they operate . for the gm , conveners invite speakers , moderate sessions , and shepherd the symposia . depending on the gm session , the conveners may follow recommendations from the program committee and/or invite speakers themselves in consultation with the program committee . in contrast , the icaac program committee is composed of categories that are represented by committee members who select topics for symposia and identify speakers . icaac symposium conveners are selected to represent topics of discussion by the program committee members in each category , generally after the symposium is approved by the entire program committee . thus , conveners are selected by program committee members , rather than the whole committee . conveners are selected for their expertise and are often , but not always , speakers in the symposium that they convene . the size and demographics of these meetings and the asm membership are shown in fig . 1 . proportion of women speakers as a function of convener gender composition for the years 2011 , 2012 , and 2013 at the gm and icaac meeting . we examined the gender representation among speakers for plenary sessions and symposia for both the gm and icaac as a function of the gender composition of the session conveners . the gender of invited speakers was inferred from the first name , and in cases in which the name was ambiguous , the speaker s sex was determined by examining a picture of them . sessions were classified as to whether they had been convened by two men , a man and woman , or two women . data were assembled by calculating percentages of female speakers and/or comparing the absolute ratios of male and female speakers . analysis of 216 sessions from 3 gms held in 2011 , 2012 , and 2013 revealed that 104 were convened by male - only convener teams , and 112 had at least one female in the convener team . too few sessions were organized by female - only convener teams to analyze independently , and consequently , we focused only on convener teams that were all male versus those that included at least one female convener . in sessions convened by all men , invited female speakers comprised 22 to 27% ( fig . 1 ; see table 2 ) and averaged 25% . in sessions in which the convener team included at least one woman , woman speakers represented 39 to 46% ( fig . 1 and table 1 ) and averaged 43% . inclusion of at least one woman among the conveners increased the proportion of female speakers by 72% compared with those convened by men alone . irrespective of whether the session was analyzed on a yearly basis or combined , the presence of a female in the convener team resulted in significantly more women among invited speakers ( table 2 ) . gender numbers and percentages of gm and icaac attendees from 2011 through 2013 the gender percentage of asm members was estimated from the subset of membership data for which the gender information was known . these percentages apply to membership of the society and are not the gender percentages of meeting attendees , since that information was not available . however , the gender percentages do give an indication of likely gender percentages for the full , postdoc , and student attendees . the total numbers each at the gm and icaac meeting include only the full , postdoc , and student members who attended and do not include emeritus members , one - day attendees , exhibitors , and those who attended only workshops . effect of including female conveners on the gender composition of scientific sessions f / m denotes the total number of female ( f ) and male ( m ) invited speakers . p value of the comparison of f / m ratios calculated by chi - square test ( two tailed ) with the yates correction . we also examined the impact of the conveners gender on the likelihood of a session containing only male speakers . this analysis is important , because all - male rosters send a subtle message , especially to junior scientists , that a field has few women . at the gm over 3 years , 23 to 36% ( average 30% ) of the sessions were comprised of all - male speakers if the convener team contained only men ( fig . 2 and table 3 ) , whereas 8 to 10% ( average of 8.9% ) of the sessions had all - male rosters among those organized by teams that included at least one woman ( fig . 2 and table 2 ) . the presence of a woman on the convening team was associated with reduced likelihood of an all - male session by about 70% . proportion of sessions containing only a male speaker as a function of the composition of the convening team for 2011 , 2012 , and 2013 at the gm and icaac meeting . effect of including female conveners on the frequency of all - male sessions calculated by chi - square test with the yates correction or by fisher s exact test . analysis of 244 sessions from three icaac meetings held in 2011 , 2012 , and 2013 revealed that 145 were convened by male - only convener teams , and 99 had at least one female in the convener team ( table 2 ) . paralleling the analysis of the gm , inclusion of at least one woman in the convening team was associated with 74% more female - invited speakers than symposia organized by all - male teams . inclusion of at least one woman in the convening team significantly reduced the number of sessions with all - male rosters ( fig . 2 and table 3 ) . in 2013 , almost half of the sessions organized by all - male convener teams included only men in the speaker roster . hence , the findings from the analysis of gm and icaac session gender composition data closely mirrored each other . our results show an association between the presence of a woman in the session convening team and significantly greater female participation in the roster of invited speakers . we considered the obvious explanation that the increase in female speakers in sessions with one or more women conveners was a result of the convener also speaking . clearly , having a woman convener who then chooses to speak at her symposium or selecting a woman from the speaker roster to serve as convener could account for some of the association observed . consequently , we also analyzed the prevalence of conveners among the speaker rostrum for all symposia for both sexes . we found that on average for the 3 years studied , 24% of the male conveners and 25% of the female conveners spoke at their sessions at the gm , and 26% and 22% of the male and female conveners , respectively , spoke at their sessions at the icaac symposium . hence , male and female conveners are making comparable contributions to the overall gender ratios of speakers , and the percentage of female conveners who spoke at their sessions was smaller than the increase in female participation associated with inclusion of female conveners , suggesting that female conveners increased the participation of women by other means . furthermore , the presence of a woman on the convening team was associated with a marked reduction in the percentage of rosters comprised of all - male invited speakers . the findings on gender proportion for the gm and asm closely paralleled each other despite the differences between the contents of the meetings ; the gm is focused primarily on basic microbiology , whereas the icaac symposium focuses primarily on antimicrobial agents and their clinical use . we note that the data from both meetings were remarkably similar despite differences in the operating procedures of the two program committees and differences in both the roles of the conveners and how they were assigned . furthermore , our results are similar to and consistent with analysis of invited participation in primatology meetings ( 5 ) , suggesting that the tendency may extend to other fields of science . low representation of women among speakers is consistent with the pervasive influence of implicit bias , which is the unintended , typically unconscious , bias toward certain groups that influences evaluation of people and their work ( 7 ) . however , judgments made by men and women , including academic scientists , are equally influenced by implicit biases ( 7 ) . if implicit bias were the only influence , we would predict that the gender of the conveners would have no effect on the composition of the speaker roster . perhaps women as conveners more often consider gender and make conscious efforts to find female speakers . or maybe women are more likely to accept invitations from women or men are less likely to accept invitations from women , leading to an imbalance in the final rosters . many other hypotheses could explain the results we report here . because we do not know the mechanism underlying the association , we caution that the data presented here produce only a striking and highly significant correlation , and causation should not be inferred from these findings . at the very least , our findings suggest the need for additional studies to understand how gender choices are made in selecting speakers . the results suggest that an experiment in which at least one woman is included in every team of conveners might increase the proportional representation of women among the speakers at asm meetings . an alternative might be to explicitly charge conveners with finding speakers who reflect the diversity of microbiologists . , we might find that our meetings draw on a fuller arc of talent in microbiology and are enriched by increased gender balance . this study suggests a simple mechanism for increasing women s participation in a critical part of a scientific life . further research should determine whether discriminatory behaviors contribute to the outcomes and whether the outcomes contribute to the loss of women from academic science .
pubmed
Ranma The Story of Lord Okausi-Part 2 And so the story continues.............. "ok,Akane if you care about it so much" said soun with a grin on his face. why does he have that dumb grin on his face!? thought Akane "one day one of Lord Okausi's greatest men Mr. Citia. Mr. Citia wanted Lord Okausi's land, he felt that he was "fit" to rule of course as you would think...he failed right? Not a chance! He leaped at Lord Okausi with a great dagger............Mr. Citia hit Lord Okausi right in the heart.............2 hours later Lord Okausi died. His citys were in rage! They wanted the killer to die the same death that the killer did on Lord Okausi! They never found the killer/Mr. Citia." Then Soun stoped and looked at the snow and begin to cry very loud. "What is it Father?". said Akane very quietly "Why did they have to kill him......he was famliy...."said Soun with tears running down his face.... "It's ok Father,no need to cry. I'm here for you, I'm here..." said Akane while she reached over to hug Soun The End *Look for "Takewaki's" up comeing storys like* #Ranma's sister?!#-DRAMA-RATED-PG #Akane thinks it's time to move out#-DRAMA-RATED-G #Ranma and Kuno's last battle!#ACTION-RATED-PG TO BE CONTINUED... End file.
fanfiction
in agriculture , resistance to pesticides forms a complex and growing problem , which includes the development of resistance to insecticides , fungicides , as well as herbicides [ 7 , 25 , 6 ] . for each of these resistance types , a multitude of different resistance mechanisms are possible , all of which , however , lead to phenotypic resistance ( i.e. the concentration of pesticide needed to kill the pests is higher for resistant variants compared to wild type ) . commonly observed resistance mechanisms are similar to those observed in microbial and cancer mechanisms of resistance ; examples include increased expression of efflux proteins , increased expression of metabolizing proteins , and point mutations in the protein targeted by the agrochemical agent [ 8 , 10 , 24 ] . due to the spectrum of possible adaptations in the target organism , it is difficult to capture and model all potential forms of resistance for a certain compound in a model a priori , which is analogous to antibiotic and anti - cancer drug resistance . out of these possibilities , the current opinion article will deal specifically with the impact of point mutations at the ligand - binding site and their effect on resistance . this is an area for which there is prior successful experience in the medicinal chemistry and drug design field , including prospective experimental validation of the models developed . here , previous research of the authors as well as other related groups will be outlined , with the aim to transfer these methods also to the world of agrochemical research [ 22 , 20 ] . the binding affinity between a ligand ( e.g. a small molecule or rnai ) [ 26 , 1 ] , and a target ( usually a protein , but potentially a ribosomal target ) , is governed by properties of both ligand and target ( and the physiological environment , e.g. ionic strength and ph ) . hence , it follows that changes to either one of the binding partners will , in most cases , translate into a difference ( weaker or stronger binding ) in affinity and subsequent efficacy . this mechanism is also exploited when a candidate molecule is optimized through iterative design of synthetic molecules to have a high affinity towards a desired protein target via quantitative structure - activity relationship ( qsar ) studies , which is a standard technique during lead optimization in drug discovery . in the context of agrochemistry , extending this principle from single targets to multiple targets would be equivalent to optimizing a candidate molecule towards the desired pest , while avoiding unwanted effects , e.g. in humans ( as well as other species ) . this procedure exploits the differences in the sequences and structures between the targets in these species ( corresponding to a variation on the target side ) . in order to now model the activity of multiple ligands against multiple targets , proteochemometric modelling ( pcm ) can be used , a computational technique that simultaneously uses properties of both ligand and target space . hence , pcm can be used to make predictions for unknown ligands as well as unknown protein targets ( fig . 1 ; for reviews see [ 15 , 23 ] ) . for clarity , these new sequences could be an orthologous sequence from a new pathogen or new sequences generated under selective pressure giving rise to resistant pathogens . the reader is referred to recent reviews and references therein for an overview of the more general concept of computational models of bioactivity and ( qsar ) models ( these include an overview of various applicable machine learning algorithms and descriptors ) [ 23 , 5 ] . previously , pcm has been successfully applied to model the impact of protein mutations on the resistance of viruses to drugs . examples include the human immunodeficiency virus ( hiv ) , also including prospective experimental validation [ 14 , 22 , 20 ] , as well as the dengue virus . given that the problem at hand is similar in both cases , the impact of sequence mutations / differences of a target protein on ligand binding or efficacy needs to be understood we anticipate that the concept of pcm will also be transferable to the field of agrochemicals , possibly with some domain - dependent modifications.fig . the technique uses chemical properties from multiple ligands ( e.g. ethiprole ) , target properties from multiple proteins ( e.g. gamma - aminobutyric acid ( gaba ) receptor subunit beta-3 ) , and their respective bioactivity values . from these data , after validation , this model can predict the bioactivity of untested compounds on the targets included in the model , in order to ( 1 ) select a compound active on a particular protein target ; ( 2 ) predict which protein a particular compound will show activity against ; or ( 3 ) for the prospective selection ( virtual screening ) of compounds with a desired bioactivity profile against a set of proteins and its mutants schematic overview of proteochemometric modelling ( pcm ) . the technique uses chemical properties from multiple ligands ( e.g. ethiprole ) , target properties from multiple proteins ( e.g. gamma - aminobutyric acid ( gaba ) receptor subunit beta-3 ) , and their respective bioactivity values . from these data , after validation , this model can predict the bioactivity of untested compounds on the targets included in the model , in order to ( 1 ) select a compound active on a particular protein target ; ( 2 ) predict which protein a particular compound will show activity against ; or ( 3 ) for the prospective selection ( virtual screening ) of compounds with a desired bioactivity profile against a set of proteins and its mutants the first aim of pcm is to model the bioactivity of ligands against large number of related proteins , which allows the scientist to anticipate the bioactivity spectrum of a molecule in a multidimensional fashion . in the literature , it has been shown that multitarget models combining ligand and target properties ( i.e. pcm models ) generally perform better than single target models , which are trained on ligand - only properties ( i.e. conventional qsar models ) [ 14 , 19 , 22 , 23 , 20 ] . moreover , the multitarget nature of these models allows rationalization of resistance , as these models were able to deconvolute the individual contributions of amino acid substitutions ( fig . 2a ) or substructures within ligands that vary across a chemical series ( fig . for instance in the case of hiv protease , it is known that residue 82 can mutate from the wild - type valine to a threonine , and that this simple , conservative , single - point mutation leads to ( cross ) resistance amongst all clinical inhibitors with the exception of darunavir . pcm models have been able to reproduce these results , as shown in fig . 2proteochemometric models can be interpreted biologically ( a ) and chemically ( b ) . a displays the average contribution of individual amino acid substitutions to resistance measured as a fold change . fields are coloured green when the combination of mutation and inhibitor is more sensitive , and red when the combination is resistant . the columns represent clinical hiv protease inhibitors ; the rows represent point mutations in the following notion : wild - type residue , residue position , and mutated residue ( e.g. v82 t , valine to threonine at position 82 ) . it can be observed that individual mutations can have different effects on different inhibitors , many of which could be related to experiment ( see main text for details ) . the bars are positive if the respective feature contributes positively to bioactivity , and negative where the feature leads to lower activity . the y - axis indicates the average contribution over all present ligands ( 451 ) and mutants ( 14 ) . this information can be used to guide compound selection as well as optimization in cases where bioactivity against multiple protein targets needs to be taken into account . proteochemometric models can be interpreted biologically ( a ) and chemically ( b ) . a displays the average contribution of individual amino acid substitutions to resistance measured as a fold change . fields are coloured green when the combination of mutation and inhibitor is more sensitive , and red when the combination is resistant . the columns represent clinical hiv protease inhibitors ; the rows represent point mutations in the following notion : wild - type residue , residue position , and mutated residue ( e.g. v82 t , valine to threonine at position 82 ) . it can be observed that individual mutations can have different effects on different inhibitors , many of which could be related to experiment ( see main text for details ) . the bars are positive if the respective feature contributes positively to bioactivity , and negative where the feature leads to lower activity . the y - axis indicates the average contribution over all present ligands ( 451 ) and mutants ( 14 ) . this information can be used to guide compound selection as well as optimization in cases where bioactivity against multiple protein targets needs to be taken into account . ( fig . adapted from and ) in the case of agrochemistry , the authors are of the opinion that the nature of the pcm technique would be equally suited to identify potential agrochemicals that have the most favourable resistance profile . similarly , models could be used to deconvolute contributions of mutations to an increase or reduction of resistance displayed by individual mutants . knowledge on the relationship between homologues targets in different species can be exploited using pcm , which is of relevance either in cases where off - target effects of a compound in a species needs to be avoided , but also importantly where the aim is to target multiple distinct species in a designed spectrum of activity . previously , a proof - of - concept study employed a single bioactivity model to simultaneously model both the human and rat orthologues of the adenosine receptors ( g protein - coupled receptors ) using data from the chembl database . the model was able to identify several novel ligands that were experimentally validated , and one of the ligands showed high affinity in the nanomolar range . upon further inspection , it could be found that the selection of this ligand from a database was likely due to information from other species , underlining the value of integrating as much information from bioactivity space as reasonably possible . in fig . 3a , a multidimensional scaling analysis ( mds ) of the similarity between these eight proteins is shown . from the figure , it is apparent that orthologues ( genes closely related in sequence and having the same function in different species ) are more similar in the particular definition used than paralogues ( genes which are similar in sequence but which have different functions in the same species ) . constructing multispecies models on this type of data allows the rationalization of differences in activity between different species , as well as its application for compound design ( such as in the above study ) . as is the case in the application to resistance , this model interpretation can be performed both from the ligand ( chemical ) point of view and from the target ( protein or rna ) point of view , leading on the one hand to the elucidation of chemical features to guide compound optimization , and on the other hand to mutations driving resistance from the protein side.fig . 3multidimensional scaling ( mds ) plots demonstrating the similarity between protein families in different species . the further points are located from each other , the more dissimilar they are . a full protein similarity between the different adenosine receptor isoforms ( orthologues and paralogues ) for human and rat . orthologues ( identical function genes in different species ) are more similar than paralogues ( different function but sequence related genes in the same species ) . b full similarity between the gaba - a ligand - gated ion channels in mammals and a selection of arthropods . the plot illustrates that mammallian receptors are more similar to each other than they are to their insect counterparts , and that insects amongst themselves display a large variation . as it was previously demonstrated that it is possible to model the protein similarity space shown in ( a ) it stands to reason that it is feasible to model the space shown in ( b ) . information of this type can be used ( and has been used ) in pcm modelling to anticipate , and predict , bioactivity of ligands against orthologues of a protein from multiple species , which is useful for , e.g. off - target modelling multidimensional scaling ( mds ) plots demonstrating the similarity between protein families in different species . the further points are located from each other , the more dissimilar they are . a full protein similarity between the different adenosine receptor isoforms ( orthologues and paralogues ) for human and rat . orthologues ( identical function genes in different species ) are more similar than paralogues ( different function but sequence related genes in the same species ) . b full similarity between the gaba - a ligand - gated ion channels in mammals and a selection of arthropods . the plot illustrates that mammallian receptors are more similar to each other than they are to their insect counterparts , and that insects amongst themselves display a large variation . as it was previously demonstrated that it is possible to model the protein similarity space shown in ( a ) it stands to reason that it is feasible to model the space shown in ( b ) . information of this type can be used ( and has been used ) in pcm modelling to anticipate , and predict , bioactivity of ligands against orthologues of a protein from multiple species , which is useful for , e.g. off - target modelling these approaches are also transferable to the pesticide field . analogous to the aforementioned adenosine receptors , gamma - aminobutyric acid a ( gaba - a ) ligand - gated ion channels can be aligned to capture and represent the ( dis)similarities between species . these ion channels form the target for phenylpyrazole insecticides , and resistance has been demonstrated through point mutations [ 2 , 4 , 3 ] . an mds of the similarity between mammalian and insect isoforms of these complexes is shown in fig . 3b , illustrating that mammalian channels are more similar to each other than they are to their insect counterparts . furthermore , the selected arthropods display a larger variation between species than do the selected mammals . as it was previously demonstrated that it is possible to model the protein similarity space shown in fig . 3a ( for the adenosine receptors ) , it stands to reason that it is feasible to model the space shown in fig . pcm models are agnostic of the particular target and application area they are used in their applicability depends on the amount of data available both from the chemical and biological side ( however , this requirement should not be neglected ) . 3b should allow for the construction of a predictive model that can predict activity ( and toxicity ) of candidate compounds on gaba - a in the species included in the analysis , in a manner similar to the adenosine receptors described above . finally , it should be noted that the ribosome has gained significant attention as a druggable target ( specifically for antibiotics ) . it has been shown that bacteria can gain resistance via multiple diverse mutations in 23s ribosomal rna [ 11 , 13 ] . yet a complementary mode of action leading to novel pesticides should provide a useful addition to established modes of action and increase the resistance threshold . in summary , pcm is a versatile quantitative modelling technique for interactions between ligands and their biological targets . in the current opinion paper , we highlight application of the technique and precedence for success from related fields and sketch applications to the agrochemical context , comprising insecticides , fungicides , and herbicides . based on the prospective experimental validation that has been performed for enzymes and receptors in previous studies , firstly , there is the modelling and prediction of resistance towards pesticides by weeds , fungi , or insects . a second application is the prediction of activity of pesticides or other agricultural chemicals in organisms were this is undesired ( off - targets ) . finally , the technique can be used in virtual screening in the identification of potential new agrochemicals , aimed at a higher resistance threshold ( broader activity against multiple mutants ) , or potential agrochemicals anticipated to have less toxic effects on non - pest species . we anticipate a great future for studies in this area , as the cost of sequencing ( which directly relates to the generation of protein - side descriptors ) continues to drop and the amount of bioactivity data available increases , both of which increases our ability to generate predictive pcm models considerably .
pubmed
How can space expand? How can space expand when it is only a perception of the separation between at least 2 objects. Isn't saying "space expands" implying it has properties? We model spacetime as a [manifold](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifold) and a [metric](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_%28mathematics%29). Broadly, the manifold gives us the dimensionality and connectivity while the metric provides a method of specifying distances. The equations of General Relativity allow us to calculate the metric from the stress-energy tensor (or vice versa if you're [Miguel Alcubierre)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Alcubierre). The point that jinawee is making in his comments is that even in the absence of matter or energy the Einstein equation can still be solved to give a spacetime. These solutions are known as [vacuum solutions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_solution_%28general_relativity%29). For example a common and potentially very important vacuum solution is the [gravitational wave](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_radiation). So we do not need matter/energy to be present to have a notion of distance. All we need is the metric. In the particular case of the [FLRW solution](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedmann-Lema%C3%AEtre-Robertson-Walker_metric) the metric looks like: $$ ds^2 = -dt^2 + a(t)(dx^2 + dy^2 + dz^2) $$ where $a(t)$ is the scale factor and increases with time. This metric tells us that the distance between two spacetime points increases with time regardless of whether or not there are chunks of matter at those two points. The (nearby) "separation between objects" you are referring to is the space-time [metric](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_expansion_of_space). A *metric* in cosmology describes the expansion of space on large angular scales (low $\ell$ on the [angular power spectrum of the universe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File%3aPowerSpectrumExt.svg)). Without going into the mathematics, the expansion of space is driven by cosmic inflation, and is affected by things the amount and distribution of matter and energy in the universe. The origin of inflationary expansion is a major question in cosmology. "Space expanding" means that the scale of space itself is changing. By mentioning **"properties of space"** you are getting at the cosmological parameters in the current cosmological model (called $\Lambda CDM$) (e.g. $H\_0$ the current rate of expansion, and $\Omega\_k$ the curvature density) from the CMB power spectrum. So yes, space is described by physical parameters (some of which, like $H\_0$ can change over time) that we measure on cosmological scales. BTW, if by "perception" you are referring to different observers (frames of reference), you should note that there are both observer-dependent and observer-independent notions of *curvature* (not all observers agree on the curvature of space due to the presence of mass/energy density).
stackexchange/physics
10 FTW: Super-Suits With over eighty years of continuous publication behind him, it's no surprise that, over the many years and through numerous alternate realities and reality-shattering Crises, Superman has gone through more than a few wardrobe changes. Initially debuting in what amounted to a traditional strongman costume, Superman soon adopted the iconic "S" shield to uphold his values of "truth, justice, and the American way" but has, over time, mixed up his colour scheme about as often as he's developed strange new powers. Today, I'm going to go through ten of my favourite looks for Superman; a lot of these featured solely in out-of-continuity tales or were worn by Supermen from parallel Earths but some were, however briefly, an actual part of Superman's canon. 10 The Black Recovery Suit Superman's black suit first appeared right at the conclusion of the "Reign of the Superman" (Jurgens, et al, 1993) storyline, the conclusion to the infamous "Death of Superman" (ibid, 1992 to 1993) storyline. After the Man of Steel was beaten to death by Doomsday, his body was placed into a Kryptonian regeneration chamber, which restored his cells to life and, when he emerged, he was forced to wear this suit while his powers recovered. Honestly, this was just an excuse to get Superman's mullet on the list but I also dig the simplicity of this suit (and I always love a black variant); it's just plain black with a silver symbol. It also lacks a cape, giving Superman a far more streamlined and serious look that, considering all of Superman's replacements bore dramatically different suits of their own, cast more doubt on the identity of this new Superman. The suit made a brief return in Countdown to Final Crisis (Dini, et al, 2007 to 2008), when it was worn by Superman-Prime, and was donned by the pre-Flashpoint (Johns, et al, 2011) when he showed up (rocking a beard!) to replace the crappy New 52-Superman (whose suit will, spoilers, not be making this list), and was also set to appear in Justice League (Snyder/Whedon, 2017) before Warner Bros. re-edited the film. 9 Speeding Bullets Bit of a cheat here as this suit was worn a violent and brutal version of Kal-El who was raised by Thomas and Martha Kent and, thus, is actually a composite of Superman and Batman who leans far more into Batman's characterisation than Superman's. Still, this is a great combination of the Bat- and Super-Suits, featuring a cowl that covers Kal's entire head and a amalgamated version of both character's iconic emblems. If you're a bit annoyed by me basically using a Batman suit on a Superman list, there was a more traditional Super-Suit featured in this story right at the end, when Kal is convinced to turn away from the darkness and be a symbol of hope. But, as this is a dreadful looking costume that looks way too much like the awful Injustice suit (NetherRealm Studios, 2013; 2017). 8 Lantern Superman Let's face it: any time Superman gets a power ring, we are treated to an awesome variation of his suit. Whether it's in an alternate reality where Superman operates as Green Lantern (and sports a lovely white cape and an amalgamated "G"/Green Lantern symbol), or the original, super-powerful, pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths (Wolfman, et al, 1985 to 1986) Superman, Kal-L being reanimated as a zombified Black Lantern in Blackest Night (Johns, et al, 2009 to 2010), or Superman-Prime joining the Sinestro Corps, there's something about mixing Superman's suit with the Lantern's attire that always results in gold. Superman's also been decked out as a dazzling beacon of triumph as a White Lantern and we've even seen a glimpse of what his suit could look like spewing blood from his mouth during Supergirl's brief stint as a Red Lantern. Hands down, my favourite is the Black Lantern Superman though; there's just something about a zombified Superman in a black suit with a tattered cape that is really striking to me, like all of his values and morals have been cast aside in favour of ripping hearts from chests. 7 Overman / Red Son I'm lumping these two together as I honestly cannot pick between the two; both suits were worn by alternative versions of Superman who were raised and indoctrinated with anti-American principles, making for a complete reversal of Superman's traditionally patriotic views. Overman, a Nazi version of Superman, appeared during the God-awful Final Crisis (Morrison, et al, 2008 to 2009) event, while the communist version most famously appeared in Superman: Red Son (Millar, et al, 2003). Both wear a fascist symbol in place of the traditional "S" and favoured big buckles on their belts and a darker, subdued colour scheme, with Overman's costume fittingly being reminiscent of the Schutzstaffel uniform. 6 The Dark Side Continuing the theme of alternative versions of Superman raised by tyrannical dictators, Superman: The Dark Side (Moore, et al, 1998) presented a version of Superman raised by Darkseid to be a ruthless soldier in the New Gods' war against the peaceful New Genesis. Once again sporting a corrupted version of the "S" symbol (which was almost exactly the same as the Schutzstaffel symbol, something that, ironically, even Overman was missing…), Dark Side's Superman had a haircut you could set your watch to, and a fittingly grim and stoic personality that was more akin to Darkseid's actual son, Orion. He was also decked out in sweet jet-black armour forged from the fire pits of Apokolips, carried a sword and had no compunction about slaughtering his enemies without mercy in the name of his dark overlord. 5 Superman Prime (DC One Million) The Superman Prime (not to be confused with his genocidal counterpart of the same name) that appears in DC One Million (Morrison, et al, 1998) has lived for so long thanks to his Kryptonian physiology that he's seen all his friends and family die. Despondent, he left Earth in the care of his heir, travelled the universe for a few centauries, and eventually went into self-imposed exile in the centre of the sun. Unlike the previous Super-Suits, this Superman is a glowing, golden beacon of hope and serenity; his powers amplified to almost God-like levels, this Superman is decked out entirely in gold to match his new divine stature. 4 Brutaal (Earth-2) This version of Superman is a Bizarro-like clone engineered by Darkseid to mirror his Earth-2 counterpart, Val-Zod (another contender for this list) in very way…except for being absolutely ruthless and lacking in mercy. Very much like by his Dark Side incarnation, Brutaal stands out by wearing a suit that closely resembles versions of the Eradicator or Cyborg-Superman, favouring a largely black-and-red colour scheme (that just works for alternative, evil takes on Superman) and some wicked chains to hold his cape in place. 3 Electric Superman Probably the most controversial choice for this list, in the late-nineties, DC Comics apparently decided that Superman needed a complete shake-up (despite the fact that he'd already returned from the dead!) and had him transform into a purely energy-based lifeform. He could now travel at the speed of light, emit energy blasts, and become incorporeal but also (for some inexplicable reason) would become completely human when he transformed back into Clark Kent! As if this wasn't mental enough, he was then split into two beings, a red variant and a blue one, each with different personalities! None of this changes the fact, though, that the suit he wore during this time was awesome! Lacking a cape and featuring a streamlined design comprised of blue (…or red) and white and a new, more radical logo. Honestly, I feel like the suit's design and Superman's new powers were pretty great…just maybe not suitable for Superman. This suit actually cropped up again in the early-2000s when it was worn by Strange Visitor (Sharon Vance) but I would love to see it recycled for the likes of the Eradicator, who's always been more energy-based in his powers anyway. 2 Rebirth / Man of Steel After subjecting us to a God-awful characterisation of Superman throughout the five years or so of the "New 52" reboot, DC Comics finally saw sense and killed off that jerk and ditched his dreadful quasi-armoured costume in favour of not only the definitive version of Superman (pre-Flashpoint, of course) but also a far more traditional version of the Super-Suit. This suit, largely reminiscent of the equally-fantastic costume worn by Henry Cavill in the DC Extended Universe movies (Various, 2013 to present) took all the dramatic changes made by the New 52 suit and merged them with Superman's more traditional styling. This meant that Kal again ditched the red trunks and yellow belt but also dropped the overly busy and unnecessarily detailed nature of the New 52 suit. Eventually, the trunks and the red boots would make a return but, either way, for a modern take on the classic Super-Suit, they don't get much better than this. 1 Kingdom Come For me, the definitive alternative version of the Super-Suit is the one designed by Alex Ross in the gorgeous and seminal Kingdom Come (Waid, et al, 1996). Taking place on Earth-22, where Superman has largely separated himself from humanity, which has begun to favour more aggressive superheroes, this Superman sports not only a streak of white hair but also a sleek, traditional Super-Suit with one noticeable different: a diagonal line against a black background in place of the traditional red-and-yellow "S" shield. It's a small change but one that speaks volumes of this Superman's current mindset; he's lost faith in humanity and is in mourning. This costume has endured over the years, inspiring numerous revisions of Superman's costume (generally whenever depicting an elderly or despondent version of Kal) but, most notably, the Earth-22 Superman later paid a visit to the mainstream DC universe to team with the Justice Society, Superman adopted a very similar version of this shield after the "Our Worlds at War" (Loeb, et al, 2001) storyline, and even prominently featured in the Crisis on Infinite Earths (Various, 2019 to 2020) crossover event that saw Brandon Routh reprise his role from Superman Returns (Singer, 2006) wearing an incredibly faithful rendition of this iconic outfit for his portrayal of a similarly-beleaguered version of Superman. Which Super-Suit is your favourite? Did it make the list or was there one I missed? What do you look for in a Super-Suit? Drop a comment below and share your thoughts on what makes the quintessential Super-Suit. 10FTW, arrow, batman v superman, blackest night, crisis, crisis on infinite earths, dc comics, dc rebirth, dceu, final crisis, flashpoint, green lantern, new 52, superman Back Issues: Whatever Happened to Kyle Rayner!? Ah, the nineties! What a time to be alive for comic book fans! We saw Clark Kent/Superman die and be replaced by four imposters before returning…with a mullet! We saw Bruce Wayne/Batman get his back broken and be replaced with a Frank Castle/Punisher-like nutjob. We saw Arthur Curry/Aquaman get his hand bitten off by piranhas and replaced…with a harpoon! And we saw Hal Jordan, the premier Green Lantern, go mental, kill a bunch of his fellows, and take on an antagonistic role as Parallax. Yet, the legacy of Green Lantern lived on in a new, young, sexy replacement who was to take the title in a bold new direction; a character who, though he exists today, is a shadow of his former self, prompting me to ask… DC Comics like to paint Hal Jordan as the greatest Green Lantern that ever lived; literally almost every time the character appears, text boxes, character dialogue, or story events are geared towards this agenda. This was especially obvious in 1992 when, after being replaced buy Guy Gardner, Jordan decided that he had had enough of bitching, moaning, and moping about and forced Guy to relinquish the Green Lantern power ring and reclaim his mantle. Hal, the Green Lantern golden boy, was devastated by Coast City's destruction. This was sold to us as a miraculous return; characters, including Guy's Justice League teammates, openly gushed at Hal reclaiming the mantle and trashed Guy; I mean, sure, Guy was no saint and was a massive pain in the ass, but for everyone to talk so much shit about him was jarring. Things went from bad to worse, however, when Mongul and Hank Henshaw/Cyborg-Superman obliterated Hal's home town, Coast City, during the 'Reign of the Supermen' (Jurgens, et al,1993) arc that saw Superman return to life. Hal, unable to cope with the loss of his friends and family, tried to recreate the city and was admonished by the Guardians of the Universe. Incensed at what he saw was a betrayal after years of loyal service, 'Emerald Twilight' saw Hal fly to Oa, relieving multiple Green Lanterns of their rings, killed Kilowog and Thaal Sinestro (later revealed to be an illusion), and absorbed the entire power of the Central Power Battery. This immediately depowered every Green Lantern in the universe (it is implied that the majority of them died, though this was also later retconned) and transformed Hal into Parallax. Kyle was severely tested at the start of his career. While Parallax went out into the cosmos to acquire yet more power and would eventually attempt to rewrite all of time itself in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time (Jurgens, et al, 1994), the last remaining Guardian, Ganthet, travelled to Earth and, seemingly at random, presented the last power ring to the first person he saw: Kyle Rayner. Kyle, a young freelance artist, was initially characterised as being cocky and irresponsible; a rookie who received no training or instruction, he struggled to get to grips with his newfound power and responsibility. Attacked by enemies of Jordan's who mistook him for the former Green Lantern, Kyle endured a trial by fire made all the more testing when Clifford Zmeck/Major Force infamously killed his girlfriend, Alexandra DeWitt, and stuffed her into a refrigerator! For a long time, this was a constant source of guilt and angst for Kyle; it seemed that he would openly mention it to anybody at the drop of a hat, even amidst battling Parallax, saving the universe, and joining perhaps the strongest incarnation of the Justice League ever. In time, though, Kyle was able to master his emotions and his power; unlike other Green Lanterns, Kyle's ring did not carry a weakness to yellow (later revealed to be because the weakness was a result of Parallax being imprisoned within the Central Power Battery), did not need to be recharged, and could only be used by him, which effectively made him the most powerful Green Lantern ever seen at that point. Despite making a name for himself, Kyle was constantly overshadowed by Hal. As part of the Justice League, Kyle struck up friendships with Wally West/The Flash and Connor Hawke/Green Arrow, just as Jordan had been friends with Barry Allen and Oliver Queen in the past, and voted to keep Batman (one of his strongest supporters) in the Justice League following the 'Tower of Babel' storyline in 2000. As his career progressed entered into a romantic relationship with Alan Scott's daughter, Jade, and evolved into a leader when he fought off the Circle of Fire. After Parallax sacrificed himself to reignite the Sun in the 'Final Night' storyline, Kyle received a massive power boost and was rechristened Ion. Wielding God-like powers, he eventually restored Oa, the Central Power Battery, the Guardians of the Universe, and the Green Lantern Corps in order to relieve himself of the burden of his newfound powers. Restored to a regular Green Lantern, but still unrestricted by the yellow impurity or the need to recharge, went from being the last of the Green Lanterns, and a God, to be one of many Green Lanterns. His status was further damaged when writer Geoff Johns took over the Green Lantern title and orchestrated Hal Jordan's return in the 'Rebirth' storyline; Jordan, who had since become the Spectre, was absolved of all his previous crimes by the revelation that Parallax is actually a parasitic fear entity that latched onto his soul and drove him to evil. Thanks to the efforts of Kyle, Guy (who also had his recent years of messy writing undone), and John Stewart, Jordan returned to life as a Green Lantern once more and promptly took over the Green Lantern title. Kyle has assumed a number of different forms and identities over the years. Despite transforming back into Ion during Infinite Crisis (Johns, et al, 2006) following Jade's death, Kyle was possessed by Parallax during the 'Sinestro Corps War' storyline (Johns, et al, 2007) and continued to operate as just one of four (five, if you count Alan Scott) Earth-based Green Lanterns, even after being promoted to 'Honour Guard' status. He even found his very existence branded as an anomaly during 'Countdown' and 'Countdown to Final Crisis' (Dini, et al, 2007 to 2008) and spent most of 2007 bouncing around the Multiverse with little rhyme or reason. He found himself on the frontlines during Blackest Night (Johns, et al, 2010), which saw Jade restored to life, and sacrificed himself to destroy a bunch of Black Lanterns. He, too, was restored to life and, during War of the Green Lanterns (ibid, 2011) assumed the role of a Blue Lantern after Parallax infected the Green Lantern rings. Unfortunately for him, Blue Lanterns are pretty useless; they only real do anything when Green Lanterns are around, making him the weakest of the rag-tag group (obviously led by Jordan) that stood against the renegade Guardian, Krona. As much as I hate to praise it, The New 52 actually returned some semblance of importance to Kyle; while Sinestro and Jordan dominated the main Green Lantern titles like it was the late-eighties, Kyle was the focus of the New Guardians title. When power rings from all the different corps are drawn to him, Kyle goes on a universe-spanning pilgrimage to master the entire emotional spectrum and once again reaches the levels of God-hood he enjoyed as Ion by becoming a White Lantern. Oddly, The New 52 also put Kyle in a romantic relationship with Jordan's long-term love interest, the Star Sapphire Carol Ferris, which only further bogged his character down with unnecessary ties to Jordan's legacy. It wasn't to last, though, it soon became apparent that the powers of the White Lantern were too much for any one person to wield and, as of Rebirth, Kyle has returned to being a lowly Green Lantern. What the hell is this nonsense!? It gets worse for Kyle outside of the comics; although his name and profession were used, he looked exactly like Hal Jordan when he appeared in Superman: The Animated Series, and even had Hal's origin! With John Stewart acting as Green Lantern in Justice League, Kyle was relegated to brief cameos and bit-parts in Justice League: Unlimited. While Stewart is generally included as an alternative costume for Hal in various DC videogames, this luxury is rarely afforded to Kyle; he appears as a skin in Justice League Heroes (Snowblind Studios/Warner Bros. Games, 2006) and is featured in DC Universe Online (Daybreak Game Company/WB Games, 2011) and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (Traveller's Tales, 2014) but barely gets a mention in the Injustice videogames (NetherRealm Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, 2013; 2017) due to being unceremoniously killed off in the prequel/tie-in comic books. I remember, many moons ago, reading an article in Wizard around the same time that the 'Emerald Twilight' storyline happened; whomever was being interviewed at DC said something along the lines of "DC reserve the right to not give their characters happy endings" and basically said "Hal is evil; Kyle is Green Lantern – deal with it!" as I mentioned, DC was all about major character changes in the nineties; Wally West had become the Flash following Crisis on Infinite Earths (Wolfman, et al, 1985), Dick Grayson became Nightwing in the 'Judas Contract' storyline, and Tim Drake succeeded him as Robin, in addition to the aforementioned Connor Hawke and even Roy Harper progressing to Arsenal. A generation of heroes doomed to obscurity and irrelevance. Kyle was supposed to be the next in line of these young new legacy heroes; his costume was bold and striking, a far cry from the regimental style favoured by most Green Lanterns, and his constructs were often infused with manga and anime imagery. As a young, untested hero, Kyle made reading Green Lantern was perfect for newcomers at the time who got to learn about the Green Lantern mythos through fresh eyes. However, once DC's editors and writing staff switched hands and decided that they wanted to bring back Silver Age characters like Barry Allen and Wally West, the writing was on the wall for characters like Kyle. Once the sole Green Lantern and the figurehead for the Corps, Kyle was relegated to being just another face in a sea of green once Hal came back; even his costume and haircut changed and became far less interesting. You'll always be my Green Lantern, Kyle! For my money, DC massively dropped the ball by not keeping Kyle bonded with Ion and carrying that codename; at least then Kyle would have been set apart from Hal Jordan and the other Green Lanterns. In these modern times, where we have a Corps for every colour of the emotional spectrum, there really is no excuse for Kyle, Hal, Guy, John, and newcomers like Simon Baz to all be Green Lanterns. I would have kept Kyle as the White Lantern, Guy as a Red Lantern, and John as an Indigo Lantern if only to mix things up and keep everyone different and relevant. Instead, with Hal still at the forefront of the Green Lantern titles and constantly being branded by DC writers, editors, and characters as the greatest Green Lantern of all time, there doesn't seem to be any room for Kyle these days. Once upon a time, DC vowed that characters like Kyle and Wally were the new standard but, now, they're pale imitations living in the shadow of the apparently far superior Silver Age counterparts and that's just sad for people like me, who grew up in the nineties reading about Kyle's adventures and growing attached to his character, rather than that of Hal Jordan. back issues, blackest night, crisis, crisis on infinite earths, dc comics, dc rebirth, green lantern, hal jordan, infinite crisis, kyle rayner
slim_pajama
Equilibrium, temperature change, and prediction in constant volume When it's constant volume, change of $T$ (Kelvin temperature) in a reaction equilibrium system won't change the volume. Let's say we change the temperature from $T$ to $2T$ of this reaction at equilibrium $$\ce{3A + B -> C + D}$$ Because of the change of temperature, $K\_\mathrm{p}$ will change, depending on whether the reaction is exo- or endothermic. At the same time, because of constant volume and change of temperature, reaction quotient $Q\_\mathrm{p}$ at $2T$ is newly formed (originally $Q\_\mathrm{p}(T)=K\_\mathrm{p}(T)$ in equilibrium turn to $Q\_\mathrm{p}(2T)$) Here's a question. Say, this reaction is exothermic, and $T$ is changed to $2T$. So, $K\_\mathrm{p}$ should be lowered, and with $K\_\mathrm{p}$ lowered, reaction also proceeds to reverse. This can also be explained by Le Chatelier's principle. But when it is at constant volume, $Q\_\mathrm{p}$ could newly form simultaneously. And if $Q\_\mathrm{p}(2T)<K\_\mathrm{p}(2T)$, the reaction could proceed forward even though it's exothermic with the increase in temperature. I've done some math and it seems it only depends on how big $\Delta H$ is. So can that really happen? Or am I missing something? If what I'm saying is right, is this an expception of the Le Chatelier's principle? (I've explained everything here, but I can explain with an example if anything is still unclear) For this particular scenario, the system in equilibrium satisfies (assuming ideal gases): $$K\_{\text{p}}^{(T)} = \frac{p\_\text{C} p\_\text{D}}{p\_{\text{A}}^3 p\_\text{B}} = \frac{x\_\text{C} x\_\text{D}}{x\_{\text{A}}^3 x\_\text{B}}\cdot\frac{1}{{p\_\text{tot}^{(T)\,2}}}$$ The equilibrium constant at temperature $2T$ can be calculated as: $$K\_\text{p}^{(2T)} = K\_\text{p}^{(T)} \exp \left(\frac{\Delta H}{2RT}\right)$$ After increasing the temperature at constant volume, a new total pressure, $p\_\text{tot}^{(2T)}$ is attained. Since the molar fractions are not changed at the beginning, the reaction quotient is: $$Q\_{\text{p}}^{(2T)} = \frac{p\_\text{C} p\_\text{D}}{p\_{\text{A}}^3 p\_\text{B}} = \frac{x\_\text{C} x\_\text{D}}{x\_{\text{A}}^3 x\_\text{B}}\cdot\frac{1}{{p\_\text{tot}^{(2T)\,2}}}$$ So, for the reaction to proceed forward, we want $Q\_{\text{p}}^{(2T)} < K\_\text{p}^{(2T)}$, that is: $$\frac{x\_\text{C} x\_\text{D}}{x\_{\text{A}}^3 x\_\text{B}}\cdot\frac{1}{{p\_\text{tot}^{(2T)\,2}}} < K\_\text{p}^{(T)} \exp \left(\frac{\Delta H}{2RT}\right) = \frac{x\_\text{C} x\_\text{D}}{x\_{\text{A}}^3 x\_\text{B}}\cdot\frac{1}{{p\_\text{tot}^{(T)\,2}}} \exp \left(\frac{\Delta H}{2RT}\right)$$ Simplifying: $$\frac{1}{{p\_\text{tot}^{(2T)\,2}}} < \frac{1}{{p\_\text{tot}^{(T)\,2}}} \exp \left(\frac{\Delta H}{2RT}\right)$$ But $\displaystyle p\_\text{tot}^{(T)} = \frac{n\_\text{tot}RT}{V}$ and $\displaystyle p\_\text{tot}^{(2T)} = \frac{2n\_\text{tot}RT}{V}$, so: $$\frac{1}{4} < \exp \left(\frac{\Delta H}{2RT}\right)$$ $$\Delta H > - 2RT \ln{4}$$ As long as $\Delta H$ satisfies this relationship (which will always imply a range of exothermic reactions since $T$ is always positive), this reaction will proceed when increasing the temperature at constant volume. Notice that if this was a reaction where $\Delta n = 0$, the $p\_\text{tot}$ cancels out and we get: $$1 < \exp \left(\frac{\Delta H}{2RT}\right)$$ $$\Delta H > 0$$ Which implies that, when change in number of moles is not a factor to consider, the equilibrium will only shift to the right upon temperature increase at constant volume for reactions with $\Delta H > 0$, i.e. endothermic reactions.
stackexchange/chemistry
Gauge ivariance and canonical versus kinetic momenta for a charged particle in an EM field I all, I am struggling to grasp the notion of gauge invariant when talking about an object like the canonical momenta $\frac{\partial L}{\partial \dot{q}\_i}$ or kinetic momenta $m\dot{q}\_i$. I am very comfortable with gauge theory in the field theory context, starting with a Lagrangian, requiring its invariance under a local symmetry, partial $\rightarrow$ covariant derivatives and the corresponding transformation of the gauge field connections,etc. But showing an object like a momentum is gauge invariant is new for me. I am looking into the difference between the canonical and kinetic momenta in the case of a charged particle in an EM field, described by the standard Lagrangian \begin{equation} L = \frac{1}{2} m\dot{r}^2 - q \phi + q \dot{r}\cdot A \end{equation} The canonical momenta are $\vec{p}\_c=m\dot{\vec{r}} +q\vec{A}$ and the kinetic are just $\vec{p}\_k=m\dot{\vec{r}}$. I am trying to figure out how to explicit show that $\vec{p}\_c$ are not gauge-invariant (presumably under the U(1) symmetry of EM?) whereas $\vec{p}\_k$ are. I know this to be the case by ACuriousMind's answer [here](https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/258495/148087), Emilio Pisanty's answer [here](https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/338880/148087), and the following [section](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimal_coupling#Non-relativistic_charged_particle_in_an_electromagnetic_field) of Wikipedia's minimal coupling article. Any tips are appreciated! :) The canonical momentum is always (in position "$q$" basis) given by $-i\hbar\partial\_q$ so the mapping of the commutator to the Poisson bracket $$[q,p]=i\hbar \leftrightarrow \{q,p\}=1$$ stays true. The nice covariant object however involves the covaraint derivative $\nabla\_q$ as $$ -i\hbar\nabla\_q =-i\hbar\left(\partial\_q-\frac{i}{\hbar}qA\right)= p-qA $$ which in your example represents the gauge invariant $m\dot q$. On its own $\partial\_q$ does not map nicely under gauge transformations $|x\rangle \to e^{i\Lambda(x)} |x\rangle $, which translate to $\psi(x)=\langle x|\psi\rangle \to e^{-i\Lambda(x)} \psi(x)$.
stackexchange/physics
syndrome research reveals detailed insight into different aspects of congenital malformation of several body components . such a wide - spread field of interest requires multidisciplinary teamwork , including clinicians and researchers with different backgrounds . in the last decade a complete overview of craniofacial syndromes would involve not only the dental approach , but also several medical , psychological , and neurological clinical and theoretical approaches . these are definition and classification of dental deviations ( part 1 ) ; appearance of malformations before birth ( part 2 ) and a specific new dental approach to craniofacial syndromes ( part 3 ) . defined syndromes accordingly : a syndrome is a pattern of multiple anomalies thought to be pathogenetically related and not known to represent a single sequence or a polytopic field defect . furthermore , spranger et al . defines sequence as a pattern of multiple anomalies derived from a single known or presumed prior anomaly or mechanical factor . a polytopic field defect is defined as a pattern of anomalies derived from the disturbance of a single developmental field . dorland 's illustrated medical dictionary defines syndrome as a set of symptoms that occur together ; the sum of signs of any morbid state ; a symptom complex . in genetics , a pattern of multiple malformations thought to be pathogenetically related . a craniofacial syndrome is characterized by morphological and developmental deviations in the cranial tissue components , including teeth . it is difficult to determine whether the deviation has developed at a primary location that subsequently causes secondary alterations or whether there are general deviations in many structures and at many locations . in some craniofacial syndromes , even though the genotype is known in a craniofacial syndrome , it is not understood why that particular genotype causes the malformations observed . a known genotype deviation can manifest itself in the cranium by many different phenotypic expressions , from severe to minor affection . how and why the genotype affects the cranial development and why it affects the cranial components differently are far from explained in full . in the foreword to the textbook syndromes of the head and neck by gorlin et al . f. clarke fraser stated that the symptoms in craniofacial syndromes may not be limited to the head and neck . it can therefore be questioned whether there are craniofacial syndromes that are limited to the head and neck . focus is given to studies on craniofacial syndromes in which abnormal traits in the dentition are associated symptoms . such abnormal traits could be deviations in tooth number ( agenesis , supernumerarity ) , tooth morphology ( size , dimensions , crown invaginations , and abnormal shapes of crowns and roots ) , tooth eruption ( delayed eruption , ankylosis ) , and resorption ( crowns and roots ) . schalk - van der weide reported that specific patterns of agenesis was associated with specific syndromes . thus , absence of the following teeth was observed in these syndromes : bk 's syndrome : premolars ; rieger syndrome : maxillary incisors ( constant ) , mandibular incisors , and premolars ( occasional ) ; ellis - van creveld syndrome : mandibular incisors and canines ; gorlin - chaudry - moss syndrome : deciduous molars , secondary premolars , and molars ; lipoid proteinosis : maxillary lateral incisors , canines , and premolars ; coffin - lowry syndrome : maxillary lateral incisors , mandibular incisors ; orofaciodigital syndrome type i : mandibular lateral incisors and canines ; down syndrome : third molars , mandibular second premolars , and maxillary lateral incisors ; holoprosencephaly : maxillary incisors ; hypoglossia - hypodactylia syndrome : mandibular incisors and canines ; glossopalatine ankylosis syndrome : incisors . deviations in tooth dimensions such as short roots and malformations of crowns and roots have been observed in turner syndrome , in klinefelter syndrome , and in rothmund - thomson syndrome . delayed resorption of primary teeth has been observed in cleidocranial dysplasia and in hyper ige syndrome . these symptoms of deviations in the dentition are all phenotypic traits of the specific syndromes mentioned . craniofacial research is currently focused especially on determination of genotypes of different syndromes [ 6 , 1821 ] . research is also devoted to phenotypic descriptions of craniofacial syndromes [ 2224 ] . from a treatment point of view yap and klineberg stated that the success rate is lower for implants in patients with ectodermal dysplasia than it is in patients with tooth agenesis but without ectodermal dysplasia . in the central textbook on craniofacial syndromes , gorlin et al . stated that one - third of children born with birth defects display anomalies in the head and neck . he also reported that 72 different syndromes with orofacial cleft were registered in 1971 and that this number had increased to 250 syndromes in 1990 . this development involves all craniofacial phenotypes and new findings document that craniofacial phenotypes are gradually associated with symptoms outside the craniofacial area . in 2010 , trainor reported that more than 700 craniofacial malformations have been described . the goal for future research on craniofacial syndromes must be to understand the connection between symptoms in the dentition and other symptoms in the craniofacial area . how can the initial malformation sites in these syndromes be studied and what can we learn from it ? prenatal syndromes can be studied by ultrasound or by autopsy after spontaneous or provoked abortion . research on human prenatal autopsy material for demonstration of craniofacial development has a morphological character and is predominantly based on histological , histochemical , and radiographic studies . these studies depend entirely on autopsy legislation in different countries and represent primarily the embryonic period and the foetal period before the 16th week of gestation . in contrast to human studies , experimental studies on the craniofacial development in animals allow for a variety of advanced procedures , such as cell cultures and labelling of migrating cells , and may cover the complete foetal period [ 28 , 29 ] . in a series of human autopsy studies , the initial sites of malformation in craniofacial syndromes have been investigated . of specific interest are studies on holoprosencephaly [ 30 , 31 ] , anencephaly [ 3235 ] , amniotic band rupture , down syndrome ( trisomy 21 ) [ 3740 ] , other trisomies [ 4145 ] , meckel syndrome [ 46 , 47 ] , orofacial clefts [ 4850 ] , and cranial encephalocele . in order to evaluate these pathologies , normal development has been described in several studies and comprised in the textbook the prenatal human cranium . when normal development is compared with the pathologic conditions mentioned above , the following is observed . the deviation is located in a midsagittal field between the eyes and spans backwards to the sella turcica . the cranial deviation corresponds to the desmal - formed theka crania , but the cartilaginous originated part of the occipital squama is not malformed . other cranial structures may be deformed due to the absent cerebrum , but the structures are present . though amniotic band rupture in the cranium appears as a craniofacial syndrome , it is not a congenital malformation and not a syndrome . analyses of the condition reveal that rupture of a normal developmental course has occurred and caused extensive disruptions , not limited to developmental regions ( fields ) . the cranial phenotype in foetuses with down syndrome is characterized by short or absent nasal bone , short and abnormal , often cleft , palate , deviations in size and dimensions of the occipital area ( the occipital or cerebellar field ) , and malformations in the sella turcica . thus , deviations occur in many regions of the cranium . the craniofacial skeleton in trisomy 18 and 13 and triploidy has been studied and it was shown that the developmental deviations are completely different in these trisomies . this indicates an early and specific interrelationship between genotype and phenotype . in meckel syndrome , the nasal bone is short in cleft lip , but not in cleft palate and combined cleft lip and palate . abnormal findings were seen in the cranial base / sella turcica and the nasal bone / maxilla . interestingly , the same type of malformation occurs in the sella turcica / pituitary gland region in different types of encephalocele . a general conclusion from craniofacial studies in the foetal period is that an association exists between the development of the cranium and the body axis / cervical spine and between the cranium and the central and peripheral nervous systems ( cns / pns ) . this is not surprising as studies on the early gastrulation in the embryonic period have shown an axial midline structure in the body , the primitive streak , which will later involve the notochord and the head formation . the rostral extent of the notochord appears in the posterior wall of the sella turcica . concerning cranial development , the main conclusion is that different regions of the cranium are malformed in different genotypes . experimental studies performed by le douarin et al . [ 28 , 55 ] on animal tissue have revolutionized the embryological understanding of the craniofacial development . in these studies the neural crest cells from different specific regions were labelled and the authors discovered that cells from different regions on the neural tube migrate to different specific parts of the cranial face and dentition , thus forming different developmental fields . in order to understand the human craniofacial development , it is necessary to combine morphological human studies with knowledge acquired through experimental studies regarding cell migration . such combination studies have led to insight into developmental fields in humans [ 5 , 7 ] . the developmental fields in the human cranium are illustrated in figures 1 and 2 and in the dentition in figures 3 and 4 . defined a developmental field as a region or part of an embryo which responds as a coordinated unit to embryonic interaction and results in complex or multiple anatomical structures . an instrinsic , nondisruptive disturbance of a developmental field will lead to a field defect . the developmental fields in the maxilla described in the present paper are the frontonasal field , the maxillary field , and the palatal field . these three bilateral fields arise from different regions on the neural crest and have three different main nerve supplies : nervus nasopalatinus , nervus maxillaris , and nervus palatines , respectively . three similar developmental fields exist in the mandible , innervated by different nerve branches , which are connected during development and mandibular growth in the bundle of peripheral nerves named the inferior alveolar nerve . the interrelationship between the central and peripheral nervous systems has been studied intensively in human foetal pathological studies . developmental fields in the cranium extend in a triangular shape from the pituitary gland / sella turcica region to an outer region of the face . the sella turcica / pituitary gland region is the end region for the rostral extension of the notochord . it is therefore necessary , when describing a craniofacial developmental field , to describe the complete field in its 3-dimensional extent . the field that has been described most in detail based on foetal pathological observations is the frontonasal field [ 30 , 34 ] ( figure 5 ) . this field includes the anterior wall of the sella turcica , the anterior cranial base , the interocular region , nose , and philtrum ( figure 5 ) . within this field , the involvement of the vomeronasal organs producing luteinizing hormone - releasing hormone , lhrh , and the sella turcica / pituitary gland [ 60 , 61 ] can often explain hormone - related deviations in body height and maturity associated with deviations in the frontonasal field . it has been shown that syndromes , for example , velocardiofacial syndrome located in the palatal field in the cranium , also involve organ structures such as the brain , thymus , thyroid , and heart septum . it is not obvious that malformations of these organs are caused by the same field defect , but it may be explained from the neural crest cell migration in this region . another example of craniofacial malformations interrelated with organ malformations can be seen in cri du chat syndrome where the cerebellum and larynx , located far apart , are developmentally associated with the posterior cranial base . analysis of the primary and permanent dentitions can determine whether a syndrome affects a single craniofacial field or several fields . the previous section showed how prenatal studies are useful for analysis of the initial site of organ and osseous malformations , but due to the early period of development , less useful for analysis of the dentition . only early traces in the development of the primary teeth in contrast to the prenatal tissue analysis , postnatal analysis on radiographic material is highly useful for analysis of primary and permanent teeth , but not useful at all for analysis and limitation of developmental fields . a combination of prenatal and postnatal insight is therefore necessary in order to understand how developmental fields are affected in different craniofacial syndromes . he also states that processes in developmental fields are self - organizing spatially coordinated and ordered , epimorphically hierarchical , temporarily synchronized , epigenetically interactive , developmentally constrained , and phylogenetically conserved . in a craniofacial syndrome where deviations occur in a specific field , it is expected that all structures , including teeth , within the field can be deviant . , focus will be on the smmci syndrome ( single median maxillary central incisor ) with gene location 7q36.3 . in this syndrome the craniofacial examination of this condition reveals a highly significantly shorter anterior cranial base . in smmci , only one maxillary central incisor exists in both the primary and permanent dentitions [ 67 , 68 ] . the malformation has been associated with sonic hedgehog gene , which normally defines the midaxial part of the frontonasal field [ 31 , 69 ] . as a result , the midaxial structures of the face , maxilla , nasal cavity , nasal bone , anterior cranial fossa , and sella turcica are malformed . the sella turcica is often tiny and malformed and the growth hormone production in the pituitary gland deviates . this is a new finding that expands the craniofacial diagnostics to include brain diagnostics as well . the smmci condition is demonstrated by clinical and radiographic images ( figures 6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 ) . the illustrations show that the postnatal findings are in complete concurrence with the prenatal findings stating that only a single field ( frontonasal field ) is involved in the syndrome . in several craniofacial syndromes , ageneses are registered in all craniofacial fields [ 70 , 71 ] in locations where ageneses are normally registered [ 70 , 72 ] , that is , lateral incisors in the frontonasal fields ; second premolars in the maxillary field ; third molars in the palatal field . in the mandible , ageneses are seen most often in the central incisor region , the second premolar region , and third molar region . compared to normal conditions , the occurrence of agenesis is about 10 times higher in patients with down syndrome , and especially high in the mandibular incisor region . also narrow crowns and short roots the craniofacial morphology reveals different malocclusions and different malformation signs in the cranium , such as absent or short nasal bone , enlarged thickness of the theka crania , and malformations in the cervical column . the down condition is demonstrated by clinical and radiographic images ( figures 10 and 11 ) . the illustrations show that the postnatal findings are in complete concurrence with the prenatal findings stating that symptoms occur in several fields in down syndrome . this distinction between the location of dental deviations in a single field and in several fields is essential for our insight into craniofacial syndromes . it is believed that the dentition will become central in diagnostics and evaluation of the pathogenesis behind craniofacial syndromes . in a recent paper , trainor has highlighted the role of neural crest cells in the aetiology and pathogenesis of treacher collins syndrome and furthermore for the potential for prevention . the pathogenesis of smmci is associated with the sonic hedgehog gene that is expressed in the midcranial region anterior to the pituitary gland [ 31 , 69 ] . in down syndrome / trisomy 21 , a possible gene dosage effect associated with the extra chromosome may influence the phenotype . future research in craniofacial syndromology should include extended studies on developmental fields in order to establish a more sufficient background for elucidating the pathogenesis . in the frontonasal segment it would be interesting to focus on fields with dental deviations in the maxillary incisor region such as kallmann syndrome , rieger syndrome , kgb syndrome [ 3 , 76 ] , and cleft lip syndrome [ 77 , 78 ] . in the anterior incisor field in the mandible , it would be interesting to focus on ellis - van creveld syndrome described by gorlin et al . . also williams syndrome and turner syndrome may contribute to new knowledge on the pathogenesis . it is important to realize that a syndrome has different phenotypic appearances , ranging from mild to severe . it is also obvious that syndromes that are normally confined to one field may have symptoms outside that specific field , as observed in rieger syndrome . there remains still a need for a systematic analysis of the interrelationship between dental deviations , skeletal deviations , associated organ deviations , body growth , and genotypes . in recent years , extensive experimental animal studies have focused in particular on the neural crest cell migration in the craniofacial region . these studies are highly important for understanding human development as well . a study such as the previously described study on velocardiofacial syndrome , also known as chromosome 22q 11.2 deletion syndrome , with widespread symptoms in the same neural crest developmental field , may influence the classification by spranger et al . from 1982 . part 3 shows how developmental fields can explore and advance the concept of dental approaches to craniofacial syndromes . the great advantage of dental analyses compared to all other analyses performed on human tissue is that deviations in the hard tissue persist and remain stable during the developmental course . as dental tissues . therefore , a dental approach to craniofacial syndromes by analysis of developmental fields contributes to an understanding of the pathogenesis of craniofacial syndromes . a problem raised by hennekam in 2007 is which clinical condition can be called a syndrome and which can not . there are arguments in favour for using aetiology and pathogenesis as the core issue , but hennekam also states that there are arguments to make the patient 's phenotype decide the syndrome definition . another problem that should be solved in the craniofacial analysis is the genetics behind the craniofacial fields . is there a signalling gradient involved in the cranial pattern formation , such as suggested in limb development ? . from an embryological and pathological point of view , it can be presumed that the notochord activates the neural crest cells to migration and that different genes are responsible for the different locations of neural crest cells at the neural tube . this adds another aspect to craniofacial development and syndromology and calls for scientific attention in the future .
pubmed
in the framework of higher dimensional complex algebraic geometry , rational homogeneous manifolds constitute one of the most important classes of examples of fano manifolds . their geometric properties may be written in the language of representation theory of complex reductive lie groups , which makes this class one of the best understood . one of the most important questions in this context was inspired by mori and posed by campana and peternell : can rational homogeneity be described , within the class of fano varieties , in terms of positivity properties of the tangent bundle ? namely , does the nefness of @xmath0 imply that a fano manifold @xmath1 is homogeneous ? the strategy towards a solution of the campana - peternell problem that we have been considering recently ( see @xcite , @xcite and @xcite ) is based on reconstructing the rational homogeneous structure upon families of minimal rational curves contained in the manifold @xmath1 . philosophically speaking , rational curves on fano manifolds play a role as central as the one of @xmath2 in the representation theory of reductive groups , and this analogy should become obvious in our candidates to be rational homogeneous manifolds . one of the fundamental problems in this approach is to understand how nefness is reflected on properties of certain families of rational curves in @xmath1 . for instance , one may pose the following question , which is still unanswered , to our best knowledge : [ quest : uniform ] let @xmath3 be a locally unsplit dominating family of rational curves on a fano manifold @xmath1 with nef tangent bundle . is @xmath3 uniform or , at least , locally uniform ? ( see definition [ def : uniform ] ) . associated with @xmath3 one may consider the family of minimal sections of the grothendieck projectivization of the tangent bundle @xmath0 , denoted by @xmath4 , over curves of the family @xmath3 ( see definition [ def : minsec2 ] ) , that we denote by @xmath5 , and study the different splitting types of the tangent bundle of @xmath4 with respect to curves of @xmath6 . looking at the rational homogeneous examples , one may check that the family @xmath6 is , in general , not uniform , and the different splitting types are related to the singular locus stratification of the crepant contraction of @xmath4 associated with the line bundle @xmath7 note that it is not yet clear whether the nefness assumption on the tangent bundle of a fano manifold implies its semiampleness . this singular locus stratification is related , for a rational homogeneous manifold , to the orbit decomposition of the corresponding lie algebra @xmath8 . in fact , the image of every stratum into @xmath9 is the closure of ( the set of classes modulo homotheties of ) a nilpotent orbit ( see @xcite for an account on these orbits ) . in this paper we analyze the simplest case , in which the families @xmath3 and @xmath6 are both uniform ( we simply say that @xmath3 is @xmath10-uniform , see definition [ def:2-uniform ] ) . the main result shows that , up to a technical assumption , this property is only fulfilled by rational homogenous manifolds : [ thm : main ] let @xmath1 be a fano manifold of picard number one supporting an unsplit @xmath10-uniform dominating family @xmath3 of rational curves . assume moreover that the anticanonical degree @xmath11 of the family is smaller than or equal to @xmath12 . then @xmath13 , where @xmath14 is a semisimple lie group with dynkin diagram @xmath15 , @xmath16 is the parabolic subgroup associated to the @xmath17-th node of the diagram , and the pair @xmath18 is one of the following : @xmath19 in the above statement the cited rational homogeneous manifolds are described in terms of their marked dynkin diagrams ( where the nodes have been numbered as in @xcite ) . note that the number @xmath20 equals the dimension of the _ variety of minimal rational tangents of @xmath3 at @xmath21 _ , denoted by @xmath22 . in the range @xmath23 one could expect , via a positive answer to hartshorne s conjecture in our particular situation , that @xmath24 is a complete intersection in @xmath25 . if this is case , we may conclude the following : [ cor : main ] let @xmath1 be a fano manifold of picard number one , not isomorphic to a projective space , supporting an unsplit @xmath10-uniform dominating family @xmath3 of rational curves , and assume that , for the general point @xmath21 , @xmath24 is a complete intersection . then @xmath1 is isomorphic to a smooth quadric . putting this back into the context of the campana peternell conjecture and question [ quest : uniform ] , let us assume that @xmath1 is a manifold of picard number one such that @xmath0 is nef and big , and let @xmath26 be the birational crepant contraction of @xmath4 associated to @xmath7 . it was proved in @xcite that if the restriction of @xmath26 to @xmath27 has @xmath28-dimensional fibers , then necessarily @xmath1 is a smooth hyperquadric . our main result in this paper implies the following extension of @xcite : [ cor : e - ample ] let @xmath1 be a fano manifold of picard number one , with nef and big tangent bundle , and assume that , with the same notation as above , the restriction of @xmath26 to @xmath27 is a smooth morphism . assume moreover that @xmath1 supports an unsplit uniform dominating family of rational curves of anticanonical degree smaller than or equal to @xmath12 . then @xmath1 is rational homogeneous . the structure of the paper is the following : sections [ sec : nodal ] and [ sec : ratcurves ] contain some preliminary material on dual varieties and rational curves on projective varieties , respectively . section [ sec : minsec ] deals with the family of minimal sections of @xmath4 over curves of a family @xmath3 , and the duality relation of its locus with the variety of minimal rational tangents of @xmath3 . finally section [ sec : proofs ] contains the proofs of the main results of the paper . we will recall here some standard facts about dual varieties that we will need later on , focusing in the concrete setting we are interested in , that is , in the context of varieties with only _ nodal singularities_. though these results are probably well known , they are usually stated in the context of smooth varieties ( see @xcite or ( * ? ? ? * chapters 1,4,7 ) ) , so we briefly present them here for the reader s convenience . * notation * throughout the paper we will work over the field of complex numbers . by @xmath29 we will denote the grothendieck projectivization of a complex vector space @xmath30 , or of a vector bundle @xmath30 over a certain scheme that should be understood from the context . along the paper we will often consider vector bundles on the projective line @xmath31 . for simplicity , we will denote by @xmath32 the vector bundle @xmath33 on @xmath31 . [ def : dual ] let @xmath34 be an irreducible projective variety . denoting by @xmath35 its subset of smooth points , the euler sequence provides a surjection @xmath36 , so that we have a morphism @xmath37 . then the closure of the image @xmath38 is called the _ dual variety of _ @xmath39 . in other words , @xmath38 may be described as the closure of the set of tangent hyperplanes of @xmath39 . that is , we may consider @xmath40 as a subset of @xmath41 and denote by @xmath42 its closure ( this is the so - called _ conormal variety of @xmath43 _ ) . then the restrictions ( @xmath44 and @xmath45 ) to @xmath42 of the canonical projections have images @xmath39 and @xmath38 , respectively : @xmath46\ar[l]&{\p^r}^\vee\\ c\ar@{^{(}->}[]+<0ex,2.5ex>;[u]&\cp\ar@{^{(}->}[]+<0ex,2.5ex>;[u]\ar[r]^{p_2}\ar[l]_{p_1}&c^\vee\ar@{^{(}->}[]+<0ex,2.5ex>;[u]}\ ] ] finally , let us recall that the biduality ( also called reflexivity ) theorem ( cf . * section 1.3 ) ) states that @xmath47 , so that the diagram above is reversible , and we may assert that the general fiber of @xmath45 ( the so - called _ tangency locus _ of a hyperplane ) is a linear space . in particular one expects @xmath45 to be , indeed , birational for most projective varieties . [ def : defect ] with the same notation as above , the number @xmath48 is called the _ dual defect _ of @xmath39 . if @xmath49 , we say that @xmath39 is _ dual defective_. it is well known ( cf . * theorem 4.25 ) ) that the dual defect of a nonlinear smooth subvariety @xmath50 is smaller than or equal to @xmath51 . we will need an extension of this result to mildly singular varieties , a topic that may be understood in the context of the theory of discriminant varieties of linear systems ( see , for instance , @xcite ) . we say that @xmath39 has only _ nodal singularities _ , if its normalization @xmath52 is smooth and the normalization morphism @xmath53 is unramified , i.e. @xmath54 is surjective . we will assume from now on that @xmath39 has only nodal singularities . denoting by @xmath55 the composition of @xmath56 and the inclusion @xmath57 , and by @xmath58 the cokernel of @xmath59 , we have an injection of vector bundles over @xmath52 : @xmath60 & t_{m}\ar[r]^(.40){dt}&t^*t_{\p(v)}\ar[r]&\cn\ar[r ] & 0}\ ] ] let us denote @xmath61 , and @xmath62 . the sheaf @xmath58 is then a vector bundle , of rank equal to @xmath63 . furthermore , setting @xmath64 and considering the pull - back to @xmath52 of the euler sequence on the projective space @xmath65 , we see that @xmath66 is globally generated by @xmath67 . in particular we then have a well defined morphism : @xmath68 whose image is precisely the dual variety @xmath38 ; furthermore , we have a commutative diagram : @xmath69^{\psi}\ar[r]\ar[d]&\cp\ar[r]\ar[d]&\p(v^\vee)\\m\ar[r]&c&}\ ] ] where , again , @xmath42 is the conormal variety of @xmath39 . note that @xmath42 is a @xmath70-bundle over a certain open set of @xmath39 , isomorphic to its inverse image in @xmath71 . [ prop : split ] let @xmath72 be a variety with only nodal singularities and assume that , with the same notation as above , the defect @xmath73 is bigger than zero . then its normalization @xmath52 is swept out by a family of projective spaces @xmath74 of @xmath75-degree equal to one , whose general element satisfies that @xmath76 , for every line @xmath77 . the biduality theorem tells us that , given a general point @xmath78 ( smooth point is enough ) , its inverse image in @xmath42 is isomorphic to @xmath74 , mapping one - to - one to a linear subspace contained in @xmath39 . its inverse image @xmath79 into @xmath71 is smooth and maps birationally to @xmath80 ( by the birationality of @xmath81 ) . consequently , it maps birationally also to @xmath82 . moreover , it maps finite - to - one onto its image @xmath83 ( because @xmath84 is determined by its tautological line bundle @xmath85 ) . finally , since @xmath86 is finite , it follows that the composition @xmath87 is finite and birational onto a smooth variety , hence it is an isomorphism . thus @xmath88 is an isomorphism , too . for the second part of the statement , note that we have short exact sequences on @xmath89 : @xmath90&\cn^\vee(1)_{|f_h}\ar@{->>}[r]&{t_{\p(\cn)|m}}_{|f'_h}\\ { t_{\p(\cn)|m}}_{|f'_h}\ar@{>->}[r]&n_{f'_h,\p(\cn)}=\co_{f'_h}^{r - e-1}\ar@{->>}[r]&n_{f_h , m}\\ n_{f_h , m}(-1)\ar@{>->}[r]&\co_{f_h}^{r - e}\ar@{->>}[r]&\cn(-1)_{|f_h}}\ ] ] the first is the restriction of the relative euler sequence of @xmath91 , the second comes from the differential of the natural map @xmath92 , and the third from the differential of the map @xmath55 . the three sequences fit in the commutative diagram : @xmath93\ar@{=}[d]&\cn^\vee(1)_{|f_h}\ar@{->>}[r]\ar@{>->}[d]&{t_{\p(\cn)|m}}_{|f'_h}\ar@{>->}[d]\\ \co_{f_h}\ar@{>->}[r]&\co_{f_h}^{r - e}\ar@{->>}[r]\ar@{->>}[d]&\co_{f_h}^{r - e-1}\ar@{->>}[d]\\ & n_{f_h , m}^\vee(1)\ar[r]^{\cong}&n_{f_h , m}}\ ] ] we then have an isomorphism @xmath94 we consider now any line @xmath95 . since @xmath96 , with @xmath97 , we note first that , since @xmath98 is nef , @xmath99 . then the isomorphism ( [ eq : ses2 ] ) tells us that @xmath100 and @xmath101 , so @xmath102 . this concludes the proof . [ cor : embed ] let @xmath72 be a variety with only nodal singularities , which is not a linear subspace . then the defect @xmath73 is smaller than or equal to @xmath103 , that is @xmath104 . moreover , if equality holds , then @xmath55 is an embedding ; in particular in this case @xmath39 is smooth . as an immediate consequence of proposition [ prop : split ] , the defect @xmath73 is smaller than or equal to @xmath105 , and @xmath106 modulo @xmath10 . if @xmath107 , then @xmath72 would be a linear subspace , a contradiction . hence we may assert that @xmath108 . denoting @xmath109 , this inequality reads as @xmath110 , that is @xmath111 . now , by a corollary of fulton - hansen theorem ( cf . * theorem 4.30 ) , or ( * ? ? * theorem 3.4.1 ) ) , if @xmath112 it follows that @xmath86 is an embedding , so @xmath39 is smooth , which in turn implies , by zak s theorem on tangencies ( cf . @xcite , ( * ? ? ? * theorem 4.25 ) ) , that @xmath113 , that is @xmath114 . [ cor : smooth ] let @xmath72 be a variety with only nodal singularities . assume that the morphism @xmath115 defined in ( [ eq : psi ] ) , considered as a surjective morphism onto its image @xmath38 , is equidimensional . then the normalization @xmath116 of @xmath38 is smooth . we will consider the factorization @xmath117 of @xmath115 onto the normalization @xmath116 of @xmath38 . since @xmath115 is equidimensional by hypothesis , so is @xmath118 . moreover , as in the proof of proposition [ prop : split ] , the general fiber of @xmath119 is isomorphic to @xmath74 , hence the same holds for the fibers of @xmath118 . finally the pull - back of @xmath120 provides a @xmath118-ample line bundle on @xmath71 having degree one on the general fiber of the morphism , hence it follows by ( * ? ? ? * lemma 2.12 ) that @xmath118 is a @xmath74-bundle and , in particular @xmath116 is smooth . let @xmath1 be a fano manifold of picard number one and dimension @xmath121 , defined over the field of complex numbers . in this section we will briefly review , in our setting , some well known results on deformations of rational curves on @xmath1 . most of the listed results work on broader settings : we refer to @xcite , @xcite and @xcite for more details . a _ family of rational curves on _ @xmath1 is , by definition , the normalization @xmath3 of an irreducible component of the scheme @xmath122 . each of these families comes equipped with a smooth @xmath31-fibration @xmath123 and an evaluation morphism @xmath124 . given a point @xmath125 , we denote by @xmath126 the normalization of the set @xmath127 , and by @xmath128 the normalization of its fiber product with @xmath129 over @xmath3 . we say that the family @xmath3 is : * _ dominating _ if @xmath130 is dominant , * _ locally unsplit _ if @xmath126 is proper for general @xmath131 , * _ unsplit _ if @xmath3 is proper . note that @xmath122 is quasi - projective , hence the properness of @xmath126 or @xmath3 implies their projectivity . the anticanonical degree @xmath132 is the same for every curve @xmath133 of the family @xmath3 , thus we will denote it by @xmath11 ; moreover , we will denote by @xmath134 , or simply @xmath105 if there is no possible confusion , the number @xmath135 . [ prop : rcbasic ] let @xmath1 be a fano manifold of picard number one , @xmath3 be a locally unsplit dominating family of rational curves , and set @xmath136 . with the same notation as above , we have the following : * the variety @xmath3 has dimension @xmath137 and , for a general point @xmath138 , @xmath139 is a disjoint union of smooth projective varieties of dimension @xmath105 . * there exists a nonempty open set @xmath140 of @xmath1 satisfying that , for every @xmath141 , the normalization @xmath142 of any element @xmath133 of @xmath3 passing by @xmath21 is _ free _ , that is @xmath143 is a nef vector bundle . * for a general @xmath131 , @xmath144 is a @xmath31-bundle , admitting a section @xmath145 whose image lies in @xmath146 . * a rational curve @xmath133 given by a general member of @xmath3 , is _ standard _ , i.e. , denoting by @xmath147 its normalization , @xmath148 . for the first and second statement , see ( * ? ? ? * ii . 1.7 and 3.11 ) . ( 3 ) follows by ( * ? ? ? theorem 2.12 ) , and by the fact that the point @xmath21 determines a section of @xmath149 : in fact , ( * ? ? ? * theorem 3.3 ) implies that @xmath146 consists of a finite set of points and a unique component mapping one to one onto @xmath126 via @xmath150 . finally ( 4 ) follows from ( * ? ? ? corollary 2.9 ) . [ def : uniform ] with the same notation as above , given the normalization @xmath151 of an element @xmath133 of @xmath3 , we say that @xmath133 has _ splitting type _ @xmath152 on @xmath1 , with @xmath153 , @xmath154 , if @xmath155 . we then say that @xmath3 is _ uniform _ ( resp . _ locally uniform _ ) if every curve @xmath133 of @xmath3 ( resp . every curve of @xmath126 , @xmath131 general ) has the same splitting type . the following lemma is well known . [ lem : unifsmooth ] let @xmath1 be a smooth variety and let @xmath3 be a locally unsplit dominating family of rational curves in @xmath1 . if @xmath0 is nef on every curve of the family @xmath3 ( in particular , if @xmath3 is uniform ) , then the evaluation morphism @xmath124 is smooth . the nefness condition implies that the differential @xmath156 has constant maximal rank and , in particular , that the morphism @xmath130 is equidimensional . but since @xmath1 is smooth , it follows that @xmath124 is also flat ( cf . * theorem 23.1 ) ) , hence smooth . with the same notation as above , if @xmath3 is a locally unsplit dominating family , and @xmath131 is a general point , then @xmath126 is smooth , and ( 3 ) from proposition [ prop : rcbasic ] allows us to claim that there exists a rational map @xmath157 from @xmath126 to @xmath25 , called the _ tangent map of @xmath3 at @xmath21 _ , sending the general element of @xmath126 to its tangent direction at @xmath21 ( see remark [ rem : o1 ] below ) . it is known ( cf . * theorem 3.4 ) , ( * ? ? ? * theorem 1 ) ) that @xmath157 is a finite and birational morphism ( hence it is the normalization of its image ) onto a variety @xmath24 usually called the _ variety of minimal rational tangents _ ( vmrt , for short ) of @xmath3 at @xmath21 . the closure of the union of all the @xmath24 , @xmath131 general , into @xmath158 , is denoted by @xmath159 . [ rem : o1 ] given a general point @xmath131 , the map @xmath157 may be understood as follows . let us consider the section @xmath160 defined in proposition [ prop : rcbasic ] ( 3 ) , and let @xmath161 denote the relative canonical divisor of @xmath162 . via the composition of the morphisms @xmath163 and @xmath164 , it follows from ( * ? ? ? * theorem 3.3 ) that @xmath165 is a subbundle of @xmath166 . restricting this inclusion of vector bundles to @xmath126 via @xmath145 yields a morphism @xmath167 , which is nothing but the tangent map @xmath157 . hence the tangent map @xmath157 satisfies @xmath168 in particular , this line bundle is ample and globally generated . * proposition 2.7)[prop : imm ] with the same notation as above , given a locally unsplit dominating family of rational curves @xmath3 on @xmath1 , and a general point @xmath131 , @xmath157 is immersive at @xmath169 \in \cm_x$ ] if and only if @xmath133 is standard . note that it is well known that for a rational homogeneous manifold @xmath170 ( @xmath14 semisimple , @xmath16 parabolic subgroup ) of picard number one , the generator @xmath171 of the picard group is very ample ( theorem of borel weil , see @xcite ) and there exists an unsplit dominating family @xmath172 of curves of degree one with respect to @xmath171 . one of the key results we will use tells us that , under certain conditions , one may decide whether a fano manifold of picard number one is homogeneous by comparing the vmrt of one of its locally unsplit dominating families of rational curves with the vmrt of @xmath172 . [ them : hh ] let @xmath1 be a fano manifold of picard number one , @xmath3 be a locally unsplit dominating family of rational curves on @xmath1 , and @xmath21 be a general point in @xmath1 . let @xmath170 be a rational homogeneous manifold of picard number one as above , and @xmath173 be any point . assume moreover that @xmath16 is a parabolic subgroup corresponding to a long simple root of @xmath14 . if the vmrt @xmath174 of @xmath3 at @xmath131 is projectively equivalent to the vmrt @xmath175 of @xmath172 at @xmath176 , then @xmath1 is isomorphic to @xmath177 . this result was proven by mok ( see @xcite ) for hermitian symmetric spaces and homogeneous contact manifolds , and then generalized by hwang and hong , who stated theorem [ them : hh ] in @xcite . along this section , @xmath1 will denote a fano manifold of picard number one and dimension @xmath121 , not isomorphic to a projective space , and @xmath3 a locally unsplit dominating family of rational curves in @xmath1 , of anticanonical degree @xmath178 . we will use for them the notations introduced in section [ sec : ratcurves ] . furthermore , we will denote by @xmath179 the natural projection from the grothendieck projectivization of @xmath0 onto @xmath1 . [ def : minsec1 ] given a free element @xmath133 of @xmath3 , with normalization @xmath151 , a section of @xmath4 over @xmath133 corresponding to a surjective map @xmath180 will be called _ minimal _ and the corresponding rational curve will be denoted by @xmath181 . minimal sections as in the above definition exist whenever @xmath1 is different from the projective space , by the main theorem of @xcite . we may now consider a nonempty open subset @xmath182 parametrizing standard curves , and denote by @xmath183 and @xmath184 the corresponding family and an evaluation morphism respectively . then @xmath185 and @xmath186 are rank @xmath187 vector bundles over @xmath188 and @xmath189 , respectively , and the natural morphism @xmath190 is a smooth @xmath31-fibration . together with the natural morphism @xmath191 , this data provides a family of rational curves in @xmath4 , and hence a morphism from @xmath192 to @xmath193 , which is injective . moreover , by construction , the image of every element of @xmath192 in @xmath193 corresponds to a minimal section of @xmath4 over a curve of @xmath188 . let us denote by @xmath6 the normalization of the closure of its image , and by @xmath5 , @xmath194 the corresponding universal family and evaluation morphism . furthermore , as we will see later , @xmath6 is , in fact , the normalization of an irreducible component of @xmath193 . [ def : minsec2 ] with the same notation as above , given a locally unsplit dominating family @xmath3 , the family of rational curves parametrized by @xmath6 is called the _ family of minimal sections of @xmath4 over curves of @xmath3_. moreover , we have natural morphisms @xmath195 , @xmath196 , fitting in the following commutative diagram : @xmath197^{\phi_\cm}&{\overline{\cu}}\ar[d]^{\phi_\cu}\ar[l]_{{\overline{p}}}\ar[r]^{{\overline{q}}}&\p(t_x)\ar[d]^\phi\\{\cm}&{\cu}\ar[l]_p\ar[r]^q&x}\ ] ] note that proposition [ prop : rcbasic ] ( 4 ) implies that the fibers of @xmath198 over every standard curve of @xmath199 are isomorphic to @xmath200 , so @xmath201 has dimension @xmath202 . however , the image of @xmath203 , that we will denote by @xmath204 , may have dimension smaller than @xmath205 . [ def:2-uniform ] we say that @xmath3 is @xmath10-_uniform _ if both @xmath3 and @xmath206 are uniform . we will study now the relation between the minimal sections of @xmath4 over rational curves of a locally unsplit dominating family @xmath3 , and its vmrt s . we first recall that @xmath4 supports a _ contact structure _ @xmath207 , defined as the kernel of the composition of the differential of the natural projection @xmath208 with the co - unit map @xmath209 note that @xmath210 fits in the following commutative diagram , with exact rows and columns : @xmath211\ar@{=}[d]&\cf\ar@{->>}[r]\ar@{>->}[]+<0ex,-2ex>;[d]&\omega_{\p(t_x)/x}(1)\ar@{>->}[d]\\ t_{\p(t_x)/x}\ar@{>->}[r]&t_{\cx}\ar@{->>}[r]\ar@{->>}[d]^{\theta}&\phi^*t_x\ar@{->>}[d]\\ & \co(1)\ar@{=}[r]&\co(1)}\ ] ] the distribution @xmath207 being contact means precisely that it is maximally non integrable , i.e. that the morphism @xmath212 induced by the lie bracket is everywhere non - degenerate . this fact can be shown locally analytically , by considering , around every point , local coordinates @xmath213 and vector fields @xmath214 , satisfying @xmath215 . then the contact structure is determined , around that point , by the @xmath28-form @xmath216 ( see @xcite for details ) . the next proposition describes the infinitesimal deformations of a general minimal section @xmath217 . [ prop : splittype ] let @xmath218 denote the normalization of a minimal section @xmath217 of @xmath4 over a standard rational curve in the class @xmath219 . then @xmath201 is the normalization of an irreducible component of @xmath193 , smooth at @xmath217 , of dimension @xmath202 , and @xmath220 writing @xmath221 and taking into account that @xmath222 , the relative euler sequence of @xmath4 over @xmath1 , pulled - back via @xmath223 provides @xmath224 . the upper exact row of diagram ( [ eq : contact ] ) provides : @xmath225 on the other hand , @xmath222 also implies that @xmath226 factors via @xmath227 , hence this bundle has a direct summand of the form @xmath228 . being @xmath207 a contact structure , it follows that @xmath229 , so this bundle has a direct summand @xmath230 , as well . from this we may already conclude that @xmath231 hence the bundle @xmath232 is isomorphic either to @xmath233 or to @xmath234 . on the other hand , the fact that @xmath235 implies that @xmath236 , which allows us to discard the second option . finally , in the first case @xmath237}\hom(\p^1,\cx)\geq \dim\overline{\cm}+3\geq 2m$ ] and , in particular , @xmath238 is smooth at @xmath239 $ ] . quotienting by the action of @xmath240 , this also tells us that @xmath201 is a component of @xmath193 , smooth at @xmath217 . [ def : defectcurve ] given a minimal section @xmath217 over a standard curve @xmath241 , the number @xmath73 provided by proposition [ prop : splittype ] will be called the _ defect of @xmath201 at _ @xmath217 . [ rem : corank ] the defect of @xmath73 of @xmath201 at @xmath217 can be interpreted as the corank of @xmath203 at any point of @xmath242 , minus one . in fact , let us denote by @xmath243 the normalization of @xmath181 . consider the evaluation morphism @xmath244}(\p^1,\cx)\times \p^1\to \cx$ ] , where @xmath245}(\p^1,\cx)$ ] stands for the irreducible component of @xmath238 containing @xmath246 $ ] ( which is smooth at @xmath246 $ ] and of dimension @xmath247 by proposition [ prop : splittype ] ) . the morphism @xmath203 is obtained from this morphism by quotienting by the action of the group of automorphisms of @xmath31 , hence , using the description of this differential provided in ( * ? ? ? proposition 3.4 ) , it follows that the cokernel of the evaluation of global sections @xmath248 is isomorphic to @xmath249 , and hence it has rank equal to @xmath250 . this implies that the corank of @xmath203 at any point of @xmath251 is equal to @xmath250 . the next result establishes the relation between @xmath252 and the vmrt @xmath253 , at the general point @xmath21 . this was first obtained in ( * ? ? ? * corollary 2.2 ) in their study of the moduli space of stable vector bundles on a curve . our line of argumentation here is based on the proof of ( * ? ? ? * proposition 1.4 ) . [ prop : dual ] being @xmath131 general , assume that @xmath24 is irreducible . then @xmath254 is the dual variety of @xmath255 . let @xmath256 be the normalization of a standard element @xmath257 , and @xmath258 be a point satisfying @xmath259 . by proposition [ prop : imm ] , the tangent map @xmath260 is immersive at @xmath169 $ ] and we may use it to describe the tangent space of @xmath261 at @xmath262 . note that we have a filtration @xmath263 , where @xmath264 and @xmath265 correspond , respectively , to the fibers over @xmath266 of the ( unique ) subbundles of @xmath143 isomorphic to @xmath267 and @xmath268 . quotienting by homotheties in @xmath269 ( in order to obtain the grothendieck projectivization @xmath25 ) , the subspace @xmath270 provides the point @xmath16 , and it is known that @xmath271 provides the projective tangent space of @xmath24 at @xmath16 ( cf . * lemma 2.1 ) , ( * ? ? ? * proposition 1.4 ) ) . but then the set of hyperplanes in @xmath25 containing this tangent space , is in one - to - one correspondence ( via restriction from @xmath272 to @xmath273 ) with surjective maps @xmath274 , that correspond to minimal sections of @xmath4 over @xmath133 . [ cor : dualdef1s ] being @xmath131 general , assume that @xmath24 is irreducible , and let @xmath181 be a general minimal section of @xmath275 over a standard element of @xmath276 . then the dual defect of @xmath261 equals the defect of @xmath201 at @xmath181 . for general @xmath21 , the dual defect of @xmath261 equals @xmath277 , by proposition [ prop : dual ] . this number is the corank of @xmath203 at the general point minus one , which is equal to the defect @xmath73 of @xmath201 at @xmath181 by remark [ rem : corank ] . _ proof of theorem [ thm : main]_we note first that @xmath24 is irreducible . in fact , since by hypothesis @xmath3 is uniform , locally unsplit and dominating , then it follows by lemma [ lem : unifsmooth ] that the evaluation morphism @xmath124 is smooth . since , moreover , @xmath3 is unsplit , then @xmath129 is projective , and @xmath130 is surjective . we may then consider the stein factorization of @xmath130 , which provides a smooth finite morphism @xmath278 . since @xmath1 is fano , hence simply - connected , it follows that @xmath279 is an isomorphism , which finally tells us that the fibers of @xmath130 are connected and smooth , thus irreducible . we now claim that @xmath280 has only nodal singularities , for the general point @xmath21 . since we are assuming that @xmath3 is @xmath10-uniform , then the corank of @xmath203 is constantly equal to @xmath250 , by remark [ rem : corank ] , and @xmath203 is equidimensional . at this point , we consider diagram ( [ eq : curvessec ] ) and restrict its right hand side to @xmath126 via the section @xmath145 provided by proposition [ prop : rcbasic ] ( 3 ) . we already know that @xmath24 has only nodal singularities by proposition [ prop : imm ] ; then our description of the dual variety of @xmath24 given in proposition [ prop : dual ] , tells us that @xmath281 , where @xmath58 stands for the cokernel of the inclusion @xmath282 , and @xmath283 . then the equidimensionality of @xmath203 tells us that the normalization of @xmath284 is smooth by corollary [ cor : smooth ] . finally , since @xmath203 has constant rank , it follows that the normalization morphism of @xmath284 is unramified , as we claimed . if @xmath24 is a linear subspace , then @xmath1 is a projective space ( cf . * proposition 5 ) ) , and our hypothesis on @xmath11 implies , in this case , that @xmath285 , that is @xmath286 . therefore we may assume that neither @xmath24 nor @xmath284 are linear subspaces , and we may apply corollary [ cor : embed ] to both , obtaining that @xmath287 , and @xmath288 . then equality holds and the second part of corollary [ cor : embed ] tells us that @xmath24 and @xmath284 are both smooth . since the only smooth nonlinear hypersurfaces with smooth dual have degree two ( see , for instance , @xcite ) , in the first case @xmath24 is a conic or a two - dimensional quadric , hence in all cases the listed varieties are projectively equivalent to the vmrt s of the homogeneous manifolds in the statement , and we may conclude by theorem [ them : hh ] . _ proof of corollary [ cor : main]_proceeding as in the proof of theorem [ thm : main ] , we get that @xmath24 and @xmath284 are smooth for the general @xmath131 , and that they have the same dimension . being @xmath24 a nonlinear complete intersection , it follows by ( * ? ? ? * theorem 5.11 ) that @xmath284 is a hypersurface , hence @xmath24 is a hypersurface , too , and arguing as in the last part of the proof of theorem [ thm : main ] , it follows that @xmath24 is a smooth hyperquadric , which allows to conclude by theorem [ them : hh ] . _ proof of corollary [ cor : e - ample]_let @xmath296 denote the uniform unsplit dominating family of rational curves on @xmath1 , and consider , with the same notation as above , the corresponding family @xmath5 of minimal sections of @xmath4 over curves of @xmath3 . it is enough to check that @xmath6 is uniform . let us then denote by @xmath73 the defect of @xmath6 at a general curve @xmath242 . note that the contraction @xmath297 determined by @xmath298 can be obtained by as the quotient modulo homotheties of the contraction : @xmath299 it is known that this map is a symplectic contraction , hence it is in particular _ semismall _ ( see @xcite , @xcite ) , and this property is then inherited by our contraction @xmath26 . it follows then that , for every irreducible closed subset @xmath300 , the general fiber of the restriction @xmath301 has dimension at most equal to the codimension of @xmath302 in @xmath275 . now , let @xmath302 be an irreducible component of @xmath27 containing @xmath303 , @xmath304 the locus of curves of the family @xmath6 passing by a general point @xmath305 , and @xmath306 the fiber of the restriction @xmath307 passing through @xmath308 . then we have : @xmath309 corollary [ cor : dualdef1s ] tells us that @xmath73 is equal to @xmath277 , and to the dimension of the general fiber of @xmath310 , which implies that @xmath311 . summing up , we get that @xmath312 , and that @xmath313 . moreover @xmath306 is an @xmath314-dimensional smooth variety swept out by curves of the family @xmath6 , which is unsplit , and the dimension of the subfamily of this curves passing by the general point of @xmath306 is @xmath73 . it then follows by @xcite that @xmath315 , and curves of @xmath6 contained in @xmath306 are lines . furthermore , we claim that the smoothness of the map @xmath316 implies that every fiber @xmath306 contained in @xmath302 is necessarily isomorphic to @xmath317 . in fact , this follows from a classical result of hirzebruch - kodaira @xcite ( as noted in ( * ? ? ? * theorem 1 ) ) . in particular , this implies that every curve @xmath242 of @xmath6 is a line on a fiber @xmath315 contained in @xmath302 , and so , denoting by @xmath318 the normalization @xmath242 , @xmath319 contains a vector subbundle of the form @xmath320 . on the other hand , by proposition [ prop : splittype ] and semicontinuity , the splitting type of @xmath321 at @xmath242 is of the form @xmath322 for @xmath323 . we may then conclude that @xmath324 . the results in this paper were obtained mostly while the second author was a visiting researcher at the korea institute for advanced study ( kias ) and the department of mathematics of the university of warsaw . he would like to thank both institutions for their support and hospitality . the authors would like to thank j. winiewski for his interesting comments and discussions on this topic , and an anonymous referee , whose remarks helped to improve substantially the final form of this paper . , _ characterizations of projective space and applications to complex symplectic manifolds_. in : mori , shigefumi ( ed . ) et al . , higher dimensional birational geometry ( kyoto , 1997 ) , vol . 35 of adv . pure math . , math . japan , tokyo , 2002 , pp . 188 . , _ on polarized manifolds whose adjoint bundles are not semipositive_. in : oda , t. ( ed . ) , algebraic geometry , sendai , 1985 , vol . 10 of adv . pure math . , north - holland , amsterdam , 1987 , pp . 167178 . , _ characterization of the rational homogeneous space associated to a long simple root by its variety of minimal rational tangents_. in : konno , kazuhiro ( ed . ) algebraic geometry in east asia hanoi 2005 , vol . 50 of adv . pure math . japan , tokyo , 2008 , pp . 217236 . , _ geometry of minimal rational curves on fano manifolds_. in : demailly , j.p . , school on vanishing theorems and effective results in algebraic geometry ( trieste , 2000 ) , vol . 6 of ictp lect . notes , abdus salam int . trieste , 2001 , pp . 335393 . , _ reprsentations linaires et espaces homognes khlriens des groupes de lie compacts ( daprs armand borel et andr weil ) _ , sminaire bourbaki , vol . 2 , exp . no . 100 , 447454 , soc . france , paris ( 1995 ) . , _ existence of rational curves on algebraic varieties , minimal rational tangents , and applications_. in : catanese , fabrizio ( ed . ) , global aspects of complex geometry , springer , berlin , 2006 , pp . 359416 . , _ rational curves on algebraic varieties _ , vol . 32 of ergebnisse der mathematik und ihrer grenzgebiete . 3 . folge . a series of modern surveys in mathematics [ results in mathematics and related areas . 3rd series . a series of modern surveys in mathematics ] , springer - verlag , berlin , 1995 . , _ positivity in algebraic geometry . i. classical setting : line bundles and linear series _ , vol . 48 of ergebnisse der mathematik und ihrer grenzgebiete . 3 . folge . a series of modern surveys in mathematics [ results in mathematics and related areas . 3rd series . a series of modern surveys in mathematics ] , springer , berlin , 2004 . , _ commutative ring theory _ , cambridge univ . press , cambridge , 1986 . , _ recognizing certain rational homogeneous manifolds of picard number 1 from their varieties of minimal rational tangents_. in : lau , ka - sing ( ed . ) et al . , third international congress of chinese mathematicians . part 1 , 2 , vol . 2 of ams / ip stud . adv . math . , 42 , pt . 1 , amer . soc . , providence , ri , 2008 , pp .
arxiv
Force required when there is Friction between Pulley and String? A massless rope is tossed over a wooden dowel of radius $r$ in order to lift a heavy object of weight $W$ off of the floor, as shown. [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/J4VGv.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/J4VGv.png) The coefficient of sliding friction between the rope and the dowel is $μ$. Show that the minimum down- ward pull on the rope necessary to lift the object is: $F=We^{\pi μ}$ This was a question in Resnick Halliday Krane Ch-5. When I tried this problem, I was not able to make any progress whatsoever. Like I was not able to understand why the friction would act/how it would act as the rope is massless! So basically I still tried for a long time but I was not able to solve this. So I looked at the solution, which unfortunately made no sense to me at all. They somehow got the equation $\frac{dT}{T}=μ \cdot d\theta$ (where T=Tension). Obviously I understand that once we set up this equation, the rest is trivial, as you just integrate this expression with the correct limits ($0$ to $\pi$ for $d\theta$ and $F\_{down}$ to $W$ for $dT$). But I tried for a long time to understand how they got that equation but I absolutely do not understand it. Like I am not even sure how to begin with that. This was the only problem in that chapter that I still don't understand the solution to (infact I had done this chapter 1 month back and I thought that if I try the problem again after some time, I might get it, but I tried it today and I still do not understand the solution). So I would be realllllly very grateful is someone could please explain the solution to this problem (or even give hints!), really anything would be appreciated. Thanks! The dowel exerts a friction force on the rope that reduces the tension as we go around it. For example if the friction was high, someone could pull hard on the rope, but there would be a lower tension at the other side. [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QByu6.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QByu6.jpg) The $dT = T d\theta$ above is the normal contact force of the rope on the dowel, then if we include the $\mu$ we get the force that reduces the tension for that section, so $dT = \mu T d\theta$
stackexchange/physics
A problem regarding the Elitzur-Vaidman bomb tester To quote [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elitzur%E2%80%93Vaidman_bomb_tester) > > Step-by-step explanation > > > After being emitted, the photon 'probability' wave will both pass through the first 50% reflecting mirror (take the lower-route) and be reflected (take the upper-route). Both waves are reflected/transmitted again in the second 50% reflecting mirror (upper-right), so both detectors receive 50% of the 'lower' and 'upper' wave. The interferometer is aligned so the interference of both waves is destructive for detector C and constructive for detector D, when no bomb is placed. Then all photons will be detected by D and none by C. **Now a bomb is placed:** > > > **If the bomb is a dud:** > > > The situation is as described above, without a bomb. Detector C will not detect photons. > > > **If the bomb is usable:** > > > **If the photon particle takes the lower route:** > > > Because the bomb is usable, the photon is absorbed and triggers the bomb, which explodes. > > > **If the photon particle takes the upper route:** > > > The bomb blocks the 'lower' wave, so there is no interference effect anymore at the second 50% reflecting mirror. Now there is a 50% chance of detecting the photon in detector C and D (but not both). > > > ![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9FARd.png) Now to the question: The part I do not understand is this one > > **If the photon particle takes the upper route:** > > > The bomb blocks the 'lower' wave, so there is no interference effect anymore at the second 50% reflecting mirror. Now there is a 50% chance of detecting the photon in detector C and D (but not both). > > > I do not understand that from where did the lower wave even emerge? The semantics is a bit confusing. The article talks about "if the photon *particle* takes the upper route" and then talks about the bomb blocking the lower *wave*". This is confusing if you're not used to the underlying principles unfortunately. What they mean is that the photon's *probability-amplitude wave*, referred to in the very first paragraph, **always** splits at the first beam-splitter A into an upper and a lower part. At the second beam-splitter (the one up in the top right of the picture) the upper and lower parts of the amplitude wave are re-combined and depending on if both parts are re-combined or just the upper part, the resulting detector probabilities at C and D are different, thus allowing you to infer if the lower path was blocked (properly calibrated, only D will click if the paths are unobstructed, otherwise both C and D can click). When they start to discuss the *interpretation* of this result, they fall back to the fact that there was only one photon to start with, and there is only one photon the experiment ends with (a single click in *either* detector C or D). Thus the conclusion that this single photon obviously had to take the upper path if there is a bomb in the lower path, and you detect a photon in C or D and are not blown to pieces! (and therefore you seemingly do an interaction-free measurement, at least for the case of a click in C - a click in D gives you no extra information) To re-iterate - the analysis and interpretation is two different things. Often it is less confusing (and maybe enough) to just analyze the probability-amplitude propagation and don't think so much about what happens to the particle inside the system. But obviously this experiment was designed to force you to have to consider this, which makes it a nice setup I think!
stackexchange/physics
autoimmune hepatitis ( aih ) usually presents with nonspecific symptoms such as malaise , lethargy , arthralgia without arthritis and in children , it can either present very acutely or more insidiously , but progressing rapidly and leading to cirrhosis in a relatively short period of time . in a large study of pediatric patients with aih at the king s college in london , it was found that 56% of their patients presented with an acute onset ; these authors also found that 69% of children with type 1 aih and 37% of those with type 2 developed cirrhosis . aih can simulate viral hepatitis , rheumatoid arthritis , primary sclerosing cholangitis ( psc ) , wilson s disease , drug - induced hepatitis and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency . some patients will present with other autoimmune disorders such as autoimmune thyroiditis , vitiligo , sjgren syndrome , ulcerative colitis , systemic lupus erythematosus , insulin - dependent diabetes mellitus , rheumatoid arthritis , vasculitis and celiac disease . the clinical presentation and hepatic histopathology of aih and sclerosing cholangitis tend to be very similar and sometimes the two conditions may overlap in the same patient producing the so - called overlap syndrome ( os ) . sclerosing cholangitis is frequently associated with inflammatory bowel disease ( ibd ) adding to the diagnostic complexity of these two entities . some authors have suggested that onion - skin type of periductal fibrosis is virtually diagnostic of psc . since pure sclerosing cholangitis is not an autoimmune disease , and immunosuppression is not required as in aih , it is important to arrive to the correct diagnosis as early in the disease as possible . the international autoimmune hepatitis group ( iaihg ) published a position statement regarding the controversial issue of os . they concluded that the diagnosis of large duct psc should be established on typical cholangiographic findings . the group also mentioned that psc should be considered in aih patients with pruritus , cholestatic liver tests and histological damage to bile ducts and in those with a poor response to therapy . the iaihg suggested that patients with overlapping features between aih and psc should be considered part of the classical diseases rather than os . however , they may require specific therapeutic modalities to treat the cholestasis and autoimmune abnormalities . we herein report our experience with a series of children and adolescents presenting to a tertiary medical center that were diagnosed and treated as aih , psc or os . previous approval from the hospital s institutional review board , the hospital s surgical pathology database was searched for the 8-year period between january 1st , 2004 and december 31st , 2011 for liver biopsies with the diagnosis of aih , psc and os . all histological slides from the three possible diagnoses were reviewed by two pediatric pathologists ( mmr and cpr ) and the clinical information was collected by two pediatric gastroenterologists ( rb and lh ) . the criteria used to classify the patients as aih , psc and os were as follows : for aih elevated transaminases , positive autoantibodies , normal cholangiogram if performed , exclusion of wilson s disease and viral hepatitis . for psc classification , we used segmental ductal narrowing by ercp ( endoscopic retrograde cholangio - pancreatography ) , mrcp ( magnetic resonance cholangio - pancreatography ) or percutaneous cholangiogram . patients with segmental ductal narrowing and positive autoantibodies were considered os , but for statistical purposed they were analyzed in a single group with patients who had psc ( psc / os group ) . the following clinical data was collected : age at biopsy , gender , race , presence of absence of hepatomegaly and splenomegaly , diarrhea , abdominal pain , fatigue , ibd , other autoimmune disorders , ascites and imaging studies ( mrcp and/or ercp ) . we also collected laboratory data including : total bilirubin , ast ( aspartate transaminases ) , alt ( alanine amino transferase ) , ggtp ( gamma glutamyl transpeptidase ) , total serum protein , albumin , igg ( immunoglobulin g ) , iga ( immunoglobulin a ) , igm ( immunoglobulin m ) , ana ( anti - nuclear antibody ) , anca ( anti - neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies ) , sma ( antismooth muscle antibody ) and anti - lkm-1 ( liver kidney microsomal type 1 ) antibody . the hematoxylin - and - eosin ( h&e)-stained and trichrome - stained glass slides were retrieved from the files and were reviewed by two pediatric pathologists without knowledge of clinical information , previous findings in the surgical pathology report or the laboratory data . histopathological variables analyzed included : chronic hepatitis , presence of plasma cells , bile duct damage , bile duct proliferation , concentric fibrosis , cholestasis , necrosis and stage of fibrosis by trichrome stain . for statistical analysis , continuous variables were compared using either t - test or mann - whitney u - test and described using means or medias depending on the normality of the distribution . for categorical variables we used the fisher s exact test . bonferroni correction for multiple tests was applied ( = 0.05/33 ) and a significance level of 0.0016 of was obtained . thirty - four children and adolescents with aih , psc / os were studied and of these , 23 ( 68% ) had aih and 11 ( 32% ) had psc / os . the average age at the time of the biopsy was 13 years with a range from 5 to 18 years . gender distribution demonstrated a trend towards greater proportion of females with aih ( 74% ) compared to psc ( 46% ) . there was no significant difference for race within the aih group , however , there was a higher proportion of blacks ( 55% ) compared to caucasians ( 36% ) and hispanics ( 9% ) . the most common sign of children and adolescents with aih was hepatomegaly ( 71% ) while in the psc group it was present in 44% , followed by fatigue ( 74% and 63% respectively ) . splenomegaly was detected in 45% of aih patients and 33% of psc / os respectively ) . ibd was not present in any of our patients with aih at the time of diagnosis ; however , it developed in two patients after liver transplant . there was a significantly higher proportion of patients with ibd in the psc / os group ( 90% ) compared to the aih group ( 10% , p < .001 ) . the majority of liver biopsies in both groups disclosed chronic hepatitis ( 96% and 82% in aih and psc respectively . ) the only patient in the aih group that did not have evidence of chronic inflammation at the time of the biopsy was a 14-year - old girl who had an undifferentiated connective tissue disease with positive ana , elevated transaminases , focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis and polyarthritis . this patient was extremely immunosuppressed and it is possible that for that reason did not show chronic inflammation . other features such as chronic hepatitis ( figure 1c ) , bile duct damage with associated concentric fibrosis around bile ducts ( figure 1d ) and cholestasis were present in both groups . it seems important to clarify that in our experience concentric fibrosis is much better observed in medium - sized bile ducts ; therefore percutaneous needle biopsies may not be adequate to exclude concentric fibrosis . the differences between the two groups for all of the histologic features were not statistically significant . a&b were taken from a patient with autoimmune hepatitis and c&d from another patient with primary sclerosing cholangitis . a. h&e - stained slide with a 4 lens demonstrates a cirrhotic liver with bands of bridging fibrosis and regenerative nodules . b. trichrome - stained liver with a 4 lens taken at the same area as the h&e - stained section from a highlighting the bridging fibrosis in blue . c. h&e - stained slide with a 40 lens showing extensive chronic inflammation extending beyond the limiting plate and a few compressed bile ducts . d. h&e - stained slide with a 40 lens depicts moderate chronic inflammation surrounding the bile duct . regarding laboratory tests ( tables 3 and 4 ) ; there was no significant difference in the bilirubin , total protein or albumin concentration between patients with aih and those with psc / os . however , there was a trend for increased concentration of transaminases in children with aih compared to psc / os ( table 3 ) , and a trend towards a higher concentration of ggtp in the psc / os group compared to those in the aih group . there were no significant differences for igg , igm and iga serum concentration between both groups ( table 4 ) . both sma and ana showed higher proportion of positive cases in the aih compared to the psc / os group ( table 4 ) . two of the patients in the aih group had positive anti - lkm-1 antibodies and were diagnosed as aih type 2 ( 14% ) . nine ( 41% ) of the patients with aih and two ( 18% ) of the psc / os group underwent liver transplant . two patients ( 9% ) in the aih group died and underwent autopsies : one died of culture - proven pseudomonas bronchopneumonia and the other of hemorrhagic pancreatitis after severe liver rejection . ten patients are alive and well , nine were lost to follow up and other two are having liver rejection . the outcome of the 11 patients in the psc / os group is as follows : five are alive with disease , four are alive and well and two are lost to follow up . as far as we know , all patients with psc / os are alive so far . both liver histology and clinical presentation of aih closely resemble viral hepatitis ; therefore , in order to make the diagnosis of this entity one must exclude viral infections by serology . among the histologic features , one that has been considered more helpful establishing an autoimmune etiology is the presence of plasma cells in the portal triads and sometimes in the acini , however , we found that this feature is not sufficiently specific because we detected plasma cells in 55% of biopsies from patients with psc / os confirmed by imaging studies . on the other hand , concentric fibrosis has been thought to be a reliable histologic diagnostic feature of psc in adults ; but , we detected concentric fibrosis in 44% of biopsies that by autoimmune markers were later categorized as aih . we think that our discrepancy in finding concentric fibrosis in many patients with aih may be due to the fact that some of these specimens are explanted livers and the samples contained numerous medium - sized bile ducts where concentric fibrosis was observed , but it was not as obvious in small bile ducts from percutaneous liver biopsies that are performed at initial stages of the disease . our series also showed abnormal bile duct proliferation in 100% of aih patients and in 80% of the psc group . bile duct proliferation is a non - specific finding as can also be present in patients with extrahepatic biliary atresia , total parenteral nutrition hepatotoxicity , alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency , progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 3 , cholangiolytic hepatitis b , choledochal cyst and inspissated bile duct syndrome . neither cholestasis nor necrosis was a prominent histological feature in our series . the majority of our biopsies and/or explanted livers ( 65% for aih and 55% for psc ) presented at advanced stages of fibrosis ( stage iv ) . this could be due to the fact that our hospital is a tertiary care center with a transplant institute and therefore , many of the patients who can not be managed in other medical centers because of advanced liver disease are transferred to us for possible liver transplant . mann - whitney u - test for continuous variables and fisher s exact test for categorical variables . interestingly , we found that several simple serum chemistry laboratory tests were relatively good indicators of either aih or psc / os . on average , a higher concentration of both ast and alt was seen in patients with aih ; this is consistent with immune - mediated hepatocellular damage . conversely , the average concentration of ggt was higher in patients with psc / os as would be expected from biliary duct cellular damage . the prevalence of aih is one per 200,000 in the us general population , but it could be higher since many times it is not properly diagnosed and the patients present with advanced cirrhosis requiring a liver transplant . there are no large epidemiologic studies of prevalence for aih and psc / os in african - americans and even though our data may be biased because of the large black population that is usually served in our institution , the fact that the majority ( 55% ) of our psc / os patients are black suggests a possible relation to race . regarding the pathogenesis of aih , it is believed that an initial injury in genetically susceptible patients promotes the massive inflammatory response , mainly by cd4 + t - lymphocytes recognizing a self - antigenic peptide on the hepatocytes . a defect in immunoregulation affecting cd4 + cd25 + regulatory t cells has been demonstrated in aih . the pathogenesis of psc seems to be due to chronic portal tract bacterial colonization , toxic bile acid metabolites produced by the intestinal flora , chronic infections and ischemic vascular damage . as expected , we found that 90% of patients with psc / os also have ibd . clinical presentation can guide the pediatric gastroenterologist or hepathologist to favor aih or psc because the degree of jaundice tends to be more severe in psc than in aih and the majority of patients with psc also have ibd , but there is a subset that either never develop ibd or will develop it later in the course of psc presenting a more challenging clinical picture . our data showed that signs and symptoms such as hepatomegaly , splenomegaly , abdominal pain and fatigue are not helpful differentiating between these two entities . we have shown that laboratory tests are extremely helpful not only to rule out viral hepatitis , but also to find out if the patient has autoantibodies indicative of autoimmune disease . cholangiographic studies are indicated whenever there is a suspicion of sclerosing cholangitis and lastly , liver biopsy is required not only to confirm the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis , but also to evaluate disease progression and guide the pediatric hepatologist deciding the proper treatment .
pubmed
many combinatorial problems have linear programming ( _ lp _ ) relaxations that are commonly used for their solution through branch - and - cut algorithms . some of them also have stronger relaxations involving positive semidefinite ( @xmath0 ) constraints . in general , stronger relaxations should be preferred when solving a problem , thus using these @xmath0 relaxations is tempting . however , they come with the drawback of requiring a semidefinite programming ( sdp ) solver , creating practical difficulties for an efficient implementation within a branch - and - cut algorithm . indeed , a major weakness of current sdp solvers compared to lp solvers is their lack of efficient warm starting mechanisms . another weakness is solving problems involving a mix of @xmath0 constraints and a large number of linear inequalities , as these linear inequalities put a heavy toll on the linear algebra steps required during the solution process . in this paper , we investigate lp relaxations of @xmath0 constraints with the aim of capturing most of the strength of the @xmath0 relaxation , while still being able to use an lp solver . the lp relaxation we obtain is an outer - approximation of the @xmath0 cone , with the typical convergence difficulties when aiming to solve problems to optimality . we thus do not cast this work as an efficient way to solve @xmath0 problems , but we aim at finding practical ways to approximate @xmath0 constraints with linear ones . we restrict our experiments to quadratically constrained quadratic program ( _ qcqp _ ) . a qcqp problem with variables @xmath1 and @xmath2 is a problem of the form @xmath3 where , for @xmath4 , @xmath5 is a rational symmetric @xmath6-matrix , @xmath7 is a rational @xmath8-vector , @xmath9 is a rational @xmath10-vector , and @xmath11 . moreover , the lower and upper bounds @xmath12 for @xmath13 , and @xmath14 for @xmath15 are all finite . if @xmath16 is negative semidefinite and @xmath5 is positive semidefinite for each @xmath17 , problem * qcqp * is convex and thus easy to solve . otherwise , the problem is np - hard @xcite . an alternative _ lifted _ formulation for * qcqp * is obtained by replacing each quadratic term @xmath18 with a new variable @xmath19 . let @xmath20 be the matrix with entry @xmath19 corresponding to the quadratic term @xmath18 . for square matrices @xmath21 and @xmath22 of the same dimension , let @xmath23 denote the _ frobenius inner product _ of @xmath21 and @xmath22 , i.e. , the trace of @xmath24 . problem * qcqp * is then equivalent to @xmath25 the difficulty in solving problem * lift * lies in the non - convex constraint @xmath26 . a relaxation , dubbed @xmath0 , that is possible to solve relatively efficiently is obtained by relaxing this constraint to the requirement that @xmath27 be positive semidefinite , i.e. , @xmath28 . an alternative relaxation of * qcqp * , dubbed @xmath29 , is obtained by the reformulation linearization technique @xcite , using products of pairs of original constraints and bounds and replacing nonlinear terms with new variables . anstreicher @xcite compares the @xmath0 and @xmath29 relaxations on a set of quadratic problems with box constraints , i.e. , * qcqp * problems with @xmath30 and with all the variables bounded between 0 and 1 . he shows that the @xmath0 relaxations of these instances are fairly good and that combining the @xmath0 and @xmath29 relaxations yields significantly tighter relaxations than either of the @xmath0 or @xmath29 relaxations . the drawback of combining the two relaxations is that current sdp solvers have difficulties to handle the large number of linear constraints of the @xmath29 . our aim is to solve relaxations of * qcqp * using exclusively linear programming tools . the @xmath29 is readily applicable for our purposes , while the @xmath0 technique requires a cutting plane approach as described in section [ relaxations ] . in section [ framework ] we consider several families of valid cuts . the focus is essentially on capturing the strength of the positive semidefinite condition using standard cuts @xcite , and some sparse versions of these . we analyze empirically the strength of the considered cuts on instances taken from globallib @xcite and quadratic programs with box constraints described in more details in the next section . implementation and computational results are presented in section [ computationalresults ] . finally , section [ conclusions ] summarizes the results and gives possible directions for future research . a typical approach to get bounds on the optimal value of a * qcqp * is to solve a convex relaxation . since our aim is to work with linear relaxations , the first step is to linearize * lift * by relaxing the last constraint to @xmath31 . we thus get the extended formulation @xmath32 * ext * is a linear program with @xmath33 variables and the same number of constraints as * qcqp*. note that the optimal value of * ext * is usually a weak upper bound for * qcqp * , as no constraint links the values of the @xmath34 and @xmath35 variables . two main approaches for doing that have been proposed and are based on relaxations of the last constraint of * lift * , namely @xmath36 they are known as the positive semidefinite ( @xmath0 ) relaxation and the reformulation linearization technique ( @xmath29 ) relaxation . as @xmath37 implies @xmath38 , using this last constraint yields a convex relaxation of * qcqp*. this is the approach used in @xcite , among others . moreover , using schur s complement @xmath39 and defining @xmath40 we can write the @xmath0 relaxation of * qcqp * in the compact form @xmath41 this is a positive semidefinite problem with linear constraints . it can thus be solved in polynomial time using interior point algorithms . * psd * is tighter than usual linear relaxations for problems such as the maximum cut , stable set , and quadratic assignment problems @xcite . all these problems can be formulated as * qcqp*s . the reformulation linearization technique @xcite can be used to produce a relaxation of * qcqp*. it adds linear inequalities to * ext*. these inequalities are derived from the variable bounds and constraints of the original problem as follows : multiply together two original constraints or bounds and replace each product term @xmath18 with the variable @xmath19 . for instance , let @xmath42 be two variables from * qcqp*. by taking into account only the four original bounds @xmath43 , @xmath44 , @xmath45 , @xmath46 , we get the @xmath29 inequalities @xmath47 anstreicher @xcite observes that , for quadratic programs with box constraints , the @xmath0 and @xmath29 constraints together yield much better bounds than those obtained from the * psd * or * rlt * relaxations . in this work , we want to capture the strength of both techniques and generate a linear programming relaxation of * qcqp*. notice that the four inequalities above , introduced by mccormick @xcite , constitute the convex envelope of the set @xmath48 as proven by al - khayyal and falk @xcite , i.e. , they are the tightest relaxation for the single term @xmath19 . while the @xmath29 constraints are linear in the variables in the * ext * formulation and therefore can be added directly to * ext * , this is not the case for the @xmath0 constraint . we use a linear outer - approximation of the * psd * relaxation and a cutting plane framework , adding a linear inequality separating the current solution from the @xmath0 cone . the initial relaxation we use and the various cuts generated by our separation procedure are described in more details in the next sections . our initial relaxation is the * ext * formulation together with the @xmath49 @xmath29 constraints derived from the bounds on the variables @xmath50 . we did not include the @xmath29 constraints derived from the problem constraints due to their large number and the fact that we want to avoid the introduction of extra variables for the multivariate terms that occur when quadratic constraints are multiplied together . the bounds @xmath51 $ ] for the extended variables @xmath19 are computed as follows : @xmath52 in addition , equality ( [ x - xxteq0 ] ) implies @xmath53 . we therefore also make sure that @xmath54 . in the remainder of the paper , this initial relaxation is identified as * ext+rlt*. we use the equivalence that a matrix is positive semidefinite if and only if @xmath55 we can reformulate * psd * as the semi - infinite linear program @xmath56 a practical way to use * psdlp * is to adopt a cutting plane approach to separate constraints ( [ sdplinearcons ] ) as done in @xcite . let @xmath57 be an arbitrary point in the space of the @xmath58 variables . the spectral decomposition of @xmath57 is used to decide if @xmath57 is in the @xmath0 cone or not . let the eigenvalues and corresponding orthonormal eigenvectors of @xmath57 be @xmath59 and @xmath60 for @xmath61 , and assume without loss of generality that @xmath62 and let @xmath63 such that @xmath64 . if @xmath65 , then all the eigenvalues are non negative and @xmath57 is positive semidefinite . otherwise , @xmath66 for @xmath67 . hence , the valid cut @xmath68 is violated by @xmath57 . cuts of the form ( [ cuts : sdpcuts ] ) are called psdcuts in the remainder of the paper . the above procedure has two major weaknesses : first , only one cut is obtained from eigenvector @xmath60 for @xmath67 , while computing the spectral decomposition requires a non trivial investment in cpu time , and second , the cuts are usually very dense , i.e. almost all entries in @xmath69 are nonzero . dense cuts are frowned upon when used in a cutting plane approach , as they might slow down considerably the reoptimization of the linear relaxation . to address these weaknesses , we describe in the next section a heuristic to generate several sparser cuts from each of the vectors @xmath60 for @xmath67 . a simple idea to get sparse cuts is to start with vector @xmath70 , for @xmath67 , and iteratively set to zero some component of @xmath71 , provided that @xmath72 remains sufficiently negative . if the entries are considered in random order , several cuts can be obtained from a single eigenvector @xmath60 . for example , consider the _ procedure in figure [ fig : sparsify ] , taking as parameters an initial vector @xmath73 , a matrix @xmath58 , and two numbers between 0 and 1 , @xmath74 and @xmath75 , that control the maximum percentage of nonzero entries in the final vector and the minimum violation requested for the corresponding cut , respectively . in the procedure , parameter @xmath76 $ ] identifies the size of vector @xmath73 . @xmath77 @xmath78 \cdot pct_{nz } \rfloor$ ] @xmath79 @xmath80 $ ] @xmath81 @xmath82 $ ] [ divers1 ] @xmath83 , @xmath84 \gets 0 $ ] [ assignz ] @xmath85 [ violz ] @xmath86 [ w_i=0 ] @xmath87 @xmath88 it is possible to implement this procedure to run in @xmath49 if @xmath76 = n+1 $ ] : compute and update a vector @xmath10 such that @xmath89 its initial computation takes @xmath49 and its update , after a single entry of @xmath71 is set to 0 , takes @xmath90 . the vector @xmath10 can be used to compute the left hand side of the test in step [ violz ] in constant time given the value of the violation @xmath91 for the inequality generated by the current vector @xmath71 : setting the entry @xmath92 $ ] of @xmath71 to zero reduces the violation by @xmath93 and thus the violation of the resulting vector is @xmath94 . a slight modification of the procedure is used to obtain several cuts from the same eigenvector : change the loop condition in step [ divers1 ] to consider the entries in @xmath95 in cyclical order , from all possible starting points @xmath96 in @xmath97\}$ ] , with the additional condition that entry @xmath98 is not set to 0 when starting from @xmath96 to guarantee that we do not generate always the same cut . from our experiments , this simple idea produces collections of sparse and well - diversified cuts . this is referred to as sparse1 in the remainder of the paper . we also consider the following variant of the procedure given in figure [ fig : sparsify ] . given a vector @xmath71 , let @xmath99}$ ] be the principal minor of @xmath58 induced by the indices of the nonzero entries in @xmath71 . replace step [ assignz ] with _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [ assignz ] . @xmath100 where @xmath101 is an eigenvector corresponding to the most negative eigenvalue of a spectral decomposition of @xmath99}$ ] , @xmath84 \gets 0 $ ] . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ this is referred to as sparse2 in the remainder , and we call the cuts generated by sparse1 or sparse2 described above _ sparse @xmath0 cuts_. once sparse @xmath0 cuts are generated , for each vector @xmath71 generated , we can also add all @xmath0 cuts given by the eigenvectors corresponding to negative eigenvalues of a spectral decomposition of @xmath99}$ ] . these cuts are valid and sparse . they are called _ minor _ @xmath0 _ cuts _ and denoted by minor in the following . an experiment to determine good values for the parameters @xmath74 and @xmath75 was performed on the 38 globallib instances and 51 boxqp instances described in section [ instances ] . it is run by selecting two sets of three values in @xmath102 $ ] , @xmath103 for @xmath75 and @xmath104 for @xmath74 . the nine possible combinations of these parameter values are used and the best of the nine @xmath105 is selected . we then center and reduce the possible ranges around @xmath106 and @xmath107 , respectively , and repeat the operation . the procedure is stopped when the best candidate parameters are @xmath108 and the size of the ranges satisfy @xmath109 and @xmath110 . in order to select the best value of the parameters , we compare the bounds obtained by both algorithms after @xmath111 , and @xmath112 seconds of computation . at each of these times , we count the number of times each algorithm outperforms the other by at least @xmath113 and the winner is the algorithm with the largest number of wins over the 6 clocked times . it is worth noting that typically the majority of the comparisons end up as ties , implying that the results are not extremely sensitive to the selected values for the parameters . for sparse1 , the best parameter values are @xmath114 and @xmath115 . for sparse2 , they are @xmath114 and @xmath116 . these values are used in all experiments using either sparse1 or sparse2 in the remainder of the paper . in the implementation , we have used the open solver interface ( osi-0.97.1 ) from coin - or @xcite to create and modify the lps and to interface with the lp solvers ilog cplex-11.1 . to compute eigenvalues and eigenvectors , we use the dsyevx function provided by the lapack library version 3.1.1 . we also include a cut management procedure to reduce the number of constraints in the outer approximation lp . this procedure , applied at the end of each iteration , removes the cuts that are not satisfied with equality by the optimal solution . note however that the constraints from the * ext+rlt * formulation are never removed , only constraints from added cutting planes are possibly removed . the machine used for the tests is a 64 bit 2.66ghz amd processor , 64 gb of ram memory , and linux kernel 2.6.29 . tolerances on the accuracy of the primal and dual solutions of the lp solver and lapack calls are set to @xmath117 . the set of instances used for most experiments consists of 51 boxqp instances with at most 50 variables and the 38 globallib instances as described in section [ instances ] . for an instance @xmath118 and a given relaxation of it , we define the _ gap closed _ by the relaxation as @xmath119 where @xmath120 and @xmath29 are the optimal value for the given relaxation and the * ext+rlt * relaxation respectively , and @xmath121 is either the optimal value of @xmath118 or the best known value for a feasible solution . the @xmath121 values are taken from @xcite . tests are performed on a subset of instances from globallib @xcite and on box constrained quadratic programs ( boxqps ) @xcite . globallib contains 413 continuous global optimization problems of various sizes and types , such as boxqps , problems with complementarity constraints , and general qcqps . following @xcite , we select 160 instances from globallib having at most 50 variables and that can easily be formulated as * qcqp*. the conversion of a non - linear expression into a quadratic expression , when possible , is performed by adding new variables and constraints to the problem . additionally , bounds on the variables are derived using linear programming techniques and these bound are included in the formulation . from these 160 instances in ampl format , we substitute each bilinear term @xmath18 by the new variable @xmath19 as described for the * lift * formulation . we build two collections of linearized instances in mps format , one with the original precision on the coefficients and right hand side , and the second with 8-digit precision . in our experiments we used the latter . as observed in @xcite , using together the * sdp * and * rlt * relaxations yields stronger bounds than those given by the * rlt * relaxation only for 38 out of 160 globallib instances . hence , we focus on these 38 instances to test the effectiveness of the @xmath0 cuts and their sparse versions . the boxqp collection contains 90 instances with a number of variables ranging from 20 to 100 . due to time limit constraints and the number of experiments to run , we consider only instances with a number of variables between 20 to 50 , for a total of 51 boxqp problems . the converted globallib and boxqp instances are available in mps format from @xcite . we first compare the effectiveness of the various classes of cuts when used in combination with the standard psdcuts . for these tests , at most 1,000 cutting iterations are performed , at most 600 seconds are used , and operations are stopped if tailing off is detected . more precisely , let @xmath122 be the optimal value of the linear relaxation at iteration @xmath123 . the operations are halted if @xmath124 and @xmath125 . a cut purging procedure is used to remove cuts that are not tight at iteration @xmath123 if the condition @xmath126 is satisfied . on average in each iteration the algorithm generates @xmath127 cuts , of which only @xmath128 are are kept by the cut purging procedure and the rest are discarded . in order to compare two different cutting plane algorithms , we compare the closed gaps values first after a fixed number of iterations , and second at several given times , for all qcqp instances at avail . comparisons at fixed iterations indicate the quality of the cuts , irrespective of the time used to generate them . comparisons at given times are useful if only limited time is available for running the cutting plane algorithms and a good approximation of the @xmath0 cone is sought . the closed gaps obtained at a given point are deemed different only if their difference is at least @xmath129 of the initial gap . we report comparisons for @xmath130 and @xmath131 . comparisons at one point is possible only if both algorithms reach that point . the number of problems for which this does not happen because , at a given time , either result was not available or one of the two algorithms had already stopped , or because either algorithm had terminated in fewer iterations is listed in the `` inc . '' ( incomparable ) columns in the tables . for the remaining problems , we report the percentage of problems for which one algorithm is better than the other and the percentage of problems were they are tied . finally , we also report the average improvement in gap closed for the second algorithm over the first algorithm in the column labeled `` impr . '' . tests are first performed to decide which combination of the sparse1 , sparse2 and minor cuts perform best on average . based on tables [ bound@iter_sdpcuts_sparsecuts1_minorsdpcutsvssdpcuts_sparsecuts2_minorsdpcuts ] and [ bound@time_sdpcuts_sparsecuts1_minorsdpcutsvssdpcuts_sparsecuts2_minorsdpcuts ] below , we conclude that using minor is useful both in terms of iteration and time , and that the algorithm using psdcut+sparse2+minor ( abbreviated _ s2 m _ in the remainder ) dominates the algorithm using psdcut+sparse1+minor ( abbreviated _ s1 m _ ) both in terms of iteration and time . table [ bound@iter_sdpcuts_sparsecuts1_minorsdpcutsvssdpcuts_sparsecuts2_minorsdpcuts ] gives the comparison between s1 m and s2 m at different iterations . s2 m dominates clearly s1 m in the very first iteration and after 200 iterations , while after the first few iterations s1 m also manages to obtain good bounds . table [ bound@time_sdpcuts_sparsecuts1_minorsdpcutsvssdpcuts_sparsecuts2_minorsdpcuts ] gives the comparison between these two algorithms at different times . for comparisons with @xmath132 , s1 m is better than s2 m only in at most 2.25% of the problems , while the converse varies between roughly 50% ( at early times ) and 8% ( for late times ) . for @xmath133 , s2 m still dominates s1 m in most cases . sparse cuts yield better bounds than using solely the standard @xmath0 cuts . the observed improvement is around 3% and 5% respectively for sparse1 and sparse2 . when we are using the minor cuts , this value gets to 6% and 8% respectively for each type of sparsification algorithm used . table [ bound@iter_sdpcutsvssdpcuts_sparsecuts2_minorsdpcuts ] compares psdcut ( abbreviated by _ s _ ) with s2 m . the table shows that the sparse cuts generated by the sparsification procedures and minor @xmath0 cuts yield better bounds than the standard cutting plane algorithm at fixed iterations . comparisons performed at fixed times , on the other hand , show that considering the whole set of instances we do not get any improvement in the first 60 to 120 seconds of computation ( see table [ bound@time_sdpcutsvssdpcuts_sparsecuts2_minorsdpcuts ] ) . indeed s2 m initially performs worse than the standard cutting plane algorithm , but after 60 to 120 seconds , it produces better bounds on average . in section [ appendix ] detailed computational results are given in tables [ detailedbound@iter_sdpcutsvssdpcuts_sparsecuts2_minorsdpcuts ] and [ detailedbound@time_sdpcutsvssdpcuts_sparsecuts2_minorsdpcuts ] where for each instance we compare the duality gap closed by s and s2 m at several iterations and times . the initial duality gap is obtained as in ( [ eq : gapclosed ] ) as @xmath134 . we then let s2 m run with no time limit until the value @xmath96 obtained does not improve by at least 0.01% over ten consecutive iterations . this value @xmath96 is an upper bound on the value of the * psd+rlt * relaxation . the column `` bound '' in the tables gives the value of @xmath135 as a percentage of the gap @xmath134 , i.e. an approximation of the percentage of the gap closed by the * psd+rlt * relaxation . the columns labeled s and s2 m in the tables give the gap closed by the corresponding algorithms at different iterations . note that although s2 m relies on numerous spectral decomposition computations , most of its running time is spent in generating cuts and reoptimization of the lp . for example , on the boxqp instances with a time limit of 300 seconds , the average percentage of cpu time spent for obtaining spectral decompositions is below 21 for instances of size 30 , below 15 for instances of size 40 and below 7 for instances of size 50 . this paper studies linearizations of the @xmath0 cone based on spectral decompositions . sparsification of eigenvectors corresponding to negative eigenvalues is shown to produce useful cuts in practice , in particular when the minor cuts are used . the goal of capturing most of the strength of an @xmath0 relaxation through linear inequalities is achieved , although tailing off occurs relatively quickly . as an illustration of typical behavior of a @xmath0 solver and our linear outer - approximation scheme , consider the two instances , spar020 - 100 - 1 and spar030 - 060 - 1 , with respectively 20 and 30 variables . we use the sdp solver sedumi and s2 m , keeping track at each iteration of the bound achieved and the time spent . figure [ sdp0201001 ] and figure [ sdp0300601 ] compare the bounds obtained by the two solvers at a given time . for the small size instance spar020 - 100 - 1 , we note that s2 m converges to the bound value more than twenty times faster than sedumi . in the medium size instance spar030 - 060 - 1 we note that s2 m closes a large gap in the first ten to twenty iterations , and then tailing off occurs . to compute the exact bound , sedumi requires 408 seconds while s2 m requires 2,442 seconds to reach the same precision . nevertheless , for our purposes , most of the benefits of the @xmath0 constraints are captured in the early iterations . two additional improvements are possible . the first one is to use a cut separation procedure for the rlt inequalities , avoiding their inclusion in the initial lp and managing them as other cutting planes . this could potentially speed up the reoptimization of the lp . another possibility is to use a mix of the s and s2 m algorithms , using the former in the early iterations and then switching to the latter . the authors warmly thank anureet saxena for the useful discussions that led to the results obtained in this work . 99 f. a. al - 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[ sdp0201001 ] [ sdp0300601 ] .comparison of s1 m with s2 m at several iterations . [ cols="^,^,^,^,^,^,^,^,^ " , ] r|rr|r|rr|rr|rr + & & & & & & + instance & @xmath136 & @xmath137 & bound & s & s2 m & s & s2 m & s & s2 m + + circle & 3 & 0 & 45.79 & 0.00 & 0.00 & 10.97 & 41.31 & 45.77 & 45.79 + dispatch & 3 & 1 & 100.00 & 25.59 & 27.92 & 37.25 & 35.76 & 95.90 & 92.17 + ex2_1_10 & 20 & 0 & 22.05 & 3.93 & 8.65 & 15.93 & 21.05 & 22.05 & 22.05 + ex3_1_2 & 5 & 0 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 + ex4_1_1 & 3 & 0 & 100.00 & 99.81 & 99.84 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + ex4_1_3 & 3 & 0 & 56.40 & 0.00 & 0.00 & 51.19 & 51.19 & 56.40 & 56.40 + ex4_1_4 & 3 & 0 & 100.00 & 22.33 & 42.78 & 98.98 & 99.98 & 100.00 & 100.00 + ex4_1_6 & 3 & 0 & 100.00 & 69.44 & 69.87 & 92.62 & 99.94 & 100.00 & 100.00 + ex4_1_7 & 3 & 0 & 100.00 & 18.00 & 48.17 & 96.86 & 99.90 & 100.00 & 100.00 + ex4_1_8 & 3 & 0 & 100.00 & 56.90 & 81.93 & 99.76 & 99.93 & 100.00 & 100.00 + ex8_1_4 & 4 & 0 & 100.00 & 94.91 & 95.19 & 99.98 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + ex8_1_5 & 5 & 0 & 68.26 & 32.32 & 39.17 & 59.01 & 66.76 & 68.00 & 68.25 + ex8_1_7 & 9 & 0 & 77.43 & 3.04 & 33.75 & 33.13 & 53.44 & 64.03 & 75.38 + ex8_4_1 & 21 & 1 & 91.81 & 4.45 & 21.80 & 18.60 & 45.08 & 38.07 & 69.83 + ex9_2_1 & 10 & 0 & 54.52 & 0.00 & 42.55 & 0.01 & 50.13 & 0.01 & 51.90 + ex9_2_2 & 10 & 0 & 70.37 & 0.00 & 14.08 & 2.34 & 51.97 & 7.12 & 69.41 + ex9_2_4 & 6 & 2 & 99.87 & 0.00 & 24.84 & 25.24 & 99.85 & 86.37 & 99.87 + ex9_2_6 & 16 & 0 & 99.88 & 3.50 & 99.42 & 23.09 & 99.86 & 62.32 & 99.88 + ex9_2_7 & 10 & 0 & 42.30 & 0.00 & 4.59 & 0.00 & 27.34 & 3.14 & 34.91 + himmel11 & 5 & 4 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 + hydro & 12 & 19 & 52.06 & 0.00 & 20.87 & 21.95 & 29.03 & 26.04 & 31.39 + mathopt1 & 4 & 0 & 100.00 & 95.76 & 100.00 & 99.96 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + mathopt2 & 3 & 0 & 100.00 & 99.84 & 99.93 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + meanvar & 7 & 1 & 100.00 & 0.00 & 0.00 & 78.35 & 95.84 & 100.00 & 100.00 + nemhaus & 5 & 0 & 53.97 & 26.00 & 26.41 & 48.49 & 50.16 & 53.87 & 53.96 + prob06 & 2 & 0 & 100.00 & 90.61 & 92.39 & 98.39 & 98.39 & 98.39 & 98.39 + prob09 & 3 & 1 & 100.00 & 0.00 & 99.00 & 61.14 & 99.96 & 99.64 & 100.00 + process & 9 & 3 & 8.00 & 0.00 & 4.25 & 0.00 & 4.98 & 0.00 & 5.73 + qp1 & 50 & 0 & 100.00 & 79.59 & 89.09 & 93.89 & 99.77 & 98.93 & 100.00 + qp2 & 50 & 0 & 100.00 & 55.94 & 70.99 & 82.42 & 93.92 & 93.04 & 99.35 + rbrock & 3 & 0 & 100.00 & 97.48 & 100.00 & 99.96 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + st_e10 & 3 & 1 & 100.00 & 56.90 & 81.93 & 99.76 & 99.93 & 100.00 & 100.00 + st_e18 & 2 & 0 & 100.00 & 0.00 & 0.00 & 98.72 & 98.72 & 100.00 & 100.00 + st_e19 & 3 & 1 & 93.51 & 5.14 & 15.93 & 29.97 & 60.10 & 93.40 & 93.50 + st_e25 & 4 & 0 & 87.55 & 55.80 & 55.80 & 87.02 & 87.01 & 87.23 & 87.23 + st_e28 & 5 & 4 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 & 49.75 + st_iqpbk1 & 8 & 0 & 97.99 & 71.99 & 76.69 & 97.20 & 97.95 & 97.99 & 97.99 + st_iqpbk2 & 8 & 0 & 97.93 & 70.55 & 75.16 & 94.93 & 97.52 & 97.93 & 97.93 + spar020 - 100 - 1 & 20 & 0 & 100.00 & 91.15 & 94.64 & 99.77 & 99.99 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar020 - 100 - 2 & 20 & 0 & 99.70 & 90.12 & 92.64 & 98.17 & 99.32 & 99.66 & 99.69 + spar020 - 100 - 3 & 20 & 0 & 100.00 & 96.96 & 98.51 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar030 - 060 - 1 & 30 & 0 & 98.87 & 43.53 & 53.64 & 79.61 & 87.39 & 93.90 & 97.14 + spar030 - 060 - 2 & 30 & 0 & 100.00 & 80.74 & 89.73 & 99.89 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar030 - 060 - 3 & 30 & 0 & 99.40 & 67.43 & 71.94 & 91.48 & 95.68 & 98.75 & 99.26 + spar030 - 070 - 1 & 30 & 0 & 97.99 & 49.05 & 54.94 & 76.54 & 86.51 & 91.15 & 95.68 + spar030 - 070 - 2 & 30 & 0 & 100.00 & 81.19 & 85.82 & 99.26 & 99.99 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar030 - 070 - 3 & 30 & 0 & 99.98 & 85.97 & 87.43 & 98.44 & 99.52 & 99.92 & 99.97 + spar030 - 080 - 1 & 30 & 0 & 98.99 & 64.44 & 70.99 & 87.32 & 92.11 & 96.23 & 98.01 + spar030 - 080 - 2 & 30 & 0 & 100.00 & 92.78 & 95.45 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar030 - 080 - 3 & 30 & 0 & 100.00 & 92.71 & 94.18 & 99.99 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar030 - 090 - 1 & 30 & 0 & 100.00 & 80.37 & 86.35 & 97.27 & 99.30 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar030 - 090 - 2 & 30 & 0 & 100.00 & 86.09 & 89.26 & 98.13 & 99.65 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar030 - 090 - 3 & 30 & 0 & 100.00 & 90.65 & 91.56 & 99.97 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar030 - 100 - 1 & 30 & 0 & 100.00 & 77.28 & 83.25 & 95.20 & 98.30 & 99.85 & 100.00 + spar030 - 100 - 2 & 30 & 0 & 99.96 & 76.78 & 81.65 & 93.44 & 96.84 & 98.70 & 99.72 + spar030 - 100 - 3 & 30 & 0 & 99.85 & 86.82 & 88.74 & 97.45 & 98.75 & 99.75 & 99.83 + spar040 - 030 - 1 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 25.60 & 41.96 & 73.59 & 84.72 & 99.13 & 100.00 + spar040 - 030 - 2 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 30.93 & 53.39 & 79.34 & 95.62 & 99.46 & 100.00 + spar040 - 030 - 3 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 9.21 & 31.38 & 66.46 & 86.62 & 98.53 & 100.00 + spar040 - 040 - 1 & 40 & 0 & 96.74 & 23.62 & 29.03 & 63.04 & 75.93 & 85.93 & 93.29 + spar040 - 040 - 2 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 33.17 & 48.87 & 89.08 & 97.94 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar040 - 040 - 3 & 40 & 0 & 99.18 & 21.77 & 30.31 & 70.44 & 80.96 & 91.37 & 96.69 + spar040 - 050 - 1 & 40 & 0 & 99.42 & 35.62 & 44.87 & 73.11 & 84.05 & 92.81 & 97.21 + spar040 - 050 - 2 & 40 & 0 & 99.48 & 36.79 & 47.68 & 82.38 & 91.27 & 97.26 & 98.93 + spar040 - 050 - 3 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 41.91 & 51.72 & 84.04 & 90.70 & 96.88 & 99.34 + spar040 - 060 - 1 & 40 & 0 & 98.09 & 46.22 & 52.89 & 81.65 & 87.28 & 92.39 & 95.97 + spar040 - 060 - 2 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 63.02 & 72.87 & 94.09 & 97.66 & 99.78 & 100.00 + spar040 - 060 - 3 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 78.09 & 87.91 & 99.30 & 99.99 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar040 - 070 - 1 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 64.02 & 71.33 & 93.92 & 97.35 & 99.77 & 100.00 + spar040 - 070 - 2 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 67.49 & 76.78 & 95.12 & 97.97 & 99.97 & 100.00 + spar040 - 070 - 3 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 70.13 & 79.43 & 95.65 & 97.99 & 99.75 & 100.00 + spar040 - 080 - 1 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 63.06 & 69.40 & 91.09 & 95.44 & 99.00 & 99.97 + spar040 - 080 - 2 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 71.42 & 79.77 & 94.98 & 97.62 & 99.92 & 100.00 + spar040 - 080 - 3 & 40 & 0 & 99.99 & 83.93 & 88.65 & 97.76 & 98.86 & 99.81 & 99.95 + spar040 - 090 - 1 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 75.73 & 79.96 & 95.34 & 97.43 & 99.46 & 99.91 + spar040 - 090 - 2 & 40 & 0 & 99.97 & 76.39 & 80.97 & 95.16 & 96.72 & 99.20 & 99.81 + spar040 - 090 - 3 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 84.90 & 87.04 & 98.33 & 99.52 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar040 - 100 - 1 & 40 & 0 & 100.00 & 87.64 & 90.43 & 98.27 & 99.35 & 99.98 & 100.00 + spar040 - 100 - 2 & 40 & 0 & 99.87 & 79.78 & 83.02 & 94.58 & 96.76 & 98.74 & 99.50 + spar040 - 100 - 3 & 40 & 0 & 98.70 & 72.69 & 78.31 & 90.83 & 93.03 & 95.84 & 97.36 + spar050 - 030 - 1 & 50 & 0 & 100.00 & 3.11 & 17.60 & 58.23 & 79.98 & - & - + spar050 - 030 - 2 & 50 & 0 & 99.27 & 1.35 & 16.67 & 51.11 & 70.58 & - & - + spar050 - 030 - 3 & 50 & 0 & 99.29 & 0.08 & 13.63 & 50.19 & 67.46 & - & - + spar050 - 040 - 1 & 50 & 0 & 100.00 & 23.13 & 30.86 & 72.10 & 81.73 & - & - + spar050 - 040 - 2 & 50 & 0 & 99.39 & 21.89 & 34.45 & 71.24 & 81.63 & - & - + spar050 - 040 - 3 & 50 & 0 & 100.00 & 27.18 & 37.42 & 83.96 & 91.70 & - & - + spar050 - 050 - 1 & 50 & 0 & 93.02 & 25.24 & 33.77 & 61.42 & 68.75 & - & - + spar050 - 050 - 2 & 50 & 0 & 98.74 & 32.10 & 41.26 & 77.48 & 83.48 & - & - + spar050 - 050 - 3 & 50 & 0 & 98.84 & 38.57 & 44.67 & 80.97 & 85.36 & - & - + average & - & - & - & 48.75 & 59.00 & 75.53 & 84.39 & 85.85 & 89.60 ex4_1_4 & 100.00 & - & 100.00 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + ex8_1_4 & 100.00 & - & 100.00 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + ex8_1_7 & 77.43 & 77.43 & 77.37 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + ex8_4_1 & 91.81 & 28.14 & 36.24 & 61.60 & 90.43 & - & - & - & - & - & - + ex9_2_2 & 70.37 & - & 70.35 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + ex9_2_6 & 99.88 & 96.28 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + hydro & 52.06 & 26.43 & 31.46 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + mathopt2 & 100.00 & - & 100.00 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + process & 8.00 & - & 7.66 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + qp1 & 100.00 & 79.99 & 80.28 & 98.22 & 99.52 & 99.73 & 99.96 & 99.92 & 99.98 & 99.99 & 100.00 + qp2 & 100.00 & 55.82 & 55.27 & 91.74 & 95.56 & 95.86 & 98.69 & 97.41 & 99.66 & 98.80 & 100.00 + spar020 - 100 - 1 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar020 - 100 - 2 & 99.70 & 99.67 & 99.61 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar020 - 100 - 3 & 100.00 & - & 100.00 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar030 - 060 - 1 & 98.87 & 69.98 & 58.72 & 96.53 & 97.61 & 98.45 & 98.70 & 98.68 & 98.82 & - & - + spar030 - 060 - 2 & 100.00 & 96.52 & 91.05 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar030 - 060 - 3 & 99.40 & 82.99 & 76.15 & 99.27 & 99.32 & 99.38 & 99.39 & 99.39 & 99.40 & 99.40 & 99.40 + spar030 - 070 - 1 & 97.99 & 69.81 & 60.36 & 94.50 & 96.38 & 97.29 & 97.73 & 97.70 & 97.91 & - & 97.98 + spar030 - 070 - 2 & 100.00 & 96.05 & 87.93 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar030 - 070 - 3 & 99.98 & 96.26 & 90.42 & 99.98 & 99.98 & 99.98 & 99.98 & - & 99.98 & - & - + spar030 - 080 - 1 & 98.99 & 83.36 & 74.42 & 97.80 & 98.11 & 98.74 & 98.88 & 98.89 & 98.96 & - & 98.99 + spar030 - 080 - 2 & 100.00 & 99.83 & 96.70 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar030 - 080 - 3 & 100.00 & 99.88 & 95.87 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar030 - 090 - 1 & 100.00 & 92.86 & 87.69 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar030 - 090 - 2 & 100.00 & 93.80 & 88.46 & - & 100.00 & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar030 - 090 - 3 & 100.00 & 97.78 & 91.35 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar030 - 100 - 1 & 100.00 & 91.04 & 84.34 & 100.00 & 100.00 & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar030 - 100 - 2 & 99.96 & 90.21 & 83.14 & 99.56 & 99.75 & 99.91 & 99.95 & 99.95 & 99.96 & - & 99.96 + spar030 - 100 - 3 & 99.85 & 94.26 & 89.55 & 99.84 & 99.84 & 99.85 & 99.85 & 99.85 & 99.85 & 99.85 & 99.85 + spar040 - 030 - 1 & 100.00 & 28.97 & 40.51 & 89.30 & 84.19 & 99.06 & 99.98 & 99.98 & 100.00 & - & 100.00 + spar040 - 030 - 2 & 100.00 & 31.97 & 48.01 & 94.01 & 96.39 & 99.58 & 99.98 & 99.99 & 100.00 & - & - + spar040 - 030 - 3 & 100.00 & 9.20 & 27.59 & 81.66 & 85.43 & 97.25 & 99.86 & 99.81 & 100.00 & 100.00 & - + spar040 - 040 - 1 & 96.74 & 19.38 & 22.90 & 70.35 & 75.45 & 80.73 & 88.63 & 85.34 & 92.29 & 90.79 & 94.74 + spar040 - 040 - 2 & 100.00 & 24.51 & 29.87 & 98.63 & 98.60 & 100.00 & 100.00 & - & - & - & - + spar040 - 040 - 3 & 99.18 & 20.88 & 21.31 & 78.28 & 79.31 & 86.02 & 91.22 & 89.52 & 95.04 & 94.07 & 97.71 + spar040 - 050 - 1 & 99.42 & 28.96 & 21.27 & 80.18 & 84.01 & 88.70 & 94.62 & 92.75 & 96.71 & 96.53 & 98.32 + spar040 - 050 - 2 & 99.48 & 29.52 & 16.91 & 91.33 & 91.42 & 97.01 & 97.97 & 98.26 & 98.87 & - & 99.31 + spar040 - 050 - 3 & 100.00 & 28.67 & 19.81 & 90.03 & 90.72 & 95.68 & 97.51 & 97.49 & 99.08 & 98.92 & 99.89 + spar040 - 060 - 1 & 98.09 & 37.16 & 17.10 & 86.26 & 87.13 & 90.18 & 93.50 & 92.25 & 95.32 & 95.05 & 96.84 + spar040 - 060 - 2 & 100.00 & 39.57 & 22.83 & 98.09 & 98.22 & 99.90 & 99.96 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 & - + spar040 - 060 - 3 & 100.00 & 52.41 & 30.57 & 100.00 & 99.99 & - & - & - & - & - & - + spar040 - 070 - 1 & 100.00 & 50.01 & 21.79 & 97.74 & 97.78 & 99.80 & 99.87 & 99.97 & 99.99 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar040 - 070 - 2 & 100.00 & 47.57 & 25.19 & 98.81 & 98.46 & 99.99 & 99.99 & 100.00 & 100.00 & - & - + spar040 - 070 - 3 & 100.00 & 47.22 & 21.95 & 98.96 & 98.70 & 99.88 & 99.92 & 99.98 & 100.00 & 100.00 & 100.00 + spar040 - 080 - 1 & 100.00 & 51.66 & 28.00 & 95.13 & 95.38 & 98.29 & 99.05 & 99.09 & 99.74 & 99.77 & 99.99 + spar040 - 080 - 2 & 100.00 & 52.24 & 25.94 & 98.71 & 98.31 & 99.95 & 99.97 & 100.00 & 100.00 & - & - + spar040 - 080 - 3 & 99.99 & 56.05 & 26.98 & 99.54 & 99.25 & 99.89 & 99.88 & 99.94 & 99.95 & 99.97 & 99.98 + spar040 - 090 - 1 & 100.00 & 59.71 & 28.17 & 98.10 & 97.86 & 99.43 & 99.61 & 99.70 & 99.86 & 99.90 & 99.99 + spar040 - 090 - 2 & 99.97 & 59.14 & 29.82 & 97.83 & 97.70 & 99.34 & 99.58 & 99.68 & 99.81 & 99.86 & 99.93 + spar040 - 090 - 3 & 100.00 & 63.07 & 34.62 & 99.94 & 99.85 & 100.00 & 100.00 & - & - & - & - + spar040 - 100 - 1 & 100.00 & 69.47 & 28.24 & 99.66 & 99.47 & 99.99 & 99.99 & 100.00 & 100.00 & - & - + spar040 - 100 - 2 & 99.87 & 65.27 & 26.07 & 97.34 & 96.87 & 98.60 & 98.98 & 99.02 & 99.39 & 99.44 & 99.69 + spar040 - 100 - 3 & 98.70 & 61.40 & 29.61 & 93.01 & 93.17 & 94.91 & 96.02 & 95.81 & 97.00 & 96.84 & 97.77 + spar050 - 030 - 1 & 100.00 & 0.37 & 3.63 & 54.46 & 37.52 & 70.10 & 73.34 & 76.87 & 84.75 & 86.23 & 96.33 + spar050 - 030 - 2 & 99.27 & 0.08 & 2.79 & 44.68 & 38.62 & 59.58 & 64.94 & 67.79 & 74.98 & 77.02 & 86.58 + spar050 - 030 - 3 & 99.29 & 0.00 & 2.75 & 44.32 & 32.31 & 57.13 & 59.07 & 62.54 & 68.99 & 71.18 & 82.86 + spar050 - 040 - 1 & 100.00 & 3.76 & 1.77 & 69.97 & 56.87 & 77.15 & 78.30 & 80.31 & 84.30 & 84.90 & 91.79 + spar050 - 040 - 2 & 99.39 & 2.08 & 2.84 & 68.64 & 58.47 & 77.72 & 77.61 & 81.54 & 83.63 & 86.40 & 90.94 + spar050 - 040 - 3 & 100.00 & 1.76 & 2.31 & 79.44 & 65.71 & 89.73 & 87.74 & 92.67 & 93.00 & 95.99 & 97.69 + spar050 - 050 - 1 & 93.02 & 4.91 & 1.84 & 60.64 & 53.28 & 65.52 & 66.42 & 66.81 & 70.38 & 68.45 & 74.76 + spar050 - 050 - 2 & 98.74 & 6.18 & 3.39 & 76.56 & 68.33 & 82.34 & 82.21 & 84.94 & 86.52 & - & 91.34 + spar050 - 050 - 3 & 98.84 & 6.12 & 2.82 & 79.38 & 69.23 & 84.95 & 83.23 & 86.99 & 86.98 & 89.77 & 91.57 + average & - & 51.45 & 42.96 & 87.50 & 86.38 & 92.14 & 93.22 & 93.18 & 94.77 & 93.16 & 95.86 +
arxiv
EASTERN PROMISES Written by Steven Knight 1 EXT. A STREET NEAR BRICK LANE - EVENING 1 It's 5.30pm in late December and rain is pouring. The scant Christmas decorations are hanging limp in the rain. A young Turk (EKREM) runs through the rain with a Turkish newspaper held over his head. He ducks into a traditional barber's shop called Ozim's. 2 INT. OZIM'S BARBER SHOP - EVENING 2 The shutters are drawn. OZIM (a plump middle-aged Turk) is cutting the hair of the last customer of the day (SOYKA). Soyka is a Chechen, well-groomed, wearing a sharp suit beneath the barber's gown. During the conversation we glimpse distinctive eagle- and star-shaped tattoos on Soyka's arms and hands. Ozim and Soyka are chatting as Ekrem enters. Soyka speaks with a Russian accent. OZIM Guvenilmez... daginik... bloody kids, you know... he says - `but Amca it's Christmas?... Christmas! We're Islam! SOYKA Oi, how much are you taking off? OZIM Christmas! So I said to him... alisverise cimac. The kid's sixteen... Ozim brushes some hair off the customer's shoulder and Ozim finally acknowledges Ekrem, who is shivering and wet near to the door. Ekrem turns the `Open' sign to `Closed'. OZIM (CONT'D) They don't want to work do they. Shicma.... EKREM (hesitantly interrupting) Uncle Ozim....... We see for the first time that Ekrem is shaking with fear as well as cold. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 2. 2 CONTINUED: 2 OZIM This is him. The kid I'm talking about. Ekrem approaches, stiffened by terror. Soyka nods at Ekrem in the mirror. SOYKA He looks OK to me... how you doin' Ekrem? Soyka offers Ekrem a hand to shake and Ekrem stares at it as if it were enchanted... OZIM He looks OK, yeah, but he won't do one lousy thing for me. Here, look... Ekrem, take this... Ozim takes an open razor from behind a line of hair-tonic bottles and hands it to Ekrem, who now looks mortally terrified. EKREM Ozim... memnum etmek. OZIM We had a deal now he's backing out. SOYKA (laughing) Hey Ozim, leave the kid alone. It's obviously a psychological thing... OZIM Take it Ekrem. SOYKA Ozim, it's OK. I don't want a shave. OZIM This is the kid who walks around like Al Capone. Take the fucking ustura and finish this Rushca. SOYKA (startled) What? (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 3. 2 CONTINUED: (2) 2 Soyka rises up from the seat, casting off his barber's gown. Ozim yells `kabuka! And Ekrem snarls, flicks open the razor and drags it across Soyka's throat. Soyka's scream bubbles in the blood. 3 EXT. KILBURN HIGH ROAD - NIGHT 3 We dissolve to a Christmas decoration flashing on and off in the rain, high on a lamp post in Kilburn High Road. We pan down the lamp post to the High Road where revelers are hurrying through the rain. We see a young girl (TATIANA) hurrying across the street, wrapped in a dressing gown with a man's overcoat thrown over the top of it. Her hair is soaked as she approaches an all night chemist's shop. She is barefoot. 4 INT. CHEMIST'S SHOP - NIGHT 4 The CHEMIST is delivering advice in Gujurati to a CUSTOMER. Tatiana wipes rain from her face and the Chemist and the customer react to her ragged appearance. TATIANA (Russian accent) Please... I have... CHEMIST For methadone I need to see paper prescription. The customer looks at Tatiana's feet and reacts. We see blood trickling down her legs. Tatiana looks down, then faints onto the floor. 5 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. OPERATING WARD - NIGHT 5 We see Tatiana unconscious on a wheeled trolley bursting through double doors into the operating ward of Trafalgar hospital. The trolley is accompanied by TWO NURSES, a JUNIOR DOCTOR and a midwife, (ANNA KHITROVA). The two PARAMEDICS who brought her are following behind the trolley. ANNA Did you get a name? PARAMEDIC No. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 4. 5 CONTINUED: 5 CUT TO 6 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. OPERATING THEATER - NIGHT 6 A tiny brown handbag is being shaken empty by a nurse. Tatiana is being prepared for an emergency Caesarean. The theater is full of people in scrubs, including an anesthetist. Monitors and drips are being attached at double speed. We notice that her arms are already dotted with festering needle marks. A nurse searches through the contents of the handbag and we can hear frantic activity from the operating table.... NURSE 1 Her stats are very poor, very poor. Baby's very distressed. Anna approaches the nurse, who is rummaging through the contents of the bag. We see a business card from a restaurant called `The Trans-Siberian', a St. Christopher necklace and a tiny battered diary. Anna grabs the diary. JUNIOR DOCTOR Shoulder distocia, I think. Stuck on the pubic bone. Cut to Anna at Tatiana's head. Anna strokes her face and speaks softly. ANNA Darling... darling, can you hear me? NURSE Baby's heart beat sixty... fifty- eight, fifty-eight... fifty-seven... JUNIOR DOCTOR Anna, I'm trying to rotate the shoulder medially... shit... THE JUNIOR DOCTOR is breathing hard with a look of utter panic as he attempts to free the baby. The doors burst open and a more senior doctor in his mid thirties (DOCTOR AZIZ) enters at a gallop. As he enters... (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 5. 6 CONTINUED: 6 NURSE 1 Baby stats sixty-eight and in free fall. NURSE 2 I'm not getting a pulse. Heartbeats. Doctor Aziz joins the junior doctor, who looks out of his depth. AZIZ Speak to me... Before the junior doctor can speak Anna speaks directly to Aziz. ANNA (softly) We need to get the baby out now. Aziz knows he can take Anna's word... AZIZ OK, let's go. All hell is let loose. As the Caesarean process begins at frantic speed, we slowly zoom in on Tatiana's unconscious face and hear her voice in V.O... a young girl's voice speaking with an Russian accent. The crosstalk between nurses and doctors becomes more and more frantic. TATIANA (V.O.) My name is Tatiana. My father died in the mines in my village, so he was already buried when he died. We were all buried there. Buried under the soil of Russia. That is why I left to find a better life. We hear... a baby cry. Anna's face appears in our framed shot of Tatiana's face. She gently kisses Tatiana's cheek. ANNA (whispers) You had a girl. A sheet is pulled over Tatiana's face. A nurse weighs the screaming baby. Anna wipes her brow with the back of her bloody wrist. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 6. 6 CONTINUED: (2) 6 AZIZ Ok. Call it. The Junior doctor and a nurse check watches and speak almost in unison... JUNIOR DOCTOR Unidentified woman, died December 24th at 11.13. NURSE Baby girl, born December 24th at 11.14. 7 EXT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. LABOR WARD - MORNING 7 Anna leaves the labor ward, putting on her crash helmet. She emerges out into the crisp, sunny morning. Aziz hurries to catch her up and hands her a wrapped gift. AZIZ Merry Christmas, Anna. ANNA Oh, don't be ridiculous. He grins. AZIZ And you have to open it in front of me. Aziz smiles as Anna unwraps a pair of leather motorcycling gloves. She looks up at him, expressionless. AZIZ (CONT'D) At least pretend. Anna considers the gloves. ANNA (deadpan)) In the whole entire history of my life, I have never felt this special. AZIZ Thank you. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 7. 7 CONTINUED: 7 Aziz plants a kiss on his two fingers and presses his fingers against Anna's cheek through the open visor of the helmet. AZIZ (CONT'D) Wear them. It's cold. 8 EXT. LONDON STREET - DAY 8 Anna rides her big vintage URAL motorcycle through deserted morning streets. As she rides, we hear Tatiana in V.O. TATIANA (V.O.) I am so excited this morning. Yesterday a friend came back to our village and he told us all about the places on the map that I look at... Paris, Amsterdam, London. He's been there for real... 9 INT. HELEN'S HOUSE. ANNA'S BEDROOM - DAY 9 After the bright airiness of the bike ride, we are suddenly in Anna's bedroom where the curtains are drawn. Anna is lying awake on the bed, wearing a dressing gown. TATIANA (V.O.) ...he said the future of everything was already happening in all those places. There is a gentle knock at the door, which opens before Anna can respond. It is ANNA'S MOTHER (HELEN) with a cup of tea. HELEN Did you sleep? ANNA A bit. HELEN There's no point us tiptoeing around if you're not even sleeping. Helen puts the tea on the dressing table, then turns to leave without a smile. ANNA Mum? Are you OK? (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 8. 9 CONTINUED: 9 HELEN (contrite) Of course not. It's Christmas. 10 INT. HELEN'S HOUSE. KITCHEN - DAY 10 Anna is pouring two glasses of sherry. Helen is peeling potatoes. Anna peers at Helen... and sees tears. They share a moment of stifled emotion. Helen wipes her eyes with her sleeve. HELEN It's the chicken. (pause) The smell of chicken roasting reminds me of him. ANNA You should have done beef, then. They look at each other and giggle. They both have potato peelers in their wet hands, sleeves rolled up, two practical unsentimental women being almost consumed by the same wave of emotion. HELEN It wouldn't be Christmas without tears in the gravy, would it. We hear a gruff Russian voice calling out from the living room (UNCLE STEPAN). STEPAN (V.O.) (angry) Anna! Anna! Where did you get this? Anna and Helen roll their eyes. HELEN (whispering) It's your own fault for giving him something to play with. ANNA (irritated) Well, I can't read Russian, can I? Anna drops her peeler and hurries into the living room. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 9. 10 CONTINUED: 10 CUT TO 11 INT. HELEN'S HOUSE. LIVING ROOM - DAY 11 The living room table is laid for dinner. Uncle Stepan is early seventies, Russian. He is reading the tiny diary that Anna found in Tatiana's bag. Anna breezes in. ANNA I told you, Uncle Stepan, I found it in the handbag of a girl who died in my ward. STEPAN Do you always rob the bodies of the dead? ANNA (suppressed, familiar anger) Of course, we all do it. It's one of the perks of working in a hospital. Stepan grumbles, accustomed to this teasing. Helen enters carrying a bowl of walnuts and brazil nuts which she places on the table. Pause. Stepan looks pointedly at Helen. STEPAN Did you know that your daughter robs the bodies of the dead? (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 10. 11 CONTINUED: 11 ANNA Stepan, is there an address? Stepan lays the diary aside, obstinate and prim. STEPAN You have an uncle who doesn't steal things from the dead. Not even their secrets. HELEN Oh, don't go all momentous on us, Stepan. (she straightens the table cloth) Lift your elbows. STEPAN You should put this in her coffin, Anna. Bury her secrets with her bodies. ANNA Body. Singular. Stepan leaves in a huff. Anna picks up the diary and begins to study it. She sees the `Trans-Siberian' business card between the pages. ANNA (CONT'D) How long will dinner be? Helen looks at Anna, suspecting an attempt to escape. 12 EXT. LONDON STREETS - DAY 12 Driving music as we see Anna riding her motorbike through deserted morning streets again. We should begin to sense that this is a kind of release for her. We hear Tatiana in V.O. TATIANA (V.O.) When I was little, London was like a place in the Bible. I wasn't even sure if it was real. My friend has told me there is a place in London where they pay girls to sing. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 11. 12 CONTINUED: 12 Anna arrives outside the `Trans-Siberian' restaurant. It has a Russian-themed frontage in blue and gold, expensively and recently finished. TATIANA (V.O.) (CONT'D) He said if I sang in this restaurant I would make more money in a week than my father made in a year. As Anna pulls up we hear a dog begin to bark. 13 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. SIDE ENTRANCE - DAY 13 The side door opens to reveal a hard-looking, handsome Russian man (NIKOLAI), who stops to groom his hair back from his face and put on a pair of sunglasses as he emerges into daylight. He steps into a small courtyard, where a fierce Doberman dog is barking and snarling on the end of a chain. Nikolai is followed by KIRILL, who is a little younger, slim and pretty but hard-looking too. Kirill is dressed in a crumpled T-shirt and jeans and looks like he had a heavy night. Nikolai ignores the dog as he walks by but Kirill yells at it and teases it with a whoop and few Russian curses. Nikolai unbolts the gate to the street. KIRILL So you pick up Ozim and his bitch of a wife and you bring them back here. He glances back at the restaurant and speaks softly. KIRILL (CONT'D) Then I'll think of an excuse and we can get away. NIKOLAI I'll think of an excuse. Your excuses are like fucking fairy tales. Kirill grins and Nikolai flicks the fob of his car keys. The lights on an expensive black Mercedes glow in response. Kirill notices Anna locking up her bike at the front of the restaurant. KIRILL Who the fuck's that? (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 12. 13 CONTINUED: 13 They both see Anna removing her crash helmet and shaking out her hair. She walks towards the front door. NIKOLAI (in Russian) Maybe somebody sent your dad a hooker for Christmas. KIRILL (grinning) You're so... fucking unbelievably disrespectful. Kirill sees that Nikolai is studying Anna and his grin fades. We sense jealousy. KIRILL (CONT'D) Hey, you've got work to do. Go... Kirill grabs Nikolai's face to distract him, gives him a playful slap, but there is somehow more to it than playfulness. Nikolai gets into his car. Kirill glares at Anna as she approaches the front of the restaurant. 14 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - DAY 14 As Nikolai drives away, Anna rings the doorbell beside the front door. There is no reply. She is about to ring again when the door opens. We see SEMYON, a Russian man in his late sixties. He is wiping his hands on a tea towel, dressed in a spotlessly white apron. He has the sparkling piercing eyes of a falcon. SEMYON We are closed. ANNA I know. She fumbles in her bag. ANNA (CONT'D) Sorry... I'm a midwife. Anna produces her hospital ID and shows it to Semyon. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 13. 14 CONTINUED: 14 SEMYON (with a twinkle) Then unless one of my daughters is keeping something from me, you have the wrong address. ANNA I'd like to speak to the Manager. Semyon studies the name on the ID. SEMYON Khitrova? ANNA My dad was Russian. Semyon seems suddenly delighted. SEMYON And his name? ANNA Ivan. SEMYON So, you are Anna Ivanovna. 15 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - DAY 15 The tables are set for a huge party. Kirill is now on step ladders, fixing some Christmas decorations. Other relatives are getting the place ready. Semyon hurries through the restaurant, leading Anna by the hand. SEMYON We must hurry. I must stir. Stir, stir or the gravy dies in my hands. Today it is family. Here is my son, Kirill. (he hisses at Kirill) Kirill! The berries are too low, too low. And Roman, more glasses for red! (he claps his hands) Come on! Kirill follows Anna's progress through the restaurant with a glare. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 13A. 15 CONTINUED: 15 There are three little girls in extravagant party frocks, all holding violins and giggling near to the door that (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 14. 15 CONTINUED: (2) 15 leads to the kitchen. Semyon stops when he reaches them and puts his hands on his hips. SEMYON (CONT'D) My angels. You should be practising. You must make the wood cry. Like this, like this... Semyon grabs a violin and plays a three-second burst of sad Russian violin music. SEMYON (CONT'D) You see... Semyon hurries on into the kitchen. Anna smiles, delighted at the eccentric old man. 16 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. KITCHEN - DAY 16 Inside the kitchen there is an inferno of activity, steam, smoke. Family members, some dressed in their party outfits, others in chefs' uniforms, are standing over steaming pots, laughing, arguing. Children play and yell. You can almost smell Christmas. Anna enters, dazzled by it all, overwhelmed by the contrast to her own lifeless Christmas kitchen. Semyon calls out to everyone. SEMYON Come, come, hurry, hurry. They will be here any moment. (to Anna) Ok, show me this card. Anna reaches into her pocket and produces the `Trans- Siberian' business card she found in Tatiana's bag. Semyon angles his head to look as he stirs. SEMYON (CONT'D) It is the old card. From before the renovations. But even so, if she had worked here I would remember the name. Perhaps she ate here once. Try this. Semyon offers Anna a spoonful of his gravy. She sips it. ANNA God, that's amazing. My dad made gravy just like that. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 15. 16 CONTINUED: 16 Semyon shrugs and smiles, his eyes twinkling, then goes back to stirring. He speaks as if unconcerned. SEMYON So did you get a chance to talk to this girl before she died? 17 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - DAY 17 Nikolai's black Mercedes pulls up outside the restaurant and parks a few inches from Anna's motorbike. The rear windows are sun shaded so we only see Nikolai in the driver's seat. He gets out of the car and opens the rear door of the car for an elegantly dressed Turkish lady in her fifties. Nikolai goes to the other rear door. The portly figure of Ozim the barber emerges. As Ozim gets out he gives Nikolai a fifty-pound note. 18 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. KITCHEN - DAY 18 Two of the little girl violinists are fighting, pulling each other's hair. The third is sobbing, sitting on the floor. A young woman in a party dress is carrying a huge silver bowl of sauce across the kitchen. Anna looks delighted at the noise and energy of the place. Finally Semyon emerges from a cloud of steam with a scrap of paper. SEMYON This is an agency that hires casual kitchen staff. Maybe you will have more luck there. But I think they will be closed until New Year. As Anna takes the address, Kirill puts his head around the door and yells through the noise. KIRILL Papa, Ozim is here. Semyon is alarmed and claps his hand in urgent fashion. SEMYON Ten minutes!! (to the rest of the kitchen) Fish, fish, fish! Ten minutes! OK, Kirill, get him a drink and tell him I am coming. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 16. 18 CONTINUED: 18 Semyon takes a pot from the heat, suddenly flustered. SEMYON (CONT'D) Anna, I'm so sorry I couldn't help. It is sad. ANNA That's OK. I'll probably find out more when I get her diary translated. SEMYON Her diary? There is the tiniest of changes in Semyon's manner. He lays his heavy pot down. ANNA I found her diary in her bag. A pause. Semyon disappears into a billow of steam to put a pan onto the heat then re-emerges. SEMYON Why did you not tell me you found a diary? He peers at her for a moment, his eyes hardening a little. SEMYON (CONT'D) OK, Anna, this is how it will be. You will bring the diary here and I will translate it for you. Then if we get the names of any relatives I will call them myself. I am something of a... community leader for the Russians here in this unfriendly city. What do you say? Semyon hoists a passing child into his arms. ANNA I was going to ask my uncle.... SEMYON (apparently not hearing) And when you come I will make you some more gravy like your papa used to make and you can try the (MORE) (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 17. 18 CONTINUED: (2) 18 SEMYON (CONT'D) fish with the sauce. OK? Tomorrow, yes? Shall we say seven? Anna is a little overwhelmed. SEMYON (CONT'D) Then it is settled. But for now, you must forgive me. Semyon shrugs then kisses Anna on both cheeks. SEMYON (CONT'D) Dosvedania. (Goodbye) ANNA Dosvedania. Anna heads for the door that leads back to the restaurant. Semyon goes back to stirring but as he stirs he calls out. SEMYON Oh Anna, you always work at the Trafalgar hospital? ANNA Yes, always. A pause before Anna leaves Semyon to his clouds of steam. 19 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - DAY 19 Kirill and Ozim are talking confidentially in a mix of Russian and Turkish whispers at a table. Ozim's wife is at a table alone, well out of their earshot, smoking a cigarette and peeling glazed figs. As Anna walks by, Ozim and Kirill stop talking. The scene has a much darker mood to the bustling scene in the kitchen, but for now Anna feels no unease. As she passes, Kirill surveys her with a deadly smile and a professional eye. KIRILL Hey, you OK? You want a drink? ANNA No, thanks. I'm driving. As Anna smiles, Ozim mumbles something in Turkish and Kirill shushes him. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 18. 19 CONTINUED: 19 KIRILL OK. Merry Christmas. Drive safely. Ozim giggles. Anna departs. 20 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - DAY 20 Anna emerges into the daylight. As she does she sees that four expensive-looking cars have already parked and various ostentatiously dressed Russian and Turkish couples with their children are emerging from their cars. The women are all wearing furs, even the little girls. The men wear leather or dark suits. They greet each other exuberantly as they emerge from their cars. Anna suddenly feels slightly uneasy. As she approaches her motorbike she sees Nikolai leaning against the bonnet of his car, smoking, still wearing shades. His bumper is almost touching Anna's bike. NIKOLAI (in Russian) Nice bike. ANNA What? NIKOLAI Nice bike. ANNA Thank you. NIKOLAI A Ural. You don't see them anymore. ANNA It was my dad's. NIKOLAI How much do you want for it? Anna has already taken a dislike to this man. He is arrogant and looks potentially violent. His shades, suit and tattoos say it all. ANNA (irritated) It has sentimental value. Nikolai rolls the concept around in his mind and considers. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 18A. 20 CONTINUED: 20 NIKOLAI `Sentimental value'. I've heard of that. Anna puts her helmet on. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 19. 20 CONTINUED: (2) 20 NIKOLAI (CONT'D) You're not staying for the party? ANNA No. NIKOLAI Nor me. Chauffeurs don't get invited. You want to go for a drink instead? Anna mounts her bike. ANNA It's Christmas. Everything's closed. Nikolai smiles. NIKOLAI Sometimes if things are closed you just open them up, you know? Anna now feels intimidated and luckily the bike fires first time. She rides away. Nikolai watches her go and then stubs his cigarette. 21 INT. HELEN'S HOUSE. DINING ROOM - NIGHT 21 Sudden silence... perhaps the ticking of a clock. This is Anna's Christmas dinner, a total contrast to the chaos of the restaurant. Stepan is attempting to carve the chicken. STEPAN Anna, how come is it that your boyfriend isn't here to carve? Stepan takes a large sip of vodka. ANNA I don't live with Oliver any more, Uncle Stepan. I'm living back here for a bit. HELEN (softly) For as long as you want. STEPAN I knew he would run away from you. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 20. 21 CONTINUED: 21 ANNA He didn't run away. You make me sound like a burning building. STEPAN Black men always run away. HELEN Oh Stepan! STEPAN What? I am allowed to be honest? HELEN He was a doctor, Stepan. ANNA What the hell has that got to do with it? A pause. Stepan sips his vodka. STEPAN It is not natural to mix race and race. That is why your baby died inside you. Anna slams her napkin onto the table. HELEN Stepan, shut up! (Anna gets to her feet) Please Anna. Helen takes Anna's hand but she turns and leaves. Helen stands to follow her, but first she whips Stepan's vodka away from him. HELEN (CONT'D) You're just how he was. Stupid bloody drunken Russians. 22 EXT. HELEN'S HOUSE. GARDEN - NIGHT 22 The garden is just outside the kitchen. Anna is lighting a cigarette. Helen steps outside and reacts to the cigarette. She is about to admonish Anna for smoking, but Anna speaks first. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 21. 22 CONTINUED: 22 ANNA It's Christmas. I'm thirty-one. A pause. Anna blows smoke, clearly upset. HELEN Anna, you know what he's like. ANNA I don't give a damn about Stepan. Who has that poor baby got in the whole world? Helen reacts. HELEN I knew this would happen. ANNA Good. Fine. So you know everything. HELEN Anna, she isn't your responsibility. ANNA The baby is my responsibility until I hand her over to the mother. The mother is dead. HELEN Then it's up to the proper authorities. Anna smiles as if in agreement. ANNA The proper authorities will all be skiing until after New Year. Anna coughs a little then stubs her cigarette. Helen takes the butt as if it were poisonous. HELEN It's part of the grieving. ANNA What grieving? Helen touches her hand. An inadequate gesture. (CONTINUED) GOLDENROD Revision - 11/27/06 22. 22 CONTINUED: (2) 22 HELEN In the last year you've lost your father and you lost a baby. Anna is irritated but doesn't put words to her feelings. HELEN (CONT'D) Come in and have your dinner. ANNA I'm not hungry. Anna and Helen look into each other's eyes for a moment before Helen heads for the kitchen, carrying the cigarette butt as if it were a deadly snake. 22A INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. S.C.B.U. CHRISTINE'S PRIVATE ROOM -22A NIGHT In a private room in the Special Care Baby Unit, Anna approaches Tatiana's baby's plastic crib. The baby is tightly bundled up, sound asleep. Through the windows of the room, we see the darkened, quiet ward outside - another world. Anna stands over the baby, her face full of emotion. There we see pain, loss, shame, emptiness, isolation. Tears begin to roll from her eyes, and then she is sobbing soundlessly. 23 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 23 The Trans-Siberian restaurant is smoky with cigarettes and cigars. The party is in full swing with two dozen guests and family. One of the golden-haired children is playing violin badly. The language is Russian, English and Turkish mixed. Kirill is bringing a huge baked carp to the table. His mobile phone rings and he wipes his hands on a towel to answer it. When he hears the voice, Kirill glances at his father and moves quickly out of earshot. Semyon notices but hides his concern. As Kirill walks, a child tugs his leg and holds up a soft toy, asking a question in Russian. KIRILL (to child) He's called Goofy... Goofy yeah. (into phone) So the coast is clear, yeah? What? I said `coast'. (MORE) (CONTINUED) GOLDENROD Revision - 11/27/06 22A. 23 CONTINUED: 23 KIRILL (CONT'D) (pause) No, not the beach. It's an English expression, you fucking baboon. I mean... (hissing out of ear shot) ...there are no police. You sure? Good. Kirill glances over at Semyon, who is apparently lost amongst a sea of children, but we see from the corner of his eye he is watching Kirill. (CONTINUED) GREEN Revision - 11/24/06 23. 23 CONTINUED: (2) 23 KIRILL (CONT'D) (to phone) No, my dad's not involved. I'm a big boy now. I do my own stuff. Yeah. Merry Christmas. Kirill cuts the call and nods to Ozim, who stubs his cigar. Semyon notices their silent communication, then turns to one of the violin-playing angels, smiles, and kisses her on both cheeks. 24 OMITTED 24 25 EXT. OZIM'S BARBER SHOP - NIGHT 25 We see the car pull up sharply outside Ozim's barber's shop. Nikolai jumps out and opens the door for Ozim. 26 OMITTED 26 The three men walk to the door beside the barber shop. Ozim takes a bunch of keys out and prepares to open the door to the upstairs. He stops. OZIM The driver stays down here. Kirill smiles and shakes his head. KIRILL You really think I do this kind of thing? Kirill puts his hand on Nikolai's shoulder KIRILL (CONT'D) This guy's not a driver. He's an undertaker. Ozim looks at Nikolai, highly dubious. BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 24. 27 INT. OZIM'S BARBER SHOP. UPSTAIRS ROOMS - NIGHT 27 The rooms above Ozim's shop have been converted into a drinking club. Ozim leads Nikolai and Kirill through the debris of the night before. As they walk through, Ekrem suddenly leaps out of the darkness with a yell. Kirill and Nikolai both react with instinctive aggression. OZIM Hey, hey, hey Ekrem, sakim, durgun, durgun. EKREM I got tickets, Ozim. It's with Chelsea. They said there was no tickets but I got tickets for the Chelsea game. OZIM OK, OK, OK. You go and watch a DVD, yeah? Ekrem nods and hugs Ozim. We realize he is slightly deranged. Finally he lets Ozim go and leaves. Kirill watches him go. KIRILL He knows to say he hasn't seen us, right Ozim? Ozim finds the key to the kitchen. OZIM He don't know anything. He's touched by the angels. Ozim opens the kitchen door. 28 INT. OZIM'S BARBER SHOP. KITCHEN - NIGHT 28 Inside the kitchen there are carcasses of lambs hanging from meat hooks. There are knives and skewers around the place. Ozim stops and locks the kitchen door behind them. 29 INT. OZIM'S BARBER SHOP. KITCHEN - NIGHT 29 The freezer door opens and Ozim gestures towards a large package bound up in black bin liners which are dusted with frost. Kirill nods to Nikolai who grabs the package and hauls it out onto the kitchen floor. Kirill tears a hole in the bin liner and we see the frost-dusted face of Soyka. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 25. 29 CONTINUED: 29 Kirill studies the face and nods. KIRILL That's him. Kirill crosses himself. KIRILL (CONT'D) There was a time when he was like a brother to me. He puts his hand on his heart with mock solemnity. KIRILL (CONT'D) Now he looks like a fucking ice cream. Kirill giggles. OZIM (softly) Hey, hey, show some respect for a dead man. KIRILL Respect? This is respect. Kirill reaches into his pocket and produces an envelope which he hands to Ozim. As Ozim opens the envelope and begins to count the huge wad of cash, Kirill turns to Nikolai. KIRILL (CONT'D) OK, Nikolai, he's all yours. And show some respect. This Muslim is scared of ghosts. Nikolai squeezes the body inside the bags. It is rock hard. NIKOLAI Have you got a hair dryer? 30 INT. OZIM'S BARBER SHOP. KITCHEN - NIGHT 30 We cut close to an ancient-looking hair dryer from the shop downstairs being trained onto a human hand with a large eagle tattoo. We pull wide to reveal the full, gruesome scene. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 26. 30 CONTINUED: 30 Nikolai has the body of Soyka laid out on a surface, his head still bound up in a bin bag, his lower portions bound up similarly. Nikolai is de-frosting Soyka's left hand with the hair dryer, concentrating on his ring finger which has a gold ring on it. The parts of Soyka's shirt and jacket which are visible are crusted with frozen blood. Nikolai is wearing rubber gloves. As he dries, Nikolai takes a sip of coffee. Ozim is watching this scene with horror. Kirill has his arms folded, mightily impressed. Finally the hand is thawed enough for Nikolai to remove the gold ring. He studies an inscription and then offers it to Ozim. Ozim shakes his head as if the thing were a contagion. Nikolai shrugs and pockets it. He then turns the hair dryer back on and blows some hot air onto the crisply bloody chest of Soyka. He tugs at the frozen lapel of the jacket and blows air into the inside pocket. Within a few moments he is able to remove Soyka's glistening, thawing wallet which is caked in frozen blood. He opens it (we glimpse a photo of a wife and children) and blows hot air onto the money inside. He tugs a wad of frozen bank notes from the wallet, all stuck together by drops of frozen blood. He offers this money to Ozim as well but Ozim shakes his head vigorously. Kirill hoots with laughter. Ozim is now staring at Nikolai as if he were a devil from hell. Nikolai grabs a plastic bag and puts the money inside it, then pockets the frozen wad. He tosses the rest of the frozen wallet to Ozim, who instinctively catches it. NIKOLAI You'd better burn that. Ozim, reacting to the cold of the wallet and to the horror of it, drops the thing on the floor. Nikolai looks at Ozim as if he were a complete amateur. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Did you finish cutting his hair? Ozim can't answer. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) I just thought you might want six- fifty out of his pockets. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 27. 30 CONTINUED: (2) 30 Kirill laughs. Nikolai takes a deep breath to prepare himself. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) OK, now I'm going to do his teeth and cut off his fingers. (to Ozim) You might want to leave the room. Ozim thinks, decides, leaves fast. A pause. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) You too, Kirill. Kirill smiles and pats Nikolai on the cheek. Kirill leaves. Nikolai is left alone. His hand shakes a little as he picks up his cup of coffee. 31 EXT. NINE ELMS. ABANDONED DOCK - MORNING 31 Nikolai pulls up beside a rusting crane on the abandoned dock in a dry-cleaner's van. Kirill watches as Nikolai grabs the semi-thawed body, now bagged and tied, lifts it onto his shoulder, and smartly approaches the dockside. KIRILL Aren't you going to weight him down or something? Nikolai drops the body into the water with a splash. NIKOLAI If you want to dump a body, this is the place. The currents keep it under the surface until past the barrier. Nikolai and Kirill watch as the body is swallowed by a fast ocean-bound current. 32 EXT. LONDON STREET - NIGHT 32 Anna pulls up at some lights on her motorbike. TATIANA (V.O.) My friend said he would get me to Amsterdam and from there we could find a way into London. I have been practising my singing and (MORE) (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 28. 32 CONTINUED: 32 TATIANA (V.O.) (CONT'D) have even rejoined the church choir. I am also practising my English. 33 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 33 Semyon sits alone at the dinner table in the restaurant where before there was family and uproar. Outside it's dark and raining. He is reading a Russian crime novel. A half-empty bottle of vodka sits on the table. Tatiana's voice-over continues as we cut inside the restaurant. TATIANA (V.O.) My friend says his uncle owns the restaurant where you can sing. He is sure this man will take care of me. There is a knock at the door and Semyon looks up sharply. His eyes glisten. He puts his novel aside. 34 INT./EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. DOOR - NIGHT 34 Semyon is unlocking the door and discovering, in the drizzle and half light, that it is Anna. SEMYON Ah. My dear! I wasn't expecting you so early. ANNA Is it OK? 35 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 35 Semyon and Anna are sitting down at the candlelit table. Anna fumbles in her bag and produces a sheaf of photocopied sheets. She has photocopied the pages of the diary and they are laid out in segments on each page. ANNA I copied the whole thing. Semyon takes the pages and looks troubled. SEMYON Where is the original? (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 29. 35 CONTINUED: 35 ANNA I'm going to keep it. Maybe give it to Tatiana's daughter someday. Semyon looks thwarted but hides it well. He studies the photocopied sheets for a while then looks up and smiles. SEMYON I will need my spectacles and a clear head. Today I broke my rules and drank vodka. Tomorrow I will translate it. He folds the papers carefully. SEMYON (CONT'D) Then I will bring what I have done to your home. Where do you live, Anna? There is nothing in Semyon's smile to cause alarm but Anna perhaps remembers Nikolai. Finally... ANNA Not far. I can drop by and pick it up. SEMYON Then maybe I can drive you home. ANNA I'm fine. I'm on my motorbike. Semyon stares at her for a moment. SEMYON So what will happen to the poor child? ANNA After Christmas, they'll do a missing persons report. SEMYON Who will? ANNA The police. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 30. 35 CONTINUED: (2) 35 Semyon doesn't blink. At that moment a little girl of seven (MARIA) emerges from the darkness, carrying a soft toy. MARIA Grandpa. SEMYON Hey, hey, Maria, go back to bed. MARIA I'm too sad. Next Christmas isn't for another hundreds and hundreds of days. Semyon takes her onto his knee. As he does, we see, for the first time, an eagle tattoo on his wrist. SEMYON But you have had so many presents. The girl wafts Semyon's cigar smoke. MARIA You shouldn't smoke, Grandpa. SEMYON I know. Semyon cuddles Maria and stubs his cigar. Anna smiles at the warm family scene, perhaps remembering her own father. 36 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 36 Nikolai gets out of the Mercedes and helps an extremely pissed Kirill out of the car into the rain. Kirill is so drunk he slips through Nikolai's hands and lands in the gutter. KIRILL We're partners now, man, you know? (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 31. 36 CONTINUED: 36 NIKOLAI Yeah, yeah, I know. Nikolai manages to lift him to his feet again. As they head towards the restaurant, Anna emerges. Nikolai looks up, curious, as Semyon kisses her on both cheeks in the doorway. As she turns Kirill stumbles forwards and collapses in front of her. Nikolai looks up at Anna, his face splashed with rain. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) What? You never seen anybody pissed before? Semyon looks down at the drunken Kirill and slams the door of the restaurant. Nikolai sighs, then turns to Kirill and starts to go through his pockets. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Come on, Kirill. Where are your keys? Anna walks around the two of them, watching the undignified struggle as Nikolai finds Kirill's keys. Nikolai smiles at her. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Who are you, anyway? Anna hurries away into the rain. Nikolai finds Kirill's keys and drags him toward the door of the restaurant. 37 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 37 Nikolai heaves Kirill into a chair. Semyon is back at his novel and watches as Kirill attempts to get to his feet and then stumbles to the floor. He slumps down, now totally unconscious, breathing deeply. Nikolai smiles. NIKOLAI We went to a Kurdish place. They don't even celebrate Christmas. Semyon steps up to where Kirill is lying and stands over him for a moment. Then he kicks him hard in the guts with all his might. Nikolai is shocked, and grabs Semyon's arm. A hand laid upon him is like deadly poison. Kirill grunts and moans. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 32. 37 CONTINUED: 37 KIRILL Hey, Papa, what did I do? This is Merry Christmas or what? Semyon kicks him hard in the guts again. NIKOLAI I think he's had enough. Nikolai steps in between Semyon and Kirill. Semyon is shocked that anyone should face him like this. SEMYON Who... the fuck... are you to tell me enough? Nikolai's face hardens. NIKOLAI We're partners. Nikolai looks down at Kirill. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) He's thunder, I'm lightning. He makes all the noise, I do all the damage. SEMYON I hired you as a driver... Semyon bends to roughly hoist Kirill into a chair. SEMYON (CONT'D) ...someone to stop him killing himself. NIKOLAI Well, you got more than a driver. Nikolai reaches into his pocket for a business card and offers it to Semyon. As Semyon looks at the card in the candle light, he also sees the TATTOO OF AN EAGLE on Nikolai's hand. It is obvious that the tattoo means more than the card to Semyon, and he reacts. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) I run a mini-cab business. (MORE) (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 33. 37 CONTINUED: (2) 37 NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Albanians, Chechens, Russians. They deliver packages. Anything. Anywhere. A pause. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) I only took this job so that I could get to meet you. (in Russian) I think you and I could do business together. A pause. Semyon looks at Nikolai with utter contempt. SEMYON I have no idea what business you're talking about. Now get out. Nikolai smiles and then leaves. Semyon watches him go then peers at his drunken, sleeping son with something approaching compassion. 38 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 38 Nikolai hurries out to his car in the rain. He hears an engine splutter and spots Anna still trying to kick-start her motorbike. He approaches. She's already soaked. Nikolai watches her try to start the bike and fail. NIKOLAI You've got water in it. Deadpan, Anna looks up and holds out her hand into pouring rain. ANNA Water? What makes you think that? Anna tries to start the bike again. Nothing. NIKOLAI The postmen used these. In my village. When I was a boy. Russian copy of BMW flat twin. Anna tries one more time to start the bike and growls with fury. Nikolai gently takes her shoulders and after a brief resistance Anna climbs off the bike. Nikolai sits astride it. He kicks it. It fails to start. Anna folds her arms. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 33A. 38 CONTINUED: 38 He tries again. And again. He climbs off. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 34. 38 CONTINUED: (2) 38 NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Get a bus. Anna curses under her breath. Nikolai isn't sure what to make of her. She begins to chain the bike's rear wheel. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) You got far to go? Anna tucks her crash helmet under her arm and prepares to set off walking. ANNA Just across the park. NIKOLAI I'm a driver. I even do limousines. Look... Nikolai opens the rear car door. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) If Semyon found out I let one of his guests walk home in the rain, he'd fire me. And I can take care of your bike. So... Nikolai holds open the rear car door. Rain pours. 39 EXT. LONDON STREET - NIGHT 39 Nikolai is driving Anna through the rain-swept streets. The wipers beat time as they drive in silence. As Nikolai holds the steering wheel, Anna sees the intricate detail of the eagle tattoo on the back of his right hand. NIKOLAI So you're a midwife. Jesus. Anna smiles politely. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) What's it like? ANNA You get used to it. A pause. Nikolai seems vaguely horrified at a memory. NIKOLAI I didn't faint, but it was close. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 35. 39 CONTINUED: 39 ANNA How many have you got? Nikolai half shrugs. Pause. ANNA (CONT'D) What, you don't know? NIKOLAI Yeah, I know, I know, it's just... it makes me upset, you know? Thinking about it. This time of year. They're back in Yekaterinburg. In the forests. Near the mountains. A long pause. ANNA Left here. Nikolai turns. ANNA (CONT'D) So Semyon employs you? NIKOLAI I'm... sort of freelance. ANNA You said he'd fire you. Nikolai doesn't answer. Anna decides she can be bold. ANNA (CONT'D) Did you ever meet a girl called Tatiana? NIKOLAI I meet lots of girls called Tatiana. ANNA She was pregnant. NIKOLAI In that case, no, I never heard of her. Anna doesn't care for the smile on Nikolai's face. ANNA She died last night on my shift. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 36. 39 CONTINUED: (2) 39 NIKOLAI I thought you did birth. ANNA Sometimes birth and death go together. (pause) She had needle punctures all over both arms. Dehydration, emaciation. Early presentation of syphilis. Probably a prostitute. At the age of fourteen. NIKOLAI (quickly, without a pause) You know what? I hate the rain. This time of year. You ever been to Russia at Christmas? Man, snow that covers your whole house. Nikolai glances at Anna in the rear-view mirror. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Oh yeah. And the ice. Whole lakes covered in ice. You don't want to walk across them, though. Ice gets thin where you least expect it. ANNA You think Semyon's son knew her? NIKOLAI Like I said, I'm a driver. I go left, I go right, I go straight ahead. That's it. Anna nods, her curiosity and suspicions aroused. Nikolai glances at her. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) What? ANNA Just here is great. Nikolai pulls over and Anna opens her door to escape. ANNA (CONT'D) How much do I owe you? (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 37. 39 CONTINUED: (3) 39 NIKOLAI Christmas present. 39A EXT. HELEN'S HOUSE - NIGHT 39A Nikolai watches her hurry to her front door and let herself in. 40 EXT. THE BANKS OF THE THAMES - NEXT MORNING 40 Somewhere within sight of the Thames barrier. A dozen policemen and forensic investigators are milling round on a shale beach, the icy waters of the Thames lapping at their feet. 40A INT. FORENSIC TENT - MORNING 40A A large tent has been erected over the body of Soyka. Inside the tent two senior police officers await the arrival of a third man, a specialist from the Russian desk (YURI), who is not dressed for the weather. He has obviously been dragged out of bed. He is led to the side of the body. One of the officers pulls up the dead man's hand and shows him the eagle tattoo. OFFICER We think he might be Russian Mafia. Yuri studies the tattoo, then borrows a torch. He crouches to push up the wet trouser leg on the corpse's right leg. When the knee is exposed in torch light we see a small star tattooed on the knee cap. YURI He is actually a Chechen. He is also a member of the vory v zakone. The stars on the knees mean he would never kneel before anyone. Yuri opens the dead man's shirt and we see a tattoo of an eight-pointed star on his chest. YURI (CONT'D) In Russian prisons, your life story is written on your body in tattoos. You don't exist without tattoos. (pause) He was a captain. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 37A. 40A CONTINUED: 40A He then checks out the fingers in the torchlight and we glimpse that the finger tips have been sawn off. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 37B. 40A CONTINUED: (2) 40A YURI (CONT'D) But he has been processed professionally. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 38. 40A CONTINUED: (3) 40A Yuri straightens and grabs a paper towel to wipe his hands. OFFICER There was something else. It was... inside the body. Chest cavity. The officer holds up a small zip-lock bag which has a handwritten note sealed inside it. The handwriting is just visible through the wet cellophane. 40B EXT. THE BANKS OF THE THAMES - MORNING 40B Yuri steps outside the forensic tent. He opens the bag and takes out the note. He unfolds it to read, then smiles to himself. 41 INT. HELEN'S HOUSE. ANNA'S BEDROOM - MORNING 41 Anna is drying her hair, looking at herself in the mirror. She turns off the dryer. There is a knock on the door. HELEN Anna? Helen enters looking anxious. We see Stepan hovering in the background. HELEN (CONT'D) Stepan, come here. Tell her what you told me. Stepan stands primly in the doorway, strangely defiant. ANNA What? (pause) Stepan, what? I'm late for work. He shakes his head angrily. Finally from behind his back he produces Tatiana's diary. ANNA (CONT'D) Who gave you that? HELEN It was on the dresser. ANNA Mum, you can't go through my things. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 38A. 41 CONTINUED: 41 HELEN You wanted him to translate it. Anna gets up to grab the diary. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 39. 41 CONTINUED: (2) 41 ANNA And he said he wouldn't do it so I've found somebody else. Stepan explodes. STEPAN No Anna! You don't go to someone else with this! You don't go to anyone! Nasilovanie, it means rape. Iglah, it means needle. Prostitutcia, perhaps you can guess. Stepan hands the diary to Anna and then turns. STEPAN (CONT'D) I go to wash my hands. He disappears. Anna and Helen are left in awkward silence. Anna buries the diary in her dressing table drawer. Helen looks at her with anxiety. HELEN Anna, Stepan said this girl ended up in the hands of the vory v zakone. Do you know what that means? ANNA Just because I'm back in this room doesn't mean I'm twelve again. HELEN You never listened to me even then! ANNA Look, if I don't find a relative in the next few days they'll put Christine out for fostering. Once she's in the system, she'll never get out again. A pause. HELEN Who named her Christine? (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 40. 41 CONTINUED: (3) 41 ANNA I had to call her something. It sounds like Christmas. (pause) She's very beautiful. Helen is now deeply concerned. HELEN If I can persuade Stepan to translate it, will you leave the rest to the police? Anna looks at Helen, then digs out the diary and hands it to her. ANNA Tell him I've heard bad words before. Helen is about to leave. She stops in the doorway. HELEN Your father used to say the vory are a contagious disease. There's no cure once they've touched you. A pause. Anna smiles. ANNA Momma, this is London. 42 INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE. NEGLECTED SITTING ROOM - DAY 42 We are in HARLESDEN, NORTH LONDON. A large portable stereo is playing rock music. The curtains are drawn against daylight. The living room is decorated in seventies suburban style, but with the wall paper peeling and the paint work fading. Kitsch paintings still decorate the walls. Six young East-European girls are sitting on a broken-down sofa and on hard-backed chairs, wearing short skirts. Their eyes are sunken and their faces vacant of expression, but they are painted with so much make-up they almost look like tiny, sad clowns. They sit in silence as the music blares out. After a few moments a young Albanian man enters and claps his hands. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 41. 42 CONTINUED: 42 ALBANIAN OK, boss is here. Boss, boss. You make him happy... All the girls apart from one immediately get to their feet and begin to dance to the music, their bodies moving awkwardly and painfully. The Albanian approaches the one girl who refused to stand and yanks her to her feet. He slaps her hard and hisses at her in Albanian. She tries to sit down again but he pulls her up and slaps her again. Finally he shoves her into the middle of the room and she begins to dance, sobbing as she does. ALBANIAN (CONT'D) No fucking crying. It's a party! 43 EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY 43 Kirill and Nikolai are climbing out of Nikolai's Mercedes. Kirill is in full flow as they walk towards the house. The rock music is audible outside the house. KIRILL So he said to me, `who is this driver guy?' I laughed so hard. Kirill knocks on the door hard. KIRILL (CONT'D) And I said you were the safest guy I'd met. Solid. A pause. NIKOLAI And what did he say? KIRILL You know my dad. He didn't say nothing. But his eyes looked impressed. The door opens and the Albanian opens his arms in welcome. ALBANIAN Kirill! KIRILL Get out of the fucking way, you black gypsy baboon. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 42. 43 CONTINUED: 43 Kirill pushes his way inside and Nikolai follows. 44 INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE. SITTING ROOM - DAY 44 Kirill and Nikolai are swigging whisky from the bottle and dancing with the girls. Some of the girls are drinking, too, and managing to laugh. Kirill is dancing maniacally and swinging his girl around faster and faster until she falls over. Nikolai swigs his drink and notices the girl who refused to stand up. She is standing in the corner, sobbing. Nikolai doesn't care to look at her for more than a second and he goes back to dancing. After a moment Kirill dances his way over to Nikolai and yells above the music. KIRILL OK, which one you going to fuck!? NIKOLAI (laughing) What's it to you? KIRILL Serious. Pick one. NIKOLAI I'm just enjoying myself, man... Kirill suddenly stops dancing and stares at Nikolai. He yells again over the music. KIRILL You hear me? You're going to fuck one of these girls. NIKOLAI OK, OK, Jesus... KIRILL You're going to fuck one of these girls right now. That's an order. NIKOLAI What? What's the matter with you? Kirill suddenly goes to the stereo system and yanks the plug from the wall. Silence. The girls look terrified. The only sound is the sobbing of the girl who won't dance. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 43. 44 CONTINUED: 44 Kirill is glaring at Nikolai. KIRILL Come on Nikolai. Who are you going to fuck? A pause. KIRILL (CONT'D) I'm recommending you to my dad. I want to make sure you're not a fucking queer. Kirill looks suddenly wild. He swigs his whisky. A long pause. NIKOLAI You've drunk enough Kirill. KIRILL Enough? Kirill hurls his whisky bottle against the wall. The girls all flinch. KIRILL (CONT'D) You fucking Siberian ox don't tell a vor what is enough. A pause. Nikolai studies Kirill's anger. KIRILL (CONT'D) I've brought you to my dad's best stable. He uses this place himself. They're all clean. Now I'm going to watch you fuck one of these girls to prove to me that you ain't queer. A pause. KIRILL (CONT'D) So which one is it going to be? Silence. Nikolai looks around the room. Finally... Nikolai turns to the girl who is sobbing. NIKOLAI Her. Kirill smiles. WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 44. 45 INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE. BEDROOM - DAY 45 Nikolai is fucking the girl, who is now silent. She is on all fours, registering no emotion. Kirill is leaning against the wall, drinking wine from the bottle, watching Nikolai with burning eyes, his lust and drunken jealousy mixing together. Nikolai grits his teeth and comes inside the girl. Kirill whoops and whistles and begins to applaud. The girl is still silent, expressionless. KIRILL You did OK! You did OK. NIKOLAI Yeah? Nikolai glares at Kirill. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Well if my examination is over, get the fuck out of here while I get dressed. Kirill grins and offers the girl an elaborate bow before leaving. Finally alone, Nikolai gently helps the girl to lie down. She is numb. He covers her up with a blanket then begins to pull on his clothes. The girl is staring up at the ceiling. After a few moments she begins to sing a Russian folk song softly under her breath. Nikolai speaks to her softly in Russian. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) (in Russian) What's your last name? A pause. Finally the girl stops singing but is silent. Nikolai is insistent. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) (in Russian) Tell me your last name. GIRL Kirilenko. (CONTINUED) GOLDENROD Revision - 11/27/06 45. 45 CONTINUED: 45 NIKOLAI (in Russian) Where are you from? Silence. She looks up and stares into Nikolai's eyes. She sees some urgency there... GIRL Ukraine. NIKOLAI (in Ukrainian) Where? Which village? Which town? GIRL (in Ukrainian) Irpen. Outside Kiev. The girl is asking a silent question but Nikolai doesn't linger. He heads for the door then stops and turns. NIKOLAI (in Ukrainian) Stay alive a little longer. 46 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. S.C.B.U. CHRISTINE'S PRIVATE ROOM -46 NIGHT In the half-lit private room, Anna is dancing with Christine in her arms. She is singing a lullaby softly to her. The door is open to the rest of the ward and all the other babies are silent. Finally she lays a sleeping Christine back in her crib. She sits down on the bed where the mother should be. She curses herself silently and gets to her feet, determined to pull herself together. As she starts to leave the private room to enter the ward, she is suddenly confronted by Semyon. He is standing in the shadows, a Bavarian trilby in his hands. Anna gasps with shock. Semyon speaks softly... SEMYON Hello Anna. I came on tiptoes. ANNA How did you get in here? (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 45A. 46 CONTINUED: 46 SEMYON There are always open doors, Anna Ivanovna. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 46. 46 CONTINUED: (2) 46 Anna glances at an alarm button. ANNA You're not allowed in here. SEMYON Please Anna, let me speak. Semyon looks to be almost in tears. He speaks softly. SEMYON (CONT'D) I translated the diary... A baby begins to cry and is comforted somewhere across the ward. SEMYON (CONT'D) I was shocked to discover... that my son Kirill is mentioned many times. Semyon appears to be fighting tears. SEMYON (CONT'D) I have known for some years that he has strayed from the path I set out for him. His mother died when he was very young. A pause. Anna almost begins to buy his sorrow... ANNA What does it say about him? Semyon looks up, his eyes filled with tears. SEMYON Many bad things. A pause. SEMYON (CONT'D) But Anna please. Let me deal with him. If the diary should find its way to the police... Semyon wipes his eyes. SEMYON (CONT'D) Some of the things my son did are illegal. Anna, he is a good boy. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 47. 46 CONTINUED: (3) 46 A pause. ANNA I don't care about him. I care about the baby. SEMYON Of course. Of course. And that is the baby? Semyon glances over Anna's shoulder into the corner where Christine is sleeping. Anna freezes and doesn't reply. Semyon takes her hand. SEMYON (CONT'D) Anna, I have made some inquiries and I have found out an address for Tatiana's family in Russia. That's where the baby belongs, no? Anna reacts but Semyon's face suddenly hardens... SEMYON (CONT'D) So... perhaps we can do a deal. He stares into her eyes. SEMYON (CONT'D) Do you understand me, Anna? At that moment a nurse walks by and hesitates when she sees Semyon. NURSE Anna? ANNA It's OK. He's just leaving. Semyon puts his hat onto his head. SEMYON You know where I am, Anna Ivanovna. He turns. SEMYON (CONT'D) And I know where you are. Semyon disappears into the shadows of the ward. As Anna reacts we hear Tatiana in V.O. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 48. 46 CONTINUED: (4) 46 TATIANA (V.O.) I was thrown down the stairs and fell onto some sacks, like potato sacks... 47 INT. HELEN'S HOUSE. KITCHEN - DAY 47 Stepan is sitting at the kitchen table, translating Tatiana's diary aloud, as Helen transcribes it onto a note pad. Stepan's translation breaks up with emotion but he tries to remain detached. Helen also tries hard to concentrate on her task but wipes away a tear as she writes. Tatiana's V.O. slowly blends into Stepan's voice... STEPAN ...like potato sacks. Kirill came down after me and he hit me until I was bleeding. Then he tried to rape me but he couldn't do it... He just got madder and madder and kept hitting me. In the end his father came down. It was the father who raped me. He shouted at his son...'if you don't break a horse, it will never be tame, Kirill'. They hear a key in the door and prepare for Anna's arrival. When she enters she feels the tense silence. After a moment, Helen tries to be bright... HELEN Hello dear. How was your night? Anna sees the tears in both their eyes. She sees the diary and the transcription and sits down. HELEN (CONT'D) Stepan's arthritis is playing up. I'm taking dictation. Helen gets to her feet. HELEN (CONT'D) Would you like some tea or something? ANNA No. Anna gently pushes Helen back into her seat. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 49. 47 CONTINUED: 47 HELEN What's wrong? ANNA He came to see me. Silence. ANNA (CONT'D) The man from the restaurant. He came to the hospital. Stepan leaps to his feet. STEPAN I told you this would happen! I told you! HELEN Sit down Stepan. STEPAN The devil is loose now. Everyone begins to talk at once... ANNA I know it's my fault... HELEN It's no one's fault... STEPAN They are in this room now. They are cancer... HELEN We should just sit down calmly and think... STEPAN I have a friend from Ukraine who owns a gun.... HELEN Stepan!! STEPAN ...from the war in Afghanistan. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 50. 47 CONTINUED: (2) 47 HELEN Don't talk about guns... Anna suddenly stands up. ANNA Shut up both of you!!! Silence. Everyone catches their breath. ANNA (CONT'D) OK... now... what would dad have done? A pause. STEPAN We all know what he would have done. Stepan heads for the kitchen cupboard and produces a bottle of vodka. Rather than admonish him, Anna and Helen both nod agreement. Stepan pours three large vodkas. Stepan knocks his down. Anna and Helen take sips. HELEN And then he would have been practical. STEPAN He would ask if there were bullets for the gun. HELEN No! This isn't our world. We're just... ordinary people. STEPAN I dealt with the vory v zakone when I worked for the KGB. ANNA You never worked for the fucking KGB! HELEN Anna! STEPAN (primly) I was an auxiliary! (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 51. 47 CONTINUED: (3) 47 HELEN Please! A stand off. Finally... HELEN (CONT'D) What did this man want? ANNA The diary. In return he'll give us an address for Tatiana's family. For Christine's family. A pause. They all look to each other. HELEN And that's all he wants? Stepan is utterly astounded. STEPAN You cannot do deals with these people! HELEN This isn't a deal. It's an exchange of information. STEPAN Have you forgotten already what I just read to you? HELEN We must be practical. ANNA Stepan, I think he was threatening to harm Christine. HELEN Then it's settled. STEPAN No!! No!! No!! HELEN (repeating as a mantra) Stepan, this isn't our world. We are ordinary people. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 52. 47 CONTINUED: (4) 47 Stepan stares at them both for a long time. Finally he gets to his feet and points to the diary. STEPAN She was an ordinary person. He leaves. Anna and Helen hold hands, genuinely close now for the first time in a long time. 48 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NEXT DAY 48 Nikolai pulls up in his car. He checks his look in the rear view mirror and puts on his sunglasses. As he gets out of the car he notices that Anna's motorbike is still there. He approaches it, strokes the bodywork. Suddenly, someone grabs him from behind. It's Kirill. KIRILL Hey, come on, Nikolai, I've got a Christmas present for you. 49 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. BACK DELIVERY AREA - DAY 49 A white van is parked with its rear doors open, ready for unloading. Kirill shows Nikolai that the van is loaded with unmarked white boxes. KIRILL Open one. Nikolai opens one of the boxes and produces a bottle of vintage champagne. KIRILL (CONT'D) From France. Old as fuck. Old is good with wine. Sixty quid a bottle anywhere. Except I got them for ten quid a case. NIKOLAI From where? KIRILL `From where?' From where you don't ask. Give it here... Kirill snatches the bottle and begins to uncork it. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 53. 49 CONTINUED: 49 KIRILL (CONT'D) If my dad says OK, I can start telling you about the serious stuff. Import, export. This booze is just for gifts to Papa's friends. The real import stuff is from Kabul, you understand? He pops the cork and swigs the frothing champagne. NIKOLAI Import-export sounds good. Kirill laughs. KIRILL You bet it's fucking good... Nikolai hands the bottle back. As he does, one of the van doors is kicked closed revealing Semyon, suddenly upon them. KIRILL (CONT'D) Jesus Christ, Papa... You scared me.... Semyon grabs the bottle of champagne and smashes it on the floor. Kirill recoils in terror. Nikolai straightens, faces up. KIRILL (CONT'D) What's wrong? We're just sampling it! Semyon is so furious he still can't speak. He grabs Kirill and slams him against the wall. Finally he hisses in his face. SEMYON Your friend Soyka is dead. KIRILL Yeah? So what? What's that got to do with me? SEMYON Don't lie to me!! Semyon slams Kirill against the wall once more. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 54. 49 CONTINUED: (2) 49 KIRILL I swear I don't know nothing about it... SEMYON I said, don't lie to me! Semyon slams Kirill hard against the wall again. Suddenly Nikolai steps forward. NIKOLAI Your dad is right, Kirill. There's no point lying to him. A pause. Semyon and Kirill are frozen for a moment. Nikolai calmly lights a cigarette. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Ozim's nephew slit Soyka's throat. Kirill paid him to do it. There is stunned silence. Semyon loosens his grip on Kirill. KIRILL (in Russian) Shut your fucking mouth! NIKOLAI (in Russian) Your dad always knows the truth anyway. Nikolai and Semyon survey each other. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) But it's OK boss. You don't have to worry... SEMYON (incredulous) I don't have to worry? NIKOLAI I disposed of the body myself. The police won't find a thing. Semyon has now lost all interest in Kirill and is concentrating on Nikolai. He laughs with incredulity. SEMYON My son commits a murder? (MORE) (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 55. 49 CONTINUED: (3) 49 SEMYON (CONT'D) On my own doorstep? A fellow soldier! And no one thought to tell me about it? NIKOLAI The vory code says you don't talk to anybody about your captain. Kirill is my captain. Semyon circles Nikolai. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) When I found out what had happened, I did what I had to do to clean the situation up. Kirill is about to speak but before he can, Nikolai speaks for him. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) It was a matter of honor. Soyka was spreading lies about Kirill. About your family. (in Russian) Kirill did the right thing. Semyon hisses with fury and grabs Nikolai. SEMYON I decide what is right and what is wrong. You do not kill a vor for no reason. Nikolai shrugs Semyon off, holding his ground. NIKOLAI You know as well as I do Soyka was talking to the police. A pause. Semyon is shocked at the depth of Nikolai's knowledge. He peers at him. SEMYON For a driver, you are well informed. NIKOLAI I've got connections with the Chechens who export cars. Soyka was speaking to the Russian desk. Scotland Yard. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 56. 49 CONTINUED: (4) 49 A pause. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) (in Russian) Kirill did a good thing for all our people. Our people will know that. In Semyon's silence Kirill finally gathers courage... KIRILL Papa, I swear to you, I was going to... SEMYON Shut up! Kirill is hurt that Semyon seems only to be interested in Nikolai. After studying Nikolai for a while... SEMYON (CONT'D) If you are so well informed, you will know Soyka has brothers. NIKOLAI (with a smile) That's OK. Kirill has got me. Semyon shows the first flicker of admiration. He then looks at Kirill with utter contempt, making the comparison with Nikolai obvious. SEMYON Get these boxes out of sight. Semyon leaves them. Kirill is angry, straightening his clothes. Finally he yells.... KIRILL You heard him, patsan! Get these boxes out of sight. 50 INT. BURGER RESTAURANT - DAY 50 It is Saturday morning and the place is full of families. Christmas decorations are beginning to look ragged. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 57. 50 CONTINUED: 50 Anna and Helen are sitting at a table, terrified but trying hard to stay calm. Stepan arrives with a tray of coffees and a burger. He sits, and Anna and Helen glance uneasily at each other. Stepan begins to eat noisily. ANNA How the hell can you eat? STEPAN I'm hungry. There is a tension that builds until Nikolai's Mercedes suddenly looms into view, filling the street window of the burger bar. Nikolai gets out of his car, all shades and sharp suit. ANNA That's their driver. Stepan very deliberately slides his hand into his inside pocket. HELEN (hissing) Tell me you haven't done anything ridiculous... Stepan removes his hand, empty, his bravado crushed. Nikolai enters the restaurant and spots Anna. He comes and sits at the table beside Stepan, opposite Anna. It's a tight squeeze. Anna and Helen are stiff with terror. Nikolai smiles. NIKOLAI Meet in a public place with lots of people around. Very wise. He smiles at Helen. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) And I see you brought along a body guard. Also very wise. Stepan is shaking with emotion and hisses something in Russian. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 58. 50 CONTINUED: (2) 50 STEPAN (whispers, in Russian) When I was in the KGB, we knew how to deal with scum like you. Nikolai smiles. NIKOLAI (in Russian) When you were in what? HELEN Shush, Stepan. Anna? Nikolai is amused by the three of them. Anna produces Tatiana's diary and hands it to Nikolai. Nikolai studies it and nods. He gets to his feet... ANNA (shaking) Now you give me the address. NIKOLAI What address? ANNA Tatiana's family. NIKOLAI I don't know what you're talking about. Nikolai calmly heads for the door. Stepan hisses. STEPAN I told you! I knew they would do this.... Anna gets to her feet. HELEN Anna! No! Come back here! Anna races out of the restaurant in pursuit of Nikolai. 51 EXT. BURGER RESTAURANT - DAY 51 Nikolai has emerged into the busy suburban street and is about to get in to his car. Anna flies at him, yelling. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 59. 51 CONTINUED: 51 ANNA She was fourteen! Read the diary! She was fourteen when he raped her! Nikolai casually hits the key fob of his car. ANNA (CONT'D) You murdered her! You bastards murdered her! Passers-by stare at Anna. Helen and Stepan have come out of the restaurant to restrain her. Nikolai stops and judges the fury on Anna's face. He speaks calmly. NIKOLAI Anger is very dangerous. It makes people do stupid things. Forget any of this ever happened. You're in the wrong place, Anna Ivanovna. He gestures at the burger restaurant. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) You belong in there. With nice people. Stay away from people like me. Anna and Nikolai are staring at each other, suddenly a strange connection between them. Then Stepan steps forward and spits in Nikolai's face, delivering a Russian curse as he does so. Nikolai almost reacts out of instinct but stops himself. Nikolai wipes his face and peers into Anna's eyes. Finally he gets into his car and drives away. 52 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 52 Nikolai is alone, sitting at a candlelit table, reading Tatiana's diary. We hear Tatiana in voice-over... TATIANA (V.O.) I am not sure I can carry on another day. The windows won't open so I can't throw myself out. They inject me every day with heroin. (MORE) (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 60. 52 CONTINUED: 52 TATIANA (V.O.) (CONT'D) Sometimes I think this is all a hallucination... He sees Semyon approaching from the kitchen and closes the diary. Semyon grabs a bottle of vodka from the bar on his way to sit opposite Nikolai. Nikolai pushes the diary across the table. Semyon pours two drinks. SEMYON It is good to have someone who I can trust to do simple tasks. A pause as Semyon glances at a few pages of diary. SEMYON (CONT'D) In this business, sometimes the biggest danger comes from the most stupid things. You can't afford to be careless in any area. Nikolai senses a change of attitude towards him. As if Semyon were beginning to accept him into the fold. Semyon raises a toast. SEMYON (CONT'D) Nasdrovia. NIKOLAI Nasdrovia. After a moment. SEMYON So what was the lie that Soyka was spreading about my son? Nikolai looks anxious. NIKOLAI (in Russian) It was nothing important. SEMYON Kirill had him killed for nothing important? Semyon pours two more vodkas. NIKOLAI I don't want to repeat it. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 61. 52 CONTINUED: (2) 52 SEMYON (smiling) For me you will repeat it. Nikolai doesn't respond. It is obvious that Semyon half knows already. He shrugs... SEMYON (CONT'D) You play with the Prince to do business with the King. But if you want to do business with me you must be open with me. Thieves- in-law. A pause. Semyon nurses his vodka. SEMYON (CONT'D) What was Soyka saying about the Prince? He stares into Nikolai's eyes. Finally, Nikolai stammers... NIKOLAI That he is a drunk. And that he is also... a queer. Semyon swigs his vodka and Nikolai swigs his. Semyon pours two more. Semyon has to stare out of the window to hide his emotion. SEMYON (softly, in Russian) My only son. They both knock their drinks back. Semyon looks suddenly angry as he peers out of the window. SEMYON (CONT'D) You know it never snows in this City. And it's never hot. London is a city of whores and queers. My son... Semyon shrugs, fighting deeper emotion... SEMYON (CONT'D) ...I think London is to blame for what he is... (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 62. 52 CONTINUED: (3) 52 NIKOLAI So why don't you go home? Semyon smiles, as if seeing Moscow through the window. SEMYON The cold gets into my bones. A pause. SEMYON (CONT'D) And also... the KGB would be waiting for me. Nikolai smiles ruefully and glances at Semyon. NIKOLAI FSB. They are called FSB now. SEMYON Whatever they call them they are worse even than the KGB were. Maybe the KGB and the vory v zakone were partners in a marriage. We had rules, they had rules. He swigs some more vodka. SEMYON (CONT'D) Now in Moscow, the thieves don't wear tattoos and the police don't wear uniforms. You never know who they are... Semyon seems to be taking the vodka less well than Nikolai. He pours some more. SEMYON (CONT'D) You've heard about these new policemen? Nikolai doesn't blink. SEMYON (CONT'D) They get under you, over you, behind you, inside you. They are the ones you least expect. Semyon peers at Nikolai and Nikolai doesn't respond. Mention of the new breed of FSB agent causes an almost imperceptible tension in Nikolai. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 63. 52 CONTINUED: (4) 52 Is Semyon too drunk to notice? There is a strange game going on here. For now, nothing is revealed. Semyon knocks back his vodka and Nikolai does the same. Semyon picks up the diary and holds it into the flame of the candle. It begins to burn and he drops it into the ashtray. The flames flicker for a while. SEMYON (CONT'D) The midwife said she had an uncle. A Russian. NIKOLAI I met him. SEMYON So you know what he looks like. Semyon peers at Nikolai. SEMYON (CONT'D) She said he has read the diary. A pause. SEMYON (CONT'D) We can't trust a Russian with that kind of information. A pause. SEMYON (CONT'D) (in Russian) Do you understand me? Semyon gets to his feet and smiles. SEMYON (CONT'D) Perhaps you can deal with him. Semyon leaves Nikolai to stare into the flames of the burning diary. 53 EXT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. MATERNITY UNIT - DAY 53 Anna exits, pulling on her coat against the cold. She stops in her tracks when she sees her unchained motorbike parked in the parking bay. She hears Nikolai's voice over her shoulder. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 64. 53 CONTINUED: 53 NIKOLAI I thought I'd bring it back before it got stolen. Lot of villains around. Sorry about the chain. Anna is about to walk quickly away... NIKOLAI (CONT'D) I got that address you wanted. Anna turns and sees Nikolai is offering a scrap of paper. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) A little village outside St. Petersburg. I know it. Not much of a place for a kid to grow up in. Especially not a girl. She hesitates. Nikolai approaches and gives her the address. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) If you want my opinion, the kid would be better off in London. Maybe with you. Why not? Tatiana's family don't sound like the kind of people who'd want another mouth to feed. A pause. ANNA You read the diary? Nikolai looks all around. Anna studies him, unsure. ANNA (CONT'D) So how can you keep doing what you're doing? NIKOLAI I told you. I'm just a driver. Anna sees some softness in his expression. Their eyes lock. ANNA You look the other way. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 65. 53 CONTINUED: (2) 53 NIKOLAI I'm a camera. The pictures stay in my head. Anna sees pain in his eyes. She peers at the address. ANNA Why did you bring me this? NIKOLAI I don't know. I was passing. After a long moment Anna turns away. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Oh, and... your uncle. Nikolai smiles. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Is it true he was in the KGB? ANNA I don't know. NIKOLAI Well, he's a brave old man. That's for sure. A pause. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Does he live with you? Anna is about to answer but stops herself. Nikolai peers at her and finally shrugs then turns to walk away. He gestures at the bike. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) I fixed it. It should be OK now. Anna watches him walk away into the street. 54 EXT. CHELSEA FOOTBALL GROUND. SIDE STREETS - NIGHT. 54 Crowds of football supporters are streaming away from the football stadium, where the floodlights are still casting their glow. There are Arsenal and Chelsea supporters on opposite sides of the street and there is some mildly vicious yelling between the two groups. Police are visibly keeping order. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 66. 54 CONTINUED: 54 Among the crowd we see Ekrem. He seems slightly drunk on top of his normal craziness. He has an Arsenal scarf around his neck and is looking for trouble, jeering at the Chelsea supporters across the street. EKREM Hey! Hey Kabuka Chelsea! Fuck you!! Yeah you! Aliverisme!! Fucker! A policeman steps up to Ekrem and gives him a shove and he stumbles a little. As he gets to his feet we notice TWO CHECHEN MEN who are trailing Ekrem, ducking their heads away from the line of policemen. 55 EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT 55 Ekrem is now isolated from the crowds, swigging from a can of lager. He is chanting `Arsenal, Arsenal' to himself as he walks. He stops to take a piss on someone's grave. In the background the two Chechens are coming closer. As Ekrem zips his flies, the Chechens are upon him. One of them grabs his Arsenal scarf and begins to strangle him. Ekrem chokes for a while and the Chechen loosens the knot. The second Chechen pulls out an open razor. Ekrem struggles to escape... CHECHEN For my brother... The Chechen cuts Ekrem's throat then drops him onto the grave stone. 56 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 56 The place has two dozen customers and there is a Russian band playing `Dark Eyes'. At a particular table an old Russian lady is having her birthday celebrated by an adoring family and lots of very ancient friends. There is a huge round of applause as Semyon emerges from the kitchen with a cake decorated with sparklers. 57 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. KITCHEN - NIGHT 57 Semyon returns to smoke and steam and yelling. As he prepares to take a drink one of the young dishwashers approaches. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 67. 57 CONTINUED: 57 DISHWASHER (in Russian) Guy out the back. Semyon grabs a bottle of vodka. 58 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. KITCHEN REAR - NIGHT 58 Semyon emerges into the wine crates and beer bottles in the yard at the back of the restaurant where the Doberman is straining at the leash, snarling and barking. An already anxious Ozim is cowering in the shadows, held at bay by the dog. The moment Semyon steps out the dog stops barking. Ozim relaxes a little and steps forward. Semyon pets the dog. SEMYON So what did they say? Semyon takes a swig of vodka. Ozim looks severely nervous. OZIM They were going to kill me. Those Chechens are savages. Ozim is reliving the ordeal. OZIM (CONT'D) I pointed out that I am a Muslim too and it is a sin for a Muslim to kill a Muslim. SEMYON (irritated) What did they say about my son? OZIM They said they would spare me only if I delivered Kirill to them. SEMYON You are being very honest. OZIM I fear you more than I fear them. Semyon suddenly breaks the neck of the bottle and holds the jagged edge to Ozim's throat. The dog snarls at Semyon's feet. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 68. 58 CONTINUED: 58 SEMYON Never again do business with any member of my family behind my back. OZIM Never. I will never listen to Kirill again. I swear... Semyon tosses the bottle away. After a moment... SEMYON Do they know where to find Kirill? OZIM They are like wolves. SEMYON Do they know what he looks like? Ozim shakes his head. OZIM No. They have just arrived from the mountains. SEMYON Then tell them you will deliver Kirill to them. Ozim is stunned. He stares at Semyon as if he were insane. SEMYON (CONT'D) Tell them to give you two days. 59 INT. HELEN'S HOUSE. ANNA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT 59 Anna is reading the translation of the diary by lamplight. Tatiana's voice over continues. TATIANA (V.O.) I know now for sure that I am pregnant. It hasn't begun to show yet. After I was raped they made me take pills but I guess it was too late. I am condemned to give birth to a new life. But first I will try to find a way to end my own life and spare this child the pain. Anna looks up from the pages and thinks. PINK Revision - 11/12/06 69. 60 EXT. HOUSING ESTATE - NIGHT 60 A large public housing estate is being swept by rain. Christmas lights glow in the windows of the dilapidated tower blocks. Stepan is walking against the wind, carrying a bag of shopping. He holds onto his Russian hat to stop it blowing away. Kids splash in the puddles. Stepan arrives at the front garden of his small, ground- floor council flat. As he fumbles for his keys in the cold we see that Nikolai is watching him from the driver's seat of his Mercedes. Once Stepan has disappeared into his flat, Nikolai gets out of the car and approaches Stepan's flat. 61 INT. HELEN'S HOUSE. KITCHEN - NIGHT 61 Helen is preparing food for a small family dinner. Anna enters with her cellphone in her hand. She mooches for food to hide her agenda. Finally... ANNA Mum... I can't get hold of Stepan. HELEN Why do you want to? ANNA I need to check something with him. HELEN Anna... ANNA (matter of fact) He's not at home, do you know where else he might be? Helen simply stares at her. HELEN Anna. Haven't you had enough excitement? ANNA (deadpan) I think I've worked out who Christine's father is. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 70. 61 CONTINUED: 61 Helen slams her knife down. HELEN (yelling) Why does it matter?!! ANNA (firmly) It matters... to me!! A pause. After a moment Helen goes to her, holds her hands and peers into her eyes. We expect comforting words, but instead... HELEN You enjoy this. A pause. HELEN (CONT'D) You're like your father. Ordinary life isn't enough. Anna turns and walks out of the house. 62 EXT. LONDON STREETS - NIGHT 62 Anna drives her motorbike through North London streets. Rain is falling. 63 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 63 Anna is standing in the falling rain, staring over at the trans-Siberian restaurant. The restaurant is busy, with the noise of revelers swelling every time the door is opened. Anna seems to be exiled from where she should really be - Inside a restaurant like this, with its danger and vibrancy. Suddenly she is illuminated by headlights. She turns and sees that Nikolai is pulling up in his Mercedes. Kirill is in the passenger seat. Nikolai gets out of the car and stops when he sees Anna. Anna is like a fox caught in headlights. NIKOLAI What are you doing here? A pause. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 71. 63 CONTINUED: 63 ANNA (echoing Nikolai's words) I don't know. I was passing. Kirill studies the gaze between Nikolai and Anna and senses the connection. KIRILL If you're passing, you pass. You keep going, bitch. Nikolai, come on... Kirill grabs Nikolai's arm, and after peering at Anna for a moment, he turns to go with Kirill. Anna gathers her courage. ANNA Family is important to you people isn't it? KIRILL (laughing) 'You people'? (in Russian) What the hell is she talking about? Music swells from the restaurant. ANNA Tell Semyon the baby I delivered on Christmas Eve is his daughter. Kirill and Nikolai stop. A swell of laughter from the restaurant. Anna is about to continue but Nikolai steps forward and places two fingers on Anna's lips to stop her from saying anymore. Anna tears his hands from her mouth. At the same time Kirill yells in Russian. KIRILL (in Russian) What did she say?! Anna is terrified but angry too. She yells. ANNA When he raped her she was a virgin. Then they gave her pills. Semyon has to be the father! (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 72. 63 CONTINUED: (2) 63 Kirill suddenly goes for her over the bonnet of the car.... NIKOLAI (in Russian)) She's a civilian! Kirill pushes Anna up against the car, but she fights him. ANNA She was fourteen! She was a child! Kirill slaps Anna hard. Nikolai grabs Kirill and pulls him away. KIRILL You don't use my father's name! You don't say that filth about him... He goes for Anna again, and this time Nikolai shoves Kirill to the wet ground. He looks up at Nikolai and slowly gets to his feet. He wipes his hands then stares into Nikolai's eyes. KIRILL (CONT'D) Don't even look at her any more. Headlights from a passing car sweep the scene.... KIRILL (CONT'D) That's an order. Nikolai peers at Anna for a moment. Anna's voice is defiant but cracking with fear. ANNA Tell him what I said. Nikolai has taken what Anna said on board. He speaks softly... NIKOLAI There is nothing to tell. Slaves give birth to slaves... Kirill yells.... KIRILL Come on Nikolai!! He turns to Anna... (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 73. 63 CONTINUED: (3) 63 KIRILL (CONT'D) And if you open your mouth again, I'll tell my driver to stick his cock inside it! Understand? Maybe that's what you want! He offers the lights of the restaurant to her as a vicious invitation. KIRILL (CONT'D) You want to come in?! Maybe we all get to fuck you.... Anna stares back. Nikolai peers at her for a moment before grabbing Kirill and pulling him away towards the restaurant. 64 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. KITCHEN - NIGHT 64 The place is winding up. Chefs and waiters are cleaning surfaces and dishes. The only still point is Semyon, who is cutting and wrapping the birthday cake in small parcels of golden paper. He works intensely and delicately at the back of the kitchen. Nikolai and Kirill enter. Kirill swigs a half-drunk glass of wine. KIRILL That girl you fucked in front of me... you remember her? The Ukrainian bitch? NIKOLAI No. KIRILL So they kick down the door. These are ordinary fucking police. They ask for her by name and they take her away. Some fucking punter must have given them her name. What gives the police the right to take our women, huh? Semyon shoots Kirill a hard look: he's talking too much and too loudly. Kirill ignores the look. KIRILL (CONT'D) Hey Papa, I never seen so many old people in one place. Whose party is it out there? The angel of death? (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 74. 64 CONTINUED: 64 SEMYON (in Russian) She is one hundred years old. Semyon works on for a moment then glances at Kirill. SEMYON (CONT'D) Kirill, go down into the cellar and bring up some brandy. Twelve bottles. Kirill turns to leave. KIRILL Come on, Nikolai, help me. SEMYON No. He stays here. I want to talk business. A confused pause. Kirill looks from Nikolai to his father. KIRILL What business? A pause as Kirill suddenly senses his exclusion. KIRILL (CONT'D) Papa, what business? His business is my business. Semyon stares at Kirill and Kirill knows the look. SEMYON Go to the cellar Kirill. And take your time. Kirill hesitates. He is angry as hell but too scared of his father's gaze to say anything. Finally he turns fast and departs, slamming his open hand against the door as he goes. Semyon waits a moment before returning to the business of cutting the cake. Finally... SEMYON (CONT'D) Did you deal with the old man? Nikolai nods. A pause. Semyon looks up and fixes Nikolai with a stare. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 75. 64 CONTINUED: (2) 64 SEMYON (CONT'D) (in Russian) It's time you joined us. A long moment. The thing Nikolai has been working for has finally happened. There seems to be little joy. NIKOLAI (in Russian) Thank you. Papa. Semyon returns to his work. Nikolai hesitates. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) What shall I tell Kirill? Semyon continues with the cake, unconcerned. SEMYON Tell him I changed my mind about the brandy. 65 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. CELLAR - NIGHT 65 The cellar is half lit, the arched walls lined with crates of wine. Flour, grease and potatoes are stored here. As Nikolai walks down the steps into the gloom, he hears Kirill singing a Russian folk song to himself as he drags a case of brandy across the cellar floor. Kirill has already opened a bottle of brandy and takes a long swig as Nikolai joins him. He grins as he gestures at the brandy... KIRILL My dad swapped a little Georgian girl for this stuff. Nikolai sits down on a crate, rests his head against the wall. Kirill joins him and swigs some more. KIRILL (CONT'D) Hey, don't feel bad. What happened up there is just how he is. He plays people against each other. That's all. I realize more and more what he's like. Here, drink to the Georgian girl... Kirill offers the bottle to Nikolai but he refuses. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 76. 65 CONTINUED: 65 KIRILL (CONT'D) What? I drink alone now. Nikolai decides to bite the bullet, get this news over with. NIKOLAI He offered me stars. I accepted them. A long pause. This is what Kirill wanted, but now it feels like a stab in the back. Finally Kirill swallows a huge swig of brandy then turns awkwardly to hug Nikolai. He squeezes him hard for a long time then shoves him away. KIRILL (lying)) You think I didn't know already? He told me before. It was my fucking idea. He said there are a lot of things I have to teach you. Nikolai nods. Kirill gets to his feet.... KIRILL (CONT'D) Some stuff will take a long time. I've been protecting you until now. NIKOLAI Yeah. KIRILL What? A pause. KIRILL (CONT'D) You think I don't know stuff you don't know? I am vor by birth. The stars are a birthmark for me... NIKOLAI I know, Kirill. Kirill is about to fly into a rage but Nikolai gets to his feet. KIRILL Where the fuck are you going? We've got to celebrate. Help me with these bottles. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 77. 65 CONTINUED: (2) 65 Nikolai heads for the steps. NIKOLAI Your dad don't need the bottles any more. As Nikolai departs Kirill calls after him. KIRILL Hey! We're still partners, right? Thunder and lightning! Nikolai climbs the steps. Kirill is left to swig his brandy and stare into the darkness. He wipes his eyes angrily with his sleeve. 66 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. TWO DAYS LATER - NIGHT 66 Sweet Russian choral music covers the next four scenes. The street outside the restaurant is now flooding with rain. A Daimler and a Bentley are already parked. A large SUV pulls up and a hard-looking Russian man in his sixties (VALERY) is ushered from the car by bodyguards in suits and shades. He is greeted by a darker-looking man in his fifties (THE GYPSY) who has a fur coat around his shoulders. Semyon is waiting on the doorstep, dressed in a fine dark suit. 67 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 67 The curtains are drawn against the rainy light. The Gypsy, Valery, Semyon and TWO OTHER RUSSIAN MEN are sitting in a line behind a restaurant table, like a judging panel. After a moment Nikolai enters, dressed in suit and tie for the biggest interview of his life. The vory behind the table greet him. Then Nikolai takes off his jacket and removes his tie. He then takes off his shirt, to reveal that his upper body is decorated with elaborate tattoos (details to follow). He carefully places his shirt over the chair then sits down. The panel of the vory study his body, the Gypsy pushing a candle across the table to better illuminate the detail of the tattoos. Only after the men have studied the tattoos does the interview begin. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 78. 67 CONTINUED: 67 The following dialogue should not be translated, and can be cut around to suggest a long and grueling interview. VALERY We can see that you were in prison in Siberia. And that you were a thief. NIKOLAI My father was a government worker. He fixed the cars of officials. I began by selling the spare parts when I was fifteen. VALERY You have no forced tattoos? NIKOLAI None. GYPSY You were not co-operative? NIKOLAI I spent two years in the punishment block. VALERY You went through the Crosses in St. Petersburg? NIKOLAI I was in solitary confinement fifteen times. I was called 'The Stump' because they couldn't shift me. VALERY Your father was a bitch and a weak fucker for working with the Government, that's right isn't it? Nikolai flickers a little. NIKOLAI That's right. My father means nothing to me. My Mother.... GYPSY You have no mother. She was a whore anyway. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 79. 67 CONTINUED: (2) 67 NIKOLAI Yes. I have no mother and no father. There is only the code, the vory v zakone code which I have always followed. VALERY That is why there is an empty place above your heart. Where the stars will go. And why there is an empty place on your knees. NIKOLAI I am dead already. I died when I was fifteen. Now I live in the zone all the time. GYPSY You have never worked for the government? Any government? NIKOLAI I have lived off Albanians and Georgians. I steal from them within the law. The questions and answers are delivered with great solemnity, making the ceremony feel almost religious. Candles burn, the men all sip water. Semyon is silent throughout but listens attentively. Towards the end of the interview there is the ghost of a smile on the Gypsy's face and this pleases Semyon. 68 EXT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. REAR ENTRANCE - NIGHT 68 A wizened old Russian man (THE TATTOOIST) arrives at the kitchen door, carrying a battered leather case. The kitchen door is opened as he arrives and Semyon greets him. 69 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT 69 The choral music continues as we see the old man opening his case and pulling out tattooing equipment. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 80. 69 CONTINUED: 69 Nikolai is sitting in a banquette at the back, wearing only his underpants. We circle Nikolai as the tattooist begins to work on his knees, preparing Nikolai's knee caps for the tattoos. The needle bites at Nikolai's skin as the old tattooist wipes away the blood. Then we see the needle working on the empty spaces above Nikolai's heart, tattooing the star symbol. Nikolai now has a star tattoo on each knee and two eight- pointed stars on his chest. He is now a member of the vory v zakone. 70 INT. HELEN'S HOUSE. ANNA'S BEDROOM - MORNING 70 Anna is lying awake, her curtains drawn against the daylight. Helen knocks and enters with a cup of tea, just as in the opening scenes. Anna sits up. HELEN (almost accusing) Have you slept at all? Anna doesn't answer. Helen looks anxious as she peeks out of the curtains. HELEN (CONT'D) I tried to get hold of Stepan for you. A pause. HELEN (CONT'D) He's usually either at home or at his sisters. But she hasn't heard from him at all. Helen is trying to hide her anxiety but Anna sees it. HELEN (CONT'D) He did spit in that horrible man's face. ANNA I don't think the driver would do anything to Stepan. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 81. 70 CONTINUED: 70 Helen knows Anna well, senses some flicker of attraction. HELEN How do you know what he would do? A pause. HELEN (CONT'D) You haven't spoken to him since, have you? Anna doesn't answer and Helen's anger sparks... She leaves and slams the door. 71 EXT. TURKISH BATHS - DAY 71 We are in St. Pancras, North London. More rain. Ozim is waiting nervously, blowing into his hands against the cold. The Turkish bath building is a Victorian red-brick edifice. Nikolai pulls up in his Mercedes. 72 INT. TURKISH BATHS. CHANGING ROOM - DAY 72 Ozim and Nikolai are undressing. The place is deserted apart from an OLD TURKISH BATH-HOUSE ATTENDANT who is distributing towels. Ozim is unbuttoning his shirt. OZIM Semyon recommends these places for business meetings because you can see what tattoos a man has. Nikolai is pulling off his shirt and Ozim reacts to the sight of the fresh eight-pointed star tattoos. Ozim chuckles. OZIM (CONT'D) Come on. We have a lot to get through. Let's cook. Ozim disappears into a steam room, naked. Nikolai watches him go, a private agenda bubbling beneath the surface. 73 OMITTED 73 PINK Revision - 11/12/06 82. 74 INT. TURKISH BATHS. STEAM ROOM - DAY 74 Ozim and Nikolai sit side by side, sweating. There is no one else in the steam room. OZIM Our lines to Kabul get broken every two or three weeks. NIKOLAI How come? OZIM The Americans. Fucking NATO. (pause) Valery Nabokov imports flowers and television sets into this country. The television sets are one in ten. That means one in ten have cargo inside them. NIKOLAI Where do they dock? Ozim grins. OZIM I will tell you when I return from the bathroom. Ozim chuckles as he leaves in a swirl of steam. Nikolai leans back against the cold wall, his tattoo almost the only visible thing through the steam. 75 INT. TURKISH BATHS. CHANGING ROOM - DAY 75 Ozim is dressing frantically, his face suddenly betraying his real anxiety. He checks his watch as he puts it back on his wrist. After a moment the two Chechen brothers who killed Ekrem enter the changing room. They swagger up to Ozim. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 83-83A. 75 CONTINUED: 75 He gulps down his fear. OZIM Kirill is in there. Ozim slaps his chest to denote the place where they will see the vor tattoo. They head towards the steam room as Ozim grabs his shoes and hurries towards the exit. 76 INT. TURKISH BATHS. STEAM ROOM - DAY 76 Nikolai is sweating hard, staring at the ceiling. The steam room door opens but the steam is now so thick he can't see who has entered. NIKOLAI Ozim? He sees a shape... a clothed body. He realizes immediately. Suddenly one of the brothers is upon him and has him in a head lock. He strokes the tattoo on Nikolai's chest as if this were confirmation of who this is. He grunts an instruction and his brother emerges through the steam with an open razor. Nikolai is naked, alone. Suddenly he kicks the razor guy in the balls and uses a martial arts chop to free himself from the other brother. In the steam there are boots and bare feet and knees and fingers flying. Nikolai manages to gouge the eye of one brother and throw another against the wall. He obviously has serious combat training but the brothers are strong and angry. Suddenly Nikolai is slashed across the arm by the razor and blood oozes into the steam and hot water. All the men are slipping and falling on the blood and hot water. Another slash of the razor cuts his thigh open. All the men are now covered in blood and Nikolai, with a final surge of strength, manages to cripple one brother with a blow to the throat, and the other with an elbow to the temple. As the Chechens slump to the floor, Nikolai fumbles in the bloody water for the razor, finds it, kneels, and slashes their throats. He lurches to his feet, drops the razor, and staggers out of the steam room. 77 OMITTED 77 GOLDENROD Revision - 11/27/06 84. 78 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. A AND E DEPARTMENT. CANTEEN - DAY 78 Aziz and a group of a dozen doctors and nurses are eating lunch, some in party hats, some drinking red wine out of paper cups. Aziz seems anxious, distracted. Anna enters in a hurry, locates Aziz and joins him. ANNA I'm so late. Sorry. She looks around the 'party' with horror... ANNA (CONT'D) Oh God... AZIZ It's fine, although I think I've had enough. He smiles and downs his glass of wine in one go. ANNA Paul, on my way here I made a decision. AZIZ (mock horror) You can't possibly dump me. We're not even going out. ANNA Take my hand. Aziz, confused, takes her hand. ANNA (CONT'D) Feel my pulse. Aziz feels Anna's pulse. Anna takes a deep breath. ANNA (CONT'D) I'm going to apply to adopt Christine. A pause. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 85. 78 CONTINUED: 78 ANNA (CONT'D) Can you feel that? Aziz smiles. AZIZ Yes, I can. 79 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. A AND E DEPARTMENT - DAY 79 Nikolai is being hurried down the corridor, his face covered with an oxygen mask. He is covered with a surgical gown which is covered in blood. His arm flops out from under the covers as the paramedics rush him into the hospital. Anna is walking in the opposite direction. Then, as Nikolai's trolley passes, Anna sees Nikolai's arm, flopping from under the covers. She sees the eagle tattoo on the back of his hand. Anna freezes. 80 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. WARD. NIKOLAI'S ROOM - DAY 80 Nikolai is conscious in bed, attached to a single drip. His wounds have been stitched up. A doctor and two nurses are settling Nikolai's vital signs, moving around him, checking his temperature. Finally they clear the bed and through the glass of the room we see Anna, standing outside, staring in at Nikolai. 81 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. WARD. NIKOLAI'S ROOM - NIGHT 81 Nikolai is peering through half-opened eyes. The last nurse is checking his vital signs. Then Anna enters. The nurse stops work... NURSE Anna? ANNA Is it OK to talk to him for a minute? The nurse hesitates... NURSE He's still in trauma. Do you know him? Anna glances at Nikolai who is rousing himself. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 86. 81 CONTINUED: 81 ANNA Yes. The nurse is reluctant but sees Anna's fierce stare and finally leaves. After she has gone Nikolai stirs, focuses on her face. NIKOLAI I thought you did birth. Nikolai smiles, but Anna is trying hard to even out her fear and anger. ANNA My uncle.... Nikolai tries to sit up and registers pain. ANNA (CONT'D) ...the one who spat in your face... He's disappeared. A pause. Nikolai gasps in pain as he raises himself up. Anna sees the wounds on his arms and glimpses the tattoos on his chest, scaring her even more. ANNA (CONT'D) If we don't hear from him soon we're going to the police... Nikolai reaches for a bottle of water and manages to take a swig. Anna is impatient for a reaction. ANNA (CONT'D) Do you know where he is? A pause. Nikolai finishes the bottle of water in one thirsty swig. Finally... NIKOLAI Yes. A pause. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) He's in Scotland. In Edinburgh. In a five-star hotel. Anna is locating the door in case she has to flee as Nikolai swings his legs out of the bed to stretch his painful limbs. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 87. 81 CONTINUED: (2) 81 ANNA Edinburgh? NIKOLAI I'm going to need some clothes. I arrived here without any. Can you get me some? Anna doesn't budge. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) I can't walk out of here naked. ANNA You can't walk out of here because you're attached to a drip. Explain Edinburgh. Nikolai sighs, sits back down on the bed. He finally speaks softly. NIKOLAI Your uncle knew too much. Nikolai shrugs. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) I was told to get rid of him. I was meant to send him to heaven with a bullet in his head. Instead I sent him to Edinburgh. With a first-class ticket. A pause. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) He is of the old school. He understood the situation. Exile or death. Edinburgh was his idea. He said they throw a great party at New Year. And he said it was a good excuse to get away from his family. Nikolai smiles at Anna. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) So... just a pair of jeans and a T- shirt. A jacket. And some shoes. Anna still looks disbelieving. Nikolai sighs. (CONTINUED) GOLDENROD Revision - 11/27/06 88. 81 CONTINUED: (3) 81 NIKOLAI (CONT'D) The hotel is called the Caledonian. Without a pause Anna leaves. 82 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. S.C.B.U. CHRISTINE'S PRIVATE ROOM -82 NIGHT Anna is sitting on the bed beside Christine's crib. Christine is asleep. Anna is speaking into her cell phone, trying to keep her voice down. ANNA (into phone) ...no, I couldn't get much sense out of him, he was drunk. A pause. Anna looks exasperated. ANNA (CONT'D) (into phone) Mum, I don't want to tell you how I found him because I don't want another argument. I just wanted you to know he's definitely safe... Anna listens with weariness. ANNA (CONT'D) (into phone) No, we can't tonight. I'm working. I need the money. (a pause) For a place of my own, for Christ's sake! She listens with growing anger until she finally cuts the call without a word. Christine stirs but doesn't wake. She leans back against the wall, already regretful. 83 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. WARD OUTSIDE NIKOLAI'S ROOM - 83 NEXT MORNING. The ward is busy as Yuri, the police specialist from the Russian desk, enters wearing a heavy overcoat. He looks all around and approaches a nurse. PINK Revision - 11/12/06 89. 84 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. WARD. NIKOLAI'S ROOM - MORNING 84 Nikolai's drip is being removed by A NURSE. Nikolai is examining his healing wounds. Then through the glass of the door he notices Yuri, speaking to a nurse, and obviously recognizes him. The nurse points Yuri in Nikolai's direction. 85 EXT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. A FIRE ESCAPE LANDING - MORNING 85 It's cold and the wind is blowing. We see rooftops behind them. Yuri is lighting Nikolai's cigarette. Nikolai is wearing Yuri's overcoat loosely over his hospital gown. Yuri lights his own cigarette and they smoke in silence for a moment. NIKOLAI You got my message? Yuri chuckles. YURI Using a dead body to file a progress report must be against FSB regulations. NIKOLAI It's called improvisation. YURI You've been improvising quite a lot lately. And taking risks. He glances at the cuts on Nikolai's hands... YURI (CONT'D) (in Russian) Maybe too many. Nikolai suddenly glares at Yuri. NIKOLAI (in Russian) You didn't come here to give me flowers... Yuri shakes his head and prepares to deliver bad news. Nikolai turns as if to go back inside. Yuri grabs Nikolai's arm and speaks formally.... (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 90. 85 CONTINUED: 85 YURI In light of what has happened to you... Nikolai shakes his head wearily.... NIKOLAI (in Russian) Ah, Christ... YURI ...and in light of other violent incidents associated with you, the Russian desk at Scotland Yard have made an official request to the Russian embassy that your undercover operation in London be terminated. Nikolai doesn't react for a moment. YURI (CONT'D) (in Russian) You have gone beyond what was agreed. With his cigarette dangling from his mouth Nikolai begins to unbutton his overcoat.. YURI (CONT'D) In my opinion you should see this as good news. You've been in the zone far too long... Nikolai turns and slowly pulls open the overcoat and the thin hospital gown beneath it. He reveals the eight-pointed star tattoos on his chest and Yuri reacts with absolute astonishment. YURI (CONT'D) My God... NIKOLAI If they terminate the operation now, they will be wasting this... A pause. Yuri looks shocked and slightly horrified. Nikolai too suddenly seems almost ashamed that he has got this far. After a long silence Nikolai mumbles. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 91. 85 CONTINUED: (2) 85 NIKOLAI (CONT'D) You tell the Russian desk you saw stars over my heart. OK? Tell them I'm through the door. A pause. Yuri is still overwhelmed. YURI They are bound to ask... who did you kill? A pause. NIKOLAI (in Russian) Tell them I only killed myself. A pause. Yuri is humbled. They share a moment of understanding as they smoke. Finally... NIKOLAI (CONT'D) And you can tell them I'm going to replace Semyon at the head of the London organization. Yuri laughs. YURI What drugs are they giving you? Maybe it's the anesthetic speaking. NIKOLAI I need you to take Semyon out of the picture. I want you to arrest him. Nikolai lights another cigarette from the stub of the one he is smoking. Yuri is incredulous. YURI Arrest him for what? NIKOLAI Rape. Yuri begins to chuckle. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) The girl was fourteen. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 92. 85 CONTINUED: (3) 85 YURI (incredulous) And of course, she will testify... NIKOLAI She doesn't have to. She's dead. A pause. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) But she had Semyon's baby. If you prove the baby is his and prove the girl was under age when the baby was conceived, that's statutory rape. A pause. Yuri begins it think it through. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) All you need is the baby and some of Semyon's DNA. For poetic reasons I suggest you take his blood. Yuri peers at Nikolai with awe. A long pause. Finally Yuri smiles. YURI You intrigue me. A pause. YURI (CONT'D) If we had never had this conversation they would have sent you home. You could have spent the Spring in the mountains. Riding your bicycle to your office every morning through fields of flowers. A pause. YURI (CONT'D) Why stay? Nikolai reacts but doesn't answer. A pause. YURI (CONT'D) You keep in touch. Yuri studies Nikolai. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 93. 85 CONTINUED: (4) 85 YURI (CONT'D) (in Russian) And take care, Mikhail. Yuri tenderly takes his overcoat from Nikolai's shoulders and goes back through the fire-escape door. Nikolai is left cold and exposed in his thin gown. 86 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. WARD. NIKOLAI'S ROOM - DAY 86 Nikolai is playing chess against himself, sitting on the bed, trying hard to concentrate. There is a knock and Anna enters, carrying an old shopping bag. She takes out a worn pair of jeans and a T-shirt, a denim jacket and a battered pair of shoes. Nikolai smiles... NIKOLAI How is Uncle Stepan? Instead of answering, Anna lays the clothes on the bed. ANNA (deadpan) They're from the morgue. They belonged to someone who died yesterday. Nikolai picks up the jeans and examines them. They're way too big. ANNA (CONT'D) I can't believe I'm doing a favor for someone just because he had the decency not to murder a member of my family. Nikolai smiles but Anna turns to leave... NIKOLAI Hey... wait a minute... Nikolai steps behind the bed screen to pull on the jeans. He speaks from behind the screen. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Is your bike still working OK? A pause. Anna considers leaving but hesitates. ANNA Yeah. It's OK. (CONTINUED) 94 86 CONTINUED: 86 Nikolai steps out from behind the screen, the baggy jeans tightly belted, his chest bare. For the first time Anna sees the extent of Nikolai's body tattoos and reacts.... Nikolai sees her reaction to the tattoos and doesn't care for it. He grabs the T-shirt and pulls it on. NIKOLAI Did you get in touch with Tatiana's family in Russia? ANNA No. NIKOLAI Good. Nikolai is now dressed, his cut and tattooed arms still showing. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) So the baby's still in England. A pause. Anna nods. ANNA She's staying here for good. They peer at each other. ANNA (CONT'D) Why do you care? Nikolai shrugs and grabs the shoes. ANNA (CONT'D) Stepan said you were kind to him. He said you were risking your own life to keep him alive. Nikolai laughs. NIKOLAI Yeah, and all the thanks I get is a pair of dead man's shoes. (pause) * I listen to you. * ANNA * (sarcastic) * Do you really? * NIKOLAI * Yes. About Semyon and the baby. * Thank you. * (CONTINUED) 94A 86 CONTINUED: (2) 86 ANNA * (still wary) * You thank me for that? * Their eyes lock across a huge divide. He rubs the tattoos on his arm. (CONTINUED) 95 86 CONTINUED: (3) 86 NIKOLAI (indicating tattoos) * These things are just marks on the skin, you know? Anna nods. An awkward pause, then Anna turns and leaves quickly. 87 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - DAY 87 The restaurant is filled with balloons of every color, all over the floor and bouncing off the tables. A large `Happy New Year' banner is hanging from the wall. Kirill is sitting on the floor amongst the balloons, blowing up another one. Maria, Semyon's little granddaughter, runs in to the restaurant and stops to stare at Kirill. He begins to inflate another balloon then stops. KIRILL (in Russian) What are you looking at? MARIA (in Russian) You. Maria comes to him and take a balloon. She tries to blow it up but fails. Kirill smiles and blows it up for her. MARIA (CONT'D) What were you and Grandpa shouting about last night? KIRILL Nothing, baby. MARIA It sounded like something. Kirill takes a deep breath to blow a balloon then stops and looks at Maria. KIRILL Someone I know got hurt and I blamed Grandpa. MARIA Did you fight each other? I heard banging. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 96. 87 CONTINUED: 87 KIRILL No. It's not a fight if one of you doesn't fight back. A pause. Kirill smiles. We see slight abrasions. KIRILL (CONT'D) So, today I do as I am told. She nods and Kirill blows another balloon. At that moment Kirill sees on the security monitor behind the bar that a police car is pulling up outside the restaurant. His face clouds as another pulls up beside it. KIRILL (CONT'D) Maria. Go upstairs. 88 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - DAY 88 Semyon sits at a bare table, opposite Yuri from the Russian desk. A uniformed officer stands nearby, and there is a police doctor with a medical bag sitting at the next table, waiting. The whole scene is rendered surreal by all the balloons which bounce around them. Semyon is in full charming old man mode. SEMYON (in Russian) You'll have a drink, Yuri... He is half on his feet. YURI (in Russian) I don't drink on duty. SEMYON (in Russian) Sometimes I don't believe you are really Russian. YURI (in Russian) I've told you, I am half Russian. SEMYON (in Russian) Then have half a drink. Yuri shakes his head. Semyon goes to the optic and helps himself to a vodka. (CONTINUED) WHITE Revision - 9/12/06 97. 88 CONTINUED: 88 SEMYON (CONT'D) So what is all this nonsense? YURI We just need a blood sample. SEMYON For what? YURI We can take the sample right now voluntarily or I can get an order from the court. It's up to you. Semyon glances at the doctor and chuckles. SEMYON (in Russian) He sits there like a vampire. YURI (in Russian) What, you are afraid of needles, Semyon? Semyon's face hardens and he glares at Yuri. SEMYON I am afraid of... conspiracies. A pause. Yuri speaks softly. YURI I will return tomorrow with a court order. He gets to his feet. SEMYON Wait. I've done nothing wrong. Semyon begins to roll up his sleeve, revealing a long scroll of tattoos. Then a needle is being pushed into Semyon's arm by the doctor. Semyon's face doesn't flicker. He stares into Yuri's eyes. BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 98. 89 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT. KITCHEN - DAY 89 Kirill is preparing food for the night's festivities. Semyon enters and goes straight to the sink. He pulls off the plaster from his arm where the blood was taken and pours some vodka over the tiny puncture hole. KIRILL What did they want with you, papa? SEMYON To poison me. Semyon pours more vodka on the wound then takes a swig. SEMYON (CONT'D) They took blood from me with a needle. Probably the same needle they use for all the junkies and whores and blacks and queers. He glares at Kirill as he rolls his sleeve down. SEMYON (CONT'D) Now I probably have the fucking queer disease. Kirill has his back turned, doesn't react. Semyon sits heavily. Finally... KIRILL Why would they want your blood, papa? For the first time Semyon looks vulnerable and confused as he admits.... SEMYON I don't know. Kirill is surprised to see his father unsure. He peers at him. SEMYON (CONT'D) Someone is ahead of me. I don't like people ahead of me. Kirill is now unnerved by Semyon's quiet confusion. He watches as Semyon grabs at the bottle of vodka to drink. He speaks softly as he swigs. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 99. 89 CONTINUED: 89 SEMYON (CONT'D) (softly) What the hell did that cocksucker want with my blood? Kirill is reluctant to speak at first but eventually chances his arm. KIRILL Maybe it's about the baby. SEMYON (swigging) What baby? A pause. KIRILL Some bitch was out there saying you were the father of a baby. Semyon turns to Kirill, his face hardening... SEMYON What are you talking about? Semyon approaches and Kirill gets scared. KIRILL It was nothing. Just some bitch... SEMYON Who? KIRILL The woman from the hospital. The midwife. Semyon stares into Kirill's eyes and Kirill mistakes his frantic thought process for anger. Kirill backs away. Semyon is beginning to catch up. 90 EXT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL - NIGHT 90 The main entrance of the hospital is busy with visitors and staff. There is a `Happy New Year' banner across the entrance. In amongst the bustle of visitors we spy a young man with his collar turned up and a bunch of red roses in his hand. We then see that it is Kirill, entering the hospital. GOLDENROD Revision - 11/27/06 100. 91 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. CORRIDOR - NIGHT 91 Anna is walking down a corridor with her crash helmet in her hand, heading for another shift. 92 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. ELEVATORS - NIGHT 92 We are close on Kirill's face as he studies a map of the hospital near the elevators. Anna comes down a stairwell and spots Kirill - she especially notices the roses - just as he gets into an elevator. The elevator doors close. Was it really him? Anna is not sure. She frowns. 93 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. EMPTY CORRIDOR - NIGHT 93 A door opens and Kirill steps into striped moonlight. Clamping the roses under his arm, he pulls a black zip-up sports bag from under his coat. After a brief dialogue with himself, he produces a half bottle of vodka and takes a swig. Then he hurries on. 94 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. S.C.B.U. CHRISTINE'S PRIVATE ROOM -94 NIGHT Anna walks onto the ward in her uniform. She checks a few stats as she walks by various beds. She then glances over at Christine's private room. She tiptoes into the room and goes to the crib. She finds it empty - except for a bunch of red roses. Outside the ward is now filling up with visitors. Babies cry, people laugh. Anna goes back out to the ward and calls to a nurse. ANNA Sonya! Is someone bathing Christine? SONYA No. She's in her cot. ANNA (calmly) Well she's not. She's not. PINK Revision - 11/12/06 101. 95 OMITTED 95 96 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. CORRIDOR - NIGHT 96 Anna runs at breakneck speed through the corridors. 97 EXT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. CAR PARK - NIGHT 97 Kirill is at the wheel of Nikolai's Mercedes. He swigs from his bottle of vodka, which is now more than half empty. He fires the engine and reverses. A car passing by has to slam on its brakes. Kirill yells. KIRILL Hey, you stupid fucker!! A horn blows. The passing car accelerates angrily by. Then we hear a baby crying. Kirill looks into the half darkness of the back seat and we see Kirill's black sports bag, partially zipped up. Christine is crying inside it, her little grasping hand protruding past the zipper. Kirill speaks softly. KIRILL (CONT'D) Be quiet baby. Quiet baby. It's OK. PINK Revision - 11/12/06 102. 98 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. WARD OUTSIDE NIKOLAI'S ROOM - 98 NIGHT Anna flies out of Nikolai's room and spots a nurse. ANNA What happened to the patient with the knife cuts? The Russian? NURSE We just discharged him. A couple of minutes ago. Anna runs out. 99 INT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. RECEPTION - NIGHT 99 Anna runs fast down the corridor towards the hospital exit. She spots Nikolai ahead of her. She pushes past a couple of drunks and flies at him. ANNA Where have they taken Christine?! Nikolai reacts. ANNA (CONT'D) You bastards!! Where will he take her?! Tell me!! People back away as Nikolai grabs Anna's arms and holds her still. NIKOLAI What are you talking about?! Anna studies Nikolai's face and sees his genuine confusion. She calms down a little. ANNA Kirill. Kirill has taken Christine. I saw him here! I thought he was coming to see you, but he wasn't, was he? Nikolai curses under his breath and thinks fast. NIKOLAI You brought your bike? BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 103. 100 EXT. NINE ELMS. ABANDONED DOCK - NIGHT 100 The same dockside where Nikolai dumped Soyka and recommended this as the best place to dispose of a body. Kirill pulls up slowly in Nikolai's Mercedes. The car is parked for a long time before finally the headlights are switched off. 101 EXT. TRAFALGAR HOSPITAL. MATERNITY UNIT - NIGHT 101 Nikolai and Anna race to Anna's motorbike. NIKOLAI I'll drive. ANNA I'll drive. Anna and Nikolai leap aboard the bike and it starts first time. With Nikolai riding pillion, they roar away. 101A EXT. LONDON STREET - NIGHT 101A Anna and Nikolai ride through London streets. 102 EXT. NINE ELMS. ABANDONED DOCK - NIGHT 102 On the edge of the dockside, Kirill is kneeling with the zip-up bag before him. Suddenly fireworks begin to burst over the Thames. It is the stroke of midnight. Kirill unzips the bag. When he looks inside Christine stops crying. He peers at her, wiping away tears. KIRILL She's a little girl, Papa, a little sweet fucking girl... Kirill sobs then Christine cries... KIRILL (CONT'D) Shush, shush... Kirill lifts her out of the bag and holds her close to him, fireworks still illuminating the London skyline. He looks down at the freezing cold water, utterly confused. He whispers... KIRILL (CONT'D) (in Russian) I'm sorry, my little sister. (CONTINUED) BLUE Revision - 11/4/06 103A. 102 CONTINUED: 102 For a moment we believe he is going to throw her into the water. Instead he begins to sing a lullaby to her and her crying stops. (CONTINUED) PINK Revision - 11/12/06 104. 102 CONTINUED: (2) 102 Then we see a single light behind him. In a firework flash we see Nikolai and Anna climbing off the bike. They approach cautiously. Kirill stares at the man he loves. A pause. Christine begins to cry. ANNA Kirill, let me take the baby. KIRILL You stay where you are. ANNA She's cold, Kirill. Kirill suddenly screams as another barrage of fireworks explodes. Nikolai doesn't move. Kirill is dangerously close to the edge of the dock. Maybe he'll throw himself in too. NIKOLAI Kirill, a vor doesn't kill little babies. Kirill is motionless. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Something like this would be bad for all of us. Your dad has gone too far, Kirill. A pause. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) (in Russian) It's our turn now. Nikolai steps forward slowly. As he gets closer Kirill hugs the baby. Finally Nikolai reaches Kirill and hugs him. As he does he edges him away from the dockside. The three of them are locked in a long embrace. Nikolai emerges from the embrace with Christine in his arms. He quickly hands her to Anna who hugs her close. Kirill turns to Nikolai. KIRILL I swear I didn't know my dad was setting you up. (CONTINUED) YELLOW Revision - 11/21/06 105. 102 CONTINUED: (3) 102 NIKOLAI He's going away. When he's gone the family business will be yours. A pause. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) We can be partners again. Thunder and lightning, right? Kirill smiles through his tears and nods. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) Get into the car. I'll drive you home. A pause. Kirill dries his eyes and heads for the car. Nikolai looks at Anna, who is hugging the baby. He waits a long time before realizing he must leave her. NIKOLAI (CONT'D) You're OK, yeah? Anna nods. ANNA Who are you really? Why have you helped us? (CONTINUED) 106 102 CONTINUED: (4) 102 Nikolai can't answer truthfully, though he longs to do so. There is a long pause before he manages to finds a suitable lie. NIKOLAI How can I become King if the King is still in place? A pause. He laughs. Anna studies him, unsure. More New Year fireworks explode over the river. Kirill yells from the car... KIRILL You come on, Nikolai! We're missing the fucking party of the year out there!! Get here and drive!! (in Russian) That's a fucking order!! Nikolai and Anna peer at each other. NIKOLAI Maybe I can drive you somewhere? She shakes her head. ANNA There's someone I can call. He'll come and fetch us. Nikolai nods, not liking the information but hiding it. Nikolai comes close and gently uncovers Christine's face. He smiles. Kirill is hooting the car horn. After a moment Nikolai and Anna kiss each other gently before Nikolai heads for the car. 103 OMITTED 103* 107 104 INT. HELEN'S HOUSE. KITCHEN - DAY 104* A summer's day. Anna, Helen and Uncle Stepan are preparing to eat Sunday lunch. Stepan is carving. The conversation is jovial as Anna and Helen bring dishes of food to the table. Then we hear a baby crying. Anna goes to a small crib and lifts a six-month-old Christine out. She hands her to Helen who hugs her. Over this happy scene we hear Tatiana in V.O., a repeat of the first words we heard her say. TATIANA (V.O.) My name is Tatiana. My father died in the mines in my village, so he was already buried when he died... Anna takes Christine back and takes her to the window to peer outside, staring across the park. 105 INT. TRANS-SIBERIAN RESTAURANT - SAME DAY 105 Nikolai is sitting at a window table, alone, sipping vodka, staring back across the park. He peers out at ordinary life going on in the streets outside. Tatiana's V.O. continues... TATIANA (V.O.) We were all buried there. Beneath the soil of Russia. That is why I left to find a better life. Nikolai finishes his drink. THE END Eastern Promises Writers :   Steven Knight Genres :   Crime  Drama  Mystery  Thriller User Comments Back to IMSDb
screenplays
Why fossil fuel is too dangerous? This seems stupid question, but from many years I am studying that burning/combustion fossil fuel cause pollution because it releases $\ce{CO2}$. I have recently read about $\ce{CFC}$ [here](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/18997/efforts-made-to-reduce-the-amount-of-cfc), which is more dangerous than $\ce{CO2}$ and seems it is not release by burning of fossil fuel then why are scientist more concerned about fossil fuel instead of $\ce{CFC}$? I want proper explanation Why fossil fuel is too dangerous? > > Why fossil fuel is too dangerous? > > > Combustion of fossil fuel does not only release $\ce{CO2}$ but many other harmful substances(pollutants) like oxides of sulphur ($\ce{SO\_{x}}$), oxides of nitrogen($\ce{NO\_{x}}$), Carbon Monoxide($\ce{CO}$), etc... **oxides of sulphur ($\ce{SO\_{x}}$):** When sulphur containing fossil fuel is burnt, then oxides of sulphur is produced. Sulphur Dioxide($\ce{SO2}$) is generally produced. Low concentration of $\ce{SO2}$ causes diseases like asthma, swelling and irritation of respiratory tract. High concentration $\ce{SO2}$ leads to stiffness of flower buds, which eventually fall off! **Oxides of Nitrogen($\ce{NO\_{x}}$):** When in automobile engine, fossil fuel is burnt at high temperature significant amount of nitric oxide($\ce{NO}$) and nitrogen dioxide($\ce{NO2}$) is released. $\ce{NO2}$ is lung irritant. it is highly toxic to living tissue. $\ce{NO2}$ decrease the rate of photosynthesis, cause respiratory diseases in children, etc. **Carbon monoxide($\ce{CO}$):** $\ce{CO}$ is produced due to incomplete combustion of carbon. It is major constituent in smoke of vehicles. $\ce{CO}$ binds with haemoglobin and form carboxyhemoglobin, which is 300 times more stable than usual oxygen-haemoglobin! If concentration of carboxyhemoglobin reaches 3 to 4% then oxygen carrying capacity of blood reduces. **Few more!** $\ce{SO2}$ with smoke and fog is responsible for classical smog([London smog](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Smog)) $\ce{NO2}$ and $\ce{NO}$ is responsible foe photochemical smog([Los-Angeles smog](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Natalie_cali222/Los_Angeles_Smog)) **Update:** I was reading more about environmental chemistry and i discovered that $\ce{NO\_{x}}$ is responsible for 40% depletion of concentration of Ozone layer! > > why are scientist more concerned about fossil fuel instead of CFC? > > > As commented by LDC3 The production of the more hazardous CFC's has been banned. There are 95 derivatives of chloro and bromo fluorocarbon which are listed as ODS(Ozone Depleting Substances). On 16th September, 1987 93 countries sign Montreal Protocol and accept not to use ODS. --- Reference: [GSEB textbook](http://gujarat-education.gov.in/textbook/Images/11sem2/chemistry-11eng/chap7.pdf) pdf
stackexchange/chemistry
Density of moist air Why does moist air have lesser density than dry air? When the amount of vapor inside increases, the mass increases and hence won't the density as well increase? The composition of dry air is about $78\%$ $\ce{N2}$, $21\%$ $\ce{O2}$ and $1\%$ $\ce{Ar}$. The molecular weights of these compounds are: $\ce{N2} = \pu{28 g/mol}$ $\ce{O2} = \pu{32 g/mol}$ $\ce{Ar} = \pu{40 g/mol}$ So, the average molecular weight of dry air is given as: $\pu{(0.78 \* 28 g/mol) + ( 0.21 \* 32 g/mol) + ( 0.01 \* 40 g/mol) g/mol = 29 g/mol}$ The molecular weight of water is only $\pu{18 g/mol}$. So, a molecule of air being replaced by a molecule of water results in an air molecule with an average molecular weight of $\pu{29 g/mol}$ being replaced by a water molecule having a molecular weight of only $\pu{18 g/mol}$. This scenario assumes a constant temperature and pressure when humidifying the air. If you considered the air within a given volume in two rooms, one with moist air and one with dry air, moist air will have some water vapor in place of other molecules that make up air (e.g. oxygen and nitrogen). A Water molecule has a lower mass than either oxygen or nitrogen, thus the volume of moist air will have a lower mass than the volume of dry air and therefore a lower density.
stackexchange/chemistry
( 1 ) , the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent - shunt ( tipss ) has advanced to become a standard procedure in interventional radiology . today , it represents a sophisticated alternative to open surgery or endoscopy in the management of portal hypertension or its complications . the tipss shunting methodology , a shortcut between the portal vein and a liver vein , is comparable to a surgically created shunt , with the aim to lower the pressure gradient between the portal vein ( pv ) and the inferior vena cava ( ivc ) . the major achilles heel of this method during follow - up , however , is shunt reocclusion , resulting once again in a severe and harmful increase of the portal pressure ( along with all other possible complications , such as variceal bleeding or refractory ascites ) . in the past decade , multiple studies were performed in order to optimize the procedure , as well as to identify the optimal material to be used for this type of intervention . balloon - expandable stents , self - expanding stents , and polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe)-covered stents have been used for tipss creation in order to reduce the reocclusion rate and to thus improve long - term patency ( 2 - 4 ) . in ptfe - covered stents , the rates of patency , either short - term or at two years after tipss placement , were described as 87% and 77% , respectively ( 5 ) . ( 6 ) compared covered stents to bare - metal stents , and reported a higher two - year rate of shunt dysfunction for bare - metal stents ( 64% ) than for covered stents ( 44% ) . nevertheless , early post - tipss complications , risk of hepatic encephalopathy , and two - year survival did not differ between the groups . ( 7 ) , who concluded that while covered stents may improve patency , they do not mitigate post - shunt hepatic dysfunction and do not improve survival . notably , the cost of ptfe - covered systems greatly exceeds the cost of bare - metal stent systems . additionally , stent grafts require larger vascular sheaths and are more rigid , which makes them difficult to place in patients with very tortuous or angled vessels . therefore , bare - metal stents must still be regarded as a valuable alternative to ptfe - covered stents . here , we describe our experience using a low - profile 6f self - expanding nitinol stent system ( sinus - superflex - visual , optimed , germany ) with respect to implantability , visibility , and primary and long - term success ( including patency rates and other parameters ) . this retrospective study was approved by our institutional review board , which waived informed consent . twenty - six patients were treated with a low - profile 6f self - expanding sinus - superflex - visual stent system ( optimed , ettlingen , germany ) . all but three patients ( who were intubated and considered to be high - priority emergency cases at the time of intervention ) were informed about the procedure prior to the intervention , and gave written consent . five of the 26 patients were female ( 19% ) and 21 were male ( 81% ) . the mean age of the patients was 54.6 years , with a range of 30 - 70 years . in nine of the 26 patients , the indication for tipss creation was refractory bleeding from esophageal or gastric varices that could not be controlled endoscopically . in 18 patients , the indication for tipss creation was intractable ascites , and one patient had acute thrombosis of the confluence of the superior mesenteric and splenic veins due to necrotizing pancreatitis ( with multiple possible causes ) . the majority of our patients ( 18 out of 26 ) suffered from liver cirrhosis due to excessive alcohol consumption , and five were afflicted with active viral hepatitis . two patients had subacute budd chiari syndrome ( one without any other risk factors and the other in combination with chronic hepatitis c ) . in three patients , after ultrasound - guided puncture of the right internal jugular vein , a 0.035 glidewire ( terumo , eschborn , germany ) was positioned in the ivc . then , after dilating the subcutaneous tissue with 5f and 7f dilators , a 45-cm - long 9f sheath ( cordis endovascular , langenfeld , germany ) was inserted . with the help of a 7f multi - purpose catheter or a 5f c2 cobra catheter ( cordis endovascular ) , the right hepatic vein ( n = 23 ) or the left hepatic vein ( n = 3 ) was catheterized . midazolam , meperidine ( pethidine ) , and atropine were administered via venous access to achieve conscious sedation in the 23 patients who were not under general anesthesia . the portal vein was punctured under fluoroscopic control using 30 or 60 tipss needles ( optimed ) . then , the guide wire was advanced into the portal system , and a c2 cobra catheter ( 5f if used for venous catheterization ; otherwise 4f ) was placed deep into the superior mesenteric vein . the guidewire was subsequently replaced with an amplatz superstiff wire ( boston scientific , natick , ma , usa ) . the tipss tract was pre - dilated with a 5-mm angioplasty balloon ( fox , abbott vascular , wetzlar , germany ) , and one or two sinus - superflex - visual stents ( optimed ) were implanted under fluoroscopic control . the stent was dilated with an 8 mm or larger angioplasty balloon ( fox , abbott vascular ) if the porto - venous gradient could not be reduced to < 12 mmhg . pressure gradients between the pv and the ivc were assessed before dilatation and after establishing the shunt . if the sheath could not be advanced into the portal vein , an additional safety wire was placed into the liver vein , the tip of the sheath was placed into the junction of the liver veins , and the stent was positioned directly ( figure 1 ) . after transjugular puncture of a portal vein branch , a 4f multipurpose catheter was advanced into the portal vein , and pressure was measured within the portal vein and the right atrium via the vascular sheath , using a conventional pressure transducer ( medex ) . the porto - systemic pressure gradient was calculated as portal vein pressure minus right atrial pressure . in five of the 26 patients , persistent relevant shunting despite successful tipss placement was observed , and esophageal or gastric varices were embolized during the same session . in four patients , coils ( cook medical , bloomington , in , usa ) measuring up to a diameter of 15 mm were used , and in one patient , an amplatzer plug ( aga medical , plymouth , ma , usa ) was inserted to occlude a large gastric vein . in another four patients , who presented with refractory bleeding , a reduction of the porto - venous pressure gradient to < 8 mmhg precluded relevant shunting and was sufficient to prevent re - bleeding . all patients received a control ultrasound within the first 48 hours after tipss creation in order to rule out acute shunt occlusion . over the following month , the patients underwent doppler sonography to control for tipss patency , and had physical examinations at internal medicine outpatient clinics to monitor for clinical signs of progressive liver disease . in 19 of the 26 patients , follow - up for 5 years was documented . seven of the 26 patients escaped long - term follow - up due to a change of residence or referral back to their home hospital after successful tipss placement . due to its short half - life , unfractionated heparin can be easily antagonized in cases of re - bleeding . hence , immediately after tipss placement , every patient was placed on unfractionated heparin for at least 24 hours . full heparinization was performed with heparin 25000 iu/24 hours , for an attempted partial thromboplastin time of 55 - 70 seconds . with respect to that patient , we later abandoned the application of full heparinization after tipss . this retrospective study was approved by our institutional review board , which waived informed consent . twenty - six patients were treated with a low - profile 6f self - expanding sinus - superflex - visual stent system ( optimed , ettlingen , germany ) . all but three patients ( who were intubated and considered to be high - priority emergency cases at the time of intervention ) were informed about the procedure prior to the intervention , and gave written consent . five of the 26 patients were female ( 19% ) and 21 were male ( 81% ) . the mean age of the patients was 54.6 years , with a range of 30 - 70 years . in nine of the 26 patients , the indication for tipss creation was refractory bleeding from esophageal or gastric varices that could not be controlled endoscopically . in 18 patients , the indication for tipss creation was intractable ascites , and one patient had acute thrombosis of the confluence of the superior mesenteric and splenic veins due to necrotizing pancreatitis ( with multiple possible causes ) . the majority of our patients ( 18 out of 26 ) suffered from liver cirrhosis due to excessive alcohol consumption , and five were afflicted with active viral hepatitis . two patients had subacute budd chiari syndrome ( one without any other risk factors and the other in combination with chronic hepatitis c ) . in three patients , after ultrasound - guided puncture of the right internal jugular vein , a 0.035 glidewire ( terumo , eschborn , germany ) was positioned in the ivc . then , after dilating the subcutaneous tissue with 5f and 7f dilators , a 45-cm - long 9f sheath ( cordis endovascular , langenfeld , germany ) was inserted . with the help of a 7f multi - purpose catheter or a 5f c2 cobra catheter ( cordis endovascular ) , the right hepatic vein ( n = 23 ) or the left hepatic vein ( n = 3 ) was catheterized . midazolam , meperidine ( pethidine ) , and atropine were administered via venous access to achieve conscious sedation in the 23 patients who were not under general anesthesia . the portal vein was punctured under fluoroscopic control using 30 or 60 tipss needles ( optimed ) . then , the guide wire was advanced into the portal system , and a c2 cobra catheter ( 5f if used for venous catheterization ; otherwise 4f ) was placed deep into the superior mesenteric vein . the guidewire was subsequently replaced with an amplatz superstiff wire ( boston scientific , natick , ma , usa ) . the tipss tract was pre - dilated with a 5-mm angioplasty balloon ( fox , abbott vascular , wetzlar , germany ) , and one or two sinus - superflex - visual stents ( optimed ) were implanted under fluoroscopic control . the stent was dilated with an 8 mm or larger angioplasty balloon ( fox , abbott vascular ) if the porto - venous gradient could not be reduced to < 12 mmhg . pressure gradients between the pv and the ivc were assessed before dilatation and after establishing the shunt . if the sheath could not be advanced into the portal vein , an additional safety wire was placed into the liver vein , the tip of the sheath was placed into the junction of the liver veins , and the stent was positioned directly ( figure 1 ) . after transjugular puncture of a portal vein branch , a 4f multipurpose catheter was advanced into the portal vein , and pressure was measured within the portal vein and the right atrium via the vascular sheath , using a conventional pressure transducer ( medex ) . the porto - systemic pressure gradient was calculated as portal vein pressure minus right atrial pressure . in five of the 26 patients , persistent relevant shunting despite successful tipss placement was observed , and esophageal or gastric varices were embolized during the same session . in four patients , coils ( cook medical , bloomington , in , usa ) measuring up to a diameter of 15 mm were used , and in one patient , an amplatzer plug ( aga medical , plymouth , ma , usa ) was inserted to occlude a large gastric vein . in another four patients , who presented with refractory bleeding , a reduction of the porto - venous pressure gradient to < 8 mmhg precluded relevant shunting and was sufficient to prevent re - bleeding . all patients received a control ultrasound within the first 48 hours after tipss creation in order to rule out acute shunt occlusion . over the following month , the patients underwent doppler sonography to control for tipss patency , and had physical examinations at internal medicine outpatient clinics to monitor for clinical signs of progressive liver disease . in 19 of the 26 patients , follow - up for 5 years was documented . seven of the 26 patients escaped long - term follow - up due to a change of residence or referral back to their home hospital after successful tipss placement . tipss patency is of prime importance to reduce the risk of bleeding . due to its short half - life hence , immediately after tipss placement , every patient was placed on unfractionated heparin for at least 24 hours . full heparinization was performed with heparin 25000 iu/24 hours , for an attempted partial thromboplastin time of 55 - 70 seconds . however , one patient developed a large capsular liver hematoma . with respect to that patient , we later abandoned the application of full heparinization after tipss . tipss creation with a sinus - superflex - visual self - expandable stent was successful in all patients . in 10 patients , a single stent with a nominal diameter of 12 mm and a length of 60 mm was used ; in 13 patients , the stent length was 80 mm ; and in three patients , two stents had to be implanted ( two with 12/60 mm plus 12/80 mm sinus stents , and the other with a 12/80 mm sinus stent plus a balloon - expandable stent ) . in 24 of the 26 patients , stents were deployed exactly at the pre - planned site ( 92% ) , while in the remaining two patients , the stent was placed too deeply into the portal vein , so that an additional sinus stent ( 12/80 mm plus 12/60 mm ) had to be placed . in one patient , even though the stent length was sufficient , an additional balloon - expandable stent ( palmaz genesis , cordis endovascular , langenfeld , germany ) had to be inserted in order to achieve tract - straightening . no problems occurred with the pull - back deployment mechanisms . the mean pressure gradient prior to the intervention was 20.9 6.3 mmhg ( range : 12 - 32 mmhg ) . directly after the intervention , the pressure gradient dropped significantly to a mean of 8.2 2.3 mmhg ( range : 3 - 13 ) ( p < 0.001 ) . in 19 of 26 patients , dilating the stent with an 8-mm balloon was sufficient to lower the pressure gradient to 12 mmhg ( figure 2a and b ) . in five patients , the stent was dilated to 10 mm , and in one patient , the stent had to be dilated to 12 mm to sufficiently lower the pressure gradient . in one other patient , the stent was dilated to only 5 mm , as the indication for the procedure was to coil existing varices rather than to create a relevant shunt , due to preexisting hepatic encephalopathy . in this patient , the portosystemic pressure gradient was left at 13 mmhg . in four of the 26 patients , additional coil embolization of esophageal and/or gastric varices was performed , and in one patient , an amplatzer plug was used to occlude a large variceal vein ( figure 3a - c ) . one patient presented with acute thrombosis of the confluence of the superior mesenteric and splenic veins due to necrotizing pancreatitis . tipss insertion was successful , and the thrombotic material in the superior mesenteric and splenic veins was defragmented , leading to improved mesenteric venous flow . we observed procedure - related complications in five patients , including acute tract occlusion in two patients , liver hematoma in one , hepatic encephalopathy in one , and cardiac failure in another . one patient , who received a 12/80 mm stent for the treatment of subacute budd - chiari syndrome , suffered from an acute stent occlusion within the first 24 hours post - intervention . the tract had to be recanalized , and two additional stents ( palmaz genesis 9/59 and smart 12/80 , cordis endovascular , langenfeld , germany ) were implanted . a second patient , who was treated for refractory ascites , suffered from an acute tipss occlusion one day after tipss creation . in this patient , a viatorr stent graft ( w.l . gore , flagstaff , az , usa ) was implanted , and no occlusion subsequently occurred . a third patient , who was being treated for refractory ascites and was suffering from cirrhosis of his already - transplanted liver , developed a large liver hematoma due to excessive post - interventional anticoagulation with heparin ( ptt > 160 ) . in the course of this intrahepatic bleeding , the patient developed transient renal insufficiency . over the following six months , renal function recovered and the ascites was effectively controlled . this patient later underwent olt . a fourth patient , suffering from cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis c , drug abuse , and excessive alcohol consumption , presented with a pre - interventional pressure gradient of 30 mmhg . post - intervention , the pressure gradient was found to be lowered to 7 mmhg . this patient subsequently developed severe hepatic encephalopathy , which was successfully controlled with conservative treatment . a fifth patient developed cardiac insufficiency six months after tipss creation . three of the 26 treated patients ( 11.5% ) died within one week after the procedure . one was due to multiorgan failure , the second was due to acute respiratory distress syndrome that complicated preexisting necrotizing pancreatitis , and the third patient died due to pulmonary exhaustion resulting from pneumonia caused by aspiration . another four of the 26 patients ( 15.4% ) died within one year after tipss creation . in one case , ascites production was found to be significantly reduced after tipss insertion ; however , this patient developed a continuously aggravating wasting syndrome and died nine months later . another patient s status progressively deteriorated due to persistent alcohol abuse and refractory ascites . in the end , he denied medical support and succumbed to his progressive liver failure at six months . another patient died with worsening ascites and hepatic encephalopathy at five months post - intervention . one patient , who received tipss because of uncontrollable bleeding from gastric varices , succumbed to re - bleeding . seven of the 26 patients underwent olt at a mean time of 9.4 months ( range : two days to 16 months ) post - intervention . one of these patients had late - onset tipss occlusion at 12 months after the tipss creation , which became symptomatic with re - bleeding of gastric varices . the tipss was recanalized and the patient received olt one month later . in the remainder of these cases , the tipss tracts were consistently patent until the moment of olt ( figure 4 ) . one became symptomatic 12 months after tipss placement , with re - bleeding from gastric varices . the other remained in good general condition , without varicose bleeding or refractory ascites , and the tipss occlusion was noticed incidentally during a routine duplex - ultrasound undertaken 39 months after tipss creation . as this patient was completely asymptomatic , tipss creation with a sinus - superflex - visual self - expandable stent was successful in all patients . in 10 patients , a single stent with a nominal diameter of 12 mm and a length of 60 mm was used ; in 13 patients , the stent length was 80 mm ; and in three patients , two stents had to be implanted ( two with 12/60 mm plus 12/80 mm sinus stents , and the other with a 12/80 mm sinus stent plus a balloon - expandable stent ) . in 24 of the 26 patients , stents were deployed exactly at the pre - planned site ( 92% ) , while in the remaining two patients , the stent was placed too deeply into the portal vein , so that an additional sinus stent ( 12/80 mm plus 12/60 mm ) had to be placed . in one patient , even though the stent length was sufficient , an additional balloon - expandable stent ( palmaz genesis , cordis endovascular , langenfeld , germany ) had to be inserted in order to achieve tract - straightening . no problems occurred with the pull - back deployment mechanisms . the mean pressure gradient prior to the intervention was 20.9 6.3 mmhg ( range : 12 - 32 mmhg ) . directly after the intervention , the pressure gradient dropped significantly to a mean of 8.2 2.3 mmhg ( range : 3 - 13 ) ( p < 0.001 ) . in 19 of 26 patients , dilating the stent with an 8-mm balloon was sufficient to lower the pressure gradient to 12 mmhg ( figure 2a and b ) . in five patients , the stent was dilated to 10 mm , and in one patient , the stent had to be dilated to 12 mm to sufficiently lower the pressure gradient . in one other patient , the stent was dilated to only 5 mm , as the indication for the procedure was to coil existing varices rather than to create a relevant shunt , due to preexisting hepatic encephalopathy . in this patient , the portosystemic pressure gradient was left at 13 mmhg . in four of the 26 patients , additional coil embolization of esophageal and/or gastric varices was performed , and in one patient , an amplatzer plug was used to occlude a large variceal vein ( figure 3a - c ) . one patient presented with acute thrombosis of the confluence of the superior mesenteric and splenic veins due to necrotizing pancreatitis . tipss insertion was successful , and the thrombotic material in the superior mesenteric and splenic veins was defragmented , leading to improved mesenteric venous flow . we observed procedure - related complications in five patients , including acute tract occlusion in two patients , liver hematoma in one , hepatic encephalopathy in one , and cardiac failure in another . one patient , who received a 12/80 mm stent for the treatment of subacute budd - chiari syndrome , suffered from an acute stent occlusion within the first 24 hours post - intervention . the tract had to be recanalized , and two additional stents ( palmaz genesis 9/59 and smart 12/80 , cordis endovascular , langenfeld , germany ) were implanted . no occlusions were subsequently observed . a second patient , who was treated for refractory ascites , suffered from an acute tipss occlusion one day after tipss creation . gore , flagstaff , az , usa ) was implanted , and no occlusion subsequently occurred . a third patient , who was being treated for refractory ascites and was suffering from cirrhosis of his already - transplanted liver , developed a large liver hematoma due to excessive post - interventional anticoagulation with heparin ( ptt > 160 ) . in the course of this intrahepatic bleeding , the patient developed transient renal insufficiency . over the following six months , renal function recovered and the ascites was effectively controlled . this patient later underwent olt . a fourth patient , suffering from cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis c , drug abuse , and excessive alcohol consumption , presented with a pre - interventional pressure gradient of 30 mmhg . post - intervention , the pressure gradient was found to be lowered to 7 mmhg . this patient subsequently developed severe hepatic encephalopathy , which was successfully controlled with conservative treatment . a fifth patient developed cardiac insufficiency six months after tipss creation . three of the 26 treated patients ( 11.5% ) died within one week after the procedure . one was due to multiorgan failure , the second was due to acute respiratory distress syndrome that complicated preexisting necrotizing pancreatitis , and the third patient died due to pulmonary exhaustion resulting from pneumonia caused by aspiration . another four of the 26 patients ( 15.4% ) died within one year after tipss creation . in one case , ascites production was found to be significantly reduced after tipss insertion ; however , this patient developed a continuously aggravating wasting syndrome and died nine months later . another patient s status progressively deteriorated due to persistent alcohol abuse and refractory ascites . in the end , he denied medical support and succumbed to his progressive liver failure at six months . another patient died with worsening ascites and hepatic encephalopathy at five months post - intervention . one patient , who received tipss because of uncontrollable bleeding from gastric varices , succumbed to re - bleeding . seven of the 26 patients underwent olt at a mean time of 9.4 months ( range : two days to 16 months ) post - intervention . one of these patients had late - onset tipss occlusion at 12 months after the tipss creation , which became symptomatic with re - bleeding of gastric varices . the tipss was recanalized and the patient received olt one month later . in the remainder of these cases , the tipss tracts were consistently patent until the moment of olt ( figure 4 ) . one became symptomatic 12 months after tipss placement , with re - bleeding from gastric varices . the other remained in good general condition , without varicose bleeding or refractory ascites , and the tipss occlusion was noticed incidentally during a routine duplex - ultrasound undertaken 39 months after tipss creation . as this patient was completely asymptomatic , tipss is the treatment of choice to manage the complications of portal hypertension , such as variceal hemorrhage or refractory ascites , when conservative or endoscopic procedures have failed . tipss creation significantly reduces the risk of bleeding from esophageal or gastric varices ( 8 , 9 ) , and is superior to conservative therapy in treating refractory ascites ( 10 ) . however , establishing a tipss is associated with a significantly higher risk of hepatic encephalopathy ( 8 , 10 , 11 ) , as blood from the gi tract bypasses the liver and detoxification is significantly reduced . nevertheless , hepatic encephalopathy following tipss creation can be managed conservatively in the majority of cases . the technical success rate of establishing a proper shunt between the pv and the ivc has risen to approximately 95% over the years , due to the development of sophisticated tools , including low - profile balloons and stents ( 12 , 13 ) . meanwhile , several stents or stent grafts have been evaluated for tipss creation . in the early days , stents such as balloon - expandable palmaz stents were used with technical success rates ranging between 75% and 95% ( 14 - 16 ) . subsequently , self - expanding stents such as the wallstent have been evaluated ( 16 , 17 ) , and more recently , stent grafts such as the viatorr have been used ( 18 , 19 ) . compared to bare - metal stents , the long - term patency rates of stent grafts are higher , as no pseudointimal hyperplasia occludes the tract lumen . however , those grafts require larger vascular sheaths and , due to their rigidity , they can be difficult to place in patients with very tortuous or angled vessels . in this paper , we describe our experience with a 6f self - expanding nitinol stent system . in order to enhance its visibility , radiopaque tantalum markers are fixed to the stent at both ends , which can be helpful during abdominal interventions , especially in obese patients or when using a flat - panel ( digital ) angiography unit ( 20 ) . due to its low profile and flexibility , this stent system can be introduced even if the transhepatic tract is very sloped . furthermore , this system can be advanced through the pre - dilated liver parenchyma without the sheath having to be placed within the portal vein , making tipss establishment much easier , at least in some cases . when using , for example , a 9f vascular sheath , a second wire can be placed through the sheath for anchoring and stabilizing the vascular sheath in the liver vein ( figure 1 ) . this is advantageous when the angle between the liver veins and the ivc is close to 90 , or when the ivc is found to be dilated . we exclusively chose stents with a diameter of 12 mm , to have the option of creating single shunts with a large diameter in order to avoid the implantation of a second , parallel shunt ( 21 ) . in one patient , it was necessary to dilate the stent with a 12 mm balloon in order to sufficiently lower the pressure gradient . in 25 of 26 patients , we were able to reduce the portosystemic pressure gradient to 12 mmhg , which is considered the therapeutic goal , at the time of tipss creation ( 22 , 23 ) . thus , the low - profile sinus - superflex - visual stent was demonstrated to be powerful enough to achieve the therapeutically required pressure reduction . in one patient , we did not dilate the tract after stent placement , as our specific goal in this case was merely to embolize the variceal veins , which were the source of repetitive bleeding . we did not dilate the tract , due to preexisting hepatic encephalopathy , and we did not choose an abdominal percutaneous approach for coil embolization , due to ascites . additional embolization of variceal ( esophageal and/or gastric ) veins was performed in five of our 26 patients . in those five patients , the variceal veins still presented with the relevant shunting , although a tipss was created successfully and the portosystemic pressure had been lowered significantly , to below the threshold of 12 mmhg . as the indication for tipss creation in these patients was recurrent bleeding , we intended to lower the risk of re - bleeding by performing this additional procedure ( 24 ) . in four of these five patients , coil embolization was performed , and in one patient , an amplatzer plug was inserted ( figure 3a - c ) . in all patients , the varices no longer opacified after the intervention . we observed relevant periprocedural complications in five of our 26 patients that were procedure - related rather than stent - related . one liver hematoma was caused in the course of the multiple punctures required to establish portal venous access , and by a prolonged ptt of > 160 seconds due to unintentional excessive administration of heparin . in another patient , this early stent occlusion was likely due to the stent length chosen for the procedure ; the stent did not completely cover the liver vein , which has been described as a reason for tipss failure by other groups ( 4 , 16 ) . a re - intervention with the implantation of two additional stents was necessary , and no further adverse events were noted thereafter in this patient . another patient with acute tract occlusion was treated with the additional implantation of a viatorr stent . a patient with hepatic encephalopathy one patient with cardiac decompensation six months after tipss creation was treated using a tipss reduction stent system . overall , three patients died within one week after tipss creation , attributable to their limited general conditions ( multiorgan failure , ards , pneumonia ) rather than to the tipss creation . by and large , the rate of adverse effects was concordant with the rate of tipss - related complications already published in the literature ( 25 , 26 ) . apparently , those side effects were procedure - related rather than graft - related . with regard to long - term follow - up , four of the 26 patients in this study succumbed to their underlying advanced liver disease within one year after tipss insertion . in addition , three patients exhibited late - onset tipss occlusions ( at 12 , 12 , and 39 months after tipss creation ) . overall , the long - term disease courses and late complications were found to be comparable to those reported by other groups ( 6 , 7 ) . therefore , the tipss procedure is regarded as a highly effective bridge to liver transplantation , especially in patients with complications resulting from severe portal hypertension , and who are candidates for olt . indeed , seven of the 26 patients in this study underwent olt at a mean time of 9.4 months after tipss creation . the shunt did not impair liver transplantation in any of these patients , which is in line with the results obtained in other studies ( 27 , 28 ) . initially , our intention was to only treat the patients , not to evaluate or compare the function of different stent devices . prospective , randomized trials focusing on patient survival are needed in order to compare the sinus - superflex - visual stent to other stent systems , and to avoid bias due to incomplete follow - up and retrospective analysis . second , seven of the 26 patients escaped long - term follow - up due to a change of residence or referral back to their home hospital after successful tipss placement . third , although the majority of our tipss patients most likely resembled each other with respect to their underlying conditions ( i.e. alcoholism , viral hepatitis , cryptogenic cirrhosis , etc . ) , we can not rule out that the stent system described in our analysis might be less beneficial in special subgroups of patients . in conclusion , the sinus - superflex - visual stent system was found to be easily deployed even in the presence of disadvantageous vascular anatomy . the achieved rate of pressure gradient reduction ( from a mean of 20.9 mmhg to a mean of 8.2 mmhg ) was clinically sufficient to treat symptoms resulting from portal hypertension , and the rate of adverse effects was found to be similar to that of previously published data .
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a 75-year - old man was admitted for treatment of acute alcoholic hepatitis . with enhanced computed tomography ( ct ) , endoscopic ultrasound ( eus ) showed a multiple - cystic lesion with mural nodule in the tail of the pancreas and a diameter of 17 mm . to obtain pancreatic juice for cytopathologic examination cannulation of the pancreatic duct was difficult and took more than 30 minutes ( no cannulation into the bile duct during the procedure ) . we did not perform intraductal ultrasound and brushing because the cystic lesion was located on the end of the pancreas close to the splenic hilum . subsequently , an indwelling 5-fr enpd - tube was inserted in the pancreatic duct ( fig . 1 ) . the enpd tube had 4 side holes within 35 mm of its distal end . there was no obvious finding to suggest the presence of pancreaticobiliary maljunction based on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography ( mrcp ) prior to ercp ( fig . 2 ) . however , backflow of a small amount of contrast medium into the bile duct was present when a generous amount of contrast medium was injected into the pancreatic duct ( fig . 1 , no ae was noted during the procedure . a 5-fr endoscopic nasopancreatic drainage tube indwelling in the pancreatic duct . there was no obvious finding suggestive of the presence of pancreaticobiliary maljunction , but a small amount of contrast medium flew back into the bile duct ( arrow ) . on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography , there were no obvious findings suggestive of the presence of pancreaticobiliary maljunction . although about 200 ml of pancreatic fluid had been drained and the enpd tube was removed 22 hours after the ercp , the level of pain kept increasing . contrast - enhanced ct showed a swollen gallbladder with an apparent thickening of the wall without evidence of biliary tract dilatation . in addition , massive ascites that had not been seen before ercp were identified ( fig . 3 ) . ascitic fluid was orange - colored and cloudy , and bilirubin and amylase concentrations ( 38.9 mg / dl and 4325 iu / l , normal limit is 1.0 mg / dl and 125 iu / l ) far exceeded the corresponding values measured in the blood on the same day ( 0.6 mg / dl , 119 perforation of the duodenum but not the biliary tree was initially suspected , as both amylase and bilirubin levels in the ascites were high . contrast - enhanced computed tomography ( ct ) at 30 hours post - endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography . subsequently , exploratory laparotomy was performed . despite substantial bile in the peritoneal cavity , there was no evidence of duodenal perforation . the contents of the gallbladder were aspirated and its bilirubin and amylase levels were determined . therefore , acute cholecystitis with perforation due to acute pancreatobiliary reflux was diagnosed , and cholecystectomy was performed . pathologic examination revealed that inflammatory cells had infiltrated throughout all layers , and abscess formation and necrosis with perforation were found in the subserosal layer ( fig . no finding , such as hyperplastic change of gallbladder mucosa , was made that was suggestive of pancreaticobiliary maljunction and there were no gallbladder stones or tumor . the postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged 9 days after surgery . the red arrow is the site of a puncture made by the surgeon to aspirate the contents of the gallbladder . b microscopic examination at the site of perforation showed invasion of inflammatory cells throughout all layers and abscess formation and necrosis in the subserosal layer . 2 reported that thrombosis in the intramural vessels appeared to be related to the events leading to ipgb . in contrast , a few reports have suggested that pancreatobiliary maljunction may contribute to its etiology 1 3 . nevertheless , it has been thought that pancreatobiliary reflux could result in several of various pathologic conditions in the biliary system , including acute cholecystitis , and pancreaticobiliary maljunction was not a necessary prerequisite 4 . acute cholecystitis generally is well known as a cause of ipgb 5 . in our case , however , there was no stone or tumor that could cause the cholecystitis in the biliary tree . in this case , acute cholecystitis and perforation occurred after insertion of the indwelling enpd - tube , thus it is believed that this pathologic condition occurred as an ae related to the ercp and insertion of the indwelling enpd - tube . pancreatobiliary reflux was highly implicated in the ipgb based on the high amylase concentration in the gallbladder contents 3 . however , in our case , pancreatobiliary maljunction was not identified on mrcp or ercp . past literature suggests that pancreatobiliary reflux can occur in individuals without pancreaticobiliary maljunction 6 7 8 . in particular , pancreatobiliary reflux has been frequently observed in individuals with a relatively long common channel 9 , and in our case , it was observed on ercp images . in fact , a small amount of contrast medium injected into the pancreatic duct back flowed into the bile duct , although mrcp did not indicate any pancreatobiliary maljunction . thus , it was speculated that pancreatic fluid could easily flow into the bile duct due to the indwelling enpd tube , which would eliminate space between the tube and the common channel . consequently , the concentration of pancreatic enzymes in the biliary tree rapidly increased and pooled in the gallbladder after insertion of the indwelling enpd tube , potentially causing acute cholecystitis , and subsequently gallbladder perforation . although enpd insertion is common in japan , it is hard to explain why ipgb has not been observed in many other cases . our patient might have a tendency to easily develop pancreatobiliary reflux because of the anatomy of the long common channel . in conclusion , our case supports the suggestion that pancreatobiliary reflux is an important cause of ipgb . in addition , ipgb also should be recognized as a possible ae of pancreatic stent insertion , especially in patients who have a long common channel .
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Jermaine Titano Benito Holwyn born 16 April 1973 is a Dutch former footballer. Playing career Holwyn played for Amstelland, Zeeburgin, Abcoude and Ajax Amsterdam before being purchased by English First Division side Port Vale in May 1995 for a £5,000 fee. He made his debut in a friendly at Newcastle Town on 16 July 1995, but was stretchered off with cartilage and cruciate ligament damage to his knee after just ten minutes. After undergoing surgery in September 1995 he was sidelined for the rest of the season. He made his debut at Vale Park on 19 January 1997 in a 44 draw with Queens Park Rangers, scoring a 66th minute own goal as he inadvertently helped QPR recover a 40 deficit. He made just six further appearances in the 199697 season, before manager John Rudge allowed him to return to Holland with HFC Haarlem in 1998. Statistics Source: References External links Category:Footballers from Amsterdam Category:Dutch footballers Category:Association football defenders Category:AFC Ajax players Category:Dutch expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:Port Vale F.C. players Category:HFC Haarlem players Category:FC Volendam players Category:Eerste Divisie players Category:English Football League players Category:1973 births Category:Living people
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Photon transport in biological tissue can be equivalently modeled numerically with Monte Carlo simulations or analytically by the radiative transfer equation RTE. However, the RTE is difficult to solve without introducing approximations. A common approximation summarized here is the diffusion approximation. Overall, solutions to the diffusion equation for photon transport are more computationally efficient, but less accurate than Monte Carlo simulations. Definitions The RTE can mathematically model the transfer of energy as photons move inside a tissue. The flow of radiation energy through a small area element in the radiation field can be characterized by radiance . Radiance is defined as energy flow per unit normal area per unit solid angle per unit time. Here, denotes position, denotes unit direction vector and denotes time Figure 1. Several other important physical quantities are based on the definition of radiance: Fluence rate or intensity Fluence Current density energy flux . This is the vector counterpart of fluence rate pointing in the prevalent direction of energy flow. Radiative transfer equation The RTE is a differential equation describing radiance . It can be derived via conservation of energy. Briefly, the RTE states that a beam of light loses energy through divergence and extinction including both absorption and scattering away from the beam and gains energy from light sources in the medium and scattering directed towards the beam. Coherence, polarization and non-linearity are neglected. Optical properties such as refractive index , absorption coefficient μa, scattering coefficient μs, and scattering anisotropy are taken as time-invariant but may vary spatially. Scattering is assumed to be elastic. The RTE Boltzmann equation is thus written as: where is the speed of light in the tissue, as determined by the relative refractive index μtμa+μs is the extinction coefficient is the phase function, representing the probability of light with propagation direction being scattered into solid angle around . In most cases, the phase function depends only on the angle between the scattered and incident directions, i.e. . The scattering anisotropy can be expressed as describes the light source. Diffusion theory Assumptions In the RTE, six different independent variables define the radiance at any spatial and temporal point , , and from , polar angle and azimuthal angle from , and . By making appropriate assumptions about the behavior of photons in a scattering medium, the number of independent variables can be reduced. These assumptions lead to the diffusion theory and diffusion equation for photon transport. Two assumptions permit the application of diffusion theory to the RTE: Relative to scattering events, there are very few absorption events. Likewise, after numerous scattering events, few absorption events will occur and the radiance will become nearly isotropic. This assumption is sometimes called directional broadening. In a primarily scattering medium, the time for substantial current density change is much longer than the time to traverse one transport mean free path. Thus, over one transport mean free path, the fractional change in current density is much less than unity. This property is sometimes called temporal broadening. Both of these assumptions require a high-albedo predominantly scattering medium. The RTE in the diffusion approximation Radiance can be expanded on a basis set of spherical harmonics n, m. In diffusion theory, radiance is taken to be largely isotropic, so only the isotropic and first-order anisotropic terms are used: where n, m are the expansion coefficients. Radiance is expressed with 4 terms; one for n = 0 the isotropic term and 3 terms for n = 1 the anisotropic terms. Using properties of spherical harmonics and the definitions of fluence rate and current density , the isotropic and anisotropic terms can respectively be expressed as follows: Hence we can approximate radiance as Substituting the above expression for radiance, the RTE can be respectively rewritten in scalar and vector forms as follows The scattering term of the RTE is integrated over the complete solid angle. For the vector form, the RTE is multiplied by direction before evaluation.: The diffusion approximation is limited to systems where reduced scattering coefficients are much larger than their absorption coefficients and having a minimum layer thickness of the order of a few transport mean free path. The diffusion equation Using the second assumption of diffusion theory, we note that the fractional change in current density over one transport mean free path is negligible. The vector representation of the diffusion theory RTE reduces to Fick's law , which defines current density in terms of the gradient of fluence rate. Substituting Fick's law into the scalar representation of the RTE gives the diffusion equation: is the diffusion coefficient and μ'sμs is the reduced scattering coefficient. Notably, there is no explicit dependence on the scattering coefficient in the diffusion equation. Instead, only the reduced scattering coefficient appears in the expression for . This leads to an important relationship; diffusion is unaffected if the anisotropy of the scattering medium is changed while the reduced scattering coefficient stays constant. Solutions to the diffusion equation For various configurations of boundaries e.g. layers of tissue and light sources, the diffusion equation may be solved by applying appropriate boundary conditions and defining the source term as the situation demands. Point sources in infinite homogeneous media A solution to the diffusion equation for the simple case of a short-pulsed point source in an infinite homogeneous medium is presented in this section. The source term in the diffusion equation becomes , where is the position at which fluence rate is measured and is the position of the source. The pulse peaks at time . The diffusion equation is solved for fluence rate to yield The term represents the exponential decay in fluence rate due to absorption in accordance with Beer's law. The other terms represent broadening due to scattering. Given the above solution, an arbitrary source can be characterized as a superposition of short-pulsed point sources. Taking time variation out of the diffusion equation gives the following for a time-independent point source : is the effective attenuation coefficient and indicates the rate of spatial decay in fluence. Boundary conditions Fluence rate at a boundary Consideration of boundary conditions permits use of the diffusion equation to characterize light propagation in media of limited size where interfaces between the medium and the ambient environment must be considered. To begin to address a boundary, one can consider what happens when photons in the medium reach a boundary i.e. a surface. The direction-integrated radiance at the boundary and directed into the medium is equal to the direction-integrated radiance at the boundary and directed out of the medium multiplied by reflectance : where is normal to and pointing away from the boundary. The diffusion approximation gives an expression for radiance in terms of fluence rate and current density . Evaluating the above integrals after substitution gives: Substituting Fick's law gives, at a distance from the boundary z=0, The extrapolated boundary It is desirable to identify a zero-fluence boundary. However, the fluence rate at a physical boundary is, in general, not zero. An extrapolated boundary, at b for which fluence rate is zero, can be determined to establish image sources. Using a first order Taylor series approximation, which evaluates to zero since . Thus, by definition, b must be z as defined above. Notably, when the index of refraction is the same on both sides of the boundary, F is zero and the extrapolated boundary is at b. Pencil beam normally incident on a semi-infinite medium Using boundary conditions, one may approximately characterize diffuse reflectance for a pencil beam normally incident on a semi-infinite medium. The beam will be represented as two point sources in an infinite medium as follows Figure 2: Set scattering anisotropy 2 for the scattering medium and set the new scattering coefficient μs2 to the original μs1 multiplied by 1, where 1 is the original scattering anisotropy. Convert the pencil beam into an isotropic point source at a depth of one transport mean free path ' below the surface and power = '. Implement the extrapolated boundary condition by adding an image source of opposite sign above the surface at 'b. The two point sources can be characterized as point sources in an infinite medium via is the distance from observation point to source location in cylindrical coordinates. The linear combination of the fluence rate contributions from the two image sources is This can be used to get diffuse reflectance d via Fick's law: is the distance from the observation point to the source at and is the distance from the observation point to the image source at b. Diffusion theory solutions vs. Monte Carlo simulations Monte Carlo simulations of photon transport, though time consuming, will accurately predict photon behavior in a scattering medium. The assumptions involved in characterizing photon behavior with the diffusion equation generate inaccuracies. Generally, the diffusion approximation is less accurate as the absorption coefficient μa increases and the scattering coefficient μs decreases. For a photon beam incident on a medium of limited depth, error due to the diffusion approximation is most prominent within one transport mean free path of the location of photon incidence where radiance is not yet isotropic Figure 3. Among the steps in describing a pencil beam incident on a semi-infinite medium with the diffusion equation, converting the medium from anisotropic to isotropic step 1 Figure 4 and converting the beam to a source step 2 Figure 5 generate more error than converting from a single source to a pair of image sources step 3 Figure 6. Step 2 generates the most significant error. See also Monte Carlo method for photon transport Radiative transfer References Further reading 2011 Category:Electromagnetic radiation Category:Optics Category:Light
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The Nisqually Indian Tribe of the Nisqually Reservation is a federally recognized tribe of Nisqually people. They are a Coast Salish people of indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Their tribe is located in Washington. Some of the people of Nisqually descent are enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation but neither tribe allows a Nisqually to be enrolled in both tribes at the same time. Reservation The Nisqually Reservation is 1,000-acres large and located in Thurston County, Washington, 15 miles east of Olympia. All of the current reservation land was acquired by the tribe in the last 25 years. The reservation was established by the Treaty of Medicine Creek of 1854. Originally 5,105 acres, the reservation was mostly east of the Nisqually River in Pierce County, Washington. The tribal lands were broken into individual allotments in 1884. In 1917, Pierce County, through the process of condemnation proceedings eminent domain, took 3,370 acres 14 km² for the Fort Lewis Military Reserve. Government The Nisqually Indian Tribe is headquartered in Olympia, Washington. They ratified their constitution and bylaws on 9 September 1946. These were amended on 28 October 1994. The tribe is governed by a seven-member, democratically elected General Council. The current tribal administration is as follows: Chairperson: Farron McCloud Vice-Chairperson: William Frank III Secretary: Sheila McCloud Treasurer: Stephanie Scott Member:Brian McCloud Member: Antonette Squally Member: Vacant . Language English is commonly spoken on by the tribe. Their traditional language is the Nisqually language, which is a Southern Puget Sound Salish language. Economic development The Nisqually Indian Tribe owns and operates Red Wind Casino, Blue Camas Buffet, Squalli-Absch Grille, The Medicine Creek Deli, and Pealo's Landing. Notable tribal members Billy Frank, Jr. b. 1931, Indigenous rights and environmentalist activist Notes References Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. . External links Nisqually Indian Tribe, official website Constitution and Bylaws of the Nisqually Tribe of the Nisqually Indian Reservation Category:Coast Salish governments Category:Native American tribes in Washington state Category:Federally recognized tribes in the United States Category:Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast
wikipedia
fixed drug eruption ( fde ) characteristically recurs in the same site or sites each time the drug is administered ; however , the number of involved sites may increase with each exposure . acute lesions usually develop within 30 min to 8 h as sharply marginated , round to oval erythematous , and edematous plaques , which become dusky violaceous or brown and sometimes vesicular or bullous after re - administration of incriminating drug . various morphological types of fdes include morbilliform , scarlatiniform , erythema multiforme - like , stevens johnson syndrome - like , eczematous , urticaria , nodular , vesicular , bullous ( may become toxic epidermal necrolysis - like in severe cases ) , nonpigmenting , and diffuse hypomelanosis . a 35-year - old male presented to clinic with a bullous lesion over left ankle and erosions over genitalia . he had been prescribed azithromycin for grade ii acne vulgaris ( tablet azithromycin 500 mg for three consecutive days a week for 4 weeks ) . the patient had taken a single tablet of azithromycin , the day before presenting to clinic . he developed burning sensation and itching in genitalia at midnight and multiple nonbullous lesions on lower leg and a single bulla over left ankle next morning . patient had a history of similar lesions over the genitalia and left ankle in may 2014 following use of azithromycin for throat infection . cutaneous examination revealed multiple 24 mm erythematous patches over the legs [ figure 1 ] , erosive lesions over genitalia [ figure 2 ] , and a bullous lesion over left ankle [ figure 3 ] . multiple hyperpigmented patches over extensor aspect of lower limbs multiple erosions in genitalia suggestive of preexisting bulla bullous lesion over left ankle a diagnosis of bullous fde was made on the basis of clinical evidence . oral provocation test and patch test with azithromycin azithromycin was stopped , and the patient was treated for fde with oral prednisolone ( 30 mg / day for 5 days ) and antihistaminics ( levocetirizine 5 mg once daily for 7 days ) . on the first follow - up visit ( after 7 days ) , the bulla was found to have ruptured leaving a pigmentation mark ; the irritation over the lesions had decreased , and all the drugs were stopped . he was under periodic follow - up for treatment of the postinflammatory hyperpigmentation , but it was refractory to treatment . causality assessment by naranjo score and who - uppsala monitoring centre ( umc ) scale categorized the reaction as probable ( naranjo 's score = 6 ) adverse effect induced by azithromycin . severity assessment using modified hartwig and siegel adr severity assessment scale labeled the reaction as moderate fde is a specific cutaneous adverse reaction induced by an ever - expanding list of drugs . bullous fde has been reported with several drugs including phenylbutazone , acetaminophen , fluconazole , nimesulide , ciprofloxacin , and metronidazole . interleukin ( il)-mediated survival of memory t cells is considered the most probable mechanism for development of fde . cd8 + cells , liberating interferon - gamma , are found in large numbers in fde lesions and il-20 is thought to be responsible for site - specificity of lesions . generally , lesions of fde heal with residual pigmentation , thus being of cosmetic concern to patient . time interval between ingestion of offending drug and appearance of symptoms varies from 30 min to 8 h with a mean duration of about 2 h. in the present case , lesions developed 3 h following ingestion of suspect drug . severe cases of generalized bullous fde ( gbfde ) warrant the attention and aggressive management of sjs or ten . furthermore , patients need to be counseled to avoid common offending drugs for fde in future . some workers suggest use of oral provocation tests and patch tests to confirm the diagnosis of fde . however , evidence of efficacy of these tests is still lacking . temporal association with azithromycin and previous history of a milder reaction with same drug at same sites , with residual hyperpigmentation , suggested the diagnosis of bullous fde due to azithromycin . azithromycin was labeled as probable cause of bullous fde on the basis of naranjo scale and who - umc scale . besides , severity was graded as moderate based on the modified hartwig and siegel adr severity assessment scale . acne vulgaris , an extremely common dermatosis , responds well to pulse azithromycin therapy , with an added advantage of better patient compliance . azithromycin can cause severe skin reaction - fever , sore throat , swelling in face or tongue , burning in eyes , skin pain , followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads , especially in the face or upper body and causing blistering and peeling . an extensive literature search on pubmed using the keywords azithromycin and bullous fixed drug rash did not reveal any results as on november 02 , 2015 . inducing awareness among physicians about this hitherto unreported side effect of azithromycin is important since more such cases may be reported with extensive usage of the drug in future .
pubmed
arpes is an excellent technique to study the electronic properties of solids @xcite . it plays an important role in condensed matter physics because it can directly measure the fermi surface , band structure and study details of energy gaps and electronic interactions . over the last decade and a half , arpes has matured as an experimental technique due to technological advances in electron analyzers and the arrival of a third generation of synchrotrons . a major driving force behind this effort was the need to understand high profile physical problems such as high temperature superconductivity in the cuprates . in recent years , tabletop vuv laser sources have become an attractive alternative to synchrotrons . there are two main classes of laser - based arpes spectrometers . tunable high energy , ultrafast lasers that utilize high harmonic generation in the nobel gases were introduced by the boulder group @xcite . these sources yield time resolved measurements and have a tunable photon energy . however , due to the wide bandwidth required for high harmonic generation , they typically lack good energy resolution and beam intensities are significantly below modern synchrotrons due to limits on amplifier repetition rate . the second type of vuv laser photon sources are low energy ( 6 or 7 ev ) and based on the sixth harmonic of nd doped vanadate picosecond lasers@xcite or the fourth harmonic generation of a ti : sapphire laser@xcite . this type of spectrometer is based on a kbbf crystal@xcite and was first introduced by the group of prof . shin of issp , university of tokyo . due to the very narrow width of the emission line , these spectrometers have excellent energy resolution and photon flux that far exceeds the beams available at modern synchrotrons . the main drawback to using this type of spectrometer is that the photon energy is fixed . this causes difficulties when choosing a photon energy with favorable matrix elements and limits access in momentum space to a single plane . a natural solution to the above limitations is to utilize a tunable laser , where the photon energy can be changed within a certain range . indeed the design of a tunable vuv laser was described in the literature@xcite recently , but never used for arpes studies . here we describe a complete arpes system that utilizes a tunable vuv laser source . the photon source is based on a mode locked ti : sapphire commercial laser system mira hp - d by coherent inc . the fundamental ir beam , tunable between 710 nm and 1000 nm , is first doubled using a standard bbo crystal . we then separate the second harmonic from the remaining fundamental beam and double it again using a kbbf crystal . due to an embargo on the export of kbbf crystals@xcite , we developed a us - based source of these crystals that are grown using a hydrothermal method@xcite . this approach permits the substitution of several alkali metals ( such as rb or cs ) to further tune the mechanical and optical properties of these crystals . the vuv beam is tunable between 235 nm and 177 nm ( 5.3 ev and 7 ev respectively ) . it is then focused using a caf@xmath2 lens onto a sample mounted on a cold finger . the ti : sapphire laser supports both ps and fs modes of operation . this provides the ability to select either a high energy resolution picosecond mode or femtosecond mode that is favored for time - resolved studies . the typical photon flux in ps mode is @xmath3 ph / sec and increases to @xmath4 ph / sec in the fs mode . we use a r8000 energy analyzer built by scienta that was specially tuned for operation at low electron kinetic energies . the lowest usable kinetic energy is around 0.5 ev . the combination of a tunable photon energy range , intrinsically small beam ( 30 @xmath5 m spot size ) , the ability to perform high energy resolution studies and time resolved measurement makes this an ideal table - top system for use in a small laboratory setting . we demonstrate that this spectrometer allows access to a significant portion of 3d momentum space and we use it to measure the 3d dispersion in an iron arsenic high temperature superconductor . the system consists of a vuv - based photon source , beam delivery optics , experimental chamber and a modern , multiplexing electron analyzer . the schematic layout of the whole system is shown in fig . [ system ] . below we describe the key components in detail . the fundamental photon beam is produced by a passively mode locked ti : sapphire oscillator mira hp - d supplied by coherent inc . the oscillator is pumped by an 18 w cw verdi laser at 532 nm . the ir beam has power in excess of 3.6w in its tunable range from 710 to 980 nm , with maximum power of 5w at 790 nm . a high power fundamental beam is necessary in order to produce sufficient photon flux in the vuv range for the high - resolution arpes measurement . the oscillator also features a dual , ps or fs mode of operation . the picosecond mode has a narrow pulse width ( typically @xmath65ps , corresponding to a @xmath6 0.4mev bandwidth ) that offers better energy resolution , while the femtosecond mode ( @xmath6120fs ) provides a better time resolution in a pump - probe measurement at the expense of energy resolution . this dual - mode feature allows high energy resolution arpes measurements and time - resolved arpes measurements to share the same laser and optical path reducing cost and space requirements . the high , 76mhz repetition rate is essential to avoid problems of space charge that can significantly reduce the energy and momentum resolution of the spectrometer . the setup is very stable and the oscillator can remain mode locked for several days at a time . both stages of harmonic generation occur in a conversion box . because the uv photons below @xmath6200 nm are readily absorbed by oxygen , the conversion box is evacuated down to ( @xmath610 mtorr ) . the optical components are mounted on a 3@xmath712 inch aluminum plate enclosed in a 4``od stainless steel tube with 6''cff flanges on each end . multiple 2 3/4 " viewports , pumping port and electrical feed throughs are attached to the chamber . the schematic layout of the optical components are shown in fig.[box ] . the horizontally polarized fundamental beam is first focused by lens l1 ( f=200 mm ) inside a bbo crystal . lens l1 is mounted on a translational piezo stage ( newport ) that allows compensation for chromatic dispersion . the bbo crystal is mounted on a piezo - driven rotation stage that allows adjustment of the phase matching angle . a dichroic mirror separates the fundamental light from the uv beam after it leaves the bbo crystal . the fundamental light is then dumped on a heat sink or used as a pump . the shg is reflected twice and focused by lens l2 inside a kbbf crystal assembly . since the kbbf crystal is very thin ( @xmath61 mm ) , l2 has a very short focal length ( f=50 mm ) in order to produce higher conversion efficiency . mirror m2 is mounted on a piezo tilt mount , that allows the adjustment of the beam direction . the phase matching angle of the kbbf crystal for the shortest wavelength is larger than the critical angle , which normally prevents the fourth harmonic from leaving the crystal on the opposite side due to total internal reflection . this problem is solved by sandwiching the kbbf crystal between a pair of caf2 prisms@xcite . the shg beam is vertically polarized , therefore the kbbf assembly is mounted on a piezo rotation stage that rotates about a vertical axis . the fhg beam leaves the assembly at an angle of 3@xmath8 to 17@xmath8 for wavelengths between 700 nm and 930 nm . in order to maintain the same location of the beam on the sample , we utilize two mirrors , m3 and m4 . m3 is mounted on a piezo rotation stage and is used for coarse positioning of the beam onto m4 , which in turn is used for fine adjustment of the beam angle . this setup offers a wide tunable range of fourth - harmonic generation from 235 nm to 177 nm ( 5.3ev - 7ev ) , while maintaining the beam at the same position on the sample . the use of very small , vacuum compatible piezo - driven linear , tilt and rotational stages allows for a very compact conversion system that fits inside a 12.5-inch - long 4-inch od chamber . for easy adjustment , several observation window ports are mounted onto the sides of the chamber . this allows the observation of absolute angles of the stages and optical verification of the beam positions at various stages of conversion . the experimental chamber is a modified standard design supplied by vg scienta . the walls are manufactured from stainless steel and lined with a mu metal shield to reduce the magnetic field around the sample . the outgoing photoelectrons , especially at low kinetic energies are easily deflected by any magnetic field . this has very adverse effects on the performance of the arpes spectrometer and will distort the paths of the photoelectrons as they travel from sample to the lens of the analyzer . the mu metal liner mounted inside of the chamber significantly reduces the earth and stray magnetic fields to less than 3 mgauss in the sample - lens area . the chamber is connected to r8000 electron analyzer ( supplied by vg scienta ) that was specially tuned for performance at very low kinetic energies . the sample chamber shielding and lens shielding was demagnetized several times to achieve the lowest possible magnetic field inside . when the system is prepared this way it is capable of measuring the angular and energy distribution of photoelectrons down to 0.5 ev without any noticeable distortion of their paths . at the time of writing we use an old design close - cycle refrigerator capable of cooling the sample to only 10k , thus the energy line widths are limited by the sample temperature rather than the electron analyzer or the light source . the vuv beam is focused on the sample by a caf2 lens with a focal length of 150 mm mounted inside the sample chamber . the fundamental beam is generated in a horizontal polarization , tunable between 710 nm and 1000 mn with a typical power of 3.6 to 4.6 w. after the second harmonic generation , the uv beam wavelength is 355 nm to 470 nm and its power is typically 0.8 to 1.2 w. the wavelength for the fourth harmonic vuv beam therefore varies between 177 nm and 235 nm , which corresponds to 7 ev to 5.4 ev . in the picosecond mode , the peak power of the vuv beam is close to 1 mw at 205 nm and more than 20@xmath5w at 177.5 nm . the power of the vuv beam is somewhat lower than in a pervious work@xcite , due to the thinner kbbf crystal and use of ps rather than fs pulses . however , this intensity at a peak pump power of 18w is more than enough for arpes measurements and is able to saturate the detector even in the lowest pass energy / slit combination . we adjust the pump beam power down to about 60@xmath9 of its maximum to avoid saturation problems . the beam size on the sample is around 30@xmath5 m , which is essential for measurements on samples with very small areas of flat surface after cleaving . to demonstrate the very good instrumental resolution and usefulness of phonon energy tunability , we used the instrument to measure arpes data on the cuprate , bi@xmath2sr@xmath2cuo@xmath10 ( bi2212 ) and iron arsenic high temperature superconductor bafe@xmath11co@xmath12as@xmath2 . in fig . [ bisco ] we plot the fermi surface map of bi2212 at optimal doping , intensity map and momentum distribution curve at e@xmath13 measured along the nodal cut . the width of the mdc is a measure of the scattering rate @xcite broadened by the experimental resolution . we obtain a width of @xmath6 0.011@xmath14 , that is comparable to previous results obtained using a fixed photon energy laser arpes @xcite and is significantly sharper than typical data obtained at synchrotron facilities . there are two key benefits of tuning the photon energy in arpes measurements . the intensity of the emitted photoelectrons strongly depends on the photon energy due to matrix elements . at a particular photon energy some bands can be therefore too weak to observe . tuning to a different photon energy can reveal such hidden " bands @xcite . moreover , the majority of materials have a 3d electronic structure and performing the measurement at a fixed photon energy allows access to only a spherical cut through the 3d momentum space . by tuning the photon energy one can change " the radius of this sphere and therefore map a 3d volume in momentum space . as an example , in fig . [ pnictide ] we show data that reveals the 3d dispersion of the hole pocket in the iron arsenic high temperature superconductor co - doped bafe@xmath2as@xmath2 . the top panels ( a - c ) show arpes data measured at e@xmath13 for three different photon energies , which is used to reveal the fermi surface . in the panels below we present binding energy - momentum intensity plots . areas of high intensity mark the location of the bands . in panel ( d ) measured at 6.61 ev ( which corresponds to a k@xmath1 value of 3.98 with an inner potential set to 12ev ) , the top of the band is located below e@xmath13 , which signifies the absence of a central hole pocket for this value of momentum . upon lowering of the photon energy this band moves to higher binding energy and crosses e@xmath13 creating a hole pocket ( panels e , f ) . the data is summarized in panel h , where we plot the locations of the fermi crossings along the z - direction . indeed the fermi surface measured at a synchrotron facility at higher photon energies includes an ellipsoidal sheet centered at the z - point ( i. e. the center of the brillouin zone boundary , @xmath15=3 ) . we have developed a laser - based arpes system with a tunable light source based on the fourth - harmonic generation that has the ability to adjust the photon energy from 5.4ev to 7ev . the system has very good instrumental resolution and a very small beam spot that allows measurements of very small samples . the tunability of the photon energy is provides access to 3d momentum space avoids problems caused by matrix elements . this instrument brings to the small laboratory some of the capabilities previously only available at large synchrotron facilities . in fact the momentum , energy and spatial resolution at low photon energies surpass those available at large synchrotron facilities . construction of the instrument was funded by the u.s . department of energy ( doe ) , office of science , basic energy sciences . the research was performed at the ames laboratory , which is operated for the u.s . doe by iowa state university under contract # de - ac02 - 07ch11358 . crystal growth development support by advanced photonic crystals , llc was funded by the national science foundation ( nsf ) sbir phase 1 grant # iip-094582 and sbir phase ii grant # iip-1058055 .
arxiv
pulse oximetry is used almost universally in the management of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit and operating theatre . its uses include the detection of hypoxia , avoidance of hyperoxia , reduction in the frequency of blood gas analysis , titration of fractional inspired oxygen and for weaning from mechanical ventilation . an arterial oxygen saturation ( sao2 ) of 90% has been proposed as a target for adequate oxygenation during mechanical ventilation . previous studies investigating the use of the pulse oximeter oxygen saturation ( spo2 ) in intensive care patients have reported that the minimum spo2 levels to maintain sao2 at 90% range between 92% and 96 % . however , these studies have not answered the question of whether , after achieving a target sao2 , a subsequent change in spo2 predicts a corresponding change in sao2 in the critically ill . some studies have reported that anaemia reduces the precision of pulse oximetry by increasing the signal to noise ratio with low haemoglobin concentrations , whereas others failed to demonstrate this phenomenon . the in vitro method employed by the carbon monoxide ( co)-oximeter requires red blood cell lysis , whereas the pulse oximeter analyzes haemoglobin in whole blood . the difference between intracellular and extracellular hydrogen ion concentrations under normal physiological conditions has been incorporated into the pulse oximeter algorithms . however , the robustness of this adjustment has not been evaluated in the critically ill and acidotic patient . we therefore conducted a prospective observational study to test the hypothesis that a change in spo2 would predict an equivalent change in sao2 . such a relation , if it exists , would be invaluable in deciding when to titrate fractional inspired oxygen and/or repeat arterial blood gases in the individual patient . furthermore , we examined the effects of anaemia and acidosis on the precision of using the pulse oximeter to predict the sao2 in a heterogeneous group of critically ill patients . this study was considered by the local research and ethics committee and the need for informed consent was waived in view of the observational nature of the study . during a 2-month period all patients admitted to our intensive care unit ( icu ) who had an arterial line for the measurement of blood gases and who were being monitored by continuous pulse oximetry were recruited . the following patients were excluded : those with significant jaundice ( bilirubin > 40 mol / l ) or a history of smoke inhalation ; those with an inadequate spo2 trace ( as determined by visual analysis of a flat , absent , or irregular signal waveform ) ; and those in whom fewer than two arterial blood gas readings were taken . serial arterial blood gas samples were taken after 5 ml blood had been discarded when indicated as part of routine clinical care . no samples were taken solely for the study nor was any attempt made to vary inspired oxygen concentration or mechanical ventilation for the purposes of the study . arterial blood gas samples were analyzed using a co - oximeter ( abl725 , radiometer , copenhagen , denmark ) that was calibrated daily by laboratory staff and has a 2-hourly automatic internal calibration sequence . haemoglobin concentration ( g / dl ) , hydrogen ion concentration ( nmol / l ) , and percentage sao2 were recorded for each sample . precision and accuracy of a whole blood sample for sao2 , hydrogen ion concentration and haemoglobin concentration are 0.3 and 0% , 0.034 and 0.008 nmol / l , and 0.12 and 0.4 g / dl , respectively , within a haemoglobin range of 520 g / dl . pulse oximetry readings were recorded simultaneously with blood gas sampling using a nellcor ( puritan bennett , pleasanton , nj , usa ) finger probe attached to a hewlett packard ( palo alto , ca , usa ) merlin monitor . the pulse oximeter displays an average spo2 from the preceding 5-s beat by beat analysis . the measurements between healthy individuals ( n= 12 ) had a coefficient of variation of 0.4% at a spo2 of 97% . probes were attached to a finger , choosing the digit that gave the best trace and but not necessarily on the arm from which the arterial blood gas sample was drawn . data were stored using microsoft excel 97 and analyzed using sigmastat for windows 95 ( spss inc . chicago , il , usa ) and glim ( generalized linear interactive modeling ) version 4 , update 8 ( royal statistical society , london , uk ) , running on a dec alpha axp mainframe computer under the ultirx operating system ( osf/1 ) . the linear relations between differences in two successive measurements of spo2 and sao2 in all patients were analyzed using pearson correlation coefficient ( r ) , linear regression and goodness - of - fit ( adjusted r ) . the variations between and within the patients were examined using comparisons of the residual standard deviations ( sds ) between a single line from a common slope through all the changes for all 41 patients and a separate line to each patient . the effects of anaemia and acidosis on the agreement between the two measurement techniques were examined using a bland altman plot in which the difference between spo2 and sao2 was plotted against their average . bias was calculated as the mean of the differences between the co - oximeter and pulse oximeter readings ( sao2spo2 ) . positive bias indicated that the pulse oximeter underestimated the sao2 , whereas negative bias indicated that the pulse oximeter was overestimating the sao2 . the limits of agreement were taken as the bias ( 1.96 sd ) . approximately 95% of data fell within the haemoglobin concentration range 811.9 g / dl and the hydrogen ion concentration range 2562.9 nmol / l ( ph7.27.6 ) . therefore , haemoglobin concentrations 7.9 or 12 g / dl or hydrogen ion concentrations 63 the differences of biases between these three groups were analyzed using one - way , repeated measure analysis of variance . data were stored using microsoft excel 97 and analyzed using sigmastat for windows 95 ( spss inc . chicago , il , usa ) and glim ( generalized linear interactive modeling ) version 4 , update 8 ( royal statistical society , london , uk ) , running on a dec alpha axp mainframe computer under the ultirx operating system ( osf/1 ) . the linear relations between differences in two successive measurements of spo2 and sao2 in all patients were analyzed using pearson correlation coefficient ( r ) , linear regression and goodness - of - fit ( adjusted r ) . the variations between and within the patients were examined using comparisons of the residual standard deviations ( sds ) between a single line from a common slope through all the changes for all 41 patients and a separate line to each patient . the effects of anaemia and acidosis on the agreement between the two measurement techniques were examined using a bland altman plot in which the difference between spo2 and sao2 was plotted against their average . bias was calculated as the mean of the differences between the co - oximeter and pulse oximeter readings ( sao2spo2 ) . positive bias indicated that the pulse oximeter underestimated the sao2 , whereas negative bias indicated that the pulse oximeter was overestimating the sao2 . the limits of agreement were taken as the bias ( 1.96 sd ) . approximately 95% of data fell within the haemoglobin concentration range 811.9 g / dl and the hydrogen ion concentration range 2562.9 nmol / l ( ph7.27.6 ) . therefore , haemoglobin concentrations 7.9 or 12 g / dl or hydrogen ion concentrations 63 nmol / l were regarded in the study as extremes . the differences of biases between these three groups were analyzed using one - way , repeated measure analysis of variance . forty - one ( 22 male ) patients ( age [ mean sd ] 70 14 years ) were recruited into the study . a total of 1132 simultaneous arterial blood gas and pulse oximeter readings were taken ( mean [ range ] 27 [ 391 ] readings per patient ) . sequential readings in each patient were grouped together into pairs , which gave 1085 paired readings ( 47 readings were excluded because they were either not paired or unidentifiable to a particular patient , or the patient had fewer than two readings taken ) . these data were analyzed to determine the relation between changes in spo2 ( spo2 ) and changes in sao2 ( sao2 ) . the mean sd for spo2 was 94.6 2.7% and the mean for sao2 was 95.9 2.4% . in terms of predicting sao2 from spo2 , fitting a single line from all the 41 patients , gives a residual sd of 1.303 and fitting a separate line to each patient gives a residual sd of 1.288 ( p = 0.999 ) . although we found moderate correlation between spo2 and sao2 ( r = 0.606 ; p < 0.01 ; fig . 1 ) , only 36.7% of the variation in this relation was due to the association of changes in spo2 with changes in sao2 ( adjusted r= 0.367 ) . the prediction of sao2 from spo2 ( sao2 = 0.003 + 0.477 spo2 ) demonstrates that the pulse oximeter overestimates actual changes in sao2 . the 1085 simultaneous arterial blood gas and pulse oximeter readings from the 41 patients were analyzed to determine the effects of anaemia and acidosis on bias and limits of agreement . for the data altogether , the bias was 1.34 and the limits of agreement were -2.29 and + 4.97 ( fig . there were only small changes in bias with anaemia ( + 2.09 ) and acidosis ( + 0.38 ) , as shown in table 1 . the difference in bias between hydrogen ion concentrations of 2563 nmol / l and 63 nmol / l ( p < 0.01 ) , and between haemoglobin concentrations of < 8 g / dl , 811.9 g / dl and > 12 g / dl ( p < 0.01 ) all achieved statistical significance . the bias was not significantly different between haemoglobin concentrations of < 7.9 g / dl and 811.9 g / dl ( p= 0.24 ) . there were insufficient numbers in the group with hydrogen ion concentration < 24.9 nmol / l ( n= 10 ) for analysis to be done . the present study shows that changes in spo2 do not reliably predict equivalent changes in sao2 , with the pulse oximeter tending to overestimate actual changes in sao2 . we also showed that spo2 underestimates sao2 to a greater extent with progressive anaemia , whereas acidosis increases the spo2 estimate of sao2 . the titration of fractional inspired oxygen during weaning from mechanical ventilation is frequently adjusted with the goal of maintaining a target spo2 value . jubran , in a study involving 54 icu patients , reported that levels of spo2 of 92% in white patients and 95% in black patients maintained arterial oxygen tension at 8 kpa or greater in 92% and 85% of patients , respectively . seguin defined a minimum spo2 of 96% to ensure that no patients had a sao2 below 90% . this approach avoided hypoxia , but 15% of patients had a sao2 of 98% or greater . although target values can be helpful , it would be valuable to know whether a change in spo2 would predict a similar change in sao2 in critically ill patients over time . hypothetically , the relatively static patient factors that interfere with pulse oximetry ( skin colour , finger size , carboxyhaemoglobin , methaemoglobin ) do not change , and so the correlation between changes in sao2 and spo2 might be expected to be closer than that between absolute values from a mixed patient population . this could allow individualized target spo2 to be set , based on a single , one - off sao2 reading . only one small study has attempted to address this question in the intensive care setting . in a series of 45 patients ( 135 measurements ) , van de louw and coworkers recently reported that changes in spo2 could not accurately predict changes in sao2 . the prediction of sao2 from spo2 ( sao2 = 0.003 + 0.477spo2 ) demonstrates that , on average , the pulse oximeter overestimates actual changes in sao2 . this suggests that a similar degree of caution is required in interpreting changes in pulse oximetry in the critically ill as in one - off readings . progressive reductions in haemoglobin concentration may reduce the precision of the pulse oximeter as the signal : noise ratio from surrounding tissue increases . early studies examining the effects of anaemia on the precision of the pulse oximeter found reduced precision in association with anaemia . lee and coworkers demonstrated a deterioration in bias and precision in dogs with a haematocrit below 10% , and severinghaus and coworkers reported increased error in anaemic humans when the sao2 was less than 75% . in contrast , case reports have described cases in which the pulse oximeter remained precise at haemoglobin concentrations of 2.7 g / dl and 3.0 g / dl . a subsequent case series of 17 patients with acute anaemia due to haemorrhage ( haemoglobin concentration 2.38.7 g / dl ) did not detect any deterioration in the accuracy of measurements using the pulse oximeter in the absence of hypoxia . our study did not include sufficient numbers with hypoxia ( spo2 < 90% ) for the influence of anaemia on bias and precision to be studied in this patient group . however , under normal physiological conditions ( spo2 > 90% ) our results support and extend previous findings in demonstrating that anaemia has only a minor impact on the precision of measurements using the pulse oximeter . our data show that , in the presence of acidosis , the degree to which spo2 underestimates sao2 was reduced . one possible explanation for this finding may relate to the differences in the techniques used for measuring oxygen saturation . the pulse oximeter analyzes haemoglobin saturation in whole blood in vivo , whereas sao2 measured by co - oximetry requires red blood cell lysis prior to analysis . under normal physiological conditions , algorithms incorporated in the pulse oximeter account for this , although the validity of this adjustment has not been tested outside normal physiological ranges . alternatively , the effects of the complex interactions between cardiac output , systemic vascular resistance , temperature and vasoactive drugs on precision of measurements using the pulse oximeter might have contributed to this finding . a further study looking at the precise contribution of each of these factors would be required to elucidate the aetiology of these findings definitively . there are several potential confounding variables that were not controlled for in the study design . first , like in other studies , we did not analyze the influence of carboxyhaemoglobin and methaemoglobin concentrations on bias and precision . the pulse oximeter is unable to distinguish between these two forms of haemoglobin and oxyhaemoglobin , leading it to overestimate the actual sao2 if significant concentrations of either are present . we excluded patients with a history of smoke inhalation , in whom carboxyhaemoglobin levels may be high . in nonsmokers carboxyhaemoglobin levels are normally less than 2% and methaemoglobin levels are less than 1% levels that are already accounted for by the built - in algorithms of pulse oximeters . in cigarette smokers carboxyhaemoglobin is initially elevated ( average 4.78% ) but falls over time ( half life 56 hours ) . the clearance of carboxyhaemoglobin is also accelerated by ventilation . because most patients had been ventilated for several hours before entry into the study we excluded patients with significant jaundice a group known to have high carboxyhaemoglobin levels in order to minimize this potential error , and no patients were admitted following smoke inhalation during the study period . anaemia and acidosis have not been found to influence car - boxyhaemoglobin or methaemoglobin concentrations . although we believe that the influence of carboxyhaemoglobin levels in the study was minimal , we are unable to rule it out as a potential confounding variable . second , we did not classify patients according to skin colour or race , which may impact on accuracy of the pulse oximeter . because skin colour is constant , comparisons of changes in spo2 are unlikely to have been affected . data for the assessments for bias and precision caused at the extremes of anaemia and acidosis were collected from 19 and 14 patients , respectively , and there did not appear to be any systematic difference in the groups ' racial composition from that in the overall study population . no patients to our knowledge had sickle cell anaemia / trait , although this was not specifically tested for . third , the mean spo2 reading for the total data was 94.6% , with a corresponding sao2 value of 95.9% . this is consistent with previous investigators ' recommendations for minimal target values for spo2 during mechanical ventilation . however , less than 5% of data fell in the range of spo2 levels below 90% . this is consistent with a worsening of bias and precision with pulse oximetry when the sao2 is less than 90% . at lower saturations the effects of anaemia and acidosis may become more prominent , and our results should therefore be applied with caution in this situation . finally , the pulse oximeter presents spo2 data as integers whereas the co - oximeter presents sao2 data to 1 decimal place . with over 1000 data points , it is likely that the oximeter rounded up and rounded down a similar number of times , and so these differences will most likely cancel each other out . at most , the maximum differences due to the measurement of spo2 in integers will account for less than 1% of the observed bias as compared with sao2 . in conclusion , in a heterogeneous group of icu patients , we showed that changes in pulse oximetry do not reliably predict equivalent changes in sao2 . we also demonstrated that neither anaemia nor acidosis alters the precision of measurements between the nellcor pulse oximeter and co - oximeter to any clinically important extent . the pulse oximeter remains a valuable tool in the care of intensive care patients , but an awareness of its limitations is an important component of enhancing the quality of care . changes in spo2 do not reliably predict equivalent changes in sao2 in the critically ill anaemia and acidosis have only a minor influence on the precision of measurements of spo2 and sao2 icu = intensive care unit ; sao2 = arterial oxygen saturation ; sd = standard deviation ; spo2 = pulse oximeter oxygen saturation . linear relations between changes in pulse oximeter oxygen saturation ( spo2 ) and arterial oxygen saturation ( sao2 ) . bland and altman plot for bias and limits of agreement for total data . the effects of anaemia and acidosis on bias and limits of agreement p < 0.01 , versus * haemoglobin > 12 g / dl , haemoglobin < 8 g / dl , haemoglobin 812 g / dl and hydrogen 2563 nmol / l .
pubmed
15511616 was a monk of the Hongan-ji. The comings and goings of the temple were administrated by Chūkō. At the same time in which Hongan-ji Kennyo fought against Oda Nobunaga, he led the defenses in the siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji. References 下間少進抄伝（I） Japanese Category:1551 births Category:1616 deaths Category:Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist monks
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many problems in quantum physics can be considered using a model in which one or more mesoscopic or even macroscopic coordinates interact with a background environment @xcite . most environments can be modelled as a set of oscillators or as a set of spins 1/2 @xcite . the physical models in which quantum systems interact with a spin bath play a role in the quantum theory of magnetism @xcite , quantum spin glasses @xcite , theory of conductors @xcite and superconductors @xcite . however , typical models of this type are usually complicated and can not be described exactly @xcite . in order to describe the dynamics of a typical spin - bath model one needs to use appropriate approximation techniques @xcite . all approximation techniques can be divided into two classes : local in time and non - local in time approaches . the most widely used non - local in time approach is the nakajima - zwanzig projection operator technique @xcite . the typical example of the local in time technique is a time - convolutionless projection operator technique @xcite . for the same order of the perturbation expansion both approaches accurately describe the non - markovian dynamics of the reduced system and give similar results for the timescales of the order @xmath3 , where @xmath4 is a spontaneous emission constant @xcite . the crucial point in both approaches is the appropriate choice of a projection operator , which separates the relevant part of the total density matrix from the irrelevant one @xcite . a successful choice of a projection operator can lead to a simpler form of the reduced master equation and to higher accuracy of the approximation technique . in this article we study a model of an arbitrary spin resonantly coupled to a spin bath in a star configuration . due to the special choice of the uniform coupling of the central spin to the bath spins , it is possible to find an exact evolution operator and to construct an explicit form of the reduced dynamics of the central spin . this result generalize the results presented in @xcite for the cases of central spins equal to 1/2 and 1 . the aim of this work is to test the most commonly used local and non - local in time approximation techniques for different choices of projection operators . we construct the second order nakajima - zwanzig and the second order time - convolutionless master equations for traditional and correlated projection operators @xcite . this article is organised as follows . in sec . ii we describe the model of an arbitrary spin coupled to a spin bath , present the analytical solution for the evolution operator and build the reduced density matrix for the central spin . in sec . iii we apply different projection operator methods to obtain two types of quantum master equations , and the general theory is used for a model spin equal to 1 coupled to a spin bath . finally , in sec . iv we discuss the results and conclude . the analysis of the non - resonant case of a central spin equal to 1/2 in a spin bath is presented in appendix . we consider a model of an arbitrary spin coupled to a bath of @xmath2 1/2-spins . the model hamiltonian is given by @xmath5 where @xmath6 , @xmath7 , and @xmath8 are the pauli matrices of the @xmath9-th spin in the bath , @xmath10 is the component of the relevant spin along the @xmath11-axis , @xmath2 is the number of spins in the bath , and @xmath12 are the strengths of the interaction between the central spin and the @xmath9th spin of the bath . we take the uniform coupling of the central spin and the spin bath to be @xmath13 . the model can then be solved analytically as follows . the uniform coupling hamiltonian can be rewritten in the form @xmath14 in the above equation , @xmath15 are the collective operators of the bath spins , @xmath16 and @xmath17 are the vectors of the full spin of the central spin and the bath , respectively . the expression can be written as a sum of commutating terms , namely @xmath18 where @xmath19 is a vector of the total spin of the total system . in this paper units are chosen such that @xmath20 , where @xmath21 is boltzmann s constant and @xmath22 is plank s constant . to describe the exact dynamics of the total system we need to specify an initial state of the total system which is given by the density operator @xmath23 and to find an evolution operator of the total system @xmath24 in an explicit form , as @xmath25\label{u}.\ ] ] with the knowledge of the evolution operator and the initial state of the total system the reduced dynamics of the central spin can be found as @xmath26 hereafter we will consider an initially uncorrelated state between the relevant spin and the bath . the initial state of the total system reads , @xmath27 where @xmath28 is the density matrix of the relevant spin , while @xmath29 is the density matrix describing the state of @xmath2 particle with 1/2-spins , as @xmath30}{z}.\ ] ] in the above expression @xmath31 where @xmath32 is the temperature and @xmath33 $ ] from eqs . and one easily finds @xmath34\exp [ i \frac{a}{2}t s^2]\exp [ i \frac{a}{2}t j^2].\ ] ] combining eqs . , and and using the properties of the trace one finds @xmath35\left\lbrace \rho_{s}(0)\right . \\ \otimes \exp[-\beta j_z]\right\rbrace \exp[i a t m^2/2]\nonumber.\end{aligned}\ ] ] in the construction of the above equation we used the fact that the operators @xmath36 commute with any operator in a given representation . the partition function @xmath37 in eq . is @xmath38 finally , one finds the exact dynamics of a matrix element of the reduced density matrix in the basis of the eigenvectors of the operators @xmath36 and @xmath39 as @xmath40 where @xmath41 are the known clebsch - gordon coefficients @xcite and @xmath42 is the degeneracy @xcite . the sum over @xmath43 runs from @xmath44 ( @xmath2 even ) or @xmath45 ( @xmath2 odd ) to @xmath46 . particular cases of the exact solution ( eq . ) are presented in the figs . 1 , 2 and 3 . the number of spins in the bath has a weak influence on the dynamics of the central spin ( see fig . 1 ) and for a large number of spins in the bath @xmath47 the dynamics of the central spin is almost independent from the number of spins in the bath . the influence of the inverse temperature ( see fig . 2 ) consists in an increase of the probability to find the spin in the exited state with increasing of @xmath48 . fig . 3 shows the probability of the filling of the level @xmath49 for different values of @xmath50 . the growth of the value of a spin corresponds to an increase of the degree of freedom in the system . so , the probability to find the central spin in some state decreases with increasing of @xmath50 . the analysis of the exact solution shows the periodic nature of the behaviour of the central spin . the period of the solution equals to @xmath51 if the total spin of the system is integer and @xmath52 if the total spin of the system is half - integer . moreover , the dynamics of the central spin is unitary and time reversible . this conclusion holds for any value of the central spin . the above result generalizes the results presented in @xcite and @xcite for the case of the central spin equal to 1/2 and results @xcite for the central spin equal to 1 . for the spin @xmath53 in a spin bath for the different numbers @xmath2 of spins in the bath ( @xmath54 ( red solid curve ) , @xmath55 ( blue dashed curve ) and @xmath56 ( black dot - dashed curve ) ) . the inverse bath temperature is @xmath57 the initial state is @xmath58 . the coupling constant is @xmath59 for the spin @xmath60 in the spin bath for the different inverse temperatures @xmath48 of the bath ( @xmath61 ( red solid curve ) , @xmath62 ( blue dashed curve ) , @xmath63 ( black dot - dashed curve ) ) . the number of spins in the bath is @xmath64 . the initial state is @xmath65 . the coupling constant is @xmath59 . the value of the central spin is : @xmath53 ( red solid curve ) , @xmath60 ( black dashed curve ) and @xmath66 ( blue dot - dashed curve ) . the inverse bath temperature is @xmath57 the initial state is @xmath67 . the number of spins in the bath @xmath55 . the coupling constant is @xmath59 in this section we will apply approximation techniques to the model discussed in the previous section . due to the presence of the exact reduced dynamics of this model we can examine various approximate master equations for the density matrix of the central spin and analyse their accuracy in leading order perturbation expansions . for convenience of the further investigation , we perform a unitary transformation of the hamiltonian @xmath68 because the exact result was found in another picture , we must transform back to the old picture all further results to be able to compare to the exact ones as follows @xmath69 where @xmath70 and @xmath71 are arbitrary operators in the old and the new pictures , respectively . the corresponding transformation for the density matrix reads @xmath72 the general form of the second order nakajima - zwanzig master equation for the relevant part of the density operator for the class of initial conditions can be written as @xcite @xmath73.\ ] ] in the above equation @xmath74 is the hamiltonian and @xmath75 is some projection operator . the second order nakajima - zwanzig master equation is closely related to a second order time - convolutionless master ( tcl ) equation @xcite . the second order tcl master equation can be derived from eq . replacing @xmath76 by @xmath77 explicitly , the second order tcl master equation is given by @xmath78.\ ] ] the characteristic feature of the tcl master equation is its locality in time . nevertheless , the differential equation is equivalent to the integro - differential equation and , thus , describes memory effects . both types of master equations are build from general assumptions , have the same general structure for a broad class of models , and the choice of a projection operator is almost arbitrary . a review of the most important classes of projection operators can be found in @xcite . in the following section we will describe few possible types of projection operators . a general class of time - independent projection operator was build in @xcite . any projection operator can be represented as follows , @xmath79 where @xmath80 and @xmath81 are two sets of linear independent hermitian operators on the hilbert space of the environment of the open system @xmath82 satisfying the relations @xmath83 once @xmath75 is chosen , the dynamics of the open system is uniquely determined by the dynamical variables @xmath84 the connection to the reduced density matrix is simply given by @xmath85 and the normalization condition reads @xmath86 if one fixes some set of operators with the properties - , then the projection operator is fully defined and the dynamics of the system under investigation is governed by one of the master equations presented above . the most simple choice of a projection operator is an operator that projects on some fixed state of the environment , for instance , on an equilibrium state . in this case @xmath87 and @xmath88 , where @xmath89 is a free hamiltonian of the environment and @xmath90 is the identity operator . the projection operator then is @xmath91 notice that for infinite temperature the projection operator simplifies to @xmath92 . in this form the projection operator applies to most open quantum systems . another way to build the projection operator was described in @xcite . it was proposed to choose operators in from a class of projectors , which project on a subspace of some preserved quantities of the system of interest . example of conserved quantities of open quantum system can be , e.g. , the total number of particles or the total energy of the system . in this subsection we apply the above approximation techniques to the model of an arbitrary spin coupled to a spin bath , as discussed in sec . the first projection operator has the form @xmath93 where @xmath37 is defined in eq . . the inverse transformation for the density matrix is defined by @xmath94 it is clear , that the transformation does not change the diagonal elements . we notice @xcite , that the spin system has two naturally conserved quantities , namely , the projection of the total spin on the @xmath95-axis @xmath39 and the square of the full spin @xmath36 . so we can build another projection operator for the underlying model of the form @xmath96 where @xmath97 is the projection operator on the eigenvectors of the bath operator @xmath98 and @xmath99 and @xmath100 the operator fulfils the properties - and , thus , is indeed a projection operator . the inverse transformation for the density matrix @xmath101 is defined by @xmath102 the above transformation gives the identity for the diagonal elements . the nakajima - zwanzig master equation for the projector and the hamiltonian has the form @xmath103 where the @xmath104 is defined as @xmath105\exp[\pm\beta/2]/(2 \cosh^n(\beta/2)).\nonumber\end{aligned}\ ] ] the second order time - convolutionless master equation is obtained by replacing @xmath106 with @xmath107 . by substituting eqs . and into eq . one obtains the nakajima - zwanzig master equation in the form @xmath108 where @xmath109 the initial conditions for eq . can be found by substituting the initial conditions into eq . . explicitly , one gets @xmath110 of course , the time - convolutionless master equation is derived from by replacing @xmath106 with @xmath107 . the relevant part of the density matrix is defined from as @xmath111 in this section we apply the general theory derived in the previous sections to a concrete example , namely , to a central spin @xmath66 coupled to a spin bath . the master equation can be solved numerically ( for both nakajima - zwanzig and tcl equations ) . the dynamics of state @xmath112 for spin @xmath66 is shown in figs . 4 - 6 and 9 . we notice , that for this type of projectors the tcl master equation gives the better result . nonetheless , change of the inverse temperature has no effect on the accuracy of the methods ( compare figs . 4 and 5 ) . the increase of the number of spins into the bath leads to a decrease of accuracy ( compare figs . 4 and 6 ) . so , we can conclude that the accuracy of the tcl master equation is @xmath113 and of the nakajima - zwanzig master equation @xmath114 in a spin bath . the blue solid curve is the exact solution , the red dashed curve is the tcl solution and the black dot - dashed curve is the nakajima - zwanzig solution . the inverse temperature of the bath is @xmath62 . the number of spins in the bath is @xmath64 . the initial state is @xmath115 . the coupling constant is @xmath59 in a spin bath . the blue solid curve is the exact solution , the red dashed curve is the tcl solution and the black dot - dashed curve is the nakajima - zwanzig solution . the inverse temperature of the bath is @xmath63 . the number of spins in the bath is @xmath64 . the initial state is @xmath115 . the coupling constant is @xmath59 in a spin bath . the blue solid curve is the exact solution , the red dashed curve is the tcl solution and the black dot - dashed curve is the nakajima - zwanzig solution . the inverse temperature of the bath is @xmath62 . the number of spins in the bath is @xmath116 . the initial state is @xmath115 . the coupling constant is @xmath59 the master equation is more complicated than the corresponding eq . and we discuss it in detail . as one can see the eq . has a non - trivial dependence on the index @xmath117 . the index @xmath117 can take on a value @xmath118 and consequently the system consists of independent blocks of @xmath119 equations ( we assumed @xmath120 ) , where @xmath121 is the dimension of the density matrix of the central spin . nonetheless , it can be easily shown that the diagonal elements of any density matrix @xmath122 are independent of the off - diagonal elements . the structure of the projection operator allows to extract from eq . a minimal system of @xmath123 coupled equations . actually , the number of the coupling equation for the diagonal elements is @xmath9 , but the conservation of the total spin of the system gives one more relationship between the equations . now , we are ready to build the system of equations defining the master equation for the case of a spin equal to 1 . the dimension of the relevant density matrix in this case is @xmath124 , so the system reads @xmath125 in the above equations we introduced the constant @xmath126 . the initial condition is given by eq . . the above integro - differential equation can be solved analytically with help of the laplace transformation . in particular , the @xmath127 for the initial state @xmath128 is @xmath129 where @xmath130 @xmath131 @xmath132 the characteristics of the spin can be found from the above solution using . in a spin bath . the red solid curve is the exact solution , the black dashed curve is the tcl solution and the blue dot - dashed curve is the nakajima - zwanzig solution . the inverse temperature of the bath is @xmath62 . the number of spins in the bath is @xmath64 . the initial state is @xmath115 . the coupling constant is @xmath59 in a spin bath . the red solid curve is the exact solution , the blue dashed curve is the tcl solution and the black dot - dashed curve is the nakajima - zwanzig solution . the inverse temperature of the bath is @xmath62 . the number of spins in the bath is @xmath116 . the initial state is @xmath115 . the coupling constant is @xmath59 in a spin bath . the red solid curve is the exact solution , the green dashed curve is the nakajima - zwanzig solution , the blue dot - dashed curve is the nakajima - zwanzig solution , the brown dotted curve is tcl - and the black symbols of the squares are the tcl solution . the inverse temperature of the bath is @xmath62 . the number of spins in the bath is @xmath64 . the initial state is @xmath115 . the coupling constant is @xmath59 the tcl master equation has the same form of the corresponding nakajima - zwanzig master equation - . namely , the diagonal matrix elements is governed by the system @xmath133 the analytical solution of the above system of equations can be found as a series . unfortunately , the series converges extremely slowly . moreover , the system is not stiff and methods of numerical solution diverge . nevertheless , we can find an approximate analytical solution for the case @xmath134 . the solution of the system in this case is @xmath135 in the above equation @xmath136 @xmath137 the expressions - are a good approximation for the case @xmath138 and , because the required expression is given by and every term given by - is small we can conclude that such approximation gives a good result for a large number of spins in the bath . the solution eq . for the central spin equal to 1 is presented in figs . one can see , that the nakajima - zwanzig master equation leads to results similar to - for the short time @xmath139 ) . nevertheless , the solution gives a better result than the approximate solution of the corresponding tcl master equation - . thus , the method of correlated projection operators gives the same result as the previous one for short time - scales @xmath140 . another picture emerges for the long - time dynamics ( fig . 9 ) . in this domain the projectors give the correct qualitative behaviour and allow to predict the increase of some peaks . so , for the description of the long - time dynamics eq . is more useful . the nakajima - zwanzig equation for the model under consideration is solved analytically , but the corresponding tcl master equation can be solved only approximately . so , for the case of the central spin equal to 1 , the use of the nakajima - zwanzig master equation for the projectors is to be preferred , because it can be solved exactly . in the present article we have investigated the model of an arbitrary spin coupled with a bath of 1/2-spins . the exact solution for the reduced density matrix , corresponding to the central spin , was found and used to test a few approximation techniques . the approximation techniques we have employed are based on time - independent projection operators methods . we have considered two types of projection operators from the general class of the time - independent projectors . namely , the first operator projects on the equilibrium bath state at a temperature @xmath141 and the second operator projects on the eigenspace of the bath operators @xmath98 and @xmath99 . for both choices of projection operators we have derived the second order nakajima - zwanzig master equations and , and also the corresponding tcl master equations . every master equation was applied to a model of central spin equal to one . as the main result of this article we indicate that the traditional way to approximate open spin systems based on the time - independent projection operators gives the correct short - times dynamics of the relevant part of the system . the time - scales of the applicability of such approximate method can be estimated of the order of @xmath142 where @xmath1 is the coupled constant and @xmath2 is the number of spins in the bath . it seems , that approximation methods based on time - independent projection techniques are not so accurate for a large numbers of spins in the bath . the dependence on @xmath2 can be removed by renormalization of the interaction constant , as @xmath143 . in this case the time - scale for the applicability of the second order approximation will scale as @xmath144 . some authors include such a factor in the initial hamiltonian @xcite . in this sense , we have formally derived the meaning of this factor . for spin star models the accuracy substantially depends on the number of spins in a spin bath . the time - scales of accurate reproduction of the exact dynamics can be estimated as @xmath145 . nevertheless , the tcl master equation with the traditional projectors gives better result than the corresponding nakajima - zwanzig master equation , and , moreover , gives similar results as the correlated projection operator for short time - scales dynamics . in order to predict short time - scales dynamics it is more useful to use the simplest projection operators combined with the technique of the tcl master equation . in this connection we notice that the correlated projection operator technique may be useful for the prediction of the long - time behaviour of the spin system , if the analytical solution of the correlated projection operator master equation can be found . however , we emphasize that this result is beyond the scope of applicability of the second - order approximations and is rather a nice exception . in every concrete case long - time dynamics must be investigated additionally with the help of other methods . note that all the approximate equations of the second order presented in the paper give an equivalent dynamics , and can be easily extended to the non - resonant case , as shown in the appendix of this paper . thus , it is advisable to use the simplest approximate equation , namely , the tcl master equation derived with help of the traditional projection operator . it might be helpful to note , all approximate techniques have limits of applicability and here we have shown the limit of applicability of the projection methods of the second - order . finally , it seems that the traditional methods do not work well for spin bath models . thus , it is necessary to develop new approximation techniques for strongly correlated open systems . this work is based upon research supported by the south african research chair initiative of the department of science and technology and national research foundation . in this appendix we consider the non - resonant case of the simplest model of the 1/2-spin coupled to a bath of spins @xcite and show that the correlated projection operator technique does not give appreciable advantages over the traditional one . let us consider the non - resonant problem of an 1/2-spin coupled to a spin bath in a spin star configuration . this simplest case allows to find an analytical solution of the non - resonant problem @xcite . the hamiltonian for the system has the form @xmath146 which differs from only in the free term . in the above expression the @xmath147 is the frequency detuning . as it was noticed in @xcite , this problem has an analytic solution , due to the fact that the two - dimensional subspaces spanned by the states @xmath148 and @xmath149 are invariant under the time evolution . for simplicity we consider the initial conditions with @xmath150 @xmath151\right.\nonumber \\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\times\rho_{11}^s(0)+\left . \left[\frac{a^2b^2(j , m)}{4\mu_+^2(j , m)}\sin^2(\mu_+(j , m)t)\rho_{22}^s(0 ) \right]\right\rbrace\frac{n_j}{2^n},\\ \rho_{12}^s(t)\!\!\!\!&=&\!\!\!\!\sum_{jm}\left[\cos(\mu_+(j , m)t)-\frac{ik_+(m)}{2\mu_+(j , m)}\sin(\mu_+(j , m)t ) \right]\nonumber\\ & & \!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\times\!\!\left[\cos(\mu_-(j , m)t)\!+\!\frac{ik_-(m)}{2\mu_-(j , m)}\sin(\mu_-(j , m)t ) \right]\!\!\!\frac{\rho_{12}^s(0)n_j}{2^n}\ ! , \end{aligned}\ ] ] the second order master equations for the studied model have forms , which are analogous to and if we replace the coefficients @xmath104 by @xmath156 and @xmath157 by @xmath158 . again , these master equations retain them forms for any value of the central spin . since the nakajima - zwanzig master equations have no advantage over the tcl ones , we consider only the tcl master equations . the simplest case of the central spin equal to 1/2 allows to build an analytical solution for both types of the tcl master equations , corresponding to the traditional and the correlated projection operators , and to compare their with the exact one . @xmath163,\nonumber\\ \langle 1|\rho^s_1(t)|2\rangle\!\!\!\!&=&\!\!\langle 1|\rho^s_1(0)|2\rangle \exp[-\frac{a^2}{4}\!\!\int\limits_{0}^{t}\!\!c(t_1)dt_1],\label{tcl2}\\ \langle 1|\rho^s_{2jm}(t)|1\rangle&\!\!\!=\!&\!\!\frac{n_j}{2^{n+1}}+\left(\!\langle 1|\rho^s_{2jm}(0)|1\rangle-\frac{n_j}{2^{n+1}}\!\right)\label{tcl3 } \\ & & \quad\quad\times\exp[-a^2\int\limits_{0}^{t}b(t_1)dt_1],\nonumber\\ \langle 1|\rho^s_{2jm}(t)|2\rangle\!\!\!&=&\!\!\!\langle 1|\rho^s_{2jm}(0)|2\rangle\ ! \exp[-\!\frac{a^2}{4}\!\!\int\limits_{0}^{t}\!\!d(t_1)dt_1]\label{tcl4}.\end{aligned}\ ] ] in the above expressions we introduced the following functions @xmath164.\nonumber\end{aligned}\ ] ] all the integrals appearing in the expression can be easily calculated . we do not explicitly show them as the expressions are rather cumbersome . now , we have to make a transformation back to the schrdinger picture to be able to compare the exact and the approximation solutions . it is clear that the diagonal elements of the density matrix do not change under the transformation . the off - diagonal elements change to @xmath165\langle 1|\rho^s_{2jm}(t)|2\rangle\!,\\ & \langle&\!\!\ ! 1|\rho^s_{1}(t)|2\rangle_{sp}\!\!=\!\!\exp[i\omega_0 t]\cos^n[at/2]\langle 1|\rho^s_{1}(t)|2\rangle\!.\end{aligned}\ ] ] where the subscript `` sp '' means `` schrdinger picture '' . the comparison of both the approximation solutions with the exact one in the off - resonant case is shown in figs . one can see that the diagonal element of the density matrix ( fig . 10 ) describes well both types of the approximation equations . moreover , it can be shown that both approximation solutions give the same behaviour in the long time - scales . so , the diagonal matrix elements are described with the same accuracy both approximated solutions ( a5)-(a8 ) . the dynamics of the off - diagonal elements of the density matrix is shown in fig . it seems that in this case the correlated projection operator works better . the solution following from the correlated projector master equation describes the amplitude of oscillations more precisely , but the oscillations have a different phase and do not allow to predict the exact dynamics with reasonable accuracy , only the qualitative behaviour . thus , the applicability of the second order approximate methods can be estimated as @xmath166 where @xmath147 is the detuning . notice , that the dynamics of the off - diagonal elements of the density matrix ( eqs . ( a6 ) and ( a8 ) ) presented in @xcite seems to have another behaviour . it is due to the authors @xcite represent them results in the interaction picture and we represent our results in the schrdinger picture . let us consider the differences between - and the results derived in @xcite . the correlated projection operator master equation gives a dynamics which completely agrees with the corresponding results in @xcite ( see @xcite ) . nevertheless , the results derived with the help of the traditional master equation differ from the corresponding results in @xcite ( see eq . ( 58 ) therein ) . the results corresponding to eq . ( 58 in @xcite ) hold only for @xmath167 under the integral in eq . . this is true only if @xmath168 which corresponds to the absence of the system - bath interaction . note , that we use the spin matrices , which differ from the pauli matrices by factor 1/2 . thus , our results are consistent with the results of [ 13 ] if to make the change of variable @xmath1 to @xmath169 , where @xmath170 is the coupling constant in [ 13 ] .
arxiv
Diethyl Ether reaction mechanism I was trying to determine the reaction mechanism behind the production of diethyl ether. Looking at the ethyl alcohol + sulphuric acid method, I have come to the following conclusions for the reaction steps: The ethanol nucleophilic oxygen gets protonated by the addition of sulphuric acid. This is more favourable because of the high density of electrons surrounding the oxygen. The bond broken between the carbon and oxygen is also needed to form the bond with hydrogen. Water is then released and the ethyl alcohol conjugate base is formed (H3C-CH2+). The remaining ethyl alcohol molecules can either react with the HSO4- or the ethyl conjugate... Since HSO4- is more stable than the ethyl conjugate, ethyl alcohol reacts with the ethyl conjugate. Carbon is more electronegative than hydrogen and is an electrophile. It is attracted to the oxygen from the ethyl alcohol and replaces the H, thus forming diethylether, H+ and H2O where the sulphuric acid essentially acts as a catalyst! Am I correct in presenting the mechanism this way? If the sulphuric acid still remains in the solution, why does it not protonate the diethyl ether? Is it because the stability of the diethyl ether conjugate base is unstable? Thanks Your mechanism would create a primary alkyl cation, namely the ethyl cation ($\ce{CH3CH2+}$). Primary carbocations are extremely unstable and only generated if there are stabilising effects present such as in the benzylic or allylic case — and these are then often not considered primary cations but rather allylic or benzylic ones. Rather, the protonation of ethanol ($\ce{CH3-CH2-OH}$) creates an oxonium ion as you suggested in the first step: $$\ce{CH3-CH2-OH + H2SO4 -> CH3-CH2-OH2+ + HSO4-}$$ The $\ce{CH2}$ carbon is then attacked from behind in a nucleophilic $\ce{S\_{N}2}$ reaction liberating water in the same step. It is important to note that the attack of another ethanol molecule and the liberation of water happen *synchronously*; there is no first or second. $$\ce{CH3-CH2-OH2+ + CH3-CH2-OH -> CH3-CH2-OH+-CH2-CH3 + H2O}$$ Finally, the oxygen which is now part of a protonated ether loses the proton to give the final product diethyl ether. --- In the case of a nucleophilic substitution on a substrate like *tert*-butanol, or even better, *tert*-butyl bromide, one would consider the leaving group to be liberated first and a carbocation to be created; however, tertiary carbocations are orders of magnitude more stable than primary ones. You got it all wrong. First of all the reaction written by you concisely is $$\ce{diethyl~ ether + H2SO4 -> CH3-CH2-OH + CH3-CH2-HSO4}$$ Your first step is correct that oxygen gets protonated due to acid. Then you said that water is then released and the ethyl alcohol conjugate base is formed $\ce{H3C-CH2+}$. This is the point where you got it wrong. The reaction goes under SN2 mechanism( I am not going into the details of it) and there is no formation of intermediates as you gave it as $\ce{H3C-CH2+}$ So no carbocation inter mediates are formed only transition stage is formed. Your next question was for what if $\ce{H2SO4}$ is in excess. Here it goes like this 1. Ethanol formed is again protonated by $\ce{H2SO4}$ by the same reason you stated. 2. Hence now there are $\ce{CH3CH2OH2+}$( where +ve charge is on oxygen) and $\ce{HSO4-}$ anions. 3. These $\ce{HSO4-}$ again attack on $\ce{CH3CH2OH2+}$ by SN2 mechanism. 4. Now you will get salt of the 3rd step and water as by product.
stackexchange/chemistry
osteoporosis remains underrecognized and undertreated , more so in men than in women , adding considerably to fracture burden and costs . though men suffer fewer fractures than women , fracture - related morbidity and mortality are higher in men than in women , partly due to greater frailty . age - related changes in blood androgens and estrogens may contribute to the development or progression of frailty in men . men usually have higher bone mineral density which contributes to lower fracture incidence in men . numerous studies point to the significance of normal serum testosterone to maintain bone mineral density ( bmd ) at various stages of life . this study investigated the effects of normalizing serum testosterone on bmd in 45 men with osteoporosis who had consulted an orthopedic surgeon and who were diagnosed as testosterone deficient . testosterone deficiency may not be an entity in itself but it may be part of another condition and other constituents of the disease might contribute to bone loss as well . our patients were suffering from a number of diseases , which , apart from the associated testosterone deficiency , could account for the loss of bone mineral density as well . these conditions included klinefelter 's syndrome , crohn 's disease , alcohol abuse , hodgkin 's lymphoma , kidney transplant , and undescended testis . the study was carried out in a private urology practice , bremerhaven , germany , between the years 2004 and 2012 . this clinic routinely measures serum testosterone levels in patients with osteoporosis ( defined by a t - score more than 2.5 standard deviations below the mean value for young adult reference data ) , especially when patients are young . if , indeed , subnormal serum testosterone levels are encountered , the patient is referred to the urology practice for assessment of the etiology of subnormal testosterone levels and possible administration of testosterone , provided there are no contraindications . the cut - off level for below - normal serum testosterone was determined on the basis of the following considerations : although there is no international consensus as to the normal range of testosterone , clinical data suggest that the normal range of testosterone in adult men is between 12 and 40 nmol / l . a threshold of 12.1 nmol / l was confirmed by an international group of authors based on analyses of several well - known studies in which liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry had been used . men with klinefelter 's syndrome often have reduced bone mass [ 8 , 9 ] . remarkably , in one study the loss of bone mineral density in this group did not correlate with serum testosterone or with cag repeats of the androgen receptor . muscle strength , previous history of testosterone treatment , age at diagnosis and bone markers were predictors of bmd , but testosterone was not . so , positive effects of testosterone on bmd may be indirect by its well - known effects on muscle . bone cells from patients with quiescent crohn 's disease show a reduced growth potential and an impeded maturation . in a pilot study we have found a beneficial effect of testosterone on the clinical course of crohn 's disease . the mechanism of this improvement may be immunosuppressive effects of testosterone , reducing chronic inflammation of the intestinal wall in men with crohn 's disease . men with alcohol abuse may have a bone remodeling imbalance , with a predominant decrease in bone formation . in addition , recent studies have reported new mechanisms by which alcohol may act on bone remodeling , including osteocyte apoptosis , oxidative stress , and wnt signaling pathway modulation . men who have been successfully treated for malignancies earlier in life may develop hypogonadism when they age ( > 50 year ) . seven patients had a history of undescended testis , most of them bilateral and some with unilateral orchiectomy or testicular atrophy . if not appropriately treated , this often leads to a loss of exocrine and endocrine testicular function . the study was a cumulative , prospective , registry study of men ( mean age : 53.07 6.89 years ; minimum : 40 ; maximum : 68 years ) with testosterone levels below 12.1 their t - scores were ( mean sd ) 3.12 0.45 ( minimum 4.10 and maximum 2.60 ) . they received parenteral testosterone undecanoate of 1000 mg/12 weeks following an initial 6-week interval for up to six years . after six years , 44 men were included in the registry , after five years 36 men , after four years 32 men , after three years 25 men , after two years 10 men , and after one year 4 men . the declining numbers do not reflect drop - out rates but are a result of the registry design . exclusion criteria for testosterone administration included a previous diagnosis of primary or secondary hypogonadism , previous treatment with androgens , bone metastases , prostate cancer , prostate specific antigen ( psa ) levels > 4 ng / ml , international prostate symptom score ( ipss ) > 19 points , a history of congestive heart failure or recent angina , history of cerebral vascular accident or untreated sleep apnoea . all initial serum testosterone samples had been obtained between 7.00 and 11.00 h a.m. serum testosterone levels were measured before testosterone administration , and then before the second injection at 6 weeks , subsequently before the next injection of testosterone undecanoate was due , as a rule ; 12 weeks later . bmd was measured by using a whole body dual - energy x - ray densitometer ( norland xr-800 ) . the daily system quality assurance calibration procedures were strictly performed according to the instructions of the manufacturer using a qa calibration standard and a qc spine phantom . the accuracy of ap spine scans and hip scans was within 1.0% of industry standard . the in vivo precision of ap spine scan is 0.84% ( bmd l 24 cv ) . the in vivo precision of hip scan is 1.4% ( bmd femoral neck cv ) . bone mineral density is expressed in g / cm . the individual bone mineral density ( bmd ) variation was expressed as a t - score of measurements of the spine ( l24 ) and femoral neck . not only was bmd assessed in this study but also the metabolic conditions were followed up . at each visit , body weight , waist circumference , body mass index , serum levels of total cholesterol , hdl , ldl , triglycerides , glucose , and hemoglobin a1c were measured after an overnight fast . the aging male symptoms scale was measured and also the international index of erectile function ( erectile function domain ) was assessed . a number of safety parameters in relation to testosterone treatment were assessed : prostate volume , serum prostate specific antigen ( psa ) , residual bladder volume after voiding , the international prostate symptoms score ( ipss ) , hemoglobin and hematocrit values , and serum alanine aminotransferase ( alt ) and aspartate aminotransferase ( ast ) . ethical guidelines as formulated by the german rztekammer ( the german medical association ) for observational studies in patients receiving standard treatment were followed . all subjects consented to be included in the research of their treatment protocol which is in accordance with the declaration of helsinki http://www.wma.net . all procedures were carried out with the adequate understanding and written consent of the subjects . for continuous variables , the mean , median , standard deviation , range , minimum , maximum , and sample size for the overall sample and various groups were reported at each time point . for categorical variables the frequency distribution was reported . we tested the hypotheses regarding change in outcome scores across the study period by fitting a linear mixed effects model to the data . time ( to indicate follow - up interviews ) was included as fixed effect in the model . estimation and test of change in scores were determined by computing the differences in least square means at baseline versus the score at each follow - up interview . trough levels after 1 to 6 years were well above the cutoff for hypogonadal values ( 12.1 nmol / l ) , so the values were steady in a eugonadal range ( table 2 ) . over the 6-year period there was a significant improvement of the t - score in these men ( table 3 ) . the improvement was progressive : each year of testosterone treatment led to a significant further improvement of the t - scores ( table 4 ) to a state defined as osteopenia ( 1 to 2.49 below the mean value for young adult reference data ) . figure 1 shows that over the 6 year period the t - scores of men improved and were no longer classified as osteoporosis but as osteopenia . table 4 compares t - scores over periods of testosterone treatment from 12 months to 72 months . metabolic parameters , blood pressure , and serum crp showed an improvement over the study period , so did the ams and iief - ef ( table 5 ) . in this study men with osteoporosis and lower - than - normal serum testosterone were treated with testosterone undecanoate whereupon serum testosterone levels normalized . but in all men , an improvement of t - scores was found upon testosterone treatment with a significant progression over duration of the testosterone treatment . in fact , while all men had been in the category of osteoporosis at baseline , the mean t - scores improved to a level which is classified as osteopenia . part of the positive effects may have been due to the positive effects of testosterone on muscle [ 2224 ] . several studies have documented the beneficial effects of testosterone administration on bmd in hypogonadal men [ 9 , 2531 ] . one study demonstrated that adequacy of testosterone is pivotal for the restoration of bmd in men . it is now well documented in the literature that a chronic state of testosterone deficiency leads to a host of pathologies in ( aging ) men [ 33 , 34 ] . these pathologies ( metabolic syndrome , inflammatory factors , lower urinary tract symptoms , erectile dysfunction , and psychological functions were also assessed in this study and showed improvements over the duration of the study ( table 5 ) . a significant part of the group studied were relatively young men , particularly the men with klinefelter 's syndrome . in a recent study it was reported that over one - third of men less than 50 years with testosterone deficiency and infertility or sexual dysfunction were found to have reduced bmd . these were no men with a classical condition of testosterone deficiency ( klinefelter 's or kallmanns syndrome etcs ) . over a mean follow - up of 2.5 years testosterone therapy in this population we noted not only an improvement of t - scores in the men studied but also a progressive improvement of the metabolic status of the study subjects : body weight , bmi and waist circumference improved progressively which was also the case for lipids , blood pressure , hemoglobin a1c , and a parameter of inflammation . there was a progressive improvement of serum alt and ast probably indicating improvement of liver steatosis , as we have reported earlier . sexual function , as measured by international index of erectile function , improved significantly over time as reported earlier [ 40 , 41 ] . we noted also an improvement of the aging male symptoms scale , also reported in other studies . earlier we have reported that there is a relation with parameters of inflammation such c - reactive protein . serious attention was paid to safety aspects of testosterone administration to men , for a part elderly , in this study . we noted a slight increase in prostate volume over the study period , which also occurs in men not treated with testosterone , simply because they age [ 42 , 43 ] . remarkably , residual volume in the bladder and scores of international prostate symptom score improved considerably upon testosterone treatment , a positive effect earlier reported from this clinic . as expected , hemoglobin levels and the hematocrit rose upon testosterone treatment but remained within safe limits as reported earlier . there was no indication of a disturbance of liver function . the safety of testosterone administration to elderly men is now well documented in the literature . this single - center , open - label study is not a randomized controlled study and therefore limits the scope of interpretation of the presented findings . the study was not primarily designed to monitor the effects of normalizing serum testosterone in hypogonadal men on bone mineral density and was performed in a urology setting . we never expected to have such a large number of patients with osteoporosis , and , therefore , biomarkers of bone remodeling were not measured . this study analyzed testosterone deficiency in a population of middle - aged to elderly men who were referred to an orthopedic clinic with complaints of the locomotor system and were diagnosed with osteoporosis . their copathologies varied widely but a state of testosterone deficiency was a common denominator . in spite of the varieties of etiologies of their testosterone deficiency , they all benefited from testosterone treatment restoring their serum testosterone to the mid normal range of reference values . it would appear from our study that men attending an orthopedic clinic should be assessed for testosterone deficiency , first on clinical grounds whether they have copathology associated with testosterone deficiency , and second by confirmation of measurement of testosterone . in case of lower - than - normal serum testosterone , treatment with testosterone not only improved their bone mineral density but benefited also their metabolic state , mood and sexual functioning .
pubmed
obesity is a well - known risk factor for cardiovascular disease , based on the findings of large - scale epidemiological studies . genetic factors , a sedentary lifestyle , high salt intake , and excessive alcohol consumption are also known risk factors . researchers have therefore recommended weight reduction , low salt intake , regular exercise , a moderate amount of alcohol consumption , and adequate calcium intake as primary interventions to prevent hypertension ( 1 ) . most subjects of previous cohort studies have been caucasians ( 2 - 5 ) , but for a few studies the subjects were asians who had a relatively lean body mass . there are different diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of obesity in asia - pacific populations ( 6 ) . several studies showed that obesity was also a significant risk factor for hypertension among asian populations , but the definitions of obesity used in those studies were quite different from the definitions in the studies in which the subjects were caucasians . ( 7 ) studied the biological factors influencing systolic and diastolic blood pressure among elderly japanese men who lived in hawaii . ( 8) also investigated the relationship between body mass index and blood pressure among japanese men living in hawaii . some studies have been conducted in south china to investigate the cardiovascular risk factors of a lean population ( 9 , 10 ) . most of these were cross - sectional studies that investigated different indices of obesity as a risk factor for hypertension . bae and ahn ( 11 ) conducted a nested case - control study on risk factors for hypertension in healthy , middle - aged korean men using the database of the korean medical insurance corporation . the study prospectively examined the effect of obesity and other risk factors on the development of cardiovascular disease among korean adults , however , the subjects were confined to men . the present retrospective cohort study was the first to evaluate the effect of obesity on the incidence of hypertension among korean men and women and to ascertain the level of obesity at which the incidence of hypertension increases significantly . the original cohort was established in 1991 for an ongoing study on the risk factors for chronic diseases , including hypertension and diabetes , in seoul , korea . a total of 4,876 adults , aged 17 to 80 yr , who had a medical examination from june 1990 to february 1991 at a health promotion center of asan medical center , located in seoul , were included as initial cohort subjects . among them , 7 foreigners , 458 subjects who did not respond to the health risk questionnaire , 33 subjects whose medical records were lost , and 102 subjects who already had diagnosed hypertension before 1990 were excluded . additionally , 350 subjects whose systolic blood pressure ( sbp ) were same as or above 160 mmhg or whose diastolic blood pressure ( dbp ) were same as or above 95 mmhg on the day of the examination were also excluded . in the initial selecting step , we used world health organization ( who ) 's diagnostic criteria for hypertension , which defined hypertension as systolic blood pressure were same as or above 160 mmhg or diastolic blood pressure were same as or above 95 mmhg . in most of the large scale epidemiologic studies conducted in korea during the early 1990s , who 's diagnostic criteria for hypertension were used ( 15 , 16 ) . nineteen subjects who were diagnosed as hypertensive within 1 yr of the initial medical examination were also excluded , because they might have been hypertensive at the time of the initial examination . according to such inclusion and exclusion criteria we reviewed medical records from april to june 2000 and found that 1,899 subjects had visited the same hospital more than twice . all of the 3,788 subjects were sent mail on march 1999 to get a follow - up examination . among them , 523 subjects responded and had a first follow - up examination from april to may 1999 . subjects who had not visited the same hospital within 10 yr were again sent mail to get a follow - up examination , and 148 subjects had follow - up examinations in may 2000 . informed consent was obtained from each subject at the time of the follow - up examination . we tried telephone interviews with the subjects whose current blood pressure status was not known through all of these methods . we excluded subjects who had had no kind of follow - up visit or for whom the final visit was within 1 yr of the baseline medical examination . we finally defined a total of 2,411 subjects as the asan retrospective cohort , who had had more than 1 follow - up visit and whose blood pressure status after at least 1 yr from the baseline examination were assessed by physicians . 1 . the baseline medical examination included a medical history , physical examination , anthropometric measurements , collection of blood samples for laboratory analysis , and a health - risk appraisal questionnaire . the questionnaire was completed by self - administration , and it consisted of 63 questions ; 3 questions on socioeconomic status , 13 questions on family history of chronic diseases , 13 questions on past medical history , 4 questions on smoking information including smoking frequency , amount , duration and attempt to quit , 13 questions on drinking information including frequency and average drinking amount of beer , whisky , wine , and 3 kinds of traditional korean alcoholic beverage , soju , makgulri , and jungjong , 9 questions on drug history , 1 question on seat belt use , 1 question on dietary salt intake , 1 question on the frequency of moderate intensity of physical activity , 1 question on hepatitis b vaccination , 1 question on transfusion , 1 question on sleeping amount and 2 questions on social stress . anthropometric parameters , including height and weight , were measured with the subjects wearing light clothing and no shoes . the body mass index ( bmi ) was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared ( kg / m ) . sitting blood pressure was measured twice by trained nurses using the left arm with a standard mercury sphygmomanometer and an average of the 2 measures was used in the analysis . sbp and dbp were defined as the points of the appearance and disappearance of kortokoff sounds , respectively . after overnight fasting , blood samples were drawn from an antecubital vein for the measurement of serum lipid profile , fasting blood glucose , and other blood chemistries . the serum total cholesterol level was categorized into 3 groups ; smaller than 200 mg / dl , 200 - 239 mg / dl , same as or greater than 240 mg / dl . we defined hyperglycemic group as subjects who had been already diagnosed as diabetes or taking oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin , or whose fasting blood sugar level was above 110 mg / dl . four family physicians reviewed twice all the medical records of the 3,788 subjects in january 1998 and may 2000 . the incidence of hypertension was defined by the assessment of hypertension recorded by the physician or a report of pharmacologically treated hypertension at least 1 yr after the baseline medical examination for 1,210 subjects who voluntarily had a screening medical examination in the same health promotion center and 598 subjects who voluntarily visited outpatient clinic but did not have a screening medical examination or follow - up examination . during the follow - up examinations which were conducted twice in 1998 and 2000 , all examinees were interviewed by physicians , were measured their blood pressure by nurses at least twice , were drawn blood samples for laboratory examinations and filled out the health risk appraisal questionnaire . the examinees with history of being diagnosed with hypertension by physicians or taking antihypertensive drugs were defined as being hypertensive . the examinees who had never been diagnosed with hypertension , but measured mean systolic blood pressure was at or above 140 mmhg or measured mean diastolic blood pressure was at or above 90 mmhg , were also defined as being hypertensive . in those cases we used the criteria of the 5th report of the joint national committee of detection , evaluation , and treatment of high blood pressure ( jnc v ) , because most physicians follow the jnc v guidelines to diagnose hypertension in clinical settings . for the telephone interviews , subjects who were diagnosed by physicians , or who had ever been prescribed antihypertensive medications , we defined the earliest diagnosis of hypertension in the medical records or during the interviews as the event date and the latest hospital visit as the end of follow - up , from which we can confirm their blood pressure status through reviewing the medical records . we initially classified subjects into 4 groups according to their bmi : smaller than 23.0 kg / m , 23.0 to 24.9 kg / m , 25.0 to 26.9 kg / m , and greater than 27.0 kg / m . cox 's proportional hazards model was used to assess the independent contributions of the individual risk factors to the subsequent hypertension , and to obtain relative risk adjusted for other risk factors . the assumption of proportionality underlying these regression models was confirmed by examining log - log plots . the original cohort was established in 1991 for an ongoing study on the risk factors for chronic diseases , including hypertension and diabetes , in seoul , korea . a total of 4,876 adults , aged 17 to 80 yr , who had a medical examination from june 1990 to february 1991 at a health promotion center of asan medical center , located in seoul , were included as initial cohort subjects . among them , 7 foreigners , 458 subjects who did not respond to the health risk questionnaire , 33 subjects whose medical records were lost , and 102 subjects who already had diagnosed hypertension before 1990 were excluded . additionally , 350 subjects whose systolic blood pressure ( sbp ) were same as or above 160 mmhg or whose diastolic blood pressure ( dbp ) were same as or above 95 mmhg on the day of the examination were also excluded . in the initial selecting step , we used world health organization ( who ) 's diagnostic criteria for hypertension , which defined hypertension as systolic blood pressure were same as or above 160 mmhg or diastolic blood pressure were same as or above 95 mmhg . in most of the large scale epidemiologic studies conducted in korea during the early 1990s , who 's diagnostic criteria for hypertension were used ( 15 , 16 ) . nineteen subjects who were diagnosed as hypertensive within 1 yr of the initial medical examination were also excluded , because they might have been hypertensive at the time of the initial examination . according to such inclusion and exclusion criteria we reviewed medical records from april to june 2000 and found that 1,899 subjects had visited the same hospital more than twice . all of the 3,788 subjects were sent mail on march 1999 to get a follow - up examination . among them , 523 subjects responded and had a first follow - up examination from april to may 1999 . subjects who had not visited the same hospital within 10 yr were again sent mail to get a follow - up examination , and 148 subjects had follow - up examinations in may 2000 . informed consent was obtained from each subject at the time of the follow - up examination . we tried telephone interviews with the subjects whose current blood pressure status was not known through all of these methods . we excluded subjects who had had no kind of follow - up visit or for whom the final visit was within 1 yr of the baseline medical examination . we finally defined a total of 2,411 subjects as the asan retrospective cohort , who had had more than 1 follow - up visit and whose blood pressure status after at least 1 yr from the baseline examination were assessed by physicians . the baseline medical examination included a medical history , physical examination , anthropometric measurements , collection of blood samples for laboratory analysis , and a health - risk appraisal questionnaire . the questionnaire was completed by self - administration , and it consisted of 63 questions ; 3 questions on socioeconomic status , 13 questions on family history of chronic diseases , 13 questions on past medical history , 4 questions on smoking information including smoking frequency , amount , duration and attempt to quit , 13 questions on drinking information including frequency and average drinking amount of beer , whisky , wine , and 3 kinds of traditional korean alcoholic beverage , soju , makgulri , and jungjong , 9 questions on drug history , 1 question on seat belt use , 1 question on dietary salt intake , 1 question on the frequency of moderate intensity of physical activity , 1 question on hepatitis b vaccination , 1 question on transfusion , 1 question on sleeping amount and 2 questions on social stress . anthropometric parameters , including height and weight , were measured with the subjects wearing light clothing and no shoes . the body mass index ( bmi ) was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared ( kg / m ) . sitting blood pressure was measured twice by trained nurses using the left arm with a standard mercury sphygmomanometer and an average of the 2 measures was used in the analysis . sbp and dbp were defined as the points of the appearance and disappearance of kortokoff sounds , respectively . after overnight fasting , blood samples were drawn from an antecubital vein for the measurement of serum lipid profile , fasting blood glucose , and other blood chemistries . the serum total cholesterol level was categorized into 3 groups ; smaller than 200 mg / dl , 200 - 239 mg / dl , same as or greater than 240 mg / dl . we defined hyperglycemic group as subjects who had been already diagnosed as diabetes or taking oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin , or whose fasting blood sugar level was above 110 mg / dl . four family physicians reviewed twice all the medical records of the 3,788 subjects in january 1998 and may 2000 . the incidence of hypertension was defined by the assessment of hypertension recorded by the physician or a report of pharmacologically treated hypertension at least 1 yr after the baseline medical examination for 1,210 subjects who voluntarily had a screening medical examination in the same health promotion center and 598 subjects who voluntarily visited outpatient clinic but did not have a screening medical examination or follow - up examination . during the follow - up examinations which were conducted twice in 1998 and 2000 , all examinees were interviewed by physicians , were measured their blood pressure by nurses at least twice , were drawn blood samples for laboratory examinations and filled out the health risk appraisal questionnaire . the examinees with history of being diagnosed with hypertension by physicians or taking antihypertensive drugs were defined as being hypertensive . the examinees who had never been diagnosed with hypertension , but measured mean systolic blood pressure was at or above 140 mmhg or measured mean diastolic blood pressure was at or above 90 mmhg , were also defined as being hypertensive . in those cases we used the criteria of the 5th report of the joint national committee of detection , evaluation , and treatment of high blood pressure ( jnc v ) , because most physicians follow the jnc v guidelines to diagnose hypertension in clinical settings . for the telephone interviews , subjects who were diagnosed by physicians , or who had ever been prescribed antihypertensive medications , we defined the earliest diagnosis of hypertension in the medical records or during the interviews as the event date and the latest hospital visit as the end of follow - up , from which we can confirm their blood pressure status through reviewing the medical records . we initially classified subjects into 4 groups according to their bmi : smaller than 23.0 kg / m , 23.0 to 24.9 kg / m , 25.0 to 26.9 kg / m , and greater than 27.0 kg / m . cox 's proportional hazards model was used to assess the independent contributions of the individual risk factors to the subsequent hypertension , and to obtain relative risk adjusted for other risk factors . the assumption of proportionality underlying these regression models was confirmed by examining log - log plots . the mean age was 44.9 yr for men and 43.1 yr for women . after a mean follow - up period of 6.1 yr after a mean follow - up period of 6.3 yr , there were 81 new cases of hypertension among the 944 female subjects . the crude incidence rate of hypertension per 1,000 person - years of follow - up was calculated as 17.4 for men , and 13.9 for women . table 2 shows the estimated incidence rates of hypertension according to variables , which for men increased with increasing age , except for 60 yr and over , bmi , total cholesterol level , smoking amount ( pack - year index ) , and daily alcohol consumption . table 3 shows that the incidence rate of hypertension for women increased with increasing age , bmi , and total cholesterol level . for women , a family history of hypertension , dietary salt intake , and frequency of exercise were not significant risk factors for hypertension for either men or women . table 4 shows the relative risks of hypertension for men in different categories of bmi after adjustment for age , total cholesterol level , family history of hypertension , frequency of exercise , daily alcohol consumption , and smoking pack - year . compared with men who had a bmi smaller than 23 kg / m , the adjusted relative risks of hypertension for men with a bmi 23 - 24.9 , 25 - 26.9 kg / m , and greater than 27 kg / m were 1.56 ( 95% ci , 0.94 - 2.58 ) , 1.75 ( 0.97 - 3.15 ) , and 2.56 ( 1.27 - 5.16 ) , respectively . age and alcohol consumption greater than 30 g per day were also significant risk factors for hypertension in men . table 5 shows the relative risks of hypertension for women in different categories of bmi after adjustment for age , total cholesterol level , family history of hypertension , and frequency of exercise . compared with women who had a bmi smaller than 23 kg / m , the adjusted relative risks of hypertension for women with a bmi 23 - 24.9 kg / m , 25 - 26.9 kg / m , and greater than 27 kg / m were 1.08 ( 0.58 - 1.98 ) , 1.62 ( 0.86 - 3.07 ) , and 3.17 ( 1.72 - 5.86 ) , respectively . age was another significant risk factor for hypertension , and with an age increase of 5 yr , the risk of hypertension increased 32% . in this retrospective cohort study , we found a strong positive association between the bmi and the incidence of hypertension among korean adults . after adjusting for possible confounding factors , the risk significantly increased in subjects with a bmi greater than 27 kg / m , and was higher in women than in men . age and alcohol consumption greater than 30 g per day were significant predictors of risk of hypertension in men . it is difficult to compare our study results with those from other studies because the reference value of each study was quite different . according to the results of the nhanes i epidemiologic follow - up study performed in the u.s . , the odds ratios for men with a bmi greater than 27.3 kg / m and for women with a bmi greater than 27.8 kg / m compared with those who had a smaller bmi were 2.78 for black men , 1.64 for white men ; and 1.84 for black women and 2.16 for white women ( 2 ) . according to the result of the nurses ' health study , an increase in bmi 1 kg / m was associated with a 12% increase in risk of hypertension after 16 yr of follow - up ( 5 ) , and the relative risk for women with a bmi 26 - 28 kg / m and a bmi 29 - 31 kg / m compared with women with a bmi less than 23 kg / m were 2.80 and 3.86 after 4 yr of follow - up ( 12 ) . a prospective cohort study conducted in japan also showed that the risk of hypertension was greatly increased in men with a bmi greater than 27 kg / m ( 13 ) . a nested case - control study conducted in korea reported that the odds ratio for middle - aged healthy men with a bmi greater than 25 kg / m was 2.89 ( 11 ) . the present study showed results similar to those previous studies even though the reference values differed from each other . of the 3,788 baseline subjects , only 2,411 subjects ( 64% ) were finally selected for this retrospective cohort study . we analyzed the general characteristics of 1,245 subjects who had never visited the same hospital or who had not had their blood pressure checked for 10 yr after the baseline examination . as the baseline bmi between the 2 groups did not show any statistical difference , we could exclude the possibility of a selection bias from the different rate of visiting hospital according to the different bmi distribution . at the time of the baseline examination , a diagnosis of hypertension was based on the who criteria , which defined hypertension as a systolic blood pressure of greater than or equal to 160 mmhg , or a diastolic blood pressure of greater than or equal to 95 mmhg ( 14 ) . because we checked baseline blood pressure on the day of examination when subjects became more anxious and their blood pressure it is also possible that hypertensive subjects were classified as normotensive because their blood pressure level could have temporarily dropped . we excluded 19 subjects who were diagnosed as being hypertensive within 1 yr of their baseline examination to take account of these misclassification biases . during the follow - up period , we used the criteria of the 5th report of the joint national committee of detection , evaluation , and treatment of high blood pressure ( jnc v ) for diagnosing incident hypertension , because most physicians follow the jnc v guidelines to diagnose hypertension in clinical settings . to evaluate the problems according to using different diagnostic criteria at baseline follow up examination , we excluded all subjects whose initial systolic blood pressure were above 140 mmhg or diastolic blood pressure were above 90 mmhg , and conducted the same statistical analysis for 1,195 male and 884 female subjects . the relative risks of hypertension with a bmi 25 - 26.9 kg / m , and greater than 27 kg / m were 1.73 ( 1.04 - 2.88 ) , and 2.32 ( 1.19 - 4.51 ) for men , and 2.43 ( 1.12 - 5.25 ) , and 3.64 ( 1.63 - 8.15 ) for women . the information from almost 70% of subjects who had a screening medical examination in the same hospital is probably valid because the diagnosis of hypertension was based on trained nurses checking blood pressure at least twice and physicians interviewing subjects for a detailed medical history , including a drug history . the information from 25% of subjects who did not have a screening or follow - up examination was based on the medical records of other departments of the same hospital , i.e. , internal medicine , family medicine , neurology , general surgery , ophthalmology , and so on . four family physicians thoroughly reviewed the medical records and defined the incidence of hypertension very carefully and only when they saw a recorded assessment of hypertension by doctors , or when prescriptions for antihypertensive drugs were written in the records . subjects who had high blood pressure but were not assessed as hypertensive by physicians or had never taken antihypertensive medications , were not defined as incidences of hypertension . regarding the telephone interviews , we defined hypertension by the same rule . the incidences of hypertension per 1,000 person - year were 17.8 in subjects who had follow - up examinations , 16.8 in subjects who visited only other departments of the same hospital , and 11.7 in telephone interview only subjects . the incidence of hypertension was slightly lower in subjects who had not visited the hospital for 10 yr and for whom the diagnosis of hypertension was totally dependent on a telephone interview , so we finally excluded those subjects for final analysis . but 77 subjects answered that they have ever got health examination in other hospitals , so we tried to review the medical records of other hospitals and could confirm the incidence of hypertension in additional 54 subjects . we found that an age increase of 5 yr increased the risk of hypertension by 20% in men and 32% in women . in the present study , the incidence of hypertension in men older than 60 yr was lower than in men 50 - 59 yr old , and these findings are different from other study results , which showed the incidence increasing constantly with age ( 11 , 15 - 17 ) . but some other studies have reported a lower incidence of hypertension in men in their 60s than in their 50s in the black population ( 2 , 18 ) . further follow - up observation and other longitudinal studies that include older korean men are required . several studies have reported a significant association between alcohol consumption and blood pressure , independent of the effects of age and body weight , with the risk of hypertension increasing when the level of alcohol consumption exceeded 3 to 5 drinks per day ( 2 , 19 - 24 ) . after adjustment for age and bmi , men who drank more alcohol than 30 g per day had a 2.7 fold increased risk of hypertension in this study , which is compatible with other study results . regarding women , we could not attempt a quantitative analysis to observe the risk of hypertension according to alcohol amount because only 286 female subjects were current drinkers , and 95% of them drank less than 10 g of alcohol per day . the association between hypertension and serum lipid profiles , i.e. , total cholesterol , triglyceride , and hdl cholesterol varies in different studies . some previous studies reported triglyceride was a predictor of hypertension , rather than total cholesterol or hdl cholesterol ( 4 , 7 ) , but another study reported all 3 measurements as independent determinants of hypertension ( 25 ) . we only included total cholesterol level as a predictor variable , and did not observe a significant association with hypertension risk . in the present study , glucose concentrations at baseline was reported as predictors of hypertension in previous studies ( 7 , 26 , 27 ) . but others failed to find an effect of impaired glucose tolerance on the risk of developing hypertension ( 4 , 28 ) . in this study , subjects who were diagnosed as diabetes mellitus , had controlled blood glucose level under 110 mg / dl , and did not answer the item of " history of diabetes " in the questionnaire were classified as " nondiabetic " so this misclassification bias possibly influenced the study results . physical activity or fitness was known to have a protective effect against developing of hypertension ( 20 , 29 , 30 ) , but we failed to find a protective effect in this study . we estimated the level of physical activity from the single question , " how often do you exercise more than 20 min until you get short of breath or you sweat ? " , and this was insufficient for us to collect meaningful information . the crude estimation of physical activity and diet from the very simple self - reported questionnaire is one of the limitations of this study . we estimated obesity with only one index , i.e. , the baseline bmi , and did not account for adiposity or abdominal obesity , which are also known to be associated with hypertension ( 4 , 31 ) . we did not measure waist circumference , waist - hip ratio , or body fat distribution during the baseline examination , so we could not investigate the relationship between the incidence of hypertension and those factors . recent studies have reported that weight change is also associated with hypertension independently of baseline obesity ( 5 , 32 - 36 ) . even though 70% of subjects who had had a follow - up examination or screening health examination measured their body weight for every visit , we could not consider the weight change factor as an independent variable because almost 30% of subjects did not measure their body weight at the same hospital after the baseline examination . further efforts will be required to evaluate those subjects in future long - term follow - up studies . in conclusion , the results from a cohort of adult korean men and women suggest that it is beneficial to maintain a bmi under 27 kg / m and restrict alcohol consumption to less than 30 g per day for the prevention of hypertension .
pubmed
Why can the electric field be found with electrostatics methods if the charge is moving? In Griffiths' electrodynamics book in the chapter on electrodynamics he does some computations of electric fields using electrostatics methods when the charge is actually changing. So, two examples: > > 1. Two long coaxial metal cylinders (radii $a$ and $b$) are separated by material of conductivity $\sigma$. If they are maintained at a potential difference $V$, what current flows from one to the other, in a lenght $L$? The field between the cylinders is > > > $$\mathbf{E}=\dfrac{\lambda}{2\pi\epsilon\_0 s}\hat{\mathbf{s}}.$$ > > > 2. Imagine two concentric metal spherical shells. The inner one (radius $a$) carries a charge $Q(t)$, and the outer one (radius $b$) carries a chage $-Q(t)$. The space between them is filled with Ohmic material of conductivity $\sigma$, so a radial current flows: > > > $$\mathbf{J} = \sigma\mathbf{E}=\sigma\dfrac{1}{4\pi\epsilon\_0}\dfrac{Q}{r^2}\hat{\mathbf{r}}; \quad I = -\dot{Q}=\int\mathbf{J}\cdot d\mathbf{a}=\dfrac{\sigma Q}{\epsilon\_0}.$$ > > > Now in both problems we have currents. In the second we even have a time varying charge $Q(t)$. So in both problems, charges are moving around. These are not static configurations. But it seems the fields are being found via Gauss law. I mean, the *methods of electrostatics are being directly used without explanation of why they can be used*. Furthermore, there's even a proof that relies on using Laplace's equation for the potential inside a wire. But the very existance of the potential is something acquired from electrostatics, based on $\nabla \times \mathbf{E} = 0$, which we know won't hold in Electrodynamics. Of course one possible answer could be: "it is used because it works", and I don't doubt it works, since it is being used. But my whole point is: as the author did, he constructed the theory step by step - first electrostatics, based on Coulomb's law and superposition (the author even says that all of that is *just for static configurations*), then magnetostatics, based on steady currents and Biot Savart's Law. Now when it comes to electrodynamics, I thought there would be some explanation on how the electric field is now computed with charges moving around. Why in these cases the traditional methods for electrostatics work? How can we justify it properly inside the theory instead of just saying that it works? The "dynamics" part comes in when the $d/dt$ terms start to be significant, so let's review where they come from in the theory. The differential form is easiest to consider, so we don't have to worry about $E$ and $q$ being in different places. Then * $d \vec{B} / dt$ and $d \vec{E} / dt$: are the fields static? That's set by whether the sources and boundary conditions are static. * time changes in the sources $\rho$ and $\vec{J}$, constrained by the continuity equation The first example has none of these. It has a current, but that current (*not* the individual charges that make it up) is static. So it's clearly the realm of static analysis. The second one is trickier, and it probably would have been better if there was more explanation. For any real macroscopic setup of the second case, it seems clear that the time-varying terms are going to be small compared to everything else. To put it another way, the characteristic times put it in the "discharging capacitor" realm, where we don't really worry about electromagnetic radiation from the changing current. > > Now in both problems we have currents. In the second we even have a time varying charge $Q(t)$. So in both problems, charges are moving around. These are not static configurations. > > > In both cases, the objects are *maintained* at [something] = constant, i.e., constant potential difference in first and constant total charge in second scenario. A current flows in both scenarios, but this does not mean the current is time-varying. In fact, in both cases the current could be static. In other words, charge enters each object at the same rate it leaves each object. So if you draw your gaussian surface around each object, the net charge enclosed could remain constant in time, which means using [Gauss' law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauss%27s_law) would be okay. Technically, Gauss' law does not require $\partial\_{t} \mathbf{B} = 0$, as it just states that *...the total flux of $\mathbf{D}$ out through the surface is equal to the charge contained inside...* [page 17 of J.D. Jackson's E&M book, 3rd Edition (i.e., blue cover one)]. So the current in the second case (as @AlfredCentauri correctly pointed out to me) can be time-varying but the use of Gauss' law is not invalidated by this condition. > > Furthermore, there's even a proof that relies on using Laplace's equation for the potential inside a wire. But the very existance of the potential is something acquired from electrostatics, based on $\nabla \times \mathbf{E} = 0$, which we know won't hold in Electrodynamics. > > > First, a constant current will result in a time-independent magnetic field that would satisfy $\partial\_{t} \mathbf{B} = 0$, which makes the assumption $\nabla \times \mathbf{E} = 0$ okay. Technically, one can argue that $\nabla \times \mathbf{E} = 0$ if $\mathbf{E} = -\nabla \phi$ (i.e., gradient of a scalar), in which case we know from vector calculus that the curl of a gradient is zero. Second, the existence of a magnetic field does not imply the need for the term *electrodynamics*, if the magnetic field is itself static. > > Why in these cases the traditional methods for electrostatics work? > > > See my comments above... > > How can we justify it properly inside the theory instead of just saying that it works? > > > I think the [divergence theorem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergence_theorem) (which is a special case of [Stokes' theorem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stokes%27_theorem)) is a general mathematical rule that does not require anything to be static, other than the constancy of the arbitrary surface/volume over which one integrates. As I said before, a constant current results in a static magnetic field or $\partial\_{t} \mathbf{B} = 0$. In both cases, we can define $\mathbf{E} = -\nabla \phi$ because any time-varying component does not matter (i.e., $\partial\_{t} \mathbf{A} = 0$) for the total electric field. We know from vector calculus that $\nabla \times \nabla \phi = 0$, where $\phi$ is any scalar quantity or function so then $\nabla \times \mathbf{E} = 0$.
stackexchange/physics
dark matter ( dm ) is inferred to exist , through its gravitational interactions with visible matter , within and between galaxies @xcite . however its nature at the particle level will remain unknown unless its interactions with the particles of the standard model are understood . one of the least constrained interactions of dm is with neutrinos . bounds exist on the cross section for scattering at low energy from the cosmic microwave background ( cmb ) and large - scale structure @xcite and limits also exist at mev energies from supernovae @xcite . however the dm-@xmath7 scattering cross section is only weakly constrained at higher neutrino energies ( tev - scale and larger ) due to a relative lack of observational tests , both astrophysical and terrestrial . such high - energy probes are important as they provide information on how dm particles interact at energies inaccessible to colliders , for example . we show that the recent observation of pev - energy neutrinos by the icecube experiment @xcite allows the dm-@xmath7 scattering cross section to be probed at much higher energies than has previously been possible ( see also refs . @xcite for other new physics probes ) . indeed the icecube experiment has now observed @xmath8 neutrino events with energies between @xmath9 and @xmath10 tev after @xmath11 days of data - taking . the distribution of these neutrinos is approximately isotropic , implying an extra - galactic origin ( see also ref . @xcite ) , however there is potentially a small cluster of events towards the galactic centre . in order to study the interactions of these high - energy neutrinos with dm , we consider two different regimes : scattering of neutrinos with dm between galaxies and within the milky way itself . for the former we show in section [ sec : extra ] that a large scattering cross section results in a delayed arrival to our galaxy of the neutrinos , since they must diffuse towards earth instead of free - streaming . hence the observation of pev - energy neutrinos by icecube means that they have not been impeded significantly in transit . by making the assumption that the highest energy events observed by icecube originate from extra - galactic hypernova remnants @xcite , we calculate the cross section @xmath0 for dm-@xmath7 scattering which would result in a cut - off in the observed spectrum below 2 pev , allowing us to set an upper limit on @xmath0 . for the case of scattering within our galaxy we show in section [ sec : gal ] that dm-@xmath7 scattering results in the generation of an anisotropic distribution of neutrino events from a purely extra - galactic flux , due to enhanced scattering within the galactic centre region where the dm density is largest . we calculate the cross section needed to generate the amount of clustering of high - energy neutrino events towards the galactic centre potentially observed by the icecube experiment @xcite . finally in section [ sec : conc ] we summarise our findings and conclude . . with weak dm-@xmath7 scattering , the path of the neutrino is lengthened between the source and earth , causing it to arrive at the present day @xmath12 . when the scattering rate is large , i.e. strong scattering , the neutrino has to diffuse towards earth , in which case it has not arrived by the present day.,scaledwidth=45.0% ] due to their weak interactions with ordinary matter , the pev neutrinos observed by icecube should have travelled unimpeded from their extra - galactic sources to earth . however this may not be the case as the rate at which these neutrinos scatter with dark matter particles is poorly constrained @xcite and could be large , resulting in them diffusing towards our galaxy instead of free - streaming . in this section , we constrain the scattering cross section @xmath0 for dm between galaxies using the spectrum of high - energy neutrinos observed by icecube . the mean free path for scattering is @xmath13 , where @xmath4 is the dark matter mass and @xmath14 is its density in the intergalactic medium ( igm ) . we assume that the latter takes the form @xmath15 , where @xmath16 kgm@xmath17 and @xmath18 is the redshift @xcite . if @xmath19 is smaller than the distance between galaxies , then the neutrinos will scatter multiple times , lengthening their path from the source to earth and thereby delaying their arrival . we assume that the dm mass is much larger than that of the neutrinos and that the scattering is elastic and flavour - universal @xcite . a schematic of this effect is shown in figure [ fig : nu_scatter_diag ] , where we give three broad regimes of scattering . in the case of ` weak scattering ' , we have that @xmath20 and so the path the neutrino has to travel is elongated , causing it to arrive later at the present day ( @xmath12 ) . the case of ` strong scattering ' where @xmath21 has the neutrino scattering so often as it travels from outside our galaxy that it has yet to arrive at earth by the present day . we now use this formalism to calculate the effect on the flux of extra - galactic neutrinos . without scattering between dm and neutrinos , the expected flux is obtained by integrating over sources at all redshifts @xmath18 @xcite , @xmath22 , \label{eqn : nu_flux_nodiff}\ ] ] where @xmath23 is the neutrino spectrum at the source , @xmath24 is the rate of the particular source events for the neutrinos , @xmath25 kms@xmath26mpc@xmath26 is the hubble constant , @xmath27 is the fraction of matter in the universe and @xmath28 is the fraction of dark energy @xcite . we assume that @xmath24 is proportional to the star formation rate @xmath29 @xcite . since the effect of dm - neutrino scattering is to delay the arrival of the neutrinos to earth , the redshift at which the neutrino is emitted is no longer necessarily equal to the redshift of the source . hence the integral over redshift from equation ( [ eqn : nu_flux_nodiff ] ) is split into two integrals : one over the redshift distance to the source @xmath30 and another over the emission time of the neutrinos @xmath31 , @xmath32 . \label{eqn : nu_flux_diff}\ ] ] which were produced at a given time in the past represented by a value of redshift @xmath31 , given that they originate from an extra - galactic source at a distance of 10 mpc from earth ( at the present day ) . larger values of the dm-@xmath7 scattering cross section @xmath0 mean that neutrinos arriving today were produced longer ago . we also show the star formation rate as a function of @xmath31 for comparison.,scaledwidth=48.0% ] the time delay due to the dm - neutrino scattering is contained in the ( normalised ) delay function @xmath33 , which gives the probability that a neutrino was emitted at a redshift @xmath31 , given that its source is at a distance corresponding to redshift @xmath30 . the amount of delay depends on the cross section of scattering between dark matter and neutrinos @xmath0 , which could itself vary with the neutrino energy @xmath1 . for figure [ fig : hist_e0=1 ] and throughout this work we assume that @xmath34 , where @xmath35 . this is an empirical parameterisation , and to preserve unitarity , the cross section should decrease at higher energies above a few pev . hence in this case @xmath33 also depends on the neutrino energy as it travels to earth . examples of @xmath33 which have been calculated numerically for different values of @xmath36 are shown in figure [ fig : hist_e0=1 ] , assuming a source distance of 10 mpc corresponding to @xmath37 and a neutrino energy at the source of 1 pev . for @xmath38 @xmath3 , the neutrinos reaching earth have been produced recently , and so values of @xmath31 which are close to @xmath30 will contribute to the integral in equation ( [ eqn : nu_flux_diff ] ) . indeed when @xmath39 , we have that @xmath40 , since the neutrino was emitted at the same redshift as we observe the source to be at today and eq . ( [ eqn : nu_flux_diff ] ) reduces to eq . ( [ eqn : nu_flux_nodiff ] ) . by contrast for @xmath41 @xmath3 and @xmath42 @xmath3 , the longer path means the neutrinos originated from their source farther in the past . hence for these cross sections , the integral in equation ( [ eqn : nu_flux_diff ] ) is dominated by values of @xmath31 much larger than @xmath30 . as such for @xmath43 @xmath3 , the majority of neutrinos arriving at the present day will have been produced at @xmath44 , when the star - formation rate was small . in this case , the neutrino flux would likely be much smaller than that observed by icecube . we now perform the full integral in equation [ eqn : nu_flux_diff ] by assuming a specific astrophysical model for the high - energy neutrino flux observed by icecube . we use the model proposed in refs . @xcite in which the highest - energy ( @xmath45 tev ) neutrinos originate from the decay of hadrons accelerated at extra - galactic hypernova remnants ( hnr ) ( alternative models for these neutrinos use e.g. active galactic nuclei @xcite or gamma - ray bursts @xcite ) . we calculate the expected flux using eqn . ( [ eqn : nu_flux_diff ] ) , replacing @xmath46 with the hnr rate which we take to be @xmath47 @xcite . for the source neutrino spectrum @xmath48 , we use the formalism of refs . @xcite , based on a convolution of the spectrum of protons accelerated at the hnr with the secondary neutrino spectrum produced by each proton ( via e.g. pion or muon decay ) . this depends on the maximum energy to which these protons can be accelerated , which we take to be @xmath49 ev for the hnr @xcite . as @xmath50 . larger cross sections result in a cut - off in the spectrum at lower energies.,scaledwidth=49.0% ] the effect of scattering between dm and high - energy neutrinos in transit to earth from their extra - galactic hnr sources is shown in figure [ fig : spectra_dm ] , compared with the astrophysical neutrino spectrum observed by icecube @xcite . the result is a cut - off in the spectrum of neutrinos at an energy set by the size of @xmath36 . this arises from neutrinos which scatter so often that they do not arrive at earth by the present day , even if they are produced when the first hypernovae form around @xmath51 . larger values of @xmath36 effectively widen the range of energies for which this condition holds . since as can be seen in figure [ fig : spectra_dm ] the icecube data extend up to @xmath52 pev we conservatively set an upper limit on a dm-@xmath7 cross section which increases with @xmath53 at the level of @xmath54 @xmath3 . this limit is robust to changes in the model for the production of these neutrinos , as the cut - off is a generic feature of dm-@xmath7 scattering . future measurements of higher energy neutrinos will serve to strengthen this upper limit . in this section , we consider the effects of high - energy extra - galactic neutrinos scattering with dm within our own galaxy , after they have travelled through the igm . we have already shown that dm-@xmath7 scattering between galaxies results in a cut - off in the spectrum of these neutrinos for large enough cross sections . however here we show that scattering within the milky way , particularly at the centre of the galaxy , affects the distribution of high - energy neutrino events on the sky . this is interesting as the icecube collaboration have reported a small ( @xmath55 significance ) clustering of high - energy neutrino events towards the galactic centre @xcite , which corresponds to approximately @xmath56 of all of their events . we assume that the neutrinos enter the galaxy from all directions isotropically as expected if their origin is extra - galactic . however even a kiloparsec from the galactic centre , the dark matter density can reach values as large as @xmath57 gevcm@xmath17 for a navarro - frenk - white ( nfw ) profile @xcite , and the density increases further towards the centre . hence at this dm density , a value of @xmath59 @xmath3 for a pev - energy neutrino would be enough for the mean free path @xmath19 to be of kiloparsec scale or smaller , and so there can be significant scattering between dm and neutrinos towards the galactic centre even given the constraints of the previous section . this will lead to neutrinos appearing to originate from this region even if they are produced outside of our galaxy . the effect of dm-@xmath7 scattering within our galaxy on the distribution of extra - galactic neutrinos ( with an energy of 1 pev ) is shown in figure [ fig : gc_scatter ] for two different values of the scattering cross section ( assuming an nfw profile for the dm ) . for @xmath60 @xmath3 , the scattering between dm and pev - energy neutrinos generates a concentration of events towards the galactic centre , where the dm density ( and therefore the scattering rate ) is largest , at the level of about @xmath61 of the total rate . in this case scattering has altered the direction of travel for these neutrinos and therefore their apparent point of origin . by contrast for @xmath62 @xmath3 ( and below ) , the neutrino flux remains mostly isotropic . hence @xmath60 @xmath3 gives a similar amount of clustering towards the galactic centre seen in the latest icecube data @xcite , while values larger than this would introduce too much anisotropy . the galactic centre is not the only region for which an anisotropy could be observed : the large dm densities towards the cores of dwarf galaxies @xcite could result in a similar effect from dm-@xmath7 scattering . the size of this anisotropy depends on the mass model for the dwarf galaxies , which is not well known . for models where the dm density is @xmath45 gevcm@xmath17 within 1 kpc of the centre @xcite , the mean free path with @xmath60 @xmath3 is smaller than 1 kpc . hence the flux of high energy neutrinos around e.g. the fornax or sculptor dwarfs could be enhanced by as much as a few percent compared to the average all - sky flux , depending on the density profile . .here ` gal . ' refers to best - fit cross section @xmath0 to give the required level of clustering seen towards the galactic centre in the recent icecube data @xcite . ` ex - gal ' is our upper limit from requiring that neutrinos with energies of 2 pev and below are able to reach earth by the present day . [ cols="^,^,^,^",options="header " , ] we have investigated the effects of scattering between high - energy neutrinos and dark matter particles , focusing on the neutrino events observed by the icecube experiment between energies of @xmath63 tev @xcite . since there are strong arguments for an extra - galactic origin of these neutrinos @xcite we have studied the effect of scattering both outside and within our galaxy . for extra - galactic dm-@xmath7 scattering with a cross section which rises with @xmath53 , we showed that this results in a delayed arrival for the neutrinos to earth ( figures [ fig : nu_scatter_diag ] and [ fig : hist_e0=1 ] ) , due to the large distances ( @xmath64 mpc ) they must diffuse through when the scattering rate is large . this leads to a cut - off in their _ spectrum _ at an energy set by the size of the cross section ( figure [ fig : spectra_dm ] ) . while for scattering within our galaxy , we found that the _ distribution _ of the neutrinos is shifted from pure isotropy to possessing an excess of events towards the galactic centre , where the dm density is largest ( figure [ fig : gc_scatter ] ) . this results from scattering altering the direction of travel for these neutrinos , making them appear to originate from the galactic centre . we summarise our numerical results compared with those from previous works in table [ table_constraints ] . as can be seen , our results probe much higher energy scales than previous constraints from structure formation @xcite and supernova 1987a @xcite . throughout this work , we have assumed that the scattering cross section @xmath0 increases as @xmath53 up to a few pev ( or above ) , since in this case our constraint is particularly strong compared to those set at lower energies . however this is not the only form which the dm-@xmath7 scattering cross section can take , and the complimentarily between the various constraints serves as an important probe of the energy dependence of @xmath0 . the upper bound labelled ` ex - gal ' in table [ table_constraints ] has been set by assuming that the neutrinos originate from hypernova remnants in other galaxies , although any other sources for these neutrinos , astrophysical @xcite or otherwise @xcite , would lead to similar constraints . for cross sections larger than this upper limit , neutrinos with energies below 2 pev are impeded too much on their way to our galaxy , which would lead to a cut - off in the icecube neutrino spectrum at this energy . scattering cross sections just below this bound give no observable cut - off while also leading to interesting phenomenology within our galaxy . indeed the best - fit cross section to give a small cluster of pev - energy events ( @xmath65 ) towards the galactic centre , due to dm-@xmath7 scattering within our galaxy , is @xmath66 @xmath3 ( labelled ` gal ' in table [ table_constraints ] ) . this is consistent with the @xmath55 anisotropy observed in the icecube data - set in this region @xcite . cross - sections of this size which scale with @xmath53 also evade the low - energy constraints in table [ table_constraints ] . currently there are not enough statistics to make a more precise statement . however we predict that if dm particles scatter with @xmath67pev energy neutrinos with a cross section around @xmath68 @xmath3 , then future data from icecube ( and experiments such as km3net @xcite or antares @xcite ) should show neutrinos with a mostly isotropic distribution plus an excess of events ( @xmath69 of the population ) towards the galactic centre . the neutrinos are produced in extra - galactic astrophysical sources , with the dm only contributing to the anisotropy through scattering , and so the spectrum will retain the general power - law form expected from such sources regardless of position on the sky ( although the exact spectrum depends on the energy dependence of the cross section ) . this combined spectral and spatial dependence is a potentially unique prediction compared to alternative models for the anisotropy . for example although an astrophysical source within our galaxy ( on top of an extra - galactic component ) may result in a similar prediction , it would likely over - produce other signals ( e.g. @xmath70 or cosmic rays ) @xcite . additionally results from antares disfavour a point source @xcite . furthermore models where the neutrinos are produced by decaying or annihilating dm lead to an excess of neutrinos towards the galactic centre , but the spectrum of these events will be very different from those away from this region @xcite . we also expect similar @xmath71 anisotropies towards other galaxies such as m87 , within the regions they subtend on the sky , and potentially small anisotropies for the dwarf galaxies near the milky way . our results are complimentary to bounds on dm-@xmath7 interactions at lower energies @xcite and also to probes of scattering of e.g. dm with quarks @xcite , dm with electrons @xcite , dm with photons @xcite and self - interactions @xcite , placing us closer than ever to understanding the nature of dm . the research of jhd and js has been supported at iap by erc project 267117 ( dark ) hosted by universit pierre et marie curie - paris 6 and also for js at jhu by national science foundation grant oia-1124403 .
arxiv
Fort Siloso is the sole restored coastal gun battery from the 12 such batteries which made up Fortress Singapore at the start of World War II. The fort is situated on Pulau Blakang Mati now Sentosa, an island south of mainland Singapore. The fort is now a military museum open to the public. The Surrender Chambers in Fort Siloso reopened in June 2017 with a refreshed exhibition and free admission. History Construction The word Siloso of the fort's name is derived from a Malayan word meaning rock. There was a huge rock at the mouth of Singapore's harbour which imposed a hazard to passing shipping. With trade ever flourishing in Singapore since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, it became necessary to protect Singapore's port. Based on the report by Major Edward Lake of the British Royal Engineers, a fort was decided to be built on Pulau Blakang Mati Sentosa in 1874 to protect Keppel Harbour. As part of the planned fortifications, Mount Siloso's top was blown off to flatten it for the installation of coastal-artillery gun platforms. By the 1880s, several gun batteries were located on Mount Siloso and Mount Serapong facing north towards mainland Singapore on Sentosa's northern coast on Pulau Blakang Mati, becoming a stronghold of British naval defences in Singapore. Armament By the 1880s, Fort Siloso possessed 7-inch guns and two 64-pounder guns. In the 1890s, five 10-inch guns were also installed. These guns were operated automatically and powered from an underground electric-powerhouse. In the 1930s, twin 6-pounder guns, Quick-Firing anti-torpedo-boat guns, five large searchlights, an Operational Tower for overall command and control, two machine-gun nests and two twin-Lewis anti-aircraft machine guns were added due to reports of an impending war rising from an ever military-ambitious Imperial Japan. The fort was manned by both the British Royal Artillery and the locally-formed Singapore Artillery Corps. World War II The forts were designed and built to defend Singapore against an invasion by sea from the south. However, during the Battle of Singapore in February of 1942, the guns were instead turned 180 degrees inland to fire at rapidly-advancing Japanese forces approaching Singapore from the north via British Malaya. The fort's guns were fired at encroaching Japanese positions and troops who were pushing towards the city-area northwest from Tengah Airfield. The British and local troops who were retreating from the overrun Pasir Laba Battery in Singapore's northwest and heading back to friendly British lines via the sea were mistaken for Japanese troops and fired upon, with at least major casualties sustained. The building at the entrance of Fort Siloso is now known as the Surrender Chambers and has a vivid portrayal of the scenes of the British and Japanese surrenders in WWII with actual footage of the war being played interactively. This is on the upper storey, with the ground floor having been turned into a souvenir shop. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore from 1942 to 1945, the fort was used as a small prisoner-of-war camp. Post-World War II After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the Royal Navy occupied the fort in 1946 and its guns were manned by the 1st Malay Coast Battery and Royal Artillery. Gurkha detachments from British India took over manning the guns when the British gunners were withdrawn and the 1st Malay Coast Battery was disbanded sometime later in 1946. During the Konfrontasi period between Sukarno's Indonesia and the Malaysian Federation from 1963 to 1965, Fort Siloso was manned by the 10th Gurkha Rifles to prevent Indonesian military-trained saboteurs from landing on Sentosa and Keppel Harbour slightly inland. Fort Siloso became a Catholic retreat for locally-based British forces until Sentosa was handed over to the Singapore government following the British military withdrawal starting in 1967. The Singapore Armed Forces SAF then took control over the fort. Fort Siloso was then converted into a military museum in 1974, displaying its history and various naval guns. Other coastal guns both British and Japanese from different parts of Singapore, such as a pair of Japanese naval cannons discovered and brought over from Mandai, were put here for display. It had previously held the display of the British surrender of Singapore in February of 1942 until its relocation to the former Ford Motor Factory the actual site of the British surrender in Bukit Timah in the early 2000s. See also List of tourist attractions in Singapore Singapore strategy References External links Page on Fort Siloso Category:Coastal fortifications Siloso Category:Military of Singapore under British rule Category:Military and war museums in Singapore Category:Sentosa Category:World War II museums Category:World War II sites in Singapore Category:British rule in Singapore Category:1874 establishments in the British Empire Category:1965 disestablishments in the British Empire Category:Military installations of Singapore Category:Japanese occupation of Singapore Category:Military history of Japan during World War II Category:World War II prisoner of war camps in Singapore
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in earlier work @xcite we addressed the question of whether quarks play an important role in finite nuclei . this involved quantitative investigations of the properties of closed - shell nuclei from @xmath4o to @xmath5pb @xcite , as well as the effective mass of the @xmath6 meson formed in light nuclei @xcite . these calculations were performed within the quark - meson coupling ( qmc ) model , originally suggested by guichon @xcite , and with an extended version @xcite , which treats also the @xmath7 and @xmath6 meson mass variations self - consistently in the medium . in the qmc model , the interactions between hadrons are mediated by the exchange of scalar ( @xmath8 ) and vector ( @xmath7 and @xmath6 ) mesons self - consistently coupled to the quarks within those hadrons . within the model it has proven possible to successfully describe the properties of infinite nuclear matter @xcite and also finite nuclei @xcite . blunden and miller @xcite , and jin and jennings @xcite have made similar studies based on the qmc model , and some phenomenological extensions . one of the most attractive features of the qmc model is that it does not involve much in the way of additional complications to quantum hadrodynamics ( qhd ) @xcite . furthermore , it produces a reasonable value for the nuclear incompressibility @xcite-@xcite . here we apply the qmc model @xcite to a systematic study of the properties of @xmath2 , @xmath9 and @xmath1 hypernuclei . some of the initial results for @xmath2 hypernuclei were reported already @xcite . one of the purposes of the present article is to present the spin - orbit potentials for the hyperon calculated self - consistently with an explicit quark structure for the bound hyperon in the qmc model . these spin - orbit potentials generally contain anomalous contributions from the quarks due to the finite size of the hyperon . within the born - oppenheimer approximation , one can derive equations of motion for a hypernucleus in the qmc model @xcite in the same way as has been done for normal nuclei @xcite . such an approach may provide us with important information about the hyperon - nucleon interaction , the deep nuclear interior and a possible manifestation of the quark degrees of freedom via the pauli principle at the quark level @xcite-@xcite . below , we will briefly review the present situation regarding @xmath2 hypernuclei first , because they have been well studied , both experimentally and theoretically . as an example , the very weak spin - orbit interaction for @xmath2 hypernuclei , which had been phenomenologically suggested by bouyssy and hfner @xcite , was first explained by brockman and weise @xcite in a relativistic hartree model , and directly confirmed later by experiment @xcite . however , a very strong su(3 ) breaking effect was required to achieve this small spin - orbit force . an explanation in terms of quark and gluon dynamics was made by pirner @xcite . alternatively , noble @xcite showed that this small spin - orbit force could be also realized without any large breaking of su(3 ) symmetry , if an @xmath10 tensor coupling was introduced , analogous to the anomalous magnetic moment of the @xmath2 . however , dover and gal @xcite questioned whether the tensor coupling of the @xmath7 meson to the @xmath2 could be related to the anomalous magnetic moment , because the spin of @xmath2 is entirely carried by the s quark in a naive su(6 ) valence quark model , and this s quark couples exclusively to the @xmath11 meson according to the ozi rule . later , jennings @xcite pointed out that within dirac phenomenology the tensor coupling of the @xmath7 meson to the @xmath2 could be introduced in such a way as to guarantee that the direct @xmath7 coupling to the spin of the @xmath2 was zero as one would expect from a simple quark model . the resulting spin - orbit force agrees with the result obtained in the present model @xcite , on the basis of an explicit treatment of the quark structure of the @xmath2 moving in vector and scalar fields that vary in space . as a second example , it has also been discovered that there is an overbinding problem in the light @xmath2 hypernuclei , and the existence of a repulsive core or the necessity of a repulsive three - body force have been suggested to overcome the problem @xcite . the origin of this overbinding , which could not be explained easily in terms of traditional nuclear physics , was ascribed to the pauli principle at the quark level by hungerford and biedenharn @xcite . investigations of this repulsive core in the @xmath2-nucleus system have been made by takeuchi and shimizu , and others @xcite , based on a nonrelativistic quark model . in addition to the investigations of @xmath2 hypernuclei , many studies of @xmath9 and @xmath1 hypernuclei have been also made @xcite,@xcite-@xcite,@xcite-@xcite . in particular , experiments on @xmath9 hypernuclei performed at cern @xcite , brookhaven @xcite and kek @xcite , confirmed the existence of @xmath9 hypernuclei . the former two experiments were done using @xmath12 beams in so called @xmath13in - flight kinematics " , while the latter was done using stopped kaons . these experiments revealed an interesting feature of @xmath9 hypernuclei , namely , the widths of the @xmath9 in a hypernucleus seems to be narrower than the naive expectations due to the strong @xmath3 conversion ( channel coupling ) . as for the @xmath1 hypernuclei , although not so many experiments on the double strangeness hypernuclei ( s@xmath14 ) have been performed so far @xcite-@xcite , there is a renewed interest in connection with the h dibaryon suggested by jaffe @xcite , based on quark degrees of freedom using the mit bag model . thus , we expect that more experiments on the @xmath9 and @xmath1 hypernuclei , with higher statistics and precision , will be performed in the near future . in the light of these investigations , it now seems appropriate to investigate the ( heavier ) hypernuclear systems , @xmath2 , @xmath9 and @xmath1 hypernuclei quantitatively , using a microscopic model based on quark degrees of freedom . for this purpose , the qmc model ( which is built explicitly on quark degrees of freedom ) seems ideally suited , because it has already been shown to describe the properties of finite nuclei quantitatively . the present investigation is one of the natural extensions of the study of quark degrees of freedom in finite nuclei . the organization of the paper is as follows . in section 2 , the relativistic formulation of the hypernuclear system in qmc will be explained . a mean - field lagrangian density and equations of motion will be derived in section 2.1 . hyperons in infinite nuclear matter will be discussed in section 2.2 , while ( finite ) hypernuclei will be treated in section 2.3 . in section 3 , the spin - orbit potential for the hyperon in the qmc model will be discussed . some results for hypernuclei in the qmc model alone will be given in section 4 . in section 5 , modifications necessary for a more realistic calculation in addition to the present version of the qmc model will be discussed . effects of the pauli blocking at the quark level in the @xmath15 ( and @xmath16 ) coupled channel , will be considered in specific ways at the hadronic level in sections 5.1 , and 5.2 , respectively . the results with including these effects discussed in sections 5.1 and 5.2 will be given in section 5.3 . finally , section 6 will be devoted for summary and discussion . in this section , we will derive mean - field equations of motion for a hypernucleus , as well as consider a hyperon in nuclear matter . using the born - oppenheimer approximation one can derive mean - field equations of motion for a hypernucleus in which the quasi - particles moving in single - particle orbits are three - quark clusters with the quantum numbers of a hyperon or a nucleon . one can then construct a relativistic lagrangian density at the hadronic level @xcite , similar to that obtained in qhd @xcite , which produces the same equations of motion when expanded to the same order in velocity , @xmath17 : @xmath18 \psi_n(\vec{r } ) \quad \nn \\ & - & \frac{1}{2 } [ ( \nabla \sigma(\vec{r}))^2 + m_{\sigma}^2 \sigma(\vec{r})^2 ] + \frac{1}{2 } [ ( \nabla \omega(\vec{r}))^2 + m_{\omega}^2 \omega(\vec{r})^2 ] \nn \\ & + & \frac{1}{2 } [ ( \nabla b(\vec{r}))^2 + m_{\rho}^2 b(\vec{r})^2 ] + \frac{1}{2 } ( \nabla a(\vec{r}))^2 , \nn \\ { \cal l}^y_{qmc } & = & \sum_{y=\lambda,\sigma,\xi } \overline{\psi}_y(\vec{r } ) \left [ i \gamma \cdot \partial - m_y^{\star}(\sigma ) - ( \ , g^y_\omega \omega(\vec{r } ) + g^y_\rho i^y_3 b(\vec{r } ) + e q_y a(\vec{r } ) \ , ) \gamma_0 \right ] \psi_y(\vec{r } ) , \qquad \label{lagrangian}\end{aligned}\ ] ] where @xmath19 ( @xmath20 ) and @xmath21 are respectively the nucleon ( hyperon ) and the @xmath6 meson ( the time component in the third direction of isospin ) fields , while @xmath22 , @xmath23 and @xmath24 are the masses of the @xmath8 , @xmath7 and @xmath6 mesons . @xmath25 and @xmath26 are the @xmath7-n and @xmath6-n coupling constants which are related to the corresponding ( u , d)-quark-@xmath7 , @xmath27 , and ( u , d)-quark-@xmath6 , @xmath28 , coupling constants as @xmath29 and @xmath30 @xcite . in an approximation where the @xmath8 , @xmath7 and @xmath6 mesons couple only to the u and d quarks ( ideal mixing of the @xmath7 and @xmath11 mesons , and the ozi rule are assumed ) , the coupling constants in the hyperon sector are obtained as @xmath31 , and @xmath32 , with @xmath33 being the total number of valence u and d quarks in the hyperon y. @xmath34 and @xmath35 are the third component of the hyperon isospin operator and its electric charge in units of the proton charge , @xmath36 , respectively . the field dependent @xmath8-n and @xmath8-y coupling strengths predicted by the qmc model , @xmath37 and @xmath38 , related to the lagrangian density eq . ( [ lagrangian ] ) at the hadronic level , are defined by : m_n^ ( ) & & m_n - g _ ( ) ( ) , + m_y^ ( ) & & m_y - g^y _ ( ) ( ) , [ coupny ] where @xmath39 ( @xmath40 ) is the free nucleon ( hyperon ) mass . note that the dependence of these coupling strengths on the applied scalar field must be calculated self - consistently within the quark model . hence , unlike qhd , even though @xmath41 may be 2/3 in free space ( @xmath42 ) ) , below . ] , this will not necessarily be the case in nuclear matter . more explicit expressions for @xmath38 and @xmath37 will be given later . from the lagrangian density eq . ( [ lagrangian ] ) , one gets a set of equations of motion for the hypernuclear system : @xmath43 \psi_n(\vec{r } ) = 0 , \label{eqdiracn}\\ & & [ i\gamma \cdot \partial - m^{\star}_y(\sigma)- ( \ , g^y_\omega \omega(\vec{r } ) + g_\rho i^y_3 b(\vec{r } ) + e q_y a(\vec{r } ) \ , ) \gamma_0 ] \psi_y(\vec{r } ) = 0 , \label{eqdiracy}\\ & & ( -\nabla^2_r+m^2_\sigma)\sigma(\vec{r } ) = - [ \frac{\partial m_n^{\star}(\sigma)}{\partial \sigma}]\rho_s(\vec{r } ) - [ \frac{\partial m_y^{\star}(\sigma)}{\partial \sigma}]\rho^y_s(\vec{r } ) , \nn \\ & & \hspace{7.5em } \equiv g_\sigma c_n(\sigma ) \rho_s(\vec{r } ) + g^y_\sigma c_y(\sigma ) \rho^y_s(\vec{r } ) , \label{eqsigma}\\ & & ( -\nabla^2_r+m^2_\omega ) \omega(\vec{r } ) = g_\omega \rho_b(\vec{r } ) + g^y_\omega \rho^y_b(\vec{r } ) , \label{eqomega}\\ & & ( -\nabla^2_r+m^2_\rho ) b(\vec{r } ) = \frac{g_\rho}{2}\rho_3(\vec{r } ) + g^y_\rho i^y_3 \rho^y_b(\vec{r } ) , \label{eqrho}\\ & & ( -\nabla^2_r ) a(\vec{r } ) = e \rho_p(\vec{r } ) + e q_y \rho^y_b(\vec{r } ) , \label{eqcoulomb}\end{aligned}\ ] ] where , @xmath44 ( @xmath45 ) , @xmath46 ( @xmath47 ) , @xmath48 and @xmath49 are the scalar , baryon , third component of isovector , and proton densities at the position @xmath50 in the hypernucleus @xcite . on the right hand side of eq . ( [ eqsigma ] ) , a new , and characteristic feature of qmc beyond qhd @xcite appears , namely , @xmath51 and @xmath52 , where @xmath53 and @xmath54 . the effective mass for the hyperon y is defined by @xmath55 with the mit bag model quantities @xcite @xmath56 such @xmath57 that satisfies @xmath58 the density dependent @xmath8-@xmath59 coupling constant is defined by @xmath60 . \label{dmds}\ ] ] for the nucleon , replace the suffix @xmath59 by @xmath61 in eqs . ( [ bagmass ] ) - ( [ dmds ] ) and set @xmath62 . here , @xmath63 , @xmath64 , @xmath65 , @xmath66 and @xmath67 are the parameters for the sum of the c.m . and gluon fluctuation effects , bag pressure , lowest eigenvalues for the ( u , d ) and s quarks , respectively , and the corresponding current quark masses with @xmath68 . @xmath69 and @xmath64 ( @xmath63 ) are fixed by fitting the nucleon ( hyperon ) mass in free space . the bag parameters calculated and chosen for the present study are , @xmath70 fm ( in free space ) , @xmath71 mev@xmath72 , @xmath73 mev and @xmath74 mev . note that due to the equilibrium condition eq . ( [ bagradius ] ) , which is applied also to the free nucleonic vacuum , the bag radius for each hyperon in free space is slightly different . the parameters @xmath75 and the bag radii , @xmath76 , obtained by fitting to their physical masses in free space are listed in table [ bagparam ] . .the bag parameters , @xmath75 , the bag radii in free space , @xmath76 and the physical baryon masses fitted in free space . they are obtained with the bag pressure , @xmath71 mev@xmath72 , current quark masses , @xmath73 mev and @xmath74 mev . [ cols="^,^,^,^",options="header " , ] finally , we show the strengths of the scalar and vector potentials for the hyperons in @xmath77o , @xmath78ca and @xmath79pb with @xmath59 = @xmath2 , @xmath80 and @xmath81 in figs . [ potential ] , and the effective masses of the nucleon and hyperon together with the baryon densities in @xmath82pb , @xmath83pb and @xmath84pb in figs . [ ymass ] . > from the baryon densities given for each hypernucleus , one can estimate the magnitude of the effective pauli blocking and the @xmath3 channel coupling effect employed in the present study . note that the baryon densities versus the distance @xmath85 from the center of the hypernuclei are slightly different for each hypernucleus due to the self - consistent calculations . we should also mention that the results shown in figs . [ ymass ] are calculated by employing different parameters ( and a different version of the model ) from those shown in ref . in summary , we have reported results for @xmath0 and @xmath1 hypernuclei which were systematically calculated with the qmc model for the first time . especially , the spin - orbit potentials for the hyperons in the hypernuclei were evaluated self - consistently with the explicit quark structure for the bound hyperon and nucleons . the very small spin - orbit force for the @xmath2 in hypernuclei was achieved naturally in the present treatment . this is a direct consequence of the su(6 ) quark model wave function for the @xmath2 used in the qmc model . however , the single - particle energies calculated in the qmc model alone tend to overestimate the experimental data . in order to overcome this overbinding problem , we included the effect of pauli blocking in a phenomenological way . for the @xmath9 hypernuclei , we took into account the channel coupling effect estimated using the nijmegen potential . in the future , these effects , which were included phenomenologically at the hadronic level in the present study , should be treated on the same footing , namely , at the quark level . for this purpose , it seems that the quark cluster model @xcite may offer some possibilities to include the pauli blocking effect at the quark level . however , an application of the model to larger atomic number hypernuclei , or nuclear matter , seems to be difficult , and has not yet been carried out . although , there seem to be several points which could be improved in the present treatment , we would like to emphasize that , this study is the first , systematic investigation of the properties of hypernuclei based on explicit quark degrees of freedom . one of the advantages of the present study is the relatively simple nature of the qmc model , and simultaneously , its capability to give a quantitative description of the properties of finite nuclei . * acknowledgement * + we would like to thank i.r . afnan for helpful discussions concerning the @xmath16 channel coupling and letting us read the earlier version of the manuscript , ref . this work was supported by the australian research council . a.w.t . and k.s acknowledge support from the japan society for the promotion of science . 99 a ) p.a.m . guichon , k. saito , e. rodionov and a.w . thomas , nucl . phys . * a601 * ( 1996 ) 349 ; + b ) p.a.m . guichon , k. saito and a.w . thomas , australian journal of physics * 50 * ( 1997 ) 115 . k. saito , k. tsushima and a.w . thomas , nucl . phys . * a609 * ( 1996 ) 339 ; + k. tsushima , k. saito and a.w . thomas , nucl - th/9608062 , proc . of the int . national symposium on _ non - nucleonic degrees of freedom detected in nucleus _ , sep . 2 - 5 , 1996 , osaka , japan , world scientific ( 1997 ) 93 ; + d.h . thomas , k. tsushima , a.g . williams and k. saito , adp-97 - 17/t254 , nucl - th/9706043 , to appear in phys . lett . * b * ( 1997 ) . k. saito , k. tsushima and a.w . thomas , phys . c * 55 * ( 1997 ) 2637 ; + k. saito , k. tsushima and a.w . thomas , phys . c * 56 * ( 1997 ) 566 ; + k. saito , k. tsushima and a.w . thomas , phys . lett . * b406 * ( 1997 ) 287 ; + k. saito , k. tsushima and a.w . thomas , nucl - th/9608060 , proc . of the int . national symposium on _ non - nucleonic degrees of freedom detected in nucleus _ , sep . 2 - 5 , 1996 , osaka , japan , world scientific ( 1997 ) 345 ; + k. saito , nucl - th/9705019 , in proc . of _ the international mini workshop on nuclear medium effect via nucleon induced reactions _ , march 21 - 22 , 1997 , kyoto , japan , genshikaku kenkyu ( japan ) , vol . 42 , ( 1997 ) 181 ; + a.w . thomas , adp-97 - 20/t257 , nucl - th/9707005 , to be published in proc . of _ the int on quark lepton nuclear physics _ , may 20 - 23 , 1997 , osaka , japan . guichon , phys . lett . * b200 * ( 1988 ) 235 . k. saito and a.w . thomas , phys . lett . * b327 * ( 1994 ) 9 ; + k. saito and a.w . thomas , phys . c * 51 * ( 1995 ) 2757 ; + k. saito and a.w . thomas , phys . c * 52 * ( 1995 ) 2789 . blunden and g.a . miller , phys . c * 54 * ( 1996 ) 359 . x. jin and b.k . jennings , phys . lett . * b374 * ( 1996 ) 13 ; + x. jin and b.k . jennings , phys . c * 54 * ( 1996 ) 1427 ; + x. jin and b.k . jennings , phys . c * 55 * ( 1997 ) 1567 ; + h. mller and b.k . jennings , nucl - th/9706049 . walecka , ann . 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arxiv
Days of Our Lives The journey Don´t own _Days of our lives_ or of the characters. If I did... Oh boy, then a lot of things would be different. And L? I wouldn´t be writing this story if it weren´t for you. Thank you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ She knew. She knew the moment she opened her e-mail, a cup of coffee in her hand. _You have got 1 (one) new mail._ Sender unknown. One ord in the subject form. _Georgia. _ Her baby. Her hand was shaking as she put down her cup on the table and clicked on the attached file. A video. A teenage girl, strapped to a chair in a dark, empty room, her eyes big with fear. - Mom? Mom, where are you? Why did you leave me? Tears where running down the girls face. Oh God. Her baby. Her sweet, innocent baby... It was her. Billie knew it in her gut. She couldn´t prove it, and everyone in Salem would probably think she was loosing it, but she _knew_ that that girl, not much more than fifteen years,was her long lost daughter. A mother knows. - Mom? I´m scared. It hurts. Help... Suddenly the screen turned black, cutting of the girls sentence. _No._ Billie leaned closer, like she could force the girl to come back. She needed her to come back, she needed to find out more, look for some clues. Needed to see her face again. But the screen remained black, the girl did not return. The words however, kept playing in her head, tauting her. _Why did you leave me? Mom, I´m scared._ She heard something else in the background, but she couldn´t place it. The voice, scratzy with tears, was distracting her. The thought of her girl in pain made her insides twist. She took a deep breath, putting her head in her hands. _Think Billie_. _You´re a cop, now act like one._ The quality of the video idicated that it was at least a couple of months old. She´d seen enough videos of kidnapped children to know. The room was dark and she hadn´t seen anything resembeling clues as to where the girl had been held. The tears on her face. The fear. Billie knew all to well what it felt like beeing a terrifed, traumatized teenager. Curtis Reed. No. She would not go there. Not ever again. She pushed away the thoughts of the man who had called himself her father and focused on the video she had just seen. She´d heard something. A faint noice in the background. Bells. Church bells. From where? Why had they sounded familiar? _Focus. Go back. _ Bo. It had something to do with Bo. They had heard those bells together and they had been happy. _Think Billie._ It wasn´t in Salem, she was sure of that. They had been on a trip together, a long time ago. And suddenly, as if someone had said the word out loud, the memory came back to her. Her head shot up, her eyes shining. Paris. The American Cathedral. Of course. She was reaching for the her car keys and cell phone, already half way out the door when she caught herself. She didn´t have any proof that the girl in the clip was their daughter. If she went to Bo now he would look at her with compassion in his eyes, shake his head and tell her not to get her hopes up.Then he would insist that she turn over her computer to Salem PD so they could analyze the video. And then, he would tell Hope. She didn´t want to share her daughter with Bo´s wife. _Their_ daughter. She knew it was selfish. It was idiotic and stupid and down right insane to keep the video from Bo, just beacuse Hope would find out. Billie knew that. Hope was a good person. A wonderful mother. Bo wouldn´t love her if she wasn´t. She should do the right thing. The sane thing. She was a cop for gods sake. But, then again, when had Billie Reed ever listened to reason and logic? Even if it came from her own brain. _Paris, then._ That wasn´t sane eighter. Or logical. But she was a mother. And a mothers love is stronger than anything else. She picked up the phone again. - Hello mom. It´s Billie. I need a plane... Yes, tonight... Paris.Yes, everything´s fine. An hour? Thank you. The smile that played on her lips as she hung up the phone could be classified as grim. Sometimes it was useful having a mother with more money than Fort Knox. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 45 minues later she was sitting in the luxurious seat of the Basic Black jet, waiting for the plane to take off. She tapped in a code on her computer, opening a classified ISA file. She had work to do. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So had the man, all dressed in black, that was sneaking around the plane. He needed to find a way in. He had seen her take a taxi from the hotel where she was staying and decided to follow her. She should be more careful. And she should really learn to accept help when it was offered to her. She was one stubborn lady. - Hey, what are you doing? Speaking of beeing careful. - This is a private plane. I suggest you leave, now, before I call security. Yeah, that was not going to happen. - Okey, okey. Take it easy. I´m going. He turned around, slowly, his hands in the air. - See? I´m not armed or anything. I was just admiring the plane, that´s all. The crew man gave him a suspicious look. - Yeah, well, you can´t be this close. The plane is about to take off. - I´m going. And then, before the crew man knew what had happened, he was laying on the ground, unconscious. The man looked around, hoping that no one had seen what had just happened. He hadn´t got time for anymore interruptions. He needed to get onboard that plane. Now. Beacuse if Billie went to Paris alone... There where men after her, men who would stop at nothing to make sure that she was laying five feet underground. And then it didn´t matter how stubborn she was. Or how much she wanted to find her daughter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Review please? End file.
fanfiction
a number of pharmacological interventions are now established and available for the treatment of mood disorders . however , there are considerable drawbacks of currently available treatment modalities , such as relatively slow therapeutic effects and limited efficacy for treatment - resistant cases , which impose substantial burdens on the affected individuals as well as on public health and society [ 3 , 4 ] . accordingly , there exists a compelling need for a more improved neurobiological understanding of mood disorders , which may complement the limitations of the prevailing monoamine hypothesis , and corresponding new treatment strategies . in line with these circumstances , the glutamatergic system is receiving more attention as one of the potential targets of novel therapeutic agents for mood disorders [ 2 , 5 ] . glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain , and growing evidence indicates abnormalities in the glutamatergic system of patients with mood disorders [ 2 , 5 ] . researchers are working to develop medications acting on the glutamatergic system , which may lead to a breakthrough in the pursuit of more effective measures to treat mood disorders . glutamate is a ubiquitous molecule that is engaged in the majority of the excitatory transmission in the brain , yet excessive glutamate release may cause brain damage due to excitotoxicity . for the adequate neurotransmission of glutamate , not only glutamatergic neurons but also astrocytes are indispensable . indeed , astrocytes are essential in glutamatergic activities including glutamate reuptake , synthesis of glutamate precursors , and removal of excess glutamate [ 8 , 9 ] . in addition , there is evidence that astrocytes play an important role in the neuroglial system which enables an efficient coupling of glutamatergic neuronal activities and task - dependent changes in brain energy utilization . thus , perturbations in astrocytic function may contribute to alterations in glutamate and energy metabolism observed in mood disorders . in the present review , we will discuss the roles of the glutamatergic system , astrocytes , and brain energy metabolism in the pathogenesis of mood disorders . glutamate is an essential and abundant amino acid with various functions in the brain , most notably as an excitatory neurotransmitter and precursor of the inhibitory neurotransmitter -aminobutyric acid ( gaba ) [ 5 , 12 ] . inappropriate regulation of glutamate is known to incur neurotoxicity and other deleterious effects on neurotransmission , neuroenergetics , and cell viability . accordingly , a considerable number of studies have been conducted to investigate the potential association between the glutamatergic system and neurological or psychiatric disorders . in line with these studies , the importance of the glutamatergic system has been increasingly emphasized in the study of mood disorders . as glutamate plays a crucial role in synaptic transmission and plasticity , perturbation of the glutamatergic system is considered to be at least partially involved in synaptic abnormalities found in mood disorders . indeed , several studies observed abnormalities of the glutamatergic system in depression , particularly in glutamate clearance at the synaptic space and in modulation of astrocytic energy metabolism involving glutamate [ 13 , 14 ] . the fast - onset antidepressant effect of the drug tianeptine is also notable in light of the glutamate hypothesis of depression , as the medication appears to exert its influence partly through the glutamatergic system . ketamine , an n - methyl - d - aspartate ( nmda ) receptor antagonist , has also been reported to exert a rapid antidepressant effect in patients with mdd [ 6 , 16 ] . several findings from postmortem studies , which may provide important histological and molecular information for the neurobiological understanding of psychiatric disorders , are also in accordance with the evidence of glutamate abnormalities in mood disorders . for instance , an elevated level of glutamate was identified in the postmortem frontal cortex of patients with mdd or bd , while dysregulated expression of glutamate - related genes was observed in the hippocampus of patients with depression . also , the level of glutathione , which functions as a physiologic reservoir of neuronal glutamate , was reduced in the postmortem prefrontal cortex . there also have been reports of altered binding properties of the nmda receptor in the brain of suicide victims , decreased expression of the nmda receptor subunits in the prefrontal cortex of patients with mdd , and abnormalities in the levels of excitatory amino acid transporters ( eaats ) in the postmortem prefrontal cortex of patients with bipolar disorder ( bd ) . however , the inherent shortcomings of postmortem studies , including the extremely limited repository of available brain tissues which often results in underpowered studies with small sample sizes and the confounding effects of varying durations of premortem agonal period or postmortem interval and terminal stress level , suggest that in - vivo approaches are warranted to obtain a more complete picture of the living brain . in contrast to the postmortem approach , magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( mrs ) provides a non - invasive method which allows in - vivo study of the biochemical environment in the brain . since glutamate and glutamine share a highly similar structure and thereby have overlapping chemical shifts , mrs studies conducted at field strength lower than 3.0 tesla generally assess the combined signal that mainly comes from the two metabolites , which is referred to as " glx " . in the following sections , we will summarize the glutamate- or glx - related outcomes from mrs studies in mdd and bd . the existing mrs literature consistently indicates reductions in the glx level of several brain regions in mdd . for example , in a study which assessed the levels of various brain metabolites in the anterior cingulate cortex ( acc ) and parietal white matter , the level of glx was significantly lower in patients with mdd . in the same study , when only severely depressed patients were considered , the levels of glutamate alone as well as glx were reduced . another study found a decreased acc glx level in mdd , which was later restored to the normal level in the mdd group effectively treated with electroconvulsive therapy ( ect ) but not in the untreated mdd group . it was also reported by a different study that the glx level was reduced in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex ( pfc ) of patients with treatment - resistant mdd , and that the difference in the glx level between the patient and control groups disappeared after successful treatment of mdd with ect . mdd - associated reductions in the glx level were also observed in the dorsomedial / dorsal anterolateral pfc and ventromedial pfc , in a study that controlled the possible influence of medication by implementing a minimum medication - free period of four weeks as a selection criterion . in addition , even in a study which used a minimum medication - free period of eight weeks , the hippocampal glx level was significantly lower in the mdd group . interestingly , there exist a number of studies which reported normal or elevated glx levels in remitted mdd [ 32 , 33 ] . in association with the reports of normalized glx level after successful ect for mdd , these results suggest that glx , which declines along with the depressive state , may be restored or compensated [ 28 , 29 , 32 ] . also , an mrs study conducted in the melancholic subtype of depression reported that the level of glutamate in the occipital lobe was actually increased . meanwhile , there are a few studies that did not observe glx reductions in mdd [ 35 , 36 ] , although they appear to have limited implications . a study reported an elevated glx level in elderly patients with mdd , but the increase was not statistically significant and the outcome may not be generalized to non - elderly populations . in another study that focused on the acc and occipital cortex , mdd - related differences in glx were found to be not significant , even though a decreasing trend in the acc glx level was observed . as suggested by these studies , it is possible that the direction and magnitude of changes in the level of glutamate may differ in different brain regions , but the converging evidence generally suggests that meaningful alterations in glutamate level do occur in mdd . unlike the case of mdd , the level of glx is generally reported to be elevated in bd [ 25 , 37 ] . in the acute manic state of bd , an increased glx level in the left dorsolateral pfc was found . furthermore , elevated glx levels were also observed in the cingulate gyrus of the patients with bd , not only in the manic state but also in the mixed or depressed states . based on the concurrent increases in glx and lactate , the researchers of the study proposed that disturbance in the brain energy metabolism , in particular the change in the energy redox state from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis , might explain the changed glx level . findings from studies that used phosphorus mrs , which showed ph level decreases in conjunction with lactate level increases , corroborate the shift toward glycolysis in brain energy metabolism . according to a study which distinguished the melancholic and non - melancholic subtypes of bd depression , glx was more heightened in the bd group in comparison with the control group , and the increase in glx was more pronounced in the melancholic bd subgroup . in addition , after treatment with lamotrigine , an anti - glutamatergic mood stabilizer , the treatment group that had undergone remission showed a significant reduction in glx , compared to the non - remission group . in a study which included patients with rapid cycling ( rc ) bipolar ii disorder , those with non - rc bd , and healthy controls , the glx level in the left dorsolateral pfc turned out to be significantly higher in the rc group in all mood states . although the study was conducted in a small population at a preliminary scale , the fact that the rc subtype is considered as a severe bd subtype implicates the possibility that the elevated glx level may be an important factor in the manifestation of characteristic symptoms of bd . there exists a report suggesting that a substantial number of patients with postpartum depression should be diagnosed to have bd . it is thus notable that the level of glutamate , which is generally increased in bd , was reported to be increased in the medial pfc of patients with postpartum depression . as changes in female hormones are known to be associated with fluctuations in the glutamate level in the medial pfc , it can be hypothesized that the hormonal changes that occur during the postpartum period may induce disturbance in the glutamatergic system , which would in turn lead to the pathogenesis of postpartum depression . it is intriguing that the increasing tendency of glutamate level in postpartum depression is more comparable to the glutamatergic change in bd than to the change in mdd . continued research would be necessary to further elucidate the pathophysiology of postpartum depression and its possible association with that of bd . in sum , the general tendencies of decreased glx level in mdd and increased glx level in bd are considered to be significant , even when the effect of brain regional differences in the level of glutamate is taken into account [ 25 , 37 ] . the existing mrs literature consistently indicates reductions in the glx level of several brain regions in mdd . for example , in a study which assessed the levels of various brain metabolites in the anterior cingulate cortex ( acc ) and parietal white matter , the level of glx was significantly lower in patients with mdd . in the same study , when only severely depressed patients were considered , the levels of glutamate alone as well as glx were reduced . another study found a decreased acc glx level in mdd , which was later restored to the normal level in the mdd group effectively treated with electroconvulsive therapy ( ect ) but not in the untreated mdd group . it was also reported by a different study that the glx level was reduced in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex ( pfc ) of patients with treatment - resistant mdd , and that the difference in the glx level between the patient and control groups disappeared after successful treatment of mdd with ect . mdd - associated reductions in the glx level were also observed in the dorsomedial / dorsal anterolateral pfc and ventromedial pfc , in a study that controlled the possible influence of medication by implementing a minimum medication - free period of four weeks as a selection criterion . in addition , even in a study which used a minimum medication - free period of eight weeks , the hippocampal glx level was significantly lower in the mdd group . interestingly , there exist a number of studies which reported normal or elevated glx levels in remitted mdd [ 32 , 33 ] . in association with the reports of normalized glx level after successful ect for mdd , these results suggest that glx , which declines along with the depressive state , may be restored or compensated [ 28 , 29 , 32 ] . also , an mrs study conducted in the melancholic subtype of depression reported that the level of glutamate in the occipital lobe was actually increased . meanwhile , there are a few studies that did not observe glx reductions in mdd [ 35 , 36 ] , although they appear to have limited implications . a study reported an elevated glx level in elderly patients with mdd , but the increase was not statistically significant and the outcome may not be generalized to non - elderly populations . in another study that focused on the acc and occipital cortex , mdd - related differences in glx were found to be not significant , even though a decreasing trend in the acc glx level was observed . as suggested by these studies , it is possible that the direction and magnitude of changes in the level of glutamate may differ in different brain regions , but the converging evidence generally suggests that meaningful alterations in glutamate level do occur in mdd . unlike the case of mdd , the level of glx is generally reported to be elevated in bd [ 25 , 37 ] . in the acute manic state of bd , an increased glx level in the left dorsolateral pfc furthermore , elevated glx levels were also observed in the cingulate gyrus of the patients with bd , not only in the manic state but also in the mixed or depressed states . based on the concurrent increases in glx and lactate , the researchers of the study proposed that disturbance in the brain energy metabolism , in particular the change in the energy redox state from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis , might explain the changed glx level . findings from studies that used phosphorus mrs , which showed ph level decreases in conjunction with lactate level increases , corroborate the shift toward glycolysis in brain energy metabolism . according to a study which distinguished the melancholic and non - melancholic subtypes of bd depression , glx was more heightened in the bd group in comparison with the control group , and the increase in glx was more pronounced in the melancholic bd subgroup . in addition , after treatment with lamotrigine , an anti - glutamatergic mood stabilizer , the treatment group that had undergone remission showed a significant reduction in glx , compared to the non - remission group . in a study which included patients with rapid cycling ( rc ) bipolar ii disorder , those with non - rc bd , and healthy controls , the glx level in the left dorsolateral pfc turned out to be significantly higher in the rc group in all mood states . although the study was conducted in a small population at a preliminary scale , the fact that the rc subtype is considered as a severe bd subtype implicates the possibility that the elevated glx level may be an important factor in the manifestation of characteristic symptoms of bd . there exists a report suggesting that a substantial number of patients with postpartum depression should be diagnosed to have bd . it is thus notable that the level of glutamate , which is generally increased in bd , was reported to be increased in the medial pfc of patients with postpartum depression . as changes in female hormones are known to be associated with fluctuations in the glutamate level in the medial pfc , it can be hypothesized that the hormonal changes that occur during the postpartum period may induce disturbance in the glutamatergic system , which would in turn lead to the pathogenesis of postpartum depression . it is intriguing that the increasing tendency of glutamate level in postpartum depression is more comparable to the glutamatergic change in bd than to the change in mdd . continued research would be necessary to further elucidate the pathophysiology of postpartum depression and its possible association with that of bd . in sum , the general tendencies of decreased glx level in mdd and increased glx level in bd are considered to be significant , even when the effect of brain regional differences in the level of glutamate is taken into account [ 25 , 37 ] . astrocytes are deeply involved not only in glutamate metabolism but also in neuronal energy supply [ 10 , 47 ] . indeed , astrocytes uptake glutamate released to the synaptic cleft and synthesize glutamine from glutamate , while they deliver energy sources including glucose and lactate based on neuronal energy requirements [ 8 , 9 , 10 ] . thus , there exists a tight coupling between the glutamatergic system and brain energy metabolism via astrocytic functions . it is thus of particular interest that astrocytic abnormalities are continuously implicated in human and animal studies of mood disorders , although changes in other kinds of glial cells have also been noticed [ 48 , 49 , 50 ] . animal models of mood disorders have revealed several changes in astrocytes , which are manifested by phenomena such as altered expression or immunoreactivity of glial fibrillary acid protein ( gfap ) , which is a common marker of astrogliosis and astrocytic glutamate transporters . evidence from human postmortem studies also indicates glial abnormalities including reductions in astrocytic densities or decreased gfap levels . for instance , a study which used postmortem amygdala sample showed that the density of gfap - immunoreactive astrocytes was significantly lower in mdd samples than in bd , schizophrenia , or control samples . a series of in vivo human studies conducted by a research group suggest that reduced density of reactive astrocytes is associated with mdd in an age - dependent manner , as age was positively correlated with gfap immunoreactivity or level [ 54 , 55 ] . these studies imply a meaningful relationship between mood disorders and reduced astrocytic density or gfap levels , especially in younger patients with mdd [ 54 , 55 ] . based on these findings , it has been proposed that the interplay of stress - induced changes , glial dysfunction and disturbed glutamatergic system may be deeply involved in the pathogenesis of depression . as stress may incur an excess of glucocorticoids or reductions in neutrophin levels which are thought to be associated with decreased astrocytic density and impaired astrocytic function , it may in turn lead to disruption of glutamatergic system and subsequent neurotoxicity [ 48 , 52 , 56 ] . furthermore , it has been suggested that antidepressants may at least partially exert their effects via directly affecting astrocytes , as these drugs have been shown to influence several factors including the number of astrocytes , gfap expression , and astrocytic signaling pathways . accordingly , further research to elucidate the association between astrocytes and the pathogenesis of mood disorders as well as the pharmacodynamics of antidepressants may contribute to the development of novel therapeutic targets . extensive clinical evidence indicates that depression is a common comorbidity of diabetes mellitus ( dm ) , a disorder of dysregulated glycemic control . according to a meta - analysis , having dm there have been attempts from different approaches to investigate the underpinnings of the association between depression and dm , which is suggested to be bidirectional and complex . for the influence of depression on dm , depressive symptoms are reported to exacerbate dm by hindering self - care and management in patients with dm . for the influence of dm on depression , psychosocial factors did not significantly predict the incidence of depression in dm , whereas biochemical factors , notably glutamate abnormalities , are shown to be implicated in dm - related depression [ 62 , 63 ] . in a rat model of streptozotocin - induced diabetes , dm also , in the identical model , an elevated level of glutamate was observed in the retina of diabetic rats . a human mrs study reported a higher prefrontal glx level in patients with type 1 dm , whereas the levels of glutamate and glutamine in the subcortical brain regions were found be significantly lower in patients with type 2 dm and mdd than in those with dm alone . as indicated by the evidence suggesting glutamatergic abnormalities in dm - related depression , medications acting on the glutamatergic system may prove to be effective in the treatment of depressive symptoms in dm . in consideration of the importance of astrocytes in the regulation of the glutamatergic system , it may be of particular interest that dm appears to be associated with changes in the number or function of astrocytes . a number of studies showed dm - induced reductions in gfap levels in streptozotocin - induced dm , which are suggested to be due to hyperglycemia [ 66 , 67 ] . also , in diabetic rats , ischemia resulted in rapid astrocytic death as well as increased synthesis of inducible nitric oxide synthase , which would lead to an increase in the level of nitric oxide . although it has been proposed that reactive astrocytes may have protective effects against central nervous system injury , this result suggests that diabetic hyperglycemia may induce prolonged or excess response of reactive astrocytes and astrocytic death . another rat study showed that the level of astrocytic gfap was reduced while glutamate uptake was increased in streptozotocin - induced dm , and these dm - related effects were suppressed by insulin treatment . as these studies consistently indicate astrocytic alterations in dm , future investigations on whether there is an association between dm - induced depressive symptoms and changes in the number and function of astrocytes . as discussed in earlier sections , the evidence of glutamate disturbance in mood disorders has been established by a considerable amount of research [ 5 , 70 ] . because the glutamatergic system plays many important roles in neurotransmission and neuroenergetic metabolism , the glutamate hypothesis of mood disorders may have important implications , which may be useful to overcome the shortcomings of the monoamine hypothesis as well as to identify novel therapeutic targets . as the importance of the glutamatergic system is more highlighted , the role of astrocytes , which is suggested to be impaired in mood disorders , is also being emphasized . for a better understanding of the neurobiology of mood disorders , further research to elucidate the complex relationships between perturbations in the glutamatergic system , astrocytic dysfunction , and altered brain energy metabolism
pubmed
"Trace" of a distribution? In quantum field theory we have to sometimes take the "trace" of a distribution $M(x,y)$, $\text{tr}M\sim\int dx M(x,x)$. This happens for instance when we try to expand the determinant of a Dirac operator $\det{\not}D=\exp\text{tr}\log{\not}D.$ These traces are not well defined mathematically, because they are divergent. A simple example would be looking at the distribution $f(x)\delta(x-y)$, whose trace is taken to be $\delta(0)\int dx f(x)$. Somehow, physicists are able to get away with these infinite $\delta(0)$ factors and still get something sensible. In the cases I have seen, these factors are usually assumed to be related to the volume of space, taken to be infinite. Since these objects are not of trace class, these calculations are not guaranteed to make sense. A trace is supposed to have the same value regardless of what basis you calculate it in, so is the trace of $M(x,y)$ in position space the same as it is in momentum space? For that matter, how does one take the trace of a distribution like $f(x)\partial\_{\mu}\delta(x-y)$, or an arbitrary number of derivatives acting on a delta function? Mathematicians seem to think there is no way of doing it, but physicists have found ways of getting sensible results! There must be some way of defining it properly, right? Yes, in some cases the trace is related to the volume of the space. However, it would be more appropriate to say that it is related to the cardinality of the space, in other words, the number of modes in the space. People usually get around the problem of infinite cardinality by reducing the number of modes to a finite number. This is done with the aid of some form of regularization. The quantities that would have been infinite then become finite and one can proceed to perform the calculation. In the final result, these quantities would cancel out if the result represents a physical quantity. If they don't then it usually means that there is something wrong. After they cancelled, one can undo the regularization that would have made these quantities infinite. Since they are gone, the result remains finite. What all this really means is that even if you are working in a space where some of these traces would diverge, the results of calculations for physical quantities that one would for instance get from measurements would always be finite. The question is just how to perform the calculation with these infinities so that they would cancel. The reason why it is difficult to work with infinities is because they obey [cardinal arithmetic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_number). Regularization converts them into ordinal numbers so that one can handle them in the usual way with ordinal arithmetic. Then, after they cancelled out one can take the necessary limit to remove the regularization. Hope it helps.
stackexchange/physics
Fermi Energy for Semiconductor *I usually post question in bulleted form for convenience that does not mean I am asking more than one question.* Although Fermi energy and fermi Level is discussed many times on this website. Still, I have some doubt. What I Understand is **Fermi Energy** is the difference highest occupied state and lowest occupied state at 0k. **Fermi Level** is the state for which there is a 50% probability of occupation. 1. This definition of Fermi energy is valid only for the system in which electrons are free (metals or superconductor), or any system. For the intrinsic semiconductor at 0k, 2. Is fermi energy and Fermi level both are equal? (I don't know) 3. If Yes, then the value of this fermi energy is the same as derived for free electrons system (metal) as $\frac{\hbar^2}{2m}(\frac{3\pi^2N}{V})^{2/3}$ and 4. In one of the answers ([here](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/28355/what-does-the-fermi-energy-really-signify-in-a-semiconductor)) it is written that **the Fermi energy falls in the band gap** If it is a highest occupied state, then how it can fall on bandgap. The energy states in the bandgap are not permissible. 5. If No, then what is the significance of Fermi energy for semiconductors? I think it should lie in the valence band? 6. Some formula we use in solid state semiconductors like $$E\_{\mathrm{F}} == \frac{E\_{\mathrm{CB}} - E\_{\mathrm{VB}}}{2} + \frac{3}{4} k\_\mathrm{B} T \ln(\frac{m\_{\mathrm{CB}}^\*}{m\_{\mathrm{VB}}^\*}) $$ Here the$E\_f$ is fermi energy or fermi level? 7. In kittel's, book It is has been mentioned that at 0 k the chemical potential equals fermi energy, here, is this fermi energy equals one that derived for metals. Also, I did not understand the significance of this line. I am seriously confused. I will edit my question later after getting answer, I will make it more precise for future help. Edit: [This](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/549577/understanding-the-fermi-level-and-the-fermi-dirac-distribution) question discusses fermi level, And In my question, doubt is solely related to fermi energy. Fermi energy and chemical potential are two terms that are very frequently confused. 1. The chemical defined in the Fermi-Dirac distribution. $$ \tag{1} f(E) = \frac{1}{1 + \exp(\frac{E-\mu}{K T})}. $$ Chemical potential defined at where the probability equals to 1/2. The width of the region where the probability drops from approximately $1$ to nearly $0$ is in order of a few $K T$. The position of chemical potential depends on the temperature $T$ and total particle number $N$ by the equation: $$ \tag{2} N = V \int\_0^\infty g(E) \frac{1}{1 + \exp(\frac{E-\mu}{K T})} dE. $$ Where $N$ is the total number of particles, and $V$ the volume. Define the density of particle $n = N/V$. 2. Fermi energy is the chemical potential at $0$ kelvin; $E\_F = \mu(0)$. At temperature $0$K, the Fermi-Dirac distribution becomes a step function equals to $1$ for $E<E\_F$ and $0$ for $E> E\_F$. $$ N = V \int\_0^{E\_f} g(E) dE. $$ For a parabolic band, $E\_f = \frac{\hbar^2}{2m} (3\pi n^2)^{2/3}$. Where $ k\_F = (3\pi n^2)^{1/3}$ is the Fermi wave vector. 3. Typically for a fixd $n$, the chemical potential decreases as temperature increases from $0$K: $$ \tag{3} \mu(T) = E\_F \left\{ 1 - C\_1 (\frac{K T}{E\_F})^2 - ...\right\}. $$ Image when $T\to\infty$, the $\mu \to -\infty$ to make all energy levels have equal probability of filling. The **Fermi level** is a term to incdicate where the Fermi energy is located, mostly an indication in a figure. 4. For metallic material, the particle density $n$ is great, also the $E\_F \gg K T$ is larger. The chemical potential is approximately equal to the Fermi level from Eq.(3). This is called the degenerate case in band filling, when the chemical potential can be approximated by Fermi energy. 5. For **intrinsic** semiconductor, the Ok Fermi energy is located in the gap, a location depends on the curvatures of both conduction and valance band. It will be right at the mid-gap if effective masses $m\_c^\* = m\_v^\*$. The position of chemical potential is calculated to ensure that the number of vacance in the valence band is equal to the occupied number in the conduction band: $N\_h = N\_c$ (because no impurties): $$ \int\_0^\infty g(E\_c) \frac{1}{1 + \exp(\frac{E\_c-\mu}{K T})} dE\_c = \int\_{-\infty}^0 g(E\_v) \left\{1- \frac{1}{1 + \exp(\frac{E\_v-\mu}{K T})} \right\} dE\_v. $$ The chemical potential can be viewed as the supporting points to balance the weights of conduction band and valance band (weighted by each effective mass). 6. For lightly n-type doped semiconductor, the chemical potential is near and under the conduction band (near the donor imupurity energy level in the gap), typically by an amount 5 meV. 7. For lightly p-type doped semiconductor, the chemical potential is near and above the conduction band (near the acceptor energy level). Look at the picture below. The half-circular shapes (I do not see why they are drawn in this way though) represent bands of available electron energies. is represents the electron energy. White means non-occupied while black means totally occupied. For a metal, you can see clearly that electrons can move higher to states of energies within the band they occupy. So without jumping a gap. For semi-conductors, you can see that a part of the gaps with energies above the Fermi energy is filled (except for the p-type). For an insulator, all electrons occupy states with an energy below the energies that are "present" in the band above it. The electrons have to be excited to very high energies before they can jump the gap. Note that the Fermi energy can lie **between** bands. [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/sjvaD.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/sjvaD.png) To answer your questions. 1. Fermi levels are also present for interacting particle systems. Example: a neutron star. 2. For the difference between Fermi levels and Fermi energy, see [here](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/30922/whats-the-difference-between-fermi-energy-and-fermi-level). 3. I don't see how $\frac{h^2}{2m}(\frac{3n}{8\pi})^{2/3}$ represents an energy. Just look at the units. O course, this formula should be somewhat changed: multiply the formula by inversed volume and taking the sqareroot of the number density gives you the right formula. 4. The Fermi energy can certainly exist somewhere in the bandgap. If there are not enough electrons to fill the lowest range of energies, why not? For high temperatures this is certainly the case. 5. Look at the picture above. 6. In the formula $E\_f$ refers to the Fermi level. There is a temperature dependence and the Fermi energy certainly is not temperature-dependent. 7. The Fermi energy has the same meaning in both metals and semiconductors. I'll leave it to you to figure out the significance of the remark made by Kittel.
stackexchange/physics
Cure your fear of spiders (aka arachnophobia) effortlessly and enjoy your life to the full with our subliminal mp3 album! Do you suffer from an excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid spiders? Does your fear go beyond the real threat of danger; but it is simply automatic - it completely takes over your thoughts and you can not stay calm? Does even the mention of spiders make you nervous, and on edge? Are you going on holiday or traveling to a country which has spiders and are already anxious about seeing one? Is your phobia of spiders stopping you from traveling around, doing things you really want to do, and generally leading a full, and fear free life? If you can relate to any of the above self test questions then you probably suffer to some degree from a fear of spiders. However, the ""fact"" that you are afraid of spiders is only in your mind. Your mind is controlling you, and creating real physical results in the form of your irrational fear of spiders. The good news is that you can take back the control and ultimately reprogram the way your mind works. Our subliminal mp3 album works directly with your unconscious mind - the root source of your fear - to get rid of your phobia of spiders forever! In this specific overcoming your phobia of spiders mp3 album we use powerful cognitive behavioral therapy - this works by helping you to recognize your negative thought patterns, and change them into positive ones - which means that - which means that you won't be scared of spiders forever. Do not let your irrational fear of spiders control your life any longer! Change your life with our powerful subliminal mp3s and live free to travel, and enjoy any activity without any of the anxiety and fear which is currently holding you back!
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James Bolesworth Bradwell April 16, 1828 November 30, 1907 was a prominent Illinois lawyer, judge, and politician. Biography James B. Bradwell was born April 16, 1828, in Loughborough, England. He was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Gutridge Bradwell. Sixteen months after his birth, Bradwell's family moved to Utica, New York. In 1833, they moved to Jacksonville, Illinois, and the next year to Wheeling, Illinois. Bradwell subsequently grew up on a farm in Cook County, Illinois. Educated initially in a log schoolhouse, Bradwell later attended Wilson's Academy in Chicago and Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. After graduating, Bradwell worked as a journeyman in Chicago in a variety of different trades. He gained a reputation as an outstanding process artist and produced the first halftone ever made in Chicago, which was a portrait of Melville Fuller. In 1852, he married Myra Colby, with whom he would have four children. An early feminist, Myra Bradwell would, in 1892, become the first woman admitted to the bar in Illinois. Following their marriage, James and Myra Bradwell moved to Memphis, Tennessee where they opened a school In 1854, Bradwell was admitted to the bar and the couple moved to Chicago in 1855. In 1861, he was elected County Judge of Cook County, with jurisdiction over all probate matters in Cook County. During the American Civil War, he was an active supporter of the Union and opponent of the copperheads. In addition to passionate addresses, Bradwell wrote and performed songs promoting the Union cause, thus gaining him the nickname of the sweet singer of Cook County. In 1865, he won re-election to a second four-year term. During his time on the bench, Bradwell gained a reputation as one of the country's leading probate jurists. One of his most notable decisions involved Matt C. Jones, a former slave; Bradwell ruled that a marriage made during slavery was valid and survived emancipation and that the children of former slaves were therefore entitled to inherit from their emancipated parents. He was afterward elected as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives in 1873, and re-elected in 1875. Bradwell had a reputation as an effective legislator. A supporter of the feminist movement of the day, he was the driving force behind legislation that made women eligible to hold all local school offices, and a second act that allowed women to become public notaries. In 1875, Bradwell represented Mary Todd Lincoln after her son Robert had her involuntarily confined to Bellevue Place, a psychiatric hospital in Batavia, Illinois, and, together with his wife, played a key role in convincing a court to declare Mary Todd Lincoln competent to handle her own finances. Bradwell was active in affairs throughout his career. In 1869, for example, he presided during the organization of the American Woman Suffrage Association in Cleveland. At various points, he served as president of the Chicago Press Club, the Chicago Rifle Club, the Chicago Photographic Society, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association. He served as the Illinois State Bar Association's historian, and would later be made an honorary member of the Illinois State Historical Society. He was one of the founders of the Union League Club of Chicago and served as its first president. At the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, he served as Chairman of the Photographic Congress Auxiliary. An active Freemason, Bradwell even went so far as to publish a collection of Ancient Masonic Rolls and to argue that they indicated that women should be eligible for membership in the Freemason organization. In 1894, Myra Bradwell died, and Judge Bradwell became publisher of the Chicago Legal News, the newspaper that Myra Bradwell had founded in 1868 and published ever since. His daughter, Bessie Bradwell Helmer served as his assistant, and, together, they would go on to edit the revised statutes of Illinois and a number of volumes of Illinois appellate court decisions. Bradwell died in Chicago on November 30, 1907. His granddaughter Myra Bradwell Helmer Pritchard became a noted golfer. References Biography on rootsweb Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1908, pp. 329330. Category:1828 births Category:1907 deaths Category:English emigrants to the United States Category:People from Loughborough Category:Politicians from Chicago Category:Illinois lawyers Category:Illinois state court judges Category:Members of the Illinois House of Representatives
wikipedia
Favorite Sons–Blaney, Shaffer and Holtgraver–Return to Mercer Raceway Park as All Stars Invaders Mercer, PA (July 1, 2013): Three of Western Pennsylvania's favorite sons will play for the visiting team on Saturday, July 6, when Mercer Raceway Park hosts the UNOH All Stars Circuit of Champions. Leading the way will be Dale Blaney, who tops the Ohio Region and National points standings for the touring series. Close behind him in both rankings are another champion, Tim Shaffer, and the young buck, Danny Holtgraver. The home team will include Eric Williams, defending track champion and current points leader, as well as Scott Priester, and Jack Sodeman, Jr. With many other talented drivers sure to be on hand, this will be one of the most anticipated contests of the 2013 season at the Park. The All Stars come rolling into town following the grueling Ohio Sprint Speedweek, which featured six races at different venues over a nine-day period. Two of the programs were lost to rain. Blaney took the last leg of that series, and the Wild Child, Jac Haudenschild, copped a pair of wins. Aliquippa's Tim Shaffer emerged with the Speedweek crown even though he never graced victory lane. Surprisingly, Shaffer is still searching for his first win of the season! He would like nothing more than to crack the ice in his own backyard. Shaffer will have plenty of competition, though. Holtgraver was spectacular in his last appearance at Mercer Raceway Park, taking a pair of victories on the same night. One came against the tough 360 Sprints of the Patriot Sprint Tour, when he started dead last, and the other came in the track's own 410 Sprint division, presented by Luxaire Heating & Cooling and Ralph Butch, Inc. That brought the Pittsburgh native's win total to three on the tricky oval this season. Another All Star pilot who emerged victorious in 2013 at the Park is the exciting young Ohio driver, Cap Henry. Nationally known stars, like Justin Henderson, Greg Wilson, and Danny Smith, are also expected. Defending the home turf will be Eric Williams, who won the last time out. His Mid-Season Championship tally was his first of the year and it came by just .003 seconds, surely one of the closest contests in the venerable history of the track. Second that night was Jack Sodeman, Jr., while Scott Priester, Dan Kuriger and fast-closing Rod George completed the top five. With a $5,000 check awaiting the winner, regional talents like Brian Ellenberger, Ed Lynch, Jr., and Mike Lutz may also converge on Mercer. In addition to the fire-breathing 410 Sprints, the show will also include the Bonnell's Collision Center Outlaw Sprint Warriors, the Precise Racing Products Stock Cars (operating under the Open Stock rules), and the Eperthener's Auto Wrecking/Ray's Racing Collectibles Mini Stocks. Pizza Joe's will present a fireworks spectacular that will delight young and old alike. The gates will open at 4, with practice beginning at 6:30, and racing at 7. The adult admission price for this special event will be $23. Seniors (60+) will join the fun for only $21. Students (ages 9-15) will be admitted for $9. Children ages 8 and under will be free. The Family Pass will be a tremendous bargain at $48, and that will allow two adults and up to four minors of any age to enter. Pit Passes will be $35. However, if you are a veteran with proper identification, or a scout in uniform, you, too, will be admitted free of charge. If you cannot make it to the speedway for this event, come on out July 13 for a Saturday Night Live! program featuring all six of the track's exciting classes. That will be the night we race for the cure! On American Cancer Society Night, all survivors of that dreaded disease will be admitted free. You can get the latest news and results from Mercer Raceway Park by tuning in to Rappin' on Racing. The longest-running motorsports talk show can be heard live on the internet by clicking on to www.speedwayproductions.biz at 6 p.m. every Monday. The voice of the speedway, Mike Dutko, presents the report on the previous week's action and he introduces the coming attraction. Host Don Gamble frequently has interviews with the Park faithful. This week's guest was Smokin' Joe McEwen. If you missed the broadcast, don't fret, all programs are archived for your listening pleasure. Remember that you can get alerts regarding the cancellation of any racing event at Mercer Raceway Park sent directly to your smartphone or other electronic device. To register, please go to the track's website, www.mercerracewaypark.com, click on the icon for RainedOut.com, and follow the easy steps. About Mercer Raceway Park: Mercer Raceway Park is a 3/8-mile dirt track located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly from late March through late September. For more information, check out www.mercerracewaypark.com, www.twitter.com/mercerraceway, or www.facebook.com/mercerracewaypark. Rick's Pics of the Week: ESS Sprints at Merrittville! "OFF WITH THE TOPS" COMING FRIDAY & SATURDAY TO LERNERVILLE & SHARON
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What is the relation between the amu and avogadro’s number? [closed] **Closed.** This question is [off-topic](/help/closed-questions). It is not currently accepting answers. --- **Homework questions** must demonstrate some effort to understand the underlying concepts. For help asking a good homework question, see: [How do I ask homework questions on Chemistry Stack Exchange?](https://chemistry.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/141/how-do-i-ask-homework-questions-on-chemistry-stack-exchange) Closed 5 years ago. [Improve this question](/posts/70135/edit) I know that the relation between Avogadro’s number and amu is a reciprocal relationship but the relation is slightly unclear. Could anyone give me more clarification? $\pu{1amu}$ is defined as one twelfth of the mass of one carbon-12 atom. Avogadro's number is defined as the total number of entities in $\pu{12g}$ of carbon-12. $N\_\mathrm A=6.022\times10^{23}$ It is a measuring criteria, just like a dozen, which is used to put a number to a certain item. A dozen means 12 items (items like bananas, atoms, molecules, etc) and 1 mole means $6.022\times10^{23}$ items (items like bananas, atoms, molecules, etc). So, $\pu{12g}\ \ce{^12C}$ contains $N\_\mathrm A$ atoms Therefore, 1 atom of carbon-12 weighs $\frac{12}{N\_\mathrm A}\ \mathrm{g}$. As per the defintion of atomic mass unit, $$\pu{1amu}=\frac{1}{12}\frac{12}{N\_\mathrm A}\mathrm{\ g}=\frac{1}{6.022\times10^{23}}\ \mathrm{g}$$ Hence, $\pu{1amu}=\pu{1.6\times10^{-27}kg}$ The atomic mass unit (amu or simply u) is the $1/12$ of the mass of a $\ce{^12C}$ atom. Avogadro's number ($N\_\mathrm A=6.022\times10^{23}$) is the number of atoms contained in $\pu{12g}$ of $\ce{^12C}$. The relation between them has to do with relative atomic mass ($A\_\mathrm r$), which is basically the number of atomic mass units an atom is equal to. One can easily understand that carbon is equal to $\pu{12u}$, hydrogen to $\pu{1u}$, helium to $\pu{4u}$, etc. (I'm referring to the most common isotopes) Now, $N\_\mathrm A$ atoms (or $\pu{1 mol}$) weigh $A\_\mathrm r\ \mathrm{g}$. For example, $N\_\mathrm A$ atoms of hydrogen weigh $\pu{1g}$. This is because they are the $1/12$ of $N\_\mathrm A$ atoms of carbon (which weigh $\pu{12g}$). There is a lengthy discussion of what an amu is, as well as on Avogadro's constant in Wikipedia. see <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_atomic_mass_unit> and see <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avogadro_constant>. An amu is a unit of mass, like a pound, gram, microgram, or tonne. An amu is a very, very small unit of mass, defined, as you know by now, as being exactly the mass of 12 isolated 12C atoms in their ground state (which is just a way to eliminate kinetic or potential energy which would give the atoms more mass (remember E = mc²)). Avogadro's Number is just like a dozen, a pair, a score, a gross - it is a definite number of things, of particles. It is, like "dozen" and the rest, dimensionless. A very important note is that the term has been *depreciated* by the IUPAC (the consensus "Authority" for Chemistry (and some Physics)). You should not be taught about Avogadro's Number; it has been replaced by Avogadro's Constant. Avogadro's Constant is *not* dimensionless - which is the big difference between the two. The Constant has units of reciprocal quantity. If that quantity is reciprocal moles, then the numerical *value* of the Constant and the Number are identical, but the quantity *could* be something else, for instance reciprocal pound-moles. This shouldn't confuse you, because it is almost always reciprocal moles, the important point is that it has units while Avogadro's Number does not. Unfortunately, both are symbolized NA, and it appears by your question that your teacher has failed to (or is unable to ) distinguish between the two. {Consider the common terms Atomic Weight and Molecular Weight. They are *not* weights, but masses and we are taught that. IUPAC also depreciates them for their "Mass" alternative, yet they are widely used, while Molecular Mass is rarely used (I don't see MM ever, but I see MW all the time). This is a similar situation, where the historical term persists although it has been depreciated.} One dalton, 1 Da, is one amu, is one u, but guess what? Da is preferred as being more clear. (Guess whether amu has been depreciated...) In a perfect world, one mole would be a specific integer number of particles. Unfortunately, our measuring instruments aren't accurate to 24 decimal places, so the actual number is only specified to 10 to 12 decimal digits and there is a proposal to define the Constant to be exactly 6.022140 or 6.022141 x 1023 - they are, last I heard, still arguing over it. My point here is that the number itself has no fundamental importance, just like a baker's dozen is 13 pieces, while a dozen is 12, as long as we all know how many we're talking about either is fine. So 12 Da of 12C has a mass *in grams* of 12 ÷ NA. You may find it interesting to show this answer to your teacher and listen to what s/he says about it.
stackexchange/chemistry
How does a laser actually neutralise a static electric charge? Eg in a Laser printer or a photocopier, a Laser is used to neutralise the charged drum (so the charged toner only collects where it is required.) but what is the process by which the charge is neutralised by the photon striking it? The drum in a photocopier is coated in a material that is an insulator in the dark but becomes conducting when light shines on it. This is actually a common feature of materials with a band gap equal to or less than the energy of visible light. Under these circumstances the energy in the light excites electrons from the valence band into the conduction band. This produces mobile positively charged holes in the valence band and mobile negatively charged electrons in the conduction band, and both flow in response to an electic field. So when the light hits the drum the illuminated areas become conducting and the charge flows away to earth.
stackexchange/physics
there is a growing interest in the microscopic structure of the vortex lattice ( vl ) in superconducting films with artificially fabricated columnar defects . in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field and zero current this structure depends on how strong is the pinning force produced by the defects with respect to the internal elastic forces of the vl . this results in two possible situations : commensurate and incommensurate lattice , depending on the pinning landscape being strong enough to determine the vl structure or not . many experimental @xcite and theoretical @xcite works have reported maxima in the critical current @xmath0 and field dependent magnetic moment @xmath1 in the points of the phase diagram where a commensurate state takes place . when a finite current stronger than @xmath0 is applied , an additional ingredient governs the structural evolution of the vl . in the center of mass ( cm ) frame , the vortices interact with a time dependent pinning potential , which is determined by the cm velocity . as the driving current is increased from @xmath0 , a variety of dynamical phases is possible . but commensurate ordered lattices are only possible at very high driving forces , when the pinning potential is averaged in the direction of motion becoming a static washboard potential . recently , carneiro @xcite has shown by numerical simulations that at a high enough temperature this ordered state is reached at a finite driving force . frequently , these phenomena have been investigated under the assumption of infinite sample , i.e. no surface or geometrical effects are taken into account . as it is well known , surface effects can play an important and even a dominant role on the irreversible properties of a superconducting specimen . in the critical state approach , kuznetsov _ @xcite estimated the enhancement due to edge effects of hysteresis in magnetization of thin strips with strong pinning . the penetration of flux in finite sample are also described by the geometric barrier model @xcite , which has shown to be successful in describing the irreversible properties of flat high-@xmath2 single crystals @xcite at high temperatures . all these continuum models however are not able to determine structural details of the vl and their relevance in the macroscopic response . in the present work , we propose a simple qualitative description of individual vortices dynamics in superconducting strips . the vortex - vortex interactions and the edge barrier are calculated in the frame work of the screened coulomb model @xcite . with a change of scale the problem may be mapped into the well known problem of an infinite slab under a parallel field . the calculated @xmath1 presents a series of maxima corresponding to matching of the vl in the pinning structure and a strong assymetry of the upward ( virgin ) and downward brenches , which charactere the surface effects . we also study the dynamics of the vl when a transport current is applied accross the strip . the strong current inhomogenity leads to different dynamics in different regions of the strip . we describe the motion of vortices in a superconducting strip of thickness @xmath3 much smaller than the london penetration depth @xmath4 . the geometry and coordinate system are depicted in fig . the vortex equation of motion , appropriate for overdamped dynamics , is @xmath5 , where @xmath6 is the instantaneous terminal velocity of vortex @xmath7 , @xmath8 is the total lorentz force , @xmath9 is the pinning potential and @xmath10 is a gaussian langevin force acting on vortex @xmath7 at instant @xmath11 . the lorentz force acting on a vortex line is defined by the total sheet current @xmath12 probed by this vortex , @xmath13 . a difficult task is to precisely determine an expression for @xmath14 in this system . recently , brandt has generalized the continuum theory to account for the penetration depth and numerically calculated the stream lines of current of vortices in thin films and washers in the small @xmath15 limit @xcite . a usefull procedure is to write the sheet current in terms of a scalar potential , the stream function @xmath16 satisfying the zero divergence of the current @xcite : @xmath17 . note that there is a close relation between the stream lines probed by a vortex and the energy of this vortex @xcite . this is clear when we rewrite the lorentz force as @xmath18 . with the help of the biot - savart law , the london equation for a vortex located at @xmath19 in the @xmath20 plane of a thin strip under a perpendicular field @xmath21 may be written as @xmath22 where @xmath23 is a kernel with a suitable cutoff to account for the finite sample thickness @xcite . we propose a simple way of calculating @xmath24 , using a screened coulomb model approach , suitable for describing thin - film vortices with @xmath15 comparable to the system dimension @xcite . in this large-@xmath15 limit , the screening length @xmath25 is identified with the smaller of @xmath15 and some linear dimension of the sample . therefore , for thin strips with @xmath26 , we use a nonhomogeneous helmholtz equation instead of solving the exact , although much more complicated , eq . [ london ] . using the boundary condition @xmath27 at the edges , this problem is similar to that of a superconducting slab under a parallel field @xcite . here , we add periodic boundary conditions ( with periodicity @xmath28 ) in the @xmath29 direction . solving for a single vortex , one obtains the vortex - vortex interaction energy : vs. magnetic field @xmath21 for the thin strip with pinning strength @xmath30 . @xmath31 is in units of @xmath32 and @xmath21 in units of @xmath33 . inset : system geometry and coordinate system . ] @xmath34 where @xmath35 , @xmath36 . the tilded length quantities are normalized by @xmath25 . with a suitable cutoff to account for the vortex core , one obtains the vortex self - energy : @xmath37 where @xmath38 is the coherence length . now , solving for the external field @xmath21 , we have @xmath39 . \label{vh}\end{aligned}\ ] ] equations ( [ vself ] ) and ( [ vh ] ) form the edge barrier for flux entry . thus , the lorentz force on a vortex @xmath40 due to a vortex @xmath41 and an external field @xmath21 , for instance , is given by @xmath42 where @xmath43 . in the above framework , we simulated @xmath1 measurements on a thin strip with @xmath44 . a square lattice of columnar defects ( slcd ) is represented by a periodic arrangement of gaussian wells with radius @xmath45 and period @xmath46 . the depth of the wells is varied from @xmath47 to @xmath48 . the simulations are carried out using the same procedure as in ref . @xcite : at each time step a vortex is attempted to nucleate in some random point in a line which is a distance @xmath38 from one of the strip edges . here we take @xmath49 . the magnetic moment was calculated using @xmath50 , which for the chosen gauge of @xmath27 at the edges is simply @xmath51 . : ( a ) @xmath52 ( upward branch ) , ( b ) @xmath53 ( downward ) , ( c ) @xmath54 ( upward ) , and ( d ) @xmath55 ( downward ) . the hollow circles represent the pinning lattice . ] in fig . [ fig1 ] is shown the first @xmath1 half cycle for @xmath56 . this curve depicts features of both bulk pinning due to regularly arranged deffects and edge effects . matching peaks are present , but behave differently in the upward ( virgin ) and downward branches . as shown in fig . [ fig2 ] , these peaks correspond to hystory dependent states of commensuration . in upward field , the edge barrier imposes a vortex free region which produces vacant pinning sites even in the second matching configuration . in downward field , these states are similar to those expected for infinite samples , no vortex free region is present . this points up the different dynamics of flux entrance and exit . we have also simulated measurements of the time averaged cm velocity of the vl as a transport sheet current @xmath57 was varied . the current is apllied along the @xmath29 direction and the contacts are considered to be far away from the region studied , in such a way to guarantee zero current divergence in this region . the current distribution in the strip width may be calculated from the helmholtz equation for @xmath58 with the condition that @xmath58 must be an odd function and that @xmath59 ( current continuity ) . thus the potential energy due to @xmath57 is @xmath60 in the central third of the strip for pinning strengths @xmath47,0 .25 , 0.5 , 0.75 , and 1.0@xmath61 ( from top to botton ) . panels : density - density correlation functions for @xmath62 and different current values ( arrows ) . ] the simulation procedure is the same as described in the preceeding section . we divide the strip in three regions of width @xmath25 . we computed the time - averaged cm velocity @xmath63 in each region as a function of the transport current after the field has been ramped up to @xmath64 . in fig . [ fig3 ] we show the current dependence of @xmath63 in the central region for different pinning strengths varying from @xmath47 to @xmath48 . as expected , there is a finite critical current for zero pinning , since the edge barrier pins the vl . for nonzero pinning , two regimes of motion are identified : in the low current regime the interstitial vortices are depinned and start moving ; at higher value of @xmath57 all the lattice is moving . as shown by the density - density correlation function of the vortices position ( panels of fig . [ fig3 ] ) , no reordering occur in the current range studied . reordering would be expected at least for weak pinning since the temperature used in the simulations is a small fraction of the zero - drive melting temperature . but here , lattice ordering is contaminated by the random nature of flux penetration through the surface barrier . however , long range time order was observed . we have described the dynamics of vortices in narrrow superconducting strips in the screened coulomb model approach . we calculated the vortex - vortex interaction energy and the interaction with an edge barrier . in this scenario , we carried out simulations on vortex motion in field ramp measurements of the magnetic moment and i - v characteristics using langevin dynamics . the @xmath1 curves evidenced the strong influence of the edge barrier in the vl configuration in upward field , where the first matching states are not fully accomplished in the entire sample . for the i - v characteristics , we observed that the edge barrier represents an effective pinning for the vl as expected , and ordered motion of the vl is disturbed by the random penetration of vortices . a more detailed study will be reported elsewhere . k. harada _ et al . _ , science ( 1996 ) * 274 * , 1167 ; v. v. moshchalkov _ et al . _ , b ( 1996 ) * 54 * , 7385 ; m. j. van bael _ _ , _ ibid . _ ( 1999 ) * 59 * , 14674 ; v. metlushko _ et al . _ , _ ibid . _ ( 1999 ) * 60 * , r12585
arxiv
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slim_pajama
Expanding to only first order in the functional minimisation derivation Consider the functional minimisation derivation for $F[y, y'] = \int\_a^b f(y, y')$. This derivation begins by letting $y$ be our function which minimises $F$. We consider the variation in $F$, $\delta F$, due to a small deformation of our path $\delta y$. In particular, we have $\delta F = F[y + \delta y, y' + \delta y'] - F[y, y']$. We expand $f$ to first order: $f(y + \delta y, y' + \delta y') = f(y, y') + \frac{\partial f}{\partial y} \delta y + \frac{\partial f}{\partial y'} \delta y'$, and then continue the derivation from there to find the Euler-Lagrange equation for $F$. My question is about the expansion of $f$ to first order. It is surely the case that the $\delta y$ term in the expansion is much bigger than $\delta y^2$, since we have assumed that $\delta y$ is sufficiently small to allow us to do this. However, is it necessarily the case that the second order expansion term $\frac{1}{2} \frac{\partial^2 f}{\partial y^2} \delta y^2$ is necessarily much less than the first order term $\frac{\partial f}{\partial y'} \delta y'$? For instance, what if $\delta y$ had a particularly small derivative? How can we dump the first of these terms, but keep the second? I don't think the motivation can be that we need a nonzero $\delta y$ and $\delta y'$ term somewhere in there. Given that $\int\_a^b \delta y' = 0$, then if $\frac{\partial f}{\partial y'}$ is constant, the term $\frac{\partial f}{\partial y'} \delta y'$ integrates to zero, and so makes no change to the value of $F$. The term $\frac{1}{2} \frac{\partial^2 f}{\partial y'^2} \delta y'^2$ could make a nonzero contribution to a change in $F$, but we insist it is 'small'. I'd say it's contribution is bigger than the $\frac{\partial f}{\partial y'}$ here, so why don't we keep it? In my research, I saw [this](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/354112/why-is-that-in-the-action-principle-the-taylors-series-is-limited-to-the-first), but it was taking a more 'doesn't this propagate a lot of error?' approach, rather than specifically a 'sometimes the second order terms are bigger than the first?' approach. Can anyone provide some insight? Thanks! The approach based on the Taylor expansion is quite non-rigorous, but it can be replaced with a natural approach based on standard derivatives which yields exactly the same final result. Consider the functional $F[y] := \int\_a^bf(y(t),y'(t))dt$ where the $C^2$ curves $y$ are constrained to satisfy the boundary conditions $y(a) =y\_a$, $y(b)=y\_b$ for some constants $y\_a,y\_b$. *We say that a function $y\_0$ is an extremal curve of $F$ if for every deformation $y\_0(t) + \alpha \delta y(t)$ with $\delta y$ any curve with $\delta y(a)=\delta y(b)=0$ (in order to satisfy the boundary conditions) and $\alpha \in \mathbb{R}$, it holds* $$\frac{d}{d\alpha}|\_{\alpha=0} F[y\_0+\alpha \delta y]=0\:.\tag{1}$$ The reason for this maybe apparently cumbersome definition relies upon the analogous fact in standard calculus: if $f=f(x) \in \mathbb{R}$ is $C^1$ with $x \in \mathbb{R}^n$, then $x\_0$ is an extremal point if and only if $$\frac{d}{d\alpha}|\_{\alpha =0} f(x\_0 + \alpha \delta x)=0 \quad \mbox{for every $\delta x \in \mathbb{R}^n$}\tag{2}$$ In fact, (2) is equivalent to $$\delta x \cdot \nabla f(x\_0)=0 \quad \mbox{for every $\eta \in \mathbb{R}^n$}$$ which means, because $\delta x$ is arbitrary, $$\nabla f(x\_0)=0$$ which is nothing but the standard definition of extremal point $x\_0$ for the function $f: \mathbb{R}^n \to \mathbb{R}$. Coming back to (1), if $F(y) = \int\_a^b f(y(t),y'(t))dt$, the equation can be rephrased to $$\frac{d}{d\alpha}|\_{\alpha=0}\int\_a^b f(y\_0+ \alpha \delta y, y\_0' + \alpha \delta y') dt=0,$$ that is $$ \int\_a^b \frac{\partial f}{\partial y}|\_{y\_0, y\_0'} \delta y + \frac{\partial f}{\partial y'}|\_{y\_0,y'\_0} \delta y' dt=0\:.\tag{3}$$ Using $\delta y(a)=\delta y(b)=0$ and integration by parts, (3) can be equivalently written $$ \int\_a^b \left(\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}|\_{y\_0,y'\_0}- \frac{d}{dt}\frac{\partial f}{\partial y'}|\_{y\_0,y'\_0}\right)\:\delta y(t) \: dt =0$$ The arbitrariness of $\delta y$ (and the fact that its factor is continuous) implies the usual E-L equations for $y\_0$. I stress that (1) nowhere $\delta y$ is required to be small, (2) all mathematical passages are justified just assuming the integrand function $f$ to be sufficiently regular ($C^2$ is sufficient with $-\infty < a < b < +\infty$), (3) everyting arises from (is equivalent to) the definition (1) of extremal curve, (4) this approach, with some technical hypotheses leads to the definition of the *Gateaux derivative* of functionals in functional analysis.
stackexchange/physics
Hollywood's Scary Windfall During a recession, you've got nothing to fear but fear itself—and the horror films that strangely flourish every time the economy tanks. From Frankenstein to this week's Drag Me to Hell, our guide to 10 classics. And you thought the subprime-mortgage crisis was scary. Drag Me to Hell— Spiderman director Sam Raimi's latest movie, which hits theaters this weekend—is the latest flick to capitalize on horror films' popularity during economic downturns. Featuring the torturous tale of a loan officer who falls under a curse after evicting an old woman from her home, Drag Me to Hell is bound to join recent scary-movie successes like Friday the 13th, which raked in $65 million at the box office, and My Bloody Valentine 3-D, which made $51 million. Why do belt-tightening audiences shell out for the scares? "It's a way of dealing with our frustrations and fears without having to face them," says Jeff Bock, a box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations Co. "We'd rather face Jason or Freddy." And hard-times horror movies often play on the particular anxieties of the downturn they're born in. The Daily Beast asked Robert Thompson, founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University, to sort through the guts and gore and find the links between recessions past and their ogres du jour. Megan Angelo is a former reporter at Conde Nast Portfolio and a contributing blogger at AOL's Walletpop.
slim_pajama
anxiety disorders are the most common class of mental health disorders worldwide and in the united states ( us ) [ 1 , 2 ] . obesity is a global epidemic with increasing prevalence in both developed and developing countries . although its overall prevalence has not increased in the united states , it remains the second leading cause of preventable death and disability in the us . using the national health and nutrition examination survey ( nhanes ) data , self - reported national survey data from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system ( brfss ) reveals a significantly higher burden of obesity and risky health behavior among persons with a prior diagnosis of an anxiety disorder . obesity is a strong predictor of chronic medical conditions and obesity - related chronic conditions could increase the risk of anxiety [ 6 - 8 ] . plausible biopsychosocial mechanisms linking anxiety and obesity have also been proposed [ 9 , 10 ] . the association between depression and obesity is well supported by systematic reviews and meta - analyses [ 11 , 12 ] . published reports have also shown significant associations between anxiety and obesity [ 13 , 14 ] ; however , in these studies , calculation of body mass index ( bmi ) has been done from survey reports and the bmi based on self - reported information underestimates its prevalence . in addition , overweight / obese adults have been observed to have size misperception and frequently underestimate their sizes . the correlation between anxiety disorders and bmi derived from clinical data has not been widely explored . similarly , several studies have reported on the associations between depression and bmi by race and gender [ 17 , 18 ] . only a handful of studies have looked into the correlation between anxiety and bmi separately in men and women , different age groups , or among ethnic populations . results from the brfss demonstrated differences in the prevalence of both anxiety and depression among people with different bmi levels , but lifetime diagnoses of these conditions were self - reported and while observed associations differed by sex , other demographic correlations were not closely explored . therefore , it is not clear whether associations between anxiety and bmi vary in different populations . the bidirectional relationship between obesity and major depression has been clearly demonstrated ; obesity at baseline increased the risk of depression onset and vice versa . for obesity management to be effective it is crucial that we likewise examine the relationship between bmi and anxiety as well as identify relevant correlations that potentially can impact treatment response . we used clinical data to derive population - based estimates of diagnosed anxiety disorders and bmi status to examine associations between diagnosed anxiety disorders and bmi , and to determine whether associations between diagnosed anxiety and bmi varied in persons with different demographic characteristics . data from the rochester epidemiology project ( rep ) data linkage system were analyzed to examine associations between anxiety disorders and bmi among adults ages 18 - 85 residing in olmsted county , mn in 2009 ( n=103,557 ) . the rep links data on medical care delivered at multiple health care institutions to virtually the entire population of olmsted county , mn ; details of the project had previously been reported . computerized diagnostic indices of the rep were searched electronically to extract all international classification of diseases , ninth revision ( icd-9 ) codes for charlson index diagnoses , depression diagnoses and the following anxiety disorder codes : generalized anxiety disorder , phobias ( social phobia , agoraphobia with and without panic isolated phobias nec and phobia nos ) , panic disorder , obsessive compulsive disorder , post - traumatic stress disorder ( ptsd ) , and anxiety unspecified ( anxiety state nos , organic anxiety syndrome ) derived from any visit type . electronic height and since the data were skewed , medians for bmi measurements were calculated and categorized into underweight ( bmi<18.5 ) , normal weight ( 18.5bmi25 ) , overweight ( 25bmi30 ) , and obese ( bmi30 ) using the international classification of adult weight . logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between any anxiety disorder and bmi categories with normal weight as the reference group . multivariable models were used to adjust for confounding effects of age , sex , race and charlson index . results are presented as odds ratios ( ors ) and 95% confidence intervals ( cis ) . all analyses were performed using sas , version 9.3 ( sas institute , cary , nc ) . the bmi was calculated as kg / m . since the data were skewed , medians for bmi measurements were calculated and categorized into underweight ( bmi<18.5 ) , normal weight ( 18.5bmi25 ) , overweight ( 25bmi30 ) , and obese ( bmi30 ) using the international classification of adult weight . logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between any anxiety disorder and bmi categories with normal weight as the reference group . multivariable models were used to adjust for confounding effects of age , sex , race and charlson index . results are presented as odds ratios ( ors ) and 95% confidence intervals ( cis ) . all analyses were performed using sas , version 9.3 ( sas institute , cary , nc ) . the population consisted of 56% females ( n=42,976 ) , predominantly white individuals ( 92.8% ) , with a median ( q1 , q3 ) charlson score of 0 ( 0 , 1 ) and the largest age group was between 29 - 49 years of age ( table 1 ) . no significant associations were observed between median bmi and specific diagnoses of gad , phobias , panic disorder , and obsessive compulsive disorder . however , a diagnosis of post - traumatic stress disorder ( ptsd ) and other anxiety ( anxiety state / anxiety disorder ) were significantly associated with bmi ( p value .001 and .02 respectively ) . there was a diagnosis of depression for 26% and 8% of individuals with and without an anxiety disorder diagnosis . after adjustment for age , sex , race , and charlson score only individuals who were underweight and obese ( or 1.31 ; 95% ci 1.06 , 1.63 and or 1.09 ; ci 1.00 , 1.18 , respectively , adjusted model likelihood ratio =472 , p<0.0001 ) were more likely to have an anxiety diagnosis compared to those of normal weight ( table 2 ) . when assessing the relationship between an anxiety diagnosis of ptsd and bmi , we saw a slightly lower and non - significant association ( adjusted or ( 95% ci ) of 1.2 ( 0.6 , 2.7 ) ) for those who were underweight , and a stronger association ( adjusted or ( 95% ci ) of 1.4 ( 1.1 , 1.9 ) and 2.0 ( 1.5 , 2.6 ) ) , seen for those who were overweight and obese , respectively ( data not shown ) . a significant association between anxiety and bmi was observed only in women when the data were stratified by sex ( table 3 ) . among this group , there was a positive association between anxiety and being underweight or obese . stratification by race with an adjustment for age and sex showed a significant association between anxiety and bmi among the white and black population groups , but not in the asian or hispanic groups . a u - shaped association with anxiety was observed in the white population , but not the black population . instead , age stratification also yielded a u - shaped association with anxiety but only among the younger age groups ( 18 - 29 years ) . in older adults particularly those over 64 years the overall chi - square for all models stratified by sex and age group were significant ( p<0.0001 ) . when stratified by race , the overall chi - square for the models for blacks ( p=0.039 ) and whites ( p<0.0001 ) were both significant . in this study , we observed an overall u - shaped association between anxiety and bmi in a large , midwestern population . the overall results are consistent with previous findings from the brfss , which showed an increased prevalence of anxiety among participants who were underweight and obese . a similar pattern was observed in a nationally representative household survey conducted in new zealand involving over 12,000 participants . this u - shaped association has also been reported in studies examining relationships between depression and bmi [ 19 , 18 ] . previous research has identified possible mechanisms to explain the relationship between anxiety and obesity [ 9 , 10 ] . for example , dysregulation by obesity of several shared biological pathways such as immuno - inflammatory processes , oxidative stress , neurotransmitter balance , and neuroprogression have all been associated with anxiety . other reported mediators of the relationship between psychiatric disorders and obesity are behavioral and include current and past unhealthy dietary patterns , lower rates of physical activity , and increased sedentary behaviors documented among obese individuals [ 20 , 21 ] . the role of psychotropic medications used in mood disorders on increased bmi it has also been observed that individuals from various ethnic backgrounds differ in how they view themselves whether as obese or as normal weight . in those who are underweight , the drive for thinness , distorted body image , low self - esteem , and media influence linking thinness and muscularity to ideal physique have been correlated with anxiety and body dissatisfaction [ 25 , 26 ] . our findings add to the growing evidence that bmi and anxiety have a non - linear association and that anxiety may be important at both ends of the weight spectrum we observed no significant association between bmi and various subtypes of anxiety diagnoses with the exception of ptsd and other anxiety ( anxiety state / anxiety disorder ) . results of a meta - analysis by gariepy et al . supported this finding . our study showed a stronger association between ptsd and those who were overweight or obese ; this association appears to be linear instead of u shaped . while a possible link between ptsd and obesity risk has been reported , we know of only one other study that showed ptsd , along with social phobia , to be strongly associated with obesity compared with other anxiety subtypes . reports that linked childhood abuse with adult obesity and ptsd with binge - eating disorder suggest a possible pathway from past trauma to obesity that is mediated by emotionally - driven binge - eating [ 27 , 22 ] . our results indicate that associations between anxiety and bmi vary substantially within different demographic groups . in a sub - analysis based on race , we found a significant association between anxiety and bmi among underweight and obese white individuals following a u - shaped pattern . in contrast , this association was only seen among obese but not among underweight blacks following more of a j - shaped curve . previous studies examining associations between anxiety and bmi in racial or ethnic minority populations are limited , particularly in the us . lifetime diagnosis of anxiety was also low among hispanics in the brfss study compared to non - hispanic whites but this observation was not associated with bmi . for instance , a study including 1,584 young nigerian adults found no significant correlation between various subsets of anxiety and bmi , whereas a symmetrical u - shaped relationship between psychological distress and bmi status was noted in a mediterranean spanish population . after controlling for age , kelly et al . only found significantly greater odds of mental illness in the obese and not in the underweight among 46,704 australian subjects . hence , while it appears that race may have a modulating effect on the interaction between anxiety and bmi , other variables may play equally important roles including socioeconomic conditions , lifestyle , geographical location , and cultural differences . exploring these characteristics further may help identify underlying mechanisms that would account for the observed inconsistencies in findings . similarly heterogeneous outcomes were seen when looking into the correlation between anxiety and bmi stratified by age or sex . we found a u - shaped association between anxiety and bmi among women in our study , but not in men . instead , there was a non - significant association between anxiety and underweight among men . interestingly , more than half of published studies that stratified data by gender supported a significantly positive trend for anxiety among obese women ; however the same was not seen in men . the systematic review conducted by gariepy et al . even confirmed a positive association between anxiety and obesity in both male and female sexes . these results differ from previously reported brfss data , which did not show sex to be a significant moderating factor . two other studies also did not see sex as a conditioning variable to the relationship between anxiety and obesity . this disparity between our observation and those of others may be attributed to yet unidentified variables that seem to modulate sex effect on anxiety and bmi ; it further affirms the complexity in the association between these two entities . the lifetime prevalence of anxiety in the brfss study was lowest among those 70 years of age , a finding confirmed in this study . not only did we observe a declining prevalence of anxiety with advancing age , we also noted contrasting correlations between anxiety and bmi in individuals from 49 to 85 years of age . specifically , being underweight and elderly was associated with increased anxiety , while being obese and elderly had the opposite association . other studies had reported on this age - related phenomenon . a large study conducted by brandheim et al . among swedish adults also showed that psychological distress decreases with increasing age , regardless of bmi ; while another study reported a diminishing probability of having common mental disorders ( depression and anxiety ) with rising bmi in older age groups . kelly and associates likewise noted that elevated odds of mental illness were apparent for middle - age persons , while lower odds were seen in older individuals . what accounts for increased odds of having anxiety in underweight older adults has not been well explored but presence of frailty and potential confounders such as declining physical health and physical inactivity have been suggested [ 17 , 33 ] . thus , it appears that among the older population groups , being underweight is associated with anxiety whereas , weight gain may have a mitigating effect on the likelihood of having anxiety . further elucidation of factors underlying this observation would potentially introduce new areas of focus in mental health care among the elderly . the main strength of this study resides in its large sample size which allowed for analysis of sub - populations , particularly racial and ethnic minority populations . likewise , data were obtained using the rochester epidemiology project linkage system to electronic health records ; thus , controlling for biases associated with self - reported mental health diagnoses and weight . a limitation of this study is that icd code diagnoses where derived from any visit time with no knowledge of who made the diagnosis ( primary care physician or mental health specialist ) . we likewise did not have data available on possible confounding factors ( such as socioeconomic status and psychotropic medication usage ) that might account for the observed associations . the percentage of those with and without an anxiety diagnosis that also had co - morbid depression was 26% and 8% respectively . we did not adjust for depression as the two entities are highly correlated and it was not possible to separate out the individual effects of depression in our study ; hence , its potential impact on study results was not determined . the demographic characteristics examined in this study are likely just a marker for the underlying mechanisms that explain the observed associations . however , these results do suggest interesting differences by race / ethnicity / age and point to groups that warrant further more detailed study . our study was also limited by its cross - sectional nature ; longitudinal studies might offer better insight on observed associations . moreover , the olmsted county population captured by the rep accurately reflects the upper midwest population in gender , age group , and sex ; however , findings may differ in other locations . in particular , if race / ethnicity is simply a marker for an underlying characteristic such as socioeconomic status , these results may not be generalizable to other populations . replication of this study in other populations would be useful for understanding underlying characteristics that may drive the observed associations between anxiety disorders and bmi . using clinical data , our study showed a non - linear u - shaped association between anxiety and bmi classifications . of greater implication to population health management , our results suggest that anxiety may have heterogeneous associations with bmi that are potentially influenced by demographic characteristics . further research on possible mechanisms that would account for this finding may help direct efforts in both anxiety and obesity management in diverse populations .
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