Literally Reruns – Mercy by Diane M Dickson

Leila Allison has been mining in the nether regions of the site again and this time has managed to embarrass one of the editors.

***

I know what you’re thinking: “Look at that shameless, insignificant little scribe schmooze up to one of the Editors.” If so, your second thought must be “Why didn’t I think of it first?”

To such I counter: Editors are Writers, Writers are People, ergo Editors must be People. I think that might be a syllogism, or some kind of -ism, regardless, it is true. During the site’s early days most of the writing load was carried by the LS Editors. Although Hugh Cron continues to contribute regularly, methinks that the hevy–heay–Goddammit, heavy work of selecting fitting banner images and correcting typos and applying edtinig–edtting–Goddammit, editing mojo in general, have cut into Ms. Dickson’s time. She seems quite selfless. So in her honor I have dusted off one of her little gems and bring it to your attention.

In Mercy, extremely cap-back-on-the-toothpaste Phillipa (the type of nurse I hope to get if I wind up like Mrs. Bowling) considers everything right about her nursing job except for the patients. The style is very clean and decisive, which is always of key importance, because trying to pull off fastidiously orderly Phillipa in a slllopy–slopppy–Goddammit, sloppy and aside riddled method would do the character great injury and render her less effective. Especially in the close and short, the third person narrative mustn’t stray afar from the protagonist’s personality. I suggest that you prop a pillow behind your head and have a look at Mercy.

Leila Allison

***

Mercy