This gave me chills.

This...This was stunning. Thank you.

Loved your story it was tottally awesome!

Just read this story for the upteenth time. Thout I had written a review. Guess I forgot. Fabulous story(as usual) from you. Hogan certainly did have a guardian angel looking over him after the accident. Hope the Colonel will be okay. I wonder if Kinch and Newkirk ever told Hogan the truth about Gunther? I really liked the little German.

Wow, I just can't get enough of this story; it's so well-written and the plot is a refreshing breath of clean air. I really enjoyed it! Keep up the exquisite work!

The Swordsman

Wow, great job. I really enjoyed this one. Really well done. Thanks for sharing it!

Nuts, I was beginning to like the little German. Finally got a chance to read some other stories. I was about to read Echoes of Mercy, then realized I needed to read this one first. Poor Hogan, what a sad ending. I hope he can pull it together before long in your sequel, which I'll soon be reading.

Like Kinch, I distinctly felt a chill run through me as well! :) Geez, I wasn’t quite expecting a conclusion such as this, but now that I’ve re-read this story, the clues were definitely there and it all becomes clear. Well done, you! :):)

I think it says something good about Gunter that he laboured to keep Hogan alive until help came. I could be wrong, but I get the feeling he could have packed it in at any time, but chose to stay on. His innate kindness carried over into death and that’s rather touching.

Gunter stole the show for me – thanks for creating such a terrific, memorable oc. May he rest in peace, or is there another appearance in store for this gentle spirit?

On to the sequel! ~ Cristy

Late to the party as usual, but glad to be here! :):)

What really makes this chapter for me is the deftly handled interaction between Gunter and Hogan. It was amazing! I found Gunter rather endearing - a compassionate, decent young man who exhibits loads of maturity for one so young. The serenity he displays has almost an eerie quality about it given the situation.

But something’s not right and I can’t quite put my finger on it. I think it’s Gunter’s choice of words towards the end of the chapter – ‘I am resting’, and ‘It makes what is happening less frightening’. What’s happening? Is he dying?

Brilliant chapter and I look forward to reading part two tomorrow. ~ Cristy

That was really good! Now I can't wait for the next chapter of the sequel to be posted

This is interesting. I already read the first chapter of the sequel, so i kind of have an idea of what's going on. Weird.

Your last email sent me running to find this story! ;-)

Surely this isn't the end of this story? Please, there's got to be more now that Hogan's been found and is too delirious with pain to realize about Gunter's fate.

So very well written, but then I don't believe it's possible you can write any other way.

Beautiful, Linda!

Something told me you might be taking this route, but as usual you did it well.

Carter and Newkirk's descriptions were just so spot on-especially how Carter is just the "sergeant that's always laughing" and how you think you have Newkirk pinned down, and then whammo! He does something that surprises you.

This fic, I kept going back and forth on whether Gunter was ... yeah, I'm paranoid, but seriously? The way he was asking questions? I kept thinking, "Don't say anything Hogan! It's a trick!" but once he said that his parents were "waiting for him", I said, "Oh, never mind, he's going to die."

Granted, this caught me completely off-guard. And how sad is it that Kinch and them think he went temporarily delusional and was seeing things? Personally, I am of the opinion that Gunter's ghost stayed on. Clearly the more rational explanation.

Wonderful, and that twist... Although, must say, I cannot wait to see Gunter again. Poor fellow. I shall miss him.

I hope Hogan still believes, later, that his ghost was there. It would be sad if he convinced himself otherwise.

Loved it!

Kits

Okay, so most of this is moot considering I'm talking to you now and already told you how incredibly happy and sad this story is, but we'll try anyway, hm?

So, again, love how Hogan has this "Everyone's dad" thing going on, because he reminds me of a dad when mom goes off for a weekend: he's usually the one instigating pillow fights and the like, only loosely enforces the rules, and tends to play around more. So in this story, he has that whole paternal instinct to protect someone younger than him that just hits that mark that makes me melt into a tiny puddle of goo.

Gunter, also, is adorable. He is so completely... I don't know, young? You get the sense that he's impressionable, but his enthusiasm when he was talking about going to visit Hollywood was incredibly sweet-but then he says some things that make you take a step back and realize, "Yeah, he is on the other side."

The Karl bit hit me-sometimes Hogan and the gang sort of doesn't show? Or realize? that the other side has casualities... not quite. Hm. They sort of turn them into two-dimensional characters, not real people, which, I suppose, is the only way you can learn to do a job like their's, but you get what I mean.

Loved the portrayal of the differences in them, yet, despite that, Hogan is still trying to protect him and soothe him, because he sounds so scared.

-Kits