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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 9, 2021 21:30:05 GMT -6
Chapter 56
Gil went around to the other door into the Great Room. "Grace, Mollie!"
"We're in the kitchen, Gil."
Gil, went through the dining room and into the kitchen and took the shotgun clenched in Mollie's hand, unloaded the other barrel and laid the gun and the shell on the counter.
Grace immediately went into his arms. Sandy moved over beside them.
"Mollie, would you call 911? Are you okay Grace?"
"NO I'M NOT OKAY! Mollie shot him before I could!"
Gil rolled his eyes. Okay, go get a sweater or something on and turn the thermostat up. It's going to get cold in here before I can get something to cover that door up. We have to leave everything as-is until the Sheriff tells us otherwise."
Gil, with Sandy following him, went into the Great Room and started a fire in the fireplace. They heard the sirens before they saw they saw the flashing lights through the leafless trees. When the driveway alarm sounded, Gil went out into the yard to wait on them. A Sheriff's Deputy pulled up first, Followed by the Sheriff himself. An ambulance was right behind them.
"What's going on?" The Deputy asked.
Gil told them what happened and took them into the house through the Great Room door. They saw the body, the knife, and the nick the knife made in the hardwood floor when Jenson dropped it. Mollie, Grace, and Sandy stayed in the Great Room.
They talked to them individually, for the record, but it was plain to see what had happened.
"There aren't any more Jenson brothers around, are there?" Gil asked the Deputy.
The Deputy grinned. "Nope, you gottem all!"
The Sheriff gave the Deputy a harsh look.
"Uh…I mean, no, there aren't any others."
Glenn, get the statements from the ladies while I talk to Gil."
"The women, they gonna be all right?"
"Yeah Sheriff, they're both tough as nails."
"Sorry this happened, but it is probably a good thing. We have this victim's fund that will help you pay for the door."
"No need Sheriff. I can easily pay for the door. Why were those guys still on the street?"
"We do what we can. We can arrest them, only to have the judges give lenient fines and jail times and sometimes not even any bonds."
"So what happens now?" Gil asked.
"We keep doing what we can and wait for the next shoe to drop. You won't see any fallout from this."
"All I want is be left alone, but if anyone comes after me, I'll feed it back to them by the bushels."
"I don't have a bit of a problem with that. Just keep it legal or hide the bodies real well."
Three hours later, just as it was getting dark, the body was removed and they were allowed to clean up the mess. Mollie came in with a mop and bucket and Grace had a broom and dustpan. Sandy stood guard on them. Gil went to the workshop and cut a length of 6-mil plastic and grabbed a roll of gorilla tape and went back in and covered the door. He'd call Jack in the morning and find out where they got the door.
Finally, they settled down in the Great Room, the adrenaline finally washing out of their systems. Mollie made coffee for everyone and they sat and enjoyed the fire in the fireplace, Gil took two sips and remembered he hadn't attended to the furnaces that evening. He got up, told the women what he was going to do and left the house with Sandy on his heels. Before he left the lower furnace, he pulled out his phone and made a call. He gave the man on the other end his needs and to spare no expense.
Gil went back to the house and dumped the cold coffee out of his mug and filled it again.
Mollie sat in the chair and stared at the fire. Sandy went over and licked her hand.
"It all happened so quick." Mollie said. "I was getting some baking powder out of the pantry when I saw him. When he pulled out that knife….the next thing I knew the shotgun was in my hands and I was pushing the safety off. I didn't even aim. I just pointed it at him and pulled the trigger."
"Your shooting instincts are good Mollie." Gil said.
"Well, I hope I never have to use those instincts again….but I would. I'd do anything to protect this family."
"Thank you Mollie." Grace said. "We love you and think of you the same way."
"Gil, could you teach me to fire a pistol?" Mollie asked.
"Sure he would Mollie….won't you Gil."
"Sure Mollie. We'll get you a pistol you like and train you."
"I kinda like that Shield gun. Grace let me hold it the other day."
"Then sure, we can fix you up."
"Well, I better get to bed. You folks are gonna be hungry in the morning, not eatin' tonight."
Gil and Grace decided to turn in also. Sandy followed them in and laid on the floor at the foot of their bed.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 9, 2021 21:32:28 GMT -6
Chapter 57
At 8:00 the next morning, Gil called Jack to ask where to get a replacement door. Jack asked what happened and Gil gave him the whole story.
“We’ve got a crew headed up that way. You’ll have a new door before the end of the day.”
“Thanks Jack. Send me the bill.”
Gil was getting ready to go out to the workshop to finish painting the cabinets when the driveway alarm sounded. He looked out the window and a white van was coming up the drive. Gil went out to meet the van and a guy got out of the passenger side.
“Hi, I’m Gary. Steve sent us.”
“Wow! You must have left early this morning.”
“Actually, we left late last night. We got rooms in Knoxville for the night. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get started.”
“Let me get a map.” Gil said, going back into the house. He ran up to his office and grabbed a topo map he had marked and returned to the van. Two more people were standing at the rear of the van.
“These are the property boundaries and the house location.” Gil said, pointing to the yellow lines on the map.
“Great. We’ll probably be out of sight most of the day. We’ll come back here when we are finished.”
Gil watched them load back into the van and go down toward the greenhouse. Gil went into the house and told Mollie and Grace they might see four guys walking around, but not to be alarmed. They were doing some work for him. Gil got another mug of coffee and went to the workshop to finish painting the cabinets.
The driveway alarm sounded again. It was the men from Jack’s crew to install the new door. It took longer to fill the two buckshot holes in the wall and apply a little touch-up paint than it did to install the door. The men picked up their tools and started to leave.
“Did Jack send an invoice?”
“Jack said to tell you ‘No Charge.’ He’ll talk to you later.”
Gil was cleaning up his polyurethane brushes when the van returned. Wiping his hands, Gil walked out to meet them.
“We’ve finished.” Gary said. “I’d like to sit down with you and explain what we’ve done.”
“Good. You guys come on in. My wife has been frying up some chicken fried steak and has mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, gravy and hot biscuits waiting for you.”
Gil heard a “Hell Yeah!” as they followed him inside.
Grace and Mollie fed them first. It was evident the men enjoyed the meal. There would be no leftovers and the meat that was left over, Mollie made sandwiches and wrapped them up for their trip back to Nashville.
After the dining room table was cleared, Gary laid out the map in front of Gil.
“We have the woodlines and all access areas covered with laser sensors in 8 zones each zone has from six to ten sensors, depending on the amount of overlap needed in that area. I marked on your map where the sensors are and their receivers. Also I put in the instruction manual a list of geo coordinates of each sensor. I’ve got you two portable controllers with 3-inch screens and one master, which we’ll install after we get through briefing you. You can turn off a sensor, or a whole zone from the master base or the portable controllers. We made the area around the door in the rock face one zone by itself. When Spring comes, if any undergrowth disrupts the laser, it will give you a color-coded flashing image, with a low modulated tone, allowing you to go and clear the obstruction. A little judicious trimming will take care of that. If you have any questions or problems call the number on the inside of the instruction manual 24/7. Do you have any questions?”
What’s the distance on these sensors?”
“Farther out than your property lines extend. Anything else?”
Gil shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”
One of the men went over to the driveway alarm and placed the master sensor receiver on the wall next to it and plugged in the AC power.
“This has a 6-day battery backup in case your power goes out.”
Gary turned to Mollie and Grace.
“Ladies, thank you for the delicious meal. A meal that good is hard to find, even in Nashville.”
“Gil, it was a pleasure. Firelight 33.”
Gil grinned. “”Ridgerunner 60.”
Gary laughed. “With this property, that is definitely apropos!”
Gil watched them leave and head back down the drive.
Don got the contract for excavating the basement for Mollie’s cabin. He sub-contracted out the concrete work but when it came time to pour, more freezing temperatures arrived and Gil rushed around buying the largest tarps he could find. (a man can’t have too many tarps!) The built a frame over the pour and draped the tarps over to cover the frame and the pour. The placed a kerosene torpedo heater under the tarp to keep the concrete from freezing.
In the evenings, Gil would have Mollie practice assembly and disassembly of her Shield, dry firing, stoppage drills, and loading and unloading the pistol blindfolded. When the day warmed up, Gil would take Mollie out and shoot at the range. He favorite drill too became the “modified” Failure to Stop. During any other time, Grace would verbally quiz her on subjects covered in the written test.
Gil got Mollie signed up in the next EHCP class given. Gil and Grace took her to Fall Branch, met the instructors, who remembered them very well, and left Mollie in their capable hands. The instructor told them the approximate time to pick her up.
Fall Branch hosts more than its fair share of churches, a Family Dollar store, a Farm Store, and not much else, so they decided to head up to Kingsport to kick around. They had lunch at Braedens BBQ, then walked around Kingsport Pavilion, stopped by Office Depot at East Stone Commons to pick up drawing, drafting and other office supplies, fooled around Fort Henry Mall for a while, then headed back to Fall Branch. The instructors invited them in for the handing out of the certificates. When people began leaving after the little ceremony, the instructors came over to Gil, Grace and Mollie. One, who had been Grace and Gil’s Range Officer, began speaking to Grace.
“One of our students, who passed with flying colors, seems to favor the ‘modified’ Failure to Stop drill also.”
Grace grinned. “Works for me!”
“I heard you had an altercation down your way.”
“Yes, an uninvited guest whom Mollie pulled out the welcome mat for.” Gil said.
“Well Mollie, I hope you don’t let your need to protect your family and taking a life bother you.”
“Young man, some snakes need a stompin’ sometimes.”
The instructor grinned. “That is true, that is true.”
Before they got in the truck, Mollie took her pistol out of its pistol case, loaded a mag and chambered a round then placed it in her holster.
“Never again!” Mollie muttered.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 9, 2021 21:33:53 GMT -6
Chapter 58
When the basement concrete had cured, Jack's full crew showed up with trucks of logs, supplies and a crane and a teleloader. Gil went down to meet them as Jack drove up.
"Jack, what is this about 'No Charge' for the door?"
"Gil, when I heard what had happened, I was horrified…to think those women had to go through something like that! I knew we had to get a door in ASAP. Besides, we're making enough money off your country-ass. You're on the list as one of our 'Valued Customers' and I'll make sure you get plenty of junk mail attesting to the fact."
"Thanks, I can use it starting fires." Gil said sarcastically. "Want some coffee?"
"Sure, let me talk to my foreman and I'll be right up."
Gil went back to the house and made sure there was a fresh pot of coffee on, and sat down with Grace and Mollie. Soon, Jack knocked and came in. Mollie and Grace got up to put a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls in the oven. Jack immediately noticed the pistols on both women's hips, but didn't say anything.
"We should get quite a few of the logs laid today. They'll probably be able to start the masonry for the wood stove tomorrow." Jack said, stirring the cream into his coffee.
"I've got tarps we used on the basement to keep it from freezing. Use then if you need to." Gil said.
"Do you have any more changes other than the hydronic floor heating?" Jack asked.
"No, sorry about that. It was an afterthought after I measured the distance from the cabin site to the furnace. I've got plenty of ThermoPEX to run the line to the cabin. Let me know when you're about ready and I'll trench it." Gil said.
Mollie sat the plate of hot cinnamon rolls on the table and sat a bread plate in front of Jack.
Jack began hauling the cabinet parts up to the Chamber. Once he had everything there, he began bolting the frame base to the floor. Steadily, but slowly, Gil assembled the pieces until he had the base skeleton built against the wood wall. With wedges, Gil got the side panels level and square and glued and screwed the panels in place with the pocket screws. He set the drawer sliders in and ran the rough plumbing, checking everything to make sure nothing was forgotten and glanced at his watch. It was almost dark outside. Gil collected all his tools and put them next to the cabinet base and closed up for the day.
The next day Gil finished the cabinets and went into town to pick up the 2-piece butcher block counter top with sink cutout. When he returned, Grace and Mollie were in the Chamber, unloading boxes and already putting things in the cabinets. Mollie helped Gil carry in the countertops and Gil got them installed. As he was finishing installing the brass kitchen faucet, the women were hanging pots on the pot holder. Gil moved the wood cookstove into position and, with Mollie's help, jacked the stove up and removed the dolly. After attaching the flexible water lines to the stove hot reservoir, Gil stood back and looked everything over.
"Where's the eatin' table?" Mollie asked.
"Down in the workshop. I'll go get it."
"We'll wait here. We've got some plannin' to do."
Gil went back and loaded up the table components up and carried them back up the ridge. Mollie helped him unload everything and put the table together.
"Now that looks mighty nice." Mollie said.
"Grace put her arm around Gil. "Thank you Honey, I feel safe knowing this is here in the future if we need it. Mollie. We need to put our heads together and outfit this place to make it as good as it gets.
"Well, I'll get started on the next project." Gil said.
"What's that?"
Gil led Grace over to their bedroom, switching on the lights. "If you noticed, when I enlarged the structure to 15'x15', I left a four foot space between the closets. There are no studs there. I will cut out that 4'x8' opening and it will become the doorway into a 15'x20' space for the kids. You and Mollie need to outfit it."
Mollie grinned and Grace hugged Gil.
"Look girls, you spend what you think you need to. Get deals where you can but don't worry about paying full price. Except for the gold, our money is loosing value every day a Democrat steps across the threshold in the Capitol Building. It would surprise me if you can spend it all. It keeps making me more every day. Now. when you're buying things, I want you to keep the idea in your head that you could be back to living like they did in the 1800's, but with some modern advantages. What you buy may not can be replaced or have spare parts."
Grace looped her arm in Mollie's and they began walking back to the kitchen area.
"We need more plant hangers for hanging lanterns, I checked and we need to find a hand grain mill for flour…."
Gil smiled and pulled his notebook out and checked the materials list for the room addition and drove down the ridge to hook up his large dump trailer.
When Gil got back, he unhitched the trailer from the truck and connected it to the tractor. He carried the lumber into the Chamber and stacked it close to where he would need it. Moving the chop saw stand near his work area, he ran extension cords and plugged in the saw and the compressor for the nail gun. Gil looked at his watch and cut off the lights, but not before checking the generator and made sure the oil was good and the fuel tank filled. He would use it during construction rather than using the battery back. After making sure everything was ready, he shut off the lights, locked both doors and went to the house.
At dinner that night Grace brought up another subject.
"Gil, how are we going to keep food cool in the Chamber?"
Gil swallowed the sip of tea.
"I've got two 9.9 Cu. Ft. 12 Volt DC refrigerators and two 15 Cu. Ft. chest freezers on the way. If you are going to be storing things in there though, make sure you've got them included in the inventory."
They all paused at the distant BOOM, but went back to eating.
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Post by bluefox2 on Nov 9, 2021 21:54:47 GMT -6
Loud booms are not good
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Post by cavsgt on Nov 9, 2021 21:59:00 GMT -6
Thank You so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are we standing on the edge of another cliff?
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Post by bluefox2 on Nov 9, 2021 22:06:40 GMT -6
Thank You so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are we standing on the edge of another cliff? Yeah Sarge, I think we are
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Post by paulk on Nov 9, 2021 22:35:07 GMT -6
Another winner. More please.
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Post by texican on Nov 9, 2021 23:03:35 GMT -6
The kids are being taken care of with a room connected to the master suite.
Yep, what went boom?
The ground didn't shake, so not close.
Need another chapter.
Thanks n for the story.
Texican....
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 10, 2021 0:18:13 GMT -6
Chapter 59
Gil was going to the building supply after breakfast to pick up a case of nails for the nail gun and Grace decided that she and Mollie needed to check out Crockett Creek Vintage Market inside Rogersville Home Center, so they decided to go in the Jeep when Gil left. When they got up to the intersection at 11W, there was a smoldering fuel tanker off to the left of the intersection. A burned out van with its right front smashed wasn't far away. Firemen were still spraying the burning hulks, trying to cool them down enough to get them moved. Grace saw Officer Wells ahead, monitoring the traffic, so Grace pulled up beside him. "Officer Wells! What happened?"
"Fuel tanker was making a turn onto 344 when the van clipped the rear of the tanker, spilling fuel and eventually exploding. It was Barry and Sarah Randolph.
"OH MY GOD! Was Billy with them? Is he all right?"
"Yeah, he's as well as can be expected. He got thrown out and away from the van before the truck exploded. I don't know how he survived but he's got some bumps and bruises. They've got him in the County Hospital."
"Okay, thanks Officer Wells."
Grace drove on.
"Did you know them?" Mollie asked.
"Yes, they lived two doors down from my sister. Billy was the only one of the bunch that was worth a darn. It's so sad."
Gil got has nails and got back to building the room extension. By the end of the day, he had the walls tied in and was ready to do the roof, but decided to wait until tomorrow. Before shutting down the generator, he used the shop vac and cleaned up all the sawdust and threw the scrap wood in a box. When he installed the chimney pipe in the stove, he'd burn the scraps then to test the stove.
"Mollie! You are an Angel!" Gil said setting down as Grace served the Fried Liver and Onions. Mollie had fried the liver and Grace had made garlic-mashed potatoes and fresh carrots with a honey glaze, cornbread on the side.
Gil was buttering his cornbread when Grace mentioned the wreck near town that morning.
"Yeah, I saw it. Jerry Bryant at the building supply store said it had only been a matter of time, that the Randolph guy stayed drunk three quarters of the time."
"That's true, but his family didn't deserve that." Grace said.
"No, no one deserves a death like that." Gil agreed."
"Their 12 year old son survived." Grace said.
"Then he was very lucky to survive, although there are different levels of survival."
"They lived two houses down from my sister. I think I'm going to visit him in the hospital tomorrow. Billy used to come over and do odd jobs for money to go to the book store."
Gil glanced at Grace, wondering.
As soon as visiting hours started, Grace was up to see Billy. When she slowly walked into his room, he was laying there staring out the window. He heard a noise and turned his head toward the door. When he saw who it was, he teared up. Grace moved forward quickly and took his hand.
"Oh, Miss Grace, I've got no family. A woman was here this morning and said I was either going into foster care or a Group Home!"
"No Billy, I won't let that happen. How are you feeling?"
"All right, I guess. I'm sore and hungry. The food here is like eatin' wet cardboard."
Grace grinned slightly. "How about if I sneak you in a double cheeseburger from Burger King?"
"I'll mow your yard for a year!"
Grace chuckled. "I'll be back before visiting hours are over."
Grace lied just a little. She called Gil and luckily caught him outside the Chamber.
"Gil, Billy Randolph has no family and is going to be put either in foster care or into a group home. I want to bring him to our house when he gets out of the hospital."
"Grace, we don't have anywhere to put him!"
"That little couch you have in your office is a pull-out. He can sleep there until Mollie moves into her cabin."
"Okay, whatever you want."
Grace got into the Jeep and headed to the Sheriff's office and went straight in.
"Sheriff, I need your help. You're the only one I know with any power around here."
"What's the matter?"
"Billy Randolph. When he gets out of the hospital they're either going to put him in a group home or put him in foster care. I want Gil and I to be his foster parents and I don't know where to start!"
"Settle down. I'll take care of this. I don't like either of those programs. I'll give you a call when I have something."
Grace went by Burger King, got Billy his burger and large fries and a Coke, then hurried back to the hospital. Billy filled his craving and sighed."
"Are you going to help me Miss Grace?"
"I'm going to do everything I can Billy. Don't you worry."
When Grace got home, Gil came down for lunch. When they had finished eating, Gil looked at Grace.
"Want to tell me what's going on?"
"Gil, Billy is a sweet boy. He works for what he wants, is very intelligent, and I see a lot of you in him. He deserves a real chance in this world."
"Okay, well, that changes the paradigm, but I can deal with it. I'll have to do some changes in my drawings. I'll lose the storage space on top of the room addition."
Grace got up and gave Gil a kiss and a hug. "Thank you, you won't regret it."
Gil called around and found a place in Kingsport that had sound-deadening insulation. It was close to the same price as in Knoxville and Kingsport was a bit closer. He took the trailer with him to stop on the way home to get the lumber to build a second story addition and stairs up to it.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 10, 2021 0:23:19 GMT -6
This is all I'll be doing on this story for now. I report for surgery today at 12:00. If I don't go toes up, I'll get back to the story ASAP.
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Post by crookeds on Nov 10, 2021 1:02:35 GMT -6
Good luck. I'll say a prayer for you. Besides ya gotta finish this!!!
Thank you for all that you have written. It's been a nice release to read.
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Post by cutter on Nov 10, 2021 5:46:40 GMT -6
Prayer sent. All my hopes.
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Post by iamnobody on Nov 10, 2021 7:14:20 GMT -6
Praying for you
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Post by bluefox2 on Nov 10, 2021 7:24:03 GMT -6
Prayers sir and good luck. We will wait for whenever you get back to us.
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Post by gipsy on Nov 10, 2021 8:05:36 GMT -6
Add my best wishes for a good outcome.
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Post by freebirde on Nov 10, 2021 9:41:42 GMT -6
Hopes and prayers for a fast recovery.
My FTS is center mass, throat above the collar of a vest, and bridge of the nose. For the "This Ends Here" shot, point where spine enters skull. They lose all control of the body.
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Post by texican on Nov 10, 2021 10:44:47 GMT -6
N,
Prayers for your surgery and recovery. Take it easy and recover. We will be here when you are able to return.
Texican....
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Post by cavsgt on Nov 10, 2021 10:54:37 GMT -6
Thoughts and prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by sniper69 on Nov 10, 2021 11:12:28 GMT -6
Prayers sent for your surgery and recovery.
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Post by texican on Nov 10, 2021 17:24:14 GMT -6
N,
Hopefully your surgery went as it should especially with all of the prayers sent your way.
Get well and return when you have healed.
You are an outstanding author that keeps the moar hounds baying for moar. You rank up with the other authors on this board. For this, we moar hounds are grateful, except for the ending to 'Falling Up' which surprised or was it startled your readers. Keep us guessing and reading.
Texican....
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Post by kansasterri on Nov 10, 2021 18:22:06 GMT -6
Prayers sent!!!!!!
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Post by cavsgt on Nov 10, 2021 21:00:44 GMT -6
Thinking of you and sending more prayers and positive thoughts. Looking forward to having you back in our lives.
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Post by udwe on Nov 10, 2021 21:25:42 GMT -6
Prayers sent. DH had a shoulder replacement about 3 weeks ago and is already back to work. Light duty, can't lift more than 5 to 10 pounds with the arm.
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Post by weapons762 on Nov 11, 2021 0:45:53 GMT -6
weird, my toes are always up? hope it goes well
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Post by ncsfsgm on Nov 11, 2021 2:20:15 GMT -6
Opioid medications will get you back on your feet!
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