Thanks for everyone's kind notes and positive comments! Hotmail is less than pleased with the bandwidth, but they'll live! A concern, for lack of a better term, that many of you expressed not only in the past couple of days, but since I began My Flock, was keeping track of the characters. Understandable, especially considering they span over two long novels (MC and PJD) and even go into Miguel Sanchez's work, Julio. I have to refer back sometimes, and I created them!
From your requests, along with Ginger and a few other's demands for credit (Adam should not have put that wide-screen TV in the barn!), I put this together, hope it helps. If I left anyone out let me know!
My Carl/Patient John Doe CAST OF CHARACTERS
From My Carl:
Two-legged Actors:
Christian Miller: A middle-aged widower and single biological parent of identical twins Jerry and Jeff, as well as the adoptive father of Carl, the namesake of the story. A former motorcycle gang member that now works for the federal government, but that still has some of his 'Biker' mannerisms.
Gramps, AKA Samuel (Sam) Miller, Colonel US Army (retired): like his son Christian, a widower. Sam, now in his upper 70's, lives with Christian in the family home and loosely serves as his grandsons' 'Nanny'.
Tim Young: Christian's across-the-street neighbor and best friend, also another 'old biker' that now is a high ranking supervisor for Children's Protective Services and Timmy's father.
Judy Young: Tim's wife and Timmy's mother.
Helen Cruz: An absolutely beautiful, and very well endowed women of Samian decent; a caseworker for The Casey Foundation, an organization that supports Carl and other kids in foster-adoptions, and one of the ramrods that pushed Christian into Carl's adoption.
Judge Kiley: An elderly black woman, with the looks of the perfect loving grandmother. Also an extremely demanding, no-nonsense Juvenile Court Judge, another ramrod toward Christian adopting Carl.
Jerry and Jeff: Christian's fourteen-year-old identical twins; a matching pair of thin, dirty blond-haired boys, but twins that not only look but think identically, along with being to telepathically communicate like only twins can.
Carl: A golden blond 13-year-old, rather small for his age. After years of abuse including being forced into child-porn/prostitution, was abandoned by his parent and adopted by Christian.
Timmy: A light brown haired 13-year-old, the son of Judy and Tim Young, and best friend to Carl and the twins.
Mike Snyder: An almost awkwardly tall, lanky 14-year-old with light brown hair and match color eyes. After being held as a sex slave before his rescue by the FBI in My Carl, Mike resurfaces in My Flock after his bigot parents send him to an occult training facility to cure his ‘illness’.
Four-legged Actors:
Bandit: A small (23 pounds) Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Millers' loving pet. Has a slight identity clash, is not sure if he is a rabbit or his soul-mate is a long-eared dog.
Binki: A black and tan Dwarf Rabbit weighing slightly less than 5 pounds. Like all Dwarf Rabbits extremely loving, needing affection as much as food. Like Bandit fighting an identity clash, isn't sure if he's a bunny or a small dog.
From Patient John Doe:
Two-legged Actors:
Adam Owens, MD PhD: A twenty-five-year-old, semi-reformed hippy (still has long hair and the stereotype laid back attitude). Now an Adolescent Psychiatrist, and adoptive parent of Ronnie, Mark, and Johnny.
Mary Hope: A Hispanic, grand-motherly lady in her mid-sixties, a retired Occupational Therapist now working for Adam as a live-in housekeeper, nanny, tutor and surrogate Grandmother.
Carl Roberts, MD: A cardiovascular surgeon and biological father of Carl Roberts Jr (AKA Junior) and adoptive father to Pieter. An owner in Adam's Medical Group.
Cindy Roberts, J.D.: A soccer mom, Junior's birth mother, and Pieter's adopted mom. Also licensed family law attorney that orchestrated Adam adopting his sons. Legal counselor to 'The Ranch', and the foundation that supports it.
Miguel Sanchez, MD: Retired Pediatric Surgeon, now practicing again part-time and an owner in Adam's Medical Group. Rescued Jay, Steven and his son Ronnie from the streets of Brazil years ago (See Julio, by Miguel Sanchez on Nifty), then founded a foundation to help needy boys; the foundation that operates 'The Ranch'.
Jay Sanchez, MD: The Pediatric Surgeon that repaired the nerve damage to Johnny's paralyzed arm and Miguel's adopted son. Now Adam's neighbor and co-owner in the Medical Group. Ronnie Sanchez's same-sex mate, and adoptive father of Edwardo and Ruben.
Ronnie Sanchez (AKA Big Ronnie, etc): CEO of an international five-star restaurant chain and master chef, also Jay's same-sex mate and the other adoptive father of Edwardo and Ruben. Miguel's adopted son.
Steven Sanchez, DVM: Adam's neighbor, operating an animal hospital on the same land as The Ranch. Another of Miguel's adopted sons, Angel's husband and father of Steven Junior (Stevie) and Angela.
Angel Sanchez: (AKA Angelina) Miguel's foster daughter now married to Steven, and mother of Stevie and Angela. CEO of the foundation that operates The Ranch, as well as CEO of an international chain of five-star hotels owned by the foundation.
Ronnie Owens (AKA Little Ronnie, etc): A now fourteen-year-old (was 13 in PJD), golden blond haired lad, slight of build and somewhat short for his age at five-foot-four, very protective of his siblings having given Adam a bite scar when he thought Mark was in danger.
Mark: Except for being about three inches shorter, the one year younger clone of his biological brother Ronnie. Although he seems to be as timid as a mouse, he has 'Mischief' stenciled on his forehead as clearly the actors in the Sprint PCS commercial ads.
Johnny (AKA the John Doe patient in PJD): A short, thin thirteen-year-old boy with bright strawberry blond hair and even brighter red freckles head to toe. After defying both death and paralysis of both of his right limbs, he not only won the hearts of Adam and everyone around him, but seemingly can both understand and speak with animals.
Pieter: A platinum blond 13-year-old that looks more ten-years-old than his age. A native of Belgium that was kidnaped at an early age and used in international drug trafficking until he escaped in Brazil to be rescued by the foundation, and later adopted by Carl and Cindy Roberts. Has a genius IQ, and a very well defended youngster still distrusting of adults.
Edwardo: A short, thin 13-year-old auburn-brown haired lad with sky blue eyes, clearly of Hispanic or Portuguese descent. His slight build clearly shows the scars of years malnutrition as a street-kid before he and his brother were rescued and adopted by Jay and Ronnie S.
Ruben: Edwardo's younger brother, by 10 months. Almost as identical in looks as are Ronnie O. and Mark, also adopted by Jay and Ronnie S.
Stevie: (Steven Junior) A tall, lanky 14-year-old with blond hair and emerald eyes, Steven and Angel's son.
Angela: Stevie's younger sister, Steven and Angel's son.
Four-legged Actors:
Buddy: Adam and clan's large Black Labrador Retriever puppy, and bed-mate to the boys. Has a slight identity clash, thinks he is a furry human boy.
All the horses in this story are registered Arabian horses. Although there are forty horses on the co-op's land, (7 owned by Adam, 2 by the Roberts family, 8 by Jay and Ronnie, 3 by Steven and Angel and 20 owned by The Ranch) only a few have more than bit parts so far (sorry about the pun, , ,). More might be introduced later, but those named are:
Zeus: Adam's stallion, and the stud (breeder) for the other horses, which are all females. A huge, solid black horse that weights over 1200 pounds and stands 17.3 hands* tall, a most impressive animal that loves to run, and make foals (babies).
Zoe: Young Ronnie's horse, Zoe is the Alpha mare of the herd. Another very large animal at 16.2 hands, she is also jet black and very domineering, both to her herd and her boys.
Hera: Mark's steed, Hera is 'second in command' behind Zoe. A beautifully classic mix of Arabian colors, most of her coat is off-white, with black mane, tail and 'knee' boots.
Ginger: An older filly, Ginger is an extremely small horse for her age at 12 hands, but one with bright cinnamon red fur, close to the color of her owner, Johnny's hair. After being rescued from the auction block and being turned into glue and dog food by Johnny and Adam, her telepathic/empathic abilities were discovered, being able to communicate with Johnny very articulately.
Raven: Stevie's horse, and another older filly that was a foal with Ginger (at that horrible breeding ranch...). Ginger's soul-mate but larger at almost 15 hands.
Well... and Erbert... I don't think I want to go there, yet!
* HAND is a measurement unit of a horse's height, measured at the animal's withers (shoulders). A 'hand' equals four inches. 10.2 hands equals ten hands, two inches (42 inches).
Author's Note: Thanks too for your suggestions regarding Gary's Garden. I had intended to use it only for completed projects, but I will add MF to it, give me a little time.
© Gary_Q