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A couple of questions for Dr. Lucas, Gideon, Eva, Corinne, Magdalene, Christopher & Marriage


Agordon817

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Hi Mrsmajessick,

I think it will be interesting to see how much of a role, if any, Angus played in Gideon's earlier life. I could imagine Angus going to pick Gideon from school and watching that boy get into fight, after fight, after fight, after fight. I could then see Angus talking to Gideon about his anger on the drive home. Gideon himself said that he was a very angry kid. I think that if other kids picked on him at school, etc. there may have come a point when he just finally snapped and started physically fighting his bullies. If you add the fact that Gideon was being abused at home, that could had added fuel to some serious rage in a kid who tried to go for help but wasn't believed. That could almost be a lethal combination for a kid who is strong and can beat up all manner of schoolyard bully. Just a thought.

Let's also remember that Angus was also Gideon's bodyguard so I find it highly suspect that Angus would know about the abuse. If he was told about it and did nothing (ie. have Gideon removed from the situation and the person causing the abuse), then I would find Angus to be morally reprehensible and derelict in his duty to protect his charge-Gideon. Angus would have had a legal and moral obligation to help Gideon and I really don't think that Gideon would have had Angus in his adult life if that was the case.

I also wanted to clarify that it would be absolutely despicable if Gideon told Angus about the abuse and didn't inform the authorities because he was afraid of losing his job. Again it would be like prostituting this child for financial security (which I don't think is the case). What you say about Angus teaching Gideon how to fight is plausible. It may have given the two of them an opportunity to connect and given Gideon a very useful tool (a manner in which to defend himself).

 

Evening, GiGi!

 

My theory is that Angus, not Gideon, was the one who reported abuse suspicions to Gideon's mother - that Angus was the adult who finally intervened. Because I doubt Gideon spoke up; his abuser was shaming him into silence by making Gideon believe he "wanted" the sex. What if it was Angus, who was Gideon's driver as a kid, raised the alarm. And continued to believe Gideon even after his mother refused to believe anything happened and paid private pediatricians to claim there was no evidence of abuse. 

 

So why wouldn't Angus go to the police next after the Vidals concluded Gideon was lying for attention, because he was such a messed up kid? He might have figured the only thing going to the police would accomplish would be getting himself fired, meanwhile the Vidals would use their private doctors and their wealth to continue to cover up the whole affair. So what if Angus decided instead to keep his mouth shut, remain Gideon's childhood driver, continue to believe Gideon and have faith in him and do everything he could to protect him for the remainder of his childhood.

 

Angus is the only adult from Gideon's childhood that he trusts. Trusts so much that as soon as he was old enough and had the money to do so, hired Angus away from the Vidals. Trusts Angus so much he put him in charge of protecting Eva. Angus had to have done something monumental to earn that trust. I think it was he was the only adult who believed Gideon and who stayed by his side to protect him as best he could even when the other adults in Gideon's life failed him in the most awful way possible.

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The whole way the Vidals handled putting Gideon into therapy was appalling start to finish. Christopher Vidal Sr. wrote the big checks, and all of these private professionals, from the shrink to the pediatricians, all danced to the Vidals' tune and did whatever they could to smooth things over and hush things up. Maybe to insulate Elizabeth from any more scandal ever, her being the widow of a Ponzi schemer who killed himself.

 

The more I think about it too, Gideon got the horrible end of the short stick under that roof. Why wouldn't he? Vidal Sr. had his stunning new wife. She gave him a son/namesake, Christopher Jr. And at the time Gideon was really acting out, she was carrying Vidal's second child, Ireland. So everyone's focused on Elizabeth. The only reason Gideon is supposedly getting any help is because he's stressing his mother and is a bad influence on his 5-year-old stepbrother, who is starting to imitate Gideon by throwing physical tantrums too.

 

It makes sense that the shrink, brought in on the pretense of fixing Gideon, instead ended up spending all her time with Elizabeth. And Gideon got shunted off to the side with the PhD candidate. They certainly were ignoring Gideon then, because the guy was raping him right under the Vidals' roof!

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why is it assumed that the vidals payed people off?  i really don't think there's enough money to get a doctor to ignore sexual abuse of a child.  and even if there were - who would they be protecting?  the only reason to cover up would be is vidal was the abuser, and then what good is it when the child himself cannot be paid off?  he was 11, 12?  it's not like he's too young to remember, so they just paint their kid off as crazy the rest of his life and hope he never talks to anyone?  it's all a little much for me. 

 

i don't think they paid to cover anything up - they simply did not believe him.  there must be another reason the doctors didn't find any evidence of abuse - maybe because he wasn't abused in any way that would leave marks?  it would be very plausible that the abuse came down to "he said/he said" and the troubled youth lost out to the reputable adult.

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The pediatricians were ethically and legally obligated to report even the mere accusations of abuse to child protective services. To bring in the authorities. Regardless of whether or not there was physical proof. There's no indications any outsiders ever became involved in looking into Gideon's case. The evidence points to the Vidals quietly bringing in two separate pediatricians to check over Gideon. End of story there.

 

By contrast, the authorities were brought in for Eva's case. Her mother took her to the emergency room because she was bleeding far too heavily for a period. An exam revealed she'd had a miscarriage, and the doctor found scars consistent with repeated forcible rape. When she told Gideon, she said, "The hospital reported the abuse to child services. It's all a mater of public record, which has been sealed, but there are people who know the story."

 

Eva was worried a reporter might follow the money trail (the $5 million dollars Nathan's father paid in damages, a civil case that was settled confidentially (thus under seal). Also, elsewhere, there's mention of Nathan being "lawfully punished." If he was prosecuted as a juvenile, those records too would be sealed. Eva was scared that someone was going to get their hands on the records (which they couldn't do directly but most certainly could obtain via leaks) and run stories that would embarrass Gideon.

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As much as I hate to give any kind of credit to Elizabeth Vidal but just for the sake of discussion, let's say Vidal Sr. paid off the doctors without Elizabeth's knowledge. She still should have believed her son, but what if Vidal Sr. was trying to protect Elizabeth from anymore stress and maybe even the possibility of losing Ireland (Vidal's kid). Vidal Sr. may hate Gideon for all we know and may have hated him from day one. Maybe he could have cared less what was happening to Gideon just as long as it didn't affect his wife and their marriage.

 

That would be so in-line with the theme of men using money and status to protect the women they love. Gideon does it with Eva by keeping her in the dark about Nathan and then killing him. Stanton does it with Monica by keeping her in a world of dresses and jewels and every other rich man Monica married did the same thing. So why wouldn't Vidal Sr. use his money and power to protect his wife from further scandal after her 1st husband commits suicide and now the son has been raped. I can see him going a long way to keep that from both Elizabeth & the public maybe even to the tune of Vidal Recorders being in hock (I would think it would take a lot of money to get two doctors to cover up a child being abused) and that's how Gideon was able to gain controlling interest.

 

I bet if that's true, Gideon may or may not be aware of the part Vidal Sr. played in the cover up. Or he may have figured it out and was able to buy back the shares of Vidal Records and hold it over Vidal Sr. head. He probably never told his mother about Vidal Sr. involvement because she wouldn't have believed it. She didn't believe him about the rape why would she believe her husband would cover it up. Or, maybe Gideon blackmailed Vidal Sr. into giving him controlling interest into his family buisness or else he would tell his mother????  Rich people are a real kick in the head -lol.

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The whole way the Vidals handled putting Gideon into therapy was appalling start to finish. Christopher Vidal Sr. wrote the big checks, and all of these private professionals, from the shrink to the pediatricians, all danced to the Vidals' tune and did whatever they could to smooth things over and hush things up. Maybe to insulate Elizabeth from any more scandal ever, her being the widow of a Ponzi schemer who killed himself.

 

The more I think about it too, Gideon got the horrible end of the short stick under that roof. Why wouldn't he? Vidal Sr. had his stunning new wife. She gave him a son/namesake, Christopher Jr. And at the time Gideon was really acting out, she was carrying Vidal's second child, Ireland. So everyone's focused on Elizabeth. The only reason Gideon is supposedly getting any help is because he's stressing his mother and is a bad influence on his 5-year-old stepbrother, who is starting to imitate Gideon by throwing physical tantrums too.

 

It makes sense that the shrink, brought in on the pretense of fixing Gideon, instead ended up spending all her time with Elizabeth. And Gideon got shunted off to the side with the PhD candidate. They certainly were ignoring Gideon then, because the guy was raping him right under the Vidals' roof!

 

Hi LNCronan

I read your posting and I have to say that I am confused. On page 197 of RIY Gideon states “She didn’t believe meâ€â€¦..His gaze was trained over my head. “It doesn’t matter now. It’s long done.†Gideon’s words to Eva directly imply that he himself told his mother about the abuse and that she didn’t believe him. It would also explain why he has a terrible relationship with his mother and why he remains so distant from her and from his family.

In your comment you asked: “So what if Angus decided instead to keep his mouth shut, remain Gideon's childhood driver, continue to believe Gideon and have faith in him and do everything he could to protect him for the remainder of his childhood.†I would respond to you by saying that Angus did NOT protect Gideon if he knew that Gideon was being abused and was criminally responsible for said abuse if he continued to keep his mouth shut. Period! Let’s just have a little dose of common sense here people!

Let me clarify again once more so that everyone knows the protocol; if a child is being abused (hit, beaten, raped, molested, etc.) the first order of protocol is to call the police! The child would have been removed from the immediate source of danger. In the case of Gideon there was an outcry, which means he said that a crime was being committed against him (he said it to his mother and maybe to Angus). He was being raped! The automatic obligation is to call the Police! A crime is being committed! Once the complaint is made, the police would come in and begin their criminal investigation (to see if in fact a crime was being committed and who was committing said crime.

The second order of protocol would be to contact Child Protective Services. They would come in and assess the child and then look at the living environment, have the child taken to a hospital for examination, to look for physical evidence. They would also talk with the child and the people assessing the situation. Both of these parties are extremely important in; 1) Stopping any immediate physical, sexual abuse act being committed on the child, 2) Assessing if a crime has been committed and 3) Making sure that the child has been removed from any source of danger permanently. It isn’t a situation of one or the other. Both agencies are crucial in this type of claim. People often assume that when a child is taken to a hospital for an examination (because of abuse claims) that the only call that needs to be made is to CPS. Let’s remember that the hospital has the physical and legal capacity to hold on to the child, separate him/her from the potential abuser and keep them safe until CPS arrives. In a way, they are acting like a surrogate agent for the police.

I say that Angus theory is flawed because Angus himself could have picked up the phone and made an anonymous phone call to the police to tell them about the Gideon’s sexual abuse claims (if he was so afraid of losing his job/or if he wanted to protect Gideon). That would have immediately put the wheels in motion and Gideon would have been removed from the household. He then would have been taken to the hospital to look for any physical evidence and there would have witnesses that Elizabeth or Christopher Sr. Vidal couldn’t have bribed (if that is in fact what they did).

I get really upset when I think about how many people in Gideon's life didn't use a little common sense and step in to help. It seems that everyone had their own interests at heart and at the end of the Gideon payed dearly! Sigh!

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As much as I hate to give any kind of credit to Elizabeth Vidal but just for the sake of discussion, let's say Vidal Sr. paid off the doctors without Elizabeth's knowledge. She still should have believed her son, but what if Vidal Sr. was trying to protect Elizabeth from anymore stress and maybe even the possibility of losing Ireland (Vidal's kid). Vidal Sr. may hate Gideon for all we know and may have hated him from day one. Maybe he could have cared less what was happening to Gideon just as long as it didn't affect his wife and their marriage.

 

That would be so in-line with the theme of men using money and status to protect the women they love. Gideon does it with Eva by keeping her in the dark about Nathan and then killing him. Stanton does it with Monica by keeping her in a world of dresses and jewels and every other rich man Monica married did the same thing. So why wouldn't Vidal Sr. use his money and power to protect his wife from further scandal after her 1st husband commits suicide and now the son has been raped. I can see him going a long way to keep that from both Elizabeth & the public maybe even to the tune of Vidal Recorders being in hock (I would think it would take a lot of money to get two doctors to cover up a child being abused) and that's how Gideon was able to gain controlling interest.

 

I bet if that's true, Gideon may or may not be aware of the part Vidal Sr. played in the cover up. Or he may have figured it out and was able to buy back the shares of Vidal Records and hold it over Vidal Sr. head. He probably never told his mother about Vidal Sr. involvement because she wouldn't have believed it. She didn't believe him about the rape why would she believe her husband would cover it up. Or, maybe Gideon blackmailed Vidal Sr. into giving him controlling interest into his family buisness or else he would tell his mother????  Rich people are a real kick in the head -lol.

 

Hi Mrsmajessick,

I read your theory and I have only one question; why leave Gideon in the house then? Why not send him off to some type of military boarding school? In that way, Gideon isn’t being raped and he is out of Vidal’s hair (Sr & Jr.). If Vidal Sr. was capable of paying off monsters to keep their mouths shut and to rape his step-son, all the while convincing his wife that nothing was wrong, then why not be at least half humane and dump the kid in a private boarding school? If that man has that much power to convince his wife of crap, then surely he could convince her that sending Gideon away would be in Gideon’s best interest? Keeping Gideon around would create even further scandal for the family don’t you think?

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Hey GiGi,

 

That same arguement could be made for why didn't they send Gideon away in the first place? If my theory is correct and I don't know that it is, Elizabeth loved him and wouldn't want him to feel abandoned again, especially since he was already abandoned by his dad when he killed himself. I think she would have been adament to keep him close to her especially if all of his problems were being linked back to his dad's suicide. She could have been beside herself thinking that he was next. I think Elizabeth's "mother's guilt" over her son losing his father in such a traumatic way probably did have her paying more attention to Gideon than Sr. or Jr. and that's part of why Jr. hates Gideon. I think Elizabeth may have made herself sick with worry over Gideon and was probably so beaten down by the time he told her about the abuse she was easily convinced that her son was a very disturbed child. Remember at that time Elizabeth was under the care of a therapist herself.  

 

As for Angus, I don't think he knew about the abuse, if at all, until towards the end. And along that line of thought I believe he was the one who helped Gideon to stop it. I mean, look at it this way - (Yes, I know and agree Angus should have picked up the phone and called the police) but, lets not forget that kids (in some cases) get returned to their abusers after some counseling and classes. I've seen my mother cry her eyes out over a child being return to an abusive home. Since there were doctors saying there wasn't any physical proof, Angus probably figured he and Gideon would end up on the losing side of contacting the police - he would lose his job and not be able to see Gideon and help him. I say Angus made the decision - for better or worst to take matters into his own hands (wow kind of reminds you of Gideon with Nathan) and formulated a plan on how to stop the abuse and rid Gideon of the abuser. Something happened to that person just from hearing Gideon's dreams and his attempts to rape Eva in her sleep says he used some kind of force against his abuser.

 

All I'm saying is that I think Angus may have trained Gideon to protect himself from his abuser and maybe it went to far (since Gideon was already an angry kid) because in Gideon's dreams it sounds like Gideon rapes his rapist - the whole the abused becomes the abuser and I think it was Angus who stopped him from becoming that kind of man - and that's how he knew Gideon knew when to stop, because he trained him how to know when he was out of control. Which is also how Gideon was able to stop before beating the life out of Brett and then later stop before beating Nathan silly in his office and pull off the one stab to Nathan's heart; he's a man fully in control of his anger and knows when to stop.

 

I don't know. Just my little $.02.

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Hi Mrsmajessick,

I am starting to think that Elizabeth Vidal had “Mommy Dearest†Guilt. Or should I say selective guilt. She feels guilty about the fact that her husband killed which was something she couldn’t control but doesn’t feel any guilt about not having one ounce of common sense in not believing her son’s claims of being sexually abused? She then doesn’t want to inconvenience herself and hire new therapists to help her and her son, but she doesn’t even see fit to make sure that her son is seen by a proper child psychiatrist? Hello?!

I just don’t know anymore. Elizabeth Vidal cares from all outward appearances but her actions show that she doesn’t. Let’s lay out the points here:

• Gideon claims that he is being abused-Elizabeth doesn’t believe him. She needs “proof†in order to believe her son. Huge problem.

• Elizabeth asks Christopher Jr. about the abuse (a five year old child) and thereby pits one child against the other.

• Instead of suffering any type of supposed “familial humiliation Elizabeth decides to quietly ask two doctors to exam Gideon. No mention is made if Gideon was examined in a hospital, clinic or otherwise. One is left to assume that Elizabeth Vidal had the “doctors†come to the family house instead. No mention is made as to whether these two doctors are independent of one another.

• Who was present during these examinations? Was there a nurse with each doctor?

• If Elizabeth Vidal was so concerned about her child’s well being then why didn’t she believe him when he said that he was being abused?

• If Elizabeth Vidal was so concerned about Gideon’s disruptive behaviour, his outbursts and his fighting (and the effect that it was having on Christopher Jr.), then why didn’t she make sure that Gideon saw a child psychiatrist and not a lowly “Grad Student�

• If Gideon had that many problems than why would she entrust the mental health of her child to someone who wasn’t qualified?

I understand exactly what you are saying, I think as a reader I am left with more questions than plausible (answers a reader could stomach) answers. Every time I come up with a theory, more questions arise. As soon as I think I have answered a question, then a dozen more sinister theories arise. Why do I suddenly feel like a hamster running around on one of those plastic wheels? Sigh!

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I like the line of thinking that Angus stayed with the Vidals knowing that he could do more for Gideon, continuing to work for them and training Gideon how to protect himself and be more of a solid man.  I never thought of that as a reason why Gideon would hire him away from the Vidals. but if Angus filled the void of a "Father Figure" to Gideon than it makes sense.  There is a lot of love and respect, as well as loyalty between Gideon and Angus.   

 

As for Angus knowing that Gideon would know when to stop the fighting, that fits well in your theory of Angus training him.

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why is it assumed that the vidals payed people off?  i really don't think there's enough money to get a doctor to ignore sexual abuse of a child.  and even if there were - who would they be protecting?  the only reason to cover up would be is vidal was the abuser, and then what good is it when the child himself cannot be paid off?  he was 11, 12?  it's not like he's too young to remember, so they just paint their kid off as crazy the rest of his life and hope he never talks to anyone?  it's all a little much for me. 

 

i don't think they paid to cover anything up - they simply did not believe him.  there must be another reason the doctors didn't find any evidence of abuse - maybe because he wasn't abused in any way that would leave marks?  it would be very plausible that the abuse came down to "he said/he said" and the troubled youth lost out to the reputable adult.

 

Hi Jo-mama,

In theory you are absolutely correct. Any physician, medical professional, nurse, dentist or healthcare provider should be above reproach, but unfortunately that isn’t always the case in the real world. The current theory is that the doctors whom Elizabeth Vidal consulted lied for their own reasons either; monetary gain, revenge or that perhaps they were themselves victims of her late husband’s ponzi schemes.

You are absolutely correct in that nothing should ever prevent a person from performing their ethical duty and upholding their “oath†of non maleficence- or do no harmâ€. All people who work in the healthcare industry, whose patient healthcare lay in their hands has to swear this oath. I had to swear this oath when I was licensed eighteen years ago.

My Jurisprudence and Ethics Professor once said that people are either inherently ethical or they are not. One hopes that for those individuals who are not ethical, that they can be educated to be more ethical. It doesn’t usually end up working out that way however.

How many times have we heard about cases in the media where something completely unethical occurs with a patient and then said investigations begin? A doctor touches a patient inappropriately, someone covers up mistakes made during a procedure, someone lies or “doctors†patient charts, etc. Could it be that maybe that some of us may know someone who is the healthcare profession who doesn’t put the patient first or follow the protocol set up by their individual healthcare regulatory body? No everybody who is a healthcare provider is ethical, not every healthcare provider has scruples.

As to the claims of Gideon being abused, if you go back to the book you will find that Elizabeth Vidal stated herself that she went looking for “physical evidence†of Gideon being abused. Depending on the type of abuse that Gideon was experiencing at the time would determine whether they may have found “physical evidenceâ€. For example if a child were being orally raped, if the practitioner were experienced and smart enough, then they would be examining the back of the child’s mouth and looking for circular bruising (signs of the p**** hitting the back of the child’s throat), or hemorrhages or petechiae (little ruptured blood vessels) that can present when a p**** is being rammed into the back of the child’s throat. If a physician or healthcare provider isn’t specifically trained to look for specific physical evidence then, the abuse can go undetected or be overlooked.

The most sinister thing for me is the fact that Elizabeth Vidal didn’t believe her son. That is the worst thing that can happen to a child. A mother is supposed to always protect and believe her child. She is always supposed to give her child the benefit of the doubt. Elizabeth Vidal did nothing. She failed her son in every way that was important. What is worst of all, is the fact that Elizabeth Vidal handed her son over to the abuser so that he could continue to rape him. Game over.

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I understand what you're saying GiGi and I completely agree. Elizabeth should have been able to look into her child's eyes and know that he was telling the truth without having any other proof. She's still wrong and nothing will change that. I'm only throwing out another speculation as to how the events might have gone down that appear to make sense. It's not a right or wrong argument just how things may have happen. I think the one thing we all agree on is that however it happened it was wrong. As we've all said before, Elizabeth Vidal is never ever going to get mother of the year. But, this goes back to themes I'm starting to see in these books of woman being manipulated and over protected by the men who love them and children suffering as a result of that. Eva flew under Monica's radar for four years without Monica ever noticing her little girl was being horribly abused - HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? Even before my children were able to talk I could tell something was wrong - and I think lots of mom's and dad's have that bond with their children, it's how we protect them.

 

So here you have both Monica & Elizabeth being so wrapped up in themselves their children's suffering goes un-noticed. Yes, I think it's possible that Elizabeth just couldn't handle another issue and choose - with the manipulation of her husband to gaze off Gideon's allegations of abuse and just see her son as being disturbed. Gideon's father's suicide predisposition her to believe her son has the potential to have problems. Elizabeth is just a beautiful trophy wife what does she know other than what she's being told by the doctors. Imagine if those doctors where telling her the same things Dr. Lucas told Eva about Gideon being a liar and a manipulator and a sociopath - that would be a lot for her to handle in her "fragile" state. I think it was just easier for her to put it all into a box and contain it and let her husband deal with it. They say love of money is the root of all evil and I believe that carrys over into the fictional world as well. Those doctors may have sold a poor child out for money and all it could buy and the places it could take them. I've lived in third world countries and seen children sold for far less.

 

And if your comment about knowing someone in the healthcare profession who doesn't put the patient first or follow proper protocol is directed towards me -  the answer is no. I don't know anyone personally who would do that. But, I only need to turn on the news to see it or travel to a third world country to witness it. Just like lots of other professions there are people in the health and mental healthcare who are as dirty as it gets. It's a horrible thing and if it were my child I'd be in prison over a trusted member of the healthcare profession failing my child on purpose - but it happens.

 

And, this is a book and so it's gonna be full of drama - some of it not so pretty as we've already read. It may get worst before it gets better. And I think that RIY was the dark before the storm. I think Gideon's story is gonna have some of us in tears when all is said and done and angry - which is what good books do. I can't wait to see how Sylvia plays it out.

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Let's say for the sake of argument (and conspiracy theory) that Christopher Vidal Sr. used his fortune to utterly conceal the fact Gideon was sexually abused? Because let's not kid ourselves, many people can be "bought." Including doctors. Especially bought by the person hiring the doctor in the first place. Like Dr. Lucas, who would have been around age 28 at the time, fresh out of medical school and probably with six-figures worth of student loans to pay.

 

Here's the motive for Gideon, all those years later, to acquire financial control of Vidal's company. Now Gideon is the man holding the power of the money. At any time, he could do things to wreck the company on a whim, if he wanted to. Gideon's got billions, so taking some loss on one of many subsidiaries he owns is no big deal. But Christopher Sr. would be utterly ruined. And by extension, Elizabeth and Christopher Jr. Ruined by the son of a man who, let's not kid ourselves, financially ruined many people via a Ponzi scheme. Think about the sheer power Gideon has and how that must keep Christopher Sr. up at night.

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I like the line of thinking that Angus stayed with the Vidals knowing that he could do more for Gideon, continuing to work for them and training Gideon how to protect himself and be more of a solid man.  I never thought of that as a reason why Gideon would hire him away from the Vidals. but if Angus filled the void of a "Father Figure" to Gideon than it makes sense.  There is a lot of love and respect, as well as loyalty between Gideon and Angus.   

 

As for Angus knowing that Gideon would know when to stop the fighting, that fits well in your theory of Angus training him.

I agree Fayeth...He really must have a lot of trust for Angus...I like the theory that he help him in training as well :) Go Angus!

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And I love how Angus' loyalty and protectiveness extends to Eva. Clearly, he can see Eva means the world to Gideon and that he's never loved a woman the way he loves her. And that for all the rockiness of the relationship, Eva's good for Gideon in many way. I'll bet that when Gideon and Eva were apart, Angus felt miserable about it too.

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And I love how Angus' loyalty and protectiveness extends to Eva. Clearly, he can see Eva means the world to Gideon and that he's never loved a woman the way he loves her. And that for all the rockiness of the relationship, Eva's good for Gideon in many way. I'll bet that when Gideon and Eva were apart, Angus felt miserable about it too.

angus is just a good guy.  remember that he offered corinne a ride, just because he ran into her. 

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Angus drove Gideon to school. The age spreads among Gideon, Christopher Jr. and Ireland is so great that they'd always be in entirely different schools. Christopher is around six years younger than Gideon, maybe a little more. And Ireland is around five to six years younger than Christopher. The math: Gideon was five when his father died. His mother remarried almost immediately. We don't know how soon Christopher Jr. was born, but nine months would be the absolute minimum. Between one and two years later is more likely. Christopher was five and their mother pregnant with Ireland when the sexual abuse of Gideon started.

 

That's not to say the Vidals had one driver for each of their children. But it would indicate that Angus would spend at least parts of trips to and from school with just Gideon in the car. That would be the time for them to bond. Because by the time Christopher was old enough to start elementary school, Gideon would have already been in middle school. And he'd be in high school soon after.

 

Gideon started amassing money even while he was still an undergrad at Columbia. It would make sense Angus was still working for the Vidals then, because Christopher and Ireland would still be in elementary/middle school. I wonder at what age Gideon did hire Angus away from the Vidals. Also, I find it interesting that Angus would give up the job security of working for a family that would need him for years and instead go to work for some single young man who was gambling his way into a fortune: first literally (blackjack) and then figuratively (the financial markets.) 

 

I hope in Entwined, as we find out about Gideon's past, we find out more of the backstory about why Angus has been a part of his life for so long and what did Angus do to earn such trust.

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I understand what you're saying GiGi and I completely agree. Elizabeth should have been able to look into her child's eyes and know that he was telling the truth without having any other proof. She's still wrong and nothing will change that. I'm only throwing out another speculation as to how the events might have gone down that appear to make sense. It's not a right or wrong argument just how things may have happen. I think the one thing we all agree on is that however it happened it was wrong. As we've all said before, Elizabeth Vidal is never ever going to get mother of the year. But, this goes back to themes I'm starting to see in these books of woman being manipulated and over protected by the men who love them and children suffering as a result of that. Eva flew under Monica's radar for four years without Monica ever noticing her little girl was being horribly abused - HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? Even before my children were able to talk I could tell something was wrong - and I think lots of mom's and dad's have that bond with their children, it's how we protect them.

 

So here you have both Monica & Elizabeth being so wrapped up in themselves their children's suffering goes un-noticed. Yes, I think it's possible that Elizabeth just couldn't handle another issue and choose - with the manipulation of her husband to gaze off Gideon's allegations of abuse and just see her son as being disturbed. Gideon's father's suicide predisposition her to believe her son has the potential to have problems. Elizabeth is just a beautiful trophy wife what does she know other than what she's being told by the doctors. Imagine if those doctors where telling her the same things Dr. Lucas told Eva about Gideon being a liar and a manipulator and a sociopath - that would be a lot for her to handle in her "fragile" state. I think it was just easier for her to put it all into a box and contain it and let her husband deal with it. They say love of money is the root of all evil and I believe that carrys over into the fictional world as well. Those doctors may have sold a poor child out for money and all it could buy and the places it could take them. I've lived in third world countries and seen children sold for far less.

 

And if your comment about knowing someone in the healthcare profession who doesn't put the patient first or follow proper protocol is directed towards me -  the answer is no. I don't know anyone personally who would do that. But, I only need to turn on the news to see it or travel to a third world country to witness it. Just like lots of other professions there are people in the health and mental healthcare who are as dirty as it gets. It's a horrible thing and if it were my child I'd be in prison over a trusted member of the healthcare profession failing my child on purpose - but it happens.

 

And, this is a book and so it's gonna be full of drama - some of it not so pretty as we've already read. It may get worst before it gets better. And I think that RIY was the dark before the storm. I think Gideon's story is gonna have some of us in tears when all is said and done and angry - which is what good books do. I can't wait to see how Sylvia plays it out.

 

Hi Mrsmajessick,

I read your comment and I just wanted to clarify that my comments were in no way directed toward you whatsoever. I am so glad to hear that you have parents that care about their patients and care about their safety and well being. That gives me hope for healthcare. I completely understand your discussion of the theories and I am completely cool with that. The issues of abuse have professionally hit close to home for me.

In my eighteen years of clinical practice I have only ever had to report a case of abuse once (Thank you God-may I never see another case again). I cannot go into specifics but I can tell you that the abuse was very obvious. So as a matter of professional protocol I documented all the physical evidence and the statements made by the “patientâ€. I then asked the office manager to keep the “individuals†who brought the child in for treatment distracted and away from the child. I informed the owner of the clinic what was going on and what the protocol was; I had to call the police and then I had to call The Children’s Aid Society (or CPS in the US). To my utter surprise and horror I was informed not to call and that he, “the owner†of the clinic (also a healthcare provider) would privately deal with the situation. When I asked him what his plans were for keeping the child safe, he began yelling at me to mind my own business. I then politely reminded him that I was legally obligated to report the abuse and to take the appropriate steps necessary (as mandated by my regulatory healthcare licensing body). While he was screaming that his clinic was going to lose revenue over the loss of the patient, I called the police and then CPS.

Needless to say, my contract was terminated immediately (I subsequently sued the owner of the clinic and won) and several individuals healthcare providers received reprimands (by their regulatory healthcare licensing body). When I asked colleagues about whether they had seen cases of abuse in their professional careers, a few had stated that they had, but they didn’t inform anyone of the abuse. The number one reason was; they were afraid of losing their jobs. They then proceeded to lecture me about how they had bills to pay, and a mortgage to pay, etc. (as if I don’t have bills to pay-sigh!). When I politely reminded them that they were legally obligated to put their patient above their own needs, I got a few select middle fingers.

I know that I am not the only person that this has happened to, but I wonder how many healthcare professionals would turn a blind eye. I suspect that there are a few or maybe more than a few. Maybe people visiting this website might know someone who doesn’t always put the needs of their patient/s above their own. Maybe all these discussions might help somebody who doesn’t know what to do, make the right decision. That’s all. I am sorry if I bored anyone.

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GiGi,

 

That is horrible the way you were treated for doing your job. I stand and applaude your conviction to stand by your ethics. It had to be heartbreaking to not get the support you needed from you co-workers.

 

I may be slightly defensive on this subject because when I was nine a girl a couple of years younger than myself was taken out of her parents home for being physically abuse - beatings with hangers and wires and locking her in the closet all came out later. But, after only six months of the mother going to classes - not the father - who was just as responsible for abusing the little girl, she was placed back into the home. Several weeks later they found her dead in the basement and the parents nowhere to be found. It wasn't until some 15 years later they caught the mother, the father had od' on Meth. I didn't fullly understand the scope of this until years later and when I hear about children being abused it puts me on edge - I guess even fictional children. But, I'm good now. And, I'm sorry you went through what you did, but happy that you kicked their arse in court!

 

Now, who wants to talk about how pathetic Magdalene is (on the female side) vs Trey (on the male side)?

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Another Angus theory .... maybe Angus was the one who behind the scenes got the abuser to finally stop. Caught the guy red-handed abusing Gideon. Beat him up (Angus is a trained bodyguard) and threatened the man with exposure. Nobody was believing an 11-12 year old kid, but someone would believe a third-party adult eyewitness. Especially if things had progressed to anal penetration by then. Catch the guy in the act, well then an immediate exam that included rape-kit evidence collection would send the guy to prison for decades.

 

Yes, I know fellow posters who feel passionate about this, in theory Angus should have immediately called the police, not taken the law into his own hands. Gideon ought to have called the police as soon as he saw Nathan possessed sexually explicit pictures/video of Eva and was using them for blackmail. He very much should have called the cops right away Monday when he learned Nathan had committed very serious felony-level assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

 

Gideon took the law into his own hands. He decided to take care of the danger once and for all, and do it himself. Sure, part of the reason is he's a serious control-freak streak. But also, Gideon did not trust the "system" to protect Eva. So someone else (him) had to do it. Keep in mind too, what was at the center of the Nathan situation was he'd repeatedly raped Eva as a child. Something her rich mother managed to keep a deep dark secret, even though in Eva's case, she believed her child.

 

The system failed to protect Gideon as a child, starting with his mother who didn't believe him, and starting with a couple of doctors who were obligated to outside-report to authorities the mere accusation of abuse, but instead performed private exams that stopped the case cold. Maybe Angus didn't trust the "system" either to protect Gideon. So someone else (him) had to do it.

 

And if Angus succeeded in making the abuser quit once and for all, well that makes sense why Angus is the only adult from his childhood that Gideon trusts. Including literally trusting Angus with his body, as his chief bodyguard. And put Angus as the head person guarding Eva's body between the time Monday morning that Gideon found out Nathan had turned incredibly physically dangerous and the Thursday evening when Angus delivered Eva safely home after her appointment with Dr. Petersen. Within hours of that appointment, the Nathan threat was taken care of permanently.

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All too often in real life, people do not call the police to stop an escalating situation. Far too many of the real-life criminal cases I saw, especially involving stalking, had the cops involved only after things went way too far. Same deal with child sexual abuse cases. The ones that did make the criminal courts were sickening in their degree of horror. Reason I quit journalism all together was years of seeing the worst people could do to one another burned me out.

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