2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

Stacey’s reaction to Penn was highly negative. As she and Kev had developed their own unique relationship, did you expect this from her or was her behavior more surprising?

It isn't Stacey's way under normal circumstances. I did understand her reaction though. It felt normal to me since she is still dealing with her grief.

When Penn worked with the team the last time, she worried that he was going to take over her research. Now she is worried that he is going to take Dawson's place, and maybe some of her duties. It is a tough time for her. She needs to work through her emotions her way.

Grief is an unknown for everyone, even those who have experienced it. Therefore I don’t think any kind of behavior is surprising when a death is at the center of a situation. I don’t believe Stacy has anything personally against Penn. She would have reacted the same way to anyone taking Kevin’s place.

You never know how someone will react to a death. I understand Stacey was grief stricken by Dawson's death, but I was a little surprised by the way she acted toward Penn. I was glad when she realized what she had been doing and decided to apologize to him.

Again, why weren't these people given grief counselling!! Everyone deals with grief differently and no professional help to even support them through their loss. Anyone would find their colleagues replacement difficult even though it is inevitable. Imagine being Penn coming into that situation. He handled it very sensitively and really showed he was the right person to join the team.

Teresa, you’re so on point about how differently grief may show up in people. I had two completely different reactions to my parents’ deaths and was surprised by it.

Poor Stacey. She had the closest relationship with Kev and it had become special. And, she had the added trauma of them locking eyes right before he fell. Nothing about her behavior with Penn resembled any way she’d been in the past but this poor woman was at sea with her emotions.

Lisa, if they didn’t receive grief counseling, that’s incredible. However, because it was being forced on Kim, I assumed it was already provided to Bryant and Stacey immediately after Kev’s death. It probably ended before they resumed as a team.

Stacey mentions seeing the therapist in chapter 48. She was thinking about the tension when Penn was around. "She knew she had to be patient with herself, the therapist had told her that. Not to expect too much. His death was a loss to her. Yeah, she knew that too."

When Kim first visits Ted. He says, "I thought counseling was mandatory after such a traumatic event." Kim responded that she was off sick. I thought the rest of the team began their counseling during the six weeks Kim was off.

Thanks, Sharon. I couldn’t trust my memory.

Thanks Sharon. I guess the author is picking up the story when they resume work. But they did mention they had been with other teams so it must have been a very short time for such a tragic incident. Although for some people returning to work and usual routine may be important.

Kim was out six weeks due to physical injury. I imagine Bryant and Stacey took what time they needed.

I think the added pressure of Penn's involvement in the case in which Stacey was almost killed also had an impact on her reaction to Penn.