“Good.” Ellen removed the cover from the wheeled cart. When she did, Joe and George saw what it was, and immediately tried not to laugh. Ellen picked up an object and showed it to her audience. “Now, what I’m holding in my hand is a straight edge razor.” She moved around the very shiny object. “It’s sharp, as you know.”
Henry’s eyes bulged. He was afraid to look. She couldn’t be serious.
“Henry is going to show all of you how much he trusts me by letting me shave him. As you can see . . .” She lifted his chin and held the object close to his neck. “One false move, one sneeze, and Henry is history.”
Henry’s eyes widened more. The reflection of the light off the razor shone across his face. He was terrified. He trusted Ellen. But did he trust her with a straight edge razor? As soon as Henry knew the answer to that one, he jumped from the chair and booked.
Frank finished with his rounds sooner than he thought. And when John Matoose, arguing with his wife Jenny, showed up early, Frank left without hesitation. He knew Ellen still had a while to go with her class at containment, but Frank really wanted to see how Robbie did on his first test. He stopped in on his way home. The halls were empty and laughter from the skills room carried to Frank making him head straight there. He stopped when he entered. His quest to know what everyone was laughing at ended when he saw Dean in a chair and Ellen behind him, his head rested back on her and Dean was covered with shaving cream.
Frank was not amused.
He stood arms crossed as Ellen finished up on Dean and handed him a towel. That set fine with Frank until Dean playfully grabbed a handful of shaving cream, placed it on Ellen’s face and smeared it around with his lips. Dean stepped back from Ellen and tossed her towel, and while laughing, turned around to walk from the skills room. In his route out, he glanced at Frank in his pass, basking in the glory of Frank’s apparent unhappiness.
Frank didn’t respond, he merely walked into the skills room up to Ellen. She stood talking with Joe and George. “El.” He called to her in a loud whisper.
Ellen jumped. “You scared me.” She turned to him. When she saw him, she seemed surprised. “Frank. What are you doing here?”
Frank took the towel from her hand. He lifted her chin with his forefinger and thumb, and began to wipe her face as if she were a child. “I just stopped by to ask how Robbie did on his test. Then I’m gone.” He continued wiping.
Joe couldn’t take it. He interrupted their conversation briefly by snatching the towel from Frank’s hand. “Frank, you look really silly standing in the middle of the room wiping off her face.”
“But she had . . .”
“No.” Joe shook his head at him. He didn’t need to say more. Giving back the towel, he shook his head and walked away.
Ellen snickered at Joe’s disapproval of his son’s less than manly behavior. She was rather enjoying it. It was so unlike Frank. “I didn’t look at Robbie’s test yet. It’s on my desk. I’m sure he did fine.”
“I’m sure.” Speaking with edge, Frank pulled her off to the side. “I saw your little demonstration. It was kind of a personal. Don’t you think?”
“What? Shaving someone?”
“Yes.”
“How is shaving someone personal?” Ellen asked.
“Come on El. He looked like he was enjoying it. Did you see where he had his head?”
“Where he had his . . .” Ellen started to laugh as she looked down to her chest. “I have news for you Frank, Dean’s head’s been there many times and it wasn’t just to shave him.”
Surprising Ellen, Frank tossed the towel at her, pointed and stepped back. “Then why don’t you just finish up here and go home to Dean.”
“Frank.” Ellen was shocked when he stormed off. She chased him into the hall. “Stop. I mean it.”
Frank slowed down then stopped. He turned around. “What?”
“I was joking around because you were really acting jealous.” She stepped to him.
“I was jealous. All right? It . . .” He slid his hand down his face. “It bothers me. I shouldn’t let it, I’m sorry.” He lowered his head.
“No, I’m sorry.” Ellen spoke soft. “Still not want to see me tonight? I’m mean if you want to me to go home with . . .”
“No.” Frank sprang his head up. “No. If you do, then I’d lay in bed and stew all night because you’re with . . .” Frank grumbled when he saw through the corner of his eye that Dean had approached. “Dean.” Frank huffed. “What!”
Dean shook his head and took hold of Ellen’s arm. “Something is wrong with you. Come on, El, I’ll help a little more before I have to leave.” Leading Ellen to the skills room, Dean laid his hand on Ellen’s back and peered over his shoulder to look once more at Frank.
Frank flipped him off. He decided to leave, then remembered why he was at containment. Robbie’s test. And knowing what the questions and answers were, and knowing that he could see for himself how Robbie did, Frank went to Ellen’s office.
He turned on the light. On top of Ellen’s desk were the first tests. Paul’s and Robbie’s. Frank smiled and lifted up Robbie’s. The smile fell from his face. “No.” He closed his eyes. “Robbie, what is this.” Shaking his head, Frank reached over and shut the door. He took the test, sat at Ellen’s desk, and grabbed a pencil. Test before him, Frank began to erase and change the answers.
***
Ellen was finished, and in what she considered a remarkable early time. She scurried about trying to get her office in order before she left containment for the night. Stacking her things neatly on the desk, she flew to the door and reached for the light. She jumped and shrieked when Robbie was there. “Robbie.” She grabbed her chest laughing.
“I’m sorry. You’re leaving huh?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“If you need to talk, we’ll talk now.” Ellen grabbed his hand and brought him back in the office. “Have a seat.” She motioned her hand to a chair then sat on the desk before him. “You were quiet all night. Not the um . . . Robbie I remember.”
“I’m a lot different.” Robbie swallowed. “El, I’m worried about a couple things. One, my test.”
“Your questionnaire?” Ellen scoffed. “Robbie, you did fine. Perfect. See.” She leaned back and grabbed the test and handed it to him.
Robbie reviewed it. “Did my Dad see this?”
“Yes. I gave it to him right away. And he knew you’d pull it off.” Ellen winked.
“I don’t know what to say . . .” He handed it back. “Thanks, El.”
Ellen shrugged. “Sure. It’s my job. The other problem?”
“Being in here.”
Ellen nodded slowly. “I understand, Robbie. But please understand my position. I had to earn the Council’s trust in order to be able to make decisions to release people. As much as I love you, I can’t let you out until I’m certain.” Ellen paused. “Please don’t hate me.”
“No El. See.” Robbie grabbed her hand. “I’m worried. No, I’m scared. I don’t want to screw up out there. I don’t want you to let me out early because of who I am. I’ve . . . I’ve been out there a long time. I’ve done . . .”
“Robbie.” Ellen compassionately silenced him. “Please don’t worry. You can stay in here as long as you want. You let me know when you’re ready. I’ll talk to Joe.”
“Telling you I’m not ready, I can do. Telling my father I’m not ready is something I can’t do. I can’t let him know I’m afraid to live in his world.”
“Robbie, do you think Joe wouldn’t understand. He would.” Ellen said. “He wouldn’t think any less of you because there is no reason to think less of you. You were out there a long time.”
“El.” Robbie’s blue eyes pleaded. “Isn’t there anything you can do? Please, I’m begging you to help me. You make the decisions, they listen to you. What if it’s you who says I’m not ready. What if . . .”
Ellen exhaled to
silence him. “You want me to be the heavy.”
“I just want your help.” Robbie said sadly as he scooted his chair closer to Ellen and dropped his head to her knees. His hands gripped onto her as if he were so lost. His forehead rubbed back and forth against her legs. “I don’t want to lose what I looked so long for.”
Ellen’s hand went to Robbie hair, her fingers moved through it in a slow comforting sweep. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I’ll help you. And I promise you, Robbie, I promise you. No matter what, I will not let you fail.”
***
The air was dry and cool typical for late spring in the community. Henry watched from his bedroom window for the containment center lights to go out. When he saw that they did, it was his sign that all was clear, and he could go meet George at the social hall.
Henry and George got together once a week to play darts. George was the dart king, as he called himself. He was unbeatable, but still fun to play. The only time that George was beaten at darts, was a year before when he broke his dart throwing hand, and everyone felt they had to challenge him. Denny was the only one who could beat the crippled ex-president of the United States.
Shoulders hunched up, hands in his pockets, Henry tried to look inconspicuous. He didn’t want to run into Joe or Ellen, he felt sort of foolish for running out. The hall was empty when Henry walked in, all except for ‘Sam’ and George. George stood by the dart machine, a drink for Henry already waiting.
“George, you ready for me?” Henry pulled his darts from his back pocket and showed them to George.
“Yes, been ready.” George opened his black case and pulled out his darts. “Dean survived.”
“Excuse me?” Henry asked. “What did Dean survive?”
“Dean survived. After you ran out, he volunteered to be shaved. Not a nick on his face.”
“I trust Ellen, George. I do. If I had a heart attack, or was sick . . . no, scratch the sick part . . . but if I had an accident, I’d trust her. But to put a straight edge razor within millimeters of my jugular vein. I have to draw the line.”
“I understand. I wouldn’t have done it either. You came to help out. You couldn’t. What do they say? It’s the thought that counts.”
“It won’t work, the guilt trip.” Henry knew it would, he just wanted George to leave him alone about it. “Besides, I really didn’t want to help out with those classes. You know as well as I do Joe and Ellen have the schedule set one way. Make a suggestion, do something out of order, and they’re in your shit. Then they wonder why no one wants to help them. Anyway, I just wanted to talk to Robbie.”
“Did you get a chance too?”
“Yeah.” Henry’s voice was less than enthusiastic. “Let’s start our game.”
“Wait a second.” George reached out to stop Henry, who was pulling his darts from their little pouch. “Now this afternoon you were excited about Robbie. What’s going on? Your attitude stinks.”
“George, I prefer not to say anything. Let’s just play.”
“Bad first impression?” George was not giving up that easily.
“George, he’s Joe’s son.”
“Don’t you think I know that? You should have seen the array of knives we found in his belongings when we checked his stuff. Some of them blood stained.”
Henry, who was not looking at George, suddenly looked up. “What is your impression of Robbie Slagel?”
“I think Robbie is like any other survivor we’ve picked up. He’s scared, he’s maladjusted, and he needs time. The only problem is, we expect him not to be that way because he’s Joe’s son. We have to remember, yes he’s a Slagel, but he’s been out there forever.”
“Maybe that’s what’s bothering me. I expected more. And . . . there’s something about his eyes.” Henry fiddled nervously with his darts. “What do you think Joe’s gonna do?”
“I know Joe, and so do you. Joe wants his son out, yes. But, he’s not gonna let him out of containment until he thinks he’s ready. We are the Council. Joe will think with his head instead of his heart. He always does. Besides, Ellen will have to give her recommendation, and she can be tough.”
“And wrong, and she has been.”
George shrugged. “We can’t lay that on her. We make the final decision. We have Andrea back it up if we’re in doubt. Why are you so worried about this, my friend? You’ve never been this worried about a survivor.”
“Forget it. I’m not going to worry about it anymore. Let’s just you and I play our weekly slaughter game.”
“Never know, tonight you might win.”
Henry smiled. He knew he wouldn’t, but he’d try anyhow. The game would be especially a slaughter. Henry’s mind was not completely on the game, but on Robbie. Henry felt guilty for the feelings he had. He expected to be taken by Robbie straight away, but wasn’t. He expected to like Robbie right off the bat, but didn’t. The thing that ate away at him the most, was that he wasn’t giving Robbie the benefit of doubt that he gave every other survivor that they picked up. Ousted or not, Henry believed in them, and theorized reasons for their behavior. So why wouldn’t he do that for Robbie?
***
The whiskey splashed as Frank pulled the bottle from his mouth and set it on his night stand. Lying on his bed, his nude body covered with a sheet, he tasted the whiskey on his bottom lip as he listened to the shower water running. He smiled at the memory of their evening and he laughed to himself at Ellen’s ridicule of his attempt at tenderness. Growing antsy and really wanting to talk to Ellen, Frank flung the covers to the side and sat up. He reached down to the floor for his boxer shorts and stepped into them in his stride across and out of the bedroom.
He knocked once before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind him. He put the lid down on the commode and sat. “It’s me.”
“I figured as much,” Ellen spoke loudly over the running water.
“You didn’t say how your talk with my Dad went today. What did you do wrong?”
“Nothing. Get this. He wants us to etch our relationship in stone.”
“Marriage? Oh.” Frank tapped his bare feet on the bathroom floor. “O.K., when?”
Ellen stuck her head out of the shower curtain. “That’s not funny, Frank. Don’t let your father hear you joke around like that, he might believe you. Besides, he’ll forget about the marriage thing once Robbie leaves containment.”
“Then that won’t be too long. Robbie’s getting out when? Tomorrow?”
“I don’t know when Robbie’s getting out.”
“What do you mean? You make the recommendations.”
“I know I do. He’s not ready yet. I’ll let you know when I think he will be.”
“When, a day, two days?”
“He just arrived today, Frank, give him a chance.”
Frank grew defensive, it was apparent in his tone of voice. “So what, El, that Paul guy arrived today too. You already recommended he gets out tomorrow.”
“That Paul guy has been living in a civilized community. Robbie has not.” Ellen peeked from the curtain again. “Can we drop this please?”
“What’s wrong with my brother? Tell me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with him.”
“Then he can get out,” Frank argued.
“I’m not discussing this anymore. I’m not.”
Frank grew angrier. “Why?”
“Frank, drop it.”
Frank wasn’t finished with Ellen, but he knew she wouldn’t say another thing about it. She was stubborn. Frank stood up. Pissed-off, he began to leave the bathroom, stopped, flushed the toilet and then stormed out.
Ellen felt the water go from perfect to scalding. She tried to reach around the stream of water to turn it off, careful not to get burned. She stepped from the tub, dried herself and got dressed.
Figuring Frank had cooled down some, Ellen walked into his bedroom, releasing her hair from the clip as she made her way to the dresser. She grabbed the brush and began to brush out her hair. She
looked over at Frank who sat on the bed, knees bent up, and playing with his revolver. “Are we done arguing, Frank?”
Frank didn’t answer.
“You can’t really be mad at me. Are you?”
Frank lifted his eyes to briefly look at her. “I think you’re forgetting who he is.”
“I think you’re assuming because of who he is, that he’s ready.” Ellen placed down the brush and sat on the side of the bed. “You’re really mad about this?” She shook her head and reached down for her shoes. “How long will you be mad at me so I can avoid you?”
“How long will Robbie be in containment unnecessarily?”
Ellen slipped on her shoes. “I guess I won’t be seeing you for awhile then.” She stood from the bed, trying to control her anger. “I refuse to fight with you over this, Frank. If this is your attitude, then stay mad at me, I don’t care. I don’t tell you how to run security, don’t tell me how to do my job.” She stormed from the bedroom without saying goodbye.
The whole way back to her house, her disagreement with Frank stayed on her mind. They had argued in the past, but for only a few minutes. And in all the years they had known each other, they never left one another mad. The Robbie argument bred a first.
Dean was surprised when he saw Ellen walk in. He looked down at his watch. “It’s not even ten. No hanging out at the hall late?”
Ellen shook her head, and walked into the living room.
“I’m glad you’re home.” Dean followed. “The kids are asleep. I’m heading to the lab. I want to do some work. You don’t mind, do you?”
“No, you go ahead.”
“Thanks.” Dean looked around for his jacket, and spotted it thrown over a dining room chair. “I’m glad I’m getting an early jump on it tonight. Maybe I’ll be home by two or three.” He grabbed his jean jacket, as he put it on, his noticed Ellen’s far-off look. “What’s wrong?”
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 48