“Besides how much more we need to find out, what does it tell us.”
“Who we’re dealing with. What . . . we are dealing with.”
After rubbing his eyes Joe glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late, Dean and Ellen are back up there. What do you say, you and me head on up, see what we can find out. Stir things up.”
“Sounds good.” George stated. “Then maybe we can figure out what the hell we’re going to do with all these new people. We can’t leave them in the make-shift hospital forever.”
“No we can’t.” Joe stood up. “But by the looks of Ellen’s little comments here and there, I know of one thing I’m going to do with them.”
“What’s that?” George asked.
“Humble them.”
^^^^
The one thing that bothered Dean about the makeshift hospital wasn’t dealing with the obstinacy of the patients, but rather dealing with the distance. Five miles was a long way. Especially when Ellen got hungry at night for something they didn’t stock at the hospital. Every time Dean made the trip he grew more and more aware of the distance and feared how that would come into play when it came time for Ellen to deliver. Knowing how the exam went and seeing her small stomach drop further and further each day, Dean knew that birthing scenario wasn’t that far off.
Returning to the hospital, chocolate cake in hand, wanting to get Ellen fed and just finish up for the evening, Dean was a little surprised at how empty the room looked. He set down the cake on the table by the door when he saw almost the entire population of recently defrosted scientist huddled in the back together. Were they having a meeting? Some sort of rehashing of their master plan. And then it hit him. Where was Ellen? Not really concerned that they killed her, Dean walked over to Jason Godrichson who lay on his bed, writing something and smoking a cigarette.
“Jason.” Dean called his attention. “Have you seen Ellen?” He held his hand to nearly his height as if Jason wouldn’t know who Ellen was.
Jason only lifted his pencil and pointed it to the large huddle group.
Exhaling Dean walked over. He could hear the whispers. Words eluded from them in the form of comments. Small. Exciting. Perfect timing. Amazing. And then Dean heard Ellen’s giggle. He knew she was in there and she could be only one place. Edging his small body blindly in. He extended his hand, reached center, grabbed a limb and yanked out . . . Ellen.
“Hey.” Ellen yelled.
Dean hear the eruption of objectionable moans from the group. He held up his hand and gave a cold stare pulling Ellen from them. “El, what the hell are you doing?”
“They were touching my belly. It was funny.” She laughed. “They think . . .”
“I know what they think El.” Dean kept his voice low. “I can’t believe you’re letting them believe that.”
“Oh.” Ellen waved him off. “It’s fun.”
“It’s weird, El, the attraction to you.”
“They love me.”
“They love this.” Dean poked her belly like the Pillsbury Dough boy and she snickered to imitate him. Dean rolled his eyes. “Please stay away from them. You know how nervous I am already about when this kid is born.”
“You’re really being silly about . . .”
It was a chain reaction. The ‘boom’ of the door opening. The shock gasps of the new people, Henry screaming out Ellen’s name as he ran in, and then the second ‘boom’ that not only brought a growling Frank, but screams from the frightened newcomers as well.
“Ellen.” Henry ran behind her. “Help me..”
Dean was confused. “Ellen, why is your husband chasing Henry?”
Ellen spoke through her giggles. “Seems Henry decided to share his cankerous lip condition with my husband.” Ellen quickly darted in front of Henry as is some sort of body shield. “I’ll protect you Henry. Stay behind me.”
Frank stomped closer. “El. Step aside. Let me at him.”
Ellen still protected Henry. “Frank let it go. It’s not that bad.”
“Seven years El.” Frank pointed. “It’s been at least seven years since I had one. All my life I got plagued with them. But then Henry has to go and kiss me and I end up with Henry disease eight hours later.”
Dean enjoyed the occurring scene immensely. “Let me see, Frank. It’s not that bad.”
“Guaranteed tomorrow my whole lip will be fucked up.”
“Just stop by my lab tomorrow for what I gave Henry.” His head swung back and forth between and outraged Frank and frightened Henry. “And Frank, no kissing Ellen until it dries up. We don’t want it spreading any further, understand.”
“No way.” Frank sternly shook his head. “She needs me to kiss her.”
Dean held his hands up. “I’ll tell you what. Being the generous man that I am. I’ll kiss your wife for you when you feel the need, how that?”
Frank smirked at him. “Right Dean.”
“Really, Frank. Not a problem. Watch.” Turning, Dean grabbed a hold of Ellen’s cheeks and quickly kissed her on the lips. He nonchalantly backed up from her to return to his patients who had calmed down. However, the loud stomp of Frank’s boot in his pre-pursuit, sent them frightened, screaming and running again.
Joe and George immediately walked inside in the midst of the amok.
George viewed the disarray then looked to a perturbed Joe.. “What was that you said about coming here to stir things up?”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
June 12
Joe had hoped that perhaps Jason had found something out. He hadn’t. In fact he was starting to be treated in the make-shift hospital as the outcast he was. Treated no better than any of the community personnel that visited and worked there.
It was time, Joe felt, to move Jason out of there. Telling Jason he would be issued living quarters in one week’s time, and to choose a division to work in. Joe was surprised. He expected Jason to be asked to be placed in the clinic, or containment. Jason chose paper processing. Finding their way of recycling and creating their own paper fascinating to him. And since it was the least stocked job, Joe agreed to it one hundred percent.
The healing process was good for the new people. Their arrogance made Joe want to pull out his hair. His interrogations were going nowhere. But what frustrated Joe the most was the fact that he had forty-nine people sponging off of Beginnings and not doing a damn thing for it. All they did was complain. He had already heard enough from them about getting out of the prison style hospital. And with that in mind, Joe realized what he had to do. He wanted to humble them. And he would. He wanted information and he thought of a way to get it. An exchange. But first, he just had to get everything ready.
^^^^
“I hate these people.” Ellen slammed down a chart on the desk that Dean deemed his own in the corner of the make-shift hospital.
“I know. I hate them, too.” Dean fiddled in his finger tips with a sun flower seed. “Not much longer.”
Ellen looked at him oddly the way he seemed to politely de-shell the seed and toss it aside. “You know they’re actually bitching to me that they . . .” She paused
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing.” She waved at him and picked up a seed. “You eat these all wrong.”
“How in the world do you eat sunflower seeds wrong?” He picked up another one and continued in his own eating habit of them.
“Please, you eat them like a pansy. You would think all those scars you acquired on your cute baby face would have at least gotten rid of some of those left over manners.”
“All right, I’ll bite. How miss manners, do you eat a sunflower seed?”
“It’s an art.” She noticed him nod at her. “It’s all done within the mouth. It starts with the sucking off of the salt. Just watch me.” She placed it in her mouth and cringed. “Dean.” She spit the seed out like a bullet into the waste can. “These are gross, where’s the salt?”
“You’re pregnant, you don’t need salt.” He looked in the can. “And
where did you learn to spit like that.”
“I live with Frank remember?”
“Oh that’s certainly a lady-like skill you picked up.” He grabbed another seed.
“I’ll leave you alone. I wanna finish and . . .” She took a deep breath. “ . . . go home.”
“Not until shift’s over.” He watched her shrug at him and walk away. Dean tilted his head. He wondered why Ellen was walking funny. She removed slower and leaned to her left. “Shit.” He jumped from the chair knocking it over. “Ellen.” He raced over to her.
Ellen jumped. “You scared me. Couldn’t you get out of that chair any quieter.”
Dean said nothing. He immediately placed his hand on her stomach feeling the solidness of it. “How long?”
“How long what?” She started walking again. This time pausing in her stride, then continuing.
“Ellen.” He chased, growing more nervous by the second. “How long have you been getting contractions?”
“Since six this morning. I’m fine, they aren’t that bad . . . yet.” She cringed.
“Shit.” Dean paced around in frantic circles. “It’s nine-thirty. You know how fast you deliver.”
“Calm down Dean, I figure I have at least another two hours, that is unless of course my water breaks, then we’re talking fifteen minutes. Besides Jenny Matoose is in labor and I want to wait until after she has hers.”
“Henry has the jeep. I knew this would happen. Damn it.”
“Dean, you can deliver it here if you want. Oh shit . . .”
“What?” He held back his hair and widened his eyes.
“My water just broke.”
“Oh my God.”
“Just kidding.” She laughed.
“This is not funny Ellen. I’m calling Frank.” He rushed to his desk for the radio.
Ellen tried to run to him to stop him, but couldn’t go fast enough. “Don’t he’ll panic. Just tell Henry to get back here.”
“No.” Dean pulled from her reaching hand for the radio. “Frank. Frank come in. I need you to come here.”
Frank answered his call, but with zero tolerance to him. “Is someone getting killed?”
Dean wanted to scream and call him one of these obscene words Frank always calls everyone else. But he opted for rationality. “No, it’s . . .”
“Tough Dean. Deal with it.”
“Fine.” Dean’s tone changed. “If you don’t want to be around when your baby arrives . . .” The door to the hospital crashed open. Frank stormed in with an entrance. Dean set down the radio with a slam. “You were right outside the door?”
Frank ignored him and charged to his wife. “El. Is our baby coming now?”
Ellen began to answer but Dean interrupted.
“Frank, she’s having contractions. We have to get her to the clinic. Where is your jeep?”
“Right out front.”
“Let’s get her out of here.”
Ellen stepped back as Frank went to lift her. “He can’t drive me, Dean. The way he drives he’ll have to pull over because this baby will fall out.”
“I’ll drive easy.” Frank was ready, he lifted Ellen into his arms and began to carry her out.
Dean grabbed his jacket and chased them. “Wait, I’m coming with you.”
Ellen sat in the back of the very bouncy jeep, Dean next to her holding her in as they flew about. “This is what you call easy driving?”
Frank ignored her and shifted the gears.
Dean tried his best to hold Ellen in. “I think you can slow down a bit.”
Frank kept driving.
Ellen balked in pain, grasping Dean and the jeep’s side. “Frank slow . . . shit. My water just broke.” She reached up and smacked him in the back of the head. “You made my water break you asshole.” She hit him again.
“El.” He swerved the jeep. “Knock it off.”
“Slow down.” She pulled at his ear.
Frank motioned his head away from her chalking her behavior up to extreme pain. “Dean do something with my wife.”
“I am Frank. I’m trying to keep her in this jeep.”
Ellen reached up and forcefully grabbed Dean’s shirt pulling him close to her face. “Dean, when we get to the clinic you have to give me something. You have to knock one of our asses out. Because he is going to drive me nuts through this. Please.”
Wanting with everything he was to be sarcastic and say, ‘you asked to give him a baby’, Dean refrained, smiled and just kept Ellen from flying out of the wayward jeep.
In the clinic, Frank followed Dean’s running lead down the hallway to the birthing rooms. He carried Ellen, she seemed to flop in his arms with his every bouncy step.
Dean opened the third birthing room. “Frank get her in here, get her undressed. I’m getting Andrea.”
“We don’t need her, Dean.” Frank carried Ellen in and plopped her on the birthing bed.
Dean’s feet slid as he stopped mid-run. “You what?”
Frank waved at him. “I got it under control.”
“Right Frank.” Dean shut the door.
Frank rushed back over to Ellen’s bedside and began to reach for her clothes. Her waving hands swung at him. “El, you’re not making this easy for me.”
“Out. Get out of here, Frank.”
“You can’t deliver a baby with your shorts on.” He reached for them.
“Frank! I have no intention of power shooting this baby out through my clothes.” She slid from the bed and a contraction hit, her knees buckled and she almost hit the floor. “I can undress myself thank you.”
“El, let me.” He reached to her.
“Back off!” She stood up and held her hand out stopping his approach. “Back off or you’ll wait in the hall while this baby comes. ”
Frank held his hands up and stepped back. He had plenty of time to play doctor.
^^^^
“Sorry.” Dean bolted into the room and headed to the sink. He glanced over to Ellen who was in the bed, gown on, and covered. “Andrea’s still with Jenny.” He began to wash his hands. “You’re stuck with me.”
Frank’s head swayed from Dean to Ellen. He saw Dean dry his hands and he blocked his path. “Dean, I can do this.”
“Right, Frank.” He walked past him to Ellen’s bedside. “How far apart are they.”
Ellen gave a painful look and waded through the contraction before answering. “Close, one or two minutes. They’re strong too. I feel the pressure.”
“Good.” Dean smiled and sat on the foot of the bed. He began to lift the sheet. Frank’s hand came forth stopping him. “Frank, I . . .”
“What are you doing?”
“I have to examine her to see where we are.” Dean tried to lift again.
“We are here having a baby.”
“Yes I know.” Dean lifted sheet.
“Stop.” Frank halted him again. “You can’t examine her.”
“I have to examine her, Frank. How else are we going to find out how dilated she is. Now Andrea’s not here. You’re stuck with me.” He blocked Frank’s reach again.
“Fine, but don’t look at her.”
“What do you mean don’t look at her? I have to look at her.” Dean began to squat down.
Frank stopped him again. “How about I look and tell you what I see.”
“How about not. I’m the doctor!” Dean yelled in anger.
“And she’s my wife! I don’t want you looking at her.”
“Move away.”
“No!” Frank blocked him. “I’m doing this.”
“No you are not!” Dean argued back.
Ellen had enough. “Joe!” She cried out. “Joe help me, get them out . . .” Frank’s hand covered her mouth. Ellen bit it.
“Ow.” Frank whipped his hand away. “You bit me.”
Sounding possessed, Ellen glared at him breathing heavily. “Let him examine me now. Now!”
“Fine.” Frank covered his eyes with a pouting look as Dean lifted the
sheet.
Dean raised his head with a smile. “You’re there. The baby’s crowned.”
Frank marched right over to him grabbing his arm. Leading him out. “Thank you very much. I can handle it from here.”
“There is no way I’m letting you in here alone with her.” Dean resisted his lead.
“Tough. I’m delivering my kid. I’ve read every single book Andrea has given me.” He nearly began to drag Dean. “I’ve learned them. Andrea said I can do it. I passed her fuckin’ test. Now no one is gonna see my kid before me. Got that?”
“All right.” Dean understood his point. “Can I least wash up?” Frank released his arm and Dean went to the sink. He ignored Ellen’s calls out for help, and for him not to leave Frank in there with her. But there was nothing Dean could do. Andrea told Frank he could deliver the baby.
Dean walked with reservation from the birthing room to the hall. He saw an empty chair next to Joe.
Joe stood up. “Is the baby born?”
“No.” Dean sat down. “Frank is delivering it.”
“Frank! Jesus Christ what is wrong with you?”
“You know Frank.” Dean rested his elbows on his knees and placed his face in his hands.
Andrea saw Joe and Dean in the hall. Figuring the exhausted Dean meant Ellen was done, she approached them. “Jenny had a girl. No plague signs. How’s Ellen and baby?” She smiled.
Dean merely lifted his head, dragging the bottom of his eyelids down with his fingers. “I haven’t the foggiest.” He stood up. “And where was your mind when you told hard headed Frank he could deliver his kid.”
“I didn’t mean it, I figured . . .”
“You didn’t mean it?” Dean snapped. “Guess what’s happening right now.”
“No.” Andrea shook her head. “I have to get in there.” She charged for the door and opened it, not even drawing attention to herself. She shut it quietly and sighed in relief when she leaned against the door taking in the vision before her.
Frank stood at the bottom of Ellen. His eyes were bright, a look of total awe was upon his face. He smiled widely and nervously, as he cradled the tiny new born in his arms. He looked down at him with pride. “Our son.” Frank tried to adjust his hold, his huge hands nearly burying the baby. “He’s so tiny.” Frank glanced up. “And slippery too.”
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 100