Frank sprang up. “No-no. We were taking a break. We came to get candles.”
“Yeah.” Robbie stood also.
“Right,” Ellen scoffed. “You probably were having some deep, sappy conversation too, weren’t you?” She began to grab candles. “Big tough Slagels. Joe is gonna die.” She shook her head while shoving more candles in a bag.
Frank nodded his head up to Ellen. “Robbie, I think we should chase her skinny ass down and tie her hair in knots like we used to when she threatened to tell Dad.”
Ellen dropped her candle bag and looked at them, she fake snickered. “Sure.” She saw them staring at her. “Guys, that was fourteen years ago.”
Robbie motioned his head at her. “How much of a head start?”
Frank thought about it. “Ten second? Sound fair?”
“Sounds fair.” Robbie smiled. “One . ..”
“Guys.” Ellen backed off the altar and passed them. “You’re joking, right?”
Robbie continued counting. “Five, six . . .” He stopped counting when he heard a panicked ‘Shit!’ come from Ellen and she ran from the church, letting the door slam loudly as it did when she entered.
Frank walked up to the altar. “Look Robbie, she left the candles. Let’s go bitch at her for not finishing her work.”
Robbie’s mind snapped from that memory when he heard the slam of the church door where he stood. He turned around, startled to see Marty slumping in his walk in. “Where were you?” Robbie asked the ill man.
“I had to get some fresh air.” He spoke weakly. “Do you need any help?”
“No. You just rest. I need you to get strong.”
“You looked deep in thought.” Marty held on to the pew and he helped himself to sit.
“I was,” Robbie smiled.
“I take it that was a good thought?”
“It was.”
“Had to be hard to do with all that’s happening.”
Robbie wanted to tell him it wasn’t. How odd it was that such a bad situation caused and bred a good memory. How it was horrible back then, and somehow he found himself smiling on a bad day. Robbie hoped at that moment, as he returned to his work, that this horrible situation so similar to the last, would somehow, in the future, end with a smile too. For that--how ironically--Robbie actually prayed.
<><><><>
It was Frank’s turn that evening and he returned to the clinic to do it. He had fed the kids, all of them, settled them down, and got them situated for Denny and Josh who would watch them until Ellen got home. That’s what they had done all day, every two hours switching duty on who would sit with Henry. Though they both wanted to, they knew they both couldn’t. Since both Frank and Ellen felt one of them should be there when he woke up, they switched turns, promising to call the other the moment Henry regained consciousness. Denny and Josh were prepared for that too.
Whistling softly, not loudly because he got bitched at the last time he did that in the corridors of the clinic, Frank made it to Henry’s room. He stopped cold when he heard voices, whispering voices. “Hey.” He smiled. “Shit, Henry.” A wider grin and Frank rushed to the bed. “You’re up. Oh my God you’re up.” His hand rested on Henry’s.
Ellen held the other hand. “Ten seconds earlier, Frank, and you would have been here. He just woke up.” She picked up his water for him and helped Henry take a drink.
Frank slid the chair closer to the bed. “How you feeling?”
Henry cleared his throat. “Sore. Really sore. I know my hand is burnt.” He held it up. “Is it bad, El?”
“Nothing that won’t heal.” She smiled and ran her hand down his face. She felt Frank’s hand stop her. “What’s wrong?”
“Don’t tuck his hair. Henry, she tucks your hair behind your ear when you’re sleeping.”
Though seemingly groggy, Henry smiled. It dropped when Frank came into focus. “Frank, your face is bandaged. What happened?”
Frank fluttered his lips. “Ellen.” He waved his hand at her. “She got vicious and clawed me like a cat.” Frank clawed his hand and made a ‘hissing’ sound at Ellen.
“Don’t let him kid you Henry.” Ellen spoke to him. “Frank got hurt when he . . .”
“El,” Frank interrupted her, “no, don’t. O.K.?”
Ellen shifted her eyes from Frank to Henry. “Frank had a run in with Marcus. He got bit.”
“No shit?” Henry asked. He then tried to lift himself more to sit and moaned in pain. “God, my chest hurts. I know I got shocked. I must have fallen on my chest.” With squinting eyes he pulled out the shirt he wore and saw the bruises center his chest. Immediately his eyes rose up and over to Frank. “What happened to my chest? This is no fall.”
“They uh . . .” Frank paused in answering, “they had to do CPR on you, Henry.”
“Oh my God.” Henry looked horrified. “I got shocked that bad? I thought I only passed out.”
Frank shook his head. “Your heart stopped beating.”
“Remind me to thank Andrea or Dean or Jason when I see them.” Henry faced Ellen.
Ellen shook her head. “Don’t you dare thank them.” Ignoring Frank’s ‘El’ she continued. “Turn your head back to Frank and thank him if you want to thank anyone.”
“Frank.” Henry closed his eyes and swallowed, listening to Ellen speak.
“Henry, he went in there while the room was on fire. He broke down that door to get to you. Frank brought you back to us Henry. Frank did.”
“Frank.” Henry opened his eyes to him. “I owe you my life.”
“No you don’t.” Frank waved him off. “I’m just glad you didn’t die on me. You know I know nothing about raising an Asian kid.”
“No jokes Frank.” Henry was serious. “Thank you.”
“Just don’t try to kiss me right now.” Frank smiled. “Though I found your lips incredibly soft.”
Henry laughed and grabbed his chest. “Don’t tell Ben that. Tell me something, Frank. Why were you down at the lab? Did you get a bad feeling or something?”
“No.” Frank shook his head. “Actually I thought you were blowing off my radio call. I was chasing your ass down.”
“Why would I blow off your call?” Henry asked.
“I thought you were pissed at me for sleeping with Ellen.”
Ellen’s eyes widened. “Frank, you make it sound like . . .”
Henry stopped her. “I know what Frank meant. And no, I wasn’t mad at all that you slept with her Frank. If I was, I certainly wouldn’t be now.”
Ellen stood. “That’s too gracious of you Henry, but he cheated in a game of scrabble to do so.” She moved to the door. “And Frank, leave him alone. I know you.”
“What?” Frank tossed his hands in the air with an innocent look. “I just want to sleep with you like last night. It’s cold in my house.”
“Turn the air conditioner down. I’m not sleeping with you two nights in a row.” She walked from the room and walked directly into Dean. “Hi Dean.” She smiled but didn’t get one in return. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head at her and walked harshly away.
“Dean?” She followed him. “Wait. What’s wrong?”
Dean spun around to face her in the hall. “I walk in to see Henry while I’m at the clinic. I’m standing in the door, ready to walk in and what do I hear?”
“What? What did you hear?”
“Ellen, did you sleep with Frank last night?”
Ellen started to laugh, waving her hand at him. “We didn’t have sex, Dean. We slept in bed together.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Excuse me?” Ellen was taken aback by his tone.
“The closeness was there.”
“Dean, why are you being like this?”
“How do you want me to be Ellen?” He started walking again. “Happy to know you’re not only living at Frank’s house but sleeping in his bed as well.” He stopped again. “Tell me something. I don’t stand a fighting chance do I? I ne
ver did. How can I, when the man you married so we could be together is rooting for the man who controls you most in your life.”
“Dean.” Ellen snatched him back by his arm when he moved onward. “Don’t you think the timing is a little bad to be discussing this? I didn’t do anything with Frank. I didn’t touch him, kiss him . . .”
“Stop!” Dean pulled away. “It doesn’t matter. Did you hear me? I’m glad I’m seeing this now instead of when I really thought we had something.”
“But Dean, we do. We’re together.”
“Bullshit,” he argued. “And if we were, we’re not anymore.”
“No.” She argued with passion as she followed him out of the clinic. “You need me. You need me to be there for you. How are you going to get through this in your life if I don’t help you?”
“So that’s it?” Dean walked backwards in a rush talking to her. “You’re only with me out of pity?”
“No, Dean I’m not with you because I . . .”
“Save it. Save it. I’ll admit I need your eyes. I’ll admit I need your help. But don’t think you have to give yourself to me Ellen to do so. Don’t do that to me. If I’m going to depend on you, I’d rather it be for your help only, not for you. Because letting myself go, letting myself be with you, thinking we have something, is only setting myself up for a hurt I can very well avoid. To think it never crossed my mind that you were with me because you felt sorry for me. I guess I was blind in more ways than one.” Wanting to say no more, Dean turned his back to her and moved quickly to the living section.
“Dean.” Ellen raised her hand and let it fall as she watched him walk away. Her heart dropped like her hand and she immediately felt at a loss. Dean never looked back at her. He just kept moving.
CHAPTER TWENTY
JULY 13
Henry’s breathing was easier. Though his chest still hurt, his deep breaths weren’t as crushing as they had been the previous two days. Allowed by Andrea to get up and get cleaned, Henry was moving on this day. He wasn’t allowed before because he was being monitored too closely. But they granted him some leeway, not enough so as he could go home, but enough to take that shower he needed and put on something other than that shallow hospital garment they gave him.
Ellen made him smile when he emerged from the bathroom. She was wearing her white clinic lab coat. How long had it been since she wore that? Ellen hadn’t worked in the clinic since she and Andrea had their falling out some seven months earlier. Was Ellen working again or was she just in the mood to wear that coat and fix his bed? “Hey, El.”
She spun around, dropping the sheet with a smile. “Look at you walking around.”
“When can I go home?”
“A couple of days. They just want to make sure there isn’t any after effects, Henry.” She moved to him. “You should put a shirt on. It’s chilly in here.”
“I’m fine. Can’t you talk them into letting me go home?”
“I can’t Henry and I don’t want to do that. I need you to be better.” She laid her hand on his face. “And look.” She pulled on her lab coat. “I’m working the clinic and containment for a couple days.”
“Really?” Henry titled his head with a smile. “Aren’t you on maternity leave with Nick?”
“Check this out. Since Frank is injured and on light duty, Joe decided to let me work for a couple days and let him stay with Nick.” She let out a long breath. “I don’t need to tell you I’m enjoying it. So clinic work or not, it’s work. It’s nothing against Nick, but everything against staying home. Now back in bed.” Ellen grabbed his arm, helping him into bed. She fixed the covers, leaning over Henry and tucking him in.
“Thanks, El.”
“Knock-knock.” Jenny Matoose spoke so chipper as she opened up Henry’s door.. “Henry, I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”
Henry’s eyes rolled slightly and pulled Ellen closer to whisper in her ear, “Why is she in here?”
Ellen turned her head to the door where Jenny stood. “Hi Jenny.”
“Being a special private nurse, Ellen?” Jenny walked in.
“You can say that. It’s called ‘getting them up faster’ therapy. You ought to try it.”
“I would, but fortunately none of my men live as dangerously as yours. Anyhow, getting to my reasons for being here.”
Wanting to laugh at Henry’s ‘Thank God’ in her ear, but she didn’t. She turned and gave Jenny her full attention. “Reasons?”
“Two of them. One, you have yet to register your menstrual cycle with Andrea. You can’t reap the benefits if you don’t.”
“I’ll do that once I figure out what it’s going to be.”
“That’ll be fine,” Jenny said. “Can you make a meeting at my house tonight, say seven? I spoke to most of the women, they can.”
“I guess I can. Why?”
“We want to have a wedding meeting. We want to pick a committee since this is a group project, and start the ball rolling on things. You know, actually sit down and write up what we need to do, who gets involved and such. We need to pick the bridesmaids and decide who the groomsmen are going to be. All of this is so important when it comes to clothing sizes. Once we know what we want to do, we can proceed with the preparations. All basic stuff. So you’ll be there?”
“Sure, I’ll come.”
“Good. See you then.” Jenny moved back to the door. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
Henry waited until Jenny had left before he raised his head up. “Wedding meeting?”
“Oh yeah. There’s going to be a big wedding in Beginnings in a couple of months, Henry. Now what’s going to actually happen isn’t set in stone, but by the talk, it’s going to be big. Complete with bridesmaids, groomsmen, cake, music, the whole thing. Old fashion. It’s the Moon lodge’s big group project.”
“A big wedding.”
“Like in the old world.”
“Who’s having it?”
“Me and you.”
“What?” Henry was shocked.
“Me and you Henry.”
“But, El, you said we weren’t.”
“I know. I know.” She waved out her hand. “I was trying to tell them, but they kept interrupting, they were so excited about a wedding and we were the target. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.. They were having fun and it helps my Frank-cause with Jenny so I let it go.”
“Frank knows about it?”
“Oh sure,” Ellen said. “He thinks doing this with Jenny is a great idea.”
“He thinks us getting married for real is a great idea?”
“Well, no. He didn’t really say anything about the us getting married part. I’m assuming he’ll figure a way to stop it. But he thinks the preparations for it are good.”
“So you already agreed for us to be the showcase wedding?”
“Yes, well, I didn’t have a choice. What’s wrong?”
“El, don’t you think you should have spoken to me first?”
Ellen looked oddly at him. “I’m sorry, Henry. I didn’t think you would mind. You know how important it is that I get close to Jenny.” She watched him get up from the bed. “Henry? Henry what is it?”
“El.” Henry ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea.”
“What? The wedding?” Ellen giggled at him. “Oh Henry, don’t worry about it. Frank will figure something out. It’s a party. Trust me, if we don’t tie the knot, they’ll find someone who will. They want this. We’re just an excuse..”
“El, I need you to know I feel really awkward about . . .about . . .” He saw she waited for an answer. “I feel . . .” He watched the smile slowly leave her face. “Never mind. Forget I said anything. Jenny involved or not, in a way it’s lying. It makes me feel awkward.”
“Then I promise I won’t let her pester you about it. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but you were electrocuted. Thank you.” Ellen giggled and stepped back. “I really have to get back to work. I don’t have m
any work days before I’m back at home with Nick until he’s old enough to go to the nursery.”
“Will you stop by tonight?” Henry asked as he moved back to the bed.
“No Henry, I’ll stop by in an hour.” She smiled at him as she walked through the door.
After adjusting the back of the bed up, Henry spoke softly as he climbed back into it. “Planning a wedding.” He blew slowly from his mouth. “Just a ploy to get close to Jenny. A wedding.” He spoke to himself then stared at the door as he lay back in bed. “Thanks for considering my feelings in all this.” He grabbed one of his two pillows, brought it to his chest, and held it close. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against the top edge of the pillow. He laid there in a lot more thought than he wanted to be in at that moment.
<><><><>
The sound of heavy artillery aggravated the headache that George had as he inspected the training of his men. It should have been a better day. Having just heard from John Matoose, it was certain now that Beginnings no longer had the CME program. That, according to John Matoose, was lost in the lab fire, along with part of Henry’s memory, so Beginnings was set back. Even though Henry wasn’t dead, it still, in an essence, was a victory to George. Trying to concentrate on good thoughts, he held one ear shut with his finger while he read over notes and watched, with a half eye, the pitiful marksmanship.
The military was building in a replica of what was once in the old world. It was similar to what Beginnings was trying to accomplish only on a bigger scale. Ranking and structure of the military had to remain the same. It was a matter of respect and pride, George thought.
George approached the thin, blonde, and balding man, slightly similar to John Matoose. He stood behind, marking down and keeping track of what the twenty men shot. “Sergeant.”
“Sir.” He spun to George, concentrating eyes forward and saluting him. His fingertips nearly pointed in his salute to the small half inch scar that garnished his temple a remnant of the implantation of the new chip this Sergeant received.
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 258