Andrea had to get her two cents’ in also. “I heard you were getting back with Frank too, Ellen. That’s probably why I’m shocked that you were with Dean. I’m glad, but shocked, especially the way you jump to Frank’s defense all the time. Hang around him all the time.” Andrea shrugged. “You can see where ideas are had. And ... I’m done.” Upon hearing Joe’s ‘Good’ Andrea covered Joe’s freshly bandaged backside with a sheet, swatted down with a slap to his rear-end, and stepped back with the tray to the sink.
Joe grunted, “Andrea.”
Andrea snickered and washed up. “Oh, Joe.” She took a breath and dried her hands. “I’ll let you two talk. Don’t sit on that rear tonight. It’ll be a little sore. Stop by my office for some medication. Right now, I have to go help Patrick with Henry.” She rubbed Joe’s head, messing up his hair as she passed him and laid an understanding hand on Ellen’s shoulder. “It’ll all work out. It could have been worse. Joe, Ellen.” With a wiggle-of-her-finger wave, Andrea left.
Ellen stood so shocked, staring blankly as Joe slid from the table, holding the sheet around his waist. “Frank thought we were getting back together?”
“Yes.” Joe grabbed the fresh clothes that had been dropped off for him. “Turn around. I can’t speak seriously to you anymore without my pants.”
Ellen turned her back to him. “Even though Henry told him this, why would he believe this? We never discussed this.”
“When, in the whole entire ‘Frank and Ellen’ history, has it ever been vocalized between the two of you, that you would be a couple aside from when you got married. It was always just assumed.” Joe finished placing on his pants, quietly whining and cringing as he did. “It was assumed now. What have you done to discourage his thinking?”
“What have I done to encourage his thinking?”
“Think about it, sweetheart.” Joe laid his hand on her shoulder. “You hang around him and the kids, you and Henry. When Henry was in the hospital, where did you sleep? At Frank’s house, in Frank’s bed nonetheless. Right then and there, whether it was innocent or not, you crossed the friendship lines. You led him on, Ellen, inadvertently, but you led him on.”
Ellen turned around, facing Joe. “Because of my situation with Dean, Henry got hurt, Frank got hurt, and you ... got shot.”
“It’s not all your fault, Ellen. It really isn’t. I’m not blaming you. I’m blaming all of you. It appears that everyone was communicating, just not everyone together.” Joe placed his hand on her cheek. “Now that I have you feeling guilty about shooting me, what is going on with Dean? You said he has a problem. You’re with him because of it. What’s the problem?”
“I can’t tell you, Joe.”
“Can’t or won’t.”
“Can’t. I promised Dean.”
“It’s his health, isn’t it?” Joe asked.
“Yes.”
“Dean’s health affects this community, especially if this virus hits. Ellen, I have a right to know. I run this community. ”
“I know. Because you lead us, Joe, that’s why I can’t tell you. If I do, you could pull Dean entirely and if that happens then we don’t stand a shot in hell of beating this virus.”
“Ellen, please. Why in the world would I pull Dean because he’s sick? There isn’t anything that could be so wrong with him that I would pull him before he’s ready.”
“How about if he can’t see?”
Joe’s words stumbled out as he lost his balance. “What? I know he had some trouble with his vision after that attack on the two of you. Is Dean losing his sight?”
“Lost it, Joe. It’s gone.”
“Dear God.” Joe’s hand immediately covered his mouth. “When? When did this ... wait a second.” He stepped back. “When did this happen?”
“Not last night, the night before.”
“Almost two days ago? Ellen, I saw him driving today.”
“True.” Ellen nodded. “He was driving.”
“If he can’t see, why in the world was he driving?”
“Because we were trying to keep up appearances. He knows and I know, Joe. When it was mentioned about his problems with his vision, you and Andrea acted like it was good thing he wasn’t blind. Dean and I have been preparing for this. We saw it coming. We learned how to work together if his sight went. We planned on how we would do this so our fight with the virus could continue even if he lost sight.”
“Ellen, the man can’t see,” Joe spoke with concern. “He can’t possibly beat this virus with the efficiency that he could with his sight. We are going to have to put someone else on this immediately. This is way too important.”
“No, Joe,” Ellen argued. “See, this is why we didn’t tell you. Dean’s eyes don’t cure this community, his mind does. We’re using his mind with my eyes. He can still mix meds. He can still figure out what’s wrong with people. He can still figure out what is needed to beat this virus, but he has to be able to do it. He is the greatest mind we’ve ever had in Beginnings, no, wait, that this world has ever had. Mind, Joe. Not eyes. Your attitude will be everyone’s attitude. Let Dean and I prove he can do it before you pull him. I know he can still work in his field. Let him. But I’m asking you to not let anyone know yet. Not yet. It’s bad enough he lost his sight, please don’t let him lose the faith of the people that trust him as well.”
Joe was silent, staring at Ellen in thought. He took a long, deep breath before answering. “All right. Maybe I’m being closed-minded. I’ll try to open it. I won’t say anything to Andrea until you can show her what you can do. You two can do this, right?”
“Yes, Joe.” Ellen smiled.
“I’ll talk to Dean myself, you hear. He’ll know that I’m aware.”
“Yes, Joe.” Ellen kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. We won’t let you down. We’re already on the way to beating this.”
“I know you are. I’ll help you out. I’ll take him off of patient duty and devote him only to research. It’s a valid move, especially with this virus thing.”
“Thanks, Joe, and once again, I’m sorry I shot you in the butt.”
Joe grunted, “Yes well, your ass is gonna be searching a mighty soft pillow for me. You hear?” He pointed at her.
“I’ll get right on it. But first, I want to go see Henry. He looked bad and I suppose he’s feeling just as badly too.”
“You go while you still have time,” Joe told her.
“Time? Oh yeah, I have to get back home and relieve Denny with the kids. You’re right.” She reached for the door.
“Ellen before you go,” Joe walked to her, “let me ask you something.”
“Sure, Joe, what?”
“If after all these years, it’s finally gone, why haven’t you told Frank?”
“What are you talking about, Joe? Told Frank what?” Ellen asked.
“That you don’t love him.”
“Oh my God, Joe, that’s not true. I love Frank. I love him with everything I am.”
“Yet you still don’t want to be with him.”
Ellen’s head lowered. “Joe, sometimes I want to be with Frank so badly my heart hurts but I can’t. I can’t be with him. I can’t. We pull each other apart when we’re together.”
“Ellen, if you feel that strongly about him, you should be with him. Or at the very least, have the understanding with him.”
“No, Joe. If I had the understanding with him, he’d end up taking me from Henry and the time I give him. He’s my friend, my companion, and he’s the one and only person I have ever known in my entire life that doesn’t judge me. He accepts me for who I am. I’ll stand by Henry because he has always stood by me.”
“But, sweetheart, what about love? Huh?” Joe spoke fatherly to her, dropping his voice to a whisper, “What about love?”
Ellen closed her eyes with a slight smile upon her face. “Yeah, Joe, but it doesn’t matter how great of a love I have for Frank or Dean. There’s a good reason why neither of them are my primary. Henry gives me something Dean or Frank co
uld never give me. Peace. Henry would never hurt me or make me sad. I believe with all of my heart, Henry will never hurt me ...”
“Your commitment to Henry is commendable, Ellen, it really is but keep in mind you can’t guarantee that it will always be like that. No matter how peaceful Henry makes you now, there are no guarantees that he won’t make you sad. Or maybe … you find something out.”
“Like he’s gay? Joe, if …”
“No.” Joe held up his hand. “Like anything. I really hope that day never comes because you, little lady, have so much stock and trust in Henry that he won’t hurt you, that God forbid he does, you will be crushed. Right now you are keeping at arm’s length, the only person I believe that can pick up those pieces correctly.”
“Please, Joe, don’t tell me your saying I should be with Frank as an insurance policy in case Henry betrays me.”
“No, Ellen, I’m saying you should be with Frank because you love him and he loves you.”
“No way, Joe.” Ellen smiled and waved him off. “I can’t do it.” She tried to make an exit before anymore was said.
“Ellen.”
Too late. Ellen turned back around. “Yes, Joe?”
“What about you making Henry happy? Just like you feel this underlying obligation to Henry, he feels an underlying obligation to Frank. Maybe him making his best friend happy is a way for him to be happy too.”
“Joe.” Ellen leaned in to him. “Henry’s getting fixed because his best friend just beat him up. If he felt like that, he certainly doesn’t anymore.”
“Ellen.”
“Have to go.” She opened up the door, but stopped. “Joe,” she softened her voice. “Just between you, me and these four walls ... if circumstances were different, I would be with Frank.”
“Circumstances, meaning Dean?”
“Bye, Joe.”
“Ellen ...”
“Bye, Joe.” She hurried out the door.
Joe mumbled and flung his hand in frustration then, as he turned to get his button down shirt, he grumbled some more in pain.
What was it about Ellen’s timing? Was she meant to walk out of Joe’s room and into Frank as he walked from the other examining room? “Frank.” His name rolled from her mouth.
Frank stared at her, said nothing, then walked away.
“Frank, wait. I want to talk to you.”
“Leave me alone, Ellen.” He held up his hand.
“We need to talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you.” He turned around and walked backwards. “You slept with Dean.”
“Frank.” She followed him.
“You kicked me in the shin.” He still walked backwards. “Not once but twice!”
“Frank.”
“You pointed a fuckin gun at my head, Ellen.”
“Frank ...”
“You shot my father. Go away.” He spun to no longer look at her and as he did, he stopped cold when he heard the clicking of chambers and saw a wall of his Security guys holding their guns aimed at him. “Fuck. What! I have a fuckin headache. This better be good, gentleman.”
Robbie emerged from the back of them. “You’re being taken to Holding, Frank. You can go easy or we’ll drag you there.”
“You gotta be fuckin shitting me. For what?”
“Community disruption.” Robbie motioned his head to Dan and Cole. “They’re taking you to Holding.” Robbie pulled out handcuffs.
Frank was shocked. “Handcuffs? We never used handcuffs before.”
“New rule, Frank. Where have you been?” Robbie walked behind his brother, grabbing his arms. He felt Frank pull. “Don’t fight me on this, Frank. We have orders to shoot you.” Robbie handcuffed him. “You are to go to Holding until the decision is made on whether you are to be ousted or not.”
“What!” Frank shouted. “We’ve never ousted anyone for fighting.”
“There’s always a first time.” Robbie handed Frank over to Cole and Dan. “Take him away.”
Ellen would have panicked at that moment, at the thought of Frank being ousted, but she saw the look on Robbie’s face. He was too calm. If it wasn’t a scare tactic—one she knew wouldn’t work on Frank only piss him off—then Joe wouldn’t have been so insistent that she get together with Frank. So Ellen decided to help out and play along. “Thank God someone is doing something about him. Let me know where to cast my vote, Robbie.” She folded her arms and watched them lead Frank out. Snickering, she turned around to go see Henry and see Henry she did. He was walking down the hall. “Henry!” She ran to him, reaching him and throwing her arms around him. “Oh you’re all right. Look at your poor face. What did he do to you?” She laid her hand on his cheek.
“He beat me up, El. Real bad.” Henry touched his cheekbone. “Now I have a Frank-scar.”
“Aw, Henry.”
Robbie stepped in between them. “Excuse me, El.” He pulled out another pair of handcuffs.
Ellen grabbed Robbie’s arm. “What are you doing?”
“Henry has to go to Holding too.” He walked behind a shocked Henry, bringing Henry’s arms back.
Henry shook his head. “No. What’s going on? Handcuffs?”
Robbie clicked them closed. “New rule, Henry. Where you been?”
“But I’m the one who go beat up.”
Ellen stepped in closer. “Yeah, Robbie, Henry got beat up.”
Robbie just shook his head, leading Henry to Scott and Mark, who waited. “My brother got smashed in the head with a lamp, El. I wouldn’t exactly say Henry was the total victim in all this. Excuse us.” He handed Henry over.
Ellen chased behind as they took Henry. “Wait.” She caught up, laid her hand on Henry’s face. “It’ll be all right, Henry. Right, Robbie? You’re not ousting Henry, are you?”
“Nah.” Robbie shook his head. “Just cooling him down. Fighting rules. He’ll be out by morning.”
Henry looked back at Robbie as they led him out. “But I’m not angry anymore. I’ve cooled down.”
“Too bad.” Robbie waved to him as he watched them take Henry out. He turned and faced a stunned Ellen. “You know, if you weren’t such the busy little woman tonight we could’ve hung out. But, after all this ‘shooting my dad’ and getting everyone in fights ... man you must be exhausted.” He laughed at Ellen’s open-mouthed expression. Under her chin he placed his index finger and closed her mouth. “See ya.”
Ellen tossed her hands in the air and let them drop with a slap as Robbie waltzed away in his usual cockiness. Ellen decided right then and there to get her tail out of the clinic before she got anymore shocks or talks thrown at her.
<><><><>
“Thank you again, Denny.” Ellen smiled and closed the front door to Dean’s house, leaning briefly against it for a moment. “Oh boy.” She stood straight and walked to Dean who sat on the couch.
“He has got to be the easiest person in the world to be able to hide the fact that I am blind from.”
“It’s Denny. He’s naive.” She sat down on the couch next to him, watching Dean as he leaned forward rubbing his hands together slowly. “What’s wrong?”
“How’s Henry?”
“Beat up.”
“Badly?”
“He could have been worse,” Ellen told him. “He’s walking.”
“I’m sorry.” Dean brought his hands to his face.
“Why are you apologizing?” Ellen removed his hands. “You didn’t beat him up.”
“But I feel responsible somehow. I pissed Frank off while he was here, making him worse, as if he wasn’t bad enough just seeing us.”
“There are other reasons for Frank’s anger. Just know that.” Ellen grabbed his hand. “Next you’re gonna tell me you feel bad because I shot Joe.”
“What!” Dean’s head sprung up. “You shot Joe?”
“You didn’t know? Oh, yeah I shot him. I was trying to break up the fight and when I tried to shoot Frank, I missed and hit Joe.”
“You tried to shoot Frank
?”
“Yes. He was killing Henry, contrary to what Joe said. But Joe’s fine. I hit him in the butt.” There was silence then both Ellen and Dean started to snicker. “We shouldn’t laugh, Dean.”
“No.” Dean ran his hand down his face, again his smile left.
“What else is it?”
“I’m feeling bad, El. Guilty. When I was with you tonight, it was so great, El. It was so much what I needed.” He gripped her hand tighter as he leaned back on the couch. “I need to tell you thank you for tonight. Thank you for what happened. You gave me back a strength I thought I lost for good.”
“Wow. I must be one hell of a lay.” Ellen smiled.
“No, you’re one hell of a friend.”
“Dean? Since you’re feeling better and stronger, can I ask a favor?”
“Sure, El.”
“Can I just fold right now? I’m having a really hard time. Frank and Henry are both in Holding. Henry got beat up. I shot Joe. You’re blind.” She heard him chuckle. “No, it’s not funny.”
“That’s one hell of a weekend you had, El.”
“I know and I’m tired. I just don’t want to be strong the rest of this night.”
“Then don’t be. What did you have in mind? Did you feel like crying?”
Ellen fluttered her lips. “No. I cried twice tonight. I think I reached my quota for the year. I just ... I just want to not have to worry about anything, at least for a little while.”
“Then don’t. However I can help, let me know.” At the completion of his words to her, he felt Ellen slide down and drop to his lap, laying her head on his legs and holding on to them in her cuddle. Dean ran his hand across her face, closing his eyes and feeling her. He smiled, though it would be brief—Ellen never was less than strong for very long—it was the first time in a long time instead of Dean depending on Ellen, Ellen depended on him.
<><><><>
A slight gasp and a cringe was what Frank did following his drink of the moonshine. He placed his finger to the corner of his mouth and the small cut there that burned when the whiskey hit it. “Thanks, Dan.” He handed the moonshine back to him.
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 288