The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Dad is gonna kill us,” Jimmy said as he and his brothers sat in the manager’s office.

  Robbie looked up to Frank. “Sorry.”

  “What the hell were you doing stealing?” Frank snapped. “Hal! Why did you turn him in?”

  “It was wrong,” Hal stated.

  “You should have told me. Fuck, Dad is gonna be so mad.”

  Conrad entered into the office. “I have news for you boys, bad news.”

  Jimmy lifted a book from the manager’s desk. “Is this yours? I want to read this. Is it any good?”

  Frank and Hal shouted. “Jimmy!”

  Jimmy put the book down. “Sorry. Go on.”

  Conrad huffed. “Your mother was here and then she left. She said she washed her hands of you.”

  Frank looked oddly. “Our mother? Do we have a mother?”

  Hal rolled his eyes. “Ruth.”

  “Did Dad marry her?” Frank asked.

  Jimmy spoke irritated, “Yes, three weeks ago, remember. They went to Vegas.”

  “No,” Frank argued, “they didn’t get married. I don’t think they did.”

  “Yes they did, asshole,” Hal yelled. “You went to that Junior ROTC shit and didn’t even ask who she was when you got back.”

  “I knew who she was,” Frank said, “but I didn’t think Dad would marry her. Shit.” Frank tossed his hands up. “Do we like her?”

  Jimmy shrugged. “If we did, it doesn’t matter now. I think we scared another one away.”

  Frank fluttered his lips. “She wasn’t around that long anyhow, was she?”

  “Frank!” Hal shouted. “She’s been around three months. God, you dumb!”

  Having had enough of his head going from Slagel boy to Slagel boy like some sort of tennis match, Conrad shouted to silence them. “Boys! Are you not concerned? This woman refused to get you out of trouble. I have to call the authorities unless you give me your father’s number. Are you ready to tell me his work number yet?”

  There was silence then Robbie spoke up. “Tell him, Frank. I wanna go home. Speed Racer is on.”

  “Yeah,” Hal said. “Speed Racer is coming on.”

  “The library closes soon,” Jimmy added.

  Frank thought about it. “Is there any other way?” he asked. “Please? How about I come in here and work for free this weekend. Just don’t call our dad.”

  Conrad looked at the boys. “You’ll work for free?”

  “Yes, just don’t call him. All right, and Jimmy will work too,” Frank told him.

  “Please mister,” Hal stated, “he’ll kill us. He really will. There was a fifth brother at one time and we still don’t know what happened to him.”

  The manager stared at the boys long and hard, while running his hand over his slicked hair again and again . . .

  End of Flashback …

  Hal dropped the picture. He still didn’t know how they got out of that mess. Frank only had to work one day collecting carts. They also never told their father they knew the reason that Ruth suddenly disappeared. They stuck together back then. They might have fought a lot but they stuck together. There were a lot of scrapes like that, but those situations were memories Hal never wanted to lose. What Hal wouldn’t give at that moment, to live through one of those messes all over again.

  ^^^^

  Beginnings, Montana

  Dean pulled Ellen’s hair from the collar of her sweatshirt. He smiled, closed mouthed, at her as they stood in her room. Dean saw Ellen ready to say something. “No, don’t. Stay warm. O.K.?”

  “Is it cold out?”

  “Nope, but you’re sitting outside and I want you to be warm. Promise me, if you get tired or cold, you’ll come in.”

  “I promise you.”

  Dean grabbed her hand and led her back to the bed. “Try to finish eating before you leave.” He placed his hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her down to sit. “I cooked this for you.”

  Ellen smiled as she looked at the pizza. “Jenny’s recipe? Good job.”

  “Yeah, I did do well.” Dean grinned and sat down with her. “I have to tell you, El, I’m a little jealous.”

  “Why?” Ellen picked at the pizza.

  “Because Robbie was able to convince you to go outside and I couldn’t even convince you to walk in the hall.”

  “Dean, Robbie has this Slagel thing going for him. He plays on that control button that they all can push.”

  “Like Frank?”

  Ellen suddenly looked at Dean.

  “Forget I said that.”

  “He also…I made a deal with him. I said if I felt O.K., I wanted to fly to the farm with him.”

  “You what?” Dean was shocked to hear her say that. “Ellen, as your doctor, I’m not sure I can allow that. I don’t know how good going back there will be for you.”

  “Sitting here wondering if they got Frank or if his body is lying in the field isn’t good for me either. Besides, I know he’s not there, so there isn’t going to be anything there that will affect me.”

  “What about just going there? The sight of it could trigger something in you.”

  “I hope it does, because I don’t remember much about what happened in the field especially after Frank was shot. Everything is blurry.”

  “You want to remember?” Dean asked.

  “I’m strong enough to remember. I know I showed weakness by slipping into…”

  “El,” Dean stopped her, “that wasn’t weakness. That was your body shutting down and saying enough. If you were weak, you wouldn’t have come out of it.”

  “I won’t go back either. If Joe says Robbie can take me, will you, as my doctor, let me go?”

  Dean didn’t say anything.

  “Please?”

  “Let’s see how tonight goes, O.K.?” Dean leaned forward to her then pulled back. “How are you feeling?”

  “Why did you do that? I’m fine, sore but fine.”

  “Do what?”

  “You looked like you were going to kiss me and you stopped.”

  “Yeah, I did,” Dean answered solemnly. “I’m sorry. I’m just afraid I’m crossing a line with you.”

  “Crossing a line?” Ellen leaned to him. “Kiss me. I need you to, O.K.?”

  Dean slipped his hand behind her neck and pulled Ellen to him. Slowly he separated her lips with his and kissed her softly. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you.” Ellen kissed him again. “When can I go home? I want to go home.”

  Dean blinked several times. “Um…I haven’t thought about it. Maybe in a few days?”

  “Why?”

  “You’re still hurt, El.”

  “I’m a nurse. I know the warning signs. I want to go home.”

  “O.K.” Dean laid his hand on her bent knee. “How about I talk to Henry tomorrow and…”

  “What does Henry have to do with it?”

  “You were living there when you left.”

  “I was living there for a reason. My home is with you and the kids. I want to go home to my home. And…” her voice softened, “when I left, I left in the middle of us dealing with a very tragic time in our lives.” She watched Dean’s head drop. “How are you? How have you been with it?”

  “I’m there. That’s all I can say.” Dean shrugged. “I miss Brian. I miss him so much.”

  Ellen shivered “I do too.”

  “It’s lonely at times because he was the one who would always get up in the middle of the night.”

  “Interrupting when he shouldn’t be?”

  “Or when he should.” Dean smiled. “Like when I knew you weren’t in the mood.”

  “When have I ever not been in the mood?”

  Dean gave a subtle smile. “How about when I would leave bubbles on the soap?”

  Ellen laughed then turned serious. “We need to deal with this, Dean. We need to talk about him, laugh about him, and miss him together. I want to do that with you.”

  “I’d love do that with you. We will when you
come home. Every night we’ll set aside time, O.K.?”

  “When will that be? Why can’t I come home tonight?”

  “Tonight?”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Um.” Dean was stumbling. More than anything he wanted Ellen home, but he wanted her to step into her new home. The old one was a mess and the new one wasn’t ready enough to surprise her. Since she didn’t remember his news about the house, Dean wanted it to be a surprise. “El…”

  “You don’t want me home?”

  “Yeah. I mean no, I mean yeah I do. You just aren’t well enough.”

  “You’re a doctor, Dean. You don’t think I’m in capable hands with you?”

  “Well.”

  “What did I do?”

  “Huh?” Dean scratched his head wondering where that came from.

  “You’re stalling. Why can’t I come home?”

  “Truth?”

  “When do you deliver less?”

  “All right.” Dean took a breath. “I want you home. I’d love to have you home, but . . . I have a surprise that has to do with the house and it isn’t ready yet.”

  “You’re keeping me in the clinic because of your surprise?”

  “No, you aren’t well enough yet.

  “I hate the clinic, Dean.” Ellen folded her arms. “I hate it here. What could go so wrong with me that help from you is that far away?”

  “Nothing. You’re right. I just wasn’t expecting you to be well enough to leave. Or ask to leave, before the surprise was done.” Dean took a moment. “If you’re doing well tomorrow, I’ll give the O.K. for you to leave tomorrow afternoon. This is the doctor talking and it has nothing to do with my surprise. I just want thirty-six hours observation and I want to see how you physically handle going out tonight. Deal?”

  “Deal. Then I come home?”

  “No, then you stay with Henry. He’s close enough to me and Andrea. Stay with Henry until Sunday. Do this for me because I want to do this for you.”

  “All right, only because it’s a surprise for me. Will I like it, Dean?”

  “I hope so.”

  “Tell me what it is.”

  “No, in two days you’ll know.”

  “All right.” Ellen’s eyes shifted, her face lit up, and she smiled.

  Dean, with oddity, noticed the look on her face. He turned his head to see where she was staring. Robbie had walked in. “Robbie.”

  “Hey Dean, El.” Robbie moved further in. He winked at Ellen. “Ready? I’ve got everything all prepared.”

  “Prepared?” Ellen asked.

  “It’s a surprise.” Robbie told her.

  “Another one? Boy, I should get kidnapped and beat up more often.”

  Robbie looked in question. “Who else is surprising you?”

  “Dean.”

  Robbie rolled his eyes. “Oh, well you’d better find out about mine first, because it won’t mean shit after Dean’s.”

  Quickly Ellen looked at Dean. “Really?”

  Dean smiled and raised his eyebrows. He took a breath. “You’d better be going.”

  “Yes.” Ellen stood up slowly. She took Robbie’s hand as he held it out to her. “Robbie, can I have a hint?”

  “Think back is your hint.”

  “Think back.” Ellen moved slowly across the room and stopped. “Dean, will I see you later?”

  Thinking, Dean stood up and walked to her. “I’m gonna try. I want to, but Henry is babysitting and you know how that can get. I also have a lot of work to finish here and for the surprise.” Dean saw her expression turn to a disappointed one. “I’ll try. Besides, Robbie is gonna make you forget about everything tonight.” Dean smiled as he tried to joke with her. “Including me.” Dean kissed her. “Try to think of nothing but the movie. Just relax, O.K.?”

  Ellen nodded, gave a scared look to Dean and squeezed Robbie’s hand more as she walked from her room with him.

  Dean watched. He knew Ellen’s apprehension about leaving her sanctity of the room, but he also knew the determination she had and her awareness that if she wanted to do more and leave the clinic, she had to take that first step. Dean watched her take that first step, not with him as he wanted, but with Robbie. Though Dean joked, or tried to, when he said Robbie would make her forget about him, there may have been some truth to that statement. Since Frank was gone, Robbie was an easy substitute, too easy. With Ellen as emotionally fragile as she was, she could easily, in a search for Frank, discover Robbie and the prospect of that frightened Dean more than he cared to admit.

  ^^^^

  Even though it was called a ‘walk-in’, Robbie drove Ellen to it. It was not that far from the clinic but he wanted to capture the true effect. Of course, he had to park the Jeep behind the back of the projection unit.

  Ellen stepped from the Jeep, looking at all those who gathered in the grass. “Must be the whole community.”

  “Just about. But…” Robbie said, “our spot is reserved.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yep. The guys in the band claimed it last week.” Robbie grabbed her hand and walked with her to the same spot Robbie and the band took over the week before.

  “Where’s the music coming from?” Ellen asked.

  “Danny set up huge PA speakers.” Robbie felt Ellen slow down. “What’s wrong?”

  Ellen saw the two lounge lawn chairs set up by Paul, Denny, and James. There was a small cooler and a blanket lying on the bottom of one chair. “Think back.”

  “What was that?” Robbie asked.

  “You told me my hint was to think back. You obviously did.”

  Robbie smiled and they moved closer to the set up. He and Ellen said their hellos to the guys and laughed at Denny who sat excitedly waiting for the movie to start.

  “I can’t believe you remembered.” Ellen looked at the chairs. “We used to line them up in front of the car. How did you get all this stuff ready? I thought you were busy today.”

  “I was. I have to give credit where credit is due even though I’d like to give myself credit. Danny got the things for me. He is the resourceful guy. Everyone calls him that now. Especially after he got the…” Robbie hesitated. He didn’t want the word ‘houses’ to come out. “He got the… uh…the flu.”

  “Danny’s called the resourceful guys ever since he had the flu? He got sick again?”

  “Yep. Speaking of resourceful guys,” Robbie nodded his head to Danny who walked apprehensively to them.

  Ellen grinned at him. “Danny!”

  “Hey El.” He let out a ‘whew’ breath and embraced her. “I didn’t want to intrude but I wanted to say I missed you.”

  “Thanks. I thought I would have seen you today.”

  “I’m sorry.” Danny said. “I was so busy with the…” He saw Robbie shake his head. “With the uh…”

  Robbie cleared his throat. “Flu.”

  “Yeah, flu.” Danny shook his head and coughed. “Anyhow, the…flu kept me busy and then Robbie asked me to be the resourceful guy. They call me Mr. Resourceful now, El. I figured I’d see you here and I did. I’ll leave you alone now.”

  “Why?” Ellen asked. “Join us. Paul and the rest are here so sit with us. There’s nothing like going to the drive in with a group of people.”

  “Thanks.” Danny looked at Robbie. “Is it O.K.?”

  “Knock yourself out.” Robbie pointed to the grass.

  “Thanks. I’ll be right back” Danny darted off.

  “Ready to take your seat, El?” Robbie motioned his hand to the chair. “Trish is kind of anal about starting on time.”

  “Can we sit together?” Ellen asked. “I would like that.”

  “So would I.” Robbie sat on the lounge chair first, grabbed the blanket and set it on the ground near him so he could get it easily. Ellen sat between his legs, resting her back against his chest. “El,” he spoke near her ear, “I have to tell you.” He had a bit of a laugh to his voice. “When I was a kid, I used to want to sit like this with you but
I knew there were reasons that would never happen. One, I was a kid. Two, I would never do it. I’d embarrass myself. Man, did I get erections all the time back then.”

  Ellen started to laugh. “Back then?”

  “Hey.” Robbie nudged her.

  “Robbie, please. You’re a Slagel. I wouldn’t have noticed.”

  “Hey.” He felt Ellen’s body shake in her laughing.

  “Thanks for making a joke. I want you to smile because I need you to know everything is gonna be fine, especially about Frank. Trust me, I feel it.”

  “I do to.”

  “If you get cold . . .”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  Robbie laid his arm across her shoulder, pulled her back and felt her relax against him. Then he felt her tense up and sit up more. “What’s wrong? El, I swear I’m in control here.”

  “No, look at Johnny.” Ellen pointed with her head at Johnny who waved and walked toward them. “Oh God, he does look like his father.”

  “Yeah he does. El, do you think he’s like Frank?”

  “In a lot of ways, yes, but he hasn’t developed Frank’s strength yet. That Slagel thing. Of course, if I remember correctly, you didn’t have the Slagel strength yet at his age either.”

  “No, I didn’t and neither did Jimmy.” Robbie snickered. “It didn’t take me long.”

  Johnny arrived and plopped down in the empty lounge chair. “Hey El. Uncle Robbie.” He got comfortable. “Thanks for the chair.” He reached over and rubbed Denny’s hair. “Do you guys mind?”

  Ellen shook her head. She noticed Danny rushing back over with a huge bowl of popcorn in his arms. He sat at Ellen’s and Robbie’s feet.

  Trish took her Master of Ceremony stance. “If everyone’s ready, tonight’s adult movie is a fine comedy.” She cleared her throat for the description. “In a post-apocalyptic world, ravaged by plague…”

  She didn’t get a chance to finish as Danny hooted and Paul cheered.

  Paul reached over Johnny and extended a ‘high five’ to Robbie. “Yes! The Stand.”

  Robbie grew excited. “I laughed my ass off.”

  Trish was perturbed. “It’s not The Stand.” She tsked. “It’s a comedy classic called The Omega Man. It stars Charlton Heston as the hero, Robert Neville, the last man on earth battling Mathias’ plague ravaged people who walk around like zombies. Enjoy.” She clapped her hands together and in a perky skip, hurried back to the projection unit.