“Got it,” Dean agreed. “I have a feeling if he has anything, it’s in his lab.”
“I have to say you’re right,” Joe stated. “So maybe some interest in the time machine may not be a bad idea . . . Robbie, Reverend Bob is your man. You concentrate on him, check him out.”
“Dad? Um, I can do that, but uh, what is my reason for getting close to him? All of you have reasons.”
Joe grinned. “You my boy, are thinking of turning a new leaf. A Christian leaf.”
“I’m what?” Robbie was nearly shocked from his chair. “How am I supposed to explain that?”
“You’re a bright boy. You’ll figure it out. And speaking of bright boys.” Joe stood up and laid the tablet on the desk. “You boys can finish up. I have to seek out my other son and save him from the clutches of the people in this community.” He moved to the door. “With him wandering around here, it’s actually frightening to think who can corner him.” Joe shuddered as he left.
^^^^
“Oh History can be fun and exciting,” Trish told Hal so upbeat. “This is where it all begins you know.”
“You don’t say.”
“I did say.”
“Tell me how do you stop people from deleting things or adding things that aren’t true?”
“It’s password protected and write protected. We change it daily, Joe and I. I, myself, place every single entry into the computer.”
“Is it just for records then?” Hal asked.
“No, we have a viewing computer too, where you can view history. Sometimes I’ll print it up. We have a book at the library.”
“Could I see the system?”
“Oh sure.”
“Thanks.” Hal grinned and waited. He watched Trish sit back down behind her desk. “What are you doing?”
“Setting you up an appointment.” She pulled out her purple appointment book. “When’s good for you?”
Hal was speechless. “I can’t see it now?”
“Oh, no. Everyone must have an appointment.” Trish flipped open the book. “How’s tomorrow at ten sound?”
“Um . . . good.” Hal watched her write his name down. “Efficient how you run this.”
“People get so perturbed with me because I make them schedule time.”
“I don’t understand why.” Hal was serious. “This is one place you can’t let get out of control. It could if it gets too crowded with people viewing history.”
“Oh thank you. Tell that to the next person that complains.” Trish looked up when the history door reopened. “And speaking of that person, you’re late Danny Hoi. I’m going to have to reschedule.”
Danny laughed at her. “Hey, Hal. Trish, what else do you have to do today?”
“Nothing.”
“Then you’ll meet with me.”
“You are so bossy.” Trish tsked. “Hal, Danny is starting the Beginnings’ Times.”
“No to be confused with dinosaurs,” Danny added. “A newspaper. Trish has to be involved because she is history. It’s a new way to keep track. Hey!” Danny snapped his finger. “Robbie gave me some of your short stories you wrote years ago. Would you be interested in being the Bowman Correspondent for our paper?”
“Really?” Hal was honored.
“Yeah,” Danny answered. “You’ll have to write something every day and you can radio it in to me or Trish. She’s my secretary.”
Trish shook her head. “Don’t ask me how I got roped into that. As if I’m not busy enough all day around here.”
Danny looked at the empty room and at Trish’s desk. The half eaten lunch, the cookies, and the books she was reading were all signs of how busy she was. He flipped open the history appointment book. “Gosh, you make me feel guilty for doing this to you, Trish. Anyway, Hal? Will you?”
“Yes, I’d love that. Not much exciting happens in Bowman.”
“Make it up,” Danny told him. “We won’t know.”
Hal snickered. “How about I just see what I can do.”
“Sounds good.” Danny shrugged. Trish sighed in disgust when the history door opened.
“God, can people stop coming in here?”
Joe gave a stern look to her then to his son. “Hal, can I steal you? There’s a few things I want to talk to you about.”
“Sure Dad.” Hal lifted his hand, waved to Danny and Trish, and left the office with Joe.
“Sorry you were in there with Trish for so long.”
“Trish?” Hal was surprised. “She’s a delightful woman, Dad. Really, you need to come to Bowman and see our women then you’ll truly appreciate what you have here.”
“You don’t say. Well, I don’t think you want me to meet these women of yours.”
“Why is that?” Hal asked.
“Because.” Joe explained. “If they’re like you describe, I won’t be as nice as you.”
On his father’s comment, Hal smiled.
^^^^
“So you see Reverend Bob.” Robbie spoke as he and the Reverend walked around the tiny park center town, no bigger than the first floor of a home. Yet they strolled on the small path like many others did, like it was a huge park. “With my new mom so religious. I wanna make a good impression.”
“I must say, Robbie, this surprises me. I’ve seen you at service twice.”
“Really?” Robbie was shocked. “I’m sure I was there more. You may not have seen me.”
“I doubt that.”
“Anyhow, I’ll be attend . . . attending service regularly. Maybe I can be your grown up altar boy.”
“This is non-denominational Robbie.”
“Oh.” Robbie paused to think. “Assistant.”
Reverend Bob stopped walking. “If you are really serious about this, stop by tonight and we’ll set up Bible meeting times.”
“For what?” Robbie asked.
“To get you to learn the Bible.”
“Oh I know the Bible well,” Robbie lied, “so we can skip over that.”
“No we can’t. No one can read or learn the Bible too much. You agree with that, don’t you?”
“Absolutely.” Robbie nodded, turned, and winced.
“Good.” Reverend Bob grabbed hold of Robbie’s arm. “I can use a ministry assistant. No one really has ever expressed interest in that since Reverend Thomas went bad. With the town growing and this new connection with your brother’s town, it’ll be great to teach you and have you aboard. Thanks, Robbie.”
“Yeah.” Robbie was stunned as Reverend Bob walked away. “Ministry assistant. What the hell is that?” He scratched his head.
^^^^
There was a nice number in containment. Eight with two who were ready to leave, one was in transition, and three who were too new to consider leaving. The last two were what Ellen called residents, off their rocker too much to mingle, yet non-violent. Equivalent to mental patients in the old world.
Ellen sat at her desk doing her daily ‘stupid’ reports, lying to get them done quicker because she just didn’t want to think. She kept dropping her pencil and rubbing her hand that burned, a result of an experiment spillage she and Dean had when they cleaned. She knew she’d have to tell Dean their equivalent to BEN GAY that they were working on, was just was to potent. Ellen swore she could feel it hitting her bone. Waiting for it to subside, hoping it would, she returned to her reports.
“Ellen!” A survivor named Moe burst into her office.
“What’s up.”
“That new guy, Jerry.”
“Jeremy,” Ellen corrected.
“Yeah, him. He’s choking really bad. He’s blue.”
Ellen’s chair flew to the floor as she sprang up from her seat, grabbed her radio, and followed Moe to the dining area right next door.
Jeremy was turning blue. He thrashed about in a panic, stumbling and nearly falling. Handing her radio to Moe, Ellen raced to Jeremy. His tossing arms connected with the side of Ellen’s face. It stung but with all her strength she tried to get behind him.
Two men interjected, grabbing hold of Jeremy.
“Moe, press channel . . .” Ellen brought her hands inward hard. “Two . ‘. that’s Mark out front.” Again, Ellen attempted the Heimlich maneuver. Nothing. “Tell him I need him.” With a grunt Ellen tried again. “What was he eating? Someone tell me.”
“A plum,” a man answered.
Ellen felt Jeremy’s legs weaken and the weight of his body fall into hers. Quickly she moved from behind him, grabbed hold of his arm as he fell to the floor. The force of his weight and fall brought her down with him. “Damn it.” Ellen felt for a pulse. She saw no movement. No signs of breathing.. She straddled over his thighs and placed her locked hand above his belly button. She applied pressure. Nothing again. “Moe, give me the radio.”
As Moe handed it over, Mark, the guard, barreled in.
How long had Dean and Henry been in Joe’s office? They had gone off the track about suspects and onto childhood stories, but they laughed a lot and the laugher stopped when Ellen’s panic call came over the radio.
“Dean. Dean, where are you?”
Dean fumbled with Henry’s radio that set on the desk. “Right here. What’s wrong?”
“I need you at the clinic. Andrea is taking care of an emergency and Jason is too far. I have a chocking victim, Dean. We’re running to the clinic now.”
Dean jumped from his seat. “What’s his condition?” He bolted to the door.
“He’s unconscious, cyanotic, and his pulse is nearly zilch. Shit. We’ve lost him”
There was static over the radio and both Dean and Henry fled from the office.
Jeremy’s body made a crashing sound as Robbie and Mark dropped him on the already waiting Gurney by the clinic door. Melissa stood by. Ellen’s hand stayed on Jeremy’s throat. “Melissa, any luck with Andrea?”
“No.” Melissa helped Ellen and Robbie wheel the cart. “She said a few more minutes.”
“He doesn’t have a few more minutes. Do you have a room prepped?”
“O.R. Two.” Melissa answered as they raced down the hall. “IV, surgical tray, trachea tube.”
“Robbie I need you to tell Dean I am in O.R. Two,” Ellen instructed as the hit the O.R. doors. “Tell him I need him as soon as he gets here.”
“Got it, El. Good luck.”
Ellen and Melissa crashed open the OR doors, pushing the cart toward the center.
“Melissa, we don’t have time for a transfer. Wipe down his neck and drape him. Then hook him up.” Ellen flew to the sink and washed up quickly. She shook the water from her hands and took no time to put on gloves. She grabbed the surgical tray in her run to the cart, sliding to a stop when she reached Jeremy.
“Ellen, there’s no pulse.” Melissa hooked up his heart monitor.
“Prepare for defibrillation and get me one CC of P.C.R.S.” Ellen grabbed the scalpel. “We’re going in.” Ellen’s hands probed Jeremy’s neck. “I can feel the plum pit. It’s lodged in there good.” Taking a deep breath Ellen felt for the criciod and thyroid cartridge and she made small incision below where she knew the pit was lodged. The blood of the incision seeped across her fingers. “Small clamp. I see it.” Ellen blind, laid the scalpel down and reached for another clamp. “Melissa, get the tube ready. This is lodged good.” Sweating some from nervousness, Ellen braced the small pit. “His trachea is swollen, shit.” She bit her bottom lip as she dislodged the pit and tossed it on the tray. Taking the tube from Melissa, Ellen placed it in the airway opening she made in Jeremy’s neck. “Were in. Let’s bring him back.” Ellen looked up to the clock. “Four minutes. Fuck it. Give me the P.C.R.S.” Ellen held out her hand and Melissa laid the readied syringe in it.
Out of breath, Dean raced into the clinic, he saw Robbie. “Which room?”
“O.R. Two.”
“Thanks.” Dean sped in that direction. His hair and coat flapping about, his tennis shoes making that squeak against the floor. Flush both his hands were upon the door as he flung it open, only to be greeted by the looks of Ellen and Melissa as they stood over Jeremy whose heart monitor beeped strongly. Both Melissa and Ellen showed signs of performing surgery neither of them were physically prepared for. Blood covered their clothing and their hands as they wound down the procedure.
Dean moved to the sink and washed up. He dried his hands and placed on gloves. He moved closely to the table, his eyes held a look of astonishment. “Ellen,” he spoke her name softly. “You did a cricothyroidotomy.”
Ellen looked frightened. She swallowed harshly. “I’m sorry, Dean. The pit was lodged. I couldn’t get it out with the Heimlich. I may have panicked but I don’t think I did any damage to his larynx.”
“He was dead, Dean. Dead,” Melissa spoke with some defensiveness to her tone. “Ellen saved him so don’t yell at her. She did good. His throat swelled up and it was really lodged. I saw.”
“No.” Dean closed his eyes and slightly smiled. “No.” He kissed Ellen. “My God, did you do well.”
“I did?”
“She did?”
“Yes.” Dean answered.
Both women looked at each other.
Dean reviewed what Ellen had done and how she finished up Jeremy. “I’m very proud of you. I am.” He kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll just leave you to finish.”
“Dean,” Ellen called to him as he started to leave. “Where are you going?”
“This is your baby. You’re doing really well. Finish it up and start a chart.”
“Will you check him later?” Ellen asked. “What if I screwed up?”
Dean winked at her. “I doubt it, but Andrea or I will review. Find me when you’re done.” Dean opened the O.R. doors. “Ladies, good job.” He took off his gloves, tossed them in the trash, and left.
Ellen let out a loud ‘whew’ when Dean was gone. “I thought he was mad.”
“Me too,” Melissa said. “I mean, you cut into a person without a doctor here.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I wouldn’t have let you take the blame alone, Ellen.”
“Thanks.” Ellen smiled. “O.K., now that the nervousness is over, let’s finish him up. I think I need a drink.”
“You don’t drink anymore.”
“Then you’ll have one for me.”
Melissa nodded. “After this. You bet.”
^^^^
The contract was neatly handwritten. Joe expected no less from his son, Hal. Sitting at his desk, flipping through each anally laid out page of negotiation, Joe would peer up to his son who slumped in the chair across from him. “I cannot believe you wrote up a contract to present to Beginnings.”
“I told you I didn’t want to show that to you.”
Another flip of a page from Joe. “I can’t believe you wrote up a contract for Beginnings.”
“Dad. How was I supposed to know you were running the show?”
“A contract.” Joe closed his mouth and tilted his head. “I see it’s binding for two years and can be renegotiated at either party’s decision.”
“Dad.”
“Hal.” Joe laid down the contract. “Bottom line. You have the manpower and you can come up with the resources to provide and survive. But! You don’t want to expend your energy on it because you feel you should concentrate that energy elsewhere, like . . .” Joe bobbed his head in a nonchalant. “Getting back the country. Cleaning up the mess. Stopping the Society. And basically playing cowboys and Indians in a post-apocalyptic world. Correct?”
“Um . . . yes. With building of the forces to eventually make this country free again.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Joe waved his hand and put on his glasses. “Building your forces how?”
“Like I have been. Defectors, survivors, and we know how to make those Zombie type soldiers semi-normal again. We regiment them and retrain them. It tak
es about two weeks.”
“We can do that in about thirty seconds. How many you looking at getting?”
“As many as we can. As many as it takes to break the Society and clean up the animals like the savages.”
“In order to build forces like that, you have to feed them, cloth them, house them, etc.”
“I know.” Hal nodded. “I’ve been doing good.”
“But you can’t keep it up.”
“Not if I want to concentrate on my army, no.”
“As you know, Beginnings has the industrialization and farming capabilities to provide for more that can stay behind these walls. Right now we run it at a skeleton staff and it works. Providing for more people means I need more workers.”
“Just let me know.”
“I will,” Joe said. “I won’t take anymore than I need. Some times during the year it will be more than others. If the bulk of your people are sustaining the center line and keeping the Society as minimal over here as possible, then you got our gratitude and our help.”
“Thanks.”
“Now.”
“Uh-oh.”
Joe smiled. “No more father to son talking.”
“That was father to son talking?”
“All right smart ass. Leader to leader right here. Cards on the table.” Joe leaned into his desk. “By joining forces with Beginnings, you are saying you want to become a subsidiary of Beginnings. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then you shall be. But . . . just like in the old world, you may govern your little town under local law, but consequently you will have to be under Beginnings law.”
“So what you’re saying is I may run Bowman, but you run me?”
Joe sat back in his chair and smiled. “Or, you know, whoever the leader may be at the time.”
“We expected that,” Hal said. “When we discussed coming to Beginnings, we knew asking for help meant being part of Beginnings. If we didn’t want that, we wouldn’t have come to you. And Dad, you heading this place gives me that much more confidence in joining forces.”
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 401