The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  Josephine lowered her crochet and looked up with a smile. “Evening, Mr. Slagel.”

  “Have you ... have you met Henry.” Joe pointed to him.

  “Yes.” Josephine nodded. “We chatted. Sweet boy, he is.”

  “So you didn’t call him any names?” Joe asked.

  “No. I told him he seemed like a gem.”

  Henry quickly pivoted in a spin to a snickering Robbie. “I hate you,” he whimpered at him and stormed by.

  “What?” Robbie laughed and tossed his hands up.

  <><><><>

  Frank took another loud, splashing drink as he sat on his front porch. He rolled the whiskey bottle between his hands. Beginnings was so quiet. It was so quiet that he could even hear Dean and Ellen’s whispering conversation as they neared him. Frank brought the bottle to his lips getting ready to take another drink, and getting ready for when he saw them.

  Ellen swung Dean’s hand a little as they walked. “This is nice, thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Are you wanting to get back to the clinic?”

  “No, I wanted to be with you and spend time with my wife.” They drew closer to their row of houses. “So, uh, have you thought about what we talked about after dinner?”

  “The baby?”

  “You remembered.”

  “Of course.”

  “So did you?” Dean asked as they slowed down. “It’s O.K., if you didn’t yet. I was just curious.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it.”

  They arrived at their home and Dean stopped walking and turned around to face Ellen. “I just ... I just want this. I love having a family. Please don’t think I’m pressuring you.”

  “I don’t.”

  “So uh ...” Dean moved closer to her. “What’s the, uh ... odds.” He snickered and looked up almost with the bashfulness of someone on his first date. “What are the odds of us at least practicing tonight?”

  “We can’t tonight.”

  “The kids should be asleep.”

  “No, that’s not why.”

  Dean cringed. “El, don’t tell me you’re on your period again.”

  “I’ve had problems since the twins were born. I’m spotting.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “I do.” Ellen raised her eyebrows. “I’d rather not. Not because I don’t want to be with you, but because my body ... you know.”

  “I should re-invent the pill if for nothing else but to make you regular again.”

  “Then I wouldn’t get pregnant.”

  “But.” Dean leaned to her, brushing his nose against hers gently. “We’d get lots of viable practice.” With a smile, he kissed her. “What do you say about kicking my dad out and then you and I get close? We don’t have to make love, just everything up to that point.” He winked. “You game?”

  With an ornery snicker, Ellen bit her bottom lip. “Can we kiss?”

  “Oh, you know it,” Dean answered with a soft voice.

  “I love kissing you.” Ellen moved her mouth so close to his.

  “Then let’s go.” Dean kissed her quickly and turned back around. He stepped up first to the steps with Ellen behind him.

  Frank’s hand came down hard and loud with a bang on the railing, causing a barricade. He stepped in between them, keeping his back to Dean and looking down to Ellen. “I need to talk to you.”

  Ellen peered up at him. “You’re drunk.”

  “I know. I don’t care.” Frank closed his eyes. His words were slurry and soft. “I need to talk to you. Now. Right now.”

  “Frank.” Ellen tried to use reason. “It’s late and ...”

  “El, come talk with me.”

  Dean stayed silent long enough. “Frank, I don’t want her to go with you. I ...”

  “Dean.” Frank merely looked over his shoulder at Dean. “If you don’t want her to go, you’ll have to physically stop me and you can’t do that.” Frank looked at Ellen. “I’m having a bad night, a really bad night. Please. Please. I need you.” Frank’s voice dropped to a barely heard level. “Please.”

  Ellen looked beyond Frank to Dean. “Dean.”

  With his jaw shifting in his anger, Dean stared at Ellen for a second. “Go. You go,” he said with a hardened edge and flung open the screen door, stepped with rage into his home, and slammed the door.

  “This better be good,” Ellen told Frank..

  “Come with me.” Frank stepped by her grabbing her hand.

  “We can talk here.”

  “Why don’t you want to go with me?” Frank asked. “Huh.”

  “I’d just rather ...”

  “So you can be with him?” Frank lowered his head to her. “Get close to him?”

  “Frank, please.” Ellen closed her eyes.

  “It’s not fair,” Frank whispered in his drunkenness. His glossy eyes stared deep into hers. “It isn’t fair.”

  “Do you think it’s fair to Dean? He’s mad right now.”

  “What.” Frank’s voice raised some. “And you don’t want to fight with him.”

  “Frank.”

  “No, El. So what? So the fuck what if he doesn’t ...”

  “Frank.” Ellen tried to silence him.

  Frank’s arm went out and he pointed to the house with a louder voice. “No. I need you. He has you.”

  “Frank.” Ellen spoke louder then looked to the house. “Let’s go. All right?”

  Holding Ellen’s hand and stammering in his walk, Frank moved to his house. At the steps he bent over, picked up the bottle still on the steps, tucked it under his arm, and opened his door.

  “Where’s Johnny?” Ellen asked standing just inside the door.

  “Camping.” Frank set the bottle on the floor and closed the door. He moved to Ellen, grasping her, and bringing her into him. Immediately his lips parted and he pressed them to Ellen’s as his hands slid up her arms in such a grip he began to lift her from her feet. He didn’t stop. He didn’t want to stop. Almost in a hunger, he kissed her. Wide. Deep. Biting.

  Ellen gasped as she pulled back. “Frank, stop. I thought you wanted to talk.”

  “I said I needed you.” Frank turned to kiss her again.

  “You said you wanted to talk.”

  “Don’t do this.”

  “Don’t do what?” Ellen asked.

  “Don’t push me away.” His lips went to her neck, gliding them up. “Don’t.”

  “Frank, you’re drunk.”

  “And I’m alone.” He stopped kissing her. “I feel so alone. You’re ... you’re the only one I want to be with and you’re ...” Frank released the grip he had on her. “You’re with him.”

  “He’s my husband, Frank.”

  “I don’t care!” Frank blasted out. He stumbled a few steps away then spun around to Ellen. “All my life you have been there. All of it.” His arm flew out. “And now ...” Frank’s eyes squinted. “There’s no one in this world and you aren’t there.”

  “Bullshit.” Ellen walked to him. “I am always here for you. You snap, I jump. I do whatever you want.”

  “Leave him.”

  “No.”

  “See,” Frank yelled. “You don’t do whatever I want.”

  “You don’t want me to leave Dean.”

  “Yes, El.” Frank walked to her stammering. “Yes I do. You and him, it’s not right. You ... me.” His dropped his voice. “Now that’s right.”

  “Frank. Stop that.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Talking like this.” Ellen tried reason. “This isn’t you. All right? It isn’t. You telling me you’re lonely. You want me to leave Dean. You’re having a bad night. All of this is the booze talking. I know you.”

  “Maybe.” Frank took a second to rub his eyes. “Maybe the booze is making me say more than I would. But.” Softly he dropped his voice and closed his eyes. “It can’t make me feel what I don’t. El ...” So much pain seemed to lace Frank’s words as he looked at Ellen. “I love you. I do ...
”

  “Frank.”

  “No. I love you.” Frank laid his hand on her cheek. “I’m with you a lot, all the time. I’ve been with you forever. A couple months ago you stood here. Right here.” Frank pointed down. “And said to Dean you would do anything to make it work with him.”

  “He’s my husband.”

  “I’m tired of fuckin’ hearing that.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “And what’s the truth about me?” Frank’s voice squeaked with his emotions as he tried unsuccessfully to keep them under control.

  “You promised me you would never let the truth come out. You promised me.”

  “I promised you I would never tell Dean what happens between us and I won’t. But that’s not the truth I’m talking about. I’m talking about me. How you feel about me? Do you love me? You never tell me.”

  “Of course I love you. That’s a given.”

  “Givens don’t cut it in this world now.” Frank hunched down. “I need to hear more. Just every once in a while let me hear you say something else to me besides Dean is your husband.” Frank’s thumbs brushed again her cheek.

  “Dean is my husband.” Ellen took a shivering breath as Frank dropped his forehead to meet hers and he closed his eyes. “But you always have been and always will be ... my soul.”

  Frank kissed her at that second and took in a deep breath as he did so, loud and emotional as it seeped through his nostrils. He separated from the kiss. “Thank you.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  June 13 - Beginnings, Montana

  Henry was beginning to get a complex. What was it about his effect on the new women in Beginnings? Did he smell? He always sniffed under his arms before going just to eliminate that possibility. He thought he was a cute enough guy and not at all repulsive and he himself enjoyed his personality, so why did the only two new women in Beginnings have such a bad reaction?

  The second he stepped into the Skills Room, Melissa had her stock reaction. Whatever was in her hand dropped and she flew, head down, from the room. The children giggled and Henry, as usual, tossed his hands up.

  “That should tell you something.” Josephine sewed as she sat in a chair. “No one likes you.”

  “But ...”

  “Prick.”

  “Hey.” Henry walked to her. “You really should give me a chance.”

  “Prick.”

  “Come on now.”

  “Prick.”

  “Can you at least call me something else?”

  Josephine looked up with a smile. “Fuckin’ prick.”

  “Oh, now that’s better. Thanks.” Henry, in defeat, walked from the Skills Room.

  <><><><>

  Something had to be wrong. Something really had to be physically wrong, Frank kept thinking. There was no way possible for anyone’s eyes to feel the way his did. They felt as if they lost all mobility and they hurt so badly Frank could barely see. He pushed on his right eyelid seeing if he could relieve the pressure, and hoping that maybe, like a trick elbow, he could pop his eyeball back into place. With his finger on his eyelid, Frank walked into his father’s office. No Joe. He knew Robbie had a semi-successful run, but had he returned yet? He heard over the radio he was on his way back. Frank walked to the Examining Room, Ellen’s supplies were there, but no Ellen. He released the eyelid he held closed and looked again to be sure. After the room came back into focus, Frank saw it was still empty. He turned, pressed on his eye lid, pushed on his eyeball, and walked through Joe’s office to the Waiting Room.

  “Frank.” George looked up from sitting on the sofa. Johnny was on his right and Denny on his left. George had an open book.

  “Hey.” Frank walked in. “What’s going on?”

  “Just a little History lesson.”

  Johnny looked up with a smile. “It’s fun when George teaches us History. He lets us know which people were real assholes.”

  “Johnny.” George shook his head as if those descriptions were secret.

  “Oh yeah.” Frank never paid attention to the language. “So isn’t that Jenny’s job?”

  “Sort of,” George answered, “but she said she was menstrual.” George paused to snicker at Frank’s whine. “I thought I would take over until Joe is back.”

  “From where?”

  “The run.”

  “You didn’t go?” Frank asked.

  “No.”

  “Oh.” Frank scratched his head with his free hand and rubbed his eye.

  “Is there something wrong with your eye, Frank?” George questioned.

  “Hurts. I think it’s stuck.”

  George didn’t want to ask. “Just keep playing with it.”

  “I will. So is my dad back or what?”

  Joe answered that one from behind Frank. “I’m back.”

  “Good.” Frank turned around, shut the door and continued to hold his eye. “I need to talk to you.”

  “About what?” Joe asked, sitting down with some tiredness at his desk.

  “Dan. Can you let him out? I want to start having more coverage on perimeters. Especially since it’s summer.”

  “What about Greg?” Joe asked.

  “He’s tougher, so I want to keep him around Containment.”

  “What’s the matter with your eye?”

  “Oh.” Frank pushed on it some more. “I think it’s stuck. So can you?”

  “Can I what? And what do you mean it’s stuck?”

  “From Containment.” Frank cringed. “It fuckin’ hurts. I’m trying to pop it back into place.”

  “Frank.”

  “What.”

  “Let go of your goddamn eye.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s not popping back into place. Didn’t you think for one second you have a headache and it’s all because you’re hung over?”

  “That too.”

  Joe grumbled and stood up. “You have to stop this drinking shit.”

  “What?”

  “You were drunk again last night.”

  “Fuckin’ Robbie was bored. He made me. That asshole.” Frank reached up for his eye. “Now I can’t see. Look.” Frank released his eye and opened it. “See. Everything is blurry.”

  “Frank,” Joe snapped. “How in the hell am I supposed to tell if everything you see is blurry?”

  “Huh?”

  “Never mind. Christ Almighty Frank, you can’t see because you keep pushing on your eye.”

  “It hurts.”

  “Well knock it off anyhow.”

  “Fine.” After pushing one more time, Frank quit. Then he kept blinking to get everything back in focus. “I think I need glasses.”

  “You need smacked upside your head.”

  “What?” Frank laughed. “For fixing my eye?”

  “No, for being the town drunk.”

  “Dad.” Frank fluttered his lips. “I am not the town drunk.”

  “Lately you have been.”

  “Lately I’ve been bored so I find myself drinking. I’ll slow down.”

  “Good.” Joe returned to his desk. “Because when you get drunk, you act like an idiot when you storm over to Ellen’s and snatch her from her home.”

  “I hate that she’s with Dean,” Frank grumbled.

  “Tough. Get over it and quit bothering her on your inebriated whims.”

  “They aren’t whims. I need her when I go for her.” Frank defended.

  “You need her more when you’re drunk. Everything is exaggerated.”

  “Yeah, so.”

  “Yeah, so?” Joe shook his head. “Quit getting drunk and you won’t need her as bad.”

  “You think?”

  “Probably not but at least you won’t be causing trouble. You’re just lucky you’re so goddamn big or Dean would kick your ass.”

  Frank laughed. “Thanks.”

  “For what?”

  “The chuckle.” Still swaying his head, Frank started to leave.

  “Frank.”

 
; Frank stopped at the door. “Yeah.”

  “I never answered your question.”

  “I had a question?”

  “Um yeah.” Joe walked back to his desk.

  “What was it about?”

  “About Dan.”

  “What about him?”

  Joe’s hand shook from trying to control it. He gave it his all but still he could not prevail over it. Uncontrollable, like it had done since Frank learned to speak, that right hand sprang up and he smacked himself on the forehead in frustration. “Frank, you ass. You asked if I would let Dan out of Containment.”

  “Oh yeah.” Frank nodded with a smile. “Thanks.” He started to leave.

  “Frank!”

  “What?”

  “Don’t you want to know?”

  “Oh.” Frank snapped his finger. “Yeah I do. Sorry. I’m in pain here.”

  “Yes, I know. Your eyeball is stuck and you can’t see.”

  “Yeah.”

  Joe closed his eyes for a second. “Yes.”

  “Yes what?”

  “Frank!”

  “What!”

  “Get the hell out of my office!”

  “All right!” Frank opened the door. “God, fuckin’ yell at me for nothing.” He started pushing on his eyelid. “My head hurts again.” Frank closed the door.

  Joe sat there. He waited. He actually counted and it happened before he reached his projected time of five seconds. And when it happened Joe gripped tightly to his Zippo.

  “Dad.” Frank opened the door and popped his head in. “Are you letting him out?”

  Joe didn’t answer. He knew at that second a stroke would be an inconvenience and so would a heart attack, so to relieve that tension that caused his blood pressure to rise, Joe leaned back and tossed the Zippo full force and beamed Frank in the forehead. “Yes.”

  “Thanks.” Frank bent down, picked up the lighter, and tossed it back. As he walked out, he never shut the door because he was too busy rubbing his forehead and pushing in on his eyeball again.

  <><><><>

  Rarely did Robbie ever get dark circles under his eyes, that was Frank’s department, but he had them and he felt the tiredness hit him more by the hour. He had been up late with Frank, who made him drink, then field work in the morning, a survivor run with preliminary processing, returning two back to the wild, and finally bringing the two into Containment.