“Frank.” Joe rubbed his forehead as he spoke on the phone. “I know this is your big moment in the strategy sun, but give me another hour. All right? Go hang out with Dean. You haven’t brought him the killer baby yet. Good. Good. Bye.” He hung up.
Grace shifted her eyes over to Elliott in the corner. She didn’t even want to ask about the killer baby.
“Welcome to Beginnings.” Joe stood up from behind his desk.
“From what I’ve seen.” Grace cleared her throat. “It’s very . . . . very . . .”
“Military installation like?” Joe smiled. “Yes, but Danny Hoi is working to change all that. We have modular housing.”
“You have a nice set up.” Grace stood from her chair. “Are you certain you have clothing for me?”
“Most definitely,” Joe nodded. “I talked to Bentley our barber. He can take you in an hour or so, but first let’s get you to Distribution.” Joe moved to the door. “We’ll take my Jeep. If we find nothing there, we have this pair of tailors, Todd and Ben. They’ll make you what you need.”
“Wonderful.”
Joe stopped and with his back facing Grace he mouthed the word ‘wonderful’. He shook his head and reached for the door.
“Mr. Slagel, would it be possible and allowable for me to take a small tour of your town while I’m waiting on my hair design?” Grace asked.
Joe shrugged. “Sure. We can show you around some. Elliott?”
Elliott snapped out of his zoning. “Yes?”
“You care to take Grace on a Beginnings tour?”
“I . . . I really am not that familiar.” Elliott looked innocently. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh.” Grace turned. “A small tour will be fine then. Whatever you can do. I wanted to stop by the hospital and personally speak to Dr. Hayes.”
“The Clinic?” Elliott perked up. “I know where that is. I can take you there, no problem.”
“All right. We’re settled.” Joe opened the door. “Off to Beginnings’ Sax Fifth Avenue.” Joe stepped out. “Distribution Warehouse Fifteen.”
Elliott was the last to leave Joe’s office. He kept his distance behind Grace and her moo-moo that flapped about as she walked. The ride to Beginnings was quiet. Elliott cringed at his Councilman duties and spending time with Grace, but a tour of Beginnings wouldn’t be bad. It would give him a chance to get to know the town better. To Elliott, it wasn’t turning out to be all that bad of a day. Yet.
^^^^
“These aren’t done.” Johnny laid a few requisitions in front of Ellen on the counter in the Clinic lab. “But I have to work on that chopper so I have to go.”
“This was great. Thanks.” Ellen smiled. “Be careful.”
“I will. Dr. Dean’s checking my work now.” Johnny kissed Ellen on the cheek. “See ya later.” Johnny began to walk away.
“Johnny,” Ellen called to him as she reviewed her notes. “Are you picking up the baby today?”
Johnny let out an annoyed breath that was well hidden from Dean and Ellen in the lab. “Yeah.”
“Can you bring her by?” Ellen asked. “I know your father wants to see her and so does Pap.”
“Yeah, I can do that. I have to go.” Johnny took off his lab coat as he walked across the lab. “See ya, Dr. Dean.”
“Johnny.” Dean kept his eyes glued to his computer. “Uh-oh, El.” His fingers clicked on the keyboard.
“Uh-oh El, what?”
“You have staph.”
“What?” Ellen chuckled.
“A patient named . . .” Dean sprang forward in his seat and lifted the req. “You just have ‘Link’ written down.”
“What about him?”
“He has the beginnings of staph.”
“Shit.” Ellen’s hand slammed down on the counter. “How did that happen?”
“El, look at who injured him.” Dean stood up and walked over to her. “We’ll start him on an IV anti-infective. It’s early enough. He’ll be fine.”
“I guess. I feel bad now.”
“Hey, it was bound to happen. You’re lucky there was only one.” Dean moved closer to her. “And . . .” He grabbed the edges of her lab coat and pulled Ellen to him. “You’ve been quiet.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“You didn’t say anything at all during the skin grafting.”
“I’m sure I did.” Ellen wanted to pull back.
“Bub noticed.”
Ellen snickered. “Bub did not. Speaking of skin grafting, we have to prep those tissue . . .”
“Not now.” Dean tried to kiss her. “I’ve been with you all day and I feel like this is our first alone moment.” He kissed her lightly. “Let’s sneak off and go home.”
“Let’s not. I have to start Link on the . . .”
“After that.”
“Dean. No.” Ellen shook her head. “We’re busy.”
“What is wrong?” Dean kept his face close. “Huh?”
“Nothing.”
“Ellen.” He softened his voice. “Come on. What is it?” He just received a shake of her head as an answer. “Have I told you recently how much I love you? How happy I am with you? Or how about how incredibly sexy I find you.” Dean’s moving lips searched out Ellen’s reluctant ones, but he didn’t get his kiss.
“Dean.” Ellen pulled her head away. “Not now.”
“Something is wrong. Will you please tell me what it is? Why are you pulling away from me?”
“Because you suck,” Frank spoke loudly from inside the lab. He grinned. “Oh yeah, trouble in paradise.”
“Frank?” Irritated, Dean moved away from Ellen. “How long have you been there?”
“Long enough.” Frank looked at Ellen and grinned. “I guess the little man pity is starting to wear thin.”
“Frank.” Dean walked to his counter. “Don’t you knock?”
“No and nothing was happening. Even if it was, don’t you have a home for that sort of thing? Oh, wait, I forgot, you don’t have a working door.” Quickly Frank glanced at Ellen. “I’m joking. Don’t yell at me.”
Dean grumbled. “Frank. What is it?”
“Oh, I brought you a gift.” Frank lifted the sack from the floor and plopped it on the counter with a ‘thump’. “For you, Dean. And of course you, El.”
Dean and Ellen both moved closer to the bag.
Holding his hands toward the moving sack, Dean glanced at Frank. “What’s in here, an animal?”
“Nope,” Frank said proudly. “It’s one of those killer babies. I caught it outside the perimeter. Fuckin tough little bastards killed eight Savages. Not him, his buddies. I gassed the others.”
“What did you use?” Dean reached for the belt that held the sack secure.
“Dean-ami. Ammonia based twenty-five feet, highly concentrated grenade number seven.”
Ellen shook her head. “It only knocked them out. It didn’t kill them.”
“Fuck,” Frank said shocked. “You’re kidding me?”
“Nope,” Dean replied. “They’re tough. They are built to withstand the elements.”
“Good thing I didn’t go back for the bodies, huh?” Frank asked. “Anyhow, I thought you’d want this. I have an idea I want to talk to you about.”
“This is great.” Dean started to undo the belt.
“Dean.” Frank stopped him. “Only his mouth is secure. He’ll get loose.”
Dean pulled back. “We’ll wait until I get him down to the lab. I’ll knock him out and pen him up. Thanks, Frank.” Dean smiled in gratitude.
“Sure. There’s lots more where he came from. I think they’re reproducing up there.”
Snickering, Dean looked at Ellen, who wasn’t amused, then back to Frank. “Frank, they’re infants. They can’t reproduce yet and even if they could, I believe they’re asexual.”
“A sexual what?” Frank asked.
“Asexual,” Dean repeated. “You know, asexual.”
“A sexual what?” Frank questioned again. “Dean, El’s
a big girl. If there’s something you wanna call them, you can say it in front of her.”
“Never mind.”
“O.K.” Frank shrugged and reached for the sack. “Let’s take this . . .” He stopped. “El? Are you all right? You look really tired.”
“I am,” Ellen said softly. “Thanks for noticing.”
“If she’s tired, Frank,” Dean interjected, “ask her why.”
“I know why,” Frank said. “She probably was up all night.”
Dean nodded. “She was. Ask her where she was.”
“I know where she was.”
“No, Frank, ask here where she was.”
“Dean,” Frank snapped. “I know where she was. In New Bowman.”
Dean shook his head. “Well, she was there, but she was done delivering that baby in an hour. She spent the night with Sgt. Ryder.”
Frank quickly jolted his angry view to Ellen. “You what?”
Ellen rolled her eyes. “God, we were talking.”
“Talking. All night?” Frank raised his voice with question. “What is up with him, El? First you wander off when we go to Bowman. You were always here with him when he was a patient.” Frank didn’t see Dean’s nodding head in agreement. “Then, yesterday, Beginnings day,” Frank fluttered his lips, “he was your puppy dog. He writes you letters.”
Dean’s arrogance in Frank’s scolding of Ellen left. “El, Sgt. Ryder writes you letters?”
“Yes,” Frank nodded.
“Frank?” Ellen stepped to him. “What do you know about the letter?”
“Nothing,” Frank answered quickly.
“El?” Dean questioned. “Why is he writing you letters?”
“It was a note, a short note,” Ellen responded and snapped to Frank when he let out a ‘ha’. “Frank, what do you know about the letter? Did you read it?”
“No.” Frank stepped back.
“You did.”
“No.”
“El?” Again Dean spoke up. “Why is Sgt. Ryder writing you letters?”
“Frank,” Ellen called his name. “If you didn’t read it, how do you know about it?”
“Robbie showed me,” Frank nodded.
“El!” Dean tried to get her attention.
“Dean!” Ellen blasted his name. “What!”
“Why is he writing you letters?” Dean yelled.
Ellen spun her body to Dean. “It’s not to proclaim his love! It’s not to thank me for the reassurance I gave him!” She stepped to him with each sentence she spoke, causing Dean to step back, “It’s not to ridicule marriage! It’s not to say he’ll always be in my heart! It wasn’t for that!”
“And thank God,” Frank commented “I couldn’t have taken it. The part about conversing was bad enough that . . .”
“Frank!” Ellen yelled his name. “I thought you didn’t read it!”
“I didn’t . . . I . . . was . . . Fuckin Hal. He made me. He hates Elliott. He, uh, doesn’t trust him. He said, Frank read this because he’s writing Ellen love letters.”
“Love letters?” Dean screamed.
“No!” Ellen yelled. “Frank, you’re an asshole.”
“No I’m not.” Frank lifted the sack from the counter “If you two are gonna fight, I wish you wouldn’t do it in front of me. It gets my hopes up.” He walked to the door. “Dean, come down to the lab with me. I have to drop this off and talk to you about . . . UH!” Frank shrieked and jumped back when Grace stepped into the lab. “They let her out! Uh!”
Grace gave a scolding face to Frank.
“Dean, come on.” Frank grinned, turned serious, pointed with a warning look to Elliott, and walked out of the door.
“I’ll be right down,” Dean called out then watched his visitors step inside. “Can I help you?”
Grace merely glanced at Dean and stepped towards Ellen. “Dr. Hayes, I’ve come to speak to you. Elliott has been taking me on a tour and I wanted to take advantage of my visit to . . .” Grace let out a breath. “Apologize for my behavior with you.” She extended her hand to Ellen.
“That’s all right.” Ellen shook Grace’s hand. She peered around Grace and smiled at Elliott. “Hey, Elliott.
Dean’s one eyebrow rose. “What . . .”
“Grace, this is my husband,” Ellen introduced Dean. “He’s the basis of our medicine here in Beginnings.”
“Dr. Hayes.” Grace nodded to Dean then returned to Ellen. “As a good will gesture, when you come to New Bowman to fill in for Blue, I would like to have you for dinner. Sgt. Ryder tells me you’ll be coming in a few days.”
Before Ellen could respond, Dean spoke up. “And why, Sgt. Ryder, do you know when my wife is going to New Bowman?”
Elliott was shocked by this question. He stumbled for an answer.
“Dean,” Ellen whispered his name in warning.
“No, El.” Dean looked at Elliott. “What exactly is your intention with my wife Sgt. Ryder?”
“Dean,” Ellen scolded his name. “Stop it.”
“Intention?” Elliott questioned. “I am only trying to establish a friendship. I apologize if I’ve over stepped my boundaries, Dr. Hayes. I will step back.”
“You will do no such thing, Elliott,” Ellen told him. “I’ll get pissed. Dean, knock it off. All right?”
“No, El.” Dean shook his head. “I believe I am well within my rights as your husband. You spent the night with him. He writes you letters. He hangs around you. I have every right to want to know what his intentions are.”
Grace interrupted, “Whatever Sgt. Ryder has stated as his intentions, I can assure you that he is honest with you. I’ve learned one thing, Dr. Hayes,” she spoke to Dean. “That the men of Bowman are nothing like the men I have met of Beginnings. Perhaps instead of scolding Sgt. Ryder, you should learn a thing or two from him.” She gave a smile to Ellen then turned to Elliott. “Sgt., Ryder, I believe I have a hair appointment. You’ll escort me?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Elliott nodded and moved to the door.
“Dr. Hayes.” Grace took a step. “Dr. Hayes.” She said her farewells.
No goodbye? When Ellen realized that Elliott said nothing to her, she held her hand up to Dean and raced from the room. “Elliott,” she called to him as he moved down the corridor to the main door with Grace. “Please wait.”
Elliott stopped. He stared at the door for a second, placed on a polite smile, and turned around. “Dr. Hayes.”
“Stop that,” Ellen told him. “Grace, excuse us for a second.” Grasping his uniform sleeve, she tugged him into the waiting area. “Don’t do this.”
“Ellen, I mean . . .” He saw her glare. “Ellen. I’ve caused trouble. It wasn’t right for me to . . . to be friends with you, especially if it caused tension between you and your husband.”
“It’s fine.”
“He’s upset.”
“He has no right to be.”
“He is your husband.”
“Elliott, you know everything. Do you think he has the right to judge our friendship?”
“Ellen.” Elliott lowered his head to her with a whisper. “I’m sorry. I really want to be friends with you, but he is your husband. I will respect that and his wishes. I’m sorry.” Elliott took one step back and turned to leave the waiting room.
Calmly, Ellen spoke up. “Well then, fuck you.”
Elliott turned around with a shocked expression. “Ellen?”
“You heard me. Fuck you.” Her voice rose just a little.
Quickly looking around, Elliott hunched and stepped to her to silence her.
“Fuck you!”
“Ellen,” Elliott spoke her name through clenched teeth.
“Fuck . . .” Her words were muffled by his hand.
“Ellen, please.”
“No.” Ellen swiped his hand off of her. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. I came to you. I told you everything. You know everything. You’re the only one. At this point in my life, with all that’s happening, I can’t believe
you’re abandoning me. I need you.”
A whining, crying, frustration moan came from Elliott as his head flung back and his eyes rolled. “Ellen.”
“What?”
“Your husband . . .” Elliott stumbled for the words. “My honor.”
“Oh, fuck your honor.”
“Why are you using that language?”
“Because I’m pissed. I told you I’d be pissed.” Ellen folded her arms. “You agreed to be my friend. Last night, you agreed to let me vent to you about this, ‘Husband, spoiled princess and the impending baby’ issue and now look what you’re doing.”
Elliott slowly nodded his head. “Ellen, then my honor . . .”
“Oh Fuck your . . .” Again his hand covered Ellen’s mouth.
Slowly Elliott slid his hand from her mouth and leaned even closer. “My honor lies with you.” He gave a quick smile and stepped back. “But right now my duty lies with . . .” Elliot swallowed. “Grace. We’ll talk later.”
“We’ll talk later,” Ellen said softly with a smile as Elliott waved once more and left. Feeling a little better, she walked from the waiting area back down to the lab. Dean stood center of the room . . . waiting. “What?” she asked as she walked in.
“You chased after him.”
“Knock it off.”
“What . . . what did I do to deserve this ‘old’ Ellen-style attitude?”
“Old?” Ellen stepped angrily to him. “Old? Are you calling me old?”
“El, I was . . .”
“Too old for you Dean? Perhaps someone younger would be . . .”
“El!” Dean screamed to shut her up. “I was referring to your attitude. All right. God!” He curled his fist and stepped in frustration. “You know what . . .” Dean calmed down. “I’m not arguing. You’re just tired. That’s it.” He quickly kissed her. “You get like this when you’re tired and hungry. Eat something.” He walked to the door. “Take a nap. Have a drink. Something.” He walked out and stepped back in. “But I am telling Frank about you chasing him out.” Dean left.
The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20 Page 68