Bev’s eyes widened.
^^^^
His hands on the counter, Hal stared at his interlocked fingers and thumbs that danced in circles around each other in his thoughts. He raised his eyes to Ellen and nodded. Hal stayed silent. He stood up and nodded again. Reaching his hand across the counter, he laid his hand behind Ellen’s head, pulled her to him, and pressed his lips to her forehead.
Ellen saw it. Beneath the cool calm exterior was that tell-tale Slagel protruding anger vein in his neck. “Hal?”
Another nod and Hal stepped back, turned, and walked out.
“Oh my God.” Ellen flew from behind the counter in a race. “Hal!”
“So what do you say Bev. Seven?” Dean whispered. “Seven is good for me.”
“S . . . S. . . .Seven will be f . . . fine.” Bev stuttered with wide eyes.
“Good.” Dean smiled. “I cannot wait. After all, we’ll think of it as practice for when we are one big happy family. Right?”
“Yes,” Bev swallowed.
“I’ll be there,” Dean whispered. “And it will be you, me, and my fantasies.” He raised one eyebrow at her.
“Dean,” Hal’s heavy hard voice intruded.
Dean’s eyes widened and he spun around, trying not to let his shock show. His heart pounded, especially when he saw Ellen behind Hal. “Shit.”
“Shit?” Hal tilted his head and stepped to Dean. “Shit? Nice, very nice. You humiliate one of my family, deny it, and then proceed to rub it in her face? You’re pathetic.”
“Hal, look . . .”
“Dean.” With an arrogant smile, Hal shook his head and held up a finger to silence him. “You’re a dead man.”
Dean heard it, then he supposed he actually felt the ground on his back before he felt the throbbing, burning pain searing at the side of his nose. He could feel the blood pour down his face from Hal’s punch, which was all but a blur of a huge closed fist. He stumbled to a stand and turned to see Hal at least six feet away. ‘Six feet, he knocked me back six feet. Shit’, Dean thought. Hal stood tall, waiting as if it was his full intention to allow Dean to regain his balance and knock him over again. Really debating on doing so, Dean stood up straight. “Hal, look . . .”
“Hal!” Frank called out.
Dean turned his head quickly to the right to see Frank walking over. When he returned his views to Hal, Dean saw him charging and was ill prepared. Just as his mind pondered, ‘shit, why did I look away?’ and just as Hal was a foot from him, the motion blur of Frank came into focus. Dean heard the hard grunt and escaping of air. Frank used body as a tackle in an interception into Hal. Both big Slagel men flew back and landed in a roll on the ground. Grabbing the end of his lab coat, Dean spit blood from his mouth first then used his coat to wipe off his face.
“Dean?” Bev hurried to him. “Are you all right? Oh my God.”
Dean nodded and tried to make his eyes meet Ellen’s. She wouldn’t look at him. With her arms folded, she turned her head. Dean felt the pain of that more than the pain of his hurt face.
“Frank!” Hal, so outraged, rolled up and stood. “What the hell is the matter with you?”
“What the hell’s the matter with you!” Frank yelled back. “You don’t hit fuckin people for no reason.”
“No reason?” Hal’s head flung back and he laughed. “Excuse me for doing something you, big brother, should have done.”
“Why . . . why would I hit Dean?”
“For what he did to Ellen! Then he has the gall to stand . . .”
“Whoa!” Frank held up his hand and stepped to Hal. “You believe this shit?”
“And you don’t?” Hal questioned.
“I believe Dean.”
Hal’s face grew red. “Then explain the baby, Frank! She’s pregnant by him! It’s his baby. Explain that!”
“I can’t. But . . .” Frank took on a calm demeanor. “Stranger things have happened.”
“Stranger things have happened.” Hal shook his head. “I am really disappointed in you. How could you do this?”
“I’m not doing anything!”
Ellen stepped in between the brothers and faced Frank. “I’m telling you, Frank, Dean was with her. That’s his baby contrary to what he told you. Now you tell me, Frank. Tell me you’re not taking his word over mine.”
Frank looked into Ellen’s eyes and then blinked long. “El,” he breathed out. “I’m sorry babe, but you’re wrong here. You are dead wrong.” Frank shook his head. “It’s Dean. Dean.” He spoke with soft emotions. “Come on, you know him. I know him. He wouldn’t do this.”
Ellen’s heart pounded. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You want to side with him, you go on,” she said coldly. “But like him, I want you out of my house.” Before anymore could be said, Hal placed his arm around Ellen, turned her from Frank, and walked off with her.
With his mouth closed tightly, Frank’s top lip twitched and his jaw tensed up. He waited until Hal and Ellen disappeared into the clinic and then Frank . . . stomped. “Fuck!” He turned in a circle cutting his hand through the air with every hard stomp. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”
“Frank.” Dean stepped to him as they stood alone. He wanted to say something, but the blood that seeped down the back of his throat choked him. After a gag, Dean spit.
Frank looked over his shoulder with an odd, raised eyebrow look.
“Frank, stop this. All right? Don’t you get yourself on the outs with her too. Just . . . just go tell her you were wrong.”
“I’m not.”
“Tell her, to keep peace.”
“No, Dean, I gave you my word. I’ll keep it. And you think her little ...” Frank imitated Ellen. “I want you out of my house . . . tactics worry me? I know her. She’s pissed and acting like it. Me, I’m confident we’ll prove her wrong. That’s how I’ll act, like it doesn’t bother me.” Frank turned all the way around. “I can’t believe my brother decked you like that. Good punch.” Frank nodded impressed.
“What did Joe do? Give IV steroids to all of you growing up? God, all you guy are strong.” He wiped his bleeding nose again. “But I deserved it. I was kind of . . .” Dean dropped his voice to a whisper. “Setting up Bev. I have a plan.”
“A plan?”
“Yeah, I’ll need you. It will work in our favor.”
“A plan?” Frank asked again. “Well I hope this plan was worth getting your nose busted over.”
“Busted?” Dean scoffed then wiped the blood. “Trust me, Frank, my nose is not broken.”
“Trust me, Dean, it is. I broke my nose six times. It’s busted.”
“I’m the doctor.”
“O.K.” Frank tossed his hands up. “Well, I have that meeting.” Frank looked at his watch. “First things first. Let’s go. We have to find my father.”
“For what?” Dean started to move with Frank, spitting and wiping blood with each step.
“Well, I’ve been kicked out of my new house. And . . . I need housing . . .” Frank grinned. “Roommate.”
Dean froze.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
It felt cold to Joe when he stepped inside of the Communications Room. It wasn’t because it was set deep underground in the cryo-tunnels, but because of the tension between Hal and Frank. He walked in with Jason, early enough for their phone call. He set down his clipboard and looked at Frank and Hal. He heard what had happened but not from Frank who came to see him not long before for a new place to stay. Joe heard from witnesses.
Joe nodded a hello to Henry and patted a peaceful Robbie once on the back. “I won’t have this,” Joe said sternly to his sons. “I won’t have my sons fighting.”
Robbie, who sat in a chair, looked up. “I’m not doing anything.”
“Not you.” Joe turned to Robbie, then to both Hal and Frank who sat staring in completely different locations. “You two.”
“Dad,” Hal spoke up. “I’m not going to say anything about Frank interfering in my physical confrontatio
n, but I’m angry because of his stance with this whole Dean mess.”
“I have every right to my opinion, asshole,” Frank snapped back.
“Frank’s right,” Joe said, “even though he pisses me off about it. He’s right. He can believe what he wants. Now maybe you two boys should shake hands and make up.”
“I’m not fighting with him.” Frank tossed his hands up. “He’s the one pissed off at me and giving me fuckin attitude.”
“You deserve it,” Hal snapped.
“Oh, blow me.”
“Boys.”
Hal grunted, “You know what, Frank? I really hope Robbie has a good time tonight with Ellen. She deserves someone on her side.”
“What do you mean? Robbie?” Frank looked at Robbie. “What the fuck is he talking about?”
“Oh.” Robbie waved his hand. “We’re just hanging out to take her mind off of things.”
Frank grinned at Hal. “And you’re trying to start trouble . . . as fuckin usual.”
“I am not starting trouble. I am merely expressing my opinion. I must have misunderstood when I heard Ellen tell Robbie they were having sex.”
With wide eyes, Robbie jolted his head suddenly to Hal. “Asshole.”
“Robert,” Joe smoothly warned.
“Figures,” Henry mumbled.
“Henry,” Joe said.
“Robbie!” Frank growled.
“What?” Robbie said innocently
“So I didn’t hear that?” Hal questioned.
“Hal,” Joe warned.
“Fuck.” Frank’s hand cut through air. “What the fuck, Robbie?”
“Frank,” Joe grumbled.
“We were joking around, Frank.” Robbie stood up. “That’s all.”
Frank glared at Hal. “Fuck, Hal.”
“Why do you do that?” Hal asked.
“Do what?”
“Swear all the time,” Hal told him. “It’s obscene and disturbing.”
“I don’t fuckin swear all the time.”
“You just did.” Hal pointed at Frank.
“I did?” Frank scratched his head. “Still, I don’t swear all the time.”
“Frank, you can’t say a sentence without swearing,” Hal stated. “The ‘F’ word is your favorite adjective.”
“The ‘F’ word? ‘F’ word? What is this, fifth grade?” Frank snickered.
“I understand your need to exclaim your anger in a boisterous obscene manner, but do you have to subject everyone else as well. It makes me uncomfortable.”
Frank fluttered his lips and flipped Hal off.
“See. One way or another.”
“What?” Frank was lost.
“Bet me, Frank.” Hal stepped to him. “Bet me you can’t go without swearing for twenty-four hours.”
“I can too.”
“No, you can’t,” Hal said. “Bet me.”
Robbie raised his hand. “Can I get in on this bet?”
Jason agreed, “I can see this as fun.”
Henry shook his head. “He’ll never be able to do it.”
“I’ll bet you.” Frank stepped to Hal. “What’s the bet?”
“The ‘praise me’ prize. Remember?” Hal quizzed.
“Oh, I remember.” Frank said. “You’re on.”
Jason inched his way to Joe. “What is the ‘praise me’ bet?”
Joe whispered, “The loser has to praise the winner to everyone for twenty-four hours. They’ve been doing this since they were kids.”
Hal shook Frank’s hand. “Twenty-four hours without a swear word coming from that mouth, starting . . .” Hal looked at his watch. “Now.”
“Pansy.” Frank flipped him off--after all that didn’t come from his mouth--and he walked across the Communications Room. As he neared the map wall and away from Hal, the phone rang. It was noon.
“Robert.” Joe twitched his head.
Robbie scooted the chair over to the console. “Ready and . . .” Robbie’s hands moved and a click came over the speaker system.
Joe, with his hands in his pockets, faced the speaker. “Yes,” he called out.
George’s voice carried through. “Joe.”
“Uh!” Frank grunted in disgust and saw the glares he received. “What? I didn’t swear.”
“Joe,” George repeated. “I’m glad we could have this little meeting.”
“Like wise,” Joe said. “Now . . . tell me why you wanted to have it?”
“I guess for the same reason you called us,” George explained. “The Savages.”
“What do you know?” Joe aske. He reached in his shirt pocket for a cigarette.
“What do you know?” George repeated.
“This isn’t a game. You called this meeting.”
“But you called us first.”
“Had your ass not hung up, you would have known what I wanted.”
“All right, all right,” George called out. “I’m not going to bicker. I’m here to speak about a mutual problem. Savages. We took a surprise attack the other night.”
Joe whistled. “They attacked Quantico?”
“Three hundred of them. We stopped them, but they’re bold. Has Beginnings been hit?”
“They come in little packs,” Joe told him. “But yes, we’ve been hit.”
“What do you know about them?” George asked.
Joe shrugged. “Probably no more than you.”
“Three hundred was a lot. They are coming from somewhere.”
“Our thoughts exactly.”
“But where is their camp?” George spoke out loud his thought.
“Camps,” Frank corrected. “There’s more than one. There has to be. You have them over there with you just like we have them here.”
“Impossible,” George stated. “They aren’t that smart.”
Frank tossed his hands up in an ‘oh well’ manner. “Fine, don’t listen to me. Who am I? Only the F . . F . . . Savage warfare expert.” He leaned back in a chair and nodded arrogantly to Hal for his non use of vulgar language accomplishment.
“Joe,” George said, “would you agree they have to be taken care of?”
“I would agree, yes. It’s not safe for our people to leave their perimeters.”
“I think our goal is to find the camps.”
Joe nodded. “Winter’s setting in so scouting parties can’t be out that long and your retarded, brainless soldiers make things worse.”
“How about this?” Georg paused for a while. “How about we draw up a cease fire between us and resolve this Savage situation? We can both send out parties and share what they discover.”
“Why are you so quick to join forces with Beginnings?”
“Oh I’m not doing that,” George chuckled. “I’m merely stating we call a cease fire and handle the threat that’s out there. Seriously, while you people live in your protected walls, we here on the real side of the country are rebuilding. We have industry spread out and unprotected. I don’t want that hit. Trust me, I don’t want to work with you any more than you want to work with me. However, the Savages are a big pain in the ass.”
Frank bobbed his head from side to side, wanting to disagree. To him, the Savage were a great source of training exercises.
“Joe,” George called out.
Joe had started pacing. “Hold on, George.” He motioned his head to Robbie who put the call on hold. “Jason?”
Jason tossed his hands up. “I say use them to help eliminate the threatening camp or camps of the Savages.”
“Henry?” Joe questioned him.
“I feel the same way.”
George heard the beep of the hold released. “Joe, what do you say? How are we going to handle this, separate or together as reluctant partners? What’s your answer?”
Folding his arms, Joe looked around the quiet faces in the room. He then looked at the speaker where George’s voice came from. “I guess we . . . I guess we go into a . . . . cease fire.”
^^^^
Dean’s v
oice had a nasal quality as he dictated his notes into his pocket tape recorder in the cryo-lab. “Zero-eight, twenty-two hours. Injured G.E.F, herein referred to as . . . Herbert.” Dean let out a breath. “A name not given by me. Ellen, if you are typing up these notes, it’s a Melissa name. She wants to raise it when we make it well. Back to notes. Sorry, I’m finding any way to talk to you.” Dean turned a note. “Third degree burns which cover seventy percent of his body show no signs of infection. Herbert is strong and lived past the projected death time. Respiratory labored at times. Infant must be kept tilted on a thirty degree angle for easier breathing. Restraints are minimal at this time. Blood work shows white cell count down.” Dean walked over to the other cage. The killer baby in there bounced and snarled when he saw Dean. “Going to try a transfusion if we get a match from healthy G.E.F. herein referred to as . . .” Dean grinned at the child. “Elliott.” He snickered and removed a small mouse from the cage next to ‘Elliott’. He dangled it by its tail above the killer baby. “Hungry? Here you go.” Dropping the mouse into the cage, Dean watched the killed baby devour it like an appetizer. He continued in his notes. “Hopefully the procedure will boast enough to perform . . .” An involuntary gag came from Dean as his throat felt closed. He tried to clear it and gagged again. He shut off the player and set it down. He felt like he was choking, but he could still breathe. A trickle in his throat was there that seemed to come straight from a thickness in his left nostril. With watering eyes, Dean moved to the sink. He knew what the problem was. Closing off the right side of his nose, Dean lean over the sink and tried to expel the clotted blood he knew gathering in his sinuses. The first pressure caused him to wince, but he tried again. The only thing that emerged was a gurgling. Dean gagged more and, still leaning over the sink, trudged on in his efforts despite the pain.
^^^^
When Ellen walked into the cryo-lab, she forgot for a moment that she was no longer happily married. Her first vision was Dean as he stood leaning slightly over the sink. As she always did, she checked out his backside, so little and cute. Then she heard the noise he was making. She had an odd smile to her, one she wouldn’t let Dean see. She walked to him, dropping the folder she carried on the counter in her route there. She shook her head at his noisy attempts and his oblivious nature to her presence. Moving right beside him, Ellen wiped the smile from her face. “I don’t think in all the years I have known you Dr. Hayes, I can ever recall you being this foul. What . . . are you doing?”
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