“Oh my God.” Ellen rushed their way. “What happened?”
“El, your brother. He . . . he . . . kneed me in the nuts.”
“Shit.” Ellen’s eyes widened and she hurried to Containment. “He attacked you.”
“Afraid so.”
She opened the door. “Bring him in. Wow. Maybe I had like a psychic premonition or something about him.”
“I think you did. He worked for the Society. Did anyone check him for a microchip?”
“No.” Ellen buzzed them through to the main portion of Containment. “Put him in a bunk. Do you think we should?”
“Check for a chip?” Johnny dropped Richie on a bunk. “Yeah, if he has one and he’s not being reprogrammed, he can get dangerous. Like now.” Johnny hoped Ellen didn’t know he was lying. “But first, I think we should sedate him until we find out.”
Ellen stared at her unconscious brother. “I feel really bad.”
“Better we find this out now than later when he’s babysitting one of the kids and turns on them.”
In shock, Ellen gasped. “I’ll run to the clinic and get the sedative.”
“You know what? I’ll do it.” Johnny laid his hand on her cheek. “Stay here.” Widening his eyes after he turned from Ellen, Johnny left the Men’s Quarters then eventually Containment. All the way to the clinic he had to think of something to do. Richie never said who he thought Bev was, but if there was even an inkling in Richie’s mind, Johnny couldn’t take a chance. Since it would be an easy way to get busted, killing Richie in Containment was not an option. Johnny had to find another way,
In the empty lab, Johnny grabbed a syringe. He had to move quickly and get what he needed. He hurried to the medication fridge, opened it, and reached for the second shelf. He saw the vial he sought and took it.
“Whoa!” The squeak of stopping tennis shoes then Dean’s hand halted Johnny as he readied to plunge the syringe into the vial. “What are you doing?”
“I have an, um, irritated patient, one of the new guys. I wanted a sedative.”
Dean whistled. “Johnny, do you have a lot on your mind?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Look at that vial.”
“Huh?” Johnny played dumb.
“It’s Drexocel not Darvoline. You saw the ‘D’ and you grabbed it.” Dean chuckled. “This is that experimental Ritalin med we’ve been trying out.’ Dean took the vial from Johnny’s hand. “If you give the guy this without an attention disorder, his mind may never work right again.”
“Oh my God,” Johnny faked dramatic shock. “I . . . I . . .”
“It’s an easy mistake.” Dean replaced the vial and handed Johnny the sedative. “Don’t fret about. We’re just lucky we caught it. O.K.?”
“I’m sorry, Dr. Dean.” Johnny added a tearful sadness to his voice, “I’m so sorry.”
“Johnny, it’s O.K.” Dean gave a wink, picked up his requisitions, and raced from the lab.
“Asshole,” Johnny whispered and flipped off a leaving Dean. Cocky, he smiled, put the sedative back in the fridge, removed the Drexocel, and filled the syringe with it. Then Johnny went back to Containment.
^^^^
“He looks dead.” Jenny sat on the edge of John’s bed just looking into his eyes that blankly stared out.
Dean raised his glance from the chart. “Just be careful what you say. He hears everything.”
‘How do you know?” Jenny asked.
“I just do.” Dean closed the chart and started to leave. “Don’t stay too long, Jenny. He needs his rest.”
“His eyes aren’t closed. How can he rest? If he can hear surely he can see.”
Dean walked to the bed and closed John’s eyes. “There. See ya.”
“Dean?” Jenny called, still staring at John.
“Yes.”
“Did you figure out what’s wrong with him yet?”
“No.”
“So it’s not a stroke like Andrea said?”
Why that made Dean completely freeze, he didn’t know. He did recall her diagnosis being the same with Joe when he was given the Salicain. “Did . . . did Andrea tell you it was a stroke?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
“I see.” Dean nodded. “We don’t know for sure, but we aren’t ruling anything out at this point.”
“Is he close to dying?”
“Jenny, I really have to get back to my . . .”
“Dean, don’t be a dick. Is he?”
“Right now? I don’t think so.” Dean tried to leave again.
“So it’s all right if I go out on my date with Hal? He’s not gonna die while I’m out? I’d feel very guilty.”
“Go out, Jenny. Have a good time.” Giving a quick raise of his eyebrows and thinking ‘typical female’, Dean left the room.
^^^^
“At least Dean thinks I’m sane, I think,” Frank said. “I’ll ask him when I talk to him.”
“Not that everyone thinks you’re a crack pot, Frank,” Joe explained as they neared the Clinic.
“I know.”
“But this theory . . .”
“I know.”
“Prancing around naked in your backyard two nights in a row didn’t . . .”
“Dad,” Frank stopped him, “I know. And I don’t prance. Fuck.” He reached for the Clinic door.
“We’ll discuss this tonight, maybe have a sit down. I’ll check with you on shift.”
Frank paused in his opening the door. “I have a date. I won’t be around.”
“What do you mean you won’t be around?”
“I plan on staying in New Bowman with El. You and Andrea are watching the kids.”
“All night?” Joe asked.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Get your ass back to Beginnings, Frank. You’re head of Security. Who’s running it while you’re off prancing . . .”
“Dad! I don’t prance. Robbie’s filling in.”
“Robbie has services in the morning. He can’t work all night. He’s bad enough as it is without being tired.”
“Dad, it’s my night off,” Frank argued.
“You don’t need a night off. You had four nights off in a row.”
“I was shot.”
“I don’t care.” Joe said. “I expect you on shift. Now is not the time for you to be unavailable.”
“Man.” Frank opened the door. “You’re tough.” He walked through the door and stopped with a clueless look on his face.
It was after Joe passed him that he noticed Frank was no longer with him. “Frank?” Joe turned back. “What’s wrong?”
“I forgot why I came here. Fuck. I hate when that happens.” Frank looked around as if something in that one section of the hall was going to clue him in. “Fuck.” He opened the door back up.
“Where you going?”
“Back to your office.”
‘What for?”
“To start all over again.”
Joe opened his mouth to call out as Frank left. He could have easily reminded Frank why they were at the Clinic, but he found it more amusing to let Frank figure it out on his own.
^^^^
Quantico Marine Headquarters
George was so tired of drinking out of straws that he wanted to scream, but lifting the large glass of tea was useless, especially since it always seemed to clank against the metal of the contraption that held his head up.
“George?” Johnny spoke on the phone to him. “Are you still there?”
With a long slurp, George finished his drink. “Yeah and that’s impossible.”
“He had this look in his eye.”
“Johnny,” George said with a hint of a laugh. “Do you know how preposterous that notion is? If Joe Slagel hasn’t any idea who she is, how is Richie Martin gonna know?”
“True.”
“True. But just in case, do what you can to keep him quiet.”
“George,” Johnny spoke softly. “I feel like everything is coming down on me. Every day it seems more and more like someone is gonna catch on. Maybe . . . maybe it’s time I just bolted.”
“I’d say fine but you can’t, not now. I can’t take a chance of something happening to you when you try to make it back, especially with this Savage war thing happening.”
“What if they find me out? They’ll kill me.”
“Johnny, that will never happen,” George assured him. “You’re a Slagel. That will never happen. We have the back up if need be and we’ll use it. After Andrea’s trial is over, if you still want to leave, you’ll have safe passage back with her and Bob.”
“What if they find her innocent? They picked a jury. They’re really being fair about it.”
“It doesn’t matter how fair the trial is,” George stated, “the evidence is stacked against her, my boy. Trust me, she’ll be found guilty.”
^^^^
Frank felt as if he were nearing injury, possibly a tennis neck, the way he was watching Dean whip around, back and forth in the lab. “You’re mad.”
“I’m not mad,” Dean stated.
“You are.”
“Frank.
“Dean, you said . . .”
“I know what I said.”
“So why are you being like this?” Frank asked.
“It’s not fair.”
“What do you want me to do, Dean?” Frank tossed his hands up. “I have to draw a line.”
“Well, how about this . . .” Dean turned around and walked to Frank. “How about . . .”
“No deals.”
“All right. All right. I was gonna offer to do all the cooking.”
“I don’t want to lose weight.”
“Funny.” Dean shook his head. “All right. No more passing it off on you. I’ll do my own laundry.”
“Thank you,” Frank said with an end-of-argument breath. “People will start to talk if they found out I was doing your underwear.”
“I run the sweeper.”
“Badly.”
Dean chuckled. “You would think by looking at us, if we were going to be the Odd Couple, you’d be Oscar not Felix.” Dean went back to doing his work. “So tonight’s the night, huh?”
“Yeah,” Frank said softly. “How are you with it?”
“Good. Thank you for asking. I mean that.”
Frank nodded.
“Do you want to know why it’s not bothering me?” Dean asked. “It’s because for the first time in a long time, I trust you. I really trust your word.”
“And you got it. You know my date with El is just about spending time with her.”
“I know.”
“You guys will work it out. I feel this thing coming to an end. I do.”
“I hope so because it’s starting to make me physically ill.”
“You’ve been looking bad.” Snickering at Dean’s grumble, Frank glanced at his watch. “I have to head out. I have dinner to start. See ya later.” He started to leave.
“You’re making dinner?” Dean asked. “That’s nice. I thought you were eating at Hal’s.”
“I am. It’s a joint thing. Jenny’s bringing one half, me the other.”
“Maybe you should hook up with Jenny.”
Frank stopped cold in the door way and glared back. “I was gonna leave you some.” Ending it on his sarcastic comment, Frank moved into the hall and nearly bumped into Ellen. “Whoa. Sorry.”
“Hey.” Ellen smiled. “Where you going?”
“To get ready for tonight. El, we can’t stay out real late. I have to work.”
“Oh.” Ellen nodded. “That’s all right. We’ll have fun. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Thanks. See you then.” Frank smiled and moved down the hall.
Ellen tilted her head in wonder. She told Frank she was looking forward to their date. Where was his ‘me too’? Shrugging, she went into the lab. “Did you say something to Frank about him and I going out.”
“No,” Dean said as he worked. “What are you doing here?”
“Finishing up for the day.” She held up requisitions then set them in the bin. “I have to get ready and I want to see the kids before I ship them off to Joe and Andrea’s.” She took off her lab coat and brought it to the coat tree.
Dean only nodded sadly.
“What are you doing tonight?”
“Me? After I finish dictation? Oh, I have a big night planned. I’m doing nothing.” He flashed a fake grin and gathered up his work. “My roommate is going out with my wife and I’m sitting home.”
“O.K.” Ellen walked to the door and stopped. “Dean? If you want, I’ll tell Joe and Andrea it’s all right if you pick up the kids and keep them. If you want.”
Dean immediately looked up. “El? Wait. What’s that all about? The court order.”
“Like you’ve paid attention to it?”
“Well, I . . .”
“Dean. You live with Frank. He has the kids half the time. I’m not him. I’m not dumb.”
Dean’s head lowered in a blush.
“You aren’t well, Dean,” Ellen said seriously. “I’m starting to get worried about you. You’ve had headaches for days. You won’t let me take a look at you. You’re pale. The stress is getting to you. You don’t need the stress of not seeing your kids on top of that. All right?”
“So is this because you know you’re gonna win on Monday?”
“That remark was uncalled for considering my attitude with you right now. No, Dean, I’m not winning in our case on Monday. There is no more case.”
“Ellen.” Dean lifted the headset to his dictation. “Thank you. I really mean that.”
Saying no more, Ellen nodded then walked out and straight into Johnny. “God, this is run into a towering Slagel day.”
“Hey, El.” Johnny peeked into the lab. “Is Dean in the . . .” Johnny halted and hid his snicker when he looked in.
“What?” Ellen went to look.
“El, he’s . . .” Johnny tried to stop her from peeking in. He cringed when she did.
Dean was at the counter with his headset on, staring forward and not moving. His hands were in mid air as he reached for his notes. Ellen shrugged. “Wow, he must really be shocked over what I told him. See you.” She started to walk then stopped. “Oh, Johnny., I have a favor. I’m going to be out tonight and I’m concerned about Richie. Any chance I can get you to keep checking on him?”
“Oh, El, sure. You can count on me.” Johnny winked. “I’ll even run some tests if you want. You know, to check on that bad microchip.”
“Oh could you. That is so great of you. But, please don’t tell anyone. He’s my brother and I don’t want it getting around that he’s really a SUT. I’m surprised no one knows already.”
“The secret is safe with me. I’ll take care of it.”
“I can always count on you, Johnny.” Ellen smiled in relief then walked away.
Like his father, Johnny responded, “Always,” but without the same meaning.
CHAPTER TWO
New Bowman, Montana
“I cut my hair for tonight,” Jenny rambled as she lifted up her hair. “Bet you can’t tell. It was just the ends. They needed it. They split.” She flashed smile to Hal who returned one in politeness. “Bentley did it. I heard Bentley is cutting hair here on Fridays. Is that true?”
Hal didn’t know whether to nod or shake his head. Every movement he made was slow and with thought, taking care not to agree to something he didn’t want to.
“Wonder what’s taking Ellen and Frank so long with the dinner.” Jenny quickly looked over her shoulder then back to Hal. “Oh, well. Anyhow, boy, you UWA men are so nice and polished. How do you get your buttons so shiny? I’ve been meaning to ask you, do you make the men polish their swords? If so, what do you use on them? Good job.”
Hal slowly nodded with a forced smile thinking the entire time how much he was killing Frank.
; Ellen let out a quiet snicker as she peeked around the bend from the kitchen. “I think they’re getting along great,” she whispered, feeling Frank right behind her.
“Yeah.”
“Hal looks happy.”
“Oh, he looks very happy.” Frank laughed inside.
“I can’t believe he confessed his feelings to you.”
“And he wasn’t even drunk.”
Smiling and wanting to take advantage of the closeness, Ellen hurried and turned around so as to be face to face with Frank. “We really . . . should let them spend a few minutes more alone.” Frank was so close. He was oddly sporting a black tee shirt and his chest was blaring her in the face. Slowly Ellen laid her hands on his waist. “I really am glad we went out tonight.”
“We’re still out.”
“Yeah, but this date, I’m happy about it.”
Frank felt her hands moved to his stomach. “Um, why?”
Ellen giggled. “It’s you.”
“Thanks.”
“Thanks?”
“Yeah.”
“So.” Ellen inched her hands up his chest. “What do you say we take advantage of this time alone together in the kitchen?”
“I say good idea.” Frank removed her hands and stepped back. “Together we can get the dinner on the table a whole lot faster.” Flashing a grin, Frank hurried and moved to the stove.
Ellen stood stunned.
^^^^
Beginnings, Montana
“Ow.” Jess felt the hot edge of the baking pan seep through the pot holder and touch against the palm of his hand. Reaction caused him to drop the pan with a ‘slam’ on top of the stove. “Shit.”
“You O.K.?” Robbie asked from the kitchen doorway.
“Yeah.” Jess shut the oven with his leg then took a double take when he saw Robbie putting on his leather coat. “Where are you going? Dinner’s done.”
“Jess, I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you, did I?”
The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20 Page 112