The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  Dan peeked at the board. The smile dropped. “Hey, there’s nothing funny here. I thought Frank had a dirty joke up again.”

  “No, but that’s what I was thinking of. The Monkey one.”

  “Funny,” Dan snickered. “The Council choices are good though. Hey, do you know anything about Dean letting Billy go by himself to the cryo-lab to feed animals?”

  “Dean wouldn’t do that.” Johnny shook his head. “Not his lab. No way. It has to be a rumor”

  “Shit.”

  “What?”

  “I just saw Billy going down the ladder. I stopped him, but he said his father . . .” Dan spun when Johnny flew by him. “. . . said,” he finished his sentence then exhaled. “Well, thank God someone is stopping him. I didn’t want to be the one to hit that creepy Dr. Frankenstein world.” Dan shuddered at that thought then faced the board to reminisce about fine Frank jokes gone by.

  Had Billy been wearing a little lab coat he would have looked like a miniature Dean moving down the tunnel of the cryo. He focused ahead, showed no fear of the dark tunnels, and he complained, out loud, the whole way there.

  “They are life. That’s a shame. It was bad enough to make them deformed, but now he wants to starve them. That just isn’t right.” He arrived at the cryo-lab door and on tip toes, he reached up and pressed in the four digit code he learned from watching his mother.

  “Oh, my God.” was the thought that raced through Johnny’s mind when he heard the buzz of the security door. Anyone else and he would have deemed it an accident, but not Billy, not a kid. For as much as Johnny threatened it wasn’t his intention to hurt Billy and he took off running.

  With his hands on hips hips, Billy looked at the light switch far above his head. “Swell. How does my father reach this?” After a grunt of disgust, Billy jumped and missed. He shook his head, took in a breath of determination, and tried again. “That’s it. I’m doing it this time.” He backed up into the dark lab a few feet and took a running start. Little shoes pounded against the hard floor and from about two feet from the light switch, Billy leaped out. Just as his hand extended, an arm wrapped firmly around his waist and his body was lifted then swept almost violently from the switch as his tiny finger barely touched it.

  The spark was as loud as it was bright. Johnny felt every ounce of the electricity that surged a jolt that shot through Billy into him and sent them both flying across the lab. Johnny landed hard on his back with Billy tight in his arms. He took a moment to catch his bearings and then his hand reached around a still Billy. “Bill,” he spoke in fear. “Bill.” He felt for a pulse.

  Billy twitched. “Huh?”

  Johnny closed his eyes in relief. “You’re all right.”

  “Whoa.” Billy twitched again. “That must be what Uncle Frank was talking about when he touched that fence.”

  Johnny let out a nervous chuckle and with Billy still in his arms, he stood up. Even though everything seemed fine, to be sure, Johnny took Billy out of the lab to get him checked.

  ^^^^

  “Dean, I’m fuckin telling you.” Frank felt as if he were watching a ping pong match the way his head went from left to right watching Dean move about the lab. “El, tell him.”

  “It’s true, Dean,” Ellen stated.

  Dean stopped cold. “No way. There is no way Joe would do that.”

  Frank assuredly handed Dean a paper. “Read it and weak.”

  “Weep,” Dean corrected and took the paper.

  “What?” Frank asked.

  “Weep, as in cry,” Dean explained as he opened the paper. “You said read it and weak. It’s read it and weep.”

  “Why would I want you to cry?” Frank asked.

  “Forget it, Frank.” Dean shook his head. “Oh my God. He is Allocated Council.”

  Proudly Ellen sighed out. “It’s a sign of the future.”

  “I’m president then, you know,” Frank nodded.

  “You also die of a massive coronary in your sleep at sixty-two.” Dean gave the letter back.

  “So. If I die at sixty –two, I still have half my life left. That’s not bad.”

  Dean paused. “Half your life? Frank, how old do you think you are.”

  With a wink to Ellen, Frank smiled. “Thirty.”

  Dean laughed. “That’s good. Thanks. What a day. You think you’re thirty. You’re on Council and Ellen is singing Barry Manilow songs.”

  Frank looked at Ellen. “Barry Manilow? That’s fuckin odd, El. It wasn’t Copacabana was it?’

  Ellen shook her head. “No. Mandy.”

  “Oh. That’s a little better.” Frank stood up and shoved the letter in his pocket. “Did I tell you guys the killer babies were getting better with their choir? I think they were doing ‘Open Arms’ this afternoon, but I’m not sure.” Frank shrugged and ignored the odd looks he received from Dean and Ellen. “Anyway, I’m out. I need to set some SUT traps.” As he turned around, Frank’s expression dropped when he saw Johnny holding Billy. “What’s wrong?” Frank rushed to the door.

  Dean spun and flew toward Johnny. “What happened?”

  “He’s fine,” Johnny explained, “but could you check him out? He got shocked pretty bad.”

  Taking Billy from Johnny’s arms, Dean questioned, “How did he get shocked?”

  Billy answered in the exchange. “He saved me. I was reaching for the light switch and he grabbed me just in time.”

  Ellen, who was silent, stepped forward. “How did you know to grab him?”

  Johnny exhaled, “I was checking hybrids last night and I saw the light switch. I put the requisition in this morning for them to fix it.”

  Dean looked at Ellen. “Remember, Danny radioed about that. He told you not to touch it until he fixed it.”

  Ellen nodded. “Yeah.”

  Frank reached out with a pat to Johnny’s back. “Good job. Excellent, excellent job. We’re proud of you.”

  “Yeah,” Dean breathed out with gratefulness. “What would have happened had you not been there? Come with me while I check him out.” Dean walked from the lab with Billy and Johnny followed.

  Stepping from the lab, Frank stopped and looked back at Ellen with curiosity. She stared out as if in thought. “El? You coming?”

  “In a second.”

  “O.K.” Frank nodded. “Wasn’t it a good thing Johnny was there?”

  “Yes,” Ellen whispered out as Frank left. But somehow, even though Johnny saved Billy, a part of her was too suspicious to be grateful.

  ^^^^

  On a fresh clean slide, Ellen watched the droplet of blood plop down as if it were the first time she had ever seen it. The bead grew into a small circle and she lifted another slide in preparation to make a smear. Engrossed in the process, she never heard Dean walk in the lab.

  “Our son is fine,” Dean spoke close and right behind her.

  The surprised of his voice made Ellen fumble with the slide and the slight squeak of glass against glass made her shudder. “Dean,” she whined his name.

  “Ellen.” He took her arm and turned her to face him. “Did you hear me? Our son is fine.”

  “I know that.”

  “How?” Dean asked. “How? He was shocked. You never came back to the exam room.”

  “Frank was there and so was . . . Johnny.”

  “Since when does a crowded room take precedence over our son?”

  Ellen nodded. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “You’ve been doing that a lot. Is everything all right? Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Dean questioned with concern.

  “No.”

  “I’m heading back to the exam room, situate Billy, then I have to get back to Jess.”

  Ellen debated, then before Dean left the lab, she charged to him. “Dean, wait. Please.”

  “What?” He turned around.

  After a long stare that seemed to irritate Dean, Ellen took a breath. “I need to talk to you.”

  “Go on.”

&n
bsp; Ellen shifted her eyes to the hall then dropped her voice to a whisper. “What if it’s Johnny?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The bomber. The insider who . . .”

  “What?” Dean said with a laugh. “No.”

  “Dean . . .”

  “Ellen, that’s ridiculous.” He shook his head. “Is this why you wouldn’t go to the examining room? That’s wrong. He saved our son’s life.”

  “Exactly but think about it. How did he know Billy would get shocked? Huh?”

  With tightly closed lips, Dean stared for a second then nodded. “He filled out the req, El. He saw it.”

  There was nothing more Ellen wanted to do then to blurt out the truth but she couldn’t, so she opted to give Dean food for thought. “Dean, think about the letters from the future. Remember? Frank and Billy both said they couldn’t tell us who tried to kill you and me because this person does something really good.”

  “Think about what you’re saying. O.K.? Just think about it.” Dean took a calming approach. “Frank and Billy didn’t want to tell us the bomber was Johnny because Johnny saved Billy from an electrocution . . . he caused ? No. If your theory is correct and Johnny’s the one that set the explosion, if he rigged the light switch, why wouldn’t Frank and Billy know about that? All they would have to do was name Johnny and the rig of the light switch would have never occurred.” He shrugged. “And you know, instead of staying back here thinking of accusations, you should be thinking of a way to thank Johnny. All right? This mood . . .” Dean’s hand motioned at her. “This mood of yours lately . . . it’s worrying me. You’re quiet. You’re nervous. You’ve been making mistakes left and right . . .”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “Yeah, El,” Dean said, “you have. I haven’t said anything but three of the workups you did for New Bowman last week were registered wrong. Elliott’s treatment. You had the therapy way too low. That’s research. That’s vital. Come on . . .” Dean stepped back and spoke softly, “Get it together.”

  Ellen exhaled, her eyes beaded in a stare as he left and all she wanted to do was scream at him, ‘You fuckin insensitive asshole’. In her frustration, she held back her bangs with her hand, turned from the door and clenched her fist.

  “What are you doing, El?” Johnny whispered snidely as he walked into the lab.

  Ellen turned back around.

  “You didn’t think I heard?”

  “Did you do it?” Ellen walked to him. “Did you?”

  “Do what?” he snapped.

  “Set it up. Rig that light switch.”

  Johnny’s jaw twitched back and forth. He leaned into her. “You ungrateful little bitch. I saved your kid’s life.” He backed away.

  “Did you?” Almost on the edge of insanity, Ellen’s voice raised, “Did you do it?”

  Johnny only glared and walked to the lab door. He stopped, looked back, and smiled. He whispered softly. “Not on purpose but you can consider it a warning.”

  It took a moment for Ellen to control her heart after he walked from the lab. Then, after feeling a rage build inside her, she bolted from the lab. She spotted Johnny walking out the clinic door. Then at top speed, she released a gut supported growl of anger and charged forth at him.

  With a scream that carried all the way down the hall, Ellen lunged through the doors, reached the top step of the clinic, and leaped on to the back of an unsuspecting Johnny. One arm wrapped around his neck, her legs around his back, and her free fist pounded rapidly over and over into his head.

  Hal and Elliott heard it about the same time that they spotted Ellen attacking Johnny right in front of the clinic. They both stopped. Hal smiled as he watched Johnny turn left to right, trying to shake Ellen from him. “Well.” He cleared his throat and dropped his voice to a whisper as he leaned to Elliott, “I guess we don’t have to wonder anymore if Ellen knows about Johnny.”

  “Uh-oh.” Elliott pointed as Frank and Dean flew from the clinic.

  Johnny struggled, moving his body around and around while Ellen still clung to him as if he were a rodeo ride and Dean kept reaching out and missing.

  “Get her off of me!” Johnny reached up and tried to block the blows she delivered.

  Ellen let out hard emotional breaths with every strike she tried to make.

  “El.” Frank grabbed hold of her waist. “Let go!”

  After folding his arms inquisitively, Hal lifted his chin. “This is entertaining.”

  “Christ,” Joe’s voice complained as he moved by Hal. He stopped. “Why aren’t you doing anything?” he asked Hal.

  Hal lifted his hand. “I find it best if you let people resolve these matters on their own. Obviously Ellen has a dispute with Johnny.”

  “Asshole.” Joe shook his head and raced to the commotion.

  Hal exhaled. “That was fun. In three seconds, it will all be over,” he told Elliott.

  Hal was right. A single, loud blast of “Knock it off!” slowed things down, but when Joe screamed out, “Ellen, get your goddamn body off of my grandson. What the hell is the matter with you!” it caused a shock in Ellen that loosened her grip and allowed Frank the chance to lift her from Johnny.

  Upon being set down to the ground, Ellen swung out fiercely in frustration and nailed Frank in the gut.

  Frank grunted with partially widened eyes. “What the hell did I do?”

  Dean took Ellen’s arm and tried to get her to face him. “Ellen, why were you going after Johnny?”

  With an almost crying short grunt, Ellen swiped his hand away hard.

  Frank tossed his hands up. “Is there anyone else you want to take a shot at El? There’s Hal. Hit him!”

  Loud, piercing, and in typical fashion, Joe whistled. “All right! What is God’s name is going on!”

  Ellen, out of breath, pointed at Johnny. “He . . . He . . . he . . .”

  Through clenched jaws, Hal beckoned. “Come on, Ellen. Say it.”

  “He . . . he . . .” Ellen saw all eyes upon her. Then her arm dropped and her eyes closed.

  Hal winced. “Son of a bitch.”

  Joe stepped to Ellen. “He what?”

  “Yeah, El,” Johnny said. “I what?”

  “Johnny,” Joe warned.

  “No, Pap. She went after me. My fuckin ear is bleeding.” He touched his earlobe.

  Still in the background, Hal shook his head in his private commentary to Elliot. “Poor baby.”

  Johnny looked at the blood on his fingertips. “You know what, El? Why don’t you tell everyone why you went after me? Huh? Tell them.”

  “Ellen?” Joe questioned. “What happened?”

  Ellen only looked to Johnny and shook her head. “I . . . I . . .”

  Johnny finished her sentence with a hard edge. “She doesn’t remember doing it. Do you, El? How long did it take you to realize what you were doing? Huh?”

  Ellen looked up at him.

  “No.” Johnny held out his hand. “No more. I will not cover for you anymore. I can’t. It’s getting out of hand. I’ve covered long enough.” Pleased at the confused looks he was getting, Johnny faced Dean. “Ask your wife about the Anthium. If you don’t, then it’s your own damn fault when she blacks out and does something out of control.” In his best presentation of anger, Johnny marched off.

  It’s was Elliott’s turn to commentate as his eyes stayed on Johnny. “I think that is our clue to ‘up’ the watch on her.”

  “We have to get her in New Bowman. We have to,” Hal stated with concern.

  Frank saw Dean moving to Ellen and he tugged him back. “Dean,” he whispered. “What’s Anthium?”

  Dean just wanted to talk to Ellen. His head shook as if he were trying to shake off Frank, but he responded quickly. “It’s a behavioral control drug. It has lots of side effects if you don’t need it. One of them . . .” He stepped from Frank toward Ellen. “One of them is extreme erratic behavior. El?”

  Ellen was surrounded and she felt the suffocation
of Dean, Frank, and Joe as they engulfed her and waited for answers. Her face dropped to her hands.

  “El?” Dean spoke soft. “Are you . . . Are you taking Anthium?”

  Her fingertips slid slowly across her face and pulled at her eyes as she raised them again. She glanced at Joe, Frank, and then finally Dean. She couldn’t believe he asked her that and her words of confusion showed it. “Wh . . . What?”

  Dean repeated the question with concern. “Are . . . you . . . taking . . . Anthium?”

  Ellen’s mouth parted in disgust. Not only was Dean asking her that, but he was speaking to her like an idiot. With both fists clenched, Ellen tried to gain her freedom from the circle, and pummeled her hands into Dean’s chest as she screamed her loudest. “Fuck you!”

  Frank saw it and he ejected his hand forward to catch a stumbling back Dean. “Got ya.” Frank nodded. “Man, she hates you.”

  In shock, Dean could only watch Ellen storm off.

  Hal had stayed away from the action long enough. He took a step, but with a motion of his head he spoke to Elliott. “I think you should . . .”

  “My thoughts exactly, Captain.” Elliot followed Ellen, while Hal joined the others.

  He spotted her making her way around the bend out of center town and toward the main road. “Ellen.” Elliott ran to catch her.

  Ellen kept up her pace.

  “Please don’t make me run after you. I’m not feeling well at all today.”

  Ellen stopped, folded her arms tightly, and turned around. “You’re sick?”

  “No.” Elliott caught up to her. “But I knew that would make you stop.”

  With a huff, Ellen shook her head. “You’re hanging around Hal too much.” She started to walk again.

  “Ellen.” Elliott took her arm.

  “No!” she screamed out, spinning from his grip. “I am not using that drug!”

  Elliott blinked and still stayed calm. “I know.”

  “Oh, God.” Ellen’s trembling hand went to her eyes.

  “What’s wrong? Talk to me.” Elliott spoke soothingly. He reached up and removed her hand from her eyes.

  “I can’t. I can’t. I just . . . I just want to walk.”