“Uh ... yeah, Joe.” Henry took an apprehensive step to him. “You wanted to see me?”
“Yep.”
Henry was so nervous. He placed his hands in his pockets while his heart beat faster and faster.
“I need you to figure out sometime today when we can have a mechanical meeting. I’m gonna be in here for another hour or so then I have to take Danny around Beginnings,” Joe told him.
“A mechanical meeting? For what?” Henry asked.
“I want to see what we can do and who we can get to ease that load you have backed up in there.” Joe set down the clipboard and stood with a grunt. “I was there this morning. And I counted seventy-two reqs sitting in the in box, waiting to be looked at.”
“I know, Joe, we got hit this week really bad,” Henry told him.
“I figured as much. So pull the meeting together, maybe before we all head off to the field for the game. We’ll sit down together, divide them up, and read through them to see what is important, trivial, and so forth. We’ll see what Mechanics can do or if we need to put on someone else. Sound good?”
“Sounds good.”
“Thanks.” Joe picked his clipboard back up and returned to bending down at the bottom shelf. “Henry? Why are you still here?”
“Is that all, Joe?”
“Yep.” Joe cleared his throat and counted.
“There’s nothing else you want to talk to me about?”
“Nope.”
“Not even about last night?” Henry was certain Joe knew.
“Nope.”
“Can I ask why?”
“Were you expecting me to?” Joe continued in his counting.
“Yeah I was.”
“Well you’re not getting it from me.”
“Do you hate me?”
Joe lifted his head from his clipboard. “No I don’t hate you, Henry. I’m disappointed in you but I don’t hate you.”
“Thanks, Joe.” Henry backed up and turned around. “Joe? Can you ... can you tell me anything I can do?”
“There’s not much you can do.” Joe stopped counting and stood. “What’s done is done, Henry. You weren’t married to her. I think the reason other people are so up-in-arms is because they didn’t know that you two weren’t going to really marry. They thought this was a rough spot and then you went with Bev. That’s why people see this as wrong. Ellen, sees it as wrong because you puppy-dog her to be her friend and her companion, proclaim your love, and then in a drunken binge, you easily ... well, you know. In the scheme of things, you’re a single man, you did nothing wrong. How you went about it, was where you made your mistake. No one has the right to get mad at you about this. Really, if you think about it. In my eyes, and from what you both told me, you and Ellen weren’t a real couple. Why my daughter is so angry with you, and this goes before the incident, I don’t know.” Joe paused. “Is there something I should know?”
Henry stared at Joe. There was a lot that Joe didn’t know, one big thing, but Henry wasn’t going to tell Joe. Not him. Not ever. He simply shook his head.
“Then just move on with it. It’ll get better.” Joe returned to his position on the floor and started counting as if Henry wasn’t there.
To Henry, Joe made a lot of sense. But if he really did nothing wrong, then why did he feel so poorly.
<><><><>
“Twelve,” Ellen stated, counting the chalk in the supply closet of the skills room.
“Twelve?” Robbie questioned that. “That’s it?”
“That’s it. God, I hate the first of the month.”
“El, we had twenty-five pieces of chalk last month.”
“And now we have twelve. I’m telling you, Os-Oscar has been eating them.”
“Did you tell Dean this?” Robbie questioned.
“Why would I tell Dean that?”
“Because if Os-Oscar is eating the chalk, he obviously has a deficiency somewhere in his body.”
Ellen swayed her head to Robbie. “His brain, Robbie. Can we stop now? I’m tired of counting. We have until Tuesday.”
Robbie looked down at his watch. “Yeah. I have to get to Mechanics. We are swamped in there.”
“You aren’t taking Danny out of here and showing him around?” Ellen asked as she locked up the supply closet, followed Robbie out of the skills room, and down the hall.
“That’s my Dad’s duty today. He’ll be here shortly, I’m guessing. Good luck with that.” He moved to the door and stopped before pressing in the security code. “See you later.” He winked and then left.
Placing her hands behind her back, Ellen started to stroll to her office to finish her stupid reports and bide the rest of her shift time in Containment. It was quiet and she didn’t want it to be that way. Quiet times always made her think. So she retracted her steps and went to the men’s quarters. “Hey.” She knocked on the archway.
Danny stood up from the bed, so neat, so clean. “Is it time?”
“No, we have to wait for slow-poke Joe. I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out with me in my office until I end my shift or Joe gets here, whichever is first.”
“I’d like that.” Danny walked to her. “I have my stuff all packed up.”
“I see that.” Ellen walked down the hall with him. “Great hair.”
“Thanks.” Danny ran his hand over the back of his hair. “So what’s it like outside?”
“You mean Beginnings?” Ellen walked into her office first.
“No, I mean the weather.”
“Oh it’s hot. It’s August you know. Have a seat.” She pulled the chair closer to her desk and walked behind to take her own seat. Just as she lowered herself completely, she stopped. “Shit.”
“What?” Danny looked at the door to where she stared. John Matoose stood there.
“Ellen.” John walked in. “Can I talk to you?”
“No. I don’t like you, John.”
“And I don’t like you, but this isn’t about our difficulties. This is about my wife.”
“What about her?” Ellen spoke with attitude. “I didn’t say anything about her or to her.”
“Just make sure it stays that way.”
“Oh, John, go away.”
“I’m serious, Ellen,” he spoke strongly.
“I am too. Leave.”
“Not before you hear me out.” He pointed. “I have my wife at home right now crying her eyes out, sick to her stomach because she thought she failed last night.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She feels bad, Ellen, really bad about what happened with Henry. She was there and she blames herself for not being able to stop it. I just don’t want you making her feel any worse when she approaches you about it.”
“I won’t say anything but thank you.”
“I appreciate it. Henry ... Henry was out of control.” John stepped back. “That’s all.”
Danny watched Ellen just staring at the door that John left through. “You can tell me it’s none of my business, but ... what happened last night?”
“I guess it won’t be a secret if John knows.” Ellen turned her view finally from that door, back to Danny.
“Henry was with somebody else?”
Ellen’s eyes widened. “Boy, news travels fast.”
“No.” Danny shook his head with a laugh. “Good guess on my part. Typical male move. Can I ask a really stupid question?”
“Sure.”
“I thought there weren’t that many women here. I thought they were all taken. How did Henry get one?”
“That’s a really easy question to answer. He was with Bev. Bev uses it as a tool, and Henry is on Council. There is a certain power-thing with that. I suppose if he wanted to, he could have been with someone else a while ago. He just didn’t want anything to do with Survivor women. In fact, the only Original here that even touches Survivors is Jenny.”
“Why is that?” Danny asked, a tone of offence took over his voice.
“I guess we
just have our certain little click.” Ellen shrugged. “We don’t let anyone in.”
“Oh, I see.” Danny nodded.
“But I really want to make an exception to my personal rules with you. I like you. I can see us being friends outside of these Containment walls. I want to be friends outside of Containment with you.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, El. Some of the others in here were talking about how bad I’m gonna feel when I get out because I spend a lot of time in here with you. They said that they heard you really don’t bother much with us once we’re out.”
“Honestly? No, I don’t. And they don’t bother much with me after the first few weeks of adjustment are over with. But that’s OK. But it won’t be that way with you, Danny Hoi.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that. Can I say one thing about the ‘Henry’ situation?”
“Sure.”
“I only know the relationship from what you have told me and what I have seen. It was, and I stress was, a great friendship. You were holding on to Henry so you wouldn’t have to choose, and you could freely help Dean. Now that’s done with, you need to be with the right man.”
Frank stood outside that office door, listening before he walked in, really knowing where Danny was going. His presence was unknown to either of them in the office.
Ellen snickered and folded her hands. “OK, who is right?”
“You want my honest opinion?”
“Most definitely.”
“Frank.”
“Frank?” Ellen was shocked. “You said Frank.”
“You seem surprised.”
“I am. I thought you were going to say you.”
“I wanted to, but then you said to be honest. It’s Frank. My God, you have known the man most of your life. You were together for years off and on, and then for years here. Why in the world aren’t you with him? You love him. No wait ... you, Ellen, idolize the man.”
“Danny.” Ellen took a look of embarrassment upon her. “It’s not that simple. I wish it were, but it isn’t.”
“It’s the share thing that has to happen, huh? Well tell me why the three-way relationship isn’t with you, Frank, and Dean.”
“More than you know it was.” Ellen fluttered her lips. “Beside the fact that Frank and Dean hate each other, I have my reasons that I just can’t be ...”
“I knew ...” Frank walked in interrupting, not wanting Ellen to finish what she was saying, “I knew there was a reason I liked this guy. “Hey, Danny.” Frank hit him in the shoulder, then smiled at Ellen. “El, listen to this man. He’s right, but we won’t get into that.”
“Frank!” Ellen stood up. “Were you listening? You were. You are such an ass.”
Frank laughed. “Yep. Hey, Danny, we’re playing softball at five thirty today. You wanna play?”
“I don’t have a glove,” Danny answered.
“We’ll get you one. I’ll put you on the roster.” Frank looked back at Ellen. “I came to get you.”
“Get me?” Ellen looked at him. “Why?”
Frank lifted her phone from the desk. “Just as I thought. See.” He showed it to her. “Your power is off, as usual. Anyhow, I was checking the keypad at the clinic and Stevie Wonder asked, if I ran into you, could I send you over there. He needs help with some tests. It seems he couldn’t reach you by phone.”
“Now?” Ellen asked.
“Now.”
Ellen looked at Danny. “I’m sorry.”
“No go on.” Danny stood up. “I will anxiously await Joe.”
“I’ll hurry him along when I see him,” Ellen said. “I’ll see you during the day, probably at the softball game. If not, how about I stop by late tonight? Will you be up?”
“I’ll wait up.”
“Good.” Ellen moved to the door with Frank and stopped. “Oh, Danny? It’s gonna be good to have you out of here. Don’t be surprised if they work you today. I hear Mechanics is swamped with reqs.”
“I can’t wait.”
Ellen, seeing Frank bobbing his head to hurry her along, walked from the office with him. “Does Dean really need me now?”
“Who said Dean?”
“You said Stevie Wonder.”
“Oh, El. Oh.” Frank was so dramatic. “That is really wrong that you would assume that I would use that as a nickname for our poor disabled Dean.”
“Well ... oh shit.” She snapped her finger as she saw Frank reaching for the buzzer. “Wait right here. I have to get something from my desk to show you.”
“Hurry up.” Frank watched Ellen run all the way down the hall. He watched her go into her office, heard her rummaging and saying something to Danny, then he opened the door when he saw her running back down toward him. “What do you have to show me? Is it wrapped in that cloth?”
“Yep.” Ellen waved to the guard who sat at the front desk, and then she left Containment with Frank. “Ready?”
“Yep.” Frank placed his hands on his hips.
“OK, now you can’t make fun of it or I’ll feel really badly. I made this myself you know, last night at the meeting.” She shielded it as she unwrapped it. “Here it goes.” Ellen held up the doll and closed her eyes.
“Oh shit,” Frank said with a grin. “Is that me?”
“Yes.”
“Whoa.” He took the doll. “El, this is cool. Look at the hair.”
“It’s your hair. I took it from the sink when you trimmed your goatee.”
“I wondered what happened to that when I got out of the shower.” Frank ran his hand over the doll’s black hair. “You got the little beard thing happening. Good job.”
“Frank.” Ellen blushed. “I’m not a six-year-old who made an art project in school.”
“No, this is really neat. One thing ...” Frank pulled out the pants of the Frank-doll and peeked down under them. “Aw, El. That is really wrong.”
Ellen snickered. “My personal touch.”
“Wow it’s the Frank action hero.”
“Frank ...”
Frank held up the doll and deepened his voice speaking for the doll, “Hey I’m Frank. Where’s Dean?” He made the doll look around. “Hey, you.”
“Frank.” Ellen laughed again.
“El, can you make me a Dean-doll. That way I can have my doll beat him up. Thanks for this. I’ll put this on my desk so I can play ... I mean look at it.”
“No.” Ellen snatched the doll back.
“Hey!” Frank reached for it. “Oh I get it. You need a little of me around so that’s why you made it.”
“No, Frank, you goof. It’s not the Frank action hero doll. It’s a voodoo doll.”
“A voodoo doll? You made a voodoo doll of me?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?” Frank asked insistently.
“So when I get mad at you, I can do this.” She flicked the doll in the head.
“Ow!” Frank grabbed the side of his head.
“Oh stop that, Frank. You didn’t feel that.”
“Yeah I did.” Frank rubbed his head. “Man, El, I have a lump.”
“You do not.” She flicked it again.
“Ow! Knock it off.”
Ellen laughed and began flicking the doll, watching Frank be a goof and shudder his body as she did so.
“El!” He reached for the doll. “You’re killing me.”
“Don’t touch it.” As Ellen pulled the doll from Frank in a grip, she watched Frank grab his chest and his face turned red. “Frank?” She stepped before him as he doubled over. “Frank, quit playing around.”
“I’m ... not ...” He grunted loudly. “I think I’m having ... a heart attack.”
“Oh my God.” Ellen panicked.
One more loud moan and Frank, grabbing his chest, buckled over and fell to the ground.
“You’re such an ass, Frank.” Ellen looked down at him. “Get up.” She didn’t get any response. “I said get up.” Nothing. “Frank?” her voice lowered and she reached down and touched him, “oh shit, I
killed him.” Spinning around, first in confusion on where she should turn, Ellen held her hair back and began to scream, “Help. Someone help ...” Her words were muffled when a hand covered her mouth.
“You really thought that doll worked?” Frank whispered in her ear as he held her from behind.
“Frank.” She swung back her leg, kicking him in the shin.
Frank laughed hysterically and pulled Ellen back as she tried to walk away. “El.” He brought her to him. “It was funny.”
“You’re a big goof.”
“Yeah, but you love me.”
“Oh, I do not.” Ellen fought—but not too much—to get out of his arms. She moved her head that Frank followed with his smiling face. Giving up, Ellen giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Frank was taken by surprise. “Whoa, what’s the hug for?”
“You make me smile.” Ellen pulled back from him slightly, feeling his hand slide up her back and support her head. She kept her face close to his. “After all these years, Frank Slagel, you still make me smile.”
“I feel like ...” Frank took a deep breath and whispered as his hands spread across her face, “I feel like we’re headed to this really awesome moment right now. Want it to be ruined?”
“No.”
“Too bad.” Frank set her down and released her from his embrace.
“Frank?”
He stepped back, running his hand over the top of his head then letting it rest on the back of his neck as he looked at her through the tops of his eyes. He cleared his throat then twitched his head to the right.
Ellen turned only her head to see where Frank was motioning to. Walking up to them was Henry. “You set me down for him?”
Frank raised his eyebrows and looked at Henry.
Henry blinked long, then through half-closed eyes looked at Frank. “Can I talk ... can I talk to Ellen now?”
Ellen answered before Frank could say anything. “No, Henry.” She started to walk away. “I have to get to the clinic.”
Frank grabbed hold of Ellen and pulled her back. “Talk to him. This needs to be resolved. I need it resolved.”
“Dean needs me at the clinic.”
“Five minutes,” Frank told her.
Ellen looked at Frank, then Henry. “All right.” Folding her arms, she walked to Henry. “I’ll listen to you.”
Blink of an Eye: Beginnings Series Book 8 Page 29