Blink of an Eye: Beginnings Series Book 8

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Not to mention Ellen probably is really pissed at you.”

  “Thanks, Joe.” Henry stormed ahead.

  “Maybe even hates you more.”

  Henry spun around still holding his eye. “I don’t need to hear this!” He stormed off.

  “Gonna try to fix this, Henry?” Joe picked up his pace to keep up to a near running Henry.

  “Yes!” Henry shouted as he flew out the double glass doors of the clinic.

  Jolting at the bang of the doors, Joe shook his head and sang his words. “I don’t think you can.” Shrugging, he turned back down the hall and went to find Andrea.

  <><><><>

  The day in Holding wasn’t as bad as it could have been for Ellen. It was spent with lots of paper work that Dean insisted he had to go over in person with her. Ellen figured that was his attempt to keep her in contact with someone. Dean spent a lot of time with each visit, laying on the bed with Ellen, and talking to her as if they weren’t in that cold Holding room.

  They talked a lot about the virus, but most of all they talked about the microchip that was going to be implanted in his brain ... first thing the next morning. The whole entire aspect of it frightened Ellen, but she couldn’t let on to Dean that it did. So confident Dean came off to her, so comfortable with the fact that he added that needed final touch to secure the possibility of success in the procedure. In fact, Dean was more worried about the fact that Johnny was his eyes up at the mobile instead of Ellen, and how he was going to be able to work efficiently without Ellen by his side.

  Ellen’s day in Holding was filled more with people stopping by than being alone, but that was during the day. When evening came, the buzz of visitors slowed down then finally ceased. The two and a half hours that Ellen had sat alone since the last time she talked to anyone seemed like an eternity.

  Maybe that was why, when she heard the Holding door unlock, she became so excited, like a kid chasing an ice cream truck. She jumped from the bed when the door opened. “Frank!” she screamed out.

  Frank barely set down the things he brought with him on the table to the right of the door before he was pummeled by Ellen, who jumped at him and threw her arms and legs around him tightly. “El.” He felt Ellen tightly cling to him like she was a monkey.

  “Frank.” Ellen held on to him. “Take me out of here, please.”

  “I can’t, El.”

  “Frank, I’m scared in here. It’s spooky. Frank.”

  “El. I can’t,” he snickered.

  “Please, please, please, please, please.” She whispered in his ear, “Sneak me out and put me back in the morning. No one will know.”

  “I can’t do that.” He peeled her legs from him. “I brought you some things though.”

  “I don’t want things. I want out.”

  “You’re stuck.”

  “Can you at least beat up Henry for doing this?”

  “No, I am not beating up Henry.”

  With a whine, Ellen released her grip. “I can’t believe you’re taking his side.”

  “I’m not taking his side. I’m following rules.”

  “The rules suck.” She backed up and sat on the bed.

  “Yeah, I agree. But it won’t be that bad. Just go to sleep. Look.” He walked over to the table. “I brought you clothes and your toothbrush, an old magazine.” He lifted it. “And ...” he grinned, “the blue underwear I like seeing you in.” He held them up.

  Ellen looked up from the slump stature she held on the bed. Her face brightened. “You like seeing me in them?”

  “Yeah. They’re my favorite.”

  “Frank?” Ellen smiled. “You know you could stay in here with me.”

  “No I can’t.”

  “Yes you can. I’ll ... I’ll model the underwear for you.”

  “El, for as great an offer as that is, I can’t, honey.”

  “Please.”

  “El.”

  “Just stay all night with me. No one will know. I’m scared, Frank.”

  “El.”

  “Frank?” She unbuttoned her shorts. “Look.”

  “No.”

  “Frank?” She unzipped them and let the shorts fall then stepped out of them. “Look.”

  “El.” Frank covered his eyes and peeked through his fingers.

  “All night, Frank.” Ellen lifted off her shirt.

  “El ...”

  “All night.” She undid her bra and tossed it. “Alone up here.”

  Frank grew antsy as he stood there, staring back at the partially opened Holding door.

  “Frank?” Ellen softened her voice then in a seductive move, she slowly rolled off her underwear. “I will make love to you all night long. Turn around, Frank, and look at me.”

  Slowly Frank turned around.

  “Stay with me and I will make love to you all ... night ... long.” She backed up to the bed.

  “Starting when?”

  “Starting right ...” Ellen sat on the bed then laid on her side on it. “Right now.”

  “Oh my God.” Quickly Frank dropped his shoulder harness, kicked his foot back to close the door, and in his stride to the bed, took off his shirt, throwing it.

  As Ellen moved to her back and Frank knelt to the bed, Joe yelled through the closed door. “Let’s go, Frank. Time’s up.”

  “Shit.” Frank closed his eyes. His body was so close to touching down to Ellen’s. “Uh, Dad, not now.” He felt Ellen’s hand slide to his neck and he began to lower his body down.

  “Now, Frank!” Joe knocked.

  With his hands on both sides of Ellen, suspending his body up, Frank looked at the door. “I’m staying here, Dad.”

  “No, Frank. Move it. Let’s go. I know what you’re up to.”

  “You haven’t a clue what I’m ...” Frank looked down at Ellen’s naked body just inches from his. “Oh God.” He swallowed. “... up to.”

  “Frank!”

  “All right!” Frank looked down at Ellen. “I’m sorry.” He slid from the bed. “I’m sorry.”

  “No.” She jumped up and was greeted by her clothes that Frank tossed at her. “Don’t leave me here.”

  “El, I can’t stay.”

  “Frank, I swear to God if you walk out that door, you won’t ever get this opportunity again.”

  “Yes I will.”

  “No you won’t.”

  “Yes I will.” Frank faced her and smiled. “And I guarantee it won’t be on rebound from Henry or just because you are scared to be alone.”

  “Then what will be the reason?” Ellen asked tauntingly.

  “It’ll be because it’s finally our time.” Frank opened the door slightly. “You know what, El? I think ... I think for that moment, I wanna wait.” He winked with a smile and walked out the door.

  “Frank,” Ellen called out in a slow whine. “I can’t believe you left me here.” Stepping into her underwear, then placing on her shirt, Ellen heard the grunting and the moaning from the SUT who roomed next to her. “With zombies.” With visions in her mind of Harold the SUT crashing through the walls, arms extended ready to chomp flesh, she heard the turning of the lock on her door. “Thank God,” she breathed in relief. “You changed your ... Henry.”

  “Hey, El.” Apprehensively, Henry stepped in.

  “Get out.”

  “El, I need to ...”

  “Get out!”

  “El.”

  “No! You did this to me! You made me say I was sorry to that bitch.”

  “I know.” Henry swayed his head. “I’m sorry about that, but look at my eye, El. It’s black.”

  “So what? Why are you here? Did you want to gloat about you sticking me in here?”

  “No!” Henry said defensively. “I was wrong for making you come here. I can’t let you out, but I don’t want you to be alone.”

  “I want to be alone.”

  “You aren’t scared?”

  “No Henry, I’m not. What do you think I am? A big baby? You are the last person I w
ant here tonight. In fact, I’m looking at this as a break. Even Frank offered to stay, seducing me and all, but I turned him down. I’d like you to get out.”

  “I’m not leaving Holding.”

  “Well you’re not staying in here. What are you gonna do? Sleep on the floor outside this room?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t want you there, Henry.” Ellen stepped to him. “I don’t want you anywhere around. Don’t you comprehend this? Your life would be so much easier if you did. You worry about how you hurt me. You worry about making me angry. Well you wouldn’t make me these things if you would just stay out of my life. Stay out! Get out of my room. You put me here so leave me here.”

  “But, El ...”

  “Leave.” She pointed to the door. “You made your decision. Stick with it. Deal with it. Leave.”

  Nodding silently and less any words he could say, Henry backed up, feeling really badly, and he left the room.

  <><><><>

  Letting out a loud dramatic sound of exhaustion, Frank came down his stairs. “Were they out of control tonight or what?”

  “Not really.” Dean shrugged, sitting on Frank’s couch.

  “You think Nick will be all right? He felt a little warm.”

  “He wasn’t warm, Frank.”

  “He was fussy.”

  “He wasn’t fussy either,” Dean corrected.

  “OK. He was whiney like Henry.”

  “I’ll give you that.”

  “How did reading the book go when I was bathing the babies?”

  “Horrible.” Dean leaned forward toward his knees. He tried to follow the sound of Frank’s voice, but only found it made him dizzy because, oddly, Frank was pacing. “Billy corrected me six times.”

  “He’ll do that. You just have to tell him you’re doing your own version, like I do. Man they love when I tell The Three Little Pigs story and the wolf has ham at the end when he devours them all.”

  “That’s sick.”

  “That’s me.”

  “Why am I here, Frank?” Dean asked.

  “Helping me with the kids tonight. I told you Robbie is pulling that extra shift and Henry’s sulking at Holding. Did you want something to drink?” Frank indicated to the kitchen. “Oh, Dean? I’m pointing.”

  “No thanks. No wait. Is there any coffee left?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll have some.”

  “I’ll get it.” Frank headed into the kitchen, grabbing a mug for Dean and refreshing his spiked tea for himself.

  “No more alcohol, Frank.” Dean leaned in the archway.

  “It’s my first drink.”

  “It’s your third,” Dean corrected.

  “How do you know?” Frank brought his drink to his mouth and handed Dean out his coffee. “Here. It’s directly in front of you.”

  “Thanks.” Dean reached out and took it. “How did I know you just poured your third drink?” Dean stated. “I’ll tell you. Everything, Frank, from taste to sound is magnified, even sex.”

  “I don’t wanna hear that.”

  “I mean, it’s odd. Like sound. It’s as if everything is amplified. Not to mention I could smell it. There’s nothing else that sounds like a drink being poured from a bottle and since we use bottles for limited things in Beginnings, my guess was that it was moonshine.”

  “Good guess.”

  “Can you not have that drink, Frank?”

  “Dean ...”

  “Try.”

  Frank put down the glass after a slight hesitation. “OK.” Frank walked by him.

  “Thank you. One other thing ...”

  “What now?” Frank stopped in his stride toward the living room.

  “Don’t act all annoyed with me, Frank. You asked me to come over and that is the other thing. Why? You didn’t need my help. You’re Super Dad. I’m a blind man, Frank. Why did you ask me here?”

  “To help me with the kids.”

  “I told you, I don’t buy that.” Dean walked carefully following the sound of Frank’s voice.

  “All right. Truth?”

  “Truth.”

  Frank sat down on the couch. “Have a seat, Dean.”

  Feeling first in case Frank tried anything funny, Dean found the chair and sat. “Go on.”

  A deep breath echoed through Frank’s fingers as he slid them down across his face. “Where’s El?”

  “Holding.”

  “OK,” Frank paused. “OK.”

  “Frank?”

  “Give me a minute, Dean. I’m not good at words.” From the coffee table, Frank grabbed a cigarette. He lit it and rubbed his hands together. “How many friends do you have aside from El?”

  “Not many.”

  “Me either.”

  “Frank, where are you going with this conversation?”

  “Dean, give me a fuckin minute or I won’t say anything at all.” Frank took a hit of his cigarette and coughed. “I was thinking. Tomorrow, first thing tomorrow someone is going to be going into your brain. And like ... if it was me ... I uh ... right now? I wouldn’t care how much I knew, the thought of that shit.” Frank blew out harshly. “Let’s just say, I’d be pretty fuckin worried about it. And uh, I wouldn’t wanna be alone because my mind would race. I was thinking, you know, with El a prisoner in Holding and me having all the kids, I was thinking maybe you wouldn’t want to be alone. You know, with this brain thing happening tomorrow.”

  “Frank?” Dean was shocked at what he had just heard. “That is really nice.”

  “No it isn’t.”

  “Yeah, it is and you’re right. I didn’t want to be alone tonight. When you called, I couldn’t tell you how many times I started listening to those book tapes that Jason made. But I swear I didn’t hear a word he said because I kept thinking about this procedure tomorrow.”

  “Dean.” Frank lowered his voice. “Do you have to do this?”

  “You have to be kidding.”

  “No, hear me out. You’re learning how to function, and you are doing it really good and fast. You just said sex is magnified when you’re blind. That alone should be reason enough ...”

  “Frank.”

  “They’re cutting into your brain, Dean.”

  “It’s going to be a small site, Frank.”

  “But they’re still going into your brain. I saw Planet of the Apes more than once. I read all the notes on what they’re gonna do and even though I see the good side, I keep going back to the bad side. Is it worth it? Is it really? One small slip up and you’re done. Is it really worth it?”

  “I need my eyes, Frank.”

  “And this community needs you.” Frank hit his cigarette hard. “You are not my favorite person in this world, Dean, but I’ll tell you what, you have been the best nemesis I have ever had. If you’re lying in a bed, some vegetable who can’t walk, talk, or think, what fun are you gonna be to me? Sure, I can shave your head and mess with you for a while, but that will wear off if you aren’t fighting back with me.”

  “Frank,” Dean said his name in a chuckle, so astonished at what was being said to him. “More than you know, I appreciate what you are saying to me. Don’t think for a second your thoughts aren’t mine. I’m scared, Frank. I’m scared that tomorrow when I kiss the kids goodbye, it may be the last time I kiss them. I know this community needs me, but I need to see. If I can’t do that, I will not be at the full capacity I need to be. This virus that might hit us, it’s only one thing of many that we have to face in the years ahead. I don’t want to be frustrated five years from now knowing I could be doing more if I hadn’t been afraid to take the risk. I have to try this. If I fail then I failed trying. Like I said, yeah I’m scared of what could happen to me, but more than that, I am scared I will never see the faces of my children, their children, and Ellen.” Dean chuckled. “Even you. What I wouldn’t give at this moment to see that clueless expression you get on your face when I get you and you don’t know it. That look is priceless to me, but I don’t see that any
more.”

  “You don’t get me anymore.”

  “I haven’t tried. You’ve been too nice.”

  “Me?” Frank laughed. “Dean, I play a blind joke on you at least once a day. At least.”

  “Yeah, but you know what Frank? Those blind jokes keep me on my toes. Those jokes, whether you want to believe it or not, are your way of teaching me. And you have been the only one through this whole thing that has made me feel like a normal person. You treated me no less than if I could see. I needed that. I learned more from that than I could have ever learned through pity and compassion. You’re a good teacher and you’re a good father. That’s one thing that makes it easier for me when the thought of my kids not having me anymore hits. They’ll have you and I know you’ll take care of them and raise them to be good people. They may not read all that well ...” He started to laugh.

  “What about the community. I can’t cure them.”

  “Ah.” Dean nodded. “But Ellen can. Don’t let her know I said this but she ... she knows a lot more than she realizes. She knows viruses and cures and procedures. When push comes to shove, Ellen will draw upon that knowledge.”

  Frank slowly raised his eyes to Dean as he put out his cigarette. He spoke with confidence. “But she won’t have to do that, will she?”

  “No she won’t.” Dean words and demeanor fed off that one line of Frank’s. “Because tomorrow when I wake up and they put Henry’s program into that chip, I will see. I’ll look at everyone in that room and I know everyone will be there because everyone is nosey. I’ll look at Ellen. I’ll look at you shooting me the finger ...”

  “Hey, how did you know I was planning that?”

  “I know you, Frank.”

  “Then I’d better change my course of action.”

  “No, don’t.” Dean shook his head. “Shoot me the finger, piss me off, because nothing will change that moment when I see again. That moment will be worth more than anything, even magnified sex.”

  “Well you do know that will stop.”

  “What?” Dean asked. “The magnified sex?”

  “No, the sex period. Who’s gonna sleep with you?”

  “Ellen.”

  “Right,” Frank scoffed. “Pity lays.”

  “Right.” Dean chuckled in his own scoff then went silent. “Frank? If you don’t mind, I’d like to hang out for little awhile.”