Blink of an Eye: Beginnings Series Book 8

by Jacqueline Druga

  “I could do that.”

  “Easy enough. Please wipe the blood. It’s dripping.”

  “Sorry, Joe.” Henry brought the cloth to his head.

  “Give me your theory on this, Henry. Why all of a sudden are they here?”

  “Me, Joe, it’s all my fault. I have this bad luck thing happening and the fates know I hate mice. I hate them, Joe and ...”

  “Henry, seriously, with no whining and wipe that blood.”

  “Sorry, Joe.” Henry wiped. “I spoke to Jason about this. He says that the mice are probably following the scent of us and our fields. The population of them has finally grown enough to move in small herds or whatever you call mice packs. He says they’ve diminished their food supply out there and are just coming in here.”

  “Well I don’t want them and wipe that damn blood, Henry.”

  “Sorry, Joe.”

  “It makes no sense. Why now?” He tossed his hands up. “I mean, I haven’t seen a mouse since we got here. No wait, since that one single lone mouse you found and chased last year. You know the one you and Frank played with. I kind of forgot about that with all the time travel and ...”

  “Aw!” Henry whined loudly and stood up with a stomp. “Aw geez. Aw geez ... Ow!” Henry cringed loudly when he smacked himself in the forehead. “I can’t believe how dumb I am. Aw!”

  “Care to share, Henry?” Joe asked watching Henry pace. Henry ... the blood.”

  “Sorry.” Henry paced some more. “The time stuff. That’s it. I should have known that’s where the one mouse came from.”

  “What are you talking about, Henry? Where did it come from?”

  “Here and now.”

  “What?”

  “We have the mouse problem, Joe.” Henry walked back to his chair. “That’s where it came from.”

  “Henry, you’re sounding like my son. Maybe that bump on the head made you stupid.”

  “That would be par for course but that’s not it. In the time frame, I remember, I found that mouse the day after Jason got the note from himself from the future. With the seven second delay, that mouse probably came through with the rabbit.”

  “That’s all well and fine, Henry, but in this time frame, Jason never sent himself a note from the future.”

  “But it’s the same premise, Joe. How often was Jason fiddling with that damn time machine? That mouse could have come through in a possible experiment his future self was running. I’m surprised we haven’t seen more, especially if in the future, which is now, we have the mouse problem.”

  “Well then we have another aspect of the future I plan on changing. We’re getting rid of the goddamn mice. And do something about that head of yours. Christ! It’s bleeding, Henry. Go to the clinic.”

  “No, Joe. It’ll stop.”

  “Henry, you need a stitch.”

  “It’ll stop.” Henry covered the wound with his cloth.

  “Why in God’s name won’t you go get that stitched?”

  “Because my luck is bad and it would be my luck to go there, have them do an x-ray, and find a brain tumor in my head. Then I’d die because I knew about it, when otherwise had I not gone to the clinic to get stitched, I wouldn’t have found out about it and I wouldn’t have died.”

  “Christ.” Just as Joe was about to plop his own head down on the desk, he heard the light tap at the door. “Come in, Dean.”

  Dean smiled when he entered. “How did you know it was me?”

  Wanting to tell Dean his tell-tale knock gave him away, Joe decided not to. “I asked you here and while I got you, will you look at Henry’s head.”

  Dean moved to Henry. “What about ...”

  “No.” Henry jumped up. “Stay away.” He backed away from Dean. “I don’t want to die.” He hurried to the door. “I’ll be fine. Bye, Joe. Bye, Dean.” Making a cross with his fingers, he held them up to Dean and ran from Joe’s office.

  Dean pointed back to where Henry was with his thumb, actually considered questioning it, then shrugged and remembered it was Henry. “What’s going on, Joe? Why’d you need to see me?” Dean sat down.

  “Have you heard about the mice?”

  “What mice?” Dean asked.

  “It seems we have a bit of a sudden mouse problem.”

  “A lot?”

  “We’re not blanketed or over run by no means, but their little asses are scurrying about. We’re seeing them here and there today and in the fields, mostly in the fields.”

  Dean nodded. “They must have run out their food supply beyond our walls and now they’re coming in.”

  “That’s what I’ve been told which brings me to why you’re here. Remember that poison you created when we first got here? We had a few rats and you wiped them out?”

  “Oh sure I remember. We actually thought it got rid of the species.”

  “That’s the batch. Can you recreate it?”

  “No.” Dean shook his head.

  “No?”

  “Not that I can’t. I won’t. When we used that stuff we had only seventeen people in this community. We didn’t have the amount of children, nor did we have the fields. There is just way too much of a chance of that poison getting into the wrong hands. Their little feet will carry it everywhere. Not to mention it will be laced in their saliva, vomit, blood, and feces.”

  Joe cringed. “Thanks for sharing, Dean. So we’re at a loss?”

  “No, I can create something that will make their stomachs explode.”

  “Excellent.” Joe smiled. “Can you get on that?”

  “I can, but not for about a week. I’m gonna be swamped here the next few days or so.”

  “A week?” Joe questioned loudly. “Well, I guess they won’t reproduce that quickly now will they?”

  “Nope.”

  “Is there any chance we can dump more work on Ellen if I remove her from Containment and put her more with you?”

  “No.” Dean shook his head. “That’s something I need to talk to you about, that and the delay on working on your mouse killer.”

  Joe saw the sudden look of serious on Dean’s face and he sat back and waded through Dean’s silence. Then finally he listened to Dean explain.

  <><><><>

  Danny grabbed onto his stomach as he slid in a chair at his dining room table. A television style monitor sat there. A huge receiver, a quarter of the size of his dining room table, sat next to it. Danny’s house was now test headquarters for the tracking system. “Ready, Robbie,” Danny spoke into the radio, then flicked the switch. The lights flickered in his house and Danny quickly made a notation that the entire tracking system would need a huge power source. Within seconds the system started to beep loudly. His eyes moved to the monitor. “I have ... twelve no, fifteen, nine SUTs and six others. I’m guessing people because the signal is so strong. What’s the verdict?”

  “Danny, my man.” Robbie came back. “You are absolutely right.” He imitated applause. “Good job. All right, shut down and we’ll do this again.”

  Danny smiled at the success of his test. He reached for the switch to power down. “A couple more times, Robbie, and we should be good for today.”

  “It sounds good, because I cannot wait to get back to training my twelve new men.”

  “Easy to do?”

  “No easier than my men. I just have the torture factor with them. I can do whatever I want to them and they just don’t know.”

  Danny laughed at Robbie, shaking his head, and then grabbing his stomach. He powered down the system, watched the lights flicker, and waited for Robbie’s go ahead.

  <><><><>

  Henry finally had to do it. He finally had to break down and go to the clinic to get stitches. He tried to work the day out, but he increasingly became annoyed when the blood just wouldn’t stop trickling in his eyes. It probably didn’t bothered Henry as much as everyone yelling at him did. So he went, figuring since it bled so badly he probably needed a hundred stitches, but he didn’t. He only needed three, quick,
easy, and painless. Henry wished seeing the look on Dean’s face as he walked back into the examining room was just as painless, but it wasn’t. Dean looked straight down. “Dean? What is it?”

  “I have ...” Dean shook his head slow. “I have your x-ray, Henry.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It seems ...” Dean hung the x-ray on the light and turned it on. “It seems you have a brain tumor and it’s worse now that you hit your head.”

  “Oh my God. Oh my God. I knew it. I knew it. I ...” He saw Dean laugh. “What’s so funny?”

  “I’m kidding you. Joe asked me to do that.”

  “Aw, Dean. That wasn’t ...”

  “I know, I know ... very nice.” Dean smiled and walked to him. “You’re fine, Henry. Nothing is there.”

  “Oh good. Can I go?” Henry started to get up.

  “Not so fast.” Dean stopped him.

  “But I really don’t want to run into Ellen.”

  “You won’t,” Dean told him. “That’s who I want to talk to you about. Ellen. I need to ask a favor.”

  Figuring anything at that moment was better than hearing he was going to die, Henry stayed and listened to Dean’s request.

  <><><><>

  It startled Frank, especially since he was jumpy enough at that moment. The unlocking of the Holding door made him jolt and spin to it.

  “Thanks, Dan,” Ellen said. She walked into Holding, listened to the door close, and set down her small bag. “Hi.”

  “El?” Frank blinked several times. “What are you doing here?”

  “Check this out. I too have been quarantined for suspicion of tuberculosis.” She walked farther into the room. “Hey, it’s quiet. I heard they moved Harold.”

  “El.” Frank closed his eyes. “Why are you here?”

  “Why are you here, Frank?”

  “You know why.”

  “Then I am making good on my promise to you. I told you I would help you every step of the way and I will. I’m here for the duration with you, Frank. Not just because of my promise, but because I want to.” She stepped closer to him. “How are you doing?” She reached up and touched his pale face, staring at the dark circles that had formed under his eyes. “I am very proud of you for doing this, very proud.”

  “El.” He removed her hand. “I don’t want you to be here.”

  “Too bad, I’m staying.”

  “No, El.” Frank stepped back. Seeing him was one thing but if she touched him anymore, she would feel him shake. “I don’t want you here.”

  “I just told you too bad. You need me here for both medical and emotional reasons. Why are you arguing with me on this?”

  “I don’t want you to see me like this. I don’t want you to see me get like Dean says I will. A lot of stuff ...” Frank shivered and brought his arms closer to his body. “A lot of stuff is gonna happen to me.”

  “I know.” Ellen moved to him. “I’ll be a sense of support for you. I’ll say nothing if you want me to be quiet. I’ll be whatever you need to make it through this.”

  “Don’t you understand, sweetie? I just don’t want you to see me get like that.”

  “I would think it wouldn’t matter to you in front of me. You don’t think I’ve seen you at your worst?” She let out a chuckle. “I remember when you ate that rotten Twinkie, Frank. You were bad. And what about when you broke out in those hives when you were eighteen years old?” Ellen pulled his arms from his chest and stepped to him. “I’ve seen you pretty bad.”

  “Those times were different, El.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, and grasping her warmth.

  “I know they were and just like I was there for you then, let me be here for you now.”

  “More than you know, I want you here.” Frank pulled her closer, holding her, hiding his shaking. He laid his lips to her forehead. “I know you’ve seen me at my worst. But you have never seen me weak. I just don’t want you to see me weak.”

  “Weak? You think throughout this I’m going to see you as weak? Oh, Frank, I beg to differ.” She pulled back some to look at him. “You are not weak. A weak person stays with his addiction. It takes a very strong person to take on the fight to give it up.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  There was a certain hidden snicker to Dean’s voice as he broke the truth to Henry. A snicker he hid well, letting it come across as sadness instead of humor. He watched Henry just sway his head back and forth as he sat on Dean’s sofa. “So, Henry, that is why Ellen had to be quarantined for TB.”

  “When ... when did all this happen?” Henry asked.

  “They were together last night,” Dean explained. “They slept together.”

  “They made up quickly.”

  “I guess. I sent Ellen to him like you said and ...”

  “Dean,” Henry snapped, “you were supposed to tell her just to talk to him and help him. You weren’t supposed to tell her to take her clothes off and sleep with him.”

  “Am I sensing a bit of jealousy, Henry? I thought her being with Frank didn’t bother you.”

  “It didn’t when I was with her.”

  “Ah.” Dean nodded. “So I take it you’re not happy about this?”

  “No. I might as well forget any chance I have with her now.”

  “She hates you now, Henry.”

  “Still, even if she didn’t hate me, I might as well forget it. You might as well forget it. Frank’s in control, we’re out.” Henry sighed heavily. “At least he didn’t leave Beginnings.”

  “That’s where it gets better. He never was leaving Beginnings, Henry. He was only packing up to clear out his house so I could have more room.”

  “Oh swell, just swell. You made her sleep with him for nothing and now she has tuberculosis.”

  Dean laughed. “I didn’t make her sleep with him and she doesn’t have TB. She’s fine.”

  “Oh you can laugh now, but wait until Frank gets well. Then he’ll kill you anytime you touch her.”

  “If he doesn’t know, he won’t.”

  Henry’s mouth dropped open in a gasp as he stood up. “Oh that is so wrong. That is wrong, Dean. I’m telling.”

  “You would.”

  “I will.” Henry moved to the door. “Since the kids are in bed, I’m going to fix something or other. I don’t know what.” He opened the door and in his charge through, he nearly barreled over Ben. Suddenly the expression on Henry’s face dropped. “Ben.”

  “Hi, Henry.” He peeked his head in. “Dean.” He held up a pair of pants. “May I come in? I need to speak to you, Henry.”

  Henry stepped back. “Sure.”

  “I have these trousers I need you to try on. I just finished the alterations.” Ben pulled out a tape measure. “I’d like to do the final fitting. We have less than a week.”

  “Final fitting for what?” Henry asked.

  “The tux.”

  “Ben, there’s no wedding or haven’t you heard? It’s been off for weeks.”

  “You just never know.” Ben walked into the living room. “I love what you’ve done with the décor, Dean.”

  “Excuse me.” Dean, snickering went into the kitchen.

  “Henry?” Ben held up the pants. “Ready?”

  “I’d rather not. There’s no reason to try them on.”

  “But what if there’s a change of mind?”

  “There won’t be.”

  “I worked hard, Henry. It’ll only take a second.”

  “No.” Henry shook his head.

  “Oh don’t be so grumpy. Be nice. Take these.” He handed the pants to Henry. “Go on upstairs and take these baggy things ...” Ben’s hand reached to Henry’s belt in a friendly tug, “... off.”

  Immediately Henry jumped back with a smack against Ben’s reaching arm and a hard shove to him. “Don’t!” Henry pointed at him. “Don’t ever touch me again.” He slammed the pants harshly into Ben and stormed out of Dean’s house.

  <><><><>

  Joe tried to
understand, but he had a hard time with it. So many questions laced his mind. He even sought out the answers to his questions. Like, why did Frank and Ellen have to be in quarantine for so long? Why couldn’t they confirm it as being tuberculosis sooner? Any of the other tests took a mere hour to run. Dean just told him it was a complicated case. And Andrea, she merely spewed forth the explanation she got when she posed the same questions to Dean. Frank and Ellen had to be quarantined for three or four days because there was a chance that Frank was exposed to—according to Dean—Tuberculosis: type A-7, which Andrea quickly told Joe she had never heard of. Not only was it a bacterial neurosis, condyloma strain, but also a rare form of tuberculosis believed only to be transmitted through contact with the open warts of the rare Northern United States Yellow Toad, which Frank claimed to have been playing with. Those results, according to Andrea, who spoke according to Dean, can only be given after three days.

  Disturbed at the news that his family may have contracted a rare, deadly form of tuberculosis, Joe went to Holding to check on them.

  With keys in hand, he knocked once on their door. Upon receiving Ellen’s ‘yes?’ Joe called out, “Hope you’re decent.” He unlocked the door and walked in.

  Ellen looked surprised when she saw him. “Joe.”

  “How are you, Kiddo?” Joe asked looking at her sitting on top of the bed. One side of the bed was unmade. “Are you feeling all right?”

  “I’m uh ... fine.” Her eyes kept shifting around.

  “Where’s Frank?”

  “He’s in the ...”

  “El,” Frank called out loudly and seemingly in such pain. “El, please.”

  Ellen held her hand up to Joe. “Excuse me.” She jumped from the bed and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Frank was on the floor huddled by the commode. “Frank.”

  “I can’t do this, El.” He shook his head. His words were breathy. “I can’t do this.”

  “Come on, Frank.” She walked behind him, wrapping one arm around his chest and the other around his head. “You can.”

  “I’m so sick.”

  “I know.” She wiped his head and kissed him.