Blink of an Eye: Beginnings Series Book 8 Read online

  Blink of an Eye

  Beginnings Book 8

  By

  JACQUELINE DRUGA

  Blink of an Eye

  Beginnings Book 8

  By Jacqueline Druga

  Copyright 20 13 by Jacqueline Druga

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Image - © Santiago Cornejo - Fotolia.com

  Holy cow, thank you so much for to Cindy P, Jhanelle M and Bonnie F, for all your help with this book. It was a task, I will tell you and they were a tremendous support.

  TRIUMPH AND LOSS

  Reaching into the darkness ...

  Pulling from inside, the strength to succeed ...

  The strength to overcome all obstacles ...

  To find our victories ...

  And to battle the losses we may have to face ...

  within the inner struggles

  INTRINSIC BATTLES

  CHAPTER ONE

  JULY 25

  Out of a dead, deep sleep Henry sprang up to a sitting position calling out in a panic, “Violet!” He breathed heavily, his heart racing from the horrible nightmare which was a repeat of the night before. But Henry smiled. He remembered the name of the little girl in the Willy Wonka movie who turned blue. That’s what mattered. Minutes before five in the morning and he finally remembered. He knew it was going to bother him but he didn’t think it would invade his sleep. Then again, how could it not? They went over to Frank’s to watch the movie and he still didn’t get the name. Every single time Violet would come on or someone was about to say her name Frank would either speak really loud, turn down the television set, or just press fast-forward. But Henry showed him. It came to him anyhow.

  He slipped down under the covers again and prepared to make himself comfortable, again. Just as Henry’s head touched the pillow, the loud ringing of the phone, right next to his ear, made him jump back up. He grabbed it and still groggy, Henry cleared his throat and answered the phone before the second ring finished. “Hello,” he said in a whisper. “Dean? Dean, what is it.” Henry closed his eyes. Though Dean said nothing, he knew something was wrong. “Hold on.” Henry got out of bed and hurried to the next room where Ellen was sound asleep. He covered the phone with his hand. “El? El?”

  Ellen moaned.

  “El.” Henry brought his mouth to her ear. “Wake up.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Five. El, Dean is on the phone.”

  Ellen immediately rolled over to her back and lifted herself up with her elbows. “Dean?”

  “He doesn’t sound good, El.” Henry handed her the phone.

  Removing her hair from her face, Ellen placed the phone to her ear. “Dean?”

  There was a long pause of silence then Dean’s soft cracking voice spoke, “El ... El, I ... I need you, El.”

  That was all Dean needed to say. She felt it, the hard flutter of her stomach when the pain of his sound went through her. “I’ll be right there.” She shut off the phone and handed it to Henry, flinging the covers off of her.

  “El, what’s wrong?” Henry watched her race out of bed and from the bedroom. He heard the water run in the bathroom. “El?” He got out of bed and followed her. “What happened?”

  Ellen quickly brushed her teeth. After she rinsed her mouth, she splashed water on her face and took the towel that Henry handed her. “Oh God.”

  “Ellen, what happened?”

  “Please.” She looked up at the ceiling as she ran past Henry. “Please don’t let my gut be right. Please God.” She bent down to the floor and picked up her shorts, tossing them on. “Look at my hands, Henry.” She held them out before buttoning her shorts. “I’m shaking.” In a run she slipped on her shoes. “I have to go.” She darted by him. “I’ll call you.”

  “El.” Henry reached out grabbing her arm before she left the bedroom. “Do you need me to come with you?”

  “I think he needs me alone, Henry. I’ll call you.” With a worried look glued to her face, Ellen took a deep breath and flew down the stairs, opening the front door, and not even shutting it as she ran out.

  Her footsteps were the only sound on the quiet street, echoing as she charged the four houses down. She stopped before she went inside. Briefly she looked up. His bedroom light was still on. Feeling her heartbeat in her ears Ellen opened the front door calling out, “Dean!” He didn’t answer her and she followed her gut which told her to go up stairs. She did. “Dean!” Her breathing burned her lungs from the rushing and the excitement to get to him. Her entire body halted in a freeze when she stepped to the bedroom doorway and saw Dean sitting on the side of the bed.

  His head was down, hanging down, his hair forward as he sat there in just his boxer shorts. His elbows rested on his knees and he looked as if he watched something on the floor.

  The lump, the lump in her throat grew when Ellen looked upon him. She shivered in her breath and took a step into the room. “Dean.” Another step to him, her hand reaching out. “Dean.”

  “It’s gone, El.”

  His words throbbed in her head, causing her already quickly beating heart to literally pound. She closed her eyes, moving closer to him, and laid her hand upon his face. “When?”

  Dean’s head moved into that hand. “About three hours ago,” he spoke in a monotone. “I waited and I waited and it ... it never came back.”

  “Why didn’t you call me when this happened? Why?” Her fingers slipped into his hair as she lowered closer to him.

  Dean raised his head, his eyes were open and they just stared forward, not moving, just forward. “I’m sorry I called you. I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t know who I could call.”

  “No matter what we have said to each other lately, no matter what, know that I am here for you. Know that.” Moving her hand to behind his head, she brought her other arm up and brought Dean closer to her.

  “I’m scared, El.” His hands slowly reached out and lay upon her legs. They moved up to her hips and when Dean knew where they were, he leaned forward and dropped to the floor on his knees so emotionally. “I’m so scared.” His desperate arms grabbed on to her and he buried his head in her stomach. “What am I going to do? I can’t see, El. I can’t see.”

  Ellen felt and heard the soft emotional sound of sadness that Dean released. Her hands held onto his head, keeping him to her then she too lowered herself to that floor with him and held him. With everything he had, so scared, so confused, Dean gripped tightly to Ellen and he just clung to her.

  <><><><>

  “OK. Thanks, Joe.” Ellen held her fingernails close to her mouth in debate of biting them as she spoke on the phone. She watched Dean, sitting still on his bed throughout her whole entire conversation. “Yeah, no problem. I’ll stop by. Thanks again.” She shut off the phone, set it on the nightstand, looking into the mug and at the plate that sat there also. “You didn’t touch your tea or toast.”

  “My head is still killing me.”

  “I’m stopping by the clinic.”

  “There’s nothing that will work. I tried it all.”

  “Did you try the Apenetheral?”

  Dean shook his head. “That’s the strongest stuff we have.”

  “Then you’ll take it. If nothing else works, you’ll take it.”

  “It’s IV only. It’s too strong to give it alone.”

  “Then I’ll start an IV.” Ellen picked up the piece of toast. “When is the last time you ate?”

  “
Yesterday morning.”

  “Lack of food isn’t helping your headache and I can’t give you the Apenetheral if you don’t eat.” She grabbed his hand and laid the toast in it. “I spoke to Joe. I told him how sick you were. He wanted to know if he should send Andrea ... eat that please ... over here.”

  Dean lifted his head up. “She can’t come over.”

  “Well I told Joe that you are a doctor and I’ll be here. He said you must really be sick if you aren’t working. Eat that please.”

  A small bite was all Dean took. “Sick is an understatement.”

  “He also said Frank is only working a half day today and he’ll make sure that Frank picks up the kids for us. As far as tonight goes, we’ll deal with that later. I’ll stay. Henry will want to also. He’s concerned.”

  “I know.”

  “What I’ll do now is run home, change, head up to the mobile, and get Johnny situated with some batch tests on the mutated specimens. I’ll pick up our notes and we’ll review the combinations of agents and medications we haven’t tried.”

  “You’re leaving me?”

  “Dean, I have to,” Ellen tried to explain. “I have to but I won’t be gone long.”

  “I can’t be alone right now. I don’t know how to be alone right now.”

  “You have to, Dean. Half hour tops. We have to work and I have to get things in the lab in order for Johnny.”

  “I don’t feel like working today.” Dean reached out his hand feeling for the table to drop his toast.

  Ellen stopped him and brought his hand back to his mouth. “Eat. Do you not feel like doing it because you’re sick, or because you’re down?”

  “I’m sick.”

  “OK.” Ellen nodded. “But you know, if you are better tomorrow, we have to move on. We have to work. Especially if we don’t want anyone to know you lost your sight yet.”

  “How?” Dean asked with desperation. “How do we do it?”

  “Like we have been preparing for. We can do this, Dean. We can really do this. We’ve worked together to be able to work through this.”

  “How am I going to make it through a day, when I can’t even make it to the bathroom?”

  “Like now.” Ellen leaned into him. “I’ll help you. Do you have to go?”

  “What? You’re gonna help me do that too?”

  “Sure. Why not? You need help getting there and hitting the target, so-to-speak, don’t you?”

  “Right now I do. I’m clueless.”

  Ellen took hold of his arm. “Then I’ll help you. Stand up.”

  “Something just isn’t right about this.” Dean let her guide him out of the bedroom. His hand felt outward as they moved, trying to feel where he was at.

  “What’s not right about it?”

  “Until I get the hang of it, you’re gonna have to ...”

  “Take control?” Ellen opened the bathroom door. “Be your guide? I can do that.”

  “You won’t feel funny about it?”

  “Who me? Please, Dean.” Ellen helped him into the bathroom. “Now it’s not like it’s never been in my hand before, right?”

  “Not in this capacity.”

  “No, you’re right. But there’s a first time for everything. Hell, I’m always up for new experiences. You know me. I’m Ellen.”

  “And I’m really, really glad you’re here right now.” Dean tried to feel where she was.

  Ellen grabbed his hand and laid it on her face. She slid it from her cheek to her mouth kissing the back of his fingers. “I’m glad you want me. And ... let’s do this.”

  Dean slowly shook his head. “You sound almost too excited about this.”

  “I am.”

  “Swell.” He heard her giggle, felt her turn his body some and felt her head rest against his arm for a moment. Though Ellen looked forward to helping him out, Dean did not look forward to being helped. Something so simple, something so instinctive, was now another obstacle Dean had to face in the long road ahead. It was one of many minor tasks that he could never take for granted again.

  <><><><>

  Joe watched Henry fidget in the chair during the whole entire meeting. Shift to his left, then right. Run his fingers through his hair, fuss some more. Joe tried to play it off, thinking it typical Henry antics, wanting to be somewhere else, and having to sit in a meeting. “Continuing.” A shift of Joe’s eyes to Henry then to Cole. “The metal run will definitely be moved up as I told you, Cole. You and your crew will leave tomorrow morning, puts you at the first site by noon. That’ll give you eight good daylight hours to scrap there at Winnet, move to Mosley, then bunk at Jordan for the night, and scrap there in the morning before heading home. And of course ...” Joe’s voice dropped to a mumble, “Get those tuxedos.” He ran his hand down his face. “Any questions?”

  Cole nodded. “Why are we moving it up so fast?”

  “To be on the safe side,” Joe answered. “The reconnaissance flights are showing a clear area. You’ll only be an hour away and we can easily get to you if there is trouble. But right now there is nothing in the area so we feel you’re safe. Which in times like these, I’m glad we scrapped out farther from home first.” Joe picked up his pen. “Can I have you and your team meet with me tonight to go over the specific types of metals we have to locate for Armory?”

  Cole nodded. “Tonight? Eight?” He saw an agreement from Joe. “Good. All right, I have to head back now.” He looked at his watch. “I have to pass the buck, so-to-speak, to the man in charge tomorrow.”

  “Who is that?” Joe asked.

  “Haven’t a clue yet.” Cole stood up. “See ya later, Joe.” As he turned to the door, it opened and Frank walked in. “Hi, Frank.”

  “Hey, Cole.”

  “Bye, Frank.” Cole walked out.

  Shrugging, Frank shut the door. “I guess I missed the meeting. Sorry I was late.” He walked to his father’s desk. “I was rushing around to get everything done so I could pick up the kids.” Frank plopped in a chair and caught his breath. “Why am I picking up the kids instead of Dean?”

  “The same reason I’m working in Containment,” Joe said.

  “Oh.” Frank nodded.

  “Which by the way ...” Joe faced Henry. “Have you spoken to Ellen lately?”

  Henry lowered his mug of tea from his lips. “About twenty minutes ago, Joe. She was at the mobile getting things together.”

  Joe glanced at his watch. “Which means she’ll be here soon. I’ll let her know I want to stop by and check on Dean.”

  Henry stopped again in his attempt to take a drink. “Oh no, Joe. You can’t do that. He’s sick.”

  “That’s why I’m stopping by.”

  Frank raised his hand in a wave to get attention. “What’s wrong with Dean?”

  Joe looked at him so annoyed. “Weren’t you paying attention? He’s sick. He called off of work.”

  “You’re kidding?” Frank was surprised. “He must be sick. I don’t think I ever remember him calling off of work. Is it his uh ...” Frank closed one eye and twitched his head several times. “Nervous condition?”

  “What is wrong with you?” Joe asked perturbed. “No, it’s not his nervous condition. It’s a headache. By what I gathered from Ellen, a bad one too. I spoke to Jason and he thinks it probably is a repercussion of the tension from the hypnosis. A migraine. You know how bad them migraines can get Frank. Sometimes so bad you can’t even see.” Joe turned his head quickly to Henry who had started choking. “Having trouble drinking that tea. Henry?” Joe looked at Frank again. “So that’s what’s wrong with him. He’s so bad, Ellen is staying with him to monitor him.”

  “Fuck.” So shocked Frank acted. “Hey, Dad, you don’t think he’s gonna have a stroke do you?”

  “What?”

  “A stroke. You know, when a blood clot hits the brain and you can’t walk, or talk.” Frank explained, as if Joe were clueless.

  “I know what a stroke is. Why in the world would you say that?”


  “A severe headache and all ...”

  “Frank.”

  “Always a warning to a stroke.”

  “Frank.”

  “A man his age ...”

  “Frank!” Joe shouted his name. “No! And what’s this shit … a man his age? He’s not that much older than you.”

  “Yeah, but I’m not the one with the headache.” Frank tapped his fingers on the chair a few times. “What about a brain tumor.” He heard his father grunt. “Maybe his brain is bleeding.”

  “Frank, Christ,” Joe snapped. “What is this, wishful thinking?”

  “Concern.”

  “Sounds it to me.” Joe shook his head. “Let me think if there is anything I need ...” His head lifted to the knock on the door. “Come in.”

  Ellen poked her head in. “Hi, Joe.” She saw Frank turn around in the chair. “Hi, Frank. Joe, can I speak to Henry for a second?”

  “Sure,” Joe told her. “How’s Dean? I was thinking of stopping by if he’s that bad. Give a hand with the kids.”

  Ellen shook her head. “No, I’m hoping the medication I’m putting him on today will kick its butt. It’s strong so that’s why I have to be around him.”

  “Ellen.” Joe’s voice took on concern, “Are you sure everything is all right with him?”

  “Yeah, Joe, positive. I just need a favor from Henry.”

  Henry stood up. “Do you need me to come outside?”

  “No.” Ellen waved her hand and walked in. She wasn’t her normal self, so down she seemed. “Henry, I just need you to stop at the mobile lab on your way home, and make sure Johnny shuts everything down. And make sure the small, dim light is left on for the rabbits in the special lab. Last time Johnny forgot to leave that warming light on and two of them died.” Ellen shrugged. “Can you?”

  “Sure, El.” Henry stepped closer to her. “How’s Dean?”

  Ellen’s eyes shifted to Joe then Frank. She didn’t answer as she raised her eyebrows.