The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Read online

  Dean firmly gripped her hand. “I need you,” he spoke softly. And without waiting for a response, still holding her hand, he led her from the table and to his home.

  Still silent, Dean shut the door, released Ellen’s hand, and walked to the center of the living room.

  “Dean ...”

  “Shh. I want to say something to you. I understand what you meant all those weeks ago.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Dean ran his fingers through his wet hair. “Remember when I tried to talk to you? You told me that, one time, you had no one, no one left. And I insisted that you did. I understand now. I was wrong, you were right. Because now I have no one.”

  “No, Dean, I was wrong.” She neared him. “I have everyone in this town. I have you. You got me through a difficult time. We’re friends, Dean; let me be here for you now.”

  Dean turned his back to her.

  “You said you needed me.” She reached up and rested her hand on his shoulder. “I’m here.”

  Dean turned. With his eyes closed, he reached for her waist and pulled her close. He sought comfort in her arms. For a long time he just let her hold him.

  MONDAY, JULY 6

  “Just a minute.” Andrea finished drying a green pan, placed it on the drainer and walked over to the back door to answer the knock. Joe stood there. “Joe, come in.”

  “Am I bothering you?”

  “No, no, just cleaning up from breakfast.” She held the door open for him. “Sit down.”

  “Thanks.” Joe pulled a chair out from the table and sat down.

  “Would you like some coffee?”

  “Oh, no, thanks.”

  Andrea sat at the table with him. “So, what’s up?”

  “I wanted to fill you in on a few things. Ellen isn’t around so maybe you can pass the info on.”

  “Sure, what is it?” Andrea reached behind her and grabbed her coffee off of the counter.

  “Just a few minor changes. Me and George are only bringing one person out with us on the first trip. It’s a room thing. You know, in case we find someone.”

  Andrea snickered, “This is what you came to tell me?”

  “No, one more little thing. Since William’s passing, we’re in need of a doctor.”

  “You have Dean.”

  “Dean’s a scientist, he can do some doctoring, but I doubt very much that he can make an on the spot diagnosis without looking it up. He’ll be a great asset if any of us come down with a virus.”

  “So what are we going to do?”

  “George and I were talking. We’d like to see you take over that position.”

  “Me?” Andrea grabbed her chest. “Oh, Joe, I don’t think … that’s an awful big responsibility. I’m a nurse.”

  “And you’ve been one for over twenty years. No amount of schooling can replace that knowledge. You and Dean will work together. I’m saying treat the patients, if any, that we have at the hospital there.”

  “Joe.” Andrea was apprehensive. “I don’t know.”

  “Everyone will have a job, or else we’ll never get this thing going. Everyone’s job will be vital to the maintenance of the community.”

  Andrea stood from the table. “And mine is being a doctor. With reservations, Joe, I’ll do it.”

  “Good. You really don’t have a choice. You’re the only one here really qualified enough to do it.” Joe pushed his chair out and stood. “I’ll let you get back to cleaning.” He walked to the back door and grabbed the handle. “Oh, Andrea, about the other night, when we were kind of fighting?”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that, Joe.”

  “I’m not. Just wanted to say, I kind of liked it.” He winked and walked out.

  Andrea shook her head, “Oh, no. No no.” She spoke out loud to herself, walking to the sink. “He is not priming me for wife number seven. No way, sweet Jesus.” And with that comment, she peeked out the kitchen window to watch Joe walk down the street.

  ***

  Ellen opened the door to the lab with her backside, her hands occupied with a brown box. “I’m back. I got some air and soil samples for you.”

  “Good, put them down,” Dean said.

  Ellen shut the door with her foot then turned to place the box on the counter. “Oh, my God, Dean, you did it.”

  “Yep.” He sat staring at a computer screen. “The battery pack for this still worked. I can’t believe I didn’t thinking of running back to Stamford for this stuff sooner.”

  “Were you able to find the programs we needed?”

  “I just downloaded the last one.” Dean took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

  “Dean?” Ellen walked over to him. “Were you just wearing glasses?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did you always? I never noticed.”

  Dean shook his head in disbelief. “No, Ellen, I wore disposable contacts. I just used up my last pair.”

  “Put them back on, let me see.”

  “No, you’ll see me in them enough.”

  Ellen pulled up a chair and sat down. “What happens if you break them?” Ellen picked the glasses up.

  “I have another pair. And put those down!” he spoke sharply.

  “I’m sorry.” Ellen was taken aback. “Dean?” He ignored her. “Maybe you need another day or two to clear your mind.”

  “No, I need to work.”

  “This genetics program you have, is it easy to run?”

  “Pretty much. But when we connect the computer to the generator, we have to make sure that very little else is on. If by chance the power blows, we’ll lose everything we put in. And we have to remember do backups.”

  “I’ll remember that.” Ellen stood up and walked to her box. “I went to the beach to get the one sample, and the soil I got from …” She noticed Dean not paying attention to her. “Dean, are you all right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe you need to take a break.”

  “No, working keeps my mind off of things.”

  “I understand that. So if you’re ready to listen to me now, I ... “

  ”What happened to you the other night?” Dean turned his stool to face her.

  “What?”

  “The other night, where did you go?”

  “Oh.” Ellen remembered. “I went home.” She began to unpack the box.

  “Why?”

  “Why? Because you were sleeping. We talked about it before you fell asleep. We agreed that you would spend yesterday alone, and if you needed to talk, you’d find me. If this bothered you so much why didn’t you come to me yesterday?”

  “I was mad because you left in the middle of the night.”

  “Do you feel better now?” She placed the empty box on the floor.

  “I guess.” Dean turned back to the computer. “I have to get back to work.”

  “You’re mad at me still, aren’t you? You can’t be mad.”

  Dean’s hands slammed down. “And why is that?”

  “You don’t have a reason.”

  “I think confusing me emotionally is a valid reason.”

  Ellen laughed. “How am I confusing you emotionally?”

  Dean stared.

  “The other night,” Ellen said. “You came to me. You needed me.”

  “And no one said you have to sleep with me.” Dean stood up. “I just … I just get something else from you.”

  “What do you mean?” Ellen asked.

  “I mean, it wasn’t a goal or project that made us connect.” He inched closer, and laid his hand on hers. “It was more.” He paused. “There’s something here. There’s something happening between us, more than a work partner, it’s deeper than that. That’s what I think.”

  Ellen’s lips moved, but it wasn’t her voice that emerged.

  It was Frank’s.

  “Then you’re thinking wrong.” Frank stated as he walked into the lab. He moved directly to the two of them, grabbed Dean’s hand, removed it from Ellen’s, and faced Dean. “I
f your mind is going somewhere with El, it’s moving in the wrong direction. Cause it isn’t happening.” He pulled Ellen away, “Come on, El.”

  It didn’t take much effort to get Ellen away from Dean in that lab. Frank took her away with ease. Dean saw it. It was a sharp slap of reality to Dean; he could now see Frank’s control over Ellen in every aspect.

  FRIDAY, JULY 10

  Ellen sprang from a dead sleep. She jumped from the couch when she heard the sound of engines. She quickly raced out to her porch, only to see the tractor-trailer pulling away. “Damn it, Joe. You didn’t say goodbye.” Shaking her head, she watched the truck until it was out of sight. Just as she turned to go back in, possibly get some more sleep, she heard someone call her name.

  “Ellen.” Andrea trotted her way.

  “Oh, hey, Andrea.” Ellen said dejectedly.

  “Joe said to tell you goodbye.”

  “He could have told me himself.”

  “Well,” Andrea had something in her hand; it was hard to see with the way her arms held tight to her body. “You won’t miss Joe too much, we’ll be busy scavenging books and metals, you know.”

  “Uh huh.” Ellen nodded watching what appeared to be apprehension on Andrea’s face. “Something is up. What is it?”

  “To the best of your knowledge, when was Dean going out to Montana?”

  “Next trip, why?’

  Andrea stepped closer. “Miguel, even though he thought he’d be stronger, he didn’t go.”

  “Oh, ok, that’s good.” Ellen said with sarcasm.

  “Here.” Andrea handed Ellen a piece of paper.

  “What is it?”

  “Dean said to give that to you.”

  Ellen opened the folded paper and skimmed it with her eyes; she peered up at Andrea as she sighed heavily. “These are program instructions to the new program. And … a list of things to do. How odd.”

  “That’s it?” Andrea asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Andrea reached the note and quickly read it. “That son of a bitch,” she choked out.

  “What?”

  “Ellen, I thought this was …” she handed it back to Ellen. “I thought this was a note, not an instruction sheet.”

  “Why would he leave me a note?”

  Andrea hesitated. “Because he left, Ellen. Dean left for Montana.”

  Curiously, Ellen looked at the letter. “He left? He wasn’t supposed to go until next trip. Frank was going …”

  “Frank didn’t leave. Plans changed this morning.”

  “For how long?” Ellen asked.

  “He’ll be coming back with the truck. No worries, two weeks.”

  Ellen slowly folded the note. “I can’t believe he didn’t say goodbye, either. But he’ll be back soon.”

  THURSDAY, JULY 20

  Garfield County, MT

  “Goddamn rabbits!” Joe pulled back the homemade slingshot he held in his hand. He aimed, released, and fired a single stone across the field at a brown and white rabbit. The rock beamed him in the backside and the rabbit went scurrying. “Son of a bitch.” Joe searched for another stone. There were still eight more rabbits grazing in the field of grass. He aimed again, pulled back . . .

  “Joe.” Dean snuck up behind him

  “Shit.” The stone fired shot twenty feet off target.

  “Nice aim.”

  Perturbed, Joe turned around. “Why don’t you walk over there and we’ll see if your ass can figure out how good my aim is.”

  “What are you doing to the rabbits?”

  “Trying to kill them. Damn complex is overrun with them. They’re sneaking in the perimeter. We have to get rid of them before they start breeding and then we’ll never get rid of them.”

  Dean placed his hands in his pockets. “Why don’t you just shoot them then if you want to kill them?”

  “Too easy. The hunter in me won’t allow it. Besides, I don’t want to waste my bullets. What is it that you want anyhow, Dean?”

  “I decided I’m not going back. The hospital’s not done and it needs a lot of work. Anyway, Frank can stay in Ashtonville. Johnny needs him. He won’t have to leave him or …” Dean cleared his throat. “Ellen.”

  “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that. Now if you don’t mind, may I return to being Elmer Fudd?” Joe began to aim at the little rabbits again.

  “Sure.” Dean figured it best to leave Joe to his task, and Joe always seemed to find a task to keep him occupied. Dean walked back down the hill to the little clinic. He returned to his work, the work he’d procrastinated accomplishing so he could avoid going back home.

  WEDNESDAY, JULY 26

  Andrea tapped lightly on the door to the laboratory before entering. “El, may I come in?”

  “Sure, come on.”

  Andrea opened the door. “It’s dark in here.”

  “Don’t turn on the light.” Ellen’s face was illuminated by the computer screen. “What’s up?”

  “I thought you’d like to know.” Andrea smiled. “They’re back.”

  Ellen leaped from her chair. “When?”

  “Just now. I brought the car over so you could get back faster.”

  “Thank you.” Ellen hastily took off her gloves and jacket and followed Andrea out to the car. They drove quickly to the street.

  Upon seeing Joe, Ellen, barely waiting for the car to stop, opened her car door and bolted towards him. “Joe!”

  “Hey.” He didn’t have to walk far. Ellen ran to him and hugged him.

  “Joe, I missed you, you’ve been gone too long.”

  “This is quite a welcome. I didn’t get this the last time.” He put his arm around her shoulder. “Listen, Sweetheart, can we catch up in little bit? I’m beat.”

  “Sure, sure, you go get rest. I want to talk to Dean. I have a lot to tell him.” She kissed Joe on the cheek and looked around.

  “Uh, Ellen.”

  “Yes, Joe?”

  “Dean stayed in Montana.”

  The smile fell from Ellen’s face. “Why?”

  “A lot of reasons. There’s a ton to do. He’s barely got the hospital situated.”

  “But Miguel, Jonas, and Frank are going out tomorrow morning. They’d . . .”

  “Dean stayed so Frank could stay here with Johnny, and I agreed. Besides, he knows where we’re headed with things out there. With George and me being back, that’ll help.”

  “What things?”

  “Ellen, I’m tired.” He turned towards his house.

  “No, Joe.” Ellen stopped. She stopped cold.

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not feeling well.”

  “Emotionally or physically?”

  Ellen’s hand shot to her mouth.

  Joe shook his head in disbelief. “Just like that? All of the sudden, you aren’t feeling well?”

  With that question came Ellen’s answer. She stepped a foot back, removed her hand, turned her head, and vomited.

  “Christ.” Joe closed his eyes. “I guess I got my answer.”

  A slice of homemade bread and a warm cup of tea did the trick. Ellen was a hundred percent better and back in the lab, not thinking too much about her vomiting episode. Actually, she was playing solitaire on the computer when Frank knocked on the archway.

  “Oh, hey.” Ellen wiped her mouth and turned around.

  “I hear you weren’t really thrilled about me staying.”

  “What?” She snickered. “Don’t be silly. Where did you get that idea?”

  Frank walked to her. “I spoke with my Dad and …” his hand extended, he grabbed the mouse and played a card on the computer screen.

  “Hey, that’s my game.”

  Frank shrugged.

  Ellen folded her arms. “You seem pissy.”

  “I am.” Frank exhaled. “I talked to my Dad. He said you were so… how did he put it. So revolted you puked.”

  Ellen laughed. “I did not.”

  “He said you threw up. Right on his shoes.
”

  “I didn’t throw up on his shoes.”

  “He showed me.”

  Ellen cringed. “That’s gross.”

  “So you’re sick?” Frank asked.

  “Was. Better now.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Must have been something I ate.”

  Frank nodded. “That’s what my Dad said. He said we need to watch what you eat; he thinks you’re eating spoiled food.”

  “Probably.”

  “Right.”

  Ellen looked curiously at him. “Did you just say right?”

  “Yep. I know you. Cut the shit.”

  “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”

  “How’s this.” Frank raised his eyebrows. “You’re pregnant.”

  Ellen clammed up.

  “So you are.”

  “Frank …”

  “You are.” Frank stepped back and nodded.

  “Let me explain …”

  “No.” Frank held up his hand. “I expected this.”

  “I’m sorry if it hurts you.” Ellen stood up.

  “Shocks me,” Frank said. “But … I can deal with it. I knew. The night you told me that you wanted a baby that it was a done deal. We can’t take it back, so I’ll deal with it. I’ll handle Johnny and …”

  “Frank. No.”

  “El, I don’t have a choice. If I’m gonna be a father again, I might as well …”

  “Frank.”

  Frank continued, “Handle it. I guess part of me is a little glad that …”

  “Frank. Stop.” Ellen held up her hand. “The baby … the baby isn’t …. The baby is not yours.”

  Frank blinked several times. “Not mine.”

  Ellen shook her head.

  Frank exhaled. “I didn’t realize you and Pete were close at all …”

  “No. Not Pete’s. Not yours. I got my period the day after the last time we fooled around. I told you about that. Remember.”