Blink of an Eye: Beginnings Series Book 8 (68 page)

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.

“
How did I let myself get like this? How? I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“
I know you are. Shh.” She kissed him again.

“
El, I ...” Frank let out an audible sound of his gut turning inside out and with that he lifted himself suddenly, throwing his head over the toilet.

Joe heard the voices and the sound of sickness coming from the bathroom. With concern, he knocked on the bathroom door and opened it. “Is everything all right?” He was stunned to see Ellen struggling to hold up his son. “Dear God.”

“
Please get out, Joe.” Ellen looked at him, holding Frank’s head.

“
He looks awful. Maybe we should get Dean.”

“
No!” Ellen snapped. “He’ll be fine.” She kissed Frank, feeling the vibration of his body struggling to bring up contents of an empty stomach. “He’ll be fine.”

Frank spoke through his dry heaving
. “Please ...” another heave, “please tell him to leave, El. Please.”

Running her hand over Frank
’s head, she whispered to him, “I’ll be back.” Stepping from Frank, she grabbed Joe’s arm and pulled him from the bathroom and from his stares at Frank. “Joe.”

“
What’s wrong with him?”

“
He’s just sick, Joe. He’s really sick.” She leaned against the closed bathroom door.

“
If he’s that sick, he should be in the clinic. He shouldn’t be up here away from everything and everybody. What if he gets worse? You got him locked ...” Joe’s eyes went to the bathroom again. “Locked in here.” He walked to the door of the holding room. “I’ll let you alone.”

“
Joe.” Ellen rushed to him.

“
Take care of my son.” Joe opened up the Holding door. “El, I know you can’t tell him this because I guess I’m not supposed to know, but I’ll be thinking of him. I’ll really be thinking of him.”

“
I know you will.”

“
Good luck.” Joe walked from the Holding room, closing his eyes as she shut the door. He was shielded from the truth, but Joe supposed if he were in Frank’s position, he too would want no one to know. Unfortunately, Joe did know, and though he left Holding, he left behind a piece of him. The part that felt for his son, feared for his son, and the struggle that his son had just taken on.

Being the head of Security, even the temporary one, had its disadvantages as well as advantages. Robbie knew that when he took on the responsibility of filling in for Frank while he was out with tuberculosis. But Robbie never imagined that the head of Security position carried over even when he was off duty, especially in the hall. Everyone looked to Robbie to take care of the most recent situation. Half-way through his first drink, Robbie himself needed to take care of it. There was nothing more irritating to Robbie then an obnoxious drunk. One that was loud, boisterous and one who just didn’t know when to stop or keep their mouth shut. So Robbie did what he had to do and what everyone requested of him. He ejected Josephine from the hall, taking her home, and informing her if she didn’t stay put she would be thrown in Holding.

Doing his job and ignoring her crying
, shutting out her bitching, and spurning her drunken old lady sexual advances, Robbie headed back to the hall. He was surprised that another had come in and sat at the bar, Henry. A glass of water rested in his hand as he slumped at the bar looking like a nightmare patron from the sitcom
Cheers
.

“
Henry.” Robbie gave him a swift pat to the back and sat next to him. “This is odd. We don’t usually see you in here unless you’re fixing things or trying to get laid.”

Henry shifted his eyes sideways
.

“
Sorry, bad joke but why are you here.”

“
Taking a break.”

“
From what?”

“
Running,” Henry answered him.

“
Running?” Robbie was shocked. “Why were you running?”

“
To get away from the women.”

“
Do they all want you now, Henry?”

Again
, Henry shifted his eyes.

“
Sorry.” Robbie hid his laugh. “So why were you running from the women?”

“
I got a little testy with Ben and the next thing I knew, these woman are calling my name and following me. I think I lost them around the field house.”

“
Why were they ...” Robbie didn’t get to finish his sentence. The screaming ‘there he is’ made him hunch and he looked at the frightened expression on Henry’s face. “Want me to get rid of them?” he whispered to Henry.

“
Please.”

Just as Robbie stood up
, Andrea, Jenny, and five other women approached.

“
Ladies.” Robbie held up his hands. “Henry wishes to be alone.”

Jenny stepped forward
. “I don’t care. We need to speak to Henry. Henry, look at me.”

“
No,” Henry answered.

“
Henry, I will spin that stool and make you vomit. I know how easily you do that,” Jenny insisted. “Turn around. We have a proposition for you.”

“
I hope it isn’t anything kinky.” Henry turned around.

“
Henry,” Jenny still continued. “We need a favor from you. You know how we’re having this big gala on Saturday? You know, the one that was supposed to be your wedding? Well, we were wondering, and we’ll pay whatever it takes, since you are the big reprogramming guy, and since you have that butler program Ellen told us about. We were wondering if perhaps, as Council and inventive guy, you could reprogram the twelve new SUTs to be our servants at the party.”

“
Oh my God.” Henry stood up. “You chased me around for that? For that. That is so stupid. I can’t believe you’d chase me for that. I’m leaving. Bye, Robbie.”

“
Henry,” Jenny called out to him. “Will you think about it? We’ll help you with Ellen.”

Henry paused before going out
. “Oh.” He groaned. “I’ll think about and talk to Joe.” Reaching for the door and pummeled with thoughts of how grateful he was that what the women wanted had nothing to do with his bad luck, Henry was pummeled by something else ... the door to the Social Hall. Screaming, “You suck!” at Hap, the clueless culprit who hit him, Henry, rubbing his arm, charged out the door.

After Henry left
, Robbie heard the pleased, excited chatter coming from the small group. When he turned to look at them, he saw they all stared at him, like a group of hungry vultures. And knowing how he had to be the secret desire of at least one of those women and how he feared being accosted by them, Robbie hurried from the bar and hid by the dart machine.