The Inner Struggle: Beginnings Series Book 7 (56 page)

Henry stopped moving.

“Good boy,” Ben told him. “Now is this all that painful?” Ben took a measurement and wrote down. He then stood up, grabbed Henry’s arm, and extended it.

“Jenny can you let me go now?” Henry demanded. “Thank you. I’m getting measured. All right. Why you had to accost me is beyond me.”

“You were putting it off,” Jenny told him.

“I would have done it tomorrow,” Henry said back.

“Done.” Ben stopped measuring. “We can leave the nervous groom alone.”

“Love to.” Jenny walked toward the door with Ben. “Henry, there isn’t much time. Reverend Bob says you didn’t even schedule a marriage class yet.”

“Not much time?” Henry scoffed. “Jenny, we have months.”

“No we don’t. We thought we would, but things are coming along nicely. Right Ben?”

“So true,” Ben added.

“See Henry, everyone one is excited and they want to push this thing through.” Jenny opened the door, allowed Ben to walk through first then turned back to say an annoying goodbye to Henry. When she did, she noticed he had turned toward his work bench, laid his hand upon it, and stared down. Jenny’s voice dropped the enthusiastic, sarcastic tone. “Everyone is excited, Henry. Are you?”

Henry turned his head to her. “Yeah . . . I am.”

“Please act it. This is the first event like this in Beginnings and we’re all working so hard. Ellen, whether she wants to admit it or not, is excited. I can tell. It’s just that so much work is going into it.”

“Where are you going with this, Jenny?” Henry asked.

“If you aren’t going to go through with this Henry, say so soon. Please say so soon.” Jenny received silence back and then walked through the door of mechanics.

Henry clenched his knuckles even harder against the surface of that table. He could see the white on his fingers as he clenched them. “Why can’t I be more excited about this Why?” he asked himself in total frustration. His mind spun on how everything became so different so quickly. A month earlier he thought he was married to Ellen and he was happy. He loved calling her his wife but now Henry stood there on total debate of ever calling her that again. His mind and his heart were full of the reasons for it, but they flew around him so fast that he couldn’t grasp a single one of those reasons. Knowing right there that all thoughts and concentration for his work were gone for the night, Henry decided to pack it up and just go get Ellen because that’s what he really needed to do.

Henry noticed there was something old-world about the night as he walked to Frank’s house. At almost every house he passed, someone was sitting out on the porch and talking to the person sitting next to them. It was an epidemic that spread that night. It was hot. Henry, himself, preferred to stay in where the air conditioning was but that was Henry. He always wanted to be cold.

He heard the laughing as he rounded the last row of houses. That unmistakable deep laugh of Frank's told Henry that he too had jumped on the band wagon and sat outside.

“There he is.” Ellen’s excited voice carried to him.

Henry looked at her with a smile as he saw Ellen walking quickly his way. “Hey El.” He gave her an embrace as soon as he met up with her. His embrace took her a little by surprise. “How was your night?”

“Fine.” Ellen kissed him on the cheek. “I’m ready to go home.”

“Good.” Henry broke from the embrace and took her hand walking over to where Frank sat on the porch. “Hey. How’s the baby?

“Sleeping.” Frank lifted a glass to his lips. “Why, you wanna take him home tonight?”

“Oh no, not tonight Frank,” Henry explained. “I have him tomorrow night, remember? Anyhow, why is everyone sitting outside?”

Ellen grew excited as she gripped Henry’s hand. “Jason said there is going to be a meteor shower tonight. We’re all waiting but nothing has happened yet.”

Henry looked oddly at her. “How does Jason know that? He’s kidding all of you.”

“I told you, El,” Frank spoke loudly. “There’s fuckin something wrong with the guy. Henry, he made me gay tonight. Gay. I loved Dean for a little bit,” Frank shuddered. “Did you know about that?”

“That you were gay for a while?” Henry asked. “Oh sure, Frank. Everyone knew.”

“Man, the power of hypnosis.” Frank shook his head. “You know it has to be strong if it got me.”

Ellen released Henry’s hand. “I’m going to say goodbye to the baby. I’ll be right back out.”

Henry nodded, watching her walk into the ,hen watching Frank lift his glass again. “What are you drinking Frank?”

“Why?”

“Frank.”

“I’m having a drink, Henry. El knows. One drink.”

“Has it been, or is it going to be, your only drink tonight, Frank?”

Frank closed his eyes and let out a breath as he started to talk. The screen door opened and Ellen walked back out.

“I’m ready.” She ran her hand over Frank’s head as she stepped by him. “Ready, Henry?”

“Um . . .” Henry looked down to Frank. “El, do you wanna hang out here for a while and wait to see if Jason is right?”

“No, I’m pretty tired. Can we go?” Ellen looked back at Frank. “You really don’t want us hanging around anyhow, do you, Frank?”

“Nope.” Frank shook his head. “To be honest, I need a Henry-break. He’s so hyper. How do you live with the guy?” He stood up. “I’m heading in anyhow. Night, El.” He leaned forward and kissed Ellen on the cheek. “Thanks for tonight. I had a great night.” Closing his mouth tightly with a smile, Frank raised his eyebrows in a goodnight gestures and with his glass in hand, turned and went back into his house.

“Ready, Henry?” Ellen asked him as he just stared at Frank’s door. “Henry?” She snapped her finger in front of him.

“Should we leave, El?”

“Of course we should,” she told him pulling his hand and pulling at him. “Let’s go home. Henry, I just got out of quarantine.”

“You’re right.”

“What’s wrong, Henry?”

Henry’s head dropped as they walked.

“Did something happen tonight?”

“Aside from the fact that Jenny accosted me and made Ben measure me in my office?”

Ellen giggled. “She didn’t.”

“She did. I felt so violated, El.”

“Aw Henry, I’m sorry. You should have been at Frank’s tonight. It would have made you happy. You should have seen Frank telling Dean he loved him.”

“I’m sorry I missed it.” Henry smiled. “I bet it was funny.”

“It really was.” Ellen noticed the less-than-genuine smile. “Henry, what is it?”

“It’s Frank, El.”

“What, what happened?” She stopped walking. “Were you two fighting? Did something happen this past week when you were living together? He didn’t make a pass at you, Henry, did he? I mean he was gay for a while.”

“No,” Henry said with a chuckle, “that’s not it.”

“Well what is it?”

“He . . . .he’s drinking, El.”

Ellen waved him off. “He always drinks.” She started them walking again. “It’s O.K. to have one. I told him that. Don’t be silly, Henry. He’s doing so good with it. Right?”

“El . . .”

“Henry.” Ellen stopped walking. “He is doing good with it, right? Don’t tell me he broke his promise to me.”

Henry opened his mouth to speak but stopped. Telling Ellen that Frank did indeed break his promise, not mildly but majorly, wasn’t going to help matters at that moment. If he wanted to help Frank, making Ellen mad at him wouldn’t do it. It would only make matters worse. “You’re right, El. Maybe I’m overreacting.”

“Of course you are, Henry. You’re just concerned for your friend. So am I.”

Ellen wasn’t kidding when she told Henry that. He threw his arm around her neck and pulled her to him. Henry closed his eyes as they walked. If Ellen realized how much concern Henry had over every aspect of Frank’s life, she would realize how much it was taking over every aspect of Henry’s.

“Take a deep breath,” Jason spoke in his soft voice. Its hypnotic factor rang through as they sat in Andrea’s little office. Joe was behind Andrea’s desk, Frank to the back with his arms folded, and Jason standing before a sitting Dean. “Where are you now, Dean?”

“I’m . . . at the window with Ellen.” He spoke slowly, his eyes closed.

“What are you two doing?”

“Ellen’s bitching.” Dean smiled. “She’s hungry. We’re getting ready to eat Frank’s stew.” His head twitched.

“What is it?” Jason asked.

“A note. A note. El? Where did this come from?”

Joe stood up quietly and leaned toward Jason. “I thought you said you were tapping into his memory. You said nothing about sending him back there,” he spoke in a whisper.

“I didn’t send him back there, Joe. You heard me.” Jason held his hand up. “Dean?”

Dean jumped in his chair.

“Dean.” Jason called to him. “What do you see?”

“Bill’s dead. El, we have to get out.” His head turned from side to side. “The banging, the banging. Who’s banging?”

Jason took notes. “Dean, watch it from a third party. Step back. You’re watching your . . .” Jason watched Dean jolt again then hold out his hand. “Dean.” Jason used a firmer voice. “Step back. What’s happening?”

“I just . . . I just shot Moses. No!” Dean’s head flung to the side.

Joe grew with concern. “He’s slipping into that. Is this safe?”

“It happens,” Jason answered. “The books said it was safe but we have to pull him out if it gets dangerous. I don’t think it is.”

For the first time, Frank spoke, “Pull him out. We’ll try another time.”

“Ellen,” Dean called out weakly. His body shuddered in the chair and his head dropped forward.

Jason shook his head and moved closer to Dean. “Dean., answer me. Dean, remove yourself.”

A long breath came from Dean. “I’m on the floor. I can’t move. My eyes, my eyes are blurry. I can feel the blood.”

“Where is Ellen?”

“I hear her. Oh God I hear her screaming. I can’t do anything about it. I can’t move. Someone help her! Help her!” He let out a short breath. “El.”

“Is she there Dean? So you see her?”

“In the door way,” Dean said. “El . . . I see her. No! No! He got her. Fight El.

“Who has her, Dean?” Jason questioned. “Focus in. Who has Ellen?”

Frank paid even more attention. “Come on.”

“It’s not . . . I can’t make out his face. He’s behind Ellen. Moses.”

Frank tossed his head downward. “Son of a bitch. It was Moses.” He felt so defeated until he heard Dean say, ‘Moses is there too.’ Frank snapped his attention to Jason. “Ask him if Moses is the one that has her?”

“Dean.” Jason called out. “Does Moses have Ellen? Is Moses the one that has Ellen?”

“No, Moses is the one next to him . . . No, bring her back. They’re leaving.”

“Who are they? Moses and who?”

“I can’t make out who it . . .” A deep grunt, loud and strong, came from Dean and his head fell forcefully forward. After a silent second, Dean frightened the three of them into a jolt when he loudly gasped inward, his head flung back, and his eyes rolled behind his head. Dean’s hands gripped the arms of the chair and he struggled with all of his breath.

“Pull him out of there,” Frank spoke strongly. “Pull him out! Now!” He raced over to Dean who held on to the chair while his body convulsed. “Dean!” Frank tossed his view to Jason. “Get him out of this thing!”

“Watch out.” Jason stepped forward. “Dean. Dean, listen to me. Dean!” Jason kept calling despite Dean’s struggling. “Dean! Listen to me. When I count to three you will be out of it and back here in Andrea’s office. One . . . two . . . Three.”

Dean stopped shaking. His head returned to a normal position and he looked around the room at the three faces who stared at him. “I’m sorry.” He stood up, swayed, and grabbed his head.

Frank grasped him in support thinking Dean had some repercussion of being hypnotized. “Are you all right?”

Dean’s still looked fogged. He rubbed his eyes and tried to focus. His head felt like it was going to explode. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help.” Still off balance, Dean hurried from the office because running from the office was running from the nightmare he felt he had just had.

Joe walked from behind Andrea’s desk and took in the stunned looks of Frank and Jason. “What happened to him?”

Jason shrugged “I don’t know. Maybe at that point in time, Dean was in traumatic pain and he relived it. It’s hard to say. We can try again. He definitely saw whoever it was with Moses but right now his mind just doesn’t want to focus in on him.”

Frank had his own questions. “Could something else have happened? Something else up there that he just doesn’t want to remember? Because it certainly looked to me like Dean was experiencing a piece of a puzzle we didn’t know we were missing.”

Both Joe and Jason faced Frank and their interest became piqued with the validity of Frank’s suggestion.

Ellen assumed when she heard Dean walking into the clinic lab so soon after he left, that the hypnosis session was a bust. Knowing how strong Dean’s mind was, Ellen did have her doubts on whether it would actually be successful. Instead of talking about it and making Dean feel badly for being unable to do something Frank did, she continued in her gathering of things, rambling on as she did. “I have your notes all ready for you to take to the lab.” She tossed a file in a box. “Beakers are in here, enough for you to do a mock up mass production of our agent 17. Let’s see.” She tapped her finger to her lips. “You should have plenty of work time at the mobile. The twins are playing with Katie. Denny is watching them They’re staying at Andrea’s tonight. You know that. Good weekend, Dean, huh? No kids at all for either of us.” Ellen shrugged. “Of course how often do I have the twins? Isn’t Joe a glutton for wanting to play super Pap tomorrow? Anyhow, Josh has Brian for you, Johnny is taking Joey . . . you’re free and clear.” Finally, she faced him and saw the reason for his silence. Dean slumped forward both hands held on to his head. “Dean?” She walked over to him. “I’m sorry you couldn’t be hypnotized.”