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

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Sure why not.”

  Dean moved to the next cage, taking his dosage down again by a tenth. “Same. Smaller amount?”

  “Hell we’re on a roll.” Jason wrote down and opened a cage.

  “This is so amazing.” Dean held up the fourth motionless rabbit speaking to it. He tossed it in the cage and went to the next one.

  They made their way down the line, each surprisingly breeding the same results no matter how little a dosage was given. Dean and Jason stood afterwards staring at their quiet subjects.

  “Dean keep observing them for signs of revival, mark down when they start.” Jason handed Dean the clipboard. “I want to get up to my lab to finish up. And don’t get too caught up down here. Remember what today is.”

  “Sure no problem.” Dean stared at the notes. “What’s today?”

  Jason shook his head. “Pediatric check-up? One-thirty.”

  “Oh yeah.” Dean nodded. “I’ll be there. Two of them are my patients.”

  “Good, see you then.” Jason, with a swift pat to Dean’s back, walked to the lab door, nearly bumping into Ellen as she walked in. “Bye, Ellen.”

  “Bye.” Shaking her head at the odd man, Ellen walked up behind a perplexed looking Dean. “Boo.”

  “Hey.” He read over his notes. “What are you doing here? No containment?”

  “I hate when you’re preoccupied. You forget everything.”

  “What did I forget now?” He flipped a page.

  “Tissue samples. We’re playing with Marcus’ tissue samples today?”

  “Yeah that’s right. They’re over on the counter.”

  “Thanks.” Ellen moved to the counter. “Dean?” She stepped closer. “What’s with all the dead bunnies?”

  “They aren’t dead, Ellen.” Dean set down the clipboard.

  “Really?” Ellen opened the first cage, looking into the staring blank eyes of the rabbit. She lifted its paw and let it fall with a thump. “They look dead. Maybe you forgot you killed them. You seem to be forgetting everything today.”

  “I didn’t forget I killed them.” Dean removed her hand from the cage. “Because I didn’t. They are . . . in a deep sleep.”

  “All right. So why do you have a bunch of snoozing rabbits in here?”

  “Why are you being so nosey? So just to shut you up, it’s a new sleep medication.” Dean pulled her away from the cage area.

  “Just to shut me . . .” Ellen gasped. “Fine.” She retrieved the tissue sample and moved to another counter. “First you want to move me out of the house and then you want to move me out of your life.” She slammed the sample. “Now out of your new medications. Fine. Fine.” Her voice crept up. “What’s next? The lab? Huh?” She glared at Dean who seemed to ignore. “That’s all right. I’ll have you know my opinion and skills are very valued. Wait until my meeting with George. Don’t think when I give him my little password progress report I won’t mention this kicking me out of the lab thing.”

  “El!” Dean screamed at her. “Don’t mention this sleep medication thing to him! Don’t! And don’t mention progress on the passwords.”

  Ellen’s eyes moved slowly in curiosity to Dean. “Why? He’s the leader until Joe gets better.”

  Stumped. Dean hoped his searching for a cover up wasn’t obvious. “Be . . . because. Damn it.” His hand hit on the counter. “You’re jinxing us.”

  “I never knew you were superstitious.”

  “Very. Why do you think I work with rabbits? Their . . . their feet are uh, lucky.”

  “What.” Ellen snickered. “Like you cut them off when you’re done.”

  “Yes. Always.” Dean’s eyes widened. “I just was embarrassed to let you know.”

  “I’ve never seen them. We work with a lot of rabbits.”

  “I share them with . . . Frank and his men. That’s why they’re so good.”

  “Cute.” Ellen smiled. “O.K. I won’t jinx you anymore. Can I help in the sleeping bunny experiment?”

  Hating to do it, Dean agreed. He would just give Ellen false information on everything. Ellen running around with information that wasn’t true was better than her inadvertently passing along vital information that could give George even more of an upper hand.

  ^^^^

  Hitting the back gate last on his afternoon rounds, Frank squatted downward, holding his cup of coffee he stopped at his office to get. He looked one more time at the new switch box that Henry had replaced. One that wouldn’t have been replaced had Greg followed George’s orders. He was assured it worked before it was replaced, but Frank still had to wonder. Had there been times since that box was loose that the perimeter actually failed to protect the community?

  The thought had stayed with him. It stayed with him all day, especially as he placed the men in their positions to dig. Knowing he had to find out, Frank decided that after he finished his reports, checked on how the digging of his new hatches were going, he would go the security room. Answers about the perimeter would lie there.

  ^^^^

  He did it as such a repeated pattern. Leaning over the counter, head to head with Ellen, Dean would peer into the large magnifying glass hanging over the sample, he’d touch the sample with the tweezers, reach across and adjust Ellen’s shirt. He’d then return to his sample. “This looks totally unscathed from the extreme cold we exposed it to.” He spoke so preoccupied as he turned over the sample.

  “I see that. Dean? Why do you keep lifting my shirt like that?”

  “Because when you lean over the counter, I can see your breasts. I find it distracting.” He fussed with the sample again. “What was the temperature we exposed this to?”

  “Minus forty degrees Fahrenheit. But you’ve seen my breasts before. Lots of times.”

  “Let’s try another sample at minus fifty.”

  “They aren’t even attractive. Did I tell you Jenny Matoose exposed her breasts to Frank?”

  “That’s not a mental picture I’d like to have.” He reached over and fixed her shirt again, returning his view to the magnifying glass. “Besides, I find your breasts attractive. In fact there isn’t a square inch on your body I don’t.” He moved the petri dish and reached for another “Ellen?” He grabbed her wrist. “Why does your watch still say one o’clock?”

  “Oh.” Ellen twisted the band. “It’s broken. I was thinking of asking Jason if he can fix it. He is a time guy.”

  “Don’t do that.” Dean shook his head. “What time is it?”

  “How would I know when my watch is broken? Where’s yours?”

  “On the other counter.” He walked across the room to it, and picked it up. “Shit! It’s four o’clock. I missed pediatrics. Brian’s appointment.”

  “So what, there two other doctors up there.”

  “Ellen!” Dean stopped in the door, changed his mind about yelling at her for not thinking, and ran quickly, all the way to the clinic.

  Dean’s high top tennis shoes squeaked loudly as he slid to a stop in front of examining room two. Andrea and Jason stood inside laughing. “I missed it?”

  Andrea smiled, her arms folded. “No problem Dean, we know you’re busy down there. We took care of it.”

  Dean held back his hair. “Brian?”

  Andrea waved her hand. “Jason examined him. He’s doing . . .”

  “Shit. Shit. Shit.” Dean moved frantically in circles then noticed the odd looks. “It’s just that I never missed a check up with him. Is he fine?”

  “Sure.” Jason answered. “Oh . . . where is that chart?” He snapped his finger. “Johnny must have it. Anyway. Dean, were you aware that Brian is the only child in this community without a DNA work up or blood type family match up? I took care of that for you.”

  “You what!” Dean yelled, his shoulders dropped. “Where are his results?”

  Jason lifted his hands. “Probably still in the lab with Johnny, he’s . . .” Jason turned his head to Andrea. “Where did he go?”

  The squeakiness of Dean’s ten
nis shoes could be heard fading in the hall.

  “Johnny!” Dean flew into the lab.

  “Hey Dr. Dean, I’m glad you’re here.” He walked over and handed him a folder. “I have a problem. I think I screwed up on Brian’s match up.” Johnny opened the folder. “Here I’ll show . . . Is something wrong Dean? You look pale.”

  “No.” Dean answered short. His eyes looked down at the results and they closed. “Johnny you screwed this up.”

  “That’s what I thought. How?”

  “Very, very easily.” Dean shut the folder and led Johnny far from it. “Inexperience. Happens all the time. I’ll rerun it. Take a break.”

  “But I just got here. I have other tests to . . .”

  “Now, Johnny. One should always take a break after they screw up.”

  Johnny lifted his shoulders. “All right. I’ll be back.”

  Dean plopped his head on the counter, letting out a breath after Johnny left. His head rose again when he heard the lab door shut. He didn’t need to turn around, the soft, slow clicking of hard shoes on the linoleum said exactly who it was. Pulling the folder closer to him, Dean stood up straight.

  “Dean.” Andrea spoke his name soft and stern.

  Dean rolled his eyes. Then faced her. “What’s up?”

  “Is that Brian’s chart?” Andrea pointed.

  “Um . . . sure.”

  “Give it to me.” She snapped her finger and pointed.

  “Andrea he is my . . .”

  “NOW!” She held her palm out and felt the smack of hit when Dean handed it to her. Afraid, Andrea opened it slowly, closed her eyes and let out a loud shriek. “You did!” She hit Dean with the folder. “You stupid son of a bitch!” She hit him again. “What the hell were you thinking?” A hit to Dean’s head. “Do you not realize this is your death sentence? A death sentence.”

  “Andrea.” Dean snatched the folder from her swinging hands. “Calm down and lower your voice.”

  “Don’t you even give me orders. Don’t.” Andrea waved her hand in front of her face trying to wave off her hot flashes. “Sweet Jesus, Sweet Jesus, Sweet Jesus.” She caught her breath. “I cannot believe you did this. And to Frank! Frank! Of all people on the face of the earth you . . .” Her words immediately became muffled with Dean’s hand over her mouth.

  “Lower your voice please. I will talk to you about this.” Dean removed his hand.

  “What were you thinking?” Andrea whispered loudly.

  “I was thinking about helping out my friend.”

  “I knew it. I knew it. You know I had the feeling every time I saw you with that boy. I kept thinking to myself, this is so unnatural the way this man has latched on to another man’s baby.”

  “O.K., so I have a hard time detaching myself completely from him, But I do. It was a clinical experience.” Dean nodded.

  “Thank the Good Lord for that.”

  “In fact, we were both surprised it took. You aren’t telling him are you?”

  “Me?” Andrea held her chest. “No way.” She shook her head drastically moving her hands about. “I want no part of this. No part. I don’t know anything. Let me tell you though. It is a good thing, a good thing that one, Frank is a stupid man. And two, Robbie Slagel and you have similar features, ‘cause I always thought that baby looked just like you.”

  “Yes I know. Ellen and I discussed that.”

  “You and Ellen discuss too much. Never, Dr. Hayes, bring to my attention again how Frank slept with Ellen while you two were together. Never. Let me tell you something, you two . . .” She shook her head. “You two . . . are bad.” Andrea ran her hand across her forehead leaving out a loud ‘whew’. She grabbed Brian’s chart. “Do something with these results.”

  “I will.” Dean took the folder. “And thanks for not saying anything.”

  “Well . . .” Andrea opened the lab door. “You owe me. You owe me big.”

  ^^^^

  Frank’s forefinger flicked forward tapping on the computer monitor in the security room. “Seven times?” Frank commented. “It went down seven times in two weeks, Mark?”

  “That what it’s showing.” Mark replied.

  “Why wouldn’t I be told of this?”

  “See for yourself, Frank. It was down three times for less than forty-seconds, once for three minutes. Nothing major, we figured it was a malfunction in the switch box.”

  “Don’t figure anything anymore. I want told even if it goes out for five seconds.”

  “Really?” Mark asked surprised.

  “What do you mean, really? Of course really.”

  “Well it’s just that . . . O.K., I’m not supposed to say anything out of concern for your personal stress. We’re not supposed to bother you on the little shit.”

  “Under whose suggestion.”

  “George.”

  “George! Fuck!”

  Mark, recognizing the profanity and the essence in which it was delivered, lifted his coffee mug up. It was right in time and very foreseeing of him. Frank’s fisted hand came pummeling down, slamming into the counter. “Sorry Frank.” Mark backed his chair up some. “With your Dad, and Ellen, all the stress you been . . .”

  “Do I look stressed?” Frank bellowed out, his face burning red, the vein in his neck protruding. “Do I!?”

  “Well . . .”

  “No! You tell me everything! Everything. Fuckin George! Everything!”

  “Frank, I know to tell you . . .”

  “Everything!” He barreled to the door. “Even if a fuckin mouse fries in the fence, you tell me everything!” He blasted from the room.

  Mark jumped at the rattling slam of the door. He shook his head in sarcasm. “Yeah, you’re not stressed.”

  ^^^^

  “Andrea knows.” Dean announced in his return appearance in the cryo-lab.

  “Andrea knows what?” Ellen still stood by the tissue samples. “Hey Dean, minus sixty and still standing.”

  “No kidding?” Dean ran over still clutching Brian’s chart. “This is amazing. Really . . .”

  “Andrea knows what?”

  Dean swallowed and lifted his head. “Andrea knows about Brian.”

  “What about Brian?” Ellen asked.

  “About . . . About his parentage.”

  “Oh.” Ellen spoke nonchalantly. “Oh you worry too much. Andrea’s not going to say anything. It’s fine.” Ellen waved her hand. “Besides. He is Frank’s baby. You and I decided that. Brian would not be viewed as anything other than a Slagel.”

  “Yes, but . . .”

  “Not buts, Dean. Frank desperately needed to have a baby. We gave him a baby. It was not out of spite. It was for Frank and Brian was conceived very medically and very clinically. That was made perfectly clear when you went into the back room and . . .”

  “El!” Dean ran his hand over his face. “Stop, all right. No reminders. You made that day very difficult for me. You and your ‘oh Dean, it’s still warm’ comments.”

  Ellen giggled and walked over to him, kissing him on the cheek. “Don’t worry about it. Whoops, I kissed you. I know you don’t want that. Sorry. I’ll take it back.” She kissed him again. “You helped out a friend who needed you. You didn’t do anything wrong. I believe that.” She moved the sample to him. “Work?”

  “Work.” He took a breath. “Now. Where were we with the freezing tissue sample?” Dean peered through the magnifying glass.

  “Minus sixty.” Ellen leaned over toward him to look at it with him

  “Excellent.” Dean commented then adjusted her shirt again.

  ^^^^

  Frank had passed George only once and a sickening feeling hit him. There was something about his eyes that Frank noticed as the oldness of George’s and the darkness of Frank’s met. There had been no words between the two. Frank felt like the hardened criminal and George was the prosecutor waiting to send him away. Though everyone seemed so assuring to Frank that an ousting was impossible, Frank knew better.

  Frank
had just come from seeing Greg with Dan and John Matoose previously. They were informed of a new strategy. Frank wanted all bases covered just in case something would happen to him. If by some chance he no longer ran security, Frank wanted to have everything taken care of. Especially with the bad feeling he had been having. A bad feeling not only about George, but of the SUTs which have made their presence less and less known. To Frank this wasn’t a good sign like everyone else was taking it. It was a warning of something bigger to come.

  “Cole.” Frank knocked once on the open door of the field house. “Got a few minutes?”

  “Sure. Come on in.” Cole finished writing something on his clipboard and set it down. “How come you’re still working?” He sat on the edge of his small desk.

  “Two of my men are down, ill. I’m on all night.” Frank handed him a sheet of paper. “Here. Since our drills are prohibited and security cut, I had to rethink our strategy on the chance that the SUTs break a perimeter.”

  “And what’s this? It’s a list of names?” Cole read over it.

  “Yeah. Kind of handed out secondary command for disbursement of weapons and such. It’s all there. Read it.” Frank pointed to the sheet. “Plus, we dug a few extra hatches for weapons. It will be easier than having them run into town. That’s a chance of wasting time I don’t want to take. I’ve worked out the details and sometime this week I’ll get together with you on it.”

  “We still want to get that scouting party out?”

  “Most definitely. I know how many of those things there are. I know more can come. And we all know they’ve had enough time to get here and build up forces.”

  “Seems us men in security are the only ones that think George wasn’t looking in the right area.”

  “Or looking at all.” Frank backed up.

  “Frank. Can I ask you something? Why all of the sudden are you distributing secondary power? You run things.”