Denny opened his mouth with a nod, “I get it. Let’s go Josh. We’ll tell my mom we are more educated.”
“Yeah, and let’s tell her about the pollen on the flowers thing.” Josh opened the door. “She’ll be impressed with us.”
“Good idea.” Denny pulled the door closed and saw Joe approaching. “Hey Mr. Slagel.”
“Boys.” Joe tossed his cigarette. “I thought we were having a little talk.”
Josh looked back at the door. “We don’t need to. My Dad just told us about it. Come on Denny.”
Stunned, Joe watched the darting of teenagers then looked at his office door. “Frank?” He opened it up and saw Frank seated at the desk. “Christ, what did you tell them?”
^^^^
Ellen walked slowly in the clinic lab, holding her clipboard, and announcing her results to an uninterested audience of one . . .Dean. “Definitely signs of the virus in the blood injected rabbit. Yeah definitely. Dean, I’m being Rain Man.” No reaction. Ellen moved on. “The intimate rabbits are exhibiting signs too, along with the two that shared water and food. But they both came in at three days. Now the ones . . .”
“Amazing.” Dean spoke softly reading from a folder.
“He speaks!” Ellen faced him. “What? These results?”
“No.” His voice was monotone. “Johnny didn’t get sick.”
“Dean?” Ellen set down the clipboard. “Were you listening to a word I said? I was reading the results form up at the mobile.”
“Yes,” Dean answered, stood, and walked to a microscope.
“Yes, what? You were listening.”
“Yes, Ellen,” Dean said as if he were busy.
“Then what did I say? Dean . . . Dean . . .” Ellen paced behind him. “What did I say? Dean? If you were listening tell me . . .”
“Ellen!” He snapped. “I’m not paying these stupid games. All right. No. No I wasn’t listening. All right.”
Hostile, Ellen slammed her hand on the counter. “I don’t know what your problem is . . . yes, I do. No, I think do. I won’t say just in case it’s not it. I don’t want…”
“Ellen.” Again Dean interrupted with a jolting voice. “Quit talking in circles.”
It was with glaring eyes that Ellen stared at Dean then, without saying anything further, she stormed from the lab. Her quick pace kept up taking her straight out of the clinic. She didn’t want to go far, she only wanted to calm, down. Pacing instead of talking in circles, Ellen was surprised when she heard the voice from behind.
“Ellen.” He stepped to in front of her, his eyes peering forth.
“Reverend Thomas, hi.” She folded her arms.
“Just the person I hoped to see.”
“Oh that is nice, thank you. But I’m getting back to work. I just wanted to get some air.”
“Bad air,” Moses said coldly.
“Bad air, good air. It depends what kind of weather you like, don’t you think? But I must get back.”
“Ellen.” He stopped her from walking and held her arm. “I will pray for you on my retreat. When I get back, we will meet.”
Ellen giggled. “You made a rhyme. Did you do that on purpose?”
After a slam of his hand in frustration and a grab of his jacket, Dean walked out into the hall to follow Ellen. Through the glass doors he could see Ellen talking to Rev. Thomas, or Moses as Dean knew him by. Running full speed, Dean flew out side and grabbed Ellen. “Stay away from her!” He demanded.
Ellen spun her head to Dean. “My God, are you being rude. Reverend Thomas came to say goodbye and tell me he was going to pray for me. Dean, apologize.”
“No.” Dean stared at Moses.
Moses smiled with arrogance and stepped back. He faced Ellen. “We will meet when I get back. I’ll let you know what the Lord says about you.”
“Thanks.” Ellen smiled.
Dean pulled Ellen away. “You . . .” He pointed to Moses. “…will stay away from her. Let’s go El.” He began to tug her, against her will, inside.
“Dean.” Ellen gasped. “What is wrong with…” She felt the push of her body into the clinic. “Dean.” She stopped and refused to go anymore. “Something is up with you. What? You have been quiet all morning. What is it? Is it me and Frank?”
Dean’s eyes closed painfully. “No.”
“Then what?” She stepped closer whispering. “What?”
“I guess now is as good a time as any. Come on.” Leading the way, Dean went back into the clinic lab. Once Ellen was inside, Dean took a deep breath and shut the door. “Before I tell you, I have to say something to you.” He laid his hands on her shoulders. “El, El I love you. I would never in a million years intentionally hurt you.”
“Dean.” Ellen gave a nervous laugh. “You act like you did something terrible to me. What did you do? It can’t be that bad.”
“Oh it is.” Blowing slowly, Dean leaned against his desk. “El, the other night I was thinking about Joey. When I . . . I look at him, really looked at him, touched his tiny face, all I see is Frank.” Dean clenched his fist. “I couldn’t help it. It was eating at me. So I took some blood from his virus sample and I ran a blood test. Joey, Joey is a great kid El. He really is a great kid. But . . . he’s not my kid. He’s Frank’s.”
Ellen’s head dropped forward. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Neither do I.” Dean crossed his arms tightly. “I’m sorry might work. I am, I am really sorry. I’ve been kicking myself over this. I can’t believe it. Because of the time screw up, there are some things we are not aware of. Joey is one of them. But still, it’s no excuse. I was wrong, really wrong. I can’t believe I hurt you like that and I can’t tell you how sorry I am for . . .”
“Oh my God.” Ellen lifted her head to look at him. “You’re blaming yourself.”
“Yes, I’m blaming myself. I’m the only one who could have done this.”
“No Dean you aren’t.”
Dean tilted his head with a confused look. “Andrea did this?”
“No, Andrea was an innocent pawn.” Ellen sadly shook her head. “I am someone who could have done this. I am the one who did this.”
Dean nearly fell backwards into the desk. “El, how did you do it?”
Ellen took a deep breath and swallowed. “You and Frank were at each other’s throats over Joey’s paternity. I was so worried. The day that Andrea took the blood from him, the moment she took it, Robbie . . . Robbie distracted her and I switched it with a sample of Billy’s blood.”
“Robbie? Robbie was in on this too? How could he do that to his brother? Oh my God.” Dean covered his face. “How could you do this El? How could you and he do something like this? Frank has to know.”
“No.”
“El.” Dean moved to the door. “Frank needs to know Joey is his kid. I am not holding off another second telling him that. It’s wrong.”
“No Dean, don’t tell him.” Ellen grabbed on to him. “Let it go. Just let it go. It’s been going on for three years now, forget about it. You’ve been raising him, you’ve been loving him.”
“And I still will. But Frank will know he is his kid.” Dean reached for the door.
“Then are you prepared to tell him Brian is yours?”
“What?” Dean faced her. “He doesn’t need to know that.”
“Double standards Dean? If you tell Frank that Joey is his kid and make me deal with those consequences, then you will deal with them as well. I will tell him Brian is yours.”
“Don’t!” Dean held his hand outward, his face and voice outraged. “Don’t you dare blackmail me on this one. Don’t you dare do that to cover your own ass! What you did was wrong! Are you afraid that he’ll find out that you’ve been lying?!”
“Not half as afraid as I am that he will hate me forever. Don’t Dean.” Ellen’s breathing became heavier. She fought the emotional tears that crept up on her.
“He deserves to know Ellen.” Again Dean tried for the door.
“
You preach to me on what I did was wrong. You were wrong too with Brian. Just as wrong.”
Worse than before, Dean faced her. “What happened with Brian, what we did was not out of malice. It wasn’t out of any deception. Brain was conceived for good reasons. He was conceived for Frank, to call Frank Daddy, to grown up as Frank’s son. He is Frank’s son! Joey, what you did to Joey was intentionally, and morally wrong! Unlike with Brian, you covered his paternity for all the wrong reasons.”
“No Dean! For all the right reasons.” Ellen’s hand shook as she reached out. Her voice quivered. “I did what I did out of love for you. I didn’t want to hurt you anymore. I swear to you on my life that’s why I did it. Please Dean. Please don’t tell him. Don’t. Please.”
Dean removed her grip from him. “I’m sorry Ellen, he has to know. I’ll handle how. But he has to know.” In a final attempt he reached for the door and walked out.
“Dean!” Ellen stood in the archway watching him walk away. She flung her head back and let out a silent emotional gasp. She just wanted out of the lab, go somewhere. Going out of the clinic was not an option. Not with Dean looking for Frank.
Slowly Ellen walked from the lab, arms folded tight to her while her head hung low. Her footsteps scuffed against the floor in her stride. Not a moment after she turned the first bend it blasted her back as if someone had shoved. Her movements stopped and Ellen backed into the wall when she heard Frank’s voice in the clinic.
“This better be good, Dean. I wanted to sneak in my house and work on my novel.”
Ellen closed her eyes tight. Her insides trembled with such a vibration she thought they would crumble inside. She stayed silently hid against that wall until she heard Frank’s voice fade and a door close. She peeked around the bend and then Ellen ran as fast as she could from the clinic. She had to find Robbie.
^^^^
With a closed mouth and hands on his hips, Frank looked upon Dean. “You know, if you didn’t have such a serious look on your face, I wouldn’t be standing here waiting for you to talk to me. What is it?”
“Frank.” Dean leaned to the counter, gripping the edges firmly. “First let me start by saying that you and I agree on one thing. We agree that all four kids, they’re the best. All of them. We both love them. I love Brian, Frank. I love him like he’s, like he’s my own. I’ve . . . I’ve been part of his life since he was born.” Dean tilted his head with his eyes closed. “I want to keep it that way. Even though you and Ellen are back, I’d still like to see Brian just as much.”
“Dean, don’t you think that’s asking a . . .”
“It’s important, Frank. It really is. I just wanted to let you know that.” Dean stood up straight and looked at Frank. “The other day I ran a test on Joey. A blood test.” Dean pushed Joey’s folder to Frank. “Take a look, third page.”
Frank opened the folder than shut it. “I don’t know what this says. You tell me.”
“It says . . . It says, Joey is not my kid Frank. He’s yours.”
Frank flung open the folder. “It says that?”
Dean nodded.
With a wide grin, Frank nodded. “Oh, yeah. Who was right? Ha!” he pointed to Dean then hit him with the folder. “I told you! Ha! He’s too demented not to be my kid. The question is, did Andrea do this on purpose.”
“I don’t think she did it at all. See . . .” Dean cleared his throat. “Keep in mind we changed time. You and I, weren’t in that time frame. The one I think did it . . . was me.”
“Fuckin figures, don’t it?” Frank shook his head with a grin. “And that little man probably thought he could fool me.”
“Frank?” Dean snickered. “That Dean did. For three years.”
“Yeah, but what happened as soon as I stepped into this time frame. I knew. See. I’m literary.”
“I’m glad you’re not mad at me,” Dean said.
“If you hadn’t changed time with me . . .yeah. I would be, because that meant you knew and you’ve been lying. But you don’t.” Frank tossed his hands up. “If it were Andrea, I’d be pissed. But what do we do, Dean? Joey’s three. He calls you Dad. He’s my kid.”
“I know. And I thought about that.” Dean took a breath. “I say we wait until he’s old enough to understand, then we tell him. But in the meantime, there’s no reason he can’t call you ‘Dad’ too. I mean, I think we should approach the raising of all four kids as an understanding. They could all, all of them, call us both Dad.”
“I would like Alex and Billy to call me that. I really would.” Frank grinned. “Yeah, this can work. We can do this Dean.”
“We have been doing it Frank. For a really long time, we just failed to see it.” Dean caught through the corner of his eye, Ellen and Robbie standing in the door. He fumbled some in his turn to look at them. They both looked worried. “El, Robbie.”
Frank stepped forward. “El, check this out. Dean, he did blood tests. He just told me that Joey . . .”
“Frank.” Robbie swallowed, holding his hand up. “Before you say anything, let me explain . . .”
Dean’s eyes widened. “Robbie, no I . . .”
Robbie ignored him. “I’m to blame. I convinced Ellen to switch the blood. They were married Frank. You were breaking up their marriage. If you’re going to get mad, you get mad at me.”
Dean closed his eyes and turned away, the look, the surprised look on Frank’s face told him it was too late to do anything else.
Ellen moved to him. “I’m sorry Frank, I am really sorry.”
Frank’s breathing took on huffs, his face grew red. After a fast look at Dean he daggered his glaring eyes at Robbie and Ellen. “You two . . . you two did this to me?”
Ellen immediately knew he didn’t know. She looked to Dean who just shook his head, “Frank, I . . .”
“No! Robbie, you’re my brother, my brother.” Frank tilted his head. “How could you . . . both of you. You did this to me?” Frank brought his hand up trying so hard to comprehend what he was hearing.
Ellen had to try. “Frank, just let me explain.”
“No!” He moved from her reaching hand. “No! There is no explanation for what you did. None! I have to get out of here.”
Robbie reached out to stop him as Frank brushed by them. “Frank, just listen to . . .”
Grabbing Robbie harshly by the shirt, Frank with all his anger slammed Robbie back into the counter. “Stay away from me.” He walked out, spun and pointed to Ellen. “And you!” Frank closed his eyes and swallowed. “You should have told me. I asked you and asked you to tell me. You . . .” Frank swung his hand down in hurt. “You should have told me.” Shaking his head Frank stormed out.
There was so much silence in the room after Frank’s entrance.
Ellen breathed heavily, trying to calm her racing heart. Burning was how it felt every breath she took. She watched Dean quietly move across the lab. “Dean.”
Dean held up his hand. “A lot . . . a lot of people are affected by this and were used. Maybe . . . maybe before words get out about this in a hostile way, it should come out in an apologetic way. In other words, it’s time to cut off the piper before he starts to play.” With a nod of his head to Ellen and Robbie, Dean left the lab.
Turning to face each other, Ellen and Robbie knew Dean was right. It was time to face others as well.
^^^^
Everything that Joe had lifted into his arms from Ellen’s desk to carry to the skills room, dropped. It dropped the moment Robbie told him. “Dear God.” He gasped.
“I just . . . . I just wanted you to know what was going on.” Robbie spoke somberly.
“How could you do this Robbie, how? To your own brother how could you?”
“Dad, please.”
“No!” Joe walked over and slammed the door shut. “Don’t you ‘Dad please’ me. Don’t you do it. This is family. My family. Now what in Christ’s name would possess you to do that to your brother?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted
peace around here, that’s all. Frank wasn’t letting there be peace.”
“So you took it upon yourself, you and Ellen to make things the way you wanted them to be? It was wrong.”
“Yeah I know it was wrong!” Robbie spoke defensively. “And I’m facing that now, Ellen and me both. I didn’t come here for a lecture. I don’t need a lecture. I came here, so you’d know.” Robbie walked to the door. “Dad, I really am sorry. I am. I’m sorry for doing this to our family.”
“Did you tell that to your brother?”
“I tried and I will. Right now he doesn’t want to hear it.”
“Where are you going?”
Robbie took a deep breath. “Right now, I have someone else to apologize to. There’s a list of people affected by this and I fully intend to face them all.” Robbie lowered his head and with a tightly closed mouth, lifted only his eyes to his father with a nod and walked from Ellen’s office in containment.
^^^^
The open palm slap stung her cheek. It was the hardest hit Ellen had ever felt. But it wasn’t the burning skin on her face that hurt. It wasn’t the force behind the hit that caused her pain. It was the pain behind the hit that did it. Keeping her eyes closed and head titled, Ellen took a breath. She turned her head slowly and faced Andrea. “I’m sorry I put you in that position.”
“Sorry does not cut it. Not at all!” Andrea scolded. “You have done one too many things around here that I questioned. And this, Ellen, is by far the worse.” She stormed to the door. “I’m going to speak to Joe right now. I want you out of my clinic. You ethically and morally have no place in here and I want you out!” She flung open the lab door. “The sooner the better!”
Ellen laid her trembling hand to her cheek, leaning into the counter, trying to catch the emotional breaths that escaped her. Her hands shook violently as she tried to put behind her the confrontation--short and hard--with Andrea. She returned to getting her intravenous supplies ready. The same task she was performing when Andrea came in to say hi, and when Ellen decided she should know before she heard from someone else. Sniffling and closing her burning eyes, Ellen took a moment then grabbed a pair of gloves and her tray, and turned to go to work. Her heart dropped when she saw Dean.
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 210
