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

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Thank you. Next.”

  “There’s more?”

  “Oh yes.” Joe smiled. “Not bad. Here’s an idea I want you to think about. O.K.? Our resident, Mr. ‘Everything’, Danny Hoi, brought something to my attention. Growth. This was before you came to me with this. Beginnings is a safe haven. We now have technology that safe guards us for miles. We spoke of eventually, with growth, of taking advantage of the small towns that are near to Beginnings. When we get too many here, we can fill the smaller towns, expand our tracking system, and link them together so we can protect anyone that resides outside these walls.”

  “Little suburbs.”

  “Exactly.”

  “So . . .”

  “So, if you are under Beginnings rule, then officially you are going to be in our best interest. Like those who live here, we will want nothing to happen to you. If Bowman sustains a major Society attack, how are you going to see it coming? Tower guards will work, but not for miles. What if you need an air strike to help you out? Could happen, we had that here. Four hundred soldiers stormed Beginnings a month ago. We took out eighty percent before they even reached within a mile of our gates. If this happens to you, what are you gonna do? You can radio us but by the time we get Robbie and our choppers there, it could be over and a blood bath. Hence a lot of our people, your people, are gone.”

  “I know this.”

  “Hal.” Joe was firm. “If we work together then we have to look out for each other’s best interest. I cannot do that when you are a hundred miles away.”

  “You want us to move base.”

  “Can you?”

  “We could.” Hal rubbed his chin. “It would be a lot of work.”

  “Yes it would,” Joe told him. “Sacrifice fifty men and put them to work on a small town before winter starts. You worry about the training and running your place. We’ll help your fifty men get things going there. Clean up, communication set up, housing, security, electricity, running water, everything. When it’s situated, then you come up. It won’t take long.”

  “Can I pick the town?’

  “Certainly. The move will be a lot of work, Hal, but it will be worth it. We can transport what you need easily and safely and you’ll be close enough, if need be, to retreat behind these walls.”

  Hal nodded. “When I return, I’ll start preparations right away.”

  “Good boy.” Joe took off his glasses. “And we don’t need a damn contract either.” He moved the paper back to Hal and extended his hand to his son. “Captain Slagel, Beginnings welcomes you and your people.”

  Hal smiled as he firmly shook his father’s hand. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “Now before you leave Beginnings, make sure you see Danny Hoi. He has a map of several areas he has already picked out.”

  “He sound like he’s on the ball.”

  “Oh he drive me insane. He told me his next civilization move is recreating television. Bet me the first show is the Danny Hoi show.” As they laughed about it, there was a light tap on Joe’s door. Joe looked up. “Come in Dean.”

  Dean walked in. “Joe can I speak to you a second please?”

  “Sure. Is there a problem?”

  “You can say that.” Dean answered. “It’s with Ellen.”

  Hal began to stand. “I should leave.”

  “No.” Dean held out his hand. “It’s all right. Joe, Ellen’s been doing things lately. When the UWA soldier came in, she upped his antibiotic, changing everything. Twice last week she fiddled with batch formulas on specimens. Today she performed a cricothyroidotomy. In other words, we had a choking victim and she made an incision in his throat so he could breath.”

  Joe let out a breath and ran his down his face. “Oh boy. She’s over stepping her boundaries. I’ll speak to her.”

  “No, you’re getting me wrong, Joe,” Dean said.

  Joe looked in surprise. “What?”

  “Ellen . . . Ellen deserves more than a nurse’s recognition. We’ve blown her off. We made Andrea a doctor. Why? Because she had experience and knowledge. Well Ellen has it too and she has it in more ways than Andrea could ever have it. Ellen can cure things. Beat things. Work on virus and infection strains like no one I’ve seen. I’m leaving Beginnings, Joe. You know that. I don’t know for how long and if my research is going to be placed in the hands of any doctor while I’m gone, I want it to be the doctor that I know will work on it as well as I can. Ellen.”

  Joe looked in such debate. “I hear you, Dean, but let’s look at this. All right. This is Ellen. Is she gonna do those reports? What about containment? I can’t lose her there. She’s the only one that does it that well.”

  “Come on, Joe.” Dean spoke with some complaining. “She can still be in charge of containment, but she doesn’t have to be in there six to eight hours every day. How about three and the rest is spent in the lab working on our stuff because we have things that will need constantly attended. We aren’t working on the needs of the immediate. Hell, we are constantly working on the needs of the future plus stupid other chemical shit I have to mix up for this community.”

  “O.K.” Joe held up his hands. “I’m not meaning to argue with you, Dean. I’m just bringing up arguments. We have you, Andrea, Jason, and Johnny in training.”

  “Johnny is being trained to be an all around. Ellen will be more like me. More on the biological side with a few steady patients.”

  “I understand. But what about when you come back?” Joe asked. “What then? Do we need five doctors in a town with not even two hundred people?”

  “No,” Hal interjected. “But you no longer have two hundred people Dad. You now have close to seven. Remember? I’m sorry, maybe I’m over stepping my boundaries, but may I make a suggestion?”

  Joe held out his hands. “Be my guest.”

  “Thanks. We have a doctor in Bowman. One. He never had the schooling but experience and books taught him. We don’t have a research doctor like Dean. We don’t have anyone that can try different things on our people to help them, like antibiotics, anti-infectives. Well, what about with the town eventually moving closer? What about Ellen being the traveler?”

  Dean snapped his finger. “Excellent idea. Joe, it’s excellent. Not that I like the idea of Ellen traveling back and forth, but it would be good for her and Bowman. I’m sure they don’t have the technology we have or the medications.”

  “We don’t,” Hal said.

  “Joe, we can have Ellen set their doctor up. She can teach him about our meds. She can be his link and his answers when he needs them. Because I’m gonna tell you, Joe, if there’s an infection, Andrea and Jason will shoot from the hip, upping the medication until it works. Ellen, she’ll examine it under a microscope, run it through the programs here that she knows, test it and pin point what they need. She can do that.”

  Joe leaned back in his chair. “If I do this, when you get back, he has to break from her research with you and dedicate time to helping Bowman no matter where they are. They have more people than us. That will be her job.” He saw Dean nod in his agreement. “If I get agreement from council, she will be a research doctor only with minimal patient contact. She has zero bedside manner with anyone she knows. With strangers, she’s good.” Joe paused in silence. “I’ll get a hold of Andrea and Henry and get Jason to advice on this also. Can you be here in an hour?”

  “Absolutely.” Dean smiled. He laid his hand on a sitting Hal’s shoulder. “Thanks for your input.”

  “Hey, we need help in Bowman too. I’d like to have some security in the fact that we may not have to send our people here for everything.”

  “Dean.” Joe spoke up. “Let me ask you this. You’ve never brought this up before. Ellen did once and you laughed. Why the change?”

  “Honestly?” Dean spoke softly. “I’m proud of her, Joe. I looked at her today and I realized how proud I was of her and everything she learned. And I guess another part of me want to be secure in the fact that if this town loses one Dr. Hayes, it cer
tainly will have another Dr. Hayes standing right by.”

  Joe took in Dean’s words and to Joe, no more needed to be said.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Beginnings, Montana

  Ellen didn’t hear Dean coming. She wouldn’t have. Unless Dean was running in the halls of the clinic, those high top canvas tennis shoes barely made a sound. It was evening. Perhaps Ellen was too engrossed in Jeremy who was still sedated following his surgery. She checked his IV and vitals then turned when she heard the clearing of a throat. “Hey.” She smiled and saw Dean standing in the door way, leaning on it in his usual ‘one hand in the front pocket of his jean’ stance.

  “El.” Dean’s hand ran slowly through his hair. “It’s almost seven. You think you might want to come home.”

  “I’m sorry. Didn’t Josh tell you. I had work to finish up at containment. In the cryo I started, well, the specimens on . . . you know and, I wanted to check him.”

  “He told me.” Dean walked in and up to Ellen. He kissed her on the cheek. “I just came to get you. I thought we’d walk home together.”

  “That would be nice.” Ellen grabbed Jeremy’s chart.

  “How’s he doing?”

  Ellen handed him the chart. “Good I guess. I bet he feels neglected. Me, Patrick and Melissa have been the only ones who have checked on him.”

  Dean reviewed the chart. “I see you’ve been in here three times.”

  “Yeah. Sorry. I figured with Cindy having the miscarriage complications, Andrea was wrapped up in that. Wasn’t that awful? She really wanted to have that baby.”

  “Yeah it was. Tell me why he was given a sedation at one and then at six.”

  “Um. Sorry. No one was around and he was agitated with the tube.” Ellen indicated to her own neck. “He kept touching it and seemed uncomfortable. I thought a mild sedation would help instead of having him cause more damage than I already did. Sorry.”

  “Not a problem. Ready?” Dean closed the chart.

  “Ready.”

  Dean carried the chart as they left the room. He laid it at the nurses’ station and walked side by side with Ellen as they left the clinic.

  Once outside, Ellen felt Dean’s hand slip into hers. She smiled, thinking how teenage and nice it was. It was a little bit chilly out, but a nice evening walk home.

  Dean stopped with Ellen at the front door. He faced her. “How tired are you?”

  “Why?”

  “Curious.”

  “Why?”

  “Ellen.”

  “Why?”

  Dean smiled. “Forget it.” He laid his hand on her cheek and kissed her.

  “I knew it.”

  “What?”

  “It was a sex question thing, wasn’t it? It was your way of . . .”

  Dean’s hand covered her mouth and he opened the front door.

  Ellen slid her hand from his as she stepped inside. Joe, Robbie, Andrea, Hal, and Henry were there along with all the kids. “What’s going on? What happened?”

  Dean closed the door. “You can say a family dinner.”

  “Oh.” Ellen giggled. “That’s what you meant outside. Dean that’s OK, My family can be here anytime. If I don’t want them to, I’ll tell them to leave. Hey, Joe.” Ellen walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. As she went to step back, he grabbed her hand.

  “Ellen.” Both of Joe’s hands held her. “I want you to know how proud I am of what you did today.”

  “Thanks. What did I do?”

  Joe rolled his eyes.

  Andrea spoke up. “With the survivor. Saving him and performing the emergency surgery.”

  “Oh.” Ellen nodded. “Thanks.”

  Joe motioned his head to Hal and Hal stood from the couch.

  “El” Hal said, “you know Beginnings is so lucky to have the medical technology it has. Bowman needs that. We have a doctor, but we can use the help. Another doctor, especially with our men that we send here.”

  “Dean will be happy to help. Andrea’s great too.”

  “Actually.” Hal scratched the bridge of his nose. “I was hoping you would tell me you would be able to make some trips here and there down to Bowman to help out and come down with me when I go home to get us set up with the meds and such.”

  “Um.” Ellen shifted her eyes. “I’d be happy to but I’m not a doctor. I can help though. What about Jason? He really doesn’t do much around here except play with his time machine and help occasionally at containment and the clinic.”

  “I would like you,” Hal said. “It would be great to have my ‘sister’ visit me.”

  “O.K.” Ellen shrugged. “If Joe lets me. I have to warn you, my recent trips beyond the wall have been disastrous, so I may insist Robbie escort me.” She winked at Robbie. “He makes me feel safe. No offense to you, Hal.”

  “None taken.”

  Ellen went to turn back to Joe to ask if it was all right and was surprised when Dean neared her with a small wrapped box. “What’s this?” She tilted her head in question.

  “For you.”

  Ellen held it. “Why am I getting a gift? It’s not a anniversary.” She started to shake the tiny box that fit in her hand. “I wonder what . . .”

  “Ellen!” Joe yelled. “Open the goddamn gift.”

  Immediately Ellen unwrapped it and exposed the small velvet box. “I’ve seen this box before. Where?” She flipped open the lid. “Now I know.” She raised her eyes to Dean. “Your medical insignia pin. Why are you giving it to me?” She held it up. “It’s yours.”

  Dean shook his head. “It’s yours. I want you to have it.”

  “Like an engagement ring? Oh.” She smiled. “How original.”

  Joe’s moan was the loudest. “Ellen, aren’t you getting what we’re saying or implying here.”

  “Yes.” Ellen said. “We’re having an engagement party.”

  Everyone tossed their hands up.

  “Ellen.” Dean laid his hands on her shoulders. “You have been a nurse for a really long time. You have been my research assistant since we’ve got here. Lately over the past two years you have become my research partner. I have worked with doctors with so much education that didn’t know half as much as you.”

  “Aw.” Ellen smiled. “That’s sweet. Isn’t he sweet? Thanks, Dean. That’s a hell of a compliment. Thanks. Is that why I got the pin?”

  “Yes,” Dean answered. “Because none of us can give you the sheet of paper that says degree in medicine. That is the symbol that you have, in a sense, a Beginnings degree in medicine.”

  “What . . .” Ellen was lost and afraid to assume what they meant until she saw Dean with a small name tag.

  “When I would be on leave and intern for my father, he had this made up for me because, to him, I wasn’t supposed to be an officer in his clinic. I was supposed to be a doctor. Back then I thought how generic it looked. But now I’m glad it was, because you, Ellen, can wear it . . .well in at least five more days.” The short white name tag with the black letters was placed in Ellen’s hand. Two words were etched on it. ‘Dr. Hayes.’

  “Oh my God.” Ellen grinned. “This is so great. You guys are acknowledging me as a doctor now. Oh my God.” She gripped the tag. “Oh wow.”

  Though the moment was supposed to be a joyous one, Joe couldn’t let it lay without adding a little bit of Joe to it. “And you have to take this seriously, Ellen. I mean it. Not like that course I dished out four thousand dollars for so you could become an acupuncture specialist.”

  Dean looked more shocked than anyone. “What?”

  “Yeah, ask her,” Joe said. “She was twenty-three years old. She and Pete were just starting and didn’t have any money. She swore this is what she wanted to do instead of working for Doc Breyer. She cried because she could only get two thousand on a student loan so I forked up the rest. She went to this special school and dropped out after four months. She said it wasn’t what she thought it would be. What the hell did you do with all those needles anyhow, Elle
n?”

  “I have them.” Ellen stared at the name tag. “They’re put away.”

  “Now Missy Jane.” Joe had an instructional tone to his voice. “Bowman is yours. You’ll make frequent trips there to help their doctor out. You’ll be in charge of any Bowman residents that end up here. They are yours. And . . . so is the survivor you saved. He’s your patient.”

  “Really?” Ellen smiled. “And the UWA soldier? Does he become my patient too?”

  “Yes,” Joe reluctantly answered.

  “Oh boy.” Ellen looked at Dean and Andrea. “You do know my patients will think I’m the coolest.” She pinned the name tag on herself. “Look, I’m Dr. Hayes or will be when Dean and I get married. And I promise Joe, unlike the acupuncture, I will take this very serious. Besides, I don’t think Dean will let me not take it serious.”

  “No, he won’t,” Joe said, “because if you screw up, it’s on him. He’s the one that brought this whole thing up in the first place.”

  In such a shock, Ellen looked at Dean. “Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around him tightly. “Thank you.” She whispered jokingly in his ear, “You’ll just do anything this week to get laid, won’t you.”

  “Oh yeah.” Dean kissed her and broke from the embrace. “Let’s eat.”

  ^^^^

  Binghamton, Alabama

  There must have been thirty files stacked upon Frank’s desk. A light burned on the desk top while he read from them with a lit cigarette dangling from his mouth. He knew it was late and he expected the intrusion, but somehow he expected it earlier. Perhaps Lt. Merrick waited until his muscles started to hurt before he came. But he did and he had attitude.

  “This is not right.” His voice nearly blasted Frank after his entrance into the office.

  Frank only raised his eyes. “I suggest you take that tone and leave this office.”