The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  No answer.

  “Frank?” Ellen knocked.

  Still, no answer.

  “I’m coming in.” Ellen turned the knob and pushed the door ajar.

  She didn’t expect it. In fact, it made her smile. Sitting center of the pillows on the bed was a huge stuffed heart, obviously homemade. On the bed itself, was a homemade rose and draped across the wall was a banner that read, ‘Be mine’.

  “Oh my God, Frank.” Ellen’s hand covered her mouth, then sliding it off, she looked around. “Frank?”

  The doorbell caught her attention.

  “Where the hell did he go?” She headed to the living room and answered the door.

  “Hey,” Frank smiled and stepped inside.

  “Frank?” Ellen giggled. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “I figure since you’re the big celebrity for Valentine’s Day, this could be our V-day date. I’m picking you up.”

  “You climbed out the window?”

  “El, please. I couldn’t pick you up from inside the house.”

  Silenced by her kiss, Ellen pulled Frank closer. “Frank, I love you. You know that?”

  Smiling, Frank pulled back slightly, still hovering in a kiss mode. “Some, uh, does this mean you’ll be mine?”

  With a laugh, Ellen kissed him again.

  ***

  Why Mike was getting an immediate busy signal he didn’t know. He had been trying to call Ellen continuously since early afternoon when Lars told him that George had placed a phone call asking for an answer on Johnny.

  Ready for another attempt before taking in the weekly movie, Mike halted in his dialing when the door opened. He knew by the lack of seeing a head that it was Tigger.

  “Tig?”

  Tigger stammered. His legs moved as if they were rubber.

  “You aren’t drunk are you?” Mike asked.

  “No, I’m beat.”

  “Are you just now getting back from Callahan’s?”

  “Yes.” Tigger moved to the steps. “I just want to go to sleep.”

  “She didn’t hurt you, did she?”

  Tigger paused. He smiled, erased that grin, and then looked over his shoulder to his father. “No. She just worked me out.”

  “Well, you know a heavy workout never hurt anyone. Hopefully you learned your lesson.”

  Tiger nodded. “Bed.”

  “Go on. Good night. Tig, I’m sorry I had to put you through that.”

  Tigger shook his head.

  Mike watched him. He didn’t move. “Tig? Is something wrong?”

  “I never noticed how many steps there were. Say, Dad, you don’t feel like carrying me up there, do you?”

  Mike just stared.

  “I didn’t think so. Night.” Slowly, as if crippled, Tigger began to crawl, not climb, those steps.

  Chuckling, Mike began to dial. A ring. He sighed out, “Thank God.”

  ***

  “El.” Frank grasped Ellen’s arm as she huffed and turned seconds before stepping on Joe’s porch. “Can this wait?”

  “No, it cannot.” Ellen said. “I have to speak to Dean and I have to do it now. I refuse to let this be on my mind all night. Not this.”

  “Then I’ll go with you.”

  “No, go on inside. It’s your brother’s party.”

  “How long are we gonna be?” Frank shrugged. “A few minutes? I’ll go. Let me.” He held out his hand.

  Still holding the phone, Ellen hooked it to her belt and gripped Frank’s fingers.

  Three pushes of the doorbell and four knocks. Ellen knew Dean was there. Forgoing any attempt at announcing her arrival in a polite way, Ellen walked in. “Dean.”

  Frank followed her in.

  “Dean?” Ellen called again.

  Dean came down the steps. His hair was wet. “Oh, hey, El. Were you knocking? I was in the shower.” He looked at Frank. “Frank.”

  “What is this shit, Dean?” Ellen snapped.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I get a phone call from Mike. He said that you have yet to call back with an answer about if and when we will do the surgery.”

  Dean cringed. “Oh, shit, I forgot.”

  “You forgot?” Ellen asked sarcastically. “How can you forget? This is a fragile situation.”

  “I know what this is, El,” Dean said snippily. “I got busy. I forgot.”

  “Fine.” She huffed. “Let me call him back. Just tell me yes or no and if yes, when.”

  Dean hesitated.

  “Dean?”

  “Yes, but ….” He exhaled. “I can’t for at least four weeks, maybe six.”

  “What!” Ellen blasted. “Dean, you know as well as I do, that’s too long.”

  “I know, El. I know. But something has come up.”

  “Come up.” She chuckled. “This is Beginnings. What could come up?”

  “No, this is important. I can’t leave, not at this delicate state and not yet.”

  “You have to.”

  Dean shook his head. “I will, just not yet. I think we can wait.”

  “You know we can’t wait on this,” Ellen spoke harshly. “Is it something clinical?”

  “You can say that.”

  “Lab? Experiment.”

  “Yes.” Dean paused. “I can’t tell you.”

  Ellen bit her bottom lip. “The lab is our world and …”

  “This one is my business,” Dean spoke calmly. “Trust me. It’s a ‘not yet’ situation. I can’t leave it.”

  “We can’t stay away from Lodi. Did you know George is there? He’s there for Johnny. He knows Johnny is there.”

  Dean nodded. “Oh, I know. George called me to see what I was gonna do with Johnny and to tell you the truth, this sent warning signals off to me. George is there? How convenient. How do you know this Manis guys isn’t part of the Society after …”

  “Fuck you!” she barked. “You hear me. Fuck you.” Shaking her head, she glanced to Frank. “Let’s go.”

  Frank opened the door, leaned down, and whispered. “I’m sorry.”

  Ellen gave another cold hard stare at Dean. She started to leave then held up a finger. Perhaps a calmer approach would work. After all, she did blast in Dean’s house and he could have been saying no defensively. She shut the door and turned back around. She waded through a few seconds of silence, gathered her thoughts, and then opened her mouth to speak. The words came out softly, “Dean, look, maybe we can …”

  “Dean?” Margaret’s voice called from upstairs. “Is she gone yet?”

  Eyes shooting to the ceiling, Ellen snapped a glare at Dean then blasted her voice upward. “No! She isn’t gone yet but will be in ten seconds!” She heaved out a breath, calmed herself a bit then looked at Dean. “Can’t leave?” she whispered “Delicate situation? My God, Dean, what’s happening to you?” She turned, opened the door, and stormed out.

  Dean said nothing. He closed his eyes.

  “Oh, Dean?” Frank whispered out as he was leaving. When Dean opened his eyes, Frank smiled, gave a thumbs up, and mouthed the word ‘thanks’ before he walked out.

  ***

  Shouting.

  There was lots of it coming from the living room. Johnny was used to that at Mike’s house, especially the way Mike and Tigger butted heads. What Johnny wasn’t used to was one lone voice shouting and that voice was neither Mike nor Tigger, but George. George was supposed to have left. In fact, Bertha saw him off. Obviously, George was back.

  He slipped downstairs unnoticed to see what was going on. Mike stood center of the living room with one arm draped across his waist. He rubbed his chin while he quietly watched an arguing George on the phone.

  Was he speaking to the Society? At first Johnny thought he was, but why Mike’s house? Then his guess turned to Bertha when the word ‘bitch’ was used, but the further the conversation went, the more Johnny gave up.

  How many times did he hear ‘You’re the last person I want to speak to?’

  Too
many to count.

  However something in Johnny told him that part or all of that phone conversation dealt with him.

  The only comic relief was Tigger rolling out of bed and crawling belly down to the bathroom croaking out, ‘Water. Water.’ as if he were crossing the desert.

  Then it finally happened.

  Silence.

  A few muffled voices was all and before he knew it, he heard footsteps.

  A simple knock on the door and then Mike poked his head in Johnny’s room. “John, are you busy?”

  “Um, I’m just reading and listening for Tigger again.”

  “Is he all right?”

  “He seems dehydrated but better.”

  “Man, what the fuck did Bertha do to him?”

  Johnny snickered.

  “Anyhow,” Mike continued, “can you come downstairs, please? Thanks.”

  When Mike left, Johnny laid down the book he hadn’t been reading and swung his legs over the bed. He didn’t know why he was wanted downstairs but at least his curiosity would be settled if George was still there.

  He was.

  There had to be something about the age of the man that made him stand the way he did. Joe stood like that, so did George. With his hands in pockets of his pants, he moved gently from heel to toe and looked through the tops of his eyes.

  “What’s going on?” Johnny asked. “I heard shouting. I thought you left.”

  Mike gave a twitch of his head to George.

  “I did leave but a problem with the truck caused me to have to turn around. I’ll be gone tomorrow.”

  “Is that why you were yelling?” Johnny asked.

  George shook his head.

  Mike answered, “It seems Ellen called because George had called Dean regarding your surgery. Ellen thought he was still here and she wanted to speak to him. I was just telling Ellen that he left when George showed back up. I … I had no idea.”

  “That she shot my daughter,” George said. ‘So Mike puts her on the phone. That’s the yelling you heard. She and I went around and around for a spell and calmed down. We got to the point of the conversation.”

  “Which was?”

  Mike replied, “Dean delayed the surgery due to personal reasons.”

  “For how long?” Joe questioned.

  “Four to six weeks.”

  “What?” Johnny gasped out. “I have a brain tumor, Mike. Who knows what can happen in four to six days let alone weeks. Lars says …”

  George held up his hand. “I know what Lars says. He says it should be done ASAP. Ellen agreed. She feels that if we go in, get the tumor, and douse the area with the new Beginnings treatment, we may kick it in the ass, but she can’t do the surgery, at least not alone. She said she will ask Lars to assist, but instead she wanted to propose to me about using one of my CME doctors. She even … she even offered to go to Washington to assist, because she wants to be there and knows this new drug.”

  Johnny shook his head. “Aside from the fact that she can’t go, my Pap will never let her leave and go to Washington. She’d have to sneak off.”

  Mike spoke up, “Her leaving and doing the surgery on the Society side is not an option. I had some calm words with George.”

  “I’m confused,” Johnny said, “So my only option is to have a Society doctor do it? Is that why you’re here, George, to tell me I should go with you?”

  “No,” George replied, “A Society doctor will do the surgery. Ellen will assist with Lars. But it will take place here in Lodi in one week. My doctor will bring things here. Ellen will bring things and you go under the knife … so to speak.”

  “I don’t have to leave,” Johnny wanted to smile. “What about our agreement?”

  George only shrugged. “My main concern is you, Johnny. I hate the fact that I had to speak to Ellen. I don’t even want to be near her so I won’t be here during the surgery. I will be calling and checking. Maybe after the surgery, you’ll give the Society some thought, give me some thought, and won’t need an agreement for you to come back with me.”

  Mike laid his hand on Johnny’s shoulder and said, “All that aside, the bottom line is you don’t need to worry about who wants you and who doesn’t. You’re having the surgery and you’re having it here in Lodi.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Ellen!” Joe snapped. “Now is not the time to be discussing this.” He just wanted to open the bedroom door and walk out. “There’s a party going on out there. Dinner’s on the table,” he told her and Frank.

  “Now is the time, Joe,” Ellen argued. “I have a ton to do and so little time …”

  “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.” Joe halted her. “Before you finish that sentence, Missy Jane, for what?” he asked. “You have a ton to do and little time? You’re either dying or leaving.”

  Ellen said nothing.

  Joe shook his head. “When you said you had to talk about Johnny’s tumor, why didn’t you just say it has to do with doing his surgery?”

  “Because you wouldn’t give me time to say it. The truth is we can’t bring him here so I have to go there. We’re running out of time. I need to go in one week if the weather is good.”

  “What about the clinic?” Joe asked. “Will you and Dean be able to stabilize things at the clinic in one week? With both of you gone it …”

  “Dean’s not going.”

  “What do you mean Dean’s not going?” Joe asked.

  “Dean’s a dick.”

  “Be that as it may, did he say the surgery wasn’t needed?”

  “No,” Ellen answered. “He said the surgery was needed but due to his delicate situation with Margaret, he doesn’t want to go for at least four to six weeks.”

  Frank finally spoke up, “Dean did say that. I’m a witness to that and to the fact that Margaret was upstairs in his ….”

  “Frank,” Joe warned.

  Ellen continued, “Johnny can’t wait six weeks.”

  “So who’s doing the surgery with you? Lars?” Joe asked.

  Ellen shook her head. “One of the top CME surgeons is meeting me in Lodi. The surgery will take place there on neutral ground.”

  Slowly Joe looked at her. “A Society doctor? How did you get a Society doctor?”

  “I called George.”

  “What!” Joe yelled. “Christ Almighty, Ellen! I’d think you’re the last person he would want to speak to.”

  Ellen shrugged. “He said that like fifty million times but after he calmed down, the situation was discussed. He agreed. You know, Joe, what better person to go into a brain than someone who does it all the time?”

  Joe grumbled, “What made you call George?”

  “Actually I called Lodi. He was there. See, well, I left a phone for Mike. George knew he could call Mike but Johnny answered and George went there.”

  “Why is George calling Mike?”

  Ellen answered nonchalantly, “Oh … to tell him to join the Society. If they don’t, the Society will destroy them or something like that.”

  “Christ,” Joe grunted. “You want me to send you to Lodi all during a potentially explosive time?”

  “Peace time. No one’s gonna hit Lodi during Johnny’s recovery. Trust me.” Ellen snickered. “Despite how evil he is, George does love Johnny.”

  “Swell,” Joe said. “Fine, I’ll authorize it.” He cringed when Ellen shrieked and kissed him. “But you have to talk to Robbie about flying you out there. He has problems with that …”

  “I spoke to John Matoose already. He’ll do it.”

  “No,” Joe said firmly. “Absolutely not.”

  “But John can fly a twin engine,” Ellen argued.

  “It has nothing to do with it.” Joe waved his hand. “My rule still stands. If you go, you go with one of my boys.”

  “I am,” Ellen said peacefully. “Frank is going.”

  In shock, Joe looked at Frank who nodded.

  ***

  Jimmy’s grin was wide and proud as he watched Robbie stand on stage, sin
ging something from their youth. The entire Social Hall was loud and packed. He kept close to Hal, pausing every few steps to shake hands with someone and get a ‘welcome back’ as if he had been on a long vacation or something.

  “How about finally getting that drink?” Hal suggested, keeping his hand on Jimmy’s back.

  “Is it always this crowded?” Jimmy asked.

  “This mostly is for your benefit. Plus, if there’s prepared food, people come out of the woodwork. This way.” Hal led him toward the bar. “Excuse us. Excuse me.” He nudged his way through. Unfortunately he bumped into Dan who bumped into Josephine.

  “Hey!” Josephine barked out, crass and loud, slipping from her bar stool and nearly tumbling completely to the ground. “Asshole.”

  “Ma’am.” Hal reached for her hand to aid her to stand.

  “I don’t need that hand,” She swatted it away. “What do you think I am? An imbecile? Christ.” She straightened her dress as she stood and turned to face Hal.

  It took all his inner strength and all his fortitude not to laugh or choke when he saw the drawn-on eyebrows Josephine sported to replace the ones that were stolen. Though he didn’t laugh, he did stare.

  “What the hell are you looking at, Slappy?” she asked.

  “Quite the uh …” Hal ran his finger over his top lip. “Joan Crawford look you have. I like it.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Okay. Josephine, since you did not show for the private party …”

  “I didn’t want to lose my stool here. This him?” she asked with a motion of her head to Jimmy.

  “Yes, my brother. Jimmy,” Hal introduced.

  “Ma’am.” Jimmy extended his hand.

  Josephine stood on tiptoes. “You’re a hot one too. Look at you. Got them Slagel eyes. You ain’t a Joey wanna be like this one, are you?”

  “No, Ma’am,” Jimmy answered.cf “I don’t believe anyone can be my father.”