CHAPTER THIRTY
“Wait a minute, Keith. I did send copies to my smartphone the same day I copied everything to the computer. If you really want to take this on, I could e-mail that to you, but it might take up a lot of space.”
“No problem. Send it over. My computer has excess RAM and a giant hard drive. My buddy, Larry, would want me to help.”
Dorrie blinked rapidly to hold back tears. Keith and Larry had been so close. Too bad Chicago Chem hadn’t had room for both of them. Then the whole nightmare would not have happened and she’d still have her husband. Of course, she wouldn’t have gotten the chance to be young again either, but that was irrelevant.
After Keith had hung up, Dorrie set to work emailing the documents to him. When she’d finished, it was so late she went to bed and crashed.
Tuesday after work, before getting out of her car, she dialed Jeanne from her cell.
The phone rang six times and went into voice mail. “Hi, Jeanne! Where are you, my friend? You’ll never guess who finally called me yesterday. Give me a ring when you can. I’ll be up until ten thirty. Oh, and by the way, if it makes you feel good, he says you may not be a nut after all and your buggy ideas might have merit. Don’t hold your breath, though. I’m still not totally convinced.”
That would make Jeanne respond. She slipped the cell into her purse and hauled herself into the house. Walking wasn’t exactly easy any more.
Ten-thirty came and went. As she changed into her oversized tee shirt for bed, she wondered if her friend was doing extra hours again at the wildlife park. Or, maybe Jeanne’s bad luck with men had changed and she was out with a nice guy. She deserved to be happy.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The next day followed in irritating fashion, with Dorrie feeling like a third wheel, and Patricia lording it over her, establishing dominance where Dorrie previously had ruled. The woman was insufferable.
Roman didn’t treat her any better. Except for the barest of pleasantries, he ignored Dorrie. When he did happen to glance at her, his eyes clouded and he frowned. She hadn’t done anything wrong that she knew of, so she couldn’t understand why he seemed so unhappy with her. She’d be leaving soon enough to have the baby. You’d think he could make an effort to be nice until then.
At lunch, she mentioned the tension at work to Kelly. While her friend sympathized and tried to make her feel better, Dorrie knew what she really needed was a long talk with Jeanne.
That night and Thursday passed without a call from Jeanne. By Friday evening Dorrie again sat on the couch in the family room scanning her brain to figure out what she may have misconstrued in their last conversation. Nothing came to mind.
Why didn’t Jeanne call? If they lived closer together, she’d drive over and make sure nothing was wrong. To get her mind of her friend’s behavior, she turned on the TV, but visions of Jeanne in dire straits passed through her mind, making it impossible to concentrate on the program.
I’m such a worry wart. She’s probably having a good time and will fill me in on it later.
She kept telling herself that, but somehow it didn’t ring true.
Her cell rang, and she rummaged to find it in her purse. Keith’s number flashed.
“Wait a minute. I’ll be right with you.” In case a camera was watching, she pasted a smile on her face, and walked out the sliding door to her spot on the bench.
“Sorry, but I’m getting more and more paranoid. I know I’m being silly, but I just went outside.”
“You can’t be too careful. Listen, Dorrie, I read over the emails, and I don’t like what I see. Larry’s conclusions look spot on. I wish you hadn’t gotten mixed up in this. I’ve got a bad feeling about the whole thing. I’d feel better if I could get one of your pills and check the formula.”
“But wouldn’t every pill be different, according to the age the person chooses? How could you tell for sure?”
“I can figure it out from the equations.”
“Maybe I could Fed Ex it or something.”
“That would work. Just make sure no one sees you doing it, because if Jeanne’s right, you’d be in a mess of trouble.”
“Speaking of Jeanne, I haven’t heard from her in a while. She usually gets back to me the next day at the latest. I wish I could go over there myself to check and make sure she’s all right.”
“She’s still on Thunderbird Lane, right?”
“Yes, same place all these years.”
“I bet Steve would do it.”
“I’d really appreciate that. And I appreciate all you’re doing to help me, too, Keith.”
“No problem. Remember, you’re my friend, with or without Larry.”
***
Saturday morning, after her appointment with Dr. Lewanthal, where she was assured all was proceeding on schedule, Dorrie booked her appointment for the following week. She then stopped at the drug store to buy a small padded envelope. In the privacy of her Hyundai, she inserted her pill into it. Inside the Fed Ex store, she slipped it all into a priority mailing box, which she marked Fragile.
She’d done what she could. For now, she’d think positive. Keith would check the formula, discover it was different than the original, and somehow put another pill together for her to use later. Steve would find a simple reason why Jeanne hadn’t called. They’d laugh over the misunderstanding, and then she could concentrate on the baby’s arrival, instead of other concerns.
Feeling as if she’d accomplished something, she stopped off at the greasy spoon near her house. Though it was only eleven, she splurged on a strawberry milk shake, cheeseburger and fries. She’d call the extra pounds baby fat. That reminded her. She’d run out of milk again, so she better stop at the grocery store. Once inside, though stuffed from her eating orgy, she fell prey to other temptations.
She hated coming home to an empty house, even in the daylight. Frowning, she set the groceries onto the counter. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to being alone, yet didn’t see how anyone could measure up to Larry, not to mention, be on the young pill as well. She still had to decide whether or not to stay on them once the baby was born, but one thing at a time.
Life altering decisions in her condition were too impossible to figure out. For now, she’d prop her feet on the ottoman in the family room, and click the remote. Fortunately, she found a comedy that was actually funny. It felt good to laugh. The rest of the day was spent relaxing in front of the television.
What had people done in the old days without such an invention? For that matter, what had they done without computers, Internet, radio, air conditioning, digital cameras, and so many other conveniences she took for granted? Maybe without all those distractions they’d actually talked to each other, or sang or played cards. No, they didn’t have time for that either, not with clothes and dishes to wash by hand, fields to plow, and God knows what else. She smiled in appreciation of the modern comforts she enjoyed.
The cell rang, interrupting her musings. Was it Jeanne or Keith?
God, I hope she’s all right.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The ID showed Keith’s name. Though the yard looked dark and spooky this time of night, she stepped outside anyway, and headed to her bench by the rose bushes.
“Steve just got back from Jeanne’s. I would have called you sooner, but we had some following up to do first.”
“Following up?”
“Yes. When he got there, he found two weeks of newspapers on the porch, and a bunch of uncollected mail, as if she’d gone on vacation and forgotten to tell anyone. He rang the doorbell and pounded on the front and back doors, but no one answered. Next he went into the backyard and checked the bird and deer feeders. Nothing in them.”
Dorrie’s heart sank. “That is so unlike Jeanne. For one thing, she would have arranged for papers and mail to be picked up. For another, she loves animals. She’d never neglect them. Something’s wrong.”
“That’s what Steve thought. He tried the front door and it w
asn’t locked.”
She remembered countless times when she’d gone over to her friend’s house and could walk right in. Had Jeanne’s carelessness been her downfall? Dorrie hoped to God not.
“Was she there?”
“No. He yelled out and got no answer, so he went inside. He searched the whole house top to bottom, even the closets, under the beds, the basement, but no one was there. Some other strange things—The milk and vegetables in the refrigerator were stale, the dishes and utensils were unwashed in the dishwasher. Then a really weird thing, Steve found her cell phone lying on the floor under the edge of the bedspread. If he hadn’t stepped on it, he would have missed it.”
Dorrie frowned in thought. “Well, that explains why she hasn’t called. Maybe it fell on the way out. But where could she have gone? I’m really worried she might be off in the head or something. You know, with all those strange notions she’s been spouting about people bugging my house, maybe she thinks her own house is bugged, too, and people are following her. She could have taken Mike’s dying harder than I thought, and felt so responsible it was too much to handle.”
“You know her better than I do, but I always thought her pretty levelheaded.”
Dorrie sighed. “True. She’s one of the sanest people I know. She gets mad and blows off steam, but it doesn’t last. When her Dad died, she lashed out at me for suggesting he take the pill in the first place, but we made up right away. She seemed to be handling his death pretty well, unless deep down she hadn’t, and her mind went off on a strange tangent.”
“Or, she could be dead-on about the bugs.”
“That’s a scary thought.”
Pictures of Jeanne pulled out of bed in the dead of night, trying to call for help, only to have her cell phone knocked from her hands, flashed through Dorrie’s mind, making her arms and legs quake.
“I hope she’s okay. I couldn’t bear it if anything bad happened to her and it was my fault. I should never have involved her in any of this.”
“Don’t say that, Dorrie. We don’t know exactly what happened, for one thing. For another, if Remington’s the cause, it’s not your fault. It’s his.”
“Thanks for trying to ease my conscience, Keith.”
“You’re a good person, Dorrie. Don’t ever believe otherwise. By the way, Steve’s shoe didn’t land too hard on the phone. He took the cell with him, along with the charger he found in the drawer. He plugged it in at home and called everyone on her phone list, even the people from the wildlife park, but no one had heard from her. Now they’re worried, too.”
“Oh, dear, well, that can’t be helped. Let’s hope we’ll all be happy soon and laughing over whatever Jeanne’s been up to. I wonder about her neighbors on each side. Maybe she didn’t put them in the phone.”
“Steve tried them, too, but no luck.”
“Thank goodness for your brother. He seems to have thought of everything. He’s such a great guy to go through all this trouble. Oh, wait, what about a missing person’s report? Can he file one of those? I have no idea what the rules are.”
“He did that as well. They promised to examine the house tomorrow and see if they can come up with anything. The officer said there might be a simple explanation why she left, which usually happens in a case like this. Steve didn’t say anything about bugs and the other stuff you mentioned for fear they wouldn’t take him seriously.”
“I’m glad he didn’t. Not everyone even believes this pill is working on me. Some think the before and after shots are two different people who resemble each other.”
“Well, it does seem farfetched. I wouldn’t believe it either, if I didn’t know you.”
“And I had my doubts, until it actually happened. Sometimes I still can’t believe it. None of this seems real. I wish Larry and I still lived in Tomahawk and we’d never heard of the Institute.”
“I hear you. You’ve gone through a lot, Dorrie. Let’s hope all turns out well.”
“Thanks, Keith. And, again, thanks for all you and Steve have done, going so much out of your way.”
“It’s the least we can do. I’m afraid for now, it’s a waiting game. I don’t want to be an alarmist, but you better prepare yourself for the worse. In the meantime, as soon as that pill gets here, I’ll check it out. If it’s different than the original, not to worry. Otherwise, Jeanne may have been right. In that case, get ready to get away. Do you have enough pills for now?”
“Yes, I got a fresh bottle yesterday for February.”
“Thank God, you and the baby have dodged the bullet so far. Take care of yourself, Dorrie. I wouldn’t want anything bad happening to you. I’ll give you a call as soon as I know anything.”
After Dorrie had clicked off, she glanced nervously about the yard, dark except for the twinkling solar lights. The air had turned cool and the atmosphere spooky. Though her house also seemed scary, at least it was brighter. She clambered inside as fast as her girth would allow.
A glance at the clock on the microwave showed a good thirty minutes had passed since she’d taken the call. If anyone were watching, wouldn’t they think it strange she’d stayed outside so late, talking on the phone? Also, wouldn’t they wonder why she answered every cell call outside? To allay suspicion, she better use her cell inside for the more innocuous calls.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
By the following Wednesday evening, Dorrie had not heard back from Keith. She knew he had a demanding job, and would have to slip the tests in when he could, and then wait for the results. It wasn’t as if he could come up with any answers right away. Still, the suspense felt unbearable.
Not to mention, her nerves already jangled because of her condition, which had become a real obstacle. She walked like a pigeon, and simple matters like showers and baths presented a challenge. She couldn’t abide being dirty, so she managed, but with the utmost care.
At work, her back hurt when she stood for any length of time. Now she was grateful Patricia had caught on so fast. It was much easier to sit on the extra chair and read a book while waiting for questions which hardly ever came. Every once in a while, she’d get up and walk around to ease the pressure on her back.
She’d just returned from a walking stretch around eleven to find Patricia gesturing to her. “You’ve got a call.”
“How about lunch today,” Kelly asked.
“Sure, be glad to. Is twelve a good time?”
Dorrie hadn’t seen or heard from her work friend in a while. She’d assumed Kelly had thought she’d flipped out about the bug possibility and didn’t want anything to do with her. Maybe that wasn’t the case.
After she’d added a pear, salad, pork roast slices and a baked potato to her tray, Dorrie joined Kelly at the far booth in the packed cafeteria.
“I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to you sooner, but I’ve been so busy you wouldn’t believe it. Turns out I got this mindboggling opportunity here. It’s one of those internist things, where I’m learning web design after hours. Once I get better, I’ll be part of the IT staff and will do all sorts of fun stuff.
I’ve been practicing on my lunch hour with a sandwich in one hand, while I navigate with the other. Today, I decided to break down and eat something decent for a change. Plus I missed seeing my buddy.”
Hearing her friend had missed her made Dorrie feel warm inside. “It has been a while, Kelly, and I’m so glad to see you again. I thought maybe you were mad at me or thought I was crazy over the bug issue.”
“Oh, darn, I’ve been so busy I forgot to tell you Doug’s still on special detail, meaning more double shift until it’s over. It seems forever since we’ve shared the same bed or even said hello to each other, except over the phone. Good thing I have this wonderful opportunity to keep me occupied.”
“Whenever he can make it is fine. Anyway, let me know if you have time for a movie or shopping. I’ve been pretty friendless lately, since for some reason Jeanne’s pulled a disappearing act.”
“I thought you were great
friends.”
“So did I, but for some reason she’s gone MIA. Not only that, I had someone do a well being check and her mail hadn’t been picked up, and it looked like she hadn’t told anyone she was leaving. I hope she didn’t do something crazy. I’m kind of worried about her. After all those wild things she said, God knows what she may have hatched up in her fertile brain.”
“Do you think she’s gone off the deep end?”
“I hope not. I really don’t know which is worse, her going zonkers or if what she imagined is true. They’re both unpleasant scenarios. I’m glad at least you’re leading a normal life, except for that part about not getting any. That has to be tough.”
Kelly laughed. “You forget. It’s the norm for me and Doug.”
“Well, there’s always chocolate.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got a stash.”
A sudden contraction made Dorrie wince and change her position on the chair.
“Are you all right?”
“I think so. I’ve been getting what they call Braxton Hicks contractions. My gyne said it’s normal and not to worry unless they’re closer together than twelve minutes and they keep happening. So far, they’re coming and going, but not sticking around. They’re more annoying than anything else. ”
“I notice you’ve already dropped.”
“I’ve got three weeks, give or take, to go. Pretty soon it’ll happen, and I’m horribly nervous.”
“It’s awesome you’ll be a mom. I can hardly wait to see the baby. Will you take off work soon?”
“I hope to stay through next week. My duties here aren’t that difficult. All I do lately is sit around while Patricia shows off her greatness.”
“How’s she coming along with the pill? Does she look any younger?”
“It’s still too early. So far only a few less wrinkles around the eyes, which is normal. I’m sure when the pill kicks in, she’ll be a knockout. She wouldn’t allow anything less.”
“Maybe not. Wouldn’t that be scrumptious if, after you had your baby, Roman begged you to come back?”
Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) Page 19
