Read Online Consigning Fate by Jacqueline Druga - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jacqueline Druga
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going on?”
Ellen waved him down, and when Hal didn’t hunch far enough, she grabbed his ear to bring him closer. He released a silent ‘ow’.
“Andrea is in there talking to Joe.” Ellen snickered.
One eyebrow raised and Hal, sneakily peeked in. Andrea moved about the lab.
Ellen pointed to her own ear conveying she wanted Hal to listen.
“I wish you would be verbal,” Andrea said. “I do not understand why. OK. Try this again. You were in History today.” A pause. “I’ll take that as a no. That’s the rumor. I don’t want to doubt my sanity by thinking you’re with me and having someone else say you’re with them.” She exhaled loudly. “I have rounds and since you’re not talking. I figure you have your reasons.”
Both Hal and Ellen backed up when she neared the door.
“Oh,” Andrea said, and then smiled. “I see why. Hello you two.” Turning she walked down the hall.
En route, Frank walked the other way toward her.
“Hello, Frank.”
“Andrea,” Frank said in passing. “Dad.”
Ellen snickered and walked into the lab, hand covering her mouth.
Hal followed. “Ellen, stop.”
“Sorry. It’s funny. She has conversations with Joe’s ghost or at least she thinks she does.”
Hal rolled his eyes. “And you,” he said as Frank walked in.
“What?” Frank asked.
“You encourage.”
“Absolutely, I am a very supportive person,” Frank said. “What am I encouraging?”
Frustrated, Hal grumbled. “Andrea and her seeing Dad.”
“How did I do that?”
“You said hi to our father.”
“Hal, who am I to say what she sees and doesn’t see. What if she sees him?”
“Frank …”
“No, hear me out. You never know. And if it is her imagination, who are we to say she’s fucking nuts? If she’s happy, let her be.” Frank shrugged.
“Fine. Point taken. But I won’t say hello.”
“And if it is his ghost, you’re rude.”
Hal held out his hands. “Then I’m rude.”
“Fuck, add pissy to that to.”
“Are you ready?” Hal asked. “Can we try, if there’s time to add our other meeting to this?”
“If there’s time,” Frank said. “I still have a ton of shit to do.”
“Frank?” Ellen asked. “Another meeting?”
Hal replied disgruntled. “Yes.”
After a stern look to Hal, Frank turned to Ellen. “Yeah, babe, I’m sorry. This meeting is important. You’ll find out why later. And I have a ton of things to do afterwards, depending on the results.”
“So, I should take it I won’t see you again?” She asked.
“I’ll try.” Frank said, and then took notice of the sulk. “What?”
“Well, I talked to you earlier. You said we could go to the Hoi-Hoi on the Range tonight. They’re having line dancing and two stepping.”
Hal snickered.
Frank winced. “I don’t know if I can go. You can go, though.”
“I don’t want to go by myself. Eat by myself, dance by myself.”
“Good God, Ellen,” Hal said. “It’s line dancing. That means everyone is there.”
“Yeah, but I’ll have to sit on the sidelines and watch the two step.”
Hal glanced at Frank. “Sounds like a wonderful time, Frank.”
Frank snapped his finger. ‘You’re right. El, Hal wants to do it. He’ll meet you there.”
“I’ll do …”
Ellen cut Hal off. “Really? Oh, wow, great. Thanks, Hal.” She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
“Fine.” Hal said defeated. “Can we do this meeting now, Frank?”
Frank looked at his watch. “Yeah.”
At that moment Danny Hoi poked his head in the door. “Oh, hey, Shortcake, all done. It’s installed. Now we don’t need a guard. Only those with a code can get in Darrell’s room.”
“Thanks,” Frank said.
Danny left as fast as he stopped by.
Curiously, Hal faced Frank. “Was it my imagination or did he just call you Shortcake?”
“Yep. Been doing that all day. His pet name or something for me.” A dart of a kiss to Ellen and Frank walked to the door. “I don’t know what it is about my
Ellen waved him down, and when Hal didn’t hunch far enough, she grabbed his ear to bring him closer. He released a silent ‘ow’.
“Andrea is in there talking to Joe.” Ellen snickered.
One eyebrow raised and Hal, sneakily peeked in. Andrea moved about the lab.
Ellen pointed to her own ear conveying she wanted Hal to listen.
“I wish you would be verbal,” Andrea said. “I do not understand why. OK. Try this again. You were in History today.” A pause. “I’ll take that as a no. That’s the rumor. I don’t want to doubt my sanity by thinking you’re with me and having someone else say you’re with them.” She exhaled loudly. “I have rounds and since you’re not talking. I figure you have your reasons.”
Both Hal and Ellen backed up when she neared the door.
“Oh,” Andrea said, and then smiled. “I see why. Hello you two.” Turning she walked down the hall.
En route, Frank walked the other way toward her.
“Hello, Frank.”
“Andrea,” Frank said in passing. “Dad.”
Ellen snickered and walked into the lab, hand covering her mouth.
Hal followed. “Ellen, stop.”
“Sorry. It’s funny. She has conversations with Joe’s ghost or at least she thinks she does.”
Hal rolled his eyes. “And you,” he said as Frank walked in.
“What?” Frank asked.
“You encourage.”
“Absolutely, I am a very supportive person,” Frank said. “What am I encouraging?”
Frustrated, Hal grumbled. “Andrea and her seeing Dad.”
“How did I do that?”
“You said hi to our father.”
“Hal, who am I to say what she sees and doesn’t see. What if she sees him?”
“Frank …”
“No, hear me out. You never know. And if it is her imagination, who are we to say she’s fucking nuts? If she’s happy, let her be.” Frank shrugged.
“Fine. Point taken. But I won’t say hello.”
“And if it is his ghost, you’re rude.”
Hal held out his hands. “Then I’m rude.”
“Fuck, add pissy to that to.”
“Are you ready?” Hal asked. “Can we try, if there’s time to add our other meeting to this?”
“If there’s time,” Frank said. “I still have a ton of shit to do.”
“Frank?” Ellen asked. “Another meeting?”
Hal replied disgruntled. “Yes.”
After a stern look to Hal, Frank turned to Ellen. “Yeah, babe, I’m sorry. This meeting is important. You’ll find out why later. And I have a ton of things to do afterwards, depending on the results.”
“So, I should take it I won’t see you again?” She asked.
“I’ll try.” Frank said, and then took notice of the sulk. “What?”
“Well, I talked to you earlier. You said we could go to the Hoi-Hoi on the Range tonight. They’re having line dancing and two stepping.”
Hal snickered.
Frank winced. “I don’t know if I can go. You can go, though.”
“I don’t want to go by myself. Eat by myself, dance by myself.”
“Good God, Ellen,” Hal said. “It’s line dancing. That means everyone is there.”
“Yeah, but I’ll have to sit on the sidelines and watch the two step.”
Hal glanced at Frank. “Sounds like a wonderful time, Frank.”
Frank snapped his finger. ‘You’re right. El, Hal wants to do it. He’ll meet you there.”
“I’ll do …”
Ellen cut Hal off. “Really? Oh, wow, great. Thanks, Hal.” She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
“Fine.” Hal said defeated. “Can we do this meeting now, Frank?”
Frank looked at his watch. “Yeah.”
At that moment Danny Hoi poked his head in the door. “Oh, hey, Shortcake, all done. It’s installed. Now we don’t need a guard. Only those with a code can get in Darrell’s room.”
“Thanks,” Frank said.
Danny left as fast as he stopped by.
Curiously, Hal faced Frank. “Was it my imagination or did he just call you Shortcake?”
“Yep. Been doing that all day. His pet name or something for me.” A dart of a kiss to Ellen and Frank walked to the door. “I don’t know what it is about my
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