The First Three Rules (8 page)

Ellis was. Right down to the bone. But the cold was an internal storm spawned from the confusion and fear he experienced whenever Jon was around.

“Thanks.” He took the shirts. “Have you checked on Rudy?”

“Yeah, he’s stuffed on pizza and in his room coloring.”

“I guess I should thank you.”

“For what?”

“For all this. For coming early. For watching over Rudy.”

“It was nothing. And I was just a few minutes early.

“You showed up right after we got here and you weren’t supposed to get here until dinner. That’s not a few minutes. More like hours.”

Jon’s brow furrowed. “I got here at a quarter till five.”

“That’s impossible.”

“I thought you said you didn’t black out.”

“I didn’t.” He was sure he didn’t. But something happened to those hours between getting home and Jon showing up. “What time is it?”

“Quarter till seven.”

The room tipped.

“You okay?” Jon put a hand on Ellis’s shoulder.

“If you got here at five that means I was in here for…three hours?” What if Rudy had turned on the stove or fallen or dropped a glass and walked through it? He was barefoot all the time and never looked where he stepped.

Ellis staggered to his feet. Jon caught him by the elbow. “Easy or you’ll fall.”

“I can’t believe I left him alone that long.”

“Rudy?”

Ellis nodded. “I have to watch him or he gets into things. He forgets. I tell him to stay out of stuff, but he always forgets. And you can’t hide anything from him. He always finds it. Always.”

“He’s fine.”

“But what if he hadn’t been?” Every dangerous scenario ran through Ellis’s head. His stomach rolled.

“Ellis?”

Rudy was his responsibility.

“Ellis, look at me.” Jon cupped Ellis’s chin and forced his head up. His dark brown eyes were filled with worry. “Talk to me.”

“I can’t believe I did that.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay. I’m supposed to take care of him.” Ellis pushed Jon away and stumbled up the hall. His ribs hurt with every step and a dull pain behind his eyes throbbed in sync with his heartbeat. Jon called his name, but he didn’t stop. Even when he tripped over his feet and almost fell. Ellis couldn’t quit moving until he was standing in the doorway of his brother’s room. Rudy sat on the floor too close to the TV, crayon in one hand, coloring book under the other. He grinned at the screen in a way that made him look five instead of forty-five.

Rudy waved. “My favorite show is on.” He pointed. “Do you and Jon want to watch it with me?”

Ellis forced a smile. “That’s okay, you can tell me about it tomorrow.”

“Do you still feel bad?”

“I’m better now.”

“I opened the door.”

“I know.”

“It was Jon. Just Jon. He said he would break it if I didn’t.”

“It’s okay, Rudy.”

“That was mean. But he brought pizza so I guess that makes it okay. And you were sick. And your clothes were wrinkled. It’s always important that your clothes aren’t wrinkled. That’s what you always say.”

“Yeah.” Ellis bit his bottom lip to keep it from quivering.

“Jon will make it better. And he didn’t break the window.” Rudy turned his attention back to the TV. “I like this show. It’s my favorite.”

Heat pressed against Ellis’s back. Jon said, “See? He’s okay.”

Ellis nodded.

“You ready to go eat some dinner? It’s cold, but you have a nice new microwave that needs breaking in.”

“In the…” Ellis cleared his throat. “The groceries, the microwave, everything is still in the truck.” The ice cream would be melted and the meat ruined. He could only hope the stray cats hadn’t gotten into the rest of it.

“I’ll go get it out.”

Ellis wanted to tell him he’d do it, but exhaustion tightened its hold. “Rudy.”

“Yeah.”

“Rudy, look at me.”

“But this is my favorite part.”

“Rudy this is important, I need you to look at me.” He did. “After your TV show, you go to bed.”

“Okay.”

“To bed. You got that? No wandering around.”

“What if I have to go to the bathroom?”

“Then you go and you come right back. Are we clear?”

“Yeah.”

Jon pulled Ellis away by his shoulders. “C’mon. We’ll get you some food then you can rest.”

“I just want to lie down.”

“You need to eat.”

“I’m too tired. I just want to…” Ellis waved a hand toward his room. Jon put his arm around Ellis and he leaned into him.

Jon helped him to the bed. The pillow seemed so far away. The ground too. Ellis lay on his side too tired to pull his feet up. Jon untied Ellis’s shoes and took them off.

“I’m going to go bring the stuff in.” Jon petted Ellis’s cheek. “Then I’ll bring you some Tylenol and something to drink.” Ellis couldn’t find the strength to nod. The warmth of Jon’s touch lingered for a moment before vanishing.

Fatigue forced Ellis to close his eyes. He willed himself to relax, but concern for Rudy and questions about Jon kept his thoughts a blur. When sleep seemed at his fingertips Jon said his name and shook him. Jon stood over him with a tight expression.

Ellis figured he probably couldn’t find the Tylenol. “It’s in my bedroom. Top of the closet in the back.” He always worried about Rudy getting into the medicines and eating them. Anything small and round seemed to meet the qualifications for candy in Rudy’s book.

“I need you to wake up.”

But he’d just laid down.

“Ellis, please.” Jon slid an arm under him and helped him sit up. The wash of vertigo made Ellis nauseous. Jon patted his cheek. “You with me?”

“Yeah.” Ellis swallowed against the dryness in his throat. Jon lifted a glass to his lips.

“Drink this. Take small sips so you won’t choke.”

Once the water hit his tongue it was like his body would have traded it for air. He strangled and Jon took the glass away.

“How do you feel?”

“Are you trying to be funny?”

Jon’s eyes crinkled up. “Did it work?”

“No.”

“So I shouldn’t quit my day job?”

“Definitely not.”

Jon’s expression sobered. “Can you sit up on your own? I want to check your side again and put another icepack on your face.”

“What happened to icepack number one?”

“Don’t you remember?”

He didn’t and that terrified him, but going to the hospital terrified him even more. What if someone called the police and they took Rudy away? Jon shook him again. Ellis opened his eyes. He didn’t remember closing them. “I’m okay.”

“You can’t remember the last time I woke you up, can you?”

He knotted his hands in his lap. “I was just tired.” He said it, but he didn’t believe it. Something was wrong.

“Ellis? What’s the last thing you remember?”

He thought a moment. “You said you were going to get the groceries out of the truck.”

Jon nodded. “That was about six hours ago. I’ve been waking you up every hour. You don’t remember that either, do you?”

Fear made Ellis shiver. “No.”

“I think you should go to the hospital.”

He was beginning to think the same thing. “Rudy.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him.” Jon helped him lay back against the pillow, getting so close that his exhale warmed Ellis’s cheek.

Why can’t you just kiss me?

Jon’s mouth curled. He patted Ellis on the hand and then he was gone.

Jon cursed himself for not calling the ambulance first thing. If something happened to Ellis it would be his fault. He headed down the steps. The phone was on the end table next to the sofa. He dialed.

“Nine one one, what’s your emergency?”

“My name is Marshal Jon Foster and I’m located at 2111 Kale Creek Road. I have a male in his thirties who may have a concussion.”

“Is he conscious?”

“Yes, but he’s confused.”

“Marshal Foster, I’m dispatching an ambulance now.”

“Please make sure they turn off the sirens. His brother is mentally disabled. They might scare him.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll relay the message.”

Jon hoped EMS could make it in and out without waking Rudy. The last thing they needed was Rudy panicking at the sight of an ambulance or people carrying his brother away.

Jon went back upstairs to check on Ellis. They’d talked the first few times he’d woken up. Nothing special, mostly about Rudy and his daily habits; he liked oatmeal for breakfast, didn’t like yellow crayons, would eat peanut butter out of the jar so Ellis hid it in the top of the cupboard. It seemed like he hid a lot of things to keep Rudy out of them. Like the Tylenol. Ellis had been adamant that Jon make sure Rudy could not get to it. The conversations were never long. Then Ellis would say he was tired and go back to sleep.

He didn’t even complain about the ice packs being cold when Jon applied them.

There had been nothing beyond an exhausted man who was in desperate need of rest. Then this time when Ellis woke up he’d lost hours.

It wasn’t a good sign. Jon should have ignored Ellis’s pleas and called the ambulance first. He sat down on the bed. Worry lines creased Ellis’s forehead.

Why can’t you just kiss me?

Even sleep-slurred, there had been hope in his voice.

Part of him hoped Ellis wouldn’t remember, just to save him the embarrassment. Another part wanted him to never forget. Or better yet, say it again.

Jon brushed the hair back from Ellis’s temple. He told himself it was to check the cut close to his hairline. In reality, it was just an excuse to touch him. Like checking on the bruises running down his side.

Locks of wavy blond hair slid between his fingers. In the low light, it was almost bronze. He traced the shell of Ellis’s ear. What kind of sounds would Ellis make under him? Jon wouldn’t let Ellis drop his gaze then. He’d make Ellis watch the things he’d do.

Jon clenched his eyes shut. What the hell was he doing? He had no business touching Ellis while he slept. And he most definitely had no business thinking about fucking him. Not only had Jon lost his mind, but he’d turned into some kind of sexual opportunist. He scrubbed a hand over his face and went back downstairs to wait on the ambulance.

Just as he opened the front door, headlights cut a path up the drive. Red and white flashers painted the trees. With the sirens off, there was only the rumble of the engine and the crunch of gravel under the tires. A man and a woman got out. They went to the back of the ambulance and unloaded a gurney.

The black man said, “Where’s the patient?”

“Upstairs.” Jon gave them a rundown of Ellis’s evening while they climbed the steps.

“Good thing you were here.” The woman extended her hand. “I’m Sarah and this is Karl.” They set up the gurney. Karl woke Ellis and made him sit up. He took his vitals. Ellis watched him with a glazed eye.

“I thought this was the Harper place,” Sarah said. “We were in the fifth grade together.”

Karl relayed Ellis’s vitals and Sarah called them in.

“Can you stand ,Mr. Harper?” Karl said.

Ellis squinted, glanced around, then looked at the EMS worker. His expression hardened. “Get away from me.” He pushed at Karl.

“Ellis.” Jon got in front of him. “Ellis, you have to go to the hospital.”

Recognition cooled the anger in Ellis’s gaze. “You promised you wouldn’t call them.”

Great, now he didn’t remember agreeing to this. “Ellis, you need to go to the hospital.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. Let these people take care of you.”

“Rudy…”

“I’ll handle Rudy.”

They helped him onto the gurney, but when Sarah tried to strap Ellis down he struggled against the restraints.

Jon caressed Ellis’s cheek. “Relax. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

“Rudy. Where is he?”

“I told you not to worry. Now, please, let these people help you.” He stepped back and Ellis grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t let them take him.”

Jon put his hand over Ellis’s. “I won’t. I promise.”

Ellis closed his eyes and his hand slipped off of Jon’s arm.

“We’ll take care of him,” Sarah said.

Jon followed them down the steps and to the ambulance.

They loaded Ellis up. Karl hopped out of the back. “Are you riding?”

“No, I’ll follow in my car with Rudy.”

Karl nodded and went around to the passenger side.

Sarah reassessed Ellis while she talked. “You sure you don’t want me to call social services for Rudy? They could probably be here in a few hours.”

“No. I’ll handle him.”

“You sure? He’s got to be a ton of work.” She put a blanket over Ellis. “I don’t mind making the call.”

“We’ll be fine.”

Sarah shrugged. “Better you than me. See you at the hospital then.” She pulled the doors shut and the ambulance drove away.

A leftover winter chill rode on the back of a spring breeze, drawing goose pimples up Jon’s arms. He hurried back to the house. The last thing Ellis needed was to wake up alone.

Jon stopped by Ellis’s room. Should he pack a bag? When Jon couldn’t find a duffle bag he stacked the clothes and put them in an empty grocery sack.

In Rudy’s room the glow from the nightlight highlighted his lumpy form. He slept half curled, with his hands tucked under his cheek. The comforter made a pile in the floor next to the footboard.

“Rudy?” Jon shook him.

Rudy opened his eyes and sat up. “Is it breakfast yet?”

“No, not yet.” Jon turned on the bedside lamp.

Rudy smiled. “Hi, Jon. You’re my friend.”

“Yeah, I’m your friend. Do you think you could wake up for me?”

“I’m not supposed to be awake until breakfast. Unless I have to go to the bathroom. If I do, I’m supposed to come right back here. Ellis said so.”

He started to lay back down and Jon stopped him. “You do a great job listening to Ellis and doing what he says.”

“Except today. Today I broke rule number three.” He looked stricken.

Jon patted him on the shoulder. “I know, but that’s all forgiven.” How did he tell Rudy about Ellis without making him panic? “Remember how Ellis was sick?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he went to see the doctor and he wants us to go too.”

“But I’m not sick.”