"You know what, that's what makes me angry!" Fred said unbuttoning his shirt one cold November night, as he was getting ready for bed. "Doc still hasn't given us that list! It's been months now."

"Dr. Clark is a busy man…." Frances said, weakly.

"Don't matter…..A man promises something, he should stick to it." Fred said sternly, taking off his shirt and let it fall to the floor. "Next time I see him, I'll be saying something about it."

"Fred John…." She whispered.

"I mean it…." He said, sitting down on the bed beside her. "I'm watching you get sicker…and I can't stand it…..Why can't we just go? To Hell with the list!…..Let's just go out and find them ourselves."

"We don't have the money to go traveling around the whole state of Iowa."

"You don't worry about that….I'll get the money."

"I'm too tired to argue right now…." Frances sighed and turned over, under the covers.

"You're right." Fred said softly and the smile that appeared on his face was just as soft. "We need to get to bed." He said as he donned into some gray long johns and got in beside her. He noticed she was all curled up in the fetal position under their wool blankets. "I'll get another blanket, hold on." He whispered, resting a hand on her waist for a moment.

"No need…..I'm cold no matter what."

"'Cause you're so thin…." He mumbled, laying another blanket on top of theirs. He quickly got back into bed and Frances felt her husband wrap his arms around her frail body and felt his lips graze her neck and cheek. "That better now?"

"Fred…."

"I'm being gentle…." He whispered and started kissing her.

"Stop…..Fred….Stop it!" Frances said as she squirmed beneath him. "Stop….please."

"What's wrong?"

"Just stop…." She whispered…."Can you sleep in the other room again tonight? Please?"

"What the Hell for? I want to sleep next to my wife…for Heaven's sake!"

"Please?...Or I'll go in the next room." Frances whispered and sat up. "I think I'd rather be alone….."

"If that's what you want…." He breathed outward as if he had sighed, and his lips pursed. "I don't understand why."

"You snore…..that's why." She breathed and rolled over with her eyes closed.

"Heh…" Fred laughed a little and looked back at her. "I have a feeling that's not the only reason."

"You're right…." She whispered and nodded. "Goodnight."

Fred sighed and managed to mumble back to her. "Night….honey."

Frances, while depressed, tired hurting and certainly didn't feel well, finally drifted to sleep after he had gone through the walk-in closet to the other bedroom.

(

"Helen, that is the fifth time you've looked at that guy! Who is he?" Charlene asked while they were walking to their bookkeeping class and Helen had glanced at a tall, tan, very good looking young man with thick black hair who was working on some of the woodwork in the college.

"I don't know." Helen replied.

"Yes you do….now, tell me!"

"Charlene, I don't know him! I told you that!"

"You've looked at him so much!"

"I don't know who he is. I'm serious."

"Well,….then go talk to him! Meet him!"

"Charlene….we have Bookkeeping to get to…"

"If you don't go over there, I'll drag you over! You have to meet that guy!"

"No, I don't…."

"Yeah you do!"

"Who even says?" Helen asked, in a high-pitched voice and a look of confusion on her face.

"Me….Now go!" She said and pushed her in the right direction.

"Charlene!" Helen huffed and almost bumped into the strong-looking young man. "Um….hi."

"Hey." The man replied, smirking a little and tapped his hammer on a nail. "Seen you around…..I figured you go here."

"Uh yep!...I go here. Bayless Business College!...'Cause I'm…uh I'm studying to be a secretary….for a business….'cause that's what this is….a business….college!" Helen stumbled over her words and smiled nervously.

The man laughed a little. "You'd be in a real pickle if this was a different school…..like a circus college or something." He laughed again.

"Circus college….that's funny!" Helen chuckled and loosened up with him a little more.

"So, a nice girl like you must have a name, right?"

"Oh!..."Oh yeah….I'm Helen Lay."

"Edward Walbrun.: He said, holding out his hand and he shook hers carefully as Helen grasped it.

"Do you go to college here too?"

"Well, you could say that." He grinned. "I'm here a lot….But no."

"Oh…." She smiled. "Do you….work for the college?"

"Well…yes…and no." Edward laughed. "My dad and I work here…whenever Bayless needs something done. Dad has his own carpentry business, I guess you could say. Taught me all I know."

"Oh wow!...That's…"

"C'mon Ed! Get your rump back to workin'!" An older man yelled.

"That's the old man!" He grinned slightly. "I've got to get back to work."

"Oh my! I nearly forgot! I have a class I need to get to!..." Helen said quickly.

"Well, I don't want to keep you." Edward smiled. "See you around?"

"See you around,….Edward." Helen grinned and sprinted off to her class.

Edward grinned and started climbing the ladder to get to one of the beams on the ceiling. "Pretty girl." He said to himself.

Helen went to her classes and later sat down in the dining room with a lot of her friends and ate supper with them. There never was a time where she was bored with her friends. They were always talking and laughing…..and so there she was, conversing with her friends and laughing at jokes and stories. She glanced up a second and saw Edward sit down next to his father and started eating. She watched him eat as she sipped at her drink. She smiled a little as he looked up and winked at her. And she thought he had smiled back before turning his attention back to eating his meal…..Helen sat there and began to day dream that he began making eyes at her and that she was flirting with him, she had heard her name being called several times and thought it was him….

"Helen….Helen, you still haven't answered me. Can I take you out on a date sometime?"

"Yesss…." She smiled, still in her la la land.

"Did you just tell me yes?"

"Yesss….Oh yessss….."

"I can't believe it!...Me….Clay Ballard got a date! Yeah!" The guy said excitedly.

"Wait a minute! What?" Helen said, snapping out of it. "Wha?"

"I'll be at your dorm at 7, Friday night…We'll…go do something….dinner…or something." He grinned and left quickly.

Helen groaned a little and slumped back into her chair. "What did I just do?"

"I'm guessing…you set yourself up a date…with Clay Ballard."

"But he's weird!"

"Girl…" Charlene said. "If you want the hot ones to be after you, like that guy you've been looking at nonstop…..start with the weird ones."

"I guess you're right…" Helen sighed.

"Just be flattered that he thinks you're wonderful."

"That doesn't make me feel better…."

"I know!" Charlene giggled. "Hah! With Clay Ballard." She laughed and Helen shot her a look.

Charlene hid her laughter and put her head down. "…with Clay Ballard." She whispered, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Shut up….." Helen glared at her friend.

"With….Clay...Ballard!" She said again, in a sing songy manner.

"Charlene! I'm going to hurt you, I swear!" Helen laughed a little.