Presidential Affairs

《XLI》

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Nikolai P.O.V

It's been two weeks since Felicity has been in the hospital. She had passed out from a lack of nutrients and dehydration. As someone who had a bad eat disorder when she was a teen, the doctors are worried about her because it came back and to make matter worse she also got diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

That explains why her habit of talking to herself had gotten worse and she had picked up the habit if counting on her fingers.

I watch her from my iPad that's linked to the camera that's installed in her room and I sometimes I go in to visit her as well.

I usually visit her at night when I know she's deep in sleep because to be quite honest I don't want to see her eyes, to see what I've done, to see how I've broken her.

Seeing her underweight practically lifeless body with tubes shoved in already makes me sick.

I should have never ran for President. I should have hid my computer better that night she found it. I should have refused the recounting of the votes. There are a million things that I should have done that would have saved us from all this...and from what's to come.

"Mr. Pavlov?"

I look up as a knock comes from my office door, "come in".

An agent steps in with Carlos Fernandez behind him.

"The Vice President is here".

I stand to my feet, "Carlos! Come on in! I wasn't expecting you".

He walks in and gives me a strong handshake before pulling me in for a hug, "yeah I decided to stop by to give Toni a tour of the Capitol. I told him how Felicity makes Chapati every Tuesday and he really wanted to try some so we decided to stop by".

Carlos is the only man I allow to call my wife by her first name. I've known him since law school where we both discovered our passion for presidency and him for being a vice president because he's not great at making speeches or being comfortable in the spotlight. Carlos is no stranger to my family although he just recently met the girls whom we kept away from everyone for protection.

But one thing I haven't told him or anyone for that matter, is where Felicity is.

"Come here Toni, let me get a good look at you", I tell my Godson.

Antonio comes closer and I pull him in for a tight hug, "your sixteen and taller than your Dad? What are you feeding this boy Carlos?"

He shrugs, "it's his Mother, the woman gives him steak for ever meal".

I grin, "eating like a King huh?"

"As I should", the teenager replies.

I laugh and walk back to my seat, "when-"

"I wanna go in! I need to talk to him!"

The three of us freeze at the sound of Amelia arguing with the guards outside my door.

"Let her in Greg!" I shout to the CIA agent.

The door slams open and Amelia doesn't bother to notice the other two people in the room. She stomps over to me with her arms crossed.

"It's Saturday! It's been one whole week without my Mom and you promised me she'll come back today. Where is she!?'

I close my eyes as a headache creeps in, "Amelia I gave you an approximate date meaning it's not specifically the date she would return but around-"

"I know what an approximation is but I asked you for the exact date so you did lie to me!" She screams at the top of her lungs.

I stand up, "Where is your nanny?"

"I shoved her in a closet and I hope she dies, now where is my mother?"

I blink at her in disbelief, "for your sake she better not be in a closet and if she is, you better go get my belt right now-"

More tears pull in her eyes and flow down as she wraps her arms around my waist, "Daddy I just want my Mommy".

Oh Gosh what have I done to my children?

I hadn't realized how much being away from their Mother would effect them since they have a Nanny. But now that I think about it, I can recall the Nanny telling me that Skylar refuses to eat, Ava cries more and Levi has become aggressive. The kids need their Mother, not a woman trying to substitute, it's just not the same and they can tell the difference.

I lift Amelia up with one arm and wipe her face with my handkerchief, "You wanna go see Mommy?"

She nods.

"Okay, but first you need to go unlock your Nanny from the closet and if you do it again I will spank you".

She nods eagerly, "I wont!"

"And tell her to get your siblings ready, they'll come too".

She fidgets in my arms to get down bu I hold her tighter, "give me a kiss Mami".

She presses her lips to mine and I pull her head to the crook of my neck as guilt creeps in, "I love you and I'm sorry for keeping your Mommy away from you but I just wanted her to get better".

"I forgive you Daddy, I know that you were just trying to do whats better for Mommy but you can't just keep her away all alone. People get sad when they're alone. Mommy can only get better if we're all there together".

I nod and set her down on her feet, "yep, your right baby".

I watch as she runs out and Carlos speaks up reminding me that he and Antonio were still there.

"Thank God I don't have daughters".

I roll my eyes, "thank God that I do. Daughters have taught me things my sons haven't".

He chuckles, "like what? How to let a kid scream at you and push you around?"

I shake my head as I lead them out of my office because I need to head to the hospital with the kids.

"Yeah sure I get screamed at and pushed around a lot but that also teaches me to empathize and respond gently. Having daughters has taught me what it means to be a man, to be better person".

He shakes his head and says his goodbyes as we separate. Amelia did what I told her to and I find all the kids in the living room dressed to go out. Carrying Ava in her car seat in one hand and Skylar in my other arm, I lead the rest to the car where Levi shouts 'Shine Jesus Shine' at the top of his lungs till I finally snap and tell him to cut it out.

We enter the hospital and go straight up to Felicity's room where I walk in first and find her standing in front of the the window with the Bible in one hand and a cup in her other. She even has the radio on playing James Brown.

I'm taken aback because the last time I checked on her was before Carlos and Toni came in my office and she had still been in bed like she does everyday. On Wednesday they stopped feeding her with tubes through her nose so she was able to get up and move but she had refused to even talk.

I watch as she sets her cup down on the window sill as Amelia screams for her and goes running to her arms. The other kids follow suit and I slowly walk to the bed and unbuckle Ava from her car seat. 

That's when I smell it, a blend of curry spices and a hint of colonge. 

Hazeem was here.