The President's Wife

chapter one

Chapter one

She was hearing voices, people whispering around her. Her hands and arms felt numb, and her legs stiff. She tried to push open her eyes but her eyelids felt heavy. Then she felt something over her nose, something like an oxygen mask. She tried again to open her eyes; they must've seen the movement of her eyes because she could hear the voices getting closer.

"Mrs. Colton can you hear me?" asked a male voice softly. Her eyes finally fluttered open in a very tentative movement. She felt as if the world around her was moving in circles, everything was spinning and her head blazoned with pain. "Hi", the voice said again and she tried to focus her eyes on him as she winced from the pain in her head. "It is ok don't try so hard, you hit your head pretty hard it will hurt a while", he said softly again. She finally laid her eyes on him and focused on what he was saying.

"Excuse me Mr. Hastings, I have to check on her", said a booming voice of a woman as she approached her. "Hey there Mrs. Colton you gave us a pretty a big kick in the gut now haven't you? Going all MIA on the whole country", she chuckled and rid her of the oxygen mask. She slowly and efficiently took her pressure, her pulse and checked for all her vital signs. Lindsay couldn't understand why was she in a hospital bed and what the nurse meant by going MIA on the country. "Lucky for this gentleman here found you and brought you here." the nurse said in her booming southern-drawl. And then she spoke…"Who are you people? Where am I? I don't remember", she silently added. "Ok this is going to be tough", the nurse mumbled. "Ok tell me Mrs. Colton…", "Why do you keep calling me that? My name is Lindsay Peterson", Lindsay said staring at her and the man who spoke to her when she woke up wide-eyed and fully alert. She had a very bad feeling. She couldn't remember how she got there and why she ached all over the place, especially her head. It felt the size of a bowling ball. "Ok look this isn't gonna be easy to tell you…" the nurse paused and looked apprehensively from her to the other stranger in the room.

"You suffered an accident, you were found by this man over here", she said pointing, "by the edge of the road all broken bones and open skull, that's why you're wincing from the pain on your head and body". "As for your memory…You are Mrs. Lindsay Colton the wife of Mr. Joshua Colton congressman and soon to be president". That had Lindsay's head reeling and she tried to pry all the tubes of her to bolt for her escape. Unfortunately the nurse and the man saw what she intended to do and swiftly pushed her back on the bed before she could even stand up and immediately called in for a doctor. Lindsay thrashed and begged for them to leave her alone that she didn't remember and that she most certainly was not the wife of a soon to be president! Then as the doctor came in he spoke to her in a pleasant voice. "Lindsay", he began smiling at her, a very bright and welcoming smile. "You have suffered a severe accident it seems, we are not quite sure about the details, you were found nearly dead. If it wasn't for this man…" She cut him off, "Yes I heard the preview but I'm not who they claim that I am", she said calmly and evenly although on the inside she was confused, enraged and tired as well. "You spent the week in a coma after you were brought in and now I'm afraid you are suffering from memory loss", once again he smiled that charming smile of his. "I'm going to have to run some tests to inquire the severity of the brain damage and we'll keep you hear under observation for a while…After all you are the next First Lady", he said matter of factly while standing up and heading for the door.

As soon as the nurse and doctor left she was alone yet again with the strange man who claims to have saved her life. He approached her warily not wanting to bother her thoughts, she was lying peacefully staring out the window all the IV tubes sticking out of her arms and damaging her perfect white skin. He wanted to comfort her and tell her that she's safe while...While what you idiot? While you're here? Well that's the joke of the year he silently groaned at his own thoughts. He put a chair next to her bed and sat. As soon as she heard him approaching her she turned around and watched him. She had to thank him she thought. As he sat down she murmured very quietly, barely audible to her ears let alone his, "Thank you" and immediately dozed off to sleep. All the aches had worn her out, no matter how many analgesics she took it wouldn't help the pain that much. For some strange reason he felt the need to protest her. Dylan never felt that feeling for any other woman since Claire. Claire, he thought, I miss you so much. He longed to find her killer, and make that person pay for taking away his reason for living from him. This woman reminded him of her, her vulnerability and beauty. He found himself drawn to help her, to find out why the future president's wife was found on the side of the road close by to his ranch.

He led a simple life, a rancher born and bred at Tennessee. He loved his tranquil life. Loved getting early with the roosters and taking care of the animals and did everything by himself. With Claire gone he never wanted to move back to the city. He never thought he'd be able to keep living but he managed to. It still hurt everyday but he got stronger with the years. His gaze traveled from Lindsay's sleeping face to the window and back. He saw her forehead crease and sweat appear above her brow. Then her lips twitched and she murmured something quietly. He scooted closer trying to hear what she was saying in her sleep. "No, no please don't…I won't do it again I promise…just don't hurt her", she said panting now and the sweat increasing above her brows and forehead. Suddenly she started trashing her head as if to erase her mind from her nightmare and trying to wake up. She kept panting and then started sobbing uncontrollably. He placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered softly, "Lindsay…wake up…please open your eyes". He caressed her tear streaked cheek, trying not to startle her he repeated softly shaking her a bit, "Wake up, common please", he pleaded. Something clenched inside him seeing her like this. He didn't like it. Then he couldn't take it anymore of her sobbing and came closer to embrace her shoulders. He sat on the edge of her hospital bed and put her head on his shoulders and rocked her gently while the sobbing slowly ceased. He wiped her tears gently and felt her heart beat steady and soft rather than frantic like seconds ago.

Her body felt weak and she couldn't open her eyes but she felt like she was sleeping on a comfortable pillow or on a cloud. So she kept on sleeping.

I was running really fast. As if someone was chasing after me. I felt my body get tired more and more the second and my breathing labored. I started to slow down and hid behind some tree. No way he can find me here in a forest right? Just I thought that I heard faint footsteps running and walking. Then someone grabbed my waist from behind roughly and clamped my mouth just as I was about to let out a strangled cry. The strong hands were gripping me really hard and I knew he found me and he was going to kill me. He handcuffed me from behind and I knew I was hopeless. He stuffed me inside a car like I was some lifeless thing. Roughly pushed me in strapped my belt and shut the door. My mouth went dry from fear as he slid into the driver's seat and locked the door from inside. "Don't worry cupcake; your husband won't kill you just yet, you're too valuable", he said smirking evilly at me through the rearview mirror as he started the car. The drive was fast and I knew he was taking me to him…As soon as we got there my heart beat wildly and I started feeling sweat on my forehead. The man stopped the car, stepped out and went to my side to get me out. "Why so quite cupcake? Aren't you happy? You're going to see your husband", he asked as he roughly dragged me out of the car. I couldn't form a coherent response so I just stared at him with fear in my eyes. We got inside a building I didn’t recognize and he threw me over his shoulders. "Hey!!" I shrieked in surprise. I wanted to hit him but my hands were tied behind my back. I felt helpless. He chuckled and started right away carrying me up the stairs. The building was old I could tell and reeked with excrement, booze and cheap sex. I nearly gagged. Then we got to the door and went inside. Suddenly I was thrown on to a couch. Then I saw him in the corner of the room smoking on of his cigars as he always did, smirking at me lazily. "Juancito, thank you for bringing here my beautiful wife, please un-cuff her", he said in a serious but mocking voice. Ugh, how I hated his voice. Then he whispered something to some other man standing beside him as Juancito un-cuffed me.

She appeared. Oh God Ally!! "What's wrong Lindsay honey? Aren't you happy to see your family?" he asked mockingly. He must've seen my somber expression. My hands untied I re ached out my arms and quaked, "Ally!! Sweetheart come to Mama". "No not just yet", he said acidly. "Take my daughter to the back room I want to have a word with my wife", he ordered the man beside him. Ally smiled and whispered "Mama" before the man scooped her up in his arms and took her away. My hands shivered as I saw his gaze on my daughter and I didn't like the way he was looking at her.

"So here's how we're going to roll…You'll stop this nonsense of trying to get to the press and tell all my secrets to them. You'll come back home to me and live as my loving wife. I have the elections coming up Lindsay and you don't want to sabotage that", he spoke mockingly approaching me, cigar in hand. "You hear me?" he asked. I dared to lift my eyes from there comfortable spot on the floor and looked at him straight in the eyes, "Why should I? You only put me through hell all this time" I spoke suddenly fiercely and bravely. "Lin, do not make me, I won't care to hurt anyone who stands in my way", he said menacingly and quietly. "You do not want to see Ally hurt or do you?" he asked more quietly now almost a whisper. "No, no please don't…I won't do it again I promise…just don't hurt her", I stammered. "I'll go with you", I said softly.