Two Days Later
Have you lost your mind?" I shake my head. "No. You had a heart attack exactly forty hours ago."
Sometimes I wish he'd worry about himself more. If he had, the likelihood of him being here would be slim to none, yet here we are. He lies in his hospital bed now, frustrated that he's not allowed to leave it. The Scene is all too familiar- as I was in his position just a few weeks ago. It does feel different from this end. You don't realize until you see someone like that just how much it would hurt them if the roles were reversed.
Now they are- and I'd do anything to get him out of here faster, but his doctors have ordered that he stay for at least five days. If it were anybody else they could have been sent home by now- but with him still being the president, an abundance of caution has been taken. I walk over to his bed from the bathroom, sitting down on the edge of it. He's tried to convince the doctors to let him out to go to Marisol's inauguration, and the answer was a resounding no. When we looked over his scans and tests, the doctors determined that it looked about fifteen years older than it should. I'm not surprised-he hasn't slowed down for a single second his entire term.
Though I don't really have any room to talk. I didn't slow down at all until his term, when I retired from the fbi. It wasn't much of a workload relief for me, but at least I started being able to get a full night of sleep. For him, it was the exact opposite. Now, in the hospital- he's pretty much been forced to sleep. "I can't just not go." He sighs. "I mean that's a..three hundred year tradition. One that Williams broke and.. I don't intend on doing the same."
"Your situations a little different." I smile. "He was just.. an asshole."
I lay down beside him, a couple inches away. The doctors said he would be fragile for a few weeks- that any physical activity that's not absolutely necessary is a risk he doesn't need to take. "Come here." The look in his eyes says. I sigh- knowing his doctors are going to yell at me for this, and scoot a little closer. He wraps his arm around me, but I don't lean my head on his chest.
The doctors also said pressure on that area wasn't the best idea, and since i fully intend on keeping him alive for another forty years, I'v made him listen to them. "Anniversary's on Monday. Maybe they'll let you out by then." I suggest- though I doubt it.Monday's only in three days.
He opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted by Ella knocking on the door. I roll my eyes. "Come in." I say, trying to hide the annoyance in my voice.
"The motorcade's ready." She informs me, and I nod. There's still a few hours to go before the inauguration- but nowadays they make sure everything's set up ridiculously early in case something were to happen.
For the remainder of that time, we lay in silence, just enjoying each other's company. The peace of today is a type that doesn't occur often. Even with what happened a few days ago, a calm seems to have fallen over the entire country. In the hours after his heart attack, the video clip of it happening was played over and over again- but after Ryan informed them that he was okay, they started focusing on other news.
When it's time to go, Ella reminds me again. I sigh, reluctantly getting up. On the way out, I look back at him- mouthing "I love you." I'll never make the mistake again of forgetting to say it even though we both know, with the events of the year. I'd rather my last words to someone be "I love you" than just "bye".
For that same reason, I refuse to die by anything but natural causes. I'm a little rusty on certain moves, so I've signed up for the FBI's self defense classes again. They're usually only offered to agents, but they couldn't exactly say no to me. At this point- regardless of the number of secret service on my security team, I don't trust them with my safety. I've always been safer when I'm protecting myself. For that reason, in a few days, I'll be declining further protection.
Kyle- as a soon to be former president, won't have a choice. He'll be required to have protection for the rest of his life. Though I was highly, highly encouraged to keep mine, it's optional.
I spend a few seconds staring at myself in the mirror. For the first time in a while, I don't look like I was just ran over. The bags under my eyes are less pronounced than usual. My scars are completely healed, now just looking like discolored blotches. The cut on my forehead that was once deep is now just a line.
My lips and skin are now as soft as they were before, whereas when I'd just gotten back, both were dry and bleeding. My hair- while in need of being cut, is clean. It was so oily by the time I got out because I hadn't showered at all in seven days, and it was two more before I had a real one again. Brushing it was an absolute hell, as I hadn't done that for seven days either, but Kendra was determined. By the time she'd finished working her magic, it was back to normal.
I take a deep breath, stepping out into the hallway. It's an unusually hot day for this time of year, and when the sun hits my face, it nearly blinds me. I slide into the motorcade, grateful that heat can't pass through the windows- because if this were a normal car, the buckles would be hot enough to give me third degree burns. I put a headphone in with one ear out- something that was conditioned into me all those years ago at the fbi academy.
"Don't be fucking stupid." I remember the instructor saying. "You might as well just say 'come and get me' if you put both in."
And he was right- sort of. The same danger factor doesn't apply now but regardless, it sticks. The ride- as expected, goes by without issue, and I'm back at the White House in minutes. In one week, we will officially move out of the residence and back into our D.C mansion. Marisol will move in days after that, and it'll be up to her whether or not to appoint a Vice President to fill her role for just a couple of months. There's no law saying you have to have one, so if I were her- I wouldn't bother.
I step out of the car, telling Ella I just have to take care of something real quick, and it's true. I scan my fingerprint and walk through the bedroom doors, eyes scanning my desk for a specific piece of paper. When I find it, I quickly grab it and walk a couple of doors down.
"Have you told her yet?" I ask the social worker. She shakes her head no in response. Mina is sitting on the floor, engrossed in some Nickelodeon show. "Mina-" I try to snap her out of it but fail.
"Mina I whisper yell, finally grabbing her attention.
"What is it?" She pauses the show, twisting around to face me.
I hesitate for a second and the child can see it in my face. Once I show her this piece of paper, it's over. She'll officially be our daughter forever.
Yesterday, he and I talked about it even more. We agreed to give her a private life away from the eyes of the media if we went through with it. That she should be able to chose for herself whenever she's old enough if she wants to be in the public eye or not. I've seen children of celebrities go even crazier than their parents because they used them for money from a young age. I never want to be like that and I'm holding myself to it. I'll slap the shit out of myself if I turn into one of those moms.
I smile, sitting down in front of her. "Well Kyle and I.. we thought a lot about what you asked. We decided that if you still... are sure you only want us then..." I show her the piece of paper. She's incredibly smart for her age, especially considering where she was the first six years of her life. I wonder if she was taught to read by a maid- or if she snuck the books herself. During Prince Ahmad's reign, women were allowed to read, but only very restricted literature.
Her eyes scan over just the top line, and she instantly squeals in excitement.
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FAMILY COURT
DOMESTIC RELATIONS BRANCH – ADOPTION
"There's still.. so much more paperwork to go to make it permanent but if you just sign here we get temporary custody." I say, and she hugs me before I can continue. I hug her back without hesitation this time, and that's when I feel it.
That feeling mother's describe as instantly loving somebody you barely know- to the point you'd take a bullet for them right there if you had to. I pull back after a few seconds. "I have to go to.. the Vice President'a inauguration but I can come back in an hour."
"Okayyy." She giggles. The social worker eyes me on the way out, a "thank you" look on her face. I imagine she's been on edge for a while, waiting on my response before deciding whether or not to move her into foster care. I'm glad we made that decision when we did, because if we'd waited any longer, that's exactly where she would be.
I check the time and there's still another hour or so until the inauguration, so I plop down in a sitting room overlooking the south lawn. A reporter and cameraman from every major news station is present- some still setting up, while others are already on air, babbling on about one thing or another to fill the time until she takes her oath of office for the second time in just two years.
Before the Vice presidency, she was the attorney general of California, and a Damn good one.
Time passes by quickly, so when I feel like I've only been daydreaming for five minutes, I'm informed that it's almost time. I rise, walking down to my position beside where Marisol will be standing. If you don't count the reporters, the only people present are some high rankings senators and representatives- and the Supreme Court; including, of course- the Chief Justice that'll be swearing her in.
The images of what happened at her last inauguration pass through my head briefly, but I push them away. That one had a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people- this one only has about a hundred.
A minute or so later, Marisol walks out. Her kids are with her today- along with Joe.
I did not see that one coming. Even if they've only been together for a couple of weeks, the media'll try to make it into something bigger.
"Is President Wells's lawyer now the first first-man?"
I can see the headlines now, and the thought sticks so much that I barely hear the Chief Justice as he starts talking. "Place your left hand on the Bible and repeat the oath." He hands it to Joe, and Marisol does, tucking a piece of hair behind her ears before reciting the oath she's memorized.
"I- Marisol Valeria-Rodriguez, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States... so help me god."