87. Mr.President

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Anthony

This is odd. I've been in this room countless times before, but never alone. All of Tanya's stuff is still in place- ready to be moved out once things settle down. I sometimes think the universe is playing a joke on me with how insane the past three years have been.

I finished my degree in communications, went to intern for a congressional candidate in New York nobody had heard of until her campaign started picking up, got hired by a senator- then I was a senator just eight weeks later. A few weeks after that I was nominated for the Vice presidency.

In D.C, even the calm moments are chaotic. So while the public news cycles may have been slow at points, I've always been busy advancing the president's agenda.

For the past year, my mother's been in and out of treatment facilities for heroin and cocaine addictions.

Six months ago, her general physician called to inform me her body was shutting down. Her organs were all hanging on by threads, but the dose she'd taken that morning could have killed a five hundred pound man that took similar doses regularly.

I wanted to be there if she did die, so I didn't tell anybody but my publicist and secret service where I was going. We took one of the discreet jets.

When we got there and I saw her hooked up to medical devices I couldn't begin to describe, I nearly lost it. Guilt coursed through me. I kept thinking if I'd been there for her- if I'd stayed around after dad died, she wouldn't have slipped under again for the first time in a decade.

I sat beside her bed for hours just holding her hands. At one point Maggie told me there was severe flooding in Sacramento because of a tropical storm I hadn't been paying attention to- and Medical staff came in and out, but we were left alone for the most part.

I contemplated shutting off some of the devices and pulling the IV's from her arms to put her out of her misery. I could have done it too- in fact I was seconds away when another doctor walked in saying something about her vitals slowly climbing.

  Seconds.

  Seconds was all it took for me to go from having given up on her- and demanding the best doctors in the county.

  I flew the White House physician in. He must've told her- or he told one of his assistants, but somehow, Tanya found out.

  She wouldn't.

  I have to believe she wouldn't go to Meg Haines with shit- that her words were nothing more than threats.

  I hope.

  To get what she wants.... maybe. But what kind of a President would I be if I let my predecessors leave the country during a time like this?

We have people from every available government agency working day and night to extract intelligence from our spies and search for ones who can get him out safely themselves. It's been days but... surely they're enough. They have to be.

  I pick up the phone on Tanya's- my desk, and wait for Luna.

"Good Morning, Mr.President."  She says a little too cheerfully. "Who do you need me to put on the line?"

"Dr.Brown... please tell him it's urgent."

  "Is everything alright Mr. President ? Shall I call for a medicopter too?" On the other end, she types a quick text.

  "No just... connect him."

  "Yes sir."

  Ew. I can see why Tanya hates that so much.

  Sure, people called me sir and Mr.Vice President all the time- but it makes me feel so much older with the removal of that one word from my title. I impatiently tap my foot, knowing the longer this takes- the better chance she has at getting out.

  "Mr.President- what can I do for you?" The familiar deep voice comes through. "It's been a while."

  "I don't have time to catch up right now. I need you to place Tanya Clark under a temporary psychiatric watch or suicide watch or just.... something that'd prevent her from flying."

  "Mr.President.... Are you asking me to...."

  "Treat the former president like a private citizen whose friend is concerned for her safety? Absolutely."

  "Mr.President I... neither of us have the authority to do that but-"

  "Then who does?"

"You'd have to go through a judge but..." he sighs. "They'd tell you the same thing I'm about to: Since she's still under secret service protection and has made no indication of officially renouncing it and hasn't shown clear suicidal tendencies, the case would get thrown out."

  "So theoretically, if I were able to prove her and her head of security have gotten too close and become more of a... friendship, would that affect anything?"

  "Well I'm not a lawyer but theoretically .... No, not without irrefutable proof that the friendship is bordering on romantic. Is it, Mr.President?"

  "No but...."

"I heard about Walter. So sad... is this phone call related to that in any way? Some confidential aspect of the investigation?"

  "Can't confirm or deny anything you just said."

  "Of course-" he sighs. "Mr.President if that's all I'd really like to get back to my paperwork. Your security team's making me redo my background checks."

  "I'll...sorry doctor."

  Fuck.

  "Mr.President-" I look up, apparently with an expression that says I want to murder someone from the way the agent pauses. "I'm sorry for the intrusion. We received another video."

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