To Have & To Hold

Chapter 29 - Careful Considerations

In a modern yet comfortable office sat three people with a similar goal and differing limitations. Stella, being unable to see, could keep her mother calm and quiet as long as she remained the small, helpless little girl she could easily control. President Garvey had considerable power attached to his title but it also meant he was in the public eye and had many people waiting in the wings to kick him aside if he should stumble and fall. Jaiden, being a plain Fargo boy, had no powers or say in the Hub but he did have his mind. Aside from that nobody looked at him or expected him to do much of anything which granted him a bit more freedom than either of the other two had.

Together they would have to combine these strengths and weaknesses and come up with something that would work for all three of them.

The idea to let Stella hold some type of position in the re-opening of her father's pearl plant was a good one but it couldn't take her out of the house. This due to two reasons: the position could be fulfilled perfectly well from home meaning she had no travel and Moira would get suspicious, this being Garvey's plan, and most likely boycott the whole thing. Stella would be called over for the opening but that was a trip that would take her less than a day there and back again.

The medication needed to be taken much longer than that.

That put them back at square one but none of them seemed to mind this much. The mood was inventive, motivated and hopeful and Jaiden felt sure there would be some kind of positive result from all this.

"Earlier I had an idea to have Stella set up some kind of work exchange program between the Colonies which would require her to travel around and meet with different representatives. Though I've come to understand that this would give too many Hub officials nightmares about colonists exchanging revolutionary ideas aside from the logistical headache it would cause.

Still, seeing as to how much charity work the Coyle's do for the Colonies, it would suit her to start something in one or more colonies that required her personal attention and presence." Jaiden suggested. Stella, whom seemed to no longer be upset with him over their little conversation earlier in the car, nodded and leaned forward in her chair.

"Yes, it should be something charity related and of my own accord. Something that I can announce on next week's television appearance so that it's out there in the world and she can't say or do anything about it."

She glanced toward Jaiden and gave a wry smile.

"If it were up to Jaiden here I would be announcing my eye operation to be performed on live television in a few weeks time to try and force mother's hand to let me have the medication. I somehow doubt that would work, though."

Mr Garvey changed positions when he heard that. Looking back and forth between Stella and Jaiden he cocked and eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't that work? She would be pretty mad, it's true, but a promise made on live television for all the Hub to see if hard for her to break. What reasons could she give for that not to happen? 'I don't want you to do that'? Not her decision and you should tell her so on the air.

Anything she might say off the air is useless and should be ignored. People didn't hear that. All they would hear would be that they're going to get a special show in which you regain your eyesight at long last.

Then, once you've had the operation, you can draw even more attention during your recovery."

Garvey seemed to really like the idea but Stella looked very uncomfortable. No doubt her fear of what her mother would do were running around inside her mind once again.

"You could make it even harder on her by using it to touch upon a subject most people like to ignore." Jaiden added calmly. Beside him he could see Stella bristling.