Page 90 of Powerless

“Thank you.” Jamie is gone, and I’m left to my work.

I’m researching the work I’m doing, looking at a new bill we’re hoping to send to Capitol Hill soon.

My stomach rumbles at the reminder that I haven’t eaten anything yet. I should ask Jamie to go down to the mess and get me something. I could use the call button on my desk to call through to the kitchen, but I really want to get this day over with and spend time with Kathryn. I check the time and grumble when I see it’s now only four-thirty-two and I know I still have so much work to do.

My door bursts open, and Esther’s frantic. A blanket of cold washes over me. “What is it?” I ask, trying to keep my composure.

“Get up to the residence, now!” she screams and points toward the door.

Kathryn.

I’m up and out of my chair within a heartbeat. I blast through the door and run toward the elevator. “Mr. President,” Mark says, already at the elevator with the door open waiting for me.

“What’s happening, Mark?” I ask on the climb up to the residence. Mark’s jaw tightens as he lowers his chin. “What’s happening?” I yell.

The door opens and I run toward our bedroom.

All the air leaves my body when I see the doctor performing chest compressions on Kathryn. “Mr. President, you can’t be here,” the doctor calls out forcefully.

Mark tries to pull me out of the room, and I turn and swing at him. “Don’t!” I yell. Mark lifts his hands and takes a step back. I run toward the bed, but the nurses and the doctor are blocking my path to get to Kathryn. Kathryn’s head is turned toward me and her eyes are open. “Baby, baby, Kathryn...” Her eyes are glassy and vacant, her lips are tinged with blue, and there’s a sickening gray hue over her skin. “Baby,” I whisper.

The doctor stops compressions and takes a step back. “I’m sorry, Mr. President.”

“What? What? No!” I leap onto the bed and start compressions myself. “Come on!” I scream.

“Mr. President,” the doctor says as he attempts to put his hand on my shoulder.

“I’ll fucking save her.” I push him away and get back to the compressions. “Come on, baby, breathe for me, breathe.” The nurses step backward as the room fills with useless fucking people. “Help her!” I scream.

The doctor lowers his head and takes a deep breath. “She’s gone.”

“No, no she’s not.” I refuse to believe she’s not with me anymore.

“Time of death, four-fifty-eight.”

“No!” My compressions become fewer and slower. I look over to the doctor and shake my head. “No!” I scoop Kathryn in my arms and hold her against my body. “Come on, baby, you can’t leave me! Don’t leave me like this. Please.” Her lips are cold as I blow air into her mouth. “I’ll breathe for you, baby. I’ll breathe for you.” I keep trying to blow air into her mouth. But nothing I do is working. “Come on!”

Clasping Kathryn closer to me, I try everything. I rub my hand up and down her cold arms attempting to warm her. “No...no!” My chest tightens as the grim realization dawns over me. “No!” Sagging against the bed, I cradle Kathryn as my tears fall and my heart shatters. “No,” my voice cracks. I gently pet her hair and kiss her forehead. Her lifeless body is slumped against me as I hold her so tightly I don’t ever want to let her go.

I’m the most powerful man in the world, yet I’m powerless to save my wife.

“Please,” I plead in a small voice. “Come back to me.”

“Mr. President,” the doctor says and lays his hand on my shoulder.

“I can’t let her go. Please, don’t make me.”

“Mr. President...” I hear Liam calling. I look up to see him assessing the room. “Clear the room.” Everyone walks out and Liam closes the door. He walks over to me, and lays his hand on my back. “Bennett, I’m sorry,” his voice is small.

“She has to come back to me.” I look over my shoulder toward Liam. Tears are clinging to his cheeks as he tries to hold in his own sorrow. “I can’t do this without her.”

He shakes his head and kneels beside me and Kathryn on the floor. He hesitantly reaches out to touch her hand. “I’m sorry,” he says.

“I let her down, Liam. I failed her.”

There’s a long silence between us. “Bennett, you have to let her go.”

“I can’t.”

---