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Authors: William Bernhardt
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it’s the right thing to do. What everyone needs. A feeling of unity. Strength. Resilience. What do you think he’s going to say?”
Ben shrugged.
“Ben, you
are
going back to Washington, aren’t you? The president is addressing a joint session. I’m no political expert, but I’m pretty sure that means the U.S. senators are supposed to be there.”
“I’m not a real senator.”
“Ben—at the moment, you’re the only senator this state has got.”
It was too sad, too true. With Tidwell killed in the explosion, and the governor hesitant to name a successor so soon after the tragedy, Ben was Oklahoma’s only rep in the Senate.
Kate gently laid her hand over Ben’s. “We need you in Washington, Ben. You go back and do your job. I’ll stay here with Mike.”
He turned slowly. “That’s why Christina sent you, isn’t it? To take my place. So I’d go to Washington.”
Kate’s eyes told him all he needed to know.
Ben waited until Kate had closed the door behind her; then he leaned forward, his eyes on Mike. “I remember when our roles were reversed, pal. After I took that spill at the refinery and ended up in the hospital, out for days. You stayed by me. I may not have known it at the time…but then again, somehow I think I did. And I like to think you know I’m here now.”
He drew in his breath. “I have to go now. But I’ll still be thinking of you. I will not forget—anything. I especially won’t forget that you tossed my butt out of that car before you saved your own. If it had gone the other way around, you’d still be hale and hearty. You took that explosion for me, and the president. You did what you always do. Took care of others better than you take care of yourself. And I won’t forget it—ever.”
He steadied himself with the metal guardrail.
“I will do everything in my power to make sure that this does not happen again. Not to anyone else. Not ever. That’s what you would do, if you were here. So since you can’t—I’ll do it for you.”
He opened the door and handed Kate
The Oxford Book of English Verse.
“He’s all yours now.”
As he rose, he gave Mike one last look.
Come back to us, Mike. Please.
5
C HAMBER OF THE H OUSE OF R EPRESENTATIVES
W ASHINGTON , D.C.
“W here’s the script?” Christina kept asking. “Don’t we get advance copies? We always get advance copies.”
“I asked Jimmy twice,” Ben said, as they took their designated seats in the chamber. “There are no copies.”
“But—that’s just not done. The President of the United States does not address a joint session without providing advance copies.”
“This isn’t the State of the Union address.”
“No, this will probably be about a thousand times more important than the State of the Union address. People will actually be watching.”
“I hear what you’re saying,” Ben replied, as the throng of senators and representatives and staff began taking their seats. “But the fact remains. There are no advance copies.”
“Did Jimmy give a reason?”
Ben hesitated. “He did, but…well, it almost seems too incredible to believe, much less repeat.”
“Don’t hold out on me, hubby. What did the man say?”
“Jimmy said…” Ben took a deep breath. “He said the president wasn’t quite sure yet exactly what he was going to say.”
Christina looked at him with eyes wide as Frisbees. “The president has requested an invitation to address a special joint session—but he hasn’t decided yet what he’s going to say?”
“I know. Difficult to imagine.”
Christina shook her head sadly. “I suppose anything is possible. The man just lost his wife in a horrible, violent manner. He must be more shaken up than we realized.”
As Ben gazed around the huge and historic chamber, he saw that most of the key players had taken their designated seats, just as they would if this were the State of the Union address. Near the front of the chamber, the joint chiefs of staff sat in a
Ben shrugged.
“Ben, you
are
going back to Washington, aren’t you? The president is addressing a joint session. I’m no political expert, but I’m pretty sure that means the U.S. senators are supposed to be there.”
“I’m not a real senator.”
“Ben—at the moment, you’re the only senator this state has got.”
It was too sad, too true. With Tidwell killed in the explosion, and the governor hesitant to name a successor so soon after the tragedy, Ben was Oklahoma’s only rep in the Senate.
Kate gently laid her hand over Ben’s. “We need you in Washington, Ben. You go back and do your job. I’ll stay here with Mike.”
He turned slowly. “That’s why Christina sent you, isn’t it? To take my place. So I’d go to Washington.”
Kate’s eyes told him all he needed to know.
Ben waited until Kate had closed the door behind her; then he leaned forward, his eyes on Mike. “I remember when our roles were reversed, pal. After I took that spill at the refinery and ended up in the hospital, out for days. You stayed by me. I may not have known it at the time…but then again, somehow I think I did. And I like to think you know I’m here now.”
He drew in his breath. “I have to go now. But I’ll still be thinking of you. I will not forget—anything. I especially won’t forget that you tossed my butt out of that car before you saved your own. If it had gone the other way around, you’d still be hale and hearty. You took that explosion for me, and the president. You did what you always do. Took care of others better than you take care of yourself. And I won’t forget it—ever.”
He steadied himself with the metal guardrail.
“I will do everything in my power to make sure that this does not happen again. Not to anyone else. Not ever. That’s what you would do, if you were here. So since you can’t—I’ll do it for you.”
He opened the door and handed Kate
The Oxford Book of English Verse.
“He’s all yours now.”
As he rose, he gave Mike one last look.
Come back to us, Mike. Please.
5
C HAMBER OF THE H OUSE OF R EPRESENTATIVES
W ASHINGTON , D.C.
“W here’s the script?” Christina kept asking. “Don’t we get advance copies? We always get advance copies.”
“I asked Jimmy twice,” Ben said, as they took their designated seats in the chamber. “There are no copies.”
“But—that’s just not done. The President of the United States does not address a joint session without providing advance copies.”
“This isn’t the State of the Union address.”
“No, this will probably be about a thousand times more important than the State of the Union address. People will actually be watching.”
“I hear what you’re saying,” Ben replied, as the throng of senators and representatives and staff began taking their seats. “But the fact remains. There are no advance copies.”
“Did Jimmy give a reason?”
Ben hesitated. “He did, but…well, it almost seems too incredible to believe, much less repeat.”
“Don’t hold out on me, hubby. What did the man say?”
“Jimmy said…” Ben took a deep breath. “He said the president wasn’t quite sure yet exactly what he was going to say.”
Christina looked at him with eyes wide as Frisbees. “The president has requested an invitation to address a special joint session—but he hasn’t decided yet what he’s going to say?”
“I know. Difficult to imagine.”
Christina shook her head sadly. “I suppose anything is possible. The man just lost his wife in a horrible, violent manner. He must be more shaken up than we realized.”
As Ben gazed around the huge and historic chamber, he saw that most of the key players had taken their designated seats, just as they would if this were the State of the Union address. Near the front of the chamber, the joint chiefs of staff sat in a
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