Free Virus-72 Hours to Live by Ray Jay Perreault Page A

so important or I'd grab the kids and head
home. But I've got to make it through.
    The doorbell rang and there was a waiter
with a cart with two breakfasts on top. The two secret service
guards were standing next to him and they had likely already
checked the cart and food.
    Abby tried to speak and had trouble getting
the first word out. "Thanks, you're bringing up the other two
breakfasts at 8:00 for the kids?" she asked with a definite gurgle
in her throat.
    "Yes, mam. The other breakfasts will be
delivered at 8:00AM. I'll make sure although they are a little
short on the kitchen staff this morning."
    "Thanks and pass thanks to the kitchen
staff."
    "Thanks, mam," the waiter said as he left
the suite.
    Evette wasn't escorting the breakfast in as
she usually did, "Do either of you know where Evette is?" She asked
the two secret service men.
    "Here she comes mam," one of the agents said
as Evette slowly turned into the doorway.
    "Evette you don't look very well. Maybe we
all have the same thing. Dave and Beth are both sick and I'm
canceling their day. How are you doing?"
    "Not very well. Let's eat and if it stays
down, maybe I can make it through the day."
    "Evette, I don't know what I'd do without
you. Let's get this over with so we both relax a little."
    It seemed like the breakfast took forever.
Abby or Evette would talk a little then they would do their best to
get some breakfast down and sip a little coffee. It was obvious
they weren't doing well and the lack of detail discussed made that
evident.
    "Evette, I'm not feeling well. The longer I
sit here, the worse I feel. Would you please cancel everything for
us today? I think we need a day to rest and recuperate. You look
like you need some down time too."
    "I'm sorry, but I think you're right. When I
get back to my room, I'll send for a Doctor and let the White House
know what's going on." Evette tried to laugh a little and
continued, "If I can make it."
    "Don't forget to let the French delegation
know that we're canceling the activities today and give them a
typical sick mother and sick child explanation. It has nothing to
do with them."
    "Yes, I almost forget them. I'll send them a
fancy note giving them our regrets."
    They both smiled a little and ended the
breakfast.
    "Evette, I'm going back to bed and the kids
are both asleep. Please check on us in a couple of hours and maybe
we can talk more then."
    "Ok, I'm heading to my room right now.
Suddenly I feel worse."
    "Evette, take care of yourself," Abby said
as she saw her friend walk down the hall. She closed the door and
stumbled back to her bed. It sounded like a good plan to nap for a
little while then check on the kids.
    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
    Arnold Patterson was enjoying a few minutes
in his relatively small study right beside the Oval Office; he was
mentally going over the main events of the day. The president's
study hadn't changed much over the last couple of presidencies. It
was a small office beside the Oval Office. The 'day-to-day'
business was done in the study, but when the president needed to
appear 'presidential' he worked in the Oval Office. When he had
time between meetings, the study was a great place to be quiet and
think.
    The carpet was thick and the walls had a
couple of small bookcases. Past presidents, who wanted to impress
visitors, had the bookcases full of famous novels. Arnold wasn't
like that he filled his shelves with mementos of his presidency and
past terms in the Senate. He was proud of what he had accomplished.
It was easy for him to have pictures, baseballs, small toys from
children, a hand painted rock and a hardened moose dropping from
Wyoming mounted on a plaque. Many of them were serious and
represented battles hard fought which he had won, but there were
many that reflected the lighter side of helping people and how they
tried to show their thanks.
    The window in front of his desk had the
amazing view of the White House lawn and in the distance the
towering spire of the Washington