Elizabeth sat on the edge of her bed, the light pyjama top rippling against her warm skin as she rubbed her temples in frustration. Inhaling deeply she reached for her glasses and attempted to focus on her phone. 'What's the matter babe?' Henry grumbled still half asleep.
'Another, freaking headache' she sighed woefully. 'And WHN' she got up and felt herself go woozy, taking a second to reach equilibrium.
'I'll get you some coffee, and advil' Henry jumped out of bed cuddling his wife as she floated across the room to get a shower. She had been particularly stressed lately, her woes resting on a world lilting from crisis to crisis.
It was a few weeks away from Christmas and he prayed that the religious celebrations of the globe may cause them enough peace to get out to the farm for a long weekend. He stumbled down the stairs, filling the coffee pot whilst he tried to wake up properly.
'Did I mention you are the best human in the land?' Elizabeth smiled as she came down the stairs, pressed and ready for the day. Her thin body clad in a pale grey skirt and white blouse. He handed her some coffee and a bagel, toasted and slathered in peanut butter. She wrinkled her nose at the food. 'Just the advil? I'm a little nauseous.'
'Nope, you're a prime candidate for an ulcer.' He watched her take a few mouthfuls, gagging like she had when she was pregnant. 'Ok,' he smiled, 'now you may have your advil' he dispensed it into her hand and gave her some water, instinctively reaching for her forehead with his hand. 'No fever.'
'I'm fine, I think it's the stress, if I'm no better by tonight I'll get back in touch Dr Mccord' He was slightly taken a back but then caught her wry smile. She leant in for a hug and he relished the moment squeezing her and almost causing the coffee to spill. 'check in at lunchtime babe? That way if we need to get in touch with your doctor we'll get time?' He heard her chortle, she wouldn't go unless it was necessary, and wait until things got really bad, but at least he had planted the seed.
'I love you' he yelled as she shut the inner door. Reaching for his phone he messaged Blake to ask him to keep an eye on her.
Certainly Dr Mccord, should I ration the caffeine?
No, you'll not survive the day.
Henry chucked as he got a skull emoticon back, heading upstairs to rally Jason for school.
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Elizabeth jumped into her motorcade as the crisp winter air hit her lungs, she felt overheated already, a feeling normally reserved for the situation room. She often pondered why they didn't have the air con upgraded in that windowless pit. Nausea overtook her as the SUV lurched onto Washington Avenue, 'careful Matt, I'll end up wearing my breakfast' he caught her eye in the rear view mirror.
'Sure Madam Secretary, Russell asked me to put a step on it' Elizabeth rolled her eyes. The advil was taking a while to kick in, mindfulness she figured might ease the tension. She could get a minute in whilst they went through security, tapping her wrist the breath app pinged on her watch, guiding her to focus on the task at hand.
Handing her coat to the aide who met her at the white house she carefully took the steps in one at a time, placing her hand on the palm reader to get access to the room, slipping her glasses off as she met the retinal scan front on.
MSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMS
After a long and arduous morning figuring out another Russian drama she sat down to her desk, a pile of note stacked for her attention. 'Lunch?' Blake was hanging her jacket and tidying her light grey cashmere pashmina into order, he had bought her it as a Christmas gift and it was her go piece now, he appreciated people who liked style.
'Ehm, just some Fruit and a coffee please Blake' she started flipping through the files, her vision still intermittently swimming.
'Matt kept a bear-claw for you from the morning meeting, I'll take that through as well.' He could see her struggling more than normal, the grimace of pain on her forehead.
'Great, thanks. You better put Henry's call through as well.' Blake smirked, she knew that Henry had been asking him to keep an eye on her and he knew he would tell a bit of a white lie to keep her husband happy. It was a dance they repeated on a daily basis, the American Smooth of micromanaging Bess when she wasn't quite aware of needing to ease off the gas a bit.
'Henry…. I'm fine' she took her pen out, realising the stack was signing for her attention. 'Blake's getting me some fruit, and a bear-claw.' She started launching the manila folders onto the floor as she scrawled on them. 'Headaches, feeling nauseated and dizzy are either pregnancy or hysteria, don't you think the doctor is a bit of overkill?' Standing up she placed the phone in reach of her sofa as she walked over to sit down. 'Henry, I'll be okay.' As she sat down her vision swam more than it had and she let the phone drop, slumping onto her sofa as her head pounded. Henry began yelling down the phone, ringing off and calling Blake.
'Get the medic' he demanded down the phone, 'I'm on my way over.' He didn't really care that it would cause a scene, his wife, for no good reason had fainted in her office. 'She needs to see her doctor today, clear her schedule.'
By the time Henry had rushed to his wife's side she had regained a bit of colour and was sitting up. A medic was checking her pulse and blood pressure as she answered his interrogation. 'No, it's probably a viral thing, White house is a smorgasbord of germs. Oh hi,' she smiled watching Henry cross the room and take the seat beside her, distracting herself from the fussing going on. 'I'm okay, pulse is a bit fast but it's okay'
'BP is 150/60. Mam that's that not your baseline.' She nodded, looking away as the cuff was taken off and tidied away. Her shirt was untucked and crumpled, 'I don't think you should continue work today, if it's a virus these things normally go quicker if you rest at home and stay hydrated.'
'She's going to see her own doctor at 2pm' Henry stated matter of fact, rubbing gentle circles on her back, she shot him a pleading look,' no arguments Elizabeth, you don't faint for no reason.'
'You're being dramatic. But if it stops you worrying…fine' Blake had come back into the room with a small plate of fruit and some herbal tea. 'I'm not really hungry.'
'I don't really care babe, you need to eat a little something.' Henry held the plate beside her as she picked up the fork and gingerly started eating the melon, giving him side eye as he watched to make sure she ate everything.
'The Motorcade will be ready in 10 minutes, I'll have Gerrard the medic send the vitals over to your doctor's office and give you guys some peace.' Henry silently thanked Blake and continued to cajole Elizabeth into eating more food.