Slip of the Tongue


The reputation that preceded Helena Wells was that her incision skills in the morgue were secondary to her ability to cut a person down to size. She was brilliant, intimidating when she wanted to be, and a loner. People assumed she chose that area of medicine because she wasn't good with people, but they were dead wrong. Working in the morgue gave Helena time to do what she really loved. You see, Helena Wells always had a pension for inventing. Half the equipment she used in her lab were her inventions; things that were used wide and far in the medical field – even on the living. For Doctor Wells, it seemed to come naturally. After all, she came from a long line of inventors.


Myka was now doing two things she detested; lying and being unable to figure out her anxiousness. Agent Bering was an A-type personality who analyzed everything down to its smallest cause. If she felt nervous, she sat down and listed all the things that might be causing it. Then, she gave herself a good talking to; often explaining the irrationality of her fear. Then, she'd take a deep breath until she felt better. Somehow, that wasn't working for her. There was simply nothing she could think of that might cause her to feel so off kilter. In fact, the only thing that came to mind was Dr. Wells, and she had been quite charming.


Back in the hotel room that they had to share, Myka watched Pete get ready for his night out.

"So, you sure you don't want to come watch the game?" he asked again to relieve his own guilt. "I could stay." He started to drop his towel and thought better of it. He motioned for Myka to turn around, as if he really needed to. She already had her back to him.

"No! I mean, no it's fine. I might actually, you know, just…," Myka said, pointing to the bathroom where he just emerged.

"You have to go?" Pete guessed.

"No, I …," Myka said, and didn't realize she was now twirling her hair.

"You can turn around. Hey, how did your interview go with the morgue doctor?" he asked as he serious lost interest in Myka's plans.

"Oh!" Myka uttered and now guilt bubbled up inside. "It went… you know. Okay, look. She got called away and suggested we meet later to finish. So, that's what I'm doing." She stood there defiant, as if Pete twisted the truth out of her.

"Okay, well, good luck with that," he said, still thinking he had the better deal. "Not sure I could watch that woman eat steak," he thought out loud.

"Shut up, Lattimer," Myka yelled, not needing anything else to think about.

"Well, I'll see you later," Pete said as he gathered his wallet and glasses. And no stealing covers later," he reminded her.

"You don't have any covers," she smirked because she had put them on her side.

"You might want to rethink that one, Bering. I sleep in the buff," he warned.

The door slammed and Myka looked back at the bed. "Are you kidding me?" she asked, but her partner was long gone. She took the blanket and hesitated only a minute before tossing it on his side of the pillow divided bed.


An hour later, Myka had freshened up which meant she brushed her hair and teeth and applied a new coat of lip gloss. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She hadn't brought any clothes to go out in. "Well, it is still work," she said, trying to bolster her confidence. She secretly wished the doctor would show up in a white lab coat.

Myka walked into the restaurant at the location that Helena had texted her. The message ended with – 'Looking forward to seeing you,' which Myka took as odd. No one likes being interviewed by the Secret Service.

"Agent Bering," Helena said, standing when Myka approached the table. "Please forgive me for not ordering you a drink, but I didn't know if you're considered on duty or not. Please say not," the doctor smiled and Myka stared for a second.

In fact, it was more than a second. This woman oozed charm, Myka thought, and there was something about all of it that stopped her immediately. Myka took in the whole picture - Helena standing there in a black dress that hugged her shape and her hair just seemed to flow over her shoulders in perfect order.

"I don't suppose you could lose that accent," Myka blurted out because her brain calculated what percentage of the doctor's charisma was attributed to it.

"I beg your pardon?" Helena said, because she was truly confused by the statement.

So was Myka.

"Oh, gosh, sorry. I… I… water is fine," Myka smiled, hoping her host and the waiter would forget what she just said. "Thank you," she said as the waiter held the chair and promised to be right back with her choice of drink.

"So, you are on duty," Helena concluded.

"Well, I do have to interview you, so yes," Myka said and put the white napkin on her lap.

"This should help a great deal," Helena said and pulled out a folder from her pocketbook and put it on the table. "I've taken the liberty of sending a copy to your email, as well. It outlines the procedures and the staff that would be on duty, in such an event. Their bios are also enclosed and I assure you, there isn't one member on that team with less than five years' experience. Behind each of their resumes is the bio of their backup, should they be unable to perform their duties for some reason."

The doctor smiled as she pushed the folder across the table.

"Oh," Myka said and looked through the papers. "Of course…," she began to say when her host interrupted her.

"Each of these staff members will be available to you tomorrow morning. I've set up a temporary schedule."

Myka stared at the lips that just uttered the word without the American 'k' sound. "I love the way you say that," was the second thing that Myka's brain let loose. The rose wine Helena was drinking paled in comparison to the heat in Myka's cheeks.

"Thank you," Helena smiled.

"I…just," Myka said, looking away now, "…I've always loved British accents. It's sort of an American thing," she explained, hoping not to single herself out.

"Don't be fooled, Agent Bering. We're actually working undercover. We're hoping to charm you with our accents so we can steal back the colonies," Helena teased. The doctor was just realizing what few people took the time to understand; Myka Bering radiated when she smiled. Certainly, most people at her job never got to see that.

The waiter presented the menus and the two women made their selections. Myka chose a pasta and chicken dish and Helena immediately changed her mind and ordered the same. She wanted to know this woman better and she was willing to start with food.


"Tell me what your concerns are," Helena smiled from across the table.

Myka's eyes belied her words when she started to talk about work. Helena could see interest in those green orbs that had little to do with how prepared Helena would be in case of an emergency. "I guess you're used to worst case scenario because of what you do," Myka said.

"Yes, that's true," Helena said, putting down her fork. "Many think that any attempt to save a life is far over by the time the body reaches us," the doctor said and Myka could tell how sincere she was. "But I like to think that we are also in the business of saving a life, by treating the body with dignity and finding the answers no one else can find. Sometimes, Agent Bering, we're part of the last chapter of someone's life. And just like the ending of any story, we try to bring the closure the loved ones need."

Helena spoke so sincerely and with great emotion, that Myka knew this was the woman who should be present should anything happen to the President.

"Wow, I've never met anyone who put it that way," Myka said, staring at her host.

"Well, Myka, you've never met anyone like me," Helena smiled and there was a discernible twinkle in the woman's eyes.


Helena lost count how many times her responses left her guest staring and without a retort. "Tell me, Agent Bering; did you always want to be a Secret Service agent?"

Myka smiled and wiped her mouth with the napkin. "Truth be told, no," Myka said, taking a drink of water. "I wanted to be a writer growing up. My parents owned a bookstore so I grew up around books. Then, I wanted to be a doctor. Then, a lawyer. But I think it was always about wanting to right the wrongs, I guess."

Helena leaned on her hands as she watched Myka talk. It was so much easier to tell what a person was really thinking when they had light eyes, the doctor thought. It was easier to see the pupils dilate. "Sounds to me like you have many talents," Helena smiled over those hands right at Myka.

Again, the agent found her mouth opening to speak, but no words formed. "Yes," she finally said to be polite, but immediately worried she sounded conceited. "I mean, I couldn't make up my mind."

"Well, I think you must have made the right choice because you're very good at what you do," Helena said and leaned back in her chair.

"Well, I have my good days," Myka smiled, and was about to suggest that maybe Helena could call her by her first name, when she heard -

"Six awards? Outstanding duty medal three years in a row?" Helena noted in a very British tone of voice. "I dare say that certainly qualifies as the right choice."

Myka stared back at the compliment. "How did you know… about that?" the interviewer asked.

"I told you, Agent Bering; I like to know who I'm dealing with. I don't waste my time with amateurs, so I did my research," the doctor explained.

Something about that whole sentence bothered Myka. It made her feel as if Dr. Wells forgot the seriousness nature of this interview. Myka was doing the interviewing and yet, she felt as if she was the one being checked out.

Remember the part about how seriously Myka took her job?

"Doctor Wells, no matter what you found in your so called research, you would still have to answer my questions," Myka said, very seriously. She suddenly felt as if a light was shining on the table and everything she didn't want to see, was now glaring. She had ignored her instincts about this dinner, and this was the price she was paying – Doctor Wells thought she was easy going.

Across the table, Helena was going through her own crisis. The woman detested two things in this world; cold tea and being pushed. She responded poorly to both. Now that she didn't want to push back, it was Helena who fell silent. Her brain was scrambling for what one actually did in a situation like this. So far, it was coming up empty.

"Thank you for dinner, Doctor Wells," Myka said annoyed as she stood up. I would appreciate it if you would tell me what my half is so I can reimburse you tomorrow. I will look through the documents you provided and get back to you first thing in the morning with the times I want to interview the staff," Myka declared.

Helena's eyes darted back and forth as she tried to come up with what the appropriate response to this was.

"SIT DOWN!" she commanded.

No, that wasn't it.