Chapter 9

Liv sat in the limousine beside Edison with her hand entwined in his and all she was thinking of was him, Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III. She loved him and she would not deny that fact again. They had been waiting in line for about fifteen minutes waiting to get up to the Kennedy Center. Going to events that the President of the United States attended required patience. She had an abundance of patience tonight. She had plotted and planned and tonight she would see Fitz.

Suddenly a pain so intense hit her chest it took her breath away. She reached for her chest and held it. Her arm suddenly began to burn like it was on fire. Her hand involuntary had gone to her head, the headache was unbearable. Then she heard him call out to her, "Olivia," he had said. She had almost screamed his name out loud, "Fitz," she had screamed in her head. "What is it, what is wrong, what is happening?"

In the next minute she heard the agent in the front seat say, "Sir there has been an incident. We have been instructed to remain right where we are. A unit will find us and pick you up. I can tell you nothing else at the moment." Edison had looked at Olivia and she was as white as a ghost. She was holding her head as though she was in intense pain. She had heard the secret service agent speak and obviously she knew something was wrong. He took one of her hands in his and tried to reassure her. But she seemed catatonic. She did not seem to hear him. Her eyes were fixed ahead and she was just staring.

Suddenly his door was opened. Agents he did not recognize said for him to come with them. They said there had been an incident and he was to come with them immediately. "What about Miss Pope," he inquired? They said to come with them right now and literally pulled him from the car. Liv was in a full panic he could see it in her eyes, yet she was speechless. He had no choice but to leave with the agents. He was the Senate Majority Leader and something had happened, they were following protocol. Liv would be safe here. He called out to her once more as he left the car. Nothing.

The car door closed and Olivia Pope uttered her first words out loud. It was actually a scream. "Fitzzz!" She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the Fitz phone. It was ringing but he did not answer. Next she called Cyrus Beene. He picked up on the second ring. "Cyrus please, what has happened to him," she pleaded? He answered back, "The President has been shot." She banged at the limousine door she had to get out of this car and go to him. "Cyrus please help me, please!"

"Olivia where are you?" She told him where she was. She was to stay where she was he would come for her. She did not believe him but she did not know what else to do. She was calling out to Fitz but he was not responding. She feared that he was dead. She was sure that her heart had stopped beating minutes ago and she was dead herself. She sat there thinking of all the time she had wasted being apart from him and now he was gone, dead. No he wasn't dead she would know if he were dead. He was hurt but he wasn't dead.

Suddenly a door opened and an agent said to come with him. She did. She walked with him to another car a sports utility type vehicle and he told her to wait there. Her phone rang and she answered it. "Liv, they will bring you to the hospital I will meet you outside. Someone tried to kill him Liv, someone tried to kill the fucking President. I don't know if he is dead or alive, but he needs you if he is to survive. He needs to know you are there for him. Liv can I count on you," he had asked her?

All she said was "I love him Cyrus."

By the time she reached the hospital she was totally traumatized. She had to see him and tell him she loved him. He had to know that she was there. He had to know that she loved him and she would never leave him again. God why was this happening? Who would do such a thing? She sat there wondering how she could go on in a world without him. She could not. She sat there about to explode waiting and waiting.

Suddenly a door opened and someone said come with me. They were somewhere outside of a hospital, but there was not the usual entrance. It was all very unusual. Then she could see Cyrus in the distance. She was actually going through a check point. It was very similar to an airport screening but they were literally undressing her. She finally heard Cyrus say, let her through she is clean. She ran to him and popped off at least five questions.

"Liv I don't know any more than you do at this point, come with me," he said. He took her hand and they walked inside. They took an elevator that seemed to never stop. They stepped from it into a world bustling with activity. Medical personnel was running in and out of a room at the end of the hall. There was a sense of dread on the faces of everyone that came from that area.

They walked to a room about three doors from where all the activity was going on. Cyrus stuck his head inside and she heard him say, "Mellie are you alright?" Mellie ran up to the doorway. She said, "Cy, have you heard anything, I think they are keeping the truth from me. He is dead. Isn't he?" She saw her then and the hatred in her eyes flared. "What in the hell is his whore doing here? Cyrus," she was screaming!

"Mellie don't, not now. He needs her here. This is not about you. I know you want it to be, but it is not. He needs to feel her presence here. I am sorry if your fucking ego is bruised. But this is about the President of the United States of America and what he needs right now. And if you start your Mellie antics I swear to God I will have your ass removed. I swear to God. I. Will. So pull in your claws, sit your broom in a corner, and for once in your life try to think of someone else other than yourself," he said to her between clinched teeth. He was livid.

Liv had turned her back the moment Mellie started to talk. She wasn't in the mood to be called whore tonight. She would bitch slap her ass. She knew she hated her, she gave her that. Mellie knew she was sleeping with her husband and she also knew her husband loved her. And no doubt she knew she loved her husband back. She imagined it was a hard pill to swallow. She had put herself in Mellie's shoes and she had taken all the abuse she had thrown at her because she felt she deserved it. But not tonight, she had better not try her tonight! The bitch might get herself something she does not want. Cyrus was right, this was about Fitz tonight!