Chapter 6

As the debris quit falling, Abbey slowly began to regain consciousness. She suddenly realized what had happened. An earthquake!

"Jed!" She shouted, but got no response. "Jed!" Still no response.

As she tried to move, her right leg wouldn't respond with the rest of her body. She struggled to see clearly. The last thing she remembered was Jed trying to pull her under a table while the whole building came down around them. In the darkness, she raised her left hand and found open air. That meant that the table had not protected her.

She moved her hand further down her body, checking for any damage. She reached her right knee and realized the table had toppled, pinning her knee and leg. As she tried to move, the pain waves were so intense she quietly screamed.

'Okay,' she thought. 'I won't do that again.'

But she had to find Jed.

Again she called out, "JED!"

"Ma'am, just stay still. We need to find a stretcher and then we'll move you."

A Secret Service agent appeared in her line of vision with a flashlight. Cuts on her face showed that she had also gotten caught in the debris, but was still able to get around.

"Where's my husband?"

"We've located the President and are in the process of removing debris from around him. He's conscious and talking with us. I think he has some cuts from the glass and maybe a mild concussion. I'm not a doctor, but we're trying to get one here right now. As you can expect, it's very chaotic right now. He's very worried about you and the rest of the family."

"Oh my God! How is everybody?"

"Ma'am, we don't know yet. Our priority is the President, but we are searching for the others."

Abbey tried not to cry, but it was an effort not to give in to the pain and sadness. Her heart sank when the agent had informed her that they had not yet found the rest of her family. She knew that the agents' priority was Jed, and that they would do all they could for the others. But her heart was heavy.

"Okay, ma'am. We're going to lift you now. Please hold still while we put you on the stretcher."

Abbey knew what was coming next. Intense pain as her leg was moved with the rest of her body to the stretcher. She tried to hold back but a scream escaped. "Shit!"

The pain decreased just a little after she was situated on the stretcher, but waves of pain were continuing to roll across her body. Straps were fastened around her so she would not fall. As the agents moved to take her out of the demolished dining room, she screamed, "NO! Not without my husband!"

"Ma'am, you need medical attention right now." The agent insisted that she be moved.

"NO! I will not leave until I know about my husband and the rest of my family."

A familiar voice reached through the pain. "Now, Abigail. Don't give these people any trouble."

The voice was soon replaced by a face she longed to see. Bright blue eyes looked at her from above.

"You do need immediate medical attention. I'll stay while the agents find the others. Now go on and don't give these nice people any more trouble."

Abbey looked at Jed and saw cuts scattered across his face. One cut looked particularly nasty, and an agent was trying to place a bandage on it.

"Jed, I'll go on but with one promise. You must promise me to get some help for you first. These people, as you call them, are professionals and will do everything it takes to find our family. Do you promise?"

Jed knew that saying yes was the only way Abbey was going to leave him. "Okay. I'll let them take care of me for right now. But I like it better when we play doctor."

"Jed!" Although it was no secret that this First Couple expressed deep love for each other on a regular basis, the actual public discussion of their games was just a bit embarrassing.

Jed smiled as Abbey blushed. "Your sunburn is showing!"

After giving her a quick kiss, he turned to the agents he said, "Take care of her."

"Yes, Mr. President. We will."