Rudy heard the door behind him open, and turned to see Russ standing in the doorway. He motioned for Rudy to follow him out into the hall. Silently, the doctor followed the agent into a quiet waiting room several feet from the nurse's station, down the hall from Oscar's room. Russ stopped in the small area, but didn't turn around, and Rudy felt the muscles in his belly tighten in anxiety over what was coming.
Russ? Russ, what is it? When the man turned to face him, his ashen pallor sent Rudy's stomach into his throat. Oh my God, it's Jaime isn't it?
Russ' eyes flooded with tears, and the words flowed out quicker than he meant for them to. I'm sorry, Rudy, I did everything I could, I swear to God I did, but they're going to sell her to a foreign government, and we've been ordered to find them and bomb the hell out of them----Okay, it's okay. Rudy took ahold of Russ by the shoulders and gently guided him to sit down on the couch. Russ was so distraught, he could barely catch his breath, and Rudy was afraid the man might hyperventilate. It's not your fault, Russ, and I want you to calm down.
Russ nodded, but he still couldn't catch his breath. I can't tell Oscar, Rudy, I can't...he...he was depending on me...and...I can't tell him.
Rudy reached behind Russ' head and pulled his forehead into his shoulder. Shhh, it's all right. After a minute or so, Rudy pushed him slightly away and held him at arm's length. Who gave the order, Russ, was it the Secretary?
Russ shook his head. No. It was the President.
And Rudy understood the devastation. There would be no appealing this one, and no ignoring it without facing a charge of treason. Rudy let out a long sigh of air as the facts sunk in, and he stood with his hands in the pockets of his pants, and began pacing. The burning sensation in his belly was getting worse as he realized that there was no way out of this one. He looked down at Russ, who looked like he had lost the world, and Rudy knew he had to let the man off the hook. He placed a tender hand on the agent's shoulder, and after a moment, Russ looked up at him.
Rudy's voice was like a soft caress. I'll tell him.Rudy, I can't ask you to do that. It was my responsibility.That may be, Russ, but I've known him longer than anyone else, and I'll be the one to tell him; he doesn't have to hold back with me, and maybe somehow, that will lessen the blow.
Russ shook his head. It's going to destroy him, Rudy. You know how he feels about her.
Rudy looked down at the floor for a moment, trying to keep his own emotions in check, and when he looked back up at Russ, his eyes were flooded with tears. Yeah, I know.
Russ swallowed hard. I'm sorry, Rudy, I know you love her too.
The older man patted the agent on the shoulder. You go home and get some rest, and let me take care of this; you did everything you could, Russ, but you can't go up against the President.
Russ stood. Let me know how he is...after... please, Rudy.Don't worry Russ, I'll take good care of him, you know that.
Russ nodded, and slowly walked out of the room and disappeared down the hallway. Rudy ran his hands over his head and through his hair. How he was going to tell Oscar Goldman that Jaime Sommers was about to become a statistic on the OSI casualty list he didn't know, any more than he knew how either of them would survive without her. Rudy closed his eyes to steady himself; he had to find the strength within to see this through, because he couldn't bear the idea that Oscar would hear this news from anyone but him. Rudy swallowed hard and took in a large breath of air, letting it out slowly. His hand instinctively gripped his abdomen as a sharp pain stabbed into him. He pulled a bottle of pills from his pocket and swallowed one. He knew in a moment, he'd be fine, he always was; but he didn't know if Oscar would be...