Hi there! So this is the 3rd drabble on this ADHD subject, and possibly, the last one for a while.
I really like Elizabeth and Blake's budding friendship.
Thank you for the positive feedback!
This chapter shows how difficult it is to do what is best for oneself even when we rationally know exactly what we need. And also how vexing it might be to take care of someone.
They've been going back to back with the Saudis. Yes she was stressed, Blake got that but his patience was starting to falter. The first glass of water he got her was still intact since this morning, the French omelet was forgotten untouched on the coffee table getting cold and now she was on the phone pacing the floors with a step on her that screamed irritation with a hint of a full bladder - if he had to guess.
Hearing her say her goodbyes to the person on the line, assertively asking for an update in an hour, he lingered in the office waiting to catch her alone for a word.
Untangling the phone cord from the computer screen before it took a dive to the floor and putting it back, Elizabeth looked at him with a knowing look "Yes Blake, what is it? I can literally feel the anxiousness sipping from you"
"It's actually exasperation mam" - He took the food to put it in front of her on the desk.
"ah ah" she took a seat at her desk eyeing the plate with unamused.
"Mam we need to talk and you need to eat and maybe take a nap, so I took the liberty of blanking out your schedule for the next 45 min" He brought the water cup and napkin from the coffee table to the desk as well. He had a no-BS look on his face.
"Ugh Blaaake, I have sooo much to do, you can't just do that." She was frustrated and antsy and running on a high of hyperfocus and no sleep.
"Mam with all due respect, you asked me to be your guy" he said doing air quotes "This is me being your guy and playing the mean card. I'm gonna close that door and redirect phone calls to Jay and Nadine and you are gonna drink at least a full glass of water, pee, and eat at least half of that omelet." He was using his fingers to count everything stressfully. "ah and we are going to talk - because this" - he said pointing between them both "needs to improve before I lose my sanity running around after you".
"oh-okay I guess I-I can do that" - man, he was mad.
"ok then" That's settled Blake thought. "I'll be back in a minute"
After letting Nadine know that the Secretary should not be interrupted, he came back to the office and heard the water running in the bathroom. He took a seat in front of the desk taking the time to center himself a little, smoothing his tie a little.
"How did you know I had to pee?" - Elizabeth came into the room still tugging her blouse inside her pants.
"I'm observant mam, and you pay me to." She rolled her eyes and gave him a smirk sitting down on her chair. She eyed the omelet with little interest but picked up the fork anyway. "So what's up?"
"I'm feeling kinda lost here, to be honest, Mam. I'm supposed to help take care of you, and I know that this is the job but you have to give me something here. With all due respect, you need to listen to me when I tell you to eat or to take five. You literally asked me to do it. But here I am running around accomplishing nothing because you refuse to let me do exactly what you ordered me to do" he finished huffing. He shuddered a little, afraid he had gone too far. Man, he needed to get a grip on this frustration!
Taking a deep breath Elizabeth played a little with her food winning some time to consider her next words.
Taking a bite she started "First of all Blake, it's not been that bad. I listen to you."
He gave her a "really?!" kind of stare - "Mam, respectfully it is 2:34 in the afternoon and you haven't eaten anything today other than those two bites. And don't even try because I'm not being fooled anymore, Dr. McCord texted and I'm well aware that you didn't have breakfast at home."
Elizabeth huffed staring at him, she looked like a schoolgirl who got caught skipping class. "I'm sorry, you're right. I'm not helping am I? I'll try to listen to you more, but you have to know that I'll still send you to the curve sometimes."
He just let out a baffled smile "That's ok Mam, no need to be sorry. But I have a suggestion, something like a system or code that we both could follow" - He let that hang in the air waiting for her approval to continue.
"ok but before you continue, please call me Elizabeth when it's just us Blake, Mam this, Mam that it's actually pretty distracting to follow what you're saying." She said confessing, still not used to the title and etiquette of the job.
"Ok -Elizabeth" he replied with a soft smile. Clasping his hands over is legs he continued "So, my offer is to create a few rules to follow. Like for example, when I remind you that it's been a few hours since you ate, you have two opportunities to push it, but by the third time, you'll have to eat something. My pitch would be to do something along those lines also for other things, like jogging, water, and naps. What do you think?"
She took a moment to think about it, forking another piece of the omelet to eat, now with much more appetite. "Ok, I'll bite - ahah, see what I did there?"
"Yes, you are hilarious Elizabeth"
"But seriously you might be onto something. Set it out for me"
"Well, with the food you have 2 passes a day, but we will alwaaaays do breakfast got it? And water, I was thinking at least 5 cups of water or tea a day which I've tried every day for the past month and failed miserably. Going for that run you like, has been tricky I know, but if we put it on Sundays Dr. McCord said he could do it with you. On good weeks we'll schedule a second run during the week, we'll try Tuesday lunchtime and adjust if necessary."
"Will you go on a run with me?" She asked teasing, already knowing the answer.
"God no! There's only so much I'm willing to do for you" He answered without missing a bit.
Elizabeth chuckled and continued eating, getting him an opportunity to continue.
"So naps - Every time you pull an all-nighter or you get home after 3 am we will have 30 min in your calendar after lunch to close your eyes. What do you think of all of this? Of course, you can count on my good sense to not be pushy about any of this when Armageddon hangs over our heads. But any other day of mild disasters I'll do it. And if at any moment you tell me to back off I'll do it of course" He finished openly, this only worked if she could trust him.
"You really are an overachiever, Blake." She said half-joking with a glint of motherly pride in her eye.
"Well it takes one to know one" he chuckled in response.
"We'll give this plan of yours a go." She said finally, putting the fork down and ending with a "Happy?" That was as much about his plan as it was about the food.
"Yes, thank you very much. We can do this, I'm sure of it!" He said hyping himself up for it.
"I believe you! And even if it irks me, you and Henry talking is a good thing I guess. You even managed to get a run and a date into my schedule" Now she was full-on teasing him, the audacity he thought.
Taking the food tray and heading for the door Blake felt positive about this little plan of his. "You still have 25 min for that nap and there's dessert in the first drawer"
"Uuuh a sneakers!" By the time he was pushing the door open to leave, she was already going for the first bite.
Looking back one last time he said "And Mam just so we are clear, coffee is not water, so don't try to play coy with me about it".
They were all in the meeting room, scattered standing all around going through the final details of their next move. Elizabeth was taking a final look at Matt's speech, the one that she would be doing in the press conference room in a minute. Daisy was rambling away about the optics and how this could be bad for the administration, but the decision was made. Elizabeth could not be quiet about an issue like this one. Getting an emergency package of food and medicine to a refugee camp with an ebola outbreak shouldn't be this difficult. And she was sure that talking about it to the press would bring the necessary attention to the issue even if Congress had shut down the aid before. It was a low move, she would have to deal with Russell, but that was a problem for later.
Daisy's antics were getting to Elizabeth and she was giving her a side eye from now and then while reviewing Matt's speech.
"This is great work Matt"
"Thanks Mam"
Looking annoyed in Daisy's direction Elizabeth looked like she was ready to shut her down. As she was about to say something she felt a hand on her elbow.
"Mam, you should eat something." Blake presented from his pocket a protein bar and a travel-size pack of peanuts, on the other hand, he had her water bottle. "Remind me again in an hour." She said taking the water bottle to sip from it.
"A- Daisy?" - she was still pissed but Blake's intervention defused the tension - "Let's go help save some kids!" she said instead, taking a centered breath. No need to explode now.
Later that day, Blake entered the office full of energy going straight to the closet to retrieve her trench coat. "Time to go home mam, Fred's already waiting downstairs and Dr. McCord will be home by the time you get there, Stevie is making vegan chili."
"Thanks, Blake" she took the trench coat from him as he organized her desk and sorted reports through the mess. "And thank you for before." He just gave her a questioning look.
"Don't think I didn't catch what you did back there. You deflected my attention so I wouldn't snap at Daisy" Waiting for him to finish stacking up the papers on her desk she looked at him openly "I-I didn't get it at the time, but you were right."
Hearing her vulnerable tone he looked up with a smile "She was being extra loud that's for sure, but you were just hungry and dehydrated. No need to thank me".
She gave him a big smile, the one that he came to notice was just reserved for family and close friends. "Come on, let's go, I'll give you a ride home"