The Girl with His Heart in Her Hands
Author's Note: First of all I'd like to thank my awesome new Beta Currish! Secondly, I was seriously considering holding this chapter hostage for more reviews, but I have planned to update quickly until Chapter 10 at least, and I figured I would have to break that if I waited for more reviews. Once I finish chapter ten the updates may slow, but I'm not certain yet. I do know that after Chapter 10 I'll have clearly established everyone's mental/emotional states and will be ready to get this story really going in regards to the plot. So please, read and review, I did something a bit different for this chapter that I'd love to get feedback on.
Chapter Four- Bullets and Answers
Evan Chambers rolled over in his sleep.
He opened his eyes to the sounds of beeping machines, hushed voices, and muffled sobs. His eyes quickly focused on the first person he saw. "Frannie? Is that you? You look so different." he considered. "Evan! You're awake! Shh, don't worry Hun. I'm here." She replied gripping his hand tightly. "You're going to be okay."
"Where am I Frannie?" Evan asked. He was starting to get worried. Her lack of answers was making him become more and more anxious.
"Evan don't you remember?" Frannie asked, clearly bewildered.
"No, just… just tell me where I am, please" he begged.
"You're at the hospital" She responded slowly and carefully, measuring his response with her eyes.
"A HOSPITAL?!" Well she certainly was going to get a big response.
"Evan, its okay. We have a team of secret service agents working around the clock guarding you. You're going to be okay. They arrested the guy who did this". She quickly said, trying to soothe the hysterical man.
"Frannie, what happened exactly?", Evan replied feeling more confused than ever and quickly trying to regain his composure.
"You… you were… you were sh-shot dear" Frannie replied in tears.
"WHAT?!" Evan bellowed.
Frannie's tears increased exponentially. "Evan don-don't be m-mad p-please! I was so scared. I just don't know what I'd do if I lost you!"
"Where I was I shot?!" Whatever answer he was expecting it was not that one. His eyes roamed down to his hospital gown. He looked down the collar at his chest where he saw a large bruise and an incredible number of stitches.
"You, you really d-don't remember anything, d-do you Evan?" Frannie asked her sobs slowing.
"No, Fran. I don't remember anything. Now please just answer the question." It was the diplomat in him. He just wanted some answers so he could figure out how he was going to fix this.
"Evan, you were shot in the chest. The bullet just missed your heart but was lodged in your ribs." Frannie said slowly, her tears almost completely stopped.
Evan's eyes widened. "Who shot me?" This was the question that scared him the most. He didn't know who would want to shoot him. He was Evan Chambers. People didn't shoot him.
Frannie hung her head and the tears started fresh. "Curtis," she pleaded, turning to the biggest security guard at the foot of his bed "can you tell him? It's just too painful for me. I'm too embarrassed." He nodded. "Yes, of course".
"Mr. President you were shot by a radical civilian at 08:00 hours yesterday morning during your speech to the public outside of the United Nations Building. There was a first bullet intended for the first lady, but the second bullet hit you."
Evan's eyes opened wide. There was so much information in those two sentences for Evan to take in. He
was president. He had enemies. He took one of two bullets. The first was for the first lady—
"How is Casey?" He asked, slowly fighting back tears. She wasn't here with him. That means the first bullet must have been fatal.
"Casey who, dear" Frannie said slowly, clearly concerned for the sanity of this man.
"Cartwright!" He exploded. Now was not the time to be playing games.
Frannie looked taken aback. "Sh-she's, um eh, she's out west I believe last time I heard from her. Married to that kid from college."
"Cappie?" he asked incredulously." She's married to Cappie?!"
"Yeah" scoffed Frannie. "Heaven only knows why she got herself into that mess again".
"But you said that the first bullet was intended for my first lady—"
"I'm fine dear" Frannie said. "Really, he missed me. We think he never meant to shoot you at all. I was his only target. His second shot hit you by mistake."
"You?" he asked in amazement. He couldn't register that Frannie was his first lady.
"I really am fine dear. I'm just so sorry he hit you".
"Oh, don't blame yourself' he said, quickly recovering." Just tell me what our life is like."
"You mean you don't remember". Frannie's face fell and Evan was sure she was going to break into a whole new batch of tears.
"Not right now" Evan said, "but I'd love to hear all about it". He smiled kindly.
Frannie smiled. It wasn't an infectious overpowering smile like Casey had; it was more of a simply content smile. "Well, Mr. President, I'll be happy to oblige. You and I have two wonderful children, Evan Jr. and Guinevere. They're with their nanny right now. We had them flown in from their boarding schools after you… were hospitalized. They're just happy you're okay."
"So tell me a little about you. What are your favorite things to do nowadays?"
"Well I love going to the State dinners and banquets with you." She replied shyly.
"You do?" Casey had always said that the alumni dinners they had had at CRU were the worst things she had ever been to in her life. She hated being at the end of his arm, like his trophy wife. It always angered him just a little to see how unsupportive she was of him and his future political ambitions.
"And we live in the white house, right?"
"Of course we do, where else would we be silly?"
"I have no idea where else I would be Frannie. Our life sounds perfect."
She simply nodded with a far off look.
Evan slowly woke up. He rolled over to see Frannie asleep next to him. He was back on Spring Break and he finally had some answers he was looking for before he was able to doze off regarding his future with Frannie.
She seemed perfect. She was supportive, and made a beautiful wife. She was satisfied with everything he could give her, and she had produced him two perfect children. He knew that it was only a dream, but still.
Only one thing continued to plague him. Why was Casey married to that douche Crappie? He surely wasn't giving her all the things that Evan could give Frannie. Then again, Frannie was willing to do things Casey abhorred. Frannie would be a much better politician's wife.
It was Casey's loss. If she wanted to waste her time downgrading to Cappie, who would never be president like Evan would be and could never give her the things and the power that Evan could have given her, then good riddance. His mind drifted to something he had overheard Cappie say to Casey in freshman year back in the dorm the two boys shared "Casey, you have my heart in your hands. Please, don't crush it". Evan considered this. Was Casey the girl with his heart in her hands? No, most definitely not. He was too independent to give her that much control of him. He was stronger than that. He would never make himself so vulnerable to someone- even his potential wife. Evan may still love Casey a little, but after a few weeks with Frannie, he was sure Casey would be a thing of his past. He laid back down, his questions about his future with Frannie finally answered.
Frannie was right for him.
Author's Note:I figured that in Freshman Daze we got a far better insight into Evan than I could have provided, and I had established last chapter that he was asleep. So I gave him a dream sequence that would serve as the internal questioning that the other characters have experienced. Dreams are after all a shortcut to our subconscious. I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews please.