“Yeah. Barely, but I am. Put me on speaker.” I can hear the kids all talking over each other, and Casey still talking.
“Hold on.”
He must have handed it backto Casey, because I hear her next, sounding like she’s on speakerphone. “Okay, George. They’re all here.”
“Hey, guys. It’s Dad. Let me say first that I love you, and don’t hold Mom’s memorial yet. Cancel it. Wait until I get home.”
There’s a moment of stunned silence before the kids all start talking over each other, screaming, crying, and I let my tears flow once more.
Ten minutes later, aftertelling them what happened, I’m waving the government guy back into the room and passing the phone off to him. Casey takes charge talking to the guy, because she’s got my power of attorney and knows all our info practically off the top of her head. I have my wallet, but my passport was in Ellen’s purse. He’s writing down phone numbers and information, and Chase will be flown out to join me, because,honestly?
I don’t want the kids on an airplane right now.
I really,reallydonot.
Especially not over an ocean. Tyson can’t join him because he doesn’t have a passport.
The man passes his phone back to me so I can talk to them again. I tell the kids I love them one more time, and Tyson and Chase, then ask to speak to Casey alone for a minute before I end the call.
She takes it out of speakermode and it sounds like she moves away from everyone. “Yeah, honey?”
“Stay there with the kids,” I tell her. “I mean, in the States. Fly out with them and Tyson to meet me wherever I land there.” I really don’t want her on a plane right now, either. At least, not one flying over an ocean. Which is stupid, I know. At least Chase is single, no kids, and I want Casey and Tyson there for my kids.
“You don’t want me to fly out with Chase?” She almost sounds…hurt.
“Ineedyou there with the kids. I need you to take point for me, wrangle the press, keep them off the kids. I trust you to take care of them. All you’re going to do if you’re here is sit by my hospital bed until they release me. If you’re there, you can kick ass and get the process started to get me named governor.”
She laughs.“God I missed you, honey.”
“Yeah, well…” I sigh. “Thank god I have you now,” I tell her, choking up again, my voice dropping to a whisper. “Ineedyou, Case.Please.”
Her tone sobers. “You’ve got me, George. Like hell am I letting you deal with this alone. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Thank you. Can you get me a new phone and stuff, please, and send it out with Chase? Use that card we gave youfrom our trust account, if it’s still active. Or I’ll pay you back. And make sure they didn’t cancel my cards yet. Call them and tell them I’m alive.”
“Yeah. I’ll do all that in the morning, as soon as the phone store opens.”
I choke up again. “I’m not dead yet,” I say in a British accent. She’s my Monty Python buddy, so I know she’ll get it.
Her laugh chokes free and she replies in an accentthreaded with tears. “Aw, come on. Do us a favor.” She sniffles. “Strange governors lying on spits of land for three weeks is no basis for a system of government.” Back to her regular voice. “You havenoidea how happy I am to be so fucking wrong right now.”
“Don’t get too used to being wrong, honey. And please don’t let the kids talk to the press, all right? Not until I’m home. No interviews,no quotes except what you officially release. No social media posts except them sharing whatever you officially release. And…” A breath shudders through me. “Write a release for me, please. Short one. Athank you for your thoughts and prayersbullshit. You know the drill. I don’t even want to see it—just release it for me. ASAP. Put my name on it. And I’m serious—cancel the memorial. We’ll rescheduleit for after I’m back.”
“Okay.”
There’s so much I want to tell her, say to her.
Need to cry about with her.
But I’m empty and the wind is screaming in my skull.
“I love you, Case. Thank you. For everything.”
She sounds choked up again. “I love you, too, George.”
I finally end the call and return the guy’s phone to him. “Thanks.”
“I’ll copy these phone numbers and information for you, sir,and bring them to you. I will take your information to the ambassador. The US Consulate will expedite getting you an emergency replacement passport.”
