Blair House,will you? Hurry?" Then he swallowed, looked dazed, and fell to the floorin a heap.
The two Secret Service men didn't move, but they shouted loudly. Theirorders were to guard the body of the President--_literally_! Until itwas declared legally dead, that body was their responsibility.
The other Secret Service men in the White House came on the run. Withinone minute after Cannon had fallen, a call had gone to Blair House,asking for the President's brother.
Inside of another two minutes, Dr. Frank Cannon was coming through thefront door of the Executive Mansion. In spite of the chill outside, hewas wearing only a topcoat over his pajamas.
"What happened?" he snapped, with the authority that only a physiciancan muster. "Where is he?"
He heard the story on the way to the President's room. Jenkins andGrossman were still standing over the fallen Chief Executive. "Wehaven't moved him, except to make him more comfortable," said Grossman."He's still O.K.... I mean, he's breathing, and his heart's still going.But we didn't want to move him--"
"Fine!" snapped the doctor. "Best thing." He knelt over his brother andpicked up his wrist. "Have you called anyone else?" he asked sharplywhile he felt the pulse.
"The Naval Hospital," said another agent. "They're coming fast!"
"Fine!" repeated Dr. Frank. By this time, most of the White House staffwas awake. Frank Cannon let go the wrist and stood up quickly. "Can'ttell for sure, but it looks like a slight stroke. Excuse me."
He went into the Executive bedroom, and on into the bathroom. He closedthe door. Quickly, he fished the hypogun out of the wastebasket anddropped it into the little black bag which he had carried with him. Hecame out with a glass of water. Everything was taken care of.
* * * * *
_PRESIDENT SUFFERS STROKE! JHC Taken To US Naval Hospital In Washington After Stroke In White House_
All over the world, headlines and newscasts in a hundred tonguescarried the story. And from all over the world came messages ofsympathy and concern for the stricken Chief Executive. From England,simultaneous messages arrived from the Sovereign and the Prime Minister;from France, notes from both the President and the Premier of theSeventh Republic; from Ethiopia, condolences from His Imperial Majestyand from the Chief Executive. The United German Federation, theConstitutional Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of Italy, the UnitedAustro-Yugoslavian Commonwealth, and the Polish Free State all sent rushradiograms. So did Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. From Africa, Australia, SouthernAsia, Oceania, and Central America came expressive words of sorrow.Special blessings were sent by His Holiness from Vatican City, by thePatriarch of Istanbul, and by the Archbishop of Canterbury. ThePresidente of the Estados Unidos Mexicanos personally took a plane toWashington, as did the Governor General of Canada, carrying a personalmessage from the Prime Minister. Even the Soviet Union sent a radiogram,and the story of the tragedy was printed in _Pravda_, accompanied by aneditorial that almost approached straight reporting.
President James Harrington Cannon knew none of this. He was unconsciousand unable to receive visitors.
As far as actual news from the White House was concerned, newscommentator Barton Wayne gave the best summary over a major American TVnetwork on the morning of the sixth of February:
"Last night, at approximately eleven p.m., James Harrington Cannon,President of the United States, collapsed at the feet of the SecretService men who were guarding him. Within a few minutes, Dr. FrankHewlitt Cannon, the President's brother, called by the Secret Service inobedience to the President's last conscious words, had arrived fromBlair House, where he had been staying.
"Dr. Frank Cannon diagnosed the President's illness as a--quote--slightstroke--unquote. Later, after the President had been taken to the NavalHospital for further diagnosis, Dr. Cannon released a statement.Quote--further tests have enabled the medical staff of this hospital tomake a more detailed analysis. Apparently, the President has suffered aslight cerebral hemorrhage which has, temporarily at least, partiallyparalyzed the muscles of his left side. The President, however, hasregained consciousness, and his life is in no danger--Unquote.
"After only sixteen days in the White House, the President has fallenill. We can only wish him Godspeed and an early recovery."
* * * * *
Dr. Frank Cannon stood firmly by his brother's bedside, shaking his headfirmly. "No, commander; I cannot permit that. I am in charge of thiscase, and I shall remain in charge of it until my patient tells meotherwise."
The graying Navy medical officer pursed his lips. "In cases of thissort, doctor," he said primly, "the Navy is in charge. The patient is,after all, the President of the United States."
Dr. Frank went right on shaking his head. "Cuts no ice, commander. I wasspecifically summoned by the patient. I agreed to take the case. I willbe most happy to accept your co-operation; I welcome your advice andaid; but I will _not_ allow my patient to be taken from my charge."
"It is hardly considered proper for the physician in charge of a seriouscase to be a relative of the patient."
"Possibly. But it is neither unethical nor illegal." He gave thecommander a dry smile. "I know my brother, commander. Quite well. I alsoknow that you have the authority and the means to expel me from thishospital." The smile became positively icy. "And, in view of the former,I should not advise you to exercise the latter."
The commander wet his lips. "I have no intention of doing so, doctor,"he said rather huffily. "But, inasmuch as the X rays show no--"
There came a mumble from the man on the bed, and, in that instant, bothmen forgot their differences and became physicians again, as theyfocused their attention on the patient.
President Cannon was blinking his eyes groggily. Or, rather, _eye_. Theleft one refused to do more than show a faint flicker of the lid.
"Hullo, Jamie," Dr. Frank said gently. "How d'you feel?" It took nervesof steel to show that tender composure. The drug should wear offquickly, but if Jim Cannon's mind was still fuzzy, and he said the wrongthing--
For a moment, the President said nothing as he tried to focus his righteye.
"Don't try to move, Mr. President," said the Navy doctor softly.
President Cannon smiled lopsidedly, the left side of his face refusingto make the effort. "Arright," he said, in a low, blurred voice. "Wha'happen', Frang?"
"Apparently," said Dr. Frank carefully, "you've had a little bit of astroke, kid. Nothing to worry about. How do you feel?"
"Funny. Li'l dizzy. Don't hurt, though."
"Good. Fine. You'll be O.K. shortly."
The President's voice became stronger. "I'm glad you're here, Frank.Tell me--is it ... bad?"
"'Tain't good, kid," Dr. Frank said with a bedside grin. "You can'texpect a stroke to put you in the best of health, now, can you?"
The lopsided smile came back. "Guess not." The smile went away, to bereplaced by a puzzled frown. "My whole left side feels dead. What's thematter?"
Instead of answering, Dr. Frank Cannon turned to the Navy medic. "I'lllet the commander explain that. What's your diagnosis, doctor?"
The commander ran his tongue nervously over his lips before speaking."There's apparently a small blood clot in the brain, Mr. President,interfering with the functioning of the efferent nerves."
"Permanent?"
"We don't know yet, sir. We hope not."
President Cannon sighed. "Well. Thank you, commander. And now, if youdon't mind, I'd like to speak to my brother--alone."
The commander glanced at Dr. Frank, then back at the President."Certainly, sir." He turned to leave.
"Just a moment, commander," Dr. Frank said. "There'll be news reportersout there. Tell them--" He frowned a little. "Tell them that thePresident is conscious and quite rational, but that there is still someweakness. I don't think anything more than that will be necessary."
"I agree. Certainly, doctor." At the door, t
he commander paused andsaid: "I'll keep everyone out until you call."
"Thanks," said Dr. Frank as the door closed behind the Navy man.
As soon as it closed, President Cannon struggled to get up.
"Don't try it, kid," the doctor said, "those muscles are paralyzed, evenif you aren't sick. Here, let me help you."
"How did it come off?" Cannon asked as his brother propped him up.
"Perfectly. No one doubts that it's a stroke. Now what?"
"Give me a cigarette."
"All right, but watch it. Use your right hand, and smoke with the rightside of your mouth. Here." The doctor lit a cigarette and handed it tohis brother. "Now, what's the next step?"
"The next step is to tell Matthew Fisher," said the President.
* * * * *
Dr. Frank Cannon scowled. "Why? Why not just go through with the thingand let him be fooled along with the rest? It seems to me he'd be ...well, more secure in his own position if he didn't know."
"No." The President hunched himself up on his pillows. "Can't you raisethe head of this bed?"
Dr. Frank touched a button on the bedside panel, and the upper portionof the bed rose smoothly at an angle. "Better?"
"Fine. Much better."
"You were saying--"
"Yeah. About Matt Fisher. He has to know. He'll guess eventually, in thenext four years, anyway--unless I hide away somewhere. And I have nointention of doing that.
"Oh, I'm not trying to show Matt what a great guy I am, Frank. You knowbetter than that, and so will he. But Matt will have to have all thefacts at hand, if he's to do his job right, and it seems to me that thisis a pretty important fact. What do you say, Frank?"
The doctor nodded slowly. "I think you know more about the situationthan I do. And I trust your judgment, kid. And Matt's, too, I guess."
"No." President Cannon's voice was firm as he looked at his brotherwith one bright eye. "Don't trust Matt's judgment, because he doesn'thave any."
Dr. Frank looked astonished. "Then _what_--?" He stopped.
"Matthew Fisher," said President Cannon authoritatively, "doesn't needjudgment any more than _you_ need instinct. No more so, and no less. Isaid he doesn't have any judgment, but that's not exactly true. He hasit, but he only uses it for routine work, just as you or I use instinct.We can override our instinctive reactions when we have to. Matt canoverride his judgment when he has to.
"I don't pretend to know how Fisher's mind works. If I did, I wouldn'tbe doing this. But I _do_ know that Matt Fisher--by some mental processI can't even fathom--almost invariably knows the _right_ thing to do,and he knows it without using judgment."
"And you're still convinced that this is the only way out?" Dr. Frankasked. "Couldn't you stay in office and let him run things under cover?"
"We discussed all this months ago, Frank," Cannon said wearily. "Myreasons remain the same. Matt couldn't possibly operate efficiently ifhe had to go through me every time. And I am human, too; I'd have atendency to impose my own judgment on his decisions.
"No, Frank; this is the only way it can work. This country needs MatthewFisher as President, but he could never have been elected. Now I've donemy job; now it's time for me to get out of the way and turn thePresidency over to a man who can handle the office far better than anyother man I know."
"You make him sound like some sort of superman," said Dr. Frank with awry grin.
"Hell," said President Cannon, "you don't think I'd turn this job overto anything less, do you?" He chuckled. "Call him in, will you?"
* * * * *
PRESIDENT CANNON RESIGNS! Ill Health Given As Reason; Doctors Say Recovery Unlikely In Near Future. VP Fisher To Take Oath Tomorrow.
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Analog Science Fact and Science Fiction_ February 1962. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.
Hail to the Chief Page 8