Jacqueline Druga - Protocol One

It was as if he were frozen there.

I knelt down to him and he raised his head.

There was a moment of exhilaration that could never be topped or replaced. All the hurt, sorrow and pain I felt up to that moment were temporarily suspended.

Gil.

His shoulders shook and he brought his hands to his face, then dropped them. Gil tried to speak but only exhaled. His handsome face was white with areas of blue. It was easy to tell it pained him to make any expression.

After another failed attempt at speaking, overwrought with emotions, Gil just grabbed onto me in gratefulness.

Gil who could barely walk, gathered up his strength and walked to the bunker. Tony and I were on both sides of him as a guide. Once inside the safety of the doors, Gil grew weaker. He made it half way down the stairs, before telling me he was sorry and passing out.

His heavy bag rolled with a thunderous bang down the stairs.

It took Tony and Tom to carry him the rest of the way, and Craig met them with a stretcher.

Gil was out.

When Craig finally let me in to see him, he was hooked up to a monitor and IV.

But before letting me and Tony into the medical room, Craig told us his condition.

“He’s suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. He has healing burns, that I am going to attribute to the heat we had,” Craig explained. “Right now he has second degree frostbite on his face. His body temperature is ninety degrees and all his vitals have slowed down. He’s still unconscious and needs lots of rest.

“Where did he come from?” Tony asked. “Do you have any clue? Obviously he never made it to Texas.”

“No.” Craig said. “We don’t. We’ll have to wait for him to wake up. I’ll put a round the clock watch on him. Anna, did you want to take one of the shifts?”

“No. I’d like to see him though.”

Craig allowed it and I went in alone. Tony said he had something to do.

Gil looked peaceful and Craig had cleaned him up, which I appreciated. It was like a dream and was hard to accept as reality.

I was told he didn’t make it, yet there he was. How did he get there?

It was a mystery that would only be solved once he woke up.

I stayed with Gil for a little while. Duke, Peter and Nelly all stopped in to see him and to tell me they were excited for me.

Excited was not a word I would use to describe my feelings. Waiting for Gil to wake up started to feel more like something I dreaded. In reality, I did.

After an hour of sitting with Gil, Skyler came in and I left. I told him to radio when Gil woke up and I went to seek out Tony.

Rumor had it he was in his office and that was exactly where I found him.

He had Gil’s bag and was going through it.

“Can I ask why you are going through his bag?” I asked.

“Trying to find a clue as to where he was. Look what I found.” Tony tossed the frozen item on the desk.

Though frosted over, I recognized the tinted blue plastic bag. “The rations I made.”

“And left in the van.” Tony said. “He must have found the van.”

“He had food to survive and matches. He was making a trip, that’s for sure. A blanket in here as well. No weapons. Frozen food. Not the type you’d find in a grocery store.”

“Well it wouldn’t take long for his stuff to freeze. Obviously, he was somewhere.”

“What’s he doing here, Anna?” Tony asked.

“Why do you sound angry about it?”

“I’m not. I’m sorry.” Tony waved out his hand. “He had a chance for a great shelter. How did he miss it?”

“I don’t know. Gil, of all people, is never unprepared.”

“Point being this bag.” Tony said. “He knew what to bring. Except the SPAM. I don’t get that. It’s a can. Cans weigh you down when you travel on foot.” He exhaled with some frustration. “Why aren’t you with him?”

“He’s sleeping.”

“He’s your friend.”

“I know.” I said.

“I would think you’d want to be there when he woke up. I know you have questions.”

“I do,” I said. “But I don’t what to be there when he wakes up.”

“Can I ask why?”

“I’m afraid. Because when he opens his eyes and comes to his senses, he is going to ask for Jackson.” My head lowered. “I haven’t a clue how to even begin to deliver the news of his greatest tragedy.”

Just then Tom appeared in the doorway of Tony’s office. “Hey, Anna. Craig’s looking for you. Gil’s awake.”

Tom disappeared before I cold say anything and I looked at Tony.

“Anna, there is no easy way,” Tony said. “You just have to tell him.”

I knew that, I really did. I stepped to Tony, laid my hand on his cheek and kissed him. “Thank you.”

“If you need me, you know where I am,” Tony said. “But this is something you need to do alone with him.”

Again, he was telling me something I already knew. But it didn’t make it any easier to face.

I heard Gil’s voice before I even arrived at the medical room. Immediately I started to tremble. I was scared, scared to death to tell him about Jackson. I didn’t want to be the one who delivered the news. Knowing Craig, he didn’t tell him. He wouldn’t. We were a very close knit group, but something like that, something that tragic, had to come from me.

“Honestly, I’m fine. Really. The nap helped.” Gil said.

I lingered in the hall listening.

“I just want to get dressed and take a hot shower. I know you guys have the ability.”

“You’re still a little weak, Senator,” Craig said. “Can you give me an hour, just an hour? Then after I see you walk without problems, I’ll let you go. Let’s see if we can get your temperature up a little more. We don’t need you collapsing in the shower stall.”

“I’ll agree to that.”

“Can you drink that tea?”Craig asked. “Then we’ll get you food.”

“I’m fine. I’m not hungry, I’ve been good with that.” Gil stated. “Maybe after I shower. But could you please get Anna and Jackson? I am dying to talk to them.”

Jackson.

My eyes shut instinctively in pain. Finally, I had stopped crying every hour and every time I thought of him. Finally, I stopped crying myself to sleep. I was in the emotional position where I teared up talking and thinking about him. I sobbed much less and suddenly I could feel myself on the verge of revisiting that, going back to those painful days and weeks.

I couldn’t hang back much more. Craig was in a bad spot, an awkward position and I needed to intervene.

I knocked once on the archway.

“And here she is,” Craig motioned out a swing of his hand. “I’ll leave you two be.” He walked by me, pausing to place a hand on my shoulder and to pass a look to me that wished me luck.

“Anna.” Gil sat up straight in bed and reached out his hand. “I’d get up and give you a huge hug, but they have me hooked up.”

“Craig has a thing about that.” I reached out and grabbed his hand. Gill pulled me foward and kissed me on the cheek. “It so good to see you. You look great. You really look great. I’m so glad this worked out. I was so worried.”

“I know.”

“Where’s Jackson? I bet he’s running around this place. Finding all the cool Easter eggs we’ve hidden here.”

“Gil…”

“I know he carried me in with you.”

“That wasn’t Jackson. That was Tony.”

Gil huffed out a laugh. “Okay, sure. I know he was wearing that big old coat and his face was almost hidden. But…that wasn’t Tony. I know that.”

“Yeah, it was.”

Gil tilted his head. “Anna, that wasn’t Tony.”