Carter's Fortress - 17. Chapter 17

They had been told to wait, that Robert had other guests at that moment. And Will found himself frustrated that he wasn't the first allowed in. It was a selfish need he had to see Robert was okay with his own two eyes. His concern and worry creased his forehead as he walked the length of the hall and returned again, under the watchful supervision of the matron nurse who eyed him suspiciously.

He heaved another sigh and glanced at his watch; they'd been waiting for nearly an hour, and Will could be putting the time to better use. The problem was that hospitals steadfastly refused cell phones and Will's laptop was still at home.

He contemplated finding out when Alicia would arrive; she was supposed to meet them there, but so far she too was frustratingly absent.

He grew even more disturbed when Robert Avery's daughter, Elizabeth, arrived looking distraught. She latched onto Will immediately and began to ask him all the same questions he himself had asked an hour ago. He relayed what he knew, guiding her over to the matron and introducing her as Robert's next of kin. The matron smiled politely and informed her a doctor would come by to ask her a few questions. Pretty routine.

But Will found himself wondering who was visiting with Avery if Libbet was there with them.

The answer was even more of a mystery as a couple of men with suits emerged from the room, one of them nodding in Will's general direction as they left. Will frowned after them and turned.

"Mister Avery will see you now," the matron indicated to Will and Lisa.

Will shook his head. "His daughter first," he said firmly.

The matron looked uncertain, but one look at the firm look on Will's face and she knew better than to argue. Will was anxious to see Robert, but Libbet was a wreck and she needed to see her father. Will was not about to take that right away from her.

She gave him a glance that said simply 'thank you', as she was shown inside.

Will took a deep breath and found the vending machine with its coffee, and for a dollar he was rewarded with a reasonable facsimile of liquid Draino. He tried not to think about it as he sipped the warm liquid, finding a hard plastic chair to sit on and putting a foot up on the edge of the magazine rack.

"That was a nice thing to do," Lisa said, crossing to sit down next to him.

He glanced up at her. "I just thought about what I would be going through in her place," he said simply. "She needed this more."

Alicia hurried into the waiting room, looking breathless as she handed him his laptop in its carry case, and a couple of files. She flopped down and took several steadying breaths trying to calm herself.

Will glanced at her to make sure she was okay as he opened up the laptop and booted it up, glancing over at the matron and wondering if that 'no cell phone' ban extended to wireless laptops. He wanted to fire off a couple of emails, get a grasp of what the procedure was in situations like this. He liked to be on top of things, but so far he was at a total loss.

There had been a delay in naming the new Deputy Minister of Heritage; he had retired from the civil service to run in the last general election leaving the spot vacant and it was decided Robert would be able to recommend his choice for a replacement for the top civil spot when he was settled. In the interim Will had been acting as the Deputy Minister in all capacities but name. It was a temporary measure, and Will was content to return to acting solely as the chief of staff when the Deputy Minster was named. But without that spot filled there was no one able to run the Heritage ministry.

He scratched his neck as he read over the various documents trying to figure out what their options were. He looked up at Lisa. "We're in trouble," he said simply. "I can't find anything to cover this situation."

He sighed in open frustration as he handed the computer across to her and grabbed his cell phone, walking through the halls till he found the front entrance. Flipping it open, he started to place a few calls. He knew full well it was Saturday afternoon and no one would be easily reached. That did technically mean they had until Monday to find a solution, however it also meant that there was no one about to give them the advice they needed.

Will stepped aside to allow a couple of older people through the front doors of the hospital. He nodded to them as he stood off to one side watching the storm hammer down on the parking lot. His Jeep was a short distance away, but he knew that if he tried to run for it he would be soaked in seconds.

"Hello, Prime Minister's office?" Will said into the phone as it picked up. "This is William Carter, I'm Minister Avery's chief of staff."

"Hold while I connect you." The bored sounding receptionist clicked him through into a voice mail. And Will mumbled a curse as he hung up, turning and returning to the waiting room which had become crisis central.

It was going to get very tedious if he had to run out to use the phone every five minutes so he walked over to the nurses' station and pointed to her, "I need this desk, that phone."

She looked at him dumbstruck, "I'm sorry, sir..."

"I wasn't asking," Will stated flatly, "I am telling you I am commandeering this station." He turned to Lisa, "Use this phone, rig the lap top into the other line." He glanced at Alicia, "Get the rest of our admin staff, tell them I'll pay them time and a half, just tell them to get into the office." He folded his arms and paced the length of the floor, looking up at the doors to the ward.

"Excuse me," the nurse spluttered. "Sir, I will call security..."

"Thank you," Will stated wagging a finger at her thoughtfully, "Tell them to send two guards and that we're closing this ward." He turned to her confused expression, "If you don't there are going to be a dozen news crews in here clamoring to see the minister. I think under the circumstances that would be undesirable..." He looked at her again and barked, "Today!"

She jumped at his roar and hurried away as Will shook his head, picking up another phone and dialing through to the PMO again. Again he frustratingly met with a voice mail and hung up and resumed his pacing. His mind worked over various strategies on what he could do to minimize the chaos this situation would cause.

He felt a light hand touch his shoulder and he turned to look at Libbet standing uncertainly behind him. He gave her a sympathetic look and touched her arm. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

She nodded at him, looking sadly behind her towards the rooms, "He wants to see you."

Will remained a second, giving her a look of compassion before he started off towards the hospital room. He walked through the sterile halls and safety glass windows looking over hospital beds with their patients asleep in them, or watching television.

There was an air of quiet, morbid silence that echoed with the sounds of respirators and the rhythmic beeping of heart monitors. He felt intensely aware of his own fragile mortality, wondering how long it would be until he was hooked up to a machine that beeped and trilled... watching for a jagged line to go flat...

His first thought when he saw Robert was how pale the man looked, how weak. This was a man that had, in his prime, shaken the very core of Canadian industry and embodied innovation. Now he looked as pale as a ghost, his breathing laboured.

However there was no mistaking the sparkle in his eyes when he glanced up at Will, "How do I look?"

"You look like shit," Will replied truthfully.

"An honest man, even at the end," Avery chuckled. "Every once in a while it's good to lie."

"Not my style." Will stuck his hands into his pockets as he stood beside the bed, "I'd ask how you are, but I think I can see for myself."

Avery chuckled, "Still a little life left in me, William. I'm sorry to cut your vacation short, I'll try to be more considerate next time."

Will snorted, "Unlikely, you always pick the most melodramatic ways of getting attention." He folded his arms as he smiled in concern, "I just want you to know we're taking care of everything so you don't have to worry, just get back on your feet when you're ready."

Avery smiled at him, "I knew you would, that's why I hired you; you're a man that gets things done... you'll make a damn fine politician some day."

Will shrugged, "I don't know about that, I kind of like my current job, it has a lot of rewards..." He nodded down, "I get to work for a great man..."

"You...can't..." Robert coughed weakly, "You can't live in my shadow forever, William."

"I'm still learning from the master," Will said firmly, blinking back his tears as he looked away. He knew he was supposed to be strong, but this man had believed in him when no one else had, this man had sculpted him into the man he was.

"You're still too... young..." Robert said heavily. "But he who does not believe there is wisdom in youth is himself a fool..."

Will nodded looking back down at Robert. "It's not so bad," he said as he picked up the chart. "According to this you'll be right as rain in a few days..."

"Now you are lying..." Robert coughed out a laugh, "and badly too. Sit down, and tell me more."

Will inclined his head, "Well, you haven't met my beautiful wife..."

Robert grinned, "I think I did once, wasn't "she" dating my daughter..."

Will's face fell slightly as he glanced towards the window, remembering the kiss and the sense of betrayal that was running through him.

"Something's happened," Robert said quietly growing serious.

"We shouldn't be talking about me," Will said turning back to his old mentor.

"It beats talking about me right now," Robert fired back as he shifted a little in his bed. "Tell me all about it, help take an old man's mind off of his own problems." Robert was his usual hungry self, eager for information, and Will sighed a little as he sat down again, resting his arms on the arms of the chair and putting his feet up on the other one.

"You sure you want to hear this?" Will asked as he sighed, looking at Robert's eager eyes.

"I'm an old man in a hospital bed, I don't have much of a life so might as well live vicariously through you."

Will shrugged again, "You remember I told you about Andrew?"

"The lawyer that was your first boyfriend?" Robert asked, trying to remember.

"Yes," Will said, thinking back on that relationship for the hundredth time that day. "Well, he was at the cabin; my friend Brody invited him."

"Hmmm," Robert mused, "sounds like a set up. What happened?"

"He kissed me," Will replied.

"Did Marc see?" Robert coughed a little and affixed his eyes on Will's face.

"No," Will replied.

"Okay, but you feel guilty for kissing this Andrew?"

"Yes," Will replied in all honesty. "It was like I was screaming in my own head that it was wrong, yet I was kissing him..."

"What were you thinking when you were kissing him?" Robert pressed eagerly.

"Honestly?" Will sighed, "I was thinking about how much what I was doing was going to hurt Marc."

Robert chuckled as he settled back onto his pillows, "So you were being kissed by a man and all you could think about was Marc. What does that tell you?"

"That I feel guilty?" Will asked dumbly.

Robert sighed, "That you are in love with Marc. You know, William, it's natural to meet people you are attracted to in your life--even people you used to be intimate with and for whom you still have feelings. But you need to look at how you feel for them and weigh it against how you feel for the one you are with. It's not a hard concept. You will know who you love and that is the one you have to choose."

Will nodded, "You're right."

"I'm always right," Robert replied as he closed his eyes for a moment.

Will smiled to himself as he glanced over at Robert looking so peaceful, and started when the droning beep of the heart monitor was replaced by a single long and bitter tone.