Thirty minutes before President Stephen Kellar was to make his national address, Renatta Brickell was escorted into his office by one of his assistants. He sat behind his desk, his eyes intently focused on the pages of his speech. A few moments later, he looked up and saw her. He glanced around the Oval Office at the harried group of aides and technicians.
“May I have a few minutes, please?” he asked them as he stood up and escorted Renatta to the couch. “My address is only twenty minutes long. I thought I should speak a bit longer but Carmondy and the rest were opposed to the idea. What do you think?”
“I think the length is fine, sir. It covers all the key points without belaboring or skimming over any of them.”
He flipped through the pages, making little eye contact with her.
“I know you’ve looked over the text but I’d like to read a part of it aloud to you.” He reached for a glass and took two quick sips of water. “From the beginning, my administration has viewed the safety of both the mothers and the fetuses as paramount in importance. We have invited the leading scientific and religious minds in the country and individuals from all walks of life to attend meetings and fact-finding sessions. Every one of those participants has searched his or her soul in evaluating this difficult moral dilemma. Ultimately, this decision has to be left to the families, their consulting physicians and spiritual advisors.” He looked up. “What do you think?”
“It’s well phrased, Mr. President.”
Just then, one of his aides entered the room.
“Ten minutes, sir.”
“Thank you.” He turned to Renatta. “Is there anything else you can think of?”
“No, Mr. President. I wouldn’t change or add a word. It’s an excellent speech.”
Kellar stood up and walked back to his desk. The cameras and lighting equipment had been in place for hours. He picked up the phone and told his administrative aide to send everybody back in.
“Any last-minute thoughts?” he inquired, his face just slightly flushed.
Renatta was taken back. President Stephen Kellar’s calm but stalwart confidence was conspicuously absent.
“Sir, in a few minutes the people of this country are going to know how seriously their president is reacting to this catastrophic outbreak. They’ll know as a result of your efforts, thousands of scientists, doctors and other health care professionals are doing everything humanly possible to stop the spread of this disease.”
“I wish I shared your unbridled optimism,” he said with a wrinkled brow.
Renatta again wished Kellar luck and then exited the Oval Office to watch his address with other key members of his team. She wasn’t an expert on the political process; she was a doctor. But at the moment she was convinced that President Stephen Kellar was five short minutes away from making the most important address of his career.