can’t happen . . . Please, God! Holding his head in his hands and rocking back and forth, he finally let the uncontrollable sobs out, gasping for air.
“Mr. Wilton?” A man interrupted.
“Go away . . . there’s nothing you can do for me,” Robert said, not even looking up to see who was standing there.
“That’s not true, Mr. Wilton. There may be something I can do for you,” the man said, taking a seat on the bench right next to Robert.
Robert looked at the stranger. He wasn’t dressed like a hospital employee, and he was definitely not the man from before. He absently registered minor details about this man: pricey suit jacket worn on top of a black turtleneck, expensive watch, a faint scent of high-end cologne. Light, short-trimmed, thinning brown hair, high forehead, intelligent eyes, but cold as ice. Wrinkled face. Very wrinkled.
“My name is Warren Helms,” the stranger continued, “and I have only one question for you.” He paused, waiting for Robert to shake his hand. Hesitantly, Robert shook the man’s hand. “What would you do to save your wife’s life?” Helms asked.
“Anything,” Robert answered without thinking, “anything at all. Just ask. I have some money. I could raise more.” Hope flooded his heart.
“Oh, it’s not that complicated; it’s not about money, Mr. Wilton. It’s much easier than that.” Helms paused, looking at Robert with inquisitive eyes. Robert was hanging on every word. He was ready. “We’ll just need a small favor from you, at the right time.”
“What kind of favor?” Robert asked, concern seeping into his voice.
“Nothing you wouldn’t normally do, nothing out of the ordinary.” Helms stopped for a second and then continued, while starting to get up. “But if you’re uncomfortable, just say so and I will be on my way-”
“No,” Robert almost yelled, grabbing the man’s arm. “No, I’ll do it, whatever it is. I’ll do it.”
“All right, then we have a deal. Now go home to Melanie and tell her you both are going to Vermont, where she’ll be getting a new heart. I will call you with the details. Start packing today. The surgery will happen sooner than you think.”
...3
...Monday, December 14, 9:02PM EST (UTC-5:00 hours)
...News of the Hour Special Edition Report
...Nationally Syndicated
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” The anchor paused slightly, the way she normally did for dramatic effect. Her wavy blond hair and perfect makeup showcased a face filled with excitement. “In an announcement that took everyone by surprise earlier today, the White House confirmed that President Mason has signed off on the initiative to have the next presidential elections ‘brought to the 21st Century,’ as the president himself phrased it. The American presidential elections, a democratic institution in itself and the single most important process in our democracy, has been maintained almost unchanged for more than a century. Traditionally handled via paper ballots marked with pens or by punched holes, the election process has had little innovation brought to it, with the exception of sporadic, county-level initiatives. For next year’s presidential elections we are now looking at a completely overhauled process involving technology, such as touch-screen monitors and centralized electronic data storage and analysis.”
The camera zoomed out, allowing the studio guest to become visible on the screen.
“Our guest tonight is the initiator of the elections process overhaul, California Senator Sidney Mulligan. Senator, thank you for joining us tonight.”
“Thank you for the invitation, Stephanie, always a pleasure.” The Senator smiled at the camera.
“Senator, please tell us what made you decide to spearhead this initiative?”
“Very simple, Stephanie: it was way overdue. Election data is crucial information, highly sensitive and time critical. Until now, on numerous occasions, due to the imperfect process we currently have involving paper ballots and all the processes related to paper voting, we have seen allegations of tampering, miscounting, influencing, just to mention a few. Like the situation we had in Florida in 2000, if you recall.” The Senator stopped talking, allowing Stephanie to engage.
“Yes, I do recall. Wasn’t that when the punching machine punched holes in the ballots that were not clearly associated with the ballot options?”
“Precisely. Based on that experience, and on other situations where I felt - we felt - that the democratic process of elections is jeopardized by its own archaism, I have decided to not sit idle and instead to drive this change. That’s what motivated me to rally some resources and begin exploring the possibility of an overhaul.”
“How difficult was it for you to see this initiative approved?”