Chapter 20

"There is a nineteen-ninety nine, Burger Yacht for sale, in Fort Lauderdale. It is one-hundred and three feet long, and was fully redecorated and repowered in two-thousand and three, with just about everything we could possibly want included," I said.

Hawk and Polly had a rare evening with no commitments, and we were enjoying dinner together in the quarters. I'd searched for yachts in Florida and Michigan, but so far, only found the one Burger that I thought was acceptable for our mission and appropriate for a former President. "It's not cheap, but it is one of the best Burgers in the world."

We kicked it back and forth for a little while and then agreed to hire an expert to check out the boat, and a lawyer to investigate the title and ownership before continuing. The whole purchase, including taxes, would run just about ten million dollars, but it was the most beautiful Burger I'd ever seen in any of my lives.

When we settled the boat question, Hawk gave me the look. "Our doctors here, along with Doctor Abrams, think you are not recovering, Angela. Your physical condition should be improving rapidly, along with your strength and endurance, and it isn't happening."

"Do I need to go back to Sweden?"

Hawk looked at Polly and said, "We think so, and so does Doctor Abrams."

Polly mistook my silence for fear and said, "We will not be using the palace anymore after you were poisoned, so you won't have that to worry about. Your father promises to send plenty of protection to make sure you are safe, but you really need to go spend some more time letting Doctor Abrams experiment with his medication therapy. He thinks they have isolated an organism that will destroy the plague but need you in their clinic to find out."

We talked about schedules, and how I would be flown to Sweden on a small government jet. I spoke up on that topic. "I think it's time I used my own jet. My G-650 is just right for a long flight, as long as it's not on Air Force One, and I can use it however I wish, since it's mine." No body argued, and Hawk picked up a phone and informed his detail head of our decision.

Three days later I was on my way back to Doctor Abrams and found out that my jet was to be escorted by several fighters and a re-fueling tanker for the fighters, because the "G" had far more fuel distance than they did. We were met by a phalanx of Swedish military vehicles and armored carriers for the ride to the clinic, which was locked down like the White house for my visit. The King sent his niece to take care of the official greeting and welcome, and I was whisked off to the care of the good doctor.

Late that night Constance and Renata came in to ask if I would be willing to receive a fellow patient as a guest, and I hurriedly agreed. I was glad for anything that broke up the tedium. You could have bought me for a nickel when Jennifer walked in, accompanied by Renata, Rodney, and Constance.

I waited for Constance to introduce us, which gave me a moment to look her over. Jennifer was about average height for a woman, very thin, and walked with just a hint of a limp. Her face bore the softest signs of her illness, and she smiled constantly to hide the permanent disfigurement. It hurt terribly not to disclose myself to her but it might end with me restrained in a strait jacket, inside a rubber room, so I kept my knowledge to myself.

"Jennifer, my name is Angela. It is a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to sit on one of the chairs, or climb up here with me?" We talked like old friends. Jennifer had no guile, no secrets, and apparently no fear of strangers.

"My grandfather is such a comedian. He is always making silly jokes about my long hair, and tiny bottom. I swear my mom makes it worse by laughing at him all the time." She was telling me about her home life, as we got to know each other, her for the first time, me for the second. "I was so sick as a child, and my mother raised me with only my grandfather for help, because my father didn't want anything to do with a sick girl who wasn't pretty..." It still stung her to think about being rejected by her dad.

"Mom loves to tell me all about the men she used to date, who never wanted anything to do with her beyond a 'good time' because she had a young child. Then one day, when I was really sick, a lawyer knocked on grandpa's door and handed him a letter from a complete stranger. He sent the lawyer to make arrangements for me to come here to be treated by Doctor Abrams.

"You see, the doctors at home had given up on finding any way to help me, and this man – whoever he was – paid Doctor Abrams, literally millions of dollars to help me. You don't have to feel afraid, Angela. Doctor Abrams works with miracles. He did for me, and I was so much sicker than you are."