Saturday August 8, 2026 [8/8 +0]
Washington D.C., United States of America
“Are you telling me that the entire Cabinet is incapacitated, except for Desmond and me?” Sheridan asked incredulously.
“We don’t know that yet,” said Mark Melanger quickly. The press secretary rubbed his creased forehead with his hand. “Physicians are currently examining everyone as we speak. They literally just got to the Vice President a couple of minutes prior to your arrival. We are keeping this quiet for the time being while we know what we do about it. We need to keep this under control…”
“Mark, no matter how bad the news, the American people need to know that the nation’s leadership has been compromised!” Sheridan exclaimed.
“Sherri, with all due respect, this is not your call. I’ve given instruction to all staff that no one is to leak this information until we know more. Until we know what to do.”
Andrew Watson cleared his throat. “What would that be, Mark? Without any discernible leadership in the executive branch, what do we actually do now? Millions around the world–hundreds of thousands in the U.S. alone–have unexplainably been knocked out cold.”
“Mark, we need to make a statement right now that the President is a victim of this phenomenon! Pick up the pieces later, we need to come clean about this!”
“I have to agree with Sherri, Mark,” said Desmond Hawking, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “We need to make a statement saying that the President is incapacitated.”
Sherri had never liked Mark Melanger. He had always seemed to have a lack of judgment in matters of political sensitivity. She was still shocked that he had flat out lied to the press—and by extension, the entire planet—about President Parker Rhode’s condition.
Just then, the door to the Cabinet Room burst open and Agent Aaron Harvey marched in with three of his men. Following the Secret Service was the President’s personal physician, Dr. Margaret Chung.
“Madam Secretary, Dr. Chung is the President’s personal physician. She has information that you need to know,” Agent Harvey said urgently.
“Yes, hello Margaret, it is good to see you, though I wish it were not in such circumstances. Please tell me, how is Parker?”
Dr. Chung was in plainclothes—it looked like she was rousted from a casual Saturday morning by the President’s condition. “Hi Sherri, it’s good to see you too. I have been with the President for the past forty minutes examining him and attempting to awake him. I have given the order to take him to Walter Reed Medical Center for care appropriate to his condition.”
“Margaret, please tell me, what is his condition? Why is he not waking up?” Sheridan asked.
“I have tested his reflexes to stimuli and also examined his pulmonary function as well as other vitals. It is my opinion that President Rhodes has fallen into a coma.”
The Cabinet Room fell silent.
The President is in a coma? Sheridan was incredulous. Parker Rhodes was the picture of good health. Fifty years of age, fit as hell, no drinking, no smoking.
Andrew Watson was the first to speak up. “And the Vice President? The Speaker? The rest of the Cabinet, are they also in comas?”
Dr. Chung shook her head. “I cannot comment on patients I haven’t examined, Mr. Watson.”
“But considering the worldwide phenomenon that is currently going on, it may be that all who fell unconscious this morning may in fact be in a coma, is that right?” Andrew pressed. “And this means that we have to think about continuance of government immediately.”
Mark Melanger snickered. “That just means that your boss becomes The Boss, is that right, Andrew?”
Sherri’s heart sank. She of course knew that it may come to this. She recalled the line of succession to the Presidency:
Desmond Hawking, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, missed the Presidency by a hair’s breadth. The Secretary of Education was ahead in the line of succession by a single place.
Desmond spoke up then. “Sherri, it’s you. If everyone else in the Cabinet is incapacitated, you’re the person most directly in line for the Presidency.”
Mark Melanger held up his hands. “Hold on, people. Have we even heard conclusively about the other Cabinet members? Steve Dorsey, James Madden… hell, Walton Murphy’s not even in the country, he’s on a plane back from China.”
Desmond rubbed his chin. “Mark, we know enough that the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, the President pro tem… the entire Cabinet save us two… they are all incapacitated. We need continuance of the government, immediately.”
Desmond turned to Sheridan, and gravely said, “As the only two active Cabinet members of the White House Administration, if you are in agreement, Sherri, then we should invoke the 25th.”
Sheridan closed her eyes. Her life would never be the same after this. She nodded in agreement.
Desmond also nodded his head.
“Sherri, you are now the President of the United States.”
