Chapter 39
Agent May's mother looked around the packed gathering, searching for any sign of her daughter or Coulson. Surely they were here somewhere. She knew Melinda had said that Victoria was alive, and recovering, but the president was there, two thirds of Congress were there, she had seen several prime ministers and other foreign government officials. Representatives from all of the intelligence agencies were there, which is what had lead to her attendance. She swore she had spotted several of the little English princesses being escorted in by that scruffy agent from MI-13. But where in the world was Melinda? She didn't want to try to make her way through the crowds to speak to Victoria's family, who were clustered by the closed casket, grief and shock apparent on their faces, until she had found her daughter.
After a moment more of scanning the crowds, and realizing that the service was going to start soon, she stepped to the side, into an alcove, pulled out her cell phone and dialed. Hopefully she would be able to get through this time, unlike the numerous calls she had made the night before.
"Melinda, where are you?" she said as soon as her daughter picked up.
"At the Hub, tending sick people, where I've been for the last…." Was it four days they had been here, nursing all of the sick agents? It felt like it had been a whole lot longer. "Why do you sound like you expected me to be somewhere different?"
"You're not at Victoria's funeral?" her mother said in surprise. She couldn't believe her daughter hadn't found a way to make it to the service.
"Victoria's…. Mom, I told you when you called to tell me about the eulogy that Victoria was fine!" Hadn't Fury found a way to get that funeral cancelled? What was going on?
"I know you said that but after the press conference…." Her mother looked towards the front of the room. A woman she assumed was Victoria's grandmother was gently stroking the closed lid of the coffin and softly sobbing. Why would her family be here, reacting like this if Victoria wasn't gone? "Her poor family. They look devastated."
"Victoria's family is…" At least they weren't dead of heart attacks. May tried to comfort herself with that thought as she hurried through the hallways looking for Coulson. What in the world was going on? How had Fury let things go this far?
"I think it must be her grandmother who keeps touching the coffin. You should be here, Melinda. Why don't I see anyone from Shield here?"
"Because we're on lockdown and Victoria might kill anyone who attends her funeral when she isn't dead?" May said.
"Melinda, don't play these games. Making light of death isn't seemly." her mother said sternly. "I see Director Carter. At least someone from your organization is showing proper respect."
"Director…." Someone had gone to the nursing home and got their former leader, and drug her off to the funeral of someone who wasn't dead? "Mom, listen to me, Victoria is fine! Or as fine as someone can be while recovering from a particularly nasty case of the flu. She's in her office, she's sleeping, two of our agents are hovering at her bedside to take care of her. She's fine! I think John just took something up to her for breakfast! Mom, please, I need you to get to her family. I need you to tell them that she's okay. Mom…. Pictures. Coulson has pictures of her." And there he was, just coming out of the cafeteria. "I'll have him send you pictures of Victoria. Get to her family and show the pictures to them. Let them know she's okay."
"Pictures?" Was her daughter serious, that Victoria really wasn't dead? She was starting to think that she just might be, but…. "The music is starting." She told her, as the people who were still standing started to take their seats and she saw Victoria's family being led to the front row, her grandmother only reluctantly letting go of the coffin. "If you have pictures, send them. I'll try to talk to them after the service."
"What's wrong?" Phil asked as he hurried up. "Who was that on the phone?"
"My mother. She's at Victoria's funeral and called to see why we weren't there." May said. "Victoria's family is there. Director Carter is there."
"Roughly 3000 people are there." Tony said as he came out, tablet in hand and flipped it so they could see the live stream from the funeral that had just started. "It looks like standing room only."
"Are those Victoria's grandparents?" Coulson asked as he looked closely at the group seated in the front row, clinging to each other and sobbing as they stared at the coffin they had no clue was empty.
"I think so. Her grandfather just turned a hundred." The look on her grandparents' faces, if Victoria ever found out about this…. "That isn't the funeral home Shield uses. Where are they having it?"
"National Cathedral. They must have moved it when everyone who's anyone in government decided to attend. Standing room only. And it looks like she's got a whole lot of nice flowers." Tony said.
"But she's not DEAD!" Coulson shouted. At least Victoria was sleeping safely in her office. That was the one good thing he could see at the moment. She was asleep, and if they were lucky, would never have to know about this disaster.