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It needs three

Three days for parachutes to start falling froes and soldiers in blue United Nations berets into the cities that needed then leaders to step foot on American soil for the first time in seven years

For Senator Cruz’s story to be released, and for her to be chosen to oversee the entire country’s restoration process

For the chair off the sha his pension

For the Armed Forces to issue new orders, and to then realize theback

For the President of the United States of America to disappear off the face of the earth

For the United Nations to divide the country up into four peacekeeping zones, each overseen by a forn power, and send in troops to oversee the policing

For the first of nearly a hundred water riots to occur

For Leda Corp to issue a stateenerously offering to supply a chemical they claimed could neutralize it

I read about it in the papers ht in Watched it on the news Absorbed this new reality And that night, when visiting hours were over and two kind-but-firm nurses led my family away, I reached over for the phone on the wall The painkillers they’d givenhis voice Withoutsure they were all okay

I dialed the number and lay back down, the phone cradled betweenphone cord around

They’re probably out Doingso I tried not to letthe phone back up I could try again in the h the connection, breathless "Hello?"

I drew the phone back and smiled as I whispered, "Hi"