Ellie stared at the slightly ajar door to the President's private study, a cold knot forming in her stomach. A hamster. In the President's sanctuary. This was beyond a blunder; this was a rodent-based national security breach. She imagined the headlines: "Rodent Rampage in Oval Office: President's Papers Chewed." Or worse, "Hamster Declared Foreign Agent."
Taking a deep, fortifying breath that smelled faintly of lemon polish, Ellie pushed the door open just enough to slip inside. The study was, as always, immaculate, except for the faint sound of tiny scratching. She scanned the room, her eyes darting from the towering bookshelves to the comfortable armchairs, to the very significant-looking desk.
"Hammy?" she whispered, trying to make her voice sound enticing rather than terrified. "Here, little furball? Come to Ellie!"
The scratching led her to a pile of what looked like ancient, leather-bound books. She knelt down, her heart hammering against her ribs. Peeking out from between two hefty volumes was a tiny, whiskered nose. Hammy! He looked utterly content, nestled amidst forgotten presidential prose.
"Aha!" Ellie exclaimed, reaching out slowly. "Gotcha, you little escape artist!"
Just as her fingers brushed Hammy's fur, the main door to the study swung open with a soft click.
"Miss Chen?" President Sterling's voice, usually a booming thunder, was quiet, almost surprised. "What on earth are you doing on your hands and knees in my study?"
Ellie froze, her hand hovering over the books, her rear end pointing rather inelegantly towards the President. She slowly turned, her face flushed crimson. "Mr. President! Sir! Goodness, you scared me!"
President Sterling, looking impeccably dressed for the charity event in a crisp suit, raised an eyebrow. "I apologize. But one doesn't generally expect to find a member of staff performing contortionist acts in my private study." His gaze sharpened. "What exactly are you doing?"
Ellie scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping over her own feet. "It's... it's a hamster, sir! A very important hamster! From the children's event! He escaped, and he's in here! Hammy, his name is Hammy!" She pointed wildly at the books.
President Sterling blinked. "A hamster?" He walked over, peering down. "You mean a tiny, furry rodent has managed to breach presidential security and infiltrate my inner sanctum?" He sounded less annoyed and more... impressed.
"Yes, sir! He's very fast!" Ellie affirmed, nodding vigorously. "And very important! The Senator's daughter will be devastated!"
Sterling knelt down beside her, completely ignoring his pristine suit. He peered into the gap between the books. "Well, I'll be. He's quite a tenacious little fellow, isn't he?"
Suddenly, Hammy, perhaps sensing the monumental presence of the President, decided to bolt again. He shot out from the books and scurried directly under the Resolute Desk.
"He went under the desk!" Ellie cried, pointing.
President Sterling sighed, a familiar, exasperated-but-amused sound. "Of course, he did. Where else would a rogue rodent of such ambition hide?" He then did something utterly unexpected. He got down on his hands and knees, peering under his own desk. "Come on out, Hammy," he coaxed, his voice surprisingly gentle. "We have a charity event to attend, and a very distraught Senator's daughter awaiting your return."
Ellie, watching the leader of the Most Powerful Nation on Earth crawling around on his hands and knees, searching for a hamster, felt an irresistible bubble of laughter rise in her throat. She quickly stifled it, but a small snort escaped.
President Sterling looked up at her, a faint smirk on his face. "Something amusing, Miss Chen?"
"No, sir! Just... it's not every day you see the President doing... this." She gestured vaguely at his presidential posterior sticking out from under the desk.
He chuckled. "Indeed. But a President must be prepared for all contingencies. Even those involving furry, four-legged escape artists." After a moment of rummaging, he emerged, holding a squirming Hammy carefully in his cupped hands. "Got him."
Ellie beamed, a wave of relief washing over her. "Oh, Mr. President! You're a hero! A hamster hero!"
He actually blushed, a faint flush across his cheeks. "Hardly. Just ensuring our little guest makes it to his public appearance on time." He handed Hammy to Ellie. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I have a children's event to attend. And a hand to wash." He stood up, brushing off his knees, looking entirely too composed for someone who had just been on all fours under his desk.
Ellie clutched Hammy, still giggling internally. The President, the most powerful man in the world, had helped her hunt a hamster. This was definitely not in the job description. And somehow, it made her like him just a little bit more.