~*~
"I want you to take the next couple of days to really think it over."
Leo looks over at Margaret whose legs are tucked under her on the seat,
her hands around a warm cup of coffee and a towel across her shoulders
to stop her wet hair dampening her clothes any further.
"It's different to giving blood or something, it takes months to
recover, it's painful and..."
"It's giving someone the gift of life." Margaret finishes.
"I want you to know I'll look after you financially." he sits on the
edge of the coffee table in front of her. "The medical bills, the bills
when you have to be off work..."
"I don't need to think about this Leo, I know it's what I want to do."
Margaret reaches out squeezing his hand in hers.
~*~
"Sir." Margaret bolts from her seat on Monday. "I didn't realize you
were there."
"That's Ok Margaret sit back down, I was just thinking I should give you my Noble Prize."
"Thank you Sir but..."
"You put up with that guy in there." Leo comes closer to the doorway
between the two offices. "You make sure his life runs and now you're
going to do this incredible unselfish thing for him." behind Margaret
Leo leans against the doorway.
"Sir, it's something I can do and if it wasn't Leo, I'd do the same for
someone else."
"I know you would." The President smiles at her and then at Leo,
Margaret follows his gaze swinging in her chair to see Leo.
"Sir we're going to have to talk about getting someone in to replace me, I'm going to be out for a month to six months." Leo explains
"No need." The President waves an errant hand.
"I don't think it's wise." Leo says warily.
"Nah, we'll just bump everyone up a position, we'll cope." the President brushes the suggestion off.
"I'm going to get someone in." Leo grins widely, heading back to his
desk.
~*~
"You're going." Leo looks up as Margaret enters the office late the next afternoon, her bag under her arm, coat pulled snugly around her.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"I think I should come with you." Leo throws down his pen and gets out
of his chair.
"Leo." Margaret protests.
"I heard you don't like needles," he teases pulling on his own coat.
"If it turns out you are a match." Leo starts as their cab crawls
through the mid-afternoon traffic.
"I am." Margaret says firmly.
"If so...I can afford the best care for both of us, I especially want
you to have it."
"What is it Leo?" Margaret looks over at him.
"I want to have the transplant done at the best hospital, the thing is
it's out of the district." Leo informs her.
"Where?"
"Richmond, Virginia."
"My parents live in Richmond, they'll be happy to have me come home."
Margaret smiles.
~*~
"Leo, how have you been?" Julia Dunn asks as she closes the door to the
consultation room.
"Good."
"What can I do for you?" she opens Leos medical file.
"I need you to do a blood test...on Margaret." she looks first to Leo
and then to Margaret. "Blood type." Leo adds.
"You're not a regular patient of this practice are you?" Dr. Dunn asks
Margaret.
"My medical files are at a practice in Richmond." Margaret informs her.
"I'll open a new file on you and I can organize to have your medical
history sent to this practice." Julia reaches for the same needle she
used with Leo less than a month ago.
"Thank you." Margaret barely whispers as she lies herself on the table.
"I take it I'm looking for a match." Julia smiles as she prepares
Margaret's arm.
"We already know it is." Leo squeezes comfortingly; Margaret's other
hand in his. "We need you to forward the results to..."
"Medical College of Virginia hospital." Margaret finishes Leos sentence
and he can't hide the surprise on his face at her knowing. "They're the
best," she explains simply.
Leo squeezes Margaret's hand harder as the needle goes in. "Could you
let them know we want a consultation with the transplant team when you
send the matching results off." Leo asks full of confidence.
"I can have Margaret's medical history sent there at the same time."
Julia Dunn informs them as the needle withdraws from Margaret and she
labels the blood.
"Thank you." Leo puts pressure on the spot where the needle went into
Margaret's arm to stop the flow of blood.
"I'll get you a financial registration form which you fill out and I'll
send to the hospital, it allows them to review your insurance
information to determined that your coverage is adequate."
"Ok." Margaret says weakly.
"You don't need to sign anything yet, don't let her get up Leo." Julia
Dunn smiles.
~*~
"The President doesn't like the new guy." Margaret smiles as she slips
from the Oval office back into Leo's office.
"He'll have to get used to him fast." Leo smiles looking up at her from
the report he's reading.
"I just showed him into the Oval and the President scowled at him like
I've never seen before."
"It's just a test, he's always like that in the beginning, remember the
campaign?"
"This is worse." Margaret nods and Leo looks in the direction of the
Oval.
"I should get in there." Leo sighs.
"I won't be in tomorrow." Margaret reminds him.
"You're meeting with them?"
"At ten."
"I should come with you."
"Why Leo, they just want to review my medical history."
"What time are you leaving?" Leo piles up what he's working on preparing to go into the Oval.
"Seven."
"Ok...you should go now, have an early night." he sighs not looking
forward to entering into another Presidential rant.
"Thanks." Margaret smiles.
"Call me before you leave." Leo turns back before opening the adjoining
door.
"I want you to take the next couple of days to really think it over."
Leo looks over at Margaret whose legs are tucked under her on the seat,
her hands around a warm cup of coffee and a towel across her shoulders
to stop her wet hair dampening her clothes any further.
"It's different to giving blood or something, it takes months to
recover, it's painful and..."
"It's giving someone the gift of life." Margaret finishes.
"I want you to know I'll look after you financially." he sits on the
edge of the coffee table in front of her. "The medical bills, the bills
when you have to be off work..."
"I don't need to think about this Leo, I know it's what I want to do."
Margaret reaches out squeezing his hand in hers.
~*~
"Sir." Margaret bolts from her seat on Monday. "I didn't realize you
were there."
"That's Ok Margaret sit back down, I was just thinking I should give you my Noble Prize."
"Thank you Sir but..."
"You put up with that guy in there." Leo comes closer to the doorway
between the two offices. "You make sure his life runs and now you're
going to do this incredible unselfish thing for him." behind Margaret
Leo leans against the doorway.
"Sir, it's something I can do and if it wasn't Leo, I'd do the same for
someone else."
"I know you would." The President smiles at her and then at Leo,
Margaret follows his gaze swinging in her chair to see Leo.
"Sir we're going to have to talk about getting someone in to replace me, I'm going to be out for a month to six months." Leo explains
"No need." The President waves an errant hand.
"I don't think it's wise." Leo says warily.
"Nah, we'll just bump everyone up a position, we'll cope." the President brushes the suggestion off.
"I'm going to get someone in." Leo grins widely, heading back to his
desk.
~*~
"You're going." Leo looks up as Margaret enters the office late the next afternoon, her bag under her arm, coat pulled snugly around her.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"I think I should come with you." Leo throws down his pen and gets out
of his chair.
"Leo." Margaret protests.
"I heard you don't like needles," he teases pulling on his own coat.
"If it turns out you are a match." Leo starts as their cab crawls
through the mid-afternoon traffic.
"I am." Margaret says firmly.
"If so...I can afford the best care for both of us, I especially want
you to have it."
"What is it Leo?" Margaret looks over at him.
"I want to have the transplant done at the best hospital, the thing is
it's out of the district." Leo informs her.
"Where?"
"Richmond, Virginia."
"My parents live in Richmond, they'll be happy to have me come home."
Margaret smiles.
~*~
"Leo, how have you been?" Julia Dunn asks as she closes the door to the
consultation room.
"Good."
"What can I do for you?" she opens Leos medical file.
"I need you to do a blood test...on Margaret." she looks first to Leo
and then to Margaret. "Blood type." Leo adds.
"You're not a regular patient of this practice are you?" Dr. Dunn asks
Margaret.
"My medical files are at a practice in Richmond." Margaret informs her.
"I'll open a new file on you and I can organize to have your medical
history sent to this practice." Julia reaches for the same needle she
used with Leo less than a month ago.
"Thank you." Margaret barely whispers as she lies herself on the table.
"I take it I'm looking for a match." Julia smiles as she prepares
Margaret's arm.
"We already know it is." Leo squeezes comfortingly; Margaret's other
hand in his. "We need you to forward the results to..."
"Medical College of Virginia hospital." Margaret finishes Leos sentence
and he can't hide the surprise on his face at her knowing. "They're the
best," she explains simply.
Leo squeezes Margaret's hand harder as the needle goes in. "Could you
let them know we want a consultation with the transplant team when you
send the matching results off." Leo asks full of confidence.
"I can have Margaret's medical history sent there at the same time."
Julia Dunn informs them as the needle withdraws from Margaret and she
labels the blood.
"Thank you." Leo puts pressure on the spot where the needle went into
Margaret's arm to stop the flow of blood.
"I'll get you a financial registration form which you fill out and I'll
send to the hospital, it allows them to review your insurance
information to determined that your coverage is adequate."
"Ok." Margaret says weakly.
"You don't need to sign anything yet, don't let her get up Leo." Julia
Dunn smiles.
~*~
"The President doesn't like the new guy." Margaret smiles as she slips
from the Oval office back into Leo's office.
"He'll have to get used to him fast." Leo smiles looking up at her from
the report he's reading.
"I just showed him into the Oval and the President scowled at him like
I've never seen before."
"It's just a test, he's always like that in the beginning, remember the
campaign?"
"This is worse." Margaret nods and Leo looks in the direction of the
Oval.
"I should get in there." Leo sighs.
"I won't be in tomorrow." Margaret reminds him.
"You're meeting with them?"
"At ten."
"I should come with you."
"Why Leo, they just want to review my medical history."
"What time are you leaving?" Leo piles up what he's working on preparing to go into the Oval.
"Seven."
"Ok...you should go now, have an early night." he sighs not looking
forward to entering into another Presidential rant.
"Thanks." Margaret smiles.
"Call me before you leave." Leo turns back before opening the adjoining
door.