"CJ, do you want me to stay?" Jed asked as he pushed the wheelchair next to
the bed.
"How about you stay, and I go?" CJ said while looking down.
"He would want you to say goodbye CJ," Jed looked into Toby's face and took a deep breath. "He would want this." Jed repeated as tears began to fall.
"Can you say goodbye first?" CJ whispered.
"Okay," Jed nodded, grabbing Toby's hand. "You know CJ, he was the one who was never afraid to speak what was on his mind."
"I know," CJ agreed while looking over at him. She watched as Jed kissed Toby's forehead and prayed. She had never seen Jed cry before, and for the first time, this was starting to feel real.
"Goodbye Toby," Jed looked at Toby again and turned around. "Take all the time you need," Jed kissed CJ lightly on the cheek and walked out crying.
"This is some trick you're pulling," CJ cried. "But the game is over, you win," She grabbed his hand. "I'm so sorry," CJ pulled her closer to him and rested her head on his bed, still grasping his hand. "I need you with me," She cried out, still laying her head down. "I can't live life without you telling me all the bad things I'm doing to myself," She closed her eyes and let the tears fall. "I can't say goodbye yet. I just can't."
CJ stayed there for ten minutes, resting her head on his bed, and hanging on to his hand with all her might.
"I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the line I fell in love with you," CJ cried. "That has to count for something," She raised her head up. "I'll give you anything you want if you please come back to us." CJ whispered, looking down.
CJ felt a cold, brisk breeze go by her. She looked up at Toby once more. "I'll always love you," She cried. "Goodbye." She whispered and leaned over, kissing his hand. She left the warmth of his hand generate on her lips. Before she could pick her head up, she felt his fingers caress her face.
"Toby," CJ whispered as she lifted her head up. She saw his fingers moving slowly around. "I need some help in here!" She yelled.
"CJ, what's wrong?" Jed asked, running in.
"He's moving," She smiled.
"CJ," Jed was about to refute her, but noticed his fingers moving slightly. "I'll get a doctor." He yelled.
"Hang in there, the doctors coming," She felt new tears falling down her face, tears of joy.
"What's going on?" Richards rushed in behind Jed.
"He's awake," CJ smiled.
"Mr. President, could you please take Ms. Cregg back to her room?" Richards asked.
"I want to stay," CJ demanded.
"I'll move her over to the side of the room," Jed said while pushing the wheelchair over to the wall.
"I guess that's fine," Richards nodded and started examining Toby. "Mr. Ziegler, my name is Doctor Richards, the tube in your mouth is to help you breath, so don't be alarmed," He explained as Toby started to open his eyes.
"Is he awake?" Jed asked from the side of the room.
"Yes," Richards nodded. "Mr. Ziegler, with your permission, I want to try to get you off the ventilator. If you agree, blink twice. If you disagree, blink once."
Without hesitation, Toby blinked twice.
"Okay," Richards nodded. "Nurse, will you get me some water?"
"Yes sir," The nurse quickly ran out.
"Mr. Ziegler, the nurse is going to get some water for you to drink after I take the tube out. Your throat is going to be extremely dry," Richards explained.
"I got it," the nurse came back in with the cup of water in her hand.
"Good," Richards nodded. "Now Mr. Ziegler, on the count of three, I'm going to take out the tube." Richards waited, and then Toby blinked two times. "One. Two. Three," Richards counted down and slowly removed the tube. The nurse quickly helped Toby drink some water as he tried to catch his breath.
"How are you feeling?" Richards asked as he checked Toby over to make sure he was okay.
"My body hurts," Toby softly said, taking another sip of his water.
"I think that's something we can maintain," Richards smiled.
"Toby," Jed whispered as he pushed CJ back over to the bed.
"Mr. President," Toby slowly moved his head over to look at him. "How are you?" Toby grinned weakly.
"It's nice to know we got our smart ass back," Jed laughed.
"I try," Toby whispered as he flinched with pain.
"I'll get you some pain medication," Richard said, walking out.
"You have CJ to thank," Jed pointed out. "She never gave up on you."
"Where is she?" Toby asked, looking up.
"I'm here," she whispered as she grabbed his hand.
"Hey," he moved his head to the side, and then looked down. "Did you shrink?" He smiled.
"No, you just grew," She laughed, as tears fell down her face.
"I'll give you two a minute, I'm going to tell the others," Jed smiled and kissed Toby on the forehead. "Welcome back."
"Thank you." Toby said simply. Jed smiled at CJ before walking out.
"Why are you crying?" Toby asked hoarsely, having the nurse give him another drink.
"I'm just happy," CJ smiled. "Thank you."
"For what?" Toby asked confused.
"Waking up."
TBC
"How about you stay, and I go?" CJ said while looking down.
"He would want you to say goodbye CJ," Jed looked into Toby's face and took a deep breath. "He would want this." Jed repeated as tears began to fall.
"Can you say goodbye first?" CJ whispered.
"Okay," Jed nodded, grabbing Toby's hand. "You know CJ, he was the one who was never afraid to speak what was on his mind."
"I know," CJ agreed while looking over at him. She watched as Jed kissed Toby's forehead and prayed. She had never seen Jed cry before, and for the first time, this was starting to feel real.
"Goodbye Toby," Jed looked at Toby again and turned around. "Take all the time you need," Jed kissed CJ lightly on the cheek and walked out crying.
"This is some trick you're pulling," CJ cried. "But the game is over, you win," She grabbed his hand. "I'm so sorry," CJ pulled her closer to him and rested her head on his bed, still grasping his hand. "I need you with me," She cried out, still laying her head down. "I can't live life without you telling me all the bad things I'm doing to myself," She closed her eyes and let the tears fall. "I can't say goodbye yet. I just can't."
CJ stayed there for ten minutes, resting her head on his bed, and hanging on to his hand with all her might.
"I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the line I fell in love with you," CJ cried. "That has to count for something," She raised her head up. "I'll give you anything you want if you please come back to us." CJ whispered, looking down.
CJ felt a cold, brisk breeze go by her. She looked up at Toby once more. "I'll always love you," She cried. "Goodbye." She whispered and leaned over, kissing his hand. She left the warmth of his hand generate on her lips. Before she could pick her head up, she felt his fingers caress her face.
"Toby," CJ whispered as she lifted her head up. She saw his fingers moving slowly around. "I need some help in here!" She yelled.
"CJ, what's wrong?" Jed asked, running in.
"He's moving," She smiled.
"CJ," Jed was about to refute her, but noticed his fingers moving slightly. "I'll get a doctor." He yelled.
"Hang in there, the doctors coming," She felt new tears falling down her face, tears of joy.
"What's going on?" Richards rushed in behind Jed.
"He's awake," CJ smiled.
"Mr. President, could you please take Ms. Cregg back to her room?" Richards asked.
"I want to stay," CJ demanded.
"I'll move her over to the side of the room," Jed said while pushing the wheelchair over to the wall.
"I guess that's fine," Richards nodded and started examining Toby. "Mr. Ziegler, my name is Doctor Richards, the tube in your mouth is to help you breath, so don't be alarmed," He explained as Toby started to open his eyes.
"Is he awake?" Jed asked from the side of the room.
"Yes," Richards nodded. "Mr. Ziegler, with your permission, I want to try to get you off the ventilator. If you agree, blink twice. If you disagree, blink once."
Without hesitation, Toby blinked twice.
"Okay," Richards nodded. "Nurse, will you get me some water?"
"Yes sir," The nurse quickly ran out.
"Mr. Ziegler, the nurse is going to get some water for you to drink after I take the tube out. Your throat is going to be extremely dry," Richards explained.
"I got it," the nurse came back in with the cup of water in her hand.
"Good," Richards nodded. "Now Mr. Ziegler, on the count of three, I'm going to take out the tube." Richards waited, and then Toby blinked two times. "One. Two. Three," Richards counted down and slowly removed the tube. The nurse quickly helped Toby drink some water as he tried to catch his breath.
"How are you feeling?" Richards asked as he checked Toby over to make sure he was okay.
"My body hurts," Toby softly said, taking another sip of his water.
"I think that's something we can maintain," Richards smiled.
"Toby," Jed whispered as he pushed CJ back over to the bed.
"Mr. President," Toby slowly moved his head over to look at him. "How are you?" Toby grinned weakly.
"It's nice to know we got our smart ass back," Jed laughed.
"I try," Toby whispered as he flinched with pain.
"I'll get you some pain medication," Richard said, walking out.
"You have CJ to thank," Jed pointed out. "She never gave up on you."
"Where is she?" Toby asked, looking up.
"I'm here," she whispered as she grabbed his hand.
"Hey," he moved his head to the side, and then looked down. "Did you shrink?" He smiled.
"No, you just grew," She laughed, as tears fell down her face.
"I'll give you two a minute, I'm going to tell the others," Jed smiled and kissed Toby on the forehead. "Welcome back."
"Thank you." Toby said simply. Jed smiled at CJ before walking out.
"Why are you crying?" Toby asked hoarsely, having the nurse give him another drink.
"I'm just happy," CJ smiled. "Thank you."
"For what?" Toby asked confused.
"Waking up."
TBC