For notes and disclaimers, see Part 1. Thanks for all your nice feedback!
It makes me really happy. =)
Part 4
Toby had forced CJ to go and buy some coffee, so she would get out of the hospital-room for a while. After a couple of minutes persuading she finally left. Toby was starting to get worried for Miranda. It was past midnight and she still hadn't woken up. The doctor said it was normal but CJ's worriedness had gotten to Toby.
Suddenly, the little girl began to move in the bed. Toby jumped up from his chair and bent over the bed. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at him. Toby wasn't sure if she would recognize him. It had been two years since their last meeting. Miranda starred at him for a couple of seconds and Toby felt very uncomfortable, not sure of what to do.
"Hey, Toby," she said quietly.
Toby smiled, relieved that she recognized him. "Hey Miranda," he whispered. "How are you feeling?"
"My arm hurts. Why are you here? Where are mommy and daddy?"
Toby was surprised over her calm. He took her hand for a brief second. "Miranda, honey, I'm going to get a doctor, okay?"
"A doctor?"
"Miranda!"
Toby turned around and saw CJ hurrying towards the bed. Toby took a step back and CJ took Miranda's hand in hers.
"Hey, sweetie."
"Aunt CJ, why are you here?"
CJ looked at Toby who nodded and left to get a doctor.
"Miranda, do you remember anything?" The little girl shook her head slowly. "You, mommy, daddy and Aaron were in a car accident."
"Where are they?"
"Um, honey. they're not.," CJ closed her eyes and swallowed, not knowing how much she would understand.
Fortunately, Miranda saved her. "Have they gone to heaven?"
A single tear ran down CJ's cheek, and she nodded. "Yes, honey, they have gone to heaven."
When the doctor checked on Miranda CJ and Toby waited out in the hallway.
"What's going to happen to her, Toby? She has no one."
Toby led CJ over to two chairs and they sat down. "You're forgetting someone. She has you."
"Yeah, quite a catch, huh?" she growled sarcastically.
"CJ, don't talk like that. You know that she adores you."
CJ closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall.
"I need to talk to the President," she whispered. "I have to resign."
Toby gripped her hand. "Don't do that, CJ."
She opened her eyes and looked angry at him. "Then what the hell am I going to do? I can't take care of a six year old while I'm working in the White House!"
"CJ, look at me." She did. "Do you want to take care of Miranda?"
CJ looked angry and she looked away. "What kind of questions is that? Toby, she has no one else. My parents can't take care of her, John and Michael haven't seen each other in ten years. John and his family aren't even coming to the funeral. Karen's closest family is a cousin in Europe, I think. I have to take care of her, Toby!"
Toby sighed and rubbed his forehead. "CJ, listen to yourself. You can't take care of a girl you don't even want to take care of."
"Toby, I didn't say that!"
"You just said you *have* to take care of her."
CJ raised and put her hands on her sides. "Damn it, Toby! I don't need you to be here and say stuff like that to me now!"
Toby also raised and carefully put a hand on her shoulder but she brushed it away.
"Just leave me alone for a second, okay?"
Toby sat down looking after her as she was walking down the hallway.
TBC.
Part 4
Toby had forced CJ to go and buy some coffee, so she would get out of the hospital-room for a while. After a couple of minutes persuading she finally left. Toby was starting to get worried for Miranda. It was past midnight and she still hadn't woken up. The doctor said it was normal but CJ's worriedness had gotten to Toby.
Suddenly, the little girl began to move in the bed. Toby jumped up from his chair and bent over the bed. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at him. Toby wasn't sure if she would recognize him. It had been two years since their last meeting. Miranda starred at him for a couple of seconds and Toby felt very uncomfortable, not sure of what to do.
"Hey, Toby," she said quietly.
Toby smiled, relieved that she recognized him. "Hey Miranda," he whispered. "How are you feeling?"
"My arm hurts. Why are you here? Where are mommy and daddy?"
Toby was surprised over her calm. He took her hand for a brief second. "Miranda, honey, I'm going to get a doctor, okay?"
"A doctor?"
"Miranda!"
Toby turned around and saw CJ hurrying towards the bed. Toby took a step back and CJ took Miranda's hand in hers.
"Hey, sweetie."
"Aunt CJ, why are you here?"
CJ looked at Toby who nodded and left to get a doctor.
"Miranda, do you remember anything?" The little girl shook her head slowly. "You, mommy, daddy and Aaron were in a car accident."
"Where are they?"
"Um, honey. they're not.," CJ closed her eyes and swallowed, not knowing how much she would understand.
Fortunately, Miranda saved her. "Have they gone to heaven?"
A single tear ran down CJ's cheek, and she nodded. "Yes, honey, they have gone to heaven."
When the doctor checked on Miranda CJ and Toby waited out in the hallway.
"What's going to happen to her, Toby? She has no one."
Toby led CJ over to two chairs and they sat down. "You're forgetting someone. She has you."
"Yeah, quite a catch, huh?" she growled sarcastically.
"CJ, don't talk like that. You know that she adores you."
CJ closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall.
"I need to talk to the President," she whispered. "I have to resign."
Toby gripped her hand. "Don't do that, CJ."
She opened her eyes and looked angry at him. "Then what the hell am I going to do? I can't take care of a six year old while I'm working in the White House!"
"CJ, look at me." She did. "Do you want to take care of Miranda?"
CJ looked angry and she looked away. "What kind of questions is that? Toby, she has no one else. My parents can't take care of her, John and Michael haven't seen each other in ten years. John and his family aren't even coming to the funeral. Karen's closest family is a cousin in Europe, I think. I have to take care of her, Toby!"
Toby sighed and rubbed his forehead. "CJ, listen to yourself. You can't take care of a girl you don't even want to take care of."
"Toby, I didn't say that!"
"You just said you *have* to take care of her."
CJ raised and put her hands on her sides. "Damn it, Toby! I don't need you to be here and say stuff like that to me now!"
Toby also raised and carefully put a hand on her shoulder but she brushed it away.
"Just leave me alone for a second, okay?"
Toby sat down looking after her as she was walking down the hallway.
TBC.