Part 14
The nurse told Toby CJ wasn't going to wake up until the next day, if even then. She did however, encourage Toby to talk to her. The nurse closed the door and left him alone in the small room with CJ. Toby was happy she had gotten a private room. He slowly approached the bed where she was laying. The room was dark except for the light from a small lamp in the window. With that light Toby saw the bruises in her face. She had own big bruise on her left cheek that almost reached the chin. Even though her eyes were closed Toby could tell her right eye was swollen. He moved a hand to caress her cheek but pulled away, afraid of hurting her. He sat down in the chair next to the bed. He gently took her hand in his and then he discovered the bruises on her arms as well. He tilted his head down and swallowed. If he only had stayed a bit longer.
* * * * *
"Sam, what's going on?"
Sam seemed to finally have calmed down, which made Josh calm down as well.
"Josh, you can't tell anyone about this. Not yet, and especially not to Toby." Josh nodded. "You know Eric called off the wedding earlier today, huh?"
Josh looked surprised. "Eric? Damn it! We forgot about him. Have you called him?" Then he paused and looked confused. "Eric called off the wedding? Why?"
"Because CJ and Toby love each other," Sam said simply as it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"They what?"
"Josh, they have loved each other since they met twenty years ago. I don't know what's going on but they just won't get together. Anyway, I told Eric about it yesterday because he was starting to wonder. That's the reason he called the thing off."
"Poor guy," Josh said and sighed. "Don't you think we would call him anyway? After all, they were engaged 24 hours ago."
Sam looked away and lowered his voice. "CJ came to my office after her meeting with Eric. She told me he had frightened her which made me remember some rumors I heard about him in college."
It seemed as if Josh was beginning to understand. "What rumors?"
"He wasn't nice to the women he dated. But I'm not sure, Josh. It's just a possibility. Honestly, until today I still didn't believe those rumors."
"And now?"
Sam sighed and looked down. "Now I don't know. Josh, what if she's in there fighting for her life because of me?"
* * * * *
Jed turned his back to the people in the Oval Office. He walked over to his desk with his hands in the pocket. Then he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. President...," Jed turned around and looked at Leo. "Listen to Ron, it won't make any difference if you're there or not."
Jed looked offended and pushed away Leo's hand. "Leo, in all the years we've known each other, I think that must have been the most stupid thing you've ever said to me! Of course it matters! I'm going there. I'm the President for Christ sake!"
Ron also rose and walked over to them. "Sir, with all due respect..."
Jed turned to Ron and looked at him angrily. "Ron, this isn't just one of my co-workers nor the press secretary. This is a dear friend of mine who's like a daughter to me. I'm going."
The door opened and Abbey entered. "What is this about? Some of us actually have work to do, you know."
Jed turned to Leo. "You called Abbey?"
Leo made himself as small as possible. "I thought she could calm you down."
Abbey sighed before smiling slightly. "Calm him down? Jed, now what have you done?"
"Abbey, CJ's at GW. She's not well."
"Then what in God's name are you doing here?"
* * * * *
The good news was that CJ hadn't begun to bleed again and that her condition was stabile now. The bad news was that hadn't woke up yet. The doctor said that there was no reason to start worrying so soon, but every minute that passed Toby worried more and more that he'd never get the chance to tell her how much he loved her. He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. Just as he had before he left her apartment the other night. He still banished himself for leaving her alone. If only he had stayed. Just a bit a longer. Just thirty minutes.
"Toby?"
Toby turned around to see Josh and Sam in the door.
"Toby, I need to talk to you for a second."
"Sam, I need to be with CJ now."
"I'll stay with her. It's really important," Josh put a hand on Toby's shoulder to assure him she would be okay without him for a minute.
"What do you want?" Toby asked when he and Sam were outside CJ's room. He wasn't rude or angry, just tired and upset about CJ.
"Okay, don't freak now, but they caught a guy."
Toby's head snapped up. "Who?"
"Eric."
Toby looked at Sam with disbelief. "Eric? Eric did this to her?"
"Toby, calm down! They're not sure yet, they need CJ to identify him, but at least they took him in." Toby sat down, knowing he had to calm down. "Do you think... do you think it was him?"
Sam told Toby that he was the one who told the police and also about the rumors he just reminded from college.
"Toby, I'm sorry." Toby could tell Sam's voice was beginning to crack up.
"What are you sorry about?" Toby asked softly.
Sam was almost crying by now. "If I hadn't... if I hadn't introduced her to him she..."
"Sam, you can't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Okay?"
Sam nodded, even though Toby hadn't convinced him.
TBC.
The nurse told Toby CJ wasn't going to wake up until the next day, if even then. She did however, encourage Toby to talk to her. The nurse closed the door and left him alone in the small room with CJ. Toby was happy she had gotten a private room. He slowly approached the bed where she was laying. The room was dark except for the light from a small lamp in the window. With that light Toby saw the bruises in her face. She had own big bruise on her left cheek that almost reached the chin. Even though her eyes were closed Toby could tell her right eye was swollen. He moved a hand to caress her cheek but pulled away, afraid of hurting her. He sat down in the chair next to the bed. He gently took her hand in his and then he discovered the bruises on her arms as well. He tilted his head down and swallowed. If he only had stayed a bit longer.
* * * * *
"Sam, what's going on?"
Sam seemed to finally have calmed down, which made Josh calm down as well.
"Josh, you can't tell anyone about this. Not yet, and especially not to Toby." Josh nodded. "You know Eric called off the wedding earlier today, huh?"
Josh looked surprised. "Eric? Damn it! We forgot about him. Have you called him?" Then he paused and looked confused. "Eric called off the wedding? Why?"
"Because CJ and Toby love each other," Sam said simply as it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"They what?"
"Josh, they have loved each other since they met twenty years ago. I don't know what's going on but they just won't get together. Anyway, I told Eric about it yesterday because he was starting to wonder. That's the reason he called the thing off."
"Poor guy," Josh said and sighed. "Don't you think we would call him anyway? After all, they were engaged 24 hours ago."
Sam looked away and lowered his voice. "CJ came to my office after her meeting with Eric. She told me he had frightened her which made me remember some rumors I heard about him in college."
It seemed as if Josh was beginning to understand. "What rumors?"
"He wasn't nice to the women he dated. But I'm not sure, Josh. It's just a possibility. Honestly, until today I still didn't believe those rumors."
"And now?"
Sam sighed and looked down. "Now I don't know. Josh, what if she's in there fighting for her life because of me?"
* * * * *
Jed turned his back to the people in the Oval Office. He walked over to his desk with his hands in the pocket. Then he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. President...," Jed turned around and looked at Leo. "Listen to Ron, it won't make any difference if you're there or not."
Jed looked offended and pushed away Leo's hand. "Leo, in all the years we've known each other, I think that must have been the most stupid thing you've ever said to me! Of course it matters! I'm going there. I'm the President for Christ sake!"
Ron also rose and walked over to them. "Sir, with all due respect..."
Jed turned to Ron and looked at him angrily. "Ron, this isn't just one of my co-workers nor the press secretary. This is a dear friend of mine who's like a daughter to me. I'm going."
The door opened and Abbey entered. "What is this about? Some of us actually have work to do, you know."
Jed turned to Leo. "You called Abbey?"
Leo made himself as small as possible. "I thought she could calm you down."
Abbey sighed before smiling slightly. "Calm him down? Jed, now what have you done?"
"Abbey, CJ's at GW. She's not well."
"Then what in God's name are you doing here?"
* * * * *
The good news was that CJ hadn't begun to bleed again and that her condition was stabile now. The bad news was that hadn't woke up yet. The doctor said that there was no reason to start worrying so soon, but every minute that passed Toby worried more and more that he'd never get the chance to tell her how much he loved her. He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. Just as he had before he left her apartment the other night. He still banished himself for leaving her alone. If only he had stayed. Just a bit a longer. Just thirty minutes.
"Toby?"
Toby turned around to see Josh and Sam in the door.
"Toby, I need to talk to you for a second."
"Sam, I need to be with CJ now."
"I'll stay with her. It's really important," Josh put a hand on Toby's shoulder to assure him she would be okay without him for a minute.
"What do you want?" Toby asked when he and Sam were outside CJ's room. He wasn't rude or angry, just tired and upset about CJ.
"Okay, don't freak now, but they caught a guy."
Toby's head snapped up. "Who?"
"Eric."
Toby looked at Sam with disbelief. "Eric? Eric did this to her?"
"Toby, calm down! They're not sure yet, they need CJ to identify him, but at least they took him in." Toby sat down, knowing he had to calm down. "Do you think... do you think it was him?"
Sam told Toby that he was the one who told the police and also about the rumors he just reminded from college.
"Toby, I'm sorry." Toby could tell Sam's voice was beginning to crack up.
"What are you sorry about?" Toby asked softly.
Sam was almost crying by now. "If I hadn't... if I hadn't introduced her to him she..."
"Sam, you can't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Okay?"
Sam nodded, even though Toby hadn't convinced him.
TBC.