Clearing Clouds
Part 2
Abbey jumped from her chair, going to the sobbing child. "Leah.what is it?"
"Mommy.we.we were playing a game.Laurie.plugged in the lamp." Leah could barely be understood through her tears.
Abbey's heart almost stopped. The lamp! She sprinted through the door and raced for the living room followed by a confused Jenny and a still sobbing Leah. It couldn't be. That could not have happened. Finding Laurie and Leo on the floor, Abbey drew in a deep breath to keep from passing out. Laurie had plugged in the lamp and gotten shocked, but what had happened to Leo. "Jenny.call 911!" Abbey managed to yell before she knelt between Laurie and Leo.
"What happened?" Jenny gasped, wanting to go to Leo.
"Jenny, call 911 now!" Abbey ordered. "I think they got an electric shock from the lamp."
Jenny went to the phone with shaking hands, called 911 and tried to tell the operator everything she knew. "We think my husband and niece were shocked.yes.a lamp .5275 Applegate Way.Leo McGarry age 51 and Laurie McGarry.she's 9.I don't know.I don't know.just get here." Jenny hung up the phone while the operator was still talking.
Abbey checked Laurie quickly, making mental notes of her vitals and visible injuries.
Jenny came to her side and knelt by Leo. Jenny's voice shook. "The operator wanted to.to know.if they were breathing."
Abbey had gone into doctor mode; it was the only way she could function. "Laurie is breathing." Turning to Leo, Abbey put her face down by his mouth. She sat up in alarm. "Come on, Leo, breathe for me." Abbey shifted positions and opened his mouth, checking to see that his airway was clear. Then she put her mouth over his, blowing in three short breaths before she pressed on his chest. "Leo.come on.breathe, pumpkin, please." Abbey was about to breathe for him again when she saw Leo's chest rise and he gasped, opening his eyes.
Leo looked around disoriented. "Je..n..ny."
"I'm right here, baby. You're going to be fine," Jenny soothed shakily, moving into his field of vision and taking his hand.
Abbey grabbed two couch pillows and two afghans, tossing one of each to Jenny. "Elevate his legs and keep him warm. There's a real danger of them going into shock."
"What." Leo tried to sit up, his breath coming shallow like in pants.
"Keep him down," Abbey ordered while rolling Laurie on her side, as she was still unconscious and in need of having her airway kept clear. Abbey was alarmed at the signs of shock that she could see in both of them.
"Leo.listen to me, honey.just lay still." Jenny pushed Leo gently back down and spread the blanket over him. "Help is on the way."
Leo's mind vaguely remembered something wrong with Laurie. "Laurie." Leo struggled to sit up.
"Leo.no." Abbey turned to help Jenny get him settled back on the floor and get his legs up. "You have to stay lying down until we see how bad you're hurt."
"Hurt?" Leo mumbled his question.
"Just don't move, Leo, relax.focus on me.everything's going to be okay." Jenny stroked his forehead and held his hand, feeling how cold and clammy his skin was. It scared her how pale he had become. She looked to Abbey who was trying to get Laurie to wake up as a siren's wail could be heard in the distance.
"Laurie, listen to Mommy.open your eyes." Abbey checked her daughter's pupils. "Laurie, can you hear Mommy? Squeeze my hand." Abbey held Laurie's hand. "Laurie, please.just hold on.help is here."
Momentarily a police officer appeared at the door. "What happened, ma'am?" Paramedics rushed in passed the officer.
"We didn't see what happened. My younger daughter came to get us," said Abbey, having enough composure to let the medics work on Laurie. "This lamp had a frayed cord and I think Laurie plugged it in and got shocked."
"She did, Mommy," said Leah, moving into her mother's arms.
"You saw it?" asked Abbey, picking Leah up.
Leah nodded. "Laurie just stood there and held the cord."
"Leah, what happened to Uncle Leo?" asked Abbey.
"Laurie was getting hurt and Uncle Leo grabbed her and it hurt him, too." Laurie buried her face in her mother's shoulder.
Abbey swallowed. "They were both shocked."
"We're going to transport them to the hospital," said a paramedic, speaking to the police officer. "They're both stable for the moment."
"We'll remain behind, ma'am, and make sure the lamp gets unplugged and make sure it didn't damage the outlet," said the policeman.
"Toby?" Jed peeked in Toby's office and found him jumping out of the chair as Jed said his name.
Toby swallowed. "Is there something you need, sir?"
"Yes, there is. I need you to feel comfortable around me again." Jed walked inside and closed the door behind him.
"Sir?" Toby had a good idea what this was about, but better let The President start.
"Look, about what happened when Abbey was drunk and she kissed you. It was the alcohol. She wouldn't have kissed you otherwise." Jed hoped Toby would take the bait he had laid out.
Toby frowned. "Thank you, sir, that does wonders for my confidence."
Jed knew he was hooked. "And it wasn't anyone's fault. You're right I was a bit jealous, but I can handle it and if for some reason Abbey had been attracted to you, I could have handled it."
Toby eyed him suspiciously, not buying it for a minute.
Jed saw the way Toby looked at him and knew he didn't believe him. "OK, maybe not, but it's in the past so let's please get back to normal. Fine with you?"
Toby gave one of his rare smiles. "Fine with me, sir."
"Wonderful." Jed smiled back before heading out the door. Things were settled with Toby and he felt good about that. He walked into his office and picked up a magazine. Rare was the times when he could just sit and relax.
"Sir?" Mrs. Landingham hurried into The Oval Office.
"What do you need, Mrs. Landingham?" the President asked, not even glancing up.
"Sir, Mrs. McGarry is on the phone and she sounds very upset."
The President frowned and picked up the receiver. "Jenny?"
"He got shocked, Jed," Jenny managed, leaning her head against the wall of the pay phone in the hospital waiting room.
"What? Who?" The President struggled to understand.
"Leo.we were at Abbey's for a cook out, remember? Laurie, Abbey's daughter, plugged in a lamp with a frayed cord and got shocked. Leo tried to help her and got shocked, too. They're in the hospital," said Jenny, giving in to the tears that had been threatening ever since she saw Leo on the floor.
"Are they okay?" Jed Bartlet held his breath.
"I don't know, Jed. The paramedics said all this stuff. They're in shock," Jenny said, wiping at her face.
"Jenny, I'm on my way."
"Hurry, Jed," Jenny begged.
Jed hung up the phone and yelled for Mrs. Landingham. Leo and Laurie! Abbey must be out of her mind with worry. He had to get there now. He had to comfort her and be sure everything possible was being done. He had to.wait.he had promised her he'd stay away and leave her alone.but that couldn't apply now.not when she so surely needed him. Besides, Jenny would need him too.
TBC......
Part 2
Abbey jumped from her chair, going to the sobbing child. "Leah.what is it?"
"Mommy.we.we were playing a game.Laurie.plugged in the lamp." Leah could barely be understood through her tears.
Abbey's heart almost stopped. The lamp! She sprinted through the door and raced for the living room followed by a confused Jenny and a still sobbing Leah. It couldn't be. That could not have happened. Finding Laurie and Leo on the floor, Abbey drew in a deep breath to keep from passing out. Laurie had plugged in the lamp and gotten shocked, but what had happened to Leo. "Jenny.call 911!" Abbey managed to yell before she knelt between Laurie and Leo.
"What happened?" Jenny gasped, wanting to go to Leo.
"Jenny, call 911 now!" Abbey ordered. "I think they got an electric shock from the lamp."
Jenny went to the phone with shaking hands, called 911 and tried to tell the operator everything she knew. "We think my husband and niece were shocked.yes.a lamp .5275 Applegate Way.Leo McGarry age 51 and Laurie McGarry.she's 9.I don't know.I don't know.just get here." Jenny hung up the phone while the operator was still talking.
Abbey checked Laurie quickly, making mental notes of her vitals and visible injuries.
Jenny came to her side and knelt by Leo. Jenny's voice shook. "The operator wanted to.to know.if they were breathing."
Abbey had gone into doctor mode; it was the only way she could function. "Laurie is breathing." Turning to Leo, Abbey put her face down by his mouth. She sat up in alarm. "Come on, Leo, breathe for me." Abbey shifted positions and opened his mouth, checking to see that his airway was clear. Then she put her mouth over his, blowing in three short breaths before she pressed on his chest. "Leo.come on.breathe, pumpkin, please." Abbey was about to breathe for him again when she saw Leo's chest rise and he gasped, opening his eyes.
Leo looked around disoriented. "Je..n..ny."
"I'm right here, baby. You're going to be fine," Jenny soothed shakily, moving into his field of vision and taking his hand.
Abbey grabbed two couch pillows and two afghans, tossing one of each to Jenny. "Elevate his legs and keep him warm. There's a real danger of them going into shock."
"What." Leo tried to sit up, his breath coming shallow like in pants.
"Keep him down," Abbey ordered while rolling Laurie on her side, as she was still unconscious and in need of having her airway kept clear. Abbey was alarmed at the signs of shock that she could see in both of them.
"Leo.listen to me, honey.just lay still." Jenny pushed Leo gently back down and spread the blanket over him. "Help is on the way."
Leo's mind vaguely remembered something wrong with Laurie. "Laurie." Leo struggled to sit up.
"Leo.no." Abbey turned to help Jenny get him settled back on the floor and get his legs up. "You have to stay lying down until we see how bad you're hurt."
"Hurt?" Leo mumbled his question.
"Just don't move, Leo, relax.focus on me.everything's going to be okay." Jenny stroked his forehead and held his hand, feeling how cold and clammy his skin was. It scared her how pale he had become. She looked to Abbey who was trying to get Laurie to wake up as a siren's wail could be heard in the distance.
"Laurie, listen to Mommy.open your eyes." Abbey checked her daughter's pupils. "Laurie, can you hear Mommy? Squeeze my hand." Abbey held Laurie's hand. "Laurie, please.just hold on.help is here."
Momentarily a police officer appeared at the door. "What happened, ma'am?" Paramedics rushed in passed the officer.
"We didn't see what happened. My younger daughter came to get us," said Abbey, having enough composure to let the medics work on Laurie. "This lamp had a frayed cord and I think Laurie plugged it in and got shocked."
"She did, Mommy," said Leah, moving into her mother's arms.
"You saw it?" asked Abbey, picking Leah up.
Leah nodded. "Laurie just stood there and held the cord."
"Leah, what happened to Uncle Leo?" asked Abbey.
"Laurie was getting hurt and Uncle Leo grabbed her and it hurt him, too." Laurie buried her face in her mother's shoulder.
Abbey swallowed. "They were both shocked."
"We're going to transport them to the hospital," said a paramedic, speaking to the police officer. "They're both stable for the moment."
"We'll remain behind, ma'am, and make sure the lamp gets unplugged and make sure it didn't damage the outlet," said the policeman.
"Toby?" Jed peeked in Toby's office and found him jumping out of the chair as Jed said his name.
Toby swallowed. "Is there something you need, sir?"
"Yes, there is. I need you to feel comfortable around me again." Jed walked inside and closed the door behind him.
"Sir?" Toby had a good idea what this was about, but better let The President start.
"Look, about what happened when Abbey was drunk and she kissed you. It was the alcohol. She wouldn't have kissed you otherwise." Jed hoped Toby would take the bait he had laid out.
Toby frowned. "Thank you, sir, that does wonders for my confidence."
Jed knew he was hooked. "And it wasn't anyone's fault. You're right I was a bit jealous, but I can handle it and if for some reason Abbey had been attracted to you, I could have handled it."
Toby eyed him suspiciously, not buying it for a minute.
Jed saw the way Toby looked at him and knew he didn't believe him. "OK, maybe not, but it's in the past so let's please get back to normal. Fine with you?"
Toby gave one of his rare smiles. "Fine with me, sir."
"Wonderful." Jed smiled back before heading out the door. Things were settled with Toby and he felt good about that. He walked into his office and picked up a magazine. Rare was the times when he could just sit and relax.
"Sir?" Mrs. Landingham hurried into The Oval Office.
"What do you need, Mrs. Landingham?" the President asked, not even glancing up.
"Sir, Mrs. McGarry is on the phone and she sounds very upset."
The President frowned and picked up the receiver. "Jenny?"
"He got shocked, Jed," Jenny managed, leaning her head against the wall of the pay phone in the hospital waiting room.
"What? Who?" The President struggled to understand.
"Leo.we were at Abbey's for a cook out, remember? Laurie, Abbey's daughter, plugged in a lamp with a frayed cord and got shocked. Leo tried to help her and got shocked, too. They're in the hospital," said Jenny, giving in to the tears that had been threatening ever since she saw Leo on the floor.
"Are they okay?" Jed Bartlet held his breath.
"I don't know, Jed. The paramedics said all this stuff. They're in shock," Jenny said, wiping at her face.
"Jenny, I'm on my way."
"Hurry, Jed," Jenny begged.
Jed hung up the phone and yelled for Mrs. Landingham. Leo and Laurie! Abbey must be out of her mind with worry. He had to get there now. He had to comfort her and be sure everything possible was being done. He had to.wait.he had promised her he'd stay away and leave her alone.but that couldn't apply now.not when she so surely needed him. Besides, Jenny would need him too.
TBC......