Clearing Clouds
Part 3
Arriving at the hospital, the President raced to the private waiting room that had been set up when the hospital learned he was coming. He almost beat his Secret Service Agents and Charlie was close on his trail. Jenny and Abbey were sitting inside, talking quietly. Abbey had only agreed to move to that waiting room, because Jenny had been so anxious for Jed's arrival. Abbey had pressed the doctor to allow her in the exam room; after all she was on staff at this hospital. The doctor had convinced her that treating her own family was not a good idea. Since the doctor was a friend of hers, Abbey had taken her advice, but the wait had not been easy.
"Jenny." Jed hugged her. "How is he?"
"The doctor is in with him. We haven't heard anything," Jenny exclaimed. "He had a big burn on his hand, Jed."
"He's going to be okay, Jenny. We'll get him everything he needs." Bartlet drew back, but still with his arm around Jenny turned to Abbey. "How is Laurie?"
"Her doctor told us she was awake," Abbey said. "They're running some tests." Abbey had only been half way focusing on the President as she spoke. "Why don't they come get me? I should be in there."
"Is there anything I can do?" Jed asked her.
"No.thank you, sir." Abbey spoke just as absently.
Jed felt and looked, he was sure, dejected.
"Mr. President." Leah called out his name from her seat on the couch where she had been colouring.
"Hey there, gumdrop," Jed moved to the couch and sat down with her. "That's a pretty picture."
"I'm colouring it for Laurie. She got hurt," Leah explained.
"I know she did," Jed said. "But she's going to be fine."
"Mommy said she shouldn't have tried to plug in the lamp." Leah pulled a green crayon out of the box.
"Yeah, you should always ask an adult to help you with anything electric," Jed said to the child.
"Uncle Leo got hurt, too," Leah continued. "He tried to help Laurie."
"Uncle Leo will be fine, too," he tried reassuring Leah, seeing the doctor coming down the hall.
"How's my daughter?" Abbey asked, standing when Dr. Starland got to the door.
"She's going to be fine, Abbey." Dr. Starland smiled. "She's going to need some rest, but she'll be okay."
Abbey let out a deep breath. "Oh, thank you."
"She will have to stay overnight for observation. She's being treated for shock and a second-degree burn on her arm that looks a lot worse than it really is. We're just finishing giving her some fluids," said Dr. Starland. "But the worst is over."
"What about my husband?" Jenny had been waiting anxiously.
"The same is true for your husband. Shock. A second degree burn over a large part of his hand and two of his fingers. He's on a saline IV and we've gotten him started on antibiotics. We have him all bandaged up and he's sleeping," Dr. Starland told her. "You can sit with him if you'd like."
"Thank you, doctor," Jenny thanked him as Dr. Starland motioned for a nurse to take Jenny to Leo.
Abbey hugged Jenny briefly before heading for Laurie's room.
Charlie, who had not said anything during this time, approached The President. "Should I call and inform the staff?"
Jed turned and smiled at him. "Thank you."
Abbey approached Laurie's bed. "Hi, honey." She saw the tears in her daughter's eyes. "Oh, honey, it's OK. Mommy's here. You're safe now." She sat on the bed and took Laurie in her arms, rocking her gently.
Jed walked with Leah in the corridor and came upon Laurie's room. Abbey had dashed off so fast he could hardly keep up with her. He looked inside and saw Abbey holding her daughter. He felt Leah let go of his hand and run inside.
"Mom?"
Abbey let go of Laurie as Leah came towards her. She picked up her younger daughter. "Your sister will be fine." Abbey saw Laurie smile at Leah. "See."
"Then why is she crying?" Leah looked up at Abbey.
Abbey hugged Leah and had one hand on Laurie's left arm. "Because she got scared and when people get scared they cry."
"I'm fine now." Laurie tried reassuring her little sister even though she still felt a little shaken.
Leah let go of her mother and leaned over to hug Laurie who returned the hug. Abbey smiled as she patted Leah's head.
Jed was touched by the scene he had witnessed and as he tried closing the door silently, he heard someone shout out to him. He looked up and saw Laurie indicating to him to come in. He hesitated until Abbey nodded to him to do so.
"Hi." Laurie smiled at him.
"Hi there. You gave us quite a scare." He smiled back at her.
"I know." Laurie let go of her sister and Leah jumped off the bed.
"I'm glad you're alright."
"Me, too." Laurie sighed.
"I'll leave you alone. I'm going to check on Leo." He hurried out the door and wondered if it would always be this hard to be in the same room as Abbey.
Abbey watched him leave and felt an overwhelming sadness.
Jed sat in the chair next to Leo's bed, watching him sleep. He had been there for some time, resting, but his mind wasn't at rest. He couldn't get seeing Abbey out of his mind. He couldn't forget the panic he had seen her in over her daughter. He had wished he could comfort her, but she had wanted none of it. He was drawn out of his thoughts as Leo moaned.
"Hey, sleepy," Jed said softly when Leo opened his eyes.
Feeling a little light-headed, Leo reached up and fumbled with the oxygen
cannulas that were in his nose, trying to pull them away.
Jed gently caught his hand. "Let's not do that. The oxygen will help you
breathe." He moved Leo's hand away and adjusted the tubing.
"Sir?" Leo tried to focus on Jed. "What are you doing at my house now?"
Jed gave a soft smile. "I'm not at your house."
"Huh?" Leo looked around the room. "Oh.how did you?"
"Jenny called me," he told Leo, hoping he would understand.
"Called." Leo mumbled as he winced when his bandaged hand bumped against the rail of the bed.
"Do you remember why you're here?" he asked, putting his hand on Leo's shoulder.
"Yeah." Leo became more coherent as he continued to wake up. "How's Laurie?"
"She's going to be okay," Jed assured him. He watched Leo blink his eyes. "How are you doing?"
"I'm shocked by the whole experience." Leo tried shifting, but only made himself more uncomfortable.
Jed hesitated and then snickered. "That was bad, Leo."
Leo looked up at him. "My body aches all over, Mr. President, I think I'm entitled to one bad joke."
"You better not let Jenny or Abbey hear you say that," Jed added, adjusting Leo's pillow.
"Where's Jenny?" Leo looked around the room.
"She went to check on Abbey and the girls," Jed answered. "Do you want me to get her?"
Leo shook his head. "How is Abbey?"
"She didn't say much to me," Jed told him. "I make her uncomfortable as usual."
Leo studied the President. "I don't want her alone. She's probably needs someone."
"Leo, that's not me," Jed sighed. "Remember my promise."
"Promises were made to be broken." Leo couldn't say any more as he dozed back off.
TBC....
Part 3
Arriving at the hospital, the President raced to the private waiting room that had been set up when the hospital learned he was coming. He almost beat his Secret Service Agents and Charlie was close on his trail. Jenny and Abbey were sitting inside, talking quietly. Abbey had only agreed to move to that waiting room, because Jenny had been so anxious for Jed's arrival. Abbey had pressed the doctor to allow her in the exam room; after all she was on staff at this hospital. The doctor had convinced her that treating her own family was not a good idea. Since the doctor was a friend of hers, Abbey had taken her advice, but the wait had not been easy.
"Jenny." Jed hugged her. "How is he?"
"The doctor is in with him. We haven't heard anything," Jenny exclaimed. "He had a big burn on his hand, Jed."
"He's going to be okay, Jenny. We'll get him everything he needs." Bartlet drew back, but still with his arm around Jenny turned to Abbey. "How is Laurie?"
"Her doctor told us she was awake," Abbey said. "They're running some tests." Abbey had only been half way focusing on the President as she spoke. "Why don't they come get me? I should be in there."
"Is there anything I can do?" Jed asked her.
"No.thank you, sir." Abbey spoke just as absently.
Jed felt and looked, he was sure, dejected.
"Mr. President." Leah called out his name from her seat on the couch where she had been colouring.
"Hey there, gumdrop," Jed moved to the couch and sat down with her. "That's a pretty picture."
"I'm colouring it for Laurie. She got hurt," Leah explained.
"I know she did," Jed said. "But she's going to be fine."
"Mommy said she shouldn't have tried to plug in the lamp." Leah pulled a green crayon out of the box.
"Yeah, you should always ask an adult to help you with anything electric," Jed said to the child.
"Uncle Leo got hurt, too," Leah continued. "He tried to help Laurie."
"Uncle Leo will be fine, too," he tried reassuring Leah, seeing the doctor coming down the hall.
"How's my daughter?" Abbey asked, standing when Dr. Starland got to the door.
"She's going to be fine, Abbey." Dr. Starland smiled. "She's going to need some rest, but she'll be okay."
Abbey let out a deep breath. "Oh, thank you."
"She will have to stay overnight for observation. She's being treated for shock and a second-degree burn on her arm that looks a lot worse than it really is. We're just finishing giving her some fluids," said Dr. Starland. "But the worst is over."
"What about my husband?" Jenny had been waiting anxiously.
"The same is true for your husband. Shock. A second degree burn over a large part of his hand and two of his fingers. He's on a saline IV and we've gotten him started on antibiotics. We have him all bandaged up and he's sleeping," Dr. Starland told her. "You can sit with him if you'd like."
"Thank you, doctor," Jenny thanked him as Dr. Starland motioned for a nurse to take Jenny to Leo.
Abbey hugged Jenny briefly before heading for Laurie's room.
Charlie, who had not said anything during this time, approached The President. "Should I call and inform the staff?"
Jed turned and smiled at him. "Thank you."
Abbey approached Laurie's bed. "Hi, honey." She saw the tears in her daughter's eyes. "Oh, honey, it's OK. Mommy's here. You're safe now." She sat on the bed and took Laurie in her arms, rocking her gently.
Jed walked with Leah in the corridor and came upon Laurie's room. Abbey had dashed off so fast he could hardly keep up with her. He looked inside and saw Abbey holding her daughter. He felt Leah let go of his hand and run inside.
"Mom?"
Abbey let go of Laurie as Leah came towards her. She picked up her younger daughter. "Your sister will be fine." Abbey saw Laurie smile at Leah. "See."
"Then why is she crying?" Leah looked up at Abbey.
Abbey hugged Leah and had one hand on Laurie's left arm. "Because she got scared and when people get scared they cry."
"I'm fine now." Laurie tried reassuring her little sister even though she still felt a little shaken.
Leah let go of her mother and leaned over to hug Laurie who returned the hug. Abbey smiled as she patted Leah's head.
Jed was touched by the scene he had witnessed and as he tried closing the door silently, he heard someone shout out to him. He looked up and saw Laurie indicating to him to come in. He hesitated until Abbey nodded to him to do so.
"Hi." Laurie smiled at him.
"Hi there. You gave us quite a scare." He smiled back at her.
"I know." Laurie let go of her sister and Leah jumped off the bed.
"I'm glad you're alright."
"Me, too." Laurie sighed.
"I'll leave you alone. I'm going to check on Leo." He hurried out the door and wondered if it would always be this hard to be in the same room as Abbey.
Abbey watched him leave and felt an overwhelming sadness.
Jed sat in the chair next to Leo's bed, watching him sleep. He had been there for some time, resting, but his mind wasn't at rest. He couldn't get seeing Abbey out of his mind. He couldn't forget the panic he had seen her in over her daughter. He had wished he could comfort her, but she had wanted none of it. He was drawn out of his thoughts as Leo moaned.
"Hey, sleepy," Jed said softly when Leo opened his eyes.
Feeling a little light-headed, Leo reached up and fumbled with the oxygen
cannulas that were in his nose, trying to pull them away.
Jed gently caught his hand. "Let's not do that. The oxygen will help you
breathe." He moved Leo's hand away and adjusted the tubing.
"Sir?" Leo tried to focus on Jed. "What are you doing at my house now?"
Jed gave a soft smile. "I'm not at your house."
"Huh?" Leo looked around the room. "Oh.how did you?"
"Jenny called me," he told Leo, hoping he would understand.
"Called." Leo mumbled as he winced when his bandaged hand bumped against the rail of the bed.
"Do you remember why you're here?" he asked, putting his hand on Leo's shoulder.
"Yeah." Leo became more coherent as he continued to wake up. "How's Laurie?"
"She's going to be okay," Jed assured him. He watched Leo blink his eyes. "How are you doing?"
"I'm shocked by the whole experience." Leo tried shifting, but only made himself more uncomfortable.
Jed hesitated and then snickered. "That was bad, Leo."
Leo looked up at him. "My body aches all over, Mr. President, I think I'm entitled to one bad joke."
"You better not let Jenny or Abbey hear you say that," Jed added, adjusting Leo's pillow.
"Where's Jenny?" Leo looked around the room.
"She went to check on Abbey and the girls," Jed answered. "Do you want me to get her?"
Leo shook his head. "How is Abbey?"
"She didn't say much to me," Jed told him. "I make her uncomfortable as usual."
Leo studied the President. "I don't want her alone. She's probably needs someone."
"Leo, that's not me," Jed sighed. "Remember my promise."
"Promises were made to be broken." Leo couldn't say any more as he dozed back off.
TBC....