Clearing Clouds
Part 7
A few minutes later, Abbey walked back into The Oval Office. "Hey."
Jed looked at his watch. "OK, we still have four minutes, so let's make the most of them." He hurried to take her in his arms, but she stopped him.
"Sorry, got to go."
"Aaabbbeeyy.." He drug out the name like a child.
She wanted to stay, but she had to get back to work and so did he.
"See you tonight and don't forget to bring Josh."
"Yeah, I know."
Abbey kissed him quickly on the check before she went over to pick up the blanket.
"So why did you leave before?" Jed watched as she folded the blanket.
Abbey hesitated but only for a second. "Oh, just something I had to
do."
Jed wasn't sure what to believe, but he let it go as Abbey stuffed the blanket in her basket. "How about a kiss goodbye?" Jed sounded hopeful.
"OK, but a quick one." Although Abbey very well knew there would be nothing quick about it.
Toby peeked inside CJ's office and saw her deep into reading an email on her computer. "CJ?"
She looked up. "Hmm, Toby". What is it?" CJ deleted that email and opened another one.
"I just saw you heading in here with Abbey in tow. What's up?"
"I told her."
Toby closed the door. "Ah, well it´s not really her reaction you need to worry about, is it?"
She sighed. "Nope."
Toby knew CJ very well. He knew this had been bothering her, but he hoped he could at least help her feel better. "He´ll be fine with it."
"But I work for him and not to mention, I'm his ex-wife."
He said it in a sweet voice so she wouldn't take it the wrong way. "With the emphasis on EX. Yes, he's still your friend and boss, but it's your life."
CJ didn't quite agree. "Nothing we do should damage The President or The White House."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abbey opened the door for the Secret Service and smiled as she saw the President was coming up her walk. Jed smiled back as soon as he saw her and they shared a sweet kiss at the door.
"You didn't forget Josh, did you?" Abbey asked, taking the bouquet of flowers that Jed presented to her.
"No, your daughters grabbed him as soon as we got out of the car, something about making him rollerskate," Jed said with a grin.
"Poor Josh, I better get the first aid supplies ready." Abbey led Jed into the livingroom.
Jed stopped at the couch and peered over it at the sleeping Leo."How's he doing?" He reached down and inched Leo's heavily bandaged hand more squarely onto the pillow.
"He's been asleep practically since they got here; he hasn't moved from that couch. I finally talked Jenny into going to have her hair done." While she talked, Abbey worked on fixing the flowers in a vase. "He's having some trouble sleeping at night, so his body forces him to make up for it during the day."
"He told you about the nightmare?" Jed was a tad hurt as he had had to hear it from Josh.
Abbey shook her head sadly. "No, Jenny told me. He doesn't know that I know." She came to stand by Jed's side, so he put his arm around her. "I'm so glad we could all get together. I know you have some things to discuss with Leo and Josh, but I want us to have some fun, too." Abbey looked at Leo again. "I think we should wake him up. Any more sleep now and that will be the reason he's up all night tonight."
The President nodded and moved from Abbey to the edge of the couch. He bent down and gently shook Leo's shoulder. "Leo..." He got no response other than a moan. "Come on, Leo...wake up and talk to me." Leo moaned again and shifted, opening his eyes.
Seeing the President standing over him caused Leo to jump up, forgetting about his injury. "Mr. President!"
"Honey, watch your hand!" Abbey lunged for his hand and grabbed it just before it would have scrapped down the couch.
The President caught him, holding him upright until Leo could get his balance. "Leo, what are you doing?" Jed exclaimed, touched by Leo's level of respect for him. "You're going to hurt yourself trying to keep up protocol. That doesn't matter near as much as you keeping that hand safe."
"It's okay, sir. I'm sorry I didn't know you were here," Leo tried awkwardly to adjust his clothing.
Abbey studied Leo until she was sure he was okay. "I'm going to make some lemonade," she announced, disappearing into the kitchen.
Jed gestured to the couch. "Sit down with me, Leo; you and I need to have a talk."
The President had just finished voicing all his concerns when Josh flew through the door excitedly, shutting it quickly behind him. "Where can I hide?" boomed Josh with a smile.
"They can find you anywhere," Jed joked with his own smile.
"I tried to rollerskate," Josh explained as he came further into the room to reveal the dirty knees of his pants. "After two falls, I said enough of this."
"Offer them a compromise, say you'll play dolls," the President offered with a wink. "You make deals with people all the time, surely you can handle two little girls."
"Senators are cake compared to those two." Josh moved to sit across from Leo. He studied his mentor. "How's the hand?"
"It's fine." Leo wanted to firmly establish that no one needed to worry about him.
"Leo...I..." Josh hesitated. "When I heard...I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're okay..." Josh nodded his head expectantly, wanting Leo to do the same. "...and what you did for Laurie..."
Leo nodded to Josh. "I'm fine, Josh."
Josh smiled and nodded again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jenny came to the patio table and quietly stood behind Leo's chair. She bent down to put her arms around his shoulders and whispered. "We need to change your bandage."
Leo turned his head toward hers. "It can wait. I have to finish this."
Jenny kept her voice compassionate and calm. "Honey, I know you don't want to do this, but it's very important that we do everything we can to keep your hand from getting infected. Jed and Josh will wait for you."
"Jenny." Leo tried to make himself sound simply annoyed, but true worry was in his voice. His body was visibly tense.
"I know, honey, but let's just get this over with. Don't sit here and agonize about it for an hour and then still have to do it." Jenny softly kissed Leo's hair.
The President, distracted from his conversation with Josh by watching them whisper, had turned to face Leo. "Is everything okay?" He could tell Leo was apprehensive.
Leo had started to speak, but Jenny drowned him out. "I just need to borrow Leo for a minute to change his bandage. You guys hold up the meeting a few minutes, okay?"
"Of course," the President said. "Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Sir, I'm fine. It can wait until later," Leo said, trying to be dismissive.
"Leo, we're almost done here. I was just going to suggest we all get something to eat. You do what you need to do." The President rose from the table. "I'll see what Abbey wants to get. What about chicken?" However,
Jed could see the displeasure all over Leo's face, so he sat down again. "Leo, what is it?"
Leo shook his head, so Jenny spoke up. "He's in quite a bit of pain, Jed, and he's hoping you'll help him put off changing the bandage."
"Leo?" The President looked across at Leo who had his eyes averted. Jed had already had a talk with him about the nightmare and been assured that it was a one time thing and that everything was back to normal. Leo's pain and determination not to take pain medication of any kind had been pushed to the back of the President's mind. "Why don't I stay with you. We can get through this together."
Abbey had come to stand behind Jed. "Leo, if you want me to, I can help
Jenny change it. We'll be really gentle." Abbey wanted to scream. She still harbored guilt that this was her fault. She wanted to make this easier any way that she could.
"Would you all stop ganging up on me!" Leo sounded angry.
"Honey..." Jenny brushed her hand through his hair. "Come on..." Jenny sat in the chair next to Leo and set out the supplies she would need.
"I believe I'll go check on Laurie and Leah." Josh stood up abruptly and started inside.
"Josh, keep the girls with you. They don't need to be out here." Abbey gave Josh a look with raised eyebrows.
Josh nodded. "Understood."
Leo closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing as Jenny began to unwrap the bandage on his hand.
Abbey pulled up a chair next to Jed and leaned across the table. "I want to see how it's doing."
Jenny carefully pulled the bandage away from Leo's blistered and red hand.
The President winced in spite of himself when Jenny got the bandage unwrapped. Most of the palm and side of Leo's hand and two of his fingers were an angry shade of red and covered with blisters, some of them still huge and some that were broken and watery. His whole hand looked moist and swollen.
"Stop it!" Leo pulled his arm back.
Jenny seemed prepared for this and didn't let his arm get too far. "Okay...we'll wait a minute..." She gently ran her fingers back and forth over Leo's wrist. "After I'm done, we'll get you some Tylenol."
Abbey studied his hand thoroughly. "There's some dead skin we really should remove."
Jenny slid her arm around Leo, knowing that he would resist any effort to touch his hand. "Let's let Abbey do this. She can do it much better than I could."
Jed wished he could run from the table like Josh had, but he knew that staying was a best friend's only option. Moving to the other side of the table, Jed sat against Leo. "Abbey's the best doctor I know. You won't feel a thing."
"I can't promise that, pumpkin, but I'll try my best," Abbey said, opening a package of surgical scissors and tweezers. Very carefully, Abbey snipped the loose skin from around some of the blisters. Leo kept his eyes closed and let out one short pant. After she finished, Abbey took pieces of gauze and gently patted away a little of the moisture. "There, all done."
"We'll just put on some medicine and get you bandaged back up," Jenny said, opening up a package of sterile bandages. She watched him with concern as Leo had become white as a sheet and had beads of perspiration dotting his forehead.
"Are you sick, honey?"
Leo nodded. "I'm okay."
"You'll let us know if you need to throw up, right?" Jed asked, looking around for a bag or bowl.
Leo nodded again. "I'm okay."
Jenny quickly put antibiotic on Leo's hand and then wrapped it again, taking special care to be sure his fingers were well bandaged.
Leo placed his elbow on the table and leaned his head against his palm, breathing deeply and swallowing to beat the nausea.
Abbey came back with a glass of water and two Tylenol. "Can you take these?" She handed Leo the pills and held the water for him. "Maybe you should lie down for a while."
Leo shook his head. "I'm okay."
"You keep saying that," Jed said, leaning closer to him. "Are you really okay or is that just easy to say?"
"I'm okay." Leo managed a look at Jed.
Jed laughed. "Glad that's cleared up."
Just then Laurie and Leah bounded into the room, trailed by a harried Josh, calling out to them to stop. "I'm sorry, Abbey, I told them that we needed to play in their room."
"Girls!" Abbey silenced their giggling. "I asked Josh to tell you to stay inside. Go back to your room now. I'll call you when dinner's here."
"Piggyback ride," Josh exclaimed, hoisting Leah onto his back and going through the door at a fast trot.
Laurie looked around at the remainder of the grownups before Abbey put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and led her back into the house. "Mom, what's wrong with Uncle Leo? He looks sick."
Abbey sat on the chair near the stairs and held Laurie's hand. "You know how you didn't like Mommy to change the bandage on your arm? Uncle Leo feels the same way about his hand." Letting out a deep breath, Abbey managed a smile. "He's fine though. We got him all fixed up. You...don't worry. Go on back upstairs and protect Josh from your sister." Abbey watched Laurie run up the stairs. She was so thankful that Laurie's electrical burn had not been worse. It was barely a second-degree burn with only two small blisters. Sighing, she tried to push the thoughts out of her head. It was an accident, no one was responsible, not even the person who hadn't taken the time to put the lamp in a safe place. She had to make herself believe that.
TBC.......
Part 7
A few minutes later, Abbey walked back into The Oval Office. "Hey."
Jed looked at his watch. "OK, we still have four minutes, so let's make the most of them." He hurried to take her in his arms, but she stopped him.
"Sorry, got to go."
"Aaabbbeeyy.." He drug out the name like a child.
She wanted to stay, but she had to get back to work and so did he.
"See you tonight and don't forget to bring Josh."
"Yeah, I know."
Abbey kissed him quickly on the check before she went over to pick up the blanket.
"So why did you leave before?" Jed watched as she folded the blanket.
Abbey hesitated but only for a second. "Oh, just something I had to
do."
Jed wasn't sure what to believe, but he let it go as Abbey stuffed the blanket in her basket. "How about a kiss goodbye?" Jed sounded hopeful.
"OK, but a quick one." Although Abbey very well knew there would be nothing quick about it.
Toby peeked inside CJ's office and saw her deep into reading an email on her computer. "CJ?"
She looked up. "Hmm, Toby". What is it?" CJ deleted that email and opened another one.
"I just saw you heading in here with Abbey in tow. What's up?"
"I told her."
Toby closed the door. "Ah, well it´s not really her reaction you need to worry about, is it?"
She sighed. "Nope."
Toby knew CJ very well. He knew this had been bothering her, but he hoped he could at least help her feel better. "He´ll be fine with it."
"But I work for him and not to mention, I'm his ex-wife."
He said it in a sweet voice so she wouldn't take it the wrong way. "With the emphasis on EX. Yes, he's still your friend and boss, but it's your life."
CJ didn't quite agree. "Nothing we do should damage The President or The White House."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abbey opened the door for the Secret Service and smiled as she saw the President was coming up her walk. Jed smiled back as soon as he saw her and they shared a sweet kiss at the door.
"You didn't forget Josh, did you?" Abbey asked, taking the bouquet of flowers that Jed presented to her.
"No, your daughters grabbed him as soon as we got out of the car, something about making him rollerskate," Jed said with a grin.
"Poor Josh, I better get the first aid supplies ready." Abbey led Jed into the livingroom.
Jed stopped at the couch and peered over it at the sleeping Leo."How's he doing?" He reached down and inched Leo's heavily bandaged hand more squarely onto the pillow.
"He's been asleep practically since they got here; he hasn't moved from that couch. I finally talked Jenny into going to have her hair done." While she talked, Abbey worked on fixing the flowers in a vase. "He's having some trouble sleeping at night, so his body forces him to make up for it during the day."
"He told you about the nightmare?" Jed was a tad hurt as he had had to hear it from Josh.
Abbey shook her head sadly. "No, Jenny told me. He doesn't know that I know." She came to stand by Jed's side, so he put his arm around her. "I'm so glad we could all get together. I know you have some things to discuss with Leo and Josh, but I want us to have some fun, too." Abbey looked at Leo again. "I think we should wake him up. Any more sleep now and that will be the reason he's up all night tonight."
The President nodded and moved from Abbey to the edge of the couch. He bent down and gently shook Leo's shoulder. "Leo..." He got no response other than a moan. "Come on, Leo...wake up and talk to me." Leo moaned again and shifted, opening his eyes.
Seeing the President standing over him caused Leo to jump up, forgetting about his injury. "Mr. President!"
"Honey, watch your hand!" Abbey lunged for his hand and grabbed it just before it would have scrapped down the couch.
The President caught him, holding him upright until Leo could get his balance. "Leo, what are you doing?" Jed exclaimed, touched by Leo's level of respect for him. "You're going to hurt yourself trying to keep up protocol. That doesn't matter near as much as you keeping that hand safe."
"It's okay, sir. I'm sorry I didn't know you were here," Leo tried awkwardly to adjust his clothing.
Abbey studied Leo until she was sure he was okay. "I'm going to make some lemonade," she announced, disappearing into the kitchen.
Jed gestured to the couch. "Sit down with me, Leo; you and I need to have a talk."
The President had just finished voicing all his concerns when Josh flew through the door excitedly, shutting it quickly behind him. "Where can I hide?" boomed Josh with a smile.
"They can find you anywhere," Jed joked with his own smile.
"I tried to rollerskate," Josh explained as he came further into the room to reveal the dirty knees of his pants. "After two falls, I said enough of this."
"Offer them a compromise, say you'll play dolls," the President offered with a wink. "You make deals with people all the time, surely you can handle two little girls."
"Senators are cake compared to those two." Josh moved to sit across from Leo. He studied his mentor. "How's the hand?"
"It's fine." Leo wanted to firmly establish that no one needed to worry about him.
"Leo...I..." Josh hesitated. "When I heard...I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're okay..." Josh nodded his head expectantly, wanting Leo to do the same. "...and what you did for Laurie..."
Leo nodded to Josh. "I'm fine, Josh."
Josh smiled and nodded again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jenny came to the patio table and quietly stood behind Leo's chair. She bent down to put her arms around his shoulders and whispered. "We need to change your bandage."
Leo turned his head toward hers. "It can wait. I have to finish this."
Jenny kept her voice compassionate and calm. "Honey, I know you don't want to do this, but it's very important that we do everything we can to keep your hand from getting infected. Jed and Josh will wait for you."
"Jenny." Leo tried to make himself sound simply annoyed, but true worry was in his voice. His body was visibly tense.
"I know, honey, but let's just get this over with. Don't sit here and agonize about it for an hour and then still have to do it." Jenny softly kissed Leo's hair.
The President, distracted from his conversation with Josh by watching them whisper, had turned to face Leo. "Is everything okay?" He could tell Leo was apprehensive.
Leo had started to speak, but Jenny drowned him out. "I just need to borrow Leo for a minute to change his bandage. You guys hold up the meeting a few minutes, okay?"
"Of course," the President said. "Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Sir, I'm fine. It can wait until later," Leo said, trying to be dismissive.
"Leo, we're almost done here. I was just going to suggest we all get something to eat. You do what you need to do." The President rose from the table. "I'll see what Abbey wants to get. What about chicken?" However,
Jed could see the displeasure all over Leo's face, so he sat down again. "Leo, what is it?"
Leo shook his head, so Jenny spoke up. "He's in quite a bit of pain, Jed, and he's hoping you'll help him put off changing the bandage."
"Leo?" The President looked across at Leo who had his eyes averted. Jed had already had a talk with him about the nightmare and been assured that it was a one time thing and that everything was back to normal. Leo's pain and determination not to take pain medication of any kind had been pushed to the back of the President's mind. "Why don't I stay with you. We can get through this together."
Abbey had come to stand behind Jed. "Leo, if you want me to, I can help
Jenny change it. We'll be really gentle." Abbey wanted to scream. She still harbored guilt that this was her fault. She wanted to make this easier any way that she could.
"Would you all stop ganging up on me!" Leo sounded angry.
"Honey..." Jenny brushed her hand through his hair. "Come on..." Jenny sat in the chair next to Leo and set out the supplies she would need.
"I believe I'll go check on Laurie and Leah." Josh stood up abruptly and started inside.
"Josh, keep the girls with you. They don't need to be out here." Abbey gave Josh a look with raised eyebrows.
Josh nodded. "Understood."
Leo closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing as Jenny began to unwrap the bandage on his hand.
Abbey pulled up a chair next to Jed and leaned across the table. "I want to see how it's doing."
Jenny carefully pulled the bandage away from Leo's blistered and red hand.
The President winced in spite of himself when Jenny got the bandage unwrapped. Most of the palm and side of Leo's hand and two of his fingers were an angry shade of red and covered with blisters, some of them still huge and some that were broken and watery. His whole hand looked moist and swollen.
"Stop it!" Leo pulled his arm back.
Jenny seemed prepared for this and didn't let his arm get too far. "Okay...we'll wait a minute..." She gently ran her fingers back and forth over Leo's wrist. "After I'm done, we'll get you some Tylenol."
Abbey studied his hand thoroughly. "There's some dead skin we really should remove."
Jenny slid her arm around Leo, knowing that he would resist any effort to touch his hand. "Let's let Abbey do this. She can do it much better than I could."
Jed wished he could run from the table like Josh had, but he knew that staying was a best friend's only option. Moving to the other side of the table, Jed sat against Leo. "Abbey's the best doctor I know. You won't feel a thing."
"I can't promise that, pumpkin, but I'll try my best," Abbey said, opening a package of surgical scissors and tweezers. Very carefully, Abbey snipped the loose skin from around some of the blisters. Leo kept his eyes closed and let out one short pant. After she finished, Abbey took pieces of gauze and gently patted away a little of the moisture. "There, all done."
"We'll just put on some medicine and get you bandaged back up," Jenny said, opening up a package of sterile bandages. She watched him with concern as Leo had become white as a sheet and had beads of perspiration dotting his forehead.
"Are you sick, honey?"
Leo nodded. "I'm okay."
"You'll let us know if you need to throw up, right?" Jed asked, looking around for a bag or bowl.
Leo nodded again. "I'm okay."
Jenny quickly put antibiotic on Leo's hand and then wrapped it again, taking special care to be sure his fingers were well bandaged.
Leo placed his elbow on the table and leaned his head against his palm, breathing deeply and swallowing to beat the nausea.
Abbey came back with a glass of water and two Tylenol. "Can you take these?" She handed Leo the pills and held the water for him. "Maybe you should lie down for a while."
Leo shook his head. "I'm okay."
"You keep saying that," Jed said, leaning closer to him. "Are you really okay or is that just easy to say?"
"I'm okay." Leo managed a look at Jed.
Jed laughed. "Glad that's cleared up."
Just then Laurie and Leah bounded into the room, trailed by a harried Josh, calling out to them to stop. "I'm sorry, Abbey, I told them that we needed to play in their room."
"Girls!" Abbey silenced their giggling. "I asked Josh to tell you to stay inside. Go back to your room now. I'll call you when dinner's here."
"Piggyback ride," Josh exclaimed, hoisting Leah onto his back and going through the door at a fast trot.
Laurie looked around at the remainder of the grownups before Abbey put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and led her back into the house. "Mom, what's wrong with Uncle Leo? He looks sick."
Abbey sat on the chair near the stairs and held Laurie's hand. "You know how you didn't like Mommy to change the bandage on your arm? Uncle Leo feels the same way about his hand." Letting out a deep breath, Abbey managed a smile. "He's fine though. We got him all fixed up. You...don't worry. Go on back upstairs and protect Josh from your sister." Abbey watched Laurie run up the stairs. She was so thankful that Laurie's electrical burn had not been worse. It was barely a second-degree burn with only two small blisters. Sighing, she tried to push the thoughts out of her head. It was an accident, no one was responsible, not even the person who hadn't taken the time to put the lamp in a safe place. She had to make herself believe that.
TBC.......