Where Nothing is Clear
By Ginny vkinnemanaol.com
So I was watching He Shall from Time to Time for about the 20th time and this popped into my head. It originally started as a short little piece but has grown to well over 20 pages with no end in sight.
The title comes from the Barry Manilow song "Weekend in New England" (What can I say, I grew up in the 70s.)
Visit www.gkinneman.com for more West Wing and ER stories
Reviews are always appreciated
As the sun rose on the cloudless fall morning Abbey finished packing her suitcase. She carried it downstairs and set it by the front door. The morning paper was still sitting on the table in the foyer which was a surprise to her. Usually grabbing the paper off the table was the first thing Jed did when he came downstairs in the morning. She picked up the paper and headed for the kitchen.
Jed wasn't in the kitchen. His breakfast was virtually untouched; he'd only eaten half a piece of toast. Abbey was beginning to worry a little. He had been tired and run down for a few days and had run a slight fever the night before. She tried to convince herself he was just coming down with the little bug their grand-daughter Annie had had when she was visiting the week before. And that was probably true. But even a little bug had the potential to cause a myriad of problems for someone with MS.
"He's in the study ma'am," came a voice from the pantry.
"Thanks Kate," said Abbey as she smiled at the housekeeper who came out of the pantry carrying a few cans of tomatoes. "He didn't eat anything?"
"Not much ma'am. Would you some eggs or maybe some oatmeal?"
"No, thank you. This is fine," said Abbey as she picked up the container of yogurt and the spoon. She sat down at the breakfast bar with the newspaper and did a quick scan of the headlines. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be going on in the world, which was a nice change. "Did Zoey leave already?"
"I think she's still upstairs ma'am."
"Good. I'm going to check on Jed. Hold Zoey here if she comes down," said Abbey with a grin. She'd spent the previous night arguing with her 17 year old daughter. Zoey wanted to go to Nantucket for a few days with her parents but it had been decided that she needed to stay home and go to school. Jed and Abbey had tried to give her as normal a life as possible even though she had grown up as the daughter of a Congressman and a Governor. She missed enough school as it was and as Jed was now seriously considering a run for the Presidency who knew how much school she would miss in the coming months.
"I'll do that. I'm going to pack some snacks to take on your trip, in case the Governor decides he's hungry."
"Thanks," said Abbey with a grin. Kate was her favorite out of all the people who worked at the Governor's mansion. She was young, quick with a smile and a fantastic cook.
After tossing the empty yogurt carton in the trash can Abbey wrapped up her toast in a napkin and picked up her mug of coffee. She wandered towards the study looking for her wayward husband.
"Jed," she called softly as she pushed open the heavy oak door to the study. He was at his desk, feet up, the television tuned to CNN. As Abbey glanced at him there just something odd about the scene in front of her. It took her a few seconds to put her finger on it. He wasn't reading anything. The folders on his desk were closed, the newspaper was still in the kitchen and his glasses were sitting on the desk. He wasn't really watching the CNN either; his chair was turned so he couldn't easily see the television.
"Morning," Jed said quietly as he pulled his feet down and stood up. She noticed right away that he didn't really look at her.
"Not hungry this morning?" Abbey asked as she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the desk.
Jed just shrugged his shoulders as he leaned against the desk next to her. Starting to feel a little uneasy Abbey moved to stand in front of Jed. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his head dipped down. She reached to uncross them and take his hands in hers. Jed stared at their joined hands. Abbey dropped his left hand and reached to pick up his chin so she could look him in the eye. His left eye was a little red, like he had been rubbing it. Jed tried to turn away but Abbey's firm hold on his chin preventing him from doing so. When she was sure he wasn't about to bolt she moved her hand from his chin to run her thumb under his eye. "Blurry or sore?" she asked trying to hide her growing concern.
"Both," Jed admitted.
"OK," said Abbey as she tugged on his hand. "Come sit for a minute." Jed settled down on the couch, elbows on his knees, head in his hands while Abbey sat down on the coffee table in front of him. She smoothed down his hair. "Anything else going on?" she asked as she tipped his chin up again.
"Tired, a little achy I guess," muttered Jed. Abbey leaned forward, brushed back the lock of hair that refused to stay in place and pressed her lips to his forehead.
"Well, you're a little warm. Take some Advil before we go."
"MOM," yelled Zoey from the hallway.
"In here," Abbey called back. Zoey came into the study with her backpack on her shoulder clearly ready to leave for school. "Morning sweetheart," Abbey said, greeting her youngest daughter.
"Hey. What time are you leaving?" Zoey asked from the doorway.
"Soon. We'll call you tonight. Kate should be here when you get home."
"Mom," whined Zoey in the typical teenaged fashion. "I don't need her to stay with me."
"Zoey, she's staying here, end of story," said Jed.
"Hey Dad, I was wondering when you were going to get in on this conversation," Zoey shot back sarcastically.
"Zoey Patricia, watch your tone," warned Abbey. Zoey wisely shut her mouth. "Kate's expecting you home each night at 10."
"Fine." Zoey glanced at her watch. "I have to go. Megan will be waiting." Zoey gave her mother a reluctant hug and turned to do the same to her father. But something in his eye made her hug him just a bit longer than usual. As she backed out of his embrace she took a good look at him. "You look like death on a Triscuit, Dad. You feel ok?"
"I'm fine," he said, trying to brush off her concern.
"OK," replied Zoey, not really believing him but about to be late for school. She gave her parents one last hug, her annoyance at them dissolving when she realized her Dad wasn't feeling well. "I'll talk to you tonight."
As Zoey closed the door behind her Jed leaned heavily against the front of his desk. Abbey moved to stand in front of her husband, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You want me to call Tom before we leave?"
"Abigail, my eye's a little sore and I'm a little achy. You don't need to go running to the phone to call my doctor," Jed whined. "I probably just have what Annie had last week when she came to visit," he added, trying to justify his symptoms.
"Fine," Abbey relented, she knew she could call Tom from Nantucket if she needed some advice on how to deal with Jed's symptoms. "Go get ready. We need to leave in half an hour." Jed just nodded and left the room silently.
It had been 4 years since Jed had been diagnosed with relapsing/remitting Multiple Sclerosis. For the most part he had been doing very well. There had been some small "episodes" as Jed preferred to call them. He'd managed them at home under the watchful eye of Abbey. But as he was seriously looking at a Presidential campaign she worried about his health. She didn't know if he had the stamina to keep up and she worried about the amount of stress he would be under, physical as well as emotional. She and Jed were heading for a long weekend in Nantucket to relax and make the final decision about the campaign.
Upstairs Jed brushed his teeth and took some Advil. He took a good look in the mirror frowning at the tired reflection staring back at him. He didn't think there was any way in hell Abbey was going to agree with him about his decision to run. And with the way he looked at that moment, he couldn't blame her for having serious reservations. With a weary sigh he flicked off the light and headed downstairs to meet Abbey.
The ride to the airport was spent in silence. Jed was lost in his own thoughts as he looked out the window of the limo while Abbey gave the magazine in her lap her halfhearted attention. She found herself glancing over at her husband every few minutes, looking to make sure he was ok.
The flight from Manchester International to Nantucket Memorial Airport was a rough one. The weather had turned windy and the small plane was tossed about. Jed struggled to keep down what little he had eaten and Abbey tried not to hover.
They arrived at the house they had rented a little after noon. Abbey sent Jed to rest on the couch while she unpacked their things. The 3 bedroom house they'd rented was larger than they needed but they'd rented it many times before and it felt like home to them. By the time she was done Jed was sound asleep. She knelt next to the couch for a minute brushing back his hair. He was relatively cool and for that she was grateful. She tried not to worry every time Jed ran a slight fever, stumbled over his own feet or felt a new ache or pain. But as a doctor she couldn't help it. She knew the statistics, the symptoms and the uncertainly that came with his illness.
She kissed Jed's forehead and covered him with a blanket. The cabinets were well stocked so she had a large variety of things to make for lunch. She made herself a tuna sandwich and a cup of tea. It felt great to do things for herself. There were times that her "fishbowl" life got to her. But that was the price she paid for having a politician for a husband. She was looking forward to returning to the farmhouse in Manchester when Jed's term as Governor ended in a few months. But she knew that sense of normalcy wouldn't last longer than a blink of an eye if he decided to run.
She was torn about the whole thing. Since the day Jed brought Leo home 2 months earlier with this wild idea about making a run for the White House their lives had been chaotic, to say the least. As if the life of a Governor wasn't chaotic enough.
Jed wandered out into the kitchen just as Abbey was finishing her sandwich. He sat down at the table, drank some tea and picked at his sandwich for a while. The heat hadn't really kicked on fully in the house so the tea took off a little of the chill. "Do you feel up to a walk?" asked Abbey as she put the plates in the dishwasher and wiped off the table.
"I think so," Jed answered after taking a quick inventory of how he was feeling. "Let me put on something warmer and I'll be ready to go." He went upstairs to put on a sweater. Abbey watched him as she went up the stairs. Trouble navigating stairs was usually one of the first signs that he was headed for trouble. He seemed to be doing fine although she could tell he was taking his time.
Ten minutes they stepped out onto Pine Street. The wind had died down a little but it was quite chilly. They walked to the harbor and watched the boats for a while not talking about anything in particular. When it got too cold and foggy they ducked into a little cafe to warm up. They shared a piece of apple pie with ice cream and a pot of tea. By the time they got back to the house a little after 4 Jed was looking and feeling a little better. While his eye was still sore his vision was almost back to normal.
Taking advantage of the well stocked kitchen and the opportunity to cook together Jed and Abbey made themselves some dinner. It was something they enjoyed immensely but didn't do very often. Jed made salad while Abbey sautéed some chicken and vegetables. While the chicken cooked Jed poured some wine and turned on some music. They danced around the kitchen happy to be out of the "fishbowl" for a change.
They lingered over their meal and their wine. Abbey noticed Jed didn't eat much but she didn't make a big deal out of it. She sent him in to make a fire in the fireplace while she made coffee and cut the cake they'd picked up at the bakery while they were out on their walk.
An hour later the remains of the cake and the empty coffee mugs were on the coffee table and Jed and Abbey were well on their way to sex on the couch, something they never had a chance to do with a teenager and a staff of 6 at home.
TBC
Reviews are always appreciated.
By Ginny vkinnemanaol.com
So I was watching He Shall from Time to Time for about the 20th time and this popped into my head. It originally started as a short little piece but has grown to well over 20 pages with no end in sight.
The title comes from the Barry Manilow song "Weekend in New England" (What can I say, I grew up in the 70s.)
Visit www.gkinneman.com for more West Wing and ER stories
Reviews are always appreciated
As the sun rose on the cloudless fall morning Abbey finished packing her suitcase. She carried it downstairs and set it by the front door. The morning paper was still sitting on the table in the foyer which was a surprise to her. Usually grabbing the paper off the table was the first thing Jed did when he came downstairs in the morning. She picked up the paper and headed for the kitchen.
Jed wasn't in the kitchen. His breakfast was virtually untouched; he'd only eaten half a piece of toast. Abbey was beginning to worry a little. He had been tired and run down for a few days and had run a slight fever the night before. She tried to convince herself he was just coming down with the little bug their grand-daughter Annie had had when she was visiting the week before. And that was probably true. But even a little bug had the potential to cause a myriad of problems for someone with MS.
"He's in the study ma'am," came a voice from the pantry.
"Thanks Kate," said Abbey as she smiled at the housekeeper who came out of the pantry carrying a few cans of tomatoes. "He didn't eat anything?"
"Not much ma'am. Would you some eggs or maybe some oatmeal?"
"No, thank you. This is fine," said Abbey as she picked up the container of yogurt and the spoon. She sat down at the breakfast bar with the newspaper and did a quick scan of the headlines. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be going on in the world, which was a nice change. "Did Zoey leave already?"
"I think she's still upstairs ma'am."
"Good. I'm going to check on Jed. Hold Zoey here if she comes down," said Abbey with a grin. She'd spent the previous night arguing with her 17 year old daughter. Zoey wanted to go to Nantucket for a few days with her parents but it had been decided that she needed to stay home and go to school. Jed and Abbey had tried to give her as normal a life as possible even though she had grown up as the daughter of a Congressman and a Governor. She missed enough school as it was and as Jed was now seriously considering a run for the Presidency who knew how much school she would miss in the coming months.
"I'll do that. I'm going to pack some snacks to take on your trip, in case the Governor decides he's hungry."
"Thanks," said Abbey with a grin. Kate was her favorite out of all the people who worked at the Governor's mansion. She was young, quick with a smile and a fantastic cook.
After tossing the empty yogurt carton in the trash can Abbey wrapped up her toast in a napkin and picked up her mug of coffee. She wandered towards the study looking for her wayward husband.
"Jed," she called softly as she pushed open the heavy oak door to the study. He was at his desk, feet up, the television tuned to CNN. As Abbey glanced at him there just something odd about the scene in front of her. It took her a few seconds to put her finger on it. He wasn't reading anything. The folders on his desk were closed, the newspaper was still in the kitchen and his glasses were sitting on the desk. He wasn't really watching the CNN either; his chair was turned so he couldn't easily see the television.
"Morning," Jed said quietly as he pulled his feet down and stood up. She noticed right away that he didn't really look at her.
"Not hungry this morning?" Abbey asked as she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the desk.
Jed just shrugged his shoulders as he leaned against the desk next to her. Starting to feel a little uneasy Abbey moved to stand in front of Jed. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his head dipped down. She reached to uncross them and take his hands in hers. Jed stared at their joined hands. Abbey dropped his left hand and reached to pick up his chin so she could look him in the eye. His left eye was a little red, like he had been rubbing it. Jed tried to turn away but Abbey's firm hold on his chin preventing him from doing so. When she was sure he wasn't about to bolt she moved her hand from his chin to run her thumb under his eye. "Blurry or sore?" she asked trying to hide her growing concern.
"Both," Jed admitted.
"OK," said Abbey as she tugged on his hand. "Come sit for a minute." Jed settled down on the couch, elbows on his knees, head in his hands while Abbey sat down on the coffee table in front of him. She smoothed down his hair. "Anything else going on?" she asked as she tipped his chin up again.
"Tired, a little achy I guess," muttered Jed. Abbey leaned forward, brushed back the lock of hair that refused to stay in place and pressed her lips to his forehead.
"Well, you're a little warm. Take some Advil before we go."
"MOM," yelled Zoey from the hallway.
"In here," Abbey called back. Zoey came into the study with her backpack on her shoulder clearly ready to leave for school. "Morning sweetheart," Abbey said, greeting her youngest daughter.
"Hey. What time are you leaving?" Zoey asked from the doorway.
"Soon. We'll call you tonight. Kate should be here when you get home."
"Mom," whined Zoey in the typical teenaged fashion. "I don't need her to stay with me."
"Zoey, she's staying here, end of story," said Jed.
"Hey Dad, I was wondering when you were going to get in on this conversation," Zoey shot back sarcastically.
"Zoey Patricia, watch your tone," warned Abbey. Zoey wisely shut her mouth. "Kate's expecting you home each night at 10."
"Fine." Zoey glanced at her watch. "I have to go. Megan will be waiting." Zoey gave her mother a reluctant hug and turned to do the same to her father. But something in his eye made her hug him just a bit longer than usual. As she backed out of his embrace she took a good look at him. "You look like death on a Triscuit, Dad. You feel ok?"
"I'm fine," he said, trying to brush off her concern.
"OK," replied Zoey, not really believing him but about to be late for school. She gave her parents one last hug, her annoyance at them dissolving when she realized her Dad wasn't feeling well. "I'll talk to you tonight."
As Zoey closed the door behind her Jed leaned heavily against the front of his desk. Abbey moved to stand in front of her husband, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You want me to call Tom before we leave?"
"Abigail, my eye's a little sore and I'm a little achy. You don't need to go running to the phone to call my doctor," Jed whined. "I probably just have what Annie had last week when she came to visit," he added, trying to justify his symptoms.
"Fine," Abbey relented, she knew she could call Tom from Nantucket if she needed some advice on how to deal with Jed's symptoms. "Go get ready. We need to leave in half an hour." Jed just nodded and left the room silently.
It had been 4 years since Jed had been diagnosed with relapsing/remitting Multiple Sclerosis. For the most part he had been doing very well. There had been some small "episodes" as Jed preferred to call them. He'd managed them at home under the watchful eye of Abbey. But as he was seriously looking at a Presidential campaign she worried about his health. She didn't know if he had the stamina to keep up and she worried about the amount of stress he would be under, physical as well as emotional. She and Jed were heading for a long weekend in Nantucket to relax and make the final decision about the campaign.
Upstairs Jed brushed his teeth and took some Advil. He took a good look in the mirror frowning at the tired reflection staring back at him. He didn't think there was any way in hell Abbey was going to agree with him about his decision to run. And with the way he looked at that moment, he couldn't blame her for having serious reservations. With a weary sigh he flicked off the light and headed downstairs to meet Abbey.
The ride to the airport was spent in silence. Jed was lost in his own thoughts as he looked out the window of the limo while Abbey gave the magazine in her lap her halfhearted attention. She found herself glancing over at her husband every few minutes, looking to make sure he was ok.
The flight from Manchester International to Nantucket Memorial Airport was a rough one. The weather had turned windy and the small plane was tossed about. Jed struggled to keep down what little he had eaten and Abbey tried not to hover.
They arrived at the house they had rented a little after noon. Abbey sent Jed to rest on the couch while she unpacked their things. The 3 bedroom house they'd rented was larger than they needed but they'd rented it many times before and it felt like home to them. By the time she was done Jed was sound asleep. She knelt next to the couch for a minute brushing back his hair. He was relatively cool and for that she was grateful. She tried not to worry every time Jed ran a slight fever, stumbled over his own feet or felt a new ache or pain. But as a doctor she couldn't help it. She knew the statistics, the symptoms and the uncertainly that came with his illness.
She kissed Jed's forehead and covered him with a blanket. The cabinets were well stocked so she had a large variety of things to make for lunch. She made herself a tuna sandwich and a cup of tea. It felt great to do things for herself. There were times that her "fishbowl" life got to her. But that was the price she paid for having a politician for a husband. She was looking forward to returning to the farmhouse in Manchester when Jed's term as Governor ended in a few months. But she knew that sense of normalcy wouldn't last longer than a blink of an eye if he decided to run.
She was torn about the whole thing. Since the day Jed brought Leo home 2 months earlier with this wild idea about making a run for the White House their lives had been chaotic, to say the least. As if the life of a Governor wasn't chaotic enough.
Jed wandered out into the kitchen just as Abbey was finishing her sandwich. He sat down at the table, drank some tea and picked at his sandwich for a while. The heat hadn't really kicked on fully in the house so the tea took off a little of the chill. "Do you feel up to a walk?" asked Abbey as she put the plates in the dishwasher and wiped off the table.
"I think so," Jed answered after taking a quick inventory of how he was feeling. "Let me put on something warmer and I'll be ready to go." He went upstairs to put on a sweater. Abbey watched him as she went up the stairs. Trouble navigating stairs was usually one of the first signs that he was headed for trouble. He seemed to be doing fine although she could tell he was taking his time.
Ten minutes they stepped out onto Pine Street. The wind had died down a little but it was quite chilly. They walked to the harbor and watched the boats for a while not talking about anything in particular. When it got too cold and foggy they ducked into a little cafe to warm up. They shared a piece of apple pie with ice cream and a pot of tea. By the time they got back to the house a little after 4 Jed was looking and feeling a little better. While his eye was still sore his vision was almost back to normal.
Taking advantage of the well stocked kitchen and the opportunity to cook together Jed and Abbey made themselves some dinner. It was something they enjoyed immensely but didn't do very often. Jed made salad while Abbey sautéed some chicken and vegetables. While the chicken cooked Jed poured some wine and turned on some music. They danced around the kitchen happy to be out of the "fishbowl" for a change.
They lingered over their meal and their wine. Abbey noticed Jed didn't eat much but she didn't make a big deal out of it. She sent him in to make a fire in the fireplace while she made coffee and cut the cake they'd picked up at the bakery while they were out on their walk.
An hour later the remains of the cake and the empty coffee mugs were on the coffee table and Jed and Abbey were well on their way to sex on the couch, something they never had a chance to do with a teenager and a staff of 6 at home.
TBC
Reviews are always appreciated.