Where Nothing is Clear Ch 5
By Ginny
Reviews are always appreciated
Jed woke up the next morning just as the sun was rising. He'd slept through the night which was very surprising. He sat up slowly taking a mental inventory of how he was feeling. The dizziness was still there but didn't seem to be as bad. He could tell his fever had dropped but probably hadn't disappeared completely. His ear felt a little better but he still felt like his head was completely clogged.
He stood up slowly, taking time to get his bearings before attempting to walk around. When he was relatively sure he wouldn't end up on the floor he headed for the kitchen to get a drink. With his vision still a little blurry he mis-judged the distance between himself and the door jamb. His yelp of pain had Abbey up and across the room in a flash.
"What are you doing?" she asked as she took him by the hand and led him towards a chair in the kitchen.
"I was getting a drink of water. I just ran into the wall," he muttered as he sat down.
"Did you hurt yourself?" she asked as she ran her hand over his head, stopping when she came to the bump that was already forming just below his hairline. He flinched and she stopped her probing.
"I'm fine," Jed muttered, more annoyed with himself than hurt. Abbey got him an ice pack from the freezer and poured him some orange juice.
"Well, you look much better. How are you feeling?" Abbey asked as she leaned against the counter.
"Better. Ear doesn't hurt too bad and not as dizzy, but still a little unsteady," he said as he gingerly pressed the ice pack against the growing bump on his head.
"How's your eye?"
"Blurry but it doesn't hurt." Abbey pressed her hand to his cheek, gauging his temperature.
"Good, you're pretty cool. Why don't you try and eat something and then we'll go upstairs and check a few things out."
"Time to play doctor?" smirked Jed as Abbey stuck two slices of bread in the toaster. She just laughed and shook her head at her husband.
Jed managed to eat some toast and half a container of yogurt under the watchful eye of Abbey. When he was done he dutifully followed her upstairs so she could check his blood pressure, temperature and anything else she deemed necessary.
"99.8, very good," Abbey announced as she glanced at the ear thermometer. She listened to his heart and lungs, took his blood pressure, gave him shot of Betaseron, watched him walk and looked in his ears before saying anything more. "OK, things look pretty good overall but you're pretty unsteady on your feet."
"Could just be that my head is clogged," Jed said, cutting her off and trying to keep her from saying the words he didn't want to hear.
"Yes Jed, it could be," she said in a voice that clearly conveyed that she wasn't too convinced. "Sit still and let me look at your eyes." She took her time looking in his eyes, something that did not bode well.
"Just say it," Jed whispered as calmly as he could.
"OK, pupils are uneven," Abbey said simply. There was really no need for her to elaborate much. They both knew what that meant; Jed was probably in the middle of an actual MS episode.
As Abbey put everything back in her black bag Jed got up from where he had been sitting on the edge of the bed. He began to pace around. She let him be for a few minutes, taking the opportunity to gauge just how unsteady he was. Normally when Jed paced around he had his hands shoved deep in his pockets but now he held them out from his sides slightly, grazing his fingertips along the furniture as he made a lap around the room. Abbey was sure he was having more trouble with his eye than he let on. Every few seconds he closed one eye and then the other, alternating between the two as if he were trying to decide what combination of squinting was going to give him the best shot at walking without running into the furniture.
Deciding that just letting him be alone for a little while was for the best Abbey grabbed her clothes and headed to take a shower. After pulling on a pair of jeans and slipping a hooded sweatshirt over his head Jed headed cautiously down the stairs to make some phone calls to Concord. As he hung up the phone he walked to the bottom of the stairs to listen for the shower. It was still running. He found his coat, patted his pockets and headed out the back door.
There was a large sunken brick patio in the backyard. During the summer it was filled with tables and chairs but they had long since been put in the garage for the winter. So Jed sat down on the retaining wall that circled the patio. He glanced back at the door to the kitchen to make sure Abbey wasn't standing there before pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He pulled one out, lit it and managed to take one long drag on it before he heard a window open and Abbey's voice drift out of the second story window. "Josiah Edward, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Shit," he muttered as he dropped the cigarette and ground it out with the toe of his sneaker. He shielded his eyes against the bright morning sun and looked up to give her an appropriately guilty look. She just shook her head in mock frustration and shut the window. He sat on the wall for a little while longer. It was nice to be out in the fresh air. The rain and fog of the day before had headed out to sea, leaving behind the bright sunshine and the smell of salt air. Jed hoped he would feel well enough to at least take a walk later. But the fatigue was doing a number on him already and he hadn't exactly done much yet that day.
He got up to head back in the house; as he turned to go up the two steps his toe caught on a loose brick and he started to fall. By some luck he managed to catch himself before taking a header into the wrought iron railing. Abbey had seen his near accident from the kitchen window but she didn't go running after him. She knew he didn't like to be fussed over and she was trying her best to give him some space. By the time he made it into the house he was leaning on every available piece of furniture along the way. He settled down on the couch and Abbey got him a bottle of Gatorade. "A walk outside and already I need a nap," he complained bitterly.
"Sweetie, give it time," she said as she brushed back his hair and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. Jed nodded wearily, kicked off his shoes and pulled his feet onto the couch. "I'm going to go downtown, pick up a newspaper and a couple of other things. Will you be ok or do you want me to send one of the guys in?" Abbey asked as she motioned towards the small cottage next door where their security detail was staying.
"I'll be fine," he assured her.
Abbey left the phone and the remote on the coffee table before heading out.
TBC
By Ginny
Reviews are always appreciated
Jed woke up the next morning just as the sun was rising. He'd slept through the night which was very surprising. He sat up slowly taking a mental inventory of how he was feeling. The dizziness was still there but didn't seem to be as bad. He could tell his fever had dropped but probably hadn't disappeared completely. His ear felt a little better but he still felt like his head was completely clogged.
He stood up slowly, taking time to get his bearings before attempting to walk around. When he was relatively sure he wouldn't end up on the floor he headed for the kitchen to get a drink. With his vision still a little blurry he mis-judged the distance between himself and the door jamb. His yelp of pain had Abbey up and across the room in a flash.
"What are you doing?" she asked as she took him by the hand and led him towards a chair in the kitchen.
"I was getting a drink of water. I just ran into the wall," he muttered as he sat down.
"Did you hurt yourself?" she asked as she ran her hand over his head, stopping when she came to the bump that was already forming just below his hairline. He flinched and she stopped her probing.
"I'm fine," Jed muttered, more annoyed with himself than hurt. Abbey got him an ice pack from the freezer and poured him some orange juice.
"Well, you look much better. How are you feeling?" Abbey asked as she leaned against the counter.
"Better. Ear doesn't hurt too bad and not as dizzy, but still a little unsteady," he said as he gingerly pressed the ice pack against the growing bump on his head.
"How's your eye?"
"Blurry but it doesn't hurt." Abbey pressed her hand to his cheek, gauging his temperature.
"Good, you're pretty cool. Why don't you try and eat something and then we'll go upstairs and check a few things out."
"Time to play doctor?" smirked Jed as Abbey stuck two slices of bread in the toaster. She just laughed and shook her head at her husband.
Jed managed to eat some toast and half a container of yogurt under the watchful eye of Abbey. When he was done he dutifully followed her upstairs so she could check his blood pressure, temperature and anything else she deemed necessary.
"99.8, very good," Abbey announced as she glanced at the ear thermometer. She listened to his heart and lungs, took his blood pressure, gave him shot of Betaseron, watched him walk and looked in his ears before saying anything more. "OK, things look pretty good overall but you're pretty unsteady on your feet."
"Could just be that my head is clogged," Jed said, cutting her off and trying to keep her from saying the words he didn't want to hear.
"Yes Jed, it could be," she said in a voice that clearly conveyed that she wasn't too convinced. "Sit still and let me look at your eyes." She took her time looking in his eyes, something that did not bode well.
"Just say it," Jed whispered as calmly as he could.
"OK, pupils are uneven," Abbey said simply. There was really no need for her to elaborate much. They both knew what that meant; Jed was probably in the middle of an actual MS episode.
As Abbey put everything back in her black bag Jed got up from where he had been sitting on the edge of the bed. He began to pace around. She let him be for a few minutes, taking the opportunity to gauge just how unsteady he was. Normally when Jed paced around he had his hands shoved deep in his pockets but now he held them out from his sides slightly, grazing his fingertips along the furniture as he made a lap around the room. Abbey was sure he was having more trouble with his eye than he let on. Every few seconds he closed one eye and then the other, alternating between the two as if he were trying to decide what combination of squinting was going to give him the best shot at walking without running into the furniture.
Deciding that just letting him be alone for a little while was for the best Abbey grabbed her clothes and headed to take a shower. After pulling on a pair of jeans and slipping a hooded sweatshirt over his head Jed headed cautiously down the stairs to make some phone calls to Concord. As he hung up the phone he walked to the bottom of the stairs to listen for the shower. It was still running. He found his coat, patted his pockets and headed out the back door.
There was a large sunken brick patio in the backyard. During the summer it was filled with tables and chairs but they had long since been put in the garage for the winter. So Jed sat down on the retaining wall that circled the patio. He glanced back at the door to the kitchen to make sure Abbey wasn't standing there before pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He pulled one out, lit it and managed to take one long drag on it before he heard a window open and Abbey's voice drift out of the second story window. "Josiah Edward, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Shit," he muttered as he dropped the cigarette and ground it out with the toe of his sneaker. He shielded his eyes against the bright morning sun and looked up to give her an appropriately guilty look. She just shook her head in mock frustration and shut the window. He sat on the wall for a little while longer. It was nice to be out in the fresh air. The rain and fog of the day before had headed out to sea, leaving behind the bright sunshine and the smell of salt air. Jed hoped he would feel well enough to at least take a walk later. But the fatigue was doing a number on him already and he hadn't exactly done much yet that day.
He got up to head back in the house; as he turned to go up the two steps his toe caught on a loose brick and he started to fall. By some luck he managed to catch himself before taking a header into the wrought iron railing. Abbey had seen his near accident from the kitchen window but she didn't go running after him. She knew he didn't like to be fussed over and she was trying her best to give him some space. By the time he made it into the house he was leaning on every available piece of furniture along the way. He settled down on the couch and Abbey got him a bottle of Gatorade. "A walk outside and already I need a nap," he complained bitterly.
"Sweetie, give it time," she said as she brushed back his hair and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. Jed nodded wearily, kicked off his shoes and pulled his feet onto the couch. "I'm going to go downtown, pick up a newspaper and a couple of other things. Will you be ok or do you want me to send one of the guys in?" Abbey asked as she motioned towards the small cottage next door where their security detail was staying.
"I'll be fine," he assured her.
Abbey left the phone and the remote on the coffee table before heading out.
TBC