The Heart Brings You Back
Warning: This story contains subject matter about the loss of the First Couple's adult daughter. It may be disturbing to some readers
Chapter 3
Summary: Leo remembers Jed and Abbey's reactions to the explosion
Admiral Hackett examined the President, and put him back in bed. Jed had passed out, but he wasn't in serious danger, at least, not at the moment. Hackett believed he really did have the flu. Of course, because of his MS, the flu, in Jed's case, was more severe. His immune system couldn't fight back like a healthy person's. Any illness could trigger an attack, and even worse, it could trigger the start of secondary progressive MS. The thought terrified Abbey.
Jed was drugged and in and out of sleep for hours, as Abbey sat by his bedside. Eventually, Leo came in to check on his friend. Jed and Leo's relationship had also been strained since Zoey's death, not because Jed blamed Leo, but because Leo blamed himself. And the fact that Jed had taken on a new personality didn't help matters much. Leo tried to be there for him, but was turned away time after time. Jed had basically retreated into himself.
Abbey halfheartedly thanked Leo for his concern when he first walked into the room, then turned back to her husband. It was touching to Leo to see Abbey reach out to Jed in his time of need, especially with the way they had left things. Jed thought Abbey would never come back, not even for his funeral. Zoey's death was hard enough, but to lose Abbey on top of that was unbearable for him. A part of him died the day he buried his daughter. Another part of him died the day Abbey walked out on him.
Leo thought back to the last time Abbey showed concern for her husband.
Flashback
The farmhouse had just exploded with Zoey inside. Abbey cried out her name as she ran towards the flames. Determined to stop her, Jed ran up to her, grabbing her to pull her back. There's no greater physical strength than a mother on a mission to protect her child, as Jed quickly found out. He pushed her down on the ground, underneath himself, in order to stop her from getting any closer to the burning building. When two agents approached, he put Abbey in their arms. As they took care of her, Jed made a run for it, sprinting towards the farmhouse. In the chaos, the agents didn't even realize he had slipped away.
He went into the farmhouse, calling her name. The smoke was so thick, he couldn't see anything. He had only his jacket to put over his mouth. He walked around the burning beams, tripping a few times, before finding his daughter. Zoey's limp body lay motionless in front of him. He grabbed her, but before he could carry her out, he fell down himself.
It was Abbey, still on the outside, who realized he was missing. She screamed for someone to find her husband, knowing he had probably gone in after Zoey. When agents and police officers scurried to the farmhouse, Abbey grabbed Leo.
"Please, Leo, help me! Please help Zoey and Jed" she cried.
Leo held her in his arms, unable to promise her that they'd be safe. He just held her close as she cried. An agent finally carried Zoey out. Abbey had never run so fast in her life. Leaving Leo behind, she raced to Zoey's side. It was too late.
"We've lost her, ma'am. They had already shot her," one of the officers told her.
Abbey crawled on top of her daughter, sobbing. The only person she responded to was Jed, who was finally out of the building. He was walking now, but barely. A waiting ambulance was ready to take him to the hospital to make sure he was okay, but he wouldn't leave Abbey, not like that. She grabbed his arm, pulling him down to her as they both cradled a lifeless Zoey.
"Leo?" Abbey called.
"Oh, sorry. Yeah?"
"I asked if you could clear Jed's schedule for a few days. I think he's going to need some time to recover."
"Of course."
"Thanks," she replied.
"Abbey, I'm glad you're here. After the way you left, I thought..."
"I'm not going to get into that with you, Leo. My only concern at the moment is Jed," she said looking over at her husband. "He's still the father of my children."
Leo left the bedroom, causing Jed to stir.
"Leo," he called out weakly.
"It's okay, honey. Do you want him? I'll get him for you," Abbey assured him.
"Abbey? You're still here. Am I dreaming?"
"No, you're not. How do you feel?"
"Dizzy and groggy."
"Admiral Hackett gave you some medicine to help you feel better," she said while brushing a few stray strands of hair out of his eyes.
"What is it?"
"He says it's the flu."
"Abbey?"
"Yeah?"
"Between us?"
"Yeah?"
"It's not the flu. I've been sick for a while. I don't know what it is, but it's not the flu."
"I know" she answered.
TBC
Warning: This story contains subject matter about the loss of the First Couple's adult daughter. It may be disturbing to some readers
Chapter 3
Summary: Leo remembers Jed and Abbey's reactions to the explosion
Admiral Hackett examined the President, and put him back in bed. Jed had passed out, but he wasn't in serious danger, at least, not at the moment. Hackett believed he really did have the flu. Of course, because of his MS, the flu, in Jed's case, was more severe. His immune system couldn't fight back like a healthy person's. Any illness could trigger an attack, and even worse, it could trigger the start of secondary progressive MS. The thought terrified Abbey.
Jed was drugged and in and out of sleep for hours, as Abbey sat by his bedside. Eventually, Leo came in to check on his friend. Jed and Leo's relationship had also been strained since Zoey's death, not because Jed blamed Leo, but because Leo blamed himself. And the fact that Jed had taken on a new personality didn't help matters much. Leo tried to be there for him, but was turned away time after time. Jed had basically retreated into himself.
Abbey halfheartedly thanked Leo for his concern when he first walked into the room, then turned back to her husband. It was touching to Leo to see Abbey reach out to Jed in his time of need, especially with the way they had left things. Jed thought Abbey would never come back, not even for his funeral. Zoey's death was hard enough, but to lose Abbey on top of that was unbearable for him. A part of him died the day he buried his daughter. Another part of him died the day Abbey walked out on him.
Leo thought back to the last time Abbey showed concern for her husband.
Flashback
The farmhouse had just exploded with Zoey inside. Abbey cried out her name as she ran towards the flames. Determined to stop her, Jed ran up to her, grabbing her to pull her back. There's no greater physical strength than a mother on a mission to protect her child, as Jed quickly found out. He pushed her down on the ground, underneath himself, in order to stop her from getting any closer to the burning building. When two agents approached, he put Abbey in their arms. As they took care of her, Jed made a run for it, sprinting towards the farmhouse. In the chaos, the agents didn't even realize he had slipped away.
He went into the farmhouse, calling her name. The smoke was so thick, he couldn't see anything. He had only his jacket to put over his mouth. He walked around the burning beams, tripping a few times, before finding his daughter. Zoey's limp body lay motionless in front of him. He grabbed her, but before he could carry her out, he fell down himself.
It was Abbey, still on the outside, who realized he was missing. She screamed for someone to find her husband, knowing he had probably gone in after Zoey. When agents and police officers scurried to the farmhouse, Abbey grabbed Leo.
"Please, Leo, help me! Please help Zoey and Jed" she cried.
Leo held her in his arms, unable to promise her that they'd be safe. He just held her close as she cried. An agent finally carried Zoey out. Abbey had never run so fast in her life. Leaving Leo behind, she raced to Zoey's side. It was too late.
"We've lost her, ma'am. They had already shot her," one of the officers told her.
Abbey crawled on top of her daughter, sobbing. The only person she responded to was Jed, who was finally out of the building. He was walking now, but barely. A waiting ambulance was ready to take him to the hospital to make sure he was okay, but he wouldn't leave Abbey, not like that. She grabbed his arm, pulling him down to her as they both cradled a lifeless Zoey.
"Leo?" Abbey called.
"Oh, sorry. Yeah?"
"I asked if you could clear Jed's schedule for a few days. I think he's going to need some time to recover."
"Of course."
"Thanks," she replied.
"Abbey, I'm glad you're here. After the way you left, I thought..."
"I'm not going to get into that with you, Leo. My only concern at the moment is Jed," she said looking over at her husband. "He's still the father of my children."
Leo left the bedroom, causing Jed to stir.
"Leo," he called out weakly.
"It's okay, honey. Do you want him? I'll get him for you," Abbey assured him.
"Abbey? You're still here. Am I dreaming?"
"No, you're not. How do you feel?"
"Dizzy and groggy."
"Admiral Hackett gave you some medicine to help you feel better," she said while brushing a few stray strands of hair out of his eyes.
"What is it?"
"He says it's the flu."
"Abbey?"
"Yeah?"
"Between us?"
"Yeah?"
"It's not the flu. I've been sick for a while. I don't know what it is, but it's not the flu."
"I know" she answered.
TBC