The Heart Brings You Back
Chapter 4
Summary: CJ reflects on Zoey's funeral. Jed has a tough question for Abbey.
"So what do you think it is?" Jed asked.
"Could be a number of things," Abbey answered.
"Such as?"
"Jed, we really shouldn't talk about this right now."
"You wouldn't have come back unless you thought it was...it's the MS, isn't it?"
"Jed."
"Abbey, you've always been honest with me."
Abbey looked into his eyes, knowing he was right. She had never lied to him before about anything and she would never lie to him about his health. "I don't know what's wrong. It could be a relapse and nothing more."
"Or it could be the start of the next chapter, the next phase."
"You're jumping ahead."
"And so are you. That's why you're here."
"You should get some more sleep. Your body obviously needs it."
Abbey raised the blanket to cover Jed, softly tucking him into bed. She got up from the bed and sat down in the chair next to him.
Hours later, Abbey headed over to the West Wing. She approached CJ's office and was immediately greeted with a smile and a hug from the Press Secretary.
"How is he?" CJ asked.
"He's sleeping. I wanted to talk to you about your briefing and what you're going to tell the press."
"It's the flu, right?"
Abbey paused a moment before answering, "yeah."
"That's what I'll tell them. The President is sick with the flu. Doctors are taking excellent care of him and he should be up and about in no time at all."
"Okay," Abbey replied hesitantly.
"Mrs. Bartlet? There's something else. People are going to ask. They're going to want to know if you're back for good."
"I don't know the answer to that myself, CJ." After an awkward silence, she continued, "but I do want to thank you...for telling me, for getting me back here. I'm glad I came."
"Me too, Ma'am."
"He didn't give you a hard time, did he?" Abbey asked.
"Let's just say he warned me not to get in the middle of this."
"My husband is an enormous jackass, isn't he?" Abbey said with a smile. CJ returned the smile as the First Lady gave her a quick hug and walked out.
As CJ watched her leave, she thought about how much different Abbey seemed. The past year had taken several years off her life. She was more bitter, more reserved, colder. She couldn't blame her. The pain a parent must go through after losing a child was unimaginable. And yet, she saw it with her own eyes. The pain was very much evident at Zoey's funeral.
Flashback:
Leo met with senior staff early that morning. He told them all what to expect. The First Family was grieving in a way he had never seen before. He warned CJ to keep the press as far away as possible, something she had already taken care of.
The President was being seen regularly by doctors to make sure his MS wasn't giving him any trouble. As for Abbey -- she was being sedated. Jed hated doing that to her, but it was the only way they could control her grief. He was worried about her, for her. There were times in the previous days when he was afraid to leave her side, concerned she would hurt herself.
All the drugs turned Abbey into a zombie. She said nothing at all during the funeral. The only sign they had that she was still with them showed up every now and then with a lone tear falling out of her eye and down her cheek.
As they walked towards the cemetary, Abbey began to collapse. A few agents began to approach her as she went down, but Jed was the first to grab her and pull her back up, waving everyone else away. Everyone continued walking. It was just a little bump in the tragic day. To CJ, it was a sign that the First Lady wasn't well. At that moment, she didn't know if Abbey Bartlet would ever be well again.
The next day was a good one for Jed. His temperature was finally down to normal. Abbey was convinced it was a combination of getting the rest he needed and the medication Admiral Hackett had given him. Jed knew part of the reason was because Abbey was by his side.
"Does this mean it's not the other thing?" he asked her.
"We're not out of the woods yet."
"But I feel fine. In fact, I feel like going to the office."
He tried to get out of bed, but Abbey pushed him right back down. "Don't you dare."
"Abbey."
"You may feel fine, Jed, but you're not fine. Not yet. So you just lay there and talk to me."
"About what?"
"About CJ. It's not her fault, you know. I wanted to come."
"I don't want to talk about CJ. I do want to know what your plans are."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning my fever is down, I'm feeling okay. How long are you planning to stay?"
"Jed."
"Abbey, I want to know. Are you going back to New Hampshire?"
TBC
Chapter 4
Summary: CJ reflects on Zoey's funeral. Jed has a tough question for Abbey.
"So what do you think it is?" Jed asked.
"Could be a number of things," Abbey answered.
"Such as?"
"Jed, we really shouldn't talk about this right now."
"You wouldn't have come back unless you thought it was...it's the MS, isn't it?"
"Jed."
"Abbey, you've always been honest with me."
Abbey looked into his eyes, knowing he was right. She had never lied to him before about anything and she would never lie to him about his health. "I don't know what's wrong. It could be a relapse and nothing more."
"Or it could be the start of the next chapter, the next phase."
"You're jumping ahead."
"And so are you. That's why you're here."
"You should get some more sleep. Your body obviously needs it."
Abbey raised the blanket to cover Jed, softly tucking him into bed. She got up from the bed and sat down in the chair next to him.
Hours later, Abbey headed over to the West Wing. She approached CJ's office and was immediately greeted with a smile and a hug from the Press Secretary.
"How is he?" CJ asked.
"He's sleeping. I wanted to talk to you about your briefing and what you're going to tell the press."
"It's the flu, right?"
Abbey paused a moment before answering, "yeah."
"That's what I'll tell them. The President is sick with the flu. Doctors are taking excellent care of him and he should be up and about in no time at all."
"Okay," Abbey replied hesitantly.
"Mrs. Bartlet? There's something else. People are going to ask. They're going to want to know if you're back for good."
"I don't know the answer to that myself, CJ." After an awkward silence, she continued, "but I do want to thank you...for telling me, for getting me back here. I'm glad I came."
"Me too, Ma'am."
"He didn't give you a hard time, did he?" Abbey asked.
"Let's just say he warned me not to get in the middle of this."
"My husband is an enormous jackass, isn't he?" Abbey said with a smile. CJ returned the smile as the First Lady gave her a quick hug and walked out.
As CJ watched her leave, she thought about how much different Abbey seemed. The past year had taken several years off her life. She was more bitter, more reserved, colder. She couldn't blame her. The pain a parent must go through after losing a child was unimaginable. And yet, she saw it with her own eyes. The pain was very much evident at Zoey's funeral.
Flashback:
Leo met with senior staff early that morning. He told them all what to expect. The First Family was grieving in a way he had never seen before. He warned CJ to keep the press as far away as possible, something she had already taken care of.
The President was being seen regularly by doctors to make sure his MS wasn't giving him any trouble. As for Abbey -- she was being sedated. Jed hated doing that to her, but it was the only way they could control her grief. He was worried about her, for her. There were times in the previous days when he was afraid to leave her side, concerned she would hurt herself.
All the drugs turned Abbey into a zombie. She said nothing at all during the funeral. The only sign they had that she was still with them showed up every now and then with a lone tear falling out of her eye and down her cheek.
As they walked towards the cemetary, Abbey began to collapse. A few agents began to approach her as she went down, but Jed was the first to grab her and pull her back up, waving everyone else away. Everyone continued walking. It was just a little bump in the tragic day. To CJ, it was a sign that the First Lady wasn't well. At that moment, she didn't know if Abbey Bartlet would ever be well again.
The next day was a good one for Jed. His temperature was finally down to normal. Abbey was convinced it was a combination of getting the rest he needed and the medication Admiral Hackett had given him. Jed knew part of the reason was because Abbey was by his side.
"Does this mean it's not the other thing?" he asked her.
"We're not out of the woods yet."
"But I feel fine. In fact, I feel like going to the office."
He tried to get out of bed, but Abbey pushed him right back down. "Don't you dare."
"Abbey."
"You may feel fine, Jed, but you're not fine. Not yet. So you just lay there and talk to me."
"About what?"
"About CJ. It's not her fault, you know. I wanted to come."
"I don't want to talk about CJ. I do want to know what your plans are."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning my fever is down, I'm feeling okay. How long are you planning to stay?"
"Jed."
"Abbey, I want to know. Are you going back to New Hampshire?"
TBC