The Heart Brings You Back
Chapter 9
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed was devastated by the knowledge that his MS may be getting worse, but he finally decided to let Abbey back in
Summary: Jed helps a former intern get a job as a White House Deputy Press Secretary. Leo lets the cat out of the bag.
Jed scooped Abbey up in his arms and whispered "I love you too" in her ear. She had been waiting for such a tender moment for so long and now, it was finally here. She ran her hands through his hair, gazing deeply into his eyes.
"I didn't think I'd ever hear those words again," she told him.
"I didn't think I'd ever hear them from you," he replied.
Husband and wife had a lot to make up for, but now that they were both willing to do it, it seemed easier.
"About the wheelchair..."
"Don't," he said, cutting her off. "Don't talk. Just kiss me."
"Wait. Are you okay? I mean, how are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. I just need you tonight. I need to be with you."
He placed his hand behind her head, pulling her face closer to him as he kissed her. He pulled away long enough to put his arms around her, leading her into the bedroom. He began to slowly undress her. Cooperating fully, Abbey unbuttoned her husband's shirt and pulled it off. Jed was extremely eager to reconnect with his wife. He layed her down on the bed, crawling on top of her...
The next morning, Abbey rolled over to find Jed staring back at her.
"Hey, beautiful," he greeted her.
"I was so afraid it was all a dream."
Jed held her close as the two cuddled for the next few minutes. He knew it had to end because he needed to get ready to go to the office, at least for a few hours. But the last thing he wanted was to let her go. He wished he could just freeze that moment in time. There were no worries, no fighting, no talk of his MS, and no mention of the heartbreak of the past year.
But he was right, it didn't last. When he got out of the shower, Abbey was ready to talk to him about taking some more time off. He wasn't 100%, but he knew he may not be for a while. She tried to convince him to at least take his cane to work. Part of him was angry again, angry that she couldn't let them enjoy the morning. The other part of him knew she was talking to him out of concern. Abbey may be his wife, but since his initial diagnosis, she was also his doctor. Still, he refused the cane. Instead of pressuring him, Abbey backed off. She hoped that when his legs hurt badly enough, he would change his mind. In the meantime, she didn't want to spoil what had started out to be a wonderful day. She kissed him goodbye as he left for the Oval Office.
It wasn't long before Jed delved deeply back into President-mode. For the first time since his youngest daughter's murder, he felt whole again. Despite his failing health, he was optimistic. But that changed quickly, as Leo still had a bombshell to drop. But before dealing with Leo, Jed's focus shifted to CJ and the new deputy press secretary she wanted to hire, a woman named Emma Bradford.
"She says she interned for you in New Hampshire," CJ reminded him.
"Oh yes," he answered, remembering the young, ambitious college senior who came to work for him when he was Governor. "She was the brightest intern we ever had."
"She's not interning anymore. She's got her Master's in Political Management and a PhD. in Political Communications."
"She's a good hire, CJ/ She's a hard worker, civic-minded, and has an extraordinary grasp of government and politics."
"That's all I needed to know. She certainly has the resume and now that I know she has your seal of approval, I'd say she's got the job."
Jed smiled, knowing he fulfilled the promise he made to help out the young woman one day. He never dreamed she'd be working in his White House, but he was happy nonetheless. He hoped Abbey would feel the same. There was always some mistrust towards Emma, on Abbey's part. She saw Emma as the kind of person who would do anything to get ahead and though that was nothing more than speculation, she let Jed know about it. But accepting Emma would be easier now, he thought. It was eight years later and he and Abbey had more significant problems.
Leo hadn't told the President about Abbey's dependency on the anti-anxiety drugs. She insisted she wasn't addicted and he felt Jed had enough to get past without worrying about this. But now that Jed and Abbey seemed to be working through their problems, he thought Jed should know. Actually telling him would be the challenge. And before he could start, Jed had news of his own to share.
"Abbey thinks my thing is getting worse."
"How bad?"
"We don't know. There's some progression and a lot of pain, tingling in my legs. It could be a slow start to the next phase."
"Oh, Jed," Leo replied, sympathetically.
"But right now, I don't want anyone to know," Jed said.
"Sir." Leo warned.
"My leg just hurts a little. It's nothing I can't handle. Just for now, Leo, okay?"
"Okay," he agreed reluctantly.
"Good."
"But, Mr. President, there is something else I want to talk to you about."
Jed nodded for him to continue. "What is it?"
"Abbey. How is she doing?"
"Fine. We're working on it. We're working on everything."
"There's something I've been keeping from you," Leo started. "Last year, before she left, I saw her taking some medication. It was Xanax, I think."
"The doctor gave her a lot of sedatives."
"He gave her Valium. She got the Xanax on her own. She was taking them together. She was taking them often."
"What are you getting at, Leo?"
"Sir, she's still taking them. I think she's headed for trouble."
"That's ridiculous. So she took a few pills, Leo. Big deal. Her daughter just died."
"Jed, you're talking to me here. I know how dangerous and how addictive Valium can be. Remember?"
"Abbey's a doctor."
"Doctors can't get into trouble? Look, I'm just saying you should ask her about it."
"Forget it."
"No one's saying you should accuse her. Just ask her."
"I'm sure she's fine."
"Then why didn't you know she was taking drugs? She takes medication. So if it's nothing serious, how come she never takes her pills around you?"
Jed looked at his friend, knowing he was making sense. If Abbey really was taking daily medication, why didn't he know? Still, every brain cell told him Abbey would never do this to herself. She would never self-medicate and she would know if she had a problem, she could turn to him. Hell, he would know if she had a problem. But he wanted to put an end to the speculation and there was only one way to do that. He had to ask Abbey.
TBC
Chapter 9
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed was devastated by the knowledge that his MS may be getting worse, but he finally decided to let Abbey back in
Summary: Jed helps a former intern get a job as a White House Deputy Press Secretary. Leo lets the cat out of the bag.
Jed scooped Abbey up in his arms and whispered "I love you too" in her ear. She had been waiting for such a tender moment for so long and now, it was finally here. She ran her hands through his hair, gazing deeply into his eyes.
"I didn't think I'd ever hear those words again," she told him.
"I didn't think I'd ever hear them from you," he replied.
Husband and wife had a lot to make up for, but now that they were both willing to do it, it seemed easier.
"About the wheelchair..."
"Don't," he said, cutting her off. "Don't talk. Just kiss me."
"Wait. Are you okay? I mean, how are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. I just need you tonight. I need to be with you."
He placed his hand behind her head, pulling her face closer to him as he kissed her. He pulled away long enough to put his arms around her, leading her into the bedroom. He began to slowly undress her. Cooperating fully, Abbey unbuttoned her husband's shirt and pulled it off. Jed was extremely eager to reconnect with his wife. He layed her down on the bed, crawling on top of her...
The next morning, Abbey rolled over to find Jed staring back at her.
"Hey, beautiful," he greeted her.
"I was so afraid it was all a dream."
Jed held her close as the two cuddled for the next few minutes. He knew it had to end because he needed to get ready to go to the office, at least for a few hours. But the last thing he wanted was to let her go. He wished he could just freeze that moment in time. There were no worries, no fighting, no talk of his MS, and no mention of the heartbreak of the past year.
But he was right, it didn't last. When he got out of the shower, Abbey was ready to talk to him about taking some more time off. He wasn't 100%, but he knew he may not be for a while. She tried to convince him to at least take his cane to work. Part of him was angry again, angry that she couldn't let them enjoy the morning. The other part of him knew she was talking to him out of concern. Abbey may be his wife, but since his initial diagnosis, she was also his doctor. Still, he refused the cane. Instead of pressuring him, Abbey backed off. She hoped that when his legs hurt badly enough, he would change his mind. In the meantime, she didn't want to spoil what had started out to be a wonderful day. She kissed him goodbye as he left for the Oval Office.
It wasn't long before Jed delved deeply back into President-mode. For the first time since his youngest daughter's murder, he felt whole again. Despite his failing health, he was optimistic. But that changed quickly, as Leo still had a bombshell to drop. But before dealing with Leo, Jed's focus shifted to CJ and the new deputy press secretary she wanted to hire, a woman named Emma Bradford.
"She says she interned for you in New Hampshire," CJ reminded him.
"Oh yes," he answered, remembering the young, ambitious college senior who came to work for him when he was Governor. "She was the brightest intern we ever had."
"She's not interning anymore. She's got her Master's in Political Management and a PhD. in Political Communications."
"She's a good hire, CJ/ She's a hard worker, civic-minded, and has an extraordinary grasp of government and politics."
"That's all I needed to know. She certainly has the resume and now that I know she has your seal of approval, I'd say she's got the job."
Jed smiled, knowing he fulfilled the promise he made to help out the young woman one day. He never dreamed she'd be working in his White House, but he was happy nonetheless. He hoped Abbey would feel the same. There was always some mistrust towards Emma, on Abbey's part. She saw Emma as the kind of person who would do anything to get ahead and though that was nothing more than speculation, she let Jed know about it. But accepting Emma would be easier now, he thought. It was eight years later and he and Abbey had more significant problems.
Leo hadn't told the President about Abbey's dependency on the anti-anxiety drugs. She insisted she wasn't addicted and he felt Jed had enough to get past without worrying about this. But now that Jed and Abbey seemed to be working through their problems, he thought Jed should know. Actually telling him would be the challenge. And before he could start, Jed had news of his own to share.
"Abbey thinks my thing is getting worse."
"How bad?"
"We don't know. There's some progression and a lot of pain, tingling in my legs. It could be a slow start to the next phase."
"Oh, Jed," Leo replied, sympathetically.
"But right now, I don't want anyone to know," Jed said.
"Sir." Leo warned.
"My leg just hurts a little. It's nothing I can't handle. Just for now, Leo, okay?"
"Okay," he agreed reluctantly.
"Good."
"But, Mr. President, there is something else I want to talk to you about."
Jed nodded for him to continue. "What is it?"
"Abbey. How is she doing?"
"Fine. We're working on it. We're working on everything."
"There's something I've been keeping from you," Leo started. "Last year, before she left, I saw her taking some medication. It was Xanax, I think."
"The doctor gave her a lot of sedatives."
"He gave her Valium. She got the Xanax on her own. She was taking them together. She was taking them often."
"What are you getting at, Leo?"
"Sir, she's still taking them. I think she's headed for trouble."
"That's ridiculous. So she took a few pills, Leo. Big deal. Her daughter just died."
"Jed, you're talking to me here. I know how dangerous and how addictive Valium can be. Remember?"
"Abbey's a doctor."
"Doctors can't get into trouble? Look, I'm just saying you should ask her about it."
"Forget it."
"No one's saying you should accuse her. Just ask her."
"I'm sure she's fine."
"Then why didn't you know she was taking drugs? She takes medication. So if it's nothing serious, how come she never takes her pills around you?"
Jed looked at his friend, knowing he was making sense. If Abbey really was taking daily medication, why didn't he know? Still, every brain cell told him Abbey would never do this to herself. She would never self-medicate and she would know if she had a problem, she could turn to him. Hell, he would know if she had a problem. But he wanted to put an end to the speculation and there was only one way to do that. He had to ask Abbey.
TBC