The Heart Brings You Back
Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Chapter 12
Previously: Jed found Abbey searching frantically for her medication in the Oval Office
Summary: It's a showdown for Jed and Abbey, but the confrontation gets out of hand
Abbey stood there, paralyzed by her fear -- fear of what Jed would think of her and how angry he'd be that she lied to him. How did Jed find her pill bottle anyway? What was he doing with it? And was there a lie big enough to get her out of this?
"Is this what you're looking for?" he repeated, holding up the bottle. "I thought you said they were vitamins," he continued when she refused to speak. "Abbey, talk to me."
"They are vitamins," she said softly as he approached her.
"You know I can have them sent to any lab and analyzed within an hour, right?"
"Jed..."
"What's in the bottle, Abbey?" he asked calmly.
"They're just...they help me sleep," she admitted.
"Leo was right, wasn't he? It's Valium?"
Abbey nodded.
"And Xanax." he added, placing the bottle back in his pocket.
Jed was using a loving voice, not wanting to frighten her into more lies. At the same time, he was angry with her for not being honest with him and for letting this happen. She knew better, he kept telling himself. She was a doctor. She knew how dangerous prescription drugs could be. If Leo was right, it meant that Abbey had been self-medicating for a year. How deep was she in at this point, he wondered.
Abbey finally broke her silence. "You had no right to go through my purse," she said in the most restrained voice she could muster up.
Jed bowed his head, knowing she was right. "I knew there was more to the story than what you were telling me."
"Then you should have come to me with your suspicions."
"So you could lie to me again, the way you lied to Leo?"
"It's none of Leo's business," she replied calmly.
"It is my business though," he argued. "You're my wife. It's my business."
"No, it really isn't."
Her words hurt Jed. How could she believe this didn't affect him? He loved her and that would never change, but she was a different person because of the medication. Maybe it helped her deal with the aftermath of Zoey's death, but now, it was time to grieve without the crutch. Given how much she grieved with it, that thought scared him. He affectionately grabbed her right arm. "My God, Abbey, you're shaking."
"Can I have my pills please?" she asked.
Jed stroked her arm and shook his head. Abbey looked into his eyes, pleading for him to understand and to give her a break.
"No, honey. You can't have them."
"Jed."
"We'll get through this, Abbey," he promised, lightly massaging her shaking hand.
Abbey pulled away causing Jed to take a step back. It reminded him too much of the cold Abbey, the Abbey who pushed him away so many times after Zoey's death.
"I want my medication, Jed. Please."
"I said no."
His voice was firm and Abbey knew he wasn't going to give in. Her voice exhibited a sense of urgency now, bordering on desperation and anger. He stood there, his heart breaking for the pain his wife was experiencing. Abbey took a few steps towards him before swiftly reaching into his pocket to get the bottle. He grabbed her arm before she pulled it out and held her tightly.
"Let go," he told her, but she refused.
The two struggled over the bottle, but it was Abbey who came out victorious. She used all her strength to pry Jed's hands off hers and Jed, still weak from his MS attack, was overcome.
Abbey tried to run out of the office, but Jed grabbed her, begging her to stay. He didn't want to fight with her. He wanted to reason with her, to let her know he was on her side.
"You asked me to let you help me because you loved me. Let me do the same for you," he begged. No response. "Don't run out of here, Abbey! For once, stay and finish this."
Abbey couldn't face him right now. She was ashamed and upset. She wanted to be alone. As she crossed over him, heading towards the door, he felt his unsteady legs give way once again. He fell to the floor, banging his head on the corner of the desk.
The crashing sound alerted Leo who ran in to see Jed, still conscious, lying on the floor, his forehead bleeding, and Abbey shaking miserably as she stood above him, looking down. Leo told Debbie to call Hackett and he joined Jed on the floor as Charlie watched.
Abbey dropped the bottle as she tried to sit down next to him. She couldn't calm herself. Her heart was pounding, her pulse was racing, and her entire body was reacting to a panic attack. Jed attempted to get up, but Leo insisted he stay where he was until the doctor arrived. But then again, a doctor was already in the room.
"Do something," Leo ordered Abbey.
But she froze. She couldn't help him. She couldn't even help herself stop shaking. She stood there and just stared at Jed. When Admiral Hackett arrived, she stood behind him and watched as he began working on her husband. For several minutes, Abbey couldn't move. She couldn't even talk. This had happened once before -- in Boston. Jed's accident was bringing it all back to her and it sent a chill up her spine.
"Not again," she whispered to herself.
"Abbey!" Leo called.
Abbey came out of her trance to see Leo holding up the bottle of pills she had dropped. With disappointment in his eyes, now realizing what Jed and Abbey had probably been discussing moments before his collapse, he handed her the bottle. Abbey grabbed it and immediately opened it to take out a handful of pills. She downed them without any water, as she stared at her husband's battered body. From a distance, Charlie looked on.
TBC
Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Chapter 12
Previously: Jed found Abbey searching frantically for her medication in the Oval Office
Summary: It's a showdown for Jed and Abbey, but the confrontation gets out of hand
Abbey stood there, paralyzed by her fear -- fear of what Jed would think of her and how angry he'd be that she lied to him. How did Jed find her pill bottle anyway? What was he doing with it? And was there a lie big enough to get her out of this?
"Is this what you're looking for?" he repeated, holding up the bottle. "I thought you said they were vitamins," he continued when she refused to speak. "Abbey, talk to me."
"They are vitamins," she said softly as he approached her.
"You know I can have them sent to any lab and analyzed within an hour, right?"
"Jed..."
"What's in the bottle, Abbey?" he asked calmly.
"They're just...they help me sleep," she admitted.
"Leo was right, wasn't he? It's Valium?"
Abbey nodded.
"And Xanax." he added, placing the bottle back in his pocket.
Jed was using a loving voice, not wanting to frighten her into more lies. At the same time, he was angry with her for not being honest with him and for letting this happen. She knew better, he kept telling himself. She was a doctor. She knew how dangerous prescription drugs could be. If Leo was right, it meant that Abbey had been self-medicating for a year. How deep was she in at this point, he wondered.
Abbey finally broke her silence. "You had no right to go through my purse," she said in the most restrained voice she could muster up.
Jed bowed his head, knowing she was right. "I knew there was more to the story than what you were telling me."
"Then you should have come to me with your suspicions."
"So you could lie to me again, the way you lied to Leo?"
"It's none of Leo's business," she replied calmly.
"It is my business though," he argued. "You're my wife. It's my business."
"No, it really isn't."
Her words hurt Jed. How could she believe this didn't affect him? He loved her and that would never change, but she was a different person because of the medication. Maybe it helped her deal with the aftermath of Zoey's death, but now, it was time to grieve without the crutch. Given how much she grieved with it, that thought scared him. He affectionately grabbed her right arm. "My God, Abbey, you're shaking."
"Can I have my pills please?" she asked.
Jed stroked her arm and shook his head. Abbey looked into his eyes, pleading for him to understand and to give her a break.
"No, honey. You can't have them."
"Jed."
"We'll get through this, Abbey," he promised, lightly massaging her shaking hand.
Abbey pulled away causing Jed to take a step back. It reminded him too much of the cold Abbey, the Abbey who pushed him away so many times after Zoey's death.
"I want my medication, Jed. Please."
"I said no."
His voice was firm and Abbey knew he wasn't going to give in. Her voice exhibited a sense of urgency now, bordering on desperation and anger. He stood there, his heart breaking for the pain his wife was experiencing. Abbey took a few steps towards him before swiftly reaching into his pocket to get the bottle. He grabbed her arm before she pulled it out and held her tightly.
"Let go," he told her, but she refused.
The two struggled over the bottle, but it was Abbey who came out victorious. She used all her strength to pry Jed's hands off hers and Jed, still weak from his MS attack, was overcome.
Abbey tried to run out of the office, but Jed grabbed her, begging her to stay. He didn't want to fight with her. He wanted to reason with her, to let her know he was on her side.
"You asked me to let you help me because you loved me. Let me do the same for you," he begged. No response. "Don't run out of here, Abbey! For once, stay and finish this."
Abbey couldn't face him right now. She was ashamed and upset. She wanted to be alone. As she crossed over him, heading towards the door, he felt his unsteady legs give way once again. He fell to the floor, banging his head on the corner of the desk.
The crashing sound alerted Leo who ran in to see Jed, still conscious, lying on the floor, his forehead bleeding, and Abbey shaking miserably as she stood above him, looking down. Leo told Debbie to call Hackett and he joined Jed on the floor as Charlie watched.
Abbey dropped the bottle as she tried to sit down next to him. She couldn't calm herself. Her heart was pounding, her pulse was racing, and her entire body was reacting to a panic attack. Jed attempted to get up, but Leo insisted he stay where he was until the doctor arrived. But then again, a doctor was already in the room.
"Do something," Leo ordered Abbey.
But she froze. She couldn't help him. She couldn't even help herself stop shaking. She stood there and just stared at Jed. When Admiral Hackett arrived, she stood behind him and watched as he began working on her husband. For several minutes, Abbey couldn't move. She couldn't even talk. This had happened once before -- in Boston. Jed's accident was bringing it all back to her and it sent a chill up her spine.
"Not again," she whispered to herself.
"Abbey!" Leo called.
Abbey came out of her trance to see Leo holding up the bottle of pills she had dropped. With disappointment in his eyes, now realizing what Jed and Abbey had probably been discussing moments before his collapse, he handed her the bottle. Abbey grabbed it and immediately opened it to take out a handful of pills. She downed them without any water, as she stared at her husband's battered body. From a distance, Charlie looked on.
TBC