On The Road With Danny Concannon:
Climate ChangesEpisode: A Good Day
The first thing Danny heard was the television. What the sound was he wasn't sure, he just heard something -- something that was waking him up and he could see through his eyes lids that the room was brightly lit and that it must be dark outside. He opened his eyes to be sure and he was indeed right. He grumbled and saw the figure of someone, but heard a voice before he could get a visual confirmation of the person.
"Well, it looks like someone's finally awake."
"Awake?" he said in a groggy blur.
"I'll go get the doctor." The voice trailed off.
"How long was I out?" Danny's eyes adjusted to the light.
"Look who's finally awake." A woman who seemed to be the doctor appeared at the doorway and walked in toward Danny's chart at the end of the bed.
"Finally?"
"You've been sleeping for twenty-four hours—we weren't sure you were gonna wake-up."
"I was in..?"
"A coma? No.…sorry. I have to keep telling myself not to make those kind of jokes in a hospital. It was a joke, by the way. Sorry." She circled toward Danny and took his wrist and took his heart rate.
"What happened?"
"From what the paramedics told me you were in your hotel room and you passed out."
"How?"
"How did you pass out? I think you might have to tell me. But I think it was the lack of sleep, food, and total lack of all fluids—not including Guinness."
"I'm more of a whiskey and corona kinda of a guy." He joked. The doctor made a note on her sheet. "It was a joke."
"This isn't." She looked down from him from under glasses. "Your health isn't a joke." She smiled. "Not unless your health happens to be crossing the road to get to the other side."
"You're funny, you should do stand up." He said still in his groggy state. Danny winced as a penlight was thrown in his eyes. "I do three nights a week next to the Caesar salad bar." She motioned with her hand for him to look her way "Open your eyes." Danny moved his head toward her and she checked out his pupils. "See..." She said when she was done. "Didn't hurt at all." Next she took her stethoscope and placed it on his chest and next his back while she had him take in a few deep breathes. The doctor said nothing and there was a long silence as she left Danny's side and made more notes.
"So…" Danny grumbled. "How am I doing?"
"How are you feeling?"
"Okay…..a little groggy…a little disorientated as to where I am." He looked around.
"You'll be fine."
"That's your diagnosis."
"EKG was normal—no sign of head injury—if you don't count the fact that the only life sustaining thing you remembered to ingest into your body was oxygen. We started you on an IV drip."
"In laymen's terms."
"You're not having a very good day, Mr. Concannon." Danny noticed his arm. "You needed fluids.
"I needed to be in California by tomorrow."
"Looks to me your day just got worse, Mr. Concannon."
"Danny, please"
"You're suffering from exhaustion, Mr. Concannon. I wouldn't be traveling anytime soon. When's the last time you had a good night's sleep?"
"Counting just now?" he said, still feeling groggy. "I don't remember."
"Not surprising." She placed his chart on the edge of his bed. "Nothing to worry about, but, I'm going to recommend you stay over night for observation and if all's good you're free to go in the morning."
"I guess I won't get you to call me Danny, huh? Mr. Concannon sounds like my dad."
"Danny." She smiled. "I'll call you whatever you want, if you promise when you get out of here to get some sleep and take it easy."
"If I take it easy, I get out in time for Florida."
"You mean California."
"Yeah, that too."
"We'll see." She walked toward the door.
"I know your work, by the way." She paused. "You do good work. I understand why you're so anxious to get back out there. Truthfully, I can't really keep them from releasing you tomorrow. At most, I can keep you a few more days if I—I don't know -- find a problem with your EKG."
"You just said it was fine."
"Funny, how you're not a doctor, isn't it." She smirked and paused. "It's nice having an advantage, right?" She smiled at him. "Get some sleep. I may have to send a nurse in every few minutes to take some blood and so forth."
"So, really I'm not going to get any more sleep, am I?"
"I told you you were having a bad day." She smiled. "I'll be sure the nurse checks your room last." She looked back at Danny one more time. "Do you want me to call anyone for you? Let someone know where you are? Anyone I should call for you?"
Danny paused for a moment, his eyes still heavy, in some sort of state of sleepiness and restfulness. For the first time in a long time he felt helpless as to the direction of his own life.
"No." He said softly. "There's no one to call."
"Okay." She said with a half sweet smile for him.
Danny laid his head back down on the pillow. For the first time, Danny couldn't move forward, he couldn't move back, he had to stay still. The room was quiet and dark. It felt cold without the temperature dropping and it felt lonely without the room actually missing anything. He felt stuck. Now what was he suppose to do.
Danny ran his hand over his face and turned his head toward the bedside table, noticing his cell phone sitting on the top of table. Danny suddenly started laughing at himself -- something he was able to do more of lately. He let the laugh die out and he looked straight up at the ceiling, alone in his bed, alone in his room.
Suddenly Danny heard his phone vibrate and turned his head to see the light on the display shining in his face. He grumbled and moved his body toward the phone, looking directly at the display and the name on it. He paused for a moment, unsure if he should answer it, but the hesitation didn't take a moment more as he took the phone to his ear.
"CJ?" Danny asked with a small smirk on his face, still unsure if he was in a dream or if he was awake.
"Are you alright?"
"Am I alright?"
"Are you alright?"
"I got that." He grumbled. "Did Maisy call you?"
"Maisy?"
"My assistant?"
"Oh…No, no." She paused. "Did I wake you?"
"Wake me…ahhh." Danny looked around for what to say.
"You sound groggy?" She paused. "Did I wake you?"
"Wake me?" He paused, realizing she had no idea what was going on. "Let's just say I've had enough sleep for a long time."
"Where are you?"
"Where am I? Is the White House keeping tabs on reporters now?"
"No--"
"If so I'd like a nick name that doesn't involve fowl of any sort--."
"No, I was just—you hadn't posted in a while."
"I posted last week."
"But before that—and you weren't showing up at the usual places."
"Usual places?"
"Usual places." She paused briefly. "Where are you?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out—or is that the other way around." He mumbled.
"Danny?"
"What, I can't be funny anymore? I'm funny. You crack jokes in your job."
"Are we all of sudden talking in riddles?"
"I can tell you're perplexed by me. It's something found often in women---once they get to know me."
"You're just having a gay old time there aren't you."
"A time yes. I wouldn't call it a gay old time or there'd be no reason for our banter, here."
"Yes, well." She smiled.
"You're smiling I can tell."
"Really." She smiled.
"You're doing it again."
"I just got concerned Danny, but I can see---"
"No need, really---"
"You haven't been covering the primaries like you usually do and---"
"Thank you."
"What?"
"Thank you," he said softly.
"Oh---yeah---I just…. You're welcome."
"Don't worry about me, CJ. I'm fine." He said sweetly. "Really, don't be concerned."
"Something just didn't….you're fine?"
"Yes."
"What happened? The work get the better of you?"
"I'm sorry."
"Getting a little too long in the tooth."
"Long in the tooth?"
"Too high in the saddle."
"I got what you meant---but I don't think that one is what you're going for."
"It's not?"
"Take my word for it."
"I guess you're right."
"The answer is…." Danny paused.
"Danny? What answer?"
"You're question?"
"Which one."
"All of them."
"Well, that's great?" She paused very confused. "But you didn't give me anything that would be described as an answer."
"No?"
"Yeah, you just………….paused."
"What was the question?" Danny ran his hand over his face.
"What's going on with you?"
"Sorry, I got jet-lag, you know how I get when I'm tired."
"Prolific." CJ smiled. So did Danny.
"Funny, very funny."
"I try."
"So, are you gonna tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
CJ began to laugh, "My question."
"Which was again?"
"Are we going to keep going in circles like this?"
"Perhaps. . . . . CJ, I don't have to give a reason why I'm not covering all the primaries---there are other stories out there I may be working on."
"Other stories?"
"Sure."
"In an election year?"
"It's been known to happen."
"I think you'd rather eat nails."
"I'm told I need the Iron."
"Danny."
"Yeah."
"It's been a long time since we talked." CJ became serious.
"Yes, it has."
All of a sudden there was some kind of noise in the background.
"Danny,"
"Yeah…"
"Listen," she said softly. "I have to get going."
"Yeah."
"Danny." She urged so he wouldn't get off the phone. "I have to get going now, but I was hoping---I mean I know—I know I may be the last person you want to talk to—I mean.. What do I mean?" She paused. "I just understand if you need to be away from me right now---I understand this---the lack of…. but if it's okay—maybe at a better time—I can call you again?"
There was a short pause.
"Yes," he said.
"Josh says the campaign is hard, like staying up for forty-eight hours a day, working toward that finish line can make…."
"Livin' on adrenaline and caffeine..." He said with nostalgia.
"I think sometimes I can't even remember what it's like."
"Days go from good to bad in a matter of seconds."
"So really my life hasn't changed."
"How've things been for you Danny?"
"You have your good days and your bad days."
"What's it like today?"
"Today?" He paused. "Today was a good day."
"You going to Flordia?"
"Depends on how this story goes." He paused. "No hints."
"Good-bye, Danny." She smiled and closed her phone.
"Good night, CJ." He said softly after she was gone.
He leaned back and fell back asleep as he mumbled a few words.
"Yeah…this is a good day."