OK, this is the last chapter that will go here (I think).

Spoilers: Nope

Thanks: To all those who asked to see more. And for K with love as always.

THOSE CONCEALED

"Hey."

CJ looked up at the voice in her doorway. "Is Jilly ok?" she asked worried.

"Still asleep." Abbey sat down on the couch. "A little rattley but her temperature is going down. Her blood pressure is still pretty bottomed out though…it could be a while before it picks up. The sedative should begin to wear off in the next half an hour but it may take her longer to come round because of the poor blood flow. But she's Ok, as much as she can be."

"And Andi?" CJ asked

"A little rattley too. But still asleep," she replied. "CJ, I know you're in the dark as much as I am about some aspects of this, but … should I call their mother? I mean, technically, if Jilly isn't able to consent to treatment I should get permission from a guardian. If she's Jilly's next of kin…"

"She isn't. I am." CJ replied quietly.

"You are? I don't understand…"

"Technically, I'm her legal guardian with health care decision-making authority. Andi was originally; Jilly was not quite 18 when she moved in with them, and you know what a stickler for the letter of the law Andi can be, so she arranged it. Wisely, it turned out with hindsight, as she had to use it to get Jilly treatment when she refused to get help herself. Then when she moved in with me Andi felt we should share the guardianship. So, really, it's me or Andi that can give consent for any treatment, if Jilly were to be deemed incompetent to give informed consent again and, as far as I know the order was never rescinded, so technically she is still classed as incompetent." she stopped, with a slight smile "Now who's quiet?" she asked, looking at Abbey's somewhat stunned expression.

Abbey smiled back. "What about Toby? Is he named too?"

"Named in what?" he asked, leaning on the doorframe.

"God Toby…do you have stealth capability built in?!" Abbey asked, catching her breath.

"Abbey was asking about guardianship." CJ filled him in.

"Why...what's happened?" he panicked

"Calm down…nothing. I'm just thinking ahead. I wondered if I had to call her mother." Abbey replied.

"Well, that's a call someone's going to have to make soon, but not on the guardian front. Andi and CJ can give consent for treatment" he said.

"But not you?" Abbey queried

"I'm one of her legal guardians, but I don't have the health care authority" he explained. "How is she?" he asked

"Same as when you left. The pair of them are double-teaming on the rattling front, but it's coming and going on it's own, it's just the residual of their last attacks. I should head back though, before they wake. Have either of you eaten today?" she asked with a raised eyebrow

They looked at one another, then looked back at Abbey with a wry shrug.

"I thought not. I'll get something sent over here. And you'll both eat it all, otherwise I won't let either of you see Jilly nor Andi until you do, understand?" she ordered, walking out of CJ's office.

"Yes ma'am" they replied in unison.

"How you doing?" Toby asked as he sat down in the chair in front of CJ's desk.

"Good. It's amazing how much work I can get done when I don't have to keep stopping to brief the press! Do you think I could convince Leo it would make my office more efficient if I only briefed once a day?" she asked

"Nope. But I'd pay good money to watch you try" he replied.

She smiled at him, throwing her pen on the desk, and stretching her considerable length out, before standing and walking round the desk, then flopping on the settee.

"I wish I'd had an efficient day….I've done more doodling than actual writing" he sighed.

"Well, they say you can read a lot from doodles…maybe you're just not interpreting them properly" she smiled back.

When's the next briefing?" he asked

"Now. Henry's on, but it's just a wrap-up, all's quiet. You wanna watch?" she replied

He turned to the bank of monitors, and turned the volume up on the press room, as Henry came on screen. They sat quietly for the next ten minutes, watching the briefing. As Henry disappeared off the screen, there was a knock at the door, and Carol came in, carrying a large tray. Toby took the tray from her, and put it on the desk.

"Thanks Carol. You can head home and we'll catch up tomorrow. Thanks for everything you've done today." CJ smiled at her assistant, sitting up on the couch with her legs stretched out.

"No problem. But I'm under instruction from The First Lady not to let you leave here until those dishes are empty" she replied.

"You're a faithless wench, you know that?" her boss retorted.

"Whatever" she said over her shoulder, closing the door behind her.

Toby uncovered the tray and laughed. "The First lady must have spies everywhere." he said. He handed CJ a bottle of beer and a bottle opener, and placed his glass of Jack Daniels on the desk, gave CJ a plate of noodles and chicken and some chopsticks, then picked up his own meal. "Shift" he said, moving over to the couch.

"I'd just got comfy…sit on the chair" she complained.

"Shift" he said looking at her with a small smile.

She sighed deeply and drew her feet up just enough for him to sit down and began to eat, suddenly realising how hungry she really was. She took a drink, then leant forward to stealfrom Toby's plate.

"See? You couldn't have done that if I'd been sat on the chair" he said, continuing to eat.

She pulled a face at him and they continued to eat quickly, in comfortable silence.

Toby and CJ quietly entered the bedroom in an attempt not to waken its occupants, only to find Andi already awake, sitting up in the bed, idly playing with her sister's hair. She looked up as they entered and they could see the fresh tears staining her face. Toby saw a myriad of emotions roll across her face as her eyes dropped back to her sister, registering all the marks she could see on her arms, and imagining those concealed from her.

"Who could do this to her?" she whispered.

"Don't think about that now," CJ replied, crossing the room to join her on the bed, "right now, let's just get her better."

"Well, I think both things are important actually. I can't help her medically, but I can find out who the hell beat the living crap out of her day after.." "Toby!" CJ interjected, glaring at him, then looking sideways at Andi.

"Sorry…but whoever did this needs to be punished." He responded.

"Maybe she'll be able to tell us what's happened in a few days. Give her some time. And if not…well, then you can go Dirty Harry." CJ said.

They were interrupted by the arrival of The First Lady, weighed down with a sizeable plastic box, which Toby crossed the room to relieve her of, with a raised eyebrow.

"I got the hospital to send some supplies," she said, answering his unasked question. "I got a couple more bags of fluid, a nebulizer," she began, unloading the box "anti-nausea serum…and a back-up plan" she smiled, placing the sick-bowl on the bedside table. "She'll come round in a little bit, so we'll see what we need. And in the meantime..." she broke off, walking round the bed "let's see how you are." She pulled her stethoscope from her pocket and knelt behind Andi, lifting her jumper. She listened for a moment, then pulled Andi's clothing back into place and stuffed the stethoscope back in her pocket. "You'll do. But now you need to eat something. Toby," she got off the bed and walked back round to him "would you go down to the kitchen and see what you can cobble together, please?"

"Sure." he replied heading out the door. "CJ, take Andi into the sitting room, I'll be through in a minute."

CJ held a hand out to Andi, helping her off the bed, then slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her in with a squeeze and the friends headed across the room, as Abbey bent over Jilly.

A few moments later, Abbey came into the sitting room holding a facecloth and a towel. "Freshen up before you eat" she said, sitting down by her. She gently ran the facecloth over Andi's face, holding it over the red eyes for a moment, then ran it round her neck, then over her hands, before repeating the cleansing with the towel. "I'm going to check over Jilly. I'll be back." She said as she left, taking the cloths with her.

CJ smiled at her friend. "You've just been Abbeyed. Most people don't get to see the maternal side of her…it's an experience" she said.

Andi smiled back. "It certainly is. But I feel better for it."

"I know what you mean. When I had the flu a few months back it was Abbey who made Leo send me home. It's the combination of mother and medic that makes her such a comfort. I don't think you really ever get too old to want your mom when you're sick." CJ replied.

"Unless you're Jilly. Or Toby." Andi said with a smile. "So rarely ill that when they are, they hate being with anyone."

"I know; and of all people who shouldn't be left alone when they're ill it's those two!"

"Which two?" said Toby, crossing the room to hand Andi a plate.

"You and Jilly. Thank you." she said, taking the plate from him.

"Well that can't be good. Have you been calling me while I've been slaving over a hot stove for you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a warm chicken sandwich; you're hardly Julia Childs. And anyway, what makes you assume we were calling you?" Andi asked between mouthfuls.

"Because you normally are when you say "You and Jilly" like that."

"I'm going to let you eat in peace. Toby, will you play nicely or do I need to take you with me?" CJ asked, rising.

"Get out."