PART VII
"Steve?"
Mark leaned forward in his chair as Steve stirred restlessly.
"Steve?" He touched his son's cheek. Steve turned his
face toward his father. His face tightened in pain, but his eyes
didn't open.
"Dad?"
Mark let out a breath. "I'm right here, son."
Steve's eyes opened slowly. He struggled to focus. "What's
going on?"
"You were shot. You're in the ICU."
He lay there a moment, staring at nothing. He took a deep breath
and grimaced before nodding. "The President?"
"He'll be okay. He's recovering."
"CJ?" He frowned. "I heard . . . something from
upstairs . . . "
"She's fine." Mark smiled. He thought it would be best
to tell him what happened with his truck later. "She's
worried about you. We'll move you out of the ICU in the morning
if you keep improving. She'll be in to see you then."
"Good." Steve closed his eyes.
Mark placed his hand on his arm. "You get some rest, you're
exhausted. I'll be right here."
Steve nodded sleepily. "Thanks, Dad," he whispered.
Mark swallowed hard. It had been so close. Again. His heart
clenched painfully at the thought. He thanked God his son was
still with him. And prayed nothing like this would happen again.
"Dad?"
Mark started. He though Steve had been asleep. "I'm right
here," he said softly.
"I love you."
His voice was so quiet Mark barely heard him. But he did, and
tears sprang to his eyes. "I love you too, son." He
leaned forward and brushed Steve's hair back, kissed his
forehead. "I love you, too."
***
"Mr. President?"
Jed looked away from the television program he hadn't been
watching. "Charlie! Come in!"
Charlie entered slowly and closed the door behind him. He glanced
around and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Can I get you
anything, sir?"
"No, no. Come on, sit down." He waved a hand toward a
chair. "I've been hoping you'd stop by."
"Dr. Bartlet said you wanted to see me, sir." He sat.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better, thanks." Jed stared at the young man for a
long moment, trying, unsucessfully, to get Charlie to meet his
eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Yes sir."
"Charlie."
He looked up. Jed gazed back at him, his eyes soft. "It
wasn't your fault, Charlie."
"Sir, I heard what they said. I know it was because I'm
dating Zoey."
"Charlie, they did it because they hate. They hate anyone
not like them. That's not your fault. If you heard that, you
heard all of the other justifications they made. It didn't happen
because of you."
Charlie just shook his head and stared at his hands.
Jed reached out and laid his hand over Charlie's and squeezed
gently. The young man looked back up, his eyes filled with tears.
"I thought I was going to lose you, too. I couldn't stand
that. I never really knew my dad. Mom's gone, Mrs. Landingham . .
. " He blinked several times. "I just . . . I was so
scared when I saw . . . "
Jed squeezed his hand again. "I know."
Charlie ducked his head, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry,
sir. I didn't mean to . . . "
"It's okay, Charlie. I just wish to God none of you had to
see that." He shifted uncomfortably and slipped his hand out
of Charlie's. "I don't know how to make it better."
"You don't have to, sir. We'll be okay. We just want you to
be okay, too."
Jed tried to smile reassuringly, but knew it was anything but. He
didn't know if any of them would ever be okay again.
***
CJ smiled as Steve's eyes fluttered open. She placed her hand on
his shoulder and rubbed gently. "Hey gorgeous."
Steve turned his head toward her, wincing as he did so. He looked
at her, trying to focus. He blinked several times.
"CJ…" His voice was rough.
"How're you feeling?"
He gave a breath of a laugh.
She winced in sympathy. "I'm sorry. That was a stupid
question." Then she scowled at him. "Not that what you
did was smart."
His eyes widened. He was clearly struggling to keep up.
"What? What'd I do?"
"Leo told me what you did. He told me that guy Tom was going
to shoot the President. He said you put yourself between them.
That that's how you got shot."
"Oh."
"Oh? That's all you have to say?"
"What was I supposed to do?"
CJ sighed. "I know. I just-- I thought you were going to
die, Steve."
"Nah. Not me."
"I hate your job."
"I noticed that." He raised his hand weakly. She
grasped it and held tight. Their eyes met and he smiled a little
uncertainly.
CJ rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand. Careful not to
hurt him, she leaned over him and brushed her lips over his.
"Hey, you two. This is a public place."
CJ pulled back and looked over her shoulder. "Mr.
President!" She jumped to her feet.
Jed waved her back down as the nurse wheeled his chair into the
room. "Sit. I just came to say hello." He pointed a
finger at Steve. "And you, don't even think of moving an
inch."
"Yes sir." Steve slowly rested his head back on the
pillow. He glanced at CJ a little uncertainly.
CJ cleared her throat. "It's good to see you up, Mr.
President."
"It's good to be up." He touched her arm. "Thanks
for your help. What you did took a lot of guts."
She shook her head. "I was scared to death."
He smiled. "Me too." He looked at Steve. "You, on
the other hand…"
"--was terrified." Steve finished. "Mr. President,
I'm so sorry I didn't get there sooner. I wish-"
"Lieutenant Sloan-- Steve. Listen to me. You saved our
lives. Leo and I would be dead if it weren't for you and CJ. And
you lying there in that bed…" His eyes darkened.
"God. You were shot because of me. I've had Secret Service
agents surrounding me 24 hours a day for the past three years and
I'll never get used to having people willing to risk their lives
for me. And I have no words to express the depths of my feelings.
There are no words." He leaned forward carefully and grasped
the younger man's hand. "It's not enough, but thank
you." He squeezed his hand. "Thank you."
Steve nodded, at a loss for words.
Jed must have noticed his discomfort because he grinned.
"So. I suppose I'll be getting a bill for your truck."
He leaned back in the wheelchair and folded his hands.
"That's okay, though. I'll just take it out of CJ's
pay."
Steve blinked. "My truck?" He looked at CJ.
CJ looked at Jed. He grinned and looked back at Steve. "I've
got to go back to my room now. I'm sure we'll see each other
again. I expect you to come visit us at the White House." He
waved a hand at the nurse who turned his chair to wheel him out
of the room before Steve could absorb the unexpected invitation.
"You kids behave," he called behind him.
Steve, still a little groggy and more than a little confused,
watched him go. He looked back at CJ, his tired mind reeling. But
when he opened his mouth, the first question that came out was,
"What happened to my truck?"
***
"Get in here, would you? Quit lurking in my doorway."
Leo smiled, mildly chagrined. "I was afraid you were
sleeping."
Jed's answering smile faded. "No. I wasn't." He was
still tired from his visit with the police detective, but sleep
wouldn't come.
Leo nodded. "I know what you mean." He sighed and sat
next to the bed. "Are you getting any sleep?"
"Some." Jed looked down at his hands. "Not so much
now that they stopped the sedatives. The dreams started after
that."
"Yeah."
He looked back up. "You too?"
"Yeah."
Jed drew in a shaky breath. "When's it going to end?"
Leo just shook his head. "Have you told anyone?"
"No." Jed's voice was quiet. "They'd just want to
give me more sleeping pills. I need to get past this."
"When we get back, you could talk to Stanley."
Jed rolled his eyes. "Oh, god."
"Mr. President, this is the kind of thing he specializes in.
This is what he does. What happened to us . . . "
"I know. He's a trauma specialist. Leo, I don't want to talk
to a psychiatrist about this. I don't want to talk to anyone
about it!"
Leo's hand slipped inside Jed's. "You're going to have to.
You know that."
Jed's intense blue eyes met Leo's. "Will you? Did you, when
. . . "
"When I got home from 'Nam? Yes. I was a wreck. I slept too
little, drank too much, and was no good to anyone."
"I remember you wouldn't talk to me."
"Yeah. The Air Force finally sent me to a doctor. It helped.
It really did."
Jed's eyes narrowed. "Really? Or are you just trying to
convince me to see Keyworth?"
The corner of Leo's mouth quirked up in a small smile.
"Maybe. But it did help a little."
"Okay." Jed sighed. "And you're going to talk to
him too."
"Yes, sir."
Jed snorted. "Okay."
The silence stretched out between them, both finding comfort in
the mere presence of the other.
"What's wrong with your eyes?" Leo finally spoke.
Jed looked at him, a surprised and innocent expression crossing
his features. "What?"
"You keep blinking hard. And squinting."
"Am I?"
"Mr. President…"
"It's nothing."
"Are you having trouble seeing?" Leo's voice was almost
steady.
"No."
"Why don't I believe you?"
Jed ignored the question. "I can go today, right? That's
what Dr. Sloan said."
"He said you could go if you're under the supervision of
Admiral Hackett and Abbey. And if he feels you're well enough to
travel."
Jed slid to the edge of the bed and carefully swung his legs over
the side. "It's Air Force One, Leo. It's not like I'm flying
the plane."
"What are you doing?"
"What's it look like?" He placed his feet on the floor
and pulled his robe tighter around him.
"It looks like you're about to do something really stupid.
Stay in bed."
Jed pushed himself to his feet. "Too late."
Leo stood quickly and stepped closer. He reached out, but stopped
just short of touching his friend. "Sir…"
Jed stood still for a moment. He looked up a Leo with a
triumphant smile. "See? No problem."
Leo nodded uncertainly. "You okay?"
"Sure. I just want to walk around a little. Get used to
being up."
"I wish you wouldn't do this. At least wait for Dr. Sloan or
a nurse or something."
"To do what? Come on, Leo." He stepped forward, trying
not to wince. Another step. He swayed and a tremor ran through
his body. "Leo…"
Leo wrapped his arms around Jed's chest just as the President
fell sideways, his arms flailing in an effort to catch himself.
Leo staggered and barely kept his footing. Jed grunted in pain at
the pressure on his chest.
The door opened. Mark hurried in, Abbey directly behind him.
"What happened?" Abbey asked. Mark moved to Jed's other
side and grasped his upper arm gently.
Jed shook his head. He couldn't answer. He focused on trying to
breathe.
"He got dizzy, I think," Leo answered. He and Mark
carefully maneuvered Jed over to the bed.
"You think? What the hell was he doing out of bed?" Her
voice raised. Jed recoiled from her tone and ducked his head
involuntarily. Abbey blanched when he pulled away from her.
Leo let go of Jed when he was sure he was stable, but kept his
hand on his shoulder. "Hey," he said softly.
Jed nodded and took a slow breath. "It's okay."
Mark stepped back and looked into the President's eyes. "You
could have fallen, Mr. President. You should have called for a
nurse."
"I just wanted to walk around the room. I wasn't planning on
running a marathon."
Mark nodded. "You're going to need a cane until you get your
equilibrium back. I've asked for one to be sent down for you
before you leave."
"I don't want a cane."
"Jed," Abbey admonished, but kept her voice low and
soothing. She rubbed her hand lightly over his back, then brought
it up to rest on his shoulder. "It's better than a
wheelchair."
He sighed. "I know." He placed his left hand over hers.
Mark cleared his throat. "I'd rather not let you leave right
now, Mr. President," he shook his head and held up a hand at
the sharp look Jed gave him. "-But, I understand the
circumstances. You're going to have to take it easy for a few
weeks, keep to a restricted work schedule. You're going to have
to have daily checkups." He glanced at Abbey, who nodded.
"Admiral Hackett will be continuing your Solumedrol
infusions." He picked up the chart he'd dropped when he'd
entered the room. "The brace on your wrist is going to need
daily care. We've got it wrapped now, but two of the traction
pins holding the bones in place are attached to this bar
here." He touched a metal bar outside the bandages.
"The entry sites where the pins go in will have to be
cleaned twice a day."
Jed grumbled and resisted the urge to scratch at the offensive
device. "How long does it have to stay in?"
"A few weeks. I know it's irritating now, but when it's
healed straight and you have full use of that hand, you'll be
glad you had it." He waited a moment until the President
nodded, however grudgingly. "Now, about getting around on
your own…" Jed glared at him. "I know. Mr.
President, you're body has been through an incredible trauma,
even if you had been in perfect health before this. We've got you
on a blood thinner-"
"Why?" Jed interrupted.
"The severity of the bruising creates a serious concern that
blood clots could form."
"Oh."
"So you see how a fall could be a problem."
"Only if I cut myself, right?"
Mark shook his head. "No. If internal bleeding occurred, it
could be fatal all on it's own."
"Oh." Jed felt, rather than saw, Leo flinch. He didn't,
couldn't quite look at him. He glanced at Abbey. "I'll
behave."
She smiled faintly. "You'd better."
"So I can go?"
Mark glance down at the chart again, then back at his patient. He
shook his head. "If you were anyone else, I'd say no. But
under the circumstances of your situation and the care you'll be
receiving on your way home, I'll agree to it."
Jed nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Doctor."
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. President. I only wish
it had been under better circumstances."
"Me too." He let out a breath and looked at Mark with
sorrow. "I'm so sorry your son was hurt. I talked to him
earlier. He's a good man. You should be very proud."
Mark smiled. "I am. I wish he'd learn to duck a little
better, but…"
Jed laughed and a genuine smile lit his eyes.
"It was kind of you to visit him. I know it meant a lot to
him."
"It was absolutely the least I could do, Doctor. That young
man saved both our lives. Please remind him that he's supposed to
come visit us sometime. You're included in that invitation, of
course."
Mark raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Thank you, Mr.
President."
Jed gave him a conspiratorial look. "We need to get him and
CJ hooked up."
Mark laughed. "I always hoped they'd make it permanent, but
you know kids."
Jed sighed. "Do I." He looked up as the door opened and
Charlie stepped in.
"Excuse me, Mr. President. You asked me to let you know when
the car was here. Everything is ready when you are." He had
an aluminum cane hooked over his forearm and was pushing a
wheelchair.
Jed sighed. "Thanks, Charlie." He looked at Mark.
"I guess it's time to let you get things back to normal
around here." He smiled. "Bring Steve to the White
House. Between the two of us, he and CJ won't have a
chance."
Mark returned the smile. "I'll do that." He held out
his left hand and Jed shook it firmly, despite his weakness.
"It was good to meet you, Mr. President. I hope next time it
will be under much better circumstances."
"Thank you again, Doctor. I'm in your debt."
Mark waved his thanks away and stepped out the door.
"We'll be right out, Charlie. Could you wait outside for a
minute?"
Charlie nodded. "Yes sir." He placed the cane across
the arms of the wheelchair and followed the doctor out the door.
Jed looked up, his gaze finding Leo and Abbey. "This isn't
going to be easy."
Abbey stepped closer to him and carded her fingers through the
hair at his temple. "It'll be okay, Jed. Just remember that
you're not alone. We're here for you."
He nodded and unconsciously leaned into her touch. Leo's hand
settled back on his shoulder, it's heavy warmth offering as much
comfort and security as Abbey's loving caress. He closed his eyes
with a deep sigh. "I don't know what I do without you
two."
Leo squeezed his shoulder. "Let's just make sure none of us
ever have to find out." His eyes met Abbey's over Jed's head
and she nodded.
Jed nodded, unknowingly echoing Abbey's gesture. He opened his
eyes and sat up straighter, ready to be the President again.
"Let's go home."
END
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© 2001 Sam SingingWolf All characters mentioned in this story
who have appeared in the series Diagnosis Murder, together with
the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property
of CBS and Viacom. All characters mentioned in this story who
have appeared in the series The West Wing together with the
names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of
Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Production, NBC and Warner Brothers.
This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights
and solely meant for entertainment. No profit is being made by
this story. All other characters, the story idea and the story
itself are the sole property of the author.
