krazykitkat | (no subject)

Surfacing 2/?
By Katrina McDonnell

Abbey tried to maintain a professional detachment as she watched Danny help lift CJ to a standing position. The expression of pain and fear etched on CJ's face made the tall, confident woman look like a scared and vulnerable little girl. Just the fact CJ had allowed Danny to hold her while Leo was in the room worried Abbey. She was certain of what was going on between the Press Secretary and reporter, and knew they would be trying to keep it quiet. Any hint of impropriety or conflict of interest, real or imagined, was enough to cause damage and end careers. That, unfortunately, was the nature of the political beast. Falling in love was a path fraught with danger in this world.

CJ stumbled as Danny slowly led her around the desk. This was the reason doctors weren't supposed to treat family members. It was almost impossible to keep the concern from intruding into the clinical manner required for diagnosis and treatment. She treated Jed, of course, but she'd been doing that for so many years she was able to make the separation. Well, most of the time. Even with him, sudden emergencies were hard to cope with. Abbey and CJ had become extremely close during the campaign, and she looked upon CJ as a cross between a best friend, sister and daughter. At this moment it was her mothering instincts sending up flares.

Unable to wait any longer Abbey moved towards them as the colour drained from CJ's face. The old cliché of time and motion slowing down leapt into action. She could only watch impotently as CJ grabbed her lower right abdomen and emitted a piercing scream. Danny struggled to support her but the six foot frame crumpled to the floor, a marionette with cut strings.

The doctor in Abbey went to work as she knelt down beside the collapsed bodies. She immediately checked CJ's pulse, finding it rapid. Along with the paleness, fainting and cold sweats, it all added up to shock. At least she was still breathing, though it was shallow.

Looking up to see a horrified Carol standing in the doorway, Abbey quickly restored order. "Carol, call for an ambulance. Tell them we have an unconscious female patient in shock with acute lower right abdominal pain. Leo, grab the cushions from the couch and put them under her legs. Her feet need to be elevated about twelve inches. Then get her coat, we need to keep her warm."

While her commands were carried out, Abbey took a second to glance at Danny. His face was almost as white as CJ's, a curious contrast against his red hair and beard, and absolute anguish radiated from him.

"Danny."

He didn't move. She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it hard to get his attention and trying to break him out of his own shock. "Danny."

This time he looked at her. "Danny, I need your help. I'm going to have to ask you some questions. All right?"

He slowly nodded, but his eyes were glazed. She didn't have time to give him the comfort he needed; she could only cope with one lost child at a time. Reaching into her medical bag, she pulled out the sphygmomanometer. CJ's blood pressure would give her a better idea of what was happening.

Josh's distraught voice drew her attention. "What can I do?"

Her reply was cut off by Carol. "The ambulance is on its way."

Without stopping her ministrations, Abbey again assumed control. They may run the country, but this was her element. "Thanks, Carol. Josh, you wait for the paramedics and direct them here. We've got enough people in here. Carol, come in and close the door."

She heard Donna take charge of Josh just before the door closed. The questions she was going to ask didn't need to be broadcast to the growing crowd outside.

Leo spoke at her side. "Is it appendicitis?"

"She hasn't got her appendix." Danny's voice was barely a whisper, but at least he was registering his surroundings.

Abbey warned Leo with a fleeting glance to keep his comments to himself. That was one diagnosis crossed off the list. She didn't like the remaining possibilities. Her heart sank as she noted CJ's blood pressure reading. "Shit."

"What?" Carol and Leo cried in unison.

"Carol, check her purse to see if you can find her blood type. She's probably bleeding internally. Danny, when did she get sick?" Abbey probed CJ's abdomen.

The seriousness of the situation finally leeched through the fog surrounding Danny. His voice was stronger, though hesitant, as he answered. "She's been a little under the weather the past few days. But she started getting worse last night. She didn't sleep well and I tried to convince her to stay home. She's just been getting sicker every time I've seen her today. She kept on insisting it was the flu."

Abbey paused briefly, before asking, "Danny, is there a chance she could be pregnant?"

Three pairs of eyes fixed on her, all showing some measure of confusion.

Danny stammered, "I-I-I don't know. I don't think so."

"Do you know when she had her last period?"

"Last week." Danny was squirming under the personal questioning, particularly in front of Leo.

Abbey put her hand on his arm to calm him. "This is really important, Danny. Was there anything unusual about it? Was it on time? Lighter or heavier than normal?"

"The last two were a lot heavier than normal. Also pretty painful."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. She said she'd go to see her gynecologist if it happened again."

"What is it, Abbey?" Leo lightly touched her shoulder.

"I'm not entirely sure. We really need to wait till she gets to the hospital."

Danny implored, "Mrs. Bartlet, please tell me. I need to know."

Looking at each of them in turn, Abbey continued to check CJ's vital signs. Her blood pressure was dropping rapidly. She knew they needed to be told, delaying answering would only add to their distress. But she hated the thought of being wrong, particularly causing Danny the sorrow and loss she knew he'd feel.

"It may be an ovarian cyst or torsion."

Leo knew she was delaying. "But?"

Abbey closed her eyes for a second, steeling herself. She needed to be strong for them right now, falling apart had to wait until later. She lifted her head and looked directly at Danny. "But, I think it's most likely a ruptured ectopic pregnancy."

Danny's face was blank. "A what?"

"A ruptured ectopic pregnancy. The egg implants in the fallopian tube and starts to grow. After one to two months it ruptures the tube, causing damage and bleeding. The pregnancy didn't have a chance."

"Is she..." He couldn't finish the question as his voice broke.

Abbey tried to sound as reassuring as she could. There was no need to let them know how critical her condition could be until the diagnosis was confirmed. "They'll probably operate straight away to stop the bleeding and then they'll repair any damage. She's going to need you, Danny."

He nodded, valiantly trying to keep his sobs under control. He lightly kissed CJ's left hand, before kissing her on the forehead and stroking her cheek. There was no need to pretend in this room, their secret was out. He quickly pulled back when there was a knock at the door.

"It's Josh. The paramedics are here."

Leo admitted them, closing the door once more on the worried faces. Abbey identified herself as a doctor and immediately began to fill the paramedics in on the details. "Forty year old woman, acute lower right abdominal pain, followed by syncope. Cold sweats, rapid pulse, paleness, shallow breathing, rapid drop in blood pressure, down to (?). Probable hemorrhagic shock caused by a suspected ruptured eight to ten week ectopic pregnancy."

The paramedics rechecked her vitals, fitted an oxygen mask and transferred her to the gurney. "Do you know her blood type? We'll call through to have a transfusion waiting."

Abbey helped them make CJ comfortable. "Yes, it's (?). Do you want me to come with you in the ambulance?"

One of the paramedics nodded. "Yeah. I'd prefer to have two of us with her."

"I want to come too."

The other paramedic turned to Danny and gently shook his head. "Sorry, there won't be enough room."

Abbey grabbed Leo's arm. "Get my agents to take Danny to the hospital." Then in a whisper meant only for him, "And contact her family. They need to be here."

He looked deeply into her eyes. She knew he could see the truth and her barely contained tears. She watched him nod, as he fought back his own emotions. He placed his hand over hers. "Look after her."

"I will. I'll call as soon as I know anything. Let Jed know where I am." She pulled away to follow the paramedics and their precious cargo out of the room. The sea of colleagues and friends parted in front of them. Briefly looking back, she saw Danny framed by Leo and Carol, each with a hand on his arm, keeping him afloat.

The paramedics quickly loaded CJ into the ambulance, Abbey boarding after her. She took another look at the West Wing as the doors closed, praying it wouldn't be the last time CJ left the building.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Did she feed Gail today? The article needs something more, that last paragraph just isn't working. We did turn the stove off this morning, didn't we? Need to talk to the editor about the Bartlet series. Notre Dame won again. Looks like it's going to rain. Better buy some more fish food. Back to the goldfish again, our child, we're Gail's mom and dad. What would we do if she died, if we lost our child? Parents are supposed to protect their children, their babies. What would the father and child do if they lost the mother? How could I be both mom and dad? Gail needs both of us. That last paragraph just isn't working. Or maybe it's the middle, rearrange the order and it might flow better. So heavy in my arms, I can't stop you from falling, please open your eyes, I want to hear you laugh. Yeah, you got me good, fooled me totally. How about Italian for dinner tonight? It's raining, maybe I should be a weather boy. If my skin color matches my hair, it's been a hot, sunny day and you should have been wearing sunblock. Would you just SHUT UP!

Danny seriously considered hitting himself in the head, but quickly decided against it. Probably not the wisest idea while sitting next to a Secret Service Agent in a moving car. He didn't want to find out what the protocol for dealing with a crazy person was. They might not let him in the same building as the First Lady. And that was the building CJ was in. It's really starting to rain now, big spots, wet rain, puddles, each drop overflowing into the sea, it all ends up back there eventually, everything came from the sea and the natural flow is back to it...

Maybe just bashing his head against the car window would help. He watched the droplets run down the glass, so fitting, even the sky was weeping. Yet he couldn't summon even one tear. He'd cried a little in her office, but now nothing. Numbness pervaded every inch of his body, he was certain he'd wake up any minute and find his arms wrapped around a sleeping CJ. In the meantime, his brain was dribbling.

Every time he started to think about her, to process what had happened in the last fifteen minutes, his neurons were hijacked by a marauding posse of inane wonderings. A defense mechanism? If he didn't think about it, it didn't happen? Their secret was still a secret?

The car slowed to a stop, then his door opened. He stepped out, his heart sinking as he faced the hospital. This was real, the woman he adored was here, maybe dying. Their baby, the child they hadn't even known they'd created, was gone. He couldn't lose her too.

Bunching his hands into fists, he closed his eyes and swallowed, breathing deeply. The slight movement of the agents beside him, who were respecting his need to compose himself, made him open his eyes. He nodded and followed them into the hospital emergency room. He walked up to the desk and forced himself to speak.

"I'm looking for Claudia Jean Cregg. An ambulance was bringing her in."

The nurse at the desk looked quizzically at him and the agents behind him. "Are you a relative?"

He swallowed before answering, "I'm her partner."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i love it! more, please!

I especially liked the dialogue in the first part..grumpy CJ's at all the interruptions. And the reference to Carol's poor spelling...really brought that ole WW funny. I hope you'll write a part there and there'll be room for some lightness and humor despite the situation.

i don't know a thing about diagnosis, but your Doctor Abbey sounded good to me :D

Thank you very much :)
I love writing dialogue.

oooooooh. okay. yeah, i need more :-D

:)
Next part is posted.

I don't know whether to feel more sorry for Danny or CJ. I'm worried about both of them...

At the moment Danny is all too aware of everything. At least CJ is out of it.

True. She's going to be seriously upset when she is back in her right mind, though.