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[krazykitkat]

Surfacing Part 9


Abbey wasn't fast enough to prevent Danny from practically attacking the visitor. Sam was closer to the door and managed to place a restraining hand on Danny's arm.

"Is she--" Danny's voice cracked.

Doctor Murphy met Abbey's eyes for a second before returning his attention to Danny. "Let's sit down."

Danny became frantic. "I need to know if she's--"

"She made it through surgery," Dr Murphy reassured him.

The room's occupants released their collective breath. Abbey reached Danny and guided him back to the chairs. Doctor Murphy sat down next to him, glancing around at the worried faces, before silently asking her permission. She nodded, indicating he could speak freely.

He shifted his focus to directly address Danny. "Ms. Cregg is in recovery. We'll be moving her to the intensive care unit within the hours. Dr Bartlet told you about the complications?"

Danny nodded as she gently rubbed his back.

"We had trouble controlling the bleeding. She would have had some blood loss over the last few days and when the fallopian tube ruptured, it caused a lot of damage to a number of blood vessels. She lost so much blood we couldn't replace it fast enough and her heart kept stopping. But we were able to restart it and we then got the bleeding under control and she stabilised." The doctor paused to allow the news to sink in.

"Will there be brain damage?" Danny whispered.

"No, there shouldn't be. She is on a respirator to give her body a chance to rest. We had to remove her right fallopian tube and ovary completely, there was too much damage. There was also some damage to the uterus, but it should heal. We'll talk about possible future fertility and pregnancy problems at a later date."

Abbey felt the tension building in Danny's shoulders. She knew what the next question would be and the expression on Dr Murphy's face told her he was preparing for it.

Danny shuddered, before spluttering, "Is she going to make it?"

"The next twenty-four hours are critical. There is a possibility she'll start haemorrhaging again which would mean more surgery. But I wouldn't want to operate again. There's a strong possibility of complications like infection and renal failure due to the shock. We'll deal with those if and when they occur."

The reporter in Danny came to the fore. "You didn't answer my question."

Doctor Murphy looked to Abbey for guidance. With a grimace, she nodded.

He breathed in sharply before replying. "The truth is, I don't know. She shouldn't have made it this far. An ectopic rupture at ten weeks usually results in maternal death. Add in the factor of her age and the massive blood loss. I can't give you numbers. She's already beaten the odds and that's the best indication."

Danny released a sob and shuddered. Abbey clasped his shoulders and pulled him back to lean against her. She glanced around the faces of their family: Donna supporting Josh, Sam and Carol standing close, and Leo fighting to keep it together. Her attention turned back to Danny as he spoke.

"When can I see her?"

'Once we get her settled in ICU. Probably in two hours." Dr Murphy turned to speak to everyone. "I'm sorry, but only immediate family members will be allowed in." He stood up. "I need to get back to her."

Danny barely responded. Abbey indicated for Carol to sit with him, and followed the doctor outside the room. "Her parents will be here after ten."

He nodded. "That's fine. I'll let the ICU staff know. Would you like to go in with Mr Concannon?"

"Thank you." Abbey smiled gratefully.

"I'll see you up there."

She watched as he walked away, her mind working out what to do next. She had to get Danny through the next couple of hours, convince the others to go home...but first she needed to talk to her husband.

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

Small. Never a word he'd associated with her. She was larger than life, towered over just about everyone. The personality, the laugh; you couldn't miss her.

She looked small in the bed. They'd warned him what to expect, but there was a difference between knowledge and experience. She was dwarfed by the equipment surrounding and invading her.

He felt a hand on his back. "You can go over to her, Danny."

"Will you come with me?" He didn't recognise his voice.

She turned his head to look at her. "I'm here for you."

He drew comfort from her calm demeanour. "Thank you."

He crossed to the chairs next to the bed, Abbey beside him every step. It was more frightening close up. A tube down her throat to help her breathe; sensors attached to her chest to monitor her heart; tubes delivering blood and fluids.

He reached towards her face, stopped, turned to Abbey for permission.

"She's not going to break. Touch can be beneficial, lets her know you're here. Talk to her." Abbey sat in the chair towards the bottom of the bed.

Danny lowered his hand to caress her cheek, before moving strands of hair off her forehead, and leaning down to kiss her. He whispered against her skin, "Stay with me, Legs. I love you."

He sat down in the other chair and picked up her hand, kissed her knuckles and held it tightly between his hands.

Abbey placed her hand over his. "Legs?"

He could hear the smile in her voice and felt his cheeks grow warm. "Yeah. It's just something...it suits her."

"It does." She squeezed the back of his hand before releasing him.

"I don't like the sneaking around." Danny kept his right hand wrapped around CJ's hand, and moved his left up to stroke the side of her face. "But trying to find a solution--it's become a taboo subject. We didn't speak in anything but a professional capacity for months after I turned down the editor's job."

"Why didn't you take it?"

"I love my job. I didn't think it was fair that she seemed to expect me to make the changes, to take chances, when she wasn't willing to take a chance herself." He turned to look at Abbey. "I know I was the one chasing her. But I wasn't willing to make that sort of change when I didn't know where the hell I stood with her. She gave me such mixed signals."

"And now? You're still the one making the change."

He was grateful to Abbey for the opportunity to utilise her as a sounding board. He was making life-altering decisions; he needed to talk them over with someone, if only to settle his doubts. "But we both took the chance this time, we both risked our jobs to try this out." He returned his gaze to CJ. "Besides, I now know what I'd be giving up."

--------------------

And that's all that was wrote.
Kinda...It's been too long for me to remember if I had something set out completely.
I do recall there wasn't any more surgery, just followed her slow recovery.
Toby was still distant, going to see her when she was asleep. Danny ended up confronting him and telling him to forget whatever feelings he had about the relationship, but CJ needed him as her friend.
I had this image of Toby finally going to see her, and CJ, after trying to be brave for Danny, breaking down and crying on his shoulder over the loss of the baby. Danny comes to the door and Toby and he share a nod and silent understanding and things are then settled between them.
Danny moved onto an editor's job at the Post, CJ eventually made it back to work (there may have been questions and accusations from a tabloid), and their relationship progressed and eventually came into the open.

I had written the epilogue, and eventually made it a ficlet. Here it is, most of you will have already read it. But hopefully the reactions of the Senior Staff and President mean a little more now.


TITLE: One Last Question
AUTHOR: Katrina McDonnell
EMAIL: mcdonnem@tpg.com.au
SPOILERS: None
RATING: G
DISCLAIMER: The West Wing and its characters are the property of Aaron Sorkin, Warner Brothers, and NBC. No Copyright Infringement is intended. I will put them back slightly disheveled.
ARCHIVE: Sure, but please ask first.
FEEDBACK: Much appreciated.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This was written two and a half years ago as part of a planned trilogy, but since it will never be finished, thought this scene might work as a stand-alone.
THANKS: To Rhonda for the title and saying it worked as a stand-alone.
SUMMARY: Questions and answers.



"Any more questions?" She scanned the gaggle, spying a face that shouldn't be there at the back of the room. "Okay. You'll have the pleasure of my company again at two."

She started to pull her briefing notes back into order, but was interrupted.

"CJ, I have a question."

"That voice is very familiar." She didn't look up from the papers. "But if my memory serves me, it doesn't have clearance to ask questions during briefings."

"Which is why I waited until the briefing ended."

A murmur of laughter spread through the press corps.

She looked up to see an insufferable grin and a challenge in his eyes. "But as you know, I don't answer questions after the briefing ends."

"You'll want to seriously consider answering this one."

"Will I? And then every other editor who has a correspondent here will be wanting to ask questions after the briefing ends." She leaned forward to rest her elbows on the podium.

"I don't think anyone else is going to be asking this question."

"Really?" She spied a raised hand. "You got a question too, Steve?"

The reporter glanced between her and the questioner. "Actually, more of a statement. None of us mind if he asks his question."

CJ had the distinct feeling she was being led into an ambush of some sort. "And why is that?"

"Because we'd like to have lunch sometime today," Katie answered.

The press corps nodded as one entity.

Blowing a resigned sign through the lips, CJ decided to give in. "Okay. You have one question and one question only. Ask it, Fishboy."

"I don't know whether I want to now," he pouted.

She rolled her eyes and growled in warning, "Danny."

"Yes, CJ?"

"I'm going to be walking out that door in a minute." She closed her briefing folder and removed her glasses.

"Marry me."

It took a minute for her to realise she was gaping like Gail and close her mouth. Another minute passed before she recovered her voice. "You know, Danny, that was more of a statement than a question."

He rose from his seat and strode towards her, a man on a mission. She couldn't break his gaze as he ascended the stairs and lowered himself onto one knee. "CJ, will you marry me?"

She tried to keep her expression impassive, but her lips betrayed her with a smile. "No ring?"

"I'm not stupid enough to choose jewellery without your input. Answer the question before the poor audience starves." He raised his eyebrows as muted laughter filled the room.

"I'll get back to you."

"CJ."

"Yes."

"Please answer the question."

"I did." CJ was pleased she managed to confuse him.

"You didn't." Danny paused, searching her face and finding her answer. "Okay. 'Yes' was a statement and not a question."

"And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why he's a top-notch journalist." She held her hand out to him. "Come up here."

He rewarded her with the smile that made her stomach perform an Irish jig. She pulled him into her arms and their lips met.

"I think we need a bucket of cold water."

She felt her cheeks flush as they separated their mouths but kept their arms around each other. "Sir."

Jed Bartlet smiled at them, his delight evident. She surveyed the room, the press corps giving them a standing ovation plus a few wolf whistles; Josh, Donna and Sam grinning from ear to ear; tears in Carol's eyes; Leo's face telling her, 'I'm proud of you, kid'. And Toby. She knew that look and tears pricked at her eyes as she mouthed 'Thank you'. He nodded.

She returned her attention to Danny. Leaning into him, she whispered, "I'll get you back for this."

"I look forward to it." He placed his hand on her cheek. "I love you."

"I probably need psychiatric attention," she grinned at his mock scowl, "but I love you too."