Alone at last. I go to the closet and throw on my oldest, most comfortable flannel pajamas. I'm going to do this relaxing thing right. I'm restless but pacing around with the cane is just not the same. I keep hitting it on the furniture. I can't remember the last time I actually didn't have anything to do. Don't quite know what to do with myself. The phone rings. I cringe, she can't be checking up on me already. It's Josh.

"Hello Josh. I'm going to put you on the speaker phone. I'm trying to pace and I can't carry the phone and the cane at the same time."

"No problem , Mr. President"

"Josh, is there something you wanted to discuss, anything important?

"No, sir" he seems to be fumbling around for the right words "I was just calling to check on how you were feeling. I'm not fussing, I swear"

"Josh, it's OK. Abbey told me she ran into you last night"

"Sir, I really didn't mean to pry last night. Mrs. Bartlet didn't tell me anything."

Josh, I'm not mad at you. If anything I am upset with myself for keeping my condition a secret. I shouldn't have waited so long"

I'm not watching where I'm going and I walk into the coffee table.

"Damn it"

"Sir are you OK?"

"Yeah just walked into the coffee table. No klutz comments please"

"None from me. I don't have anything else important to tell you so I guess I will see you Monday. Feel better, sir"

"Thanks for calling Josh"

I lean on the back of the couch, trying to stretch out my back. All this resting and limping around is beginning to takes it's toll on my back. I don't know what to make of Josh's phone call. I am beginning to think that Josh will be the one making a fuss over me. Oh. well. I retrieve my glasses from the bedside table, grab my book from the coffee table and the stack of blue folders from my briefcase on the chair. I'm sure there's something in here I need to be reading. I stretch out on the couch. I have to force myself to read the contents of the folders. Nothing major. The heck with my novel. I channel surf for a while. My leg is starting to get stiff and achy. I take one of the pills for my back, grab the quilt and a pillow and curl up on the couch. I wish Abbey were here. But if I call her she will be back up here in a minute and I know she really does have work to do. Besides, I'm tired enough now the pill should knock me out.

I wake up groggy and find Abbey watching me from the chair. My whole body feels stiff and my eye is starting to bother me.

"Hey you, have a nice nap?"

"What time is it?"

"Almost 10:00, I've been back for a while but didn't want to disturb you. How about some juice?"

"Sure, I took a back pill a while after you left. It was starting to act up. And my leg was aching. Can you check my eye."

Abbey hands me some juice and gets her bag. She yells to me from the closet. "Leo, CJ and Hackett called to check on you while you were sleeping"

"It's starting already" I groan. "Damn it, I knew this would happen. I don't want to be babied"

"Jed, give them time to get used to the idea. It hasn't even been 12 hours since you told them"

She checks my eye. "I don't see anything, how does it feel?"

"It's just kind of sore and my vision is a little blurry."

"The optic nerve is probably inflamed, all the more reason for a complete check up. I made arrangements for Monday at 6:00."

"So what great tests did you sign me up for?"

"A complete neurological exam and an MRI plus some blood work"

"Not the MRI, last time I hyperventilated and passed out. It was totally humiliating"

"I'll order something for you to help you relax"

"So what to you think the diagnose will be. Think the course is changing from remitting/relapsing to secondary progressive. I know that's the next stage of the disease"

"True it is the next stage but some people never get to that stage. The MRI will give us more information."

"Look, worrying about things tonight won't get us anywhere. Why don't you just lay back down and I'll rub your leg for you. Try to relax."

I set my feet in Abbey's lap while she rubs my leg for me. I feel better just having her near me. I feel myself start to relax.