Changes Ch 11
“I’m not going to eat that.” CJ said looking
at what was on the breakfast tray.
“CJ, you need to eat.” Toby said.
“Yes, I know that. But I would prefer to eat
something I like. Maybe, some yogurt and fruit. You
could go get some for me, please.”
“Okay, if you will eat that.”
“I will.”
CJ was sitting up drinking the milk that came with
the breakfast, and watching the morning news programs
when the nurse came in to check on her.
“How’s breakfast this morning, Mrs. Ziegler?” The
nurse said looking at the tray. “We didn’t eat
anything...”
“I sent my husband to get something I would actually
eat.”
“I see.” The nurse said, turning to leave the room.
A few minutes later the door opened again. “Are you
ready for a visitor?” Abbey Bartlet asked.
“Yes, Mrs. Bartlet.”
“Good, how are you?”
“I’m okay. Thanks for yesterday.”
“It took me awhile to realize what you were up to,
but you are welcome. I’m also thinking Toby was
probably not the only one who needs to talk.”
“You’re probably right.”
“So, I’ll ask again how are you?”
“Scared.”
“That’s a natural reaction. CJ I just spent the last
ten minutes reading your chart. You’re going to be
fine.”
“You’re not just trying to placate me?”
“No, now do you want to talk about it.”
“I really am okay. I think, I might talk to Toby
when I get out of here.”
“Good. I’m going to leave now. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“We should start decorating the nursery when I get
home.” CJ said to Toby a few hours later.
“You can plan it. I’ll do all the work.”
“Yeah, I can really see you painting and
wallpapering.”
“You certainly cannot do it.”
“I could help in some way.”
“You can pick everything out.”
“Okay.”
“We can go look for things the first weekend after
you are out of here.”
“That sounds good to me.”
“Are you two discussing what you will do when Claudia
gets out of here?” Dr. Phillips asked as he came into
the room.
“Yeah we were.” Toby answered.
“Well, you’re going very well Claudia, and I’m
thinking that unless something happens you can go home
tomorrow. When were you planning to go on maternity
leave?”
“I was going to take off one month before the baby
comes, and two months after.”
“Okay, I see no reason you can’t continue with that.
Another question, how stressful is your job?”
Toby and CJ both laughed. “I work at the White
House, it can be very stressful.”
“The entire senior staff is trying to keep CJ’s
stress level to a minimum.”
“Okay, work is fine, as long as your condition stays
the same as it is today.”
“Then I can take her home tomorrow?” Toby asked.
“As long as nothing happens between now and then.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hey, you two.” Josh called as he came into CJ’s
room.
Toby gestured for Josh to be quiet because CJ was
asleep. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize she was asleep.”
“You didn’t wake her up, so it’s okay.”
“How is she?”
“If nothing happens, she gets to go home tomorrow.”
“That’s great! How long have you been here?”
“Since I left the West Wing yesterday.”
“Why don’t you go down to the cafeteria and get
something to eat. I’ll sit with CJ.”
“I won’t stay gone long.”
“I know that.”
“Thanks Josh.” Toby said from the door.
“You're welcome.”
CJ woke up about half an hour after Toby left.
“Hey, Claudia Jean.” Josh said softly when he saw she
was awake.
“Hey, Josh. So what’d you do with my husband?”
“I talked him into going to the cafeteria. He’ll be
back soon.”
“Okay.”
“How are you?”
“Can I be totally honest with you?”
“Yeah. You know that.”
“Is there some reason I can’t be happy for any length
of time?”
“CJ...”
“Don’t worry it was a rhetorical question. I don’t
expect an answer.”
“Josh, I had not really thought of having a child
until I became pregnant. Neither had Toby, but we
accepted it. We want her so much. Why couldn’t
everything be okay?
“It will be.”
“Everyone keeps telling me that. You don’t know how
much I want to believe that.”
“Then believe it. Think positive and don’t let your
fears rule you.”
“Yeah, well that’s easier said than done.
“I know it is.”
“I keep thinking that this is a dream. That I’ll
wake up next to Toby at home, and everything will be
okay. There has to be some sort of cosmic joke in all
of this. Did you know that the doctor told us she was
conceived around Valentine’s Day? That is probably
one of the most ironic things I’ve heard.”
“Have you talked to Toby about any of this.”
“No.”
“Maybe you should.”
“Yeah.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CJ went home the next morning. It was a Friday, so
she and Toby were waiting until Monday to go back to
work.
“I’ve been laying in bed almost constantly for the
last week. I’m not going to lie down now.” CJ said
to Toby when he suggested that she lay down for
awhile.
“Okay.”
CJ sat down on the couch, and after putting her
things up Toby came in and sat down beside her. CJ
laid her head on his shoulder, and snuggled into his
side. Toby put his arm around her, and placed his
other hand against her stomach. After a moment he
whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“For putting you through all of this.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I’m the one who got you pregnant.”
“I’m not sorry that you did.”
“You’re not?”
“No, I could never be sorry that happened. I hadn’t
thought of having a child, and neither had you, until
we found out I was pregnant. Did you regret it last
week?”
“No.”
“There is no reason to regret it this week. I’m
going to be fine and she will be too. How much is it
going to take to make you believe that?”
“I’ll believe it when she is born and both of you are
fine.”
“Then you can just take care of both of us for the
next three months.”
“Okay.”
“You can start by taking me shopping for her nursery
tomorrow.”
“If you feel like it.”
“Okay.”
“I love you CJ.” Toby whispered as he placed his
hand on her stomach again. “I love both of you very
much.”
CJ placed her hand in his, smiled, and snuggled
closer to him.
to be continued...