The West Wing - Sometimes Things Just Stop 1/?
Title: Sometimes Things Just Stop
Fandom: The West Wing
Characters: CJ Cregg/Toby Ziegler
Prompt: #002 Bathroom
Word Count: 1,296
Rating: PG
Summary: While preparing for The First Lady’s birthday party, Toby and CJ find themselves saying goodbye.
WARNING: Character Death
--
Thursday Night
6:45pm
--
He waited patiently which, in itself, was an amazing feat for Toby. In all the years they’d known each other, he’d never known CJ to take so long in the bathroom. After a moment he began tapping his foot. All she was doing was applying make-up.
“CJ!” He called out, his eyes darting to the clock. If she came out at that moment, they could still make it to the party on time. In five minutes time they will still be able to make it before Abbey arrived. There was no reply from the other side of the door. “CJ, we’re going to be late.” Still no response was heard, and Toby began to worry. At the very least he expected to hear her yell at him to shut up. But there was no noise whatsoever.
--
Almost two hours earlier…
5:05pm
--
“Toby, slow down, I’m not feeling good.” CJ groaned as he drove them home from work.
“We don’t have to go tonight.” He assured her. As he stole a glance at her, he noted her deathly pale complexion. “You don’t look well.”
“Well thankyou.” CJ rolled her eyes, snuggling into the passenger seat as much as she could. “We have to go Toby its Abbey’s birthday. She’ll be upset if we don’t turn up.”
“She’d understand if you’re not well.” Toby muttered, not wanting to start an argument over such a trivial thing.
“If she finds out I’m sick she’ll want to leave the party and see what’s wrong.”
“True,” He agreed as he steered the car into their driveway. “But at least you’re less likely to collapse in the middle of a crowded room.”
“Knowing my luck, I would anyway.” A slight smile managed to brighten up her face, and he could do nothing but agree to let her go.
--
6:52pm
--
Taking a deep breath, he flung open the bathroom door. She lay unconscious on the cold bathroom tiles. Her dark blue dress, still neatly hugging her body, was saturated in blood from the waist down. “CJ talk to me.” He knelt down beside her, his hand brushing her forehead.
“I feel sick.” She murmured, biting her lip as she began to feel the pain course through her body. It seemed to be much more comfortable for her to keep her eyes closed then even try to open them.
“It’s okay I just want you to lay there while I call for an ambulance.” He said softly. She remained unaware of her own blood loss, and if he stayed calm maybe she wouldn’t open her eyes and discover it. Then she wouldn’t panic. Hurrying out to the hall, he fumbled with the phone as his mind tried to focus on the task at hand.
--
From where she lay, CJ groaned in pain. Her hand gently kneaded the burning cramp in her abdomen. She tried to move and groaned again as her back muscles tensed up. Abbey’s birthday, she could remember getting ready for the party before everything went black. She’d been bent over the sink after a cramp had ripped through her body. “Toby!” She called out, her voice seeming to echo inside her own head. Her hand moved up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Every muscle in her body seemed to be throbbing with pain. “Toby, where are you?”
“I’m here.” She heard him say and as he pressed a kiss against her head, she opened her eyes.
“What took you so long Tobus?” She whispered, smiling softly.
“I called an ambulance.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” She closed her eyes again. “Can you turn the heat lights off?”
“Are they too bright?” Toby glanced up and flinched.
“My head hurts.” She sighed, turning her head so that her cheek rested on the cold bathroom floor.
“You had a fall. I don’t know how long you’ve been out.” Toby said as he quickly stood up and moved to the door. “Keep talking to me CJ.” He reminded her, as he flicked the switch returning to the normal lights. Turning around, he notice CJ had her eyes open again and was staring at the ceiling.
“Maybe I am going to hell.” Blood was beginning to stain the white tiles, but she remained unaware of it, too focused on the pain in her body to take not of anything else. “Those prayers aren’t working for me. I want a refund.” She managed to smile, at her own little joke.
“You didn’t pay them to pray for you.” He told her, kneeling down next to her again. “This damn ambulance is taking its sweet time.” He growled.
“I’m hungry.” She replied, becoming a little dazed.
“I don’t think we’re on the same wavelength.” Toby commented, glancing at his watch and moving to hold her hand.
“I know, isn’t it fascinating. We do that a lot.” She sighed, flinching as she felt another jab of pain shoot up her back. “Was that the door?”
“I left it open.” Toby said as he quickly got to his feet again. “Don’t go anywhere…”
“I’ll try not to.”
--
Friday Morning
9:00am
--
“Toby?” He looked up from where he sat on the edge of the bath. “Are you okay?” Ginger opened the door a little wider and dared to step inside.
“I’d like to be alone right now.”
“I just thought you’d like to know that CJ’s Dad just arrived.” She said softly, watching for any sign that signalled he was really coping fine.
“Thankyou Ginger, I’m going to stay here.”
“Okay.” She smiled a little. “I’ll try and direct people away from this area.” Without another word, Ginger disappeared back into the world that Toby was trying desperately to block out. The cameras, the people… they were all too much. He wanted to be alone. After all, that’s what he was now. He was alone. At first he hadn’t believed it was possible, and then came the briefing. The Bartlet’s had been notified and the girls had arrived within three hours. Abbey politely apologised and asked everyone to leave her birthday party, as something personal had happened and she did not feel she would make a suitable hostess for the rest of the evening. Five minutes later, Josh was sent into the briefing room to deliver the news to the Press. Whether they knew it or not she loved them, and they were part of her family.
--
Thursday Night
7:40pm
--
“Could everyone please take their seats?” Josh called out over the commotion as a very confused bunch of journalists filed into the briefing room. He strode up to the podium and placed his notes in front of him. The last time he’d had to do the briefing, CJ was in pain from emergency root canal and he’d screwed it up. This time was different. This time, it wasn’t a real news briefing. It was simply to express to her extended family, what had just taken place.
“Where’s CJ?” Katie asked as she sat down, pulling her Dictaphone out of her pocket. “Surely she’s not letting you do an important briefing again.” She smiled as everyone laughed. Josh ignored her comment and began as soon as everyone was seated.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, at seven o’clock this evening, White House Press Secretary, Claudia Jean Cregg was rushed to hospital after collapsing in her home.” Josh noticed every pen in the room freeze as he spoke. “Doctors worked for half an hour, but her condition deteriorated.”
“What’s happening?” Chris asked slowly.
“By the time she’d arrived at the hospital she had already lost a lot of blood, there was nothing they could do.” Josh took a moment to compose himself before repeating what he’d been told. “CJ Cregg, died on the operating table.”
--
Part Two
--
Fandom: The West Wing
Characters: CJ Cregg/Toby Ziegler
Prompt: #002 Bathroom
Word Count: 1,296
Rating: PG
Summary: While preparing for The First Lady’s birthday party, Toby and CJ find themselves saying goodbye.
WARNING: Character Death
--
Thursday Night
6:45pm
--
He waited patiently which, in itself, was an amazing feat for Toby. In all the years they’d known each other, he’d never known CJ to take so long in the bathroom. After a moment he began tapping his foot. All she was doing was applying make-up.
“CJ!” He called out, his eyes darting to the clock. If she came out at that moment, they could still make it to the party on time. In five minutes time they will still be able to make it before Abbey arrived. There was no reply from the other side of the door. “CJ, we’re going to be late.” Still no response was heard, and Toby began to worry. At the very least he expected to hear her yell at him to shut up. But there was no noise whatsoever.
--
Almost two hours earlier…
5:05pm
--
“Toby, slow down, I’m not feeling good.” CJ groaned as he drove them home from work.
“We don’t have to go tonight.” He assured her. As he stole a glance at her, he noted her deathly pale complexion. “You don’t look well.”
“Well thankyou.” CJ rolled her eyes, snuggling into the passenger seat as much as she could. “We have to go Toby its Abbey’s birthday. She’ll be upset if we don’t turn up.”
“She’d understand if you’re not well.” Toby muttered, not wanting to start an argument over such a trivial thing.
“If she finds out I’m sick she’ll want to leave the party and see what’s wrong.”
“True,” He agreed as he steered the car into their driveway. “But at least you’re less likely to collapse in the middle of a crowded room.”
“Knowing my luck, I would anyway.” A slight smile managed to brighten up her face, and he could do nothing but agree to let her go.
--
6:52pm
--
Taking a deep breath, he flung open the bathroom door. She lay unconscious on the cold bathroom tiles. Her dark blue dress, still neatly hugging her body, was saturated in blood from the waist down. “CJ talk to me.” He knelt down beside her, his hand brushing her forehead.
“I feel sick.” She murmured, biting her lip as she began to feel the pain course through her body. It seemed to be much more comfortable for her to keep her eyes closed then even try to open them.
“It’s okay I just want you to lay there while I call for an ambulance.” He said softly. She remained unaware of her own blood loss, and if he stayed calm maybe she wouldn’t open her eyes and discover it. Then she wouldn’t panic. Hurrying out to the hall, he fumbled with the phone as his mind tried to focus on the task at hand.
--
From where she lay, CJ groaned in pain. Her hand gently kneaded the burning cramp in her abdomen. She tried to move and groaned again as her back muscles tensed up. Abbey’s birthday, she could remember getting ready for the party before everything went black. She’d been bent over the sink after a cramp had ripped through her body. “Toby!” She called out, her voice seeming to echo inside her own head. Her hand moved up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Every muscle in her body seemed to be throbbing with pain. “Toby, where are you?”
“I’m here.” She heard him say and as he pressed a kiss against her head, she opened her eyes.
“What took you so long Tobus?” She whispered, smiling softly.
“I called an ambulance.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” She closed her eyes again. “Can you turn the heat lights off?”
“Are they too bright?” Toby glanced up and flinched.
“My head hurts.” She sighed, turning her head so that her cheek rested on the cold bathroom floor.
“You had a fall. I don’t know how long you’ve been out.” Toby said as he quickly stood up and moved to the door. “Keep talking to me CJ.” He reminded her, as he flicked the switch returning to the normal lights. Turning around, he notice CJ had her eyes open again and was staring at the ceiling.
“Maybe I am going to hell.” Blood was beginning to stain the white tiles, but she remained unaware of it, too focused on the pain in her body to take not of anything else. “Those prayers aren’t working for me. I want a refund.” She managed to smile, at her own little joke.
“You didn’t pay them to pray for you.” He told her, kneeling down next to her again. “This damn ambulance is taking its sweet time.” He growled.
“I’m hungry.” She replied, becoming a little dazed.
“I don’t think we’re on the same wavelength.” Toby commented, glancing at his watch and moving to hold her hand.
“I know, isn’t it fascinating. We do that a lot.” She sighed, flinching as she felt another jab of pain shoot up her back. “Was that the door?”
“I left it open.” Toby said as he quickly got to his feet again. “Don’t go anywhere…”
“I’ll try not to.”
--
Friday Morning
9:00am
--
“Toby?” He looked up from where he sat on the edge of the bath. “Are you okay?” Ginger opened the door a little wider and dared to step inside.
“I’d like to be alone right now.”
“I just thought you’d like to know that CJ’s Dad just arrived.” She said softly, watching for any sign that signalled he was really coping fine.
“Thankyou Ginger, I’m going to stay here.”
“Okay.” She smiled a little. “I’ll try and direct people away from this area.” Without another word, Ginger disappeared back into the world that Toby was trying desperately to block out. The cameras, the people… they were all too much. He wanted to be alone. After all, that’s what he was now. He was alone. At first he hadn’t believed it was possible, and then came the briefing. The Bartlet’s had been notified and the girls had arrived within three hours. Abbey politely apologised and asked everyone to leave her birthday party, as something personal had happened and she did not feel she would make a suitable hostess for the rest of the evening. Five minutes later, Josh was sent into the briefing room to deliver the news to the Press. Whether they knew it or not she loved them, and they were part of her family.
--
Thursday Night
7:40pm
--
“Could everyone please take their seats?” Josh called out over the commotion as a very confused bunch of journalists filed into the briefing room. He strode up to the podium and placed his notes in front of him. The last time he’d had to do the briefing, CJ was in pain from emergency root canal and he’d screwed it up. This time was different. This time, it wasn’t a real news briefing. It was simply to express to her extended family, what had just taken place.
“Where’s CJ?” Katie asked as she sat down, pulling her Dictaphone out of her pocket. “Surely she’s not letting you do an important briefing again.” She smiled as everyone laughed. Josh ignored her comment and began as soon as everyone was seated.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, at seven o’clock this evening, White House Press Secretary, Claudia Jean Cregg was rushed to hospital after collapsing in her home.” Josh noticed every pen in the room freeze as he spoke. “Doctors worked for half an hour, but her condition deteriorated.”
“What’s happening?” Chris asked slowly.
“By the time she’d arrived at the hospital she had already lost a lot of blood, there was nothing they could do.” Josh took a moment to compose himself before repeating what he’d been told. “CJ Cregg, died on the operating table.”
--
Part Two
--