The West Wing-- Toxicity, Part 1
West Wing fans, weigh in. Med experts, please read and let me know if I've got it right. Thanks in advance for comments.
Title: The West Wing: Toxicity, Part 1
Author: kosmickway
Rating: YTeen
Pairing: CJ/Danny; Ensemble cast
Summary: Who's poisoned CJ Cregg and why?
Danny walked into CJ’s office shortly after mid-day to find her gulping OTC pain pills like they were candy.
“Rough day?”
CJ tossed her head to swallow back the pills and took a long gulp from a bottle of water on her desk.
“Day. Week. Month. Year. That’s why I feel like I’ve had a migraine for the past 365 days- because I HAVE.”
“I didn’t know you got migraines.”
“Neither did I- until I got this job at the White House.”
Danny pulled out a chair and settled himself into it. “Want to float me a story? We need something juicy for the Op/Ed page.”
“What, you can’t wait until I go to feed the rest of the buzzards? You’ve got to come in here and get a little fresh carrion?”
“Actually, I just wanted to come in and see your beautiful face.”
“Charm alone will not get you a story out of me.”
“What will?” Danny asked flirtatiously, hoping that getting her to tease him would take her mind off of her headache.
“Fine wine. Chocolate. Dinner.” She winced, pressed her head back. “Oxycotin.”
Danny cocked his head and looked at her more closely. “How bad IS your headache, CJ?”
“Barely tolerable. Why do you ask?”
Danny shook his head. “You look- off- to me.”
CJ snorted inelegantly. “Thanks, Danny. I’ll feel great the next time I look in the mirror, knowing I look ‘off’ in some way.” She blew out a controlled breath. “I do feel kind of ‘off’ though, you are right about that. I guess it’s just that I can’t shake this headache. I’ve had it for a day and a half now and no painkiller can touch it.”
“Maybe you pulled something,” Danny suggested, motioning to his neck. “A good chiropractor can take care of that for you.”
“I don’t really want to pay to have someone crack my spine until I sound like a bowl of breakfast cereal, but thanks for the suggestion.” She pulled open her desk drawer, rummaged inside, then picked up the phone and dialed. “Carol? Do you have any of that stuff you give Ginger when she’s feeling nauseous?”
A moment later, Carol was at the door and tossing a packet of OTC pills to CJ. “Shouldn’t have ordered from that deli, huh?”
“Guess not.” CJ cracked open two of the foil packets, dry swallowed them, grimaced, slugged back some water, and tossed the package back to Carol. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine.” Carol grinned cheekily at her boss. “But that’s probably because I had a salad instead of whatever triple meat creation Toby and Sam ordered for you guys.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” CJ sipped at her water. “If you see either of them in the hallway, Carol, DON’T give them any of that. Let them suffer.”
Carol laughed and shut the door.
“Which deli was that? So that I don’t order from them.”
“Carol’s in charge of that. I’ve got more important stuff filling my brain.” She sighed, rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I’ll be in to brief you guys in about half an hour, okay?”
“Yeah.” Danny watched her come around the desk and settle onto her sofa, dropping her head into her hands. “Why don’t I tell Carol to hold your calls for twenty of those minutes. Maybe it’ll help you to lie down.”
He was really surprised when CJ didn’t object but instead curled up on the couch. He went to the closet, took out the pillow he knew she kept there, and slipped it under her head, then knelt at her side to study her face.
“Thanks, Danny,” she murmured. She gave him a small smile. “I’ll remember this next time you want a story.”
“Don’t think I won’t collect. Here.” He moved the wastebasket from under the shredder and set it within easy reach. “Just in case.” He touched her forehead with the back of his hand, surprised at how warm she felt to his touch. “I’ll tell Carol to bar the gates till it’s time for the briefing.”
He flicked off the lights and shut the door behind him, leaned down to give Carol some instructions, then walked back down the hall, glancing behind him at CJ’s closed door.
*
She looked rocky at the briefing, and he fervently hoped he was the only one who knew CJ well enough to notice the difference.
She’d made an effort to add some color to her cheeks, but under the hot lights she just looked pale. The telltale sign that something was seriously wrong was that she was gripping the podium as if it was the only thing holding her up. CJ NEVER held the podium unless she had to- she constantly talked with her hands, using them to emphasize, minimize, make a point, or pick reporters. Today her hands were still and she was gripping the podium hard enough to make her knuckles turn white.
He must not have been the only one who noticed, since a few people were leaning over and making side remarks to each other, or jotting notes back and forth. No one actually asked her if anything was wrong- it would be pointless because she’d only say no and move on- but he could tell everyone in the room was more focused on CJ than they were on the new figures from HUD.
Danny got caught in the usual post-briefing crush near the cameras as everyone tried to get out to the hall or into the press room. By the time he had wrangled his way out, she was on her way to a meeting in the Oval Office. Frowning slightly, he headed back into the press room to type up his notes, still worried about CJ.
*
President Bartlett was alone in the Oval Office, though the door between his office and Leo’s was open. The President was sitting on the sofa, leafing through a thick book on the Hemings family of Monticello and he smiled when CJ came in.
“Claudia Jean, my favorite press secretary, you’re-“ He took a good look at her, then took off his glasses and looked again. “- looking like you’re coming down with something. If you feel like you look, I don’t see why in the hell you’re still here.”
“I’m fine, sir, thank you,” CJ replied, sitting on the edge of the armchair near the President. “I think I may have just eaten something that doesn’t agree with me.”
“Why don’t I ask Debbie to find something in that enormous pharmacopia she carries around in her purse? I’m not entirely sure she doesn’t have a few ampules of anti-venom stuffed into that bag.”
CJ smiled, though it was only a meager smile at best. “Carol already gave me something, thank you, sir. I’m sure I’ll be fine soon. I think I’ll just get some air.” She stood up and wavered dangerously. Bartlett rose to steady her.
“That’s not a bad idea. And I’ll walk you there.”
The Marine Guard had just opened the door for the two of them when CJ gave a strangled cough, jerked away from the startled President, rushed to the edge of the walkway and vomited into the bushes.
“Oh my.” The President hurried back into the Oval Office, poured water into a tumbler, and carried it out to CJ, who was kneeling on the edge of the walkway, hands on her knees. “Here, CJ, drink this.” He knelt beside her and laid a gentle hand on her back. “Rinse your mouth, then sip slowly.”
“Oh God.” CJ’s voice was muffled but he could tell she was utterly mortified. “I’m so sorry, sir, I didn’t-“
“CJ,” he scolded mildly. “I’m a husband, a father and a grandfather- you think I haven’t had to do this for every single one of my daughters, most of my grandchildren, and my wife before?” He patted her back gently. “You stay right there till you’re feeling better. I’m going to get you a coat so you don’t freeze.”
Toby appeared at the office door just as Bartlett re-entered the room. “Good afternoon, Mr President.”
“Hello, Toby.” He handed his own dark overcoat to the Communications director. “Take this out to CJ, will you? She’s sitting outside and not feeling well. I’m going to get her something from Debbie Fiderer’s walk through pharmacy.”
Toby hurried out onto the landing past the Marine Guard and found CJ, a crystal tumbler of water in her shaking hands.
“CJ? You okay?”
CJ turned red-rimmed eyes on him and he was shocked at how sick she looked. “God, Toby, I’m so embarrassed.”
“What happened?” He draped the overcoat over her shoulders. “You’re going to freeze. Come on.” He helped her to her feet and walked her over to the bench a few feet away. “The President said you’re not feeling well.”
“I’m not. And now you can add the fact that I’m going to die of mortification because I just threw up in front of the leader of the free world.”
Toby gave her a squeeze around the shoulders. “CJ, the President has seen you drunk before. I don’t think this is going to in any way compare to the time you had too much champagne at the post-election party, sang karaoke to “What a Man, What a Man, What a Mighty Good Man,” and made out in the corner with a staffer 10 years younger than you are.”
CJ gave a watery laugh. “When you put it that way-“
“Small potatoes,” Toby said reassuringly.
“Oh God, don’t mention food,” CJ warned, blanching. “I feel really sick.”
“Must have been the deli, huh?”
“Yeah, but you and Sam and I all ate the same thing.”
“I have a cast iron stomach.”
The President walked back out onto the landing with another glass of water, this one fizzing with Alka-Seltzer.
“Debbie promises that this will put you to rights.” The President looked dubiously at the glass. “I don’t put much stock in it but-“ He handed it to CJ and watched her sip slowly. “You know, we could always hold a staff meeting out here.”
CJ smiled a little at the joke, then had to shut her eyes and breathe deeply to counter another violent wave of nausea.
Toby and Bartlett exchanged concerned looks.
“CJ, honey, let me call Abby. She can have a look at you.”
“Unless she can do something about food poisoning there isn’t much point.” She bit her lip hard and brought a hand to her abdomen. “I don’t think I’ve ever had food poisoning this bad, though.”
Toby’s eyes followed her hand to her abdomen. “You had your appendix out, CJ?”
“Not that I can recall,” she breathed. “Do you think that’s what it is?”
“I’m not a doctor.” He glanced up at the President. “He, however, is married to one.”
“I’m going to call Abby,” the President decided. “She can at least have a look.” He disappeared inside to make the phone call.
“Can you stand up? Let’s try to get you inside and lying down.” Toby glanced at the Marine guard. “Can you help me if she can’t walk?”
The guard nodded, allowing his reserve to slip just enough to show a tiny sliver of concern.
Toby got to his feet first, then helped CJ up, steadying her with strong hands on her upper arms.
“Okay?”
“Dizzy.” It took her a moment to get her feet under her, even with Toby’s support. Once she was standing, her face paled even further. She staggered to the edge of the sidewalk and retched into the bushes again.
Toby caught her around the waist to keep her from falling. “I’ve got you. You’re okay.” He clumsily brushed her hair back from her face. “Try to breathe.”
Abby and Leo rushed out onto the landing, the President in tow. Abby took one look at the tableau and fell into medical mode.
“Let’s get her inside, lying down.”
Toby and the Marine guard moved CJ just over the threshold and onto the carpeted floor. Leo caught the President’s overcoat as it fell from CJ’s shoulders and folded it underneath her head. Abby went to her knees beside CJ and Toby knelt on the other side; Leo and the President stayed a respectful distance back.
“CJ, Jed tells me you’ve been vomiting. Are you feeling pain in your abdomen?”
CJ nodded, her face paper-white.
“Show me where.” Abby laid her hands on the area CJ indicated, frowning. “I’m going to push down a little. Tell me if it hurts.”
CJ winced, nodded.
“How about here?” Abby moved her hands higher and to the left, pressed down again.“How bad’s the pain, scale of 1-10?”
“Five,” CJ breathed.
Abby frowned, repeated the procedure and the question until she’d moved a full circle over CJ’s midsection. “How do you feel other than nauseated?”
“Dizzy. Can’t stand up straight. My head is killing me.”
Abby frowned, pulled a pocket flashlight out of her bag, examined CJ’s pupils, frowned even deeper.
“I don’t think you’ve got appendicitis, CJ.”
“What is it then?” Toby asked.
“Don’t know. The pain’s not low enough or intense enough to be appendicitis. Could be food poisoning but dizziness, headache, and nystagmus don’t usually accompany that.” She glanced up at Leo. “Call the White House medics. Let’s get them to move her to GW in the ambulance.” She laid her fingers on CJ’s neck and took her pulse. “Toby, when was her last briefing?”
“About twenty minutes ago. Why?”
“Is Danny Concannon still here?”
“Should be.”
“Go get him.”
Toby nodded and headed for the door, hard on Leo’s heels.
Danny and Toby arrived back in the room seconds before the White House medical techs came in with a gurney. Danny started to dart forward to be with CJ but Toby caught his arm. “Hold on, let them work.”
Abby and the techs were exchanging medical jargon. Danny caught a few words but wasn’t paying enough attention to really attend to the conversation.
“What does she think is wrong?” Danny asked Toby, still fighting the impulse to brush past the techs and to CJ’s side.
“She isn’t sure.”
Toby heard the words “tox panel” from Abby and turned. “Ma’am, that’s going to sound like CJ-“
“I know what it will sound like to the uninformed masses, but she needs to be checked for a drug reaction, Toby. She’s got all the symptoms of a severe one.” She bent down to CJ and smoothed a cool hand over her friend’s cheek. “CJ? Are you taking anything OTC or prescription that we should know about?”
CJ named a common OTC pain reliever.
“How many of those did you take?”
“Two this morning, three about an hour ago. Same thing yesterday.”
Abby frowned, nodded at the medical techs. “Get her to GW. Make sure they do a tox panel.” She sighed and looked fretfully at her watch. “Jed, I don’t suppose we could cancel the thing I’m supposed to do tonight?”
CJ grabbed Abby’s wrist. “Don’t cancel,” she breathed. “Seriously. I’m okay.”
“I’ll check in,” Danny said, slipping around the techs to CJ’s side. “I’m not leaving you.”
***
The ride to GW was interminable. CJ rode with her eyes shut to counter increasing dizziness. She was still nauseated despite the shot on Phenergan the techs had administered and kept swallowing hard against the bile rising in her throat. Danny sat on the jump seat by the gurney, holding her hand, returning a squeeze every time her hand tightened on his.
Once at GW, the attendants worked fast to get CJ into an exam room- being a member of the President’s staff had some perks- and soon she was having blood drawn and tox panels run, and was being whisked away for a CAT scan to check her appendix.
Toby arrived in his own car ten minutes after CJ had been admitted.
“They do anything yet?”
“Blood work, tox, scans.”
“She better, worse, or the same?”
Danny shook his head. “Don’t know. I’m not a doctor. She seemed pretty out of it though- disoriented, headache, nausea.”
The two men went out into the lobby to begin the interminable period of waiting for answers.
An hour later a doctor came out to meet them, a deep frown marring his face. “You’re here with CJ Cregg?”
“That’s right,” Toby said. “How is she?”
“Well, we’ve run a tox panel and we got some most unusual results. Tell me, has Ms. Cregg been depressed lately?”
“Depressed?” Danny and Toby exchanged baffled looks. “Not CJ. Busy and stressed out, yeah, but depressed, no.”
“Can you think of any reason that she would have large amounts of ethylene glycol in her system?”
“And that is-“ Toby prompted.
“A sweet-tasting, colorless, odorless liquid typically found in anti-freeze and other household products. Small children and animals tend to ingest it by accident but when we see it in adults, 8 times out of 10 it’s an attempted suicide.”
Toby looked livid. “Are you out of your mind? You’re suggesting that the President’s Press Secretary tried to commit suicide? You’d better hope not a single member of your treatment team heard you speculate on that, because one of them is going to leak that faster than-“
The doctor’s eyebrows rose in alarm. “No, I didn’t say that to anyone else, I’m just curious, I mean when women try to kill themselves it’s usually in a more passive manner like poisoning-“
“CJ would NEVER attempt what you just suggested,” Danny retorted. “She got extremely sick at the White House. If she’d done this to herself, she certainly wouldn’t have done it in such a public place or at a time when she would cause other people inconvenience. She puts herself ahead of everyone else.”
“If it’s not a suicide attempt-“ the doctor began.
“It’s NOT,” Toby stated fiercely.
“-then I’m going to have to go with the assumption that it was a poisoning. Do you have any idea when she ingested it or how? It’s important to get a time-line so we can see whether a nasogastric aspiration is still feasible.”
“Nasogastric aspiration?“ Danny asked.
“Suctioning out the contents of her stomach using a tube that runs through the nose and into her stomach.”
Both men winced.
“It must have been during lunch,” Toby mused. “She had a diet soda. If this stuff is a sweet tasting liquid, it would have been masked by the soda syrup.”
“How long ago was that?”
“About 90 minutes ago,” Toby replied.
“That probably means there’s unmetabolized glycol still in her stomach. We’ll go ahead and try to purge her system. In the meantime, we’ll administer an antidote. After that we’ll run a course of hemodialysis to make sure her blood is free of any chemicals after the antidote has run its course.”
“Can we be with her during this?” Danny asked hopefully.
“Trust me, sir, you really don’t want to see a nasogastric aspiration. We’ll let you know when we’ve finished and she’s on her way to intensive care.”
He turned and headed back into the ER, leaving Toby and Danny frustrated and puzzled.
***
“You’re kidding!” Abby practically shouted into the phone. Jed, busy combing his hair, stuck his head out of the bathroom to see her. “Ethylene glycol poisoning?”
Jed stepped fully out into the bedroom to stare at his wife.
“Poison? Someone poisoned my press secretary? What the hell kind of-“
Abby waved him quiet and pressed the phone harder to her ear.
“Did they perform an aspiration? ... They did. Okay. And I assume they’re running a course of antidote into her system? ... Have they let you in to see her yet? ... Okay. Look, once this damn thing is over, we’ll be on our way to GW ... Yes, we will. I don’t want to hear another word about it, Toby ... We’ll call you ... Okay ... No, don’t worry, Sam’s got it under control ... All right ... Love to CJ ... You, too. Bye.”
The minute she hung up the phone, her husband advanced on her.
“What’s this about poison?”
“CJ’s got massive amounts of a substance called ethylene glycol in her system. It’s one of those household products public health centers are always warning parents to lock away or put on high shelves since kids tend to get into it. It has a sweet taste to it, which is probably why she wouldn’t have noticed it if someone slipped it into her drink.” Abby looked thoughtful. “If it was in her drink, we might be able to figure out where she got it from.” She picked up the phone on the bedside table.
“Donna, it’s Mrs. Bartlett ... Sam’s supposed to be in with Josh. Can you get him for me, please?”
Abby covered the receiver with her hand and turned to her husband. “Any reason why someone might want CJ incapacitated at this particular moment?”
Jed furrowed his brow in thought. “Leo would have a better handle on that than I would. Let me call him up.” He crossed to the phone on his bureau and placed a call down to Leo.
“Sam? It’s Abby Bartlett. Listen, I know you and Toby and CJ were meeting today with some of my staffers about publicizing this upcoming goodwill tour in Africa ... No, I don’t need details yet. All I really want to know is whether you all did a lunch meeting, and if you did, where did you order from?”
***
Toby hung up with Abby Bartlett and crossed back to Danny, who was pacing with a cup of coffee.
“Mrs Bartlett decided to play a little CSI. She had someone go into the trash cans to see if the soda bottle CJ was drinking out of was still there. Someone’s going to run it up here and have the lab test it for ethylene glycol.”
“What if it wasn’t meant for CJ? What if this is some kind of product tampering?”
Toby shook his head. “What, like the Tylenol Killer? Danny, you know about as well as I do that product tampering is more an urban myth than anything else. Most product tampering scares are the result of one person trying to poison another and trying to make it look like a wide-spread incident.”
Danny shrugged. “At the moment, I don’t give a damn who it was meant for. I just want to know that she’s going to be okay.”
It took another half hour of waiting before a nurse came out to usher the two men into CJ’s room.
“We gave her a light sedative after the aspiration, so she’ll probably sleep for awhile. We’re running a continuous course of antidote into her system to counter the effects of the poisoning, and in a few hours we’ll put her on hemodialysis to purge her system of any remaining metabolized drugs.” She noted CJ’s vitals on the dry erase board mounted on the wall. “If she’s feeling nauseated when she wakes up, let one of us know and we’ll give her some more Phenergan. Don’t let her drink water too soon or too fast- the liquid will shock her stomach. Give her some ice chips to chew on instead and we’ll work her up to water gradually.”
The nurse left. Toby followed almost immediately to pick up a call from the White House, leaving Danny with CJ.
He watched her as she slept, his eyes roaming her face, sliding over the familiar shape of her lips, her cheekbones, wishing he could smooth away the pain lines creased into her forehead and around her mouth.
His phone shook on his hip. His editor.
“Danny, I needed that story half an hour ago. I know you like to fine tune but this is getting ridiculous.”
Fuck, Danny mentally cursed. Well, he should have one or two“get out of jail free” cards with Hastings. Now would be a good time to try them out.
“John, I’m at the hospital with a friend. She got a bad case of food poisoning-“ (Well, it was partially true) “- and needed to be rushed in here. Can you get Sanders to cover it? I can send him all my notes from my Blackberry.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. “This friend wouldn’t happen to be CJ Cregg, would it?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“Press Room gossip. Word is she wasn’t looking too hot at the briefing today. And there was a call to White House medics half an hour later. Something’s going on.”
“Nothing I’m prepared to disclose.”
“So it IS CJ Cregg.”
“I’m not saying that.”
“But you’re not NOT saying that either.” Hastings sounded amused. “Send what you’ve got to Sanders. Let me know when your ‘friend’ is starting to feel better.”
Danny spent a few minutes sending his notes to Mike Sanders via his Blackberry. As he was finishing up, CJ groaned softly. He was by her side in a moment, hands wrapped around hers.
“CJ?”
Without opening her eyes, she murmured, “Danny?”
“Yeah, baby, I’m here.” He gently stroked her hair back from her forehead.
“I feel sick.”
“Your nurse said that might happen. You need a trash can?”
“Not yet.”
“Let me call someone. They can give you a shot for it.” He hit the call button beside her bed. “You know where you are?”
“GW.” She tried to open her eyes and squinted against the light. “Too bright.”
Danny hurried to close the curtains until the room was dimmer. “Better?”
“Thanks.” She opened her eyes all the way and blinked to focus. “How long have I been here?”
“About three hours. Do you remember what happened?”
“They pumped my stomach.” Her hand rose to her throat, massaged it. “But they didn’t tell me why. They don’t do that with food poisoning.”
A nurse came in with a syringe and a vial of clear liquid. “Feeling a little nauseous, CJ?”
“A lot nauseous.” CJ swallowed and grimaced. “Can I have some water?”
“Ice chips. Won’t shock your stomach. Your other gentleman friend went to get you some a few minutes ago.” The nurse swabbed the crook of CJ’s elbow just under the IV line. “This should help with the nausea. Here we go, just a little prick.” Blanching, CJ turned away from the needle and looked into Danny’s familiar blue eyes instead.
“Toby’s still here?”
“Where else do you think I’d be?” Toby strode back into the room, carrying a paper cup of ice.
“You think I’m going to leave you here with only Danny for company?” He handed her the cup, steadying her hand with his when she bobbled it. “Chew on these or let them melt. Don’t swallow them whole.”
The nurse nodded approvingly. “I see you’re in good hands. I’ll be back in a bit to check that drip. Once you’re through with the antidote, you’ll get a course of hemodialysis.”
CJ looked startled. “Hemodialysis?”
The nurse nodded. “It’s a common treatment for the kind of poisoning you’ve been exposed to. It helps clear your blood of any remaining toxins.”
CJ looked from Toby to Danny to the nurse. “Hold on, my brain needs to catch up here. This isn’t food poisoning?”
The nurse looked from one man to the other. “You haven’t told her yet?”
Danny shook his head. “She just woke up, she was disoriented. I wanted to give her time to adjust before telling her.”
“Tell me what?” CJ demanded. “Guys, what the hell is going on?”
“You were dosed with ethylene glycol,” Toby said softly. “It’s a household product found in antifreeze. Someone- we don’t know who- slipped it into your food or drink at lunch.”
CJ’s hand flew to her mouth. “You cannot be serious,” she said faintly. “That’s why-“
“The headache, the vomiting, the dizziness- ethylene glycol poisoning,” Danny finished. “Mrs Bartlett did a little snooping and found the cup you were drinking from at lunch. It’s going to be tested for traces of the liquid, see if it was already in your drink when it came from the deli.”
CJ shook her head in disbelief, then her eyes widened and she bolted upright, nearly tearing out the IV in her hurry. “Josh and Sam! They had drinks, too! Are they okay?”
“They’re fine,” Toby soothed. “I talked to Leo a little bit ago. They’re worried about you but other than that they’re okay.”
“Thank God. Okay.” CJ swallowed hard, leaned back on her pillows and shut her eyes. “Shouldn’t have moved that fast.”
Danny took her hand again, played his thumb across the pulse point at her wrist. “Try to relax. Your doctor said you’re still going to be feeling the effects of that stuff for awhile.”
Eyes still closed, CJ picked up the conversation again. “Please tell me I hallucinated throwing up in front of the President.”
Toby chuckled softly. “He was really nice about it.”
A blush flamed over CJ’s cheeks, drastically countering how pale her skin had become. “Oh God, I’m so embarrassed.” She turned her head toward the sound of Toby’s voice. “I threw up in front of you, too, didn’t I?”
“I was really nice about it, too. Held your hair back and everything.”
CJ laughed softly. “You’re a real gentleman, Toby, thanks.” She felt around on the table in front of her for the cup of ice and lifted it with shaking hands. “Please tell me this hasn’t leaked yet. This is going to make Bush choking on a pretzel look like-“
“No leaks,” Danny and Toby said in unison. “Although, my editor is definitely aware that something’s wrong,” Danny continued, looking at Toby. “He knows I’m at the hospital with a friend but he’s only taking a shot in the dark that my friend is the White House Press Secretary.”
Toby muttered something under his breath that Danny couldn’t quite catch. “CJ, the press should be the least of your worries right now.”
CJ opened her eyes to look at Toby. “I can’t not worry about the press. It’s like a reflex.”
“Yeah, well, fight that, okay? Concentrate on more important things.”
“Like?”
“Like the fact that we’re going to have to add an official taste tester to the White House staff so this doesn’t happen again!” Toby blew out a long breath. “Okay, that was- Sorry. It sounded wittier in my head.”
“Most things out of your mouth do.” She gave Toby a half smile. “You know, Carol could do the briefings.”
“She could.”
“Or Sam. He’s well-spoken, cute on camera.”
“Him, too.”
“But don’t you dare let Josh-“
“I know. Trust me. I still have people asking me about the secret plan to fight inflation.” He rolled his eyes when his cell phone vibrated on his hip. “Be right back.”
Danny shifted position in his chair and readjusted his hold on CJ’s hand. “Drugs kicking in?”
“Not quick enough.” She looked up at him and smiled wanly. “This is not at all what the hospital is like on “ER.”
Danny laughed. “Not enough hot male nurses around for you?”
“I’ve got my own hot male nurse.” She squeezed his hand and he found himself blushing. “No, it’s just that I get the distinct feeling I’m not going to be completely and miraculously well by the time 45 minutes and 5 commercial breaks have rolled by.”
“Probably not. Hate to disappoint you.”
CJ sobered. “How bad is it, Danny? Really? I feel- weak on the inside. Hollow. And not just from the stomach pumping. Quivery. Like everything inside of me is turning from solid to liquid.”
Danny smoothed her hair gently. “You’re going to be fine. It’s going to take a few days, but your doctor says you’ll make a full recovery. It’s going to take some intensive treatment, that’s all.”
“Why would someone do this to me?”
“I don’t know. Leo, Josh, and Sam are looking over everything they’ve got on their desks to see if there’s some potential disaster just waiting to be uncovered and released. But with the First Lady’s upcoming goodwill tour and the President’s visit to China, there’s a lot going on. Not that I have to tell you that.”
CJ’s eyelids were starting to droop. “I’m getting tired again.”
“You need to sleep.”
“Can you send Carol to my place to get some of my things? A normal pair of pajamas? A toothbrush?”
“I’ll call her.”
“You don’t have to stay, Danny. And tell Toby, too.”
“Don’t you even start that,” Danny warned. He touched her cheek gently. “Get some rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.” He brushed his lips over her forehead and heard her sigh softly in response.
When she shut her eyes, he rose and headed into the hallway to find Toby.
"She okay?"
"Trying to fall asleep."
"Josh just called. They went into CJ's office, went through the packets and briefing books that have come down from the Hill over the last twelve hours to see if there's anything sending up a red flag."
"And?"
"According to Carol, there's a packet of notes that were signed in to her office-- you know CJ has every delivery through her office logged-- that the guys can't find."
"You think it means anything?"
"Yeah." Toby's brow furrowed. "Yeah, I think it means something."
Title: The West Wing: Toxicity, Part 1
Author: kosmickway
Rating: YTeen
Pairing: CJ/Danny; Ensemble cast
Summary: Who's poisoned CJ Cregg and why?
Danny walked into CJ’s office shortly after mid-day to find her gulping OTC pain pills like they were candy.
“Rough day?”
CJ tossed her head to swallow back the pills and took a long gulp from a bottle of water on her desk.
“Day. Week. Month. Year. That’s why I feel like I’ve had a migraine for the past 365 days- because I HAVE.”
“I didn’t know you got migraines.”
“Neither did I- until I got this job at the White House.”
Danny pulled out a chair and settled himself into it. “Want to float me a story? We need something juicy for the Op/Ed page.”
“What, you can’t wait until I go to feed the rest of the buzzards? You’ve got to come in here and get a little fresh carrion?”
“Actually, I just wanted to come in and see your beautiful face.”
“Charm alone will not get you a story out of me.”
“What will?” Danny asked flirtatiously, hoping that getting her to tease him would take her mind off of her headache.
“Fine wine. Chocolate. Dinner.” She winced, pressed her head back. “Oxycotin.”
Danny cocked his head and looked at her more closely. “How bad IS your headache, CJ?”
“Barely tolerable. Why do you ask?”
Danny shook his head. “You look- off- to me.”
CJ snorted inelegantly. “Thanks, Danny. I’ll feel great the next time I look in the mirror, knowing I look ‘off’ in some way.” She blew out a controlled breath. “I do feel kind of ‘off’ though, you are right about that. I guess it’s just that I can’t shake this headache. I’ve had it for a day and a half now and no painkiller can touch it.”
“Maybe you pulled something,” Danny suggested, motioning to his neck. “A good chiropractor can take care of that for you.”
“I don’t really want to pay to have someone crack my spine until I sound like a bowl of breakfast cereal, but thanks for the suggestion.” She pulled open her desk drawer, rummaged inside, then picked up the phone and dialed. “Carol? Do you have any of that stuff you give Ginger when she’s feeling nauseous?”
A moment later, Carol was at the door and tossing a packet of OTC pills to CJ. “Shouldn’t have ordered from that deli, huh?”
“Guess not.” CJ cracked open two of the foil packets, dry swallowed them, grimaced, slugged back some water, and tossed the package back to Carol. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine.” Carol grinned cheekily at her boss. “But that’s probably because I had a salad instead of whatever triple meat creation Toby and Sam ordered for you guys.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” CJ sipped at her water. “If you see either of them in the hallway, Carol, DON’T give them any of that. Let them suffer.”
Carol laughed and shut the door.
“Which deli was that? So that I don’t order from them.”
“Carol’s in charge of that. I’ve got more important stuff filling my brain.” She sighed, rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I’ll be in to brief you guys in about half an hour, okay?”
“Yeah.” Danny watched her come around the desk and settle onto her sofa, dropping her head into her hands. “Why don’t I tell Carol to hold your calls for twenty of those minutes. Maybe it’ll help you to lie down.”
He was really surprised when CJ didn’t object but instead curled up on the couch. He went to the closet, took out the pillow he knew she kept there, and slipped it under her head, then knelt at her side to study her face.
“Thanks, Danny,” she murmured. She gave him a small smile. “I’ll remember this next time you want a story.”
“Don’t think I won’t collect. Here.” He moved the wastebasket from under the shredder and set it within easy reach. “Just in case.” He touched her forehead with the back of his hand, surprised at how warm she felt to his touch. “I’ll tell Carol to bar the gates till it’s time for the briefing.”
He flicked off the lights and shut the door behind him, leaned down to give Carol some instructions, then walked back down the hall, glancing behind him at CJ’s closed door.
*
She looked rocky at the briefing, and he fervently hoped he was the only one who knew CJ well enough to notice the difference.
She’d made an effort to add some color to her cheeks, but under the hot lights she just looked pale. The telltale sign that something was seriously wrong was that she was gripping the podium as if it was the only thing holding her up. CJ NEVER held the podium unless she had to- she constantly talked with her hands, using them to emphasize, minimize, make a point, or pick reporters. Today her hands were still and she was gripping the podium hard enough to make her knuckles turn white.
He must not have been the only one who noticed, since a few people were leaning over and making side remarks to each other, or jotting notes back and forth. No one actually asked her if anything was wrong- it would be pointless because she’d only say no and move on- but he could tell everyone in the room was more focused on CJ than they were on the new figures from HUD.
Danny got caught in the usual post-briefing crush near the cameras as everyone tried to get out to the hall or into the press room. By the time he had wrangled his way out, she was on her way to a meeting in the Oval Office. Frowning slightly, he headed back into the press room to type up his notes, still worried about CJ.
*
President Bartlett was alone in the Oval Office, though the door between his office and Leo’s was open. The President was sitting on the sofa, leafing through a thick book on the Hemings family of Monticello and he smiled when CJ came in.
“Claudia Jean, my favorite press secretary, you’re-“ He took a good look at her, then took off his glasses and looked again. “- looking like you’re coming down with something. If you feel like you look, I don’t see why in the hell you’re still here.”
“I’m fine, sir, thank you,” CJ replied, sitting on the edge of the armchair near the President. “I think I may have just eaten something that doesn’t agree with me.”
“Why don’t I ask Debbie to find something in that enormous pharmacopia she carries around in her purse? I’m not entirely sure she doesn’t have a few ampules of anti-venom stuffed into that bag.”
CJ smiled, though it was only a meager smile at best. “Carol already gave me something, thank you, sir. I’m sure I’ll be fine soon. I think I’ll just get some air.” She stood up and wavered dangerously. Bartlett rose to steady her.
“That’s not a bad idea. And I’ll walk you there.”
The Marine Guard had just opened the door for the two of them when CJ gave a strangled cough, jerked away from the startled President, rushed to the edge of the walkway and vomited into the bushes.
“Oh my.” The President hurried back into the Oval Office, poured water into a tumbler, and carried it out to CJ, who was kneeling on the edge of the walkway, hands on her knees. “Here, CJ, drink this.” He knelt beside her and laid a gentle hand on her back. “Rinse your mouth, then sip slowly.”
“Oh God.” CJ’s voice was muffled but he could tell she was utterly mortified. “I’m so sorry, sir, I didn’t-“
“CJ,” he scolded mildly. “I’m a husband, a father and a grandfather- you think I haven’t had to do this for every single one of my daughters, most of my grandchildren, and my wife before?” He patted her back gently. “You stay right there till you’re feeling better. I’m going to get you a coat so you don’t freeze.”
Toby appeared at the office door just as Bartlett re-entered the room. “Good afternoon, Mr President.”
“Hello, Toby.” He handed his own dark overcoat to the Communications director. “Take this out to CJ, will you? She’s sitting outside and not feeling well. I’m going to get her something from Debbie Fiderer’s walk through pharmacy.”
Toby hurried out onto the landing past the Marine Guard and found CJ, a crystal tumbler of water in her shaking hands.
“CJ? You okay?”
CJ turned red-rimmed eyes on him and he was shocked at how sick she looked. “God, Toby, I’m so embarrassed.”
“What happened?” He draped the overcoat over her shoulders. “You’re going to freeze. Come on.” He helped her to her feet and walked her over to the bench a few feet away. “The President said you’re not feeling well.”
“I’m not. And now you can add the fact that I’m going to die of mortification because I just threw up in front of the leader of the free world.”
Toby gave her a squeeze around the shoulders. “CJ, the President has seen you drunk before. I don’t think this is going to in any way compare to the time you had too much champagne at the post-election party, sang karaoke to “What a Man, What a Man, What a Mighty Good Man,” and made out in the corner with a staffer 10 years younger than you are.”
CJ gave a watery laugh. “When you put it that way-“
“Small potatoes,” Toby said reassuringly.
“Oh God, don’t mention food,” CJ warned, blanching. “I feel really sick.”
“Must have been the deli, huh?”
“Yeah, but you and Sam and I all ate the same thing.”
“I have a cast iron stomach.”
The President walked back out onto the landing with another glass of water, this one fizzing with Alka-Seltzer.
“Debbie promises that this will put you to rights.” The President looked dubiously at the glass. “I don’t put much stock in it but-“ He handed it to CJ and watched her sip slowly. “You know, we could always hold a staff meeting out here.”
CJ smiled a little at the joke, then had to shut her eyes and breathe deeply to counter another violent wave of nausea.
Toby and Bartlett exchanged concerned looks.
“CJ, honey, let me call Abby. She can have a look at you.”
“Unless she can do something about food poisoning there isn’t much point.” She bit her lip hard and brought a hand to her abdomen. “I don’t think I’ve ever had food poisoning this bad, though.”
Toby’s eyes followed her hand to her abdomen. “You had your appendix out, CJ?”
“Not that I can recall,” she breathed. “Do you think that’s what it is?”
“I’m not a doctor.” He glanced up at the President. “He, however, is married to one.”
“I’m going to call Abby,” the President decided. “She can at least have a look.” He disappeared inside to make the phone call.
“Can you stand up? Let’s try to get you inside and lying down.” Toby glanced at the Marine guard. “Can you help me if she can’t walk?”
The guard nodded, allowing his reserve to slip just enough to show a tiny sliver of concern.
Toby got to his feet first, then helped CJ up, steadying her with strong hands on her upper arms.
“Okay?”
“Dizzy.” It took her a moment to get her feet under her, even with Toby’s support. Once she was standing, her face paled even further. She staggered to the edge of the sidewalk and retched into the bushes again.
Toby caught her around the waist to keep her from falling. “I’ve got you. You’re okay.” He clumsily brushed her hair back from her face. “Try to breathe.”
Abby and Leo rushed out onto the landing, the President in tow. Abby took one look at the tableau and fell into medical mode.
“Let’s get her inside, lying down.”
Toby and the Marine guard moved CJ just over the threshold and onto the carpeted floor. Leo caught the President’s overcoat as it fell from CJ’s shoulders and folded it underneath her head. Abby went to her knees beside CJ and Toby knelt on the other side; Leo and the President stayed a respectful distance back.
“CJ, Jed tells me you’ve been vomiting. Are you feeling pain in your abdomen?”
CJ nodded, her face paper-white.
“Show me where.” Abby laid her hands on the area CJ indicated, frowning. “I’m going to push down a little. Tell me if it hurts.”
CJ winced, nodded.
“How about here?” Abby moved her hands higher and to the left, pressed down again.“How bad’s the pain, scale of 1-10?”
“Five,” CJ breathed.
Abby frowned, repeated the procedure and the question until she’d moved a full circle over CJ’s midsection. “How do you feel other than nauseated?”
“Dizzy. Can’t stand up straight. My head is killing me.”
Abby frowned, pulled a pocket flashlight out of her bag, examined CJ’s pupils, frowned even deeper.
“I don’t think you’ve got appendicitis, CJ.”
“What is it then?” Toby asked.
“Don’t know. The pain’s not low enough or intense enough to be appendicitis. Could be food poisoning but dizziness, headache, and nystagmus don’t usually accompany that.” She glanced up at Leo. “Call the White House medics. Let’s get them to move her to GW in the ambulance.” She laid her fingers on CJ’s neck and took her pulse. “Toby, when was her last briefing?”
“About twenty minutes ago. Why?”
“Is Danny Concannon still here?”
“Should be.”
“Go get him.”
Toby nodded and headed for the door, hard on Leo’s heels.
Danny and Toby arrived back in the room seconds before the White House medical techs came in with a gurney. Danny started to dart forward to be with CJ but Toby caught his arm. “Hold on, let them work.”
Abby and the techs were exchanging medical jargon. Danny caught a few words but wasn’t paying enough attention to really attend to the conversation.
“What does she think is wrong?” Danny asked Toby, still fighting the impulse to brush past the techs and to CJ’s side.
“She isn’t sure.”
Toby heard the words “tox panel” from Abby and turned. “Ma’am, that’s going to sound like CJ-“
“I know what it will sound like to the uninformed masses, but she needs to be checked for a drug reaction, Toby. She’s got all the symptoms of a severe one.” She bent down to CJ and smoothed a cool hand over her friend’s cheek. “CJ? Are you taking anything OTC or prescription that we should know about?”
CJ named a common OTC pain reliever.
“How many of those did you take?”
“Two this morning, three about an hour ago. Same thing yesterday.”
Abby frowned, nodded at the medical techs. “Get her to GW. Make sure they do a tox panel.” She sighed and looked fretfully at her watch. “Jed, I don’t suppose we could cancel the thing I’m supposed to do tonight?”
CJ grabbed Abby’s wrist. “Don’t cancel,” she breathed. “Seriously. I’m okay.”
“I’ll check in,” Danny said, slipping around the techs to CJ’s side. “I’m not leaving you.”
***
The ride to GW was interminable. CJ rode with her eyes shut to counter increasing dizziness. She was still nauseated despite the shot on Phenergan the techs had administered and kept swallowing hard against the bile rising in her throat. Danny sat on the jump seat by the gurney, holding her hand, returning a squeeze every time her hand tightened on his.
Once at GW, the attendants worked fast to get CJ into an exam room- being a member of the President’s staff had some perks- and soon she was having blood drawn and tox panels run, and was being whisked away for a CAT scan to check her appendix.
Toby arrived in his own car ten minutes after CJ had been admitted.
“They do anything yet?”
“Blood work, tox, scans.”
“She better, worse, or the same?”
Danny shook his head. “Don’t know. I’m not a doctor. She seemed pretty out of it though- disoriented, headache, nausea.”
The two men went out into the lobby to begin the interminable period of waiting for answers.
An hour later a doctor came out to meet them, a deep frown marring his face. “You’re here with CJ Cregg?”
“That’s right,” Toby said. “How is she?”
“Well, we’ve run a tox panel and we got some most unusual results. Tell me, has Ms. Cregg been depressed lately?”
“Depressed?” Danny and Toby exchanged baffled looks. “Not CJ. Busy and stressed out, yeah, but depressed, no.”
“Can you think of any reason that she would have large amounts of ethylene glycol in her system?”
“And that is-“ Toby prompted.
“A sweet-tasting, colorless, odorless liquid typically found in anti-freeze and other household products. Small children and animals tend to ingest it by accident but when we see it in adults, 8 times out of 10 it’s an attempted suicide.”
Toby looked livid. “Are you out of your mind? You’re suggesting that the President’s Press Secretary tried to commit suicide? You’d better hope not a single member of your treatment team heard you speculate on that, because one of them is going to leak that faster than-“
The doctor’s eyebrows rose in alarm. “No, I didn’t say that to anyone else, I’m just curious, I mean when women try to kill themselves it’s usually in a more passive manner like poisoning-“
“CJ would NEVER attempt what you just suggested,” Danny retorted. “She got extremely sick at the White House. If she’d done this to herself, she certainly wouldn’t have done it in such a public place or at a time when she would cause other people inconvenience. She puts herself ahead of everyone else.”
“If it’s not a suicide attempt-“ the doctor began.
“It’s NOT,” Toby stated fiercely.
“-then I’m going to have to go with the assumption that it was a poisoning. Do you have any idea when she ingested it or how? It’s important to get a time-line so we can see whether a nasogastric aspiration is still feasible.”
“Nasogastric aspiration?“ Danny asked.
“Suctioning out the contents of her stomach using a tube that runs through the nose and into her stomach.”
Both men winced.
“It must have been during lunch,” Toby mused. “She had a diet soda. If this stuff is a sweet tasting liquid, it would have been masked by the soda syrup.”
“How long ago was that?”
“About 90 minutes ago,” Toby replied.
“That probably means there’s unmetabolized glycol still in her stomach. We’ll go ahead and try to purge her system. In the meantime, we’ll administer an antidote. After that we’ll run a course of hemodialysis to make sure her blood is free of any chemicals after the antidote has run its course.”
“Can we be with her during this?” Danny asked hopefully.
“Trust me, sir, you really don’t want to see a nasogastric aspiration. We’ll let you know when we’ve finished and she’s on her way to intensive care.”
He turned and headed back into the ER, leaving Toby and Danny frustrated and puzzled.
***
“You’re kidding!” Abby practically shouted into the phone. Jed, busy combing his hair, stuck his head out of the bathroom to see her. “Ethylene glycol poisoning?”
Jed stepped fully out into the bedroom to stare at his wife.
“Poison? Someone poisoned my press secretary? What the hell kind of-“
Abby waved him quiet and pressed the phone harder to her ear.
“Did they perform an aspiration? ... They did. Okay. And I assume they’re running a course of antidote into her system? ... Have they let you in to see her yet? ... Okay. Look, once this damn thing is over, we’ll be on our way to GW ... Yes, we will. I don’t want to hear another word about it, Toby ... We’ll call you ... Okay ... No, don’t worry, Sam’s got it under control ... All right ... Love to CJ ... You, too. Bye.”
The minute she hung up the phone, her husband advanced on her.
“What’s this about poison?”
“CJ’s got massive amounts of a substance called ethylene glycol in her system. It’s one of those household products public health centers are always warning parents to lock away or put on high shelves since kids tend to get into it. It has a sweet taste to it, which is probably why she wouldn’t have noticed it if someone slipped it into her drink.” Abby looked thoughtful. “If it was in her drink, we might be able to figure out where she got it from.” She picked up the phone on the bedside table.
“Donna, it’s Mrs. Bartlett ... Sam’s supposed to be in with Josh. Can you get him for me, please?”
Abby covered the receiver with her hand and turned to her husband. “Any reason why someone might want CJ incapacitated at this particular moment?”
Jed furrowed his brow in thought. “Leo would have a better handle on that than I would. Let me call him up.” He crossed to the phone on his bureau and placed a call down to Leo.
“Sam? It’s Abby Bartlett. Listen, I know you and Toby and CJ were meeting today with some of my staffers about publicizing this upcoming goodwill tour in Africa ... No, I don’t need details yet. All I really want to know is whether you all did a lunch meeting, and if you did, where did you order from?”
***
Toby hung up with Abby Bartlett and crossed back to Danny, who was pacing with a cup of coffee.
“Mrs Bartlett decided to play a little CSI. She had someone go into the trash cans to see if the soda bottle CJ was drinking out of was still there. Someone’s going to run it up here and have the lab test it for ethylene glycol.”
“What if it wasn’t meant for CJ? What if this is some kind of product tampering?”
Toby shook his head. “What, like the Tylenol Killer? Danny, you know about as well as I do that product tampering is more an urban myth than anything else. Most product tampering scares are the result of one person trying to poison another and trying to make it look like a wide-spread incident.”
Danny shrugged. “At the moment, I don’t give a damn who it was meant for. I just want to know that she’s going to be okay.”
It took another half hour of waiting before a nurse came out to usher the two men into CJ’s room.
“We gave her a light sedative after the aspiration, so she’ll probably sleep for awhile. We’re running a continuous course of antidote into her system to counter the effects of the poisoning, and in a few hours we’ll put her on hemodialysis to purge her system of any remaining metabolized drugs.” She noted CJ’s vitals on the dry erase board mounted on the wall. “If she’s feeling nauseated when she wakes up, let one of us know and we’ll give her some more Phenergan. Don’t let her drink water too soon or too fast- the liquid will shock her stomach. Give her some ice chips to chew on instead and we’ll work her up to water gradually.”
The nurse left. Toby followed almost immediately to pick up a call from the White House, leaving Danny with CJ.
He watched her as she slept, his eyes roaming her face, sliding over the familiar shape of her lips, her cheekbones, wishing he could smooth away the pain lines creased into her forehead and around her mouth.
His phone shook on his hip. His editor.
“Danny, I needed that story half an hour ago. I know you like to fine tune but this is getting ridiculous.”
Fuck, Danny mentally cursed. Well, he should have one or two“get out of jail free” cards with Hastings. Now would be a good time to try them out.
“John, I’m at the hospital with a friend. She got a bad case of food poisoning-“ (Well, it was partially true) “- and needed to be rushed in here. Can you get Sanders to cover it? I can send him all my notes from my Blackberry.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. “This friend wouldn’t happen to be CJ Cregg, would it?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“Press Room gossip. Word is she wasn’t looking too hot at the briefing today. And there was a call to White House medics half an hour later. Something’s going on.”
“Nothing I’m prepared to disclose.”
“So it IS CJ Cregg.”
“I’m not saying that.”
“But you’re not NOT saying that either.” Hastings sounded amused. “Send what you’ve got to Sanders. Let me know when your ‘friend’ is starting to feel better.”
Danny spent a few minutes sending his notes to Mike Sanders via his Blackberry. As he was finishing up, CJ groaned softly. He was by her side in a moment, hands wrapped around hers.
“CJ?”
Without opening her eyes, she murmured, “Danny?”
“Yeah, baby, I’m here.” He gently stroked her hair back from her forehead.
“I feel sick.”
“Your nurse said that might happen. You need a trash can?”
“Not yet.”
“Let me call someone. They can give you a shot for it.” He hit the call button beside her bed. “You know where you are?”
“GW.” She tried to open her eyes and squinted against the light. “Too bright.”
Danny hurried to close the curtains until the room was dimmer. “Better?”
“Thanks.” She opened her eyes all the way and blinked to focus. “How long have I been here?”
“About three hours. Do you remember what happened?”
“They pumped my stomach.” Her hand rose to her throat, massaged it. “But they didn’t tell me why. They don’t do that with food poisoning.”
A nurse came in with a syringe and a vial of clear liquid. “Feeling a little nauseous, CJ?”
“A lot nauseous.” CJ swallowed and grimaced. “Can I have some water?”
“Ice chips. Won’t shock your stomach. Your other gentleman friend went to get you some a few minutes ago.” The nurse swabbed the crook of CJ’s elbow just under the IV line. “This should help with the nausea. Here we go, just a little prick.” Blanching, CJ turned away from the needle and looked into Danny’s familiar blue eyes instead.
“Toby’s still here?”
“Where else do you think I’d be?” Toby strode back into the room, carrying a paper cup of ice.
“You think I’m going to leave you here with only Danny for company?” He handed her the cup, steadying her hand with his when she bobbled it. “Chew on these or let them melt. Don’t swallow them whole.”
The nurse nodded approvingly. “I see you’re in good hands. I’ll be back in a bit to check that drip. Once you’re through with the antidote, you’ll get a course of hemodialysis.”
CJ looked startled. “Hemodialysis?”
The nurse nodded. “It’s a common treatment for the kind of poisoning you’ve been exposed to. It helps clear your blood of any remaining toxins.”
CJ looked from Toby to Danny to the nurse. “Hold on, my brain needs to catch up here. This isn’t food poisoning?”
The nurse looked from one man to the other. “You haven’t told her yet?”
Danny shook his head. “She just woke up, she was disoriented. I wanted to give her time to adjust before telling her.”
“Tell me what?” CJ demanded. “Guys, what the hell is going on?”
“You were dosed with ethylene glycol,” Toby said softly. “It’s a household product found in antifreeze. Someone- we don’t know who- slipped it into your food or drink at lunch.”
CJ’s hand flew to her mouth. “You cannot be serious,” she said faintly. “That’s why-“
“The headache, the vomiting, the dizziness- ethylene glycol poisoning,” Danny finished. “Mrs Bartlett did a little snooping and found the cup you were drinking from at lunch. It’s going to be tested for traces of the liquid, see if it was already in your drink when it came from the deli.”
CJ shook her head in disbelief, then her eyes widened and she bolted upright, nearly tearing out the IV in her hurry. “Josh and Sam! They had drinks, too! Are they okay?”
“They’re fine,” Toby soothed. “I talked to Leo a little bit ago. They’re worried about you but other than that they’re okay.”
“Thank God. Okay.” CJ swallowed hard, leaned back on her pillows and shut her eyes. “Shouldn’t have moved that fast.”
Danny took her hand again, played his thumb across the pulse point at her wrist. “Try to relax. Your doctor said you’re still going to be feeling the effects of that stuff for awhile.”
Eyes still closed, CJ picked up the conversation again. “Please tell me I hallucinated throwing up in front of the President.”
Toby chuckled softly. “He was really nice about it.”
A blush flamed over CJ’s cheeks, drastically countering how pale her skin had become. “Oh God, I’m so embarrassed.” She turned her head toward the sound of Toby’s voice. “I threw up in front of you, too, didn’t I?”
“I was really nice about it, too. Held your hair back and everything.”
CJ laughed softly. “You’re a real gentleman, Toby, thanks.” She felt around on the table in front of her for the cup of ice and lifted it with shaking hands. “Please tell me this hasn’t leaked yet. This is going to make Bush choking on a pretzel look like-“
“No leaks,” Danny and Toby said in unison. “Although, my editor is definitely aware that something’s wrong,” Danny continued, looking at Toby. “He knows I’m at the hospital with a friend but he’s only taking a shot in the dark that my friend is the White House Press Secretary.”
Toby muttered something under his breath that Danny couldn’t quite catch. “CJ, the press should be the least of your worries right now.”
CJ opened her eyes to look at Toby. “I can’t not worry about the press. It’s like a reflex.”
“Yeah, well, fight that, okay? Concentrate on more important things.”
“Like?”
“Like the fact that we’re going to have to add an official taste tester to the White House staff so this doesn’t happen again!” Toby blew out a long breath. “Okay, that was- Sorry. It sounded wittier in my head.”
“Most things out of your mouth do.” She gave Toby a half smile. “You know, Carol could do the briefings.”
“She could.”
“Or Sam. He’s well-spoken, cute on camera.”
“Him, too.”
“But don’t you dare let Josh-“
“I know. Trust me. I still have people asking me about the secret plan to fight inflation.” He rolled his eyes when his cell phone vibrated on his hip. “Be right back.”
Danny shifted position in his chair and readjusted his hold on CJ’s hand. “Drugs kicking in?”
“Not quick enough.” She looked up at him and smiled wanly. “This is not at all what the hospital is like on “ER.”
Danny laughed. “Not enough hot male nurses around for you?”
“I’ve got my own hot male nurse.” She squeezed his hand and he found himself blushing. “No, it’s just that I get the distinct feeling I’m not going to be completely and miraculously well by the time 45 minutes and 5 commercial breaks have rolled by.”
“Probably not. Hate to disappoint you.”
CJ sobered. “How bad is it, Danny? Really? I feel- weak on the inside. Hollow. And not just from the stomach pumping. Quivery. Like everything inside of me is turning from solid to liquid.”
Danny smoothed her hair gently. “You’re going to be fine. It’s going to take a few days, but your doctor says you’ll make a full recovery. It’s going to take some intensive treatment, that’s all.”
“Why would someone do this to me?”
“I don’t know. Leo, Josh, and Sam are looking over everything they’ve got on their desks to see if there’s some potential disaster just waiting to be uncovered and released. But with the First Lady’s upcoming goodwill tour and the President’s visit to China, there’s a lot going on. Not that I have to tell you that.”
CJ’s eyelids were starting to droop. “I’m getting tired again.”
“You need to sleep.”
“Can you send Carol to my place to get some of my things? A normal pair of pajamas? A toothbrush?”
“I’ll call her.”
“You don’t have to stay, Danny. And tell Toby, too.”
“Don’t you even start that,” Danny warned. He touched her cheek gently. “Get some rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.” He brushed his lips over her forehead and heard her sigh softly in response.
When she shut her eyes, he rose and headed into the hallway to find Toby.
"She okay?"
"Trying to fall asleep."
"Josh just called. They went into CJ's office, went through the packets and briefing books that have come down from the Hill over the last twelve hours to see if there's anything sending up a red flag."
"And?"
"According to Carol, there's a packet of notes that were signed in to her office-- you know CJ has every delivery through her office logged-- that the guys can't find."
"You think it means anything?"
"Yeah." Toby's brow furrowed. "Yeah, I think it means something."