For Dad.
~~~~~~~~~~~
It was beginning to be embarrassing, the way Ginger would give her
that *look* and not so subtly remind her that she was indeed, staring
at CJ again. It seemed odd even, that after all the years she'd been
working in the communications bullpen that in the last few months
she'd been caught staring more times than in the years before.
Ginger watched as Bonnie's eyes drifted back down the hall toward
CJ's office, her face clearly concerned. "You need to relax, I'm sure
they are just having one of their typical arguments. He'll be back to
his usual grumpy self by morning."
"I don't think it's a typical fight," Bonnie pulled her eyes way
from
the outline of the office window where Toby could still be seen
standing and followed Ginger back into the communications
bullpen. "I've seen them fight, she looked like she was almost on the
verge of tears."
"Well, if she is, all the better for us. Every once and a while Toby
needs to get his ass kicked up between his ears by a woman, and when
it happens he's marginally nicer to us for a week or so," Ginger
watched as Bonnie's eyes drifted back to the hall, looking for any
sign of CJ, then softened her sarcastic tone. "Bonnie, I'm sure it's
fine. Now come on, we have to go drop off these receipts to the OMB."
Bonnie nodded dully then tossed one more glance toward the hall
before following Ginger and kicking back into office mode. With any
luck they'd have the post-trip notes typed and ready to go before
eleven and she might even be able to get home in time for Letterman.
*
Letterman was, unfortunately, out of the question. It was long after
midnight and Bonnie was beginning to wonder if she'd make it home
before dawn at the rate things were going. A bundle of receipts had
gone missing from the stop over in Iowa, three pages of Toby's notes
had gotten mixed up in a report they'd sent on to Sam. It had been a
nightmare just retracing steps and tracking down all the loose
papers, they'd yet to even start on typing up the post-trip report
that Leo was sure to want on his desk by morning. With an idle
wondering of getting an IV full of caffeine to keep her going through
the night, Bonnie wandered down to the mess hall in search of enough
coffee to keep her and Ginger going through the night. What she found
when she got there was an empty coffee area and CJ holding the
remaining pot hostage at a table by herself.
"Is that all for you, or would you mind sharing?" Bonnie asked with
a
smile, watching as CJ jerked her head up alarmed and looked at
her. "Whoa, sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I thought you saw me
come in."
CJ shook her head, then looked at where Bonnie was standing, directly
in her line of sight. "Guess I was a little out of it there for a
minute." Bonnie noted the papers and post it notes scattered across
the table and remembered that Carol had taken the day off because of
a sinus infection.
"You need some help CJ?"
"What?" CJ focused again and followed Bonnie's eyes down to where
they were looking at her scattered papers and notes. "Oh, no, I'm
fine. This stuff isn't important, just stuff I'm looking over." CJ
started to shuffle her papers together, then noticed Bonnie was still
standing there with her empty coffee mugs. "Come get some coffee,
there's not much left, but what there is you can have."
"Thanks," Bonnie picked up the tall thermos of coffee and poured
the
remaining bit into her mug, watching just over the rim as CJ began
stacking up papers with different medical headings on them. "Working
on a new position paper?"
"Uh, yeah." CJ let her voice trail off before dropping the papers
back to the table. "I mean. no. It's um, personal research I guess."
"Oh," Bonnie held her breath as CJ stared down at the printed out
papers, the heading `Alzheimer's' in bold black ink. "Ok, well. if
you need anything, any help since Carol's out, or just someone to
talk to, I'll be around for a while."
CJ looked up and smiled gratefully. "Bonnie, would you mind not
saying anything." Bonnie wave her off quickly.
"Sure, not a problem." She watched as CJ dropped her eyes back down
to the stack of paper again, then back up to her face. "Your Dad?"
Bonnie asked cautiously. CJ's eyes narrowed for a moment then
softened. This wasn't some gossip-hound, it was Bonnie, and her
interest was friendly and helpful, not ill-meaning.
"Yeah, how'd you guess?"
"I heard you and Toby arguing when I was walking to my desk." CJ
let
out a soft laugh and smiled self-deprecatingly.
"For all the times I've lecture people about keeping things private
and keeping office doors closed." CJ's voice trailed off softly once
again and Bonnie found herself sliding into the chair across from
her.
"You mind if I ask how he's doing?"
"He has his good days and bad days. It's progressing slowly, or so
the doctors say anyway."
"Well that's good." Bonnie shook her head immediately, regretting
the
words as soon as they left her mouth. "I didn't mean `good' nothing
like this is ever good. I just meant that."
"Bonnie, it's ok, I understand what you meant."
"God, I heard enough of the cliché's when my Mom was sick, you'd
think I'd be better at avoiding them with others."
"Your Mom was sick?" Bonnie stiffened slightly, then nodded. "When?"
"She died two months before I joined the campaign staff. She'd been
sick for four years before that."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." CJ said sincerely.
"It's ok, I don't talk about her much."
"What was she sick from?"
"Breast cancer. It metastasized and spread through her body, the
tumors were slow moving, she ended up fighting a lot longer than the
doctors thought she could make it. That's why I said it was good that
your Dad's progress was slow. I was eventually glad for the extra
time I had with my Mom."
"Bonnie, you joined the staff four years ago, and your mom was sick
four years before that. you must have been eighteen, nineteen when
she got sick."
"Seventeen actually. I talked the school into letting me graduate
early since I had enough credits and I stayed home during the day to
take care of her when she couldn't work. My aunt helped care for her
when I worked and took classes at night."
"You worked and went to school and took care of your mom?" CJ asked,
clearly impressed. Bonnie shrugged and brushed off CJ penetrating
stare.
"It's not as saintly as it seems. She could still work for most of
the time, it wasn't until the last few months I really stayed home
full time to tend to her."
"How did you manage to graduate college?"
"By the skin of my teeth, but hey - B's and C's still get degree's.
Just so happened in my case it was more C's than B's."
"Amazing," CJ smiled.
Bonnie felt herself blush at the comment, her throat dry and reached
for the remainder of her coffee. "Not so amazing, just - necessary.
She had to have medical insurance and she couldn't work, so I did."
"I'm not sure when the time comes that I'll be able to be there for
my Dad. to take care of him the way he'll need to be taken care of,"
CJ admitted softly, staring into her near empty coffee cup.
"You have to handle things in your own way, but when the time comes,
you'll do what's best, and you'll know it's the right thing," Bonnie
assured, taking the last sip of her coffee.
"You're a pretty smart woman," CJ grinned, earning another blush
from
Bonnie. "You should be running this place instead of us."
"Oh no, not me, no thanks. I can put up with Toby and his tirades,
Leo and his impossible projects. Sam and his need for spelling
perfection. But having to lead all of you - no thanks, I'll leave
that to the President."
CJ laughed and for the first time all day felt the tension ease out
of her body. "What about me? You mentioned Sam and Toby and Leo's
issues, don't I have any that torment the staff?" Bonnie smiled,
resting her chin on the palm of her hand.
"Not from where I'm sitting." CJ laughed again, feeling the ease
that
ushered in with the sound. Looking back up at Bonnie her voice
trailed off as her eyes met the young assistants, finding more than
just humor or camaraderie in them. CJ let herself hold the look for a
beat, two, then blinked and smiled.
"Well, I better head back to my office and lock up," CJ stood and
gathered her notes together. Nervously Bonnie stood as well.
"Yeah, I need to finish up the post trip report for Leo."
CJ picked up her mug in one hand, her papers in the other and gave a
faltering smile. "Night Bonnie. Thanks for the talk."
"Anytime," Bonnie's smile was brief but brilliant as CJ began to
walk
away then turned back. Oddly CJ shifted her papers then reached out,
hugging Bonnie quickly before smiling one last time and swiftly
walking out of the mess. Bonnie stood there for a long minute
watching CJ walk out, staring at the empty area after she was gone.
Her lips curved into a slow smile. The empty space was filled a
moment later by Ginger.
"Hey, I just walked past CJ and she said you drank the rest of the
coffee - thanks a lot partner!" Ginger said sarcastically, pushing
through behind the mess counter and searching through the open
cabinets for more coffee bags. When Bonnie didn't respond Ginger
peeked her head back over the counter to stare at her friend. "You
ok? CJ didn't taker her frustration for Toby out on you did she?"
Bonnie couldn't help but laugh. "Not at all. We had a nice. talk."
"Thank god," Ginger ducked her head back into a cabinet. "Maybe
if
you actually speak to her on a regular basis you can stop staring at
her across the bullpen."
Bonnie smiled. Somehow she had a feeling it wasn't going to work that
way.
The End.