claudiajean's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Neck Thing Ability- WW she was walking so fast that she couldn’t tell if she was running or about to fall. she could tell, however, that she was late. she flew by sam, who looked at her questioningly, and then at his watch, with raised eyebrows. “i know!” she called, throwing open the doors to the room that held the press corps. the thing was, she had been asleep. she hadn’t slept in 28 hours and was out of the little white pills that kept her head light, but her eyes open. they were all calling her name. she hated that they had 15 extra minutes to think of questions. she hated that they all wore a look that said ‘you better have a damn good story to keep me waiting like this.’ she hated that she had nothing she didn’t have that morning. she called on danny because she was familiar and easy on her on occasions. she didn’t remember the question or the answer, she didn’t remember it being over, and she didn’t remember bumping into leo on the way out but there she was on the floor, her wrist already stinging. “what was that?” leo asked, at least having the decency to help her up. “I was asleep.” she said truthfully, having learned early on that lying to leo only got you one thing: fired. “you have two of these a day, with like, what, eight hours in between, and you were sleeping?” he asked. “when was the last time you slept, leo?” she asked, defensively. “i don’t sleep.” “because you aren’t human that way! i couldn’t help it, i swear i tried to fight it, but you know, everyone is doing it and all that peer pressure was more than i could stand. i only tried it once, but then i was hooked, stealing a few hours here, a cat nap there, ok, fine, i’m admitting it. i have a problem, i’m a sleep-oholic.” they were walking, and she was angry because she had screwed up and he was angry because he just always was. “i don’t mind that you were sleeping, it’s just... try to have some better timing ok?” he disappeared before she could argue. instead, she grabbed a coat and her wallet and went to go buy some more little white pills. she’d show them, sleep was for wussies, it was for girls, and she was one of the big boys. she was one of the men who helped run the country and had the presidents ear. she was... she was... already asleep. when donna came in a few hours later, she was surprised to find cj still on her couch. “cj, wake up.” donna said, kneeling by the long woman trying to fit into a loveseat they called a couch. “oh, god, what time is it?” she asked, worried she had slept through another briefing and lost her job. “it’s a little past 11:00. the place is clearing out, you should go home.” she said, helping the disoriented cj up. “why are you wearing your coat?” cj looked down to discover she was indeed wearing the coat and had slept in her wallet, and that was why her hip hurt so much. “i was going to go out, i think.” shrugging, she picked up the wallet, tossed it in her briefcase and left a worried donna in her wake. when she finally parked behind her building, possibly in her space, but probably in the neighbors, it was already midnight. she had driven slow because she was falling asleep and didn’t want to go fast in case she was to plow into somebody’s side. she left her briefcase in the car, and had to go back for her keys once, and when she finally, finally slipped in between her sheets, something completely awful happened. “what?” the reply on the phone answered gruffly. “toby? it’s me.” she said, knowing he wasn’t asleep, he probably hadn’t even been home long. “cj? what’s wrong?” he asked, sounding less annoyed. it was rare that someone from work called another, because 14 hours of their day was spent with that person, it would be overkill. they had to work together like a well oiled machine, after all. “i can’t sleep.” she almost laughed, but it turned into a sort of coughing fit instead. “remember that thing you used to do when we were campaigning?” “i did many ‘things.’” “when we were all asleep in the bus, and remember how the first lady and the president were all curled up together on the bed, and when i couldn’t sleep you’d do that thing, with my neck and i would fall asleep?” “ahh, that thing.” “could you do that now?” “no.” “please, toby, i’m dying over here.” she pleaded, sounding whiny. “no.” “i’ll give you money, or booze, or pieces of a ceramic cat, anything!” “take my meeting with the angry wives of imprisoned husbands tomorrow at noon and i’ll do it.” he said. “done. this i how much i need the thing, toby.” she reminded him before she hung up. he knocked on the door and waited for her to come, wondering why he was there at all. unlike cj, he had no problem falling asleep, and almost did driving over. he had rolled the windows down and played loud, obnoxious music so he stayed awake. he always had his radio on am stations, listening to news talk, and admittedly, maybe it was the focusing on the finding a fm station that nearly caused him to crash. she opened the door looking incredibly grateful and incredibly haggard in her exhaustion. she didn’t even smile when she pulled him in. she was reaching for a tie, but he had changed into jeans and a sweatshirt before he had come over and so she merely stretched out the lettering of the yankee's temporarily. she was clad in flannel pajamas and american flag slippers, her glasses sliding off her nose. he looked at the slippers and opened his mouth to comment. “don’t. they were a gift from tom so just don’t.” and he didn’t. she handed him the coffee in her hand and he took it. when she walked away, he stood awkwardly in her living room until he shrugged and followed her into the bedroom, with his eyes closed. “toby?” “yes?” “what are you doing?” he could hear the amusement in her voice. “i didn’t want to walk in on anything.” he said, his eyes still closed. “what would i do, knowing you’re standing out in my living room, with my bedroom door open? why would i be doing anything that you couldn’t see?” she asked, incredulously. “look, you could be putting gooey green stuff on your face, or something that would scar me for life. i don’t know what women do.” he said, opening his eyes and seeing her sitting cross-legged on the bed, watching him with amusement. “you were married, right?” she asked laughing. “ok, if you just dragged me down here to insult me, then i’m going to take my neck thing abilities and just go back home to sleep peacefully while you struggle over her with your.. your... awakeness.” he said, sloshing coffee on to his hand. with a sigh, he wiped it on his jeans. “no. i’m sorry, i could have been putting something gooey on my face. now, come on.” “you know, i think we have to be on a bus for the neck thing to actually work.” he said, in retrospect. “toby! i have to get some sleep.” she cried. “ok. ok. i’ll try.” hesitantly, he sat on her bed and started rubbing the tips of his fingers in to various points on her neck. “oh my god.” she said. “you should get paid for this.” “i thought you offered me money already?” he said, stopping. “that was just to get you over here.” she said, slapping his hand so he started again. “oh my god.” he chuckled. they were quiet and he could only concentrate on the sound of her breathing. “toby?” “what.” “that’s really very good.” “thank you.” “toby?” “yes, cj?” “I’m not asleep.” he was aware of that. “why am i not asleep? i was asleep by now.” “i don’t know.” he pulled his hand away and she looked at him with big glassy eyes, a sort of desperation was causing her hands to shake and the coffee cup that she held was full of little ripples. she thrust the cup at him and put her head in her arms, her spin arched almost unbearably in toby’s opinion. he reached out to rub her back and she jumped. “jesus christ, toby.” she said, looking at him. but she didn’t look angry, and she smiled a little bit. “that was almost sweet.” he shrugged and looked at the clock on her nightstand. the large red letters said 1:03. he looked at cj who had scooted under the covers and was staring at the ceiling. “am i actually going to go back home tonight?” he asked her and she looked at him. “if you are, then you need to leave right now. otherwise, there are blankets stored in the closet in the spare room and an extra pillow in here.” toby got up, and left her room. she sighed, giving up, and turned on cnn. she really didn’t expect him to be back, and she wasn’t angry. it was toby, he was the busiest man in america and if he needed sleep, then it was fine. he was standing in the hallway, looking at the door, and looking at the linen closet. he really wanted to sleep, and staying meant getting up extra early to go home and change. but cj had been there for him for years. when he and andi split, she spent 6 hours on the phone with him. he kicked off his shoes, and grabbed a blanket. “ok. i’m going to sit here, until you fall asleep and then we’re even.” he said. she looked up at him and smiled. “thank you.” he laid next to her, and she curled up and closed her eyes. “you know, i always thought i would end up in bed with josh.” “that’s it, i’m going home.” “no, i’m kidding, i’m sorry, i take it back...” end 7:56 p.m. - 2002-01-13 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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