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Title: The Shadows Grow Long 8/18
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Tuesday, 9:02am, Private Waiting Room, GW Hospital, Wash, D.C.
After holding each other up for a few moments, Donna and Mrs. Abbott stepped back and just looked at each other, seeing the damaging results of this night reflected in each other's eyes.
The two of them sat down, holding hands, holding on.
Mrs. Abbott was the first to speak. "I�ve heard the doctors and your friends talking about Josh�s injuries all night, but I don�t know anything about him. Tell me about your Josh," she said.
Donna blushed at the way Mrs. Abbot described Josh as "hers". "Oh, he's not mine Mrs. Abbott," Donna said.
"Please, call me Sharon. He's not yours? Really? Then does he at least know that you�re 'his'?" she asked. When Donna blushed again but darted glances around the waiting room to see if anyone had heard, Sharon realized that this was something strictly between Donna and Josh. She lowered her voice, "Ok, I got it. and I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. I know who the President is - I mean I voted for him � but I don't know Josh. Can you tell me about him?"
With that request Donna attempted to sum up "Josh" for Sharon... a hard task to be sure. She ended up using words like, "brilliant", "a mess", "dedicated", "arrogant", and "passionate". Donna leaned in close - so no one but the two of them could hear - to tell her about "the dimples", and Mrs. Abbott really laughed for the first time in hours.
Then Donna asked, �And your Stephanie� what�s she like?
Sharon smiled wide, as she literally puffed up in pride. "I'm probably biased, but I tell you my Stephanie is brilliant, too. She's currently studying at GW University to become a journalist."
�A journalist,� Donna said. �I have a friend that she might like to meet when she�s feeling better. Danny Concannon. He works for the Washington Post.�
Sharon's recognized the name, but her first response was to ask, "Is he a good man? I mean, besides the Pulitzer he won. Her father and I have tried to raise Stephanie to be both caring and grounded, and we hope that as she moves forward in her career that she won't lose track of those qualities. But it would be great if she could meet a positive role model."
Nodding her head, Donna praised, "Oh, yes, Danny� he's a good man. Absolutely one of the best."
Sharon knew that Stephanie was an admirer of Mr. Carl Bernstein's journalistic tenacity. She also knew that it meant something to Steph that the reporter had gone to Blair High, and she thought it was important to have role models. But if Steph could actually meet and talk to an investigative reporter that had won a Pulitzer Prize? One that she and Grant would like? That would be even better. "I know Steph has followed Mr. Concannon's investigative journalism... I think she'd be thrilled to meet him."
Donna had to ask, "and Stephanie's father? He�ll be here soon?" The moment Donna asked the question she wished she could take it back, because Sharon almost started crying again.
"He was in Denver on business. I had to call him to tell him what had happened.� She stopped to breathe deep again. �He's on his way here now, and oh, God, I wish he were already here."
Sharon thought back to last evening. Her husband always worried about "his girls" when he was gone, so when everything was going crazy on the news about the President being shot Grant had called her, just to check in. Sharon had told him that Steph had been somewhere near the event, but that she would be home soon, and that she would call him back as soon as she arrived. How could she have known?
She did call him later, but not to tell him that Steph was home safe and sound. She could imagine him waking up confused with the phone ringing, blinking his pretty brown eyes awake enough to find his cell.
She wished she didn�t have to tell him over the phone, "Grant? Something bad�s happened, Grant. Stephie was at the shooting last night and she's been hurt. They've taken her to GW and she's in surgery. Grant, our baby's been shot." And she had burst into tears.
"I'll be there right away. I'll get there as fast as I can." She could hear the anguish in his voice, as the sleep fell away. He was grabbing his clothes to get dressed while he was telling Sharon, �Everything will be okay�, and �I�ll be there soon.� Grant felt terrible that he couldn't take Sharon in his arms and comfort her right at that this moment. He desperately wanted to make things "all better" for Stephie, just like he had done when she was a child and had skinned her knee. He felt so helpless� but until he got to GW he couldn�t do a damn thing.
"Sharon, I'll be there as soon as possible. And when Stephie wakes up, tell her that I send my love." His mind was churning with ideas as to how to get back home� fast.
Sharon�s crying slowed� she knew him well enough to know what was going through his head. "Grant, baby, be safe. Get here quick, but get here safe. I couldn't handle it if you got hurt, too. I'll be fine until you get here. Then we'll both be here for Stephie when she wakes up."
She felt so bad for him, knowing that the time spent getting back home would be hard for him, and right now she didn't know how long that would be. All she knew was that each moment waiting for him seemed like forever.
email Teresa
mercier_beaucoup at yahoo.com
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