things you said on the phone (the west wing | carol/cj)

[fiachairecht]

things you said on the phone. the west wing, carol/cj. carol takes a sick day, cj (lie) manages. 846w, rated t.

CJ twists the phone cord around her fingers and glares at Gail as if Carol's words over the phone were the goldfish's fault. "What do you mean, you're not coming in today?"

"I mean," Carol sighs, and CJ can hear the regret in her voice as clearly as if the other woman were standing in front of her, "that someone gave me the flu. And by someone, I mean Ginger. And by that," she pauses to cough, "I mean that Ginger is doing all of the extra typing I can think of while I'm stuck here. And more that I think of when I get back."

CJ has to admit that there's something a little bit adorable about the image of a flu-struck Carol in bed cocooned in blankets, thinking up busywork typing to give her fellow assistant. "And I'm sure she'll deserve every minute of it."

Carol's reply might have been "Damn right". It also might have been a sneeze. It's followed by a groan, and then a clatter that CJ suspects is her dropping the receiver on her forehead.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" There's not, and they both know it, but no one else is in yet and CJ's going to take the opportunity to be a little less formal with Carol than they usually have to be in the office.

"Noooo." If CJ didn't know her better, she would think Carol was whining. "My head hurts so much I can't even read the newspaper. CJ, this sucks." Correction: now Carol was whining.

CJ tries to push aside the rush of affection that floods through her, but she's fairly sure she's grinning like an idiot anyway. "I know this might be a disappointment to you, hon, but I can read newspapers too."

"Mmm. Who does all your synthesis and summarizing and analysis and schedules your time to read all the newspapers?"

Trust Carol to know exactly what to say to make her grin even more. "You make me sound hopeless, you know that?"

"Without me? You–" she sneezes again "– you are. And now I'm sick and useless as well, which is unfa–" She breaks off into a coughing fit.

"I should let you sleep," CJ says somewhat guiltily. Jokes aside, she can definitely handle a day in the office without Carol. Probably. "I have senior staff soon, anyway."

Carol's voice is hoarse when she says, "Since when is two hours and thirty-six minutes soon?"

Busted. Obviously. Even with the flu, Carol still knows CJ's schedule better than she does. Which is not helping her with the guilt at all.

"Since your flu decided that I had to do everything myself this morning?"

Carol makes a disgruntled noise and sneezes again. "You have a staff, CJ."

"Yeah, but..." CJ sighs and checks to make sure her office door is still closed. "Yeah, they're not you, though."

"Aww," Carol laughs. "I'm flattered. But, honestly, you'll be fine."

"You think so?" CJ hopes she doesn't sound as surprised as she feels. Not that she doesn't believe Carol.

"Of course." Carol manages to sound faintly indignant even through her flu. CJ's about to thank her, but then Carol adds, "for, you know. Three hours? Three and a half?"

Now it's CJ's turn to groan, and she slumps down in her seat and pinches the bridge of her nose. You are so lucky that I love you is on the tip of her tongue, but she can see Katie and Steve making their way into her foyer, and she knows firsthand what walls mean – don't mean – in this building. "I'll show you," she says instead. "I bet you it takes me at least five hours before I have to call you for help."

Carol's laugh segues into more coughing. "Bet me what?" she asks, when she recovers.

"Um." She hadn't thought that far ahead. "I'll bring us both coffee in the morning for a week?"

Carol laughs again, and CJ really hopes neither Katie nor Steve are looking through her office windows because now she's positive she's grinning like and idiot. "What sort of prize is that?"

"The 'there's reporters in my foyer and I'm definitely going to win' sort of prize?"

"Sure, sure," Carol says, and CJ can picture her wry smile. "Go handle Katie and Steve. I started today's senior staff file last night and put it in my desk. Second drawer on the left."

CJ doesn't bother asking how Carol guessed which reporters were hanging around, but her smile softens with pride. God, she misses Carol already. "What would I do without you?" she murmurs.

"Call me for advice," Carol says with complete confidence.

"We'll see," CJ smirks. "Take care of yourself."

Carol yawns. "Thought that was usually my line."

"It is. But you still have to listen. I'll call you later – in more than five hours." She hangs up the phone to the sound of Carol's skeptical uh-huh.

*

In four hours and twenty-three minutes, after thirty-nine minutes of searching for the South Korean ambassador's biographical notes, CJ calls Carol.