Elaine sat down next to Margaret who was watching TJ's chest rise and fall while he was unconscious in the hospital.

"How you holding up mom?" Elaine asked facing her mother.

"I'm fine. I should be asking you." Margaret said as she knew Elaine found TJ unconscious in the car.

"I just can't believe it why would he do something like this?"

"Who knows but it doesn't take a genius to realize that he has been unhappy the past few days."

"Hmmm."

"It wasn't that hard to see."

"So why didn't you tell anyone."

"I shouldn't have had too, Elaine." Margaret thought of how many times TJ would talk and how his voice was brittle or how he always was high or drunk and if he was sober it was because he was coming down from the high.

"You don't need to rub it in I know I failed as a mother." Elaine said sadly.

"You haven't failed." Margaret said gently touching Elaine's shoulder.

"Well it sure feels like it." Elaine replied flatly.

"No one ever said motherhood was easy."

"I know that."

"Have you had anything to eat yet?" Margaret asked knowing that Elaine hadn't eaten since lunch a little over 14 hours ago.

"No."

"Go get something to eat."

"Not hungry."

"You won't be any good to TJ if you starve yourself. Go get something to eat I'll stay here with him."

"When did you get so bossy?"

"I'm your mother it's my job. Go. Eat."

"I'm going." Elaine replied getting up and walking out the door. Margaret was alone with TJ for roughly fifteen minutes before TJ groaned and flinched away from the light, and to be honest TJ felt like he had the flu and he felt heartbroken. The pain he felt at the moment was sickening. To be honest TJ felt like the pain was killing him.

"Hey you're awake. Here open your eyes now." Margaret said dimming the lights.

"Where am I?" TJ asked quietly to not make his headache any worse than it was.

"In the hospital." Margaret said matching his pitch. TJ dropped his head into the pillows and thought 'Great you're such a big fuck up you couldn't even kill yourself. Good going.'

"Do you need something?" Margret asked noting TJ's distress.

"No."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"
"Yes Nana." TJ wasn't okay and he didn't think he ever would be but he would lie to keep his grandmother happy. He could at least do that much.

"Well that's good." Margaret said smiling TJ returned a forced smile as he felt a churning in his stomach and blanched, "TJ is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing." TJ smiled at his grandmother but she didn't looked convinced.

"Stop lying your mother isn't here."

"I'm just tired."

"MH." TJ closed his eyes to stop himself from crying 'What did you expect she's mad at you you're still the fuck up, the black sheep.'

"Hey if it makes you feel any better I'm not mad. I don't know about your mother though." TJ didn't trust himself to speak so he just nodded.

"Just rest sweetie. I'll deal with her." Margaret whispered stroking TJ's hair as he started to lose consciousness.

"Am I interrupting something?" Elaine said curiously walked in.

"Hey mama." TJ said looking and feeling and looking lethargic.

'How are you feeling?"

"Okay." TJ replied sort of out of it.

"Good." Elaine said.

"Where's Doug?" TJ asked looking around and not seeing his brother.

"Why?" Elaine asked quietly to know one in particular.

"Why what?" TJ asked knowing what she was asking about.

"Nothing just wondering out loud." TJ was looking around quietly.

"What?"

"Nothing'."

"Alright." Elaine said before walking to her mother. TJ rolled over so he was facing anyone and pulled in on himself, "Mom can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." Margaret said as they got up and walked out of the hospital room.

"Did TJ tell you anything?"

"No."

"Did you ask?"

"Ask what exactly?"

"I didn't ask he was pretty out of it. Do you know why he did it?" Margaret asked watching TJ shake.

"Mhh."

"Any ideas who?"

"What?" Elaine said taken aback.

"Who pushed him off the edge?"

"Why do you think it was someone who did it?"

"Things have pushed him off the edge before, such as your running for president but this is the first time he's done something like this." Margaret said softly.

"Fine, ill confess he's been seeing this senator named Sean." Elaine said remembering the fight she and TJ had.

'I'm in love with him, Mom. I never thought that this was gonna happen to me. I feel like a different person when we're together, and I haven't been high in six months. Not even an aspirin."

'You are tying your sobriety to this asshole you are in so much trouble.'

'You are the most important women in the world and you can't help me?!"

'I am trying to help you that is what I'm doing you just can't see it.'

Margaret broke her train of thought by speaking, "Sean… Sean Reeves?"

"Yeah he's married and was having an affair with TJ and somehow convinced him that he was going to leave his wife and look how that turned out."

"That explains why TJ looks so heartbroken." Elaine and Margaret stood in silence for a bit when Doug walked up to them.

"Hey Doug." Margaret said to her grandson.

"Hey nana how's TJ?"

"Okay." Margaret said knowing Doug blamed himself.

"Do we know what happened?"

"He tried to kill himself, Dougie."

"I know that, I mean what made him snap?"

"I'm not sure exactly." Margaret said knowing TJ wanted to tell him, "Do you want to talk to him?"

"Is he awake?"

"Yes but he still may be a little out of it." Doug walked over to see his brother curled in on himself slightly and facing the wall.

"Hey TJ."

"Hey Dougie." TJ said stretching out and rolling over to look at his brother.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit."
"Wonderful. TJ what the hell were you thinking!?" Doug snapped at his older brother.

TJ flinched and was quiet for a moment "I don't know. Are you mad?"

"No I was more worried than anything."

"I'm sorry."

"God Damnit TJ, you can't do stuff like this do you know how you made everyone feel?" Doug snapped at TJ.

"How do you think I felt?!" TJ yelled it hurt to talk that loudly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Doug, you didn't know."

"No I…" Doug sighed.

"What's wrong Dougie?"

"I'm just… I don't know."

"What?"

"I just don't know what to do, what to think."

"Think of how big a fuck up your big brother is."

"Well I feel like I fucked up too."

"Because I should have noticed something wrong."

"I'm good at hiding things, it's not your fault."

"But you shouldn't have to hide things from me."

"I hide things from everyone."

"But I'm your brother you should be able to talk to me."

"I should but I can't."

"Is there a specific reason you can't talk to me?"

"I feel like I disappoint everyone."

"Side effect of being a president's kid, right?"

"Yeah, I guess."TJ knew that wasn't the reason every time he'd try to speak he'd get tossed away unless he did something bad, and then it was why would you do this TJ why.

"Mhm."

"I'm sorry. For everything."
"Why are you sorry? I should have been there or done something."

"You didn't know Dougie it's my fault." Doug looked miserable after TJ whispered that.

"Please don't look like that Dougie please." Tj begged his brother.

"I look miserable because I am miserable." Doug cut off his brother before he could speak, "It's not your fault other things were going on to."

Taj looked at his brother disparagingly" What things?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow you're exhausted."

"I'm not exhausted." TJ quickly replied while his subconscious was calling him on another lie.

"Fine, besides you? Work."

"I'm sorry I didn't want to cause you guy's pain. I am so… so sorry."

"Don't worry we're Hammonds we'll survive." TJ turned away from Doug,"Hey do you want me to leave? I'll come back tomorrow."

"No I'm just mentally exhausted. Dougie you got to believe me I didn't mean to cause any pain." Tj rolled back over and he didn't have that mask of painted emotions on he looked tired, heartbroken and apologetic.

"I know."

"No you don't. The person I love most in the world, hell the whole universe, left me. You have no idea how I feel."

"I know that but-"

"He left me, Doug, You don't know a DAMN thing." TJ hated talking to his brother like this but it got his point across, "I'm tired do you mind sending Mama and Nana in?"

"Sure I'll go get them."
"Hey TJ." Elaine whispered walking in behind Doug.

"Hey Mama." TJ rasped, "Why don't you guys go home?"

"Are you sure?" Margaret asked.

"Yes I'll be fine for a few hours. Go home. Get some sleep."

"Call us if you need anything."

"Okay."

"Alright see you tomorrow."

TJ waited until they were out of earshot before he let the mask drop he felt dead inside that was the best way to describe it, like when he would come down from the highs but worse. He reflected during that time he remembers crying over Sean and as he inhaled more of the gas when he was on the verge of passing out he remembers how at peace he felt. Then he bitterly remembered all of the reasons he did it Sean, him becoming his father, and once again disappointing his family. He started crying, he stopped a little` later and if it was even possible TJ felt even worse.