Disclaimer: I do not own The West Wing or any of the characters mentioned in this story.
The Watch
Kirra White Tigress
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
I watched the second hand steadily move from within the Rolex I held in my hands. Seconds off my own life were counting down, turning into minutes, hours. Something told me that I should do something other than just stare at this cold hunk of metal, but I couldn't move. My eyes stayed glued to Leo's most prized possession as if it were the only thing keeping him here.
Just hours ago felt like a lifetime ago—I found Leo McGarry lying on the bathroom floor, barely breathing. I couldn't do anything but scream for the agents at the door; I can't help but feel that I could have done something else. I could have forced him back to consciousness. I could have forced him to breathe—I had the expertise. I could have enabled him to live just a little while longer if I hadn't just froze….
No, he is alive, my mind screamed, but that only made me doubt even more despite it all.
Memories appeared in my mind of lost times between us. There were so many times when I could have just come out and tell him how I honestly felt about him. The first revelation of my feelings for him startled me, but I let them grow over time. He wasn't married—I could have easily let him know…. But my doubts got in the way, as always. Leo was the future Vice President of the United States of America; I was his young media consultant. If the press knew of our relationship—if we in fact had a relationship—it would be enough to sicken the nation and have Vinnick pooling more votes.
That's all that matters in the long run—the race for the Presidency.
I checked the time. The hands seemingly began to slow down, mocking me. A sudden wave of sadness and frustration went through me. Time was not on our side. It never was, it seemed. All I could do was wait for the results of Leo's condition. A prayer passed my lips, one of many. Please God, I silently pleaded. Please let him be alright. Please don't make me lose him….
"Miss Schott?"
I looked up the moment I heard my name. I took off my glasses to wipe the tears from my eyes before putting them back on to face the doctor. I stood, meeting him almost eye-to-eye. "How is he?" I asked almost immediately. I was suddenly aware at how wound up I was by the way my voice shook. "Is he alright?"
The doctor stiffened, but his eyes never left mine. He put a firm hand on my shoulder, his eyes dull with sadness. "I'm sorry," he whispered; my breath caught in my throat. "Mr. McGarry… he passed on just a while ago."
The world stopped spinning at that moment. I looked at him, expecting him to say it was just a joke. But he just stared right back at me for a moment before turning back to the emergency room. I suddenly couldn't breathe. My eyes were instantly clouded by tears that had come uncalled. And it was then when I wanted to yell, to scream at God for everything He had done wrong, but I only stood with silent tears. Why, my mind screamed instead. Why the hell did this have to happen? Why now of all times? Why couldn't I have told him sooner?
My body sank back into the chair, where it then began to convulse with uncontrollable sobs. "Leo," I whispered over and over again, as if doing so would bring him back. I looked back at the watch in my hands, stroking it gently and mumbling my beloved's name in my despair.
It was then with a pang of bitter remorse that I saw the watch had stopped ticking.