Title: Getting Answers
Author: Angela
Category: Post Ep, Drama Spoilers: Noel Rating: slight PG Summary: Sam gets answers from Leo Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. Feedback gratefully received at scott_sherwood@hotmail.com
Authors notes: First, I want to thank Ali Cherry, even though she probably has no idea why;) But, a single sentence in her story Monster helped me come up with the idea for this story. So, thanks! Also, I seem to remember Leo living in a hotel, which is why I put him there. I also figure that he doesn't call Bartlet 'The President' in his thoughts. (I also can't seem to get the title, author, disclaimer things lined up nicely, but the story seems to be formatted okay, so please excuse the jumble in the beginning.)
Getting Answers
"Leo."
Leo turned around. Sitting in one of the chairs in the hotel lobby was Sam. He groaned. He was *not* up to this. He had already dealt with Josh today. Not that he begrudged Josh his time, because he did have a real problem. But, he really didn't want to bother with whatever grievance Sam thought he might have.
"I'm sorry." Damn, Sam must have noticed the exasperation on his face. "This is probably a bad time. It can wait until later?" The inflection of his words made it a question, and Sam nodded briskly as if in answer. "Sorry. Have a Merry Christmas."
Maybe it was the pleading look in his eyes even as he was preparing to leave. Or, maybe it was the plaintive tone as he said Merry Christmas. Anyway, Leo knew he would feel guilty all night if he turned Sam away now. And that would really put a damper on his Christmas. "Come on to my room and we'll talk." Quickly, he hoped.
As soon as they got to his room, Sam spoke just one word. "Josh?"
Leo immediately felt about as low as dirt. Of course, it would be about Josh. Sam wouldn't disturb someone on Christmas Eve for something trivial. And, knowing Sam, he would place anything that concerned himself in the trivial category.
"Sit down." Wrong choice of words. Sam cast him a horrified look, and sat, clutching the arms of chair, as if bracing himself for the worst. Leo hurried to reassure him. "Josh has post traumatic stress disorder." He wondered if he had made it even worse.
"Post traumatic stress disorder," Sam repeated slowly. To Leo's astonishment, he looked relieved. Then he repeated the words again, and Leo thought he understood. He remembered how Sam had sounded when he called to Josh earlier in the Oval Office. Scared and uncertain. For a man who was prone to hole himself up in his office when he couldn't think of the perfect word for a speech, it must have been a great weight lifted off of him to actually have a name to go with what he had seen.
"Is he?" Again he left his sentence unfinished.
Leo thought he knew what else was still bothering Sam. "Don't worry, I told him he still has a job. We won't fire him over something like this."
Sam's expression seemed to say he was filing that bit of information away until he got his more important question answered. "Is he going to be okay?"
Once again, Leo had read him wrong. Sam would worry more about *Josh* than Josh's career. "He'll be seeing someone to talk over things with. Sam, it'll take time, but Josh will be fine. We'll keep an eye on him."
"Thanks Leo." Sam smiled, and he looked even younger than usual. Like a little boy. People must love giving Sam birthday or Christmas presents just to see that smile on his face.
"Don't worry," Leo repeated. He thought he should say something else. Ask Sam how he was handling things. With everything Josh had been through, it was easy to forget that Sam hadn't come out of things unscathed. But, he had never been very good at talking about feelings. And, it was harder with Sam, who he wasn't especially close to. Not like he was with Josh, and certainly not like he was with Jed. But, they did have one thing in common now. They were best friends with someone who had been shot.
"I should go. I'm sorry I bothered you so late on Christmas Eve, but I was worried about Josh." Whatever problems he might be having were pushed on the back burner. The light was still in his eyes. As long as his friend was going to be fine, his own problems didn't matter. This time, Leo was sure he had read Sam correctly. He wasn't going to spoil things for him. He just made a mental note to be available if the time ever came when Sam had to think of himself for a change.
"Merry Christmas, Sam."
End
Author: Angela
Category: Post Ep, Drama Spoilers: Noel Rating: slight PG Summary: Sam gets answers from Leo Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. Feedback gratefully received at scott_sherwood@hotmail.com
Authors notes: First, I want to thank Ali Cherry, even though she probably has no idea why;) But, a single sentence in her story Monster helped me come up with the idea for this story. So, thanks! Also, I seem to remember Leo living in a hotel, which is why I put him there. I also figure that he doesn't call Bartlet 'The President' in his thoughts. (I also can't seem to get the title, author, disclaimer things lined up nicely, but the story seems to be formatted okay, so please excuse the jumble in the beginning.)
Getting Answers
"Leo."
Leo turned around. Sitting in one of the chairs in the hotel lobby was Sam. He groaned. He was *not* up to this. He had already dealt with Josh today. Not that he begrudged Josh his time, because he did have a real problem. But, he really didn't want to bother with whatever grievance Sam thought he might have.
"I'm sorry." Damn, Sam must have noticed the exasperation on his face. "This is probably a bad time. It can wait until later?" The inflection of his words made it a question, and Sam nodded briskly as if in answer. "Sorry. Have a Merry Christmas."
Maybe it was the pleading look in his eyes even as he was preparing to leave. Or, maybe it was the plaintive tone as he said Merry Christmas. Anyway, Leo knew he would feel guilty all night if he turned Sam away now. And that would really put a damper on his Christmas. "Come on to my room and we'll talk." Quickly, he hoped.
As soon as they got to his room, Sam spoke just one word. "Josh?"
Leo immediately felt about as low as dirt. Of course, it would be about Josh. Sam wouldn't disturb someone on Christmas Eve for something trivial. And, knowing Sam, he would place anything that concerned himself in the trivial category.
"Sit down." Wrong choice of words. Sam cast him a horrified look, and sat, clutching the arms of chair, as if bracing himself for the worst. Leo hurried to reassure him. "Josh has post traumatic stress disorder." He wondered if he had made it even worse.
"Post traumatic stress disorder," Sam repeated slowly. To Leo's astonishment, he looked relieved. Then he repeated the words again, and Leo thought he understood. He remembered how Sam had sounded when he called to Josh earlier in the Oval Office. Scared and uncertain. For a man who was prone to hole himself up in his office when he couldn't think of the perfect word for a speech, it must have been a great weight lifted off of him to actually have a name to go with what he had seen.
"Is he?" Again he left his sentence unfinished.
Leo thought he knew what else was still bothering Sam. "Don't worry, I told him he still has a job. We won't fire him over something like this."
Sam's expression seemed to say he was filing that bit of information away until he got his more important question answered. "Is he going to be okay?"
Once again, Leo had read him wrong. Sam would worry more about *Josh* than Josh's career. "He'll be seeing someone to talk over things with. Sam, it'll take time, but Josh will be fine. We'll keep an eye on him."
"Thanks Leo." Sam smiled, and he looked even younger than usual. Like a little boy. People must love giving Sam birthday or Christmas presents just to see that smile on his face.
"Don't worry," Leo repeated. He thought he should say something else. Ask Sam how he was handling things. With everything Josh had been through, it was easy to forget that Sam hadn't come out of things unscathed. But, he had never been very good at talking about feelings. And, it was harder with Sam, who he wasn't especially close to. Not like he was with Josh, and certainly not like he was with Jed. But, they did have one thing in common now. They were best friends with someone who had been shot.
"I should go. I'm sorry I bothered you so late on Christmas Eve, but I was worried about Josh." Whatever problems he might be having were pushed on the back burner. The light was still in his eyes. As long as his friend was going to be fine, his own problems didn't matter. This time, Leo was sure he had read Sam correctly. He wasn't going to spoil things for him. He just made a mental note to be available if the time ever came when Sam had to think of himself for a change.
"Merry Christmas, Sam."
End