I don't own anything. So sue me. (No, don't really.) I know you hate chapters, but I like feedback. It helps me keep going. And I'm taking about a million liberties with Sam's family. I'm pretending he's an only child and his mother has passed away. Sorry, but I hope you can put the liberties aside and enjoy the tale :) Thanks all. Please feedback.
Sand and Water----part 1
Sam ran a hand through his hair, grimacing as he glanced up from the monitor screen to glare at the stack of papers at his desk. "This is impossible," he thought aloud. "How am I supposed to turn 600 pages into a three paragraph statement?"
"Oh, I'm sure you'll find a way," a soft, musky voice answered. "After all, isn't this what they hired you for, my boy?"
Sam blinked in surprise, and raised his gaze to meet a medium height, graying man standing in his office's doorway. On the elderly man's face was the classic old man's smile- the one that said "I know everything, but everyday I try to learn something new."
A wide grin spilled across Sam's face. "Dad!" He exclaimed, standing up for the first time in four hours, and enveloping the older man in a bear hug. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
His father returned the embrace, and then stepped back to give his son the once-over. "You look tired. That governor hasn't been working you too hard, now has he? And some woman in the front let me in. Took some time, though. I swear.... it's like trying to get into a Beatles' concert over there."
Sam chuckled, "We call him the "president" now, Dad. You know that."
Mr. Seaborn grinned. "Of course I know that, son. I was just joking with ya, my boy."
Sam smiled, and caught his father's eye, sensing there was something the seventy plus year old wasn't telling him. "So," Sam continued. "Why are you here?"
A visible cloud formed over Mr. Seaborn's eyes. "I just wanted to see my favorite kid, that's all."
Sam rolled his eyes, "I'm your only kid, Dad." He loved that word- it had been way too long since he had been able to say it.
Mr. Seaborn nodded. "Well, how about you let your old pop treat you to lunch. I promise, the papers will still be here when you get back," he motioned to the files sprawled across Sam's desk.
Sam grimaced. "Actually, I really have to finish this statement-"
"Tom!" Josh exclaimed as he poked his head into Sam's office, and then entered the room. He shook hands warmly with the elderly man. "How are you?"
"Hi, Josh," Thomas replied. "It's good to see you again."
"Likewise! What brings you to this part of the country?"
"Just wanted to drop in and see my son. And my friends," Thomas answered, smiling at Josh. "How are you?"
"I'm.... extremely busy. Actually, I just came here to grab the statement from Sam."
Sam winced and shook his head. "Dad, how about I meet you at the Radison for dinner? Around 5? I should be out of here by then."
Thomas smiled slightly. "Good. Josh, why don't you come also?" He asked, extending the invite.
"Ok. Sounds good." Josh smiled.
The older man nodded, and then suddenly wrapped his arms around Sam and Josh, pulling the three of them into a sort of human circle.
Sam chuckled, unsure as the three men stepped back after the embrace. "What was that for?"
Thomas smiled and shook his head. "I just want you boys to know how proud I am of you, of both of you."
The two younger men blushed and muttered their thanks.
"Well, I best be going. Let you two get back to your "official" business," Thomas said with a wink. "Call my cell when you get off of work, Sam. And then you can give me directions."
Sam nodded. "I will."
Thomas smiled and turned to leave. Then he turned around once again. "I love you, Sam." He said softly, in his quiet voice.
Sam blinked. "Me too." He replied. With that, the older man winked again and walked out the door.
4:30 pm
Four hours later, the senior staff had gathered into the oval office. Sam, Josh, Toby, CJ, and Leo all were standing in a sort of half circle around the president.
The president placed the statement on his desk. "Good work." He replied, after reading it. "So anything else we need to bring up?" The senior staff all shook their heads, murmuring "no sir." Jed smiled. "Slow day, eh?"
With that, they all groaned.
"Now you've jinxed it, sir," kidded Leo.
Bartlet rolled his eyes. "Thanks, guys."
Right before the staff was about to head out the door, Charlie walked in- without knocking.
"Charlie?" The president asked, confused. "What's wrong?"
Charlie shook his head slightly at the president and turned to look at Sam. "Sam...it's your father."
Sam flinched, his face turning a paler shade. "What about him? What's...what's wrong?"
"He was found unconscience while waiting at some restraunt," Charlie glanced at the memo he was holding, and then continued. "He's at Georgetown Hospital."
To be continued
Sand and Water----part 1
Sam ran a hand through his hair, grimacing as he glanced up from the monitor screen to glare at the stack of papers at his desk. "This is impossible," he thought aloud. "How am I supposed to turn 600 pages into a three paragraph statement?"
"Oh, I'm sure you'll find a way," a soft, musky voice answered. "After all, isn't this what they hired you for, my boy?"
Sam blinked in surprise, and raised his gaze to meet a medium height, graying man standing in his office's doorway. On the elderly man's face was the classic old man's smile- the one that said "I know everything, but everyday I try to learn something new."
A wide grin spilled across Sam's face. "Dad!" He exclaimed, standing up for the first time in four hours, and enveloping the older man in a bear hug. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
His father returned the embrace, and then stepped back to give his son the once-over. "You look tired. That governor hasn't been working you too hard, now has he? And some woman in the front let me in. Took some time, though. I swear.... it's like trying to get into a Beatles' concert over there."
Sam chuckled, "We call him the "president" now, Dad. You know that."
Mr. Seaborn grinned. "Of course I know that, son. I was just joking with ya, my boy."
Sam smiled, and caught his father's eye, sensing there was something the seventy plus year old wasn't telling him. "So," Sam continued. "Why are you here?"
A visible cloud formed over Mr. Seaborn's eyes. "I just wanted to see my favorite kid, that's all."
Sam rolled his eyes, "I'm your only kid, Dad." He loved that word- it had been way too long since he had been able to say it.
Mr. Seaborn nodded. "Well, how about you let your old pop treat you to lunch. I promise, the papers will still be here when you get back," he motioned to the files sprawled across Sam's desk.
Sam grimaced. "Actually, I really have to finish this statement-"
"Tom!" Josh exclaimed as he poked his head into Sam's office, and then entered the room. He shook hands warmly with the elderly man. "How are you?"
"Hi, Josh," Thomas replied. "It's good to see you again."
"Likewise! What brings you to this part of the country?"
"Just wanted to drop in and see my son. And my friends," Thomas answered, smiling at Josh. "How are you?"
"I'm.... extremely busy. Actually, I just came here to grab the statement from Sam."
Sam winced and shook his head. "Dad, how about I meet you at the Radison for dinner? Around 5? I should be out of here by then."
Thomas smiled slightly. "Good. Josh, why don't you come also?" He asked, extending the invite.
"Ok. Sounds good." Josh smiled.
The older man nodded, and then suddenly wrapped his arms around Sam and Josh, pulling the three of them into a sort of human circle.
Sam chuckled, unsure as the three men stepped back after the embrace. "What was that for?"
Thomas smiled and shook his head. "I just want you boys to know how proud I am of you, of both of you."
The two younger men blushed and muttered their thanks.
"Well, I best be going. Let you two get back to your "official" business," Thomas said with a wink. "Call my cell when you get off of work, Sam. And then you can give me directions."
Sam nodded. "I will."
Thomas smiled and turned to leave. Then he turned around once again. "I love you, Sam." He said softly, in his quiet voice.
Sam blinked. "Me too." He replied. With that, the older man winked again and walked out the door.
4:30 pm
Four hours later, the senior staff had gathered into the oval office. Sam, Josh, Toby, CJ, and Leo all were standing in a sort of half circle around the president.
The president placed the statement on his desk. "Good work." He replied, after reading it. "So anything else we need to bring up?" The senior staff all shook their heads, murmuring "no sir." Jed smiled. "Slow day, eh?"
With that, they all groaned.
"Now you've jinxed it, sir," kidded Leo.
Bartlet rolled his eyes. "Thanks, guys."
Right before the staff was about to head out the door, Charlie walked in- without knocking.
"Charlie?" The president asked, confused. "What's wrong?"
Charlie shook his head slightly at the president and turned to look at Sam. "Sam...it's your father."
Sam flinched, his face turning a paler shade. "What about him? What's...what's wrong?"
"He was found unconscience while waiting at some restraunt," Charlie glanced at the memo he was holding, and then continued. "He's at Georgetown Hospital."
To be continued