Leo's Office: The door's closed. The door opens and we see Josh, looking, if at all possible, even worse. Over Josh's shoulder we see Leo at his desk.
Leo- I'm sorry about this Josh. I know how hard you worked on this Bill. But get it done.
Josh- Yeah.
Josh closes the door, and all but collapses against it.
Josh- Definitely not a good day.
He closes his eyes for a second. A second Margaret uses to step right up next to him, and:
Margaret- Josh.
Scare the hell out of him! Josh's eyes snap open.
Josh- Margaret! What the hell?
Margaret- I just wanted to tell you that, if things get too rough, you can hide out at my desk.
Josh- What?
Margaret- If things get too rough.
Josh- You're offering me asylum from an Energy Bill?
Margaret- Not from the Bill.
Josh- Okay, that's it! Enough! This has been going on for too… Enough! Margaret, what do you know that I don't?
Margaret- Josh…
Josh- Yeah?
Margaret- You work closely with the Communications Department, right?
Josh- Yeah.
Margaret- So you'll know what the fastest path for news to travel through this building is.
Josh- The... internet?
Margaret- Try again.
Josh- The… assistants?
Margaret- Right. So when you ask me what I know that you don't…?
Josh- I'm asking a stupid question?
Margaret- If it gets too rough.
Josh- I'll remember.
Margaret heads off. Ignoring his headache, Josh starts banging his head against the door. BANG. One. BANG. Two. Bang. Three, and… The door opens. Josh flips over backwards, narrowly missing a bemused Leo.
Leo- I thought you were knocking.
Josh- (From the floor) I wasn't.
Leo- Okay.
Leo steps smartly over him and heads off.
Cut to: Toby's Office.
Toby's standing by the plate glass dividing his office from Sam's. The blinds are closed. Toby's banging on the glass.
Toby- Sam! Sam! SAM!
Sam (v/o)- Yes, Toby?
Toby- Sam! Sam! SAM!
Sam (v/o)- You know I heard you, right?
Toby- Sam! I'm eating it, Sam!
Sam (v/o)- And now you're making me eat it, Toby!
Toby- You weren't eating it already?
Sam (v/o)- Yes, but…
Couple of seconds pass, and Sam appears in the doorway.
Sam- Please stop banging on the wall.
Toby- There's no way to do it, Sam! It's not possible! The only way we're gonna be able to change 25% to 30%, is if Canada suddenly overcomes centuries of ingrained pacifism and decides to blow Michigan off the map!
Sam- Canada? You know there are other, more likely countries with missiles that can reach Michigan, right?
Toby- You're editing my rants for factual correctness?
Sam- Canada isn't nuclear.
Toby- It can't be done!
Sam- Actually it can.
Toby- How?
Sam- Well, you just said it. If Canada suddenly went nuclear and developed an irrational hatred of Michigan…
Toby- I'm eating it, Sam!
Sam- Okay, what if…?
Toby- Yeah?
Sam- What if…?
Toby- Yeah?
Sam- I don't actually have a thought here…
Toby- CJ's briefing.
Sam- Yeah, let's watch…
Sam reaches up, and turns the sound up on the TV, where CJ is fielding questions in the:
Press Briefing Room.
CJ- …and as you know, the house will have a floor vote on the president's new Energy Bill.
Reporters- CJ! CJ! CJ!
CJ tries to ignore them.
CJ- That is, for those of you who didn't bother to write it down the first 300 times, White House Resolution 872, which will ratify the US's commitment to reducing fossil-fuel emission over the next five years.
A reporter, Danny Concannon jumps to his feet.
Danny- CJ! Will the president be making any last minute amendments to Resolution 872?
CJ- That's it, everybody. Thank you. I'll see you all again at five.
With that, CJ ducks off to a chorus of:
Reporters- CJ! CJ! CJ! CJ!
Cut back to:
Toby's Office.
Sam- Well, she handled it.
Toby- She would've been better off going with the blah blah blah approach.
Sam- Yeah.
Toby and Sam step out into the Bullpen, and glance down the hallway where CJ's emerging from the Briefing Room.
Toby- Say it!
CJ- Blah blah blah!
Toby- Bit late now, don't you think?
CJ waves him off and ducks into her office. Toby turns to Sam.
Toby- Find Ed and Larry. Tell them to meet us in the Mural Room. We're gonna need space to move. Space to think. Space to figure out just what the hell we're…
Sam- We're also gonna need to gauge opposition reaction.
Toby- I'm not gonna try a whip count now! There's a very real chance a Republican Congressman might try to blow up the White House.
Sam- We don't need a whip count.
Toby- Ainsley?
Sam- Ainsley.
Toby- Do it.
Sam- Ginger, get hold of Ainsley Hayes. Tell her to meet us in the Mural Room in five minutes. Ed and Larry too.
Ginger- Sure.
Ginger gets on the phones. Sam and Toby head for the Mural Room. They only get five steps before they see Josh. If CJ was smiling before, it's nothing on the smiles Sam and Toby are sporting now.
Sam- Josh… how was your vacation?
Josh- Fine.
Toby- You don't seem… particularly rested.
Josh- I'm not.
Sam- Too bad.
Josh- Okay, that's it! Enough! I… have had it! All you people…! All you… All you… you…
Bonnie- (Pipes up) People?
Josh- Yes! You people! With your little innuendos! And your snide remarks! Well, there's a bomb in this building…!
Sam- (Panicked) Josh!
Josh- A metaphorical bomb! And it's about to go off all over me! So, please, for the love of all that is holy, what are you people talking about?
Toby crooks a finger, beckoning:
Toby- Follow me, Tanto.
Josh- I'm Tanto now?
Toby leads Josh into his office. He takes Josh by the shoulders and positions him in the middle of the room as Sam hits PLAY on the VCR.
CameraGuy- You girls enjoying yourselves?
Extreme close-up on Josh's face as all the colour drains out of it. He stares at the screen like he's staring at his own death. With patronising pats on the back, Sam and Toby file past him, heading for the door.
Sam- Josh?
Josh- Yeah?
Sam- At this time… I think you should keep in mind the parable of the…
Josh- Sam, this is the wrong moment to start talking like the president.
Sam- Got it.
Toby- Mural Room when it's over.
Toby and Sam exit. Back on Josh's face:
Josh- Oh… my… God!
And the door closes.
Commercial Break.
