Title: "The Lamentable Demise of George" Part 10
Author: Madeleine Mitchell Carr
Email:
Category: General, Josh/Donna
Rating: PG
Summary: Josh, Donna, a chinchilla. General mayhem and confusion. Many misunderstandings ensue. A touch of angst and a pinch of romance.
Josh POV
Spoilers: Post-'Noel'. Glancing references to many other shows, but this has veered pretty much into the realm of the plotless (and pointless)
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Aaron Sorkin and NBC; I'm just borrowing them. Please don't sue me, as I have no money.
Thanks for all the wonderful feedback, guys.
If you've stuck it out so far - well done! At least I've sorted my tenses out now…
I've decided that there must be something in the water around here.
Not only is Donna behaving strangely, but Sam seems to have developed an unhealthy obsession with George. I mean, you think you know someone, you've been friends with him for years, you're pretty sure you know how he's going to react to any given situation, then he does something so out of kilter that you're left reeling.
My friend Sam, the soul of courtesy, the king of the dry and witty comeback just cracked a sick joke involving my dead pet and the Vietnam War.
I'm sorry, but that's just strange.
Not that I didn't find it funny; in fact, I'm hard pressed not to start giggling again, but that's partly why I'm so bemused and irritated. I shouldn't be laughing at all - I'm trying to put myself in the appropriate frame of mind for a serious conversation with Donna. But I keep being distracted by images of my chinchilla hanging out of a helicopter with a bandanna on his head…
Deep breath - and another.
I will not start laughing again.
I hurry it along and shut myself in my office before Cathy can call for the men in white coats - she was shooting me some very peculiar looks as I passed.
It's not until I'm standing in front of my desk, and wondering why it seems like days since I was last here, that I realise that there is something wrong.
Donna wasn't at her desk.
Now, I don't keep tabs on my assistant to the extent that I know where she is at any given moment, but I can't help but feel that she should know when I want to talk to her and well, make herself available. What could she possibly be doing that's more important?
However, I also know that if I go and look for her, Murphy's law would dictate that we'd spend the rest of the afternoon circling around the West Wing and missing each other by seconds like in some stupid situation comedy.
Frankly, it's beneath my dignity.
So, rather than stand aimlessly around in my office, I decide that I'm more than capable of actually doing some work. I sit down and notice immediately that my laptop is not sitting where I left it. In fact it's been twisted about, the cable is trapped in the lid and my White House coffee mug is teetering on the edge of the desk.
She couldn't have….
She wouldn't have…
Would she?
I gingerly open the machine and find one of the medical sites I was looking at earlier sitting in the browser. I didn't leave it like that did I? I'm sure I didn't.
Has my assistant been spying on me?
Donna has been SPYING on me?
But before I can work up a totally justifiable rage about this, another thought hits me. If Donna's wandering around knowing exactly what I've been researching on my computer, privately, I'm going to have to suck it up and tell Leo about the ATVA thing, because if there is one thing I've learned today amidst all of the George-orientated conversations, you can't keep a secret in the West Wing.
I don't seriously expect that Donna would rush out and tell just anybody, but she has gone to Leo behind my back before…
"Josh!"
Speak of the devil. And believe me when I say that Leo is a hell of a lot scarier when he's angry.
He's through the door and starting on me without preamble.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
I try to squelch the surge of betrayal I feel at his words. There is only one way that he could have found out about this. I'm going to kill her.
"I was going to tell you Leo, but…"
He doesn't let me finish.
"Going to tell me doesn't cut it, Josh, I'm practically the last to know as it is."
WHAT?
What the hell is Donna trying to do to me?
"Who...who told you?" I stutter finally, strangely terrified about the answer.
"I had to hear it from the President."
She went to the President about this? Her ass is so fired. I'm angry, but I've also got this totally ridiculous desire to cry.
Leo has started pacing now,
"I can't believe you told the President before you told me, Josh. From where I'm standing it looks awfully like you don't trust me."
I barely catch the end of this, because I'm still stuck on the first bit.
Excuse me?
"I didn't tell the President"
He stops and stares at me.
"He says you did."
Am I losing my mind? Why is everybody running around today claiming that I told people things when I know very well that I did nothing of the sort?
"I really didn't, Leo"
He's still staring at me and despite my confusion, I see something in his face that I hadn't noticed before. He looks angry, but it's a kind of surface emotion. Underneath that is hurt and - concern? For me?
"Leo…" I really don't know what to say.
He must see the uncertainty in my face because he takes a step closer and some of the anger leaches away.
"Josh, are you okay?"
I'm really, really tired of people asking me that question. I don't think a day has gone by in the last 9 months when I haven't been asked it. Does he think that because I'm doing a group therapy thing as a favour for Stanley that I'm in danger of losing it again? When will he learn to trust me like he used to?
"Leo, I'm fine, really. It was just a…a…thing. You know. No biggie."
I know that wasn't very articulate, but does he have to shake his head at me like that?
"Josh, I know you. I don't know what crazy spin you put on it for the President, but he told me casually with a smile, as though it was something amusing."
Okay, now he's lost me.
"I think you sometimes forget how long I've known you and your family, son. I remember when you were at college. Your father even read me some of your letters."
He called me son.
He mentioned my father.
There is no way that my father belongs anywhere near this insane conversation.
"Leo, what the hell are you talking about?"
I'm growling at him. I'm growling at Leo.
He looks momentarily startled, then, nauseatingly, pity appears in his eyes as well.
"Josh, stop trying to pretend it doesn't matter. I know you haven't seen the boy in 15 years, but you have a right to grieve."
Stop.
Back up.
Grieve?
Oh no.
I was wrong about this conversation being insane; it's full-on baying-at-the-moon loony-tunes.
Forget about getting the wrong end of the stick - I think the stick's been missed altogether.
"Leo, what exactly did the President tell you?"
I must sound a bit funny to say the least, because Leo's looking around the room as if he's hoping that reinforcements will turn up. Leopold McGarry is not Chief of Staff for a lack of backbone however, because he manfully answers my question,
"He said, and I quote, 'By the way, Leo, I just saw Josh. Did you know that his friend George died today?' Then he smiled as if he'd said something amusing. What the hell did you tell him, Josh, that he'd actually find that news amusing?"
He still looks upset, and I can't say I blame him.
Poor Leo.
He's come here concerned for me. Worried about me. He thinks I'm grieving over the death of an old and apparently beloved roommate because the President chose to favour wit over accuracy.
I feel really bad for him. I really do. I want to make that clear right now because my subsequent actions might not indicate anything of the sort.
I start laughing.
I want to say, "I'm sorry Leo, I really am", but I can't get the words out through the chuckles. My eyes have started streaming again and his stunned expression morphs weirdly.
He's frantic. I don't blame him. I know this looks really bad, but I just can't stop laughing. I have to give poor little George credit; he's made me laugh more times today than I've managed all year.
Finally I waver,
"Leo, I'm fine. This is not what you think."
"You don't know what I'm thinking right now, Josh", he says in a very quiet voice. He's angry again, which I find oddly relieving.
"I was trying to help you, and I'm sorry you find it amusing. You know where to find me if you want to talk."
With that, he turns and stalks out of my office.
Oh Leo, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.
I stumble to my feet and go after him but I halt at my door in surprise at the sight that greets me.
I watch as CJ and Sam rush into the bull-pen at a rate of knots, grab Leo, who lets out a startled squawk, and haul him bodily towards CJ's office.
What…?
Still trying to assimilate this sight, a movement from the other direction catches my attention and I turn to see Donna sidle round the corner of Sam's office and scuttle towards her desk with her head down.
What…?
She glances toward my office, sees me standing there and straightens abruptly. She stares, nervously
I stare back at her.
So. My 'trustworthy' assistant has returned.
TBC
While CJ and Sam are presumably filling Leo in on the true nature of George, I'll leave you to ponder on what Josh and Donna will have to say to each other…