Disclaimer: "The West Wing" and all related materials are the sole property of Aaron Sorkin, NBC, etc.
Hearing choking sounds, Donna cracked open Josh's door. As she realised the noise was coming from him, she rushed in and knelt beside his chair, reaching for his face.
"Are you okay, Josh?"
He grabbed her hand. "I just realised, Donna...the world is over. This is...it's day one of never..."
She shook her head. "It's day one of a new world, Joshua. We're still here. The world's not over."
"Nothing will ever be normal again..."
"Nothing ever was."
"I'm okay, Janelle. Have you...have you heard from your mom yet?" Toby cleared his throat to fill the silence after his question.
"Sure, of course, Uncle Toby," his teenaged niece replied with confusion. "She's at B'nei Israel Hospital...she fell trying to get out of the building and sprained her ankle."
He leaned over, resting his head on his desk, choked with relief.
"The Mayor said we should stay home tomorrow, but we have to pick Mom up," she continued. "They're keeping her overnight because she wouldn't talk or anything for awhile...I hope she's all right. Dad wouldn't take me to the hospital to see her."
Finding his voice, Toby said, "I'm sure she's fine...I'm sure of it."
"I'll turn it off if you want," CJ offered as they sat down in the mess, gesturing to the set mounted in the corner.
"No," Sam replied, peeling a section of skin off his orange. "I want to hear this."
"...As you can see, the building is fine, we're having a press conference in it, and we'll be in business tomorrow," Hutchinson assured the gaggle of reporters who had rushed to the Pentagon after CJ's briefing.
Fifteen minutes later, ignoring the cameras and reporters at the landing pad, the President, First Lady, and Chief of Staff disembarked from Marine One and strode up the lawn to the portico outside the Oval Office.
CJ and Sam greeted them on the portico with handshakes and solemn nods. She told the President they were preparing for him to speak at 8:30. He nodded and looked at Sam, who nodded back reassuringly.
The President patted his breast pocket and gestured for everyone to go inside.
Toby didn't bother knocking on Josh's door before he opened it.
Donna dabbed at Josh's wet cheeks, murmuring in a low voice.
Toby closed the door again and went to the Oval Office.
"Larsen's had the FBI set up a website, and a toll-free number for friends and family of possible victims to leave contact info with them," Leo reported.
Bartlet nodded, rubbing one of Abbey's hands. "Where are the kids?"
"Upstairs, Mr. President."
As Toby entered, CJ asked him, "How did it go?"
Subdued joy lightening his heavy features, he nodded. "Good."
"Good," she replied, trying miserably not to smile. This is important.
Leo cleared his throat. "When the subtext and inside conversations are over, we have a staff meeting going on here." He turned back to the President. "The Marriott is on the verge of collapse, apparently--"
"Isn't that where Michael and George had their commitment ceremony?" Jed asked Abbey absently.
"Yes," she replied, smiling commiseratingly at Leo.
Jed hmmed. "Now it's falling down...kind of a perfect metaphor for their relationship."
At 7:43, the President was about to explain to Sam that while his speech was excellent, he had prepared something of his own.
Mayor Giuliani started relinquishing some death numbers, though, so they got distracted.
"The NYPD reports at least 78 officers missing, and we expect at least half the first 400 firefighters on the scene were killed in the collapses."
And sweeping away Sam's best work suddenly didn't seem so important.
Josh smiled weakly at Sam as he made his appearance in the Oval Office.
"You look horrible," Sam remarked brilliantly.
Shrugging, Josh took a sip of water from another paper cone. "I'm sorry about my behaviour today...I think I was in a little bit of shock. I shouldn't--"
Sam cut him off, raising a hand. "We all are. Don't worry about it. But I'm glad you told me."
The camera was rolled in, the lights wired, the TelePrompTer hooked up, the President's statement fed into it. Sam folded up his speech and put it in his pocket. Toby and CJ leaned against a decorative chest of drawers, sharing a last cup of coffee before the broadcast began. Josh was in his office, CNN muted on his set, speaking quietly to his mother. The President sat reluctantly in a make-up chair while Abbey left to go upstairs and sit with her children and granddaughter. Leo stood beside the mirror, advising the artist.
His eyes were sharp, his voice was strong, his intentions and emotions were clear, visible, sympathetic.
"You may have heard the rumour that I visited ground zero in New York today. I did. Marine One landed two blocks from the site, and against the advice of dozens of advisors and my best friend, I walked to the place where the World Trade Centre Towers used to stand. I was there when the towers opened twenty years ago, and all I can tell you about that day was the wine was lousy. All I can tell you about today is that the buildings are gone.
"The buildings are gone. Quite frankly, I think we can live without the buildings. The people, though--it's the people inside them we're going to have a hell of a time living without. Mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, husbands, wives, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and lovers--those are people we can't live without. But this is America; it is the land of the brave and the home of the free. We are Americans, and we must not only live without them, we must live up to the expectations of our country. We must be brave and we must remain free.
"It will be difficult. We will not always succeed, but courage is being afraid and still doing what you have to do. I am afraid, but I will do what I have to do as your President.
"With the assistance, which as already begun to comfort us in our time of need, of so many nations from every corner of the globe, of every race and creed and no matter what their history with the United States, we shall overcome the barbaric tactics of a faceless enemy.
"Right now, it is not the criminals who deserve your attention, though. It is the victims. While I am firm in my resolve to rebuild the buildings, the lives are impossible for me to rebuild, I am only a man. I ask you, my fellow Americans, to pray for those stricken by this tragedy, and to donate all that you can, even that may only be a pint of blood or a quarter at the corner store.
"We are one nation, indivisible, under God. I ask you all to remember that. We cannot lash out at each other in this time of horror, be the difference one of race, religion, or politics. We must stand united. We shall stand united.
"We shall struggle to be brave, and we shall stand firm in our freedom.
"We will oppose oppression, and we will not be crippled by terror. The men and women who perpetrated these horrendous acts will feel the sting and burn of the justice of the brave and the free.
"Goodnight. God bless America."
The End of Day One.
A/N: I don't intend to continue this story any further, actually. It stands as is. I started out with the goal of chronicling September 11th, 2001, as a day in the Bartlet administration, and I've done that. I appreciate the sentiment, though:)
-BJ Garrett
Hearing choking sounds, Donna cracked open Josh's door. As she realised the noise was coming from him, she rushed in and knelt beside his chair, reaching for his face.
"Are you okay, Josh?"
He grabbed her hand. "I just realised, Donna...the world is over. This is...it's day one of never..."
She shook her head. "It's day one of a new world, Joshua. We're still here. The world's not over."
"Nothing will ever be normal again..."
"Nothing ever was."
"I'm okay, Janelle. Have you...have you heard from your mom yet?" Toby cleared his throat to fill the silence after his question.
"Sure, of course, Uncle Toby," his teenaged niece replied with confusion. "She's at B'nei Israel Hospital...she fell trying to get out of the building and sprained her ankle."
He leaned over, resting his head on his desk, choked with relief.
"The Mayor said we should stay home tomorrow, but we have to pick Mom up," she continued. "They're keeping her overnight because she wouldn't talk or anything for awhile...I hope she's all right. Dad wouldn't take me to the hospital to see her."
Finding his voice, Toby said, "I'm sure she's fine...I'm sure of it."
"I'll turn it off if you want," CJ offered as they sat down in the mess, gesturing to the set mounted in the corner.
"No," Sam replied, peeling a section of skin off his orange. "I want to hear this."
"...As you can see, the building is fine, we're having a press conference in it, and we'll be in business tomorrow," Hutchinson assured the gaggle of reporters who had rushed to the Pentagon after CJ's briefing.
Fifteen minutes later, ignoring the cameras and reporters at the landing pad, the President, First Lady, and Chief of Staff disembarked from Marine One and strode up the lawn to the portico outside the Oval Office.
CJ and Sam greeted them on the portico with handshakes and solemn nods. She told the President they were preparing for him to speak at 8:30. He nodded and looked at Sam, who nodded back reassuringly.
The President patted his breast pocket and gestured for everyone to go inside.
Toby didn't bother knocking on Josh's door before he opened it.
Donna dabbed at Josh's wet cheeks, murmuring in a low voice.
Toby closed the door again and went to the Oval Office.
"Larsen's had the FBI set up a website, and a toll-free number for friends and family of possible victims to leave contact info with them," Leo reported.
Bartlet nodded, rubbing one of Abbey's hands. "Where are the kids?"
"Upstairs, Mr. President."
As Toby entered, CJ asked him, "How did it go?"
Subdued joy lightening his heavy features, he nodded. "Good."
"Good," she replied, trying miserably not to smile. This is important.
Leo cleared his throat. "When the subtext and inside conversations are over, we have a staff meeting going on here." He turned back to the President. "The Marriott is on the verge of collapse, apparently--"
"Isn't that where Michael and George had their commitment ceremony?" Jed asked Abbey absently.
"Yes," she replied, smiling commiseratingly at Leo.
Jed hmmed. "Now it's falling down...kind of a perfect metaphor for their relationship."
At 7:43, the President was about to explain to Sam that while his speech was excellent, he had prepared something of his own.
Mayor Giuliani started relinquishing some death numbers, though, so they got distracted.
"The NYPD reports at least 78 officers missing, and we expect at least half the first 400 firefighters on the scene were killed in the collapses."
And sweeping away Sam's best work suddenly didn't seem so important.
Josh smiled weakly at Sam as he made his appearance in the Oval Office.
"You look horrible," Sam remarked brilliantly.
Shrugging, Josh took a sip of water from another paper cone. "I'm sorry about my behaviour today...I think I was in a little bit of shock. I shouldn't--"
Sam cut him off, raising a hand. "We all are. Don't worry about it. But I'm glad you told me."
The camera was rolled in, the lights wired, the TelePrompTer hooked up, the President's statement fed into it. Sam folded up his speech and put it in his pocket. Toby and CJ leaned against a decorative chest of drawers, sharing a last cup of coffee before the broadcast began. Josh was in his office, CNN muted on his set, speaking quietly to his mother. The President sat reluctantly in a make-up chair while Abbey left to go upstairs and sit with her children and granddaughter. Leo stood beside the mirror, advising the artist.
His eyes were sharp, his voice was strong, his intentions and emotions were clear, visible, sympathetic.
"You may have heard the rumour that I visited ground zero in New York today. I did. Marine One landed two blocks from the site, and against the advice of dozens of advisors and my best friend, I walked to the place where the World Trade Centre Towers used to stand. I was there when the towers opened twenty years ago, and all I can tell you about that day was the wine was lousy. All I can tell you about today is that the buildings are gone.
"The buildings are gone. Quite frankly, I think we can live without the buildings. The people, though--it's the people inside them we're going to have a hell of a time living without. Mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, husbands, wives, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and lovers--those are people we can't live without. But this is America; it is the land of the brave and the home of the free. We are Americans, and we must not only live without them, we must live up to the expectations of our country. We must be brave and we must remain free.
"It will be difficult. We will not always succeed, but courage is being afraid and still doing what you have to do. I am afraid, but I will do what I have to do as your President.
"With the assistance, which as already begun to comfort us in our time of need, of so many nations from every corner of the globe, of every race and creed and no matter what their history with the United States, we shall overcome the barbaric tactics of a faceless enemy.
"Right now, it is not the criminals who deserve your attention, though. It is the victims. While I am firm in my resolve to rebuild the buildings, the lives are impossible for me to rebuild, I am only a man. I ask you, my fellow Americans, to pray for those stricken by this tragedy, and to donate all that you can, even that may only be a pint of blood or a quarter at the corner store.
"We are one nation, indivisible, under God. I ask you all to remember that. We cannot lash out at each other in this time of horror, be the difference one of race, religion, or politics. We must stand united. We shall stand united.
"We shall struggle to be brave, and we shall stand firm in our freedom.
"We will oppose oppression, and we will not be crippled by terror. The men and women who perpetrated these horrendous acts will feel the sting and burn of the justice of the brave and the free.
"Goodnight. God bless America."
The End of Day One.
A/N: I don't intend to continue this story any further, actually. It stands as is. I started out with the goal of chronicling September 11th, 2001, as a day in the Bartlet administration, and I've done that. I appreciate the sentiment, though:)
-BJ Garrett