"Josh? Are you in here?"
"Yep. So is Sam."
"Hey Donna."
"Hi Sam... What are you two doing?"
Josh answered, "We are... at this moment, discussing the effects of terrorism on the world supply of milk while eating our Wheaties™ plain."
"I'll come back when you want to be serious, Joshua." Donna shook her head and left.
"She just called you Joshua."
"Yah."
"Well?"
"What? Are you jealous? Do you want me to call you Samuel?"
----------------
A soft knock came to the door.
"Yah. Come in."
She closed the door behind her.
"You came back for the Wheaties™, didn't you? I told Sam you'd be back, but he didn't believe me."
"No, Josh. That's not why I'm here. I came back to tell you that the Pentagon is collapsing, they found a fourth plane, and that the South Tower has collapsed and the North Tower is expected to follow suit. That's why I came back, Josh."
"The skyline is falling? The skyline is falling!" He paused. "...Really? That's terrible news."
"Yes. It is, Josh." Her tone was steely.
Sam didn't really want to get in the middle of this. His life could be at stake. Suddenly though, Donna embraced Josh, tears streaming down her face. "Why do you have to be so insensitive?"
"I've been through a lot of things... And this is just how I respond to these situations. I know I don't always say the right things at the appropriate times... But, well, you have tears, and I have witty one-liners."
"They're really not that witty, Josh."
"No?"
She shook her head "No." and resumed crying into his shoulder.
Sam wisely took the opportunity to leave them alone. "I'll be out... doing things."
Josh mouthed, "Nicely said, Samuel."
----------------
Sam ambled around the hallways of the nearby hotel where they had evacuated to. He immediately found CJ, her exasperated tone drilling into the receiver of a secured-line telephone. She was still doing her job. Toby was there with her. Sam observed that Toby wasn't really watching the close-captioned words scrolling across the muted television. He could have been asleep except for the fact that his eyes were open and he seemed to be staring, but at nothing in particular. Sam caught CJ's attention and she motioned for him to sit down while she was still fully engaged in conversation. "They've confirmed the planes? United Airlines, too?"
Pause.
"Right. UN evacuated. He's in... where?"
She listened for a moment and nodded, obviously not wanting to reveal anything aloud, though Toby was the only other person in the room. Sam decided to try anyway, mouthing, "What?"
She responded in silence, "Bartlet. In LA."
"Los Angeles?"
She shook her head, clarifying, "Louisiana."
Toby suddenly spoke aloud, but quietly, in his reserved manner, "What's next?"
CJ turned to him. "Speech."
Toby nodded and turned back to the TV, or the wall, or whatever. Sam chose not to question the apparent link between the two older government employees that enabled them to fully understand each other in very few words.
Sam resumed his questioning as he wasn't quite as adept at reading CJ's mind. "When?"
"'Just stay tuned.'" CJ quoted her informant. She shrugged. She couldn't tell Sam when. She didn't know herself.
"Just stay tuned."
----------------
Leo refused to sit down. He needed to speak with the President. He wanted to argue the health of the country and the health of the presidency like anal old men. Because that's what they were and that's what they were good at.
"Damn it." He cursed under his breath. He should also be calling his ex-wife. He shrugged. He could blame that one on senility.
----------------
"Donna, make a note: My beeper is not linked to any type of harmful device and therefore, when it vibrates, there is no need for me to yell and throw it across the room."
Silence.
"I don't hear writing."
"It... it was more of a scream."
"I still... What?"
"I've heard men yell, Josh. That was definitely a scream."
"Then make a note that I shouldn't scream when my beeper goes off. And make sure you put the note on my desk so that it gets lost with everything else I ever put on it."
"You should try looking in the drawers."
"What drawers?"
"The drawers of your desk."
"Why?"
"You might find things in them."
"Really?"
"Trust me."
"Ok."
He picked up his beeper. "It's CJ. We're supposed to turn on CNN."
Josh turned on the TV. Leo stopped at the doorframe.
"Mind if I join you to watch?"
Donna shook her head, "Not at all. Please come in, Mr. McGarry, sit down."
"That's all right, I'll stand."
He leaned against the doorframe, a somber expression on his face, his hands in his pockets. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything. I heard a scream."
"It was Josh."
Leo looked at him for an explanation.
"My beeper went off. It's CJ's fault."
"Pointing fingers can come later. Let's see what the President has to say."
----------------
The President blinked a few times and cleared his throat. Three seconds.
Two.
One.
"In the past several hours, many horrific events have unfurled. Terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon - beacons of America's economy and strength. And freedom itself suffered attack by faceless cowards. But our freedom will be defended. That is the top priority right now - that our freedom perseveres.
Make no mistake: the United States, with all the power it holds and all the assistance it can evoke from every available source... The United States will find and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts. The United States will have its freedom."
----------------
"He's in Louisiana? Why? It's not that great. Really, is there anything actually there besides Cajun food, French impersonators, and discarded Mardi Gras beads?"
"That's probably the point, Josh. But is there a reason that I'm sensing some hidden hostility from you towards Louisiana?"
"I lost a watch there once."
"And that did it for you? You're embittered for life because you lost a watch in Louisiana?"
"Yah. Pretty much."
Josh looked over at Leo who seemed to still be contemplating the President's speech.
"What do you think, Leo? What now?"
"This is a hell of a test, especially so soon after releasing to the press that he has M.S."
Leo shook his head, "Oh good. It figures that when I'm angry I speak in rhyme. It's hardly an appropriate..."
"Time?" Donna whispered.
"Thank you Ms. Moss."
----------------
Toby announced quietly, "Washington's now officially in a state of emergency."
Sam nodded in acknowledgement. "It's about time. Especially since Donna has officially been in a state of emergency since 9:30 this morning."
Toby nodded, "She has her reasons. We all have our reasons."
CJ was back on the phone. "Okay, so now he's leaving Louisiana... Going somewhere classified... And you won't tell me where."
She listened for a moment longer and then hung up.
"So what now? We wait?"
CJ nodded.
Toby sighed and closed his eyes, "We can't do anything more."
"Yep. So is Sam."
"Hey Donna."
"Hi Sam... What are you two doing?"
Josh answered, "We are... at this moment, discussing the effects of terrorism on the world supply of milk while eating our Wheaties™ plain."
"I'll come back when you want to be serious, Joshua." Donna shook her head and left.
"She just called you Joshua."
"Yah."
"Well?"
"What? Are you jealous? Do you want me to call you Samuel?"
----------------
A soft knock came to the door.
"Yah. Come in."
She closed the door behind her.
"You came back for the Wheaties™, didn't you? I told Sam you'd be back, but he didn't believe me."
"No, Josh. That's not why I'm here. I came back to tell you that the Pentagon is collapsing, they found a fourth plane, and that the South Tower has collapsed and the North Tower is expected to follow suit. That's why I came back, Josh."
"The skyline is falling? The skyline is falling!" He paused. "...Really? That's terrible news."
"Yes. It is, Josh." Her tone was steely.
Sam didn't really want to get in the middle of this. His life could be at stake. Suddenly though, Donna embraced Josh, tears streaming down her face. "Why do you have to be so insensitive?"
"I've been through a lot of things... And this is just how I respond to these situations. I know I don't always say the right things at the appropriate times... But, well, you have tears, and I have witty one-liners."
"They're really not that witty, Josh."
"No?"
She shook her head "No." and resumed crying into his shoulder.
Sam wisely took the opportunity to leave them alone. "I'll be out... doing things."
Josh mouthed, "Nicely said, Samuel."
----------------
Sam ambled around the hallways of the nearby hotel where they had evacuated to. He immediately found CJ, her exasperated tone drilling into the receiver of a secured-line telephone. She was still doing her job. Toby was there with her. Sam observed that Toby wasn't really watching the close-captioned words scrolling across the muted television. He could have been asleep except for the fact that his eyes were open and he seemed to be staring, but at nothing in particular. Sam caught CJ's attention and she motioned for him to sit down while she was still fully engaged in conversation. "They've confirmed the planes? United Airlines, too?"
Pause.
"Right. UN evacuated. He's in... where?"
She listened for a moment and nodded, obviously not wanting to reveal anything aloud, though Toby was the only other person in the room. Sam decided to try anyway, mouthing, "What?"
She responded in silence, "Bartlet. In LA."
"Los Angeles?"
She shook her head, clarifying, "Louisiana."
Toby suddenly spoke aloud, but quietly, in his reserved manner, "What's next?"
CJ turned to him. "Speech."
Toby nodded and turned back to the TV, or the wall, or whatever. Sam chose not to question the apparent link between the two older government employees that enabled them to fully understand each other in very few words.
Sam resumed his questioning as he wasn't quite as adept at reading CJ's mind. "When?"
"'Just stay tuned.'" CJ quoted her informant. She shrugged. She couldn't tell Sam when. She didn't know herself.
"Just stay tuned."
----------------
Leo refused to sit down. He needed to speak with the President. He wanted to argue the health of the country and the health of the presidency like anal old men. Because that's what they were and that's what they were good at.
"Damn it." He cursed under his breath. He should also be calling his ex-wife. He shrugged. He could blame that one on senility.
----------------
"Donna, make a note: My beeper is not linked to any type of harmful device and therefore, when it vibrates, there is no need for me to yell and throw it across the room."
Silence.
"I don't hear writing."
"It... it was more of a scream."
"I still... What?"
"I've heard men yell, Josh. That was definitely a scream."
"Then make a note that I shouldn't scream when my beeper goes off. And make sure you put the note on my desk so that it gets lost with everything else I ever put on it."
"You should try looking in the drawers."
"What drawers?"
"The drawers of your desk."
"Why?"
"You might find things in them."
"Really?"
"Trust me."
"Ok."
He picked up his beeper. "It's CJ. We're supposed to turn on CNN."
Josh turned on the TV. Leo stopped at the doorframe.
"Mind if I join you to watch?"
Donna shook her head, "Not at all. Please come in, Mr. McGarry, sit down."
"That's all right, I'll stand."
He leaned against the doorframe, a somber expression on his face, his hands in his pockets. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything. I heard a scream."
"It was Josh."
Leo looked at him for an explanation.
"My beeper went off. It's CJ's fault."
"Pointing fingers can come later. Let's see what the President has to say."
----------------
The President blinked a few times and cleared his throat. Three seconds.
Two.
One.
"In the past several hours, many horrific events have unfurled. Terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon - beacons of America's economy and strength. And freedom itself suffered attack by faceless cowards. But our freedom will be defended. That is the top priority right now - that our freedom perseveres.
Make no mistake: the United States, with all the power it holds and all the assistance it can evoke from every available source... The United States will find and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts. The United States will have its freedom."
----------------
"He's in Louisiana? Why? It's not that great. Really, is there anything actually there besides Cajun food, French impersonators, and discarded Mardi Gras beads?"
"That's probably the point, Josh. But is there a reason that I'm sensing some hidden hostility from you towards Louisiana?"
"I lost a watch there once."
"And that did it for you? You're embittered for life because you lost a watch in Louisiana?"
"Yah. Pretty much."
Josh looked over at Leo who seemed to still be contemplating the President's speech.
"What do you think, Leo? What now?"
"This is a hell of a test, especially so soon after releasing to the press that he has M.S."
Leo shook his head, "Oh good. It figures that when I'm angry I speak in rhyme. It's hardly an appropriate..."
"Time?" Donna whispered.
"Thank you Ms. Moss."
----------------
Toby announced quietly, "Washington's now officially in a state of emergency."
Sam nodded in acknowledgement. "It's about time. Especially since Donna has officially been in a state of emergency since 9:30 this morning."
Toby nodded, "She has her reasons. We all have our reasons."
CJ was back on the phone. "Okay, so now he's leaving Louisiana... Going somewhere classified... And you won't tell me where."
She listened for a moment longer and then hung up.
"So what now? We wait?"
CJ nodded.
Toby sighed and closed his eyes, "We can't do anything more."
