Donna was sitting, unhappily shocked, between Josh and Sam.
"How can they be so... mean?"
Josh looked at her, "You do know that they don't just hate you, they hate all of us. They didn't just decide to pick out a few Americans and choose to not like them and bully them. They haven't like the whole of us for a long, long time. So long that it doesn't make sense to anyone but them anymore."
"Josh, we have people jumping out 110 story buildings today... and they're... applauding... and cheering..."
Sam added, "They're starting their Holy War. They consider it a reason to celebrate."
"It's just not right."
There was no way to argue that point.
So the three continued to sit there, being reminiscent of children trying to explain and relate life's cruelties to each other. And CJ and Toby came in to deliver coffee and to resume previous activities.
Donna looked to Toby, "They hate us, Toby."
"We've known that."
Donna still didn't look convinced that everyone actually understood that they were not liked by another country, but she decided to give up on eliciting a more emotional response from any of them. She saw that CJ was already busy on the phone again - trying to get information about the proceedings of the National Security Council.
Donna thought it odd that, though they were all in the same room together, they were all very alone - their minds so obviously far apart.
Several sports games were being canceled or postponed and Sam and Josh protested out loud.
Well, okay, so maybe Josh and Sam were still thinking along the same wavelength.
----------------
Jed looked around. He saw men. Only men. The United States was depending on a group of guys who looked like they wanted to punch something - or someone - in the face.
Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have.
He had Vice President Hoynes, Berryhill - the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense - Hutchinson; Rob was there; Mike, Jack, Bobby, and Jonathon, too; but where was-
Leo walked in, looking slightly disheveled, "I'm sorry I'm late Mr. President, but I'm here, now."
"Good. Come in Leo, sit down."
Now the President was ready to make some decisions.
----------------
CJ placed the phone in its cradle.
""We can go home now."
She received four questioning stares - as if she had stopped mid-sentence or had been speaking in lost tongues. Realizing that she wasn't going to continue, the group rose, leaving CJ bewildered with their confusion. She exited the room slowly. Josh was waiting in the hall for her.
She asked him, "What did I do? Or what didn't I do?"
He walked next to her, "You forgot the magic word."
"Please?"
"No.Thepresidentisokandlifewillgoonbutmostimportantlywehaveajobtodosoletsgetitdoneanddoneright. That's what you forgot."
CJ shook her head in resignation. Josh could make sense. Sometimes.
----------------
It was surreal how everything seemed almost normal in the White House again - everyone was back to work (more or less) - and the President was on his way there.
"Work" was now compromised of doing little things to deal with the terrorist attacks; so that they wouldn't have a chance to build up and cause irksome problems later. But there were still those who had nothing to do until the President was back in the Oval Office.
Toby was in a meeting with CJ and Sam, discussing everyone and every way people could be linked and how the American public could attribute to anything the President had or hadn't done in his administration. There would also be some discussion of the White House's (CJ's - technically) response to the effect of the President's diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis on the counter-actions of the government.
Josh was, meanwhile, building towers with his massive accumulation of paperclips that he had pilfered from various sources over the course of his employment in Washington. Donna caught him in the act. Either it was from the change in air pressure caused by the closing of the door or the actual subtle force of Donna gently shutting it that triggered the discordance of Josh's hour's worth of diligent construction into scattered, indistinct piles of wire.
"Oh. Sorry, Josh."
He shrugged. "It's okay. It already happened once today."
She wrung her hands a little before speaking. "Another building collapsed at the World Trade Center Complex."
"Which one?"
"Tower Seven."
Josh nodded. Donna looked at the ceiling for a moment and then back to him.
"Josh, they're asking anyone from the White House who has the time to give blood right now, so I figured I'd tell you and see if you would go with me when I went. And I'll go as soon as I get an answer from you. I think this is a great way to help, so -"
"Donna."
"Yes?"
"I'll go."
"Oh. Okay, good. Thank you."
He stood up, but paused. "Donna."
"Yes?"
"Next time, don't be so nervous - we know each other well, so there's no reason for you to be scared to ask me to -"
"I wasn't scared to ask you, Josh."
"You were wringing your hands."
She looked beat.
"I... I don't like needles, Josh."
----------------
Charlie shuffled through some papers and other assorted debris. The silence was odd; The President, First Lady, Vice President, and Chief of Staff were still absent and Charlie wasn't entirely used to the lack of Mrs. Landingham's presence.
He looked at the President's agenda and began mentally shifting things and crossing them off. Mrs. Bartlet was going to pitch an education policy before the Senate committee; The President had meetings here and there. Toby walked in.
"Good to see that you're okay, Charlie."
"You too, Toby."
"Yeah, well, we'll see. Anyway, we need you to relate something to the President. We've got a plan."
----------------
Sam looked at his notes and the expanse of ink dots that slowly grew in the margin as he continuously tapped his pen, point down. He continued with this activity and, without looking up, asked CJ, "What's wrong with Toby?"
"Excuse me?"
"Is he ok?"
"He's saying he is."
"What happened?"
"He might have some family there." She gestured to the TV with its lurid pictures of the smoky New York City skyline.
"Might?"
"Yes."
"He doesn't know?"
"No. He's going to wait."
Sam shook his head. "How can he do that?"
CJ sighed. "Sam, take off your glasses."
"Why?"
"When I have to explain things to people, I prefer that they not look so smart."
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