Josh and Toby stayed with Sam until the sun began to rise.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take him now," The coroner said.
"No!" Toby yelled.
"He's not dead!" Josh yelled. At that time, it took four police officers to hold Josh and Toby back so they could take Sam's body.
"Sam!" Toby screamed reaching out for his young deputy. "No!"
"Please!" Josh screamed as he reached for Sam as well. The two men were let go as soon as the ambulance started leaving. "Sam!" Josh started running after it screaming. Toby stayed on his knees and covered his face with his hands.
"I'm sorry for your loss," A woman kneeled down in front of Toby.
"He can't be gone, not him. He's too young."
"I know," She rubbed his back. "My name is Anna, I'm a firefighter. Do you need anything?" She asked as Josh walked up and fell to the ground next to Toby.
"I just want my friend back," Toby said before he started crying again. Josh turned over and looked at Toby.
"Why? Why did this have to happen?" Josh whispered. "He was my best friend."
"I don't know," Toby grabbed Josh and hugged him. "I don't know." Both men were crying and screaming.
"I should call his mom," Josh sniffed as they walked back to their cars.
"Yeah," Toby said quietly. "What time is it?"
"It's 9," Josh answered while looking at his watch.
"I'm sorry, the chief of police would like to see you two. He's right over there," A young officer said.
"Thank you," Josh said as they both walked over to him.
"Morning, I'm very sorry about your friend. Sam Seaborn, right?"
"Yes sir," Toby wiped some more tears from him face.
"I know that he was your deputy Mr. Ziegler. I have asked to keep this quiet until your people announce. We usually do that in these cases. It will give you guys time to notify the family and notify the White House."
"Thank you," Toby shook the man's hand.
"Yes, thank you." Josh offered.
"Again, I'm very sorry," The chief nodded and walked off. Leaving Josh and Toby standing there.
"I sent him home last night," Toby found it hard to talk. "I told him to go home last night. What if I would have left him there to work, he would still be here."
"Toby, this was not you're fault. You can't blame yourself," Josh looked into Toby's eyes. "Okay?"
"Josh." Toby couldn't stop crying.
"Okay?" Josh said again.
"Okay," Toby took a deep breath in.
"I don't know if I can face them."
"Yeah, me either."
"How are we supposed to tell them that Sam's." Josh couldn't talk and more.
"Let's just take one step at a time," Toby tried to convince both of them.
"Toby," Josh began to cry.
"I know," Toby started again too. "Let's just get to the White House." Toby said.
"Okay, I'll be right behind you," Josh said while walking back to his own car.
Toby got in and turned the engine on. He looked at the building once more and said a silent prayer, for his friend, and his deputy.
Josh got in his car waiting for Toby to pull out first. He looked at the building and remembered being there just the night before playing cards with Sam. He was his best friend. Josh didn't know what was going to happen next.
TBC
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take him now," The coroner said.
"No!" Toby yelled.
"He's not dead!" Josh yelled. At that time, it took four police officers to hold Josh and Toby back so they could take Sam's body.
"Sam!" Toby screamed reaching out for his young deputy. "No!"
"Please!" Josh screamed as he reached for Sam as well. The two men were let go as soon as the ambulance started leaving. "Sam!" Josh started running after it screaming. Toby stayed on his knees and covered his face with his hands.
"I'm sorry for your loss," A woman kneeled down in front of Toby.
"He can't be gone, not him. He's too young."
"I know," She rubbed his back. "My name is Anna, I'm a firefighter. Do you need anything?" She asked as Josh walked up and fell to the ground next to Toby.
"I just want my friend back," Toby said before he started crying again. Josh turned over and looked at Toby.
"Why? Why did this have to happen?" Josh whispered. "He was my best friend."
"I don't know," Toby grabbed Josh and hugged him. "I don't know." Both men were crying and screaming.
"I should call his mom," Josh sniffed as they walked back to their cars.
"Yeah," Toby said quietly. "What time is it?"
"It's 9," Josh answered while looking at his watch.
"I'm sorry, the chief of police would like to see you two. He's right over there," A young officer said.
"Thank you," Josh said as they both walked over to him.
"Morning, I'm very sorry about your friend. Sam Seaborn, right?"
"Yes sir," Toby wiped some more tears from him face.
"I know that he was your deputy Mr. Ziegler. I have asked to keep this quiet until your people announce. We usually do that in these cases. It will give you guys time to notify the family and notify the White House."
"Thank you," Toby shook the man's hand.
"Yes, thank you." Josh offered.
"Again, I'm very sorry," The chief nodded and walked off. Leaving Josh and Toby standing there.
"I sent him home last night," Toby found it hard to talk. "I told him to go home last night. What if I would have left him there to work, he would still be here."
"Toby, this was not you're fault. You can't blame yourself," Josh looked into Toby's eyes. "Okay?"
"Josh." Toby couldn't stop crying.
"Okay?" Josh said again.
"Okay," Toby took a deep breath in.
"I don't know if I can face them."
"Yeah, me either."
"How are we supposed to tell them that Sam's." Josh couldn't talk and more.
"Let's just take one step at a time," Toby tried to convince both of them.
"Toby," Josh began to cry.
"I know," Toby started again too. "Let's just get to the White House." Toby said.
"Okay, I'll be right behind you," Josh said while walking back to his own car.
Toby got in and turned the engine on. He looked at the building once more and said a silent prayer, for his friend, and his deputy.
Josh got in his car waiting for Toby to pull out first. He looked at the building and remembered being there just the night before playing cards with Sam. He was his best friend. Josh didn't know what was going to happen next.
TBC