Leo sat in his office thinking about yesterday. He was amazed that it was
just yesterday that everyone was happy and working. Everyone was there,
including Sam. Just 24 hours ago. He didn't understand how all these things
could happen in such a small period of time. Half of him understood that
Sam was gone. But the other half of him kept thinking that Sam was going to
walk through his door and want to get back to work. Sam was the one always
wanting to get things done.
Leo leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. The sun was shining, but it felt like the darkest day.
"Leo, Donna's here to see you," Margaret came in. Leo could see how red her eyes where from crying.
"Okay," Leo stood. "Margaret?" He said before she walked out.
"Yes."
"Do you need anything?" Leo asked.
"I'm okay," She smiled weakly. "Thanks Leo."
"I'm here," He said when she walked out and allowed Donna in.
"I'm sorry for barging in."
"You didn't, what's up?" Leo walked over to her.
"Josh called Sam's mom, she's on her way. She should be here by tomorrow."
"Okay, I'll tell the President," Leo nodded.
"Thank you sir," Donna started to walk out.
"Donna?" Leo stopped her.
"Yes."
"How's he doing?"
"I think he's starting to get all the memories back from when his sister died." "He's blaming himself?"
"I'll talk to him," Leo started to walk out.
"He left already, I think he was going home."
"You think, or you know?" Leo asked worried.
"I think," Donna looked down.
"Did he say anything before he left?"
"The only thing he asked was where Toby was. Ginger said he left in a hurry. That's when he grabbed his stuff and left."
"Okay, I think I know where's his going. Do me a favor, tonight, swing over to his house and make sure he's okay. Then call me to let me know."
"Yeah," Donna nodded.
"How are you doing?" He asked.
"It hurts," Donna said as tears fell down his face.
"Yeah, I know," Leo walked up to her and hugged her.
"Thanks," Donna said as she wiped the tears. "I'll swing by tonight to check on Josh."
"Thanks," He said before she walked out. He walked back to his desk and picked up the phone and dialed CJ's cell phone number. It took a while, but CJ finally answered.
"CJ Cregg."
"What's wrong?" Leo asked.
"What?"
"What took you so long to pick up the phone?"
"I was away from the car, I felt the phone in there."
"Where are you?"
"I'm at the park."
"Why?"
"Because Toby needs to be alone right now Leo."
"Did he tell you that, or do you believe that?"
"Both."
"Okay, did he go home?"
"I hope so," CJ sniffled.
"I know this is hard for you, I'm sorry I made you follow him," Leo apologized.
"It's okay Leo. Toby needed someone to follow him. He went to a bar, but I stopped him before he went in."
"That's good."
"I'm on my way back, I need to do the briefing. Did someone get in contact with Sam's mom?"
"Josh called her a little bit ago."
"How's Josh?"
"He left after he talked to her. He didn't tell Donna where he was going, but he asked where Toby was. I think he went over to Toby's house."
"Should I make sure?"
"No, I'll do that. You just take some time and relax. You don't need to do the briefing. I'll have someone else do it."
"No, I need to do this. It's something I think I should do."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah," CJ said with the tears falling down her face.
"Okay, but do it when you think you can. Don't force yourself to do it."
"Okay," CJ said weakly.
"Just stay there for a little longer and take some personal time. I think we all need that now."
"Yeah."
"I'll see you later."
"Okay," CJ said and hung up. She sat in her car, but didn't turn it on. She just sat there looking at all the people. She looked at all the kids playing on the swings. She looked at all the couples walking around holding each other's hands. Everyone looked so happy. She put her head down on the steering wheel and began to cry loudly. She couldn't get the image of Sam out of her head. How he always had a smile on his face and always put everyone in a good mood. That was Sam. And she needed him to help her through this. But he was gone.
After Leo hung up with CJ, he looked out the window again. He found himself trying to be strong for everyone. He thought if he fell, everyone would fall with him. But he thought that this time, he might not be able to be that strong. He began to cry again. He put his head down and then said a silent prayer for his fallen friend.
TBC
Leo leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. The sun was shining, but it felt like the darkest day.
"Leo, Donna's here to see you," Margaret came in. Leo could see how red her eyes where from crying.
"Okay," Leo stood. "Margaret?" He said before she walked out.
"Yes."
"Do you need anything?" Leo asked.
"I'm okay," She smiled weakly. "Thanks Leo."
"I'm here," He said when she walked out and allowed Donna in.
"I'm sorry for barging in."
"You didn't, what's up?" Leo walked over to her.
"Josh called Sam's mom, she's on her way. She should be here by tomorrow."
"Okay, I'll tell the President," Leo nodded.
"Thank you sir," Donna started to walk out.
"Donna?" Leo stopped her.
"Yes."
"How's he doing?"
"I think he's starting to get all the memories back from when his sister died." "He's blaming himself?"
"I'll talk to him," Leo started to walk out.
"He left already, I think he was going home."
"You think, or you know?" Leo asked worried.
"I think," Donna looked down.
"Did he say anything before he left?"
"The only thing he asked was where Toby was. Ginger said he left in a hurry. That's when he grabbed his stuff and left."
"Okay, I think I know where's his going. Do me a favor, tonight, swing over to his house and make sure he's okay. Then call me to let me know."
"Yeah," Donna nodded.
"How are you doing?" He asked.
"It hurts," Donna said as tears fell down his face.
"Yeah, I know," Leo walked up to her and hugged her.
"Thanks," Donna said as she wiped the tears. "I'll swing by tonight to check on Josh."
"Thanks," He said before she walked out. He walked back to his desk and picked up the phone and dialed CJ's cell phone number. It took a while, but CJ finally answered.
"CJ Cregg."
"What's wrong?" Leo asked.
"What?"
"What took you so long to pick up the phone?"
"I was away from the car, I felt the phone in there."
"Where are you?"
"I'm at the park."
"Why?"
"Because Toby needs to be alone right now Leo."
"Did he tell you that, or do you believe that?"
"Both."
"Okay, did he go home?"
"I hope so," CJ sniffled.
"I know this is hard for you, I'm sorry I made you follow him," Leo apologized.
"It's okay Leo. Toby needed someone to follow him. He went to a bar, but I stopped him before he went in."
"That's good."
"I'm on my way back, I need to do the briefing. Did someone get in contact with Sam's mom?"
"Josh called her a little bit ago."
"How's Josh?"
"He left after he talked to her. He didn't tell Donna where he was going, but he asked where Toby was. I think he went over to Toby's house."
"Should I make sure?"
"No, I'll do that. You just take some time and relax. You don't need to do the briefing. I'll have someone else do it."
"No, I need to do this. It's something I think I should do."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah," CJ said with the tears falling down her face.
"Okay, but do it when you think you can. Don't force yourself to do it."
"Okay," CJ said weakly.
"Just stay there for a little longer and take some personal time. I think we all need that now."
"Yeah."
"I'll see you later."
"Okay," CJ said and hung up. She sat in her car, but didn't turn it on. She just sat there looking at all the people. She looked at all the kids playing on the swings. She looked at all the couples walking around holding each other's hands. Everyone looked so happy. She put her head down on the steering wheel and began to cry loudly. She couldn't get the image of Sam out of her head. How he always had a smile on his face and always put everyone in a good mood. That was Sam. And she needed him to help her through this. But he was gone.
After Leo hung up with CJ, he looked out the window again. He found himself trying to be strong for everyone. He thought if he fell, everyone would fall with him. But he thought that this time, he might not be able to be that strong. He began to cry again. He put his head down and then said a silent prayer for his fallen friend.
TBC