CJ got back to the White House about an hour after talking to Leo. When she
got there, the press was everywhere trying to find out what happened. She
knew that they would find out eventually. But it was her job to let them
all know what happened. She wasn't going to go into detail; she knew that
she couldn't do that. She was just going to tell them about Sam and then
leave.
"Carol, get them situated. I'll be in there in a minute."
"Okay," Carol said quietly.
"You oksy?" CJ asked before Carol left.
"Just sad," Carol whispered. "Really, really sad."
"Yeah, me too," CJ gave Carol an assuring look.
"I'll get them ready." Carol said before leaving.
CJ sat in her desk and took a deep breath. She didn't want to do this, but she felt she had to. She stood up and started to walk out of her office. She remembered all the times Sam would run up to her and tell her last minute things that the press may mention. Everyday he would do that at least once.
"Will everyone please take their sits, the briefing is about to begin," Carol said just before CJ walked in.
"CJ, what's going on around here?" The press started in.
"Before I start the briefing, I want to ask you all for your respect in what I'm about to say. I'm going to tell you what I know, and then I will be leaving. I won't be answering any questions this time. I will at a further date as soon as I know more," CJ looked around and saw that the press understood.
"As you all know, there was a fire this morning at an apartment building. At this time, 23 people have been confirmed dead. One of those 23 people was our Deputy Communications Director Samuel Norman Seaborn. He was 33 years old and a close friend of mine and the rest of the people that work in the White House. We please ask for your respect in this matter by not asking a lot of questions. The DC police department will be issuing a statement that will probably answer all your questions," CJ said, feeling the tears fall down her face again. "That is all." CJ choked out and then walked off. She didn't even notice Leo standing in the back.
"You did good," Carol reassured her.
"Thanks," CJ smiled weakly and patted Carol on the back. "I think I'm going to head home. You go ahead and do the same," CJ told Carol.
"Are you sure, I can stay."
"No, go have some personal time, I think we all need some right now."
"Thanks CJ," Carol hugged her boss before gathering her things and leaving. CJ opened her office door and saw Leo sitting on the couch.
"I remember telling you that too," Leo smiled weakly.
"It's good advice."
"Yeah, maybe," Leo stood. "Are you going to go home?"
"Yeah, if that's okay."
"It's fine."
"Thanks," CJ gathered some things and looked back up at Leo. "Did you find Toby?"
"Yeah, I called his home. Josh answered because Toby was in the bathroom. He's okay."
"Good," CJ looked down again.
"CJ, if you need anything."
"I'm fine," CJ looked up.
"You look worn out," Leo said.
"So do you," She smiled a little.
"Yeah," Leo looked down. "Can I tell you something?"
"Sure," CJ looked at him.
"I'm scared," Leo said while tears fell down his face.
"About what?" CJ couldn't help but start crying.
"I'm scared that I can't be strong for everyone this time," Leo cried.
"Leo," CJ walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "No one's asking you to be strong for us," She started to cry louder. "It's a time to grieve. You don't have to hold us together this time Leo. No one expects that from you."
"I miss his so much," Leo couldn't contain the crying.
"So do I," CJ joined him and they both stood there, hugging and crying.
"I'm sorry to make you see me this way," Leo said as he moved back a little.
"Look at me Leo," CJ smiled weakly. "I'm not taking it any better."
"You should go home and rest," Leo rubbed CJ's arm.
"What about you?"
"I think I'm going to talk to the President and then go home. I talked to Bruno and he said that he would take some of the meetings that were scheduled today. And Ed and Larry said they would help out too."
"If you need to talk, call me."
"Thanks," Leo smiled. "Now get going." He joked.
"Bye," CJ grabbed her things and walked out.
"Bye," Leo waited until CJ was gone and he looked around. He started to walk out when he heard something.
"I'm sorry Leo." A man's voice said. Leo recognized the voice and turned around slowly. He looked at a man standing behind CJ's desk.
"Sam." Leo said in shock.
TBC
"Carol, get them situated. I'll be in there in a minute."
"Okay," Carol said quietly.
"You oksy?" CJ asked before Carol left.
"Just sad," Carol whispered. "Really, really sad."
"Yeah, me too," CJ gave Carol an assuring look.
"I'll get them ready." Carol said before leaving.
CJ sat in her desk and took a deep breath. She didn't want to do this, but she felt she had to. She stood up and started to walk out of her office. She remembered all the times Sam would run up to her and tell her last minute things that the press may mention. Everyday he would do that at least once.
"Will everyone please take their sits, the briefing is about to begin," Carol said just before CJ walked in.
"CJ, what's going on around here?" The press started in.
"Before I start the briefing, I want to ask you all for your respect in what I'm about to say. I'm going to tell you what I know, and then I will be leaving. I won't be answering any questions this time. I will at a further date as soon as I know more," CJ looked around and saw that the press understood.
"As you all know, there was a fire this morning at an apartment building. At this time, 23 people have been confirmed dead. One of those 23 people was our Deputy Communications Director Samuel Norman Seaborn. He was 33 years old and a close friend of mine and the rest of the people that work in the White House. We please ask for your respect in this matter by not asking a lot of questions. The DC police department will be issuing a statement that will probably answer all your questions," CJ said, feeling the tears fall down her face again. "That is all." CJ choked out and then walked off. She didn't even notice Leo standing in the back.
"You did good," Carol reassured her.
"Thanks," CJ smiled weakly and patted Carol on the back. "I think I'm going to head home. You go ahead and do the same," CJ told Carol.
"Are you sure, I can stay."
"No, go have some personal time, I think we all need some right now."
"Thanks CJ," Carol hugged her boss before gathering her things and leaving. CJ opened her office door and saw Leo sitting on the couch.
"I remember telling you that too," Leo smiled weakly.
"It's good advice."
"Yeah, maybe," Leo stood. "Are you going to go home?"
"Yeah, if that's okay."
"It's fine."
"Thanks," CJ gathered some things and looked back up at Leo. "Did you find Toby?"
"Yeah, I called his home. Josh answered because Toby was in the bathroom. He's okay."
"Good," CJ looked down again.
"CJ, if you need anything."
"I'm fine," CJ looked up.
"You look worn out," Leo said.
"So do you," She smiled a little.
"Yeah," Leo looked down. "Can I tell you something?"
"Sure," CJ looked at him.
"I'm scared," Leo said while tears fell down his face.
"About what?" CJ couldn't help but start crying.
"I'm scared that I can't be strong for everyone this time," Leo cried.
"Leo," CJ walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "No one's asking you to be strong for us," She started to cry louder. "It's a time to grieve. You don't have to hold us together this time Leo. No one expects that from you."
"I miss his so much," Leo couldn't contain the crying.
"So do I," CJ joined him and they both stood there, hugging and crying.
"I'm sorry to make you see me this way," Leo said as he moved back a little.
"Look at me Leo," CJ smiled weakly. "I'm not taking it any better."
"You should go home and rest," Leo rubbed CJ's arm.
"What about you?"
"I think I'm going to talk to the President and then go home. I talked to Bruno and he said that he would take some of the meetings that were scheduled today. And Ed and Larry said they would help out too."
"If you need to talk, call me."
"Thanks," Leo smiled. "Now get going." He joked.
"Bye," CJ grabbed her things and walked out.
"Bye," Leo waited until CJ was gone and he looked around. He started to walk out when he heard something.
"I'm sorry Leo." A man's voice said. Leo recognized the voice and turned around slowly. He looked at a man standing behind CJ's desk.
"Sam." Leo said in shock.
TBC