"Charlie, where is he?" Abbey asked while she got out of the limo and saw
Charlie. "Is he alright?"
"He's in the residence. He's staying quiet ma'am. He's only seen Leo," Charlie said while walking besides Abbey.
"Where's the rest of the staff?" Abby asked.
"They all went home. Leo just left a few minutes ago," Charlie stopped when they got to the entrance of the residence.
"How are you holding up?" Abbey asked Charlie before going in.
"I'm okay, it hurts to loose someone you care about. Sam was a great friend. I'll miss him," Charlie looked down.
"So will I Charlie," Abbey hugged Charlie before walking into the residence.
Abbey saw Jed sitting on the side of the bed with his hands over his face. She walked over to him and looked down at him.
"Jed."
"Don't," Jed said. "I can't talk about it."
"It's okay," Abbey took his head and put his forehead on her stomach. "I'm here," Abbey stroked Jed's hair. Then she heard him start crying.
"He was so young and smart Abbey," Jed cried. "Why did this happen?"
"I don't know," Abbey whispered as she held on to her husband with all her might. They held on to each other for a couple of minutes. Just crying for their lost friend. Then, someone knocked on the door.
"Yeah," Abbey and Jed both stood and wiped away the tears that had fallen down their faces.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Zoey's on the phone," Charlie said as he entered.
"Yeah," Jed said quietly.
"I'll take it," Abbey kissed Jed on the cheek. "You just stay here and rest."
"Thank you," Jed kissed her back and watched her walk out. Jed sat back down on his bed and looked at the wall. He felt like this was a bad dream and he was going to wake up any minute.
"Mr. President," A familiar voice said. Jed turned around quickly, causing him to fall off the bed. "Sir, are you okay?" Sam asked while running over to make sure.
"Sam?" Jed whispered to himself.
"I didn't mean to scare you. I seem to have that affect on people," Sam smiled.
"But I thought."
"I am," Sam knew what he was going to say. "I was given a chance to say goodbye to those people who I loved. This is my last stop. I just saw my mom and dad. And I saw everyone else earlier," Sam smiled.
"I'm so sorry Sam," Jed said while standing up.
"For what?" Sam patted Jed on the back. "This wasn't anything you did."
"I'm just sorry," Jed cried and grabbed the young man and hugged him tight.
"Thank you sir," Sam hugged back. "For everything."
"Keep your head held high Sam," Jed smiled and patted Sam gently on the cheek.
"Yes sir," Sam smiled and began to walk away. "Goodbye sir."
"Goodbye Sam," Jed said as he watched Sam disappear. Jed sat back down on the bed and looked at the wall again. He was crying more now. He was happy that he got to say goodbye to Sam, but he was still sad that he was gone.
"Jed," Abbey walked in and closed the door.
"Yeah," Jed looked up at her.
"Zoey said that she talked to Ellie and Liz and their all coming down tomorrow for the funeral," Abbey sat down next to him. "Sam's parents are coming down tomorrow also."
"Okay," Jed said.
"Toby's picking Sharon up in the morning. Sam's dad is coming later tomorrow."
"When is it?"
"There's going to be a get together tomorrow night at Toby's house. He volunteered to have it there. Then the funeral will be Friday," Abbey said with the tears coming down her face.
"Okay."
"Jed, we might."
"I know," Jed said. "I'm the President of the United States, I know I can't go."
"Toby said that he could bring Sharon over here to talk with you."
"That's fine," Jed stood and walked over to the window.
"Jed."
"This is one of those times I wish I wasn't the President Abbey. I want to be there to support my friends."
"They do understand."
"It's just something I want to do," Jed said. "But I can't be selfish."
"Honey," Abbey walked over to him and put her arms around him. "You're not being selfish at all. But Sharon said that she has no problem coming here. I don't see why we just couldn't have the get together here." Abbey wondered.
"Because there is no way we could get rid of the press. They would be there waiting to ask questions."
"What if we block the room?"
"They would still be waiting outside the room."
"Yeah," Abbey agreed.
"But it's okay," Jed smiled weakly. "I think that this is for the best."
"Yeah?" Abbey asked.
"Yeah." Jed kissed her gently and they both rested their foreheads on each other. Just looking at each other. Praying silently for their fallen friend.
TBC
"He's in the residence. He's staying quiet ma'am. He's only seen Leo," Charlie said while walking besides Abbey.
"Where's the rest of the staff?" Abby asked.
"They all went home. Leo just left a few minutes ago," Charlie stopped when they got to the entrance of the residence.
"How are you holding up?" Abbey asked Charlie before going in.
"I'm okay, it hurts to loose someone you care about. Sam was a great friend. I'll miss him," Charlie looked down.
"So will I Charlie," Abbey hugged Charlie before walking into the residence.
Abbey saw Jed sitting on the side of the bed with his hands over his face. She walked over to him and looked down at him.
"Jed."
"Don't," Jed said. "I can't talk about it."
"It's okay," Abbey took his head and put his forehead on her stomach. "I'm here," Abbey stroked Jed's hair. Then she heard him start crying.
"He was so young and smart Abbey," Jed cried. "Why did this happen?"
"I don't know," Abbey whispered as she held on to her husband with all her might. They held on to each other for a couple of minutes. Just crying for their lost friend. Then, someone knocked on the door.
"Yeah," Abbey and Jed both stood and wiped away the tears that had fallen down their faces.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Zoey's on the phone," Charlie said as he entered.
"Yeah," Jed said quietly.
"I'll take it," Abbey kissed Jed on the cheek. "You just stay here and rest."
"Thank you," Jed kissed her back and watched her walk out. Jed sat back down on his bed and looked at the wall. He felt like this was a bad dream and he was going to wake up any minute.
"Mr. President," A familiar voice said. Jed turned around quickly, causing him to fall off the bed. "Sir, are you okay?" Sam asked while running over to make sure.
"Sam?" Jed whispered to himself.
"I didn't mean to scare you. I seem to have that affect on people," Sam smiled.
"But I thought."
"I am," Sam knew what he was going to say. "I was given a chance to say goodbye to those people who I loved. This is my last stop. I just saw my mom and dad. And I saw everyone else earlier," Sam smiled.
"I'm so sorry Sam," Jed said while standing up.
"For what?" Sam patted Jed on the back. "This wasn't anything you did."
"I'm just sorry," Jed cried and grabbed the young man and hugged him tight.
"Thank you sir," Sam hugged back. "For everything."
"Keep your head held high Sam," Jed smiled and patted Sam gently on the cheek.
"Yes sir," Sam smiled and began to walk away. "Goodbye sir."
"Goodbye Sam," Jed said as he watched Sam disappear. Jed sat back down on the bed and looked at the wall again. He was crying more now. He was happy that he got to say goodbye to Sam, but he was still sad that he was gone.
"Jed," Abbey walked in and closed the door.
"Yeah," Jed looked up at her.
"Zoey said that she talked to Ellie and Liz and their all coming down tomorrow for the funeral," Abbey sat down next to him. "Sam's parents are coming down tomorrow also."
"Okay," Jed said.
"Toby's picking Sharon up in the morning. Sam's dad is coming later tomorrow."
"When is it?"
"There's going to be a get together tomorrow night at Toby's house. He volunteered to have it there. Then the funeral will be Friday," Abbey said with the tears coming down her face.
"Okay."
"Jed, we might."
"I know," Jed said. "I'm the President of the United States, I know I can't go."
"Toby said that he could bring Sharon over here to talk with you."
"That's fine," Jed stood and walked over to the window.
"Jed."
"This is one of those times I wish I wasn't the President Abbey. I want to be there to support my friends."
"They do understand."
"It's just something I want to do," Jed said. "But I can't be selfish."
"Honey," Abbey walked over to him and put her arms around him. "You're not being selfish at all. But Sharon said that she has no problem coming here. I don't see why we just couldn't have the get together here." Abbey wondered.
"Because there is no way we could get rid of the press. They would be there waiting to ask questions."
"What if we block the room?"
"They would still be waiting outside the room."
"Yeah," Abbey agreed.
"But it's okay," Jed smiled weakly. "I think that this is for the best."
"Yeah?" Abbey asked.
"Yeah." Jed kissed her gently and they both rested their foreheads on each other. Just looking at each other. Praying silently for their fallen friend.
TBC