Non Sum Qualis Eram part 13

By Ecri

See Part One for Disclaimer and Spoilers.

Hoag Hospital

December 28

Sam Seaborn watched the nurse as she went through her discharge routine. "Don't get the arm wet. Cover it in a plastic bag when you shower. We want to see you back next week so we can see how it's healing. Then, of course, we'll need to take the stitches out in a few weeks." She kept talking pleasantly as she handed him a sheet of paper, a prescription for pain killers, and helped him off the bed.

He hadn't been out of bed much the last two days, so being upright felt a little weird. As the nurse left, she let Donna enter.

"Hey, Sam. How are you feeling?"

"Better." He took a couple of steps towards the door, and swayed a little, putting his hand to his head.

"Take it easy, Sam! You're a bit wobbly." Donna supported Sam for a moment as he got his equilibrium back.

"Thanks, Donna."

She smiled. "Scott is at the entrance, trying to get the press to leave, but, it might be easier"

"To face the music now?"

"A quick word, and a wavelet your constituents know you're okay."

"They're not my constituents, yet."


"They will be."

Sam let that go without comment. "All right. Let's go."

"Josh, the Vice President, and the First Lady want to meet you at your office, so they figured if they let that leak there might be fewer reporters here."

Sam looked through the doors at the crowd. "Worked like a charm."

"I guess it could be worse."

As they passed the admitting desk, a nurse called out to them. "Mr. SeabornYou have a call."

"Here?"

The nurse nodded. "The gentleman claims he tried your room, but you'd already left."

Sam nodded and reached for the phone, knowing who it was. "What is it, Toby?"

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Easy, Josh is at my office waiting for me. Leo and The President would wait until I got there. You, on the other hand are impatient."

"What about me?" CJ's voice came through, bringing a smile to Sam's face.


"Is this a conference call? Who else is there?"

"No one else." Toby took over. "We wanted to check in with you before you leave the hospital. Any chance of avoiding the press?"

"The Secret Service is trying to hold them at bay, but Scott seems to think we should take some questions."

"Take questions? While you're hopped up on painkillers?"

"I'm not hopped up' Toby!"

"Sam, you probably aren't up to facing the press." CJ answered.

"CJ, I can hear the frown in your voice. I'll be fine."

"Can't you go out the back way or something?" Toby asked.

They heard a muffled question. Then Sam's voice came back to them. "Apparently, the press is thicker around back. They seem to expect me to go out that way."

"Well, okay, then, the unexpected it is."

"Stop worrying. I'll call you from my office." Sam hung up thanking the nurse. He headed for the doors, Donna on his arm. It seemed casual enough, but only Sam and Donna knew that if Sam lost his equilibrium again, Donna could support his weight without anyone noticing.

Sam's eyes locked on Donna's just before they opened the door to leave. "Thanks, Donna." His eyes said more than his words.

"You're welcome, Sam."

Scott met them outside, and the three of them made their way to the car.

**

Seaborn Campaign Headquarters.

Josh stared at the numbers Will Bailey laid out before him. He'd expected this kind of rise since the attack on Sam and the Vice President, but he had expected Sam to take advantage of the situation. More news cameras at his events meant he could really get his message out there. "His numbers are rising. What do you plan to do with it?"

"Hope they keep rising?" Will had a feeling that wasn't the smartest answer, but he was too tired to care.

"Hope?" Josh leaned forward in his chair. "You better be doing more than that."

"We've got a rally planned for tomorrow afternoon. And next week, after the New Year's Parade, we've got him speaking beforesome women's group." Will finished vaguely waving his hand in the air as if trying to capture his thoughts.

"The Women Lawyer's Association of Orange County is not some women's group. Will, are you even awake? Sam's numbers show a good climb, and that's probably due to the" Josh felt the words stick in his throat. The idea of Sam being seriously hurt had haunted him since he'd first been called in the middle of the night. He'd thought it would dissipate with time, once Sam was well, but it hadn't happened yet. Not wanting to use a word full of violent connotations, he went for the more generic, the more sterile. "due to the incident. Now, while all the news media are hovering around asking questions about his health, the attack, and his recovery, he has an audience for his issues! You know this, Will! You aren't some small time hick who got lucky on the last election, are you?"

Josh's voice was raised, but he really didn't care who heard him. He wanted to wake up this bozo intent on ruining whatever slim chance Sam might have at winning this election.

"Look, Mr. Lyman, I understand your concerns. I appreciate that the White House has an interest in how well Sam goes beyond just getting a democrat in the California 47th. I know you're all his friends! But the number of calls I'm getting from White House staffers in a single dayit's a wonder the country hasn't come to a screeching halt!"

"Listen Bill Bailey"

"It's Willand I'll have you know that if I sound like some hick who's out of his element or in over his head, that's because I work hard, and I'm tired! I worked hard on Wilde's campaign and we won that! I've put in more than my share of hours between each of these campaigns and comforting a grieving widow, so if you don't like it"

Disgust dripped from Josh's voice. "You're tired? You work hard? When you've had to write 80% of the President's stump speeches, work on the new budget, act as advisor and counsel to the President of the United States, handle a boss who bounces balls on your window when he wants to talk to you, and coworkers who continually shout you down" Josh stopped himself and took a deep breath. This wasn't helping, and from the look on Bailey's face, he wasn't making his point all that clearly.

"All I'm trying to say is Sam has done more in the last 6 months than you have, and he's not complaining. He's been stabbed, and he's not complaining. If you don't think you can run this campaign, you should have told Sam straight out in the beginning."

"I did!"

"You what?"

"I wanted Scott Holcombe to run this race."

"Scott Holcombe? He's your Media Relations Guy?"

"Yeah. I'm sure it even says that on his business cards. Are we done? I have a campaign to get back to."

"We're done." Josh left Will's office and headed for Sam's. On the way, his cell phone rang. He snapped it open more violently than usual. "Josh Lyman."

"Josh, it's Leo. Are you alone?"

"Yeah," He shut Sam's door. "What do you need."

"It's about Scott Holcombe."

Leo had Josh's full attention.

**

Kerry watched as reporters gathered in front of their doors. "Vultures." She whispered it, but Michelle heard her. "Be careful what you say when they come in here."

Angela came up behind the two. "Well that'll be any minute. Sam called from the car. They'll be here" She paused as a car pulled up in front of the offices. "now." She smiled at her friends and went back to her desk.

Sam, Donna, Scott, and the reporters all streamed into the offices. Sam was speaking, giving an update on his condition and on his commitment to the congressional race. "This won't slow me down." He assured them. After a few more minutes, and a few comments from the Vice President and First Lady, who had been waiting for Sam, the reporters left to file their stories before their deadlines.

Abbey looked Sam over. "Okay, get to your office and sit. You look tired."

"I'm fi.."

"If you say you're fine, you're in serious trouble."

"I'm ffirst going to thank my staff." He turned to face the Sam Seaborn Supporters. "Thank you. I hear we had quite a day yesterday. How'd you hold a rally without a candidate?"

"A story for another day, I'm sure." Abbey Bartlet glared at Sam, her arms crossed.

"Yes, another day." He straightened and headed back towards his office.

Once he reached his office, he found Josh and Abigale. Abigale was not happy. Josh seemed an odd combination of defensive and nervous.

"What's going on?"


Abigale glared at Josh once more, and then turned to Sam. "I found him going through your office, and Scott's office." The way she said it made it clear that Josh would have been left alone if he'd only gone through Scott's office.

"Josh?"

"What? IYou are not making me defend myself!"

"Josh, I'm too hopped up on painkillers to care. Abigale, thanks so much for your diligence, but he's an old friend, and besides, what kind of damage can he cause to a democratic campaign in the California 47th?"

Abigale could see Sam wanted to rest, but she couldn't let that comment go. "He couldn't do a lot of damage since we all know you're going to win."

Sam smiled. Abigale glared once more at Josh, and then she left. Sam sat at his desk, waiting for an explanation.

All he got was questions. "Sam, how much do you trust Scott Holcombe?"

Sam frowned. "He's a good guy. I mean, I don't personally like him, and I wouldn't hang out with him, but then I wouldn't hang out with Bruno Gianelli, either."

"Bruno gets the job done."

"That's what I'm saying."

"I thought you hated Bruno."

"Hate is such a strong word. I prefertolerate. I tolerate Bruno."


"Since when?"

"Josh, I'm tired. Why are you snooping through Scott's office?"

"I don't like him."

"I'll remember that."

**

Seaborn for Congress Campaign Offices

January 1

Sam Seaborn sat at his desk, awkwardly typing with one hand. His right arm was still in a sling, and his staff spent more time yelling at him about overusing it than Toby used to spend bouncing balls on the window between their offices.

Josh, Donna, the First Lady, and the Vice President had all left before New Year's Eve, and the office was getting back to normal.

He'd spoken to Toby a few times since that night in the hospital, and Toby still sounded like he didn't believe Sam was okay. Sam smiled at the thought. Toby's overprotective tendencies were slightly easier to take when he was 3,000 miles away.

He looked up from his computer just as one of the volunteers was walking by the door. "Geraldine, hang on a minute. Is Scott back? He was supposed to go over the numbers with me this morning."

Geraldine shook her head. "He hasn't been here all day. You want me to check with Angela?"

Sam considered it. "No. Don't bother."

Sam returned to his desk. Scott had been spending a lot of time out of the office lately. When he returned, he always had a story about meeting with various people to line up various appearances or persuade someone to speak out in support of Sam, but the things never seemed to come to fruition. He'd asked Will about it, but Will seemed more and more distracted. Sam knew Will was tired. He recognized the exhaustion from seeing it in the mirror for years. Still, Will had gotten him into this, and he'd believed Will was the best man available.

Now, he was starting to wish someone else had been available.

His thoughts came to a screeching halt when Elsie literally ran into his office. "You need to get to the parade. The car is waiting."

"What car?"

"The open convertible from which you will wave at the people of Orange County."

"Open convertible? We aren't really going to do that? Is this even legal? Campaigning in a parade seems a little off to me."

Elsie shrugged. "City Council didn't have a problem."

"Oh. Is Webb going to be there?"

"Yeah. He's got a car, too."

"Okay, thenyou knowequal time and all that."

"Sam, the car's waiting."

"Right. Let's go."

**

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

January 1

CJ Cregg didn't like the idea at all. She stared at Toby, who on her sofa. "Parade? Open car? Is he crazy?"

"Bill Bailey or Sam?"

"His name is Bill Bailey?"

"It'sno, that can't be right."

"Doesn't matter. He's crazy whatever his name is."

"The assassin wasn't after Sam. He was after the Vice President."

"Yeah, so? Josh wasn't a target. Neither was the President."

"What I'm saying is that if the Vice President isn't with him, it's unlikely someone willyou knowleap into the car and try tohim."

"I still don't like it. What's the rally?"

He looked down at Donna's memo. "It looks like it's got something to do with the ACLU. That'll go over big."

"I'll have you know I was very active with the ACLU when I lived in California."

"You were in Berkley, not the California 47th!"

"What about the California 47th?" Josh stood in the doorway, a file in his hand.

"We're going over this schedule Sam's campaign director faxed to me."

"And"

"We're not happy about it."

Josh nodded, distractedly.

CJ looked at Toby, who shrugged, and then returned her attention to Josh. "Did you have something to share or are you just planning on keeping everyone out of my office."

Josh looked at the two of them, took a step inside CJ's office, and closed the door behind him. "I was talking to Bill Bailey"

"Will Bailey." Toby corrected, finally remembering the man's name.

"I don't care. He sounds burned out. Like he's in over his head."

Toby sat up straight, concern briefly written all over his face.

"The thing is, Will mentioned Sam's Media Relations guy. His name is Scott Holcombe."

"Where have I heard that name before?"

He handed his file to Toby. "Leo asked me to check him out. Scott once worked for a guy named Mitch Taylor. Mitch used to do a lot of campaigning. He'd work for anyone. Scott was his right hand man, until they worked together on Seth Gillette's campaign."

"He quit Seth Gillette's campaign, didn't he."

"Yeah. He started working as a low level assistant for Kevin Khan."

"Notnot Sam'snot that Kevin Khan?" CJ stared at Josh not at all sure what else she should do.

Josh nodded. "I've been doing some digging. A friend of Leo's saw Scott with Kevin days before he took the job with Sam. Thissays that the two seemed very chummy. Kevin gave Scott a think envelope, and the next day he flew back to LA.

CJ waved a hand to get Josh's attention. "That can't be right. Didn't Scott work for Wilde's campaign?"

Josh nodded. "He worked for Wilde, but met with Kevin right after Sam announced he was running. A couple of days later, he was named Sam's Media Relations guy."

"You think this was a setup?"

"I do, and there's more."

Dread filled Toby's mind and heart. He found himself unable to keep his seat. "What?"

"Scott and Kevin weren't alone at that meeting."

"Who else was there?" CJ demanded, hating the way this was going.

"Tom and Sarah Jordan."

CJ's eyes widened in shock. "Are you suggesting..."

Toby ran a hand over his scalp. "They vowed to bring him down if they could. I don't remember what they said exactly. I know Sam never took it as a serious threat so much as an indication of how betrayed they felt."

"Tom Jordan is a racist!" Josh declared balling his fists.

"That doesn't help us, now, Josh!"

"Okay, boys. Opposite corners." CJ glared at the two until they took a few steps away from each other. "We have more important things to deal with than Tom Jordan's racism."

"We have to tell Sam." Josh whispered the words, knowing how much such news could hurt his friend. That Kevin Khan, Tom and Sarah Jordan, and Scott Holcombe would conspire against him

Toby was shaking his head. "Let's tell Leo first."

**

Seaborn Family Home

January 1

Olivia Seaborn stared at the images of her son on the evening news. She'd been thrilled that he'd be home for at least a few months, but she hadn't seen him more than a handful of times since he'd first arrived in November. Christmas had been almost perfect. Norman's visit had been irritating, to say the least, but once he'd gone, she and Sam, and the cousins and aunts and uncles had had a wonderful time. She could see, however, that her son's mind wasn't on the holiday cheer. She asked him about it, and the answer had amazed her.

"I'm just thinking."

"What are you thinking about?"

"I guessabout Lisa."

"Lisa? Why on Earth would you give her a second thought?"

"I started out by thinking about Mallory."

"I'm sorry about that, dear. She shouldn't done that."

"No, but it wasn't her fault. She can't help being afraid. I'm doing the one thing she's blamed for her parents breakup."

"If she loved you, she wouldn't hurt you."

"That's not true." His voice dropped to a whisper, and Olivia saw the pain in his eyes before he became engrossed by the bowl of eggnog.

"Why, of course it is!"

"What happened to you always hurt the ones you love'."

"That's just an expression."

"Are you saying Dad never loved either of us?"

She turned away from him then, her full attention on the last biscuit, as she pretended it was stuck to the cutter. "That's not"

She felt his warm embrace and turned into it, embarrassed at her reaction to his words.

"I'm sorry, mom. I shouldn't have said that. I know his dropping by was hard for you."

"Don't you be silly, Samuel Seaborn!"

She had stopped using his middle name. She had never used it often, but she'd completely ignored it since they'd found out about his father. She couldn't help but wonder if he'd noticed. "Mom, I'm so sorry."

She knew then that it wasn't just for his words. He was sorry she'd been hurt. He was sorry she'd had to deal with his father on Christmas Eve. He was sorry he hadn't been here when she'd found out about it. He was sorry his life had taken him so far from her.

She stopped then, the tears drying up almost instantly at the thought of her son taking so much pain and responsibility on himself. "You listen to me, Sam. I'm fine. Your father hurt me, yes, but I'm sure he loves us both. He just doesn't quite comprehend the concept of monogamy."

Sam nodded, but she still saw something in his eyes. Pain? Regret? She couldn't really tell.

"Sam, why are you thinking about Lisa and Mallory?"

"And Ainsley." Sam added, turning back to his half-mixed eggnog. "I guess I didn't expect to be alone this year. Mallory walking back into my life just when Ainsley had walked awayit seemed too perfectly timed to be anything other than fate."

"But when Mallory decided not to come for Christmas"

"I remembered Ainsley. She said she didn't really love me, and that I didn't love her. I spoke to her just before I left Washington. She said she did love me after all. She asked me if I loved her."

Olivia frowned. Sam had been with Mallory by then. Ainsley had no place trying to break them up. She knew Sam would defend her if she said anything, so she kept the thought to herself. "Go on," she urged.

"Mal said love wasn't the issue. She said she loved me but...."

"But what?"

"She said, Sometimes that's not enough.'"

"And Lisa?" Olivia hated to bring up the cruel woman who had so hurt her Sam, but she could tell he needed to talk.

"LisaLisa. You know, no one at the White House knew what really happened. Well, except for Josh, of course. And Donna. When a guy's your best man, he notices when you don't get married."

"How can they not know?"

"They know I didn't get married. They don't know details."

"That's probably for the best. Why relive it by retelling it?"

"That's what I thought."

"Then how is it Donna knows"

"She was in the right place at the wrong time."

"Sam, honey, Lisa, Ainsley, and Mallory aren't all that's bothering you."

"They're the bulk of it. That and"

"What?"

"I get the feeling I'm not getting anywhere."

Olivia laid a hand on Sam's shoulder, gently turning him to face her. "Sam, you work in the White House. You're running for Congress. Why would you see this as failure?"

"I don't think I'm going to win."

"You said your numbers were up."

"Sometimes, that's not enough."

Olivia sighed as she recalled how sad he'd looked. Why couldn't Sam find true love? It made no sense to her that these girls always hurt him.

Now, watching Sam on the evening news as he tried so hard to win a seat that everyone said he could never win, she could see the determination, the desire to succeed even in the face of certain failure. She knew he was right, however. When the anchorman mentioned Webb's race and that Sam's slight gain seemed to be shrinking, she remembered what her son had said, and whispered it to the screen. Sometimes that's not enough. She only wished she could make things right for him.

**

Seaborn Campaign Offices

January 3

Theresa handed Sam the morning papers, and a cup of coffee. He'd been paying careful attention to the papers lately, and she could sense his anticipation every time she handed them to him. It was more than anticipation, though, it was laced with dread. She wondered if he expected his numbers to plummet overnight, or if he was expecting some sort of disaster. Whatever it was, she watched him as he read the headlines on his way to his office each morning. Most days, he showed little reaction, and she thought today would be much the same, but as she watched, his steps slowed. Just before he got to his office, his body went rigid, and he changed direction, heading towards Scott's office. Theresa picked up her phone and dialed Abigale's number.

**

Abigale walked briskly down the corridor towards Sam Seaborn's office. The call from Theresa hadn't told her much, but she knew Sam was upset. She had told Theresa to gather the troops on her side of the office and meet her in the lobby with all the people she and Angela could muster.

Then she'd set off to find Angela. Finding her in the conference room compiling some reports, she told the other woman what was going on and that she was getting every one together so they could be in on it.

"On what? We have nothing concrete to tell anyone."

Abigale smiled. "Yeah, but you and I both know that they're gonna want to be here to see whatever's about to happen as it happens instead of us having to tell them about it later."

"Ooh. Good point." She considered having to face an angry group of scowling Sam Seaborn supporters once they'd discovered that they'd missed something important. Assuming there was something to miss, and she and Abigale weren't merely reading between the lines. "Let's go round up the troops."

**

To Be Continued