TITLE: COLLISION
AUTHOR: Jacinta
SUMMARY: White ouse staff are involved in more than one kind of crash.
SPOILERS: Anything up to Abu el Banat, but nothing to specific.
CHARACTERS: Leo, Josh, Jed mainly, some ensemble
RATING: PG
DISCLAIMER: No, not mine, if they're yours -- thank you for giving them to
us.
"Ah hell," Leo mutters as he tries to make sense of what's just happened. He thinks he's okay, but there's blood on his jacket and shirt, and he can't work out where it's from. Josh is lying against him and Leo realizes it's Josh blood, not his own. People are starting to gather now. Why do people do that? Leo wonders. Why do they stand and watch a car wreck, but don't actually do anything to help?
"Can you hear me in there?" a man asks and Leo remembers that no one can get in to them. The car has bullet proof windows and the doors are all locked. He gently moves Josh away, opens his door and starts to get out. "Stay where you are," the man tells him.
Leo's suddenly hit by another realization; this could be an attack. He's the White House Chief Of Staff, there's a reason he's driven everywhere by the Secret Service, and they've just been hit by something at a normally quiet intersection. He tries to get out of the car again.
"Seriously, Mr McGarry, you should stay still until the ambulance gets here."
The man knows his name, how does he know his name? Ambulance, he's called an ambulance, surely that's a good thing, if he was attacking them he wouldn't have done that. Leo sits back in his seat and closes his eyes.
"No, Leo, stay awake."
Leo studies the young man and tries to remember where he knows him from, but his head is spinning and all he wants to do is close his eyes. He leans back and lets his rescuer check on Josh.
Ryan leans over to Josh, sees the blood on Josh face and shirt and frantically searches for a pulse.
"The medics are here," Leo tells him.
Ryan climbs back out of the vehicle, "I'll call Donna," he tells Leo as the medics move him away.
"CJ," Carol nods at the TV.
"Whose car is that?" CJ asks, studying the TV pictures of a black sedan, a pick up, medics and firefighters.
"It looks like a White House car," Carol comments.
"Find out who's using that number." CJ watches, trying to see who's there, but the camera's too far away and she can't make out the faces. Her fear that it's one of their people is confirmed when the Secret Service arrive on the scene. She picks up the phone and dials, "Toby."
"Yeh I'm watching, who is it?"
"I dunno." CJ looks away from the TV to see a secret service agent arrive at her door. "But I think they've just crashed the building."
"Yeh," Toby agrees as agents enter the bullpen.
"Oh shit," CJ stares at the picture on the screen.
"CJ," Donna pushes past the secret service agent.
"Let her in," CJ tells him.
"It's Leo and Josh," Donna tells her what she already suspected. "Ryan just phoned me."
CJ turns her attention back to the TV. She watches as a gurney is wheeled to the car and someone is taken from the vehicle.
"What's going on?" Jed asks Ron.
"There's been a car accident, Sir. We don't know whether it was an attack or not, until we do we're crashing the building."
"Who's car?" Jed sees Ron glance at the others in room. "Can you wait outside," he tells his economic advisors. "Ron?"
"It was Leo's car, Sir. He's fine, he's on his way to GW for a check up, but the medics say he's fine. Josh Lyman was also in the car. The agent at the scene said he was unconscious, but I don't have any further details."
Jed had just been cursing Josh for not being here, he was suppose to be staffing the meeting Ron just interrupted. "You think it was an attack?"
"We don't know. But a pick-up comes out of nowhere and smashes into the White House Chief Of Staff's car, I have to assume...."
"Yeh," Jed nods, he knows better than to ask to go to GW though, knows he'll have to be content to sit here and wait for news.
Leo glares at Adam, the senior agent at the hospital. "I know it could have been an attack, at the moment I'm more worried about Josh."
"Mr McGarry, we need to get you back to the White House," Adam starts to protest.
"So the White House is secure?"
"Yes, Sir."
"The president's secure?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Is the hospital secure?"
"As we can make it, yes."
"Then I'm waiting to see Josh." Leo picks up his jacket and tie, climbs off the bed and walks into the corridor. He's got a concussion and minor cuts and bruises; the doctor says he's free to go home. Adam wants him back at the White House where he's easy to protect, he knows though that's not going to happen.
Adam talks into his wrist and then turns back to Leo. "We can use this room," he leads Leo inside. "There's a Ryan Pierce refusing to leave, says he interned at the White House last summer and you'll know him."
"Yeh, he was at the crash scene, let him through."
"No, I can't do that. If he was at the crash scene....."
"Oh for the love of God! He got clearance to work in White House Operations, he's the great grandson of a former president, I think I'll be safe with him."
Adam nods and talks into his wrist again. Ron Butterfield had warned him that Leo and the president were, at times, difficult to protect.
"Mr McGarry," Ryan enters the room, "you're okay?"
"I'm fine. Josh is with the doctors."
"Right. I thought they were going to arrest me," he admits as he sits down.
"They think we were attacked."
"God, really?" Ryan digests that piece of information.
"The driver of the pick-up is dead, Sir. Until we find out more about him I can't lift the crash," Ron tells Jed.
"Charlie, will you let Donna know about Josh so she can phone his mother, I'll call Mallory."
Charlie leaves the Oval Office and is slightly perturbed to find he has an escort to Josh's bullpen. "Have you seen Donna?" he asks.
"She's in CJ's office, are Josh and Leo alright?"
"They're both fine," Charlie confirms as he walks away.
CJ turns towards Charlie as he enters her office. "Charlie, any news?"
"Yeh, they're both going to be alright. Leo has a slight concussion, cuts and bruises. Josh dislocated his shoulder, he's got broken and bruised ribs and a severe concussion, the doctor's keeping him in GW tonight. The president wants you to phone Josh's mom," Charlie tells Donna.
"Yeh I will. When can I go and see him?"
"Miss Moss can go to the hospital now," Charlie's shadow informs them, "everyone else has to stay here until the crash is lifted."
Josh opens his eyes and looks up at Leo, trying to work out where he is. "Leo?"
"Hey, kid, how you feeling?"
"Sore. What happened?" Josh whispers.
"We were in a crash."
"Yeh," Josh remembers. "You okay?"
Leo nods and Josh closes his eyes again.
"He'll be drifting in and out for a while yet, it's nothing to worry about," the doctor assures Leo.
"Is it alright if I sit with him?"
"Yes, I'll come back and check in half an hour."
Once the doctor has gone, Leo sits watching Josh and regretting the last few months. What had possessed him to put such distance between them?
"Donna's on her way," he tells Josh. He wonders what the rest of the staff think of Donna being able to escape the lock down, deciding they probably think it's completely normal -- Josh is in the hospital, who else would be here with him? Leo's pretty sure letting Donna out of the building was Jed's idea, it's a good job Margaret's on holiday or she'd be sent to drag him back to the White House.
"..... currently in a lock down situation until the identity of the attacker is known."
"Oh what?" CJ sighs as she picks up the phone and calls the news editor.
"Anything for some drama," Carol comments.
"Why's the crash so long?" Toby asks the agent on the door.
"I couldn't say, Mr Zeigler," is the unsurprising reply.
"..... Harry, you have to stop saying it was an attack," CJ says into the phone. "Well, stop your reporter from saying it...... No, it was a car smash..... It's standard procedure to crash the building.... Harry, you know what my answer to that is.... that's right, we don't comment on Secret Service procedure.... As soon as the crash has been lifted.... Thank you." CJ hangs up the phone. "What is wrong with these people?"
"What?"
"He wanted to know, seeing as we've been crashed for so long, is Leo hurt and who else was in the car, they've heard someone's been killed."
"How do they know Leo was in the car?" Ginger asks.
"He was on the TV pictures," Carol tells her.
"Hey, has someone called Margaret?"
"Why have I got an armed guard?" Josh asks.
"They think we may have been attacked, the driver of the other car was a Muslim."
"You know, I'm glad Israel is an ally."
"I don't....?" Leo begins.
"I'm Jewish; I'd hate to have my every move questioned."
Leo doesn't have an answer to that. He sighs and studies Josh, "I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"For making you come with me this afternoon."
Josh smiles slightly, "Well this'll teach me not to argue with you."
Leo returns the smile, though it soon fades. "I need you arguing with me if you don't agree, that's your job."
"Just not in front of the president?" Josh asks, only half in jest.
"Even in front of the president, not that he needs encouragement where Millar's concerned," Leo replies.
"Mr McGarry," Adam opens the door and beckons to Leo.
"Back in a minute." Leo follows Adam to where Donna's waiting.
"How is he?"
"He's a bit groggy, he'll be fine."
"Thank God," she smiles. "How are you?"
"A lot better than the news is making out."
"Yeh I saw that. The president had already called Mallory and Ginger spoke to Margaret."
"I've spoken to them both." He'd also called Jordan when the news started reporting that there was a fatality at the scene, the White House was still locked down and had issued no news on the car's passengers. "Come and see him."
"So was he a terrorist?"
"No, he was a guy with a heart condition who collapsed at the wheel."
"Then I think we owe his family an apology, Ron."
"Yes, Sir, we do."
"I don't know what's wrong with us that we assume he must have been a terrorist because he was a Muslim and was unfortunate enough to crash his car into Leo's."
"We have to take precautions, Sir."
"Yeh," Jed sighs. He follows Ron out of the office, "Debbie, will you try and contact the truck driver's family, see if I can speak to any of them."
"Yes, Mr President."
"...... driver of the pick-up was 58 year old Shakeel Mustaf," CJ briefs the press. "Mr Mustaf was a mechanic from Washington; he leaves a wife and 3 teenage children. Leo McGarry has been discharged from hospital with a mild concussion and cuts and bruises. Josh Lyman dislocated his shoulder and is being kept in GW tonight with a severe concussion; he's expected to be discharged tomorrow. Mark Paterson, the Secret Service driver of Mr McGarry's car, sustained a broken leg but is expected make a full recovery." CJ waits for questions, "Chris?"
"Do we know what caused the accident?"
"Mr Mustaf died of a heart attack at the wheel of his vehicle. Garry?"
"Why was the White House locked down for so long?"
"I have no idea, Garry. Mark?"
"Is it because Mr Mustaf was Muslim?"
"As I say over and over, I can't comment on Secret Service procedure."
"But it seems likely?" Mark asks.
"I don't work for Treasury, Mark, but I'd say that until they knew the cause of the accident they had to take precautions. I wouldn't have thought Mr Mustaf's religion came into it. As far as they were aware the Chief Of Staff's car was involved in a serious accident. Katie?"
"Where was Leo going?"
"Leo and Josh were returning from a meeting with Congressman Millar. Max?"
"Why was....?"
"You should be at home."
Leo looks up to find Jed stood in the adjoining doorway. "Just making sure the building's still here."
"You're okay?"
"Yeh, I'm fine, probably be a bit sore in the morning."
"Take the day off."
"And leave you to run things alone again?" Leo smiles.
"I'm capable. How's Josh?"
"Complaining that he wants to go home."
"That doesn't mean anything; he did that after Rosslyn as soon as they let out of ICU."
"He's gonna be pretty sore for a while, he should come out tomorrow if his head's okay."
"How will they be able to tell?" Jed smiles. "You have two choices now, Leo. You can come to the Residence or go home, if you try staying there I'm calling security and Margaret."
"I'll come to the Residence," Leo sighs.
"Abbey'll be back in an hour or so," Jed says as they ride up in the elevator, "and don't think she'll let you escape before she's made sure you're OK."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Leo comments.
Jed gives him a curious look. "She doesn't blame you."
"Yes she does; for Zoey, for Rosslyn, for you running in the first place."
"Joshua."
Josh looks from the TV, "Mrs Bartlet."
"Amy told me you were addicted to the news channels, but you're supposed to be resting."
"I can rest and watch TV," Josh protests.
"I came to check you were okay." Abbey picks up the notes on the end of Josh's bed, "Do you mind?"
"No."
Abbey reads through the notes, checks the stats, the results of Josh's x-rays and hangs the file back up. "How you feeling?"
"Sore," Josh admits.
"Your head?"
"My shoulder. What do the notes say about my head?"
"You may have a head ache for a day or so, but your x-rays were clear. I'm surprised Donna's not still here."
"She went to get some dinner with Toby."
Abbey smiles at that; who'd have thought five years ago that Donna and Toby would end up as friends? "Have you spoken to your mother?"
"Yes," Josh grins, everyone who's been to see him has asked that. "Was that something else Amy told you?"
"She did mention that you don't call your mother as often as you should. You know Amy talked about you a lot, it could get quite annoying," Abbey smiles. "I'm going to let you get some rest, and that means turn the TV off. Don't let me see you in the west wing this week," she instructs.
"Leo."
"Abbey," Leo replies. "The president's just gone to take a phone call. Good trip?"
"Yeh it was fine," Abbey replies dismissively. "Why are you here?" she asks, "What is it with you people? Josh is sat up watching the news, you're sat here watching, let me guess, ah yes, the news. You know there are other channels right?"
"Well yeh, there's sport."
Abbey studies Leo, he looks pale and tired. "You should be home in bed."
"It's 9.30, I'm usually still working."
"You've been in a car crash. What did the doctor say?"
"Cuts and bruises, nothing bad."
"And a concussion."
"Minor concussion."
"You can stay here tonight."
"I don't......"
"Don't argue, you shouldn't be alone with a concussion, it's not like we don't have the room."
Leo's actually quite glad, he hadn't relished the thought of going home. The trouble is, now he's going to have a fight on his hands to go to work tomorrow. "How was Josh?"
"Insisting he's fine."
"He always insists he's fine."
"I know. He is alright though. He'll be sore for a few days but there's no lasting damage. Are you and him getting along better?"
"We're fine."
"Really?" Abbey asks, giving Leo a look he knows well, one that says 'don't bullshit me'.
"Getting better," Leo amends.
"Good." Abbey turns her attention to her husband as he enters the room. "Leo's staying here tonight."
Jed tries to hide his surprise at that. "Good, there's a documentary...."
"No," Abbey tells him.
"No?" he replies.
"No. He's here to sleep and get some rest, not watch a documentary on the formation of the Grand Canyon."
"Thank God for that," Leo smiles.
"Hey, it's a good documentary," Jed complains. "You went to see Josh?"
"Yeh, he'll be fine, so will Mark."
"Well you'd better go to bed," Jed tells Leo, "'cos my program starts in 10 minutes."