Residual Scarring 9/?
Author: natlski
See part 1 for disclaimers
GW Hospital
Leo McGarry paused outside the semi-private waiting room. He was surprised to see Sam Seaborn sitting alone in the room. C.J. had been the one who called him and he had assumed the Press Secretary would be with Sam. It made sense that Donna was probably with Josh, but C.J,'s absence puzzled him. Leo stood in the hallway watching Sam. The youngest member of the Senior Staff, Sam was viewed as everyone's kid brother. He wondered if that ever bothered the young man. It was easy to forget what a brilliant speech writer he was when you took in his boyish good looks or witnessed his tendency to trip over things. At the moment the young speech writer sat hunched over, chin in his hand and a forlorn look on his face; looking for all the world like a lost little boy. Leo pushed open the door and spoke to Sam, who was slow to react.
Leo's entrance slowly registered in Sam's foggy brain. He started to stand, but Leo's hand on his shoulder gently stopped him. The older man sat beside him and watched him while he tried to clear his mind and focus.
"How is he?"
Images of Josh collapsing in the Roosevelt Room and then the Oval Office slammed into Sam's brain, causing him to flinch. They were quickly replaced by the more recent memory of a sweat soaked Deputy Chief of Staff, delirious with fever, shaking in his arms as he and Donna maneuvered him into a car. Sam squeezed his eyes shut, willing the images to go away. He shuddered as the image of his best friend, unconscious on a hospital gurney and being wheeled away from him, settled in his mind. He jumped at a touch on his arm and opened his eyes to see Leo sitting beside him, concern lining his face.
"Sam?"
The Deputy Communications Director swallowed and felt a small smile play across his lips as he realized the irony of the situation. He, speech writer for the Leader of the Free World, was at a loss for words.
"Sam?" Leo spoke again, his voice gentle as if trying to calm a traumatized child.
Sam looked down at his hands and took a deep breath. If he didn't say something soon he knew Leo was going to start jumping to all kinds of horrendous conclusions, if he hadn't already. He knew he couldn't do that to the man who thought of Josh as a son.
"Josh is sick. His body wasn't able to fight the infection." Sam paused before speaking the next part, still having trouble believing it himself. He turned to face Leo. "There was a problem with his medications. An interaction or an allergic reaction, they're not sure yet. Instead of making him better, they were making him sicker."
The older man leaned back in the chair, as if delivered a physical blow. "Is he going to be alright?"
"His fever is pretty high. He hasn't woken up since we brought him in. The doctors said he's severely dehydrated and they're still running tests to find out what's going on." Sam stood, suddenly feeling confined in the small room. "He's in ICU. They're letting Donna stay with him."
"Sam, it's nearly midnight. You should go home. Get some rest."
The younger man looked at the cell phone in his hand. He didn't remember picking it up, but must have at some point in his conversation with Leo. He turned the device over in his hand. "I'm waiting to hear from C.J." He replied absently. Then, as an after thought, "Does the President know? And has anyone told Toby?" He vaguely remembered C.J. on the phone as he and Donna had wrestled a delirious Josh into his car. She must have called Leo. Did she call Toby as well? He couldn't remember. Sam rubbed his hand over weary eyes and tried to remember the events of the evening. He leaned against a wall and slipped his hands into his pockets. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he forced himself to focus.
~~~Josh shaking, tears streaming down his face; stumbling, almost falling as coughing wracked his body. Donna and Sam on either side of Josh, keeping him up-right; across the apartment, down the stairs and to Sam's car. Donna climbing into the backseat with Josh and holding him. Sam sliding behind the wheel and starting the engine. C.J. sitting in the front passenger seat, cell phone pressed to her ear. Donna's cry of alarm when they were halfway to the hospital. Josh's unresponsiveness and the uncharacteristic stillness of his body. The panic rising in Sam's chest and reflected in all of their faces. The shrill sound of C.J.'s cell phone ringing.~~~
".and he's waiting to hear."
"What?" Sam suddenly realized Leo was speaking to him.
"C.J. called Toby after she called me. I was with the President so he's waiting to hear from me as to Josh's condition. Where is C.J.?"
Sam looked up to find Leo watching him closely. He wiped a hand over his face and was startled to find his cheeks wet with tears. "She had to meet Danny. Said he had important information that couldn't wait." Sam's eyes widened as he suddenly realized the impact of Danny Concannon's call. "He has information about Lillienfield!" In his pocket Sam's hand tightened around the cell phone, as if to squeeze the call out of it.
Georgetown Pub
C.J. Cregg dropped into a chair across from Danny Concannon; the stress of the day radiating off her body. "What 'ya got, Danny?"
"How's Josh?" Danny ignored her question and reached across the table to clasp her hand.
"Not good. He was still unconscious when I left and the doctors were running tests. Look Danny, I appreciate what you're doing, really I do, but right now I'd rather be with my friends."
Danny winced but ignored what he was sure was an unintentional jab. "This was delivered to me by messenger this evening." He slid the envelope across the table to rest in front of C.J. When she sat unmoving, looking at the envelope, Danny tapped it with his fingers before with-drawing his hand.
C.J. took a deep breath, then picked up the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper. Her eyes widened as she read. "Where did you get this?" C.J. demanded.
"It was delivered by messenger."
"Danny."
"I'm not revealing my sources, C.J."
She looked down at the paper again. "I need to show this to Sam." She stuffed the paper back into the envelope as she stood. "I've got to get back to the hospital."
"I'm coming with you." Danny stood, dropping some bills onto the table. He followed C.J. through the bar to the street.
GW Hospital
The hospital was quiet, the late hour adding to the somber atmosphere of the Intensive Care Unit. Sam was once again alone; Leo having left to phone the White House with an update of what little information they'd been given by the doctors. He stood leaning against the wall of the small semi- private waiting room. His tie hanging loose, his dark hair mussed, his eyes closed and looking as if he'd fallen asleep on his feet. He was startled by C.J. bursting into the room.
"Any news on Josh?" She demanded without preamble.
Sam moved stiffly across the room and dropped heavily into a chair, fixing his gaze on the floor tiles. "He's still unconscious. They still don't have all the test results back, but his fever hasn't risen in the last half hour."
C.J. lowered herself into the chair next to him. She suddenly felt the weariness wash over her body, the days events catching up with her. She could feel the same exhaustion radiating off Sam. Placing a comforting hand on her friend's arm, she held Danny's envelope in front of him. "Take a look at this."
He took it from her, wearily pulling the page free. He visibly tensed as he read, sitting up straight. He looked up, noticing Danny for the first time. "Where'd you get this?"
"Don't bother. He won't tell you. It clearly originated from someone inside the West Wing."
Sam read the paper again, lips silently moving with the words. He looked up to meet C.J.'s gaze. "I know this style. I recognize this writing."
They were interrupted by the door opening to admit Leo. Toby Ziegler was close behind him.
"Any news?" Toby asked, casting a dark look in the reporter's direction before settling in the chair on the other side of his deputy.
C.J. shook her head and repeated what Sam had told her just minutes earlier.
"Look at this." Sam handed the page to his boss.
Toby read the paper several times before handing it to Leo.
"Steve Joyce." Sam said.
"Yeah."
"It's got to be. That's his writing."
"Wait a minute." C.J. spoke up. "You fired Joyce and Brookline before Christmas. That memo describes Josh's behavior in the weeks just prior to Christmas and the fact he was in a day-long meeting Christmas Eve. And points out the fact that it is the same day doctors from the American Trauma Victims Association were present in the building; in a day-long meeting. There is no way Joyce could know what happened."
"He could have friends in the White House still; someone who told him about what happened." Leo handed the paper back to Sam then turned to Danny. "What do you intend to do with this?"
"Nothing." Danny shrugged. "I'm not going to do anything with this. The intent was to bring down Josh Lyman and I won't be party to that. I may not always agree with what you people do, but I consider Josh a friend and I will not malign him in this way."
"Thank you." C.J. smiled for the first time all evening.
GW Hospital
Leo McGarry paused outside the semi-private waiting room. He was surprised to see Sam Seaborn sitting alone in the room. C.J. had been the one who called him and he had assumed the Press Secretary would be with Sam. It made sense that Donna was probably with Josh, but C.J,'s absence puzzled him. Leo stood in the hallway watching Sam. The youngest member of the Senior Staff, Sam was viewed as everyone's kid brother. He wondered if that ever bothered the young man. It was easy to forget what a brilliant speech writer he was when you took in his boyish good looks or witnessed his tendency to trip over things. At the moment the young speech writer sat hunched over, chin in his hand and a forlorn look on his face; looking for all the world like a lost little boy. Leo pushed open the door and spoke to Sam, who was slow to react.
Leo's entrance slowly registered in Sam's foggy brain. He started to stand, but Leo's hand on his shoulder gently stopped him. The older man sat beside him and watched him while he tried to clear his mind and focus.
"How is he?"
Images of Josh collapsing in the Roosevelt Room and then the Oval Office slammed into Sam's brain, causing him to flinch. They were quickly replaced by the more recent memory of a sweat soaked Deputy Chief of Staff, delirious with fever, shaking in his arms as he and Donna maneuvered him into a car. Sam squeezed his eyes shut, willing the images to go away. He shuddered as the image of his best friend, unconscious on a hospital gurney and being wheeled away from him, settled in his mind. He jumped at a touch on his arm and opened his eyes to see Leo sitting beside him, concern lining his face.
"Sam?"
The Deputy Communications Director swallowed and felt a small smile play across his lips as he realized the irony of the situation. He, speech writer for the Leader of the Free World, was at a loss for words.
"Sam?" Leo spoke again, his voice gentle as if trying to calm a traumatized child.
Sam looked down at his hands and took a deep breath. If he didn't say something soon he knew Leo was going to start jumping to all kinds of horrendous conclusions, if he hadn't already. He knew he couldn't do that to the man who thought of Josh as a son.
"Josh is sick. His body wasn't able to fight the infection." Sam paused before speaking the next part, still having trouble believing it himself. He turned to face Leo. "There was a problem with his medications. An interaction or an allergic reaction, they're not sure yet. Instead of making him better, they were making him sicker."
The older man leaned back in the chair, as if delivered a physical blow. "Is he going to be alright?"
"His fever is pretty high. He hasn't woken up since we brought him in. The doctors said he's severely dehydrated and they're still running tests to find out what's going on." Sam stood, suddenly feeling confined in the small room. "He's in ICU. They're letting Donna stay with him."
"Sam, it's nearly midnight. You should go home. Get some rest."
The younger man looked at the cell phone in his hand. He didn't remember picking it up, but must have at some point in his conversation with Leo. He turned the device over in his hand. "I'm waiting to hear from C.J." He replied absently. Then, as an after thought, "Does the President know? And has anyone told Toby?" He vaguely remembered C.J. on the phone as he and Donna had wrestled a delirious Josh into his car. She must have called Leo. Did she call Toby as well? He couldn't remember. Sam rubbed his hand over weary eyes and tried to remember the events of the evening. He leaned against a wall and slipped his hands into his pockets. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he forced himself to focus.
~~~Josh shaking, tears streaming down his face; stumbling, almost falling as coughing wracked his body. Donna and Sam on either side of Josh, keeping him up-right; across the apartment, down the stairs and to Sam's car. Donna climbing into the backseat with Josh and holding him. Sam sliding behind the wheel and starting the engine. C.J. sitting in the front passenger seat, cell phone pressed to her ear. Donna's cry of alarm when they were halfway to the hospital. Josh's unresponsiveness and the uncharacteristic stillness of his body. The panic rising in Sam's chest and reflected in all of their faces. The shrill sound of C.J.'s cell phone ringing.~~~
".and he's waiting to hear."
"What?" Sam suddenly realized Leo was speaking to him.
"C.J. called Toby after she called me. I was with the President so he's waiting to hear from me as to Josh's condition. Where is C.J.?"
Sam looked up to find Leo watching him closely. He wiped a hand over his face and was startled to find his cheeks wet with tears. "She had to meet Danny. Said he had important information that couldn't wait." Sam's eyes widened as he suddenly realized the impact of Danny Concannon's call. "He has information about Lillienfield!" In his pocket Sam's hand tightened around the cell phone, as if to squeeze the call out of it.
Georgetown Pub
C.J. Cregg dropped into a chair across from Danny Concannon; the stress of the day radiating off her body. "What 'ya got, Danny?"
"How's Josh?" Danny ignored her question and reached across the table to clasp her hand.
"Not good. He was still unconscious when I left and the doctors were running tests. Look Danny, I appreciate what you're doing, really I do, but right now I'd rather be with my friends."
Danny winced but ignored what he was sure was an unintentional jab. "This was delivered to me by messenger this evening." He slid the envelope across the table to rest in front of C.J. When she sat unmoving, looking at the envelope, Danny tapped it with his fingers before with-drawing his hand.
C.J. took a deep breath, then picked up the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper. Her eyes widened as she read. "Where did you get this?" C.J. demanded.
"It was delivered by messenger."
"Danny."
"I'm not revealing my sources, C.J."
She looked down at the paper again. "I need to show this to Sam." She stuffed the paper back into the envelope as she stood. "I've got to get back to the hospital."
"I'm coming with you." Danny stood, dropping some bills onto the table. He followed C.J. through the bar to the street.
GW Hospital
The hospital was quiet, the late hour adding to the somber atmosphere of the Intensive Care Unit. Sam was once again alone; Leo having left to phone the White House with an update of what little information they'd been given by the doctors. He stood leaning against the wall of the small semi- private waiting room. His tie hanging loose, his dark hair mussed, his eyes closed and looking as if he'd fallen asleep on his feet. He was startled by C.J. bursting into the room.
"Any news on Josh?" She demanded without preamble.
Sam moved stiffly across the room and dropped heavily into a chair, fixing his gaze on the floor tiles. "He's still unconscious. They still don't have all the test results back, but his fever hasn't risen in the last half hour."
C.J. lowered herself into the chair next to him. She suddenly felt the weariness wash over her body, the days events catching up with her. She could feel the same exhaustion radiating off Sam. Placing a comforting hand on her friend's arm, she held Danny's envelope in front of him. "Take a look at this."
He took it from her, wearily pulling the page free. He visibly tensed as he read, sitting up straight. He looked up, noticing Danny for the first time. "Where'd you get this?"
"Don't bother. He won't tell you. It clearly originated from someone inside the West Wing."
Sam read the paper again, lips silently moving with the words. He looked up to meet C.J.'s gaze. "I know this style. I recognize this writing."
They were interrupted by the door opening to admit Leo. Toby Ziegler was close behind him.
"Any news?" Toby asked, casting a dark look in the reporter's direction before settling in the chair on the other side of his deputy.
C.J. shook her head and repeated what Sam had told her just minutes earlier.
"Look at this." Sam handed the page to his boss.
Toby read the paper several times before handing it to Leo.
"Steve Joyce." Sam said.
"Yeah."
"It's got to be. That's his writing."
"Wait a minute." C.J. spoke up. "You fired Joyce and Brookline before Christmas. That memo describes Josh's behavior in the weeks just prior to Christmas and the fact he was in a day-long meeting Christmas Eve. And points out the fact that it is the same day doctors from the American Trauma Victims Association were present in the building; in a day-long meeting. There is no way Joyce could know what happened."
"He could have friends in the White House still; someone who told him about what happened." Leo handed the paper back to Sam then turned to Danny. "What do you intend to do with this?"
"Nothing." Danny shrugged. "I'm not going to do anything with this. The intent was to bring down Josh Lyman and I won't be party to that. I may not always agree with what you people do, but I consider Josh a friend and I will not malign him in this way."
"Thank you." C.J. smiled for the first time all evening.