Well, here's chapter 9. Sorry it took so long. Thanks for continuing to r&r...
CHAPTER IX
Carol was doomed, and she knew it. It would be only seconds before those pesky black-suited agents had swarmed the crowded coffee shop. The device had gone off, her call had been made, and the right people would surely die. So there was only one thing left for her to do. She would wait for the
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Agents swarmed the airport, breaking off into different paths to cover more ground. As the young agent Kardon glided past disappointed would-be travelers on the crowded airport walkways, he considered his dire luck that his first day on the job would involve a national crisis. He peeked into every airport store he passed; looking for the pale brunette that was now the prime suspect. After quickly inspecting a small magazine store, he came upon the overcrowded starbucks, and realized that this place would require a deeper investigation. Ripping through the throngs of jittery patrons, he found her. Carol Fitzpatrick, soon to be posthumously convicted terrorist, sat passively at a little square table, popping a solitary pill into her mouth. After an exaggerated swallow she looked up at the determined agent and smiled. "Howdy
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Deputy Deputy Chief of Staff Donna Moss led her posse up to the emergency room reception desk. She was not surprised to realize that it was the same African-American woman that was there over three years ago, and sure enough she recognized the confident, calming voice. "Hello. How may I help you?"
Donna spoke determinably, "We were looking for CJ Cregg."
"Donna," Toby appeared a few yards away, "follow me. We are all in the waiting room."
Donna, Ginger, Bonnie, Margaret, Elizabeth, and Gus all followed Toby down the monotone halls of the hospital, finally coming to the waiting room. As they stepped inside they were greeted to the recognizable sight of everyone sitting in passive shock among the chairs. Elizabeth went right for her daughter, who sat next to the first lady. Ginger sauntered around and eventually sat by herself, and Bonnie plopped down tiredly next the Elizabeth. Donna remained standing, looking upon her co-workers. Margaret placed a supportive hand on Donna's shoulder, simultaneously recognizing the missing face.
"Where's Josh?" Donna looked eagerly for any positive facial expressions. She found none. No not again, not again, please God not again-
"Donna," the only knowledgeable doctor in the room spoke up, "Both Josh and CJ were injured, but they will be fine. CJ just went through a skin graft and should be able to take visitors in a few minutes. Josh is getting stitches. They will be fine, there's no need..."
The first lady stopped when Doctor Smolder importantly entered the crowded room. "Ms Cregg's skin graft went well, and if immediate family or close friends would like to visit, I'm sure she would appreciate it. Keep it to two at a time though please."
A few relieved sighs could be heard, yet Donna was still tense. "What about Josh?"
"Mr. Lyman, in addition to minor second degree burns, received a minor cranial laceration, and is currently receiving stitches. He should be out in a few minutes."
"Thank you, Doctor."
As the doctor left the room, Annie looked up at the still vertical blonde. "Donna, do you know why Josh was burned?"
"Why?"
"He rescued CJ from the fire, the bomb fire, I saw him come out." Annie smiled seriously.
Toby stood up. "You have quite a boss Donatella Moss. I'm going to see CJ, does anyone else want to come?"
"I will." Both Ginger and Annie spoke at the same time.
Elizabeth looked down at her daughter. "Why don't we let Toby and Ginger go first, we'll visit when they get back. Frankly, darling, I don't want you leaving my sight."
"Okay..." Annie couldn't help glancing at her mother's bruised eye. She decided to mention it later.
Toby found his assistant's interest strange. He wasn't even sure CJ even knew Ginger's full name, let alone expect her to be the first visitor. Nevertheless he went along with it. "Come on, Ginger."
"I'm coming." Inside, Ginger's heart was dancing wildly. Her thoughts raged... Both in the same room, the press secretary and the dirty
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"Jews have become their main targets since the assassination attempts, sir, Jews and African Americans." Nancy McNally opened a secondary file as the president confirmed the distressing news.
"So did she have anything to do with Rossyln?" The president was getting very cranky.
"A distinct possibility that is, sir...hold on Mr. President," Nancy carefully read the note just passed to her. Then she glanced back up at the president. "Carol had a longtime roommate at, uh, Potsdam University."
Leo was impatient. "Who?"
Nancy couldn't believer her own ears, "Ginger Hertz."
The president was incredulous. There was no way anyone else in his administration was a traitor. "But that doesn't mean..."
"No, but at this point, I wouldn't be surprised. We should question her, now, before..."
"Before anything else happens, I know. Leo how's Josh and CJ?" The president hated the fact that he could not be with his family at a time like this.
Leo struggled to keep an aura of calm confidence as he contemplated the recent news. How far does this spread? He couldn't help but think the worst. "They're both out of surgery, and they're going to be fine. Katie is fine as well."
"Thank God," the president replied, "So the only thing those damn Nazis got was
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"The White House probably won't be livable for at least a week, CJ" Toby looked down at the pained press secretary. She broke his little heart.
"So, uh, I'm glad Josh is okay. Strange how he got burned so far away...." CJ trailed off in her memories. The lifesaving hands...Josh's lifesaving hands? "Oh my God! Sparky!" Toby watched in horror as CJ tried to jump out of her bed and immediately lay right back down again. "Ouchy. I guess I'll talk to him later."
"Those are some bad burns, CJ, did you try to bake me cookies again?"
"Very funny."
Toby glanced at the strange stitching on her arm. "So what did they do to you?"
"They gave me a skin graft."
"What's that?"
"Its when they take your good skin where its plentiful and use it to replace the badly burned skin." CJ pointed to parts of her arm and face like a geography teacher.
"And where did they harvest your plentiful skin?" Toby asked with a smirk.
CJ had a mysterious expression on her face. "I think that question is of a personal nature, Tobias."
"Sorry."
CJ loved teasing the communications director, but she decided to change the subject and release the question that had been boiling in her brain for hours. "Do we know who did this yet?" CJ spoke with a sudden surge of anger.
Toby thought for a moment, finally deciding to keep the load on CJ's frazzled mind light. "Not yet."
Ginger looked up from her chair and made a strange expression at the bantering co-workers.
Now the press secretary's tone turned serious. "We better catch those bastards, and when we do, I'll be glad we have the death penalty."
Toby was stunned. It wasn't that long ago when CJ was one of the staunchest opponents of capitol punishment within the administration. "CJ, there's one more thing...I know that it was kinda spoiled by, well, a bomb, but anyway," Toby dug a crumpled piece of parchment out of his pocket and handed it to CJ, who unfolded the card carefully into her hands. "Happy Birthday, CJ."
"Toby, you didn't have to write me a novel..." CJ smiled politely as she began to read, but by the end she could feel the hot tears of friendship forming in her eyes. "Oh Toby, give me a hug."
Toby turned apple-red. "Well, I don't wanna hurt you, burned and all..."
"Give me a hug!" CJ demanded, and Toby did so, with all the grace of a shy panda bear. Ginger remained awkwardly in her seat, passively staring out the window.
Toby shuffled slightly as he stood up, noticing how Ginger still sat uncomfortably in silence. He then remembered how distraught his assistant was after Rossyln, he remembered giving her a rare hug as well. "So CJ, is there anything you want? Something to eat...wait...no...I know. I'll see you in a few, CJ." With that Toby left CJ's room to go get what was in his mind, leaving the vulnerable press secretary alone with Ginger Hertz.
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Ginger watched like a poised tiger as Toby closed the door behind him, and immediately turned to CJ. "Hi CJ," she said simply as she stood up.
"Oh hi...hi Ginger. My goodness I didn't even realize you were here." CJ closed her eyes groggily. She was getting sleepy, and not in much of a mood for another visitor. "You don't mind if I doze off for a while, do you?"
"No. You rest up, I'll wait with you." Ginger continued to hover dangerously above the sleepy patient.
"That's...so....sweet Ginger...very sweet of..." and with that CJ was out.
Ginger's eyes flashed with the resurfacing of the memories of her training, buried with time and trickery. "I still have to give you my birthday present, CJ."
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Toby was halfway down the hall, figuring how to best get back to Wal-Mart to pick up a birthday cake, when it hit him again: Carol is a terrorist. He still couldn't believe it. He looked up at the innocent young nurse working at the floor desk, typing something quickly into her computer. Toby was still amazed at how fast some people could type. He thought of the typing contest all the assistants had a few months ago. He thought of Ginger. He froze.
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An loving shadow of a father placed a guiding hand on the bearded man's shoulder. She needs your
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"...help you? Can I help you, sir." The typing nurse that Toby had admired so much was now talking to him, and Toby had no idea what to say.
"No thank you, I was just...thinking."
"Alrighty then." The nurse went right on typing.
Toby felt uneasy, unnatural. Seemingly guided by angelic hands, Toby began to head back toward CJ's room. Why would Ginger want to see CJ so bad, he thought worriedly... to finish the job? With these horrid thoughts Toby began to run, and several seconds later he opened the door to CJ's room. For a split second he stood in utter shock as he watched his efficient assistant of over five years adding a foreign substance to his co-worker's IV bag. Without thought or words Toby ran over and tackled Ginger, pushing her to the hard floor with an unnatural thud, and quickly ripped the IV needle out of CJ's arm. As CJ's eyes sprung open with the sudden surge of pain, Toby pinned Ginger to the floor. He saw the label on the glass bottle in her shaking hands...a bold skull and crossbones. Toby surged with anger, and being the communications director, he communicated his feelings effectively to the traitorous white house intern, "You Neo-Nazi...
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"Betch-ya don't know what you won..." Donna looked fondly upon her now stitched and healing boss.
"Won for what?" Josh couldn't help it. Despite the horrid happenings of the day, he was smiling. It felt so good to be talking to Donna again.
"For winning the Darwin awards, Josh. You're supposed to run away from bombs." Donna now talked with a deep seriousness. "I know what you did, and I find it very brave."
Now Josh blushed not with modesty, but with shame. If only you knew that it was my fault in the first place. "Well, um, so what did I win?"
Donna beamed contagiously, "Well, in the car I got a phone call. We...you won the Bartlet Chip!"
"So its free..."
"Well, no, you only win it if you pay $550, but it's still yours!"
"I thought that we had bid, well, less than that?" Josh was a little dismayed at the figure.
"Well, right after we thought we had it, someone else bid five hundred, so..." Donna looked at her shoes. "Yeah."
"This thing better end up in the Smithsonian." Josh looked around the room, checking for a certain special birthday gift. "Did you happen to bring Gail Jr. with you?"
Donna nodded silently from side to side as the door burst open and a security guard rampaged in. "I'm sorry, but we need everyone back into the waiting room. Now."
Josh watched in terror as the guard forcible led Donna out of the room. "What's going on? Donna!"
Donna's eyes widened as she was jolted from Josh's presence and rushed down to the waiting room. When she arrived she was greeted to the sight of multiple security guards standing stoically throughout the room. Her friends and co-workers sat in various stages of shock. One of the guards looked introspectively into Donna's terrified eyes. "Please take a seat, Ms. Moss."
TBC...