Chapter Seven

When Sam was awake he had flashes of memories, constant pain and laboured breathing. He preferred it when he was asleep. He didn't hide his annoyance when the nurse asked him if he felt up to answering a few questions from Ron Butterfield.

Sam watched as Ron entered the room. Stella, a female agent, sat down next to him by the side of the bed. On the way over Ron had been thinking about how Sam might react to him. Professionally, Ron knew he had done all he could to rescue Sam. On a personal level he felt more vulnerable. He had seen Sam euphoric after victories, morose at a funeral, bored stiff at State functions, drunk at White House parties and in shock after being shot at. He had seen Sam in many emotional states but he dreaded the state he might find him in now.

Sam's initial response was to say nothing. Ron greeted him, told him how glad he was to see him and explained how close he had been to finding him. The house that Ron had entered the morning of Sam's escape turned out to be only a few blocks from where Sam actually was. Sam listened impassively and gave no response when Ron finished talking. He asked Sam if he was okay to answer a few questions and finally Sam responded with a slight nod of his head.

"We've got one of them. A man called Mael Gacha was arrested trying to steal a car just outside DC." Sam showed no reaction to this news. He could remember Incul the most clearly and had hoped it was him they had caught.

"You won't be surprised to hear that he's giving us nothing. Can you tell us how many other men were in the house?"

Sam turned away from Ron and stared at the ceiling. Incul he remembered him and Mael, now that Ron had said his name. Sam pictured Javier leaning over his bed. "Three, there were three of them."

"Is it possible there were more?" Stella asked and Sam noticed the tape machine she was holding. Sam shook his head. Behind Stella, standing in the corridor, he could see Toby. "Can you describe them please?"

Can you fuck off? Sam thought and then froze, thinking he had said it out loud.

He tried to raise himself up the bed. He wanted to catch Toby's eye. He hoped Toby would come in and tell Ron to go. He gave up and lay back, embarrassed at how weak he must have appeared. "Do you need a nurse, Sam?" Stella asked and Sam noticed she and Ron were looking at him with concern.

"Javier had a beard," Sam started to describe Javier and how he had seemed in charge. When Ron asked him about Incul Sam closed his eyes. "I didn't see him much."

Ron asked him how he had got out of the house. Sam wanted to tell him. Sam could see the crack of light again and the bags by the door. "They were going," Sam started and Ron held up his hand when Stella started to ask another question. "They were fighting. I knew…if they went they would kill me…I knew it was coming to an end. Javier said…and they were fighting, I could hear the traffic." Stella looked at Ron, she thought they should stop and she brought her finger over the stop button but she didn't press it.

"Go on, Sam," Ron encouraged, ignoring Sam's worsening breathing. He hadn't been able to find Sam but he was going to find the men who took him.

"Erm…I could see the light in the…I…they left the keys in the door…I got them to, Mael I think, took me to the bathroom…they were fighting." Toby had turned around now and was looking into the room but Sam couldn't see him. He was staring at the ceiling again, his left hand clutching the rail by the bed. "There was a can…spray…I sprayed, Mael couldn't see…I got out, I got out and he wouldn't stop."

"Who wouldn't stop? Did Mael come out after you?" Ron was leaning forward, his own hand holding onto the bedrail.

"He wouldn't stop…he locked…he locked…she turned away…I got out but he wouldn't stop."

"That's enough!" Toby's voice startled Ron. He twisted in his seat.

"Hold on, Toby. I just need to know what Mael did."

Stella stopped the tape recorder and stood up. She walked over to Sam and placed her hands on his shoulders. Toby leant past Ron and pressed the call button.

"Calm down, Sam. It's okay," Toby said. Sam's breath was coming in rapid gasps, his eyes wide and fixed on the ceiling. He tried to brush Stella's hands off him.

"I'm sorry, Toby, but Mael is denying he even knew Sam was in the house! I needed Sam to-" Ron stopped talking when he realised Toby wasn't listening to him. He picked up the tape recorder and gestured for Stella to follow him out of the room. Their exit was swiftly followed by the arrival of a nurse.

Toby had resorted to holding Sam's shoulders in an attempt to keep him still.

"Sam, I'm going to give you something to help you calm down."

"No, don't!" Sam didn't want to be drugged again. They had drugged him and he had been helpless.

"Well, then you have to calm down. Take a nice deep breath for me through your nose. Good, now breathe out through your…Sam, stop gulping air and start breathing."

"I'm trying to, Ginger…I want to relax…I'm trying."

The nurse looked up at Toby. "I'm going to sedate him. I don't think he's even with us at the moment." She went off to fetch a doctor and left Toby with a very agitated Sam.

"Why don't you stop her?" Sam asked and Toby reassured him that she was helping him and that he should do what they say.

Sam's wide eyes stared up at Toby. "Why didn't you stop them?"

Later Toby was to reflect on how such a little thing as a change of tense and pronoun had made his stomach turn and his breath catch in his throat.

"Sam, you need to listen to me, you're upset right now but when you're feeling calmer, we can talk and I'll explain-" Toby's words were cut short by Sam pulling his hand out of his grasp and turning away from him.

Toby slipped from the room when the nurse returned with the doctor. Sam had given up his resistance and lay immobile as the sedative was administered. Toby went straight to the White House where he told Josh and CJ that Sam had been given something to help him sleep so there was no point going in for a few hours. By the time he had finished some notes for a speech about foreign aid, Toby had almost managed to convince himself that Sam had just misspoken. Sam had said, 'Why didn't you stop them' but clearly he had still been talking about the nurse and meant 'her'. He also meant 'don't' not 'didn't'. Toby did such a good job of convincing himself that he didn't even feel like he was lying when he told Josh that the reason he wasn't going to the hospital later was to give Sam's parents some time alone with him.

The room was quiet apart from the gentle hiss of the oxygen and the occasional beeps of machines. Josh scratched his head and squeezed his eyes shut before refocusing on the paper in front of him. He was circling any passages that he wanted Donna to look into for him and had decided that it would have been easier to circle the passages that he didn't need researching. He sighed and chewed the end of his pencil before drawing another large circle and scribbling 'find data but only up to 1999'.

Sam had been asleep when Josh had arrived and hadn't woken. Sam's parents hadn't arrived yet and so Josh had decided to stay until they did or Sam woke up, whichever happened first.

His attention was drawn away from the papers in front of him to Sam, whose hand had started to move restlessly above the covers. Josh watched as it jerked towards the bedrail, curled into a fist and then relaxed again. Josh wondered if he should wake him but then remembered that Sam had been given something to help him sleep and so probably wouldn't wake anyway. Josh reluctantly returned to his work. He sighed loudly as he circled yet another paragraph and then, irritated by the work that would be needed just to understand its content, let alone argue against it, shoved the file back into his backpack. He pulled a newspaper out and settled down to read it.

Not long after, Sam moved his hand again. This time he scrunched the bedcover up and started to pull at it. He managed to pull it far enough to expose his feet before Josh, tugging at the other end, made him cease his efforts. Sam muttered something and turned his head away. Josh retrieved his paper from the floor but didn't go back to reading it. He had a feeling Sam wasn't done yet. He crossed his arms and leant against the bedrail. Sam was still again and Josh rested his head on his arms and waited. His patience was rewarded when Sam's arm flung up making clumsy attempts to remove the nasal cannula from his face.

"Hey, don't," Josh said as he carefully removed Sam's hand. Sam pushed Josh's hand away and scrubbed at his face. Again Josh replaced it and firmly pushed Sam's hand down. The line attached to his hand had twisted and as Josh lifted Sam's arm to untangle it he saw a series of bruises. He gently turned Sam's arm to get a better look. There were four bruises in a line and then a fifth just below them. Josh muttered a curse as he worked out what had caused the bruises. He had become used to the bruises on Sam's face but seeing the imprint of a hand on Sam's arm made his stomach turn. The room suddenly felt oppressively hot and Josh stood and walked towards the door trying to remember where he had seen the vending machine.

He rested against the wall by the exit and took a long gulp of water. Five people had entered by the time he had finished and the five blasts of fresh air combined with the water made him feel revived enough to go back to Sam's room.

"We were here this morning but you were asleep," Josh immediately recognised the voice of Sam's father. He opened the door to see him and Sam's mother sitting by the bed. Sam was awake and whatever Scott Seaborn was saying, he was shaking his head in response. Josh walked up to the bed and placed his hand on Jessica's shoulder.

"Josh!" Jessica stood and kissed him on the cheek. Since his parents had separated, Sam had visited his mother more frequently. Josh had accompanied him a few times and thoroughly enjoyed a weekend of pampering and home cooked food. Sam's father nodded curtly at Josh but didn't speak. After an uncomfortable pause, Josh announced that he needed to get back to work.

He walked closer to the bed. "It's good to see you awake. I'll see you later."

"I need some air, I'll walk out with you," Sam's father said. He waited until they were near the exit before he suddenly stopped and turned to Josh, "Well, this has worked out well for you, hasn't it!"

"I'm sorry?"

"President Bartlet- strong leader, what were the polls for that 70, 80 percent?"

"There is nothing about what happened to Sam that is-"

"No! You don't get to stand there and tell me about what happened to Sam. I know what happened to my son. What I want to know is why you let it happen!" Scott was breathing hard and he placed his hands on his hips.

Josh was struck by his resemblance to Sam. It wasn't just the pose but the determined face and look of righteous indignation. Josh found himself speechless. He wanted to know why he had let it happen too. He managed to say, "I tried…" but even he was aware of how pathetic his voice sounded.

"You tried what, to be a good Deputy Chief of Staff or to be a good friend? If it's the latter, you failed."

Josh watched Sam's father walk back down the corridor. "I tried to be both," Josh muttered as he turned and headed for the exit.

Toby saw Josh fly past his office and waited a few moments before following him. Josh's door was closed but he didn't wait for a reply after knocking. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Josh replied.

"You're back here. You said you were going straight to the Hill after seeing Sam."

"I was and then I remembered I'd left some stuff here and I needed to speak to Leo anyway so I…" Josh took a deep breath and closed the door. "Sam was asleep most of the time. I went to get a drink and when I got back his parents were there. His dad was…I think he feels… Let's just say I think I know where Sam gets his temper from."

Toby rubbed at his forehead. "What did he say?"

"He thinks I'm a good Deputy Chief of Staff, and that's always nice to hear." Josh flashed a grin at Toby but the smile faded as he continued. "He thinks I'm a bad friend. He thinks the President used what happened to Sam to strengthen his image and increase his popularity."

"How upset is he?"

"Well, he's pretty pissed, Toby. When he was bawling me out in the hospital corridor I remember thinking he seemed upset," Josh answered before slumping into his chair.

"Leo said the President wants to visit Sam."

Josh's head shot up, "He can't. Leo will have to talk him out of it. Apart from the fact that it would end with the secret service restraining Sam's dad, Sam would hate the President to see him like that."

"Yeah, that's what I said, without the bit about Sam's dad." Toby walked towards the door and reached for the handle. "Did Sam say anything to you?"

"I told you, he was asleep."

Toby looked thoughtfully at Josh and started to speak but then mumbled that it didn't matter and walked out of the office.

Margaret told Toby to go straight in and he entered Leo's office to find him shaking his head. He looked up at Toby and rolled his eyes. "The President of the United States is sulking. He's not talking to his Chief of Staff and he's sulking."

"I heard that!" came from the office next door and Bartlet appeared in the doorway. "I have taken a stance of non-verbal communication in a bid to demonstrate my displeasure at the views that have been put to me."

"A position universally recognised as sulking, Mr President," Toby answered.

"And that's why you're not going to be my new Chief of Staff," Bartlet said as he disappeared back into his office.

Toby quietly explained about Sam's father and then suggested that it would be an equally bad idea for Leo to visit at the moment. Leo looked away and nodded, "Okay, you should probably talk to Mr Seaborn, or CJ maybe?" He kept his eyes fixed on the papers on his desk hoping that Toby wouldn't see the relief he had felt at the thought that he didn't have to visit Sam just yet. Toby walked back to his office and wondered how he was going to face Sam's father when he wasn't even sure he could face Sam.

Josh had fallen asleep, his feet were on the desk and his hand held a pen that had doodled a pattern of swirls on his shirt. The phone rang and he jumped, underlining the doodle with a bold stroke.

Donna greeted Josh with, "They've gone."

"Are you sure?"

"They left an hour ago, Josh. They've both gone back to their hotels for the night."

"Did you speak to them?" Josh sat up and rubbed at his face.

"No, Josh, I attacked a nurse, stole her uniform and staked out Sam's room until his parents had left."

"Are you still wearing the uniform?"

Donna ignored him. "The coast is clear, you can come visit Sam."

"Okay, wait! Why didn't you call me an hour ago?"

"I wanted to sit with Sam before Josh the-"

"Josh the what?"

"Nothing," Donna smiled. "Hurry up. I'll stay until you get here."

Josh replaced the receiver, stretched, and then cursed as he noticed the ink stains all over his shirt.

Even though Donna had said Sam's parents weren't there, Josh still peeped into the room before entering. Donna looked up and smiled as he entered. She stood up and kissed Sam's forehead, picked up her bag and walked over to Josh. "He's just woken up."

Josh held the door for Donna and then took off his coat, already too warm in the stuffy room. He sat down on Sam's left side, the side that the bruises weren't too noticeable.

Sam opened his eyes when he heard the chair scraping on the floor. "Hey," he croaked.

"Hey, do you need anything?"

Sam shook his head. Josh thought his breathing sounded worse than it had this afternoon but he supposed that was because Sam had been asleep.

"What dad say?" Sam asked as he closed his eyes.

"Nothing, he was just a little upset." Sam pulled a face but Josh didn't acknowledge that Sam knew he was lying. "CJ is going to come on her way to work tomorrow and Toby is coming later." Sam's breathing was definitely harsher. Josh thought. "When did the nurse last come in?"

"Little while ago, and doctor." The word doctor caught in Sam's throat and he coughed, wincing at the pain it caused. Josh put his hand through the gap in the rail and found his hand. Sam gripped it until he stopped coughing. Josh muttered about the bedrail being ridiculous. After a few attempts he managed to push it down. He replaced his hand over Sam's and listened to him breathing. His breaths were rapid and accompanied by a rasping sound.

"Sam?" Josh's uncertain voice made Sam turn to face him. Sam could see the worry in his friend's face but he didn't have the energy to try to appease him.

"Can't keep eyes open," Sam said and Josh smiled and told him to go to sleep. Josh would wait until Sam was asleep and see what his breathing sounded like then. The nurses were making constant checks. He told himself he was just being paranoid. Sam's breathing did ease as he fell asleep and it wasn't long before the quiet and warmth of the room produced the same response in Josh.

Josh felt someone shaking his shoulder and woke to find a nurse asking him to move so that she could put the bedrail back up. Josh's hand still lay on Sam's bed but Sam's hand was no longer beneath it. He blinked and rubbed at his eyes and then became more alert when he saw the doctor standing by the bed placing a stethoscope on Sam's chest. Sam was lying on his back, his hand trying to replace the covers that the doctor had pulled down. He was shivering so violently that Josh could hear his teeth chatter. Josh noticed the cannula had been removed and replaced by an oxygen mask. The doctor removed the stethoscope and the nurse applied some discs to Sam's chest. She leaned Sam forward and gently tapped his back producing a fit of coughing that, in turn, produced an attack of vomiting. The head of the bed was raised and Sam placed gently back. Josh had fallen asleep thinking that he had been paranoid about Sam's breathing and woken to find a flurry of activity around the bed and Sam hooked up to more machines than he could count.

The doctor glanced at him and nodded his head towards the corridor. Josh headed for the door and heard the doctor ask Sam if he needed anything for the pain. He turned back and saw Sam nod. Josh walked outside the room and leant against the wall.

"Are his parents in there," Toby called as he walked down the corridor seeing Josh outside Sam's room. He came and stood next to him and saw the expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I'm waiting for the doctor."

Toby tried to peer into the room but the blinds had been closed. He nudged Josh and gestured to some seats on the opposite side of the corridor.

"Try a heat pad first," the doctor instructed the nurse as he left the room and come to sit beside Josh and Toby.

"Mr Seaborn has bacterial pneumonia. He has obviously been through an ordeal and his body is finding it hard to fight the infection."

"He was fine when I got here, well not fine but..."

"This type of pneumonia can come on very quickly. We know Mr Seaborn had damaged ribs that weren't treated for quite a while. He would have spent a lot of time lying immobile and from what I understand he spent quite a bit of time in a basement. For some reason, he tries to suppress his cough and that won't have helped. All of these factors alone, together with the possibility that he may have breathed in some blood or vomit during the time he was held captive, would be enough to cause an infection in his lungs." He paused letting them digest what he had told them so far. "So, we're going to treat him with antibiotics, increase his oxygen and ease the pain-"

"Yeah, I heard you ask him about that, what pain?" Josh interrupted.

"Chest pain." Seeing the look on Josh's face he quickly added, "His lungs not his heart."

"Okay." Josh wiped a hand through his hair and smiled sheepishly. "Can we go in?"

"Yes, Nurse Sanders will be back soon. You can go in then." The doctor hurried away and Josh and Toby waited for the nurse to return.

"We should phone his parents," Toby said.

"Not yet."

"Okay."

When the nurse came back she had her arms full. Toby and Josh followed her into the room and watched as she placed the heating pad on Sam's chest. When he started coughing again she removed it pulled him forward and held a cushion to his chest. It obviously offered some comfort as Sam smiled at her as she lowered him back against the pillow and replaced the pad.

Toby stood at the end of the bed but Josh went straight to Sam's side. Sam was still shivering. Josh pulled the blanket up to Sam's chin and placed his hand on Sam's head. Sam turned onto his side and nestled into the warmth of it. Toby came and sat on the opposite side of the bed and pulled the blanket again to cover Sam's back and neck. He felt the shivers and placed his hand on Sam's shoulder as if the action would somehow still his shaking body. Sam mumbled something and both Josh and Toby told him to shush. Eventually Sam rolled onto his back, the shivers lessened in intensity and he fell asleep.