Chapter Eight
Mael lay with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. He smiled as he pictured Ron Butterfield's face when he had told him that he hadn't known Sam was in the house. He knew when Sam was recovered he would be able to tell Ron all about his part in the kidnap, but in the meantime it was fun watching Butterfield and the other agents sweat it out. If Sam had died it would have been impossible to prove that he had known Sam was there. They could find all the forensic evidence they wanted. After all, he wasn't denying he had been in the house, just that he had known Sam was in it too.
Mael shuffled down the bed and rested his feet on the rail at the bottom. He worked through possible reasons for the mystery prisoner. Maybe he was an injured member of the FARC that Javier and Incul were looking after. Or, he could be on the run or someone who just needed a few days to lie low. Mael smiled again as he thought about the fun he was going to have tomorrow when he was questioned. The smile disappeared though as Mael's thoughts turned to Javier and Incul and how they had left him, coughing and spluttering on the floor. Incul had stepped over him in his haste to get out once they had realised Sam had gone. They had worked out many plans for what to do if things went wrong and that hadn't been one of them. Mael bit at his lip and frowned, he would have his fun until Seaborn gave him up and then he would start to talk seriously with Butterfield. He definitely had information that could get him out of here, maybe even out of the country.
CJ turned heads as she walked along the corridor. She was carrying a bouquet of flowers and a helium balloon. But most people were staring at her. Usually a commanding figure CJ was even more noticeable in a sky blue channel suit and matching shoes. She had chosen the suit on purpose.
"Is the hat in your office?" Sam asked as he caught up with CJ on the way to the briefing.
"What hat?"
"You need a pill box hat with that suit." Sam stopped walking as CJ stepped in front of him.
"You think I look like Jackie Kennedy?"
"I'm just saying that the suit is nice and let me stress that I think you look good, but yes, it brings to mind images of Jackie Kennedy." Seeing CJ's expression Sam's eyes creased in confusion. "Not that that's a bad thing. I mean, Jackie Kennedy was a very stylish woman. Of course, she was a lot shorter than you…a lot shorter, but she had a certain 'flair' is what I'm saying."
"You think I'm too tall to carry it off?" CJ knew it was wrong to wind Sam up but she could never resist.
Sam looked beyond her for help but no one was around to save him from the conversation. "I think you could carry off anything, and I think it's nice that you're paying homage to stylish women of the White House…not that that's what you intended to do…that was just my take on what you're wearing and anyway this is a style that never dates. The moment I saw you I thought, 'there goes CJ, paying homage to stylish women of the White House with flair and…style'."
CJ had her arms folded and was tapping her elbow with her fingers which was never a good sign. A wave of relief washed over Sam's face as he saw Charlie walking towards the Bullpen. "Hey there's Charlie. I have to go to speak to him about something that has absolutely nothing to do with what he's wearing." CJ waited until he had disappeared before she broke into a grin.
When she entered Sam's room the smile that she had intended to greet him with disappeared. Sam was coughing into a bowl held by a nurse. She was rubbing his back with her other hand. Sam was attached to a host of tubes and wires. The most alarming difference was the sound of Sam's laboured breathing and the striking disparity between the vivid bruises and the paleness of his face. Toby had called and told her that Sam had taken a turn for the worse last night but she still wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted her.
She waited until the nurse had finished before she sat beside the bed. Between the IV and the instrument that had been attached to Sam's finger, CJ found it impossible to hold his hand so she slipped hers underneath his instead. There was a pause before Sam curled his fingers around hers and then opened his eyes, greeting her with a small, tired smile.
"Hey, Sam. Aren't you meant to look better each time I come and see you?"
Sam's smile widened and he rolled his eyes. His eyes travelled to the balloon that bobbed forgotten in CJ's hand. CJ pulled on the string and held it in front of him. "This is from Carol."
Sam reached out and read the message that was attached to the string. "Nice."
CJ was shocked at how weak Sam sounded. She turned to the end of the bed where she had placed the flowers, "And these are from me." Sam thanked CJ and fingered the ribbon that hung from the bouquet. CJ stood and busied herself with finding a vase and arranging the flowers. The room was silent and Sam watched her work. When the flowers were done she lifted the balloon's ribbon from beneath her bag and walked around the room looking for a place to tie it.
"Window," Sam said and CJ walked over to it and tied the balloon onto the window latch. They both sat and watched it swaying from side to side. When CJ turned to Sam his eyes were closed but she knew by the way he held her hand that he wasn't asleep.
"I've got to get going," she whispered as she bent over and kissed him.
"Nice suit," Sam murmured and smiled, but the smile was soon replaced by a frown as Sam rolled onto his back. "Could…tell nurse…pain again." CJ left the room quickly and grabbed the first nurse she could find. She told her what Sam had said and then headed for the exit. After she walked out a couple walked towards the entrance. The man held the door open but the woman purposefully opened the door next to it. Scott Seaborn seemed unperturbed by his ex-wife's dismissal of him. In fact he seemed resigned to it.
"And he smells of TCP."
CJ entered Leo's office and on hearing Josh's statement realised she probably hadn't missed anything.
"There is a definite whiff of some sort of surgical lotion," Toby agreed. "That I could live with if he could actually put pen to paper and write a coherent sentence."
"It could be Tea Tree oil," Josh mused.
"CJ, did Carol catch you?" Leo asked, relieved to be able to start a sane conversation.
"Yeah, I'll talk to Bringley but I don't think it's anything to worry about." She sat down next to Toby. "Is this Sam's replacement you're talking about? It smelt like herbs to me, I don't know, a sort of-"
"Okay! That's enough! If you don't like the way he writes or you can't work with him then fine, get rid of him, but you find a replacement and you don't come to me if you start getting behind."
Leo went through the day's schedule which everyone knew would probably be flipped on its head by lunchtime. When he was finished he walked over and shut the door. "I don't know how long Sam's going to be in the hospital but I know that when he's out it's going to be a while before he can come back here. So, seriously, Toby, you need to find a replacement for Sam and make sure that it's someone that you can work with because he or she is going to be around for a while. "
Josh nodded, "Well, yeah, no one expects him to come straight back but he can start working from home maybe, short statements, research for Toby that sort of thing. I know I nearly went out of my mind when I was at home and if it hadn't-"
"And didn't we all know about that, Josh!" Leo interrupted. "We got fed up with you whinging and let you come back and I'm not going to make that mistake again." Leo stared at Josh until he lifted his head and returned his gaze. "Sam's a writer and the hand he writes with has been busted by some bastards just because he wrote what the President asked him to. I'm saying, he's not going to be okay just because the bones have healed."
The room fell silent. "I think he smelt like Basil," CJ muttered then turned to Toby, "Come on, let's go find you a new deputy." CJ and Toby exited and Josh followed. Leo remained where he sat for a while longer.
Toby walked down the hospital corridor and pictured Jason Charlton's face when he had told him he was to stand in for Sam until he returned to work. He had said the words 'stand in' at every possible opportunity and by the end of the brief meeting Jason had been under no illusions about the temporary nature of the position.
Toby allowed himself a slight smile at how Josh had declared Jason free of any unknown odours. He frowned when he thought of Jason arriving tomorrow, eager to make an impression, messing up Sam's office with his own belongings. Temporary- that would be the word for tomorrow Toby decided.
He looked into the room before entering and was glad to see that only Sam's mother sat by the bed. Toby had always assumed that Sam took after his father in looks and mannerisms. He had been surprised to discover that it was his mother that Sam favoured in appearance. After listening to a very detailed account of her route to Washington, Toby had realised that Sam had inherited some of his mother's idiosyncrasies as well. Unsure if Scott Seaborn would be coming back, Toby hovered by the empty chair.
"Please sit down, Mr Ziegler. Scott has gone back to the hotel. He never could cope when Sam was ill."
Toby smiled awkwardly and pulled the chair closer to the bed. The last time Toby had seen Sam he had been shivering. Now, he was lying still although Toby could see his hair was plastered to his forehead and his breathing sounded no better than it had before.
"He has a fever." Jessica explained. "He's quiet now. Earlier he was mumbling all sorts of things." A huge sigh from Sam made both of them turn and look at him. His head turned from side to side and then he quietened again. Jessica turned her attention back to Toby. "Scott thinks you gave up on Sam, that you could have helped him by negotiating with them or at least stalling for time. Is that true?"
Toby looked at Sam as he answered, "I don't have an answer for you. I wish I did." For a moment he had the urge to unburden himself to Sam's mother. In the quiet of the hospital room he wanted to whisper over the bed that he believed they could have done more. He wanted to take the opportunity to share his guilt and maybe be absolved of it. But then, Sam mumbled, Jessica leant towards him, and the opportunity for confession passed. When Sam had quietened, Toby sat up in his chair and continued. "We all knew at some level that something like this could happen, and if it did, that a policy of non-negotiation would be followed. And in theory, that is absolutely right because the moment a President of anywhere gives in to threats, then terrorists everywhere feel vindicated in their actions and so it goes on."
"But in practice?" Jessica insisted.
"In practice, principles are fine when you deal with them in hypothetical situations but when they are put to the test-" Toby stopped talking as Sam sat bolt upright in bed, staring at the wall.
"It's alright, lie down, honey." Jessica reached over and touched Sam's shoulder but he shrunk away from her.
"They shouldn't be in here," he complained. "Tell them!"
"There's no one here, just me and Toby."
"Tell them, they…they'll ruin it…they shouldn't be here." The energy that had driven Sam upwards now deserted him and he slunk back against the pillows. "Please tell them."
"They've gone," Toby said and Sam closed his eyes again.
Jessica stood and Toby reached out when she stumbled slightly. She leaned on the bed for support.
"Can I get you anything? Maybe I could ask the nurse if there is somewhere you could rest for a while?" Toby stood and walked around the bed. "Mrs Seaborn, you don't look very well. I can take you back to the hotel if you like?"
Jessica straightened and was pleased to find she could keep her balance. "Please call me Jessica and yes, Mr Ziegler, it would be very kind if you would take me to the hotel."
"Of course," Toby walked towards the door and held it open, "and please, call me Toby."
By the time Toby returned to the hospital, Josh had arrived and was sitting outside of Sam's room.
"The nurses kicked me out."
Toby nodded and headed for the coffee machine. He came back with two cups and handed one to Josh.
"Are we pulling an all-nighter?" Josh asked.
"Maybe."
When the nurse left the room Toby and Josh walked in and sat on either side of Sam's bed. Sam was restless. His head turned from one side to the other and occasionally he mumbled or sighed deeply. Josh and Toby sat in silence, both unnerved by the restlessness of their friend. The nurse returned and Josh moved so that she could get to the bed.
"Is his temperature still high?" Josh asked even though he knew what the answer was.
She answered as she removed the bedding, replacing it with one sheet. "Sam has a remittent fever which means that it is fluctuating but hasn't returned to normal." She placed an instrument in Sam's ear and waited for a beep before removing it. Josh sat down again and watched her record the reading on the chart. She rinsed a cloth in the sink and placed it on Sam's forehead. "Fever is the body's way of fighting infection, it's a good thing but I know that's hard to believe when you see someone like this." She moved away from the bed and handed Toby the cloth. "The doctor will be coming to see him soon," she said as she left the two men alone with Sam once more.
Toby looked down at the cloth as if he had never seen one before.
"Well, go on then," Josh said. When Toby didn't respond, Josh sighed and walked over to the sink. He filled a bowl with cold water and rested it on the bedside table. "Give it here, Florence." He took the cloth from Toby, rinsed it and placed it on Sam's head.
Josh was amazed at how quickly the flannel was warmed by the heat radiating from Sam. He applied it two more times before taking the bowl back to the sink and sitting down again. Another nurse came in and placed a fan by the side of Sam's bed. Its head travelled from side to side. Josh felt the air ruffle his hair as it travelled past him but noticed Sam's was plastered to his forehead with sweat, and didn't move as the cool air passed over him.
"I'll do it," Sam muttered.
Toby leaned forward and stared at Sam, but neither he nor Josh spoke.
"Leave it…they don't…don't touch them…they're in order." Toby's brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of Sam's words.
"Books don't have legs!" Sam cried and Toby couldn't help but smile at the incredulous tone of his voice. Whoever was annoying Sam was obviously still doing it as he sighed, shook his head, and then quietened. Both Toby and Josh relaxed back in their seats.
Josh had fallen asleep by the time the nurse came again. She took Sam's temperature but this time she didn't record it on the chart but walked out of the room and quickly returned with a doctor. Toby leant over the bed and nudged Josh awake. The doctor studied the information on the machines, listened to Sam's breathing and then looked at his pupils. He shook Sam and called his name. When he asked Sam if he knew where he was, Sam mumbled that he wasn't allowed to tell him.
The doctor told Toby and Josh that they were going to try to bring Sam's temperature down and asked them to wait outside. Toby walked towards the coffee machine and then stopped. "You know, I actually think I can't face another cup of coffee!"
"Yeah, me too, it will pass." Josh tried to get comfortable on the plastic chair. "Are you going to phone Jessica?"
"In a while, Sam wouldn't know if she was there or not at the moment. She looked exhausted, and if Sam is still like this tomorrow she'll stay all day again."
It crossed Josh's mind to make a sarcastic comment about how caring and considerate Toby was being but he glanced at his friend's tired, worried face and for once, decided to say nothing.
Sam was calmer when they returned to the room. His hair was wet but not from sweat. The nurse emptied a bowl of water and replaced the bag that was attached to the IV. She turned from the bed but then turned back and pulled a comb from the bedside cabinet. Toby smiled as he watched her gently run the comb through Sam's hair.
"Side or middle?" she asked.
Josh smiled too, he'd seen Sam work through the night and still not have a hair out of place. "Side," he answered.
The nurse left and the room was quiet once more. The peace didn't last. Sam started muttering. The sentences were nonsensical at first but then Sam asked for a window to be opened. Hoping that he was aware of his surroundings Josh told him that it already was.
"I'm going to open the window! It's too hot."
In his delirium, Sam was in the Oval Office telling the President where he was going. Bartlet just carried on talking. Sam walked towards the windows and heard Toby call him.
"It's alright, Sam. Calm down."
"Am calm…hot…too hot."
Josh stood and walked over to join Sam by the window. "It's okay, you're alright. The windows are open."
"They're not, Josh!" Sam shouted and Josh put both his hands on Sam's shoulders.
"Okay, it's okay."
Sam watched as Josh walked over to the windows. The glass was divided into several smaller panes. Josh drew his hand back and Sam watched in horror as he smashed it through the first pane. Sam called his name but he didn't stop. Pane after pane was smashed and although blood was running down his arm, Josh didn't stop. "Josh! Josh! Stop it!" Sam cried but Josh only turned to him and smiled.
"It's alright, I'm here. Everything's okay."
Toby pulled Josh away from Sam's bed. He could tell that whatever Sam was imagining, Josh's presence wasn't helping. He could also tell that trying to break through to Sam wasn't working. Josh stood helplessly by the side of the bed as he listened to Sam telling him that his hand was bleeding. Toby walked over to the sink and wet the cloth the nurse had used. He placed it on Sam's forehead and without Toby and Josh's voices to fuel his delirious imaginings, Sam soon calmed down.
Toby looked at his watch and decided he would phone Sam's mother in an hour. He glanced at Josh who was standing with his hands in his pockets staring out of the window. It was pitch black and all that Josh could make out were the lights of the cars that blurred into an illuminated stream in the distance. Sam moaned again and Josh closed his eyes. He heard the water running in the sink beside him. Toby muttered that the water was warm. Josh didn't turn around.
"Por favour," Sam muttered. A nurse entered the room and worked around Toby to read the machines and take Sam's temperature.
"No será cancelado," Sam's voice was determined but when he repeated por favour he was pleading. Toby tried to read the nurses expression as she looked at the thermometer. She smiled encouragingly at Toby and he took that to mean that Sam's temperature was dropping.
"No será cancelado," Sam repeated. Toby was fascinated by Sam's sudden burst of Spanish.
"He's talking about something not being cancelled," the nurse said.
"Por favor, no, por favor," Sam was becoming more agitated and his eyes flew open. Toby felt his stomach flip. He knew Sam was reliving the kidnap and he wasn't sure that he wanted any words to accompany the images that he had already managed to concoct for himself.
"Mi mano derecha, soy deracho!" Sam brought his right arm up and tucked it under his left. "Oh God, please don't…por favour…please."
"What's he saying?" Toby asked the nurse.
"I'm not sure...I only really have holiday Spanish."
"What did he say?" Toby insisted.
"He's talking about his right hand. He's saying he's right handed."
Toby couldn't stop Sam reliving the rest of the ordeal. He couldn't break through to him and he couldn't even comfort him when it was over. Sam was oblivious to everything but the scene that he was reliving. Toby removed his tie and shoes and pulled his chair closer to the bed. On the other side of the bed Josh did the same thing. It was an hour before Sam stopped talking, mumbling or crying out. It was another hour before Josh and Toby succumbed to the warm and quiet of the room and fell asleep.