Title: A Broken Heart (2/2)
By: adoreleo
Rating: Overall Rating for this story is PG. Contains some strong language.
Characters: Leo, Mallory, Margaret, Jed, and Abbey
Spoilers: Anything up to and including Third Day Story.
Disclaimer: The characters are from the NBC, WB, TV show The West Wing; they don't belong to me.
Beta, Brainstorming & Additional Ideas By: Lynn, who always goes above and beyond the call. THANKS!!!!
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated.
Author's Notes: Okay, does anyone else think that they really blew it with the lack of scene time and emotions from Mallory and Margaret. Why did these important people in Leo's lives have no interaction with him in the hospital? Well, I will try and make up for Well's misuse of these great characters.
Additional Notes: The timeline of Leo's Heart surgery and aftermath are not medically correct. I followed the show's timeline and their treatment of him. But my beta (who's a nurse) said that it's very unrealistic timeline and totally not what would have happened (go figure, the WW writers got it wrong). There wasn't enough time to fix this issue, so I'm posting it anyway, much to the chagrin of my beta. Sorry Lynn, we'll get it right in the next story.
Part 2
Abbey stands there holding onto Jed tightly, as they both watch the team of doctors work on Leo. She's not sure that Leo's going to make it. The medical team has to defibrillate him, breathe for him and compress his chest between escalating defibrillations. They use the defibrillator paddles to check his heart rhythm before going through another round of drugs and compressions and defibrillation. An IV has been inserted into his left arm by one of the medics allowing the team to give him drugs to get his heart beating. After three or four rounds they finally get a normal looking heart rhythm. As soon as the team of doctors is satisfied that Leo has stabilized enough to transport; they quickly pick up the stretcher and head for Marine One.
While Leo is being loaded onto the helicopter, Jed turns back towards his staff members, "Josh, there isn't going to be enough room for everyone. I need you guys to go to the White House and take care of things there. I'll call you as soon as we know anything."
At first, Josh is about to argue, but then he realizes that there really isn't anything else he can do for Leo right now, other than go take care of the West Wing for him. "Yes, Sir. Umm... Sir, about the phone call before... when I umm... well... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have yelled at you, Sir."
"Josh, don't worry about," Jed's heart aches as he realizes that he just used one of Leo's favorite sayings. Jed closes his eyes for a second and then looks back at Josh. "Son, I know you were just worried about Leo. Go do a job." The President says, as he reaches out squeezes Josh's shoulder.
"Mr. President, we're ready to go Sir." A Secret Service agent informs the President.
"Okay," Jed says to the agent, then he looks at Josh one last time; before he boards Marine One, "I'll call you."
Josh is still standing there staring up at the sky, long after Marine One has disappeared from view.
"Josh," Toby says, moving beside him. "We should be leaving soon."
"Huh," Josh replies, fighting to hold back his tears. He's not sure if he's ever going to see Leo alive again.
"I said, we should probably get going," Toby repeats in a soft voice. He too is very upset about what has happened to Leo, but he's always been better at hiding his emotions than Josh. Toby looks down at the ground and moves some imaginary dirt with his shoe. Truth be told; he would do anything in his power for Leo McGarry. "We have things we need to be doing."
"Yeah, you're right. Let's go," Josh says, as he heads to their waiting suburban. Will, Kate and Toby follow him. Very few words are spoken on their trip back to the White House. Josh spends the entire trip staring out the window.
As their suburban pulls up to the White House, Toby looks at Josh. "I'll tell CJ. Do you want to tell Margaret?"
Josh looks at Toby, "I forgot about Margaret. Yeah, I'll tell her," he says, as he climbs out of the car and heads for the door. He stops and turns back to Toby, "Tell CJ not to tell the press anything until we hear from the President."
"Okay," Toby agrees. "I wonder if the President thought to call Mallory?"
"Shit, Leo told me to take care of her... how could I have forgotten to call her. Leo is trusting me and I've already let him down."
"Josh, stop it. It's been a very traumatic morning. You haven't let Leo down."
"Do you think I should call Mallory?" Josh says in a panic.
"I'll call Mrs. Bartlet and see if Mallory's been informed. I'm sure Mallory is already on her way to Bethesda," Toby says, walking to the door, pulling it open and holding it for the rest.
They walk into the lobby, and then each of them goes their separate ways. Toby heads off to CJ's office and Josh slowly makes his way to Leo's office. Will heads off to inform the Vice-President and Kate goes down to the Situation Room.
Mallory is out doing some early grocery shopping for the dinner that she's going to help her dad prepare for them tonight. She half expected him to call last night or this morning to cancel, but he hasn't yet. She's already talked to Margaret this morning and found out that he's expected back at the White House for a meeting with some Republicans. Then later that day, he'll probably have to go to the peace treaty signing, but after that, Margaret said that she cleared his schedule, because Leo told her last night that he wanted to spend some time with his daughter.
Mallory is picking out fresh vegetables when her cell-phone rings. Her first thought is that her dad is calling to cancel their dinner. She notices that it's not his number and breathes a sigh of relief. She's really looking forward to tonight. They've had so little time lately, and she's been worried about him. The last time she saw him he looked so tired and drawn. "Hello," she answers.
"Mallory," Abbey says, trying to keep fear from showing in her voice.
Mallory gets a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, "Abbey?"
"Sweetie, a man is going to come up to you soon. I want you to go with him," Abbey softly tells her.
"Abbey, what's happened? Is Daddy okay?" Mallory says in a voice full of panic and fear.
"Mallory, I'm sorry your father has had... a heart attack..."
Mallory quickly interrupts Abbey, "Oh no. Is he... is he...?" She starts to cry.
"Mallory, he's alive," she says as she looks down at her husband's life long friend fighting for his life. "But, it's bad. We're on our way to Bethesda with him now," Abbey decides not to go into all the details.
"Daddy," she whispers into the phone.
"I know, honey. Mallory, has someone approached you yet?" Abbey thinks that she should have been by now.
Mallory looks around and sees someone coming towards her. He has his ID out in his hand. "Yes, I think he's coming right now."
"Miss O'Brien, I have a car waiting to take you to your father," he says softly, showing her his ID. He knew that she has been informed that someone was retrieving her.
"Abbey, I'm on my way, bye," she says quickly, as she heads for the store's exit.
"Okay, sweetie, bye" Abbey says, holding back the tears. She hangs up the phone and moves over to Jed who is kneeling next to Leo and holding his hand, watching the medical team attend to Leo. She rests her hands on his shoulders. "Jed, Mallory's on her way. We should be at the hospital in just a couple of minutes."
Jed turns his head up to his wife and looks into her eyes, "Is he going to make it?" He pleads with his eyes and voice.
"I don't know Jed," Abbey says, shaking her head. "He was down for such a long time... we'll know more after we get him assessed at the hospital," she lovingly squeezes his shoulders.
"Carol, have we heard from our lost friends yet?" CJ inquires. "I thought they were supposed to be back an hour ago. Bet they didn't want to leave the woods."
"No, nothing yet," Carol says, as she peeks her head into her boss's doorway.
"Okay," CJ says, as she looks up from the folder that she is reading at her desk and spots Toby heading towards her office. "Well, it's about time," she says to him, as he walks into her office. "Bet you hated leaving all those woods behind, didn't you, nature boy," she smirks.
Toby puts down his bag and then walks over to her desk, "CJ... I need to tell you something."
"What?" Her tone turns more serious from the look that Toby has on his face.
"Leo..." he hesitates.
"Leo what?"
"Leo had... a heart attack. It's bad CJ. They took him by Marine One to Bethesda," Toby says, making his way around her desk.
"Is he going to be okay?" She asks in a soft voice.
"We don't know yet," Toby says, taking her in his arms to comfort her. "He was out in the woods alone for a long time and... God CJ... it was terrible. The doctors had to work on him for a long time... he went into cardiac arrest and..." Toby can't bear to tell her that they thought Leo wasn't going to make it or that his chances are probably still not very good. He gathers himself, "The President said he'll call, but I need to find out if Mallory knows."
"I'll call Mrs. Bartlet," CJ offers, shocked at how Toby is acting. It must be really bad for him let this much emotion show.
"Thanks," Toby gladly says. He wasn't looking forward to making that call.
"Does Margaret know?" CJ asks.
"Josh is on his way to tell her now," Toby sighs. He doesn't envy Josh. Margaret is likely to fall apart.
"Maybe I should send Carol over," CJ wonders out loud.
"You might want to wait a little bit first. Give her some time to digest it all. And besides, I imagine she'll want to head right off to the hospital."
"Josh, where's Leo?" Margaret asks, as soon as she sees him walk into her office. "I haven't been able to get a hold of him since last night. I reminded him last night that he needed to come back early this morning for his meeting with the Republicans. I swear that man can..." Margaret suddenly stops. She knows something terrible has happened by the look on Josh's face. "Josh, what's happened to Leo?"
Josh breaths a heavy sigh, "Margaret, Leo's... had a heart attack."
"Oh no," she gasps, quickly raising a hand to her mouth. "Is he... is he okay?"
"He heart stopped and it... it seemed like it took them forever to revive him."
"Where did they take him?" Margaret asks, as she grabs her purse from her desk.
"The President said he would call when they know more. He said there was no reason for all of us to be there," Josh informs her.
"Josh, where the hell did they take him?" She angrily demands.
"He's at Bethesda," Josh relents, knowing better than to fight with Leo's Margaret. "Let me get someone to drive you there. You're in no shape to drive yourself and if something were to happen to you, Leo would kill me."
Margaret stops, looks at Josh and suddenly breaks down. Josh makes it to her just in time to help her into a chair. Tears are falling freely down her face as she looks up at him, "I've worked for that man for over fifteen years, Josh and I've tried to get him to take better care of himself, especially after the divorce, but he has fought me every step of the way. I knew something like this was going to happen one day. I just knew it."
"Margaret, it's going to be okay," Josh tries to soothe her.
"But, what if it isn't. Oh Josh, I'm being so selfish. What about Mallory? Does she know? Oh God, I need to be there for her. Leo would... want me to be," she says, as she stands.
"Toby is finding out if Mallory knows." Josh wants to be there for Mallory, too, but he promised the President he would take care of things in the White House. "Let me get you a driver," Josh picks pulls out his cell phone and calls the service. "They're be one at the North West exit in a couple of minutes. I'll walk you there," Josh informs her.
They walk in silence to the exit. Josh has to really walk fast to keep up with a very nervous, Margaret. He opens the door for her and escorts her to the car. "I'll call as soon as I know anything," Margaret says, as she gets in the back seat of the car.
"Tell Mallory... umm... tell her..." Josh doesn't know what to say.
"I know Josh. I'll tell her that you're thinking about her and Leo, and that you send your love," she says, as Josh nods his head, and closes the door.
Mallory rushes into the waiting room and finds her honorary aunt and uncle, holding hands, sitting on a couch, and looking very somber. "Abbey?" She asks, in a very young girl like voice. She fears that she too late and that her father is dead.
"Mallory," Abbey says, as she stands to take the younger woman in her arms. "He's in the Cath Lab. They're trying to do an angioplasty on him. They think he has a blockage in two of his coronary arteries."
"Was he conscious?"
"He was in and out," Abbey pulls back a little and looks into the eyes of the young woman that she has known since she was born.
"Did he say anything?" Mallory softly asks, as she wipes the tears from her eyes.
"He told me to tell you he loves you," Abbey smiles.
"Is he going to... die?" Mallory's voice hitches.
"Honey, I don't know. But, your father is a fighter and we just have to have faith that he will pull though okay," Abbey pulls Mallory back into a tight hug.
They stand there for a couple of minutes until finally Abbey breaks the hug, takes Mallory's hand and guides her over to where Jed has been standing off to the side, watching them. He feels so guilty. He's afraid Mallory will hate him when she finds out what happened last night at Camp David. But when he sees the fear in Mallory's eyes, he quickly forgets about himself and opens his arms to her.
Mallory falls into the waiting arms of her father's oldest and dearest friend. She buries her face into the comfort of his shoulder as she continues to cry. She stays there for several minutes. She finally gathers herself and pulls from his arms, "I'm sorry Mr. President," she says, trying to back away from him.
Jed smiles at her. She is so much like her father, following protocol even in a time like this. "What is it with you and your dad? Can't we dispense with the protocol, just this once," Jed says, as he takes a hold of Mallory's hand.
Mallory gives him a small smile and nods her head.
"Let's sit down," Abbey tells them.
The three of them sit on the couch for a few minutes in silence. Mallory is between Jed and Abbey. Finally, Mallory breaks the silence, "That man, this morning, how did he know where I was at? He showed me his ID, and he wasn't Secret Service," Mallory says into in a puzzled voice.
"No... he's not," Jed breaths a heavy sigh. "He's a private bodyguard that works for a service that your dad hired to protect you... after Zoey was kidnapped last year," Jed informs her. There's no time for worrying about secrets any longer.
"What? You mean I've been followed and watched for over a year, and I didn't even know it," Mallory says in a slightly angry voice.
"Your dad wanted you safe," Jed tried to explain, laying a hand on hers.
"Yeah, he would... wouldn't he," she smiles, quickly forgetting her anger, as she thinks about how much her father loves her and wants to protect her.
"Mallory, you are the light of his life. He couldn't bear it if something were to happen to you." Abbey adds. "Please don't be too mad at him."
"I'm not. But, he should have told me," she frowns slightly.
"He didn't want you to worry," Abbey says.
Mallory lowers her eyes and is about to say something, when the doctor enters the waiting room.
"Mr. President, Dr. Bartlet," he says, as he moves towards them.
"How's my Dad?" Mallory quickly asks, as she jumps up.
"The angioplasty was unsuccessful. The liaisons were too severe, and he was in profound cardiogenic shock, so we've taken him to surgery for an emergency double coronary bypass."
"How long before he's off the pump?" Abbey asks, quickly switching to doctor mood.
"Three hours... maybe more," the doctor says with some uncertainty.
"Three hours?" Shock creeps into Abbey voice.
"Yeah, well he was down a long time," the doctor reminds her. "I'll come back when I have more information," the doctor says, as he moves away from the threesome.
"Abbey, what does all of that mean?" Mallory asks.
"Sweetie, lets go sit down," Abbey says, motioning them towards the couch.
Abbey sits next to Mallory, "Your father was unconscious for a long time out in the woods and since he didn't receive immediate attention, the heart attack has caused some major damage to his heart muscle. They tried the angioplasty first, but weren't able to get the stents through the blocked coronaries and he was too unstable, so now they have to perform open-heart surgery to bypass the blockages. They will remove a vein from one leg and use it to patch up his heart."
"What was Daddy doing out in the middle of the woods?" Mallory asks and then watches the glance exchanged between the President and Abbey. "Why would he do that?"
"Mallory," Jed starts. "It's all my fault. He was upset and wasn't thinking right," Jed says with a sigh and then lowers his eyes.
Abbey reaches across Mallory and squeezes her husband's hand. "Jed, it wasn't your fault." Jed has already told Abbey about what happened between him and Leo last night.
"Yes, yes it was," he says, and then raises his eyes to meet Mallory's. "Your dad and I had been disagreeing over the past week about what to do about the Gaza bombing. Last night, after another heated conversation, I... I fired your dad. That's why he walked away from the compound. He was trying to get away...from me."
Mallory jumps up off the couch, "You fired him??? How could you do that after all he's done for you?"
"Mallory, calm down," Abbey stands, trying to take her in her arms.
Mallory backs away, "He's given up everything for you," she says, pointing at the President. "Wasn't losing his marriage enough for you?" She yells.
"Mallory, I was mad. I overreacted. I..." Jed tries to explain.
"He's loves you so much, and this is how you repay him," Mallory says, just before she turns and runs out of the room.
Jed starts to follow. "Jed, let her have a few minutes," Abbey says, as she takes a hold of his arm. "She just needs some time to think. She knows deep down inside you would never do anything to intentionally hurt Leo."
"But I did hurt him. If you could have seen the look on his face. It was... it was like I'd just killed him," Jed's voice fades.
"You two have had fights before, and if it weren't for Leo's heart attack, you would have already told him he wasn't fired and you two would have worked it out."
"What if I don't get that chance? Abbey... what if he... dies?" Jed lowers his watery eyes.
"Jed, like I said before. We have to have faith that he'll be all right. I'm going to go look for Mallory. I'll be right back." Abbey says, as she walks towards the door. But, she stops when she sees Mallory standing there.
Mallory walks into the room and over to the President. "I'm sorry Uncle Jed. I know you wouldn't purposefully hurt my Dad. It's just..." she stops, as her tears start again.
Jed pulls her into his arms, "I'm sorry Mallory. I love your father. He's like... a brother to me. I never wanted this to happen to him."
"I know. I'm just scared. I need him so much."
"We all do," Jed whispers into her hair. "We all do."
Margaret arrives at the hospital and is greeted by a Secret Service Agent, who takes her to the private waiting room. Margaret hesitates in the doorway, as she watches the President hold Mallory. Abbey isn't surprised when she spots her and calls to her, "Margaret."
"Ma'am how is he?" Margaret asks as she walks towards the First Lady.
"They just took him into surgery. The angioplasty failed. The blockage was too intensive. It might be hours before we know anything more," Abbey informs her.
Mallory finally realizes that Margaret is in the room and turns towards her, "Maggie," she says, leaving the comfort of the President's arms.
"Mal," Margaret hurries to the younger woman and takes her in her arms, "It's going to be okay."
"How can you be so sure?" She asks, looking up at her father's assistant.
"Because your dad is just too stubborn to give up. He's beaten a lot of odds in his life and..."
Mallory interrupts, "But what if this time..."
"Mal, lets not worry about what-ifs right now, okay?"
"I'll try not to. It's just... I don't want to lose him."
"I don't either," Margaret whispers back. 'I don't either,' she repeats to herself under her breath. She's afraid of losing him, but she has to be strong for Mallory. Leo would want her to be.
"Just you wait. Soon, he'll be bellowing my name, probably wanting me to fluff his pillows or something," Margaret says with a smile.
Mallory allows herself to let out a small laugh, "The bellowing part sounds like Dad, but I have a hard time picturing him asking to have his pillows fluffed," she smiles back at her friend.
"Oh I don't know. Men can be such babies when they are sick," Abbey joins in as she throws her husband a smirk.
"Hey," Jed says, trying to feign being angry. He's happy to see Mallory smile a little even if it is short lived.
Mallory walks over and joins the President at a table and Margaret follows the First Lady to the window. Margaret quickly glances at Mallory, making sure that she's far enough away so that she can't hear her, "Ma'am," she says softly.
"Yes, Margaret." Abbey says, raising an eyebrow.
"Did the doctors give any indication to what Leo's chances might be?" She whispers as she tries to mask her concern, so that Mallory won't notice.
"No, not really, but they're worried about the amount of time he was unconscious and went without treatment," she says, trying to look like she's talking about the weather with Margaret.
"Oh," is all the Margaret can manage to say.
"One thing we didn't tell Mallory is that we almost lost Leo before we even left Camp David. He went into cardiac arrest and Jed's medical team had to work hard for several minutes to revive him."
Margaret bobs her head, "Do you think he's going to make it?"
"Margaret, I really don't know. Medically it's going to be a long uphill battle, but you and I both know that Leo's a fighter, so... I'm hoping for the best."
"Yeah... me too," Margaret breathes out.
A few hours later, the waiting room is full of senior staff. They couldn't wait at the White House any longer. Josh, CJ and Will are sitting over by the window, discussing the child tax credit. Abbey is sitting on the couch, staring at the TV. Margaret took Mallory down to the cafeteria to get something to eat, and Toby is out in the hallway having a private conversation with the President.
The surgeon comes into the waiting room and informs them that the surgery is over, but Leo's heart won't function on it's own without the pump. He tells them they will try again in a few hours.
Abbey leaves the room and heads down the hallway looking for her husband. She finds him down by the soda machines, having a very heated conversation with his Communication's Director.
Abbey walks up to them, "They finished the bypass. His heart won't function without the machines. They'll try again in a few hours. We have to talk to Mallory ...about... options in case... that doesn't work," Abbey says in a very reserved voice.
Toby frowns, looks down at the floor and then back up at them. He says nothing and just walks away quietly.
"Jed, I sent CJ down to get Mallory and Margaret," Abbey informs her husband.
"Okay," Jed says, his shoulders fall, heavy with guilt, as he heads back towards the waiting room.
Abbey joins him and takes his hand as they go back to face the others.
The President forces the senior staff to go home for the night, but can't convince Mallory or Margaret to leave. They have taken up residence on one of the couches. Abbey makes arrangements with Charlie for him to bring them a change of clothes in the morning. She also asks CJ to get a couple of the assistants to do the same for Mallory and Margaret. They all spend a long night waiting and worrying.
The next day, President tries to run the White House from the hospital waiting room. When Debbie says that Charlie is coming over with more clothes for the next day, Abbey tells her to tell him not to. Jed and she get into a discussion about Leo and what's going to happen during his recovery. Abbey informs Jed, that Leo won't slow down that he'll kill himself for him and that he needs to keep Leo out of that job. Jed is not willing to admit to himself that his friend isn't going to be able to come back to work as his Chief of Staff.
Later that afternoon, the doctors try again to take Leo off the pump and this time his heart beats on it's own. Abbey forces Jed to go back to the White House, since it's going to be hours before Leo will be able to have visitors.
Mallory slowly opens the door and peers into the darkened room. Her breath catches in her throat when she sees her father lying there in bed. He looks older than he's ever looked before. She eases her way past the door and hangs onto to it as she shuts it. She walks over to her father's bedside and is shocked at how frail he looks. She can't hold back her tears. She lets out a muffled sob.
"Mal..." Leo says in an extremely weak voice, as he eyes flutter open.
"Daddy," she softly cries out, gently taking his hand and bending over to lightly kiss his cheek.
"Don't... cry," Leo says, and then swallows heavily. "I'm fine." He whispers, as he struggles to squeeze her hand.
"Oh Daddy, I thought that I was... never going to see you again."
"Nah, can't get... rid of me... that easily..." he manages to get out before he closes his eyes and then opens them again.
Mallory smiles at his attempt at humor and sees that he's struggling to stay awake, "Daddy I love you. Close your eyes and sleep now. I'm not going anywhere," she says, trying to get a hold of her emotions. She knows that it's not doing her father any good being this upset. "Besides, you're going to need your rest, because; eventually, Margaret's going to come in here and I think... she might be a little bit upset with you," she smirks.
"Yeah... I can imagine," he slightly smiles as he drifts off to sleep again.
Mallory stands there for a long time holding her father's hand and watching his restless sleep. His brow is wrinkled and his face full of angst. She wonders what he might be dreaming of. She lets go of his hand just long enough to pull up a chair next to his bedside. She sits down and takes his hand again. She doesn't want him to feel alone anytime soon. She knows he must have been scared lying out in the woods. She tries not to think about what could have happened to him and tries to focus on the fact that he's going to get the best care he can get. She eventually closes her eyes and joins her father in restless sleep.
Abbey opens the door to Leo's room and finds Mallory asleep in the chair next to his bed. She walks over and gently wakes her. "Mallory," she says, touching her shoulder.
"Huh," a very tired Mallory replies.
"Sweetie, why don't you go lie down in the waiting room for a while. I'll sit here with your father."
"No, I should..."
"You should get some rest. It's okay," she tells her.
"Okay, I guess I could nap for a while. It's going to be a long night." Mallory says, as she gets up, stretched and then leaves the room.
Abbey stands there for a few seconds staring at Leo. She's so upset with herself for not noticing what was going on with him. Her eyes are blurry with tears, and she doesn't realize that Leo's awake again.
"Abbey," he whispers.
"Hey there Leo," she says in a loving voice as she moves to his side and takes his hand in hers. "Are you in any pain?"
"Nah..."
"Leo... now is not the time to be stubborn."
"It's not?"
"Leo, I'm so sorry I didn't see what was happening. I should have followed though on my threat I made during the lockdown about making you see a doctor."
"Abbey... it's not... your fault."
"But still..." She says, as a tear makes its way down her face.
"Don't..."
Abbey knows she shouldn't be breaking down in front of Leo, but they came so close to losing him and it's finally taken its toll on her. "Sorry."
"Abbey."
"I know... but Leo... we almost lost you and..."
"Yeah... I know."
Abbey quickly gathers herself and decides to change the subject. "Jed's on his way over. He's really anxious to see you."
"Me... too," Leo whispers, as his eyes involuntary close.
"Mallory..."
"Do you want me to get her?" Abbey asks.
Leo shakes his head, "Is she okay?"
"She's scared. But, she has a lot of people watching out for her."
"Good. Don't want... her to worry."
"Well, I'm not sure we can stop that, but I know she's better now that you're out of surgery and doing better."
Leo closes his eyes. He's glad to be anywhere right now. He wasn't sure he was ever going to make it out of those woods. He knows he beat a lot of odds by even making it to the hospital alive. He really doesn't feel constant pain, just some shape stabbing ones every once in a while. He knows the morphine is keeping most of the pain at bay now. But, he also isn't too sure about the morphine. He opens his eyes again. "Abbey."
"Yes, Leo."
"The morphine?" His eyes full of concern.
"Leo, it's going to be okay. Right now it's very necessary. Don't worry about it," Abbey smiles as she squeezes his hand, trying to reassure him. "When the time comes they will wean you off the morphine and switch you to another pain reliever taken by mouth. There is no need to worry about addiction when you need it for medical reasons."
Leo's not convinced, but he lets it drop. It's very hard for him to concentrate now. He closes his eyes and falls asleep again.
Abbey sits down in the chair next to his bed and breathes a heavy sigh and takes a hold of his hand again. She'll wait here until Jed comes. She doesn't want Leo to be alone any time soon.
The Secret Service agent opens the door, and the President steps into the room. He sees Abbey sitting by Leo's bedside. She gets up and walks over to him. He gives her a quick hug, "He just drifted off again," she says. "He's been in and out a lot. I'm going to go sit with the others."
"Okay," Jed says in a voice, just above a whisper.
Jed walks over to Leo's bedside and pauses. He can't believe how feeble his best friend looks. He looks worse than he did that time in the motel parking lot, when he had to scrape him off the pavement.
"Mr. Pres...ident," Leo's raspy voice is almost unrecognizable and barely audible.
"Morphine drip and we can skip the formalities. I might get one myself. Wheel it into meetings with the Joint Chiefs," Jed says as he looks at his best friend as he takes his hand. "You're not fired, Leo. You can delegate, work part-time. Bring the morphine with you for all I care."
Leo starts to whisper something to Jed and he leans in close to hear what Leo has to say, "Do you remember... what you told me... when you offered me the job?" Leo finally manages to say.
"I need you to jump off a cliff," Jed says.
"And I did. And I'd do it again. But, you need... a new Chief of Staff," Leo gasps.
Jed looks him in the eyes and says, "We came here to put the job first. Spend our lives with something that would outlast us. I just thought we'd have a longer line of credit, that's all. I'm gonna need that list of names."
"Only one name... CJ," Leo mumbles.
"CJ?" Jed gives his friend a puzzled look. "I thought for sure you'd say Josh."
Leo barely shakes his head; "I've got ...more... important plans for... him."
"Leo, what have you got up your sleeve?" Jed knows him too well. Leo must have been thinking about something for Josh for some time now.
"Nothing... Sir."
"Leo," rolls off Jed's tongue.
"I think... Josh needs to find... his own... napkin," Leo's voice is really showing his weariness now.
Jed thinks for a couple of seconds and then realizes what Leo means, "Yeah, that's perfect," he smiles at Leo. "Do you have someone in mind for him?"
"Nah... he's on his... own there," Leo takes a sharp breath.
"Leo," Jed says, as he tightens his grip on his best friends hand.
"I'm ...fine," Leo says unconvincingly.
"Yeah, I can tell," Jed says with more than a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"Sir?"
"Leo, I thought we'd decided to dispense with protocol."
"You... might have, Sir."
"Leo, do I need to fire your ass again?" Jed smirks, trying to be funny, but his eyes can't hide his guilt.
Leo gives Jed a lopsided grin, "Yeah, ya do, Sir."
"Okay... well I'm going to leave you alone for a bit. You need to stop talking so much, and you're going to need a break before the rest of the gang comes in."
Leo gives Jed a puzzled look and then closes his eyes.
"The waiting room is full of people who love you, Leo. And they've been waiting a long time to see you. Do you feel up to some visitors?"
"Yeah," Leo says as his eyes flutter open.
"Okay, I'll send them in a little while. I need to talk to'em first." Jed starts to leave but then hesitates and looks at Leo. Jed's face is full of emotion, but he's unable to speak.
"I know Jed... me too..." Leo nods his head a little.
Jed nods his head in agreement, "Yeah, see you tomorrow, Leo."
"Sir... no... need..."
"Leo, I may not be your boss anymore, but I'm still your President. So I think you still have to listen to me," Jed smiles.
"Yes, Sir."
"Beside, I'm thinking that after you get completely recovered, I may still need you around the West Wing, as maybe a special advisor or something."
"Sir?"
"I'm going to get Margaret checking around about finding you an office to work out of. Part-time days only at first and no nights or weekends, of course."
"Not the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue."
"What?"
"Never... mind, Sir." Leo pauses, catching his breath. "In the mean time... I'm gonna ask Margaret to ...help CJ."
"Do you think she'll mind working for someone who doesn't bellow her name every five minutes."
"Sir."
"Leo, I'm going to give you a few minutes of rest, then send the troops in here."
"Okay."
"See you tomorrow," Jed says, making his way out of the room.
"Yes, Sir." Leo says to his friend as he walks out the door.
The senior staff parades in one at a time to visit with Leo. He's mostly in and out and doesn't say much to a lot of the staffers. Toby goes in first and is back out of the room in just a couple of minutes. Will goes in next and stays for about the same amount of time.
Josh walks into the room and over to the bed. It's hard to see Leo like this. It reminds him too much of when his own father was in the hospital and the time that he spent in the hospital after his own heart surgery after he was shot.
Leo opens his eyes and sees Josh, "Hey," he whispers.
"Hey," Josh softly replies. "You look a little better than the last time I saw you," Josh says with a crooked smile.
Leo closes his eyes and then opens them again, "Thanks."
"No seriously, you do," Josh says.
"No," Leo shakes his head a little. "Thanks... for finding me," Leo says, as he swallows hard.
"Oh," Josh shyly says. "Leo, don't try to talk so much. I know you're tired... remember, I've been there," Josh says.
Leo smiles and closes his eyes. After a few seconds he opens them.
"Leo, you still have some more visitors, so I'll see you tomorrow," Josh says, as he turns and heads for the door.
"Josh?"
"Yeah," he stops and looks back at Leo.
"Tomorrow?" Leo finally says.
"Yeah, I'll be back tomorrow," Josh smiles and leaves the room.
Leo watches Josh and wonders if Josh is going to be upset with him when he finds out that he chose CJ over him to fill his shoes as Chief of Staff. He has his reasons and he hopes to be feeling good enough to tell him, in the next couple of days, why suggested CJ. Before he can think anymore about it, the door to his room opens again.
"Leo," the soft voice says.
"CJ."
"I won't ask how you're doing," she smiles as she moves next to his bed.
"Thanks..."
"And I won't stay long. I just wanted to say hi and... well... I don't know... make sure you were okay," CJ smiles at him, but on the inside she's crying. She can't stand to see him like this. He's been the strength behind them for so long. She didn't think anything could stop Leo McGarry.
"I'm... fine, CJ," he says, seeing right though her.
"You know, judging by the surroundings, I'd have to say you're lying," CJ says, motioning around the room.
"Maybe..." Leo closes his eyes. All these visitors are really taking a toll on him.
"Leo, I should leave. Margaret still needs to see you, and then the doctor said Mallory could stay for a while as long as you promise to sleep. I'll try and come back tomorrow," she says, as she lays a hand on his and gives it a squeeze.
Leo opens his eyes and smiles, "Margaret's... going to give me... hell, isn't she?"
"Yes, I imagine she will, but you deserve it my friend," CJ smirks, as she pulls her hand away. "And believe me, you're going to be hearing from me too, once you get to doing better." CJ heads for the door.
"Great," Leo mutters under his breath.
"I heard that," CJ says, as she leaves the room.
Leo closes his eyes, thinking about his assistant as he waits for her to come in and give him holy hell. He once told the President that he was fine, because he has Margaret. It's true. She keeps him grounded. She's saved his butt more times than he cares to think about, especially when he was Labor Secretary.
Margaret slowly opens the door and enters the room. The sight of tenuous looking Leo lying in the hospital bed, hooked up to several tubes and wires, makes her to want to flea the room. But, she quickly gathers her courage and moves over to his bedside.
"Margaret," Leo says, without even opening his eyes.
"How did you know it was me?" She asks with a puzzled look on her face.
Leo opens his eyes, "I had a premonition."
"Really," Margaret says with surprise.
"No, CJ said you... were next," he slowly admits.
"Oh," she says in a disappointed voice.
"Ya think my... near death experience left me... clairvoyant?" Leo's brow wrinkles, and he closes his eyes, fighting the pain.
"Leo, you shouldn't be talking. You need to rest. I think I should leave." Margaret says in a panic. She can't stand to see Leo like this.
"No... not yet... need to tell ya..."
"Leo, whatever it is, it can wait," Margaret says.
Leo shakes his head, "No it can't... need your help."
"Whatever you need Leo, I'll do it," she says without any reservations.
"Need ya to be... CJ's assistant... help her..."
"What? Is Carol leaving? She never told me. We're best friends. How could she do this and not tell me? I can't..."
Leo interrupts her, "Margaret..."
"Yes, Leo."
"CJ is Jed's new... Chief of Staff."
Margaret is shocked into silence from Leo referring to the President by name. She hasn't heard Leo call him Jed since the early days of the first campaign. She finally recovers, "CJ, not Josh?"
"Yeah."
"Why?" Margaret raises an eyebrow.
"Margaret... not tonight."
"Okay, sorry," she says, feeling bad that she's caused him to talk more than he should.
"So?"
"So what?" Margaret stares back at him.
"Will ya?"
"Do you mean on a permanent basis?" She asks, voice full of fear that he'll answer yes.
Leo sees the fear in her face and can't help but smile a little, "No."
"What about afterwards?"
"Don't worry ...about it."
"Okay," she says with some signs of doubt showing in her voice and on her face.
"Margaret, it's going to be fine."
Margaret bobs her head and then lowers her eyes. She really does trust him. It's just that she's so scared right now for him. She wants to tell him that she can't imagine working for anyone else, but she's afraid that her true feelings for him will show. She looks back up at him and discoveries that he's drifted off to sleep. She stands there for a while watching his chest rise and fall with each breath. She breathes a heavy sigh and starts to leave his bedside.
"Margaret."
"I thought you were asleep."
"Just resting... tired... but..."
"Go to sleep Leo. Mallory's going to come in and stay for a while. I've been in here long enough."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes, Leo. I'll be back tomorrow," she smiles, happy that he wants her to come back.
"Good," he sighs, as he closes his eyes.
A few hours later, Margaret enters Leo's room again and walks over to the chair next to Leo's bed where Mallory is sitting, holding her father's hand.
"Hey, how's he doing?" She softly says to the younger woman that she has watched grow up.
"He fell asleep a little bit ago and seems to be resting a little better this time," she says, looking up at the tall red head towering over her.
"Mallory, I think you should go home. I can sit with him for a while," she says, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I can't leave him," Mallory quickly replies, as she glances at her father and then back up at Margaret.
"Mal, he's going to need you over the next few weeks. You're going to have to pace yourself. You can't sit up with him all night and then be here during the day for him too."
"And isn't that what you're planning on doing?" Mallory says with a smirk.
"No, I have to be at the West Wing during the day. CJ's going to need a lot of help at first. I'll just stay for a while. In case... well in case he needs something."
"Are you... going to work for her now?" Mallory hesitantly asks.
"At least for a while. I imagine Carol will come with her, but they'll need help at first. Leo asked me earlier to help her," Margaret says with a sad smile.
"Margaret, you know that daddy will always want you to work for him. Don't ya?"
Margaret bobs her head, ever so slightly, "Maybe."
"Daddy won't retire. He'll always find something to do and whatever that is, I'm sure he'll want you by his side," Mallory smiles up at her long time friend, who apparently has no idea what she means to her father.
Margaret has an uneasy smile on her face. She can't even imagine spending a day let alone a few weeks not being at Leo's side. Truth be told, she's had sort of a crush on him ever since she started working for him and then after his divorce, she finally allowed herself to fall in love with him. "Well... until yesterday, I couldn't imagine him retiring, but now..." Margaret sighs, wondering if she will ever be brave enough to tell this man what he means to her.
It's two o'clock in the morning and Leo's dimly lit room is quiet except for the noises from all the machines that he's hooked up to. Margaret is still sitting in a chair off in the corner of his room. She has seen the nurses come in, take his vital signs, measure his drain's output, and then draw some bloodwork periodically throughout the night shift. They sneak in trying not to disturb his rest. She had told Mallory, when she forced her to go home, that she was going to go home at midnight, but she hasn't. She can't.
Leo wakes and realizes there is someone else in the room with him, "Mallory?" He whispers.
"No, it's me. I made Mallory go home a few hours ago," Margaret says, as she stands and walks over to his bedside.
"Is it tomorrow already?"
"Well, technically, yes," Margaret smiles.
"Why... are you still here?"
Margaret lowers her eyes, "I didn't want you to be alone," she finally admits.
"Margaret, I'm not... going anywhere," he smiles.
"Promise," she shyly whispers back.
"Yeah, don't worry... about it," he swallows hard. His mouth is so dry, and his throat is sore from the breathing tube. He nods to a cup of water with a bent straw sitting on the over bed table, and she lets him have a sip of water to moisten his mouth a little.
"Leo McGarry, I've worried about you for years. I think you took ten years off my life the past couple of days." She lightly scolds, as she places her hand on the side rail of his bed.
"Sorry," he lowers his eyes. He knows he scared a lot of people.
"It's okay... It's just... that umm..." She tries to fight the tears. She doesn't want to upset him.
Leo slowly reaches out and takes a hold of her hand, "Margaret, I need you too," he whispers.
"Of course you do. Who else would put up with you?" She asks, trying to keep the conversation light. She doesn't want him to guess how she really feels about him.
"Not many, I guess," he says.
"Do you need anything?" She asks.
"No, I've got... everything I need right here," he softly says, as he rubs his thumb over her hand. "But... you should go home and get some sleep."
"I wouldn't be able to sleep. Remember, I sleep when you sleep," she smiles.
"Well, I've been... sleeping a lot today, so you should go home," his voice is growing tired and softer.
"I don't think being unconscious counts as sleeping," she smirks, as she takes his hand in hers.
"Margaret," he growls.
"Okay... okay, I'm going," she relents. She doesn't want him getting upset.
"Really?" He says in a disappointed voice.
"Well...not if you don't want me too," she informs him. Margaret is surprised at his last comment, but then again he was out in the woods all-alone for hours, he probably doesn't want to be alone now. She realizes that this has scared him, even more than he's willing to admit.
"Leo, I really would feel better if I stayed. Someone has to keep you in line," she smirks.
"I don't think I'm going... to be a threat anytime... soon," Leo gasps as he eyes close and then flicker back open.
Margaret lets go of his hand, walks over, grabs her chair and pulls it over by his bed and takes a seat. "I'll stay a while longer if you don't mind."
"Nah, I don't mind at all," he smiles.
"Good, but Leo... don't you ever do this again," she not so politely informs him.
"I'll try not too," he says, as he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep again.
"I don't think my heart could stand the pain," Margaret whispers, as she watches him sleep.
In about an hour Leo opens his eyes and finds Margaret still in the chair next to his bed, but asleep. She has a hand resting on the bed. Leo smiles, lays his hand on top of hers and closes his eyes again. He's happy to know that Margaret is here for him. He doesn't want to think about being alone again. He decides that it's time for him to make some changes in his life. He finally realizes what's right here, next him and has been for years. His last waking thoughts are of Margaret as he drifts off to sleep with a look of contentment on his face.
The End