Chapter Thirteen
By the time Morrison and Grey had left, Sam had just about pulled himself together. He knew Josh had planned on going home before the dinner and they had made tentative plans to go home together, shower and change before returning to work. Sam peered into Toby's office and seeing no sign of Josh, quickly went into it. He told Toby how the meeting had gone and then announced he was going to stretch his legs.
He went back to the corridor were Josh had ambushed him and searched for the cupboard. He was surprised that he couldn't find it and was beginning to think he had imagined the whole thing. He went back to where the three men had stood earlier and retraced his steps and smiled when he realised the cupboard was largely unnoticeable as the door was formed from one of the panels of the wall and the handle was almost camouflaged against one of the ridges of the panel. He ran his hand slowly along the ridge, amazed that he had never noticed the door before, amazed at what its opening had revealed: more than just brooms.
"You ready?" The question jolted Sam out of his musings and he looked up to see Josh standing beside him, bag in one hand and his tux in the other. Sam nodded and they walked silently to the car. They drove back to Sam's in silence too. Once home, Sam told Josh to shower first and he spent the time taking one last look at the speech they would deliver to the President before leaving the White House for the dinner.
Josh hadn't said a word about what had happened earlier. He knew from Sam's response and subsequent behaviour that he didn't need to apologise for it. He hoped it had helped in his quest to make Sam realise that Josh was serious about them. He hoped it had awakened as many feelings in Sam as it had in Josh.
Josh got out of the shower and went into the spare room to change. By the time he was done, Sam was out of the shower and in his bedroom changing. "We've only got ten minutes," Josh called as he passed the bedroom door and went towards the kitchen. There was no answer so he went back to the bedroom and peered through the open door. Sam was standing in front of his mirror tying his bow tie. He was staring at his reflection and Josh watched as Sam slowly raised his hand and traced a line with his fingers from where the pain always started, behind his ear, to the front of his head above his right eye. He seemed mesmerised by the action and repeated it slowly. Josh pushed the door open wider and walked towards Sam until he was standing unnoticed behind him.
Sam continued to stare at his reflection, his expression one of fear, his hand hovering over his eye. It was stilled by Josh's. "Don't," Josh whispered and his hand tightened around Sam's.
"I'm scared, Josh," Sam replied just as quietly and Josh stepped forward and placed his head beside Sam's.
"I know."
Josh felt Sam's head move as he shook it. "No, I mean all the time."
"Don't be. Don't let it beat you. You're strong enough to not let this beat you." He lowered Sam's hand down to his side and wrapped his other hand around his waist. "Don't be," he repeated.
He felt Sam's head move again but this time he was nodding. Josh released Sam and stepped away. He looked at the reflection of the two and them and grinned. "We look good."
Sam smiled. "We really do."
It was late by the time they got into the car to make the short journey to the dinner. Josh sat next to Sam and CJ and Toby sat opposite. CJ flattened her dress down and stretched her legs. Toby rolled a cigar between his fingers that he was looking forward to smoking after the speech.
"I met a man today," CJ started as she reached down and rubbed at her foot, "who was adamant that I went on a blind date with him in 1998."
"Did you?" Josh asked glancing at Sam who was staring out of the window.
"I'm not sure. It's not like, totally impossible, but I like to think I haven't been on so many blind dates that I've got to the stage where I can't remember them."
"Still, it's nice to know they remember you," Josh pointed out. His attention was drawn to Sam again who was fumbling with his bowtie and impatiently trying to loosen the knot. Josh looked at his hands and tried not to think about the times he had seen Sam's hands fumbling with his bowtie with impatience born of an entirely different source.
"You feeling a little buttoned up there, Spanky?" CJ asked.
Sam started to reply but then suddenly stopped in mid-sentence. Toby looked up at him and his stomach lurched as he recognised the look of fear on Sam's face. Josh turned Sam towards him and seeing the same expression he tightened his hold on Sam's arm. He didn't need to ask Sam what was wrong, he knew from the way Sam looked at Josh, pleading him to stop what was about to happen. Josh had tried to harden himself to the sight and sounds of Sam during an attack but the look on his face when he knew one was starting was a sight that never failed to make him feel totally useless.
"Make them stop the car," Sam pleaded. He needed to move. He couldn't stay in the small confines of the back of the car.
"Can you stop? We need to get out for a minute," Josh called to the driver but he knew it was useless; they wouldn't deviate from the motorcade just because Sam was feeling ill."
The driver looked in his rear view mirror. "We can't. We'll be there in ten." He scanned the anxious faces of the passengers and settled on the sight of Sam sitting hunched in his seat, his hands grasping at his head. "Should I call ahead for a doctor?"
"No, it's alright," Josh answered as he pulled Sam's hands away from his face. "Where is it?" he asked, placing a hand on Sam's head to make sure he kept his attention.
"Top pocket," Sam managed and Josh quickly reached inside Sam's jacket and pulled out a pen shaped object. He pulled Sam's jacket off, a task made difficult by Sam's tight grasp of his head, then he ripped a seal from the pen, placed it against Sam's arm and clicked the top. Toby and CJ watched in fascination as Josh quietly counted to five and then withdrew the pen, flinging it behind him on the seat.
"There, done it, just give it a minute to kick in," Josh said leaning close to Sam's ear to make sure the words got through to him. He felt Sam's jerky nod against his face. "One minute and you're home free, Sam, just one minute." Again Sam nodded but by the time a minute had passed the drug that Josh had injected into Sam wasn't bringing him any relief.
Sam shifted away from Josh, "It's not…it's not working! You said it would work!" He tried to grab for the door handle but both Toby and Josh lunged forward and stopped him.
"Get off! Get the fuck off me! Let me out! I need to get out!"
Sam tried to move towards the door again but landed on the floor. His legs kicked out uselessly at the door. Josh squeezed down beside him and CJ lifted her legs up to make room for them.
"Just have to hold on for a few more minutes." Josh held Sam as he tried to rock within the confines of the space between the seats.
"Didn't work…didn't…oh, God!" Sam started to move more frantically as the pain worsened. He cursed and moaned and tried to crawl away from Josh but there was nowhere to go. He grabbed hold of Josh instead, clinging to his jacket lapels with white knuckles, "You said it would work! You said one minute…it…shit." Sam moaned again and pushed Josh away from him.
"Nearly there, Sam, nearly there. Hold on," Josh shouted. He moved as far away from Sam as he could to give him as much space as possible, silently praying that they got to the venue soon. He wasn't sure what Sam would do if he wasn't able to pace around and he really didn't want to find out. Sam made another move to the door and both Toby and Josh lunged forward. Josh wrapped his arms around him and told him again to hold on.
Finally the front car in the motorcade pulled up to the entrance. Toby leant forward and peered out of the window. "Go round again," he ordered the driver.
"What?" Josh was focused on Sam but was sure he had heard Toby to tell the driver not to stop.
"The place is swarming with press. Do you want them to get a shot of Sam like this?"
Josh was crouching over Sam, moving with him as Sam started to rock. He looked at Toby then CJ before repeating Toby's request.
The agent in the front of the car turned to face them. "We can't deviate from the route. Maybe we can get Mr Seaborn an ambulance?"
Toby was about to agree but Josh stopped him. "There's no need. It's working, the drugs are working. Hear that, Sam, they're working." Sam's head was buried in his hands but Josh saw the nod that followed his words and he rubbed Sam's back before straightening slightly and looking up at Toby. "You and CJ get out." He sat up further until he could see the driver. "Phone Ron Butterfield. Tell him Sam is ill and we need to get him home and we need to do it without anyone seeing." The driver nodded.
"I'll stay with Sam, Josh, you need to speak to Adler. I don't want to sound dramatic but the whole bill is sort of resting on your discussion with him tonight."
Josh ignored Toby and helped Sam into the seat. "Has the pain stopped?" Sam mumbled that it nearly had and Josh smiled. "They worked, Sam. We found the drugs that worked!" He pulled Sam upright and undid the bowtie that Sam was trying to remove.
"Josh, I'll get Sam home, you need to get in there."
Josh shook his head.
CJ looked at her friends. Sam was upright but it was clear that Josh was holding him up. Toby and Josh were staring at each other, neither man willing to budge. "Well, someone needs to get out of this car," CJ announced.
Toby nodded but didn't turn away from Sam and Josh. CJ pulled her phone from her bag and opened the door. Toby watched as she pretended to finish a call before placing it back in her bag. He knew they had left it too late for him or Josh to get out. Their car had pulled up directly in front of the awaiting press and waiting for the driver to contact Ron had held up the cars behind. By pretending to have taken a call CJ would stop any awkward questions so long as they moved now. As if able to read his thoughts, the car's engine started again. "Ron says to go to the rear entrance for you and Mr Lyman and then take Mr Seaborn back to the White House."
"No!" Josh's exclamation made Toby jump but Sam remained slumped against him. "I'm not leaving Sam. You go in the back way and I'll go with Sam."
Toby waited for the car to round the corner then moved to sit next to Josh. "You have to speak to Senator Adler. You're going to speak to Adler, get him onside and put the bill back on track."
"You speak to him. I'm going back with Sam." Josh turned away from Toby and placed his hand on Sam's face. "We're going back to the White House, Sam, and then I'm going to take you home."
"Josh, listen to me. I know you want to be with Sam but you need to go to that dinner. I can take Sam home and then meet you there later. If you don't get this sorted tonight then Adler's going to be a chain around this bill for months."
"Look!" Josh swung round at Toby nearly knocking Sam from the seat, "Dihydroergotamine stopped Sam's headaches, it stopped his pain and put him to sleep and when he woke up he couldn't breathe. He's finally been given a drug that's worked but this is the first time Sam's used it and I don't know what he'll be like when he wakes up. I don't even know if he should be this drowsy. I don't know much but what I do know is that I promised Sam I'd stay with him, be there with him and if you think I'm going to leave him you must be out of your mind because there is nothing right now that I would consider more important than staying here and seeing Sam through what I hope to God is going to be an end to the hell he's in."
Toby stared at Josh for a moment before sitting back in his seat. He glanced out of the window. "I'm going to be with the President before the speech and I'm meant to meet with Harrison afterwards. I'll try to talk to Adler but I can't promise anything." Josh nodded and held Toby's gaze. "You know what you're risking?"
"I'm risking more if I don't stay. I promised, Toby. I'm not letting him down again. We can deal with Adler later."
"Sam may not even wake up before the dinner has ended." Toby was playing devil's advocate. A part of him needed to make sure that Josh was clear about the consequences of not facing Adler tonight, a bigger part of him wanted Josh to stand his ground and refuse to leave Sam, refuse to put politics before him. Toby had made the same mistake with Andy once and he was surprised at the extent to which he didn't want Josh to do the same thing with Sam.
"The way he's slumped against me now I'm guessing you could be right but it's not a cha-"
"Okay." Toby interrupted. He knew Josh knew what he was doing and that any further discussion was pointless. The car slowed and pulled up beside the back entrance. "Phone me as soon as he wakes up," Toby said as the door was opened and he was ushered into the building. As the driver walked back to the car, Josh shuffled back to the corner of the seat and pulled Sam up against him. He tried calling his name but Sam only mumbled in reply.
The driver leant over the seat and for the first time took a proper look at Sam. "Does Mr Seaborn need to go to the hospital?"
"I don't know. Let me phone his doctor and see what he says." Josh was relieved that the injection he had given Sam had appeared to work but not being able to get a lucid response was beginning to worry him. Doctor Hollis soon put his mind at rest and told him that many people reacted that way and that he was to keep an eye on Sam until he woke fully. Josh snapped the phone shut and sighed with relief. "It's okay, he's just needs to go home and sleep it off. Can you take us home?"
"I need to be back at the White House in an hour. Where does he live?"
The car pulled away as Josh reeled off Sam's address and settled back against the seat pulling Sam back against him once more.
Josh stared alternatively at Sam and his cell phone that sat on Sam's bedside table. Sam hadn't stirred when Josh and the driver had carried him up to his apartment. Josh didn't regret going home with Sam but a part of him was desperate for an update from Toby. Sam hadn't moved in the two hours since Josh had placed him on the bed, removed his shoes and belt and covered him with the comforter. He had phoned Doctor Hollis twice since he had brought Sam home and both times had been told that the medication Sam had used often caused patients to sleep and that he should wait until Sam woke up and phone him then. Josh had got as far as dialling the third time before realising he was obsessing and hung up.
A faint murmur from the bed pulled Josh's attention back to the form lying beneath the covers. He sat forward and waited. Sam's eyes opened and then closed. A huge sigh was issued and then silence. Josh's patience, which was already worn thin, reached its end and he pulled the covers down batting Sam's hands away as they moved to reclaim them. "How you're feeling?" he asked, relieved to see by the expression on Sam's face that he wasn't in pain.
Sam slowly sat up and appeared to be seriously considering the question before mumbling an unintelligible reply. He rubbed at his eyes, then his neck, yawned and lay back down before he began to remember the night's events. He sat up and turned to Josh. "Shit, it worked! It stopped it didn't it?" Josh grinned in response. "It worked," Sam repeated and the look of wonder on his face made Josh laugh, a bubbling sound of relief and joy.
Josh's joy only increased as he realised that Sam appeared to be waking from his sleep displaying no ill effects from the medication. "It made you pass out but that's all. It took about three minutes to work then you went all dopey and zoned out and-"
"It worked," Sam repeated in a whisper and Josh stopped talking and placed his hand on Sam's face.
"Yeah, it worked," Josh whispered and the two men stared at each other, their elation replaced with relief that was evident on both their faces.
Slowly Sam lay back down and closed his eyes. "Tell me about the dinner, about Adler." When Josh didn't reply, Sam opened his eyes and looked at him expectantly.
"I didn't meet with him," Josh hedged.
"Didn't he show?" Sam asked but his eyes were already closing again.
"I don't know. Toby might talk to him."
Despite his growing drowsiness, Sam forced his eyes open again. Josh watched as Sam glanced at the clock on the wall behind him and tensed at what he knew was coming.
"Is it nine pm or am?" Josh remained silent and Sam turned the bedside clock towards him. "Why aren't you at the dinner? Why aren't you meeting with Adler?"
"I didn't go." Josh shrugged as if blowing off the chance to avert Adler's plan to scupper the bill was unimportant. "I stayed," he added as if that too meant nothing.
Sam sat up and grabbed Josh's wrist. "The bill, you were meant to…Adler…the bill…" he stared at Josh and the look of confusion on his face was slowly replaced by a look of comprehension. "You stayed," he whispered and Josh simply nodded in reply.