Disclaimers: You know them

Author's notes: You know how one image one idea can strike a nerve and create inspiration? Well Donna's press conference was the whole reason I wrote this story. Yep 33 chapters to get to this moment. So here it is. Its told from LOTS of different POVs. Cindy starts us off with the press conference itself. We get one line of Donna. Annabeth's reaction. Vinick's reaction. Donna's complete reaction and Josh's reaction. Lots of reactions at once. Over the past couple of chapter's Donna's mood has been a little snarky, and it all comes to a head here. Which I think is quite natural, because if I had her day I'd be a little bitchy too. I hope you enjoy.

The clock moves closer to noon and the men are getting antsy. I call in some favors, and I have a TV rolled into Josh's room. Leo is rolled in via wheel chair and the others just walk in. All of them feeling very conscious of the tissue paper thin gowns, they are wearing.

Sure we could be watching from the window, the press conferences is on the hospital steps but still, somehow it seems cooler watching it on the TV. Rounds are just going to have to wait for a minute.

The Press Conference starts, that Butterfeild guy talks about the explosives used, but mostly says, "The Secret Service does not comment on procedure." Then doctor Patel speaks about their injuries. Blah, Blah, Blah. He mispronounces some of the words, which I will have to tease him about later.

The whole room perks up when Donna starts to speak.

"Hello, my name is Donna Moss and I will answer any questions on behalf of the Santos/ McGarry campaign. Yes, in the back."

"Trevor O'Brien from Albany press." Her face turns icy.

"Oh the Albany Press, were you the ones who sent reporter to the summer camp where the Santos children were?"

"Um. Yes."

"I see. Well, we have no time for sensational and irresponsible journalism here; this is where the grow-up work. I am going to have to ask you to leave."

No one in the hospital room moves, but there is a connective feeling of "Holy Shit."

Jackson and Jefferson remove the poor reporter from the group.

"Next question."

"Hospital reports say there was any other person admitted, related to the bombing. Who was it?"

Dr. Patel goes to answer, but Donna stops him. "You guys know me, right. I am the White House aid who took a meeting with a communist. My car exploded nearly a year ago. I yelled at a man in a chicken suit on camera. So when I tell you my life is a series of bad luck and choices, none of you should be surprised." There is a small chuckle from the reporters. "I ran into a filing cabinet while I was sprinting out of the White House." She looks directly into the camera. "Mom, I will call you when I am finished with the press conference. I know. I am a very bad daughter. I should have told you hours ago, but I thought I was fine. I will call you. Don't call me." She looks back at the reporters. "By the way thank you very much, I now lost daughter of the year. Next question."

"Why wasn't the President there this morning as scheduled? For that matter, why weren't you there Ms. Moss?"

Donna sighs. I can tell she is thinking the answer over. Since I was eavesdropping in all of her conversations today, I learned that the President had an MS attack last night. She could say that. But she doesn't.

"I was being a brat." Every eyebrow goes up in unison, in the room and with the reporters. "Last night at 11:45 I quit the Santos Campaign." Camera's flash, questions exploded. "I will not go into detail about my reasoning for leaving, I will say that my logical at 11:45 last night, simply doesn't seem important after then events from today. This is why I wasn't at the event this morning. It is also why the President wasn't there. I was my friend CJ Cregg to take the event off the President's schedule. I was emotional at the time and I wanted to do as much damage as possible. Toby Zeigler was replaced for the event, and because I was being spiteful, he was injured. For that Toby, I will be eternally sorry." She pauses. "Next question."

"If you don't work for the campaign why are you here?"

"Because this is where I needed to be. Nothing else mattered. I was running on instinct and ran into a filing cabinet as well."

"Do you know who the target was?"

"Yes, but we will not be releasing that information out at this time. Family still needs to be contacted."

"Do you know who did this?"

"The Secret Service and FBI are currently working on it."

"Will the effect the campaign schedule?"

"Yes, we will be taking a week off, no events, no press. This is a time to spend with family and let the healing begin."

"Ms. Moss, how do you think this will affect the up coming election?" This question appears to take her back.

"Could you repeat the question?"

"Do you think it will affect America's opinion of your Candidate?"

She pauses. "You are asking me if I think we are going to win, because someone tried to kill us? I can't think of anything worse. To win because the country feels bad for us. Listen, I firmly believe that your vote is the most important thing you can do as an American. You shouldn't throw it away because you feel sorry that someone doesn't like us enough to want to kill us. Listen, if you don't believe in our tax plan, don't vote for us. If you don't agree with our educational plan or foreign trade policies do not waste your vote. Our ideas have been to the good of the country and if you don't think that it is. Don't vote for us." She pauses once again. "We are often reminded of how precious our time on this plant is. And when events like this happen people often want to send flowers or gifts so that the victims know that people's thoughts and prays are with them. Please do not send flowers, we understand that you may be concerned but if you are moved to do something because of this event, make it meaningful. You should donate to your favorite charity, not the democratic national party. Donate your time, help other people, that is the only way to truly make this a better country. Give blood, it saved President's Bartlet's life, Leo McGarry's life, my life and Josh Lyman's life, twice." Her voice betrays her emotions just once. "Um. Thank you very much".

OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! Did I just tell the American public NOT TO VOTE FOR US?
CJ and I just stare at the TV for a few seconds.

"Did she just…" I ask.

"Yep."

CJ picks up the phone and put Donna on speaker phone. "Donna, honey how is it going?"

"Did you see it?" Her voicedfill withfear.

"Yeah."

"Maybe no one else saw it."

"I don't think that is possible, sweetie, they broke into regular programming and all the 24 news channels just went to commercial."

"Why did they do that?"

"They are trying figure out how to spin it."

"Oh god!" I hear some thumping in the background.

"Its going to be fine Donna, just don't piss off Santos or the DNC and you should still have a job. You could always come back here. I don't think Press Secretary is still an option but still."

"Thanks CJ. Can you hold on I have another call."

CJ looks at me with a mysterious smile, one that reflects my own. "I think she did a great job, she was honest and endearing. She took a pretty big bullet for the White House. Moss would be a perfect candidate."

"Annabeth, she did much more then just give a press conference. She changed history."

Oh my god, did she just tell America not to vote for Santos? Did she just hand me the election?

Shelia is the first to speak. "Did she just tell America to vote for us?"

"Yep."

"Hmmm." None of us know how to react. Let's face it, that is one hell of an endorsement. I turn to Bruno for advice.

"Well, what do you think Bruno?"

"This thing is going to spin five ways. Good for us, America takes her message to heart. Bad for us, America feels bad for Santos and he wins with America's deepest sympathies. Good for Donna, she becomes America's sweetheart. Bad for Donna, she becomes a politically mastermind, one who is manipulating the press, there would be a horrible backlash against her."

"I really don't want that to happen. It just doesn't seem like her. I mean what kind of woman, quits her job and makes it to the hospital before her former boss."

Shelia speaks, in her motherly way, "I am very good at spotting BS, I have a teenager. But I have to say, I believed every word she said."

"I've met her on the Bartlet re-election campaign. She was Josh Lyman's assistant. She's a light weight, nothing to worry about.."

"What is the fifth option, Bruno?"

"The campaign stays entirely issued based and continues on the course it is. They will have a temporary boost in the poles but it should go back down. We have a stronger issued based ideas.. If it spins neutral, everything will be fair game until November. But any of the other four ways will back fire and burn both campaigns."

"I guess I will give Ms. Moss a quick call." I dial the number that has been dialing mine all day.

"Ms. Moss How are you doing today?"

"Wonderful," Sarcasm oozes from her mouth. "Are you calling to offer me a job?" I hear a thumping noise in the background. Her voice is dripping with despair and disappointment.

"Well rumor has it, you are currently unemployed. Ms. Moss what is that thumping sound?"

"My head against the nurse's station." Sheila and I smile, even Bruno has to admit she does have a level of sweetness and charm. "Is there anything I can do for you, sir. Anything, besides endorsing you?"

"No, Ms. Moss I think you have done more then enough. But I think there is something I can do for you. We are going to stop campaign for a while. When you guys start back up, we will to." Bruno rolls his eyes, this was clearly not what he expected. Shelia knows what I was going to say before I picked up the phone.

"Sir, I don't know what to say." Her voice rises slightly, hopeful. "Maybe we could do a kick off event together."

"I think that would be wonderful."

"Sir, do you think you could send a representative to the security meeting tomorrow morning? The Secret Service will be looking at their security procedures and don't want you to think we are getting this stuff because the President our big brother."

"I would never think like that. I will be there to wish my best to Congressmen Santos and his family."

"Sir, as per our discussion earlier this morning I am going to inform you of the target before I contact the press."

"There is no need for that."

"Sir, I have a system here, and I would like to keep using it."

"I look forward to speaking to you later."

"I have another call the DNC wants to yell at me."

"Good luck, Ms. Moss."

"Thank you, Sir."

I can't believe I told America not to vote for my candidate. Did I tell them not to donate to us either? Did I talk to my mother during the press conference?

Ronna's sympathy filled eyes follow me, no one will make eye contact with me, not the doctor or Ron or any of the other agents.

"I might not be a politically expert, but didn't you just lose the election?" replies the doctor, who I now hate.

I start to bang my head against the nurses station. Jackson puts a beanie baby under my head in between bangs.

Ronna hands me a phone. "CJ." I nod, she gives me some advice. I don't think my day could get any worse. Ronna hands me another phone, Vinick. She doesn't hang up on CJ, I guess she figures I am going to keep talking to her. Vinick does his best to cheer me up. It works briefly, I stop banging, he will stop campaigning for the week.

Then the call from the DNC. He starts to yell at me. Screaming. None of this surprises me. I start to make the trek back to the recovery rooms. I am tuning most of his hateful words out, I get the message, I ruined the party, other people are running elections other then just Santos. Blah Blah Blah. I am in the Recovery Room hallway when I hear:

"My god you are one stupid bitch."

I have put up with a lot of crap today. This is when I snap.

"DID YOU JUST CALL ME A STUPID BITCH?" I bellow.

Donna thanks the crowd. The TV cuts to commercials. The meds are hindering me from thinking. Did she just say America should not vote for us? Is she trying to kill me?

"How many ways could this thing spin?" Santos' voice quivers. It was just then I realize I am not alone in the room. The others have the same agape jaw I do. Will and Toby exchanged glances.

"Four. One good for us, one bad for us. The two the give us the most problems is the way the media will spin Donna. She could become the next American sweetheart or…"

"Or?" My voice quivers. Nothing can happen to Donna, not after all this.

"Or the media dubs her as a political mastermind who is using a tragic event to her personal benefit."

"We can't let that happened! Toby call Cliff Calley." Panic fills my voice. I am screaming, as if the louder my voice is the faster people will move. Leo and Matt are stare at the screen very intently. Toby finally takes out the cell phone Donna left behind so he can talk to CJ. He calls Cliff.

"Cliff, its Toby. Oh you saw too. What do you think? Yeah I think they are screwed too." Four pairs of eyes glare at Toby. "Charlie thinks it's a good thing? Did that mustache effect his brain?"

"Toby." He needs some redirection.

"Josh is spazing out now about Donna. Do you think you could call… Oh your already on it."

"She needs to be protected. Her image is all she has. We can't let her go down in a fiery ball with the rest of us!" I yep. Leo nods. His own senses of protection and loyalty has been triggered.

"The President had an MS attack last night? That should have been the reason why he wasn't there. Why did she tell everyone she quit?" Matt asks. No one answers.

"She didn't tell the truth about her ribs? Didn't the Secret Service break them?" Leo questions.

"This thing is going to spin five ways." Matt mutters under his breath. I couldn't care less. Donna is fragile and we need to help her.

Then her voices fills any empty space in the hallways. "DID YOU JUST CALL ME A STUPID BITCH!" Every man freezes.

"Oh no!" Toby whispers.

Every word gets louder, a combination of her rage and her approach.

"Listen to me you sad pathetic little man, in one press conference I have done more for this party then you have in five years. I have been called many things in my life time, many insults. But you, sir, have offended me in a way that the furries would appreciate. I haven't slept in 48 hours. I haven't eaten anything in 36 hours. In the past two days, my bus broken down, I had a bomb sent to my hotel, emotional fell apart, picked up the pieces, fell in a blissful state of euphoria, got a pedicure, was assaulted, called a whore, quit my job, called a bitch by a friend, watched all the men who just betrayed me nearly die, was thrown against a filing cabinet thus breaking my ribs, got to the hospital BEFORE the injured parties, organized an entire campaign, gave a press conference and YOU have the audacity to call me a 'stupid bitch'? If you had half the things happen to you that I had you would be in fetal position, weeping and wetting yourself. You couldn't even handle the convention; you had to get Leo to do it. So, you tiny, feeble, loser of man, you man call me many things, but a stupid bitch is not one of them." She stands in the doorway. "Today I am a warrior. You can call me an Amazon." She hangs up the phone with a sharp click and in one smooth motion throws it over her shoulder.

No one breaths. Everyone has the same thought. Damn that was cool. She looks at us will the fire in her eyes still burning, her rage is focused on us now. Oh shit.

"Now if any of you sons of bitches have anything thing to say, say it now. Just remember I am cranky and I am in total control of your pain medication!"

"Who's in charge of your pain medication?" Leo questions. Cindy who at this point has moved into the hallway and out of the shit storm that was about to come, rises her hand.

"I am." Donna still infuriated looks at us for more questions. I keep my month shut.

"Do you still work for us?" Matt bravely speaks.

"Well that is entirely up for negotiation."