Chapter 9



Leo took a deep breathe as Josh's voice came over the line, part of him glad that he answered. Part of him wishing he had gotten the younger man's voice mail. It was cowardly, he knew, but sometimes rank sure as hell didn't have it's privileges. Especially when he was going to have to erase the somewhat anticipatory tone in the other person's voice. "Josh, it's Leo. . ."

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Josh sank into his chair, surprised at first, but then the other man's tone registered. This was not a friendly call. Immediately the hairs on the back of his neck rose. He'd only heard this tone in Leo's voice a couple of times and good news never followed. "Leo, what's wrong?"

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Leave it to Josh to get right to the point, Leo thought as he turned his back on Jax and looked out the window, realizing this was going to be harder than he thought. "We have a slight situation developing."

"Can you not politic me?" Josh sighed. "I'm running late to staff as it is."

"Josh, you're always late to staff."

"Yeah, but I don't always have Mandy dropping in to remind me of the time. I really don't feel like listening to her mouth if I don't have to."

"Who does?" Leo sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Josh, there's no easy way to say this. . . "

Josh tensed even more at that, "Geeze, Leo, who died?" he asked sarcastically, although as soon as the words left his mouth regretted them as they voiced a very real fear.

"No one, yet."

"Leo?"

"Josh, there was some sort of accident. . ." Leo started, choosing his words carefully.

"Who?"

"Donna," he replied softly and calmly. Too calmly for Josh.

"No. . ." Josh protested even though his mind screamed at him that it had to be true--- that the reason she didn't call was because she couldn't and that he'd known on some level all a long.

"Josh. . ."

"Leo, you don't understand. She called me yesterday. She was her usual self. She's OK. It's a mistake. It has to be."

"Josh, listen to me. I don't know all the details, but. . . she took a bad fall."

"How bad?" Josh asked, his voice almost childlike.

"She's in critical condition," Leo replied simply then added, "I haven't spoken to her doctors yet. And they still have tests to run. It might not be that bad."

"Or it might be worse."

"Don't borrow trouble."

"Then what should I do?"

"Get your ass in gear and get here," Leo replied gruffly. "The man himself has laid down an order for it."

"Monroe's not going to care."

"And you're going to let him stop you?" Leo asked, surprise resonant in his tone.

"I don't want to. I mean. . ." Josh inhaled sharply as he looked over to the clock on his desk. "Leo, he was the only one willing to hire me."

"Josh, you know that's not true."

"I didn't want to bank on favors."

"Favors are what run DC, or didn't you learn that?" Leo asked gruffly. "We'll find you a lifeline. D@mn it Josh, this is Donna! The woman who wouldn't leave your bedside after Rosslyn. Who nursed your sorry hide back to health!"

"Don't you think I know that Leo?" Josh asked angrily, his voice raising and cracking. "That's what makes it worse. What if I can't handle it? What if I break down? She doesn't need that. I don't want to put that on her. You know how she is. She'd blame herself."

"You didn't break down during the announcement. You didn't break down during the hearings."

"Because Donna wouldn't let me."

"And you think the rest of us will?" Leo asked pointedly.

"The rest?"

"You think you're the only one who cares here? Toby, CJ, Sam, and the couple themself are all flying in. In fact, Abbey's going to be taking a strong interest in the case. Not to mention I expect to see at least Charlie, if not him and Zoey, here at some point. Plus we're roping Concannon into this. We're--- you're--- covered."

"Concannon?" Josh asked as a thought occurred to him, causing him to curse. "This is about more than a simple accident, isn't it?"

"She's a former staff member of. . ."

"LEO!" Josh interrupted, stopping him from 'politicking.'

"There might be, Josh," Leo admitted reluctantly.

"I'll be there as soon as I can get a flight."

"Her boss has arranged for us to use some of his planes. I'll call you back with the details. Jed's handled the accommodations."

"I'll go home and throw some things together then," Josh sighed, then thought of one more thing. "Leo could you do something for me?"

"What?"

"Get me the name of a doctor there. Just in case."

"Sure, Josh. Sure."

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Josh stared at the phone for what could've been seconds or minutes before putting it down in it's cradle. Funny how one phone call could change your entire world.

Slowly he pushed back from his desk and to his feet. There were precious few things in the office he cared enough to carry out with him. He wasn't naive enough to think he wouldn't get hell for this, nor was he arrogant enough to think Monroe wouldn't replace him in a New York minute. Funny thing was, he didn't care.

That happened when you didn't believe in the man you worked for.

Quickly he threw the couple of things that actually mattered to him--- including the stupid clock and a wrapped box from his desk--- into his bookbag. He then walked out of his office, his bookbag over one shoulder, and to Monroe's assistant's desk.

"You're late for staff," she said without looking up. G-d, he hated that about her.

"I'm not going," Josh replied simply. "In fact, I'm leaving."

"Excuse me?!?!?" she asked, and for the first time since he started working for Monroe looked at him.

"I have a family emergency," he said easily, not wanting to get into specifics. Hell, it wasn't like it wasn't true. They had all become a family over their years of service at the pleasure of the President. "Don't know when I'll be back."

"You can't just leave in the middle of a campaign."

"Watch me," he said as he turned and started to walk out.

"But what do I tell Mr. Monroe?"

"Other than I left for a family emergency, I couldn't care less," Josh answered without shortening his stride or looking back.