Title: Goodbye, Mr. McGarry
Rating: PG
Warnings: character death
Disclaimer: The West Wing doesn't belong to me. No infringement meant.
A/N: This is how I think they should deal with the passing of Mr. John Spencer (Leo): yes, it may be reminiscent of Two Cathedrals, but that was good and fitting, and Leo deserves no less. RIP, Mr. Spencer
"I wonder why Leo is running late." Josh grumbled. "Can't start our meeting without the future vice-president." He checked his watch again, shaking it. "Does anyone know what time it is?"
"Nine thirty Mr. Lyman." An aide called from across the room.
"Thanks." Josh shuffled his notes again, looking around the table. It was a small card table and everyone was sitting elbow to elbow. Josh was about to get up and start pacing when a pale-faced intern walked up to him and hesitantly tapped him on the shoulder. "Mr. Lyman? The President is on the phone."
Josiah Bartlett rubbed his eyes. His eyesight was getting worse; he could barely read the report in front of him. He leaned back in his chair, shutting his eyes. The days dragged by now, fall had turned to winter. He was in the twilight of his Presidential years. How very different he had thought they would be, when he had let himself believe the possibility of the Presidency at all. Leo had been the one to push him to it. And now Leo was going to get his chance to make a difference, not in the small office just off the Oval, but as Vice President. Jed was proud of his friends, glad that he would get the chance to show America what force had been behind the Bartlett administration. He might even run for President, when Santos was termed out.
"Mr. President? There's a call for you on line one. A Ms. McGarry."
"Mallory? I'll take it in here." Jed was pulled out of his reverie, reaching for the phone.
"Mallory! And to what do I owe the pleasure of this little phone call."
"He's gone." Came a whispered voice over the phone. "He's gone, Mr. Bartlett."
Jed felt as though he had stopped breathing. "Mallory?"
"Dad. He's gone."
"What happened?" Jed asked, his voice suddenly husky with tears.
"I don't know. I guess it was another heart attack. I got a phone call from the hospital. Apparently they had put some thing in him that went off like an alarm and they found him-"
"Oh Mallory. I'm so, so sorry. Have you called anyone else yet?
"Mom. I- I thought you should know first. I guess I have to call Josh, I just-"
"I'll call him, Mallory. Come by this afternoon, let us help you. He was my best friend. I- I have to do something for him."
"Thank you, Mr. President. I should go- I have to help Mom." Jed continued to hold onto the phone after he heard the click of the receiver on the other end. He slowly replaced the handset, numb. He picked up his coat and walked out of the Oval, down hallways and corridors into the Residence.
Sitting heavily on a chair, he picked up the phone to place a call he had never wanted to make.
"Mr. President…" Josh said, cheerfully, smiling, his dimples in full force. The men around the table watched as his face fell, becoming etched in pain that no one had seen, not since Roselyn. "Thank you Mr. President." He said, numbly, dropping the phone.
"Leo- Mr. McGarry- won't be joining us. We need to reschedule this." Josh said, picking up his suit jacket and walking out.
"Is something wrong?" Santos asked.
"Leo had a heart attack last night."
"Is he at GW?"
Josh slowly shook his head. "He's dead."
Slowly, the former and current members of the West Wing filtered back. The President had issued special clearance for those no longer employed, though half of them were with the new administration. Josh found his way blindly through the Communications bullpen, down hallways until he was in front of Leo's old office. He opened the door softly, stepping into a room where he had so often gone in panic, in glory, in remorse. The room was slightly different now; it was CJ's, and things had changed, but somehow Leo's presence hung in the room.
"Mi amour." CJ said sadly as Josh walked in.
"Hey." Josh collapsed on the couch. "I just-"
"I know. Toby is on his way, Will is coming too. Donna will be here." CJ rattled names off, almost without feeling. "Sam is flying in from California. He'll be here in an hour."
"Do you have the whisky, Claudia Jean?"
"Always." CJ got up from her desk, walking over to the counter where, behind several thick law books, was a fairly admirable mini-bar.
"It's seems odd to be drinking to Leo." CJ mused as she poured out two healthy drinks, leaving the bottles and several glasses on the desk.
"It would seem wrong not to." Josh defended.
"True enough. To the best man that ever walked these halls with us."
"A father to us all." Josh seconded.
"Do you remember his Andrew Jackson speech?" CJ chuckled, the whiskey having started to dull her pain.
"Yes. I was almost fortunately not there." Toby quietly took a sip.
"Yeah, and Josh made a smart ass comment."
"Hey! When have I ever been a smart ass?" Josh objected.
"A Wheat Thin the size of Lake Tahoe?" Donna reminded.
"That was not a smart ass comment. I was simply displaying my powers of comedy."
"It took him forever to actually get through the speech." CJ remembered as everyone calmed down."
"You know, he really got us in here. We might not have ever known each other if it wasn't for Leo." Sam remarked.
"You almost didn't anyway." Barlet stood in the doorway, arms folded across his chest. All of the members of his staff, past and present, rose.
"Good evening, Mr. President." They chorused.
"Sit down everyone." Barlet waved toward the chairs. "You know, Leo fought tooth and nail to get me to even run. I remember the conversation we had back then…
"Because I'm tired of it year after year after year after year having to chose between the lesser of who cares? Of trying to get myself excited about a candidate who can speak in complete sentences. Of setting the bar so low, I can hardly look at it. They say a good man can't get elected President. I don't believe that, do you?"
"And you think I'm that man."
"Yes."
"Does it matter that I'm not as sure?"
"Nah. Act as if ye have faith and faith shall be given to you. Put it another way, fake it till you make it. You did good tonight."
"Yeah."
"This is the time of Jed Bartlet, old friend. You're gonna open your mouth and lift houses off the ground. Whole houses, clear off the ground..."
Everyone sat quietly, each remembering their own encounters and moments with Leo. CJ thought about the times she had wanted to walk away, staying because she felt accountable, because she felt like the good guys had won, but they had to prove they were good guys. She remembered the gruff smile that always greeted her when she had done good.
Sam sat quietly, glancing over at Toby, who was deep in thought. He had made so many mistakes, over the years, and he felt as though Leo's disapproval was enough to end the world. Sam remembered how Leo had pushed him to run for office.
Donna stared at Josh, who had buried his head in his hands.
"I remember- I remember the Christmas after Rosslyn." Josh began slowly. Donna slipped an arm around his waist, grabbing a hand and gently squeezing it. "I wasn't doing so good."
"You cut your hand on a glass. You didn't even want to go to the ER." CJ remembered.
"I didn't cut it on a glass. I-" Josh took a deep breath. "I punched the window."
"Was it a flashback?" Barlet asked.
"Yeah. I figured you guys knew, you know, with the whole Stanley thing."
"We didn't ask questions, Josh." Donna said soothingly.
"Leo came up to me after wards. I didn't think I'd actually be able to keep my job, I knew I'd get fired. You can't have the Deputy Chief of Staff suffering from post tramatic stress disorder. It's bad for business." Josh's voice was rising. Donna gave his hand a squeeze. He took another breath, and continued. "He came up to me and told me this story. He said…
'A man's walking down the street. There's a hole, and he falls in. It has steep sides, and he can't get out. A doctor walks by. The man says, "Hey, doctor, can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down, and walks on. A priest walks by. The man calls, "Father, I'm in this hole, can you help me?" The priest writes a prayer, throws it down, and moves on. Then his friend walks by. The man calls, "Hey, Joe, it's me, can you help me?" His friend jumps down in the hole with him. The man says, "What're you, stupid? Now we're both down here!" His friend says, "Yeah, but I've been here before, and I know the way out.' As long as I got a job, you got a job. Understand?'
God, he was like a father to me. I can't believe he's gone."
"We get better, Josh." Barlet said quietly. "You'll have to find a new Vice-President, but find a man who'll honor Leo's memory. Find a good man. A good man got elected." He started to choke back tears. "Let's make sure he isn't forgotten. He wasn't afraid of losing on the way to winning. And he never backed down. That is his legacy, and let's not let it be forgotten."
Leo: If we're going to walk into walls I want us running into them at full speed.
(Let Bartlet be Bartlet)
Leo: We're going to lose some of these battles. And we might even lose the White House. But we're not going to be threatened by issues. We're gonna put them front and center. We're going to raise the level of public debate in this country. And let that be our legacy.
(Let Bartlet be Bartlet)