CHAPTER 4

January 21.

11:23 PM EST. The Capitol Building ruins

They weren't going to find anymore survivors. Kevin could feel it. They'd pulled ten people out of the wreckage so far. Of the ten people Kevin had recognized only one, a Representative from Virginia and he had died shortly after they found him. So had two others. The President hadn't been found. Several of his senior staffers and the First Lady had been found dead. So had several others. All the bodies found in the main chamber had to be identified by dental records. It was gruesome.

It was nearly midnight, but still they worked. One group was sifting through what had been a stairwell. One volunteer, an eighteen year old college student named Fiona, moved aside what had been several stairs and was now a charred mess, and found a hand. She screamed. Then she realized that the hand was connected to a wrist. And an arm.

"John!" she yelled to the man in charge of the group, "John, I found someone!"

"Alive?" John called back in a dull voice.

"I-I don't know."

She touched the hand. It was cold, but she felt a pulse in the wrist, faint but steady. "Alive!" she yelled.

Forgetting their exhaustion, the rest of the group hurried over. Everybody but Fiona started hauling pieces off of whoever was down there. Fiona grasped the hand. It was probably a woman's, with long fingers and a small gold ring. Wiping away some of the grime, she could make out the shape of a goldfish on the ring.

"Can you hear me?" she called down, "We're getting you out."

There was no answer. She continued to clutch her hand as they worked. Finally they got enough off so that John could go down and pull the woman out. He pulled someone's arm off of her and lifted her out of the hole. Fiona and another volunteer, Kenny, pulled her out. She wore a green dress that was burned and dirty. Her face and hair were a mess and for some reason she was soaked. But Fiona still recognized her. It was CJ Cregg.

"Guys, there's someone else down here too."

John called up to them just as the older man, Kevin, came out with a stretcher. They loaded CJ's limp form onto it, then turned back to where John was. "There's a guy down here." he said.

"Alive?"

"I don't know. Doubt it."

John scooted out, dragging a man with him. He was wet too and in about the same shape as CJ was. "Get another stretcher over here!" John barked. "He's alive!"

Fiona ran off to get another, then she and Kenny carried the unconscious man to an ambulance.

January 22

12:10 AM EST. Mercy Hospital

There had been a slowing of patients during the past few hours but the doctors were prepared when two gurneys were rushed in.

One of the nurses asked for identification. "She's CJ Cregg." Fiona told him as she ran with the gurney. "I don't know who he is."

The nurse reached into the man's pocket and pulled out a tattered wallet. He opened it and pulled out a White House ID card. "Lyman." he read.

"I recognize that name." Fiona said, "Isn't he a senior staffer too?"

"Josh Lyman and CJ Cregg." the nurse said. He stopped John. "Call Leo McGarry's office. We've been updating them there. This is something they've probably been waiting for."

12:34 AM EST. Leo McGarry's office

They'd been sitting in Leo's office for over a day now. Charlie was even sicker and now was lying on the floor with his back to them. He wasn't wearing a shirt and normally the women would've teased him relentlessly, sick or not, but right now they were too wrapped up waiting. Since the first phone call they'd also learned that the vice-president, Nancy McNally, Admiral Fitzwallace, Speaker of the House Walker, and most of the Congresspeople had been found. None were alive. And, whoever kept calling said, obviously hundreds more had been in the chamber, but they had probably been incinerated. Carol threw up when she heard that.

A couple hours ago, though, they'd received some news that cheered them up slightly. A little girl had somehow survived the blast. She was in critical condition, but the doctors were optimistic. Her name was Jenny Cauller, daughter of Senator Graham Cauller (R. Mississippi).

But since then the phone had been silent. Now Margaret was looking down at her hands, occasionally choking back a sob. Carol was gazing out the window, her chin resting on her hand. Donna was typing her reports on Josh's laptop. Normally she would want to be done as soon as possible so she could get on to other things (like considering what might be in that Private folder) but today the busywork kept her grounded. After a while she was fully absorbed. On normal days this was when Josh would normally yell for her.

Instead the phone rang. Margaret looked up and almost robotically picked it up. Donna knew this was it.

"Yes." Pause. "She is. They both are. Okay."

She put the receiver down on the desk, then turned on the speaker phone.

"Hello?" the caller said, "Is it on?"

"Yes." Carol said.

"My name is John Kerrick. I'm with the Red Cross."

"Hi." Donna said cautiously.

"I'm calling to report that Claudia Cregg and Joshua Lyman have been found and are currently at Mercy Hospital being treated for injuries inflicted during the explosion."

Carol fell to her knees. Donna gripped the side of the desk. "Th-thank you." she stammered.

"We'll continue to call every time." Mr. Kerrick said, and hung up.

Donna was already out the door by the time he disconnected.