CHAPTER 9
January 24
10:28 AM. EST. The White House Press room.
Today was the day. President Fryer's first press conference. He stood right outside with Charlie and Carol.
"You have your information, sir?" Charlie asked.
Fryer patted his pocket. "Right here."
"Okay." Carol said, "Remember, you don't have to say anything unless they ask. No speech or anything."
"Yeah."
"Good luck, sir."
Charlie opened the door and Fryer walked in. Immediately he was swarmed with questions and flashbulbs. He ignored everything until he got to the podium, just like Carol had said to. Then he pointed to a man in the second row.
"Mr. President, do you know who was responsible for the explosion?"
"We don't know yet but the FBI is investigating several leads."
He pointed to a woman with curly hair. "Sir, who do you plan to hire as your Chief of Staff?"
"Again, I am still looking into potential candidates."
That was almost a lie. He was occasionally glancing at other folders but he knew who he wanted. He just didn't want to announce it just yet in case something came up.
"Do you have anyone in particular in mind?"
"Yes." he replied, "But I'd rather not announce it just yet in case it falls through."
Of course this statement brought a whole new barrage of questions. Everyone wanted to know who it was and why he wouldn't tell. Fryer tried unsuccessfully to regain order.
Charlie and Carol were watching from the side of the stage. "I think that statement ranked up there with Josh's secret plan to fight inflation." Charlie muttered.
Carol groaned. Now all of tomorrow's papers were going to be running the fact that the new President was keeping important facts from the American people.
Fryer pointed to the third row. "You."
"Sir, do you have any information on the condition of the two surviving Senior Staffers?" Danny Concannon asked.
"I do." Fryer replied, relieved to be off the topic of his Chief of Staff. "Both are expected to survive."
"Any idea on their conditions?"
"Both are still unconscious, but will be fine."
He went on answering questions. About half were inquiring about his new Chief of Staff.
"I'm not sure yet." he said finally to the seventh question. "As soon as I'm sure he's able, I will release his name. Yes, you in the forth row."
"Who is going to be your First Lady?"
He was ready for this one. He'd discussed it with her the night before.
"I've asked my daughter Christina to take on that responsibility and she has accepted." he said, "Yes, in the third row."
"How do you think the staff and the people will respond to your having a child running the country with you?" the woman next to Danny asked.
Fryer clenched his fists under the podium. "Christina is twenty-two years old, a political science major, and a former Capitol intern." he replied, "I have complete confidence in her ability and it is my hope that everyone will share that confidence and show her respect. She is by no means a child, ma'am."
Carol came up and handed him a note. She looked tense. He took it and glanced at it.
"Good news." he said, "CJ Cregg is now conscious and they say she's 'responsive and alert'."
Another flood of questions. Fryer turned to Carol, knowing what she wanted, and nodded. Carol ran out.
"Is there anymore information."
"Just what I've told you. I'm sure she'll be back and ready for you all to torment her again very soon."
They all laughed. "Next question."
"Are you sure?"
"About what? That there's no more information? Well, there's a comma on here that I didn't say, but I didn't figure you'd need that."
He continued answering questions for another hour. Technically he only answered about a third of them. All of the others were about who he was choosing as his Chief of Staff.
You'd think they'd catch on after a little while, he thought as he left.
11:39 AM. EST. Mercy Hospital
CJ was a little dazed, but she was sitting up. "Hey boss, rise and shine." Carol said, sitting down next to her.
"What happened?" CJ asked, "They won't tell me."
"The building blew up."
"The Capitol?"
"Yeah."
"Everybody made it out, right? Sam didn't mention anyone dying."
Carol frowned. "Sam?"
"Yeah, Sam."
Maybe it was a different Sam. A doctor or a nurse. "Sam who?"
"Carol, Sam! Sam Seaborn! When he came last night he wouldn't tell me anything."
Carol felt her eyes fill again. "CJ..."
"What?"
She wondered if it was too early to tell her, then knew she had to. "CJ, Sam's dead."
CJ paled. "They all died. Everyone but you and Josh."
"Josh?"
"He's a few beds down. CJ, I'm so sorry."
"I just need a few minutes." CJ said.
"Yes, ma'am."
Carol walked away. Trembling, CJ looked down the row of beds and saw Donna sitting by one of them. She looked away before Donna came back. A tear ran down her face and she furiously wiped it away. Dammit, he couldn't be dead!
All of them...
1:45 PM. EST. Margaret's house.
He was dead. Deaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddead.
Margaret threw the bed covers off of herself but didn't get up for a few minutes. She hadn't left her bed in nearly a day. Just thinking sapped her energy.
Finally she sat up and looked around her bedroom. After she finally got that idiot intern to leave, she'd pretty much lost her mind. She vaguely remembered throwing her things everywhere, shattering the mirror.
She'd loved him. Not in that mushy romantic kissy-kissy way but that other way. That strange love that you don't understand and when others ask you about it, you fumble around for an answer, wondering how to word it. Wondering only to realize there is no way to explain it. It just is.
The kitchen was right down the hall. She went out and filled a glass with water. She watched all the bubbles pop, then took a small sip. Her stomach was empty but the thought of eating made her want to vomit.
She reached into the cabinet and took out a small bottle. Fumbling with the childproof cap, she pried it off and shook out two small white pills. She placed the painkillers in her mouth, swallowed them with another sip of water, and went back to bed.
4:30 PM. EST. White House guest room
He couldn't even sit at the President's desk, let alone sleep in his bed. So Fryer had been sleeping in one of the little used guest rooms, far away from the Main Residence. He was in there contemplating his Yes pile when the phone rang.
Still reading about the schooling of one Randall Oswald, he reached over and picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"It's your First Lady." Tina's teasing voice made him drop the file.
"I saw the press conference on C-SPAN." she continued. "I thought Liz was going to crush me, she was hugging me so tight. I didn't tell her before."
"Liz?"
"Bartlet. We're all still together in our undisclosed location. They're coming to D.C. with me on Friday."
Still five days away, Fryer thought.
"So, are you going to tell me who your Chief of Staff is?"
"When you get here, sweetie. Remember, you have to get your own staff together.
"Can't wait."
"I have a ton of files you can look through."
"Thanks. I have to go, Dad. I'll try to call again tomorrow."
"Bye. Love you."
"Love you too."
Fryer hung up and went back to Oswald's file. He'd seen this guy on TV a few times and had liked his style. He already had a Chief of Staff but he needed a Vice President...
