CHAPTER 15

February 11

4:25 PM. EST. Supreme Court

Guilty. Every juror voted guilty. Now they just had to wait a week for sentencing. In the meantime, Grainger and several of his top officials were being held in a maximum-security prison.

"Why is it only the top people?" Josh asked later that night as they sat around his table eating Chinese food.

"They can't get everyone." Donna said, "I mean, that's over a thousand people. Probably way more."

"I think that's nuts." CJ said, digging through the lo mein. "How can that many people actually support such a wackjob?"

"Read your history, Claudia Jean." Josh said, "More people than that have supported equally crazy people. I just wish there was a way we could lock them all up. Too bad it goes against the Fourth Amendment, thus pissing off many people who will in turn make our lives living hell."

"Yeah." Carol agreed, taking the lo mein from CJ.

"Remember what Ainsley said about us 'loving the Bill of Rights except for the Second Amendment'?" Donna asked.

Josh laughed. "Yeah. I thought Sam would blow a blood vessel. 'This is not the place to discuss gun control!'"

They were all quiet for a moment. Even after nearly a month it still hurt to talk about it.

"You know, I saw him." CJ said suddenly.

"Sam?"

"Yeah. That night I woke up. I saw him standing there next to me. I didn't know what was happening or where I was. But I knew he was there. He held my hand and sat with me."

"Maybe it was a dream." Donna said.

"No, it wasn't. I was awake."

"You may have thought you were." Josh offered.

"Were we dreaming that day in court when we saw Toby?"

Josh was quiet. "He didn't say anything." CJ continued, "Just sat with me. And I knew..." Her voice was thick with tears. "I knew it would be okay. Whatever had happened, we'd pull through."

She paused long enough to wipe her eyes. "The next morning when I woke up he was gone. But I thought he'd be back later. Then Carol came and she told me he was dead."

She took a deep breath, trying to keep her composure. Josh raised his glass. "To the Bartlet Administration."

Murmuring the same, the others clinked their glasses with his.

February 14

10:45 PM. EST. Josh Lyman's apartment.

Chief of Staff. He was going to be one of the most powerful figures in the Executive Branch. Up until now it had been unreal. But tomorrow he was going back to work.

What would Leo think? With the number of times he'd screwed up his own job, was he really ready to take on Leo's? Was Leo watching, wincing at what was to come?

Josh took off his tie, threw it across the room, and fell backwards onto his bed. I shouldn't've accepted, he thought, I should've said no.

----------------------------------------

"Josh."

Josh's head shot up. He'd fallen asleep at his desk again.

Margaret was standing in his office doorway. "Leo wants to see you." She said.

"Right now?"

"Yeah."

He got up and followed her out the door. The west wing was empty, not even a custodian. Something wasn't right here.

"Where's Donna?"

"She's not here."

"Well, no kidding. Where-"

"You can go in." Margaret said, opening Leo's door.

Josh stepped inside and Margaret closed the door. Leo was sitting at his desk.

"Sit." He said.

Josh sat. "So, you're taking my place." Leo said, "I don't know whether to be relieved or petrified."

Josh didn't laugh. "Lighten up, Josh." Leo said, "You'll do fine."

"I can't take your place!" Josh exclaimed, "You're Leo McGarry!"

Leo looked steadily into his eyes. "The President thinks you can do it."

"What, Fryer? He's been there about a month. He doesn't know what a massive mistake he's making."

"No."

"No what?"

"You know, I wasn't mad. I was at first when you weren't there. But then I saw the flames coming at me and I thought, Thank God they aren't here. Let them escape. And you did. And now you're being promoted to a job I know you can do."

"Not without you, I can't."

"You will. President Fryer is going to need you. You'll do fine."

February 15

7:20 AM. EST. The White House

CJ wheeled over to her desk. Carol had been great about taking care of things but there was still a pile of folders on her desk and a massive stack of newspapers on the floor beside it. Sighing, she put down her coffee cup, pushed her regular chair out of the way, and picked up a Washington Post. She had a lot of catching up to do.

7:25 AM. EST. Leo McGarry's office

Josh hung around in the doorway for about five minutes before Donna literally pushed him into the room. He sat down uncomfortably in Leo's chair. Donna nodded, then went off to Josh's old office. He wondered briefly what kinds of plans she had in mind for it, decided he really didn't want to know, then picked up a newspaper. Like CJ, he'd been a little out of things for a while.

January twenty second. New York Times. On the front page there was a picture of a blonde woman being escorted out of Mercy Hospital. Maybe escorted was too light a word. Forcefully dragged was more like it. Then there was one of the same woman slapping an FBI agent. He chuckled and flipped the page. Then he froze. Was that..?

He flipped back. It was. It was Donna. He couldn't see her face very clearly, but he could tell it was her.

"Oh no." he murmured. "Good luck, Donna."

8:00 AM

"DONNATELLA MOSS!"

In Josh's old office, Donna winced and waited. "GET IN HERE!"

Donna gulped and followed the yelling to CJ's office. CJ was livid, clutching a newspaper. With a sinking feeling Donna realized what it was.

"What the hell did you do?"

"I-I-"She was towering over CJ for once but the older woman still terrified her.

"You assaulted an FBI agent? Had to be dragged out of the hospital? What's wrong with you?"

"I had to get in. And I didn't have a photo ID so they said they'd call for my file. But it took too long. CJ—"

"You could've been arrested!" In Leo's office, Josh listened to CJ yell. When she had first yelled he'd spilled coffee all over the report he was reading. But now he hadn't heard anything for a few minutes. Wiping the report the best he could, he continued reading.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'ONLY ONE NIGHT?"

Josh smirked. "I love it when it's not directed at me."