Donna's Revelation
For everyone dying to figure out what the hell's been going on, you're about to discover e very interesting tidbit. And what isnt revealed now will be revealed in the next chapter...so stay tuned:-)
It was a little past noon, and Donna had just returned from her lunch break. She sighed as she thought of her exciting morning, dancing with the love of her life. As she entered her office, she found Josh looking through her drawers. Suddenly remembering what was stored in that bottom drawer, Donna gasped and all but yelled at him, "What're you doing in here, Josh?"
"Huh?" jumped Josh, clearly startled.
"Josh, what're you doing going through my desk?"
"Oh…I was looking for a file you were supposed to bring me. The Gibraltar file."
"Oh, yes, I remember now…I'll get you a copy ASAP, but there isn't one in my desk…"
"Damn it, Donna!" Josh slammed the drawer shut.
"Calm down Josh…" Donna started, patting Josh on the back in what she hoped was a comforting manner. Rather than squirming away, Josh just sat down at Donna's desk and put his head down.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you Donna…It's been tough for me getting the plastic surgery and all…oh, and Donna. About the so called bomb in my office. I know."
"You know what…"
"I know what happened. In fact, it wasn't the Gibraltar file I was searching for. I already have a copy. It's this I was looking for."
Josh held up a plastic baggy: the one that contained Donna's secret. The one she had hidden from CJ that day when she came in. The bag held a lot of power. It would be this bag that would free Pedro Palachino from his indictment. It would be this bag that would send Toby into decline again. It would be this bag that would change the West Wing. And Donna was ready to show the bag to her coworkers.
"Josh…I think they should see it…the rest of the West Wing workers…"
"OK. I agree. It will free up an innocent man."
"Well, how about a meeting then, for the Senior Staff."
"Sounds good. Go organize it."
"Well…I'm only the assistant to the deputy chief of staff…could you set up the meeting?"
Josh rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, Donna. Oh, and Donna," he added as she was about to leave. "Here." He tossed her a packet of paper. "I read over your application. I'll bet you get into the class."
"Thanks, Josh." Donna didn't have the heart to tell him that she had already sent in her application while he was in the hospital. "Thanks for looking it over."
"No problem. Meeting will be at three in the Roosevelt Room. See you there."
Donna smiled as she threw out the application. Then she sat down at her desk and thought about the task that was looming in front of her, the task that would have to be completed at three o' clock. In the meantime, Donna made a quick phone call to James Ledger.
Josh sat down next to Sam quietly.
"Hey Sam."
"Hi Josh. How you doing?"
"Only as well as a man whose gone through plastic surgery can be."
Sam laughed. "So…what's up with this James Ledger guy?"
"Sam…"
"Seriously. What's going on?"
"Well…actually…it's funny you should mention it…Donna made a phone call to an office in your department."
"Donna made a call to Communications?"
"Yep, to the office number 323 B. I was wondering if you could check who—"
"Hi everyone," Donna spoke simply, entering and shutting the door behind her. Sam gave Josh the thumbs up sign to show he understood, and that he would check up on the office number.
"Hello, Miss Moss." Leo responded formally. "For what reason were we all called to this meeting?"
"Well…today I have a…I supposed a confession to make."
"Oh?"
"That's right…Toby! Pay attention!"
Toby looked up from a scrap of paper. "Do any of you guys know a 10-letter word for nutrition?"
"Toby!" came a call in unison from everyone else in the room.
"Sorry," he said meekly, and put the paper away. "What were you saying Donna?"
Donna wasn't sure how to continue, so she tossed the baggy onto the table. "Have a look at that then," she said.
Leo picked up the bag and emptied its contents onto the table. "Hmm…looks like some burnt fragments of a pencil. What's this supposed to mean, Donna?"
"It means Donna has good reason to carry six pencils with her wherever she goes. Look what she managed to do to this one!" Josh commented.
"Josh, you know very well what happened to this pencil as you were there…"
"Indeed I was. Just trying to soften the truth up with a pun. Whatever. Keep going."
"On the day of the bomb, I tossed this pencil at Josh, just for fun, to emphasize a comment I made. It got jammed in the radiator…"
Leo was the first to understand. "So…there was no bomb at all…it was just the pencil that got heated up, caught fire, and exploded the radiator."
Everyone in the room's expressions changed from quizzical to a look of awe in a matter of seconds.
"So…there was no bomb after all?"
"No," said Donna simply, and sat down.
"Hang on a minute…" Leo interrupted, "What about Palachino?" At this Toby stiffened.
"That makes him innocent. But why, then, was he running out of the White House so fast?"
"That I don't know," Donna continued, "But all that matters is that we release our charges against Palachino."
Toby jumped up. "Well, I need to be getting home," he started, and ran out the door. After this, everyone filed slowly out the door. Donna, though, only went to her office to think. She had two questions burning in her mind. Why was Toby acting strangely, and what had happened with CJ's office…and how, if so, were the two issues connected? It took Donna an hour straight of mulling it over before she suddenly thought of an incredibly wild possibility. And she could check up on it right away. She picked up her phone and dialed.
"Hi, CJ? I need the password to log into your computer. It's urgent."
