I got distracted and took a like 20-hour long space in between writing this one big speech and the aftermath, so I think I screwed up the characters. Whatever. I'll fix them all and make it all emotional and make them act correctly later. Bear with me. Again.

"Josh?" Donna asked, her eyebrows raised. He had just been talking on the phone with what Donna assumed to be the people in the White House Situation Room and had bizarrely shut the phone off, after threatening to attack the Secret Service. Or, well, force his way into seeing Leo's doctor. "Josh?" she asked again after he refused to answer.

He turned around and faced her, a slightly manic look on his face, bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly, his cell phone closed up at his mouth. "Yeah?" he replied, not looking at Donna, but at the hallway behind her.

"What are you doing?"

Eye contact. "That was the President and Ron Butterfield and C.J. and, well, everyone in the Situation Room."

"And?"

"They don't think this is national security related."

"I heard you say that they were keeping the President out of the loop."

"And Ron Butterfield. They aren't telling anyone anything. They think the agent that was driving the car had a seizure. But no one's ruled out corruption from within the agencies, so that's why they're not releasing information."

"And now you're going to threaten a Secret Service agent?"

Josh laughed. "I'm not going to – or, well –" It was difficult to articulate. Donna had basically gotten exactly what he was going to do. No use denying it. "Yeah, I'm going to use my power of words and my status and demand that we see Leo."

"I'm coming with you."

"What?" Josh had planned on receiving a scolding, not encouragement.

"I'm coming with you. Backup."

"You're going to be my wingman?"

"Don't say that. Amy used to say that about you and her. I'm your partner in crime."

"We're not committing a crime."

"We're doing things for the good of the President. Let's go."

Josh watched as Donna grabbed her purse and started walking over to the little huddle of government employees. "Come on!" she yelled, beckoning him with her arm. He started to jog, quickly catching up with her, as the two walked over to Agent Bernard.

"Excuse me," Josh said, interrupting the agents.

"Yes, Mr. Lyman, what can I do for you?"

"Look. I understand the fact that you all are trying to keep things under wraps over here. That if anything gets out about Leo's condition, about the other occupants of the car, there could be a lot of problems for you all. But, here's the thing. Right now, Donna and I are the only ones who are here, and, are going to be the only people here for a while. The President knows nothing, nothing about a man who he's known for ages. My father was a dear friend of Leo McGarry, I worked with him as his deputy for almost seven years. Leo is like family. He, Donna, and I, we're all part of this weird, twisted family. This family of people who have been working to fix this damn world since we came into office eight years ago. We may not have done everything perfectly, but it is because of this man whom Donna and I are trying to see that things have gone as well as they have. If you don't let us into see this Dr. Morgan right now, I swear to God, there'll be a reckoning. I may not work for the guy, but I still have the President's ear, so give us access now."

The room had quieted down quite a bit, with people turning and staring at Josh, and at Donna, whose eyes, of course, were also turned at Josh. Agent Bernard slowly began to do something, while Josh continued to stare him down. He lifted his arm and began to talk into his communicator. "This is Bernard, we need Dempsey and Dr. Morgan in the lobby as soon as possible, please."

"Thank you," Josh whispered, standing back and looking at Donna. "Was that acceptable for your doing of good for the President?"

"Um, yeah," Donna stared at him. "That was good."

"Glad to hear it. Now, let's find out what the hell is happening."

-------

It took an additional two minutes for Agent Dempsey to appear with Dr. Morgan from deep within the operating rooms of G.W. When they finally came into the lobby, Josh shot up from where he was sitting and Donna followed close behind.

"Dr. Morgan?" Josh asked, walking up to Agent Dempsey and the man he was escorting.

"Yes," Dr. Morgan replied, extending his hand. "And you must be Josh Lyman?"

"Yeah, and this is Donna Moss."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Moss."

"Likewise, doctor."

"Now, Agent Dempsey was saying that you two were inquiring about Leo McGarry."

"Yeah."

"It's – it's – there have – I don't know how to put this really the correct way, I'm afraid."

Josh's face fell. The small amount of hope that he had been holding on to was slowly slipping from his grasp. "What's wrong with Leo?"

"During the crash, Mr. McGarry experienced what appears to have been extensive head trauma. We tried to operate when he arrived, but the paramedics said that it was too late. His heart had stopped beating on the way to the hospital several times, and they tried to revive him. We managed to keep him alive for a few more minutes, enough time to take a few tests, but, I'm sorry to say that it was all too late. The head trauma was extensive and Mr. McGarry wasn't in the best of health. We tried as best we could, but he didn't make it. I'm extremely sorry Mr. Lyman, Ms. Moss. I know how shocking this news is and how integral he was in the Bartlet Administration and in the current campaign, but there was really nothing we could do."

Donna instinctively reached for Josh's hand, and squeezed it, though Josh gave no response. Instead, he stared into space. "Josh?" she asked.

Josh began to focus and spoke slowly and softly saying, "He's gone?"

"Yes. I'm so sorry, Mr. Lyman," the doctor replied.

Ever since Josh's father had died, Leo had been, at the very least of his multiple duties, a surrogate one for Josh. Donna had been the one to tell Josh the news about his father, albeit abruptly, for it was a time of celebration in the Bartlet campaign. This time the circumstances were so very, very different. Leo was imperatively important in this race with Vinick. They were losing, there was nothing to celebrate just yet. And now, things were a lot worse.

"Okay," Josh whispered. "Excuse us a minute, doctor? I just – Donna and I need to decide how to handle this."

"Yes, sir. I'm so sorry."

Josh, for what felt like the seven hundredth time that day, dragged Donna off with him to have a private conference. Tears were welling up in Donna's eyes, and yet she tried to keep everything together.

"We have to make calls."

"Yeah," she replied, holding back a sob. "Do you want to call the President?"

"Okay. You call Lou."

"All right," she replied, looking up at Josh's face. "Are you okay?"

Josh seemed to be shocked Donna was asking. "I'm fine. I'll be okay. Right now I am fine. I can handle this. It's – horrible – but we've gotta move on for right now. There'll be time to be sad later. Right now, we've gotta be strong, okay? You and me both. I know you usually pick up my pieces, but this time we're gonna have to help each other. Okay?"

"Yes."

"Let's get going. These have to be some of the worst calls of our life ahead."

Even as Josh sounded secure, Donna could see the distant look in his eyes. She wiped her own from where the tears were spilling over and started dialing the number for the campaign headquarters. How different life had become in the past hour.