All notes and disclaimers can be located in the previous 24 parts.
Yes, you can archive it, but let me know first.
**
Toby sat in the chair next to Ginger's bed in the residence, trying
to keep his mind on the work he'd brought over to distract him. He
had called the counsel's office and an understanding Lionel Tribbey
had sent over both gay Peter and straight Peter to cover for Sam.
Toby was glad to be able to do that much for Leo and Josh, who were
no doubt running themselves ragged despite the best efforts of
Margaret and Donna to the contrary.
Mrs. Landingham had dropped in to see Ginger, but Ginger's injuries
had disturbed her too much and she didn't stay too long. Before she
left, she had given Toby the list of injuries the First Lady had put
together. The contents of the list only served to anger him further.
He looked at the list again, mostly to torture himself. "A black eye,
a scratched right cornea, broken nose, concussion, hairline jaw
fracture, dislocated shoulder, sprained wrist--"
He crumpled the list up and threw it across the room, then sat with
his head in his hands.
He had spent the past two hours trying to not dwell on her injuries
and what had been done to her. If he continued to obsess over them,
he knew that nothing would stop him from going out, finding Mick
Slater, and slowly and methodically beating the animal to death.
"What was I thinking, letting her go home with that monster?" he
groaned.
When he looked back up, Ginger's eyes were open and squinting at him.
"Toby?" her voice was distant and slurred.
"It's me." he said gently. "How do you feel?"
"Numb." she mumbled. "Woozy. I can barely see you."
"One of your eyes is almost swollen shut and the other one has a
scratched cornea." Toby explained. "And you feel numb and woozy
because Abbey put you on the strongest painkillers she could, at
least legally."
"Mmmm..." Ginger nodded.
"Can you tell me what happened?" Toby asked. He hated to bring it
back for her, but he needed to know what Abigail couldn't have told
him.
"What time is it?" she asked.
"About one in the afternoon."
"Was the President angry?" she asked.
"Angry? Why?"
"I woke him up, Toby." she explained.
"Not with you." he assured her. "He's furious with that son of a
bitch who did this to you. The police can't find him anywhere."
"Atlanta." she mumbled. "He had to go to Atlanta today.. that's why
he didn't come lookin' for me.."
"He won't." Toby kissed her forehead, mindful of the ugly bruises
marring it. "He won't touch you again, I promise."
"Who's covering for you?" she asked. "I heard Sam say last night.. he
and CJ went to Raleigh.."
"It's okay." Toby cleared his throat, playing with her fingers. "It's
covered."
"But-- You have meetings on the Hill, Toby." she argued weakly.
"Meetings that can be rescheduled." he countered.
"Meetings important for reelection. I heard you say that yourself. In
fact, I think everyone in the bullpen heard it." she managed a small
smile.
"Nothing's more important than this.. than you." Toby said. "I'm not
leaving until someone else can sit with you."
The fact that she was switching subjects more quickly and skillfully
than even Donna could, if that was even possible, was not lost on
Toby. "Ginger, tell me what happened."
Ginger closed her eyes again and let out a weary breath. "Charlie."
she whispered.
"Charlie?" Toby repeated.
"We were arguing about what he said to Zoey, about Charlie." Ginger's
lower lip began to tremble. "He called Charlie a... I slapped him and
he slapped me back. I tried to get out, Toby, but he was too strong.
Too strong." she shook her head, tears beginning to fall down her
cheeks. "My head, I hit it on the floor.." her breath began to
hitch, "he took me into the bedroom.. I tried to fight him, but I
couldn't make him stop!"
Ginger was sobbing in earnest now, covering her face with her good
arm and trying to stifle her sobs with it.
Toby watched her, hot tears making their way down his own cheeks.
This was his fault. It was all his fault. He had always been fond of
Ginger, but he had been yelling and belittling her ever since she had
come onboard the administration. He had softened since the shooting
at Rosslyn, but by then she had already began dating Mick. After
softening and getting to know Ginger a little better, Toby had
entertained thoughts of her in a whole other capacity than his
assistant. He had hoped, maybe after reelection, that just maybe...
Ginger's voice broke into his thoughts. "Don't cry, Toby. Please
don't cry." her sprained hand found his and squeezed it, regardless
of the slight ache it caused. She reflected that the painkillers she
had been given must be the strongest possible or her wrist would be
hurting a hell of a lot worse.
"I have to." Toby gently kissed her hand.
"I wish I'd stayed." Ginger whispered. "Toby, I need to sleep."
"Go to sleep, Ginger." Toby said. "I'll be here if you need me."
**
"It's about time the two of you got here." Ainsley said as Sam and CJ
were led into the small room in the Raleigh courthouse Ainsley had
commandeered to work out of.
"And we have to go back right after our testimony." Sam replied. "I
talked to Leo on the plane and something major's up."
Danny stood up. "Should you two have come down here then?"
"It's fine." CJ assured him. "The Shepards arrived a few minutes
after we left. And Leo knows how important this hearing is. He and
the President asked me to tell you they're pulling for you."
"I think something else is wrong." Sam said. "I talked to Josh and
Margaret and Margaret definitely sounded upset. And I'm sure I heard
gay Peter singing to her in the background."
"Gay Peter?" CJ turned to him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Gay Peter only comes over when both Toby and I are out." Sam
explained to Ainsley and Danny. "So let's get this show on the road."
"I didn't want to cause trouble for the President." Danny protested.
"If Danny would agree to let me put Megan on the stand, you two could
leave right now." Ainsley said pointedly.
"We've been over this." Danny said. "Megan's had two huge shocks. Her
parents were just killed. They're never coming back. Do you know how
damaging that can be to a five year old?"
Ainsley turned to Sam and Ainsley. "Marilyn Ashton tried to block
your testimony."
"Tried to block it?" CJ asked.
"We haven't even made it yet." Sam added.
"We're still waiting for the judge's ruling on it." Ainsley
said. "You might have made the trip for nothing."
"Danny." CJ sat next to him. "If the judge blocks our testimony,
chances are, the Ashtons' attorney will put Megan on the stand
himself. You have to let Ainsley ask her a few questions."
Danny finally nodded. "All right. But only if CJ and Sam's testimony
is blocked."
TBC
Part 26
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