TITLE: The Real Thing

 

AUTHOR:  Mary M. (mmosholder@webtv.net)

 

SUMMARY: Josh's reaction when the President tells him about his MS

 

FEEDBACK: Will be greatly appreciated

 

DISCLAIMER The West Wing belongs to Aaron Sorkin, Warner Bros, etc.  They have no connection to me what so ever.

 

Josh was alone in his office.  Heck, it was 1 a.m.; he was probably alone in the building with the exception of the President and the First Lady.  He laughed...it was hours ago that the President confided in him. Hours; it felt like ages ago.  He still couldn't believe it.  He was trapped between feeling angry and confused.  How do you deal with something like this? How do you keep on working?  He almost wished he'd talked to Toby.  Oh, Toby waited for him, but Josh just wanted to be alone.  He wanted to wallow in his anger. He figured he'd sort it out himself.  Well, it was now 3 hours later and all he kept thinking about was his reaction to the President's news.  He could have handled it better

 

 

"You knew before the election," Josh said in shock,

 

"Yes."

 

You knew before the election and you told no one," his voice raising.

 

"At the time, I didn't think it was important," Bartlet said somewhat nonchalantly.

 

Jokes out a laugh, "You didn't think it was important?!!" Pauses, "You have a potentially fatal disease and you didn't think the public would find that important?"

 

"I don't have the fatal kind."

 

"But the potential is there."

 

"Well, yes, I guess.  But it's highly unlikely."

 

"But it could happen."

 

Bartlet was starting get testy now, "Yes, it could.  But again it's highly unlikely.  I mean I have a greater chance of getting hit by a car than dying of this."

 

"Yes, but getting hit by a car is a random act that can't be predicted.  This is a disease that you have had full knowledge of and are under a doctor's care for. And yet you didn't feel the need to tell the public?"

 

"No, I didn't.  I felt it was my problem and the people didn't have to know."

 

Josh's voice starts rising, "Didn't have to know.  With all due respect sir, not only did the people need to know – they had a RIGHT to know.  The American people voted for you in good faith, confident that you could fulfill the needs of this office.  They had a right to know that the person they voted for could die before finishing term. They had a right to now that the Vice President could end up finishing his term.  They had a right to know that the man they voted for could have an episode during a crisis and would be unable to make quick decisions. Yes, I know it's ' highly unlikely ', but there's still a chance and no matter how small that chance the people had a right to have all the facts so they can make an informed decision about who runs this country! "

 

Bartlet stands up. "You done?" he asks.  Josh nods. " OK. First of all, I was not elected with the popular vote. You know that.  So let's not rewrite history and pretend that the American people wanted me as their President.  Secondly, I made a mistake.  You're right I should have been honest.  I should have set aside my pride and just told the truth.  But I can honestly say that at the time I didn't see this as a big deal.  Now I admit that was incredibly stupid and shortsighted on my part.  But I was being an optimist.  I convinced myself that the worst would never happen so there was really no need to prepare the public.  That was wrong, I see that now.  Unfortunately, I can't go back and change the past.  All I can do now is apologize, move forward, and hope the American public can forgive me for breaking their trust."

 

Josh is quiet, "Sir, did you ever consider that you may have not had to break their trust? Did you ever consider that you could have been elected anyway if you told the truth?  The public is not heartless, sir.  If you would have just been open and honest from the start we could have had the same result.  You could have still been President.   But we'll never know for sure now will we? We'll never know how the people would react because you never gave them a chance."

 

 

Josh chuckled. Lecturing the President.  Yes, that was a great way to handle it.  3 a.m. now.  In a few hours people will start coming in. And he still had no idea how he felt.  What the President did was wrong.  He believed that.  He had an ethical responsibility to reveal the truth and he didn't. On the other hand, Bartlet was the real thing.  The kind of politician that he always wanted to work for.  Could he just desert him because of a lapse in judgment?  Who was HE to blame the President for making a mistake?

 

Maybe he just expected too much.  Listening to Bartlet in New Hampshire fueled every idealistic dream he ever had.  Then working in the White House, helping set policy...Bartlet wasn't like other politicians.  He wanted to do the right thing, despite politics.  Most of the time the staff had to reel him in.  This was a man who put his country first; a man who wouldn't bow under pressure,   a man who did what was morally right.  Suddenly Josh saw the problem: he put the President on a pedestal so high that when he fell, he crashed on top of everyone.  .Bartlet wasn't God (that much should have been obvious).  He was a man just like the rest them.  Like the rest, he made mistakes, major mistakes.

 

5 am.  "God, I'll be so tired today ", he thought.  People will start arriving soon. Not very long, somebody will ask what he thinks.  Not an easy thing to answer.  The anger and confusion were starting to dissipate.  Yes, logically he knew what the President did was wrong and a part of him thought that he should be punished. But a larger part hoped he wouldn't be because this wasn't just the President, this was HIS President.   This man was the real thing.

 

THE END