Title: The Next Few Hours
Author: sarah
Spoilers: What Kind of Day Has It Been
Disclaimer: not mine, 'nuff said
Archives: Yea!
Summary: The staff deals with what happened. And it's probably not
the staff you're thinking about.
Author's note: At end of story.
~
"I'm sorry, it just seems to be running a little late. ?Yes, I
know I
said I'd be free tonight, but Josh called from the event and he wants
me to be here. ?He needs to work on the FEC nominations and I
need to
be here to help him. It's in my job description. ?This weekend,
I
promise." Donna Moss frowned up at Bonnie, one of the assistants in
the communications department, as she hung up the phone. "I think I
have one more chance."
"You'd think he'd understand, since he works at State. I hear
they're
sometimes busy over there."
"Not from the way Greg talks." She looked at her watch, then at the
planner open on the desk. "We've got some time before it ends. You
wanna grab something to drink before the phones start ringing?"
"I could use a refreshing beverage before Toby starts barking at me.
I think it's worse when he's on his cell, too. I can't see his face
to know what mood he's really in. It's just all yelling or
grumbling."
"At least Josh smiles."
"Hey, Toby smiles!" Bonnie argued, then switched the subject back to
Donna's latest boyfriend.
~
They were coming up the stairs with Ginger in tow, having picked her
up on their way, when several men in dark suits rushed past them.
The
last one turned and stopped in front of them.
"ID, please, ladies."
"What's going on?" Donna asked, craning her neck around the tall man
as she pulled her badge out from under her suit jacket. The other
two
assistants were doing the same. Ginger stooped down to pick up the
muffin she had dropped in the process.
"We're securing the building. Thank you, ladies." He turned back to
face them after taking two steps away. "You're going to want to
return to your desks. You'll be needed."
They started back to their desks, much faster than they had been
walking before and with Donna in the lead. As they came through the
doors into the West Wing, they could hear the clamor: televisions
with familiar anchors, telephones ringing and the voices of their
colleagues.
Kathy, Sam Seaborn's assistant, grabbed them as they walked by.
"Where have you been?"
"What's ?quot;
But Bonnie hadn't been able to get more than that word out before the
four women heard Donna's gasp. "Omigod."
They all turned and stood transfixed by the small television showing
the carnage outside the Newseum. The footage was obviously being
shot
from a helicopter and showed flashing lights and people either
scurrying around or being very still. All of the assistants were
frozen, unable to make out any of the faces but trying their best to
do so.
The noise in the room took on a different pitch and suddenly Leo
McGarry's assistant was rushing by them. "POTUS and Zoe are on their
way back and will be going up to the residence. Mrs. Landingham's on
her way up there."
"What about?quot; Kathy yelled after the retreating back.
"We don't know anything else." Margaret didn't even break stride as
she walked to the next group of employees.
"What should we be doing?" The three communications assistants
looked
at Donna, who was normally the ringleader of the group and could be
counted on to take charge in any situation. But she just stood
there,
transfixed by the images on the screen.
"Donna?" Bonnie gently nudged her, concerned about her friend.
"Yeah? I ?I'm going back to my desk for when Josh gets back."
She
looked at the other three women, who looked as scared as she felt.
"You'll let me know as soon as you hear anything?"
"Of course. Go." Bonnie gave her a quick hug, then looked around
the
room. "You let us know, too."
Donna never made it to her desk. Instead she wandered into Josh's
office and turned on the television. She looked up when she heard a
voice.
"Is Josh okay?" Joey Lucas stood in the doorway, concern evident on
her face.
"I don't know. Nobody here knows anything," Donna told her, not
unkindly.
"Can I watch?"
"Sure."
Joey sat down, focused on the television. Donna reached for the
remote and turned on the closed captioning. Joey gave her a quick,
grateful look.
A few minutes later, the phone rang. Donna jumped out of her chair.
"Josh Lyman's office."
"Donna."
"Josh! Are you okay? What happened? How is everyone?"
"Whoa, slow down." Donna could hear the exhaustion in her boss'
voice. "Some people took shots at the president. I'm fine.
Relatively, at least. A few cuts and bruises, nothing major."
"And everyone else?" At his pause, her voice rose. "Josh?! What
aren't you telling me?"
"I need you to arrange for Mandy to get into the press briefing room.
She needs to let everyone know that we'll let out what we know when
we finally know something."
"What about CJ? Was she hurt?"
Another pause, but this time Donna didn't interrupt. "CJ wasn't hurt
very badly. Maybe some cracked ribs and a broken wrist. But
Donna?quot;
"Yes?" she whispered.
"Carol was hit. She ?she didn't make it."
"Oh god," Donna moaned. "Not Carol. She wasn't even supposed to be
there."
"I know. CJ's in shock, I think, but she's going to blame herself."
Donna didn't want to ask the question that was on the tip of her
tongue, partly because she was afraid of the answer and partly
because
she was in shock herself. Before she could speak, Josh continued.
"Leo and Charlie were rushed to the hospital, both very badly
wounded.
Toby's going to go to the hospital with CJ - he also has some minor
injuries. Sam's barely hurt, just cut slightly from some glass. Ron
Butterfield told me that the president and Zoe are okay, but several
agents have also been taken to the hospital. At least one isn't
expected to make it." He said it all in a monotone. "Sam and I'll
be
back as soon as we can. As soon as everyone gets to the hospital."
"Do you need me to do anything? Besides get Mandy?"
"No, just wait there. And, Donna?"
"Yes?"
"Don't tell anyone about Carol, okay? I don't want any rumors
circulating. Someone will tell the staff in a group."
"Okay. See you soon."
"Bye." She barely heard his quiet response as he hung up the phone.
She sat there, staring at the receiver until Joey spoke again.
"Donna?"
Her head snapped up. "Yeah?"
"Josh?" She gestured to the phone.
"Yeah. He's okay, pretty much. Everybody else, not so much. I have
to call Mandy."
Joey watched as Donna dialed the phone, listened for a moment, and
then hung up. "Voicemail," she said to herself, frustrated. She
leaned over and ripped open Josh's top drawer, reaching for the
personal phone book he kept there. While Mandy's cell phone was
ringing, she looked at Joey and mouthed "Don't tell." Joey just
smiled sadly.
"Mandy? It's Donna Moss."
"What the hell is going on up there?"
"Someone tried to kill the president but took out other people
instead. Josh wants you in the briefing room. NOW."
"What about CJ?"
"She was hurt. If you're in the District, you're closer than any of
them are."
"I'll get there as soon as possible."
"How long will that be?"
"Fifteen minutes, give or take. Less."
"Then be here."
The phone clicked as Donna hung it up again. She turned back to the
television, which Joey had already returned her attention to, and
wiped the tears from her face as she decided what to do next.
~
In the communications department, things were a bit more chaotic.
Nobody had heard from Sam, Toby, CJ or the staff with them yet, and
everyone was starting to get edgy with each other. As Bonnie watched
Ginger snap at an intern, she decided to take charge. After all, she
reasoned to herself, someone had to.
During the next lull in the ringing of the phones, she stood up.
"Okay, everyone, listen up." As everyone turned to look at her, she
started to consider whether this had been a good idea. But she
plowed
on ahead, believing that she had to do something. "Someone will be
calling soon. Until then, we don't know anything. We're all worried
and scared and ?let's not take it out on each other, okay?"
Everyone sat down, staring at the televisions and not talking.
Ginger
came over next to Bonnie. "That was good," she whispered, gave
Bonnie's arm a tight squeeze, and walked back to her desk.
Suddenly Bonnie's phone rang and she lunged for it. At the same
time,
Kathy's phone joined in with its own chirping noise.
"Hello?"
"Bonnie?" Toby Ziegler's voice was scratchy on the connection.
"Toby! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, swell." Bonnie smiled to herself, knowing her boss was at
least in satisfactory condition if he was sarcastic. "Look, Donna
should be getting hold of Mandy. She needs to call Josh or myself
the
instant she gets there. Then get everyone in the briefing room."
"Okay. Do you want me to call Carol in to help her out?"
"No," Toby answered. Too quickly, Bonnie noticed. "You take care
of
it. Get Ginger to help you out. I'm going to the hospital with CJ
and I'll come back when we're done."
"Okay. Take care of yourself."
"Thanks."
Across the bullpen, Kathy was having much the same conversation with
her boss. "Yes, Sam, I'll tell Mandy to call you as soon as she gets
here. Don't worry about that." At his sigh, she continued. "Is
everyone okay, Sam?"
"Some people have been hurt. It's going to be bad, Kathy."
"Who's been hurt?"
"Josh or I'll tell everyone when we get there."
"But you're okay?" She asked again.
"I'm fine," he responded wearily.
"Okay. See you soon?" She asked hopefully.
"I hope so. Bye, Kathy."
As she hung up the phone, Kathy looked around the office. Bonnie was
talking to Ginger and other assistants were milling around, trying to
do what they assumed their jobs were in a situation like this. But,
Kathy mused to herself, none of them really knew what to do in a
situation like this.
~
In another part of the West Wing, Margaret sat at her desk, staring
at
the paperwork in front of her. Josh had just called her, telling her
they had taken Leo to the hospital. He wouldn't say how badly Leo
was
hurt, just that he needed surgery. She didn't hear the soft voice
over her shoulder.
"Margaret. The President asked me to gather everyone in the Oval
Office?Margaret?"
Margaret jumped as Mrs. Landingham placed a hand on the other woman's
shoulder. "Oh, hi." She said, embarrassed and trying to wipe the
tears from her face. When she didn't turn around, Mrs. Landingham
walked around to the front of the desk. "How's the President?"
"He's okay, dear. Very shaken up but unhurt. He told me about Leo -
he's in surgery now."
Margaret nodded. "Josh called. He wouldn't tell me how badly Leo
was
hurt. Or anyone else, for that matter."
"He and Sam are on their way back. Everyone else was hurt, to some
degree. That's what the President wants to talk to everyone about."
"When?"
"As soon as possible. Would you help me get all the staff together?"
"Of course." Margaret stood up and wiped at her face with a tissue.
Both walked out of the anteroom of the Chief of Staff's office,
thinking similar thoughts.
~
Donna looked around her, at the people she considered her friends and
at the people she barely knew. Sometimes she forgot so many people
worked in the West Wing.
"Have Josh and Sam arrived yet?" Bonnie had angled her way over to
Donna and looked at her friend's tired face.
"Not yet. Mandy's in with the President now."
"Did Josh tell you anything when he called?"
Donna avoided looking at her friend, instead concentrating fervently
on the closed door in front of her. "Just that he and Sam were the
only ones relatively unscathed. Everyone else's been taken to the
hospital."
"Rumors are flying."
"I know."
"People are saying Leo died. That Charlie is in a coma and Zoe is at
the hospital by his side."
"I know."
"CNN is saying some kids did this - the Secret Service and DCPD won't
release any information because they're minors."
"I know."
"Donna, are you even listening to me?"
Donna turned and faced her friend. As she did, her eyes once again
catalogued the faces she saw. "Of course I'm listening, Bonnie. I
just don't think there's much point in discussing it until after we
hear the President."
At that moment, the door opened and Madeline Hampton walked out.
Donna could tell just by looking at her that she had been crying.
Mandy made a beeline for Josh's assistant.
"Donna, can you help me out when you're done here?"
Donna nodded. "Where will you be?"
"I'm going to use Josh's office for now. I'm going to call him when
I
get there. I want to do the briefing as soon as you're there."
"Okay."
"Also, where's Joey Lucas?"
"She's either at her desk or at Josh's, still watching the coverage."
"Okay. Thanks."
Donna was watching Mandy's retreating back when she felt a hand on
her
arm.
"Donna," Bonnie said gently, "the President is ready to see us now."
"Okay."
To be continued
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