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Chapter 4 - Decisions

TUESDAY, GW HOSPITAL, WASHINGTON

Josh sighed as he stared at the ceiling. He remembered thinking, the last time he was here, that they should have some kind mural on hospital ceilings, after all there's only so many times you can count the cracks. At least he had a different room this time, and he was allowed to get up and watch TV. But he was still bored and he wanted to go home. The doctor at St Mary's, the hospital they'd been taken to from the crash site, had wanted him to stay there for a couple more nights, but Abbey had pulled some strings, at Leo's urging surprisingly enough - surprising, that is, that Abbey would do anything for Leo at the moment  - and had him transferred to GW on Sunday. But he was still bored. He was just contemplating watching more daytime TV when two Secret Service agents enter his room.

"What's going on?" he asked, though he knew he was unlikely to get an answer.

"All clear," one of the agents said into his wrist.

"What's........?" Josh started to repeat, when Abbey entered the room. "Dr Bartlet."

"Joshua," Abbey smiled. "You can leave us," she told the agents. "Seriously, I don't think Josh is a treat to my safety." Once the agents had left, Abbey sat in the chair at the side of Josh's bed. "How you feeling?"

"Bored," Josh smiled.

"I was thinking more health wise?"

"I'm fine. I could go home you know."

"No you couldn't. You have an irregular heartbeat and until it settles you're going nowhere. You were transferred here because Leo said you were in danger of discharging yourself and we needed you somewhere we could keep an eye on you," Abbey smiled. "I've looked at your charts, you don't mind?"

"No. What do they say?"

"If you carry on improving like you have for the last two days, you should be able to go home tomorrow. But no work. Although from what I've been hearing you won't mind that too much."

"It's settled down now," Josh protested.

"You could go and visit your mother, remind her who you are," Abbey smiled.

"I saw her a few months ago."

"How many months?"

"About ten," Josh admitted. He was curious as to why the First Lady had come to see him, he very much doubted it was to talk about his mother.

"I want to make sure you understand how serious this could have been. It's a good job Danny Concannon was there. Charlie says he kept you awake for most of the night, may have saved your life. Certainly saved you from a longer stay in hospital."

"He's scared of CJ and Donna," Josh smiled.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew."

"Has someone said something?" he asked.

"Amy may have mentioned something about you and Congressman Phillips."

"Amy?"

"She phoned me," Abbey smiled.

Josh was still thinking about Abbey's visit, and wondering what had prompted Amy to talk to her, when the door opened with what he assumed was lunch. 

"Hey," Danny smiled.

"Damn," Josh moaned, "I thought you were food."

"I have food," Danny grinned, producing a bag of sandwiches.

"Excellent," Josh smiled. "What do you want?"

"Suspicious."

"Well yeah. I'm a politician, you're a journalist."  

"Good point. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I can go home tomorrow, hopefully. Otherwise, swear to God, I'm digging a tunnel." Josh took one of the sandwiches, chicken salad with mayonnaise, and started to eat, while keeping a wary eye on Danny.

"CJ mustn't know I'm here by the way," Danny told him. "She's banned me from seeing you until you're better."

"So you've dared the wrath of CJ to bring me lunch?"

"Not exactly. I wanted to ask you about what you said on the plane. Lunch was kind of a bribe."

"You didn't need to bribe your way in. According to Abbey, your constant talking, which I have to say was getting on my nerves," Josh grinned, "may have saved my life."

"I thinks she's exaggerating. But I'll go with that," Danny smiled. "You want to tell me? I'm not asking 'cos I need the story, but I got the impression it was a story that should be told."

"Maybe it is. But it's a month too late now isn't it? It's old news, who's going to care?"

"Me, you and plenty of other people. Look, no notebook, no tape recorder, I'm curious is all. If you want me to write it I will, if not....."

"You want your sandwich back," Josh finished with a smile.

"Yeah," Danny agreed.

Josh knew that everyone was right, he should say something because Phillips was a congressman, a five term congressman, and the people in his district should know who they were electing. Plus, Josh would be quite glad to cause him some embarrassment. 

"You can take notes if you want. It started the week before when Donna got a letter....."

Danny sat in silence while Josh told him the story, he made notes and he quietly seethed. When Josh had finished Danny closed his notebook and looked him. "Why the hell have you waited so long to tell that story? You spent weeks being beaten by the press, and by Leo, why didn't you say anything?"

Josh shrugged. He wasn't entirely sure why he'd said nothing. Part of it was anger that Leo and Toby and CJ didn't bother to ask, that Leo just assumed he blown up for no reason, but it was also because of Donna. "I didn't want Donna dragging into it. I didn't want her to know what he'd said about her."

"And now?"

"She went with Toby when he spoke to the intern, she told them most of it. She prised the rest out of me."

"I'm going to post it on the internet, if that's okay?"

"Can you wait 'til tomorrow, I want to speak to my mom first."

"Sure, I'll need to see whether Lucy Gutheridge will speak to me first anyway. You know if she does she's gonna loose her job."

"Yeah," Josh nodded. "I'll see if Will can sort something for her in the VP's office."

Danny stood up as a nurse entered. "He deserved what you said to him. He's lucky you didn't hit him," he told Josh. "I'll let you see a copy before I post it."

WEDNESDAY, PRESS BRIEFING ROOM

"Adam?"

"There's a story on the internet regarding Congressman Phillips and Josh Lyman, can you comment?"

CJ looked toward the back of the room where Danny was stood quietly smiling, Adam worked for the Post and Danny had primed him to ask that question. "There are always a lot of stories about Josh, Adam, could you be more specific?"

"It quoted some of the things that Congressman Phillips said to Josh before their argument last month, it contains quotes from Josh and from an intern who was present at the meeting. I don't think I can really read out most of what the congressman said, but it seemed to indicate that Josh's attack on him wasn't unprovoked." 

"Yes, I know the article. I can only say that you're right, Josh was indeed provoked. The White House has been in contact with the congressman's office, on Josh Lyman's behalf, demanding an apology from him. We haven't as yet had a response. Josh is currently at home on sick leave following the plane crash last week. Katie?"

"Why's it taken Josh so long to come forward?"

"I think if you've read the congressman's comments, together with things that happened earlier in the week and the background, then that's self explanatory. Mark?"

"How is Josh?"

In Georgetown Josh turned the volume down and smiled at Donna. "I should call my mom."

"What did she say when you told her?"

"She was spitting fire," Josh admitted. "I think I calmed her down."

THURSDAY

It took 24 hours for Congressman Phillips to publicly apologize for his remarks, along with the Republican leadership. Like Toby predicted though, Phillips new friends didn't seem too bothered by the scandal and Josh had worked in Washington for long enough to know that it wouldn't effect the party at all, especially since Phillips was actually a Democrat at the time. It will effect Phillips career though, any thoughts he had of high office have been thrown far out of the window. 

Josh meanwhile was at home thinking about his job. Although he'd told Leo he would stay, he still wasn't completely sure he wanted to. The week at work, after he agreed to stay, was difficult. He found himself questioning everything Leo told him to do, examining Leo's motives, until he was starting to feel a little paranoid.

Things between him and Leo have got better over the last few days, but it still didn't feel right to Josh and he wasn't convinced Leo trusted him again, no matter what he said. In fact he suspected that Leo would be keeping a closer eye on him now, just in case the plane crash caused an episode or two.

He had only been home a day though and he was bored already, so maybe quitting his job wouldn't be such a good idea after all. At least this sick leave wasn't like last time. He was allowed outside and he was allowed visitors. He had also managed to convince his mother to stay home, promising to visit her before he went back to work, wherever that may be. 

He was just contemplating whether to make some food when Donna let herself in. "Hey," she smiled. "I brought dinner."

"Just like old times," Josh commented.

"Well I was going to suggest you take me out, but we have an appointment in an hour."

"We do?" Josh asked, as he fetched plates and cutlery from the kitchen.

"The President wants to see you in The Residence at 9."

"The President's never in The Residence at 9."

"He will be tonight. Leo's instructions were to make sure you're there. So eat up."

"Why does he want to see me?"

"How would I know. Eat your cannelloni."

At 9pm Josh was sat in The Residence waiting for the President. He hadn't been allowed into the West Wing not even to his office, which had annoyed him slightly, but apparently those were Leo's orders.

"Josh."

"Mr President."

Jed sat down and waved Josh back down. As he looked at Josh he decided he looked tired and drawn, and he suspected it wasn't just from the plane crash and hypothermia. "Abbey tells me that two weeks is the minimum you should be off work."

"I feel fine, Sir," Josh protested.

"You don't look fine, Josh. And I know what you're thinking. If I'm worried about your health, why have I dragged you across Washington on a damp evening."

"That thought never occurred to me," Josh smiled.

"Leo won't let you into the West Wing?"

"No."

"That annoys you? It shouldn't. He knows if you get anywhere near your office you'll sit down and start working. He's worried about you, we're all worried about you."

"I wasn't the only one in the crash, Sir. Charlie's the one who was hurt. Will had hypothermia as well as me."

"Yes," Jed sighed. "Charlie has a fractured shoulder blade, other than that he's fine. He's back at work because he's too stubborn to stay at home, but there's nothing life threatening about his injury. As for Will, I know I don't have to spell out the difference between hypothermia for you and for him."

"No," Josh grudgingly agreed.

"So you're going to take at least two weeks off?"

"I don't have much choice do I," Josh replied, softening the comment with a slight smile.

"No. Go and see your mother, go to see Sam. There's no reason you can't. This isn't like after Rosslyn."

"I know."

"You're wondering why I wanted to see you?" Jed guessed. "I want to make sure that after your vacation, you're going to come back here to work. I know you told Leo that you'd take your resignation back, but I'm not completely sure you meant it."

Josh tried to hide the surprise that he felt at Jed's words. He hadn't realized his anger and resentment, and that was how he felt, had still been that obvious in the week since he'd agreed to stay.

"Is it really the job that's getting you down?" Jed asked. "Or is it something else?"

Josh knew he could tell the president about his episodes, he knew he'd understand and be sympathetic, he suspected the president had already guessed anyway. But he didn't feel he has the right to use Zoey's kidnap as an excuse for a relapse. She wasn't his daughter,  yet the president and Abbey both appeared to be handling things much better than he was. 

He decided on a little honesty though. "It's always been work that stopped me thinking about other things. But recently, I don't know, Sir. Everything's been building for too long. The thing with Phillips was just the final straw I guess."

Jed was well aware that it was far more than that. He'd seen it in Josh's eyes, the haunted look. The first time he'd noticed Zoey zoning out it had taken him a few hours to realize where he'd seen that look before. Then it'd come to him. He was stood on the Truman balcony, watching the fireworks, when it had hit him. It was the same look Josh had had the Christmas after Rosslyn. The last few weeks, when he'd watched Josh, he'd seen that same look starting to creep back.

"You need a vacation. You need to get completely away from all this. You've not had more than two days off together since we took office, apart from the three months in 2000 of course, but I don't think they were much of a break for you. You came back to work too early then. None of us tried to stop you because we  needed you at work, but we also wanted to see you here so that we knew everything was okay and back to normal. This time, Josh, I don't give a damn about work. You need a long overdue vacation."

"Sir, nobody else gets....... "

"Nobody else was shot and almost died, Josh. This isn't special treatment. You do know how serious hypothermia can be?"

"Yes," Josh reluctantly admitted. 

"So do I. But not because you've told anyone and they've told me, because you haven't, have you?" Jed asked and Josh shook his head. "Then it's lucky that I'm married to a thoracic surgeon isn't it?"

"Very lucky, Sir."

Jed smiled. "You know two weeks will fly by. And the weather in Florida and California will be good for you."

"Yes, Sir.

Jed had a sudden thought. "Take Donna with you, to see Sam at least."

"Sir?"

Jed smiled at Josh's shocked reaction. "If she doesn't want to go with you, she doesn't have to. But she needs a break as well."

"Don't you think it might look a little odd, Sir, if I take my assistant away with me?"

"You know what, Josh, I don't care. The last couple of months have taught me that there's more to life than what the press think about us. I'll see you in two weeks."

"We've got two weeks off, starting tomorrow," Josh told Donna as they left the building.

"We?"

"Yeah. It seems the President thinks you deserve a break."

"Really, he said that?" Donna asked. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to Connecticut for a couple of days, and then Florida and California."

"You're going to see Sam and your mom."

"Yeah." Josh turned to face her as they walked through the parking lot. "Want to come?"

"Yeah," Donna replied before she thought about it. "I can't. It'd look wrong."

"According to the President there's more important things that what the press think of us. He thinks you should come and see Sam with me."

"Jed Bartlet told you that?"

Josh nodded. "I could go to Connecticut and then to see my mom while you go to Wisconsin. If we meet up here in a week we could go to California together."

"Yeah okay, it'll be good to Sam. I'll stay here though until you get back."

"Why?"

"My parents are away in Canada for a week. My mom wanted to see Niagara Falls."

"Come to Connecticut then?"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"OK," Donna smiled.

Part 5 - Saugatuck