Ghosts in the Smoke Part 37

Disclaimer: I don't own these lovely characters, Aaron Sorkin and his friends do.

Sam and Josh are caught in a hotel fire.

Spoilers: Everything up through The Leadership Breakfast (set two days later)

Archive: Anywhere you want, just please e-mail me Partnrpal@aol.com

Ghosts in the Smoke

By Mer

Part 37

Georgetown Hospital-Conference Room

"Toby, I meant to ask you earlier but why is there blood all over your shirt?" Abbey asked, sitting down restlessly at a table.

"Because Sam was enraged and I tried to calm him and he accidentally got a piece of my nose." Toby replied as he snapped his cell phone shut.

"Don't you think that you ought to change your shirt before the cops arrive?" Abbey asked.

"I tried to get a hold of C.J. to bring me another one but she was giving a briefing." Toby said as he pointed to the phone that he had just gotten off of.

"What do you think is taking them so long anyway?" Abbey sighed as she began to pace the room.

"I don't know, they are talking to Mr. Hummer right now. Maybe he knows more than he told us." Toby theorized, spinning slightly in his chair.

"Toby why did this all happen? I mean Sam is a brilliant, handsome young man who doesn't have that many enemies, unless you count being a little clumsy sometimes as a mortal offense, who would want to hurt him?" Abbey asked.

"I've been trying to answer that question myself." Toby answered.

"And I know that Josh's mouth gets away from him sometimes, but that's because he's a very passionate politician. He loves his job so much that not even a bullet could stop him. Why would they want to hurt him?" Abbey asked.

"I'm not sure." Toby replied as he absently ran his fingers over what was left of his hair.

"You are the gruffest, meanest of them all. How come you weren't a target?" Abbey asked in a frustrated voice.

Toby was at a loss for words. He knew that he was the one who deserved to have been hurt. He made more enemies everyday than Josh made in a month and than Sam made all year. It only made sense to think that someone would want him gone as well.

"Toby, I didn’t mean for it to come out that way." Abbey said after a minute.

"You didn't say anything that I haven't been wondering about myself." Toby muttered angrily.

"Toby you can't blame yourself for not being a target." Abbey stated gently.

"I can and I will." Toby replied a little angrier than he intended.

"Toby you can't do that. You can't blame yourself for not being a target. You aren't the reason that Josh and Sam were." Abbey replied raising her voice just little in trying to get her point across.

"And just why the hell not?" Toby demanded, slamming his fist down on a table.

Just as Toby's fist slammed down the door to the conference room opened and Detective James and Agent Davidson walked in. They knew that they had witnessed the tail end of something and they just weren't sure what to make of it.

"Are we interrupting something?" Detective James sneered, to which the Agent elbowed him in the ribs for.

"Excuse my colleague here. My name is Agent Davidson and I'm from the FBI, I am working this case along with Detective James from the D.C. Police Department. You both seem to have qualms about a doctor that has treated at least one of the two men injured in the fire." Agent Davidson stated.

"Yes. She said her name was Dr. Bleuer but the hospital doesn't seem to have any record of her existence." Abbey supplied.

"But you both saw her?" Agent Davidson asked.

"Yes." Abbey replied.

"Can you give us a detailed description of her?" Detective James asked.

"You bet I can." Toby replied.

"Am how about you ma'am?" Agent Davidson asked.

"Yes, I'm certain that I could give you an accurate description of her." Abbey replied.

"Detective why don't you arrange for a sketch artist so that we can get a picture of her out." Agent Davidson ordered the Detective.

"Certainly." Detective James replied as he excused himself from the room.

"You'll have to excuse the detective, he hasn't much use for government employees." Agent Davidson apologized.

"That's okay, neither does the person behind all of this." Toby replied.

"Who do you think is behind this?" Agent Davidson asked.

"Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, whoever really shot JFK. How the hell am I supposed to know? All I know is that two of my friends were nearly killed in some damn fire, and because they survived someone has decided to come after them at the hospital." Toby snapped.

"Well, I think we can eliminate Santa Claus, but the Easter Bunny might be a good suspect. I mean really, he is anywhere near as famous as Santa?" Agent Davidson asked with a straight face.

"And this is who they expect to find the mastermind behind all of this?" Toby moaned as he placed his head in his hands.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened to your friends, but if you want me to help you, you are going to have to loosen up a little. And you are going to have to not get cute with me, do you think you can do that?" Agent Davidson asked.

"Yeah." Toby replied glumly.

"Just tell us what you want to know." Abbey stated, mentally saying score one for the agent.

White House-Press Briefing Room

"C.J. do you have any new information to report? Has anyone else been questioned, arrested?? Anything?" Steve asked.

"There have been some late breaking developments but at this time I have to remain tight lipped on them, until we are certain of the new facts that we have received." C.J. replied.

"Then why did you even call this briefing?" A couple of reporters moaned.

"Because it's my job, even if all I can say is no comment, or that I have nothing you don't already know to report." C.J. smiled.

"C.J. how are they doing? Have their conditions improved?" Danny asked quietly.

"Josh's condition remains about the same. Sam's condition has worsened and he is now said to be in a coma as well." C.J. replied, her voice getting quieter.

"C.J. is there any reason that both of them have slipped into coma's?" A reporter named Paul asked.

"I am not an expert on coma's, and you'll have to direct that question to the doctors overseeing their care. As it is a press conference as been set up for two -thirty in the lobby of Georgetown Hospital, many of your medical questions can be answered at that time." C.J. answered.

"C.J. how is the President handling the situation?" Danny asked.

"Obviously he is as shocked as the rest of us that there was an attack on members of the Senior Staff. He is mildly angry to say the least." C.J. replied.

"Does he have any plans to admonish Senator Herman publicly?" Katie asked.

"First of all, Senator Herman was taken in for questioning and has not been listed as an official suspect. And secondly, the president wishes to wait until a suspect has been arrested and charged with the crime, before placing any judgment." C.J. lied.

"C.J. are there any plans to…well are Josh and Sam going to be temporarily replaced?" Steve asked.

"I am not aware of any plans to do so at this time. If you'll remember that when Josh was recovering after the shooting that we did not replace him, we just shuffled his work around. I think that they will try to do the same thing in this case, though no formal discussions on the matter have taken place to my knowledge." C.J. replied.

"C.J. was any other members of the Senior Staff supposed to attend this function?" A reporter named Katie asked.

"No, I had a prior commitment and Toby was beginning work on the State of The Union address, so Josh and Sam were the only two staff members who we available to attend." C.J. answered.

"C.J. have you received any threats personally related to what happened?" Danny asked.

"No, I have no received any threats. Rest assured that I will remain here to torment you." C.J. replied.

"C.J. have they at least stepped up security around you?" Danny asked.

"Danny, I'm sorry but I am not allowed to comment on secret service policies." C.J. replied.

"C.J!" A host of reporters screamed at once.

"Sorry guys I got to go." C.J. replied as she left the room to the screaming out of her name.

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