Title: Learning Curve
Series: Wild Ride
Author: Beth
Category: Sam/Josh and OFC's
Rating: PG (I seem to remember a few curse words, so this is to be safe)
Spoilers: The littlest bit of one for “20 Hours in LA”
Disclaimer: I am not operating under the delusion that I own the men. I know they belong to Sorkin, and I'm just playing with them for fun. Kelly, Sarah, and Carrie are mine.
Summary: Josh has a great deal to learn, and the curve is steeper than he thought.
Notes: This story follows after “Much Ado About Something.” Julian deserves thanks for the “evil seed” she planted which is just beginning to show up here, and for her usual excellent beta work. However, this story is a gift for Gail for her birthday (2/25). Happy Birthday, my friend.
*****
It seemed like a lot of the time they got so wrapped up in Carrie and in losing Kelly that they both forgot that Carrie had lost Sarah too. She had always been the quiet, steady presence behind Kelly. She had accepted Sam's place in Kelly's life without question, and over the years she had helped support him in ways he wasn't sure he had deserved. Compared to Kelly she seemed mellow, but she could be as cutthroat as the most determined lobbyist when she cared about an issue. It always made Sam smile to remember when Josh had met Sarah for the first time. Josh hadn't been prepared – talking to her on the phone made her seem much different than she really was – exceptionally protective of Kelly, but otherwise she always came across as an extremely laid-back person. But then, Sam hadn't really been prepared for the conversation he had either.
*******
This trip to California had been odd. No two ways about it – odd. He'd had another meeting with Ted Marcus that morning, and he felt like Marcus had known something that he didn't, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. The President's speech had gone well. All in all, this had been a successful visit -- definitely better than the last one when Marcus had almost canceled an event, and yet something seemed wrong through the whole thing. As he let himself into his room, Josh heard a phone ringing. Not his cell phone, which confused him for a second, but the phone in his hotel room. He lunged for it before the call was transferred to the hotel answering system.
“Hello?”
“Joshua – that you?”
“Yeah. What's up, Kel?”
“You're in LA,” she made it sound like an accusation rather than a simple statement.
“Yeah, for about four more hours,” Josh paused as he realized the total weirdness of this call, then asked, “How did you know where to find me?”
“Contrary to what you might think, it isn't a state secret where the President is staying tonight. Four hours is enough time. I'd like you to come over here.” Kelly didn't make this sound like an optional excursion.
“I don't think I've got time, Kel.”
“Make time, Joshua. It's important.”
“I don't know where here is. I've never been there.”
“So get Sam – he knows where I live. I'll expect you both in about an hour,” Kelly said as she hung up.
Josh went down to Sam's room and banged on the door until he opened it. “I've been called for a command performance. You have to come with me, so I know where the hell I'm going.”
Sam stared at Josh uncomprehendingly for a minute and then asked, “Huh? Josh, what are you talking about? Who called?”
“Your best friend called and demanded that I come to the house.”
“That's interesting – since you're my best friend and I was unaware that you owned property in California -- wait,” Sam shook his head as if to clear it as he figured out what Josh was talking about, “Kel called? What's she doing here? I thought she was supposed to – oh god, I must have mixed up her schedule again. Look, I'll draw you a map. I can't go over there – she's going to kill me.”
“She told me to bring you, and though she sounded a bit testy, I don't think she's precisely murderous – I'm sure you'll be fine. Now, do you have any idea why I'm being dragged out there at o' dark thirty in the morning?”
“Not a clue, man. Let me get my shoes and we'll go.”
An hour later, Josh and Sam were pulling up in front of Kelly's “hideaway”. It was the first time Josh had ever seen it, and he was stunned. She was always describing it as her little place in the hills, so he had pictured some little hole-in-the-wall house. This, though, was a testament to modern architecture – lots of glass, lots of angles, and huge.
“Uh, Sam. How does she afford something like this?”
“Let's just say you don't know everything, and though I know she had planned to prove that to you, I don't think that's why you're here tonight -- or this morning -- or whatever the hell this is. Let's get this over with, shall we? Oh, and I'd like to be buried at sea if at all possible, okay?”
To both men's surprise, Kel did not open the door when they knocked. Instead a petite brunette appeared; glasses perched on top of her head. She looked at Sam and said, “She's waiting for you upstairs.” When Josh moved to follow Sam, who was taking the stairs two at a time, she said, “Nope, you're with me.” She turned back toward the living room and indicated that Josh should take a seat on the sofa. “Can I get you something? A beverage? A snack? A clue?”
Josh felt like he had been dropped into some surreal Bergman film. “Could we maybe start with introductions and then move on to insults? Joshua Lyman,” he said as he extended his hand.
“I know who you are, Josh; we have to have talked on the phone at least a thousand times. You have a fan club for heaven's sake – I almost feel like I should be genuflecting or something. But, if you insist: Sarah Miller. You can call me Sarah or Dr. Miller, if for some reason you need to see me in an official capacity,” she said, smiling warmly at him as she took his offered hand.
“Official capacity?”
“Yes, I'm a doctor – so if you get sick, give me a call. Now, about that beverage, or snack, or clue -- can I offer you one?”
“Um, a beer would be good. And I'm curious – what have I done or what have you heard about me that suggests I need you to offer me a clue?” Josh was genuinely puzzled, but Sarah didn't hear the second part of his statement because she had already headed toward the kitchen to grab him a beer. When she returned, Sarah sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. At something of a loss, Josh sat next to her and took the offered beer.
“So, what's your specialty?” Josh thought he had picked a safe topic, though he couldn't for the life of him understand why Kelly would insist he come over and then not want to see him. Didn't make a bit of sense to him.
“Emergency medicine,” Sarah looked at him steadily.
**Okay, so she's never been the talkative type. I'm going to have to keep prodding, I guess.** “So how did you meet Kelly?”
Sarah gave him a disgusted look. “Do you honestly believe that I asked Kelly to get you over here to discuss our love life?”
“Um, I didn't realize that you were the one who wanted me here. I thought it was her.”
“Sure it was. And that's why Sam's hiding upstairs with her, while you're down here with me,” Sarah scoffed. “I don't think so, Josh. Why don't we go back to discussing that clue you need?”
“That's like the third time you've said I need a clue, and you've yet to tell me what a need a clue about. And why do you think Sam is hiding – he was terrified to even come here.”
Sarah smiled at him pityingly. “Sam's hiding because given a choice he would rather deal with a ticked off Kelly any day than me when I'm on a rant. He should know which piece of legislation is coming up that I'm likely to be irritated about, and I think you need to be aware of what you're doing before you trash this. I'm amazed that Dr. Bartlet hasn't said something, but as she apparently hasn't I most certainly will.”
“Legislation? What –“ Josh was not comprehending what she was talking about.
“Oh for god's sake, Josh. I've been listening to the rhetoric coming out of the White House on the new health care package for the last few weeks, and it's clear to me that you don't have a clue about what the average American actually needs in terms of quality health care.”
“Okay, wait a minute. What makes you think I have any control over the position we are taking on the health care package?”
“I asked. According to Kelly and Sam, you are the guy I need to talk to, and I'm just fortunate that Ted found a reason for you to come out here again.”
“Ted? You know Ted Marcus?” Josh was astonished, though it did begin to explain that odd feeling he'd had during his meeting with Marcus earlier.
“Ted is a good friend of ours – though slightly more Kelly's friend than mine. She made the call and I explained to him what I needed. He said something about your last trip to LA and how he owes you one. And here you are,” Sarah said with a sweet semi-innocent smile.
“Let me get this straight. Kelly -- our Kelly -- is a good friend of Ted Marcus and *no one* thought it would be helpful to share that piece of information with me? Do you know how much easier my life would be had I known that?” Josh could feel himself losing his grip on his temper and he didn't want to explode all over this woman he barely knew.
“You aren't going to be able to use that relationship, Josh. It isn't how Kel works – that you don't know that demonstrates just how little you actually know about her. I'm beginning to think you need more than just a clue about health care, but that's the one I'm offering this evening, so you'll have to settle for what I can give you.” Sarah put her glasses back on and fixed Josh with a cool, assessing stare that indicated she meant business.
“Okay – say what you have to say,” Josh said, trying not to sound snide or condescending. He failed on both counts.
“First of all, let me make it clear that you are a privileged person in terms of what you can afford and what you get when you need to check into a hospital. The average patient I see has to deal with a managed care program which places severe limitations on the treatment options available to me. And while you might not find that to be a travesty, people with serious illnesses and limited resources are frustrated by it daily,” Sarah said as calmly as she could manage.
“You aren't telling me anything I don't know, but we can't fix everything. Managed care is going to continue, and this health care package isn't going to rectify the ills of the system even if it passes,” Josh said.
“You mean you can't fix everything so long as you are in the pocket of the HMO lobbyists,” Sarah said hostilely.
“I'm in nobody's pocket, lady. I don't think you get what this package is all about – it has nothing to do with HMOs in the first place.”
“Actually, it has everything to do with HMOs. No, this health care package won't fix the problems with HMOs, but it would help with the poorly funded, understaffed, and inadequately equipped emergency rooms that currently operate in this country, which are constantly being driven under by the HMOs. You're a lucky man in many ways, Joshua – you live in a city with several wonderful ERs, so if you ever need one, you're set. Of course, I'm assuming that your insurance company will accept that you need to be treated in one of those ERs because if it doesn't then you will have the experience that many of my patients have every day. Those expenses are then passed on to the hospital because the patient can't afford to pay for his or her emergency care, and eventually the hospital has to close the ER because it is the leading cause of revenue loss in the hospital. Add to that, in many places in this country the emergency room is a thing of the past because it is too difficult to get qualified medical personnel who are willing to work the hours required by an ER or willing to work with the people who come into an ER.”
Josh grabbed the moment when Sarah paused for breath to get a word in, “Look, you can talk until you're blue – you need to have hard facts to convince me that there's even a problem. Our research indicates that this package would actually cause more harm to the health care system than the defeat of it will.”
Sarah gave him a look which, if he had known her better, he would have known meant he should run for the hills. “You're research is wrong.” She had charts, reports, and graphs, and Josh was beginning to understand why Sam preferred an irate Kelly to a crusading Sarah. He kept throwing covetous glances at the stairs that he assumed led to a health care free zone, but he could not seem to extricate himself from Sarah's clutches.
After looking over the materials Sarah had lain out in front of him, Josh asked, “So what you're saying is –“
“What I'm saying is that though the package doesn't do *everything,* it's a far better start than we in the medical community have seen in a long while. Your research doesn't take into account the key factors: doctors, patients, and equipment. It considers the other – lesser – elements: budgets, administrators and, honestly, HMOs.”
“Okay, I think I'm going to have to look into this some more.”
Sarah smiled, satisfied that she had accomplished her goal. “Thanks for listening, Josh. I hope you have a clearer picture of what this really means to the people who need it now.”
“You could say I've been given a clue,” Josh said with a grin.
When Sam had seen that Sarah was wearing her glasses, he knew that meant trouble. Even though he was somewhat afraid of what Kel would do to him, a confrontation with her was preferable to listening to one of Sarah's health care lectures. He didn't even feel a twinge of conscience about abandoning Josh when he ran up the stairs two at a time to Kel's domain. Sam found Kel sitting in her studio staring at a blank canvas, “Well, you're making great progress there, painter woman.”
“Eh, shut up writer guy. My paintings go for more than your speeches do.”
“Yeah, but I write for the most powerful man in the world.”
“Whatever. So what, I was going to hear you were in California when you got back to DC? Was that the idea?” Kel still wasn't looking at Sam and he knew that meant something was wrong.
“Look – I screwed up. I can barely keep up with my own schedule and somehow I thought you were going to be in New York, and S doesn't usually have time for me when you aren't around, so I didn't bother to call. I'm sorry.” When Kel nodded but still wouldn't look at him, Sam put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, and without thinking he pulled her into his arms and whispered softly, “What's wrong, sweetheart?”
“Have you ever wanted something so bad and you just can't have it?”
Sam snorted at the irony. “Yeah, Kel. He's downstairs with Sarah right now.”
“Oh Sam – I'm so sorry,” Kel said sadly. “You've talked to him then.”
“Well not exactly.”
“So how do you know that you can't be with him?”
“Let's see – Mandy, Sara of the smoking jacket, and I think he has a thing for his assistant, Donna, and that's just since we started the campaign -- I could go on. Oh and he's flirting, off and on, with Joey -- make that Josephine -- Lucas. Do you hear any guy's names on that list? I don't. I'm his best friend – if he were interested in guys I'd know it.”
“I see. And, of course, Sam Seaborn knows everything, right?”
“I didn't say that, but I don't have any evidence to the contrary.”
“God, you went to Princeton – not Omniscient U – you won't know how or what he feels unless you ask. And yet, you'd rather be miserable than take a chance. When did you get to be such a wuss?” Kel pulled away from Sam and started pacing around the room. “Let's see, you've dated Lisa, Mallory, and Laurie since shortly before the campaign, and I could go on, too. I don't see a lot of guy's names on your list either. Does Josh know about Ted or the Princeton guy?”
“I thought we agreed not to talk about Ted., Sam said, as he tensed up at the mention of two of his former lovers with Josh not that far away.
“Well yeah, but I'm trying to make a point here.”
“And your point is?”
“That between Ted and Princeton guy, you've had two relationships that might give Josh a clue about what you could feel for him, if he knew about them.”
“While true, it sort of violates the spirit of our 'no talking about that summer' rule, don't you think?”
“Let's review: I can talk about the one I know about, or I can talk about the one you tried to keep a secret from me. Hmmm. Tough choice there, you know?”
Sam sighed, “You can't still be mad about that, can you? I told you his name. I told you all about it; after the fact – granted -- but I did tell you. Is it possible that you are going to get over that in my lifetime?”
Kelly grinned at him. “You know, you're almost cute when you get irritated. And I notice that you're avoiding my question. Fine – I'll ask it your way. Does Josh know about Mike?”
Sam glared at her and said, “Okay, you know what, let's change the subject. I'm not crazy about having this conversation with him just downstairs. I wasn't the one sitting here looking like I'd lost my best friend – and you so obviously haven't because I'm right here. So, what do you want that you think you can't have?”
“You're never crazy about having that conversation, but you know what – we're having it. For once, you're on my turf and I want to know when my best friend turned into the gutless wonder. My thing will keep; this won't.”
“Kel, I promise you I'll come back in a couple of weeks and you and I can talk it to death. Hell, Sarah can throw in her two cents if she wants. But, please, let it go for now, okay? Tell me your thing.”
“You have two weeks, Seaborn. Not a minute more. You talk to him or I will. Got it?”
“And what are you going to say, Kel? 'My best friend has a thing for you but he's too much of a chicken shit to say anything himself.'” At her grin, he shook his head and said, “Okay, that's probably exactly what you'd say, but you have to let me do this my own way in my own time. I promise I'll do something about it.”
Kel nodded reluctantly. “It's your life. I guess if you want to continue to be pathetically miserable, you can go ahead and do that. I'll stay out of it for now, but I don't promise forever, okay?”
Sam grinned. “Fine – that's probably the best I'm going to get out of you anyway. Now is there anything I can do about your thing?”
“Eh, Sarah and I have been talking *again*.”
“Well that's good. You've been together for, what, almost eight years?”
“More like ten, but who's counting?”
“Whatever. The occasional conversation probably adds something to the relationship. Want to tell me the subject under discussion?” Sam had learned over the years to move very carefully into these discussions – too fast and Kel would shut down on him; too slow and she'd get distracted by something else and he wouldn't find out what was going on.
“Children.”
“Children are nice. Are these theoretical children or actual children?”
“How about potential children?”
“Okay, wow,” Sam tried not to sound too stunned, but he couldn't remember more than a couple of times that Kelly had gotten that far in thinking this through. “Potential children are a big deal. Why does that have you staring at a blank canvas?”
“We keep hitting the same stumbling block every time we talk about it, and she gets all clinical and I get all –“
“Emotional.” He laughed at her glare. “What? Like I couldn't see that one coming? So, you want to tell me what the stumbling block is or do I have to guess?”
“The father thing. You know how I am -- obviously – I'm just not comfortable with the whole anonymous thing. I mean how do you explain that to a kid? Sarah would agree to someone we know, but the one candidate we're both comfortable with for that isn't really available anymore, so we're back to the anonymous thing again. I just can't do that, and Sarah says I'm being stubborn. Then I get mad, and I end up staring at blank canvases.”
“So, who's the unavailable candidate?” Kelly gave him a meaningful look and he said, “Oh, I see. I've told you before I'd do it and I still will – I don't know why you'd think of me as unavailable.”
“You're serious? You're so high profile now, Sam. Given the other messes you've gotten into lately, I didn't think this was such a good idea anymore. And you'd have to understand that so far as I'm concerned, this isn't just a ten second deal for you – you'd be a father,” Kelly paused and then voiced her last concern. “And do you honestly think that Ziegler would approve?”
“For the record, I don't give a damn what Toby would have to say about this. I want kids. With the way my love life goes, and given whom I'm interested in now, if I don't have them with you, I'm probably not having them. And honestly, I can't imagine better mothers for my children than you and Sarah.”
“You'd be willing to be a real presence – well, as much of a presence as you can be from clear across the country?”
“Absolutely. Kel, if we go into this, we go into this as a team: you, Sarah, and me. Even though I live on the east coast, I'll do everything I can to be involved. And my mother will be thrilled – she adores you two and she lives here – a built in Grandma-slash-babysitter,” Sam chuckled as he pictured his mother's face at the thought of grandchildren. He thought for a second longer and then added, “but I'm probably not going to be broadcasting this to the world at large. I consider it our private business and I plan to keep it that way; will that be okay with you?”
“You mean you don't plan to hold a press conference and announce that you're a father?” Kelly laughed at the thought. Sam had always been the more privacy oriented of the two of them.
“Well, that's part of it,” Sam said with a wink.
“And it goes without saying, I suppose, that you don't plan to tell the co-workers. And that's certainly fine by me. But, I think if you get into a serious relationship, say with a certain fellow downstairs, it might be a good idea to tell him about this plan of ours,” Kel said seriously.
“I'll keep your opinion in mind. Is it safe to assume we can hammer out the details when I come back for that other discussion you want to have?” Sam laughed when she held up two fingers to remind him when he said he would be back, then he asked, “So you called Josh instead of me, why?”
“Oh that. Sarah wanted to meet him, and I thought he deserved, um, what he's getting right now. Besides, I was irritated with you for not calling,” Kelly grinned.
“I lost track of you – it happens. You cannot convince me that you always know where I am,” Sam said, but quickly backtracked at her look, “All right, so maybe you can keep better track of me. But it isn't like I can keep your schedule right out in the open, you know?”
“I appreciate the difficulties I cause for you, Sam. Really I do. But, you should have known I had a hand in this one. I mean really – why else would Ted call Josh? He is still immensely pissed off about the last time you guys were here, but a chance to unleash Sarah on Josh – oh, he is just dying for details on this.”
“Given the circumstances, I wouldn't have imagined that you would use Ted.”
“Ted and I are friends. We were before; we were during; and we are after. You had a summer fling. Once you got over it, you said it was okay to keep up contact with him. Besides, this was about Josh, not you. Give me credit for some sense, at least.”
“I do give you credit, but I also know that you like to get your way – no matter what. I know what I said, and it still doesn't bother me that you and he are friends. It's just gotten a bit weird now – that's all. *But* he's a good guy to be friends with – especially for someone with a big mouth like you.”
“I think I resent that.” Kelly said with a laugh. “So, if Ted didn't tip you off, what did?”
“I saw the glasses. Scared the hell out of me – I think it's entirely possible that I am more afraid of her than I am of you. So, am I to rescue him or will she release him on her own eventually?”
Kel grinned at him and then raised her voice, “Josh – could you come up here please?”
Josh appeared upstairs holding his beer and looking dazed. “So this is your studio?”
Kelly laughed, “What was your first clue?” When Josh shuddered at the word clue, she asked, “So, how are you feeling about that health care package now, Josh?”
“You knew she was going to do that to me and yet you left me downstairs to fend for myself?” Josh's voice was creeping up in volume with each word.
“She's passionate, Josh,” Kel said with a sympathetic grin.
“Does she do that to you?” Josh asked looking at Sam.
“Nope – I'm just a speechwriter. I don't have the ability to affect policy,” Sam said with his best wide-eyed innocent look, “Besides, I've known Kel longer than she has and Sarah needs me to help her handle Kel. You, my friend, are expendable, and you have a fan club.”
“Don't forget that you're the one who says you have the ear of the President – if you didn't say things like that, you wouldn't have spent the last half hour talking about a health care package that you should be supporting in the first place,” Kelly couldn't stop laughing at him, “Just be grateful that she hasn't managed to convince me to give her your cell phone number.”
“KELLY—“
“Don't yell at me, Joshua, or I'll do it. Can you imagine getting calls at 3am about the hideous injustices of the US health care system? Because that's what will happen if she ever gets your cell number.”
“Kelly, are you threatening him with me?” Sarah asked as she came into the studio arms crossed and a playful scowl on her face.
“Now why would she do that, S? You are, after all, the least intimidating woman I know,” Sam said sarcastically.
“Compared to her,” Sarah smiled indicating Kelly, “Anyone looks less intimidating, and given that she and I are the only two women I am aware of that you have had healthy long term relationships with, I don't know if that qualifier is even valid.”
“It's a good thing I know you love me, or my feelings would be very hurt right now,” Kelly said as she moved to give Sarah a quick hug.
“As much as I would like to stay and learn more about health care, or for that matter, more about Sam and these unhealthy relationships of his, we need to get going or we'll miss our ride back to the east coast,” Josh said easily, hoping to extricate them before he had to hear any more about any health care related issue.
Kelly smiled at him. “Okay, next time though, you'll have to see more of the house. It truly is amazing what I can afford given that all I'm selling are those first-grade quality paintings of mine.”
“You are never going to let that go, are you?”
“You couldn't get that lucky, sweetie,” Kelly laughed as she gave Josh a big hug. She leaned in to whisper, “You're a good sport, Josh. Don't think I don't appreciate that about you.”
“Yeah well, it goes so well with my tough image – getting bested by a girl – not once, but twice,” Josh sighed as he turned to say goodbye to Sarah.
While Josh was otherwise occupied, Sam took the opportunity to grab Kel in a big hug and say, “I'll call you and we'll talk about stuff, okay? And, I'll be back in a couple of weeks for that other thing.” At her nod, he kissed her on the cheek, and said louder, “Love you, kid. And I know you love me, so we're going now before he does something to change that.”
******
Josh collapsed in the chair next to Sam. “So where are you right now?”
Sam looked around him confused, and asked, “In the library?”
“No Sam, I meant in your head.”
“Just thinking.”
“Okay, you know I got that. I was wondering what you were thinking about.” Josh couldn't help but getting a little exasperated. He had finally gotten Carrie to sleep and Sam was just staring off into space looking sad.
“I was thinking about the first time you went to the house in California. You know, I don't think I've ever, before or since, seen you quite so stunned as when we pulled up in front of the thing,” Sam chuckled, “And then Sarah – unleashing all that medical stuff on you. God, the look on your face when you came up to the studio – it was like you had spent the day being beaten down by Republicans.”
“Yeah, marvelous memories there, Sam,” Josh grimaced at the memory. “So what made you think about it today?”
“Well, two things. Watching you with Carrie and you being here at all.” Sam leaned over and gave Josh a hug and a quick kiss. “You're really good with her – better than I am, I think.”
“I'm not better with her – just luckier. You do all the hard stuff and then I come in and take the credit.”
“Kind of like work,” Sam grinned.
“Yeah,” Josh said before he realized what Sam said. Once he caught on, he said, “No, wait a minute. You are going to pay for that one Samuel.”
Sam arched an eyebrow at Josh, his melancholy mood dissipating rapidly, “Really?”
Josh pulled Sam into his arms and kissed him deeply before he said, “Yeah; consider that a start.”
“Meet me in the bedroom and I'll pay up in full,” Sam whispered suggestively as he slid out of Josh's arms and started shedding clothes on his way to the bedroom.
Josh proved, as usual, that he was no fool. He was right behind Sam. Bad moods and sad thoughts were forgotten in a haze of passion that was not disturbed until Carrie woke up the next morning.
End
Feedback? Beth
