AT THE PLEASURE OF THE PRESIDENT
Donna sat still after Steve’s last message. She looked up at the dark display of the videophone; Josh was gone. He was on his way to the airport. The knowledge should have had a soothing effect on Donna’s nerves but the windmills in her mind were still turning. She was in ‘spinning-mode’ and with Ainsley gone she had no one else to use as a sounding board. She was mulling over scenarios, coming up with one worse than the other. Then she looked down at the document in the folder in front of her. That was the source of everything that can go bad in the next couple of days. But she couldn’t just go and destroy it, could she? She shook her head and returned to her previous thoughts. She had to do this the only way that was conducive, by using logic.
The number one option was, of course, to go with the absolute truth. Tell everyone what happened and then let the events unfold. The only problem with that was that it would set a really bad precedence. Lunatics around the world shouldn’t be given more ideas than they already had. What if they wanted to penetrate the government? Donna knew that that was no longer a fictional scenario. They could have their agents among the Secret Service and the Armed Forces. Or even among the White House employees. People who could get in touch with the President every day. Donna sat there, contemplating those ideas and frightening herself to a point where she was almost numb from fear.
A good ten minutes later, she shook herself, chasing the numbness away. Of course, they could downplay the events a bit. Tell that Nancy’s deputy was acting on his own, and that he was mentally unstable. No one noticed that? Happens all the time in the military. Sure, the Armed Forces would look bad but at least that would give them the incentive to be more thorough when it came to who was allowed to meet the President of the United States. The only problem with this scenario was that Donna didn’t know who else was involved. The Chairman’s aide was dead, Nancy’s deputy was dead and their accomplices in the Situation Room were dead too. So it wasn’t like they could give them the names of who conspired to kill the President. Of course, whoever was involved could not come forward and tell them that they were lying.
She knew that she really should come up with something because as soon as word gets out that the President was transported to GW the press would demand an explanation. And of course there was the fact that the President signed that document, and at this moment Arnold Vinick was Acting President, although Donna wasn’t sure if he really was because he never took the oath of office. He was still on his way to the United States on board of a military flight. Just as Josh. And then a sudden tranquility filled her. She gazed down at the table, picked up the paper in front of her and tore it into pieces. She allowed herself a little smile and then slumped back in her seat. She knew that the job was only half done.
Donna couldn’t imagine the flurry of activity outside the Bunker and she had next to no inclination to find out. She was just tired and felt the helplessness that she kept at bay ever since she was brought down there. She wanted to talk to Josh, but knew that they couldn’t because there wasn’t a secure line anymore. But who else could help her to find out what they should say?
“Donna?” She heard the familiar voice and when she looked up she saw him. She wanted to tell him something, anything, but she couldn’t find the words.
“Sir?” was all she was able to say.
“Yeah. I thought you were already gone and…”
“Are you alright, sir?” Donna asked then.
“I am,” he told her.
“But, sir, Ron told Steve that they were en route to GW.”
“Yeah, they wanted to take me there but it’s practically nothing, Donna. The bullet just grazed the sleeve of my suit,” he said.
“But, sir, your suit is covered with blood,” Donna said, trying to choke back the tears.
“Sam’s,” he said simply.
“Is he… Is he…” Donna couldn’t utter the words.
“He was alive when they transported him to the hospital,” Matt Santos said.
“What happened?” Donna asked, she already knew the gist but she wanted to hear it from him.
“Bullets were flying, Donna, that’s what happened,” he said a bit irritated, and Donna made a mental note to remind Josh to call Stanley. “Anyway, the two perpetrators are dead, as are three Secret Service agents and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.”
“I know, sir,” Donna said in a whisper. She reached out reflexively to squeeze his arm but then stopped her hand in mid-motion. This was the leader of the free world; she couldn’t just touch him whenever she wanted, no matter that she only wanted to soothe his nerves.
“Donna, come upstairs to the Residence and…”
“We have to figure out what we are going to say to the public,” Donna interrupted him.
“Donna… You need rest and so do I,” the President said.
“Sir, this is important,” Donna said. “We have a short period of time, a window until everyone is going to figure out that something happened. We need to be ready to tell them our version of the events.”
“We tell them the truth,” Santos said.
“Yes, that’s what I thought first, sir. But it sets a bad precedence and it involves matters of national security. We can’t let them know that you were forced to resign because we had no other options,” Donna said.
“What’s that?” Matt Santos asked then, pointing at the torn pieces of paper.
“Don’t worry, that was only my appointment. Which you forgot to sign,” Donna said with a smile.
“But Donna, that makes the other document basically a joke,” Matt Santos said.
“I know,” Donna said with a slight smile. “I just couldn’t destroy it because it has your signature on it.”
“Yeah, that’s something we have to talk about with Josh and Arnie,” Santos said. “Grab the folder and the pieces too and come upstairs.”
“Alright, sir.”
They were escorted to the Residence, and Donna was set up in a guest bedroom. She never let go of the blue folder in her hand. She wanted to mull over their options but seeing the bed, she had no other wish but to sleep for a long time and forget everything that happened. She saw that the sun was already rising and thought that she should probably get rid of her suit pants but then again, the bed was too inviting.
“Donatella,” she heard the voice as if it came from the bottom of a well and she desperately fought the web of dreams she was caught in.
“Donatella,” the voice called again, stronger, more urgent.
“Donna, it’s only a dream. Wake up, honey.”
“Jossssh?” she slurred.
“Yes,” came the simple answer.
Donna tried to sit up but her head didn’t want to cooperate. She had a mind-splitting headache, and a sudden bout of nausea overcame her. She swallowed and then tried to sit up again.
“Hey, are you okay?” Josh asked her.
“Headache,” Donna said.
“I thought so,” Josh said and gave her a glass of water accompanied by two pills.
“What’s that?” Donna asked.
“Advil,” he said.
Donna took it and then drank the water. Her head was still throbbing but her mind was clear.
“I slept five hours?” she asked then with a shriek.
“Yeah, and I have one hell of a jet leg,” Josh said.
“What happens right now?” Donna asked her. “How is Sam?”
“Sam’s in surgery,” Josh said.
“Still?” Donna asked, choking back the tears. “Who is with Ainsley?”
“Ainsley is here. I sent Annabeth and Ronna there, they are updating us,” Josh said.
“We have to call Stanley,” Donna blurted then out.
“Yeah, I know,” Josh said. “Listen, Donna, do you think you are up to a round of ‘what-ifs?’”
“Yeah. Is the Secretary here?”
“Yeah, that’s what we have to talk about. Bring the folder,” Josh told her.
“Okay,” Donna said and climbed out of bed. “Josh?”
“Yeah?” he asked her absent-mindedly.
“Could you give me a hug before we go outside?” she asked, her voice shaking.
Josh crossed the room and took her in his arms. She allowed herself one sob but then extricated herself from his arms.
“We have to figure out what to tell the public,” Donna said.
Josh nodded and guided her into the President’s private study. Donna was taken aback by the sight. There were at least thirty men (and two women) in the room. They were sitting on various chairs, talking in hushed voices.
“Donna,” Matthew Santos greeted her.
“Sir,” Donna returned the greeting, unsure of his title.
“Donna,” Arnold Vinick acknowledged her too.
“Good afternoon, sir. How was your flight?” Donna asked, trying to mask her insecurity with the small talk.
“Excruciatingly long,” Vinick said with a chuckle. That seemed to have broken the ice. Donna felt a surge of gratitude towards the Secretary and gave him a shaky smile.
Every conversation broke and all eyes were trained on Donna. It was a bit unnerving but Donna glared back at the assembled members of her country’s military, daring them to call her on her actions.
“Ms. Moss,” the Chairman’s Deputy (and probably the new Chairman, Donna thought) spoke up.
“Yes, sir?” Donna turned to him.
“Why did you destroy that paper?”
“It was just a paper, sir. No document, just a paper with words on it.” Donna knew that she was rambling. “There was no signature on it.”
“Are you sure?” General Tremayne asked.
Donna opened her folder and pulled out eight pieces of paper. She crossed the room to the President’s desk and put down the pieces. She smiled up at Matt Santos and then quickly rearranged the pieces as if they were parts of a puzzle. She looked at the Chairman’s Deputy, silently calling him over.
“Good, there is no signature,” General Tremayne confirmed.
“Which makes the other document a joke since it’s addressed to Donna as the Special Advisor to the President of the United States,” Ainsley said, stepping forward, finally giving Donna the chance to take a better look at her. Her eyes were blood-shot and incredibly sad but there was also a glimmer of hope as she looked into Donna’s eyes. And there it was, the ultimate proof Donna ever needed to hear. If Ainsley was willing to go with this then surely everyone else could go with it. After all, this was a matter of national security. And Ainsley was the most honest and upright woman she had ever known. If she said it was alright then it was alright.
“This means that I don’t have to take the oath,” Arnold Vinick stated rather than asked. Ainsley nodded nonetheless. “Terrific. I really like being Secretary of State, knucklehead diplomats are better than knucklehead Congresspersons,” he added, eliciting a chuckle from Santos and Josh.
“Now that it is said and done, we still need to come up with a credible story,” Josh said, taking the initiative.
“We…” Donna started but then looked at Josh, unsure whether she should talk.
“Go ahead,” Josh encouraged her.
“We can’t just tell them that there was a coup de etat in the country, that would destabilize the economy and our position on the world stage of politics,” Donna said and everybody except the President nodded. “I think we should tell people that there was only one person who was mentally unstable.”
“Whoever was behind this will know that we are lying,” General Tremayne said.
“Yeah, but they can’t come forward and accuse us of that,” Nancy McNally said, and Donna shot her an appreciative look.
“That’s true,” Secretary Vinick said. “That would explain the lockdown, the victims and the injuries. Also why we flew home from Vienna and why Mrs. Santos’s campaigning was interrupted.”
“I don’t want to downplay the events,” President Santos spoke up. “I don’t want to downplay the deaths of those agents who helped me to storm the Situation Room. I don’t want to downplay Sam’s injuries,” he said, turning to Ainsley.
“Sir,” Donna said imploringly, but the President shook his head. “Sir,” Donna said again, and Santos finally looked at her. “The agents knew what their job entailed. Just like the Chairman.”
“And Sam would be the first one to agree to this plan,” Ainsley piped up.
“I know,” Santos said with a sigh. “But still…”
“Sir, those deaths and Sam’s injuries are a result of a senseless act of violence. It doesn’t matter why it happened, it happened. It was senseless nonetheless. We have to think about the living too, sir. The American people,” Donna told him.
“Alright,” Santos agreed, albeit reluctantly. “Josh, brief Lester about what to tell the press. I’ll join him at the podium after his briefing.”
“Are you sure that’s wise, sir?”
“If we want to downplay it I can’t give an address, but I have to appear so that they know that business is as usual. I’ll do an address later, probably after the funerals,” the President said.
“Yes, sir.”
“Josh, tell your Press Secretary that every question about the mental state of Tom Roberts should be directed at my office,” Nancy McNally said.
“And every question about the mental health of the occupants of the Situation Room at my office,” General Tremayne added. “I guess we’ll have to undergo a thorough psychiatric examination to put the public at ease.”
“Yes, sir,” Josh said. “Donna?” he asked her, asking for her permission to leave. Donna knew that he didn’t want to, and neither did she, but she also knew that he had to.
“Go,” she told him, slightly indicating with a movement of her head towards Ainsley that she wanted to stay with her anyway. Josh nodded in agreement and then left the room. The others filed out too, leaving Secretary Vinick, Nancy McNally, Ainsley, Donna and the President.
“Donna, I want you to know that I’m grateful for what you did this morning,” Secretary Vinick said.
“Sir, I just tore…” Donna wanted to say but the Secretary interrupted her with a shake of his head.
“I meant the advising the President part,” Vinick said, gently squeezing her upper arm.
“Thank you, sir. And I want you to know that I’m grateful that you kept Josh sane,” Donna said.
“He was okay,” Vinick said with a wink. “He was just worried about you.”
“I was in the Bunker,” Donna said.
“About your mental health, Donna. It was a lot of pressure,” the Secretary said. “And you passed the test with flying colors.”
“Thank you, sir,” Donna said, slightly blushing.
“I have to go. There is still something to investigate in my department,” the Secretary said and left the room.
“We still don’t know why nobody picked up at State?” Donna asked the President.
“They are still investigating and since they have to be stealthy about it it’s a possibility that we’ll never know,” Nancy said. “I just wanted to tell you the same, Donna. Thank you for keeping your head in the game and thank you for being there,” she said and then left the room too.
“I didn’t do anything extraordinary,” Donna told the President.
“You did, Donna. Being President of the United States is a tremendous responsibility to bear. There are always others to rely on; there is always someone to share the burden with. I know that the decisions are ultimately mine and I have to live with them, but I find comfort in sharing my thoughts and ideas with someone. And this morning you were there for me, and I’ll never forget that,” President Santos said.
“Thank you, sir,” Donna said.
“No, Donna, thank you,” the President said, rounded the desk and hugged Donna briefly. “Ron, could you have someone drive the two ladies to the hospital?”
“Of course, sir,” Ron Butterfield said, calling in an agent who escorted Ainsley and Donna to the SUV that was obviously already waiting for them.
GO TO PART TEN