�Thanks,� Sam said. He honestly hadn�t thought about details like that. Actually, he hadn�t thought about details, period. �Remind me to let Secret Service know before I leave.�
They talked for a few more minutes about who would take over for some of Sam�s responsibilities while he was away and then about how much work he would be able to do from home, and then the meeting broke up. CJ headed off for her morning briefing and Toby went to his office to go over the speech Sam had handed him the day before.
�What time�s your flight?� Josh asked Sam as they wandered toward the Communications bullpen.
�I honestly can�t remember at the moment. I�ll send everything over to Donna,� Sam said. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. �This is insane. I�ve never even met my sister yet she�s willing to entrust her daughter to me. I don�t even trust myself with a houseplant!�
�Remind me of that the next time I have to go out of town,� Josh teased. They had acted as house sitters for each other numerous times since they both relocated to DC. �I should go before Donna starts exercising her secret Wisconsin Ninja skills to track me down.�
Sam smiled and waved his friend off as he headed to his own office. He wasn�t sure if it was the idea of Donna dressed in black Ninja gear sneaking through the West Wing like an animal hunting it�s prey or simply the though of Donna that made him smile, but he decided not to put too much thought into it. It was the thinking that got him into trouble.
�I talked to Donna,� a voice from behind him announced. Sam turned and saw Cathy standing with a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate cake balanced on top of a small stack of files. �She told me your family was in an accident. Is there anything I can do?� Sam hesitated for a moment before motioning for Cathy to follow him into his office. She was like a little sister to him, despite the fact that he was terrified of her, and he thought that maybe she would have some insight into his evolving family situation that Donna, CJ, Toby, Josh, Leo, and the President hadn�t been able to convey.
Cathy set her precarious pile down on the edge of Sam�s cluttered desk as Sam closed the door. He knew that it was only a matter of time before everyone found out but he wanted to delay the inevitable, preferably until he was on the other side of the continent.
�Donna, I need the file for the thing,� Josh shouted from his office. He was running late for a meeting on the Hill that promised to take all day, something that Donna felt was very fortuitous since it gave her a lot of time to work on non-work things without leaving her desk. Or, more accurately, without leaving Josh�s desk because she loved working in his office when he was on the Hill. It was quieter, had more privacy than her desk in the bullpen, and something about Josh�s office made her feel a little more powerful than usual.