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�Yeah?� the Communications Director said, his eyes meeting hers.
�Which one do you think you�re going to need?� Donna asked softly.
Toby�s sigh was answer enough.
�There are only so many ways to say it, sir,� Nancy McNally said to the President, standing tall and proud in front of the desk in the Oval Office. It took a lot to shake Nancy and, though the situation was had the potential to spin out of control faster than usual�having the Vice President involved guaranteed that�she was confident. Even the niggling doubt she felt about the lack of intelligence coming in on the group that had taken over the embassy didn�t show, seasoned professional that she was. �Until the terrorists make a move there is no action that we can take that won�t lead to loss of hostages inside the embassy.�
�And everyone agrees on this?� Bartlet asked. It was clear that the situation was driving him as crazy as it was everyone else, if not more so.
�No, but the ones who don�t agree are inexperienced when it comes to hostage situations and suicide bombers and my recommendation is that you order the Marine guards and any other protection force in the area to hold until the situation changes,� Nancy said.
Bartlet chewed on the advice Nancy was giving him. Doing nothing, even for a little while, was like torture, but he didn�t know what else to do. �How do you fight an enemy who wants to die?� he asked rhetorically. �So ordered,� Bartlet said to Nancy who needed to hear the Presidential order before she could officially do anything. �Charlie!� he called. A moment later Charlie appeared in the doorway, ready as ever to serve at the pleasure of the President. �Get the senior staff in here.�
�CJ went home,� Charlie said as Nancy exited the room.
That, normally, wouldn�t be strange. CJ had called a full lid four hours earlier, it was late, and the President was sure that CJ had put in a full day of work before taking off. But he knew that everyone had been called in, that his Senior Staff was supposed to be there for damage control�because, really, there wasn�t much else that they could do�and not having the face of the Administration there was definitely out of the ordinary. �Why the hell would she do something like that?� Bartlet grumbled.
�According to Sam, who sent her home, she was not fit to face the press, especially during a situation like this,� Charlie said tactfully. Frowning in confusion, Bartlet made a motion for his bodyman to elaborate, which he did, though reluctantly. �She was drunk, sir. I�m not entirely sure what is in a Grasshopper, but whatever is in those things knocked CJ for a loop.�