Whitening Toothpaste
Chapter Four: Unexpected News
By: Eve Karma
Disclaimer: My birthday is coming up; please buy me the West Wing :)
Spoilers: The Fall's Going to Kill You through Two Cathedrals
Other: Now things are going to get exciting. I hope. My story doesn't quite match the show's plot. I'm not an expert on MS, either. Enjoy the chapter! (I wrote this chapter in a rush, so if you see any errors, please let me know!)
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"Is she talking to him now?" Toby asked Sam, who was sitting on the couch in Toby's office, glasses in his hand, rubbing his eyes slowly.
Sam glanced at his watch. "Yeah. She's in there now."
"How do you think she'll take it?"
"I....I'm not sure. She seems kind of tough. She might just want to start working after she hears. You know, work it off."
"Yeah, or she could go into shock, like Donna."
Sam stared at his watch, silently begging time to go faster.
***
"Hi, Charlie," I greeted him with a wave as I walked over to his desk. "Sam said-"
"Yep. You're right on time, go ahead in." Charlie said as he typed away on his computer. Then he looked up at me. "If you need anything, I'm here." he told me.
"Um...okay." I answered as I walked over to the door to the Oval Office and knocked before walking in. "Why is everyone telling me that?" I wondered.
The President looked up from his desk and gave me a small smile. "Hello, Kate!"
"Hi, Mr. President," I said. "Sam said you wanted to see me?"
"Yes. Please, Kate, sit down. I have some news for you."
I sat down, timidly, wondering what was going on around here.
"One of the reasons Sam needed an assistant so badly," he started, "Is because we're going public with something very serious soon."
My eyes went wide. "War?" I guessed fearfully, and somewhat stupidly.
"No," Bartlet shook his head. "Kate, ten years ago, I was diagnosed with MS."
Now my jaw dropped. "Are you okay?" I blurted.
"Yes. Thank you for asking." He nodded.
"But...no one knew? All through the campaign, the media didn't find out? How many people actually know?" I spilled out.
"About twenty people know, including you.. We need you to keep this extremely confidential. Kate, do you understand me?"
I nodded, stunned.
"What do you know about the disease?" He asked me.
"Too much," I answered. "My uncle had MS." I looked out the window.
"Really?" The President asked me.
"Yes," I said grimly. "He wasn't as lucky as you." My voice broke, and I tried to hide it. He waited for me to go on. "There were some severe complications. He died three years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Bartlet told me, bowing his head.
I pulled my eyes from the window to look at him.
"Mr. President....when will the rest of the world find out?"
"Sooner than I'd like. Probably by the end of the week."
***
I rushed out past Charlie and held myself back from sprinting down the hall. I knew exactly where I was going.
Sam and Toby looked up at me when I appeared in the doorway of Toby's office. I ran my hand through my already disheveled hair and leaned against the doorway. I didn't know what to say.
"You know." It was a statement, rather than a question, from Sam.
"Yes." I said grimly. "I never would have guessed."
"Do you have anything you want to get off your mind?" Toby asked me.
"I'm okay." I said, "I just need some time to let it soak in."
Sam stood up to look at me. "Go home. Get some rest. You can catch up with us tomorrow morning."
"You're sure it's okay?"
Sam nodded. "Are you okay getting home?"
I nodded. He walked me back to the office, reminding me once to keep quiet. He didn't have to tell me twice. I picked up my bag from my desk chair and slung it over my shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, then."
"Bye, Kate," he said as he went into his office.
***
I drove home in a daze. My mother, who works mornings at a day care, was waiting for me, demanding answers about my day. I told her what I could. That I worked in the White House now, with the President's staff. --That I was moving out. She saw how tense I was and decided to leave me alone for a while. "I packed up your clothes, except for some things I figured you'd be wearing. All your furniture from your apartment at college is in the garage."
I thanked her and went into my room. I kicked off my shoes and changed from my suit into a pair of jean shorts, my old Rowan University volleyball jersey from the first year I played, and sneakers.
Picking up the cordless phone from the kitchen I dialed Chrissy to confirm she had talked to the apartment complex. She said they had agreed to let me move in immediately. Chrissy was working at night at a diner in downtown Washington until she could find a full time job. She was my best friend from high school and lived about ten minutes away from me. Fifteen minutes after I hung up with her, she pulled into the driveway in her father's pickup truck.
"I thought we might need this," she said as she climbed out of the driver's seat and slammed the door.
We loaded most of my belongings into her loaned truck and my car and drove over to the apartment complex. I filled out (even more) paperwork and gave them the required deposit. After I surveyed my new home, Chrissy and I moved my things from our two vehicles into the first floor walkup. We placed everything on the floor and left, as Chris had to be at work at six. I drove home knowing my mother could use some comforting on the last night her only daughter would be sleeping at home. I was becoming awfully independent awfully fast.
Mom cooked dinner for me and we ate quietly, both thinking our own thoughts. Later, as we packed up some of my remaining things together, the phone rang, and she went out to answer it. "Kate!!" she called. "There's a man named Charlie on the phone." she said as she walked back into the room, handing the phone to me. She went into the living room to give me some privacy.
"Hi Charlie, what's up?" I said, trying to be cheery.
"Hi, Kate." Charlie didn't sound like his usual self. "Kate...Mrs. Landingham is dead."
"No....no it can't be!" I gasped, looking for a place to sit down. My room was almost empty. I leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor as Charlie told me what happened.
"Get some rest," He finally told me. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah...bye, Charlie." I still couldn't believe it.
Although I tried to sleep that night on the couch, I was wide awake most of the night.
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