Title: Unknown at present (any ideas?) 1/?
Author: McWillow22 aka little-starling
Rating: PG13 - a little language
Pairings: Friendship fic
Summary: Leo is having a bad night
Spoilers: Completely AU
Disclaimer: Don't own them, Don't make any money, Don't sue me please.
A/n: Just something that was lying, dusty, in my hard drive. Thought I
would post it and depending on responses, something I may continue.as
always, reviews are appreciated.
It was freezing cold. No, it was worse than that, it was artic. Leo pulled his heavy coat tighter around himself with one hand, the other fixed firmly around the handle of his briefcase, and with no gloves to protect his sensitive extremities he wasn't sure he would ever get his hand uncurled from its position again. The icy air stung his lungs as he drew in sharp breaths, and created a noticeable cloud of white mist as it left him. Tucking his face further down into the slight warmth of his raised collar he tried to quicken his pace slightly, the vision of a crackling fire and hot drink fuelling his numb muscles.
The speech had seemed like a good idea at the time he mused as he stroke purposefully. Seventy or so small grant givers in the one room was a rare opportunity, especially if said grant givers had access to much bigger pockets of money. Warm drinks had been served on the coldest night of the year to replace the expensive bottles of wine that are usually presented, and the President had been on good form. The speech had been clever but not overly so, humorous but not laughable, and had struck it's point with flair and realism.all of which was not unusual when it was Toby and Sam's writing. Another reason it was a good idea was the location. It was not more than twenty minutes from the White House, which meant no time travelling and a speedy return afterwards. Of course it hadn't escaped Leo's notice that it were only five minutes from his own hotel. Which he had reckoned would mean an even speedier return home for him. Of course he hadn't bargained on it dropping another few degrees while they were inside, or he wouldn't have dismissed his driver so easily. The thought on whether or not to hail a cab had come and gone, by sheer stubbornness alone he had refused to pay someone to take him in a car when it was only a ten-minute walk. He was definitely beginning to regret that now.
The wind interrupted his brooding by blowing what felt like a sheet of ice on his face, in fact it was so painful that Leo actually stopped and turned his back on the blast he could swear came all the way from Iceland. When the pressure at his back eased he turned again and came as close to a jog as he ever would be. The ground at his feet was slightly slippy and he was acutely conscious of what a fall could mean so he trained his eyes on the tarmac in front of him, looking for any suspicious shiny patches.
The street he was on was only a short distance from the hotel, and so he was surprised by it's eerie calmness. Not a soul had passed him and he couldn't remember seeing a car pass by either. Not that he was really paying attention; the nipping of his ears was pretty much drawing that part of his higher brainpower. But it was still unusual, after all the hotel in question was five star, one of the best in town, and rarely ever short of a celebrity or household name. His thoughts were again interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind him. He blew out a visible breath and smiled a little. 'I'm spending too much time around Margaret' he thought as he made to round the corner.
In hindsight he would never be sure what happened first. Whether it was the heavy object across the back of his head that brought him to his knees or the ice under his feet. He would never be one hundred percent sure of the sequence of events but he knew for certain that both had occurred.
A blinding, all consuming painful flash clouded his vision and weakened his legs as something heavy and hard came in contact with the base of his skull. And then time slowed. The ground seemed to rush to greet him but somehow it took forever for him to reach it. He sure as hell felt it when he did. The cold tarmac cracked hard against the side of his face as he fell boneless to the ground. He felt his ribs crack under him too, sending a poker hot spike of pain through his otherwise numbed lungs. The gasp that left his mouth was swallowed when the shadow of someone standing over him caught his eye. He tried to lift his head from the damp pavement despite the rush of pain, his body pumping raw adrenaline through his system to give him the edge he needed. But all that changed when a foot connected with his already injured ribs sending him further into the shadows at the foot of a darkened apartment. The groan of pain that fell from his lips was pure anguish, mixed with slight anger and a little shock. Leo clamped his lips together to stop the sound, his eyes squeezing tightly closed to try and concentrate on his erratic breathing, which was causing him the most pain. The sound of a voice had them blinking open again.
" Don't be a hero man. Just give me your fucking wallet"
Leo couldn't make out a face in the darkness but by the voice and the outline of the body he could tell whoever it was, was young. And nervous if the hopping from one foot to the other was anything to go by. Leo licked his lips and tasted the coppery metallic twang of blood, but put it to the back of his mind as he concentrated on trying to speak. His first attempt failed to produce anything but a groan. He drew breath again but just as he was about to force them out a fist connected with his jaw, sending his slightly upturned face whipping back to the concrete below. This time he knew he had broken more than a tooth. Impatient hands roamed his body as he spat the gathering blood from his mouth, but Leo was nothing if not stubborn.
" Inside pocket "
It was all he managed and it was barely more than a whisper but his assailant obviously heard him above his own frantic breath, as he tugged the coat viciously from under Leo, jarring the injured ribs in the process. Leo hissed in pain but tried to stay still. Small hands made nimble work of his suit jacket and as if a prayer was answered he felt the wallet slip from his pocket and the person stand. Leo looked up in a last ditched effort to see his attacker only to find a gleaming silver barrel looking back at him.
Leo held his breath even though his heart thundered below his chest. Ironically a sweat broke out across his body, and he could feel a bead of it make its way lazily down his temple. He was acutely aware of everything. The rush of blood through his ears, the hot pain in his lungs and ribs, his eye and jaw. The thick soled black boots at his face, the concrete below him, shimmering in the little light available. And the slight shaking of the barrel of the gun aimed at his face. Leo had always thought that he would not be fazed if he ever found himself in a situation like this, after all he had flown warplanes in a war he was never supposed to return from. He had looked at the bottom of a bottle and considered taking his own life. He had been shot at in Roselyn and had worried about the lives of his family and friends more than he did his own. So it struck his as somewhat bizarre that here, now, when there was no-one in danger except himself that he felt a thick tendril of fear make it's way up his spine. His mouth opened and closed silently, a thousand last moments flashing by, as he tried to find the words to change his fate.
And then it was over.
The boots that had been so close to his face kicked up small pieces of ice as they turned and ran in the direction he had come from. The sound of the retreating feet could be heard for a few split seconds.and then there was silence again. Leo let his breath out in a gasp, his lungs immediately drawing more crisp air in against his body's protests. Leo could hear the distant sounds of traffic, but nothing else. Gingerly moving the arm that had the most room he slipped his hand inside his coat and fumbled for a second before pausing, his laboured breathing making it difficult to keep both his eyes open and his concentration. Lying still for a moment he tentatively moved his arm once more, careful of his side, and brought the small black object into the murky street lighting. Using just one hand, and one finger, he flicked open the small contraption and winced at the overly bright green glow. He punched in a number he knew better than his own date of birth and then dragged the phone over to head so he could speak into the mouthpiece. He closed his eyes, his head beginning to swim, and tried to concentrate on the faint ringing he could hear from the speaker on the phone.
" Charlie Young "
Leo licked his dry lips again but couldn't get the words by his throat.
" Hello?"
"Charlie."
It was barely more than a whisper but loud enough in the quiet surroundings to be heard.
" Yes, may I ask who's calling?"
Leo bit back a growl of pain as he drew a deep breath.
" Charlie, it's Leo."
He was glad his voice had remained strong. It was maybe the only thing that could save him now.
"Leo? Are you ok?"
Leo bit back a curse.
" Charmers Street. Mugged. Need help."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a painful second before Charlie's voice came back. Only this time he spoke more slowly and confidently.
"Leo, help will be right there. Just stay were you are."
If Leo could have laughed he would have.
" Hang on Leo ok? An ambulance is on its way to you. There's someone here wants to talk to you, hang on."
Leo didn't have to be a physic to know whom that someone was, and as much as he wanted to reassure his old friend, he could fast feel himself loosing his fight to stay conscious.
"Leo? Can you hear me?"
Jed Bartlet's voice came strong and clear over the reception and Leo smiled slightly, his eyes already closed.
" Mr Presi...(pant).dant..."
" Leo, I need you to do me a favour alright? In fact I'm making this my first order to you. I need you to keep talking to me. And I know how you feel about protocol but for the interests of this conversation I think Jed might be easier on you than the title ok?"
Leo grunted.
"Leo? C'mon now, I gave you an order."
Leo spat the gathering blood from his mouth once more.
" Tired" he mumbled, his eyes rolling behind his closed eyelids, completely oblivious to the sirens that were edging closer.
" I know Leo, but real soon you're going to have a warm and comfortable bed to lie in, till then I need you to talk to me. The ambulance should be there any minute Leo, and I'll meet you at the hospital."
" No.." Leo flicked an eye open
" Leo, your really not in any position to argue with me here."
" Don't.."
The sirens could be heard by both men as a mass of flashing lights and heavy engines screeched into the street. Leo turned his head painfully to the running group of people that were closing in fast. When they reached him several people began talking at the same time. He managed to place several paramedics, some uniformed cops and a few secret service agents before he gave up on the fight to stay awake.
Chapter 2
Leo slowly became aware of three things. One, the pain in his body, two, the voices of people around him and lastly, the pain in his body again. He was also aware of the feeling of clean sheets against his bare skin, cool air when he breathed in, an itching on the back of his hand, a dull ache which had the potential for a full scale migraine and a tightness in his jaw. He wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to open his eyes or go back to sleep. His head felt fuzzy, he felt warm and comfortable apart from the all over pain, and he knew that sleep would come easily enough again if he simply succumbed to it. But he wanted to know what was happening and who the people were that surrounded his bedside. He lay for what must have been a few minutes before ever so slowly cracking one eye open.
" Leo?"
The voice was male but that was really all he could tell. The light in the room was dramatic and he groaned as it made contact with his irises, sending a shaft of pain to his skull. He tried to lift his hands to shield his eyes but they were forced back down to the bedside by what felt like several pairs of hands. There were plenty people talking now he realised. He tried once again to pull his hands away.
" Lemme go.." He muttered angrily, but immediately regretted it as white- hot pain shot through his jaw and eye.
He could feel his heart rate beginning to increase. What the hell was going on? Where was he? Why was he in so much pain? Who was holding him down?
He tried once more to open his eyes and was glad that someone had dimmed the lights slightly. At first he could only see a blur of colours, all meshed together to form a watercolour, but as he blinked rapidly the images began to focus slightly.
"Leo can you hear me?"
This voice was female. He recognised this voice.
" Leo honey it's Abbey, try not to talk, it's gonna be sore for a while. Your safe Leo, your in the hospital. Try to concentrate on this for a minute."
Leo could see something in front of him and frowned as he tried to focus on it. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting his vision eventually found it's focus and he followed the finger as it moved around in front of his face, then gradually away from him.
He moved his eyes lazily from the bottom of the bed to the right of him, and found the slightly worried but warm face of Abby Bartlet.
" Hey there handsome." She smiled, bringing a hand up to cover his own.
Leo twitched his cheek a little, about all he could manage with the tightness in his jaw.
" Do you remember what happened Leo? You were mugged. From what we've been able to gather a man attacked you from behind. He took your wallet, keys, and ID then gave you a few parting blows. You called us from your mobile phone and basically you ended up here."
Abbeys voice was soft and slow when she spoke and Leo was thankful for it. He was also thankful for her hand on his when the memories of how he had ended up in here came back to him. He couldn't stop the slight tremor from running through him as he remembered the barrel of the gun pointed at his face and he was sure Abbey had felt it too.
" Leo honey you have a few injuries you should know about. You sustained a pretty bad blow to the head, not hard enough to crack or fracture the skull but hard enough to cause a little haemorrhage, and a significant haematoma. There shouldn't be any long-term damage but your going to have to take it easy for a little while. And you're going to have to get some tests for a while to be on the safe side. Apart from that you also suffered a broken jaw, hence the reason you can't speak at the moment, three broken ribs and a punctured lung. The punctured lung wasn't as serious as we had first thought and they were able to repair the damage primarily. You should try to keep your breathing even though Leo, any deep breaths are still going to hurt. Your ribs have been reset but that's really all we can do for that at the moment. It'll be painful but they will mend pretty fast. You've got some cuts and bruises that you'll feel too, so all in all Mr McGarry you really went all out."
Leo parted his lips slightly and whispered, if a little disjointedly,
"I don't do half measures"
Abbey smiled widely and leaned across the bed to kiss him tenderly on the cheek.
" There's a guy in a waiting room itching to get in here. Not to mention your daughter, and the rest of the staff. But you don't have to see them now if you don't want to, you can rest for a little bit."
Leo let his eyes take in the rest of the room for the first time. There were three other people in the room. One, a young woman in what looked to be her late twenties sat stationed by the many machines in the corner, a flipchart in her hand. The other two occupants stood by the door, and it didn't take a genius to know they were the first ladies SS detail.
He let his eyes come back to rest on Abbey.
" President" he whispered, his eyes saying more than his mouth could.
Abbey nodded her head once and strode to the door, closing it softly behind her. Leo relaxed back into the pillows and closed his eyes. Whatever they were pumping into him through the annoying drip in the back of his hand was strong, which was great at keeping the pain at bay, but not so good to stay awake. Before he could think anymore on the subject the room door clicked again and he wearily opened his eyes to see a very anxious looking Josiah Bartlet standing to his right.
" I've been told you can't talk"
Leo frowned as the anxious look was replaced by something resembling glee.
" So, my friend, you know what that means don't you?"
Leo's frown turned into a scowl
" That's right. By the time you leave this bed your going to know everything there is to know about our country's national parks"
Leo managed to roll his eyes, but there was humour behind it, and his cheek twitched to show that. He watched as one of the agents in the room brought a chair over to the edge of the bed and watched as the President seated himself. He was not surprised to see the look of humour lessen somewhat.
" Leo.."
" I'm fine" he managed through gritted teeth, determined to quash his friend's anxiety.
" Yeah that much is apparent just by looking at you" Jed muttered sarcastically, his gaze falling to his lap.
" Mr President."
" It's Jed Leo.."
" It's ok."
Jed looked up to Leo with glassy eyes, and Leo didn't have to guess the nine kinds of pain he must have been in over the past few days. He knew the feeling well.
Leo shifted his hand from his lap to the edge of the bed and curled his fingers outwards. Before he had finished moving the Presidents hand was encased firmly in his own, his grip steady but firm.
" You need to get back." Leo groaned as his jaw moved, and regretted it immediately, as before he knew it the President was on his feet and calling the agents to get a doctor.
" Mr President." He could see his friend's eyes scanning the machines to his left, but not paying any attention to him.
" Just hold on a minute Leo, a doctor will be here"
"Mr President!" Leo ignored the pain shooting up the right side of his face.
" We'll get you more pain killers.."
" Jed!"
Well that got his attention.
" Dammit, stop fussing" Leo's eyes were intent and focussed and angry. Jed's eyes were wide and held a slightly mischievous glint.
" Well Leo, now you know how it feels."
" You're a pain in the a."
" And your going to be fine" finished Jed with a sense of relief evident in his voice. He could see Leo was tiring and wanted to give Mallory a chance to come see her dad before he gave into the drugs and sleep.
" I need to go run the country. We can't all lie in bed all day you know"
Leo didn't have the strength to answer so he just gripped his hand a little harder, a gesture that was returned. They stared at each other for a brief few intense seconds before the President withdrew his hand.
" I'll come back tomorrow"
Leo just blinked sleepily, his concentration on keeping his eyes open rather than what his friend was saying.
He closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds but when he opened them again the President was gone.
~{}~{}~{}~
It was freezing cold. No, it was worse than that, it was artic. Leo pulled his heavy coat tighter around himself with one hand, the other fixed firmly around the handle of his briefcase, and with no gloves to protect his sensitive extremities he wasn't sure he would ever get his hand uncurled from its position again. The icy air stung his lungs as he drew in sharp breaths, and created a noticeable cloud of white mist as it left him. Tucking his face further down into the slight warmth of his raised collar he tried to quicken his pace slightly, the vision of a crackling fire and hot drink fuelling his numb muscles.
The speech had seemed like a good idea at the time he mused as he stroke purposefully. Seventy or so small grant givers in the one room was a rare opportunity, especially if said grant givers had access to much bigger pockets of money. Warm drinks had been served on the coldest night of the year to replace the expensive bottles of wine that are usually presented, and the President had been on good form. The speech had been clever but not overly so, humorous but not laughable, and had struck it's point with flair and realism.all of which was not unusual when it was Toby and Sam's writing. Another reason it was a good idea was the location. It was not more than twenty minutes from the White House, which meant no time travelling and a speedy return afterwards. Of course it hadn't escaped Leo's notice that it were only five minutes from his own hotel. Which he had reckoned would mean an even speedier return home for him. Of course he hadn't bargained on it dropping another few degrees while they were inside, or he wouldn't have dismissed his driver so easily. The thought on whether or not to hail a cab had come and gone, by sheer stubbornness alone he had refused to pay someone to take him in a car when it was only a ten-minute walk. He was definitely beginning to regret that now.
The wind interrupted his brooding by blowing what felt like a sheet of ice on his face, in fact it was so painful that Leo actually stopped and turned his back on the blast he could swear came all the way from Iceland. When the pressure at his back eased he turned again and came as close to a jog as he ever would be. The ground at his feet was slightly slippy and he was acutely conscious of what a fall could mean so he trained his eyes on the tarmac in front of him, looking for any suspicious shiny patches.
The street he was on was only a short distance from the hotel, and so he was surprised by it's eerie calmness. Not a soul had passed him and he couldn't remember seeing a car pass by either. Not that he was really paying attention; the nipping of his ears was pretty much drawing that part of his higher brainpower. But it was still unusual, after all the hotel in question was five star, one of the best in town, and rarely ever short of a celebrity or household name. His thoughts were again interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind him. He blew out a visible breath and smiled a little. 'I'm spending too much time around Margaret' he thought as he made to round the corner.
In hindsight he would never be sure what happened first. Whether it was the heavy object across the back of his head that brought him to his knees or the ice under his feet. He would never be one hundred percent sure of the sequence of events but he knew for certain that both had occurred.
A blinding, all consuming painful flash clouded his vision and weakened his legs as something heavy and hard came in contact with the base of his skull. And then time slowed. The ground seemed to rush to greet him but somehow it took forever for him to reach it. He sure as hell felt it when he did. The cold tarmac cracked hard against the side of his face as he fell boneless to the ground. He felt his ribs crack under him too, sending a poker hot spike of pain through his otherwise numbed lungs. The gasp that left his mouth was swallowed when the shadow of someone standing over him caught his eye. He tried to lift his head from the damp pavement despite the rush of pain, his body pumping raw adrenaline through his system to give him the edge he needed. But all that changed when a foot connected with his already injured ribs sending him further into the shadows at the foot of a darkened apartment. The groan of pain that fell from his lips was pure anguish, mixed with slight anger and a little shock. Leo clamped his lips together to stop the sound, his eyes squeezing tightly closed to try and concentrate on his erratic breathing, which was causing him the most pain. The sound of a voice had them blinking open again.
" Don't be a hero man. Just give me your fucking wallet"
Leo couldn't make out a face in the darkness but by the voice and the outline of the body he could tell whoever it was, was young. And nervous if the hopping from one foot to the other was anything to go by. Leo licked his lips and tasted the coppery metallic twang of blood, but put it to the back of his mind as he concentrated on trying to speak. His first attempt failed to produce anything but a groan. He drew breath again but just as he was about to force them out a fist connected with his jaw, sending his slightly upturned face whipping back to the concrete below. This time he knew he had broken more than a tooth. Impatient hands roamed his body as he spat the gathering blood from his mouth, but Leo was nothing if not stubborn.
" Inside pocket "
It was all he managed and it was barely more than a whisper but his assailant obviously heard him above his own frantic breath, as he tugged the coat viciously from under Leo, jarring the injured ribs in the process. Leo hissed in pain but tried to stay still. Small hands made nimble work of his suit jacket and as if a prayer was answered he felt the wallet slip from his pocket and the person stand. Leo looked up in a last ditched effort to see his attacker only to find a gleaming silver barrel looking back at him.
Leo held his breath even though his heart thundered below his chest. Ironically a sweat broke out across his body, and he could feel a bead of it make its way lazily down his temple. He was acutely aware of everything. The rush of blood through his ears, the hot pain in his lungs and ribs, his eye and jaw. The thick soled black boots at his face, the concrete below him, shimmering in the little light available. And the slight shaking of the barrel of the gun aimed at his face. Leo had always thought that he would not be fazed if he ever found himself in a situation like this, after all he had flown warplanes in a war he was never supposed to return from. He had looked at the bottom of a bottle and considered taking his own life. He had been shot at in Roselyn and had worried about the lives of his family and friends more than he did his own. So it struck his as somewhat bizarre that here, now, when there was no-one in danger except himself that he felt a thick tendril of fear make it's way up his spine. His mouth opened and closed silently, a thousand last moments flashing by, as he tried to find the words to change his fate.
And then it was over.
The boots that had been so close to his face kicked up small pieces of ice as they turned and ran in the direction he had come from. The sound of the retreating feet could be heard for a few split seconds.and then there was silence again. Leo let his breath out in a gasp, his lungs immediately drawing more crisp air in against his body's protests. Leo could hear the distant sounds of traffic, but nothing else. Gingerly moving the arm that had the most room he slipped his hand inside his coat and fumbled for a second before pausing, his laboured breathing making it difficult to keep both his eyes open and his concentration. Lying still for a moment he tentatively moved his arm once more, careful of his side, and brought the small black object into the murky street lighting. Using just one hand, and one finger, he flicked open the small contraption and winced at the overly bright green glow. He punched in a number he knew better than his own date of birth and then dragged the phone over to head so he could speak into the mouthpiece. He closed his eyes, his head beginning to swim, and tried to concentrate on the faint ringing he could hear from the speaker on the phone.
" Charlie Young "
Leo licked his dry lips again but couldn't get the words by his throat.
" Hello?"
"Charlie."
It was barely more than a whisper but loud enough in the quiet surroundings to be heard.
" Yes, may I ask who's calling?"
Leo bit back a growl of pain as he drew a deep breath.
" Charlie, it's Leo."
He was glad his voice had remained strong. It was maybe the only thing that could save him now.
"Leo? Are you ok?"
Leo bit back a curse.
" Charmers Street. Mugged. Need help."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a painful second before Charlie's voice came back. Only this time he spoke more slowly and confidently.
"Leo, help will be right there. Just stay were you are."
If Leo could have laughed he would have.
" Hang on Leo ok? An ambulance is on its way to you. There's someone here wants to talk to you, hang on."
Leo didn't have to be a physic to know whom that someone was, and as much as he wanted to reassure his old friend, he could fast feel himself loosing his fight to stay conscious.
"Leo? Can you hear me?"
Jed Bartlet's voice came strong and clear over the reception and Leo smiled slightly, his eyes already closed.
" Mr Presi...(pant).dant..."
" Leo, I need you to do me a favour alright? In fact I'm making this my first order to you. I need you to keep talking to me. And I know how you feel about protocol but for the interests of this conversation I think Jed might be easier on you than the title ok?"
Leo grunted.
"Leo? C'mon now, I gave you an order."
Leo spat the gathering blood from his mouth once more.
" Tired" he mumbled, his eyes rolling behind his closed eyelids, completely oblivious to the sirens that were edging closer.
" I know Leo, but real soon you're going to have a warm and comfortable bed to lie in, till then I need you to talk to me. The ambulance should be there any minute Leo, and I'll meet you at the hospital."
" No.." Leo flicked an eye open
" Leo, your really not in any position to argue with me here."
" Don't.."
The sirens could be heard by both men as a mass of flashing lights and heavy engines screeched into the street. Leo turned his head painfully to the running group of people that were closing in fast. When they reached him several people began talking at the same time. He managed to place several paramedics, some uniformed cops and a few secret service agents before he gave up on the fight to stay awake.
Chapter 2
Leo slowly became aware of three things. One, the pain in his body, two, the voices of people around him and lastly, the pain in his body again. He was also aware of the feeling of clean sheets against his bare skin, cool air when he breathed in, an itching on the back of his hand, a dull ache which had the potential for a full scale migraine and a tightness in his jaw. He wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to open his eyes or go back to sleep. His head felt fuzzy, he felt warm and comfortable apart from the all over pain, and he knew that sleep would come easily enough again if he simply succumbed to it. But he wanted to know what was happening and who the people were that surrounded his bedside. He lay for what must have been a few minutes before ever so slowly cracking one eye open.
" Leo?"
The voice was male but that was really all he could tell. The light in the room was dramatic and he groaned as it made contact with his irises, sending a shaft of pain to his skull. He tried to lift his hands to shield his eyes but they were forced back down to the bedside by what felt like several pairs of hands. There were plenty people talking now he realised. He tried once again to pull his hands away.
" Lemme go.." He muttered angrily, but immediately regretted it as white- hot pain shot through his jaw and eye.
He could feel his heart rate beginning to increase. What the hell was going on? Where was he? Why was he in so much pain? Who was holding him down?
He tried once more to open his eyes and was glad that someone had dimmed the lights slightly. At first he could only see a blur of colours, all meshed together to form a watercolour, but as he blinked rapidly the images began to focus slightly.
"Leo can you hear me?"
This voice was female. He recognised this voice.
" Leo honey it's Abbey, try not to talk, it's gonna be sore for a while. Your safe Leo, your in the hospital. Try to concentrate on this for a minute."
Leo could see something in front of him and frowned as he tried to focus on it. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting his vision eventually found it's focus and he followed the finger as it moved around in front of his face, then gradually away from him.
He moved his eyes lazily from the bottom of the bed to the right of him, and found the slightly worried but warm face of Abby Bartlet.
" Hey there handsome." She smiled, bringing a hand up to cover his own.
Leo twitched his cheek a little, about all he could manage with the tightness in his jaw.
" Do you remember what happened Leo? You were mugged. From what we've been able to gather a man attacked you from behind. He took your wallet, keys, and ID then gave you a few parting blows. You called us from your mobile phone and basically you ended up here."
Abbeys voice was soft and slow when she spoke and Leo was thankful for it. He was also thankful for her hand on his when the memories of how he had ended up in here came back to him. He couldn't stop the slight tremor from running through him as he remembered the barrel of the gun pointed at his face and he was sure Abbey had felt it too.
" Leo honey you have a few injuries you should know about. You sustained a pretty bad blow to the head, not hard enough to crack or fracture the skull but hard enough to cause a little haemorrhage, and a significant haematoma. There shouldn't be any long-term damage but your going to have to take it easy for a little while. And you're going to have to get some tests for a while to be on the safe side. Apart from that you also suffered a broken jaw, hence the reason you can't speak at the moment, three broken ribs and a punctured lung. The punctured lung wasn't as serious as we had first thought and they were able to repair the damage primarily. You should try to keep your breathing even though Leo, any deep breaths are still going to hurt. Your ribs have been reset but that's really all we can do for that at the moment. It'll be painful but they will mend pretty fast. You've got some cuts and bruises that you'll feel too, so all in all Mr McGarry you really went all out."
Leo parted his lips slightly and whispered, if a little disjointedly,
"I don't do half measures"
Abbey smiled widely and leaned across the bed to kiss him tenderly on the cheek.
" There's a guy in a waiting room itching to get in here. Not to mention your daughter, and the rest of the staff. But you don't have to see them now if you don't want to, you can rest for a little bit."
Leo let his eyes take in the rest of the room for the first time. There were three other people in the room. One, a young woman in what looked to be her late twenties sat stationed by the many machines in the corner, a flipchart in her hand. The other two occupants stood by the door, and it didn't take a genius to know they were the first ladies SS detail.
He let his eyes come back to rest on Abbey.
" President" he whispered, his eyes saying more than his mouth could.
Abbey nodded her head once and strode to the door, closing it softly behind her. Leo relaxed back into the pillows and closed his eyes. Whatever they were pumping into him through the annoying drip in the back of his hand was strong, which was great at keeping the pain at bay, but not so good to stay awake. Before he could think anymore on the subject the room door clicked again and he wearily opened his eyes to see a very anxious looking Josiah Bartlet standing to his right.
" I've been told you can't talk"
Leo frowned as the anxious look was replaced by something resembling glee.
" So, my friend, you know what that means don't you?"
Leo's frown turned into a scowl
" That's right. By the time you leave this bed your going to know everything there is to know about our country's national parks"
Leo managed to roll his eyes, but there was humour behind it, and his cheek twitched to show that. He watched as one of the agents in the room brought a chair over to the edge of the bed and watched as the President seated himself. He was not surprised to see the look of humour lessen somewhat.
" Leo.."
" I'm fine" he managed through gritted teeth, determined to quash his friend's anxiety.
" Yeah that much is apparent just by looking at you" Jed muttered sarcastically, his gaze falling to his lap.
" Mr President."
" It's Jed Leo.."
" It's ok."
Jed looked up to Leo with glassy eyes, and Leo didn't have to guess the nine kinds of pain he must have been in over the past few days. He knew the feeling well.
Leo shifted his hand from his lap to the edge of the bed and curled his fingers outwards. Before he had finished moving the Presidents hand was encased firmly in his own, his grip steady but firm.
" You need to get back." Leo groaned as his jaw moved, and regretted it immediately, as before he knew it the President was on his feet and calling the agents to get a doctor.
" Mr President." He could see his friend's eyes scanning the machines to his left, but not paying any attention to him.
" Just hold on a minute Leo, a doctor will be here"
"Mr President!" Leo ignored the pain shooting up the right side of his face.
" We'll get you more pain killers.."
" Jed!"
Well that got his attention.
" Dammit, stop fussing" Leo's eyes were intent and focussed and angry. Jed's eyes were wide and held a slightly mischievous glint.
" Well Leo, now you know how it feels."
" You're a pain in the a."
" And your going to be fine" finished Jed with a sense of relief evident in his voice. He could see Leo was tiring and wanted to give Mallory a chance to come see her dad before he gave into the drugs and sleep.
" I need to go run the country. We can't all lie in bed all day you know"
Leo didn't have the strength to answer so he just gripped his hand a little harder, a gesture that was returned. They stared at each other for a brief few intense seconds before the President withdrew his hand.
" I'll come back tomorrow"
Leo just blinked sleepily, his concentration on keeping his eyes open rather than what his friend was saying.
He closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds but when he opened them again the President was gone.
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