Title: Driven to destruction Part Two Leo spent another twenty-four hours unconscious in ICU. Alex forced herself to concentrate as, at almost midnight, she sat at his bedside, reading him bits from the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. She almost missed his soft curse. 'Dammit, it hurts.' Alex walked out to the nurses' station. 'Who's on here today?' One of the nurses pointed at the water fountain. 'Dr Walker.' Alex walked over to the middle-aged doctor. 'Dr Walker? Can I have a word?' 'Mr McGarry is awake and in pain. He is to have no pain-relief medication until you've checked it with me. None. OK?' Dan Walker frowned. 'And you are?' 'Alex Jamieson. ER.' 'And you're giving me orders because..?' 'Do you know who Leo McGarry is?' 'Yeah, White House Chief of Staff, right?' Alex waited for a few seconds, and then the doctor remembered the article in the Washington Post. 'He was addicted to painkillers, right?' 'He was. Not something I think we want to re-start.' 'He'll need something stronger than aspirin.' Alex smiled. 'I thought a light sedative for a couple of days?' 'Its not hospital policy.' 'Really? I'm sure you'll find a way.' Walker gave in then. 'OK. I'll set it up. You want me to get him something now?' Alex gave the doctor a grateful smile. 'Thank you Dr Walker.' ******************** Alex walked back to Leo's room. She sat down and picked up the paper. 'Do you want finance or sport?' 'What time is it?' 'Monday, You've lost about twenty-eight hours.' 'What happened?' 'Your car went under a lorry.' 'Am I OK?' Alex laughed. 'Would you be here if you were?' 'I meant...' 'You've got a few broken bones, but you're basically repairable. I did my best, but now it's down to your body.' 'And my car?' 'I'm afraid its injuries were just too severe, and we lost it some hours ago.' Leo didn't smile at Alex's attempt at humour. 'What time is it?' Alex looked through the door to the clock. 'After midnight.' 'You should go home.' 'You are in no position to give me orders, McGarry.' Walker came back then, and emptied the contents of the syringe he held into Leo's IV line. 'You need anything, let me know, okay?' 'Thank you.' 'I'll come back in a couple of hours. You wanna get some sleep? I can find you an empty room.' Alex was grateful for the doctor's concern. 'I'm fine here, thank you.' 'Okay.' 'The pain will start to go off soon. Do you want me to read you what the President will be doing tomorrow?' As she spoke, Alex realised she had lost Leo's attention. He was sleeping, his skin damp with sweat. **************** 'Dr Jamieson? Alex turned as she came out of Leo's room. 'Yes.' 'Ma'am, I'm Ron Butterfield. I'm head of the President's Secret Service detail. Is there someplace quiet we can talk?' Alex led the Agent to the linen supplies cupboard, closing the door behind them. 'The President wants to visit Mr McGarry, but realises the disruption this might cause. He thought there might be some way we could get him into the room without closing the place down first?' Alex thought for a few moments, then smiled. 'Of course.' She turned round, picking items off the racks. ******************** 'Margaret, it's Alex. Do you know which optician Leo uses? His glasses were broken in the crash, and he's finding it hard without them. Can you organise a replacement pair for him?' 'Yeah. You want me to bring them over?' 'No, just give them to the President.' 'Oh, okay.' 'Thank you Margaret.' 'Sure.' ******************* With just three agents around him, all similarly dressed, the President walked into the ICU, Alex at his side. One or two staff members stared at the five people as they crossed to Leo's room, most, used to the sight of people in full theatre scrubs coming onto the unit, ignored them. Alex thought carefully how to phrase her warning. 'Er, Sir, before we go in, you need to know Leo isn't on anything like enough pain medication for the injuries he has sustained. We're going to sedate him a for a day or two to let his body start to heal without leaving him in so much pain. He wanted to see you first. Please be careful.' Bartlet didn't need to ask why Leo was suffering unnecessary pain, and nodded. He followed Alex into Leo's room, one Agent remaining outside the door, a second moving to stand in front of the window. Bartlet began removing his cap and mask as Alex walked to the bed. 'Leo, you have a visitor.' Leo tried to move, changed his mind, and contented himself with a smile. 'Mr President. How d'ya get in here without..?' Alex said: 'My idea.' Leo stifled a groan as he moved. 'Good call.' Alex walked to the door. 'Just a few minutes, Sir.' Bartlet's voice was mock-serious. 'Yes doctor.' Alex remembered her earlier conversation with Margaret. 'Did you bring them, Sir?' Bartlet turned to one of the agents. 'You got Leo's glasses?' The man reached into his jacket. 'Yes Sir.' Leo smiled as he saw the gold-rimmed glasses, identical to those which, he assumed, had been broken or lost in the accident. 'Thank you, Sir.' 'Thank Alex. It was her idea.' Alex walked to the door. 'I'll be back in a little while.' ****************** Alex waited in Walker's office until the President left, his head and face once again covered. 'Thanks for the coffee.' 'Anytime. You gotta go right now?' 'No. Why?' 'If you wanna do the sedative, its OK with me.' 'Thank you.' 'I'll get the stuff.' **************** 'Are you sure about this?' Leo nodded, wincing, no longer able to hide the pain and not really caring about how it was to be reduced. 'Just do it.' 'Dr Walker or one of his colleagues will keep it topped up. You'll be left to wake up every 12 hours, and if you're OK, you can have another dose.' Alex inserted the plastic hypodermic into the IV in Leo's hand, and within a few seconds, his face relaxed as the pain faded. 'I'll check on you before I leave, and again in the morning.' **************** 'I have good news and bad.' After three days of sedation, Leo had been able to cope on a low-dose painkiller and could at last move a little without feeling intense pain throughout his lower body. But his eternal pessimism remained intact. 'Give me the bad first.' 'After your accident, your car was found to have serious faults. Everyone who uses that garage is getting their cars checked. Her mother will therefore accompany Mallory this afternoon. After our last conversation, I have no wish to spend time in your ex-wife's company, so I will see you this evening when I finish.' 'You talked to Jen?' 'In a manner of speaking, yes. Oh, just so you know. If you ever take me for granted, I'll make these injuries look like a sprained wrist.' 'You said there was good news.' 'I have discovered why you're always so tired.' 'Its my job, right?' 'No, it's your anaemia. An iron supplement will help, as will a slight change in lifestyle. Here.' Alex handed Leo a small pill, poured him a glass of water, and he swallowed it, grimacing at the taste. 'There are more palatable ones available, but its doing the job. Oh, and while I remember, if your check-up goes all right on Friday, you'll be discharged. The White House has, I understand, excellent in-house medical facilities. And you'll be within a few feet of your best friend. Do you want me to tell the President you'll be moving in?' Leo ignored the teasing edge to Alex's voice. 'Yeah. Give him a call, would you?' 'Why were you driving to work?' The unexpected question made Leo frown. 'It was a nice day. You live within walking distance of the White House. Why were you in the car?' 'I was taking Mallory to lunch.' 'I think you mean breakfast.' 'No, I mean lunch. We go to this place, but it's a way out of town. I needed the car to get there.' 'You're lying.' Leo was silent for a few seconds. 'If the President needs to get to a hospital, he asked me to drive him there. I've been driving in for a while now.' ***************** ‘Sir, if it's still on we'd like to take up your offer of a room for Leo at the Residence.' The President moved the phone to the other hand so he could sign the papers Mrs Landingham had laid on the desk while he had been speaking. 'Sure, there's plenty of room for you both.' Alex didn't bother explaining to the President that only Leo would be moving in. ****************** As she left to start her shift, Alex handed the nurse who was checking Leo's IV line an envelope. 'Mr McGarry is expecting two visitors. Please give this to the one who isn't his daughter.' *************** While Alex was making her way across the hospital to the small office the Chief of Emergency medicine occupied, John Marbury was trying to find his way to the West Wing. The irony of the name of the part of the hospital Leo had been moved to was not lost on him, and he smiled as the nurse gave him directions. 'Just carry on through the Oval Office and into the Mural Room, right?' The nurse didn't get the joke, and John walked quickly away. Leo looked up as the door opened, hoping it would be Alex. He tried to hide his disappointment. And failed. Marbury didn't waste time on pleasantries. 'Leo. Oh, don't worry, I'm not here for a fight.' 'Wouldn't be a very fair one.' 'How are you?' Leo said ironically: 'Oh, I'm doing just fine. And yourself?' Marbury crossed to the window, staring out. 'Where is Alexandria?' 'She had to go see her boss. She won't be back till late. She's working till nine.' 'Are you still determined to have a relationship with my daughter?' Leo sighed. 'Not again. Yes. If she'll have me.' 'I own a house in Long Island. I thought it might be nice for both of you to have a couple of weeks there, when you get out of here.' Leo was uneasy. 'There's a catch. There has to be.' 'No catch. Just a small caveat. Alexandria is the most important thing in my life If you hurt my daughter; I'll end your career. Completely. Do we understand each other? You are, whatever the President thinks, unworthy of my daughters' affections. However, for some reason, she has chosen you, and I am prepared to let you continue your relationship for a little longer. However, it must end. It is unthinkable for someone in Alexandria's position to consider marriage to you. Catholicism forbids marriage to a divorcee, as I'm sure you know. I am extremely unhappy at the idea of my daughter continuing an unmarried relationship with you indefinitely. I suggest you use the time you spend in Long Island to end your relationship.' Marbury was gone before Leo had a chance to reply. Leo laid back on the pillows and rested, his mind too full to sleep properly, whatever his body demanded. Click here to go to Part Three Home Send me feedback on this fic Return to the X-Files Fic Index Return to the West Wing Fic Index