A Silence Full of Sound [hiatus]

4.1 - Leo: The Intern

The leadership breakfast went sideways, and Leo couldn't say he was surprised at that development. Toby got a bit between his teeth that made the beginning of the week unbearable--what with his disdain of the rules and pushing forward with things Leo didn't want to talk about--and it culminated in a disastrous sound bite. Not to mention a drag through the mud from Republican Senator Henry Shallick that no one was prepared for. Leave it to Toby to get on his moral high horse and attempt to do things recklessly. He couldn't fault the man, though. His heart was in the right place, even if it did result in a superiority fueled morality attempt.

Leo collapsed in his office chair early that Friday, silently praying to whatever God might be up there for a quiet day. The backlash from the soundbite had been mostly resolved and things, so far, had begun to quiet down. The good news was Josh seemed to be okay, for all intents and purposes. There had been a few times during the week that Leo felt like Josh was losing grip on reality, but his deputy did a good job reeling himself in and recognizing that he was getting too close to the edge. He asked Josh every day how he was doing and, so far, Josh hadn't had a bad day. Still, Leo wondered how much the younger man was hiding for the sake of his job.

Watching Josh go through the day, Leo still worried that they weren't doing enough for him. He worried that Toby's aggressive campaign against the breakfast guidelines was something for the communications director to latch onto. Was his own life spiraling like Josh's had? Like Leo's had so many years before? He couldn't be sure. CJ seemed to have a firm grip on things, but she was always calm and cool under pressure. He liked to think he could see when something was going on with his staff, but he'd missed Josh's breakdown. Who else would suffer unseen?

For a moment, Leo sat in the relative silence of his office, listening to the quiet drone of his television sets, and focusing on them rather than the noise in his head. As much as he tried to deny it, Rosslyn brought back his own demons, and silencing them was beginning to get harder and harder. Triggers were beginning to pile up, and he felt smothered under the weight of them. The good thing was, he was better at hiding his emotions.

Once the noise in his head died down to bearable levels, he sat forward in his chair and began to work on the smattering of files laid out on his desk. Josh might be at the forefront of his mind, but the rest of his thoughts were on reelection and the minor fact that he and Toby had established a committee to reelect the president. It was time, and he needed to be on his guard and at his best. The rest of the team would need to follow suit. It would be difficult, but if things went according to plan, they'd have one hell of a campaign.

His thoughts were interrupted by a commotion in the hallway, and he stopped what he was doing to listen. Commotions weren't typically commonplace in the White House, but since no Secret Service agents had come in to secure the building, it could only mean-- He immediately stood from his chair and opened his door. The unmistakable sound of Josh's voice, tense, strained, and a few decibels louder than it needed to be, reached his ears. Damnit.

His strides across the outer office were long and measured. Many of the other staffers continued about their business and didn't pay any mind, but those in Josh's bullpen, he noticed, were anxiously listening. He could feel the tension in the air, the uncertainty, and in the midst of everything, he sought out Donna.

The usually cheery blonde had positioned herself near Josh's door and seemed to be taking whatever verbal beating he was handing out. Leo winced but, as he came closer, he could hear Donna's soft voice trying to calm Josh down as he yelled at an intern who stood just inside his office. The intern was taking it in stride, but Leo could hear the young man--a kid really, not more than twenty--goading Josh, calling him out on whatever they were arguing about, and Josh was having none of it.