Gathering a Crowd
“Donna!” He yelled as he struggled with his tie.
She walked into the bedroom, scowling at him. She was wearing a dark grey silk camisole and matching French knickers.
“Joshua Lyman, must I remind you again that I haven’t been your assistant in a very long time.” She put her hands on her waist. “That I am, in fact, the woman who can withhold all this,” She ran her hands from her waist down and over her hips. “From you, if you don’t stop shouting at me.”
He would have had to concede that it was good point, well made, and he probably would have done so out loud, if he wasn’t still staring her hips, fascinated by the path of her hands and more than a little distracted from what she’d actually said.
“Huh?” He eloquently replied instead.
“Stop getting ideas.” She said, smiling a little because she knew she’d encouraged them. “You’re gonna be late for work.” She picked up her blouse from the back of a chair and started pulling it on. “And I’ve got a vote this morning.”
Watching her dress snapped him out of it and he resumed fiddling with his tie.
“I’m working on it.” He grumbled.
She finished pulling on her skirt and went over to him. “Give it here.” She said as she took over.
She tied it neatly and he said “Thanks.”
She leant in for a quick kiss. He let his hands pull her close and wander a little. After a moment, she pulled back.
“Josh, work.” She said firmly, slipping out of his grasp.
“I’m going.” He said, long suffering, grabbing his jacket
and heading for the door.
“I’ll be doing the interview at 12, if you’re free for lunch after that….” She said, enticingly.
He paused and looked back with a smile.
“I’ll try.” He started moving again. “If not, then the restaurant’s booked for 7.” He walked out.
“Hey.” She called and he popped his head back round the door. She smiled. “You know, the L thing…”
He grinned.
“Back at ya.”
He disappeared off, leaving her still smiling as she tucked her blouse into her skirt.
—
Josh was hanging around at the back of the studio. Donna was doing a live TV interview on the other side. As a first term Congresswoman she was being asked about some minor bill, something about teachers that he really wasn’t very concerned with right now. She had it covered. He was only here because he’d finished up his meetings and the idea of lunch with her today was too good to refuse.
Her opposite number in the interview was a real nimrod in Josh’s opinion. He had about the same experience level as her in Congress, but he was puffed up and full of himself. A Tea Party type, who’s only argument seemed to be that the government shouldn’t be doing anything about anything. He could see the tense frustration in Donna from all the way over here. He was exactly the kind of do nothing that really wound her up. Still Josh could see that she was trying to be nice and get her point across with a civility that wasn’t being returned. She was being far nicer to him than he’d be.
He felt the change before he saw anything. The crew tensed up and suddenly there were whispers and increased activity. The anchor, sat up there moderating between Donna and the Nimrod, froze and was obviously hearing something in his earpiece.
Josh moved closer. Bonnie was standing just behind one of the cameras, so he went over to her. His expression was a question and she pulled out her phone and started checking the news sites. Her face turned into a picture of horror and she looked up at him wide eyed. She handed him the phone.
Just then the anchor stopped the interview, reporting that there’d been a school shooting in California. At least 3 fatalities so far, dozens injured. The shooter was still on the loose.
Josh watched Donna hang her head.
Then the Nimrod spoke. With an awful sense of timing, he launched into a defence of gun rights.
Josh watched him in horror. This guy was an idiot. In the middle of a tragedy, with the shooter still on the loose, he was jumping in on the defensive by being offensive.
Donna’s head snapped up and Josh turned his attention to her. His beautiful Donna had tears on her cheeks.
“Uh oh.” He said softly.
“What?” Bonnie asked on a whisper.
“Get hold of Lou.” He whispered back urgently. “Make sure she’s watching this.”
Bonnie nodded and started walking away.
“And cancel the restaurant for tonight,” He added.
She nodded again and raised her phone.
He turned back to watching Donna intently. She was staring at the Nimrod, who was still talking about gun rights, with a look of complete disbelief on her face. Josh knew she wouldn’t stay that way for long.
His wife was about explode on live TV and, short of running up there and dragging her away or heading for the basement and cutting the power, there wasn’t anything he do could to stop it.
“How dare you.” Donna said softly. Everyone’s attention turned to her.
“I’m sorry..?” The Nimrod asked, not sounding very sorry.
“How dare you.” She repeated more loudly. “People are dead. Have you no respect?” She demanded.
“Congresswoman Lyman…” He tried to say something, apparently oblivious to what was about to happen.
“How can you sit there and talk about gun rights, when the shooter’s still out there? When there are people fighting for their lives? When there may be people still dying out there.”
The tears were still shining wet on her cheeks.
The anchor was looking a little thunderstruck by her vehemence but his eyes flicked to Josh then, and widened as he realised why Donna especially would be having an issue with this. The scars of Rosslyn were deep in her, just as they were in him.
“Yeah,” The Nimrod started with a long suffering tone, apparently still not understanding that he should just apologise and shut up. “And if they had guns they’d be able to fight back. It’s typical of a liberal to offer nothing but tears right now. They don’t need your tears, Mrs Lyman.”
She raised a hand to her face, as if she hadn’t even realised she was crying. She looked at her wet fingers.
“Why aren’t you crying?” She asked softly.
“Excuse me?” He asked.
“Why aren’t YOU crying?” She asked him again more firmly.
“I…”
“I’m trying to work out whether you’re a cynical shill, or a heartless fool.” She mused. “You think the tears on my face right now are a bad thing?”
She looked at him like he was dirt.
“What aren’t you crying?” She demanded again.
“Mrs Lyman, you’re getting hysterical now.” He brushed her off.
Josh didn’t doubt that she had noticed that he’d stopped using her title but that was the least of things she would want to pick him up on right now.
The anchor looked as if he didn’t know what to do. As far as TV went, this was gold, but as the moderator he knew should do something.
“We’re going to go back to our newsroom now…” He began weakly
“Hysterical?” Donna cut in archly. “You think it’s hysterical to be upset when children are dying? Have you become so immune to all the deaths, all the tragedies, that you can be unaffected by this?”
She started reeling off school shooting statistics, followed by general gun death statistics. Through it all her tone was steely, not remotely hysterical, but impassioned.
Bonnie waved her phone at Josh. He took it.
“Yeah.” He said into it, not taking his eyes off Donna.
“Don’t let her say anything else to the press today.” Lou told him firmly. “Take her straight out of there and don’t let her say anything else. You, you say ‘I support my wife completely’, and nothing else. Do you understand me Josh? Nothing else. I support my wife completely.”
“Got it.” He acknowledged, still watching Donna reeling off stats. “Thanks.” He handed the phone back to Bonnie.
“…and when my husband was shot, and nearly killed, he was surrounded by the Secret Service at the time. Who were pretty well armed, Congressman.” She made a point out of using his title. “You think guns are the answer? I’m pretty damned sure they’re the problem.” Donna paused. “And I’m gonna ask you again… Why aren’t you crying?”
He stared at her open mouthed. She looked at him in disgust again, and then started taking off her mic. She walked off the set.
Josh immediately put an arm around her and ushered her out of the studio.
—
“Oh god, what did I just do Josh?” She asked breathlessly.
Bonnie – fantastic Bonnie – had made sure a car was waiting for them right outside the studio. By the time they’d arrived outside the news crews had already been waiting for them. She’d guided the two of them firmly in the right direction. Josh had kept his hand on Donna’s back as he led her quickly through it. He hadn’t need to tell Donna not to say anything. He opened the door and she got into the car.
“I support my wife completely.” He’d responded when asked for his opinion on what had just happened.
Then he’d gotten into the car too.
Josh reached out and pulled her up more firmly up against him.
“You were being you.” He said and kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry about it.”
She pulled back sharply and looked at him.
“Don’t worry about it?!”
“Don’t worry about it.” He smiled.
She looked up at him questioningly.
“You wiped the floor with him. It’s gonna be a thing, but it’s not gonna be a bad thing.” He hugged her back close again and she put her head back onto his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.”
Well, it would have done no good for both of them to be worrying about it.
—
“Not quite what we had planned.” Donna said with a smile as she put down the cardboard box and chopsticks.
They were sprawled at opposite ends of the couch, dressed in sweats and t-shirts, with their legs tangling somewhere in the middle. On the table was the detritus of Chinese takeout and a bottle of wine. The only light in the room came from several candles on the table.
Josh smiled back at her as he took a sip of his wine.
“Not quite the romantic anniversary dinner.” He replied ruefully.
“You don’t think this is romantic?” She shot back, inclining her head questioningly.
He rested his head on his hand on the back of the couch and looked back at her steadily.
“Not like a nice restaurant and fancy food…”
“Where we’d run into people we know…” She cut in. “…and end up talking shop all night.”
“Wouldn’t let that happen.” He insisted.
“Wouldn’t you now?”Her voice had dropped low.
“Not tonight.” His voice lowered too.
Their eyes held and something sparked, but then she smiled cheekily.
“Liar.” She replied.
“Hey!” He protested but she was already moving towards him, taking the wine glass out of his hand, putting down on the table and moving back in to kiss him.
For a long few minutes there was no more talking, but tonight they were in no rush. They both pulled back and looked at each with little smiles playing across their faces. Donna laid her head down, tucked into his neck, and he pulled her close. They just lay there together in a comfortable silence.
“Are you sure we should have our phones off tonight?” Donna finally asked, an obvious note of worry in her voice.
“It’s our anniversary. Everyone knows we turn our phones off.” He tried to reassure.
“I know.” She replied. “But today…” She tailed off.
“There’s nothing we could do now anyway.” He pointed out.
“Yeah.” She echoed, not quite believing it.
Silence again.
“You wanna… turn on the TV?” He asked.
“Yeah.” She said instantly, jumping up to find the remote control.
He sat up and ran a hand through his hair.
As the picture came on, he froze like that, staring at the screen.
“What the fuck is that?” He asked, leaning forward.
She came back to sit down next to him, staring too. She shook her head, incredulously.
“No idea.”
CNN were showing a huge crowd of people in front of the White House. The shot cut in closer. Many of them were holding up signs. They read: “Why aren’t you crying?”
“Josh.” Donna said.
“Yeah.” He replied.
“Phones.” She said turning to look at him. He looked back.
They both leapt for their phones.
As soon as they were on, they both started ringing.
Donna answered first, turning away slightly as she did so.
“Bonnie! What’s going on? Yeah, we’re watching it…”
Josh watched her for a second before answering his.
“You turned your phones off?! Tonight?!” Lou shrieked at him.
“It’s our anniversary Lou. We always…”
“You turned them off tonight!” She shrieked again in disbelief.
“Well, tomorrow night wouldn’t have been…” He smiled.
“Well, next anniversary either leave your damn phones on, or don’t let Donna do live TV, ‘Kay!” She cut in firmly. She sighed a deep sigh. “Have you at least seen the news?”
“Yeah, watching it now.” He replied seriously, looking back the screen. They were showing a different demonstration with the same signs. They cut to another town with another huge demonstration.
“You’re gonna owe me big for tonight, Joshua!” She stated.
He sighed.
“So bill me Lou… What’s going on?” He demanded.
He heard her suck in a breath.
“Oh, just a small revolution!” Lou snorted. “Although, thankfully, one without guns!”
“Lou, facts.” He said shortly. “Did they catch the shooter?”
She sighed.
“He killed himself.”
“Good.” He sighed gratefully, then rushed to correct. “Not good, but you know…”
“His name was James Pierce. He was straight A student, class president. Anti-gun to the point of organising rallies. Then his mom was shot and killed in front of him last year, walking home at night. Friends say that he changed. He started getting paranoid. He bought guns. He posted on the Internet about ‘tooling up for self defence’.”
“How’d he end up shooting up a school?” Josh asked.
“The online stuff gets more and more paranoid.” She said softly. “He had PTSD Josh.”
Josh closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.
“Wasn’t he in therapy?” Josh asked, wincing.
“He’d had some, but he couldn’t afford to keep it going.”
Josh felt anger course through him. He laughed bitterly.
“He couldn’t get medical treatment, but he could get a gun!”
“There’s more.” Lou said seriously. “It was lunchtime, the teachers were in their staff room… watching TV.”
Josh froze.
“Donna was talking about that teacher’s thing.” He mused.
“Yes, she was. Pierce burst in, he shot a couple of people, but then they mentioned the shooting on the TV.”
Josh swallowed hard.
“He watched it, Josh.” She paused. “He stopped and watched it. When he turned back to the room, they say he was crying.” She paused again. “He said I’m sorry… and blew his own head off.”
“Jesus!” Josh whispered.
He turned to look at Donna. Bonnie had obviously just given her the same information. Tears were streaming down her ashen face. He used his free arm to pull her close and she buried her face into his neck, crying harder. The phone dropped from her hand.
“We’ll need a statement…” Josh said into the phone.
“Otto’s working on it.” Lou cut in.
“Send it as soon as it’s done.” He tightened his arm around Donna. “We’ll be ready.”
He ended the call and threw the phone onto the couch so he could wrap both arms around her and bury his face in her hair. Her arms tightened around him. They stood there for a long moment just holding on.
Donna pulled back first.
“Are you okay?” She asked, her tear covered face a picture of concern.
“Am I okay?!” He asked, disbelieving.
“You’re not freaking out..?” She was genuinely worried.
He looked at her in amazement and pulled her back into his embrace, holding on tightly.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.” He told her. “Are you okay?”
She pulled back to look at him and shook her head. He reached up and wiped away some of her tears with his thumb.
“He stopped because of me. I don’t even remember what I said!” She laughed with definite edge of hysteria.
Josh didn’t know what to say, so he rubbed her shoulder comfortingly and she lay her head against his hand. She looked beyond him to the TV which was now showing the protests outside the White House again. She straightened her spine and lifted her head to look at him.
“Background checks.” She said firmly. He frowned at her. “We start by going after background checks.”
He laughed in surprise.
“You’re strategizing?” He exclaimed.
She looked at him seriously.
“What else can I do?” She asked so sadly it was heart breaking. She smiled half a smile that never reached her eyes. “Come on, you’re telling me that some part of your brain wasn’t strategizing this from the moment Lou told you?”
He looked at her seriously for a moment, then smiled wryly.
“You’re right. Proper background checks… at least.”
“They’ll say it’s opportunistic.” She pointed out, obviously relieved that he’d taken the bait to take her mind off it and focus on something practical.
“It’s not opportunistic for a tragedy to spur a necessary change.”
“It’s opportunistic to say that a shooting spree is reason for everyone to be armed!”
“The mentally ill need help, not access to an armoury!”
“Only criminals have an urgent need for a gun!”
“Good citizens have nothing to hide and are prepared to wait!”
“In a democracy, you don’t need guns to overthrow your government!”
They were both breathing a little heavily by the time they stopped. They shared a brief kiss.
“Call Lou back. I’ll call Otto… Call Sam too… and Will.” Donna said determinedly. “We need everyone we can get on every morning show.”
“We need to get you on the very first thing we can.” He replied as he went to the couch to retrieve his phone.
Donna bent down and picked hers up. She momentarily froze.
“Josh?” She said as she stood up slowly.
He turned back to her. She looked devastated again.
“What did I say? What stopped him?”
Josh looked at her steadily.
“It wasn’t what you said.” He replied. “You cared… and, somehow, by some miracle, that was enough.”
Tears rose in her eyes again.
“What if caring’s still not enough to change anything?” She said sadly.
He reached out and took her left hand.
“If was just you, then maybe no it wouldn’t be.” He gestured at the crowds on the TV screen. “But look… they care too.”
He rubbed her hand gently, letting his fingers play over the wedding band on her finger. He smiled at her reassuringly. She smiled back and the determined look returned.
“Let’s do this.” She said confidently.