(no subject)
July 17th, 2012
7:46 AM
"...is in their custody. They're going to start questioning him now."
"How did this happen?! How did you let this happen?"
Mike paused outside the door, unsure of whether to proceed. While he the President would want information about his wife, he had a feeling that wasn't his top concern right now.
"Sir, how it happened isn't important right now." Walt's voice was calm, almost soothing but still deferential. Mike knew all too well what a delicate balancing act was involved when talking to Logan at times. "What is important is that we fix that."
"How do we do that now? They have him and he's going to talk and then--"
"He's a professional, he won't--"
"Everyone talks! When it comes down to saving their own ass or keeping quiet, they talk!"
Mike was surprised by the outburst. While Logan was usually temperamental, it was rare to see him truly angry. Irritable and sullen, yes but not this. His voice was deeper, his glare fiercer, he paced the office like a caged animal - it was like he was another person entirely. Quickly, Mike checked the hallway before settling in against the wall. He didn't know what the two men were discussing but instinct and a nagging feeling of déjà vu told him it would be prudent to listen, find out what he could.
"I have someone in the FBI, Shepard. He can take of our problem for us", Walt began again, his tone more subdued this time. "He won't talk."
A long silence followed and Mike was almost tempted to move from his hiding spot so he could peek into the room. From where he stood, he couldn't see Walt but he could see Logan, his back turned as he looked out the window.
Without turning around, Logan answered. "Do it."
Another quick glance and Mike slipped back into the hallway, retracing his steps for several feet before walking back towards the room. When Walt passed him on his way out, Mike nodded politely. His nod wasn't returned.
"Sir?" Mike queried, sticking his head in before entering the room.
"Come in, Mike," Logan answered, sitting down at his desk. "How is Martha? Did she talk to you at all?"
David Palmer and Martha Logan had been good friends, after his assassination a week ago, she'd fallen into a depression that had only worsened with recent events. "I did, though she didn't say much. If I may, sir, I think it would be best if you saw her."
"I will, I will. Of course. I've been busy dealing with the nuke and the campaign and everything else," he said, waving to the papers on his desk. Resting his hand on the desk, Logan looked up at Mike. "I shouldn't have asked her to come with me, I know she wanted to but these past few days have been hard on her. They've been hard on all of us but her especially."
Mike nodded silently.
"She mentioned Rachel last night. She told me she'd been watching the news reports, about all those people who died," the President's voice wavered and he looked away for a moment.
"Who were murdered," he finished, bitterness creeping into his voice. "And all she could think about was Rachel and how many parents had lost their children, how many families had been ripped apart. She's never been the same since Rachel died. She was always such a strong woman, she still is but... Losing a child is hard for both parents, but sometimes think it's worse for the mother."
When Logan looked at him for a response, Mike found himself in over his head and at a loss for words. Finally, "I don't know what to say but if there's anything I can do to help..."
Suddenly, as if clarity had come over him, the President seemed calmer, more confident. "I think Martha should go back to Vermont. She can just skip LA entirely, it's too soon for her. They have an excellent facility in Vermont, she'll be taken care of there."
"I'm not sure if that's what the First Lady wants," Mike understated. When they spoke, she'd been emphatic that the hospital in Vermont was the last place she wanted to be.
"She doesn't know what she wants," Logan explained calmly. "I'm not being cruel, that's just the truth of the matter. You heard her go on about the phone call. She worked herself into a frenzy, tore this place apart looking for the tapes from this phantom call from David and all for nothing. She's sick and it's not her fault. But she needs help. She's going to Vermont."
Mike nodded, arguing this further would be pointless. Maybe Martha would have a better chance if she did so herself. "Yes, sir."
"I'll go explain this to Martha myself. Don't worry about that. You talk to Thompson though, see how that speech is coming along. I sent it back so he could rework a few paragraphs. This is an important moment, we need to strike the right note."
"It might help if we pulled out some other famous presidential speeches, for inspiration."
"That is a good idea," Logan answered, eyes lighting up at the suggestion. "Sometimes, I don't know what I'd do without you, Mike."
7:46 AM
"...is in their custody. They're going to start questioning him now."
"How did this happen?! How did you let this happen?"
Mike paused outside the door, unsure of whether to proceed. While he the President would want information about his wife, he had a feeling that wasn't his top concern right now.
"Sir, how it happened isn't important right now." Walt's voice was calm, almost soothing but still deferential. Mike knew all too well what a delicate balancing act was involved when talking to Logan at times. "What is important is that we fix that."
"How do we do that now? They have him and he's going to talk and then--"
"He's a professional, he won't--"
"Everyone talks! When it comes down to saving their own ass or keeping quiet, they talk!"
Mike was surprised by the outburst. While Logan was usually temperamental, it was rare to see him truly angry. Irritable and sullen, yes but not this. His voice was deeper, his glare fiercer, he paced the office like a caged animal - it was like he was another person entirely. Quickly, Mike checked the hallway before settling in against the wall. He didn't know what the two men were discussing but instinct and a nagging feeling of déjà vu told him it would be prudent to listen, find out what he could.
"I have someone in the FBI, Shepard. He can take of our problem for us", Walt began again, his tone more subdued this time. "He won't talk."
A long silence followed and Mike was almost tempted to move from his hiding spot so he could peek into the room. From where he stood, he couldn't see Walt but he could see Logan, his back turned as he looked out the window.
Without turning around, Logan answered. "Do it."
Another quick glance and Mike slipped back into the hallway, retracing his steps for several feet before walking back towards the room. When Walt passed him on his way out, Mike nodded politely. His nod wasn't returned.
"Sir?" Mike queried, sticking his head in before entering the room.
"Come in, Mike," Logan answered, sitting down at his desk. "How is Martha? Did she talk to you at all?"
David Palmer and Martha Logan had been good friends, after his assassination a week ago, she'd fallen into a depression that had only worsened with recent events. "I did, though she didn't say much. If I may, sir, I think it would be best if you saw her."
"I will, I will. Of course. I've been busy dealing with the nuke and the campaign and everything else," he said, waving to the papers on his desk. Resting his hand on the desk, Logan looked up at Mike. "I shouldn't have asked her to come with me, I know she wanted to but these past few days have been hard on her. They've been hard on all of us but her especially."
Mike nodded silently.
"She mentioned Rachel last night. She told me she'd been watching the news reports, about all those people who died," the President's voice wavered and he looked away for a moment.
"Who were murdered," he finished, bitterness creeping into his voice. "And all she could think about was Rachel and how many parents had lost their children, how many families had been ripped apart. She's never been the same since Rachel died. She was always such a strong woman, she still is but... Losing a child is hard for both parents, but sometimes think it's worse for the mother."
When Logan looked at him for a response, Mike found himself in over his head and at a loss for words. Finally, "I don't know what to say but if there's anything I can do to help..."
Suddenly, as if clarity had come over him, the President seemed calmer, more confident. "I think Martha should go back to Vermont. She can just skip LA entirely, it's too soon for her. They have an excellent facility in Vermont, she'll be taken care of there."
"I'm not sure if that's what the First Lady wants," Mike understated. When they spoke, she'd been emphatic that the hospital in Vermont was the last place she wanted to be.
"She doesn't know what she wants," Logan explained calmly. "I'm not being cruel, that's just the truth of the matter. You heard her go on about the phone call. She worked herself into a frenzy, tore this place apart looking for the tapes from this phantom call from David and all for nothing. She's sick and it's not her fault. But she needs help. She's going to Vermont."
Mike nodded, arguing this further would be pointless. Maybe Martha would have a better chance if she did so herself. "Yes, sir."
"I'll go explain this to Martha myself. Don't worry about that. You talk to Thompson though, see how that speech is coming along. I sent it back so he could rework a few paragraphs. This is an important moment, we need to strike the right note."
"It might help if we pulled out some other famous presidential speeches, for inspiration."
"That is a good idea," Logan answered, eyes lighting up at the suggestion. "Sometimes, I don't know what I'd do without you, Mike."