West Wing Fan Fiction - Backpack Tales
Confessions
Synopsis: Josh has come across a problem with his Treasury forms
Characters: Josh, Leo, Ron Butterfield
Episode/Spoilers: Set pre-administration, but spoilers for TCATW
Rating: G
A thought had occurred to Josh last night. It was all very well accepting the job of deputy chief of staff, but no one knew about Stanley. He hadn't seen him for months, but he was pretty sure that him having ever seen a psychiatrist would cause problems with Treasury. Which was why he was now hanging around Leo's temporary office waiting for him to return from a meeting with the vice-president.
"You know, I actually think Hoynes may hate us," Leo said as he sat down.
"He's certainly not too fond of me these days," Josh agreed. "I need to talk to you about something."
"More problems?" Leo tried not to sigh, it had been one problem after another since election night.
"Potentially, yeah."
"Well we won the election. I guess this is when the real trouble kicks in. What's the problem?"
"Me."
"Oh God, what have you done?" Leo asked, remembering Josh and Sam's drunken adventure in Austin when they got lost and slept in a park.
"You really wonder why you hired me don't you?"
"Frequently," Leo smiled. "What's up?"
"I was filling out the security forms and I don't know whether Treasury are going to be too thrilled about me working so close to the President."
"Why?"
Josh hesitated for a second. It wasn't that he was ashamed to have been in therapy, he just didn't want to get into a discussion about the reasons. "I've been seeing a psychiatrist."
Leo expression was suddenly concerned. "For how long?" he asked.
Josh couldn't decide whether the concern in Leo's eyes was for him or the job. "A few years. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, I should have told you when you offered me the position."
"Why are seeing a psychiatrist?" Leo asked, although as soon as he'd spoken he knew the answer. Looking at Josh was like watching a castle prepare for a siege, he could almost see the barriers coming down around him. "Joanie?" he guessed.
Josh nodded. "I don't sleep too well sometimes. I have nightmares," he reluctantly admitted. "It helps to talk to Stanley, Dr Lloyd."
"You've talked to him about the fire, about Joanie?" Leo's surprise was obvious.
"Not really, no. I've not actually told him about the fire. But it helps to talk to someone who's impartial. He just lets me talk." Josh watched Leo. "I haven't seen him since May."
"If it helps you to see him, then you should."
"Not if I want to do this job. I can't work close enough to the Oval Office and have high enough clearance to actually do my job, if I'm seeing a psychiatrist. You know that as well as I do."
Leo had to agree that Josh was right. Treasury weren't going to be too pleased that Josh had ever seen a psychiatrist.
"I'm not going to lie on the security forms, but I doubt Treasury are going to be happy."
"Just fill the forms in and be honest, it won't be a problem."
"What about the president?"
"What about him?"
"Shouldn't he be told?"
"Nah," Leo replied. "It doesn't affect him. There's no reason this should be a issue. You didn't see the guy because you have psychotic tendencies, you're not a threat to anyone. You have nightmares from a childhood trauma. Treasury will be fine."
Josh nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Leo."
After Josh had left, Leo tried to decide what to do. He knew Treasury weren't going to be happy about this and they were probably going to want to speak to Josh. Josh would then confirm their worst fears by refusing to talk to them and exploding if they pushed it. He picked up the phone and dialed, making an appointment to see the head of the Secret Service detail, Ron Butterfield.
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Ron looked up when Leo entered his office an hour later. "How can I help?" he asked.
"Can I ask a hypothetical question?"
"I don't work in hypotheticals, Leo."
Leo asked anyway. "If a member of the president's staff was seeing a psychiatrist would that be a problem for you?"
"It would depend on why and how close he'll be working to the president."
"He'll be working very closely to him, he'll need unrestricted access in fact."
"Hypothetically," Ron added.
"Yeah."
"Why was this person seeing a psychiatrist?"
"Something that happened when he was a kid."
"I need more than that, Leo. Was he traumatized by a clown or did he murder his teacher?"
Leo felt a sudden annoyance at Ron's tone. "He was in a house fire. He watched the house burn, knowing that his sister trapped inside, she died."
Ron was quiet for a second while he studied Leo. This sounded like Leo had a personal stake in it. "I'm sorry but I have to ask, was it an accident?"
"What?" Leo asked angrily. "Yes, of course it was an accident. What do you think, he started it?"
"I had to ask, Leo. If he's seeing the psychiatrist because of the fire and his sister's death, and he had no part in it, then it shouldn't be a problem. We'll need to interview him about it though."
"No," Leo told him.
"This isn't negotiable. You want him to have close access to the president, then I want to talk to him about why he's seeing a psychiatrist. We'll also need access to the doctor's records."
"There's no way he's going to agree to that. And I'm not asking him to."
It was Ron's turn to get angry now. "For God's sake, Leo, this isn't game. How do you know he's telling the truth. How do you even know that's the reason he's seeing the therapist. And I'm sorry to be blunt, but how do you know he didn't start the fire?"
"Because I was there."
That stunned Ron for a second. "Who are we talking about?"
"My deputy, Josh Lyman. I know you don't know Josh and have no reason to trust him. But you know me and I do trust him."
"I don't know if that's enough, Leo. We're talking about the security of the president."
"You really imagine I'd want the president put in danger? Josh has worked on the campaign for over a year. If he'd wanted to hurt him he could have done it by now. He was in a terrifying situation when he was kid, but he isn't violent, he's never shown any violent tendencies and in case your wondering, he isn't going to set the building on fire in some kind of psychotic episode. Vet him as thoroughly as everyone else, including his answers to psychological questions, just leave him having seen a psychiatrist alone."
Ron studied Leo as he considered the request, finally deciding to trust Leo on this. Ron didn't doubt for a minute that Leo took the issue of the President's safety very seriously. "Yeah okay, Leo. But his other answers had better be beyond any question of doubt, or I am going to want to talk to him and to see his medical records."
Leo nodded, he knew when to take the best offer he's going to get. "Thanks, Ron."
~End~