The Texas Connection:
Part 7


Kasey

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"Baby, c'mon, wake up…" Leo murmured to his sleeping daughter, shaking her
shoulder gently. She stirred. "He asked for you."

That woke her up. She jumped two feet in the air. "What?!"

"Sam was awake for a couple minutes and he asked for you."

"He-…He asked for me?"

"Yeah."

"Can I-…I have to go see him -"

"He's asleep again…" Mallory sighed. "…But Dr. Banks thinks it would be
appropriate for you to go up there, provided you don't disturb him."

Mallory leapt up, leaping for joy. "I'm gonna go up there now! Where is he?
What room?""

"512. Just go to the nurse's station, they'll know you're coming and let you
in."

She bounded off, running smack into Josh who'd gone to get a Coke. "Hey,
hey, where ya goin' in such a hurry?"

"He was awake, Josh, he **asked** for me!" She practically skipped off down
the hall.

By the time she reached the fifth floor, she was much more subdued. She knew
he was probably asleep, and so she would probably just be sitting in a chair
by his bed…but it would be near him, close to him as she felt she needed to
be.

She halted suddenly as she arrived at his door and started in, then stopped.

This wasn't the Sam she knew.

Lying on the narrow bed in the centre of the garish room was a pale figure,
tubes and wires running from seemingly every inch of the body that made the
stark white sheets jut up from the bed at strange angles.

This wasn't her Sam. It couldn't be. It couldn't possibly be **her**
Sam…There had to be some mistake.

Very slowly, she crept to his bedside and looked closer. God…he was so pale,
so sicly-looking…She couldn't bear to see him like that…But at the same
time, she couldn't bear to leave. His hair fell loosely across his brow, and
she gently brushed it away with delicate fingertips, absently staring out the
window.

And then she heard it.

A weak, tiny, raspy voice, barely audible. "…Mal-…Mal-…ry?"

She jumped, then looked down and saw two sapphires squinting up at her.
"Yeah, Sam, it's me," she whispered around the lump in her throat.

"Wha-…are you…doing…here?"

"I saw the shooting on the news."

"…You…okay?"

"Yeah." She nodded with as much confidence as she could muster.

"You…look…scared…"

"It's 'cause I am," she murmured as a tear slipped, unnoticed by her, down
her cheek. Sam reached up weakly and thumbed it away. Mallory laid her face
against his open palm. "…I was so scared… she admitted in a tiny voice.

"…I'm okay…" She nodded, trying to keep it together. "…How's…everyone
else?…I know…the President was…hurt…"

"He's in recovery…Abby's with him..>Dad's running a war room from the lobby,
CJ's working the press…"

"Josh?"

"He's freaked out."

"Yeah."

"He's afraid of you dying."

"So am…I…" Sam murmured weakly.

"You wanna see him?"

"…Yeah."

"I'll go get -"

"Don't leave."

"But if you want to -"

"….Don't…leave…" he wheezed, sounding desperate.

"Shh…Shhh…Sam…Calm down…it's okay, I won't leave…" Mallory tried
desperately to calm him. "…I'm right here…I'm not going anywhere…Don't
worry…" She squeezed his hand and he visibly calmed down a little. "…I
promise I won't leave…"

~*~*~*~

"Mr. Vice President, the National Security Advisor needs to meet with you.
She's in the Situation Room."

"Sir, the head of the Secret Service would like a moment as soon as possible."

The Vice President stepped out of the sleek black motorcade, adjusting his
sunglasses as he walked into the White House, ignoring the crazed agents
rushing around like chickens with their heads cut off. He held up his hand
as people continued to tell him who wanted to see him - it seemed everyone
did. "First, I need to make a stop." He headed for the Oval Office.

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Part 8

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