Concerned

Synopsis: Mallory's concerned about Leo, and Josh is the target of her anger.
Characters: Josh and Mallory
Rating: G
Notes: Mallory and Josh aren't mine.

"This is Thursday's," Ned handed Josh a sheet of paper. "You want to take Marshall and I'll do McIntyre?"

"No, I think we'll let Bram take Marshall," Josh replied. "I need to see... Oww!" he squealed as someone hit him across the back of the head. "What the hell?" he turned round to face his assailant. "Mal."

"Joshua," Mallory said. "I think we need to talk."

"Yeah," Josh sighed. "I'll be back really soon," he told Ned. He took Mal to his office and poured them both a coffee, although he wasn't sure cafeine was a good idea for Mal at the moment.

"What were you thinking?" Mal asked.

"About what?"

"My dad."

"Right. Well, first off, he's fine, secondly it wasn't my idea and thirdly, he's a grown up and can make his own decisions."

"It's 14 months since he had a major heart attack and by-pass surgery."

"I remember."

"So what were you thinking?"

"You've had this conversation with him."

"Yes, several times," Mal replied. "Then it occurred to me who the architect of this ridiculous plan would have been."

"It wasn't my idea it was Congressman Santos's and it isn't ridiculous."

"Really?"

"Yes really. You don't think he'd make a great VP?" Josh asked.

"Well of course he would, that isn't the point."

"Then...?"

"Running for the vice-presidency isn't what his doctor had in mind when he told him to take things easier."

"You think he should retire?" Josh asked. "Take up a hobby, fishing maybe or stamp collecting? You seriously believe he'd want to do that? Politics is his life."

"Just like it's yours, and your desire to win no matter what, stops you looking at the consequences of your actions. I know you, Josh, I know what you're like."

Josh glared at Mal. "You think I'd have agreed to ask him to do this if I didn't think he was up to it?"

"Firstly, Josh, you're not a doctor so how the hell would you know if he was up to it and secondly, yes you would, if you thought it'd give you a better chance of beating Vinick."

Josh glared at Mal. "Thanks for that, nice to know you think so highly of me."

"I'm not saying you don't care about him......"

"That seems to be exactly what you're saying."

"I'm saying," Mal continued in a calmer voice, "that you're just like him. You put politics before everything else. It may not have been your idea, but you agreed and you asked him."

"He's his own man, he didn't agree because I asked."

"You knew he would never refuse. God, Josh, he'd work himself to death before he'd admit he wasn't well, in fact he almost did."

"He's seen his doctor. Him and Santos have both had full medicals, the health of candidates seems to be an issue in this election."

Mal was thrown for a second. "His doctor agreed that it was okay for him to do this?"

"Yes."

"He didn't tell me that."

"No, well maybe he was so flattered that you didn't think he was up to it that it slipped his mind. After all your constant phone calls nagging him must have done his ego the world of good."

"He told you I've been calling?"

"Yeah."

"He's my father, I worry about him."

"I know you do. But he isn't an idiot, he knows how close he came last May. He keeps his hospital appointments."

"How can you be sure?"

Josh smiled, "We have an agreement. He knows when mine are and I know when his are. It's how I get my own back for five years of him checking up on me."

"I didn't know you still had them," Mal said.

"Six monthly," Josh told her. "So you want to move on to teacher tenure?" he asked with a small smile.

"Don't get me started, have you any idea how much crap I'm getting from colleagues?"

"You don't agree with teacher tenure."

"I agree in principle."

"It doesn't work."

"You've been spending too much time with Congressman Matthew Santos," Mal sighed.

END