A Few Cards Short of a Full Deck by E.E. Beck (PG-13)

[gaeta.livejournal.com]

I'm reposting this rec, now with a working link.

Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Ensemble
Author on LJ: eolianbeck
Author's Website:But there's a Devil in the Lookingglass

Why this must be read:

I thought I'd start off my month with an ensemble piece. I also favor episode-related stories, and this one fits both bills. It's a small character study of each of the major characters as they, one by one, look in on Josh the night of the sniper shooting at the White House.

We get a little of each character's musings and a short conversation between each of them and Josh who patiently endures their well-meant concerns even though each time he's interrupted in the middle of an important phone call, the completion of which ends the story once all the others have finally left.

The characters are very well drawn. The author has chosen well the small details of thought that each of them is occupied with on this evening, revealing a tremendous amount about them and their roles -- public and private -- in a very short time.

In the end, though, it's a Josh-centric story; I won't deny that. And it concludes with just enough of the requisite Josh-angst to make me very, very happy. (But not too much for those who like their angst lite).


A Few Cards Short of a Full Deck

Comments

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

For the benefit of those of us who are a year behind you Americans (or two, if we're not on cable/satellite viewing), perhaps you could put something in the post to indicate that the "sniper shooting" isn't the one that ended the first season, which was the only sniper shooting I'd heard of until then, yes? Because it wasn't until I opened it up and read Will Bailey's name that I realised this wasn't a 1st/2nd season WW story and therefore I shouldn't be reading it.

Thanks.