Title: Rain
Author: Rhonda Dossett
Character: General West Wing
Rating:  G
Spoilers: Possible minor spoilers up to and 
including Indians In the Lobby.
Disclaimers: The normal disclaimers apply.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated at dossett@azalea.net

It's raining again. The weather seems to match my life, dark 
and wretched.   

I have a dozen reports to read, but all I've been doing during
the past half hour is watching the rain outside my window. 

I debate whether I should just get dressed and go into work.  But 
it's Thanksgiving Day and I told everyone I was going home to my
family.  If I show up in my office the word will get around that I 
didn't leave town and I'll have more questions to answer.

No, better to stay here on my couch in my faded t-shirt and sweat 
pants with only CNN for company.

It's raining again and the visibility is poor. I can't see too far 
ahead and I'm not sure of the things I can see.  There are undefined 
shapes and shadows outside in the rain. Unseen threats around me. Too 
many things unknown, unrecognized.

My life is full of rain and questions.  Rain and questions, they seem
innocuous enough. But they're both relentless at eroding away 
surfaces, eroding away my soul.

Sometimes I don't think I can stand any more.  The water is getting
higher all the time.  How long can I keep my head above the swirling
mass?  The questions are getting harder and there are so many to
answer.  I'm slowly drowning in questions.  

The rain keeps coming, just like regrets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I should have taken the life boat Leo offered. 
I don't know if I have the strength now to keep 
swimming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I should have answered that my head was already 
under the water. Instead, I said the water was 
exactly at my head. I lied and the resulting flood
almost killed me. I should have resigned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I should have told her how I felt when we were 
sitting in the rain with her diary.  I never wanted
the rain to touch her.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I should have been prepared.  It rained and I wasn't
prepared. I trusted too much and too many people. 
My father, Toby, the President, even the Coast Guard
didn't warn me about the rain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I should have gone with her to pick up her new car.
It was starting to rain then.  I should have told 
her what she meant to me and Deana.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I should have known about his illness. He's my best
friend.  I knew something was wrong.  That rainy night
in Nashua, I should have made him tell me.  Maybe I 
could have stopped the rain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~