Title: Two Hearts Beat As One
Author: Jane Morrison (LUCKYJ50@aol.com)
Rating: G
Category: Josh/Donna angst; a little Sam
Disclaimer: They are *so* not mine. They will forever be Aaron Sorkin's to
me.
E-mail address for feedback: LUCKYJ50@aol.com
Archiving permission: Sure! Just let me know where so I can visit.
Feedback: Yes, please!! It makes my muse very, very happy.
Notes: All my other J/D fics have been pure romantic fluff, and this is my
first attempt to "bring the angst". My friend Christine assured me I have
done just that and that I should post it. And I ALWAYS trust her opinions.
I've actually written lots of angsty stuff in another fandom, and I wanted to
have add some J/D angst to my portfolio:). This is a stand alone, another
"moment in time" type of fic, something I've become quite fond of writing.
Thanks to Christine for all the invaluable support, suggestions, etc. I
couldn't do it without her input!
"Two Hearts Beat As One"
There's the phone ringing in the middle of the night. Then there's the
racing heart as she answers. She knows good news never comes in the middle
of the night. And there's the terror when she hears Leo's words, even though
she doesn't hear all of them.. Only the important ones. "Josh...hit by a
car...very critical...you should come at once." And finally, there's the
panic as she tries to dress and call for a cab. She doesn't trust herself to
drive in the snowstorm. Her fingers try to dial but she's shaking so hard
they keep slipping. She cries out in frustration. Finally she gets it
right. She gives her address. "Please hurry. It's an emergency."
She stares out the window at the falling snow, eyes stinging with tears,
during the interminable cab ride. During the walk into the hospital on
unsteady legs to find Leo, to see Josh, she repeats this mantra: "Please
God, let him be okay; please God let him be okay..."
~~
Two days later.
Josh is no better. Internal injuries, they say. Only time will tell. He
drifts in and out of consciousness. She sits with him as often as they'll
let her. He sleeps. In his rare moments of consciousness he looks at her
hazily and says her name.
She spends a lot of time on the sofa in the waiting area, surrounded by
others who are waiting as she is. Just waiting. She's dozed off and is
dreaming about Josh, a happy and healthy Josh, when she becomes vaguely aware
of a presence, of someone covering her with a blanket, kissing her lightly on
the forehead. She fights her way back to consciousness. She's so tired.
Her eyes finally open and she has to adjust to the bright light in the
waiting room before she realizes who it is. She turns toward him, tears
slipping from her eyes. "Sam."
He kneels beside her, takes her hand. "I came as soon as I heard. I didn't
mean to wake you."
She sits up, pulling the blanket around her neck as he sits beside her.
"It's okay." She rubs the back of her neck, sore from all the hours spent
here.
"How is he?"
"There's been no change. We wait. And wait. And wait, until I think I
can't bear it anymore. Sam...I'm so scared." She reaches for him and
dissolves into his arms and cries. He tries to comfort her. He doesn't know
how to make her feel better because he knows she loves him. Has known it for
such a long time.
"Donna. He's going to be okay. I feel it. Josh and I have this connection
you know?"
She nods, attempts a smile. "I know. It's so good to see you. I've missed
you."
"Me too. Do you think they'll let me see him?"
"Let's go find out."
~~~~
Josh is awake when they enter the room.
"Hey, Josh."
"Sam. You're back."
"I came back to see you. Had to make sure you weren't barking orders at
everyone and making their lives miserable."
Josh smiles weakly. His voice is strained. "Feel like shit."
"You will for a while."
Josh searches the room with his eyes. "Donna? Where's Donna?"
"She's waiting outside."
He nods and tries to sit up. His voice is even more strained. "You take
care of her. Sam. Take care of her for me."
Sam can't speak. Josh thinks he's going to die. And he might die. Josh
might die. Sam shakes his head, the thought too horrific to think about.
Who could survive his death? Not him, not Leo, certainly not Donna. Most
of all not Donna.
"Josh. You're going to get better soon and you can take care of her
yourself."
"Love her. I love her Sam."
"I know."
"Have to tell her. Need water." Sam helps him, holds the straw for him.
"Ahhhh. Tastes like a fine wine."
Sam smiles. "I'll get Donna."
"Tell her, Sam. Tell her for me."
"I'll get her. You can tell her yourself."
Sam goes to the door and motions for Donna to come in. She goes to him,
leans over and kisses him on the cheek.
"Missed you."
"I'm always here, Josh. I'm not going anywhere."
"Have to tell you...have to tell you something."
She sits on the side of the bed and he reaches up to touch her face, but he's
so weak, his hand falls to the bed. She takes it in her two, rubbing it.
"Josh, try to sleep. You need to sleep." He nods and closes his eyes and
slips away again. Finally Donna stands up and falters, grabs the side of the
bed to steady herself.
Sam is beside her instantly. "Are you okay?"
She nods. "Just a little dizzy. I'll be okay."
"Donna, have you eaten?"
She shakes her head. "I can't."
"You have to keep your strength up. Let me take you to the cafeteria and get
you some soup at least. You need to eat."
She smiles sadly. "Okay."
In the cafeteria Sam insists she needs "comfort food" and chooses chicken and
noodles on mashed potatoes for her. She takes a few bites, but mostly she
picks at her food, pushing it around on the plate.
"Donna. Eat, please."
She puts her fork down and looks at him, her eyes pleading. "He can't die,
Sam. I can't lose him."
"You won't lose him. Donna, you're the most optimistic person I know; you
have to think positive."
She dissolves into tears again. "It's just so hard. I want him back in his
office screaming at me. I would give anything to hear him screaming at me
right now. It's just so unfair."
"I know." He sighs. "You're not going to eat the rest of that are you?"
She shakes her head. "I can't. Not until I know he's okay."
Sam boxes up her food, takes it with them back to the room, knowing she won't
eat it. The doctor is coming out of his room as they approach, his
expression grim.
Donna looks at him, starts to speak, but the doctor shakes his head. "He's
slipped back into a coma. We're playing a wait and see game now and I'm
afraid it's up to Josh now to do the fighting."
Donna nods. "Thank you." She doesn't know what to say anymore. She and Sam
enter the room. She goes around to the side of his bed and sits down, looks
up at Sam. "I'm not going to leave, Sam. He has to know I'm here. I'm
going to will him to get better."
"Then I'll stay with you for as long as you need me." He pulls up a chair
and sits on the other side of the bed.
Donna looks at Josh for a long time, stroking his face. Finally she leans
over and whispers, "Don't you leave me, Joshua Lyman. Don't you dare leave
me." And she hopes he can feel her heart beating against his, hopes it will
give him the strength to fight, to get better, to come back to her.
But most of all she prays, and hopes her love will save him.
The End.
~~~~~
Author: Jane Morrison (LUCKYJ50@aol.com)
Rating: G
Category: Josh/Donna angst; a little Sam
Disclaimer: They are *so* not mine. They will forever be Aaron Sorkin's to
me.
E-mail address for feedback: LUCKYJ50@aol.com
Archiving permission: Sure! Just let me know where so I can visit.
Feedback: Yes, please!! It makes my muse very, very happy.
Notes: All my other J/D fics have been pure romantic fluff, and this is my
first attempt to "bring the angst". My friend Christine assured me I have
done just that and that I should post it. And I ALWAYS trust her opinions.
I've actually written lots of angsty stuff in another fandom, and I wanted to
have add some J/D angst to my portfolio:). This is a stand alone, another
"moment in time" type of fic, something I've become quite fond of writing.
Thanks to Christine for all the invaluable support, suggestions, etc. I
couldn't do it without her input!
"Two Hearts Beat As One"
There's the phone ringing in the middle of the night. Then there's the
racing heart as she answers. She knows good news never comes in the middle
of the night. And there's the terror when she hears Leo's words, even though
she doesn't hear all of them.. Only the important ones. "Josh...hit by a
car...very critical...you should come at once." And finally, there's the
panic as she tries to dress and call for a cab. She doesn't trust herself to
drive in the snowstorm. Her fingers try to dial but she's shaking so hard
they keep slipping. She cries out in frustration. Finally she gets it
right. She gives her address. "Please hurry. It's an emergency."
She stares out the window at the falling snow, eyes stinging with tears,
during the interminable cab ride. During the walk into the hospital on
unsteady legs to find Leo, to see Josh, she repeats this mantra: "Please
God, let him be okay; please God let him be okay..."
~~
Two days later.
Josh is no better. Internal injuries, they say. Only time will tell. He
drifts in and out of consciousness. She sits with him as often as they'll
let her. He sleeps. In his rare moments of consciousness he looks at her
hazily and says her name.
She spends a lot of time on the sofa in the waiting area, surrounded by
others who are waiting as she is. Just waiting. She's dozed off and is
dreaming about Josh, a happy and healthy Josh, when she becomes vaguely aware
of a presence, of someone covering her with a blanket, kissing her lightly on
the forehead. She fights her way back to consciousness. She's so tired.
Her eyes finally open and she has to adjust to the bright light in the
waiting room before she realizes who it is. She turns toward him, tears
slipping from her eyes. "Sam."
He kneels beside her, takes her hand. "I came as soon as I heard. I didn't
mean to wake you."
She sits up, pulling the blanket around her neck as he sits beside her.
"It's okay." She rubs the back of her neck, sore from all the hours spent
here.
"How is he?"
"There's been no change. We wait. And wait. And wait, until I think I
can't bear it anymore. Sam...I'm so scared." She reaches for him and
dissolves into his arms and cries. He tries to comfort her. He doesn't know
how to make her feel better because he knows she loves him. Has known it for
such a long time.
"Donna. He's going to be okay. I feel it. Josh and I have this connection
you know?"
She nods, attempts a smile. "I know. It's so good to see you. I've missed
you."
"Me too. Do you think they'll let me see him?"
"Let's go find out."
~~~~
Josh is awake when they enter the room.
"Hey, Josh."
"Sam. You're back."
"I came back to see you. Had to make sure you weren't barking orders at
everyone and making their lives miserable."
Josh smiles weakly. His voice is strained. "Feel like shit."
"You will for a while."
Josh searches the room with his eyes. "Donna? Where's Donna?"
"She's waiting outside."
He nods and tries to sit up. His voice is even more strained. "You take
care of her. Sam. Take care of her for me."
Sam can't speak. Josh thinks he's going to die. And he might die. Josh
might die. Sam shakes his head, the thought too horrific to think about.
Who could survive his death? Not him, not Leo, certainly not Donna. Most
of all not Donna.
"Josh. You're going to get better soon and you can take care of her
yourself."
"Love her. I love her Sam."
"I know."
"Have to tell her. Need water." Sam helps him, holds the straw for him.
"Ahhhh. Tastes like a fine wine."
Sam smiles. "I'll get Donna."
"Tell her, Sam. Tell her for me."
"I'll get her. You can tell her yourself."
Sam goes to the door and motions for Donna to come in. She goes to him,
leans over and kisses him on the cheek.
"Missed you."
"I'm always here, Josh. I'm not going anywhere."
"Have to tell you...have to tell you something."
She sits on the side of the bed and he reaches up to touch her face, but he's
so weak, his hand falls to the bed. She takes it in her two, rubbing it.
"Josh, try to sleep. You need to sleep." He nods and closes his eyes and
slips away again. Finally Donna stands up and falters, grabs the side of the
bed to steady herself.
Sam is beside her instantly. "Are you okay?"
She nods. "Just a little dizzy. I'll be okay."
"Donna, have you eaten?"
She shakes her head. "I can't."
"You have to keep your strength up. Let me take you to the cafeteria and get
you some soup at least. You need to eat."
She smiles sadly. "Okay."
In the cafeteria Sam insists she needs "comfort food" and chooses chicken and
noodles on mashed potatoes for her. She takes a few bites, but mostly she
picks at her food, pushing it around on the plate.
"Donna. Eat, please."
She puts her fork down and looks at him, her eyes pleading. "He can't die,
Sam. I can't lose him."
"You won't lose him. Donna, you're the most optimistic person I know; you
have to think positive."
She dissolves into tears again. "It's just so hard. I want him back in his
office screaming at me. I would give anything to hear him screaming at me
right now. It's just so unfair."
"I know." He sighs. "You're not going to eat the rest of that are you?"
She shakes her head. "I can't. Not until I know he's okay."
Sam boxes up her food, takes it with them back to the room, knowing she won't
eat it. The doctor is coming out of his room as they approach, his
expression grim.
Donna looks at him, starts to speak, but the doctor shakes his head. "He's
slipped back into a coma. We're playing a wait and see game now and I'm
afraid it's up to Josh now to do the fighting."
Donna nods. "Thank you." She doesn't know what to say anymore. She and Sam
enter the room. She goes around to the side of his bed and sits down, looks
up at Sam. "I'm not going to leave, Sam. He has to know I'm here. I'm
going to will him to get better."
"Then I'll stay with you for as long as you need me." He pulls up a chair
and sits on the other side of the bed.
Donna looks at Josh for a long time, stroking his face. Finally she leans
over and whispers, "Don't you leave me, Joshua Lyman. Don't you dare leave
me." And she hopes he can feel her heart beating against his, hopes it will
give him the strength to fight, to get better, to come back to her.
But most of all she prays, and hopes her love will save him.
The End.
~~~~~