CJ was working away at her desk when she heard a loud knock come from the door. She looked up to see Toby entering, a briefing packet clutched in his hands, his brow even more furrowed than usual.
"Hey."
"Hey," Toby said somberly. With a sigh, he sat down on her sofa.
"What's up?"
"Have you looked at the polling data for the midterms?" Toby asked her.
"Yeah, why-"
"I need to get Josh's input on it, but every time I go near the phone Donna finds me somehow. It's freaky." He rubbed a frustrated hand across his forehead.
CJ smiled sympathetically.
"I've been running into the same problem."
"Let's just go over there," Toby suggested, exasperated. CJ could sense the oncoming rant.
"We were there two days ago and he seemed perfectly fine!"
"Toby," CJ sighed. "He got shot in the chest a month ago, he's not perfectly fine."
"But he was talking to us no problem," Toby argued. He stood up and was waving his right hand around while he spoke; his left was settled in his pocket. "He said himself he's bored out of his mind. He was even up walking around a little bit!"
"He might not be gasping for breath after every word now, but that doesn't mean he's healed, Toby."
"CJ, I'm not suggesting we go over there and run him in a marathon. Let's just go over and get his input on a few things. Donna is sitting in for him in a meeting up on the Hill today, we could head over while she's gone."
"Toby." CJ looked down. The idea of betraying Donna's trust like that didn't sit well with her. Not when Donna had been working so hard to keep Josh's office running and Josh himself above water.
"We'll go for 45 minutes, tops. Run a few things by him, fluff up his pillows, and then leave. Donna will never know."
"You don't think Josh will tell her?"
"Not if we ask him not to," Toby said innocently.
"Where's Sam going to be when Donna's in this meeting?" CJ asked.
"Why?"
"He's her right hand man, Toby."
"I'll send him to do something," Toby said dismissively, waving a hand in the air.
CJ eyed the pile of papers cluttering her desk that she had put to the side to get Josh's opinion on. She glanced up at Toby who was watching her expectantly.
"It'll be fine, CJ."
CJ let out a deep breath. "Fine, but we're out of there as soon as 45 minutes are up."
Toby nodded victoriously and stood up.
"I'll be back in two hours."
"Maybe we should have brought him a snack or something," CJ said distractedly as she flipped through her papers in the taxi next to Toby. "I remember him complaining the other day about how the doctor and Donna won't let him eat anything that actually tastes good."
"He doesn't need a snack," Toby muttered. He was also poring over documents. He had a pen in hand as he took notes in the margins.
"But he might like one."
"CJ were on a deadline here. Donna will probably make be over right after the meeting."
"Yeah, I guess," CJ replied distractedly. Her gaze was now settled on the buildings passing by outside her window. "I still don't feel good about this.
"He's gonna be happy we've brought him something to do," Toby muttered, not looking up from his papers.
CJ frowned as the taxi came to a stop outside of Josh's Georgetown apartment.
"Let's go," Toby said brusquely, not allowing CJ more time to brood over her guilt.
They walked up the concrete steps to the red front door and Toby pushed the buzzer to Josh's apartment.
There was no answer.
Toby pushed it again, holding the button down longer this time. Still no response. CJ gave him a worried look.
"We're sure he's home right?"
"I don't know where else he'd be," Toby muttered.
"Doctor's appointment?"
"Nah, he told me the other day he was relieved cause he didn't have anymore appointments this week."
"Toby-" They both turned as one of Josh's neighbors came through the front door. They made a grab for it before it closed and slipped through. Jogging up the stairs to Josh's third floor apartment, they wasted no time once they reached the door. Toby immediately began knocking.
"Josh?"
No answer. CJ tried her luck.
"Josh? It's us, can we come in?"
They were again met with silence. Toby tried the doorknob and was surprised to find it turn. He pushed the unlocked door open and he and CJ quickly made their way inside.
"Josh?" they called at the same time. Josh wasn't in his usual spot on the sofa, but the television was on. CNN was absently playing in the background.
"Maybe he's still in bed," CJ suggested and they walked to the bedroom where they heard soft classical music playing at a low volume. The covers were disturbed, but there was still no sign of Josh.
They froze when they heard a quiet groan come from another room. Sharing a look of fear, the two quickly made their way to the where the noise was coming from. They found the source in the kitchen. CJ gasped as they entered the room.
Josh was sat on the cold, tile floor with his back pressed up against a wooden cabinet. He was dressed in a pair of gym shorts and his grungy Wesleyan sweatshirt CJ so loathed. His legs were pulled to his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around them. His head was buried in his knees and his hands were covered in blood.
"Josh!?" CJ rushed forward to him. At the feeling of someone touching his arm, Josh looked up and CJ gasped again. There was a gash about three inches long running just above Josh's right eyebrow. It was still bleeding freely. Dried blood sat caked all over Josh's face, making a particularly deep line of red over Josh's nose and the his right cheek. His eyebrow was drenched in red. CJ fought to keep images of Rosslyn from entering her mind. She reminded herself that this was Josh's apartment in Georgetown, there was no gunfire to be running from, and that this situation was not nearly as dire as to what happened a month ago. Still, she glanced down at Josh's chest to make sure she found no blood there.
"Josh what happened?" CJ asked. Josh blinked a few times at them before settling his gaze on Toby who had stood frozen to the spot, his head tilted slightly to the side. Toby's mind was running through the same process as CJ's. This wasn't Rosslyn. They could fix this. A cut on his forehead wasn't life threatening. Josh's eyes were wildly examining Toby's face, shooting left to right as if trying to find something, trying to figure something out. Toby realized Josh must be in the same place as him and CJ. Josh's mind was in Rosslyn too. How long had he been sitting on the floor in fear, wondering if anyone would find him there? Toby often thought about how long Josh had been waiting, slumped against that wall in Rosslyn, wondering if anybody would find him before it was too late. CJ examined the wound on Josh's head while Josh was staring at Toby, distracted.
After a few moments she tried to get his attention again.
"Joshua?" CJ tried. She gave his arm a gentle shake and Josh's focus whipped round to her, it was though he only just realized she was there.
"CJ?" Josh asked in a weak voice.
"Yeah," she replied softly. CJ gave his arm a reassuring squeeze as her gaze lingered on the cut.
"What happened to your head, mi amor?" Josh's focus drifted back to Toby.
"Where are we?" he asked him. Toby shifted uncomfortably as he put his hands in his pockets, before walking closer to Josh.
"What do you mean, where are we?" he replied. The usual brusqueness of his tone had been turned way down.
"I just," Josh looked around. "I-I'm confused."
"We're in your apartment, Josh." CJ told him calmly. "Toby would you look for some bandages or a first aid kit? There's gotta be something laying around." Toby, happy for a distraction, started looking through Josh's cabinets for something.
"Oh," Josh replied. His eyebrows knitted together and then Josh winced in pain. His hands shot up to his forehead and were again painted with fresh blood.
"Josh, no, no," CJ reached out to pull his hands away, in turn getting some blood on her own hands. She ignored it. "Josh, where's your first aid kit? Where's all the supplies the doctor sent you home with?"
"I-I," Josh began stuttering. CJ cut him off. "Toby, check the bedroom, I'm sure there's fresh bandages in there." Toby quickly made his way back to the room. CJ looked to Josh again.
"What happened, Josh?" CJ tried again. Josh's hands rose to settle on his chest, right over the spot where his bandages were and he closed his eyes. He didn't reply.
CJ rose her head and saw the sink was right above them. She stood and then quickly snatched up a washcloth that was sitting near the edge. She ran it under the tap and then dropped back into a sitting position next to Josh.
"Let me see your hands," she told him gently. Josh still didn't answer so CJ reached out to grab one. Josh remained still, his gaze drifting around the room and CJ went to work on wiping off the bloodstains.
After she'd finished cleaning the first hand, Toby was rushing back into the room with a few bandages and some antiseptic. "I found some uh, I don't know. Some stuff."
He crouched down to Josh's other side.
"Do you think he needs stitches?" CJ asked him worriedly.
Toby grimaced as he eyed up the wound. "Maybe. I don't know. You think he has a concussion?"
"Shit," CJ muttered. "He seems pretty out of it, doesn't he?"
Toby shrugged. "Maybe he didn't take his pills or something and it's made him a little funny."
"Josh, we're going to clean up your head a little bit okay?" CJ said as she finished cleaning off his hands. Josh gave a barely perceptible nod and CJ quickly got to work, cleaning off the dried blood from Josh's face. Josh winced every time the cloth got close to his cut, but didn't object.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
"Yeah," Josh responded quietly. He was looking down at his lap. His legs were now crossed with his back straight against the cupboard. His gaze fell to CJ's hands as they rose to dab at Josh's face.
"I'm sorry," Josh said in a half whisper. He raised a hand and pointed out the blood now staining CJ's hands. His blood. "I didn't mean it." CJ paused, her face a picture of confusion. She pulled the washcloth away.
"What do you mean, Josh?" Josh looked away.
"W-we're at home, right?" he asked slowly. "We're not there?"
"Where-"
"Rosslyn," Toby answered.
"We're not in Rosslyn, Josh."
"But your hands," Josh muttered.
"What about them?"
"They're dirty again."
"Josh, I thought you didn't remember Rosslyn?" CJ asked worriedly.
Josh raised his arm and pointed his hand towards his head, waving it lightly.
"Comes back sometimes."
"We're home, Josh," CJ told him firmly. Unsure what to do next; she tried to ground him in the reality that he was not back at Rosslyn.
"You know, I like your socks," CJ said in a teasing tone, hoping it might get through to Josh. Josh was wearing a pair of fluffy red socks with green stripes, Christmas themed.
"Donna," Josh replied in a voice just above a whisper. CJ and Toby shared a smile.
"So you'll wear Donna's socks, but not my pajamas?" CJ questioned. She returned to cleaning off Josh's forehead. Josh smiled, but still had a faraway look on his face. He didn't answer.
There was noise from the main hallways as a door started to creak open. All three of them jumped, causing a hiss of pain to emit from Josh.
"Josh?" It was Sam. "I brought some lunch over."
Moments later, Sam walked into the kitchen, a brown paper bag from Josh's favorite sandwich shop clutched in his hand.
"JOSH!" he cried as he saw his friend on the floor. Sam dropped the bag and practically threw himself into a slide to get to him.
"What happened?" he demanded, his eyes flicking from CJ to Toby as a hand came up to lightly inspect Josh's wound.
"We're still trying to find out," Toby told him.
"Do you think he needs stitches?" Sam asked.
"Maybe," Toby replied. "Put the band-aid on him, CJ."
"He seems pretty out of it, Sam."
"Josh, did you take your meds?" Sam asked Josh softly. The tone he used made CJ and Toby think he'd asked this question before.
"Yes," Josh muttered back, looking at Sam. And after a beat, his head turned away. "No."
"Josh-"
"I tried to!" Josh cried out. He then grabbed at his chest immediately. The outburst casing a painful jolt to shoot through him. Josh groaned heavily and pulled his knees back up to his chest, sinking his head into his arms again.
"Josh." Sam put a hand on Josh's forearm and spoke as calmly as he could. "What do you mean you tried?"
Josh just shook his head, his face still hidden. Exhaustion radiated off of him. Sam's phone started ringing and everybody jumped again, startled by the noise.
"Hello?"
"Donna, hey."
"Yeah-"
"Donna I'm over now, you need to get down here."
"I think he's gonna be fine but-"
"Donna, it's not that bad, don't rush through any traffic lights or put yourself in harm's way. We can hold the fort down until you get here." Sam exchanged a few more words with Donna on the phone before shutting it closed. He looked around at the group.
"Donna's on her way."
"She's gonna kill us" CJ muttered.
"Why?" Sam's eyes narrowed. At CJ and Toby's sheepish looks he continued. "I figured Josh called one of you two or something and that's why you're here."
CJ frowned. "Not exactly."
"You brought work over?"
CJ nodded guiltily and looked at Josh, who still had his head buried in his arms. His face obscured completely.
"He seemed fine the other day," Toby said quietly.
"You guys realize that you got him between doses then right?" Sam asked, his voice testy. "There's a reason Donna specifies what times you guys should come over."
"What-"
"You don't see how tired he gets or how much pain he's in the rest of the day," Sam continued bitterly. "Maybe if you'd just listened to what Donna says-"
"Hey we were the ones who found him here and were taking care of him!" Toby began angrily.
CJ noticed Josh's hands tighten at Toby's raised voice and she rested her own hand across his forearm again.
"It doesn't matter. We're here now," she interrupted before Sam and Toby's argument could continue.
"I'm just saying," Sam said, quieter now. "There's a reason Donna's rules exist." Toby conceded with a nod.
They heard another few clicks from the door opening and soon Donna was rushing into the kitchen, eyes wild as she looked for Josh.
"What happened?" she asked frantically as she met them. Josh looked up at hearing her voice and she sat down in the space to Josh's left.
"Oh Josh," she muttered as she saw the band-aid on his forehead. She explored it gently with her fingers and recoiled as Josh winced. She looked to Sam. "Did he take his meds?"
"Apparently not," Sam replied glumly. "We're still trying to figure out why."
"He should have taken them an hour ago," Donna said worriedly. She scanned Josh and took in his body language. The way he was holding himself, she knew he was in pain, but he seemed too daze to even realize. Josh was paying no attention to their conversation and leaned over to rest his head on Donna's shoulder. She smiled at the gesture and grabbed one of his hands.
"Josh, how did you cut your head?" she asked him. Josh didn't answer and Donna squeezed his hand.
"Josh?"
"Hm?" he asked, realizing she was talking to him.
"How did you hurt your head?"
"Oh." He paused. "Fell."
"Where?" Josh picked his head up from her shoulder briefly and pointed at a counter across the room. Toby stood up and went to investigate. Sure enough he found a bright red splotch on the corner of the counter. He gestured at CJ to throw him the now soiled washcloth and wiped up the splotch.
"What made you fall?" Donna continued to question.
"I needed the," Josh paused. "The thing. The cap thing." Sam, CJ, and Toby all looked at each other, confused.
"For the pill bottle? The thing that helps you get the cap off?" Donna supplied.
Josh nodded with a wince. "I couldn't open the new bottle."
"And you came in here and slipped?" Donna filled in the gaps.
"Sorry," Josh muttered.
"It's okay," Donna replied back immediately. "I shouldn't have given you those fluffy socks. A hand had found its way to Josh's hair and was absentmindedly playing with it.
"They're warm," Josh told her and Donna smiled.
"How bad is the cut?" she asked the rest of the group who were silently watching the pair of them. The way they sat was so intimate and yet casual, but seeing the comfort it obviously brought Josh, no one dared say a word.
"We should probably take him to the emergency room," Sam responded somberly. "Even if he doesn't need stitches, he could have a concussion." Donna nodded.
"Josh-"
"No," he immediately told her. He lifted his head from her shoulder and was hit with a coughing fit. It took a a minute or two for him to fully gather his bearings. He crossed his arms across his chest tightly, his face a picture of pain. "No emergency room," he said, stumbling across the many syllables of "emergency".
"Josh you might need stitches," CJ told him sternly. He looked up at CJ and the sadness and fear in his eyes broke her heart.
"I'm sorry, mi amor," CJ told him sympathetically.
"I'm fine," he said turning to look at Donna. Donna wasn't buying it. Though she understood completely why Josh didn't want to go, this was too important.
"Come on. I'll take you." Donna stood up.
"Me too," Sam stated, brushing his pants off as he stood. Josh remained seated.
"I've seen enough d-doctors lately," he said stubbornly.
A cell phone started to ring and all of them except Josh quickly checked their pockets until realizing it was Toby's phone that had gone off.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hey Leo," Toby answered, giving a look to everyone. He turned and walked out of the room, explaining to Leo what happened.
"I guess me and Toby will go back to the office. Leo's probably ready to fire all of us," CJ joked. "Do you need anything Donna?" Donna glanced down at Josh still slumped on the floor.
"I think we'll be okay." Donna gave a small smile and glanced at Sam who smiled back at her. They had been working hard together to help Josh as much as they could through his recovery and though Donna took on the bulk of the responsibility, Sam had been a huge help over the past month.
Toby walked back into the room.
"Yeah, CJ we gotta go. Leo's a little pissed off no one told him what was going on."
"Hey!" Toby said sharply. He noticed Josh's head had started drooping, his eyelids drifting close. "Alright he probably has a concussion. Don't let him fall asleep." Josh's head perked up, his eyes bleary.
"What?"
"You're not supposed to let people who have concussions fall asleep, it's dangerous."
"How do you know that?" CJ asked.
"David had one once. We had to keep him awake for hours." He held a hand out for CJ. "Come on, let's go. Josh doesn't need all four of us to go with him to the hospital." CJ nodded but hesitated with a last look at Josh, who was pitiful on the floor. At least now his face was mostly clean, but she could see a faint red smudge appearing behind the bandage.
"Josh, you're going to the hospital, don't be an idiot and let Sam and Donna help you," Toby scolded. Josh's head tilted to the side as he looked up at him. Toby figured if his head wasn't so fogged up, Josh would be glaring at him.
"Feel better, Josh," CJ said genuinely, ignoring Toby. She turned to Donna. "Call us when you have any news?" Donna nodded.
"He's gonna be fine, Donna," CJ smiled. "Just a bump to the head." Donna gave a nervous laugh.
"Hope so."
"Alright, call us later," CJ said as she walked out, a finger pointing to them. Before the reached the front door Toby stopped them.
"Wait," Toby muttered. He gestured to CJ's hands that were still covered in dried blood. They quickly detoured to the bathroom and shut the door behind them. Toby turned on the tap for CJ and held out some soap. The situation was eerily familiar. CJ closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself and then went to work scrubbing her hands as hard as she could, trying to get every last drop of red removed from her skin. Some time, she turned off the tap and Toby was ready with a towel for her. She smiled her thanks and leaned back against the wall, a thud sounding when her back made contact.
"CJ?" Toby said softly. CJ started shaking her head and Toby just nodded before he pulled her into a hug. They could a small cry of pain from Josh in the other room as Sam and Donna tried to stand him upright.
"Let's go," Toby said, not unkindly as he broke off the hug. He took CJ's hand and they made their way out of the apartment. They saw Sam with an arm across Josh's back, propping him up in the kitchen as they left.
Sam turned to Donna as they heard the front door close.
"Stop, stop stop," Josh whined. "I'm not going to the emergency room."
"Josh, you probably have a concussion, you're going to the emergency room."
"I don't have a concussion."
"Are you a doctor?" Donna asked him.
There was a pause. "No."
"Then let's go."
Many hours later, after an arduous wait to get Josh in with a doctor, and after a subsequent CT scan, Josh was sat in a hospital be. He looked unhappy under a mound of blankets and pillows and had Sam and Donna either side of him. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and had needed a few stitches to the wound in his head. They were keeping him overnight for observation to make sure the trauma wouldn't adversely affect his recovery from his chest wound. He was now stocked up on the pain pills he had meant to take earlier and in turn, was much more active and talkative.
"Do I really need to stay here overnight?" he whined, looking at Donna.
"Why do you think I have the power to override the doctor's orders," Donna replied, exasperated.
"I donno, you're good at bossing people around," Josh said back.
"Josh-"
Before Donna could answer again in full, Leo walked in the door. Toby and CJ behind him.
"We ought to start wrapping you in bubble wrap," he declared as he entered the room.
Josh smirked and rolled his head on his pillow to face Leo.
"Donno if that'd be enough."
"With your luck?" Leo said as he pulled up a chair. "Probably not."
CJ and Toby looked relieved to see him joking around. The man sat on the bed looked miles better than the one that had been sat on the kitchen floor.
"You feeling better?" CJ asked him. She walked over and grabbed one of Josh's hands.
"Gonna take more than a kitchen counter to stop me," he said with false bravado. His eyes lingered on CJ's hand for a brief moment and he looked up and smiled.
"You gotta stop scaring us like this," CJ told him.
"It's not like I'm doing it on purpose," Josh replied, a little annoyed.
"You slipped because your socks were too slippery though?" Toby asked disbelievingly, trying to get Josh to keep arguing.
"We're glad you're okay, kid," Leo said, interrupting before Josh could reply. He glared at Toby.
Josh gave a tired smile.
"Wish I didn't have to be stuck here again though," he muttered darkly.
"Josh, you're gonna stay wherever Donna tells you to," Toby told him sharply. After the whole debacle his respect for Donna's rules had risen ten-fold. Josh pulled a face.
"I thought you hated the rules."
Toby looked down at his shoes before answering.
"I get why they're important now." He shot an apologetic look to Donna that Donna didn't quite understand, but she gave him a warm smile nontheless.
"The President sends his best Josh and kindly requested that you stop finding yourself in the hospital," Leo told him. Josh's right arm came up in exasperation.
"I'm not doing it on purpose!" he said again, a little too passionately as he winced and grabbed at his chest again.
"He also wanted you to know that Abbey will be making weekly house visits and reporting back to him on your progress," Leo said, a hint of apology in his voice. Donna and Sam looked delighted with this. Josh might not always listen to their orders, but he wouldn't dare defy the First Lady.
"Y'know if I never complained about my feet being cold, this never would have happened," he said glumly, his head fell back against the pillows.
"You would have been warmer if you wore the pajamas I got you," CJ suggested, her eyes sparkling. Josh sighed.
"Don't blame the socks," Toby grumbled. "I've seen you trip over your own feet too many times to count. I doubt it was the socks' fault."
"It's true," came the reply from everyone in the room.
"I'm the victim here, how am I on the defensive?" Josh demanded. A doctor soon made her way through the door and explained to the group that visiting hours were over and only one visitor would be allowed to stay overnight. The group filtered out with rounds of "goodbye" and "feel better", but Josh turned as he saw Donna stay put.
"You staying?" he asked her, trying not to sound hopeful. Donna looked at the doctor who nodded.
"Do you want me to?"
He nodded tiredly and she gave a sigh of relief.
"Want me to go and see if there are any new science magazines I can swipe?" Donna asked with a laugh. "I think we've exhausted the Theory of Everything."
Josh smiled and settled into the pillows. "Okay."
A few minutes later when Donna made her way back to the room, her arms full of magazines, she found Josh fast asleep. She quietly made her way to the visitor's chair and sat down. Josh had dark circles under his eyes and stubble across his cheeks. His face was thankfully free of blood now, the bandage covering his stitches took up a large portion of his forehead. She reached out and brushed her thumb over it, as though checking it was on securely enough. Then she sat back in her chair and began to read out loud from latest issue of Science magazine. Within 15 minutes, she fell asleep too.
END.