When Lightning Strikes Twice
Author: Donna'sLittleBuddy
Rating: PG-13 to be safe
Couples: J/D... to start
Category: Angst, Drama, Romance
Summary: Josh is shot again. What will happen this time?Disclaimers: These characters aren't mine (god knows I wish that they were) they belong to Aaron Sorkin etc.
Author's Notes: This is my first fanfic so tell me if you like it. This takes place in the second term of the administration, but since it is an AU Sam is still at the White House, and Will is not. Major Major Angst Alert!! You may want lots of tissues. I even had a hard time writing it. Please read and review. Your comments will be greatly appreciated.
When Lightning Strikes Twice
Chapter 1
The shot heard around her world
November 11
11:27 PM
She heard the door click open and shut. "Shit." She knew that she should have locked the door."Donna! Donna, where are you?" Toby was calling.
She turned off the shower hoping that he wouldn't notice. Maybe if she stayed quiet he would leave. The initial shock had gone away. After hearing the news she had taken off. His note had still been on the counter when she had come in the apartment.
Donna,
I have to go back to the office to grab
Some files. Don't worry I'll be back
By the time you have dinner ready.
Try not to miss me too much.
Love,
Josh
And now. She remembered seeing it and thinking maybe drowning herself in the shower wouldn't be so bad. If only Toby hadn't come.
"Donna." She heard the turning of the knob for the bathroom. "Donna?" Toby opened the shower door and wrapped a towel around her shoulders drawing her in tight.
That was the final straw. She felt her control slip and she knew that she wasn't going to be able to regain it. She hadn't cried when CJ told her that he had been shot. She remembered the familiar sense of dread and darkness that wanted to consume her just like when she had found out what had happened at Rosslyn. The first sob wrenched through her body as he held her tight. She felt her knees give out. Felt him keep her from falling until he was on his knees, and then the heart breaking sobs that were so full of sadness that you could feel it within your very soul. There was Toby sitting in the middle of the bathroom floor holding her as he ran his hand through her hair and whispered gently trying to calm her.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
November 12
3:41 AM
She woke up not knowing where she was, but realizing that someone else was there too. She looked around.
"Josh, why are you giving me that look?"
"You must have been having a nightmare. You were crying hysterically and mumbling something about 'not again'. I wasn't sure what to do."
"I thought that you had been shot, but you're right it must have been a nightmare."
"You still have those nightmares?"
"No, actually this is the first that I've had in quite awhile."
Then she heard it. "Donna. Donna."
"Josh, why is CJ here?"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Donna, wake up." She opened her eyes to see CJ
"Why are you here? Where's Josh?"
"Donna, he's at the hospital. Don't you remember? He was shot." She felt her world start to crumble as reality replaced her dream.
"Donna if you eat we can go and see him. He is still in critical condition, but Mrs. Bartlet has talked to the doctor s and the surgery seemed to go alright."
She heard the words that CJ said, but they didn't seem to register anything other than 'critical'.
"Are you up to it?" She nodded, knowing that if she opened her mouth a rush of tears would still come.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The car ride had been awful. The silence had been enough to make CJ's uneasiness noticeable. Palpable. They had arrived at the hospital and she had been greeted by an on slaughter of hugs from the entire staff. She tried to appreciate all the support that the staff was trying to give, but all she really wanted was to see Josh. Sam saw her and moved to her side.
"Come on. I'll take you to his room."
She nodded and let Sam lead her to Josh's room as Toby fell in step behind them. Upon entering the room she knew she would lose it. The noise of the machines and the whole atmosphere was too familiar. All the tubes and wires attached to him brought back all the memories that she had buried. The machines and monitors made him look like a robot that was part of someone's science fair project. She reached out and caught Sam's hand gripping it tightly for support. Toby came around and started rubbing her back, trying to get her to calm down.
"Do you want me to get someone? CJ? Abbey?" Toby's eyes were soft, they glinted with unnatural compassion.
His tone held all the worry that he wasn't allowing himself to show on his face. She whispered "no" as she let go of what she had been mentally holding on to and let the darkness that she had been fighting since she had entered Josh's room envelope her. Letting her fall into an all to familiar dream world.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"She doesn't seem to healthy."
"Look at how pale she is."
She heard the voices and realized what had happened. She moved a little and felt the arms she had been in loosen up. Opening her eyes she saw Toby. Toby, it was always Toby in the end. He shifted.
"Donna, do you want to be with him now?"
A nod. He helped her to her feet and led her to a chair by the bed. She instantly tried to fix his unruly hair and then realized that it didn't matter, letting her hand drop to his. She heard the door open and shut as the staff filed out of the room.
She felt the tears fall.
"How could you have this happen Josh?"
She stopped as if waiting to hear his retort.
"Why couldn't you have waited till morning to get what you needed? Why do you have this habit of being at the wrong place at the wrong time?"
She remembered how she had heard from the other end that it had just been a random attack. She didn't know if the person even realized Josh was who he was.
"Well, I really don't care about the answers to the other questions. However you better not leave me!"
The tears were flowing freely now. She didn't notice the president entering the room.
"I need you! I feel like just got you and now I have to let go too soon. But you can't. So you better not try it! I can't have it now. Not now Josh! NOT NOW!"
She let her head fall into her hands as she sobbed. The president came around to the side of the chair where Donna had managed to plop herself in. He put his arms around her shoulders and held her until she had cried herself to sleep.
TBC....