Chapter 2

Josh finished the tea and started up the stairs.  Donna was still awake and working on her laptop when he got to the guest room.  He smiled a weary smile as he went into the adjoining bathroom and got ready for bed.  He came out in a t-shirt and a pair of flannel pants.

"You take your pills?" asked Donna without looking up from the computer.

"Yeah and I took some Advil too."

Donna looked up as he grabbed a book off of the bookshelf and climbed into bed.  "Headache?"

"A little." he admitted as he pulled the quilt over his legs.  "Damn" he muttered as he threw the quilt off again and went over to grab his reading glasses out of his backpack.  After much prodding from Donna he had finally given in and made an appointment with the eye doctor a year earlier.  He had recommended bifocals and Josh had flat out refused them.  Now a year later, he had just ordered a pair.  He was tired of losing the reading glasses and decided that just wearing them all the time would solve that problem.

Josh read while Donna finished up what she was doing on the computer. She never asked what he and Abbey had talked about and he didn't offer any information about their conversation.

Finally the book slipped from Josh's grip and slid to the floor.  Donna reached over to take off his glasses and nudge him a bit to get him to lie down.  She brushed back his hair.  It had gotten thinner and started to turn gray over the years but it was still as unruly as it had always been.  After kissing his forehead she settled down next to him as he rolled over onto his stomach.  She reached under his shirt to rub his back for a minute before falling asleep herself.

The boys were awake by 7 the next morning.  Abbey had managed to grab them before they woke their parents.  She made them a quick breakfast and then they dressed quickly to go exploring in the barn.  Donna was up by 8 and she threw on her robe, leaving Josh to catch up on his sleep.

Abbey was on the phone in the kitchen when Donna walked in.  She poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed an afghan off the sofa in the living room.  The morning air was chilly as she stepped outside and sat on the porch swing.  She finished half the coffee by the time Abbey wandered out.

"Josh still asleep?"

"Yeah.  He slept pretty well. I only heard him get up once.  Jed still asleep?"

"No, he's in the study doing his morning ritual of reading the paper and yelling at CNN."

"Ah.  Where are the boys?"

"In the barn looking for snakes."

"Yeah, well, I hope they don't expect Josh to get up and go help them in that endeavor." laughed Donna.

They looked out over the property until they heard a loud thud from in the house and Jed's voice yelling for Abbey.  Donna tossed aside the coffee and unwrapped the afghan just as quick as she could.

They found Jed kneeling in the kitchen over Josh's body.  Abbey dropped to the floor as she told Donna to get her bag off the table.  Josh was on his side, his eyes were closed and he was moaning slightly.

"Jed what happened?" asked Donna as she handed Abbey the black bag.  Donna knelt down next to Josh and held his hand.

"We were talking, he mumbled something I couldn't understand, he went to take a step towards the chair and his legs gave out."

"OK, I need you to call 911 and alert the agents.  Get one of them to go down to the barn and keep the boys there for now." said Abbey as she turned her attention back to Josh.  "Josh, can you hear me?" she asked as she rolled him over onto his back.

He nodded and tried to say something.

"It's OK.  Don't try and talk, just nod.  Are you in any pain?"

He nodded a little and pointed to his head with his left hand.

"Head hurts?"

Josh nodded again.

"Just stay still.  I'm going to take your blood pressure and listen to your heart, ok?"

She took a quick reading and listened to his heart and lungs for a minute.  She leaned over Josh and took his hands in hers.  "Josh I want you to squeeze my hands."  He squeezed with both but there was considerably less strength in his right hand.

"OK, that's good.  You just relax for a minute." said Abbey as she turned her attention towards Donna. 

"What's your gut feeling?" she asked, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to overflow.

"Stroke.  So every minute's going to count.  I need you to go get dressed and grab any medication Josh takes on a regular basis.  Get your insurance information and anything else you'll need."

Donna nodded, kissed Josh's hand and ran down the hall.  As she was coming back down she heard the EMT's at the front door.  They did a quick exam, agreed with Abbey's diagnosis and strapped Josh onto the gurney.  Jed appeared in the kitchen as they were getting ready to wheel him out.  He looked at Abbey with fear in his blue eyes.

"Most likely a stroke.  Stay here for now.  We don't need a media circus.  It will be bad enough, I'm sure it is all over that a 911 call was made from here as it is.  Keep an eye on the boys, call Leo and call Sam."

Jed nodded as he walked towards Josh.  He reached out and brushed back Josh's hair, just as he had done 13 years earlier when Josh was first coming out of the anesthesia after his 14 hour surgery.  Jed leaned over and kissed Josh's forehead as he was wheeled out.

TBC