Donna slowly woke up to the steady beep of Josh's heart rate monitor. Though she was groggy and slightly confused at first, she was smiling even before she opened her eyes. He was right there, in the same room, and those perfectly timed beeps were music to her ears. Rubbing her eyes and taking in her surroundings, it didn't take her long to realize he was still completely out of it. She stretched, making her way over to him. They were alone, so she didn't hesitate to kiss his forehead when she told him good morning. That little gesture would have to stop soon enough, she told herself, so one last time wouldn't hurt.
And with that, she gathered the bag of clothes that CJ had dropped off and took a hot shower. Once she was pleased with her fresh faced, ready for the day appearance, she tidied up the room, told a sleeping Josh she'd be right back and walked to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee.
She squared her shoulders and stood up straight. She assured herself that her prior breakdown was but a minor blip on the radar. She was back and she was going to be strong for him.
Carrying her warm cup back upstairs, she flipped open her cell phone and made a few calls, leaving messages where need be. She'd made sure the office was covered and then moved on to personal items- checking in with everyone she knew he'd need to speak to and making arrangements for his vehicle.
Dr. Wilson explained that Josh should be waking up at any time, and though he'd be in pain he'd be able to manage it without sedation. They'd examine him and determine where his care was headed, but that they were pleased with his vitals at this point.
"I'm sure he'll be glad to have a familiar face in here," he added, moving to read a chart. "I'll be back in a few hours."
OooooooooO
Ava Lyman stood in the doorway to her son's hospital room clutching a bag of breakfast and a cup of fresh tea for Donna. The last few days had been an emotional rollercoaster. She'd barely been able to process the thought of coming so close to losing her son. And though he'd made it through surgery, she realized he still had a long way to go in his recovery.
He'd certainly beaten the odds once again, and for that she would be eternally grateful. She couldn't handle the loss of her only remaining family member.
But, of all of the strange revelations she'd had in the last days, one stood out more than the others. She stood quietly, not wishing to make her presence known, and watched. Donna sat beside Josh's bed, softly speaking to him and gently holding his hand. Though her son's eyes were closed Ava could tell he was awake by the small, content smile that would occasional peek up in the corners of his mouth when she spoke.
This woman, she thought, was exactly the medicine her son needed.
OooooooooO
Once Josh was awake once again, Donna buzzed the front desk to notify them of their semi-coherent patient. Dr. Wilson introduced himself to Josh and explained once again, very calmly, the procedure Josh had undergone.
"Were just going to need to examine you and change your bandage and then we will be out of your way for a while." Dr. Wilson turned to Donna, who was quietly sitting by Josh's bedside. "Miss Moss? Would you like to step out?"
"Oh." Donna hasn't really thought about it but didn't want to make Josh uncomfortable. She moved slightly, to grab her phone.
"S'okay," Josh glanced over to her and muttered softly. "She can stay," he told the doctor, who nodded his head in acknowledgment and began to examine Josh from head to toe.
Donna could tell that Josh hated the poking and prodding, but he was handling it all very well and seemed to be getting along with Dr. Wilson.
Donna was glad she'd stayed when they began to discuss pain management for Josh, as well as respiratory care and physical therapy in the next weeks.
Dr. Wilson pulled down Josh's gown to his waist and a nurse began to remove large bandages covering his wounds. There were more than she'd anticipated, smaller bandages covering tiny incisions for a chest tube and a spot on his arm, as well as the larger incision and his bullet wound. She swallowed hard at the concrete evidence that he had a bullet wound.
As the nurse peeled the coverings away, Donna's heart dropped into her stomach. No, she wasn't disgusted, and she didn't pity him, she was simply dismayed at the thought that someone could do this to him.
Josh, who has never done well with any kind of blood, looked away, not wishing to catch a glimpse of what was going on. He scanned the room with his eyes, searching for something to focus on, locking eyes with Donna. He was so afraid he'd see pity or disgust, but he saw neither. Instead, he was met with unwavering support and a gentle kindness from which he drew comfort he needed.
Once the wounds were bandaged again, his tubes and monitors checked and cleared, Dr. Wilson motioned for Donna to join him beside the bed. "Josh, "I'd like to you try and sit up for just a few moments and then we're going to get you to stand up and try to get the blood flowing in your legs. Donna, would you like to stand next to him over here?"
With some strategic maneuvering, Josh was sitting up on the side of his bed, letting the blood flow normalize so he didn't get a head rush.
"Okay, and go ahead and stand up," Dr. Wilson stood close to Josh, one hand on his elbow and the other on the opposite shoulder. Donna flanked him on the other side of him, her hand lightly resting on his back. Once he was standing she moved a bit closer before she even thought about it. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him. Conscious of his incisions, she moved closer to him, their bodies barely touching. Dr. Wilson let go of his patient so Josh could take a short stroll.
Donna, however, remained where she was.
"If you want to get handsy with me, Donna, you can just ask," he smirked.
She lifted her hand to scratch his now stubbly chin. "Just make sure you're able to keep up with me, Lyman," she winked at him. "Come on," she took a step in front of him and shot him a smile. "I'll brief you while we walk to the nurse's station and back."
OooooooooO
After their brief walk Josh was exhausted, and somewhat shocked at his lack of stamina. Dr. Wilson had helped him lay back down and was making sure he was connected to the stationary heart rate monitor, other medical devices and now the morphine drip, which he would need in an hour or so as his pain meds continued to wear off.
Josh was flopped down on his hospital bed looking, in Donna's opinion, a little sorry for himself. She didn't want him to brood, as being both cooped up and in a bad mood wasn't going to do him any favors. She let the doctor work as she refilled his mug with cold water, rounding the corner of the pulled curtain and stopping dead in her tracks, ready to turn and leave, hoping she was unseen. Josh, however, seemed to be oblivious to the fact that he was as naked as the day he was born.
"Is that water?" he asked, sounding somewhat helpless, a stark contrast from his snark only a few minutes prior.
"Yes." Donna decided if he wasn't going to be uncomfortable she certainly wouldn't either. Besides, its nothing she hadn't seen before. She stepped over to stand beside him and held the large mug, poking him in the cheek with the straw a few times to get a laugh out of him before he took a drink.
"Alright, Mr. Lyman, you can put your gown back on. Page me if you need anything," he called as he excited the room, leaving Josh and Donna alone again.
Josh sat there for just a moment before the doctors words registered with him. "My gown," he repeated before letting out a large whelp. "DONNA!" he struggled to cover himself up but between the lack of mobility and the exhaustion, the attempt was mostly futile.
Donna very calmly pulled the blanket up to his waist to give him some semblance of modesty. Josh struggled to pull it up even farther, covering himself to his shoulders as he stared at Donna, who was taking her time unfolding a clean hospital gown.
"Here," she told him holding the arms up to him.
He simply looked at her in disbelief.
"Joshua," she sighed, letting her arms fall a bit. "The next few months are going to be difficult, we both know that. And I know you'd rather be hard headed and independent about all of this, but seriously, you have to let me help you. I just want what's best for you, Josh. I want you to get better."
He muttered something under his breath.
"So," she continued, "I can help you get dressed or you can call a nurse. Or your mother."
Josh groaned, letting the blanket fall and allowing her to help him. Once he was settled back into his bed he muttered a quiet 'thank you' but couldn't seem to look her in the eye.
"You're welcome," she told him, her voice firm. "Besides," she continued to fuss over his blankets, "it's not like I haven't seen the Lyman family jewels before," she smirked.
"DONNA!" he couldn't believe she'd said that. It was such an unspoken topic between them. "This is… different."
"You're right," she admitted, her voice taking on an entirely different tone. "It is. But Josh, there are going to be lots of obstacles in the next few months and in all seriousness, you need to understand that I'm going to be here for you. You don't have to feel awkward about asking me for something, or for not feeling well or for having some kind of medical issue. It's just the way it its going to be for a little while and the sooner you accept that the sooner you can move on and we can get through this together."
"You're good to me, Donna Moss," he told her, appreciating what she was saying.
"Don't I know it," she laughed. "And don't worry about the other thing either. I'm very aware of your, erm, shall we say full potential?"
His eyes widened once again as he mentally counted down the seconds for the morphine to kick in so he didn't have to address this issue head on anymore.
Her smirk grew a bit more as she narrowed her gaze on him, her eyes taking on a sultry look. "And Joshua? I assure you… You have nothing to be ashamed about in that department."
OooooooooO
"Donna?" He was just waking up after dozing off for a few minutes.
"Hmm?"
"These socks are itchy."
Donna had been focused on work for the last few hours as Josh alternately dozed and chatted with her about a very bizarre combination of topics. He'd been demanding very odd things all morning- to speak with everyone from Senators to Lord Marbury, and while Donna wasn't going to allow that she was also exhausted. It would be just so much easier to give into him. She looked up from the email she was reading to find him staring at her as if itchy socks were the most pressing matter in the world.
She stat her laptop to the side, standing up and moving to his feet. She began to peel one of the socks off when he protested loudly.
"No! What are you doing?"
"I'm taking your socks off. You just told me they itched." She stated the obvious.
"Don't take them off," he curled his toes a bit, the only physical protest he could muster.
"Okay… what do you want me to do about the itchy socks?"
He thought about it for a minute, and she could see the morphine soaked wheels turning in his mind. "I'd like to file a complaint," he stated with finality.
"A complaint." She tried to bite her tongue to prevent herself from laughing. He was taking himself very seriously. "With whom?"
"The sock people. Get them on the phone."
"Josh, I'm not sure you can file a complaint with the sock people."
"I'm the Deputy Chief of Staff, Donnatella. I'm a very powerful man."
"I'm aware," she smirked.
"So, get them on the phone."
She looked at him for a minute and contemplated what to do before pulling her phone out and dialing a familiar number.
"Toby Ziegler's office," the gruff voice came over the line.
"Yes, um," she glanced over at Josh who was waiting expectantly. "This is Josh Lyman's office-"
"Tell them who I am," he attempted to whisper.
"…this is Deputy Chief of Staff Josh's Lymans office," she corrected herself with an eye roll.
"Donna, what are you talking about," Toby interrupted on the other end of the phone.
"Mr. Lyman would like to file a complaint regarding a pair of itchy socks," she continued.
"Mr. Lyman," he repeated smugly, a cocky grin on his face.
Toby burst out laughing. "I just received your email warning me about this- What in the hell is going on over there."
Donna bit her lip to stifle a laugh. It felt good to be happy again for a moment. "I'm going to hand the phone to Josh now," she stated, sitting back to watch the rest of the entertainment unfold before her.
OooooooooO
"Why didn't they give me a knife," Josh wondered out loud, staring at his hospital issued dinner tray. "I wonder if it's because of the silent K?"
"Or maybe it's due to the fact that you're being served Jello and clear broth?" He'd been saying strange things all day.
"Knife. Knight, night. Knock. Knot, not."
Donna stared at him. He wasn't making any sense, spouting off a random assortment of words.
"Know, no. Knuckle. Knock… Knapsack."
"Well there's that 760 verbal shining through," Donna muttered to herself. Finally, Josh stopped speaking, looked at Donna and smiled. She couldn't help but smile back. He finally looked happy. He hadn't looked that happy in days.
"I've figured out the problem, Donna!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Silent K's. From now on, no more words with silent K's, Okay?"
She grinned broadly. "Whatever you say."
"It's a Rule," he emphasized the importance of his new decision, knowing damn good and well that if it was a rule she'd make sure it was followed. "Be sure to tell the other's it's a rule."
"I'll get right on that," she appeased him.
And like clockwork, Sam strolled in, a smile on his face. "Hi guys!" Sam was always perky.
"Tell him, Donna," Josh spoke in a low, urgent tone. "It's important that you tell him."
"I know," she conceded.
"You WHAT?" He was incredulous upon hearing her choice of words.
"I'm aware of the importance," she told him with mock indignation. "I'm apprised of the situation, Joshua."
"Yeah. That's what I thought you said," he muttered.
"Don't use words with silent K's in Josh's presence," she haphazardly warned Sam. She rolled her eyes a bit as she spoke, but she secretly loved it. Her man had come back to her.
Josh repeatedly pressed the red button on his morphine clicker, even though his maximum allowed dosage was already beginning to course through his veins.
"I'll be back in about 20 minutes," she told him, grabbing a note pad and her cell phone.
"You're leaving me?" He shot her a sad look.
"Just for a minute," she assured him, moving his blankets around to make him more comfortable and doing a visual once over to make sure every seemed to be okay before she dared even walk down the hall. "I have to make a quick phone call to Leo and sign some paperwork for your insurance. But Sam's here to keep you company," she told him cheerily.
"Kay."
"Need anything before I go," she asked.
"How 'bout a kiss?"
Sam did a double take and Donna rolled her eyes. "The morphine makes him say crazy things," she told Sam in an aside. "You'll see."
"Aw, c'mon, Donna. I'm wounded. I can't get one little kiss?" Josh was now in a full on whine.
She chuckled under her breath before leaning down and giving him a peck on the cheek. "Get it together," she whispered so that only he could hear before standing up and smoothing his blanket one more time. "Goodbye, Joshua," she told him somewhat sarcastically before leaving the room.
"She's way too good to you, man," Sam remarked with a laugh, thinking of everything Donna had put up with over the years.
"Yeah," Josh agreed. "She's like... the perfect woman."
"Yeah." Sam raised his eyebrows a bit before agreeing with his drugged friend.
"Hey, back off." Josh furrowed his brow. "She's mine."
Sam chuckled at that, thinking Donna would probably slap him if she heard that remark. It was well known in DC that nobody was allowed to look twice at Donna Moss, per decree of the Deputy Chief of Staff.
A silent moment passed between them as Josh began to grow tired, his mind clearly still focused on Donna.
"She's smart and funny and smart..."
"...you said smart twice," Sam interjected.
"...and caring and patient..." Josh didn't even slow his slightly slurred speech. "AND she's gorgeous."
"She is." Sam agreed.
"Hey, Sam?" Josh yawned.
"Hmm?"
"I'm da man," he smiled confidently in the direction of the doorway before his eyes blinked closed again and he drifted off to sleep.
Sam gave Josh an odd look, not wanting to argue with him in this state. "Whatever you say, buddy."
XxxxxxxX
Well, kids, it looks like the website is running correctly after a few issues this week, so I'm happy to be able to post this little chapter of scenes from a day at the hospital with Josh and Donna. We all know this is going to be a long and trying road for him (and her by default) so I thought they could use a happy little chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!
