Title: Finding Comfort
Author: Erika
Spoilers: ITSOTG Parts I and II
Note: I know Zoey isn't typically used for fics, but I thought it would
be interesting to see what she was going through after the events of
Rosslyn.
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters that have appeared on The West
Wing, though owning Bradley Whitford/Josh Lyman is something I really
wouldn't mind.
"Can I see it?" Zoey asked.
"What?"
"You know..."
"I really don't."
Zoey rolled her eyes. "Your scar."
Josh scoffed in disbelief. "No!"
"Why not?"
"Zoey, I'm not going to show you my scar!"
"Just a little peek?"
"Get your own!"
"I'd rather not."
"Well, then, tough luck," he muttered, giving her a tiny smirk to show
her he wasn't offended.
Zoey let a moment pass before saying, "When I was 10, I fell on the
pavement and cracked open my head."
Josh wrinkled his nose in disgust. "That's great, Zoey."
"It took 15 stitches to close it up."
"You should ask Donna how many stitches it took to close me up."
"I'll show you my scar if you show me yours."
Josh shook his head. "I hardly think that's a fair deal."
Zoey looked up at the other man in the room. "What do you think? I mean, a
scar for a scar is a fair deal, right?"
Toby Ziegler glared at the young girl. "Can the two of you just not talk
for two minutes?"
"I don't think that's humanly possible," Donna said, rubbing her
temples.
"Donna's right," Josh said, "it isn't possible. My mom's been
trying to shut me up for years. I just keep going and going and going..."
"Like the Energizer Bunny," Zoey added. Josh nodded in agreement.
"Very much so!"
"I swear, I don't know how much more of this I can take," Toby said,
beginning to pace.
"If you leave, can I get ride?" Donna asked, half-serious.
"Donna!" Josh exclaimed, pretending to be wounded by her comment.
"After all our years together, you'd just up and leave? I figured you'd be
immune to my incessant talking. After all, I've even found a new subject to tell
you about: the superstring theory!"
Donna glared at her boss. "Josh, I'm getting sick of all your talk about
theoretical physics. You watched one show--one show--and all of a sudden
it's, 'hey, Donna, listen to this,' and 'hey, Donna, check out this super strung
theory...'"
"Superstring," Josh corrected. "And my voice isn't that
high-pitched."
"Whatever."
"Can I help it if I'm interested in quantum physics? It may have been one
show, but it was an interesting one show! You should have seen it!"
"I'm so glad I didn't."
"Zoey would appreciate it. Wouldn't you, Zoey?"
Zoey raised an eyebrow. "I doubt it."
Josh gave her a look. "You're supposed to be supporting me here."
"Oh! Okay, then..." She continued in a false, overly confident tone,
"Yes! I would greatly appreciate this show on quantum physics."
Josh sighed. "Fine, you can do your mocking, but when all this stuff
becomes next week's headline, I'll be the one laughing in the face of your
indignity!"
"You can think about the superstring theory all you want, Josh," Donna
said. "I just ask that you keep it to yourself. And, you know, try not to
give yourself a concussion the next time C.J. does a press briefing."
"She said psychics at Cal Tech! It was supposed to be physicists!"
"They're easy to get mixed up."
"But we practiced on the phone!"
"'We'?"
"Well, me, but she heard me saying it many times."
"C.J. has better things to do than memorize the random, unintelligible
nonsense that comes out of your mouth," Toby said. "Come to think of
it, we all have better things to do."
"Can I ask you a question?"
Toby groaned to himself. "What?"
"Where did you buy that schmatte you're trying to pass of as a suit
jacket?"
Toby raised his eyebrows. "I'll have you know that Andi gave me this jacket
for Christmas three years ago."
"Oh," Josh replied with a nervous laugh. "I was just joking, it's
lovely. And I don't really think it looks like a rag."
"Josh?"
"Hmm?"
"Stup ir."
"What does that mean?" Zoey asked.
"Uh, nothing!" Josh exclaimed. "He was just saying what a fine
man I am."
"You know what word should be Yiddish, but isn't?"
"Donna," Toby warned, satisfied when the blonde shrugged and stopped
talking.
"Stup ir," Zoey said, trying out the new phrase.
"Zoey, no!" Josh scolded, as if the girl had been replaced by a puppy.
"What?"
"Inappropriate talk!"
"Okay."
"I'm serious!"
"Okay!"
"Good. Let's move on." Josh relaxed against his pillows, happy to
change the subject. "So slave driver, when do I get out of here?"
"Well, since you've been such a pest about leaving, the doctors are letting
you move out the day after tomorrow," Donna said, whacking his arm for the
'slave driver' insult.
Zoey's eyes lit up. "That's great!"
Donna nodded. "Yeah, I think it'll be easier for everyone. But," she
continued, looking back at Josh, "the doctors also say you aren't ready to
be out of this bed. So we're going to have to take it with us."
"IV and all?"
"The whole nine yards."
"Damn."
"Is that bad?" Zoey asked.
"Oh, no," Donna told her. "Josh'll be fine, he's just getting out
of the hospital earlier than the doctors would like. But since he's so pushy and
arrogant and conceited..."
"I'm right here, you know."
"Don't worry, I'm well aware of that."
"My God, where do you all get the energy to talk this much?"
Toby asked incredulously.
"It's not my fault I was blessed with natural energy and you were born
grumpy," Josh replied.
"Right," Toby grumbled, looking up at the clock on the wall. "I
have to get back to the White House."
"I should get back, too," Donna said, making Josh roll his eyes when
she put a hand against his forehead to make sure he didn't have a fever.
"Is everyone leaving me?" he asked pitifully.
"Don't worry, Josh, I'll stay," Zoey said, giving him a bright smile.
"You'll be okay?" Donna asked, standing.
"Of course, I will," Josh insisted. "After all, I've got Zoey to
keep me company."
"Okay," Donna said, still sounding a bit unsure.
"Donna, stop being paranoid. You haven't been the whole time you were
taking chunks out of my precious ego."
Donna smiled at the Deputy sweetly. "Josh?"
"Yeah?"
"Stup ir."
"Ever with the pleasantries, my dear
assistant-whom-I-sign-the-paycheck-for."
"I'm going," Donna said, giving Josh a light slap to the head.
"Sam should be here in an hour or two."
"Don't tear the room apart while we're gone," Toby lectured as he and
Donna exited the room.
Josh looked to Zoey. "So what should we do?" he asked.
"We can talk about your drunken escapades" she suggested with a mischievous smile.
"Say, for instance, the first time you met Joey Lucas?"
Josh widened his eyes. "Sam?"
"Nope."
"Donna?"
"Try again.
Josh paused, then squinted his eyes. "C.J.," he snarled with a hint of
rage.
"Care to give me the gory little details?"
"I'd rather show you my scar."
"Deal!"
"No!"
"Come on."
"No."
"I'll sneak in some beer for you."
"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. I can get my own beer."
"Donna won't let you drink it."
"Good point. It doesn't matter, though, you're not even old enough to buy
beer!"
"Little details, Josh."
"Important little details."
"I'll do whatever you want!"
"Why is it so important to you?"
Zoey shrugged. "Is it that big of a deal to you?"
"Yes!"
"Why?"
"Because it's my scar! From an act of terrorism that I would very much like
to forget, but now have a constant reminder of!"
Zoey blinked. "Okay."
"I didn't mean to snap at you."
"I know."
"Forget what I just said."
"I won't."
He glanced at her with a curious look. "Why do you want to see my scar so badly?"
"I don't."
Josh shook his head in confusion. "Explain, please."
"I overheard..."
"Eavesdropped," Josh interrupted.
"I overheard some people..."
"Donna, Sam and Leo?"
"Are you going to let me tell you the story?"
"It's a story now?"
"Josh!"
"Go on."
"I overheard them talking about you having nightmares." Josh shifted
uncomfortably. "Donna said that you really want to get something off your
chest, but can't."
"Yeah, the scar."
"Your dark humor is not appreciated."
"Sorry."
"Is she right?"
"Being shot equals bad thoughts. That's just the way it is."
"Did I help you just now? With the scar thing?"
Josh smiled. "Yeah, Zoey. You helped. That's what I've been wanting to say
for the past three and a half weeks."
"Don't get smart with me. I'm not an idiot."
"I know."
"So why are you lying to me?"
Josh furrowed his brow. "Where are you learning all this
psychobabble?"
Zoey shrugged. "My mom."
"Right. I should have guessed."
Zoey paused, debating whether she should refer back to the unanswered question,
but decided to let the subject change go. "So, this theoretical physics
thing..."
"Yeah! I've got to warn you, though, once I get started, I can't be
stopped."
"How is that any different than usual?"
"That was uncalled for."
"I don't think so. Besides, you can take it. What with your arrogance and
pushiness and..."
"You are turning into a mini-Donna."
"Thank you."
"You realize you dangled the superstring theory in front of me and ripped
it away the last minute?"
"It's like playing with a cat."
"You're impossible. If I could move from this bed, I would strangle you right now."
"I'm the President's daughter."
"Little details."
To Be Continued
