Donna watched, her heart aching, as CJ and Amy led Mrs. Bartlet into CJ's office after the disastrous encounter with the press. The look on Mrs. Bartlet's face when the press corps had shouted their questions about Zoey's kidnapping-

She followed and knocked tentatively. CJ and Amy sat on the couch with Mrs. Bartlet between them. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked anxiously.

CJ shook her head. "The doctor's going to bring her a sedative. He's going to be here in a few minutes."

Amy's cell phone rang, and she checked the number. "Hello? Yeah, I'm here."

Donna went out into the hall and filled a cup with water from the water cooler. She brought it back, and when she took it back in, Amy stepped out into the hall to finish her call.

Donna took her place next to Mrs. Bartlet on the couch, and CJ's beeper went off. "I have to go to the Oval," she said. "Donna, can you stay with her for a while?"

Donna nodded. "Of course."

CJ left, too, and Donna turned to the First Lady. "I got you some water, Mrs. Bartlet. Would you drink some of this for me?"

Mrs. Bartlet shook her head.

"You ought to drink the water, Mrs. Bartlet," Donna said gently. "You're going to be dehydrated from all the crying. When you get dehydrated, you don't think clearly. You want to be able to think clearly, don't you?"

Mrs. Bartlet shook her head again, but when Donna pressed, she allowed herself to be coaxed into taking a sip of water. Then her hand closed around Donna's over the cup and she drained the glass.

Donna stroked her hair back from her face. "That's better," she said softly. The First Lady sniffed, and Donna got up and retrieved a box of tissues from CJ's desk before returning to her side.

Abbey spoke, and her voice was deadly quiet, trembling. "I don't know how I'm going to get through this, I really don't."

Donna didn't know what to say to this, and they sat in oppressive silence, Donna stroking the back of her hand, for several minutes, until Donna thought the silence would kill her. She needed to say something, anything.

Donna bit her lip. "Remember when Josh was shot, and we were sitting in that awful waiting room together, and I was... not doing too well?"

Mrs. Bartlet nodded, her lip trembling.

"You told me I was in shock," Donna said. "You told me I should see a doctor. Remember what I said?"

Mrs. Bartlet smiled sadly. "You ignored me."

Donna returned the slight smile. "Do you remember what you did for me?"

Mrs. Bartlet nodded again, and took a deep breath. "I asked you if you wanted to splash some water on your face." She laughed harshly. "God, what a stupid thing to say."

"It wasn't a stupid thing to say," Donna chided gently. "It was a thoughtful thing to say. But that's not what I'm talking about. Do you remember what you did after that?"

Mrs. Bartlet sighed. "I'm not in the mood for guessing games, Donna."

"You said it was horrible that I had to wait like that, not knowing. You said there was nothing anybody could say or do to make me feel better," Donna told her.

"Is that it? Some encouraging presence I turned out to be," Mrs. Bartlet snorted.

Donna continued as though she hadn't heard her. "You said there was nothing anybody could do to make me feel better, and then you know what you did? You put your arms around me," Donna said, putting her arm around the First Lady's shoulder. "You put your arms around me just like this, and you said you would wait with me."

She wrapped her arms around the First Lady, and the First Lady fell into them, releasing the sobs she had been holding back. She cried onto the younger woman's breast for ages. Donna softly stroked her hair, saying, "Sh, sh." The First Lady cried and cried, well past the time when Amy stepped back into the room, well past the time CJ returned from her meeting. She cried so long, she no longer needed the sedative the doctor had brought, because she fell asleep in Donna's arms. Donna held her long into the night, but she didn't tell her everything was going to be all right. She just stroked her hair, and said, "Sh, sh. I'll wait with you."