Sorry it has been so long since I updated. I got busy with other things. But so many people commented asking for more that I decided to try to keep writing. Without further ado, I give you the next chapter.
Josh's didn't remember falling asleep. He remembered sitting in that chair next to her bed not daring to close his eyes. He remembered a nurse coming in to change the IV bag and check something on a monitor. He remembered watching President Bartlett give a speech about the Gaza tragedy on an international news channel. He remembered someone offering to bring a cot for him to sleep on, which he declined, since he had no intention of sleeping. And the next thing he knew he waking up to sunlight on his face.
He opened his eye to see a young black nurse opening the curtains at the window. "Did you sleep like that?" she asked. Josh was half sitting in the chair, half sprawled across Donna's bed. He was used to sleeping at his desk, and this wasn't much different, except the bed was softer, warmer, and . . . you know. . . had a woman sleeping in it. He suddenly became aware that his hand was wrapped protectively around Donna's.
"Huh?" he realized the nurse was still looking at him expectantly.
"I said did you sleep like that?"
"Guess so," he yawned. Josh carefully extracted his hand from Donna's and stretched.
"You her boyfriend?"
"Her boss," he answered, resisting the urge to expound upon the idiotic string of boyfriends Donna Moss had paraded in front of him over the past seven years. "You guys got coffee here?"
She gave him a look that clearly said she didn't believe him, before answering, "There's a cafeteria downstairs."
Josh pulled out his cellphone as he stepped into the hallway, checking for service. He thought about calling Toby or CJ before realizing he was 6 hours ahead of them. It was still the middle of the night in Washington. He would give it a couple more hours.
After a quick stop to use the restroom and splash some water on his face he ordered a large coffee to go and returned to Donna's room, hoping to catch an update about the bombing. There wasn't anything that he hadn't already heard, but he left the TV on for background noise.
Josh threw his empty coffee cup away and sat back down in his chair. He opened his laptop to catch up on his email, but soon found his mind wandering. He became lost in thought about his job, and the Gaza attack, and the mess he was going to go home to. But mostly he thought about Donna.
He remembered that first day she had walked into the campaign office and appointed herself his assistant.
"Look, I think I can be good at this. I think you might find me valuable."
Valuable didn't even scratch the surface. By the end of the campaign she had picked up on his littlest habits and personality quirks to the point that she could practically read his mind.
He hadn't even realized how dependent he had become on her until she decided to quit and go back to Dr. Free-ride. Those weeks without her had been hell. He told himself it was just because he had gotten used to her, that he missed having an assistant, but the little voice in the back of his mind told him it was more than that.
He remembered a few years back how she had pestered him to ask out Joey Lucas. He figured that was just Donna being Donna, until Joey suggested that it was simply because Donna liked him and was trying to cover her feelings with misdirection. Well, that was just ridiculous. Wasn't it? Josh didn't have a lot of experience with women but felt confident he would have known if Donna had liked him. He assured Joey Lucas that she was wrong and had tried to forget the whole thing.
Josh thought about the long hours they spent working together late into the night over the years. How he had made her cancel plans - even dates - to help him finish up something or other that seemed important at the time. He remembered how she had gone above and beyond the call of duty when he had been bedridden after being shot. He thought of his self appointed tradition of sending her flowers in April to celebrate the day her scumbag boyfriend had dumped her for the second time and she had come back to work for him permanently - although he later found out she had been the one to dump him after he had stopped for a beer on the way to the hospital after her car accident. And he remembered how hard it had been on both of them when he had to send her away during the Shutdown last year.
Why had she stayed on as his assistant for all these years, earning barely enough to get by. She could have left at any time, found a better job - one that paid better - but she chose to stay. What did that prove? Josh shook his head. He was acting like an eighth grader. So what if she did like him? She worked for him, worked for the President. It wasn't like he could do anything about it even if he wanted to. Which he didn't. Did he?
He looked at her broken, delicate form asleep in the bed. She was so beautiful. But it was more than that. She was . . . Donna. He thought back on his conversation with Sam. Suddenly he wasn't sure of anything.
It wasn't long before the nurse was back to check the IV bag. As she leaned in to change the bag, Josh heard Donna stir. The nurse must have noticed it, too.
"Hi there. You just wake up?" she asked.
"My mouth is dry."
Josh's jaw dropped as a strange new mixture of worry and relief washed over him. Even though the nurse was blocking his view of her, he knew that voice. He sat up rigid in his chair, suddenly and inexplicably petrified.
"Lemme get you some water," the nurse replied, as she stepped away from the bed.
Josh just stared at her, open-mouthed. Finally he rose to his feet, still unblinking. He studied her face with anticipation.
"Hey," he said slowly, cautiously.
"What happened to you?" She barely moved her mouth as she spoke.
"To . . . to me?" Josh was confused.
"You need to shave."
There was an urgency in her voice that made Josh want to laugh. That was such a Donna thing to say.
"I haven't . . . really had time . . ." he stammered, still confused but trying to explain. But Donna had already moved on.
"Ugh. Where am I?"
"You're in Germany." He made a point of speaking loud and clear, making sure she understood.
Her eyes opened a little wider and she looked around. "It doesn't look like Germany."
Josh started to explain about the Military Hospital but was interrupted by the nurse bringing Donna a cup of water with a bendy straw.
"She's not German" Donna observed, referring to the nurse who had brought the water. Josh quickly reached out to help Donna hold the cup and put the straw in her mouth.
"This is true," the nurse laughed. "Just squeeze that clicker if it hurts. It's a morphine drip. It's gonna take some time to orient yourself."
"He needs to shave," Donna said to the nurse, looking at Josh.
Josh still hadn't taken his eyes off of her. He placed the cup on the nightstand.
"Couldn't hurt," he heard the nurse say. "I'm just gonna draw some blood."
Donna closed her eyes again, looking uneasy, as the nurse pulled out a syringe. Josh felt his own stomach clench painfully at the mention of blood, but was determined not to leave her side, not now that she was finally awake. He swallowed convulsively, feeling his own blood drain from his face, and averted his eyes. The nurse noticed.
"If you need to step outside . . . ?" she said, as Josh's face paled.
"I'm fine." Josh knew he sounded squeamish, but it was the best he could manage. He tried to act more confident that he felt. He looked back at Donna, trying to concentrate on her and only her. He tightened his grip on the bed rail.
The nurse inserted the syringe into a port near Donna's chest and began to draw the plunger back. At the first sign of the thick, dark red liquid, he realized what a bad idea this had been. He wanted to stay with Donna, wanted to prove to her that he was there for her, but he doubted she would be very impressed if he passed out at the sight of blood. He tried to fight the nausea that was exploding in his stomach, but knew he was only seconds away from losing what little control he had. He closed his eyes and quickly turned away, muttering "I-I'll be right back."