Stumbling Towards Contentment 11/14
By Ginny K.
See part one for notes and stuff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Both Josh and Jake crashed when they got to the hotel. The next morning Jake
was up before Josh and had already found the ice machine and the hospitality
room by the time his father woke up. He was busy eating a bagel and watching
cartoons when Josh sat up.
"Morning Jake," he muttered as he stumbled towards the bathroom.
"Hey Dad, you want a bagel?" asked Jake without looking away from the TV.
"No, how about you go see if you can find some yogurt and a bottle of iced
tea. I'm going to take a quick shower."
"OK."
By the time Josh got out of the shower Jake was dressed and had finished
eating. Nick was knocking on the door between their adjoining rooms.
"Come in." yelled Josh as he sat down on the bed in his suit pants and
t-shirt to eat the container of yogurt Jake had brought back for him. He
managed to finish most of it while going over some figures with Nick. They
were on a tight schedule for the day and then Josh and Jake were going to
spend the night at Sam's. There was a fundraising dinner that night but
President Hoynes had already told Josh to skip it and get some rest. The
plan was for Josh to rejoin the group in the morning and for Sam to keep Jake
another night. That left two more days of campaign stops before they headed
back home.
By the time Josh and Jake were on they way to Sam's house late that afternoon
Josh was fading fast. He was tired, jet-lagged, his back was bothering him
and his leg was stiff. Sam bounded down the front steps when he heard the
car pull in to the driveway. As tired as Josh was he had a big smile on his
face for his best friend. They hadn't seen each other since Labor Day
weekend. They did the manly hug thing and Josh introduced Nick to Sam. Nick
helped bring in their bags and then made a quick exit to go get ready for the
dinner.
Sam had moved since the last time Josh had been in California. His house,
though small, was very nice. A mixture of bachelor furniture and family
heirlooms filled the house. After the quick tour Jake went out to shot
baskets in the driveway while Josh and Sam settled down on the deck in the
back.
Sam was sitting on the railing of the deck, watching Josh try to get
comfortable in the lounge chair.
"Sam, just say it and get it over with." muttered Josh as he pulled his tie
off and rolled up his sleeves.
"Fine. You look like crap Josh." he stated simply as he got off the railing
and sat down on the end of Josh's lounge chair.
"I know. But I swear, I've been fine since I started the job. It's just
been really hectic the last few days. I'll be fine with some sleep."
"And some decent food. You up to going out tonight or do you just want to
eat here?"
"Let's just stay here. That ok?"
"Sure. You think you can handle chicken breasts on the grill?"
"Yeah, things seem to be going down pretty well today."
"Good. Let me go defrost some. You want a drink?"
"Iced tea'd be great." he answered as he got up from the lounger. "I'm going
to go change. I'll be right back."
"Take your time."
Josh changed into a pair of cargo shorts and a Georgetown t-shirt. He took a
couple of Tylenol and went back out to the deck. Sam was already firing up
the grill.
Dinner was nice and relaxed. Josh managed to eat some chicken. They caught
each other up on everything that was new. Josh told Sam all about the job.
Sam told of his law firm's new cases and of the occasional dates he went on.
Sam was a confirmed bachelor and didn't ever see that changing. He loved his
life as it was and he didn't need anything or anyone to help him live it.
Jet lag caught up to Jake who fell asleep on a lounge chair after dinner but
before dessert. Sam and Josh had some ice cream and talked until around 10
when Josh basically fell asleep mid-sentence.
Dragging himself out of bed the next morning proved to be a rather difficult
task for Josh. He hadn't slept well and was still stiff despite sleeping on
the heating pad. Sam held his tongue when he got a good look at Josh at the
breakfast table. Nick came by about 7:30 to pick up Josh.
The next few days were exhausting but Josh managed to somehow drag himself
through them. By the time they were on the way home on Thursday night not an
hour went by without someone asking if he was ok. He was about to just tape a
sign to his chest that said, "Yes, I know I look like crap."
Jake was once again hanging out in the Press Cabin and Nick was practically
glued to Josh's side, basically making sure he was still breathing.
"Nick, please, I'm fine." mumbled Josh as he unfolded a blanket and threw it
over himself.
"Yeah. I know what fine looks like, Josh. And you're, well, far from fine."
Josh just looked at him with a pleading look in his eyes.
"Give a yell if you need anything." said Nick as he clicked off the light
over Josh's head and left him alone in the cabin.
Four hours later, having slept through a rainstorm, dinner and a rough
landing Josh woke up to the feeling of someone shaking his shoulder.
"Josh, wake up." said Nick.
"Huh?" mumbled Josh as he struggled to sit up.
"We landed. Wake up." said Nick on the verge of getting annoyed. "Here are
your shoes. Is Donna meeting you here?"
At the mention of her name Josh snapped completely awake. "Damn, she's gonna
kill me." he muttered.
"Why cause you look like death warmed over?" smirked Nick.
"You're fired." said Josh with a grin.
"Impervious." Nick shot back.
Josh just shook his head. "I really need to put an end to the time Donna
spends with you and Ben. She's a bad influence on both of you."
"Come on, let's go, Jake's already outside waving to the Press Corps." said
Nick as he handed Josh his cane and threw his backpack over his shoulder.
Donna pulled up just in time to see Nick and Josh descend the stairs. She
had spoken to Sam the day before and thought she was prepared to see Josh.
But one look at him and she was literally torn between beating the crap out
of him and taking him home and fussing over him for a week.
With a sigh she decided that 8:00 at night probably wasn't the best time in
the world to pick a fight with someone who looked like they were minutes away
from passing out. She met them at the edge of the roped off area. She said
nothing as she kissed Josh on the cheek and took him by the arm. Jake took
her other hand and the three of them walked quietly to the car with Nick
behind them carrying Josh's luggage.
Donna deposited Josh in the passenger's seat and popped open the trunk for
Nick.
"Thanks for keeping an eye on him."
"You're welcome. I just wish I did a better job." said Nick with a shrug.
"Believe me, you did the best you could. Joshua Lyman gives new meaning to
the words stubborn and pig-headed. Barring a national emergency he won't be
in until Monday."
"The President already informed him that if he set foot in the White House
the Secret Service would shoot him on sight." laughed Nick.
"Good. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Thanks again."
"Bye."
Nick gave Jake a big high-five and went on his way. By the time Donna got in
the car Josh was asleep, snoring softly with his head against the window.
"So Dad's in trouble, huh?" asked Jake.
"Oh yeah." grinned Donna. "But I think we'll let him catch up on his sleep fi
rst." she said as she eased the car in to gear.
Jake and Donna chatted about the trip while Josh mumbled a few times in his
sleep but never woke up. When they got home Ben helped Josh inside while
Donna grabbed the bags.
"He's all yours." grinned Ben as he shut the bedroom door behind him and
headed for the kitchen.
"Gee thanks." yelled Donna from the laundry room where she was emptying the
suitcase and tossing in a load of clothes. Actually she was trying to calm
herself down before she faced Josh. Not that it would really matter, she was
sure he would sleep through the night anyway.
"Let me know if you need help hiding the body." teased Ben.
"I will. Do me a favor and make sure the boys are getting ready for bed."
"Sure. Give a yell if you need anything."
"Thanks."
The laundry in the washer and the boys taken care of, Donna headed for the
kitchen poured a glass of juice and grabbed some Tylenol on the off chance
that Josh was actually awake. With a deep calming breath she opened the door
to the bedroom. Josh was curled up facing the wall. Ben had pulled his
shoes off and tossed the blanket over him but other than that he left Josh
fully dressed, belt and wallet included. Donna sat down next to him and
reached over to feel his forehead. As she suspected he was hot. Carefully
she pulled his wallet out of his pocket and rolled him onto his back to take
his belt off. He moaned a little but didn't wake up.
Donna changed into a pair of pajamas and went to grab the ear thermometer and
a cool cloth out of the bathroom. Josh was half awake when she came back
out. She held up the thermometer and he rolled over on his side.
"How high?"
"101.8" she answered. "Why don't you change into some pajamas?"
She helped him out of his jeans and sweatshirt and helped him put on a pair
of old, comfortable pajamas. He curled up under the comforter and tried to
get comfortable.
"Go ahead." he whispered, his eyes half closed.
"Not now. I want you wide awake and fully aware when I yell at you." said
Donna sharply.
Even though it shouldn't have, her tone surprised Josh. He gave a little nod
of resignation and Donna's face softened as she took a good look at him.
"So besides the fact that you haven't had a decent nights sleep in about a
week and you've got yourself a nice fever, what else is going on?"
"My back hurts."
"Stiff from the sitting on the plane maybe?"
"No, not stiff. It just hurts, along with my head."
"Here take some Tylenol." she said as she handed him the pills and the glass
of juice. "Where's the heating pad?"
"In my backpack."
A few minutes later Josh was settled down on his stomach with the heating pad
draped over his lower back. Donna was sitting next to him gently rubbing her
hand over his shoulders. The feelings of wanting to tear him limb from limb
had receded, only to be replaced by genuine worry over the fact that he
really seemed to be in pain. While it was certainly true that he hadn't been
taking the greatest care of himself over the last week or so Donna was pretty
sure that whatever was wrong with him was caused by more than his inability
to slow down. And that scared her more than she cared to admit.
TBC
By Ginny K.
See part one for notes and stuff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Both Josh and Jake crashed when they got to the hotel. The next morning Jake
was up before Josh and had already found the ice machine and the hospitality
room by the time his father woke up. He was busy eating a bagel and watching
cartoons when Josh sat up.
"Morning Jake," he muttered as he stumbled towards the bathroom.
"Hey Dad, you want a bagel?" asked Jake without looking away from the TV.
"No, how about you go see if you can find some yogurt and a bottle of iced
tea. I'm going to take a quick shower."
"OK."
By the time Josh got out of the shower Jake was dressed and had finished
eating. Nick was knocking on the door between their adjoining rooms.
"Come in." yelled Josh as he sat down on the bed in his suit pants and
t-shirt to eat the container of yogurt Jake had brought back for him. He
managed to finish most of it while going over some figures with Nick. They
were on a tight schedule for the day and then Josh and Jake were going to
spend the night at Sam's. There was a fundraising dinner that night but
President Hoynes had already told Josh to skip it and get some rest. The
plan was for Josh to rejoin the group in the morning and for Sam to keep Jake
another night. That left two more days of campaign stops before they headed
back home.
By the time Josh and Jake were on they way to Sam's house late that afternoon
Josh was fading fast. He was tired, jet-lagged, his back was bothering him
and his leg was stiff. Sam bounded down the front steps when he heard the
car pull in to the driveway. As tired as Josh was he had a big smile on his
face for his best friend. They hadn't seen each other since Labor Day
weekend. They did the manly hug thing and Josh introduced Nick to Sam. Nick
helped bring in their bags and then made a quick exit to go get ready for the
dinner.
Sam had moved since the last time Josh had been in California. His house,
though small, was very nice. A mixture of bachelor furniture and family
heirlooms filled the house. After the quick tour Jake went out to shot
baskets in the driveway while Josh and Sam settled down on the deck in the
back.
Sam was sitting on the railing of the deck, watching Josh try to get
comfortable in the lounge chair.
"Sam, just say it and get it over with." muttered Josh as he pulled his tie
off and rolled up his sleeves.
"Fine. You look like crap Josh." he stated simply as he got off the railing
and sat down on the end of Josh's lounge chair.
"I know. But I swear, I've been fine since I started the job. It's just
been really hectic the last few days. I'll be fine with some sleep."
"And some decent food. You up to going out tonight or do you just want to
eat here?"
"Let's just stay here. That ok?"
"Sure. You think you can handle chicken breasts on the grill?"
"Yeah, things seem to be going down pretty well today."
"Good. Let me go defrost some. You want a drink?"
"Iced tea'd be great." he answered as he got up from the lounger. "I'm going
to go change. I'll be right back."
"Take your time."
Josh changed into a pair of cargo shorts and a Georgetown t-shirt. He took a
couple of Tylenol and went back out to the deck. Sam was already firing up
the grill.
Dinner was nice and relaxed. Josh managed to eat some chicken. They caught
each other up on everything that was new. Josh told Sam all about the job.
Sam told of his law firm's new cases and of the occasional dates he went on.
Sam was a confirmed bachelor and didn't ever see that changing. He loved his
life as it was and he didn't need anything or anyone to help him live it.
Jet lag caught up to Jake who fell asleep on a lounge chair after dinner but
before dessert. Sam and Josh had some ice cream and talked until around 10
when Josh basically fell asleep mid-sentence.
Dragging himself out of bed the next morning proved to be a rather difficult
task for Josh. He hadn't slept well and was still stiff despite sleeping on
the heating pad. Sam held his tongue when he got a good look at Josh at the
breakfast table. Nick came by about 7:30 to pick up Josh.
The next few days were exhausting but Josh managed to somehow drag himself
through them. By the time they were on the way home on Thursday night not an
hour went by without someone asking if he was ok. He was about to just tape a
sign to his chest that said, "Yes, I know I look like crap."
Jake was once again hanging out in the Press Cabin and Nick was practically
glued to Josh's side, basically making sure he was still breathing.
"Nick, please, I'm fine." mumbled Josh as he unfolded a blanket and threw it
over himself.
"Yeah. I know what fine looks like, Josh. And you're, well, far from fine."
Josh just looked at him with a pleading look in his eyes.
"Give a yell if you need anything." said Nick as he clicked off the light
over Josh's head and left him alone in the cabin.
Four hours later, having slept through a rainstorm, dinner and a rough
landing Josh woke up to the feeling of someone shaking his shoulder.
"Josh, wake up." said Nick.
"Huh?" mumbled Josh as he struggled to sit up.
"We landed. Wake up." said Nick on the verge of getting annoyed. "Here are
your shoes. Is Donna meeting you here?"
At the mention of her name Josh snapped completely awake. "Damn, she's gonna
kill me." he muttered.
"Why cause you look like death warmed over?" smirked Nick.
"You're fired." said Josh with a grin.
"Impervious." Nick shot back.
Josh just shook his head. "I really need to put an end to the time Donna
spends with you and Ben. She's a bad influence on both of you."
"Come on, let's go, Jake's already outside waving to the Press Corps." said
Nick as he handed Josh his cane and threw his backpack over his shoulder.
Donna pulled up just in time to see Nick and Josh descend the stairs. She
had spoken to Sam the day before and thought she was prepared to see Josh.
But one look at him and she was literally torn between beating the crap out
of him and taking him home and fussing over him for a week.
With a sigh she decided that 8:00 at night probably wasn't the best time in
the world to pick a fight with someone who looked like they were minutes away
from passing out. She met them at the edge of the roped off area. She said
nothing as she kissed Josh on the cheek and took him by the arm. Jake took
her other hand and the three of them walked quietly to the car with Nick
behind them carrying Josh's luggage.
Donna deposited Josh in the passenger's seat and popped open the trunk for
Nick.
"Thanks for keeping an eye on him."
"You're welcome. I just wish I did a better job." said Nick with a shrug.
"Believe me, you did the best you could. Joshua Lyman gives new meaning to
the words stubborn and pig-headed. Barring a national emergency he won't be
in until Monday."
"The President already informed him that if he set foot in the White House
the Secret Service would shoot him on sight." laughed Nick.
"Good. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Thanks again."
"Bye."
Nick gave Jake a big high-five and went on his way. By the time Donna got in
the car Josh was asleep, snoring softly with his head against the window.
"So Dad's in trouble, huh?" asked Jake.
"Oh yeah." grinned Donna. "But I think we'll let him catch up on his sleep fi
rst." she said as she eased the car in to gear.
Jake and Donna chatted about the trip while Josh mumbled a few times in his
sleep but never woke up. When they got home Ben helped Josh inside while
Donna grabbed the bags.
"He's all yours." grinned Ben as he shut the bedroom door behind him and
headed for the kitchen.
"Gee thanks." yelled Donna from the laundry room where she was emptying the
suitcase and tossing in a load of clothes. Actually she was trying to calm
herself down before she faced Josh. Not that it would really matter, she was
sure he would sleep through the night anyway.
"Let me know if you need help hiding the body." teased Ben.
"I will. Do me a favor and make sure the boys are getting ready for bed."
"Sure. Give a yell if you need anything."
"Thanks."
The laundry in the washer and the boys taken care of, Donna headed for the
kitchen poured a glass of juice and grabbed some Tylenol on the off chance
that Josh was actually awake. With a deep calming breath she opened the door
to the bedroom. Josh was curled up facing the wall. Ben had pulled his
shoes off and tossed the blanket over him but other than that he left Josh
fully dressed, belt and wallet included. Donna sat down next to him and
reached over to feel his forehead. As she suspected he was hot. Carefully
she pulled his wallet out of his pocket and rolled him onto his back to take
his belt off. He moaned a little but didn't wake up.
Donna changed into a pair of pajamas and went to grab the ear thermometer and
a cool cloth out of the bathroom. Josh was half awake when she came back
out. She held up the thermometer and he rolled over on his side.
"How high?"
"101.8" she answered. "Why don't you change into some pajamas?"
She helped him out of his jeans and sweatshirt and helped him put on a pair
of old, comfortable pajamas. He curled up under the comforter and tried to
get comfortable.
"Go ahead." he whispered, his eyes half closed.
"Not now. I want you wide awake and fully aware when I yell at you." said
Donna sharply.
Even though it shouldn't have, her tone surprised Josh. He gave a little nod
of resignation and Donna's face softened as she took a good look at him.
"So besides the fact that you haven't had a decent nights sleep in about a
week and you've got yourself a nice fever, what else is going on?"
"My back hurts."
"Stiff from the sitting on the plane maybe?"
"No, not stiff. It just hurts, along with my head."
"Here take some Tylenol." she said as she handed him the pills and the glass
of juice. "Where's the heating pad?"
"In my backpack."
A few minutes later Josh was settled down on his stomach with the heating pad
draped over his lower back. Donna was sitting next to him gently rubbing her
hand over his shoulders. The feelings of wanting to tear him limb from limb
had receded, only to be replaced by genuine worry over the fact that he
really seemed to be in pain. While it was certainly true that he hadn't been
taking the greatest care of himself over the last week or so Donna was pretty
sure that whatever was wrong with him was caused by more than his inability
to slow down. And that scared her more than she cared to admit.
TBC