"The President will be at George Washington Hospital this afternoon to visit CJ Cregg and then he will meet with Senators Evans, McLaughlin, and Richardson regarding the education bill." Josh's voice was soft when referring to CJ.

Danny stood. "How is CJ?"

Josh cleared his throat. "It is not the place of the White House to comment on the personal lives of its staffers."

"Come on, Josh!" Danny was furious.

Rachael Morton, from the Post, stood and with a softer voice pleaded with the man at the podium. "Josh, really, can't you just say if she is alright? What about her family? We know her dad has Alzheimer's -- has he been to see her?"

Frank Dooley, from MSNBC, stood. "Are there any leads as to who hit her?"

"Look, the White House cannot comment. Thank you, and that's a full lid." Josh's voice was a forceful staccato as he left the podium and made a bee- line for his office.

He blew past Donna in the hall and she followed him into his sanctuary. Josh was sitting behind his desk with his head in his hands and as he spoke, it didn't leave them. "Just give me ten minutes, Donna, just ten."

"Sorry, can't do that."

Josh didn't answer. For some reason he didn't mind her presence, in fact he welcomed it. Donna walked around the desk and around placed her hands over his. She gently moved them down, and forced him to look into her eyes. He saw the water forming in her eyes, and that caused tears to form in the corners of his chocolate orbs as well.

"Josh, talk to me," His eyes remained on hers, but he was reluctant to speak. "Please."

"I can't believe that this happened." His tone was soft and detached. "Especially to her. She was just coming' to work and some bastard hit her." The emotion grew as he spoke. "Then doesn't have the balls to stay to see if she's okay!" A single tear slipped down his cheek. "It's just wrong -- just so wrong!"

"Oh, Josh." Donna shook her head and wiped the tear away with the pad of her thumb. "She'll get through it. You know her." Donna laughed a bit. "She's as stubborn as they come."

Josh scoffed. "Yeah, but now, she can't move. She's laying there, in a drug-induced coma, with Toby by her side. Have you seen her yet?"

Donna just shook her head. "It's awful, Donna, just awful. She's so bruised, her entire face is discolored. There are tubes running every which way, and she's just there." Josh paused and looked into Donna's eyes looking for some sort of comfort there.

"Toby says that he knows she's in pain--that it's etched into her face." His voice cracked.

"Toby called the other day when you were in a meeting with Congressman Lewis." Donna's voice was soft. "He said that she was awake for fifteen minutes."

Josh's face lifted, but his brow furrowed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Donna ignored his question and continued speaking. "He said that when she was awake, she was in so much pain that she could hardly speak, and when she did, he could hardly hear her."

Josh shook his head. "Why did it happen to her? Of all the people, why CJ?"

Donna gave a small smirk. "Probably because she's the only one of us who could get through this." When Josh didn't respond Donna figured her attempt at humor was a little out of place. "Seriously, Josh, I don't know why things happen. I do know that CJ is strong and determined. I know that Toby hasn't left since he got there three days ago. I know that he won't let her give up." She saw Josh begin to smile. "And, I know that she'll be back here as soon as physically possible, probably before that even!"

Josh and Donna shared mutual smiles. He leaned in, so close that she could feel his breath on her face. They both closed their eyes and moved toward each other. Time slowed as both parted their lips only millimeters. Closer and closer they moved until they were so close they could almost feel the moisture from each other's lips.

Knock, knock, knock.

Donna pulled back and Josh groaned. His face was a lovely shade of red while Donna turned her face so no one could see what color it had turned. As Danny barged in, Donna snuck out. Josh stood and quickly attempted to mask his blushing, and spoke.

"Thanks, Danny." Sarcasm was dripping from every word. "Generally, it's custom to wait after you knock."

"Look, I'm sorry to interrupt, but why are you being so evasive about CJ?" Danny walked to the desk. "I'm not asking as the press right now, I'm asking as a friend, as CJ's friend. Now, please, is she alright?"

The desperation was evident in his voice. Josh could've sworn that he heard Danny's voice crack. He sighed in defeat and stood. He never liked holding a conversation with one party standing and the other sitting, especially if he was the one sitting. "Look, you've got to promise me, this is one hundred percent off the record."

"Absolutely. I just want to know what I can do to help her."

Josh nodded. "Honestly, there's really nothing you can do."

Danny's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I just mean, well, that she's pretty much being taking care of by Toby right now. He's been there for three days, and he hasn't left."

"That's great and all, but I just want to know how she is. Do you guys really not know what happened?"

"We really aren't sure who did it. She was driving in on Tuesday and was hit on the driver's side by some sort of massive vehicle." Danny paled. "They hit her pretty hard, ugh; the paramedics had to use the Jaws of Life to get her out of the car."

"Oh, my God. Was she conscious during all of this?"

Josh sat, and Danny took the prompt and did so as well. There was a bit of a pause before Josh spoke again. In his mind's eye he was seeing CJ stuck in the car, her body contorted in positions that were anything but natural, blood everywhere and mixing with the tears running down her cheeks. Quickly, he shook the sight from his mind and focused on Danny's grim face ahead of him. "Yeah, I think that Toby said that she was. I'm not one hundred percent though."

Danny nodded. An uncomfortable silence fell and both looked at their hands as if some sort of answer would be found within the crevasses of their appendages. "So, how is she now?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't spoken with Toby in a while." A few moments passed as Josh waged an inner battle over how much to reveal. Suddenly, with a rise of his head, his decision was made. "Why don't, uh, you go and see her."

Danny looked surprised and a glimmer of hope swept through his eyes. "I will, definitely. What room?"

"ICU number 17." Josh's eyes met his desk and he stood. "It'll do her good to hear from all of her friends." There was a hint of a question in his voice.

"You're right Josh. That's what I see us as, friends. Only friends."

The two men nodded and Danny left Josh in the room alone with his thoughts.