Disclaimers: You know I do own some of these character, Cindy, Jackson and Jefferson are mine. Every body else is owned by Sorkin.

Author's note: I really like this chapter because my story so far, it should have been,(if I wrote it right) a steady incline of Donna's strength, from the first chapter to now. I like writing what's happening from Cindy's point of view because I see has a Donna eight years ago, sort of. The last line of this chapter is from my all time favorite episodes of "Sports Night." (another wonderful show from the great god Sorkin) called "The Quality of Mercury at 29K".

Josh's POV and Cindy POV.

Thank you again for all the feed back.

They are moving me, after poking, prodding and stitching me they are finally moving me.

I've stopped. Am I in a room? Am I alone? Of course I am alone, who would be with me?

"Donna?" It's hopeful wish fulfillment.

"I am here Josh." Really? Peace fills me, she's here. My eyes flicker open, slowly registered the light and images around me.

"You look awful." I tease her, she however does not find it amusing. She does look pale but I still think she is the most beautiful woman in the world. There is so much to say, and that damn elephant is back. But I am unable to speak more the short phrases. Sure there is a lot that could be said, but for now I am content rubbing her ring finger. I ask her is she will be here when I awake. She says she won't be far away. Her lips press against my forehead. She's still mad at me, this platonic kiss hurts as much as my side. We are slipping away from each other, all bonds have been severed, or have they. Her lips press against mine, soft and sweet. Hope and second, no third, chance.

She winces, is she hurt? How can she be? She was at the White House. She tells me goodnight and my eyes shut.

A screech unlike anything I have ever known fills my ears. A banshee cry freezes all the blood in my body.

My eyes shoot open, the ceiling is all I see.

Donna, what happened to Donna? Am I screaming? My body won't corporate with my mind. I want to jump out of bed and sprint to the hallway, but nothing will move.

Voices fill the air.

"Ms. Moss. What happened?" Jackson

"Oh my god!" I don't know who said it

"What's wrong with Donna?" Will

"Get her into x-ray." Same unfamiliar voice.

"Is she ok?" Matt

"Ms. Moss can you hear me?" Unknown voice.

Noises and voices blend together, I am tried and it is very hard to focus on anything.

Donna's hurt. I don't know how it happened, but she's hurt.

Did it happen while she was in the White House?

Did it happen while she was here?

How did it happen?

Who hurt her?

Did it happen last night?

Donna.

Donna, what have I done to you?

She just left the room we put Josh Lyman. She looks awful, it's only getting worse, I think I am going to have to step in soon. But after the press conference, she's been working hard on that I don't want to take that from her. The way I see it, these people live and die by press conferences. So who am I to stop it.

The FBI agent runs into her. She screams and falls to the ground like a rag doll. The pain was overwhelming and she blacks out. Dr Patel screams orders, chaos is running the show. Her agents are at her side. The Tall one, Jackson I think, lifts the backs of her shirt to reveal a massive bruise. He lifts her and take her down the x-ray room.

The walking wounded stick their heads out of the their rooms, like prairie dogs. They cry for Donna. Of course they would, she is their life blood, their everything. Without her, they are empty and lost.

I run along side with the doctors and rest of her company. She wakes from her temporary coma.

The doctor starts questioning her repeatedly. But she ignores them and focuses on me.

"Tell Josh I am fine, he is going to bust his stitches otherwise."

"Ms. Moss what happened?"

"I ran into a filing cabinet when I was leaving the White House. Please Cindy to have to tell him." Right now her only thought is Josh and I am the only person in the room. The five other people shouting at her becomes white noise. I nod and peace comes to her. She tells me the rest of the message.

The hallway is filled with men who should not be out of bed and wide eyed panic.

"She's fine!" I yell over their questions. "She ran into a filing cabinet in the White House. When I find out more information you will be their first people to know."

I enter Josh's darkened room "She wants you to calm down."

"Is she ok? What happened?"

"She ran into a filing cabinet."

"No really, what happened?"

"That's all that she told me, but she wants you to know she will be fine and that it didn't happen last night so don't feel bad you didn't have anything to do with this. She said don't die on that cross."

"I'm Jewish."

"So you don't get the reference?" I asked with sarcasm oozing from my mouth. He nods and smiles. But he goes back to worrying. "I will be back soon with more information."

As I return to Donna's side, her two agents are screaming at each other. "I left her at the White House, she should have been safe. What the hell happened?"

"I'm sorry, but she took out Wilson and I saw her as a threat."

"Did you even look at her?" Jackson screams at Jefferson.

"I think it is pretty obvious that I didn't. I slammed her against the filing cabinet and pulled my gun. She didn't yelp in pain, she never complained, how was I supposed to know she got hurt?"

"Because you slammed her against a filing cabinet!" Jefferson slides down the wall and places his head between his knees.

"Do you think she is hurt bad?"

"You broke her ribs! Yeah I think she is hurt bad!"

I leave this pity party and enter the room they are keeping her. She is going ten rounds with the doctor, he wants to admit her and she has no desire to let that happen. Her biggest concern is the press conference scheduled in an half an hour. Her cell phone rings once again she looks at me like I am the only person in the room. I answer it and a familiar voice speaks.

"Oh, hello, Sir. You heard about Donna? Yes the doctor is giving her a hard time about the press conference." Her eyebrows rise; she knows who I am talking to. I hand the phone over to the doctor. "He wants to speak to you." The devilish smile on my face is mirrored on hers.

The doctor grabs the phone, "Hello." No sense of decorum. His face drops, eyes wide, sweat starts to form. "Hello, Mr. President, your highness. Yes she is here. No she isn't being a bad patient; she's just stubborn about this press conference. WHAT? You want me to give the medical aspects for the conference? No sir, I am not a political expert. No sir, I do not think her injuries are life threatening. Um. Well, I guess we could admit her but wait a few minutes to treat her."

VICTORY!

She beams and she knows she has already won. The doctor is all a glow. I wonder if I was this star stuck. No, I was much cooler than that.

Donna refuses pain medications until after the press conference, she says it make her loopy.

She takes a deep breath, the kind you take when you need strength. She is going to need all she can get, because now she has to inform the men. None of them will be happy about this.

"Jackson I am going to need you to call Ron Butterfeild back here again, he's going to be giving the security portion of the press conference. Clean yourself up too, I am going to need you there."

"WHAT!"

"You too, Jefferson." She gives him a "you're forgiven" smile.

"LIKE HELL!" Jackson spits.

"Excuse me?" Big mistake. The three of them are walking to the recovery rooms. Her eyes are focused and fiery. She's pissed. No one has been successful in telling her what to do.

"You were the target of an assassination attempt! The only reason why you weren't killed is because your boyfriend called you a whore! You broke your ribs, you look like hell. You can't do this."

Wow! She was the target. She IS having a bad day.

Her voice gets low and serious, "Jackson I have to do this. I have to show this guy I am not afraid of him."

The Josh's voice bellows, "Well, he scares the hell out of me!"

Congressman Santos, and Toby Zeigler nod in agreement.

"Donna it's not worth it. Please don't." Josh begs from his bed. She can't see him, I don't think she really wants to. From what I can gather, from the news footage and the montage CNN played about his career an hour ago, he is a proud and strong man who refuses to show weakness. To beg her publicly, it must be killing him.

There is something going on, a tension I simply haven't been able to place. Leo McGarry says something unexpected, "Go for the jugular Donna, go ahead say it."

Bitterness and anger fill Will's voice, "Donna's to good for that, Leo. She has to much dignity and honor, she won't say what we are all thinking. She won't say that she isn't afraid of this guy, because he hasn't done as much damage to her in two weeks and we have in the last 24 hours." Will returns to his room, hidden from the others. No one makes eye contact. No one speaks.

You know when you see a mistake coming. You know when you want to say, "Stop, don't do it." You know when you can't because it is happening in slow motion, but your brain is functioning at an even slower pace?

Her safety is still heavy on Jackson's mind, he plays a poor gambit. "You can't do it, Ms. Moss. You look like shit."

Smooth. She has been holding on to her sanity by a very small thread. Snap.

"If one more man tells me how awful I look I will choke him with his own testicles." Her voice bellows, echoes, causes men to stop in their tracks.

Jefferson, "You look really hot today."

Leo: "Never better, Donna."

Toby: "If it wasn't flagrantly inappropriate I would have sex with you right now."

She rolls her eyes. Ronna comes back from where ever she was hiding, with a suit, "Amy Gardener set this up, she said you might need a fresh suit for your press conference."

"Excuse me Donna, but I have some make-up and I am sure the other nurses have something to help you out." I offer. She smiles and we whisk her away from the idiot men and into the haven of the pink bathroom.

I confess, "Wow you are really incredible." She laughs, "Clearly you never met CJ Cregg, Dr. Bartlet. Hey let me tell you about Mrs. Landingham." I brush her hair as Ronna works on her make up. Donna recounts tales of survival, humor and passion.

Sometimes we see so many people, a constant blur of faces, we forget how amazing we can really be.

Minutes before the press conference, she calls CJ for last minute tips. Her nerves are beginning to show. But the wonders of a fresh coat of make-up and a few deep breaths, hide most of it. I watch her emerge from the ladies room a different woman. She turns to Dr. Patel, Ron Butterfeild, Jackson, Jefferson and other agents as says, "Ready boys?"

Fear and uncertainty reflect on the men's faces. Dr. Patel is repeating his statement, the agents are going over their security checks, Ron Butterfield is hoping he won't get sued by this victim of assault in the White House.

Donna radiates strength; she is going into a battle and leading an army who is falling into formation behind her.

I didn't know we could do that.