Chapter 14



Josh rose from the floor to go wash his face as someone started pounding on his door. Shrugging he continued on his way to the bathroom, but stopped as the pounding grew more insistent.

Cursing he put the picture down on the table as he went to pull open the door. "What?" he asked as Mandy pushed angrily passed him. "What are you trying to do? Destroy my life?!?!?" she demanded as she threw her purse onto the couch.

"As pleasurable as that might be, I do have other worries on my mine," Josh muttered as he closed the door.

"Like this fake family emergency?" Mandy prodded. "At least get your mother to cover for you the next time you walk out on some thrumped up excuse."

"What?!?!"

"Christ, Josh. I was actually worried about you so I called your mother," Mandy replied as she looked at him, and for the first time realized that something was really wrong.

"You called my mother?!?!?" Josh demanded incredulous.

"Excuse me if I care."

"That would be a first," he muttered as he ran a hand through his hair and the phone rang. "I should answer that," he sighed as he went to pick it up, well aware that Mandy was watching his every move. Working hard to ignore her, he answered with what he hoped was a neutral tone, not at all surprised to find that it was his mother on the other end. "Mom. . .I know. . .I'm sorry you were worried. . .No, I'm fine. . .No, it's not that. . .I wanted to wait till I knew more before I called you. . . Mom, Leo called me at work about an hour ago. . .No, he and Mal are fine. . .It's. . Mom, it's Donna. . ." he got out, his voice breaking on the name. Mandy bit back a gasp as her eyes moved to his face as he turned to lean against the desk, realizing exactly what was behind the pain--- the excuse of 'family.' "I'm waiting for Leo to call. They're making the arrangements. . .We're all flying in. . .No, that's not. . .Mom, she wouldn't want you too. Hell, she's not going to be happy that all of us put our lives on hold to go there. . .I will. . .I will. . .I promise. I love you too, Mom," he sighed as he stood and turned to hang up the phone, his head hung low as he used the desk to keep up right as he regained his bearings.

"You only had to tell me the truth," Mandy said after he stepped back from the desk.

"I did. She is family," he sighed as he turned his attention to her.

Mandy only shook her head at that, "We both know that's not. . ." she started, only to stop at Josh's glare. "I'll try to handle Monroe, but I can't promise. . ."

"Someone will float me a lifeline," Josh sighed earning a bewildered look from Mandy. "I'll be fine."

"Well, I better get back to work," Mandy sighed as she picked up her purse and started out only to stop at the door as he crossed the room. "Josh, you better get it together before you see her. You look like hell."

He answered by the slamming the door in her face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jax ran a tired hand over his face as he entered Donna's room. "That man's gonna be a problem," Jax sighed as he sank into a nearby chair.

"What do you mean? Is he siding with the Quartermains?" Carly asked surprised.

"I haven't even told him what happened," Jax admitted.

"Then what makes you say he's gonna be a problem?"

"He's bringing in his own doctor."

"So, they're less likely to lose important papers."

"And he's jumping on comments like that. If we're going to get AJ for this we have to keep our supiscions to ourselves. He's like a dog with a bone right now, and him going after the Quartermains half-cocked is not going to help. Hell, he threatened me!"

"What do you mean?" Ned asked.

"He told me he was going to get to the bottom of this with or without my help."

"Doesn't that show he cares about Donna?" Carly asked.

"Then where the hell was he when AJ was harassing her? Why did she never mention him and these other so called friends? Why did someone call one of them and tell them it was attempted murder? How did they even know who to call?"

"You think the family is using her friends to launch a counterattack?" Ned mused.

"They'll call it harassment. . ." Jax sighed.

"Why don't you just tell him? Maybe if he knows. . ." Carly put in.

"Saids the master planner!" Jax said sarcastically. "We handle this ourselves. Keep what we know to ourselves. Take AJ down ourselves."

"I thought you felt the more help we had the better."

"How do we know they're on our side and aren't plants?"

Carly rolled her eyes, "and they call me paranoid?"

"Carly. . ."

"Fine. We try it your way, but I have a feeling we should tell him before he finds out some other way."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Leo hung up the phone, ending his call to Abbey, and looked at his watch. If he was going to make it to the airport to meet them he had to leave without checking in on Donna. Torn, he looked down the corridor to see a familiar red head coming his way.

"Uncle Leo! What are you doing here?" V. asked as she hurried her steps to reach him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before he could answer.

"Did you think I wouldn't come after what happened?" he asked, slightly offended.

"After what happened?"

"You haven't heard?"

"I just got back from a conference. It's not Uncle Jed, is it? I heard at the station that he and Aunt Abbey were flying in. I just assumed she was consulting on a case."

"She is. Donna's."

"What?" V. asked surprised. "What happened? Is she going to be all right?"

"Since I can't get a straight answer out of your Mr. Jacks, I don't know. And the doctors are only now starting to run tests. There's something very odd going on here."

"Are you sure you're not just chasing conspiracy theories?" V. teased, hoping to earn a smile and relieve some of the tension that was radiating off of him.

"They're hiding something," Leo spit out, unamused. "The first copy of her Medical Power of Attorney disappeared. Someone called one of Toby's cubs, leaking them a story that called what happened to Donna attempted murder. Jax called it an accident."

V. ran a hand over her collar bone as she contemplated what she had been told, "I'll see what I can find out," she sighed as Leo nodded. Then asked: "Are they all coming."

"Yeah."

"Leo, no one knows."

"Knows what?"

"That my godparents are the former first couple. That Donna worked at the White House."

"You're joking."

"No," V. sighed. "It's not like the fact that your godparents are the President and First Lady comes up in every day conversation. And since Jax's father wouldn't clear security Aunt Abbey and Uncle Jed. . ."

"Decided not to come to your wedding," Leo sighed. "But what about Donna? She testified at the hearings."

"With decidedly less coverage than the rest of you," V. reminded. "And she decided not to tell any one. Jax hired her on my recommendation. He never saw her resume. Some of her professors know, but the majority of them haven't made the connection."

"Charming what's teaching the future politicians of America," Leo mused as he ran a hand down his face. "But we're not going to be able to hide it once they get here."

"Wanna bet?" V. asked. "This is the most apolitical town I have ever lived in. The Commissioner and Chief of police couldn't figure out what reason the Secret Service might have for wanting security information on the hospital," she paused. "Somehow, I don't think the majority of you are going to make waves here."

"So in other words as long as we keep the former President from being a noticeable presence. . ."

"No one will be the wiser," V. sighed as she realized something. "And that could be advantageous at some point."

"Meaning?"

"I'm not sure, but I can guess that if you're getting two stories and Jax isn't clearing it up that something is going on," V. mused as her mind starting to review possibilities.

"Do you think it has anything to do with the harassment?"

"You knew. . ."

"No. Sam told me," Leo admitted, a touch of hurt in his voice as he couldn't help but wonder why Donna hadn't turned to the rest of them as well. "If I had. . ."

"Like I said, I'll look into things, but if it is connected. . ." she shook her head.

"What?"

"Well, Uncle Jed might be the only one with enough pull to quelch a cover up."

"So in other words we're in for a fight."

"Looks it."

"Then you better keep your Mr. Jacks in line. Right now I'm looking at him as my first casualty," Leo replied in a tone that had sent many a politician running in the opposite direction. "Now, if you excuse me I need to get downstairs. A car's waiting to take me to the airport to meet the couple."

"OK. Where are you staying?"

"Port Charles Hotel."

"And when will the others be here?"

"Whenever your Mr. Jacks arranges it. See if you can't light a fire under him, huh? They'll make him pay if they have to wait too long."

"I'll take care of it myself. Even call and let them all know the times. I should have most of the numbers, the ones I don't I'll get from the ones I do have numbers for. Then I'll see what I can find out down at the station. Once I know something, and everyone's here, I'll meet you at the hotel and fill everyone in."

"You're a good kid, Venus," Leo said, earning a roll of her eyes before she turned and started to the nurse's desk to find out where Donna's room was.