Chapter 22

Abbey rolled her eyes as the agent tried to follow Chris and herself into Donna's hospital room. "Dan," she started as Chris paused to watch in the doorway, "how long have you been with me?"

"Over five years, ma'am," the agent answered swiftly.

"And in that time has my position on you- or any other agents- presence when I examine a female patient ever changed?"

"But ma'am. . ." he started to protest as he looked to Chris who shrugged.

"In case it escaped you attention, he has certain credentials you don't," Abbey quipped as she caught the direction of his gaze. "Now, there's a nice big, glass window you can keep an eye on me through, but you are not coming in that room while I'm with a patient," she ordered as she turned and preceded Chris into the room.

"Had to try," Dan muttered to the other agent, who stood smirking as the door shut.

"Yeah. Although, I wonder what would happen if they assigned a female agent to her detail," he couldn't help but sigh as he watched the former First Lady walk towards the bed, mentally questioning why her step faltered slightly as she did.

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Abbey exhaled sharply as she took in Donna's visible injuries. Although the doctor in her had been prepared, the mother hen was outraged. And it was hard not to be. One side of the younger woman's face was a greenish-blue, the eye swollen. The bruises continued down Donna's jaw, neck and along her collar bone, and Abbey presumed, lower still. "I assume that's the side she landed on?" she asked trying to regain some sort of professionalism.

"Yeah. She's lucky nothing was broken," Chris said as he looked over to her.

"Give it time. A few things just might be," Abbey couldn't help but quip as she looked over at some of the monitors, frowning at the readouts.

"Ma'am?"

Abbey turned at the address, catching Chris's confused expression. "My husband's staff has always been a tight group. They see her like this and they're going to want to break something," she informed with a shrug. "Usually, thought, cooler heads prevail."

"And if they don't?"

"Well, than, I suppose it's a good thing that we keep some of the top lawyers in the country on retainer," Abbey deadpanned.

Chris laughed at that as he rubbed his neck and cast a look behind him.

"Something wrong?"

"Just get the feeling we're being watched."

"We are," Abbey sighed indicating the window with a tilt of her head as she moved to check Donna's vitals.

"That's not. . ." Chris shook his head. "Well, as long as it's not vampires," he muttered as the sensation that someone was behind him shifted.

"Have much of a problem with them?"

"You'd be surprised," Chris sighed as he handed her the chart he had been reviewing, watching in surprise as she stiffened slightly for a moment before smiling. "Is something wrong?"

"No. In fact, I was just thinking it's more likely she had an angel watching over her."

"Yeah, well, if she does they have their work cut out for them."

"So do we," Abbey sighed as she looked to Donna and then back to him. "Let's see if we can't get anywhere with those tests. I'd at least like to have them scheduled before I have to return to the hotel."

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"Amy, I can't thank you enough for this," Jax said as he handed her the list he had written up on who could visit Donna.

"It's not a problem, Jax. Really, I agree it's for the best that she has limited contact with people, especially with all the rumors going around. Not that I believe most of them, but you can never be too careful," Amy gushed.

"That's why I'm doing this. Let's keep things on track as much as we can, ok?"

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The red head stormed into the office and pass the gapping secretary intent on finding her father, or at the least his long suffering assistant. She'd prefer her father because she was fair enough not to want to take her anger out on the other woman, but this time. . . Four cancellations in the last month, and now this? She had revamped her whole schedule to have lunch with him and he couldn't even call to cancel? Well, she'd be damned if she stood for it this time.

"Ma'am, you can't just go in there," the new secretary, who wasn't much older than herself, protested as she tried to block the door.

"Just watch me," she shot back as she stormed into her father's office. "Well, at least he's smart enough not to be here," she said to herself as she slammed her purse on his desk and rounded it, the voice of his father's personal assistant reaching her ears as she assured the younger woman that it was all right.

"Mal, what are you doing here?" the older woman asked as the secretary scurried off.

"Figured it was time my father faced the music. I mean, he didn't at least have the decency to have you call and cancel this time! And please tell me he's not off with the Republican bimbette!"

Margaret sighed, "he didn't let you know?"

"You think if he cancelled I'd be here? I reworked my whole schedule so I could have lunch with him today. Postponed a job interview, my fitting for the wedding, and he doesn't even have the decency to call and cancel?" Mal rambled as she ran a hand through her short red hair.

"It's. . .there was an emergencey. I didn't know you two were supposed to have lunch. . ."

"What now? Blondie break a nail?"

"Mal. . ." Margaret started, then shook her head slightly as tears came to her eyes and she blinked them away.

"Margaret what is it?"

"Leo got a call early this morning, he left as soon as a flight was arranged. . ."

"Left for where? What happened? Is it Uncle Jed?"

"No. Donna."

"Donna!?!?! What happened? I mean, I talked to her yesterday, or was it the day before. . . we were making arrangements for the shower. Talking about the fitting. We were all going to go out to dinner tomorrow night. . ."

"I don't know. Your father didn't say much over the phone. Just that there was some sort of accident and that she was in the hospital. They're all flying in. . . I would've too, but I have to keep the office running. Make sure papers are filed on time. He doesn't' trust any of the others too. . ."

"I can't. . ." Mal shook her head, and laughed slightly. "At least he has a decent reason this time," she said sarcastically. "Do you know what hospital or where they're staying."

"The Couple arranged for them all to stay at the Port Charles Hotel. I have the number. . ."

"That's. . .I have reservations for tomorrow night. . ." Mal sighed, "I'll. . .um. . . I wonder if I can change them, or my flight."

"I'll make sure it's taken care of."

"Margaret you don't have to do that."

"I know, but at least it makes me feel like I'm doing something to help," she sighed before turning and walking out of the office, while Mal walked over to the bookshelf and picked up a picture, wondering why it seemed at times they were more his family than her, and how she could be jealous about it when one of her close friends was hurt. . .

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V. watched as Toby and CJ walked out of the terminal and towards their waiting rental car. She had wanted to drive them, but all three had agreed that Josh would insist on going to the hospital to see Donna, even with the 'executive order' for them all to meet en masse at the hotel. Plus there seemed to be an unspoken understanding that he should have the chance to see her alone, and first.

The downside of that was that she'd have to keep Josh together on her own for the next hour or so, and truth was she wasn't sure she was up to it, or even the right person for the job. Sure she had known Josh since she was a girl playing with Mallory and tailing after him, much to his annoyed pleasure, but that seemed like a life time ago. In many ways it was. She hadn't spent more than a few hurried minutes in his presence for years, and the last time they had been in each other's company hadn't been all that wonderful. . .


"Why are you doing this?" he had asked as he threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Because Jax needs a compenant assistant and if she can handle your ass she sure as hell can handle Jax's!" V had shot back as she stood toe to toe with him in his office, wondering why he was so against her helping out his assistant. "G-d, it's not like I'm going behind your back or anything. The administration is almost over and she's going to need another job. This way she won't have to worry. She'll have it, and she'll even be able to go back to school and finish her degree."

"She wouldn't have needed to worry about a job," Josh shot back as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I would've made sure of that. I need her too much not to."

"And what about what she needs? She can't be at your beck and call for the rest of her life. She has a lot of potential."

"And you know this after spending a couple of hours with her?"

"You don't after four years?" V. shot back. "Really, Josh, you're holding her back if you give her a hard time about this. Why are you anyway?"

"I told you, I need her."

"You. . .Josh. . ." she sighed as she shook her head, "Need her or need her?"

"Shut up."

"That's what I thought. So you're going to hold her back because you need her? What is it with men? Why do they think they can need their assistants but not need their assistants? And why do you either push us or hold too tight?"

"You still talking about me or some gomer?"

"A what?"

"Never mind."

"Look, it's a great opportunity for her. Don't ruin it unless. . ."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you're willing to let her know just what you need her for."

"Why don't you just mind your own business?" Josh sighed, frustrated as he walked to his desk.

"I recommended her to Jax. If I know him, he'll hire her. She'll do great work for him. Start living up to her potential. Don't hold her back. Don't hold your insecurities against me. She deserves this chance. You're just mad because she's getting it from someone else. Well, newsflash, Lyman, she'll be offered a lot of chances from people other than you. Hell, she already has been. Do you have any idea the number of great job offers she's turned down to stay on and run your sorry excuse for a life? She'll turn this one down if you let her, too."

"I don't let Donna do anything."

"So I've been told."

"She's got a mind all her own."

"Which you have a lot of influence over."

"You know, if you think that I have a bridge you might be interested in. . ."

"You're a real clueless bastard, you know that?"

"Stop interfering."

"I'm not. Just giving her some options," V. had said as Donna came to the door, "Josh, if you don't leave now you're going to be late to your meeting on the Hill about the thing."

"Yeah," he sighed as she started to dig through the files on his desk. Sighing, Donna crossed the room, picked up the folder he needed and reached for his backpack on the floor, slipping the folder into it as she handed it off to him.

V. stood watching with her arms across her chest, and shook her head. "That reference had better be damned good, Lyman or I will kick your ass," she told him before turning and striding out of his office. Donna's voice as she asked Josh if everything was ok floating after her. . .

V. stopped midpace as she heard a door open and turned to see Josh walking into the waiting room, head down, book bag over his shoulder, suitcase in one hand. Shaking her head she walked towards him, calling his name softly.

She frowned slightly as he lifted his head up, and shook it as if to orient himself with his surroundings. The dullness in his eyes making her pretty sure that he was running on automatic pilot, something that she had never seen him do. "Hey, you OK?" she asked as she reached for his suitcase.

"Yeah, just peachy," he sighed as he looked down at her. "And I can carry my own bag. I'm a man, remember?"

"Whatever," V. sighed sarcastically as she looked at him and stuffed her hands into her pocket. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"I don't know that I ever will be," he muttered as he started to walk towards what he assumed was the exit.

"My car's this way, Josh," she sighed, indicating another exit as she looked at him with worried eyes. "It's going to be ok, you know?"

"If you say so."

"Josh. . ." she sighed and shook her head. "I'll take you to the hotel."

"No," he said causing her to stop at the vehemence she hadn't been expecting.

"Josh. . ." she called to his back, knowing that she had to at least try.

"I need to see her first V," he told her as he turned, the plea in his eyes hard to ignore. "Need to let her know I'm here."

"Josh, they want everyone at the hotel."

"They'll have to understand."

"Josh. . ."

"I promised her."

"Promised her what?" V asked, confused as she stepped towards him.

"That I wouldn't be like him."

"Like who?"

"Dr. Freeride. She'd been in an accident, and he stopped for a beer on the way to the hospital. I promised her I would never do anything like that. It's taken me long enough to get here already. She wouldn't even stop for red lights if. . ." he shook his head.

"Alright, we'll go to the hospital first," V. said as she placed a hand on his arm, and smiled slightly. "And, I'll run my lights. We won't have to stop for red lights along the way. OK?"