Chapter 25

He rose to his feet shakily as the alarm started, unsure of what he was supposed to do.  He stared at Donna's prone form as a voice in his head mocked him that he should be doing something.  But what?  Gulping, he turned to the door as Mrs. B came in with a man in a lab coat and the nurse who had helped him through his attack.  The sight of the former First Lady, a worried scowl on her face broke through his indecisiveness.  "What's wrong with her?" he asked as the man in the lab coat shouldered him out of the way and started to give orders to the nurse.

Abbey sighed, she really didn't have time to calm the man in front of her.  "We're not sure.  Wait outside, Josh," she answered tensely as she moved to the other side of the bed and added an order to Chris's.

"But. . ."

"Josh, either you walk out of here on your own or I have Ron drag you out.  I don't have time for this right now," she told him as she looked up and locked eyes with him, hoping to impart the desperation of the situation.  "And there's a chance Donna doesn't either.  So get the hell out!"

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She was late.  That was all she knew as she hurried down the hall.  Funny, it seemed longer today.  Emptier too.  Shrugging off the idea, she hurried to the office.  She had things to do.  What things she wasn't exactly sure.  But they were important.

Hurriedly, she shrugged out of her coat and put it on the back of her chair before grabbing her notebook and calendar and heading towards his office.  "Josh," she started as she stepped into it and then stopped short.  "You're not Josh," she said stupidly to the man who was staring out of her boss's window.

"Very observant of you," he told her as he turned towards her, a familiar smile playing across his lips.

"What are you. . ."

"Doing here?" he interrupted as he leaned against the window still.  "I'm waiting for Josh."

"But you don't have an appointment."

"He's squeezing me in," the man shrugged.

"Oh."

"It's about a thing."

She only nodded as she looked at the calendar trying to decide what would have to be moved to accommodate a meeting about a 'thing.' "He won't have much time."

"He never does," the man sighed.  "I'll wait anyway."

"Right," she replied unsure as someone came up behind her. 

"You're needed in the Oval, Ms. Moss," the Secret Service Agent she only vaguely recognized said.

"I am?"

"Yes M'am.  If you'll follow me. . ." he turned and she was forced to do just that. . . .

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Abbey cursed as there was still no response from the young woman on the bed and called an order to the nurse who was staring out the window.  "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked the blonde as the woman hurried to follow the terse command.

"What?" Melissa asked as she injected the ordered medication into the IV.

"Is there a reason you're so concerned with what's going on out there, or should I just call someone else in who can actually keep their mind on their job?" Abbey asked as Chris looked up surprised.

"I was just trying to keep an eye on Mr. Lyman."

"Why?" Abbey asked as she took note of the medication's effect and frowned.

"He had a panic attack earlier. . ." Melissa said sharply.

Abbey cursed at that as she gave Josh a cursory glance before turning her attention back to Donna.  "We can't worry about that right now.  As long as we get her past this he'll be fine," she muttered as another alarm sounded.

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Josh stood watching through the observation window, a lump forming in his throat.  "This isn't good," he said brokenly.

Ron Butterfield stood near him, stolicly quiet watching his charge as she did her best to save the young woman.  He didn't have any words for the man next to him.  In fact he didn't have any words for himself.  The thought that if he had gone to FFLOTUS sooner that maybe this wouldn't be happening.  Slowly, he shook his head.  He couldn't second guess himself.  At least not now. 

"She's a fighter, Josh," V. said softly from some place behind him as she put a hand on his shoulder.  She'd have to be to work for who she did.  Where she did.  She's not going to give up."

"Sometimes. . . sometimes, it's so tempting to.  When you don't hear a voice calling out to you.  It's so tempting to give into the pain and just let go," he told her softly as he stared transfixed at the scene transpiring in front of him. . .

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She looked nervously around the room as she entered.  Funny, no matter how many times she came here, she was nervous.

The outer office was empty except for the President's Executive Assistant.  "Good morning, Donna.  Care for a cookie?" she asked as she smiled and looked up from the papers in front of her.

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"Come on, Donna. . ." Chris said stiffly as he called for another course of action and looked to Abbey who was bagging her with a frown.

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"Mrs. Lydingham. . ." Donna said with a smile of slight confusion.  For some reason she knew she hadn't seen the woman in a while, but they worked in the same building and she was always running around doing things for Josh, so surely their paths had crossed.

"Seems we just keep missing each other," the older woman said as if reading her thoughts.  "Take a seat and talk with me for a while."

Nodding, Donna did just that as she broke off a piece of the cookie the older woman had given her.  "Things have been so crazy lately.  I never seem to have a minute. Although I'm sure you're even busier running the President's office than I could ever be running Josh's."

"Don't sell yourself short, young lady.  He wouldn't know what to do without you."

"I doubt it."

"That's not all you doubt. . ." Delores Lydingham chided gently, as Josh's voice carried down to them, calling Donna's name. 

"You'd think he'd not yell here," Donna sighed.

Delores just smiled slightly and nodded, "Maybe you shouldn't keep him waiting then.  Perhaps you'll have better luck then I have at getting him to stop yelling near this office.  They need to show some respect around here."

"I was just enjoying this little bit of quiet time," Donna admitted tiredly as the intercom on Mrs. L's desk came to life.  The First Lady's voice drifting out of it, calling for her.

"Josh you can ignore. . ."

"But not Dr. B," Donna sighed as she rose from the chair.

"I'll be by to see you latter."

"Alright," Donna smiled as she turned, looking around the office with a slight frown.

"Is something wrong dear?"

"I. . .I. . . I just can't seem to get my bearings," she admitted as her head started spinning and darkness beckoned her. . .

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"Should I try it?" Chris asked, wanting Abbey's opinion on the course of action he was suggesting.  It was risky since they didn't know much about her condition.

"It's not like we have much to lose right now," Abbey muttered with a tense nod, letting him give the order. It seemed like an eternity as they waited for a change one way or another.

"Come on.  Come on. . ." Abbey whispered as the readings started to change and show signs that she was coming back. "Thank God," she said as she started to pull off her gloves and looked towards the window towards Ron and nodded.  "Now let's find out what the hell is going on with her.  I want those tests done and done now!"

"Think we should add another to the list?" Chris asked as he too chucked his gloves.

"Hell yeah," Abbey answered with an angry glint in her eyes.  "If this was induced in anyway I want to know.  Although, it doesn't go beyond us."

"Are you sure you want to play it that way?" he asked.

"I know we have to play it that way.  I'm not taking any more chances with her life. Now, I better go and check on Josh," she replied as she turned on her heel and started out of the room.

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Ron Butterfield breathed a sigh of relief as he caught the nod.  "She's alright for now," he said softly, catching Josh's attention. 

Swallowing hard, Josh seemed to deflate slightly and leaned his head against the cold window, looking down at his shoes, trying to keep it together.  V. rubbed his back as she watched his reactions, hoping that he wasn't going to have another panic attack.

"We've stabilized her," Abbey said as she came out of the room and walked towards them.  "Now, I think I have to worry about stabilizing you, Josh."

"I'll be fine Mrs. B," Josh said as he straightened and looked into the room to stare at Donna.

"Don't bullshit me, Josh," the former First Lady said stiffly.  "You've already had one attack today."

"How. . .?" he asked as he turned and looked at her sheepishly.

"I have my ways," she told him in a gentler voice.  "Have you called Stanley?"

"I didn't think. . ." he shook his head.  "Somehow I doubt a phone call is going to help right now."

"Well, at least get a referral."

"Leo said he'd. . ."

"Then get the damned name," Abbey told him.  "I don't want broken glass."

"Neither do I."

"Then we're agreed."

"Is it alright if I. . ."

"We need to get to the hotel," she said, breaking him off.

"But. . ."

"Consider it an executive order," she added to counter his coming objection. "Not that you followed the one that you were supposed to go there as soon as you landed anyway."

"I had made a promise. . ."

"So I heard."

"I don't want her to be alone."

"She won't be," Chris Ramsey said as he came towards them.  "I'm supposed to be off duty in about 15 minutes.  I've gotta stick around to get her into the tests.  I'll just stay after they're done to someone gets back."

"Who. . .?"

"Chris Ramsey, I'm . . ."

"The guy who took her to the Nurse's Ball," Josh finished for him as name recognition set in.  "She said you two were pretty good friends."

"Yeah, we are.  Besides, Ned, Carly, and/or Jax will probably be back soon anyway.  They stayed all night."

"I just. . ." Josh shook his head as he looked back to Donna.  "This is what you all felt, isn't it?" he asked.

Shaking her head sadly, Abbey stepped next to him, placing a hand on his arm as she followed his gaze, "some more then others."

"How bad?"

"Not as bad as. . ."

"But still bad, right?"

"Yeah, it's still bad." Josh swallowed convulsively as he fought back tears.  "The sooner we leave, Josh."

"I just. . ."

"Go tell her I'm ordering you to go.  She'll understand.  After all, that's what got her to leave that morning.  Tell her you'll be back as soon as we're doing conferring."

"Ok."

Watching him turn and walk towards the room, shoulders slumped Abbey couldn't help but shake her head.  Then catching herself she looked to Ron and then Chris and motioned them to follow her over to a nearby corner.  "I already made this clear to Dr. Ramsey, now I'm telling you, Ron.  What you said about that nurse stays between us till we know more."

"With all due respect, M'am. . ."

"Can it, Ron."

"Fine, but can I make a recommendation?"

"Which would be?"

"I talk to the guys, at least the ones that have been on detail since the administration. Most of them know Ms. Moss well.  They like her.  Let me tell them something odd is going on.  Get some of them to come and stay as sort of guards when they're off duty.  I'll even start it myself after I'm relieved and the meeting is over."

"Alright.  Do it.  Although, I have a feeling she won't be left alone again.  The staff won't allow it.  I'll put it in writing that they're allowed to stay at all times. We won't let something like this happen again. We can't"