Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out, but 3 jobs and writer's block in the form of a moody Josh and the surprisingly quiet Jed and Carly conspired against me.

Chapter 35

Leo watched Josh as they entered the hospital in much the same way he had since meeting the younger man some 20 minutes before in the lobby of the Port Charles Hotel. "I made the call, took my meds, and don't plan on pulling a nutty," Josh groused, aware of the older man's attention.

"Never said you were going to," Leo shrugged as they reached the bank of elevators.

"Maybe not, but you were thinking it," Josh commented as he reached across Leo to press the button to call the elevator.

"Glad to see your mind reading skills are up to par," Leo shot back dryly as the doors opened and they stepped into the elevator.

"If they were, we wouldn't be here," Josh retorted softly.

"Josh. . ."

"I let her down, Leo.  I should've known.  Read between the lines."

"Apparently, she didn't want you to know."

"Still. . . I should've known she wanted more than to just comment on my appearance on The Factor or reminding me to call my mother."

"You've always been dense where Donna's been concerned."

"No, I've just given a damned good impression of it," Josh admitted as the doors opened and they stepped out.  "Why the hell didn't she tell me? Didn't she know I would've done anything to protect her? Help her?"

"Maybe that's why she didn't," Leo said softly, watching as the younger man took a few steps before the words sunk in and he turned to face him. 

"What's that supposed to me?"

"Just that, Josh."

"But she went to Sam.  Almost told CJ, why wouldn't she tell me?" he asked on a whine.  "I mean, she couldn't have expected CJ to sit as idly by like Sam had."

Leo shrugged, "I'm not in Donna's head.  Lord knows I probably shouldn't even attempt to get into it, but I would suppose it's easier to evoke the power of the Sisterhood then to call you to the rescue.  Truthfully, Josh, would you really have kept you mouth shut to her? Gone into this without making your usual snarky comments?"

"Snarky? I think you've been around Margaret too long."

"That's exactly the kind of thing I mean! Your ability to cut her to the quick without intending to, or even realizing it, was well known.  Your reaction to her taking this job.  The comments about her taste in men--- the term Gomer ring any bells? Not to mention the non-anniversary flowers that appeared on her desk every May.  Why the hell wouldn't she think you'd make her fell like it was her fault?"

"That's the thing, Leo.  It wasn't. She didn't ask him to focus on her.  She sure as hell shouldn't have had to deal with it on her own!"

"You're right, but we can't change what happened, just move on from here.  We'll help her now."

"And then what?"

"I'll let you know when I figure it out. . ."

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Jed sighed as he waited for the operator to connect his call, not for the first time reflecting on how much longer the task of making trans-continental all took now that he was out of office as a cocky brogue crossed the line. "Now to what do I owe this dubious honor?"

"Aren't we living up to our reputation as one of England's most charming?"

"Ahh, my annoying American compatriot, you forget, for my fellow countrymen, this is charming," the man retorted to a chuckle from Bartlett.  "Now, pray tell, why am I getting a call from you? I hope the ever lovely Abigail is well."

"Abbey's fine.  So am I, by the way.  Thanks for asking."

"Did you call to harass me or do you really have a reason for this little exchange?"

"Unfortunately, I do."

"Sounds ominous."

"Only for those in our way."

" 'Our' way of what?"

"Do you remember Donna Moss?" Jed asked.

"Donna Moss. . . Donna Moss. . ." the man muttered as he tried to place the name as well as switch subjects as the former President seemed to.

"She was Josh Lyman's PA," Jed prompted.

"Ahh, yes, the lovely Donnatella.  Now what could she possibly be standing in 'our' way of? Although I'm aware that she was quite a rising star, I also know that she was a bit of a stalled one.  The reason being her loyalty to you, so I can't understand how she could possibly do anything."

"She's not doing any such thing, you arrogant windbag."

"Picking up habits from Gerald, I see. How is he by the way?"

"Leo is fine.  Now please stop changing the subject."

"Unlike you did by bringing up the fair Donnatella?"

"She is the subject."

"And there, old chum, you have lost me.  Please explain in a less circular fashion."

"Just like an Englishman; using fancy words when common ones will do just as well," Jed muttered.

"As much as I would love to retort to that, I fear we would digress even further and considering the late hour I would prefer not to, so can you please inform as to what the bloody hell you want!"

"Ahh, forgot about the extent of the time change there," Jed admitted sheepishly as he started to do the calculations.

"Apparently, it's not as easy without clocks and staff to remind you.  Now to get on with this, how, exactly, is the subject of this little exchange the ever charming Ms. Moss."

"Donna's in the hospital after a nasty spill. . ." he started to explain.  "Now before you interrupt, one of the catalysts for said fall might very well have been one AJ Quartermain."

"Alan's eldest boy? I don't see what that has to do with me.  Go talk to Alan."

"I'm getting to what it has to do with you.  And I can't go talk to Alan.  Knowing the things you know about that family, I don't doubt you can guess why that is."

"Undoubtedly. But I still don't understand what help I can be."

"That would be one of the others factors in the cause."

"And that would be?"

"Ned Ashton."

"And suddenly I'm seeing my part in this all too clearly.  You do realize that myself and the disenfranchised Lord don't normally keep in touch.  Besides which one would I be ferreting information on?"

"Both."

"Don't make things simple there, Jethro."

"See, it's not charming when you call me that," Jed groused good naturedly.

"As I've undoubtedly told you already, my charm is fading as the hour grows later."

"AJ Quartermain pushed Donna down a flight of stairs, that simple enough for you?"

"Pushed? Good, Lord, what exactly happened?"

"We're still trying to get to the bottom of that. Any information, especially that which may prove damaging to AJ, and insight into his feud with young Ashton would be appreciated."

"You do know that he won't part with much without a steep price."

"I'm not surprised by that, nor worried.  Let me know how much he wants and I'll wire the funds."

"Not to worry, for the lovely Donnatella I'll take care of it myself.  As you've already started, they're in our way.  I'll let you know when I have something.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some denied rest."

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"You really think we can pull this off?" Carly asked as the door to the hospital room opened.

"Pull what off?" Leo asked as he preceded Josh in, watching the guilty expressions cross the woman's and dark haired man's face, and a smug one the blonde's.

"Just swapping ideas for a business venture," Jax said as he eyed the two men suspiciously.

"Really, odd place to be discussing one," was all Leo remarked as Josh stopped at the foot of the bed, shifting uncomfortably under the curious stares of the previous occupants as he watched the slight movement of Donna's chest.

"As good a place as any," Jax shrugged.  "So is he the doctor you've call in?"

Leo laughed slightly at that, as Josh turned and stared at the man for a second before looking at his mentor.  "Is he for real?"

"What thought we were exaggerating?"

"Exaggerating what, exactly?" Ned asked.

"Nothing important," Leo shrugged.  "Sorry, I guess I should've handled the introductions."

"You think you can handle the names?" Josh asked him cheekily, finding himself reverting to old coping mechanisms, because as long as he was, things could return to normal at some point.

"I am considerably better at remembering names than Jed."

"That's sure saying a lot."

"Yeah, it is," Leo deadpanned as he turned to start the introductions.  "Carly Spencer, Jasper Jacks, Ned Ashton, this is Josh Lyman.  He was Donna's boss and holds her power of attorney."

"Really then why wasn't he listed as her contact person instead of you?" Jax asked.

"I was relocating when she took the job.  Didn't have a number set up.  She knew Leo would know how to contact me," Josh shrugged barely sparring the man a glance.

"So you haven't spoken to her since she started working for Jax?" Carly asked.

"No. We talked quite a few times since.  Mostly just messages because we missed each other.  I. . . I got one from her early this morning.  Left one in response when I. . . when I couldn't get a hold of her. . . guess she'll get it when she gets home," he confessed softly as he rolled his shoulders, then decided to shift the subject.  "What happened to Dr. Ramsey? I thought he said he was going to stay with her."

"I think he went to check on some of the test results," Ned answered distractedly as he continued to try to place the men's names.

"Did he say if they found anything new?"

"No.  He said they were waiting to meet with the doctor you people brought in," Jax answered.

"Who should be here soon," Leo remarked as he checked his watch and then looked over to Josh.  "I have to start going if I'm going to make it to the airport on time to meet Mallory's flight.  CJ and Toby should be here soon. . ."

"Leo, I don't need a babysitter no matter what Donna convinced you," Josh sighed, trying to temper his frustration with strained humor.

"Josh, I told you before: she's the one person I fear as much as Abbey.  I'm not taking chances.  Besides, you really want to try to tell any of them not to come?"

"Think I'd rather face Mary on Beat again," Josh admitted, allowing a slight smile to cross his face.

"Wait till Donna can bring you coffee would you?"

"Yeah, like that would ever happen again!" he said to a slight laugh from the other man and confused looks from the other occupants. "Go meet Mal.  I'll be fine, unlike you if you're late."

Leo rolled his eyes at that as he moved to the side of Donna's bed, taking a good look at that young woman for the first time.  Shaking his head slightly at her apparent injuries, he placed a hand on hers and squeezed it gently.  "Hang in there kid.  We'll handle everything else," he told her softly before straightening and turning to Josh.  "Stay out of trouble until she can save your sorry ass, would you?"

"I don't think I could get into too much here."

"Well, let's not find out how much you can," Leo teased squeezing his protégé's shoulder before nodding to the others and walking out.

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Toby sighed as he put aside the legal pad he was using to make and review notes to the side and rose from the bed to start pacing the hotel room.  So far he had gotten no where.  All he had been able to come up with were more questions that he couldn't find answers too.  They had come up with a plan of action.  Now he needed to come up with a way to enact it.  As he pivoted to make another pass of the room, he caught sight of the phone and paused.  If he didn't have the answers. . . if they couldn't come up with them themselves. . . well he'd have to call for backup.

Slightly pacified by the idea he was coming up with, he crossed the room and grabbed the phone before realizing that he didn't know the number.  "Shit," he muttered as the door to the adjoining room opened and CJ stepped into his.  "Time to go, Pokey. . ." she said cheekily.

"Yeah, well I was just. . ." he started, gesturing with the phone in his hand.

CJ sighed heavily as she cross to stop in front of him.  "Is it really that important?" she asked.

"I was going to. . ." Toby started, only to stop as he took a good look at her, noticing the strain she was trying to hide.  "No.  I'll call from the studio."

"The studio?" she asked as he put down the phone and stood.

"Yeah.  I told you.  I'm working out of WLPC while I'm here."

"It can't wait till tomorrow? You can't even spend a little bit of time. . ." she started then stopped, to turn and storm into her own room.

"CJ. . ." Toby called after her as he shrugged into his suit jacket and followed her.

"No. . ."

"CJ, I can't just drop everything, you know that."

"Isn't it about time someone did for her?"

"That's not exactly my responsibility, now is it?"

"Nice Tobus, real nice."

"You know what I meant, CJ.  Josh is the one who needed to drop everything.  It's his place. Ours is. . . well. . ." he shrugged.

"Ours is what, Toby?" CJ turned on him.  "What are you even doing here?"

"Same thing you are, Claudia Jean," Toby shot back through gritted teeth.  "I'm here to help my friends.  I'm here to find out what's going on and to make sure that the people responsible for hurting one of my. . . one of my. . ." he stopped running a hand over his head.

"One of your what?"

"One of my sisters, ok?" he asked testily.  "Because that is what she is to me.  You think I'm not worried enough about this? Her? CJ, you of all people know how I am.  I just can't. . ." he shook his head.

"Yeah. . .I know," she sighed as she wrapped her arms around her and sunk onto the bed.  "It's just. . ." she shook her head and looked down at her shoes as she continually recrossed her ankles. 

"Jut what?" he asked as he sat down next to her and stared at his folded hands. 

"Just that I want her to know. . ."

"On some level she does," Toby sighed as he looked up and at the wall. 

"Then why?"

"I don't have that answer.  Hell, I don't have any answers at all," he admitted as he looked over at her, "that's real reason that I'm going to the studio.  I can't just sit in her hospital room and do nothing or babysit Josh. I need to find answers."

"And you'll find them there?" CJ asked as she looked over to him, trying to find out what he was r.

"I don't know.  At least I can try to.  Gather filtered information till I can talk to someone and get what we really need to pull this off."

"And if you can't. . ."

"I've got a few tricks still up my sleeve. Now, can we go?"

"Yeah.  We can go," she sighed as she waited for him to stand and help her up, she stood and watched him head to the door, watching him turn when he realized she wasn't right behind him. "Toby, I'm sorry about. . ." she let her hand flutter.

"Had to happen sooner or later," he shrugged as he extended a hand to her, nodding she crossed the room to him and took it, pausing to kiss his bald spot.  "You do realize I hate it when you do that, right?" he grumbled as he dropped her hand.

"Have to have some sort of sport there," she shrugged as she pulled open the door. Shaking his head he held it for her.  "By the way, I'm having lunch with Alexis tomorrow afternoon."

"Think you can get anything out of her?" he wondered as he pulled the door closed behind them and they started to walk down the hall.

"I have my ways."

"Don't I know it," he mumbled as the elevator doors opened and they stepped in.

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Alexis looked up as she heard Sonny walk down the stairs and frowned slightly at the look he wore.  "You finish talking to your friend?" he asked as he crossed to her.

"For now," she replied as she took off her glasses and put aside her papers.  "You OK?"

"Yeah.  Fine.  So who's this Claude?" he asked her as he poured himself a drink.

"Jealous?" she tried to tease as he turned and downed his drink.  Swallowing she decided now was not the time.  "She's an old friend from college."

"Claude's a girl?"

"Claudia Jean, although she goes by CJ now."

"Reason I haven't heard about her before?" he asked as he turned and poured another drink.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Just curious."

"Then probably because I haven't seen her since I moved here."

"Wonder why she's showing up now. . ." he mused.

"Are you going somewhere with this or are you being your usual paranoid self?"

"Bit of both, I guess," he shrugged.  "I just don't. . . I don't want to leave anything to chance."

"I know that, but me meeting with an old friend. . ." Alexis shrugged.  "There's no connection.  I mean. . . there's no way someone like CJ would know someone like Donna. . ."

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The pre-teen girl peeked around the corner of the corridor and smiled slightly as she saw no one standing there.  With ease she slipped across the hall and stood on tiptoe to look into the window of the lab, frowning as she saw the man writing on a pad without even looking at the sample. 

Stepping back, she slipped open the door and walked into the room.  "Whatcha doing?" she asked, watching as the man jumped and knocked his coffee over onto his notes.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be in here!" he said as he took in her singed nightgown.

"But I don't know where I'm supposed to be. . ." she said as she twisted one of her long curls.

"Great, kids," cursing he moved to her and roughly grab her arm, surprised to notice the burns running up and down it.  "Let's go," he groused as he loosened his hold and started pulling her out the door. . .

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Chris walked into the empty lab tisking at the sight of the mess of spilt coffee as he went to the table and picked up the sample on the side, noticing the label, he frowned slightly at the state it was in before putting it back in the stand and taking a new sample from his lab coat.  Sliding it onto the microscope as he sat down he sent up a slight prayer that he'd have a reason for running the tests himself. . .

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Eve rolled her eyes as one of the lab techs pulled her down the hall.  "You said you found a girl just wondering the halls?" she asked, confused.  "That's not likely."

"Yeah, well, I did.  She's standing right here," he said indicating the waiting area. 

"Really?" Eve said as she stood in the middle and turned.  "What? She dematerialize?"

"I'm telling you.  She was here a minute ago.  Had burns up and down her arms. . ."

"Then she really must have traveled far.  We don't have any burn victims in pediatrics right now," she told him as she pushed past and then threw over her shoulder, "thanks for the waste of time."

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Tony put the glass he was drinking down on the counter as Bobbie walked into the room, glad for the couple of minutes that they might have alone.  "What are you doing?" he asked her.

"What do you mean? I told you that he's a friend of. . ."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Tony. . ."

"I'm not signing off on it and you know that too.  She can do it if she wants but. . ." he shrugged.

"There are just concerns about Melissa being able to handle such a high profile. . ."

"Bull. She can't get Melissa to report to her like she can you.  You want to tell me what she has on you this time?"

"Tony. . ."

"Come on, Bobbie.  I know you.  I've gone over the charts.  You don't think that I don't know. . . she wouldn't have done it herself.  She had to have someone else do it.  Someone who could get in and out.  Someone who Jax, Carly, and Ned wouldn't question.  That girl almost died tonight Bobbie. . ."

"I didn't. . ." she shook her head, twisting the towel in her hands.

"Yeah," he shook his head as he headed towards the door.  "I'll call Lucas tomorrow.  Maybe take him out to dinner some night this week."

"Tony. . ."

He turned, seeing the plea in her eyes, "I'll take care of it.  Not for her, but. . ." he shrugged.  "Stay away from her, Bobbie.  I won't be able to do anything if more happens."

"I'll tell Lucas you'll call," Bobbie sighed as she sank onto the stool and listened for the door to close.

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Danny stood to the side of the doorway, his hair wet from his shower, the dirty towel in his hand as he tried to put together what he heard.  "You plan on standing there all night or what?" Lucas asked from behind him.

"Huh?" Danny asked as he turned and shook his head.  "Oh, was just going to ask your mom where she wanted me to put this."

"And so you're just standing there?"

"Look like she was still talking to your dad."

"Ah, eavesdropping," Lucas laughed, then at the look that crossed Danny's face shrugged.  "Hey, it's all good.  Hear anything good?"

"Nothing to write about," he shrugged mentally adding a yet to the end of the statement.  "So you want to show me what to do with this?"

"Yeah follow me," Lucas shrugged as he led him into the kitchen, ignoring his mother who was staring blankly out of a window and into the laundry room.

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

Luke sat at his desk, lit cigar hanging out of the corner of his mouth as he reread the file in front of him, getting as much information as he could from it on AJ.  However, his mind couldn't stay focus on it as he thought over his conversation with the former First Lady. "All right, Riz, just who did he hurt to get you involved? Not that he had to necessarily do it physically. Lord knows, if he did he wouldn't be standing now.  So why do you need this information?"