Diagnosis and Treatment Pt. 1?

Leo has a conversation with Stanley that reveals some things that the good doctor doesn't know about Donna and Josh.

Spoilers: anything through NSF Thurmont is fair game I suppose…

Disclaimers: Love them, don't own them, just having a little fun, so please don't sue me you wouldn't get that much anyway… K

Margaret escorted Stanley Keyworth to Leo's office. Leo stood up from his desk and came forward to greet Stanley with a firm handshake as Margaret withdrew, softly closing the door.

Leo motioned the younger man towards the couch.

"So, how was your flight?" he asked, trying to ease into the real reason he had summoned the trauma specialist to the West Wing.

"Just fine – I've never had an Air Force major for a pilot before," Stanley replied with a sardonic smile. "But you didn't fly me out here just so I could have that experience. What's up, Leo?"

Leo sighed as he looked at Stanley.

"I'm assuming you've heard about Gaza?"

"Yeah, I did. The loss of Admiral Fitzwallace must weigh heavily on the President."

"Yeah, well, there's more to it."

"Oh?"

"Donna Moss is among the injured."

"My god, Leo. Why was she there?"

"That's a long story, Stanley. Short version – Josh was trying to give Donna more responsibility, a chance to grow. Well that has literally blown up in our faces."

The two men sat in silence, each lost in his thoughts. Finally Stanley broke the silence with a question.

"Leo, how is Josh?"

"You'd have been proud of him, he managed to hold it together up until a few hours ago."

"What happened?"

"A discussion of options set him off – not like in the Oval, but it was enough for me. I gave him permission to go to Germany."

Stanley nodded thoughtfully. "That was probably the smart thing to do. Otherwise he might have gone AWOL on you by the end of the day."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think it would have taken that long?

"Point taken. Maybe he can repay the debt he feels he owes Donna, you know how instrumental she was in his recovery."

"Really? Stanley, just how many turnip trucks do you think there are on Pennsylvania Avenue?" Leo deadpanned. Then he turned serious.

"Stanley, how much have you been told about what happened with the staff while he was in surgery that night?"

"Other than discussing Josh's emotional state during his recovery, we haven't really talked about that. Why?"

"Donna wasn't at the Newseum that night; she was at home when she heard the news. The report she saw only mentioned the President, no one knew about Josh at that point. When Donna got to GW, Josh had just gone into surgery, so they sent her to the waiting room. Toby had the unpleasant task of telling Donna what had happened to Josh. From what CJ and the others have told me, Donna basically went into shock. For the longest time, she just sat there, hardly reacting to anything. The staff made sure she was never alone, not that she noticed. Abbey managed to get Donna to an observation window to watch Josh's surgery. She only left that window twice in ten hours, Stanley, and then it was only because Abbey threatened her with sedation."

"Leo, ten hours, she stood there that long?" Stanley was amazed, he knew Donna was devoted to Josh, he had learned a lot that Christmas, now he was learning more.

"Yeah, Stanley, ten hours. And when Josh finally came out of recovery, the President and I were the first to see him. We came out to tell the staff that Josh was out of surgery and what he had said when he woke up, and that's when Donna allowed herself to relax. Unfortunately, she had kept herself under such rigid control for so long the release was too much. She started crying and just couldn't stop, poor kid. Abbey had to call in Josh's doctor and between the two of them they managed to sedate her. She woke up furious at first, but when Abbey threatened to sedate her again, Donna calmed down and went to work."

Leo paused, the painfulness of the memory evident in his eyes.

"Went to work? She went back to the office?" Stanley wasn't sure he understood Leo's meaning.

Leo winced. "Not exactly – while she did manage to farm out a lot of Josh's projects, she spent most of Josh's hospital stay at his bedside. She was companion, bully, patient advocate, warden."

"Bully?"

Leo chuckled.

"She came up with the "Rules". Basically their purpose was to keep everyone away from Josh and to make Josh cooperate with the nurses and doctors. For 2 solid weeks she practically lived at GW. And I thank God she did," Leo finished in a soft voice.

"Why, Leo?" Stanley could tell that Leo was reliving the events. Leo leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Because I don't think that even Josh's mom could have worked the magic Donna did. She got Josh to eat, bullied him into doing his therapy and basically willed him to live. She kept the Bartlets out of his room, respectfully but firmly, and enforced the Rules relentlessly. And it continued when Josh was back home. Four solid months, if she wasn't at Josh's apartment, she was in the West Wing taking care of Josh's office. She was a force to be reckoned with, Stanley. Just ask Toby – he really had a fit about the Rules."

"But Leo, even the strongest willed person has to eventually fall apart. Did that happen?"

"In spectacular fashion, my friend."

"What happened?"