A Sudden Burst of Energy

Post Ep: "WTWYA…" but really Pre Ep to Election Day, part 1

Lou was shouting something at him, but Josh couldn't process it anymore. There had been such a sensory deluge in the last 12 hours that his mind was racing. Polling data, huge rallies, meetings, briefings, new polling data…the list just went on. More than Josh ever thought could be crammed into 12 hours. And now the day itself was upon them. The clock had struck midnight, and the active campaigning was officially over. But they weren't done. Before the polls on the East Coast opened in the morning, there were still monitors and lawyers and exit polling to finish pulling together.

"I said," Lou announced, testily, "that we need to have more monitors in California. It's Vinick's home state, and we're up by only 1...Josh!"

"What?"

"More election monitors in California?"

"Why?"

"Did you not just hear a word I said?"

"No, not really."

"Josh! You need to start fucking listening to me!"

"I'm listening. We don't have the money for more election monitors."

"We need them!"

"Well, where do you suggest we pull them from then, Lou? We don't have the money. It's too late for a massive shift in polling place personnel!"

Josh slammed his hand against the wall.

"What is your problem?" Lou snapped.

"Well, maybe if I'd have more than 5 hours of sleep in the last week, I'd be a bit more pleasant. It's 12:30am, the night before the election. We cannot suddenly more a large group of monitors to the West Coast. These people need to interact with the public. They need to be well rested…"

"Josh!"

"Will you stop bellowing my name like I'm standing clear across the room?"

Lou stalked away from him, nearly running head first into Donna as she did.

"Oh, Lou, the Congressman and Mrs. Santos have finally settled down for the night, so we're letting them sleep. Nothing more for him till morning. Let him get a full night's sleep, too. He needs it."

"No problem. We all need it," Lou agreed, then muttered "I wouldn't go over there," pointing across the room to where Josh stood with his hands and head against the wall, kicking softly over and over again.

"I'll take my chances."

"Of course you will."

"Excuse me?"

"Nevermind," Lou shook her head, and trudged down the hallway. "I need an aspirin."

Donna looked over at Josh. He'd stopped kicking the wall. She crossed over to him, laying her palm on the small of his back. He sighed, breathing deeply against her hand. She rubbed her hand up and down his back.

"The Congressman is down for the evening. You should get some rest."

"Lou seems to think I should be totally reorganizing our West Coast election monitors."

"How so?"

"She wants more in California."

"Newest poll has us leading by 5 in Calif—"

"She said 1"

"Those were preliminary results. The final data just this second came in."

"It changed 4?" Josh spun to face her.

"Yeah."

"Do we know why?"

Donna shook her head. "Joey's drafting some stuff for the exit polling. That's our only outlet for answers at this point."

"Yeah." Josh sunk down to sit on the floor. "That stupid, bi—"

"Josh, the data had just come in, mere seconds before I walked into the room. Lou hadn't seen it."

"Then why was she making all sorts of demands on preliminary data?"

"It's what she had to work with at the time."

Josh crossed his arms over his knees and put his head down in the crook of his elbow. Donna crouched beside him, about to reach out and run her fingers through his hair, when a voice from across the room startled her.

"Hey Donna!" It was Ronna. Donna stood up. "Edie and I are turning in now. See you in the morning."

"G'night."

"You should seriously get some sleep."

"I plan on it."

"Good." Ronna peered around Donna. "Hi Josh".

He nodded tersely, but didn't answer.

"Good night." Ronna walked back across the room.

"Come on," Donna said to Josh, grabbing his hands and pulling him to his feet. He looked like shit. His blue shirt was wrinkled and untucked, with his tie nowhere to be seen.

They reached the hallway that the campaign had monopolized, and Josh stopped in front of his room and pulled out his key card.

"Just do it for me, will you?" He tried a smile, but he was too tired for that.

Donna grinned, and opened the door for him.

"Well, good night," he sighed, and kissed her gently on the forehead. He began to stagger through the doorway, which Donna still held open for him, as Lou barreled through the door at the end of the hallway.

"Don't go to bed yet!" she yelled.

"What the hell can it be now?" Josh challenged.

"Shh…" Donna was playing the role of peacemaker. This hallway was full of their sleeping associates.

"If you knew it was 4, why didn't you say so, instead of just arguing with me about my wanting more monitors?"

"I—"

"That would have been a perfectly fine answer…I've seen some new polling data and—"

"Goddammit! Will you let me finish?"

"—with 4 I don't feel as strong a push—"

"Lou!"

"Shhh…both of you!"

"Lou, I didn't know the new polling data until Donna came and told me, right after you left."

Lou glared at both of them and proceeded down the hallway, then disappeared in her room.

Josh pushed his own door further open angrily, and stalked in. Donna was close behind him.

"She—"

"Don't start lecturing me about Lou—"

"She's tired. You're tired. It's—"

"You say it like we only fight like this when we're tired."

"Well, you're usually tired."

"She came into that hallway looking to pick a fight."

"No—"

"She did. We already had it out once, and she couldn't take that she didn't win."

"Josh—" Donna crossed over to where he stood by the bed, and put her hand on his shoulder. If he felt it, he didn't acknowledge it.

"How the fuck would I have known the new polling data when I had been sitting in that room for half an hour WAITING for that data to come out? She thinks—"

Donna cut him off, pulling his mouth to hers in a frantic, passionate kiss. His arms came up around her, as her fingers worked at the buttons of his shirt. She threw it on the bed as he yanked her blouse over her head. She traced her fingers around on his bare back, as he fought with the clasp of her bra. She laughed softly and reached back to unclasp it for him.

Josh couldn't believe this was happening, but didn't stop to think about it, as if it turn out to be a dream if he stopped to think about what was going on. His hands slid to her belt, and soon her pants were on the ground, then his. She scampered onto the bed and flung back the blanket. He grinned and climbed on top of her. He would have been glad to go at it on top of the covers, but Donna was ever the pragmatist, realizing that this sudden burst of energy would go away as quickly as it came, and then they'd want to sleep. Their bodies came together, and it was all fire, furious and hot.

Breathing hard, Josh rolled off of her and curled over on his side. She spooned in behind him, and they quickly fell asleep, having spent the last bit of energy they had left.

FIN