Pink, Black and Blue
Juliana was jolted awake by the shrill ringing of the phone by her bed. She lifted her head off the pillow and felt around for the phone. With one eye open, Juliana caught a glimpse of a digital clock next to the bed. Becoming acutely aware that she did not own a digital clock, Juliana slowly took in her surroundings and remembered that she was in New York.
It had been a busy week and a half her Juliana. If the amount of work, TV appearances and business trips Juliana found herself saddled with was any indication of professional success, Juliana felt that in the past month she had settled into her new job nicely. And it seemed that when she wasn't working, she was constantly bumping into Josh Lyman. There were the prearranged meetings – dinner out, sight seeing around DC, or even meeting for a pretzel or sandwich. But Juliana noticed that Josh had been popping up in unexpected places too. There were the times he called to talk about legislation Jules wasn't concerned with and ended up giving advice on reputable take out restaurants, or the occasions when Jules seemed to bump into Josh no matter where she went. Coming around a corner in the senate office building, walking through the east wing of the white house, out on the National Mall, and in the oddest places.
The phone continued to scream from its place next the bed and as she reached to grab it, Juliana muttered aloud "Who in the hell is calling me at 2:13!"
"Hello?" Juliana mumbled into the phone, she still hadn't shaken off the haze of the good night's sleep she had been getting.
"Juliana? Juliana Wexler?" The haze of sleep quickly vanished when Juliana recognized her assistant's voice coming through the phone. "Juliana?"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm here. Brad, it's 2:15 in the morning, what could you possibly need?"
"Juliana, I've been told to tell you that you need to come back to DC. You have a meeting tomorrow morning at 9:00AM. You're booked on the 7:20 Delta Shuttle out of LaGuardia, there will be a ticket waiting."
"Oh, come on! You've got to be kidding me, Brad. I have meetings and a fundraising breakfast in the morning."
"No, you have a flight to catch and a meeting in the morning. Get some sleep. You need to be at the airport in four hours."
"Thanks." Juliana grumbled into the phone unenthusiastically. Slamming, the phone down on its cradle, Juliana flopped over onto her back and exhaled loudly. Wanting nothing more than to roll over, drift off to sleep and have breakfast in the morning at the Plaza, Juliana turned towards the phone one last time.
"Front desk." Juliana heard clearly through the receiver.
"Hi. I need to change my wake up call to 5:00. Thanks." Juliana said. Then, hanging up the phone and rolling back over into bed, Juliana said to herself, "So much for breakfast."
Juliana stumbled into the West Wing the next morning for her meeting. He neck was stiff, she was groggy and Juliana was simply not very happy with the outfit she had on. Had she known, while she was packing for her trip, that she would be making an appearance in the white house she would have packed something that felt more powerful and intimidating. Instead, Juliana found herself in a pink tweed suit, one of her favorites, but also one that painted her as a bubbly, talkative, socialite and power player, not the intimidating, fighter that she wanted to be today. Her pink tweed A-line skirt had a bit of a ruffle at the bottom and stopped just above her knee. Juliana had paired her skirt with a pale, pink turtleneck sweater, which was covered by a matching pink, tweed topper, also hitting just above her knee along with her skirt. Usually Juliana loved this outfit, it was among her favorites, but today, she felt too girly.
As Juliana stood in the main corridor of the West Wing, trying to remember which way to go and attempting to placate herself about her outfit, she heard a long, high whistle.
"Wow! Don't you look, well, uh, pink today!" Josh said as he passed by.
"Surprising, is it? I'm a girl. What? Did you think I didn't own something pink?" Juliana responded honestly.
They were quiet for a few moments. People whizzed by them, but they stood still.
"So, I was summoned here." Juliana said, breaking the odd pause. "I have a meeting of some sort."
"I know."
"Really?" Juliana questioned.
"Yes. I also know that you've been in New York. Working with some grass roots people you have up there. Get a lot of sleep last night? Because I'm pretty sure that you had a fundraising breakfast on your schedule this morning."
"Why, Josh! It's almost as if you had me followed!" The flirty tone in Juliana's voice made Josh blush slightly and shuffle his feet nervously, but he recovered quickly.
"I'm here to advise on issues."
"Yeah. I know that." Josh stated knowingly.
"It sounds like you know more than I do."
"I wish more people would realize that." Josh added with a smile. "I do, however, know all about your meeting."
"And how is that?"
"Because I'm the one who arranged it and got you back down here." Josh said proudly.
"C'mon." Juliana said, as she tugged on his sleeve and sighed. "Let's go meet." Juliana rolled her eyes at Josh who was strutting proudly towards his office. "I was in New York, Josh."
"And?"
"You could have shown some consideration. You manipulated the situation to summon me to the white house. I was otherwise engaged."
"You were committing shady acts for Republicans, you weren't busy."
Juliana sighed, stared sternly at Josh and spoke formally as she sat carefully in a chair in the Roosevelt Room. "Thank you, Mr. Lyman, for meeting with me. Shall we get to work?"
"Fine." Josh said with a smirk as he sat down. He could play her game, he thought. Josh settled and prepared to get down to business.
Two hours later, Josh and Juliana were still meeting. The term "meeting" was quite a generalization. To most people passing by, it looked as if Josh and Juliana were engaged in a war or words. If fact, they had been arguing over the finer points of the GDP projections for the better part of 2 hours. Josh's sleeves were rolled up and his hair was wildly sticky up due to his hands constantly running through it. Juliana had long since stripped herself of her topper, and was working her way through a fourth can of diet coke.
"Josh, you're not making any sense. Studies show that 86 of benefits are actually redistributed through…"
"Let's get dinner." Juliana had been pacing while she argued. Josh's eyes had followed her every step. His words stopped her. Juliana cocked her head to one side and narrowed her eyes.
"Now you're really not making sense. If you want to continue this over lunch, that's fine, but I don't see how you could possibly be hungry. You know those two muffins you ate contain enough carbs and calories to run a small country, right?"
Josh leaned forward in his chair and lowered his voice. "Do you have plans tonight?"
"I don't know. Do I? You seem to know my schedule better than me."
"I didn't have you followed. I didn't tap into your computer and download your schedule. I'm not that devious." Josh paused for a moment, stood up and strutted around the table, closer to Juliana. Looking down at his shoes momentarily and then looking at Juliana with a boyish grin, he continued. "You don't have plans, though. After your breakfast today, you were taking a meeting with the mayor and then flying back in on the 4:15 shuttle from LaGuardia. You should be free."
"Are you insane?" Juliana whipped around to look Josh square in the face.
"Some people think so. Mainly your kind. Come on, I know this great place…"
"Fine. Pick me up at 7:00. But this meeting is over. I'm going home to get ready."
"Jules…it's 11:45 in the morning."
"And, like you said, I have a free day."
Juliana turned, gathered her things and walked out of the Roosevelt room. Josh was left standing and smiling in her wake.
Seven hours later, Josh stood on Juliana's doorstep and rang the buzzer to her building. The cold winter air seemed even colder to Josh as the wind whipped around him. He bounced from foot to foot and up and down to stay warm. Suddenly the door opened and Juliana appeared in a warm gust of air.
"Hey." She added with a smile.
"Hi." Josh replied. The two stood and stared at each other nervously for a few seconds. Josh was the first to break the odd silence. "Let's get going, huh? I'm turning in to a popsicle."
"A Josh-sicle." Juliana said as if she had just discovered something profound. "Would you be grape or orange flavored?"
"Ah-kay…I don't mind having this conversation, but couldn't we have it somewhere that has, I don't know, heat? Let's go. I'm hungry."
Juliana smiled and skipped past Josh towards his car. Josh whizzed through downtown DC. Juliana looked out the car window, taking in the sights and puzzling over their destination.
"We're not going to Maryland again, are we?"
"Is there something wrong with the great state of Maryland?"
"No. It's just that I'm in the mood for something a little more local."
Josh smiled as if he knew something that Juliana didn't.
"Well, this place is definitely local. Plus there's an excellent chef there."
Just a short drive later, Jules found herself following through his front door and into his kitchen.
"You cooked?"
"Yes." Josh said in a mockingly shocked tone.
"I should rephrase that then. You can cook?" Juliana batted back, emphasizing the word can.
"It's among my many talents." Josh smiled confidently, flashing his dimples at Jules.
"So I should add it to making senators cry, being arrogant and classical ballet?" Jules bantered back with wit, ticking each attribute off on a finger.
"Hey! The ballerina reference is a low blow. Remind me to stop telling Sam things. Yes, I can cook! It's one of the life skills I've picked up. Just because you don't see Martha Stewart and I cooking together on the Today Show, doesn't mean that I don't know my way around the kitchen."
Jules smiled, walked into Josh's kitchen and hopped up on the counter, crossing her ankles and swinging her feet back and forth. The granite was cool and seeped through her dark, faded jeans. Juliana was impressed that Josh would even think of cooking for her. He had obviously put some thought into the night, and Juliana was interested to see what else he had planned.
"Okay. I'm waiting." She goaded playfully. "Or, do you need an apron?"
"Very funny." Juliana noticed that Josh's voice, while still playful, sounded deeper. He walked towards her slowly, smiling with his head down but his eyes gazing up towards her. Just as Josh got right up in front of Juliana, he pivoted and started prepping the food to be cooked. Jules and Josh chatted and conversed while Josh worked on dinner. He had poured two glasses of wine, and Juliana sipped hers while she watched Josh.
"Are you sure I can't do anything?" Juliana asked, feeling guilty that she was sitting idly on the counter while Josh did all the work.
"No. I've got it. Plus, you've had a rough day." Josh looked at Jules over his shoulder and she could tell that he was joking around.
Juliana watched Josh move effortlessly in the kitchen and prepare the meal. To say that this was surprising was an understatement for Juliana. She never figured Josh for a man who had time to cook, let alone knew how to cook real food.
"Mmm. It smells good. What am I being served tonight?" Juliana asked, sniffing the air.
"Who said that I'd be serving you?" Josh said sarcastically. He was standing at the sink rinsing off some vegetables. As he spoke he turned and playfully flung the water off his hands into Juliana's face.
"Hey!" Juliana said between gasps, trying to recapture her composure and dry herself off at the same time. "Well, it's good to know that you haven't stopped being a smart-ass just because you can cook."
Josh put down the vegetables and walked over to where Juliana was sitting on the counter. She was still swiping at stray drops of water on her face. Josh stopped just in front of Jules, smiling as he looked into her eyes.
"What can I say, cooking brings out the best in me." Josh reached up and pushed a piece of hair off of Juliana's face. Tenderly, he used his thumb to wipe away one last droplet of water that had been hiding on Juliana's cheek. "You missed some."
Josh could see Juliana's cheeks blush slightly. He could feel the room change around him. Josh, who was self-admittedly about as knowledgeable about women as a first grader, knew that things between he and Juliana were shifting dramatically. Juliana was smiling, willing the warmth in her cheeks to go away, and holding Josh's gaze. Josh broke the moment after a few seconds, answering Juliana's question.
"We're having chicken with prosciutto and sage. Impressed yet?"
"Continually." Juliana grabbed the plates and began adding the meal to the table. She topped off their wine and sat down across from Josh. In no rush to sprint through their meal, Juliana and Josh found it quite nice to sit quietly, eat and enjoy each other's company. Throughout dinner they talked and joked, there was even the occasional good-humored squabble. Josh found himself wishing that he had more evenings free, because if he did he would want to spend them cooking for Juliana. Towards the end of the meal, words became few and far between. Josh and Juliana finished quietly, with the occasional one word question and response. The words just weren't necessary.
"I didn't think it was possible for you to be so calm for so long. Must be a world record or something." Josh said. He was smiling as he got up and began clearing the table or their plates, dinner now over.
"Is that a polite way of insulting me and telling me I talk too much?" Juliana elbowed Josh in the side, following him into the kitchen with the remainder of the dishes.
"Could be." Josh turned, trapping Juliana between the counter and his body. Juliana could feel his steady breath falling on her body. "Don't get me wrong, though, I like the animated you. It's part of what makes you so remarkable."
"Thank you." Juliana answered. She leaned in for a kiss, placing her lips tenderly on his. He kissed her back, lightly at first, then he twisted his tongue with hers and she shivered as hers grazed the roof of his mouth. Juliana pulled away first, licking her lips and smiling. Josh had his hands resting lightly on her hips. Juliana idly ran her hands through her hair.
"You want some coffee?" Josh asked. He knew it was almost a non-sequitor, but he had to say something.
Juliana twisted one side of her mouth up and stared at the ceiling as if she was deep in thought.
"I want ice cream." She said, smiling.
"Yeah, because that's almost the same thing, you know coffee and ice cream."
"Come on, Josh. Don't you know of a place that sells ice cream? I'm craving mint chocolate chip. It would perfectly complement your chicken and prosciutto." Josh smiled at Juliana. He couldn't say no.
"There's a place just down the street. Grab your coat. Let's go." Josh turned to grab his coat and Juliana was following close behind. She stopped him at the door and smiled.
"You're not afraid of being seen with me on the very public streets of Washington DC?" Josh could tell that Juliana was teasing, but she was tapping into a worry of his and she knew it. "You're not going to be outed by someone for going out with the enemy are you?"
"I'll take my chances." Josh said. Just before walking out the door, Josh pulled Juliana into a kiss. Caught off guard, Juliana tumbled into Josh's body, lips connecting with heat. It seemed to Juliana to be all too quick, but Josh pulled away, smiling as he put his hand in the small of Juliana's back and guided her out the door.
Outside the winter night was cold, but Josh and Juliana didn't seem to notice. They were only marginally aware of passersby on the street. Josh and Juliana were a little less than a block away from Josh's home when Juliana's walking became sluggish. Josh noticed that she wasn't talking anymore and had fallen behind. Abruptly, Juliana stopped. Josh hurried over to her. He noticed that the color had drained from her face and she was consciously taking deep breaths through her mouth. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. Josh gently touched her arm.
"What's wrong?" Josh asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Nothing." Juliana reassured him, taking another breath. "It was just a wave a nausea. It's okay." The fact didn't escape Josh, that Juliana was rubbing the small of her back in small circles. No color had returned to her face. Josh was worried.
"Juliana? Let's go back. Jules?" Josh inquired. Juliana had been looking at Josh, but suddenly her eyes shot to the ground as her hands both went to her back. Her back was tight and sore and the world was spinning slightly as a wave of nausea came back.
"Jules? What is it?"
Juliana staggered from Josh's side, her eyes searching for something. Finding what she was searching for, Juliana placed her hands on the rim of a trashcan and Josh watched as her body jerked and recoiled and Juliana vomited. Josh's concern now mixed with panic. Rushing over, all he could do was gently rub her back.
"Jules?" Josh whispered.
"Oh god…" was all Juliana could muster. Her stomach had calmed for the moment, but Josh could feel her muscles tense again under his fingers. Juliana's stomach evidentially hadn't finished yet. In the pale light that was present on the street, Josh could see tears streaming silently down Juliana's face. The vomiting stopped again. Juliana stood up a bit straighter, but couldn't turn to face Josh. Josh breathed a small sigh of relief and his panic began subside. It was short lived. Seconds later, Juliana swayed as her knees began to give out. Josh grabbed her firmly around the waist, pulling her up.
"Let's go. We can make it back to my place. We'll go slow." Josh buried his panic and worry, trying to compose himself to help Juliana back to his home.
"I'm sorry, Josh." Juliana whimpered.
"Shhh. Let's just take it slow."
Josh practically held Juliana up on the way back to his home. It wasn't long after walking before Juliana was vomiting again into bushes along side the sidewalk. Josh felt helpless as he held on tightly to Juliana's waist, hugging part of her body closely to his. Each time they stopped, Josh could feel Juliana's body grow tenser and weaker at the same time. Josh prayed that they would reach his home some time soon. Juliana felt as if someone had sucked all the energy out of her body. The small of her back ached and her body was trembling all over. Through her blurred vision, Juliana could see the panic and concern splayed across Josh's face. Josh released his grasp of Juliana's waist, turning her to face him and taking her hands in his.
"Can you make it up the stairs?" Josh asked inquisitively.
Juliana stood unsteadily at first, but after a few seconds the street and trees seemed to stop spinning. "Yeah, I think…ooohhh….no." Jules seemed to melt into a puddle in Josh's arms. "I don't….have…the …strength."
Josh reached out, taking Juliana in his arms again. "I'm taking you to the hospital. Let's go."
"No!" Juliana tried to yell with whatever energy she had left in her body. "I can't. I can't". Juliana began to wriggle and flail in Josh's arms, almost causing both of them to tumble to the ground. Panicked, Juliana tried to get away from Josh and the possibility of going to the hospital. Josh held on tighter, stroking Juliana's hair.
"Shhh. I'm here. Everything's fine. We don't have to go. I won't let anything happen to you." The words just seemed to spill from Josh's lips. Josh was surprised at how easily he spoke them and just how much he meant them. Realizing that Juliana was weak, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs into his home.
Inside, Josh peeled off Juliana's coat and laid her down on his bed.
"Come on. Lay down." Josh coaxed.
Juliana laid down on Josh's bed, but no sooner had her body started to relax then she sat upright and bolted to the bathroom. Jules lunged for the toilet and began vomiting again. Josh was only steps behind her, again holding onto her waist while she was sick. When the wave of sickness subsided, Juliana slumped against the cupboards, letting her head fall down into her hands. Josh grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the tap. He gently wiped the washcloth across Juliana's face and the back of her neck. Wordlessly, he helped her up and laid her back in his bed. Josh walked out into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. When he returned, Juliana had kicked off her shoes and was lying on her side, curled up in a tight ball. Josh felt that this might be a good time to broach the subject of seeing a doctor.
"Jules? Jules. You have to go see a doctor. Let's just go to the hospital and have them check you out. Okay?" Josh spoke softly, rubbing small circles on Juliana's back. At first, Josh didn't think that she had heard him. "Jules? I'll help you, but we need to go see a doctor…" Josh didn't finish, when Juliana began to protest.
"No." It had been hard to hear at first, but Juliana seemed to muster more energy as she objected. "No. No. I can't. No." Juliana continued to protest Josh's idea and as she did, tears reappeared and spilled down her cheeks. Suddenly, Juliana began to get up off the bed.
"I should go." She whispered. She swayed a little and put her hand out to steady herself. Josh rushed up beside her.
"You're scaring me, Jules. We need to get you to a doctor." Josh was alarmed and beginning to feel helpless. He couldn't understand Juliana's refusal to see a doctor, but he read the absolute fear and panic on Juliana's face. Josh grabbed Jules and eased her back down onto the bed. "Shhh. We don't have to go to the doctor. But you can't go anywhere." Josh walked quickly over to his dresser and pulled out the first pair of sweat pants he came to. He opened another drawer and found the smallest T-shirt he owned for Jules to wear. He smiled as his mind briefly registered the irony in giving Jules a T-shirt that said Friends don't let friends vote Republican!
"Here, put these on. I'll come back in when you're finished." Josh gently laid the clothes on the bed next to Juliana and walked out of the room. He wanted to hover by the door to make sure that Juliana was okay, but instead Josh found his cell phone and flipped it open.
"Hello?" Came a woman's voice through the phone.
"CJ?" Josh asked.
"Josh, buddy, what's up? Why are you whispering?" CJ had picked up on Josh's hushed voice. It peaked her curiosity.
"CJ. You're my first call right?"
"What have you done? Did you sleep with a hooker? No, you wouldn't be as stupid a Sam. Were you in a fight? Are you in jail?"
"CJ!" Josh's voice rose above a whisper as he yelled into the phone and then just as quickly, he lowered it back down to a whisper. "I haven't done anything. Give me some credit. I have a problem." Josh could hear CJ grunt into the phone.
"Go on."
"I have someone over at my house and they're really sick. Vomiting. A lot. What do I do?" CJ heard the panic and fear in Josh's voice. She knew that he must really have a problem if he had lowered himself to calling her. CJ sighed.
"Is it you?"
"CJ! No!"
"Well, it was worth a shot. Sprite and crackers. That's what my dad always gave me. As long as it doesn't keep up for hours and hours, I think you just have to let it run its course. If you're this freaked out about it, though, go to the doctor."
"Well, I can't do that. Thanks, CJ. I owe you." Josh smiled with gratitude and the small sense of relief that came with a bit of knowledge.
"I'll put it on your tab. Just don't get in over your head, Joshua." It hadn't gone unnoticed by CJ that Josh was careful not to mention who his guest was.
"See you later Ceej." Josh flipped his phone shut and began rummaging through his cupboards. Pushed towards the back of one of his cupboards, Josh found a box of unopened Saltines. He was sure that Donna had put them there, back when she was stocking his cupboards with nonperishable foods to rid herself of the fear that Josh was starving at home. Deciding to hold off on the Saltines, Josh walked back towards the bedroom to check on Jules. He knocked softly on the door, before walking in.
Juliana didn't move when Josh walked through the door. Her eyes were closed and she was curled around one of his pillows. Josh walked over to the bed and gently pulled a blanket over Juliana's body. Tugging a small, stray strand of hair away from Juliana's face, Josh smiled.
"Well, this isn't quite how I pictured tonight going at all."
"This sure is some funny way of getting me into bed." Juliana mumbled into the pillow she was clutching.
"Hey." Josh whispered, leaning closer to her neck. "I didn't mean to wake you. How are you doing?"
"Can't really say. But promise me, no doctors."
"Yeah, you seemed pretty adamant about that. You're fine. Just stay here and rest." Josh stretched out his legs and turned so he was lying on his side. He wrapped his arms about Juliana, and the pillow, and placed a kiss softly on her head. Josh was tired. He hadn't really realized how exhausting panicking could be. More than anything, Josh wanted to close his eyes and sleep here, holding Juliana, but he willed himself to keep his eyes open, at least until Juliana's breathing slowed and she drifted off.
Josh opened his eyes slowly and rolled over to look at the clock. The clock read 5:24AM. Sighing, he rolled onto his side to look at Juliana. She hadn't moved all night. Juliana was still lying on her side, clutching a pillow, and looking tired and weary. Josh tried not to shake the bed as he eased himself up and walked quietly into the bathroom. He leaned forward to rest his hands on the cold countertop. Looking into the mirror, he dredged up the events of the previous night.
After showering, Josh walked into the living room, sank down into the couch and opened his phone to make a call that he was dreading.
"Hummhh?" This was the greeting Josh received over the phone.
"Sam. It's Josh." Sam suddenly sounded more alert.
"Josh? What's wrong?"
"Man, I don't know how to tell you this, or if I should, but…well…"
"Josh? What is it?"
"Sam, Juliana's at my house. She's really sick." In the background, Josh could hear the rustle of sheets, clothing and shoes.
"What?" Sam's voice had risen, and he almost squeaked out his question.
"Juliana and I got together last night to…meet…or really finish our meeting…" Josh quickly tried to piece together a plausible reason why they had been together. "After dinner she just started vomiting uncontrollably. I tried to get her to go to the hospital, but she flipped out. I brought her back here instead. She's asleep now. She slept through the night. But… she still doesn't look too good."
Josh paused and waited for Sam's reply. Josh could only hear Sam breathing on the other end. The hollow sound of Sam's breath, made Josh feel tense. Suddenly, Josh was second guessing whether or not he should have called Sam at all.
"I'm coming over."
With those words the line went dead and a dial tone replaced Sam's voice. All Josh could do was wait. He walked back into the bedroom and looked at Jules. Had Josh not been with her last night, he would assume that she was sleeping peacefully. But, as Josh examined every inch of Juliana, he noticed that even as she slept she looked tired and the color hadn't returned to her face. A knock at the door announced Sam's arrival. Josh walked over to the door and opened it to find Sam waiting impatiently on the other side.
"Where is she?" Sam asked as he ducked by Josh and walked through his apartment. There was real concern in Sam's eyes. As Sam strode through the living room, his eyes darted from chair to chair and wall to wall. Josh could only assume that he was looking for Juliana.
"She's in my bedroom." Sam stopped short and turned to look at Josh. For a brief moment Sam looked as if he was going to ask Josh something, but when that moment was over he quickly turned and walked to Josh's bedroom door. From the doorway, Sam gazed at Juliana. After a few short minutes, Sam turned and walked back into the living room where he found Josh sitting on the couch, his elbows on his knees and his hands running through his hair. Sam sank into a chair next to the couch.
"What happened?" Sam asked.
"Exactly what I said on the phone."
"Explain it to me again."
"Jules and I had dinner and then next thing I know she was throwing up everywhere. I didn't know how to make it stop. I tried to get her to go to the hospital, but she panicked or something and wouldn't go." Sam sighed and looked at Josh nodding his head.
"Yeah, she's always had a thing about hospitals. But according to mom, it's gotten worse since Tommy died."
"Tommy?" The unknown name had caused Josh to lift his head and look at Sam in wonder.
"The guy she married." Sam clarified. Sam and Josh sat in silence for a while. Josh didn't quite know what he had expected to happen when he called Sam, and now with Sam sitting in his living room Josh was feeling awkward about the whole situation.
"I have to say, this isn't where I imagined I'd spend my Sunday morning." Sam said as he broke the silence.
"Me either. What did you do, call in reinforcements?" Sam and Josh turned to see Jules standing in the doorway between the bedroom and the living room. She had pulled her jeans back on, but was still wearing Josh's T-shirt. Josh sprang up from the couch and was by Juliana's side in a matter of seconds.
"Hey." Josh said sheepishly. "You look better than you did last night."
"Thanks. But that isn't saying much."
As Jules walked into the room, Sam stood up, took her hand and tried to guide her towards the couch to sit.
"Stop it." Juliana said. Josh could tell that she was annoyed by all the attention. "I'm not an invalid."
As Juliana sat down on the couch, she winced slightly. Under normal circumstances this may have gone unnoticed. But Josh and Sam picked up on it instantly.
"What's wrong?" Josh asked, rushing over to the couch.
"Nothing. I'm just sore is all." Juliana tried to play it off as not being a big deal. It was almost amusing to see Sam and Josh so protective and obsessively concerned. "My back and sides are sore. I'll take some Advil, have a diet coke and it will be fine."
While Jules had turned towards Josh to reassure him that she was okay, Sam noticed something peeking out from beneath her shirt and lifted the edge slightly to get a better look. Juliana tried to pull away when she felt Sam's hand on her shirt, but it was too late. Sam gasped as her saw pale bruises running along her sides and rib cage.
"What did you do to her?" Sam demanded, standing up and facing Josh. "How did she get these bruises?"
"Hey, man, I didn't do anything!" Josh shouted back at Sam. He was taken aback by Sam accusation. Then, Josh turned his attention to Jules. "What bruises is he talking about?"
"Would both of you just calm down?" Juliana exclaimed as she got up off the couch. All of the attention and hostility was becoming a little unnerving. "As is often times the case, bruising can occur along the ribcage when someone experiences prolonged, violent vomiting."
"What did you do? Swallow a medical textbook?" Josh said with a slight laugh. Jules could tell that he had calmed down quite a bit.
"I happen to be well educated." Juliana deadpanned. Sam, however, was not taking the situation so lightly.
"You really should go see a doctor, Jules. Come on. I'll take you." Sam pushed.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be fine. Why are you here, anyway?"
"Josh called me. I was worried." Juliana looked from Sam to Josh.
"Well gentlemen, thank you for your concern and for going through all this trouble, but I'll be fine. I think I need to get going."
Juliana walked back into Josh's bedroom to get the rest of her clothes. She paused for a moment to rub the back of her neck and take a deep breath.
"You don't look fine." Josh said. Jules turned around to see Josh leaning against the doorframe of his bedroom.
"I will be." Jules turned around to look at Josh. "Thanks for last night. For everything. I had a good time…well, up to a point." Jules grabbed her things and her bag and walked pushed past Josh only to come face to face with Sam.
"Why don't you let me take you home?" Sam asked, placing his hand on Juliana's elbow. Juliana yanked her arm away with a swift movement.
"Fine. I can tell you aren't going to leave me alone until you feel like you've swooped in to rescue me, so let's go."
Jules turned one last time to look at Josh and smiled, before she walked out the door.