I see the moment when the surgery is complete. I see them close the gaping chest wound and bandage it carefully. I see them double check his vitals and nod at each other in recognition of a job well done.

I let the tears of relief stream down my face when he's wheeled out and I hop up too, heading to the recovery room as quickly as possible. I know I'm not supposed to be in here right now, but they're not going to be able to keep me away.

Melissa, his attending nurse while he's coming out of anesthesia, happens to be a good friend of mine so when I follow him in she takes one look at me and doesn't fight it. While she takes care of procedure, I stand out of the way, gently pulling a pair of socks onto his cold feet and spreading a blanket over the rest of him.

"I can't stay," I whisper. "They're not going to let me. But you did great in there and you're going to be okay."

I reach out and gently brush his unruly curls before leaning in to place a featherlight kiss on his temple. His eyelids flutter partially open but he doesn't have the energy to speak even though his lips part as though he has something to say. I whisper that I love him and tell him again that he's going to be okay as I gently hold his hand. The relief that floods over me when I meet his foggy eyes is like nothing I've ever felt before. Though I know this is the beginning of a very long journey, he's alive and that alone is enough to make my heart sing.

I'm oblivious to the commotion behind me so I'm a bit startled when I'm suddenly standing next to the President. He's holding onto an IV pole and there are agents on either side of him, but he's standing there nonetheless.

I begin to move away, knowing I should never have snuck into the recovery room to begin with when I feel a firm hand on my shoulder. I look over to see Leo give me a reassuring nod as he takes his place beside me.

I stay where I am as President Bartlet leans gently against Josh's bed. Dr. Holbrook encourages Josh to wake up, even though he's already made eye contact with me. I don't say anything though, knowing that the doctor needs to see Josh wake up from the procedure. After a few moments of the doctor's gentle coaxing, we get a response.

Josh opens his eyes slowly and looks around, muttering something as he takes in the small crowd that's gathered at his bedside.

He opens his mouth to say something but none of us are able to determine what it is.

"I couldn't hear you, Josh." President Bartlet leans in, a smile forming on his face as Josh repeats himself.

"What did he say?" Leo asks.

The president stands tall and reports back, "He said, 'What's next?'"

President Bartlet lays his hand on Josh's head and we all stay by his side for a few moments. Dr. Holbrook advises us that they're ready to move Josh to a room in the ICU where his family is waiting.

We all file out but Leo stops me in the doorway.

"You're Donna." It's a statement, more than a question.

"Yes."

"We've all heard a lot about you," he reports, which surprises me once again. "I'm sorry we're meeting again under these circumstances, but I did want to thank you for the excellent level of care you provided to the President. You've probably been in this building for over 24 hours now, though. You should go home and get some sleep."

"Thank you," I offer in an effort to be polite. "But I'd like to stay with Josh."

Leo studies my face closely for a moment before the hint of a wry grin peeks into the corner of his mouth. "Good girl." He states simply before walking away.

I make my way up the stairs and into the ICU. A secret service agent asks me for my badge and I provide him with the hospital ID that's clipped to my scrubs. He checks it against a list and allows me entry. I assume I'm cleared due to my status on the President's trauma team, not because they're letting me visit my boyfriend.

I can see through the glass into his room. The nurses, Mark and Christine, are settling him in and hooking him up to the necessary monitors. I'm glad to see the two of them in there; they're both excellent at their jobs and I know they will provide Josh with the highest level of care.

Joan and Sarah are in there too, though it looks like Joan is trying to pull her mother's hands away from Josh's body, which is connected to an overwhelming amount of machines, even by my standards. Sarah is putting up a fight but she doesn't seem to be herself. Joan looks exhausted on a whole new level. Eventually they exit the room and Joan deposits Sarah into a chair, glancing at me and jerking her head to the side in an indication she'd like me to follow as she steps down the hallway out of earshot.

"Is your mom okay?" I ask. Sarah seems groggy and her eyes are a little glossed over. It's not shocking to me that someone would offer her a sedative but she's pretty out of it.

Joan looks at the floor and bites her lip. "I need to know that he's going to be okay. I need to take her home but I'd like to monitor his care and-"

"Joan, I'm not going anywhere." My answer is gentle yet firm. "I'm not going to leave his side."

She lets out a ragged breath and I immediately know she's overwhelmed.

I reach out and wrap her into a hug, and while neither of us has forgotten about our disagreement, we both put it to the side. It just doesn't matter right now.

"They repaired the artery and he's awake," I remind her gently. "He made it over the biggest hurdle."

Though we both know there's still a long road ahead, with a large number of potential problems, sometimes it doesn't do any good to point that out.

Joan squeezes me a little tighter and I hear her thank me.

"You don't have to thank me. This is where I want to be." I don't think she understands the gravity of my feelings for Josh, but this isn't the time. "Where's Sam?"

"The White House." She steps back from me, wiping her eyes. "I'm just going to take mom back to my place and try to get a little sleep before I come back to meet with Dr. Holbrook."

"You shouldn't drive." I state. "But neither should Sam, I'd imagine."

I ask Cara, the unit's administrative assistant, for her help in calling a car from the number Leo provided me earlier and to reschedule Dr. Lyman's meeting with Dr. Holbrook for later that afternoon. I also have her call Tim from security to walk her out. I'm sure that the outside of the hospital is flooded with reporters, and it looks like Sarah is quickly turning into dead weight.

"You're his medical POA?" I ask Joan, who nods confirmation. "Good. He's going to need you to think clearly and have a coherent conversation on his behalf. Go home and get some sleep."

"Yeah," she sighs, knowing that I'm right. Joan and Sarah make their way towards the elevators with help from Tim and head home for some rest.

I head straight back to Josh's bedside, pulling a chair close and kissing his forehead softly.

"I'll be right here when you wake up," I promise, taking his hand in mine before leaning against his bed rails and dozing off myself.