A/N: Thank you so much for the positive feedback. It means a lot :) Here's the next chapter!

"I don't get it," Josh was muttering darkly as he slowly climbed back into bed, a hand on his nurse's shoulder to help steady him. "Why the hell is it this hard? It's not like I got shot in the legs."

"Your whole body needs to recover," the nurse was telling him soothingly. They had just gotten back from one of Josh's physical therapy sessions and Josh was exhausted and miserable.

"I feel useless."

"You're not useless," Donna said as she walked into the room behind them. The nurse left the room with a sympathetic smile to Donna.

"What good am I doing anyone right now, Donna?" Josh asked in challenge. The rise in his voice caused him to cough painfully a few times.

"Josh, you got shot in the chest and almost died. Nobody at the White House is sitting there thinking you're doing anything other than you're supposed to be doing."

"If they'd just talk to me about stuff I could help!" Josh exclaimed, again pushing it too far and enducing a coughing fit. Donna gave him an exasperated look with very little sympathy this time.

"It's a wonder why we're trying to keep work away from you," she said plainly.

"I can handle it," Josh muttered, quieter this time. "I want to help."

"And we want you to get better Josh. Help us by doing that. Just give your full focus to your recovery and physical therapy and the sooner you'll be back at work."

Josh didn't have a response for this. He settled into his bed with a huff and Donna sighed as she was again deterred from telling him about the baby. If he was letting his focus on recovery slip this much just from being frustrated from not being at work, Donna dread to think what her news might do to slow Josh's recovery. She desperately wanted to tell him, but she constantly battled with the idea that it would be better for Josh's recovery if she waited a little longer. Until Josh could at least walk across the room without feeling completely spent.

Checking her watch, she let out another sigh. Today was the day of her first doctor's appointment and the fact that Josh didn't know about it was eating away at her. She felt incredibly guilty both ways, for not telling Josh and at the idea of telling him. Even if she had already told him, he'd just be devastated at not being able to leave the hospital to go with her to the appointment. The doctor she had found was way across town.

She supposed it was safer that Josh didn't go with her in the first place. With the increased press attention since Rosslyn, she doubted Josh could get away with walking into a OBGYN's office with her. He'd be seen and the press would be relentless in asking questions.

"Alright, I have to leave for a few hours," she announced to Josh. She felt awful again as she watched his face fall, though he tried to hide it.

"Oh, okay," he said. Donna could hear the disappointment in his tone. He tried to distract himself by grabbing the TV remote and tossing it around with his good hand.

"I won't be gone long," she assured him. Josh didn't look up. She'd been spending most of her time at the hospital these days. Which was the way she liked it in all honesty. This way she could keep a close eye on Josh's recovery. Sam was also pitching in a lot and spending time with Josh to help keep him occupied when he was free. CJ and Toby visited when they could.

Josh still spent a lot of time asleep and Donna knew he would be spent after his physical therapy session and would probably fall asleep within the hour so she didn't feel too badly at leaving for a while.

"Where're you going?" Josh asked her. His head was leaned back against the pillows now. Donna could already register the fatigue setting in.

"To the office to catch up on a few things," Donna said, only partially lying. She was going to the office to pick up CJ and technically she was catching up on a few things.

"Kay," Josh replied, trying to sound disinterested. He turned on the TV and let his head loll to the side to watch.

"I'll be back later," Donna assured him. Josh just nodded.

"See you later," she said as she walked through the door.

"Bye," Josh called back, fiddling with the remote again. With one last look Donna closed the door and a rush of emotion came crushing down on top of her. She truly wished Josh was the one going with her to the appointment.

"Hey," Donna announced as she appeared in the doorway of CJ's office.

"Hey," CJ called back. She was in the middle of dropping some fish flakes into Gail's bowl. "How're you feeling?"

Donna tried to give a convincing smile, but CJ saw right through it.

"It's going to be fine, Donna," CJ said consolingly. She grabbed her jacket and purse off the coat rack switly.

"Ready?"

Donna nodded, before muttering, "sure". Knowing it wasn't safe to discuss where they were going out in the open, the two made their way down the hallway silently until they were stopped by Toby, who was looking as stressed as ever.

"Donna, do you think I could run this by-"

"God, Toby, no," Donna immediately scolded, she was getting sick already of people in the office trying to slide work to Josh. "You should have seen him today after physical therapy. He could hardly keep his eyes open afterwards. The last thing he needs right now is stress from work. I don't want him having to deal with anything that will take away from his focus on recovery."

CJ's head tilted as she picked up on the second meaning behind Donna's words.

"Fine," Toby said bitterly. He paused and took in the two of them dressed in coats. "Going somewhere?"

CJ narrowed her gaze in warning. "Toby," she said slowly. Donna looked worriedly between the two but Toby quickly relented. Without another word he returned back to his office, and they heard the door close with an extra bit of force.

"Okay, this will be a little cold," Donna's doctor warned as she held a bottle full of gel. Donna was sat across an examining table. Her shirt was lifted to reveal her stomach that showed only the slightest hint of a bump.

"It's like you just ate an abnormally large burrito for lunch," CJ had commented, not hiding the bitterness or disbelief in her voice. Donna laughed, but had actually been taken by surprise at the tiny bump. With her focus so honed in on Josh's recovery she hadn't really taken the time to examine her belly or track its progress.

"It's still early, CJ," Donna told her. CJ didn't look mollified.

"You're going to be one of those women who barely looks pregnant the whole time and I'm going to end up feeling bad about myself," CJ said lightly. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at Donna and Donna appreciated CJ's attempts at making her laugh. Before Donna could reply, she gasped when the gel hit her bare skin and she felt CJ grab hold of her hand as they both looked towards the screen. There was a sea of black and white that Donna couldn't really make sense of. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to focus on the correct part. CJ did similar.

"Everything looks good," the doctor was telling them as she had her eyes on the screen. "It looks like you're a little over three months?" She turned her head to Donna in question and Donna nodded but said nothing. The ultrasound tool was moved around a little more before the doctor paused the screen and zoomed in.

"Right there, is your baby," she told Donna, pointing to the screen. Donna went very still as she stared intently at the little blob. After searching for a moment, tears began to fill Donna's eyes. A mixture of fear and excitement equally contributing.

"I don't see it," CJ said, squinting at the screen. The doctor tried to explain further but it did nothing to solve CJ's confusion.

"That looks more like a potato than a baby." Donna let out a laugh as she tried to discreetly wipe at her eyes.

The doctor printed Donna a few copies of the sonogram and then moved on to a lecture on the do's and don't's of pregnancy, handing Donna multiple pamphlets.

Twenty minutes later Donna and CJ were walking into the brisk, sunny afternoon.

"I still can't see it," CJ was saying in a frustrated voice as they stepped into the car, she was holding one of the sonograms in her hands. Donna laughed and pointed out the blob between two squiggly lines. CJ looked dubious as to if Donna was actually accurately placing the baby but said nothing.

"Wow," CJ said, still staring at the sonogram as Donna got into the passenger seat. "So that's really a little Josh Lyman in there, huh." Donna felt her stomach do a backflip.

"CJ, listen," she started. CJ paused and handed Donna back the sonogram.

"Thank you. I know how pissed you are at me and at Josh, but for you to put all that aside and be with me today. I can't tell you how much that means to me." CJ smiled warmly.

"Just because I'm pissed doesn't mean I stop caring about you or idiot boy, Donna." Donna laughed at Josh's nickname.

"And I know this can be," CJ paused. "I can only imagine how scary this must be."

"I feel awful that I haven't told Josh yet," Donna confessed, staring down at the sonograms. "This is awful isn't it? That he isn't here for this." Donna felt her eyes welling with tears again. She started to wonder if this was a side effect to the hormones.

"Donna, he wouldn't have been able to make it all the way down here anyways," CJ replied softly. "The man can hardly walk to the bathroom on his own right now."

"He's in a hospital! Maybe I should have just seen a doctor there." At this, CJ laughed out loud.

"Donna, you don't think that would be slightly suspicious when every nurse and doctor on Josh's floor sees him attending your ultrasound?"

Donna let out a nervous laugh. "I guess."

"You really do have to tell him soon though, Donna," CJ said, sobering now. "With Josh recovering we've got a bit of leeway with the press but, we still need to figure out a game plan." CJ gulped. "We have to figure out how to tell Leo."

Donna caught the meaning behind CJ's words. They had to find out if Leo would chose to fire Josh or not. Continuing to stare down at her ultrasound, Donna asked quietly, "how do you think Josh is going to react, CJ?".

CJ chewed on her lip for a moment before answering. "I don't know, Donna." Donna looked up at her and sighed. Silence descended over the two for a while and Donna's mind went through her own perfect world scenario again where her and Josh would be able to celebrate this news freely and be unabashedly happy. A world where they were together and it wasn't a scandal, where nobody else cared. A world where her anxiety could be solely placed on the normal fears of parenthood instead of being afraid of harming a President's legacy.

CJ tilted her head as she watched her friend.

"Donna, you are allowed to be happy, you know," she said kindly. Donna wiped at her eyes and shook her head.

"CJ, I'm single and pregnant with a man's baby that could destroy the reputation of the White House and could lead to us both losing our jobs. The father of my baby was just shot in the chest and can hardly walk and he doesn't even know I'm pregnant. I don't even know how or when I'm supposed to tell him since I'm worried that when I do tell him it'll cause him to have some kind of medical set back." A few more tears fell down Donna's cheeks and she wiped away at them again furiously. "And these stupid hormones keep making me cry all the time."

CJ smiled sympathetically and reached out a hand, placing it on Donna's forearm.

"Hey, it's not like the father of your baby is just some guy off the street," CJ said carefully. "We all see how you two are with each other, Donna. That's why we were always so afraid of something like this happening. You two are inseparable. You're best friends." A small, watery smile came to Donna's lips at CJ's words.

"Having a baby with your best friend is a lot better than having a baby with some one night stand you'd never want to call again."

"Yeah," Donna agreed quietly. Her hand went to her belly again and this time she paid attention at the small bump she felt there. "If he wants anything to do with us."

At this, CJ gave Donna a disbelieving smile. "Donna, I don't know how Josh is going to react, but I know for sure he's not going to be abandoning you. He would never do that."

"His whole career is at stake, CJ," Donna said shaking her head. "He loves his job. It's what he's worked for his whole life."

"Sure," CJ allowed. "But he loves you too."

Donna stared at CJ for a moment before shaking her head. "You shouldn't say things like that."

"Yeah," CJ agreed. "It's true though."

Donna looked down at her lap and said nothing as a finger lightly traced the slight swell of her stomach. She simply thought of the image of Josh, holding their baby in his arms, smiling.

Watching Donna's hand, CJ rolled her eyes and tried to lighten the mood.

"I can already tell this is going to be awful watching you stay skinnier than me even though you're pregnant," CJ muttered.

Donna put on a smile and laughed. "What are you talking about CJ, you're as thin as anyone."

"I mean, I guess, but still." CJ gave Donna a warm smile and reached for her keys to start the car.

"It's going to be fine, Donna. Whatever happens." The rumble of the engine shock the car around them.

"Yeah," Donna whispered. She was looking down at the sonogram again and this time she indulged in the small, warm feeling it brought to her chest.