A/N: This is my fave chapter so far. It's super cute, I hope you guys enjoy.

Fair warning, I did try to cram about as many months into this chapter as Sorkin did into the Midterms ep, so it moves at a pretty breakneck pace. Buckle up!

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"He's here." Carla informs Donna with a loaded smile as she bumps her shoulder.

Donna frowns, hardly looking up from her chart. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"I don't know why he couldn't have found another doctor. Someone closer, a smaller practice. I gave him plenty of referrals. I'm a trauma surgeon, I don't have time for routine check ups."

Carla gives her a skeptical look. "Lots of patients prefer to stay with the same doctor."

"Mm."

"He likes you, Donna. He likes you." Carla emphasizes, her smile creeping back through once again.

"Whatever." Donna says brusquely, though Carla can start to see a small smile of her own forming. "Everyone likes me. I'm very likable."

"Not what I meant."

"I've got this thing to do." Before Carla can tease her further, she pushes off the counter and goes to find Josh in one of the exam rooms. She knocks once and enters to find him sitting up on the table, leaning back on his hands. Even though she knows in theory about recovery speeds, she's almost surprised by how much better he looks. "Joshua."

He breaks out into a dimpled smile, which elicits one from her. "Donnatella."

She can't help giving him a once over that isn't entirely professional. "This is the first time I've seen you in something other than a hospital gown."

"Thank god for that."

He's wearing sweats and a Yale t-shirt. "I thought you went to Harvard."

He looks down at his shirt. "Oh yeah, for undergrad. I went to Yale law."

"Of course you did."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"I was also a Fulbright scholar."

"I don't remember asking."

"I thought you might be wondering."

"I wasn't."

"Do you wanna hear about my SAT scores?"

"I don't, as it turns out." She looks down at her chart, trying to refocus on the exam. She clears her throat. "So, you're four weeks post-op. How are you feeling?"

"Good." He says easily.

She gives him a skeptical look. "How's it going with your home nurse?"

His eyes dart away from hers. "Great. Just great."

"Liar." She points a finger at him. "I have the notes from her right here. Apparently you've tried to fire her twice."

He sighs dramatically. "She's a despot! The woman is a slavedriver, she's nurse ratchet."

Donna mouth curls into half a smile. "I'm the one that recommended MaryAnne, you know. I thought she'd be a good fit for you."

"If you were trying to kill me, sure."

"I'm sure she got along well with your mother."

He gives her a look. "She basically is my mother. You did this on purpose."

Donna shrugs innocently. "I figured if your mother wasn't going to be there, I should make sure her point of view was accounted for."

"You're an evil woman."

"I'm an angel." She holds the chart to her chest. "According to you, anyway. So your mother flew back home?"

"Yeah, some friend's son was getting married. And thank god, we were driving each other up the wall."

"She cares for you."

"I'm a thirty-five year old man. I don't need my mom."

"Everyone needs their mom."

"I want a new nurse."

"I told MaryAnne she was impervious."

"She certainly seems to think so." He mutters.

"Alright Josh. Since home care is going well, tell me about physical therapy."

"It's torture."

"It's hard, I know. But have you seen any improvement? Your mobility certainly seems better."

"It is." He agrees. "I'm working on it. Stiffness, still, but it's getting better. I can walk, now."

"Short distances only, yeah?"

"Yes ma'am. The car to here, no more."

"Glad to hear it. Did MaryAnne bring you in today, or-"

"Leo, actually. He's got a driver he sends sometimes, he's out in the lobby. I told him not to come, but you know."

Donna smiles indulgently. "I like Mr. McGarry. He's a good guy. I never thought the White House Chief of Staff would be so..."

"So what?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. He's just very caring, that's all."

Josh gives a slight smile. "Don't tell anyone."

"Okay. Enough stalling. I'm going to examine you, okay?"

"That is your job."

"Don't get cute with me."

"I'm always cute."

She looks down at the vitals the nurse had reported before starting her examination. "Your blood pressure is high." She notes, trying to distract herself as she lifts his shirt to examine his incision. It's healing well, and seems less tender as she gently prods around it.

"I think that's natural."

"It's not. It's your stress level."

"How do you know?"

"Which one of us went to medical school, Josh?"

"So, I'm stressed. There's not much I can do about it."

"Any number of the breathing exercises I gave to you, cutting back on work-"

"Donna, let's stop prescribing stupid solutions and start throwing drugs at me, okay?"

She laughs. "Let's start checking your mobility, okay?"

"Sure thing."

After doing some routine stretches and strength exercises to test his progress, he asks the expected, "So when can I get back to work?"

She gives him a stern look. "You've still got some work ahead of you. Your mobility and stamina aren't nearly enough to support a normal work day, let alone what I'm sure you consider normal."

"So then... Not tomorrow?"

"Josh."

"Donna."

"The blood pressure is also worrying. With injuries like these, we have to be mindful of possible complications-"

"Donna, c'mon. You've gotta give me a light at the end of the tunnel here. Something to work toward."

A faint smile crosses her face, and something possesses her to say, "I'll tell you what. I'm not making any promises on work, but if the next time I see you, you can do five sit ups, hit the next mark on the breath spirometer, and you've got your blood pressure within the target range-"

"I'm listening."

She raises an eyebrow in challenge. "I'll take you on a date."

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Two weeks later, Donna watches in astonishment as Josh does his tenth sit up on the exam table. "So are we good now? I can stop?"

"Your blood pressure is the lowest I've ever seen it."

"I've been doping."

"Josh."

He sits up fully and gives her a look. "I tried the damn breathing exercises, are you happy?"

"You're almost back to normal levels on the breath spirometer."

He leans back on his hands, tilting his head and giving her an absolutely infuriating grin. "I like lobster."

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In mid-November, Donna and Carla struggle into their favorite coffee shop against the bitter wind outside. Carla had stayed the night at Donna's the night before as a reprieve from her nagging mother, and the two decided a pre-work pick me up wouldn't be out of line. Usually they take their coffee at the hospital, but something about the cold morning outside made them want something a little bit nicer.

"We're going to be late."

Carla shrugs. "But warm."

Donna moans at the thought. "Warm. So warm."

"Maybe if you didn't live all the way across town..."

"Maybe if rent was cheaper closer to the hospital." Donna rebukes.

"Maybe if Laverne made better coffee."

"Maybe if neither of us had ever been born. Point is, we're here, we're going to be late, and I'm getting a double shot caramel macchiato."

"You go girl."

Just then, Donna hears a voice she thought she may never hear again. "Donnatella Moss!"

She whips around, a surprised smile lighting up her face. After she'd cleared him to start work two weeks ago, she thought she'd seen the last of him. "Josh."

"As I live and breathe." He pulls her into a hug, catching her off guard with his strength.

She takes him in. The whiny man child with the nice smile is a far cry from the apparently fully functional man in front of her, dressed in a suit, though admittedly still looking a bit rumpled and bearing his usual dimpled grin. "You look good."

He raises his eyebrows at her. "Thanks."

She colors. "I meant you look well. I mean, you look healthy."

He continues to smirk at her. "Back at ya, Donnatella."

Donna clears her throat. "Carla, you remember Josh."

"Gunshot." Carla recalls with a wide smile. She shakes his hand. "Almost didn't recognize you."

The cashier clears his throat, prompting Carla and Donna to step up and give their orders. As they fumble for their wallets, Josh steps in and hands the man his credit card. "On me."

"Hey, no, you don't have to-"

"You guys saved my life. Least I can do."

Carla seems happy to accept. "Hey, thanks."

Donna smiles slightly as she follows him over to wait for their drinks. "We were just doing our jobs. And, besides, I already owe you one."

He shrugs. "Now you owe me two."

The barista slides a tray of four drinks across the bar. "Josh."

"That's me." He picks up the tray and starts for the door.

"Thirsty, huh?"

He points alternately at each cup. "Sam, CJ, Toby, me."

"How'd you get stuck on coffee duty?"

"They were bringing stuff to me for three months. Figure I should return the favor."

"You really don't have to do that."

"They really didn't have to do that for me, either." He gives her a smile. "Good seeing you."

"Yeah, you too. I hope you're taking care of yourself."

"Always." He says brusquely. He pushes out the door backwards, and she notices that he carries a backpack. The concept is oddly endearing. "I'm expecting a call about that lobster any day now."

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It's barely been two weeks since her last chance encounter with Josh when Donna finds herself at a nice restaurant on one of her rare nights off, trying vainly to enjoy a date with a complete wet blanket named Todd. She'd met him at a party one of the radiology techs had thrown the week before, but now that she's sober he's strikingly dull. The most interesting part of the evening so far is that they encounter secret service agents on their way in, who check their bags and pat them down.

"It's a really nice place." Todd informs her with a self important smile as they're led to their table. "I'm sure some Senator or other is here tonight, there's usually one or two."

Donna nods half heartedly. "Uh huh." She can't believe she'd wasted her thrifted, hot-as-hell red dress on this schmuck.

She doesn't notice a pair of brown eyes tracking her to her table. She's surprised once again when Josh pops up at her side, a familiar gleam in his eyes and his hands in his pockets. "Donnatella Moss."

She jolts at his sudden presence, putting a hand on her chest. "Oh my god. What is wrong with you?"

"You seem pleased to see me."

"Did you die sometime recently, due to, I don't know, high blood pressure? Are you haunting me?"

He grins. "My blood pressure is great, and you know that."

She breaks into a smile, and stands up to hug him. She's only slightly surprised when he kisses her cheek as if it's the most natural thing in the world. "It's good to see you."

"And you." He gives her an appreciative once over that makes her blush. "You look great. Scrubs don't really do you justice."

He leaves his hand on the small of her back, which she finds she rather likes. "Josh, this is Todd, my date. Todd, this is Josh, a former patient of mine."

Josh shakes Todd's hand with the hand that isn't still on Donna's back. "This is some girl you've got here, you know. She saved my life."

Todd nods, bemused. "Did she now?"

"I wish you would stop telling people that."

"What? You did. I was shot, Ted. And Donna here saved me from the clutches of death."

"Todd." Todd corrects meekly.

"Who are you here with?" Donna peers over his shoulder, searching the restaurant for a table with some attractive, polished looking woman watching them. She finds none.

"Oh, come with me, I'll introduce you."

Donna starts to follow him, casting an apologetic glance at Todd. "I'm sorry, Todd. I'll be right back."

"Sure."

Josh leads her to a secluded corner booth, where three men, two of whom are significantly older than Josh, look up at her curiously. "Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet someone. This Dr. Donna Moss, she was my doctor at GW."

One of the older men cackles. "So you're who we have to blame for this bastard still running around, huh?"

Donna smiles, confused. "I'm afraid so."

"Donna, this is Congressman Jacob Schultz-" she shakes the older man's hand, "-Congressman William Walford-" the other old man, "-and Congressman Matt Skinner." A younger man smiles kindly at her.

"Wow." She says somewhat breathlessly. She feels slightly dizzy. She realizes suddenly that the secret service present outside is there probably solely to protect those present at Josh's dinner meeting. "It's amazing to meet all of you."

"You don't have to lie to them, Donna."

"What was Josh like as a patient?" Walford asks her, eyes twinkling. "Annoying as all hell, I'd imagine?"

She smiles weakly. "Something like that, yes, sir."

The table laughs, and Josh rolls his eyes. Matt Skinner asks, "What brings you here, Doctor?"

"Oh." She glances behind her, having forgotten Todd entirely. "I'm on a date, actually."

Matt gives Josh a look. "Leave the poor girl alone, Josh."

"What?" He says innocently. "I thought you might want to meet her. You know, give her hell for keeping me alive."

"And we have. Now, enjoy the rest of your date, Dr. Moss."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'll be right back." Josh warns the table, and leads her away. "C'mon, let's go to the bar. You look like you could use a drink."

She whips around to glare at him. "What the hell was that? I can't believe you!"

"What?" He asks nonchalantly.

"Whiskey sour." She tells the bartender. "Springing three congressmen on me like that! I wasn't prepared, I looked like an idiot, I-"

He furrows his brow. "No you didn't. And it's not that big a deal, they're just people, you know."

"To you!" She simmers down. "What was that supposed to be, impressive? You bantering with elected officials like they're your frat brothers?"

He shrugs. "I didn't even know I was doing that. We're just familiar, that's all."

"Ooh, I'm Josh Lyman." She mocks, dropping her voice in a exaggerated impression of him. "Look at me, I went to two Ivy Leagues and I'm on first name basis with half of Congress."

He snorts. "You just looked like you needed saving, that's all."

She sniffs primly. "Well, I didn't. I'm having a perfectly lovely evening. Or, I was, until you came along."

He shakes his head, chuckling. "Okay. I'll let you get back to your evening with Tim."

"Todd." She corrects.

"I'm working, after all."

"I'm working." She mocks in her Josh voice.

He grins, heading back to his table. "Have a nice night."

She smiles despite herself. "You too." At the last second, she feels compelled to call out, "Josh!"

He turns around, halfway back to his table, and takes a few steps back toward her. She realizes then what it is that had made her feel ill at ease. He looks rough - he has circles under his eyes, and she thinks perhaps he'd lost weight. She'd been so taken aback by his presence that she hadn't noticed at first. "Yeah?"

"How are you feeling?"

He gives her an odd look, a dry smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Doing just fine, Donnatella. You don't need to worry about me."

She almost believes him.

After their meal, Todd asks the waiter for the check. Instead, he informs them cheerfully, "Actually, your meal has already been taken care of by a gentleman who left earlier this evening. He asked me to leave you with this."

The waiter procures a receipt from his pocket and hands it to Todd, who scrunches his forehead as he reads it. "What a jerk. I don't get this, do you?"

Todd hands her the receipt, and she sees Josh's sloppy signature at the bottom. At the top, he'd scrawled, Now you owe me three!

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I told you it was cute! More things to come soon, stay tuned!

Thoughts/feelings/predictions/March madness predictions?

Thanks for reading!