Title: Gravitation is Not Responsible (2?)
Author: Aerial312
Rating: PG-13
Category: Humor/Fluff/Angst/Romance (a little of everything)
Spoiler Info: Post Rosslyn.
Disclaimer: I own nothing…I just borrow.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated. Sure. Just let me know where its going.

A/N: Okay, sequel it is.

Josh blinked awake, and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling for a moment. After a second it clicked. Hospital. With some effort, he moved his head slightly, to look at the machines beeping off to his right. His throat was dry, but overall he wasn't feeling much pain. He must be on some strong pain meds. His body felt heavy, a dull ache. The previous day had been a haze, but he recalled hearing something about having been in surgery for 14 hours. He expected more pain than this.

His brief forays into consciousness had been surreal. A bright light leading to the President and Leo. The President at his side in a bathrobe. Donna telling him about her exploits as lemonade entrepreneur at age 5. Donna…

Donna. All of the last few times he'd woken up, she'd been there. Was she still there? He squeezed his left hand lightly. Yup, there was still a hand there. Josh struggled to roll his head all the way to the other side. Donna was sitting in the chair, her left hand still threaded through his, and she was using her right arm propped on his bed rail as a pillow. He couldn't see her face, just a mass of blonde hair, and a light purple sweater.

"Mr. Lyman. Good morning!" a large, jolly nurse proclaimed, walking into his room. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Pretty good…throat's dry."

"Let me get you some water, honey."

She stepped out quickly, and returned with a plastic cup full of water. She tilted it to his lips, and he took a sip.

"Not too much now. After rounds, we'll see what you can have."

Josh nodded.

"I'm Kendra. I'm your morning nurse. You need anything else, you press this button."

She pointed to the clicker by his right hand.

"Now, I have to get you ready for rounds. Get ready to change the bandage, draw some blood. Do you want to wake up your lady, or you want me to do it?"

His lady? "Do you have…to wake…her?"

Kendra smiled. "I'm sorry, but I do. She's layin' attached to the side where I need to be, Mr. Lyman—"

"Josh."

"Josh. I'm sorry by she's gonna have to move."

"Could you…just push her…back in the chair?"

"You really don't wanna wake her."

"Not if we can…"

"I'll try."

Josh released Donna's hand, and Kendra gently pulled on her shoulders, setting her back in the chair. Donna stirred slightly, but didn't wake.

"She's out cold."

"She's been…here…all night."

"Visitor's log says she's been here since 3 o'clock yesterday."

"Wow."

"She's worried about you."

"Yeah."

"What's her name?"

"Donna."

"How long she been with you?"

It would take too much effort to explain the truth right now. "Two years."

"She's pretty."

"Yeah, she is." He watched her for a moment. She was especially beautiful when she was asleep. He hadn't watched her sleep in a long time.

Kendra worked at his right side. "She came in with the President yesterday. The afternoon girl was giving her a hard time about getting in."

"Really?"

"Family only for now. Of course that don't apply to t he President, or –what was his name—Leo?"

"But…they tried to…keep Donna out?"

"She got in before you really started waking up. The President pulled some strings," she laughed.

"Good." Family only. Donna felt like family to him.

"I hear Dr. Melvin next door. He'll be in here in a moment. He's gonna take a look at your incision, and tell us what the course of action is for the rest of the day."

Josh nodded. Kendra carefully labeled a few vials of blood.

"Did you …just take that?"

"Yeah."

"How come… I didn't…feel it?"

"I just drew it from your IV."

"Just like that? While we were talking?"

"Just like that."

"I hate needles. And blood. I'm glad…I didn't…know."

Kendra laughed, as the door opened. "Good morning, Dr. Melvin."

"Kendra. Mr. Lyman! How are you feeling today?"

"I'm…okay…"

Dr. Melvin paged through his chart. "This all looks pretty good, considering what you've been through. BP's good. No temp. O2 sat is good. You been in and out of sleep all night?"

"I woke up…a few…times."

"Still hard to talk?"

"A little…throat's still a little dry."

"Well, we'll get you some fluid after this little check up. Breakfast will be liquid, because you've got some hard work ahead of you before lunch. If you feel up to solids at lunch, you can have them. Your call. Who's the young woman?" Dr. Melvin grinned.

"That's his lady."

"That's Donna."

"Has she been here long?"

"She's been here…since…3pm, you said?"

Kendra nodded.

"Kendra, after we're done here could you find a blanket for Mr. Lyman's lady friend? She's sitting in the hard plastic chair, it's the least we can do."

"Certainly."

He pulled gently and removed the bandage on Josh's left side. He leaned in close to examine the incision. Donna stirred in the chair, and sat forward, a little disoriented at all the people in the room.

"Hello, sleepy head," Kendra smiled.

"Donna?" Josh struggled to see past Dr. Melvin.

"Hold on, hold on, you'll be able to see her in a second. This is looking good, Mr. Lyman. So, this morning, the first order of business is a chest x-ray. We want to make sure this chest tube is still where it belongs—"

"Chest tube?" Donna asked, in spite of herself. She stood.

"A chest tube drains fluid from the pleural space. It's a standard after a procedure like Mr. Lyman's."

"Okay."

Donna started to step closer, but Kendra held her back.

Dr. Melvin continued, "We take an x-ray each day its in to make sure its still exactly where it needs to be."

Donna nodded.

"Am I on a lot of pain medication?"

Dr. Melvin laughed softly. "Yes, yesterday's main focus was keeping you stable and calm, which meant obliterating the pain almost completely. We are going to decrease those levels today. You need to be able to feel what you're doing for today's breathing exercises. I'm not going to lie: it won't be pleasant, but its an essential part of your recovery."

"Breathing exercises?"

"You're having a hard time getting a full breath, right? Makes it hard to talk a full sentence?"

Josh nodded.

"Is that normal?" Donna asked locking eyes with Josh.

"It is. This morning's exercises will include some vigorous coughing, and some deep breathing. You'll be doing breathing exercises every hour you're awake, Mr. Lyman."

"Oh."

"At first, it will be difficult, but it will get easier."

He made a few notes in Josh's chart. "Thank you all."

He stepped out of the room, and Kendra moved to where he had stood beside Josh's open bandage.

"Time to change this. Honey, could you step outside?"

Donna hesitated, but nodded, and began to move.

"No, stay!"

"You're sure, Mr. Lyman?"

He nodded.

"Can you handle this, honey? If you're squeamish—"

"I'm not squeamish."

"Okay, then. Go stand on his other side. Make sure he stays looking at you, because he says he is squeamish."

"He is."

Donna looked into Josh's eyes again, and grabbed his hand.

"If you want to look, go ahead. Really."

Donna steeled herself, and ventured a look at Josh's wound. It was a large incision, spanning most of his chest. There was smaller wound to the side of the large one. The bullet wound.

Kendra worked smoothly, and quickly, and was done in a matter of minutes. "All right now. I'll leave you two kids alone for a few minutes. Josh, your breakfast will be in shortly, then we're taking you to x-ray." She adjusted the computer on the IV pump, and headed out of the room.

"Thank you," Donna called.

"Yeah…uh…thank you."

"Glad to see you're back to your usual self."

Josh smiled softly. "Getting there."

Donna ran her hand through his hair. "I think she just turned down your pain meds."

"It's gonna…be a hard…day."

"Yeah."

"You're…staying…right?"

"Or course I'll stay."

Josh squeezed her hand.

"Your mom will be here later."

"When's…she coming?"

"She'll be here around 5. Leo's sending a car. I think he's going to meet her himself."

"Who…who…told her?"

"I did. She'd seen the news already."

"I'm sorry."

"She's strong, Josh…" Donna turned away.

"She's had to…learn to be…Donna? What's wrong?"

"She's stronger than I was," Donna answered softly.

"Come here."

Donna blinked rapidly to get rid of the wetness in her eyes, and turned to face him. He squeezed her hand.

"You're strong. Very strong. How bad is it?"

"Josh, it…"

"You don't…have to lie. You…didn't…flinch…but…"

"It's not bad, Josh."

"Don't lie."

"Josh, it's a long incision, yes. But they did a good job. It was clean, and not nearly as hard to look at as I expected. Honest."

"You won't… lie to me?"

"Of course not."

"I want to know…I may…not want to see…but I want to…know."

"I'll be here, and I'll be honest."

Josh pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly.

"Thank you."