Title: Gravitation is Not Responsible (14?)
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:

"How's he doing?"

Donna spun to see Toby standing in the doorway to Josh's room.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay…you're here early."

"Well, I figured I'd stop by before he had a chance to get tired and cranky, but…"

"I don't think you're going to be able to avoid cranky."

"Or tired, apparently."

"I thought he was faking, until you came in, that is."

"Faking?"

"Oh, he's pissed off at me for going back to work today."

"It's amazing you've dealt with him this long."

"He's been good. Usually. He really has, Toby."

"And he shows it by pretending to sleep when you're leaving for the day—"

"For the morning."

"He's only letting you go for half the day? Usually he's trying to keep you there well past the time the rest of the assistants go home."

"Extenuating circumstances."

"I see."

"I'm easing back into work. He's still going through a lot, Toby."

"I don't doubt—"

"He's just been walking for a few days now, and getting as far as the nurse's station is a challenge—"

"The nurse's station across the hall?"

"Yes, across the hall. Why do all of you keep harping on that?"

"I was just asking. There's another nurse's station on the other end of the unit. I walked past it because the twit at the information desk wouldn't give me directions up here because it's not visiting hours."

Donna laughed. "He's progressing. He's definitely getting better—"

"He looks a lot better. I've talked to him, but this is the first time I've seen him since…since—'

"That night."

"Yeah."

"He's a lot happier without the tubes here, there, and everywhere. Breathing exercises still get him frustrated sometimes, though he's doing much better with that. Physical therapy makes him cranky and sore, but he's trying."

"I heard he's giving his mom a hard time."

"He is—"

"Is he giving you a hard time?"

"Toby, I told you, he's been good to me. You know I don't take his shit. This has obviously made me more sympathetic, but I push him, ya know?"

"And he listens?"

"He grumbles and growls, but he does it. He needs that push."

"Mom doesn't push him?"

"No…" Donna sighed. "She doesn't like to see him in pain, and there's almost always pain involved. She tries to get him to stop, and I love the woman, and she's incredible and sweet, but he's all she has left, and she hasn't been dealing well with it. She knows it. Last week, one day, he was in a particularly vile mood, and I was doing some cleaning at his apartment, and she called me and asked if I would come back because he listened to me. She doesn't like not being strong enough to help him right now. I think she's used to being the one who can deal with anything."

Toby nodded.

"So I try to get him to do what he needs to, get him mad at me, and then be in a good mood when his mom comes by. She needs to see the positive. I can take…all of it."

"Can you?"

"I can…I can."

"You don't sound convinced."

"Sure there are things I'd rather not either of us be going through, things I don't want to see—not the particular situation makes me uncomfortable, but because I wish we weren't in this—of course I wish none of this had happened."

"We all do."

"We're getting through this, one day at a time."

"And you're sure you're holding up okay?"

"I am, Toby. But thanks for asking."

Toby gave her a half smile.

"Well, I better wake him up, and tell him I'm going—"

"Why don't you let him sleep."

"Leaving without telling him would be the worst thing I could do. He won't speak to me for the rest of the day."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Toby!"

"Do you have previous experience with that treatment?"

"The other day while he was in physical therapy for the first time, I had to step out to take a phone call from Leo, and he got really upset when he couldn't find me…it was a rough evening."

Toby nodded and watched as Donna walked up to the head of Josh's bed, and gently laid her hand on his right shoulder. She tapped her fingers.

"Hey…hey…Josh…Josh, I'm leaving. Josh, I want to wake you up before I leave. Josh, I'm leaving for work—"

"You're going to work already?"

"Already? It's almost 8:15."

Toby chuckled. Josh looked up, startled.

"Toby's here."

"I can see that."

"Hey," Toby nodded, as he took a step in closer.

"I suppose you have to head right back too, and can't keep me company either?"

"Sorry."

"Now, Josh, I'll be back by 12:30 today—"

"I thought we said noon."

"You know full well what we said."

Josh sighed, and shook his head at Toby. Donna continued to face Josh, with her back to Toby, who was pulling a folder out of his briefcase. Josh watched as he placed it on his tray table, and put the newspaper on top of it.

"I'm just going to use the bathroom, and then we can head out, Toby."

Donna walked to the bathroom, and closed the door.

"What in the folder?"

"Briefing memos, election data. I wasn't sure if you were going to be up to them, but you seem to be doing great, so I'm leaving you a present."

"Great."

"Don't push it though, Josh."

"It's just reading."

"You know you're going to want to call us up and talk about this."

"Probably."

"Do me a favor. Hold off on them till after your physical therapy session this morning. Donna will kick my ass if she thinks I got you too riled up to cooperate."

"But after that, Donna will be back—"

"I'll take it back."

"I can handle it."

Toby reached for the folder.

"Okay, okay!"

"Watch TV. Learn something new on the Discovery channel. Don't push it."

"We were watching this physics thing last night. It's really interesting. Scientists at Cal Tech—"

"Ready," Donna announced, walking out of the bathroom.

"Great," Toby sighed, backing towards the door.

Donna quickly went over to Josh and kissed his forehead. "Call me if you need anything."

He watched as they walked out the door, then turned and clicked on the TV. The same documentary was on again. He picked up the phone.

"He's driving me nuts, Donna."

"The physics thing?"

"God, I listened to him go on and on about that for 10 minutes before my briefing."

"And you let him keep talking to your empty office."

"How long before he figured that out?"

"When he saw you appear in the briefing room on TV."

CJ laughed. "I'm sure he loved the psychics thing."

"He called me up right after that, whining."

"He must have been thrilled."

"He said he was banging his head against the wall."

"How many times you heard from him today?"

"I've talked to him…six times."

"He's called you six times?"

"Um…" Donna looked down at the memo she was typing up.

"Donna."

"He's called me twice. I've called him 4 times."

"May I ask why?"

"First time was to remind him to do his breathing exercises before P.T. Second was to make sure he knew where a clean set of clothes were before they left his room. Third was to see how therapy went. Fourth…"

"Checking up on him?"

"I hadn't heard from him in over an hour."

"And he was perfectly fine?"

Donna nodded. "He said he was fine, he sounded distracted, and was quick on the phone. I think he's still pissed off at me for not being with him. I'm gonna go back for noon today."

"Donna, don't let this mess with your head."

"I…it's the first day of this…give me a little…I need to deal with some of this myself, ya know?"

CJ nodded, and patted the younger woman's shoulder. "Did Leo give you the midterm stuff for Josh?"

Donna nodded.

"Have him call me when he's read it."

"He'll read it when he gets a chance, CJ. He's going to get back into things slowly. Tonight will be the first foray into that. I don't want him getting riled up."

Sam walked down the hall, on his cell phone. "We're on it! We are on it! Yes, I'm gonna give my buddy Tom Jordan a call… You've met him…No, I know you have. Anyways, I'm gonna ask him to run… His record is great… Yeah, I've read it too… No, we're gonna talk about it tomorrow at the thing… No, we're not gonna put you on speakerphone… Because…I know it's not a real answer. I'm not getting my ass kicked to…because my guess is you're not even supposed to have what you have. Where did you get that anyways?... No, don't care….I just want to make sure that its clear that I was not the source…No, I'm not in my office, I walking through your bull---okay! Okay! I'm going, I'm going."

Donna watched Sam retreat quickly. CJ cracked up, and started to follow him. Donna grabbed her wrist.

"It wasn't me!"

"You didn't give him things from work the other night?"

"No, I swear. I was never alone with him. I went with you to get food."

"Sam was alone with him."

"And yet you just heard him asking Josh where he got the memos."

"I'm gonna kick Toby's ass."

"Toby? When was Toby there?"

"This morning."

"And he was left alone with Josh—"

"When I went to the bathroom."

"Ah ha."

Donna picked up the phone. "Ginger, is Toby in?...No, that's okay…I'll be gone by then. I'll stop by to see him tomorrow. No, no message. I want to deliver it myself. Thanks!"

"He's out at a meeting."

"So I learned. You're gonna warn him, aren't you?"

"I bet he anticipated it coming."

Donna shook her head. "I just don't want Josh getting so worked up, so soon. It's only been a week CJ. Less, actually. He had major surgery less than a week ago, and even though he's doing better…I need to get back."

Donna stood up quickly, and grabbed her purse. CJ grabbed her arm and steadied her.

"Calm down, sweetie."

"I just—" Donna choked out.

CJ wrapped her arm around Donna's shoulder. "I'm about to grab lunch. Let me drive you."

"Thank you."

"I'm just gonna go grab my bag."

Donna nodded, and picked up the phone.

"Yeah?" Josh answered.

"Hey."

"Hey again."

"I'm heading back."

"It's not even noon yet."

"I—uh, yeah. I'm done."

"Can you bring me lunch?"

"I think I can handle that. How are you doing?"

"Good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Just checking…"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You want soup?"

"Soup's good. You okay? You sound distracted."

"I'm…fine. We'll talk when I get there."

"Okay. See you in a few."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Josh hung up the phone, feeling a little guilty about the pile of briefing memos on his lap. She knew about them, there was no doubt in his mind about that. He might as well admit it as soon as she got there.

Donna sat on her desk waiting for CJ. He seemed fine now. Was she getting worried over nothing? But he had definitely been riled up on the phone with Sam. They needed to have this conversation. He wasn't going to like it, but limits were needed.