Title: Gravitation is Not Responsible (25/?)
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: Visit my archive: http://aerial312. .

"It's okay. It's okay. I'll get you cleaned up…Do you want me to grab the basin?"

Josh nodded, moaning.

"I'll be right back."

Donna quickly ran into the kitchen. She grabbed a roll of paper towels, and returned to Josh, who was leaning over the basin.

"Again?"

He nodded, taking a deep breath. "Could…"

"I'll empty it."

Donna took the basin into the bathroom, and rinsed it out in the tub. Josh was lying back against his pillow with his eyes closed.

"Better now?"

"A little."

She ripped a paper towel off the roll, and dried his sweaty forehead.

"I'm a mess."

"Don't worry—"

"I couldn't get up fast enough…" His eyes were rimming with tears.

"I know, honey. It's okay. We're gonna get it all cleaned up."

"That pain pill—"

"Really disagreed with you."

"Yeah…"

"You ready to get up now?"

"I'll try."

"Let's put that blanket into a garbage bag for now."

"You've wanted me to get rid of it."

Donna chuckled, as she carefully folded the soiled blanket so as not to make a further mess, and stuffed it into a large garbage bag.

"What about my shirt?"

"I'll rinse it out. Let's get it off you."

Josh nodded.

"Can you pull your right arm out?"

Josh maneuvered his good arm out of the T-shirt.

"Now," Donna began, crossing over to him. "I'm gonna slide this over your head…carefully…and slide it down the bad arm…"

"That was easier than I thought it'd be."

"Good. Oh! It soaked through to your bandage. I'm gonna have to change it."

"Can I take a shower?"

"Yeah?"

"Is that an answer?"

"You want to?"

"I feel gross."

"Okay. Okay. Let me see what your sheet says."

Donna crossed over to bureau in the corner of the room, and retrieved the instruction sheet.

"Showers okay. We have to cover the bandage. Hmm…"

"What?"

"If I have to take that one off because its gross…should I wait until after the shower?"

"Well…Let's get this off."

"But should I put a new one on?"

Josh shrugged. "Couldn't hurt. If it gets wet, I get another new one."

Donna nodded hesitantly.

"You don't like not knowing the answers."

"No, I don't," Donna admitted. "I like to know everything."

Josh smiled broadly.

"It's nice to see you smile."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Josh continued to beam, and Donna blushed.

"Are you distracted by my bare chest Miss Moss?"

Donna looked away.

"I don't think you're going to be able to change my bandage without looking at it."

"Yeah…"

Donna went back to removing the bandage, her cheeks bright red.

"Nice, huh?"

"Get over yourself."

Josh chuckled.

"How the hell do you have such…such…"

"You're at a loss for words?"

"You work at a desk all day, you ate crap…but your abs are…"

Josh laughed out loud, as Donna applied the new bandage, blinking furiously.

"Are you crying?"

"I…"

"You are—"

"You haven't laughed like that…in a long time…" Josh took Donna's hand in his. "So it's nice to hear, even if it is at my expense."

He kissed her hand, and held it over his heart. Donna swallowed hard.

"Please stop crying. I hate it when you cry."

"It's not sad crying, it's happy crying."

"Why do women do that?"

Donna shrugged. "I don't know."

He squeezed her one hand one more time, and watched her finish his bandage.

"Done?"

Donna nodded, and helped him scoot to the edge and off to his feet.

"You're pretty steady."

"I felt absolutely terrible for half an hour, and now I feel completely fine."

Donna looked over the bed. "I think the shirt and the blanket were the only casualties."

"That's good."

He slowly made his way to the bathroom, with Donna following.

"So…"

"Yeah…"

"I'm…uh…gonna need some help."

"Okay…what do you need me to do?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Okay…okay…"

"To start, I can't get my sweatpants off on my own…I've been able to get my boxers myself though…so…that's good."

Donna smiled, and helped him step out of his sweatpants.

"Where do you want me?"

"I'm not sure…I'm a little nervous about this, so I want you nearby…but…"

"That's a glass door?"

"Right."

"How about we leave the door to the bathroom open, and I wait right outside? Is that close enough?"

Josh nodded, and grabbed a hold of the wall to steady himself as he tried to step into the tub.

"Uh…"

"Need a hand?"

Josh nodded, and with Donna's hand on his back, stepped over the edge.

"Your towel is right here, in reach…I'll be right outside…I'm just gonna grab you some clothes."

Josh nodded, and slide the shower door closed. Donna quickly ran back to the bedroom, and grabbed a pair of boxers, a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She started to leave, and turned back in, grabbing a sweatshirt. The apartment was chilly, thanks to the air conditioning, and she didn't want him to catch cold. Armed with new clothing, she sat on the floor outside the bathroom door.

"Hey, Donna?" Josh called calmly.

"Yeah?"

"I got the bandage wet."

"I'll take care of it when you're done. Just make sure that you rinse all the soap off it."

"I will."

After a moment, Donna heard the shower turn off, so she stood up.

"You're not trying to step out on your own are you?"

"No…" Josh answered a little guiltily.

"Is it safe for me to come in?"

"As safe as it's gonna get."

Donna entered the bathroom, to find Josh with the towel wrapped around his waist, still pretty wet. She took his hand, and helped him step back onto the bath mat.

"You're still dripping."

"I can't reach…"

Donna pulled another towel from the closet, and gently patted his shoulders and back. She looked awkwardly down at his dripping legs.

"Go ahead…if…if you don't mind that is…"

"I don't mind." She knelt on the rug, and patted his calves dry.

"I…uh…got the rest."

"Great," she pulled his boxers off the counter, and he stepped into them. Slowly she pulled them up, careful to keep her ands on the outside of his thighs.

"Thank you."

She stood up, and smiled shyly.

"Thank you for putting up with this."

"Anything that helps."

Ten minutes later, they were sitting on the bed. Josh had a new bandage, and clean, dry clothes on. A new blanket sat on their laps.

"I'm gonna call the doctor's office and see if I can get you a new pain medication. One that agrees with your system."

"Thank you."

"CJ and Sam were planning on coming over tonight—for a short time—you still up for that?"

Josh nodded. "I'm surprised you're letting them."

"They're bringing the approved folders from work that I didn't get to get because I wasn't there today. They are not allowed to talk work while they're here tonight, though. You can get back to that tomorrow."

"Are you going back to work tomorrow?"

"Will you be mad if I do?"

Josh shrugged. "No."

"Your mom is only here till Friday. She'll be here in the morning while I'm in the office."

"You'll be back at noon?"

"Yup."

"Bearing lunch?"

"I have a feeling that as long as your mom's here, she's not going let me bring any take out."

"How come she's not here today?"

"She's coming. Sam's going to pick her up. She's part of my no-talking-work enforcement squad."

Josh chuckled.

"She wanted to give you a chance to get settled."

"Yeah…"

"What?"

"Never mind."

Josh pulled the blanket up to his chin, and clicked the TV on.

"Josh…"

He flipped the channel to C-SPAN.

"Joshua."

"What?"

"What's on your mind?"

"I said never mind."

"Come on."

Josh turned his head on the pillow to look at her, and sighed. "Tomorrow…tomorrow could you stay? Go back on Thursday, no question…just tomorrow—"

"Sure."

"Yeah?"

"I'll stay."

"If you really want to go back…"

"Josh, if you want me to stay tomorrow, I'll stay."

"Thanks."

"Now, you should take another short nap before your visitors arrive."

"Yeah, yeah…you staying in here?"

"I will till you fall asleep, then I've got some stuff to do."

"Okay."

Donna stroked his forehead, and bent down and kissed it as he closed his eyes.