For the first time in a very long time Josh Lyman was having a lot of trouble concentrating on politics.
He was the man who knew every single person in Congress. He knew all their secrets, how to make them do what he wanted, he was the person the president sent. He was the bulldog of the Democratic Party.
He had the diplomatic ranking of a three star general.
Yet he couldn't even read the fluff pieces in the 'In The Loop' column. He couldn't concentrate on anything except how nice it was to have someone besides himself in his apartment.
Specifically, how nice it was to have Donnatella Moss in his apartment.
She was cleaning, of course, already muttering to herself about how he didn't know how to take care of himself. Already it looked better, not so forgotten.
He could imagine coming home to her, having her worry over him because he forgot an umbrella and it was raining. How she would slowly make the apartment into hers and he would love it that way.
He really shouldn't be having these thoughts.
"Josh?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm going grocery shopping. Sam's coming over in a few minutes and then I'm going to go."
"Sam's allowed to come over and play?" he asked sarcastically.
"Stop it, or no nightly news for you."
"OK."
She pursed her lips. He wished she wouldn't do that, it only made him concentrate on her lips and that really wasn't good.
"You're being too agreeable. Are you feeling ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
She only frowned, looking at him some more. She had really pretty eyes, he never really noticed before. No, he did, when she gave herself a job, he remembered thinking that she had Bambi eyes, but they were really pretty. He'd never seen that shade of blue before.
She blushed and the air left his lungs. Everything suddenly became much more intense, her eyes had something more than concern in them, but he didn't know what it was. He wondered if he could get up, wondered if she would move, if she would protest if he just kissed her like he had the compulsion to do. It suddenly became very, very imperative that he kiss Donna Moss right now.
"Hello?"
Donna jumped, looking away from him.
"Sam! Come in." She went over to greet him, giving him a hug when she did.
He hated Sam right now.
"Donna, you look like you haven't slept in days. Has he been keeping you from sleeping?"
She laughed. "No. He's being strangely compliant. I wonder if we can keep him on those pain pills…"
Sam laughed as well.
He really hated Sam right now.
"How are you doing?" Sam asked him.
Josh shrugged, still annoyed at his best friend for interrupting what he was sure would have been a spectacular kiss.
"Play nice, Josh, and I'll be back in an hour. Sam, don't stress him with shop talk. In fact, no shop talk at all."
"Ok, Nurse Donna."
She left, smiling and waving at the both of them.
"Ok," Sam said. "Now you can tell me what's really going on."
"What?" Right now Sam was the last person he wanted to see. He wanted to see Donna again. Maybe he could convince Sam to grocery shop and Donna to stay with him.
"You were hatching a plan and then I interrupted it and now you're mad at me for interrupting whatever your sure to be ridiculous plan was."
"It was a good plan."
"What?" Sam asked, looking at his best friend. "Josh, are you actually blushing?"
"No?"
"Yes, you are. And I'm willing to bet it has something to do with Donna. I interrupted something, when I walked in, didn't I?"
"No, you didn't, Sam. She was just telling me that you were coming over and that she was going to get food."
"That's not what I saw."
"Well, you're wrong," Josh said arrogantly.
"No, I'm not."
"Yeah you are. Watch it, or I'll tell Donna that you were stressing me out."
"No, you wouldn't."
"No, I wouldn't. She would probably panic and not let me seeing anyone from work."
"Oh, that reminds me, Toby sends his wishes."
"Toby? Sending good will and cheer?"
"I wouldn't go that far. He just said to tell you that he was glad you weren't dead."
"Stop it, Sam, your sentimentality is making me tear up."
Sam smirked. "We miss having you around, buddy. Come back soon."
Josh grinned back. "I'm trying. You try to get Donna to do anything once she's set her mind to do the exact opposite."
"Is she doing ok?"
"Who?"
Sam rolled his eyes. "Donna, Josh. We really need to get you off those pain pills."
"Yeah, she's fine."
"She looks like death."
"No she doesn't. She looks great."
"You didn't see her when you were in surgery, during the odd hours she was in the office while you were recovering. She looks like someone who is barely holding it together. Just…don't take advantage of that, ok?"
"She looks fine to me."
"Josh, you wouldn't notice if someone wasn't alright until they were taken away screaming, and even then you would ask if they could still work."
"Hey!"
Sam shrugged. "It's true. You're worse than Toby."
"Does this constitute as shop talk?"
"Not really. More like analyzing your personality."
"Donna's not going to get anything good, is she?"
"By good you mean burnt burgers and milkshakes?"
"Yes."
"Then no, I think we can safely say that Donna will get getting what people commonly refer to as fruits and vegetables."
"Figures."
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine. Why?"
"You're grimacing. When did you last take a pain pill?"
"I dunno. Donna knows, though."
"And you're Deputy Chief of Staff."
"Damn straight."