Title: Priorities
Disclaimer: Not mine, nor will they ever be mine
Rating: PG-13 just for language
Category: angst, political intrigue
Feedback: …is always appreciated!
Summary: Starts during "Gaza' then veers sharply into AU
Chapter 1
"If there's someplace you'd rather be, everyone would understand."
Leo tells me.
"I'm okay." I reassure him. I pause a moment, thinking about what
he's really saying and what my priorities are right now. Did I really
just advocate bombing everyone who is happy about the attack on the
CODEL? I need to get to Donna. I need to get there now. "Thanks." I
tell Leo before literally taking off at a run to my office.
Once there, I grab my backpack and shove my lap top inside. Within
60 seconds I am at the front gate getting a cab to the airport. Donna
always keeps my passport and a few essentials in various pockets of
my backpack. Besides, anything else I really need I can get in
Germany. I'm not stopping for clothes, I'm not stopping for a beer,
and I'm certainly not stopping for red lights. This sense of urgency
is so overwhelming that I'm finding it difficult to think about what
I need to do next. That's when my cell phone rings.
"Josh Lyman." Please don't let it be the hospital with bad news…
"Josh, it's Margaret. Leo asked me to book you on the next flight to
Germany. Do you have a pen? You need to write this down." I fumble
in my bag for a pen and something to write on.
"Okay, Margaret. Go Ahead."
"You're on Lufthansa flight 9281. It leaves at 5:49 so that only
gives you 1 hour to get there and get through security. If you don't
make it, call me back and I'll help you rebook."
"I'll make it." I assure her, but I'm having trouble writing down the
information because my hand is shaking.
"It's a 10 hour flight to Saarbruecken, and with the time changes
you'll be arriving at 9:55 AM tomorrow morning. Leo will have a
driver waiting there to take you to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
which is about a ½ hour drive from the airport. Got all that?"
"Yeah, I think so. Thanks Margaret, and thank Leo for me."
"Just take care of Donna and tell her we all send our love."
"Will do." I shut the cell phone and lay my head against the back of
the car seat. It's going to be a very long twelve hours until I see
Donna, and she'd be the first one to tell you that patience isn't my
strong suit.
Under any other circumstances, Josh would have appreciated the
humor in the situation, but at present, it just wasn't in him. Maybe later,
he would remember to tell Donna about this conversation. He knew it
would make her laugh and then she would admonish him on his lack of
people skills.
"Sir, you ARE on the Lufthansa flight #9281?" the agent repeated.
"Yes, here's my ID and Passport."
"Going to Germany?" she talks to me like I'm addle minded.
"That is generally where Lufthansa flies, is it not?" What is wrong
with this woman?
"Then again, sir, where is the luggage you are checking?"
"Again, lady, there IS no checked luggage. Now I've got 15 minutes to
haul ass to the gate. Will you please, for the love of God, print my
boarding pass?"
Her eyes widen and I get the feeling I might have gone too far as she
scurries off and fetches a supervisor. The supervisor comes over with
a placating expression on his face.
"Mr. Lyman? If I could have you step this way, sir?" He is motioning
me towards a security office to the side of the check in counter. I
don't move an inch.
"What is going on? I have to be on my flight in…13 minutes. I don't
have time for this."
"Sir, it's like this. Your purchase and circumstances have triggered
several red flags through security."
"What?!" Unbelievable!
"The last minute, one way purchase of an international ticket with no
checked luggage and a bulky personal item…it sets off red flags."
"Listen….George (I read the name on his employee ID) if I don't get a
boarding pass and get onto my flight in the next 5 minutes you aren't
going to believe the red flags, let alone the red tape you're going
to spend the rest of what you will laughingly call a career dealing
with."
George seriously takes a step back. I stick my White House ID in his
face.
"I am the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of the United States
and have the diplomatic ranking of a 3 star General. I am rushing to
get to the regional medical center in Landstuhl where a chief member
of our administration is in critical condition from the bombing in
Gaza. Now get me the damn boarding pass or so help me God the
nextvoice you hear will be the President of the United States asking
which bus terminal in Des Moines you'd like to punch tickets at." I
pull out my cell phone and start dialing. I don't know what number I
am dialing, but then neither does George.
He doesn't even take 5 seconds to process my threat before he is
printing out my boarding pass. Simultaneously, he calls one of his
golf cart drivers over and instructs him to get me to my gate
immediately.
He hands me my boarding pass and my multiple ID's and I smile to
show him how reasonable I can be.
"Thanks, George." I call before my driver goes from 0 to 60 to get me
to my gate.
Sitting in my seat in business class, I down my second drink in as
many hours. Yes, Donna, I know. I have a delicate system. However, I
also have another 8 hours on this plane, and maybe the alcohol will
help me sleep for awhile. Right now, whenever I close my eyes all I
can see is the television footage of the explosion. I have hardly
given a thought to the Congressmen or the Admiral who were in that
car with Donna and died. It's more than I can take in. All my energy
is focused on one thing…getting to Donna.
Chapter 2
She looks so pale. I have been staring at her face for over an hour,
struggling to find some sign that she is waking up. I see the cuts on
her alabaster skin and my encompassing thought is: I sent her to
Gaza.
Now people will tell you that I have an overdeveloped sense of guilt
and maybe they're right in some cases, but I know that in this case
the guilt is deserved. Donna would never have been in Gaza if not for
me.
I pass the time leaving medical updates for Donna's parents on their
cell phones while they are traveling here from Wisconsin, and
touching base with CJ and Toby about handling Congressional
reactions to the bombing. I talked to Leo once, but he was short and
distant so I've decided to keep in touch through Toby and CJ. I know
that letting me go to Germany created a hardship for Leo and still he
bought my ticket and had Margaret smooth the way for me. Is it any
wonder I regard that man as my second Father?
If you'd asked me yesterday where I wanted to be during a National
crisis like the one we're now facing right now, I would have said the
Oval office without hesitation. Without further inflating my ego, I
must say that I have skills; valuable skills that the President
relies on during debate on almost any serious issue; I haven't spoken
to him once since the story of the bombing first broke. I don't even
feel compelled to talk to him. My priorities have drastically changed
and as I sit here with only the sound of medical equipment beeping I
am forced to question when my priorities changed so drastically and
why.
Then Donna's eyes open and I have an epiphany. She is why.
"Hey."
"What happened to you?" she asks me through squinting eyes.
"To me?" I laugh at her question.
"You need a shave."
"My razor battery is dead and I don't have a converter."
"Where am I?" she is so groggy.
"We're in Germany."
"It doesn't look like Germany."
"Well you know how you're always asking me to take you on foreign
trips? I need you to get up and make me some note cards"¨ I joke.
"You need to shave." She tells me again and looks oddly at the nurse
who comes in to draw blood. "Doesn't he need a shave?"
"Couldn't hurt." The nurse smiles at me. "She's going to be a little
out of it for awhile."
Donna turns back to me. "She doesn't sound German. Are you sure
you know where we are?" she whispers.
"I'm sure. I even have the boarding pass and passport stamp to prove
it."
"My mouth is dry."¨ She complains.
"Here, take a sip of this." I bring her a cup of water with a straw
so she can take a sip. Swallowing appears to be painful to her. God,
what have I done?
The nurse starts to draw blood and my stomach rolls. I excuse myself
from the room until she is done and when I go back in Donna is
sleeping. I sit next to her and hold her hand, willing her to heal.
When my cell phone rings later, it wakes me up. My head is resting on
the mattress by Donna's shoulder and I have to literally shake myself
awake.
"Josh Lyman."
"You sound like hell, mi amore. How's our patient doing?"
"She's resting right now. She woke up for awhile and talked a bit,
but she's pretty loopy from the drugs. What's happening there?"
"We're getting pretty intense pressure from Congress and the media
tolaunch some kind of retaliatory strike. The President and Leo can't
seem to agree on a course of action, and things are getting pretty
heated in there."
"The President and Leo don't have to agree on a course of action.
The President is the one who needs to call the shots, and let me tell
you, I don't care what those pantywaist Congressmen are saying, our
European allies are applauding the President's restraint in that very
volatile region."
"That's great, Joshua. I'll just let our friends in the press know
that our European allies approve, so Americans should just sit down
and shut up."
"Well that doesn't sound too good to me, CJ, but you're the press
secretary so if you think that's best.."
"Joshua!"
"Here's what you do: you leak the force depletion report. Thinking
about dead American soldiers might get them past this Rambo mood
they're all in. Hit them on proceeding cautiously and with a measured
response. Make sure the President is seen as the cool, calm head
prevailing over the pandemonium in the Middle East and, you know, in
Congress."
"The force depletion report; got it. That might work. You might want
to check in with Leo, though. I don't think I've ever seen him wound
so tight."
"He's my next call then. CJ, keep your head in the game. There's
going to be a lot fired at you over the next few days."
"I hear you. Later, Josh." She hangs up on me and I dial Leo, when
I'm interrupted by a man carrying flowers.
"Excuse me. Is this Donna Moss' room?" Dumbfounded, I simply nod
my head and watch as he goes in to see Donna. He lays the flowers
on her bed and kisses her; right on the mouth! Now she's smiling at
him and they're holding hands. What the hell? I let her out of my sight
for a week and this is what happens. Oh, and did I mention he's Irish?
What's that noise?"
"Hello...hello! Josh are you there?" Oh, it's Leo on the phone.
"Hey boss, what's up?"
"You called me, Josh." He replies tersely.
"Yeah, Donna woke up and talked to me a bit."
"That's great, Josh. What are you hearing over there?"
"There's a lot of support for us right now, but then we haven't
really done anything but be victims at this point."
"That's got to change. Josh the President isn't listening to me on
this and I don't know how to get him to move militarily. Congress is
drafting a resolution insisting the President take military action.
If the resolution passes before he makes a move, it'll be game over."
"Wait a minute, Leo. I already suggested that CJ leak the force
depletion report. That should slow Congress down a bit. But I think
the President is right, Leo. It makes much more sense to find a
diplomatic solution now that we have world opinion on our side."
"This is exactly why you're a domestic advisor, not a foreign policy
advisor. You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Leo
snaps at me, and I don't know how to respond to his attack.
"Leo I know the pressure cooker you're sitting in right now has got
to have everybody on edge. The President has always valued your
opinion, particularly in military matters. Find out what his
reservations are. Maybe you can talk him through...Look, if you need
me back there..." I make the offer half-heartedly and Leo must have
read the reluctance in my voice.
"You're where you need to be, Josh. Take care of Donna. We can call
you if we need you. I've got to go."
"Bye Leo, good luck." I hang up the phone and peek back into
Donna'sroom where she has fallen asleep again. I walk over to the
Irishman
and establish my territory.
"So how do you know Donna?"
"We met in Gaza. I'm doing freelance photography there and she
asked me to show her around the city. Name's Colin Ayres." He holds
out his hand and I reluctantly take it.
"Josh Lyman." I tell him and his eyebrows rise. Good, this whiskey
drinking cretin knows who I am.
"Donna's boss, sure. She was always about sending you emails."
"Sure is a long way for you to come from Gaza to Germany."
"Not nearly as far as it is to come from D.C. Look, she never said
anything about..anything. If this is a problem...¨
"No, no problem." Not anything that can't be easily eliminated
anyway. I have friends in the secret service.
At that moment, Elena Moss rushes into the room, her husband Patrick
only a few steps behind. When she sees her daughter, she bursts into
tears and turns into her husbands arms. Patrick sees me first.
"Josh. Thanks for getting here so quickly and getting us the constant
updates.¡¨ He reaches out to shake my hand and I take it, but I can't
quite meet his eyes. He knows I'm the one who sent Donna here.
Elena looks up and whatever she sees in my face compels her to take
me in her arms and hug me. Tears gather in my eyes and I try to hold
it together in front of the photographer. When Elena notices him, she
pulls back and looks from me to him and back to me again.
"This is Colin Ayres, a friend of Donna's from Gaza. Elena and
Patrick Moss, Donna's parents."
"You must be a pretty good friend to fly all the way from Gaza."
Elena notes and I wait for his reply.
"I was there when...when it happened. I travel a lot with work and
wanted to make sure she was alright." He paused as all three of us
took that information in. "I'm going to go check in at my hotel and
get cleaned up. I'd like to stop back later to see her if that's
alright with you?"
Elena looks at me again, and I shrug like it doesn't mean anything to
me.
"I'm sure Donna would appreciate that, Mr. Ayres. We'll look forward
to seeing you later." After Ayres leaves, Patrick and Elena sit on
either side of Donna.
"Cleaning up at a hotel sounds like a good idea. I need to pick up
some clothes, too."
"Did the damn airlines lose your luggage?" Patrick asks,
"No, not this time. I left without it."
"You left for Germany without luggage? What were you thinking Josh?"
Elena looks at me puzzled.
"I was thinking I had one hour to get to the plane and if I missed it
I would have to wait another 4 hours to catch the next one."
Patrick and Elena exchange looks. What?
"Anyway, I'm going to clean up and get some clothes now that you're
here."
"A nap wouldn't be out of order either Josh. We'll stay with her
until you get back"¨ I nod, but I don't mean it. There is no way I'm
going to be napping while Mr. Photojournalist bonds with the Moss
clan. End of story.
Chapter 3
Donna's POV
I am never going of make fun of Josh's sensitive system again. This
must be what he feels like on a morning after. I am nauseous,
disoriented, my body aches, and my head feels like it's going to
explode. Maybe he can help me with this.
"Josh..." I whisper without opening my eyes.
"He went to shower and change, honey. Dad and I are here." At the
sound of my Mother's voice, my eyes fly open. Big mistake. The room
spins for a moment before my parents' faces come into focus.
"You're here? You came to Germany?" My parents hate to travel. My
Mom in particular hates to fly. She keeps talking about how planes
are way too heavy to be suspended in mid-air. If she can't drive to
her destination, she doesn't go to her destination.
"Of course we're here, baby. We're so glad to see you awake and
hear your voice. Josh told us you'd been talking to him earlier, but it's
good to hear it for myself." Dad told me.
"Josh left? Good, he needs a shower and a shave.¨ I close my eyes as
the nausea creeps up on my again.
"Well he'll need to buy a shaver. Did you know the man left D.C.
without any luggage?¨ Mom asks me. It takes a minute for that
information to process through my drugged brain. He not only didn't
stop for a beer, he didn't stop for clothes or any other luggage.
The warm feeling in my chest has nothing to do with the morphine I
just pumped into my body.
"While we are on the subject of men traveling across the globe for
you, would you like to tell us who this Colin Ayres is?¨ Dad asks
me, only half joking.
Colin...I thought I dreamt that he came to the hospital, but when I
look over at the bedside table, I see the flowers he brought me in a
vase. Colin came to Germany. Colin came to Germany right after Josh.
Josh met Colin. Oh, I can just imagine that conversation. Now I will
have to endure endless comments about finding gomers on other
continents.
"He's a friend. He showed me around Gaza.¨ I keep the answer simple
and I look down at my blanket as I answer, but I'm guessing none of
this fools my Mother.
"I'll bet he did.¨ Mom responds; nope didn't fool her for a
second. "Can I get you anything, Donna? Maybe some soup or some
water?¨
"I really don't think I could keep anything down right now. Thanks.
How long can you stay?¨
"Your Dad has to go back tomorrow night, but I'm here until you're
ready to go home.¨
"Are we taking a boat back?¨ I tease her.
"I hadn't thought about it, but now that you bring it up..¨ We all
share a laugh over Mom's fear of flying.
"Now that's what I like to see; the Moss family smiling and
laughing. I don't even care if you're laughing at me this time,
Donnatella.¨ It's Josh. He must have bought a new shaver because his
face is smooth. He's dressed in casual clothes, which I don't get to
see very often, but I like just fine. His eyes still look tired, but
they're crinkled at the corners adding to his dimpled smile.
"I see that you're awake, but are you lucid?¨
"Lucid enough to know you should be at the White House.¨ I look him
straight in the eye so he knows that I know what he's sacrificed to
be here.
"I got my Mom to write a note to the President for me. No one messes
with Ruth Lyman. She sends her love, by the way. I tried to call her
from the hotel to tell her you were awake, but I couldn't get an
answer.¨
"That's probably because she's on her way here.¨ I look over in
surprise at my Mom's statement. Josh looks shocked too.
"When I told her Patrick could only stay a short time, she said I
shouldn't be alone in a strange country and told me she would be
here as soon as she could arrange things. Unlike her son, she
prefers to pack luggage for overseas trips.¨
Colin knocks as he enters a moment later, and he too has cleaned up.
Now, the fun can start. I look up at Josh just waiting for the
obnoxious comments to come flying out, but to my surprise he only
addresses my parents.
"Patrick, Elena, why don't we head down to the cafeteria and grab
some dinner. Most of the food sucks, but I've scoped it out and can
show you what to stay away from.¨ My parents hesitate before
accepting his offer. "Can I bring anything back for you?¨ he asks
me, but I shake my head no. "Okay, then, we'll be back in about an
hour. I have my cell on if you change your mind.¨ Then he leans over
and looking pointedly towards Colin, kisses me on the forehead,
"Ms. Moss, I think there are a few things we need to discuss.¨ Colin
says once we are alone in my room. I fix a confused look on my face
which isn't too hard given my current medical condition. "I'm a
little uncomfortable having the White House Deputy Chief of Staff
staring daggers at me. Care to explain why that is?¨
"He's just protective of the people who work for him.¨ I hit the
morphine button again, but I don't think I got anything from it.
"Donna, the world reaction to the bombing has been extraordinary. I
can't begin to imagine what is happening at the White House, but I
would guess they're hurting without their Deputy Chief of Staff. A
man in his position in Government doesn't fly half way round the
world for an assistant while the President is formulating a response
to a violent attack on his people.¨
"We're close friends, too.¨ He gives me a disbelieving look. "I
swear Colin, there's never been anything else between us.¨
"Because that's the way you want it, or because your puritanical
American workplace ethics forbid it?¨ He's smirking at me now,
daring me to deny I have feelings for Josh.
"It has never been more than friendship, and I can't imagine
anything changing that in the future.¨ I sidestep the question. I
haven't hung out with CJ for all these years without learning some
great avoidance techniques.
"Well, I don't guess you'll have to imagine much of anything much
longer.¨ He laughs at my expression. "We Irish have a sense about
these matters of the heart, which is why I'll be taking my leave of
you tomorrow. I just wanted to be sure you were going to live to
tell great tales about me to your children some day.¨
"Why is it the men in my life all have tremendous egos?¨ My words
start to slur as exhaustion takes over.
"Is it all right if I pop in to say goodbye tomorrow, then?¨
"Of course. I'm really glad you came, Colin. I'm really glad we
met.¨ I can't keep my eyes open any longer and fall asleep as I feel
him squeeze my hand.
Josh's POV
I'm not sure what to expect when I get back to Donna's room, but I
find Colin sitting next to Donna's bed watching the news as she
sleeps with her hand in his. My stomach does one quick flip before I
take a breath and blow it out. I'd stand with my back against the
wall, but not in front of the Irish dog.
"Looks like your boy is having a bit of trouble.¨ He tells me
without looking away from the TV.
"My boy?¨ Arrogant Irish ass.
"Bartlet. Haffley is ready to set the building on fire if Bartlet
doesn't retaliate soon.¨
"It's President Bartlet, and he hasn't been a boy for about 50
years. Haffley is a blow hard who's just riding public opinion. Once
the President turns that around, Haffley will be back on the band
wagon humming Hail to the Chief.¨
"How can you, of all people, advocate a peaceful solution to this?
How can you look at Donna and not want to carpet bomb the Middle
East?¨
"Oh believe me, I do. In fact I advocated just that position to the
Chief of Staff before I came here. But besides making me feel better
for a few minutes, what does that really solve? We need a permanent
solution, and President Bartlet is the one to get it.¨
"It's not that simple, man.¨
"No, the most important things never are.¨ I can't help but glance
over at Donna."They targeted us on purpose. They want us as players
in this fight because it gives credibility to them. We need to stay
above the fray in this.¨
"How are you managing to stay here during this crisis?¨
"I have a secure phone. There's not much I can't do from here.¨
"Still, they're going to need you in the room eventually, no?¨
"Eventually..Are you heading back to Gaza? Or do you have a new
assignment tracking Anjolina Jolie across the continent now?¨
"I'm a photojournalist not paparazzi, and I am heading back to Gaza,
after a short stop over in London.¨ He too, looked over at Donna,
then got up and walked over to me. There's something I'd like to
discuss with you.¨
Oh, this should be good. If he asks me about keeping in touch with
Donna, I'll tell him that's what Hallmark is for.
"I have something I want you to hold onto for Donna.¨ He hands me a
computer disc. "They're pictures from Gaza. This is the only copy
that exists. I've deleted them from my hard drive.¨ He looks at me
very seriously and I feel like I'm missing the significance of the
pictures. "Maybe after you take a look at them, you'll reconsider
the bombing option.¨
Now it hits me. They're pictures from the bombing. My hand starts to
shake.
"You bastard. You stood and took pictures while she was in that car
bleeding?¨
"They wouldn't let me near the vehicle. There was nothing I could do
to help her. I took the pictures because there was nothing else I
could do. I didn't know if I should give them to Donna.¨
"Hell no, you shouldn't give them to Donna. Are you nuts?¨ I am sure
my face must be a shade of purple right now. "She doesn't need to be
reminded of this while she's trying to recover. She doesn't ever need
to see these!¨ My shouting starts to rouse Donna so I lower my
voice. "Take this damn thing away from me; burn it, break it, I
don't care.¨ I shove the disc back towards him but he refuses to
take it.
"Are you sure about that Josh? This is her story. Her entire trip to
Gaza. I agree that now isn't the time, but you can guarantee that
someday she might not want to see these? Maybe after your boy
establishes peace in the Middle East she'll want to remember what
got us all there?¨
Donna's parents enter the room and react to the tension in the room.
"Everything alright, boys?¨ Patrick asks.
"Fine. I was just leaving. I'll see you all tomorrow.¨ Calls Danny
Boy as he grabs his coat and leaves for the night.
"Josh?¨ Elena touches my arm.
"I'm going to go out and get some air. I'll be back in a bit.¨
"Why don't you go back to your room and get some sleep? You look
exhausted.¨ Elena suggests to me.
"I just need some air.¨ I walk out quickly before they can ask any
questions, but take the long way around so as not to run into Ayres
on his way out. I am almost out the door when my cell phone rings.
Checking the caller ID I see that it's Toby.
"Hey.¨
"Hey, how's Donna?¨
"A little more with it tonight. She's in a lot of pain though.¨ I
can't help finger the disc in my hand as I say it. "She's in a lot
of pain.¨
"Josh, this is not your fault. Don't even go there.¨
"Right. I only sent her there. How's Andi doing?¨
"Shook up, but home safe and sound with the twins. Listen, I know
your mind is on other things there, but I need your help with Cole.
He's making lots of noise with the press and telling anyone with a
microphone we need regime change for the Palestinians.¨
"He may be right.¨
"That's not the point. While he's talking about ousting Farad, we're
talking to Farad about partnering with us in our investigation of
the bombing. As Cole gets louder and gets more support our
credibility with Farad and the Palestinians gets weaker and weaker.¨
"What are they discussing as options right now?¨
"Leo and the joint chiefs want to take out several military targets
and are even making a case for attacking Iran on a preemptive strike
philosophy.¨
"I guess that's not surprising considering Fitzwallace was a victim.
How's the President reacting?¨
"He's got them all on a choke chain right now, but I'm telling you
Josh, he and Leo are clashing over every inch of this right in front
of us. The President took a meeting with the Israeli Ambassador
earlier and excluded Leo from the whole thing; sent him down to the
sit room while he and Kate Harper went at it.¨
"Okay. I'll take care of Cole. Listen, the President can take
retaliatory action against the specific perpetrators of the bombing
if the FBI can get credible evidence against them, but Iran? Are you
kidding me? Make sure the President knows he can get Stackhouse
and Skinner on spin for whatever he needs. They're both hawks and
the right will take them seriously enough that it might help sway public
opinion.¨
"Did you see CJ's brief? The force depletion leak helped, but she
still got hammered pretty good.¨
"I saw it. She's going to have to suffer through it until the
President makes a call on our next move. Just keep it up with
the 'reasoned and measured' response and it will start to get
traction.¨
"Says the guy who wanted to kill everyone who did it and everyone
who was happy about it.¨
"I've got a few others I'd like to add to the list.¨
"Huh?¨
"There were these ticket agents at the airport, and then this
photographer friend of Donna's who flew here from Gaza...¨ I start to
feel my blood pressure rise just thinking about Ayres and his
pictures; then it hits me. "Hey Toby, do me a favor, will you? Have
Bonnie research this guy. His name is Colin Ayres.¨
"What do you want to know?¨
"Everything. I think it's weird he flew here from Gaza when he's
only known Donna a week.¨
"Maybe you just underestimate Donna's appeal.¨
"No, I don't think so. Just check him out will you? My regular
researcher is pretty high on morphine right now.¨
"Sure. Tell her we're all thinking about her.¨
"Yeah, bye."¨ I flip my phone closed and sit on the short wall
outside the main doors to the hospital. My chin is on my chest as I
try to breathe slowly to bring my blood pressure back down, which is
probably why I didn't see her before I heard her.
"Are you the famous Joshua Lyman from the White House?¨ My
Mother's attempt at humor makes me smile.
"No, I'm just some shmuck looking for a handout from gullible
American women. Hi, Mom.¨ I give her a hug. I hold on a little too
long and a little too tight and she looks into my face.
"You need sleep, child. You don't look to surprised to see me, so
I'm guessing Elena gave me away.¨
"Yeah, about that. Why didn't you tell me, your son, that you were
planning to come?¨
"Because you would have only said not to come and then we would
have fought about it before I came. This way we avoid the fight and I
get to be here where my son needs me.¨
"Not that I don't love to see you, but I don't need you, Mom. Donna
was the one who was critically injured.¨
"You don't need me? Then why are you not getting any sleep? What
have you been eating? Doesn't need me, he says. Besides Donna's
Mother needs me. She can't stay here all alone once Patrick leaves.¨
"What am I chopped liver?¨
"Joshua. We both know you won't be able to stay much longer. Pretty
soon, your phone will ring and they'll need you to go back. Frankly,
I'm surprised Leo let you come at all.¨
"I think he knew I'd do him no good until I could see Donna for
myself.¨
"Well, he might have been right for once.¨ She teases me and it gets
her the desired response; I smile.
"I was so scared, Mom. I don't ever remember being that scared.¨
"I know Joshua, I know. Now let's go up and see your girl.¨
"She's not my girl, Mom.¨
"Is that so?¨
"She has some Irish bastard photographer with her. Followed her all
the way from Gaza.¨
"Well you can take care of that easily enough I'm sure. I wonder if
the bastard remembered to take any luggage when he came?¨
"Very funny, Mom, very funny.¨
She takes my arm in hers and we walk back to Donna's room. There is
great delight all around as the Moss family sees my Mother has
arrived. Donna wakes for awhile and happily soaks up my Mother's
fussing.
It shouldn't surprise me anymore that my Mom can still make
everything better for me. She just sweeps in and dispenses whatever
it is that I most need at the moment and sweeps back out. Okay,
there's a little guilt dispensed with the love and affection, but
it's mostly teasing...except for the part about the grandchildren. I
know for certain she's very serious about the grandchildren. I also
know for certain that I'm very glad she's here.
Chapter 4
"Josh Lyman." I croak into the phone while squinting at the hotel
clock trying to read the numbers. 4:18 AM. I'm not even really awake.
I am sleep talking.
"Please hold for the President of the United States." Okay, now
I'm awake.
"Josh, how is Donna doing?"
"She was a little better tonight, sir, but she's still pretty out
of it. May I ask, sir, how are you doing?"
"I've had better days in this office, Josh, that's for sure. Kate
Harper and I went to see Mrs. Fitzwallace and Congress would like me
to throw a dart at the map and bomb wherever it lands."
"That does sound like a pretty tough day, sir, but you know better
ones are coming right?"
"I sincerely hope so, Josh. That's why I'm calling. I'm setting
up a conference call with Chairman Farad and Prime Minister Zahavy
and I need you on it."
"Certainly, sir. What do you need from me?"
"I need you to come up with some incentives to get these two men in
the same room, and some strategies for what we do once we get them
there. Now that shouldn't be too hard, should it?"
"No, sir, piece of cake."
"Good man. Our team will pre-conference in 5 hours, then hook up our
satellite conference with Chairman Farad and Prime Minister Zahavy
an hour after that."
"Sir, I've got no support staff here. I'm going to need to hijack
someone over there to help me out."
"Margaret's got you covered. Someone from the base will be
contacting you within the hour to set you up with an assistant. I'm
sorry to do this to you right now, Josh, but I need you on this."
"Of course, sir. Whatever I can do to help, I will. I'm honored
that you'd ask. You do remember that foreign policy hasn't been my
strong suit."
"The only way to get a muscle stronger is to work it Josh."
"Yes, sir. I'll talk to you again in 5 hours Mr. President."
"Good night, Josh." I hang up the phone and think that I have got
to find something stronger than coffee!
First Lieutenant Emily Malfredes is no slouch in the research
department, but she is NO Donna Moss. For one thing, she does not
seem to appreciate my sense of humor or my incredible intellect.
WhenI mentioned this fact to Mom and Donna, they pretended to be
appalled, but I could tell they really weren't; another testament to
my incredible intellect and people skills.
The second problem with First Lieutenant Emily Malfredes is that she
responds to almost any question or comment with "yes, sir" or "no,
sir". Some might imagine that given the history I have had with
Donna as an assistant, (who could kindly be referred to as verbose
and argumentative) would make me very appreciative of a quiet
reserved assistant who only agrees with everything I say and do. They
would be wrong. Don't tell Donna, but one of the things I like best
about working with her, is that her debating skills keep me sharp and
her smack downs keep my ego in check.
Sadly, I could not tell Donna any of that when I stopped to see her
before the conference call. She looked more awake and aware this
morning than she has since I got here, but she was also experiencing
more pain and depression as her recovery schedule was laid out for
her.
I tried to remind her of all we got through together after
Rosslyn and that we would do the same together now, but that just
made her cry harder so I don't think it helped much in the cheering
up department. With no other alternative, I went to the conference
room in the hospital and got on the line with the President while Mom
and Elena were left to deal with the mess I made with Donna.
One of the reasons I have difficulty with foreign policy matters is
that in order to work on them you have to actually deal with
foreigners. It's not the foreigners themselves that bother me,
unless they happen to be Irish, but the fact that they all speak
foreign languages.
See, one of the best skills I have in my repertoire is my verbal
acuity. (760 verbal, baby) This skill does not translate well to other
languages, neither literally nor figuratively. I don't trust
interpreters to competently transpose my very carefully chosen
English words into whatever language they need to be translated into.
When you add more people with more interpreters, as we did today, it
only gets more confusing. Not only couldn't I find the hook to
getting those two leaders to meet together, I couldn't even find the
hook to get them on the same phone line together. So we went back
and forth between the Chairman and the Prime Minister forever.
The result being that I have a huge migraine, a sleep deprived body,
and literally nothing to show for it. I sleepwalk back to Donna's
room and slump in the chair next to her. She doesn't look any better
except that she's stopped crying. She does keep asking me questions
about the Lieutenant like: Does she use note cards? Is her
handwriting legible? Etc. I assure her it is only temporary until my
current assistant quits lollygagging around in Europe and I got a
half smile for my effort.
I reach over to get my cup from her bedside table when I notice an
unusual bouquet. When I ask her who they're from she tells me she
can't tell because the card isn't in English. I pick it up, sure
that her comment is drug induced, but she's right it looks like
Arabic.
My next thought is the bouquet was delivered to the wrong person, but
at the top of the card is Donna's full name and room number. This
sets off all kinds of alarm bells for me. I leave Donna in my
Mother's care and literally run to find a fax. I'll send it to Kate
Harper.
She'll know what it means.
Chapter 5
Flowers, it turns out, have specific meanings besides ‘sorry I fucked
up again’. The ones sent to Donna mean ‘peace’, which alone made
me feel better until Kate translated the note that came with it. One of
the factions of the Palestinian group under Farad wants a meeting
with me at a local restaurant. When I told the President that foreign
policy wasn’t my strong suit, I may have been overstating it a bit.
Have you ever watched a James Bond movie or maybe Mission
Impossible and thought to yourself, ‘it would be so cool to be a spy’? I
have to admit that I have. However, the reality of that job is much
different than the entertainment version. Being told you are going to
have a secret meeting with a member of a terrorist group, excuse me,
freedom fighting group, who is probably carrying a weapon and
certainly knows how to use one while I am armed with a picture taking
cell phone that I have trouble using without help from Donna…Just the
idea of it sends chills down my spine.
Let me be absolutely clear about this: Mom, Donna, and even
Donna's parents who don’t know me that well, all agree it would be a
horrific mistake to send me to this meeting.
So, I’m sitting at the restaurant waiting for…the guy to show and I’ve
already spilled my drink twice, when it hits me; what if the guy doesn’t
speak English? I hit Kate on speed dial, which Donna programmed for
me, and she assures me that whoever they send will be able to speak
with me.
She’s right. He speaks very good English and has very specific ideas
about how to get everyone we need in the room. He speaks
passionately and eloquently about the plight of the Palestinians and I
feel strangely moved by it all. I spend another hour after he leaves
briefing the President and company on the details of the meeting.
They are going to run with it and see if they can get the parties to
meet at Camp David.
When I get back to the hospital, Mom is waiting for me at the entrance.
Her eyes telegraph trouble.
“Josh, Donna was having chest pains and trouble breathing so they
just ran a cat scan and found a pulmonary embolism.” That’s what
killed Dad. I feel like my knees are giving way, but Mom is pulling me
to the elevators. “They’re going to take her into surgery shortly and
she’s asking for you.”
I move quickly and soon I am joining Donna in the O.R. They have
given her a small white board and a marker to communicate since she
has a tube down her throat and can’t talk. She writes: nice hat. A
commentary on the scrub outfit I am wearing.
“Very fashionable, isn’t it? Everything is going to be fine, you know.”
She writes one word: scared. “Don’t be. These are the finest doctors
in Europe. You relax, Donnatella, and I’ll be right here when you wake
up.” The doctor announces they are starting the anesthesia and I hold
her hand in both of mine and watch her blue eyes until they finally
close.
Excessive bleeding, oxygen deprivation in the brain, possible
neurological damage. Anything else? No? Are you sure, because
maybe we could pile on a few more complications here. It’s been 4
hours since Donna’s procedure was completed, four hours since they
told us about the complications and I am crawling out of my skin.
Everyone agrees that the next several hours will tell the tale and the
longer she’s unconscious, the worse it is for Donna.
My phone rings for the third time, and again I forward it to voice mail
without looking at the caller ID. This alarms Elena who has been
dozing on and off in the corner couch while my Mom and Patrick went
to forage for food for everyone.
“Josh, shouldn’t you answer that? What if it’s the President?”
“The President has an entire Government at his disposal and if he
really needs something from me, I’m sure he can manage to leave a
message. I know what my priorities are.”
“How is she doing, Mrs. Moss?” Great, photo boy has arrived.
Apparently he called earlier and got the run down from Elena, but now
he’s live and in person.
“We don’t know yet, Colin, she hasn’t woken up.”
“She’s going to be fine, I’m sure. She’s a strong woman.” He walks
over to her and sits on the opposite side of her bed from me.
This has potential. I am feeling anxious, frustrated, and impatient, and
who should be sitting opposite me, but the perfect target for all my
bottled up emotions.
“So, how much do you make capturing the suffering of others on film?”
Not bad for an opening salvo.
“Not nearly as much as you and your buddies get for causing the
suffering of others.” His eyes meet mine and the battle is on.
“No, see that’s the difference between you and me. I spend my time
trying to eradicate the suffering of others while you take pictures of
the people who are suffering.”
“What the hell are you on about?”
“I’m talking about taking pictures of people bleeding to death while
trapped in burning vehicles. That’s what I’m ‘on about mate’.”
“I already told you. The soldiers wouldn’t let us near the car. Do you
honestly think I wouldn’t have helped if I could?
“Not if it means losing prize winning, cash collecting pictures of the
American delegation being murdered.”
“Josh…”
“They had weapons. Just what would you expect me to do?” he asks
incredulously.
“I would expect you to protect her from guys who want to hurt her. I
would expect you to march past whatever gun wielding soldiers were
between you and her and get her out of the damn car. I would expect
that you’d stay with her when she recovers and when they airlift her to
freaking Germany, that you’d follow her without taking the time to pack
stupid clothes!”
“Josh…”
“Because when you care about someone, when you really love them;
that’s what you do!”
I’ve lost Colin’s attention and see that he’s looking at Donna. That’s
when it hits me that it was her voice calling me during my little nutty
there.
“Josh, what have I told you about shouting?” she asks me, her voice
scratchy from disuse.
“Don’t do it.”
“That’s right, but if you want to repeat that last part in a quieter voice,
that would be okay.” Her eyes are bright with tears and her Mother
grabs my arm as she laughs.
“Told you we Irish have a sense about these things.” Colin smiles and
squeezes her hand. “Be well, Donna Moss. It was a pleasure knowin’
ya.” He nods farewell to Elena and I and leaves.
Donna is struggling to stay awake and talk to me.
“It’s okay, Donnatella. You’re okay. Just rest now.” I pull the blanket
higher to cover her more.
“Love you too.” She rasps out before she succumbs to sleep.
“I know.” And to my surprise, I really do.
Disclaimer: Not mine, nor will they ever be mine
Rating: PG-13 just for language
Category: angst, political intrigue
Feedback: …is always appreciated!
Summary: Starts during "Gaza' then veers sharply into AU
Chapter 1
"If there's someplace you'd rather be, everyone would understand."
Leo tells me.
"I'm okay." I reassure him. I pause a moment, thinking about what
he's really saying and what my priorities are right now. Did I really
just advocate bombing everyone who is happy about the attack on the
CODEL? I need to get to Donna. I need to get there now. "Thanks." I
tell Leo before literally taking off at a run to my office.
Once there, I grab my backpack and shove my lap top inside. Within
60 seconds I am at the front gate getting a cab to the airport. Donna
always keeps my passport and a few essentials in various pockets of
my backpack. Besides, anything else I really need I can get in
Germany. I'm not stopping for clothes, I'm not stopping for a beer,
and I'm certainly not stopping for red lights. This sense of urgency
is so overwhelming that I'm finding it difficult to think about what
I need to do next. That's when my cell phone rings.
"Josh Lyman." Please don't let it be the hospital with bad news…
"Josh, it's Margaret. Leo asked me to book you on the next flight to
Germany. Do you have a pen? You need to write this down." I fumble
in my bag for a pen and something to write on.
"Okay, Margaret. Go Ahead."
"You're on Lufthansa flight 9281. It leaves at 5:49 so that only
gives you 1 hour to get there and get through security. If you don't
make it, call me back and I'll help you rebook."
"I'll make it." I assure her, but I'm having trouble writing down the
information because my hand is shaking.
"It's a 10 hour flight to Saarbruecken, and with the time changes
you'll be arriving at 9:55 AM tomorrow morning. Leo will have a
driver waiting there to take you to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
which is about a ½ hour drive from the airport. Got all that?"
"Yeah, I think so. Thanks Margaret, and thank Leo for me."
"Just take care of Donna and tell her we all send our love."
"Will do." I shut the cell phone and lay my head against the back of
the car seat. It's going to be a very long twelve hours until I see
Donna, and she'd be the first one to tell you that patience isn't my
strong suit.
Under any other circumstances, Josh would have appreciated the
humor in the situation, but at present, it just wasn't in him. Maybe later,
he would remember to tell Donna about this conversation. He knew it
would make her laugh and then she would admonish him on his lack of
people skills.
"Sir, you ARE on the Lufthansa flight #9281?" the agent repeated.
"Yes, here's my ID and Passport."
"Going to Germany?" she talks to me like I'm addle minded.
"That is generally where Lufthansa flies, is it not?" What is wrong
with this woman?
"Then again, sir, where is the luggage you are checking?"
"Again, lady, there IS no checked luggage. Now I've got 15 minutes to
haul ass to the gate. Will you please, for the love of God, print my
boarding pass?"
Her eyes widen and I get the feeling I might have gone too far as she
scurries off and fetches a supervisor. The supervisor comes over with
a placating expression on his face.
"Mr. Lyman? If I could have you step this way, sir?" He is motioning
me towards a security office to the side of the check in counter. I
don't move an inch.
"What is going on? I have to be on my flight in…13 minutes. I don't
have time for this."
"Sir, it's like this. Your purchase and circumstances have triggered
several red flags through security."
"What?!" Unbelievable!
"The last minute, one way purchase of an international ticket with no
checked luggage and a bulky personal item…it sets off red flags."
"Listen….George (I read the name on his employee ID) if I don't get a
boarding pass and get onto my flight in the next 5 minutes you aren't
going to believe the red flags, let alone the red tape you're going
to spend the rest of what you will laughingly call a career dealing
with."
George seriously takes a step back. I stick my White House ID in his
face.
"I am the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of the United States
and have the diplomatic ranking of a 3 star General. I am rushing to
get to the regional medical center in Landstuhl where a chief member
of our administration is in critical condition from the bombing in
Gaza. Now get me the damn boarding pass or so help me God the
nextvoice you hear will be the President of the United States asking
which bus terminal in Des Moines you'd like to punch tickets at." I
pull out my cell phone and start dialing. I don't know what number I
am dialing, but then neither does George.
He doesn't even take 5 seconds to process my threat before he is
printing out my boarding pass. Simultaneously, he calls one of his
golf cart drivers over and instructs him to get me to my gate
immediately.
He hands me my boarding pass and my multiple ID's and I smile to
show him how reasonable I can be.
"Thanks, George." I call before my driver goes from 0 to 60 to get me
to my gate.
Sitting in my seat in business class, I down my second drink in as
many hours. Yes, Donna, I know. I have a delicate system. However, I
also have another 8 hours on this plane, and maybe the alcohol will
help me sleep for awhile. Right now, whenever I close my eyes all I
can see is the television footage of the explosion. I have hardly
given a thought to the Congressmen or the Admiral who were in that
car with Donna and died. It's more than I can take in. All my energy
is focused on one thing…getting to Donna.
Chapter 2
She looks so pale. I have been staring at her face for over an hour,
struggling to find some sign that she is waking up. I see the cuts on
her alabaster skin and my encompassing thought is: I sent her to
Gaza.
Now people will tell you that I have an overdeveloped sense of guilt
and maybe they're right in some cases, but I know that in this case
the guilt is deserved. Donna would never have been in Gaza if not for
me.
I pass the time leaving medical updates for Donna's parents on their
cell phones while they are traveling here from Wisconsin, and
touching base with CJ and Toby about handling Congressional
reactions to the bombing. I talked to Leo once, but he was short and
distant so I've decided to keep in touch through Toby and CJ. I know
that letting me go to Germany created a hardship for Leo and still he
bought my ticket and had Margaret smooth the way for me. Is it any
wonder I regard that man as my second Father?
If you'd asked me yesterday where I wanted to be during a National
crisis like the one we're now facing right now, I would have said the
Oval office without hesitation. Without further inflating my ego, I
must say that I have skills; valuable skills that the President
relies on during debate on almost any serious issue; I haven't spoken
to him once since the story of the bombing first broke. I don't even
feel compelled to talk to him. My priorities have drastically changed
and as I sit here with only the sound of medical equipment beeping I
am forced to question when my priorities changed so drastically and
why.
Then Donna's eyes open and I have an epiphany. She is why.
"Hey."
"What happened to you?" she asks me through squinting eyes.
"To me?" I laugh at her question.
"You need a shave."
"My razor battery is dead and I don't have a converter."
"Where am I?" she is so groggy.
"We're in Germany."
"It doesn't look like Germany."
"Well you know how you're always asking me to take you on foreign
trips? I need you to get up and make me some note cards"¨ I joke.
"You need to shave." She tells me again and looks oddly at the nurse
who comes in to draw blood. "Doesn't he need a shave?"
"Couldn't hurt." The nurse smiles at me. "She's going to be a little
out of it for awhile."
Donna turns back to me. "She doesn't sound German. Are you sure
you know where we are?" she whispers.
"I'm sure. I even have the boarding pass and passport stamp to prove
it."
"My mouth is dry."¨ She complains.
"Here, take a sip of this." I bring her a cup of water with a straw
so she can take a sip. Swallowing appears to be painful to her. God,
what have I done?
The nurse starts to draw blood and my stomach rolls. I excuse myself
from the room until she is done and when I go back in Donna is
sleeping. I sit next to her and hold her hand, willing her to heal.
When my cell phone rings later, it wakes me up. My head is resting on
the mattress by Donna's shoulder and I have to literally shake myself
awake.
"Josh Lyman."
"You sound like hell, mi amore. How's our patient doing?"
"She's resting right now. She woke up for awhile and talked a bit,
but she's pretty loopy from the drugs. What's happening there?"
"We're getting pretty intense pressure from Congress and the media
tolaunch some kind of retaliatory strike. The President and Leo can't
seem to agree on a course of action, and things are getting pretty
heated in there."
"The President and Leo don't have to agree on a course of action.
The President is the one who needs to call the shots, and let me tell
you, I don't care what those pantywaist Congressmen are saying, our
European allies are applauding the President's restraint in that very
volatile region."
"That's great, Joshua. I'll just let our friends in the press know
that our European allies approve, so Americans should just sit down
and shut up."
"Well that doesn't sound too good to me, CJ, but you're the press
secretary so if you think that's best.."
"Joshua!"
"Here's what you do: you leak the force depletion report. Thinking
about dead American soldiers might get them past this Rambo mood
they're all in. Hit them on proceeding cautiously and with a measured
response. Make sure the President is seen as the cool, calm head
prevailing over the pandemonium in the Middle East and, you know, in
Congress."
"The force depletion report; got it. That might work. You might want
to check in with Leo, though. I don't think I've ever seen him wound
so tight."
"He's my next call then. CJ, keep your head in the game. There's
going to be a lot fired at you over the next few days."
"I hear you. Later, Josh." She hangs up on me and I dial Leo, when
I'm interrupted by a man carrying flowers.
"Excuse me. Is this Donna Moss' room?" Dumbfounded, I simply nod
my head and watch as he goes in to see Donna. He lays the flowers
on her bed and kisses her; right on the mouth! Now she's smiling at
him and they're holding hands. What the hell? I let her out of my sight
for a week and this is what happens. Oh, and did I mention he's Irish?
What's that noise?"
"Hello...hello! Josh are you there?" Oh, it's Leo on the phone.
"Hey boss, what's up?"
"You called me, Josh." He replies tersely.
"Yeah, Donna woke up and talked to me a bit."
"That's great, Josh. What are you hearing over there?"
"There's a lot of support for us right now, but then we haven't
really done anything but be victims at this point."
"That's got to change. Josh the President isn't listening to me on
this and I don't know how to get him to move militarily. Congress is
drafting a resolution insisting the President take military action.
If the resolution passes before he makes a move, it'll be game over."
"Wait a minute, Leo. I already suggested that CJ leak the force
depletion report. That should slow Congress down a bit. But I think
the President is right, Leo. It makes much more sense to find a
diplomatic solution now that we have world opinion on our side."
"This is exactly why you're a domestic advisor, not a foreign policy
advisor. You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Leo
snaps at me, and I don't know how to respond to his attack.
"Leo I know the pressure cooker you're sitting in right now has got
to have everybody on edge. The President has always valued your
opinion, particularly in military matters. Find out what his
reservations are. Maybe you can talk him through...Look, if you need
me back there..." I make the offer half-heartedly and Leo must have
read the reluctance in my voice.
"You're where you need to be, Josh. Take care of Donna. We can call
you if we need you. I've got to go."
"Bye Leo, good luck." I hang up the phone and peek back into
Donna'sroom where she has fallen asleep again. I walk over to the
Irishman
and establish my territory.
"So how do you know Donna?"
"We met in Gaza. I'm doing freelance photography there and she
asked me to show her around the city. Name's Colin Ayres." He holds
out his hand and I reluctantly take it.
"Josh Lyman." I tell him and his eyebrows rise. Good, this whiskey
drinking cretin knows who I am.
"Donna's boss, sure. She was always about sending you emails."
"Sure is a long way for you to come from Gaza to Germany."
"Not nearly as far as it is to come from D.C. Look, she never said
anything about..anything. If this is a problem...¨
"No, no problem." Not anything that can't be easily eliminated
anyway. I have friends in the secret service.
At that moment, Elena Moss rushes into the room, her husband Patrick
only a few steps behind. When she sees her daughter, she bursts into
tears and turns into her husbands arms. Patrick sees me first.
"Josh. Thanks for getting here so quickly and getting us the constant
updates.¡¨ He reaches out to shake my hand and I take it, but I can't
quite meet his eyes. He knows I'm the one who sent Donna here.
Elena looks up and whatever she sees in my face compels her to take
me in her arms and hug me. Tears gather in my eyes and I try to hold
it together in front of the photographer. When Elena notices him, she
pulls back and looks from me to him and back to me again.
"This is Colin Ayres, a friend of Donna's from Gaza. Elena and
Patrick Moss, Donna's parents."
"You must be a pretty good friend to fly all the way from Gaza."
Elena notes and I wait for his reply.
"I was there when...when it happened. I travel a lot with work and
wanted to make sure she was alright." He paused as all three of us
took that information in. "I'm going to go check in at my hotel and
get cleaned up. I'd like to stop back later to see her if that's
alright with you?"
Elena looks at me again, and I shrug like it doesn't mean anything to
me.
"I'm sure Donna would appreciate that, Mr. Ayres. We'll look forward
to seeing you later." After Ayres leaves, Patrick and Elena sit on
either side of Donna.
"Cleaning up at a hotel sounds like a good idea. I need to pick up
some clothes, too."
"Did the damn airlines lose your luggage?" Patrick asks,
"No, not this time. I left without it."
"You left for Germany without luggage? What were you thinking Josh?"
Elena looks at me puzzled.
"I was thinking I had one hour to get to the plane and if I missed it
I would have to wait another 4 hours to catch the next one."
Patrick and Elena exchange looks. What?
"Anyway, I'm going to clean up and get some clothes now that you're
here."
"A nap wouldn't be out of order either Josh. We'll stay with her
until you get back"¨ I nod, but I don't mean it. There is no way I'm
going to be napping while Mr. Photojournalist bonds with the Moss
clan. End of story.
Chapter 3
Donna's POV
I am never going of make fun of Josh's sensitive system again. This
must be what he feels like on a morning after. I am nauseous,
disoriented, my body aches, and my head feels like it's going to
explode. Maybe he can help me with this.
"Josh..." I whisper without opening my eyes.
"He went to shower and change, honey. Dad and I are here." At the
sound of my Mother's voice, my eyes fly open. Big mistake. The room
spins for a moment before my parents' faces come into focus.
"You're here? You came to Germany?" My parents hate to travel. My
Mom in particular hates to fly. She keeps talking about how planes
are way too heavy to be suspended in mid-air. If she can't drive to
her destination, she doesn't go to her destination.
"Of course we're here, baby. We're so glad to see you awake and
hear your voice. Josh told us you'd been talking to him earlier, but it's
good to hear it for myself." Dad told me.
"Josh left? Good, he needs a shower and a shave.¨ I close my eyes as
the nausea creeps up on my again.
"Well he'll need to buy a shaver. Did you know the man left D.C.
without any luggage?¨ Mom asks me. It takes a minute for that
information to process through my drugged brain. He not only didn't
stop for a beer, he didn't stop for clothes or any other luggage.
The warm feeling in my chest has nothing to do with the morphine I
just pumped into my body.
"While we are on the subject of men traveling across the globe for
you, would you like to tell us who this Colin Ayres is?¨ Dad asks
me, only half joking.
Colin...I thought I dreamt that he came to the hospital, but when I
look over at the bedside table, I see the flowers he brought me in a
vase. Colin came to Germany. Colin came to Germany right after Josh.
Josh met Colin. Oh, I can just imagine that conversation. Now I will
have to endure endless comments about finding gomers on other
continents.
"He's a friend. He showed me around Gaza.¨ I keep the answer simple
and I look down at my blanket as I answer, but I'm guessing none of
this fools my Mother.
"I'll bet he did.¨ Mom responds; nope didn't fool her for a
second. "Can I get you anything, Donna? Maybe some soup or some
water?¨
"I really don't think I could keep anything down right now. Thanks.
How long can you stay?¨
"Your Dad has to go back tomorrow night, but I'm here until you're
ready to go home.¨
"Are we taking a boat back?¨ I tease her.
"I hadn't thought about it, but now that you bring it up..¨ We all
share a laugh over Mom's fear of flying.
"Now that's what I like to see; the Moss family smiling and
laughing. I don't even care if you're laughing at me this time,
Donnatella.¨ It's Josh. He must have bought a new shaver because his
face is smooth. He's dressed in casual clothes, which I don't get to
see very often, but I like just fine. His eyes still look tired, but
they're crinkled at the corners adding to his dimpled smile.
"I see that you're awake, but are you lucid?¨
"Lucid enough to know you should be at the White House.¨ I look him
straight in the eye so he knows that I know what he's sacrificed to
be here.
"I got my Mom to write a note to the President for me. No one messes
with Ruth Lyman. She sends her love, by the way. I tried to call her
from the hotel to tell her you were awake, but I couldn't get an
answer.¨
"That's probably because she's on her way here.¨ I look over in
surprise at my Mom's statement. Josh looks shocked too.
"When I told her Patrick could only stay a short time, she said I
shouldn't be alone in a strange country and told me she would be
here as soon as she could arrange things. Unlike her son, she
prefers to pack luggage for overseas trips.¨
Colin knocks as he enters a moment later, and he too has cleaned up.
Now, the fun can start. I look up at Josh just waiting for the
obnoxious comments to come flying out, but to my surprise he only
addresses my parents.
"Patrick, Elena, why don't we head down to the cafeteria and grab
some dinner. Most of the food sucks, but I've scoped it out and can
show you what to stay away from.¨ My parents hesitate before
accepting his offer. "Can I bring anything back for you?¨ he asks
me, but I shake my head no. "Okay, then, we'll be back in about an
hour. I have my cell on if you change your mind.¨ Then he leans over
and looking pointedly towards Colin, kisses me on the forehead,
"Ms. Moss, I think there are a few things we need to discuss.¨ Colin
says once we are alone in my room. I fix a confused look on my face
which isn't too hard given my current medical condition. "I'm a
little uncomfortable having the White House Deputy Chief of Staff
staring daggers at me. Care to explain why that is?¨
"He's just protective of the people who work for him.¨ I hit the
morphine button again, but I don't think I got anything from it.
"Donna, the world reaction to the bombing has been extraordinary. I
can't begin to imagine what is happening at the White House, but I
would guess they're hurting without their Deputy Chief of Staff. A
man in his position in Government doesn't fly half way round the
world for an assistant while the President is formulating a response
to a violent attack on his people.¨
"We're close friends, too.¨ He gives me a disbelieving look. "I
swear Colin, there's never been anything else between us.¨
"Because that's the way you want it, or because your puritanical
American workplace ethics forbid it?¨ He's smirking at me now,
daring me to deny I have feelings for Josh.
"It has never been more than friendship, and I can't imagine
anything changing that in the future.¨ I sidestep the question. I
haven't hung out with CJ for all these years without learning some
great avoidance techniques.
"Well, I don't guess you'll have to imagine much of anything much
longer.¨ He laughs at my expression. "We Irish have a sense about
these matters of the heart, which is why I'll be taking my leave of
you tomorrow. I just wanted to be sure you were going to live to
tell great tales about me to your children some day.¨
"Why is it the men in my life all have tremendous egos?¨ My words
start to slur as exhaustion takes over.
"Is it all right if I pop in to say goodbye tomorrow, then?¨
"Of course. I'm really glad you came, Colin. I'm really glad we
met.¨ I can't keep my eyes open any longer and fall asleep as I feel
him squeeze my hand.
Josh's POV
I'm not sure what to expect when I get back to Donna's room, but I
find Colin sitting next to Donna's bed watching the news as she
sleeps with her hand in his. My stomach does one quick flip before I
take a breath and blow it out. I'd stand with my back against the
wall, but not in front of the Irish dog.
"Looks like your boy is having a bit of trouble.¨ He tells me
without looking away from the TV.
"My boy?¨ Arrogant Irish ass.
"Bartlet. Haffley is ready to set the building on fire if Bartlet
doesn't retaliate soon.¨
"It's President Bartlet, and he hasn't been a boy for about 50
years. Haffley is a blow hard who's just riding public opinion. Once
the President turns that around, Haffley will be back on the band
wagon humming Hail to the Chief.¨
"How can you, of all people, advocate a peaceful solution to this?
How can you look at Donna and not want to carpet bomb the Middle
East?¨
"Oh believe me, I do. In fact I advocated just that position to the
Chief of Staff before I came here. But besides making me feel better
for a few minutes, what does that really solve? We need a permanent
solution, and President Bartlet is the one to get it.¨
"It's not that simple, man.¨
"No, the most important things never are.¨ I can't help but glance
over at Donna."They targeted us on purpose. They want us as players
in this fight because it gives credibility to them. We need to stay
above the fray in this.¨
"How are you managing to stay here during this crisis?¨
"I have a secure phone. There's not much I can't do from here.¨
"Still, they're going to need you in the room eventually, no?¨
"Eventually..Are you heading back to Gaza? Or do you have a new
assignment tracking Anjolina Jolie across the continent now?¨
"I'm a photojournalist not paparazzi, and I am heading back to Gaza,
after a short stop over in London.¨ He too, looked over at Donna,
then got up and walked over to me. There's something I'd like to
discuss with you.¨
Oh, this should be good. If he asks me about keeping in touch with
Donna, I'll tell him that's what Hallmark is for.
"I have something I want you to hold onto for Donna.¨ He hands me a
computer disc. "They're pictures from Gaza. This is the only copy
that exists. I've deleted them from my hard drive.¨ He looks at me
very seriously and I feel like I'm missing the significance of the
pictures. "Maybe after you take a look at them, you'll reconsider
the bombing option.¨
Now it hits me. They're pictures from the bombing. My hand starts to
shake.
"You bastard. You stood and took pictures while she was in that car
bleeding?¨
"They wouldn't let me near the vehicle. There was nothing I could do
to help her. I took the pictures because there was nothing else I
could do. I didn't know if I should give them to Donna.¨
"Hell no, you shouldn't give them to Donna. Are you nuts?¨ I am sure
my face must be a shade of purple right now. "She doesn't need to be
reminded of this while she's trying to recover. She doesn't ever need
to see these!¨ My shouting starts to rouse Donna so I lower my
voice. "Take this damn thing away from me; burn it, break it, I
don't care.¨ I shove the disc back towards him but he refuses to
take it.
"Are you sure about that Josh? This is her story. Her entire trip to
Gaza. I agree that now isn't the time, but you can guarantee that
someday she might not want to see these? Maybe after your boy
establishes peace in the Middle East she'll want to remember what
got us all there?¨
Donna's parents enter the room and react to the tension in the room.
"Everything alright, boys?¨ Patrick asks.
"Fine. I was just leaving. I'll see you all tomorrow.¨ Calls Danny
Boy as he grabs his coat and leaves for the night.
"Josh?¨ Elena touches my arm.
"I'm going to go out and get some air. I'll be back in a bit.¨
"Why don't you go back to your room and get some sleep? You look
exhausted.¨ Elena suggests to me.
"I just need some air.¨ I walk out quickly before they can ask any
questions, but take the long way around so as not to run into Ayres
on his way out. I am almost out the door when my cell phone rings.
Checking the caller ID I see that it's Toby.
"Hey.¨
"Hey, how's Donna?¨
"A little more with it tonight. She's in a lot of pain though.¨ I
can't help finger the disc in my hand as I say it. "She's in a lot
of pain.¨
"Josh, this is not your fault. Don't even go there.¨
"Right. I only sent her there. How's Andi doing?¨
"Shook up, but home safe and sound with the twins. Listen, I know
your mind is on other things there, but I need your help with Cole.
He's making lots of noise with the press and telling anyone with a
microphone we need regime change for the Palestinians.¨
"He may be right.¨
"That's not the point. While he's talking about ousting Farad, we're
talking to Farad about partnering with us in our investigation of
the bombing. As Cole gets louder and gets more support our
credibility with Farad and the Palestinians gets weaker and weaker.¨
"What are they discussing as options right now?¨
"Leo and the joint chiefs want to take out several military targets
and are even making a case for attacking Iran on a preemptive strike
philosophy.¨
"I guess that's not surprising considering Fitzwallace was a victim.
How's the President reacting?¨
"He's got them all on a choke chain right now, but I'm telling you
Josh, he and Leo are clashing over every inch of this right in front
of us. The President took a meeting with the Israeli Ambassador
earlier and excluded Leo from the whole thing; sent him down to the
sit room while he and Kate Harper went at it.¨
"Okay. I'll take care of Cole. Listen, the President can take
retaliatory action against the specific perpetrators of the bombing
if the FBI can get credible evidence against them, but Iran? Are you
kidding me? Make sure the President knows he can get Stackhouse
and Skinner on spin for whatever he needs. They're both hawks and
the right will take them seriously enough that it might help sway public
opinion.¨
"Did you see CJ's brief? The force depletion leak helped, but she
still got hammered pretty good.¨
"I saw it. She's going to have to suffer through it until the
President makes a call on our next move. Just keep it up with
the 'reasoned and measured' response and it will start to get
traction.¨
"Says the guy who wanted to kill everyone who did it and everyone
who was happy about it.¨
"I've got a few others I'd like to add to the list.¨
"Huh?¨
"There were these ticket agents at the airport, and then this
photographer friend of Donna's who flew here from Gaza...¨ I start to
feel my blood pressure rise just thinking about Ayres and his
pictures; then it hits me. "Hey Toby, do me a favor, will you? Have
Bonnie research this guy. His name is Colin Ayres.¨
"What do you want to know?¨
"Everything. I think it's weird he flew here from Gaza when he's
only known Donna a week.¨
"Maybe you just underestimate Donna's appeal.¨
"No, I don't think so. Just check him out will you? My regular
researcher is pretty high on morphine right now.¨
"Sure. Tell her we're all thinking about her.¨
"Yeah, bye."¨ I flip my phone closed and sit on the short wall
outside the main doors to the hospital. My chin is on my chest as I
try to breathe slowly to bring my blood pressure back down, which is
probably why I didn't see her before I heard her.
"Are you the famous Joshua Lyman from the White House?¨ My
Mother's attempt at humor makes me smile.
"No, I'm just some shmuck looking for a handout from gullible
American women. Hi, Mom.¨ I give her a hug. I hold on a little too
long and a little too tight and she looks into my face.
"You need sleep, child. You don't look to surprised to see me, so
I'm guessing Elena gave me away.¨
"Yeah, about that. Why didn't you tell me, your son, that you were
planning to come?¨
"Because you would have only said not to come and then we would
have fought about it before I came. This way we avoid the fight and I
get to be here where my son needs me.¨
"Not that I don't love to see you, but I don't need you, Mom. Donna
was the one who was critically injured.¨
"You don't need me? Then why are you not getting any sleep? What
have you been eating? Doesn't need me, he says. Besides Donna's
Mother needs me. She can't stay here all alone once Patrick leaves.¨
"What am I chopped liver?¨
"Joshua. We both know you won't be able to stay much longer. Pretty
soon, your phone will ring and they'll need you to go back. Frankly,
I'm surprised Leo let you come at all.¨
"I think he knew I'd do him no good until I could see Donna for
myself.¨
"Well, he might have been right for once.¨ She teases me and it gets
her the desired response; I smile.
"I was so scared, Mom. I don't ever remember being that scared.¨
"I know Joshua, I know. Now let's go up and see your girl.¨
"She's not my girl, Mom.¨
"Is that so?¨
"She has some Irish bastard photographer with her. Followed her all
the way from Gaza.¨
"Well you can take care of that easily enough I'm sure. I wonder if
the bastard remembered to take any luggage when he came?¨
"Very funny, Mom, very funny.¨
She takes my arm in hers and we walk back to Donna's room. There is
great delight all around as the Moss family sees my Mother has
arrived. Donna wakes for awhile and happily soaks up my Mother's
fussing.
It shouldn't surprise me anymore that my Mom can still make
everything better for me. She just sweeps in and dispenses whatever
it is that I most need at the moment and sweeps back out. Okay,
there's a little guilt dispensed with the love and affection, but
it's mostly teasing...except for the part about the grandchildren. I
know for certain she's very serious about the grandchildren. I also
know for certain that I'm very glad she's here.
Chapter 4
"Josh Lyman." I croak into the phone while squinting at the hotel
clock trying to read the numbers. 4:18 AM. I'm not even really awake.
I am sleep talking.
"Please hold for the President of the United States." Okay, now
I'm awake.
"Josh, how is Donna doing?"
"She was a little better tonight, sir, but she's still pretty out
of it. May I ask, sir, how are you doing?"
"I've had better days in this office, Josh, that's for sure. Kate
Harper and I went to see Mrs. Fitzwallace and Congress would like me
to throw a dart at the map and bomb wherever it lands."
"That does sound like a pretty tough day, sir, but you know better
ones are coming right?"
"I sincerely hope so, Josh. That's why I'm calling. I'm setting
up a conference call with Chairman Farad and Prime Minister Zahavy
and I need you on it."
"Certainly, sir. What do you need from me?"
"I need you to come up with some incentives to get these two men in
the same room, and some strategies for what we do once we get them
there. Now that shouldn't be too hard, should it?"
"No, sir, piece of cake."
"Good man. Our team will pre-conference in 5 hours, then hook up our
satellite conference with Chairman Farad and Prime Minister Zahavy
an hour after that."
"Sir, I've got no support staff here. I'm going to need to hijack
someone over there to help me out."
"Margaret's got you covered. Someone from the base will be
contacting you within the hour to set you up with an assistant. I'm
sorry to do this to you right now, Josh, but I need you on this."
"Of course, sir. Whatever I can do to help, I will. I'm honored
that you'd ask. You do remember that foreign policy hasn't been my
strong suit."
"The only way to get a muscle stronger is to work it Josh."
"Yes, sir. I'll talk to you again in 5 hours Mr. President."
"Good night, Josh." I hang up the phone and think that I have got
to find something stronger than coffee!
First Lieutenant Emily Malfredes is no slouch in the research
department, but she is NO Donna Moss. For one thing, she does not
seem to appreciate my sense of humor or my incredible intellect.
WhenI mentioned this fact to Mom and Donna, they pretended to be
appalled, but I could tell they really weren't; another testament to
my incredible intellect and people skills.
The second problem with First Lieutenant Emily Malfredes is that she
responds to almost any question or comment with "yes, sir" or "no,
sir". Some might imagine that given the history I have had with
Donna as an assistant, (who could kindly be referred to as verbose
and argumentative) would make me very appreciative of a quiet
reserved assistant who only agrees with everything I say and do. They
would be wrong. Don't tell Donna, but one of the things I like best
about working with her, is that her debating skills keep me sharp and
her smack downs keep my ego in check.
Sadly, I could not tell Donna any of that when I stopped to see her
before the conference call. She looked more awake and aware this
morning than she has since I got here, but she was also experiencing
more pain and depression as her recovery schedule was laid out for
her.
I tried to remind her of all we got through together after
Rosslyn and that we would do the same together now, but that just
made her cry harder so I don't think it helped much in the cheering
up department. With no other alternative, I went to the conference
room in the hospital and got on the line with the President while Mom
and Elena were left to deal with the mess I made with Donna.
One of the reasons I have difficulty with foreign policy matters is
that in order to work on them you have to actually deal with
foreigners. It's not the foreigners themselves that bother me,
unless they happen to be Irish, but the fact that they all speak
foreign languages.
See, one of the best skills I have in my repertoire is my verbal
acuity. (760 verbal, baby) This skill does not translate well to other
languages, neither literally nor figuratively. I don't trust
interpreters to competently transpose my very carefully chosen
English words into whatever language they need to be translated into.
When you add more people with more interpreters, as we did today, it
only gets more confusing. Not only couldn't I find the hook to
getting those two leaders to meet together, I couldn't even find the
hook to get them on the same phone line together. So we went back
and forth between the Chairman and the Prime Minister forever.
The result being that I have a huge migraine, a sleep deprived body,
and literally nothing to show for it. I sleepwalk back to Donna's
room and slump in the chair next to her. She doesn't look any better
except that she's stopped crying. She does keep asking me questions
about the Lieutenant like: Does she use note cards? Is her
handwriting legible? Etc. I assure her it is only temporary until my
current assistant quits lollygagging around in Europe and I got a
half smile for my effort.
I reach over to get my cup from her bedside table when I notice an
unusual bouquet. When I ask her who they're from she tells me she
can't tell because the card isn't in English. I pick it up, sure
that her comment is drug induced, but she's right it looks like
Arabic.
My next thought is the bouquet was delivered to the wrong person, but
at the top of the card is Donna's full name and room number. This
sets off all kinds of alarm bells for me. I leave Donna in my
Mother's care and literally run to find a fax. I'll send it to Kate
Harper.
She'll know what it means.
Chapter 5
Flowers, it turns out, have specific meanings besides ‘sorry I fucked
up again’. The ones sent to Donna mean ‘peace’, which alone made
me feel better until Kate translated the note that came with it. One of
the factions of the Palestinian group under Farad wants a meeting
with me at a local restaurant. When I told the President that foreign
policy wasn’t my strong suit, I may have been overstating it a bit.
Have you ever watched a James Bond movie or maybe Mission
Impossible and thought to yourself, ‘it would be so cool to be a spy’? I
have to admit that I have. However, the reality of that job is much
different than the entertainment version. Being told you are going to
have a secret meeting with a member of a terrorist group, excuse me,
freedom fighting group, who is probably carrying a weapon and
certainly knows how to use one while I am armed with a picture taking
cell phone that I have trouble using without help from Donna…Just the
idea of it sends chills down my spine.
Let me be absolutely clear about this: Mom, Donna, and even
Donna's parents who don’t know me that well, all agree it would be a
horrific mistake to send me to this meeting.
So, I’m sitting at the restaurant waiting for…the guy to show and I’ve
already spilled my drink twice, when it hits me; what if the guy doesn’t
speak English? I hit Kate on speed dial, which Donna programmed for
me, and she assures me that whoever they send will be able to speak
with me.
She’s right. He speaks very good English and has very specific ideas
about how to get everyone we need in the room. He speaks
passionately and eloquently about the plight of the Palestinians and I
feel strangely moved by it all. I spend another hour after he leaves
briefing the President and company on the details of the meeting.
They are going to run with it and see if they can get the parties to
meet at Camp David.
When I get back to the hospital, Mom is waiting for me at the entrance.
Her eyes telegraph trouble.
“Josh, Donna was having chest pains and trouble breathing so they
just ran a cat scan and found a pulmonary embolism.” That’s what
killed Dad. I feel like my knees are giving way, but Mom is pulling me
to the elevators. “They’re going to take her into surgery shortly and
she’s asking for you.”
I move quickly and soon I am joining Donna in the O.R. They have
given her a small white board and a marker to communicate since she
has a tube down her throat and can’t talk. She writes: nice hat. A
commentary on the scrub outfit I am wearing.
“Very fashionable, isn’t it? Everything is going to be fine, you know.”
She writes one word: scared. “Don’t be. These are the finest doctors
in Europe. You relax, Donnatella, and I’ll be right here when you wake
up.” The doctor announces they are starting the anesthesia and I hold
her hand in both of mine and watch her blue eyes until they finally
close.
Excessive bleeding, oxygen deprivation in the brain, possible
neurological damage. Anything else? No? Are you sure, because
maybe we could pile on a few more complications here. It’s been 4
hours since Donna’s procedure was completed, four hours since they
told us about the complications and I am crawling out of my skin.
Everyone agrees that the next several hours will tell the tale and the
longer she’s unconscious, the worse it is for Donna.
My phone rings for the third time, and again I forward it to voice mail
without looking at the caller ID. This alarms Elena who has been
dozing on and off in the corner couch while my Mom and Patrick went
to forage for food for everyone.
“Josh, shouldn’t you answer that? What if it’s the President?”
“The President has an entire Government at his disposal and if he
really needs something from me, I’m sure he can manage to leave a
message. I know what my priorities are.”
“How is she doing, Mrs. Moss?” Great, photo boy has arrived.
Apparently he called earlier and got the run down from Elena, but now
he’s live and in person.
“We don’t know yet, Colin, she hasn’t woken up.”
“She’s going to be fine, I’m sure. She’s a strong woman.” He walks
over to her and sits on the opposite side of her bed from me.
This has potential. I am feeling anxious, frustrated, and impatient, and
who should be sitting opposite me, but the perfect target for all my
bottled up emotions.
“So, how much do you make capturing the suffering of others on film?”
Not bad for an opening salvo.
“Not nearly as much as you and your buddies get for causing the
suffering of others.” His eyes meet mine and the battle is on.
“No, see that’s the difference between you and me. I spend my time
trying to eradicate the suffering of others while you take pictures of
the people who are suffering.”
“What the hell are you on about?”
“I’m talking about taking pictures of people bleeding to death while
trapped in burning vehicles. That’s what I’m ‘on about mate’.”
“I already told you. The soldiers wouldn’t let us near the car. Do you
honestly think I wouldn’t have helped if I could?
“Not if it means losing prize winning, cash collecting pictures of the
American delegation being murdered.”
“Josh…”
“They had weapons. Just what would you expect me to do?” he asks
incredulously.
“I would expect you to protect her from guys who want to hurt her. I
would expect you to march past whatever gun wielding soldiers were
between you and her and get her out of the damn car. I would expect
that you’d stay with her when she recovers and when they airlift her to
freaking Germany, that you’d follow her without taking the time to pack
stupid clothes!”
“Josh…”
“Because when you care about someone, when you really love them;
that’s what you do!”
I’ve lost Colin’s attention and see that he’s looking at Donna. That’s
when it hits me that it was her voice calling me during my little nutty
there.
“Josh, what have I told you about shouting?” she asks me, her voice
scratchy from disuse.
“Don’t do it.”
“That’s right, but if you want to repeat that last part in a quieter voice,
that would be okay.” Her eyes are bright with tears and her Mother
grabs my arm as she laughs.
“Told you we Irish have a sense about these things.” Colin smiles and
squeezes her hand. “Be well, Donna Moss. It was a pleasure knowin’
ya.” He nods farewell to Elena and I and leaves.
Donna is struggling to stay awake and talk to me.
“It’s okay, Donnatella. You’re okay. Just rest now.” I pull the blanket
higher to cover her more.
“Love you too.” She rasps out before she succumbs to sleep.
“I know.” And to my surprise, I really do.
Priorities
chapters 1-5
Priorities
chapters 6-10
Priorities chapters
11-15
Priorities
chapters 16-20
Priorities
chapters 21-25
Priorities
chapters 26-30
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