Title: Tears in My Eyes
Author: Cathy Miller
Timeline: Bartlet Administration
Disclaimer: In the theme of this story, I am protesting the selfish behavior of NBC
in their sole ownership of these characters. West Wing and its characters should
belong to the people! “Who’s characters?” “Our Characters!” “When do we want
them?” “NOW!”
“Josh!”
“Donna, what are you doing here?”
“I came to bring you back to the White House. Leo needs you on a conference
call.”
“Why didn’t you just call my cell?”
“You didn’t answer your cell.” Donna explained and started tugging on his arm.
“What the-“ Josh checked his jacket pocket and came up empty. “Hey, my cell
phone is gone. HEY! My wallet is gone too. I’ve been pick pocketed, Donna!”
“In a crowd full of unemployed, anarchist protestors. What were the odds?”
Donna drawled. “Let’s get you back to the White House and then we’ll fill out a
theft report.”
“My…all my stuff is gone!” Josh continued to complain while Donna nodded and
‘uh-huhed’ at the appropriate times.
“I mean it Donna. These law breaking hellions shouldn’t be given the same first
amendment rights that the rest of us have.”
“Right.”
“They’re blocking traffic, being disrespectful to police officers, and STEALING
MY WALLET.” Josh shouted.
“There, there…we’ll take care of everything when we get back to the office.”
“How am I going to get into the White House? I’ve lost my hard pass. I’ve got no
ID. Damn, fucking protesters.”
“JOSHUA!” Donna stopped and forced him to stop as well. “Get it together. We’ll
get you into the White House. Look around you. Most of the people here are
protesting peacefully and they’ve taken time out of their day to come down and
try to change something they feel passionately about.”
“And steal my wallet.” Josh muttered but Donna pretended to ignore him and
started walking again.
All of a sudden, out of the blue, 30 vans and SUV’s pull into the street next to
them and police in riot gear start jumping out of them and running up the block.
“What the hell?” Josh asked.
“I don’t know, but I don’t think I want to find out either. Let’s go.” Donna
suggested just as more troops, this time national guardsmen and women lined
the end of the street.
“What are they responding to? I don’t see anything. Do you?” Josh asked.
“I really don’t. Let’s go.”
“Wait a second. I want to see what’s going on.”
“You want to follow the riot police? Are you nuts?” Donna was astounded.
“I just want to see what the hell would require THAT kind of response.” Josh
indicated the riot squads moving quickly down the street and followed along at a
slow jog.
“Joshua!” Donna yelled after him and then abruptly ran after him. She could see
the riot police fanning out along the street corner that led to a bridge. There
were orders being shouted and, thank God, Josh had slowed to a stop to watch.
“Do you see anything?” He asked her.
“Nothing but very well armed law enforcement officers.” Donna drawled and as
she spoke an entire National Guard brigade marched up in front of them and
joined ranks with the riot police. “Can we please leave now?”
“What the hell are they responding to? Doesn’t this strike you as a LITTLE over
the top?” Josh demanded.
“You know, it does. We should look into it as soon as we get back to the White
House.” Donna suggested and pulled on Josh’s arm.
“They’re approaching the bridge! Masks!” One of the Officers shouted.
“Who’s approaching the bridge?” Josh asked. “The teenagers singing ‘We Shall
Overcome’? Seriously? That’s who they’re armed for Armageddon against?”
“Josh, please…” Donna pulled on his arm again and got him a couple steps
away before he pulled her to a stop.
“Let me just look over to the bridge and then we’ll go.” He promised and taking
her hand pulled her to get a close look. “God, there’s like 30 kids singing and
marching, look!”
“Yes, I see them. I also see them refusing to stop like the Officer’s are asking
them to. Let’s go.”
“Donna, we’re far from the action here. It’s got to be 300 feet below us. What
can happen to us from here?” As if his words were a signal, they heard several
loud booms and hit the ground in fear. “What the hell was that?!” Josh jumped
back up to look over the ledge. “They’re shooting tear gas at those people!”
Josh’s exclamation caused Donna to peer over the ledge too. Suddenly, they
both felt a burning sensation starting with their faces and eyes and then in their
mouths and throats.
“Oh, shit!” Josh shouted and only made it worse. He took off his suit jacket and
pressed it to his nose and mouth while he pulled Donna to him and tried to cover
her face too. Coughing and sputtering, they wandered like drunken sailors on
leave away from the ledge and as far from the action as their weakened bodies
could carry them. They ended up leaning against a nearby building well out of
the path being traveled by EMS to reach everyone affected by the gas and
eventually simply slumped to the ground.
When Donna could see him clearly again she hit him; hard.
“What can happen to us from here?!” She mimicked his earlier comment.
“I’m sorry! I thought we were far enough away.” Josh replied as he rolled up the
sleeves of his shirt and removed his tie before he shoved it in his pocket.
“If we’d left when I asked you to it wouldn’t have been an issue, Joshua!”
“You’re right.” He acknowledged. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re just saying that now so I won’t be pissed anymore!” She shouted.
“There’s little chance of that!” He shouted back and then realized he was taking
his mistake out on her. “I’m really sorry. Are you okay?”
“My throat still feels like it’s on fire.” Donna complained. “And my eyes are still
watering.”
“Tell me about.” Josh drawled and Donna gave him a look. “I’m sure yours are
worse than mine…even though I was standing closer.”
“Because you were STUPID!” Donna pointed out.
Josh rose shakily to his feet. “Let’s get the hell out of here and get something to
drink.” He stuck his hand out to help her rise. She reluctantly took it and stood
next to him.
“It better be a Whiskey Sour.” Donna groused.
“Anything you want.” He promised just happy that she was speaking to him in a
normal tone of voice again. That’s when he noticed the eerie silence. “Wait.
What’s happening?”
“I don’t hear anything.” Donna told him.
“Exactly.” Josh peered around the building sheltering them from the clash
between the protestors and the Officers just as blasts and screams rang out. “I’
ve got to stop doing that.” He muttered. “We’re leaving now.” He told Donna and
pulled on her arm sharply taking her away from the action. They were almost at
a dead run when they ran into another wave of riot police ordering them to stop.
Josh, ever the debater, tried to debate the point, but the Officers were in no
mood for it.
“Stop and keep your hands where we can see them.” The Officer closest to
them ordered.
“We’re just trying to get away from-“ Josh protested.
“Your hands, sir!” He ordered and now pointed his weapon at Josh.
“Jesus!” Josh held his hands up and stepped a bit in front of Donna, but they
were having none of that either.
“You too, Ma’am.” The Officer indicated Donna with a nod of his head and she
hesitantly stepped out from behind Josh and held her hands up.
“Sir, we aren’t part of the protest, we just got caught in the crossfire…so to
speak.” Donna explained.
“We’re going to need to see some ID.” He requested.
“It’s in my purse…” Donna motioned to her shoulder and got a strange look from
the Officer. She looked down to see her purse was gone. It must have been lost
in the commotion. This was bad.
“And you sir?” He motioned to Josh.
“Nothing on me, Officer, but I work for the President at the White House and-“
The Officer who’d been addressing them as well as the other Officers behind
him all started chuckling.
“That’s a good one.” The Officer noted. “Tell you what. I’ll just call over to the
Oval Office and verify your story.” He was still chuckling.
“That …would be…great.” Josh said cautiously. He wasn’t entirely sure the
Officer was being serious. This thought was reinforced by Donna’s kick to his
shin. “Damn it, Donna!”
“This is all your fault.” She announced. “Look, my purse is probably lying back
there in the grass. If you’ll just let me go look for a minute…”
“What about me?” Josh demanded.
“You’re on your own, baby.” Donna told him. “I wouldn’t have been anywhere
near this if it hadn’t been for you.”
“Donna!” Josh protested.
“Look, once I get my ID then I can vouch for you, okay?” She countered.
“There’s no way you’re going to be able to find your purse now. You think those
hellions just walked by a stuffed purse and left it there?”
“My purse is NOT stuffed.” Donna argued.
“Right, usually all your shit is stuffed into MY pockets.” Josh amended his
remark. “But I imagine there’s enough cash, credit cards, and ID’s in there to
make someone VERY happy.”
“No!” Donna shouted. “All my stuff?!”
“This is what I’m saying, sweetheart.” Josh smirked.
“Damn!” Donna stomped her foot. “And my drivers license finally had a decent
picture too!”
“That’s nothing. Wait til Ron hears you lost your hard pass.” He chuckled.
“It was STOLEN!” Donna contradicted him.
“So was mine!” Josh pointed out.
“Jimmy, take the Bickering Bickerson’s to the van for processing, will you? They’
re giving me a headache.” The Officer in charge decided.
“No, wait, I swear we work at the White House. If you’ll just call-“
“Lady, we don’t have that kind of time or that kind of sense of humor. We’ll get
you all sorted out at the station.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
“I’ve been arrested.”
“Yes.” Josh agreed.
“Photographed and fingerprinted.”
“Yes.” Josh agreed again from his seat across from her in the group holding cell.
“For the sole crime of following you.”
“Well, I knew that one was coming.” Josh muttered to the drunk, homeless
looking guy sitting next to him.
“They always find a way to blame us, don’t they?” The drunk replied.
“No, shit.” Josh agreed.
“I’ve decided I’m quitting too, just so you know.” Donna announced.
“Impervious.” Josh sing songed back to her.
“I mean it. I’m going back to Wisconsin where people don’t tear gas you and
arrest you for walking down the street.”
“Technically, we were running from the scene of a crime without any
identification. Several Officers were hurt in the clash with the protestors.” Josh
pointed out.
“Oh, sure, NOW you decide to be a lawyer!” Donna complained. “I’m going to
need a week to get this…stuff washed off of me.” She said looking around the
filthy cell.
“I used my phone call. Someone will be down to bail us out shortly.” Josh tipped
his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.
“Sure…and then I’m going directly to the airport. You can have someone ship
my things home to me.” Donna decreed. “Honestly. You think you’re doing
something noble, serving the President of the United States and you end up in
jail with every low life from the tri-county area!”
“She works for the President?” The drunk asked Josh in a loud whisper. Josh
just smiled without opening his eyes and shook his head ‘no’.
“She was working the street corner when I met her.” He explained.
“JOSHUA!” Donna’s scream nearly sent several cell residents to the floor.
“She expensive?” The drunk persisted.
Josh opened his eyes and met Donna’s. “You have NO idea how expensive.”
Donna glared. “But worth every penny.” Her look softened….a bit.
“Joshua Lyman, Donnatella Moss?” An Officer called their names.
“Yes! Yes, that’s us!” Donna ran up to the door.
“I think that’s our ride. It was nice meeting you Ken.” Josh held out his hand to
shake hands with the drunk who’d shared his bench.
“Would you PLEASE get over here?!” Donna implored him.
“Yes, dear.” Josh groaned as he stretched. “Doing time makes you tired.”
“Oh my God!” Donna walked back and pulled him forward by the arm.
They met a very amused Sam Seaborn in the lobby. “Kids, your mother and I
are very disappointed in you, but we’ll discuss consequences at home.”
Donna threw herself into Sam’s arms. “Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!” She
hugged him and kissed his cheek. “You are my HERO!”
“What about me? I stood in between you and the guy with a gun!” Josh
reminded her.
“That was before you told the drunk I was an expensive call girl.” Donna told him.
“Let’s not go there.” Sam requested. “Leo decided that after your….adventures
today you two should just go home for the night.”
“Thank God.” Donna replied.
“What are you talking about? You quit remember?” Josh prodded her.
“I haven’t turned my notice into Leo McGarry, whom I direct report to.” Donna
said primly.
“Ah-Kay.” Josh stuck his tongue in his cheek and rolled his eyes.
“Well…if you’re just looking to get away from Josh, I’d be happy to-“
“No, no. She’s going back to Wisconsin. Right Donna?”
“Unless someone tries to talk me out of it.” Donna answered looking directly at
Josh.
“You were pretty determined to quit.” He noted.
“It would take a Herculean effort to reverse the decision.” Donna nodded.
“Well…we could start with an expensive dinner and see how far that got me.”
Josh suggested.
“We’d need to shower and change first.” Donna looked down at her clothes and
hair in disgust.
“That goes without saying, but I could be ready in an hour or so.”
“Me too.” Donna agreed.
“I’ll make the reservation and pick you up at your place?” Josh asked.
“Deal.” Donna got in the car while Josh held the door open for her and then shut
it carefully behind her.
“Did my eyes just deceive me, or did you just make a dinner date with Donna?”
Sam asked smiling.
“Nah, it’s just the tears in your eyes from the tear gas. We’ve got it all over us.”
Josh declared and smiled back.
The End.