Chapter 7
“Donna?” Josh called out. She was at his side in an instant.
“You okay?”
“Everything hurts.” Josh complained. “And I thought you were going to stay with me?”
“I did for awhile. But then I woke up hungry so I started cooking.”
“What are you cooking?” Josh sniffed the air. “Lasagna?”
“Give the man a prize. I have fresh bread to go with it too.” Donna smiled. “I’ll bring it in on a tray
for you.”
“No, please, no more trays in bed. I can sit at the table…for a bit.”
“Okay.” Donna agreed. “Take your time getting up and I’ll get it all on the table.”
By the time he’d dragged his bruised body to the table Donna had everything ready and was on
the phone.
“I know…” She responded laughing. “But he looks pretty good considering all the excitement of the
day. Here, talk to him yourself.” Donna handed him the phone and mouthed the words ‘your
mother’.
“Hi Mom.” Josh cradled the phone between his ear and his shoulder so he could snitch a piece of
lasagna.
“How does it feel to be home?” She asked.
“Good. Really good.” He told her.
“You sure you don’t want me to come and stay with you awhile? Just until you get adjusted to living
at home again? I worry about you all by yourself and still not being fully recovered.”
“Oh…uh….that’s really nice Mom, but…”
“Nice? It’s what a mother does for a bachelor son, all alone in the world.” Mom decreed. “I can be
there tonight.”
“But, uh…you see… we kind of worked something out here and uh…Donna’s going to stay with
me….for awhile…” Josh shrugged at Donna when she gave him an amused, raised eyebrow look.
“I know. She told me last week.” Sarah busted him big time. “Why is it that I hear any important
news about your life from Donna?”
“Cause she talks to you more than I do?” Josh guessed.
“That answer is both correct and sad at the same time.” Sarah groaned.
“Are you…unhappy with the situation?” Josh asked in a low quiet voice.
“Are you kidding me? I adore Donna and nobody takes better care of you than she does. I would
simply like to hear about these life changing events from you and not from Donna or, say, the New
York Times, CNN, that kind of thing.”
“Life changing event?” Josh barked out a short laugh, completely ignoring the second part of her
complaint.
“MOST people would consider moving in with someone a life changing event.” Sarah prompted him
and that stopped Josh short. Was that what they just did? Moved in together? Yes, that’s exactly
what they’d just done. He looked over at Donna who was sipping her wine and giving him another
quizzical glance.
“Well, I guess…with Donna it just feels normal.” He admitted keeping eye contact with her.
“That’s how it should be Joshua. How was your surprise party?”
“Did everyone know about it but me?”
“That’s sort of the definition of surprise, dear.” Sarah admonished him. “It’s just that some surprises
are better than others.”
“Uh-huh.” Josh rolled his eyes and had Donna giggling. He loved that sound. “Look, we’re just
sitting down to dinner, can I call you later?”
“You were napping earlier and now you’re eating dinner? Donna takes very good care of you. It
must be because she loves you so much.”
“That must be it.” Josh concurred.
“And?” His mother prompted.
“I love her nearly as much as you.” Josh’s eyes twinkled at Donna.
“I’m okay with that.” Sarah told her son. “Go eat your dinner and you don’t have to call me back. I
can check in with you tomorrow since I’ll know exactly where you’ll be.”
“Joy.” Josh replied. “Bye Mom.”
“She’s worried about you and trying not to smother you in the process.”
“Only my mother is capable of smothering long distance.” Josh said eating large chunks of lasagna.
“Be grateful, my mother only does guilt and shame long distance.” There was something in her
tone that caught Josh’s ear.
“What is she guilting and shaming you about?” Josh asked.
Donna shook her head and poured some more wine. “Nothing important. The usual.”
Josh was prepared to blow it off when a thought occurred to him. “Is it about me? Us?”
Donna let out a short puff of breath and got up to ostensibly get something from the kitchen. Josh
thought it was so she didn’t have to look him in the face. “She thinks I’m wasting far too much time
and energy on my boss and that it’s sending all the wrong signals to everyone that knows me.”
“Donna, it’s none of my business but did you not tell her things have…changed in our relationship?”
“I made that mistake, yes.” Donna called back from the other room. “Now she thinks you’re a
womanizing politician and I’m a hopeless mess in the areas of relationships AND work.”
Josh got up from the table to join her in the kitchen. She was scrubbing a pan pretty vigorously and
while Josh preferred to throw out the pan rather than clean one that needed that much elbow
grease, he thought she was a little too into the cleaning.
“That’s just ridiculous.” Josh stated.
“Thank you.”
“You’ve always been VERY good at your job.” He deadpanned.
Donna whirled around spraying sudsy water everywhere.
“Kidding!” Josh held his hands up in a defensive move. “Just trying to lighten the mood a little.”
“That is NOT the way to do it.”
“I’ll make a note of that.”
Donna turned back to the pans. Josh came up behind her and rubbed her shoulders.
“Do you want me to talk to her?”
Donna choked on a combination of laughter and tears. “God, no!”
“Okay, no need to be insulting. I was just trying to help.”
“I know. I just think, under the present circumstances, while she thinks you’re taking advantage of
me sexually and professionally, you probably aren’t the one to talk to her.”
“Kay.” Josh continued to rub her shoulders. “I’m just sorry that you were hurt because of us. I’m
sorry that she doesn’t see you the way I see you.” Donna relaxed her body back into Josh’s and
quit the scrubbing. “If it helps, my mom loves you enough for two mothers.”
“You know what? It really does.” Donna sighed.
“Come back and finish eating with me. I’m finally getting my appetite back and it tastes delicious.”
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“I simply can’t do leg lifts and read the briefing memo, so given the choice, I’m going with the
briefing memo.”
“No, you’re doing your leg lifts.” Donna contradicted him. “I’ll go through the briefing memo and
write out note cards for you while you do them. We’ll multi-task.”
“No.” Josh refused.
“I really don’t have time for one of your tantrums this morning and neither do you.” Donna
reminded him. “You have a conference call with the D triple C and Sam about the midterms then
you have a doctor’s appointment after that.”
“Well…the conference call I’ll do but not the leg lifts or the other thing.” Josh decided.
“Oh, I think you’re going to want to make the Doctor’s appointment.” Donna sing-songed.
“I don’t want to see any doctor’s anymore.” Josh countered. “They are all feckless thugs with power
and control issues.”
“Which makes them different than the politicians we work with every day how?” Donna inquired.
“The politicians don’t inflict bodily harm on- No, they do. Wait! They don’t get tons of money from
insurance companies! Nope, they do that do. Never mind. I’m not working with politicians anymore
either. Cancel the conference call.”
“Oh, okay.” Donna laughed. “And what will you do all day then?”
“I thought I could spend my day convincing you to stay home with me.” Josh wiggled his eyebrows
and made Donna laugh again. She loved to see him like this. Too many days his temper had been
snapping and his mood turned mercurial. He’d also had trouble sleeping, but when she’d
mentioned it to Leo, he assured her there was a lot that passed the COS desk that made for
sleepless nights and she should give him some time to adjust.
“I think we both know that’s not going to happen. Toby needs help with research for the President’s
speech on trade and Sam wants numbers on two different Congressional races.” Donna recited.
“Who do you work for them or me?”
“Them.”
“Shit, I keep forgetting about that.”
“Yes, you do.” Donna kissed his nose. “But I find that adorable.”
“I was hoping for a little better than adorable.” Josh admitted and pulled her back for a more
thorough kiss. “Adorable is for little children and cocker spaniels. I’m a grown man.”
“I think that much is obvious despite your actions to the contrary on occasion.” Donna commented.
“It’s been eight long weeks Donna.”
“Yes, but that first week you were barely conscious.”
“It’s been much longer than that if you count how I was pining for you before that.”
“Pining?” Donna nearly spit out her morning coffee.
“Yes, while you dated gomer after gomer and I was left to wallow in my unrequited love.”
“Oh, this is really too much for this hour of the morning.”
“You need more sleep. Let’s go back to bed.” The phone rang.
“Saved by the bell.” Donna murmured and answered the phone. “It’s the President for you.” She
announced.
He’d been calling Josh for weeks now, but still, every time Donna announced the President was
calling his heart sped up at the thought of speaking to Jed Bartlet and was always bitterly
disappointed that it wasn’t President Bartlet’s voice he heard at the other end. It would stop one of
these days, surely.
He only escaped the President’s diatribe on his need for a majority in Congress when the time
arrived for him to get on the conference call.
By the end of the conference call, Josh had a raging headache. How was he supposed to pull off
the miracles John Hoynes was expecting when he still couldn’t leave the apartment on his own?
He was just going to shut his eyes for a few minutes until Donna came back with their lunch but his
body had other ideas. Instead of finding restful slumber, however, he was transported back to
Rosslyn as they were leaving the Newseum; only this time Donna was walking alongside him,
matching him stride for stride.
Josh would have sworn it was real. He could feel the humidity in the air and a gentle night breeze
wafting across him. He could hear the chatter around him of the Presidential entourage and the
excited cries from the crowd hoping for a glimpse of the President of the United States. He knew,
he could FEEL the danger lurking around them. He knew that he, and particularly Donna, should
not take another step forward and yet he couldn’t stop them from moving.
“Josh, what is it?”
“Donna, wait.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Just wait.” He implored her but they both kept moving forward.
“We’re going to miss the motorcade, and since I don’t have my purse and you NEVER carry cash in
your wallet, that would put us at a considerable disadvantage.”
“Just wait a second, damn it!” Josh shouted and finally succeeded in stopping their forward
momentum. He heaved huge breath in relief. “Just…wait.”
Shots rang out and the next thing he knew, Donna was lying on the pavement, blood spilling from
her body faster than he imagined it even could.
“NO!” He tore off his jacket and pressed it against her blood soaked chest in an attempt to stop the
flow. “Help! Somebody help me please!”
“Josh…?”
“Shhhh…don’t talk. Help is coming.” Josh told her.
“Josh…I’m so cold?” Donna sounded puzzled as to why she would be cold on a warm spring
evening.
“Please don’t talk. Help is coming.” He repeated. “I need a doctor!”
“Love you Josh…” Donna’s eye drifted closed.
“NO! No, do NOT go to sleep!” He commanded, then noticed the EMT’s had arrived. “Thank God.
You have to help her. She’s been shot but I don’t know how. She wasn’t even supposed to be here.
It should’ve been me.”
“I’ve got no pulse.” The first EMT reported.
“She’s lost a ton of blood.” The second called back.
“Let’s start CPR and get her into the ambulance.” The first answered back again but he sounded
like it was a futile effort.
“Please, you have to help her.” Josh begged.
“We’ll do our best but your friend has sustained a lot of trauma and lost a lot of blood.” The first
EMT answered.
“No. No, no, nooooo.” Josh wailed and found himself face to face with John Hoynes.
“I’m sorry, sir, I have to get to the ambulance.”
“No, you don’t. She’s already gone, Josh.” Hoynes said sadly and blocked him from following
Donna.
“Not yet, they could still save her.”
“She didn’t have a chance, Josh. Nobody standing next to you has a chance.” Hoynes opined.
Josh pushed him aside and started running toward the ambulance. “Donna! Donna, wait! I’m
coming. Donna! DONNA!”
“Josh, wake up, I’m right here.” Donna woke him gently but firmly. He was shaking and sweating,
even after she was sure he was awake, his hands continued to shake badly and he was taking in
huge, gulping breaths of air.
His arms closed convulsively around her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, baby, I swear. Look at me. Josh, look at me.” Donna insisted and finally got him to meet
her eyes. His looked bloodshot and exhausted. “I’ll get you some water.”
“I don’t want any water.” Josh refuted and continued to keep a vise-like grip on her arm.
“Josh, you’re hurting my arm. Please let go. I’ll stay right here.”
Josh recoiled from her like she was hot to the touch. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Donna ran her hand across Josh’s sweaty back. “How about if I turn on the shower for
you. You’ll feel better after-“
“I don’t want a damn shower right now!” Josh exploded then saw the frightened look in Donna’s
eyes. “I’m sorry. I just…I’m not ready for a shower quite yet.”
Donna nodded. “They’re getting worse, Josh; and more frequent. I think you should talk to the
doctor about them today. There may be a simple solution. Maybe the cocktail of meds you’re taking
now induces all this.” She waved her arm around her to encompass the nightmares and the anxiety
he seemed to be feeling.
“Doubtful.”
“Please. Just ask the doctor about it today.” Donna implored him.
“Or you will?” Josh snapped.
“Josh!” She nearly whirled away from him when he spoke again.
“It was you on the pavement bleeding to death.” Josh answered. “In my dream today. I couldn’t stop
it and I couldn’t get you help in time.”
Donna refused to let the gathering tears spill over. “Please ask the doctor today?”
Josh’s only answer was a slight nod of his head. He would ask.
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“He wants me to pull all our support for Tom!” Sam was livid. “He asked me to ask him to run and
now he’s pulling the rug out from under us!”
“Sam-“ Josh tried to reply.
“President Bartlet would have never pulled something like this.” Sam continued.
“Sam, listen to me. It was a team decision.” Josh interjected. He hated constantly taking the heat for
the President’s decisions but it was the only way he was holding his team together…that and crazy
glue.
“You agreed to this?” Sam shrieked.
“Sam, if the President goes out and campaigns for Tom it’s going to have a blowback of
unprecedented proportions. It will depress African American turnout everywhere and we’re trying to
take back the house.”
“I’m not indifferent to that. I thought that was why I was asked to recruit Tom in the first place!”
“The situation has changed.”
“No. Shit. Most notably for Tom who has now been painted as a racist by the RNC!”
“I’m putting the President and the money where the President and the money will do the most
good.” Josh reiterated.
“I’m sure you are.” Sam said sarcastically and hung up the phone.
“I need to be IN the West Wing.” Josh muttered.
“I’m not sure that’s going to have the magical effect that you think it will.” Donna commented from
her spot across the table where she was feverishly typing on her laptop.
“At least I can look into people’s eyes when I tell them important news.”
“I thought you avoided that.” She quipped.
“I’m seeing the disadvantages of that now.” Josh told her. “I need to be in the office.”
“After the mid-terms.” Donna reminded him for the fourth time that day. “Doctor’s orders.”
“It’s like 8 days from now. Do you really think that 8 days will make that much of a difference?” Josh
asked again.
“No, I think you’ll be just as annoying in 8 days as you are now, but the medical professionals at
GW seem to feel there’s an added benefit for your physical health so we’re going with them on this
one.” Donna explained. “You’re going to have to suffer through half days until then.”
“I feel like I’m in Kindergarten.” Josh groused. “Sam is pissed at me. Toby’s not speaking to the
President at all. I can’t run the zoo part time from home.”
“No, you can’t. So just let it go.” Donna advised him and continued typing. “These numbers are
staggering. Are you going to fix this when you’re in charge?”
“Add it to the list.” Josh groaned.
“I have something else you can think about.” Donna offered.
“Great. What?”
“I have a mystery I’m trying to solve.”
“Lay it on me.”
“My mother called me last night. She was so excited she could hardly complete a sentence.” Donna
reported.
“Oh?”
“Uh-huh…” Donna caught her tongue between her teeth while she finished typing her current
sentence. “Seems she got a call from none other than Dr. Abby Bartlet.”
“Huh. What was that about?” Josh asked, burying his head in a magazine about the Grand Unified
Theory.
“That’s what I asked my mother.” Donna fished her typing and saved her document. She’d only
made the mistake of not immediately saving her document once. “Turns out that the First Lady
called to tell my mother how invaluable my service had been to President Bartlet and how touched
she was by the love and devotion she’d watched grow between us over the last few years.”
“Really?” Josh struggled to maintain a tone of indifference while his lips twitched. He knew Abby
was the one to tag for that duty; one mother to another was often the best way to go and he didn’t
think that Diana Moss was going to listen to HIS mother so…
“Really.” Donna confirmed and sat next to him on the couch. “She also invited my parents to
brunch next time they’re in the city. They’ll be dining on that story for months.”
“Well, really, what else is there to talk about in Wisconsin?” Josh supposed.
“Stop it!” Donna laughed and pulled the magazine out his hands. “YOU did this!”
“I did nothing. Give me back my magazine!”
“Why so you can figure out the mysteries of the space time continuum?” Donna mocked him.
“There are a lot of things we can’t explain in the Universe, Donna.”
“Oh, I know. Your belief that you can be a theoretical physicist is chief among them.”
“I’m not trying to be a- I’m just trying to figure some things out.”
“Why I love you so much is in the top five for sure.” Donna continued to tick off her list on her
fingers. “And pantyhose! Who invented them and why?”
“Give it back, Donna.” Josh held out his hand for the magazine using his most authoritative voice.
“Now.”
“Or what?” She asked playfully.
“Are you baiting me?”
“Admit you had Abby call my mother.”
“Never.” Josh replied.
“Josh.”
“I’m trying to run a country working only part time, Donna, I don’t have time to orchestrate family
politics and get a former First Lady to make calls to Racine Wisconsin.”
“Rascine? How did you know my mom is visiting her sister in Racine?”
“Huh? You must have mentioned it.” Josh bluffed.
“I haven’t spoken to my mother since our last disastrous phone call.” Donna replied. “Try again.”
“Osmosis?”
“Uh-huh.” Donna pursed her lips. “Well, I was sure you had something to do with it, and I had a
special reward planned for you and everything, but since you weren’t a part of it…”
“You are evil.” Josh announced.
“I learned everything from you.” Donna kissed him soundly. “Thank you.”
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Chapter 8
Just when Donna was sure she would fall asleep where she was standing, the door buzzed with
someone demanding entry.
“Who is it?” Secret Service wouldn’t be guarding his door again until he officially took over as Chief
of Staff, but Donna was still ever vigilant about who got in.
“It’s C.J.”
“And Danny.” Came another voice.
“It was supposed to be a surprise, idiot!” C.J. chastised him.
“Pizza delivery.” Danny changed his answer and made both C.J. and Donna laugh.
“Come on up.” Donna invited them and waited at the door for them. “What a wonderful surprise!
Josh is just finishing therapy. He’ll be out in a minute or so.” She explained.
“We come bearing dinner.” Danny handed Donna a pizza box and a six pack of beer.
“How nice.” Donna exclaimed, but C.J. took both items out of her hands.
“He means dinner for the guys. You and I are going out.” C.J. proclaimed.
“Oh, but I-“
“Who’s making all the commotion out here?” Josh demanded as he came into the room, his
therapist on his heels. “Hey beautiful!” Josh hugged C.J. before exchanging back slaps with Danny.
The therapist wished everyone a good night and left them abruptly.
“He seems nice.” Danny remarked.
“Alex is great; very patient.” Donna commented.
“He’s a sadist.” Josh muttered. “Pizza!”
“Just like I promised.” Danny noted.
“And beer.” Josh nearly drooled. “You are my new best friend.”
“I thought I was already your best friend.” Danny was insulted.
“Uh…then you’re STILL my best friend.” Josh amended.
“Wait a second. You guys planned this? Why didn’t you tell me they were coming over?” Donna
asked Josh.
“You’re not the only one who can plan a surprise.” Josh told her. “And this isn’t all of it either.”
“You look smug. That can’t be good.” Donna moaned.
“We’re going away for a girl’s night.” C.J. told her. “I got this one’s credit card and you and I are
going to help him melt it a little. We’ve got a room booked as well as massages and mani/pedi’s
scheduled.”
“What?” Donna felt panic rise in her throat. “Overnight? No, I can’t. Josh has medication and-“
“I’m sure that between the two of them, Josh and Danny can manage his pills just fine.”
“But sometimes he-“ Donna protested.
“-is a pain in the ass. Danny knows that already. Now go grab some things for overnight and let’s
go. I want to soak in the in room whirl pool before we get our massages.” C.J. declared.
Donna looked from her to where Josh and Danny were already digging into pizza and beer.
“I…okay…I’ll just…” she motioned with her fingers to the bedroom. Once inside she closed the
door and leaned against it for awhile. She couldn’t leave Josh overnight. What if he had a
nightmare or an anxiety attack? Despite the change in meds, he was still having plenty of both.
They hadn’t been apart overnight since the shooting. Donna felt her own heart pick up speed right
before she felt the door push in on her.
Startled she fell away from door and Josh stumbled in. He was still hot and sweaty from his therapy,
but he had a piece of pizza gripped tightly in his hand. “I’m just going to take a quick shower. You
like your surprise?” He asked with his mouthful.
“Sure…it was…nice of you to think of it.” Donna said quietly.
“I was just going to ask C.J. to help me pick out some things to thank you for all you’ve done and
before I knew it, I was thanking both of you.” Josh laughed and Donna responded in kind but it was
weak. “Donna? You don’t like it?”
“No, it’s very thoughtful.” She smiled again. “I just don’t like the thought of leaving you with Danny
when-“
“Donna.” Josh interrupted her. “I go back to work full time in two more days; we both do. You have
run yourself ragged trying to handle work and take care of me. Take the next 24 hours with C.J.
and relax. Have fun! I know how to get a hold of you if I need you and you can call me and check in
whenever you want.”
“Okay.” Donna agreed half heartedly. “If you’re sure…”
“I am.” Josh assured her. “If it makes you feel any better, it sounded like C.J. could use the
decompression time too. You’re probably doing her a favor with this.” Josh had mentioned how
sullen C.J. had seemed in her last days as Press Secretary. She didn’t know what was next and
that was unsettling for her. Maybe Josh was right and this would be great for both of them.
“Go take a shower. I need to pack.” Donna instructed. Once she got her travel bag out, she started
to feel the tiniest ripple of excitement. Swimsuit, sweats and t-shirts…what else would she need?
Not much. By the time Josh was out of the shower, Donna was packed and ready to go. She only
paused briefly at the doorway to look at him questioningly.
“Go. I’ll be fine.” He promised and got up to give her a final kiss. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, we’re going across town not across the ocean.” C.J. whined.
“Night, Claudia!” Danny called out to her.
“Yeah, yeah, see you tomorrow. Let’s go Donna.” C.J. pulled her out the door.
Danny waited until they were alone to comment. “She’s nuts about me.”
“Always has been.” Josh went along with that.
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“I am never. Moving. Again.” C.J. announced after their in room massage.
“Hey…guess what?” Donna called over from her massage table.
“What?” C.J. called back. They were both a little drunk.
“You don’t HAVE to!” Donna held out her arms in a ‘ta-daaaaa’ motion.
“God, Donna, you are so smart!” C.J. exclaimed.
“I know.” Donna shrugged. “It’s how come I got promoticated- promotioned- It’s how come I got a
new job at the White House.”
“You’re going to be great there!” C.J. gushed.
“I hope so.” Donna sighed loudly. “But the only thing is…” She started crying. “YOU won’t be there
anymore!”
“Oh, Donna, don’t start with the crying, then I’ll start with the crying…” C.J. joined her friend as they
wept tears over their professional parting. “Listen, it won’t be so bad. I’m staying in D.C. and after
Danny and I get married-“
“Married!” Donna yelped.
“Oh, no, no, not right away. Later. After the mid-terms.” C.J. patted Donna’s back.
“How much after the mid-terms?” Donna asked, sobering a bit.
“The day after.” C.J. replied. “But you can’t tell anybody…shhhh…it’s a secret.”
“Ohhhhhh…”Donna said as if she understood, although she really didn’t. “But then…none of us will
be there.” Donna pouted.
“Lord, Josh is right. That pout is lethal.” C.J. commented. “Stop it, Donna, please?”
“But I wanted to be there with you.”
“I know, but it’s a secret. We’re eloping.” C.J. explained. “I know! When we get back, you and Josh
will be the FIRST people we’ll tell!”
“Really?! That would mean so much to me.” Donna told her. “Just wait until I tell Josh!”
“You can’t tell Josh. It’s a secret until we tell you when we get back.”
“Damn. That’s right. Okay. It’s a secret until you get back.” Donna promised. “I just wish you were
coming back to the White House when you were coming back.”
“I know. But you have an important job there now.”
“Special assissstanst to the Pres’dent.” Donna flubbed her way through it.
“No, you’re the head of the Sisterhood.” C.J. corrected her.
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“Let’s go, I want to vote.” Josh called to Donna who was still getting dressed.
“Yes, Joshua, hold your horses.” Donna called back.
“I always go first thing in the morning.”
“So you’ve said…several times.” Donna muttered. “Why don’t you go ahead, then? I’ll catch up to
you later.”
“No, you said we could go together. It’s our first time voting as a couple.”
“You realize they’re going to insist on separate voting booths, right?”
“Maybe I can sneak into yours.” Josh suggested.
“They frown on that sort of thing actually. And they back up their frowning with armed police
officers, so unless you want the front page story on Election Day to read President Hoynes’ Chief
of Staff arrested for Election tampering…”
“Alright, alright.” Josh gave up. “Let’s just go!”
“Answer the phone!” Donna requested.
“Josh Lyman.”
“Hey, kid. We’re expecting the first round of exits in 2 hours, so take your time getting in.” Leo told
him. Leo was anxious for Josh to get started so he could be finished with all this, but he didn’t want
his surrogate son overdoing on his first full day.
“Like hell, and don’t say anything like that to Donna. I’m having a hard enough time getting her out
the door as it is.”
“Yeah, I can see how you’re perfectly miserable having her there.” Leo drawled.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You couldn’t. The President wants you in the Oval as soon as he returns from his leadership
breakfast which should be about the time we get the first round of exits.”
“Got it. What are we hearing from the Indian Ambassador?”
“Nothing unexpected. I’ll fill you in when you get here.” Leo promised and hung up the phone.
“Donna?!”
“I’m here. Let’s go.” She grabbed her new bag, a gift from Josh to celebrate her new job, and
headed for the door. She opened it to find Josh’s new friends outside. Secret Service had begun
his detail last night. Josh and Donna were still getting used to their constant companions.
“Yeah, yeah..” Josh said distractedly. “I want another chance to go over the short list for VP. I have
to find a way to persuade the President on this.”
Donna looked over his shoulder. “Baker would be fantastic. Berryhill’s got great security creds.”
“Security creds?” Josh repeated.
“It’s very important right now. The country is very concerned about more terrorist threats.”
“You think?”
“Don’t mock, Joshua, I’m just saying that security credentials may vastly outweigh Baker’s economic
credentials right now.” She caught Josh’s look. “Which I’m sure you’ve already thought of, so I’ll
shut up now.”
“Yes, maybe this time would be better spent reviewing the voting instructions.” Josh drawled. He
had won the fight to have her register here in D.C. rather than vote absentee in Wisconsin. He didn’
t know why it was so important to him all of a sudden but he wanted something tangible that said
her home was now here, at his address.
“I think I’ve got it thanks.”
“I took the liberty of printing up a sample ballot for you. I slipped it in your bag.” Josh told her.
“What did I tell you about touching my bag?”
“Don’t do it.”
“That’s right, don’t do it.” Donna patted his shoulder.
“But I gave you the bag!”
“And it was a lovely gift, but now it’s mine and I get to determine how it’s used. Having it filled with
sample ballots I don’t need makes me…unhappy.”
“Got it.” Josh exchanged looks with one of his Agents. They seemed to silently agree that an
unhappy girlfriend was not something to aspire to.
“You’re sure you voted all Democrats this time, right?” Josh teased when they left the polling place.
Donna had told him about her mistaken voting on an optical scan ballot once and he had never let
her forget it.
“Not entirely sure, why? Is it important?” She smiled sweetly. Josh gave up that line of teasing and
fielded calls about the mid terms all the way to the White House. It wasn’t like Donna expected it to
be any different. It was a big day and Josh had a lot of people to check in with. But part of her felt
the loss of their ‘alone time’ acutely. Their private little bubble had popped and they would never
have it back again.
“Josh, welcome back.” Ron Davis told him like he was the White House Host or something. Josh
had agreed to keep Davis on as Deputy COS in deference to his position with Hoynes in the VP’s
office, but already he had misgivings about it. Mainly because Davis was sitting at Josh’s desk as
he came in. “Just getting everything ready for your arrival.” He explained.
“Thanks.” Josh replied with a tight smile. “I’d like some time with you after senior staff.”
“Any particular reason?”
“Several, but chief among them is that you and I don’t know each other.” Josh leveled with him.
“That might make things rocky for a bit between us, and until we get our sea legs we’re going to be
meeting twice a day, just you and I, so we can coordinate our efforts and learn how each of us
works. Coordinate it with Margaret.”
“Okay.”
“Exits are coming to you first?” Josh asked.
“I…yes, that seemed appropriate.” Davis answered. “I was told that was how you and Leo-“
“That’s fine.” Josh interrupted him. “Just get me the breakdowns as soon as you’ve got them?”
“The President told me to deliver them to him.” Davis replied.
“Well I’m telling you they come to me first.”
“John prefers that I bring things to him directly.”
“Excuse me?” Josh stopped cold. “If you’re referring to President Hoynes, you’ll use his title in this
building.”
“Sorry, it’s just that we go back to the days in the state Senate and-“
“I don’t care if you go back to nursery school. In this building, it’s President Hoynes.”
“Yes…sir.” Davis clipped out.
“Josh…the rest of the senior staff is here.” Margaret announced.
“Thanks Margaret. We’re ready for them. Find an am and pm time for Ron and I to touch base
each day, will you please?”
“Sure. I’ll make sure Wendy gets it on his schedule.” Margaret smiled. Things had felt so wrong
around here for weeks, with Josh back, maybe things would start to feel right again.
“Hey!” Sam embraced Josh and took a seat next to him. “You ready for this?”
“As I’ll ever be.” Josh replied and took in his ‘team’. Toby looked stressed. Sam looked resigned.
Ron looked pissed and Peter, who’d been acting Press Secretary since C.J. left looked downright
scared.
“Peter, you did a nice job with the gaggle this morning.” Josh threw out.
“Thanks….are you sure I should be here? I mean, Toby told me this is just temporary until you find
a permanent replacement for C.J.”
“I’m…pretty sure, yeah.” Josh smiled. “We promise not to bite. Well, except for Toby, he bites
frequently. On the plus side, he has had all his shots.” Peter seemed to relax a bit.
“You know, while you were gone, we established a kind of agenda.” Davis offered. Toby just shook
his head in disgust.
“I like things a little less formal, Ron.” Josh replied. “Ron’s going to break down exits and bring the
summaries to me as soon as they’re available. Once I’ve got them, Peter will get a copy. Peter, I
don’t want anything leaked unless you hear directly from Toby to leak it.”
“Got it.”
“Sam how are things coming for the Governor’s breakfast tomorrow?”
“We re-wrote the President’s remarks again.” Sam tried to keep the frustration out of his voice. “I
haven’t gotten notes back on them yet.”
“Oh, he gave them to me.” Davis jumped in and dug them out of his binder. Sam just gave Josh a
bland look.
“In the future, those should go directly to Sam or Toby.” Josh dictated.
“I just happened to be there when he was finished so..” Davis excused.
“Yeah. In the future, they go directly to Sam or Toby.” Josh re-iterated. “Who’s giving the key note?”
“Tillman.” Sam replied.
“Be sure to take your No-Doz.” Toby offered his first comment of the meeting.
“No, I saw the first draft, it was really good.” Sam refuted. “Somebody’s got a new ghost writer.”
“Hmmm…Toby? How’s the search going for a new Press Secretary?” Josh asked.
“I have some tapes for you to look at. Nobody’s going to be able to replace C.J., but…”
“We’ll do what we can with who’ve we got.” Josh decreed. “We have to stop lollygagging on the VP
selection. We’re losing ground every day. When we got into the Oval it’s with our short list in
concrete and a determination to give our decision to leadership in the next 48 hours.”
“Our list isn’t the problem.” Toby drawled.
“We’ve been over this before, Toby, the President gets to name his VP. He doesn’t need to meet
your approval.” Davis jumped in again.
“No, but his selection needs to meet the approval of Congress and it would also be nice if it didn’t
cause undue consternation when it comes time for re-election.” Josh stepped in and took the hit
meant for Toby. Toby didn’t seem to appreciate it though.
“Bingo Bob is not ready to step in at a moment’s notice.” Toby added.
“CONGRESSMAN Russell doesn’t need to be ready at this moment. He’ll have time to learn the
job.” Davis countered.
“That’s what we thought.” Toby sneered.
“I’m sorry, are you implying-“
“That’s enough.” Josh suddenly understood why Leo downed two Tylenol every day before senior
staff started. “I’ll take care of the VP list myself. Anything else? Excellent.” Josh dismissed the staff.
Peter beat tracks out the door. Toby left after leveling a menacing gaze at Ron. Ron left in a tight
lipped fit of pique.
“Welcome to my world.” Sam noted once they’d all left.
“It may take awhile to…get things running smoothly around here.” Josh sat back in his chair.
“A long while.” Sam drawled. “Toby and the President have been openly sniping at each other.”
“They’ve never been on good terms.” Josh replied. “Honestly? None of us have.” The enormity of
the task in front of him finally hit him.
“What are we doing here, Josh?” Sam asked quietly.
“I gave my word to the President.” Josh replied just as quietly.
“Which one?” Sam asked astutely and Josh literally startled. “You don’t think about HIM as the
President any more than the rest of us do. What are we doing here?”
“I gave my word.” Josh repeated. “I need your help here.”
“And I gave you my word to help so I guess we’re both stuck.” Sam smiled. “But I have a request.”
“Name it.”
“Instead of waiting here for the returns tonight? Let’s catch them at my place.”
“Uh…I can’t.” Josh muttered.
“What? Why?”
“I promised Donna.”
“Promised Donna what?”
“I’d be home for the returns.” Josh met Sam’s eyes sheepishly.
“I see.” Sam smirked.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t give me shit about this. You know everything Donna has done for me to help me get back
here full time so quickly.”
“I didn’t say anything!” Sam protested.
“You were thinking it.”
“Fair point.” Sam laughed. “I’m very glad you’re back, my friend.”
“Me too.”
“Did Donna have any rules about visitors?”
“Huh?”
“Well, you said you promised you’d be home for the returns, but did you promise you’d be alone?
Maybe we all come over there for the returns?”
“Yeah…” Josh’s voice got excited. “But if you bring Davis, you’re not getting past the front door.”