The National Library - A West Wing Fanfiction Archive

The Road to Normalcy

by: Ginny

Category: Post-ep to Night Five
Pairing: Josh/Donna
Characters: Josh and Donna
Rating: YTEEN

I wake up shaking and sweating.

Again.

It takes me a minute to realize where I am. I'm on Donna's couch. I start to call her name but then glance at the clock on the VCR. It's 4 in the morning. As much as I want her to come out and make me feel better as only she can I don't want to wake her up.

So I sit up and run my hands over my eyes while trying to calm down.

Wait...I'm on Donna's couch. Did I get drunk and wander over here?

No, I remember now. After CJ broke the news to Billy's wife I had a little drama of my own. I realized the scene playing out in CJ's office must have been eerily similar to a certain hospital waiting room scene in the not so distant past.

My brain decided to treat me to a series of all too vivid memories. Flashing lights, sirens, screams, the bitter taste of adrenaline and the warm, sticky flow of blood.

I remember thinking that I really needed to get my breathing under control before I ended up on the floor.

Which is pretty much how I feel at the moment.

By the way, I did end up hyperventilating and passing out in my office. Luckily Donna heard me and was there before a whole slew of agents came investigating. She got me up and got me an ice pack for my head. Which I managed to hit on something as I crumbled to the floor.

Anyway.

"Josh." I hear Donna calling from her room. "You ok?"

"I've been better." I say quietly.

She sticks her head around the corner and gets a good look at me. I guess I look pretty bad. She just gives me a sad smile and goes into the bathroom. She comes back with a cool cloth and sits next to me. I'm curled up in the corner of the couch, sitting sideways, shivering. Donna reaches over and pulls the quilt up around me. She wipes my face and brushes back my hair.

It's nice, normal, just like old times. Well, the nightmare part isn't nice but you know what I mean. We're back to us. Or at least I think we are finally headed in the right direction.

"You want to try and drink something?" she asks as she points to the can of ginger ale on the coffee table.

Oh, did I forget to mention the cookie-tossing incident. It was memorable. As if throwing up in front of Donna wasn't bad enough the whole context in which it happened, well, let's just say I don't think she'll let me forget it anytime soon.

Donna had been on her way back to my office with the ice pack when my cell phone rang. As I glanced at the readout my stomach revolted. I simultaneously tossed the phone to Donna and my cookies into the trashcan.

One guess who was on the phone.

Yeah, Amy.

Donna tried to get rid of her quickly so she could hold my head, rub my back and do all the other things she does to make me feel better. But apparently Amy was giving her a hard time. I didn't get the details nor do I really care to hear them.

In her defense, Donna did manage not to laugh at me until I was finished puking and things were cleaned up. Then she laughed so hard that tears ran down her face.

"Josh, focus a little, do you want some ginger ale?" I hear Donna ask and she taps me on the shoulder to get my attention.

"Uh, oh, sorry. Yeah, I'll try a little."

She hands me the soda and glances over towards the end of the couch where she put a bowl, just in case.

The soda goes down ok and seems to be staying there.

"How's your head?"

"Hurts."

"Advil?"

I nod as I take another sip of soda.

She gets up and goes into the kitchen, returning a minute later with 2 Advil and some crackers.

"You want to try some crackers?" she asks as she hands me the pills.

"Not now."

"So, I think you'd better call Amy in the morning."

"We'll see how I feel."

"You could always ask her to come to your place. Fuss over you until you feel better."

The thought of Amy fussing over me, holding my head while I puke, listening to me whine about how my head hurts is enough to make me laugh, despite the pain in my chest from throwing up.

"I don't see that happening."

Donna chuckles in agreement as she settles herself down on the end of the couch. She tosses a pillow onto her lap and pulls me down by the shoulders, settling me with my head in her lap. She brushes back my hair and puts the cool cloth on my forehead.

"And since she's not here at the moment, I guess you're stuck with me." says Donna. Even in the dark I can tell she grinning.

"And you always know how to make me feel better. Thank you." I say, hoping to sound as sincere as I feel.

I guess I sounded sincere cause Donna's reaching for the tissues.

"Don't cry."

"I'm sorry, it's...been a bad day all around."

"What about the job offer? Was that a bad thing?"

"I don't know."

"Are you going to..."

"I haven't decided yet."

"Well, just remember, should you decide to leave you need to find me and assistant that's at least as good as you and has the skills needed to make me feel better. Should the need arise."

"Keep dating Amy and I'm sure that need will arise." mutters Donna.

I just raise my eyebrows.

"Sorry. I didn't think I actually said that aloud." she giggles. "Josh, you know, if I take this job, it's not like I'd be moving to like, Hawaii or anything. I wouldn't be leaving town."

"No, you'd be leaving me."

"I'd be leaving the White House."

"Same thing."

"No, it's really not. Look, it's almost 4:30 in the morning. Why don't we talk later? You can buy me lunch."

"Sure."

"You know what?"

"What?" I ask as I close my eyes.

"This is nice, us here, together, not fighting, just acting normal. Apart, of course, from the fact that you had a nightmare."

"It's ok, it wasn't a horrible one and you were here to make it all better." I whisper.

Donna suddenly stops brushing back my hair. Oh no, I've gone too far, said the wrong thing, again. She pats my ribs to get me to sit up enough so she can slide off the couch.

"And right here is where I want to be." she says softly as she kneels next to the couch, takes my hand in hers and places our two hands over my heart.

She kisses my forehead and walks down the hall without looking back.
Even though I am still as confused as I have been for the past 6 weeks or so I feel better.

Things look like they are headed down the road to normalcy.

Finally.

THE END

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