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Happy Birthday Mr. Lyman, Part 2 By Jenna * * * * * Monday August 28, 2000 ** "Hi Donna," Mary Lyman said as she opened the door and let Donna into Josh's apartment late in the afternoon. Donna turned to look at hearing a strange male voice coming from the living room. Josh was stretched out on the floor wearing his gym shorts and an old t-shirt while the physical therapist put him through a series of exercises. Hearing his grunts and groans the two women knew that he would not appreciate an audience to witness his struggles. "Why don't you help me in the kitchen. They'll be done soon." Mary said as she gently steered the younger woman into the kitchen. About ten minutes later the expected shout came from the living room. "Donna! Donnatella Moss!" "Hold your horses, Josh. I was up to my elbows in flour!' "Since when do I even have flour in my house, much less you knowing what to do with it?" Josh smirked. At least it sounded like he was definitely smirking even though Donna couldn't see his face. Josh was now lying on his stomach on a beach towel and had removed his t-shirt so that the therapist could massage his tired, strained muscles. "Since your mother arrived, and I wasn't really, but I could have been. It was a rhetorical example." "A 'rhetorical example'? There's no such thing." "Well, there should be. For, you know, rhetorical questions." "Whatever. Tell me about the latest polling in the California 14th." Donna picked the sweaty t-shirt up off the floor by her feet and absently fondled it as she spoke. She proceeded to tell him about the latest polling results for the California 14th. Then she told him about several other districts that the Bartlet staffers thought the Democrats might have a chance of winning --thanks to the President's popularity at getting in the way of a bullet. Donna continued to tell Josh about the latest rumors of who was in danger of being ousted and what dark-horse candidates they thought were likely to come from behind with a surprising win. All the while Donna watched as the physical therapist kneaded the stiff muscles of Josh's... soft... supple... well muscled... lightly glistening... naked... back... "Donna! Weren't you listening to me?" "Of course I was listening to you Josh, how could I not listen?" "Fine. Then, what'd I just say?" "You didn't say anything. You bellowed 'Donna!'" "Very funny. I asked the latest on Toby's crusade to lock away all the white supremacists.' Donna told Josh of Toby's crusade to repeal the Bill of Rights and the other events happening in the West Wing during his absence. Eventually his questions grew fewer and fewer... then faded to incoherent mumblings as he drifted off to sleep. The therapist stopped, gathered his belongings, and Donna showed him to the door. And so began the routine that they would continue for the next six weeks. Donna came in the evenings and Sam came in the mornings to help Mary with Josh until he could manage for himself again. The physical therapist came in the late afternoons every two or three days and put Josh through a series of grueling exercises that left him sore and exhausted. To Sam fell the thankless task of working with Josh on the days the therapist didn't come. Sam managed to do get Josh to do the exercises without destroying their friendship through a combination of good-natured badgering, bullying, encouragement and camaraderie. For the first two weeks after Josh's return home, Toby and CJ stopped by practically every evening, but it was usually fairly late and generally succeeded in getting Josh all hyped-up over some issue or another and that made it difficult for him to rest. Then, there were the constant telephone calls with the staff members. Most days, Josh was on the phone almost constantly. He'd start with Donna, then get transferred to CJ, then to Toby or Leo, then back to Donna or Sam. Just when he thought he was done, the President would want to just 'ask how he was doing' and they'd end up talking about the Theory of Everything --which became their own theories about everything--for the next 45 minutes. Josh was wearing himself out in a vicious effort to prove that everything was normal except he was working from home --that if he just pretended it wasn't a problem, he could will his body to obey. * * * * * Friday, August 1, 2000 * * "Good morning," Mary said as she opened the door and let Sam Seaborn into the apartment. Sam was wearing his sweat pants and t-shirt for his early morning exercise session with Josh. After that, he would head to the White House gym for his own workout before he showered and change into a suit. "Isn't he up yet?" Sam said looking around and seeing no sign of the usual sleepy Josh stumbling around complaining about being unable to wake up from drinking decaffeinated coffee. "I haven't heard him... Why don't you go roust him while I make coffee." Mary turned towards the kitchen and Sam banged his way into the dim early morning light of Josh's bedroom. "Hey Josh! Time to get up! Rise and shine! Up and at 'em!" "What? Uh..." Josh groaned trying to sit up then giving up. "I don't think I can." "Josh? What's wrong?" Sam's boisterous attitude fell away as genuine concern for his friend. He turned on the bedside light and saw that Josh looked way too pale. Sam reached out and touched Josh's forehead without thought for the usual macho taboos on touching. They'd all had to touch Josh so much in the course of helping him manage since the shooting that now it was sometimes harder to remember not to reach out to him. Josh's skin felt hot and he had a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. "Mary!" "What? What's wrong?" she said rushing into the room while drying her hands on a dish towel. "Josh has a fever. I think he's had a relapse. Maybe an infection... They said to watch for signs..." Mary sat down on the bed next to Josh and felt his forehead as he looked up at her with the same woeful eyes she remembered from when he was five and had the measles. <'Yes, this means you can't go out and play...'> She stroked his hair back from his forehead and smiled gently in reassurance to her son. "I'll call the Doctor's office. The visiting nurse is due by today, anyway. Sam, could you get a glass of water while I sort out the morning pills?" "Sure." * * * The visiting nurse stopped by first thing that morning and consulted with Josh's doctor. The doctor called in a new prescription and ordered Josh to get more rest. Donna stopped by at lunchtime with the new medicine, then she and Mary sat down and came up with a list of rules that would force Josh to get more rest. Donna assured Mary that there wouldn't be a problem getting the staff to comply. Sam had scared everyone half to death that morning with his story of Josh's relapse. Josh was *not* to have any more of those. Leo and the President would not allow it! The rules would be enforced on pain of a little punishment from the two most powerful men in the free world. Henceforth, Josh was to have no phone calls or visitors (excluding Donna) between 11:30 and 2:30 when he should be eating a peaceful lunch then taking a nap. Phone calls were limited to no more than 20 minutes out of each hour between the allowed hours of 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., and (emergencies only!) from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The 7:30 to 9:30 timeslot was also designated as 'visiting hours', but anyone who came over had better keep their visit strictly in the social/morale-boosting mode and not get Josh worked up or tired out or they'd be banned (duration subject to discretion -- AKA: Donna's degree of pissed-off-ness at the infraction). Sam would still come by in the mornings and Donna in the evenings to help. Evening social visits from Sam, CJ and Toby were limited to every other day. People had to coordinate so that all of them would not be present at the same time due to their tendency to turn into Musketeers (or some days, Mouseketeers), which tired Josh out. Leo was the only one (Donna didn't count, of course) who was actually declared to be exempt from the rules. Leo could be counted on to look out for Josh's best interest without any rules. When he called to talk to Josh, it was to make Josh feel like he was still an important and valued voice. Leo's calls kept Josh in the loop on the events happening in the West Wing and always left him feeling better and stronger. Leo was welcome to call or come by anytime if it had that effect. "I think that just about covers it," Donna said putting down the ballpoint pen and flexing her tired hand. "I'll type these up and pass them out this afternoon. That way no one can say they 'didn't get my email'." Mary got up and cleared the lunch plates that had been shoved to the side. "Still... it's not looking good for that mid-October return date..." "No." Donna said as she stood to take her glass to the sink. "I think he was pushing himself too hard, just because of that date. The sooner he accepts that he can't just bounce back from..." Donna faltered and put a hand to her face. Mary walked to Donna and put her arm around the younger woman. "It's okay, Donna. He's stubborn like his father before him, but he's smart too. He'll learn from this. He'll abide by the rules. You'll see." She gave Donna's shoulders a squeeze. But so much for my heading back to Hartford for a few days." Donna sniffed and felt bad. She knew Mary had been looking forward to going home and getting a brief respite from playing nursemaid. A neighbor was watching the house, but she must miss her own home and her friends. "You should go. Really. The doctor said Josh would be okay. That he just needed to rest more. I can stay here while you're gone and make sure he does. I'll even feed him while you're gone!" she chuckled. "Well, if you'll feed him... "Mary smiled back, "I can't have my only son wasting away to skin and bones... Seriously, Donna, I don't want to impose on you. You've already done so much for us. And this is the Labor Day weekend. Surely you have plans..." "Nope. I probably would have been here all weekend anyway, only now Josh can't make me work," she grinned maliciously. "He has to rest the entire weekend. He'll hate it! Maybe I'll make him stay in bed... Are you taking Oscar?" she asked looking over at the big grey cat who had just walked across the kitchen to his food dish. "You could leave him... I think Josh'd like the company during the day." "So you finally realized that Oscar doesn't need to stay shut up in my bedroom, huh?" "Well, when I found him sleeping on Josh's stomach the other day, I figured it out." "He always has like animals. I think if he had a regular 9 to 5 job he'd have a menagerie. Maybe someday..." Mary sighed thinking back to the carefree little boy that Josh had been. That little boy probably would have grown up to marry his college sweetheart and have a ramshackle house with several kids and an assortment of cats, dogs, hamsters, turtles, and goldfish. But that boy died with his sister one sunny afternoon. "I don't know how he ever managed without you to keep him in line, Donna" "Very badly. Case in point: one Mandy Hampton," Donna made a face knowing Mary's poor opinion of Mandy's 10-month exercise in manipulating Josh. "I'm so glad that woman moved back to New York! When I think how--" Mary took a deep breath and calmed down. "Well, suffice to say I'm very glad you came along and provided such a nice contrast to Mandy that Josh was able to see what genuine caring is all about." Donna blushed and turned away. "How could anyone not genuinely care for Josh... Not that I'd admit that to him, of course. His ego is big enough already." She cleared her throat. "I'd better get back before Josh wakes up and decides I need to bring him the few remaining files that are left in his office. I'll see you later," Donna said grabbing her purse and tote bag and practically running for the door before she could say anything else embarrassingly emotional to Josh's mom. Mary just smile and said, "I'll finish packing for Hartford. My train leaves at 10:35 tomorrow morning. Sam offered me a ride to the station." "Okay. I'll be here by 8:30 and stay with Josh. See you tonight. Call if you need me to pick up anything on the way," Donna said closing the door behind her. * * * Mary left the next morning, leaving Josh in Donna's care for the next few days to a week, depending on how Josh was doing by Tuesday night when Mary would make the decision to stay or head back. Other than Sam coming by to make sure Josh didn't fall in the shower during his relapse, no visitors were allowed for the weekend. Josh ended up sleeping most of time while Donna quietly read or worked at the dining room table where she'd sat up the laptop. Oscar happily alternated between sleeping on Donna's lap and curled up next to Josh. * * * ** Labor Day, Monday September 4, 2000 ** "Hey, Donna." CJ Cregg said as Donna opened the door to Josh's apartment Monday afternoon. "How's he doing today?" "I'm fine, thank you!" Came a disembodied voice from the direction of the sofa. "He's being difficult," countered Donna. "I'm not being difficult. I'm just not letting you cut my hair." "I read a book. I can do it." "I'd sooner have Sam trim my toe nails with hedge clippers!" Josh exclaimed sitting up in indignation. "That can be arranged!" CJ chuckled, happy to see that Josh was obviously feeling better again. "You are getting a little shaggy there, my friend. "My hair's just fine. I'm not letting Donna cut it." "Well pal-o-mine, it's your lucky day. I worked two summers at SuperClippers when I was in school. I'll cut it." She reached out to snag her fingers through his curls. "We need to wash it first though," she said looking over at Donna. "Oh no. No way! I can wash my own hair," Josh protested. "Joshua, you can barely get your arms above your head. Standing under the shower and letting the water run through it doesn't count. Kitchen sink?" Donna said, turning to CJ. "That'll work. You have to wash though." "What!" Donna said, a slight high-pitched tone of panic in her voice. "Uh... I mean... That's fair. Since... you know... you're cutting." "Come on, Josh." CJ said grabbing his hand and pulling him off the sofa, "I was a stylist to the stars. Trust me." "You're lying right?" "Big time." Donna and CJ had Josh sit in a kitchen chair with a towel around his shoulders and lean his head back against the edge of the sink. CJ stood back and watched as Donna wet down Josh's hair and awkwardly began to massage the shampoo into the soft, chestnut brown curls. She used the dish spray to rinse his hair then shampooed again. CJ noticed as the tension in Josh's face and shoulders faded while Donna sprayed the warm water through his hair and lathered and rinsed the shampoo out again. Donna had visibly relaxed as she concentrated on the task and became comfortable with the intimacy of the act. As CJ watched Donna massage the conditioner through Josh's curls she started to feel uncomfortable --like she was being a voyeur. It was too intimate. For Josh and Donna this was no longer a chore. It was a sensuous act. It was as if they were making love before her eyes. "uh... Donna! I think you've got it. You've rinsed his hair -like- six times now." "Hummm?" Donna said snapping out of the spell. "Oh, right." She blushed slightly as she cut off the water, then began blotting Josh's hair dry with the extra towel. Josh complied with the order to pull his chair into the center of the kitchen so that CJ could stand behind him. Now it was Donna's turn to watch as CJ combed the wet curls back from his forehead, accentuating the receding hair line. He definitely looks better with the curls, she thought. Not that it was any of her business how he wore his hair. She sternly reminded herself that he was her employer and their increased friendship and familiarity would probably end as soon as he could manage for himself. CJ combed out a section of his hair and expertly snagged it with her fingers. She carefully examined the inch of hair sticking out above her fingers and looked over at Donna for her opinion. At Donna's frown, she slid her fingers further towards the ends. Donna smiled in agreement and CJ snipped off a half-inch. Josh forlornly watched as the snipped hair fell to his lap, followed by another... "You know what you're doing, right?" he asked. "It'll grow back. Relax." "That gives me a world of confidence in your skills there, CJ." "Shut up. I'm concentrating. I haven't done this lately." A few minutes of the sound of scissors snipping hair was broken by the ringing of the doorbell. "That'll be Toby. He was coming over after the Labor Day thing," CJ explained as Donna headed to the door. Toby followed Donna into the kitchen a moment later and saw Josh with the towel around his shoulders with CJ cutting his hair. Josh, typically, was trying to look both macho and nonchalant. But, to Toby it seemed that Josh had exactly the same expression that his old family dog had had when being forced to play dress-up by his two sisters. Toby laughed. "When they break out the makeup, Josh. Run!" "No sh-" "Hey! Watch it buster," CJ reprimanded. "I have scissors and you don't have that much hair as it is." "You're actually letting CJ cut your hair?" "She's had experience," Josh explained. "Two weeks sweeping floors at a beauty salon when she was 16." "What! You said you spent two summers at SuperClippers!" "Okay, so... I exaggerated. I have you know I learned a lot in those two weeks!" she said indignantly. "Where's a mirror." Josh growled. "You look good, Josh." Donna assured, handing him a mirror, then blushing as Josh made eye contact with her. "I do?" He looked in the mirror. "I do, don't I." "Yeah, Josh. Your fan club won't disown you," CJ retorted. "I told you to trust me. Don't ever doubt me again. I am invincible! I am woman!" "Oh God!" Toby and Josh both moaned. * * * ** Friday, September 15, 2000 ** Mary Lyman let Chief of Staff Leo McGarry into Josh's apartment late one night after she'd been back about a week. Leo kissed the silver haired woman on the cheek and said, "How's he doing tonight?" "He's asleep. I was about to make some decaf Earl Grey. You want some? Or I can make some coffee... It's decaf though." "Maybe a glass of water... I'll just..." he motioned towards Josh's room. "Sure... The medication knocks him out at night. You won't disturb him. I'll be in the kitchen." Leo stepped into the bedroom and let his eyesight adjust to the dark room. A large grey cat followed him into the bedroom, jumped up on the foot of the bed, and proceeded to give himself a bath. Leo walked over to the bed and looked down at his sleeping deputy and surrogate son, thankful to be able to look at him period. He reached out and gently adjusted the bedcovers, brushing his fingers over Josh's shoulder in passing. He turned abruptly and left, carefully leaving the bedroom door slightly ajar so the cat could come and go. Leo stood at the kitchen door and watched as Mary made the tea. She'd been a tea-drinking Anglophile as long as he'd known her, and that had been over thirty years. He'd met her a few time at office functions back when he and Noah had worked for the same law firm. He'd always enjoyed joining in on the lively discussions that seemed to develop whenever Noah and Mary were around. They were always laughing and flirting, nevermind that they'd been married 15 years. They'd never really been close friends back then though. Noah and Mary had each other and their kids and he and Jenny had just gotten married. Then Mallory came along. It wasn't until later -after the fire- that he'd really become friends with Noah. He'd first seen Josh at the funeral. Josh was nine or ten. All awkward limbs, bushy chestnut curls, and the eyes of a soldier straight out of the trenches of World War I. Josh wasn't the only one looking shell-shocked though. Noah and Mary looked just as devastated. Losing a child! He couldn't imagine how awful that must be. And all because some lousy 20-buck popcorn maker had shorted out. Noah had told him about it years later over too many drinks when Mary had taken Josh and fled to England on a whirlwind tour to forget the anniversary. Joanie had run upstairs to get her cello and had been overcome by the smoke. Mary had just gone down to the neighborhood grocery store. She was only gone 20 or 30 minutes...She'd come home to find fire trucks and police cars at the house. Josh was standing on the front lawn, the cat in his arms and tears streaming down his face. No one had told him, but he knew. He knew his sister wasn't there with him. The police had already called Noah by that time. He arrived as they carried Joanie out of the house. They laid her on the ground. They gave her oxygen. They gave her CPR. They called the time of death. The soggy grocery sack lay torn open on the ground. The fragile birthday candles crushed underfoot. A can of chocolate frosting wobbled against the pulsating fire hose. It was Noah Lyman's 40th birthday and he was about to start a new life. "Penny for your thoughts." "Huh?" "A penny for your thoughts. You looked deep in thought there," Mary said as she set the tea tray on the kitchen table. "Oh...uh... I was just thinking how good it'll be to have Josh back, even if it isn't in time to push for the Midterm elections as we'd hoped." "Ah..." she replied in a tone that suggested skepticism but respected his privacy. She opened the cabinet and pulled out a glass. "Actually," he sighed as he walked towards the kitchen table, "that's not what I was thinking about -- although it will be good to have him back. I was thinking about..." he shrugged and said cautiously, 'the fire." Mary didn't reply. She went to the freezer and put some ice in the glass. Then she went to the sink and turned on the water. Finally, she brought the water to Leo and sat down at the table. Leo sat down and watched Mary pour a cup of tea and added some milk. He didn't know whether he should speak or wait longer. Finally, as he was about to apologize, she spoke. "I think about her almost every day, you know. I like to think she's a cellist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, or some place on the West Coast and that's why I don't get to see her. But we talk every week. I imagine that she has three kids. An older boy and girl, and a later surprise. I waffle back and forth as to whether that's a boy or a girl. I put on Yo-Yo Ma and imagine that's her playing... Maybe I'm just making it worse for myself. Denying reality and all that." "If it brings you comfort..." "Other times I realize how lucky I am that I only lost Joanie that day. Then I feel terrible for feeling lucky. But I know I am because I still have Josh. Josh was always my baby. Joanie was so independent and headstrong. She shut herself away and played her music... And... I feel like somehow it's my fault she died. Because I loved Josh more!" she said, her voice rising to near hysteria. "Mary, that's not true. Kids are different, but I'm sure you loved her just as much..." "Josh blames himself, you know. We saw a family counselor a couple of times after... Josh just seemed to withdraw." "I remember." "I don't think we ever convinced him that he had nothing to do with it. It wasn't his fault. He thinks it's because he wanted popcorn... but that was the night before the fire! It just all merged together in his head. But I think how I could have lost Josh and Noah too! What if that damn popcorn maker had shorted out at night when we were all asleep! We never though a thing about leaving it plugged in. I thank God that I didn't lose them too. I..." she shook her head and put her hands to her face at the hopeless cycle of guilt and thankfulness that trapped her thoughts. "Mary... No..." "Leo, this is twice I've almost lost Josh. I don't want there to be a third time. I can't expect to be so lucky a third time," Mary appealed wiping her tears with her hand. "Mary. I swear to you. There won't be a third time. I'll make sure of it. There won't be a third time. He's like a son to me, you know. Hell, he's like a son to President Bartlet too. I think we may get into a fight someday over who gets to play father to him," Leo said wryly, trying to lighten the mood. Mary sniffed and smiled, "I can see it now 'Today in the Nation's Capital, President Josiah Bartlet and Chief of Staff Leo McGarry came to blows in the Oval Office over which man would make the better surrogate father to Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman. Film at 11!'" "Don't laugh. That man's always wanted a son." "I don't think you have to worry Leo. Josh idolizes you." Leo just shrugged, but Mary knew he was pleased. She sniffed, smiled, and sipped her tea and gave a silent prayer of thanks. * * *
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