A Friend In Need

by: Kerry

Disclaimer: Apparently some guy called Sorkin owns ‘em.  My bank manager says I’m worth nothing (or did he say I was worthless?) so there’s no point in suing me!
Category: Josh/Donna Romance/humour
Rating: CHILD
Spoilers: None that I know of
Summary: Josh's idiocy results in pain for Donna - and a change in both their living arrangements
Author's Note: Big thank you’s to Abby and Jillian for beta reading and providing encouragement (and telling me to hurry up and finish!!).  I should warn you – the fic is long but please stick with it!
FEEDBACK: Pretty please, but be nice, it’s my first ever fic! J

Josh and Donna received a few stares as they entered the west wing.  Obviously the grapevine was a little slow today, or Leo hadn’t told Margaret about Donna’s accident yet.  They made their way to Donna’s cubicle and Josh helped her out of her jacket before she sat down.

"Do you need anything?"  He asked gently.

"Some coffee would be nice."  She grinned as she replied.

"Yeah, like I’m gonna bring you coffee when you don’t bring me any.  You want coffee you know where the pot is."  Josh pointed towards the coffee-pot for emphasis.

"And just how do you suggest she carries the cup of coffee while her hands are full with her crutches?"  Josh turned around to find CJ glaring at him.  "I think bringing Donna coffee is the least you can do since I heard you are responsible for her current predicament!"  Josh gulped and looked to Donna for help, she just smirked at him.

"Ok, I’m getting the coffee."  Josh moved quickly away and didn’t notice CJ winking at Donna, nor did he hear her whispering "I’m gonna have so much fun with this.  Leo told us what happened at the senior staff meeting, the late meeting I should add."

As Josh returned with the coffee CJ turned to him and said "Hey Josh, don’t you have a meeting to prepare for?" 

"Yes, but you just told me to get Donna some coffee and I don’t want to feel the wrath of the sisterhood again."  With that, Josh quickly placed the cup of coffee in front of Donna and bolted into his office, carrying a cup of coffee for himself, firmly closing the door behind him.  CJ and Donna shared a look and laughed.

"Donna, if you need anything just let me know, and if Idiot Boy isn’t behaving himself and helping you, let me know that too."  CJ smiled as she said the words but there was a look of concern on her face as well.

"I don’t think we’ll need to worry about that once I point out to Josh that I can use my crutches as weapons against him."  Donna sported an evil grin as she lifted one crutch into the air and CJ laughed as she headed towards her office.

Josh entered Leo’s Office at 3:15pm to find CJ already there.

"Leo, you wanted to see me?"  Josh gave him a questioning look to find out if he should come back later.

"Yeah, how did the meeting with O’Donnell go?"

"It was ok.  Donna’s typing up the notes now, you’ll have them in a half-hour.  I didn’t have to give up too much ground though."  Josh was sporting a small version of his ‘I’m-da-man’ look and CJ rolled her eyes.

"Ok, well that wasn’t really what I wanted to talk to you about anyway.  Have a seat."  Leo pointed to the visitor’s armchair nearest the door, CJ took a seat on the couch and Leo sat in the other chair, opposite Josh.

"Let me guess," Josh started, "this is about Donna’s accident, right?  I haven’t had a chance to fill in the report yet but I will."

"It’s about the accident yes, but it’s more about the after-effects, not the cause."  Leo replied simply.

"Huh?"  A confused look came over Josh’s face and he looked from Leo to CJ.

"Josh, Carol was talking to Donna while you were in your meeting and she says that Donna is worried about how she’s going to manage getting up the stairs to her apartment while she’s on crutches.  She’s knows she’s going to be exhausted from walking around on them all day, and most of the night, here and she won’t have enough energy left when she gets home."  Josh started to interrupt but CJ raised her hand to stop him.  "She’s so concerned in fact that she was going to ask Margaret is she could stay with her since she has a street level apartment.  However, Carol had to tell her that Margaret has her sister staying with her at the moment so she wouldn’t have the room.  Unfortunately, no-one else that Donna is friendly with here has an apartment lower than her own."  CJ gave him a look that Josh was finding difficult to interpret.

"CJ, don’t you have an elevator in your apartment building?"  Josh asked, with no trace of humor in his voice.

"Yes, and I thought about asking her to stay with me.  However, she will need to be driven to and from work every day and I think she needs to cut back her hours a little bit so she can rest.  As you know, I often don’t call a full lid until around 11pm and I think that would be too late for Donna. Even if she could get a lift home from someone else, I’d be worried that I would disturb her when I got back." CJ looked at Leo, who nodded for her to continue.  "Leo and I think that Donna should stay with you, since you only have one flight of steps to climb and you work pretty much the same hours."  CJ looked straight at Josh as she said this, and then smiled as she saw his deer-in-the-headlights look.

"CJ, she can’t stay with me!"  Josh exclaimed, looking from CJ to Leo and then back to CJ.

"Why not Josh?  If you’re worried about the press and how it would look, don’t.  I’d be surprised if they even noticed.  I mean sure, they’ll see you leaving together but they won’t think anything of you driving her home when she’s on crutches.  I seriously doubt they’ll be camped out on your doorstep" Josh started to interrupt again but CJ continued, "but even if they are, we can easily explain why Donna is staying in your guest room.  They all like Donna and wouldn’t want to kick her while she’s down, as they say."  Leo noticed the worried look on Josh’s face and decided to take over.

"Josh, what would you rather have; Donna exhausted every day and in pain, worrying about how she’s going to climb the steps, or Donna somewhere that you can help her?"  Leo held Josh’s eyes as he asked.

"Of course I want her to stay with me...where I can help her," he quickly amended his statement, "but I don’t want it dragged through the press when there’s nothing to drag."

"Don’t worry about it Josh.  Just you concentrate on looking after Donna.  She won’t admit it but she’ll need help, she’s not used to being like this."  CJ’s tone was light and Josh visibly relaxed.

"Ok, but I’m going to need a favor.  Someone will have to go over to Donna’s and pack some clothes for her so she doesn’t have to go there and do it herself.  I’d do it, but I don’t think she’d want me to."  Josh looked at CJ.

"Well, I don’t have time but I’ll ask Carol to go over.  She can check with Donna what she wants packed."  Josh’s head snapped up at that.

"No!  No, I don’t think we should tell Donna about this."  At Leo and CJ’s questioning looks he continued.  "If we do, she’ll refuse and will insist on booking herself into a hotel or something.  It’ll be easier if I just drive her to my apartment tonight without saying anything first."

"Ok, but she’s gonna have to know - Carol will need a key."  CJ stated.  At that, Josh removed his keychain from his pocket, pointed to two keys and handed them to CJ.

"Those are the keys for the building door and Donna’s apartment door."  CJ looked at him strangely.

"Why do you have D...you know what?  I’m not even gonna ask."  CJ glanced at Leo, who had a slight smile on his face.  "Ok, I’ll send Carol over.  Actually, it might be best if you and Donna aren’t seen leaving with a suitcase tonight.  I’ll get Carol to call you when she gets back and you can meet her in the parking lot and transfer the stuff to your car."  Josh nodded his agreement.

"Alright, now that we have that sorted, back to work both of you."  Leo stood and started to usher them out of his office.  "Oh, and Josh, I still want to see that accident report before you leave today."  Josh nodded and left the office, missing the twin grins of CJ and Leo.

Chapter 5

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