Light of the Morning
“Thanks for that Donna, you know I always value your advice.” Matt said as he moved from the couch to stand behind his desk.
“Thank you for the continued vote of confidence, Mr. President.” Donna stood up, ignoring the slight pain in her lower back that she’d had for a few days, and faced him.
“I mean it.” Matt said sincerely. “You’re doing a great job. The work you’ve been doing on the Workplace Crèche Initiative is really moving the issue forwards.”
“Thank you… again.” Donna beamed. She patted her enlarged stomach. “Of course, I have a, not so hidden, agenda.”
He smiled.
“You’re nearly due, right? We’re going to lose you for a while soon?”
“Two weeks, sir.” She grinned.
“Well, you’ve put in a great effort staying here until you’re so close.”
“It’s not exactly been that hard for me.” She admitted. “Walking over here today is the most exercise I’ve had in weeks.”
He looked apologetic.
“Oh Donna, sorry, I didn’t think…”
“It’s fine. Just Josh being over-protective.” She said sheepishly. “I’m surprising him with lunch with after this.”
“Ah.” He said knowingly. “Then don’t let me keep you.”
“Thank you sir.”
Donna turned to go but then paused. She swayed as a wave of dizziness hit her, along with a strange pull. She clutched her stomach.
“Oh my god.” She said softly.
“What is it?” Matt asked, concerned.
She looked over at him in absolute horror. She looked down to see that the rug under her feet was getting wet. She looked back up at him in horror again.
“Donna, what’s wrong?” He asked as he came around the desk.
She looked down and then up again.
“The rug…” She squeaked. She was standing right over the seal. Which was now wet.
Matt caught on, smiled reassuring and patted her arm.
“It’s okay.” He said.
Matt crossed to the door connecting the Oval to Josh’s office. He rapped hard once and then opened it.
“Josh, we need you in here right now.” He said.
Seconds later Josh was coming into the room.
“I hope you…” He began jovially, but then he saw Donna. “Donna!” He hurried over to her.
“The rug!” Donna said again, emphatically.
“What?” Josh asked, confused.
Matt went back to his desk and pressed a button on the intercom.
“Ronna, we’ll need a car to take Donna to the hospital.” He said calmly.
Josh turned to look at him horrified. Matt smiled at him.
“Baby’s coming.” He informed him gleefully.
Josh froze and went very pale.
Ronna didn’t answer the intercom, instead she burst in through the door looking worried.
She paused as she took in the scene of Josh looking terrified, Matt grinning and Donna staring at the rug.
“What’s wrong?” She demanded. “Donna are you okay?”
Josh open his mouth a few times, currently beyond the power of speech.
“Ronna, it’s okay.” Matt said reassuringly. “It’s just time.”
Ronna understood and beamed.
“I’ll get the car!” She exclaimed excitedly and dashed back out.
“Maybe Donna should sit down.” Matt suggested, still grinning.
“Uh, yeah.” Josh said, jerking into action.
He tried to manoeuvre her towards one of the couches but she just squeaked.
“Wet. No!”
Josh finally saw what she meant and took off his suit jacket, laying it carefully over the couch before finally getting her to sit. She still didn’t look happy about it.
Thankfully Ronna came back not long after to say that the car was ready.
—
It seemed as if everyone came out to see as Josh and Ronna helped Donna through the building.
They kept shouting words of encouragement and congratulations and Donna tried to smile and thank them. She was breathing heavily now, both with the exertion of the walk and because contractions had started in earnest. It was all happening much faster than she’d been led to expect and she was starting to get worried.
“We should have gone the back way.” Ronna said.
“Back way?” Josh exclaimed, his voice rising. “There a back way?”
“Ya-huh, and it would have been shorter.”
“Then why didn’t we go that way?!” He demanded. “Why didn’t I know there’s a back way?”
“It’s for the President.” Ronna replied.
“I’m sure he’d have let us use it in the circumstances!”
“Oh shut up, the both of you!” Donna exclaimed. “I don’t care how, just get me to the car!”
A strong contraction overtook her and she collapsed into Josh’s arms.
He looked around frantically and saw that they were outside Lou’s office and she wasn’t in there.
“In here.” He said and they manoeuvred Donna inside, onto the couch.
They sat down on either side of her. Josh took her hand and immediately his hand was crushed by her gripping back.
She doubled up, clutching her stomach, but, looking up briefly, she noticed where she was, including the large windows that meant everyone could see in.
“Windows!” She gasped as Ronna rubbed her back.
“Rugs and now windows… Donna, are you nesting?” Josh asked with a smirk.
She was not in the mood and she wasn’t managing to catch her breath, so she punched him hard in the arm with her free hand.
“Ow!” He complained.
“Open windows!” She gasped.
“Oh!” He jumped up and tried to work the blinds. It took him a couple of goes, especially because his hand and arm were both hurting.
He came back over and knelt next to her.
“Are you okay?” He asked softly, trying to be tender and supportive.
“Of course, I’m not okay!” She shouted and he looked taken aback. Ronna just grinned. “Josh, I don’t wanna have this baby in the White House!” She said it as a plea.
“It’d be kinda like a home birth.” He suggested sheepishly.
She just glared at him.
“Okay.” He said. He turned to Ronna. “Transport?” He asked.
“Oh!” Ronna exclaimed. “I know.” She got up and ran out of the office.
“What’s she..?” Donna tried to ask.
“Don’t worry.” He told her, making an attempt at reassuring. “We’re gonna you to the hospital in time.” He smiled and held her hand.
Another contraction hit and she crushed his hand again. He tried to keep smiling through it as Donna swore like a sailor.
Thankfully Ronna came back in. He looked up hopefully and she gave him a double thumbs up.
Josh waited for the contraction to pass and helped Donna to her feet. He guided her into the corridor and came to a dead stop with a look of astonishment on his face. Donna’s face was tucked into his shirtfront, so she hadn’t seen what he’d just seen yet.
Josh looked at Ronna with an “are you kidding me?” look on his face. She shrugged apologetically.
“Best I could do.” She said.
Donna looked up and saw the trolley they used to carry boxes around, with a chair on it.
“So much for dignity.” She commented wryly. “Let’s get this over with.”
Josh and Ronna helped her onto the chair. Ronna helped steady her, whilst Josh tried to pull. It moved a little but not much.
Donna looked over her shoulder at him.
“Your dignity and mine.” He winced.
He decided to nurse his pride later, as Bram and Otto came to his aid.
Between them all they managed to get to the lobby and out to the car.
—
Josh strutted back into the West Wing.
As he walked through the bullpen he was bombarded with questions which he answered with a huge grin, a triumphant “boy!”, “6 pounds, 3 ounces” and, “no, you can’t have the day off Bram, get back to work!”
Sam was already coming out of his office when Josh arrived.
“Cower down before me, puny man-child, for I am now truly a man!” He announced, throwing his arms high and wide.
“Donna had the baby then?” Sam asked, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
“A boy.” Josh grinned. “And, god, he’s perfect!”
“How’s Donna?” Sam asked, grinning now too.
“She’s okay. Sleeping, like she deserves to.” The grin had turned into a fond, proud smile. “The baby’s two weeks early, so they’re keeping them in for few nights.”
“You’re going back there?”
“In a while, just checking in here first.”
“Small victory lap around the corridors here first.” Sam nodded, mocking him.
Josh gave him a hard stare. “When you become a man you’ll understand.”
“Of course… I bow before your ability to have unprotected sex.” Sam actually bowed.
“You’re not killing my good mood, Sam.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Sam clapped him heartily on the back. They hugged in a brief and manly way. Then, grinning like idiots, hugged again.
—
Lou actually took a couple of steps back as Donna, lying in a hospital bed, offered to let her hold the baby.
“No, I’m good!” She had her hands up defensively.
Donna smiled at her reaction and looked down at her son in her arms.
“Don’t take it personally.” She cooed. “Auntie Lou’s just grumpy.”
“Am not.” Lou commented under her breath, a little grumpily.
“Hey you.” Josh said warmly as he came into the room. He went immediately to Donna and they shared a quick kiss. He looked down at the baby, beaming. “Hey.” He said to him, stroking his head. Donna handed him over to his dad.
Toby had followed Josh in but hung back in the doorway. Lou noticed him. She nodded, he nodded back. Lou reached for the bag of grapes on the table by Donna and grabbed a small bunch. She popped one into her mouth.
“Hi Toby.” Donna said brightly.
“Hi Donna.” He replied. “How are you feeling?”
“Good.” She grinned.
“She’s more than good.” Josh cut in, proudly. “She’s great! She’s the mother of my son.” He leant down and kissed her.
Lou rolled her eyes but she was grinning too.
Josh turned towards Toby with his son in his arms.
“Toby, meet David.” He said, offering the baby to him.
Toby looked at him startled. Josh smiled and nodded.
Toby nodded back, surprised and touched. He gently took the small bundle into his arms.
“Hi David.” He smiled as he looked into the baby’s eyes. The baby gave a happy sounding gurgle.
—
After the secret service agent had done a quick sweep and given the all clear, Josh ushered Donna in through the front door.
He dumped the bags he was carrying near the door and followed her expected path into the front room. He stopped in the doorway, arrested by the sight of Donna sitting on the couch with their son in her arms. She was looking down at him and making silly faces.
Josh sighed softly, happily, and that must have alerted her to his presence, because she looked up.
“Hey.” She said with a beaming smile.
“Hey yourself.” He replied, smiling back.
He went over to sit with them, snuggling up close so him and Donna were flush against each other. He put one arm around behind her and one, lightly, on the baby’s shoulder, so that he was holding both of them.
He bent his head and kissed his son’s head.
“I love you.” He said, and raised his head to meet her eyes. He leant in and kissed her. “And I love you.” He said near her lips.
They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment before she tucked her head into his shoulder. He laid his head against hers. And they just sat there like that for a long while.
—
“We absolutely can’t compromise our position on this. We have to hit them back today, and we have to hit them hard.”
Josh stood up behind his desk to emphasise his point. The squeak from the plush toy bear, which had fallen out from the shopping bag by his desk and that turned out to be directly under his foot, was loud in the silence.
Lou’s mouth quirked. Annabeth clamped her hand her over her mouth in an effort to suppress her laugh. Bram bit his lip and looked sheepish.
Josh glared at them.
“Anyone who laughs is fired.” He threatened.
Everyone burst out laughing.
“Get out.” He ordered. “Everyone, out!”