They were silent for most of the drive to Donna’s apartment. No one from the press was there when they arrived, meaning they really didn’t have “the Donna angle” to the story yet.

When Josh realized Donna didn’t have her key, or anything for that matter, he carefully avoided discussion of why and buzzed the landlady. She’d come down and opened the door, giving Donna a curious look when she stood there at nearly 1 a.m. with four other people and no key. Donna had simply muttered a thank-you and stepped inside. Sam had briefly explained to the landlady what she needed to know in a hushed tone as the rest of the group ascended the stairs. Mrs. Bagley had been horrified and given him an extra key to Donna’s apartment, making him promise to tell Donna that she’d be in her prayers.

They were all gathered at the door to Donna’s apartment, saying nothing, when they heard Sam begin to come up the stairs. Finally, the silence became a little much for CJ. “I’ve never been to your apartment before,” she said to Donna, trying for small talk.

“Well, this is it,” Donna said sheepishly, then her mood suddenly changed. “I’d invite you in, but I can’t even get in myself.” Bitterness dripped from every word. CJ looked at the floor. “I’m sorry,” Donna muttered. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight.”

“Swear to God, I thought I was gonna have to sit in that woman’s kitchen while she baked me something before she’d just give me the damn key,” Sam said with a lopsided grin as he ascended the last few stairs. “She kept making comments about me being too thin.”

“She does that,” Donna said as Sam struggled with the wobbly doorknob and stubborn deadbolt.

“I noticed,” he grinned again. “And voila. Home sweet home.” He threw open the door and stood back so Donna could go in first.

If you hadn’t known Donna lived there, you would’ve been able to guess. The whole apartment just screamed her name. A comfortable, worn couch dominated the tiny living room. Most of the furniture was mismatched, either inherited pieces from extended family or funky finds from one of the local thrift stores or flea markets in DC. But somehow, Donna had managed to give it all a cohesiveness. A blend of colors, styles and textures all its own, creating a living space that was as unique and multi-faceted as she was.

She’d moved to Adams Morgan two years after coming to Washington, after her roommate had gotten engaged and moved in with her boyfriend. When she’d told Josh she didn’t plan on looking for another roommate, Josh had insisted she get out of her Michigan Avenue neighborhood. He’d wanted her to find a place near his in Georgetown, because she’d be living alone and still working crazy hours, coming home at all hours of the night and morning. That way, he could walk her home or drop her off easily on the REALLY late nights. But Georgetown had been way too expensive and Donna had always loved Adams Morgan, with its multicultural influences and hip feel. It still wasn’t as safe as Josh would have liked. It was fine in the daytime but at night, off the main streets, it wasn’t as safe as he would have preferred. But Donna loved the area, and to tell the truth, after viewing it for years through Donna’s eyes, he’d come to love it, too.

The fluorescent light in the kitchenette had been left on, as was the lamp in the living room. Josh had helped her put a few of the lights on timers when she moved in, saying the “freaks” in town didn’t need to know exactly when she came and went.

“This is cute,” CJ said as she set all the things from the hospital down on the coffee table and took her coat off. Toby and Sam had also taken off their coats and laid them over the back of a chair.

“I’m gonna make you some tea,” Sam said, gently touching Donna’s elbow as he walked past her. She stood still in the middle of the room.

“And since I’m, you know, a real man, we’re gonna need some coffee to go with that,” Toby muttered, following Sam.

Josh was turning on lights and adjusting the thermostat like he owned the place. All of them were trying to make Donna comfortable, but ironically, were oblivious to the nightmare she was experiencing at that moment.

“I never forget a name or a face. And I never forget a back talker. 5761 Belmont, Number 216? I’ll have to drop by one day, when all this is over. Then you and I will spend some time catching up, Donnatella Moss. Just the two of us.”

“The way you’ve decorated is absolutely adorable,” CJ said. She felt kind of ridiculous, making casual conversation about interior decorating at 1 a.m. in Donna’s apartment, but she felt the need to project some semblance of...normalcy, especially after what Dr. Bennett had said. Desperately trying to hang onto that normal image she hoped she’d created, she wandered over to look at some of the many picture frames that Donna had on display.

“Yeah, well, don’t let her take credit for the dining table, because that was all me,” Josh called from the thermostat. “She said it wouldn’t work in this space, but I think we’ve since proven for all mankind that I was right and she was wro...”

CJ turned around as Josh trailed off.

Josh had been reaching to take his coat off of Donna when he caught sight of her face. She was white as a sheet, and shaking like a leaf.

“Donna?” he said softly. CJ approached the two of them. Donna looked terrible. Josh bent into her line of vision again. “Donna?”

She looked at him, clearly panicked. “I didn’t mean here,” she whispered shakily.

“What?”

“When I said I wanted to go...when I said ‘home,’ I wasn’t thinking here. I...I meant the brownstone,” she said, reaching up and twisting her fingers into the material of the front of his shirt. There was a desperate edge to her voice. Her hands were trembling so badly, Josh couldn’t believe she could keep hold of the fabric. He placed his hands over hers to still them. “He saw my license, Josh, he knows where I— he knows I live here.”

CJ tried her best to be a comfort. “Donna, they’re all in custody,” she cooed, rubbing Donna’s back. She decided to leave out the part about the one who’d died, in case Donna wasn’t ready to hear that. The leader’s life still hung in the balance as well. “The police have them, it doesn’t matter. They can’t possibly—”

Josh shook his head at CJ almost imperceptibly, sensing Donna was not in the right frame of mind to understand a logical argument. “You can stay at the brownstone for as long as you want,” he said to Donna, who nodded her head unsteadily.

“Donna? Do you want me to help you pack some things?” CJ asked gently. Donna didn’t seem to like the idea of leaving Josh, but he didn’t want to start her down a road where she couldn’t go in the next room without him. Very gently, he pulled her hands away from his shirt. “Go pack some stuff,” he said softly. “CJ’ll go with you. I’ll round up Toby and Sam.”

“Go ahead and pack enough for a few days,” he said to CJ as Donna headed toward her bedroom.

“Josh,” CJ hissed. “You have to know how that will—”

“I’m not having this conversation with you right now,” he said firmly, but not unkindly. “Pack enough for several days.”

“We will talk about this later,” she said.

“I can hardly wait,” he said sarcastically as he waved her toward the bedroom.

Toby and Sam were trying to get coffee and tea started without completely destroying Donna’s kitchen when Josh appeared in the doorway and leaned against the doorjamb.

“We don’t need coffee, Toby, coffee’s just gonna keep her awake,” Sam said as he filled a kettle with water.

“The coffee’s not for her. The tea’s for her, and apparently for your pansy ass,” Toby said as he dug through the cabinets looking for coffee filters. “The coffee’s for real men who don’t want to fall asleep behind the wheel on the way home tonight.”

“Guys,” Josh said wearily from the doorway. They both stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

“Change of plans.”

************

By the time they got out of the car at Josh’s townhouse half an hour later, Donna looked so tired Josh seriously questioned whether she would make it up the stairs.

But she did, and when they were all inside with the door locked behind them, Donna relaxed visibly. She’d calmed down considerably once he’d assured her she didn’t have to stay at her apartment, and was much better when she got out of there with a large duffle bag packed.

“Okay, Donnatella Moss,” Josh said as he motioned to the guys to take their coats off and make themselves at home. “To bed for you.”

“No!” she didn’t exactly shout it, but the force with which she said it made everyone, even Toby, startle a bit.

“I...sorry. I meant...not just yet. I wanted to take a shower, wash the...” she gestured with her hands, hoping it didn’t show that they were shaking. Finally, she looked to CJ for help.

“Hospital smell?” CJ supplied. “Disgusting, huh? Come on, I packed your robe for you. I’ll help you tape something over that bandage so it doesn’t get wet.

Donna took the duffle bag from Toby and shuffled back to Josh’s room with it. “Do you have cling wrap or a Ziploc bag, something I can tape over her shoulder to keep it from getting wet?”

“Yeah,” Josh said. “I’ll get it. There should be tape in the medicine cabinet.”

“Do you have Neosporin?” she asked when he came back.

“Knockoff brand, in the medicine cabinet with the tape,” Josh said.

“Good, I’m not gonna worry about keeping her wrists dry, then. The hospital sent some of that stretchy bandage stuff home. I’ll just use that tonight; we can get some more of it tomorrow,” she said.

“You guys don’t have to talk about me like I’m not here,” a tiny voice said from behind them.

Josh and CJ spun to see Donna, standing in the hallway, shoes gone, robe in her arms.

“Well, we wouldn’t have if we’d known you were here,” Josh said, forcing a light tone.

Donna seemed satisfied with that. “’Kay,” she said, but Josh thought she still looked a little hurt.

“Come on, I’ll help you tape your shoulder,” CJ said, taking the cling wrap from Josh.

“Um, I’m not sure if it’s any good but I think there’s still some of that smelly soap and shampoo under the sink that you left here from...from last time,” Josh said.

Donna stopped her shuffle back to the bathroom and smiled sweetly at Josh. “We’ll look,” CJ said, and corralled her into the bathroom.

In the kitchen, Sam and Toby had begun Round 2 of the “Real Men Don’t Drink Tea” debate.

“He’s not gonna have any tea in there, Sam, because Josh is a man. Oh, I know, technically, you could call yourself a man as well, but you’re that California-bred, tea-drinking, hair-product using, metrosexual type of man. Josh, like myself, is a real man, tempered by harsh East Coast winters, rugged by nature, and drinking only coffee, beer and liquor.”

“And, the morning after too much liquor, tea to help with a hangover,” Sam said as he proudly produced the Celestial Seasonings box from Josh’s cupboard.

Toby looked over at Josh, who had leaned against the fridge, eyes half-closed.

“Uh...it’s Donna’s. She likes it,” he mumbled.

“Sometimes it’s like I don’t even know you,” Toby accused.

“Finally got her in the shower,” CJ said, coming into the kitchenette and handing the cling wrap back to Josh.

“I’m too tired to even make a chauvinistic remark about that mental image, somebody make one for me,” Josh said, not moving. CJ gently jabbed him in the stomach with the cling wrap box.

“Well, Sam could, if his claim to manhood wasn’t a sham,” Toby said as he pulled the coffee pot off the hot plate and stuck a mug directly under the drip.

“So why don’t you make one for me, Toby?” Sam challenged.

“Because I’m getting coffee right now,” he replied unwaveringly.

“You can’t multitask, there, Toby? Come on, I’m here, ready to learn how to be real man. I want to learn from the master.”

“And I would be happy to show you sometime, Sam, but...I’m a little afraid that CJ will hurt me.”

“I think that’s a safe bet,” CJ said.

Beside her, a soft chortle from Josh turned into a yawn.

“Go change,” she said as she reached out and swatted his arm lightly.

“I’m fine,” he said.

“You’re dead on your feet; you look almost as bad as she does,” CJ admonished. “Go change, I’ll make up the couch for you.”

“’Kay,” Josh relented. He heaved himself off the fridge and headed for the bedroom. “Hey do you guys think she seems...” He trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

“She’ll be better in the morning,” Sam said, with more conviction than he felt.

Josh seemed to consider that for a minute. “Yeah, okay,” he said, blinking wearily.

“Go change,” CJ ordered.

“Ahkay,” he turned again, but came full circle once more. “Listen—”

“Are you having trouble finding your way?” CJ demanded.

“I...I just wanted to say...you know...thanks for tonight, today, just, all of it. All of you,” he stumbled.

The three of them stood there, silent, a little stunned by the humble honesty of the remark.

“You’re welcome,” Toby finally said.

Josh smiled and went, finally, into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

CJ rearranged the cushions on the couch in a hurry, and was pulling a blanket out of the closet by the time Josh trudged back into the kitchen in sweatpants, a t-shirt and sock feet.

“If you think your girly system can handle it, there’s coffee,” Toby deadpanned.

Josh just nodded. They were all enjoying a silent moment when the bathroom door opened and a puff of steam billowed out into the hallway.

“CJ,” Donna padded toward the kitchen wearing her robe and with towel-dried hair. “I can’t get this stuff on my wrists.” Her voice was filled with tears again. The thin strip bandages the hospital had sent home were all tangled up in her fingers.

“Because you need both hands to do it, Donna, I told you I’d help you,” CJ said sympathetically.

“I...I’m just tired of not being able to do anything myself,” Donna said, looking down at the bandages. The cuts on her wrists were obscured by the long sleeves of her robe.

“You’re just tired, period, Donna,” CJ said, setting her coffee down and steering her back toward the bathroom. “You’d have to be double-jointed to put that stuff on yourself.”

Donna sniffed and seemed to swallow her tears.

“Let’s go back into the bathroom and I’ll help you,” CJ said, feeling about as sorry for Donna as she ever had for anyone in her life.

Donna nodded and started back toward the bathroom. Josh caught CJ by the elbow before she had a chance to follow. “What’s the matter with her wrists?”

“Some superficial cuts,” CJ hedged. “She just needs to keep them bandaged until they start to heal so they don’t get infected.”