Chapter Text
Shots rang out and the crowd erupted in screams of horror. Suddenly Donna was outside of the chaos, standing on the other side of the chain link fence. Did she black out and walk here? Had she just been Summoned by her soulmate? Oh God, if it was, what if her soulmate was the shooter? What if-
"Help." Hearing the soft whisper of an unrecognizable voice she spun around, searching for the source.
"Hello?" She called out, seeing no one near her. Donna started to walk forward, still looking around, when her foot hit something soft that whimpered. She looked down and let out a small gasp of shock. "Josh?Josh, why are you out here?" The man was sitting against the wall, his head tilted back and hands clutching his stomach. He looked down and her eyes followed until she saw exactly what his hands were covering. "Oh my God." Dropping to the ground, ignoring the shooting pain of her knees hitting concrete, she removed Josh's hands and let out a cry when blood came spilling out. "Oh my God, Josh, why?" She quickly slipped off her jacket and tore one of the sleeves, pushing it into the wound to stop the bleeding. She tried not to flinch as she felt liquid seeping into her skin and under her nails, grimacing as she tried to push the fabric into the wound.
"Donna."
"You're gonna be okay, Josh, it's gonna be okay." Donna sobbed, forcing comforting words to come out when all she wanted to do was scream.
"Donatella." She looked up into his eyes, which were slowly beginning to dim. "Donatella."
"Joshua Lyman, don't you dare leave me!" He almost seemed to smile before starting to slump, and she immediately moved her hands to help him down.
“Donna, I-" Suddenly she was on the other side of the fence, back where she started, her hands soaked in blood and jacket missing.
"Someone help!" She screamed, blood dripping from her hands onto her cheeks as she cupped her hands around her lips.
"Please, anyone help! Someone else is shot!" The street was nearly empty but the few remaining looked up at her, gasping when they saw her state, hair a mess and hands bloodied.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" A police officer ran up to her, gun still in his hand.
"A man's been shot." Donna whispered, pointing at the fence a few feet away. "Josh Lyman. White House Deputy Chief of Staff." The man paled and put his gun in the holster, grabbing his walkie-talkie.
"This is Officer Whit, there's still a man that's been shot. He's behind the fence off the street." He put it back and turned around to face Donna again. "Let's get you to a medic so you can calm down." She let the man lead her away from the street and into the arms of a kind woman who gently led her to an ambulance, where a shock blanket was draped around her shoulders once she was sitting.
“What’s your name, Ma’am?”
“Donnatella Moss.”
“Do you work at the White House?”
“Yes, Senior Assistant to Joshua Lyman.” The emergency worker nodded and wrote down some things on her notepad.
“Are you injured?” Donna shook her head.
“Josh is.” The writing stopped.
“Joshua Lyman?”
“He’s been shot.”
“Where is he?”
“Over there past the fence, lying down next to a wall.” She gestured over to the area and the worker pulled out her phone. “Secret Service is already there.”
“Ms. Moss, are you two soulmates?”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“You and Joshua Lyman. Have either of you been Summoned to the other?” Donna replayed finding Josh over in her head again. There was only one way that she could’ve gotten there that fast, and judging by the lack of jacket and blood on her hands, she wasn’t hallucinating.
“I think I was just Summoned to him. That’s how I found him.”
“Are you sure?”
“There was no other way I could’ve gotten to the other side of the fence in that amount of time, my jacket is missing, and my hands are covered in Josh Lyman’s blood. I think I’m sure.” She snapped. The emergency worker looked down at her, eyes wide.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. We’re going-“ before she could finished her phone started to ring. “This is Mandy, what is it?” She looked over at the fence, then back down at Donna. “I have Donna Moss with me. Yes sir, I’ll have her to the White House as soon as possible."
Donna walked into The White House, the shock blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. The halls were empty, save for the Secret Service posted at the end of every hall. As she slowly walked to her office, her high heels clicking and eerily echoing, C.J. threw her office door open, nearly hitting Donna in the face.
"Donna? Dear God, what happened to you? Are you hurt?" Donna shook her head, looking down at her bloody hands.
"It's Josh's, not mine. He was shot.” C.J. nodded and gently led Donna over to a bench, helping her take a seat.
"I know, Secret Service told us once they found him." They sat in silence, the White House strangely quiet.
“How is he?”
“I don’t know. All I’ve heard is that he’s in surgery.” Donna wiped away the tears building up in her eyes, trying not to cry.
"I think he's my soulmate." Donna whispered. C.J. turned and stared at her, eyes wide.
"Did he Summon you?"
"I think so.”
“Oh, Donna.” C.J. murmured as Donna leaned on her shoulder, letting the tears fall. “Don’t worry, he’ll be alright."
“But what if he’s not? What if I’ve just lost him forever?”
“It’ll be okay, I promise.” After what felt like hours, Donna lifted her head off of C.J.’s shoulder, looking her straight in the eyes.
“Don’t tell anyone that we’re soulmates.”
“Donna,”
“I’m serious. Promise you won’t tell a soul.” C.J. hesitated.
“What about Josh?”
“Especially not Josh.”
“If that’s what you want, then I won’t say a word. Listen, I’m going to head to my office and start preparing the press briefing. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thank you, C.J.” Donna watched as the other woman got up and left, leaving her completely alone in The West Wing.