Title: Blood (1/1)
Author: Aerial312
Rating: PG-13
Category: Fluff
Spoiler Info: some time during S7...before "The Cold"...
Disclaimer: I own nothing...I just borrow.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated. robinmgrady@gmail.com
Archiving: Sure. Just let me know where its going.
A/N: More filler.
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Donna sat at a small conference table going over some papers with Otto
and Bram. She stood up with a start at a crash of something metal
toppling over in the next room.

"Motherf-ow!" Josh cried out. "God-fucking-dammit!"

"I told you that shelf wouldn't stay," Otto teased, as the three of
them crossed to the doorway.

"It was as secure as it was gonna get!" Bram insisted.

"Josh, are you okay?"

Josh held his right hand to his left arm, grimacing. "Fucking thing-"
he kicked the wreckage of the shelving. "Ow..."

"Are you-?"

"Who the fuck put this fucking thing together?"

"He did," Otto pointed at Bram.

"It was a piece of shit to begin with."

"The fucking thing had a sharp-something sticking out of it, and it
tore my shirt!"

"Oh," Bram looked down at Josh's arm, and looked nervously at Otto.
"Sorry..."

Otto followed Bram's gaze down to Josh's arm, and also made a face.

"What!?"

Donna shook her head. "You two pick that stuff up, and put that thing
back together-but only if it's safe," she directed. "You come with me."

"I have to go-well, find a new shirt now!"

Donna was glad that in his anger he hadn't actually looked down at his
arm, which she was confident appeared worse than it really was. She
grabbed him by the elbow and led him into the adjoining conference room.

"Those two fucking idiots..." he sighed.

"Sit."

"Do you have any Tylenol? I must have whacked my arm hard..." he
looked down at his arm, and lost his train of thought.

Donna returned to his side with the first aid kit.

Josh took a deep breath. "Oh shit...I-"

"Breathe."

"I-"

"I think it looks worse-"

"That's a lot of blood..."

His brow was sweating already.

"Look at me."

"It's-"

"Look at me, Josh. Don't look down there." She yanked his chin up,
and wiped his brow with her sleeve. "Take a deep breath."

She firmly pressed a wad of gauze to his upper arm. "Hold that."

"My hand is all bloody now-"

"I'm going to get some water."

"The bandage will get all bloody."

"That's not the real dressing. Don't look at it!"

Josh groaned, and leaned forward, laying his head on his good arm.
Donna returned with a cup of water and a strip of paper towels.

"Are you light-headed?"

Josh groaned again. She ran her hand up and down his back.

"Deep breath. In...out...again, in...out...any better?"

"Yeah..." Josh managed.

"Sit up slowly..."

Otto and Bram walked back into the conference room.

"We can't fix it tonight. We need Lou's leatherman," Otto declared.

"Okay, we're done here, goodnight."

They looked curiously at Josh until Donna glared at them and they
exited hastily.

"How are you doing?"

"I hate blood."

"I know."

Donna lifted his good hand off the wound and wrapped some roller gauze
around his upper arm.

"Now you don't need to hold it."

Josh nodded.

"Give me that hand."

She dipped the paper towel in the cup and rubbed the blood off his hand.

"See this is all dry already. It's mostly stopped, I think."

She dried his hand with another paper towel, and gave it a squeeze.

"Before I bandage it for real, you should get out of that torn dress
shirt."

"I don't have a t-shirt on..." he sighed.

"Come on then. We'll take the first aid kit upstairs."

"I'm gonna look great going through the lobby looking like this," he
growled, standing up.

"Do you need you backpack?" she nodded toward the room he'd come from.

"It's upstairs."

"Come on."

They made it quickly through the lobby and up to Josh's room.

"So much for a productive night."

"You should sleep."

"There's so much to do," he protested, sitting on the bed.

"There's always so much to do."

Donna dug through her bag, and handed him two little blue and white
pills. "Your Tylenol."

"This is Tylenol?"

"A generic."

Josh looked down at them, then nodded, popping both into his mouth,
and taking the bottle of water she held out.

"Shirt off."

He smirked.

She grinned. "Well, I'm glad to see you're feeling better. Off."

"What about...?" He looked, panicked down at his arm. "It's sticking."

"I'll take care of that. Don't look."

"A little late for that."

He took a deep breath and tipped his head forward onto her shoulder.

"Breathe..." she ran her fingers through his hair, down to his
shoulders, then began to undo his buttons.

"I can..." he feebly protested, not moving his head.

"I've got it."

She slid the shirt down his right arm, letting her fingers brush
lightly along his bare arm the whole way down. He shivered. Reaching
around his head, she set about undoing the gauze.

"This might tug a little." She pulled the shirt away from the wound
carefully. "Not so bad, huh?"

"Mmm," Josh nodded into her shoulder. "Is it bad?"

"Not really. It stopped bleeding."

"Good."

She squeezed his shoulders quickly, before releasing him and reaching
down for the first aid kit.

"That felt nice."

Donna smiled softly. "Well, if you're a good boy while I bandage your
cut, I'll rub your back a little before you sleep."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Donna knelt beside him.

"This might sting."

"Do you have to-ow!"

Josh flopped away onto his good side, trying to evade the alcohol wipe
Donna was brandishing.

"Baby."

She crawled closer to where he now lay in the fetal position, and
leaned over him.

"I really do need to clean it."

Gently, she swabbed the cut with the wipe, then reached down for the
tube of Neosporin.

"Sit up."

"God, I'm tired now," Josh sighed, complying.

"Lack of sleep is catching up with you." Donna spread the Neosporin
over the wound, and opened a large band-aid.

"But I wasn't this tired...that wasn't Tylenol you gave me was it?"

Donna applied the bandage. "It was Tylenol."

"Bedtime Tylenol?"

Donna smiled. "Tylenol PM, yes."

"You tricked me."

"You need it," she told him, as she closed the first aid kit. "Lay
down so I can rub your back."

"You were serious?"

"I was."

"Even though I wasn't a good boy?" he smiled, crawling up to the
pillows, and laying on his stomach.

"I'll make an exception."

"Cause you drugged me?"

Donna laughed, beginning to knead his back. "It'll keep you asleep
all night."

"What it doesn't agree-"

"You've had it before."

"I have?"

"Way back when you were recovering."

"Yeah..."

Donna sat beside him, still stroking his back lightly. "Sorry...can't
kneel like that for a long time."

"S'okay....this feels better..."

"Good."

"Thank you for taking care of that. I would've..."

"Passed out?"

"Yeah..."

Donna smiled. After a few quiet moments, she realized his breathing
had evened out, and gently removed her hands from his bare back. She
pulled the blanket up around his shoulders, and just watched him for a
moment. It was rare to see him so peaceful. She couldn't resist:
slowly she leaned in and kissed his forehead before leaving the room.

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