Interlude: Baby Lyman is Here!

Note: Slightly Graphic Birth Scene, but nothing that you wouldn't see on like say Private Practice or Grey's Anatomy.

Donna sighed as she sent off another quick email to her dad and leaned back into her chair. Now at 39 weeks, it was the first week of June, and she and Josh were in the homestretch. Baby Lyman would be arriving any day. They had taken their babymoon to Ocean City a couple weeks earlier after Simon Donovan had been killed in New York. Everything was ready, now all Josh and Donna had to do was wait. Josh was in the shower, getting ready for the workday, while Donna was laying back in bed. Donna was now on Maternity Leave at Leo and the President's orders, and Donna complied. Her temp had been trained, and Sam would take over for Josh when he would go on Paternity Leave.

"Hey Donna?" Josh called from the master bathroom that was attached to their bedroom.

"Yes?" Donna replied.

"When we go to Indiana in the fall, do you think we can take the baby with us okay? Or should we ask my mom to come along with us?"

Donna's brow furrowed in thought at his sudden question. Of course they would be okay, right? Then it hit her. Literally.

"I think so," said Donna. There was a pause. "Josh?"

"Because I mean, if you think we should just stay behind, we don't have to go to Indiana, we can send Sam," Josh continued as he came out of the bathroom, toweling his hair. "Or my mom could come up here and baby-sit-"

"Josh," Donna interrupted, sitting on the side of the bed now.

"What?" Josh asked. He stopped and stared at her.

"I think that's the least of our problems right now," Donna said, motioning to the soaked bedspread and her soaked pajamas.

"Holy mother of God," Josh whispered, a grin appearing on his face. "Today?"

"Apparently so," Donna replied, standing up and heading to change clothes.

"I'll call Leo," Josh replied, giving her a kiss and picking the phone up. "Then I'll get the go bag." He kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you too," Donna replied as she grabbed a clean pair of sweatpants out of the dresser drawer. Josh dialed Leo's number.

"Leo?" Josh asked as Leo picked up his end. "It's happening, today's the day! Donna's water just broke!"

"Okay, I'll let CJ and the others know," Leo replied. "Keep us updated. Which hospital are you heading to? GW?"

"Yeah," Josh nodded. While it wasn't his favorite place since he spent almost two months there recovering, it was the closest and the most secure for their friends and co-workers to visit.

"Okay, call us later after you and Donna get settled in her room," Leo replied. "I'll see about allowing the Senior Staff to head your way closer to delivery."

"That would be great, I know Donna may want CJ there," Josh replied. "Gotta go, Donna's ready to go. Can you do us a favor and call my mother and Donna's parents?"

"I can do that," Leo replied. "Focus on Donna and the baby, I'll spread the word."

"Thanks Leo, I owe you," Josh replied. "And I know Dad would be grateful if he were still here."

"I know Kid, I know," said Leo. "Give Donna me love. Go."

"Thanks," Josh said. He hung up and turned to Donna, who had the go bag in one hand, the other clutching her belly as a contraction hit.

"Leo sends his love," Josh replied. "He's going to spread the word for us. Ready?"

"Yeah," Donna nodded, smiling.

"We're having a baby," Josh murmured, taking her in his arms and kissing her.

"We're having a baby," Donna murmured, kissing Josh back.

"Alright, let's go," Josh said, leading her out the door.

Several hours later, Leo got a call from Josh saying that Donna was almost eight centimeters dilated. The workday was wrapped up by Leo, telling the Senior Staff that Josh and Donna requested their presence at George Washington University Hospital. As the group gathered in the waiting room about an hour after Josh's call, Josh and Donna were in their hospital room, preparing to meet their new arrival.

"Okay Donna, Josh," said Dr. Martin, Donna's OBGYN, as she walked into the room and gowned up, "it's time to push. I hear you have an entourage out in the lobby waiting." Josh laughed.

"That's what happens when you work in the White House," Josh replied. "You become family."

"What he said," Donna laughed as the nurses hoisted her legs into the stirrups. Donna had planned for a natural birth with no pain medication, but her lack of progression was taking a toll on her and she had asked for an epidural. That seemed to do the trick and now here they were almost 12 hours later, Donna nice and numb from the waist down and their baby ready to make its entrance.

"Okay Donna, with each contraction, I want you to put your chin to your chest and push down like you're going number two," said Dr. Martin. "I'm going to count to ten, and when I get to ten, stop pushing, take a deep breath, and push again. Repeat until I tell you to stop, okay?"

"Okay," Donna nodded. Josh kissed Donna's head and took her hand in his.

"Okay, here we go, give me a big push Donna!" said Dr. Martin. Donna grasped Josh's hand as she put her chin to her chest and bore down.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10," counted Dr. Martin, "Deep breath in and push again Donna! 1, 2, 3, that's it, good girl, I can see the head! 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. And again!"

Donna took another deep breath and groaned as she pushed again. As the baby crowned, Josh decided to be nosy and peered over Donna's leg.

"Wow," Josh said, as he seemed to get a bit squeamish.

"You okay, Josh?" Dr. Martin asked him, still focusing on delivering the baby.

"Fine," squeaked Josh. "I'm fine." Josh quickly returned to Donna's side and vowed never to be nosy again.

"You sure?" Dr. Martin asked. "Do you want to help catch?"

"No, I'm good," Josh replied.

"Okay then," Dr. Martin replied. "Okay Donna, one more push, and the head will be out." Donna pushed again and Josh heard the slight trickle of amniotic fluid escape as the head emerged.

"Okay, stop pushing Donna," Dr. Martin replied as she caught the baby's head. "I'm going to check for a cord around the neck, suction its mouth, and on the next contraction, your baby will be here."

Donna breathed as she laid back into her pillow and Josh wiped her brow with a cool cloth.

"You're doing amazing, Donna, the baby's right there," Josh whispered to her. "I love you, you're so strong."

"I love you too," Donna murmured, their lips gently meeting.

"Okay you two, isn't that how you got in this mess in the first place?' joked Dr. Martin as she finished suctioning out the baby's mouth. "Here, take a peek again, Josh. Go ahead and push one more time Donna."

Josh gulped and leaned back over Donna's leg and his jaw dropped.

"Holy mother of God!" Josh laughed. "Donna, look down! Look down and push Donna!"

Donna looked down and pushed and Josh fist-pumped the air and whooped as the baby was born into Dr. Martin's hands in a splash of fluid and lifted up onto Donna's awaiting chest. The baby screamed and wailed. Josh and Donna sobbed.

Out in the waiting room, the group looked up from their reading as they heard the wail of a newborn baby(and a whoop that was unmistakenly Josh's) and they smiled at each other.

"By the sound of that 'WHOOP!'," started CJ, "that is definitely Josh greeting the newest Lyman."

"Sounded like it to me too," said a voice behind the group and they turned to see President Bartlet and Abbey coming off the elevator with the Secret Service in tow.

"Good Evening Mr. President," the group chorused as they stood up.

"Has the youngest member of our Senior Staff arrived then?" Jed asked."

"I think so, Sir," said CJ". "That was definitely Josh 'whooping'. You can't miss that."

The group sat around for the next ten minutes, waiting for Josh to come share the news.

"Geez, what are they doing in there?" Sam moaned. "Making another one?"

"You know, I resent that," came the voice of Josh and the group turned to see Josh walking down the hall towards them, his face beaming.

"Josh!" cried Sam.

"How's Donna?" Abbey asked.

"She did amazing," Josh grinned. "Good evening Mr. President. Ma'am." He nodded to Jed and Abbey and Jed pulled Josh into a hug. Josh returned in and Jed patted him on the back.

"Congratulations, Son," Jed replied.

"Thank you, Grandpa Jed," Josh grinned at him.

"Oh ho, I have waited to hear that come out of your mouth for two years now," joked Jed. "Well, where is the little rascal?"

"If you all follow me, there's someone we would like you all to meet," Josh smiled. The group followed Josh down the hall to Donna's room and he led them in, where Donna was laying in the bed, holding a wrapped bundle of joy in her arms. She smiled at her adopted family and then smiled down at her child.

"Donna and I thought this over long and hard, and we decided to change our name choices around a bit," started Josh as he took the newborn in his arms and headed over to Jed and Abbey. "Everyone, may I introduce to you, Noah Josiah Lyman."

Jed beamed as Josh placed the sleeping baby boy into the President's waiting arms and the group crowded around them.