The RG Site's West Wing Transcripts

"In Excelsius Dio"
Transcript

Added August 30, 2001

Scene 1

(JOSH enters his bustling bullpen, which is decorated for Christmas. DONNA comes up behind him.)

DONNA: Good morning Josh.
JOSH : Good morning, Donna, and a Merry Christmas to you and your whole Protestant family.
DONNA: Thank you.
JOSH : As you can see I have not yet bought your Christmas present.

(She follows him into the hallway.)

DONNA: Yes, and I know you're agonizing over how to best express your appreciation and affection for me at this time of the year.
JOSH : That and how I scrape together the ten bucks.
DONNA: I've prepared a list.

(DONNA hands him a sheet of paper from her notebook.)

JOSH : Of Christmas gift suggestions?
DONNA: Yes.
JOSH : (Reading it off.) Ski pants, ski boots, ski hat, ski goggles, ski gloves, ski poles. I'm assuming you already have skis?
DONNA: Page two.
JOSH : (He turns the page.) Right.
DONNA: Just pick something off the list, and, you know, feel free to pick two things.
JOSH : I should feel that freedom?
DONNA: Yeah.
JOSH : Thanks
DONNA: I wanna' learn how to ski.
JOSH : Why?
DONNA: I like the equipment.
JOSH : OK.
DONNA: Where you going?
JOSH : I, ah, need to speak to Leo.
DONNA: Why?
JOSH : He wants to talk about your Christmas present.

(They stop in front of Leo's office.)

DONNA: Really?
JOSH : Yeah.
DONNA: So you'll think about the skis?
JOSH : Yeah. I'll give that a lot of thought.

(He waits till DONNA walks away and then balls up her note and throws it behind a desk.)

Scene 2

(JOSH walks into the bullpen after just having had a talk with Leo about when the Republicans would ambush them in the press over Leo's past drug abuse. DONNA comes up from the side of him and walks with him, looking very serious.)

DONNA: I need to talk to you.
JOSH : Donna, I can assure you I'm giving your Christmas list the consideration it.

(They enter his office and stand just inside, facing each other.)

DONNA: Seriously.
JOSH : Hmm?
DONNA: What's going on with Leo?

(JOSH closes the door, then moves to stand in front of his desk.)

JOSH : Donna.
DONNA: I just heard something.
JOSH : From who?
DONNA: From Margaret.
JOSH : The two of you shouldn't be...
DONNA: Yea, but we did.
JOSH : Donna.
DONNA: Is it true?
JOSH : (He sighs and can't lie to her.) Yea.
DONNA: Well?
JOSH : Well, what?
DONNA: What are you gonna' do?
JOSH : For the moment nothing, we're...
DONNA: Josh.
JOSH : ...wait and see how...
DONNA: You're gonna' wait and see?
JOSH : There's not much else we can do.
DONNA: We'll see?
JOSH : Yes.

(DONNA looks down, then looks back up at him. josh, visibly uncomfortable, looks askance.)

JOSH : Could you stop looking at me with the face?
DONNA: It's my face.
JOSH : Like I just killed your hamster?
DONNA: I just thing if the tables were turned...
JOSH : Donna.

(He turns away and moves to stand behind his desk.)

DONNA: If one of us were in trouble, he would be the first person....
JOSH : I know! (He says loudly. He takes a deep breath, then says more quietly.) I know.
DONNA: It was my regular face Josh; I wasn't trying to guilt you.
JOSH : I know. (Pauses) I have to work.
DONNA: OK.

Scene 3

(Danny is just leaving CJ's office where they had been doing some confused flirting over his gift to her of a goldfish. Danny turns and JOSH is standing in the doorway of the bullpen near DONNA'S desk.)

JOSH : Hey Danny, how's it going?
Danny: Hard to say.
JOSH : Ok.
Danny: Ok.

(Danny leaves and Josh turns to look at Donna, who is sitting at her desk opening the Christmas present he just gave her.)

DONNA: (DONNA opens the gift and sees that it is an old book. She reads the cover.) "Heimlich Beckengruber on The Art and Artistry of Alpine Skiing."
JOSH : It's got a molted calf cover and original drab boards.
DONNA: I don't know what to say. (She smiles uncertainly and looks up at him.
JOSH : I wrote a note inside.

(Curious, DONNA opens it and starts to read. Touched by whatever he wrote, she begins to get teary-eyed and puts a hand to her mouth.)

JOSH : Donna, don't get emotional. Donna, don't get...let's try and maintain some kind of...(He trails off when DONNA closes the book and looks up at him with tears in her eyes.)
DONNA: You see!? (She stands up in front of him) You spend most of your time being, you know, you. Then you write something like this to me. (She hugs him and he gives a little "Hmph.") Thank you.
JOSH : I meant it. (He looks up from her hair, still holding her.)
DONNA: Skis would have killed you?
JOSH : Yea. (He breaks away from her.)
DONNA: Ok. (She smiles at him as he walks away. He turns around the corner and DONNA opens up the book to read the inscription again. Unbeknownst to her JOSH peeks back around the corner and sees her reading with a touched look on her face. With a sweet and gentle smile, he leaves.)

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