Story: The Nobel Laureate
Chapter 9
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed was upset that Liz was mad at him because of the Halloween costume/party incident; Abbey opened up to Jed about losing her patient
Summary: It's election day and as Abbey takes Ellie with her to vote, Jed prepares to take Lizzie to the polls!
Author's Note: This was originally supposed to be wrapped up in one chapter, but since it's so long, chapter nine will be the start of election day and chapter ten will be the conclusion. I hope to post chapter ten later this week. Also, thanks to Skye for help with high school chemistry curriculum.
"Eight times eight?"
"Sixty-four!"
"Eight times nine?"
"Seventy-two!"
"Eight times ten?"
"Eighty!"
Jed turned a sly grin to his middle daughter as they stood at the kitchen sink and washed the breakfast dishes. "I think you have a cheat-sheet in your hand."
"I don't!" Ellie insisted, setting down the glass she was drying to raise her hands so her father could see the evidence of her innocence.
He continued to wash the last glass after giving her a playful wink. "Okay, Miss Smarty Pants, try eight times eleven."
Ellie pondered this question for a solid minute, curling her lips just the way Abbey did when sorting through something in her head. She hesitantly replied, "Eighty-eight?"
"I don't know. You don't sound sure. Is it eighty-eight?"
She thought about for a few more seconds, then chose to stand by her answer. "Yes. It's eighty-eight."
Jed didn't respond right away. He dried his hands on a towel and ushered Ellie to a chair next to his at the table. With a stoically ambiguous expression and his arms folded in front of him, he allowed the hint of a smile to tug at his lips as he leaned in towards her and said, "Good answer."
"Gallium." Abbey's voice echoed from the stairway. Holding Zoey on her right hip and cleaning the toddler's hands with a damp paper towel, she trailed just behind Liz.
"I don't know." Liz replied, staring down at the periodic table in her hands.
"Yes, you do. Just think it through."
"I doubt he'll ask us that one. It's too long and we barely even talked about electron configurations."
"It's an exam. You have no idea what he'll ask, so I want you to be prepared."
"Mom."
"Just give me the configuration for Gallium and we'll be done."
Jed had to chuckle as the frustrated teen rounded the corner to the kitchen while Abbey clicked at her heels, waiting impatiently for her answer. It had become a habit in the Bartlet house. Quizzing their daughters over breakfast was a common practice on the morning of math or spelling tests, or, as in Lizzie's case, an Advanced Chemistry exam.
Her eyes still glued to the periodic table, Liz rested her hand on the backrest and propped her knee on the chair before she finally volunteered the best guess she could muster. "1s-two, 2s-two, 2p-six, 3s-two, 3p-six, 3d-ten, 4s-two, 4p-one."
"Great job, Lizzie!" Jed beamed. It sure sounded complicated enough.
"Yeah, that was great," Abbey agreed. "But, unfortunately, it was wrong."
"How could it be wrong? It's right here!" Liz pointed to the element Gallium. "It ends at 4p-one!"
"Yes, but you have to fill the four-s orbitals before you start on three-d. So, it should have been 1s-two, 2s-two, 2p-six, 3s-two, 3p-six, 4s-two, 3d-ten, 4p-one." It never ceased to amaze Jed how Abbey could rattle off configurations right off the top of her head.
"These rules are totally random!"
"You'll learn more about it next semester. It'll all make sense someday, but for today, just remember..."
"He's not going to ask us that. And if he does, I think I should just accept the fact that I'll get that one question wrong."
"You won't get it wrong because now you know to fill the four-s orbitals first," Abbey assured her. "I really am impressed with your performance in this class, Lizzie. It's much harder than my high school chem class was."
"I don't like the subject though! I study all the time and it still makes no sense. I want to go back to learning the names of the elements or discussing whether tap water is an element, a mixture, or a compound."
"Which is it?" Ellie asked.
"It's a mixture because it has other chemicals in it, unlike pure water which is a compound," Liz replied confidently.
"That's my girl!" Abbey said proudly.
Jed stood to help Zoey reach her sippy cup on the counter. "I'm with Liz. I hate chemistry."
"What did you get in it?" Lizzie stared at him curiously.
"Me?" He turned to look at his daughter. "I didn't take chemistry."
"Jed." Abbey glared at him in that mischievous way she had of warning him that she was about to reveal his deep, dark secret.
"I didn't," he repeated, making the conscious choice to take his chances. Just as he suspected, Abbey didn't hold back.
"Your father made it to the first semester of organic chemistry in college and got a B in it. Millie and I were both majoring in chemistry, so we gave him such a hard time for that one small blemish on an otherwise perfect transcript, that he started telling people he never even took the class."
"You got a B, Daddy?" Ellie assumed Jed had never made anything lower than an A, a misconception he purposely reinforced.
"Are you judging me, Eleanor?" He smirked at the thought. "Ask your mother what she got in International Economic Policy."
"All right, enough of that." Abbey's tone suddenly took on a serious edge.
"Not as much fun when the shoe's on the other foot, is it, Dr. Bartlet?" Jed teased her, then turned to address Ellie. "Regardless of what she says, chemistry wasn't an easy class. In fact, it was one of the most difficult classes for me. You'll see when you have to take it."
"Well, I'm taking it now," Liz interjected, visibly flustered. "And even though it's regular chemistry and not organic, I think you should both be understanding if I make less than an A."
"Just do the very best job you can," Jed replied.
Abbey raised a brow in his direction, but resisted tweaking him more than she already had. Instead, she turned her attention to the day's schedule pinned under a magnet on the fridge. "Okay, looks like I get Ellie and Zoey this morning. I'm going to drop Zoey off at Mrs. Weaver's, then take Ellie with me to the polling place. Jed, you'll take care of Liz and pick Zoey up this afternoon?"
"Before or after I pick up Ellie at soccer practice?"
"Before, if you can." She studied the scribbles that charted out the girls' activities. "You need to make it back from Hanover around five to get Lizzie from cheerleading practice and you should probably vote right after that, unless you want to do it before school."
"I can ask Kim if her mom can bring me home from cheerleading," Liz offered.
"No, I can make it. My last class gets out at four."
"Are you sure? Don't spread yourself too thin." Abbey frequently regretted the twelve-hour shifts that kept her from helping him with the girls.
"I'm sure. It'll be fine."
"Okay. Goldilocks, you ready to go?"
Ellie rose to her feet and grabbed her books. "I have to get my coat. Should I get Zoey's too?"
"Please do."
Jed closed the space between himself and Abbey. "What's your hurry? It's still early."
"Don't you want me to vote before work?"
"Depends on who you're voting for." He was using the flirtatious voice she could never resist.
"Well..." She clasped her hands behind his neck. "There's this guy running in our district. I think he wants to keep his seat in the state house or something. All I know is he's got a chance and I want to make sure to throw him my support."
"Mmm Hmm. What do you know about him?" His arms fell to her hips.
"He's intelligent, sophisticated. He's a professor. Highly qualified. The best part is he's got a certain charm that makes all the ladies fall in love with him - including me."
"Sounds like a winner to me."
"Yeah, I think he is a winner, both professionally and personally. I hear he's a loving husband and father. And, just between us, I also hear he's a hell of a kisser." She leaned in to steal a kiss, then whispered, "And an even better lover."
"You should put that last rumor to the test."
"Maybe I will."
"Tonight?"
"He might be a little busy tonight, with it being election day and all."
"Nonsense. I'm sure he can always find a little time for you."
"I don't know. He gets cranky when I ask him to fit me in to his schedule."
Confused, Jed broke character. "No I don't."
"What makes you think I was talking about you?" She smiled a wicked smile as he lifted his hand and slapped her rear. With a laugh, she broke the embrace to reach for her coat. "You're going to have time to vote?"
The sarcasm dripped from his smirking lips. "No, I think I'll skip it this year. This whole election day thing kinda snuck up on me so I didn't think to schedule time for voting."
"No need to be snippy. I was simply reminding you that you have to make it back from Hanover early. Otherwise, you'll be late for the party."
"Party? You said it was just a few of the neighbors." He followed her as she retrieved Zoey's jacket and kneeled to help her put it on.
"It is, but it's still a party. And don't worry about dinner because Susan is taking care of that. I'm picking up dessert on the way home."
"Who invites people over and tells them to bring dinner?"
"I didn't tell her. She offered because she knows that you won't be home until after six. Besides, I didn't exactly invite her over. She invited herself."
"No coat!" Zoey blurted out, shrugging out of the garment just as Abbey tried to slip her arm through the sleeve.
"Is she bringing something edible?" Abbey stopped struggling with Zoey so she could glance up at her husband. "I'm just saying, last time we went over there, she had some kind of Indian dish and as tasty as it was, I needed about three gallons of water to put out the fire in my mouth."
"You like hot and spicy. And it was delicious. I'm sure whatever she brings tonight will be just as good." Irritated by Zoey's complaints, Abbey said sternly, "Stop it. You have to wear your jacket."
When she approached her with it once again, the two-year-old defiantly slapped it away, intentionally hitting Abbey's shoulder with the tips of her fingers at the same time. "NO!"
"Zoey!" Jed admonished her.
"She barely touched me," Abbey told him.
"I don't care." He bent down to the toddler's level. "You know better than that. How many times have we told you not to hit?"
The little girl lowered her head and said softly, "I sowwy."
Abbey held out the jacket for her. This time, she didn't fight or shake her head. She just put it on, and once she was bundled up inside, Abbey lifted her chin. "No more hitting, okay?"
Zoey nodded, then walked into her mother's open arms and clutched the collar of her beige wool coat as Abbey stood up. Jed handed her the black leather briefcase she had set down earlier, then walked with her out to the car. As Ellie made herself comfortable on the passenger's side, Abbey passed Zoey on to Jed.
"Time for your car seat, Zo," he told her.
She didn't complain the way she normally did. She barely even moved when he set her inside to fasten her belt. Her features drawn, Zoey fumbled with the straps, but didn't resist.
Jed pointed to an ordinary spot on her chest. When she looked down, he flicked her chin. It was an old, corny gag, but it always made Zoey laugh and right now, that's what Jed wanted.
"Is she okay?" Abbey asked as he climbed out of the car.
"She's good. I just wanted to make sure."
"Because you snapped at her?" He couldn't hide his true intentions from her. "She's fine. Now go inside before she asks why Daddy isn't wearing his coat."
"You know it's on the tip of her tongue."
"I'm sure it is." Abbey agreed. "I'll be home as soon as I can tonight. I'm thinking 7:30. Eight at the latest."
He leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Have a good day."
"You too."
She watched him walk briskly to the front door. As she slid into her seat and began to back out of the driveway, he stood behind the opened door and turned to wave goodbye.
"Do we spoil her?" His question lingered unanswered for several seconds after he made his way back to the kitchen.
Liz looked up from her chemistry notes. "Huh?"
"Zoey. In the past, your mom has said that Zoey has temper tantrums because we tend to spoil her."
"Ellie had temper tantrums sometimes and when I complained, you used to tell me it was because she was two. You said all toddlers go through that."
"They do," he admitted. "You don't think I spoil her?"
"You spoil all of us," Lizzie mumbled too softly for Jed to hear.
"What?"
"Nothing."
An awkward silence followed, both father and daughter avoiding eye contact until Jed finally looked across the table. "Still mad about Halloween?"
"Yes." It was partly true. She was a little hurt that he didn't trust her to be honest about the party, but deep down, her anger was rapidly fading.
"Because I notice you're talking to me now, which you weren't doing before, so..."
Desperate to change the subject, she asked, "Why didn't you tell us the election day story this morning?"
He shrugged. "I figured you didn't want to hear it."
"You tell that story every time we have an election. Why not today?"
"I don't know. I just didn't."
"I mean, I'm not asking for me or anything," she lied with a smile that assured him she was lying. "But Ellie likes that story."
"Uh huh. You're just looking out for Ellie?"
"It's what I'm supposed to do. She needs to learn these things because you never know who's going to ask her how the residents of rural America used to vote."
"No, no, no, no, no. It's not about how they voted! It's about why law makers chose November and why they designated the first Tuesday after the first Monday as election day."
She saw the passion in his eyes. Her grin widened. "Because the fall harvest was over, but the weather in most of the country was still mild enough to make travel possible."
"That's right and elections couldn't be held on Monday because..."
"Because back then, most people would have had to begin travel on the day before and Sunday was a religious day, so they had to move it to Tuesday. Also, it's held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday because November 1st can't be election day since it's All Saints Day and it would be a conflict for Roman Catholics."
"And?" He was quizzing her now.
"And most of the merchants back then did their books on the first of the month, so Congress was worried that individual economics would play a major part in whether or not people got to vote."
Satisfied, Jed nodded. "I guess you were listening all those years."
"It's a shame Ellie won't know as much as I do about it when she gets to be my age." Her eyes were twinkling with manipulation.
"Okay, Smartass, go get your books if you want to come with me to vote before school."
Giggling that girlish giggle Jed loved so much, Liz stood up to gather her books. "By the way, I've never been tested on this in school. Not one test has ever asked me about why we vote when we do."
"That's not your problem. It's a problem with the school system and we need to change that."
"You're not serious."
"Knowledge is never a vice, Liz."
"That depends on who you hang out with."
He held her backpack while she put on her coat. "On the contrary, Sweetheart, it's a good barometer for who you should be hanging out with. The smartest kids are the coolest...or the 'grooviest' or whatever other teen lingo is used to describe those who are hip these days."
Pulling her hair out of her coat, Liz wrinkled her forehead. "Seriously, Dad, no one ever says 'groovy.' You've been watching Brady Bunch reruns with Ellie."
"Give me a break, okay? I'm trying to fit in to your world. You don't make it easy."
"I try."
"You do not. You're amused that I'm totally ignorant about this stuff. The more ignorant I am, the more you get away with."
"Hmm. I guess you were right."
"About what?" Jed followed her towards the door.
"Knowledge isn't a vice after all."
"Neither are fathers, Lizzie. You'll understand eventually."
"And if I don't, you'll remind me."
"Every day for as long as I live."
TBC
