The trio made their way over to the waiting room. The hospital had done whatever they could to make it as comfortable as possible. They had added two sofas with nice throws and the White House had installed a secure phone overnight. The hospital kitchen had sent two urns of coffee with a selection of fruits and sweet rolls. They planned to serve sandwiches and salads at lunch. There would be no one else using the space during the day. Other families waiting for family members having surgery were being directed to another floor.

Exhausted before the day even began, the trio sat down after pouring themselves another cup of coffee. They didn't speak to each other because they were each lost in their own thoughts.

Jed was trying to make sense of what Leo had said before he was taken to surgery. He had been able to keep his emotions in check but it had been so hard. Especially at the end when Leo had said he had made his peace with God and would accept whatever outcome there was to be. He thought that Leo would say he was going to fight but it sounded like he was giving up. That was so unlike him. But it was too late to challenge him on that comment. Now it was just a matter of waiting. A long wait at that.

Abbey had not really been surprised at Leo's words. It was very real for patients facing critical surgery to want to make peace with family. And God. And Leo did consider the Bartlets family. What she was surprised at was that Jed was able to hold his emotions in. One reason she had fallen in love with him was his passion. His passion about everything. And with that passion came emotion. Whether it was anger or love or depression or crying. And before Leo finished, she was expecting him to lose his calmness. She must remember to talk to him and thank him for not doing it. The last thing Leo needed right before this type of surgery was for them to cry in front of him. He needed strength from his friends. He needed strength from his Higher Power. She only hoped that his Higher Power was listening.

Mallory looked at her father's best friends. The fact that they came at this ungodly hour told her everything she needed to know about their love for him. Of course, she had never doubted it but for the most powerful man in the world to drop everything and come to her father's bedside before the sun came up told her all she needed to know. She had told her mother not to come today. She would call her with updates. She just didn't need the tension here today between the Bartlets and her mother. Not that there was any blame on either side but it was awkward for them to be around Jenny. They were best friends of her father and had known him long before her mother had been in the picture. So, her mother had reluctantly agreed on one condition. Before the Bartlets had arrived, she gave her father her mother's best wishes for a successful surgery. His response, "Yeah."

The clock ticked slowly. By 6:15, Toby, Sam and Josh had arrived. CJ was staying at the West Wing for the morning briefing and then coming over. Margaret had been asked to come by the President and First Lady but decided to stay at work. She said she didn't want to disturb their privacy but in reality, she was scared that if something bad happened, she wouldn't be able to control her emotions. She would check in with Charlie during the day.

The door opened and a woman walked in dressed in a white lab coat holding a piece of x-ray film.

"Mrs. Bartlet?" She said, looking around the room.

Abbey stood up. "Here."

"Hello. I'm Sharon. Dr. Tuner's PA. Mr. McGarry has been taken into surgery. Dr. Turner has asked me to show you the MRI."

"Thank you, Sharon. Let's go over here and take a look."

Of course, the whole group gathered around Abbey and Sharon, even though they had no idea what they were looking at.

Sharon started. "As you can see, this is the bullet. It is located here at the second lumbar vertebrae. It's clear that it's pressing on the nerve and that there is a great deal of swelling around it. The MRI confirms what the initial x-ray implied but now the issue is getting it out without damaging the area around it. The swelling will make it very delicate surgery and very tedious. However, our Chief of Neurology is world renown and since we do so many gunshot wounds, this is almost standard surgery for him. Questions?"

"Do you have an estimate of the length of surgery?"

"I really don't. As you know, it all depends on what the tissue looks like when the surgeons get in there. It could be fairly routine or it could be problematic. Hard to tell at this early point."

Abbey nodded. As a surgeon she already knew the answer. The question had been for everyone else.

Abbey looked around the group. "Any questions?"

Hearing none, she thanked Sharon and everybody went back to their seat.

A few minutes later, Josh's phone rang. Abbey looked at his face and her heart sank. By the look on his face, it wasn't good news.

"Mr. President? You're needed in the Situation room. That was Nancy McNally."

"What's wrong?"

"I'd rather not say, Sir. Not here."

Abbey could tell the war Jed was fighting with his emotions. She slid next to him on the sofa and placed her hand on his chest. In his ear she whispered,

"You need to go. You need to be the President. There's nothing you can do here. Whatever will happen will happen. But only you can make decisions there. And you know Leo would kick your ass if you stayed here instead of going there."

He looked at her, a slight twinkle in his eye. She knew she had gotten through to him. To his sense of duty. "You'll call?"

"Of course. Go."

"Alright." As he stood, he turned to Mallory.

"I'm sorry, Mal. I have to go. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I understand, Uncle Jed. Remember whose daughter I am."

They both smiled. Jed turned, gave Abbey a brief kiss and walked out of the waiting room with Josh right behind him.