Emily Gilmore returns in this chapter and brings her mother along to help support Abbey and the family during this crisis. Along the way, we learn that there was another medical crisis the family dealt with in the past. It adds another layer to the relationship Abbey has with her family in particular.
Trigger Warning: The end of this chapter depicts a disturbing dream that Abbey has. Like her medical emergency, the dream is related to being postpartum. Postpartum nightmares are real and more common than people think. It can be skipped if needed. Felicity misses her mother, but is very much alive by the end.
Happy reading!
"...President Bartlet and Dr. Bartlet appreciate the kind wishes from the American People for the birth of their daughter, Felicity. They were touched by the outpouring of support and excitement outside the White House and upon their arrival home in Manchester yesterday afternoon. After run-ins with members of the media near or on their property, the First Couple is once again for privacy at this time. Their focus is on recovering from the birth, taking care of Felicity, and spending time together as a family…"
"That was White House Press Secretary CJ Cregg earlier today with part of the statement released by the President and First Lady. One of the instances referenced involved the President's brother and a gun. This raises a question about the President's relationship with the media," a cable news host said.
"Relationship with the media?" Leo groused from where he sat on his couch on Sunday night doing paperwork and watching the rolling news coverage the cable networks had been in since the announcement to Congress on Thursday. "It's straight-up harassment."
His phone rang and Leo hit mute on the remote before picking up, "Leo McGarry."
"Leo, it's Donna."
"Hey Donna, how are things up at the farm?"
"Leo, I'm about to head to the hospital with Charlie. The Secret Service just rushed Abbey to the hospital. She's having trouble breathing."
"Jesus. What happened?"
"I'm not completely sure. She was out on the back deck relaxing with the President and Felicity. Ellie and I were in the den talking. Charlie went out to talk to them and the next thing I know, he's running back into the house to go get the medical team. They took Marine One."
"I'll alert CJ and the rest of the staff. I'll come up there if you want me to."
"Thanks, Leo. I'm not sure who is going to be there. Ellie went with her parents and Felicity. I just called Liz, and she's on her way. Zoey's my next call."
"Okay, I'll be up. Keep me posted. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night."
"Me too."
Donna hung up just as Charlie came downstairs with overnight bags for the President and First Lady that they worked on packing together.
"I just put Felicity's Moses basket, car seat, and her nest thing in the car. Is there anything else?"
"No, I packed Felicity's bag. I just need to grab the milk that's sitting in the freezer."
"The bottles the President was using are in the dish rack by the sink."
"Good catch. Thanks."
Charlie gave her a wan smile, "No problem," He said and headed out to the car.
Donna went into the kitchen, deciding to take a minute before calling Zoey. She saw the bottles Charlie mentioned and packed them up before turning to the freezer. She opened it and saw a little more than half a dozen bags of frozen milk neatly labeled in both Abbey and the President's handwriting with the date and amount. They weren't kidding when they talked about their marriage being about teamwork. Donna packed them into a cooler from the bottom shelf of the pantry and loaded it with cold packs, hoping the hospital would have somewhere to store them.
Deciding to call Zoey on the way, she headed out to the car and hoped that Abbey's condition would improve before these bags ran out.
Alexandra Gilmore was on a roll in her design studio formerly known as the pool/guest house at the Gilmore home in Hartford. Three dress forms stood in a half-circle with designs in various stages of completion in the living room. She sat at a worktable in the center of the room, not far from the dress forms, working diligently on hand beading for one of the designs. A copy of the New York Times rested on the other side of the table with a photo of her Uncle walking down the stairs of Air Force One wearing the jacket she designed for him. A smile flitted across her face every time she looked at it. Her design worked.
Just as she finished sewing one row of beads, her cell phone rang. She picked it up with one hand, "Hello?"
"Alex?" Zoey said from the other end of the phone.
"Hey, what are you up to? On your way back to DC?"
"Not exactly. I'm not sure if your mom is home yet. You told me yesterday she had something tonight."
"Cards with her friends," Alex replied, picking up on Zoey's tone. "I was actually expecting her to come out here any minute to tell me I should go get ready for school tomorrow. Why?"
"Donna called and told me my mom was rushed to the hospital. She's having trouble breathing."
Alex's breath caught in her throat, "I'll go get my mom, Zoe."
"Tell her to call Liz. She probably has more information than I do right now. I'm on my way back to Manchester."
"Okay, I'll tell her. I wish I could be with you right now."
"Me too," Zoey said faintly.
After they hung up, Alex dropped what she was doing and picked up her keys, taking her phone with her. She turned off the lights by the door and then stepped outside before locking the door behind her. Sprinting past the pool, Alex let herself into the house.
"Mom?" She called, walking into the living room. "Mom?" Alex headed up the stairs and down the hall towards her parents' bedroom.
"Mom?"
"You don't have to yell, Alexandra. I'm right here," Emily said, coming face to face with her daughter in the doorway to the master. "What—-" she started to say and then stopped when she saw that all the color had drained from Alex's face. "What's wrong?"
"You need to call Lizzy," she said. "Aunt Abbey is in the hospital. Zoey called me. She had trouble breathing, but that's all Zoey knows."
A soft gasp escaped Emily's lips before she could stop it. Walking over to the nightstand, she picked up the phone and punched in Liz's number.
Alex walked into the room and sat down on her parents' bed. She waited in silence while her mother had a short conversation with Liz. When Emily was finished talking to her niece, she turned around to face her youngest daughter.
"Liz is at the hospital with your Uncle, Ellie, Donna, and Charlie. Abbey is being looked at right now. I'm going to go up there."
"Does Nana know?"
"I'm going to call her on my way to the airport."
"I want to go with you."
"Alexandra, you have school in the morning."
"I'm not going to miss anything. It's the first day."
"You need to go to school," Emily said firmly. "We'll be doing a lot of waiting around as it is."
"Mom," Alex begged. "Please."
"Alexandra," She said in a warning tone. "You are going to school and that is it. Do you understand?"
"Yes," She replied quietly.
The worry in her daughter's eyes made Emily soften, "Do you have anything that you want me to bring to Manchester?"
"I finished a few things today."
"Go get them. And while you're outside, why don't you pick out some flowers from my garden? I'm sure your Aunt will love them."
Alex nodded and left the room. Hot tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she walked back down the hall and down the stairs. She wiped them away quickly as she went.
"Lex?" Richard said. He met her at the bottom of the stairs, having just come from the study. "What's the matter?" He expected to hear something about some sort of teenage drama.
"Mom is going to Manchester to see Aunt Abbey tonight. I'm going to go get the pieces I just finished. Mom said she would bring them," she murmured.
Before Richard could say anything else, Alex went back outside. If she stood there a second longer, she was going to start crying in earnest. Richard continued upstairs and went to his bedroom. He found Emily packing the same bag she brought home from Washington on Friday.
"Emily, what is going on? Why are you going to Manchester tonight? It's after ten."
Emily didn't look up or stop packing, "Abbey is in the hospital, Richard. I have to go."
"I thought she was being looked after at home."
"Abbey couldn't breathe," Emily said and threw a blouse into her bag. "Damn it, Richard. I knew something bad was going to happen. I felt it in my bones."
"Emily," Richard said gently, going over to his wife, "You know better than anyone that some things simply happen. Abbey is receiving the best care possible."
"If anything happens to my sister, that little girl is going to grow up without a mother. Her life as it is so far is turning into a circus. This doesn't help anything. And on top of that, our daughter is devastated."
"Lex will be just fine," He said calmly. "She's resilient. "
"She just begged me to skip school to go to Manchester. That's not happening. Alexandra needs to be in school."
"And she will be. I'll take her myself tomorrow morning. We'll stop by that little bakery she likes too."
Emily exhaled, "Good. Tell Alexandra to meet you at work after school. Until I find out what's going on, I don't want her to be alone. I wouldn't put it past her to show up in Manchester just to be with Zoey."
"I will. I'll call the flight company and let them know you're coming," He said, squeezing her shoulder. "I'm sure everything will be fine, Emily."
"My mother is going to insist on going to see Abbey. I just hope the first time she meets Felicity circumstances have improved."
Calm turned out to be a fragile state of being for Felicity. Jed found this out the hard way without Abbey beside him. At this point in his life, he thought he was well versed in calming an upset baby. Being a father to now four daughters, uncle to three nieces, one nephew, a great-niece, and a granddaughter gave him a wealth of experience. But Felicity turned all of that upside down. He now sat in a reclining chair in a room just across the hall from where Liz, Ellie, Zoey, Charlie, and Donna waited. Felicity rested on his bare chest, tucked underneath the zip-up sweatshirt he wore. It was the only thing that soothed her.
They were in a medical unit reserved for VIP patients at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Just outside the room, Secret Service agents were posted every few feet along the corridor, guarding every entrance, exit, and stairwell given that every member of the immediate Bartlet Family was here.
It was well after one in the morning. The last update he received on Abbey's condition was an hour ago. They were still running more tests. Felicity let out a sad whimper. Jed shushed her gently and rubbed her back, trying to hold it together for his daughter. They both wanted to see Abbey desperately but all they could do was wait.
"Aren't you two quite the pair," Came a voice from the doorway.
Jed looked up to see an older woman with beautiful silver hair and a strong resemblance to Abbey and Emily enter the room, walking with an elegant silver cane at her side.
"Sandra," He said, addressing his mother-in-law, Alexandra Barrington, or Sandra as she was more commonly known. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Circumstances being what they are, I thought it might be best if I did," Sandra Barrington replied, taking a seat in a visitor's chair adjacent to the recliner. "Emily is pestering the doctors for an update. The girls told me you were in here."
"Felicity needed some quiet time. She woke up not long after we arrived, and she's been unsettled ever since," He replied and looked down at the little girl, "She knows something is wrong."
A sympathetic look crossed Sandra's features, "Poor thing. You've all been through so much these last few days."
"I'm starting to regret my speech to Congress. Had I realized the media frenzy it would kick off, I would have put the birth announcement in a press release and called it a day," He grumbled.
"Josiah Bartlet, you enjoyed every second of that speech."
"At the time. But I enjoy this one a lot more," He added with a note of pride in his voice.
"Clearly," Sandra said, watching her new grandchild with interest.
Felicity let out another sad whimper. An alert sounded from somewhere in the room. Jed retrieved the monitor from his pocket and checked the screen. He quickly reached into the diaper bag at his side and pulled out a cream-colored blanket that smelled like Abbey. He recognized it as the one she had used while she did skin to skin with Felicity that day. He sent up a silent prayer of thanks for Donna, who packed the bag after they rushed off earlier in the evening, before laying it over his daughter.
"Hey," He whispered. "Let's not do that. Mommy is going to accuse me of breaking you."
"Is everything all right?" Sandra asked with concern. The alert sounded for a few more minutes before stopping.
"Yeah. Felicity's temperature started to drop. She has a monitor on her foot to track her temperature, breathing, and heart rate. Abbey and I agreed to continuous monitoring for the first few months. Until tonight, Felicity has never set it off. This is the third alert so far."
"Oh, Felicity..." She said reaching over and stroking the baby's head. "You need your mother. I'm going to go find Emily."
As Sandra rose, the door to the room opened again and Sheila Mason walked into the room.
"How are we doing in here?"
"Not very well," Sandra said looking over at Sheila Mason.
Sheila looked at Jed, "Felicity is still triggering the monitor."
He nodded, "When can we see Abbey?"
"I need to speak with you for a moment."
"Okay." Jed turned to his mother-in-law, "Would you mind taking Felicity?
"Of course not," Sandra replied. She took the blanket from Jed. "Come to your gran, my love"
Jed gingerly removed Felicity from his sweatshirt and handed her to Sandra who wrapped her up securely. After making sure the sensor was still connected and Sandra had the monitor, he followed Sheila out of the room to a small conference room where several doctors waited.
"What's going on?" He asked, dread building in his stomach.
"Abbey needs surgery, Jed. The blood thinning medication she was given for the pulmonary embolism caused internal bleeding. She's being prepped right now, and you need to sign consent forms."
The doctors in the room proceeded to explain in more detail what was about to happen. He heard them, but their words didn't sink in. All he could think of was how he couldn't lose Abbey. Not now. Not ever.
"Can I see Abbey before she goes in?"
"Yes," One of the surgeons said. Jed couldn't recall his name. "But we have to hurry."
Jed was escorted out the other side of the unit and to a private elevator with his security detail around him. They traveled down to the surgical floor, and he was led to pre-op. Secret Service agents were standing guard outside the room. Abbey was laying on a gurney. Her hair was already tucked into a cap for surgery. Nurses working to prep Abbey stepped back for a few minutes to give them time alone. She seemed to be breathing better at least.
"Hi sweet knees," He said.
"Hi handsome," She replied. "I was hoping we wouldn't meet like this."
"I'm just happy to see you. I missed you."
"Right back at you."
Jed took Abbey's hand, "I'm used to seeing you on the other side of the table, Dr. Bartlet. But knowing you, you'll come through this with flying colors."
"I appreciate the confidence. You look like you've been through the wringer."
He gave her a lopsided smile, "Felicity misses you like crazy."
Abbey squeezed his hand, "I can't wait to see her. Did Liz come?"
"Yeah. Zoey, Charlie, and Donna are here too. So are your mom and Emily."
"Good. Let them help you with lovebug until I'm out of surgery."
"I will."
"Mr. President?" A nurse said coming into the room. "The OR is ready. We need to get moving."
Jed looked at Abbey, "I love you."
"I love you, too."
With that, Abbey was wheeled out by orderlies and Jed was left standing alone in the room. His heartfelt like it was going to break.
Donna returned to the VIP unit after sorting out the President's schedule for the next day or two with Leo. As she walked up to the door, she was hit with a sense of unease. She understood why when she entered the unit. Medical personnel and equipment filled the room Felicity was in, and the President hadn't returned from seeing Dr. B before surgery.
"What happened?" Donna asked, going over to where Ellie stood watching the medical personnel work to stabilize Felicity through the window of the treatment room.
"The on-call neonatologist arrived to examine Felicity and her oxygen levels started to dip," Ellie replied, working to keep her tone even. But she looked upset. Emily stood beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Felicity will be fine," Emily said to her niece in a surprisingly calm and gentle tone.
Donna turned back to the waiting room and saw Zoey and Liz sitting with their grandmother looking worried. Charlie must have gone to find the President. Moments later, the two men walked through the double doors.
"What the hell?" Jed exclaimed, joining them at the window. "I was only gone for half an hour."
Sheila Mason was in the room and turned when she heard Jed's voice. She walked out and closed the door.
"I'm sorry, Jed. When the neonatologist arrived to take a look at Felicity, she started to decompensate, and we had to act. We hooked her up to a larger monitoring system and put her on a warming bed. We're also giving her oxygen to help regulate her breathing and keep her heart rate up."
"I don't understand. Felicity hasn't had any issues at all until tonight."
"I know she hasn't," She said gently. Felicity is struggling to keep her heart rate, temperature, and breathing at a normal rate on her own. We're trying to get to the bottom as to why. "
"What's next?"
"Felicity will be admitted, and we'll talk about the next steps. You can see her as soon as the medical team is done with their assessment."
Jed nodded wearily. Emily went over and put an arm around him, "Why don't we take a walk down the hall while they finish up?" She suggested.
"I could use one," He murmured. Together, the pair walked down the hall, leaving Ellie, Donna, and Charlie to watch over Felicity.
They went to an area with a few chairs by the vending machines. Emily took a seat and watched her brother-in-law with a critical eye as he took a seat beside her. She saw the weight of this entire situation resting on his shoulders.
"Go ahead and say it, Emily," He said after a moment. "This is my fault."
"I wasn't aware you caused Abbey to have a pulmonary embolism," Emily replied.
"You know what I mean. "
"Are you saying you regret having Felicity?"
"I'm saying I talked Abbey into having another baby and look at where we are. Felicity's being hospitalized while her mother is in surgery. If anything happens to either of them, I'll never forgive myself."
"Jed, you didn't talk my sister into a decision she wasn't already prepared to make. Asking yourself "what if" isn't going to do you, Abbey, or Felicity any good. You remember what I was like when Alexandra her surgery."
"All too well," Jed admitted. "You blamed yourself."
"Because I had no control over anything. I had to put my trust in Abbey and Alexandra's medical team. You have to do the same. Otherwise, the guilt will eat you up."
"She's my entire world, Emily. Abbey has already sacrificed so much for me and now this."
"Abbey would do it all over again because she loves you and her children. Believe me. She will come through this. So will you."
Jed nodded slowly, "She's going to kill me when I tell her about Felicity."
"Or she could be relieved that Felicity is getting the care she needs."
"Thanks for coming, Em."
"I wouldn't be anywhere else."
12 Years Earlier…
Boston Children's Hospital
Abbey stood in the surgical gallery dressed in scrubs, watching the procedure going on in OR 2 with focused intensity. She paid no attention to the residents, interns, or med students around her. She watched pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, Andrew Howell operate using her technique. Her fingers itched to be down there operating. Alas, Abbey did not specialize in peds, so she couldn't operate regardless, but she wanted to all the same. Thankfully, the minimally invasive technique worked just as well for the much smaller heart shown on the screen in the operating room.
It reminded Abbey of why she became a doctor to begin with. Saving lives was a given. She also wanted to make a difference in the lives of her patients. Seeing them get better and thrive always made her happy. But her satisfaction was usually short-lived for surgical patients. She split her time between Mercy here in Boston and her private internal medicine practice in Manchester. So, she didn't get to see their progress over the long term. This, however, would be different.
Her hands stroked the fur of the bear's sitting on her lap to give them something to do in the absence of surgery. It was wearing a little white lab coat and stethoscope. The name "Alex" was embroidered into one foot in black thread. Abbey realized that she was holding the stuffed animal tighter than was strictly necessary. As invested in the procedure as she was, she silently prayed that the surgery would go the way she thought it would.
Abbey remembered seeing her five-year-old niece's heart for the first time after finding what a pediatrician missed. It both fascinated and horrified her. Alex's heart found a way to compensate for the defect she was born with. Its inability to keep doing that led to Abbey's diagnosis and later, her plan to resolve the problem.
It started as a Hartford to consult on a case for a colleague. She had lunch with Emily while she was there. The lunch turned into trying to make Alex feel better after learning she was home with pneumonia for the second time in a span of a few months. Ever the doctor, Abbey had her medical bag with her and listened to Alex's heart and lungs. But knowing about and seeing patent ductus arteriosus, particularly in her own niece and goddaughter, was another thing entirely.
She watched Dr. Howell finish repairing the last of the congenital defect, and then he started to close his patient up. The rest of the procedure was mercifully uneventful. Abbey left the gallery soon after and waited near the doors to the OR for Alex to emerge.
"Dr. Bartlet," Dr. Howell said when he came out just behind the gurney containing her niece.
"You do good work, Dr. Howell," Abbey replied, gently placing the bear by Alex's side where she left it before going under.
"Thank you. But I was just following your instructions."
"What's your prognosis?"
"Assuming her recovery goes well, Alex shouldn't have any lingering issues. She'll need to be followed by her cardiologist in Hartford for the next few years to make sure that remains the case."
"Good," Abbey said, relief evident on her face.
"Your niece is very lucky that you caught that murmur," He added.
"Sometimes my occupational hazard pays off."
While Alex was taken into the recovery room, the two doctors went to the surgical waiting room to tell Richard and Emily the good news. Jed and Sandra were waiting with them when they walked in. Everyone stood up.
"How is Alexandra?" Emily asked anxiously.
"She did very well," Dr. Howell replied with a warm smile.
There were hugs all around. Dr. Howell proceeded to explain how the procedure went to Emily and Richard. Abbey was pulled into a hug by her husband.
"Congratulations, hot pants," He whispered in her ear. "I'm so proud of you."
"Thank you. But I didn't actually do the surgery."
"I don't think there will be a distinction for Alex. You're her hero and mine."
Abbey gave him a quick kiss, "I'll take it."
Once Dr. Howell finished explaining Alex's prognosis and left to go write up his notes, Emily turned to her sister, "Did it really go as well as Dr. Howell said it did?"
"I watched the entire procedure from start to finish, and he did everything I would do if I were the surgeon. Alex did great, Emily."
Emily nodded. Abbey could see that her sister was trying very hard to keep it together. They both spent long hours together on the phone talking through Alex's diagnosis, and now they were on the other side.
"When can we see Alexandra?"
"She's in recovery right now. As soon as she's awake and deemed stable, she'll be moved to a room, and you can see her. I'm going to go sit with her until then."
"Thank you, Abbey. For everything."
Abbey gave her sister one last hug before she walked back towards the recovery room.
"Aunt Abbey?"
Abbey turned and saw her niece Lorelai rise from one of the chairs sitting in a line against one wall.
"Hi Lorelai," She replied, surprised. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Neither did I," Lorelai said honestly as they embraced. "But I couldn't not be here. Is the surgery over with?"
"Yes, it is. Alex is in the recovery room now."
The tears came into Lorelai's eyes before she could stop them, "Is she okay?"
"Oh honey, of course, she is," Abbey said hugging her again. "The surgery went exactly like I expected it to."
"That's really good news."
"It's excellent news. If you want to wait, Alex will be out of recovery soon. I'm on my way to sit with her until she wakes up."
"I wish I could, but I can't," Lorelai said, pulling herself together. "If Alex sees me, she's going to want me to stay, and I have to get back to Rory. I left her with Mia."
Abbey nodded, "I understand. You should at least say hi to your parents. Your mother would be so glad to know you came. Nana and Uncle Jed are waiting with them down the hall."
"I don't want to upset them."
"You won't. They will be happy to see you."
"It's just going to be more of the same. Mom will want me to move back home, and then they'll want Christopher around. I don't want to put Rory in the middle of that. She reached into her purse and took out a soft stuffed white rabbit with a yellow bow around its neck before handing it to Abbey. "Give this to Alex. She doesn't have to know it's from me."
Abbey took the stuffed animal from her, "I will. But I'm not going to withhold information from your sister. She deserves to know that you care about her.
"Alex tells people that she doesn't have a sister, Abbey."
"She's five years old, Lorelai. It doesn't have to be this way. Just go say hello to your parents."
"I really need to go back to Stars Hollow, Abbey. But I'll call you."
"Drive safe Lorelai," Abbey said finally. She watched Lorelai walk away and turned back to go to the recovery room. Alex was just starting to come around when she entered the room. She went over to her bed. "Hey, sleepyhead."
Alex opened her eyes, "Hi Aunt Abbey. Did you fix my heart?"
"Doctor Howell did. But I watched the whole surgery just like I promised I would."
"You told him how to fix it though, right?"
"Something like that," She said. "How are you feeling?"
"Really sleepy and I hurt right here," Alex replied, vaguely gesturing to the left side of her chest.
"That's where Dr. Howell went in to fix your heart." Abbey held up the rabbit Lorelai brought, "Your sister brought you a new friend to help you feel better."
"Lorelai came?"
"For a little while. She had to go back to Stars Hollow."
"Oh."
Even as heavily medicated as Alex was, Abbey could hear the disappointment in her voice.
"But you know what? Your mommy and daddy can't wait to see you. Neither can Nana and Uncle Jed."
Alex smiled. The anesthetic was making it very difficult to keep her eyes open, "Thanks for fixing my heart, Aunt Abbey. "You're a really good doctor."
"You're welcome, sweetheart. Go to sleep for a while, okay? I'll stay right here."
"Okay."
Abbey kissed her forehead and watched the little girl drift back to sleep. The physical parts of Alex's heart were fixed. But clearly, there were invisible injuries that had yet to heal. She only wished she had the power to fix those too.
Donna entered Felicity's hospital room just before six the next morning. The first rays of light ahead of the sunrise streamed through the windows. A soft light shined down from above the radiant warmer Felicity was in. Through the clear sides of the bed, Donna saw that she was asleep. But as she moved closer and looked down at Felicity, her heart constricted. Usually, she looked peaceful and relaxed in her sleep. Now she looked sad and infinitely smaller with the wires and tubes leading from her body. Donna saw a new sensor wrapped around her foot, oxygen tubes attached to her nose, and an IV attached to her tiny hand.
Donna ran a hand gently over the baby's unencumbered one and felt the heat emanating from the bed to keep her warm. No wonder Liz and Ellie pulled their father out of here for some rest. Just watching standing here was hard for her. She couldn't begin to imagine how the President felt or how Abbey would react. She was out of surgery now and sleeping off her anesthesia. Donna sat in a chair by the bed. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she fished it out.
"Hello?"
"Hey, I heard about Dr. Bartlet," Came Josh's voice on the other end of the line. "How are things up there?"
"Slowly getting better. She's out of surgery. But Felicity was admitted into the hospital not long after the surgery started."
"Oh no. What happened?"
"Just about everything. Felicity had trouble breathing and keeping her temperature up. And now she's not eating very well. I'm sitting with her now. Liz and Ellie are trying to get the President to sleep for a while. Charlie and Zoey took Dr. B's mother and sister back to the farm for rest." Donna sighed, "This wasn't in the Chief of Staff handbook."
"There is no handbook for your job, Donna," He pointed out.
"I don't know how they do it," She said quietly.
"Do what?"
"I don't know how the President and Dr. B managed to have four kids and still function. It feels like my heart is outside my chest watching Felicity lay here, and she's not even mine."
"Felicity will pull through," Josh said, in what he hoped was a reassuring voice.
"I hope so. Before I came in here, I met with Ron Butterfield to go over the security protocols that are in place now. Only a limited number of staff will be in the unit. I spent the better part of an hour matching people's names to their badge pictures. The last thing we need is photos leaking out at a time like this."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. Josh smiled to himself as he listened to Donna describe everything she was doing to keep the Bartlets safe. Maybe, just maybe, he had been wrong about Donna getting in over her head.
"Leo better watch out," He said finally.
"Why?" Donna asked confused.
"One of these days, the President might decide to steal you away and make you his Chief of Staff."
"I don't know about that. I've only been on the job for two months. Ask me again when this is all over."
Deep inside, Donna couldn't help but feel proud, remembering the day in Josh's office when he told her she was going to be in over her head. Her gaze drifted back to Felicity.
"I will," he replied. "But if anyone can help them through this, it's you, Donna."
"Thanks, Josh," Donna said sincerely.
Abbey awoke to sunlight streaming through the windows of her bedroom at the farm. She felt well-rested and refreshed. Looking around the room, Abbey saw that she was alone. The baby nest that Felicity loved and usually slept in was empty with the soft cream blanket she used yesterday laying on top of it. Felicity's monitor and the sock-like sensor sat in the middle of the fabric. Abbey frowned and threw off the covers.
She moved to get out of bed and then stopped as pain tore through her abdominal area. Instinctively, Abbey touched her pajama top and felt something underneath the fabric. She pulled it up and saw a white surgical dressing taped over it. When did she have surgery? Before Abbey could think any harder about it, a faint crying sound reached her ears. She let the top fall back into place and got up slowly, heading for the door.
The house was oddly quiet when she stepped out into the hall. Abbey made her way to the stairs and took them as quickly as she could without hurting her surgical wound. The crying sounded closer when she reached the bottom.
"Jed? Is Felicity with you?" She called. Silence answered her.
Abbey listened and followed the cries to the second, less formal living space that led out onto the back deck. Every room she passed was empty. No one was here. When she reached the double glass doors to the deck, she saw Felicity's Moses basket sitting on the outdoor couch that she sat on with Jed the night before. Abbey quickly opened the door and stepped out onto the cool wooden deck. It was shaded by the trees surrounding the house so early in the morning. The cries came from the Moses basket, but they were getting softer.
"Felicity? What are you doing out here?" Abbey asked, hurrying over to the basket. Her heart started racing.
When Abbey reached the basket, she looked inside and saw Felicity wearing just a diaper, and she was shivering. Abbey picked her up and put her inside her shirt without a second thought. The baby's body was freezing cold.
"It's okay, Felicity. Mommy's here," She said, trying to keep fear out of her voice.
The crying stopped. Abbey hurried back inside and looked around trying to find a blanket or anything to keep Felicity warm. But there was nothing. She went into the bathroom right by the den to get towels. The closet was empty and so were the towel racks. Abbey went to the linen closet just down the hall. It was also empty. The baby's breathing was starting to slow.
"Stay with me, honey," She coaxed, going into the den. The blankets she kept in a storage ottoman there were also gone.
Panic started to flood her system. She went into a guest bedroom across the hall. There was no bedding on the bed, just a mattress. No towels were in the adjoining bathroom either. Abbey looked down and saw Felicity's skin was turning blue.
"No, baby, you have to stay with me," She said and lifted Felicity into her arms. She was limp. Abbey's breath caught in her throat. "Felicity, no, no, no, no, no…" She managed to say, feeling the life drain out of her tiny body.
"Abigail, it's okay," said a voice. "Wake up, sweetheart."
It took Abbey a few seconds to open her eyes. She became aware of the pain in her abdominal area almost instantly. When she did open them, Abbey saw that she was in a very upscale hospital room and laying in what appeared to be an adjustable king-size bed. She remembered being rushed to the hospital by helicopter the previous night, which meant that everything she just witnessed had been a nightmare. Damn hormones.
Abbey turned to see her mother sitting in a chair by her bed. Jed had been called away to deal with a situation. So, Sandra was here in his stead until he returned.
"Mom?" Abbey when she turned her head to see who spoke. "Where is my baby? I need to see Felicity."
"Felicity is fine. She's just across the hall."
Her heart started to race when she saw the look in her mother's eyes, "What do you mean, she's fine? What happened?"
Sandra hesitated, "Felicity had a difficult night. She was admitted into the hospital while you were in surgery."
Secret Service agents moving in the hallway caught Abbey's attention before she could ask what her mother meant by a rough night. Two agents on her detail entered the room and closed the door behind them.
"Please stay where you are," one of the agents said. They both had their hands on their weapons ready to draw them just in case.
"What's going on?" Abbey asked.
"There's been a breach, ma'am. It's being handled," The other agent said.
Someone cried out in pain across the hall. Felicity's cries came next, but they were quickly drowned out by alarms from the medical equipment.
"Code White in Unit 6 East. Code White in Unit 6 East," An automated voice announced.
The fear Abbey felt in her nightmare returned. Her heart started beating against her ribs and adrenaline coursed into her bloodstream. She couldn't see through the Secret Service agents who stood outside her door and in front of her windows. But she heard the familiar rushing of people and equipment in the hall seconds later. Code White stood for a pediatric medical emergency. It was called for Felicity.
A/N: Poor Abbey. Postpartum recovery is not easy. I hope you enjoyed a further look into the Barrington-Gilmore side of the family as well. A new update will be posted soon. Thanks for reading.