A/N: This chapter took longer than I thought it would write. When I started this story, I knew I wanted to have the Bartlets face-off with the press in some way. I also knew that I wanted to have Abbey go through postpartum since I could only cover so much of her pregnancy in Expecting Felicity. But the story of how Abbey won a Harper Avery Award took what, I hope, is an emotionally satisfying turn.
This is another long chapter that covers a lot of ground in terms of this story and ties together the press rumors we've been hearing about since the beginning.
Note that this chapter does contain flashbacks that deal with heavy subject matter about critical illness and death. I spent a lot of time with these scenes, which is why this chapter took longer to create.
The next part of a Family Affair is coming soon.
Read, review, and enjoy!
Abbey awoke early on Thursday morning in pain. Her surgical scar throbbed, reminding her that she needed to take something for it. She turned over and sat up slowly in bed. Jed's side was empty with Felicity's baby nest occupying the space, also empty.
"Jed?" She called her voice traveling out into the hallway through the master bedroom door, which was ajar. "Jed?"
When no answer came, she reached for the phone on the nightstand and pressed the intercom feature on the handset. A faint beeping sound reached her ears from downstairs, indicating the phones downstairs were going off, only no one was answering. Abbey let out a breath, trying to actively ignore the other discomfort she felt in her breasts. She thought back to a couple of hours earlier. Jed told her he was taking Felicity downstairs, so she could sleep because lovebug was fussing and couldn't fall back asleep.
"Jed?" Abbey called louder this time. She turned off the intercom feature and then called his name one more time before turning on the intercom again. It continued to ring.
The thoughts entered her mind, fast and furious. What if some emergency came up and Jed had to leave suddenly to go back to DC? Where was Felicity? Was she alone downstairs? Abbey listened to see if she detected crying. But there was nothing. Her heart raced and her breathing increased. She attempted to get out of bed. Her body protested the effort.
"Ma'am?" Donna said, entering the room.
"Donna, where is Felicity?" Abbey asked, sounding breathless.
"She's with the President and Charlie. They went for a walk."
"Damn it, he told me they were going to be downstairs."
Donna heard the irritation in Abbey's voice and saw that she was uncomfortable, "Would you like me to go get them?"
"Ask one of the agents to notify Jed's detail, please."
"Of course," She said, but hesitated to leave Abbey alone. Before she could say anything else, Sandra came into the room.
"Abigail, what on earth is going on?" She asked, looking concerned. Emily followed in behind her.
"Jed left the house with Felicity and didn't tell me," Abbey snapped.
"Abbey, I'm sure that Jed was just trying to help," Emily said.
Donna took this opportunity to slip out of the room.
"It doesn't help!" came the reply from Abbey as she walked back down the hall and the stairs.
Donna walked past the living room where she had been working when she heard Abbey calling for Jed and the intercom going off. Instead of waiting for the Secret Service to notify the President that he needed to come back, she went out onto the porch and down the stairs. In the distance across a wide field, Donna saw the Secret Service in a formation, protecting the President and Felicity beyond them. She hurried off in their direction.
"I can see why Zoey says she loves it here," Charlie said to his boss as they walked from one of the barns that housed the horses.
"It's home, Charlie," Jed, said with pride in his voice. He was wearing Felicity in another wrap. They were in the process of giving her a tour of the farm. "I always wanted the girls to have opportunities to explore and try new things here." It's part of the magic of this place."
Felicity squirmed in the wrap and began fussing.
"What's the matter, lovebug?" He asked, looking down at her. "It's okay..."
"Mr. President?" Donna said, hurrying to them.
"Donna, please don't tell me a world crisis has befallen us. Felicity is getting a tour of the farm."
"No," She replied, wanting to add that a possible crisis was brewing at the house. But she refrained. "Dr. Bartlet is looking for Felicity. I think she's upset you took her out without saying something."
Jed sighed, "I was trying to let Abbey sleep. Felicity was up again last night," He turned to Charlie, "I suppose we'll have to finish this tour later."
The three of them returned to the house, with Felicity and the multitude of Secret Service agents protecting them in tow. By the time they walked in the front door, Felicity's fussing had turned into full-on crying. But it wasn't her cries that made his chest tighten. It was the crying he could hear coming upstairs from his wife. Jed took Felicity out of the wrap and handed her to Donna before going up to his room to find out what happened.
"He doesn't understand," Abbey said in a shaky voice to her mother and her sister, who was now sitting on the bed trying to comfort her.
Abbey's initial anger and frustration had given way to tears and the constant feeling of panic she had felt since learning Felicity wasn't growing the way she was supposed to. It had been in the background most of the time. The stress of the media, her time in the hospital, and that dream brought it to the forefront, and she couldn't hide it any longer.
"Doesn't understand what?" Sandra asked gently, stroking her hair gently.
"What goes through my mind any time Felicity is out of my sight. I worry something will happen to her."
"Abbey," Emily interjected. "Felicity is safe. There are so many people who look out for her."
"You know it's not the same."
"I know it's not. But you can't do everything yourself. No mother can. You have to let Jed help you."
The door to the bedroom opened again and Jed walked in, leaving it ajar. Felicity's cries could be heard faintly downstairs.
"Felicity is fine, Abigail," Sandra said in a soothing voice. She's safe with her father and nothing bad will happen to her."
"Hey, sweet knees," Jed said, approaching the bed. He saw her distress and mentally cursed himself for being the cause of it.
Abbey looked up at him, and he saw the fear in her eyes, "You took her," She said, her voice raw with emotion.
"I know. I didn't mean to. It was quiet, and I thought it might be nice to show Felicity around."
"Why didn't you just tell me that?"
"I thought you were asleep. But you're right, I should have said something to you."
Jed moved to comfort Abbey, but before he reached her, the crying from downstairs grew louder, punctuated by the sound of a monitor beeping. Footsteps rushed up the stairs and the crying intensified as Donna walked into the room.
"I think Felicity is tired of waiting," She said, having to speak louder than normal to be heard over the baby, who was crying as if the entire world were coming to an end this very second.
Emily and Sandra moved off the bed near the seating area. Jed sat down next to Abbey on the bed as Donna brought Felicity to them. She put the newborn into Abbey's arms as the rapid beeping sounds from the monitor filled the room. Without a thought, Abbey pulled the little girl into her chest and held her close. Her heart rate and breathing began to normalize. Felicity followed suit. The crying eased first and then the rapid beeping stopped altogether.
"I'm sorry," Jed whispered in Abbey's ear.
Donna, Emily, and Sandra quietly left the room to give them both privacy. Abbey nodded silently, acknowledging his apology. The anxiety she felt retreated into the background, superseded by the need to focus on Felicity for now.
Toby was in the Roosevelt Room with Josh and Sam and several congressmen and congresswomen when Ginger entered the room. She made a beeline for him and handed him a note. He opened it:
Dr. Howell is on the phone. He's returning your call.
He stood up and handed the note to Josh before he left the room with Ginger. Returning to his office, Toby closed the door and sat down at his desk. He picked up the phone and pressed the line Dr. Howell was waiting on.
"Dr. Howell, this is Toby Ziegler. Thank you for returning my call."
"Hello, Mr. Ziegler," Dr. Howell replied. "The message you left for me indicated you wanted to talk to me about Dr. Bartlet."
"That's right. I came across your name in some of her files. You nominated the First Lady for the Harper Avery Award."
"Yes, I did. She deserved it. But Dr. Bartlet didn't see it that way."
"It's my understanding that the award is coveted among surgeons."
"That's right, it is. The surgeons who win the award are among the very best in their field of specialty. Dr. Bartlet is certainly."
"Do you know why Dr. Bartlet didn't want to be nominated?"
"Yes. The Harper Avery Award advances a surgeon's career with a nomination. Hospitals clamor to have award winners on their staff. Dr. Bartlet was reluctant to be nominated for that reason. She was also adamant that Jane Doe's case remained sealed."
"Which fueled rumors that Dr. Bartlet's win was illegitimate."
"Yes," Dr. Howell said and sighed. "It couldn't be further from the truth. Surgery is competitive and primarily male-dominated, even more so back then."
"So why not simply unseal Jane Doe's records and set the record straight?"
"Dr. Bartlet maintained that the patient should decide whether to unseal them or not. At the time, she was too young and ill to understand what went on. I have no idea if she knows the whole story. You'll have to ask her."
"Okay, would you mind giving me Jane Doe's name?"
There was a silence on the other end of the line, "Mr. Ziegler, I thought you already talked to her. Your message indicated that you were looking for clarification on a few details."
"No, I haven't," Toby replied, wondering why the surgeon would be under the impression that he knew who Jane Doe was. "What makes her case unique from a medical standpoint?"
"She was diagnosed with patent ductus arteriosus when she was four and a half by Dr. Bartlet. Babies are born with an opening in the blood vessel leading from the heart. It closes shortly after birth. Most children are diagnosed as babies and treated. In Jane Doe's case, it stayed open and went undetected for nearly five years because her heart compensated for the defect. But the original opening eventually expanded, and two other defects developed in her heart, which made her case complex, to say the least."
"You performed the surgery in the end."
"Yes, I was. It took a lot of convincing. When Dr. Bartlet contacted me, Jane's heart was in active failure. She had seen more than a dozen physicians here in the US, in the UK, and in France. No one wanted to perform a surgical repair because it would mean open-heart surgery and the odds she would leave the operating room alive were low."
"If repairing her heart wasn't an option, then she would need a new heart."
"That was the conclusion the other doctors came to. But the family resisted the recommendation to do it, and understandably so. Heart transplants are complicated under the best of circumstances for adults. Pediatric transplants are even more difficult. There was no guarantee that she would survive the wait. With the options being what they were, Dr. Bartlet developed a technique to repair the holes without opening the heart."
"You've been very helpful, Dr. Howell. I just have one last question for you. You mentioned that Dr. Bartlet diagnosed Jane Doe. Was she a patient in Dr. Bartlet's practice in Manchester?"
"No, Mr. Ziegler, she wasn't. Everyone who has ever asked me about Jane Doe always assumed she was a patient. As I'm sure you know, Dr. Bartlet doesn't have a specialty in pediatrics."
"Yes, I'm aware. Thank you for your time, Dr. Howell."
Toby said goodbye to Dr. Howell and set down the phone. He had to get back to his meeting. But he allowed his mind to ponder what Dr. Howell said. Why would Dr. Bartlet develop a technique to repair a child's heart and then demand the records be kept private? His first thought was that it was one of the girls. It would have come up at some stage if it was true. Zoey was the only one who came close to the age range. But it still didn't fit, unless there was another daughter he didn't know about. He stood up slowly and returned to the meeting, trying to figure out what the missing piece of the puzzle was.
12 years earlier…
"Let's go!" 6-year-old Zoey said, bounding out the front door and down the front stairs of the house. She sprinted in the direction of the stables.
"Wait up!" 10-year-old Ellie called, running after her sister.
Alex walked down the steps and stopped, watching Zoey and Ellie run ahead.
"Hey," 15-year-old Liz said, coming out onto the porch.
Alex turned back and smiled up at her older cousin, "Hi Lizzy."
Liz looked out toward the barn and watched her sisters running for the stables and then back at Alex, "Aren't you going to go with Ellie and Zoey?"
"Maybe I'll wait until they come back," Alex said and sat on the bottom step.
Liz walked down the steps and looked at her younger cousin, "You usually love going to see the horses."
"I can't run anymore," Alex said quietly.
"That's okay," Liz replied and reached out for Alex's hand. The little girl took it and Liz picked her up, positioning her on her hip. She was lighter than she should have been, "We can go together."
"Okay."
Liz hugged her cousin lightly, and then they started walking to the stables, following in the path blazed by Ellie and Zoey.
"Liz is so good with her," Emily said, watching the girls walk away from the house through the living room window.
Emily and Richard had been in Boston for medical appointments and drove up to Manchester for the weekend as a reward for Alex. But in truth, they were here to update Abbey and take time away to relax with the support of Jed, Abbey, and the girls.
Abbey saw the girls go too, "We told Liz that Alex is very sick. Ellie and Zoey know too. But they aren't aware of how severe it is."
"I don't know how you treat patients day in and day out," Emily said, turning back to her sister. "I'm exhausted. We've been to too many hospitals lately."
"It's not easy," Abbey admitted. "What did the doctors at Boston Children's say?"
"They're going to investigate a few options. But they're already leaning towards a heart transplant, just like everyone else."
"I'll take a look at the records you brought me and make a few calls."
Emily nodded numbly, "I don't know what to do, Abbey. If we opt to do a transplant, it means waiting and hoping that another child dies."
"I'll help you figure it out, Em, I promise you."
"Richard can barely talk about it. He didn't even want to go today, he only went because Alexandra asked him to."
Abbey squeezed her sister's hand, "How are you doing?"
"Honestly? I'm trying to keep it together for Alexandra. Lorelai has come by occasionally with Rory to visit. But she never stays long, and I can't blame her. Watching Alexandra struggle like this is awful. I'm her mother, Abbey. I should be able to help her. But I can't."
"That's not true. You and Richard are doing everything you can to keep Alex healthy."
"What if it's not enough, Abbey? I don't want to lose my baby."
Tears started to fall silently down Emily's cheeks. Abbey wrapped her arms around her sister, hating to see her so upset. She desperately wished she could do more than just review medical records and give advice. Emily wasn't wrong. Time was not on their side, no matter how many resources and doctors they had access to.
Emily made a point of checking on her sister after Jed came back downstairs to work in his study with Charlie for a while. In the hours since Abbey had, what she thought was a full-blown panic attack, the house had been relatively quiet. The midwife came and went while Abbey and Jed talked in private. Their mother decided to accompany Donna into town because she believed Abbey deserved time alone with Felicity. Emily agreed with her. But she also recognized something in her sister that was all too familiar. Under the guise of bringing Abbey lunch, Emily went upstairs.
Abbey was settled in the oversized chair by the window. She looked out at the fields in the distance and admired the bright summer day outside. Maybe she would take Felicity out onto the back deck later. At the moment, Abbey was content to let her daughter nurse for as long as they were both comfortable. She had the baby in a wrap that was surprisingly supportive for her and cozy for Felicity.
"I think all you wanted this morning is me," Abbey concluded, lightly tickling the bottom of Felicity's non-monitored foot. "We're going to wear daddy out by the time this is over with."
"It's remarkably quiet in here," Emily observed, walking into the room with a tray in her hands. She crossed to Abbey and set it down on the coffee table near the chair.
Abbey indicated Felicity's position in the wrap, "I'm the soother in-chief. How are things downstairs?"
"Quiet. Mom went to town with Donna. So, I came up to see if you're in the mood for lunch."
"Always. This one makes sure of it."
Emily smiled and set the plates she made up for each of them out on the coffee table. Then she walked over to Abbey's chair and peeked over her shoulder at Felicity, "If that isn't the definition of happiness…."
"Mhmm," Abbey agreed. "Jed was right. Felicity won't accept a substitute for me."
"How did your conversation go?"
Abbey sighed, "It went. God bless him. He felt terrible for taking Felicity without telling me. I told him that it was hard to be away from her last night. But it's more than that."
Emily went over and pulled a chair next to Abbey near the coffee table and sat down.
"You don't have to explain it to me, Abbey. Alexandra slept in our bedroom for a year and a half, and I woke up multiple times in the night to check on her. Richard kept telling me I was overdoing it until I caught him red-handed."
"Thankfully, you made your way through it."
"I did. But I've never gotten over it fully. I still check on her from time to time."
"What are you going to do when she's off at college?"
"Set limits. Alexandra is only allowed to apply to schools in places where she has family."
A smile touched Abbey's lips, "Zoey will be happy to know the odds of getting Alex to Georgetown have increased."
"Did your midwife say anything when you told her about what happened this morning?"
"Just to keep her informed. We both came to the conclusion that Felicity is still adjusting from being in the hospital. Nurses came in every hour to check on us."
"You know that's not what I meant."
Abbey sighed, "Emily…."
"Abigail, you're going through a lot. You just had a baby and then major surgery days later. To say nothing of everything that's going on with the press and with Jed."
"I can only deal with one thing at a time right now. Taking care of myself and Felicity is enough of a challenge as it is."
"Which is why mom and I are here to help," Emily pointed out. "I know you have Donna and Charlie to help with Felicity. But until you're feeling better, and you've figured out what you need, I'm going to be here."
"You don't have to do this, Em. I've been through postpartum before. It's never fun."
"True. You never had to go through it with the eyes of the world watching. It's time for me to return the favor."
"The favor?" Abbey said, looking at her sister. "You don't owe me anything, Emily. You're my sister. I would do anything for you."
"And I will do anything for you, including to listen. What haven't you told Jed?"
Abbey expelled a breath and then checked on Felicity before speaking, "I had an awful nightmare when I was in the hospital," She said and proceeded to describe the details of it to Emily. "This morning reminded me of it when I couldn't find Jed."
"It would be on my mind too," Emily said. "I remember having those vivid dreams. Thankfully, the details are fuzzy now. I can only imagine what went through your mind."
"Sheila Mason recommended a therapist to me," Abbey admitted, When things calm down, I might give her a call. It's not my first choice."
"I didn't love the idea of therapy when Alexandra was ill. But you were right to recommend it."
"It's a shame mom isn't here to hear you say that," Abbey replied with a little smile.
"Don't let it go to your head," Emily warned with amusement in her eyes.
The two women continued to talk over lunch about everything from motherhood to the latest society gossip. Not far away, the printing presses were already in motion.
Vickie Thompson glanced up at the clock in Mitchum Huntzberger's outer office. It was nearly lunchtime. She moved to stand up from her desk to go put a fax on her boss's desk when she caught sight of the small rectangular white box sticking out of her purse. Tempted to open it, Vickie looked over at the door leading into the outer office. Seeing no one coming, she set the fax down and reached for the box.
It was wrapped in a sheer plum ribbon. She untied it to reveal elegant script embossed in silver that read "Alexandra Eloise." Opening the box, Vickie pealed back the matching plum tissue paper. A white card with a silver border and the initials AE sat atop the contents followed by a note in a flowing cursive:
Vickie,
Here's a little something to brighten your day. Thank you for facilitating the details for Mr. Huntzberger's order.
Best,
Alexandra Gilmore
She lifted the card out of the way and pulled what appeared to be a hand painted silk scarf of purple peonies against an ivory background. It was gorgeous. After staring at it in wonder for a few minutes, she put the scarf back in the box and put it back in her purse. Then she stood up and brought the fax into Mr. Huntzberger's office. She set it on the desk and turned to walk away when a familiar white card caught her eye. Vickie turned back and picked up the card.
It was identical to the one included with her new scarf except the words "CJ Cregg Direct Line" followed by a phone number with a Washington DC area code, were written in the same flowing cursive. Without thinking, Vickie took the card back to her desk and sat in her chair. She stared at the card again, weighing what to do in her mind. In the course of her job, Vickie regularly heard conversations related to stories that the publications Huntzberger Media group owned were working on.
She didn't know there was a story about the First Lady until Mr. Daley came in. It couldn't be a coincidence that Alexandra Gilmore gave her boss the number for the White House Press Secretary. Vickie also couldn't imagine that the young woman had any hint that a story was going to press today. She debated for a moment longer before picking up the phone and dialing the number on the card.
"Hello, this is Vickie Thompson calling from the Huntzberger Media Group. May I speak to CJ Cregg, please? Alexandra Gilmore told me to call."
At the White House, CJ walked back into Leo's office to join Toby, Josh, and Sam. They were discussing one of the stops on the President's upcoming tour when she stepped out to take a call. She took a seat in the chair that she vacated and waited for Josh to finish his point.
"Everything okay, CJ?" Leo asked when he was done.
"I just got off the phone with Mitchum Huntzberger's secretary. Apparently, Alex Gilmore left my number for her boss. She wanted to let me know that a story on Dr. Bartlet is going to press today. It was supposed to go last week, but they pulled it at the last second after the President's announcement. If I go to Hartford, I can get a copy before it leaves the printer."
"If it was supposed to go to press last week, this must have been in the works for a while," Josh said. "Any idea what the story is about?"
"No, just that Scope Magazine is the publisher. The call didn't leave me with the best feeling."
"Alright, CJ, go to Hartford. Head up to Manchester after and brief the President and First Lady. If it has anything to do with the rumors we've been dealing with, get ahead of it."
"I'll go with you," Toby offered. "I can update you on what I learned from Andrew Howell."
"Sam, can you take over the briefings until I get back?"
"Yeah, no problem. Happy to fill in."
"You don't trust me to brief the press?" Josh asked.
CJ looked at him, "Joshua, you are good at many things. Briefing this press pool isn't one of them."
Jed rose from his position behind his desk later that afternoon. He stretched and walked around it, intending to go and see what Abbey and Felicity were up to. A nap sounded good after being up with Felicity for the better part of the previous night. Just as he reached the door, Abbey appeared wearing a wrap with Felicity in it.
"I was just thinking about you," He grinned.
"I bet you were," Abbey replied, returning his smile. She leaned in and kissed him. "Lovebug and I were going to go out on the deck to enjoy the sunshine. Want to come?"
"You read my mind." The phone on the wall by the door rang. It was connected to the guard station at the end of the driveway. Jed reached for it. "Yeah?" He said and listened. "Great, thanks."
"What is it?" Abbey asked as he hung up the phone.
"Alex is here."
"I thought Emily said she wasn't coming until tomorrow."
"Or she was just impatient."
"That too."
They walked out in the direction of the back deck.
"Alexandra Eloise, why are you not in school…?" Came Emily's voice from the front of the house.
12 years earlier….
"Mommy, I don't want to take them. Don't make me, please," Alex pleaded.
Emily sat adjacent to Alex at the kitchen table in Abbey and Jed's kitchen with a half-dozen medication bottles on it later that night.
"Alexandra, please," Emily said to her daughter, the exhaustion evident in her voice. "It's late. Zoey, Ellie, and Liz are already in bed. You need to take your medication so that you can play with them tomorrow."
"They don't help."
"Alexandra…." Emily said, her voice taking on a warning tone. "You have to take your medication."
"No, I don't want to do this anymore."
Anger flashed in Emily's eyes, "Alexandra Eloise Gilmore, take that back this instant!"
"What's going on in here?"
Emily turned to find Abbey standing in the kitchen doorway watching them. They planned to play a friendly game of cards with Jed and Richard after the kids went to bed. Everything was set. Only Alex remained up. She stood up and went over to her sister.
"I can't reason with her," She whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.
Abbey squeezed her sister's shoulder, "The boys are getting restless. Why don't you go out and start the game? Have a drink. I'll be out in a bit."
Emily nodded and turned back to look at Alex. She was facing away from them in her Care Bear pajamas with her knees pulled up to her chest. The anger in her eyes left as quickly as it came. In its place was a pain so raw and deep that Abbey would do anything to erase it. Emily left the room and went out to the back deck.
Abbey went over and sat down in the chair on the other side of Alex so that they were facing each other, "Why so glum, sugar plum?"
"My heart is too broke to fix. The doctors don't know how to," Alex murmured. "I'm so tired, Aunt Abbey."
"I know you are," Abbey said gently, brushing the hair back from her face. "But your heart is special, and it's going to take time to fix it."
"I don't have a lot of time. That's what the doctor today said. Mommy and Daddy have to choose soon."
"What do you want to do, baby?"
"If the doctors here can't fix my heart, I want to go find Papa in heaven. He can fix it. Mommy got really upset when I said that."
Abbey's chest tightened at the mention of her father, Fergus, who passed away the previous year. He was a beloved pediatrician for many years in Boston. The grief that her family felt at his loss was still fresh. The thought of losing Alex on top of it was too much to bear.
"Because she would miss you," Abbey said, working to keep the emotion out of her voice. She reached for Alex, pulling her into her arms. "That's the thing about visiting Papa. It's a one-way trip. But you are right about one thing. Papa would do everything he could think of to get your heart fixed."
"Aunt Abbey, would you fix my heart if you could?"
"Yes, sweet girl, I would. You wouldn't even have to ask," Abbey said, pressing a kiss into Alex's hair. "How about we make a deal? I'm going to find a doctor to fix your heart. In return, you promise to do everything that your doctors tell you to do, including take your medicines. Deal?"
"If you can't find one, will you tell mommy I want to go see Papa and keep him company?"
Abbey swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. She knew exactly what Alex was asking her to do, and it only strengthened her resolve, "Yes, Alex, I will. But between you and me, I'm not planning on it. Don't give up yet, okay? I'll find a way to fix your heart."
"Okay, Aunt Abbey. Deal," She said, offering her hand for Abbey to shake, just like her daddy taught her to do.
They shook on it and then sealed it with a kiss for good measure. Finally, one by one, Abbey made sure Alex took her medications. They went out to the back deck after to say goodnight and then Alex went to bed. Later, once the card game was finished, Emily and Richard headed up to bed. Abbey retreated into her office, which was actually former servants quarters off of the kitchen that she turned into a room crammed with medical books, journals, and now her father's work desk.
"Hey," Jed said, coming into the room. "Are you coming to bed?"
Abbey motioned for him to close the door. He did and went to sit on the edge of the desk.
"We're going to have to change our schedules going forward. I'll be spending more time in Boston for the foreseeable future."
"Okay. I can rearrange a few things. Does this have anything to do with Alex?"
Abbey nodded. She opened her mouth to elaborate. But a sob escaped instead. Jed stood up and went over to hug his wife. Abbey broke down in his arms. The emotion she fought for most of the day came forth, and she couldn't stop them. When her sobs subsided, Jed was sitting in her chair and Abbey was curled up in his lap.
"Alex is being failed by her physicians, Jed. I know Emily and Richard have gone to every physician they can find looking for answers. But they're either too afraid to act or they lack the vision to find a solution," Abbey said quietly. "I have to do something. If I don't, she's going to die before she gets to an OR."
"I thought Alex was stable, that's what you told me this morning."
"She is, for now," Abbey replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "But Alex is tired, and she's losing hope. The medications are keeping her stable. The downside is that they're tough on the body the longer they're used."
"So I wasn't imagining Emily being upset when she came out to start the game."
"Emily is devastated, Jed. I had to step in and talk to Alex because she wanted to stop taking her medicine. She wants to go see my dad."
Jed cleared his throat, feeling emotions well up in him at the implication of Alex's words, "She's five years-old, Abbey. She can't possibly—-"
"Alex knows what she wants, Jed," Abbey interjected. " We made a deal. I promised Alex that I would find a doctor to fix her heart. She has to continue taking her meds and listening to her doctors."
"What are you going to do?" He asked, stroking her hair.
"I'm going to come up with the procedure that will fix her heart, and then I'm going to convince a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon to operate. If my father was here, he wouldn't stop until he found a surgeon that would agree. I've received the same information over and over again. It's time for a change."
"Mom," Alex sighed as she emerged from the house and onto the back deck, "Half of my class is still on vacation and the administration is fine with it. That's the kind of school you send me to. We've been over this. Besides, daddy left on his business trip this morning, and it felt weird to be home by myself."
"I don't care what the rest of your class is doing, Alexandra," Emily snapped.
"Hi Alex," Abbey said from her position on the sofa beside Jed.
"Save me," Alex mouthed.
"Emily," Jed cut in, noting that she was still in her school uniform. "I'm sure Alex isn't skipping school for the sake of it."
"I'm not. I came up early because something happened this morning and I thought both of you deserved to know."
"What is it?" Abbey asked, suddenly dreading the answer.
"I went to drop off an order at Mitchum Huntzberger's office this morning. While I was there, he showed me some sort of legal notice you sent him and wanted me to convince you to make some sort of deal for access to Felicity. I told him that I wouldn't presume to speak for you and gave him CJ's number."
"Damn it," Jed swore before getting up. "He just doesn't know when to quit, does he?"
"Jed," Abbey admonished.
"I'm going to go talk to Leo," He said and crossed back towards the door. But not before pulling Alex into an embrace, "You did the right thing, Lex. Mitchum was wrong to go through you to get to us."
"I know," She said, returning the hug.
When they pulled apart, Jed went back inside, leaving the three women alone.
"Come here, Alex," Abbey said, patting the space that Jed vacated. Alex went over and sat down beside her aunt. Abbey wrapped an arm around her, "Tell me all about senior year so far."
Emily settled on the opposite side of Abbey and the three of them talked about school, the latest social gossip, Felicity, and whether it was possible to have senioritis four days into senior year.
A lead weight felt like it was in CJ's stomach as the patrol of local and state police and Secret Service agents admitted the rental car Toby drove past the barriers leading up to the Bartlet Farm, leaving behind the photographers lining the road behind them in the early evening.
"I still don't understand how Mitchum Huntzberger had the temerity to let this go to print," She said, glancing at the manila envelope in her hands.
"We both met the man," Toby replied. "Are you really surprised?"
"I guess not. You never finished telling me what that surgeon you talked to said."
"There was something odd that came up during the conversation. After he told me more about what Dr. Bartlet did to win the award, I asked him who Jane Doe was. He was under the impression that I already talked to her."
"That is strange. I wonder what made him think that?"
"I think it's because Jane Doe isn't a patient in Dr. Bartlet's practice. She's the one who made the diagnosis to begin with. So, it was a logical question to ask. It turns out she wasn't, and most people who've asked him about the case assumed she was."
"So that means, Dr. Bartlet knew the family."
"At the very least. I thought it might be Zoey given the timing. But she would have been six, turning seven in 1987. And Annie wasn't born until after the President was in his first term as Governor. Maybe it's a family friend?"
They reached the main entrance to the farm and Toby turned to drive up the long driveway. The two of them fell silent as they drove past dozens of Secret Service agents with rifles surrounding the perimeter. They passed through two more gates that had been erected since the President and First Lady arrived home.
"If it's who I think it is," She held up the manila envelope, "This could explain a lot."
Inside the house, the family was just about to sit down to dinner. Sandra had taken charge of dinner and Alex was at her right hand helping with everything. Donna and Charlie pitched in too and the four of them chatted animatedly as they prepared the food. Jed walked out of his study with Felicity in the same wrap as that morning and went to the front door. CJ and Toby came up the front steps.
"Hey CJ, Toby," Jed said as they came in the front door. "Thanks for coming up. Did you get what you needed in Hartford?"
"Yes, Mr. President, we did," CJ confirmed.
"Good. We're about to sit down to dinner. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet, sir. We were focused on getting here," Toby said.
"Well, make yourselves comfortable. Whatever you brought can keep until after we eat."
Toby and CJ set their stuff down in the President's study before following him out to the dining room where Charlie, Donna, and Alex were setting the table with food. Emily was putting the finishing touches on setting the table. Jed was about to join Abbey at the table when Felicity spit up on his shirt.
"My lucky streak just ran out," Jed sighed as Abbey handed him a burp cloth.
"Happens to the best of us, handsome," Abbey said. Felicity started to fuss.
"Don't worry, lovebug," He said, wiping the spit up with one hand and rubbing her back with the other. "I won't hold it against you."
Felicity allowed herself to be comforted by both of her parents as everyone else joined them at the table. The assembled group of Jed, Abbey, Emily, Sandra, Donna, Charlie, Toby, CJ, and Alex settled into conversation over a dinner of grilled salmon and vegetables.
"How are you feeling, ma'am?" CJ asked Abbey.
"Better, CJ. Thanks for asking. I'm still recovering, but we're both on the mend," She replied, gesturing to Felicity.
"Did you ever receive a diagnosis for Felicity?"
"Dr. Mom put a moratorium on any more testing," Jed supplied helpfully. "Not that Felicity would stand for it."
"She's been through more than enough, Jed."
"Felicity was probably confused," Alex observed quietly. "I couldn't imagine being in the hospital and not know where my mom was. It's scary enough as it is."
"You sound like you speak from experience," Toby observed, exchanging a quick glance with CJ.
"Yes, way too much of it, I'm afraid."
"I meant to ask you how your appointment with Dr. Harris went yesterday, Alex," Abbey said, looking at Alex across the table.
"I had to move it to the week after next."
"Alexandra!" Emily exclaimed. "Your father was supposed to go to that appointment with you."
"And I reminded him about it. He told me to reschedule it for when you were home."
"Why is it that I can never leave you two to do anything?"
"Mom, daddy has never liked any of the medical stuff. I don't know why you thought this time would be any different. Besides, it gives me a little more time to put off my cardiac stress test. I think Dr. Harris takes a little too much pleasure in waiting to see if my heart is going to explode."
"I'm sure he takes no pleasure in it, sweetheart," Abbey said before Emily could launch into a diatribe about Richard not doing what he was supposed to do. "The purpose of the stress test is to make sure your heart is functioning correctly."
"You haven't seen him do it."
"What if Felicity and I went with you and your mom?" She offered.
"Aren't you going to be busy?"
"I think I can pencil my favorite goddaughter into my schedule."
"Your only one," Alex pointed out. "But thanks, Aunt Abbey. It would be nice if you did come."
Abbey exchanged a look with Emily across the table and saw the grateful look in her eyes.
After dinner was over, Emily, Sandra, and Alex went to go watch a movie in the informal living room while Jed, Abbey, CJ, Toby, Charlie, and Donna retreated to the study for a quick meeting.
"So what did you find in Hartford?" Jed asked when they were all assembled.
"Before we get to that," Toby said. "I have to clarify something with Dr. Bartlet."
"What is it, Toby?" Abbey asked, holding a pacifier in Felicity's mouth. She silently prayed it would be enough to get them through this meeting and to her, next feeding.
"Why did you demand that the Harper Avery Foundation not release Alex's medical records when you won the Harper Avery Award?"
Abbey opened her mouth to speak. But Jed answered for her, "Because Alex doesn't know what Abbey did for her, Toby. What does Alex have to do with what you found in Hartford, anyway? Besides Mitchum Huntsberger trying to use Alex to make a deal with us?"
CJ reached for the manila envelope on top of her bag and opened it, "We think that the decision to keep Alex's medical files sealed has something to do with this."
CJ pulled a copy of Scope Magazine out of the envelope and handed it to the President. On the cover was a man dressed in a nice dark suit. He was handsome but unsmiling. The headline beside him read:
My Affair with the First Lady and Our Baby Girl
"What the hell is this?" Jed exclaimed. He turned from CJ to Abbey and held up the magazine for Abbey to see.
Abbey stared at it, attempting to form words. But nothing came out of her mouth. Before she could say anything else, Felicity spit out her pacifier since Abbey's grip on it was loosened, and she began to cry loudly.
A new chapter will be up soon!