Chapter 8

"Mrs. Bartlet, the President has been here for about an hour and he is still being examined by the staff. May I get you something to drink or eat? Would you like to freshen up?"

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I just really want to see my husband. Is there a way I can watch the exam and still be out of the way?"

"Yes, ma'am. Follow me."

Abbey was taken to the ICU where Jed had been placed upon arrival. She quietly entered and stood behind the doctors.

Her first glimpse of Jed led her to unconsciously gasp. Cuts and bruises all over his face and arms, a tube in his throat, and surrounded by wedges to protect his pelvis until it could be fixed.

"Mrs. Bartlet, are you okay?"

It was only then that Abbey realized she must have done it out loud.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm fine. Please continue your exam."

One turned to Abbey and offered her his hand. "Ma'am, I'm Colonel Barnes. I'm the chief of staff here and head of Orthopedics."

"Glad to meet you. Please continue."

"Yes, ma'am."

The doctors continued their assessment.

Suddenly, Abbey overhead a part of the conversation that made her heart sink.

"With the temporary break in oxygen on the flight, we need to order an EEG, which will determine his brain function status."

"What happened?" Abbey was terrified with what they were describing.

Dr. Barnes turned in shock. He thought they had been talking below her hearing level.

"Ma'am, he experienced a temporary loss of oxygen when the President's plane was attacked on takeoff from Baghdad. Although his pupils are reactive, we would like to do further testing just to make sure there's nothing wrong."

"Okay. When will the results be in?"

"In a few hours."

"Okay. Just keep me informed." Her anxiety over Jed's condition just multiplied ten fold.

"Yes, ma'am."

After completion of their exam, Dr. Barnes turned to Abbey. "Would you like to sit down while I tell you what we've found?"

He pointed to a chair by Jed's bed and she gratefully sat down. The stress and flight was beginning to take its toll.

"As you've been told, the President has a broken pelvis and a shattered ankle, sustained in the crash. The doctors in Iraq operated on him in an emergency situation and repaired a punctured artery in his lung. He still has the chest tube in that they inserted during that process. He's stable but weak, so we don't want to operate on him quite yet. We think it's best if he rests for another eight hours or so and then, when he's stronger, operate to fix the broken bones. We'll keep him on the ventilator so he won't have to expend his energy breathing. We are also giving him IV steroids to try and minimize any relapse of his MS."

Abbey was looking at Jed during the whole conversation. Now, she looked at Dr. Barnes. "Thank you. I heard what the doctors did in Iraq and I'm very grateful. And I know he will receive the best of care here. You do what you think is best. Right now, I'm not a doctor, just a very worried wife."

"Yes, ma'am. I understand." Dr. Barnes turned and left. He had another patient in the Presidential party to assess and treat.

After the doctors left, Abbey touched Jed's arm. Although covered in bruises and small burns, she had to connect with him in some way. She was grateful that he was warm. That meant his body was functioning like it should.

Over the next eight hours Abbey only got up to stretch her legs and to eat. She was determined to stay awake and by Jed's side until the surgery started.

"You're going to be okay." Abbey couldn't help but talk to him. She had to give him the strength to fight. "You have to be okay."

Toby had come in to see the President, and to tell Abbey that CJ's surgery had gone well and she was resting comfortably. He didn't stay long because he felt like he was taking private time away from the President and his wife.

At some point, Abbey drifted off to sleep. She was so exhausted that her body gave out. She woke when someone was shaking her and calling her name.

"Mrs. Bartlet, it's time for the President to go into surgery."

Abbey opened her eyes and realized that it was late afternoon, Germany time. She stood up and backed away from the bed as they got ready to move the President's bed to the operating room. "Can I say goodbye?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She stepped to Jed's head. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, wiped the lipstick off with her thumb, and whispered in his ear.

"Come back to me, Jed. I love you and need you. Besides, you promised you would be back in time for our anniversary." Tears were forming in Abbey's eyes, but she refused to give in to them.

She then stepped away and let the nurses take him. But she knew he would be back. He had said he would be back. And she was going to hold him to that.