But the moment she walked in the door, she found herself running directly to the bathroom. After ten minutes of incessant vomitting, she finally emerged from the bathroom. She slowly walked into the kitchen, grabbed the phone, and sat down at the table. As she dialed the number, she felt the feeling of queasiness return, but this time it refrained.
"George Washington General Hospital. How may I direct your call?"
"Uh, Dr. Abigail Bartlet please," Liz said, weakly.
"One moment."
It was more than a moment, but the phone operator returned to the line about four minutes later. Liz was used to this. She knew it often took awhile to locate the doctors in the hospital.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Bartlet's in the OR right now. Can I take a message?"
"Oh, um. Yes, just tell her her daughter called please."
"Will do."
"Thank you." She hung up and leaned back in the chair, inhaling and then letting out a deep sigh.
When the phone rang forty-five minutes later, Liz had just exited the bathroom after having another episode. She picked up the phone and then plopped down on the couch, exhausted, before answering.
"Hello?"
"Hey, what's going on?" It was Abbey.
"Mom. Thank God."
"What is it? Is everything ok?"
"I don't know. I've been throwing up all afternoon," Liz explained.
"How often?"
"Oh, I'd say in at least thirty-five of the last sixty minutes," she estimated.
"I see."
"I think I have the flu or something."
Abbey laughed.
"No, honey, you don't have the flu."
"Then how do you explain this, Dr. Bartlet?"
"Morning sickness, hon. Plain and simple," Abbey replied.
"Morning sickness? It's three in the afternoon!"
"I know. It's some kind of oxymoron and it's not the most pleasant thing in the world, but it is what it is."
Elizabeth sighed.
"Get used to it, Liz, because this is just the tip of the iceberg."
"God," Liz moaned. "This sucks."
"You said it, sister. Actually, I'm surprised you're experiencing this so early. To this extent at least."
"When does it usually start?" Liz asked.
"Well, technically, it can start anytime. But I never had any problem with morning sickness till at least the third or fourth month."
"Then this baby is a rebel."
"Just like its mother," Abbey concurred, laughing. "But uh, yeah I haven't been sick at all yet. Extreme fatigue, yes, but sick, no."
Elizabeth paused. For a moment there, she had forgotten that her mother was pregnant as well.
"Hmm."
"But listen, I gotta get back. I've just been paged back to the OR."
"Ok. Mom?"
"What, hon?"
"What time are you gonna be home tonight?" Liz asked, desperately. She was scared of all this, though she would never admit it.
"Well, I'm off at eight, so I should be home around nine or so. God willing."
Liz's heart sank. It was going to be a long night and she felt like she was going to face it all on her own.
"Ok. Is this going to stop any time soon?"
"It should. Hang in there, kid. I'll see you tonight."
When Abbey walked in the door at 5:30pm, she was exhausted and breathless. She kicked the door closed behind her and dropped her purse and keys on the floor beside the threshold.
Zoey was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table in the living room all alone, practicing her handwriting. But she immediately hopped up when she heard someone come in.
"Mommy!" She cried, with surprise, running toward her.
Abbey kneeled down, arms wide open, to catch her when she jumped into them.
"Hey, baby doll."
"I thought you were Daddy!"
"Mmm. I can see the resemblance," Abbey said, laughing.
"Lizzie said you weren't gonna be home till after I was asleep!"
"Change of plans!"
Zoey grinned, then took Abbey's hand and dragged her over to the couch. She sat down, while Zoey sat on the floor in front of her legs on and picked up her pencil.
"Wanna see my write my J's?" Zoey asked.
"Sure, baby, go ahead."
As Zoey wrote, slowly and carefully, Abbey looked around her unusually quiet house.
"Where is everyone, Zo?"
"Hold on," Zoey replied, as she concentrated on her letter-creating skills.
"Done! Look. See? They're J's!" She exclaimed, excitedly, holding up her paper for Abbey to see.
"Very good! They're just perfect."
Zoey smiled from ear to ear, then hopped into her mother's lap, laying her head against Abbey's chest. Abbey wrapped her arms around her youngest daughter and they just sat in silence for a brief, peaceful moment.
"Oh. I forgot. Ellie's outside and I think Liz is upstairs," Zoey said, quietly, yawning.
"Ok," Abbey replied, running her fingers through Zoey's hair. "Is Daddy home yet?"
Zoey shook her head.
"Mommy?"
"What, baby doll?"
"Am I still gonna be your baby doll when the new baby comes?" She asked, timidly.
Abbey saw that Zoey was staring blankly, the way only a child can, at her stomach.
"Of course you are! You'll always be my baby doll. Even when you're thirty."
Zoey giggled.
"When I'm THIRTY? I'm never gonna be that old, Mommy."
Abbey laughed.
"You sure know how to make me feel young, Zoey."
She kissed the top of her head and said, "All right. Up. I gotta go take a shower."
"Why?" Zoey whined.
"Germs! I've been around sick people all day, honey."
"But you make them better, don't you?"
"Most of the time I do, but germs are still everywhere. Come on, get up."
Zoey hopped off of her lap and Abbey slowly stood up, now feeling dizzy.
As she started walking toward the stairs, Zoey asked, "Mom, what's for dinner?"
"Shit," Abbey said.
"Mommy!"
"Sorry, baby. You didn't hear that, ok?"
Zoey nodded reluctantly, secretly noting to tell her father that the next time she wanted something her mother said no to. Ah, the wonders of being blackmailed by a six-year-old.
Abbey stopped walking to think about dinner. She was in no condition to cook, with the way she felt right then. And Jed wasn't home, and who knew exactly when he would be?
"ELLIE!" She shouted, turning in the direction of the backyard, far away as it was.
Apparently her voice carried through a number of rooms, for Ellie came running to the house and into the living room.
"Hey! You're home."
"Yeah. I'm gonna go take a shower, and Dad's not home yet so why don't you call and order some food?" Abbey threw the portable phone at her.
"Oh, yes!" She cried, catching it. "What kind?"
"I don't know, what do you feel like?"
"Chinese!" Ellie and Zoey both exclaimed at once.
"Chinese it is." Abbey nodded.
The two youngest Bartlet girls both squealed as they ran into the kitchen to get the menu. Abbey then ascended the stairs, only to hear moaning coming from the upstairs bathroom.
"Liz? Elizabeth, are you all right?" She called, standing in front of the closed bathroom door.
"What do you think?"
"I'm coming in."
With that, she opened the door to find her daughter on the cold, linoleum floor, hunched over in front of the toilet.
"Oh, honey," Abbey said, kneeling beside her to hold back her hair.
"Has it been like this nonstop since we talked?" She asked.
"Pretty much," Liz answered. "You said it would stop."
"Well, some days will be worse than others. Just be thankful it didn't start till you got home from school."
"Yeah, but what if it does happen when I AM at school?"
"I don't know. You go to the bathroom, I guess."
"For the whole class period?"
"If you think it's going to be all period, then go to the nurse. That way you won't get in trouble," Abbey suggested.
"Yeah." She sighed. "Wait, I thought you were working till eight tonight?"
"Yeah, well, here I am."
"Why? Did something happen?"
"Don't worry about it, Liz. I'm gonna go take my shower. You gonna be all right in here?" Abbey asked.
"I guess I'm gonna have to be."
Abbey flashed her a reassuring smile and left the room.