11:37 P.M.
The Bartlet Household Master Bedroom

Jed Bartlet sat up comfortably in bed, his nose buried in a book. He hadn't spoken much at all, to anyone, since dinner. Abbey regarded this as normal. She knew it would probably take awhile for everything to sink in. She herself had never experienced her parents getting divorced, but she had survived through the death of her mother, and her father remarrying. Their situations were not completely unalike. After changing into her pajamas, Abbey dropped herself onto the bed and sighed. She was at the point now where it was painful just trying to sit or lay down. Somehow she managed to position herself comfortably, though it took her long enough. "Jed"
"Hmm," he mumbled back, not looking up from his book.
"I think we should talk about this"
"Abbey"
"If you don't want to talk about your parents, that's fine. But we'll have to discuss the living arrangements and such"
He put the book down on his lap.
"Ok"
"I think this can be a good thing"
"Oh, you do, do ya"
"Yes. I do. Liz and I have been having problems figuring out what to do after the babies are born, as far as someone taking care of them. Neither of us are comfortable with the idea of daycare, and I'm not thrilled with the thought of having some kind of…nanny"
"So what are you thinking"
"Well…since your mother's here…maybe she'd like to do it"
"Take care of the kids"
"Yeah. Just while Liz is at school and I'm at work. I'd feel much better knowing they're in the hands of family," Abbey said.
Jed nodded.
"We can talk to her"
"Ok. How are you feeling about all of this"
"I don't know," Jed replied, distraught. "I can understand why Mom left. I can. But I can't help putting myself in Dad's shoes. If you left me…my world would come crashing down"
Abbey smiled at him, sympathetically.
"It's different for them, Jed. You know that. I'm sure your father is quite thrown off by the whole thing, but I don't think his world has come crashing down. They didn't…have the kind of relationship you and I have"
"I know that, but I just can't shake that feeling. He's still my dad, Abbey. Even if he is an asshole"
"Why don't you give him a call tomorrow? See how he's doing," Abbey suggested.
"Yeah…I don't know if that's such a good idea. I'm not his favorite person, you know"
"I bet he'd like to hear from you. He probably needs all the support he can get right now. I think you should call him"
Jed nodded.
"Maybe. But I'm gonna talk to Johnny first. You have the morning shift tomorrow?" He asked.
Abbey shook her head.
"No, night shift"
Jed sighed.
"I know, but it's not exactly fun for me either," Abbey said. "So you'll be home"
"Maybe one"
"Is that healthy, Abbey? For the baby I mean"
She shrugged.
"Tomorrow's Friday. I'll have all weekend to catch up on my sleep"
"Meaning you'll be leaving me to deal with Mom on my own"
"She's your mother, Jed. I'm not her babysitter"
"I don't know what to do with her, Abbey. I've never…been around her without Dad. And he always calls the shots"
"You'll think of something"

November 25th, 1987 9:27 P.M.
The Bartlet Household Ellie Bartlet's Bedroom

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Jed leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Night, Dad"
"I love you"
"Love you too"
As Jed shut off the light, Catherine quietly crept into the room.
"Jed," she whispered.
He jumped, startled.
"Jesus, Mom, trying to scare the crap out of me"
"Yes, dear, that was exactly what I was trying to do," Catherine replied, sarcastically.
He rolled his eyes, and they both exited Ellie's bedroom and shut the door.
"What's going on?" Jed asked his mother.
"Zoey's asking for you"
"She's not asleep? I put her down an hour ago"
"She's still awake, and she wants you"
Jed sighed and stalked off toward his youngest daughter's bedroom. The door was open slightly already, and he pushed it open. Zoey was sitting up in bed, her knees drawn up to her chest, holding her two beloved stuffed animals, Brighton and Triscuit. "Hey, baby. What's the matter?" Jed asked, compassionately, sitting on the bed beside her.
"I can't sleep," Zoey replied, miserably.
"Why not"
"I'm not tired"
"Oh, really? You seemed pretty tired before Mom left for work tonight," Jed observed.
"Well, now I'm not. I'm not sleeping until Mommy gets home." "I think you are, little one"
"I'm not!" Zoey exclaimed, defiantly.
"Your mother's going to be very upset if she comes home from a long night at work to find you still awake, Zoey. You don't want to make her sad, do you"
"No. But I have to talk to her"
"You can talk to me, sweetheart," Jed said.
She shook her head.
"It's girl stuff, Daddy"
Jed raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Is that so"
"Mmm-HMM!" "You know, I happen to be living with five women at this moment. I think I know a thing or two about girl stuff, whether I want to or not." "Can you tell me about babies!" Zoey asked, hopefully.
"What about babies"
"I wanna know how I can get one"
Jed laughed, uneasily.
"Oh, no, darlin'. Not for many, many, many, MANY years"
"How did Mommy get one"
"Uhh...well…you see"
"How, Daddy"
"You really want to know"
"Yes"
"Well…it's all about magic," Jed said.
"Magic"
"Yeah, yeah, um…the fairies come and uh, the elves too"
"Santa's elves!" Zoey asked, excitedly.
"Yes! Santa's elves, when it's not Christmas season. They're…out-of-season elves, you see, and um…they get together, with the…leprechauns! Yeah, the leprechauns, and then they"
"Jed!" Catherine cried from her place at the doorway.
Jed glanced back at her.
"Mom, what are you doing lurking in the shadows like that? Good Lord"
"Don't you take the Lord's name in vain, Josiah. And don't you fill that little girl's head with nonsense!" Catherine ordered, walking over and sitting on the opposte side of Zoey's bed. "What nonsense? I'm telling her the truth!" Jed insisted.
"No, you're not. Don't you listen to him, Zoey. That's not where babies come from"
"Mom, please. This is awkward enough for me to tell my daughter, but I don't want to have to hear it come out of my mother's mouth too!" Catherine rolled her eyes.
"You can be such a immature little baby sometimes, you know that, Jed"
"Daddy's not a baby!" Zoey said.
"I was just being silly, honey," Catherine said. "You're right. Daddy's not a baby, so tell him he shouldn't act like one"
"Don't act like a baby, Daddy. It's not cool"
Catherine and Jed burst out laughing.
"I guess I'm just not cool enough to be your dad then, huh"
"No, you are!" Zoey exclaimed, quickly. "Just don't act like a baby and listen to Grandma." "Very good, Zoey," Catherine praised her.
"Grandma, will you tell me about babies now"
"I absolutely will, darling"
"Mom, come on. Please!" Jed begged.
"Well. One night, about eight months ago…" Catherine began. "Mom, no, please"
"…your mommy and your daddy spent some time alone. Just the two of them"
"What did they do?" Zoey asked, curiously.
"They, um…well, they enjoyed each other's company for awhile and then they went…to bed"
Zoey frowned.
"And that's how the baby got into Mommy's belly"
"Yeah! That's how"
"I don't get it." "Well, you see, Zoey, when two people really love each other"
Jed laughed.
"That's gotta be the oldest line in the book, Mother"
"Then you tell the story, Mr. Fairy Tale Conception"
"Ok, I don't want to hear you said the word 'conception' to me ever again, Mom"
"Oh, for goodness' sakes, Jed"
"Ok, Zo. This is what happened"
"This ought to be good," Catherine commented. "Tell Grandma to be quiet," Jed said.
"Grandma, be quiet!" Zoey demanded.
Catherine put her finger over her lips.
"My lips are sealed, darling. Go on, Jed. Tell her"
"Well, one night about eight months ago, and also on many, many, many occasions before and since that time"
Catherine reached over and whacked her son over the head.
"Ow!" "Don't you speak that way in front of your daughter. Or your wonderful, saintly mother for that matter"
"I didn't say anything!" "Daddy! Finish the story!" "All right, all right. You see, sweetheart…Mommy and Daddy really love each other. A whole lot. And that is the only time you should ever, ever do what we did"
"What did you do?" "We, um…oh, God, I can't do this." "Daddy"
"Nope. This conversation is not happening tonight, sunshine. Grandma and I are just…too tired to talk about this"
"Then I'm gonna sit here and wait for Mommy to come home and tell me"
"Fine. Do what you want," Jed replied, calmly, knowing all too well that she'd be asleep within the next fifteen minutes. "Meanie"
"Zoey, it's not nice to call your father names. Please apologize to him," Catherine said.
"I'm sorry, Daddy"
"It's ok, sweetheart. Say goodnight to Grandma"
"Night, Grandma"
"Goodnight, darling"
"Night, Dad"
"Sleep tight."
11:09 P.M.
George Washington General Hospital

Abbey Bartlet stood outside one of her patients' rooms, talking with a colleague. It had been a long night, and she knew she would barely be able to survive the next two or three hours before she could finally go home.
"Who's going to be covering your shifts when you go into labor?" Tom Sussin asked.
Abbey smiled coyly.
"Why, you, of course"
"That's funny, Abbey. You're a real comedian"
"I'm serious! I want you to cover my shifts"
"I'm working close to sixty hours a week as it is, Abs"
"It's only for a few days, Tom. You're the only man for the job, you know that," Abbey replied, with a wink. "Well…don't tell my wife. She'd kill me if she found out I'd have to spent more hours here than I already do"
Before Abbey could answer him, they heard the sound of sirens wailing from outside the emergency room and loud commotion when the paramedics slammed the doors open and rolled the gurney on through. Abbey and Tom immediately rushed to the lobby to see what was going on. It was rare that the emergency room was busy on a weeknight. But then, it was a Friday night after all.
When they reached triage, a few other doctors had already gathered around the stretcher as the paramedics explained his condition. The patient was a nineteen-year-old boy who had overdosed on cocaine, and mixed it with a little alcohol, at a party. When Abbey finally caught a glimpse of his face, she was shocked by his identity. She couldn't believe it. "Mark, I'm gonna take this"
"You know him?" Dr. Mark Edison asked.
"Uh…yeah"
"Ok. Guys, Abbey's gonna take this"
Abbey followed as the orderlies wheeled the gurney down the hall to the emergency room, and looked down at the grandson of her most beloved patients.
"Oh, Doug, what have you done"