"Oh, my GOD! Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my GOD"
Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Bartlet's screams were heard loud and clear throughout George Washington General Hospital. Mallory McGarry stood beside her, feeling helpless, while she cried out in agony.
"Can I get you anything, Liz?" Mallory asked.
"Get…this baby…OUT"
The nurse laughed quietly.
"I think we've got quite awhile before that can happen, dear"
"Why? Just reach in and pull it out, for God's sake!" Elizabeth argued.
"I don't think it's that easy, Liz," Mallory replied.
"What the hell do I care if it's easy or not? Get it out"
"Ok, I'm gonna go get you some more ice"
"Make it quick, McGarry!"
Mallory rushed out of the room as quickly as possible. She realized how much pain her best friend was in but, man, was she hostile.
"How long until it's over?" Liz asked the nurse, desperately.
"Oh, honey…it's going to be hours"
"Hours"
"I'm afraid so"
"Like…two hours"
"More like…ten, it looks like"
"Jesus Christ! Ten hours? Are you kidding me"
"No, sweetie. I wish I was, because I don't think I can survive ten more hours of this either"
12:31 P.M.
The Bartlet Household
Kitchen
Abbey Bartlet stood by the kitchen counter, the telephone pressed against her ear. She tapped her foot anxiously, waiting for her husband's secretary to pick up on the other end.
"Congressman Bartlet's Office"
"Sheila, it's me. I need to speak to him. Now," Abbey said, urgently.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Bartlet, he's in a meeting with Senator Brown"
"It's an emergency. Believe me, he will want to take this call"
Sheila sighed.
"All right. Just a minute"
Abbey's foot began tapping at a faster pace.
"Abbey"
"Jed!" She breathed a quick sigh of relief.
"What's wrong"
"Liz is in labor"
"Oh, my God. Ok, ok. I'll be at the hospital in ten minutes"
"No, Jed, you have to come pick me up first. I'm at home. You know I can't drive right now."
"Yeah. Ok. Ten minutes, Abbey."
"Hurry"
1:01 P.M.
George Washington General Hospital
Elizabeth Bartlet's Room
"Are they here yet?" Liz asked.
Mallory shook her head, sadly.
"Not yet"
"Did they leave"
"Yeah, your mom called to say they'd be here soon"
"I've been here for over an hour! Where the hell are they?"
"They're coming, Liz, they're coming," Mallory said, reassuringly.
Liz groaned in discomfort.
"How much longer till the next one"
"A few minutes, I think."
"Hey, do you have any name suggestions?" Liz questioned.
"Oh, I don't know. Which names do you like"
"I don't want to choose the name because I like it. I want it to mean something"
"You want to name it after someone"
"Yeah. I mean, I guess. What do you think"
"Well, I think that's a great idea. I think, if it's a girl, you should name her after me," Mallory suggested, with a grin.
"Nah. See, cuz then there'd be two of ya, and it'd be pretty confusing. Don't you think"
"I guess"
"Plus- Mallory Bartlet? Come on, that just sounds wrong"
"What are you thinking then?"
"I think I want to keep it in the family"
"Ok. Well, what about your grandparents?" Mallory asked.
"Yeah. I was thinking, if it's a boy, I'd name him Nick, after my grandfather"
"I like it. But what if it's a girl"
"I don't know. Maybe Catherine. For Grandma," Liz said.
"Yeah, and you could call her Catie. That's cute"
"Maybe"
"Come on, asshole! That's a green light!" Abbey shouted out the window of Jed's SUV.
Jed glanced over at her and shook his head.
"What is it with you and road rage anyway"
"It's a green light, and that's bastard is just SITTING there! That's what's with me and road rage!"
"Shouting obscenities out the window isn't going to make this go any faster," Jed pointed out.
"Why the hell are we in traffic? It's 1 o'clock in the afternoon"
"We're just lucky, I guess"
"Come on!" Abbey shouted out the window again. "Move your asses!"
"Abbey, please. I'm getting a headache"
She glared at him.
"Our daughter is having a baby and we're sitting in traffic. And you want me to shut up"
"Yes!"
"Jackass," she muttered, under her breath.
Abbey turned her head to look out the window, this time silently.
"Abbey"
She ignored him, her eyes glued on the road ahead of her.
"Abbey," Jed repeated.
Again, she kept completely quiet.
"Honey. Come on. I'm sorry. I know you're just anxious to get to the hospital."
"She's all alone there, Jed," Abbey said, quietly.
"She's not alone. Mallory's with her"
"Neither of them have any idea what they're doing. She needs me"
"I know. We'll get there. I promise you, we will get there as soon as we can."
Life keeps tumbling
your heart in circles
till you let go
till you shed your pride
and you climb to heaven
and you throw yourself off
now you're out there spinning in the deep
