Ben Silverman hadn't expected to see another guy in the room that belonged to the mother of his child. He hadn't expected to see her laughing- happy. He thought he'd find her desperate, assumed she'd beg him to be involved in their child's life, in her life. However, that didn't seem to be the case.
"Uh…Liz?" Ben called out, timidly, upon his entrance to the room.
Her 'friend' stood from his seat beside her bed.
"I'll leave you two to talk," Doug said.
"Ok. I'll see you later," Liz said, her mood considerably worsened by Ben's presence.
"Who was that?" Ben asked, once he was safely out of ear shot.
"None of your business," Liz replied.
"Is he your boyfriend"
"What do you care"
"I don't know. Whatever. I don't care. Let's talk," Ben said.
"Fine. Talk"
"I saw Annie"
"Oh. You know her name. That's nice, Ben"
"Can you just forget how much you hate me for like two minutes so we can talk about this"
"It's not easy to forget," Liz answered.
"Look, you don't have to be so defensive. I don't want to take her from you"
"You don't"
"No. I screwed up, Liz. I wasn't around throughout all of this, and I realize that was a mistake. I don't have the right to challenge you in any way"
"Damn right"
"But I would like to be involved in her life somehow," Ben said.
"Well, yeah. I want that too. She needs to have her father around, at least now and then. You know, every other weekend and a day during the week. Stuff like that"
"Yeah, I'd really like that"
"Ok," Liz said, smiling. "Good"
"And Liz…I'm sorry. I'm just…sorry it had to be like this. I'm sorry I was an asshole"
"Jackass is more like it"
"Fine. Seriously, though, I really am sorry"
"It's okay," Liz said, shrugging her shoulders. "It's done now. Just don't screw up again, got it"
Ben smiled.
"Got it"
The next day…
"Liz, honey, are you ready to go yet"
Abbey Bartlet walked into Liz's hospital room, which was now mostly empty. Jed had loaded all of her flowers and gifts into the car not long before.
"Almost. Did Dad get Annie"
"Yeah. They're waiting in the car"
"It's so weird leaving. I feel like I've been in this room for years," Liz said.
"Well, wake up, honey. The minute you walk out of this hospital, it's real"
"I know. That's what scares me."
In the backseat of her father's car, Elizabeth Bartlet sat next to her infant daughter's car seat, watching her every move. Her parents were in the front seat whiser-arguing about something or other. She learned early on how to tune them out. Liz smiled down at Annie and stroked the baby soft skin of her hands.
"Hi, honey," she whispered, soothingly. "Hi, baby"
She leaned in and kiss Annie on the top of her nose lightly.
"You're my beautiful baby girl, aren't you? Yes, you are! You are my sunshine, my only sunshine"
"Liz"
Her mother's voice shook broke down the walls she had momentarily built around her and Annie. She looked up.
"Yeah"
"We need to talk," Abbey said.
"About what?" Liz asked, with a sigh.
"About Doug"
"Mom, come on. I'm not doing this with you again"
"What do you mean again? I tried to talk about it last night, and you brushed me off. Now your father and I have some things we want to say"
"Not me," Jed said. "Your mother has some things she wants to say, Liz"
Abbey glared at Jed with frustration.
"What happened to our united front? Jackass"
"Mom!" Liz exclaimed. "Annie will hear you."
Abbey was about to argue, then stopped and smiled. Liz was already a good mother. Although she had worried about it from time to time (she'd never admit it), her fears were put to rest.
"I'm sorry, hon"
"It's okay," Liz replied, quietly.
"But we do need to talk about this."
"Talk"
"You cannot get romantically involved with this boy, Elizabeth," Abbey said, firmly.
"But, Mom"
"No. I don't care if you want to be friends with him, that's fine. But you cannot date him"
"You used to say I could date anyone I wanted to! You said if I make the wrong decision and get my heart broken, that was my problem. You said I'd learn from my mistakes"
"That's right!"
"You were the only mother I know who didn't put restrictions on my boyfriends. And that was cool. It was really cool. But now you're going back on your word. And that's not cool"
"It's not cool? I'm not a cool enough Mom? Well, fine. I can live with that. But what I can't live with is you getting involved, and exposing that child to, a recovering drug addict!" Abbey exclaimed. "Jed, will you back me up here"
Jed cleared his throat"
"Mmm…yes. Your mother's right. Yeah"
"That was really convincing, Jed"
"Why does Dad have to agree with you?" Liz questioned.
"He doesn't have to. But he does. Doesn't he?" Abbey raised an eyebrow in her husband's direction.
"Absolutely!" Jed confirmed. "But because I don't know Doug like your mother does, my feelings aren't as strong about it. That's all. But don't let that take away from the importance of Mom's argument"
"Liz, I'm just looking out for you here. And I'm looking out for Annie. You should be too," Abbey said.
"I would never put her at risk, Mom. Never," Liz insisted.
"You've been a Mom for, what, five days? You've still got a lot to learn, kid. If you start something with Doug Westin, he's going to end up as a father figure to Annie. You want someone who spent a week in the hospital after Oding to be someone your child looks up to as her father"
"It's not like he's on drugs now! You said it yourself- he's recovering!"
"That takes time, Elizabeth. Don't you see? It could take years!"
"That's true, Liz," Jed added. "You've got a lot on your plate right now. You're taking care of a baby, and soon you'll be back in a school. You can't be cleaning up Doug's mess during his withdrawals and such"
"Jed," Abbey whispered, almost inaudibly.
"And you can't let your daughter be a witness to activity like that. You need to set a good example. Now, you know I have nothing against Doug as a person. This isn't something that should be taken personally. And you know Mom adores him. We're just looking out for your"
"Jed!"
Jed snapped his head to the side to see why his wife was exclaiming his name with such urgency. He turned to see her face red and flushed, her hand clutching at her stomach, and she was breathing heavily.
"Abbey"
"Turn the car around"
Jed swirved the car around and did a U-Turn at the light, nearly running them off the road. Liz leaned up to see what was going on.
"My water just broke"
