The following takes place between 2:00am and 3:00am on January 7th, 2002, in Washington, DC unless otherwise noted.
Caffeine is much more convenient than sleep, the President thought. Less time-consuming. But Leo wanted him at his fighting weight tomorrow and that wasn't going to happen without at least two hours of sleep under his belt.
He walked into his bedroom after sending a cordial nod to the agents and closed the door behind him. On his way to the bathroom, he stopped briefly in front of the bed to catch a quick glimpse of his immobile wife before continuing on his way. Once he had vanished into the bathroom, Abbey opened her eyes and sighed.
2:03
Nancy stood stationary by the door with her arms folded across her chest as Leo paced the length of his office pensively.
"How do you want to handle this?" She asked.
"Well, we don't exactly have a plethora of choices, do we, Nancy?"
"Not exactly."
"All right. Get Broadford Airport security onboard, and the local police department. I want Sheridan apprehended the moment his feet hit the pavement."
"It might be a challenge getting Broadford's cooperation," Nancy pointed out.
"The IRA is no friend to Scotland. Once they know the details of the situation at hand, they'll cooperate. Trust me."
"Are you gonna get the President in on this?"
Leo shook his head.
"I just got the President up to the Residence five minutes ago. If I get him back for something as trivial as this, he'll never get back up there."
"Something as trivial as this?"
"There's nothing he can do about this, Nancy, so yes, it's trivial."
"He's gonna have your ass on a plate when he finds out you didn't get him," Nancy said.
"Honestly, Nancy, if he doesn't get a few minutes alone with the First Lady, he'll have all our asses on a plate just for doing our jobs."
"What's going on with the First Lady?"
"It's just a thing, don't worry about it."
"You're worried about it, and clearly he's worried about it."
"It's nothing," Leo insisted.
"Leo, is this something that's gonna…"
Leo looked at her askance.
"Gonna what, Nancy?"
She hesitated before letting out a sigh and continuing.
"Does he have it together?"
"He has it together," Leo replied firmly.
"We need him together, Leo, I don't have to tell you that."
"That's why I sent him upstairs. He gets a chance to talk with Abbey, gets a little sleep, comes back raring to go."
"I hope you're right," Nancy said uncertainly.
"I'm right."
2:07
"The doctor will be with you in a moment."
CJ smiled politely at the exiting nurse while Hogan maintained her nervous frown. The high school senior sat on the plastic-covered bed in her hospital gown and CJ stood directly beside her.
"I've never been to the emergency room during the graveyard shift," CJ commented.
Hogan glared at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Aunt CJ, calling it the graveyard shift doesn't exactly boost my morale."
"Sorry."
"I feel really awkward about being here," Hogan admitted.
"You feel awkward?"
"Yeah. I mean, what if there's a four car pile-up on Louisiana Avenue and twenty people are brought here in critical condition and I'm taking up a bed?"
"In my life, I don't think I've ever heard of a four car pile-up on Louisiana Avenue, Hogan."
"You know what I mean."
"That's what scares me," CJ quipped. "Why are you so hung up on this?"
"I don't know. I just…I don't know."
"I think you do know."
"I don't like doctors," Hogan said quickly.
"You like the First Lady."
"Yeah, that's because she's cool and whatever. These guys…not so much."
"These guys, as you so quaintly put it, are highly trained professionals and while they may not be as cool as the First Lady, they know what they're doing," CJ explained.
"Remember when Dad made me come to work with you for Take Your Daughter to Work Day in eighth grade and I fell down the stairs to the Mess and she took care of me?"
"She put Neosporin on your knee and covered it with a band-aid, Hogan."
"Yeah, but she's the First Lady. How many people can say the First Lady rushed out of her meeting with President Dossier's wife to put a band-aid on their knee?"
"Not many."
"Can we get Mrs. Bartlet to do this instead?"
"I think the AMA would frown upon it, being that she, you know, forfeited her license."
"Wouldn't be the first time she went against the AMA," Hogan retorted.
"Okay, that's enough of that. The doctor will be here any second."
2:17
His bare feet carried him slowly out of the bathroom after he had changed into his pajamas and completed his routine tasks for the evening. Or morning, as the case seemed to be. When he walked over to the bed, it occurred to him that he wasn't tired. He was listless, tense, and preoccupied, but not tired. He sat down on the edge of the bed with his back to his wife, who was tucked comfortably under the covers. He sat in that motionless position for a few enduring moments while his heart tried to scare away the images his mind forced him to acknowledge. So engaged was he in his mission to exterminate all of the varied, unpleasant images that he didn't notice when Abbey, who hadn't been asleep as he had assumed, began to stir beneath the sheets. Only when she placed her warm hand flat against his back did he finally notice her.
"What is it?" She asked, softly.
He wanted to turn around and look at her, but he couldn't.
"I can't focus," he mumbled in return.
"What?"
Louder this time.
"I can't focus."
He heard her breath catch in her throat and instinctively read her thoughts.
"It's not…" She hesitated.
"No. Leo and I are in my office trying to save the world and all I can think about is…"
"What?"
"All I can think about is my life without you."
Although he could not see her, he could visualize her expression in his mind. Her mouth was slightly open, speechless, and her eyes were vacant with a mixture of concern, confusion, and anxiety.
"There isn't anything, Abbey. It's…it's a sort of empty monotony. Over and over, I see a few seconds of me alone and then it all goes black." A single tear slid down his cheek, followed by more as he struggled to lend voice to thought. "I can't do it. I can't do both. I can't…"
The tears began to flow at a copious rate, causing her to momentarily break out of the daze he had created in her. She threw off the covers and crawled onto her knees, wrapping her arms around him from behind. She pressed her forehead into his shoulder and continued to hold him as he cried. Her own mind was racing, but she would tend to those thoughts later.
"Why tonight?" He sobbed. "Why all at once?"
She hadn't seen him like this in ages. She had seen him cry more often than anyone else, but never to the point of childlike blubbering. Thank God the Joint Chiefs weren't around to see this.
"God is testing me, Abbey."
"Honey, need I remind you, you're the President of the United States. God is testing you every day."
"And every day I handle it," Jed said. "Every day, I catch whatever he throws at me. But now he's putting you into play and I'm missing every pitch."
"Well." She sighed. "You've got nine innings to get it right."
He did not turn around, and she did not attempt to make eye contact. She kept her position directly behind him and rubbed his back lightly as they nursed the fleeting silence between them.
2:25
"Why would you choose them over me?" Donna asked, pouting. "It was my idea!"
Josh turned away from his computer to give her his coveted attention.
"Are you a lawyer?"
"I…watch Law and Order."
"Are you experienced in investigative work?" He asked.
"I watch Law and Order."
"Do you know how to handle hardened criminals?"
"Well, I do watch Law and Order."
"Okay, let me ask you this. Do you have a college degree?"
"No, but I have seen Animal House a few times."
"Yeah, I can see how you would find similarities there."
"Come on, Josh!" Donna whined.
"Can you think of anyone better than my choices?"
"Yeah, Sam Waterston and Jerry Orbach!"
"Okay, tell you what," Josh replied. "If you can get either of them on the phone at two in the morning, I'm game. Otherwise, get me Sam and Amy."
2:30
"It was never supposed to be you, Abbey. I was supposed to go first."
Abbey was flabbergasted. Where on earth was all of this coming from? He had been so confident earlier, assuring her that it was only a cyst. Now he was worse than Zoey when her junior prom date got sick at the last minute. Maybe it was the result of all the stress he was under tonight. He was overwhelmed and it had put him into a childlike state.
"You're the reason I became President. If it hadn't been for you, I'd be Pope right now. I can't go on doing what I'm doing if you're…"
"Jed, I'm not going anywhere just yet, so calm down. The odds are…"
"The odds are not in our favor, Abbey," Jed responded. "In fact, the odds are really bringing me down."
Abbey opened her mouth to speak, but he was faster.
"Do you have any idea how many women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year? Hundreds of thousands!"
"Yeah, but…"
"And your family history pretty much speaks for itself, don't you think?"
"Well, I…"
If he had bothered to turn around, he would have seen the fear that dominated her features and the abundance of tears that had welled up in her eyes.
"Your mother died of ovarian cancer, your aunt died of breast cancer, your cousin died of breast cancer, your niece was diagnosed less than a year ago, and both of your sisters had breast cancer."
"And survived," Abbey pointed out.
"Yeah, and they both fell victim to massive depression following their mastectomies!"
"All right, that's enough!"
Suddenly, she crawled past him off the bed until she stood square on her feet before him. Looking at her for the first time in over fifteen minutes, he finally saw the anguish that was plain on her face.
"Okay? Enough! I know you're scared. But what about me? For God's sake, you're sitting there granting me a death sentence! For the last I don't know how many minutes, I've listened to you go through every reason why I should die! How is that supposed to make me feel? Is this your way of…I don't know, making me feel better? Easing my fears? Because you're doing a great job, let me tell you. In just a few short hours, a world-renowned oncologist is going to present me with a verdict that will literally seal my fate. And you are not a part of that jury, Jed. This is one thing that is way beyond the realm of your jurisdiction so don't start writing my eulogy yet!"
Silently, he lifted himself off the bed and approached her. She was breathing heavily still, stricken by the combination of her emotional harangue and the suppression of her tears. He wrapped his arms around her and she aborted all attempts to contain the tears. He stroked her hair gently, apologizing over and over in a faint whisper, as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"You were supposed to say…women survive breast cancer every day," Abbey mumbled as she cried. "It's probably just benign, Abbey. Don't worry, Abbey, we'll get you the best care money can buy."
He kissed her forehead.
"I know, baby. I'm so sorry."
After a moment, she pulled back slightly to look up at him.
"Jed, whatever happens tomorrow…I need to know that you're going to be my cheerleader, not the death-obsessed pessimist I saw tonight. Promise me that."
He held her tightly against his chest and locked his arms around her.
"I promise," he whispered. "I promise."
2:41
Toby Ziegler had been ruminating in the darkness of his quiet office for well over an hour. Although there was nothing specific for him to do, he refused to leave.
"Toby."
Ginger popped her head into his office and was momentarily disoriented by the overwhelming darkness.
"You all right in here, Lestat?"
"What do you need?" Toby responded.
"I have Andy on line one."
"Thank you."
Ginger left the office as Toby reached for the phone.
"You're calling me from Maryland, right?"
"You predicted that one pretty well, Ziegler," Andy said. "I just heard about the evacuation."
"Aren't you glad you listened to me?"
"What's going on, Toby?"
"I can't tell you."
"Bull. What's going on, Toby?"
He sighed reluctantly.
"The IRA."
"Sinn Fein?"
"Yeah."
"What about them?" Andy questioned.
"They've threatened to destroy at least one building the D.C. area."
"You're kidding me."
"Is that something I do, Andy?"
"What the hell does the Irish Republican Army have against the United States?"
"The jury's still out on that one."
"So what's it like there?"
"It's…chaotic, what do you think it's like?"
"What are you doing to prevent it?" She asked.
"Everything we can."
2:46
"Leo?"
Josh stepped into the Chief of Staff's office and closed the door behind him. Noticing that he was on the phone, Josh sat down on the couch near his desk until he was through. About thirty seconds later, Leo hung up the phone.
"What was that?" Josh questioned.
"Lord Marbury's plane just landed. He'll be here in about forty-five minutes."
Josh raised a curious eyebrow.
"Is he stopping for a little sight-seeing first?"
"He's in Baltimore."
"Is there…a reason for that?"
"It's just a precautionary move. We don't know where McGann's people are set up in Washington, if any. We're not taking any chances."
"Okay."
"What's up?" Leo asked.
"I've made my choices."
"For your partners in crime?"
"Technically rather the opposite, but yes," Josh replied.
"Okay, who'd you get?"
"Sam and Amy."
"Sam and Amy?"
"Yeah. Is that gonna be a problem?"
"I'm just surprised you got them to agree to that."
"Well, to be fair, I haven't yet, but I will."
"You haven't yet, but you will," Leo repeated skeptically.
"Piece of cake."
Leo's inevitable cynical response was thwarted by the sudden arrival of both Nancy McNally and Ryan Chappelle. Leo nodded to Josh, who immediately vacated his seat and rushed out of the office.
"Well?"
"We've got her," Nancy announced.
"McGann?"
"Yes."
"Oh, thank God. Any complications?"
"Well, she did put up a bit of a fight, and one of my field agents may have a broken hand, but other than that, no harm done," Chappelle replied.
"Great work. Pass it on to your agents."
"I will, sir."
"Leo," Nancy said, hesitantly. "There's one more thing."
Leo frowned.
"What now?"
"When they found her, McGann wasn't working alone."
"Well, that's not a huge surprise, is it?"
"The information on its own isn't a huge surprise, no, but…" Chappelle trailed off.
"The real surprise," Nancy added. "Is who she was working with."
2:59:57 2:59:58 2:59:59 3:00:00
TBC.
