CJ was just entering her room after the reception at the hotel when her phone rang.
"CJ?"
"Yeah?"
"Greg Brock here."
"Yes, Greg?"
"I have a tip that Mrs. Bartlet is undergoing emergency surgery in Los Angeles. Does the President have a comment?"
"What?!"
"Didn't you hear me?"
"I did, but will you repeat it?"
"I said that I have a source that Mrs. Bartlet is undergoing emergency surgery in Los Angeles. Does the President have a comment?"
"Greg, let me get back to you." She hit the off button before Greg could say anything else. She hit Leo's speed dial button and waited for the connection to go through.
"LEO! I have a reporter who says Mrs. Bartlet is having emergency surgery in Los Angeles. Is that true?"
"Yes, CJ, it's true. I'm on my way now to tell the President."
"How long have you known?"
"About an hour."
"Leo, how could you leave me so exposed?"
"Because I haven't told the President."
"Leo!"
"CJ! It was my call to make. I did what I thought was best at the time. I didn't want the President to know until I had more information. You know that he will want to get on Air Force One and immediately go to Los Angeles. I decided to wait until I had more information. Ron just got word that she has been taken to surgery."
CJ tried to calm down. What Leo was saying was making sense, but still…she had to hear it from a reporter. Not good.
"Okay. What do you want me to tell the press?"
"Nothing right now. After I see the President, and talk with him and Ron, we'll have something to say."
"Okay. But hurry. Something like this won't keep very long."
"Don't I know it. I'll call you as soon as I can." He hung up, shaking his head. 'There's something more important than the press, CJ,' he thought.
Leo met up with Ron at the President's suite door. "Are you ready, Ron?"
"As ready as I can be, Mr. McGarry."
Leo sighed and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Leo opened the door. The President had ditched his jacket and tie. He had also fixed himself a drink and was sitting on the sofa, relaxing after a very long day. When he saw Ron with Leo, he instantly knew something significant had occurred. The Head of Presidential Security never paid a social visit to the President of the United States.
"Okay, guys. Now that you have surprised me, what is it?"
Leo motioned for Ron to start.
"Mr. President, Mrs. Bartlet…"
Those two words immediately got the President's attention. He leaned forward. "What about Abbey? She's supposed to be in Los Angeles."
Ron continued. "Yes, sir. Just before she was to give her speech this afternoon, she collapsed and was taken by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Hospital. After the doctors examined her, they determined that she had an abscessed ruptured appendix and she's currently having emergency surgery. Before the surgery, she had yet to regain consciousness."
Jed put down his glass and stood up. "Am I hearing this correctly?"
Leo spoke. "Yes, sir. We don't have any more information at the present time. An agent is in the operating room with her and will provide information as he can."
Jed just stared at the two men. "Is there any way I can talk with Lilli? I assume she's at the hospital."
Ron spoke up. "Yes, sir. One of our agents is with her. I'll contact him and get Lilli to contact you right away."
"Thank you, Ron."
Ron turned away as he went to contact his staff in Los Angeles.
Jed turned to Leo. "You know what I want to do, don't you?"
"Yes, Sir. But let's think this through. First, let's wait and see how the surgery goes. Then, after she wakes up from the anesthesia, you two can talk it over. Maybe you can still give the closing speech tomorrow at noon and then cancel the State Visit and instead fly to Los Angeles. I checked and it's about the same flight time to LA from here as it is to Mexico City. And we can then send everybody, including the press, home on Air Force 2. You stay a few days in LA while Abbey recovers a little bit before flying back to Washington. Want to think about that scenario? "
"Okay, I'll think about it. But it's all dependent on a successful surgery and her waking up without complications. You understand that, right?"
"Yes, Sir."
Ron returned just then, much paler than when he had left.
"Ron, what's the problem?" Jed caught his breath when looking at Ron. He knew something terrible had just occurred. "Is it Ab…" he couldn't even finish the question.
"I don't know, Sir. I can't get anyone on the phone. I've been told that the LA area has just had a major earthquake."
"How bad, Ron?
"8.1, Sir."
"Oh My God!"
