Leo closed the double doors to the treatment room and turned to Ron, who was still standing guard. "Ron, I'm swearing in Russell in about an hour in the Oval. I'll need your men to get him there. Give me about thirty minutes before you do that though. I have to call him first, then bring him to the Oval. And I'm going to send 28000 to Perth to pick up the First Lady and her traveling party. Please inform your people's partners if they want to send a suitcase with replacement clothes to have them at Andrews in about four hours. I think that will be enough time to make the plane ready to fly. Any questions?"

"No, sir." Ron's job was to follow instructions from whomever was in charge and right now that was the Chief of Staff.

Leo walked on to the private waiting room and gave instructions to those waiting. "We need to start taking action. President Bartlet will not be able to hold office for some time so I am invoking the 25th. I refuse to let this incident become another circus like we had at Rosslyn. Josh, locate the Vice President. I'll call him on my way back to the White House. Then call the Chief Justice. Inform him what's going on and have him meet us in the Oval in about an hour. Toby, we're going to need some remarks for the temporary President to say to the press. I think you know what to include. CJ, call the press back in. We'll have a briefing in about an hour and a half with Russell giving a brief statement. Sam, call Andrews and ask them to get 28000 operational to fly to Australia to pick up the First Lady and her traveling party as soon as possible. Charlie, will you and Zoey go back to the Residence and pack her mother a suitcase with replacement clothes so she will have some when they board the plane? Also, Charlie will you call Lilli and ask her to get suitcases from the spouses of those in the First Lady's East Wing Staff that went with her? I'm sure they will appreciate having access to their own clothes when they board the plane in Perth. And make sure all the bags get to Andrews before the plane leaves. There's nothing more we can do here. The doctors will keep me informed and I will let you know. Any questions? Good. Now, go."

Leo got back in his car and got on the phone. First call was to the Vice President. He proceeded to tell Russell in great detail everything that had occurred, including the information about the First Lady's plane crash. He had already heard that news on television and was a bit perturbed he hadn't been in the notification loop. Then Leo dropped the bombshell. "Mr. Vice-President, as Chief of Staff I'm invoking the 25th. President Bartlet will not be in any shape in the near future to serve and to make decisions and we have to have an active President. The Secret Service is outside your door or will be soon, with directions to bring you to the White House to swear you in immediately. Please feel free to bring your wife and any family that is currently at home with you. Please keep this confidential until after the ceremony."

There was a brief pause before Bob answered, "Leo, did I just hear you correctly?"

"Yes, you will be the next President of the United States until such time Josiah Bartlet is able to physically and mentally return to his duties."

"I'll be right there."

"Thank you. Mr. President." Leo hung up the phone and swallowed hard. This was not what he signed up for, but those were the cards he had been dealt. It was his moral duty to be the best Chief of Staff to Bob Russell as he had been to Jed Bartlet. But only as long as it took Jed to return to the office the American people had elected him to.

Leo was still thinking about his call with Russell when his phone rang again. He looked at the number and saw that it was the White House Switchboard. "McGarry."

"Sir, Mrs. Bartlet on the line."

'Oh, crap.'

"Abbey, how're you doing?"

"Don't give me that crap, Leo. Where's my husband?"

"What'ya mean?" trying his best to sound as casual as possible.

"Leo Thomas McGarry."

'Oh crap' she was mad as hornet now. She was using his whole name.

"Abbey…"

"Leo. He's not in the Residence. He's not in the Oval. The Switchboard said the Situation room is empty. You TELL me where the hell he is."

Leo knew that he had to tell her, but he had not been looking forward to the conversation and had hoped it would be later.

"Abbey…"

"Leo, you're pulling a Jed on me now. Just tell me."

"Okay. Are you sitting? I mean it."

"Yeah. I'm a big girl. Tell me."

So, Leo went through the details of the past few hours. All the details. From the time Ron woke him up to the last few minutes. He could tell the Abbey was getting more and more upset. He hated giving her the information over the phone, but there was no other way.

"Leo, tell me the truth. Has he had a stroke?"

"Abbey, right now the doctors don't think so. They are leaning more toward this being caused by the fall in the bathroom."

"What did the doctors say his chances of surviving the surgery were?"

"Guarded. The unit of blood helped stabilize his vital signs, but with the MS complicating things, it could be touch and go. I didn't press them too strongly. It was good to see Dr. Keller there, and he asked about you. I kind of fudged about where you were, and he didn't ask any further questions. I have too many things to do to swear in Russell and handle him, or I would have stayed. But there wasn't anything anyone could have done there. Charlie is with Zoey and I asked her to call her sisters before they hear it on the news. I do have one bit of good news."

"You do?"

"I'm sending 28000 for you and your traveling party. It should be there about this time tomorrow and you should be back here 24 hours after that."

"Leo, will that be too late?"

"Abbey, I really don't know. I hope not. I told Jed to fight like hell. To fight until you could get back to him."

"Thanks, Leo. You're a great friend," she whispered, trying to keep her voice even.

"Abbey, that's all anyone can ask Jed to do. And all we can do is pray."

"I'm already doing that, Leo. I'm already doing that."