Agent Sullivan tied the last piece of his torn jacket lining into place, securing the makeshift pipe splint to Seaborne's leg. Sam winced in pain, and Toby, not knowing what else to do, gently pat his deputy's shoulder.

"That should keep the leg immobile, Mr. Seaborne," Sullivan said, "and it will help with the pain." Sam nodded, exhaling a large breath. Sullivan turned toward Toby. "Let me see that hand, Mr. Ziegler." Toby gingerly extended his left hand, and Sullivan wrapped it with strips of his suit jacket, causing Toby to grunt. "Sorry sir, but you've broken some bones there. We need to wrap it."

"I understand," Toby said through gritted teeth.

When he was finished, Sullivan stood, once again picking up his flashlight. "I'm going to start removing the loose concrete and see if I can't dig us a tunnel out of here."

Toby nodded, and Sullivan walked away, taking the light with him.

"What happens when the battery runs out?" Sam asked.

"I'm trying not to think too hard about that," Toby replied softly.

Sam listened to Ziegler's heavy breathing in the dark for a few minutes, then said, "You're really worried about President Bartlet, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"It's possible that he survived, you know," Seaborne offered.

"Yes." Toby swallowed hard, clearing his throat. "But in what condition?"

"Leo's with him."

"Yeah? Leo's not omnipotent..."

"He'll take care of the president. You know he will."

"And if Leo's not there?"

Sam didn't like the sound of it. "He was walking right next to him when it happened. We both know he'd walk through fire for the president."

"Yes."

"He won't let anything happen to him, Toby. If Leo's still breathing, then President Bartlet is okay."

"Ah, and now we've hit on it: we don't know if Leo's still breathing..."

"The glass is always half empty with you, isn't it?"

Toby looked toward Sam in the dark, even though he couldn't really see him. "Why yes, Pollyanna, it is because I live in the real world."

"I always think of it as half full."

"No kidding."

Sam frowned. "Well, yeah..."

"Don't you think I know that, Sam?" Toby raised his voice. "I've worked with you for three years in the White House. Don't you think I know that?" Ziegler let out a long sigh of air. "It's exactly why it works."

"Why what works?"

"Writing together. As human beings, we are polar opposites. And it's why it works. Where I see dark, you see light. Where I see disaster, you see possibility. Opposite sides of the same coin, Sam. It's why it works."

"I guess I never thought of it that way," Sam admitted. "Think Leo knew that when he paired us off?"

Toby smiled. "Yeah. I'd say that's one of the safest bets in DC."

"It does work pretty well, doesn't it..."

"Yeah." Toby pursed his lips. "Although one of these days, Sam, when you come in at 6am whistling, loudly, I swear to God I'm gonna stuff a leftover piece of two-day-old hot dog in your mouth."

Seaborne made a face although Ziegler couldn't see it. "Why would you do that?"

"You're too happy at that hour of the morning."

"Why wouldn't I be happy at that hour compared to any other hour of the day?"

"It's not natural."

"Of course it is, Toby."

"No Sam, it's not. It's not natural for anyone to be happy before noon. Especially a writer. It's unnatural, and I swear to God I'm gonna stuff your mouth with a leftover piece of two-day-old hot dog."

"I don't like hot dogs."

"I know this."

"Happy at 6am is just not natural for you."

"No, it's not. And it shouldn't be for anyone."

"Toby, you aren't any happier at 6pm than you are at 6am."

"Happy is not a natural state for me. I don't like it."

"What's not to like?"

"It's peppy. It's peppy, and light, and completely unrealistic," Ziegler's voice began to rise in pitch, "And it's tantamount to wearing rose-colored glasses to view a dreary world, and it's just not natural!"

Sam started laughing.

"What the hell's so funny?"

"I don't know, Toby," Sam said, "it's just that my leg's broken, your hand is smashed, we're trapped in the corridor of a hotel basement, we don't know if the president and Leo are even alive or if we'll get out of here in one piece, and you're sitting there telling me that happiness is a boondoggle."

"Boondoggle?" Toby sneered, "Did you really just say boondoggle to me?"

"Yeah, I did."

"No one says that."

"I do. I just did."

"Oh God," Toby muttered, "I can't take it." His voice rose in pitch again, "I can't take being locked up in here with you. Agent Sullivan! Agent Sullivan," Toby yelled, "you've got to get me outta here! I'm locked up in an enclosed space with no way out and Mr. Rogers is sitting next to me!"

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, Toby."

"Shut up, Mr. Rogers."

"Won't you please be my neighbor?"

"Won't you please shut up?"

"I don't wear cardigans," Sam said quietly.

Toby groaned and Sam smiled to himself in the dark.

"I think we should cancel anything that's nonessential on the presidential schedule for today," CJ said.

"I agree," Hoynes said.

Mrs. Landingham jotted down the contacts who needed to be called. "I'll take care of it."

"I don't see why we should cancel the speech at the 100 Black Men luncheon," Jeffrey stated. "It's an important speech on affirmative action, and there's no reason that--"

"--You don't think that President Bartlet missing is a good enough reason?" Josh growled.

"I'm sure that's not what--"

Lyman cut Hoynes off. "--All due respect, Mr. President, but I think it's exactly what he meant." Josh and Jeffrey held each other's eyes. "Am I wrong, Jeffrey?"

The vice president's chief of staff smiled. "No, you're not. We have to show that the country will continue on in capable hands. Anything less than that, and we've failed miserably."

Sensing the building emotion in the room, CJ broke in. "Okay, look, you're both right. Jeffrey's point is well taken in that we have to show that the country isn't going to crumble; but Josh is also correct in that we have to find ways to show strength without losing sight of the fact that a terrible thing has happened. A thing that has most of us tied up in knots today. Dignity and respect are two words that come to mind in regard to handling this situation."

Hoynes stood and began pacing. "I'm with CJ on this. Striking a balance is the only way we can move forward." He looked at the five people in his office and said, "I'm open to suggestions."

For a long and awkward moment, no one spoke. Then finally, Charlie said, "President Bartlet would want us to support Acting President Hoynes in the same way that we've always done for him. If he were here right now, he'd say, 'it's business as usual, nothing changes.'" Charlie looked at the eagle on the carpet of the Oval Office and swallowed hard. "I think that's what he'd say if he were here."

CJ and Josh glanced at each other, then Mrs. Landingham. Jeffrey looked away, and Hoynes smiled. "Do you think that would be before or after he told us to suck it up, Charlie?"

Young turned to Hoynes and smiled. "I think it would be before, sir. He'd end with 'suck it up.' And then he'd tell us to keep as many of his appointments for him that we can."

Hoynes nodded and turned to CJ. "Speaking of appointments, I think we've kept the press long enough, don't you?"

"Yes sir."

They all stood as CJ and Hoynes left the room.

"This isn't over, Jeffrey," Josh said as he walked out.

Jeffrey smiled. "No kidding."

Charlie turned to Mrs. Landingham. "Do you get the feeling that those two should maybe take it outside or something?"

"Not if they want a cookie, they won't."

Carol opened the door to the press room, and the acting president followed by the press secretary entered briskly. CJ took the podium first.

"Good morning. I'm going to read a statement, and then Q&A will follow. At approximately 3:15 this morning, the 25th Amendment was invoked, and Vice President John Hoynes became Acting-President Hoynes--"

The room erupted with rapid fire questions, and there was no question that life as they'd known it in the West Wing was over...

Sullivan thought he heard a thud. He moved closer to the hole he was trying to clear in the debris and listened intently. He definitely heard sounds.

"Hey!" Sullivan yelled into the concrete. "Hey, can you hear me?" The sounds ceased for a moment, and Sullivan yelled again, "In here! We're here!" Then he heard three distinct taps on metal, and he smiled, quickly wrapping the butt of his gun on a nearby pipe three times in answer. One more tap came through and he turned toward Toby and Sam. "Hey guys, they found us! The calvary's here!"

Josh was standing in the back of the press room when his phone rang. "Hello?" He moved away from the room and into the connecting hallway. "Yes... yes... YES!" He could feel his eyes welling up with tears, but he didn't care. "Thank you, Agent Parnum, thanks for calling, and yes, as soon as you know, call me!" Josh hung up his phone and walked quickly to the bullpen outside his office. "Donna! Donna!" He scribbled a note on a piece of paper and handed it to her. "Take this into the press room and hand it to CJ."

"Josh?"

"The FBI and emergency crews have made contact with somebody who's trapped behind a fallen wall in the basement, Donna!"

"Is it the president?"

"Don't know. At this point, it's just a bunch of taps on metal pipes on opposite sides of the barricade," Josh said truthfully, "But somebody's alive down there! Maybe they're all alive, Donna!"

Afraid to let her own spirits rise too high, Moss swallowed hard and said, "I'll take this in..."

Donna walked quickly to the press room, and handed CJ the note. Cregg quietly read it, smiled at Josh's assistant and then said into the microphone, "About twenty minutes ago, emergency crews made contact with someone who is trapped behind a wall in the hotel basement. At this point, the Secret Service does not know how many people may be there nor the identity of any," she couldn't keep the emotion from her voice, "but somebody's alive down there!"

"CJ! CJ!" The reporters yelled.

"Sally..."

"How do they know someone's alive?"

"The emergency crews thought they heard a muffled voice. Secret Service agents then tapped on a metal pipe, and the wrapping was answered in kind from behind the fallen debris."

"CJ! CJ!"

"Mark..."

"How many are alive?"

"Were you not in the room a moment ago? We don't have that information..."

"CJ! CJ!"

"Danny..."

"Did the Secret Service use a signal that only another agent would recognize?"

CJ stared at him. "I...well, I don't know, Danny. I doubt that the agents will tell us if they did do that given their nondisclosure policy regarding procedure."

"CJ! CJ!"

"Julie..."

"Is it possible that the Secret Service has a designated code for this kind of thing?"

"Yeah, cause when I said I didn't know and that I doubted the Secret Service would tell us if they did, I meant that I was actually omnipotent and just not willing to share."

"CJ! CJ!"

"Hang on folks," Cregg said, "I'm going to need more information in order to answer any follow-ups. Let's hold off and come back in half an hour. Thank you."

CJ abruptly ended the session and quickly exited the room. She wasted no time heading for Josh.

"Josh!" CJ waved his note at him. "What else do you know about this?"

"Nothing yet, but Agent Parnum--"

"--Parnum? You mean like Barnum with a P?"

"Yeah--"

"--So this search is actually being led by a ringmaster, a trick elephant, and a bunch of deranged clowns?"

"Parnum's going to call me the minute they're through the debris." He looked at her hopefully. "It could be President Bartlet."

"Yeah," CJ said carefully. "It could also be one of the 56 other people unaccounted for at this time..."

Josh blew air out of his mouth in frustration. "It's something..."

"Yes." CJ looked deeply into his eyes. "I'm really scared for them, Josh."

He nodded. "Me too."

Abbey paced the length of the kitchen floor for what might have been the hundredth time.

"Mom," Ellie said, "why don't you come over here and sit down with us? Have a cup of coffee."

"If I have any more coffee, honey, I'll be able to light up Seattle intravenously."

Fear overtaking her, Zoey grabbed Elizabeth's hand tightly. Liz smiled at her. "It's going to be okay, Zo, you'll see."

Zoey nodded, but a fresh stream of tears poured down her cheeks. Ellie took Zoey's other hand.

"Dad's pretty tough, kid. He really is."

Seeing how much her daughters needed her, Abbey moved to the table and sat down. "Ellie's right, honey. Your father won't stop until he finds a way out of there and back here to his family. Nothing would keep him from coming back to his girls. Nothing..."

"But what if--"

"--No, Zoey," Abbey said strongly, "I don't want to hear any 'what if's' from you. Dad needs us to stay positive. He'll know if we haven't, and they'll be hell to pay when he comes home."

"Yeah," Zoey said tearfully.

Abbey brushed a soft hand down her youngest child's hair and kissed the top of her head as she stood. "I'm going to go lie down for awhile. If you need me, just come get me, okay?" Her three daughters nodded, and she smiled. "Ellie, you're in charge..."

The kids smiled at Abbey's use of one of Jed's sayings. But as soon as their mother cleared the room, Liz turned to Ellie.

"She's going in there to cry."

"Yeah," Ellie agreed.

"Shouldn't we go in after her?" Zoey asked.

"No," Liz answered. "Mom hates to cry in front of anyone but dad."

"She cried once in front of Uncle Leo," Zoey offered.

"I don't remember that..." Ellie said.

"It was a couple of years ago, when dad collapsed before the State of the Union."

"How do you know?" Ellie demanded.

"I walked in on them," Zoey said. "They were in Leo's office. I've never seen her cry like that. They didn't know I saw them though. I never asked mom about it."

"Uncle Leo's not here this time," Liz commented.

"That's why we should go in there," Zoey said.

"No, Zo," Ellie brushed her hair as she spoke, "If she wanted us to see her like that, she would have stayed here."

"Uncle Leo and dad are the only two people mom trusts enough to show vulnerability," Liz said.

Ellie swallowed hard. What if they lost both of them? Her eyes filled with moisture, but she said nothing. Such a thought voiced would only scare Zoey and upset Liz. Ellie sighed. The middle child was always the odd man out and the one to carry the family burdens...

The pain had grown steadily worse over the past few hours, and no matter how much he wanted to hide it, Leo recognized that he was fighting a losing battle. The president had finally fallen off into an exhausted sleep some time ago, and the chief of staff didn't want to wake him; but the throbbing ache in his belly was turning into a stabbing torment that McGarry didn't think he could ride out. He slammed his eyes shut in an attempt to hold it off a little bit longer, but found he couldn't stifle the whimpers of distress, nor halt the tears sliding down his cheeks. McGarry finally gave into it.

"Jed," he cried softly, "Jed..."

Bartlet's eyes snapped open, and he reached for his best friend, gently pulling Leo's head into his chest. "If I could, I'd--"

"--I know," Leo whispered, not wanting to hear it voiced.

Jed rubbed a soothing hand across Leo's back. "You remember that summer at the lake when I almost drowned after I hit my head diving in?"

"Yeah," Leo breathed heavily, "I dragged...your puffy ass...to shore."

"You held onto me tightly to keep my head above water, and you never let go." Jed wrapped his arms protectively around his best friend. "I'm not gonna let go either, Leo," Bartlet whispered deeply, "I won't let you drown."

"Jed," McGarry gasped, "whatever... happens isn't...your fault. Tell me you understand that..."

Bartlet leaned his chin gently on top of Leo's head, tears rolling silently down his cheeks. "I won't let go," he breathed softly. Exhaustion and pain pulled at Leo until his eyes fluttered closed, his cheek resting heavily against Bartlet's chest. Jed lovingly stroked the back of McGarry's head. "I won't let go."

Several feet away, still clearing concrete, Ron felt it. "Oh sweet Jesus..."

As the building began to sway, its foundations shifting and letting go, Butterfield dove for Bartlet and McGarry, covering their bodies with his own...

The rumbling began and the floor shook. And the call came through every com unit in the building.

"All personnel clear the area immediately! Clear the area, cut back to the line! Repeat, pull back to the line!"

FBI, firefighters, emergency workers and EMTs ran as quickly as they could for the nearest exit as the hotel began to rock and shake. And on the outside, Agent Parnum and the hundreds of onlookers could only watch as the Hyatt Regency's supports swayed and girders groaned, knowing that the President of the United States was somewhere inside...

CJ stared at the tv monitor in the bullpen for a full second before yelling, "Josh! Josh!"

Lyman ran toward her and gaped in disbelief at the screen. "Oh God, no, please don't."

But the images on CNN clearly showed the hotel starting to crumble before their eyes...