Author: coffeeplease
Rating: PTEEN
Category: General, AU
Spoiler Info: Everything up to In God We Trust, I
guess
Disclaimer: WB, NBC, John Wells, Aaron Sorkin....
owners. I just lease and try not to stain the carpet.
Lawsuits don’t look good on me.
E-mail address for feedback: jamhandy1@...
Archiving permission: Sure, just tell me first
Notes: This is the same universe as “Grocery Store”,
“Race Car” etc... This one’s a bit sappy. Makes up for
the angst of the last two.
“President Bartlet!”
“Over here, President Bartlet!”
“Dr. Bartlet!”
After all the years, his eyes were used to the
flashbulbs. The smiles and the waves came without
thought. Granted, this event wasn’t as exciting as an
Inauguration or a State of the Union and the cameras
were close. Too close for comfort but the space was
rather confined to being with. Hospital waiting rooms
were by their nature uncomfortable.
He leaned on his cane and let his wife make a short
speech, thanking George Washington Hospital for
dedicating a wing in her name. It took her two tries
with the scissors to cut the ribbon. He couldn’t
resist a small chuckle, which he knew he’d be punished
for later. The throng of reporters and photographers
applauded. Back to waving and smiling for a few more
moments.
They went to the private wine and cheese affair after,
a small gathering. Hospitals were Abbey’s domain; she
thrived on talk of new surgical clamps. The smell
irritated him after awhile and, naturally, hospitals
reminded him of things, other events, that he needed
no reminding of. His own disease and mortality,
naturally, but others as well.
He faintly remembered being wheeled in to this
hospital eight long years ago. He was a much stronger
man then. He hadn’t even realized he had been shot.
Nobody knew Josh had been shot, not yet.
The former President shook off those thoughts. He knew
it was natural to think them. The very halls of the
place oozed memory of young faces torn with pain. Of
Leo’s face covered with the oxygen mask and his
daughter’s face, bruised and disoriented. Jed hated
remembering any of it.
He slipped away from the party. Well, not exactly,
since he never slipped away from anything. Stealth was
impossible with the men in suits as your shadow.
The cane tapped gently on the linoleum as he parted
the halls. Patients tried to stand; he quickly
motioned them to stay seated. God, they hadn’t changed
any of the paintings on the walls. The beeps and the
smells, all the same. The people either bargaining for
life or awaiting the inevitable were all still sitting
where they were eight, four, two years ago.
He came to an impasse and began to study the map on
the wall. Maybe they had a snack bar where he could
get some coffee. The secret service might be with him
to the end, but no longer holding office had its
advantages. He was never pressed for time anymore. He
found he could enjoy a slow cup of coffee.
Time would tell whether he actually hated or loved the
slower pace, but for now it suited him. Parts of
leaving the Presidency were difficult, but none of it
was as difficult as he had worried it would be.
Idleness had never suited him before and it wouldn’t
suit him forever, but he wasn’t worried.
“Coop, where do you think the coffee joint is in this
place?”
Coop said nothing and pointed to a spot on the map
clearly labeled “dining hall.”
“I just didn’t see it.”
Coop didn’t reply.
The President pivoted and went down another hall
towards his beloved slow brew. His legs were being
good to him today. He was grateful, although if he
were to take a tumble, he at least would be in the
right place. Vision was good, hands were fully
functional... he would rate this day a seven out of
ten. Ten would be good riddance to the goddamn cane.
The group turned a corner and Jed Bartlet broke out
into a smile. “Ah, Coop, we get to see the babies!”
Coop didn’t say anything, but his lips twisted into a
faint smile.
They walked by, the President grinning down at the
squirming infants and the secret service pretending
not to. Coop didn’t do a very good job being
nonchalant about the Asian baby with the spiky hair,
but the President wasn’t about to report him to Ron or
anything.
They were almost to the end of the hall. Jed had been
looking at the faces, not reading the names, but
something jumped out at him. He spun quickly and
almost ran back, shocking the agents, who were rating
this day about a five.
Noah Josiah Lyman.
He and Abbey had been waiting for the call. He
remembered how close Donna’s due date was when he
agreed to accompany Abbey to the ceremony. It would be
nice, he had thought, to be in town for the birth.
Abbey had retorted that Jed probably wanted to be in
the delivery room for it. Jed had snorted at the
suggestion, but privately thought it might not be the
worst idea. An honorary grandfather/ ex-president
should be let into any delivery room he pleased, just
to greet the newest member of the Democratic party.
There he was.
Hard to tell with newborns who they’ll take after, but
little Noah already looked to be a good mix. His hair
was wild under his cap, but it was definitely blond.
Those were Josh Lyman’s eyes, in shape and color. His
nose was definitely from Donna, as was the shape of
his face. The mouth was Josh’s and Jed guessed that
this little boy would probably inherit more then just
shape and lips from his father. He’d probably inherit
the verbal skills that made Josh famous. Noah’s mother
was no slouch in that department, either.
“Coop, talk to your wrist and tell Abbey’s agents who
we’ve discovered.”
A nurse came over and scooped Noah up. The baby
flailed his arms a bit, but seemed to settle quickly.
She walked away.
“They’re taking him away, Coop. Quick, we’ve got to
find them.”
If it were only a ten day... Jed would be able to move
much faster. Fortunately Coop was on the scent; who
knew after all these years he had a soft spot for
babies? Coop led them to a private room and then took
up post outside the door.
Jed Bartlet knocked softly on the open door and took
in the beatific scene inside. Donna Lyman was out cold
in the bed, bunny slippers peaking out from under the
covers. She was smiling lightly. Josh Lyman was
sitting by the window, Noah in his arms, wearing a
much bigger smile and wrinkled scrubs.
Josh looked up at the knock and the look of surprise
was priceless. Still keeping his arms around the tiny
bundle, he tried to stand up. “Mr. Pres-sident?”
“For Christ’s sake, sit Josh.”
He quickly sat back down, his eyes wide.
“I just called you an hour ago. How’d...”
“I was here anyway...”
Josh’s eyes, if possible, got wider and sadness and
worry crept into them. Quickly, the former President
set out to calm his fears.
“They dedicated a wing to Abbey today. And you know
how patient I get sitting around listening to
doctor-speak. I was actually looking for a cup of
coffee and we wondered by the newborns and...”
The worry flew out of Josh’s eyes. He riveted them
back to the tiny person gurgling in his arms.
“Yeah...”
“So, when did the newest member of the now-defunct
Bartlet administration make his appearance?’” Jed
looked down at the baby and smiled.
“Eight-nineteen this morning.”
“When did her water break?”
As if to punctuate what he was about to say, Josh
yawned. “About ten last night.”
“Ten hours... that’s not too bad. You know, Ellie took
eighteen.”
“Eighteen?” Josh’s eyebrows raised, as if he were
shocked at the idea. “Jesus. After five hours, Donna
was begging me to hit her over the head with a blunt
object.”
“Abbey told me I was never touching her again. They
all say that, though. They never mean it.”
“Donna actually didn’t say that. She did, however,
threaten to castrate me several times. I guess that
amounts to the same thing.”
Jed noted that Josh’s eyes had yet to leave his son.
“He’s beautiful, Josh.”
“Yeah... he looks like his mother.”
“He has your eyes. And mouth.”
Josh looked up for a moment and gave the former
President a wry grin. “That mouth’ll probably get him
into trouble someday.”
Jed smiled back. “He’ll probably one day tell Mary
Marsh Jr. that the God she prays to is too busy being
indicted for tax fraud.”
The new father looked back to his son. “Ah, I’ll be
proud of him.”
“I will be, too.” There wasn’t a simple emotion Jed
could pin down at this moment. It was all encompassing
and more warming than a cup of coffee. He regretted
that he never had this moment with Toby, but he would
never feel guilty about it. The timing then couldn’t
have been worse. This timing couldn’t have been
better.
Thinking of Toby and the twins reminded him. He
cleared his throat. “I’m going to ask you what I asked
Toby back when Huck and Molly were born. What do you
know now that you didn’t know before?”
Josh thought only for a second. “I know why you
stepped down. I know why you invoked the 25th.”
“You didn’t understand at the time.”
“I tried to. At the time, I tried to think about what
I’d do if it had been Donna. I mean, when it was
Donna, I was certainly not able to do my job. But I
never really understood.”
“You do now.”
“Yeah.” Josh sighed quietly and held the bundle closer
to him. “Yeah, I do.”
Jed noticed Josh’s eyes fogging over. Memories, he
guessed, were coming to the surface. Kidnappings,
shootings, explosions, speeches, forgotten bills that
were never passed, parents who died on primary night
and a sister who never lived to see what her brother
became. Jed looked at the ground for a moment and then
focused back on Josh. Josh, who was a father now. The
thought still boggled the mind.
“Don’t think about the past, Josh. Think about the
future. You know a lot more then how you’d react in
the worst case scenario because your holding the best
case scenario in your arms right now. Everything it
took for you and Donna to get here now... that’s all
behind you. He’s what’s ahead of you.”
Josh smiled. He didn’t smirk or grin but genuinely
smiled deeply. “I just... hope he has an easier time
than I did. Then again, right now, I think my life is
pretty perfect.” He said the last part in a whisper,
as if daring the gods to prove him untrue.
Jed sat down in the chair by the window. His leg had
begun to bother him a bit. “Life doesn’t get any
better than the day they’re born. Although, being
president was pretty nice, too.”
“Better than having children?” Josh looked up at the
former leader of the free world.
“No.”
Abbey Bartlet had been standing at the door for a few
moments, but it was just then that Jed saw his wife.
His wife, who was looking at Donna, probably
remembering those three perfect days, all more then
twenty years ago now.
Dr. Bartlet walked in softly. “Let me see him, Josh.”
Josh looked like he definitely did not want to give
the baby up. Ah, Jed thought, the pain he’d go through
in about eighteen years. Actually, throughout the next
eighteen years and beyond. He wanted to reassure the
younger man that it was a good kind of pain, but he
refrained. He knew Josh could only take so much
ex-president advice in one sitting, especially after
no sleep.
Abbey held her hands up. “I’ll just look, Josh. I
don’t need to hold him... yet.” She peered over Josh’s
shoulder. “He is adorable, Josh. Absolutely adorable.”
From the bed behind Abbey, someone moaned. “I’ll have
the budget report in ten minutes, Josh.”
Josh grinned. “They gave her the good drugs.”
“It sounds like she’s having a dream about being your
assistant again. I don’t think those drugs were that
good,” Abbey replied.
“Dr. B, I didn’t know you were sitting in on the
budget negotiations.”
Jed stood himself up and walked over to the foot of
Donna’s bed. He gently shook one bunny slipper.
“Donnatella.”
“Mr. President, I didn’t know you were in this movie.”
“Donnatella,” Jed tried again.
She snapped her eyes open and, much like Josh before,
gulped in surprise. “Mr. President!” She tried to
maneuver herself to stand, but the pain quickly
stopped her and she winced.
“Stay in bed, Donna.” Jed chuckled. “You just gave
birth.”
“Ow,” Donna winced again. Her husband quickly was at
her side, holding their son. Jed turned to his own
wife.
“Abigail, let’s give this new family some privacy and
give Donna time to wake up a bit.”
“Leo should be showing up soon,” Josh was handing the
baby over to Donna, laying himself down next to her.
“C.J.’ll be by in the afternoon.” He yawned again. “My
mom and Donna’s parents should be here tomorrow.”
Donna was too engrossed in the baby to notice the
former first couple.
“We’ll just go down to the dining hall for a cup of
coffee,” Abbey stated. She knew her husband well.
“Maybe when Leo gets here, he and Jethro can fight
over who gets to be honorary grandfather.”
“They both are,” Donna said quietly, smiling broadly
at her son.
“Can we get the two of you anything? Water? Coffee?
More drugs?” Jed asked.
Josh smiled, but his eyes were closed. The man had
never been more at peace, Jed noted. “Sir, if you
could get me a cup of coffee, that would be great. I
don’t want to sleep through this day.”
“Absolutely, Josh.” Jed and Abbey left the room.