Author’s note: Dialogue outlined with ~~~~~ are flashbacks. The date
given in the story is June 1 no year has been given, it could be any year during the Bartlet Presidency I
want to send out a special thanks to AJ and Dani Beth for reading and pointing out my mistakes. You both ROCK!

All of the West Wing Characters belong to Mr. Sorkin et al. There are a couple that belong to me, you’ll
know them when you read them.

Spoilers: I don’t want to ruin it so you’ll just have to read

Rated: PG-13 disturbing material

Please don’t archive without permission of the Author. Thank you.

“Anniversaries”

The White House
June 1

“Good morning.” Zoey walked in to the dinning room an took her seat at
the table next to her father.

“Good morning sweetheart.”

“Where is mom?”

“She is still sleeping. What are you doing today?”

“Charlie is taking me to lunch and then I really should unpack some of
the stuff I brought back from school.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. Just don’t monopolize Charlie all day, I’m
gonna need him.”

“Dad, I never take him away from the important stuff, just the useless
trivia.” she said jokingly. He shot her a look.

“Hold on I don’t consider my trivia questions useless.” The President
got up from the table and walked over to Zoey. “I have to go to work
now.” He reached over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Okay, Have I good day. I love you”

“I love you too sweetheart.”

“Good morning, Leo.”

“Good morning, Margaret. Do I have any messages?”

“Yes, Your sister called.”

Leo looked surprised yet concerned when Margaret mentioned his sister.
“Okay, Thank you.”

Margaret handed Leo the message as he went into his office. He closed
the door behind him. Margaret looked at the closed door concerned for a
moment. Leo’s sister always called this time of the year and Leo always
seemed to her to be preoccupied. Margaret pushed the thoughts out her
head and went back to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Michael, Please don’t fight me! Let me do this.”

“No, mom it hurts! It will just make me throw up again and I’ll be sick
for another six months.” Abby was fighting her son again as she usually did when it was time to start
another IV for his latest round of chemo.

“I know you don’t like the way it makes you feel but it will help to
make you better. I think that is a small price to pay.” Abby was trying
her best to keep a smile on her face while talking to her son. The
chemo was helping but not as well as they hoped.

“Mom, I going to die. when are you , dad, Katie,Joanna, and Liz going to
accept that," Michael shot back firmly.

“Now you listen to me, you are not going to die. Do you hear me?” At
this point Abby could hardly contain her emotions. She finally got his
IV in and then left him to sleep. Abby left the room thinking about
what Michael had said part of her didn’t want to believe it but the
other part knew she would have to come to terns with it. Michael was
right, She was a doctor, yet there was nothing more she could do for her
son. He was eight years old and he was right; he was dying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo stepped into The Oval Office. “Good morning Mr. President.”

“Good morning Leo. How are You?”

“Fine sir, thank you. I just got off the phone with Liz. She is coming
in from Boston this afternoon. I will have to take the afternoon off.
I’ll make sure Josh has anything urgent.”

“That’s fine. I’m glad she is coming”

“Yeah, this tends to be a tough time for her.”

“And for you too.”

“Yes sir, but I think it’s harder on her.”

“Speaking of tough times, How’s Abby Holding up?”

“She was still sleeping when I left, I’ll check on her later." Jed got up
out of his chair and headed to the window.

"Jed, How about you? How are you holding up?"

“I’m fine. It’s hard to say this, but each year I think it gets a little
easier on me and a little harder on my wife. I don’t know why.”

“I know what ya mean”

“Well, I guess I better get back to work.”

“Yeah, I got staff. I’ll see you later sir.”

“Okay”

Leo walked back into his office and found the staff ready for the
morning meeting.

“Good morning all. What do we have today?”

“The speech for the association of retired teachers is almost finished.
The luncheon is Thursday”, Toby reported.

“Okay, CJ what do you have? Leo turned his attention to the press
secretary.

“Good morning America wants someone for the Canada trip. Who should I
send?”

“Send Billy.”

“Okay.”

“Josh, Sam what ‘s up with you guys."

“I have another go around with the “Don’t ask don’t tell” guys. I have
to say that is always a joy”, Sam replied sarcastically.

“Good Luck,” Leo replied with equal enthusiasms.. “Make sure they leave
the room knowing we are serious this time and we just not wasting their
time and ours.”

Leo turned to the Deputy Chief of staff. “Josh, Josh....” Josh was
staring into space and didn’t hear Leo call his name.
“Josh!”

“What? I’m sorry, he said snapping back to attention.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah”

“Your gonna help me with the report for the budget committee right?

“Yeah”

“Okay, we have to break early. I have to spend the afternoon with my
sister.”

CJ looked up from her cup of coffee and directly at Leo with a sweet
look on her face. “Elisabeth is in town?”

“Yeah, she gets in later today.”

“That’s nice.”

“So we’ll break around twelve? I can help Sam with the health care
research after his meeting. How bout it Sam?”

“Sound good to me," Leo replied

"Sam I’ll meet you in your office after I am done here."

“Okay that’s fine.”

“Okay then, we’re done here.” the senior staff collected their papers
and exited Leo’s office all heading in different directions.

Josh walked passed Donna without saying a word and entered his office.
Donna took notice of his behavior and follow him into his office.

“You okay, Josh”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Today is hard for me that’s all.”

“I know. If you need to talk. I’m here”

“Thanks Donna.” Donna got the clue and walked back to her desk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I think we’re near the end here, Abby. I don’t think there is anything
else we can do for him.” Alex looked at his teacher and friend with
sympathy in his eyes. “Alex, there has to be something more we can do.
He is in some much pain. Isn’t there something else we can do?" Abby was
so emotional spent that all she could do was look down at her coffee cup
and dig deep down. <stay strong, You have to stay strong.>

“Abby, I know you don’t what to here this but it’s only a matter of
time. I am afraid that all we can do is make him comfortable.” Abby
looked up at her friend and colleague as if to protest what he just
said. “You’re right...I just...He’s my son Jed and I love him very much
we don’t want to loose him. She began to loose her composure “How long
do you think he has?” Alex got up out of his seat. He was a doctor, She
was he mentor, but he was a friend first. He put a comforting hand on
her shoulder. “I don’t think he’ll make it through the night. I’m sorry.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Abby,” Jed called as he walked up the stairs. When he got to the top
of the stairs he saw her sitting on the couch in the bedroom. “You
okay?,” he asked standing in the door. she didn’t answer. He went over
and knelt down next to her and took her hand. “Are you alright?” She
squeezed his hand tightly in her, “yeah, I’m fine.” She said as she gave
him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“The truth this time, please.”

“I miss him and I feel guilty.”

“I know how you feel.”

“You have know idea how I feel! You were never there!” Abby pushed away
from him and started to cry “I was holding him the last day, Elizabeth,
Joanna, and Katie were there. You weren’t there Jed! We had been
through so much together but when Michael got sick you stopped talking
to me and you would visit when he was sleeping never when he was awake.
What were you afraid of?” she look him in the eye. “You were afraid he
would see you as weak, is that it. I can’t believe it took me twenty
yeas to figure that out. Jed, he never saw you as weak, he loved you.”

“I know he loved me. I just... I couldn’t take seeing him like that.
seeing the pain in his eyes. I couldn’t accept the fact that I was
loosing my only son. Michael meant the world to me Abby”, he said
loosing his composure and Abby had tears running down her checks. Jed
moved closer to her and caught her in an embrace. “I’m sorry...I
shoulda been there it was just to painful to watch. Abby, it’s okay let
it out, cry all you want.” He drew her closer and held onto her while
she lay crying in his arms.

“Leo the house committee will never go for it. They’re gonna give us a
hard time on the Education spending.”

“I know Josh, but we have to try.”

“Leo, I’m with you. What I’m saying is that it gonna be a hard sell.”

“I know. Talk to the leadership, see what ya can come up with.”

“Okay”

“What time is it?”

“12:15”

"I gotta meet Lizzy.” Leo got up from his desk chair and walked to the
coat rack. “You gonna go help Sam? Josh...Josh. You okay”

“What? Yeah, fine.”

“You’re gonna help Sam?”

“Yeah, I’m headed there now.”

“Are you sure your okay? because earlier...”

“I’m fine thanks for asking”

“Okay I’ll see ya tomorrow Josh.”

“You’re not coming back?” Josh asked as the both walked out of Leo’s
office and down the hall.

“No, I’m not planing on it. Why do you ask?”

“No reason. it just I noticed that you have the same meeting, on the
same day every year with your sister.”

“You noticed that”

"Yes”

“Okay,” Leo said a little confused.

“See ya tomorrow Leo.”

“Yeah.” Leo walked out the door. Josh turned the corner into the
communications bullpen and walked into Sam’s office.