THE WEST WING
Season Four – 4.23
“TWENTY-FIVE”
Original Air Date: 5/14/2003
Written by: Aaron Sorkin
Directed by: Thomas Schlamme
TEASER
FADE IN: INT. PRIVATE ROOM - WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT
Instrumental music is playing on a record and, as the camera pans up, the
President is seated on a couch opposite of two other men. Abbey Bartlet and
two other ladies are seated at a nearby table. A woman's laugh is heard.
WOMAN 1
My husband’s been having some empty nest problems.
WOMAN 2
Jerry’s been sighing all week. Has the President been sighing?
ABBEY BARTLET
Please. Jed’s been sighing. He’s been sighing in all kinds of dead
languages.
WOMAN 1
Those pearls really are beautiful.
ABBEY
Thank you. Yeah. The men are not taking this very well.
Abbey turns around on her chair to look at Jed Bartlet on the couch as he is
looking through some of Zoey’s childhood photographs.
ABBEY
Fellas, you know, we’re all having a good time over here.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
(Sullenly) We’re having a good time here, too.
ABBEY
Ha! Doing what?
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Talking about the too rapid passage of time and, you know, grieving.
Abbey turns back around to face the two women sitting at the table with her.
ABBEY
He’s gonna schedule nine White House visits to France over the next three
months. He is accepting every invitation. He’s gonna be a judge at the
Cannes Film Festival.
The President turns around to face Abbey with a photo in his hand
PRESIDENT BARTLET
I told you it was this one!
ABBEY
(softly) Oh.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
That’s the day we brought her home from the hospital. Tell me that wasn’t a
month ago. What the hell is she doing graduating summa cum laude from
something?
MAN 1
Remember the ride home from the hospital? Scariest drive of your life.
Camera pans towards the entrance of the room where Leo McGarry and Agent Ron
Butterfield appear with alarmed looks on their faces.
MAN 2
Seven miles an hour with the hazard lights on all the way home.
President Bartlet sees the looks of concern on Leo and Ron’s faces and rises
up from the couch with some of Zoey’s photos in his left hand and a drink in
his right. President Bartlet starts to walk towards Leo and Ron who are
waiting for the President just outside the doorway.
MAN 1
>From what I remembered, did we have baby seats then or did we just hold on
very tight?
The President approaches Leo in the background, but their dialogue is
inaudible.
MAN 2
Yeah, we had the…. Hey honey, were there baby seats when Jackie was born?
WOMAN 2
Yes, of course there were. There were baby seats, indoor plumbing. (laughs)
MAN 2
That was twenty-one years ago. I can’t remember what hotel we stayed in last
night.
Camera pans closer to President Bartlet as he listens to Leo McGarry. The
dialogue is still inaudible.
WOMAN 1
I wore all of my jewelry to the hospital when George was born. I don’t know
why.
Camera zooms in on a close-up shot of Ron as he interjects and speaks to the
President, still inaudible.
WOMAN 2
To show off.
With the camera still on the President, Leo and Ron, the guests’ voices
become muffled as dramatic music becomes louder. The camera pans down to the
carpet where, in slow motion, you first see the photos drop with a booming
sound, then the glass of alcohol drops five seconds later with a crashing
sound as the alcohol and ice spill all over the photos. Abbey slowly turns
in her seat to look at President Bartlet. The President slowly turns his
head towards Abbey with a look of shock on his face as the background music
crescendos. Camera turns back to Abbey’s face, now visibly concerned. Camera
moves back to the President’s face, then zooms in on one of Zoey’s childhood
pictures.
SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES
****
ACT ONE
FADE IN: EXT. STREET - NIGHT
AGENT WES DAVIS
All right, Harbor Patrol’s got the Potomac?
SECOND AGENT
Yes, sir.
WES
Forensics!
JOSH LYMAN
Wes, what the hell is going on?
WES
She’s been taken.
JOSH
What?
CHARLIE YOUNG
What are you talking about?
FEMALE AGENT
How many?
WES
188, 24 stat!
CHARLIE
What are you talking about?
WES
Zoey’s been taken. We had her, going into the bathroom and she’s gone.
CHARLIE
She’s messin’ with you.
WES
No.
MALE AGENT
Local news over there.
WES:
It doesn’t matter! We move them away.
CHARLIE
Wes, she’s messin’ with you. I’m tellin’ you. She’s at a Baskin-Robbins with
her girlfriends right now. You gotta call these people off.
WES
They shot one of my agents, Charlie. Molly’s dead. They shot Molly.
CHARLIE
Molly’s dead?
Charlie turns away, walking briskly in the other direction.
CHARLIE
Well, they couldn’t have…
WES
Charlie!
CHARLIE
They couldn’t have gotten very far.
WES
Charlie, you gotta stay here!
CHARLIE
My car’s around the corner.
JOSH
We need to stay here! They’re gonna need to talk to us!
Josh starts to reach for Charlie’s arm.
CHARLIE
They couldn’t have gotten…
Charlie violently pushes Josh’s hand away.
CHARLIE
Get off of me!
JOSH: (recoils) Whoa! Listen to me! They’ve already dropped a net on the
city. They have already dropped a net. These guys aren’t getting anywhere.
They’re not gonna let us leave right now. We were the last people to see her
go in the club. They’re gonna want to have a word with us.
CUT TO: INT. WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT
The President, Ron and Leo are seen walking very quickly down a small
staircase.
AGENT RON BUTTERFIELD
Metro police have roadblocks around Georgetown and they’ve already closed
down the Key Bridge, Memorial Bridge and Route 29.
LEO McGARRY
FBI’s putting up a command post at OEOB?
RON
Yes.
LEO
CIA and Diplomatic Security are getting briefed?
RON
Right now, and they’re wired to the Ops Center. We’re gonna begin
questioning which….
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Do you have my older daughters? Do you have Ellie and Elizabeth?
RON
Yes, sir.
President Bartlet, Leo and Ron enter the White House Situation Room.
OFFICER
Ten, hut!
LEO
There’s no need to keep this a secret. In fact, we want to get it out there
quickly and massively. Mike, right, turn all the lights on?
MIKE
Secret Service put themselves on the police frequencies, so anyone with a
scanner has it. Everyone’s coming in.
LEO
Major, I need C.J. Cregg. Are we being attacked?
ADMIRAL FITZWALLACE
We don’t know.
LEO
Then, tell me what you think.
FITZWALLACE
I think we’re being attacked, but this is gonna take some time.
LEO
How much time?
FITZWALLACE
Forty-five minutes to assemble and evaluate known threats. And another hour
to cross-check with the Secret Service Familiar Faces list.
OFFICER
Another two hours for the interviews at the club.
LEO
Related incidents?
MIKE
We don’t believe any of the three high-profile abductions last week are
related. The Mexican CEO, the two DEA agents in Peru.
LEO
Patterns?
MIKE
INS says three separate groups of Qumari nationals, seventeen people
altogether, flew back today. Eleven out of JFK and six out of Dulles and…
traffic lights went out at Wisconsin and M four minutes after Wes Davis
called in to the AOP.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
What is it they’re gonna want? Bahji prisoners freed? We get out of Qumar?
We get out of Kundu?
FITZWALLACE
Well, they’re gonna let us know, sir. In a typical kidnapping….
NANCY McNALLY
It’s not a typical kidnapping.
FITZWALLACE
…They’re gonna tell us what….
LEO
Wait. Nancy, what did you say?
NANCY
Is there anyone here who thinks this sounds like a typical kidnapping so
far? Could it have been any more low-tech? A plan based on knowing when
someone’s gonna need to use the bathroom?
FITZWALLACE
Seventeen Qumari nationals leave the country?
NANCY
Out of 10,000 in the U.S.
FITZWALLACE
Every car rental agency is out of vans AND U-Hauls?
NANCY
It’s graduation weekend. Every kid in the mid-Atlantic is moving right now.
We shut down the airports. Either they didn’t know we were gonna do that, or
they didn’t care. Either way, Mike, does this seem like a James Bond
operation to you?
MIKE
I don’t know what it is yet, Dr. McNally.
LEO
I wanna stop hearing that answer soon!
PRESIDENT BARTLET
And Union Station, too? We shut down Union Station?
AGENT
Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
I’m gonna check on Abbey.
President Bartlet leaves the Situation Room.
NANCY
Leo. Whoever took her doesn’t know what they’re doing. It was an absurd
kidnapping. She’s not gonna turn up in a Bahji camp. She’s gonna turn up in
the back of a muffler shop.
FITZWALLACE
Well, I’m looking at Syria moving 20,000 troops closer to Lebanon today and
Pakistan testing a long-range missile so... I’m not sure about that.
CUT TO: EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Camera pans up as a helicopter is flying overhead. Josh is running alongside
of a Secret Service agent. Charlie is running behind them.
JOSH
I was there at the arboretum… I was at the arboretum, but I didn’t see her!
AGENT
I don’t understand!
JOSH
This part doesn’t matter!
AGENT
We don’t know what matters!
JOSH
You’re right! I’m sorry, I… we went there together, we hopped the wall and
then when we realized that Zoey was also there, I… I stayed with Agent Reed
and Charlie….
CHARLIE
We buried a bottle of champagne out there three and a half years ago and we
were drinking to celebrate graduation.
AGENT
Where’s “out there?”
CHARLIE
At a spot between two… in the Asian Garden.
AGENT
How much champagne did she have?
CHARLIE
I don’t know. Maybe a third of the bottle. I don’t know.
WES
Charlie. All right now there was no evidence of a struggle at the club.
None. All she had to do was press a panic button, and she didn’t do that. In
fact, I found it on the ground. Now, it’s graduation night. She’s going to
France tomorrow. You didn’t try anything? Vicodin? Valium? Uh, Ecstasy?
CHARLIE
Ecstasy!
Charlie turns quickly and runs in the opposite direction.
CHARLIE
Jean-Paul!
AGENT
You need to sit down, son!
JOSH
(running after Charlie) Hey! Hey!
Charlie runs right up to Jean-Paul’s face as he’s leaning up against an
ambulance. Jean-Paul is heavily sedated.
CHARLIE
Did you?! She said you wanted her to take ecstasy with you tonight! Did you
give some to her?!
WOMAN
He’s completely out of it, Charlie. He’s high.
CHARLIE
Did you give her ecstasy?! Did you put it in her drink or something?! Just
tell me!
WES
Wait, wait. This guy isn’t… (Wes shines a flashlight in Jean-Paul's eyes)
Look at me for a second! Yeah, this guy isn’t high on X. Get me a paramedic!
What’s your dealer’s name, huh? Who gave this to you? Give me a name! Listen
to me. You’re gonna be fine. You are the key witness to the end of the
world. Come on, come on! We’re gonna keep you alive! You have to tell me who
gave this to you!
AGENT
What’s wrong with him?
WES
I don’t give a damn. Get a blood sample to the lab!
PARAMEDIC
Yes, sir.
Wes walks over to Josh and Charlie.
WES
All right, you guys are done.
JOSH
Listen, I… I don’t know what to say about Molly.
WES
Go back to the White House, Josh. Stand your post.
Josh puts his arm around Charlie’s shoulder and they walk away as the camera
pans up to the helicopter still flying overhead.
CUT TO: INT. BULLPEN AREA - NIGHT
CAROL
No law enforcement issues from the podium. You refer them to the FBI. The
crime scene’s still being secured. There’s no press on the scene.
C.J. CREGG
I heard there was.
CAROL
It was local news because they were at the party, but they got them out of
there.
LEO
C.J. Excuse me, Carol.
CAROL
Yes, sir.
C.J. and Leo enter C.J.'s office. Carol exits.
LEO
Do not get into a discussion of the President’s emotional state.
C.J.
Yeah.
LEO
You have to pivot whatever you get to commander in chief.
C.J.
Yeah.
LEO
Congressional leadership’s been notified. We’ll have statements inside an
hour.
C.J.
Carol gave me that.
WILL BAILEY
Excuse me.
LEO
We’re in control. The government is functioning. This is the most important
press conference of your life.
C.J. looks up at Leo as he exits her office.
WILL
Has anyone heard from Toby?
C.J.
I haven’t. You haven’t?
WILL
The last time I saw him was this morning, then he went with Andy to the
house. I have to write a statement from the President and I don’t even know
where to start.
C.J. grabs a document off of her desk as she starts to briskly walk out of
her office.
C.J.
He'll answer his page.
WILL
Listen.
C.J.
Yeah.
WILL
(sighs) Nothing.
C.J.
What?!
WILL
There’s no Vice-President.
C.J.
What does that have to do with this?
WILL
Are we really expecting him to get on the phone with somebody and say, “We
don’t negotiate with terrorists?”
C.J.
One step at a time.
WILL
Good luck.
C.J.
Thanks.
CUT TO: INT. PRESS ROOM - NIGHT
As C.J. enters the Press Room, several reporters begin calling out her name
as press photographers snap pictures.
C.J.
At 11:21pm, Special Agent Wesley Davis of the U.S. Secret Service called in
an AOP, which means: “Attack on the Principal.”
REPORTERS: “C.J.!”
CUT TO BLACK.
END OF ACT ONE
****
ACT TWO
FADE IN: INT. PRESS ROOM - HOUR 2 - NIGHT
C.J.
As I said, they’re obviously examining any tape from security cameras that
may have picked her up at the club, but we don’t have a photograph of what
she was wearing. I’m gonna repeat again what witnesses have told us. Black
pants, black high-heeled boots and a black tank top over a red tank top
which makes it appear, from a distance, that the black top has red piping.
Walking into the club, she was wearing a multicolored silk jacket, but it
appears she may have taken the jacket off. I know this feed is being carried
live right now by all the networks and I just wanna remind the news
directors to keep the 800 number… to keep the tip line bannered on your air,
please. Two more questions.
FEMALE REPORTER
Surely, he’s not reacting as if this is someone else’s kid?
LYLE
Is there a concern that she’s being raped?
C.J.
Lyle, for the sake of a number of distraught people, I’m gonna ask you not
to publicly speculate on what’s going on. Katie, and then I’ve gotta go.
KATIE WITT
Is there a concern that this could exacerbate his MS?
C.J.
No. Thank you. I’ll brief again in an hour.
STEVE
When will you release the name of the Secret Service agent?
C.J.
Just as soon as we can locate her family.
Reporters continue to shout C.J.’s name as she exits the Press Room.
C.J.
(spots Toby) Where have you been?
TOBY ZIEGLER
All of Northwest is shut down. Pennsylvania Avenue and Connecticut Avenue
are shut down. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pennsylvania and Connecticut were
shut down. There are no cabs. The Metro’s closed. Metro Police took me to
18th Street. It took me fifteen minutes to get in with a hard pass.
WILL
Where have you been?
TOBY
I’m not repeating all that again. Do you have a statement?
WILL
Right here.
GINGER
You’ve got about a hundred phone messages. How do you want em?
TOBY
I want them to stay in your hand for a moment.
Toby begins to read what Will has written.
TOBY
“In this difficult time, we are grateful for the support of the American…”
(looks up at Will) We’re not asking for fruit baskets. It’s gotta say: “Our
youngest daughter has been abducted. She will be found, brought home safely,
and her… abductors caught and punished.”
JOSH
“While we work for her safe return…
C.J.
Yes.
JOSH
…the world community must know that this country will not be taken hostage.
That our efforts toward peace and freedom continue unabated.”
TOBY
Good. (pauses) How is he?
JOSH
I haven’t seen him.
TOBY
What about Abbey?
C.J.
Somebody’s looking in on her and they want a doctor to see the President,
too.
TOBY
He’s not gonna allow himself be sedated right now? It’s a waste of time and
I don’t want that story leaked.
C.J.
It’s not for a sedative.
TOBY
MS?
C.J.
Yeah.
TOBY
Where’s Leo on the Stock Exchange?
JOSH
We haven’t had time to talk about it yet, but I think if we don’t have her
by six, we gotta recommend that Leo instruct the Treasury Department to
suspend trading.
WILL
That the PRESIDENT instruct the Treasury… Listen to me, there is no
mechanism, none. There is no mechanism for presidential recusal. Leo can’t
give an order to the Treasury secretary and the Treasury secretary can’t
follow it.
TOBY
All right. (to C.J.) I heard most of the briefing on the radio. You did
great. For the rest of the night, they’ve gotta get their information from
us and not the agencies. I don’t want it like she’s on a milk carton. Josh?
JOSH
I’ve already started the calls.
TOBY
Five hundred and thirty-five congressman and senators you’ve gotta call. You
’re gonna need a posse. State’s gotta call the ambassadors. Will, you’ve
gotta be a lawyer. Sit in on all the meetings tonight in the counsel’s
office and report back to Josh right away. He’s not gonna have time to wait
for a memo. (pauses) Well, let’s go.
C.J., Josh and Will start to walk away.
TOBY
Oh, uh, hey! This is… By the way, this is… The babies were born.
C.J.
What babies?
TOBY
The twins. Andy had the babies. That’s where I was. I was at the hospital.
C.J.
Oh, my God.
JOSH
Are you kidding?
TOBY
No. It just happened ten days early.
WILL
Are they okay?
TOBY
Yeah, they’re great. Six pounds, one ounce. Each.
JOSH
God. (walks over to hug Toby) Mazel tov, Toby.
WILL
Mazel tov.
C.J.
(smiling) Toby.
JOSH
No, wait, wait. Do they have names?
TOBY
The boy does. He’s named after Andy’s grandfather.
JOSH
What’s his name?
TOBY
Huck.
C.J.
Huck. (laughs) What a great name for a boy!
Toby nods and grins.
TOBY
We’ve gotta get back to work.
JOSH
Yeah. Yeah!
C.J.
Toby.
C.J. puts her left hand to her heart. Toby nods.
C.J.
Okay, okay.
CUT TO: INT. OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT
A military doctor is taking the President’s blood pressure as the President
exhales forcefully.
MILITARY DOCTOR
This is high. I’m a little concerned.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
You and me both.
Charlie enters the Oval Office.
CHARLIE
Mr. President.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Yeah.
CHARLIE
They’ve located Molly O’Connor’s parents. They’re on the phone now.
The President pauses as he looks at Charlie, then nods his head.
FADE TO BLACK.
END ACT TWO
****
ACT THREE
FADE IN: INT. JOSH'S BULLPEN AREA - NIGHT
JOSH
How many people are in that building right now?
DONNA MOSS
Including press?
JOSH
Not including press.
DONNA
Not many. Anyone who left town can’t get back.
JOSH
Why did people leave town in the first place?
DONNA
It’s the weekend. They went crazy.
JOSH
We’re gonna need some people.
DONNA
Do you know how many faxes we’ve gotten and do you know how many of them are
from your insane groupies? (reads one of the faxes outloud) “The Lyman Ho’s
have chosen this time to let you know via fax, should you be needing any
physical comfort during this horrible time…” Read that. Do you like that? Is
that what turns you on, you sicky?
JOSH
I didn’t write this.
DONNA
Yeah, but they must sense it in you.
JOSH
What are the others?
DONNA
I just picked them up. It’s gonna be more thoughts and prayers, good wishes…
JOSH
That’s nice.
DONNA
…and bus station skanks.
WILL
Do you need help with these calls?
JOSH
Yeah, but… you gotta sit with Babish and his guys.
Donna begins to comment on another fax.
DONNA
Spreklettes of Ames, Iowa hope we don’t exploit this to make another
irrational argument about taking their guns. The Spreklettes of Ames have
weighed in.
Will looks over at Josh.
WILL
Yeah, I was gonna say the speechwriting interns are here.
JOSH
They got in?
WILL
No, they’ve been here.
JOSH
You had them in on a Saturday night?
WILL
It was a character-building exercise.
JOSH
(to Donna) You hear that? (back to Will) These interns, they can talk on the
phone?
WILL
Yeah.
JOSH
They gotta talk to congressmen. They’re gonna have to…
DONNA
(reviewing one of the faxes) Hang on.
WILL
They can do it, but you should take the committee chairs…
DONNA
Hang on.
JOSH
What?
DONNA
This is one tank top on top of another tank top (hands the fax to Will) This
is a Polaroid of Zoey.
WILL
That’s a ransom note.
CUT TO: EXT. WHITE HOUSE EXTERIOR - NIGHT
President Bartlet, Charlie and a security agent are walking briskly towards
the Oval Office. Agent Ron Butterfield opens the door from the inside and
greets the President.
RON
Sir.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Blood tests?
RON
They found GHB. Gamma hydroxybutyrate.
MIKE
It’s degreasing solvent mixed with drain cleaner, and in low doses…
PRESIDENT BARTLET
In low doses, it’s a date-rape drug.
MIKE
Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
What about the boy?
RON
They believe he’ll be conscious in an hour or so.
The President walks into the Oval Office from the outside.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Where is it?
Leo hands President Bartlet the fax, then a second piece of paper.
LEO
This is the translation.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
We think this is Zoey?
LEO
It’s a fax-quality picture, but the left shoulder…
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Where was it faxed from?
LEO
A Kinko’s self-serve in Dover. A security camera got a partial license
plate. It’s a minivan rented to a Shahab Kaleel, and there’s an FBI APB out.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
(reading the translation) “Release Uzma Kalil, Ahmed Mansour and Barmak Essa
from the Islamabad maximum-security prison. The President will announce on
television that the United States will abandon its military presence in
Qumar.”
LEO
Now, the analysts say Qumar’s Mufti made a call for martyrdom operations
last week, using phrasing that’s almost identical to the next passage and
named those three prisoners. Two years ago, a Bahji cell kidnapped the sons
of the prime minister of Eritrea in exchange for close to a hundred of their
prisoners.
President Bartlet sighs, then looks over to Admiral Fitzwallace.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Where are you?
FITZWALLACE
I wanna prepare to attack the following targets: The Bahji C3I:
Communications, Command, Control and Intelligence. I wanna move the C-130s
and the Blackhawks and I wanna move the Washington carrier group into the
gulf to strike three Bahji camps in Qumar.
NANCY
And I believe we cannot move into position yet. This will escalate. This
will get worse before it gets better. Sir, that boy’s gonna be conscious in
an hour and we have a good chance of finding the dealer once he is.
LEO
We’re gonna find the dealer, Nancy, but he’s gonna be dead when we do.
President Bartlet looks at Leo, then down at his fax, then turns to
Fitzwallace.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Move the 5th Fleet into the gulf.
FITZWALLACE
Yes, sir.
President Bartlet takes off his glasses, sighs and looks at Leo.
FADE TO BLACK.
END ACT THREE
****
ACT FOUR
FADE IN: INT. WHITE HOUSE - HOUR 4 - NIGHT
A news anchor can be heard on the television in the background.
MALE NEWS ANCHOR
No, and I think we should be careful about saying that but… certainly, it’s
easy to imagine how this escalates to a military situation under any number
of scenarios.
FEMALE NEWS ANCHOR
Thank you, Keith Nant and we’ll be coming back to you. We’ve been, from time
to time, showing you home-movie footage in the corner of our screen. I don’t
have the dates in front of me, but it looks like she can’t be more than…
LEO
Huck?
TOBY
Yeah.
LEO
That’s nice. I like that.
TOBY
It’s her grandfather’s.
LEO
Oh, hey. Hey. (Leo turns the volume down on the television) The house. What
happened? What happened with the house? Did you propose?
TOBY
Yeah. (clears throat) We tabled it, though, because, you know…
LEO
You had to go to the hospital.
TOBY
Yeah.
LEO
Was there time to tell her you bought her the house?
TOBY
Yeah. I told her about the house and everything.
LEO
(smiles) What’d she say?
TOBY
This really doesn’t feel like the night to, you know…
LEO
What did she say?
TOBY
She said no.
LEO
Well, I mean, that’ll… change, right?
TOBY
Hey, let me ask you something. When Jenny was pregnant with Mallory, you
were nervous, right?
LEO
Yeah.
TOBY
Yeah, me too.
LEO
Every father.
TOBY
Yeah. (pauses) But I think I was nervous for a different reason.
LEO
What?
TOBY
I think I was nervous I wasn’t gonna love my kids… the way other fathers
love theirs.
LEO
Why?
TOBY
I don’t know. If, for nine months, you’re hearing how this is gonna change
your life, and: “You’ve never loved anything like this,” and, “My God, the
love” and, “Nothing’s gonna be important anymore.” It just never really felt
to me like I was someone who had the capacity for those feelings. Plus, you
know, I… I like what’s important to me. I want it to stay important. I, uh…
I wanna be able to do it well.
LEO
What do you mean, you don’t have the capacity?
TOBY
(pauses) Anyway, I was just curious.
LEO
Of course you’re gonna be a great father. Of course you’re gonna love your
kids the way you’re supposed to, the way other fathers…
TOBY
My God, Leo, we look around, we see that’s not true. It’s not automatic.
LEO
I’m not talking about everybody. I’m talking about you and I’m telling ya,
it’s a mortal lock. It’s guaranteed.
(Leo and Toby look at each other)
LEO
Toby, what went on at the house?
Toby smiles uncomfortably as he picks up the remote and turns the volume up
on the television.
FEMALE NEWS ANCHOR
With the Capitol area virtually sealed off, all air traffic is grounded. Let
me ask you…
CUT TO: INT. OUTSIDE OF ABBEY BARTLET'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Amy Gardner is seated when she sees that Abbey has come through the door,
walking briskly.
AMY
Mrs. Bartlet?
Abbey continues walking past Amy.
AMY
Ma’am? Mrs. Bartlet?
ABBEY
I’m gonna make a direct appeal. They’ll turn on the cameras when I go into
the briefing room. I’ll make a direct appeal.
AMY
Ma’am, you can’t.
ABBEY
I’m the mother.
AMY
You can’t.
ABBEY
I don’t know why I waited this long. I screwed up.
AMY
Let… let’s sit down.
ABBEY
Get away from me.
C.J.
Abbey?
AMY
You can’t go in the press room, It’ll undermine…
ABBEY
I’ve seen other mothers do it.
AMY
(whispers to C.J.) She wants to go in…
C.J.
Abbey! You can’t go in the press room.
ABBEY
I’m going to make a direct appeal. I don’t know why I waited this long. I’ve
seen other mothers do it.
Abbey enters the press room and freezes as photographers snap pictures.
REPORTERS
Mrs. Bartlet!
C.J. braces Abbey by the shoulders as she spins her back out of the press
room.
C.J.
Uh, guys! Give her a break!
Reporters continue to shout questions as C.J. and Amy walk silently behind
Abbey. Amy hesitates for a moment, then speaks.
AMY
It can be seen as negotiating with them and… it could undermine the military
threats the President is making and if the goal is to destabilize our
government, they’re going to see you and know they’re succeeding. You can’t
go in the press room.
ABBEY
(Sighs) I know…. I’d just seen other mothers do it. I screwed up.
C.J.
(softly) Abbey, come sit on my couch for a minute.
AMY
I’m gonna call the doctor.
ABBEY
Tell him I want whatever Zoey got.
C.J.
Come sit on my couch.
AMY
(on the telephone) It’s Amy. Yeah, she’s all right. She’s fine. If you can
just step into the press secretary’s office. Thank you.
CUT TO: INT. SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT
NANCY
Mr. President. Have Leo meet with the Qumari ambassador. Have him do it
before the sun comes up. Let’s try the diplomatic route before this gets out
of hand.
FITZWALLACE
Before it gets out of hand? Sir, I wanna put the planes in the air now. If
we’re gonna end up striking bases later on in Tamar and Laddi, we’re gonna
need some element of surprise.
NANCY
Chairman, do I have to remind you that Qumar is an ally?
FITZWALLACE
You don’t. But I need to ask you, what good is an ally if their citizens are
capable of waging war on their own?
LEO
(to the President) Excuse me, sir. We have a problem.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
One?
LEO
There’s an airplane up there. (turns on a speaker phone) Captain, give us
the controller’s transmission, please.
CAPTAIN ON SPEAKER
Yes, sir.
LEO
An unidentified Beech Baron 58. It’s a twin-prop plane. It’s in the air over
Richland, Washington and it hasn’t acknowledged radio communications from
Air Traffic Control. They’re ninety miles from the Saw Mill River Nuclear
Reactor.
CAPTAIN ON SPEAKER
Beech 0827, do you respond, over? (pause) Beech 0827, this is Air Route
Traffic Control Center, Seattle. Do you respond, over?
LEO
We scrambled the jets?
GENERAL
Two F-15s out of Portland. They’re on either side. They’re over water. They
have clear shots.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
When do you want me to give the order? Seventy miles from the target? Sixty?
Fifty?
GENERAL
I’m sorry, Mr. President. Which target are you talking about?
LEO
He meant the Nuclear Plant.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
How far away do I wait?
CAPTAIN ON SPEAKER
Has the transponder been dialed to 7700?
OTHER MAN ON SPEAKER
Negative. No signal.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Seventy-seven hundred’s an emergency frequency?
LEO
If you lose your radio, you set your transponder to 7700. Seventy-five
hundred means you’ve been hijacked. These guys aren’t signaling anything.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Fellas, we’ve got confusion in here!
The President slams his fist down on the table, and gets up from his seat.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
When do I give the order?
MAN ON SPEAKER
Beech 0827, this is Air Route Traffic Control Center, Seattle.
LEO
Seventy miles. But they’re gonna be over population in about a minute.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
(to Leo) Talk to me.
LEO
General!
FIGHTER PILOT ON SPEAKER
Beech 0827, this is U.S. Air Force F-15 five-six. I’m a half-mile back on
your right side and I have missile lock. Switch to frequency 121.5 and stand
by for slow flight.
BEECH ON SPEAKER
Yeah, this is Beech 0827. Sorry about that. Uh, we were having a problem
with the… with the thing.
President Bartlet sighs, then begins to walk out of the Situation Room.
FITZWALLACE
Mr. President?
PRESIDENT BARTLET
I know you wanna get the planes in the air. I wanna think about it a minute,
okay?
FITZWALLACE
Of course, sir.
The President and Leo exit the Situation Room and as the President comes to
a small set of stairs, he takes a seat on one of the stairs.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
I don’t know what to do about the military options. Nancy’s making good
points. Sorry about the confusion in there. I know we practiced that.
LEO
We’re doin’ fine.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
I don’t think so. I need you to tell me now. Do you think she’s already
dead?
LEO
I absolutely do not.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
If they show me a picture of her alive and tell me to aim cruise missiles at
Tel Aviv, they’re counting on the fact that a father…
LEO
But you wouldn’t.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
(turns to Leo) I might.
LEO
(speaking in a low voice) There are people around you who won’t let you.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
How about a picture, they’ve got a knife to her throat, get out of Saudi
Arabia?
LEO
You shouldn’t think of images like that.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
All I CAN think of are images like that.
LEO
Sir.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Leo. Please listen to me. Did Fitz give me target recommendations a little
while ago?
LEO
Yes, sir. He wants to attack the bases…
PRESIDENT BARTLET
I don’t remember having the conversation and I don’t know what targets he
wants to hit. Did I green-light the targets?
LEO
Of course not. Mr. President, no one is expecting you to keep the United
States out of a war tonight. Me and Nancy and Fitz are standing right next
to you. When you get information, you don’t need to remember it. And we’re
standing right next to you when you give orders. You’re not gonna hurt
anybody.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
I know it’s a strange time to bring this up but… I forecasted this once. I
made up a scary story a few years ago for Zoey so that she’d take her…
protection seriously, and I went too far. And I scared her. And she cried.
This was the story. Leo, the people you just named don’t have the legal
authority to… stop me from doing certain things and some of them would go to
jail if they didn’t follow my orders. Very quietly, I want you to assemble
the Cabinet. I want you to call the Speaker of the House.
President Bartlet rises from the stair on which he was seated and walks up
the stairs.
FADE TO BLACK.
END OF ACT FOUR
****
ACT FIVE
FADE IN: INT. HOSPITAL - HOUR 6 - NIGHT
Toby emerges from Andy’s hospital room and enters the nurse’s station as he
approaches the front desk.
NURSE
Is she asleep?
TOBY
Yeah.
Toby walks over to a window where he can see his babies. One of the babies
is crying.
NURSE
Mr. Ziegler? You know, these people went home last night. If you like, I can
bring the babies in there and you can have a few moments…
TOBY
Oh, no. Thank you. No. That’s okay.
The nurse smiles as she starts to walk away.
TOBY
Okay. Yeah, sure.
CUT TO: INT. HOSPITAL BED - NIGHT
The nurse carries the babies into a dimly-lit hospital room, softly
whispering to the babies as she sets them down on a nearby bed.
NURSE
(to the babies) Right over here. There we go. (to Toby) They’ll need to be
fed in a few minutes, so I’ll come back.
TOBY
Thank you.
Nurse leaves the room and closes the door behind her. Toby looks down at his
babies on the bed.
TOBY
I didn’t realize babies come with hats. You guys crack me up. (baby coos)
You don’t have jobs. You can’t walk or speak the language. (pulls up a chair
next to the bed) You don’t have a dollar in your pockets, but you got
yourselves a hat. So, everything’s fine. (baby coos) I don’t wanna alarm you
or anything but… I’m dad. (laughs as he look over at Huck) And for you, son,
for you, this’ll be the last time I pass the buck, but I think it should be
clear from the get-go that it was Mom who named you Huckleberry. I guess she
was feeling like life… doesn’t present enough challenges to overcome on its
own. (to his daughter) And, honey, you’ve got a name now too. Your mom and I
named you after… an incredibly brave… uh… An incredibly brave woman, really
not all that much older than you. Your name is Molly. Huck and Molly. So,
what do I do? Well, you’re gonna need food and clothes and doctors and
dentists and… there’s that. And, should you have any questions along the
way, I’m gonna be doin’ stuff like this, (grabs a tissue and wipes Huck’s
mouth) Huck, because you’re leaking a little bit out of your mouth there.
You’re holding my finger, son? Hey, Molly. Your brother’s holding my hand.
Do you wanna hold my hand? (laughs) This isn’t gonna mean anything to you,
but… Leo was right. (smiles) Leo was right.
Nurse enters the room.
NURSE
Mr. Ziegler?
TOBY
Yeah.
NURSE
It’s so nice when they look at you like that, isn’t it?
TOBY
Yeah.
The nurse turns to look at the television as it plays home movies of the
President and Zoey Bartlet when she was a little girl.
NURSE
Oh, look how sweet they are together. They’ve been showing old home videos
on the news. I don’t know why they do that. (sighs)
Toby looks up at the television to see President Bartlet wiping Zoey’s mouth
just as Toby had done with Huck a few moments earlier. Toby looks back down
at his babies, then rises up from his chair.
TOBY
I have to get back to my office now.
NURSE
Mr. Ziegler, would you convey to the President and Mrs. Bartlet that the
prayers of everyone in this hospital and…. (sighs) well, everyone… are with
them tonight?
TOBY
Of course I will and they’ll both appreciate it. I’m writing down my pager
number if Andy needs me or… if they do anything new.
NURSE
New?
TOBY
Yeah.
NURSE
Like what?
TOBY
You never know.
As Toby is leaving the hospital, he gives a slap to the exit sign hanging
above his head.
CUT TO: EXT. WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT
Leo is sitting outside on a bench just outside of the White House as his
secretary, Margaret walks towards him. She hands him a cup of coffee.
LEO
Oh, thank you.
MARGARET
Charlie’s on his way.
LEO
Thanks.
MARGARET
I think you should sleep for a few hours.
LEO
I’ll sleep when he sleeps, but YOU should sleep for a few hours.
MARGARET
I’ll sleep when you sleep.
LEO
Well, this is gonna be interesting because we’re gonna have a small band of
dedicated people who can’t lift their arms.
Charlie appears as Margaret walks away.
CHARLIE
Yes, sir.
LEO
I guess if I told you to get some sleep, it wouldn’t do much good.
CHARLIE
No, I’m fine.
LEO
Tell the staff secretary’s office I’m gonna freeze all nonessential paper
for executive signature. All nonessential executive orders. All nonessential
correspondence. All legislation. Do you understand?
Leo sets his cup of coffee down on the table next to a small booklet that
reads: “The Constitution of the United States of America." Charlie looks
down at the booklet for a moment.
CHARLIE
Until when?
LEO
Until further notice. I need you to get a federal judge here right away.
CHARLIE
Yes, sir.
Charlie exits as Josh, C.J. and Will enter. Leo stands up.
JOSH
Donna’s paging Toby.
LEO
I just ordered Charlie to have the staff secretary’s office hold all
nonessential paper for executive signature.
JOSH
Why?
LEO
It’s one in a series of steps I’m taking tonight to temporarily but
dramatically downsize the scope of the Oval Office.
JOSH
Why?
LEO
The Cabinet is meeting in a few minutes.
C.J.
Leo.
LEO
He’s invoking the 25th Amendment. He’s invoking twenty-five.
JOSH
Really?
LEO
Yes.
C.J.
Is his mind made up?
LEO
He’s with the Cabinet now. Where did everyone come down?
C.J.
Josh and I were on the fence. We don’t know what Will thinks?
WILL
Of the President temporarily handing over power to his political enemy? I
think it’s a fairly stunning act of patriotism. And a fairly ordinary act of
fatherhood.
LEO
Yeah, I do too.
TOBY
(approaching) Hey! (panting) The President’s gotta get out of the West Wing.
I don’t know what we’ve been thinking…
LEO
Why are you out of breath?
TOBY
I ran here very fast and there were some obstacles.
LEO
The babies are okay?
TOBY
Yeah, they’re great. And if somebody was hurting them, I’d drop napalm on
Yellowstone to get them to stop. Letting some prisoners out of jail wouldn’t
be nothing and I’ve known my kids for about forty-five minutes.
LEO
He’s invoking the 25th.
TOBY
He is?
LEO
Yes.
Toby pauses as he looks at everybody.
TOBY
(whispering) Good.
Camera pans to the floor as the image of several men’s feet walk towards the
camera.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
…availing myself of the constitutional option offered to this office by
Section Three of the 25th Amendment which permits, through written
declaration, to temporarily transfer all powers of the presidency to the
next in the constitutional line of succession.
Camera view over the shoulder of a guard to see a group of men walking down
a set of stairs and down a corridor as Josh’s voice is heard.
JOSH
It’s just that we’re elevating the most powerful Republican in the country.
LEO
That’s just a political reality.
JOSH
It’s… just a political reality.
Camera sees the same group of men walking towards a stationary police
motorcade.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
The article doesn’t require the unanimous consent of the Cabinet, but I want
it. I want it as clear as can be that this administration stands squarely
behind… and shoulder to shoulder, with the acting president.
Police motorcycles and cars make their way down the road with sirens wailing
and lights flashing. The Capitol building can be seen in the background.
JOSH
We’re gonna be handing the Republicans the election.
LEO
Yes, we are.
JOSH
It doesn’t say, “I can’t handle this?”
TOBY
It says, “I AM handling this.”
C.J.
It does.
CABINET MEMBER
Mr. President, my concern is this: If you and the acting president were to
give contradictory orders, Leo McGarry would be put into an impossible
situation which could lead to extraordinary chaos.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
I won’t be giving any orders.
SECOND CABINET MEMBER
But, if you did, I think there are those in this room, myself included, who
would wanna follow those orders. And now, we have two governments.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Leo would know what to do.
THIRD CABINET MEMBER
Would he?
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Yes.
Motorcade arrives at the White House.
JOSH
What if he changes his mind and starts giving orders.
TOBY
Leo will know what to do.
Toby looks over at Leo as the camera cuts to a group of men entering the
White House.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Secretary of Commerce?
SECRETARY OF COMMERCE:
Aye.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Secretary of Veterans Affairs?
SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS:
Aye.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development?
SECRETARY OF HUD:
Aye.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Secretary of Health and Education?
SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND EDUCATION:
Aye.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Secretary of Agriculture?
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE:
Aye.
Camera once again pans down to the footsteps of the approaching men.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Secretary of the Treasury?
SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY:
Aye.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Secretary of Defense?
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE:
Aye.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Secretary of State?
SECRETARY OF STATE:
Aye.
Silhouettes of the men are visible from just outside of the White House
windows.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Secretary of Labor?
SECRETARY OF LABOR:
Aye.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Secretary of the Interior?
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR:
Aye.
Guards open up a set of doors as the Speaker of the House enters, followed
by a group of men. The Speaker of the House, Glenallen Walken, walks towards
Toby, Leo, Josh, C.J. and Will who are standing just outside of the Oval
Office.
WALKEN
(Sighs) Relax, everybody. Breathe regular.
Walken turns to one of the members of his own staff.
WALKEN
You, too.
Leo approaches the Speaker of the House.
LEO
Mr. Speaker.
Leo shakes Walken's hand.
WALKEN
Leo.
LEO
Let’s go inside.
CUT TO: INT. OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT
As people begin to enter the Oval Office, Nancy and Fitzwallace are already
inside as the Speaker looks around the room.
WALKEN
How’s Mrs. Bartlet?
LEO
Well, she’s very upset.
WALKEN
Yeah.
LEO
Mr. Speaker, C.J., Josh, Toby, Will Bailey. They’re just getting this news
now and they’re among the first. They… haven’t put anything together yet,
but we’ll do a joint press conference, you and the President, probably two
hours or so, and in that time, you’ll receive the first of your briefings…
WALKEN
What was the Beech Baron doing?
LEO
Sorry?
WALKEN
What did it end up, the two guys in the Beech Baron were doing?
LEO
They were frat guys and they were drunk. They were playing chicken.
WALKEN
Really?
LEO
Yeah. The briefings…
WALKEN
With the Air Force?
LEO
What?
WALKEN
They were playing chicken with the Air Force?
FITZWALLACE
Yes, sir.
WALKEN
Unidentified aircraft get one warning and I don’t care if my mother’s
onboard that plane going to visit HER mother.
President Bartlet enters the Oval Office, walks to his desk and drops a
White House folder on his desk.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Mr. Speaker.
WALKEN
Mr. President,
Walken shakes President Bartlet’s hand.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
I find out the gun that killed Molly O’Connor was bought through a loophole,
so help me, mother of God, Glen…
LEO
Mr. President.
Charlie knocks on the door, then enters.
CHARLIE
Excuse me. Madam Justice Sharon Day.
LEO
Come in.
WILL
Mr. Speaker?
WALKEN
Yeah.
WILL
You need to resign.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Does he?
JOSH
He’s right.
WALKEN
Yeah, it’s against the law to work for two branches of government at the
same time. You got a piece of paper?
LEO
Hang on. Glen, if you resign from Congress, you can’t just go back. You have
to be elected again in two years.
WALKEN
Well, I was gonna have to be elected again in two years anyway, right?
Witnesses.
Walken turns around to sign his letter of resignation on the President’s
desk. President Bartlet steps away from his desk, approaches Toby and
smiles.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Huck?
TOBY
And Molly.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Nice. So, what do you know now that you didn’t know before?
TOBY
Babies come with hats.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Ha. Yeah. (smiles) They also come with those little theft-protection
devices. Those little LoJacks on their ankles so they can’t be boosted from
the hospital. Man, don’t even let them take it off (smiles).
Toby leans over to whisper in the President's ear.
TOBY
There’s no one in this room who wouldn’t rather die then let you down, you
know.
President Bartlet nods his head as Walken signs his resignation. Will signs
as a witness.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
All right, let’s get organized. I’ve got two letters. One removing me from
power, the other reinstating me. I’ll sign the first. And then the justice
will swear in the speaker, and I think Leo’s right. The first thing is, how
do we announce this?
C.J.
(clears throat) Well, the President and the Speaker have to make it clear to
the country that there’s someone in charge.
JOSH
I’d… argue we first have to make it clear to the world that there’s someone
in charge.
WILL
I’d make it clear to Bahji that there’s someone in charge.
WALKEN
Franz Ferdinand, who was the nephew of the Austro-Hungarian emperor, was
killed by a group called the Black Hand. And because they were a Serbian
nationalist society, the empire declared war on Serbia. Then Russia, which
was bound by a treaty, was forced to mobilize which meant that Germany had
to declare war on Russia. Then France declared war on Germany, and that was
World War I. Because the emperor’s nephew was killed. Now, I thought you all
had some good ideas, but somebody oughta make it clear to the people in this
room that someone IS in charge.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
Glen, they’ve been up all night.
Walken looks over his shoulder to President Bartlet.
WALKEN: You’re relieved, Mr. President.
President Bartlet looks at Walken for a moment, then turns towards Leo.
LEO
(Softly) You’re relieved, sir.
PRESIDENT BARTLET
(to Madam Justice Sharon Day) Swear him in.
Madam Justice Sharon Day approaches Walken.
JUSTICE DAY
Will you place your right hand on the Bible? Raise your left hand toward God
and repeat after me. I, Glenallen Walken, do solemnly swear…
WALKEN
I, Glenallen Walken, do solemnly swear…
JUSTICE DAY
…that I shall faithfully execute the office of President of the United
States.
President Bartlet exits the Oval Office to the outside.
WALKEN
…that I shall faithfully execute the office of President of the United
States.
A Secret Service agent closes the door behind the President as the camera
pulls back away from the office.
JUSTICE DAY
And I will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States.
WALKEN
And I will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States.
FADE TO BLACK
END CREDITS
* * *