Season 5 – Episode 9 – “Abu El Banat”

Episode Summary:

The festive Christmas spirit at the annual White House tree-lighting is dimmed when the President (Martin Sheen) learns that Christian relief workers have been jailed in Islamic northern Sudan while he welcomes his three headstrong daughters — including the returning Zoey (Elisabeth Moss) — and is surprised to learn that his son-in-law (Steven Eckholdt) wants to run for Congress in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, when the licenses of some doctors in Oregon are suspended after they administer drugs in an assisted suicide, Toby (Richard Schiff) tries to keep the administration from being bogged down in a debate — and clashes with Will (Joshua Malina) when he tries to convince the Vice President to address the political hot potato.

Script:

THE WEST WING
"ABU EL BANAT"
WRITTEN BY: DEBORAH CAHN
DIRECTED BY: LESLI LINKA GLATTER

TEASER

FADE IN: INT. THE WHITE HOUSE LOBBY - DAY
Several people are decorating the place with Christmas ornaments. In
the middle of the lobby is a pretty Christmas tree. A woman, carring
three miniature trees, passes by Toby. We follow him, as he looks at
the decorators while going through the lobby. He continues to C.J.'S
OFFICE. C.J. is inside. While singing, she's kneeling down, stooped,
doing something under her large Christmas tree so her butt is in the
air, facing Toby.

C.J.
[singing] Sleigh bells ringing and jing-jing-jingling, ding-ding-ding
ding...

TOBY
What are you doing?

C.J.
I'm holding up my tree. Isn't it nice?

TOBY
What are you doing to it?

C.J.
I'm holding it up. The stand isn't...

TOBY
They didn't have anything smaller?

C.J.
Smaller than me is a shrub. I wanted a real tree this year.

TOBY
Hmm.

Toby sits on C.J.'s couch, and flips a page on one of his papers.

TOBY
This is fine. I just cut some of the naked gloating.

C.J.
We restarted the government, Toby. There was a showdown at the OK Corral,
and we gunned down the Clantons. We're heroes.

TOBY
And yet self-effacing.

CAROL
[entering] Excuse me, C.J.

C.J.
Can we get a bigger stand?

CAROL
Yeah. Waterville Crier on Two wants a comment.

C.J.
No comments for anything called the Crier, the Intelligencer or the
Breeze.

CAROL
The DEA just suspended a Waterville doctor's drug license for giving a
terminal patient enough narcotics to kill her.

C.J.
[stands, still holding the tree] That's against the law. It's what the
DEA does with their time.

CAROL
C.J., Waterville's in Oregon.

C.J. is shocked, lets go of the tree and runs to the phone. The tree
falls straight on Toby's face.

CUT TO: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - DAY
Debbie, in front of the desk, is having Bartlet sign some papers. Abbey
is sitting on the couch sipping coffee.

BARTLET
All three of our daughters in one place for Christmas. You've never seen
that, have you?

DEBBIE
No, sir. I haven't.

BARTLET
[to Abbey] She's never seen it.

ABBEY
Maybe next year.

BARTLET
What if she quits before then? She's flighty.

Debbie laughs.

ABBEY
They'll all be here tonight. We'll be grateful for that.

BARTLET
I'm grateful. But Debbie thinks one night isn't a visit so much as a pit
stop.

CHARLIE
[entering] Mr. President. Liz is pulling up.

BARTLET
Thank you.

Charlie and Debbie exit as Bartlet and Abbey get up to leave.

ABBEY
Let's not dwell on it with the kids.

BARTLET
I'm not dwelling. I think it's fine. I think we should all spend
Christmas at Liz's in-laws.

ABBEY
We're invited.

BARTLET
Never again. I still have flashbacks.

ABBEY
You didn't sit up all night with Jean sewing ducklings on all the
stockings?

Outside in the HALLWAY, the Bartlets meet Jim, the photographer covering
the Tree-Lighting Ceremony. They all walk.

JIM
Good morning sir, Mrs. Bartlet.

BARTLET
Good to see you, Jim.

ABBEY
We're not doing photos now, are we?

JIM
A couple candids. Nothing serious till the tree lighting.

BARTLET
You should get a few of the dinner with the family together. I'll be
there.

ABBEY
I know you will.

BARTLET
I will.

ABBEY
I just don't think you should crucify Ellie for telling you she might be
late.

BARTLET
How hard could it possibly be?

ABBEY
When there's a chance you may not make it yourself.

BARTLET
I'm not asking her to stay a week. It's one meal.

CUT TO: INT. LEO'S OFFICE - DAY
Margaret is across from Leo going over the schedule. The TV is on in the
background.

MARGARET
...British Embassy on the 15th, DNC chair on the 22nd, the Uphoffs on
Christmas eve.

LEO
DNC's a maybe. Uphoffs are a maybe.

MARGARET
I think we shouldn't go with maybes on the Christmas parties this year
because "maybe" means I RSVP yes, and you cancel ten minutes before it
starts, and I have to call and say the honored guest isn't coming, and
you remain lovable Leo McGarry, and I'm the dope who couldn't accurately
assess the constraints of your schedule.

MAN ON T.V.
...in a hostage situation...

LEO
"Hostages?" Did he just say "hostage?"

MARGARET
And by New Year's, I'm a pariah. People hexing my muffins in the mess...

Margaret stops when Leo picks up the phone.

LEO
[into phone] Leo McGarry for the Sudan desk please. [to Margaret] Get
Josh on this call now.

CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY
Bartlet and Abbey continue to head to the driveway.

BARTLET
I don't want to sit next to Doug tonight. I don't want to hear about his
kayak.

ABBEY
Show up in time, you can sit wherever you like.

BARTLET
Tell Ellie if she's late, she has to sit next to Doug.

The Westin family--Doug, Elizabeth, and Gus--just pulled up and got out
of their car when Bartlet and Abbey exit. There are hugs and kisses
everywhere.

BARTLET
Lizzie.

ABBEY
[sees Gus] Oh, there's my guy.

BARTLET
[to Liz] How are you, kid?

ABBEY
Hi Doug.

DOUG
Hi.

BARTLET
Doug.

DOUG
Hey, Jed.

BARTLET
Was there a stowaway in the car? A monster?

He picks up Gus and raises him over his head.

BARTLET
I got him! I got him! Come with me.

Everybody heads inside.

CUT TO: EXT. PORTICO - DAY
Leo exits the Oval Office. C.J. follows him.

C.J.
Leo, we have a...

LEO
I saw it. Hostages.

C.J.
No. The DEA.

LEO
What's their problem?

C.J.
We have a hostage situation?

The First Family passes by as they head for the residence. Bartlet is
carrying Gus.

BARTLET
You and I have a very serious job to do tonight.

LEO
Mr. President.

Bartlet turns. Everybody else stops walking.

GUS
You want to see something? [shows Bartlet something on his hand]

BARTLET
Oh, great!

Bartlet goes over to where Leo and C.J. are standing.

LEO
[quietly] Twelve relief workers in Sudan got thrown in jail.
Congressman's on CNN calling them hostages.

GUS
I have a quarter with New Hampshire on it.

BARTLET
You sure do. [to C.J.] You talk to State?

C.J.
I just heard myself. I was... there's a problem at the DEA.

BARTLET
Hang on.

Bartlet turns back to Elizabeth and hands her Gus.

BARTLET
Five minutes ago, we were having a quiet morning. I got to take a look.
I'll catch up with you in a few minutes. We've got all sorts of good
stuff planned.

ELIZABETH
[to Gus] It's okay. We'll see him later.

Bartlet heads back to the Oval Office with Leo and C.J.

SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES.
END TEASER
* * *

ACT ONE

FADE IN: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - DAY
From the portico, Bartlet, Leo and C.J. enter.

LEO
Sudanese authorities say some of them were trying to convert the locals
to Christianity, and it's Islamic law in Northern Sudan...

BARTLET
So they threw the whole lot of them in jail.

Toby enters.

LEO
Sudan desk got a call from Congressman Richter. Two are his
constituents.

C.J.
Sir, did you talk to the DEA yesterday?

BARTLET
No. Did State tell you about this Richter thing?

C.J. shakes her head no, as Josh enters.

BARTLET
Well, this blew up good and fast, didn't it?

JOSH
State's treating it like any other foreign arrest. There'll be a
consular visit and a trial. Richter isn't satisfied with that.

C.J.
Sudanese jail. You gotta hope someone back home's making noise.

BARTLET
Were they proselytizing?

JOSH
We don't know. Richter says no. He spoke to a junior officer at the
Sudan desk, thinks they're blowing it off so he's trying to bump it up
the ladder.

C.J.
"Hostage" is a big word. Particularly at Christmas.

BARTLET
All right. Let's get him in here. What about the DEA?

C.J.
The DEA's coming down on a doctor in Oregon for assisting on a suicide.
There's no federal jurisdiction. I don't know what they think they're
doing.

BARTLET
What do they say?

C.J.
They're calling it a violation of the Controlled Substances Act. The
narcotic he used is federally controlled.

TOBY
So's a handgun.

JOSH
Yeah.

TOBY
Doesn't turn a shooting into a federal case.

JOSH
He makes a point.

BARTLET
We're sure this wasn't an accident? Pay management gone awry?

C.J.
The doctor's not hiding his intentions. The state of Oregon says it's
legal. He was assisting a terminal patient to hasten the end of her
suffering.

BARTLET
It's a living.

C.J.
Well, yes, in Oregon, it is.

BARTLET
When's your next briefing?

C.J.
An hour. I was going to go...

TOBY
I don't think we comment. It's DOJ's mess. We don't want it.

C.J.
We don't want a lot of things.

TOBY
For four years it's been, "The President does not personally support
physician assisted suicide but believes it's not a federal issue and
should be resolved by the voters."

BARTLET
State by state. And not by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

TOBY
We don't jump into the middle of a bar fight and declare our intention
not to act. Let the Attorney General handle it.

There's a pause. Bartlet looks over at Leo and nods.

LEO
I'll sit down with the A.G.

BARTLET
Thanks everybody.

LEO
Thank you, sir.

The staff leaves. Bartlet calls over to Debbie.

BARTLET
Debbie, where are they?

DEBBIE [OS]
Blue room, sir.

CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Donna meets C.J. and Josh as they leave the Oval Office.

DONNA
Oh, good.

JOSH
Talk to Debbie. We need a sit-down for Congressman Donald Richter today.
And get him on the phone.

DONNA
Doug Westin's in your office.

C.J.
Liz's Doug?

JOSH
How come he's not with his in-laws?

DONNA
The President's introducing Gus to the Three Tenors. "Hallelujah Chorus"
in the Blue Room.

JOSH
Why's a five-year-old want to meet the Three Tenors?

DONNA
I'm pretty sure he doesn't.

C.J.
Doug's your friend.

JOSH
He's a perfectly nice guy.

C.J.
Speak slowly. You don't want to lose him.

They pass by the LOBBY. Josh sees the decorating crew.

JOSH
Check it out! They're decking the halls.

DONNA
Five minutes and I'll spring you.

They go inside JOSH'S BULLPEN AREA. Josh meets Doug Westin.

JOSH
Douglas!

DOUG
Josh.

JOSH
It's good to see you.

DOUG
Good to see you. I swiped your paper.

JOSH
That's government property. I'm gonna have to call the Feds.

DOUG
Then I better dash. See ya. [playfully attempts to run]

JOSH
Come on in.

They go inside JOSH'S OFFICE.

JOSH
You guys here for a couple days?

DOUG
No, just tonight and tomorrow. We're going to my folks for Christmas
this year. Tree-lighting seemed like the least we could do.

JOSH
No Annie?

DOUG
Swim meet. That and she pierced her eyebrow. Thought we'd keep her off-
camera till it healed.

JOSH
She... on purpose?

DOUG
Everyday is a new set of challenges. Hey, you tracking Congressional
recruitment? That still your area?

JOSH
Yeah. I mean-- yeah. What's...?

DOUG
New Hampshire, First District.

JOSH
Ken Campbell.

DOUG
He's stepping out end of this term. He's got a valve thing. If he
doesn't slow down, his heart is just gonna pow-- like a balloon.

JOSH
That's great. I mean not the-- But we'll have a good shot at the seat.

DOUG
I think so. And I think I'm the man to do it.

JOSH
To what?

DOUG
I think with a little help from you fine people, I'm gonna be elected to
the United States House of Representatives.

CUT TO: INT. LEO'S OFFICE - DAY
Margaret knocks and enters.

MARGARET
The Attorney-General.

LEO
Mm-hmm.

Leo stands up. The Attorney-General, ALAN FISK, enters. Margaret exits.

LEO
Alan.

They shake hands.

LEO
How come I don't hear your daughters performing at the Kennedy Center
till two days after?

ALAN
Between us, she was under a wig behind Aida's second elephant.

Leo chuckles. They sit down in front of the desk.

LEO
This cowboy over at the DEA. You fire him yet?

ALAN
No.

LEO
Sooner is better.

ALAN
I think I've got to back up the DEA on this one. The CSA is...

LEO
The Controlled Substances Act is about drug trafficking. It was never
intended to supplant the states as regulators of medical practice.

ALAN
He had a license to dispense narcotics for legitimate medical purposes
only.

LEO
The voters of Oregon have declared the termination of life, pain and
suffering to be a legitimate medical purpose, and frankly, whether they
were right or wrong is none of the DEA's business. Assisted suicide
should be...

ALAN
It's not "assisted" anything. It's murder.

LEO
Okay. We're done.

They stand.

LEO
You'll be hearing from the President.

ALAN
The White House interfering with a federal prosecution? You really want
to walk that road?

LEO
You're not a legislative body, Alan. There's only so many times you can
pool this before the President...

ALAN
What? Fires me?

LEO
I don't want to have this fight. [goes behind his desk] But if we do,
I win.

ALAN
Jed Bartlet's not gonna fire me for standing on principle.

He walks to the door and opens it.

ALAN
Leo.

We hear Alan and Margaret outside.

ALAN [OS]
Have a good day, Margaret.

MARGARET [OS]
Thank you, Mr. Fisk. You too.

Leo sits on his chair.

FADE OUT.
END ACT ONE
* * *

ACT TWO

FADE IN: INT. LEO'S OFFICE - DAY
Toby and C.J. are inside.

TOBY
Fire him.

C.J.
The Attorney General?

TOBY
Fire him. We hired him.

LEO
We fire him over assisted suicide, it's 16 verses of "Grandma Got Run
Over By The Bartlets" now till Easter.

C.J.
"No comment" is not gonna play.

TOBY
How about we let the VP be the front man?

C.J.
Seriously?

TOBY
We're staring a State of the Union in the face. This is what hijacks the
agenda for weeks at a time. [to Leo] This is what we talked about.

Toby and Leo exchange strange looks.

C.J.
What, do you need me to leave the room?

LEO
Toby's taking first chair on the State of the Union. Not just writing
it.

C.J.
The agenda. That's great.

TOBY
And if I'm doing it, I'm doing it. This is not on the agenda.

LEO
Talk to Will.

TOBY
Thank you.

Toby and C.J. walk outside.

CUT TO: INT. THE WHITE HOUSE LOBBY - CONTINUOUS
Elizabeth sees C.J. walking to the lobby.

ELIZABETH
C.J.!

C.J.
Lizzie B.

ELIZABETH
Hey.

They hug and keep walking.

ELIZABETH
Hey, listen, you're gonna get a call from an organization called The
Hunger Plan. They should be fundraising for the World Food Program and
instead they're developing freeze-dried peanut butter and jelly or
something. I got lassoed onto the board for two years. I just retired,
and I recommended you.

C.J.
You didn't.

ELIZABETH
They get a small C-22 grant. It'd be a conflict. Just tell him you wish
you wish, but you can't. It'll make him feel good just to know you were
interested.

C.J.
Thanks for the heads up.

ELIZABETH
We're gonna talk about UNESCO.

C.J.
You going?

ELIZABETH
Yeah, and we're gonna talk about a guy named Chris Beck I want you to
meet.

C.J.
He from UNESCO?

ELIZABETH
Nope.

Liz leaves. C.J. turns and passes by Debbie.

DEBBIE
Did she tell you about the walkthrough at 11:00?

C.J.
No. Can you maybe handle that?

DEBBIE
She asked for you.

C.J.
I've got a meeting. Could you tell her?

DEBBIE
You can't say no to her, can you?

C.J.
Not really.

DEBBIE
I'll see you at 11:00.

Debbie walks off.

CUT TO: INT. OUTER OVAL OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Debbie walks in. Charlie is inside.

DEBBIE
Any word from Ellie?

CHARLIE
She's running an experiment on viral load reproduction, and she hopes
it'll wrap up in time for the thing tonight.

DEBBIE
No, it's a special dinner. It isn't optional.

CHARLIE
She's a Bartlet. It's been special everyday since '62.

CUT TO: INT. THE MURAL ROOM - DAY
Congressman DONALD RICHTER and Under Secretary of State TED BARROW are
sitting inside waiting for the President.

CONGRESSMAN DONALD RICHTER
I spoke to a gal in Khartoum, and then I got a call from some flunky
at the Sudan desk. Didn't inspire a great deal of confidence.

Bartlet walks in. Richter and Ted stand.

BARTLET
Congressman, you start saying "hostages," things get a little out of
hand.

RICHTER
Mr. President.

Bartlet and Richter shake hands.

BARTLET
Sit. Hiya, Ted.

TED BARROW
Mr. President.

BARTLET
[gestures to the seats] Please.

They all sit.

RICHTER
Proselytizing's punishable by death over there.

BARTLET
They're not gonna do that. Ted spoke with the families, let them know
we're waiting on a report from the consular officer. You gotta let it go
through channels.

RICHTER
We barely have an embassy in Sudan.

TED
A consular from Cairo flies in whenever we have a problem. He's on the
plane.

RICHTER
There should be a call to the prime minister.

TED
State deals with thousands of these every year. Like it or not,
Americans are subject to the laws of the country that they are in.

RICHTER
These aren't crack dealers.

BARTLET
We don't arbitrate. We can't. Not in 193 countries with as many legal
systems.

RICHTER
They didn't break a law. They were stocking a food warehouse. It was
looted as soon as they were arrested. Mr. President, these are young
people who've taken a couple of years out of their lives to bring food
to the poverty-stricken in a civil-war-riddled nation. Of course,
they're religious. Someone asks them what it means to be a Christian,
they're gonna give an answer. That is not proselytizing. The Secretary
of State needs to pick up a phone.

TED
Sir, as soon as they know it's a Presidential priority, they will hold
us up for millions.

RICHTER
I've got 22 days of Christmas events ahead of me. I'm not sure how to
explain to my district that Christians doing charitable works are in a
Sudanese jail because we're too cheap to bail them out.

CUT TO: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - DAY
C.J. is standing in front of the desk talking to someone sitting on the
chair.

C.J.
We're expecting about 6,000 people. We're gonna switch on the lights,
then there will be performances by the United States Marine band and the
Louisiana Bayou Gospel Choir. And there's gonna be a troop of dancing
snowmen. Men, really, dressed as snowmen. Not as scary as it sounds.
Though probably deeply humiliating for the men.

The camera reveals who she's talking to. Gus is just sitting there
staring at her.

C.J.
No? Snowmen? [pause] Your mom's gonna be right back. And your grandpa
will be rolling in here any second now.

C.J. looks back at the door and back at Gus.

C.J.
So what did you think of the Three Tenors?

CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY
Debbie is leaning on the wall just outside the Mural Room as Bartlet
exits the room. They walk.

BARTLET
Is Dr. McNally in her office?

DEBBIE
I believe so. How about I send her in right after the tree rehearsal?

BARTLET
Come again?

DEBBIE
Liz is concerned that Gus may be overwhelmed with the cameras and the
crowd and all. We're gonna practice.

BARTLET
Flipping a switch?

DEBBIE
We're gonna show him the platform and the tree and the switch,
certainly.

BARTLET
He'll be fine. Ellie can show him. She did it one year in New Hampshire.
Ellie's not here yet?

DEBBIE
A topic for another time.

BARTLET
All right. Push the rehearsal. I need to stop at Nancy McNally's. Is
Ellie even coming?

DEBBIE
She's working on it.

BARTLET
One would never know that the leaders of powerful nations respond to my
call on a moment's notice.

DEBBIE
Not at first glance, sir, no.

Bartlet continues on walking. Debbie turns back.

CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE - DAY
Toby goes into Will's office. Will is at his desk writing something.

TOBY
Russell's speaking to the American Nursing Association this week?

WILL
Yeah.

TOBY
We'd like him to do a speech insert.

Toby drops off papers on Will's desk and turns back.

WILL
In his first big health care speech?

TOBY
It's gonna come up in Q&A anyway. Might as well nip it in the bud.

Toby goes back to his office. Will follows him.

WILL
By making his first speech to the medical community about assisted
suicide? Are you kidding? Are you people trying to kill me?

TOBY
We're trying to make sure you can move to Oregon and kill yourself.

WILL
He needs to be talking about the insurance gap and prescription drugs.

TOBY
We need to place some distance between the President and...

WILL
You know how this thing polls? 48% of Americans consider it a right. 46%
of Americans consider it morally reprehensible. It is the definition of
a lose-lose issue.

TOBY
The AG's back-dooring this on a technicality. We're gonna wait till the
courts knock it down, which they will. Meanwhile, he's usurping the
policy prerogative of the President. We need somebody to remind the
public it wasn't our decision.

WILL
You guys are asking me to groom a backwater congressman. I can't do
that...

TOBY
We didn't ask you to groom Russell for a Presidential run. He asked you.

WILL
He was chosen by the President.

TOBY
He was chosen by the Republicans!

WILL
Look, I've got a budget to finalize.

TOBY
I'm sorry. I'm sure you're gonna pull a great Eliza Doolittle here.

WILL
Your confidence is touching.

TOBY
Meanwhile, if the Vice President would be so kind, in between campaign
stops, could he do the President this favor?

WILL
I'll run it by him. [goes back to his office]

CUT TO: INT. JOSH'S BULLPEN AREA - DAY
Josh walks with Donna as he heads for Leo's office.

DONNA
It's important that you look at the catalogues before the end of the
day.

JOSH
That's three weeks away.

DONNA
Hannukah's two.

JOSH
There's plenty of time.

DONNA
Who's in charge of shopping?

JOSH
You are.

DONNA
There are pages turned down with Post-its to tell you which of your
relatives the gifts are for. If you're happy with the choices you should
initial at the X. If you're not happy with the choices, you should
remember how this goes when you try to do this yourself.

JOSH
I like the polar fleece stuff.

DONNA
Who's in charge of shopping?

JOSH
You are.

Zoey passes by.

ZOEY
Hey.

JOSH
Hey.

DONNA
Hi!

JOSH
Zoey. Wow! You look fantastic.

ZOEY
Thanks.

DONNA
Gosh, it's great to see you back.

ZOEY
I'ts good to be back.

JOSH
Wow, she looks great.

Donna leaves. Josh goes into LEO'S OFFICE.

JOSH
Leo.

LEO
Yeah.

JOSH
You got a second?

LEO
Yeah.

JOSH
Am I still on congressional recruitment, or is Angela gonna take that?

LEO
How about you two sit like grown-ups, and you figure it out for
yourselves?

JOSH
I don't care. It's just starting, so...

LEO
You getting calls already?

JOSH
Yeah. A nice young guy from New Hampshire wants to run for Campbell's
seat. Married to the boss's daughter.

Leo reacts negatively.

CUT TO: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - DAY
Bartlet, Leo and Josh are sitting down talking.

BARTLET
From New Hampshire? The U.S. Congress, not the state legislature?

JOSH
No.

BARTLET
And he wants an endorsement?

JOSH
I spoke to the county chair and the D triple C. They have some doubts.

LEO
Did you know about this thing with Lanthorp Biotech?

BARTLET
They were in a nose dive. I know he tried to pull them out.

JOSH
He didn't.

LEO
DNC wants to run Mitch Clark. He's been on the state legislature
three terms. He's got ideas. He's a deal-maker. This has been a
Republican seat a couple of terms. The party doesn't want to risk it
with anybody untried.

JOSH
Even with our endorsement, he may not make it to the primary.

LEO
Then everybody looks like an idiot.

BARTLET
I'll talk to him.

JOSH
I can talk to him, sir.

BARTLET
No, I'll do it.

LEO
Mr. President, he went to Josh, asked his opinion. You got to respect
that. Let Josh take care of it.

CUT TO: INT. THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE - DAY
Toby, carrying his newspaper, walks in and heads to his office. Will
stops him from another door.

WILL
I, uh... I spoke to the Vice President about the assisted suicide thing.
He's not comfortable getting into it.

Will turns to his office. Toby follows.

TOBY
I asked you what? Ten minutes ago?

WILL
I'm a bigwig over there. I don't have to make an appointment.

TOBY
You found him, brought it up, carefully considered, then decided I can
go stuff it?

WILL
He agreed with my analysis that death plays poorly at Christmas. [sits]

TOBY
Did you even take it to him? Or just walk around the block and come
back with your 'no'?

WILL
I sent your case.

TOBY
[nods] I should've sent a card.

WILL
I'm not your man in the VP's office, Toby. It can't work like that.

TOBY
I know who you are. You're the guy we pulled out of Botox Babylon out
there, brought to work for the President.

WILL
I work for somebody else now. I don't want this to be acrimonious.

TOBY
No, you certainly don't.

Toby turns and walks out.

TOBY
The President will take it to the Vice President.

WILL
Okay.

Toby goes into his office and slams the newspaper on his desk.

FADE OUT.
END ACT TWO
* * *

ACT THREE

FADE IN: INT. THE ROOSEVELT ROOM - DAY
On the table is a nice candy-like ornamental rendition of the White
House. Next to it is a sleigh decoration with a nice arrangement of
reindeer. On the end, Toby looks over some papers. C.J. walks in.

C.J.
Did you see the clips Carol dropped off? The Jackson Clarion-Ledger
says, "Attorney General Cracks Down On Doc Peddling Death."

TOBY
Catchy.

C.J.
Nobody but the locals in Oregon had picked it up yet, except the Jackson
Clarion-Ledger.

TOBY
Jackson, Mississippi?

C.J.
Home of the steamboat, the mud pie, and Attorney General Alan Fisk. He's
talked about running for governor.

TOBY
The AG?

C.J.
[sits] Is the Vice President going to...?

TOBY
I'm working on it.

C.J.
'Cause I've been thinking maybe it's time we get back into this.

TOBY
We thought it through the first time.

C.J.
Five years ago.

TOBY
And Oregon hasn't worked out all the kinks.

C.J.
The number of suicides among the terminally ill has gone down since they
passed it.

TOBY
A policy of non-intervention...

C.J.
...is a little lame when there's a 14th amendment violation in the
offing.

TOBY
We have no Constitutional right to die. Refuse treatment, yeah, but...

C.J.
The framers never considered the notion of degenerative death, an event
which is entirely the creation of modern medicine. We have a right not
to reach the end of life in unendurable suffering and agony.

TOBY
We're not stopping anybody from squirreling away 50 Seconal in a
nightstand and washing it down with a bottle of vodka.

C.J.
In order to down the 50 Seconal, you have to have control of both the
muscles in the hand and the muscles of the esophagus. This is an
opportunity, and we're dodging it.

There's a pause. Toby senses something different.

TOBY
C.J., how's your dad?

C.J.
He's in the hospital. I don't know. I don't know... if he knows the
difference.

Toby watches C.J. stand and exit.

CUT TO: INT. RESIDENCE - DAY
Doug is going through the luggage looking for something. Josh stops by.

DOUG
Gus has a glove in here somewhere. I know I packed it.

JOSH
He's hitting already?

DOUG
Oh, like a pro. He can't catch to save his life, but he can swing, boy.

JOSH
That's great. So, New Hampshire, First District.

DOUG
Yeah. What you got?

JOSH
You know a guy named Mitchell Clark?

DOUG
Sure. Voted for him a couple, three times.

JOSH
The DNC seems to think he's got a chance for Campbell's seat.

DOUG
Anyone's got a chance. It's a moderate district. It's poachable.

JOSH
No question. We have a shot, but the party, they're... reticent...

DOUG
It's a nepotism thing, isn't it?

JOSH
That could be part of it.

DOUG
Look, it's gonna come up, and it's gonna pass. I mean if the worst thing
they can say about me is that I'm Jed Bartlet's son-in-law. Once the
public gets to know me as an individual, it's an entirely different
race.

JOSH
What about state legislature? It's the place to learn. The President
started there...

DOUG
Come on. I run while Jed's in office, I've got a leg up like no two
terms, six terms as a state legislature's ever gonna give me. What kind
of fool is gonna let a moment like that sail by?

JOSH
I don't know.

Doug finds Gus's baseball glove by the bed.

DOUG
Here we go. Is that the greatest thing you ever saw? Can't even get my
thumb in there.

JOSH
Yeah.

DOUG
Look, I really appreciate your concern, I do, but it's gonna be fine.
I'm a winner, buddy. I'm gonna win this.

CUT TO: INT. OUTER OVAL OFFICE - DAY
Zoey exits the Oval Office and sees Toby.

ZOEY
Hi, Toby.

TOBY
Hi. You back to stay?

ZOEY
Nah. I'm liking New Hampshire.

CHARLIE
[to Toby] You can go in.

TOBY
You look, uh... great.

ZOEY
Thanks. Good to see you, Toby.

Toby walks inside the Oval Office.

CHARLIE
People making a fuss?

ZOEY
Yeah.

CHARLIE
You don't look that good.

Zoey hits Charlie on the arm.

CUT TO: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Bartlet is at his desk. Toby sits on the chair next to it.

TOBY
I was hoping you could speak to the Vice President. Ask him to do some
talking for us on the right-to-die situation.

BARTLET
Yeah. He said Will brought it up.

TOBY
You already discussed it?

BARTLET
That's not gonna work. Leo's hoping the Attorney General will back down.
If not, C.J. puts it in the Christmas Eve briefing, restates our
position, it's gone by Boxing Day.

TOBY
We just had a huge victory, and we're looking at a month of Christmas
carols, and the official ornament from the State of South Dakota. The
press is itching for a story with blood in it...

BARTLET
The court will stop him. There's no way...

TOBY
One in five patients requesting aid in dying has MS. One in five. Do you
know what the questions sound like?

BARTLET
I've got a pretty good idea.

TOBY
"How long does the President think he has before his MS will become
debilitating?" "Do the doctors anticipate a speedy decline?" "Does he
have a plan?" "Does the First Lady have four glass vials and a syringe
in a lock box in the night stand?"

BARTLET
[beat] She may chicken out. Maybe I'll call you.

TOBY
That's the conversation, sir. It won't be Controlled Substances Act, or
federal overreaching, or anything else. I don't think we're ready to
have that conversation with the American public.

CUT TO: INT. JOSH'S BULLPEN AREA - DAY
Leo walks by and sees Josh by the printer.

LEO
Hey. Did you get a chance to talk...?

JOSH
Doug? Yeah.

LEO
Did he take it okay?

JOSH
He did, you know. He really did.

LEO
Good.

Leo leaves him, but Josh does a double take and follows Leo.

LEO
You want to carry my books or something?

JOSH
I'm not sure he got it.

LEO
Got what?

JOSH
The rejection.

LEO
If he didn't take it personal, all the better.

JOSH
I think he thinks he's still running.

LEO
You didn't tell him?!

JOSH
He took it more like a cautionary tale than an actual...

LEO
Oh, for the love of God.

JOSH
He's resilient, which isn't a very bad thing in a candidate.

LEO
He's gonna show up at dinner, popping champagne corks, and the
President's gonna be stuck delivering the news in front of the guy's
wife and his mother-in-law. You have to go back and tell him no.

JOSH
Yeah.

LEO
In no uncertain terms.

JOSH
I'm sorry.

LEO
Draw a picture if you need it. A ballot in a circle with a line through
it.

We follow Leo inside the OUTER OVAL OFFICE. C.J. is inside with Debbie.

C.J.
Liz and Gus are running a little behind schedule. Can we push this to
four?

DEBBIE
Uh, do you want to belly dance for the Joint Chiefs, or shall I?
[to Leo] Go on in.

Leo gives C.J. a look, knocks and enters THE OVAL OFFICE. Bartlet is
behind his desk.

LEO
Everything okay?

BARTLET
I'm waiting for my daughter and her son to arrive so we can practice the
ceremonial flipping of a switch.

LEO
Right.

BARTLET
He had a Fisher-Price gizmo hooked to the side of this crib with more
cranks and levers than a DC-10, but we're gonna practice with the
switch.

LEO
C.J. says the assisted suicide story's showing up in some Mississippi
papers.

BARTLET
You think Fisk is feeding it to them? I want him in here first thing
tomorrow.

LEO
[gives Bartlet a file] Consular report from Sudan. Holly Gilweit and
Katherine Melo, ages 20 and 23 respectively, had a grand total of 18
Bibles and a video on the lives of the Apostles.

BARTLET
[reading] The NGO know about this?

LEO
They never identified themselves as evangelists. Never mentioned
religion.

BARTLET
So they're undercover agents?

LEO
Spies for Christ, yeah.

BARTLET
18 Bibles. They couldn't have just talked about loving, kindness and
good will towards men? I just had Berryhill call the prime minister of
Sudan and issue a stern reprimand for behavior that I likened to street
gangs and petty thieves. We need to issue an apology.

LEO
We can't. Ten other relief workers who weren't distributing anything
other than wheat and sorghum are in jail. We've got to stick with our
denial.

BARTLET
But they know what's going on.

LEO
And we know. That's where the money comes in. Nancy's waiting
downstairs.

BARTLET
Debbie? [to Leo] 20 and 23?

LEO
Girls.

BARTLET
Toby asked me today if I have a plan for my death. Liz has never asked.
Zoey. I understand Ellie asked her mother once, but I'm not supposed to
know about it. I get Toby.

Debbie knocks and walks in.

BARTLET
Are we expecting Liz and Gus?

DEBBIE
Oh, they're running late. There's a disagreement about a bath.

BARTLET
Nancy McNally is waiting, and she's already had her bath.

DEBBIE
I'll tell Liz.

Debbie walks over to have Bartlet sign some papers.

BARTLET
[to Leo] Josh talk to Doug yet?

LEO
They spoke. He didn't seem to follow. Josh is gonna try again.

BARTLET
He didn't follow?

LEO
Josh wasn't clear.

BARTLET
What's not to follow?

LEO
It's hard to say. Thank you, Mr. President.

Leo exits. Bartlet and Debbie begin to walk out to the HALLWAY.

BARTLET
3.2 billion men in the world. She picks him.

DEBBIE
I hear he had a great pitching arm.

BARTLET
When he was 19, sure. She dumped a Rhodes scholar for this guy. Zoey
left Charlie for the Frog. Ellie and the guitar player with the purple
van. My children choose morons. Every one.

DEBBIE
They say daughters look for their fathers.

BARTLET
You know, 15 years ago, we took a trip to Egypt, all five of us, saw the
pyramids and Luxor, then headed up into the Sinai. We had a guide, a
Bedouin man, who called me "Abu el Banat." Whenever we'd meet another
Bedouin, he'd introduce me as "Abu el Banat." The Bedouin would laugh
and laugh and then offer me a cup of tea. And I'd go and pay them for
the tea, and they wouldn't let me. "Abu el Banat" means "father of
daughters." They thought the tea was the least they could do.

Debbie gives him some papers and they part ways.

BARTLET
Thanks.

FADE OUT.
END ACT THREE
* * *

ACT FOUR

FADE IN: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT
The T.V.s in the offices are showing the Tree Lighting Ceremony, where
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is playing. We follow Charlie when he
goes inside the Oval Office. Bartlet and C.J. are waiting by the portico
door.

C.J.
Does he know we've heard "The Twelve Days of Christmas" twice?

BARTLET
What did Liz say?

CHARLIE
She said we should've rehearsed.

BARTLET
I should go up there.

C.J.
7,000 people standing in the cold, sir, you have to go turn on the
lights.

Zoey walks in with Agent Len.

BARTLET
Any movement?

ZOEY
There's a lot of noise. Somebody's in a time out.

BARTLET
Gus or Doug?

ZOEY
I'll go. You and me.

BARTLET
[to Zoey's agent] Len, this gonna be okay?

LEN
Yes, sir.

BARTLET
[to Zoey] It's cold out there. You got a coat?

CHARLIE
Zoey.

Charlie takes off his coat and puts it over Zoey.

ZOEY
You're a prince.

BARTLET
Here we go.

They all exit to the PORTICO.

LEN
We're moving Eagle and Bookbag. Replacing Eagle and Tonka with Eagle and
Bookbag. Unit six and nine assist exit. Uniform to the front for a
possible surge.

C.J.
[to Charlie] She's good.

Bartlet, Zoey, C.J., Charlie and the agents keep walking. We stop and
watch them on T.V. through the door by Debbie's desk.

REPORTER [on T.V.]
...as President Bartlet and daugther Zoey walk to the podium. The White
House and the nation prepare to officially celebrate the holiday season
with the lighting of the Christmas tree here at the grounds of The White
House. The tradition is carried on...

CUT TO: INT. WILL'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Three men are working on boxing and packing everything inside.

MOVER
Boxes for all this, and that... A dolly for the desk.

WILL
[enters] Hi, what are you doing?

MOVER
This you?

WILL
Yeah.

MOVER
We're moving you to your new place across the street.

WILL
I don't have a new place.

MOVER
[shows him the clipboard] Will Bailey. OEOB.

Will sees Toby go inside his office through the window. He shakes his
head and signs the paper.

CUT TO: INT. JOSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Doug shows up at the door.

DOUG
Donna said you were looking for me.

JOSH
Yeah. How'd it go with the tree?

DOUG
The lights are on. Let's, let's leave it at that. [sits]

JOSH
Okay, um... the conversation we had earlier. I think I wasn't clear.

DOUG
This is awkward, for all of you, I know that, but I don't want you to
feel like you...

JOSH
We're asking you not to run.

DOUG
Who's we?

JOSH
The DNC. The White House.

DOUG
The President?

JOSH
If you want to go forward on your own, the White House can't endorse
you.

DOUG
Wow. [chuckles] Wow.

JOSH
The New Hampshire House is a great place to get some experience. Build
a network...

DOUG
I have a network. I've been working R&D in the New Hampshire tech
corridor for 15 years. I got the CEO of the Diginet and the CFO of
Gamsey-McGrath ready to join my finance committee. I got the guy who ran
your boss's New Hampshire primary finding me a campaign manager and I
just spent five hours last Sunday in a duck blind with the editor of the
Manchester Union-Leader. I'm running for Congress.

JOSH
Hal Collins is... You met with Hal?

DOUG
There's a lot of fun to be had with the "there's nobody good enough for
the President's daughter" stuff, but I'm not actually an idiot.

JOSH
That's...

DOUG
I'm gonna have to dash. I'm late for dinner, but I appreciate your time,
Josh. I really do.

JOSH
Any time.

DOUG
Yeah. [leaves]

CUT TO: INT. THE DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Jed, Abbey, Liz and Zoey are waiting for Doug and Ellie to arrive so
they could start eating dinner. The stewards are serving wine.

BARTLET
He shouldn't be upset. He'll light the tree next year.

ABBEY
He's just wound up.

BARTLET
He's not eating?

ELIZABETH
It's eight o'clock. He goes to sleep at eight. He eats at five.

BARTLET
Why didn't we eat earlier?

ABBEY
You're a bright guy, and that's a stupid question.

ZOEY
Where's Doug?

ELIZABETH
I think he's making sure Gus is down.

BARTLET
Isn't there some kind of person...?

ELIZABETH
A nanny is not a substitute for a parent.

BARTLET
I thought that's exactly what a nanny was.

ZOEY
She has a strange chin.

ABBEY
No, she doesn't.

ZOEY
Well, she kind of has no chin.

ELIZABETH
She's Swedish.

ZOEY
Yeah, most Swedes have chins.

BARTLET
Would you like to call him up and tell him we're waiting, and he can
leave the child in the confident care of the chinless Swede?

ABBEY
We can give it ten more minutes.

ELIZABETH
Is Ellie...?

BARTLET
Apparently not.

ABBEY
Can we give it ten more minutes?

Doug walks in.

ABBEY
There he is.

DOUG
I'm sorry. Are we eating already?

ZOEY
We're waiting.

ELIZABETH
Is he...?

DOUG
[sits] He's fine. He's watching a video.

ELIZABETH
Well, I should...

DOUG
He's fine. So what's on the menu?

ABBEY
The menu is absolutely...

DOUG
Where's Ellie?

BARTLET
We have yet to determine if medical science can spare Ellie Bartlet for
an evening.

ABBEY
We're giving her a few more minutes.

ELIZABETH
[to Doug] Did you...?

DOUG
Mm-hmm. I think I'm gonna grab a drink if that works. [stands]

ABBEY
Let me call the steward.

DOUG
No, I'll get it. They put ice in the scotch, and I-I don't really want
ice in my scotch today. Which one is the sitting room?

Abbey points to her right.

DOUG
Great.

Liz gets the idea and glares at her father. She stands up and follows
Doug.

ABBEY
What was that?

Leo knocks at the door and walks in.

LEO
Good evening, everybody. I apologize. They said they hadn't started
serving.

ABBEY
That's all right.

BARTLET
Did you want to sit? We have room.

LEO
Thank you, no. We, um...

BARTLET
Excuse me.

The two stand by the door.

LEO
Two more physicians' licenses were just suspended. The AG's downstairs.
I asked him to come in tomorrow, but he's getting on a plane.

BARTLET
When's his flight?

LEO
Two hours.

BARTLET
[to Abbey and Zoey] Five minutes. Ellie's still not here. I'll beat her
back.

Bartlet exits with Leo.

ABBEY
John?

The steward, John, approaches.

JOHN
Yes, ma'am?

ABBEY
We seem to have lost our quorum.

CUT TO: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT
Bartlet walks in from the portico. Alan Fisk is waiting inside.

BARTLET
Two more doctors? You couldn't wait a year to start campaigning?

ALAN
Mr. President...

BARTLET
You don't run for governor from my Cabinet.

ALAN
You really think a run to the right on a couple of pro-life standards is
gonna win me Mississippi?

BARTLET
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution are
reserved to the states respectively."

ALAN
How long before there's a lawyer arguing, "We can't limit this to
terminal patients? We ought to include the chronically ill? When is it
allowing children to make the decision for their parents?

BARTLET
Yes. When is it allowing the state to decide, not families? We'll just
start knocking off the weak and the indigent along with the sick and
dying. When does my administration completely deteriorate into the Third
Reich?

ALAN
I'm not suggesting...

BARTLET
The federal government has no place here. The question is a moral one,
an individual one. Grappling with the nature of life and the purview of
God, in which the federal government has no... Forget it. Do what you
want. The courts are gonna nail you. You're counting on my silence, and
you've just lost it. [turns to leave]

ALAN
Sir, a public debate...

BARTLET
Yeah, I didn't want to get on T.V. with Oprah and talk about who's gonna
cut my meat when the coordination goes, but c'est la vie. The lid's off.
You pull this crap one more time, you're fired. Tell Janet Merry
Christmas.

Bartlet made his point and walks out.

CUT TO: INT. THE DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Ellie hurriedly walks in and sees nobody but the stewards.

JOHN
Good evening, Ellie.

ELLIE
Good evening, John. Is my...?

JOHN
They'll be right back.

ELLIE
Okay.

JOHN
Can I get you something to drink?

ELLIE
Um, no. I'm fine, thank you.

As John walks away, Ellie just sits on her place at the table.

CUT TO: INT. RESIDENCE - NIGHT
Bartlet walks by the hallway. He stops in front of Elizabeth's room,
knocks and enters. Liz is inside, already packing. Bartlet walks in and
picks up something Liz has dropped by the foot of the bed.

BARTLET
There's a guy named Mitch Clark. DNC's been...

ELIZABETH
Mitchell Clark single-handedly disemboweled managed care reform. He put
together the committee, took credit for creating rate stabilization and
then sold the whole thing down the river. How do you think he's
financing a run? He's got board members from Barnstead Mutual writing
check after check.

BARTLET
The district's splitting right, much more than in my day.

ELIZABETH
Josh mentioned something about that. Apparently, he was very helpful.

BARTLET
Elizabeth...

ELIZABETH
You couldn't give him the courtesy of five minutes? It's one thing to
delegate my car loan or Ellie's MCATs to your staff, but my husband?

BARTLET
He went to Josh. He didn't come to me. If he wanted my advice, or if you
did, for that matter... [pause] Doug didn't call Hal Collins. You did.
You recruited the finance committee.

ELIZABETH
Mom made a useful suggestion or two in the early years.

BARTLET
"The Speaker can convince most people of most things and himself of
almost anything." Doug came up with that?

ELIZABETH
We're a good team. We have different strengths, skills. He has skills
you've never even bothered...

BARTLET
He's a great guy and a fantastic father. You're the politician. Why the
hell don't you run?

ELIZABETH
Because Annie pierced her face. And this one can't catch, or bathe.

BARTLET
You can handle it.

ELIZABETH
You can't. Forgive me, Ms. Steinem and Ms. Friedan, you cannot do it
all.

BARTLET
Your mother did.

ELIZABETH
No, Daddy. She didn't.

BARTLET
There's no question we missed things. We all made sacrifices, but
Elizabeth, when Annie and Gus watch you walk onto the floor of the U.S.
House of Representatives...

ELIZABETH
I don't want my son to be a part of my entourage. A photo-op is not his
idea... [firmly] I don't want it.

BARTLET
Then why would you let Doug?

ELIZABETH
Because he's my husband, and he asked me to.

CUT TO: INT. JOSH'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Donna walks in. Josh is looking at Donna's gift catalog.

DONNA
You gonna come watch? There's people singing in the lobby.

JOSH
Spontaneously?

DONNA
The choir from the Tree Lighting.

Josh puts down the catalog in front of Donna and points at a picture.

JOSH
Who's that for?

Donna looks, but stays silent.

JOSH
You picked your own gift?

DONNA
I'm in charge of shopping.

JOSH
I got your gift.

DONNA
No, you didn't. Three weeks in advance?

JOSH
I saw it Thanksgiving. I got it.

DONNA
No, you didn't. What is it?

JOSH
I'm not telling you.

DONNA
I want to know.

JOSH
Really? It's a gift certificate. Tower Records. 'Cause you're a fan of
the music. You get to go on a spree.

DONNA
That'll be fun.

JOSH
[stands] So that's why I need to sit with Approps and find some foreign
aid money we can reprogram.

DONNA
What should I tell them it's for?

JOSH
Bribing a dictator to get illegal missionaries out of Sudan.

DONNA
Something I can put on a memo.

JOSH
Reassigning funds from extant authorizations based on new priorities in
East Africa.

DONNA
Do you mind if I go watch the carolers?

Josh shakes his head no as Donna heads out.

JOSH
Donna, it's not a gift certificate.

DONNA
What is it?

JOSH
I'm not telling you.

DONNA
I want to know.

JOSH
Socks.

DONNA
Stop it.

JOSH
I'm not telling you. Live with the pain.

Donna walks outside with a big smile on her face.

CUT TO: INT. THE DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Bartlet is sitting down eating fruit when Abbey walks in.

ABBEY
You didn't want to wait for dinner?

BARTLET
I'm waiting. There's a fruit bowl. Turns out the fruit's real.

ABBEY
Ellie and Zoey went down to watch the carolers. We didn't know how long
you'd be.

BARTLET
Ellie's here? That's nice. She enjoying her stay?

ABBEY
Did you talk to Liz?

BARTLET
I'm not sure we're gonna see her for dinner. It's okay. I got a picture
in my wallet of the three girls together from Acadia in '96.

ABBEY
[sits] It's Doug's fight. Why does she have to get in the middle?

BARTLET
It's bigger than Doug.

ABBEY
What is it about those ice skates we never bought her?

BARTLET
That and the cauliflower incident.

ABBEY
We didn't beat them.

BARTLET
There's still time. Shame about Gus and the tree.

ABBEY
You really didn't think he was gonna march...

BARTLET
I did. He would have had fun.

ABBEY
He thought he was gonna be alone, with you. He didn't know what all
those other people were doing there.

BARTLET
Oh, yeah. Last Christmas, Ellie wasn't around. The year before was
Tennessee and the calls to Belarus. I can't remember when it was just
the five of us and weather and everybody in their slippers.

ABBEY
We don't do that.

BARTLET
We did.

ABBEY
I was on call three straight Christmas Eves when Ellie was little. We've
never been Currier and Ives.

BARTLET
I'm putting together a panel on assisted suicide. If you got any names,
medical ethicists.

ABBEY
Your position has changed?

BARTLET
[shakes his head no] Uh-uh... No syringe in the nightstand. It'll get
ugly and that's that... You gonna be there?

ABBEY
Yeah. [stands to leave]

BARTLET
Abbey.

Abbey stops and kisses Jed on the forehead.

ABBEY
Gus is still up. Go say good night.

CUT TO: INT. THE WHITE HOUSE LOBBY - NIGHT
Elizabeth joins her sisters Ellie and Zoey as they watch the choir sing
in front of the Christmas tree.

CHOIR
What child is this, who laid to rest
On Mary's lap, is sleeping
Whom angels greet, with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping
This, this is Christ the king
Whom shepherds guard, and angels sing
Haste, haste, to bring him laud
The Babe, the Son of Mary...

CUT TO: INT. C.J.'S OFFICE - NIGHT
C.J. is by her desk, talking on the phone.

C.J.
He's not a fan of turkey. I was told he didn't eat any of it... Yes.
Talmidge Cregg. The other night nurse... Right. We spoke the day after
Thanksgiving... It's fine. I just thought maybe I could send a ham...
No, I'm not asking the kitchen to do it. I'm saying It's three weeks
away. They vacuum pack it. If I could just send it to you, and you could
see that they give it to him instead of... No, this is... I'm... This is
C.J. I'm-I'm his daughter.

CUT TO: EXT. PORTICO - NIGHT
Hand in hand, Jed Bartlet and his grandson, Gus, walk by the portico.
They continue on in the White House grounds through the snow until they
reach and stop in front of the light switch of the already lit White
House Christmas Tree.

BARTLET
Ready?

GUS
Yeah.

BARTLET
Okay.

Bartlet lets Gus flip the switch back and forth. We see them below as
we follow the camera up the Christmas tree, its lights going on and
off. We stop in front of the star on top, and it stays lit.

DISSOLVE TO: END TITLES.
FADE TO BLACK.
THE END.
* * *

The West Wing and its characters are a property of Aaron Sorkin, John
Wells Productions, Warner Brothers Television and NBC. Absolutely no
copyright infringement is intended.

Episode 5-09 -- "Abu el Banat"
Original Air Date: December 3, 2003

Transcript by: Giorgio
December 5, 2003

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