Episode Summary:
In the season finale, Gaza slayings of key U.S. officials might drag fuming President into unending cycle of violence — In the season finale, events in the tinderbox Gaza Strip spin out of control after the murders of high-ranking U.S. officials as the angry President (Martin Sheen) weighs appropriate military action — even as Israel launches its own strikes and surrounds the Palestinian chairman, prompting more retaliatory terrorism. The dangers are compounded when Bartlet suddenly cannot communicate with the chairman and a strange undertow of intrigue finds a wary Josh (Bradley Whitford) meeting with a mysterious foreign operative while tending to Donna in Germany. Meanwhile, Bartlet dons a bulletproof vest and practices his sluggish fastball when he’s called to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a game in Baltimore.
Script:
THE WEST WING 5x22 - "MEMORIAL DAY" WRITTEN BY JOHN SACRET YOUNG & JOSH SINGER DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER MISIANO Transcribed by Soundman for twiztv.com. Send feedback to [email protected]. TEASER FADE IN: INT. - PRESIDENTIAL LIMO - NIGHT We open in the Presidential limo and we see that Bartlet and Kate are riding back from Fitzwallace's house. Kate HARPER Admiral Fitzwallace told me when he was a kid his dad took him sailing on the Long Island Sound. Scared the hell out of him, so he joined the Navy. The phone rings. Kate answers it. HARPER Kate Harper. She speaks to Bartlet. HARPER It's Leo. BARTLET Hello. LEO [VO] How's Gail? BARTLET Not great. CUT TO: INT. - LEO'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS We see Leo sitting at his desk and he is talking with Bartlet. LEO Sir, there's been an Israeli missile strike in Gaza City. CUT TO: INT. - PRESIDENTIAL LIMO - CONTINUOUS BARTLET I'm on my way. CUT TO: INT. - LEO'S OFFICE - NIGHT Bartlet is on the phone with Chairman Farad. BARTLET Chairman Farad, I need you to do all you can to prevent retribution. ... No, Mr. Chairman, we had nothing to do with it. ... No, sir, Israel did not discuss the missile strike with us. A cameraman comes in from the Oval Office. CAMERAMAN 60 seconds. BARTLET Sir, you don't want to make this more difficult for us. We need access to the site in Gaza. And I will urge the Israelis to hold off on the attacks. ... Most strongly, sir. ... And to you, Mr. Chairman. He hangs up the phone. BARTLET Somebody get me the Israeli Prime Minister. HARPER We're still trying to reach him. The ambassador's on her way. BARTLET We're their closest ally on the planet. You'd think they could pick up the damn phone. Is that the statement? They walk into the Oval Office where a camera crew is preparing for Bartlet's speech. As Bartlet walks to his desk, Toby hands him the speech. Bartlet goes behind the desk, places the speech on the desk, and begins reading. BARTLET We get anything from the FBI? HARPER I was just about to... BARTLET Go. HARPER Yes, sir. CAMERAMAN 30 seconds, please. Bartlet puts on his coat and begins marking the paper. C.J. Sir, Carol's circulating the draft already. BARTLET "Tyranny of terror"? "Death Mongers"? What is this? Tolkien? TOBY The stronger your language now, the more leeway... BARTLET I'm not saying it. CAMERAMAN 10 seconds. C.J. I'm gonna try and put a hold on the draft. She leaves. LEO Mr. President? BARTLET I'm fine. CAMERAMAN In 5, 4, 3, 2... BARTLET My fellow Americans, good evening. This morning we lost three distinguished Americans in a despicable act of terror in the Middle East. I come before you shocked and saddened by our loss, and angered as we all are at the tragedy thrust upon us. CUT TO: EXT. - BOMB SITE - GAZA - DAY We see the FBI team is processing the explosion site and we can hear Bartlet giving his address. BARTLET [VO][cont.] The search is underway for those responsible. I ask for your patience while we hunt for answers. CUT TO: INT. - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Donna is still asleep in her bed. Josh is watching Bartlet's address on the television. BARTLET [on TV][cont.] And as we pray with those who grieve, let us resolve to search not only for justice, but also for a just end to this senseless cycle of violence. Thank you, goodnight... CUT TO: INT. - OUTER OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT We see Nancy watching the address on the television in the office. She is waiting with ISRAELI AMBASSADOR SHIRA GALIT. They are waiting to see Bartlet. BARTLET [on TV][cont.] ... and God bless America. NANCY He should be right here. Bartlet and Leo come out of the Oval Office. Bartlet shakes hands with Galit and heads into the Mural Room. BARTLET Ambassador Galit, I'm glad someone from your government could spare a moment. They have arrived in the Mural Room. BARTLET [cont.] I'm asking for restraint. What the hell do you think you're doing? ISRAELI AMBASSADOR SHIRA GALIT This has nothing to do with you. We have been tracking this man for six months. BARTLET And you couldn't take three minutes to think through the ramifications? GALIT Ramifications? A terrorist responsible for dozens of Israeli deaths is dead. BARTLET As are 11 innocent civilians. This is inflammatory! It endangers our investigation. GALIT Israeli intelligence is doing all they can. BARTLET Damn it, Shira, if I'm going to find the people behind this I need access to the bomb site, access to evidence, and the cooperation of the Palestinian Authority - three things I can't get if you keep firing missiles into Gaza! GALIT Mr. President, we received information on the whereabouts of a man responsible for the repeated killing of our citizens. We had the specific location and little time. Would you have done any differently? Nancy walks in. She indicates something to Bartlet. BARTLET If you'll excuse me. Bartlet and Leo walk into the Outer Oval Office where Kate is waiting to talk to them. HARPER The FBI's received an anonymous tip through Israeli Intelligence. They found bomb-making equipment in an apartment in Gaza. BARTLET And they think it's linked to the bombing of our CODEL? HARPER Yes, sir. They think they've located one of the men responsible for murdering our people. SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES. END TEASER. * * * ACT ONE FADE IN: INT. - HALLWAY - WHITE HOUSE - DAY MONDAY MORNING MEMORIAL DAY We see Carol walking through the doors and into the hallway. She is carrying a stack of papers on her arm. We can hear a female news reporter with a story about the President's speech. FEMALE REPORTER The President offered his condolences to the families of those brutally murdered in Gaza. It was a strong speech, but I'm surprised the President didn't raise the possibility of greater military... CUT TO: INT. - COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE - DAY We see Carol walking through the Communications office. We also see a TV is on and a male reporter is reading a story about the bombing. MALE REPORTER I'm all for white roses and black veils, but the ending: "A just end to this cycle of violence." Just what, exactly, was the President suggesting? CUT TO: INT. - TOBY'S OFFICE - DAY We see Carol walk into Toby's office and we see that his TV is on, this time showing a Retired Army General who is speaking. GENERAL ... Palestinian population, but whatever he says, he's got three or four possible targets that he's considering. CUT TO: INT. - HALLWAY - DAY We see Carol walking through the hallway. On the TV we now see images of sailors in dress uniforms carrying a flag-draped coffin. A different female reporter can be heard, although not seen, talking about Fitzwallace. FEMALE REPORTER [VO] ... including the body of Admiral Percy Fitzwallace, who will be buried on Wednesday, in Arlington. CUT TO: INT. - PRESS BRIEFING ROOM - DAY Carol comes into the briefing room the back way and walks into the actual briefing room. C.J. is briefing the press. They are much calmer this time than they were in the previous episode. MALE REPORTER And President Bartlet's departures from the draft text, were those planned or... C.J. ...part of the standard vetting process for a speech of this importance. MALE REPORTER The cuts aren't reflective of the President's attitude on military response in Gaza? C.J. The cuts are reflective of the fact that Toby Ziegler's never written a five-minute speech in his life. John. Carol walks up and hands C.J. a note. JOHN On the hill, they're talking about a congressional resolution in support of swift military action. C.J. The President is meeting with the leadership this morning. I'm sure they'll have a productive discussion. CHRIS C.J., I've got a report the FBI is working with the Palestinian Authority security forces at the site of the bombing. C.J. The investigation's in Gaza, the Palestinians speak the language. She reads the note silently. C.J. I have an announcement. James Holtman, a legal aide to Congressman DeSantos, died earlier today of head and neck injuries sustained in yesterday's bombing. He was 26 years old. CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - DAY Kate, Hutchinson, Leo, Barrow, and Bartlet are sitting around the table. HARPER His name is Khalil Nasan. He's one of the founders of a splinter group of the Khanjari Martyrs. He recently fled Gaza City, and the equipment in his apartment bore trace elements of RDX. LEO The same stuff used on our Suburban. BARTLET Where is he now? HARPER The FBI has tracked Nasan to his headquarters in Khan Younis in Southern Gaza. HUTCHINSON Sir, there are several military options. BARTLET Any not mentioned on television this morning? HUTCHINSON We're focusing on two. A commando raid on Khan Younis gives us a chance to bring Nasan in alive, but his organization is heavily armed, so there's a substantial risk to our soldiers and the mission could fail. A missile strike from the USS Carney carries a higher likelihood of success and zero risk to U.S. military personnel. BARTLET And the risk to civilians? HUTCHINSON We launch the Tomahawks in the next four hours, we can minimize the collateral damage. BARTLET The next four hours. HARPER In the middle of the day, the children are still in school... BARTLET Where exactly is this headquarters? HUTCHINSON It's located in an apartment complex, sir. BARTLET How many people are we talking about? HUTCHINSON We're still evaluating. BARTLET Ballpark it for me. HARPER In a daytime strike, we're liable to see 15 to 50 casualties, depending on how the building collapses and whether fire from the primary target spreads to adjacent buildings. BARTLET 15 to 50. HUTCHINSON Sir, if we strike in the next four hours... BARTLET Now what are my other options? HUTCHINSON Sir, I'm sorry... BARTLET I'm not risking 50 innocent Palestinians lives and the stability of our relationships over there to take this guy out, so I'm asking what are my other options? CUT TO: INT. - NEW HANPSHIRE GOVERNOR'S MANSION - FLASHBACK - DAY SIX YEARS EARLIER Bartlet is talking with Leo and an Air Force General, whose name I do not know. GENERAL Sir? BARTLET What are my other options? GENERAL Leo? LEO You don't have any options, Mr. Governor. GENERAL The President's decided to follow Admiral Fitzwallace's recommendation. This is just a courtesy briefing. BARTLET So you're telling me, with less three months left in office, the President and Admiral Fitzwallace are going to saddle me with a war in the Philippines. The general scoffs. BARTLET I've been President-Elect for 72 hours - the brass is already laughing at me. LEO It's a limited peacekeeping mission, sir. GENERAL Military training, helping the Filipinos with logistics, intelligence. LEO No more than 1,000 troops. BARTLET Which sounds like a lot to me, but since I don't have the vaguest idea... GENERAL Woodrow Wilson didn't know a battalion from a battery when he took office. BARTLET And he did a heck of a job with the Versailles Treaty. GENERAL Admiral Fitzwallace thought it might be... reassuring. BARTLET He did, did he? LEO Alan, thanks for coming up. GENERAL We'll start the full security briefings next week. Sir, congratulations again, and good luck with the press conference tonight. BARTLET Thanks. Alan leaves. BARTLET Admiral Fitzwallace: remind me to fire that guy. CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - DAY We see that Hutchinson, Kate, Leo, Barrow, and Bartlet are still seated around the table, talking. HUTCHINSON We could ask the Israelis to go after the suspect. LEO We don't want them fighting our battles. BARTLET We don't want them fighting at all. BARROW There is a Palestinian Authority. LEO Chairman Farad? HARPER He's offered his assistance. HUTCHINSON You've got to be kidding. HARPER He's asked for the opportunity to arrest any suspects identified by the FBI. HUTCHINSON Sir, we share our intel with him, he's as likely as not to tip off the suspect. HARPER The Chairman has no love for Nasan's organization, and we can provide incentives for his cooperation. HUTCHINSON Guns and bombs to fight the Israelis? HARPER International legitimacy; agreement to recognize him again as the sole representative of the Palestinian people. LEO You really want to get back on the merry-go-round with this guy? BARTLET Let's see what he has to say. He gets up. They all get up as well. Bartlet leaves. HUTCHINSON Leo? LEO Yeah. Leo leaves, following Bartlet. CUT TO: INT. - BASEMENT - DAY Leo and Bartlet are walking toward the stairs and Leo is speaking. LEO You know the Israelis have already tried this. BARTLET Yeah? LEO Two years ago. They identified the men behind the discotheque bombing; gave the intel to the Palestinians. The Chairman sat them in a corner, made them write "I will not kill innocent children" 20 times and sent them home. BARTLET He won't treat us like the Israelis; we have the power to bring him back to the table. LEO Sir, the country wants action. BARTLET I'm not saying it's camembert and wine, Leo. I'm saying it's what we got. Tell Hutchinson to find a way to get Nasan without taking out a city block, I'll launch the damn missile myself. He walks up the stairs. CUT TO: INT. - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY Donna is laying in her bed. A nurse is standing next to her checking some things on her IV stand. Donna wakes up and groans. NURSE Hi, there. Did you just wake up? DONNA My mouth is dry. NURSE Let me get you some water. The nurse leaves and we can see that Josh is sitting in a chair by Donna's bed. He gets up and comes to stand next to Donna. JOSH Hey. DONNA What happened to you? JOSH To me? DONNA You need to shave. JOSH I haven't... really had time. DONNA Uh, where am I? JOSH You're in Germany. DONNA It doesn't look like Germany. JOSH You're actually in a military... The nurse comes in and hands Donna a glass of water. NURSE Here you go, honey. DONNA She's not German. NURSE This is true. Just squeeze that clicker if it hurts; it's a morphine drip. It's going to take some time to orient yourself. DONNA He needs to shave. NURSE Wouldn't hurt. I'm just going to draw a little blood. She pulls out a syringe and prepares to draw blood. At the sight of the needle, Josh begins to look uneasy and the nurse notices it. NURSE If you need to step outside... JOSH I'm fine. She places the needle in the IV and begins to draw the blood. When the blood can be seen in the syringe, Josh looks as though he might get sick. JOSH Uh, I'll be right back. He leaves the room as we see the nurse continue to draw the blood she needs. CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S OFFICE - DAY Toby is in Josh's office looking for some things. Carol comes in. CAROL Did you find his notes on the speaker's... Toby looks upset, as though he has been searching for awhile and cannot find what he is looking for. CAROL I'll check Donna's files. She goes out into Josh's bullpen area as Toby's phone begins to ring. Toby answers it to see that it is Josh. TOBY Hey. JOSH [VO] Hey. TOBY How's she doing? JOSH [VO] About the same. CUT TO: INT. - HOSPITAL - GERMANY - CONTINUOUS Josh is walking down the hall and he is on the phone talking to Toby. JOSH [cont.] But she's awake at least. Kind of. What's going on there? TOBY [VO] Well, other than the legion of Congressmen parading into the Oval demanding retribution... CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS TOBY [cont.] ... it's been pretty quiet. CUT TO: INT. - HOSPITAL - GERMANY - CONTINUOUS JOSH The end of his address... CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS TOBY It was an improv... JOSH [VO] The Europeans loved it. TOBY Yeah, so did the Times. 'Course, in about 15 minutes, every other editorial page in the country will be calling for Hamlet to get off the dime. CUT TO: INT. - HOSPITAL - GERMANY - CONTINUOUS JOSH So what are we doing? TOBY [VO] Hang on, I'll put the Joint Chiefs on the line. JOSH Toby... CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS TOBY You really want State secrets on a collect call to the Rheinland. CUT TO: INT. - HOSPITAL - GERMANY - CONTINUOUS JOSH We could use code names. TOBY [VO] Yeah. CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS TOBY Listen, we've got to make a call on Camden Yards. CUT TO: INT. - HOSPITAL - GERMANY - CONTINUOUS JOSH Huh? TOBY [VO] It's Memorial Day... CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS TOBY [cont.] ... he's scheduled to toss out the first pitch at Camden Yards. CUT TO: INT. - HOSPITAL - GERMANY - CONTINUOUS JOSH Cancel it. No. Can't cancel it; it sends the wrong message. Ask for a moment of silence. And Toby, he's got... you've got to take him out with gloves and a ball. CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS TOBY It's a six-foot toss from the stands - it's Little League. JOSH [VO] FDR threw from the stands... CUT TO: INT. - HOSPITAL - GERMANY - CONTINUOUS JOSH [cont.] ...beamed one of his photographers in '37, extended the Depression another four years. CUT TO: INT. - LEO'S OFFICE - DAY Leo is at his desk talking with Russell and Haffley. HAFFLEY Leo, I can't stress enough the importance of an immediate and forceful response. LEO Mr. Speaker, we fully intend to... HAFFLEY Really? Because the President's speech... Toby comes in. LEO We're making every effort to identify those responsible. RUSSELL Gentlemen, we shouldn't get caught up in politics. Whether it's the religious right or the guys funded by the AIPAC lobby on our side of the aisle, Israel is a black-and-white issue. HAFFLEY Exactly. There was little sympathy for the Palestinians before this incident. TOBY But a resolution on swift military action, now that sounds like a winner. HAFFLEY These lunatics are willing to sacrifice themselves, their children. The only way to ensure the safety of this country is to respond in kind. TOBY In kind. RUSSELL What I think the Speaker is trying to say... LEO I got it, Bob. HAFFLEY Do you? We lost two Congressmen. I've got 200 members of my conference screaming for Chairman Farad's head. There's an obvious course of action here. And on that, we stand firmly behind the President. And Bob's right. Politics aside, Leo, he's got to do this. FADE OUT. END ACT ONE. * * * ACT TWO FADE IN: INT. - OVAL OFFICE - DAY Bartlet is on the phone with Chairman Farad. Kate is also in the room. FARAD [VO] I will do all in my power to help you bring this man to justice. BARTLET Thank you, Mr. Chairman. FARAD [VO] We will do our very best, Mr. President. BARTLET We need more than your best, sir. MAN You're disconnected, sir. HARPER If you want to apprehend Nasan without escalating the conflict... Of course, the Chairman's consistently chosen violence over peace. He doesn't really have the power to challenge Hamas. He's walked away from offers that would have given his people a Palestinian state, and the Israelis aren't likely to sit down to the negotiation table with him again. He's not the answer to the greater problem. He may be the answer to this one. Leo comes in from his office. LEO I wouldn't bet on it. BARTLET Things didn't go so well with the leadership? [pause] What? LEO A bus in Jerusalem. Another suicide bombing. 10 to 20 dead, over 100 wounded. CUT TO: INT. - HALLWAY - WHITE HOUSE - DAY Toby and C.J. are walking down the hall and they are talking. C.J. We're getting creamed out there. TOBY Yeah. C.J. CNN's running a piece tonight on the President's last-minute edits to the President's address. TOBY I take it they're not praising his sensible moderation. C.J. Not so much. What's happening on the Hill? TOBY They're putting the military action resolution to a vote tomorrow morning. C.J. It's going to pass? TOBY I'm hoping it's not unanimous. What do you think? C.J. The whole country's waiting for the President to carpet bomb Gaza. I think it's a good sign he hasn't done it yet. She walks away. Charlie walks up. He is carrying Bartlet's bullet-proof vest for the ballgame. CHARLIE Hey, Toby. TOBY Hey. What's that? CHARLIE It's for the game tonight. TOBY Why does he need...? CHARLIE He wants to throw from the mound. Secret Service says he's got to wear the vest. TOBY He wants to throw from the mound? Have you ever seen him throw a baseball? CHARLIE Yeah. TOBY I'm not sure he can throw 60 feet without the vest. CHARLIE It's actually longer when you factor in the vertical... TOBY We're going to have to... we're going to... CHARLIE I'm thinking pull out a couple of gloves and throw him in the vest sometime between his call with the Palestinian Chairman and his meeting with the Egyptian ambassador. TOBY Yeah. Perfect. Charlie walks off. CUT TO: INT. - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY Josh is watching the television when Donna wakes up. DONNA What are you watching? JOSH Nothing. He turns off the TV. JOSH How do you feel? They left a lunch tray earlier. DONNA I'm not hungry. JOSH German chocolate cake. DONNA Really, I'm kind of nauseous. JOSH Okay. Your mom's on the way to New York. She's going to catch the red-eye tonight. DONNA How long are you staying? JOSH I don't know, I figured if I hang around long enough one of the nurses is bound to give me a sponge bath. DONNA Leo doesn't need you to... JOSH I'm here as long as I need to be here. Jello? Josh's phone rings he answers it. DONNA I don't want to talk to anybody. JOSH Okay. Hey, C.J. C.J. [VO] How is she? JOSH She's fine. I mean, she was singing tunes from My Fair Lady earlier, CUT TO: INT. - C.J.'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS C.J. is at her desk talking to Josh. JOSH [VO] ... but it may just be the morphine. C.J. Can I talk to her? CUT TO: INT. - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS JOSH We're actually at intermission right now. C.J. [VO] But she really is all right? JOSH I'm telling you, she's doing this whole Julie Andrews thing. CUT TO: INT. - C.J.'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS C.J. Have you seen the news? CUT TO: INT. - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS We see that Josh has walked out into the hallway while on the phone with C.J. Colin walks up with a bag over his shoulder, his coat on his arm, and a bouquet of flowers in his hand. COLIN Donna Moss? JOSH Uh-huh. C.J. [VO] Do you think we need to do...? JOSH You need to come out fighting. Leak a force-depletion report and blueprints for the invasion. C.J. [VO] Invasion? Josh sees that Colin has come to Donna's bedside and lays the flowers at Donna's feet. JOSH Okay, that may be... Colin leans over and lightly kisses Donna. Josh looks as though he doesn't know what to do. C.J. [VO] Josh? Josh? CUT TO: INT. - OVAL OFFICE - DAY Bartlet is on the phone with Chairman Farad. Kate, Leo, and Barrow are in the room. BARTLET Mr. Chairman, when we agreed to work with you on our investigation... FARAD [VO] Yes, and I appreciate you trust. BARTLET We assumed your people... we trusted that you wouldn't do anything to make that investigation more difficult. FARAD [VO] Our security team has been cooperating. BARTLET The Jerusalem bombing, Mr. Chairman. FARAD [VO] Five children slaughtered in the last Israeli missile strike. How am I to keep my people from reacting? BARTLET Mr. Chairman, I agreed to work with you despite the way my people are reacting. You must control you people. We hear, through the phone, hurried and loud speaking in Arabic. BARTLET What's going on? Is he still on the line? HARPER The connection's been lost. BARTLET Well, can we get him back on the damn phone? HARPER Sir... BARTLET Does he not understand I'm trying to help him here? Ian, can you get him back on the phone? BARROW You may have some difficulty with that, sir. The Israeli Army has deployed 150 armored vehicles and 2 armed squadrons to the eastern section of Ramallah. Sir, they've surrounded the Chairman's compound. CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - DAY We see Bartlet, Kate, Leo, and Barrow walking into the Situation Room. BARTLET Five minutes, I can't get these guys to keep their damn hands off each other. HUTCHINSON The Israeli Special Forces have created a perimeter around the compound. They've cut off the electricity, the phone service... BARTLET We noticed. HARPER The Israelis have been eyeing a unilateral solution. They probably figure now's a good time to take out the Chairman. BARTLET Neutralize? HARPER Cut him off. Prevent him from possibly orchestrating further bombings until they finish building the security fence. Someone hands Kate a piece of paper. BARROW Or they've decided to forcibly remove Farad from the territories. BARTLET Well, that would make it more difficult to work with him. HARPER Actually, Mr. President - the Palestinian security forces are refusing to proceed into Khan Younis. LEO They're not going to arrest Nasan? HARPER They can't reach the Chairman, and without his approval they won't go in. BARTLET Mr. Secretary, where are we? HUTCHINSON We've been working on a third military option, sir: two FA-18s dropping air-to-surface guided missiles. These are a third of the size of the Tomahawks. The damage would be substantially less. BARTLET How many? HUTCHINSON 30 casualties, maximum. BARTLET That's substantially less than 50? CUT TO: INT. - NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE HOUSE - FLASHBACK - DAY We see that Bartlet is leaning against the doorframe of the State house. Leo walks over to him. HUTCHINSON [VO] Night has fallen in Gaza, sir. You're looking at an evening raid. BARTLET [VO] If we wait till tomorrow morning, when school starts? HARPER [VO] 15 to 20. LEO Governor. BARTLET 1,000 American kids. LEO Excuse me? BARTLET The soldiers heading off to the Philippines. He's sending them into a war zone. LEO It's a peacekeeping mission. BARTLET Yeah, training and logistics. And handing out chewing gum. LEO You're entitled to comment if you feel that strongly about it. BARTLET Some of them aren't coming back. LEO You get the best information, you consider all your options, you look at the potential good... and you do what you think is right. BARTLET Yeah. HARPER [VO] Sir, U.S. action at this time could be seen as an implicit sanction of the Israeli assault. CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - DAY We see that everyone is still seated around the table and talking. LEO Sir, Nasan's not likely to stay put. If we don't act now we will lose him. HARPER And if the U.S. engages in the same type of missile strikes the Israelis commonly resort to, we may need to evacuate our embassies throughout the region. We could destabilize moderate regimes in Jordan and Egypt... LEO Nasan's contributed to the murder of three senior government officials. We've reduced the collateral damage numbers substantially. HARPER We act now, it's like taking out a Super Bowl spot for every Anti-American terrorist network in the Middle East. HUTCHINSON Failure to act, especially in the Middle East... LEO That's appeasement. BARTLET Leo, this isn't 1938. We aren't fighting fascists with armies and tanks. It's terror cells. An individual can take out a city with a briefcase of plutonium. The FA-18s, they're still in position? HUTCHINSON Yes, sir. BARTLET I want a full collateral damage assessment report for a daylight assault on my desk within the hour. Bartlet gets up and leaves. Everyone stands. LEO Thank you, sir. Leo walks over to where Kate has sat back down. LEO What do you think you're doing? HARPER Excuse me? LEO We don't push agendas here. HARPER I don't believe I am. LEO He has a process. He likes to reflect, consider his options, but at the end of the day when it's time to make a call, he's got to stay focused. HARPER I'm trying to give him the relevant information... LEO This isn't the UN. He's not the Secretary-General. He's President of the United States, and our job is to make sure his priorities are clear. Today's priority is not world peace. He walks away, leaving Kate at her seat. FADE OUT. END ACT TWO. * * * ACT THREE FADE IN: INT. - OVAL OFFICE - DAY We see Leo walking through the Oval Office. We pan out onto the portico where Bartlet appears to be pacing. Leo walks out to talk with Bartlet. LEO Haffley wants to schedule another meeting. BARTLET He doesn't think we got it the first time? LEO I've got the assessment report for the FA-18 strike. BARTLET I've been on the phone for the last three hours and I've barely moved the needle. I got the Israelis to agree to hold off raiding the compound, but they say the Chairman is harboring terrorists and the refuse to pull back. They Egyptians did me a nice Cassandra routine over tea and papyrus, the Syrians were a ball of laughs, and the Saudis, oh, the Saudis had this neat idea about forking over any terrorist suspects to the International Criminal Court, but I don't know how I'm supposed to sell that one. LEO Sir... the FA-18 strike is a reasonable response. BARTLET Maybe in Yemen, Leo, but this is Gaza. The peace process, the stability of the region - we need to think long term here. LEO The peace process? The Israelis handed the Chairman the deal of the century in Taba five years ago - he started smuggling Katyusha rockets into Gaza on fishing boats. There is no long-term. The Israelis are right: there is only one way to bring stability to this region and we should be out there with them digging ditches and putting up barbed wire. BARTLET The fence? LEO It's a realistic solution. BARTLET It's a land-grab. LEO There's no alternative! There is no partner for peace. BARTLET And you're going to find a moderate Palestinian leader after the Israelis have swiped half the Jordan Valley? After the United States has taken out 15 to 20 innocent civilians in Gaza. LEO We're no longer a neutral arbitrator. We've got skin in the game. And when the sun comes up in Gaza you're going to have to launch those planes. CUT TO: INT. - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Josh is watching PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER MUKARAT on the television. Colin is also in the room. Donna is asleep. MUKARAT And we condemn this aggression and we call on the rest of the world to stop Israel from putting our beloved Chairman Farad in jeopardy. Bullets will breed bullets. Violence will breed violence. Colin begins grabbing his things as though he is preparing to leave. COLIN They do get it, you know. Despite the rhetoric. The Palestinians realize if they've got any chance at real peace it's with you guys as brokers. Be a shame to see that blown. JOSH So, you too spend a lot of time together? COLIN Uh... some. JOSH Pretty long flight from Gaza to Germany. COLIN Not really. Not as long as the flight from DC. Look, she didn't mention... anything. You know, if this is going to be an issue... JOSH No. No issue. We hear Donna groan as she wakes up. COLIN You all right. DONNA Where's the... JOSH The what? DONNA The morphine? COLIN Here. Colin hands Donna the morphine clicker. She takes it and begins clicking it several times. JOSH I think it only works the first time. DONNA You're leaving? COLIN Yeah, just for a little bit. But I shall return before first light. Don't go anywhere. He bends down and kisses Donna goodbye. He begins to leave. COLIN Josh. JOSH Yeah? Nice to meet you. DONNA Isn't he charming? JOSH Sure, in a bodice-ripping, Heathcliff-on-the-moor, I'm-too-sexy-for-my-camera sort of way. DONNA Oh, Josh. The door opens and a nurse brings in some flowers for Donna. JOSH More admirers. DONNA Really? JOSH How many photographers did you meet over there? DONNA Who are they from? Josh grabs the card and looks at it. JOSH Uh... Okay, this is sort of weird. We see that the one side of the card is written in Arabic. DONNA What? Josh flips the card and reads the note, this one written in English. JOSH "Wishes for a speedy recovery. Father of the Baker, Father of the Light..." CUT TO: INT. - LEO'S OFFICE - DAY Kate and Leo are walking into Leo's office. They are talking about the card that Donna got. LEO "...Son of the Sword." HARPER The flowers sound like pomegranate, the national flower of Palestine, and the names on the card are the English translations of Abu Faran, Abu Saran, and Ibn Husam. LEO And we've heard of Manny, Moe, and Jack? HARPER They're the Palestinian Prime Minister's three sons. LEO Mukarat? And what's the Arabic? HARPER A date, a time, and a restaurant not far from the hospital in Landstuhl. LEO What the hell are we supposed to do there. HARPER Somebody has a message they couldn't phone in to State, somebody who knew a senior aide with the ear of the President was in Germany. LEO A domestic policy aide who refers to Italy as "The one that looks like a boot." HARPER Who, consequently, doesn't draw much attention on the international scene. LEO Yeah, so what is this? HARPER Information about the bombing, a message from Prime Minister Mukarat regarding the current situation. LEO I gotta call in the CIA Director? HARPER We'll put agents on it, but they've already picked the guy they want to talk to. CUT TO: INT. - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Josh is standing at the window and he is on the phone with Kate. JOSH You want me to have a secret meeting with the Son of the Sword? DONNA I must be high from the morphine. JOSH You know, stealth isn't exactly my strong suit. DONNA He's very clumsy. HARPER [VO] Josh, you're just sitting down with a guy and seeing what he has to say. JOSH Yeah, but technically, I'm going to be a... CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - DAY HARPER It's a diplomatic meeting. JOSH [VO] Do I need to carry a piece? HARPER Josh... CUT TO: INT - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT JOSH Why aren't you sending, I don't know, someone more like you? CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - DAY HARPER Because they didn't send me the flowers. CUT TO: INT - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT JOSH They sent Donna the flowers. HARPER [VO] Donna can't walk, and they were angling for you. If I send in a professional, it'll probably just spook the guy. JOSH So to speak. DONNA Is this dangerous? JOSH No, it's a diplomatic meeting. It's not dangerous. Donna wants to know if it's dangerous. HARPER [VO] You flew Lufthasna... CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - DAY HARPER [cont.] You've been wandering the streets alone - if someone wanted to kill you, it would have happened already. CUT TO: INT - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT JOSH Yeah, that's not so reassuring. HARPER [VO] I'm sending someone from the embassy... CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - DAY HARPER [cont.] ... and we'll have someone in the restaurant if you run into any trouble. Maybe try to keep a low profile. JOSH [VO] Should I switch cabs? CUT TO: INT. - OUTER OVAL OFFICE - DAY Charlie is seated at his desk, and Debbie at hers. Toby is pacing. We see that Bartlet's vest for the game is lying on Charlie's desk. DEBBIE You wouldn't rather wait in your office. TOBY I enjoy your company. DEBBIE I enjoy a good slug of gin at lunch, but I've learned to do without. Bartlet comes in from the Oval Office. He seems to be in a slightly sour mood. He sees Toby is there. BARTLET What do you want? TOBY Uh, nothing. DEBBIE He's only been hovering here like a jaybird for the last 40 minutes. He notices the bullet-proof vest sitting on Charlie's desk. BARTLET What's that? CHARLIE It's the vest for the game. BARTLET What's it doing here now? TOBY Sir, when you wear the vest, your throwing motion... BARTLET I've worn the damn thing before. TOBY Mr. President, you'll be on national TV. Millions of Americans will be watching. Given their current state of mind, I'd rather not have you walk into a stadium of 40,000 people and hang a curveball over the backstop. CHARLIE He's right, sir. Everyone agrees? BARTLET Everyone? CHARLIE Leo, Josh, your wife, the Notre Dame Athletic department. BARTLET You've got 15 minutes. Give me the vest. CUT TO: EXT. - CAFE - GERMANY - NIGHT We see Josh walk up to the waiter and speak with him. WAITER (speaks German) JOSH (speaks German) WAITER I speak English. JOSH Okay. Good. I'm... uh... I'm meeting someone. WAITER Mr. Lyman? JOSH Yes. WAITER I can walk you to your table. The waiter shows him in and takes him to a table where an Arabic man in a leather jacket is already sitting. As soon as Josh sits down, the man gets up and leaves. Josh takes out his cell phone and dials. JOSH Kate Harper, quickly. CUT TO: INT. - ELEVATOR - DAY Charlie, Toby, Bartlet and a Secret Service Agent are in the elevator on the way to the Residence. Toby and Charlie have ball gloves in their hand, and Toby is carrying a roll of tape. TOBY Harrison. CHARLIE Nope. TOBY McKinley. CHARLIE McKinley did throw the first pitch at a Senator's game, but only as Governor. TOBY Taft? CHARLIE First one to throw out the first pitch, William Howard Taft in 1910. BARTLET Well, I hope they made Fatty practice. They walk out into the hallway of the Residence. BARTLET Here? CHARLIE We figured you'd rather not share this moment with history. BARTLET You don't think the China Room would be better? Bartlet removes his jacket and dons the bullet-proof vest. Charlie takes a glove and the ball and walks to the end of the hallway. Toby tears a piece of tape off the roll and puts it down on the floor to indicate where Bartlet is supposed to stand. BARTLET This has got to be one of the highlights. TOBY Remember to follow through, sir. Toby hands him the ball. Bartlet positions himself on the tape where he is supposed to stand. He winds up and throws the ball. It misses horribly, hitting the floor, bouncing off two walls, and then rolling to where Charlie is standing. BARTLET Not a word, Ziegler. CUT TO: INT. - RESTAURANT - GERMANY - NIGHT Josh is sitting at the table, on his cell phone, talking with Kate. JOSH A guy was sitting at the table. I sat down; he left. HARPER [VO] He's probably just checking to make sure you weren't followed. JOSH This is a diplomatic meeting. HARPER [VO] Yes. JOSH 'Cause it's feeling a little Nick Danger. CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - DAY HARPER Try to relax. JOSH [VO] You've got a guy here? HARPER Yes, Josh. CUT TO: INT. - RESTAURANT - GERMANY - CONTINUOUS JOSH Is it the guy with the toupee, 'cause he looks pretty obvious. HARPER [VO] Josh. We see the man come back to the table and sit across from Josh. JOSH I got to go. He hangs up. JOSH Hi. CUT TO: INT. - RESIDENCE - DAY Bartlet is still practicing his throw for the ball game. He is standing much closer to Charlie than the taped line, although he is still missing. TOBY Okay. That was better. BARTLET I hit the wall. TOBY Distance was good. Now just try to aim for the guy with the mitt. BARTLET Why didn't we cancel? CHARLIE I was just wondering the same thing. TOBY I could write a hundred speeches, and we'd never come close to the sight of you up on that mound. BARTLET Yeah, that's me: all-powerful; bending the will of the world by my mere presence. He throws the ball; it hits a wall and then bounces off and knocks over a lamp. TOBY Wow. CUT TO: INT. - RESTAURANT - GERMANY - NIGHT Josh is meeting with the Arab man. MAN Hamas grows stronger every day. JOSH Because of frustration with Israel. MAN Yes, but even more because of what Hamas can offer the Palestinian people. Food, education, health care. JOSH But doesn't the Palestinian Authority... MAN The Palestinian Authority lines its own pockets. Chairman Farad cannot... will not change, and he's willing to pull the temple down on his head. But there are other, more reasonable men, who with help could affect change, challenge Hamas. JOSH Moderates. MAN I tell you this in the strictest of confidence. I bring word from Prime Minister Mukarat of Palestine. He is concerned with the ongoing situation, and he feels the time has come for opening a new line of dialogue with Israel and your country; a line of dialogue that does not include Chairman Farad. FADE OUT. END ACT THREE. * * * ACT FOUR FADE IN: INT. - LEO'S OFFICE - DAY Leo is asleep on his couch. Abbey walks up and places her hand on his shoulder to wake him. ABBEY Leo? You all right? LEO Abbey. What can I do for you? ABBEY I came to offer up my services. LEO Your services? ABBEY I look pretty good in a bullet-proof vest. LEO Okay. ABBEY Not to mention I was quite the intramural softball player in my day. And, let's face it, Jed's no Cy Young. LEO Toby and Josh think it's important he go out there tonight. ABBEY What does Ron Butterfield think? LEO We've had a dozen Secret Service guys at Camden Yards for the past two weeks disassembling the air conditions. They'll have men in every janitor's closet, every bathroom, up on the roof. Add in the 240 security guys the ballpark... ABBEY Okay. [pause] You look tired. He nods his head. LEO It's been a long day. ABBEY It's been a long year. You want him to do something. LEO Yeah. ABBEY Seems to me he's trying to. LEO He's tilting at windmills. ABBEY Tilting at windmills in the Middle East. Is there a better place for that? CUT TO: INT. - RESIDENCE - DAY Bartlet is still practicing his throw for the ballgame. He is now throwing much better and from the appropriate position. BARTLET You think historians will judge me because I can't stand the national pass-time? TOBY We make sure it's a very well kept secret. BARTLET Yeah, but in 50, 60 years, some guy with a camcorder will track down some old codger who used to work here on the kitchen staff and he'll tell the story of how I thought Stan Musial was a pediatrician in Abbey's medical school class. CHARLIE It's a pretty common mistake. BARTLET I'd really like to bomb the whole damn place. TOBY Gaza? BARTLET Gaza, the West Bank. Take out the whole Arabian Peninsula while we're at it. Bartlet begins to throw with more fervor as he begins to show his frustration over the current situation. TOBY It's what the country wants. BARTLET Sure. Hell, it's practically the American way. And who cares if it's exactly what those lunatics want. They push, we push back, and they've got the holy war they've been praying for with a thousand and one recruits to take the fight to the big kid on the other side of the Atlantic. It's like bad Shakespeare. And they're just waiting for me to play my role and chuck a big fat one right down the middle. Leo and Kate walk in. LEO Mr. President. CUT TO: INT. - OVAL OFFICE - DAY Bartlet, Kate, and Leo walk into the Oval Office from the portico. BARTLET Let me get this straight: Josh met with some guy over bratwurst...? HARPER The information from his contact checks out. This has all the hallmarks of a back-channel overture. BARTLET I thought Prime Minister Mukarat was in the Chairman's pocket. HARPER So did we. Seems he realizes unilateral Israeli action will leave his people with less land than they'll get negotiating. LEO We're talking about king-making. HARPER We're talking about separation from a leader with whom there can be no peace. The Israelis won't even sit down with Farad. BARTLET How would this work? HARPER We broker secret talks with the Israelis, show them Mukarat's credible, they pull back, take steps to bolster Mukarat by releasing prisoners... LEO We're grasping at straws here. This kind of intervention into Palestinian politics... HARPER American intervention is responsible for propping up nearly every dictator in the Middle East. LEO And look where that's gotten us. Sir, it's time to focus on the terrorist elements who have declared war against us. HARPER We're at war with the plague of jealousy and hatred and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the index patient. Shouldn't that be our focus? BARTLET Do we have any files on Mukarat? Writings, personal history? HARPER We could try to pull that together for you. CUT TO: INT. - NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE HOUSE - FLASHBACK - NIGHT Bartlet and Leo are preparing for his press conference. LEO Governor, only you would decide to hold a press conference outside in zero-degree weather. We'll all freeze. BARTLET One way to avoid too many questions. LEO I'd prefer to avoid hypothermia. BARTLET I'm going to get clobbered out there. LEO You're not going to get clobbered. BARTLET Maybe we should ask for a recount. LEO You got 303 electoral votes; I think you're stuck with them. They see that there is a large crowd gather outside, waiting for the press conference. BARTLET Who are all those people? LEO The press conference was no secret. Apparently you have fans. BARTLET What do they want me to do, run the country? LEO It's a little surprising, isn't it? BARTLET You heard me today. Hell, the General could barely keep his lunch down. You don't think he and Fitzwallace are going to have a laugh about that? LEO We have some things to learn. BARTLET I can't do this without you. LEO You think I'd let you? There's a reason I stayed sober. BARTLET [VO] Is there any way to gauge the reaction of the Arab world? Of the Israelis? CUT TO: INT. - OVAL OFFICE - DAY Bartlet is still talking with Leo and Kate. HARPER We have a number of contacts we could reach out to quietly. BARTLET Let's do so. And... keep the FA-18s on ready-alert. Kate leaves the office. LEO Sir... this is a waste of time. We've tried elevating moderate... BARTLET Thank you. LEO You need to... BARTLET Thank you. Bartlet walks around to the window as Leo leaves into his office. CUT TO: INT. - HOSPITAL HALLWAY - GERMANY - NIGHT We see Josh walking down the hall with flowers in his hand. He walks into Donna's room and as he does, we pan down where we can see the floor where Donna's bed was. We see several items including blankets, pillows, and other bloodstained items are laying on the floor. Josh looks immediately worried as he runs out of the room and around the corner to the nurses' station. He speaks to one of the nurses there. JOSH Where's Donna Moss? NURSE Excuse me? JOSH Donna Moss. She's not in her room. Where is she? NURSE Are you a relative? JOSH I work for the President of the United States; I have the diplomatic rank of a three-star general; tell me where Donna Moss is. CUT TO: INT. - CAMDEN YARDS - STADIUM - NIGHT We see Bartlet, Leo, Kate, and several Secret Service men walk into the hallway of the stadium. BARTLET You spoke with Ambassador Galit? HARPER The Israelis are willing to sit down with Mukarat privately as long as we can assure Chairman Farad won't be involved in any way. BARTLET OK. Where are you on this? HARPER Both options have risks. BARTLET Yeah. Give us a minute. CUT TO: INT. - HOSPITAL - GERMANY - NIGHT We see Josh rush through a door into the OR area. He looks in windows and continues, hurrying, trying to find Donna. He finally finds where she is and Col. Leahy is about to enter the OR. LEAHY Whoa, whoa, whoa, you can't go in there. JOSH What's...? LEAHY There's been a complication. She developed a pulmonary embolism. It's a blood clot. JOSH [simultaneous] A blood clot. LEAHY We're trying to remove it now. He goes in, leaving Josh outside. CUT TO: INT. - CAMDEN YARDS - NIGHT Bartlet is getting ready for the game. Leo is talking to him. LEO You know on May 13, the day before Israeli Independence Day, the TV stations screen the name of every soldier who has fallen for the country. A name flashes on the screen for a second or two, then the next name appears. You go to bed, you get up, the names are still flashing. It takes 24 hours. That's how they observe Memorial Day. BARTLET Yeah, and they keep firing missiles into Gaza, we start encouraging it, how long until that broadcast last 48 hours? Or 72? LEO How many times have we tried negotiating BARTLET We're not negotiating with the Chairman. LEO Your priority should be the security of this country. I think you're gun-shy, sir. The most important moment of your Presidency and you're going to blow it because you're human. You're a father who almost lost his... BARTLET You think this is about Zoey? You're damn right it's about Zoey, and Ellie, and Elizabeth and Mallory. It's about bombs in Penn's Station, in Macy's, in Starbucks. Bombing Gaza could be the most dangerous move this country has made in two centuries. LEO Or not. BARTLET In 75 years we'll know whether we're right or wrong, but no one standing here today can tell me that with any certainty. I'm the one in the office. I'll be the one who's judged. CUT TO: INT. - NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE HOUSE - FLASHBACK - NIGHT BARTLET You hear me? It should be you Leo. You, not me. Leo smiles as Bartlet walks outside to the press conference. CUT TO: INT. - CAMDEN YARDS - NIGHT We see Bartlet walk out toward the field. There is a Secret Service agent who hands Bartlet a ball glove. BARTLET You got the ball? Leo's phone rings. He answers it. LEO Yeah. CUT TO: INT. - TOBY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS Toby is in his office, on the phone with Leo. C.J. is also in the room. TOBY The Chairman's on TV, he's thanking us for inviting him to the negotiations. LEO [VO] What?! TOBY Chairman Farad - he's on TV, he's thanking us for inviting him... CUT TO: INT. - CAMDEN YARDS - CONTINUOUS TOBY [cont.][VO] ... and Prime Minister Mukarat to a summit with the Israelis. LEO We didn't invite him! We haven't even formally invited Mukarat! TOBY [VO] He's publicly accepted our invitation to Camp David. ANNOUNCER Tonight, we are pleased to welcome the President of the United States. Bartlet begins walking out onto the field. CUT TO: INT. - NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE HOUSE - FLASHBACK - NIGHT We see Bartlet turn as he is headed out to the press conference. Leo puts his arm across his chest in a type of salute. Bartlet smiles. CUT TO: EXT. - CAMDEN YARDS - FIELDS - NIGHT We see Bartlet walk out to the pitcher's mound, waving and smiling as he goes. He gets to the mound and waves some more to the cheering crowd as he prepares to throw. We see that he is very concerned, and we can see the tension on his face as we see him take the ball, wind up, and throw. We hear the ball thwack in the mitt as we... DISSOLVE TO: END TITLES. FADE TO BLACK. THE END. * * * The West Wing episode 5.22 "Memorial Day", original air date 19 May, 2004.