All notes and disclaimers can be found in the previous nineteen parts. Yes,
archive it, but let me know.

**

First Lady Abigail Bartlet, being a doctor, had been awakened at inopportune
times before in her life, but not for a few years. When the telephone in the
bedroom rang at four-thirty in the morning the following morning, she was
tempted to ignore it.

"Abbey!" Jed moaned. "Could you answer that?"

She groaned and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "The things I do for
you, Jed." she picked up the phone on the sixth ring. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Bartlet?" an odd-sounding voice quavered.

"Yes, this is she. Who's this?" Abbey asked.

"Ummm.. Ginger.. I'm sorry for calling so early..." Ginger leaned her head
against her car window, trying to hold onto some shred of dignity. "Maybe I
should call back later..."

"Ginger?" Abbey stood up. "No, it's perfectly fine. Are you all right?"

"Can I-- Can I-- Would it be possible for me to-- I mean-- get a.. have a.."

"Ginger." Abbey was growing very concerned. "Ginger, where are you? Are you
hurt? What happened?"

"May I come for a check-up?" Ginger finally got the words out.

"Stay where you are." Abbey ordered. Whatever had happened, it was bad and
Abbey had a sinking suspicion she knew what it was. "I'll come to you."

"No.. no.. I'm across the street. In my car. I've been here since about one
o'clock." Ginger replied distantly.

"Jed." Abbey slapped his back. "Jed! Get the hell up! Go tell one of the
Secret Service people to go across the street and bring Ginger to one of the
guest bedrooms. Hurry up!"

Jed knew that when Abbey had that look in her eyes and that tone in her
voice, it was best for all parties concerned to do what she said, so he
jumped up and grabbed his robe, and shouted for the Secret Service agent.

"Ginger?" Abbey asked. "Are you still there?"

"I.. don't.. know.." Ginger replied. "I'm cold, Mrs. Bartlet. I'm really
cold."

**

Danny yawned as Ainsley went over the document one more time.

"Is there a reason why we're up this early?" he asked. "We don't have to be
in court for another four hours."

"I just want to make sure we've covered all the bases." Ainsley replied. "Is
there anything at all you haven't told me?"

"Nothing, I swear." Danny raised his right hand. "What kind of a chance do I
have of getting Megan?"

"That depends on the judge. And if the guy the Ashtons hired is any good at
making arguments." Ainsley said. "I'm sure someone in Washington told you I'm
very good at making arguments--"

"Actually, everyone in Washington did." Danny said ruefully. "I know you'll
do everything you can, Miss Hayes."

"We'll get your niece, Danny." Ainsley promised.

**

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" Abbey asked, shining a small penlight
into Ginger's swollen eye. Jed had wanted to stay for the examination after
seeing Ginger's smashed face, but Abbey had ordered everyone else out of the
room and told Jed to call Leo.

"What happened." Ginger scoffed, then began to crumble. "What happened? I'm a
total moron, that's what happened. I was born, then twenty-eight years later,
I make trouble for the White House."

"Calm down." Abbey laid her hand on the younger woman's knees. "You're not
causing anyone any trouble. When did this happen?"

"Last night." Ginger's eyes drifted shut, as if she was trying to recall.
"It's... foggy, Mrs. Bartlet."

"Take your time." Abbey said. "And call me Abbey."

"Ummm.." Ginger's lips were quivering. "We got back to my apartment... Mick
didn't see anything wrong with anything he had said. I didn't know him at
all, Mrs. Bartlet. I slapped him when he said Charlie was a-- a-- I can't say
it." she hid her face in her hands.

"It's okay." Abbey said helplessly. "You don't have to."

"I can't be with someone who is racist." Ginger said. "I slapped him, then he
slapped me back... Then it was like I was someone else. I started fighting
him this time."

Abbey's guard went up at the phrase 'this time.' "Ginger, has this happened
before?"

"Yes." Ginger began to cry in earnest. "My head." she gestured to the back of
her head. "He hit it... against the floor.. then he took me into the room..."

Abbey's eyes filled with tears and she blinked hard to keep them from
falling. "You don't have to go on."

Ginger continued as if Abbey hadn't said anything. "He forced me." she said
in a monotone, looking at Abbey wearily. "Why did he force me? He had no
right to do that."

A few minutes later, Abbey came out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind
her.

"Who did that to her, Abbey?" Jed demanded. "Give me a name and I don't care
who the hell I am, I'll have him shot right now."

"It's worse than you think, Jed." Abbey nearly fell into his arms, clinging
to him, and began to cry. "Call Leo, and the DC police. We have a victim of
rape in that room."

TBC

Part 21

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