"Like the last time you came barrelling in here?" asked a seated Lily Mays sarcastically. "Not very likely."

"Lily, I promise you that this is nothing like last time. I just need to see her for a moment. Please."

Lily shook her head. "Sam..."

"Of course I have a few minutes, Sam," came a voice. Both looked up and saw Abigail Bartlet gazing at them from her door. "Come on in."

Sam gave a semi-smile. "Thanks," he said as he followed his boss' wife into her office and seated himself when she motioned him to.

Abbey sat in the seat next to him. "How are you doing?"

"How am I doing?" he repeated nervously, "I'm fine. I guess. Well, maybe not. Well, actually, no--but I feel fine right now. Well, except for the tiredness and--"

"Sam!" Abbey interrupted. "What's wrong?"

"Remember how I was feeling tired and kept getting sick and the swelling and the other...stuff?" Abbey nodded. the Deputy Communications Director hadn't been feeling well, had been losing weight and getting fevers as well as being tired all of the time, despite how much sleep he got the night before (which was not very much to begin with). "Well, I went to that doctor that you recommended."

"You went to Mike?" Sam nodded. When the First Lady first became aware of what had been happening to Sam, she offered to check him out, but was repeatedly refused.

After some discussion, POTUS overruled his advisor's objections.

During her examination, Abbey felt some swelling, which although it could be attributed to something else, she didn't like. That was when she sent him to her friend Dr. Michael Alcott. "You underwent some tests?" Another nod. "And what happened next?"

"Well, he called me in my office, just before I went to the morning briefing, asking me to go to his office--as soon as possible, too," Sam babbled. "I should have known that something was up, but was too focused on the aforementioned briefing that I told him that I had a busy day and wouldn't have the time to see him. He then told me to make time, but I just asked if he could just tell me over the phone and--"

"Sam!"

"What do you know about Hodgkin's Disease?"