Character

Unidentified Mission Doctor

indispensable specialized reliable

The unidentified mission doctor stands absent when a delayed plane jeopardizes medical support for a White House operation. A woman aide reports the gap to President Bartlet in the Oval Office—after Leo shifts from Toby's political push on Karen Kroft—sparking a humanitarian crisis. This void forces senior staff including Bartlet, Leo, Toby, Laney, and Margaret to address logistical exposure in high-stakes missions. The doctor's expected presence reveals reliance on specialized medical roles amid shifting priorities from patronage fights to emergency readiness.

2 appearances

Also known as: DOCTOR, a doctor

Unidentified Mission …'s Journey

A timeline through the narrative

2 moments

S4E9 · Swiss Diplomacy

Office Banter Hardens into Political Demand — Then a Clinical Crisis

Not applicable for the person; their absence creates heightened urgency and potential moral distress among the present staff.

Not present but explicitly referenced as the missing mission doctor; this absence is the catalytic fact that redirects the scene from political jockeying to medical emergency.

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S4E9 · Swiss Diplomacy

Six Hours Out — No Surgeon

Not present — absence creates anxiety and urgency among present agents.

Referenced obliquely as the absent surgeon expected to be aboard the transport; their non-appearance is the event's central problem and drives the administration's urgent search for medical cover.

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