Unidentified Sick Boy

The unidentified boy, diagnosed with congestive heart failure, lies unresponsive after days without medication during a tense standoff. His critical condition dominates the Situation Room briefing, where tactical leaders urge President Bartlet to approve a high-risk breach with C-4 and flashbangs. Bartlet authorizes the operation immediately, elevating the boy's plight above procedural caution and forcing White House principals to confront raw human stakes amid operational urgency.

4 appearances

Also known as: one suspect, suspect (shot and killed), the boy

Unidentified Sick …'s Journey

A timeline through the narrative

4 moments

S4E4 · The Red Mass

Presidential Greenlight: Explosive Rescue for a Sick Boy

Clinically critical and unresponsive — the boy's condition is the moral axis of the scene.

The unresponsive child is the subject of the briefing — described as having congestive heart failure and lacking medication, his condition drives the tactical recommendation though he is not physically …

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S4E4 · The Red Mass

Yosef's Shadow

Physiologically critical — unconscious and incapable of agency, his condition generates urgent moral pressure on decision-makers.

The critically ill boy is the absent but primary object of action; discussion of his condition (out of medication, unresponsive) is the moral engine that drives the President's authorization.

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S4E4 · The Red Mass

Iowa Raid Debrief — A Moment of Relief, Then a Missing Plane

Not shown directly; described as stabilized — the rescue converts raw emergency into recoverable humanity.

Referenced by name/condition: reported as the rescued hostage at University Hospital in stable condition, serving as the human stake that justifies the President's immediate approval and emotional investment.

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S4E4 · The Red Mass

From Domestic Victory to Diplomatic Emergency — Ben Yosef's Missing Plane

Medically fragile but stabilized; emotionally functions as the object of relief among staff.

Referred to as 'the kid'—the hostage boy rescued and reported stable at University Hospital; his welfare is the humane center of Bartlet's response and shapes the room's emotional tone.

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Affiliation

Federal Bureau of Investigation