In the conference room, Natalie is rearranging the rundown on index cards when Jeremy comes in, and we get another one of those scenes where one character (in this case, Jeremy) wants to talk to another character (in this case, Natalie) who is so busy doing something else that she is barely able to acknowledge him. Well, Natalie does ask Jeremy's advice on moving around a couple of segments. Anyway, Jeremy's concerned as he mentions a memo he happens to be holding about a company blood drive. He says "I can't do it" and "I can't give blood," and Natalie says "okay" and "that's fine" and she can't even look up from her index cards because, I'm guessing, it's not a big deal to her, even though Jeremy seems kind of anxious about it in that way that indicates he wants Natalie to ask him about it, and he reminds me of a friend I had in junior high who was always grimacing and wincing because of various aches and injuries, and he would keep groaning until you finally asked him about it, and then he'd tell you this really stupid story about stubbing his toe. I mean, it was never anything cool like running into a fence and ripping his stomach open or anything. But if you didn't ask him, his moans and groans would just get steadily louder until you'd tell him just to shut him up. Anyway. Jeremy, getting no attention paid to him, leaves as Dan comes in. Jeremy decides to try his luck with Dan instead and tells Dan he can't give blood, prompting a big ol' shrug from Dan. Did Jeremy think he was going to be shunned for this? "That's all I have to say," says Jeremy. "Well, you've given me a lot to think about," says Dan. Heh. Dan's there to talk to Natalie. She says hello and keeps on working. "I'm going to do something some people would consider wrong. I am not one of those people," he says. This seems to get her attention as she finally looks up. "What is it?" she asks, but Dan can't just tell her, because Sorkin has a whole twenty-two minutes to fill, so Dan starts rambling about how he thinks he's right because he feels it in his guts and blah blah blah and Natalie has to hurry him along. "About two months ago, Gordon spent the night with Sally," he finally says. "Who's Sally?" asks Natalie, rather cheerfully for someone who's just been told her best friend's fiancé cheated on her. Dan gives her a look, and Natalie realizes he's talking about Sally Sally. Dan tells her that Casey would prefer that Dana didn't know, so he's asking Natalie to be responsible with the information, but he can't even finish the sentence before Natalie yells, "Dana!" and stomps out of there. "'Course, it's entirely up to you," says Dan. But no one heard at all, not even the chair.













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