Something had changed in the McCord household. Jason McCord had sensed it from the afternoon of Ali's birthday. He wasn't as blissfully unaware as his family believed. He was just good at hiding things.
In the past 24 hours he'd come to the sinking conclusion that his mother was somehow involved in the coup situation in Iran. And he was angry with his family for keeping it from him.
The mood changed in a snap; right after he mentioned the online article he was reading his father's cell phone buzzed and then he suddenly left the house without a word to anyone as to where he was going or when he'd be back.
When he stumbled into the kitchen noticing the somber expressions on his sisters' faces as they stared at their father, it added fuel to the fire. But he didn't get a chance to ask because he was bombarded by laughy string.
He wanted to be wrong. He wanted to assume that if something was seriously wrong they would tell him; it was his mother after all. If Ali & Stevie knew, he should get to know too. But no one said anything and bid him goodnight as though it was an ordinary night.
The next morning Henry announced that his mother would be home later that afternoon. He didn't know where she was returning from, but Henry said to be nice to her when she arrived and to let her relax, that she'd probably be tired from the flight.
When Elizabeth arrived home, she did look exhausted. Maybe from the flight? He wasn't sure.
By the time he reached the door to greet his mother, his sisters were jumping all over her as though she'd been gone for months. He didn't quite understand that. Normally when she came home from a trip no one bothered to wait for her at the door, except his father. Red flag.
He gave his mother a hug and she smiled at him. It was like she knew too. The smile for him was different than the smile for his sisters. It was like she knew everyone was hiding something from him and she had to keep up the charade.
Regardless, he was happy she was home.
Then he noticed the way she didn't smile or kiss his father. She was always happy to see him. Another red flag. Henry gave her one more hug as he whispered into her ear. "Go up to bed, I'll be there in a minute."
She nodded and slowly ascended the stairs. Even though his father ushered he and his sisters away, he poked his head around the corner and watched. It was difficult for his mother to climb the stairs. Her hands gripped tightly to the rail and her breathing was labored. At one point her sleeve rode up her arm and he noticed a white bandage. You didn't use a white gauze bandage for a paper cut. There was definitely something they weren't telling him. His mother had been hurt wherever she had gone.
Why wouldn't anyone tell him?
When his mother was out of sight, could hear his father speaking with Frank in the foyer. He couldn't make out the exact conversation but he saw Frank hand him two prescription bottles and a file folder. They shook hands and Frank left.
After closing the door behind Frank, Henry slipped the pills into his pocket and placed the file folder on his desk, locking the office door behind him. Then he dashed up the stairs in search of Elizabeth.
He waited a few minutes then climbed the stairs himself. He wasn't surprised to find his parent's bedroom door closed.
Tiptoeing, he quietly leaned his head against the door, listening. He heard his mother sobbing. He heard his father's deep voice whispering calming words to her. He couldn't make out what exactly was being said, but he did hear his mother say, "Fred…..he's dead."
Another red flag. Fred was her top agent. If he was dead something terrible must have happened. He wished his father didn't lock the office door so he could see what was in that file.
Dashing from the door, he hopped on his own bed, pretending to play on his phone when he heard his father's footsteps coming toward him.
He saw his father wipe his face, most likely his tears, and head downstairs. "Hey buddy." Henry said to as he passed his room.
"How's mom?" he asked
"She's fine. Just tired. I'm going to go make her something to eat."
Jason nodded, he wasn't convinced in the least that his mother was 'just tired'. Creeping out of his room, he sat at the top of the staircase listening to the conversation in the kitchen.
"Girls." Henry said. "Make sure Jason is occupied today. Mom is…Fred Cole died in Iran. She's very distraught. I need to…."
Iran! He knew it, she did go there and something had happened. Something terrible happened.
"But she's okay right?" Ali asked.
"She's….she'll be fine." Henry promised.
"I'll take care of these guys." Stevie confirmed, handing him a tray containing eggs, toast & strawberries. "You take care of Mom."
"Thank you girls." He said, pulling them into a hug. "I'm really proud of you. You're both being incredibly strong."
As he heard his father coming back up the stairs, he made an escape for his room once again. He closed his door and peeked through the crack as he watched his father carry the tray into his bedroom and closed the door.
With that he decided to confront his sisters.
"Hey." Ali said casually as he walked into the kitchen. "Want a snack?"
"Nah."
They both stared at him for a minute, waiting for him to explain why he'd come to the kitchen if he didn't want a snack. "Guys, what's going on with Mom?"
Ali looked at Stevie, unsure of how to answer.
"Nothing Jase, why?" Stevie said, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Because she wouldn't kiss Dad hello and she could barely walk up the stairs. I saw a bandage on her arm and I saw Frank give 2 bottles of pills to Dad."
Stevie sighed. She wanted to preserve his innocence. She'd come to find out the hard way about the secrets her mother carried from her CIA days when she was 10. Jason didn't know that reality. His mother had been a professor for as long as he could remember. He'd only heard stories about the CIA. It was a burden only Stevie had experienced.
"Jase, we don't know. You know mom can't talk about her work. She said so when she left the other day."
"But you know something! I know you know. Please tell me. This is mom we're talking about." He begged
"Really Jase, I can tell something happened just like you. But I don't know what. Dad's taking care of it. He always takes care of mom. She'll be fine."
Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere with them, he sighed and went back to his room. "You're right."
***Hyper Aware***
When Henry returned to the bedroom with the plate of food, he noticed Elizabeth sitting on the bay window seat, aimlessly staring outside.
"Babe, the girls made you some eggs." He said quietly, brushing her shoulder with his fingers.
"I'm not really hungry." She whispered and turned back to the window.
"Frank said you haven't eaten since the hospital. Even then he said all you would eat was a Popsicle."
"My throat was sore from all the smoke." She said.
"Is it still sore?"
"A little."
"Well the eggs should go down easy. There's strawberries too. Your favorite." He nudged.
She sighed and slowly got up and followed him to the bed and she ate her food in silence. It was a struggle. She wanted to puke it right up.
When she was through he took the tray away and pulled her back into his arms. She struggled to get comfortable. "Where does it hurt sweetheart?" he asked softly, sensing her discomfort.
"Everywhere."
"Will a hot bath help?" he offered. "A massage?"
"That sounds nice." She said, the slightest of smiles tugging at her lips. It was her first smile of the day.
Henry drew her a scalding hot bath, just as she liked it while she struggled to undress. When she walked past him to step into the tub he noticed the bandages on her arms, the bruises on her back and legs and the gaping stitches against the porcelain skin her back. He swallowed. What had happened to his wife?
Elizabeth noticed Henry's eyes welling with tears. "I'm sorry Henry." She whispered
"It's not your fault. Just…just get in the tub." He hugged her.
She slowly slid into the tub, wincing as the hot water stung her wounds. But once she was settled she relaxed. The hot water was relieving the aches in her muscles.
After the bath, he helped her into her favorite pajama set and had her lay down so he could massage her back. As soon as she felt his weight on her she frantically scurried away in tears. "Get off!" she cried.
His eyes went wide. "What baby, what? I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"
When she realized it was him, her husband, she calmed down a bit, her panting subsiding. "I'm sorry. Maybe I should sit up and you can sit behind me?"
"Okay." He nodded slowly and waited for her to back up against him and he went to work on her tense shoulders.
After the massage she curled into his arms as she searched for sleep. She hadn't slept since she left home. Maybe she did a little at the hospital. She couldn't remember. "No spooning from behind." She instructed and she nestled against his chest. "We have to stay like this."
"Okay, however you're comfortable." He agreed, accepting her into his arms, kissing her forehead.
"It's safe now." She whispered as she was falling into a deep sleep.
"You're safe Elizabeth. At home in our bed. I've got you." He confirmed, hugging her tighter against his chest.
***Hyper Aware***
Jason noticed the bedroom door remained closed the remainder of the day and all night. He only heard the sounds of a bath. He hoped when he woke up his mother would be normal self, that she really was just tired from her trip. That all she suffered was some cuts and bruises from Iran.
When he woke up the next day and found his mother absent from the breakfast table, he knew it was not the case.