Quiet Pain

"Let's send Henry down there." Conrad insisted, despite Elizabeth's protests.

"It's the right thing to do." Henry told her

Elizabeth was having second thoughts. She knew it was the right thing to do, but she just had a sinking feeling that something was going to happen. The same one she had right before she left for Iran just a few weeks ago. She tried to convince her mind otherwise, that Henry would be fine. Her eyes would be on him from the situation room and he'd have military backup and a wire. Plus he was a trained marine and could think well on his feet. She believed in him. She hoped she was just overreacting as a result of her lingering PTSD. But, as she kissed Henry goodbye, she couldn't help but feel as though it might have been goodbye.

She had to admire Henry for making jokes about his code name of "Cardinal." Then he complained about the panic word being "Alamo". She knew he knew she was watching and therefore he was trying to lighten the mood. She tried to calm her nerves by telling him to shut up and get on with it.

She watched with baited breath as Henry decided to enter the compound without his wire; alone. "Henry, what the hell did you just do?" She whispered, saying a silent prayer.

"We lost visual on Cardinal." Commander Parker said. Elizabeth was pacing. It was all she could do from losing her mind.

"Can we get audio or…." She asked, waving her hands frantically.

"We're working on a long range microphone." Admiral Hill said calmly, trying to assure Elizabeth her husband was in good hands. One she again heard her husband's voice she sat back in her chair and focused on his voice and her breath.

Her heart broke for her husband as he recounted the story of his young friend falling through the ice. It was a tale she had heard only a few times before. Henry didn't like to talk about it. But she took comfort in that his plan was working and he was calm.

But when Russel said, "Am I the only one thinking he shouldn't drink the tea." She flopped back in her chair taking a deep breath and unbuttoning her jacket. He hand rested on her stomach, trying to calm the nausea brewing in her belly. It was both a blessing and a curse to be witnessing this.

There was a loud noise and everyone jumped. "Someone's got him." Russel said as the camera moved in on Henry.

Conrad stood. Elizabeth's mind raced. She could abort this right now. But she had to stay focused. "Sir, he's not in distress, he didn't say Alamo." Elizabeth said as calmly as she could. Focus. Focus.

"Let it play out." Conrad said.

As the conversation went on Conrad insisted they take the captor out. As much as it terrified her, she said. "It will cause mayhem." And she knew that would be worse.

"Waiting on a clear shot." Admiral Hill said. They would only shoot if the shot was clear.

"He's got a knife." Elizabeth stood a few minutes later. Her heart was racing. The image of her husband being held with a shiny silver knife to his neck was the most awful thing she could have ever imagined. She had to fix this. Nothing could happen to Henry. He was her everything.

"Still no clean shot." Commander Parker said.

Her heart raced faster. It was bad news on top of bad news. It was a living hell. Again a blessing and a curse to watch. At the moment she knew he was safe, but she felt powerless only watching an ocean away and not being able to help him.

"Hold on Henry." Conrad stood, his voice calm. He realized Elizabeth was slowly losing her cool and he would have to make the decisions and help keep her calm.

Everyone watched with baited breath as the situation unfolded. Elizabeth could still see the shiny silver blade at her husband's neck and it terrified her.

She focused on her breath and tried to trust her husband's judgement and skills in these situations. But what Henry didn't have control over was other people. Suddenly Christine entered the room and dropped her tray, the loud noise causing panic.

Christine saw the small amount of blood on Henry's chest and stayed chanting "The time is now, the time is now."

His captor panicked and slit Henry's neck as he moved to follow Christine. Mass panic broke out and Admiral Hill sent in the cavalry. "Cardinal has been hit. Move. Move." She instructed into the microphone.

Elizabeth saw a squirt of blood before her husband disappeared from her view when he collapsed and she dropped her head to the table, squeezing her eyes closed unable to look. She silently began to pray he was okay. She couldn't bear the thought of something happening to him. They were supposed to grow old together and she couldn't face the possibility of life without him.

She faintly heard voices around her, signaling something was happening and she slowly looked up on the screen and she saw two soldiers carrying Henry's limp form out of the tent and into safety. But the blood. There was so much blood. Soaking his shirt and jacket. It was a sight she would never be able to erase from her memory. Her hand covered her face as she shakily said. "Henry…."

Her eyes were clouded with tears as she looked to Admiral Hill, silently begging her to repeat what Commander Parker was saying to her.

Conrad reached for her hand and squeezed it, trying to calm her down.

"Henry's alive." Admiral Hill said softly. "But he's lost a lot of blood. The Army medical staff is working to stabilize him from transfer. We need to get him state side for surgery. The medial care in South America is not ideal."

"Get a helicopter ready immediately." The President said. "Where do they want to take him?"

"The closest American hospital is in Miami sir. 6 hour flight."

Elizabeth suddenly felt the bile in her throat rising and she jumped from her seat and ran to the bathroom, emptying her stomach before breaking down in sobs. "Henry, please…..please don't give up." she silently begged. She had faith in her husband's strong will and the army medical staff, but six hours was a long flight. And Henry lost a lot of blood. What if he didn't have six hours?

As she emerged from the bathroom some twenty minutes later she saw Conrad waiting for her. She was somewhere between hysterical and terrified and she suddenly knew exactly who to blame.

"Bess." He said gently.

"Conrad. How could you do this…you sent him there, this is your fault!" She screamed. "If he doesn't make it…I…I" she felt a panic attack coming on. She didn't know what to do.

"Bess." He said again, helping to steady her and accepting her rage. "Bess…listen to me."

She calmed enough to look into her friends eyes as tears streamed down her face. "Oh god….please don't tell me….." she breathed, fearing the worse.

Conrad shook his head in the negative, letting her know it wasn't what she was thinking. "I've got my plane ready for you. You are getting on and you're going to meet Henry in Miami. He's been stabilized but still critical. He's lost a lot of blood." Conrad said seriously.

She broke down at the word critical and Conrad hugged her. "He's going to be okay. He's strong." He said. "He needs you Bess. You need to pull it together and go."

Elizabeth pulled back and nodded. She could do nothing else. She knew she had to get to him. But part of her was terrified she'd be going to hold his hand while he died or and it made her want to stay home. She couldn't bear it. But she had to be there for him, no matter what. For better or worse. They promised one another.

She soon found herself at home, to pack a bag and then leave. She walked in the door and found her children in the kitchen making dinner. They were joking and laughing.

She forced a smile as she walked in. She didn't know how she was going to tell them what happened but she had to. "Hi Mom." They said and then they noticed her tear stained face.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Ally asked.

She held her arms out to her babies. "Come here guys. I need to talk to you about something okay?" They hugged her and she lead them to the living room. "Sit down okay?"

She looked at their concerned faces. She looked at Allison, she was Henry's spitting image and she nearly lost it again. She swallowed down her tears and spoke. "Guys, something's happened to your dad…."

"Mom, he's at a religion conference, what could have happened?" Jason asked.

"Well, he's not really at a religion conference. You know that situation in Bolivia?"

"Dad went to Bolivia?!" Stevie exclaimed. "Why?"

"The President sent him to try and calm the leaders down and try to convince them all not to kill themselves, since he's a religious scholar….well when he was talking to them something happened….and…."

"Mom what happened!?" Allison begged as her mother broke down in tears. "Is Dad okay?"

The girls were panicked, the situation so eerily similar to just two weeks ago when their father didn't know if their mother was okay in Iran.

"He's he got hurt….he's alive." She said, at least calming that fear from them. She reached for the girls hands and held them tight. "But he needs surgery immediately. They're taking him to Miami, it's the closest hospital that can….. So I am going to go and meet him." She said softly.

"Mom we want to come." Stevie said without blinking.

"No no…..you are all staying here. I will call you and keep you updated okay." She insisted, she didn't know Henry's real condition and she didn't want her children to see their father until she saw for herself. "If you need to be there, I'll send for you okay?"

"It's that serious?" Jason whispered.

She reached for him and tilted his chin. "Could be baby….I'm so sorry."

Opening her arms she hugged all three of her children as they cried together. A few minutes later she pulled back and wiped their faces. "It's going to be okay. I love you guys." She smiled softly giving each of them a kiss as she rose and went up to the bedroom to pack a bag.

Upon entering the bedroom she felt the tears well in her eyes again. What if Henry never returned to sleep in their bed beside her? As she grabbed her things from the bathroom she smiled as she noticed he razor and after shave sitting on the counter where he had left it that morning.

She threw some of her own clothing in her suitcase and pulled some of Henry's as well, thinking he would want something comfortable to return home in. She held one of his sweater to her nose, smelling his scent and she was comforted for just a moment. Taking one last look around the room and pulled the suitcase and made her way downstairs.

Her children hugged her goodbye again. "You guys be good. I love you." She whispered.

"Take good care of Dad." Jason said.

Elizabeth gave her youngest another hug. "I will baby. I promise."

"Bye Mom. Love you." Allison said, trying her best to be strong.

She blew another kiss as she stepped out the door. Frank took her suitcase and she slid into the SUV taking a deep breath. "Hold on Henry….I'm coming." She said under her breath.

AN: This story was request by SA'MSecfan; wanting something to happen to Henry vs. all my stories have things that happen to Elizabeth. Hope I'm doing your request justice(and that everyone else likes it too!).