"Russell, this is a surprise," Elizabeth said with a smile as she walked carefully down the stairs. She was moving a little better but each step still sent pain up her legs and she tried to go slowly and step lightly without seeming as if it took effort.
"Yes, well I figured I should come make sure you weren't going crazy here," Russell said as he walked toward her.
"Why don't you two take a seat. I'll go get some tea," Henry said. He gave his wife a little wink and a smile that Russell couldn't see and moved toward the kitchen.
Russell sat on the edge of the couch and watched Bess take a seat on the opposite end. He could tell she was being careful. Her movements were slow and deliberate. Her face looked a bit pale but mostly untouched. The stitches on her forehead were not very big and most of the bruising had faded to almost nothing. Russell was glad to see her up and about. He had feared he'd see her laying incapacitated on the couch. "It's good to see you moving around." He ran his hands through his hair. "You had us all scared for a while there."
Elizabeth gave him a small smile. She knew he cared but wasn't good at showing it. "Thanks Russell. I'm getting there." There was a bit of a silent pause before she asked, "I am assuming this visit is not entirely just to make sure I am alive?"
"Well, truth be told I was kind of hoping you were bored to death and eager to return to work," Russell admitted a bit abashed.
"That bad huh?" Elizabeth smirked.
Russell sighed, "Cushing's an idiot. The whole peace deal is falling apart more each day. Don't get me wrong, your staff is doing an admirable job but it's just not enough."
"Well, while I am not pleased to hear that, I am not quite sure I am ready to return to work," Elizabeth admitted.
"Any particular reason why?" Russell pushed.
"I still don't remember much of what happened."
"You don't need to. We can catch you up to speed on anything that is necessary."
"Russel, I appreciate that you miss me but-"
"Oh, come on, it's been two week, almost three. It's not like you to just want to sit at home. You thrive on being busy." Russell pronounced.
Elizabeth scoffed at him, "Even if I was to admit that I am getting a bit stir crazy, I don't think it's a good idea yet."
"Is that Henry speaking or you?" Russell watched her give him a death glare. He held up his hands in apology and said, "Look, I know it's a big ask. But we really could use you." Elizabeth just continued to stare him down. "If you're worried about the physical side of it, we can, I don't know, make you walk less, get you a better chair, whatever you need. Just think about it."
"Think about what?" Henry asked as he brought in the tea.
"Going back to work," Elizabeth said.
"No, absolutely not! Russell, you have no idea…we are not discussing this. She's not ready," Henry forcefully said.
"I'm not saying she has to do full days, I'm just-"
"No! Now, if this is the reason you are here, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave," Henry said with clear irritation.
Russell sighed. He knew Henry McCord was fiercely protective of his wife. After what had happened he could understand why. He rose and said with a shrug, "Just think about it."
"Is that you asking or the President?" Elizabeth said with a smirk.
"If Conrad knew I was here asking you to come in, he'd probably fire me. He wants to give you time. Hell, I'd love to give you time. But I also need to try to get this disaster wrapped up and you're the best one for the job."
"I'll remember you said that," Elizabeth teased.
"I'm sure I'll regret it at some point."
"Most likely," She smiled.
"Look, at the very least can I send Blake by with some files for you to look over?" Russell asked. He saw Henry move to deflect him but Elizabeth reached out a hand to her husband that seemed to stop him.
"That's fine," Elizabeth said.
Russell could see that Henry didn't agree with her and thought he better leave before he became witness to a marital squabble. "I'm glad you're recovering Bess. Do what you need to do. I'll see ya later."
Elizabeth thanked him and watched him leave. Henry immediately said, "What are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, though she knew exactly what her husband was referring to.
"Reading files? I thought we agreed you were going to focus on yourself for a while and recover?" Henry said a bit stiffly.
Elizabeth sighed, "I am. I'm recovering. But Henry, I can only lay in bed for so many hours, and I'm getting a bit….stir crazy here! You are going back to work in a day or two and I'll be here alone and bored to death. They are just files."
"Your recovery has a long way to go and you know that reading can aggravate the concussion symptoms," Henry was agitated by his wifes stubbornness, while at the same time, understanding her need to do something. She had never been one to lay low or take a lot of time off. She liked to be productive.
"I know you worry about me but I'll be ok. I promise not to push myself too hard. It's not like I'm jumping back to work. I am just going to sit on the couch or lay in bed and read files and get caught up on some things."
"I don't like it, but I can hardly stop you," Henry admitted. "But when your head starts pounding you have to stop and rest."
Elizabeth squeezed his hand. "I will." She lifted herself up a bit and kissed him tenderly. "I'll miss you when you go back to work. Be sure to come home on time."
"Well, there's a roll reversal," Henry chuckled. Elizabeth swatted him playfully on the arm. "I'll be here anytime you need me. Just call and I can drop anything and come. Are you sure you're ready to navigate by yourself for a day or two?"
"Yeah, I'll manage just fine. Sleep, eat, read files, repeat," She teased.
"Somewhere in there you better take some pain meds," He quibbed.
"Wise words," she admitted. "I should probably take some now before we attempt a shower."
Henry nodded, kissed her and they moved upstairs together. The shower routine was becoming easier for them. Elizabeth could stand a bit longer. The bandages were removed before the shower and as long as she stayed out of the direct spray, or turned the spray to the lowest setting, the pain was manageable. The skin on her legs still looked raw and blistered, but there were more scabs now and instead of the intense red, her skin was now a lesser pink shade. Her skin felt tight and her legs still throbbed if she neglected her meds or stood for too long. Her ribs were still tender but she could breath easier than she could a week ago. Elizabeth knew she was recovering. She saw the progress but she was frustrated by how slow it was. She was growing increasingly frustrated with not having her memories back. She had a feeling she was missing something important but couldn't place it. Henry still was acting a bit irritable and preoccupied. She had been worried that her care was taking up too much of his time and that he was feeling overwhelmed. When she had gathered the courage to confront him about it he had reassured her, quite convincingly, that she was not a burden to him. Still, she had insisted he think about returning to work and after a few days he had relented and agreed to return for just a few lectures. Elizabeth hoped that it would help him overcome the current fear she knew he was feeling about her injuries.
Three days later Elizabeth sat on the couch with files littering the coffee table. Yesterday morning, Blake had dropped by with a full box of pastries, coffee, and an armful of files. She had beamed at the sight of him. He was his usual self and had said he missed her, worried about her, and complained about Cushing, all while being professional and diplomatic. He hadn't resisted giving her a small hug before he left and had insisted he call him if she needed anything and couldn't get a hold of Henry. Elizabeth had used his offer to reassure Henry that he really could go to work. Elizabeth threw down the file she held in frustration. The words were blurring together, her brain felt slow and foggy. She pressed her hands into her eyes in an attempt to lessen the throbbing behind them. She may have underestimated the extent of her concussion. Damn, this was annoying. She was bored and longed for mental stimulation but reading was proving difficult and her focus was hard to find. Standing slowly and feeling her skin pull she inhaled and walked slowly to the kitchen. She was in need of headache meds. Unfortunately, they were not where she remembered them being. She looked in a few other cupboards but no luck. She really didn't want to trek upstairs to look. Feeling tired and frustrated she admitted defeat and pulled out her phone to call Henry. It rang until finally going to voicemail. That's when it happened. She suddenly couldn't breathe properly, images raced through her mind, her hands shook and fumbled, the phone falling to the floor and her body with it.
Let me know your thoughts. I am sorry for the long wait. And this was in one shot of writing. I'm just too tired to give it more. Forgive me. I will try to post again soon. Thanks for reading!
