Chapter 9

Henry looked at his watch once again. It was almost 2:30. They had been in her office for nearly an hour and he was about to use his walk-in privileges.

Inside Elizabeth looked over the surveillance photos presented to her. She was frustrated and angry their intel was blown and Adila Ah-jamil got away. Her voice was now down to almost a whisper if anything, "She wasn't here either? That's the grandmother's home."

"Bess, you really need to stop talking," Isabelle reminded her friend.

She gave her an icy glare. Jay tried to mend that, "We've looked at them every which way. At this point, we need to move forward. The question is where did she go? Who is she working with? Also, Isabelle is right you really need to stop talking, Elizabeth."

His use of her name and not her title let her know where he was on this.

"Fine. Isabelle it is time to switch out the Baghdad Desk," she said.

"In the middle of this? No way, Bess," She shook her head at her.

"Yes, in the middle of this. You think you can trust Kurt in there? His intel is either bad or he's been turned. He's leading us off," she tried to raise her voice. "Jay, get Conrad on the phone for me," she said sitting down and looking at the photos again.

"I'll have him text you," he replied. She dropped the photos and looked at him.

He gave her his impish grin as he and Isabelle headed out.

Henry appeared as soon as they left, reaching his hand out to help her up out of the chair, "C'mon you need to rest."

A half-hour later, Elizabeth's head laid in Henry's lap as they read through their day's work.

She was reading her own documents when she put them down, on the ottoman and plopped her glasses on top of them. "It makes no sense," she complained.

Henry ran his hand through her hair while she rolled on her side, "Stop talking."

She fell asleep while he mindlessly ran his hands through her hair.

Feeling his eyelids getting heavy and the weight of the last several months of overcoming him, Henry put his documents down, took his glasses off and dozed off as well. When he woke an hour later, the room was almost dark. The rain continued to pour outside, the wind pushing most it onto the Truman Balcony making the pitter-patter echo through the quiet residence. He looked down and Elizabeth was still asleep, but he could feel the heat from her on his legs. She was burning up again.

"Elizabeth," he nudged her gently. She woke easily and began to try to talk but nothing came out.

"No, don't even try. It's completely gone now. I told you to stop talking. Your fever is back. Let me get you some medicine," he got up and headed to the kitchen where all her meds were.

When he stepped back into the room, she was sitting up and texting with Conrad. Henry brought her some water, Tylenol, a notepad and a pen.

She typed to Conrad, "Hold on, Dr. Henry is back with meds and a notepad. Can you believe this?"

She took the pen and paper. "Texting with Conrad. Will is on his way up." She handed it back to him rolling her eyes.

Conrad: "LOL! I was sick once or twice during my time too. At least, your plane didn't lose communication with you in it."

Elizabeth: "Still too soon."

Conrad: "I think you are right about taking Kurt out of there. Sarah was clearly blown and they were tipped off today. Bring him back and have him questioned.

Are they checking everything at the embassy? Clearing servers?"

Elizabeth: "Doing that now. Should receive an update from Susan soon."

Conrad: "I agree you definitely have a leaker or leakers. We have had these discussions before, you more than other presidents will have people coming for you. Just figuring out who this one is in a short period of time while your sick is the problem. You already know this but keep it close for now. The two of us, Isabelle, Henry, Jay. Let me think about who else was on the watch list back when you were in Iraq. I will get back to you. Feel better, Bess. Stop talking."

She sighed, her voice cracking "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because you won't stop talking," Henry replied laughing.

She glared at him. Then leaned over to kiss him. He put up his hand, "No, I love you but keep your germs to yourself."

"We just had sex, last…" she croaked out before he interrupted her.

"Stop talking!" He reminded her.

The knock came at the door and Henry called out, "C'mon in Will."

He swung the door open not bothering to close it behind him. He had a white bag in one hand and a brown pharmacy bag in the other. Holding them both up he called out to her, "I have to find out from somebody else that not only are you sick but you also won't stop talking."

Elizabeth cleared her throat and glared at him, "Allie's right. Stevie is a lousy rat."

Henry chuckled. "You want a drink, Will?"

"Coffee would be amazing as I just got out of a long surgery," he answered back.

He handed her the bags, "Contraband, cleared by the best Secret Service agent ever, Matt."

She looked in the white bag. The smell of cinnamon filled her senses bringing instant comfort, "A purse muffin!" She smiled back at him.

"The others are right. You do sound awful." He paused handing her the brown bag, "Take a dose of the cough syrup tonight and you will be much better in the morning. Still can't believe they won't prescribe it for you here.

She took the bag for him and pulled out the bottle, "Because it has codeine. I hate this stuff. It tastes lousy."

"And yet it has ALWAYS worked for you," he answered reaching down to check her swollen lymph nodes.

"What was her temp at?" he asked as Henry came back in with coffee for all of them.

"101" he answered.

Elizabeth joked, "I'm right here."

"Yes, but you need to stop talking." Will answered taking a mug from Henry.

Henry came back in with two more mugs. Tea for Elizabeth, coffee for him. He sat back down on the couch next to her.

Will looked down in his mug.

Elizabeth took a sip and whispered, "What's the other reason you are here?"

He looked up, "I saw Sarah and her records."

Henry leaned up a bit, "How is she?"

"When they kidnapped her, they tranquilized her and raped her. She doesn't remember it," he began. "But, she's going to need therapy. They wanted to start it at the hospital but I wouldn't allow it due to the need for discrepancy."

Elizabeth replied quietly, "I appreciate that. I can reach out to Dr. Sherman. Did they test her?"

"Yes, that was negative," he replied.

"Oh thank God," Henry said running his hair through his hands.

"With your permission, I'd like to go to the house and talk to Shane? I think he needs to know what he is heading into before he sees her. I think he was planning to visit her this evening." Will asked.

"I think that would be good," Henry answered as Elizabeth nodded. "I was planning to go with him. We can head over before."

"Perfect. I will go to the hospital with you as I will be overseeing her care," Will answered.

Henry finished his coffee and got himself ready. Elizabeth texted Blake for the motorcade.

It was almost 10, she was snuggled up in bed, reading documents when she heard him come through the door. She moved everything aside. He stopped in the bedroom doorway, she held her arms out.

He fell into her arms without saying anything at all. She held him close as he laid on top of her, his head on her chest. It didn't matter if they were sick, stressed, exhausted or all three, they would always be the other's home. The place of comfort they could always fall into.

"How is she?" she asked quietly, running her hand through his hair. Giving him the same care he had given her all day.

"She'll be okay. Stevie came with us," he sat up and took off his shoes. "She talked with her alone. I am sure she will fill you in tomorrow." He got up, took off his clothes and fell back in to bed, putting his head in her lap as she rubbed his back until he fell asleep.