Happy Birthday Brenda! I was not going to update yet but consider this my online present for always being so supportive!
This is a long chapter and I hope I meet all of your expectations. I think you were expecting this.
Let me know what you think! Reviews make my day and keep me writing :)
xxx
The car raced off, leaving them for dead on the side of the road. It took Henry a second to realize what had just happened. "Elizabeth, are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
Seeing she was not responsive, he started getting more and more worried by the second, his marine training kicking in. He had to see if she was breathing. With shaky hands, Henry turned them around and laid her on the floor gently. First he searched for a pulse on Elizabeth's wrist, relief flooding his system when he felt it against the tips of his fingers. Then, he bent his head to get close to her chest to check her breathing, calming himself down when he felt the gentle rise and fall of her chest.
But he knew something was still wrong or she wouldn't be unconscious. He kept searching and it wasn't until he brushed the hair off her face that he realized she had hit her head. He saw a split in her forehead and a large bump over her temple, her skin abraded and filled with dirt, as a small trickle of blood streamed down her face.
He didn't waste any time on lifting her up and placing her slowly in the backseat of their car. He drove at top speed until he reached the nearest hospital. Upon arrival, he carried her inside, still unconscious and nurses immediately started to check Elizabeth's vitals and asking him questions about what had happened. Henry told them everything he could without compromising the mission, hoping they could help her.
It wasn't until then that he realized his leg was hurting. He looked down and saw that his pants were stained red and sticky, as he ran his palm down the side of his shin. One nurse noticed it and beckoned him to get examined too, which he only agreed to when Elizabeth was wheeled away to get some tests done.
Turned out that one of the bullets had scraped his leg. It wasn't a deep wound but it still needed to be treated and he would have to stay overnight. He was starting to get restless in the hospital room at not having any news about Elizabeth. Why the hell did she put herself in harm's way to protect me? What if something happened to her? What if she doesn't wake up? What if she's dead? These thoughts were consuming his head so he decided to get up and go look for answers.
Just as he managed to get out of bed, the door opened just enough for Elizabeth to peek in with a concerned look on her face. "Henry! Are you okay?" He's fine. Thank God.
"Hey, I was just going to ask about you." He greeted her as he gave her a tight hug. "I'm okay. A bullet only grazed me, thanks to you. How are you feeling?" She's fine. I wouldn't have forgiven myself if something happened to her.
"Turns out I have a minor concussion. I must have hit my head harder than I thought when we fell to the floor." she said, hugging him back and pointing to the bandage on her head.
"But are you feeling fine? Shouldn't you be resting?" he pressed, remembering the lump in the forehead and the blood streaming down her face.
"Maybe." she responded with a sheepish smile. "But they gave me some painkillers and ordered me to take it slow for the next few days. I do have a headache and I'm a little dizzy, but nothing more."
Henry couldn't help but worry about her but seeing her so at ease made him calm down a bit. "So are they discharging you?"
"I already signed the paperwork. You're not going to be so lucky, though…" she hinted, trying to figure out if he knew he would have to stay overnight.
"I know. Tomorrow they are going to check my wound again and if everything looks good I will be able to go home." he said, settling again on the bed.
Elizabeth helped him and once she was sure he was comfortable she asked: "Hey, can I borrow your phone to call Conrad? I think we should let him know we're here and I can't seem to find mine anywhere…"
"Of course. It's in the pocket of my pants. They should be lying around somewhere…" he said, not really knowing where the nurses had left the clothes he was wearing.
Elizabeth found it all folded neatly on a chair in the corner and excused herself. "I'll call really quick and come back, okay?"
"Okay. It's not like I'm going anywhere…" he teased her, wanting to light up the mood a bit.
Once Elizabeth was in the hallway outside Henry's bedroom, she unlocked the phone and saw the missed call from Rochana. Maybe I should call her and let her know Henry's here, so she can come and be with him. He deserves this much. She pressed her name on the screen but after ringing a few times, it went straight to voicemail. Elizabeth proceeded to call Conrad and explained to him what had happened that night. He was very understanding, giving them both as long as they needed to recover before going back to work.
Henry was almost asleep when he felt the bed dip and a very warm body against him. "Henry, are you still awake?" Elizabeth whispered. He looks so cute.
He turned to face her with tired, half closed eyes, and nodded. "I am. But whatever it is they've given me is starting to kick in…" he slurred as Elizabeth chuckled softly. It feels like I am dreaming, though.
"You rest. It's okay if I go over to your place and bring you some stuff? I couldn't reach your wife and she must be worried." she said, wanting to do something nice for him. I'm not the one supposed to be here… I'm sure he prefers Rochana being here and giving him comfort.
"Worried…" was the only thing he could whisper before succumbing to sleep. His last thought being I doubt she'd be worried at all.
That was all the confirmation Elizabeth needed. He wanted his wife to be there for him and not her. It made total sense, but still she couldn't help but feel a pang of bittersweetness as she walked towards the nurse station. "I'm going to retrieve some of his stuff and let his wife know he's here. Do you need anything from me before I come back?"
The nurses looked at her with a sympathetic smile and nodded. "We've given him something for the pain and he should be asleep for the next few hours. You can go home and rest and we'll call you if anything happens during the night."
"I don't have my cell phone… But I'll try to be quick. Is it okay if I come back with his wife so she can spend the night here?" she asked beforehand, not wanting there to be any problems later.
"Of course." they agreed, moved by her thoughtfulness.
She grabbed his cell phone and his apartment keys, but she still had no idea where he lived. She tried to contact Rochana again, but without luck. As she made her way to the hospital entrance, she decided to call Isabelle and ask for her help. Her friend was always ready and she found out Henry's address by the time climbed in a cab.
She stopped at the front door, knocked and waited. No answer. She knocked again. Nothing. She checked the apartment number to verify this was the one Isabelle had said. She felt uneasy about entering it without permission, although she knew it was for a good cause and nobody seemed to be there. She braced herself, taking a deep breath, before sliding the keys through the lock and opening the door.
Elizabeth had a bad feeling the moment she entered the dark apartment. She couldn't place it but her gut had never failed her before. It might be the concussion? Maybe I should have rested a bit more… Or is it because I'm entering the place Henry shares daily with his wife? Here they must share the laughter, the late conversations, the intimacy…
Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when the lights suddenly went on. Closing her eyes, she cursed under her breath at the bright light, making the headache she had even worse. When she was able to compose herself, she was completely taken aback by the scene before her.
Rochana was standing in the middle of the living room with her arms crossed across her chest clutching a thin sheet to cover her body. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Elizabeth was confused. She didn't know what kind of a situation she had walked into but knew anything good would come out of it. "I'm sorry. I knocked before entering but you didn't answer. I thought you were not home. I'm just here to grab some things for Henry and let you know that he's hurt and he'll spend the night in the hospital."
Rochana was quiet for a second before she shrugged and said: "Okay. I'll bring you his things. Wait here." She turned, but before she reached the bedroom, a man only wearing a pair of boxers came out. "What's happening?"
"Nothing. Get back in there, this will only take a minute." Rochana said, pulling him back into the bedroom.
Elizabeth now knew why she'd had a bad feeling. Rochana was cheating on Henry. How long has this been going on? How can she have the audacity to cheat on him in their own home? In their own bed? What do I do now? Should I tell Henry? Or should I stay away and let them figure it out? He doesn't deserve this…
A loud thump in front of her pulled Elizabeth out of her thoughts, it was a bag which she supposed contained some of Henry's belongings. She lifted her gaze and looked intently at Rochana. The woman didn't seem to be upset about being caught and even less worried about what had happened to Henry. Hell, she hasn't even asked about him… I don't know anything about love, but this is not what a marriage should look like…
"I'm assuming you're not coming with me to the hospital to see Henry, are you?" She challenged Rochana.
"No, I'm not. You're going to tell him, aren't you?" Rochana asked back, defying her with her stare.
"I don't know. I think it would be best if he hears it from you… I'm going to give you some time to talk to him. But if you don't say anything, I will." Elizabeth started. "I don't want to get in the middle of whatever this is but he deserves to know even if it destroys him…" she said, her mind only thinking of how sad Henry will be once he discovers everything.
"If you say so…" Rochana said, before raising her brows at her.
Elizabeth couldn't believe the other woman's attitude: she couldn't be colder and more arrogant even if she tried. What did Henry see in her anyways? "The last thing he said before getting asleep was how worried you'd be without knowing where he was, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. I tried to call you, but I guess you were too busy to pick up the phone."
"I'll talk to him when he gets home tomorrow. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to attend to…" she smirked, nodding her head towards the bedroom.
The woman had balls, that was for sure. Elizabeth grabbed the bag in front of her and quickly got back to the hospital, all the way reflecting on what had just happened. Will Henry still stand by her side after he learns about this? Will he be as devastated as he was a few days back? Will he leave the mission and go back to Iraq? Will he leave me alone?
While she was still lost in thought, the cab stopped in front of the hospital. She paid the driver and made her way inside. Once she passed in front of the nurse station they greeted her. "You're already back? That was fast! He's still sleeping," one of the nurses said. "What about his wife?" the other one inquired.
"I couldn't reach her…" Elizabeth lied, a sad smile on her lips. "Is it okay if I stay with him instead? I don't want him to wake up here all alone…"
The nurses nodded as she smiled back at them, this time her smile real. "Thank you." she whispered.
Once in Henry's room, she placed the bag on the chair in the corner and she sat down on his bed, watching him sleep. He looked so peaceful and unaware of all the bad things that had happened that day. Elizabeth ran her hands through his soft hair enjoying that intimate moment between them. He looks so handsome.
All that had happened that day started to weigh on her, exhaustion taking over. She settled into the bed next to Henry, resting her head on his chest, careful to not wake him up. Only then, Elizabeth was able to close her eyes as the sound of his heartbeat lulled her to sleep.
…
