AN: I do not own any part of Madam Secretary, if I did I would not be drinking such a crappy cup of coffee right now. I hope you guys liked the last chapter and I hope I'm not just talking to myself and that some people are actually reading this. Please ignore the grammatical and spelling mistakes. Also, last time I had a problem with apologizing each time there was a new political figure so I'm just going to say I really hope I'm not a racist in this, I try not to come across as one because I'm not but... (Wow that was a long run on sentence.) I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Two

I'm Bullet Proof

Nadine hurt all over, especially in her ribs. She felt like she had been hit by a bus or maybe a semi. She pried open her eyelids, to find herself in a clean bright room. She lay in a bed from what she could see she could tell that she was in a hospital. But why? Then, she remembered... the bomb. THE SECRETARY! Nadine sat straight up in bed, she had to know whether Secretary McCord was okay. Nadine remembered they were about to get onto the bus when Elizabeth had turned her around and pushed her the opposite direction. The next moment the plane had exploded and they were being thrown through the air. Finding the call button Nadine summoned a nurse.

"Hello, I see that you're awake," The chirpy young nurse said as she walked in. It took all Nadine's mind power to say no duh but she restrained herself. "How are you feeling Miss?"

"I feel fine, but what I need to know is how is Secretary of State McCord?" Nadine asked as the nurse checked her vitals.

"I'm sorry, I'm not supposed to tell you anything unless you're family," the nurse said.

"She's close enough. Sofia, I need to talk to Nadine for a moment," It was Fred at the room door. Nadine let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Hey, Nadine."

"Fred, how is she?" Nadine blurted out as soon as the nurse had left the room.

"She's not good," Fred replied honestly he had dark circles that indicated he had been up for some time without sleep. "She has four broken ribs, her right leg is broken it's a compound fracture," Nadine shuttered at the words but Fred continued. "she has a bad concussion, she broken her left arm too, not to mention she fractured her right cheek bone, and she has some internal injuries."

"Wow," Nadine was horrified at the list of injuries that seemed more like a preliminary report for a medical examiner than the condition of her boss and friend.

"Well, have you heard how you're doing?" Fred asked and Nadine shook her head. "Well, you broke a couple ribs, have a slight concussion, and you cracked three of your finger bones in your right hand."

"That's not bad, but how is the secretary doing? Has she woken up yet?" Nadine wondered where the rest of the staff was. It couldn't just be Fred.

"She hasn't woken up yet. I'm starting to think all those late hours caught up with her," Fred tried to ease Nadine's panic with a joke. Realizing it hadn't worked he continued. "We were worried about you for a little while though."

"Why? How long have I been out?" Nadine asked still frantic.

"You've been unconscious for about two days," Fred said and Nadine fell back against the pillow realizing that the pain in her ribs was the couple broken ribs Fred had been talking about.

"Where are we?" Nadine asked realizing that they didn't seem to still be in Pakistan anymore.

"We're at George Washington University Hospital," Fred replied and Nadine noted that she often passed by the hospital on the way to the State Department Building in the morning.

"When can I get released?" Nadine asked and Fred smiled. "What?"

"Well, I just won a bet with Blake, he said you would be sensible and wait a day before you tried to get out of bed," Fred smiled and Nadine wondered if Blake and Fred were in a habit of making bets, because if they were then it was certainly news to her.

"So, when can I get out of here?" Nadine asked again looking over the IV that snaked across the bed rail to her arm and the heart monitor that kept a varying beat of her racing heart.

"Well, according to the doctor, they can't truly do anything for your ribs besides prescribe a pain med so you should be able to get out today assuming there's nothing wrong with you," Fred replied more seriously. "However, you could always be the smart person Blake thinks you are and wait a day before discharging yourself."

"No thank you, by the way agent you may want to dial down the sass," Nadine said and she pressed the call button.

About four hours later, after Nadine had gone through a series of X-rays and MRIs she was legally discharged. The rest of the staff had come in around 2 which Fred had told her was when visiting hours started. Only Secretary McCord's protection detail was allowed to stay during non-visiting hours.

Nadine walked into the Secretary's room. The first thing she saw was the ventilator, that had a tube attached to the secretary's mouth and trailed down her throat so she could get oxygen. Nadine shook her head. She hated seeing Elizabeth like this. She knew the blond politician wouldn't have wanted anyone to see her like this, weak and vulnerable. Nadine could only imagine what it was like for Henry.

Another four hours later Nadine left with the others at the end of visiting hours. But instead of heading home Nadine went to another house. She rang the bell and the door was soon thrown open.

"Nadine! Where've you been?" Tanner asked. "I thought you were only going to be gone another day. I couldn't get you on your phone either."

"Our plane got bombed," Nadine sobbed and fell against Tanner's chest in a hug. "I was in the hospital for two days."

"Oh, Nadine," Tanner said and kicked the door shut.

When Elizabeth McCord woke up she had no clue where she was. She could feel a tube that dangled down her throat, she gagged on the tube and began coughing she opened her eyes. Where was she? Why was there something down her throat? Where was Henry? She looked around her, she was in a strange and unfamiliar room. There was a women in a Nurse's uniform scrubs trying to get her to calm down, Fred stood by the nurse looking concerned. Looking to the left she saw Henry, he grabbed her hand and she clutched to his.

"Madam Secretary, you have to calm down, I will remove the tube. Please, calm down," the nurse said and Liz headed her words and relaxed into the pillows. "Good, good," the nurse muttered as she pulled the thin plastic tube out of Liz's throat.

"Where am I?" Was the first question out of Liz's mouth.

"Liz, you're in the George Washington University Hospital," Henry said and he sat down on the side of her bed. Liz could feel her head pounding, it felt like she was standing next to an explosion.

"Why am I here?" Elizabeth asked and Henry looked into her eyes and Liz was confused. He looked so worried, like he had aged a hundred years in that one moment.

"Liz, you were in an explosion. You don't remember?" Henry phrased the statement so that it was a question. Liz shook her head, what was the last thing she remembered? "Well, you were in Pakistan and you guys were coming home early for reasons that even I don't know. Anyway, your plane exploded, the pilot and crew were killed but nobody was actually boarded so no one else died. You were injured because you and Nadine were both standing closer to the plane so you two were hit by the blast."

"Oh my God, how's Nadine?" Liz asked as she covered her mouth with her free hand. Fred chuckled and Liz looked at him.

"Sorry, ma'am it's just you both didn't ask how you were doing. You both wanted to know how the other was doing," Fred responded. "But she woke up two days ago, it's been four days since the explosion. I was about to start planning your replacement. Maybe, I could get someone without CIA training." When Liz look confused Henry elaborated on Fred's behalf.

"When the explosion occurred you blocked Nadine and tried to push her out of the way," Henry smiled at his wife even with the bandage covering the better half of her head she was beautiful. Her piercing eyes finding a way into his heart.

"Sounds like something I would do," Liz mumbled, Henry was worried Liz was acting strangely. She seemed almost shy now. Not the women who confronted world leaders and power hungry politicians on a daily basis. Then she straightened herself up into a sitting position and though she winced in pain Henry could almost see his titanium wife underneath the injured one. "Well, one of you fill me in. Was it a natural explosion or was it a bomb? If so who did I piss off?" Liz asked and the titanium was showing.

"We found that it was a bomb and no worries ma'am it was Russel that pissed somebody off not you," Fred said and Liz smiled for the first time since she had woken up.

"If it was his fault I need someone to tell Blake I need a meeting with him effective immediately," Liz joked and squeezed Henry's hand warmly, as though he was the one lying in the hospital bed with countless things wrong with him.

"Speaking of Blake, I should go tell your staff that you're awake," Fred said and pulled out his phone and walked out of the room, leaving Henry and Liz alone. Liz moved over to let Henry up on the bed.

"You know you have four broken ribs not to mention your broken left femur," Henry said smiling as Liz repositioned herself so she was slightly leaning against him. "You have definitely earned the right to a bed to yourself."

"Well, as I'm sure you're aware I'm not so fond of the whole bed to myself concept," Liz smiled and Henry shook his head wrapping his arm around her.

"Why do you think I married you?"

"Well, I've been told I have very nice legs," Liz joked thinking back to a certain warlord. "How are the kids?"

"They're all a bit shaken up, I think Ally is the most shaken up. But good news, Stevie's definitely forgiven you," Henry joked squeezing her small shoulders.

"Why didn't we think of this sooner? I should just go to the hospital whenever we get into a fight," Liz joked and Henry could tell that she was truly going to be alright.

"Now I wonder why we never thought of this," He mused earning himself a long kiss on the lips. "I might not mind this not being in the bed alone idea too much either."

A week later... At the State Department

Secretary of State McCord walked into the State Department building her head held high. Well, she crutched into the State Department building, with her head down so she wouldn't fall. As she approached her office she saw all the members of her staff lining up at their own offices, she received several nods as she passed. Fred trailing behind her with her briefcase. Blake stood at his desk when she was closer to him.

"Good Morning Madam Secretary," Blake said as he had every other morning she had been in office.

"Blake, can you get someone down to the front of the building to take care of the ice? Because I might make it look easy but crutching gets a lot harder on ice," Madam Secretary instructed and Fred cut in.

"I almost had to carry her she slipped so much."

"Blake, please get this done immediately. Fred here gets so upset, I'm afraid he may start to get an ulcer," Liz joked poking Fred in the stomach, regretting moving her hand she wobbled on the crutches. Only to be steadied by Blake, who proceeded to help her into her office.

When she disappeared into the office Daisy looked over to Nadine and asked, "So do you think she's back or is this just an image?"

"BLAKE I THINK I CAN WORK A STAPLER. GOSH, I GET ALMOST EXPLODED ONCE AND EVERYONE THINKS THEY NEED TO DO EVERYTHING FOR ME," Liz's voice drifted out of her office as she yelled at Blake. Nadine raised and eyebrow at Daisy.

"Oh yeah, she's back," Nadine smiled at Daisy before she turned and went back into her office.

AN: Hey, I hope you appreciated and enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to post your comments and opinions I'm all ears. Sorry if Liz was a little OOC I'm really trying to capture her no BS attitude but I'm not the best writer sometimes. Thanks, I'm getting sick so it may be a little while before I update. Also, I will be starting another story for another show soon, so... Until next time.