A/N: This is not a prompt, but a what if from Sunday's episode. What if Elizabeth had actually been harmed/shot. I kept her injuries vague on purpose, so I could focus more on Henry.
Time stopped. Her security detail kept rushing him through endless halls and doctors kept speaking nonsensical words at him. And their children were beside him, looking scared and small. But none of it made any sense to him. Time had stopped because Elizabeth wasn't by his side. Elizabeth was hurt. She'd been hurt before. He understood that. But never before had she allowed a small pain to stop her. This time she had. Time had stopped because Elizabeth had stopped. And because of that, Henry stopped too.
After an endless wait, doctors were urging down yet another hall to Elizabeth's room. Her body lay in the bed, smaller than he thought it should have been. Her eyes closed, her hair trapped between her head and her pillow. Her breathing filled the room, and her heartbeat pulsed reassuringly on the screen.
Henry let out a breath and reached for her hand. Holding her right now was out of the question, but he could grasp her hand at least.
Time stayed in stasis while he was by her side. He drank in her presence, but time didn't restart. They were both frozen.
Elizabeth opened her eyes. "Henry?"
Henry melted.
"Elizabeth."
And time started to move again.