Chapter 2

Henry McCord tried to remain calm. He was a trained marine. Just when he had thought he had talked the leader down into letting everyone go, he heard a crash and Christine started chanting "The time is now". He then knew his efforts were in vain.

He felt the sharp point of the knife dangerously close to his skin. He tried to hold his breath to avoid his throat expanding. He didn't want anyone to die. That's why he came here. But when he heard the chants he knew many lives would be lost, despite his best effort.

He prayed he wouldn't be one of the casualties. He knew Elizabeth was watching this unfold in the situation room. He wondered why she hadn't sent in the Calvary to get him yet. He wondered if perhaps they couldn't see him in the tent. Maybe in that respect it was good. He couldn't bear the thought of Elizabeth seeing him like this. He knew the pain of those images in your head. He had a few of those in his head of her in Iran. He didn't want them in her head too.

In that moment with the cold steel pressed against his skin, he felt terribly guilty. Maybe he shouldn't have come, as Elizabeth wanted. He didn't want to even think about not getting out alive. She needed him, she had PTSD for Christ stakes and here he was leaving her alone, while he went on some sainthood mission. Not only that, but he came into the camp unarmed and without backup. All he could think about was how to get out alive. He was quite sure she was suffering a panic attack in the situation room as she watched. He had to find a way.

Think Henry. Think.

He decided his best option was to elbow the leader in the groin then step on his toes. It was a technique he learned in a basic self-defense class. One he had taught Elizabeth. He counted to three and did it. The leader screamed in pain, but as he crouched to cover himself, something happened Henry wasn't anticipating. The knife began to puncture his skin anyway.

When he felt the first prick, he immediately turned his head, ensuring the knife didn't hit his main artery as his captor sliced his skin (not on purpose, just a result of his knee jerk reaction to the elbow in the groin). Henry pressed his hand to his neck, trying to stop the gushing blood as he fell to the ground saying "Alamo," while his captor had fled, in search of the poison.

It was the last thing he remembered.

*****Quiet Pain******

Elizabeth paced Air Force One. She had hundreds of things running through her mind.

"M'am." Frank said calmly. When she didn't respond he said it loudly. "M'am?"

She looked up at him.

"M'am, please sit." Frank encouraged.

Sighing in frustration she took a seat. A few moments later her phone buzzed and it startled her. She was afraid to answer.

"Hello?" she whispered with shaking hands as she gripped the phone.

"Madam Secretary. It's Dr. Marshall."

"Hello doctor." She swallowed

"M'am, I just wanted to let you know that we have been able to stabilize your husband. I think he will be okay the remainder of the flight." He didn't want to alarm her too terribly right away with trachea he had to insert and that he was methodically squeezing the balloon to help him breathe ever few seconds. Not until she landed anyway. "We've got him on IV fluids and are giving him blood, but he's still unconscious."

She nodded. "That's…..thank you." She didn't know what else to say. She was still unsure of all of his injuries, but the fact that he was confident in him making it to Miami was a good sign. "Do you think he can hear me if I were to talk to him?"

She had heard that some doctors believed people could hear, even when they were unconscious. Even if he couldn't speak to her, she wanted him to know she was there.

"We never know for sure M'am, but it's always worth a try. I can hold the phone to his ear if you like."

"Yes, please." She said. She wasn't sure what she would say. But she wanted Henry to hear her voice. It was all she could offer to him right now. She knew when she was scared in Iran, she would have given anything to hear his voice, to assure her that it would be okay.

Taking a deep breath she began to speak. "Hi baby. It's me…." She began, somewhat unsure of what to say, considering he couldn't respond to her. "I just…I need you to hang in there okay? Henry, you need to keep fighting. I am on the way to meet you in Miami…." Her voice broke. "I love you baby."

Tears streamed down her face and splashed onto her phone as she regained her composure and continued to speak. "Henry, I'm so proud of you. You know that right? You saved all those other people in Bolivia. You were so brave….and I need you to keep being brave. I'm trying to be brave. But I am mad at you for going on there without protection. I am allowed to be mad you know, I am your wife…..you could've….are you trying to get even with me for Iran?" she was rambling now, trying to make bad jokes. She knew Henry would appreciate them. "Because you know, you have to be strong and make it. You can't go back on our deal…..remember our deal? The one where I die first so I don't have to live without you."

She didn't know it but her voice was helping to soothe Henry. The doctors noted a slight improvement in his vitals.

Doctor Marshall pulled the phone to his ear. "Please keep talking to him M'am. I think he can hear you, his heart rate has gone up a little."

"Um…okay..." she whispered. She wasn't sure what to talk about, but then something came to her mind. "Henry…you know what I keep thinking about? That time in college when I got the flu really badly. Do you remember?" she asked with a slight, embarrassed laugh. "I don't know why I keep thinking about it today…it's such an odd thing to think about….."

******Quiet Pain******

26 years ago

Henry knocked on the door to Elizabeth's dorm room looking handsome in dress slacks and a button down.

Elizabeth opened the door, beautiful as ever in a short black dress and patent pumps.

"You look beautiful." He said, pulling her into a kiss.

"Thank you. You look very nice too." She said.

Henry pushed her back after the kiss and felt her forehead with the back of his hand, sensing her body heat when he wrapped her in his arms. "Babe, do you feel okay? You're a little flush." He asked, concerned.

She brushed it off as she grabbed her jacket. "I'm fine." Truthfully she had felt a little sick all day, but chalked it up to the frigid weather. Nothing was stopping her from their 6 month anniversary dinner.

"Okay." He said, and lead her to the car.

On the way she tripped slightly and laughed it off as a fault of her high heels. "You sure you're okay babe?" he asked.

"Just a little lightheaded I guess. I haven't eaten all day." She backtracked. "You know, saving it all for tonight."

He smiled at her and placed his hand over his as he drove in the direction of the restaurant. On the way there Elizabeth was oddly quiet and as he held her hand, it was clammy and he definitely knew something was wrong. His mother was a nurse after all. As he suspected she suddenly cried for him to pull over as she pushed open her car door and threw up on the side of the road.

It was the first time she'd been sick since they started dating. He rubbed her back as she retched and held her golden hair. When she was through he handed her a bottle of water he always had in the car and brushed her tears. "We're definitely not going to dinner, I'm taking you home to bed." He said softly as she continued to hiccup.

"I'm sorry! I really did think I would feel better once I ate." She insisted. "I've ruined our anniversary."

"It's okay. You did nothing of the kind. You're sick sweetheart. We'll just go back to my place and rent a video and you can rest, away from your noisy dorm."

She nodded. "Okay."

When she was settled, he turned the car around and headed back to her dorm to pick up some of her things. On the way back he had to pull over at least one other time. He felt her head as he drove. She was burning up, warmer than she was when they had left. He was quick to run into her room and pack a bag with some of her favorite lounge clothes with the help of her roommate. He was glad she had some of her pajamas and bathroom items at his place already.

His next stop was the drug store. He felt awful leaving her in the car, but he was in and out quickly with an assortment of items for the night.

Supporting her as they walked to his apartment, he ushered her inside and he slid her coat off, seeing the sweat pooled on her neck. She immediately shivered and ran under the covers in his bed while he put away the groceries. Grabbing the ear thermometer, he silently thanked his mother for ensuring he had it in his apartment, and went to take her temperature.

As suspected, she had a high fever 103 degrees, but she shivered under the blankets. Henry gently pulled the heavy blankets back and she fussed. "Sweetheart, you are burning up. No blankets. We need to get your fever down."

"But it's freezing!" she complained

He left her to fuss and drew a lukewarm bath. It wasn't freezing, but the water was somewhat cool. He hoped it would help. He returned to the bedroom and she was cocooned in the blankets once again. "Honey." He said gently. "Come on. Let's get you in the tub."

Elizabeth was reluctant to follow him, but when she got up, her stomach heaved again and she rushed to the bathroom. He waited until she was done and handed her a glass of water. She sat with her face against the toilet, the cool porcelain feeling good on her head as she sucked in air. "You're okay." He said as he rubbed her back.

Once she was calm he handed her two Tylenols. "Come on, take these." He encouraged. She swallowed them and he hoped her stomach would remain calm enough for them to stay down and helped her into the tub. She whined and fussed about the temperature, but he made her stay in it for at least fifteen minutes and splashed the cool water on her skin.

Henry took wonderful care of her all night. He managed to get her to eat some chicken broth and a few crackers. She still had a fever, but she slept through the night.

Sometime the next afternoon Elizabeth woke up, and Henry smiled at her. "Hey, you." He said, reaching to stroke her hair.

"Hi." She mumbled, snuggling closer to his seated position on the bed beside her. He was reading, silently watching her.

"You feel any better?" he asked

"A little."

He felt her head. "I think your fever has finally broke. Feel up to some soup? It's a McCord family flu special."

She nodded and sat up, willing to give it a try. Henry soon returned with a cup of his homemade chicken noodle soup. "Slowly." He encouraged as she slowly sipped the hot liquid.

"It tastes good. You made this?"

"From scratch."

"You're an excellent cook."

She managed to get the cup of soup down and then laid back down, asking that he lay with her. "Wouldn't have it any other way." He said as he snuggled in beside her, planting a gentle kiss to her forehead.

They lay smiling at one another for a while before she reached up and cupped his cheek. "I'm sorry I ruined our anniversary."

"Nonsense. We can go out next weekend. I mean, we were together – that's all that matters."

She laughed for a moment. "No seriously, Henry. Thank you for taking good care of me. Even though I was probably a pain in the ass last night." She said softly.

He smirked at her, planting another kiss to her forehead. "You were kind of a pain in the ass, but it was rather cute."

She grinned and playfully smacked his shoulder. "I mean it Henry." Her voice softened. "No one has ever taken care of me when I was sick…not since my mom died." She finished, biting her lip.

Henry's face softened and he cupped her cheek. "Well I'm here now, I'll always take care of you." Her eyes gazed up at him, searching for any doubt, but found none. He was serious. "Elizabeth." He said. "I was going to tell you this last night. I've been feeling this was for quite a while now. It was supposed to be romantic, but I'll tell you now. I'll always take care of you, because that's what you do when you love someone." He whispered.

Elizabeth's lips smiled brightly at him as she whispered "I love you too, Henry."

*****Quiet Pain******

Elizabeth finished the story with a sad smile on her face. It was that night that they said I love you. That night they promised to always care for one another. "So baby…..I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here, and I'll take good care of you….I just need you to fight….please Henry. I love you."

She talked to him the whole remainder of the flight. She wasn't even sure what she said; what silly stories she told him of their past, but she was waiting in the hospital hallway when they came running in with his gurney. Mustering up her last bit of energy, she ran to catch up to the gurney and reached for his hand, gripping it tightly as the doctors rushed him into the OR. She could barely register the tubes and paleness of his skin, she just focused on his hand, holding it tight. "I'm here baby…..I'm right here…." She whispered and she swore she thought she faintly felt him gripping her fingers back.

As they pulled away where she wasn't allowed to be, she stood frozen in the white hallway, staring as the double doors swung back and forth as they closed. She wasn't sure how long she stood there, her hand held out in front of her before she heard a calm voice. "M'am? M'am?" Frank was calling.

She finally turned to look at him and he gently guided her to the waiting room nearby.

A/N: First and always thank you all so much for your support & reviews! I very much appreciate it! I promise to try and update as quick as I can. My work schedule should ease up a little after next weekend thus allowing more writing time. Also HUGE thanks to RenDot for helping me with the medical aspect of this story. You will all hear about Henry's injuries in the next chapter. Please share your thoughts as I impatiently sit here waiting for tonight's episode to start!