Hi guys! First of all Happy Easter to those who celebrate! Second. I know. I'm a terrible person for leaving you hanging with this story. What can I say, I work a ton and I did finally get a nice vacation. But back to reality and here's the next part. I sort of feel like I lost my way with this one...but hopefully you enjoy. I hope to finish this one soon because I have like 3 more story ideas, and I hate leaving WIPs so I won't start until this one is done. Thank you for your patience & for all your comments on this story. It seriously means the world to me. I hope you continue to leave your comments & ideas. And also Thank Adi for reminding me to work on this - yes reminders work - so message/comment to me and I will try and write faster.

Chapter 7

It took all of Henry's limited strength to remain semi upright in bed. They had just put him through a multitude of straining tests and not being able to speak made communicating with the doctor difficult. He wished there was a break between the tests, but they kept poking and prodding.

He'd been able to point to cartoon illustrations with adjectives laid out on laminated board to communicate. It was all he had without Elizabeth in the room. She could read him, she would have insisted upon a break when she saw his agitation. But the manner in which he woke up sent her spiraling, and he knew he had to endure the tests before she would come back in. She couldn't handle watching him suffer and he couldn't blame her.

It made him feel worse. This was his own fault after all. His own fault for agreeing with Dalton and flying half way around the world to try and reason with a religious cult leader while his wife was left at home, freshly diagnosed with PTSD.

His limbs were heavy and sore. His eyes threatened to slip shut. But when he saw Elizabeth re-enter the room he mustered a smile for her as she carefully made her way to the bed.

He gently patted his hand on the mattress a couple of times and he felt her slight weight side behind him.

Her soft fingers covered his and she brushed her lips on his cheek.

The relief was evident in her eyes, the doctor must have told her there was no organ damage, and he mustered another smile for her as he reached for the white board to show her a note. I'm sorry.

"Sorry for what?" she whispered to him, running her fingers across his stubble. "You saved so many people. I'm so proud of you."

He fought hard to write something else on the note. She watched intently as he struggled to draw letters with his heavy fingers. Seeing him struggle to communicate was painful. She wanted to stop him from writing. But he clearly had something he wanted to say. It came across the board as an almost undecipherable scribble. For scaring you.

"I'm fine." She whispered. "And you're okay now and that's all that matters." Her voice was soft. She was trying to be strong and he knew it. He hated it. He was supposed to be strong for her. He was supposed to be taking care of her, not the other way around. Not only had she had to worry about him and fly down here, but he scared her into a panic attack. That was his fault and his fault alone. He should be the one to protect her from panic attacks, not causing them. It only made him feel worse.

Instead of writing something else he gripped her fingers and brought them up to his lips and he kissed her hand, thanking her and apologizing at once. It was all he could do.

She noticed him fighting back tears. She watched, reading his emotions. "Did they give you something?' she asked him, referring to the pain she etched across his features.

He blinked. Yes.

"Alright. It will kick in soon. Just rest." She soothed, brushing her lips across his forehead as she smoothed his hair.

He opened his mouth. It felt like sand paper and faintly pointed to the water beside him. She noticed immediately and reached for the cup, offering him a sip of water. He swished it around his mouth before wincing hard as he swallowed. Her face grimaced as she realized how painful it must be to swallow and set the water back down.

"Why don't you close your eyes a while and we'll call the kids later. We can face time. They've been dying to talk to you." Elizabeth said as she settled him and lowered the bed so he could lay down.

He looked at her and breathed heavily, fighting a wave of pain from moving and nodded just slightly. When she saw him grimace she held his hand between hers. "Squeeze my hand when it hurts." She offered as she slid in beside him and lay down. He squeezed her hand tight and she didn't let go, even though it stung her small fingers.

****Quiet Pain*****

It had been a fitful nap. But when he could no longer stay settled, Elizabeth paged the doctor for another dose of pain medication.

Elizabeth remained curled against Henry, rubbing his limbs periodically and squeezing his hand as the waves of pain or nausea came. It reminded her of when she was in labor with Stevie. It was long and terrible, but Henry soothed her as best he could until she finally let herself sub scum to the epidural.

"Are you up to calling the kids?" she asked quietly as she massaged his leg.

He didn't respond. He wasn't really. He didn't want them to see him like this, besides he couldn't talk. But he knew they were worried and he wanted to put on a good face to calm their anxiety.

Elizabeth adjusted Henry's pillows and settled him, which wasn't easy, before she phoned.

"Mom!" Stevie's voice came up high over the phone and she looked onto the facetime screen.

"Hi baby." Elizabeth said quietly as she panned the phone to get Henry in the frame. "I'm here with Dad."

Henry offered a faint smile to the phone. "Oh…Dad….Hi!" Stevie wept in relief and wiped her tears. "Are you okay?"

Elizabeth panned back to herself. "Dad is going to be okay." She told her daughter. "But he does have some painful injuries around his neck, so he can't speak for a while okay…."

She wasn't prepared to get into the fact that his neck was sliced open so far it slashed his vocal cords.

"Go get Ally and Jase so they can say hi too." Elizabeth instructed.

Stevie nodded and they could hear her yell for her brother and sister. "Guys, Mom and Dad are on the phone." They could hear loud thuds as they bounded down the stairs and joined Stevie on the facetime frame.

"Dad!" All cried, waving and blowing kisses. "You okay?"

Henry winced as he reached for the white board to scribble a message and held it up. Hi. Love u.

"You're going to be okay?" Jase asked.

Elizabeth squeezed into the frame with Henry and nodded. "Dad is going to be fine."

Jase nodded and the adults watched their children hug each other in relief. "When are you coming home?" Ally asked.

"Soon baby. I promise. As soon as they give dad permission to fly."

The children nodded and they soon said their goodbyes, as they could tell their dad was struggling to write to them. They blew each other kisses and ended the call.

Elizabeth set the phone down and wiped the stray tear from her husband's cheek. "It's okay Henry." She soothed. "They understand. You'll be home and will be able to hug them soon."

Henry closed his eyes for a moment and reached for his board again. He struggled to form letters and hastily threw the board to the floor, looking down when he heard it crash on tile.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, tears shimmering in her eyes as her heart ached for him.

He grumbled through a loud breath, frustrated beyond belief that he couldn't speak. It was who he was. Words were everything to him.

"Tell me." Elizabeth pushed.

I can't. Literally.

"Look at me Henry." She pleaded, her eyes boring into his. They could communicate without words. She couldn't tell you the countless times they'd called each other in sorrow or confusion over the years. Be it when she just missed him in while he was overseas, or when she was on her way home from a trip and just needed to hear him breathe. They could read each other with only a glance, a touch or in some cases over the phone with the pattern of their breath and simply be there for one another. She hadn't forgotten that connection and she conveyed it in her glace, showing him no matter what she could hear everything he couldn't say.

He swallowed and looked into her eyes. Baby, what if I can never speak again. What if I never get to tell you or the kids how much I love you. What if…..

Teardrops slid down her cheeks. "Henry….it isn't going to come to that.""

Babe. You don't know….What if.

"Then I'll be your voice. I love you. And I know you love me. The kids know you love them. We can feel it. Don't you feel it?"

Of course I do. I love you.

"It's going to be okay. It's just temporary."

I hope you are right.