Author's note: Happy Friday! Thanks to everyone who is still reading and commenting/reviewing this story. It's been so much fun to write. Enjoy!
He woke to the sound of coughing.
Henry swallowed, his tongue thick in his mouth. Something wet dripped down his face and he wasn't sure if it was sweat or blood.
What happened? Where's Elizabeth?
He inhaled and a metallic smell assaulted his nose. Blood?
Opening his eyes, Henry blinked several times. He felt something underneath him move, and he froze.
"Henry…" Elizabeth choked out.
Oh my God! I'm lying on top of her!
He pushed himself off her chest and used his hands to check her head for wounds. "Are you okay, Baby?"
She winced. "Yeah, I think so. What happened?"
"Tell me what hurts," he said.
"My head. And my already injured leg. But it's not that bad. I'm okay."
He cupped her cheeks with his hands. "Are you sure?"
She nodded and he gave her a quick peck on the lips. Henry looked around the backseat and saw shattered glass and blood all over the floorboard. Memories came back to him all at once.
The speeding car headed for us. I covered your body with mine and told you I loved you one last time. The sound of metal crashing into us.
The passenger side door was completely smashed in. Russell Jackson's body was half on the floor of the car and half on the seat. His glasses were askew.
"Russell! Wake up!" Henry shouted.
Russell didn't move.
If the car hit us on the side Elizabeth was on…
The door to the backseat opened and a paramedic reached for Elizabeth, pulling her by the arm. "She's alive!" the paramedic shouted to someone that wasn't in Henry's line of sight.
"No! Henry!" she shouted, panicking.
"Ma'am we are here to help. You need to be checked out. We have an ambulance waiting for you."
Elizabeth gripped Henry's arm tightly and he pulled her closer to him. "Hang on a second! I'll go with her." He maneuvered them both so that he could help her out of the car carefully.
Once they were standing outside of the car, Henry turned to talk to the paramedic. "He needs help," Henry said, gesturing toward Russell. "I couldn't wake him up."
The paramedic nodded and leaned into the backseat so he could assess Russell.
Elizabeth swayed on her feet and Henry steadied her. "Babe?"
"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."
He wrapped his arm around her and let her lean into his side. "Let's go find that ambulance and get you checked out."
Slowly walking away from the SUV, Henry surveyed the scene. Around the other side of the vehicle, a yellow Camaro was completely crumpled and the front end of it protruded into the passenger side where Russell sat earlier. Paramedics were using the Jaws of Life to open the driver's side door of the Camaro and it seemed to be unsuccessful from what Henry could see.
No way the driver made it out of that alive.
The red and blue lights from a firetruck swept across the scene and Henry couldn't help but think how lucky they were that the Camaro hit on the opposite side from where she was sitting.
This could have been so much worse.
"Hey! You can't leave the scene," a paramedic shouted, approaching Elizabeth and Henry.
"We're headed to the ambulance to get checked out," Henry responded.
The paramedic nodded and guided them over to the ambulance. "These two need to be looked at. They were in the backseat of the SUV," he said.
The paramedic standing near the ambulance gestured for Henry and Elizabeth to sit. He took out a blood pressure cuff and reached to put it on Elizabeth's arm. She jerked it away and leaned deeper into Henry's side.
"Ma'am I need to take your blood pressure. It will only take a minute," he said.
Henry kept his arm around Elizabeth and whispered into her ear. "It's okay, Babe. I'm right here."
Elizabeth sighed and then stuck out her left arm for the paramedic. As he placed the blood pressure cuff around her, Henry felt her body tense. She hid her face in his shoulder.
I just want her to feel safe again.
The paramedic wrote down her blood pressure and then removed the cuff. "How did you get these bruises ma'am?"
Elizabeth remained silent, casting her eyes downward.
"She was kidnapped and beaten a few days ago," Henry replied, rubbing her shoulder.
You bringing this up right now is not helping.
The paramedic crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "I wasn't asking you."
Elizabeth lifted her head from Henry's shoulder. "I'm fine."
The paramedic looked unconvinced and he glared at Henry. "Sir, can you give me a minute alone with her?"
"No!" Elizabeth shouted immediately. She gripped Henry's arm tightly. "I want him to stay. Please."
"I'm not leaving you," Henry whispered to her. She buried her face into his shoulder again, seeking his comfort.
I just want to get you home safely.
"You sure you want him to stay ma'am?" the paramedic asked her one more time, studying her face.
She leaned into Henry and he linked their hands together. He rubbed soothing circles with his thumb and she closed her eyes, breathing slowly.
"Yes. I need him with me," she replied in a small voice.
"Okay, then. Your blood pressure's a little high ma'am. Does anything hurt?"
"My head is killing me and my leg is throbbing. But that's probably from the surgery…"
"When did you have surgery?" the paramedic asked, trying to get all the facts.
Elizabeth moved her head to look at Henry, confusion in her eyes. "A few days ago I think? I don't really remember what day it is."
It's okay, Babe.
The paramedic knelt in front of her "I think you might be concussed." She squinted at the light that he shined directly into her eyes. "Your pupils are a little dilated right now."
He turned to look at Henry. "Do you know if she hit her head?"
"It's likely that we both did. I remember seeing the car headed toward us and I wrapped myself around her before the impact. The rest is fuzzy after that."
Elizabeth squeezed his hand.
"My hero." She smiled at him.
I would do it all again. You're worth it, Babe.
"Your ear is bleeding, sir," the paramedic said, interrupting their moment.
Henry reached up to touch his left ear. His fingers came back wet with blood. "It's not that bad," he replied.
"It could mean a bad a head injury. I'd like to look inside your ear to make sure."
He shook his head. "Thanks, but I'm good."
Elizabeth locked eyes with him. "Henry, please. Just let him look. It will make me feel better knowing that you're okay."
He cupped her cheek. "Okay."
The paramedic leaned in to put the instrument in Henry's ear and turned on a light to see inside. "Looks like the blood is not past the ear drum. I think it's a superficial wound," the paramedic explained.
"That's good, right?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes. It's good." The paramedic grabbed an alcohol wipe and handed it to Henry to clean up the blood.
As he dabbed at his left ear, a man came running up to the ambulance where Elizabeth and Henry were sitting in the back. Henry assumed he must be Secret Service, but it wasn't Agent Hicks or Johnson. "We need to move you to a secure location, Madam Secretary," he said, breathing erratically.
"Why? What happened?" Elizabeth asked.
The agent took a second to catch his breath. "We need to make sure that your motorcade wasn't targeted in the accident."
Henry's eyes grew wide. "You think it was on purpose?"
"We don't know. But we need to move the Secretary to a more secure location."
The paramedic stood up, blocking the agent from coming any closer to Elizabeth or Henry. "She hasn't been cleared medically, sir."
"We can have someone check her out. But we need to move her, NOW." The agent reached forward and put his hand on Elizabeth's arm.
Elizabeth clung to Henry. "Hold on. Is that really necessary?" Henry asked. "We don't even know you."
The agent rolled his eyes and sighed exaggeratedly. "I work for President Dalton. My name is Agent Grant and I've been with the president for four years now. I was in the first SUV ahead of you when I saw the car hit. He didn't even slow down. Seems targeted to me. So, yes it IS necessary to move your wife now," Agent Grant said, reaching for Elizabeth's arm again.
She moved her body into Henry and away from the agent's grasp. Henry kept his arm wrapped around her and pulled her closer.
You don't have to go anywhere with him right now.
"Hey!" A police officer came running over. "No one is leaving!"
Agent Grant got in the officer's face. "The Secretary of State needs to be moved to a secure location. Our protocol trumps yours, officer."
"We need statements from everyone involved," the police officer said.
Are we seriously arguing about this right now? Russell is injured badly or possibly dead, and Elizabeth is not in the right frame of mind to go anywhere else other than home at the moment.
Henry rubbed Elizabeth's shoulder, trying to keep her grounded. His head was spinning with everything going on and he would bet money that she felt the same way.
"Statements can be given at any location, right?" Agent Grant asked.
"In theory yes, but it's better to give the statement as quickly as possible so you don't lose memories of what happened. These two were in the SUV when it was hit. It is imperative that they give a statement." The officer turned and looked at Henry. "Are both of you medically okay? No bad injuries?"
Henry nodded, and then looked Elizabeth up and down. "We've got scrapes and bruises, but nothing life-threatening."
"Great, so then you can give a statement and move to whatever location this agent deems necessary." The police officer motioned with his hand for Elizabeth and Henry to follow him.
Agent Grant pulled a gun and pointed it at the officer. "The President of the United States has authority over you. Stand down." The officer put his hand on the gun at his hip, but didn't draw it out of the holster.
Elizabeth gasped and froze. Henry's eyes flickered between Agent Grant and the police officer.
Footsteps coming closer caught his attention, and Henry saw another agent that he didn't recognize approach them. Henry's grip on Elizabeth tightened.
The new agent looked startled when he got close enough to see the gun. "Agent Grant, what are you doing?"
"Trying to move the Secretary to a secure location per our orders, but this officer is not cooperating." His gun remained pointed square at the police officer's chest.
The new agent moved closer to Agent Grant. "Hang on a minute. I just talked to one of the paramedics working to get the guy in the Camaro out. He's dead. His blood-alcohol level is 0.18. The accident was just a drunk driver, not a targeted attack on the Secretary."
A drunk driver? So this was just an unlucky accident? What are the odds of that?
Agent Grant lowered the gun slightly, and turned his face to the other agent. "What?"
"The driver wasn't targeting the Secretary, Agent Grant. She doesn't need to be taken to another location right now."
The police officer relaxed his grip on the gun holstered at his hip. "So much for your authority," he said, clearly annoyed.
Agent Grant took a step closer, getting in the officer's face, gun at his side. "I wouldn't test the authority of President of the United States."
Are we really arguing about this right now? There are more important things that need attention than this show of bravado.
The other agent put his arm lightly on Agent Grant's forearm. "Just let it go. We can let the officer take statements from Madam Secretary and Dr. McCord and then we can be on our way."
Agent Grant shook the other agent's arm off harshly and then holstered his gun and took a step back from the police officer. He straightened his jacket and then walked away.
Henry turned to look at Elizabeth. What the hell was that?
"Need some help over here!" a paramedic called out over by the SUV, diverting Henry's attention elsewhere. He turned to look at the commotion. Russell was being pulled out of the second SUV and put onto a gurney. Two paramedics wheeled the gurney closer to the ambulance where they were sitting; Henry took stock of Russell's injuries as they approached. He had a neck brace surrounding his face and his right leg was at an odd angle.
That could have been Elizabeth if the yellow Camaro hit us on the other side.
"Is he okay?" Elizabeth asked one of the paramedics.
"He's unconscious right now." The paramedic gestured for the two of them to stand up and vacate the ambulance so that the gurney could be pushed inside the back.
Standing up, Henry kept his arm wrapped around Elizabeth while they watched Russell be hooked up to machines. She turned her face into his shoulder, seeking comfort. The door to the ambulance closed and it took off down the road, sirens blaring, and lights flashing red and blue.
How does this keep happening? Part of me is glad it's not Elizabeth on that gurney.
Henry shook his head, trying to dislodge that terrible thought from his mind. The police officer caught Henry's eye. "You guys ready to give a statement? The sooner you give one, the sooner you can go home."
Elizabeth buried her face into his neck, shutting the world out. It was a tell-tale sign that she was feeling overwhelmed.
"Yeah, hang on a minute," Henry told the officer.
He nodded. "I'll be over by my vehicle whenever you're ready."
"I'm going to find Agent Grant," the agent said, turning and walking away from Elizabeth and Henry.
"I don't want to talk to anyone," Elizabeth mumbled into Henry's shoulder.
He stroked her back. "You don't have to. Just tell me what you remember before that yellow Camaro hit us, and I can relay the information."
"I don't remember much. The brakes squealed and then you hugged me. You looked terrified of something and then said that you loved me. The next thing I remember is waking up in the backseat."
He kissed her forehead. "That's about all I remember too. I saw the Camaro coming toward us at full speed and I honestly thought we were going to die. I'm so glad it hit on the other side."
Elizabeth's breath hitched and a sob escaped. "Russell…"
"Oh, Babe. He'll be okay. He's strong. He'll be back to yelling at you about some peace deal you ruined in no time."
"I want to go home," she choked out between sobs.
I think she's concussed and all of this is making it worse.
He hugged her tightly. "I know. Let's go talk to the officer and then see if they'll let us leave."
She nodded and wiped her tears on his shirt. "Sorry."
Henry shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He pulled his arms off her shoulders and she moved to his side so they could walk over to where the police officer was. As they walked, Henry saw Agent Johnson loaded onto a gurney by paramedics and watched as they wheeled him over to the other ambulance.
He was in the SUV with us. I hope he's okay.
Passing the SUV they were in not long ago, Henry saw a body on the road. His heart stopped. A police officer and paramedic were covering him with a black sheet.
Is that Agent Hicks? He was in the front seat of the side that was hit by the Camaro.
Henry angled himself so that Elizabeth couldn't see the body, and kept slowly walking to the police car where the officer was waiting for them to give their statement. Just on the other side of the SUV was the crushed yellow Camaro. It reminded Henry of one of Jason's toy cars that got caught under the lawnmower when he was three. There was another body on the ground by the Camaro covered by a black sheet.
This is horrific.
"You guys ready?" the officer asked as they approached.
"Yeah. I'm afraid we won't be much help. We were in the backseat," Henry replied.
The officer nodded. "That's okay. Anything you remember helps with the investigation."
"Investigation?" Henry asked. "He was a drunk driver. What is there to look into?"
"All accidents with fatalities are investigated."
Elizabeth gripped Henry's arm. He slid his hand down her arm and laced their fingers together.
Henry sighed. "Okay. Are you going to record this?"
"Yes." He pulled out a mini recorder and hit play. "Go ahead, sir."
"We were driving south on 54th street when one of the agents told us that he was going to have to take an alternate route due to construction and a road closure. Next thing I know, the brakes were slammed and we stopped completely. I looked up to see a yellow Camaro barreling toward us. I shielded my wife as best I could with my body and then I heard the crash. I woke up sometime later in the backseat."
"Do you know why the SUV slammed on the brakes? Was there an animal or something?" the officer asked Henry.
"I have no idea. Do you know, Babe?"
She shook her head.
"What can you tell me ma'am? Any details that your husband didn't mention?"
"Not really. He pretty much covered it."
"Did the Camaro make any attempt to stop before crashing into the SUV?" the officer asked.
"It did not appear that way," Henry replied.
The officer turned off the recording. "Thank you for your time. Here's my card. If you guys think of anything else that could help, feel free to give me a call."
"Thanks. We will." Henry took the card from the officer and then turned back around to head toward the first SUV. Henry wrapped his arm around Elizabeth. "Are you okay with the other agents driving us home?" he asked as they walked.
She sighed and leaned her head into his shoulder. "I mean, I guess I have to be if I want to get home to the kids."
"For the record, I hate that you feel this way."
"I know. But it's only for a short drive," she replied.
I can tell she is still not entirely okay with the idea of strange men in the car with her again, but she also wants to be strong so we can go home to the kids.
Henry stopped walking to face her. "You're incredible, you know that?"
She smiled. "Thanks for the reminder. But this week has been one nightmare after another. I just want to eat pasta, see the kids, stand under the shower for an hour, and sleep in our bed until I'm hungry again tomorrow. Is that too much to ask?"
He cupped her face between his hands. "Not at all. You've earned every minute of that."
"Good. Let's go home."