Thank you to all your kind reviews! I really appreciate it and it definitely makes me want to continue this story that much more! Just to clarify: Akhstan is a fictional country in the Middle East. Here's chapter 2! Feedback is always welcome!

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own any part of Madam Secretary.

—

A dull, penetrating, high-pitched sound reverberated in her head and her ears. Everything around her was completely silent, even sound of screams and cries for help were inaudible. Her eardrums were perforated. Dust was falling. From where? She couldn't tell. It began to infiltrate her nose, her eyes, her throat. It was getting hard to breathe. Her eyes were on fire.

Elizabeth tried to raise her head, but was overtaken by a throbbing ache pulsing from the back of her head from the brunt of the impact. Everything was frozen for several seconds and it took her a moment to realize what had just taken place.

Henry? Where's Henry?

She felt as if she were laying there for minutes...alone. Inordinate fear taking over her body.

Blurry figures hovered over her, their speaking muffled, but she could tell it was arguing.

"I need you to leave, Dr. McCord! There could be more suicide bombers." Matt shouted over the noise of the fire alarms and screams that reverberated all around them.

"I'm not leaving my wife! And I don't care what the protocol may be!" Henry shouted back as if knowing what Matt was going to urge.

A hand gently rested on her forehead and exceeded to brush the hair away from her face. Elizabeth blinked her eyes rapidly a few times to try and relinquish the haze that blocked her eyesight. Slowly, her vision became clear and she realized it was Henry and Matt that were crouched on their knees beside her.

"Madam Secretary? Ma'am?" Her agent was trying his best to keep his composure, exactly like his training had prepared him to do in a situation such as the one they were currently in.

Henry grabbed a hold of her hand and squeezed it tightly. She needed to find a way to let him know she was alright. She had already tried to move her head, but only to cause horrendous pain in the back of her head. If only her brain and muscles would connect. Trying to grapple the temporary paralysis of her limbs and voice caused by shock, Elizabeth used all the energy she had to focus on just moving her hand—nothing else.

Come on. Move, damn it. Come on!

"Babe? Elizabeth? Can you hear me?" Henry felt a gentle squeeze in response and his gaze went from his wife to her detail and back to her once more.

"Hey baby. I'm right here. I'm right here." He soothed. "We have to get her out of here." Tears brimming, threatening to fall.

"You don't think I don't know that?" Matt was clearly panicked, his guard down.

"Where's your back up?" Henry asked calming himself, trying to keep both of them composed.

Matt shook his head with a sorrowful expression.

"Damn it. The White House must know by now, right? I mean, every emergency response team must be on their way right this minute." Henry was trying to convince himself that everything was going to turn out fine, but alas, he could hardly choke back his sobs. He definitely wasn't one to cry in front of people, even in front of his daughters, except when they were informed that Elizabeth had survived the coup in Iran, then he let himself break. This was unequivocally one of those moments.

His attention was brought back to Elizabeth when she began coughing and heaving, her entire body spasmodic.

"She's going to vomit. We have to get her on her side." Henry stated rather quickly, leaving no time for emotions to weave their way through his voice.

"But it's dangerous to move her without risk. There could be serious consequences." Matt argued.

It was clear she was struggling and Henry had to make a decision quickly. He had witnessed this before during his service in the Marine Corps. Concussions were an often occurrence, especially lifting heavy objects and working on U.S. Navy ships. Men and women were in the infirmary on a daily basis. If they didn't make it to the infirmary in time for any reason, it ordinarily resulted in them choking to death.

"If we don't move her, she will choke and most certainly die. It's a risk we have to take." He was already trying to roll her upper body, grabbing at her blazer and shoulders.

Matt stepped in and supported her waist, ultimately rolling her on her side just in time. The Secretary heaved a few times before protruding the contents of her stomach.

"That's it, babe." Henry brushed her hair away from her and caressed her face. "Help is on its way."

"H-Henry." Elizabeth croaked.

Relief washed through both Henry and Matt. They weren't out of the woods yet, of course, but the fact that she was now aware of who was with her and speaking was a good sign, right?

"I'm right here. Help is on its way. Just stay with us." His eyes went to the now charred and demolished ceiling as if asking God for help.

Elizabeth's shivering body brought him back and he wasted no time in discarding his own blazer and resting it atop her lean frame. Henry knew these signs all too well.

"She's going into shock." Frantically he began to rub her available arm and back, trying to create any warm friction he could. "My God, I hope they get here soon."

—

The White House

"Russel, anything yet?" President Conrad Dalton questioned his Chief of Staff, seemingly very perturbed, while being escorted down into the bunker.

They had just received word about the detonated bomb at Dulles International Airport, but information was being relayed at a very impeded pace and frustration was brewing quickly.

"Service and phone lines are down, which is making it very difficult to communicate with anyone, but we will keep trying, sir." Russel walked quickly alongside him.

"What about the McCord's?" He questioned again.

"We are still trying to get an exact location on them." Russel answered honestly.

"And Yasmin Nazar?"

"She and the rest of the passengers were recently evacuated by members of the SWAT team and are now in a secure location."

President Dalton exhaled heavily. "Was it a dirty bomb?"

"No, not that we are aware of. Information is coming in little bits and pieces and rather slowly, I may add. Speaking of dirty bomb, I did hear that the first responders are being told to wait to enter the terminal because a secondary attack has yet to be ruled out. My point being, hopefully, that there are no other surprise attacks because we got lucky last time." Conrad understood what Russel was referring to. It was a welcoming relief when the chance of another explosion was ruled out when the University was attacked.

"There is always that risk, Russel. September 11 changed how we respond to terrorist actions and what protocol must be taken before medical personnel enter the affected area. I may sound like I'm saying this light heartedly, but I want Bess and Henry out of there as quickly as possible, as I'm sure you do, too." There was a slight pause between the two men and Russel noted that Conrad's facial expression had changed from adamant curiosity to overwhelming fear.

In response to his superior's change in demeanor, Russel pulled out his phone in attempt to contact her even though he knew it was useless. Perhaps it made him feel like he at least tried and wasn't giving up on her. That deep down he truly cared.

"Come on, Bess. Answer your damn phone!" He whispered in a vexed whisper.

—

Dulles International Airport

Cries for help began to ring out in larger numbers indicating that many were still alive. Henry and Matt knew they had to do something—anything to help the wounded. They couldn't just sit there and wait for professionals. What was taking so long?

"We have to help them." Henry blankly stated to no one in particular.

"You stay with your wife, Dr. McCord. I failed to protect her today, so please let me try and save at least one life." His voice quivered and he quickly cleared his throat to pull himself together.

Before Henry could respond, Matt had already risen to his feet and disappeared into the haze of dust and smoke.

Henry shifted himself so he could carefully cradle her head in his lap. Yes, there were risks with that too, but he already assessed her to check for any signs of paralysis, but fortunately didn't find any. That was good enough for him. If they could roll her onto her side without any complications, surely he could support Elizabeth's head and comfort her. Her breathing was anomalous, but it wasn't shallow anymore.

As Matt made his way through debris and live electrical wires, it became evident how extensive the damage really was. He aided to a few people before he saw a young girl huddled in the corner, wedged in between two chairs. Her face was covered in ash and her round cheeks were tear stained. Matt was careful to approach her as not to startle her more than she already was. He instantly recognized her as the one who approached Elizabeth earlier.

"Hello there, little girl." He said calmly as he squatted down to her.

The child said nothing, but clung a burnt book close to her body.

"Where's your mommy?" Matt honestly thought they had accidentally gotten separated in the chaos, but he was proven wrong when the child pointed to a lifeless body laying facedown only a few feet away.

His heart caught in his throat. No. This can't be! No. No. NO! Matt scrambled over to the mother's side and checked for a pulse. Nothing. Tears began to fall freely down his face. Even for a big tough man like he was, this was too much. His head was spinning with emotions and he couldn't get a hold of them.