We are Family

Day 24: Panic attacks

Note: This one takes place a few days after Season 9's Liabilities

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Mid March. Hetty had been back at work for a few days. The team was tracking down a trafficking ring. Hetty was in OPS with Nell and Eric, watching the team bust into the location of the ring.

Sam and Callen were describing how the location looked, the methods of torture used on the victims, how the victims looked.

That's when Hetty started panting, really fast.

'Hetty? Oh dear! Eric, you stay here, I'll take care of her.' Nell said.

She carried Hetty out of OPS, downstairs to the couch in her office.

'There there, shh, it's okay Hetty', Nell said, while hugging her and stroking her hair.

'All, all those victims! Those, those instruments!' Hetty said in a raspy voice.

'Shhh. You're safe now. You're not in that cage, you're here.'

'The way they looked, gasp gasp, I, I was one of them! (crying) I was one of them!'

'Yes, but you're still alive. With the people who love you.' Nell said, continuing to hug her.

Still crying: 'It was really bad! Fed awful food, locked up, beaten, all of it! Those poor women!'

'Shh. They're going to be okay now that the agents have found them. And you're okay.'

'Am I, am I really?'

5 minutes later

'You okay now?' Nell asked.

'I, I think so. I don't feel like I can't breathe anymore.' Hetty responded.

'Good. Because I should get back to OPS now before Eric comes down and starts asking questions.'

'Yes. And we'll talk later tonight.'

That evening

'Everyone's gone home.' Nell said.

'Good. Come sit with me on the couch.'

They sat down.

'How long have the panic attacks been going on?' Nell asked.

'They started not long after I left the hospital.'

'Didn't Callen stay with you for a week?'

'They started, the day after he left.'

'Do they occur often?'

'Not much. Once every 3 or 4 days for a few weeks, I, haven't had one in 2 weeks until today.' Hetty responded.

'How do they normally occur?'

'When I'm thinking too much of, or sees things that remind me of what happened to me in Vietnam from what I can tell.'

'And, you thought you could handle seeing this case play out?'

'Sigh, yes. And clearly, I still can't.' Hetty said, with sad eyes.

'Well, it's been 2 weeks since your last attack, that means something, right?'

'I guess. But I still had one.'

'Well, PTSD can be hard to deal with sometimes, from what I've heard from Nate.'

'Sigh. I'm worried that this'll be my life now. Not being able to see rescue missions on people play out, what if the next time I have an attack, it's in front of the agents, or worse, Mosley?!' Hetty said, with a worried look.

'Hey, you'll get through this! It just takes time.'

'Sigh. It's been 2 months.'

'Maybe, you need time off?'

'Looks like it. I'm taking the rest of the week off. And Nell,'

'Yes?'

'Don't tell anyone about what happened today, I'm begging you! I can't have Mosley somehow finding out I might have some kind of ailment that could impact me working here!' Hetty said with a pleading voice.

'Okay okay! You can trust me to keep your secret!' Nell said.

'Thank you, and, thank you so much for calming me down!'

'Anytime, Hetty.'