Just the Way you Are

Don't let them see you Cry

Note: This is the 2nd part to that previous chapter. Enjoy!

A week and a half had passed since the 'incident'. Hetty's ribs had healed, her cough was almost gone, and she was getting ready to go back to work in a day or 2.

Granger had noticed however, in the days that had passed since the 'incident', she had seemed a bit off, even when members of the team had come to see her.

He was thinking of asking her if everything was really okay, then the door bell rang. It was the other NCIS agent that had been held captive with her.

He had come to see how Hetty was doing, so Granger let him in.

The conversation was going well, until Granger heard shouting and words like 'Get out!' being said.

He dragged the agent to the door and sternly asked:

'What is your deal, huh?!'

'Hey, I was just making conversation and she freaked. I think she needs a therapist.' The agent responded.

'I don't know what was really going on there, but you don't talk to my wife like that!'

'Hey. You want to know how we were captured? The thugs heard her cough while we were sneaking up on them! Or did she not tell you?'

'She told me. Doesn't mean that she meant to do it though.' Granger replied.

'She was clearly sick out there, and yet you let her go out anyways?! Who the hell lets someone go out into the field when they have a cough?!'

'She took her cough medicine before she went out and she said she was fine.'

'And the cough came back while out in the field. Want to know why the thugs went easy on her? Because she was too sick to go through their brutal interrogation methods! Me and the FBI agent? We weren't so lucky. With me, I was punched in the face repeatidly, water boarded, and had a finger broken. The FBI agent? Busted kneecap, Hand broken with a hammer, Dental tools used on him. All she got was bruised ribs and a bruise on her face.' The agent said, annoyed.

'If you're here to blame her for all of that, then you need to leave right now. Because she doesn't need this right now.'

'I was just here to tell her that that FBI agent is thinking of retiring. He's actually my friend. And I'll be leaving now.'

Then the agent left.

Granger went to check on Hetty, who had gone to the bathroom.

'Hetty? You okay in there?'

She came out 1 minute later.

'Sniff. Yeah, I just needed a moment to myself.' She replied.

Then she went to the bedroom.

'That agent was being a jerk. He had no right to blame you for what happened.'

'Except maybe he's right? Maybe my unexpected cough is what got us into that situation? That maybe my being sick is why I got off easy while they were tortured?'

'Look, what happened was, unfortunate. But it's one of the many risks of this job. And I'm glad you got lucky. Because if you had been seriously hurt, I never would have forgiven myself! 1 way or another, you're not responsible for those agents injuries.' Granger said, while squeezing her hand.

Hetty sighed.

'Are you really feeling okay? Because you've been making quite a few trips to the bathroom these last few days.'

'Sigh. I just needed a quiet place to cry.' Hetty responded, with a gloomy face.

Silence.

'Letting people see me cry is, an uncomfortable thing for me. I'll cry in front of you, but it takes some effort. But letting my team see me cry? I'll always be uncomfortable with it. And I feel guilty enough about what happened. Don't want to appear more guilty then I already feel.' Hetty said.

Giving her a hug

'Ohhh.'

'It's okay. I just wanted to be sure you were okay.' Granger said.

'I, think I'll wait a few more days before returning to work, if that's okay.'

'Of course it is.'