"Parker, seriously, go away." Eliot growled at the annoying thief who was staring at him while he was chopping vegetables.
"I'm just watching you cook, what so wrong with that?!" she puppy-dog-eyed him.
"You are driving me crazy bouncing your feet off the cupboard with your bang, bang, BANG!" He pointed the knife at her then towards the door, "out. Please, let me finish, get out!""So touchy." she hopped off the counter and danced away to go bug Hardison or Sophie. Eliot got back to chopping up the vegetables and then pulled the fresh crawfish out of the refrigerator. He had found a great recipe in his Momma's recipe book he had just found in storage and wanted to try it out on the team. Eliot thought about earlier in the day when he had been with Parker doing recon and she spent the entire 6 hours demanding answers to personal questions she had no business asking. Why did she care when he lost his virginity? Some things you don't ask people, EVER. He got all of the flatware out and set it on the breakfast bar yelling to Parker to come set the table. She appeared behind him and he about slashed her with his chef's knife the way he did with the Yakuza. "Damnit Parker how many times do I have to tell you, do NOT do that?! I could have killed you before I realized it was you! Set the damn table and STOP DOING THAT!" he bellowed at shrunk back at his rage, quickly swiping the tray of dishes off the bar and gliding out into the dining room. "Shit," he thought "I really shouldn't have done that." he thought pinching the bridge of his nose. He threw the hand towel over his shoulder and took off his bandana from his forehead tying his hair back in one of Parker's elastic bands. He went to go find Parker and except for the blonde thief was sitting at the table quietly. He knew he was in trouble. Sophie glared at him while Nate and Hardison pointed up. He followed their fingers and saw the sneaky thief in the rafters, arms crossed, pouting.
"Parker come down here right now. Dinner is ready and you haven't eaten all day. And don't even think I'm coming up there after you."
She stuck her tongue out at him and flipped down from the rafters, gracefully landing in her seat. "Way to be a child Parker." He growled at her. Eliot ladled out some of his Momma's famous crawfish stew into everyone's bowls and passed around the cornbread. He eyed Parker from the other side of the table pushing around the food in her bowl. "Eat it Parker, it's not going to kill you."
"It smells funny. I don't like it." She pushed the bowl away from her and started munching on the cornbread.
"Seriously, eat it. You won't know if you don't like it until you try it." He pushed the bowl back towards her, "It's like trying to feed a toddler." He looked pointedly at Nate and Sophie.
Parker sniffed the stew and took a small spoonful and sniffed it again. "No it smells funny. It makes me nose hurt." She pushed the bowl away again.
"If you don't try it, I'm going to come down there and force feed you and you are NOT going to like it." he threatened, hackles raised.
"Ok, ok sheesh!" she glared at him. Parker took a great big heaping spoonful, eyeballed it, and put it in her mouth. She made the most horrible face she could think of and swallowed loudly. "There, not so bad." Eliot mused. Parker started clearing her throat and drinking her water fast. "Oh c'mon Parker, seriously, it's not that horrible eating crawfish. I grew up on them…ok seriously stop making those faces and coughing. I didn't poison you!" Parker was starting to a funny shade of red, shaking her head. It was almost imperceptible but her face looked like it was swelling. Oh no, oh God he thought as he leapt from his seat and was next to her in a split second. "Parker, are you allergic to shellfish?" he demanded, panicking. She clawed at her neck, anxiety colored her expression. Everyone was on their feet not sure what to do. "Parker, look at me," Eliot physically turning her head "do you have an EpiPen?" he questioned as calmly as possible. She shook her head yes but was starting to turn blue. "Point to where it is." he instructed. She looked towards the kitchen and pointed, but then started slumping in her chair.
Sophie, Nate, and Hardison sprinted towards the kitchen looking for where the thief would have hid the life saving medication. The opened every door, drawer, cupboard to no avail. Nate ran back from the kitchen with one of Eliot's long ceramic knives and shoved it into Eliot's hand. "You're going to have to cut her trachea open!"
Parker's eyes went wide as saucers and then she slid off her chair and onto the floor, Eliot catching her. He had an idea, "Open all her cereal boxes and dump them out!" He yelled to Hardison and Sophie still in the kitchen. That was the only thing in the kitchen he doesn't keep track of. It was the only logical place where someone illogical would put it. "Got it!" Hardison yelled from the kitchen running in the dinning room.
"Give it to me!" Eliot snapped at the hacker, Parker had gone completely limp in his arms. He cradled her in his arms, pulling the pen out of the case. He popped the small blue top off the yellow cylinder and jabbed her in the thigh with the medication. He held it there and promised to any god that would listen that he would never yell at her again. Eliot pulled the syringe away from her thigh and laid her on her side.
"Hardison call 911." He told the hacker calmly who stood there staring at the unconscious thief. "Now!" he bellowed. Hardison ran for his phone, dialing.
"She's going to come to in a second and try to run. We can't let her hyperventilate." Eliot instructed. Just as he finished, Parker's eyes snapped open, she took a huge deep breath and tried to get up. Eliot wrapped his strong arms around her and held her back against his chest, her arms crossed in front of her. She started heaving her chest up and down rapidly.
Eliot murmured in her ear, "Parker, sweetheart, you gotta' slow down. Feel me breathe." She grabbed his arms, trying to throw him off. "Breathe Parker." He squeezed her chest and she breathed out and slowly released setting a rhythm to match his. "Good there you go." "Sophie, please get a cold washcloth, Nate go open the door." Eliot instructed the terrified couple. Sophie was reluctant to leave but went and did as she was told. Nate came back and Hardison soon followed with Parker's bag.
"Here's her bag, man, I found this." Hardison stuck his hand in the backpack and pulled out a small black case. He unzipped it and found another EpiPen, liquid Benadryl, and an inhaler.
"Gimme that." He pointed to the pink liquid. Hardison unscrewed the top and Eliot put it to Parker's lips. She swallowed a mouthful and kept her breathing even. Eliot handed the Benadryl back and reached for the EpiPen.
Nate piped up, "She's breathing, are you going to stab her again?"
"No, but the reaction can boomerang back before the ambulance gets here." He looks at the door frustrated as the EMTs rushed in. "Took ya' long enough." he snapped at them.
"Sir, step back please, let us do our job." The small man carrying the oxygen tank said. Eliot glared at him but scooted over Parker to hold her hand on the other side so he won't be in the way. The Paramedic started checking her vitals while the EMT put the oxygen mask over her face. They asked if she could stand to get on the stretcher but before she could answer, Eliot scooped her up and gently placed her there, starting to buckle her in. "Sir, please, step…"
"Stay it again." Eliot challenged. "This is my fault. Don't tell me to step back."
"Eliot…" Parker rasped at him. She held out her hand and he instantly softened to her. "It'll be okay sweetheart." he murmured in her ear. She pulled the mask off "not…your…fault." she wheezed.
"Her BP is dropping. We gotta' get her to the hospital now." The Paramedic stressed.
"I'm riding with her." The EMT looked to the Paramedic who obliged. "Let's go."
They put the mask back on her face and rolled her out the door, Eliot stalking behind them. The mastermind, grifter, and hacker followed, terrified for their thief and of their hitter.