Blood seeped from the cuts and gashes across her pale face. Her hands tied behind her back forced her barely conscious form into an awkwardly slumped position that made her injuries obvious to her friends. They crowded around her silenced by the shock of seeing her as they never had before. Vulnerable.
When they cut the bindings, her hands fell to her sides and she started to slide from the chair. They lifted her gently from the chair and set her gently on the ground. Her abnormally strong fingers, which could hold her tiny frame from the side of a building, were clenched into fists at her side as she stifled her sobs.
Tears ran down Sophie's cheeks as she ordered the men about. "Eliot I need you to carry her to the van, Nate we need a first aid kit or ... god ... a hospital and Hardison get us an exit NOW!"
It was not supposed to be like this, sure the jobs have always been risky, but this plan was solid. Sophie was distraction, Eliot was protection, just in case, and Parker was in and out before anyone noticed. Or so it should have been. Sophie's distraction worked, for a second, and then Eliot was forced to step in and prevent the burly "security guards" from disappearing his friend. While he was distracted he didn't hear on the com that Hardison had spotted two security guards entering the very room that Parker was currently lowering herself down from the air vent.
Parker was holding herself just above the ground when she noticed the two men. Their faces were not recognizable from the team's initial intelligence gathering. The mark must have hired extra protection without them noticing. She tried to pull herself back up without the goons seeing her but she heard their cries and felt a sharp tug on her leg as she was pulled down to the floor. Her head smacked against the ground and a sharp pain seared through her head. A flash of light and she couldn't focus on their attacks. She felt the sharp kicks colliding with her ribs and the fury of punches that landed on her face until she felt nothing.
When the thief's eyes slipped shut the two men slowed their assault. Once certain of her unconsciousness, the larger of the two grabbed her by her elbows and secured her hands behind her back. Sitting her on a chair they radioed in their positions, not realizing that Hardison was on the other end of the transmission intercepting everything.
Eliot lifted the thief as though she weighed nothing at all, cradling her in such a way that his quick steps would not jar her. Moving quickly, Sophie led Eliot towards the stairwell Hardison had emptied. When they made it to the van, Nate had cleared a space on the computer desk and made an impromptu bed. Despite Eliot's efforts to set her down gently, Parker's lips parted and the sharp gasp alerted the crew to the pain she felt. Eyes swollen shut, they couldn't even tell Parker's state of consciousness as there was no way she could speak.
They all tended to the visible wounds, trying to staunch the bleeding and limit the swelling. Sophie gently lifted Parker's shirt and Eliot growled. The petite girl's stomach was dark with bruising, her ribs were crushed and the skin had even split in some places. Knowing that there was nothing more they could do for her in the van they discussed their options. "We need to take her to a hospital Nate" said Sophie as she gently stroked Parker's hair, matted with blood, behind her ear.
"That's just not an option right now. We don't have a cover set up and we can't risk it." Nate said as he slid into the driver's seat and pulled the van out of the parking lot around the corner from the mark's building that he had brought them too. "I have a place."
Waking up in a strange bed is always disorienting. It's even worse when you're a thief. The only times Parker had woken up in a strange location she'd been caught. When Parker drifted into consciousness the drugs kept her in a fog, unable to focus on the figures and objects in front of her she bolted upright trying to rip out the IV. Instead the pain that shot through every part of her body kept her from raising more than a few inches off the bed.
"Parker calm down, it's me Sophie" she repeated several times before the thief's movements stopped and her terrified eyes slid shut once again.
"I can't take this I'm going to kill someone" growled Hardison, surprising everyone. The words they were all thinking, but had expected to come from Eliot first. Nate's logic trumped their desires and they were forced to admit that revenge would have to wait until they had successfully completed the job that they had been forced to abandon and the job was going to be a lot harder now that they were short a thief and whoever stayed behind to look after her.
Parker awoke, calmly this time, to Sophie's humming of some lullaby that Parker could not identify, not having ever been sung a lullaby before. "Where am I?" she croaked, unable speak properly as her mouth felt dry. "Sweetie, you're in one of Nate's apartments" Sophie replied as she went to a nearby sink Parker had not noticed before and filled a glass of water for her. As she sucked on the straw that Sophie had thoughtfully placed in the glass, knowing that Parker could not even lift her head for water, Parker eyed what she could of the room. "This is Nate's? It looks like a hospital." Sophie grimaced, "It seems Nate prepares for every outcome on our jobs." Thinking this would upset the thief, as it had upset her, Sophie was surprised as Parker gave a painful nod and said "Smart".
Drifting in and out of consciousness for days had been long enough for Parker and she was eager to see the rest of her team. Nate came and stood beside her bed and held her hand whereas Eliot couldn't seem to stand still. He crossed and uncrossed his arms, looking like he was trying to control himself from running to her side. She looked to the door, Hardison was ... not there. She was happy to see everyone but where was Hardison. Her glance to the door did not go unnoticed by the others. Nate gently squeezed her hand, "He blames himself. For not knowing about those guards and for not being able to do anything when he did". "That's stupid!" The team couldn't help but smile as the young thief was returning to her somewhat normal self, in mind if not in body.