Chapter 2: K.O.
"ELIOT!" came the chorus of voices, and the hitter winced slightly at the sound, looking genuinely annoyed.
Sure enough, he was sitting one seat down from Hardison, looking for all the world as though he had been sitting there the entire time.
Hardison leaned over to hug his friend but Eliot brought a swift and noticeably bandaged finger to bear on the surprised hacker and rasped, "I will end you."
It was the unusual breathiness to the hitter's voice, rather than the threat itself, that made Hardison abort his attempt.
They stared, taking stock of Eliot's sudden appearance.
In addition to bandages that covered one entire hand and several digits of the other, he was also sporting several on at least one side of his face, partially concealed as it was by his hoodie. His lips were cracked and painfully dry-looking and his tongue ran along them periodically as if in a futile effort to keep them hydrated. His posture and demeanor bespoke further and quite possibly more serious injuries that were not yet visibly apparent, and that he would never willingly admit to the group in any case.
He gingerly leaned back down on the table before realizing that the others were still staring at him.
"What?" he asked, irritated, "I just got back. Told y'all I'd be gone several days."
"Several?" Hardison quoted, "Several? Nate told us 'a few,' and 'a few' days were over like the day before yesterday. We thought you were lying dead at the bottom of a river somewhere." The hacker still looked like he wanted to go in for the hug, and Eliot eyed him warily.
"Well, ya thought wrong." He said growled, "Now, stop looking at me like that." He pointedly ignored the fact that Parker was also staring at him- she had barely moved since Mrs. Scott had mentioned her husband.
"Eliot, I have to ask-" Nate said, once again using his most diplomatic tone, "did you have anything to do with what we were just told?"
The hitter didn't quite meet Nate's eyes, but made a slight gesture of innocence. "Don't look at me." He rasped. "I had other problems to deal with."
Nate was silent for a moment, the others were absorbed in watching the interrogation, "So that's not frostbite on your fingers..." he ventured.
"Got bit by a dog."
"On *both* hands...?"
"There were two dogs. Big ones."
"And they got your face, too..."
"They got the jump on me, alright!" Eliot was getting defensive, "I didn't think they'd still be around, damn Russians..." he caught a quizzical stare from Hardison, "...mutts." He finished weakly.
Skeptical glares met him from all directions. Except one.
Parker slowly stood and came to stand beside Eliot. Sensing her intent, the hitter turned stiffly to face her.
"You said we have to make the hard choices." She said slowly.
He nodded.
"You said sometimes we have to do what the others can't."
He grimaced, and nodded again.
"You said we had to leave him!" Her hands were bunched into fists at her sides and unshed tears glistened in her eyes.
"We did, darlin'." His voice was as close to gentle as they'd ever heard it. "We weren't both gonna make it out of there with his body. We did what we had to do to survive and finish the job." He looked down, "But just cause we make the hard choices don't mean we always have to live with them. You were right, Parker." He laid a hand on her arm. "He did deserve to be with his family. And they have you to thank for that."
The edges of Parker's mouth crept up into a tearful smile. Emotional moments were rare for her; she hardly knew what to do. Which is why no one was able to stop her when she suddenly leaned forward and grasped Eliot in a bone-crushing hug.
Several varieties of "Parker- DON'T" echoed in Eliot's ears before he was blinded by the pain and his consciousness winked out of existence.
