Sophie arrived shortly after the ambulance pulled up. He found Parker in Nate's embrace and couldn't tell who was holding up whom. Patiently she waited until one pulled away. "Hardison asked that we wear these." She said somberly holding out hers and Nate's earpieces. He grabbed the bead and slipped it into his ear.
"Hardison, it doesn't have to be done this way. You can come down…"
"No." The hacker interrupted him. "I'm better off here with my keyboard in front of me. I found this guys business records, you're right, Nate, crystal clean. All transactions are traced back to legal business enterprises. This Moretti, he's a professional."
"I think it's bigger than him." Nate responded. "This operation may just lead us to the dirt we need to take down Monroe. We need to convince Moretti that we can assist with the distribution of merchandise throughout the region. What we need… we need to steal a local chain convince him that he needs to go into business…"
"Nate, stop it!" Sophie shouted attempting to hold back tears. "I know what you're doing, but we can't…"
Parker was the first to notice the doctor walking through the door and stood up. "How is he?"
"He's stabilized. We've done a battery of tests; x-rays, a CT scan, we've taken blood samples."
"What have you found?" Nate questioned.
"The most pressing concern is the pneumonia, it has affected both lungs. With the immune compromised as it is, it could very well be fatal."
"I don't understand, he's the picture of health, how could he… pneumonia?" Sophie stuttered.
"With as many bruises that he has I was actually surprised that there wasn't more damage to the skeletal system. However, what I did find was a hairline fracture in his left arm that has been trying to heal for the past four to six weeks, but repeated impact has prevented healing and in turn caused an infection that has seeped into his blood stream."
"You said pneumonia." Parker interjected.
"I did." The doctor replied. "As his antibodies were attempting to fight off the infection in the blood stream it left his immune system open for an attack."
"Fix it." Parker demanded softly.
"Parker, it's not that easy." Nate stood up to explain.
"Ms. Jones, we're doing what we can for your fiancé. Unfortunately all we can do is hook an antibiotic to his IV, stabilize his temperature, and hope he fights through the infection."
"Fight?" Parker questioned and looked back at Nate and Sophie. "He can do that; that's what he does."
"When can we see him?" Sophie asked the doctor.
"Soon, we'll be transferring him over to ICU shortly." The doctor replied. "I'll let Nurse Carter point you in the right direction when he's settled."
"Doctor." Nate stopped him before he walked away. "Has he shown any signs of consciousness?"
"I'm sorry." The doctor shook his head no.
"Nate, where are you going?" Sophie asked after the doctor disappeared into the unit. He said nothing; he took out his ear bud and wandered off.
"I can follow him; do you want me to follow him?" Parker volunteered.
"No." Sophie held her hand. "He needs to be alone right now."
"But we're a family. We need him. Eliot needs him. If he tells Eliot to fight, he will. He trusts him."
"I don't think Nate trusts himself." Sophie replied. "Hardison, did you catch all that?"
"Yeah. I caught it." He sat in front of his screen looking at a picture of a hairline fracture. "It's not right."
"I know it isn't." Sophie sympathized.
"He's been beaten, stabbed, shot, whipped; tortured for days on end." Hardison listed. "And this itty bitty sliver of a crack…"
"Don't finish that sentence." Parker stopped him. "We are not going to lose him. You heard the doctor. It is up to Eliot to fight; he can do that!"
"It's what he does." Hardison repeated her previous statement.
"We just have to remind him what he has here to fight for." Sophie agreed.