Enjoy!

Chapter 21:

Eliott walked alongside the doctors as they rolled Will on a gurney into the ER. He'd tried multiple times to get ahold of Parker and Hardison, with no luck. The minute the doctors saw Will, they knew he needed blood.

The hospital wasn't the pristine hospitals he was used to seeing in the States, but the doctor's seemed to know exactly what they were doing.

"Wait around the corner." One of the nurses told him. He looked on as the nurses, doctors, and WIll disappeared behind some double doors.

His body ached and groaned at him as made his way to the waiting area. There was so much to be done, but his body had never felt this sore and tired.

Rounding the corner, he made eye contact with a small woman pacing back and forth in the waiting area.

He sat down and decided to try Parker's phone one more time. Again it went straight to voicemail.

"Parker, I'm serious, answer your phone. Did you find Hardison? Please call me back."

"Did you just say Parker and Hardison?" The small woman asked. She looked like she hadn't rolled through the mud, but didn't care one bit.

"Yes" He said, suspicious. "I'm Mina. Hardison saved me."

Immediately he felt a sense of relief, then shifted to instant concern when he didn't see Hardison with her. The last he remembered was that Mina and he were kidnapped by La Puma and Parker was going after them.

"Oh thank goodness!" Flung herself at him and for such a small woman, gave him a mighty bear hug. "You have no idea what has happened today!" She breathed into his chest.

"Yeah, me too." He said.

"Where's Hardison?" He asked.

"He and Parker are in recovery. I can take you to them." Mina breathed. Seeing Eliot's face, she continued, "they are alight, I promise."

Eliot took a calming breath as he followed Mina.

"Will is here too." Eliot said to Mina. "He lost some blood, but should be fine - they just took him back."

Eliot watched as she was ready to dart in the other direction after Will. He grabbed her by the arm. "He will be fine. Take me to Parker and Hardison and I will make sure we have Will join us in the room." Mina wanted to protest, but she decided against it, walking a little faster now down the sanitary, but slightly disheveled hallway into a hospital room on the right.

As he entered the room, he saw both his friends lying on two beds side by side. There was a loud fan in the corner blowing the air around in the room, and Eliot gave them a once over.

Parker seemed to be fidgety, and Hardison had his leg in a cast.

He didn't wait to see their surprise, but immediately grabbed Parker into a deep hug.

"Elliot" She muffled in his shirt in surprise. When he felt her grab him into the squeeze he felt a sudden relief, and a breath of his exhaled that he didn't know he'd been holding.

Once they released, he walked over to Hardison. Hardison smiled and they immediately went in for a deep embrace. There was no awkwardness, just relief, just brothers happy that the other was alive.

"Where's Sophie and Will?" Parker observed immediately.

Elliot paused a moment. He didn't want to think about all that still was at risk. He wanted for another moment to be happy even just a few of his friends were safe.

"Will is being taken care of and will be rolled in here soon." He said, tapering off.

"...and Sophie?" Hardison asked, his voice hitching in concern.

"She was kidnapped. Amy's behind it."

"Amy?" Hardison asked. "Crying about her grandfather and his paintings, Amy? The one who got us into this in the first place!" Hardison tried to sit up, but Elliot pushed him back in the bed.

"That one." Elliot confirmed. "And she said she had Nate too."

Parker tightened her grip around the bed railings.

Elliot ignored her and continued, "She said that we need to get her the shipwreck gold within 48 hours."

Mina, Hardison and Parker all went silent.

"You found it then?" Mina asked. Everyone looked at him expectantly.

He smiled, and pulled the gold piece that was previously under his wetsuit out of his pocket and handed it to Mina.

She looked at it with wide eyes. "He was telling the truth. Will was telling the truth about the ship."

Elliot nodded as she examined the coin, then passed it onto Hardison.

"There must be thousands of pieces of gold down there. It was amazing."

Parker looked at him with greedy eyes. "You would have loved to see it." He said to Parker as she took the coin from Hardison and flipped it over and over in her hand.

Parker quickly stashed the coin as Will's gurney entered the room, followed by a doctor.

"Will!" Mina shouted. Immediately, Will's eyes went wide and a huge smile erupted across his face.

Mina launched herself at him, and he would have done the same if he had not been so weak. Parker, Hardison and Elliot watched as they held each other. Both had been through so much and were so relieved to see each other alive.

After a few more moments of catching up, each began talking about all the incredible things that had happened that day.

Hardison recounted the tale of the cave-in. Mina gave tidbits along the way, bolstering his heroism in the face of danger. Especially with La Puma.

"Well, Elliot and I fought a shark." Was all Will said.

Hardison looked over in annoyance. "Always have to one-up don't you." He smirked at Elliot.

"It was no big deal." Elliot said in his nonchalant fashion. Inwardly he knew it would be a long time before he was able to step foot in another ocean.

After everyone was caught up, the room quieted down.

"So - we have a day and a half to get Amy the gold and help Sophie and Nate." Hardison said.

Everyone was silent.

"Well, there's no way we can go back to the shipwreck for another week or two until the blood and sharks disappear...and I don't think I'll be scuba diving back down there anytime soon."

"And we to be able to transport it back to the States without going through customs. So no commercial airline." Will added squeezing Mina's hand.

Everyone sat silent for a moment.

"Well…" Parker started, her eyes widening with a thought, "does it have to be that particular shipwreck gold?" she asked.

No one answered, but their eyes perked a little.

"I may have a few contacts that deal in South American art... and treasure…" She smiled wickedly.

"And I may have a few buddies at the military base that would send us on a transport back to the US…" Everyone looked over at Elliot. "They may owe me a favor or two."

"I feel like we have a plan coming together…" Parker said rubbing her hands together with her trademark wicked smile.