Chapter 28
Two days passed and nothing happened. Nobody came near Nate or Sophie or Kate. Tensions were rising and everybody was on edge.
"When is she going to make her move?" Sophie asked as she took her seat on the sofa beside Parker. It had been a long day and she had just put Kate to sleep.
"I don't know. I thought she would have made her move already. Everything is back to normal."
"Maybe it wasn't her. Maybe…maybe you were wrong Eliot." Sophie said. She wanted this to be over. She wanted to be with Nate and not just look at him on a screen and only see him for a half hour every day.
"Maybe…"
"Bonnano still hasn't had a hit on her whereabouts." Hardison told the group. "I mean if it wasn't her why did she disappear?"
"Maybe she didn't want to go to prison for kidnapping." Parker said.
"Look we are all tired and frustrated. Let's just give it a few more days." Eliot said.
"And then what…if she doesn't appear then what Eliot?" Sophie asked him.
"Then I don't know…"
"Well that is not good enough Eliot. That's not good enough. Nate is lying there and he still hasn't woken up. Kate is having nightmares and wakes up crying and I…" Sophie drew in a deep breath trying hard to fight back the tears that swam in her eyes. "I can't anymore. I want my husband and my family back…I need them back." She said her frustration spilling over as her pitch rose.
"I know. Don't you think I know that? I'm trying everything ok, I don't know where she is and I don't know what she wants." Eliot said his frustration levels rising as fast as Sophie's.
"Ok…ok guys." Hardison said but before he could say anything else the alarm on his computer started screaming. Hardison was immediately up and at the computer.
"What's happening…Hardison…?" Sophie asked anxiously.
"I don't know…something is going on with Nate." Hardison said pressing the button that threw the image of Nate's room on the screen.
"Oh my God…" Sophie said her hand flying to her mouth as she watched in horror at the scene that was playing out.
There was chaos in the room. Doctors and nurses were swarming around Nate's bed and it was obvious that the Mastermind was in distress. They watched in shock as the doctors worked on Nate and then after five minutes all activity ceased.
"Nate…oh God no…" Sophie said closing her eyes and burying her face in her hands.
"What…what just happened…?" Parker asked not wanting to believe what she had just witnessed. Hardison said nothing. His hands hung at his side and tears formed in his eyes as he stared at the screen.
Eliot moved over to Sophie and sat down beside the woman wrapping an arm around her.
"Don't you dare…don't touch me…" Sophie said standing up and moving away from the Hitter. Her eyes blazed at him full of anger and grief. "You…he was alone Eliot…he was alone and he…"
"Sophie…"
"Don't Eliot, I will never…never forgive you for this…not ever." She said then turned to Parker. "Take care of my daughter." She told her then stormed to the door grabbing her car keys as she went.
"Sophie you can't drive…let me…"
"I don't want you with me." Sophie said as she left slamming the door behind her.
"Parker…" Eliot said turning to the Thief. They were all in shock but Parker could handle it better than Hardison and he was not in question. "Don't let her drive…I'll take care of Kate."
Parker nodded and ran to the door getting outside just as Sophie got to the car. She moved herself between Sophie and the driver's side door and held out her hand not saying a word. Sophie stared at the young woman her body tense ready to fight. Then her shoulders slumped and she handed her the keys and made her way to the passenger's side. Parker took the keys and climbed into the car. She waited for Sophie to get in and close the door before setting off for the hospital. On the way Sophie received the call giving her the news she already knew. Parker drove in silence as Sophie sat staring out the window. She was numb, she wanted to scream and shout and curse but she couldn't. All she could think of was that she was not with him, he was alone in a hospital a place he hated, a place that... She had failed him in his time of most need. She did not cry, she did not say a word. They reached the hospital in under five minutes and the two women made their way up to the floor Nate's room was on. The door to his room was closed when they got there. Sophie stood at the door and took a deep breath before throwing the door open. The room was deathly silent, the monitors quiet. Sophie stood at the door and stared at the bed.
"Mrs Ford…" A nurse said making Sophie jump slightly at the sound of her voice. "I am so sorry. Please, take all the time you need."
Sophie did not acknowledge the nurse, she stood staring at the covered body in the bed. The white bed sheets had been pulled up over the head and she could not see him. Parker stood behind her but did not move. Sophie eventually walked hesitantly into the room and up to the side of the bed. Parker stayed at the door watching the older woman. Sophie stood at the bed and stared down at the white sheet. She was afraid of pulling the sheet back but she had to see him, she needed to see him. Taking a deep shaky breath she reached out and took the edge of the sheet holding it gently. Then she pulled it down slightly, away from the still figure, exposing the head and face. On seeing him she almost collapsed but Parker had moved silently into the room to stand behind her. She caught the older woman steadying her. Sophie reached out and placed her hand on the cheek of the man lying on the bed.
"How could you Nate…how could you leave me…I'm so sorry, God I am so sorry…" She said not knowing what to feel, her emotions conflicted running from anger at Nate for dying and leaving her and her daughter alone to guilt for not being with him when he had passed.
Parker stood ready to support Sophie, although she was in numb with shock, she knew it was her duty to take care of the older woman so she pushed her emotions aside and locked them away. Sophie wept inconsolably as she held Nate's limp hand. Then she leaned over the dead man and placed her lips on his running her hand down the side of his face. Then she stood up and pulled the sheet back up and over him. What was she going to tell her daughter? How did she tell Kate she would never see her father again, never play with him, never have another story read to her by him…Sophie felt her knees buckle and then everything went black. Parker caught her and lifted her easily into her arms. She carried her to the one comfortable chair in the room and placed her gently in it. Then she looked up and into the cameras she knew were placed in the room her eyes full of grief.
"Is she alright?" the nurse who had spoken to them earlier asked as she entered the room.
"She…she collapsed." Parker told the nurse looking down at Sophie then at the nurse.
"It must be a shock. He was doing well, his vitals were good and then..." The nurse said checking Sophie out as she spoke. "I'm going to move her to a room where we can lie her down." The nurse said looking to Parker for permission. Parker nodded consent.
Within minutes the nurse returned to the room with a gurney and another nurse. Together they lifted the Grifter onto the gurney and wheeled her out of the room with Parker. Parker watched them hesitant to leave Nate but knowing she should not leave Sophie alone. She decided that going with Sophie is what she had to do so she quickly followed them. Once they had placed Sophie into the bed and covered her with a blanket the nurse told Parker that she would send in a doctor to check the Grifter out and prescribe her something for the shock. Parker nodded numbly then pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down taking Sophie hand and unable to hold her grief in any more she wept.
In Nate's room the nurse signed the body over to the two men who were there to take the body down to the morgue. An autopsy would have to be performed. The man should not have died. There was no sign of anything physically wrong with him apart from the coma. His heart was strong yet he had gone into cardiac arrest. The men loaded the body onto the gurney and wheeled it out of the room. The nurse watched them go and shook her head. It was always difficult to lose a patient, but even more so when there seemed no logical reason for the patient dying. She knew that life was fragile, she had been a nurse long enough to know that, but this was one of those cases where she had been caught unawares by the sudden and unexpected turn of events. Then she noticed the appearance of the two men who had been almost constantly with Nate until two days ago. She frowned slightly at that thought. The patient had not been left alone for one minute and then suddenly everybody had disappeared and only visited for a brief time during visiting hours. She shook of the thought and approached the two men.
"If you are looking for Mrs Ford, she collapsed and she is in the room two doors down." She told them.
"Thank you…" Eliot said then fixed his eyes on Nate's room.
"They have taken him down to the morgue." She told him. "I can ask the coroner if you can view the body if you want to."
"Thank you…I…I would like to see him." Eliot said his voice hitching with emotion.
"Ok…I'll arrange it." She said then left them alone.
"You go in Hardison…" Eliot told the Hacker as they walked over to the room the nurse had indicated Sophie had been taken too. "She doesn't want to see me."
"Eliot she was just in shock. She didn't mean what she said." Hardison told the Hitter.
"Yeah…but right now she doesn't need any added tension. I'll just wait out here." He said. "She's going to ask about Kate…"
"Don't worry, she'll be alright with Nancy looking after her." Hardison said. They had called the babysitter that Nate and Sophie often used. Both of them had wanted to come to the hospital, Hardison to be there for Parker and Sophie and Eliot because he needed to see Nate, and he wanted to make sure that they were all alright, even if Sophie had made it clear she did not want him around her right now.
"Hardison I am going down to the morgue." Eliot told the Hacker through the coms.
"Ok…Sophie is awake again, she wants to go home to Kate."
"Fine…I'll see you there later." Eliot said. "Take care of her Hardison."
"You don't have to tell me man." Hardison said and Eliot could hear the grief in his voice.
Eliot made his way down to the belly of the hospital. He walked towards the door marked 'Morgue' and then stopped in front of the door. He stood for a few minutes just staring at the door. He had seen many dead bodies before but this was different. This was his friend, more than just a friend. This was a man he admired before all others. This was a man he had failed, a man who had put his trust in him and he had let him down. He had sworn he would keep them safe, all of them until his dying day and he had failed. He shook his head trying to fight back the emotions that were welling inside of him. He knew if he found Penelope Cowan he would kill her. To hell with not being that man anymore…He shook his head pushing aside the anger and the pain and the grief that flooded over him. He reached out and pushed the door open and walked into the room. It was quiet and deserted which Eliot found slightly odd. Then a man emerged from a door to the side of the large room.
"I'm sorry who are you?" The man asked. Eliot took in his clothing and his badge that identified him as the coroner.
"My name is Eliot Spenser and I need to see Nate Ford's body." Eliot told him.
"Who…?" The coroner asked not recognising the name. He had seen enough grief- stricken people to know that this man had lost somebody close to him although he tried very hard to hide it.
"Nathan Ford." Eliot told him. "He passed away about half an hour ago in the hospital…cardiac arrest."
"I'm sorry you must be mistaken." The coroner said. "I have received no bodies in the last two hours."
"You what…No…I…" Eliot said stunned by what the coroner was saying. He had not received a body…that was not possible. "He was brought down…he…"
"Look Mister Spenser I don't know who told you that but they must have been mistaken." The coroner repeated.
"Nate's not there…?" Hardison asked as confused as Eliot was as he listened to the conversation.
"Penelope…" Eliot breathed out. "She made her move…"
Where is Nate and was it Penelope that took him? What state is he in and what do they want to do with him? Will the team be able to find him? Thanks to everybody for reading and taking the time to review, all reviews are greatly appreciated.
