Chapter 28

By the time Sophie and Parker arrived at the hospital Nate had already been taken into surgery. As soon as they had cleared the underground parking Hardison and Eliot's anxious voices had come over the coms telling them that they were on their way to Johannesburg via private plane and would land in less than an hour and half. Parker gave them the run-down of what had happened as Sophie was not in a position to talk. She sat staring out the window thinking of the deathly still form of Nate when they took him away. Parker told them where they would be and then turned her attention to Sophie, taking her hand and squeezing it gently.

"He'll be ok." Parker tried to reassure the older woman and herself. This time she was not so sure. The wounds had been bad and Nate might not make it this time. Sophie did not answer, she did not even show any sign that she had heard Parker, her thoughts were with Nate willing him to live.

Eliot, Hardison and Sterling found them in the waiting room three hours later still waiting on news for Nate. Sophie looked up at Sterling and Eliot swore he had never seen so much hate in one look in his life. For a moment he was afraid the Grifter would attack the man. Sterling also saw the look at backed up slightly.

"Sophie I am sorry…" Sterling started to say.

"Get out of here Sterling." She said menacingly. "Get out now."

Sterling nodded and turned and left. He was just as worried about Nate but the woman blamed him for Nate being in this situation, and she did not need any more stress at the moment. He shook his head then walked out to his car to go and get his daughter.

"Sophie." Eliot said softly taking the older woman's hand in hers. "It'll be ok. Nate will be ok." Eliot told her but from the debriefing he had gotten from Parker he was far from confident in the truth of his words.

Sophie looked up at the Hitter her eyes swimming in tears. "He told me I could go, he said we could go our separate ways after…" Sophie said so softly and with such pain in her voice that Eliot winced.

"Sophie he didn't mean it."

"No Eliot I told him I can't do this, I was so angry I threw Maggie and Sam and Blackpoole at him and, and he told me I could leave… Eliot…" Sophie was sobbing now. It was all too much for her. Her last words to Nate and his to her haunting her.

Eliot did not know what to say. They had all heard the argument and it was a bad one and had got nasty real fast. He knew she didn't mean any of it and he knew Nate did not mean it but that may be the last time they spoke to each other and that would kill Sophie.

Sophie and Parker were still covered in Nate's blood. Parker had made sure the blood on Sophie's face from where she had given him CPR was washed away but they had not changed clothes. Eliot looked at Hardison and raised his eyebrows. Hardison nodded understanding the instruction and went in search for a change of clothes for both of them. Nobody was leaving the hospital, not until they knew what Nate's condition was. He made an appearance thirty minutes later with a full change of clothes for both woman. Handing them to Parker and telling her to get Sophie changed. Parker nodded and led the woman in to the nearest bathroom with Hardison and Eliot standing guard so that they would have some privacy.

Two hours later they were still sitting waiting with no news of the Mastermind's condition. Eliot was pacing the corridor, Parker sat holding Sophie's hand and Hardison sat behind Parker his hand on her shoulder for support. Finally the doors to the operating rooms opened and the doctor walked out calling out for family of Nathan Ford.

Sophie nearly sprang out of her chair as he approached them. She looked at the doctor, he looked tired and he did not have a look of somebody about to give good news.

"Mrs Ford. I am Dr Van Zyl, I operated on your husband." The doctor asked assuming that the woman in front of him was his patient's wife.

"Nate?"

"Mrs Ford your husband was gravely injured when he was brought in, all three bullets did some serious damage, the bullet to the abdomen tore through his intestines causing severe bleeding, and another bounced off a rib and lodged in his left lung. The third one lodged in his chest cavity." The doctor said and Sophie's heart sank, this man was going to tell her Nate was gone, that she would never see him again she was sure of it.

"Is he…" Eliot asked not quite able to say the words.

"No, he is quite a fighter." The doctor said with a tired smile. "I am not going to lie to you, we lost him on the table but were able to bring him back. He is in critical condition, his heart is very weak, we have not had to intubate him but we are worried about his lung function as well. We are having him moved into our ICU. You will not be able to see him for a few hours and then only one of you may go in, strictly during visiting hours." The doctor continued.

"Thank you doctor." Sophie said suddenly completely overwhelmed with emotion. Nate was alive. He was alive and he was fighting to come back to them.

"Very well, the nurse here will tell you which ICU he will be moved too." The doctor said before leaving.

They watched the doctor leave and then the nurse explained to them which ICU Nate would be placed in but again told them that they would only be able to see him later. Eliot thanked her and then turned to the group.

"Let's go and get a cup of coffee, there is nothing we can do until we can see Nate." Eliot told them taking Sophie's hand and pulling her up from her seat.

"No I want to be here."

"Sophie there is nothing we can do. Let's go just take a breath and then we will be back ok?" He told the woman. "You are not going to be any help to Nate if you collapse you know."

Sophie smiled at the Hitter and nodded and then the four of them made their way down to the little hospital coffee shop.

"If Nate dies I am going to kill him." Sophie said softly. She was thinking about Sterling and the fact that he had gotten Nate into this and insisted that they be left out. It was his fault she might lose Nate. His fault he may die.

The rest just looked at her. Parker and Hardison nodded but Eliot said nothing. This was not Sterling's fault and Nate would not want them to do anything to the man. He was trying to save his daughter from a fate worse than death. Any one of them would have done the same thing had it been their child. Sterling trusted Nate. They had a weird relationship. Eliot was aware that they had once been friends, good friends until Sam's death. Then after the last job they had done as a team, after Nate retired he was aware that he helped Sterling out on some Interpol jobs. They had kind of rekindled that friendship. It was only natural Sterling would turn to Nate. Why he had not wanted the team involved though Eliot could not figure out.

"What happened with the girls?" Sophie asked trying to get her mind off Nate's bloodied body and face.

"We got them out. They are all safe and all of Derby's guys are in custody." Eliot said giving them a rundown of exactly what they had found at the compound and what had happened.

Sophie looked up at him and for the first time noticed the dishevelled look and the dried blood on his shirt.

"Eliot are you ok?" She asked alarmed.

"I'm fine Sophie, it was just a flesh wound." Eliot said softly smiling at her, she did not need to worry about him right now.

"Well I am going to go back up to the waiting room." Sophie said. It had been almost two hours and she wanted to, no needed to see Nate.

Eliot nodded and paid the bill before they all made their way up to the ICU that Nate was in to wait until Sophie was allowed in to see him. After about another half hour the nurse said she could go in, but only for a few minutes. Sophie thanked her and then entered walking past two other patients until she got to Nate's bed. He looked pale and lifeless and her heart clenched at the sight. He had a lot of tubes running in and out of him and he had an oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. The heart monitors beat a steady tone and she could see his chest rise and fall letting her know that he was still alive, still fighting.

"Nate." She said placing her hand on his. "Please don't leave me Nate. I need you." She said softly then leaned closer in to him to place a soft kiss on his forehead. "I am so sorry Nate, what I said… I was just scared and angry and, and you." She stopped drawing a deep breath. "I could have lost you Nate and that is not acceptable. Please my love, come back to me." Sophie told the unconscious man holding his hand and squeezing it gently.

"I am sorry but you will have to leave now." The nurse said. "He needs his rest. You can see him again at the next visiting hours.

Sophie looked at the nurse and then back at Nate. "I'm here Nate, we are all here, rest and then come back to us." She said kissing his forehead again and then leaving.