Chapter 26

A week passed and although Sophie visited Nate daily she did not stay long. Eliot and the others felt the tension between the two. Sophie did not say much when she did visit and neither did Nate. She always made sure one of them were in the room with them and she did not make any physical contact with him either. Nate was getting stronger everyday and although he tried to convince the doctor he was ready to leave the doctor insisted that he remain in the hospital for at least another week.

"Just let him sign the AMA papers doctor…that's what he does, he always knows better and besides he doesn't give a damn about himself or anybody else it seems." Sophie said during one of her visits when he and the doctor had a conversation about him leaving. Then she picked up her bag and left.

"Bring those papers doctor." Nate said turning to the doctor. "And you can get your nurse in here to disconnect all this…stuff from me unless you want a lot of alarms going off."

"Mr Ford…"

"I am not arguing doctor, I am leaving." Nate said locking eyes with the doctor.

"Nate please…" Parker said watching as the man sat up in bed and swung his feet over the edge.

"Fine." The doctor said. "I will have the nurse come and remove the IV and monitors Mr Ford. But let me just make it clear that you are not in a fit condition to leave the hospital."

"Yes that is why I sign the papers right doctor, so you don't have to worry about me suing you." Nate smiled at him.

"Don't do this Nate." Eliot said stepping forward.

"You know what Eliot, I think perhaps you guys should go home, you have spent way too much time here as it is, and I am fine thanks."

"Nate…"

"Hardison please, all of you just go ok." Nate said as the nurse finished removing his IV. "I will call if I need anything."

Eliot looked at him and then shook his head slightly. They were not going to get anywhere with Nate right now and arguing with him would just worsen the situation. He nodded to Hardison and Parker and then walked out the door.

"Nate…"

"Parker please I am asking you to leave." Nate said looking at the young woman who stood looking at him with a pout and sad eyes.

Hardison just shook his head too and then put his hand on Parker's back steering her out the room. All three of them then made their way out of the hospital and to the van.

"We are seriously going to let him walk out of there alone are we?" Hardison asked as the climbed in the van.

"We don't have much choice Hardison." Eliot said. He was suddenly tired of all of this. Sophie and Nate had to sort themselves out because he could not take much more, and neither could the other two.

"He is still very weak Eliot, and the doctor said he shouldn't be leaving the hospital and I don't think he is going to go home." Parker said softly.

She was worried about Nate, she cared for him deeply and although she loved Sophie, her loyalties lay with Nate and he was not ready to leave the hospital and she was not ready to leave him to his own devices considering the situation. He was most certainly not going home, because that would mean confrontation with Sophie.

"We are not going to leave him alone Parker." Hardison said pulling her close. "Are we Eliot?"

Eliot looked and her and smiled a hard-tight smile. No they were not going to leave Nate alone especially considering his condition, but right now they had limited choices.

"Well I am not sure where he will go but I would assume to his apartment, he did still keep it right?"

"Yeah he kept it." Hardison confirmed.

"Ok then let's get there and get things in place before he does." Eliot said as he gunned the motor and drove off.

Nate watched Eliot and the others leave. He was angry and he was frustrated. Sophie had no right to be behaving the way she was, he had done what he had for them, all of them. Damn her he thought to himself as he pushed himself off the bed taking a second to steady himself before changing into his clothes and making his way unsteadily out of the hospital. He was not sure where he was going to go though. He had his apartment but he was not willing to have the other three watching over him and they would assume that is where he would go, in fact he would not be surprised if they were wiring up the place right then. As he exited the hospital he walked over to the waiting cab and climbed in.

"Where too buddy?"

"Docks." Nate said as he sat back and closed his eyes and the cab pulled off. He needed to get away from all of them and if Sophie wanted out she could have out. He was not going to apologise for doing what he needed to do. He was also not going to beg. He had said he was sorry and if that was not good enough then so be it.

He arrived at the docks and made his way onto his boat. Once he had cast off and was out of the harbour and moving out to sea he poured himself a whiskey then sat down on the pilot chair and pulled his phone out dialling Eliot's number.

"Nate."

"Eliot listen I am taking some time and I am going to take the boat out for a while. Just letting you guys know so you don't have to worry." Nate said and he could almost see the anger on the man's face.

"I don't think that is a good idea Nate. You are not well enough…"

"Eliot stop, it's done. I will see you guys when I get back." Nate said softly. "Eliot…" Nate said taking a deep breath before continuing. "Please, just make sure she…"

"She's family Nate and I don't need you to tell me to take care of my family." Eliot said the anger in him rising. The man was a menace, he was a menace and he had no idea what his actions did to others, or worse he did and he didn't care.

"Eliot what the hell?" Hardison asked as he finished setting the last of the cameras.

"Let's go."

"I am not done…"

"Don't bother he is going out on his boat." Eliot said.

"He's what?"

"Going out on his boat Parker."

"He can't do that, he is not well enough, he will be alone, he can't do that."

"Well he has." Eliot said knowing that Nate would not have called them unless he was sure they would not be able to stop him.

"Damn him." Hardison said under his breath.

"Do you think he will let Sophie know?" Parker asked looking.

Eliot sighed and shook his head, he was not sure if Nate would let her know, but he should the woman was his wife and if he did not let her know it would make the situation even worse.

"Sophie…" He said as his phone rang and he saw it was her.

"He has gone out on his damn boat Eliot, he…damn him." Sophie raged as he answered.

"I know." Eliot said softly.

"Damn him Eliot. He is not strong enough to leave the hospital and now he goes out on that damn boat alone and…and…damn him."

"I know. We'll be over in a while ok."

"Ok…" Sophie said softly, and he could hear the emotion in her voice.

"We'll figure this out Sophie." Eliot told her, but there was not much they could do.

Sophie did not reply she just hung up the phone and then walked over and poured herself a whiskey. Damn the man, damn him she thought to herself he would never bloody learn. She downed the glass of whiskey and then poured another before taking a seat and waiting for the others to arrive. There was nothing they could do she realised, he was out there, and they were here and there was no way they could get to him if something happened, dammit they would not even know if something happened. Damn him to hell she thought as she sipped the whiskey sitting back and closing her eyes fighting back the tears of anger and frustration from falling.