Author's note: All the usual disclaimers apply...see earlier chapters.
I am being Sunday-evening-lazy and saving the responses to the new reviews until tomorrow (but thank you for them, in the meantime!). Anyway, far more importantly, here is today's chapter!
In the elevator, Hardison pushed the button for the twenty-second floor. They had the elevator to themselves, so Hardison looked over at the other two where they leant against the back wall. Eliot's face was carefully blank, his eyes closed. Parker was focused on the display of lit numbers marking their progress upwards.
"You guys okay?" Hardison asked.
Parker nodded, but kept her attention on the numbers.
Eliot opened his eyes.
"Yeah," he said, looking over at Hardison. "You?"
Hardison huffed something close to a laugh, arms crossing in front of his chest.
"I don't know," he admitted. "Did we really do what I think we did?"
Before Eliot could reply, the elevator drew to a halt on the conference centre level and half a dozen men and women, all wearing business suits and name tags squeezed in. Through the crowd, Hardison saw Parker shift a little in front of Eliot, doing what she could to obscure the blood-stained bandage wrapped around his thigh. From his view at the front of the elevator, he suspected it wouldn't matter: every one of the new occupants had adopted the attitude of the twenty-first century elevator-rider, staring fixedly at their smart phones as they checked emails and text messages, only looking up to check the floor numbers when the ding announced arrival at someone's floor.
The elevator emptied out again by the twentieth floor, but Eliot, Hardison, and Parker rode the final two floors in silence. When the doors opened for the last time, Hardison held the 'door open' button and waited for the other two to exit, then followed as Parker led the way to the room she had commandeered.
It turned out to be a two-bedroom suite, separated by a small living room and kitchen area.
"So what happens next?" Hardison asked as Parker steered Eliot into the bedroom on the left.
Eliot sat down on the bed with a grunt.
"Next, you two take showers and bag up those clothes you're wearing," he instructed.
"What about you?" Hardison asked, frowning.
"I'm going to do the same, but only after I've topped up on fluids," Eliot said, gesturing towards a large bottle of water sitting on top of the mini-bar. The thirst of blood loss was leaving his mouth and throat parched.
Parker crossed to the mini-bar. She handed the bottle to Eliot, but also pointed out the paper bag sitting near him on the bed.
"I got you some Gatorade, too," she told him.
Eliot opened the bag and pulled out a bottle of the red, sugary sports drink. The taste was nothing to look forward to, but he would need the electrolytes it contained.
"Thanks, Parker," he said, unscrewing the cap. He took a sip before continuing. "We also need to let Nate and Sophie know we're staying here a couple of extra days. And," he added as Hardison's stomach growled and Parker dug in the paper bag for a packet of gummy frogs that she tossed at him, "we need dinner."
"What about...?" Hardison trailed off, gesturing towards Eliot's shoulder and leg instead.
"There's someone I can call," Eliot said. "But I want to shower before she gets at me with the needle and thread."
"Okay," Parker said, all business. "Alec, let's go shower. Eliot, you have everything you need for now?"
Eliot put the Gatorade bottle to one side and pulled his cell phone from the left hand pocket of his jeans.
"Looks like it," he said, putting the phone next to the Gatorade bottle. He toed off his shoes and rearranged himself so he was leaning back against the headboard. Hardison made an abortive move to help lift Eliot's legs onto the bed, but was stopped by a fierce glare. He raised his hands in submission and backed away as Eliot tried to get comfortable.
"Come on," Parker said, tugging on Hardison's arm. "We haven't eaten since breakfast, and I want dinner."
Despite her words, they lingered a moment longer - all three reluctant to separate after the day's anxieties.
"Hey, guys?" Eliot said, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant as the other two finally started to move. They stopped and looked back over at him. His eyes were veiled by his lashes for a moment as he studied his hands, seemingly searching for what he wanted to say. Parker and Hardison exchanged glances, but stayed quiet, waiting.
"Thank you," Eliot said at last, eyes rising to meet theirs.
Parker and Hardison looked at each other in confusion, then back at Eliot.
"For...?" Hardison asked.
"For staying," Eliot said, "even though you didn't have to...For stopping Udall, when it wasn't your responsibility."
They frowned at him in confusion.
"There wasn't anyone else who could do it," Parker said.
"Yeah," Eliot said. "That's what I'm saying. We...I...needed you, and you stepped up, no questions asked, just because it was the right thing to do. I've never been prouder to say I worked with anyone than I was with you two today, and I wish..." he trailed off, swallowing down regret. "I wish you could get the recognition you deserve for what you did ...for what you risked..."
Parker was still bewildered, but Hardison thought he had figured out what Eliot was getting at.
"You think we want medals or something?" he asked in disbelief.
"You earned them," Eliot said. "But the U.S. government ain't exactly keen on either getting its hands dirty by association or admitting there was something it couldn't do itself."
Eliot had learnt both of those the hard way, when his officially unofficial orders had led to capture and a dishonourable discharge. And, while he had long accepted the political necessity of such a position, bitterness still laced his words.
Parker and Hardison, in contrast, were convulsed in giggles.
"Eliot," Hardison said at last, wiping his eyes, "if we wanted medals, I would have hacked the list to get us on it, and Parker would have simply stolen any she wanted."
Parker scrunched up her nose.
"They're not sparkly enough for stealing," she said. Then, as a thought struck her, she tilted her head to one side and considered Eliot. He did wear a lot of jewellery. "But if you want one, I can get it for you," she offered.
"No," Eliot huffed an exasperated sigh. They just weren't getting it. "It's not the medal that matters; it's the fact that someone took the trouble to notice what you did and to recognise the guts and skill and – and generosity it took, and thanked you for it."
Both Hardison and Parker sobered immediately, crowding back in around the bed.
"We don't need an official thank you or a piece of metal from the government," Hardison said. Eliot opened his mouth to protest, but Hardison shushed him. "No, listen. Parker and I haven't taken any oaths like you have, and we didn't stay or do what we did today because any government asked us to. We did it because there were innocent people at risk who needed help, and giving that kind of help is what we," he gestured to include all three of them, "do... And we stayed because you were going to, and you needed our help to get the job done. Okay?"
"Yeah," Eliot nodded.
"And as for the medal stuff," Hardison went on, "well, you just gave us everything you described except the unsparkly piece of metal, so you can shut up about what recognition we should be getting and let us get the shower we definitely deserve. And, in case you haven't figured it out already," he added, reaching down to squeeze Eliot's uninjured shoulder, "we were just as proud today that we work with you."
Parker nodded beside him. When Hardison stepped back, she slipped between him and the bed to replace the Gatorade bottle in Eliot's hand.
"Drink up, Sparky," she told him. "Still lots to do tonight."
Then she turned and pushed Hardison ahead of her through the bedroom door.
"Come on," she said. "Shower time."