AN The usual notes apply, I don't own anything belonging to Leverage or I would have never let TNT cancel it!
We catch up where we left the team, waiting on news of Eliot after his final hours in the Facility with Mason and his goons. I am incredibly sorry for the length between chapters, but I solemnly promise to finish this story and Escaping the Past - I won't leave you high and dry like TNT.
After his initial 24 hours Eliot had been released from the hyperbaric chamber and assigned a private room within Intensive Care. Parker hadn't moved, not since she'd seen Eliot in the corridor being taken towards the Decompression Chamber for his Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. She sat stock still and spoke not a word. Her first and only reaction in that time had been when two doctors entered the otherwise empty room specifically for the use of people awaiting news from loved ones seeking treatment upon the Intensive Care Unit.
"Family of Eliot Daniels?" asked the female of the two doctors.
"Yes, my brother." Nate stepped forward, offering his hand to shake while ensuring to include all the team in discussions. "We're all here for Eliot."
"Doctor Pitt-Fox," the young man stepped forward, "I'm sorry that we haven't been able to give you much news prior to this point. As we warned yesterday, it was an extremely difficult period for your brother, particularly while he was in the chamber. Now that he has passed through the first 24 hours I can say it was extremely helpful to clear out Eliot's lungs even though it was exceptionally hard on him given his state upon arrival. Both lungs were severely compromised and using 100 per cent pure oxygen helped to clear them out to a certain extent. Now we're left with the secondary issues, first of which was the poison administered by injection and you'll be happy to hear, swift intervention with the anti-venin renders this no longer a concern."
"That's all good news Doctor, but why do I feel like the other shoe is about to drop?" Nate spoke calmly though his folded arm stance belied how frustrated he was feeling, he was in no mood to be drawn in by all the good news and charm this doctor was exuding. In another life he would have made an excellent con man.
"Of course Mr Daniels," looking sheepishly, "your brother remains seriously ill and currently unable to breathe unaided." He continued to avoid the spurious glares he felt he was receiving from the two ladies within the group. "Eliot has increased crackling sounds in both lungs highlighting double-lung pneumonia, which is serious enough on its own. However presented with hypothermia, as in the case here, is life threatening."
It was all too much for Parker who let out a choked sob and putting her hands up straight away to cover her eyes she struggled against the Grifter as Sophie pulled her closer to offer comfort and help calm the bereft youngster.
Kneeling closer in front of the stricken woman the female doctor, who introduced herself as Olivia Steele continued, "Miss, while it is serious and a downturn that we were hoping to avoid, it was always on our watch list to be concerned about. We have upped his anti-biotic and steroids to encourage lung productivity. He is ventilated, which he initially fought, causing us to sedate him, which he also fought, requiring us to sedate him as heavily as feasible given his lung damage. It's quite normal for someone to fight with the vent, it isn't comfortable and usually unwelcome. However, his strength was something of concern to us, he looked frankly petrified and it was all we could do to encourage him to relax without having to restrain him."
"Nooooo."
It was one word, one solitary word, simply stated with such force and so powerful in its delivery that it grabbed all their attention.
"Please don't restrain him, he won't like it." Parker pleaded with the doctor searching out Nate's eyes to confirm his support at her plea.
Watching the odd exchange the doctor took in the solemn nod from Nate, "Okay, we'll try to avoid that though if he comes around again and is a danger to himself and my staff we'll be left with no other option but a medically induced coma." Dr Pitt-Fox explains. "I'm sorry if that seems harsh, but if he removes the vent there won't be anything left for us to do in order to help save his life."
Nate stepped forward, kneeling too in front of Parker and placing his hand upon her knee in a renewed attempt to connect with the quirky blonde. "Parker we don't want Eliot being scared when he wakes up, I think it's really the best idea for him to have a few days of complete rest which will give his lungs some time to begin healing." Nate spoke softly and gently as he directed his statement at Parker though looking at both the remaining members of the team. Directing back to the doctor, "That will help, right?"
"I won't lie, Mr Daniels, your brother is in an extremely delicate condition and the coma itself is not without danger, but put simply it may well be in his best interest if he is likely to react badly on awakening. Does he suffer nightmares?" Dr Steel added.
"Yes," Parker and Sophie both exchanged a look after they both blurted out their friend's secret. "...he does." Sophie continued, solo this time. While the doctors did not question the odd exchange Hardison and Ford exchanged an equally perplexed look. Nate decided now was not the time to question how both female members of the team knew this fact.
"Then it is most appropriate that we induce a comatose state." Dr Pitt-Fox stated, "If you'll excuse me, I'll make the arrangements straight away." And with that he swept out of the room as quickly as he'd entered.
"Honestly, we didn't believe your brother would make it through the first 24 hours. He is an incredibly strong young man and we hope he has plenty of fight left in him." Dr Steele replied to Nate particularly though addressing the entire group of people gathered for her patient.
Turning her attention back to Parker, Olivia Steele couldn't help but wish to comfort the young lady in front of her, the young woman who was so obviously stunned by her boyfriend's cruel torture and his subsequent injuries, "Parker, I can tell that you care very much about Eliot and that in itself can be powerful stuff when it comes to healing the sick. He will need your strength for when he comes round. You need to be strong for him but you also need to look after yourself." Patting the young woman on the knee she offered for her to be paged should they have any further questions and meanwhile they would continue with their plan to induce their friend into his dreamless sleep.
His intubation ventilator had been changed from the specialist piece used within the chamber to a standard ventilator, after which the doctors and nurses surrounded his bed and began thorough investigations of his battered body. They had worked tirelessly, teamwork invaluable while ribs were set and chest drain emptied. Eliot's lungs were heavily compromised and he was being helped yet again by the steroids and anti-biotic that were being pumped through his system and the steady whooshing noise from the ventilator. Warm fluids being replaced, warmed medication all being flushed fully-open through intravenous drips into his system. Warming blankets were changed in and out continuously by the angels that hovered over their patient throughout, allowing the Leverage Team members to concentrate on their own private worry.
Later the next day and once more Parker hardly moved, this time from Eliot's side since they'd been allowed back in to his room. Given how severe circumstances were the hospital had waived their usual rules in ICU by permitting the group of friends to visit continually, as long as they moved out of the way whenever required to do so. Now while Nate stood back from the bed watching as the young man fought once more, injured helping another innocent, was there anything this man would not do to help protect people from the stark violence that others were capable of? Staring as his young friend's chest rose and fell with each whoosh of a ventilator, he couldn't help but think back to what the doctor had told him a few minutes prior. It was an understatement to say that Eliot had a battle on his hands, and this one time Nate wasn't sure how much fight the Hitter could possibly have left in him. The prognosis was entirely down to chance, how clean the water they repeatedly drown him with was, how warm or cold it had been, how hard the punches had been to his ribs, how clean the breaks and fractures were, the list of variables went on and he doubted that even Hardison would be able to calculate the probability factors on this one. He didn't know what was best to tell the team. The latest prognosis from Eliot's doctor had been less than enlightening, his words echoing in Nate's mind.
…Cold water drowning can cause severe neurologic sequelae - Although initial treatment of submersion victims were not always affected by double sided pneumothorax, in this case he had. Serum electrolyte derangements may be related to the salinity of the water, particularly where large amounts of water are ingested. Immediate threats had included serious effects on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. However, the doctor was content that all and every immediate-action had been taken care of, which offered prompt correction of hypoxemia and acidosis.
Core rewarming with warmed oxygen, continuous bladder lavage with fluid at 40°C, and intravenous (IV) infusion of isotonic fluids at 40°C was initiated during resuscitation. Warm peritoneal lavage has been used for core rewarming in patients with severe hypothermia. A cascade unit on the ventilator has been used to warm inspired air.
The degree of damage to the Central Nervous System was as yet undetermined, mainly due to Eliot's state of consciousness. The possibility of damage came two-fold, first because of the severity and duration of hypoxia and secondly because of the poison. The most devastating effects had been cases where something called Post hypoxic cerebral hypo perfusion became apparent causing long-term effects of cerebral hypoxia, basically vegetative survival. The doctor had assured Nate that every single thing that could be done, had been done.
Sometimes though, Nate thought, somehow he worried that 'everything' just might not have been enough this time.
Allowing his mind to return to the room drawn back by the solemn beep of a heart monitor. He couldn't listen to another whoosh of the ventilator, turning to leave Nate noticed that Parker was humming again. It didn't matter that he wanted to ask her about this song that kept playing in her head but he opted to leave it for now, despite being sure he was starting to recognize the tune.
Not wanting to frighten the oddly static thief by speaking his intentions out loud, Nate slipped from the room and paused with his hand on the closing door to wipe his other across his weary face, returning thumb and forefinger to his nose where he pinched hard. Hoping for any chance that it may alleviate the pounding in his head; akin to the worst hangover he'd ever had. This action did not go unnoticed by Sophie who had been hovering close to the entrance since her comfort break.
"Nate," speaking softly the British lady gulped, looking tearful as she glanced towards the room, "has something happened?"
"No Sophie," realizing how he must have looked, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to give you the impression…" Nate trailed off as he was pulled into a tender embrace.
"Oh darling, this must bring back such awful memories for you," she spoke softly in his ear, "It may seem bleak now but we must not give up on Eliot, he would never give up on us."
Moving his head from her shoulder without leaving the comfort of her arms, Nate looked closely at the beautiful woman several inches from his face, taking in her striking beauty often took his breath away. He reminded himself to tell her later; now was not the moment. "It's not just being in a hospital, the smell of a chemical cleanliness, pacing outside another Intensive Care Unit. No this time it's not just the reminders of losing Sam or the possibility of losing another son. No it's more this time, this time is more grave than any other time Eliot's been injured, this time Parker, well, she's different somehow." Pausing once more while he chose the right word, "She looks lost Sophie."
Noticing the slight change on the Grifters face, a brief glimpse that would have gone unnoticed by anyone else but Nate wasn't just anyone, knew this woman inside out. A flash of guilt almost. Before he could question her Sophie spoke once more.
"I suspected a short while ago Nate, I should have said something but by then she came to me and admitted her feelings and it was the first time Parker had actually opened up to me about anything, especially something like this. I couldn't tell you then." Sophie stroked her hands from Nate's shoulders down to his forearms, trying to comfort but also instill a sense of calm in the Mastermind. "It doesn't even matter right now darling, it's just important that we're all here together, for Eliot."
After almost a moment of tranquility Nate spoke once more. "Of course Sophie," He acknowledged, "You're right." As usual he thought without verbalizing.
"Let me talk with Parker and see how she's holding up. It might be worth checking on Alec, he's been spending more and more time with Lucille and less time in here." Sophie had suspected the Hacker had noticed the changes in Parker and almost certainly realized that he would lose the girl of dreams, perhaps he could do with someone to talk to.
"I'll go sit with him now. Put your ear bud back in and for now make sure Parker removes hers. I'll tell Alec what's going on with Eliot and you listen at the same time." Silencing a protest from the Grifter with a placating hand. "She needs to understand, yes I get that, but there is a lot of information to take in, so I'd prefer we could give her some hope before we explain it all. I'm afraid there isn't much good news."
"Alright Nate, I'll go and sit with her and Eliot now." Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek while holding his other cheek in her elegant hand, Sophie hoped that this news wouldn't prove to be too much for the blonde youngster sat next to the downed Hitter. "Be gentle Nate, Alec needs to know he is loved and cared for as much as the rest of us."
Taking her place next to the Hitter's bedside Sophie joined the eerily silent Thief and offered an apologetic smile when she looked across to her. After ensuring that Parker had her ear bud out of her ear, Sophie sat still while what seemed like an eternity passed as Nate explained everything the doctor had told him about their friend.
"Oh my God," the Hacker whispered, the most he'd said in the previous hours.
"We wait, as patiently as we can we wait and we do what we can for each other to get through this. We will get through this together, all of us. I believe in Eliot and I know that he is fighting his hardest he can, no matter the circumstances and wherever he is right now, he's fighting his way back to us. You've all learned to trust in ways you'd never of imagined some years ago. Trust in each other and now we've all got to prove this by putting our faith in Eliot."
Nate trailed off as he listened to a faint sob from Sophie's ear bud, the usually composed and demure lady was upset and he was nowhere near her to comfort her. Feeling guilty he spoke directly to her as if she were in the room. "Sophie, I know you're upset and there's nothing about this situation that I can change right now but please try to hold it together for Parker."
As if reading their minds Parker chose that moment to speak up for the first time in hours.
"Sophie, don't be sad. Eliot's going to be fine, you'll see."
"Yes Parker, hopefully he will." Sophie admitted quietly, composing herself before she continued. "It's just hard to see him here looking so fragile."
"He looks younger." Parker admitted as she brushed a stray lock of hair back off his forehead with her left hand, without letting go of his big hand held within her right.
"Perhaps because he seems to shoulder a lot of the trouble it makes me think of him being older. Somehow I guess he's had a much harder life than we'll ever know."
"What did the doctor tell Nate?" enquired Parker who was now looking Sophie right in the eye. As if to dare her to try and tell a lie.
"Why don't we take a short break, I need you to look after yourself too. We could get a drink, something to eat maybe and I can explain what I know." Seeing the immediate dilemma upon Parker's face, Sophie continued, "Nate and Alec will come and sit in here with Eliot. He won't ever be alone, I promise."
"Okay." Parker replied meekly, then matter of factly added, "I really need to pee."
Somehow the break in Parker's demeanor was enough to lighten everything, allowing Sophie to let out a breath she knew she'd been holding all day.
"Right Hardison, let's make a move." Slapping the Hacker on the back he got up and headed out of the back of Lucille. "Time to go keep an eye on Eliot." Alec shut down his laptop and grabbed his bag and iPad before following Nate out of the van and across to the hospital room.
"Is there any reason why you've been spending so much time in the van Alec?" Nate enquired casually as they walked across the parking lot.
"Just researching possible outcomes for Eliot man, I ain't avoiding him Nate." The young man paused before he stopped and looked Nate in the face. "It's hard seeing him like this. He's usually grumpy and stuff but that stuff he does is hard, much harder than hacking some dumb computer."
"That's it?" Nate seemed dumbfounded, "Nothing to do with Parker?"
A wry smile came across the face of the younger man, "Nah, I seen the way she looks at him and when he ain't being grumpy I've seen how he looks at her too. I mean it would have been nice but I guess I'm down with it as long as they're both happy."
Grateful for the Hacker's forthrightness Nate decided to explain a thing or two about his part in all these jobs.
"Alec, your job is not easy either. It may be executed much differently than Eliot's and his may come with more physical risks but you can't dismiss your abilities. Thanks to you Eliot is actually getting the best treatment on offer." Seeing the despair in Hardison's eyes at the mention of the Hitter's injuries again, Nate decided it was time to impart some little known knowledge on the younger man. "Last time Eliot was this badly injured he was alone and trapped in a prison in Myanmar. There was no one to provide him with a cover to escape let alone get him the treatment he needed. He survived on his wits alone. Now he doesn't have to do this alone, this time we can help him to recover and he owes that to you."
"How on earth did he get out of there?" was pretty much all Alec Hardison could think about at that moment in time, feeling a little relieved by Nate's reasoning as to his worth on the team. Now all he could think about was just how much else didn't they know about each other?
"That's for him to tell you, once he's much better. Now let's get going before the ladies leave."
Detective Patrick Bonanno had found the weary team in a room in the Intensive Care Unit of the VA hospital, right where he suspected they would be and undoubtedly remain until their team mate was able to leave with them. Carrying a folder of photographs from the recordings they'd found at the Centre, Patrick wanted to confirm the main players with the consultants of Leverage Associates while memories were still fresh in their heads: Confident all the while they would have their own copies of surveillance and enough information to sink the Order of the 206 and bring further disrepute to the Dust Men of the Central Intelligence Agency. Jees, that had to be the joke of the Century. Since when do we allow people to be tortured and murdered on our own soil? He mused sardonically. Indicating his presence at the door with a subtle cough, he asked straight away if there was news about their colleague, then explained his visit, "I know this is a bad time, but I have some news for you."
Patrick Bonanno showed Nate the folder and a USB stick containing a copy of the surveillance from Mason's interview with their friend. Inviting Alec Hardison to step outside with his iPad was his first move. Hardison plugged in the key and set the files to open, first up was Eliot's initial interview with Mason, the one where the word challenge was issued. The second interview had been less pleasant leading them to the final file which contained detailed images and audio of his final 'interrogation' of Eliot. Nate didn't think he was a violent man though after seeing the first few minutes of torture visited upon the young southerner he could be convinced it was worthwhile with Mason in mind. It had been so utterly fruitless and horrendous to watch, it left him feeling sick. He noticed the young hacker had visibly paled during the final file played on, a sight he wished could have been spared him. When Alec stood abruptly leaving the pair alone, Patrick finally spoke, giving Nate a complete run down on what they had found out in the investigation thus far.
It was three more painfully slow days before Eliot was removed from the ventilator as his lungs had regained enough strength for him to breathe by himself. The pneumonia was under control and yet he was still unconscious. This was the greatest worry with his repeated drowning, the possibility of brain damage or central nerve damage. Things that couldn't be ruled out until Eliot awoke from his lengthy slumber.
Sometime during the night, they had all fallen into an uncomfortable slumber around his bed, Parker by his side, his hand in hers. Sophie in the chair on the other side of his bed and Nate and Alec slept upright on chairs nearer the wall. To begin with no one noticed any change. Well, apart from one of them.
Eliot Spencer felt as though his lungs were being squeezed while filled with razor blades. Trying to take a breath was harder than he had could ever remember. Feeling his tongue was swollen and too big for his mouth, while his whole bodied ached aside from his chest which felt like an elephant was crushing it with his foot. The haziness he could understand better if perhaps he'd been in a hospital but this room wasn't like any hospital he'd ever encountered before. There was an absence of the usual medicated smell that lingered despite every effort to dispel it and the décor was bright, not clinical white but cream coloured. He felt that his head was pounding and it was difficult to make out all the fuzzy shapes. How on earth had he ended up in here?
Opening his eyes to investigate further had taken more energy than he really had to spare right now and even considering the time and energy required to open his eyes was a bad enough sign as far as he was concerned. Being careful once more he opened his eyes slightly and briefly, or was he actually being discreet or merely unable to open his eyes for any longer than a few seconds? He couldn't seem to get his thoughts straight nor work out why he was feeling this awful. He felt the cold infusion of medication drip from the bag into his IV port, recalling the feel of cold liquid had his heart speed up rapidly.
They had delighted in using buckets of ice cold water while they boarded him. Pouring bucket after bucket over his covered face so as to further screw with his mind. Constricting his breathing and slowly filling his lungs with whatever excess fluids he hadn't thrown up during the miniscule respites between the buckets of iced liquid.
Eliot had awoken briefly, his eyes shot open his arms flailing wildly trying to get that elephant off his chest, until he felt the fight once more from his punished lungs. Struggling even as weakly as he had was causing even more problems drawing breath. The heart monitor was what woke them all, not the noise they'd hoped for but it meant that Eliot was coming around. Ushered from the room as Eliot started to flail his arms they were left to guess what might be happening as the room was filled with nurses, doctors and machinery.
Now the team waited once more, they weren't faring much better, albeit in less physical pain, the emotional conflict with their team mate laying fighting for his life, struggling to draw a deep breath was more painful than any other they had witnessed before; aside from Nate of course. He paced continuously while they waited outside the room and since then had taken a seat closest to the door, fortunately they were the only family waiting for a loved one this particular night. Sophie took turns as to who took her attention, of course her priority was to keep watch on their injured friend but she also felt the need to keep an eye on Nate and his hospital phobia.
Parker returned to her scarily still mode and had fallen silent once again. It was a great shame that she had to be initiated into the harsh realities of the Retrieval Specialist's life. She looked forlorn and Sophie new that she was having trouble controlling her feelings. What on earth would they do if the worst happened?
Nate was the only one to leave, along with Alec Hardison on several occasions to deal with Detective Bonanno and pass on the files and knowledge they had accrued. Information had been passed onto the CIA through various nefarious contacts Nate had kept from his days chasing several high profile names on the lists. The CIA provided their usual reply, they could neither confirm nor deny any such operations within the Boston area. Nate simply pointed them to the information and suggested that Boston PD had swooped on the place and removed several injured veterans who were being cruelly tortured by a man called Mason with help from a college student along with several of his friends. What had they intended on doing about it? The outcome had been the removal of all protection for Zilgram and his cronies, jail awaited them and it was nothing less than they deserved. Mason of all people had been bundled onto a helicopter and taken away. Detective Bonanno had enquired as gently as he possible could about the truth behind the operations from the Veteran's Centre – Nate had of course given him everything he could and advised them that while they wouldn't be pressing charges they would support claims from the others involved in the insane project.
Arriving back in time for the doctors to return with their latest update, Nate placed his hand on Sophie's shoulder, leaning in to ensure she knew he was back and would be with her throughout this ordeal. Parker stared down at the floor and though she remained silent and still at least she sat closer to the group, while Hardison bounced his knee nervously, tapping a finger away on his iPad simultaneously. The young hacker had found the silence overwhelming and early into their first 24 hour vigil he had extracted himself to the sanctity of Lucille to gather his thoughts and see if there was anything practical he could be doing while they waited on news of their friend. Sitting with his elbow on his knees and head in his hands, Alec Hardison didn't know which way to turn, he knew Eliot took care of the violent side of things but never had he been so close to the action. Nor did he ever wish to witness any of it first-hand again anytime soon. Thinking back to cell #13, he shook his head attempting to shake the cold shiver that ran through him, memories of a freezing cold cell where the soaking wet hitter was struggling to breathe as his lungs filled with fluids. Eliot had never looked so broken and it frightened him that it was that simple for a case to go so badly wrong. Parker, well she had never looked so scared and yet she bravely knelt by the downed Hitter's side and held his hand while talking to him to keep him from entering completely the abyss of unconsciousness. They still hadn't discussed their argument as it seemed ridiculously trivial given the current circumstances, though he wished he could clear the air. Now as he placed his hand closer to hers while they waited once more, folded upon her knees, sliding across the empty chair and closer to the blonde he pulled her closer with his other arm around her shoulders. He wanted to offer support while they heard from the doctors, Parker had refuted any such offer prior but now she seemed to fold into his arms. Though paler than she should be, Sophie noted from across the waiting room.
The doctor was once again joined by Dr Olivia Steele and waved to the seats for the members of the oddly gathered family so she could begin. "We'll get to the point as we know you've spent a very long time waiting to hear what was happening with Eliot earlier."
"In short," Dr Pitt-Fox started, "Your friend was regaining consciousness when his heart went into arrhythmia, we lost him at one point but he's now back with us. He has come through the last 90 hours surviving against as many of the nastier hiccups we envisaged." Hearing a small sigh of relief exit all their lungs, the doctors looked towards each other before they continued. "As you know Eliot's respiratory system was severely compromised when he arrived with us. He had fluid building in both lungs, was severely hypothermic and that was all without the poison entered into his blood system."
Taking over from her weary colleague, "He is making good progress with his lungs, has been breathing on his own for 60 hours now. The pneumonia is beginning to show signs of departing and his hypothermia has diminished. I can hear crackling on both sides of his lungs but it has improved greatly."
"Believe it or not, what you saw was a good sign, Mr Daniels was waking up. Coming around from the medically induced coma."
Parker didn't know where the tears had come from but she felt an overwhelming urgency to be with Eliot, to not leave his side until she had seen those steely blue eyes staring back at her. Instead moving from her chair after a reassuring hug from Alec, she fell into Sophie's arms and the tears just continued falling.