In It For the Money

XXXIV

(That addition was mostly for fun, but if you want to find some background ambiance here's this: https://youtu.be/eEZF9iIv5XM?si=4OzopRghWLWrO1zT )

 There was a soft patter of rain echoing through the silent room. There was a woman hovering over the white bed sheets, her cat-like eyes scanning the steady rise and fall of the man's chest. "How did we ever come to be stuck like this?" She muttered, shaking her head as she stepped closer to the bed, eyes scanning the steady beep from the heart machine as she sat on the bed, moving the male's hand into hers on her lap. "What have you done now?" She uttered his name softly under her breath, looking over to the mirror directly across from her. Within the crystal picture it revealed showed the tired woman's eyes and disheveled hair. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"Ms. Wong?" A feminine voice filtered from just outside the opened door. "When did you arrive?"

The woman turned and made contact with Maggie as the woman eyed the flowers clutched in her arms. "I came here to see him, I need to know what he's gotten himself into this time. I fear I cannot save him from this path he's put himself on." Maggie took the flowers out of Ada's arms and placed them into the vase, which had a get well card propped against it. With the names of everyone who was there when he was brought into the hospital. Along with a phone resting silently on the dresser, plugged into the wall.

"To be honest, so are the rest of us. He blew up the base. Our base of actions. I don't know if anybody survived it, or if they intend to come after us."

"What about the child?" Ada asked, frowning and lowering her gaze.

"Sent away to the village miss. Eliza will be alright. So I hope."

"That village up in northern Europe?"

"The start of this chaos... I'm afraid so, but they took her in with care. She will remain safe there forever."

"So we can only hope. I'm glad that he hasn't lost his humanity completely."

"As are we." Parker spoke as he stepped inside of the room, holding boxes of food. "I figured at least one other person would be here. I sent a group text saying I'm bringing food for everyone. I thought the smell might..." He paused as he looked at the unconscious man. "That it might wake him up."

"I think it is worth a try." Ada spoke, her lips curling up into a small grin. Parker sat on the empty hospital bed across from Ada and began taking the Chinese takeout from the bags. Soon the other two members of the team entered the room and took seats either by Ada and Maggie or by Parker, everyone holding onto their own box of food. The room erupted suddenly with the friendly talk of the team, everyone smiling as they enjoyed the decreasing tensions around them. The beeping from the machine grew silent as they talked, as if it were nothing more than background noise drowned out by the epiphany of discussion.

"So how are you guys handling your hotel rooms?" Parker asked suddenly, changing the atmosphere of the room. "I can tell you my back definitely yearns for home."

"My room isn't half bad actually," Maggie began. "And Ava doesn't seem to mind the bed next to mine as she was snoring half the night." She couldn't help the smile that crept up on her face as Ava turned pink.

"Yeah well I can't help that sometimes I snore loudly in my sleep." She defended.

"Oh I never said it was loud, Ava." Maggie answered, sending her a wink. "But if you insist."

"Um, stop that." She whined, covering her face as it turned a medium shade of salmon pink.

They all laughed softly as Ada simply watched on in silence, taking a bite of her food as she turned her head to face the male sleeping silently in the bed. "To your health." She muttered softly, quiet enough that no one heard. She saw a slight twitch in his left hand and her eyes softened as she looked away and continued to eat.