writing sample for paradisa
However fuzzy the edges of the world had become thanks to the bullet he had taken earlier, Nathan could still come up with a half a dozen ways to get out of the crowded ambulance. He'd need to get his fingers to stop shaking long enough to do a couple of lifts, but one of the paramedics hadn't left his side and the other felt it necessary to get up from her seat and stagger the whole two and a half steps over to him to check his vitals every three minutes. He wasn't sure if it was because they thought he was going to die or if they were under orders from Sterling to make damn sure he didn't, but he didn't particularly care. For all that this had been his plan, he had no real intention of going to jail -- not when he knew Sophie and the others were probably already planning a break for him. Not when if they did and so soon, Sterling would be ready and waiting for them. No, he had to do this and do it now, on his own, before anyone did anything stupid.
He took a deep breath, palms pressing flat against the rails of the bed he was handcuffed to in an effort to get his hands to stop shaking, and moaned loudly, writing against the cheap sheets. The paramedic that had been up and down to check on him eyed him suspiciously for a moment and then got up, pausing once she'd gotten to her feet to ride out a series of bumps in the road the ambulance was plowing down. She'd gotten as far as taking one of the two and a half steps that would put her at his side when a voice stopped her cold in her tracks.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Sterling. Funny, he hadn't been aware that his mortal enemy had been in the vehicle with them. He wondered if it was the blood loss getting to him or if it was the combination of pain killers and alcohol had made him hazy enough to miss the fact that there was more than just the paramedics in here with him. He blamed the latter, figured that what had looked like kindness on Sterling's part was really another view into the depths of his cruelty, and groan this time in earnest before sinking back into the stretcher.
The paramedic sat down; Sterling got up from where he'd been sitting inconspicuously at the back of the ambulance and moved to his side. Nathan wondered briefly if the other man was close enough to punch in the groin, then dismissed the thought only when he found he wasn't so lucky. Sterling was keeping his distance, though probably to avoid giving him anything to work with rather than in an effort to avoid any cheap shots. Shame, really.
"Planning on breaking out, Nate?" he asked coolly.
"Maybe."
No sense in lying about it. There was nothing to gain from it, and maybe if he told the truth, he could disarm him enough to make a stupid mistake while he was gloating. Sterling was good for that sometimes, and it seemed to work as the other man took another short step closer. Nathan could almost reach the pocket of his blazer now; just a little closer and then he could only hope he had something useful in it. And that he, personally, had managed to pick anything up from Parker in the time they'd worked together.
"All that time spent implicating yourself so your team could get away, and you're just going to throw it to the wind? Now, that doesn't make sense." He paused, taking another half step towards him, leaning over to stare down at him, trying for intimidating; it took all of Nathan's willpower not to smile stupidly. "What game are you playing?"
He slid his fingers into his pocket slowly, making an effort to raise his voice to mask the sound of handcuffs rattling against the arm of the stretcher. "Well, you see, Sterling -- "
Sterling recoiled sharply, and playing it over in his head later, he would never be sure why. Maybe he'd heard him move, maybe he'd felt him trying to lift the pen he'd found in his pocket -- hell, who knew? Regardless, though, Sterling was on to him now, too far away to steal anything from, and sneering down at him viciously.
Nathan sunk back into the bed with a shake of his head, his glee from a moment before evaporating with four simple words to the paramedics on the heels of a swear. "Keep away from him. He'll make it to the hospital just fine, and if either of you give him the opportunity to escape -- any opportunity -- I'll have more than just your jobs."
He moved away then, shuffling back to where he'd been lurking near the back of the vehicle, and the paramedics shrunk away from them both, pressing against the walls nervously, afraid to be too close to him and his wandering hands or Sterling and his temper. So much for that plan -- so much for any of them, since they all relied on someone getting close enough to him to swipe something useful. He could only hope that whatever his team came up with -- and they would come up with something, knowing them -- was that much better.
Muse: Nathan Ford
Fandom: Leverage
Word Count: 911
He took a deep breath, palms pressing flat against the rails of the bed he was handcuffed to in an effort to get his hands to stop shaking, and moaned loudly, writing against the cheap sheets. The paramedic that had been up and down to check on him eyed him suspiciously for a moment and then got up, pausing once she'd gotten to her feet to ride out a series of bumps in the road the ambulance was plowing down. She'd gotten as far as taking one of the two and a half steps that would put her at his side when a voice stopped her cold in her tracks.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Sterling. Funny, he hadn't been aware that his mortal enemy had been in the vehicle with them. He wondered if it was the blood loss getting to him or if it was the combination of pain killers and alcohol had made him hazy enough to miss the fact that there was more than just the paramedics in here with him. He blamed the latter, figured that what had looked like kindness on Sterling's part was really another view into the depths of his cruelty, and groan this time in earnest before sinking back into the stretcher.
The paramedic sat down; Sterling got up from where he'd been sitting inconspicuously at the back of the ambulance and moved to his side. Nathan wondered briefly if the other man was close enough to punch in the groin, then dismissed the thought only when he found he wasn't so lucky. Sterling was keeping his distance, though probably to avoid giving him anything to work with rather than in an effort to avoid any cheap shots. Shame, really.
"Planning on breaking out, Nate?" he asked coolly.
"Maybe."
No sense in lying about it. There was nothing to gain from it, and maybe if he told the truth, he could disarm him enough to make a stupid mistake while he was gloating. Sterling was good for that sometimes, and it seemed to work as the other man took another short step closer. Nathan could almost reach the pocket of his blazer now; just a little closer and then he could only hope he had something useful in it. And that he, personally, had managed to pick anything up from Parker in the time they'd worked together.
"All that time spent implicating yourself so your team could get away, and you're just going to throw it to the wind? Now, that doesn't make sense." He paused, taking another half step towards him, leaning over to stare down at him, trying for intimidating; it took all of Nathan's willpower not to smile stupidly. "What game are you playing?"
He slid his fingers into his pocket slowly, making an effort to raise his voice to mask the sound of handcuffs rattling against the arm of the stretcher. "Well, you see, Sterling -- "
Sterling recoiled sharply, and playing it over in his head later, he would never be sure why. Maybe he'd heard him move, maybe he'd felt him trying to lift the pen he'd found in his pocket -- hell, who knew? Regardless, though, Sterling was on to him now, too far away to steal anything from, and sneering down at him viciously.
Nathan sunk back into the bed with a shake of his head, his glee from a moment before evaporating with four simple words to the paramedics on the heels of a swear. "Keep away from him. He'll make it to the hospital just fine, and if either of you give him the opportunity to escape -- any opportunity -- I'll have more than just your jobs."
He moved away then, shuffling back to where he'd been lurking near the back of the vehicle, and the paramedics shrunk away from them both, pressing against the walls nervously, afraid to be too close to him and his wandering hands or Sterling and his temper. So much for that plan -- so much for any of them, since they all relied on someone getting close enough to him to swipe something useful. He could only hope that whatever his team came up with -- and they would come up with something, knowing them -- was that much better.
Muse: Nathan Ford
Fandom: Leverage
Word Count: 911