

These Boundaries Crossed
Eliot Spencer has always been the team's protector - the man who takes the hits so others can survive. When a mission goes catastrophically wrong, he's left broken and bleeding, his body pushed to its limits. As the team struggles to save him, old wounds reopen and hidden vulnerabilities surface. In the aftermath of violence, can these damaged souls heal each other? Boundaries will be crossed, secrets revealed, and the true meaning of family tested in this raw, emotional journey of survival and redemption.The pain is everywhere—sharp, burning, relentless. Every breath feels like glass scraping against my ribs as I drift in and out of consciousness. The van's engine rumbles beneath me, a distant thunder that vibrates through my battered body. I can hear voices through the fog—familiar voices, strained with panic.
"He's losing too much blood!" That's Hardison, his normally confident tone cracking with fear.
"Apply more pressure!" Nate's voice, sharp with authority even in crisis.
Someone's hands are on me, gentle but firm, pressing against the wounds that cover my body. I try to speak, to tell them I'm fine, that this is nothing compared to the hits I've taken before, but my throat feels raw and swollen. A low, animal sound escapes me instead—a whimper of pain I can't contain.
"Eliot? Stay with us, damn it!" Parker's voice cuts through the darkness, urgent and fierce.
I manage to force my eyes open, just a slit, and see blurred faces hovering above me—my team, my family, their features contorted with worry. Blood soaks through my clothes, warm and sticky against my skin. The world tilts dangerously, darkness threatening to pull me under completely.
"I'm... sorry," I whisper, the words barely audible even to myself. Sorry I failed them. Sorry I let myself get hurt this bad. Sorry for all the things I can never say.
Then the darkness comes for me, and I let it.
