A/N Just a quick one-shot that popped into my head.
Disclaimer: I don't own White Collar. Enough said.
He woke up thirsty. Really thirsty.
He opened his eyes and looked around a moment as he tried to remember where he was through the fog in his brain.
Oh that's right, he thought, I'm at Peter's.
He had come over for dinner and then he and Peter had stayed up late trying to crack their most recent case. He had offered to catch a cab but Peter and Elizabeth wouldn't have it. So he had crashed on the couch. He slowly made it to his feet and shuffled toward the kitchen. A wave of dizziness hit him and he grabbed the wall to steady himself.
Something is wrong, he thought.
He was light headed and dizzy and he couldn't seem to breathe right. Not really sure what he was doing or why, he stumbled the few feet to the back door and stepped outside. He took in slow deep breaths. His dizziness subsided and his mind cleared.
"What was that?" He mumbled.
Before he could puzzle it over, however, his parched throat made itself known. He walked back inside and got a glass of water and downed it. Then he started to head back to the couch when the dizziness returned. He rushed back out the back door. After his head was cleared again he stepped back inside and that's when he noticed Satchmo in the corner. The dog hadn't moved since he got up, not even to look around. He went over and knelt by the dog and shook him gently.
"Hey Satch. Come on boy" he whispered.
The dog didn't even twitch.
It's not just me, Neal realized.
There was something wrong in the house. He tried to wake the dog again but still to no avail.
Peter. Elizabeth.
The two names flashed through his mind. They were upstairs asleep. He wasn't sure what exactly was wrong but he knew it wasn't good. He had to check on Peter and El. Neal reached down and scooped up Satchmo then carried him out the door and laid him on the back porch. Then he took in a deep breath and went back inside leaving the back door open. He crossed the living room and swung the front door wide before heading upstairs. He padded down the hall and to the master bedroom. He tapped lightly on the open door.
"Peter? Elizabeth?" He whispered. There was no response.
Realizing that the only people asleep in the house were the two he was trying to wake up he raised his voice to a normal level.
"Peter. Elizabeth."
He staggered as he made his way toward to bed and made a quick detour to the window and pushed it open. Then stepped back over to the bed and knelt down.
"Elizabeth?" He said as he touched her shoulder. When she didn't move he tried again.
"Elizabeth" he said a bit louder and shook her gently but she didn't even twitch.
Neal quickly checked to be sure she was breathing before sliding one arm around her back and the other under her knees . Then he picked her up and carried her out of the room down the stairs and out the front door. He set her down on the top step and leaned her against the railing before turning around and heading back inside. He ran up the stairs taking them two at a time. He rushed into the bedroom and over to Peter. Neal slid his arms under Peter's and hauled the older man out of the bed. Neal grunted under Peter's weight.
"Elizabeth is right you need to go on a diet" he muttered.
He held Peter to his chest and walked backward dragging Peter with him. When he reached the stairs he stopped and lifted Peter into a fireman's carry. Then cautiously made his way down the stairs and out the front door. When they got outside Elizabeth was starting to come around. Neal gently laid Peter down next to her then checked to be sure Peter was still breathing. Neal sat down and leaned against the door frame and took deep breaths.
"Neal?" Elizabeth said as she groggily looked around.
"Why are we outside?" She asked as her mind cleared somewhat.
"There was something wrong in the house I got dizzy and couldn't breathe right. Then when I checked on you and Peter I couldn't wake you so I brought you outside." Neal explained.
"Oh Peter!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she noticed the unconscious man for the first time.
"He's ok. Just unconscious. He'll come around in a minute." Neal assured her. "I should probably call 911" Neal said as he got up and went back inside.
He grabbed his cell phone off the coffee table and called 911 as he exited the house again. He explained the situation to the dispatcher then hung up.
"An ambulance will be here in a couple minutes" he told Elizabeth.
They heard a low moan and a second later Peter opened his eyes and looked around.
"Why are we outside?" He asked after a moment.
Elizabeth told Peter what had happened then helped him sit up.
"If we were unconscious how did you manage to wake up?" Peter asked Neal.
"I don' know. I just woke up thirsty and when I went to get a drink I got dizzy. After I stepped outside and my head cleared I came back inside. That's when I noticed that Satchmo was still asleep and when I couldn't get him awake I knew something was wrong." Neal explained.
A minute later the ambulance arrived. Neal explained what happened to the paramedics as they checked the three of them out.
"Looks like carbon monoxide poisoning." One paramedic said.
"I think you're right." The other agreed.
"Ok. We are going to take the three of you to the hospital to get checked out." The first paramedic said.
About that time Satchmo came wondering out the front door.
"Hey Satch" Neal said as he scratched the lab behind the ears.
"I'll go put him in the back yard. He should be alright back there until we get back." Peter said as he got to his feet.
He disappeared into the house with the dog and returned a minute later. Neal and Elizabeth were already in the ambulance waiting. He shut the front door and got into the ambulance and sat down beside his wife.
The ride to the hospital was uneventful. When they arrived they were checked out and diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning and were given oxygen to treat it.
"It's a good thing you got out when you did." The doctor told them. "Much longer and you would have died."
After the doctor left, Elizabeth and Peter turned and looked at Neal. Elizabeth gave the young man a hug and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you" she said.
"Yeah" Peter said as he put his hands on Neal's shoulders. "You saved our lives. Thank You."
He embraced the young man briefly before stepping back.
"It's no big deal. You guys would have done the same for me," Neal replied.
"Just the same, Thanks." Peter said again.
Neal smiled at the two people he would do anything for.
Peter turned to El and said, "I got a call. It turns out a connection in the furnace came loose and was leaking carbon monoxide. It's going to take a couple of days to fix so we'll need to get some stuff from the house then check into a hotel."
"You guys don't have to do that" Neal chimed in. "June has a spare room you can use and you can bring Satchmo with you."
"No, we can't impose" Elizabeth said.
"I already called her and she told me to bring you over." Neal said with a big grin.
"Thank you, Neal" Elizabeth said.
"No problem" he said. "You know I'd do anything for you guys."
"Yeah we know" Peter said sincerely as he put a hand on his friend's shoulder and Elizabeth grabbed his arm.
"We know" she echoed.
A big smile spread across Neal's face as the three friends walked out of the hospital, alive, healthy, and together.