Neal hurt. A lot. His stomach hurt, his left arm hurt and most importantly his head hurt. He wasn't exactly sure why though. He pried his eyes open just to see Peter get roughly dragged out of their car, eyes shut and his body limp. Wait, we were in a car crash. Neal thought slowly. They hadn't even seen the other car until it slammed into his side of the car, and Neal thought fuzzily that may have been the point.
"No." Neal croaked but his throat hurt too much to say anything else.
"Ah, Caffery's awake for this. I'm glad." A very familiar voice said to him. No, not him. Anyone but him. Neal thought as the man approached. He had blond hair and black eyes. Those evil black eyes showed such a feeling of greatness and hatred, first to himself then to Neal. Neal was cold at the center of his being. He was afraid of him, maybe even more than he was afraid of thrice damned hospitals. He tried to speak his name but his throat wouldn't work right.
"Looks like the indestructible Neal Caffery has a small concussion. Oh well. I will have to remedy that to a major concussion, maybe a fatal one." He said and laughed. That laugh was so disgusting and full of maliciousness all Neal could do is whimper in fear.
"Right! I almost forgot you're afraid of me. You truly are pathetic, except you do have a pretty damn good reason to fear me. I'm your death." He said. He punched Neal right below the temple and Neal felt his eyes roll back into his head and he was enveloped by the blissful darkness and numbness that was unconsciousness.
"Neal, come on Neal wake up please!" He heard Peter beg. He didn't open his eyelids, they were too heavy. He wanted to answer his friend but his mouth or throat wouldn't work.
"He not wakes. The sedative we gave him way too strong." An unfamiliar voice said. Neal was pretty sure he had a thick German accent and couldn't speak a lick of English.
"You son-of-a-bitch! First you kidnap a federal agent and his consultant and now you drug him? I swear I will kill you and your precious boss." Peter shouted. Neal heard a small chuckle and then a grunt. By the way Peter was breathing he had been punched in the stomach. Neal wanted to do something, talk to the man, and get his attention off Peter as more grunts were head. Neal focused on his throat. Peter had once told him he could do anything he set his mind to and although he didn't believe it at the time and now, he still tried.
"P'tr. Leaf P'tr al'ne." Neal choked out and the sounds stopped, except for one thing. The laughter didn't.
"I see Caffery is awake now. Very good." The German said and the sound of a door slamming rocked the room or cell or thing they were in
"Neal? Are you with me buddy?" Peter asked.
"Th'nk so. Hurt." Neal said.
"Where Neal?"
"Head. Stomach. Arm." Neal said, getting a little more control of his throat.
"Which arm buddy?"
"Left. Hurt a lot."
"Let me see." Peter said and he heard scraping, like Peter was dragging himself across a hard floor. Neal felt his hand gently go up and down my arm. "There?"
"No. Lower."
"Here?" Peter said, and Neal screamed. "Yeah, there. It's most likely broken. It's swollen and purple. How bad does it hurt?"
"Bad. Hurt more when you touched it. Feel sick."
"It's gonna be okay buddy. I don't think they noticed the watch; Jones and Diana are probably tracking us now. You must feel great, not having your anklet on and having a nice watch."
"Don't care. Just hurt. Make it stop P'tr." Neal said.
"I wish I could buddy. Just wait. Jones and Diana will find us buddy you just have to hold on. Can you do that for me buddy?"
"Don't wanna. Wanna sleep." Neal said.
"Just stay awake a little longer buddy."
"Do't wanna. Tir'd."
"Come on buddy please stay awake."
"Kay. Fir you. I try."
"Thanks buddy. Talk to me."
"Bout what?"
"Anything. Tell me about a man named Berkin. He's the one who kidnapped us. He came in for introductions while you were still unconscious."
"Scary. Very scary."
"I get that buddy. Why are you afraid of him?"
"Operation years ago. He caught on scam and said he want to join. Lied. He tried kill me. Only way he not, was I give him famous German painting. I gave him copy. He got mad. P'tr?"
"I'm still here buddy. Keep talking. So you gave him a fake and what happened next?"
"He shot me. Nearly kill me. Found by nice barmaid on way home from work. She call authorities. I thought to be a robbery vic. No one question when I fled in fear. They thought I was scared of another robber. Not scared of that. Scared of him. P'tr? Sleep now?"
"Just wait a little longer buddy. A little longer. I wonder what El is thinking right now. I hope she's okay."
"He not like that. Not hurt family or friends. Just you and whoeva you next to. Sleep now?"
"I'm sorry buddy but no. I don't know what drug they gave you so I gotta keep you awake until paramedics arrive. I can't have you closing your eyes and dying on me. That would be horrible paperwork." Neal thought he heard Peter smile.
"Joke?"
"Of course buddy. You are not paperwork to me. You are my Neal, my non younger brother who I constantly have to watch out for and get out of trouble."
"Bro? Neva had a bro before. Just an annoying sista."
"You have a sister?"
"Yeah. Name Natalie. She has daughter name Catherine, my Thriney and C.C. Depends on how she feeling."
"You have family? Do you keep in contact with them?"
"Letters. C.C and Natty talk to me, but Natty's husband not like it before you. Got a lot from C.C. Show you later."
"Okay buddy. You can show me later. Neal did you hear that? It sounded like gunfire." Peter said when the pistol shots echoed around the room.
"Heard. Sleep now?" Neal practically begged.
"In a minute buddy, I can't tell whether that's friend or foe fire."
After some shuffling and scuffing, the door creaked open.
"Neal! Peter is he all right? Are you all right?" Neal heard a certain FBI agent named Diana asked feverishly.
"I think so. He says his left arm hurts a lot and it looks broken. He was also given a very potent sedative and I don't know what it did to him."
"P'tr?"
"Yes buddy. You can sleep now." Peter said and Neal gladly drifted off into oblivion.
Epilogue
Neal was sleeping with something warm and wet on his hand. Neal groaned and shifted positions on Peter's couch.
"Damn dog. If you were gonna lick me, you could've licked the cast and not woken me up." Neal grumbled.
"Well then he wouldn't be following orders like the Solider he is, isn't that right?" Peter joked and Neal grinned. Of course Peter told him to lick him right then and there. He waited for the It's time to get up that came next.
"Sorry buddy. I didn't mean for him to wake you up. Go back to sleep." Peter said.
"Too late. Once I'm awake I'm awake for good. What day is it?" Neal asked, just like every other day.
"Saturday eight o'clock, that's why I wanted to let you sleep in. You only have one thing to do today."
"And what's that?"
"You promised to show me and El those letters from your niece and sister."
"Oh. I was kind of hoping you would forget that."
"Why would we? We've been waiting for it all week."
"Because maybe they are personal? And maybe a certain FBI agent would tell on me?"
"You know I wouldn't do that."
"I know. They don't. They find out, and I am one seven letter word. Screwed."
"Come on you don't mean that."
"Oh no. You've never met them and I'd like to keep it that way. They would freak if they found out it's your fault A) I got caught B) You caught me and C) you always get me hurt!"
"Your family is that seven letter word."
Shut up Peter."