Chapter Four: The Long Road to Recovery
Hours later, Sly awoke in a daze, his leg was numb and in traction, and that the Guru and Dmitri were happy to see him awake.
"Alright, am I better now?" Sly said optimistically, but tiredly
"Not totally, Sly, your leg is still broken, but your knee is somewhat better, to keep it simple, you're still gonna need crutches though buddy."
Sly thanked everyone for their help including Murray for preparing his room and moving all the machinery in there and Dmitri for... well he didn't do anything except show up.
"Hey Bro, I got some diamond and mink outfits of your crutches if you want 'em, I'll have you crutchin' in style bro! Dmitri said as he patted down on Sly's hurt leg, making him gasp and wince.
"Whoops" he said
"Well at least we got the Alexandria heist out of the way, now we can take a break for a while, in the meantime, Murray and I'll have to pull the heists while Sly's resting up." Bentley said.
Sly listened but also drifted to his own world, his world where he was going to tell Carmelita, about his bad injury, and if he was going to give up thievery.
After about an hour everyone was back in their separate corners, Guru back in Australia, Dmitri back in Paris, and Penelope back in Greece.
Later, Sly was still getting used to his crutches and heavy cast that Bentley fitted Sly's leg with, wand walked into Bentley's room, undetected almost, but Bentley calmly said "Yes Sly?"
"How'd you know it was me, Bentley?" "Oh an educated guess," as he looked at the crutches that squeaked uncomfortably sometimes.
'Listen. Bentley, I need you to track down Inspector Fox for me." Sly said, knowing that Bentley was going to criticize him… but he didn't.
"Okay then Sly, I don't know why, especially in your state but if it's what you wanna do, go ahead." Bentley said with a sigh.
"Thanks pal." Sly said uplifted almost that he didn't have to hear anything from Bentley, which was also very weird.
As he passed Murray's room, he saw the hippo sitting down on the bed, just sitting.
Not moving or eating or watching TV, which were normally his activities.
"Hey Murray, what's wrong?" Sly asked him.
"Hmm, oh nothing Sly nothing, just thinking about… you want the truth Sly?"
"It's preferred" Sly seriously.
"I'm worried about the team Sly. I'm worried that this is the end and that with our leader out of commission, who'll take the lead?"
"Think about, all these jobs we've done together, they get sticky, or something goes wrong, but who gets us out of it? You do Sly!"
"I'm just worried about the team." I don't wanna feel vulnerable or powerless" Murray said dejected.
"Look pal don't worry about it, I'll be better in no time, and we can continue our thieving ways."
"OK Pal, ok" Murray said now calmed.
Sly then crutched back to his room and thought about what Murray had just said.
The words kept coming at him like a train at full speed ahead, along with what he kept thinking two nights ago.
Worried about the team, Next in Cooper Line, Leader, Out of Commission. 16 months! Vulnerable. Powerless. It all stung him at one time.
As he fell asleep, he dreamed of when the Contessa had him and Murray locked up.
Sly remembered being in the Hole in the Contessa's prison, he felt powerless then, the same feeling he had now.
He hated this feeling but he finally drifted off to sleep in his awkward position, again dreaming of Carmelita.
Chapter Five: The Truth
Sly woke up groggily, and crutched his way into the kitchen. Empty.
He had a bowl of cereal, then moved to the living room. Nobody there.
Sly was getting freaked out so he yelled to the house 'Hello, anybody home!?
He then noticed a note on the counter from Bentley, reading
"Dear Sly, Murray and I have gone out to get some supplies from a couple places downtown, we're gonna be gone for a few hours, so… go crazy. See ya then Signed Bentley."
"Okay then, time for me to do a little running... or crutching around town"
Sly got into disguise as a normal person in France, not your stereotypical carrying baguettes and smoking , but he had on a leather jacket with a Daft Punk shirt on underneath it, Shades Black jeans (which were nearly impossible to get on!) and some black boots.
Sly looked at the info Bentley had given him on Inspector Fox, and caught cabby to her apartment in Lyons.
When he got there he crutched out of the car and eased up the steps.
It started to rain, just like the night Sly was injured, where he and Carmelita had an encounter on the rooftop.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
When Inspector Fox came to the door, she was tense and armed with a shock pistol, but when Sly took off the shades and she saw the crutches, he solemnly said to her "Hi Carmelita, long time, no see huh?"
As soon as she heard that, she flashed back to what had happened in Alexandria, and her heart did nothing but ache.
