(Chapter 2)

Neal was kept for observation till the end of the week and let out into Peter's custody. The young man looked tired but better than he had when they brought him in. Peter wheeled him out reluctantly in a wheelchair, the young man wanting to walk with his own two feet but the doctor had insisted. They took a quick detour to ICU and visited Sam. Neal had wanted to see the agent, his guilt at what happened making him pale about three shades as he looked in at the unconscious form surrounded by tubes and monitors. Peter still didn't understand what had happened to cause his partner to feel such guilt at the agent's condition.

Neal sat at the agent's side, reaching to grasp Sam's hand in his own. He had barely touched the unconscious man's hands when he noticed a kind of tingle or spark passing between them.

He suddenly found himself standing in a white sterile room but it wasn't the ICU. Neal freaked for a moment realizing where he was but seeing he was free. He looked down to see he was holding someone's hand, Sam's hand. The agent lay on a gurney tied down securely, eyes staring blankly ahead. His mouth was slightly agape, a ragged breath escaping his parched lips. Neal looked around till he found a scalpel and cut the agent free. Then he grabbed a cup and poured water into it from a nearby faucet. He lifted Sam's head a bit and held the cup to the man's lips.

"Drink this, Sam. Please." He pleaded softly, seeing those lips tremble slightly as the water met them. Sam drank the water with a bit of a cough. Neal tried to be more careful, remembering what Goru had removed the man's tongue if only in his mind. Neal pulled the cup away once he felt a light squeeze from Sam, the agent's hazel eyes rolling loosely to meet his own.

"Sam? Can you hear me? This is a dream... a nightmare. You can wake up. It's not real." He watched those eyes blink lethargically at him but no reply beyond the agent's ragged breath.

"Sam... Goru is manipulating you. Wake up. I'm beside you in the hospital with Peter." Neal felt another squeeze and then suddenly someone was shaking him awake.

"Neal? Neal... wake up!" Peter's voice penetrated his thoughts, waking Neal from the dream with Sam. He looked to see his hand was no longer holding the agent's but Peter had pulled the chair back some feet and was gently shaking him. Neal gazed up at his friend.

"Sam's there. He's not able to wake up." His voice was soft, nearly inaudible as he gazed at the unconscious man. Peter didn't seem to understand.

"What do you mean? He's catatonic, Neal." Peter looked at his friend curiously, Neal trying to explain.

"He's trapped in his head because of what Goru did to him. I saw him. He looked at me but he doesn't know he's dreaming. I tried to tell him but you woke me up." Neal sounded a bit frustrated if not sad. Peter stared at his partner, trying to understand. He patted the young man on the shoulder as they left.

"It will be ok, Neal. Let's go home."

()()()

Neal leaned back against the front seat and door, hat covering his face. Peter had been kind enough to bring a bag from June of his favorite things and those recovered from Goru's compound. He closed his eyes, trying to rest but he found himself in that sterile room of his dreamscape.

He was alone and looking around at the scene when he noticed something new. There was a cabinet without windows along the wall. Neal walked over and tried to pull it open but it was locked. He reached into his pocket as he normally would and pulled out his lock picking kit, playing with the small mechanism till it clicked opened. Neal pulled the shelf open and turned away, face pale. It took him a moment before he could look back without feeling ill.

The shelf was dark, faint light entering as he pulled the metal doors open. On the shelves were several items in liquid filled jars, labeled in a plain handwritten script he could only assume was Goru's. One jar in-particular caught his attention. It was simply marked: Sam and held what appeared to be the agent's tongue that had been cut out in the previous dream. Neal shivered as he wondered why Goru would keep such 'momentos' of those he had taken advantage of. He saw other things in jars but closed the shelf, unable to stomach the sights.

Neal heard a sound from nearby and froze. Faint voices could be heard approaching and he saw a door suddenly against the far wall. There was nowhere to hide in the nearly sparse room. Why hadn't he wakened up yet? Neal felt a kind of panic, looking around for a place to hide when he found a vent suddenly behind a small wire shelf. He hadn't noticed either before, ducking behind the shelf and opening up the vent as he squeezed inside and pulled the grate back after him.

He peered out of the grating where he hid and saw a group of nurses and interns come in. They were the faceless ones he saw before. They pulled a gurney between them with Sam on it. He was strapped in again, eyes moving around nervously, mouth agape as he tried to speak but couldn't.

"Get him prepped." Goru's voice was speaking, a chill running down Neal's spine as he heard it. He wanted to run away but he felt guilty at what had already happened to the agent. Unless he could wake up and warn Peter to take them back to the hospital, Sam was going to be further tortured.

"I think I'll take the right one. He can still see with one eye." Goru's tone was menacing, Neal holding a hand over his mouth in terror. He was trapped where he was, forced to witness or at least hear what would happen to Sam. Why didn't Peter wake him up?

"Once we take his right then we'll grab his friend." Neal froze, holding his breath. Did they know he was here? Peter... wake me up! He thought desperately. Peter!

Neal opened his eyes suddenly, sitting up and looking around. He turned to see Peter, hand stretched out to nudge him awake. Peter paused, smiling.

"Ah, you're awake. We're here." Peter reached back for Neal's bag, exiting the vehicle as Neal tried to make sense of what was going on. He was back. How had he done that? He thought about what he had seen but was still too confused by it all to make any sense of it. He heard the passenger side door open, Peter standing there, hand outstretched.

"Coming? El said she was making a roast tonight." Peter was watching him curiously, Neal nodding as he unhooked the seat-belt and slipped slowly out of the car. He slipped on his sunglasses and pushed the fedora over his eyes, the sun a bit bright. Peter closed the door for him as he stood there and stared around. He was back but Sam wasn't. He could still see those faceless people in scrubs and masks surrounding the man.

Peter grasped his arm gently and he looked up. The agent looked worriedly at him, Neal nodding after a moment with a smile he didn't feel.

"I'm ok but I think we should go back to the hospital. Something's wrong with Sam." Neal looked at Peter's expression of confusion.

"Sam's under lock and key. Nobody can get to him. Neal..." He paused as his cell rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. He motioned for Neal to follow him to the stairs and up to the front door of his home. His expression turned dark.

"What happened? Keep me up to date. He's with me. Thanks, Jones." Peter hung up the phone, looking at it a moment then back at Neal. There was something in his expression that worried the young man.

"How did you know?" He sat down on the top step and seemed unable to move any further. Neal sat beside him, his eyes pleading for Peter to understand.

"I was dreaming. Goru got into our heads but I still go to the place he took us to. I saw Sam when I was in the hospital, in ICU. He was trapped still. Goru has him convinced he's... he's..." Neal looked sick suddenly, gulping to turn back the bile. Peter placed a comforting hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Neal, I don't understand. Tell me what happened." Peter was looking at him curiously when the door opened up behind them. Elizabeth stood there, looking down with surprise.

"Peter? Neal? Uhm..." She seemed unsure what to make of their expression much less the fact they were sitting on the stoop. Peter stood, helping Neal to his feet. El gave him a 'What's going on?' look to which Peter shrugged back.

"Neal, let's get you settled and then we can wash up for dinner."