June went home. Dr Li came to check on her patient in the afternoon.

"I was told that he was awake." Peter didn't want to sound like a petulant child – but he needed Neal awake and talking.

"Agent Burke, he was awake. You have to understand to he will be in and out for the next few days."

"I know…But it doesn't make it easier. Dr Li just smiled.

"He is doing fine – his internal injuries are mostly already healed. We will know more about the state of his leg and wrist tomorrow – but it looks good. If everything goes according to plan, we will start physiotherapy in a day or two. He should be out of the hospital within two to three weeks."

"Good luck with that. You'll be lucky if you get a week without whining and complaining."

"He needs to get his strength back. Before we discharge him, Neal has to be able to eat normally and move on his own. So it's your role, Agent Burke to convince him to stay. And good luck with that." Dr Li smiled. They knew that it wouldn't be an easy task to keep Neal in the hospital under medical supervision.

Neal's eyelids started to flutter in the early evening. Peter was by his bedside immediately and tried to wake him.

"C'mon, Neal. Enough with sleeping. Open your eyes."

"P't'r?"

"Yes."

"Hey."

"Hey, you too. Let's get you some water in you. I brought you soup – El put it in the thermos so it should be warm enough." Peter gave him water and poured some soup into a cup.

"El will come by tomorrow. She promised to cook you something good. Are you up to it?"

"El's cooking? Always." While Neal ate his soup, Peter observed him silently. He was trying to use his right hand, but his movements were restricted, constrained, careful. He was eating slowly but at least he was eating.

"It's so good. Thank El for me."

"Not a problem."

The silence started to become awkward. Small talk was too trivial for the occasion, and the important topics too difficult to start. Peter had rehearsed his first talk with Neal many times, but now he seemed at a loss for words. Finally, Neal said, "Peter, I'm a bit disappointed. You promised to always find me and some beat cops were better than you." Neal tried to sound offended but was grinning at Peter. The agent decided to suppress his guilt and take the bait. Maybe Neal needed some witty conversation, something that reminded him of good times,

"Well, it wasn't an easy task – you didn't leave any clues."

"It didn't stop you before." Neal was still smiling – and Peter was more than happy to see it.

"I may have to reconsider the El's food offer," Peter threatened.

Neal gave in instantly. "No…I want to get rid of the tubes and hospital food is not edible."

"Just as well," Peter laughed. "I doubt if I could keep El from coming up and tempting you with all sorts of delicacies she thought would be good for you."

He continued, "I do have a question for you, though. It's hard to believe that even in the state you were in you'd make such an egregious error about aging the panel that was replaced in the '40's. Have I been overestimating your expertise all these years?" Peter was hoping to get a reaction from Neal, his "offended face" or something like it, showing the same old Neal was still there under the bandages and pain killers. He could, of course, have just said what he thought, that it was clever of Neal to try to send a signal about the forgeries this way, but thought engaging in their usual repartee would give him a better opportunity to see if the 'old' Neal was still there. His reaction, however, was totally unexpected.

Neal moved a bit and paled suddenly. Peter was on his feet in no time. He castigated himself severely. He was doing so well. I should have kept him calm. Small talk, not talking about the case.

The reference to the replacement panel did trigger a bad memory. When the expert realized what Neal had done, the thugs tried to teach Neal 'a lesson.' Neal managed to convince them that it wasn't his fault – that he hadn't known about the theft and the panel's replacement. There was no time left to re-do the panel so they took what he had prepared. The memories – conning the bad guys, beatings, waiting for the rescue, almost dying –were terrifying for Neal – but he wasn't caught in the flashback. His fear was not because of the past, but because of the future. He was afraid that Peter didn't want to tell him the bitter truth. When Peter had engaged in this type of conversation – a poor attempt to their usual banter – he was sure that he had done it only to avoid the other option – talking about the repercussions for Neal. Neal knew that many people perceived him as a conman – for some of them he was nothing more than a criminal. Always a criminal. Neal was sure that he would be either thrown back in prison with a lot of additional charges or put back on the anklet with an extended sentence. He wasn't even sure if the anklet was an option…He didn't see that June and Peter wanted to prepare him for good news. Instead, he was convinced that there was no such a thing as good news…

"Neal, I'm calling a doctor!" Peter pushed the call button but Neal only rolled his eyes.

"Stop. I'm fine."

"Humor me. The sheets have more color than you at the moment."

"I'm fine. Stop hovering. You're imagining things."

"Let the medical personnel be the judge of that."

"Peter – I don't want to be fussed over! C'mon! And besides it's not like that! I knew about the stolen panel and I did it – I aged it on purpose. I hoped some one would notice."

"Oh." I knew it! Peter thought and was sure that there was some kind of bet in the Bureau…

"You should have known that! I'm hurting, Peter…"

"Hold on, Neal. The nurse should be here soon. "

"Emotionally."

This time Peter rolled his eyes And if he weren't on edge, he would have laughed. Instead he just stared at Neal in disbelief.

"And I blame my paleness on the lack of proper vacation time for CI's." Neal added and grinned. He was trying to get Peter to give him some kind of clue about his future. Of course, he could try to ask Peter directly - but Neal rarely did anything in a direct, not complicated way. Besides, he was too afraid to ask. Maybe he was even trying to put off knowing for sure. Not knowing hurt, but knowing that your future didn't belong to you, that you would be locked away or on someone's else leash for some unknown future length of time , might hurt even more. And at this moment Neal wasn't really grateful for having been rescued. He had given up hope –in the basement – and now – his hopes had been rekindled when he awakened in the hospital. The thought of having all hope extinguished again was just too painful.

But before Peter could strangle the kid (for almost giving him a heart attack) or at least give him a proper response – telling him that he is not a CI anymore, a nurse arrived. Neal used his charm and tried to flirt with her but she checked his vitals anyway. He might be worried about his future, but he had other problems as well – he hated being touched, checked, fussed over.

"Nice try, sir. I'm married. Happily. For almost 20 years. And you need to rest."

"Please call me Neal." Neal grinned at her.

She smiled, nodded and then pointed her finger at Peter:

"Agent Burke either you will leave this poor boy and let him rest or I will kick you out of this room. Don't try to use your badge or you will be Neal's sentry in the corridor! He's in no condition to be questioned."

Peter tried to protest that he wasn't questioning Neal, but the nurse gave him a stern look with a hidden message Don't mess with me. Neal grinned at him and muttered "Poor boy."

"And you – Mr Ca-, Neal – better be resting next time I'm here."

"I've slept enough!" Neal told her. She just glared at him.

"I bet my monthly pay-check that you will sleep a lot over the next weeks. And you have to listen to your body –sleep when you feel you are tired. If you don't want to sleep, please rest – you can watch some TV, listen to some music - but try to keep the level of the excitement low. " She left. Neal decided to return to the previous topic, despite his fear.

"So what about vacation time for CIs?"

"Well, we have to talk about the future. But I need your promise that you won't get agitated – if she comes back and kicks me out, I will be sleeping on the couch until the end of the century. And I don't want to think of June's or Moz's reactions. Can you do that for me?"

"Let's try. Peter, I really need to know…"

"I know buddy…"

"Geez, Peter, spill it!"

"Ok. No prison. No anklet. No past catching up with you and destroying your future. I'm more than happy to announce that you will walk out of the hospital a free man with full immunity for past crimes – when Dr Li clears you. Not even a minute earlier. And don't try to think of doing something against-medical-advice. I will bring the papers to sign the day you will be discharged. Let's call it insurance." Peter smiled.

This time Neal was sure that he paled.

"Damn it, Neal. I shouldn't have told you. I should have waited until you are a bit stronger. Breathe."

"I'm ok… I was sure that there would be the anklet or prison…Thank you." Neal had tears in his eyes. Peter sat on his bed and patted his uninjured leg.

"Well, you should thank the Belgians but no more talking about it. We'll return to the subject when you don't look like death warmed over. "

"Shall I cowboy up now?"

"Don't you dare! I want you to tell anyone who is nearby if something wrong is going on – any pain, dizziness, anything, ok?"

"Peter, I didn't know that you had such a protective mode." Neal tried to joke.

"For your information – I do. And I'm planning on using it starting right now. You are going back to sleep." Neal didn't protest – he was still weak . Of course he knew that it was a normal reaction but he didn't like it. It felt like his body had betrayed him – had decided to play on its own with the drowsiness, tiredness, weakness. Peter tucked him in.

"Peter?"

"Do you need anything?"

"It's stupid but could you tell me something about New York, your cases, El, Satchmo… What was going on when I…" He didn't finish.

"Ok." Peter smiled and started talking about his coming back to New York, moving back into their old house, El's new job. Neal tried to listen but soon fell asleep listening to Peter's soothing voice talking about everyday things.

Neal slept for a while but then started to fidget and cried out, "No! I'll do it! Leave them alone!"

"Neal, open your eyes. You are safe. We all are safe." Peter looked gently into big blue eyes – full of fear, trying to project safety and comfort. It took Neal some time to calm down – to believe that he was in the hospital. The nurse arrived but when Peter whispered nightmare, she looked at the monitors and left them. The medical staff knew that Neal had been through hell and back and they expected this kind of situation. Dr Li told them that a sedative could be administered as a last resort – but she didn't want to put Neal under unnecessarily.

"Buddy, do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm fine." Neal didn't want to talk about what happened. The goons had threatened his friends continuously. He only wanted to forget what they told him.

June seems to be such a nice lady. Big house and nobody to hear her screams. It would be such a shame to send him to the orphanage – Theo seems to be such a nice kid. But mamma might have some bad luck. El – such a nice lady, isn't she? Peter – maybe we should check how he deals with the loss of his wife or more time in prison. Jones – does he have any family to mourn him?

Peter didn't push him. He knew that Neal should talk to someone, but also knew that it wouldn't be an easy task to convince him. Neal fell asleep again and Peter kept vigil – when he recognized signs of an oncoming nightmare, he whispered soothing words. It somehow managed to calm Neal and he slept peacefully through the rest of the night. But the road to health was still going to be long and winding.