Chapter Four

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The rhythmic sound was the first thing that I heard. I was curious what was going on around me, but fatigue drew me back to the darkness.

Waking up again, the beeping was still going steady, but I noticed feeling that time.

I was lying down and the space was warm. Things were poking me, so I assumed it must be the trash poking through the jackets. Before I could figure out what was wrong with that, I found myself drifting again.

Noise. Someone was talking to me. I didn't understand the words, but I knew that voice. Chuck had things under control, so I drifted again.

Each time I woke up, I become more aware of what was going on around me. The people in the room kept changing, but they were all my friends, so I let their words wash over and comfort me until I was well enough to focus on them.

Eventually, I was ready to wake up and interact with them. Opening my eyes, I was surprised to see all of them. Peter had my New York friends, while Chuck had his crew. For a moment, I kept my eyes mostly closed and took it all in. They were conversing like friends and seemed to be getting along well. No one had noticed me yet, but after a few minutes I decided to test my voice.

"Thanks for not giving up on me, Chuck."

The entire room jumped, despite how quiet and weak I was.

Jumping up, Chuck got me some water to drink and while I moistened my throat, he asked me how I knew that he had saved me.

"Apparently… the fourth time you die… you finally get to learn what an 'out of body' experience is like. I listened to you guys meet, and watched you find me…. Sorry for that by the way." It wasn't my fault, but I had to apologize anyway.

"Hey. It wasn't your fault!" Peter interjected. He still looked upset and shaken, but he wouldn't let me take the blame needlessly.

"I know. Still, you were all very upset, so I am sorry that you had to go through that." The looks on their faces still upset me the most about this whole thing… and I was the guy who had been tortured to death on his own father's order! That reminded me. "Did you catch him?"

"Who?" was the unanimous question.

"James." My expression darkened as I said his name. Once they all knew who he was, I would never call him my father again.

Peter had a hopeful and horrified expression. Not my father James, right? He seemed to be thinking.

Chuck didn't have a clue, so I filled him and his crew in.

"You're father did that to you?!" He couldn't seem to fathom that.

My confirmation had half of the room clearing out. It was a horror they weren't expecting, and no one knew how to handle it. Those who remained were incredibly awkward. What do you say to that? What do you do?

"Why?" Peter's knuckles were white and his teeth were clenched with furry.

"He admitted to killing Ellen. Said it was to get her evidence. Then he conned and used me to get the evidence, but I kept it from him. When he left my apartment, he threatened me and told me that he would come after me if I intervened."

A nurse came in and shooed them out of the room so that I could be checked over. When she was done, she let them back in briefly, but she gave an hour limit.

"What did you do after he threatened you?" They knew the answer, but asked anyway to get me to begin again.

Smirking at them, "Intervened of course. I had placed a camera on him, so the Pratt murder was nicely recorded for posterity sake. Then, an agent picked him up when he left the apartment and he went to prison, so it was a surprise to see him there. Apparently, killing Pratt had made him the leader and the diamond was meant for them. He said that I had betrayed him and acted like taking more after my mother was a bad thing. According to him, I took her punishment for leaving him, but the Marshal's should be careful." That still had me worried. She shouldn't suffer anymore because he didn't show his colors until years after they had married.

Chuck was busy strategizing, but Peter had a thoughtful expression.

"You didn't have to do that for me, but thank you."

Nodding, Chuck pitched in. "You may have heard me in those dungeons, but I want to thank you too. I know you died helping my family twice, and I fear a third time. If I ever get upset and think that you have betrayed me, or done something to hurt me… you have my permission to slap me silly!" He looked like he truly felt what he said and he was trying to make up for hating me for so long.

Shaking my head, I wouldn't have it any other way. "You're the best friends I've ever had, so I would do it all again."

Neither of them liked the idea of me going through any of it once, yet alone again. Since it wasn't time to argue against my stubborn stance on the matter, they decided to be grateful and try to keep it from ever being an issue.

Since I was wound up, the nurse came back to check my stats and shooed them out early. Both Peter and Chuck took the short trip out my door, took their posts as my guards, and flashed badges for anyone who wanted to shoo them away.

Knowing that everyone was safe and that James wouldn't get away with his crimes for long, I settled in and let myself drift off to sleep.

While I slept, I dreamt that I was back in the room burning from the inside, but drowning in water. I couldn't breathe and the pain was unbearable again. This time was different though. Instead of writhing, I was being held down.

Hearing voices, I opened my eyes to see the panicked looks on Peter's and Chuck's faces. After looking between them for a moment, I noticed their attention kept shifting between looking helplessly at me, to hopefully looking at the door.

Then the medical staff came in and took over. Peter and Chuck reluctantly returned to their posts while the nurses drew blood, checked my stats, and gave me something to help.

As the pain dulled into the background and my breathing came easier, I drifted back to sleep.

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