What About Peter 4
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Later that same day, Jones showed to pick up Elizabeth to return her to the safe house. Peter was awake again, the doctor checking to make sure he was ok. They had been concerned with his amount of time underwater but apparently Peter seemed to check out healthy in more ways than one. He was still a bit weak but would recover in time. El was more than enthusiastic. The doctor mentioned she thought Neal should recover just as well. The young man was strong, healthy and although he had lost quite a bit of blood they had gotten to him in time to help him recover. When he woke up they'd have a better idea where he stood.
"Clinton, Wilkes had an accomplice when he was holding me. I don't know who they were but someone else was there with him." Jones nodded, rubbing at his chin.
"We suspected as much when they said there was no sign he had escaped. They found a replacement in his place at the prison. Someone changed the records enough nobody noticed till we started to ask questions. We'll catch him." He smiled and points at a huge balloon and card near the bed.
"A little something from the crew. It's for both you and Caffrey once he wakes up. Let him know we're rooting for him?" Peter nods, a big smile on his face.
"I think he knows. I could hear you guys off and on when I was out of it. I hope he can hear us too. It kept me sane." Peter hugged his wife a bit stronger than he had earlier. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before pulling away.
"I'll see you again tomorrow." Peter nodded, trying not to frown. He was already missing her again. She seemed to be as forlorn as he felt but smiled and tried to hide it as she blew him a kiss. He acted like he caught it as El followed Jones out of sight. Peter sighed, his attention on the door. He wished he was home. He wished none of the past few days had happened. He just wanted to have his life the way it was but apparently nothing was ordinary with Neal around. Peter turned to look at the young man realizing his blame was misspent. Neal was not the cause of this. He sighed again and wished he could go to the young man and talk to him.
"Neal?" He called across the room as loudly as he could. The young man remained unconscious, the soft constant beeping of the machines the only reply. Peter sat up as best he could, his body aching but he sat up and glanced across the space. Neal always looked so boyish and child-like when he slept. It was amazing that someone like him had survived in a profession like his. Of all the cons he'd met, Neal was probably the most likable. The kid was a talented criminal but he had soul. He seemed to survive despite the odds. He never lost who he was and didn't let anyone change his attitude. Nothing had broken him to the point he was desperate enough to hurt another person. Neal was an enigma if nothing else.
Peter must have fallen asleep at some point. He woke up to the sound of machines beeping loudly. He turned blearily to look at his own but they weren't doing anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly it occurred to him Neal was moving. He saw the young man twitching slightly in bed. No, he was having some kind of attack. Peter pushed himself up, reaching for the button at the side of his bed and pushing it over and over again. Someone had to come help his friend.
"Neal? Neal?!" He called out to the young man but Neal continue to twitch and shudder, face contorting as if in pain. Peter started to pull the sheets aside when it seemed a nurse or doctor wasn't coming. He started to yank tubes out of his arms and hang his feet over the side of the bed. He slipped to the floor, feet collapsing beneath him. Peter crawled towards his friend and pulled himself up into a chair near the bed, slumping against it with a wheeze.
"Neal... wake up!" Peter tried to grab and hold the young man's arm but it twitched and jumped in his erratically. He looked at the machines and realized his friend was going to flat line if someone didn't come soon. He kept talking, holding his friend's hand in his.
"Neal... it's Peter. I'm ok. Please... you have to relax. You're safe. El's safe." The young man kept thrashing ever so slightly before his eyes just popped open and stared blankly ahead. Peter watched his friend wondering if he was awake. Neal's eyes rolled back to white after a moment and closed again. Almost immediately his body seemed to settled down with only the occasional tic of his arm or cheek twitching. The machines started to calm down and that's when he heard the door open. A nurse walked in quickly and made her way towards them. She looked ragged and tired, an apologetic look on her face.
"I apologize for not coming sooner. We just had a rush in the ER. Big fire. Hospital is swamped." She started to check Neal's vitals and seems relieved. She pats Peter on the shoulder gently as a doctor enters the room.
"How is he doing?" The doctor says before she pauses seeing Peter out of bed. The nurse shrugs slightly before answering.
"He's doing better. Seems to have been a temporary attack. I was just explaining to his friend about the delay." The doctor nods, her own face looking rather apologetic.
"Mr. Burke, I apologize. We had a major influx of patients suddenly. We're calling more staff in so you and your friend should have someone to check on your more often. Let me help you back to your bed." Peter nods reluctantly, his face worried for his friend despite the apologies of the staff.
"He could have died. You know that?" He just says it quietly, looking at the nurse and doctor somewhat sullenly. He's put back into bed and they hook him back up to his IVs and machines. The doctor stays behind and looks at Peter.
"Mr. Burke..." Peter looked at the doctor and held up a hand.
"I'm tired. Just make sure someone is here to watch him. He's my partner and I don't expect to lose him any time soon." His voice held a slight hint of threat, the doctor blinking at him and nodding curtly before leaving the room. He felt bad for being so upfront but he had to be honest. Neal had been close to dying. This man had saved both his own life and his wife's. He wasn't going to let something like a local fire keep someone from treating his friend. Maybe he was being selfish but at this point in time, he was just glad he was alive and he could see his wife again. It was because of Neal he had that opportunity and he intended on paying it back.
(Fear)
Neal didn't know how long he hung there in the basement. He could hear the faint muffled cries of Elizabeth Burke as his wound bled heavily. Neal shivered slightly, his body losing more and more of it's heat as the wound continued to bleed. At some point he lost consciousness, despite his best efforts to be there for El. His body gave up on him and he thought: "I'm sorry... Please forgive me, Peter."
It was a long moment of nothingness. He was neither conscious nor aware of anything not even the darkness that surrounded him. He just slept, the faint lingering thoughts of worry for his friends evident. He thought about Peter in the hospital in ICU and El tied up in the basement. Neal wanted to find Wilkes and kill the man. He felt anger seething in him as he remained trapped in the cold darkness. He had never really wanted to hurt anyone but Wilkes had gone too far.
"Neal?"
The voice eased itself through his psyche as the young man felt his anger rising at Wilkes. He kept hearing the crook's voice over everything, threatening him, threatening El. He could just make out the other voice talking to him and then grow quiet a while before it spoke again, interrupting the fury that was rising in him over Wilkes.
"Neal? Neal?"
He started to listen, the voice of Wilkes pushed aside if only for a moment.
"Neal... wake up!"
Someone was calling him, his anger still evident but this voice. Who?
"Neal... it's Peter. I'm ok. Please... you have to relax. You're safe. El's safe."
Peter? Peter? Thank goodness. El? Where is she? Peter? I don't know where I am.
He tried to speak feeling his body move but unsure what was going on, pulse racing, heart beating erratically. Was he dying? Neal didn't want to die. He had to be there to protect Elizabeth... to make sure Peter was ok.
Peter... where are you?
He thought his eyes opened but he couldn't see anything. It was hazy, blurry and then nothingness again and his heart and pulse slowed till he had fallen into the abyss again.
Peter... I'm sorry. Tell Elizabeth I'm sorry...
(Deception)
Peter managed to drag himself to and from the bathroom. He was exhausted just doing the short walk between the bed and small lavatory but he did it and dragged himself back to bed. He was tired, his eyes moving to the still form of Neal Caffrey across from him. It had been a whole other day and the young man hadn't moved since that short attack. Peter was worried, wondering if his friend was as ok as the doctors and nurses said he seemed to be. He eased himself back against the pillows and closed his eyes. He wasn't really tired but his body said otherwise so he was letting it lull him back into a semblance of sleep. He had been sleeping well at night. Deeply actually which had only happened since Neal had been admitted. It was curious if nothing else the thought of this interrupted by the soft murmuring of voices outside the room.
The door opened to the room, the knob turning quietly. Peter heard the sound but was tired enough he didn't respond right away. His eyes opened a crack and he could just make out the form of someone in scrubs and a surgical mask. The figure made their way towards Peter first, pulling a rag out of their pocket. There was a strange scent in the air when the figure removed the rag. Peter could smell something overtly sweet. The figure approached, waving the rag under the agent's nose. Peter thrashed slightly then slumped as whatever was in the rag relaxed him. He was awake but just barely. He watched the figure move away from him and walk towards Neal.
"Wilkes sends his greetings." Peter heard the voice as he fought for consciousness but was unable to move or react. The figure pulled out a syringe and applied the contents to Neal's IV. Peter fought to stay awake as he watched the figure finish their sabotage and leave the room the way they came in. Peter wondered why the agents outside hadn't reacted. He looked at the button by his bed but he couldn't reach it, his arms not moving. He finally rolled himself to his side, arms and legs unresponsive. With a bit more effort he rolled off the bed to the floor with a thud and gave a low groan as the IV yanked forcibly out of his arm. The pain helped in waking him up enough to move.
Peter dragged himself towards Neal's bed, the effort wearing him out but he just soldiered on, panting heavily. He used the chair by the bed as leverage to raise himself up. He slumped against the bed and yanked at the IV in Neal's arm finally pulling it out. He could just see that the liquid injected by the false nurse had not quite made it to Neal. Peter heard voices and the sound of the door opening.
"... another nurse? I don't remember sending anyone to check up." Peter felt his strength fail him as he collapsed to the floor, his own arm bleeding where he had yanked out the IV in his rush to help Neal. He heard footsteps running hurriedly towards him.
"Hey, are you ok? What..." Peter saw a doctor looking at Neal and then down at his own bloody arm. One of the agents ran in and looked at the scene and started making calls immediately. Another nurse entered and pushed the call button. After a moment a few more nurses showed up.
"I found him on the floor like this. We need to take care of this before he bleeds too much." Peter could hear them discussing the situation, someone making him comfortable and bandaging his arm as he fell back into unconsciousness.
(Close Call)
Neal woke up to the sound of voices speaking around him. It sounded like El and Jones. His eyes opened slowly, squinting against the dim light before finally opening enough to focus on his surroundings. El and Jones sat on the sofa to his left. They were speaking quietly, drinking coffee. Both looked rather tired. He turned his head slightly to the right and saw Peter asleep across from him. His partner and mentor looked peaceful. Neal felt relieved and gave a quiet little sigh.
"Neal, you're awake." He turned to see El stand up and walk over to him. She grasped his hand in hers gently, smiling.
"How are you feeling?" Neal smiled weakly back, trying to sit up with a groan of effort. El helped him, fluffing the pillows behind him. He nodded thankfully.
"fe...lt... bet...ter." She nodded, hugging him gently as she planted a kiss on his forehead. He blushed.
"I'm just glad you're finally awake. Everyone was worried about you." Elizabeth seemed a bit on edge despite her relief and his eyes moved over to Jones who stood just behind her. He held out a hand to Neal and they shook.
"Hey Caffrey. You're looking better." Neal nodded slightly.
"Feel like... a train... hit me... but I'll... live." He tried to smirk. Jones chuckled.
"We're still looking for Wilkes and his accomplice. Someone tried to make sure you didn't wake up and was drugging Peter so there were no witnesses." Neal blinked looking at Peter worriedly. Jones shook his head.
"He's just resting now. Someone had been feeding you something through the IV that could have been lethal. Peter dragged himself out of bed and removed your IV before it could have been permanent." El looked at her husband with an affectionate glance.
"All I could do to keep him from staying awake to wait and see how you were. Nurse had to give him something to rest. He should be awake soon." Neal smiled. He and Peter had each other's back.
"We have an APB on the person who came in here but they were wearing a mask. Can't ID them but through their height and shape. Also interrogating a person who was impersonating Wilkes in prison. That's how he got out without being noticed." Neal whistled through his teeth and looked at El. Jones seemed aware of his concerns.
"I'm heading the safe house and Hughes has every available agent looking for Wilkes. Nobody can get in here now without a pass and at least some form of pat down or search. Elizabeth is never out of my sight. Once we get a chance, we're moving both of you out of here. The agency is authorizing the move to a safer facility. We have a watch on June's house just in case. Peter was drugged by Wilkes and told them about her but he can't remember what he said." Neal nodded, the frown on his face softening a bit.
"Sounds like... you guys... have it under... control." Jones nodded patting Neal on the arm.
They all turned as a soft groan erupted from the opposite side of the room. Peter was waking up. El walked over to her husband and brushed the hair from his face. He smiled slightly as he opened his eyes and blinked up at his wife.
"El, How long did I sleep? Damn nurse drugged me. Is Neal awake yet?" Peter sounded grumpy but well as he woke up. Neal glanced over and smiled in relief as Peter blinked back at him.
"Hey..." Peter was looking at El then back at Neal, trying to sit up and get out of bed but she held him down.
"You don't want the nurse to subdue you again, do you?" Peter looked at her and then at his bandaged arm. They'd been concerned with him ripping the IV from his arm but there had been no real damage, just a lot of blood. It had been worth the pain to save Neal. He nodded reluctantly, peering across at his friend.
"How are you feeling?" Peter's voice was laid back despite his anxiousness about his partner's well-being. Neal shrugged.
"I've felt... better. You?" Neal wanted to go hug his friend after all that had happened. Peter grinned back.
"Same. Guess we've both seen each other at our worse?" Neal nodded.
"Possibly more. Jones says they're still looking for Wilkes." Peter grimaced, his brow furrowing.
"Yeah, and his accomplice. Any ideas?" Peter brushed his hair back with one hand and stretched slightly. Laying in bed so long was cramping his style literally. Neal shook his head.
"He's changed his M.O. Not sure of his strategy anymore." Peter scratched at his chin thoughtfully.
"We'll figure this out. Right, Jones?" Jones perked up and nodded.
"You bet, boss!" He was smiling as was El. The game was on.