"El, are you home?" Peter bent down as Satch came running over. "I've missed you so much" Peter said as the dog licked his face. He sat on the floor and buried his face in the dog's fur as a few shuddering breaths racked his body.

"Peter what are you doing here? How's Neal?"

"He's ok" Peter managed to whisper as his voice cracked. Elizabeth lowered herself to the floor and pulled her husband close.

"Talk to me" Elizabeth gently demanded when Peter pulled away.

"There's nothing I can do to help him..."

"That's not true" Elizabeth remarked as she took her husband's hand. "Just being there helps him."

"Really?" Peter questioned as he continued to rub the dog's stomach. "I've been cooped up with him for 55 days and every time they talk discharge, something happens. And Neal just gets more despondent. He doesn't think he's leaving there and maybe he's right."

"Peter!" Elizabeth squeezed his hand. "Don't you start. We both know he's going to be ok."

"Do we?" Peter stood with a groan and walked to the kitchen with Satchmo trailing behind him. He took out a beer and tossed the dog a treat.

"Peter, it's not like you to quit..."

"I didn't quit" Peter said loudly as he slammed the beer can on the counter. "It's this stupid BK virus. When he's not doubled over in pain he's peeing blood or worse blood clots. They had to start him on a morphine pump again and today he told me..." Peter paused as he eyed his wife. "He told me he wants to die."

"Peter, he doesn't mean it. It's the pain talking and you know it."

"I don't know anything anymore." Peter shrugged. "Something else happened."

"OK" Elizabeth said cautiously, inwardly bracing herself.

Peter chuckled. "I lost it. I started yelling and tossing things and it scared us both. El, it was Neal who suggested I take a break and he's right."

"Peter..."

"Don't." He pushed her hand away, grabbed his beer and walked out. "I tried" Peter continued as he plopped himself on the sofa. "I was the cheerleader and I did everything I could but nothing helped. I can't just sit there and watch him suffer anymore."

Elizabeth sat beside Peter and took his hand, holding it tight. "You have no choice" she said after a few minutes of silence. "Neal needs you there and you need it too. Peter you'll never forgive yourself if he dies and you're not with him." Peter leaned over and rested his head on Elizabeth's shoulder. "Can I have one night here?" he asked in a quiet, unsure voice.

"I'll call Mozzie and ask him to stay with Neal for a couple of days. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good" Peter murmured as he shut his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" It was close to midnight and Neal had already resigned himself to the fact that he'd be spending a few days alone…at least until Peter calmed down.

"Good to see you too" Mozzie retorted as his eyes darted around the small room, noting it hadn't changed much since his last visit.

Neal didn't look as bad as he had expected.

"Did Peter send you?"

"Actually, Mrs. Suit. What did you do to Peter?"

"Who said I did anything?" Neal swung his legs off the bed and carefully stood. His mobility had improved and for the most part he felt ok until the stomach pains hit.

"I think I mentioned I wanted to die earlier today and he went a little crazy." Neal smiled weakly as he shrugged his shoulders. "A bit of an over reaction if you ask me."

"I'm not" Mozzie remarked evenly.

Neal's eyes narrowed. "Since when do you take his side?"

"Neal, there are no sides this time. You do realize if it wasn't for Peter, you'd be going through this alone."

"I know." Neal's shoulders sagged as he sat and reached for Peter's calendar. "I've been in here for almost two months. I'm not sure how much longer I can take this."

"And Peter has been with you the whole time."

"OK I get it." Neal raised his hands in defeat. "Since when did you become his champion?"

Mozzie sat down opposite his friend and removed his mask with a glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was near the room.

"Elizabeth has been keeping me updated on your progress and though she leaves a lot out I can piece it together. I couldn't do what Peter has been doing…and I'm grateful that he has been here." Mozzie sighed as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Please don't ever repeat that. The suit and I have to keep our working relationship as is."

"He wouldn't believe me if I did" Neal retorted.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm going stir crazy. I just want to go outside…" Neal shook his head as he fiddled with the calendar. "Some days this feels like the ultimate con. Just out of reach and I can't help but wonder if it will ever happen."

"That kind of talk isn't you."

"And now you sound like Peter. Come here." Neal motioned towards the window. "Four windows down. Man in his forties sent to ICU. I hear he's still fighting. Three window downs, a young woman in her twenties going through her second transplant for leukemia. Two windows down, a mother of three died two days after transplant from multiple organ failure. She had the same disease I do. They brought her kids here to say goodbye. Can you imagine what that was like?" Neal paused and glanced towards his friend but Mozzie wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Next door, a young guy went outpatient only twenty-five days after transplant. So I guess there are happy endings." Neal shook his head. "Do you really think I'm going to be the same person?"

"I think you will be once you get out of here. Is this how you talk with Peter?"

Neal shook his head as he slowly made his way back to bed.

"How'd I get so lucky?"

"Peter already knows all this. Besides would you'd rather I fall asleep in your arms?"

"You fell asleep..." Mozzie squirmed under Neal's scrutiny.

"I didn't think so. I'm going to sleep. You better hope my bladder cooperates."

"And if it doesn't?" Mozzie asked reluctantly.

"You'll be wishing you brought a good pair of ear plugs."

"Oh." Mozzie sank into the sofa.

Elizabeth eyed her husband as he slept peacefully in their bed. He hadn't said much the two days he'd been home but she knew the sleep and home cooked food had helped immensely. He hadn't talked to Neal but he called the hospital frequently to check up on him and Elizabeth had been texting with Mozzie the whole time.

She knew Neal was about the same and Mozzie was going crazy. At one point he had called Peter a saint and begged that she kept that to herself. Elizabeth heard her phone and grabbed it before Peter woke up.

"Mozzie what is it?"

Peter needs to get here.

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth went downstairs.

He's in the bathroom and moaning in pain. He asked for Peter.

"Mozzie, I need you to be honest with me. Is this an emergency or the same issue he's been fighting?"

There was a pause on the other end.

The same. I don't know how to handle it.

"Mozzie, get the nurse."

She heard him groan. "Mozzie you can do this. I promise Peter will be back in the morning." The line went dead and Elizabeth took a deep breath, hoping she did the right thing. She went upstairs and found Peter still sleeping with Satchmo next to him, on her side of the bed.

"Sorry bud, you'll have to share him tonight." She nudged the dog out of the way and took her rightful place. "I've missed this" she whispered as she rested her head on his chest.

Peter quietly walked into Neal's room.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Peter sat on the edge of the bed.

Neal twisted around until he was lying on his back.

"Missed you" he admitted with a weak smile.

"I heard it was a rough night. Where's Mozzie?"

"I set him free" Neal retorted. "He was paler than I was."

Peter smiled knowingly. "It's not easy to sit by and watch you suffer."

"It's not easy being the one suffering" Neal countered.

"True." Peter rested his hand on Neal's shoulder with a gentle squeeze.

"Can you sit up? We need to talk." Neal eyed him anxiously.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Peter reassured him as he adjusted the bed and waited for Neal to get comfortable.

"I had a long talk with your doctor this morning. And we both agree you need to get out of here. We both do."

"No argument from me" Neal retorted, feeling a little hopeful.

"There are two things keeping you here" Peter continued, noting the look of despair that crossed Neal's face. "Hey, both are doable."

Neal looked away with a shake of his head until Peter grabbed his shoulders and forced him to make eye contact.

"They see improvement in the virus. It will be slow going because they can't lower your rejection medication any further without the GVHD coming back."

"What does that mean?"

"If you can handle the pain they're fine with you being at the apartment. We'll have pain pills but the relief won't be immediate like now." Peter pointed to the pain pump.

"What else?" Neal asked hesitantly.

"You need to start eating and drinking…"

"I'm trying…"

"Neal, it's not a matter of trying. Your liver is having issues and they want you off the TPN starting today. You need to eat whether you want to or not."

Neal sighed.

"I'm not hungry."

"No excuses" Peter said strongly. "Elizabeth is fine with cooking and bringing over meals but I can't fight you every time. They will give us strict guidelines on how much you should be eating and drinking and we need to follow it."

"What else?"

"That's it." Peter clapped him on the shoulder. "Your blood counts are good…" he shrugged. "I'll have my first class tomorrow on cleaning your central line and then we can bolt…if you're ready."

"More than ready" Neal said with a deep sigh. "Can we leave today? I'm worried something will happen…"

"Don't!" Peter shushed him with a finger. "Not one more negative word out of you, got it?"

"Peter, you ok?"

The agent nodded with a shrug. "Sorry about the other day. Kind of lost it there."

"Kind of?" Neal smiled.

"Don't push it." Peter got off the bed. "I'm assuming you didn't exercise when Mozzie was here."

"We played video games."

"Great" Peter remarked with a roll of his eyes. "We'll forgo the finger exercises today. Does your stomach feel ok?"
Neal nodded.

"How about two laps before rounds?"

"Dictator" Neal muttered as he got out of bed and reached for his robe.

"Peter!"

"Yeah?" The agent turned and faced his friend.

"Thanks for coming back."

Peter smiled. "Was there ever a doubt? Let's go." He opened the door and they both walked out.