Chapter 11

…

Aram was on his feet, Elizabeth following behind him as Kate was wheeled back in to her room. Elizabeth caught a glimpse of Kate as one of the nurses moved to attach Kate to the heart monitor, Elizabeth had never really associated Kate with age but seeing her lying unconscious and requiring the help of everyone around her, Elizabeth's heart broke for her.

"I'll be back in a minute." Elizabeth whispered as she left the room.

Aram turned to see his friend walking away, clearly upset, he decided to follow her, walking in to the corridor to see Elizabeth leaning against the nearest wall, her eyes tightly closed.

"Liz?"

"Sorry, I'll be back in a minute."

"What's wrong?"

"What's right? Look at her Aram…what Reddington did to her, what that crazy hunter guy did to her. I never should have asked her to help me back then, all of the things that have happened to her is because of me and I feel…I feel terrible."

"Mr Kaplan, she wanted to help you and Agnes and she knew the risks, but she did it anyway…don't think for a minute that she regrets helping you?"

"I don't know, maybe you're right."

"I may not know her like you but one thing I do know for sure, she regrets nothing. She helped you because it was the right thing to do, you know it and she knows it. She cares about you and Agnes, and if helping you meant going over Reddington's head then that's what she had to do, whatever the consequences."

Elizabeth could only nod as she tried to agree with Aram, looking up to see the doctor approaching them.

"How is she?"

"All I can say is…she was very lucky. We had to perform surgery on her brain, we recovered small shards of what I believe was a bullet from her, is there something you'd like to tell me?"

Elizabeth could see how angry the doctor looked when she asked the question.

"Look Doctor?"

"Arvoy…Brooke."

"I can't tell you how this happened, all I can say is that I will personally make sure that who did this to her…pays for it."

"She could have died Detective."

"It's Agent Keen."

"Right now, I don't care. My only concern for Ms Nemec."

"This will get sorted, you have my word on that."

"I suppose that will have to do."

"Can we see her."

"She's still under sedation, it will be a few hours before she wakes up. I think the best thing you can do right now, is go home and get some sleep."

Elizabeth was hesitant at first until Aram gave her a look that told her the doctor was right, Liz grabbed a pen and piece of paper from her poket and scribbled he number down on it.

"Fine, we'll go home but I'm putting an Agent on Kate's door until I'm sure she's safe, any problems or if she wakes up before I come back, I want you to call me immediately, I don't care about the hour."

"Very well, I'll do that."

"Thank you."

As Aram turned to walk away with Elizabeth, Doctor Arvoy grabbed Elizabeth's wrist.

"Agent Keen, I hope you meant what you said, about getting the person who did this. What that woman's been through, I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

"I meant it."

"Good…I'll call you when she wakes up."

"Thanks, good night."

"Good night Agents."

Brooke watched Elizabeth and Aram leave before returning to Kate's room.

…

As Reddington and Dembe entered the apartment, Dembe decided to speak as Red put Agnes down in her carry cot before poured himself a very large drink and sat down.

"Raymond?"

"How long, how long have you known."

He looked over at the younger man who was wishing the ground would swallow him up.

"Not long."

"You know…it's bad enough that Kate chose to betray me, but you? I could never have imagined that both of you would turn against me."

"That's not fair, I have never turned against you, and neither did Kate."

"She faked Lizzie's death."

"To protect her, to protect you. You were putting Elizabeth in too much danger and Kate had to do something to help her, to help Agnes. I know it hurt but you know that deep down what she did was the right thing. She may have went about things the wrong way but it doesn't alter her reasons."

"And you stand by her?"

"I don't fully agree with the way she handled it, but she didn't deserve what you did to her, not Kate."

"How did Elizabeth find out?"

Dembe came over and sat down in the chair by the window, looking down at Agnes as she played with her rattle.

"She wasn't being fooled by your lies about Kate being away on business for you, she was gone too long. Ever since that day in the woods, I've felt nothing but guilt."

"Dembe…you did nothing."

"Exactly, I did nothing. I just stayed by the car while you took Kate in to the woods and shot her. I could have stood up, went after you to try and convince you to rethink things."

"Do you thing I didn't, I spend hours and hours, night after night thinking about what Kate had done, and thinking of other ways I could resolve things, but at the end of the day, she lied and betrayed me. Perhaps if she'd confided in me about what she wanted to do, maybe I'd have given it some thought, but Kate…she didn't give me that choice, she made it for me. Kate knew how I felt about betrayal, how much loyalty means to me, and yet she still chose to lie."

"What did Elizabeth say to you on the phone?"

"That she was on a case, I nearly believed her…then I heard someone yelling Kate's real name…the aren't many Nemec's out there Dembe, too coincidental."

"Is she alive…Kate?"

"I don't know, but when I find out which hospital she's at, I'm sure we'll find out."

Dembe watched Red get up, bending down to pick up Agnes.

"I think for now, we all need some sleep…it's been a very tiring few days. Night Dembe."

Red closed the bedroom door behind him as he walked away, Dembe closing his eyes tightly.

"Good night Raymond."

…

To Be Continued…