The Message

That night, as Sara sits glued to her television screen, she watches as Fox News reports Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield have made a confessional tape and have leaked it to the public. They only play snippets of the tape; bits and pieces that don't really fit together, but when played separately are significantly powerful. She watches, entranced, as both Michael and Lincoln claim their innocence and declare that Terrence Steadman had not been murdered, but had instead committed suicide the evening prior in a motel. Sara cannot take her eyes off of the story. She admires the brothers for having the courage to do something like this, because she's not sure, honestly, if she'd be willing to do the same.

Hours after the news breaks, Fox News instead reports a wildfire in the everglades and an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Sara's sure The Company had created both disasters in an effort to cover the brothers' story, but even if this is true, at least it's out there, now. At least the public knows their side of the story. Sara spends the next day in the library she'd found in the corner of town, watching the full video the brothers had released in order to get the bigger picture. She's completely focused on the computer screen; she's shut out the rest of the world. And when Michael mentions her name, she has to say she's surprised. She hadn't expected it, to say the least, and the fact that Michael had tried to clear her name as well as their own is endlessly endearing.

Except- that's not all he's doing.

"Sara, if you're listening, I know I can't ask you for another chance. I only hope by now you have found your safe haven. I took advantage of you, of your commitment to help others, and put you in a place that's every doctor's nightmare. I've considered many ways to apologize, but I must arrive at one."

This time it doesn't take her so long to crack his code. She yanks out her AA book and flips through the chapters, replaying his message to her over and over again until she realizes what it is he's trying to convey.

St. Thomas's Hospital in Akron, Ohio- there's no way she'll get there in time.

She rushes back to the hotel in a flash; she'll have to think of something.

Terrence Steadman's body is identified as one of the motel's janitors, with the death being ruled as another homicide committed by the escaped convicts. Lincoln is getting agitated and fed up with the running; Kellerman tells them everything will be settled once they finally take the president down. Lincoln's not an idiot; he tells Kellerman nothing is going to be settled unless they get to Sara, and even that isn't a done deal. Michael watches all of this unfold are tries desperately hard to keep his composure. He's not sure Sara will show up, but he firmly believes that she will because, after all, his faith in her is the only thing that's keeping him going right now.

"It's getting late," Lincoln observes.

Michael nods. "I know."

"She isn't here."

"I know that too," Michael frowns. "There is a chance she didn't get the message."

"Or maybe she's just sick of all this," Lincoln states realistically. "I mean the girl bailed on you back in Gila. What makes you think she's going to come running back now?"

"The same thing that's been keeping us going for the last three months," Michael tells him. "Faith."

"Yeah, well," Lincoln sighs. "Reality's kicking faith's ass, man."

And just as Michael is about to give an impassionate speech about faith and destiny and everything turning out in the end, he hears a name being called over the hospital's loudspeaker. Michael Crane. It isn't too obvious, but it's understandable enough that Michael knows the call is for him. It could be anyone on the end of the line; he's fully expecting the authorities or a Company agent or even Alex Mahone. He draws in a deep breath and lifts the receiver to his ear. It's now or never. "This is Mr. Crane."

"It sounded better than origami."

Michael breathes a sigh of relief. Sara. She had understood the message, after all. He has a million questions for her- is she okay? Where is she? How quickly can she get to where they are? What did her father give her that is so important? But he doesn't bombard her with any of these inquiries. He says instead, "Even if you got the message I wasn't sure you'd respond."

"I couldn't get to you in time. This is the only thing I could think of."

"I swore I'd leave you alone," Michael admits honestly. "But I had to contact you."

"Because I have something?"

Her tone is only partially accusatory. Michael feels entirely guilty. "How'd you know?"

"Michael, back in Gila, I was coming back to you. Somebody grabbed me and they, um… They told me that my father had given me something."

Michael is instantly panicked. She hadn't left after all, at least not by her own accord. The Company must have gotten ahold of her and if that's true, he's sure they hadn't been pleasant about it. His thoughts turn to those of torture and pain and he dreads the answer to his next question. "Did someone hurt you?"

"I-I got away."

His heart gives a tug and he wants to probe her further, but she speaks again. "Michael, I want for this to be over."

"That makes two of us," Michael tells her honestly.

"Do you think that's possible?"

He isn't sure, honestly. He wants it to be possible, but The Company is a multinational corporation that is involved in all levels of government and industry and even though they have one of their inside men on their side, Michael's not sure if that means they'll be able to take them down. He does, however, think there is a possibility of exonerating all of them and that, ultimately, lies with whatever it is that Frank Tancredi had left his daughter. He's hoping it something that leads to information The Company doesn't know they have, something that could prove his brother's innocence since no one will take his word for it, and he's assuming that's what it is, if they want it back so badly they're willing to hurt someone like Sara.

"With your help, yes," Michael finally tells her. "It's just a question of looking at whatever it is your father gave you."

"It's just… It's just a key."

"Well, we'll figure it out," Michael tells her sincerely, wishing he was with her more than anything. "Together."

"I like the sound of that."

This makes Michael smile. Perhaps she's missed him as impossibly much as he's missed her. "Me too."

In a few days, this will all be over, Michael's sure of it.

And he's also sure that he wants to be with Sara when it's all over.