Chapter Sixty-eight

"Neal, I said 'no', end of discussion."

"Peter…"

"Stop." Peter growled as he started to become annoyed with Neal's perseveration. "Neal, it's not your job to catch York or mine for that matter. We are on the other side of the crime now, we have to trust the system."

"The last time you 'trusted the system' you almost ended up in prison for life for a murder you didn't commit." Neal pointed out coldly. "If I hadn't lied for you…"

"I never asked you to lie for me, and you know *damn* well I would have said 'no' if you had asked me first."

"That's not the point." Neal said frustrated. "The system is broken and if we don't help them get Walker…"

"Neal," Peter interrupted "we don't even know if Walker is York. For all we know Walker is innocent."

"What are the chances of that? He went after Elizabeth, Peter, he was *in* your house."

"Don't manipulate me like that Neal." Peter said darkly.

"Peter…"

"Neal, please." Peter sighed heavily as he gave Neal an imploring look. "I can't do this with you right now; I'm exhausted, my nerves are shot, every breath is painful. I can't worry about York or Walker, and I don't want to argue with you. I want more than anything to help you but I can't do that if you're going to drive a wedge between us by trying to force me into lying in a court of law. Please, don't do this."

Neal winced in guilt at Peter's desperate pleading tone, it was way too similar to the way he used to beg Jake for mercy on his behalf. Giving in for now Neal fell silent with a slight nod of concession. Peter visibly relaxed as his expression warmed once again. Still sitting on the floor against the wall Peter looked like he could pass out at any moment as he reached up and pressed his hand over his injured ribs. Neal was about to suggest that Peter lay against him and get some sleep when he realized that there was no reason for Peter to stay on the hard floor when there was a perfectly good bed in the room.

Having to admit that he wasn't feeling very well either Neal suppressed a cough to keep Peter from harping on him to let the doctors poke at him. Clearing his throat Neal was accosted by a putrid taste that nearly caused him to lose the small amount of broth that he had drunk. Swallowing hard against the vile taste Neal clenched his jaw to keep Peter from picking up on his rancid breath. A flicker of motion caught the corner of Neal's eye but when he looked over into the dark corner there wasn't anything there. Having sworn he'd seen something Neal stared at the corner waiting for the motion to reveal itself.

"Neal?" Peter asked concerned. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

Slowly getting to his feet Neal offered his hand to Peter to help him up despite the wave of dizziness that was threatening to drop him. The effort it had taken to get up had left Neal breathless with a deep ache in his side, but he was so used to having trouble catching his breath that he didn't think anything of it. The pain in his side had also been such a constant that it had become background noise. Accepting Neal's offer Peter failed on his first attempt to stand despite the assistance. Concerned by the fact that the argument had taken so much out of Peter Neal put the back of his hand against Peter's forehead to see if he was running a fever but his skin felt cool. Peter however furrowed his brow at Neal's touch.

"Neal, do you feel okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You're warm, please let the doc…"

"We need to get you back into bed." Neal deflected.

Under any other circumstance Neal knew Peter would have continued to press the issue but as it was Peter was fighting to keep his eyes open. Helping Peter back into bed Neal pulled the blankets over him. Closing his eyes briefly Peter shook his head to try to keep awake. Breathing heavily he was refusing to give into his body's demands for sleep.

"Peter, you need to get some sleep."

"You need to let the doctors help you." Peter countered.

"I'll consider it." Neal teased.

When Peter still didn't surrender to sleep Neal brushed his temple to encourage him to close his eyes. Neal had to admit that Peter's skin felt oddly cool against his own. Still the thought of letting one of the doctors touch him churned his stomach painfully. Feeling himself at the edge of panic at just having mockingly agreeing to it Neal knew he didn't have the courage to seek one of the doctors out right now. In the Labyrinth he'd had zero control of who laid their hands on him and now that he finally had some say in the matter he was finding nearly impossible to agree to submit to anyone no matter what their intentions were. Rationalizing that he would know if something was seriously wrong Neal decided that for now there was no harm in delaying.

Standing by Peter's bedside Neal was starting to feel fatigued himself but he was determined to remain on watch at least until Elizabeth and Mozzie returned. Peter was about to fall a sleep when a voice outside the room roused him. Neal was hoping that he would just settle back down but whoever it was had caught Peter's full attention. Neal didn't recognize the deep male voice but it was clear that Peter did. Snapping his eyes open Peter looked around suddenly looking alert again.

"Liam?" Peter called out.

"Peter wha…" Neal stopped cold when a man near his own age suddenly peeked around the curtain.

"Hello again, Agent Burke." Liam greeted with a warm smile. "Don't mind me, I'm just taking over for Agent Fallon. They were taking volunteers for guard duty and figured it would be a good excuse to check in on you."

"Thank you."

"I went to a lot of trouble to get you to the hospital, I'm not letting anyone get you now…plus I get over time pay for protection detail." Liam added with a chuckle.

"Please, come in."

Liam accepted the invitation and stepped into the room. He walked over towards the pair in an oddly deliberate stride that somehow left no question to his path and intentions. Neal did his best to hide how uncomfortable he was with the intrusion as the SWAT Agent stepped up to the opposite side of the bed. Neal knew he had nothing to fear from the Agent and it frustrated him how negatively he was reacting to him. Even though his mind was telling him he was safe his body was acting as if the bell in the Ring was about to go off and cause the Agent to suddenly attack him for a fifteen minute bout.

"You must be my free diving cartographer." Liam said as he flashed Neal a bright open smile.

Liam leaned forward and started to offer his hand to Neal over the bed, but when he saw the way Neal froze at the action he rocked back and slipped his hands into his pockets instead. Not looking insulted or embarrassed by the cold reception to the attempted handshake Liam moved seamlessly into conversation to ease the tension he'd caused.

"Has anyone told you how far you swam?"

Neal shook his head.

"Forty-two meters." Liam announced.

"Wait, what?" Peter asked shocked not knowing this detail of Neal's escape.

"Yup, just under half the length of a football field under solid stone." Liam confirmed. "I cheated and used scuba gear. Once we were on the other side we would have probably spent hours trying to find our way through that maze without your map. Without your help I honestly don't think things would have ended as well as they did. You did good, Agent Caffrey."

"I'm not an Agent." Neal said quickly.

"Really?" Liam asked sounding genuinely surprised. "You could have fooled me. You certainly have the loyalty and bravery for it. I just assumed you two were partners."

"We are." Peter confirmed. "Officially Neal is my CI."

"Your CI?" Liam asked incredulously. "The last time I asked my CI for a favor he spat at me and had some interesting words to say about my mother and her relations with a goat."

Neal wasn't sure how to respond to Liam uncertain if it was a joke or not. With his heart pounding in his ears Neal just wanted the new Agent to leave. The longer he was on his feet the more his fatigue was stealing his focus. Swallowing hard Neal forced a smile knowing he was being impolite to the man who had saved Peter's life. Liam looked Neal over without trying to be overtly obvious about it, but on high alert Neal noticed the inspection.

'He's sizing you up, Neal.' Jake's voice suddenly whispered in Neal's ear.

Startled by Jake's voice Neal jolted violently and looked over his shoulder only to find no one there. Breathing quick and shallow with the wash of adrenaline Neal tried to play off his reaction to the auditory hallucination. However both men had seen the paranoid move. Peter was wide awake now with anxious concern. For reasons Neal didn't understand Peter's reaction suddenly made him angry. Liam had abandoned his jovial mood for an almost blunted affect as he tried to keep the energy in the room as low as possible.

"Mr. Caffrey, when was the last time someone took a set of vitals on you?" Liam asked in a calm monotone. "You're looking a little hypoxic."

"I'm fine."

"Really? Are you sure you're not hallucinating?"

Feeling like he had just been caught in a lie Neal took a step back from the observant Agent. Motion caught in the corner of Neal's eye again and he jerked his hands up defensively. The more he panicked the worse his condition was becoming. Part of him knew he desperately needed help but like an injured wolf he was finding that his instinct was to slink away from the pack, afraid of showing weakness to the others and being torn apart. With fear and sickness clouding his thoughts he started to fall off the razor's edge of health that he'd been teetering. Becoming increasingly emotional and defensive Neal stared aggressively at both men. Peter moved to get out of bed but Liam tapped gently on his shoulder to silently request that he stay put. Seeing the pair working together just ramped up Neal's mounting paranoia. Increasingly fearful of the SWAT Agent Neal backed away until he bumped into the far corner.

"Neal," Liam said firmly "I believe your oxygen levels are falling and it's affecting your thinking. Please, let me help you."

"Stay away from me." Neal snarled.

"Neal," Peter said gently "Liam is a highly trained paramedic, an FBI Agent, and he saved my life. You can trust him. I let him breathe for me and he didn't let me down. I honestly can't think of anyone I would trust more with your care right now."

"I promise I won't harm you." Liam assured.

Liam's careful wording broke through Neal's increasing delusions as he recognized that Liam's promise was actually a keepable one. The doctors that tried to approach him had all told him that they promised they wouldn't hurt him, but he was in pain even when he wasn't being touched so there wasn't anything they could do that wouldn't hurt. Assuring him instead that he didn't mean him any harm showed a better understanding of his situation. Feeling lost Neal turned to Peter for direction.

"Trust him." Peter encouraged.

Running out of fight Neal put his hands down and bowed his head in defeat. Hearing Jake laughing tauntingly at him Neal brought his hands back up and pressed them against his ears to silence the phantom without success. With a sympathetic look Liam motioned for Peter to get out of bed. Struggling with the sheets Peter managed to get up and joined Liam's side. Neal looked at each man in turn, ending up focusing on Jake who vividly appeared to be standing on the opposite side of Liam from Peter.

"Neal, do you see someone there?" Liam gestured to the empty air to his left.

"Jake." Neal admitted quietly.

"Don't worry about him, he can't hurt you." Liam said confidently. "Peter is going to help you sit down. Okay?"

Neal nodded finding it easier to agree to Peter's help than Liam's. Approaching Neal slowly Peter stopped just short of reaching him and held out his hand for Neal to take. Battling through his quickly increasing confusion Neal took Peter's hand. Smiling encouragingly Peter guided Neal to take a few steps out of the corner before having him sit down on the floor. Circling behind Neal Peter sat down in the corner himself and Neal automatically leaned back against him. The familiar position helped Neal calm slightly.

"I'm going to come closer, but I'm not going to touch you." Liam announced before stepping up to the pair and kneeling down in front of them. "Neal, does anything in particular hurt more than everything else?"

Neal reached up and protectively held his hand over his right side low on his ribs.

"I'm going to take a look. Peter's going to pull your shirt up for you. Just relax. I think we both know he's not going to let anything happen to you."

Neal managed a smile and nodded. Reaching around Neal's waist Peter gathered up the hem of Neal's scrub shirt and lifted it up, keeping Neal in a loose embrace. Feeling vulnerable with his skin exposed Neal flashed back to Jake having him pinned against the bars when he was torturing him with the tazer to get a stronger fight reaction out of Peter. The scars from the electrical weapon ran down his left side as a series of bright white stars arranged in pairs from the two metal prongs. With Neal starting to hyperventilate Peter rested his chin over Neal's shoulder to increase their contact. Trying to control himself Neal pushed back harder against Peter to assure himself he was there. Liam gave Neal a chance to relax before speaking again.

"Can I look?" Liam asked and waited for Neal to nod before leaning in to get a better look. His job was made more difficult by the dim room but he managed. "The area is red, but I don't see an obvious wound."

"That's where he had the pneumothorax." Peter said.

"Pneumothorax?" Liam repeated with intense interest. "When?"

"A week and a half ago? Maybe longer." Peter replied uncertain. "Time has been hard to keep track of."

"How did you know that was what was wrong? How did he survive?"

"A doctor came and punctured his side with a large needle to bleed the air off."

"You got medical attention?" Liam ask surprised.

"I bartered for it."

Liam nodded solemnly in understanding before working to get Neal's attention again.

"Neal, do you have a bad taste in your mouth?" Liam asked.

"Like death." Neal whispered in horror.

"It's not death, Neal, it's your body fighting to stay alive. The taste is infection." Liam explained. "I think you have an abscess in the space between your lungs and your ribs from the puncture wound. A CT scan could confi…"

"No!" Neal barked in sudden panic as he started to fight to against Peter.

"Easy, Neal." Peter said gently as he held him a little tighter. "It won't hurt."

It wasn't the threat of pain that had sent Neal into a panic. It was the idea of having to submit to it in general. He was tried of being held down even if it was for his own good. His only exception to the rule was Peter and even now he was starting to feel claustrophobic in his arms. His hypoxia and fever were turning the routine medical exams into over exaggerated insult of his already diminished sense of autonomy.

"The other option is I can lance the area and drain it here." Liam offered.

Stopping his struggling momentarily Neal looked at Liam with a furrowed brow.

"Is that safe?" Peter asked anxiously.

"Honestly it's likely what they would do after the scan anyway. Doctors like to know exactly what they are getting into, but I practice field medicine and we are more comfortable flying blind." Liam smiled. "Neal, I can't knock you out, your health is too compromised for general anesthesia, but we can do it under local right here. I know this is hard, but if we don't do this you are going to go septic. Do you understand?"

Although shaking uncontrollably Neal nodded slightly.

"Can I go get the supplies?" Liam asked, he was always careful to ask permission before making any move.

Hesitating Neal looked over his shoulder to Peter for a decision. Peter wished he could talk Neal into the safer route of checking out if Liam's diagnosis was correct but he knew it would be a waste of time. Finding himself falling into Neal's pattern of silence as well Peter just nodded to let him know they needed to trust Liam on this.

"Okay." Liam nodded as well. "I will be right back."

'Right back to torture you.' Jake's voice hissed in Neal's mind. 'You're not really going to let that Fed stab you, are you?'

Welding his eyes shut Neal twisted in Peter's arms so that he could bury his face against Peter's chest in an attempt to block out the powerful hallucination. Somehow being aware that it wasn't real made Jake's presence all the more unsettling, it meant there was truly no escape from him. Mistaking Neal's reaction for simple fear about the procedure Peter held him tighter and rocked him slowly.

"Liam is good at what he does, Neal, you're safe with him."

"Jake..."

"Jake's not here." Peter whispered. "And if he was I'd kill him before letting him take a step towards you."

The deadly edge to Peter's voice told Neal that his statement hadn't been hyperbole. Appreciating having a fierce protector Neal wrapped his arms low around Peter's waist to avoid his injured ribs. Peter ran his hand along Neal's back soothingly as they waited for Liam to return. Neal had just started to truly relax when Liam stepped back into the room with a kit wrapped in sterile blue paper in his hands. Peter guessed that Liam's timing was no accident and smiled to encourage him to join them again.

"Neal I need you to lay down on your left side, you can use Peter as a pillow."

"I'm used to it." Peter agreed.

Neal chuckled despite the nervous pit in his stomach. Peter encouraged him to lay down and he cradled Neal's head in his lap, brushing his unruly hair out of his face. Neal brought his hand up and Peter put his hand in his. Liam watched them, waiting for them to be settled before putting on a pair of gloves and opening the kit up. He laid everything out out and picked up a small syringe that had been pre-filled with a clear fluid.

"The numbing agent stings a little bit, but it's not uncomfortable for long. I'm going to put my hand on your side so you know where I am and then I'll do the injection, please try to hold still when I do. Ready?"

It took Neal a moment to commit to letting Liam actually touch him. Peter gave his hand a quick squeeze to remind him that he was right there. Closing his eyes Neal nodded. He tried to hold still but he still jerked slightly when Liam put his gloved hand against him, although the stinging Liam had warned Neal about didn't bother him in the slightest.

"Good job, Neal. We will give that a second to take affect. Just as a heads up when we do this there is going to be a terrible smell, don't be alarmed." Liam warned before tapping his fingertip against Neal's side. "Can you feel that?"

Neal shook his head.

"Good. On the count of three take a deep breath and hold it as long as you can." Liam instructed. "You're going to feel better almost instantly. Ready?"

Neal gripped down on Peter's hand. Peter gave Liam a nod to let him know it was okay to start the count down.

"1, 2, 3…"

Neal took as deep a breath as he could manage and held it. There was no pain when Liam acted but there was a sudden release of pressure in his chest. Neal hadn't even realized how restricted his breathing had been by the abscess until it had been opened. Liam had been right, he felt world's better already. Able to draw more air Neal was struck by the powerful scent that Liam had warned them about. Instantly reminded of the room that had held the corpses Neal started dry heaving. Clearly having trouble with the smell himself Peter ran a shaky hand through Neal's hair to try a calm them both.

"Almost done." Liam announced as he worked to clean up gory mess. "You're doing great, Neal. You'll need an antibiotic for a while but it doesn't look like this went too deep."

Even though he had gotten his stomach under control Neal didn't have any strength left to reply. Laying on his side Neal stared vacantly across the floor. Sitting on the floor a few feet away Jake took a pull at a liquor bottle before glaring coldly at Neal. Neal whimpered to warn Peter that Jake was behind him.

'Don't think you're getting rid of me so easily.' Jake leered. 'I'm in your head…I have been for months.'

Closing his eyes Neal tried to shut Jake out by focusing on Peter who was doing his best to calm him. Taking an easy deep breath Neal enjoyed the relatively cool and refreshing feel of Peter's hand carded into his fever heated hair. Relying on Peter to keep him safe from threats both real and imagined Neal allowed himself to slip into a dreamless sleep.

"I think he passed out." Peter said quietly.

"More likely he just fell asleep." Liam assured. "Here, let me take him back to bed."

"No." Peter automatically leaned protectively over Neal at the thought of having him taken away. "I've got him."

"You can't be lifting him so soon after your surgery."

"We'll be fine on the floor."

Liam looked like he was going to protest for a moment but he thought better of it and just smiled sadly at Peter. Getting up Liam went over to the bed and pulled off the blanket and brought it over to the pair. Peter thanked him before flashing him an apologetic smile. He knew that keeping Neal physically close and feeling like he was the only one who could keep him safe was a broken coping mechanism, but after being on watch over Neal basically twenty-four/seven for months he couldn't just turn it off. Liam sat back on his heels and studied the pair, trying to think if there was anything else he could do.

"It's going to be tough recovery for you both." Liam said bluntly. "But I have a very good feeling about you two. Just make sure that you're patient with one another, you're going to lash out at one another from time to time. That's only natural after everything that's happened. Don't be too hard on him when that happens, but more important don't be too hard on yourself for it."

"Thank you, Liam, for everything." Peter said gratefully. "I don't want to think about what might have happened if you hadn't volunteered for watch."

"That's not exactly what happened." Liam admitted with a guilty expression.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure it looks like the doctors here have been neglecting Neal by avoiding him, but they've actually been keeping a sharp eye on him and working very hard to find a good angle to approach him. He's been too coherent for them to 'force' any care on him and that would be counter productive anyway. So the hospital staff had a meeting with the White Collar team to problem solve. Agent Hughes suggested that the only medical authority Neal was going to let get within ten feet of him was someone that you personally vouched for."

"So they called you." Peter smiled.

"They did."

"This whole set up was a con?"

"I don't like that word." Liam winced teasingly. "More like a creative solution to a difficult problem."

"You sound like Neal." Peter chuckled.

"I'm sorry about all the subterfuge, but with Neal in the room there was no way to key you in on it. I was supposed to just check in first and catch you alone later to tell you the plan, but Neal was in a lot worse condition than I expected so I called an audible."

"Thank you. You did an amazing job with him."

"Thank you." Liam smiled. "I'm not that great of an actor. I really did think Neal was FBI, you two reciprocated so much loyalty that it never occurred to me that he was anything else. Through all of this no one ever thought to mention to me that he was your CI."

"That actually surprises me, he's been part of the team for a long time but…well let's just say that 'best behavior' hasn't been Neal's strong suit."

"Something tells me he's earned their respect now, and rightly so."