Everything old is new Again

By Ldynwaitin

Chapter Fifteen

A promise kept

It was Monday, almost noon. Sitting in front of his window, Neal watched the guards as they changed shift. He noted as four men left, four more took their place. They did a four-hour shift rotation. It took the relieving crew a few minutes to get into position. Every hour two more guards walked around the house. They were very thorough, they had a time schedule that they maintained. It was something that could be taken advantage of at the right time.

Hearing the dead bolt on his door sliding, Neal turned his head, he saw the door slowly open. It had been two days since Sullivan's attack. His ribs ached so bad, he religiously took the pain killers Doctor Herdrich gave him. But now the pills were gone, true to his word, Neal saw Herdrich walk in with a delighted grin, behind him was Albert.

"Mr. Caffrey, I'm ba-ack," Herdrich sung. He pointed at Neal. "Hey, beard's coming along great. You should try for a moustache. Ladies love it." Herdrich twirled the ends of his moustache.

"Please, call me Neal," Neal said. He scratched his bearded chin. "Sorry, really not a moustache man." If his beard grew any longer, he was going to ask if they would let him shave, even if it was supervised.

"I'm happy to see that you're not lying down. Sitting up is good for you." Cheerfully grinning, Neal started standing up. Herdrich waved him to stay down. Neal looked behind Albert.

"No Lilith?" Neal asked Albert.

Albert looked uneasy. "She's, uh. She's having lunch with Sullivan."

Neal knew exactly what that meant. "Didn't take her long. I see a husband nine in the future."

"God, I hope so," Albert sighed. "He won't last long once he's married to her."

Neal knew that was probably Lilith's plan. Her husbands were known for having a short shelf life.

As Herdrich began walking to Neal, Albert started following him. Herdrich suddenly stopped walking, he turned his head and gave Albert a stern look. "I don't like someone looking over my shoulder when examining a patient. I also like to keep the area as sterile as possible."

Albert held his hands up in submission. "Fine, I'll stay close to the door then. But I'm staying here until you're done. Even injured he needs watching. No tricks, Neal," Albert shouted.

Neal impishly grinned, he pulled the sleeves to his shirt back. "You can see that there's nothing up them."

Heavily sighing, Herdrich walked to the window. He placed his backpack on a table next to Neal. "Let me see how you're healing there, Neal."

As Neal opened his shirt and took it off, Herdrich unzipped his backpack and took out a pair of gloves.

He quickly pulled on the gloves and unwrapped the bandage. He placed the soiled bandages in a plastic bag. Gently he began pressing down around Neal's wound on his shoulder. Neal flinched with each poke and prod.

"Nice and pink, no heat coming from the wound. That means no infection. You're lucky, Neal." His polite demeanor suddenly turned into an angry one. "Guess that animal knew what he was doing, but it was close. His knife scraped your clavicle and damaged some vessels, but fortunately nothing major. He actually did more damage coming out than going in."

He began pressing on his ribs, Neal gasped as he hit a sore spot.

"How's that breathing thing going?"

Taking in a deep breath, Neal felt a sharp pain. "Still overrated."

Herdrich stood up and brightly smiled at Neal. "Don't worry, it'll get better in time. It pays to be young and strong, you're healing up nicely."

"Then he'll be all right?" Albert asked.

"He'll be fine. Just make sure he does nothing physical for a week. It may pull the stitches."

Albert sighed in relief. "Excellent, Lilith will be happy to hear that. I do believe painting will not strain the stitches, am I right Doctor?"

"Unless he's planning to paint a house, that would be a no."

"Lilith will be happy to hear that too. Neal, I ordered the pigments that you needed. They're coming tomorrow. You can begin working on the new paintings then."

Neal's patented grin appeared. "Can't wait to get started."

Albert addressed Herdrich, "Doctor, I wanted to thank you again for coming out and taking care of him so quickly."

"As I said before, Albert. I came here out of respect for an old friend. Plus, I'm charging you triple," he mumbled. "I just need to finish cleaning and wrapping his wound."

Herdrich reached into the backpack for a clean gauze. "I used to come here a lot in Peintre's final months," he told Neal, as he pulled out a small bottle with a liquid. Neal hissed as Herdrich used the liquid to clean the wound.

Herdrich looked concerned. "Hmm, that pain could mean something bad. Here, squeeze my hands, I want to make sure your strength is good in that arm."

Herdrich held both hands in front of him with his palms up. Neal was surprised to see a pocketknife sitting on the doctor's left palm. He gave Herdrich a confused look.

Herdrich eyes moved down to look at the knife in his palm. Looking at Neal, he winked at him. "Go ahead, squeeze as hard as you can. I want to judge if they're equal."

With Herdrich's back to Albert, Albert was unable to see the knife. Neal's right hand hovered over the doctor's left for a split second. In that second the doctor no longer felt the knife's weight on his palm. He was surprised, he saw no movement in Neal's hand as he took the knife from him.

As Neal squeezed the Doctor's hands. He wondered where the knife went that Neal took. He was impressed, Neal was as good as Peintre told him. He gently squeezed back. "Nothing wrong here. Even strength in both hands, good job." He released his grip on Neal's hands and began bandaging Neal's wound.

"Peintre told me many stories of his young apprentice." Herdrich warmly smiled at Neal. "He said that you had many talents, Neal. Some he was proud of, others not so much thanks to Nolano's influence."

Albert said from the doorway, "Nolano taught him everything he knew. That's why I need to keep an eye on him."

Herdrich's brows knit in anger at being interrupted. "As I was saying, Peintre said you were like a son to him, and that he missed you very much."

"Oh yes," Albert said, with a coldness coloring his voice. "My father was very proud of Neal." Albert's jealously for Neal grew hearing that his father talked about him with the Doctor. He never spoke about him the same way that he would of Neal. It was months after Neal left that he slowly stopped painting. He said that he didn't need to anymore, that he had given the world a new master painter.

Once Peintre stopped creating new paintings it didn't take long for them to spend what little money they had left. They soon had to resort to selling most of his old paintings in the house. Once he died, they only had a few left to sell. That was when Albert decided to try stealing paintings and selling them. He knew that it could have worked, if not for Sullivan's temper.

But now they had Neal here. He was under their control. Already they sold two of his paintings. Albert checked his bank account this morning, he nearly cried when he saw the amount of money in their account. Now he could pay the new men that he hired. He hated giving Sullivan a share of their money. He now had a new priority, finding a way to deal Sullivan out and it would be as if his father never left.

Herdrich brightly smiled at Neal. "You know, like Nolano, in my younger days I ran with a rough crowd." Wrapping the bandage around Neal's shoulder, he continued. "Ah the good old days, I broke into some pretty posh places. Got a taste for the rich life." Finished dressing the wound, Herdrich patted Neal on the knee. "But that was in the past. One day I met a guy like Peintre. He saw something else in me. He helped me get my license. Best Doctor license money could buy."

Giving Herdrich a sly grin, Neal said, "Just joking?"

Herdrich nodded his head. "You got it, kid. I became a doctor on call for anyone that was willing to pay the price."

Sadly sighing, he said, "Peintre was one of my patients. Became a close friend in the end. His last days he told me he wasn't afraid to die. He said that you would carry on his legacy."

Herdrich softly said, "He loved you, son. You gave his life meaning in the end. As a good friend of his, I thank you for giving him that."

Neal tilted his head and smiled. "Thank you, for being his friend at the end of his life."

Grimly smiling, Herdrich put the bottle of antiseptic and bag of used bandages in the backpack. "That happily, was my pleasure." He pulled out a pill bottle and rattled it. "This is for pain. When I first came here, I only had enough for two days. This bottle will last the week. The stitches need to come out at the end of the week."

Neal took the bottle. "Thank you." His pain was at the point of getting unbearable. He was about to open the bottle until Herdrich stopped him. "You need to take them with a meal." He saw Herdrich's eye's squint as he slightly shook his head.

"I'll take them after lunch, then," Neal said.

"Is he healing well?" Nolano asked, as he stepped into the room. He had Neal's lunch with him. With Nolano there Albert left. His thoughts turned to tomorrow. Once he picked up the pigments, Neal would start painting again. It nearly felt as if his father was back, but better, so much better.

"He's doing fine, Nolano," Herdrich said. "You just have to make sure the wound is kept clean, and it should be fully healed in a few weeks. If there is any redness or heat be sure to let me know."

"I will, Doctor," Nolano replied.

Lifting his backpack, Herdrich sadly smiled. "Rest, Neal, and I guarantee you'll heal quick. I hope I've helped you with your situation."

Neal could feel the knife in his pants pocket. He extended his hand, they warmly shook hands. "Thank you, for what you've done."

"That's what I get paid the big bucks for," Herdrich said.

A month before Peintre passed away he gave him a cryptic warning. Peintre first told him not to trust anyone in his house. He then pleaded that he give his promise to do whatever he asked. Hearing the distress in his voice, he quickly gave his word. Peintre then told him that after he was gone, if he ever saw a man in his house with the name of Neal Caffrey, he was to do whatever he could to help him.

Herdrich had heard that name before, Peintre spoke of him often. He was his apprentice. When he heard Nolano say Mr. Caffrey, he realized that he had to fulfill on a promise made to an old friend. He hoped that what he gave Neal would help him find a way out of this house.

"Just helping an old friend. Take care, Neal." He twirled the end of his moustache. "Just keep it in mind, I tell you, it's a real ladies magnet." Flinging his backpack on his shoulder, he gave Neal a parting salute before quicky leaving the room.

Nolano placed Neal's lunch on his dresser. "You must eat it all, Mr. Caffrey. You'll heal faster. I'll return in an hour."

As soon as Nolano locked his door, Neal fished out the jackknife from his pocket. Opening it, he found two different size knives, small scissors, a screwdriver and a small file. In anyone else's hands it was just a knife used for cutting. In Neal's hands, it could do so much more.

He swiftly opened the pill bottle. From the anxious look on Herdrich's face he knew something had to be inside. He dumped the pills on the small table next to his chair. He couldn't believe what was inside the bottle. A small lock pick was hidden in the pills. Picking it up, he could see that it was old, but in his hands, he could use it to open any lock.

Coming into this house with nothing, he now had a lock pick and a weapon. He no longer felt hopeless. Holding something in his hands, something that he could use to help him escape gave him the strength to not give up. His mind was now filled with what he could do with the knife. There was a lot of work ahead for him.

The pigments were on their way. They would be delivered tomorrow. Peter hadn't found him yet, it looked as if he was going to be making more paintings for Albert and Lilith. He'd start painting the blue lady first. He always wanted to paint her, but the pigments were too expensive. Neal froze, when he heard Sullivan arguing with Nolano outside his door. The threat to him had not changed. The only thing keeping him alive was Sullivan's love for money was stronger than his want for revenge.

He was glad to hear that Sullivan was Lilith's new flavor of the month. For a short while he was no longer on her radar. She had a new target, Sullivan. He'd have no idea what she was capable of until it was too late.