Met with silence on the other end of the line, Brody sighed.
"Listen please don't hang up. I need you to not hang up."
"Why so I won't call the police?", Maggie snapped.
"Hey, believe it or not I'm not all too concerned for my own fate right now. You think I'd be taking fucking phone calls if I was?"
"Why are you answering my sister's phone then? What the hell are you even doing with her?!"
"I found her. I found Carrie at the parade."
"How were you even there?! Weren't there cops?!"
"You know I thought you'd be more interested in knowing what happened to your sister than in my criminal escapades.", Brody muttered.
"You should know I don't take well to sarcasm, Mr. Brody."
"It's just Brody. And I'm sorry, alright, I apologize. I just...Carrie's in bad shape."
"What? What's wrong with her? Has she been hurt?"
"Physically just some scrapes and bruises. But, she's told you what happened to her in Baghdad, hasn't she?"
Thinking back, Maggie's face paled.
"She had a flashback? Did the mob at the parade trigger-"
"Yeah."
"Where are you bringing her?"
Looking up he saw the imam turning down the street to the hospital near the community center.
"The hospital...?"
"No! Don't bring her there. She needs to be someplace calm, low-key. Bring her back to her house."
"I can't exactly arrange that.", Brody sighed. "Can I bring her to you?"
"I've got two girls and my father running to the bathroom every five minutes."
"Shit, that stomach bug?"
"Yeah."
"Look, I'll bring her back to where I'm staying.", he said, making sure the imam overheard.
"Where's that? Canada?", Maggie snorted.
"No. Closer actually."
"God, I don't even want to know how you're-"
"Good, it's better you don't."
"Just tell me, alright? How involved is Carrie in, your being back..."
"She's not. I swear, she's not involved. This is the first time I've seen her since the bombing. Which by the way, I was not responsible for."
"Carrie's said as much. But your taped confession told a different story."
"It told another story. One that had nothing to do with what happened at Langley that day."
"Look, I don't really care about you or what you did or didn't do. I care about Carrie. I care about her involvement in this, with you. If she gets implicated for anything involving you, or whatever we're calling this-"
"I promise you, she won't be. Nothing about my being here will be traced back to her. I'll make sure of it."
"What about the postcards?"
"Those stopped when I was stateside again. I haven't contacted or tried to contact Carrie since I've been back. Today was just a fucking coincidence. Nothing more."
When Maggie didn't reply, Brody sighed, rubbing slow circles with his free hand on Carrie's upper back.
"Listen Ms. Mathison."
"Maggie. Just Maggie."
"Maggie, I know you have no reason whatsoever to trust me."
"How could I trust you, I don't even know you."
"You know the CIA's got a fucking target painted on my back. You know it makes absolutely no sense that I'm within one hundred miles of Carrie, let alone sitting next to her in the back of a van. But I am. I'm here with her risking everything, and I'd gladly do it again if it got her out of harm's way and kept her safe. I love her."
"You've hurt her.", Maggie reminded, sounding pained.
"I know. I know I have.", Sighing, equally pained, Brody brushed his lips on the top of Carrie's head.
"I've told her that. I've warned her about you. So has Saul. But, there's only so much we can say that she'll listen to."
"There's only so much anyone can say that she'll listen to.", Brody said, getting a light laugh as the imam parked the van in the back lot of the apartment building.
"Alright, we just arrived."
"Tell me where."
"I'm in the apartment building by the new community center."
"What room?"
"4D. I know I can't stop you from sending the feds there to greet me with handcuffs."
"If Carrie doesn't get better you can expect them. But...I'll give you time."
"You will?"
"For her sake, not yours. I know if I sent anyone after you it'd just upset her more."
"Look I think I've got a handle on the PTSD, but what about her condition?"
"Does she have her purse with her?"
Checking, Brody noticed a small bag slung over Carrie's shoulder, the thin strap concealed under her t-shirt while the purse hung at her hip.
"This green braided thing?"
"Yeah. Check, she should have her pills in there."
"Now hold on. My mother told me never to go through a woman's bag. Not until you're a couple blocks away from her at least.", Brody joked as he poked through the purse and found the prescription bottles.
"I'm kidding, she never said that."
"I'm sorry, what does my sister see in you?"
"I honestly don't know.", he shrugged as he unbuckled his, then Carrie's seatbelt, the phone cradled under his ear.
"Look as far as the pills, she takes them in the morning but when she comes out of this she'll need another dose. After everything that's happened.."
"And with Farrah still..."
"How do you know about Farrah?"
"I have, sources.", Brody dodged.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that.", Maggie groaned.
"Anyway, what else will I have to do?"
"She'll need to eat something, and sleep is essential. Just be with her. Keep her out of trouble and preferably inside your apartment."
"Don't worry. I think I've used up my allowance of time outdoors for the next three months."
Getting out of the van he scooped Carrie up and carried her to the elevator.
"Hey, you still there?", he asked Maggie.
"Yeah. I am. Look, as horrible as I feel about all this, if Saul or God forbid the cops start asking questions, I don't know you. This conversation never happened." she sighed.
"Maggie I swear, I won't let anything happen to her."
"I'm supposed to call Virgil back if I heard from Carrie. Does he know..?"
"No. Quinn's the only one."
"Peter Quinn?"
"Yeah, short, dark haired, shifty gleam in his eyes. Likes his knives too.", Brody scoffed.
"But if Virgil calls tell him Carrie's being looked after. What he, what everyone should focus on is tracking down Farrah."
"Brody, you know Carrie's not going to sit still with her still missing."
"Yeah, I do.", he said as he got off the elevator and turned the corner to his apartment, quickly unlocking the door.
"But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."
"I'm serious, Brody. She will fight her way out of that apartment to find her."
"Well if it's any consolation, she's not up to fighting quite yet."
"That's not exactly a consolation."
"Yeah, I know.", Brody sighed, gently setting her down on his small sofa.
"Just take care of her, okay?", Maggie said, wiping at her eyes.
"I will. I promise.", he assured. Hanging up he knelt down beside the couch and stroked Carrie's hair.
"I promise..."