"And when I finally got you here you were like, completely out of it.", Dana sighed, glad to be through with the explanation.
"How long was I out?"
"Over two days. Sonya told me it was normal but I still.."
"Hey. I'm sorry I made you worry so much.", Brody said sincerely. Even though he knew he had so much more he had to apologize for.
"It's alright. I mean, all this time I was worried you were dead so.."
Weakly she laughed, shrugged, as Brody sat up and she shifted a little closer to him. She was still holding his hand.
"How's your mom? Chris?"
"They're alright. Chris is Chris, you know. And Mike finally closed the deal. Him and Mom got married last summer. Kind of had to to make Grandma happy."
"Wait..so he and your mom.."
"Yeah. I've finally got a little sister." Dana smiled semi awkwardly, getting her phone out of her purse and thumbing to a picture. After handing it to Brody he smiled.
"She's beautiful. What's her name?"
"Violet. I think she's finally starting to recognize me."
Her smile fading out she took her phone back.
"Dad when you were out if it you kept muttering about.."
"Carrie?"
Sensing Dana's disgust as she nodded, Brody sighed.
"Dana I know you're not.."
"A fan? No, I'm sorry. I'm not."
"And I'm not saying you should be. But, you have to know she's helped me out a lot."
"She what, let you crash at her cabin all this time?"
"She helped me flee to Canada. The night of the bombing."
"Because she thought you were guilty?", Dana frowned.
"No. Because she knew I was innocent. And that nobody would believe me but her."
"But if you didn't do it, then why couldn't you stay and let them just prove it?"
"Because even innocent of that, doesn't mean I'm not guilty of other-"
"Oh. So either way then you're still fucked."
"Dana.."
"What, Dad! I'm not going to sugarcoat it."
"Look. I know things aren't looking great for me, but I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing. Laying low, playing it safe until something presents itself that can help. The one thing I don't want is you worrying about me."
Brody emphasized.
"What about Carrie? Do you not want her worrying about you? At least she can potentially help you."
"I don't want Carrie anywhere close to this. Not anymore. Lauder threatened her at the hunting lodge."
"You're seriously worried about Zander's drunk psychopath uncle?"
"I'm worried about what can happen if Carrie stays involved with this. Keeps sticking her neck for me and defending me. It could get her hurt."
"She seems like the type that's willing to take that kind of risk."
"She shouldn't if it's on my behalf. Not when she's got a daughter of her own to worry about."
"What?", Dana asked in surprise.
"Wait, it's not...yours..."
"No.", Brody assured. "No. She...Farrah, is Carrie's foster child."
"You're kidding. I never took her as the type."
"She was on assignment in Iraq and was tutoring Farrah as part of her cover. Then Farrah's parents were killed. Carrie was all she had left."
"Shit."
Not up to correcting her Brody sighed.
"Anyway, Carrie, and Farrah, are better off if I'm just out of their orbit. I've already hurt them both.", he said guiltily.
"You love Carrie though.", Dana said, wishing it wasn't so but figuring she was better off calling it what it was.
"I heard what you called her in your sleep, Dad. I'm not clueless."
"However the fuck I feel doesn't matter.", Brody said sharply.
"All that does is that she and Farrah are safe. And they are if I'm not in the picture."
"Well so what's your big plan then? Because right now the whole world thinks it's safer if you're not in the picture."
"Really, I had no idea.", he scoffed, getting Dana smirking slightly.
"I'm going to go back to the mosque, thank the imam and Zahira for their help, and book."
"Where?"
"Zahira's got a brother, and the imam has two sisters and some cousins. He told me once that their family and whatever resources they have are at my disposal so.."
"You're sure Carrie hasn't got any, more official sounding resources?", Dana asked.
"I gave up any options the CIA could offer me when I missed that meeting."
"What meeting?"
"With Carrie's boss. At least I think there was a meeting. He and Carrie had been on the outs but when her and I were at the cabin he wanted to see her immediately to discuss things."
"In other words discuss you?"
"I'm pretty sure. It was probably my last chance to plead my case. But whenever that was clearly I was MIA.", he sighed, reaching over to grab a small cup of water and the pain pills Sonya had left for him.
"Trust me, Carrie's probably hating me now as much as you hate her."
"I don't, hate her. I mean I don't like or trust her but I don't hate her.", Dana shrugged.
"You think if I find her and tell her that she could talk her boss into.."
"No.", Brody sighed, shaking his head as he swallowed the pills down.
"Her boss has had it in for me since I threatened his protege staying on at the Agency.", he sighed.
"It doesn't matter if I'm innocent. Saul Berenson would land me in Guantanamo before he'd let that happen."
Leaning back against the pillows, feeling worn out from just talking Brody crushed the paper cup in his hand, set it on the bedside table.
"It won't happen though, okay. Believe me, I'll disappear before I wind up in another cell.", he vowed. To reassure Dana as much as himself.
"Great, so you'll disappear and I can lose you all over again.", she sniffed, dropping Brody's hand.
"Lose me. Dana, I can't possibly...Look, you're going back to Charleston as soon as Sonya clears me. And you're lucky you have that long.", Brody said firmly.
Even though the thought of saying goodbye to her again hurt more than his leg wound ever could, he wasn't about to put Dana or anyone he loved at risk ever again. Even if it meant never seeing anyone he loved ever again.
"Dad, no.", she bit back.
"I'm not five years old and just going to do something because my daddy says so. Face it, you're not getting rid of me that easy."
"Dana. You have your mom to think about. And Chris and Violet, even Faber. If what you're doing gets back to them, it's too much of a fucking risk. The longer you stay with me the more dangerous it could get."
"Like I give a shit about that."
"Just as stubborn as your mother, I swear..."
"Say whatever you want but I'm not leaving until I feel right leaving.", Dana said firmly.
"And by the way, Mom says I'm more stubborn than you."
"Yeah. Okay.", Brody snorted as Dana rolled her eyes and got up, grabbed a deck of cards she'd been playing Solitaire with earlier.
Shuffling them she straightened the deck out, then set it on the tray table on Brody's bed.
"So you up for a round of "Hunt The Cunt'?"
"Dana, really?"
"Fine, fine. War it is."