I REUPLOADED THE LAST CHAPTER SO GO BACK AND READ IT IF IT WAS SHORTER THAN 700 WORDS!
Warning: Will get grafic in later chapters.
This one is a little lobnger than the other two. I got in the mood.
Diary of a CajoleMan
The room spins everytime I move my head but I have to look around. I am not where I want to be. The scent of too much floor cleaner reaches my nose and I curse quietly. I turn when I see motion to my left and close my eyes when the scenery continues to spin. I blink a bit then smile at Peter.
"How you feeling?" He asks. I see that I am in a bed with white, crisp sheets and Peter is in a very uncomfortabl plastic chair, holding my left hend. At the elbow there are tubes running up from my arm. I hiss at the needles and Peter grabs my hand with his free one to stop me from pulling them out.
"When can I get out of here?" I ask.
"Soon. You'll be back out there in no time." Peter smiles.
"What happened in there?" I ask, laying my head on the pillow.
"Not sure yet, really. We'll update you when we know. For now, just get better."
"I wonder how..." I mumble.
I'm let out about three hours later with some really good perscription for lots of sleep and less work. They want someone with me at all times and Peter says he's arranged that. We walk out to the car and I lean on the roof, resting my chin on my crossed arms, looking across at Peter.
"What do you mean, arranged that?" I ask.
"Joseph was let out of the hospital about an hour before you. He was taken to June's, where he will be staying across the hall from you." Peter smiles and comes back to my side of the car to help me in.
"He is living at June's?" I look out the window as we start to drive.
"Yep. He has no where to go since his foster father is in jail for trying to sell the forgeries. Now, you get some rest tonight. We have a big case to work tomorrow if we want those paintings back, the real ones I mean." We ride the rest of the way in silence and as we walk up the stairs Peter holds my elbow. Normally I would complain but his hand helped. The steps hurt to walk up. My head still throbbed and I was weary about halfway and couldn't breath. More had been hurt than just a concussion.
"Peter, how bad was my concussion?" I huff at the top of the stairs.
"It was really bad. Not as bad as we thought but you are hurt. They threw you to the ground so hard that we were surprised that even with help you made it to the car. Joseph had been knocked out cold when they threw him down but he woke up when you grabbed him. His was little less than yours though. It's funny how bodies can be different."
"Funny." I sigh. I see Josepph wondering around his assigned room as we pass to get to mine. I stop and walk back to the doorway," Hey, Joseph."
"Yeah." He says, looking up from the thing in his hands.
"If you need me, I'm right there. Anytime. I don't have a real schedule so just come over if you need anything. I have a fridge." I smile and he smiles back, nodding. I turn back to Peter and then I walk into my apartment.
"Well, El is waiting for me. I better get home before she gives it to Sachmo. Call me if anything happens." He sighs," Keep an eye on him. He runs a lot. Every Foster home he runs from. I think you can calm him down for a bit."
"Do you?" I ask, leaning back on the couch and spreading out.
"It may be good, For the both of you. Night, Neal."
"Night, Peter." I start to doze as the door closes. A few minutes, or it could have been hours, not sure, later, I hear footsteps quietly shuffle to my door. They stop just before my door and I can hear someone shifting from foot to foot, the board under his feet creaking. Then the steps retreat," Joseph. You can come in." I shout.
"Are you sure?" He says from outside the door, slowly opening it," I'm n-not bothering you?"
"Nope. What's up?" I glance up at him. He steps in and is standing above my head near the couch so I can see him, even though he's upside down.
"Can't sleep. K-kind of..." He looks down at his bare feet then glances up at me. I grin.
"Do you know how to play chess?" I ask. He grins, suddenly excited.
" one likes to play me anymore because how..." He suddenly stops before the brag is complete.
"Come on. Let's see if you can back that up." We sit down and I start the game. It only takes him a few minutes to catch on to my strstegy and I have to change it. Half way through we come to a standstill and I grin.
"Wow. This is the first t-time someone has ever st-stumped m-me." He rubs his upper lip then moves his piece," Ch-check."
"Wow... That's... amazing..." I take my turn and take the peice so that I am no longer in check and see my mistake too late. He moves his queen and smiles.
"Check m-mate." He laughs," That was the b-best game I have ever p-played."
"I have a question. Don't get offended." I lay my chin on one of my fists on the table.
"M-my st-studder." He guesses.
"Yeah. Normally it's not... Yours is..." I try to find the right words.
"Yeah, d-different. The d-doctor's aren't sure what c-causes it. N-not st-stress. It m-must b-be the same thing that c-causes the n-nightmares." He leans back in his chair and runs a hand through his hair that he has greased back from his face.
"I think I can help." I stand and walk over to my bookshelf, pulling a book loose. I walk back and lay it in front of him.
"Poetry?" Joseph looks at the cover then back to me, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, poetry. I want you to read one poem out of the book aloud every night. By the end of that book you won't have as bad a studder, if one at all. Also, I can give you speach lessons if you would like. I had to learn how to teach language. Don't ask." I sit in front of him and start to set up the chess board and my vision blurred. For the past hour I had been fighting a migrane that was catching me.
"T-take this k-kiss upon the b-brow!And, in p-parting from you n-now,Thus m-much let
m-me avow-You are n-not wrong, who d-deem..." He starts to read.
"Ah, Poe. Good choice." I smile and stand, rubbing my left eye with my palm.
"That my d-days have b-been a d-dream;Yet if hope has flown away
In a n-night, or in a d-day,In a vision,
or in n-none,Is it therefore the less g-gone?All that we see or seem
Is b-but a d-dream within a d-d-dream." He finishes the first verse and stops to watch mewalk to the sink," You alright?" He asks.
"Head hurts. Just need some water." I take a glass out of the cabnet and turn on the faucet.
"Neal, m-maybe you should lay d-down. You're shaking p-pretty b-b-bad." He stands and walks torward me. I fill the cup and close my eyes. I hear the glass hit the floor before I even feel it leave my hand then I open my eyes and the room spin and I think I'm falling. Joseph catches me but I am too heavy and he lowers me to the ground.
"Call Peter. His number is on my cell phone." He lays me on the floor and searches for my phone. I close my eyes as the floor seems to rock back and forth like a boat.
"Agent B-burke?" I hear," Neal fell over. I think it's his c-concussion." He waits a few moments as he listens," I think he c-can." He walks back to my side and leans down to hand me the phone. I nod and lay on the floor with my eyes closed as I hold the phone to my ear.
"Peter?" I croak.
"Neal, did you hit your head when you fell?" He asks.
"No. Joseph caught me." I feel nausious but don't want to get up.
"Stay there, where you are and on the phone. Don't go to sleep. Stay on the phone." I could hear him getting in his car," I'll call one of my friends to come over and see if you need to go to the hospital."
"You have a friend that will make house calls this late?" I ask, trying to keep from being sick.
"Yeah. How are you feeling now, Neal?" He mumbles something to himself about slow drivers.
"Sick... Head hurts. Joseph?" I glance up at him.
"Right here." He nods to me.
"Try to stay away from the glass, if you can." I mumble, the words hurting my head.
"I c-can. I'm fine." He nods again.
"Neal?" Peter says.
"Yes." I sigh.
"I'm at the bottom of the stairs. I'll be right up." and as promised he's at my door in the next few moments.
"Hey, Peter." I grin from the floor, not opening my eyes.
"Alright, let's have a look and I'm going to give my friend a call. Don't move until he gets here."
"Hm." I can't make words, my head hurts.
"I knew you should have stayed another night." I hear. I'm drifting to sleep but keep trying to wake up.
"Neal. St-stay awake." Joseph nudges me.
"Mmmmk." I moan.
"When did you start to notice something was off?" I hear Peter ask.
"He stood up and walked over t-to the c-counter. His hands were shaking so I t-told him to sit d-down. He p-poured some water and d-dropped it then fell over." Joseph says.
"Ah, Hello. Dr. Riley?" Peter says, his voice fadeing as he walks into the hallway to get better service," Yeah, this is Peter Burke. It's been a while, you remember that favor you owe me? I'm calling it in, Bud. Yeah. I'll text you the adress. Thank you. Bye."
Sorry for the abrupt stop. :)
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