White Collar: The Nightingale

Chapter Twenty-six

Peter woke feeling very disoriented. He had slept through a full day and most of the next night. The last thing he clearly remembered was hearing Neal desperately calling out for help. Opening his eyes he looked up at the white ICU ceiling. The lights were turned down which gave him a sense that it was late at night. Glancing up at the IV stand with its various bags of drugs and saline he came to the sensible conclusion that he had made it to the hospital.

Taking a deep breath Peter was rewarded with a sharp pain across his chest. He reached into the collar of his hospital gown and gingerly touched at the staples that were keeping his incision closed. To repair the badly damaged sternum and release the fluid and blood that had accumulated in his chest they had cut a four inch line down the center of his chest. Attempting to sit up was greeted with another lance of pain.

Giving up on sitting up Peter turned his head and found Elizabeth curled up on the couch sleeping soundly. Even with her eyes closed Peter could see her stress, tears had streaked her makeup. He had promised her that everything was going to be okay that the kevlar would protect him and that despite his feeling on guns that Neal was an excellent shot. He had not counted on Zhang carrying such a high powered hand gun.

Not wanting to disturb his wife Peter just watched her sleep. He had gone into the White Collar division because there was a lower chance of him getting shot at. Since meeting Neal the number of 'close calls' had risen significantly. Elizabeth whimpered quietly in her sleep and for the first time in his life Peter started to reconsider his career path.

"El..." Peter called softly when Elizabeth continued to be tormented by a nightmare.

"Peter?" Elizabeth asked as she snapped awake.

Elizabeth got to her feet and rushed over to Peter's bed side. She had a mixed expression of relief and anxiety as she hesitated to touch him. Peter reached out and took her hand, bringing it to his lips he gave her a hand a gentle kiss. Elizabeth smiled brightly as tears slipped down her face once more. She ran her free hand through his hair and Peter smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked. "I should get the nurse..."

"No. I want some time alone with you first."

"As long as you're sure you're okay."

"I'm fine. I think one of these lines has some morphine in it."

"It does."

"Good stuff."

Elizabeth chuckled quietly. Peter reached over to the controller on the bed that brought the head of the bed up. Moving wasn't comfortable, but he didn't want to be laying flat on his back anymore. In a more seated position Peter was able to convince Elizabeth to come in for a proper kiss. She was still careful, not wanting to hurt him.

Exhausted from just being awake Peter was forced to close his eyes for a moment. Elizabeth pulled up a chair and sat next to him. She put her hand back in Peter's and they spent a while in silence. Eventually Peter opened his dark eyes again and looked to Elizabeth. She was staring at him trying to keep her tears at bay. He hated seeing her so stressed.

"El...if you want me to quit the Bureau I will."

"What? Peter, that morphine must be really effecting you."

"I'm serious. Say the word and I'll find myself a corporate desk job somewhere."

"But you love the Bureau."

"I love you more."

"What would happen to Neal?"

"I can't imagine any other Agent taking him in." Peter admitted. "He'd end up back in prison for the rest of his sentence. But, don't let Neal's fate influence your decision, this is about us, not him."

Elizabeth paused, carefully considering what Peter was offering. Peter's stomach twisted slightly as he waited for her answer. He wasn't really sure what he'd do with himself if he wasn't an Agent. However, he was willing to live up to his promise if it was what she wanted. It wasn't fair to Elizabeth to put her through situation like this one.

"Peter, I would love for you to have a less dangerous job." Elizabeth whispered. "But I also know you'd be miserable. You love your job, and even though you'd never admit it out loud I know you love working with Neal."

"He certainly keeps things interesting."

"Keep your job, Hon." Elizabeth leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Are you sure?"

"It's part of who you are, and part of the man I love."

"How did I end up with such a wonderful and understanding wife?" Peter smiled.

"You're just lucky I guess."

Peter smiled, but it was far too painful to risk laughing. Elizabeth gently brushed his cheek with her fingertips. The nurse had noticed long ago that Peter was awake and had called for the doctor who had just arrived. The doctor had waited outside for a moment to offer the couple some privacy, but he sensed that now was a good time to interrupt.

"Agent Burke." The doctor greeted as he stepped inside. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I expected."

"The surgery went well, we were able to put your sternum back in place. You'll have some precautions to follow, but you should be able to move to a TCU in a week."

"TCU?"

"Transitional Care Unit. It's like a stepping stone towards going home."

"How long till I can get out of bed?"

"Oh the therapist will have you up and walking by tomorrow morning."

"That soon?" Elizabeth asked.

"Always best to get moving as quickly as possibly, with certain restrictions of course." The doctor assured. "For tonight, just rest. If you are up to it there are two Agent's outside chomping at the bit to see you."

"You can let them in."

"Make sure they don't stay long." The doctor instructed Elizabeth.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement. The doctor stepped out of the ICU room. Jones and Diana came in. They had been taking turns keeping guard outside the door and happened to be between shifts so they were both there. Diana stepped up and smiled.

"Good to see you awake, Peter." Diana said.

"Thank you. What happened at the warehouse?"

"All in all there were three hundred twenty-seven women in the containers. We are coordinating with immigration, local hospitals, and The Blind Project to get them all the help they need."

"The Blind Project?" Elizabeth asked.

"A non-profit organization that works to end sex trafficking." Peter clarified. "How is Hsing doing? She saved everyone there."

"Uh...she's missing." Jones admitted.

"Missing?"

"Lost in the chaos along with the Nightingale sword. We have Agents and local LEOs looking for her."

"Where is Neal?"

"Marshals put him on house arrest at June's last night."

"Does he know Hsing is missing?" Peter demanded.

"Yeah...but, Peter, don't worry about any of this." Jones said. "Just focus on getting better."

"It's Neal, it's my job to worry."

"He isn't going anywhe..." Jones stopped as his cell phone rang.

Peter held his breath as he saw the expression that fell over Jones's face as he listened to the caller. Jones thanked the caller with a sad sigh and put his cell phone back in his pocket. Jones looked at Peter with a sheepish expression.

"Jones?"

"It's Caffrey, he cut his anklet."

"Of course he did." Peter huffed. "There isn't a sensible bone in his body."

"I'm sure he had a good reason." Elizabeth said.

"The Marshals aren't going to care why he cut it." Jones pointed out.

"He could end up with another four to six years if they have to drag him back." Diana added. "Hell, he'll probably still get an extra two even if he comes back on his own. He has to know that. Why wouldn't he just let us handle this?"

"Do you think he's looking for Hsing?" Elizabeth asked.

"That's exactly what I think." Peter shook his head sadly. "There are only two things that ruin Caffrey's judgment: women and shiny objects."

"What should we do?" Diana asked.

"We need to find him before the Marshals, Zhang's tong, or the Yakuza do." Peter said. "All three will be in the mood to kill him. Not that I don't feel that way myself sometimes... I have no idea how he's managed to survive this long."

"Pure charisma?" Elizabeth guessed.

"Sounds about right."